Patent ID: 8079494

Claim:
A product delivery system for delivering product from a storage area to a dispensing area, the product delivery system comprising: a product holding device for selective coupling with the product, the product holding device being modular, compact, and elongated, the product holding device having a self-contained electric motor driven rotary vacuum generating assembly; a robotic arm positioning structure coupled to the product holding device for moving the product holding device, the robotic arm positioning structure having a plurality of arm segments wherein each arm segment is joined to an adjacent arm segment by a rotary driven joint, the robotic arm positioning structure having an end and the entire product holding device being attached near the end, the positioning structure being capable of non-Cartesian coordinate movement; a reel and cable system, wherein the product holding device is moveable with the reel and cable system, the reel and cable system including a cable that is spooled onto a reel, the product holding device being attached to a cable end, the cable supporting the product holding device, the cable being wound onto the reel to raise the product holding device and the cable being unwound from the reel to lower the product holding device, and an integrated electrical conductor within the cable to electrically power the self-contained electric motor driven rotary vacuum generating assembly of the product holding device; and a control system for controlling the product holding device and the positioning structure, wherein the control system continuously monitors an electrical current draw of the vacuum generating assembly to determine when the product holding device has coupled to a product and when a product has been released.