Patent ID: 7497353

Claim:
A vending machine apparatus comprising, a housing defining an internal cavity, an article storage area inside the cavity, the article storage area being subdivided into a plurality of article storage sub-compartments, each article storage sub-compartment having an opening at a dispensing end thereof for passage of stored articles therethrough during a dispensing operation; and an air barrier arrangement comprising, a sheet-like member having a plurality of flaps formed therein, said sheet-like member being positioned in common with the open dispensing ends of a plurality of the article storage sub-compartments, and wherein a sub-plurality of said flaps, including a sub-plurality of only one flap, is in alignment with a corresponding one of the article storage sub-compartments, each of said sub-plurality of flaps allowing for the passage of stored articles therethrough during a dispensing operation from the corresponding one of the article storage sub-compartments that is aligned therewith.