![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
( 347 of 478 ) |
United States Patent | 5,503,300 |
Prescott , et al. | April 2, 1996 |
A vending machine includes a refrigeration compartment, an oven compartment, structure for transferring a food product from the refrigeration compartment to the oven compartment, and structure for transferring the food product from the oven compartment to a user of the vending machine. The vending machine provides automated handling and cooking of packaged food products that enables a hot cooked food to be delivered to a customer in a cool package sleeve. The vending machine also includes a system for inventory control that enables vertical storage of packaged food products while minimizing crushing of packaged food products at the bottom of a stack. A magazine empty indicator automatically indicates when an inventory magazine is empty. An oven door latch mechanism eliminates the possibility that the oven can be operated while the oven door is open.
Inventors: | Prescott; Jack R. (Laguna Hills, CA), Smead; John D. (San Clemente, CA), Durbin; Edward (Point Richmond, CA), Kanyon; Michael (Sea Ranch, CA), Rudder; Michael E. (San Francisco, CA), Bradfield; James W. (Mill Valley, CA), Elliott; Gregory (Tustin, CA), Arai; Stanley (Aliso Viejo, CA), Hopkins; Mark A. (Laguna Niguel, CA), Morrison; Donald (Anaheim, CA), Rudewicz; Paul T. (Mission Viejo, CA), Sinera; Kenneth (Placentia, CA), Thomas; Thom (Ventura, CA), Weber; Dale (Mission Viejo, CA) |
Assignee: |
KRh Thermal Systems
(San Bruno,
CA)
|
Appl. No.: | 08/231,195 |
Filed: | April 21, 1994 |
Current U.S. Class: | 221/273 ; 221/105; 221/11; 221/113; 221/132; 221/14; 221/150HC; 221/175; 221/211; 221/225 |
Current International Class: | G07F 11/46 (20060101); G07F 11/04 (20060101); G07F 11/54 (20060101); G07F 9/02 (20060101); G07F 9/10 (20060101); B65G 059/06 (); G07F 011/54 () |
Field of Search: | 221/273,221,224,225,15A,15H,15R,6,11,14,92,95,104,105,113,132,175,211 414/798.1,798 |
2497718 | February 1950 | Early et al. |
3857420 | December 1974 | Newman |
3884213 | May 1975 | Smith |
3951303 | April 1976 | Hobden et al. |
4057171 | November 1977 | Hatori et al. |
4109825 | August 1978 | Weitzman |
4338911 | July 1982 | Smith |
4409453 | October 1983 | Smith |
4456148 | June 1984 | Newman et al. |
4480764 | November 1984 | Takagi et al. |
4492839 | January 1985 | Smith |
4632274 | December 1986 | Garbe |
4679542 | July 1987 | Smith et al. |
4991739 | February 1991 | Levasseur |
5127544 | July 1992 | Robinson et al. |
5131841 | July 1992 | Smith et al. |
5147994 | September 1992 | Smith et al. |
5207351 | May 1993 | Lesar |
5210387 | May 1993 | Smith et al. |
5219092 | June 1993 | Morand |
5310978 | May 1994 | Smith |
2667421 | Apr., 1992 | FR | |||
1236996 | Mar., 1967 | DE | |||
Weber, entitled "New Drive Provides Smooth Indexing Motion", Machine Design, Jul. 9, 1993, pp. 46-50.. |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |