WO1988002524A1

WO1988002524A1 - Automatic rental vending machine

Info

Publication number: WO1988002524A1
Application number: PCT/US1987/002335
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert J. Spooner; Dennis L. Nylen; Robert J. Randall; Thomas S. Nelson
Original assignee: Essex Engineering Company
Priority date: 1986-09-25
Filing date: 1987-09-11
Publication date: 1988-04-07
Also published as: AU8075287A

Abstract

An automatic vending machine for the rental of video cassettes. Cassettes are stored in individual brackets (22) carried on a vertical conveyor belt (16). An indexing mechanism (41) indexes each bracket (22) and the code of the cassette therein is read by a bar code reader (35) and transmitted to a CPU (60). A service man randomly loads the machine and the reader (35) reads the codes of all the cassettes. A user inserts a credit card into slot (6) and selects a cassette using keyboard (10). The CPU moves the conveyor until a bracket holding the cassette is aligned with window (12). Upon return of the cassette, the user places the cassette in an empty bracket where it is subsequently moved to the reader to read the code thereon.

Description

AUTOMATIC RENTAL VENDING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to the field of auto¬ matic rental vending machines, and in particular automatic rental vending machines for video cassettes.

Automatic video cassette vending machines are generally known to the art. Typically, the known apparatus operate along similar principles to customary candy or cigarette dispensing machines. A customer selects the video cassette he desires to rent, pays for the transaction, and thereafter presses a button or pulls a knob so that the selected cas¬ sette drops from a higher storage area within the machine into an opening or window area where it may be removed by the customer. The transactions usually involve a credit card and the vending apparatus includes means for receiving a customer's credit card, and recording a charge thereon equal to the value of the cassette. When the cassette is returned, the customer again inserts his credit card and the vending machine credits the customer with the difference between the price of the cassette and the rental value thereof. The machine records the date and time when the cassette is rented and the date and time when the cassette is returned so that the customer is charged the proper ren¬ tal fee which is based on the number of days for which the cassette has been rented. The machines also include means for detecting that the cassette returned by the customer is the same cassette that was rented by him, which may be ac¬ complished by bar coding the cassettes.

In the typical vending apparatus discussed above, re¬ turned cassettes are merely""deposited in a storage area within the machine. At periodical intervals, the returned cassettes must be re-stacked in the machine so that they may again be dispensed to subsequent customers. If, for exam¬ ple, all cassettes for a particular movie are in the storage which a customer may desire to rent may be physically withi the vending machine, the consumer will be unable to make transaction and a sale will be lost.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an automatic vending machine in which returned cas¬ settes are immediately available for subsequent re-rental. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a vending machine in which it is unnecessary to manually move returned cassettes from a storage area to the dispensing area of the apparatus. A still further object of the inven¬ tion is to provide a vending machine which can be loaded by a service man at random. It is still a further object of the invention to provide a novel conveyor system to accom¬ plish the above results. Other objects and advantages o the invention will become evident from the following de¬ scription thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The improved automatic vending machine of the presen invention includes a plurality of brackets carried by a ver tical conveyor belt. Each bracket is coded by an indexin mechanism on the conveyor belt and adapted to receive vide cassettes. A bar code reader is adapted to read bar code on the stored cassettes. A memory stores the coded informa tion to maintain a current record of the status of eac bracket to determine whether designated video cassettes ar present or absent and to record those cassettes not in in ventory. The machine includes an opening proximate to th conveyor belt through which a customer may gain access to designated bracket to remove a desired video cassette. I particular, a customer selects a video cassette by indicat ing a code corresponding to a particular cassette. Th memory determines if such cassette is available, and if so, control means move the conveyor belt until a bracket holdin the selected cassette is moved proximate to the opening i the machine where it may be removed by the customer. The customer returns the cassette by indicating the code number, after which the control means move the conveyor so that an empty bracket is moved proximate to the opening of the ma¬ chine. The customer then inserts the returned cassette into its assigned bracket. The bar code reader reads the code of the returned cassette placing it back in inventory. The customer's credit card is then credited for the returned cassette.

It is apparent that the rented cassette is returned to an indexed bracket and the memory records the fact that the cassette has been returned. Accordingly, the returned cas¬ sette is immediately available for re-rental to a subsequent customer. There is no need for any periodic human interven¬ tion, as required by the prior art systems, to remove re¬ turned cassettes from a storage return area and re-stack them in assigned positions in a dispenser, thereby saving much time and labor. Inventory can be loaded into the machine at random. The b code reader and the indexing means cooperate to transmit the co of each type and its bracket position to a central processi unit.

In a further aspect of the invention, a nov conveyor-bracket arrangement is provided in which adjace brackets carried on the conveyor belt may be pivoted relative each other. The arms of each bracket define retaining means f cassettes carried in the bracket between them. A cassette may b removed from a bracket only by pivoting the two immediate adjacent brackets to displace the retaining means away from t intermediate bracket carrying a cassette to be removed. In th manner, the conveyor belt carrying the brackets may be vertically oriented, rotating endless belt which will reta cassettes in their respective brackets. Means are provided fo pivoting adjacent surrounding brackets to open an intermedia bracket proximate to the opening in the machine to enable customer to remove a selected cassette from the intermedia bracket or to return a cassette assigned to that bracket.

SUBSTITUTE SHEET BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the automati video cassette vending machine in accordance with th present invention;

FIGURE 2 is similar to FIGURE 1 illustrating the inter nal components of the machine and partially cut away to sho a plurality of conveyor belts for carrying cassettes to b dispensed;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the conveyo system for the cassettes housed within the machine;

FIGURE 4 is an isolated view of part of a conveyo within the machine carrying brackets which receive video cassettes;

FIGURE 5 is similar to FIGURE 4 except that the bracket retaining means have been displaced to provide access to a cassette received in one of the bracket;

FIGURE 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the com- ponents of the automatic vending machine in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGURES 7 and 8 are perspective views, partially cut away with its front door 11 open.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Figures 1-6 of the drawings illustrate the preferred embodiment of an automatic rental vending machine in accor¬ dance with the present invention. Referring to Figure 1, the vending machine is generally designated by the reference numeral 2. The machine includes a CRT display screen 4 on which instructions relating to the operation of the machine are displayed for the customer. A credit card insertion slot 6 is provided to receive and record credit card infor¬ mation of the customer, and a slot 8 is provided through which the customer receives a receipt for his transaction. A keyboard 10 is used by a customer for indicating a refer¬ ence numeral or other code corresponding to the video cas¬ sette to be rented. A window area or opening 12 is defined in the front of the machine through which a customer may gain access to video cassettes within the machine to com¬ plete the transaction.

Figure 2 of the drawings is similar to Figure 1 but is cut out to illustrate a vertically oriented conveyor system housed within the automatic vending machine. In particular, the machine includes three separate endless conveyor belts designated by the reference numerals 14, 16 and 18. Each of the three endless conveyor belts includes a plurality of brackets 20, 22 and 24, respectively, which are carried by the conveyor and extend outwardly and substantially normal to the plane of the endless conveyors. Each of the brackets receives and holds a video cassette designated by the refer¬ ence numerals 26, 28 and 30, respectively. In Figure 2, the illustrated brackets holding video cassettes are aligned with the opening or window space 12 defined in the front surface of the machine. As will be discussed in further detail below, the machine includes means for selectively rotating the individual conveyor belts in order to transport a particular cassette selected by a customer to the opening 12 where the customer gains access to the cassette to com¬ plete the transaction. Each cassette is provided with a bar code 27, 29 and 3 The machine also comprises a bar code scanner or reader general indicated at 33. It comprises a conventional scanner head mounted on a motorized track mechanism generally indicated at 3 The conveyor indexing means or encoder is generally indicated 41.

Figure 3 of the drawing illustrates a side elevational vi of the path of travel of one of the conveyor belts 16 hous within the machine. As shown in Figure 2, the conveyor 16 stopped at a position in which bracket 22 holding cassette 28 in alignment with the window access opening 12 defined in t front of the vending machine. A shaft or cam 32 is provided alignment with window opening 12 to cause the conveyor belt 16 abruptly change its direction of travel as it passes through t region proximate to the opening 12. As will be discussed greater detail below, the abrupt change of direction of t endless conveyor results in the pivoting of brackets immediate adjacent to bracket 22 for the purpose of displacing casset retaining means so that the cassette within a cassette box 28 c be removed from the bracket 22 by the customer.

Figure 4 of the drawings illustrates an isolated section the conveyor belt 16 which has been generally illustrated Figures 2 and 3. The conveyor belt 16 includes a plurality individual conveyor links 34 which are pivotally mounted to ea other to define the endless conveyor loop 16. Each conveyor li 34 carries a bracket which extends substantially perpendicular the upper surface of the link. In Figure 4 the bracket 22, illustrated in the previous drawings, is shown sandwiched betwe two adjacent brackets 36 and 38 carried on the upper surface adjacent conveyor links 34. Each bracket includes a plurality arms 39 which define the upper and lower surfaces and the t ends of the individual bracket. Moreover, each of the ar defining the upper and lower surfaces of a bracket terminate in portion which is bent substantially perpendicular to t respective arm and oriented in a direction towards the neares adjacent bracket. For illustrative purposes, it is noted that the bent end portion 40 of the arm of bracket 38 is directed towards, and extends into, the area defined by the immediately adjacent bracket 22. ike- wise_r the arms of bracket 36 immediately adjacent to the intermediate bracket 22 terminate in bent end portions which extend into the area defined by the intermediate bracket 22. It is noted that the arms defining the immediately adjacent surfaces of adjacent brackets are slightly laterally spaced apart from each other as illustrated in Figure 4 so that the adjacent arms of adjacent brackets may be pivoted into a common plane.

Referring now to Figure 5, the portion of the conveyor 16 illustrated in Figure 4 is shown in a position in which adjacent brackets 36 and 38 are pivoted relative to the intermediate bracket 22. As noted above, the conveyor links 34 supporting the brackets 22, 36 and 38 are pivotally mounted to each other. Actual pivoting of the brackets 36 and 38 occurs as a result of the abrupt change of direction of the endless conveyor 16 caused by shaft 32 illustrated in Figure 3. When adjacent brackets 36 and 38 are pivoted relative to the intermediate bracket 22, the bent perpendic¬ ular end portions defined on the free ends of the arms of the adjacent brackets, which otherwise extend into the area defined by the intermediate bracket 22, are displaced. The bent end portions of the adjacent ^"brackets serve as retain¬ ing means to hold the video cassette box 28 within the in¬ termediate bracket 22 as the vertically oriented conveyor 16 rotates. However, when the adjacent brackets 36 and 38 are pivoted relative to the intermediate bracket, these retain¬ ing means are displaced from the intermediate bracket 22 and the cassette box 28 may be removed by a customer to complete a transaction. It is noted that the machine is arranged so the pivoting resulting from the change of direction of the conveyor occurs proximate to the opening 12 in the front of the machine so that the customer has access to the opened bracket and may remove the cassette therefrom through the opening 12. As also seen in Figures 4 and 5, each cassette box 28 provided with an opening 43 through which the bar code on t actual cassette may be read. The box 28 manufactured accordi to U.S. Patent No. 4,184,594, is pro ^*i-^**"ed with channels 45 each end into which end bracket arms 47 fit when the box inserted correctly with opening 43 facing outwardly. The b will not fit into the bracket with the opening facing inwardl This is prevented by upstanding tabs 49 at the end of channe 45. The misfit of the box 28 will keep it sticking out where is detected by an optical sensor to thus prevent return in a w that the bar code could not be read.

Slings generally indicated at 51 are provided to hold t tapes in place, when the conveyors turn around at the bottom the machine.

Figure 6 of the drawings is a diagrammatic view of t vending machine in accordance with the present invention. T major components of the machine include a central processing un designated by the reference numerals 60, a printer control boa designated by the reference numberals 62, a card read designated by the reference numeral 64, electronic circuitry 6 for the keyboard 10 of Figure 1, and electronic circuitry 68 f the CRT display 4 also illustrated in Figure 1. The printe card reader and keyboard are all electrically coupled to t central processing unit.

Referring to Figures 7 and 8, three doors 70, 72 and 74 ar located behind the opening 12. These doors may be individuall opening by attached motorized rack and pinion mechanis generally indicated at 76, 78 and 80. Note rack 81 attached t door 74. An individual cassette box 30 is accessible when doo 74 is open and access to other cassette boxes is prevented b shield 82. The door is provided with an automatic lockin mechanism and a mechanism for indicating whether the door is ope or closed to the central processing unit. Such a mechanism i generally indicated at 84 for door 74.

To operate a machine the machine is first loaded wit cassette boxes containing cassettes in a loading cycle in -which all three doors 70, 72 and 74 are opened and the conveyor indexed together one conveyor slot at a time. Alternatively, on door may be opened and tapes replaced selectively in th associated conveyor by a serviceman. The technician randoml loads the cassettes into the machine. As the loaded cassette pass the bar code scanner 33, the scanner head 35 passes over th openings 43 in the boxes and reads the bar codes from each of th three aligned cassettes in the three conveyors. This loads th central processing unit memory with the inventory in the machine

A customer rents a video tape by inserting a credit car into the machine which is read. The credit card information i stored in the central processing unit. Thereafter, the custome punches a code on the keyboard corresponding to the vide cassette which he desires to rent. The CRT display may be use to provide the customer with instructions for operating th machine and the numerical codes corresponding to the differen cassettes contained within the machine. After the customer ha made a selection by punching the appropriate reference numbera on the keyboard, the printer provides the customer with a receip indicating appropriate information such as the identification o the credit card, the identification of the video cassett selected, and the date and time of the transaction.

After the customer has made a selection of the particula cassette which he wishes to rent by indicating the correspondin code number on the keyboard, the central processing unit searche its inventory to see whether or not that cassette is available If it is not, the customer is provided with an appropriat message. If the selected cassette is available, the centra processing unit communicates with a motor to rotate the conveyo belts until a bracket containing one of the selected tapes, sinc there may be more than one stored in the machine, is aligne behind one of the three doors 70, 72 and 74. The appropriat door is then opened and cassette box containing the tape may b removed by the customer. As discussed above, when the chose bracket is in this position, the two immediately adjacen surrounding brackets are pivoted to displace cassette retainin means away from the assigned bracket so that -li¬

the customer may gain access to and remove the selecte video cassette from the machine through the opening 12. Th door is then closed, the transaction completed and the cus tomer provided with the receipt.

When a customer returns a video cassette, the abov described operations are repeated. In particular, the cus tomer punches the number on the key board corresponding t the cassette to be returned. The central processing uni causes the conveyor system to rotate so that an empt bracket is transported to the opening 12. The appropriate door is opened and the customer inserts the returned tape. As also discussed above, when this occurs, the retaining means for the assigned bracket are displaced so that the bracket is opened and the returned cassette can be inserted directly into the empty bracket.

The door is closed and the conveyors are indexed so that the returned cassette is below the scanner head 35. The scanner head 35 is then traversed across the three aligned bar codes including that of the returned tape and this information is transmitted to the central processing unit which returns the return tape to inventory and credits the customer for the return of that tape. The issued re¬ ceipt further indicates the cost of the rental which is based upon the time that the cassette has been removed from the machine.. The difference in the cost of the tape and the rental cost is credited to the customer's credit card.

It is apparent from the above discussion that the auto¬ matic vending machine described herein is advantageous in many respects over the known apparatus. In particular the cassettes may be loaded randomly, the vending machine main¬ tains a current record in memory of the status of its entire inventory including the total number and type of cassettes assigned to the machine, the number and type of cassettes which are in the machine and available for immediate rental, and the number and type of cassettes which have been rented. More importantly, the bar code and location of a returned cassette is immediately recorded in the central processing unit memory, so that the returned cassette is immediately available for subsequent re-rental. Unlike the known prior art machines, the machine described herein eliminates the requirement to transfer returned cassettes from a storage area to a cassette dispenser before the returned cassettes become available for re-rental. Accordingly, the present invention provides a machine which is completely automated in all respects and requires no human intervention whatso¬ ever.

Other advantages and modifications within the scope and spirit of the invention will be evident to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the discussion of the best mode of the invention described herein is intended to be illustra¬ tive only, and not restrictive of the scope of the inven¬ tion, that scope being defined by the following claims and all equivalents thereto.

Claims

1. An automatic rental vending machine comprising: movable storage means within said machine for holdi coded articles to be rented and for receiving return rented articles, each of said articles being stored in single article storage area defined in said movable stora means, code reading means for reading the codes of articl which are stored in said storage areas, code storage means for storing the codes of t articles stored in each of said single article stora areas, control means coupled to said movable storage means fo moving said storage means to a position to provide access t a selected storage area from outside of the machine fo removing or replacing articles in said designated storag area.

2. The machine as claimed in claim 1 further compris ing: indexing means coupled to said movable storage mean and said control means.

3. The machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein sai control means causes said code reading means to read th code of an article immediately after it has been stored i said machine and causing its code and storage area to b s ored in said code storage means.

4. The machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein sai movable storage means comprises a conveyor.

5. The machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein sai conveyor includes said predetermined storage areas carrie thereon. -1 -

6. The machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein sa predetermined storage areas are defined by a plurality brackets.

7. The machine as claimed in claim 6 wherein sa conveyor is an endless conveyor comprising conveyor lin which are pivotally mounted to each other.

8. The machine as claimed in claim 7 further compri ing means for pivoting a plurality of said conveyor links a predetermined position in said machine.

9. The machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein sa means for pivoting comprises a shaft coupled to said co veyor for causing said conveyor to vary its direction travel.

10. The machine as claimed in claim 8 wherein adjace brackets define retaining means for intermediate bracke and said retaining means are displaceable to open said i termediate brackets in response to pivoting of said adjace brackets.

11. The machine as claimed in claim 10 wherein sa retaining means for said intermediate brackets compri folded end portions integrally defined on arms of said a jacent brackets, said folded end portions being configur and oriented to extend into said storage areas defined said intermediate brackets.

12. The machine as claimed in claim 8 further compri ing an opening defined in the front of said machine, sa opening being defined proximate to said predetermined pos tion in said machine at which said conveyor links are pivo ed.

13. The machine as claimed in claim 12 further co prising a cover over said opening, and means for openi said cover, said means for opening said cover being coupl to said control means.

14. An automatic rental vending machine comprising: a housing, a vertically oriented conveyor in said housing, individual storage compartments for holding preassigne articles carried by said conveyor, an opening defined in said housing for providing acces to said storage compartments proximate to said opening; and control means coupled to said conveyor for selectivel moving a predetermined one of said storage compartments pro ximate to said opening in said housing.

15. The machine as claimed in claim 14 further includ ing retaining means for said storage compartments.

16. The machine as claimed in claim 15 wherein sai retaining means for one of said storage compartments i defined on said storage compartments immediately adjacen thereto.

17. The machine as claimed in claim 16 wherein sai storage compartments are pivotal relative to each other, an said retaining means for said predetermined storage compart ment is displaced by pivoting said adjacent storage compart ments.

18. The machine as claimed in claim 14 further includ ing a cover locked over said opening, and means for unlock ing said cover coupled to said control means.

19. In an automatic vending machine for articles to be rented, said machine comprising means for storing and dis¬ pensing said articles, the improvement comprising: said storage and dispenser means including an endless conveyor formed from a plurality of pivotally mounted con¬ veyor links, and a plurality of storage compartments for said articles carried on said conveyor links.

20. The machine of claim 19 wherein said storage com¬ partments comprise at least an intermediate storage compart¬ ment and an adjacent storage compartment disposed on each side of said intermediate storage compartment, each of sai storage compartments being defined by brackets, the ends of said brackets defining said adjacent storage compartments extending into said intermediate storage compartment to provide retaining means for said intermediate storage com- partment, and means for pivoting said adjacent storage comp¬ artments relative to said intermediate compartment to dis¬ place said retaining means from said intermediate storage compartment.

21. A machine as defined in claim 3 wherein said con¬ trol means moves said movable storage means to a position to provide access to a selected unfilled storage area which may not have originally stored a tape to be returned.