WO2003054816A1

WO2003054816A1 - Vending machine

Info

Publication number: WO2003054816A1
Application number: PCT/US2002/040904
Authority: WO
Inventors: Tessa M. King
Original assignee: King Tessa M
Priority date: 2001-12-20
Filing date: 2002-12-19
Publication date: 2003-07-03
Also published as: AU2002357357A1

Abstract

A vending machine is situated adjacent a roadway, and is configured in such a manner that a motor vehicle traveling on the roadway may park immediately adjacent the vending machine to allow its driver to purchase one or more of the vended items therein without the driver's leaving the vehicle.

Description

VENDING MACHINE

Field of the Invention

This disclosure concerns an invention relating generally to vending machines, and more specifically to vending machines adapted for use by drivers of motor vehicles.

Background of the Invention

Drivers frequently desire food and/or drinks while traveling on the road. At present, their primary options for quickly obtaining food and drink are to stop at a convenience store, or to drive up to the drive-through window of a fast food restaurant. Stopping at a convenience store is often in fact inconvenient because of the time required for the driver to enter the store and select and make purchases. Similarly, delays are often encountered at drive-through windows because of the need for restaurant staff to assemble and package the driver's order. It would therefore be beneficial for hurried travelers to have other available options which allow them to rapidly transact a purchase of food and drink without the need to leave the vehicle.

Another option available for a traveler is to purchase food or drink at a vending machine. Vending machines are commonly used for automated sales of goods such as soft drinks and snacks, with examples being shown in (for example) U.S. Patent 4,059,319; 4,278, 182; and 5,097,986. Coin slots, bill feeders, and/or other means for making payment are provided so that a user may insert money for payment. These may also include coin bins and/or bill feeders for return of change. Buttons, knobs, or other means for selecting items desired for purchase are also provided. Users view vended items sold by the vending machine (or depictions of such items or their brands) in a display area, which may be provided in association with the means for selecting vended items (e.g. , the item selection buttons may have the brands of the vended items displayed thereon). After a consumer selects and pays for one or more vended items, the vended items are made accessible to the consumer in a bin, through a door, or via other means for receiving the selected items.

Because of the speed and convenience of vending machines, they are often placed outside rest stops and fuel stations to allow their use by travelers. However, they are not known to the inventor to be situated adjacent the paths of vehicles so that vehicle drivers could use them without leaving their vehicle seats. Rather, the vending machines tend to be spaced away from areas of vehicle traffic. Even if a vending machine was situated adjacent an area of vehicle traffic, common vending machines are configured for transactions with pedestrians, having their payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means situated at heights (and situated spaced apart) such that a driver could not reach one or more of these elements while sitting within a vehicle. Additionally, the display areas and other elements are generally splayed across a large area of the front of the vending machine so that pedestrians will see and be attracted by the vended items when approaching from a distance; however, a driver in a vehicle parked sufficiently close to reach a vending machine is too close to see a large area of the vending machine, and thus much of the vending machine may not even be effectively visible to the driver. Thus, even if a common vending machine was situated adjacent an area of vehicle traffic in such a manner that a seated driver could reach it, it would be difficult to use at best, or unusable at worst.

Summary of the Invention

The invention involves vending machines which are intended to at least partially solve the aforementioned problems. To give the reader a basic understanding of some of the advantageous features of the invention, following is a brief summary of preferred versions of the various vending machines. As this is merely a summary, it should be understood that more details regarding the preferred versions may be found in the Detailed Description set forth elsewhere in this document. The claims set forth at the end of this document then define the various versions of the invention in which exclusive rights are secured.

Exemplary vending machines in accordance with the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, are situated adjacent a roadway so that a motor vehicle traveling on the roadway may park immediately adjacent a vending machine to allow its driver to purchase one or more of the vended items therein without the driver's leaving the vehicle. The vending machine includes payment means for receiving money, item selection means for allowing the driver's selection of one or more vended items, and an item receipt means which provides the selected item(s) to the driver after money is received by the payment means. Since a vehicle driver has a limited reach through the driver's side vehicle window, as well as limited view of a vending machine situated adjacent the vehicle, the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are all preferably located at a height such that the driver of a standard vehicle will be able to readily view, reach, and operate these elements.

Preferably, the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are all situated at least 30 inches above the roadway. Ideally, they are situated within an area measuring approximately 20 inches high by 26 inches wide, since the entirety of such an area can be readily reached from the average vehicle. However, since it can be difficult to provide all of the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means within this limited area - particularly since it is desirable to provide the item selection means with relatively large size so it is easier for a driver to operate when reaching out of the vehicle window - the item receipt means may be spaced horizontally rightwardly from the payment means and/or item selection means, so that the driver may simply pull forward to receive the selected item(s) after making payment. If this option is pursued, it is preferable to have no two of the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means spaced more than 26 inches apart, so that a driver reaching through an average vehicle window will have at least two of these elements within reach at all times (with the third being accessible by merely pulling the vehicle forward).

Another preferred arrangement is to space the item receipt means horizontally rightwardly of the payment means by at least 40 inches (as illustrated by the vending machines of FIGS. 1 and 2), a distance which allows the drivers of most vehicles to pull forward while steering the vehicle closer to or farther away from the item receipt means. This allows the driver to pull forward of the item selection means and payment means, and simultaneously situate the vehicle a desired distance from the item receipt means so that the vended item(s) deposited therein may be more easily reached. The driver may thereby correct the distance between the vehicle and the vending machine if the vehicle was inappropriately spaced upon initially approaching the vending machine. As discussed elsewhere in this document, certain advantages may be obtained where the item selection means and the item receipt means are also provided on separate freestanding units (as in the vending machine of FIG. 4).

The vending machine is preferably suspended above the ground by one or more legs, and has its payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means spaced horizontally outwardly from the legs toward the roadway so that they are more easily reached by drivers. At the same time, the lower portion of the vending machine is set back from the road to better avoid vehicle collision. Additionally, it is preferred that the vending machine legs be elongated and have a height of at least 24 inches, since this will enable oncoming drivers to see whether potential threats (e.g., would-be carjackers) are in wait beside or behind the vending machine. Supporting the vending machine with separate elongated legs also promotes the breaking away of the vending machine from its operating position if struck by a vehicle, as opposed to the vending machine serving as an immovable object (which can present greater collision danger). Further advantages, features, and objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the associated drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary vending machine.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second exemplary vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a third exemplary vending machine.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an fourth exemplary vending machine.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified version of the vending machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a modified version of the vending machine of FIG. 3.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments of the Invention

Initially referring to FIG. 1, a first exemplary version of a vending machine is generally designated by the reference numeral 100. The vending machine 100 includes a housing 102 having a front face 104 which is situated adjacent a roadway 50. It should be understood that when this document refers to a "roadway," this refers to a road, driveway, paved area, or other area whereupon motor vehicles conventionally travel. Further, when this document refers to a vending machine (such as vending machine 100) being "adjacent" a roadway, this refers to the vending machine being situated immediately alongside an area upon which vehicles travel so that a motor vehicle may park immediately adjacent the vending machine to allow its driver to purchase one or more of the vended items without the driver's leaving the vehicle.

To enable the driver's purchase of vended items, the vending machine 100 includes several elements which are conventional in standard vending machines. First, the front face 104 of the vending machine 100 includes some type of means for allowing a driver to make payment for vended items, as by inserting money into the vending machine 100 so that he/she may pay for vended items. Such payment means may take the form of one or more of an insertion slot for coins and/or tokens; a bill feeder; a credit and/or debit card reader; or any other conventional mechanism for accepting payment. In addition, the payment means may include a change return cup and/or bill dispenser for returning change. In the vending machine 100, the payment means is provided in the form of a coin insertion slot 106 for insertion of coins, a bill input feeder 108 for insertion of bills, and a change return cup 110 for returning any change (though it should be understood that not all of these elements are necessary for operation).

Second, the vending machine 100 includes some means for allowing a driver to select one or more vended items for purchase from the vending machine 100. Such item selection means may take the form of one or more of buttons, keypads, knobs, levers, or other actuators which correspond to vended items and which may be actuated to indicate item selection; rotary tables or shelves whereby users may index vended items into a position for selection; or other item selection mechanisms commonly used in the field of vending machines. This includes the possibility of using more recently developed forms of item selection means, such as pressure-sensitive touchpads and voice input recognition. In the exemplary vending machine 100, the item selection means is illustrated as a series of buttons 112, each corresponding to an item being vended. Here, while the buttons 112 are labeled A, B, C, D, etc. it should be understood that in ordinary practice, each button would bear the name and/or trademark of an item being vended, whereby depression of a particular button would indicate the selection of the product represented by that button.

Third, the vending machine 100 includes some form of means for the driver's receipt of item(s) in response to the driver's selection of (and payment for) the vended item(s). Such item receipt means may take the form of one or more of a bin, tray, chute, or other structure which will accept vended items which are released by the vending machine. Where the vending machine 100 dispenses ready-made food or drink, the item receipt means may include a cup or other container dispenser whereby a container is placed in a filling position and the vending machine then dispenses product into the container. In the vending machine 100, the item receipt means is displayed in the form of a tray 114 which receives vended items released from within the vending machine housing 102, so that a driver may simply reach into the tray 114 to receive the vended items. It is noted that when the tray 114 or other item receipt means is provided in such a form that it protrudes at any significant distance outwardly from the vending machine front face 104, the item receipt means is preferably formed of vulcanized rubber or some other flexible substance that will "give" if struck by a vehicle, and which will not substantially damage the vehicle if collision occurs (and which will also survive the collision without having hindered operation).

It should be understood that the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means cooperate in the standard manner whereby vended items are placed in the item receipt means after payment is received by the payment means and the driver selects one or more vended items via the item selection means. The specifics of this cooperation are not important to the invention, since the vending machine 100 may utilize any number of known operating mechanisms and procedures (such as those reflected by the patents cited earlier in this document). Stated differently, depending on the specific payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means chosen for use, a skilled artisan will be able to devise a number of ways to have them cooperate to achieve the desired end of providing the selected item(s) after receipt of payment.

It is highly desirable to place the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means on the vending machine 100 in such a manner that they are easily visible and reachable by seated vehicle drivers who are reaching out of the driver's side vehicle window of their vehicle, so that the driver may steer adjacent to the vending machine 100 and make purchases without having to leave the vehicle. Most standard vehicles have drivers' side vehicle windows with heights of 18-24 inches, with their bottoms resting 30- 40 inches above the roadway and their tops resting 48-64 inches above the roadway. Since a driver must be able to drive up to the vending machine 100 and successfully use it while remaining seated in the vehicle, the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are also preferably situated at least 30 inches above the roadway 50 so that the driver of an average vehicle may readily reach them while seated in the vehicle and reaching out of the driver's side vehicle window. Thus, in the vending machine 100, the payment means (coin insertion slot 106, bill input feeder 108, and change return cup 110), item selection means (buttons 112), and item receipt means (tray 114) are all preferably arrayed across the vending machine front face 104 along a lane at least 30 inches high and no more than 64 inches high. Most preferably, these items are situated between a lower height of 36 inches and an upper height of 56 inches (providing a 20- inch high lane), which will accommodate the drivers of most standard cars.

Additionally, most standard driver's side vehicle windows are between 24-32 inches long. Thus, to accommodate the driver's horizontal reach when seated within the vehicle, at least the payment means and item selection means preferably extend no more than 26 inches horizontally across the front face 104 of the vending machine 100 so that these elements may be easily manipulated by an adjacently-parked driver reaching through the driver's side window (with the desired width of 26 inches being chosen because it will accommodate most drivers' horizontal reach through most vehicle windows). The item receipt means (e.g., tray 114) is also preferably situated within this distance, but since it may be difficult to comfortably accommodate all of the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means within a small area (e.g., within the preferred 20 inch high X 26 inch wide area) - particularly since the item selection means (e.g., buttons 112) should be of relatively large size for easier actuation - the item receipt means may be situated horizontally rightwardly from the payment means and item selection means on the vending machine front face 104 so that the driver can simply pull the vehicle slightly forward (or reach slightly forward) to obtain the vended items. While the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means may be arrayed along the vending machine front face 104 in any desired manner (with exemplary arrangements being illustrated in the patents noted previously in this document), it is preferred that the item receipt means be provided horizontally rightwardly of the payment means and item selection means since the driver must select and pay for vended items prior to receiving them, and providing the item receipt means to the left of the payment means and item selection means may require the driver to back up in order to reach the vended item(s). If the item receipt means is instead provided rightwardly of the payment means and item selection means, a driver need only pull forward if the vended item is unreachable after the payment means and item selection means are used.

The foregoing approach is illustrated by the vending machine 100, wherein the payment means (coin insertion slot 106, bill input feeder 108, and change return cup 110) and item selection means (buttons 112) are situated within a 20 inch high X 26 inch wide area. The item receipt means (tray 114) is situated at substantially the same height as the payment means and item selection means, but is situated at least 40 inches horizontally rightwardly of the payment means and item selection means so that the driver must pull forward after selecting and paying for the desired vended item(s) so to receive the purchased item(s) from the tray 114. The distance of 40 inches is selected because it will accommodate adjustment of most vehicles to the right (away from the vending machine 100) or left (toward the vending machine 100) by several inches if the driver pulls forward by this distance while steering the vehicle, thereby allowing the driver to adjust the distance he/she must reach to access the item receipt means. Apart from meeting the space constraints preferred for easy driver reach of the foregoing elements, spacing of the item receipt means to the right of the payment means and item selection means is also useful because a driver may initially pull up to the vending machine 100 with an inaccurate estimate of his/her reach, and thus may not be parked at an ideal distance from the vending machine 100 to allow retrieval of purchased items. By having the driver initially utilize the payment means and item selection means (and thereby get an accurate measure of his/her reach), and then pull forward to retrieve the vended items from the item receipt means, the driver may steer slightly leftwardly or rightwardly to more conveniently reach the item receipt means.

The portion of the housing 102 situated above the item receipt means/tray 114 is illustrated as an area having greater height to reflect the fact that most vending machines situate storage areas for items to be vended above the item receipt means. Thus, this taller area of the housing 102 is a portion which contains yet-to-be vended beverages, foodstuffs, personal care products, or other items to be vended. Conveniently, any need for increased housing height at this area can be exploited by providing an advertising area 116 thereon for placement of advertising or other matter of interest to drivers. While here the advertising area 116 is shown bearing a highway safety reminder, it could alternatively or additionally bear a map, advertising for local lodging or nearby attractions, or other matters. Since the advertising area 116 is provided adjacent the item receipt means (tray 114) - to which drivers pay attention because they are about to receive the vended item that they desire - the advertising area 116 can provide greater impact than billboards or other comparable forms of roadside advertisement.

To situate the vending machine 100 so that its elements are at the aforementioned preferred heights, and to enhance the safety of using the vending machine 100, the vending machine 100 is preferably suspended above the ground adjacent the roadway 50 by one or more freestanding legs 118, with each leg having a height of at least 24 inches. The use of separate spaced legs 118 enhances the safety of use of the vending machine 100 in several respects. First, it enables an approaching driver to see whether others might be lurking behind or adjacent to the vending machine 100, thereby allowing them to better avoid carjacking or highway robbery. Second, it makes the vending machine 100 less resistant to collision, and thereby allows the vending machine 100 to break away if struck by an oncoming vehicle rather than serving as an immovable obstacle (which could enhance collision injuries). Additionally, the legs 118 are set back somewhat from the vending machine front face 104 so that the vending machine front face 104 (and the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means situated thereon) are spaced horizontally outwardly from the legs and towards the roadway 50. This better prevents the legs 118 from being struck by an approaching vehicle, with the vending machine front face 104 being more easily avoided by drivers because it is level with their drivers' side vehicle windows, and is thus easier for drivers to perceive and avoid.

Turning then to FIG. 2, a second exemplary vending machine 200 is illustrated. The vending machine 200 again has a housing 202 with a front face 204 bearing payment means in the form of a coin insertion slot 206, bill input feeder 208, and change return cup 210. An item selection means is again provided in the forms of buttons 112, each of which corresponds to a vended item. Again, the payment means and item selection means are situated within an operational area which is at least 30 inches high and no more than 64 inches high, and more preferably between a lower height of 36 inches and an upper height of 56 inches. A tray 214 is also provided at these heights to serve as an item receipt means, with the tray 214 being spaced horizontally rightwardly of the payment means and item selection means by a sufficient distance that after selecting and paying for a vended item, the driver may pull up to the tray 214 while steering closer or farther away from the tray 214 for a comfortable reach. In this case, the tray 214 may be configured in the form of a pull-out drawer which allows a driver to grasp its front edge and pull the tray 214 outwardly from the vending machine front 204 to access the vended items deposited therein. An advertising area 216 is again provided above the item receipt means (tray 214) to allow posting of advertisements. A phantom line section 220 is illustrated atop the housing 202 to illustrate how the housing 202 might appear if more storage area for vended items is provided, it again being understood that such storage areas are frequently situated above the item receipt means to allow vended items to be fed by gravity from the storage area to the item receipt means.

Rather than providing a blank space on the vending machine front face 204 between the item receipt means (tray 214) and the payment means 206/208/210 and item selection means 212, a display area 222 is situated therebetween to allow display of the vended items from which drivers may choose. This display area 222 may take the form of pictorial depictions of the items being vended, a window which displays the items to be vended, or some other display of the vended items. While such display areas 222 are conventional in vending machines, there are special considerations with the use of a display area in the present invention because of the aforementioned space concerns and the fact that a driver will be observing the display area 222 with the limited field of view provided by a driver's side vehicle window. The displayed items will generally not be fiilly visible to drivers unless they are shown at the same general height of the driver, since the vehicle door may obstruct the display area 222 if situated lower than 30 inches above the roadway, or may be obscured by the vehicle roof if situated over 64 inches above the roadway. Thus, a display area 222 may be of limited use unless it also is situated between 30-64 inches above the roadway (as depicted here).

It is noted that in lieu of situating the display area 222 between the item receipt means and the payment means/item selection means (as depicted here), it may instead be preferable to situate the display area 222 leftmost on the vending machine front face 204, so that the display area 222 is the first thing visible by the vehicle's driver when pulling adjacent the vending machine 200. The payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means may then be situated rightwardly from the display area 222 so that the driver may pull forward to access them if they are not already immediately reachable. Again, it is generally preferable to situate the item receipt means rightmost on the vending machine housing 202 so that a user need not back up to receive the purchased item(s) after operating the payment means and item selection means. FIG. 3 illustrates a third exemplary vending machine 300 illustrating further variations on the aforementioned features. Here, the payment means (coin insertion slot 306, bill input feeder 308 and change return 310), item selection means (buttons 312), and item receipt means (folding door 314) are also situated in a lane below a display area 322 wherein the vended items are displayed. The foregoing elements are arrayed in a horizontal lane extending across the front face 304 of the vending machine, with the lane being no less than 30 inches above the roadway and no more than 64 inches above the roadway. Thus, if any element is not fully visible, a driver need only pull slightly forward (or back slightly up) to view and/or manipulate the element. Again, the housing 302 is shown with excess height to illustrate the fact that vended items may be stored therein, and an advertising area 316 is provided on this excess height. In this case, the advertising area 316 will not be fully visible to most average vehicles when a driver is parked immediately adjacent to the vending machine 300, since its height will cause its view to be obstructed by the vehicle roof. In this case, the advertising area 316 is more useful for displaying some form of notice in large print, such as "drinks" or "snacks", to alert drivers to the vending machine's wares from a distance. The vending machine 300 is illustrated as having legs 318 which are configured somewhat differently from the legs in previously discussed vending machines, with these legs being configured for bolting to the ground/sidewalk adjacent the roadway 50. Again, the legs 318 are set rearwardly of the vending machine front face 304 so as to better allow a vehicle to closely position itself adjacent the vending machine front face 304. The folding door 314 may (for example) be of the type commonly encountered in public mailboxes, wherein pulling on the handle 324 will cause the door 314 to fold down, and any items resting behind the door 314 will be pushed forwardly towards the driver by a rearwardly-extending flap (not shown) affixed to the rear side of the folding door 314.

Turning next to FIG. 4, another exemplary vending machine is designated generally by the reference numeral 400. Here, three separate freestanding vending machine units are provided, with the first two units comprising item selection and payment units 426 and the final unit comprising an item receipt unit 428. The item selection/payment units 426 each include payment means (including a coin insertion slot 406, bill input feeder 408, and change return cup 410), and additionally include item selection means (buttons 412) . It is contemplated that each of the item selection/payment units 426 might be used for different types of vended items, e.g. , the first might be used for beverages while the second might be used for snacks. The payment means and item selection means are arrayed on the item selection/payment units 426 on areas which are greater than 30 inches above the roadway and less than 62 inches above the roadway, and which are no more than 26 inches wide, so that a driver reaching out a vehicle window may easily reach the payment means and item selection means. Display areas 422 are provided on each of the item selection/payment units 426, with the display areas 422 being set horizontally rearwardly from the payment means and item selection means for greater visibility to a driver despite the limited field of view provided by the vehicle window. By situating the display area 422 rearwardly of the vending machine front face 404, the problem of having a limited space in which to provide the display area is at least partially overcome, since setting the display area 422 rearwardly may allow the entire display area 422 to be situated within the driver's field of view (which is necessarily limited by the size of the vehicle window).

The item selection/payment units 426 communicate with the item receipt unit 428, as through cables (which may extend through the legs 418 and through the ground), so that items which are selected and paid for on the item selection/payment units 426 may then be received within item receipt means included on the item receipt unit 428. The item receipt means is here illustrated as a tray 414 which receives vended items which are gravity-fed from the storage area above. The item receipt unit 428 is also depicted as including an advertising area 416 as discussed previously. By providing the item selection means and the payment means on free-standing units 426 separate from a unit 428 bearing the item receipt means, several advantages can be realized. Initially, the item selection payment units 426 can be made with extremely small size, and the payment means and item selection means may be more easily arrayed within the desired 20 inch X 26 inch area for easier reach via a driver's vehicle window. Second, any number of item selection/payment units 426 may be coupled to an item receipt unit 428, with the item receipt unit 428 being appropriately sized to store and dispense the desired items. Third, replacement and repair of units 426 and 428 is more easily performed; for example, if an item selection/payment unit 426 becomes nonfunctional, it may be wholly replaced without removal of the entire vending machine 400. Fourth, since it may be difficult to provide all of the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means on a sufficiently small area that can be easily reached by a driver through a vehicle window with little difficulty (e.g. , within the desired 20 inch X 26 inch area), the item receipt unit 428 may be spaced rightwardly ahead of the item selection/payment units 426 by a sufficient distance that it is an easy matter for a driver to simply pull ahead while positioning the vehicle as desired with respect to the item receipt means.

It is understood that the various preferred versions of the invention are shown and described above to illustrate different possible features of the invention and the varying ways in which these features may be combined. Other modifications are also considered to be within the scope of the invention. Following is an exemplary list of such modifications.

Initially, it should be understood that the various features described above may be combined in different arrangements. As an example, the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means may be arrayed in different relationships, with these elements resting in different locations to the right or left, and/or above or below, the other elements. Additionally, the item receipt means need not be spaced from the payment means and/or item selection means, and may instead be situated immediately adjacent one or more of these elements. However, where the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are adjacently provided, it is preferable that no two of the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means be spaced more than 26 inches apart so that these elements are all provided within a conveniently accessible operational area to a driver of a vehicle.

Other previously-mentioned elements may also be included on the vending machines in different locations as desired. As an example, FIG. 5 illustrates a vending machine 500 which modifies the vending machine 100 of FIG. 1 by including a recessed display area 522 similar to the display areas 422 in the vending machine 400. Again, such recessing of the display area 522 better enables its viewing by a driver (in conjunction with the payment means 506 and item selection means 512) within the driver's limited field of view through the driver's side vehicle window. Since such recessing of the display area 522 defines a shelf 530 on the vending machine 500, the shelf could be functionally utilized by providing it with racks (not shown) for distribution of printed material such as maps, flyers relating to local attractions, or other matter of interest to travelers. If such racks are used, it may be desirable to provide at least a portion of the vending machine 500 with a roof (not shown) so as to provide the racks with protection from the elements.

It is also possible to include multiple sets of the aforementioned elements within a single vending machine, as demonstrated by the use of multiple payment means and item selection means within the vending machine 500. In similar fashion, FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary vending machine 600 which includes redundant sets of payment means 606, item selection means 612, and item receipt means 614 situated at different heights. The vending machine 600 thereby addresses the problem of different vehicles having different drivers' side vehicle window heights. As previously noted, most standard passenger vehicles have driver's side vehicle windows resting between 30 and 62 inches above the roadway, and thus the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are preferably all provided within this height range. However, this does not account for vehicles having greater heights, such as tractor trailers and other industrial vehicles, as well as some recreational vehicles. By including redundant sets of payment means 606, item selection means 612, and item receipt means 614 situated at different heights, standard vehicles may use the lower set, and taller vehicles may use the other set.

The problem of disparate vehicle heights could instead be addressed by providing an actuator on or in association with a vending machine, so that its height may be varied in response to driver input and/or detected vehicle characteristics. Consider, for example, the vending machine of FIG. 1 wherein servomotors or other actuators are included, and wherein these actuators act on the legs 118 to increase or decrease the height of the vending machine 100. The input signal for determining the height of the vending machine could be set, for example, by providing one or more centrally-located buttons or other input devices on the front face of the vending machine whereby a driver may push the button(s) to raise or lower the vending machine prior to use, or by using optical or other sensors to detect the height of the adjacent vehicle and/or its windows or wheel base (which generally correlates with the height of the driver's side vehicle window).

Further, the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means need not all be situated on the front face of the vending machine. As an example, one or more of these elements (preferably the payment means and/or item selection means) may be situated on the left side of the vending machine, which is readily visible to oncoming drivers, and/or the item receipt means may be situated on the right side of the vending machine so that drivers may collect the vended item(s) immediately prior to driving away.

In similar fashion, since vending machines of the type discussed herein have thus far not been known to drivers, it may be useful to better orient drivers to the use of the vending machines by providing printed instructions on the vending machine housing. These instructions need not be provided on the front face of the housing, which may already be densely arrayed with the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means owing to the desire to situate these within the driver's field of vision and closely within a driver's reach. As an example, the instructions might be provided on the left side of the vending machine so that an approaching driver may read the instructions prior to pulling forward for item selection, payment, and receipt.

To protect the vending machines from collision damage, the sides (particularly the leftmost side) and/or the front of the vending machines may include any number of known cushions for preventing damage to the vehicle and/or the vending machine. For example, inflated and/or fluid-filled crash barriers are commonly used alongside highways, and these may be situated beneath, on, or around the vending machines to prevent denting and/or scratching of vehicles. The vending machines may additionally include trim made of elastomeric material such as rubber, or plastic or other relatively soft materials, to help avoid vehicle damage.

The invention is not intended to be limited to the preferred embodiments described above, but rather is intended to be limited only by the claims set out below. Thus, the invention encompasses all alternate embodiments that fall literally or equivalently within the scope of these claims.

Claims

ClaimsWhat is claimed is:

1. A vending machine comprising: a. payment means for insertion of money; b. item selection means for selection of one or more vended items; and c. an item receipt means wherein vended items are deposited; wherein the vending machine is situated adjacent a roadway, whereby a motor vehicle traveling on the roadway may park immediately adjacent the vending machine to allow its driver to purchase one or more of the vended items therein without the driver's leaving the vehicle.

2. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are all situated at least 30 inches above the roadway.

3. The vending machine of claim 2 wherein the item receipt means is situated horizontally rightwardly from the item selection means.

4. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the item receipt means is situated at least at substantially the same height as the item selection means, and is situated horizontally rightward thereof.

5. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the item receipt means is spaced horizontally rightwardly of the payment means by at least 40 inches.

6. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein no two of the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are spaced more than 26 inches apart.

7. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the vending machine is suspended above the ground by one or more legs, each leg having a height of at least 24 inches.

8. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the vending machine is suspended above the ground by one or more legs, and wherein the payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means are spaced horizontally outwardly from the legs toward the roadway.

9. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the item selection means and the item receipt means are provided on separate freestanding units.

10. The vending machine of claim 1 including separate first and second sets of payment means, item selection means, and item receipt means.

11. A vending machine situated adjacent a roadway, the vending machine comprising: a. payment means for insertion of money; b. an item receipt means wherein a vended item is deposited after money is inserted within the payment means; wherein the payment means and item receipt means are all situated at least 30 inches above the roadway, whereby a driver of a motor vehicle may stop on the roadway and access the payment means and item receipt means without leaving the motor vehicle.

12. The vending machine of claim 10 wherein the item receipt means is situated at least at substantially the same height as the payment means, and is situated horizontally rightward thereof.

13. The vending machine of claim 10 wherein the item receipt means is spaced horizontally rightwardly of the payment means by at least 40 inches.

14. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the vending machine is suspended above the ground by one or more legs, each leg having a height of at least 24 inches.

15. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the vending machine is suspended above the ground by one or more legs, and wherein the payment means and item receipt means are spaced horizontally outwardly from the legs toward the roadway.

16. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the item selection means and the item receipt means are provided on separate freestanding units.

17. A vending machine situated adj acent a roadway , the vending machine comprising : a. payment means for insertion of money, and b. an item receipt means wherein a vended item is deposited after money is inserted within the payment means; wherein the payment means and item receipt means are horizontally spaced and have at least substantially the same height above the roadway.

18. The vending machine of claim 16 wherein the payment means and item receipt means are both situated at least 30 inches above the roadway.

19. The vending machine of claim 16 wherein the item receipt means is spaced horizontally rightwardly of the payment means by at least 40 inches.

20. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the item selection means and the item receipt means are provided on separate freestanding units.