Co-dispensing snack food product and beverages from a vending machine

(19)

(11)

EP 0 858 058 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	17.05.2000 Bulletin 2000/20

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	12.08.1998 Bulletin 1998/33

(21)	Application number: 98200845.0

(22)	Date of filing: 11.08.1995

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁷: G07F 9/00

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH DE DK ES FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

(30)

Priority:

12.08.1994 US 289537
10.04.1995 US 419605
07.06.1995 US 482660

(62)	Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
	95929480.2 / 0775349

(71)	Applicant: RECOT, INC.
	Pleasanton, CA 94588 (US)

(72)	Inventors:
	Center, John L. Dallas, Texas 75244 (US) Stalder, James William Dallas, Texas 75229 (US) Elliott, Dale W. Ennis, Texas 75119 (US) Pennington, John michael Hickory Creek, Texas 75065 (US)

(74)	Representative: Jenkins, Peter David et al
	PAGE WHITE & FARRER 54 Doughty Street London WC1N 2LS London WC1N 2LS (GB)

(54)	Co-dispensing snack food product and beverages from a vending machine

(57) A process for co-dispensing beverages and snack food products from a single vending machine. Filled beverage containers and filled snack food containers are stored in the vending machine and a buyer, upon payment, product selection, etc. can obtain both a beverage e.g., a soft drink, and a snack food, e.g., corn chips, from a single machine. The beverage and snack food containers preferably are of substantially the same size so that a vending machine of the type which dispenses containers having a uniform size may be used to carry out the present invention. Also, an automatic door-opening mechanism is disclosed which opens the dispensing door of a vending machine when a snack food container is dispensed which is too light to open the door under the force of a gravity. A process and apparatus for packaging snack food product in containers are also disclosed wherein accurately sized portions of the product are formed and fed into a funnel member, the funnel member having troughs which align the product in a desired direction.

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