FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to vending machines that dispense hygiene products. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to vending machines that dispense feminine hygiene products without requiring any physical activity of turning a knob or other physical apparatus to dispense the feminine hygiene products from the vending a machine. Additionally, vending machines that dispense feminine hygiene products that do not require depositing any coins or any other compensation to receive the feminine hygiene products are described.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

The closest prior art of which the present inventors are aware include the following: (1) U.S. Pat. No. 9,721,419 for “Vending Machine for Retaining and Dispensing Feminine Hygiene Products Through a Novel Coin Operating Apparatus”; (2) U.S. Pat. No. 9,501,888 for “Vending Machine for Retaining and Dispensing Feminine Hygiene Products Through a Novel Coin Operating Apparatus”; and (3) U.S. Pat. No. 10,192,386 for “Mechanical Time Delay Product Dispenser”.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,721,419, 9,501,888, and 10,192,386 have the same co-inventors as the present application (Fred I. Morad and Robert A. Acosta).

SUMMARY

The present invention includes a vending machine which contains two rows of feminine hygiene products adjacent one another, with sanitary pads in one row and tampons in a second row. Other types of hygiene products and vending machines therefore are contemplated, such as hygiene products for men. The products are aligned in rails, one above the other within the row, and there is a weight on top of each row of the products to create a downward force to enable the next successive product to be placed in condition for dispensing after the lowermost product has been dispensed. The rails have a rear surface and a pair of side rails which envelope the specific packaging in which each respective feminine hygiene product is retained. There is an aligned horizontal dispensing platform on which the lowest feminine hygiene product is retained with opposite distribution arms which assist in dispensing the retained lowermost feminine hygiene product and assist in receiving the next lowermost feminine hygiene product. Each pair of distribution arm receives the lowermost feminine napkin or tampon and rotates in one direction by about 45 degrees to enable the product to be dispensed into a retrieving tray. The dispensing arms then reverse direction and rotate backwards by about 45 degrees and are stopped by a limit switch when they return to their initial position.

The operation of the vending machine is controlled by a computer chip in the motherboard. A left touch sensor, also referred to as a feminine napkin or feminine pad touch sensor, is affixed to the rear of the front door and in one embodiment includes four wire leads which are connected to respective female connectors on the motherboard. A right touch sensor, also referred to as a tampon touch sensor, is also affixed to the rear of the front door and is connected, in one embodiment, by four wire leads to female connectors on the motherboard. A power pack which is battery pack which, by way of example, includes four “AA” batteries, is hardwired, in one embodiment by two wiring leads from the battery pack to female connectors on the motherboard. A door switch which is at the lower portion of the door is also hardwired to female connectors on the motherboard, in one embodiment, by a pair of wire leads. A feminine napkin drive motor is hardwired to the motherboard, in one embodiment, by two wire leads from the left motor or feminine napkin motor to female connectors on the motherboard. A left micro-switch with a spring steel extension is also hardwired, in one embodiment, by two hard wire leads to female connectors on the motherboard. A left reed switch or feminine napkin reed switch is also hardwired to female connectors to the motherboard. In other embodiments, a proximity sensor is contemplated for one or both of the left touch sensor and the right touch sensor. As further described herein, a discussion directed to a touch sensor also includes the use of a proximity sensor.

The feminine napkins are retained in a rail in a vertically aligned row of products with a weight thereon and a magnet on top of the weight. When the supply of feminine napkins is exhausted and there are no more feminine napkins in the row, the magnet on top of a weight at the top of the feminine napkin column touches the left reed switch or feminine napkin reed switch which causes a warning light to blink on and off. The warning light includes one or more variations. As shown in the Figures which will be described, the left warning light or feminine napkin warning light is hardwired, in one embodiment, by two wire leads to female connectors on the motherboard. Therefore, when the rail retaining the column of feminine napkins is out of feminine napkins, the magnet on top of the weight comes in contact (either by magnetic contact or direct contact) with the reed switch at the bottom of the feminine napkin column and the light blinks on and off and is visible through an opening in the front door. The opening, in one embodiment, is at a location where a symbol (not shown) for the feminine napkin is located on the front door. In an alternative variation, the light is incorporated into a touch sensor board of the feminine napkin product and the light also shines through an opening in the front door and blinks on and off to show that the machine is out of this product. In other embodiments, the magnet is located at positions other than the top of the weight.

Also when a touch sensor is touched, this causes the feminine napkin motor shaft to rotate three-hundred sixty degrees which in turn is connected to a flywheel which also rotates three-hundred sixty degrees which in turn is connected to a crank arm which moves in the generally vertical direction which is in turn connected to a cradle. The cradle rotates forty-five degrees in one direction to cause the feminine napkin product to fall into a dispensing tray and then the cradle rotates in the reverse direction back to its original position and is stopped by a limit switch. After rotation, a spring steel extension from the limit switch touches the cradle and causes it to stop rotation. The cradles are ready to receive the next lowest feminine napkin package.

With respect to the tampons, the tampon motor or right motor is hardwired, in one embodiment, by two wire leads to the female connectors on the motherboard. A right limit switch or tampon limit switch is hardwired, in one embodiment, by two wire leads connected to the female connectors on the motherboard. A second rail which retains a column of tampons also has a weight on the column of tampons and a magnet on the weight. When a touch sensor is touched, this causes activation through the tampon sensor. The operation of the vending machine is controlled by a computer chip in the motherboard. The right touch sensor, also referred to as a tampon sensor, is affixed to the rear of the front door and contains, in one embodiment, three wire leads which are connected to respective female connectors on the motherboard. A tampon drive motor is hardwired to the motherboard, in one embodiment, by two wire leads from the right motor or tampon motor to female connectors on the motherboard. A right micro-switch with a spring steel extension is also hardwired, in one embodiment, by two hard wire leads to female connectors on the motherboard. A right reed switch or tampon reed switch is also hardwired to female connectors to the motherboard.

The tampons are retained in a rail in a vertically aligned row of products with a weight thereon and a magnet located at or on top of the weight. When the supply of tampons is exhausted and there are no more tampons in the row, the magnet at the top of weight on the tampon column touches the right reed switch or tampon reed switch which causes a warning light to blink on and off. The warning light includes have one or more variations. As shown in the Figures which will be described, the right warning light or tampon warning light is hardwired, in one embodiment, by two wire leads to female connectors on the motherboard. Therefore, when the rail retaining the column of tampons is out of tampons, the magnet on top of the weight comes in contact (either by magnetic contact or direct contact) with the reed switch at the bottom of the tampon column and the light blinks on and off and is visible through an opening in the front door. The opening is at a location where a symbol (not shown) for the tampon is located on the front door. In an alternative variation, the light is incorporated into the touch sensor board of the tampon product and the light also shines through an opening in the front door and blinks on and off to show that the machine is out of this product.

Also when a touch sensor is touched, this causes the tampon motor shaft to rotate three-hundred sixty degrees which in turn is connected to a flywheel which also rotates three-hundred sixty degrees which in turn is connected to a crank arm which moves in the vertical direction which is in turn connected to cradle. The cradle rotates forty-five degrees in one direction to cause the tampon product to fall into a dispensing tray and then the cradle rotates in the reverse direction back to its original position and is stopped by a limit switch. After rotation, a spring steel extension from the limit switch touches the cradle and causes it to stop rotation. The cradles are ready to receive the next lowest tampon package.

All of this is controlled by the computer chip in the motherboard. Built into the computer is a time delay so that someone cannot empty the machine by continuously touching the touch sensor for dispensing either feminine napkins or tampons. Once a product such as a feminine napkin is dispensed, the computer program causes a time delay of about 5 seconds. In other embodiments, other time delays are contemplated including time delays of anywhere from two seconds to ten seconds before either another feminine napkin or a tampon is dispensed. Therefore, the time delay causes an ability to immediately inactivate the machine to dispense a second product and the time delay prevents someone from continuously activating the touch sensor to dispense all of the products in the machine. The time delay works both ways for both products. If a tampon is dispensed, then the time delay prevents a second tampon or a first feminine napkin from being dispensed until the computer set time such as two seconds to thirty seconds has elapsed.

There are one or more touch sensors or one or more motion sensors in different embodiments. If a touch sensor is activated, there is a time delay of about two seconds such that a second hygiene product is not dispensed if the touch sensor is activated before the time delay of two seconds has elapsed. If a motion sensor is activated, there is a time delay of about five seconds such that a second hygiene product is not dispensed if the motion sensor is activated before the time delay of 5 seconds has elapsed. Other time delays for both the touch sensor and the motion sensor are contemplated.

Touching the left sensor activates the sensor to close an electronic circuit. When the electronic circuit is closed, a motor is activated. The motor includes a motor shaft connected to a flywheel which is connected to a crank arm which is operatively connected to a cradle or to a feminine hygiene product dispensing member (such as a double tooth dispenser). The motor causes the shaft to rotate. The shaft drives the cradle that supports the feminine hygiene product, which by way of example, is a cradle having dispensing arms. Upon activation, the cradle rotates about forty-five degrees in a first direction to enable the feminine napkin to fall off the cradle and into a dispensing/receiving tray. The cradle continuously is in motion and after the product is dispensed, rotates forty-five degrees in a second direction opposite the first direction until the cradle returns to its initial position to receive the next feminine hygiene product such as a feminine napkin. As described herein, the first direction is a direction towards the back of the machine and away from a user standing in front of the apparatus. The second direction is a direction toward the front of the machine and toward the user standing in the front of the apparatus. Consequently, the first direction is also considered to be a forward direction (away from the user and toward the back wall) and the second direction is considered to be a backward direction (toward the user toward the front wall) with respect.

Touching the right sensor activates the sensor to close an electronic circuit. When the electronic circuit is closed, a motor is activated. The motor is connected to a shaft which retains a tampon product dispensing member. The motor causes the shaft to rotate. The shaft retains the tampon product receiving/retaining and dispensing member, which by way of example, is a tray bounded by dispensing arms. The receiving tray includes a horizontal receiving tray and oppositely disposed arms. Upon activation, the feminine hygiene product receiving/retaining and dispensing member rotates about forty-five degrees in the forward direction to enable the tampon to fall off the tray and into a dispensing/receiving tray. The feminine hygiene product receiving/retaining and dispensing member is in continuous motion and after a tampon is dispensed, then rotates in the opposite backward direction by forty-five degrees until it rotates back to its initial position and is ready receive the next in a row tampon.

Once in the receiving tray, the feminine hygiene product is retrieved by a person's hand. When the product dispensing member is returned to its initial starting position after the rotation, the apparatus is off until a touch sensor is activated to begin the cycle again. The weight on top of the column causes the second lowermost product in the column to become the lowermost feminine hygiene product which falls onto the second horizontal receiving tray.

In one embodiment, there is one electronic assembly for each product. There is one circuit board and one set of connectors with connecting wires for the sanitary pads. There is a second separate circuit board and second set of connectors with connecting wires for the tampons.

It is also within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure to have one circuit board (also called a motherboard) as disclosed herein which is hardwired to two separate sensors, one for activating and dispensing a sanitary pad, interchangeably referred to herein as a sanitary napkin, and a second for activating and dispensing a tampon. In one or more embodiments disclosed herein, the retaining elements described in the above paragraph are incorporated in one circuit board (also called the motherboard) with the circuit board configured to send an appropriate product related signal when an associated sensor is triggered.

The present apparatus includes a housing of a plastic or other comparable container with a cover made of different materials and preferably opaque. The cover cannot be made of material which interferes with the sensor's ability to receive and detect touch to activate the touch sensor. The cover cannot be made of material that interferes with the touch activity detectable by the touch sensor. Therefore, in one embodiment there is provided a vending machine with a cover which conceals the circuit boards and sensors on the back of the cover for both the dispensing of sanitary pads and tampons which facilitates the transmission of signals through a printed circuit board to carry out the signals as described above to cause the activation by hand signal.

In another embodiment, a dispenser dispenses feminine hygiene products including sanitary napkins and tampons by a simple hand touch without requiring any physical action on the part of the person such as placing coins in the machine or rotating a handle or performing any other comparable physical activity. While such activities may be simple for younger and healthier people, as the population ages, it is more difficult for older people to do the simplest tasks such as rotating a heavy handle or placing the right amount of coins inside a machine. Therefore, by not having to do anything other than touch the appropriate sensor, the difficulty in obtaining a sanitary pad or tampon is substantially reduced.

Further novel features and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and discussion.

