Abstract: An automatic vending machine has a housing containing a plurality of vertical commodity storage chamber sections in a side-by-side arrangement. A thermally-insulating divider panel is fixedly disposed between each pair of adjacent chamber sections in a manner that the adjacent chamber sections are communicated with each other through an air channel therebetween. A removable thermally-insulating divider panel is placed between a selected pair of adjacent chamber sections to block the air channel, thereby forming fist and second groups of chamber sections that are not communicated with each other. The first and the second chamber section groups can individually be refrigerated and heated, respectively. A top edge of the removable divider panel is adapted to abut a part of the corresponding fixed divider panel, and both the edges, when abutting to each other, are upwardly inclined toward the front of the vending machine so as to facilitate replacement of the removable divider panel.

Abstract: A temperature control device is disclosed for use in a vending machine having a plurality of storage chambers. The temperature control device includes a refrigerating apparatus provided with a plurality of evaporators which are connected in parallel and disposed individually in the storage chambers. A plurality of electromagnetic valves are coupled in series with the evaporators to control the inflow of refrigerant fluid. The operation of each electromagnetic valve, i.e., the temperature control in each storage chamber is controlled by a comparison of the average temperature of the storage chambers with the actual temperature in each chamber. The operation of the refrigerating apparatus and the electromagnetic valves are also controlled by a comparison between the desired temperature and the actual temperature in each chamber.

Abstract: There is disclosed a refrigerating apparatus suitable for use in a vending machine having a plurality of storage chambers. The refrigerating apparatus is provided with a plurality of evaporators which are connected in series and disposed individually in the storage chambers for refrigerating the same. A plurality of expansion devices are coupled in series with the evaporators, each of the expansion devices and evaporators being provided with a bypass having a valve means to direct the flow of the refrigerant into the evaporator through at least one of the expansion devices.

Abstract: A refrigerating unit suitable for use in a vending machine which is provided with a plurality of isolated chambers for storing the different types of merchandise comprises a condensing unit which includes compressor and condenser, with two parallel connected evaporators each evaporator being disposed in one isolated chamber of the vending machine and connected with the condensing unit through a suction and a discharge lines, and a capillary tube is inserted on suction side of each evaporator. Therefore, two refrigerant circuits are provided. A part of each suction line of one refrigerant circuit is closely disposed to extend along the capillary tube of the other refrigerant circuit. Thereby operation of one refrigerant circuit is directly controlled by the operating conditions of other refrigerant circuit.