Patents by Inventor Bernd Mehlan

Bernd Mehlan has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4768680
    Abstract: A dispensing unit with a pair of product containing shaft for bottles or cans, can dispense two different types of product per shaft pair and has a high storage capacity while being compactly built. To this end a common element is assigned to a shaft pair which element can be rotated from a resting position, selectively to the right or left.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1988
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co. Automatenbau Herrieden
    Inventors: Bernd Mehlan, Erich Stiefel, Josef Bayer, Klaus Lechner
  • Patent number: 4676074
    Abstract: A coin-operated vending machine for bottles or cans of a moderate capacity, including a plurality of side-by-side storage chutes for feeding bottles or cans to openings in the front wall of the vending machine and a cradle in each of the openings forming a row of adjacent cradles for receiving the bottles or cans from the chutes. A refrigeration system directs chilled air by convection toward the next-to-be-vended cans in each of the cradles. The chilled air is directed by an air foil toward the cradles and the cradles have stand-off ribs therein to permit the free flow of chilled air under and around the next-to-be-vended cans.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 30, 1987
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: Annis R. Morgan, Jr., Bernd Mehlan, Josef Gress, Hugh S. Williford, Gunter Baumgartner
  • Patent number: 4576272
    Abstract: A coin-operated vending machine for bottles or cans of a moderate capacity, including a plurality of side-by-side storage chutes for feeding bottles or cans to openings in the front wall of the vending machine, a cradle in each of the openings forming a row of adjacent cradles for receiving the bottles or cans from the chutes, and a mechanical interlock between the respective cradles for precluding the dispensing of more than one product for any vend cycle. The mechanical interlock also includes a spring-detent assembly for indexing the cradles between closed, intermediate, and fully-open positions in a step-by-step manner. The mechanical interlock is designed to be substantially tamper-proof. A vend chute structure is also provided which permits flexibility of product loading, the free flow of cooling air throughout the vending machine cabinet, and easy cleaning of the vend chute and associated components. The vending machine is adaptable for use on a counter top or mounting to the wall of a building.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1986
    Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
    Inventors: Annis R. Morgan, Jr., Bernd Mehlan, Josef Gress, Hugh S. Williford
  • Patent number: 4509339
    Abstract: An automatic selling machine is equipped with a cooling system whose evaporator and evaporator fan are dispensed in the goods compartment on an insulating intermediate bottom of the machine housing, and whose condenser, condenser fan, and compressor are accommodated below the intermediate bottom. The cooling system is an assembly to be exchanged as a unit. For this purpose, the intermediate bottom is provided with an opening having peripheral shoulders on which an insulating supporting plate closing the opening rests. The evaporator is mounted above the plate, while the condenser, the compressor, and the condenser fan are mounted at the underside of the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co. Automatenbau Herrieden
    Inventors: Bernd Mehlan, Josef Gress
  • Patent number: 4441628
    Abstract: In a trap door chute for vending machines, doors are pivotably mounted to sidewalls of the machine, in a certain trap door chute division. Each door supports itself in its merchandise storing position by a finger on an electric detention member. Along one chute wall extends at least one vertical track, along which a carriage with a cam for the deflection of the detention member is movably guided. A lifting bar extends parallel to the track and has a row of teeth whose spacing corresponds to the smallest trap door chute division. The carriage supports itself on the row of teeth via a stepping pawl. A stop is provided on the carriage, with which it rests on one of the detention members. The detention members are tines of a rake made of a spring material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1984
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Bernd Mehlan, Josef Bayer
  • Patent number: 4437557
    Abstract: In a coin collector of a vending machine including a credit indicator, a swivel plate obstructs, in its rest position a coin return channel. The plate is pivotable in one direction out of its rest position by the stroke of a coin return bolt and is operatively connected to the credit indicator for resetting the same. To ensure that upon actuation of the coin return bolt, the credit indicator is reliably reset, the plate keeps blocking the coin return channel during a first partial stroke of the coin return bolt, and resets the credit indicator. During a subsequent second partial stroke, the plate swivels into the coin return channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 20, 1984
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Richard Kolbl, Bernd Mehlan
  • Patent number: 4396105
    Abstract: A price setting mechanism of a vending machine for setting one of two or more sales prices is disclosed. Merchandise dispensing devices are mounted on an operating base plate. Depending on the sales price, at least one control bar is coupled to a respective merchandise dispensing device, on the one hand, and to a release mechanism for the merchandise dispensing device on the other. To make the setting mechanism simple and clearly settable, there are fastened to the control bar or bars, guide bushings which extend transverse to the travel direction of the control bars and in which slide pins are mounted. In one position, one end of each slide pin projects into the path of motion of a control cam of the merchandise dispensing device while being outside of the path of motion of the control cam in a second position thereof. The other end of the slide pins project beyond this bushing in each one of the two positions, on the operating base plate side which is opposite the merchandise dispensing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1983
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co., Automatenbau Herrieden
    Inventors: Bernd Mehlan, Josef Gress
  • Patent number: 4396106
    Abstract: A mechanical vending machine with a coin analyzer and a control mechanism for the release of merchandise dispensing devices after the insertion of an appropriate amount in coins, has the control mechanism being coupled to a locking bar of the merchandise dispensing devices and has a slide lock for the locking bar. To make the control mechanism accessible and to disengage it, the coin analyzer and the control mechanism are disposed on a bracket mounted on horizontal tracks of the vending machine so as to be movable from a pushed-in position to a pulled-out position. The bracket has a hinge by means of which it can be pivoted in the pulled-out position about a vertical axis. Disposed on the bracket is a coupling device which couples the control mechanism to the locking bar and to the slide lock in the pushed-in position, and which disengages when moved into the pulled-out position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1981
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1983
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Bernd Mehlan, Manfred Heim, Rudolf Leichs
  • Patent number: 4323147
    Abstract: A coin operated dispensing arrangement in which a plurality of counting cams can be set to reflect the selling price of items to be dispensed. These cams are rotated in response to the insertion of coins into the device, and a blocking rod is movable from a normal blocking position to a release position which permits dispensing of selected items in response to the insertion of coins having a value corresponding to the selected selling price. A plurality of movable sensing members cooperate with the cams, and a slide member holds normally the blocking rod in the blocking position, while being movable to a disengaging position by any one of the sensing members. A plurality of control levers are pivotable in front of the slide member into and out of the path of movement of respective sensing members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1980
    Date of Patent: April 6, 1982
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co.
    Inventors: Richard Kolbl, Bernd Mehlan
  • Patent number: 4235351
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a merchandise dispensing device for a vending machine. The device comprises a dispensing part, with a dispensing compartment floor, capable of pivoting from an intake position to a dispensing position. In the dispensing position, the merchandise, capable of rolling, especially bottles or tins, stored in inclined compartments prop by a support arch. A roll-on surface is provided in between the support arch and the dispensing compartment floor, to facilitate a rolling of the merchandise in the intake position, in which the dispensing compartment floor forms an obtuse angle with the roll-on surface and the dispensing compartment floor is wider than the roll-on surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 1978
    Date of Patent: November 25, 1980
    Assignee: Sielaff GmbH & Co. Automatenbau Herrieden
    Inventors: Richard Kolbl, Bernd Mehlan, Josef Gress, Frank Dorrbeck, Rudolf Leichs