1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the general field of vending machines for articles of consumption in public places. In particular, it provides a new and improved apparatus for dispensing purified ice and water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vending machines have been part of the American scene for a long time and have been used to dispense all kinds of articles to the public. They can normally be found in self-service snack-bars for the sale of sandwiches, candy bars and other packaged foods; and for soft and other drinks, such as coffee, tea and chocolate, provided in cans or in disposable containers. These dispensers are also used in airports, train stations and bus depots for articles of personal hygiene and necessity. Similarly, ice making and dispensing machines are often found in hotels and motels for the convenience of guests. This invention deals with an apparatus developed to purify water for use in making ice in a standard ice machine and for dispensing both purified water and purified ice to the public in response to the deposit of a predetermined payment in the form of a coin or token.
Ice vending machines typically consist of an ice maker, a compartment where the ice is stored for systematic retrieval upon sale, a coin acceptor for payment, and a mechanism for automatically dispensing the ice into a receiving compartment upon activation by a user. Ice machines are connected to a water source, typically a utility line, so that ice can be made currently to replenish the quantities dispensed from the storage compartment as a predetermined amount is released upon the occurrence of each payment.
The prior art also includes water vending machines, similar in purpose and operation to the coffee, tea and chocolate dispensers mentioned above. One particular machine, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,467 (1986) by the inventor of this application, describes an apparatus for the purification of tap water prior to dispensation. The system involves multiple steps, wherein a first stage consists of a series of filters for removing particulates larger than a predetermined size, chlorine, and various organic compounds. A second stage consists of a reverse osmosis apparatus to remove substantially all the remaining particulate contaminants. The water so purified is temporarily stored in the machine and, as it is being dispensed to a purchaser, it is finally treated in a third stage consisting of an ultraviolet lamp for the treatment of micro-organisms.
One problem with this water vending apparatus is that, inasmuch as drinking water is normally served with ice cubes made from tap water, it does not completely eliminate exposure to water contaminants. Therefore, there is a need for an ice machine that utilizes purified water in the ice making process. In addition, no vending machine disclosed in prior art dispenses both water and ice. The present invention is directed at fulfilling all of these functions in the same vending machine by providing an apparatus for the purification of tap water, the making of ice using processed water, and the alternative dispensation of either according to the request of a purchaser.