Vending machine locking device

摘要

A door of a vending machine has an electrically operated lock that is operated by a hand held unit from outside the machine. In one embodiment of the lock a spike with grooves along the length thereof is engaged by an engagement unit having moveable blades. In a second embodiment a threaded screw is driven by a reversible motor to thread and unthread the screw into a threaded opening. The machine has detectors that detect the amount of product being dispensed by the machine and the amount of cash in the cash box and microprocessors and transceivers in both the machine and in the hand held unit convey this information to the hand held unit. The hand held unit may also program a slave hand held unit to have limited control over the functions of the machine.