Ice-cream vending machine

1. An ice-cream vending machine comprising:

an insulated and refrigerated bottom half housing containing stacks of pre-portioned ice-cream supported by a plurality of circular platforms;

a top half housing containing radially disposed topping storage bins, a topping retrieval mechanism, a centrally located stacked cup storage tube and a centrally located cup holding platform;

said topping storage bins comprising bins for storing dry granulated toppings and bins for storing liquid toppings;

said granulated storage bins comprising an automated portion delivery mechanism;

said liquid storage bins comprising a peristaltic pump and hose delivery mechanism;

said topping retrieval mechanism comprising a topping receiving cup attached to a horizontally disposed telescoping arm;

said telescoping arm including a vertically disposed support member slidably engaging a radially disposed drive mechanism that allows said topping receiving cup to access a selected bin portion delivery mechanism;

said topping receiving cup capable of automatically turning upside-down to enable it to deliver its contents to the top of an ice-cream portion held within a cup located on said centrally located cup holding platform;

said ice-cream portions capable of being retrieved one at a time from said refrigerated bottom half housing and delivered via an ice-cream delivery mechanism to said centrally located ice-cream cup; and

said ice-cream cups capable of being pulled down one at a time by a cup retrieval mechanism and being placed on said centrally located cup holding platform where they can accept said ice-cream portions and said toppings.

2. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a microprocessor based user interface enabling a user to select his or her ice-cream choice and topping choices.

3. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a user payment system to pay for said ice-cream and said toppings using payment methods.

4. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said storage bins include closure lids that can be removed for refilling.

5. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ice-cream portion delivery mechanism includes an automated arm that lifts said ice-cream portion from said stack and via an articulated mechanism delivers it into said ice-cream cup.

6. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ice-cream portions include a central aperture enabling said ice-cream portions to be stacked on a central threaded pole.

7. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ice-cream delivery mechanism also includes a centrally threaded motorized support disk capable of lifting said ice-cream stack one portion at a time for delivery to said ice-cream cup.

8. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 7 wherein a hole needed in said ice-cream portion for allowance of a lead screw also acts as a receiving orifice for ice-cream toppings.

9. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said stacked ice-cream portions are each separated by a separator sheet.

10. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 9 wherein each said separator sheet includes a flange capable of being pulled by a telescoping arm mechanism which can pull said separator sheet away from said stack and drop into a receptacle.

11. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said radially disposed topping bins are made of transparent material allowing a user to view the contents of said bins.

12. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein said top half housing includes a transparent front portion allowing a user to view the activity of all said actions related to the delivery of said ice-cream cups and said ice-cream and said toppings.

13. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein a heated spatula creates a segmented portion of ice-cream instead of the pre-portioned stacked ice-cream.

14. An ice-cream vending machine comprising:

an insulated and refrigerated bottom half housing containing stacks of cups containing ice-cream portions wherein the cups are supported by a plurality of circular platforms;

a top half housing containing radially disposed topping storage bins, a topping retrieval mechanism and a centrally located cup holding mechanism and a centrally located cup holding platform;

said topping storage bins comprising bins for storing dry granulated toppings and bins for storing liquid toppings;

said granulated storage bins comprising an automated portion delivery mechanism;

said liquid storage bins comprising a peristaltic pump and hose delivery mechanism;

said topping retrieval mechanism comprising a topping receiving cup attached to a horizontally disposed telescoping arm;

said telescoping arm including a vertically disposed support member slidably engaging a radially disposed drive mechanism that allows said topping receiving cup to access a selected bin portion delivery mechanism;

said topping receiving cup capable of automatically turning upside-down to enable it to deliver its contents to the top of an ice-cream portion held within a cup located on said centrally located cup holding platform;

said ice-cream portions capable of being retrieved one at a time from said refrigerated bottom half housing and delivered via an ice-cream delivery mechanism to said centrally located ice-cream cup; and

said ice-cream cups capable of being pulled down one at a time by a cup retrieval mechanism and being placed on said centrally located cup holding platform where they can accept said ice-cream cups and said toppings.

15. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a microprocessor based user interface enabling a user to select his or her ice-cream choice and topping choices.

16. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 14 further comprising a user payment system to pay for said ice-cream and said toppings using payment methods.

17. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said storage bins include closure lids that can be removed for refilling.

18. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said radially disposed topping bins are made of transparent material allowing a user to view the contents of said bins.

19. An ice-cream vending machine as claimed in claim 14 wherein said top half housing includes a transparent front portion allowing a user to view the activity of all said actions related to the delivery of said ice-cream cups and said ice-cream and said toppings.