Snack Dome

February 4, 2011 3:30 PM

What is the purpose of the dome on this vending machine?

Here is a snack vending machine that has a solid dome on the top of the housing. I don't recall having seen such a thing on other vending machines, but perhaps this is due to other vending machines being taller than I am.

I assume it has a functional purpose, as it would surely be cheaper to design and build a unitary housing. I believe I see what might be a foam gasket between the dome and the housing top. This leads me to wonder if it might be an air filter or vent.

I've searched Google images and Flickr for photographs of vending machines and/or domes, but most photographs only show the front. I searched online vending machine parts catalogs for "dome" and "vent" but nothing came up.

Could it be an antennae housing?

For what it's worth, the machine is located in Seattle.

posted by Tube to technology (6 answers total)

I've noticed that many vending machines in Alaska have motion sensors on top. They only turn on when someone approaches them. Could the dome be housing for that?
posted by charmcityblues at 3:32 PM on February 4, 2011

Seems like it could be an antenna that would otherwise experience interference when inside the metal housing.
posted by msbutah at 3:35 PM on February 4, 2011

Google Images search for Vending Machine Antenna turns up similar black domes.
posted by msbutah at 3:36 PM on February 4, 2011 [1 favorite]

In fact this one "Seed" by Cantaloupe Systems appears to match it exactly.
posted by msbutah at 3:38 PM on February 4, 2011 [4 favorites]

A PDF about one such vendor.
posted by cabingirl at 3:45 PM on February 4, 2011

Wow, thanks! I came close by the search terms I used, but missed that combination.
posted by Tube at 3:59 PM on February 4, 2011