EP1684243A1

EP1684243A1 - Manual dispensing apparatus for vending machine

Info

Publication number: EP1684243A1
Application number: EP05381001A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Miguel Fernandez Muñoz
Original assignee: Clenporte LDA
Current assignee: Clenporte LDA
Priority date: 2005-01-20
Filing date: 2005-01-20
Publication date: 2006-07-26

Abstract

The present invention relates to a manual dispensing apparatus for cans and the like for a vending machine with a coin box. The dispensing machine can be adjusted to adapt to various sizes of the can or product being dispended. In addition, the device incorporates solutions that facilitate the tasks of assembling and disassembling it and the coin box from the vending machine.

Description

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine, with a coin box, for cans and the like.
The present invention is characterised by having adjustment elements that allow the vending machine to work with products of different sizes. These adjustment elements allow adapting the apparatus to the main dimensions of the product, this is its width and height.
Additionally, said apparatus incorporates solutions that facilitate the tasks of assembling and disassembling the apparatus itself and the coin box from the vending machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Apparatuses are known in the state of the art meant to dispense cans and the like in vending machines having a coin box.
These devices have the disadvantage that each one can be used for only one size of can or similar product dispensed. This limitation is solved by the invention to which this document relates.
In addition, these dispensation apparatuses are constituted by a large number of parts, which complicates the assembly and disassembly of the apparatus. Many of these parts are delicate and thus prone to frequent malfunctions, which increases the cost of construction and maintenance of the apparatus.
The present invention solves these drawbacks by the construction of an apparatus that can be adjusted to adapt itself to various sizes of the product being dispensed. This apparatus has a small number of parts that require a lower maintenance, facilitating the assembly and disassembly tasks and lowering the cost of the apparatus.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention consists of a manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine, with a coin box, for cans and the like.
This apparatus can be adjusted to adapt itself to the different possible sizes of the product to be dispensed. The height and the width (the main product dimensions) can be adjusted.
This apparatus consists essentially of a revolving body or drum, a fixed element internal to the drum as well as adjustment elements that allow adaptation to the size of the product and means for attachment to the machine that facilitate the assembly and disassembly of the apparatus.
The drum is a cylindrical body with an opening to allow the entry of a can (or the like), and is placed inside the fixed body without one of its bases. The drum is actuated by the control means placed outside the vending machine.
The fixed body consists of a base with a circular section on which two arms are fitted perpendicular to the base, parallel to and diametrically opposite each other, adjustable in their separation. This body is placed internally and coaxially to the drum.
The separation of the arms of the fixed body with respect to the apparatus axis can be adjusted. This allows adjusting the apparatus to the width of the product to be dispensed (hereinafter referred to as the "can").
For small cans, it is also necessary to adjust the height of the apparatus for a correct operation. To do so, the drum is provided on its circumference with a cam path to guide the corresponding sheave attached to the fixed element.
As the sheave runs along this path a plate appears or disappears (from or into the apparatus). This plate is joined to the sheave and acts as a support of the can. This support places the can at the correct height for positioning it and the can immediately above it correctly, so that the drum can continue rotating and the cans can be dispensed one by one. Therefore, this support plate appears from or disappears into the apparatus, and does so through an opening made in the bottom part of the fixed body.
The height can be adjusted by modifying the relative distance between the sheave and the support plate, as well as the length of the opening made in the base of the fixed body.
This device also incorporates several different solutions for attaching the apparatus to the machine that facilitates the operations of assembling and disassembling the apparatus and the coin box.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description being made is completed by a set of drawings that illustrate the preferred example and do not limit the invention.
Figure 1 is a schematic sectional representation of an elevation view of the dispensing apparatus when a can is inside the apparatus.
Figure 2 is a cross section and elevation view of the fixed element, with its corresponding adjustment means according to the length and width of the can.
Figure 3 is a schematic plan and elevation view of the height adjustment element.
Figure 4 is a representation of a solution for attaching the dispensing apparatus and the coin box to the vending machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a manual dispensing apparatus for vending machines of cans or similar products.
Figure 1 is a schematic sectional representation of an elevation view of a dispensing apparatus, in this case for cans (4), for a manual vending machine with a coin box. This figure shows a drum (1) or revolving body, a fixed element (2) with a can (4) inside it, as well as the can immediately above it, and adjustment elements (3) that allow an adaptation to the length of the can to be dispensed and the corresponding elements (2.2, 2.3) for an adaptation to its width.
The drum (1) is a cylindrical body with a lateral opening and without one of its bases, the base through which the fixed element (2) is introduced.
The fixed element (2) is a body with a circular section base (2.1) to which are attached two parallel arms (2.2), diametrically opposite each other and separated by a distance that can be adjusted as described further below.
It can be seen that the fixed element (2) and the drum (1) are coaxial, the former (2) being inside the latter (1).
The mode of operation of this apparatus for dispensing cans (4) or the like is as follows. The drum (1), as stated before, is a revolving element actuated externally by control means (not shown). After the lateral opening of the drum (1) is placed on top, the corresponding can (4) falls under gravity and is placed between the arms (2.2) of the fixed element (2). When the drum (1) is rotated again until its lateral opening is placed on the bottom, the can (4) is let out while the can (4) immediately above it is not allowed to drop into the fixed element by the closure provided by the drum (1).
To achieve a correct operation of the apparatus, the can (4) must be placed correctly inside the device. For this purpose, adjustment elements (2.2, 3) are provided, described below, which are the main object of the invention.
With this device, the vending machine may use cans (4) or the like of different sizes. This is possible by performing a corresponding manual adjustment of said means (2.2, 3). The apparatus can be adjusted to adapt itself to the main dimensions of the can (4), in this case its width and height.
The width is adjusted by moving the arms (2.2) of the fixed part (2) to change their relative separation. The arms (2.2) have protrusions (2.2.1) on one of their ends that are screwed on, for example, and that move along radial paths (2.3) made in the base (2.1) of the fixed element. After the separation of the arms (2.2) is adjusted their positions are fixed by the corresponding tightening means, such as nuts (2.2.2) in this case.
It is also very important to adjust the device to the length of the corresponding can (4). This allows a correct dosage of the cans (4), so that the rotation of the drum (1) is not prevented by clashing with the can (4) immediately above the one located inside the drum (1), or in some cases that two small cans (4) enter the apparatus at the same time.
The drum (1) has a recess on its circumference that acts as a cam guide. A sheave (3.2) turns on this guide, so that a support plate (3.1) appears from or disappears into the dispensing apparatus as shown by the arrows in figure 2. To make this possible, the fixed element (2) has an opening (2.4) on the bottom of the base to allow the support plate (3.1) to pass.
When the support plate (3.1) shows through the opening (2.4) into the apparatus, the corresponding can (4) is retained between the arms (2.2) of the fixed part that rests on the support (3.1) while the can (4) immediately above it is not allowed to fall. As the drum (1) continues to turn, the sheave (3.2) turns and the support plate (3.1) disappears, at which time the can (4) may exit, as the lateral opening of the drum (1) is on the bottom, so that on the top the drum (1) itself prevents the can (4) immediately above from falling into the apparatus.
The distance between the sheave (3.2) and the support plate (3.1) can be adjusted to allow adaptation to various lengths of the can (4).
Therefore, the element (3) for adjusting the height of the can (4) consists of a sheave (3.2) that turns in a cam guide provided on the circumference of the drum (1) and a support plate (3.1), the two (3.1, 3.2) being joined by a shaft (3.3) that in this example crosses the support plate (3.1). The relative distance between the sheave (3.2) and the support plate (3.1) is fixed by nuts (3.4) as shown in figure 3.
Figure 3 also shows that the sheave (3.2) is a circular plate with an eccentrically attached shaft (3.3) that joins it to the support plate (3.1).
The support plate (3.1) is also a circular plate which in this case has a truncated circumference. The shaft (3.3) is joined to the support (3.1) also in an eccentric manner, at the fully circular half of the plate (3.1) in an off-centre position.
This eccentric attachment allows the plate (3.1), while the sheave (3.2) runs along the cam guide, to appear from and disappear into the apparatus.
The support plate (3.1) has a spring (3.5) that is also joined to the base (2.1) of the fixed element and which allows the height adjustment element (3) to recover its original position.
When the sheave (3.2) travels along the top part of the cam guide, the support plate (3.1) shows on the inside, while when it travels along the bottom part of the cam guide it disappears from the inside of the apparatus as the spring (3.5) acts on the support (3.1) to restore the original position in which the support (3.1) disappears from the inside of the apparatus.
On another hand, the dispensing apparatus allows incorporating several different attachment solutions to the vending machine. One of these is shown in figure 4. This figure shows the drum (1) from the front part of which emerges a neck (1.1) to which an attachment plate (5) and a bracket (6) are attached as described below.
The attachment plate (5) is a circular plate with a recess made on part of its circumference that allows the assembly and disassembly of the dispensing apparatus in the vending machine.
The plate (5) is attached to the neck (1.1) of the drum and a bracket (6) is placed in the space between the plate (5) and the front face of the drum (1).
The bracket (6) has two lugs (6.1) on one side and on the outside has a guide (6.2) in which the coin box slides. A circular crown (not shown) is fitted on the lugs (6.1) that is part of the vending machine case. The inner part of the bracket (6) is adapted to the circular shape of the neck (1.1) on which it is mounted.
To disassemble the coin box and the device, the circular crown fitted on the lugs (6.1) of the bracket must first be removed. Then the drum (1) is turned until the attachment plate (5) is in a position in which its recesses are on the bottom, allowing to pass a lip (with a small displacement) of the case, which in turn maintains the attachment plate (5) retained in its operating position. In this position it is possible to remove the coin box, followed by the bracket (6), allowing to release the apparatus completely.
Another possible solution that facilitates the assembly and disassembly tasks of the dispensing apparatus is, doing without the solution described above, to incorporate a spring on the rear part of the fixed element (2).
The essence of this invention is not affected by variations in the materials, shape, size and arrangement of its component elements, described in a nonlimiting manner that should allow its reproduction by an expert.

Claims

Manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine for cans and similar product provided with a coin box and constituted by a revolving element or drum (1) with an opening to allow the entry of a can (4) or similar product, and internally and coaxial to it a fixed element (2) such that control means allow turning the drum (1) to allow the entry and subsequent exit of the can (4), where the coin box, control means and dispensing apparatus are removable, characterised in that the dispensing apparatus is provided with adjustment means (2.2, 3) that allow adapting it to at least one of the main dimensions of the can (4).
Manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the adjustment means corresponding to the fixed element (2) consist of parallel and diametrically opposite arms (2.2) with a distance between each other that can be adjusted to adapt to the width of the can (4).
Manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in that the arms (2.2) have a protrusion (2.2.1) screwed onto one of its ends to allow its displacement along rails (2.3) made in the base (2.1) of the fixed element, their position being fixed by nuts (2.2.2) that screw in the protrusions (2.2.1) of the arms (2.2).
Manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the adjustment element (3) for the length of the can (4) or the like consists at least of a support plate (3.1), a sheave (3.2), a shaft (3.3) joining them and a cam guide such that the support plate (3.1) appears from and disappears into the apparatus through an opening (2.4) made in the base (2.1) of the fixed element.
Manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the distance between the sheave (3.2) and the support plate (3.1) can be adjusted by a shaft (3.3) that is screwed on and passes through the support plate (3.1), its position being fixed by nuts (3.4).
Manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to claim 1, characterised in that on the front part of the drum (1) is a plate (5) with a truncated circumference and a bracket (6) placed between the attachment plate (5) and the front surface of the drum (1), the bracket (6) having at least one lug (6.1) on its upper side and a guide (6.2) for attaching the coin box on its other side.
Manual dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the fixed element (2) incorporates a spring on its rear part.