GB2254319A

GB2254319A - Dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2254319A
Application number: GB9205355A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norman John Coyles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1991-03-12
Filing date: 1992-03-12
Publication date: 1992-10-07
Anticipated expiration: 2012-03-12
Also published as: GB9105205D0; GB9205355D0; GB2254319B

Abstract

Container dispensing apparatus has stacks 1 of cups 2 pre-filled with dry ingredients. A release mechanism 4 is associated with each stack 1 and operates to release a cup 2 from the stack 1. The released cup 2 passes down a guide tube 5 into a recessed track 8 on a dispensing bed 6. The cup 2 is then met by a rotating arm 12 to move the cup 2 around the track 8 to a dispensing station A accessible by a customer. The simplicity of the apparatus facilitates cleaning and provides for a greater storage capacity. The risk of cup contamination is reduced. <IMAGE>

Description

DISPENSING APPARATUS The present invention relates to dispensing apparatus particularly for use in a drinks vending machine.

Conventional drinks vending machines dispense cups which are pre-filled with dry ingredients for mixing with water at a filling station. The filling station may be separate from or coincident with the point of discharge to the customer. The filled cups are stored in a number of stacks, each stack generally having cups of one type of beverage. A cup is transported from a store to the filling station and/or the point of discharge.

In one type of machine when a customer requests a particular drink the lowermost cup from the appropriate stack is released into a cup holder in a carrier disposed below. The selected cup is then delivered to the discharge point accessible to the customer by indexing the carrier round via a separate filling point if necessary.

This type of arrangement has several disadvantages. The cup holder supports the cup by a lip of the cup which increases the risk of contamination of the cup around the area of contact with the consumer's mouth. If a separate filling station is used spillage is likely to occur during transfer of the cup from the filling station to the dispensing point. By the very nature of the mechanism of the machine access is difficult for cleaning purposes. The carrier requires a mechanical arrangement such as a geneva drive to provide for the indexing motion which takes up invaluable space within the vending machine and involves several moving parts.

In an alternative machine the stacks of cups are arranged around a carousel which indexes around until the appropriate cup stack is above the delivery point whereupon the lowermost cup is released. Rotating carousel arrangements are generally prone to failure and as a result of their weight they require undesirably large sized drives and they impart unnecessary stress on moving components. The weight capacity of the drive and the extra space required in the machine to allow a clear path for movement of the stacks provides for a limitation in the storage capacity of the machine.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate the aforesaid disadvantages by providing for a container dispensing apparatus which maximises the available storage capacity for the container, minimises the risk of contamination and spillage and reduces the number of moving parts.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided container dispensing apparatus comprising at least one store of containers, a release mechanism associated with the or each store and operable to release a container from the store, and transport means for transferring a released container from the store to a location remote from the store, said transport means comprising a support surface on to which a released container is deposited at a predetermined position, the support surface defining a path extending from the predetermined position to the remote location, and an actuator movable above the support surface to engage a released container and push the engaged container along the path to the remote location.

Preferably the support surface defines a circular container guide track and the actuator is an arm engageable with a release container to move it around the track. Alternatively the support surface is planar.

Preferably the arm is rotatable about a vertical axis and comprises container engaging means at its radially outer end.

The support surface may be formed to act as a spill tray from which any spillage can be readily cleaned.

A specific embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a dispensing apparatus in accordance with present invention; and Figure 2 is a plan view of a guide track and arm of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a stack 1 of cups 2, several of which stacks may be present in a drinks vending machine, disposed over a dispensing unit 3. Each cup is pre-filled with dry ingredients to which water is added at a dispensing station indicated generally by arrow A.

The dispensing unit has a cup release mechanism 4 located immediately below each stack 1. The mechanism 4 does not form part of the scope of the present invention and is not described in any detail. Below the cup release mechanism 4 is a guide tube 5 which extends downwardly towards a dispensing bed 6 which defines a support surface into which a released cup is deposited immediately below the stack from which it is released. The bed 6, formed from a single piece moulding, is of circular dish-like form with a central raised portion 7. Between the raised centre 7 and the outer wall of the dish there is defined an annular recessed track 8 having a width dimensioned to receive a cup 2. The inner and outer wall of the track 8 are sloped downwardly and inwardly such that the track width decreases with depth.The raised central portion 7 of the bed 6 has a hole 9 in which a vertical output shaft 10 of a motor 11 is located.

The motor 11 is disposed below the bed 6.

Connected to the output shaft 10 is an arm 12 which is disposed on the bed 6. The arm 12 is shaped to follow the surface of the raised portion 7 of the bed 6 and has a down-turned portion 13 following the interior wall of the track 8. At the free end of the arm 12 there is provided a sweep 14 which locates in the track recess 8 extending substantially across the width thereof. The sweep 14 is shaped to receive the exterior side wall of a cup 2.

When a cup 2 is released from a stack 1 it passes through the guide tube 5 and is deposited on track 8 of the dispensing bed 6. When the cup 2 lands on the track 8 any tendency to bounce out of position is reduced by the provision of an anti-bounce ring 15 formed on the end of the guide tube 5 immediately above the cup 2. If the cup 2 bounces upwards on the track surface it contacts the anti-bounce ring 15 restricting the bouncing movement of the cup 2.

To move the cup 2 from the released position below the guide tube 5 to the dispensing station A, to which the customer has access, the arm 12 rotates relative to the stationary bed 6 and the sweep 14 contacts the cup 2 to guide it around the track 8 to the dispensing station A. At the dispensing station A the cup 2 is detected and the arm 12 stops rotating. The arm 12 may remain stationary at that point or move to a park position. The cup 2 is then filled with water and dispensed from the machine.

It is to be appreciated that the dispensing bed 6 and track 8 may be formed into any suitable shape or surface configuration which permits a rotary arm to guide the cup 2 around the bed 6. For example, the bed 6 may be a simple planar sheet with no surface formation to serve as a cup guide track. It is simply necessary to ensure that the cup engaging end of the act(iator arm is shaped to guide an engaged cup along a circular path. A planar bed is particularly easy to clean.

The above described arrangement provides for a simple mechanism in which the number of moving parts is kept to a minimum and the storage capacity of- the machine is maximised. The bed is provides for an area which is free from moving parts to facilitate cleaning thereof. In addition, at no point is the cup held at the lip so that the area contacted by mouth during consumption is not contaminated. The track bed forms a spill tray which may be adapted to drain any spillage from the bed into a suitably located spillage container.

Claims

1. Container dispensing apparatus comprising at least one store of containers, a release mechanism associated with the or each store and operable to release a container from the store, and transport means for transferring a released container from the store to a location remote from the store, said transport means comprising a support surface on to which a released container is deposited at a predetermined position, the support surface defining a path extending from the predetermined position to the remote location, and an actuator movable above the support surface to engage a released container and push the engaged container along the path to the remote location.

2. Container dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, in which the path is defined by a circular container guide track.

3. Container dispensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the guide track has upwardly sloping side faces between which a released container is received.

4. Container dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, in which the support surface is planar, the path being defined by a portion of the planar surface.

5. Container dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the actuator comprises an arm rotatable about a vertical axis and supporting container engaging means at its radially outer end.

6. Container dispensing apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the support surface acts as a spill tray.

7. Container dispensing apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.