DE4310103A1 - Automatic dispensing machine for CD disc cassettes - has number of discs in magazines in housing that are accessed by built in programmable handling unit. - Google Patents

Abstract

An automatic dispenser, ie 'automat', machine has a number of magazine units (2) that are stacked in parallel within a housing (1). Each magazine stores specific CD disc (6) versions that are accessed by insertion of a cash or credit card into a reader (7). Within the housing is a 30 manipulator (12) that can be vertically (11) and horizontally (9) by servo motors to a specific location. Once in position the gripper unit may be moved forward (10) to extract the keyboard (5) selected cassette. Exit from the housing is mechanically interlocked to prevent manipulation. ADVANTAGE - Simple construction and operation.

Description

The invention relates to a vending machine for sound carrier cassettes, in particular CD's, mini-CD's, tapes with a cassette th receiving refillable magazine arranged side by side Filling chutes for stackable recording of similar sound carrier cassettes, egg A control panel for selecting the cassette title, a terminal for one euro card, chip card or similar, an output compartment for removing the selected tone Carrier cassette, a cassette transport device that uses an electronic control device to the position of the cassette selected on the control panel tenschachtes is positioned, the sound carrier cassette takes up and to the Ausga easily transported.

Vending machines for goods with rectangular packaging have been around for a long time known some time ago. The selected product is usually an output tray assigned, which can then be opened as soon as the amount of money to be paid in egg a mostly coin-operated payment box has been paid. Far for the output Going high quality cassette tapes for a variety of cassette titles these vending machines are not suitable.

With the DE-Gbm G 92 02 857.8 became a compact record sales car mat described, which provides the issue of so-called CompactDisc (CD's). For this purpose, the CD cassettes stacked on the narrow side are vertically next to each other other arranged flat shafts, which are open at the bottom brings. At the lower end of each shaft there is a short release bare locking device that is selected and released via a control panel, so a release signal will soon be issued from an arranged coin-operated payment box. There is a conveyor belt with a vertical one under the cassette slots  arranged, open upward V-shaped transport container, which according to Posi tioning via a selection control of the entered on the control panel Cassette title records the CD released by the locking device and over the conveyor belt horizontally to the exit located on the side wall is transported on the shaft. When the locking device is released, the CD-Kas falls thanks to its own weight put into the two-part transport container. Doing so the rest of the cassette stack of the positioned cassette slot by pressure held against the cassette shaft rear wall. Only when taking the reason position of the locking device in the lowest cassette position, the remaining cas set stack released and falls due to its own weight by a measure Cassette height down and is held in this position by the locking device, until a new cassette release signal is given.

The locking device of each shaft thus consists of two separately controllable locking elements, the first element being each under lock the most compact record of a shaft and the second lock gelungselement, each lock the penultimate compact record of a shaft can.

The vending machine described, however, has the disadvantage that it for each the stack or CD cassette slot be a controllable locking element compelled. In order to lock the CD cassettes, a pressure is applied by a braking device on the narrow side of the CD cassette, which is located on the rear wall of the CD cassette supports, exercised. The large brake pressure to be used a correspondingly high stability of the rear wall of the CD cassette slot te. With a weight of approx. 1.5 kg per cassette stack there is a minimum brake force of 5 to 8 kp required. This braking force is related to the number of cassettes multiplied by the manholes, the rear wall of the magazine always has an effective one To compensate force of approx. 350 kp. This is very much the case with the unstable side walls problematic. The CD cassette sleeves are also not adequately subject gentle treatment.

After a CD cassette has been removed, the respective cassette stack moves dampens by one cassette height. This also does not have a gentle effect on the CD cassette sleeve.

The CD cassette slots open towards the front still require an additional one Lich locking grid. The ergonomics of the cassette removal is disadvantageous because  the output chute moves at the level below the cassette magazine Conveyor belt and therefore very low. The output shaft also offers no security against improper use or adverse external interference rivers.

The invention has for its object a vending machine for sound carriers to create cassettes, in particular CD's, which is simple, reliable works, the sound carrier cassettes in a gentle manner from an easily accessible Chen magazine removed from a gripper system and the user in ergono of a suitable height in an output compartment for dispensing. The end gabefach should only be from a provided cassette from in Open the door to avoid external influences.

The object is achieved in that the CD cassette Ma magazine consisting of several side by side around a common axis swiveling blocks, the individual cassette slots down are limited by a fixed stop, a three-dimensionally movable motor drive is provided which a carriage for receiving a CD Carries cassette and the means for unlocking the lowest CD cassette from the magazine shaft and has a clamping device which has a electronic sequence control a soft lowering of the rest of the cassette sta pels causes a switch to when the height of the output tray is reached Forced release of the closed with a spring-loaded flap Extraction opening actuated, the flap has an angled bevel that the flap against the action of a spring over the narrow side of the CD cassette forced to remove the CD cassette and provided a latch which prevents the cassette from pushing back and the switch into its rest position ge and the car its after a selected CD cassette Basic position.

An expedient embodiment of the invention is that the individual Blocks of the magazine swung out when the machine opened and thus can be easily tracked from above. The swinging out of the blocks is limited by at least one safety catch.

The pivot bearings of the blocks are open at the bottom, so that the individual blocks can also be removed and exchanged for full magazine blocks nen.  

The individual CD cassette slots are essentially two ge opposing profile combs formed, the grooves of the profile combs a allow easily displaceable recording of the sound carrier cassettes, d. H. their porridge te is larger than the width of the CD cassettes. At the bottom of the magazine is each CD cassette slot is open by one cassette height. Which CD cassette in the stack below is only one of each Kas set shaft arranged spring-loaded slide. If you select egg n the cassette shaft by the operator, the trolley is powered by the 3D drive brought into the corresponding position by horizontal displacement. To ge exact alignment of the position of the carriage penetrates before removing the CD cassette from the magazine a wedge-shaped centering finger arranged on the carriage into one rack with trapezoidal teeth attached to the magazine and fixes the wa for the following CD cassette removal.

Simultaneously with this fixation of the carriage, the lowest cassette in the cassette unlocked by a bracket on the carriage the slide at the cassette shaft. The released CD cassette is now complete dig in the effective range of the car and is by means of a motorized 3D drive bes from the centering finger behind the cassette from the cassette shaft pushed out and into a clamping device attached to the car pressed.

Since the rest of the CD cassette stack is still on the pulled out Supports the CD cassette, the trolley is lowered by means of the 3D drive until the also lowered CD cassette stack in the CD cassette slot Chen stop reached.

The cart with the CD cassette pulled out is now under the magazine moved to the edge area of the machine using the X drive of the 3D drive and after reaching this position from the sterndrive vertically to the height of the off very moved. The output tray is unused to avoid external interventions closed with a spring-loaded slide and additional Lich secured with a pawl. As soon as the 3D drive opens a CD cassette has moved the height of the output tray, the pawl is unlocked so that the slide remains in its closed position only by spring action. The Y drive of the 3D drive, the CD cassette can be located on the carriage union angle in the direction of the outlet still closed by the slide move easily. The narrow side of the CD cassette presses against one  on the slider angled slope and moves the slider ge the effect of a spring in the "OPEN" position. Since the cassette is now the carriage is already in a guideway to the output compartment next be lowered so far that the centering finger from the dispenser immersed in the CD cassette.

The Y drive with its contact angle now moves the CD cassette into the end valid output position in the output compartment. At the same time falls behind the CD cassette a pawl in the path of the shifted CD cassette and prevents it from going back slide the CD cassette. The car is moved back via the Y drive drive, and the CD cassette thus completely detaches from the spring clip of the Car. With the removal of the CD cassette from the output compartment the spring-loaded slide closes the output tray, and one comes up en The pawl locks the output bin.

The idea underlying the invention is described in the following Be writing using an exemplary embodiment, which is shown in the drawing is explained in more detail.

It shows

Fig. 1 perspective schematic representation of the vending machine with an arrangement, the main assembly,

FIG. 2 perspective schematic representation of the CD-cassette magazine with a pivoted-out tray block,

Fig. 3 is a perspective schematic diagram of the three-dimensional drive with CD-cassette carriage,

Fig. 4 enlarged partial view of the 3D actuator,

Fig. 5 shows the sequence of movements of a sound carrier cassette in the machine by Maga zin to output,

Fig. 6 a longitudinal section through the lower part of a magazine shaft,

Fig. 7 top view of a magazine block with a filled disc cassette bay,

Fig. 8 partial view of a magazine from the front block with a view toward the La gerachse,

Fig. 9 partial view of a magazine block rotated by 180 ° in FIG. 8 with a view of the lower magazine shaft opening,

Fig. 10 side view of the 3D actuator with cassette carriage in the removal position of the cassette from the magazine well,

Fig. 11 top view of the cassette carriage in accordance with section lines BB of Fig. 10,

Fig. 12 side view of the 3D actuator with cassette carriage of FIG. 10 is pulled out CD-cassette,

FIG. 13A view through the carriage drive according to section line AA of FIG. 10,

Fig. 14 partial view of the carriage drive section line CC of FIG. 13,

Fig. 15 side view of the cassette carriage with CD-cassette in the amount of CASSETTE tenausgabefaches,

Fig. 16 part view through the carriage drive section line DD of Fig. 10,

Fig. 17 side view of the cassette carriage of FIG. 15 with disc cartridge on the way to the output tray,

FIG. 18 view of X in FIG. 17 to the output tray,

FIG. 19 is a side view according to FIG. 17 with a CD cassette in the output compartment.

In Fig. 1 the vending machine for sound carrier cassettes, in particular CD's with egg nem contoured housing 1 and some main assemblies he is recognizable. The vertically arranged in the housing 1 CD cassette magazine 2 be consists of several juxtaposed cassette blocks 3 with one above the other on the narrow side stacked cassettes 6 , which abut the stop 4 at a transverse. The operator selects his desired CD cassette 6 via an operator guidance by means of screen 5 . Further instructions for operating the machine are also conveyed on the screen 5 . Structurally largely independent, the terminal 7 arranged in the housing 1 for an Eu rocard or chip card for payment or debiting of the financial equivalent. However, the heart of the machine is a controllable 3D drive 8 with an X drive 9 , a Y drive 10 and a Z drive 11 . A car 12 for receiving a CD cassette 6 is connected to the 3D drive 8 . The X drive 9 moves the carriage 12 horizontally below the cassette maga interest 2 across the cassette blocks 3rd The Y drive 10 pushes the cassettes 6 out of the cassette magazine 2 and into the output compartment 14 . The Z drive 11 moves the carriage 12 vertically from the lower region of the cassette ten magazine 2 to the height of the output tray 14 . The movable drive carriage 12 is moved between the guide rails 15 and 16 . An electronics assembly 17 largely controls the movement of the mechanical assemblies and the 3D drive 8 .

In Fig. 1 the vending machine for sound carrier cassettes, in particular CD's with egg nem contoured housing 1 and some main assemblies he is recognizable. The vertically arranged in the housing 1 CD cassette magazine 2 be consists of several juxtaposed cassette blocks 3 with one above the other on the narrow side stacked cassettes 6 , which abut the stop 4 at a transverse. The operator selects his desired CD cassette 6 via an operator guidance by means of screen 5 . Further instructions for operating the machine are also conveyed on the screen 5 . The terminal 7 arranged in the housing 1 for a euro card, chip card or the like for payment or debit of the financial value is largely independent in terms of construction. However, the heart of the machine is a controllable 3D drive 8 with an X drive 9 , a Y drive 10 and a Z drive 11 . A car 12 for receiving a CD cassette 6 is connected to the 3D drive 8 . The X drive 9 moves the carriage 12 horizontally below the cassette maga interest 2 across the cassette blocks 3rd The Y drive 10 pushes the cassettes 6 out of the cassette magazine 2 and into the output compartment 14 . The Z drive 11 moves the carriage 12 vertically from the lower region of the cassette magazine 2 to the height of the output compartment 14 . The movable drive carriage 12 is moved between the guide rails 15 and 16 . An electronic assembly 17 largely controls the sequence of movements of the mechanical assemblies and the 3D drive 8 .

In Fig. 2, the practical design of the cassette magazine 2 and the storage of the individual cassette blocks 3 is on a common axis 18 Darge. With the housing 1 open, this arrangement allows each cassette block 3 to be swung out for filling from above or for replacing the entire cassette block 3 . The pivoting movement is limited by a safety catch 19 assigned to the cassette block 3 . The asymmetrical arrangement of the axis 18 ensures a secure contact with the stop 4 .

The means of the 3D drive 8 can largely be seen from FIG. 3. The X drive 9 consists of a motor 20 , which can be both a servo and a stepper motor, a gear 21 and an endless belt 22 , which is a toothed belt in the exemplary embodiment. The Z-drive 11 is clamped on the toothed belt 22 without slip and is ge as a whole assembly between the guide rails 15 and 16 leads. The Z drive 11 also consists of a motor 23 , a transmission 24 and a rotating toothed belt 25 . Two guide columns 26 ensure that the carriage 12 moves without play in the Z direction. The Y drive 10 is located on the carriage 12 and consists of a screw drive 26 with a motor, a screw spindle 27 and a driving nut.

In FIG. 4, the middle of the 3D drive 8 in an enlarged representation are getting to it.

The movement sequence of a sound carrier cassette 6 in the vending machine from the magazine to the output is shown schematically in a simple manner in FIG. 5.

The position of the bottom cassette 6 can be seen in the representation of the cassette magazine 2 shown in FIG. 6. The CD cassette 6 is held down by a short stop angle 31 and on the rear open side by a spring loaded slider 32 . The asymmetric support of the Kas settenblockes 3 is located on the front of the cassette magazine 2, which is open when the cassette block located at the 3 suspension 33 downward, so that easy removal of individual cassette blocks 3 is possible.

In Fig. 7, a cassette block 3 is shown in a plan view, which allows an insight into the adjacent cassette shafts. The cassette shafts are formed by opposing comb-shaped profiles 34 and the connecting side walls 35 . The CD cassettes 6 are thus gently magazine in a special way.

The continuous axis 18 in front of the cassette magazine 2 expediently has notch-shaped grooves 36 ( FIG. 8) so that the lateral fixing of the mounting of the cassette blocks 3 on the axis 18 is secured without play. The trapezoidal toothing 37 on the lower stop angles 31 of the cassette blocks 3 ensures a position compensation for the carriage 12 delivered via the 3D drive 8 and thus increases the functional reliability of the cassette removal from the cassette magazine 2 . in Fig. 9, the mapping of the trapezoidal tooth system 37 to the individual cassette shafts precisely recognized.

In Fig. 10, positioned on a cassette holder carriage is the disc cartridge shown 6 the receiving layer in a 12. The firmly attached to the carriage 12 te angled bracket 29 presses against the spring-loaded slide 32 and thus releases the CD cassette 6 located in the cassette shaft. The CD cassette te 6 is now on the movable contact angle 37 , in which a driver 38 of the screw drive 26 engages at the same time. The centering finger 28 located on a guide plate 40 which is also displaceable is likewise articulated on the driver 38 . Upon movement of the Y-drive for removal of the disc cartridge 6 from the cassette holder 6 of the narrow bearing bracket 37 and the Zen be trier finger 28 is driven at the same time, the centering finger 28 presses the disc cartridge 6 in the clamping device 30th

The carriage 12 is now, as shown in FIG. 5, lowered by a little more than the cassette height by means of a Z drive 11 in order to get out of the region of the cassette magazine 2 and at the same time to soften the stack of cassettes above it up to the stop angle 31 ""lower.

The design of the clamping device 30 can be seen in more detail in FIG. 11, which consists in particular of 2 resilient sheets.

In Fig. 12 it can be seen how far the CD cassette 6 is pressed ge into the clamping device 30 , and when the carriage 12 is lowered, the slider 32 also returns to its initial position and thus the cassette holding position.

Fig. 13 shows how the driver 38 engages in the guide plates 40 both for the contact angle 37 and for the centering finger 28 . Under the screw drive 26 , a fork coupler 41 is arranged for the position finding, the signal from the electronics module 17 is evaluated.

The guide plate 40 ( FIG. 14) for the centering finger 28 has an elongated hole 39 so that when the movement of the screw drive 26 is reversed, the slide with the centering finger 28 initially stops.

Fig. 15 shows the moving about the Z-drive 11 of the carriage 12 in the amount Ausga befaches fourteenth The CD cassette 6 , which is conveyed upward, brings a locking bracket 42 into a preparation position, whereby it is supported on the upper side of the cassette. At the same time, he actuates a switch 43 in this position, which signals the presence of a CD cassette 6 and prepares the cassette to be dispensed by releasing the positive locking of the slide slide 47 .

In Fig. 17, the CD cassette 6 by the screw drive 26 he reaches a position in which the carriage 12 must first be lowered by about 2 cm so that the centering finger 28 "dives" from the path of displacement of the CD cassette 6 . The CD cassette 6 lies on a support 45 and is therefore not lowered with abge. Then the CD cassette 6 is pushed over the upper screw drive 26 and the contact angle 37 further outward into the output compartment 14 ( FIG. 19).

The front edge of the CD cassette 6 runs laterally onto a slope 46 , which is part of a slide slide 47 for the output compartment 14 . When the delivery position is reached, the locking bracket 42 falls over the rear edge 48 of the CD cassette 6 , and the CD cassette 6 can no longer be pushed back. The slider 47 was completely reset against the action of a spring 49 via the bevel 46 , and the latter thus opened the output compartment 14 .

With the removal of the CD cassette 6 , the slide slide 47 is pushed back by the spring 49 in front of the opened output compartment 14 and an incident pawl 50 , forcing the slide slide 47 against interfering external influences.

A special form of positive locking and unlocking of the slide slide bers 47 is shown in Fig. 18. "CD VOR HANDEN" The triggered by switch 43 signal activates the solenoid 51, and this pulls the pawl 50 out of the detent groove 52 of the sliding cover 47 and the positive locking is suspended.

The output mode for the CD cassette 6 can proceed as described. When the locking bracket 42 engages, the switch 43 also drops out, and the switched-off magnet 51 also lets the locking pawl 50 "fall", an angled tab 53 located on the locking pawl 50 resting on the edge of the locking slide 47 and thus on the next positive locking is prepared. After removal of the CD cassette 6 from the output compartment 14, the slide 47 closes the dispensing opening by means of the spring 49 , and the pawl can re-engage in the locking groove 52 in this position.

1 housing
2 cassette magazine
3 cassette block
4 stop
5 screen
6 CD cassettes
7 terminal
8 3D drive
9 X drive
10 Y drive
11 sterndrive
12 cars
13 -
14 output bin
15 guide rails
16 guide rails
17 electronics assembly
18 axis
19 safety catch
20 engine
21 gears
22 endless belts
23 engine
24 gears
25 timing belts
26 screw drive
27 screw spindle
28 centering fingers
29 bracket
30 clamping device
31 stop angle
32 sliders
33 suspension
34 profile combs
35 side walls
36 grooves
37 contact angle
38 carriers
39 slot
40 guide plate
41 fork coupler
42 locking bracket
43 switches
44 flap
45 edition
46 slant
47 slide gate
48 rear edge
49 spring
50 pawl
51 magnet
52 locking groove
53 tab
54 gearing

Claims (11)

1. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes, in particular CD's, mini-CD's, tape cassettes with a refillable magazine holding the sound carrier cassettes with filling shafts arranged next to one another for stackable recording of similar sound carrier cassettes, an operating field for selecting the cassette title, one Terminal for a Eurocard, chip card or the like, an output compartment for removing the selected sound carrier cassette, a cassette transport device which is positioned by means of an electronic control device on the position of the cassette slot selected on the control panel, picks up the sound carrier cassette and transports it to the output compartment , characterized in that the CD cassette magazine ( 2 ) consists of several adjacent blocks ( 3 ) with several cassette shafts which can be pivoted about a common axis ( 18 ), the cassette shafts downwards from a fixed stop ( 31 ) are limited, a three-dimensional l movable motor drive ( 3- D drive) ( 8 ) carries a carriage ( 12 ) for receiving a CD cassette ( 6 ), which has a bracket ( 29 ) which, when the carriage ( 12 ) is positioned on the selected cassette slot acts on a spring-loaded slide ( 32 ) arranged on the cassette magazine ( 2 ) to release the CD cassette and has a clamping device for a CD cassette and by means of its sterndrive ( 11 ) via the sequence control of the electronic assembly ( 17 ) causes a soft lowering of the supporting cassette stack and that on the output compartment ( 14 ) a spring-loaded slide valve ( 47 ) with a forced locking ( 50. . . 53 ) and a locking device ( 42 ) for a compartment ( 14 ) located in the CD cassette ( 6 ). 2. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivotable cassette blocks open towards the front at cassette height ( 3 ) store asymmetrically on the axis ( 18 ) and have a downwardly open suspension ( 33 ). 3. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the pivotable cassette blocks ( 3 ) interact at least with a catch bracket ( 19 ). 4. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the cassette blocks ( 3 ) with several cassette shafts each by two opposing profile combs ( 34 ) which are connected by side walls ( 35 ) are formed. 5. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claim 1, characterized in that the X and Z drive ( 9 ; 11 ) of the 3D drive ( 8 ) essentially from a motor ( 20 ; 23 ), a gear ( 21 ; 24 ) and an endless toothed belt ( 22 ; 25 ) and the Y drive ( 10 ) carrying the carriage ( 12 ) consist of a screw drive ( 26 ). 6. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claims 1 and 5, characterized in that the nut of the screw drive ( 26 ) carries a driver ( 38 ) with a sliding in guides guide angle ( 37 ) and an angled centering finger also movable in guides ( 28 ) is engaged. 7. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claims 1 and 6, characterized in that the width of the system angle ( 37 ) and the centering finger ( 28 ) is smaller than the width of the sound carrier cassette. 8. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claims 1, 6 and 7, characterized in that the centering finger ( 28 ) is trapezoidal at the top and one on the cassette magazine ( 2 ) attached to the grid of the cassette shafts corresponding gearing ( 54 ) faces. 9. A vending machine for recorded tapes according to claim 1, characterized in that the positive locking device (. 50.. 53) of the spring loaded fastener slider (47) comprises a pawl (50) with a tab (53) and a BER on the closure slide (47) located locking groove ( 52 ) and the pawl ( 50 ) is articulated to a magnet ( 51 ). 10. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claims 1 and 9, characterized in that the closure slide ( 47 ) in the region of the cassette sliding track has a slope ( 46 ) on the CD cassette ( 6 ). 11. Vending machine for sound carrier cassettes according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the axis ( 18 ) for play-free axial fixation of the magazine blocks ( 3 ) with its suspension ( 33 ) has notch-shaped grooves ( 36 ).