EP0229264A2 - Dispensing assembly for a vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

A motor-driven dispensing assembly for a vending machine with vertical ducts will have a low energy consumption and at the same time a compact design. The motor-driven shaft 42 is parallel to a support plate 35 and carries a pushing-out device 44 moved on a circular path K. A free passage is provided between the shaft 42 and the pushing-out device 44. A blocking lever 58 actuated by the shaft 42 is provided for safeguarding the ducts. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a dispensing unit for a goods chute of a self-seller with an ejector moved about a shaft on a circular path, wherein a support plate is provided under the stack of goods, which lies in a chord of the circular path, and the shaft runs parallel to the support plate and the the bottom goods package of the goods shaft is output when the push-out is driven.

Such a dispensing unit is described in AT-PS 137 399. In this, several pushers are provided on the circumference of a drum mounted on the shaft. The dispenser has a diameter that is more than is twice the length of the platen. It therefore takes up considerable space under the goods shaft. In addition, this output unit is also complex, since several pushers are provided for a goods shaft.

In AT-PS 137 399, pushing up the stack of goods when pushing out the bottom pack of goods is avoided by the fact that the head of the push-out moves in a straight line when pushing out. An additional control curve is required for this.

DE-OS 30 48 585 describes an output unit in which the shaft driven by an electric motor is arranged vertically. The goods packs are conveyed out of the shaft in their longitudinal direction at the top. The diameter of the circular path described by the pusher is correspondingly large. Conveying the packs of goods from the top of the shaft requires that the stack of goods is gradually lifted up. This is associated with a considerable energy requirement.

US Pat. No. 3,132,732 describes a self-seller in which each shaft is also assigned its own electromechanical ejector that is independent of the ejectors of the other shafts. The ejector does not run on a circular path, but is swiveled by an electromagnet to deliver the goods and then pulled back by a spring. The ejector is much longer than the bearing surface of goods packages. It So there is a corresponding size. The energy required to drive the electromagnet is high.

The object of the invention is to propose an output unit of the type mentioned, which is of compact design with an electromotive drive of its pusher on a circular path with low energy requirements.

According to the invention, the above object is achieved in an output unit of the type mentioned at the outset in that the radius of the circular path is smaller than the maximum width of the support plate, that a driver is arranged between the shaft driven by an electric motor and the pusher, which provides the pusher with free access leaves some angular degrees against the shaft, and that a switch is provided which is actuated when a package of goods is pushed out to switch off the motor.

For a low energy consumption of the motor, it is favorable that the packs of goods are not carried by a part moved by the motor and do not have to be lifted. The motor drive of the Aus. pusher only takes place until a package of goods has actually entered a delivery chute. The place where this happens varies depending on the height of the stack of goods. The clearance between the shaft and the pusher ensures that the pusher does not stop in the goods shaft, but below the support plate. The pusher is not yet in line with the next pack of goods. In the following edition Movement is ensured that the motor has already reached a high torque when the pusher hits the goods package. Due to the small radius of the ejector, a compact structure is achieved.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shaft runs parallel to the long narrow side of the goods package. The ejector thus hits the long narrow side of the goods packs and pushes them out of the dispensing unit in the direction of the short narrow side (width). The radius of the circular path is much smaller than if the goods were pushed out in the direction of their long narrow side. It also makes dispensing easier because the widths of cigarette packs, which are primarily intended here, match the different types much better than the lengths. In a development of the invention, the width of the support plate is smaller than the width of the goods packs, but larger than half of them.

In order to ensure that, despite the compact design, the bottom pack of goods is secured in a simple manner in the goods shaft, a locking lever is provided in a preferred embodiment of the invention, which has an actuating edge. A control cam assigned to the actuating edge is formed on the shaft or the pusher, the control cam being designed in such a way that it pivots the locking lever in front of the bottom goods package, when a pack of goods is pushed out and releases it before pushing out a pack of goods. It is thereby avoided that the bottom pack of goods in each case can be made to fall out of the goods shaft independently of an actuation of the pusher by pushing or chirping the self-seller.

• Figur 1 eine Frontansicht eines Zigaretten-Selbstverkäufers bei geöffneter Tür,
• Figur 2 eine Aufsicht auf ein Ausgabeaggregat von oben in Richtung des Pfeiles II-II nach Figur 3, gegenüber Figur 1 vergrößert,
• Figur 3 das Ausgabeaggregat in einer Ansicht längs der Linie III-III nach Figur 2,
• Figur 4 eine Seitenansicht des Ausschiebers des Ausgabeaggregats,
• Figur 5 eine Ansicht der Welle des Ausgabeaggregats,
• Figur 6 eine elektrische Schaltung des Motors des Ausgabeaggregats,
• Figur 7 eine Weiterbildung des Ausgabeaggregats in Seitenansicht und
• Figur 8 eine Aufsicht des Ausgabeaggregats nach Figur 7.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention result from the subclaims and the following description of an exemplary embodiment. The drawing shows:

• FIG. 1 shows a front view of a self-seller of cigarettes with the door open,
• FIG. 2 shows a top view of a dispensing unit from above in the direction of arrow II-II according to FIG. 3, enlarged compared to FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 the dispensing unit in a view along the line III-III according to FIG. 2,
• FIG. 4 shows a side view of the ejector of the dispensing unit,
• FIG. 5 shows a view of the shaft of the dispensing unit,
• FIG. 6 shows an electrical circuit of the motor of the dispensing unit,
• Figure 7 is a development of the dispensing unit in side view and
• FIG. 8 shows a top view of the dispensing unit according to FIG. 7.

A self-seller housing has a rear wall 1, a bottom 2 and two outer side walls 3 and 4. The devices for detecting inserted coins are accommodated between the side wall 4 and an intermediate wall 5.

On the rear wall 1, shaft walls 6 are fastened, which delimit two adjacent shafts. Five right shafts 7 to 11 and five left shafts 12 to 16 for receiving cigarette packs are formed by the shaft walls 6. The lower ends of shafts 7 to 11 are staggered to the top right. The lower ends of shafts 12 to 16 are staggered to the top left. The shafts 7 to 11 and the shafts 12 to 16 of the right or left shaft group are of different heights. The filler takes advantage of the fact that the most common types are filled in the shafts 7 and 12 and the types with the lowest turnover rate are filled in the shortest shafts 11 and 16.

The lowermost part of the shafts 7 to 16 form output units 17, which are designed so that the lowest packs of goods are stacked in them themselves. This improves the delivery of the goods packs to the actual delivery pusher of the delivery units, the is described below. The shaft walls 6 engage over guides 18 of the dispensing units 17, so that 6 packs of goods cannot get caught at the joints between the dispensing units 17 and the shaft walls.

The dispensing units 17 under the shafts 7 to 11 are of the same design. You push the goods out in the direction of the arrows R to the right. The dispensing units 17 under the shafts 12 to 16 are mirror-symmetrical to the dispensing units 17 of the shafts 7 to 11. You push the goods out in the direction of arrow L to the left. The grading ensures that the respective adjacent shaft does not hinder pushing out.

On the rear wall 1, below the dispensing units 17, a slip shaft 19 is provided, which has a right inclined surface 20 and a left inclined surface 21, which together run approximately V-shaped. The inclined surfaces 20 and 21 run to a central funnel 22, which tapers to a removal opening provided in the door. The bottom of the funnel 22 is inclined towards the removal opening. It ends at a stop edge 26. The bottom and the stop edge 26 are designed so that either with their long narrow side or with their short narrow side in the hopper 22, the pack of goods falling on the floor slides forward so that its upper corner protrudes from the removal opening , so that the goods can be easily gripped by the buyer.

The dispensing unit 17 has at the top a goods chute section 28 for receiving some packs of goods. The goods shaft section 28 is delimited on its front side 29 and its rear side 30 by wall parts. A cover part 32 is provided above its lateral opening 31. On its opposite side wall 33, a bevel 34 is provided below, which merges into a support plate 35 for the bottom goods package (see FIGS. 2, 3, 7 and 8).

The support plate 35 consists of two surface parts 36 and 37. These have bevels 38 and 39 on their edge facing the ejection opening 31, so that the surface parts 36 and 37 taper towards the rear 30 and the front 29, respectively. It is thereby achieved that inclined packs of goods still fail on the support plate 35.

On the back 30 plug pins 40 and 41 are attached, with which the output unit 17 can be plugged into corresponding sockets of the rear wall 1.

Below the support plate 35, a shaft 42 is mounted on the front 29 and the rear 30, which is in engagement with a gear DC electric motor 43 which is fastened to the rear 30. An ejector 44 sits on the shaft 42. To drive the ejector 44, two opposing drivers 45 are provided on the shaft 42 (cf. FIG. 5), which correspond to corresponding drivers 46 of the ejector 44 work together. The drivers 46 are designed so that there is a clearance of about 90 between the pusher 44 and the while 42.

The pusher 44 has two arms 47 and 48 which are angled outwards at their free ends (cf. FIG. 2) in order to ensure the widest possible contact area with the longer narrow side S of the goods package. The arms 47 and 48 have a push-out head 49 which is in radius r from the shaft 42. A recess 50 is provided between the pusher head 49 and the arm 47, so that the pusher head 49 protrudes with respect to the arm 47 and 48, respectively. It is thereby achieved that the pusher head 49 and not the arm 47 or 48 strikes the package of goods to be dispensed. On the side opposite the recess 50, the arm 47 or 48 is provided with a rounding 51.

An electrical switch 52 is fastened to the dispensing unit 17, the switching arm 53 of which projects into the chute 54 adjoining the support plate 35, so that it is actuated by an ejected product pack. In addition, a further electrical switch 55 is fastened to the output unit 17, the switching arm 56 of which projects between the two arms 47 and 48 between the surface parts 36 and 37. A pack of goods lying on the support plate 35 keeps the switch 55 closed. In Figure 6, the circuit of the switches 52 and 55, insofar as they switch the motor 43, is shown. A transistor 57 is conductive when in the self ver buyers have inserted coins corresponding to the value of the desired goods and an associated selection button is pressed.

• Hat der Selbstverkäufer die dem Wert einer gewünschten Ware entsprechenden Münzen aufgenommen und wird die betreffende Anwahltaste betätigt, dann leitet der Transistor 57. Liegt eine Warenpackung auf der Auflagerplatte 35 und dem Schaltarm 56 auf, dann ist der Schalter 55 geschlossen. Dementsprechend läuft der Motor 43 des betreffenden Ausgabeaggregats 17 an. Nach einer gewissen Drehung der Welle 42 nimmt deren Mitnehmer 45 über den Mitnehmer 46 den Ausschieber 44 aus seiner Ruhestellung mit. Diese Ruhestellung ist nicht die in den Figuren 3 und 4 gezeigte Stellung des Ausschiebers 44. Die Ruhestellung des Ausschieberkopfes 49 ist nicht immer gleich. Sie hängt vom Abschaltpunkt bei der vorherigen Warenausgabe und dem Winkel des Freigangs ab. In der Ruhestellung steht der Ausschieberkopf 49 beispielsweise im Bereich Z der Kreisbahn K (vgl. Figur 3). Der Freigang ist so gewählt, daß der Ausschieber 44 in der Ruhestellung nicht senkrecht nach unten hängt, wo er eine Warenausgabe aus dem benachbarten - längeren - Schacht behindern könnte.

The functionality of the described device is approximately as follows:

• If the self-seller has picked up the coins corresponding to the value of a desired commodity and the relevant selection button is actuated, then the transistor 57 conducts. Accordingly, the motor 43 of the output unit 17 in question starts up. After a certain rotation of the shaft 42, the driver 45 takes the pusher 44 out of its rest position via the driver 46. This inoperative position is not the position of the pusher 44 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The inoperative position of the pusher head 49 is not always the same. It depends on the switch-off point in the previous goods issue and the angle of the access. In the rest position, the pusher head 49 is, for example, in the area Z of the circular path K (see FIG. 3). The clearance is chosen so that the pusher 44 does not hang down vertically in the rest position, where it could hinder the delivery of goods from the adjacent - longer - shaft.

The shaft 42 takes the pusher 44 out of its rest position and rotates it in the direction of arrow A. the circular path K. The motor 43 has already reached a high torque when the viewing head 49 hits the side S of the goods package. The pack of goods is then pushed out on the support plate 35 in the direction of its width B from the discharge opening 31. Sooner or later, it will slide from the support plate 35 into the chute 54 and thereby hit the switching arm 53. As a result, the switch 52 switches over (see FIG. 6), as a result of which the motor 43 switches off and is short-circuited, so that it stops immediately. At the same time, an intermediate checkout (not shown in detail) is brought into the checkout position and transistor 57 is blocked. The switch 55 opens briefly until the next pack of goods hits its switching arm 56 again. You can press it down securely, because because of the clearance between the shaft 42 and the pusher 44, the pusher head 49 safely reaches below the level of the bearing plate 35. The next pack of goods, even if it is the last one, can safely push it away by hitting the rounding 51.

The switching arm 56 ends close to the edge of the support plate 35 close to the ejection opening 31, so that the switch 55 does not open when the package of goods to be dispensed has only moved a little forwards and has not yet failed. After the package has failed, briefly opening the switch 55 has no effect.

It is achieved that there are no high adjustment requirements and that unusual operating conditions do not interfere with the process.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 8, locking levers 58 and 59 are pivotably mounted on pins 60 on the dispensing unit 17. Under their own weight, they are folded into a position in which they stand behind a delivery chute 61 of the delivery unit 17 (cf. FIG. 7).

On the locking levers 58, 59, a nose 62 is formed which, when the locking lever 58, 59 is pivoted up, is positioned in front of the ejection opening 31, so that a bottom pack of goods lying on the support plate 35 cannot slide into the chute 54, either because of the The chute 54 is manipulated on the goods package, or is impacted on the self-seller, or the self-seller is tilted.

At the end opposite the nose 62, the locking lever 58, 59 has an actuating edge 63. A control curve 64 of the shaft 42 is assigned to this. The control curve 64 extends over approximately 180 °. It begins with a rising flank 65 and ends with a flank 66 falling towards the shaft 42.

• In Figur 7 ist der Ausschieber 44 in einer Durchgangsstellung gezeigt, in der er gerade an eine unterste Warenpackung anstößt. Die Nasen 62 der Sperrhebel 58, 59 liegen hinter der Ausgaberutsche 61 verdeckt. Bei einer weiteren Drehung der Welle 42 in Richtung des Pfeiles A schiebt der Ausschieberkopf 49 die Warenpackung in Richtung ihrer Breite B weiter aus. Die Steuerkurve 64 dreht sich dabei entsprechend mit. Die Warenpackung kippt von der Auflagerplatte 35 ganz kurz bevor die ansteigende Flanke 65 auf den Betätigungsrand 63 trifft. Beim weiteren Drehen der Welle 42 werden dann die Sperrhebel 58 und 59 hochgeschwenkt. Der Betätigungsrand 63 liegt dann an der Steuerkurve 64 an, so daß die Sperrhebel 58 und 59 in ihrer die Ausschuböffnung 31 sperrenden Stellung gehalten sind. In dieser Stellung schaltet der Motor 43 ab.

The pusher 44 or the control cam 64 interacts with the locking lever 58, 59 in approximately the following way:

• In Figure 7, the pusher 44 is shown in a through position in which it is just hitting a lowermost package of goods. The lugs 62 of the locking levers 58, 59 are hidden behind the delivery chute 61. At a further rotation of the shaft 42 in the direction of arrow A, the pusher head 49 pushes the goods package further in the direction of their width B. The control cam 64 rotates accordingly. The goods package tilts from the support plate 35 very shortly before the rising edge 65 meets the actuating edge 63. When the shaft 42 is rotated further, the locking levers 58 and 59 are then pivoted up. The actuating edge 63 then lies on the control cam 64, so that the locking levers 58 and 59 are held in their position blocking the ejection opening 31. In this position, the motor 43 switches off.

Upon subsequent actuation of the output unit 17, the motor 43 starts and the shaft 42 with the control cam 64 moves until the falling edge 66 of the control cam 64 leaves the actuation edge 63. The locking levers 58 and 59 then fold back into the position shown in FIG. 7 and the pusher 44 then comes back to the position shown in FIG. 7 for the delivery of the next lowest pack of goods. On the coupling of the movement of the locking lever 58, 59 with the movement of the pusher 44, it is particularly favorable that the locking lever 58, 59 only opens the push-out opening 31 for the push-out process and that the coordination of the movement sequences is achieved in a simple manner.

It is also advantageous that no high forces are required to lift the locking levers 58, 59, since these are not under the action of springs. Should the locking lever 58, 59 not fall into its folded-down position on its own after being released by the control cam 64, then presses the ejected goods package back by first pushing them out of the pusher 44 onto the locking levers 58, 59, so that the weight of the goods package pushes the locking levers 58, 59 downward.

If the weight of the goods package is not sufficient to pivot the locking levers 58, 59 downward, the pusher 44 pushes the goods package against end edges 62 'of the lugs 62. 59 pivots down. In any case, it is avoided that if the locking levers 58, 59 do not fold down freely, the goods package is blocked.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 7 and 8, only the switch 55 with the switching arm 56 is provided. This one switch is sufficient to control the motor _t since, when the pusher 44 has pushed out a pack of goods and passes the switching arm 56, it is briefly actuated until the next pack of goods strikes him. This switching pulse can be evaluated to control the motor.

It is also favorable with the dispensing units described that they require only a small installation depth of the self-seller. The packs of goods can be stacked in the self-seller in the longitudinal direction (see FIG. 1). However, the goods dispensing units can also be arranged such that the width B of the goods packs extends to the depth of the self-seller. To double the recording capacity of the self-seller, two devices according to FIG. 1 can be arranged one behind the other in the self-seller. Two goods chute arrangements can also be used, in which the width of the goods packs extends to the depth of the self-seller, in which case the ejection openings of the front and rear arrangements are aligned with one another, so that the goods packs of the rear arrangement move forwardly into one between the two arrangements lying shaft and the packs of goods of the front arrangement are pushed back into the shaft. The front goods chute arrangement is to be opened with the door of the self-seller so that both arrangements are accessible for filling.

Claims (10)

1.Delivery unit for a goods chute of a self-seller with an ejector moved on a circular path around a shaft, whereby a support plate is provided under the stack of goods, which lies in a chord of the circular path and the shaft runs underneath the support plate paraLLeL to it and the bottom pack of goods of the stack of goods is output when the ejector is driven, characterized in that the radius (r) of the circular path (K) is smaller than the maximum width of the support plate (35), that between the shaft (42) driven by an electric motor (43) and the pusher (44) is arranged with a driver (45, 46) which allows the pusher (44) to move a few angular degrees against the shaft (42), and that a switch (52, 55) is provided which is used for the pusher a pack of goods is actuated to switch off the motor (43). 2. Output unit according to claim 1, characterized in that the width of the support plate (35) is smaller than the width (B) of the goods package, but larger than the half thereof. 3. Dispensing unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the distance of the support plate (35) from the circular path (K) at its edge (38, 39) near the ejection opening (31) is greater than its distance at its the ejection opening ( 31) facing edge. 4. Output unit according to one of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the distance of the axis of rotation of the shaft (42) to the support plate (35) is approximately half the radius (r) of the circular path (K). 5. Output unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the clearance is dimensioned such that the push-out head (49) of the push-out (44) gets under the support plate (35) during each goods delivery, but does not hang vertically downwards. 6. Output unit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a locking lever (58, 59) is provided which has an actuating edge (63), and that on the shaft (42) or the pusher (44) one of the actuating edge (63 ) assigned control cam (64) is formed, the control cam (64) being designed such that it pivots the locking lever (58, 59) in front of the discharge opening (31) when a pack of goods is pushed out and releases it before pushing out a pack of goods . 7. Output unit according to claim 6, characterized in that the control cam (64) has a rising flank (65) which meets the actuating edge (63) of the locking lever (58, 59) when pushing out a goods package and this in front of the push-out opening (31 ) pivots. 8. Dispensing unit according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the actuating edge (63) abuts the control cam (64) when the shaft (42) is at rest, the locking lever (58, 59) being held in its position which blocks the ejection opening (31) is. 9. Output unit according to one of the preceding claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the locking lever (58, 59) under its own weight from the Extension opening (31) folds when the control cam (64) leaves its actuating edge (63). 10. Output unit according to one of the preceding claims 6 to 9, characterized in that the locking lever (58, 59) is arranged so that the pusher (44) pushes a pack of goods on the possibly locking locking lever (58, 59) so that their Weight loaded the locking lever (58, 59).

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