EP1118969B1 - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine has a number of rotary driven magazine drums with downwardly open peripheral magazine compartments (18) on a magazine plate (5) with an output opening (30) per drum leading to an output path. All magazine drums are mounted on a common plate that is movable between an operating position and a filling position and whose output openings lie above a funnel forming part of the output path when in the operating position.

Description

The invention relates to a vending machine for lumpy products, for example packaged snack sausages.

A known vending machine (US-A 3 712 507, US-A 2 384 863) uses a plurality of at a common magazine Shaft of stacked magazine drums, which on Each have a number of magazine compartments. Under Each magazine drum has a magazine plate that closes the open magazine compartments and only has a discharge opening at a circumferential point, the The shape is approximately the same as that of the magazine compartments. If at rotation a magazine drum a filled magazine compartment over the If the discharge opening arrives, the one in the compartment falls Product down through the dispensing opening. The dispensing openings of all stacked magazine plates are vertically aligned. They form a chute, through the edges of the dispensing openings and the walls of the Magazine compartments of the individual drums is limited. The height of the chute corresponds to the height of the stack of magazine drums and can - depending on the magazine capacity and number of drums - be substantial. The well-known is for sensitive products Vending machine not suitable. He also has that Disadvantage that the chute on each floor several horizontal Gaps between the walls of the magazine compartments involved and forms the magazine plates in which packaging edges can get caught. This is especially true if - as inevitable in practice - not all magazine drums are precisely adjusted to the delivery openings. If from there is a jam at any point for such reasons the device is inoperable. The same sequence then occurs when there is an escapement on any magazine drum. Because there is only one drive for all drums intended. The known machine is very expensive the manufacture, because only with high manufacturing accuracy Disadvantages can be kept within limits. When using for sausages there is the additional disadvantage that - accordingly the length of the products - the individual magazine drums must be relatively high and therefore with respect to the limited overall height of the machine only a small one Number of magazine drums can be arranged one above the other can, which limits the capacity. The axial distances between the drums and the magazine plates be precisely coordinated, because otherwise it is too large distance between a drum and the associated magazine plate for pinching goods in between or if the amount is too small Distance to mutual contact and great drive resistance can come. This increases the construction effort.

The invention has for its object a vending machine this type, as specified in the preamble of claim 1 is to create that is inexpensive and trouble-free can be operated. This goal is achieved through the features of claim 1 and preferably those of Dependent claims.

A vending machine is known (EP-A 480 857), in which a plurality of magazines above a magazine plate is arranged. However, these are not rotatable Magazine drums, but around magazine shafts for output stacked individual pieces, which are then replaced by one in the magazine plate integrated conveyor disc from the respective magazine shaft be brought to a delivery opening. This working principle requires that from a magazine shaft each the bottom product on which the products above it rest, separated for inclusion in the conveyor disc becomes. Works without complicated transfer devices this only if the products to be dispensed are exactly the same are shaped. Even with pizzas, for which the known device is thought, there are non-uniformities that you can hardly hope for trouble-free work. Also has the known device in addition to a complex design Disadvantage that a delivery problem at a magazine shaft too the delivery from the other magazine shafts prevented the are assigned to the same conveyor disk. To make things easier the magazine plate with the magazine slots should be filled be pivotable. Whether and how this wish is met constructively could be left open. In any case, this is very likely be difficult and expensive because of that in the magazine plate integrated conveying and delivery facilities in the pivoting must be included without their functionally accurate Coordination with each other and with the subsequent ones Parts of the device will be affected may.

It is also known (FR-A 2 692 769) several magazines above to arrange a funnel to bring them together. Each magazine consists of a plurality of magazine shafts, in which sausages lie horizontally one above the other are stacked. With a motor-driven slide the bottom sausages of each shaft are transferred in an intermediate shaft in which they are stacked on top of each other are about another, motor-driven slide to be delivered individually. Such a slide construction can only be used if only products distributed in exactly the same, unchangeable dimensions should be what already with unwrapped sausages is problematic and for example the use of the device impossible for sausages sealed in bags makes. The practical use of such a fails Device for unwrapped sausages at the impossibility, to clean and fill them with reasonable effort.

The invention provides that the magazine drums with down open magazine compartments on the one containing the delivery openings Magazine plate is arranged. Becomes a drum gradually rotated around the angular distance of the magazine compartments, so they come one after the other into the area of the discharge opening, through which the contained in the respective magazine compartment Product simply due to gravity in the delivery path falls. This is an arrangement with a vertical drum axis particularly suitable; this vertical is absolutely necessary Arrangement but not.

A plurality of magazine drums in each case, preferably even all magazine drums is on the same magazine plate arranged. This results in a particularly simple construction, especially as a common funnel to catch the products falling out of the discharge openings are provided, which forms part of the delivery route. It is understood that the discharge openings in the plate are arranged so that they are in the catchment area of the funnel.

The arrangement of the magazine drums on a common plate also has the advantage that the filling and maintenance of the Magazine drums and the associated drives thereby facilitated can be that the plate as a whole from its operating position, where it's less accessible, is moved out into a filling and maintenance position. In this The connection is the use of one that catches the products Funnels are particularly beneficial because they don't Precision in the mutual arrangement of the plate and the Funnel presupposes. The use is also special and if necessary, permanently connected transfer devices can be dispensed with.

It is preferred to use seven magazine drums in one Group of six arranged around a centrally arranged drum because the best space is used, and then when the discharge openings of the outer magazine drums each arranged on the side facing the middle are to have the smallest diameter of the funnel needs. However, it is understood that the principle also applies to others Allows orders.

Known is the possibility of every subject of an endless magazine conveyor assign a separate product code. This assumes that the control device is informed which product is in each compartment, which both Filling and complicating controls, as well as mistakes provoked. The assignment according to the invention of a drum to a product contributes to errors in filling to avoid. Control is also easier if it each on whole drums, i.e. groups of subjects instead of individual subjects.

As a rule, the existing drums are used for filling Leave in the machine and only the empty compartments populate again. However, the invention also enables Replace drums in total. The whole or part emptied drums are removed and by factory filled drums replaced. You can do this with a Be provided with a code that notifies the control device in each case, what product they contain.

The assignment of different products to different drums also has the advantage that the control signals used for Issue a product from the magazine, not individual Subjects must be assigned, but the drums can be assigned. That doesn't mean that everyone Drums must contain different products. But around to be able to offer as many different products as Drums are available, the customer can choose from Available device expediently designed so that the number of choices of the number of drums equivalent.

If several drums contain the same product, what the Control device is communicated in a suitable manner the selection command entered by the customer expediently forwarded not specific to the drum, but specific to the product, wherein the control device determines from which Drum the product is removed. For example, from seven drums five drums with product A and two drums filled with product B and there are seven selection devices available to the customer, of which according to the Drum assignment five assigned to product A and two to product B. every selection command for the product A or B regardless of which of the various choices Devices it was entered by the controller the respective product and not a specific drum assigned. This has the advantage that regardless of via which selection device the command was entered, the control device can determine in which order the pieces of one and the same product to the different Drums are removed. This allows for approximately the same dwell times be taken care of. For example, it can be useful be for the successive removal of pieces of one Cyclically control the drums containing the product, so that it is removed evenly from each drum. Furthermore, it may be appropriate that after filling a previously only partially empty drum first those Pieces of it will be issued before the replenishment were present. This is done in the simplest way characterized in that the latter after filling the drum The tapping point is closest, provided the rotary position the drum is not changed during filling.

It is conceivable to check the filling status of the individual magazine compartments to inform the control device automatically, so that this is capable of a filled compartment for the delivery opening to control. However, it is easier if according to the Invention in the delivery path a delivery sensor is provided, the indicates the delivery of a product from the magazine. The control device is designed in this case so that when selected the delivery from a drum to a chamber distance corresponding rotation step is initiated. If not a delivery signal within a certain period of time from the delivery sensor, this is a sign of it taken that the compartment connected to the delivery path empty was. This causes the control device to do another such a turning step until finally the delivery of a product is determined by the delivery sensor. This will Avoided that no product is delivered if accidentally Magazine compartments should not have been filled.

The control device can completely empty a drum be determined by the number of the products taken from the individual drums or the number of since the last filling Drum is counted.

If a heating device is provided in the dispensing route, which provide a presence sensor for a product this presence sensor can simultaneously perform the tasks of the mentioned delivery sensor.

The construction is particularly simple when there are no special bearings for the drums, but their lower end faces simply on the plate surface slides. If the plastic drums and the plate made of steel, the friction is negligible in comparison with the friction between the plate and that in the compartments existing products.

Using a funnel is not a problem, though the product pieces are compact, i.e. it is not one of their dimensions much larger than the other two. But when it comes to elongated products such as Sausages must have a suitable funnel shape Make sure that they are not in it can put across. This eliminates this danger encountered that the angle of inclination of the funnel wall to Central axis increases. The length of the section one in a radial plane at any point on the funnel surface Tangent should be between the tangent point and the intersection with the opposite funnel surface always longer than two thirds of the length of a product his. It is expediently larger than three quarters of the Length of a product.

Fig. 1

eine Frontansicht des Geräts im geschlossenen Zustand,

Fig. 2

eine Ansicht des Geräts schräg von vorn im geöffneten Zustand in Betriebsstellung,

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht des Geräts schräg von vorn in Füllstellung,

Fig. 4

eine Draufsicht auf das Magazin,

Fig. 5

eine Draufsicht auf eine einzelne Trommel,

Fig. 6

eine schematische Schnittdarstellung der wesentlichen Funktionselemente und

Fig. 7

einen Schnitt durch den Abgabeweg im Bereich des Sperrelements.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawings, which illustrate an advantageous embodiment. Show it:

Fig. 1

a front view of the device in the closed state,

Fig. 2

a view of the device obliquely from the front in the open state in the operating position,

Fig. 3

a view of the device obliquely from the front in the filling position,

Fig. 4

a top view of the magazine,

Fig. 5

a top view of a single drum,

Fig. 6

is a schematic sectional view of the essential functional elements and

Fig. 7

a section through the discharge path in the area of the locking element.

The vending machine is surrounded by a cabinet-shaped housing 1 locked in. This is indicated by a control panel in the front 2 and a removal tray 3 for removing the selected Product. If you open the door that forms the front, see above 2 shows the view in which, for the sake of simplicity those structural parts are omitted which for Hold the functional parts described below.

That is at the top of the cabinet Magazine, which of a plurality of magazine drums 4 a magazine plate 5 is formed. Below the magazine plate 5, a funnel 6 is provided, which the selected and catches product released from one of the magazine drums 4 and leads into a heating device 7, from which it reaches the removal tray 3 via a slide 8. The from Funnel 6 of the heating device 7 of the slide 8 and Tapping tray 3 formed conveyor is summarized as Dispensing route designated. The functional interaction between the controls of Table 2 and the magazine or delivery path is determined by a control device 9.

The magazine plate 5 rests on two pairs of pendulum supports 12, 13 which are bistable with a spring 14 of the magazine plate 5 allow two end positions, namely the one in FIG. 2 shown, approximately horizontal operating position within the Cabinet and the one shown in Fig. 3, forward from the Cabinet moved and tilted position in which the magazine is more easily accessible for filling and maintenance.

The magazine plate 5 receives seven magazine drums 4, namely one centrally located and six evenly around it magazine drums lying around. This results in a good one Use of space. Each magazine drum 4 contains between one cylindrical outer wall 16 and a cylindrical inner wall 17 a closed ring of magazine compartments 18, each have the same width in the circumferential direction. The inner one Wall 17 carries inwardly projecting projections 19, each are locally matched to a magazine compartment. The magazine compartments 18 are open at the top and bottom.

The space enclosed by the inner wall 17 is down open while covered by a plate 20 above which contains a coupling opening 21 in the center, which is shown in FIG Example is square.

The magazine drums rest on the magazine plate 15 and are centered and rotated by a coupling pin 22 driven, which fits into the coupling opening 21 and protrudes from a drive column 23 above. This pillar contains a geared motor, its output shaft is connected to the coupling pin 22. 2 and 3 are two such drive columns 23 without those to be placed on them Magazine drums 4 shown.

In Fig. 5, the arrangement of magazine 4 and drive column 23 shows with the plate 20 removed, it can be seen that the drive column 23 a limit switch 24 with a switch sensor 25 carries. The latter is arranged so that it matches the inner Projections 19 of the magazine drum cooperates and upon rotation the magazine drum 4 in the direction of arrow 26 then emits a position signal if one of the magazine compartments 18 above one indicated by cross hatching in FIG. 5 Openings 30 is located in the magazine plate 5. In this Position, the rotary drive is stopped, so that a gradual feed of the drum results.

Each magazine drum is a sign on the control panel 2 31 assigned, which identifies the product contained in each case. There are also two on each of these signs 31 Keys 32, the use of which the customer can indicate whether. he wants the product to be cold or heated. As soon as after inserting money into slot 33 and choosing one of the Knobs 32 selected a product and its temperature state has, the control device 9 causes a rotation of the concerned Magazine drum 4 in the direction of arrow 26 until a full one Magazine 18 is located above the discharge opening 30. The product then falls through opening 30 into the delivery path. Other control details have been discussed above explained below.

The discharge openings 30 are located within the catchment circle 34 (Fig. 4) of the funnel 6. That from some discharge opening 30 falling product will therefore definitely caught by the funnel 6.

When the products are elongated, like that in Fig. 6 indicated at 35, contained in a film packaging Snack sausages 35, care must be taken that it is not at the transition from the conical funnel part to the narrow spout 37 remains. For this purpose the angle of inclination increases the funnel wall with increasing approach its central axis 38 too. Should a product be as it is in 6 is shown on two opposite funnel sides have touch at the same time, so by choosing the geometric Conditions ensured that the section between the point 36 at which the product on one Side rests like a tangent, and the opposite Point 38 is always much longer than the section of the product beyond point 36. This will make the product by the weight of its longer section into one pivoted closer to the axial direction, in which it is easier can follow the further delivery route. This geometric Relationships lead to the rule of claim 7, wherein the Point 36, at which the elongated product on the funnel wall is present, forms the tangent point and point 38, with its end against the opposite wall Intersection of the tangent with this opposite wall forms.

The heating device 7 follows in the delivery path, in which he from a tube 40 made of a suitable dielectric, for example Plastic is formed. This tube 40 is from surrounded a round resonator 41 for microwaves, in which the Antenna 42 of a magnetron protrudes. Suitable unmoving Reflectors 43 and / or moving reflectors 44 can be provided to be an even distribution of energy in the area to ensure the product 35 indicated by dash-dotted lines.

The position of the product is determined by a flap 50 which is always closed when a product is released from the magazine becomes. The product is therefore always in the heating station collected.

As FIG. 7 shows, the flap 50 is close to the wall of the tube 40 at 51 pivoted about a horizontal axis, on the one hand the locked position and on the other hand the dotted one To be able to take the open position, in which the sheet of the flap parallel to the pipe wall approximately on this is present in order to leave a maximum passage cross-section. Above the flap, tube 40 contains an inner one Projection 39 that holds the product on the opened door 50 past conduct. Beyond the pivot axis 51, the flap is included an arm 52 connected, the end directly or via a Thread connection 53 carries a weight 54. Instead the flap could also be connected to a spring. The Weight 54 or the spring is so dimensioned and arranged that the flap 50 is thus securely held in the locked position as long as it is not burdened by the product. on the other hand the weight is so light that the flap under the weight of the product is surely opened to it pass therethrough. So that the product temporarily in the heating device is held, a magnetic latch 55 provided that in the state indicated in Fig. 7 Holds flap lever 52 in the locked position and (across to Drawing level) can be withdrawn to release it.

As long as the flap 50 is unloaded, it is in the dot-dash end position. The magnetic latch 55 is in a certain distance from the position in which the flap lever 52 is in this end position. As soon as the flap is loaded by the product, it swivels so far until it is held by the latch 55, in the position drawn with solid lines. The Difference between these two (dash-dotted or positions drawn in solid lines is used to control the Check the presence of the product. To this end is in the area in which the flap lever 52 is in its end position (dash-dotted), a sensor 56 arranged, for example a light barrier or a Magnetic switch. The switching state of this sensor changes as soon as the flap out of its end position shown in dash-dot lines in the bolt position shown with solid lines arrives. The signal that the sensor 56 in the latter Trap sent out by the control device as a sign evaluated for the presence of a product.

On the one hand, the signal is important for the operation of the heating device 7. Only if there is a presence signal the control device enables the heating device to be switched on to. The signal is also important for control of the magazine because it indicates that a product has been dispensed has been; so it forms a delivery signal that from the Control device used to control the magazine becomes. As soon as a customer has requested a product, the the drum containing the product step by step for so long rotated until the delivery signal occurs.

If the customer has requested the product cold, the flap will be closed 50 opened immediately after the presence / delivery signal arrived by the magnetic latch 55 being withdrawn becomes. If he has requested it hot, the magnetic latch remains 55 closed for the time being. The heating device is turned on for a predetermined period of time. After that one can leave a predetermined one until the bolt 55 is withdrawn Time period pass to side effects that may be accompanied by heating (e.g. flatulence of the packaging) to subside before the product is used Removal is released.

Claims (7)

1. A vending machine having a plurality of magazine drums (4) which have on their periphery a series of downwardly open magazine compartments (18) and are disposed on a magazine plate (5) which for each magazine drum (4) has a dispensing aperture (30) which leads to a dispensing path (6,7,8), wherein all the magazine drums (4) are disposed on the same magazine plate (5) which can move between an operating position and a filling position, characterised in that in the operating position its dispensing apertures (30) are situated above a funnel (6) which forms part of the dispensing path, and wherein the magazine drums can be driven in rotating motion.
2. A vending machine according to Claim 1, characterised in that each magazine drum (4) or group of magazine drums is associated with a selection means (32).
3. A vending machine according to Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that a control means (9) is provided which, upon selecting dispensing from a drum (4), the latter instigates a rotary step corresponding to the chamber spacing and if a dispensing signal from a dispensing sensor (56) disposed in the dispensing path is not emitted within a given time interval it instigates a further rotary step, etc.
4. A vending machine according to Claim 3, characterised in that a dispensing flap (50) of a heating means (7) provided in the dispensing path is in the form of a dispensing sensor or is provided with a dispensing sensor (56) .
5. A vending machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the magazine drums (4) slide directly on the magazine plate (5).
6. A vending machine according to any one of Claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the angle of inclination of the funnel wall increases towards the centre axis (38).
7. An assembly comprising an elongate product and a vending machine intended for its handling according to Claim 6, characterised in that the length of the portion of a tangent situated in a radial plane at any point (36) of the funnel surface between the tangential point (36) and the point of intersection (38) with the opposite funnel surface is always longer than two thirds of the length of a product (35) .

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