EP1396823A2 - Domestic gas bottle dispensing system - Google Patents

Abstract

The automatic unit has a train of gas bottle pockets (24) circulating on a continuous oval guide (21), driven by chains (20). A programmable controller or a computer controls the unit. A user interface manages payment and has a selection panel. An automatic door (23) controlled by sensors allows return or collection of a bottle. The bottle facing the door is identified by sensors (11,12,13).

Description

The present invention relates to a dispenser device automatic gas cylinders, especially domestic gas.

In general, the distribution of gas cylinders domestic is mainly carried out in the stations of fuel distribution, where it requires intervention of an employee, which is a disadvantage of in terms of operating costs. Otherwise, the employee who performs this operation is generally the cashier responsible for collecting the sale of fuel, so that it is forced to abandon his post and especially his cash while he delivers a gas bottle.

To overcome these various drawbacks, it has been proposed dispensing devices, for delivering a bottle full gas against payment.

These dispensing devices generally include a system, carousel type, suitable for driving bottles of moving gas in order to compare them successively an exchange station with a door, the operation of which is slaved to a coin-operated payment system. Through moreover, in most cases, these devices include a system conditioning the delivery of a full bottle to the return of an empty bottle.

In practice, the buyer must, to obtain a gas cylinder full, insert an empty gas cylinder stored in a space provided for this purpose then present a title of payment. The different stages of this process are secure so that it is not possible to realize one before the other, thus avoiding fraud on empty bottles.

The main problems that these devices must solve consist in detecting the presence of an empty bottle and in recognition of it, knowing that there are different shapes and different colors, depending on either nature of the gas and / or the company that markets it. It is thus proposed in the aforementioned documents, different means of detection and control consisting of either a detector magnetic capable of controlling the metallic nature and the diameter of the empty gas cylinder, i.e. an electronic micro-circuit integrated into each bottle, i.e. the use of a camera associated with means for recognizing the shape and / or the bottle color.

Dispensing devices with the characteristics mentioned above are described in documents FR 2.506.479, FR 2.554.263, FR 2.634.636, FR 2.699.310, FR 2.641.887, FR 2,685,519, EP 860,648, EP 1,054,363 and GB 2,251,609.

The devices described in these documents are not used because they have drawbacks, they are in particular of loading capacity limited in relation to the space occupied.

These distributors are not of variable capacity, and to increase the number of bottles available it is necessary multiply the number of distributors, which can be very expensive. In addition, these distributors are designed relatively complex, which may require maintenance important, while they are intended to be installed in outside and therefore exposed to the weather.

The object of the present invention is to remedy the various disadvantages mentioned above by proposing a device for vending machine for domestic gas cylinders, variable capacity, while being of design and use Simple.

The automatic device for domestic gas cylinders according to the invention is of the type comprising in a box a system suitable for driving moving gas cylinders in order to put them successively next to an exchange station equipped of a door whose operation is controlled by a system of coin-type payment, while detection means are able to identify said bottles in order to deliver that requested, and it is essentially characterized in that said system capable of driving the bottles comprises a path bearing in the form of an oblong ring, that is to say comprising two parallel rectilinear parts connected at the ends by curved parts, and consisting of a juxtaposition of rollers on which the bottles which are driven by a piloted housing train by a computer or a PLC.

The device according to the invention is of simple construction and space-saving, especially in the height direction, which allows stacking multiple boxes to increase capacity relative to the footprint. Indeed, the height of a box is slightly higher than that of a bottle increased by that of the raceway.

According to an additional characteristic of the device according to the invention, the box consists of the abutment of several modules, two identical extreme modules comprising each a curved part of the raceway, a module intermediate comprising two parallel rectilinear parts of said raceway as well as the exchange station, and possibly one or more modules comprising two parts parallel straight lines of said raceway.

The device according to the invention can thus have different capacities according to the number of intermediate modules used. he it is also possible to provide intermediate modules of different lengths.

None of the existing devices combine modularity and compactness of the device according to the invention.

According to another additional characteristic of the device according to the invention, the means of identifying the bottles consist of means for reading bar codes.

According to a variant, the means of identifying the bottles consist of means of pattern recognition and / or the color of said bottles.

The advantages and characteristics of the device according to the invention will emerge more clearly from the description which follows and which relates to the attached drawing, which represents a non-limiting embodiment.

La figure 1 représente une vue schématique en plan d'un dispositif de distributeur automatique de bouteilles de gaz domestique selon l'invention.

La figure 2 représente une vue schématique en élévation du même dispositif.

La figure 3 représente une vue schématique en plan du même dispositif dans une autre configuration.

In the attached drawing:

FIG. 1 represents a schematic plan view of an automatic dispenser device for domestic gas bottles according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a schematic elevational view of the same device.

FIG. 3 represents a schematic plan view of the same device in another configuration.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, we can see a device domestic gas cylinder vending machine according to the invention, allowing a user to purchase a bottle gas on payment and possibly against refund of an empty bottle.

This device comprises a box 1 in the bottom of which is arranged a raceway 2 in the form of an oblong ring, that is to say comprising two parallel rectilinear parts 20 connected by two curved parts 21. The raceway 2 consists of a succession of rollers 22 in free rotation on which gas cylinders can flow directly B placed upright.

The raceway 2 is associated with a housing train 3 30, suitable for driving bottles B. Train 3 of housing 30 is in the form of an endless chain 31 or similar, driven by a gearmotor, not shown, and carrying U-shaped profiles 32 capable of each forming a housing 30.

The raceway 2 and the housing train 3 cooperate also with guides 23, arranged in particular in the curved parts, allowing the B bottles to be held on the rollers 22.

Furthermore, the box 1 laterally has an opening 4 closed by a door 40 of a width allowing the passage a bottle B, to allow loading and unloading. The operation of door 40 is controlled by a computer, not shown, in association with means sensors, also not shown, used to determine the presence of a housing 30 opposite the opening 4, the presence or not of a bottle B in this housing 30, as well as the characteristics of this bottle B.

Preferably the sensor means are suitable, in association with the computer, to identify each of the housings 30, and therefore identify the B bottles they contain, with a view to deliver the requested bottle B.

The sensor means are preferably either means of reading of bar codes with which the B bottles have been fitted an adequate location, i.e. means of recognizing the shape and color of the bottles.

The dispensing device according to the invention has identical characteristics to existing devices for this which concerns its use, on the other hand, its design and manufacturing make it a simple device, can take up everything being of a great capacity.

Its low height makes it possible in particular to superimpose several of these devices, which is not possible with the devices existing, such as that described in the GB document 2.251.609, where the bottles are transported in trolleys rolling on rails, making it a dispensing device cumbersome.

Referring now to Figure 3, we can see that a dispensing device according to the invention is preferably built by assembling several modules which include means for connecting them two by two.

In this case, the device shown comprises four modules, two extreme modules 10 each incorporating a part curve 21 of a raceway 2, an intermediate module 11 comprising two parallel rectilinear portions 20 of the path bearing 2 as well as the opening 4 and its door 40, and the computer or automaton and its type payment system coin mechanism not shown, and a module 12 comprising only two parallel rectilinear parts 20 of the raceway 2.

It will be understood that such a design makes it possible to construct variable capacity devices, the basic device being consisting of two modules 10 and a module 11, while the addition of one or more modules 12, which can be provided in different sizes, increases the capacity of the device, within the limits of the power of the means drive train 3 housing 30.

Of course the computer is provided to control the device whatever the capacity of it.

We can also provide a single computer to control several boxes 1 superimposed and / or juxtaposed, connected only by electrical wiring.

The computer has certain features that facilitate the use of the dispenser device according to the invention, whether by customers, or by sellers.

When replenishing full bottles, the computer controls the device so that it puts successively the empty bottles opposite the opening 4, so that the delivery man can replace them with bottles full. Advantageously, when replenishing, the computer is able to deliver only empty bottles of the brand of the company that delivers.

Claims (6)

Device for automatic dispensing of domestic gas bottles of the type comprising in a box (1) a system capable of driving gas bottles (B) in movement in order to put them successively opposite an exchange station (4) provided a door (40), the operation of which is controlled by a payment system of the coin-operated type, while detection means are capable of identifying said bottles (B) in order to deliver the requested one, characterized in that said system capable of drive the bottles (B) comprises a raceway (2) in the form of an oblong ring, that is to say comprising two parallel rectilinear parts (20) connected at the ends by curved parts (21), and consisting of 'A juxtaposition of rollers (22) on which the bottles (B) can flow directly which are driven by a train (3) of housings (30) controlled by a computer or an automaton. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the train (3) of housings (30) is in the form of an endless chain (31) or the like, driven by a gearmotor, and carrying profiles (32) in U-shaped capable of each forming a housing (30). Device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the raceway (2) and the housing train (30) cooperate with guides (23), arranged in particular in the curved parts, making it possible to hold the bottles ( B) on the rollers (22). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the box (1) consists of the abutment of several modules, two identical end modules (10) each comprising a curved part (21) of the raceway (20 ), an intermediate module (11) comprising two parallel rectilinear parts (20) of said raceway (2) as well as the exchange station, and possibly one or more modules (12) comprising two parallel rectilinear parts (20) of said raceway bearing (2). Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the means for identifying the bottles (B) consist of means for reading bar codes. Device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the means for identifying the bottles (B) consist of means for recognizing the shape and / or the color of said bottles.

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