Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
  • G07F11/02—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines
  • G07F11/04—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
  • G07F11/007—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed

Definitions

• This invention relates in general to the field of vending machines, and more particularly, to a system and method for dispensing products of various sizes from a product dispensing mechanism.
• Vending machines are widely used to dispense beverages, food, and other perishable and nonperishable goods.
• the products dispensed by vending machines come in various sizes.
• most common vending machines have been designed and built to accommodate the various product sizes.
• a vending machine with a product holding stack that can accommodate rows of two bottles can be reconfigured to accommodate rows of four beverage cans (bottles are approximately twice as long as cans).
• vending machines particularly those that dispense beverages, have column walls or partitions between which the individual bottles or cans and the like are stacked in a vertical column. At the bottom of each stack is a dispensing mechanism that dispenses a selected bottle or can after receipt of payment by the vending machine.
• Bucket type dispensing mechanisms have a partial cylindrical shape that accommodates within it a row of bottles or cans that is positioned laterally relative to the length of the cylinder. A portion of the circumference of the cylinder, however, is open, therefore allowing the bottles or cans to enter into, and exit from the bucket at various stages of the vend cycle.
• a motor or other rotational means rotates the bucket about its axis.
• a gauging device appropriately located below the bucket, is used to create steps of various sizes, which generally correspond to the length of the individual cans or bottles being dispensed, i.e., the depth of the products.
• the opening in the bucket is of a sufficient size so that when rotated to a certain point, the first bottle or can is free to fall out of the bucket dispenser and into the product chute through which it is dispensed to the customer, while the next-to-vend bottle or can remains in the bucket, held by the next gauge step.
• the bucket rotates to expose the next bottle or can, allowing it to fall.
• the dispensing mechanism continues through the reload phase of the vend cycle whereby the next row of products enter the bucket in preparation for the subsequent vending cycles.
• products are initially seated within the bucket, and may be held in place by a gauging device, but are unseated and dispensed as the bucket rotates .
• One of the goals for operating vending machines is to maximize the number of products that can be stored in the vending machine's product storage compartment, while imnimizing the number of product dispensing mechanisms required to dispense the products of different sizes.
• gauging components are added to or removed from the dispensing mechanisms themselves in order to accommodate variations in product sizes.
• configuration of the gauging portion of a product dispensing mechanism is altered by adding or removing various components.
• the addition or removal or specific gauging components creates a series of steps that generally correspond to the number of products that pass through the product dispensing mechanism during a complete vend cycle. As the product dispensing mechanism rotates through the vend cycle, openings through which products drop are created to allow individual products to sequentially pass one at a time.
• the vending machine operates to allow only one product to be dispensed during each vend sequence.
• One significant disadvantage of the current gauging devices arises from the fact that the gauging components are completely removable from the product dispensing mechanisms. Because they are removable, they are often misplaced or lost. Thus, the gauging components are often not available at the time they are needed to reconfigure a vending machine to dispense products of another size. As a result, delays occur when additional components must be ordered.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide such a method and apparatus that do not require using removable parts to configure product dispensing mechanisms in order to dispense products of various sizes.
• the apparatus includes a motor driven product dispenser having a gauging device that allows multiple products to sequentially be freed one at a time in accordance with the amount of rotation that the product dispenser travels, a motor controller used to control the product dispenser drive motor, and a product delivery chute located below the product dispenser for receiving product as they are freed from the product dispenser and presented to the consumer.
• the gauging device is substantially permanently affixed to the product dispensing mechanism and is operable to be configured to accommodate products of various depths.
• Figure 2 is a view of components of a product dispensing assembly according to the present disclosure
• Figures 3 A and 3B are perspective views of a portion of product dispensing assembly with the disclosed product gauge step;
• Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C are various views of the disclosed product gauge step; and Figure 4D is a detail of the detents used in one embodiment of the present invention.
• Figure 1 shows the interior of a vending machine 100 having a housing 101 and a door 102 pivotally coupled to the housing.
• products 108 such as bottles or cans, are stored vertically in channels 106 formed between successive partitions 104. Products are typically positioned laterally within the channel and stacked on top of one another to form one or more vertical columns as shown in Figure 1.
• a product dispensing chute 130 is positioned below the channel 106 to receive products 108 that are dispensed by a product dispensing assembly 200 ( Figure 2) and to deliver products 108 to a location at which they can be retrieved by a customer through an aperture 132 in the vending machine door 102.
• a front panel 122 extends across the front side of the lower portion of partitions 104. Positioned behind front panel 122 are product dispensing assemblies 200 ( Figure 2), which are controlled by controller 150.
• Figure 2 shows the product dispensing assembly 200 used for dispensing products 108 after receipt of payment by the vending machine.
• Product dispensing assembly 200 includes a dispenser 205 that is positioned substantially horizontally at the bottom of the channel 106 and between partitions 104, and extends laterally along the channel.
• the dispenser 205 may extend substantially along the length of the channel, or along the portion of the channel in which products are stacked.
• the dispensing assembly 200 is mounted to front panel 122 and rear panel 223 such that it is rotatable. Guided by a retractable gauge step 250, products maybe dispensed by the product dispensing assembly 200, which maybe controlled by controller 150 to dispense products by the amount of rotation induced upon the dispenser 205 by the motor assembly 230.
• Figures 2, 3A and 3B show a retractable gauge step 250 that is substantially permanently affixed to the gauging portion at cutout slots 251 and 252 of the product dispensing mechanism 200.
• a pair of snaps are provided to act as detents 254 in the detent openings 264 in the gauging portion of the product dispensing mechanism 200.
• the gauge step 250 is operable to move between two positions.
• Figure 3 A and 3B show the two exemplary positions. In the first position, as shown in
• the gauge step 250 is extended whereby it creates a gauge step to support products in the product dispensing mechanism, h the second position, as shown in Figure 3B, the gauge step is retracted when an additional gauge step is not needed for vending operations, hi each position, detents 254 and detent openings 264 are used to hold the gauge step 250 securely in its proper place.
• Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C show an embodiment of the gauge step that includes detents 254 whereby the gauge step can be secured in either the extended or retracted position during normal operations.
• the detents 254 serve to position and hold the gauge step 250 in relation to the gauging portion of the product dispensing mechanism, wherein the gauge step can be released by force applied to one of the detents 254, when necessary to reconfigure the product dispensing mechanism 200.
• the gauge step 250 may be an injection molded plastic part that includes a series of hooks 253 that allow the gauge step 250 to be attached to a pair of cutout slots 251 and 252 in the gauging portion of the product dispensing mechanism 200.
• a pair of snaps is provided to act as detents 254 in the detent openings 264 in the gauging portion of the product dispensing mechanism 200.
• the present invention provides an apparatus whereby the gauging portion of a product dispensing mechanism in a vending machine can be easily configured to accommodate the depth and number of products being dispensed without adding or removing parts, as required by existing product dispensing mechanisms.
• the present invention provides a sliding gauge step that can be easily extended or retracted to create or eliminate a product gauge step.
• the present invention avoids the use of removable parts, which are required in existing vending machines, to configure product dispensing assemblies to vend an array of products.
• the embodiments as described above may be adapted to accommodate one, two, three or more products within the product dispensing assembly at one time. It should therefore be understood that variations to the embodiments above are easily accomplished to accommodate variations in product sizes.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
• Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Family Cites Families (33)

• 2003
  • 2003-08-07 US US10/635,962 patent/US20040124205A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2003-08-07 EP EP03785069A patent/EP1537040A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-08-07 WO PCT/US2003/024897 patent/WO2004014780A2/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2003-08-07 AU AU2003264015A patent/AU2003264015A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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