EP2369558B1

EP2369558B1 - Mechanism for containing and extracting products for vending machines

Info

Publication number: EP2369558B1
Application number: EP11382061.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Jose Maria Lopez Ruiz; Luis Maria Lumbier Moleres
Original assignee: Azkoyen SA
Current assignee: Azkoyen SA
Priority date: 2010-03-22
Filing date: 2011-03-08
Publication date: 2013-04-17
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-08
Also published as: ES2421548T3; ES2388097A1; EP2369558A1; ES2388097B1

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention refers to a mechanism for containing and extracting products for vending machines, and more specifically for vending machines in which the contained products form independent units, generally appropriately boxed.
The mechanism of the invention is especially applicable, though not limited, to containing and extracting products contained in packets or boxes in the form of a right prism, having a square or rectangular base, such as packets of cigarettes and the like.

Background of the invention

Boxed product vending machines similar to the one described are usually structured for containing the boxes stacked in vertical columns. Extractor usually consist of pushing devices, in charge of extracting one of the boxes of the column, generally the one placed at the lower position, making it fall into a receiving tray.
This arrangement, due to both the stacking and the fall of the boxes in the extraction process, may cause damages to the boxes or their content.
Boxed product extraction machines in which the boxes are arranged in horizontal rows, and in which the supply of the boxes is made by the extraction of a unit from the row in which it is located and its fall into a receiving tray, are also known. Also in this case, the supplied products may suffer some damage due to shocks during the fall into the receiving tray.
On the other hand, whatever the form in which the boxed products are arranged, the machines that contain them are of considerable height, in order to be able to store a great number of units and to achieve their extraction through the fall from the column or row in which they are contained to a lower position, where the receiving tray is located.

Description of the invention

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the problems set forth, by means of a mechanism for containing and extracting boxed products for vending machines, constituted so that the products to be supplied, are located in horizontal rows and their extraction and supply is carried out without any risk that the product may suffer any deterioration.
In the mechanism of the invention, each product unit supplied by the machine is extracted by the user, by a slight rising of said unit, relative to the position that it had in the horizontal row, avoiding the fall of the boxes into the receiving tray, so that there is no risk of deterioration in the extraction process.
According to the present invention, the mechanism for containing and extracting the products for vending machines comprises a channel in which the product units will be arranged in a row, generally in the form of boxed products. This channel will be horizontally arranged inside the machine and its dimensions will vary according to the dimensions of the product units or boxes and the number thereof to be contained.
The mechanism of the invention is designed in modules, so that a machine may be formed by several channels, laterally attached, all of them horizontally arranged.
The channel of the mechanism of the invention is closed in its upper part by a hatch that may be longitudinally moved between a front position that completely closes the channel and a rear position that partially opens it, at which it defines a front upper opening for the extraction of the product.
Inside the channel there is mounted a pusher that is in charge of pushing the products contained in the channel to a front extraction position, at which they are left under the opening that is defined by the upper hatch at its partially open position.
The mechanism of the invention also includes means in charge of lifting the product unit that is located at the front extraction position, once the upper hatch is displaced towards the partially opened rear position, until it achieves the partial projection of said unit from said opening so that it can be extracted by the machine user.
Finally, the mechanism includes actuating means for the upper hatch and the aforementioned lifting means.
The hatch that closes the channel containing the products in the upper part is constantly driven towards the front closing position by means of a spring. Likewise, the pusher is also constantly driven towards the front position by one or more springs.
The aforementioned lifting means for the product unit located at the front extraction position comprise a sliding device that is mounted immediately behind the pusher, which is alternatively displaced along a section aligned with said channel. Also, these lifting means include a cam in charge of lifting the product located at the front extraction position and a rod that connects the sliding device with the aforementioned cam. Through the alternative displacement of the sliding device and through the rod, it is achieved that the cam vertically displaces the product unit located at the front extraction position from the resting position that it has inside the channel, in the row, to a lifted position, at which it partially projects from the channel, through the opening defined by the upper hatch at its rear position, so that it may be taken by the user or customer.
The actuating means of the upper hatch and the lifting means comprise a gearmotor and a horizontal upper cam and a horizontal lower cam which are eccentrically mounted on the same vertical shaft, actuated by the gearmotor, a shaft that may consist of an output shaft of said gearmotor. The upper cam laterally rests against the hatch producing, by the partial rotation of the motor, its displacement from the front closing position to the rear opening position, against the force of the spring that drives said hatch towards the closing position. As for the lower cam, it is provided with a lower vertical pivot, also located at an eccentric position relative to the shaft on which said cam is mounted, said lower pivot being housed in a slot or channel of the sliding device that runs perpendicularly to the displacement direction of said sliding device. This sliding device is mounted on guides which are longitudinally fixed on a rear section of the channel and will have two horizontally aligned pivots, which project through some other longitudinal slots of the channel walls. Each one of these pivots is articulated to a rod that, in turn, is articulated by its free end to the product unit lifting cam located at the front extraction position.
The product lifting cam may be constituted by two arms, each one located at one side of the channel, said arms including a first articulation point with the rod of the same side, a second articulation point with the adjacent channel wall, that is located below the first articulation point, and a front cross-member that connects both arms through points located in front of the aforementioned articulation points and below the boxed product extraction front position.
The mechanism of the invention further includes an element in charge of holding the pusher at a rear end position in the channel, at which the replenishment of the products inside the channel is allowed. The pusher release is achieved by an ejector constituted by a shank which is mounted below the sliding device, aligned with the channel shaft and which may be longitudinally moved between an inactive position, at which it subsequently projects from the channel and reaches with its front end the rear end position of the pusher, and an active position; at which it penetrates into the channel and acts against the pusher, until it is released, from the aforementioned holding element. This displacement of the shank is achieved, once the channel is replenished with products, by displacing said channel into the machine until a working rear position, at which the shank bumps into a rear wall of the machine casing and displaces the channel to the active position. The shank is continuously driven towards the inactive rear position by means of a spring.
In order to control the operation of the mechanism of the invention, the channel includes an ejection detector that is located at the boxed product extraction front position. The vertical shaft on which the cams are mounted will also include a microprocessor that controls the system resting position.

Brief description of the drawings

In the drawings it is shown a mechanism for containing and extracting products for vending machines, constituted according to the invention and provided as a nonlimiting example thereof. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is an upper perspective view of a mechanism for containing and extracting products for vending machines, constituted according to the invention.
Figure 2 is an upper plan view of the same mechanism.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the mechanism of the invention, taken according to the cutting line III-III of figure 2.
Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the mechanism, taken according to the cutting line IV-IV of figure 3.
Figure 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the mechanism taken according to the cutting line V-V of figure 3.
Figure 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the same mechanism, taken according to the cutting line VI-VI of figure 3.
Figures 7, 8 and 9 are side views of the mechanism at different stages and positions of product extraction.

Detailed Description of an embodiment

The features, advantages and operation of the mechanism of the invention will be better understood with the following description, made in reference to the embodiment example shown in the aforementioned drawings.
Figure 1 shows a mechanism for extraction consisting of a channel 1 that is opened in its upper part and which is closed by a hatch 2, figure 3, which may be longitudinally moved between a front position that completely closes the channel, shown in figure 3, and a partially open position, represented in figure 8, at which it defines an extraction upper opening 3.
Inside this channel 1, the boxed products 4 are arranged, figures 7 and 8, which are displaced towards the front end of the channel 1 by a pusher 5, figure 1, fixed to a shoe 6 that may be displaced on guides 7 running along the channel 1, figure 3, so that one of the product units, marked with number 4', is always left under the extraction upper opening 3, figure 8.
The mechanism of the invention further includes lifting means that lift the product unit 4' until it partially projects through the opening 3, as represented in figure 9.
These lifting means comprise a sliding device 8, that is mounted on the channel 1 below the shoe 6 of the pusher 5, a cam 9 for lifting the product unit 4' located at the front extraction position, Figure 1, and a rod 10 that connects the sliding device 8 with the cam 9.
Inside the channel 1 the actuating means for the upper hatch 2 and for the aforementioned lifting means are also mounted. These actuating means comprise a gearmotor 10 on whose output shaft 11 a horizontal upper cam 12 and a horizontal lower cam 13 are mounted at an eccentric position. The upper cam 12 laterally rests against a rear skirt 14 of the upper hatch 2. The lower cam 13 has a lower vertical pivot 15, all of which can be appreciated in figure 3, that is housed in a straight slot or channel 16 which is perpendicular to the shaft of channel 1. The sliding device 8 is mounted on guides 17, figure 6, longitudinally fixed on a rear section of the channel, being it able to be alternatively displaced on said guides, by the activation of the gearmotor 10, through the pivot 15 of the lower eccentric cam 13, with which the circular movement of the shaft 11 is transformed into an alternative rectilinear movement of the sliding device 8.
Likewise, the activation of the gearmotor 10 causes the rotation of the upper eccentric 12 which, by resting against the upper skirt 14 of the hatch 2, will cause it to move in the direction of the arrow A of figure 3, until it is located at the position shown in figure 8, at which it marks the limits of the extraction upper opening 3.
The sliding device 8 is also provided with a stem or shank 18, figures 3 and 4, which protrude from the slots 18' of the longitudinal walls of channel 1 in portions 19 to which the rod 10 is articulated, figure 1, which, in turn, is articulated by its free end by means of the shaft 20 to the lifting cam 9.
This lifting cam comprises two flat arms 21, each one being located at each side of the channel, wherein said arms are articulated by a first shaft 20 to the rod of the same side , and by a second shaft of articulation 22 with the adjacent wall of channel 1, which is located below the first articulation point 20. The cam 9 is completed by a cross-member 23 that connects both arms 21 by points that are located in front of the points of the articulation shafts 20 and 22 and below the boxed product extraction front position, approximately level with the bottom of channel 1.
As it has been previously indicated, the pusher 5 with its shoe 6 are continuously driven towards the front end of channel 1 by means of a spring. The mechanism of the invention has a holding element for this pusher at a rear end position shown in figure 3, position from which the pusher may be released by an ejector, constituted by a shank 25 that is mounted below the sliding device 8, aligned with the shaft of channel 1, with longitudinal displacement capacity between an inactive rear position, shown in figure 3, at which it subsequently projects from the channel and rests on the shoe 6 with its front end, when the pusher 5 is at its front end position, and an active front position, at which it penetrates into the channel and acts against the pusher until it is released from the aforementioned holding element.
The mechanism described is mounted on a tray 26, figures 7 to 9, which may be partially extracted inside the vending machine to replenish the channels 1, after the upper cover 2 is released and the pusher 5 and shoe 6 are secured at the rear position by the aforementioned holding element. Once the channel is fully filled and the cover 2 is closed, the tray 26 is displaced again to the inner position in the machine casing, at the time that the shank 25 bumps against the rear wall of the casing and is displaced towards the front wall, at which it acts on the shoe 6 to release it from the holding element, thus leaving the pusher 5 and shoe 6 driven forward by the aforementioned spring.
The shank 25 of the described ejector is continuously driven forward by means of a spring 25', figure 3.
The described mechanism is completed by a product presence detector 27, figures 1 and 4, located at the boxed product extraction front position, immediately below the cross-member 23 of the lifting cam 9.
The vertical shaft 11 on which the cams are mounted will have a microprocessor that controls the system replenishment position.
The operation of the described mechanism will now be set forth with reference to figures 7 to 9.
The mechanism is at a resting position when the gearmotor 10 is stopped and the position microprocessor of its output shaft 11 is at a resting position. In this situation all the mechanism is at rest, with the packets 4 appropriately stored in the channel 1. The hatch 2 is closed and the product presence detector 27 detects the presence of a box 4'. By activating the gearmotor 1 and moving forward the motor 90°, the upper cam 12 rotates taking the position of figure 8, at which it displaces the hatch 2 in the direction of arrow A of figures 3 and 7, until it takes the position of figure 8, at which it defines the extraction opening 3.
By rotating the gearmotor 10 other 90°, the output shaft 11 rotates and makes the sliding device 8, figure 3, move backwards drawing the projecting portions 19 of the stem 18 of the sliding device 8 in the direction of arrow B of figure 8 until it reaches the position of figure 9, and in said movement the rod 10 pulls from the arms 21 of the cam 9, causing it to swing around the shaft 22 and thus lifting the cross-member 23 of the cam that upwardly pushes the box 4' that partially projects through the opening 3, so that it may be taken with the hand without any difficulty. At this moment the product presence detector 27 detects that there is no box located thereon and makes the gearmotor 10 move forward another 180° until the microprocessor of the output shaft 11, figure 3, detects that it reaches again the resting position of figure 7. In this rotation the upper cam 12 reaches the position of figure 7 and the upper hatch 2 is displaced to the closing position, as it is continuously driven towards said position, by means of a spring.
If the box 4 is not taken with the hand in the previous phase, this box would be trapped by the hatch, by the action of its spring.
Each mechanism includes at each side of the channel a rod 10 and an arm 21, an arm that will rotate around the shaft of articulation 22 with the channel walls, during the previously described extraction phase.
The mechanism of the invention is designed as a modular component, so that in a machine it may be possible to install a series of mechanisms like the one described, with the channels arranged in a parallel horizontal position. The mechanism is designed to store products that are arranged in horizontal rows and are extracted in a vertical way, from the same mechanism, as it has been set forth.

Claims

Mechanism for containing and extracting products for vending machines, especially for the extraction of boxed products (4), comprising a channel (1) containing the boxed products (4); a pusher (5) in charge of driving the boxed products (4) contained in the channel (1) to a front extraction position; a hatch (2) that closes the upper part of the channel (1) ; lifting means for the product unit located at the front extraction position until it partially projects through an extraction upper opening (3), and actuating means for the upper hatch (2) and for the aforementioned lifting means, characterized in that the hatch (2) may be longitudinally moved between a front position that completely closes the channel (1) and a rear position which partially opens the channel (1), at which it defines the extraction upper opening.
Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the hatch (2) is continuously driven towards the front closing position by means of a spring.
Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the pusher (5) is continuously driven towards the front extraction position by one or more springs.
Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting means for the product unit located at the front extraction position comprise a sliding device (8) mounted immediately behind the pusher (5), that may be alternatively displaced along a section aligned with said channel (1); a lifting cam (9) for the product located at the front extraction position; and a rod (10) that connects the sliding device (8) with the lifting cam (9).
Mechanism according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the actuating means comprise a gearmotor (28) and a horizontal upper and a horizontal lower cams (12, 13) eccentrically mounted on the same vertical shaft (11), which may be actuated by the gearmotor (28), said upper cam (12) laterally resting against the hatch (2); and said lower cam (13) having a lower vertical pivot (15) that is housed in a stem (18) of the sliding device (8) that runs perpendicularly to the displacement direction of said sliding device (8).
Mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that the sliding device (8) is mounted on guides (17) longitudinally fixed on a rear section of the channel (1).
Mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that the sliding device (8) has two horizontally aligned pivots, which project through longitudinal slots of the channel walls, to which rods are articulated which are, in turn, articulated by their free end to the product unit lifting cam (9) located at the front extraction position.
Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the pusher (5) is mounted on guides (7) that run along the bottom of the channel (1).
Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting cam (9) comprises two arms (21), each one located at one side of the channel, which include a first articulation shaft (20) with the rod (10) of the same side, a second articulation shaft (22) with the adjacent channel wall, that is located below the first articulation point (20), and a cross-member (23) that connects both arms (21, 20) through points located in front of the aforementioned articulation shafts and below the boxed product front extraction position.
Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a holding element to hold the pusher at the rear end position of the channel (1), and an ejector capable of releasing said pusher from the holding element; whose ejector consists of a shank (25) that is mounted below the sliding device (8), aligned with the shaft of the channel (1), with longitudinal displacement capacity between an inactive rear position, at which it subsequently projects from the channel and reaches with its front end the rear end position of the pusher, and an active front position, at which it penetrates in the channel and acts against the pusher until it is released from the aforementioned holding element.
Mechanism according to claim 10, characterized in that the aforementioned shank (25) is continuously driven towards the rear inactive position, by means of a spring (25').
Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a product presence detector (27) located at the boxed product extraction front position.
Mechanism according to claim 5 characterized in that the vertical shaft (11) on which the horizontal upper and a horizontal lower cams (12, 13) are mounted is the output shaft of the gearmotor (28), whose shaft includes a microprocessor that controls the system resting position.