GB2217698A

GB2217698A - Dispenser with fixed stacks of containers and movable container carrier

Info

Publication number: GB2217698A
Application number: GB8909375A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Malcolm Geoffrey Worthington; Robert Bruce Worthington; Stanley Noel Crank
Original assignee: Worthington M G; Worthington R B
Current assignee: Worthington M G; Worthington R B
Priority date: 1988-04-29
Filing date: 1989-04-25
Publication date: 1989-11-01
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-25
Also published as: EP0424580A1; GB2217698B; GB8810265D0; GB8909375D0

Description

Container Dispensing Apparatus The present invention relates to container

dispensing apparatus, and in particular, but not exclusively, to apparatus for dispensing cups containing beverage powder.

22 17698 Drink vending machines are known which comprise store of cups containing a range of beverage powders. In one known arrangement, the cups are stacked, each stack containing powder for a different beverage. The stacks are held in a rotatable carousel. When a user selects a drink, the carousel revolves until the stack containing that beverage is located over a delivery station and a mechanism is then operated to release one cup from the bottom of the stack. The cup falls to the delivery station where it may be filled with hot water, or removed by the user for filling elsewhere.

Considerable difficulty has been experienced in designing a rotating carousel which is not prone to frequent failure. A fully charged carousel, including the release mechanism associated with each stack, is extremely heavy and this places stress on bearings and motors which support and drive the carousel. Furthermore, during use some stacks will be depleted more quickly than others, so that the weight of the carousel becomes unevenly distributed, thereby further increasing the vulnerability to failure.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these and other disadvantages of the prior art.

According to the present invention, there is provided container dispensing apparatus, comprising at least one store for containers, a release mechanism associated with the or each store and operable to release a container from the store, and transport means operable to move a released container from a store to a location remote from the store and at which the container may be removed from the transport means.

1 Preferably the transport means comprises a member which supports a released container and which is r-otatably mounted for transporting the container.Preferably the support member of the transport means is a plate member. The plate member may have at least one formation for engaging and supporting a container. The said formation may comprise a re-entrant portion in the periphery of the plate member. The apparatus may further comprise a retaining member which retains containers in engagement with the support member except cl 3 - at the remote location. The retaining means may extend around and adjacent to thP periphery of the plate member to close the months of the re-entrant portions, there being a gap in the retaining means at the remote location, whereby a container may be removed through the gap from a re-entrant portion.

Preferably the support member has one more formation than there are stores in the apparatus, the formations being so located on the support member as to allow the support member to be positioned with a formation at each store for receiving a released container, and a further formation at the said remote location.

Preferably the stores each hold a generally vertical stack of co,ntainers, the support member being located beneath the stores, whereby a released container may fall from a store until arrested by the support member. The support member is preferably a disc mounted for rotation about its centre.

The apparatus is preferably so formed as to allow the stores to contain stacks of cups containing beverage powder for dispensing at the remote location.

I 4 - The apparatus preferably further comprises manually operable selection means by which a user may select a store, the selection means being operable to cause a container to be released from the selected store by operation of the associated release mechanism.

Embodiments of the present invention will now bedescribed in more detail, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is a schematic and partially cut-away elevation of apparatus according to the invention; and Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the carrier disc of a larger apparatus according to the invention.

The drawings show container dispensing apparatus 10 comprising a plurality of stores 12 for containers, a release mechanism 14 associated with each store 12 and operable to release a container 16 from that store and transport means 18 operable to move a released container 16 from a store 12 to a location 20 remote from the store and at which the container 16 may be removed from the transport means.

Each store 12 stores a stack of containers 16 1 IN which are plastic or cardboard cups. The cups 16 are nested, and contain powder for forming a beverage when mixed with water. The stack of cups is housed in a protective tubular housing 22 for reasons of hygiene. The lowermost cup of each stack is supported by a conventional release mechanism 14 which can be operated to release the lowermost cup and allow it to fall from the stack. A release mechanism 14 is located at the bottom of each store 12 and the release mechanisms 14 are controlled by operator controls which allow a user to select which release mechanism operates, and therefore to select which flavour or type of drink is dispensed.

The transpDrt means 18 comprises a horizontal disc mounted below the stores 12 for rotation about its centre. There are a plurality of formations around the periphery of the disc 18 which allow a cup to be supported by the disc. Each formation is a re-entrant portion 24 of the disc periphery, around which a ledge 26 is located to engage the rim of a cup, to prevent the cup falling through the re-entrant portion 24. The machine shown in Fig. 1 uses a disc with 6 re-entrant portions. The disc shown in Fig. 2 is for a larger machine, and has twelve re-entrant portions.

6 - The disc 18 is mounted on suitable bearings, not shown in detail, and an electric motor is provided for rotating the disc. A circular retaining bar 28 extends around almost the whole periphery of the disc 18 and serves to close the open mouths of the re-entrant portions 24, in order to prevent a cup moving outwardly as the disc revolves. A cup may only move horizontally from a re-entrant portion at the remote location 20, to which cups are delivered when the apparatus is in use.

A drip tray 30 is provided at the remote location (or delivery station) 20, and the delivery station 20 may also have filling apparatus for filling cups with hot water, sugar or other additives which may be required. These may operate automatically, or under the control of the user to allow him to mix a drink according to taste.

In use of the apparatus, the stores 12 are initially filled so that each store contains a stack of cups, and the cups of each store contain powder for respective beverages. When a user desires a drink, the flavour or type of drink is selected by operator controls such as push buttons. The push buttons and associated control circuitry are shown schematically at 32 in Fig. 1. The control circuitry responds to the - 7 c selection by operating the release mechanism 14 at the store 12 containing cups and powder for forming the selected beverage. The associated release mechanism 14 then releases one cup, which falls down into the re-entrant portion 24 of the disc 18, until the rim of the cup engages the ledge 26 and the cup is arrested and thereafter supported. The control circuitry 32 then causes the disc to be driven round until the cup arrives at the delivery station 20. In a fully automatic apparatus, the dispensing of hot water and other additives will then be controlled, before the user removes the cup and drink from the disc 18 through the gap between the ends of the retaining bar 28. In an alternative version, the cup and powder may be removed _from the delivery station 20, for filling with water elsewhere.

It is preferable for the disc 18 to have sufficient formations for holding cups as to allow the disc to be rotated to a position in which there is a re-entrant portion 24 beneath each store 12. There may be a further re-entrant portion 24 located at the delivery station 20, or the arrangement of Fig. 1 may be used, in which one store 12 is directly above the delivery station 20. Fewer re-entrant portions 24 could be used, but would require the disc to be rotated - 8 berore a release mechanism 14 was operated, to ensure that the released cup 16 could be caught by the disc.

The stores 12 remain stationery during use and this allows their structure to be simpler and smaller, because problems associated with the movement of a heavy carousel are avoided. Only the disc 18 revolves, and during its movement,-it will be supporting only one cup, so that bearings and motors are not greatly stressed and do not need to be so robust as the corresponding structures of known apparatus.

Variations and modifications to the apparatus described above can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The choice of the number of stores 12 for the apparatus will depend on the range of drinks which it is desired to dispense. The size of the disc 18 and the number of re-entrant portions 24 can be determined in order to suit the number of stores 12 in the apparatus.

2 17

Claims

1 1 1. Container dispensing apparatus, comprising at least one store for containers, a release mechanism associated with the or each store and operable to release a container from the store, and transport means operable to move a released container from a store to a location remote from the store and at which the container may be removed from the transport means.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport means comprises a member which supports a released container and which is rotatably mounted for transporting the container.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the support member of the transport means is a plate member.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the plate member has at least one formation for engaging and supporting a container.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the said formation comprises a re-entrant portion in the periphery of the plate member.

6. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 5, -/0 further comprising retaining means which retains containers in engagement with the support member except at the remote location.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 and claim 5, wherein the retaining means extends around and adjacent t-o the periphery of the plate member to close the mouths of the re-entrant portions, there being a gap in the retaining means at the remote location, whereby a container may_ be removed through the gap from a re-entrant portion.

8. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 7, wherein the support member has one more formation than there are stores in the apparatus, the formations being so located on the support member as to allow the support member to be positioned with a formation at each store for receiving a released container, and a further formation at the said remote location.

9. Appii,,it-Lir, irrordinq 1-o in%, nf rlnim.s 2 to 8, wherein the stores each hold a generally vertical stack of containers, the support member being located beneath the stores, whereby a released container may fall from a store until arrested by the support member.

10. Apparatus according to any of claims 2 to 9, wherein the support member is a disc mounted for rotation about its centre.

ZI

11. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is so formed as to allow the stores to contain stacks of cups containing beverage powder for dispensing at the remote location.

12. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, and further comprising manually operable selection means by which a user may select a store, the selection means being operable to cause a container to be released from the selected store by operation of the associated release mechanism.

13. Container dispensing apparatus substantially as described above with reference to the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel subject matter or combination including 1 novel subject matter herbin disclos e d, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.

Published 1989 at The Patent Moe. State House, 86,71111911 R01born, London WCIR 4117. Further Goplesmaybe ob.Mledfroln ThePatentortoe. Sales Branch, Bt M&x7 C=Y, Or-pington, Rent BRB 3RD. PrInted by y-ultiplax teohniqueB It'd, Bt MarY CraY. Kent, C;on. 1187