ITPD20130252A1 - MODULAR BOX MODULAR FOR DISTRIBUTORS - Google Patents

Description

TITLE

COMPONIBLE MODULAR CASE FOR DISTRIBUTORS

DESCRIPTION

This patent relates to distributors of articles, gadgets, tokens and objects in general and in particular concerns a new modular enclosure for automatic vending machines.

Various types of vending machines are known, for dispensing objects and articles of various kinds.

The distributors can be manually operated, in which the insertion of one or two or more coins, banknotes or tokens enables a mechanism, such as the rotation of a knob, which in turn activates a plurality of gears and levers designed to cause the delivery of an item. Electromechanically operated distributors are also known, in which the inserted coins, banknotes or tokens are recognized and, upon reaching the necessary sum and pressing a button by the user, an associated electromechanism is operated for dispensing the item. corresponding.

Dispensers of the known type comprise a substantially box-like casing, with base or feet resting on the ground, suitable for containing the mechanisms and devices that make the device work and one or more compartments or compartments for containing the objects or articles to be dispensed. Said box-like casing is generally made of metallic material and comprises one or more openings for inserting tokens, coins and / or banknotes, and one or more openings for dispensing the selected article.

Generally, this casing is joined and in any case integrated with the operating mechanisms and devices of the dispenser and with the compartments for containing the objects to be dispensed.

The distributor therefore has a high weight as a whole. Therefore, the assembly, transport or in any case handling operations are very difficult.

Furthermore, since the vending machine is generally located outdoors, the casing is often subjected to the action of atmospheric agents such as wind, rain, or even the erosive action of sand or dust when the vending machine is, for example, in seaside locations.

Due to these actions, the metal casing can become damaged and rusted, making it necessary to replace the entire dispenser, as it is often not possible to disassemble the dispenser to replace only the casing or the damaged casing parts.

To obviate the aforesaid drawbacks, a new type of modular modular casing for distributors has been studied and realized, said casing being completely made of plastic material.

The main aim of the whole invention is to be adaptable to the installation of any type of vending machine, mechanical or electromechanical and automatic, and for any type of objects or articles in general to be dispensed.

Another object of the present invention is to be modular in various ways for the installation of two or more distributors joined together.

Another object of the present invention is to allow rapid operations for reloading objects or articles in the vending machine and for picking up the tokens, coins or banknotes inserted in the vending machine.

Another object of the present invention is to be light and allow rapid assembly-disassembly operations of the vending machine, to replace the casing itself or parts of the casing or to access the mechanical or electromechanical components of the vending machine.

These and other direct and complementary purposes are achieved by the new modular modular casing for vending machines, said casing being made of plastic material.

The new casing comprises in its main parts a support base, a front shell, a rear shell and an upper assembly lid, where said base, said front and rear shells and said lid are entirely made of plastic material and able to be between them assembled to identify a containment space for a dispenser for objects in general.

It is envisaged that said base, said shells and said lid comprise coupling devices for assembly. It is also possible to use screws or other fastening means to constrain said parts forming the casing to each other.

Said front shell comprises at least one opening for accessing the vending machine, and in particular for accessing the slots for inserting tokens, banknotes or coins, and for accessing the dispensing openings for the desired objects or articles.

In the preferred embodiment, said front shell is suitable for the detachable hooking or fixing of a closing panel in correspondence with said opening, said panel being for example hinged to an edge of the opening. Said panel preferably acts as a support for the dispenser, ie the mechanical and electromechanical devices and mechanisms for the operation of the dispenser and the containers of objects or articles to be dispensed are constrained to said panel.

To carry out the operations of recharging the vending machine and / or withdrawing the inserted tokens, coins or banknotes, the operator must unhook said panel, for example by rotating it towards the outside of the casing in order to have direct access to the mechanical or electromechanical components. , to the coin mechanism and to the object containers.

The characteristics of the new casing will be better clarified by the following description with reference to the drawing table, attached by way of non-limiting example.

Figure 1 shows the new completely assembled casing (1), while figure 2 shows a rear view of the new completely assembled casing (1).

Figure 3 shows the base (2).

Figure 4 shows the front shell (3).

Figure 5 shows the infill panel (34) of the front shell (3).

Figure 6 shows the closing panel (7) to be installed on said infill panel (34).

Figure 7 shows the rear shell (4).

It is a modular enclosure (1) for distributors comprising in its main parts a support base (2), a front shell (3), a rear shell (4) and an upper assembly cover (5), where said base (2), said front (3), rear (4) shells and said cover (5) are entirely made of plastic material and able to be assembled together to identify a containment space for at least one dispenser for objects or articles in gender.

Said support base (2), represented in figure 3, is in any case shaped to guarantee the stability of the casing, can have an enlarged shape and / or can include one or more feet or supports, as well as elements, raised edges (21), reliefs and / or seats (22) for positioning and fixing said shells (3, 4).

It can also be provided that said base (2) comprises one or more seats (24) for the assembly of one or more wheels (23) to move the casing (1).

Said front shell (3), shown in Figure 4, is preferably shaped so as to identify the front wall (31) and the side walls (33) of the casing (1).

Said front shell (3) comprises, on said front wall (31), at least one opening (32) for accessing the vending machine.

In the preferred solution, said front shell (3) also comprises an infill panel (34), shown in Figure 5, adapted to be mounted on said opening (32) of the front shell (3).

Said infill panel (34) is preferably fixed in a removable way on said front shell (3) by means of hooks or projections (37) adapted to be inserted in corresponding holes, slots (38) or seats (39) obtained in corresponding positions on said front shell (3) itself.

It can be envisaged that said infill panel (34) can be opened for example to access the inside of the casing (1) by rotating on one side or by overturning.

On said infill panel (34) in turn, at least one opening (35) can preferably be obtained in correspondence with which a panel (7) adapted to cover said opening (35) of the infill panel ( 34).

Said panel (7), shown in Figure 6, is preferably of a shape corresponding to said opening (35) of the infill panel (34) and hinged for example to the lower edge (351) of the opening (35) itself. Said panel (7) can therefore be rotated from a closed position, in which it is constrained, for example, to the upper edge (352) of the opening (35), to an opening position in which it is overturned towards the outside of the casing ( 1) to be able to access the inside of the casing itself.

In said closing position, said closing panel (7) is constrained to the upper edge (352) of the opening (35) by means of bolts or safety lock, to allow opening only to authorized personnel, for example by means of a key.

In said open position, said panel (7) is overturned towards the outside, where it can be blocked for example at a certain angle with respect to the infill panel (34) by means of chains or belts fixed to the sides of the panel (7) and to the infill panel (34) itself.

Said panel (7) is able to act as a support for the dispenser, i.e. it is provided that the mechanical and electromechanical devices and mechanisms for the operation of the dispenser and the containers of objects or articles to be dispensed are fixed on said panel (7).

It can also be provided that said infill panel (34) or said front wall (31) of the front shell (3) comprises one or more further openings (36) communicating with said containers for the objects or articles to be dispensed, suitable for allowing the user to receive the dispensed object coming from the dispenser.

To carry out the operations of recharging the vending machine and / or withdrawing the inserted tokens, coins or banknotes, the operator must unhook said panel (7) or said infill panel (35) and rotate it towards the outside of the casing so to be able to directly access the mechanical or electromechanical components, the coin mechanism and the object containers.

It can be envisaged that said casing (1) is also suitable for containing one or more batteries for supplying said mechanical or electromechanical components of the vending machine or of any luminous or sound devices present on the casing (1) itself or on the vending machine.

Said base (2), said front (3) and rear (4) shells and said cover (5) comprise coupling devices for assembly. It is also possible to use screws or other fastening means to constrain said parts forming the casing (1) to each other.

For example, as can be seen in Figure 7, said rear shell (4) comprises projections or hooks (41) adapted to be inserted by interlocking into suitable seats obtained in corresponding positions on said front shell (3).

Said base (3), said front (3) and rear (4) shells, said lid (5) are particularly shaped so that they can be composed for example with other similar casings, so as to have two or more distributors side by side and combined in various ways.

It can be envisaged that at least said front shell (3), said infill panel (34) and / or said cover (5) may comprise one or more holes for lighting bodies, sound amplifiers or other.

It can also be envisaged that said base (2) and / or said front (3) and rear (4) shells may comprise seats or housings for devices such as one or more batteries or electrical devices for the operation of the vending machine or for the operation autonomous of the distributor without the need to connect it to the external power supply and thus making the casing (1) transportable and installable anywhere.

These are the schematic modalities sufficient for the skilled person to realize the invention, consequently, in concrete application there may be variations without prejudice to the substance of the innovative concept.

Therefore, with reference to the preceding description and to the attached tables, the following claims are expressed.

Claims (12)

CLAIMS 1. Casing (1) for automatic vending machines for objects or articles in general, characterized in that it comprises a support base (2), a front shell (3), a rear shell (4) and an upper cover (5) of assembly, where said base (2), said front (3), rear (4) shells and said cover (5) are entirely made of plastic material and able to be assembled together to identify a containment space for at least one distributor for objects or articles in general. Casing (1) as per claim 1, characterized in that said front shell (3) is shaped so as to identify at least part of the front wall (31) and the side walls (33) of the casing (1), and wherein said at least one opening (32) is formed on said front wall (31) for accessing the vending machine. 3. Casing (1) as per claim 2, characterized by the fact that said front shell (3) also comprises an infill panel (34) adapted to be mounted on said opening (32) of the front shell (3), where said panel infill panel (34) in turn comprises at least one opening (35) in correspondence with which at least one panel (7) adapted to cover said opening (35) of the infill panel (34) can be removably hooked or fixed, and where the mechanical and electromechanical devices and mechanisms for the operation of the dispenser and the containers of objects or articles to be dispensed are constrained on said closing panel (7). 4. Casing (1) as per claim 3, characterized by the fact that said infill panel (34) is mounted on said front shell (3) in a removable way and can be rotated or tilted with respect to the front shell (3) itself to access the inside the casing (1). 5. Casing (1) as per claim 3, characterized in that said panel (7) is hinged to an edge (351) of the opening (35) itself, said panel (7) being rotatable from a closed position to a open position (35) in which it is rotated or overturned towards the outside of the casing in order to access the inside of the casing itself. 6. Casing (1) as per claim 5, characterized in that said closing panel (7) is hinged to the lower edge (351) of said opening (35) and able to be constrained, in said closing position, to the edge top (352) of the opening (35) by means of bolts or safety lock. 7. Casing (1) as per claim 6, characterized in that said closing panel (7) comprises chains or belts fixed to the sides of the closing panel (7) and to said closing panel (34) to lock said closing panel (7) at a certain angle with respect to the infill panel (34) itself. 8. Casing (1) as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said infill panel (34) or said front wall (31) of the front shell (3) comprises one or more further openings (36) communicating with said containers for the objects or articles to be dispensed, designed to allow the user to receive the dispensed object coming from the dispenser. 9. Casing (1) as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said base (2), said front (3) and rear (4) shells and said cover (5) comprise alignment and hooking devices (21, 22, 37 , 38, 39, 41) for assembly. 10. Casing (1) as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said base comprises one or more wheels (23). 11. Casing (1) as per the preceding claims, characterized in that at least said front shell (3), said infill panel (34) and / or said cover (5) comprise one or more holes or seats for lighting bodies, amplifiers sound or other electrically connected to the vending machine installed in the casing (1). Enclosure (1) as per the preceding claims, characterized in that said base (2) and / or said front (3) and rear (4) shells comprise seats or housings for battery devices or electrical devices for the operation of the vending machine.