KR20030019396A - Method and apparatus for positioning an article handling device - Google Patents

Abstract

This concerns a method of using a camera imaging system (254) in a package vending machine (10) to identify packages (223) which have been stored in the vending machine. A plurality of at least one type of package, which is intended to be dispensed by the vending machine, is stored in a package storage area of the package vending machine. Each package includes at least one of a corresponding type of article therein, the package having a plurality of visual attributes, such that if the package is imaged from a plurality of different views, each image acquired from each of the plurality of different views may include a different one ctr more of the the plurality of visual attributes, where one or more of the visual attributes may be sufficient to identity the type of the package in the acquired image. When a user selection input of a desired type of package is received at the vending machine, at least a portion of a camera imaging system, of the vending machine, and a user selected package, arc brought into viewing proximity so that the camera imaging system can obtain a view of at least a portion of the package. The camera imaging system is operated so as to acquire an image of the package selected by the user before it is dispensed. One or more of the visual attributes that are captured in the image are analyzed, and, based on this analysis, the type of the package selected by the user is identified.

Description

TECHNICAL AND APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING AN ARTICLE HANDLING DEVICE

In the context of most conventional article handling mechanisms, and more particularly in the context of the present invention, point-of-sale (POS) article dispensers, the article handling mechanisms referred to move the various parts of the handling mechanism and package the product. Rely on a number of motors, switches and solenoids to process the article itself. Most such devices require one motor, switch and / or solenoid assigned to each column, each row or each type of item or package to be processed or dispensed. Such devices generally have many disadvantages, such as low reliability due to mechanical failure, as is well known in the art.

U. S. Patent No. 5,240, 139 significantly improved the article handling mechanism. It includes a suction force, ie reduced or so-called "negative pressure, which is formed by a partial vacuum, in order to make sure contact with the article to be withdrawn by entering the open top of the article storage container disposed in the cold storage area of the vending machine. "The use of a negative pressure pneumatic lifter (ie, article pick-up mechanism or handling mechanism) using pneumatic pressure is disclosed. Robotic and in particular suction lifting mechanisms are widely used in factory facilities that are generally less spatially constrained, but the use of such instruments in narrow areas such as vending machines is not widely accepted. Due to the better reliability and versatility of vending machines of the type using suction technology to grasp and move selected items, new technologies for the operation and control of such vending machines and for more generalized handling of other goods and It has become desirable to develop a method.

In the aforementioned US Pat. No. 5,240,139, a hose reservoir is provided by using a longitudinally compressible air hose having a compression ratio of about 3: 1. One end of the hose is connected to a source of negative pressure air pressure provided in the support beam moving laterally on the top of the freezer. The other side of the air hose is connected to the article pickup head. Since the freezer compartment occupies only the lower half of the interior of the vending machine and the upper half remains a space for the hose and its positioning mechanism, the lateral placement of the compressive hose is satisfactory in the environment of US Pat. No. 5,240,139. However, a significant portion of the vending business operating costs is to manage (ie, charge) the product in the vending machine, so whether to have a refrigeration compartment with or without a refrigeration compartment in order to maximize the use of the goods storage volume inside the vending cabinet. It is desirable to be able to provide a higher article storage container. Conventional article dispensers generally use 50 to 60 percent of the available height for storing the article.

Due to the above mentioned disadvantages, it is desirable to reduce the height requirement for the hose positioning mechanism. One way is to consider the use of incompressible hoses. Incompressible hoses have the advantage of being able to be driven and / or guided by direct engagement with the wall of the hose, which is a much simpler technique than the indirect hose placement technique of the aforementioned US Pat. No. 5,240,139. In addition, incompressible hoses have the advantage that their length remains constant under vacuum. In addition, incompressible hoses have better structural integrity and reduced leaking, for example compared to flexible tubes. However, the use of incompressible hoses presents two important problems. One is where a hose of sufficient length can be stored so that the free end of the hose can move the distance from the bottom of the hose positioning mechanism (position aligned with the top of the article storage container) to the bottom of the article storage container. The other is how it can be easily and reliably withdrawn and withdrawn from and to the storage area as needed.

PCT patent publication WO99 / 12132 (title: VENDING MACHINE) discloses a vending machine with a articulated articulated arm for placing a suction hose for grasping an article into a freezer for withdrawing the article to be dispensed. The hose is incompressible and is continuous from its base area located below the articulated arm to its free end, where the hose is connected to the article pickup head. Linear actuators and arm mechanisms located in the base area are used to move the hose into and out of the base area, through the articulated arm, into the freezer compartment. The hose positioning mechanism of this PCT application publication requires that a significant amount of space (ie, approximately equal to the height of the article storage container itself) is required in the vending cabinet for the mechanism for placing the hose over or into the storage container during the package dispensing cycle. In this respect, it has a similar disadvantage to the aforementioned U.S. Patent 5,240,139. In addition, since hoses of considerable length are already stored in the articulated articulated arm, hoses of relatively small lengths correspond to the amount of hose needed to move the article pickup head in the Z direction (ie, into or from the freezer). It is noted that only needs to be stored. It is also noted that this patent publication teaches a relatively complex mechanism for hose placement, storage and drive.

German patent DE 2455673 (G. Lucas, published: 1976.5.26, titled: VENDING MACHINE FOR ICE CREAM-USING SUCTION HEAD TO PICKUP WRAPPED BLOCKS OF ICE CREAM FROM STACK IN REFRIGERATOR) has a removable cartridge mounted inside the refrigerator An ice cream vending machine is disclosed that can be placed laterally over a storage container. The cartridge includes a drive mechanism for lowering the electric cord with the suction motor at the free end into the article storage container for withdrawing the ice cream package. Positioning mechanisms for this type of article handling mechanism avoid the problem of hose storage by actually lowering the suction motor into the container. This is particularly disadvantageous as the electrical cords are repeatedly bent and bent, which may cause reliability / failure problems. In addition, the diameter of the suction motor places severe limitations on the dimensions of the article storage container.

U.S. Patent No. 5,957,326 (Title: APPARATUS FOR RETRIEVING RANDOMLY ORGANIZED ARTICLES) discloses a vending machine that includes a carriage mounted laterally on an article storage container, which is equipped with a plurality of suction cups. And a drive mechanism for lowering the pick-up head into the storage container. Each suction cup is individually connected to a hose of considerable length leading to a manifold providing suction. Positioning mechanisms for this type of article handling mechanism are such that a plurality of suction hoses connected to the pick-up head are not provided in the hose storage area, but instead are wound / pulled under the carriage during its relocation, thereby allowing the article to be automatically sold / distributed. It is particularly disadvantageous as it protrudes significantly into space which can be used more advantageously for storage.

U.S. Patent No. 4,557,659 (Title: DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AND HANDLING LOADS BY MEANS OF VACUUM OPERATED SUCTION PADS) has an electric cord that is slidably mounted along a raised rotary I-beam and lowered the cord toward the item to be processed. An article lifting and conveying device is disclosed that is used to make a mold. At the free end of the electrical cord, a pickup head is provided with a plurality of suction cups. A suction force providing hose running from the suction force generator to the pickup head is loosely supported between the ends of the pickup head by a series of slides connected to the rotary I beam. Positioning mechanisms for this type of article handling mechanism are such that during relocation of the suction hoses, the suction hoses are pulled by and behind the carriage, protruding significantly into spaces that can be more advantageously used for the storage of articles to be sold / purchased. Because of this, there is a drawback of the same reason as in the aforementioned U.S. Patent 5,957,326.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to improvements in the design and operation of article handling mechanisms and, more particularly, to article handling mechanisms of the type using computer controlled electromechanical techniques, and in the illustrated embodiment, An automatic batch suction gripper for moving from place to place, for example from a storage area to a distribution area.

1 is a front perspective view of a vending machine constructed and operated in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

2 and 3 are front perspective views of the vending machine of FIG. 1 with the front door open to illustrate the main mechanical and electrical components therein;

4 is a functional block diagram illustrating the interaction of major mechanical and electrical components of the vending machine of FIG.

5 and 6 illustrate in detail the conveyance of the article handling mechanism shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 7 illustrates in detail the hose guide mechanism shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 8 illustrates a modification of the hose positioning mechanism shown in FIG. 3. FIG.

9-13 illustrate the combination and orientation of various article handling mechanisms and storage areas.

Purpose of the Invention

Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide novel techniques and methods for the design, operation and control of article handling mechanisms.

Another object of the invention is an article handling mechanism of the type using computer controlled electromechanical technology, in the illustrated embodiment an automatic arrangement for gripping selected articles from one place to another, for example from a storage area to a distribution area. It is to provide new techniques and methods for the design, operation and control of suction grippers.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide novel techniques and methods for such a mechanism that improve the speed and accuracy of the article handling operation while processing the article to be carefully dispensed to prevent any damage.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide an article handling mechanism of compact height in order to maximize the article receiving capacity of the storage area.

Summary of the Invention

The object of the invention is achieved in the illustrated embodiment of the article dispensing apparatus, for example, where the constraint of the inner height set by the cabinet of the vending machine is implemented as a vending machine for determining the constraint of the height. In order to maximize the height of the article storage volume, the following aspects of the present invention are provided.

1. The hose positioning mechanism maintains a constant height during hose relocation.

2. The hose is driven by passing the hose positioning mechanism in the article extraction direction.

3. The hose is constrained to move between the hose storage area and the hose positioning mechanism in the same space in which the hose positioning mechanism moves.

4. Hose drive means are provided inside the hose positioning mechanism.

5. The hose positioning mechanism is an X-Y, R-θ, or scissors arrangement as described in more detail in the following description.

1 illustrates the environment for the invention described herein in the form of an article dispenser, such as a POS dispenser. Although the following description is based on the practice of the present invention in a vending machine environment, the term "vending machine" and the actual environment of the present invention refer to POS equipment as well as more general purpose article processing, withdrawal and / or distribution devices. It is to include. Such installations may include conventional vending machines or tractor tow trailers if implemented as mobile devices and may be as large as conventional vending machines or tractor tow trailers and may be implemented as non-mobile devices. It may include and be implemented as an automatic distribution room or area located in a permanent structure, such as a building, with or without a ground or underground, with or without an inner wall or housing cabinet. In addition, the term "article" or "product" is intended to include not only goods but also services and / or information in a permanent or temporary form in at least some of the embodiments of the invention described herein.

1 is a perspective view of a vending machine 10 including one embodiment of an apparatus constructed and operated in accordance with the present invention. The vending machine 10 has a main cabinet 12 and a front door 14 mounted to a hinge 16 that allows access to the interior of the vending machine for maintenance (goods filling, maintenance, etc.). Note that in other vending machine embodiments, the management doors or ports may be disposed in or as part of the cabinet 12. In FIG. 1, the front door 14 is shown in a closed state, which forms a housing with the main cabinet 12 in which the various parts of the vending machine 10 are housed therein, as described in more detail below.

The front door 14 includes a convex portion 18 adjacent to the flat portion 20, but these specific shapes are not essential to the present invention. The convex portion 18 comprises a translucent plastic display panel 18, which generally has a trade name and / or logo graphic displayed thereon, as well as the price and / or selection information of the article, as well as the vending machine 10 May also include graphics illustrating individual articles sold by). The panel 18 is generally light distribution using a fluorescent lamp (not shown).

A consumer withdrawal area 22 is formed in the panel 18 of the door 14 so that the goods stored therein can be discharged to the user of the vending machine 10.

The flat portion 20 of the door 14 is equipped with various user interface features. The consumer display 24 is conventional for displaying information of various items to the user of the vending machine 10, such as feedback to the user of the choices they make, the degree of progress, and whether the product is out of stock or on sale. It can be a fluorescent or LED display panel. In order to accept the money to be paid, the bill acceptor slot 26 has a conventional bill acceptor mechanism for purchase of goods or for the return of change (with a user interface portion extending through the aligned opening of the flat part 20). (10) mounted inside the bill). The coin insertion slot 28 is mounted inside the device 10 so as to have a conventional coin exchanger (also, a user interface portion extending through the aligned opening of the flat part 20) for the purchase of goods or for the return of change. Accept the coins into the The coin return actuator 30 includes a conventional push button mechanism for operating the coin return unit of the coin exchange mechanism that returns the coin currently inserted by the user to the coin return port 32 during operation. In addition, the coin return unit of the coin exchange mechanism provides the change to the coin return port 32 in order to pay the change for a bill or a large coin, or in response to an item purchase. The credit / debit card slot 34 is a conventional card reading mechanism (also a user interface extending through the aligned opening of the flat portion 20) that allows a user to pay for purchases using a credit / debit card. Accept the plastic credit / debit card inserted into the instrument 10 to have the portion. The door locking mechanism 36 locks the front door 14 so that the front door cannot be opened without a key. Following the user's selection, the display panel 18 may include graphics representing various items that can be sold by the vending machine, prices related thereto, and unique selections, as mentioned above. Alternatively, flat portion 20 may include a group of graphical article displays and their prices. A conventional keypad push button mechanism 38 is provided to allow a user to select a desired item from the vending machine 10. Alternatively, the push button mechanism 40 may include an individual push button for each item selection, and an associated price display, and the user-operated touch screen may also push the push button mechanism 40 and the display 24. It can be replaced. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine 10 may be used to authenticate credit card purchase authorizations and other uses related to the vending machine control and to report the inventory and operating status of the vending machine 10 to a remote location. A conventional telecommunication component is provided, which will be described in more detail later. Although the vending machine 10 is described as including a user interface component in the above description, in a minimal embodiment of the invention, most, if not all, of these user interface components may be omitted, and the distributor may be local. With or without a payment system, it can actually be controlled from a remote location.

2 is a front perspective view of the vending machine of FIG. 1 with the front door open to illustrate the main mechanical and electrical components embedded therein. 3 is a rather ideal form of the main parts of the article handling mechanism part of the vending machine 10 and is useful for understanding its overall operation. Note that some parts of the vending machine 10 are cut out to better illustrate the internal components in these figures.

2, it will be appreciated that the right side in front of the cabinet 12 includes a vertically mounted support panel 202 used to mount most of the user interface components. More specifically, user interface components, such as select button keypad 40, coin insertion slot 30, bank note receiving slot 28, coin return slot 32, and consumer display 24, are all located on door 14; The hinge mounting bracket 204 is mounted on the panel 202 and aligned with the opening of the door 14 to allow the user access from the front side. Inside the front door 14 are mounted two fluorescent bulb light sources (behind the protective cover 206). Ballast 208 for fluorescent bulbs and product delivery chute 210 for emitting light for backlight panel 18 (other numbers of light sources may be used). The product transport chute 210 differs from the conventional one in that its height is very high, thus preventing unauthorized access into the device by inserting an arm or other gripping mechanism from the outside of the vending machine into the consumer withdrawal area 22. Note that it acts as a locking means to prevent. In a typical typical vending machine, a swing-type lock door is mainly used on the top of the chute 210, which swings to a vandal blocking position when the consumer presses the swing-type door when entering the product extraction area 8. Move. In another embodiment of the vending machine 10, in particular the chute 210 is not of the same height as shown in FIG. 2, and the product withdrawal area 8 is arranged higher on the vending machine 10. This lock door can be used with the product transport chute 210. Behind the hinge mounting bracket 204, a general bill acceptor is mounted to allow bills inserted into the bill acceptor slot 28 to be pulled into the vending machine 10, and a general coin exchanger is placed behind the panel to provide a coin return slot. The coin is supplied to 34, the coin guide is inserted into the coin exchanger, and a general bill authenticator checks whether the bill is correctly inserted into the bill acceptor slot 28.

The control panel 212 includes a printed circuit board on which a circuit is formed and to which an integrated circuit chip is attached. The control panel 212 controls the operation of the vending machine 10 described herein, including various sensors, motors, user interface elements described above, and microprocessors electrically connected to other devices inside the vending machine 10. . In the present specification, referring to the performance of specific functions by the control panel 212, it is understood that these functions are controlled by the microprocessor and related circuitry formed on the control panel 212. The panel 202 is equipped with a power source 214 and supplies power to the electrical components of the vending machine 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is evident that the interior space of the cabinet 12 can be used as the article storage area 215. In the illustrated embodiment, for storing articles 223 sold by vending machine 10, a plurality of vertically aligned article storage containers 216 are arranged in the interior bottom 217 of cabinet 12. In the refrigeration environment for the present invention, the container may be arranged to rest on a shelf disposed above the refrigeration system.

The upper open container 219 may be dimensioned to hold the plurality of article storage containers 216 therein, for example to simultaneously process the plurality of containers 216 into / out of the article storage area 215 ( That is, to aid in removal, installation and transport). The container 219 also helps to quickly and accurately place the plurality of article storage containers into the storage area of the article handling mechanism. Carriage 218 (which may be more commonly referred to as an XY positioning mechanism or a planar positioning mechanism) is connected to the inner upper side of cabinet 12 and is controlled by control panel portion 212 of vending machine 10. It is such that it can be controllably arranged in a position centered above (to be aligned with) an open upper end of the selected one of the storage containers 216.

While vertical (Z-axis) alignment of the article storage container 216 is shown, non-vertical, ie inclined or even horizontal (X-axis or Y-axis) alignment is possible (using a "helical wire" dispensing device). Type known front-facing glass vending machines). In the case where the storage vessel is substantially horizontally aligned, the planar positioning mechanism will be suitably changed to position the carriage 218 for movement in the X / Z plane or the Y / Z plane. It is considered to be within the scope of the invention. The combination of a substantially horizontally aligned product stack and a robot controlled article transport mechanism moving in a vertical plane adjacent to the dispensing end of the product stack is described in US Pat. No. 6,230,930 (published Feb. 15, 2003, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VENDING PRODUCTS) and US It is known from patent publication US 2001/0000609 (2001.5.3). The use of curved surfaces for transporting goods is known, for example, in the field of videocassette vending, where the videocassette is loaded outwards on a central storage rotary conveyor and the robot gripper surrounds the rotary conveyor. In addition, although the article storage container 216 is shown as being in an ambient environment, the container 216 may be disposed in a refrigerated environment, such as a refrigerator disposed at the bottom of the storage area 217, and the article carrying mechanism is described above. Enter the vessel from the top opening of the freezer as shown and described in US Pat. No. 5,240,139. Alternatively, where the refrigeration environment is of a type that includes substantial horizontal alignment of the storage container, a vertically oriented opening can be used to provide access to the dispensing end of the article storage container.

In the context of the present invention, the air hose 220 is continuous from the point ahead of the hose outlet of the hose reservoir region 222 to the free end 221 through the roller 213 disposed vertically. The free end 221 includes a weight adder 225 associated with the bellows extending tip portion 227. Depending on the physical characteristics of the article to be dispensed, the article pick-up head 224 may include only a weight adder 225, or may be a bellows tip 227 or a flexible tip without weight adder. It may be combined with a fitting specifically tailored to the type of package to be dispensed. Hose 220 has, in a preferred embodiment, one end connected to a negative pressure pneumatic source comprising blower motor 226, ie a suction force source, and a free end connected to article pick-up head 224. In the present invention, the expression continuous is intended to mean a hose that is connected and operated between its end points as an integral / single hose, in order to perform the required function. The air hose portion 235 provides suction from the blower motor 226 to one port of the air connection box 229, while the continuous hose 220 is connected to the second port of the air connection box 229. The air connection box 229 included at the top of the hose storage area 222 includes an airflow sensor and a vacuum breaker assembly. An airflow sensor is applied to the vending machine's controller and used to generate a signal indicative of airflow through the air hose 220. The vacuum breaker assembly is used to rapidly change the air pressure inside the hose 220 to ambient pressure to help "quickly release" the article carried by the article pickup head into the dispensing chute 210. Rapid release of the product does not have to occur at the top of the dispensing chute 210, and where it is desirable to prevent the force or impact from dropping from being applied to the article, the article pick-up head may need to be Note that it may advance to the bottom of 210. In one embodiment, the airflow sensor device may comprise a two-part switch, the first component comprising a reed switch mounted on top of the box 229, and the second component mounted inside the box 229. And a magnet mounted to the free end of the swing arm. When the arm swings inside the box 229 due to airflow changes, the switch is in a "toggle state" whereby the airflow changes. The use of this airflow signal will be explained in more detail later.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a novel hose positioning mechanism is provided. As shown generally in FIG. 3 and described in more detail in FIGS. 5 and 6, the alignment of the carriage 218 with the selected one of the containers 216 is a front mounted to the “L” type front / rear beam 230. The carriage 218 can be controllably arranged along the beam using the slide 228, consisting of a front / rear Y using a rearward linear slide 228 (not shown). The bottom edge of the beam 230 includes a rack portion 232, and the carriage 218 includes an electric motor 233 that drives a gear 633 (FIG. 6) that engages the rack portion 232. When forward and backward motor control signals are transmitted from the control panel 212 to the motor 233, the carriage 218 is driven forward / backward. Alignment of the carriage 218 in the left and right (X) direction, the left and right linear slide 234 to slidably connect the lower side of the left and right beams 236a, 236b spaced apart from the upper side of the front / rear beam 230. Use, it is done in a similar manner. These beams 236a and 236b are reliably attached to the inner upper end of the cabinet 12. In addition, the rack 238 securely attached in parallel to the beam 236 inside the upper side of the cabinet 12 is driven by a reversible motor 243 mounted near the inner corner of the beam 230. To interlock. The forward and backward motor control signals are applied from the control panel 212 to the motor 243, causing the gear 240 to rotate, thereby moving the beam 230 and thus the carriage 218 to the left and right (X). Will move in the direction.

According to another aspect of the invention, the hose positioning mechanism identifies an article mounted inside the cabinet 12 when the article 223 is moved by the pickup head 224 from the storage container 216 to the chute 210. (ID) disposed past device 254. In order to better identify and confirm whether an item to be dispensed is actually a selected item, there is no need for a particular type of item ID device in the present invention, and depending on system constraints, such a device may be used, for example, as a barcode scanner or other optical image / A pattern recognition system, or even a non-optical system such as radio frequency identification (RFID), or a magnetic based system mounted inside cabinet 12. The configuration operation of such an article identification device is known to those skilled in the art, and thus no further explanation thereof is necessary.

The ID device 254 is mounted in a relatively fixed position in the cabinet 12, which mounting is adapted to facilitate a somewhat controlled movement in the direction of the ID device 254, thereby ensuring good "visibility" of the goods being transported. Note that the reliability of the transported goods being identified and aided is increased. One way to provide this controlled movement for the ID device 254 may be to mount it on a piezoelectric substrate, with the control panel 212 having a voltage on the substrate to change the "visibility" of the ID device 254. Can be provided. Note that by using an appropriately arranged ID device 254, only a single ID device 254 is required. This is particularly useful in the case of a robotic dispenser, since the robotic device can controllably place and reposition the article as needed near the ID device 254 to help ensure reliable identification of the article. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the container holder 260 has a pair of rectangular brackets secured with spaces on opposite inner sidewalls of the cabinet 12, and the container disposed between these sidewalls has a vending cabinet. Used to keep in a predetermined position against the inside of. This is necessary in view of the pre-programming of the control panel 212 controlling the robotic structure for withdrawing the selected article from the selected one of the containers 216.

Note that the carriage assembly 218 moves only in a single plane, but is responsible for precisely positioning the pickup head 224 in the directions of X, Y, and Z, respectively. More specifically, according to another aspect of the present invention as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, in a preferred embodiment the hose placement carriage 218 is in a substantially horizontal direction along the upper interior of the vending machine 10 (ie , Three rollers orthogonally disposed at the point where the hose 220 enters the carriage 218 in order to reverse the direction of movement of the hose 220 from the X, Y direction to the direction perpendicular thereto (i.e., Z direction). A roller device 502 including a 504 is provided. By moving the carriage 218, not only the free end 221 of the hose 220 is moved so that the hose can be axially aligned with a selected one of the containers 216, but also the hose 220 from the hose storage area 222. ) Will be automatically withdrawn. The hose drive mechanism then comprises a set of "pinch rollers" 506, driven by a reversible motor 508 via a gear set 510 and typically operated, which rollers in the illustrated embodiment. While mounted to 218, in another embodiment a motor 508 / roller 506 (or other drive mechanisms as shown in PCT publication WO99 / 12132 mentioned above) along the length of hose 220. Mounted elsewhere, it is used to drive the pickup head 224 into and out of the selected container 216 to withdraw the stored article. If the hose 220 includes a structural helical pleat along its length, the pinch roller 506 includes a mating pleat to assist in driving the hose 220.

This bath, in which the hose 220 moves in the same X, Y plane as the carriage 218 moving plane, helps to downsize the hose placement and drive mechanism for the present invention. In addition, the movement of the carriage is responsible for providing most of the force required to withdraw the hose 220 from the storage area 222, thus allowing the free end of the hose to move into / out of the container 216 for withdrawal of the article. Only the Z drive motor is needed to drive the hose. The pinch roller 506 should comprise a soft rubber material to provide good frictional contact to the hose 220, and if the hose 220 includes structural spiral corrugations along its length, the roller 506 will engage mating corrugations. Note that it can provide a more certain driving force to the hose 220, including. In the illustrated embodiment, no two drive rollers are needed, so only one of the pinch rollers is driven by the motor 508, and springs 514 are used to push the other rollers towards the driven rollers. It is judged that the hose 220 is driven in between. In addition, when using corrugated hoses, in some cases, a linear screw mechanism may be used adjacent to hose 220 instead of pinch roller 506 for driving the hose.

In the vending machine environment, it is important to have a compact hose placement and drive mechanism. The inventive structure of the inventive feature provides a very compact robotic structure that maximizes the ability of the carriage to place the hose inside the cabinet 4. In addition, the compact robot structure maximizes the article storage capacity of the vending machine 10 and improves the ability of the robot positioner to maneuver within the maximized storage area. Consider a 72-inch-high cabinet, a conventional hose positioning mechanism such as that provided in the aforementioned US Pat. No. 5,240,139 or PCT Application Publication No. WO99 / 12132, which generally occupies about 40% of the height inside the cabinet. Using the structure of the present invention, the hose placement and drive mechanism comprises less than 25% of the inner height of the housing, which is a very desirable result. Also note that the compact hose placement and drive mechanism in the present invention has a large difference in that it only accounts for about 15% of the inner height of the housing in the illustrated embodiment. More notably, this very compact hose placement and drive mechanism can arrange the free end of the hose to align with the article container and drive the hose in all the way up to the bottom of the container. In the present invention, the hose can be driven a distance up to three times the height of the hose positioning mechanism, and in the illustrated embodiment the hose is actually driven a distance up to about five times the height of the hose positioning mechanism.

In addition, a flexible guide mechanism 550 is provided to ensure that the pickup head 224 is lowered into the storage area by the drive mechanism of the carriage 218 and into the desired one of the containers 216. 7 is shown. For example, depending on the material used to construct the hose 220, if the hose 220 has not been repositioned for a long time, a significant " entanglement " "Can be formed. If the hose 220 is then lowered into the selected vessel 216, the entanglement may cause a swing of the pickup head 224 as the entanglement of the hose moves past the drive roller 506. To prevent this undesirable pick-up or swing of the pick-up head 224, a guide mechanism 550 is provided that includes a guide plate 552 attached to the ends of the two slide support rods 554. As shown more clearly in FIG. 7, the support rod 554 slides through a hole in a plastic (PVC, ie polyvinyl chloride) block 556 secured to the wall of the carriage 218. Guide plate 552 is configured to have a hole in its center that is slightly larger than the diameter of the pickup head 224 body portion and smaller than the diameter of the pickup head shoulder portion. Thus, when the pick-up head 224 is lowered into the desired vessel during operation, the support rod 554 is at a speed equal to the speed at which the support plate 552 is lowered away from the carriage 218 by the gravity due to gravity. Allow to go down. At a height above the top of the container 216, i.e., determined by the length of the support rod 554, the support plate 552 is no longer moved away from the carriage 218 and its central hole is merely a pickup head ( Guide the remaining descent into the selected vessel 216 of 224. After the package is fixed to the pickup head by the suction force generated inside the hose 220, when the pickup head 224 is withdrawn from the container, the pickup head 224 eventually comes into contact with the guide plate 552, and then the remaining upwards. When the hose 220 is drawn out for movement, the guide plate 552 is also drawn out.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the movement of the carriage 218 includes a bracket 512 disposed below the support beam 230 and constrained to follow the slide 228, and the support beam. It is somewhat stabilized by the mutually cooperative action of the " U " type net 602 protruding from the bottom of 230. The downward pointing mechanism 604 attached to the carriage 218 and facing the slot and the upward pointing portion of the labial portion 602 mesh (and are actually caught). Mutual cooperation of the diagonally opposite supports provided by the bracket 512 and the slide 228 fixed to the two legs of the "L" shaped support beam 230 and the combination of the net 602 and the slide 604. The functional action provides better stability to the carriage 218 while the carriage moves the beam 230.

As shown more clearly in FIG. 7, the support rod 554 includes rods provided with threaded holes at each end, through which machine screws can be inserted. The top of the rod 554 and the head 555 of the screw form a shoulder that prevents the rod 554 from completely falling into the block 556 through the hole, and at the bottom of the rod 554 the screw is guide plate 552. To the rod. Also, as shown in FIG. 14B, the guide plate 552 has a protective packing around the hole to prevent damage to the hose 220 and reduce wear as the hose 22 moves through the guide plate 552. Include. Note that the height of this protective packing is preferably greater than the spacing between adjacent turns of the helical support structure of the hose 220. In addition, the hose 220 is composed of a strong flexible helical portion that acts as a spine forming the shape of the hose, and is preferably formed in synchronism with the flexible, hermetic plastic material placed on an adjacent turn of the helical portion. Note that

Also, other structures for the guide mechanism 132 are contemplated. For example, a series of telescopic tubing sections attached to the underside of carriage 218 and through which hose 220 passes may be used in place of rod 136 and plate 134.

As mentioned earlier, the hose 220 is made of a continuous material from one end connected to the suction force source to the pick-up head 224 at the other end, thus moving the pick-up head 224 in the X, Y, and Z directions. While moving, suitably a means for providing hose storage and / or withdrawal during the article dispensing operation is needed.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, disposing the inner wall 246 parallel and adjacent to the outer wall 248 of the cabinet 12 is to form a hose storage area 222 therebetween. Hose storage region 222 has a cross-sectional area that is slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of a hose loop formed therein. Walls 246 and 248 are shown in a partially cutout state to illustrate the gravity feed self-draw loop tensioner / draw mechanism 250 formed in hose 220. The loop tensioner 250 is constrained to move within the hose storage region 222, in order to provide a constant “loop forming” tension to the hose 220 and to ensure that the weight is always centered within the hose storage region 222. It is somewhat self-extracting by having a cloud weight 252 having a groove 253 along its perimeter. Also, centering the clouded weight 252 in the hose storage area 222 centers the hose 220, thereby repositioning the pickup head 224 in the X, Y, and Z directions. While rubbing the hose 22 against the wall of the hose storage area 222 is prevented. To prevent strapping of the hose 220, the dimensions of the rolling weight 252 are made slightly larger than the diameter of the hose 220, and the width dimension of the hose storage area 222 is larger than the width dimension of the rolling weight 252. Only slightly larger. The specific weight value used for rolling weight 252 is a matter of design choice and depends on various factors such as the weight of the article to be moved, the strength of the motor used to drive the hose in the Z direction, and the like. In other embodiments, it may be desirable to connect weights 252 to the bottom of cabinet 12 using springs to apply additional tension to loop tensioner 250.

In addition, this gravity-based pull out / hose storage technique satisfies the storage requirements for the Z-direction movement of the pickup head 224 and the X, Y (left, right and front) movements of the carriage 218. Of course, this gravity based pull out / hose storage technique will work equally well in embodiments where the robotic hose positioning mechanism uses rotary devices (R, θ), articulated arms, telescopic or sheared systems, or other techniques. . In addition, the illustrated gravity-based pull out / hose storage technique is not essential to the present invention, and in practice a full motor driven or partial motor driven pull out technique may be used. In other embodiments, it may also be desirable to arrange the hose storage region at another location parallel to, for example, the upper or rear portion of cabinet 12.

In addition, although only one storage region 215, hose 220, and carriage 218 are shown in the illustrated embodiment, the invention described herein includes two, each operating for example in a different storage region. Type of dispensing with multiple storage areas and / or robotic item handling mechanisms, such as robotic devices (both two robotic devices are arranged vertically or horizontally or in combination, one vertically and one horizontally) It may also be used in an apparatus / article processor. In addition, where multiple article handling mechanisms are provided, each of them may be tailored to a particular task. For example, one mechanism has a relatively large diameter pickup head and uses a high air / medium suction vacuum supply, while the other has a relatively small diameter pickup head and uses a low air / high suction vacuum supply. .

In this regard, FIG. 9 illustrates a structure 500 of multiple storage areas in which a single item handler of the aforementioned type is being used in three adjacent storage areas. In one embodiment, each region may be for storing a stack of articles aligned in the same direction as in other regions. One storage area 502 has an ambient environment, while the other storage area can be cooled, for example, one area 504 is refrigerated and one area 506 is frozen. Generally, such a structure is intended for dispensing in a compact, reliable and efficient vending machine structure, i.e. dispensing salty snacks (e.g. potato chip bags) from the ambient storage area, and cooling beverages (e.g. , Soda water), and used to dispense frozen snacks (eg, ice cream) from the frozen storage area. In addition, this type of structure may be particularly advantageous that the refrigeration compartment may be used to maintain the quality of the stored article until the stored article is near the time of dispensing request as determined by the intelligent controller. At an appropriate estimated time prior to dispensing, an amount of article may be moved from the freezing zone to the refrigeration zone. It has also been found that this technique is particularly beneficial when the third storage area is actually the instant storage area used to individually heat / cook an article such as a frozen pizza or the like using an oven or a microwave. In this case, the quality / storage life of the frozen pizzas is maintained by not moving these pizzas to the refrigerated zone until the refrigerated zones need to be replenished, at which point the frozen pizzas are transferred from the frozen zone to the refrigerated zone. It is moved sequentially. This technology substantially reduces the time required to heat the pizza while the consumer waits, while allowing the pizza to be stored in a frozen manner, substantially increasing its shelf life and reducing labor costs for vending machine inventory management. In such a structure, the refrigerated storage region may comprise a heat separator such as an air curtain or a sliding thermal panel thereon.

10 illustrates a structure using a single article handling mechanism in two horizontally aligned article storage regions. The back space, ie region 602 is the ambient environment, and region 604 is the refrigerated environment. The article handling mechanism 606 "residents" in the surrounding environment area 602 and can move through the swinging door 608 to the refrigeration area as needed. The article handling mechanism 606 may be configured in the manner described above using the support beam 230 and the carriage 218. Regions 602 and 604 may each include their own article ID device 254 or share a common ID device.

In addition, separate hoses and hose positioning mechanisms may be useful for speeding up the delivery and withdrawal of stored items to consumers. 11 shows a rapid article dispenser of the type having two horizontally displaced storage regions. Separate hoses and hose positioning mechanisms are used, but they may share a single suction force source (eg, blower motor 226), airflow sensors, and vacuum breakers. In other embodiments where a single hose is used in one or more article storage areas, such as the refrigerated and non-refrigerated areas shown in structure 700 of FIG. 11, a single hose, hose positioning mechanism, and hose storage area may be used. In an embodiment, the support beam 230 and the carriage 218 may be disposed between two storage regions having different ambient environments through the door mechanism 702. Each robotic article handling mechanism may have its own article ID device 254 or may share a single article ID device 254.

FIG. 12 includes two consumer interface areas (each including a product selection device such as a keypad or touch screen, a payment system, and a product withdrawal door), for example, one on the left and one on the right, and common between them Illustrates a vending machine having a graphical display and having a single article handling mechanism. Consumer selection and payment takes a tremendous amount of time compared to the actual time required for the dispenser to deliver the selected product, allowing two buyers to use this vending machine at about the same time.

Another one of these structures is shown in FIG. 13, in which the cabinet 600 is refrigerated (and may be heated) with the upper region 602 refrigerated (eg, with two additional sections, Ie may be divided into one region 606 that is frozen and another region 608 that is only cooled. This structure is particularly advantageous because hot air rises and cool air tends to fall. Alternatively, one storage area may be oriented to store the product vertically, and another or multiple areas may be arranged to store horizontally. In this case, separate hoses, hose positioning mechanisms, and hose storage areas may be needed for differently oriented storage areas.

Note that in the above-described structure, the article handling mechanism may have the above-mentioned flexible tubing, scissors, or other forms such as R, θ array, and the like. In addition, the article may be a consumer product, such as office supplies, printer cartridges, and the like.

In the embodiment illustrated herein, the blower motor 226 provides a relatively large volume of airflow, but provides a relatively small negative pressure air pressure. As a matter of design choice, the blower motor 226 may have a vacuum pump that provides a significantly greater degree of negative pressure air pressure, but may have a vacuum pump that provides a moderately reduced amount of airflow due to size and cost limitations. It may be. In the latter case, the diameter of the air hose 220 is reduced than the diameter illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, which may be particularly important for some applications of the present invention. The illustrated embodiment is particularly useful for lifting flexible packages, as instantaneous or fairly persistent leaks in connecting the package to the article generally do not cause the package to drop, but also have a variety of weights and sizes. The ability to lift shaped articles provides high versatility. If the blower motor 226 is equipped with a vacuum pump, it may be used alone or in combination with a storage tank connected to the suction hose through the valve and the air hose to provide a larger volume of airflow. Alternatively, a compressor may be used in conjunction with the venturi device to generate a vacuum.

4 is a functional block diagram illustrating the general operation of various aspects of the invention described herein, such as implemented with an article dispenser of the type including, for example, a vending machine 10. On the control panel 212 is a control system 400 having a microprocessor 402 and associated memory circuits 404. The control system 400 may also include electronic components of other parts of the vending machine 10 as appropriate. The memory circuit 404 stores the RAM cache and operation program (known embedded software that executes the vending machine 10 control described herein) for temporarily storing operation data during system operation and other data as needed. It includes a ROM. The control system 400 is a user payment and selection system 506 (coin and banknote mechanism 28, 30 of FIG. 1) for operating the goods handling mechanism and user interface of the vending machine 10 to dispense the items required by the user. And the select button 40]. More specifically, when the user makes an appropriate payment for the selection using the payment and selection system 406, the control system 400 includes the container 216 holding the pickup head 224 for the item selected by the user. The X / Y (left and right) front and rear drive motors 508 are actuated to be aligned. The control system 400 then engages in a hose drive motor 410 (Z motor) mounted inside the carriage 218 and carried by the carriage, directing the hose 220 toward the upper article in the aligned container. Drive in the direction of A suitable time prior to when the head 224 contacts the article to be taken out (in the embodiment of the present invention where the cabinet 12 does not contain refrigerated air, a suitable time is such that the head 224 may May be just before entering, but if the air is refrigerated, it is considered just before contact with the desired article to minimize the removal of the refrigerated air), the control system 400 applies the lifting force to the pickup head 224 Operate blower motor 226 to provide. When the position sensor 412 finds that the pick-up head 224 has contacted the desired item and grabbed the item, the control system 400 draws the hose 220 from the aligned container 216 to retrieve the selected item. To lift it out of 216, the hose drive motor 410 is reversed in that direction. The carriage 218 is then driven to a position aligned with the article carrying chute 210. Desired article 223 is disposed past article ID device 254 that uniquely identifies and confirms that the article to be dispensed is indeed the selected article as it is moved along its path from storage container 216 to chute 210. . If sensor 412 detects that carriage 218 is aligned with chute 210 (in this case, sensor 202 is a reed switch mounted to the front wall of the cabinet and the leading edge of carriage 218). Control system 400 stops the blower motor 226, and the resulting loss of vacuum causes the selected article to fall into the consumer withdrawal area 22. As shown in FIG. As mentioned above, if the article is fragile and must not fall or be impacted, the hose 220 can be driven down to the bottom of the chute 210 before the article is released.

Note that the position sensor 412 may include an airflow sensor of the junction box 229, and in other embodiments may include a mechanically actuated plunger-type position sensor associated with the pickup head 224. The position sensor 412 may also include a reed switch mounted to the front wall of the cabinet and a magnet mounted to the leading edge of the carriage 218.

According to another aspect of the invention, the control system tracks the movement of the hose 220 and the carriage 218 (e.g. by detecting pulses from a shaft encoder or other distance measuring device in each drive motor), The signal generated by the airflow sensor when the carriage 218 reaches the virtual home position may be used as a check to ensure that the control system 400 correctly counted the motor drive pulses, and if necessary The placement system can be readjusted based on the home position.

Note that the carriage 218 and robotic hose placement arrangement and drive mechanism described above are particularly beneficial in cabinet environments such as vending machines and the like in that they contribute to improving the use of the internal storage volume of the cabinet. More specifically, if a non-storage related part is mounted or present inside the cabinet, leaving pockets of the storage area at the front or rear of the part, the carriage will reach the pocket and use these pockets for article storage. It can be easily placed to make it easy.

A communication system 414 is coupled to the control system 400 to enable operational control of the vending machine from a remote location, and to provide product inventory and vending machine operation information to a remote location. In this regard, communication system 414 may include a connection to means for creating a wired and / or wireless transceiver interface that allows a communication link with a remote computer to be established. In addition, communication system 414 may communicate with a plurality of similarly connected vending machines in the same general area, and may communicate using a wired interface or wireless communication. It may also communicate with various vending machines and / or local servers / controllers at local locations along a local area network (LAN), local area network (LAWN) or wide area network (WAN). The remote computer may include a database that receives and / or accumulates operational data from one or more vending machines, which data may be routed to route drivers, vending machine operators, vending machine owners, product suppliers, etc. using appropriate cryptographic systems (e.g., For example, via a wired or wireless connection). The remote location can also provide feedback to the vending machine, such as authentication information, which can control the operation, for example, to continue operation.

Other embodiments of the robotic hose positioning mechanism described above are believed to be within the scope of the present invention. For example, instead of using a combination of the left / right slide 234 and the support beams 236a and 236b, a roller / guide rail combination as shown in FIG. 8 may be used. The support beams 236a and 236b include a support plate 225, which has two L-shaped rails 256a and 256b facing outwards (ie opposing) along its longitudinal edge. In this embodiment, the slides 234 function by securing a pair of brackets 258 to the opposite ends of the beams 230, each bracket 258 fitting against the opposite rails 256 at the support plate 255. And a pair of spaced and inwardly facing rollers 260 that bit and follow the rails. In addition, the spaced and inwardly facing rollers 260 each include a set of rollers arranged at 90 ° with respect to each other to engage or follow two orthogonal surfaces of the L-shaped rails 256a and 256b. This structure creates a connection between the carriage 218 and the beam 230 which requires less adjustment for proper operation. Also, as mentioned above, when the reservoir is substantially horizontally aligned, the robotic hose positioning mechanism moves in a substantially flat vertical plane (ie, in the X / Z or Y / Z plane) or in an actual vertical curve. The carriage 218 can be placed to make it. Also, as mentioned above, in some aspects of the invention, the robotic hose positioning mechanism is of a length (or telescopic) that forms a "R" motion of the gripper / pickup head that pivots to make a "θ" motion. It may be desirable to include a rotary device R, θ of the type with an I beam. Alternatively, in other circumstances of the present invention, the robotic hose positioning mechanism may include articulated arm or scissors systems, or other techniques.

Accurate control of the power supply to the blower motor 226 reduces the amount of refrigerated air that is moved by the blower motor 226, which is particularly advantageous when the interior or part of the cabinet is cooled. In a preferred embodiment, the microprocessor 402 provides updated information about the height of the item stack in each container 216 when the pick-up head 224 approaches the desired item and, in fact, the control system 400. As it is retained, it will power the blower motor 226 when the pick-up head is in close proximity (and not earlier) of the desired item. The height is assumed to be at a predetermined level when the operator fills the vending machine 10 with the article. The control system 400 may verify the estimated height by moving the pickup head 224 toward the article at the top of the vessel 216 at a reduced rate on the first withdrawal attempt after replenishing the storage area, and thereafter. Compare the estimated height with the actual height. The height of a particular article may be preprogrammed into memory 404 in advance, or the control system 400 may know the height by comparing the height of each container prior to sale. Knowing the height of the upper article, the control system 400 can also always know the height of the next "top" article in the container. In addition, the control system 400 can access the pickup head 224 at a faster rate to the article in the storage area, and slow down only if it is immediately adjacent to the next "top" article in the container. In addition, the technique of slowing down as the pickup head 224 approaches the next article contributes to ensuring that the stored article is not damaged by the pickup head 224.

When the vending machine operator activates the "Reset" switch (not shown), the control system 400 detects the above-described height, since the operator may be expected to change the product loading level and consequently the height of the product in each container. Automatically initialize the use of the technology.

In a variant, a simpler method of controlling the operation of the blower motor 226 and the access of the pick-up head 224 without knowing the height of a particular article is the blower motor 226 just before acquiring the stack height before sale. Note that it is to turn on or slow down the pickup head 224.

For the embodiments described herein, powering a blower motor or other suction force forming device (or instead of a valve actuated vacuum source) means that a fast package holding force, i.e. suction force, appears in the pickup head 224. It is assumed to mean the same thing as.

According to another aspect of the invention, the control system tracks the movement of the hose 220 and the carriage 218 by sensing pulses from a shaft encoder or other distance measuring device in each drive motor, so that the carriage 218 dispenses. The signal generated by the switch of the air flow junction box 229 upon reaching the chute 210 may be used as a check to ensure that the control system 400 correctly counted the motor drive pulses, and if necessary The placement system can be readjusted based on the virtual home position.

If the stored article can be easily damaged, careful handling is required, and if the stored article includes a soft potato chip bag, it is necessary to further modify the apparatus described above. For example, according to another aspect of the present invention, the pick-up tip 227 (shown in FIG. 2B) has a pleated or "bellowed" type side and is made of soft, flexible rubber or plastic, so that the tip 227 In contact with the package to be removed, the negative pressure air pressure suddenly increases in the hose interior 220 such that the length of the tip 227 suddenly decreases. This result tends to quickly and momentarily shrink the gripping end of the pickup head 224 from the article and may apply some lifting to the package. Such hose shrinkage / package lifting may be important as the weight portion 223 of the pickup head 224 may be significant. If a strong contact of the package with the weight portion occurs, this weight portion tends to crush or otherwise damage the weak package in the storage area. The length of the tip 227 and the aggressiveness of its "wrinkle" is a matter of design choice, and is expected of the pick-up head 224 due to the time delay / delay that causes braking and stopping of the z drive motor (310 in FIG. 3). In an amount equal to or greater than the downward movement, the control system 300 and associated sensors and associated mechanical linkages must be determined to provide hose deflation.

Alternatively, or in addition to the hose shrinkage provided by the flexible tip 227, a sufficiently flexible hose 220 may be designed to provide the desired lift amount.

According to another aspect of the invention, speed is important and generally the hose 220 is driven at the maximum permissible speed, but the control system 400 is directed towards the article to be picked up by the pickup head 224 when handling a weak article. The speed driven is reduced when this pickup head 224 approaches the stored package. The control system 400 maintains updated information about the height of each stored article stack in the storage container 10, so that appropriate speed control, i.e., deceleration can be made while the pickup head 224 approaches the stored item. have. This deceleration provides some tolerance in the downward movement and reversal of the pickup head 224 to prevent the package from crushing due to its associated weight hitting a weak package. Similar types of speed control can also be used at the top of the pickup head 224 so that the pickup head collides below the carriage 218 and at the left / right and front / rear moving ends of the carriage 218. Is prevented.

In addition, the slide 228 extends past the front edge of the beam 230 and the carriage 218 positioning mechanism described above is within the full range within the vending cabinet, ie from wall to wall, and corner support gadgets ( gussets, brackets, and support beams, such as reference numeral 22, of which the length is limited so as to be able to move behind compartments, such as compartments 208 of FIG. 8, are contemplated, and also desired for consumer withdrawal areas outside the interior range of the vending cabinet. It is particularly advantageous that a carriage 218 is considered which extends beyond the front of the support beam so that the article can be placed.

In addition, many of the advantages of the present invention described herein apply suction to refrigeration compartments and gripping ends of suction hoses, such as box freezers (such as those disclosed in ice cream dispensers of US Pat. No. 5,240,139) having various doors thereon. It may be particularly useful for an article dispensing apparatus of the type having together the aforementioned controls for forming and / or maintaining.

While the invention has been shown and described in detail with reference to its preferred embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Ramen will understand. Indeed, many of these changes have already been mentioned in the description herein. Those skilled in the art will recognize and be able to ascertain that many equivalents to the specific embodiments of the invention described herein may be obtained using only conventional experience. For example, while the preferred embodiment described describes the suction force provided to the air hose 220, a gripper such as a forceps (or an electromagnetic device or even a self-contained suction force generator) that is actually mechanically actuated at its free end. The solid element provided in the may be used. All such equivalents are intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (38)

An article dispensing apparatus, A storage area for storing the article along the plurality of longitudinal axes; An article extraction device having a free end controllably disposed in the storage volume to selectively extract the article from the storage area; A positioning mechanism coupled with the article extraction device and responsive to the control signal to move substantially planarly to position the free end of the article extraction device in alignment with a selected one of the longitudinal axes; A drive mechanism connected to the article extraction device for moving the free end of the article extraction device along a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis; A user interface and control device which allows a user of the dispensing device to initiate an article dispensing operation and cause controlled movement of the article extraction device and positioning mechanism such that the selected article can be dispensed by the dispensing device. Article dispensing device comprising a. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the article extraction apparatus comprises a vacuum hose. The article dispensing device of claim 1 or 2, wherein the vacuum hose comprises a length of flexible tube that extends from the hose storage region to its free end. 4. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 1 or 3, wherein the hose is guided from the hose storage area to the positioning mechanism to move in substantially the same plane as the positioning mechanism moves. 5. A drive according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the drive mechanism is supported by the positioning mechanism and frictionally driven and controllably driven with the flexible tube such that the free end of the flexible tube is controlled and extended in and out of the article storage area. And a roller mechanism. 6. An article dispensing device according to claim 5, wherein the hose comprises a pleat, and the driven roller mechanism comprises a set of rollers that are oppositely shaped, toothed and disposed to engage the pleats of the hose. . 5. The hose according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the hose is guided by two or more sets of reorienting rollers, one set is disposed at the hose outlet of the hose storage area and the other set is at the inlet to the hose drive mechanism. And an article dispensing device supported by the same. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein each set of reorientation rollers includes one or more pairs of right angled rollers on one side of the hose, and includes one or more other rollers that keep the right angled rollers in contact with the hoses. Phosphorus distribution device. 5. The article extraction apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the article extraction device is in the plane of the positioning mechanism up to the point where the reorienting roller guides the free end of the extraction device to be aligned with a selected one of the longitudinal axes of the storage volume. An article dispensing device that is constrained to move into a storage volume. 5. The article dispensing device of claim 1 or 4, wherein the article extraction device comprises a hollow tube and uses vacuum pressure to hold the article. The article dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 or 4, wherein the article extracting apparatus comprises a solid member having an article trapping mechanism at an end thereof. The article dispensing device of claim 1 or 4, wherein the positioning mechanism moves in a plane using right angle (x / y) movement. The article dispensing device of claim 1 or 4, wherein the positioning mechanism moves in a plane using one of radial (R, θ) motion and curved motion. 4. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein an inner sidewall of the cabinet portion of the article dispensing apparatus defines a space adjacent the article storage region, the space defining the hose storage region. 15. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 14, wherein a set of redirecting rollers disposed at the outlet of the hose storage region is attached to the inner sidewalls. 4. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein an end of the hose opposite the free end is connected to a vacuum source. 17. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the vacuum source comprises a source of relatively high airflow and relatively low attraction force. 17. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 16, wherein the vacuum source comprises a source of relatively low airflow and relatively high attraction force. 4. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 3, wherein the hose storage region is disposed in the plane of the cabinet such that the hose storage region does not intersect the longitudinal axis of the article storage region. 4. The article dispensing device of claim 3, wherein the continuous predetermined length of hose is constrained to move into the gravity operated loop within the hose storage area. 21. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 20, wherein the gravity operated loop is formed by rolling weights. 7. The article dispensing device of claim 6, including a rotational connection at the free end of the hose to enable the hose to rotate without rotation of the article when the hose is driven out of the storage area. Carriage / Beam An article dispensing apparatus, A storage volume configured to store a product to be dispensed, the storage volume including before, after, top, bottom, left and right planes; An article dispensing area opposed to the article storage volume and disposed on the side of the front plane; An article holding mechanism having a free end controllably disposed in the storage volume to selectively hold an article stored therein; A positioning mechanism coupled to the article holding mechanism, the positioning mechanism responsive to a control signal to controllably place the holding mechanism within the storage volume and between the storage volume and the article distribution area; A carriage mechanism connected to the article holding device; A user interface and control device that allows a user of an article dispensing device to initiate an article dispensing operation and cause controlled movement of the article extraction device and positioning mechanism such that the selected article can be relocated from a storage volume to a dispensing area. Wherein the positioning mechanism comprises a movable support beam having a longitudinal axis and traversable to and perpendicular to the storage area in a direction toward the front plane, so that the positioning mechanism can be disposed between the left and right planes; The carriage mechanism allows the carriage to be selectively disposed along the longitudinal axis of the support beam and to extend beyond the front end of the support beam such that the selected article is on an opposite side of the front plane. An article dispensing device, the article dispensing apparatus being connected to the support beam. Double robot An article dispensing apparatus, A storage area for storing the article along the plurality of longitudinal axes; An article extraction device having a free end for selectively extracting the article from the storage area; A positioning mechanism coupled with the article extraction device, the positioning mechanism responsive to the control signal to place the free end of the article extraction device in alignment with the selected one of the longitudinal axes; A drive mechanism connected to the article extraction device for moving the free end of the article extraction device in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the storage area; A user interface and control causing a controlled movement of the article extraction device and the positioning mechanism such that the user of the dispensing device can initiate an article dispensing operation and the selected article is extracted from the article storage area and moved to the dispensing area of the dispensing device. An apparatus; Vertical or horizontal shelves or walls dividing the interior space of the cabinet into a plurality of vertical or horizontally oriented article storage volumes each having its own article extraction device and positioning mechanism; Article dispensing device comprising a. 2. The positioning device of claim 1, wherein the positioning device in one of the storage volumes operates in three coordinate axes (x, y, z), and the positioning device in another storage volume comprises less than three coordinate axes (x or y and z, Or just z). Dual robots sharing a common placement and / or capture device An article dispensing apparatus, A storage area for storing the article along the plurality of longitudinal axes; An article extraction device having a free end for selectively extracting the article from the storage area; A positioning mechanism coupled with the article extraction device, the positioning mechanism responsive to the control signal to place the free end of the article extraction device in alignment with the selected one of the longitudinal axes; A drive mechanism connected to the article extraction device for moving the free end of the article extraction device in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the storage area; A user interface and control causing a controlled movement of the article extraction device and the positioning mechanism such that the user of the dispensing device can initiate an article dispensing operation and the selected article is extracted from the article storage area and moved to the dispensing area of the dispensing device. An apparatus; Vertical or horizontal shelves or walls that divide the interior space of the cabinet into a plurality of vertical or horizontally aligned article storage volumes each sharing a common article capture device and positioning mechanism; Article dispensing device comprising a. 2 vacuum sources and dual robot An article dispensing apparatus, A storage area for storing the article along the plurality of longitudinal axes; An article extraction device provided with a vacuum hose having a free end for selectively extracting the article from the storage area; A positioning mechanism coupled with the article extraction device, the positioning mechanism responsive to the control signal to place the free end of the article extraction device in alignment with the selected one of the longitudinal axes; A drive mechanism connected to the article extraction device for moving the free end of the article extraction device in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis of the storage area; Allow the user of the dispensing device to initiate an article dispensing operation and control the movement of the article extraction device and the positioning mechanism so that the selected article is extracted from the article storage area and moved along the common path to the dispensing area of the dispensing device. Causing a user interface and a control device; Vertical or horizontal shelves or walls dividing the interior space of the cabinet into a plurality of vertical or horizontally aligned article storage volumes each having its own article extraction device; Two vacuum sources for supplying a vacuum to each of the hoses of each article extraction device, one for supplying a high vacuum low flow rate and one for supplying a low vacuum high flow rate Article dispensing device comprising a. 28. The article dispensing device of claim 27, further comprising a plurality of consumer withdrawal boxes to which each own article extraction device accesses. 29. The article dispensing device of claim 28 wherein each box is for a particular type of article and is accessed by either robot. 28. The article dispensing device of claim 27 wherein the one article extraction device is in ambient air and the other article extraction device is in refrigerated air. 28. The device of claim 27, wherein the two article taking devices operate in the same plane, with or without different article joining mechanisms, and share some parts of the positioning mechanism (1/2 of the left beam, 1 of the right beam). / 2), the article dispensing device sharing the same hose. Refrigerated Versions and Related Concepts 27. The article dispensing apparatus of claim 26, comprising a) a refrigeration compartment having a vertically arranged door, such that the robot moves between the ambient environment and the refrigerated environment. Depot / Dual Robot Claims As a storage goods distribution structure, A common computer control system; An article basket system in which a robot moves items from a storage area to different stations that pick and place into the basket Wherein at least two different robotic systems are used for dispensing the article, the system comprising at least one robotic system utilizing a vacuum pump (or venturi) air system (ie, relatively high vacuum low flow rate). , Another robotic system utilizing a vacuum blower system (ie, relatively low vacuum high flow rate). 34. The apparatus of claim 33 comprising a bar code reading and visual identification system for placement and distribution of an article. 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the article basket goes to a drive-through island at a gas station or parking lot. 34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the storage article distribution structure is connected to a remote order location via the Internet, a wireless connection, or the like, to initiate its distribution operation. An article dispensing apparatus, A storage area for storing a plurality of articles grouped to be disposed along a plurality of longitudinal axes; An article extraction device comprising a hose continuous from the free end to the hose supply region, the free end being controllably disposed in the storage volume to selectively extract the article from the storage region; A positioning mechanism coupled to the hose and responsive to the control signal to move substantially planarly within a fixed volume adjacent the storage volume and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the positioning mechanism being substantially equivalent to the movement of the positioning mechanism. Positioning mechanism to move the hose from the hose supply region to the positioning mechanism in the same plane, and to position the free end of the hose in alignment with the selected one of the longitudinal axes; A drive mechanism connected to the hose for moving the free end of the hose along a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis; A user interface and control device which allows a user of the dispensing device to initiate an article dispensing operation and cause controlled movement of the article extraction device and positioning mechanism such that the selected article can be dispensed by the dispensing device. Article dispensing device comprising a. An article dispensing apparatus, A storage area for storing a plurality of articles grouped to be disposed along a plurality of longitudinal axes; An article extraction device comprising a hose continuous from the free end to the hose supply region, the free end being controllably disposed in the storage volume to selectively extract the article from the storage region; A positioning mechanism coupled to the article extraction device and responsive to a control signal to move substantially planarly within a fixed volume adjacent the storage volume and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the free end of the article extraction device Positioning mechanism to align with a selected one of the longitudinal axes; A drive mechanism connected to the hose and disposed within the positioning mechanism for moving the free end of the hose along a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis; A user interface and control device which allows a user of the dispensing device to initiate an article dispensing operation and cause controlled movement of the article extraction device and positioning mechanism such that the selected article can be dispensed by the dispensing device. Article dispensing device comprising a.