RU215623U1 - Vending machine for dispensing piece goods - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to commercial equipment, namely to a machine for issuing piece goods, such as: cigarettes in packs, boxes or vials of medicines, and similar products. The vending machine for issuing piece goods comprises a body 1, including a first compartment with a door 2 for placing piece goods, equipped with a touch panel 3 connected to a control unit located in the second compartment, closed by a front panel 5, on which a slot 6 is formed for receiving payment, niche 7 for the issuance of piece goods and tray 8 for the issuance of change and a check for the purchased goods. In the first compartment there is a rack 4, with cassettes for piece goods. Between the rack 4 and the door 2 there is a device for extracting the piece goods and moving it to the niche 7 for dispensing the piece goods. This device includes a frame, the vertical elements of which are connected by belt drives with synchronized drives to ensure movement along the vertical guides located on both sides of the rack 4, and on the horizontal elements, an extraction unit is installed to move along them. The latter includes a cassette ejector, a scanner for reading the code of the piece goods, a pusher and a basket for receiving the piece goods, connected with the corresponding drives. The technical result of the utility model is to simplify the extraction of goods, for example, a pack of cigarettes, by automatically pushing it down into the receiving device, while the identified product with a scanned barcode is guaranteed to be issued to the consumer.

Description

The utility model relates to commercial equipment, namely to a vending machine for piece goods, such as cigarette packs, medicine boxes or vials, and similar products.

A device for issuing packs of tobacco products is known, containing a storage unit, a product selection panel, a product transportation unit and an associated automatic control unit. The storage unit for packs of tobacco products consists of a housing with groups of cassettes located on several floors, each of which has vertical channels with ejectors of packs of tobacco products, while the groups of cassettes are made with the possibility of being pulled out of the housing (RU 2541306, G07F 11/26, published on 10.02 .2015).

The known device is characterized by a vertical arrangement of channels with cassettes in which goods are stored. This arrangement of cassettes is not suitable for use in some machines.

Also known is a vending machine containing a body including a rack with horizontal shelves, a movement and positioning system, a device for moving goods, a device for issuing goods, a control system, a terminal for ordering and paying for goods. Each shelf of the rack is equipped with a device for moving goods, including a housing made of a rectangular profile, open along the upper wall with the formation of a longitudinal groove, in which a carriage with a pusher is installed for movement, and two rotation elements are installed on the axles in the housing, with a cable stretched between them connected to the carriage. The system of movement and positioning includes two horizontal guides and a carrier frame installed between them with the possibility of sliding with profiles vertically placed inside it, with bearings fixed on them along the entire length, in which a positioning means is installed with the possibility of movement with a device for dispensing goods placed inside, containing a tray with a rotating roller and a canvas fixed on the edge of the tray and the roller. The positioning tool is equipped with a video camera sensor and a product presence sensor (RU 2533440, class G07F 11/16, published on November 20, 2014).

The disadvantage of the known machine, associated with its dimensions and others, can be attributed, for example, the lack of a scanner to read the barcode of the goods.

The technical problem solved by the utility model is to improve the operational properties of vending machines equipped with the proposed device for issuing piece products, which, in addition, will reduce the dimensions and reduce the cost of these machines, eliminating the need to use complex automatic grippers for mechanized extraction of piece products.

The technical result aimed at solving this problem consists in simplifying the extraction of goods, for example, a pack of cigarettes, by automatically pushing it down into the receiving device.

The named technical result is achieved in the utility model by means of the following set of features.

SUBSTANCE: vending machine for issuing piece goods contains a body including a first compartment with a door for placing piece goods and a second compartment for placing control, payment and dispensing units for piece goods. In the first compartment there is a rack consisting of horizontal shelves with cassettes for piece goods mounted on them, made with the possibility of translational movement along the shelves. Between the rack and the door there is a device for extracting piece goods and moving them to the issuing niche. It includes a frame, the vertical elements of which are connected by belt drives with synchronized drives to ensure movement along the vertical guides located on both sides of the rack, and on the horizontal elements, an extraction unit is installed with the possibility of moving along them. The latter includes a cassette ejector, a scanner for reading the code of the piece goods, a pusher and a basket for receiving the piece goods, connected with the corresponding drives.

The door of the first compartment is made with a touch panel connected to the control unit, and the second compartment is made with a front panel, on which there is a slot for receiving payment, a niche for issuing piece goods and a tray for issuing change and receipt.

The basket for receiving piece goods is mounted on an axis with the possibility of its rotation by an appropriate angle and is equipped with an optical sensor to determine the presence of piece goods in it.

Each horizontal shelf of the rack is made with the possibility of moving towards the door along with the cassettes installed on it, and a box for rejected piece goods is placed under the rack.

The utility model is illustrated by drawings.

Figure 1 shows the machine with the open door of the first compartment (isometric view).

Figure 2 shows the machine with extended section of the second compartment (isometric view).

Figure 3 shows a rack with cassettes and a device for extracting piece goods and moving them to the issuing window (isometric view).

Figure 4 shows the piece goods extraction unit.

Figure 5 schematically shows the details of the block of figure 4.

The vending machine shown in figures 1 and 2 for issuing piece goods contains a body 1 in the form of a rectangular parallelepiped, divided into two compartments, the larger of which (the first) has a pivot door 2 with a touch panel 3 and is designed to install a rack 4. In a smaller one ( the second) compartment contains a retractable system module with control units, payment and issuance of piece goods. The second compartment has a front panel 5, on which a slot 6 is formed for receiving payment, a niche 7 for issuing piece goods and a tray 8 for issuing change and a receipt for the purchased goods.

The rack 4 consists of horizontal shelves, on which, for the purpose of the most dense loading of goods, cassettes 9 for piece goods are located close to each other (Fig. 3), made with the possibility of translational movement back and forth along the shelves. Between the rack 4 and the door 2 there is a device 10 for extracting piece goods and moving it to the niche 7 for issuing goods. This device includes a frame, the vertical elements 11 of which are connected by belt drives 12 with synchronized drives 13 to ensure movement along the vertical guides 14 located on both sides of the rack 4. The drives 13 are synchronized according to the “electric shaft” scheme, while the absence of a mechanical connection (shaft) between these drives provides additional usable volume.

On the horizontal elements 15 of the frame, a block 16 for extracting piece goods is installed with the possibility of moving along them. As shown in FIG. 4 and 5, the extraction unit 16 includes: a means 17 for pulling the cassette 9 mounted on rails 18, a scanner 19 for reading the code of a piece goods, installed with the possibility of vertical movement up and down along the rails 20, a pusher 21 mounted on rails 22 and a basket 23 for for receiving piece goods, installed on the axis 24 with the possibility of its rotation by the appropriate angle. The cassette puller 17, the scanner 19 and the pusher 21 are connected by belt drives to the corresponding drives, which are operated by the control unit. The scanner 19 is placed on rails 20 and has the ability to move up and down with the help of an appropriate drive, which makes it more likely to read codes of various sizes and from goods of different heights, namely, to maintain the optimal focal length from the scanner to the upper plane of the goods. Also, to increase the probability and speed of reading the barcode, an algorithm is used to alternately move the cassette 9 back and forth, in the process of pulling the cassette 9 from the shelf of the rack 4.

In addition, the extraction unit 16 includes a video camera 27 for transmitting to the control unit the marking image on the measuring tape installed at the bottom of each cassette 9.

Basket 23 is equipped with optical sensors 25 to detect the presence of piece goods in it.

Under the rack 4 there is a box 26 for rejected piece goods with an unrecognized digital code (figure 2).

For the convenience of loading or unloading piece goods, each horizontal shelf of the rack 4 is mounted on a skid with the possibility of rolling forward together with cassettes 9, while part of the upper shelves in the extended position leans down, which simplifies access to the goods.

Loading or unloading piece goods into the cassette 9 or from it can be carried out in an arbitrary area of the row (at the beginning, end or middle of the row), which simplifies rotation when additional loading or partial unloading of goods.

The operation of the vending machine for the issuance of piece goods is carried out as follows. The consumer, using the touch panel 3 on the door 2, selects the piece goods. The information enters the control unit, which starts the synchronized drives 13, while the extraction unit 16 moves to the desired cassette 9. With the help of the pulling means 17, the cassette 9 is pulled forward to the required distance, the scanner 19 reads the code on the upper end of the first cassette 9 in a row of piece goods , the pusher 21 pushes it down into the basket 23, the video camera 27 transmits an image of the measuring tape on the front turning drum of the cassette 9, with the help of which the software of the control unit determines the amount of product (row length) in the cassette 9. The sensor 25 for determining the presence of the product in the basket transmits information onto the control unit, and the extraction unit 16 moves to the dispensing recess 7. The basket 23 is rotated on the axis 24 to the angle required for dropping the goods into the niche 7 of the issuance. The unidentified item is moved to drawer 26 and is not dispensed to the customer.

Claims (8)

1. A vending machine for dispensing piece goods, comprising a body including a first compartment with a door for placing piece goods and a second compartment for placing control, payment and dispensing units for piece goods, while in the first compartment there is a rack consisting of horizontal shelves with installed on them with cassettes for piece goods, made with the possibility of translational movement along the shelves, and between the rack and the door there is a device for extracting piece goods and moving it to the dispensing niche, including a frame, the vertical elements of which are connected by belt drives with synchronized drives to ensure movement along vertical guides located on both sides of the rack, and on the horizontal elements, an extraction unit is installed with the possibility of moving along them, including a cassette pulling means connected with the corresponding drives, a pusher and a basket for receiving piece goods. 2. The machine according to claim 1, in which the door is made with a touch panel associated with the control unit. 3. The machine according to claim 1, in which the second compartment is made with a front panel, on which a slot is formed for receiving payment, a niche for issuing piece goods and a tray for issuing change and a check. 4. The machine according to claim 1, in which the basket for receiving piece goods is mounted on an axis with the possibility of its rotation by an appropriate angle. 5. The machine according to claim 1, in which the basket for receiving piece goods is provided with an optical sensor for detecting the presence of piece goods in it. 6. The machine according to claim 1, in which each horizontal shelf of the rack is made with the possibility of extension towards the door along with the cassettes installed on it. 7. The machine according to claim 1, in which a box for rejected piece goods is placed under the rack. 8. The machine according to claim 1, in which the extraction unit includes a scanner associated with the drive for reading the code of the piece goods.

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