WO2001016902A1

WO2001016902A1 - Hot food vending machines

Info

Publication number: WO2001016902A1
Application number: PCT/GB2000/002489
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jerry Nash
Original assignee: Food Service Technology Ltd
Priority date: 1999-07-01
Filing date: 2000-06-26
Publication date: 2001-03-08
Also published as: GB2351490A; GB9915334D0; AU5555800A; WO2001016902A8

Abstract

A re-loadable cassette for storing packets of cutlery and/or condiments in an automatic hot food vending machine, wherein there is included a quick release coupling between the cassette and a cassette drive motor attached to the structure of the hot food vending machine.

Description

Hot Food Vending Machines

The present invention relates to automatic hot food vending machines and more specifically to mechanisms incorporated into such machines for delivering cutlery and/or condiments to a customer at the end of a transaction.

Automatic hot food vending machines, such as that disclosed in specification US 5,210,387 incorporate mechanisms for delivering cutlery and/or condiments to the purchasers of food from them.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a mechanism the re -loading of which is facilitated.

According to the present invention there is provided a mechanism for delivering cutlery and/or condiments or the like to a customer collection point in an automatic hot food vending machine, comprising a cassette including a plurality of compartments for containing packages of cutlery and/or condiments and means for advancing one item of cutlery and/or condiments at a time to the collection point, wherein the cassette is adapted to be demountable from the structure of the hot food vending machine and there is included a quick release coupling means connecting the cassette to a cassette drive means forming part of the structure of the hot food vending machine .

The compartments for holding cutlery and/or condiments may be constituted by the turns of a helical structure extending axially within the cassette, and the cassette drive means can be adapted to rotate the helical structure in 180° steps to release a packet of cutlery and/or condiments from the cassette. Preferably the quick release coupling is a dog coupling, and the cassette drive means is adapted to ensure that at the end of each half -revolution of the helical structure the operating parts of the coupling are so positioned that the cassette can be removed readily from the hot food vending machine.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a part sectioned plan view of an embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 2 is a top end view of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, a cassette for containing packets of cutlery and/or condiments for delivery to purchasers of food from an automatic hot food vending machine consists of a chamber 100 of rectangular cross section, two sides 101 and 102 of which can be removed to facilitate the re- loading of the cassette. Inside the chamber 100 is an helical coil 103 the successive turns of which, together with the sides 101 and 102 of the chamber 100 and a central divider plate 104 form two stacks of storage compartments 105 for the storage and delivery of the packets of cutlery and/or condiments to a delivery point (not shown in the drawings). The coil 103 is mounted in bearings in the top and bottom of the chamber 100, only the top one of which, 106, is shown. Attached to the top of the coil 103 is a drive collar 107 and coil drive dog 108, which engages with a corresponding dog on the drive shaft of an electric motor (not shown in the drawing). Projecting from the sides of the cassette chamber 100 are lugs 201 which engage with corresponding fittings forming part of the structure of the vending machine (not shown) such that the cassette 100 can readily be inserted into place and withdrawn for re- filling. This operation is facilitated by two indentations 202, 203 in the periphery of the drive collar 106 which co-operate with a spring -loaded plunger 204 to ensure that the drive dog 107 at each half -revolution of the storage coil 103 is aligned perpendicular to the major transverse axis of the cassette 100. It is only necessary to rotate the storage coil 103 through half a revolution at a time, because there are two stacks of packages of cutlery and/or condiments, one on each side of the shaft 205 passing through the storage coil 103.

The detent mechanism (202, 203, 204) can be replaced by a stepping drive motor for the rotation of the storage coil 103, or by an automatic transfer system controlled by the release of a package of cutlery from the cassette 100.

In use, each time a customer makes a purchase from the machine he or she is asked whether cutlery and/or condiments are required. If the customer presses a button indicating that this is so, the central processing unit which controls the operation of the machine operates the cassette drive motor to cause the storage coil to be rotated half a revolution to release a package of cutlery and/or condiments from the bottom of the storage coil 103.

The apparatus also may be used to deliver suitably sized and shaped promotional material.

Claims

1. A mechanism for delivering cutlery and/or condiments or the like to a customer collection point in an automatic hot food vending machine, comprising a cassette including a plurality of compartments for containing packages of cutlery and/or condiments and means for advancing one item of cutlery and/or condiments at a time to the collection point, wherein the cassette is adapted to be demountable from the structure of the hot food vending machine and there is included a quick release coupling means connecting the cassette to a cassette drive means forming part of the structure of the hot food vending machine.

2. A mechanism according to claim 1 wherein there is included a longitudinally extending helical structure the successive turns of which co-operate with the walls of the cassette and a central axially extending divider plate to constitute the said compartments and the cassette drive means is adapted to rotate the helical structure in half revolution steps to deliver one packet of cutlery and/or condiments per half revolution of the coil .

3. A mechanism according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the quick release coupling is a dog coupling and there is included means for aligning the co-operating parts of the dog coupling to facilitate the withdrawal and replacement of the cassette.

4. A mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the dog coupling has a single engaging member and there is included aligning means for ensuring that the rest position of the coupling is such that the engaging member of the component of the dog coupling associated with the cassette is parallel to the initial direction of motion of the cassette as it is removed from the vending machine .

5. A mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the aligning means comprises a collar having two diametrically opposed peripheral indentations which cooperate with a spring- loaded plunger.

6. A mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 4 wherein the cassette drive means includes a geared motor or stepping motor and controller adapted to rotate the helical structure in half revolution steps.

7. A mechanism for delivery packets of cutlery and/or condiments to a customer collection point in an automatic hot food vending machine substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to the accompanying drawings .