WO2015019377A1

WO2015019377A1 - Modular vending machine

Info

Publication number: WO2015019377A1
Application number: PCT/IT2014/000205
Authority: WO
Inventors: IACONO Antonino LO; Fabio Maria Montagnino; Filippo PAREDES
Original assignee: Wib S.R.L
Priority date: 2013-08-09
Filing date: 2014-08-05
Publication date: 2015-02-12
Also published as: ITVI20130210A1

Abstract

A vending machine that comprises at least one vending module (11), and at least one storage module (12). The storage module (12) comprises: - a frame (13) having at least one opening (14); - a store (15) housed in the frame (13); - a first transfer device (16), placed above or below the store 15 and configured to transfer products through the at least one opening (14) in the frame (13); - a second transfer device (17), placed in the frame (13) and configured to transfer products between the store (15) and the first transfer device (16). The vending module (11) can be associated with at least one storage module (12) and comprises : - a case (18) having at least one hole (19) superposable with the opening (14); - a vending compartment (20) communicating with the hole (19) and equipped with an unloading mouth (21) for extracting products therefrom; - a control device (22) comprising an interface device (23), for selecting products to be purchased, and connectable to the transfer devices (16) and (17).

Description

MODULAR VENDING MACHINE

The present invention relates to a modular vending machine .

In particular, the present invention relates to a modular vending machine particularly suitable for the retail distribution of packaged products such as for example foods or drinks or household products.

The present vending machine is particularly suitable for being installed in public places such as in airports or railway stations, shopping centers or schools .

Therefore, the present invention belongs to the field of vending machines .

Nowadays in the field of vending machines used for automated retail sale of food products or the like, the need to produce a vending machine in a simple way, able to adapt to the most varied customer requirements, is strongly felt.

Such requirements may regard the type or size of products and the independent dispensing capacity of the vending machine store.

Nowadays automatic vending machines are known having a control module for selecting products, paying for the selected products and collecting them, and one or two store modules, alongside one another on one side or on two opposite sides, respectively, of the control module for transferring the selected products into it.

The store modules have a plurality of shelves that comprise a plurality of lanes each equipped with a conveyor belt on which the products are stored.

The conveyor belt can be activated to unload one or more of the products that it supports towards the control module .

The problem underpinning the present invention is that of increasing the production flexibility of traditional modular vending machines while guaranteeing their high production simplicity.

The main task of the present invention consists of producing a modular vending machine that solves this problem by overcoming the drawbacks of traditional modular vending machines .

Within the scope of this task an object of the present invention is to propose a modular vending machine whose storage capacity can be easily regulated.

In particular an object of the present invention is to propose a modular vending machine whose storage capacity can be regulated both during its assembly stage and during the use lifetime of the vending machine .

Another object of the present invention consists of producing an automatic vending machine that allows efficient transfer of products between the modules that comprise it .

Another object of the invention consists of proposing a modular vending machine that allows the simultaneous selection of products to be purchased by a plurality of different buyers.

An object of the invention consists of proposing a modular vending machine that has no limits to the number and type of modules assembled for composing it. Another object of the invention consists of producing a modular vending machine that allows the user to collect the products purchased at a single module without having to collect them from different modules.

A further object of the invention consists of proposing a modular vending machine that allows all the products purchased to be collected simultaneously from the vending machine, without having to collect them one at a time following the payment of each item.

A further object of the invention consists of producing a modular vending machine that allows the remote purchase of the products contained therein and the collection from the vending machine itself through the identification of the user.

This task, as well as these and other objects that will more fully emerge below, are reached through a modular vending machine according to the appended independent claim which is incorporated fully herein for reference purposes .

Detailed characteristics of the modular vending machine according to the invention are reported in the dependent claims that are referred to herein in full. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will more fully emerge from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the modular vending machine according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 illustrates a simplified diagram of a vending machine module according to the invention, in perspective view,

- Figure 2 illustrates a simplified diagram of a further vending machine module according to the invention, in perspective view

- Figure 3 illustrates a simplified diagram of a modular vending machine according to the invention, in the frontal elevation view.

With particular reference to the cited figures, 10 indicates a vending machine as a whole which, according to the present invention has a particular feature in that it comprises at least one vending module 11, according to the present invention, and at least one storage module 12, according to the invention, connected to the at least one vending module 11.

In accordance with the present invention, the storage module 12 comprises:

- a frame 13 having at least one opening 14 communicating with the outside;

- a store 15 housed in the frame 13;

- a first transfer device 16, placed above or below the store 15 and configured to transfer products through the at least one opening 14 in the frame 13;

- a second transfer device 17, placed in the frame 13 and configured to transfer products between the store 15 and the first transfer device 16.

Preferably, the first transfer device 16 is vertically aligned with the store 15.

The first transfer device 16 is advantageously superimposed on the store 15.

The vending module 11, according to the present invention, has a special feature in that it can be associated with at least one storage module 12 and comprises:

- a case 18 having at least one hole 19 configured to be superimposed on the opening 14 in the storage module 12, to receive products, through the at least one hole 19, from the first vending device of the storage module 12;

- a vending compartment 20 communicating with the at least one hole 19, to receive the products through the latter, and equipped with an unloading mouth 21 communicating with the outside and configured to allow access, from the outside, to at least one service portion of the vending compartment 20 to extract products therefrom;

- a control device 22 comprising an interface device 23 that can be operated by a user for selecting at least one type of product to be purchased, and connection means, not shown, for operatively connecting the control device 22 to transfer devices 16 and 17 of the at least one storage module 12, for activating the latter.

To transfer products between the modules 11 and 12, at least one opening 14 in each of the at least one storage module 12 is superimposed and is in communication by choice:

- with an opening 14 in a further storage module 12,

- with a hole 19 in the at least one vending module 11. In practice, a vending machine 10 advantageously comprises a vending module 11 and a plurality of storage modules 12.

These modules 11 and 12 are associated in sequence with one another and are in communication through the openings 14 and the holes 19 so that the products can be transferred between the storage modules 12, through the first transfer devices 16, and from these to the vending module 11.

The vending machine 10 preferably comprises a number of storage modules 12 and a number of vending modules 11 chosen according to the contingent actuation requirements of the invention.

Furthermore there may be any combination of such modules 11 and 12 in accordance with such contingent requirements .

In practice, each vending module 11 is connected through the holes 19 to at least one storage module 12 which has the first transfer device 16 configured to feed products into the vending compartment 20 of the vending module 11 to make them available to the user. The control device 22 is preferably electrically connected to the vending devices 16 and 17 for activating them following a selection of products by the user.

Activated by the control device 22, the second transfer device 17 transfers the products selected from the store 15 to the first transfer device 16 which, after receiving the products transfers them, through the opening 14, to an adjacent module 11 or 12 for transferring such products to the vending module 11. Advantageously, each vending module 11 has two openings 14 provided at the same vertical level of the frame 13. These two openings 14 are preferably aligned and opposite.

Advantageously, the frame 13 comprises at least one closing screen, not shown, configured to close an opening 14 and removable from the latter so as to open it .

Preferably, the hole 19 and the opening 14 are provided in corresponding positions, respectively in the case 18 and the frame 13.

Such positions are advantageously placed at the same height so that, following the approach of a vending module 11 and a storage module 12, the hole 19 and the opening 14 are superimposed and form a passage for transferring products between these modules 11 and 12. Preferably, the hole 19 and the opening 14 have the same shape and opening section.

The store 15 of the storage module 12 is preferably- accessible from one of its front faces 24 and the second transfer device 17 is placed at the front of the front face 24 and is mobile with respect to the latter for loading products into the store 15 or unloading products from the store 15.

The first transfer device 16 is preferably extendible through the opening 14.

Extendible means that the transfer device advantageously comprises:

- a mobile portion configured to extend through the opening 14 ;

- and/or an organ adapted to act through the opening 14 such as, by way of non-limiting example, a slide or a pusher .

Advantageously, the first transfer device 16 comprises a conveyor belt 16a adapted to support products and mobile to transfer products through the at least one opening 14.

Such a conveyor belt 16a is preferably partially wound onto two guide rollers 16b, not shown, in a traditional way.

Such guide rollers 16b define two opposite ends for the aforementioned conveyor belt 16a.

The first transfer device 16 advantageously further comprises support means for such guide rollers 16b, configured to move the latter between a position in which they are inside the frame 13 and a position in which at least one of the guide rollers 16b is inserted in the opening 14 or projects, through the latter, from the frame 13.

Advantageously, said support means are configured so that, following the approach of two or more storage modules 12, where the relative openings 14 are superimposed and in communication, corresponding ends of the respective conveyor belts can be moved towards one another so that they touch so as to allow the transfer of products between these storage modules 12. The frame 13 advantageously has two openings 14 envisaged on opposite walls of the frame 13.

Preferably, the aforementioned conveyor belt 16a has an upper branch that defines a horizontal surface aligned horizontally with the aforementioned two openings 14, each of these facing one of the ends of the conveyor belt 16a.

In practice, the conveyor belt 16a advantageously has two ends facing the openings 14 for transferring products, through the latter, to the outside of the storage module 12.

Preferably, the storage module 12 comprises a front panel 25 comprising optionally at least one of the following:

- a product display case 26 adapted to display at least one product per product type housed in the store 15;

- a display case for informative or advertising material 27 preferably comprising a TV screen;

- a user interface 28 that can be activated by a user for selecting at least one product type present in said store 15.

Preferably, the product display case 16 comprises a shelving and a window superimposed on the shelving to make the contents of the latter visible from the outside of the storage module 12.

Preferably said shelving defines compartments each occupiable by one product per product type housed in the store 15.

The shelving advantageously has mobile platforms for each of said compartments, activatable for the extraction of the product housed in the corresponding compartment .

The storage module 12 is preferably configured to replace each product extracted through a mobile platform from the relative compartment, with a product of the same type.

The user interface 28 is preferably electrically connectable with the control device 22.

The aforementioned mobile platforms are advantageously connectable to the control device 22 so as to be activated by the latter.

The control device 22 is preferably configured to selectively activate the mobile platforms for extracting from the store 15 one or more products selected by the user through the interface device 23 or through the user interface 28.

The storage module 12 advantageously comprises user identification means, not shown, adapted to associate a product selected by a user with said user's identification details through the user interface 28. Said identification means preferably comprise optionally any of the following:

- at least one fingerprint reader;

- at least one Radio Frequency Identification device;

- at least one NFC reading system;

- at least one alphanumeric code entry interface .

The vending module 11 advantageously comprises user identification means, not shown, operatively connected to the control device 22 for associating with a product, selected by a user through the interface device 23, the identification details of said user. The identification means of the vending module 11 advantageously comprise optionally any of the following:

- at least one fingerprint reader;

- at least one Radio Frequency Identification device;

- at least one NFC reading system;

- at least one alphanumeric code entry interface .

The aforementioned identification means are preferably electrically connected to the control device 22 and can be advantageously installed on the front panel 25 of the storage module 12.

Advantageously, at each compartment of the shelf of the front panel 25 one of said identification means is placed to allow the users to activate the identification means corresponding to one or more products contained in the respective compartments of the shelf.

Operatively, a plurality of users can select products to be purchase simultaneously according to the method that comprises :

- a selection step wherein a plurality of different users each select a product or a plurality of products by activating the interface device 23 or user interface means 28 and/or the corresponding identification means; a dispensing step, wherein each user activates, through a control device 22, the dispensing of the selected products, after paying a corresponding amount. Each user, in turn, can activate the dispensing of the products at each individual vending module 11 provided. Clearly, if various vending modules 11 are provided, the products selected by a corresponding number of users can be dispensed simultaneously at the modules. The vending module advantageously comprises a payment apparatus for receiving money and distributing change, connected to the control device 22 for authorizing the dispensing of products.

In practice, each user can select a series of products at the same time as other users, therefore, each user can pay for and collect their own products.

Advantageously, the vending machine, according to the invention, will comprise a plurality of vending modules, so as to allow the payment and simultaneous dispensing of products to different users.

The vending machine according to the invention is preferably configured to receive selections of products remotely, for example, through the internet, and to dispense the products thus selected only following the identification of the user, which can for example take place through the aforementioned identification means. For example a vending machine according to the invention is advantageously configured so that a user can select a plurality of products online, purchase them online, for example by debiting a current account or by credit card, and, subsequently, go to the vending machine, or a vending machine belonging to a network of vending machines, and collect the products selected and purchased following the identification of the user at the vending machine itself.

This identification can for example take place by entering an alphanumeric code through an appropriate interface with which the vending machine is preferably equipped, or through the aforementioned identification means .

The identification means advantageously comprise: - a graphic code reader, for example of one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcodes, generally known as QR codes;

- an NFC (Near Field Communication) reading system. The invention as it is conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Furthermore all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, can be varied according to the contingent requirements and the state of the art .

Where the construction characteristics and techniques mentioned in the subsequent claims are followed by signs or reference numbers, such signs or reference numbers have been used for the sole aim of increasing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and, therefore, they do not in any way constitute a limitation to the interpretation of each element identified, purely by way of example, by such signs or reference numbers.

Claims

1. A vending machine (10), characterised in that it comprises at least one vending module (11) and at least one storage module (12) connected to said at least one vending module (11) ;

said storage module (12) comprising:

- a frame (13) having at least one opening (14) communicating with said storage module (12) ;

- a store (15) housed in said frame (13) ;

- a first transfer device (16) , placed above or below the store (15) and configured to transfer products through the at least one opening (14) in said frame (13) ;

- a second transfer device (17) , placed in said frame (13) configured to transfer products between said store (15) and said first transfer device (16) ;

said vending module (11) comprising:

- a case (18) having at least one hole (19) configured to be superimposed on the opening (14) in said storage module (12) , to receive products, through said at least one hole (19) , from the first vending device of said storage module (12) ;

- a vending compartment (20) communicating with said at least one hole (19) , for receiving products through the latter, and equipped with an unloading mouth (21) communicating with the outside of said vending machine (10) and configured to allow access, from the outside, to at least one service portion of said vending compartment (20) to extract products therefrom;

- a control device (22) comprising an interface device (23) activatable by a user for selecting at least one product type to be purchased, and connection means for operatively connecting said control device (22) to the transfer devices (16, 17) of said at least one storage module (12) , for activating said transfer devices (16, 17);

where, to transfer products between said modules (11, 12) , at least one opening (14) in each of said at least one storage module (12) is superimposed and in communication optionally with any of the following:

- an opening (14) in a further of said storage module

(12) ,

- a hole (19) in the at least one vending module

(11) .

2. A vending machine (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that said store (15) is accessible by said second transfer device (17) from one of its front faces (24) ; and in that said second transfer device (17) is placed in front of said front face (24) and is mobile with respect thereto so as to load products into or unload products from said store (15) .

3. The vending machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first transfer device (16) is extendible through said opening (14) .

4. The vending machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said first transfer device (16) comprises a conveyor belt (16a) adapted to support products, said conveyor belt (16a) being mobile for transferring products through said at least one opening (14) .

5. The vending machine (10) according to one of said preceding claims, characterised in that said frame

(13) has two of said at least one openings (14), said two openings (14) being provided on opposite walls of said frame (13) .

6. The vending machine (10) according to claims 4 and 5, characterised in that said conveyor belt (16a) has two ends facing said openings (14) for transferring products through said openings (14) , preferably said ends being extendible through said openings (14) .

7. The vending machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said storage module (12) comprises a front panel (25) comprising optionally at least one of the following: a display case adapted to display at least one product per product type housed in said store (15) ;

a display case for informative or advertising material (27) ;

- a user interface (28) activatable by a user for selecting at least one product type present in said store (15) .

8. The vending machine (10) according to claim 7, characterised in that said storage module (12) comprises user identification means, for associating a product selected by a user with the identification details of said user through said user interface (28) .

9. The vending machine (10) according to claim 8, characterised in that said identification means comprise optionally any of the following:

- at least one fingerprint reader;

- at least one Radio Frequency Identification device;

- at least one NFC reading system;

- at least one alphanumeric code entry interface.

10. The vending machine (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it comprises user identification means operatively connected to said control device (22) for associating with a product, or with a product selection, selected by a user through said interface device (23) , the identification details of said user.

11. The vending machine (10) according to claim 10, characterised in that said identification means comprise optionally any of the following:

- at least one fingerprint reader;

- at least one Radio Frequency Identification device;

- at least one NFC reading system;

- at least one alphanumeric code entry interface.