WO2015106326A1

WO2015106326A1 - Vending machine configuration

Info

Publication number: WO2015106326A1
Application number: PCT/BR2014/000016
Authority: WO
Inventors: Leandro Silvestre DA ROCHA
Original assignee: Da Rocha Leandro Silvestre
Priority date: 2014-01-14
Filing date: 2014-01-14
Publication date: 2015-07-23

Abstract

The present utility model application refers to a vending machine designed for the purpose of dispensing sunscreen or cosmetic products in general, in the form of gel, paste or liquid, for convenient access at any time of day in offices or factories, bars, restaurants, shops, airports, railway stations, subway stations, bathrooms and other public places, comprising an external structure (1) and an internal structure, both fixed to a base (2) mounted on the ground, with product tanks (3) connected by tubes (4) to a pumping mechanism (5) with an electric motor (6) distributor (7) dispensers (8) with nozzles (9) an injection piston (11) driven by a main circuit board (12) and activated by a proximity sensor (10) and countdown timer (14) as well as a front control panel (13) containing a button panel (15) with select buttons (16) magnetic card reader (17) and display (18).

Description

Vending Machine Configuration

The present utility model application refers to a configuration for a vending machine, designed for the purpose of dispensing sunscreen or cosmetic products in general, in the form of gel, paste or liquid, for convenient access at any time of day in offices or factories, bars, restaurants, shops, airports, railway stations, subway stations, bathrooms and other public places.

Machines that automatically dispense consumer products after the customer inserts bills, coins or use other means of payment such as a credit card, have existed for centuries and are known as vending machines. These convenient machines, originally designed to sell stamps, newspapers or magazines, today offer a huge range of products from soft drinks and other beverages to sweets, snacks, cigarettes, passes and tickets, preservatives and much more directly to the consumer, requiring only the occasional presence of an employee to restock the machine with product and collect revenue.

Internally, vending machines may operate in a variety of ways:

• Mechanically: The internals of the machine are entirely mechanical with no electrical or electronic components, simple in operation and practically obsolete because of its inherent technical limitations.

• Electronically: The internals are mechanical but controlled by programmable electronics, using little electrical energy.

• "Post-mix": The machine mixes the product internally, for example using concentrated, cooled water and carbon dioxide and dispenses a beverage of choice.

The principal advantage of vending machines over traditional methods of sale is the prompt, convenient availability of product at any time of day in offices or factories, bars, restaurants, shops, airports, railway stations, subway stations, bathrooms and other public places, while the principal disadvantages are lack of human interaction and the possibility of equipment failure, resulting in product not being dispensed to the customer. It is a well-known fact that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight is harmful due to ultraviolet radiation. Whether at school, at work, at home with family or at the beach, applying sunscreen to exposed skin is of vital importance to our health.

It is also well known that discarded sunscreen containers made of plastic are a major contributing factor in polluting our environment.

The present utility model innovates in these aspects, presenting a mechanism for dispensing sunscreen, tanning lotion or cosmetics in general, for use in vending machines that may be conveniently placed in parks, squares, clubs or anywhere where continued exposure to the sun is expected, facilitating access to products essential to protection of the skin in these situations. Operation is simple enough that a child could use it, the customer selects sunscreen brand and protection factor by way of a few button presses and the product is then dispensed directly into the customer's hand. With a vending machine like this in the immediate vicinity, any person can comfortably buy and apply a quantity of sunscreen, without suffering the inconveniences of having to carry, and subsequently dispose of bottles of sunscreen or other products made available, thus also contributing to the preservation of the environment.

Payments can be made by means of a credit or debit card, pre-paid card, through cellphone app or on-line, automatically activating the dispenser's control panel once payment is completed. Pre-paid cards can be recharged in authorized kiosks, drug stores and convenience stores, online or through a cell-phone app. When a pre-paid card is used, a display located on the vending machine control panel shows the remaining balance.

Once payment has been completed and the customer has selected factor and brand, the product is dispensed through one of several nozzles, each nozzle dispensing a single product, activated by a proximity sensor that detects the open palm of the customer's hand below the dispenser. An ideal quantity of product is slowly ejected throughout an interval of more or less a minute, or the customer manually selects the duration for which each product is to be dispensed. A countdown timer on the control panel confirms the selected interval and shows how much time is left during dispensing of product. Once the purchased quantity has been dispensed in the customer's hand and the timer has run out, the nozzles automatically retract and the mechanism returns to its initial position, ready for the next customer.

The accompanying drawings will show the dispensing mechanism, object of the present utility model application, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one of the possible external configurations of the sunblock dispenser.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the front part of the same configuration, showing the user control panel with display unit, card reader and dispensing nozzles.

Figure 3 is a schematic side-view of the product containers, product routing tubes, distribution system and pump mechanism, as well as the main circuit board and components of the control panel.

Figure 4 is a schematic view demonstrating how the product containers and distribution system are connected via tubes to the pump mechanism.

Figure 5 is an elevated, detailed view of the dispenser mechanism, showing the injection piston and nozzle with the proximity sensor in the center.

In accordance with these figures and their numerical references, the present utility model refers to the internal mechanism of a vending machine, designed for the purpose of dispensing of sunscreen or cosmetic products in general, in the form of gel, paste or liquid, to be mounted inside a structure (1) with its base (2) fixed to the ground with bolts. The internal mechanism comprises of product containers (3) connected via tubes (4) to a pumping mechanism (5) driven by an electric motor (6) and connected to a distributor (7), which feeds the product dispensers (8) located on each side of the external structure, each of which is fitted with a nozzle (9) which dispenses the selected type of sunblock or cosmetic product in gel, paste or liquid form, once the customer's open hand is detected below the nozzle (9) by the proximity sensor (10) located in the center of each.

The proximity sensor (10) activates an injection piston (1 1) controlled by the main circuit board (12) located behind the front panel (13), which contains a timer display (14) that allows the customer to monitor how much dispensing time is left. Said front panel (13) contains a button panel (15) and select buttons (16) that let the customer choose a product, as well as a card reading device (17) for payment, and may also optionally contain a display (18) showing the amount charged and the remaining balance of a pre-paid card.

In practice, once payment through card reading device (17) is concluded and the desired product has been chosen using the product selection buttons (16) an internal mechanism moves one of the dispensers (8) from vertical to horizontal position, the product purchased is dispensed in the customer's hand for the duration of a predetermined interval, upon the completion of which the dispenser (8) automatically returns to its vertical starting position. Two dispensers allow two people to comfortably use the machine simultaneously.

Claims

Claim

"Vending Machine Configuration"

What we claim is a vending machine designed to sell and dispense sunscreen or cosmetics in general, in the form of gel, paste or liquid in a practical way and at any time, comprising an external structure (1) and an internal structure, both fixed to a base (2) on the ground, a front control panel (13) with a button panel (15) containing select keys (16) magnetic card reading device (17) and a display (18), said internal structure containing product tanks (3) connected by tubes (4) to a distributor (7) that feeds two dispensers (8) mounted laterally on the external structure, said dispensers (8) each fitted with nozzles (9) from where the chosen product is dispensed, when the proximity sensor (10) detects the open palm of the customers hand directly beneath it, enabling a pressure-controlled injection piston (1 1) driven by the main circuit board (12) and controlled by the countdown timer (14) causing the specified product to be collected from the appropriate product tank (3) and move through distribution tubes (4) by means of a pumping system (5) driven by an electric motor (6) which feeds the distributor (7) and the two dispensers (8).