ZA200601582B - Dispenser particularly, but not exclusively, for cigarette packets - Google Patents

Description

DISPENSER PARTICULAR, BUT NOT EXCLUSIVELY,

FOR CIGARETTE PACKETS .

FIELD OF THE IN\/ENTION

THIS INVENTION relates to dispensers particularly, but not exclusively, for cigarette packets.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Variows factors, such as restrictive legislation and the nt eed to make the best possible use of space in retail outlets, has given rise to a ne<ed for a dispenser which can not only store a number of packets but can also display the front face of at least one packet and dispense packets one at a time to customers.

The present invention seeks to provide such a dispenser which will store packets and dispense them one at a time. It also seeks to prowide, as a subsidiary feature, a dispenser in which at least one packet's front fa ce is displayed for advertising purposes.

The present invention further seeks to provide means for producing : data relating to the dispensing of cigarette packets as well as means to prevent tampering and/or theft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTEON OF THE INVENTION

“Ac cording to one aspect of the present invention t here is provided a dispenser for dispensing packets particularly, but not exclusivelw cigarette packets, said dispenser c omprising a magazine for holding a plurality of packets standing in an upright position, means for pushing the plurality of packets towards a dispensing end of the magazine, means defining a column at said dispensirg end of the magazine, mean s for lifting the front packet of the plurality upwaards out of the magazine and m eans for preventing the lifted packet from dropping back down said column, characterized in that said means for lifting the packet comprises an endless element entraine d around guides so as to provide a vertical run, at least one lifting lug carried by thes endless element, and means for driving said e lement so that said lug lifts the front packet into said column.

Said element can be a toothed belt or a chain and said guides can be toothed sprockets or chain sprockets.

The drive means can comprise an electric motor ard a gearbox, the gearbox having an output shaft on which one of said sprockets iss mounted.

The casing of the motor can be cylindrical in form a nd one of the sprockets of the endless element of the adjacent magazine can reotate using said casing as a hub.

In th e preferred form there is an upper motor and gearbox driving the endless element of one magazine and a lower motor and gearbox driving the endEess element of the adjacent magazine, the casing of the upper motor forming a hub for said endless element of the adjacent magazines, and the casing of the lower motor forming a hub for the endless element of said ore magazine.

Control means can be provided for activa ting the motor associated with a magazine from which a packet is to be dispensed, there being means for detecting that the element has moved far enough to lift a packet into the column and deactivating the motor.

Said means for preventing said packet dropping back down the column can comprise at least one pivotally mounted latch which is displaced to an inoperative position by the packet being lifted by the lug and is held in its inoperative position by the packet until the packet has risen above the latch, said latch including a support surface onto which the packet drops when th e lug disengages from the packet and the latch returns to its operative position. Said latch can be spring loaded back to its operative position, and there can be more than one latch for each colurmn.

Means can be provided for electronically wecording each operation of the mnotor. Means can also be provided for detecting the position of the pushing : means in the magazine.

Switches can be provided at the upper ends of the columns, each switch being operated when a packet is lifted through the open top of the column.

According to another aspect of the goresent invention there is provided aa dispenser for packets particularly, but not exclu sively, cigarette packets, the dlispenser comprising a magazine for holding a stack of packets each of which is in a hworizontal position, an endless element supportin g said stack, means for intermittently advancing the endless element to strip the lowermost packet from the s tack and feed it forward, a display column, guides means for guiding a packing fed forward by said element into the lower end of said column whilst changing its o rientation from horizontal to vertical, and a latch for preventing a packet that has e ntered the lower end of the column from falling back.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a dispenser for packets, the dispenser comprising a magazine for receiving a row of packets, means for pushing the row of packets in a forward direction, a transparent door behind which the first packet in the row stands, and means for opening the door so that said first packet can be removed fromm the dispenser, for closing the door after the packet has been removed and for locking the door closed.

Said door is preferably mounted for tilting movement about an axis at trae lower end of the door. The axis is preferably rearwardly of a front panel of the door. The front panel can be transparent.

Spring means can be provided for closing the door. Cam means can be provided for tilting the door to its open position.

The cam means can be a rotatable cam which has a first cam surface or tilting the door to its open position and a second surface for locking the door against opening.

Said door can include surfaces o n which the packet to be dispensed next stands, said surfaces forming part of the door so that said packet tilts when the door opens.

Means can be provided for detecting each opening of the door and storing the information in a control system, andl means can be provided for determining where said pusher assembly is in £he magazine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present invention, and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a side view of a dispenser in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a pictorial front view of the dispenser;

Figure 3 is a view looking towards the front of the dispenser and showing the dispenser’'s magazines;

Figure 4 is a front view of the operating mechanisms of the dispenser of

Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view of two packet lifting systems to a larger scale than that of

Figure 4;

Figures 6a and 6b illustrate two means for preventing a packet dropping back ~~ - down a column into which it has been lifted;

Figure 7 illustrates the operating masechanism of another dispenser in accordance with the invention:

Figure 8 is a pictorial view of a further dispenser in accordance with the invention;

Figure 9 is a view of the dispenser of Figure 8 from the rear with the casing removed,

Figure 10 is a pictorial view from th e front of a single magazine;

Figure 11 is a pictorial view of the dlispenser from the rear with the casing removed, showing the dispenser's magazines;

Figure 12 is a pictorial view of the front of the dispenser; and

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figures 12 and showing a door opening and packet dispensing mechanism.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWVINGS

The dispenser 10 illustrated &n Figures 1 and 2 comprises a casing 12 which has transparent a window at the fromt through which packets P can be seen.

The packets P are stacked in side-by-side columns 14. In the illustrated embodiment there are four columns 14. O nly two packets P are shown in Figure 2.

Each column 14 is bounded boy a rear panel 14.1 and two posts 14.2.

The edge zones of a packet in a column 14 are behind flanges 14.3 of the posts 14.2.

At the upper end of each column 14 there is a pivotally mounted lid (not shown). The lid is lifted by a packet emerging from a column 14 and drops back into its closed position when the packet is removed.

A switch 15 is provided at the upper end of each column 14. The switch 15 is operated each time a packet is dispensed and forms part of the dispenser’s control system by providing a count of packets dispensed.

A side-by-side row of magazines 16 (Figure 3) extend from front to rear within the casing 12. The magazines 16 are separated from one another by side walls 18 and each magazine 16 has a two part base 20 with a slot 22 between the parts. The bases 20 are bent upwardly and then horizontally to form guides 24 for a pusher assembly designated 26.

The pusher assembly 26 comprises a vertical front plate 28 and a housing 30 for an elongate leaf spring (not shown). One end of the spring is anchored to a rotatable reel (not shown) within the housing 30. The other end of the spring is anchored at a point at the front end of the magazine 16.

The pusher assembly 26 has a slot 36 on each side thereof, the guides 24 being in the slots 36 whereby the pusher assembly 26 is guided in its horizontal

0097 movements and is prevented from tilting.

A wire 35 is entraired around a pulley (not shown) of the pusher assembly 26 and around a pullew 37 at the rear of the magazine 16. The pulley 37 drives the rotary part of a potenti ometer 39.

Each magazine 16 is loaded by pulling the pusher assembly 26 to t he rear of the respective magazine T 6. This unreels the leaf spring. Packets are then stood on the two part base 22 and the assembly 26 released so that it presses the packets towards the front end of t he magazine 186.

The operating mechanism 38 of two adjacent columns 14 will be described, the remaining mechanisms 38 being identical.

The operating mechanism 38 comprises upper and lower electric motors and gearboxes 40 (Figure 5) which are mounted in vertically spaced openings in a dividing wall 42 by m eans of brackets 44. Each motor and gearbox 40 comprises a smaller diameter cylindrical casing 46 which houses the motor and a larger diameter cylindrical casing 48 which houses the gearbox. The output shaft 5 of each gearbox is at an off centre Position.

A toothed sprocket 52 is fixed to each output shaft 50. Toothed belts 54 each having two lifting lugs 56 are entrained around the toothed sprockets 52.

Further toothed sprockets 58 are slid onto the casings 46 of the electriic motors. The casings 46 serve as hubs for the sprockets 58.

A micro switch 60 is provided in conjunction with each belt 54, the micro switch 60 detecting each lifting lug 56 as it reaches a position close to the bottom dead centre point of the belt's travel.

At the front end of each magazine 16 there are two inwardly directed flanges 62 (Figure 3). These, as will be described, form stops which limit forward movement of the front packet in thie magazine 16.

At the lower end of erach column 14 there are two latches 64. One latch 64 of each column 14 is visible in Figures 4 and 5, the other latch 64 is located behind the motor and gearbox 40. The latches 64 permit the front packet in the magazine 16 to be lifted into the column 14 and then prevent the packet dropping back down. The latches 64 (see Figures 6a and 6b) have a support surface 72 and a downwardly facing cam surface 74 which intersects the support surfaces 72.

Figures 6a and 6b illustrate two alternative methods of using the latches 64 to prevent a lifted packet from dropping back down the column 14, as will be described in more detail hereinafter. The latch 64 is designated 64.1 in Figure 6a and 64.2 in Figure 6b.

The latch 64.1 (Fig. 6a) is secured to its corresponding dividing wall 42,

whereas the latch 64.2 (Fig- 6b) is mounted for pivoting movement about a first spindle 66. A spring 68 has one end secured to the latch 64.2 and the other end secured to a second spindle 70 which is parallel to the first spindle 66. The spring 68 pulls the latch 64.2 to a position in which one end of the latch 64.2 bears on the second spindle 70, which th us acts as a stop. In this position the packet support surface 72.2 of the latch 64. 2 is horizontal.

During operation of the dispenser 10, the pusher assemblies 26 push the front packets in the magazines 16 against the rear vertical runs of the belts 54.

The front packets at this stage do not touch the flanges 62 at the forward ends of the magazines 16.

To dispense a packet, the appropriate control is activated and power is supplied to one of the electric motors. The vertical run of the belt 54 against which the packet is pressed moves upwards and the lug 56 which was in the bottorn dead centre position moves upwards into contact with the lower surface of the front packet.

Referring specifically to Figure 6a, as the packet lifts into the column 14 past the latch 64.1, the packet's leading edge is tilted forward due to the fact that the rear surface of the colum n 14 is slanted slightly rearwardly

The lug 56 lifting the packet, as it moves around the top sprockest, moves out of contact with thes lifted packet allowing it to drop down on the sup port surfaces 72. :

Alternatively, if #he latch 64.2 is used, as the packet lifts it encoun ters the cam surfaces 74.2 of the latches 64.2 and displaces the latches 64.2, against the action of the springs 68, out of the path of the packet being lifted. The pach<et can then move upwardly past the latches 64.2, lifting the two packets already im the column 14.

As the lower face of the packet moves out of contact with the cam surfaces 74.2, the springs 68 pull the latches 64.2 back to the position in which the support surfaces 72.2 are below the packet.

The lug 56 lifting the packet, as it moves around the top sprocket, moves out of contact with the lifted packet allowing it to drop down on the support surfaces 72.2. The other lug $6, as it reaches the bottom dead centre position, encounters the micro switch 60. The switch 60 opens and power supply to the motor ceases.

As one packet e nters the lower end of a column 14, the top packe tis lifted out of the top of the colu mn 14 and is available to the customer.

The magazines ~16 are on rails so that they can be slid out of the casing 12 for loading purposes once a door (not shown) in the rear of the casing 12 has been opened. As soon ass the magazine 16 is pulled back, the front packet in the magazine 16 is pushed against the flanges 62 which limits its forward movement. When the magazine 16 is pushed forward, the front pa cket encounters the belt 54 which holds the packet clear of the flanges 62.

The di spenser 76 shown in Figure 7 comprises vertical guides 78 forming a storage column in which a stack of packets P is contained. The packets P lie horizontally.

The lowermost packet P1 rests on a base plate 80 wh ich has a slot (not shown) provided therein. A toothed belt 82, which is entrained around two sprockets 84, 86, is amounted below the base plate 80. The upper run of the belt 84 is aligned with the slot in the base plate 80 to allow lugs 88, 90 on the belt 82 to protrude therethroug h.

A display column 92 comprises a lower part 92.1 which is essentially horizontal and an uppper part 92.2 which is essentially vertical. The upper part 92.2 of the display columm 92 has a transparent window 94 provided in front of the storage column formead by the guides 78. A ridge 96 is formed on th e lower surface of the lower part 92.1 of the column 92.

During operation of the dispenser 76, the sprockets 84, 86 are turned . by a motor (not show n) and the lowermost packet P1 is pushed forward into the lower part 92.1 of the display column 92 by the lug 88 carried by the rotating belt 82.

As the lug 88 reachess the end of the belt's travel and loses contact weith the rear surface of the packet P1, the underneath surface of the packet P1 drops over the ridge 96. The ridge 96 prevents the packet P1 from sliding back out of the column 92. ’ During operation, the packet P1 being pushed forward by the lug 88 lifts other packets (not shown) in the column 92 vertically, and dispenses the top one from the upper end of the columm 92.

The dispenser 110 illustrated in Figure 8 comprises a casing 112 which has an open window 114 at the Front through which a transverse row of packets P = can be seen. Only one packet P is shown in Figure 8. Controls for the dispenser ; 110 are shown at 116.

A side-by-side row of four magazines 118 (Figures 9 and 11) extend : from front to rear within the casing 112. The magazines 118 are separated from one another by side walls 120 and each has a two part base 122 with a slot 124 between the parts of the bases 122. The bases 122 are bent upwardly and then horizontally . (see Figure 10) to form guides 1226 for a pusher assembly designated 128.

The pusher assembly 128 comprises a vertical front plate 129 and a housing 130 for an elongate leaf spring 132. One end of the spring 132 is anchored to a rotatable reel (not shown) within the housing 130. The other end of the spring 132 is anchored at a point 131 (Figure 11) close to the window 114.

The pusher assembly 128 has a slot 134 (Figure 11) on each side thereof, the guides 126 being in these slots 134 whereby th e pusher assembly 128 is guided in its horizontal movements and is prevented froma tilting.

A wire 136 (Figure 10) is entrained around a puliey (not shown) of the pusher assembly 128 and around a pulley 138 at the rear of the magazine 118. The pulley 138 drives the rotary part of a potentiometer 140 (Fig ures 9 and 11). . The wires 136 have been omitted from Figures 9 and 11.

Each magazine 118 is loaded by pulling the pusher assembly 128 to the rear of the respective magazine 118. This unreels the leaf spring 132. Packets are then stood on the two part base 122 and the assembly “128 released so that it presses the packets towards the window 114.

At the front end of each magazine 118 there is a transparent door 142 and a mechanism 144 for opening the door 142 and dispensing a packet. In Figure 12 one door 142 is shown in the open position and the remaining doors 142 are shovvn closed. The doors 142 have been omitted from Figure 13. As will be seen from Figure 8, the doors 142 are in a row across the open window 114. :

Referring now to Figure 13, each door opening and dispensing mechanism 144 comprises a motor and gear box 146 mounted with its output shaft (not shown) horizontal. The motors and gear boxes 146 are below the bases 122 of the magazines 118. A cam 150 is mounted on each output shaft of the motor and gear box 146. Each cam 1 50 comprises a vertical surface 152 which co-operates with the associated door 142 to hold the door 142 closed. Each cam 150 further has a peripheral surface 154 which co-operates with the door 142 to force the door 142 to its open position.

In Figure 13 the left hand cam 150 is shown in its operated position in which the associated door “142 (see Figures 11 and 12) is open. The remaining cams 150 are shown in the “door closed” position.

Each door 142 is pivotally mounted, at its lower end, on a spindle 156 which passes through holes in two arms 158 (Figure 11) extending rearwardly at the lower end of the door 142. Only the spindle 156 associated with the right-hand door 142 is shown in Figure 11.

The ends of the spindle 156 are mounted in the front end portions of the side walls 120 which are between the doors 142. Each spindle 156 passes through a coil spring 160, o ne end of the coil spring 160 being connected to the spindle 156 and the other to a fixed anchorage on the casing 112. The coil springs 160 pull the doors 142 to their closed positions.

Each door 142 extends downwardly below the spindie 156, the downward extension being designated 162 in Figure 12. This extension 162 is behind a metal strip 164 which forms the cill of the window 114. The spring 160 pulls the downward extension 162 against the stop constituted by the strip 164.

At the ends thereof remote from the transparent front panel of the door 142, the arms 158 are joined by a cam follower 166. The top surfaces 168 of the arms 158 and the cam follower 166 form a support onto which the pusher assembly 128 pushes the front packet of the row in the magazine 118.

The cam follower 166 is a bove the cam surface 154 and against the vertical cam surface 152. The surface 152 prevents the associated door 142 tilting about its spindle 156 and thus prevents the door 142 moving to its open position.

The cam follower 166 is, when the door 142 is closed, spaced from the surface 154.

It will be understood that when the assembly 128 is pulled to the rear for loading purposes, the rotatable part of the potentiometer 140 turns and the i resistance value sensed by the electron ic controls indicates that the magazine 118 is full. Each time a packet is dispensed, the assembly 128 moves forward and the wire - 136 runs over the pulley 138 turning the rotatable part of the potentiometer 140. :

This change in resistance is sensed by the electronic controls and indicates that a packet has been dispensed because the pusher assembly 128 has been able to move forward. :

To dispense a packet, the operator uses a tag which is exclusive to that operator and which is presented to the controls 116. Once the operator has . been identified and recorded electronica lly, the relevant magazine 118 can be selected and the dispenser 110 operated so that the correct door 142 opens and a packet can be removed.

More specifically, the cam 150 rotates th rough about a right angle which moves the surface 152 out of co-operating relatfonship with the cam follower 166 ofthe door 142. The cam 154 can then tilt the doer 142 to its open position by bearing on the cam follower 166. The supporting surfaces 168 on which the front packet of the row stands also tilts so that the packet fo llows the transparent front panel of the door 142 in moving to a tilted position. It can then be lifted from the dispemser 110. The surface 154 is shaped so that, on further rotation of the cam 150, it allows the spring 160 to tilt the door 142 back to its closed position.”

The cam 150 continues to rotate until the surface 152 is in a position to co-opesrate with the cam follower 166 and lock the door 142. The surface 154 moves out of contact with the cam follower 166 of the of cor 142 and plays no part in locking the door 142. It is only operative in tilting the door 142 to the open position.

Whilst the door 142 is tilted, the lifted rear edge of the cam follower 166 prevents the next packet from being advanced onto the supporting surfaces 168. As soon as the support 168 is horizontal the packet which has become the first packet in the row moves onto the supporting surfaces 1668,

A switch can be provided for enabling each door actuation to be recorded electronically.

Claims (23)

CLAIMS:

1. A dispenser for dispensing packets particularly, but not exclu sively cigarette packets, said dispenser comprising a magazine for holding a plurality of packets standing ir an upright position, means for pushing the plurality of packets towards a dispensing end of the magazine, means defining a column at sa id dispensing end of the magazine, means for lifting the front packet of the pl urality upwards out of the magazine and means for preventing the lifted packet from dropping back dowm said column, said means for lifting the packet comprising an endless element entrained around guides so as to provide a vertical run, at least one lifting lug carried by the endless element, and means for driving said elemeant so that said lug lifts the front packet into said column.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element is a toothed belt and said guides are toothed sprockets.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein said element is a chain and said guides are chain sprockets.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein said drive means is an electric motor and a gearbox, the gearbox having an output shaft on which one of said sprockets is mounted.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein the casing of the rmotor is cylindrical in form and one of the sprockets of the endless element of th e adjacent magazine is mounted on said casing which constitutes a hub.

6. A dispe-nser as claimed in claim 4 or 5, and which compris es an upper motor and gearbox for driving the endless element of one magazine and a lower motor and gearbox for driving the endless element of the adjacent magazine, the casing of the upper motor forming a hub for said endless element of the adjacent magazine, and the casing of the lower motor forming a hub for the endless element of said one magazines.

7. A disperser as claimed in any preceding claim and includirg control means for activating t he motor associated with a magazine from which aa packet is to be dispensed, there b»eing means for detecting that the element has mowed far enough to lift a packet into the column and for thereupon deactivating thee motor.

8. A disperser as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein sa id means for preventing said packe=t dropping back down the column comprises at lea st one pivotally mounted latcih which is displaced to an inoperative position by the packet being lifted by the lug and is held in its inoperative position by the packet until the packet has risen abov e the latch, said latch including a support surface onto which the packet drops wher the lug disengages from the packet and the latch returns to its operative position.

9. A dispen ser as claimed in claim 8, wherein said latch is spriing loaded back to its operative position

10. A dispen ser as claimed in claim 8 or 9 and including more than one latch for each column.

11. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 4, 5, 6 or 7 and including means for electronical y recording each operation of the or each motor.

12. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim and including means for detecting the position of the pushing means in the magazine.

13. A dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim and including swritches provided at the upper e-nds of the columns, each switch being operated when a packet is lifted through the open top of the respective column.

14. A dispens er for packets particularly, but not exclusively, cigarette packets, the dispenser «comprising a magazine for holding a stack of packets exach of which is in a horizontal position, an endless element supporting said stack, means for intermittently advancing the endless element to strip the lowermost packet from the stack and feed it forward, a display column, guide means for guiding a packing fed forward by said element into the lower end of said column whilst changing its orientation from horizontal to vertical, and a latch for preventing a packet that has entered the lower end off the column from falling back.

15. A dispenser for packets p articularly, but not exclusively, for cigarette packets, the dispenser comprising a magazine for receiving a row of packets, means for pushing the row of packets in a forward direction, a transparent door behind which the first packet in the row stands, and means for opening the door so that said first packet can be removed from the dispenser, for closing the door after the packet has been removed and for locking the dloor closed.

16. A dispenser as claimed in claim 15, wherein said door is mounted for tilting movement about an axis at the lower end of the door.

17. A dispenser as claimed in claim 16, wherein said axis is rearwardly of a front panel of the door.

18. A dispenser as claimed in claims 16 or 17 and including cam means for tilting the door to its open position.

19. A dispenser as claimed in claim 18, wherein said cam means is a rotatable cam which has a first cam surface or tilting the door to its open position and a second surface for locking the door against opening.

20. A dispenser as claimed in claim 19, wherein said door has surfaces on which the packet to be dispensed next sands so that said packet tilts when the door opens.

21. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 20, and including spring means for closing the door.

22. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 21 and including means for detecting each opening of the door and storing the information in a control system.

23. A dispenser as claimed in any one of claims 15 to 22 and including means for determining where said pushing means is in the magazine.