FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention refers to an extraction mechanism for automatic vending machines
of packed products, and more specifically a mechanism in charge of placing at the
outlet of the machine the packages provided by said machine, after they have been
selected by the user.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Vending machines of packed products, especially those in packages, such as automatic
tobacco vending machines, comprise a storing compartment in which the packages are
arranged in channels or columns from which they fall, when they are selected by the
users, to a receiving hopper leading to a collecting tray which extends along the
entire length of the machine and which is accessible through an opening which goes
through the front wall of said machine in horizontal direction. The fall of the package
can occur randomly at any point of the tray, along it; that is why the opening of
the tray must extend along the entire width of the front wall, a fact that reduces
the resistance of this wall and prevents it from having a continuous surface, thus
preventing that the machine can have an attractive aspect.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The object of the present invention is an extraction mechanism for automatic vending
machines of the kind exposed which enables to reduce the size of the opening to access
the product provided to dimensions which are enough to enable to access and extract
the package, and this is possible because the mechanism of the invention secures the
discharge of the package in a specific point, in which an access mouth to said package
is formed.
[0004] In this way, the opening of the front wall to access the product is considerably
reduced in its dimensions, with respect to traditional machines, while the resistance
of the front wall is practically not reduced.
[0005] The circumstance indicated also enables to have a continuous front surface of the
machines, closed almost completely, thus being possible to offer more attractive designs,
since the access opening which traditionally extends along the entire front wall of
the machine is eliminated.
[0006] The mechanism of the invention can be applied to vending machines of the previously
indicated type, comprising a storing compartment in which the packages are arranged
in channels or columns from which, after the users makes a selection, the package
falls into a receiving hopper extending under all the channels or columns.
[0007] The mechanism of the invention comprises a channel into which the hopper leads, on
whose bottom the selected package will fall each time, at any point along it. The
width of the channel will be bigger than the length of the base of the packages but
smaller than their height, so that said packages can fall on the bottom of the channel
in vertical or horizontal position, longitudinally.
[0008] In the aforementioned channel, through one of its longitudinal walls, two push-rods
penetrate, being said push-rods apart from each other longitudinally and located at
different height. These push-rods can move along the channel in one direction, by
means of a dragging mechanism arranged outside the channel, through which the push-rods
move along the channel, going out through one of its cross-sections to penetrate,
in a new operation, through the transverse wall opposite the channel. The channel
leads transversely into the outlet side of the push-rods to a receiving surface or
box, in which the package will be deposited and it will be accessible through a small
mouth on the front wall of the machine.
[0009] The aforementioned dragging mechanism includes two continuous belts which are mounted,
at different height, on a series of vertical axis rollers. One of these rollers is
a driving roller, while the others are free-turning rollers, so that they serve as
support means for the continuous belts. The two belts forming the dragging mechanism
define two parallel circuits which include sections which move parallel to each other
and next to the wall through which the push-rods penetrate, at different height, each
continuous belt having a push-rod.
[0010] The push-rods can consist of straight fingers which penetrate perpendicularly in
the channel, for example through parallel grooves located at different height in one
of the longitudinal walls of the channel.
[0011] The driving and free-turning rollers are mounted between two flat and parallel chassis.
The continuous belts can be chains which engage with cogged wheels integral to the
driving and free-turning rollers.
[0012] The channel into which the hopper leads can include a first straight section, on
which the packages coming from the hopper will fall, and a second curve section whose
free transverse part will constitute the outlet of the channel, which will lead into
the receiving box.
[0013] The channel will preferably have in its outlet a gate, whose opening occurs when
the package pushes against it while being dragged by the push-rods, being said gate
pushed to the closing position by a spring. This gate will prevent the hand of any
user from entering the inside of the machine and will also serve as a means to stop
the abrupt discharge of the package, which is dragged by the push-rods.
[0014] The mechanism of the invention will also have a detector of the passage of one of
the push-rods, for example the lower push-rod, which will detect the passage thereof
once the complete circuit of said push-rod has finished, to send a stop order to the
extraction mechanism.
[0015] The activation of the mechanism will take place from the sensor detecting the discharge
of the package from the channel selected by the user.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The attached drawings show a non-limiting example of an embodiment, and the description
of said drawings will help understand better the constitution and characteristics
of the extraction mechanism of the invention. In the drawings:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the extraction mechanism constituted according to
the invention.
Figure 2 is a lateral elevation view, according to the direction A of figure 1.
Figure 3 shows a plan view of the extraction mechanism of figures 1 and 2.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT
[0017] The mechanism shown in the drawings is intended for automatic vending machines of
packed products, whose machines have a hopper 1 to receive the packages 2 which fall
from the channels or columns defining the storing compartment of the products to be
provided.
[0018] According to the invention, the hopper 1 leads downwardly into a channel 3, the width
of which is bigger than the length of the base of the packages 2, but smaller than
their height, so that the packages 2 can fall on the bottom of the channel, as indicated
with reference 2' in figure 2, in vertical or horizontal position.
[0019] Through one of the longitudinal walls 4 of the channel 3, two push-rods can penetrate,
said push-rods comprising many rods or plates 5 and 6, at different height, which
can move along the entire channel. The wall 4 can have two longitudinal grooves 7
and 8 located at different height, through which the push-rods 5 and 6 can penetrate.
[0020] For the push-rods 5 and 6 to move, they are part of an external dragging mechanism,
which is constituted by two parallel continuous belts 9 and 10, located at different
height, mounted on vertical axis rollers, one of which -indicated by reference 11-
is a driving roller, while the others are free-turning rollers, indicated by reference
number 12.
[0021] To secure the position of the continuous belts 9 and 10, as well as their movement,
said continuous belts can be chains which engage with upper cogwheels 13 and lower
cogwheels 14, integral to the corresponding rollers, being two of these cogwheels
- indicated by numbers 13' and 14'- devised as cogged wheels with a bigger diameter.
[0022] As indicated before, the roller 11 is a driving roller, and so are the cogwheels
13 and 14 integral thereto. To that end, the roller 11 is related to a driving motor
15, figure 2.
[0023] The vertical axis rollers 11 and 12 are mounted between two flat chassis, a lower
one 16 which can consist of a continuous plate, and an upper one 17 having the shape
of a frame, where both chassis can have tighteners 18 between which the axis of one
of the rollers 12 is mounted to tighten the continuous belts or chains 9 and 10.
[0024] Each one of the continuous belts 9 and 10 has one of the push-rods 5 and 6, which
are longitudinally spaced out from one another, being the push-rod 5 fixed to the
upper continuous belt located in front of the push-rod 6.
[0025] Between the cogwheels 13 and 14 of the roller 11 and the ring gears 13' and 14',
the continuous belts 9 and 10 determine sections which move parallel to each other
and next to the longitudinal wall 4 through which the push-rods 5 and 6 penetrate
inside the channel 3, as shown with references 5' and 6' in figure 2.
[0026] As it can be better seen in figure 3, the channel 3 includes a straight section,
indicated by number 3', into which the hopper 1 leads, and a curve section 3", leading
into the outside through its free cross-section, which has a closing gate 21, which
will be opened when a package 2' pushes against it while it is ejected to the outside
by the back push-rod 6, located under the push-rod 5. The gate 21 will be constantly
pushed towards the closing position by a spring 22.
[0027] The gate 21, in its closing position, will prevent any user from inserting his/her
hand through the channel 3 and at the same time it will act as a stop means for the
discharge of the packages 2', which can be pushed to the outside by the push-rod 6.
[0028] As it can be seen in the drawings, the mechanism of the invention also has a sensor
23 which detects the passage of one of the push-rods, in the example represented in
the drawings of the push-rod 6 situated in its lower position, after it has completed
the entire circuit, finishing a complete turn, to stop the mechanism. The activation
of the extraction mechanism occurs thanks to the sensor which, in each case, detects
the discharge of a package from a channel or column, to fall into the hopper 1.
[0029] With the arrangement described, a package 2 falling from the hopper 1 to the channel
3 can rest at the bottom thereof, along the straight section 3' of said channel, in
horizontal or vertical position, as indicated by references 2' in figure 2. In the
second case, the package 2' will receive first the action of the push-rod 5 located
on top of it and in front of the push-rod 6. This push-rod 5 will act on the upper
part of the package 2' located in vertical position, causing its free fall on the
bottom of the channel. In this position it will receive the action of the lower and
back push-rod 6, which will drag it to the outlet, as indicated by reference 2' in
figure 3.
[0030] The mechanism of the invention thus enables to place the packages falling through
the hopper 3 in a fixed point, corresponding to the outlet, of the channel 3 and in
a determined position.
[0031] In the outlet 20 of the channel 3 there will be a receiving box, with dimensions
big enough to house the package 2', with a small mouth in the front wall of the machine,
providing access to this box.
1. Extraction mechanism for automatic vending machines of packed products, comprising
a hopper to which the packages fall with the products selected by the user, characterized in that said hopper leads into a channel in which two push-rods penetrate, through one of
its longitudinal walls, being said push-rods apart from each other longitudinally
and located at different height, said push-rods which go through the channel and can
move along it in one direction by means of an external dragging mechanism to which
they are connected, the channel leading transversely into the outlet side of the push-rods
on a receiving box.
2. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the dragging mechanism comprises two continuous belts which are mounted, at different
height, on a series of vertical axis rollers, being one of these rollers a driving
roller and the others free-turning rollers, defining two parallel circuits which include
sections which move parallel to each other and next to the wall through which the
push-rods penetrate, each continuous belt having a push-rod.
3. Mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the continuous belts are chains which engage with cogwheels integral to the vertical
axis rollers.
4. Mechanism according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the channel comprises a first straight section and a second curve section, through
which it leads into a receiving box.
5. Mechanism according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the push-rods consist of fingers or straight rods which penetrate perpendicularly
into the channel.
6. Mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the driving and free-turning rollers are mounted between two parallel flat chassis.
7. Mechanism according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the wall of the channel through which the push-rods penetrate has two longitudinal
grooves located at the same height as the circuits defined by the continuous belts,
for the passage of said push-rods.
8. Mechanism according to claims 1 and 4, characterized in that the channel has a gate mounted on its outlet, which is opened when the package pushes
against it while being dragged by the push-rods, being said gate pushed to the closing
position by a spring.
9. Mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a detector of the passage of one of the push-rods, once it has moved
along the complete circuit of said push-rod.