Drinks dispensing machine

Abstract

 Drinks dispensing machine with a shell that houses in its front a chamber (2) in which a cup (6) is placed in order to collect the drink and has an opening (4) closed by the shutter (5) which is hinge at one of the vertical sides and swivels inwards, with the said shutter (5) being constantly forced closed by a spring (16)

Description

[0001] The present invention is referred to a drinks dispensing machine, and to be more precise a machine of the type that comprises of a shell whose front has a chamber open to the outside, in which is placed a cup that collects the drink dispensed by the machine in each action thereof.

[0002] In the machines that dispense drinks into cups, the area or chamber of access to the cups has a platform on which the cup is placed in order to collect the drink dispensed by the machine. If the person using the machine does not place the cup properly on the platform, it is quite possible for the cup to lose its balance while the drink is being dispensed, spilling its contents over the consumer.

[0003] Besides, during the filling of the cup, possible splashing out of the machine, causing the same aforementioned inconvenience.

[0004] To avoid these problems and to isolate and protect the drink from the outside, it is already known that whilst the cup is being filled, drinks dispensing machines close the area exposed for access with a vertically sliding door. When the consumer wants to gain access to the cup, the hatch has to be raised by one hand while the other hand takes out the cup. This system presents the inconvenience of having to employ both hands and also the sliding of the hatch can jam and get blocked especially when the hatch is being raised.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to eliminate the problems previously mentioned, by equipping the area of access of the dispensing machine a front shutter that isolates the area of access from the outside, but allows access to the cup in a comfortable and simple way without the necessity of using both hands to carry out this operation.

[0006] In accordance with the present invention the area of access to the machine is frontally closed by a fixed panel that separates the outside to the positioned cup. This panel can be fixed to the chamber in a simple demountable way, it has a window for access for the removal of cups, this window preferable being of a square shape and being of a size that allows the introduction and removal of the consumers hand holding a cup. In the mentioned window there is a swiveling shutter mounted on upper and lower pivots which are aligned in a parallel direction near to one of the vertical edges of the shutter, these pivots being situated on the inside thereof. The mentioned shutter opens inward into the camber, on being pushed from the outside, and when closed rests against the internal surface of the panel and is forced constantly towards this position by a spring.

[0007] Preferable the panel and the shutter will have a certain curvature in the horizontal direction, with the convexity directed towards the outside.

[0008] The shutter assembly provides on its internal surface and close to its upper and lower edges facing lugs. Protruding perpendicular from each of these lugs is a pivot mounted externally, these are in line and form the axis on which the shutter can swivel. These pivots are introduced through facing holes which are found in other lugs which are attached to the panel, directly above and below the opening thereof.

[0009] The upper pivot of the shutter can include an intermediate spigot, around which a helical spring is mounted, whose ends are attached to the upper lugs of the panel and shutter, being a spring tensed in such a way as to force the shutter towards the closed position.

[0010] The characteristics and advantages of a machine of the invention are understood more easily with the help of the following description combined with the aid of the drawings attached, in which can be seen an example of a non limiting embodiment.

[0011] In the drawings:

[0012] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the drinks dispensing machine, made in accordance with the invention.

[0013] Figure 2 is a plan view of the chamber of access of the machine in figure 1.

[0014] Figure 3 is a front elevation of the chamber of access of the machine in figure 1.

[0015] Figure 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken from cutting plane IV-IV of figure 3.

[0016] Figure 5 is a partial section of the panel at a larger scale, taken from cutting plane V-V of figure 3.

[0017] Figure 6 is a horizontal section of the panel, taken from cutting plane A-A of figure 3.

[0018] Figure 7 is a horizontal section of the shutter, taken from cutting plane A-A of figure 3.

[0019] Figure 1 shows a drinks dispensing machine that comprises of a case 1 whose front wall houses the chamber 2, on which the cup is placed in order to collect the drink dispensed by the machine each time the machine is operated by the introduction of the necessary coins.

[0020] In accordance with the invention, the chamber 2 is closed at the front by panel 3 that has an opening 4 of a rectangular form, on which is mounted the shutter 5. The panel 3 is fixed and the opening 4 is of a size that allows the easy introduction of a hand and the removal of a cup placed in the chamber, once the cup has received the drink dispensed by the machine.

[0021] As shown in figure 2, the panel 3 and the shutter 5 can contain a certain curvature in the horizontal direction. The shutter 5 is mounted with the facility to enable a swiveling action towards the inside of the chamber and rests against the inner surface of the panel 3 when closed, and is constantly forced in that position by a spring, as will be explained further on.

[0022] With the mentioned layout, in order to gain access to the cup placed inside the chamber 2, once the cup has been filled, by only pushing the shutter 5 from the outside will be sufficient to swivel the shutter towards the inside of the chamber allowing access by the hand 7 in order to hold and remove the cup 6. When the pressure holding the shutter 5 is released, the shutter returns to its closed position, resting against the inner surface of panel 3.

[0023] As can be seen better in figures 3 and 7, the shutter 5 provides an internally concave surface, and along the upper and lower edges, the lugs 8 and 9, adjacent to the vertical internal edge from which protrudes perpendicularly the external pivots 10 and 11 aligned to define the swivel axes of the shutter.

[0024] The internal surface of the panel 3 protrudes out above and below the opening 4, the lugs 12 and 13 having each one facing holes in which can be introduced the pivots 10 and 9 of the shutter 5 respectively, consisting therefore the system of assembly and articulation of the said shutter en panel 3.

[0025] As can be seen better in figure 4, the hole in the upper lug 12 in panel 3 finishes radially across a groove of a lesser width than the corresponding hole, having in its part the pivot 10 a section that allows the introduction across the mentioned groove, impeding its removal once the shutter is in the closed position.

[0026] In order to reinforce the shutter 5, between the upper lug 8 and the lower lug 9, vertical ribs 14 add strength where needed, figure 7.

[0027] As can be seen better in figures 3 and 4 the upper pivot 10 of the shutter can also incorporate an intermediate spigot 15, around which is placed a helical spring 16, whose ends 17 and 18 are introduced in formed grooves, in the lugs 12 and 8 of the panel and shutter respectively, the said spring being tensed in a way that constantly forces the shutter 5 towards the closed position, which can be seen better in figure 5, the aforementioned shutter, rests by means of a lower external step 19, against an internal step 20 formed in the lower edge of the opening 4. These steps mutually form the limit of the closed position of the shutter 5.

[0028] The panel 3 can also be internally reinforced by an upper horizontal rib 21, besides the rib. The upper inner surface of the panel can incorporate sleeves 22 to help fasten the panel to the chamber 2 of the machine. The panel 3 can be further reinforced by an inner horizontal rim 24 and a vertical internal rim 25, as can be seen in figures 3, 4 and 6.

[0029] With the aforementioned layout, and as is shown with reference to figure 2, in order to remove a cup 6 positioned inside the chamber 2, only one hand is needed to push the shutter 5 inward into the chamber 2, overcoming the force of the spring 16. On removing the cup 6 the pressure on the shutter 5 is taken off, and then the shutter returns to its closed position, limited by the steps 19 and 20, figure 5.

[0030] As can be understood, the panel 3 and the shutter 5 can adopt a different configuration to the description.

Claims

1. Drinks dispensing machine, that comprises of a shell (1) in which its front houses a chamber (2) in which is placed a cup (6) that collects the drink dispensed by the machine in each action thereof, characterized in that the aforementioned chamber (2) is frontally closed by a fixed panel (3) that has an opening or window for access (4) in order to remove the cup (6), preferably square in shape in which is assembled a swiveling shutter (5) on aligned upper and lower pivots (10, 11), which are parallel and positioned near one of the vertical edges of the shutter (5) and are positioned on an inside edge thereof; whose shutter (5) opens into the chamber (2), and when closed, rests on the internal surface of the panel (3) and is constantly forced in the said position by means of a spring (16).

2. Machine in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the panel (3) and shutter (5) are curved in a horizontal direction, with the concavity going from inside the chamber (2).

3. Machine in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the shutter (5) has at its upper and lower vertical inside edge two lugs (8, 9), adjacent to the vertical internal edge, from which protrude perpendicularly two internal aligned pivots (10, 11) that define the swiveling axes of the shutter (5) whose pivots (10, 11) are introduced through facing holes located in the lugs or ribs (12, 13) that protrude from the internal surface of the panel (3), above and below the opening (4) of the said panel.

4. Machine in accordance with claims 1 and 3, characterized in that the upper pivot (10) of the shutter (5) includes an intermediate spigot (15), around which a helical spring (16) is mounted, whose ends (17, 18) are attached to the upper lugs (8, 12) of the shutter (5) and panel (13), the said spring (16) being tensed so, as to keep the shutter in the closed position.

5. Machine in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the shutter (5) has along, one of its free edges, a protrusion (19) that rests against the internal surface of the panel when the shutter (5) is in the closed position, therefore limiting the closed position.

Drawing