TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention has its technical application in the field of mechanics as it specifically
provides a novel base with an inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines,
which is completely different to existing vending machine bases.
BACKGROUND
[0002] According to the state of the art in the vending machines sector, there exist those
wherein the end consumer can acquire rigid or solid balls that are small in size,
because thanks to their consistency it is possible to use the current mechanism in
this type of vending machines, which does not allow using any other type of balls
that do not have these characteristics, and as a result no vending machine envisages
in its structure a base that has an inflation mechanism for the balls.
[0003] Also in the state of the art, we can find air pumps for inflating balls, but these
are not integrated in a ball vending machine.
[0004] Some of the drawbacks that exist in the above-mentioned technology relate precisely
to the fact that no vending machine for deflated plastic balls exists which includes
a pump in its structure for inflating the balls straight away, not to mention, a pump
that has a cam connected to a relief valve that releases the air injected by the pump
to prevent the excess air in the ball possibly causing it to break.
[0005] In the light of the above, before it was impossible to acquire a plastic ball, which
is usually the type most children prefer playing with, from a vending machine and
inflate it because, to date, existing vending machines exclusively sell another type
of ball, and plastic balls that are already inflated have to be acquired in a self-service
shop, and where appropriate, if they require more air inside, they will have to be
inflated using an external pump not directly provided in any vending machine.
[0006] The base with an inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines proposed
by the invention, has been designed precisely to overcome this problem in a completely
satisfactory manner, and therefore focuses its characteristics on the actual structure
of the vending machine comprising a pump in its internal mechanism, which has an external
pedal internally connected to a hose provided with an integrated valve for inflating
the ball outside the machine, which valve is joined in the central part thereof and
inside the machine via an elbow connection to a hose that extends outside the machine
by means of a relief valve covered by a rigid cam made of a galvanised sheet material,
the main purpose of which consists in allowing the release of air when the plastic
ball that is being inflated by the valve reaches its ideal size, thereby preventing
the ball from breaking due to excess air in the inside thereof.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In order to complete the above description and facilitate a better understanding
of the characteristics and details of this novel base with an inflation mechanism
for deflated ball vending machines, attached to this description, as an integral part
thereof, a series of drawings are provided which are a non-limiting and illustrative
example, showing the following:
Figure 1 is a front view of the base with an inflation mechanism for deflated ball
vending machines.
Figure 2 illustrates a side perspective view, without the housing, of the base with
the inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines.
Figure 3 is an upper, left angle side perspective view of the base with the inflation
mechanism for deflated ball vending machines.
Figure 4 is a side isometric view of the base with the inflation mechanism for deflated
ball vending machines.
With reference to said figures, the base with the inflation mechanism for deflated
ball vending machines is mainly made up of the following components:
A. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines, comprising a
pedal 1 located on the front, external part of the housing 2 of the vending machine,
which pedal is connected in the inside of said machine to two pneumatic pistons 3
that at the top part thereof are connected in turn to an outlet 4 that contains a
pressure gauge 5 and to which a hose 6 is connected, said hose being joined to a T-connection
7 the main purpose of which is to divide the air flow into two parts. On the one hand,
when viewed from the front, this T-connection 7 is joined on the left to an elbow
joint 8 through which it is joined to a hose 9 that goes up to a hole 10 located in
the top central part of the vending machine, when viewed from the front, which contains
a valve 11 for inflating the ball. This set of hoses and connections is retractable
so that it can be used more effectively to inflate the ball, due to the fact that
a washer 12 is provided in the T-connection 7, with two springs 13 being connected
to two ends of said washer, which makes the retractable function possible, with said
springs being anchored in turn respectively to a welded metal lug provided on the
rear internal apex of the housing 2 that forms the vending machine in the bottom part
thereof. On the other hand, viewed from the front, a hose 14 extends from the T-connection
towards the right side, perpendicular to the inflation hose 9, which has a relief
valve 15 provided at the end thereof, located on the right handle 16 of the vending
machine when viewed from the front, and covered by a cam 17, the main purpose of which
is to release the excess air from ball 18 which is injected by valve 11, and thereby
prevent the ball from breaking due to excess air.
[0008] The base with an inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines proposed
by the invention, has been designed precisely to solve this problem that has existed
to date in the market, since there were no vending machines offering public consumers
the sale of deflated balls that could be inflated, once removed from the machine by
said consumers, directly in said vending machine, thereby introducing a new system
of selling inflatable plastic balls and new vending machines for these balls that
include a pump in their structure for inflating the ball.
[0009] Having sufficiently described the invention, I consider it to be a novelty and therefore
claim that the content of the following clauses belongs exclusively to me.
1. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines characterized in that it is made up of a pumping mechanism for inflating balls characterized in that it has a pedal located in the front external part of the machine, which is connected
in the inside thereof to two pneumatic pistons, which at the top part thereof are
connected to an outlet that contains a pressure gauge and to which a hose is connected,
joined to a T-connection the main purpose of which is to divide the air flow into
two parts. On the one hand, this T-connection, on the top part thereof, is joined
to an elbow piece from which there extends a hose that goes up to a hole located in
the top central front part of the vending machine that contains a valve for inflating
the ball. This set of hoses and connections is characterized in that it is retractable so that it is more effective for inflating the ball, because a
washer is provided in the T-connection, with two springs being connected to two ends
thereof, which allow the retractable function, with said springs being anchored respectively
to a lug provided on the rear inner apex of the housing that forms the vending machine
in the bottom part thereof. On the other hand, the T-connection is joined to a hose
located towards the right side, when viewed from the front, and perpendicular to the
inflating hose, which is provided at the end thereof with a relief valve and is located
on the right handle of the vending machine, when viewed from the front, characterized in that it is covered by a cam the main purpose of which is to release excess air from the
ball that is injected by the valve, and thereby prevent the ball from breaking due
to excess air.
2. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines characterized according to clause 1 characterized in that the metal lugs used to attach or anchor the springs can be replaced with rings or
eyebolts, and these can be located in another internal part of the housing.
3. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines characterized according to clauses 1 and 2 characterized in that the hoses used can be replaced by any other type of hose or tube.
4. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machines characterized according to clauses 1, 2 and 3 characterized in that the elbow and the T connection can be of any material, or where appropriate either
of them or both could be omitted depending on the type of connection provided on the
piston pump.
5. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machine characterized according to clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 characterized in that the cam and its respective relief valve can be replaced by any other type of sensor,
including distance sensors, pressure sensors, proximity sensors, and volume sensors,
inter alia; or they can be located at another angle or position on the base with inflation mechanism
of the vending machine.
6. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machine characterized according to clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 characterized in that the number of pneumatic pistons used can be increased or reduced.
7. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machine characterized according to clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 characterized in that the springs can vary in number and can be replaced by any type of ties or flexible
tensors; or where appropriate they can be completely omitted from inside the mechanism,
thereby preventing the retractable function of the inflation system.
8. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machine characterized according to clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 characterized in that instead of the base with the inflation mechanism being located in the bottom part
of the vending machine, it can be located in any other position with respect to the
vending machine.
9. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machine characterized according to clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 characterized in that the pistons used to inflate the ball can be replaced at least by an electrical or
mechanical compressor, or at least some type of mechanical or electrical bellows that
provide pressurised air for inflating the ball.
10. Base with inflation mechanism for deflated ball vending machine characterized according to clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 characterized in that the pedal used can be replaced by at least one handle, or at least one lever, or
at least some other electrically or mechanically driven means.
