Abstract:
A vending machine has a base, a securing member, and a rail for supporting merchandise as a motor-driven coil rotates to push out merchandise. The rail is supported at the motor-driven end of the coil by a single screw from which the rail can be simply lifted and pulled away, and supported at the other end of the coil by a spring-loaded clip, enabling rapid assembly and disassembly of the rail without demounting any other component of the vending machine.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to vending machines, and particularly to a vending machine with a merchandise support rail. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In vending machines, a number of items of merchandise are placed on a support rail, and the support rail guides the number of merchandise to move out. However, the support rail is generally secured with screws, which is laborious and time consuming to assembly or disassemble. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of one embodiment of a vending machine. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows an isometric view of a support rail of the vending machine of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an assembled, isometric view of the vending machine of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.” 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  shows one embodiment of a vending machine. The vending machine includes a base  20 , a rigid coil  30  for moving goods, and a support rail  50 . 
         [0012]    The base  20  includes a bottom plate  21  and a securing plate  23  secured to a first end of the bottom plate  21 . The securing plate  23  can be substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate  21 . A second end of the bottom plate  21  defines an opening  211  and a guiding slot  212 . A resilient piece  213  is located adjacent to the second end of the bottom plate  21 . The opening  211  is located between the guiding slot  212  and the resilient piece  213 . The resilient piece  213  defines a limiting hole  214 . 
         [0013]    A securing member  25  is rotatably mounted on the securing plate  23  and located in the base  20 . The securing member  25  is rotatable relative to the securing plate  23  under an action of a driving motor (not shown). The securing member  25  includes a connecting portion  251  and a securing piece  252  beside the connecting portion  251 . The connecting portion  251  defines a connecting slot  253 . The securing piece  252  defines a cutout  254  opposite to the connecting slot  253 . In one embodiment, the connecting portion  251  is cylindrical. 
         [0014]    Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , the support rail  50  includes a support plate  51 , a first mounting portion  53  extending from a first end of the support plate  51 , and a second mounting portion  56  extending from a second end of the support plate  51 . The first end of the support plate  51  is opposite to the second end of the support plate  51 . The first mounting portion  53  defines an inserting hole  531  and a receiving hole  532  communicating with the inserting hole  531 . In one embodiment, each of the receiving hole  532  and the inserting hole  531  is circular. The inserting hole  531  is larger than the receiving hole  532  and located under the receiving hole  532 . A diameter of the receiving hole  532  is substantially equal to a diameter of the connecting portion  251 . 
         [0015]    The second mounting portion  56  includes a connecting piece  561  extending from the support plate  51  and a latching piece  562  extending from the connecting piece  561 . The connecting piece  561  is elastically deformable and substantially perpendicular to the support plate  51 . A hook  563  extends from the latching piece  562  corresponding to the opening  211 . A guiding post  564  extends from the latching piece  562  corresponding to the guiding slot  212 . A protrusion  565  extends from the latching piece  562  corresponding to the limiting hole  214 . The guiding post  564  and the protrusion  565  are located on opposite sides of the hook  563 . 
         [0016]    The rigid coil  30  includes a securing end  31 . 
         [0017]      FIGS. 1-4  show that, in assembly, the securing end  31  is inserted into the connecting slot  253  and engaged in the cutout  254 . The rigid coil  30  is spiraled around the support rail  50 , the hook  563  is aligned with the opening  211 , and the guiding post  564  is aligned with the guiding slot  212 . The support rail  50  is moved towards the bottom plate  21  until the hook  563  is engaged in the opening  211 , and the guiding post  564  is engaged in the guiding slot  212 . In this position, the protrusion  565  abuts and elastically deforms the resilient piece  213 . The support rail  50  is moved towards the securing plate  23 , and the guiding post  564  slides in the guiding slot  212 . When the protrusion  565  is aligned with the limiting hole  214 , the resilient piece  213  rebounds to engage the protrusion  565  in the limiting hole  214 , and the hook  563  is engaged with the bottom plate  21 . Thus, the second mounting portion  56  is secured to the bottom plate  21 . 
         [0018]    The connecting portion  251  is inserted in the inserting hole  531 . The first end of the support rail  50  is moved downwardly, and the connecting portion  251  is then engaged in the receiving hole  532 . The connecting portion  251  is rotatable in the receiving hole  532 . Thus, the first mounting portion  53  is secured to the securing member  25 . 
         [0019]    In disassembly, the first end of the support rail  50  is moved away from the bottom plate  21 , and then the connecting portion  251  is slid into the inserting hole  531  from the receiving hole  532 . The first mounting portion  53  can then be removed from the inserting hole  53 . The resilient piece  213  is elastically deformed to disengage the protrusion  565  from the limiting hole  214 . The support rail  50  is moved away from the securing plate  23  until the hook  563  is aligned with the opening  211 . Thus, the second mounting portion  56  can be removed from the bottom plate  21 . 
         [0020]    It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and the arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure, to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.