Abstract:
A vending machine to dispense purchased goods includes a frame, a dispensing member, a controlling member, a blocking member and a driving member. The controlling member can slide a limiting shaft between a latched position and a releasing position. The driving member is a spring which is partly uncoiled and which constantly pulls the dispensing member, and thus a line of goods, towards the blocking member. When the limiting shaft is in the latched position, the limiting shaft prevents the blocking member rotating, so holding back the line of unpurchased goods. When the limiting shaft is retracted to the releasing position, the pressure of the line of goods rotates the blocking member through ninety degrees to allow one of the goods to pass out of the goods channel.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to vending machines, and particularly to a vending machine with a simple dispensing assembly. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    In many vending machines, the dispensing assembly includes rigid coils and motors. The motor rotates the coil causing products to be pushed along a channel to eventually drop into a bin accessible by a customer. Generally, each vending machine includes more than 6 partitions, each frame includes more than 8 channels, and each channel secures one dispensing assembly. Thus, more than 48 motors are used in one vending machine, which increase costs of the vending machine and causes more complexity in the assembly process of the dispensing assembly. 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  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a dispensing member of the vending machine of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a blocking member of the vending machine of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is an assembled, isometric view of one embodiment of the vending machine of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is a cutaway view of the vending machine of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 7  is similar to  FIG. 6 , but viewed from a different aspect. 
           [0013]      FIG. 8  is an enlarged view of a circled portion VIII of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    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.” 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  show one embodiment of a vending machine. The vending machine includes a frame  10 , a dispensing member  20 , a blocking member  30 , a controlling member  50 , and a driving member  60 . 
         [0016]    The frame  10  includes a bottom plate  11 , a first dividing plate  12 , a second dividing plate  15 , and a rear plate  13  secured to the bottom plate  11 . In one embodiment, the first dividing plate  12  is substantially parallel to the second dividing plates  15  and substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate  11 , and the rear plate  13  is substantially perpendicular to each of the bottom plate  11 , the first dividing plate  12 , and the second dividing plate  15 . The bottom plate  11  defines two sliding slots  112  (see  FIG. 5 ), and two ribs  113  extending upwards from the bottom plate  11 . The two ribs  113  are located between the two sliding slots  112 . A receiving slot  115  is defined between the two ribs  113 . A positioning piece  116  extends from the bottom plate  11 . In one embodiment, the positioning piece  116  is substantially parallel to the bottom plate  11 . A gap (not labeled) is defined between the positioning piece  116  and the bottom plate  11 . A goods channel  123  (see  FIG. 5 ) is defined between the first dividing plate  12  and the second dividing plate  15  in which a plurality of goods  100  may be placed. 
         [0017]    An installation portion  121  extends from a side of the first dividing plate  12 , which is away from the rear plate  13 . The installation portion  121  includes a supporting plate  1211 , a connecting plate  1212 , and an installation plate  1213 . In one embodiment, the supporting plate  1211  is substantially perpendicular to the first dividing plate  12 , the connecting plate  1212  is substantially perpendicular to the supporting plate  1211  and parallel to the first dividing plate  12 , and the installation plate  1213  is substantially parallel to the supporting plate  1211 . The connecting plate  1212  defines a pivoting hole  1215  and a through hole  1216 . The installation plate  1213  defines two installation holes  1218 . The second dividing plate  15  defines a mounting hole  151  corresponding to the pivoting hole  1215 . The rear plate  13  defines a latching hole  131 . In one embodiment, the latching hole  131  is a rectangular opening. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows the dispensing member  20  including a dispensing plate  21  and a flange  23  extending from the dispensing plate  21 . Two limiting portions  231  extend from a bottom surface of the flange  23 . Each limiting portion  231  includes a sliding piece  2311  and a limiting piece  2312 . The sliding piece  2311  is substantially perpendicular to the flange  23  and limiting piece  2312 , and the limiting piece  2312  is substantially parallel to the flange  23 . A receiving housing  25  is located in a corner between the dispensing plate  21  and the flange  23 . The receiving housing  25  defines a receiving slot  251  for receiving a first end of the driving member  60 . The dispensing plate  21  further defines a cutout  211 . A latching portion  213  extends from a bottom edge of the cutout  211  and includes a latching piece  2131 . The latching portion  213  is elastically deformable to enable insertion through the latching hole  131  to engage the latching piece  2131  with the rear plate  13 . 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  shows that the blocking member  30  includes a rotating portion  31  and four blocking plates  33  located on an outer surface of the rotating portion  31 . The rotating portion  31  defines a through hole  311  and four latching slots  313  in a side surface of the rotating portion  31 . The through hole  311  extends through two side surfaces of the rotating portion  31 . Each two adjacent blocking plates  33  are substantially perpendicular to each other. Each latching slot  313  is curved. The four latching slot  313  together form a circle. 
         [0020]    The controlling member  50  includes a controller  51  and a limiting shaft  53  slidably mounted in the controller  51 . The controller  51  controls the limiting shaft  53  to slide between a latching position and a releasing position when a pulse signal is received. When the limiting shaft  53  is in the latching position, the limiting shaft  53  extends out of the controller  51  for being received in one of the latching slots  313 . When the limiting shaft  53  is in the releasing position, the limiting shaft  53  goes back to the controller  51  and is disengaged from the latching slot  313 . In one embodiment, the controlling member  50  is a solenoid valve. 
         [0021]    The driving member  60  includes a coiled portion  63 , and a straight portion  61 , the straight portion  61  being part of the coiled portion  63  but pulled out flat. In one embodiment, the driving member  60  is a spring. 
         [0022]      FIGS. 5-8  show that, in assembly, the first dividing plate  12  and the second dividing plate  15  are secured to the bottom plate  12  by screws. The controlling member  50  is received in the installation portion  121  and secured to the installation plate  1213  through the installation hole  1218  by two screws  56 . A mounting shaft  80  extends through the through hole  311 . A first end of the mounting shaft  80  is engaged in the pivoting hole  1215 . A second end of the mounting shaft  80  is engaged in the mounting hole  151 . Thus, the blocking member  30  is rotatable about the mounting shaft  80 . The dispensing member  20  is oblique relative to the bottom plate  11  and the limiting portion  231  is inserted into the sliding slot  112  adjacent to the rear plate  13 . The dispensing member  20  is placed horizontally, the sliding piece  2311  is slidably received in the sliding slot  112 , and the bottom plate  11  is located between the limiting piece  2312  and the flange  23  to prevent the dispensing member  20  disengaging from the sliding slot  112 . A distal end of the straight portion  61  is inserted through the gap between the bottom plate  11  and the positioning piece  116  and secured to the positioning piece  116 . The coiled portion  63  is engaged in the receiving slot  251 . A plurality of goods  100  is placed between the dispensing member  20  and the blocking member  30 . 
         [0023]    When the goods  100  are in place but unpurchased, the dispensing member  20  exerts a pushing force, towards the blocking member  30 , on the goods  100  under the action of the coiled portion  63 . The pushing force pushes the goods  100  out of the goods channel  123 . The limiting shaft  53  is located in the latching position and engaged in the latching slot  313  to prevent the blocking member  30  from rotating. One of the blocking plates  33  is substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate  11  and resists the goods  100 . The one blocking plate  33  exerts a blocking force towards the dispensing member  20 . 
         [0024]    When one of the goods  100  is purchased, a pulse signal generator (not shown) sends a signal to the controlling member  50  to move the limiting shaft  53  to the releasing position. In this position, the blocking member  30  is rotatable about the rotating shaft  80  in the manner of a turnstile, and the equilibrium of the goods is broken. The coiled portion  63  rolls up a part of the straight portion  61 , towards the blocking member  30 , causing the dispensing member  20  to move towards the blocking member  30  and thus push the goods  100  towards the blocking member  30 . The blocking member  30  is rotated about the mounting shaft  30  under the pushing action of the goods  100 , until one of the goods  100  is pushed out of the goods channel  123 . The blocking member  30  is by then rotated 90 degrees. The pulse signal generator sends another signal to the controlling member  50  to move the limiting shaft  53  to the latching position to block the blocking member  30 . The goods  100  unpurchased and remained are then in the standstill state again. 
         [0025]    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.