Abstract:
A product delivery device includes a receiving tray. The receiving tray includes a bottom plate, a pushing plate, and a shielding plate. The pushing plate is toward the shielding plate, and the shielding plate is rotatably attached to the bottom plate. A product exit is defined in the bottom plate and is covered by the shielding plate. The pushing plate pushes a product onto the shielding plate. The shielding plate rotates to allow the product to drop out of the receiving tray via the product exit.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The present disclosure relates to product delivery devices, and particularly to a product delivery device in an automatic vending machine. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Vending machines allow customers to buy products twenty-four hours a day. When the customer purchases a product, a helical element in a cabinet is rotated to push the product out of the cabinet. However, sometimes the product drops out of the cabinet when the cabinet is shaken, and sometimes the product gets stuck in the helical element. Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       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. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of a product delivery device in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is an assembled view of the product delivery device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the product delivery device of  FIG. 2 , a shielding plate is open, and a securing plate is closed. 
         FIG. 4  is similar to  FIG. 3 , the shielding plate is closed, and the securing plate is open. 
         FIG. 5  is an isometric view of a vending mechanism with a plurality of product delivery devices in accordance with an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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.” 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrate an embodiment of a product delivery device. The product delivery device comprises a plurality of receiving trays  10 . Each receiving tray  10  is used for receiving a plurality of products  20 . In one embodiment, the product delivery device is placed in a cabinet  100  (see  FIG. 4 ) of the automatic vending mechanism (not shown). 
     Each receiving tray  10  comprises a bottom plate  11 , a shielding plate  12 , two side plates  13  (only one is shown in  FIGS. 1-4 ), a securing plate  14 , a pushing plate  18 , and a top plate  19 . In one embodiment, the bottom plate  11  is substantially parallel to the top plate  19  and substantially perpendicular to the side plates  13 . The bottom plate  11  defines a product exit  16 . A size and shape of the product exit  16  is substantially equal to a size and shape of the shielding plate  12 , so that the shielding plate  12  can fill in the product exit  16  and be coplanar with the bottom plate  11 . Two pivoting posts  121  extend from opposite side edges of the shielding plate  12 , respectively. A tab  131  defining a pivoting hole  132  extends from a bottom edge of each side plate  13 . The two pivoting posts  121  are received in the two pivoting holes  1311  to rotatably secure the shielding plate  12  to the two side plates  13 . 
     The pushing plate  18  is located between the bottom plate  11  and the top plate  19  and is connected to a pushing device (not shown), so that the pushing plate  18  is moveable by the pushing device along a first direction that is substantially parallel to the bottom plate  11 . 
     The securing plate  14  is rotatably attached to the top plate  19  by a securing means, such as a hinge (not shown), so that the securing plate  14  is rotatable relative to the top plate  19 . A sensor  15  is attached to a side surface of the securing plate  14  facing the plurality of products  20 . The sensor  15  sends infrared signals to the pushing device to signal the pushing device to operate. 
     When the plurality of receiving trays  10  is received in the cabinet  100 , the receiving trays  10  are arranged in a staircase shape, so that the shielding plate  12  of each receiving tray  10  is not covered by another receiving tray  10 . Each receiving tray  10  is angled toward a bottom panel  101  of the cabinet  100 , such that the shielding plates  12  of the receiving trays  10  are higher than the respective pushing plates  18  relative t to the bottom panel. Thus, the shielding plates  12  of the receiving trays  10  are not blocked by other receiving trays  10 . 
     To place the products  20  into the receiving tray  10 , the pushing device and the pushing plate are first in an original position at a rear end of the receiving tray  10 . The securing plate  14  is rotated about a first axis that is substantially perpendicular to the side plates  13 , so that an opening  17  is defined in the receiving tray  10 . The products  20  are placed into the receiving tray  10 , and the securing plate  14  is rotated back to cover the opening  17  once the receiving tray  10  is filled with the products  20 . 
     In use, the shielding plate  12  is rotated by a controlling device (not shown) about a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis, until the shielding plate  12  is substantially perpendicular to the bottom plate  11 . The product exit  16  is opened, and a first product  20  abutting the shielding plate  12  drops out of the receiving tray  10 . The shielding plate  12  forms a preventing portion  123  adjacent to the pivoting post  121 . The preventing portions  123  extend through the product exit  16  when the shielding plate  12  is perpendicular to the bottom plate  11  to prevent a second product  20  adjacent to the first product  20  from dropping out of the product exit  16 . 
     After the first product  20  drops out of the receiving tray  10 , the shielding plate  12  is rotated back by the controlling device to cover the product exit  16 . The pushing plate  18  is pushed by the pushing device along the first direction towards the shielding plate  12 , until the second product  20  abuts the sensor  15 . When the second product  20  abuts the sensor  15 , the sensor  15  sends a signal to the pushing device, and the pushing device stops pushing the pushing plate  18 . Thus, the products  20  are pushed by the pushing plate  18  to be ready to drop out of the product exit  16 . 
     When the last product  20  drops out of the receiving tray  10 , the pushing device is extended as far as it can go and cannot push the pushing plate  18  any further. After the sensor  15  does not sense anymore products  20  abutting the sensor  15  for a predetermined period of time, the pushing device pulls the pushing plate  18  along a second direction that is opposite to the first direction, until the pushing plate  18  is located at the rear end of the receiving tray  10  for waiting for the products  20  entering into the receiving tray  10 . 
     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 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.