VENDING MACHINE FOR WRAPPED PORTIONS OF FOOD

Abstract: Vending machine for dispensing wrapped portions of food (8), which consist of items stacked on each other. The invention is characterized in that a wrapping (5) in its lay-flat condition is adapted to be conveyed in said machine to one or more stations where it is supplied with items in two neighbouring locations (6, 7), whereupon said wrapping (5) is adapted to be folded back on itself to form said portion (8) consisting of items stacked on each other, and that the thus wrapped portion (8) is adapted to be discharged from said machine.

Description: VENDING MACHINE FOR WRAPPED PORTIONS OF FOOD The present invention relates to a vending machine and the like for dispensing wrapped portions of food, which consist of items stacked on each other, such as burgers. The invention is essentially characterised in that a wrapping in lay-flat condition is adapted to be conveyed in the machine to one or more stations where it is supplied with items in two neighbouring locations, whereupon the wrapping is adapted to be folded back on itself to form the portion consisting of items stacked on each other, and that the portion thus wrapped is adapted to be dis¬ charged from the machine. The invention renders it possible to heat, on the wrapping, the items to be heated, before the wrapping is supplied with items which are not intended to be heated. The invention will be described in detail below, •reference being had to the accompanying drawing which illus trates an embodiment of the inventive vending 'machine, chosen by way of example. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view of the lower part of the machine and an adjacent wall havin a discharge opening. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of parts of a mechanism included in the machine, the parts being verti¬ cally spaced apart for better clarity. Fig. 4 illustrates in a perspective view the manner in which the wrapping is handled in the machine. According to the embodiment shown, the machine com¬ prises three compartments 1-3 for food items which the wrapped portions are to contain. The compartments 1, 2 are intended for slice-shaped foodstuffs, such as meat and bread, the slices in the two compartments 1, 2 being stacked in four tubes or the like disposed around the centre axes of the compartments 1 , 2. The compartment 3 is intended for ketchup, mustard, pickles, sallad, dressing and the like. One or more of the compartments 1-3 may be cooled, in which case they are combined with a refrigera¬ ting unit. According to the invention, a wrapping 5 in its lay- flat condition is adapted to be conveyed in the machine to one or more stations where it is supplied with items in two neighbouring locations.6, 7. After all items in¬ cluded in the portion of food have been distributed to the two locations 6, 7, the wrapping 5 is folded back on itself to form a portion of food 8 which consists of items stacked on each other. As appears from Fig. 2, the machine is provided with a microwave oven 9 or like food heating device which is disposed after the station(s) where the wrapping 5 is supplied with items to be heated, and before the station(s) where the wrapping 5 is supplied with items not intended to be heated. In the embodiment shown, the microwave oven 9 is disposed after the compartments 1, 2 and before the compartment 3, as seen in the feeding direction of the wrapping 5. According to a preferred embodiment, the wrapping 5 is a separable leading part of a strip 10 of a suitable wrapping material, said strip 10 being fed longitudinally be a gear mechanism 11 which is adapted to mesh, by means of its teeth, with one or more perforation lines extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip 10. Preferably, the strip 10 is provided with two perforation lines 12, 13 in its centre part which are spaced apart a distance sub¬ stantially equalling the height of the portion of food 8. As shown in Fig. 2, the strip 10 is stored as a roll 14, whereas in Fig. 4, it is stored in a folded state, each section between the folds 15 forming a wrapping 5. As is best seen from Fig. 1, the machine is provided with a support 16 for the wrapping 5, which is displaceable transversely of the strip feeding direction and by means of which the wrapping 5 is adapted to be displaced after it has been separated from the remaining strip 10.. The displaceable support 16 is, as seen in the strip feeding direction, arranged after the station where items are deposited from the compartments 1, 2 for which reason the strip 10 is adapted to be withdrawn to the displace- able support 16, before the wrapping 5, after separation from the remaining strip 10, is displaceable by means of the support. As appears from Fig. 4, separation is carried out by means of a knife or the like. After separation the support 16 conveys the wrapping in its lay-flat condition to the microwave oven 9 for heating and then to the station where items are deposited from the compartment 3. Finally, the support 16 is adapted to fold the wrapping 5 back on itself, the perforation lines 12, 13 which extend in the longitudinal direction of the strip, serving as notches. The support 16 is provided with an arm 18 which, when abutting a fixed part, swings the centre part of the suppor 16 through 90°, simultaneously as gears 19 interacting with the arm 18 swing the rear part of the support 16 through 90° relative to the centre part. As a precautionary measure, the machine proper is a separate unit which is situated adjacent a wall with a discharge opening 20 for the wrapped portion of food. The cover 21 of the discharge opening 20 cannot be opened until the access to the machine proper is closed. The slices stacked in the compartments 1, 2 cooperate with mechanisms 22 which are adapted to deposit one slice at a time on the wrapping 5 in its lay-flat condition. The mechanisms 22 each comprise two circular discs 23, 24 disposed one above the other and rotatable at different angular velocities, and one fixed rectangular plate 25 mounted below the discs, all three 23-25 being provided with through recesses 26-28 conforming to the size of the slices. The rotatable upper disc 23 is adapted to allow one slice at a time to fall down on to the fixed plate 25, when the recesses 26, 27 of the two rotatable discs 23, 24 are opposite one another and opposite the stacked items. Subsequently, the rotatable lower disc 24 conveys the slice, when in the recess 27 thereof, to the recess 28 of the fixed plate 25, where the slice is deposited on the lay-flat wrapping 5. The machine is provided with two mechanisms 22 com- prising said discs 23, 24 and said plate 25, said mechanisms being synchronously driven and thus adapted to deposit the slices on the wrapping 5 in the two neighbouring loca¬ tions 6, 7. Having allowed one slice to pass through the recess 26, the upper disc 23 blocks the overlying stack regard¬ less of any variations in the thickness of the stacked slices. Therefore, the part 29 of the top face of the upper disc 23, which during rotation first enters below the stacked items after the recess 26, is countersunk, the depth of the countersunk part 29 successively diminishing as seen from the recess 26. Furthermore, the underside of the upper disc 23, with the exception of the part which is positioned below the countersunk part 29 of the top face comprises a circumferential depression 30 which pre- vents the slice conveyed by the recess 27 of the rotataBle disc 24 to the recess 28 of the plate 25, from sliding against the underside of the disc 23, despite any variations in the thickness of the slices. The angular velocity ratio of the two discs 23, 24 is such that, when the upper disc 23 turns between two stacks of items in the compartment, the lower disc 24 is adapted to make one revolution more than the upper disc 23. In the embodiment shown, the upper disc 23 thus turns through 1/4 revolution, while the lower disc 24 turns through 1 1/4 revolution. Along their circumference, the discs 23, 24 are provided with teet 31, the teeth 31 of one mechanism 22 meshing with the corresponding teeth 31 of the other mechanism 22 to provide for synchronous operation. For operation, the teeth 31 further mesh with driven gears. The discs 23, 24 disposed one above the other engage each other, while the fixed plate 25 mounted below the discs is adjustably spaced therefrom. This renders it possible to adapt the mechanisms 22 to slices of different thickness. As appears from Fig. 1, the disc 25 engages with the disc 24 in the left-hand mechanism 22, while the disc 25 is spaced from the disc 24 in the right-hand mechanism 22, the distance depending on the difference in slice thickness. The distance is provided by means of an exchangeable centre pin 32 or the like. The invention is not limited to the embodiment de- scribed above and shown in the drawing, but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A vending machine and the like for dispensing wrapped portions of food (8), which consist of items stacked on each other, such as burgers, c h a r a c t e r ¬ i z e d in that a wrapping (5) in its lay-flat condition is adapted to be conveyed in said machine to one or more stations where it is supplied with items in two neigh¬ bouring locations (6, 7), whereupon said wrapping (5) is adapted to be folded back on itself to form said portion (8) consisting of items stacked on each other, and that said portion (8) thus wrapped is adapted to be discharged from said machine. 2. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1- c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is provided with a microwave oven (9) or like food heating device which is disposed after the station(s) where said wrapping (5) is supplied with items to be heated, and before the station(s) where said wrapping is supplied with items not intended to be heated. 3. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1 or 2, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said wrapping (5) is a separable leading part of a. strip (10) of wrapping ma¬ terial, said strip (10) being fed longitudinally by a gear mechanism (11) which is adapted to mesh with one or more perforation lines (12, 13) extending in the longitudinal direction of said strip (10). 4. A vending machine as claimed in claim 3, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is provided with a support (16) for said wrapping (15), which is displaceable transversely of the feeding direction of the strip (10) and by means of which said wrapping (5) is adapted to be displaced after separation from the remaining strip (10). 5. A vending machine as claimed in claim 4, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said displaceable support (16), as seen in the feeding direction of said strip (10), is arranged after a station where said wrapping (5) is supplied with items, for which reason said strip (10) is adapted to be withdrawn to said displaceable support (16), before said wrapping (5) after separation from said re¬ maining strip (10), is displaceable by means of said support 6. A vending machine as claimed in claim 4 or 5, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that said displaceable support (16), when said wrapping (5) has been supplied with all items in said two neighbouring locations (6, 7), is adapted to fold the wrapping back on itself, said per¬ foration lines (12, 13) which extend in the longitudinal direction of said strip (10) serving as notches. 7. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the i tems which are stacked in said machine and consist of slices, cooperate with mechanisms (22), each comprising two discs (23, 24) disposed one above the other and rotatable at different angular velocities, and one fixed plate (25) mounted below said discs, all three (23, 25), being provided with through recesses (26-28) conforming to the size of said slices, the rotatable upper disc (23) allowing one slice at a time to fall down on to said fixed plate (25) when the recesses (26, 27) of the two rotatable discs (23, 24) are opposite one another and opposite the stacked items, the rotatable lower disc (24) being adapted to convey said slice, when in the recess (27) thereof, to the recess (28) of said fixed plate (25), where said slice is deposited on said wrapping (5) . 8. A vending machine as claimed in claim 7, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that it is provided with two mechanisms (22), each comprising said two discs (23, 24) disposed one above the other and rotatable at different angular velocities, and said fixed plate (25) mounted below said discs, said mechanisms being synchronously driven and adapted to deposit said slices on the wrapping (5) in the two neighbouring locations (6, 7). 9. A vending machine as claimed in claim 7 or 8, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the lower disc (24) is adapted to make one revolution more than the upper disc (23), e.g. 1 1/4 revolution, when the upper disc (23) turns between two stacks of items in said machine through, for example, 1/4 revolution. 10. A vending machine as claimed in any one of claims 7-9, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the part (29) of the top face of said upper disc (23), which during ro- tation first enters below the stacked items after the recess (26), is countersunk, the depth ot the countersunk part (29) successively diminishing as seen from the recess (26), whereas the underside of the said upper disc (23), with the exception of the part which is positioned below the countersunk part (29) of the top face, comprises a circumferential depression (30). 11. A vending machine as claimed in any one of claims 7-10, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that * the two discs (23, 24) which are disposed one above the other and rota- table at different angular velocities, engage each other, while said fixed plate (25) mounted below said discs is adjustably spaced from the two rotatable discs (23, 24) disposed one above the other.

Inventors: ROTHSTEIN SVEN OLLE HENRY, ROTHSTEIN, SVEN, OLLE, HENRY
Applicants: ROGINEX AB
Application year: 1987
Main classification: G07F11
IPC codes: G07F9, G07F11