VENDING MACHINE

Abstract: A vending machine comprising at least one magazine (17) with a dispensing opening (23) and a dispensing mechanism which, after registering a payment, is adapted to push a product (21) out of the magazine via the dispensing opening (23). The magazine (17) includes a frame (18) with a fixed base plate (19) and a drive unit (28-30). A container (20) for a plurality of stacked goods (21) is swingably carried on the frame (18) and connected to the drive unit (28-30).

Description: TITLE: Vending machine. TECHNICAL FIELD: The present invention relates to a vending machine compri¬ sing at least one magazine with a dispensing opening and a dispensing mechanism which, after registering a payment, is adapted to push a product out of the magazine via the dispensing opening. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION: Vending machines of the above mentioned type can be used for example for dispensing prepared portions of food, for example for lunches at places of work. A microwave oven is normally used to heat the meal from the vending machine. The meal can either be stored frozen in the machine or can have been previously heat-stabilized according to a known method so that it may be kept for a long period in a fridge without deterioration. Many vending machines for this purpose are known, for example from SE 455900 and SE 459939. These known vending machines are relatively expensive to produce since they contain relatively complex mechanisms in the form of levers, runners and other dispensing components. Furthermo¬ re, these mechanisms encroach into the cold space which implies that the available volume for the goods within the vending machine is reduced. In addition it is also clearly advantageous if the mechanism used in a dispensing machine is as simple as possible. TECHNICAL PROBLEM: The object of the invention is therefore to provide a vending machine with a simple and reliable dispensing mechanism for the goods. SOLUTION: According to the invention the magazine includes a frame with a fixed base plate and a drive unit, and a container for a plurality of stacked goods which is swingably carried on the frame and connected to the drive unit. Preferred embodiments of the invention are detailed in the appended sub-claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: One embodiment of the invention will be described in greater detail in the following with the reference to the attached drawings in which Fig 1 is a schematic perspective view of a vending machine according to the invention. Figs 2 & 3 are perspective views which show a magazine included in the vending machine according to the invention in a neutral position and a dispensing position respectively, Figs 4-7 schematically show the function of the magazine in four steps during dispensing of a product. Fig 8 shows schematically the mechanism for dispensing a product, ig 9 is a plan view which shows the arrangement of eight magazines within a freezer. ig 10 shows schematically a second embodiment of the invention. ig 11 shows a further embodiment in a view corresponding to Fig 9, Figs 12 & 13 show i two stages the removal of the magazine cover, and Fig 14 shows parts of a mechanism for locking the magazine covers. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION: The vending machine shown in the drawings is principally a modification of a conventional, rectangular freezer 10, whose inner space 13, which is delimited by four side walls 11 and a base 12, is exposed and accessable via two displaceable thermoglass plates 14 in two different planes. The plates 14 are transparent and overlap each other somewhat at a list 14a. A shelf 15 is arranged above the freezer opening and houses a payment unit 16. The unit 16 can be provided with a reader for magnetic cards, whereby such cards can be used to identify the customer who can for example be employed in a firm where the vending machine is located for providing lunches. The employee can thus obtain credit until the next pay-day. Other payment systems are of course conceivable, such as those using coins, notes or tokens. The payment unit 16 is electrically connected to a plurality of separate magazines 17 which are placed in the space 13 and are shown in more detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The magazine 17 comprises a frame 18 with a fixed base plate 19 and a container for storing the goods 21. The container 20 is arranged to house a number of vertically stacked goods 21 and is swingably mounted to the frame at two pivot points 22. The container 20 is provided at its lower region with a dispensing opening 23 into which the fixed base plate 19 of the frame projects somewhat when the magazine is in the neutral position as shown in Fig. 2. The opening 23 is downwardly delimited by a secondary base plate 24 forming a part of the container. The frame 18 is provided at its lower end with a rectangular box-shaped cavity 25 which contains drive means for reciprocating the container about the pivot points 22 from the neutral position shown in Fig. 2 to the dispensing position shown in Fig. 3 and back again for dispensing a product. The container 20 is provided on both sides with a tongue 26 which is intended to guide the container during its swinging movement. The way in which a product 21 is dispensed from the magazine 17 is shown in four different steps in Figs 4-7. Fig 4 hereby shows a neutral position in which the container 20 hangs vertically with a stack of goods resting on the fixed base plate 19. Fig 5 shows the container 20 during swinging about the pivot point 22 in the direction of the arrow 22a. The rear wall 27 of the container hereby pushes the stack of goods to the left in the figure along the fixed base plate 19. Fig 6 shows the outer end position at which the rear wall of the container has now passed the end edge of the fixed base plate 19 whereat the stack of goods can slide downwardly in the container until it rests on the secondary base plate 24. The container 20 now starts to swing back, i.e. to the right in Figs 6 and 7. As can be seen from Fig 7, the end edge of the fixed base plate 19 acts as an ejector for the lowest one of the goods in the stack so that it is pushed out through the dispens- ing opening 23. The product 21 finally ends up to the left in front of the container 20. Fig 8 shows the means for powering the container's swinging movement. An electric motor 28 is arranged in the cavity 25. A crank arm 29 is attached to the motor's projecting shaft, the free end of which arm forms an upwardly directed peg 30 which engages in a groove (not shown in the drawings) provided on the underside of the container 20. When the shaft of the electric motor rotates one revolu¬ tion, a swinging of the container 20 back and forth to the neutral position consequently occurs. Fig 9 shows the freezer 10 in a view from above from which it can be seen how eight magazines 17 are placed within the space 13 in such a manner that the dispensing openings 23 face each other. The upper side of the spaces 25 forms a common surface upon which the goods 21 can rest when they are dispensed through an opening 23 and are accessable through the opening of the freezer. The vending machine according to Fig 9 offers the choice between eight different meals with a refill capacity of 110-120 meals. Filling of the containers 20 is carried out by folding forwardly and downwardly the forward grill section 20b in relation to the rear U-shaped member 20a. Folding is possible since the said parts 20a, 20b are connected via pivot points 31 (see figs 2 and 3). Filling is attained by placing the goods on top of the stack in the container. This implies that the first goods to be loaded are those which are dispensed first. The two parts of the container 20a, 20b can be lockably connected to each other to prevent unauthorized removal of goods from the machine. A variation of the invention is shown in figs. 10-14 in which the freezer shelf has been replaced by a vertical information screen 32. The payment unit 16 is located to the right side of the box 10 where the freezer compressor is also situated. The eight magazines 17 are placed two by two in the box so that two pairs of magazines in the left hand section of the box are facing each other and two pairs are facing each other in a corresponding manner in the right hand section of the box. A tubular frame 33 (see fig. 11) extends around the box opening below the glass plates 14 and provides support for a cover 34 for each pair of magazines. The two ends of the cover 34 extend in a locked position below the frame and cannot be displaced sideways since the magazines project somewhat above the lower surface of the frame. The covers can be moved from their locked position by opening a catch. For this purpose a normally locked openable cover 35 adjacent the payment unit 16 is provided, below which a control lever 36 (see Fig 14) is arranged. This lever is connected to a displaceable bar on each side of the frame 33. Each frame side and bar are provided with four slots 37 which can be opened and closed by displacement of the bar to and from a position where its slots are aligned with the slots in the frame. In the open position the cover 37 can be lifted up at the edge which extends below the corre¬ sponding slots. The cover can thereafter be slid sideways until the other edge is at the slot 37 and the cover can then be removed in its entirety for loading the magazines 17 (see figs 12 and 13) . The space below the payment unit 16 and that adjacent the cover 35 forms a part of the box's freezing room and can be used as an additional storage space for goods which can be transferred to the magazines (see fig 14) . This can be useful if one of the meals is in greater demand than the others. The arrangement of the frame 33 for the magazines 17 and the covers 34 at the upper edge of the box means that it is possible to maintain a gap between the magazines and the insulating inner wall of the box without the need for any inlets to be made in the insulation. Naturally the invention is not restricted to the above described embodiment and many modifications are imaginable within the scope of the following claims. For example the number of magazines 17 can be varied. The dispensing means can be shaped differently from that shown. The upper edge of the plate delimiting the dispensing opening can be height adjustable so that the magazine can be adapted for goods of various heights. The vending machine can of course be adapted for other sorts of goods, such as drinks packaged in cartons, ice-cream, video-cassettes or books.

Claims: Claims 1. Vending machine comprising at least one magazine (17) with a dispensing opening (23) and a dispensing mechanism which, after registering a payment, is adapted to push a product (21) out of the magazine via the dispensing opening (23) , c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the magazine (17) includes a frame (18) with a fixed base plate (19) and a drive unit (28-30) , and in that a container (20) for a plurality of stacked goods (21) is swingably carried on the frame (18) and connected to the drive unit (28-30) . 2. Vendingmachine according to claim 1, c h a r a c t ¬ e r i z e d in that the swingable container (20) is provided with a dispensing opening (23) and a secondary base place (24) located beneath the opening. 3. Vendingmachine according to claim 2, c h a r a c t ¬ e r i z e d in that the fixed base plate (19) forms a support surface for the goods (21) when the container (20) is in a normal position and that the secondary base plate (24) forms a support surface for the goods during dispensing of the lowest product in the stack. 4. Vendingmachine according to claim 3, c h a r a c t ¬ e r i z e d in that a free transverse edge of the fixed base plate (19) serves as an ejector for the lowest product during swinging of the container (20) back from an outer end position to the normal position. 5. Vending machine according to any pof the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the container (20) is shaped as an elongated magazine which is suspended from two pivot points (22) on the frame (18) . 6. Vending machine according to claim 5, c h a r a c t - e r i z e d in that the container (20) comprises an open¬ able side wall (20b) which permits filling of the magazine from the top. 7. Vending machine according to claim 6, c h a r a c t - e r i z e d in that the openable side wall (20b) is supported at two pivot points (31) adjacent the dispensing opening (23) . 8. Vending machine according to any of the preceding claims, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the drive means includes an electric motor (28) which is connected to the container (20) via a crank arm (30) , the end of which engages in a groove in the container. 9. Vending machine according to any of the preceding claims,2-8 c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the height dimension of the dispensing opening (23) is adjustable so that it can be adapted to goods of various heights.

Inventors: OLOFSSON LARS, OLOFSSON, LARS
Applicants: BETJAENTEN AB, AB BETJAENTEN
Application year: 1991
Main classification: G07F11
IPC codes: G07F11