AUTOMATIC VENDOR OF PRODUCTS, INCLUDING SOFT-WRAPPED ONES, AND RETENTION AND EXPULSION DEVICE FOR SAID VENDOR

Abstract: An automatic vending machine of the type with rotating spirals (4) comprises a retention device, of which one element (22), which is kept held against a package (S) at an end position downstream of a dispensing channel, is able to move between two positions, one being that for the extended condition of retention, in which it withholds the said package, and the other that of expulsion whereby it is retracted behind the said package. The advance of the element (22) expels the package that is at the top, i.e., the one at the end of the channel, and brings the element (22) back in position onto a subsequent package.

Description: AUTOMATIC VENDOR OF PRODUCTS, INCLUDING SOFT-WRAPPED ONES, AND RETENTION AND EXPULSION DEVICE FOR SAID VENDOR DESCRIPTION The invention refers to automatic vendors for products for consumption. The state of the art comprises spiral-feed automatic vendors. Basically they comprise a channel within which a rotating spiral is set, which is fed with products, or rather packages, to be dispensed that are held between two consecutive turns of the spiral. The rotation of the spiral feeds the packages to be dispensed between one upstream or entry end located before the channel, generally set at the bottom, and one downstream dispensing or delivery end of the channel, generally set at the top. At the delivery end, an opening is provided, through which the individual product is dispensed, generally by being dropped. These machines have provided good results and are generally used for stiff products, or ones wrapped in stiff packages, such as boxes and the like. The use of these machines for dispensing products wrapped in soft packages, such as bags or the like, does not present good results owing to the fact that the package tends to get jammed along the path that it has to follow, and it is only by chance that it comes out of the dispensing opening without any inconvenience. Consequently, these vendors are not used for soft packages. A problem in this sector is thus to provide a vendor of soft products or products in soft packets (generally known as "FAPs"), such as bags containing two coffee bags for automatic coffee-making machines". Distribution of these articles is generally done by hand, for example by caretakers in schools and various staff in offices. The aim has thus been to dispense products wrapped in soft packaging in an automatic and reliable way, without resorting to staff. A further aim is to prevent any thefts or tampering with these machines. 2 These aims have been obtained with a vending machine as specified in Claim 1. Further characteristics are specified in the subsequent claims. Forming the subject of the present invention is also a device that can be adapted on preexisting equipment, as is described in Claim 7. The new apparatus comprises at least one part that forms a channel, which works in conjunction with a rotatable dispensing spiral in order to feed the packages individually, and comprises for each channel a retaining element which can move between an extended retaining position, in which it holds the bag at the exit end of the channel of the vending machine, and a position retracted behind the said bag, in which it exerts a push to eject the said bag through the delivery opening. The retention device may be supplied as a separate element for application on already existing vendors. The retention device may moreover be built individually for each channel, or else may be a single device having retaining elements for a number of channels set side by side. Each retention device comprises at least one plate or retaining element, hinged to a movement or control bar and bound to the latter by means of an extension spring. The control bar is actuated by a rotating shaft via a cam. The rotating shaft, in turn, is operated by the same motor that actuates the dispensing spiral, or else by a motor which works in co-ordination with the motor driving the spiral. The new device and the vending machine equipped with it enable individual dispensing, in a reliable manner, of soft bags containing products, which are dropped down or picked out by the user. Moreover this device and the vending machine present the advantage of preventing or hampering thefts, as well as any tampering with the machine, in that it is difficult or even impossible for anybody to insert his fingers in the channel containing the bags in which the spiral is housed. One example of embodiment of the invention will be described in what follows simply to provide an illustration without any limiting effect, with reference to the attached figures, where: 3 Fig. 1 is an axonometric representation of the dispensing ends of two channel shaped elements of a spiral type vendor; in one of these ends a bag, of the FAP type, is shown which is just about to be dispensed by the vendor; Fig. 2 is a part sectional side view of a prior art dispensing channel; Fig. 3 is a broken-away axonometric view of a dispensing channel of a vendor equipped with the retaining device according to the present invention; the device is in an extended, i.e., retaining, condition; Fig. 4 is a median vertical cross sectional view, taken in a plane indicated by 4-4 in Fig. 3, of the device of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but shows the device in an intermediate condition, in which a retaining element is a retracting step; Fig. 6 is a view similar to Figs. 4 and 5 and shows the device with the retaining element in a retracted, i.e., pushing, position; Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but shows the device with retaining elements in a retracted, i.e., pushing, condition. With reference first of all to Fig. 1, a containing channel 2, generally made of cut and bent sheet metal, is internally equipped with a feed spiral 4, which is located longitudinally in the channel. The spiral is free to turn about its own axis under the action of a driving motor (not shown) in the direction of the arrow indicated by R in the same figure. In the example of Fig. 1, two channels 2 are illustrated set side by side, each of which is equipped with its own spiral 4. A vendor of articles may comprise one, two or more channels set side by side. According to the known art, into an upstream or entry end (at the bottom in the figure) of each spiral 4 is fed a packaged product having a shape, in plan view, which is substantially correlated to the cross section of the chamber defined by the channel 2. The package, which is held between two consecutive turns of the spiral, is translated along the chamber (in the particular case shown the package is lifted up) at each turn of rotation of the spiral, by a distance equal to the pitch between two consecutive turns of the spiral. When the package arrives at a section of the channel in which a dispensing opening 3 is provided, it is delivered through the said opening. It is known that the channels may be set inclined with the opening 3 facing downwards, so that the delivery of the package takes place by gravity. The entire unit works quite well for stiff packages; however, it is readily understandable that, when the package to be dispensed is a bag like the one denoted by S in Fig. 1, which is soft and elongated (FAP type), it may easily get jammed, or else set itself obliquely 4 within the exit end of the channel 2, so that the delivery by gravity is hampered or not infrequently rendered impossible. A further problem, particularly in the case of soft bags, is that once the bag S in the end position has been extracted, the user may gain access to a bag S that is underneath and not yet in the delivery position by introducing his fingers through the opening 3. Since it is possible to bend the bag, this may be easily extracted, even though no command has yet been given for delivery, in other words, if the coin has not yet been introduced into the machine or the command that activates the mechanism has not been issued. An apparatus 10 according to the present invention thus comprises, in addition to a channel 2 with an opening for dispensing 3 and feed spiral 4, as mentioned above, a device 20, as will be described in what follows. The device 20 comprises, for each dispensing channel 2 or at least for one of these, a plate or retaining element referenced 22. Element 22 has its distal end preferably curved, terminating with a part, referenced 24, acting as a follower and its proximal end, hinged by means of a horizontal pin 25 on an actuating element or bar, referenced 26. The latter is driven by a connecting rod or driving rod 28. The arm is pivoted in 27 to the bar 26 and pivoted in 29 to an eccentric arm or crank mechanism 30. The latter is integral with an output shaft 32 of a gearmotor or motor-reducer 34. The gearmotor is preferably connected to the motor (not shown) for operating the spiral 4 by means of an electronic timing system, not described herein because it is readily available to any person skilled in the field and of average experience. An extension spring, indicated by 36, is mounted with one end on the element 22, and with the other end on the bar 26. A cover 38 for the channel comprises an inclined wall 39 sloping towards the channel so as to operate in conjunction with the follower end 24 of the element 22. Means 40, 42 (Fig. 7) having slots or the like may be provided for guiding the movement of the bar 26 backwards and forwards. To one and the same driving bar 26 may be connected a number of retaining elements for a number of channels set side by side. 5 The operation of the new device and the vending machine will be described in the following. In an inoperative situation, with the apparatus at rest (Figs. 3 and 4), the retaining element 22 is in the extended condition above a bag S, which has reached the end turn of the spiral 4, and is pressed in the direction of, or against, the said bag on account of the contact between its end part 24 and the co-operating surface 39' of the inclined plate 39 of the cover 38. In this condition, preferably, the distance d left free between the lower rim of the opening 3 and the facing edge of the element 22 is smaller than the thickness of the bag S, so that it is not possible to pull out a bag S for which no authorization has been issued. The actuation of the dispensing mechanism, which can be obtained, in a per se known way and hence not described herein, via the introduction of a coin, a key or some other means, operates a member which drives rotation of the spiral and the motor-reducer that operates the retaining device with appropriate timing intervals. Preferably, the start of movement of the motor-reducer that actuates the retaining member precedes by a short interval of time the entry into operation of the spiral. The motor-reducer 34 then rotates the eccentric arm 30, which actuates the plate 26, and thus the retaining member 22, in the direction of the retracted condition, i.e., towards the right in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 (arrow FR). An intermediate position is illustrated in Fig. 5. In this figure, the element 22 is seen to be shifted towards the right, lifting up under the action of the spring 36, guided throughout by the contact between a cam surface 39' of the cover 39 and the end 24 of the element 22. In this phase, the spiral 4, by turning, can lift the bag S into a position that corresponds to the delivery opening 3. In Fig. 6, the bag S is shown completely lifted up, possibly right against the plate 39 of the cover 38. The retaining device 22 is in the fully retracted position and is starting the ejection stroke in the direction of the arrow FE indicated in the figure. As may be seen, one part 23 of the arm 22 engages the trailing end of the bag S and pushes the bag through the delivery opening 3. Once the bag S has been ejected, the arm 22 is again back in the condition illustrated in Fig. 4, in which it contributes to withholding a subsequent bag S. 6 It should be noted that vending machines may be produced that already comprise incorporated a device 20; or else, devices 20 may be supplied to be mounted on already existing vending machines and to be co-ordinated with the latter as regards movement. It should also be noted that, even though the apparatus and device have been particularly studied for use with soft- wrapped products, they can also work well with stiff packages.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A vending apparatus for dispensing packages via a delivery opening comprising: at least one containing channel (2) for containing the products; at least one rotatable spiral shaped feed member (4) in the said channel, capable of retaining preferably single packages between two consecutive turns of a spiral and of moving them, while it is rotating, along the said channel, towards a delivery opening, characterized in that it further comprises, for one channel or for each channel, a retention device (20) comprising a retaining element (22) which is able to move between a retention position, in which it withholds the package presented at the end of the channel by the spiral, and a retracted position behind the said package, and vice versa. 2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the said retention position is an extended position of the element (22) and the said position behind the package to be dispensed is a retracted position of the said element. 3. An apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized in that the stroke between the said extended position and the said retracted position, and vice versa, is actuated by mechanical means driven from a motor-reducer (34). 4. An apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that the said retention device (20) comprises said retaining element (22) mounted via a hinge (25) with respect to a actuation means and rereversed by elastic means (36) towards said means of actuation about said hinge, the said retaining element having a follower part (24) for cooperating with a cam (39') during movement. 5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, characterized in that the said actuation means comprises a bar (26), a connecting rod or driving rod (28), and an eccentric arm (30) driven by the said motor-reducer. 6. An apparatus according to Claim 2, characterized in that it further comprises guiding means (40, 42) for guiding the movement of the driving bar (26) 7. A retention and expulsion device for cooperation with a vending apparatus for dispensing packages, the said apparatus comprising a feed and delivery spiral (4), cooperating with containing channel means (2), provided with a delivery opening (3), characterized in that it comprises: at least one retaining element (22) for withholding the package to be dispensed, the said retaining element being able to move between an extended retaining position and a retracted position, and vice versa, and actuating means for actuation (26, 28) of the said movement. 8. A device according to Claim 7, characterized in that the said retaining element (22) is mounted via a hinge (25) on the actuating means and comprises follower means (24), the said device comprising cam means (39') and spring means (36) for pressing the said feeler means against the said cam means. 9. A device according to Claim 8, characterized in that the cam surface is provided on a cover part (39).

Inventors: MACCHI GUGLIELMO, RESTELLI EGLE, MACCHI, GUGLIELMO, RESTELLI, EGLE
Applicants: FUTURA SRL, MACCHI GUGLIELMO, RESTELLI EGLE, FUTURA S.R.L., MACCHI, GUGLIELMO, RESTELLI, EGLE
Application year: 1999
Main classification: G07F11
IPC codes: G07F11