Abstract:
A side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged comprising: (a) providing a stack of folded and unwrapped textile items; (b) providing an article selection mechanism configured with a gripping element; (c) vertically displacing said gripping element until said gripping element reaches a level of a top textile item in said stack; and (d) closing said gripping element solely on said textile item. Disclosed also is a vending machine configured to implement such a method.

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute and, in particular, it concerns a side-grip method for grasping the textile items. 
     It is current practice in the art of vending machines configured for dispensing garments and other textile items to package the item. Packaging keeps the textile item contained during the transfer for the storage area to the dispensing chute. While this simplifies the dispensing process, it adds time and expense to the overall vending process in the form of cost of the packaging used and the time require to insert the item into the package. 
     There is therefore a need for a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged and a device configured to implement such a method. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged and a device configured to implement such a method. 
     According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided, a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged, the method comprising: (a) providing a stack of textile items; (b) providing an article selection mechanism configured with a gripping element; (e) vertically displacing the gripping element until the gripping element reaches a level of a top textile item in the stack; and (d) grasping the textile item with the gripping element proximate to an edge of the textile item. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item is folded at least one time. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item is unwrapped. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element grasps only the textile item. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element grasps the textile item on at least a portion of an edge. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element grasps at least a portion of a top surface of the textile item in proximity to an edge of the textile item. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element is implemented with a support arm  14  for securing the textile item  20   t  between the gripping element  12  and the support arm  14 . 
     There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a vending machine for dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged, the vending machine comprising: (a) a stack  20  of textile items; and (b) an article selection mechanism  10  configured with a vertically displaceable gripping element  12 ; wherein the vertically displaceable gripping element  12  is configured for gripping a top item  20   t  in the stack  20  proximate to an edge of the textile item  20   t.    
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item  20   t  is deployed in the vending machine in a folded state being folded at least one time. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item  20   t  is deployed in the vending machine in an unwrapped state. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element  12  grasps only the textile item. 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element is configured to grasps the textile item  20   t  on at least a portion of an edge  2 . 
     According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element is implemented with a support arm  14  for securing the textile item  20   t  between the gripping element  12  and the support arm  14 . 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of two preferred options for the manner in which the textile items are folded; 
         FIGS. 2-6  are schematic side views of an article selection mechanism, constructed and operational according to the teachings of the present invention, and a stack of textile items, this series of drawings illustrating a first preferred side-grip method of the present invention during the item selection process; 
         FIGS. 7-9  are schematic transparent front views of a vending machine constructed and operational according to the teachings of the present invention configured for vending textile items using the method of the present invention, this series of drawings illustrating the side-grip method of the present invention as the textile item is moved from the storage stack to the dispensing chute, and 
         FIGS. 10-12  are schematic side views of an alternative article selection mechanism constructed and operational according to the teachings of the present invention, and a stack of textile items. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention is a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged. 
     The principles and operation of a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description. 
     By way of introduction, it should be understood that the current state of the art requires that textile items be dispensed in a vending machine are deployed in some kind of packaging such as metal/plastic cans, bag-like wrappers and bands that surround at least a portion of the item. An innovation of the present invention is to provide both a method and a system for dispensing a textile item that does not require the textile item to be packaged, thereby saving the time and expense for placing the textile item in a package suitable of interaction with the vending machine to be used to dispense it. That is to say, the vending machine of the present invention is able to dispense textile items that are not deployed in any kind of package or wrapper and are merely stacked one on another. In some situations, the textile item may be deployed in the stack in a folded arrangement. However, in all situations in which the textile items are deployed in the vending machine in an unwrapped state, the gripping element  12  of the article selection mechanism  10  is gripping only the textile item itself and not a package or wrapper in which the textile item is deployed. That said, it will be appreciated that the method of the present invention may be used to equally benefit with items that are deployed in the vending machine in a wrapper or package. 
     Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1  illustrates two different options for folding the textile items according to the present invention. While  FIG. 1  illustrates the item to be folded once (in half) or twice (in thirds), this is clearly intended as a non-limiting example and the manner in which the item is folded, if at all, is determined by the size of the textile item and the size of the storage area in which the item will be stored in the vending machine. Therefore, small items such as, but not limited to, hand towels may not be folded at all. Since each folded item may contain none or more than one folded edge, the term “folded edge  2 ” is used herein to refer to the edge of the textile item that is facing the article selection mechanism  10 . 
       FIGS. 2-6  illustrate an article selection mechanism  10  and a stack of textile items  20 , during the item selection process of the side-grip method of the present invention.
         In  FIG. 2 , the article selection mechanism  10  is a rest. It should be noted that the article selection mechanism  10  is deployed in an area behind the storage area in which the stack  20  of textile items is stored. Thusly deployed, the article selection mechanism  10  is freely displaceable along the full length of the vending machine  30  ( FIGS. 7-9 ). However, this is not intended as a limitation and it will be appreciated that the article selection mechanism may also be deployed so as to access the stack of textile items from either the side or the front of the stack as well.   In  FIG. 3 , the gripping element  12  of the article selection mechanism  10  is displaced vertically. As illustrated here, the gripping element  12  is lowered.   In  FIG. 4 , once the gripping element  12  has reached the level of the top item  20   t  in the stack  20  the gripping element  12  may be, but not necessarily displaced horizontally as necessary for alignment with the folded edge  2  of the textile item  20   t.      As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , once the gripping element  12  is aligned with the folded edge  2  of the textile item  20   t , the gripping element  12  grasps at least a portion of the textile item  20   t . It will be appreciated that the gripping element may be configured to grip the textile item along the folded edge  2  (i.e., closing on both the top and bottom surfaces of the folded item), or to grip only a portion of the top surface of the item  20   t  in proximity to the folded edge  2 . It should be noted that the illustration herein of “gripping fingers” is for illustration purposes only and is not intended as a limitation. Rather, substantially any suitable gripping means is within the scope of the present invention.   In  FIG. 6 , the gripping element  12  of the article selection mechanism  10  is again displaced vertically. As illustrated here, the gripping element  12  is raised. As the gripping element  12  is raised, the textile item  20   t  is also raised and hangs from the gripping element  12 .     FIG. 7 , is a front view of  FIG. 6 , now showing the full vending machine  30  which includes a dispensing chute  32 . It should be noted that the location of the dispensing chute  32  illustrated herein is intended as a non-limiting example only and that the deployment of dispensing chute  32  may be at substantially any suitable location in the vending machine  30 .   As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , the article selection mechanism  10  is displaced horizontally behind the storage bins in which the stacks of textiles are stored until the gripping element  12 , from which the textile item  20   t  is hanging, is aligned with the dispensing chute  32 .   In  FIG. 9 , the gripping element  12  is lowered as the textile item  20   t  is aligned with, and dispensed through, the dispensing chute  32 .       

     As mentioned above, the gripping element  12  may be configured to grip the textile item along at least a portion of the folded edge  2  (i.e., closing on both the top and bottom surfaces of the folded item), or to grip only at least a portion of the top surface of the item  20   t  in proximity to the folded edge  2 . It has been found that when some garments are gripped on the top surface of the item in proximity to the folded edge  2 , some textile item becomes at least partially unfolded when subsequently raised along with the gripping element  12 . 
     To solve this problem, alternatively or optionally, a support arm  14  is added to the gripping element  12 . Support arm  14  is configure to be displaced as the textile item  20   t  is raised by the gripping element  12  and secure the textile item  20   t  between the gripping element  12  and the support arm  14 . In such a deployment, the support arm  14  supports the bottom/back surface of the folded textile item  20   t  while confining the folded textile item  20   t  between the gripping element  12  and the support arm  14 . Such support has been found to prevent the textile item  20   t  from unfolding as it is transported to the dispensing chute  32 . 
     It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and the scope of the present invention.