Patent Publication Number: US-2018053368-A1

Title: Food dispensing device

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201610698769.4 filed on Aug. 22, 2016 the contents of which, are incorporated by reference herein. 
     FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to food dispensing devices. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With advances in science and technology, various dispensing devices are being explored to provide consumers with new functions and products. Among the various dispensing devices being further developed is a food dispensing device. Generally, a food dispensing device includes a safety door that is slidably installed on the front end of the dispensing device. A driving device is secured on both sides of the safety door and configured to open or close the safety door. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded, isometric view of an exemplary embodiment of a food dispensing device. 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of circle II in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is another exploded, isometric view of the food dispensing device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an assembled, isometric view of a board and a driving shaft of the food dispensing device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is an assembled, isometric view of the food dispensing device of  FIG. 1  with a safety door being closed. 
         FIG. 6  is another assembled, isometric view of the food dispensing device of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is an assembled, isometric view of the food dispensing device of  FIG. 1  with a safety door being open. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the exemplary embodiments described herein. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “outside” refers to a region that is beyond the outermost confines of a physical object. The term “inside” indicates that at least a portion of an object is contained within a boundary formed by another object. The term “substantially” is defined to be essentially conforming to the particular dimension, shape, or other feature that the term modifies, such that the component need not be exact. For example, “substantially cylindrical” means that the object resembles a cylinder, but can have one or more deviations from a true cylinder. The term “comprising” means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in a so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates one exemplary embodiment of a food dispensing device  100 . The food dispensing device  100  includes a shell  10  and a safety door  50  slidably installed on the shell  10 . 
       FIGS. 1 to 4  illustrate that the shell  10  includes a base  20  and a cover  30  secured on the base  20 . The front end of the base  20  and the front end of the cover  30  together define an opening  40 . The opening  40  is configured to conveniently provide removal of food from the food dispensing device  100 . 
     The base  20  includes a bottom plate  21  and two sidewalls  22  connected with the sides of the bottom plate  21 . The top edge of one end of each sidewall  22  adjacent to the opening  40  is provided with a supporting plate  23 . The middle portion of the supporting plate  23  defines a gap  231 . The middle portion of one end of each sidewall  22  adjacent to the opening  40  is provided with a mounting plate  24 . The mounting plate  24  is located under the supporting plate  23 . The mounting plate  24  is provided with a mounting portion  245  towards the safety door  50 . The bottom of the mounting portion  245  is provided with a pallet  246 . The bottom edge of one end close to the opening  40  of each sidewall  22  is provided with slide rail  25 . The bottom end of the sliding rail  25  is bent towards the safety door  50 . 
     Parallel columns  31  are defined at the sides of the front end of the cover  30 . The columns  31  are connected with the sidewalls  22  of the base  20 . Each column  31  includes a bracket  32  at each side of the cover  30 , the brackets  32  face each other. The top end of each bracket  32  and the bottom end of each bracket  32  each have a rail  325 . The bottom end of each rail  325  is bent towards the safety door  50 , and the lower rail  325  corresponds to the slide rail  25  of the sidewall  22 . The cover  30  is provided with a first inductor  33  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) above one of the brackets  32 . The first inductor  33  is provided with a vertical slot  331 , and the slot  331  is substantially in the same line as the rail  325 . 
       FIGS. 1 to 4  illustrate that the safety door  50  includes a securing portion  60  received in the opening  40  and a sliding portion  70  received in the opening  40 . The securing portion  60  includes a front face  61  and a back face  65  opposite to the front face  61 . The front face  61  is provided with a touch panel  611  configured to operate the food dispensing device  100 . The back face  65  is provided with a processing module  651 , and the processing module  651  can process signals from the touch panel  611 . The bottom end of the back face  65  is provided with a second inductor  66 . The second inductor  66  is provided with a vertical slot  662 . 
     The sliding portion  70  includes a board  80  and a driving module  90 , the driving module  90  is configured to slide the board  80 . Each side of the board  80  is provided with a limiting shaft  82 . The limiting shaft  82  can be slid in the slide rail  25  and the rail  325  to slide the sliding portion  70  along the sides of the cover  30  adjacent to the opening  40 . The top end of one side of the board  80  is provided with an induction plate  83 , and the induction plate  83  can be inserted into slot  662  of the second inductor  66 . The top end of the board  80  is further provided with a connecting plate  84 . A latch plate  85  is rotatably installed on one side of the connecting plate  84 . The connecting plate  84  can rotate relative to the latch plate  85 . The latch plate  85  defines a gap (not shown), and a hollow shaft sleeve  86  is inserted into the gap and secured on the latch plate  85  by a plurality of securing members  87 . The inside of the shaft sleeve  86  is provided with threads. 
     The driving module  90  includes a driving device  91  received in the mounting portion  245  and a driving shaft  95  attached to the driving device  91 . The driving device  91  includes a stand  92  and a motor  93  received in the stand  92 . A rotating member  921  is rotatably installed on the stand  92 . The rotating member  921  defines a “D” shaped rotating hole  922 . One end of the motor  93  is provided with a worm  935 . The motor  93  is configured to rotate along a first direction and a second direction opposite to the first direction. The worm  935  is thus driven by motor  93  to rotate along the first direction or the second direction. The interior of the motor  93  is provided with a chip (not shown) configured to receive the signals from the processing module  651  to control the motor  93 . A predetermined value is set in the chip. When the output power of the motor rotating along the second direction exceeds the predetermined value, the chip will control the motor to reverse and rotate along the first direction. 
     The top end of the driving shaft  95  is provided with a positioning member  951 . The middle portion of the positioning member  951  defines a pivot hole  952 . The positioning member  951  is secured above the supporting plate  23  by a plurality of fixing members (not shown). The top end of the driving shaft  95  can pass through the gap  231  of the supporting plate  23  to be inserted into the pivot hole  952 . Thus, the driving shaft  95  is rotatably installed on the positioning member  951 . The driving shaft  95  can pass through the shaft sleeve  86 . The outside of the driving shaft  95  is provided with threads, and the outer or external threads are engaged with the internal threads of the shaft sleeve  86 . The driving shaft  95  can rotate to drive the shaft sleeve  86  to rotate relative to the driving shaft  95 . 
     The bottom end of the driving shaft  95  is “D” shaped and is configured to be inserted into the rotating hole  922 . The driving shaft  95  is provided with a turbine  955  close to the bottom end of the driving shaft  95 . The turbine  955  can be engaged with the worm  935 , and the worm  935  can rotate the turbine  955 . 
       FIGS. 5 and 6  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the assembly of the food dispensing device  100  of  FIG. 1 , the cover  30  being secured on the base  20 . The securing portion  60  of the safety door  50  is received in the opening  40 . The motor  93  is secured on the stand  92 , and the driving device  91  is secured on the mounting portion  245  of the mounting plate  24 . The stand  92  is placed on the pallet  246 , and the positioning member  951  is secured on the supporting plate  23 . The pivot hole  925  is aligned with gap  231  of the supporting plate  23 , and the top end of the driving shaft  95  passes through the gap  231  to be rotatably installed on the pivot hole  952 . 
     The limiting shaft  82  of each end of the board  80  is inserted into the slide rail  25  of the sidewall  22  and the rail  325  of the bracket  32 . Thus, the board  80  is slidably installed on the shell  10 . The driving shaft  95  passes through the shaft sleeve  86  to be rotatably installed on the latch plate  85 . A bottom end of the driving shaft  95  is inserted into the rotating hole  922  to rotatably install the bottom end of the driving shaft  95  on the rotating member  921 . The turbine  955  is engaged with the worm  935 . The board  80  is slid to allow the induction plate  83  to be inserted into the slot  662  of the second inductor  66 . Thus, the food dispensing device  100  is assembled. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the opening of the safety door  50 . Once, the touch panel  611  is touched, the processing module  651  transmits the first signal to the chip within the motor  93 . The chip activates the motor  93  and the motor  93  is rotated along the first direction after the first signal is received. The worm  935  rotates along the first direction to drive the turbine  955  and rotate the driving shaft  95 . The external threads of the driving shaft  95  are engaged with the internal threads of the shaft sleeve  86  to rotate the shaft sleeve  86  and cause the shaft sleeve  86  to slide upward along the driving shaft  95 . The latch plate  85  is slid upward along the driving shaft  95  under the driving of the shaft sleeve  86 , and the board  80  is slid upward along the rail  325 . When the induction plate  83  of the top end of the board  80  is inserted into the slot  331  of the first inductor  33 , the first inductor  33  transmits a signal accordingly to the processing module  651  and the chip, and the motor  93  stops turning. At this time, the safety door  50  is opened. 
     To close the safety door  50 , the touch panel  611  is touched and the processing module  651  transmits a second signal to the chip within the motor  93 . The chip activates the motor  93  and the motor  93  is rotated along the second direction. The worm  935  rotates along the second direction to drive the turbine  955  and rotate the driving shaft  95 . The external threads of the driving shaft  95  are engaged with the internal threads of the shaft sleeve  86  to rotate the shaft sleeve  86  and cause the shaft sleeve  86  to slide downward along the driving shaft  95 . The latch plate  85  is slid downward along the driving shaft  95  under the driving of the shaft sleeve  86 , and the board  80  is slid downward along the rail  325 . When the limiting shaft  82  slides to the bent end of the slide rail  25  and the rail  325 , the board  80  is slid to the securing portion  60 . When the induction plate  83  of the top end of the board  80  is inserted into the slot  662  of the second inductor  66 , the top end of the sliding portion  70  is abutted against the bottom end of the securing portion  60  to seal the opening  40 . The second inductor  66  transmits a signal accordingly to the processing module  651  and the chip, and the motor  93  stops turning. At this time, the safety door  50  is closed. 
     When the board  80  encounters an obstruction during descending process, the motor  93  requires a greater output power to continue rotating the worm  935  along the second direction. When the output power of the motor  93  exceeds the predetermined and preset value of the chip, the chip controls the motor  93  to reverse and then rotate along the first direction, so that the board stops sliding downward and slides upward to return to its initial position. 
     The exemplary embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Many details are often found in the art such as the other features of a food dispensing device. Therefore, many such details are neither shown nor described. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure, up to and including the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims. It will therefore be appreciated that the exemplary embodiments described above may be modified within the scope of the claims.