Patent Description:
In the vending field it is known to arrange inside a beverage vending machine a stir stick dispenser controlled by an electronic control unit of the beverage vending machine in order to dispense a stir stick directly in a cup delivered in a cup filling station to receive the beverage.

The stir stick is normally released in the cup before the cup is filled with the beverage and it can be dispensed only if sugar is required in the selected beverage.

In general, a known stir stick dispenser comprises a stir stick magazine containing one or more columns of orderly stacked stir sticks, and an extractor operated, in use, to move reciprocally and transversally with respect to the stir sticks, through a lower outlet of the stir stick magazine to eject, by a back-and-forth movement through the lower outlet, only the stir stick at the bottom of the stack and to let it fall directly in the cup or on a slide driving it to the cup.

Stir stick dispensers of the kind specified above are known, for example, from <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT>.

Stir stick dispensers of the kind specified above have been used for decades in a fairly satisfying way in order to dispense plastic stir sticks, but revealed serious drawbacks as long as plastics was outlawed after recent regulations concerning environment protection came into force, and the operators of this field were obliged to adopt alternative "green" solutions, particularly to use stir sticks made of biodegradable or compostable materials such as wood or paper.

The problems connected with the use of wood or paper stir sticks inside conventional dispensers originate from the fact that, in these dispensers, the extractor, the stir stick magazine and the stack of stir sticks are configured to interact with each other with high precision so that the movement of the extractor allows the extraction of a single stick from the bottom of the stack.

As for plastics stir sticks, such a precision is normally assured over time by the fact that the shape and size of the stir sticks stacked in the stir stick magazine remain substantially stable, regardless of the environmental conditions inside the automatic dispenser.

On the contrary, the same precision cannot be assured in case of stir sticks made of other materials than plastics, particularly wood and paper, since, as known, these materials suffer a lot from temperature and humidity changes, and it can occur that the stir sticks warp to such an extent that the action of the extractor becomes ineffective, thus causing the stir stick dispenser to jam.

The problem of the deformation of the stir sticks is, at least in part, solved by the dispenser described in the <CIT> filed by the current Applicant and in which a back-and-forth movable extractor extracts individual stir sticks time regardless of whether they are deformed or not.

In the known dispensers, regardless of the material with which the stir sticks are made and of their geometry or size, each stir stick, once extracted, is abandoned and let to drop by gravity in a conveying duct, the outlet of which leads the stir stick to the cup.

In some cases, the drop takes place smoothly, hence one end of the stir stick rests correctly at the bottom of the cup, whereas in other cases the drop takes place irregularly and unpredictably, hence bounces and/or jams of the stir stick can often take place in the conveying duct and/or at the mouth of the cup.

The foregoing is essentially attributable to the impossibility in the known dispensers to control the descent motion of the stir stick along the conveying duct and when the stick engages the cup.

The aforementioned problem worsens in case of particularly heavy stir sticks such as those made of wood, but also in case of particularly light stir sticks, such as those made of paper and, in some cases, also for those made of plastic.

Moreover, in case of heavy stir sticks, the stir stick reaches the outlet of the conveying duct and, thus, the cup at a sustained speed hitting in a relatively violent way against the bottom or the side wall of the cup depending on the trajectory or on the path followed during the descent generating noises, sometimes annoying.

The object of the invention is to provide a stir stick dispenser for a beverage vending machine that allows the above-described drawbacks to be overcome.

This object is achieved by a stir stick dispenser for a beverage vending machine, as claimed in the appended claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a non-limiting implementation example thereof, wherein:.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the appended figures to allow a person skilled in the art to produce and use the same. Various modifications to the described embodiments will become immediately apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the protective scope of the present invention, as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered limited to the described and illustrated embodiments, but it is intended to have the widest protective scope in accordance with the appended claims.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning commonly used by those of ordinary skill in the art of the present invention. In case of a dispute, the present description, comprising the definitions provided, will be binding. Furthermore, the examples are provided only for illustrative purposes and as such they should not be regarded as limiting.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the embodiments herein described, reference will be made to some specific embodiments and specific language will be used to describe them. The terminology used in this document is intended to describe only particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

<FIG> shows a beverage vending machine, which is only to a partially illustrated and referenced as a whole with reference sign A.

The beverage vending machine A comprises a stir stick dispenser <NUM> operable to automatically dispense individual stir sticks <NUM> in a cup B to be filled with a beverage.

The stir sticks <NUM> of the example described in the present description and shown in the appended figures are in the form of elongated flat elements, each having a longitudinal axis <NUM>' and comprising two rounded end portions 2A and an intermediate portion 2B delimited by two larger flat faces 2B1 and two straight and thin flanks 2B2. Although this is the most adopted shape for stir sticks <NUM>, that in this shape are also usually referred to as stirrers, however, the stir stick dispenser <NUM> of the present invention is also configured to dispense stir sticks having size or shape that is different from the ones of stir sticks of the illustrated example. For example, the stir sticks <NUM> may not be flat or only partially flat and/or have a circular cross-section or the like.

The stir stick dispenser <NUM> comprises a fixed attachment frame T and a stir stick magazine <NUM> where a stack <NUM> of orderly stacked and weight- loaded stir sticks <NUM> is arranged.

The stir stick dispenser <NUM> further comprises an extractor <NUM> arranged under the stir stick magazine <NUM> and having an upper support surface <NUM>, on which, when the extractor <NUM> is in a rest position, the stack <NUM> of stir sticks <NUM> in the stir stick magazine <NUM> is resting.

The extractor <NUM> comprises a pusher <NUM>, which is mounted to move back and forth, with respect to the stir stick magazine <NUM>, so as to laterally engage the stir stick <NUM> resting on the support surface <NUM> in order to push it transversally through an outlet <NUM> of the stir stick magazine <NUM> until the stir stick <NUM> is completely extracted from the stack <NUM> and free to fall downwards.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying figures, the support surface <NUM> and the pusher <NUM> are integral and are both formed on the extractor <NUM> that is, in this case, is in the form of a swivelling member hinged to the frame T to reciprocatingly pivot about a fixed axis <NUM> parallel to the longitudinal axis <NUM>' of the stir sticks <NUM> in the stir stick magazine <NUM>.

In particular, the extractor <NUM> comprises an arm <NUM> having a lower end portion hinged to the frame T to pivot about the fixed hinge axis <NUM> and an upper head portion <NUM> connected to an upper end of the arm <NUM>.

In particular, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the head portion <NUM> comprises a lowered or support portion <NUM>, whose upper surface forms said support surface <NUM>, and a raised portion <NUM>, which is arranged, in the rest position of the extractor <NUM>, on the opposite side of the stir stick magazine <NUM> with respect to the outlet <NUM>.

The lowered portion <NUM> and the raised portion <NUM> are mutually connected by a step, which extends parallel to the axis <NUM> and to the longitudinal axis <NUM>' of stir sticks <NUM> and has a height that is lower than, or at most equal to, the thickness of a stir stick <NUM>.

The step between the lowered portion <NUM> and the raised portion <NUM> forms said pusher <NUM> operable to eject the stir stick <NUM> at the bottom of the stack <NUM> in response to the oscillation of the swivelling member <NUM> about the axis <NUM>.

For this purpose, the swivelling member <NUM> is operated by an electric actuator (not shown) which is connected, preferably through an oscillating cam transmission (not shown) and electronically controlled by an electronic control unit of the beverage vending machine and configured to cause the swivelling member <NUM> to move between the retracted rest position (<FIG>), in which the stir sticks <NUM> rest on the support surface <NUM>, and the step, i.e., the pusher <NUM>, is facing the stir stick <NUM> at the bottom of the stack <NUM>, and an advanced extraction position (<FIG>), in which the swivelling member <NUM> is rotated forwards, i.e., counter-clockwise in <FIG> and <FIG>, to such an extent that the pusher <NUM> is arranged beyond the outlet <NUM> of the stir stick magazine <NUM>.

While moving between the retracted rest position and the advanced extraction position, the pusher <NUM> engages a flank of the stir stick <NUM> resting on the support surface <NUM> and pushes it in an extracted direction orthogonal to the hinge axis <NUM> and transversal to the longitudinal axis <NUM>' through the outlet <NUM> of the stir stick magazine <NUM> until the stir stick <NUM> is ejected from the stack <NUM>. When the extraction position is reached, the swivelling member <NUM> returns to the rest position, preferably under the urge of a spring.

During the extraction of a stir stick <NUM>, the stack <NUM> is supported by the raised portion <NUM> of the extractor <NUM> and returns resting on the lowered portion <NUM> when the swivelling member <NUM> returns to the rest position.

Thus, in the above-described embodiment, the extractor <NUM> comprises a lowered portion <NUM> and a raised portion <NUM> that move integrally as parts of an oscillation member.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), when the extractor <NUM> is in the rest position, the stack <NUM> rests on the upper surface of the raised portion <NUM> instead of the lowered portion <NUM>, and the extractor <NUM> is controlled to eject a stir stick <NUM> at the bottom of the stack <NUM> during the return stroke instead of during the forward stroke of the extractor <NUM>. Also in this embodiment, the lowered portion <NUM> can be integral to the raised portion <NUM>, thus movable with it, or stationary.

Regardless of the configuration of the extractor <NUM>, the support surface <NUM> is so sized as to engage only a central portion of the stir stick <NUM> at the bottom of the stack <NUM>, i.e., the width of the support portion <NUM>, measured in the direction parallel to the longitudinal axis <NUM>' of the stir sticks <NUM>, is such that it such that the stir stick <NUM> at the bottom of the stack <NUM> is in contact with the support surface <NUM> only at a central portion 2B of the stir stick <NUM> and not all along the length thereof.

Still with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the stir stick dispenser <NUM> further comprises a front shaped casing <NUM>, which surrounds the extractor <NUM> and defines a drop chute <NUM> to guide the extracted stir stick <NUM> into the cup B.

The drop chute <NUM> has an inlet <NUM> adjacent to the head portion <NUM> of the extractor <NUM> and is configured to receive a stir stick <NUM> at a time from the extractor <NUM> and an outlet <NUM> arranged below the inlet <NUM> and in the proximity of the upper end of the cup B and is configured to supply the stir stick <NUM> in the cup B.

In particular, the shaped casing <NUM> comprises a substantially vertical, constant cross-section upper part <NUM> delimiting the inlet <NUM>, and a downwards-tapered lower part <NUM> delimiting the outlet <NUM> and having a front wall <NUM> inclined downwards and towards the frame T and forming a guide chute to guide the stir stick <NUM> towards the outlet <NUM>.

Still with reference to <FIG> and <FIG>, the stir stick dispenser <NUM> further comprises a movable member <NUM> operable to temporarily stop each stir stick <NUM> during its drop towards the outlet <NUM>.

The movable member <NUM> is arranged inside the drop chute <NUM> astride of the parts <NUM> and <NUM> and is hung onto the head portion <NUM> of the extractor <NUM> like a pendulum or rocking element.

The movable member <NUM> is formed by a shaped plate body and comprises an upper plate <NUM>, whose upper end is hinged to the head portion <NUM> to rotate about a horizontal hinge axis <NUM> stationary with respect to the head portion <NUM>, and a lower end firmly connected to a stop block <NUM>.

The position of the hinge axis <NUM> on the head portion <NUM> is chosen so that when the swivelling member <NUM> is in the retracted position, the distance of the hinge axis <NUM> from the frame T measured in a horizontal direction is greater than the distance of the hinge axis <NUM> from the frame T measured in the same direction.

The stop block <NUM> is conveniently formed by a plate body, which has a thickness greater than that of the upper plate <NUM> and is arranged facing the wall <NUM> that defines the guide chute.

Conveniently, a front part of the head portion <NUM> forms a hook <NUM> and the upper plate <NUM> has two intermediate fulcrum pins inserted in the hook <NUM> through a front passage. In this way, the movable member <NUM> is free to freely oscillate back and forth about the hinge axis <NUM>. This allows the movable member <NUM> to rotate autonomously, i.e., only under the sole effect of its weight, only during the movement of the swivelling member <NUM>.

In particular, the inclination of the guide chute, the vertical dimension of the movable member <NUM> and its centre of gravity G are chosen in such a way that, when the extractor <NUM> is in its advanced extraction position, the movable member <NUM> is arranged in an advanced operating position such that the stop block <NUM> is arranged in abutment against the guide chute to temporarily stop the stir stick <NUM> in the drop chute <NUM>, and when the extractor <NUM> is in its retracted position or in a position close thereto, the movable member <NUM> is arranged in an inoperative or rest position in which it allows the stir stick <NUM> to advance inside the drop chute <NUM> towards the outlet <NUM>.

From the foregoing it is evident that the provision of the movable member <NUM> and its autonomous and automatic positioning by the sole effect of the weight allow in an extremely simple and safe way transforming the free drop motion of the stir stick <NUM> present in the known solutions into a controlled drop motion. In other words, the presence of the movable member <NUM> allows annulling at a predefined point of the drop path, which can be chosen by simply sizing the geometric characteristics of the movable member <NUM> and of the guide chute, the drop speed of the stir stick <NUM> and controlling the intensity of the impact of the stir stick inside the cup B.

In addition to this, the movable stop member <NUM> defines a further rest plane or an abutment and control element of the position of the stir stick <NUM>. Such further rest plane defines, in particular, a further guide of the stir stick <NUM> which cooperates with the inclined plane defining during its movement towards its rest position an intermediate passage with variable section which inevitably guides with precision the stir stick <NUM> towards the outlet <NUM> and in a desired inlet direction in the cup B.

The variant shown in <FIG> relates to a stir stick dispenser <NUM>, which differs from the stir stick dispenser <NUM> shown in <FIG> for some construction details and whose constituent parts are indicated, where possible, by the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts of the stir stick dispenser <NUM>.

The stir stick dispenser <NUM> comprises an extractor <NUM>, which differs from the extractor <NUM> in that the head portion <NUM> comprises, in addition to the lowered portion <NUM> and the raised portion <NUM>, a rocker extraction lever <NUM> to move away the stir stick <NUM> extracted from the head portion <NUM> and push it towards the inlet <NUM> of the drop chute <NUM>.

The extraction lever <NUM> is arranged within a partial housing seat <NUM> formed in the head portion <NUM> between the lowered portion <NUM> and the raised portion <NUM>.

The seat <NUM> communicates with the outside upwards and through two openings <NUM> and <NUM> mutually separated by a wall <NUM> integral with the raised portion <NUM>.

The extraction lever <NUM> has an intermediate portion <NUM> arranged below the wall <NUM> and hinged to the head portion <NUM> to oscillate about a fixed hinge axis <NUM> parallel to the axis <NUM>.

The extraction lever <NUM> comprises two opposite end portions <NUM> and <NUM>, which are shaped in such a way that when one is raised and external to the head portion <NUM> the other is lowered and inserted into the seat <NUM> and vice versa, as shown in <FIG>.

During operation, when the extractor <NUM> is in its retracted position, shown in <FIG>, the portion <NUM> is kept in a lowered position by the stir sticks <NUM> resting on the lowered portion <NUM> and, consequently, the portion <NUM> protrudes upwards through the opening <NUM> and beyond the rest plane of the raised portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

When the extractor <NUM> is in its advanced position, shown in <FIG>, the portion <NUM> is kept by the stack <NUM> of stir sticks <NUM> in the seat <NUM>, i.e., in a lowered position in the seat <NUM>, and the portion <NUM> is raised and protrudes upwards through the opening <NUM> and beyond the rest plane of the lowered portion <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the protrusion of the portion <NUM> through the opening <NUM> causes the lifting of the rear part of the stir stick <NUM> extracted from the stack <NUM>, the spacing apart of the stir stick <NUM> from the lowered portion <NUM> and from the step between the portions <NUM> and <NUM> and the consequent pushing of the stir stick <NUM> inside the drop chute <NUM>.

The provision of the extraction lever <NUM> always ensures the detachment of the stir stick <NUM> extracted from the stack <NUM> whatever the geometric characteristics of the stir stick <NUM> are and regardless of the material with which the stir stick <NUM> is made.

From the foregoing it may be appreciated that in the stir stick dispenser <NUM> the geometry and the size of the movable member <NUM> as well as the relative position of the hinge axes <NUM> and <NUM> can be different from those exemplarily described, with the purpose of varying or modifying the height of the interception point of the stir stick <NUM> along the drop chute <NUM> so as to vary the advancing motion profile thereof.

Claim 1:
A stir stick dispenser (<NUM>; <NUM>) for a beverage vending machine, the stir stick dispenser (<NUM>) comprising a fixed frame (T); a stir stick magazine (<NUM>) carried by the fixed frame (T) and configured to house a stack (<NUM>) of stir sticks (<NUM>) resting on a support surface (<NUM>); an extractor (<NUM>) arranged below the stir stick magazine (<NUM>) to individually extract the stir sticks (<NUM>) from the stack (<NUM>); wherein the extractor (<NUM>) is coupled to the fixed frame (T) and is motorised to move in an extraction direction transversal to a longitudinal axis (<NUM>') of the stir sticks (<NUM>) between a retracted rest position, in which the stack (<NUM>) is resting on the support surface (<NUM>), and an advanced extraction position, in which the stir stick (<NUM>) at the bottom of the stack (<NUM>) is extracted; and a drop chute (<NUM>) having an inlet (<NUM>) adjacent to the extractor (<NUM>) to receive therefrom one stir stick (<NUM>) at a time and an outlet (<NUM>) arranged below the inlet (<NUM>) to supply the stir stick (<NUM>) into an underlying beverage container (B); characterised by comprising movable retention means (<NUM>) arranged inside the drop chute (<NUM>) and back and forth movable therein to temporarily stop the stir stick (<NUM>) as it drops towards the outlet (<NUM>); the movable retention means comprising a movable stopping member (<NUM>) carried by the extractor (<NUM>) and configured to cooperate in abutment against the stir stick (<NUM>).