Patent Document

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/770,138 filed Feb. 27, 2013, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This application is in the field of consumer products. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Typically, a vending machine retrieval area is located close to the ground. This permits the machine to be filled with as much product as possible, while still permitting the vended product to be gravity fed to the retrieval area. 
     A 5 gallon water bottle is an extremely heavy, (approximately 40 pounds), object for an average consumer to handle. If the vended product is a 5 gallon water bottle, when this retrieval area is located close to the ground, this may foster consumer injuries. Accordingly, it is beneficial for the 5 gallon water bottles to be retrieved at a position that is both comfortable for the consumer and helps to avoid consumer injuries. 
     In order to raise a 5 gallon water bottle off the ground, a typical vending machine takes the 5 gallon water bottle from a lower portion of the machine and places it on a fork lift mechanism inside the machine. The fork lift mechanism raises the 5 gallon water bottle to an easily accessible height for retrieval by a consumer. 
     The use of the fork lift mechanism inside the vending machine is a costly solution. A cheaper solution to retrieve the 5 gallon water bottle at an easily accessible height is needed. 
     SUMMARY 
     A method and apparatus for operating a snail wheel in a vending machine are disclosed. The method for operating the snail wheel includes accepting a 5 gallon water bottle into the snail wheel, lifting the 5 gallon water bottle up off a bottom shelf of the vending machine, rotating the snail wheel from a starting point, stopping the snail wheel after a predetermined amount of rotation, wherein at the 5 gallon water bottle rolls out of the snail wheel and onto a platform, and rotating the snail wheel back to its starting position. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       A more detailed understanding may be had from the following description, given by way of example in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is an example of a 5 gallon water bottle vending machine; 
         FIG. 1B  is an example of the 5 gallon water bottle vending machine with a front panel removed; 
         FIG. 2  is an example of snail wheel in a vending machine; 
         FIG. 3  is an example of a 5 gallon water bottle entering a snail wheel in a vending machine; 
         FIG. 4  is an example of a 5 gallon water bottle being lifted off a vending machine shelf for distribution to a customer; 
         FIG. 5  is a first view of a snail wheel; 
         FIG. 6  is a second view of the snail wheel; 
         FIG. 7  is a third view of the snail wheel; and 
         FIG. 8  is a fourth view of the snail wheel with a motor. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This invention is described in the following description with reference to the Figures, in which like reference numbers represent the same or similar elements. While this invention is described in terms of modes for achieving this invention&#39;s objectives, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variations may be accomplished in view of these teachings without deviating from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The embodiments and variations of the invention described herein, and/or shown in the drawings, are presented by way of example only and are not limiting as to the scope of the invention. 
     Unless otherwise specifically stated, individual aspects and components of the invention may be omitted or modified, or may have substituted therefore known equivalents, or as yet unknown substitutes such as may be developed in the future or such as may be found to be acceptable substitutes in the future. The invention may also be modified for a variety of applications while remaining within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, since the range of potential applications is great, and since it is intended that the present invention be adaptable to many such variations. 
       FIG. 1A  is an example of a 5 gallon water bottle vending machine. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a vending machine  100  holds and stores a number of 5 gallon water bottles. The vending machine  100  includes a vend door  110 . The vend door  110  is raised off the ground to allow for easy access and retrieval of the 5 gallon water bottles by a consumer. 
       FIG. 1B  is an example of the 5 gallon water bottle vending machine with a front panel removed. As illustrated in  FIG. 1B , the vending machine  100  holds and stores a plurality of 5 gallon water bottles  105 . The 5 gallon water bottles  105  may typically be fed into the vending machine  100  through an opening in the top  115 . The 5 gallon water bottles  105  move down the vending machine  100  shelves in a snake pattern. The 5 gallon water bottles  105  are obtained from the vending machine  100  at the platform  125 , inside the vend door  110  (shown in  FIG. 1B ). A snail wheel  120  lifts the 5 gallon water bottle  105  off of the vending machine  100  shelf and onto the platform  125  for the consumer to retrieve. 
       FIG. 2  is an example of a snail wheel in a vending machine. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the snail wheel  210 , (which has a cam-like profile), may be used for 5 gallon water bottles  205 .  FIG. 2  illustrates the bottom shelf  201  of the vending machine  200  where the bottles are ultimately dispensed to a customer. The 5 gallon water bottle  205  rolls to a stop prior to entering the snail wheel  210 . The snail wheel  210  includes a lip  213 , which allows the neck of the 5 gallon water bottle  205  to rest upon. The lip  213  remains at a resting point that is level with the bottom shelf  201 . The 5 gallon water bottle  205  stays in place with a license plate stopper (not shown). 
     When a customer wants a 5 gallon water bottle, for example 5 gallon water bottle  205 , the license plate stopper depresses and the 5 gallon water bottle  205  rolls onto the snail wheel  210 . The snail wheel  210  rotates 90° counter-clockwise, lifting the 5 gallon water bottle, for example  215 , off the bottom shelf  201 . Once the snail wheel  210  rotates 90°, it stops to allow the 5 gallon water bottle  215  to roll down the remainder of the snail wheel  210  and onto a slightly raised platform  225 . The platform  225  is behind the vend door  110  shown in  FIG. 1 . The customer may then retrieve the 5 gallon water bottle, for example  220 , from the platform  225 . Although in the example shown is  FIG. 2  the 5 gallon water bottle  220  is lifted only a small amount, it should be understood by those of skill in the art that this is an example only. Greater or lesser amounts of height may be achieved by changing the configuration and dimensions of the snail wheel  210 . 
       FIG. 3  is an example of a 5 gallon water bottle entering a snail wheel in a vending machine. In  FIG. 3 , a 5 gallon water bottle  305  rolls onto the snail wheel  310  after the license plate stopper  320  is depressed. The 5 gallon water bottle  305  has a neck  315  that fits into a flange of the snail wheel  310 . When the 5 gallon water bottle  305  rolls on the snail wheel  310 , it remains on the bottom shelf  301  of the vending machine until it is lifted up and over the snail wheel  310 . 
       FIG. 4  is an example of a 5 gallon water bottle being lifted off a vending machine shelf for distribution to a customer. As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the snail wheel  410  rotates 90° counter-clockwise, lifting the 5 gallon water bottle  405  off the bottom shelf of the vending machine. Once the snail wheel  410  rotates 90° it stops thereby allowing the 5 gallon water bottle  405  to roll down the remainder of the snail wheel  410  and onto a platform for customer retrieval. 
     It should be understood that although the snail wheel  510  is generally shown as circular in nature, it may be elongated, such that it can lift the 5 gallon water bottle  505  to greater heights for dispensing, depending upon the height requirements. In this case, the flanges  515  will hold the 5 gallon water bottle  505  at a greater axial distance from the central shaft. 
       FIG. 5  is a first view of a snail wheel.  FIG. 5  is an example of the snail wheel  510  where the 5 gallon water bottle  505  has entered the snail wheel  510  and has begun to rotate, approximately 30°. As illustrated in  FIG. 5 , the snail wheel  510  has flanges  515  that act as support for the 5 gallon water bottle  505 . The flanges  515  may be about 1.5-2 inches wide to hold the 5 gallon water bottle  505 . The flanges  515  hold and support the 5 gallon water bottle  505  on either end for the highest strength and to avoid damage on impact. The snail wheel  510  may have a spoke pattern on the outside edge. The shape or cam profile of the snail wheel  510 , as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , is designed to slow down the queue of 5 gallon water bottles  505  in the vending machine. The curvature of the snail wheel  510  allows the 5 gallon water bottles  505  to slowly move down the queue as the first 5 gallon water bottle  505  is lifted from the vending machine shelf in the snail wheel  510 . 
       FIG. 6  is a second view of the snail wheel.  FIG. 6  illustrates the snail wheel  610  which has rotated approximately 90°. In  FIG. 6 , the 5 gallon water bottle  605  is sitting on the snail wheel  610 . The snail wheel  610  includes flanges  615  to cradle the 5 gallon water bottle  605 . The neck  601  sits on a lip  612  of the snail wheel  610 . The snail wheel  610  has two sides  613 ( a ) and  613 ( b ). The two sides  613 ( a ) and  613 ( b ) are plastic and may be created using injection molding, vacuum forming, or the like. The two sides  613 ( a ) and  613 ( b ) of the snail wheel  610  are connected by a shaft  620  at a center point. The shaft  620  may be 1.5-2 inches in diameter and may be composed of thin walled steel. The shaft  620  is positioned to be in line with a centerline of the 5 gallon water bottle  605 . The position of the shaft  620  diminishes the torque on the snail wheel  610  when the 5 gallon water bottle  605  rolls into the snail wheel  610  for delivery to a customer. 
     The two sides  613 ( a ) and  613 ( b ) may be connected to shaft  620  with glue. The distance between the two sides  613 ( a ) and  613 ( b ) may be wide enough to allow part of the bottom shelf of the vending machine to fit between them. This allows the 5 gallon water bottle  605  to remain on the bottom shelf until the snail wheel  610  begins to rotate and lift the 5 gallon water bottle  605  up off the bottom shelf. To secure the shaft  620  in place a bearing  627  is fastened to the end. The bearing  627  is connected to end plate  625 . 
       FIG. 7  is a third view of the snail wheel. As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the 5 gallon water bottle  705  sits on the snail wheel  710 . The 5 gallon water bottle  705  is cradled in the snail wheel  710  by the flanges  715 . The neck  701  sits on a lip  712  of the snail wheel  710 . The two sides  713 ( a ) and  713 ( b ) are connected with shaft  720 . The shaft  720  is secured in place with bearing  727 . The bearing  727  is connected to end plate  725 . The snail wheel  710  is rotated by a motor  730 . In between the side  713 ( a ) of the snail wheel  710  and the end plate  725  is a fly wheel with a slip pulley  735 , which is described in further detail below. The snail wheel  710  may be powered by a motor  730  attached to the shaft  720 . For example, a motor, a crank, or any other mechanism that forces the snail wheel  710  to rotate may be used. 
       FIG. 8  is a fourth view of the snail wheel with a motor.  FIG. 8  illustrates the snail wheel  810  of  FIG. 7  with on the end plates removed exposing the fly wheel with a slip pulley  835 . The fly wheel slip pulley  835  may be made of metal, such as aluminum. The fly wheel slip pulley  835  includes three solid panels  840 , which may be made of steel. The solid panels  840  may be included in the fly wheel slip pulley  835  the torque of the snail wheel  810 . The fly wheel slip pulley  835  and the solid panels  840  may be die cast. The motor  830  is connected to the fly wheel slip pulley  835  with a belt  845 . The belt  845  has enough torque to rotate the snail wheel  810 . The motor  830  may have two positions: a first position and a second position. The first position may rotate the wheel 90° counter-clockwise after accepting the 5 gallon water bottle  805 . The second position may rotate 270° back to the original position of the snail wheel  805 . 
     Those of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many modifications and variations of the above may be implemented without departing from the spirit or scope of the following claims. For example, although reference to a 5 gallon water bottle is made, other sizes are possible as well. Thus, it is intended that the following claims cover the modifications and variations provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Technology Category: 3