Vending machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10365028-B2
Application number	US-201615068016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2016
Priority date	May 11, 2015
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

A vending machine includes a vending machine main body, an internal heat exchanger, an external heat exchanger made of aluminum, and a compressor. The vending machine further includes an attachment base made of a steel plate and disposed on the base such that the external heat exchanger and the compressor are provided on the attachment base, and a pair of right and left holding members made of synthetic resin and engaging with and fixing to the attachment base, each having an accommodation unit corresponding to an outer shape at two sides of a lower portion of the aluminum external heat exchanger. The pair of right and left holding members forms a gap between the aluminum external heat exchanger and the attachment base such that the two sides of the lower portion of the aluminum external heat exchanger are accommodated and held in the accommodation units.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vending machine comprising:
a vending machine main body formed as a heat-insulated housing, and having a product accommodation chamber, a machine chamber and a base,
an internal heat exchanger installed in the product accommodation chamber,
an external heat exchanger made of aluminum and installed in the machine chamber of the vending machine main body, the aluminum external heat exchanger including
a flat tube forming a refrigerant flow path, and
a corrugated fin adhered to the flat tube,

a compressor installed in the machine chamber and forming a refrigeration cycle together with the internal heat exchanger and the aluminum external heat exchanger,
an attachment base made of a steel plate and disposed on the base, the aluminum external heat exchanger and the compressor being provided on the attachment base, and
a pair of right and left holding members made of synthetic resin and engaging with and fixing to the attachment base, each having an accommodation unit corresponding to an outer shape at two sides of a lower portion of the aluminum external heat exchanger, each of the accommodation units including
a bottom wall arranged between the aluminum external heat exchanger and the attachment base,
front and rear walls arranged along front and rear edges of the bottom wall, respectively, the front and rear walls of each of the accommodation units contacting front and rear edges of the corrugated fin of the aluminum external heat exchanger, and
an external side wall extending from the bottom wall and connecting the front and rear walls of each of the accommodation units, the external side wall having a recessed portion to receive the flat tube without contacting the flat tube,

wherein the pair of right and left holding members forms a gap between the aluminum external heat exchanger and the attachment base such that the two sides of the lower portion of the aluminum external heat exchanger are accommodated and held in the accommodation units.

2. The vending machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the flat tube is connected to an inlet header and an outlet header provided at one side of the aluminum external heat exchanger in a right-left direction of the aluminum external heat exchanger,
the corrugated fin is adhered to a horizontally extending portion of the flat tube and has a width protruding in a forward-backward direction from the horizontally extending portion of the flat tube, the flat tube and the outlet header being made of aluminum, and
the accommodation units of the pair of right and left holding members accommodate and carry a flat fin protruding in the forward-backward direction from the horizontally extending portion of the flat tube.

3. The vending machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a wind tunnel made of a steel plate and covering the aluminum external heat exchanger, the wind tunnel having a shield unit shielding a flow of wind to right and left end portions which are portions of hairpin-shaped bent portions formed following a horizontally extending portion of the flat tube.

4. The vending machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein each holding member of the pair of right and left holding members further comprises
an engagement claw having a base portion extending from the bottom wall toward the attachment base and a hook unit protruding from the base portion to attach to the attachment base, and
a protrusion protruding from the bottom wall toward the attachment base,

the attachment base includes engagement holes receiving the engagement claws of the holding members, and fitting holes receiving the protrusions of the holding members, and
when the pair of right and left holding members is attached to the attachment base, the base portions of the pair of right and left holding members extend through the corresponding engagement holes so that the bottom walls and the hook units of the pair of right and left holding members sandwich the attachment base, respectively, and the protrusions of the pair of right and left holding members are fit into the corresponding fitting holes, respectively.

5. The vending machine according to claim 4 , wherein each of the external side walls of the pair of right and left holding members is cut to form the recessed portion as a path for the flat tube.

Assignees

• Fuji Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kawabata Keisuke

Classifications

• G07F11/00 Primary

  Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles · CPC title

• F28F1/126

  consisting of zig-zag shaped fins (F28F1/105 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28D2021/007

  Condensers · CPC title

• F28D1/0478

  the conduits having a non-circular cross-section · CPC title

• F25D2323/00284

  Details thereof · CPC title