Ejector system for dispensing machines

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11145153-B2
Application number	US-202016896453-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 9, 2020
Priority date	May 20, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

A product storage column for a dispensing machine includes a first member having a substantially U-shaped cross-section. The first member includes a first side wall opposing a second side wall, and both side walls extend from a back wall toward a front plane opposite the back wall. The side walls, the back wall, and the front plane cooperate to define a product space therewithin. The product storage column also includes a second member rotatably coupled to the first side wall and selectively positionable relative to the first member between an opened position and a closed position. The first member is sized to receive a product through the front plane into the product space when the second member is in the opened position, and the second member is sized to prevent movement of the product through the front plane when the second member is in the closed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ejector system for a dispensing machine comprising:
a support base including a support surface configured to receive a first and a second column of product packages adjacent the support surface;
a first dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to a size of a product package to be dispensed, the first dispensing block movably coupled to the support base; and
a second dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to the size of the product package, the second dispensing block movably coupled to the support base adjacent to the first dispensing block,
wherein each of the first and second dispensing blocks is selectively moved through a cycle of positions including positions above the support surface, the first product package column, and the second product package column to eject a series of the product packages from the first and second product package columns.

2. The ejector system of claim 1 , wherein in a first position, the first and second dispensing blocks are in a stacked relationship adjacent to the first product package column, the first dispensing block above the support surface and the second dispensing block below the support surface.

3. The ejector system of claim 1 , wherein in a second position, the first and second dispensing blocks are in side-by-side relationship above the support surface, the first dispensing block within the first product package column, such that the first dispensing block is operable to eject a first product package from the second product package column and to reposition a second product package from the first product package column into the second product package column.

4. The ejector system of claim 3 , wherein in a third position the first and second dispensing blocks are in a side-by-side relationship above the support surface, the second dispensing block within the first product package column and the first dispensing block within the second product package column, such that the first dispensing block is operable to eject the second product package from the second product package column.

5. The ejector system of claim 4 , wherein in a fourth position the first and second dispensing blocks are in a side-by-side relationship below the support surface, such that a third product package from the first product package column and a fourth product package from the second product package column are moved to adjacent the support surface.

6. The ejector system of claim 1 , wherein a width of the support base is sized to be approximately three times a width of the first dispensing block.

7. The ejector system of claim 1 , further comprising a switch coupled to the support base that is configured to signal whether a product is disposed on the support surface.

8. An ejector system for a dispensing machine comprising:
a support base including a support surface configured to receive a first and a second column of product packages adjacent the support surface;
a first dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to a size of a product package to be dispensed, the first dispensing block movably coupled to the support base; and
a second dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to the size of the product package, the second dispensing block movably coupled to the support base adjacent to the first dispensing block,
wherein each of the first and second dispensing blocks is selectively positionable through a cycle of positions relative to the support surface to eject a series of the product packages from the first and second product package columns,
wherein each of the first and second dispensing blocks is selectively positionable relative to the support surface between at least a home position, a first dispensing position, a second dispensing position, and a refill position,
wherein the first dispensing position includes the first and second dispensing blocks in side-by-side relationship above the support surface, the first dispensing block within the first product package column, such that the first dispensing block is operable to eject a first product package from the second product package column and to reposition a second product package from the first product package column into the second product package column.

9. An ejector system for a dispensing machine comprising:
a support base including a support surface configured to receive a first and a second column of product packages adjacent the support surface;
a first dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to a size of a product package to be dispensed, the first dispensing block movably coupled to the support base; and
a second dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to the size of the product package, the second dispensing block movably coupled to the support base adjacent to the first dispensing block,
wherein each of the first and second dispensing blocks is selectively positionable through a cycle of positions relative to the support surface to eject a series of the product packages from the first and second product package columns,
wherein each of the first and second dispensing blocks is selectively positionable relative to the support surface between at least a home position, a first dispensing position, a second dispensing position, and a refill position,
wherein the first dispensing position includes the first and second dispensing blocks in side-by-side relationship above the support surface, the first dispensing block within the first product package column, such that the first dispensing block is operable to eject a first product package from the second product package column and to reposition a second product package from the first product package column into the second product package column, and
wherein the second dispensing position includes the first and second dispensing blocks in side-by-side relationship above the support surface, the second dispensing block within the first product package column and the first dispensing block within the second product package column, such that the first dispensing block is operable to eject the second product package from the second product package column.

10. An ejector system for a dispensing machine comprising:
a support base including a support surface configured to receive a first and a second column of product packages adjacent the support surface;
a first dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to a size of a product package to be dispensed, the first dispensing block movably coupled to the support base; and
a second dispensing block sized to substantially correspond to the size of the product package, the second dispensing block movably coupled to the support base adjacent to the first dispensing block,
wherein each of the first and second dispensing blocks is selectively positionable through a cycle of positions relative to the support surface to eject a series of the product packages from the first and second product package columns,
wherein each of the first and second dispensing blocks is selectively positionable relative to the support surface between at least a home position, a first dispensing position, a second dispensing position, and a refill position,
wherein the first dispensing position includes the first and second dispensing blocks in side-by-side relationship above the support surface, the first dispensing block within the first product package column, such that the first dispensing block is operable to eject a first product package from the second product package column and to reposition a second product package from the first product package column into the second product package column,
wherein the second dispensing position includes the first and secon

Assignees

• Wrigley W M Jun Co

Inventors

• Chisholm Keith A
• Kaiguo Liu
• Jianmin Lu

Classifications

• G07F11/04

  in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other · CPC title

• G07F11/10

  two or more magazines having a common delivery chute · CPC title

• G07F11/12 Primary

  with means for automatically changing to reserve stacks · CPC title

• G07F11/16

  Delivery means · CPC title