Vending machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11348397-B2
Application number	US-201917266982-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2019
Priority date	Aug 9, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

Provided is a vending machine. The vending machine includes a control device, a cabinet, an item column, and a hopper. The hopper is located between the item column and a pickup port of the cabinet. The hopper includes a receiving bin provided with an opening. The vending machine further includes a detection device. The control device is configured to control the receiving bin to receive the item from the item column at a receiving position based on a purchase instruction from a user, and control the receiving bin to rotate from the receiving position to a first position located between the receiving position and the dispensing position based on the detection result that the item exists at the inlet of the hopper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vending machine, comprising a control device, a cabinet, a pickup port disposed on the cabinet, an item column, and a hopper, wherein the item column and the hopper are disposed inside the cabinet, the hopper is located between the item column and the pickup port, the hopper is configured to deliver items between the item column and the pickup port, the hopper is provided with an inlet and an outlet, the hopper comprises a receiving bin provided with an opening, the receiving bin is rotatable between a receiving position and a dispensing position, the receiving position is a position of the receiving bin when the hopper receives an item from the item column, the dispensing position is a position of the receiving bin when a user takes out the item from the hopper;
the vending machine further comprises a detection device, wherein the detection device is configured to detect whether an item exists at the inlet of the hopper, the detection device is electrically connected to the control device, and the control device is configured to:

control the receiving bin to receive an item from the item column at the receiving position according to a purchase instruction from a user; and
detect whether the item exists at the inlet of the hopper, and control the receiving bin to rotate from the receiving position to a first position located between the receiving position and the dispensing position based on a detection result that the item exists at the inlet of the hopper;
wherein the control device is further configured to control the receiving bin to perform reciprocating rotation at least once, and each reciprocating rotation of the receiving bin is a process in which the receiving bin rotates from the receiving position to the first position and then from the first position to the receiving position; and
wherein the control device is further configured to, after each reciprocating rotation of the receiving bin, detect whether the item exists at the inlet of the hopper, and control the receiving bin to perform a next reciprocating rotation based on the detection result that the item exists at the inlet of the hopper.

2. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to:
control the receiving bin to rotate in a first preset direction by a preset angle A 1 such that the receiving bin reaches the first position from the receiving position, wherein the first preset direction is a rotation direction of the receiving bin rotating from the receiving position to the dispensing position.

3. The vending machine of claim 2 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
control the hopper to move to the pickup port based on a detection result that no item exists at the inlet of the hopper.

4. The vending machine of claim 2 , wherein
the preset angle A 1 is greater than 0 and less than 45 degrees.

5. The vending machine of claim 4 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
control the hopper to move to the pickup port based on a detection result that no item exists at the inlet of the hopper.

6. The vending machine of claim 1 , further comprising a first sensor configured to detect whether the receiving bin reaches the first position, wherein the control device is configured to:
detect whether the receiving bin reaches the first position based on a signal output by the first sensor and control the receiving bin to stop rotating based on a detection result that the receiving bin reaches the first position.

7. The vending machine of claim 6 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
control the hopper to move to the pickup port based on a detection result that no item exists at the inlet of the hopper.

8. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the receiving bin to rotate from the first position to the receiving position after the receiving bin rotates from the receiving position to the first position.

9. The vending machine of claim 8 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
control the hopper to move to the pickup port based on a detection result that no item exists at the inlet of the hopper.

10. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein
in a case where the receiving bin is located at the receiving position, the opening of the receiving bin faces upward, and in a case where the receiving bin is located at the dispensing position, the opening of the receiving bin faces to the outlet of the hopper.

11. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to:
after each reciprocating rotation of the receiving bin, detect whether the item exists at the inlet of the hopper;
determine whether a number of reciprocating rotations of the receiving bin reaches a preset value based on the detection result that the item exists at the inlet of the hopper; and
control the receiving bin to perform a next reciprocating rotation based on a determination result that the number of reciprocating rotations of the receiving bin does not reach the preset value.

12. The vending machine of claim 11 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
output alarm information of abnormality of the hopper based on a determination result that the number of reciprocating rotations of the receiving bin reaches the preset value.

13. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
control the hopper to move to the pickup port based on a detection result that no item exists at the inlet of the hopper.

14. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the item column is provided with an item conveying mechanism, and the item conveying mechanism is configured to drive the item in the item column so that the item in the item column is conveyed out from the item column.

15. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the hopper further comprises a frame;
the frame is provided with an item accommodation space penetrating forward and backward, end surfaces of the frame are provided with an inlet and an outlet, respectively, the inlet of the frame is disposed opposite to the outlet of the frame, the inlet formed on one of the end surfaces of the frame is the inlet of the hopper, and the outlet formed on another of the end surfaces of the frame is the outlet of the hopper; and
the receiving bin is disposed in the item accommodation space, the receiving bin is pivoted to the frame with a shaft, and the receiving bin is rotatable around the shaft relative to the frame.

16. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein one end of the receiving bin facing toward the outlet of the hopper is provided with a baffle; and
in a case where the receiving bin is at the receiving position, the baffle faces to the item column; and in a case where the receiving bin is at the dispensing position, the baffle is inserted into the pickup port.

17. The vending machine of claim 16 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the receiving bin to be located at the receiving position during a movement process of the hopper.

18. The vending machine of claim 1 , further comprising a hopper driving mechanism, wherein the hopper driving mechanism comprises a horizontal driving mechanism and a vertical driving mechanism, the horizontal driving mechanism and the vertical driving mechanism are electrically connected to the control device, and the horizontal driving mechanism and the vertical driving mechanism are in a transmission connection with the hopper; and
the horizontal driving mechanism is confi

Assignees

• Shandong New Beiyang Inf Tech
• Weihai New Beiyang Digital Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Zhou Chong
• Wang Xinping
• Zhang Tengfei
• Cong Qiangzi
• Jiang Tianxin
• Wang Chuntao

Classifications

• G07F11/24

  Rotary or oscillatory members · CPC title

• G07F11/16 Primary

  Delivery means · CPC title

• G07F9/026

  for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty · CPC title

• G07F11/1653

  the picking arrangements being collecting buckets · CPC title

• G07F11/02

  from non-movable magazines · CPC title