Vending machine and item channel delivery method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11361609-B2
Application number	US-201917264053-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2019
Priority date	Aug 1, 2018
Publication date	Jun 14, 2022
Grant date	Jun 14, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed are a vending machine and an item dispensing method of storage column thereof. In the item dispensing method of the storage column of the vending machine, controlling the first motor to start rotating for the first time to convey the target item to the inlet of the bucket; when detecting that the target item reaches the inlet of the bucket, controlling the first motor to stop rotating for the first time to make the target item enter the inside of the bucket under the driving of the second motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vending machine, comprising a control device, a cabinet, a pickup port arranged on the cabinet, a storage column and a bucket arranged inside the cabinet; wherein the storage column is configured to accommodate items; the bucket is arranged between the storage column and the pickup port, and is configured to deliver items between the storage column and the pickup port; the storage column is provided with an outlet, and the bucket is provided with an inlet; the vending machine further comprises a first motor configured to drive the items in the storage column to move toward the outlet of the storage column, a second motor configured to drive the items at the inlet of the bucket to enter the inside of the bucket, and a detecting device configured to detect whether there are items located at the inlet of the bucket; the detecting device, the first motor and the second motor are respectively electrically connected with the control device, and the control device is configured to:
control the first motor to start rotating for the first time to convey the target item to the inlet of the bucket;
control the first motor to stop rotating for the first time to make the target item enter the inside of the bucket under the driving of the second motor when the control device detects that the target item reaches the inlet of the bucket, wherein the target item is at least one item closest to the bucket in the storage column.

2. The vending machine claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the second motor to stop rotating after the target item enters the inside of the bucket.

3. The vending machine of claim 1 , the control device is further configured to:
control the bucket to move to the storage column and to make the inlet of the bucket to be opposite to the outlet of the storage column before controlling the first motor to start rotating for the first time to convey the target item to the inlet of the bucket.

4. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
control the second motor to start rotating when the first motor is controlled to start rotating for the first time so as to make the target item to enter the inside of the bucket under the driving of the second motor.

5. The vending machine of claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to:
determine whether the target item enters the inside of the bucket within a first preset time from the moment when the first motor stops rotating for the first time;
based on the determination result that the target item does not enter the inside of the bucket within the first preset time, control the first motor to rotate at least one more time, where the first motor rotating one time refers to the process that the first motor starts to rotate, and stops rotating after continuously rotating for a second preset time.

6. The vending machine of claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to control the first motor to rotate at least one more time by the following method:
determining whether the target item enters the inside of the bucket within a third preset time from the moment when the first motor stops rotating each time, and based on the determination result that the target item does not enter the inside of the bucket within the third preset time from the moment when the first motor stops rotating this time, controlling the first motor to rotate for the next time.

7. The vending machine of claim 5 , wherein the control device is configured to control the first motor to rotate at least one more time by the following method:
determining whether the target item enters the bucket within the third preset time from the moment when the first motor stops rotating each time, based on the determination result that the target item does not enter the inside of the bucket within the third preset time from the moment when the first motor stops rotating this time, determining whether the number of rotations of the first motor since it starts rotating for the first time to convey target item to the inlet of the bucket reaches a preset number, controlling the first motor to rotate for the next time based on the determination result that the number of rotations of the first motor does not reach the preset number.

8. The vending machine of claim 7 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
output the alarm information about the abnormal dispensing of item of the storage column when the control device determines that the number of rotations of the first motor reaches the preset number.

9. The vending machine of claim 4 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the second motor to stop rotating after the target item enters the inside of the bucket.

10. The vending machine of claim 5 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the second motor to stop rotating after the target item enters the inside of the bucket.

11. The vending machine of claim 6 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the second motor to stop rotating after the target item enters the inside of the bucket.

12. The vending machine of claim 7 , wherein the control device is further configured to control the second motor to stop rotating after the target item enters the inside of the bucket.

13. An item dispensing method of a storage column of a vending machine, wherein the vending machine comprises a cabinet, a pickup port arranged on the cabinet, a storage column and a bucket arranged inside the cabinet; the storage column is configured to accommodate items; the bucket is arranged between the storage column and the pickup port, and is configured to deliver items between the storage column and the pickup port; the storage column is provided with an outlet, and the bucket is provided with an inlet; the vending machine further comprises a first motor configured to drive the items in the storage column to move toward the outlet of the storage column, a second motor configured to drive the items at the inlet of the bucket to enter the inside of the bucket, and a detecting device configured to detect whether there are items located at the inlet of the bucket; the item dispensing method of the storage column comprises:
controlling the first motor to start rotating for the first time to convey the target item to the inlet of the bucket;
when detecting that the target item reaches the inlet of the bucket, controlling the first motor to stop rotating for the first time to make the target item enter the inside of the bucket under the driving of the second motor.

14. The item dispensing method of the storage column of the vending machine of claim 13 , further comprising:
determining whether the target item enters the inside of the bucket within a first preset time from the moment when the first motor stops rotating for the first time;
based on the determination result that the target item does not enter the inside of the bucket within the first preset time, controlling the first motor to rotate at least one more time, where the first motor rotating one time refers to the process that the first motor starts to rotate, and stops rotating after continuously rotating for a second preset time.

Assignees

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

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G07F11/16

  Delivery means · CPC title

• G07F11/1653

  the picking arrangements being collecting buckets · CPC title

• G07F11/007

  wherein the storage and dispensing mechanism are configurable in relation to the physical or geometrical properties of the articles to be stored or dispensed · CPC title

• G07F11/163 Primary

  characterised by blocking access to the output bins · CPC title

• G07F11/24 Primary

  Rotary or oscillatory members · CPC title