Bucket and vending machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11508201-B2
Application number	US-201816957649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 29, 2017
Publication date	Nov 22, 2022
Grant date	Nov 22, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is a bucket applied in a vending machine, including a bucket body, a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism. The bucket body includes an inner cavity and two ports in communication with the inner cavity respectively. The two ports are arranged at an interval in a first preset direction. The first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are arranged at an interval in the bucket body in a second preset direction, and are respectively configured to detachably mate with a dispensing assembly of a storage column of the vending machine, to provide power to the dispensing assembly. Also disclosed is a vending machine including multiple storage columns and the aforementioned bucket.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bucket for a vending machine, comprising a bucket body, a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism;
wherein the bucket body comprises an inner cavity and two ports in communication with the inner cavity respectively; the two ports are arranged at an interval in a first preset direction;
wherein the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are spaced apart from each other in the bucket body in a second preset direction, and are respectively configured to detachably mate with a dispensing assembly of a storage column of the vending machine, to provide power to the dispensing assembly;
wherein the first preset direction and the second preset direction are arranged with an included angle;
wherein at least one among the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism comprises: a base arranged in the bucket body, a motor arranged on the base, a transmission mechanism in transmission connection with an output shaft of the motor and a power output wheel in transmission connection with the transmission mechanism;
wherein, the transmission mechanism is configured to drive the power output wheel to rotate and move from a first position to a second position when the output shaft of the motor rotates in a first preset rotating direction; the transmission mechanism is further configured to drive the power output wheel to move from the second position to the first position when the output shaft of the motor rotates in a second preset rotating direction; the first preset rotating direction is opposite to the second preset rotating direction;
wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a swing member, an intermediate transmission assembly and a one-way transmission assembly;
the power output wheel is rotationally arranged on the swing member; the output shaft of the motor is in transmission connection with the power output wheel through the intermediate transmission assembly; and the output shaft of the motor is connected with the swing member through the one-way transmission assembly;
when the output shaft of the motor rotates in the first preset rotating direction, the one-way transmission assembly is configured to be unlocked, the swing member is configured to swing in a forward direction under an action of external force to drive the power output wheel to move from the first position to the second position, and power of the motor is configured to be transmitted to the power output wheel through the intermediate transmission assembly to rotate the power output wheel; and
when the output shaft of the motor rotates in the second preset rotating direction, the one-way transmission assembly is configured to be locked, the power of the motor is configured to be transmitted to the swing member through the one-way transmission assembly, so that the swing member swings in a reverse direction under drive of the motor, to drive the power output wheel move from the second position to the first position.

2. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the bucket body further comprises a first detecting mechanism and a second detecting mechanism, wherein the first detecting mechanism corresponds to the first driving mechanism, and the second detecting mechanism corresponds to the second driving mechanism, wherein both the first detecting mechanism and the second detecting mechanism are configured to detect the storage column, wherein when the first detecting mechanism detects a detecting unit arranged on the storage column, the first driving mechanism is configured as being coupled with the dispensing assembly of the storage column, wherein when the second detecting mechanism detects the detecting unit on the storage column, the second driving mechanism is configured as being coupled with the dispensing assembly of the storage column.

3. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are arranged on two sides of the inner cavity respectively.

4. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein a structure of the first driving mechanism is the same as a structure of the second driving mechanism.

5. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the output shaft of the motor is connected with the swing member through the one-way transmission assembly, and the output shaft of the motor, the intermediate transmission assembly, the one-way transmission assembly and the swing member are connected in turn.

6. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the one-way transmission assembly comprises a one-way bearing.

7. The bucket according to claim 6 , wherein the intermediate transmission assembly comprises a first rotating shaft and an intermediate transmission wheel fixedly sleeved on the first rotating shaft, wherein the first rotating shaft is rotationally arranged on the base, wherein an inner ring of the one-way bearing is sleeved on the first rotating shaft, wherein an outer ring of the one-way bearing is connected with the swing member, wherein the intermediate transmission wheel is in transmission connection with the output shaft of the motor and the power output wheel at the same time.

8. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein the bucket further comprises an elastic member, wherein a first end of the elastic member is connected with the base, and a second end of the elastic member is connected with the swing member, wherein the external force is one of the following:
a gravity of the swing member;
an acting force of the elastic member; and
a combined force of a dead weight of the swing member and an acting force of the elastic member.

9. A vending machine, comprising multiple storage columns and a bucket;
wherein the bucket comprises a bucket body, a first driving mechanism and a second driving mechanism;
wherein the bucket body comprises an inner cavity and two ports in communication with the inner cavity respectively; the two ports are arranged at an interval in a first preset direction;
wherein the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism are spaced apart from each other in the bucket body in a second preset direction, and are respectively configured to detachably mate with a dispensing assembly of a storage column among the multiple storage columns of the vending machine, to provide power to the dispensing assembly;
wherein the first preset direction and the second preset direction are arranged with an included angle;
wherein at least one among the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism comprises: a base arranged in the bucket body, a motor arranged on the base, a transmission mechanism in transmission connection with an output shaft of the motor and a power output wheel in transmission connection with the transmission mechanism;
wherein, the transmission mechanism is configured to drive the power output wheel to rotate and move from a first position to a second position when the output shaft of the motor rotates in a first preset rotating direction; the transmission mechanism is further configured to drive the power output wheel to move from the second position to the first position when the output shaft of the motor rotates in a second preset rotating direction; the first preset rotating direction is opposite to the second preset rotating direction;
wherein the transmission mechanism comprises a swing member, an intermediate transmission assembly and a one-way transmission assembly;
the power output wheel is rotationally arranged on the swing member; the output shaft of the motor is in transmission connection with the power output wheel through the intermediate transmission assembly; and the output shaft of the motor is connected with the swing member through the one-way transmission assembly;
when the outpu

Assignees

• Shandong New Beiyang Inf Tech

Inventors

• Xu Fengbo
• Liu Kai
• Xu Jiabo
• Yuan Junchao

Classifications

• G07F11/1653 Primary

  the picking arrangements being collecting buckets · CPC title

• F16H1/20

  involving more than two intermeshing members · CPC title

• G07F11/02 Primary

  from non-movable magazines · CPC title

• G07F11/42

  the articles being delivered by motor-driven means · CPC title