Cabinet and vending machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11640743-B2
Application number	US-201917264396-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2019
Priority date	Aug 3, 2018
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are a bucket and a vending machine. The bucket is used for the vending machine and includes a shell, a turnover body and a first driving mechanism. The shell has a base plate and the turnover body is provided with a storage cavity, an inlet and an outlet. Both the inlet and the outlet are connected with the storage cavity. The turnover body may be located in a first position and a second position. When the turnover body is located in the first position, the base plate closes the outlet; when the turnover body is located in the second position, the outlet deviates from the base plate and is opened. The first driving mechanism is in transmission connection with the turnover body and is configured to drive the turnover body to switch between the first position and the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bucket, comprising:
a shell, which is provided with a base plate;
a turnover body moveably arranged in the shell, is provided with a storage cavity, an inlet and an outlet, both of the inlet and the outlet are connected with the storage cavity, and the turnover body is capable of being located in a first position and a second position; the base plate is configured to, when the turnover body is located in the first position, close the outlet, and the outlet is configured to, when the turnover body is located in the second position, deviate from the base plate and be opened; and
a first driving mechanism in transmission connection with the turnover body, is configured to drive the turnover body to switch between the first position and the second position,
wherein the turnover body is rotatably connected with the shell and the first driving mechanism comprises a first motor and a first transmission assembly, and the first transmission assembly is in transmission connection with the first motor and the turnover body;
wherein the first transmission assembly comprises an arc rack and a first gear engaged with the arc rack; the first motor is arranged in the shell and the first gear is in transmission connection with the first motor; the arc rack is arranged on a sidewall of the turnover body and is concentric with a rotating shaft of the turnover body.

2. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein,
the turnover body has a tubular structure with openings at the top and bottom respectively, an upper opening of the turnover body is the inlet, and a lower opening of the turnover body is the outlet.

3. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein,
the output shaft of the first motor is provided with a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction; the first transmission assembly comprises a first one-way member, and the first one-way member is configured to transmit power to the turnover body only when the output shaft of the first motor rotates in the first rotation direction, so as to drive the turnover body to rotate toward the second position.

4. The bucket according to claim 3 , further comprising a delivery mechanism and a second driving mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises a delivery roller, and the delivery roller is arranged on the shell and adjacent to the inlet; the second driving mechanism comprises a second transmission assembly, and the second transmission assembly is in transmission connection with the first motor and the delivery roller simultaneously, and the second transmission assembly is configured to transmit the power of the first motor to the delivery roller, so as to enable the delivery roller to deliver the item into the inlet.

5. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein a locating plate is fixedly sleeved on the rotating shaft, and a first detecting member is further arranged on the shell, and the first detecting member is configured to detect the position of the locating plate.

6. The bucket according to claim 1 , wherein,
the first driving mechanism further comprises an elastic element connected between the turnover body and the shell, and the elastic element is configured to enable the turnover body to have a tendency to move toward the first position.

7. The bucket according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a delivery mechanism and a second driving mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism comprises a delivery roller, and the delivery roller is arranged on the shell and adjacent to the inlet; the second driving mechanism comprises a second transmission assembly, and the second transmission assembly is in transmission connection with the first motor and the delivery roller simultaneously, and the second transmission assembly is configured to transmit the power of the first motor to the delivery roller, so as to enable the delivery roller to deliver the item into the inlet.

8. The bucket according to claim 7 , wherein,
the second transmission assembly comprises a second one-way member, the output shaft of the first motor is provided with a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction, and the second one-way member is configured to transmit power to the delivery roller only when the output shaft of the first motor rotates in the second rotation direction, so as to drive the delivery roller to deliver item into the inlet.

9. The bucket according to claim 7 , wherein,
the delivery mechanism further comprises a driven roller and a conveyor belt, which the delivery roller and the driven roller are arranged at intervals along the direction in which the item enters the inlet, and the conveyor belt is supported by the delivery roller and the driven roller.

10. A vending machine, comprising:
a cabinet, a storage device arranged in the cabinet, and a bucket, wherein the bucket comprises:
a shell, which is provided with a base plate;
a turnover body moveably arranged in the shell, is provided with a storage cavity, an inlet and an outlet, both of the inlet and the outlet are connected with the storage cavity, and the turnover body is capable of being located in a first position and a second position; the base plate is configured to, when the turnover body is located in the first position, close the outlet, and the outlet is configured to, when the turnover body is located in the second position, deviate from the base plate and be opened; and
a first driving mechanism in transmission connection with the turnover body, is configured to drive the turnover body to switch between the first position and the second position,
wherein the turnover body is rotatably connected with the shell and the first driving mechanism comprises a first motor and a first transmission assembly, and the first transmission assembly is in transmission connection with the first motor and the turnover body;
wherein the first transmission assembly comprises an arc rack and a first gear engaged with the arc rack; the first motor is arranged in the shell and the first gear is in transmission connection with the first motor; the arc rack is arranged on a sidewall of the turnover body and is concentric with a rotating shaft of the turnover body;
wherein a surface of the cabinet is provided with a pickup port, and the storage device comprises a storage column, and the bucket is configured to deliver item between the storage column and the pickup port.

11. The vending machine according to claim 10 , wherein,
the turnover body has a tubular structure with openings at the top and bottom respectively, an upper opening of the turnover body is the inlet, and a lower opening of the turnover body is the outlet.

12. The vending machine according to claim 10 , wherein the storage column is provided with a dispensing mechanism;
the bottom of the dispensing mechanism is provided with a transmission mechanism, and the transmission mechanism is in transmission connection with the dispensing mechanism;
a third driving mechanism is arranged on the bucket, and the third driving mechanism is capable of being located in a third position in cooperation with the transmission mechanism and a fourth position separated from the transmission mechanism; when the third driving mechanism is located in the third position, the third driving mechanism is configured to drive the transmission mechanism the dispensing mechanism to dispense the item in the storage column.

13. The vending machine according to claim 12 , wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a push plate;
the transmission mechanism comprises a second gear and a third transmission assembly that are in transmission connection, the third transmission assembly is in transmissi

Assignees

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

Inventors

• Xu Fengbo
• Jiang Tianxin

Classifications

• G06Q20/18 Primary

  involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals · CPC title

• G07F11/42

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

• G07F11/32

  two or magazines having a common delivery chute · CPC title

• G07F11/1653

  the picking arrangements being collecting buckets · CPC title

• G07F11/24 Primary

  Rotary or oscillatory members · CPC title