Product discharging device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9811967-B2
Application number	US-201615058620-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2016
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

A product dispensing system includes: a first product discharging device that is applied to a first product storage passage storing an input product in a vertical direction, regulates downward movement of the product stored in the first product storage passage in a standby state, and discharges a lowest product stored in the first product storage passage downward in an activated state; and a second product discharging device that is applied to a second product storage passage being adjacent to the first product storage passage and storing an input product in the vertical direction thereof, regulates downward movement of the product stored in the second product storage passage in a standby state, and discharges a lowest product stored in the second product storage passage downward in an activated state. The first product discharging device and the second product discharging device are coupled to each other back to back.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product dispensing system comprising:
a first product discharging device that is applied to a first product storage passage storing an input product in a vertical direction, regulates downward movement of the product stored in the first product storage passage in a standby state, and discharges a lowest product stored in the first product storage passage downward in an activated state; and
a second product discharging device that is applied to a second product storage passage being adjacent to the first product storage passage and storing an input product in the vertical direction thereof, regulates downward movement of the product stored in the second product storage passage in a standby state, and discharges a lowest product stored in the second product storage passage downward in an activated state,
the first product discharging device and the second product discharging device being coupled to each other back to back,
wherein the first product discharging device includes
a drive source for the first product discharging device and the second product discharging device,
a driving force applying unit configured to alternatively select the first product discharging device and the second product discharging device in accordance with a discharge command and to apply a driving force from the drive source to the selected product discharging device when the discharge command is issued, and
a control unit configured to perform sold-out processing of considering that only the product discharging device is out of order and determining that the products of the product storage passage of the product discharging device is sold out when the product discharging device which is alternatively selected and supplied with a driving force by the driving force applying unit discharges no product within a predetermined time.

2. The product dispensing system according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit performs a retry process of performing the operation of causing the driving force applying unit to select the product discharging device and to apply the driving force to the selected product discharging device again when the product discharging device which is alternatively selected and supplied with a driving force by the driving force applying unit discharges no product within the predetermined time.

3. The product dispensing system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit causes the product discharging device to return to a predetermined standby position and performs the retry process when the product discharging device which is alternatively selected and supplied with a driving force by the driving force applying unit discharges no product within the predetermined time.

4. The product dispensing system according to claim 1 , wherein the driving force applying unit includes:
an output gear that is disposed to be rotatable positively and reversely about its own axis, rotates positively when the discharge command is issued to the first product discharging device, and rotates reversely when the discharge command is issued to the second product discharging device; and
a link lever that is disposed to be rotatable about its own axis in correspondence with the product discharging devices, sets the corresponding product discharging device to the standby state in a normal state, and drives the corresponding product discharging device when the link lever is supplied with the driving force to rotate by rotation of the output gear.

5. The product dispensing system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive source is common to the first product discharging device and the second product discharging device.

6. The product dispensing system according to claim 1 , wherein the drive source is a DC motor.

Assignees

• Fuji Electric Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakajima Norio
• Yasaka Yoshio
• Makino Michihiko

Classifications

• G07F11/24 Primary

  Rotary or oscillatory members · CPC title

• G07F5/22

  electrically actuated · CPC title

• G07F9/00

  Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus (coin inlet arrangements G07F1/00; coin-actuated mechanisms, interlocks G07F5/00) · CPC title