A circulating rotary delivery device and a vending device having the same

Abstract

The present invention discloses a circulating rotating delivery device and a vending device having the same. The delivery device comprises: a shell, a closed curved slide arranged on the shell, a plurality of delivery components arranged along the closed curved slide and abutting against each other, a driving component and a detection component arranged below the closed curved slide; a protrusion is arranged at the bottom of the delivery component; the driving component comprises a rotating paddle arranged below the closed curved slide and a driving member driving the rotating paddle to rotate; the rotating paddle rotates to drive the protrusion to move, so that the delivery component circulates along the closed curved slide; the detection component is electrically connected to the driving component and is used to detect the position of the delivery component. The circulating moving delivery device of the present invention improves the efficiency of vending, has a compact structure and high space utilization, low manufacturing cost, and is easy to maintain. It can sell multiple types of goods at the same time, and can also enable multiple people to shop at the same time without affecting each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of novel vending machines, and in particular to a delivery device with a cyclic rotation characteristic, which can be used not only in automatic vending machines but also in display cabinets or automatic delivery shelves of unmanned stores. Background Art

[0002] Existing delivery devices are mainly used in the field of unmanned vending machines, and their performance is evaluated by comprehensively considering various factors: 1. Can more goods be loaded within the same volume? 2. Is the delivery device cost-effective? 3. Can it adapt to different packaging forms of goods?

[0003] The existing shipping devices include spring aisles, serpentine aisles, crawler aisles, etc. Their characteristics are that when the goods are shipped, they will leave the aisles where they are located, and sufficient space for dropping goods needs to be left, which will seriously waste inventory space.

[0004] Prior art has proposed a rotary vending machine dispensing device (CN 108133545A), which uses a belt to connect different dispensing units. Driven by a motor, the dispensing units are delivered to a designated location. This approach overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of the cargo lane, but has the following drawbacks: 1. The drive belt and gears occupy a corresponding position, resulting in a relatively large space occupied by the dispensing device; 2. The dispensing device in this approach is restricted by the belt, resulting in a quasi-circular belt layout, which significantly limits the number of items that can be dispensed by a set of dispensing devices; 3. Due to the belt drive, this approach is relatively expensive.

[0005] Based on this, it is necessary to propose a new shipping device and vending device to overcome the above shortcomings. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a circular rotary delivery device and a vending device having the same. It utilizes a closed curved slideway to tightly arrange delivery boxes in sequence, resulting in a compact, simple, and rational structure, significantly reducing aisle costs and expanding the scope of aisle use.

[0007] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a circulating rotary delivery device, comprising: a housing, a closed curved slideway provided on the housing, a plurality of delivery assemblies provided along the closed curved slideway and abutting against each other, a driving assembly and a detection assembly provided below the closed curved slideway;

[0008] The bottom of the delivery component is provided with a protrusion;

[0009] The driving assembly includes a rotating paddle disposed below the closed curved slideway and a driving member for driving the rotating paddle to rotate;

[0010] The rotating paddle rotates to drive the protrusion to move, so that the delivery component moves cyclically along the closed curved slideway;

[0011] The detection component is electrically connected to the driving component and is used to detect the position of the shipping component.

[0012] Preferably, the driving member includes a driving motor and a speed change gear box, and the speed change gear box is connected to the rotating paddle.

[0013] Preferably, the shipping component contacts the closed curved slideway through a guide pulley.

[0014] Preferably, the shipping component includes a guide pulley and a rotating drum arranged on the guide pulley, and an opening is provided on one side of the rotating drum.

[0015] Preferably, an arc-shaped door is further provided on the opening side of the rotating drum.

[0016] Preferably, the shell includes a first trough body, a closed curved through hole arranged on the upper surface of the first trough body, an inner plate arranged in the closed curved through hole, and a support member arranged on the lower surface of the first trough body to fixedly connect the inner plate and the first trough body, and the inner wall of the closed curved through hole is arranged opposite to the outer wall of the inner plate.

[0017] Preferably, the shell further includes a second slot body detachably connected to the first slot body, and one end of the support member is fixedly connected to the inner plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second slot body.

[0018] Preferably, the first trough body and the second trough body are provided with a space for accommodating the drive assembly.

[0019] Preferably, the rotating paddle includes a rotation axis arranged in the center and paddles symmetrically arranged along the rotation axis; a paddle portion is arranged on one side of the paddle, and a side away from the paddle portion is arranged in an arc shape.

[0020] Preferably, it further includes a reinforcement block arranged on the inner plate.

[0021] Another aspect of the present invention provides a vending device comprising the aforementioned cyclic rotary delivery device, a container, and a central processing unit;

[0022] The container is provided with one or more cargo pickup ports. When any of the delivery components moves to the cargo pickup port, the cargo on the corresponding container can only be taken out from the cargo pickup port.

[0023] The central processing unit and the delivery device are electrically connected and are both arranged in the container. The opening of the delivery device is connected to the outside when it is in the delivery position.

[0024] The present invention proposes a circulating rotary delivery device, which can be set in a unit structure (such as a vending machine tray, an unmanned vending shelf, etc.), and the delivery components in a closed curved slide are placed closely in sequence. The driving component controls one delivery component to slide forward along the closed curved slide according to the instructions of the detection component, and the delivery components in the remaining closed curved slides are squeezed and slide forward in sequence. The multiple circulating delivery components of the present invention improve the efficiency of sales, have a compact structure, high space utilization, low manufacturing cost, and easy maintenance. Different packaging specifications and multiple types of goods can be sold simultaneously. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of a delivery device in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 It is a partial structural schematic diagram of the delivery device in the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 It is a partial structural diagram of another embodiment of the delivery device of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of the rotary paddle in the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of an embodiment of a shipping component in the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a second embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a third embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Among them, 10-shipping device, 11-shell, 111-first trough, 112-second trough, 113-closed curved through hole, 114-inner plate, 115-support, 116-inspection hole, 12-closed curved slide, 13-shipping assembly, 132-rotating drum, 133-opening, 14-guide pulley, 15-driving assembly, 151-rotating paddle, 151a-rotating shaft, 151b-paddle, 151c-toggle part, 152-driving member, 16-protrusion, 17-reinforcement block, 20-container. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. The following embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention in any form. It should be noted that, for those skilled in the art, several variations and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. These all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise" and the like to indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0036] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of the technical features being referred to. Thus, a feature identified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0037] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediary; or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0038] Reference Figures 1 to 7 , which is a specific embodiment proposed by the present invention.

[0039] The present invention provides a cyclic and rotary discharging device. The discharging device 10 includes: a housing 11, a closed curved slide 12 provided on the housing 11, a plurality of discharging components 13 arranged along the closed curved slide 12 and abutting against each other, a driving component 15 provided below the closed curved slide 12, and a detection component. The bottom of the discharging component 13 is provided with a protrusion 16. The driving component 15 includes a rotating paddle 151 provided below the closed curved slide 12 and a driving member 152 for driving the rotating paddle 151 to rotate. The rotating paddle 151 rotates to drive the protrusion 16 to move, causing the discharging component 13 to cyclically move along the closed curved slide 12. The driving component 15 drives the discharging component 13 to cyclically discharging along the closed curved slide 12. The delivery components 13 are placed closely in sequence along the closed curved slide 12. The driving component 15 drives one of the delivery components 13 to slide forward along the closed curved slide 12, and the remaining delivery components 13 are squeezed and slide forward in sequence. Multiple circularly moving delivery components 13 improve sales efficiency.

[0040] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 5-Figure 7 The closed curved track 12 is a closed curved track, and its shape is not limited to a circular, runway ring, elliptical, square or circular structure, or a combination of the above shapes. Its design can be determined according to the actual needs of the tray and shelf structure of the vending device. Figure 8 As shown, the drive assembly is arranged in the inward depression of the closed curved slide, and the rigidity of the slide itself is utilized to make the slide densely filled with shipping components, which greatly overcomes the disadvantages of the belt structure used in the existing technology. The structure is simple and reliable, and the capacity is significantly expanded.

[0041] The delivery device of this embodiment can be used not only in vending machines, but also in display cabinets or automatic delivery shelves in unmanned stores.

[0042] The detection assembly of the present invention is used to detect the delivery position of the delivery assembly. Specifically, the detection assembly is a position detection sensor, such as a photoelectric sensor. The sensor is fixed to the housing and located below the delivery assembly. When the delivery assembly moves in a closed loop under the drive assembly, the sensor signals the motor to stop and wait for the delivery.

[0043] See also Figures 1 to 3In a specific embodiment, the housing 11 includes a first trough 111, a closed curved through-hole 113 disposed on the upper surface of the first trough 111, an inner plate 114 disposed within the closed curved through-hole 113, and a support member disposed on the lower surface of the first trough 111 to fixedly connect the inner plate 114 and the first trough 111. The inner wall of the closed curved through-hole 113 is disposed opposite the outer wall of the inner plate 114. One end of the support member 115 is fixedly connected to the first trough, and the other end is fixedly connected to the inner plate 114. A space for the protrusion to pass through is provided on the support seat. The upper surfaces of the first trough 111 and the inner plate 114 are coplanar. The inner wall of the closed curved through-hole 113 and the outer wall of the inner plate 114 respectively form the outer and inner slides of the closed curved slide 12. The pulley 14 moves along the guide directions of the inner and outer slides to prevent the shipping assembly 13 from swinging during movement, thereby ensuring stability during shipping.

[0044] In another specific embodiment, the housing 11 includes a first trough 111 and a second trough 112 detachably connected to the first trough 111, a closed curved through hole 113 provided on the upper surface of the first trough 111, an inner plate 114 provided within the closed curved through hole 113, and a support member 115 having one end fixedly connected to the inner plate 114 and the other end fixedly connected to the second trough 112. The inner wall of the closed curved through hole 113 is disposed opposite the outer wall of the inner plate 114. The first trough 111 and the second trough 112 are disposed opposite each other and are formed by bending or stamping steel plates, which is low-cost and simple to manufacture. The first trough 111 and the second trough 112 are fixedly connected by bolts via a support member 115 disposed between the first trough 111 and the second trough 112. The inner plate 114 is mounted on the upper surface of the support member 115 and is located within the closed curved through hole 113 of the first trough 111. A space for accommodating the drive assembly 15 is provided between the first trough 111 and the second trough 112, resulting in a compact structure and convenient maintenance. Inspection holes 116 are provided on the first trough 111 and the second trough 112, which also serve as heat dissipation holes.

[0045] In one embodiment of the present invention, the driving member 152 includes a driving motor and a speed-changing gearbox, and the speed-changing gearbox is connected to the rotating paddle 151. The speed-changing gearbox is used to connect the driving motor and the rotating paddle 151. Preferably, the speed-changing gearbox is a reduction gear that can change the high-speed rotation of the rotating paddle 151 to a low speed to meet the shipping requirements.

[0046] In one embodiment of the present invention, the delivery assembly 13 contacts the closed curved slide 12 via a pulley 14. A pulley 14 adapted to the closed curved slide 12 is provided on the guide pulley 14. The pulley 14 guides along the closed curved slide 12, preventing the delivery assembly 13 from swinging during delivery and improving delivery stability.

[0047] In one embodiment of the present invention, the unloading assembly 13 includes a guide pulley 14 and a rotating drum 132 mounted on the guide pulley 14, with an opening on one side of the rotating drum 132. The outer circumferential surfaces of adjacent guide pulleys 14 abut against each other, and cargo is placed within the rotating drum 132. Preferably, the guide pulleys 14 are two pulleys, symmetrically arranged along the diameter of the rotating drum, with the distance between the outermost diameters of the two pulleys slightly less than the width of the closed curved slideway.

[0048] In one embodiment of the present invention, a curved door is provided on one side of the opening of the rotating drum 132. The curved door can be moved up and down along the opening and rebounds after the goods are removed. The curved door on the side of the opening 133 prevents goods from falling.

[0049] In another embodiment of the present invention, guide grooves are provided at the upper and lower ends of the opening 133, and the arc door is adapted to the opening 133. The arc door opens or closes the opening 133 along the guide groove, and the arc door can be automatically reset by any one of tension spring reset, compression spring reset, and gravity hammer lifting reset.

[0050] In another embodiment of the present invention, one side of the arc-shaped door is hinged to one side of the opening 133 .

[0051] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotating paddle 151 includes a centrally located rotation axis 151a and paddles 151b symmetrically arranged along the rotation axis 151a. A toggle portion 151c is provided on one side of the paddle 151b, and a side away from the toggle portion 151c is arc-shaped. When the rotating paddle 151 rotates, the toggle portion 151c of the paddle 151b drives the protrusion 16 to move.

[0052] In one embodiment of the present invention, a reinforcing block 17 is further provided on the inner plate 114. Since the motor occupies the supporting space of the inner plate 114, resulting in no support at the bottom, it is easy to sink and deform, affecting the normal sliding of the guide pulley. Therefore, the reinforcing block 17 is provided to strengthen the strength of the inner plate 114.

[0053] The present invention also provides a vending device, comprising the aforementioned delivery device 10, a container 20, and a central processing unit;

[0054] The container 20 is provided with one or more pickup ports. When any of the delivery components 13 moves to the pickup port, only the goods on the corresponding container 20 can be taken out from the pickup port. A second detection component is provided on the pickup port or the delivery component. The second detection component is preferably a sensor. The detection component (as described above) is used to determine the delivery position of the delivery component 13. That is, when the delivery component on the closed curved track 12 moves under the drive of the drive motor, when the delivery component moves to a position that can be detected by the detection component, the detection component issues a command to the motor to stop running and wait for the goods to be picked up. The second detection component is used to determine whether the goods in the delivery box exist before purchasing the goods. If the goods exist, the motor does not rotate. If the goods do not exist, the motor rotates to the next delivery component.

[0055] The central processing unit and the delivery device 10 are electrically connected to each other and are both disposed in the container 20 . The opening 133 of the delivery device 10 is in communication with the outside.

[0056] refer to Figure 5-Figure 8 The vending machine includes one or more dispensing devices 10. The type of dispensing device 10 can be flexibly arranged according to actual needs and is not limited to a circular shape. The size and shape of the closed curved slide 12 can be flexibly selected according to actual conditions, and the number of dispensing components 13 can be flexibly selected based on the size of the closed curved slide 12 and the size of the goods. The vending machine of the present invention has the advantages of a compact structure, large capacity, high space utilization, and no limit on the number of goods that can be shipped.

[0057] The present invention provides a cyclical, rotating delivery device and a vending machine equipped with the same. The device comprises a rotating, cyclical delivery mechanism within a single unit structure. The device comprises a housing, a closed, curved slideway, multiple delivery components, a drive component, and a detection component. The container is provided with one or more access ports. When any of the delivery components moves to a port, only the corresponding goods on the container can be removed from the port. The delivery components are closely arranged along the closed, curved slideway. The drive component, based on instructions from the detection component, controls one delivery component to slide forward along the closed, curved slideway, causing the remaining delivery components within the closed, curved slideway to be squeezed and pushed forward in sequence. This device overcomes existing methods in the prior art by not utilizing belts to connect delivery boxes. Furthermore, its structure overcomes the limitation of being limited to a quasi-circular structure and allows for a zigzag, circuitous structure, significantly expanding the scope of use of the delivery channel. Furthermore, the multiple, cyclically moving delivery components improve vending efficiency, have a compact structure, high space utilization, low manufacturing costs, and are easy to maintain. Multiple products can be sold simultaneously without interfering with each other.

[0058] The above is a further detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with specific embodiments, and the specific implementation of the present invention cannot be considered to be limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, several simple deductions or substitutions can be made without departing from the concept of the present invention.

Claims

1. A circulating rotary delivery device, used for automatic delivery shelves or display cabinets in vending machines, unmanned stores, characterized in that: The delivery device comprises: a shell, a closed curved slideway arranged on the shell, a plurality of delivery components arranged along the closed curved slideway and abutting against each other, a driving component and a detection component arranged below the closed curved slideway; The delivery assembly includes a rotating drum, a protrusion is provided at the bottom of the rotating drum, and an opening is provided at one side of the rotating drum; The driving assembly comprises a rotating paddle disposed below the closed curved slideway and a driving member driving the rotating paddle to rotate; The rotating paddle rotates to drive the protrusion to move, so that the delivery component moves cyclically along the closed curved slideway; The detection component is electrically connected to the driving component and is used to detect the position of the shipping component; Wherein, the housing comprises a first slot body, a closed curved through hole arranged on the upper surface of the first slot body, and an inner plate arranged in the closed curved through hole, and the inner wall of the closed curved through hole is arranged opposite to the outer wall of the inner plate; The rotating paddle comprises a rotating shaft arranged at the center and paddles arranged symmetrically along the rotating shaft.

2. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving member includes a driving motor and a speed change gear box, and the speed change gear box is connected to the rotating paddle.

3. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The delivery assembly contacts the closed curved slideway via a guide pulley.

4. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shipping component also includes a guide pulley, and the rotating drum is arranged on the guide pulley.

5. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 4, characterized in that: An arc-shaped door is also provided on one opening side of the rotating drum.

6. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower surface of the first trough body is provided with a support member fixedly connecting the inner plate and the first trough body.

7. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The shell further comprises a second slot body detachably connected to the first slot body, and one end of the support member is fixedly connected to the inner plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to the second slot body.

8. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first slot body and the second slot body are provided with a space for accommodating the driving assembly.

9. The circulating rotary delivery device according to claim 1, characterized in that: A toggle portion is disposed on one side of the paddle, and a side away from the toggle portion is disposed in an arc shape.

10. A vending device, characterized in that: It comprises one or more of the cyclic rotating unloading devices, containers and central processing units as described in any one of claims 1 to 9; The container is provided with one or more cargo pickup ports, and when any of the delivery components moves to the cargo pickup port, only the cargo on the corresponding container can be taken out from the cargo pickup port; The central processing unit and the delivery device are electrically connected and are both arranged in the container. The opening of the delivery device is connected to the outside when it is in the delivery position.

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