A discharging and pressing device and a vending machine

Abstract

The present invention belongs to the technical field of beverage production, and discloses a discharging and pressing device and a vending machine. The discharging and pressing device includes: a cup lid separating mechanism configured to accommodate stacked cup lids to be separated and separate the lowermost cup lid to be separated from the adjacent upper cup lid to be separated; a pressing mechanism capable of moving to directly below the cup lid separating mechanism, the pressing mechanism being configured to carry stacked cup bodies, and the pressing mechanism being configured to drive the cup bodies and the lowermost separated cup lids covering them to move together in a direction close to the cup lid separating mechanism, and the cup lid separating mechanism abuts against the top surface of the lowermost separated cup lid to press the uppermost cup body and the lowermost separated cup lid together. The discharging and pressing device enables the pressing mechanism and the cup lid separating mechanism to be arranged at the same station, shortening the movement distance between the cup bodies and the cup lids to be separated and reducing various misalignment errors such as inclination.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of beverage production, and particularly relates to a discharging and pressing device and a vending machine. Background Art

[0002] In daily life, various foods and beverages are often contained in containers. For example, disposable paper cups and cup lids are often used in beverages. Existing cup lids are often manually pressed by operators in stores to achieve the capping of the cup lid and the cup. A fully automatic vending machine usually needs to achieve full-process automated operation of production and needs to implement automatic lid dropping and capping functions. In a fully automatic vending machine, the cup lids and cups are respectively stored in storage containers in the fully automatic vending machine in sequence. When producing, the paper cup drops automatically first. After production is completed, the cup lid drops automatically, and the cup lid and the cup are pressed together through an automatic capping mechanism to complete the production.

[0003] For automatic vending equipment, when automatically separating cup lids, generally the cup lid first falls on the cup, and then the un-pressed cup and cup lid are transferred together to the cup lid pressing station for pressing the cup lid and the cup. Due to the fluttering of the cup lid during falling and the relatively long distance during the transfer and transportation of the un-pressed cup and lid, there are often situations such as shaking, resulting in the misalignment or inclination of the cup lid and the cup mouth, and there are many phenomena of poor pressing of the cup lid and the cup. At the same time, a cup and lid transfer and transportation device is required, which has a complex structure, a long transportation time, and low production efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a discharging and pressing device and a vending machine, which simplify the structure and improve the production efficiency and pressing accuracy.

[0005] To achieve this purpose, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A discharging and pressing device includes:

[0007] A lid separating mechanism configured to accommodate the cup lids to be separated stacked thereon and separate the cup lid to be separated at the bottom layer from the adjacent cup lid to be separated at the upper layer.

[0008] A pressing mechanism capable of moving to directly below the lid separating mechanism, the pressing mechanism being configured to carry the cups stacked thereon, the pressing mechanism being configured to drive the cup and the cup lid separated at the bottom layer covering the cup to move together in a direction close to the lid separating mechanism, and the lid separating mechanism abuts against the top surface of the cup lid separated at the bottom layer to press the cup at the top layer and the cup lid separated at the bottom layer together.

[0009] Preferably, the pressing mechanism includes:

[0010] A cup holder for holding the stacked cups.

[0011] A pressing drive source is drivingly connected to the cup holder through a transmission assembly to drive the cup holder to move in a direction close to the lid separating mechanism.

[0012] Preferably, the transmission assembly includes:

[0013] A driving wheel provided at the output end of the pressing drive source;

[0014] An eccentric shaft, the axis of which does not coincide with the axis of the driving wheel. One end of the eccentric shaft is provided on the driving wheel, and the other end passes through the cup holder.

[0015] Preferably, a driving groove is provided on one side of the cup holder close to the eccentric shaft. The length direction of the driving groove is arranged horizontally, and the eccentric shaft is slidably engaged with the inner wall of the driving groove.

[0016] Preferably, the pressing mechanism further includes:

[0017] A fixing plate for mounting the pressing drive source;

[0018] A guide rail vertically arranged on the fixing plate;

[0019] A slider, one side of which is slidably engaged with the guide rail, and the other side is connected to the cup holder through a connecting member.

[0020] Preferably, the lid separating mechanism includes:

[0021] A rack frame;

[0022] A first separating wheel provided on one side of the rack frame and meshing with it;

[0023] A second separating wheel provided on the other side of the rack frame and meshing with it. Between the first separating wheel and the second separating wheel is for accommodating the stacked cup lids to be separated;

[0024] A driving eccentric block passing through the middle of the rack frame;

[0025] A rotary drive source, the output end of which is connected to the driving eccentric block through a driving wheel, so that the rotation of the driving eccentric block drives the movement of the rack frame, and the rotation directions of the first separating wheel and the second separating wheel are opposite, for separating the cup lid to be separated at the bottom layer and the cup lid to be separated adjacent to it above.

[0026] Preferably, both the first separating wheel and the second separating wheel include:

[0027] Body;

[0028] A gear, which is arranged on the top of the body and meshes with the rack frame;

[0029] A lower supporting edge, which protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the body, and the lower supporting edge is configured to carry the edge of the lowermost to-be-separated cup lid;

[0030] An upper supporting edge, which protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the body and is located above the lower supporting edge, and the upper supporting edge is configured to carry the edge of the upper to-be-separated cup lid adjacent to the lowermost to-be-separated cup lid.

[0031] Preferably, both the first separation wheel and the second separation wheel further include a supporting member, which protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the body, and the supporting member can abut against the top surface of the separated cup lid at the lowermost layer.

[0032] Preferably, both the upper supporting edge and the supporting member are arc-shaped structures, and the central angle of the supporting member is larger than the central angle of the upper supporting edge.

[0033] To achieve the above object, the present invention further provides a vending machine, including the above-mentioned discharging and pressing device.

[0034] Advantages of the present invention:

[0035] For the discharging and pressing device provided by the present invention, the pressing mechanism can move to directly below the lid separating mechanism, so that the pressing mechanism and the lid separating mechanism are arranged at the same working station. Compared with the existing separate arrangements of the lid separating mechanism and the lid pressing mechanism, the moving distance between the cup body and the to-be-separated cup lid is shortened, the interference of uncertain factors is eliminated, and various misalignment errors such as inclination are reduced. At the same time, the pressing mechanism is arranged below the lid separating mechanism, and the pressing mechanism can raise the cup body to a relatively high height to receive the falling lowermost to-be-separated cup lid, so as to reduce the falling stroke of the to-be-separated cup lid, making the position where the separated cup lid falls on the cup body more accurate and stable.

[0036] For the vending machine provided by the present invention, the extra conveying step is cancelled, and the lid separating mechanism not only plays the role of separating the lids, but also is used to cooperate with the pressing mechanism to achieve pressing. There is no need to additionally set up pressing heads and other pressing mechanisms, which simplifies the structure, has a lower production cost, and can directly press without waiting for the conveying process of the conveying device, reducing the working cycle time of each cycle of the entire vending machine and improving the production efficiency. Description of the Drawings

[0037] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the discharging and pressing device of the present invention arranged in a vending machine from a perspective;

[0038] Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the discharging and pressing device of the present invention when it is arranged inside the vending machine from another perspective;

[0039] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the discharging and pressing device of the present invention from one perspective;

[0040] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the discharging and pressing device of the present invention from another perspective;

[0041] Figure 5 It is a top view of the discharging and pressing device of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the first separation wheel in the discharging and pressing device of the present invention from one perspective;

[0043] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the first separation wheel in the discharging and pressing device of the present invention from another perspective;

[0044] Figure 8 It is a top view of the first separation wheel in the discharging and pressing device of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 9 It is a schematic diagram of the discharging and pressing device of the present invention from yet another perspective;

[0046] Figure 10 It is a partial exploded schematic diagram of the pressing mechanism in the discharging and pressing device of the present invention;

[0047] Figure 11 It is a schematic diagram of the cup holder in the discharging and pressing device of the present invention from one perspective;

[0048] Figure 12 It is a schematic diagram of the cup holder in the discharging and pressing device of the present invention from another perspective.

[0049] In the figure:

[0050] 1. Lid separating mechanism; 2. Pressing mechanism;

[0051] 11. Rack frame; 12. First separation wheel; 13. Second separation wheel; 14. Rotary drive source; 15. Mounting frame; 16. Outer shell;

[0052] 111. First rack; 112. Second rack; 113. Connecting part;

[0053] 121. Body; 122. Gear; 123. Lower supporting edge; 124. Upper supporting edge; 125. Support member;

[0054] 21. Cup holder; 22. Pressing drive source; 23. Driving wheel; 24. Eccentric shaft; 25. Fixed plate; 26. Guide rail; 27. Slide block; 28. Connecting member;

[0055] 211. Driving groove. Detailed implementation manners

[0056] To make the technical problems solved by the present invention, the technical solutions adopted and the achieved technical effects clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0057] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the terms "connected", "connected" and "fixed" shall be understood in a broad sense. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or integrated; it may be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and may be the communication inside two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific situations.

[0058] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited, the first feature being "above" or "below" the second feature may include the direct contact between the first and second features, or may include the situation where the first and second features are not in direct contact but in contact through other features between them. Moreover, the first feature being "above", "above" and "on the top" of the second feature includes that the first feature is directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or only means that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than that of the second feature. The first feature being "below", "below" and "under the bottom" of the second feature includes that the first feature is directly below and obliquely below the second feature, or only means that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than that of the second feature.

[0059] The technical solutions of the present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and through specific implementation manners.

[0060] This embodiment provides a discharging and pressing device, which is applied to a vending machine. During unmanned automatic production, after the lid is automatically discharged, the lid is pressed to realize an automated production process without human participation, and the degree of automation is high. Among them, as Figure 1-2 The dotted line frame shown is the position of the discharging and pressing device in the vending machine.

[0061] As Figure 3-4As shown, the discharging and pressing device includes a cup lid separating mechanism 1 and a pressing mechanism 2. The cup lid separating mechanism 1 is configured to accommodate the cup lids to be separated stacked in sequence and separate the cup lid to be separated at the bottom layer from the adjacent upper cup lid to be separated. Then, the cup lid to be separated at the bottom layer freely falls under the action of its own gravity. The pressing mechanism 2 can move to directly below the cup lid separating mechanism 1. The pressing mechanism 2 is configured to carry the cups stacked, and the cup mouth of the topmost cup can carry the separated cup lid at the bottom layer that has fallen. The pressing mechanism 2 is configured to drive the cup and the separated cup lid at the bottom layer covering it to move together in the direction close to the cup lid separating mechanism 1, and the cup lid separating mechanism 1 abuts against the top surface of the separated cup lid at the bottom layer to press the topmost cup and the separated cup lid at the bottom layer together.

[0062] For the discharging and pressing device provided in this embodiment, by setting the cup lid separating mechanism 1, the cup lid separating mechanism 1 separates the cup lid to be separated at the bottom layer from the adjacent upper cup lid to be separated, realizing the separation of the cup lids to be separated one by one, so that the cup lid to be separated always at the bottom layer undergoes the pressing process; by setting the pressing mechanism 2, the pressing mechanism 2 plays the role of carrying the cup and the separated cup lid at the bottom layer covering it, and provides the pressing driving force for both. The pressing process is realized under the combined action of the pressing mechanism 2 and the cup lid separating mechanism 1.

[0063] By having the pressing mechanism 2 directly below the cup lid separating mechanism 1, the pressing mechanism 2 and the cup lid separating mechanism 1 are arranged at the same station. Compared with the existing separate arrangements of the cup lid separating mechanism and the cup pressing mechanism, the movement distance between the cup and the cup lid to be separated is shortened, the interference of uncertain factors is eliminated, and various misalignment errors such as inclination are reduced. At the same time, with the pressing mechanism 2 arranged below the cup lid separating mechanism 1, the pressing mechanism 2 can raise the cup to a relatively high height to receive the separated cup lid at the bottom layer that has fallen, so as to reduce the falling stroke of the cup lid to be separated, making the position where the cup lid to be separated falls on the cup more accurate and stable.

[0064] Further, as Figure 4-5As shown in the figure, the lid separating mechanism 1 includes a housing 16, a rack frame 11, a first separating wheel 12, a second separating wheel 13, a driving eccentric block, a rotary driving source 14, a driving wheel and a mounting bracket 15, all of which are arranged inside the housing 16. The housing 16 serves to accommodate and provide overall support. Inside the housing 16, there is a mounting bracket 15 which serves to carry the rotary driving source 14. The rotary driving source 14 is specifically a rotary motor and is installed below the mounting bracket 15. The output end of the rotary driving source 14 is coaxially provided with a driving wheel, and a driving eccentric block is arranged on the driving wheel. The axis of the driving eccentric block and the axis of the driving wheel are not collinear, so that the driving eccentric block is eccentrically arranged relative to the driving wheel, and the driving eccentric block passes through the middle of the rack frame 11. The rack frame 11 is of a frame structure. A first separating wheel 12 is arranged on one side of the rack frame 11, and a second separating wheel 13 is arranged on the other side of the rack frame 11. The rack frame 11 meshes with the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 respectively. Between the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13, there is a space for accommodating the cup lids to be separated which are stacked on top of each other.

[0065] When the cup lids to be separated need to be separated, the rotary driving source 14 starts to work. The rotary driving source 14 drives the driving wheel and drives the driving eccentric block to rotate. The eccentric rotation of the driving eccentric block provides power for the rack frame 11 along its length direction. As the rack frame 11 moves, it drives the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 which are respectively meshed with the rack frame 11 to rotate. The first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 jointly realize the separation between the cup lid to be separated at the bottom layer and the adjacent cup lid to be separated above it, so that the cup lid to be separated at the bottom layer can complete the pressing process with the cup body.

[0066] In this lid separating mechanism 1, the first separating wheel 12 is arranged on one side of the rack frame 11 and meshes with it, and the second separating wheel 13 is arranged on the other side of the rack frame 11 and meshes with it. Since the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 are respectively located on both sides of the rack frame 11, the rotation directions of the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 are opposite. Compared with the prior art method in which the gear ring drives the cup separating wheel to rotate in the same direction, the opposite rotation directions of the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 make the acting forces of the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 on the cup lids to be separated opposite in direction. The cup lids to be separated will not move in position as the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 rotate, resulting in an eccentric situation. The rotation center of the cup lids to be separated remains unchanged, ensuring the accuracy of the cup lids to be separated during blanking, reducing the problem of easy leakage caused by subsequent eccentric capping, and thus improving the quality of the finished product.

[0067] Furthermore, as Figure 4-5As shown, the rack frame 11 is a "冂"-shaped or "口"-shaped structure. Specifically, the rack frame 11 includes a first rack 111, a second rack 112 and a connecting portion 113. The second rack 112 is arranged parallel to the first rack 111 and spaced apart. The first rack 111 is meshed with the first separation wheel 12. The movement of the first rack 111 drives the rotation of the first separation wheel 12. The second rack 112 is meshed with the second separation wheel 13. The movement of the second rack 112 drives the rotation of the second separation wheel 13. A connecting portion 113 is provided between the first rack 111 and the second rack 112. The two ends of the connecting portion 113 are respectively connected to the first rack 111 and the second rack 112. The connecting portion 113 plays the role of an intermediate connection. A driving hole is provided in the connecting portion 113, and a driving eccentric block is passed through the driving hole. When the rotary driving source 14 drives the driving eccentric block to rotate, the first rack 111 and the second rack 112 are driven to move along their respective length directions through the connecting portion 113 under the cooperation of the driving eccentric block and the driving hole.

[0068] Since the rotation of the driving eccentric block needs to be converted into the movement of the rack frame 11, in order to avoid the situation of being stuck during the movement, the driving hole cannot be a circular hole structure. Preferably, the driving hole is a rectangular hole structure, and the length direction of the driving hole is perpendicular to the length direction of the first rack 111, and the width of the inner wall of the driving hole is equal to the diameter of the driving eccentric block. In this way, the eccentric movement of the driving eccentric block on the inner wall of the driving hole can be decomposed into a first component force along the length direction of the driving hole and a second component force along the width direction of the driving hole. Under the action of the first component force, the driving eccentric block can slide in the driving hole along its length direction. Under the action of the second component force, the driving eccentric block can drive the connecting part 113 to move along the width direction of the driving hole, so as to drive the first rack 111 and the second rack 112 to move along their respective length directions, thereby realizing the rotation of the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13.

[0069] Among them, in actual use, such as Figure 5 As shown, the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the cup cover to be separated, and the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13 have the same structure. It can be understood that the number of the first separation wheels 12 and the number of the second separation wheels 13 are two, the first rack 111 is respectively engaged with the two first separation wheels 12, and the second rack 112 is respectively engaged with the two second separation wheels 13, so that a holding space is formed between the two first separation wheels 12 and the two second separation wheels 13, and the holding space is used to hold the cup cover to be separated. The cup cover to be separated can be supported by the four separation wheels, and the balance effect and stability are good. At the same time, while the four separation wheels are rotating, the cup covers to be separated can be separated one by one, and the separation effect is good, and overlapping and pressing can be avoided.

[0070] Since the rotation angles of the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13 play a crucial role in the separation effect, optionally, the cover separating mechanism 1 further includes a microswitch and a controller. The controller is electrically connected to the microswitch and the rotary drive source 14 respectively. The microswitch is arranged on the mounting bracket 15. The controller controls the rotary drive source 14 through the microswitch, so as to control the rotation angles and start / stop positions of the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13.

[0071] Preferably, a sensor is arranged below the rack frame 11. The sensor can specifically be an infrared sensor. The sensor is electrically connected to the controller and is used for detecting whether there is a cup cover to be separated. If the sensor detects a cup cover to be separated, the sensor transmits the signal to the controller, and the controller can control the rotary drive source 14 to work; if the sensor does not detect a cup cover to be separated, the sensor transmits the signal to the controller, and the controller controls the rotary drive source 14 not to work and issues an alarm, which is convenient for the operator to perform maintenance and detection.

[0072] As Figure 6-8 shown, both the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13 include a body 121, a gear 122, a lower supporting edge 123 and an upper supporting edge 124. The body 121 is of a cylindrical structure and plays a supporting role. A gear 122 is arranged at the top of the body 121. The gear 122 meshes with the rack frame 11. It can be understood that the gear 122 of the first separation wheel 12 meshes with the first rack 111, and the gear 122 of the second separation wheel 13 meshes with the second rack 112. The outer peripheral surface of the body 121 is convexly provided with the lower supporting edge 123, and the lower supporting edge 123 is configured to carry the edge of the cup cover to be separated at the bottommost layer. The upper supporting edge 124 is convexly provided on the outer peripheral surface of the body 121 and is located above the lower supporting edge 124. The upper supporting edge 124 is configured to carry the edge of the cup cover to be separated adjacent to the cup cover to be separated at the bottommost layer.

[0073] In the initial position, the lower supporting edge 123 carries the edge of the cup cover to be separated at the bottommost layer. At this time, the lower supporting edge 123 holds all the cup covers to be separated. During the rotation of the gear 122, the body 121 also rotates accordingly. The upper supporting edge 124 can carry the edge of the cup cover to be separated adjacent to the cup cover to be separated at the bottommost layer, so that the upper supporting edge 124 holds the cup covers to be separated at the penultimate layer and above. As the gear 122 continues to rotate, the lower supporting edge 123 leaves the cup cover to be separated at the bottommost layer. Without the support of the lower supporting edge 123, the cup cover to be separated at the bottommost layer freely falls under its own gravity, thereby realizing the separation of the cup cover to be separated at the bottommost layer.

[0074] Furthermore, the upper supporting rib 124 and the lower supporting rib 123 are both arranged along the outer peripheral surface of the body 121, and both the upper supporting rib 124 and the lower supporting rib 123 are arc-shaped structures. In order to facilitate the separation of the bottom layer of cup lids to be separated, the central angle of the upper supporting rib 124 is greater than the central angle of the lower supporting rib 123, that is, the surface area of ​​the top surface of the lower supporting rib 123 is smaller than the surface area of ​​the top surface of the upper supporting rib 124. With this arrangement, the top surface area of ​​the upper supporting rib 124 is larger, which can better carry the cup lids to be separated except for the bottom layer, and the top surface area of ​​the lower supporting rib 123 is smaller, so as to reduce the contact time between the lower supporting rib 123 and the bottom layer of cup lids to be separated, so that the bottom layer of cup lids to be separated can fall quickly.

[0075] In order to prevent the lower supporting rib 123 from rotating away too early and the upper supporting rib 124 from being unable to carry the cup covers to be separated above the second-to-last layer in time, one side of the upper supporting rib 124 at least partially overlaps with the projection of the lower supporting rib 123 along the axial direction of the main body 121, and there is a small part of structural intersection between one side of the upper supporting rib 124 and the lower supporting rib 123. When the lower supporting rib 123 has not rotated away, the upper supporting rib 124 located above the lower supporting rib 123 can promptly receive the cup covers to be separated above the second-to-last layer, thereby preventing the situation in which the cup covers to be separated above the second-to-last layer are not received in time and fall together with the cup covers to be separated in the bottom layer, thereby ensuring the accuracy of separation.

[0076] In order to ensure that the bottom layer of cup covers to be separated can fall smoothly, a blanking notch is formed between the other side of the upper supporting edge 124 and the lower supporting edge 123. The blanking notch is used for the blanking of the bottom layer of cup covers to be separated. By setting the blanking notch, the blanking notch provides a falling space for the bottom layer of cup covers to be separated, thereby facilitating the falling of the bottom layer of cup covers to be separated.

[0077] Optionally, in order to further ensure the falling and separation of the bottom layer of cup lids to be separated, the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13 both include a pushing edge, which is convexly arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the body 121 and is located below the upper supporting edge 124. The pushing edge abuts against the upper edge of the bottom layer of cup lids to be separated, and the pushing edge plays the role of pushing the bottom layer of workpieces away. When the body 121 rotates to a certain angle under the action of the gear 122, the lower supporting edge 123 leaves, and the pushing edge abuts against and pushes the upper edge of the bottom layer of cup lids to be separated. Under the pushing action of the pushing edge, the bottom layer of cup lids to be separated falls easily.

[0078] Optionally, the pushing rib is wound around the body 121 in a spiral. One end of the pushing rib is located between the upper supporting rib 124 and the lower supporting rib 123, and the other end is located below the lower supporting rib 123. The pushing rib adopts a spiral structure, which plays a role in guiding the lowermost cup lid to be separated. Since one end of the pushing rib is located between the upper supporting rib 124 and the lower supporting rib 123, one end of the pushing rib first contacts the lowermost cup lid to be separated. As the body 121 rotates, one end of the pushing rib extends along the spiral direction to the other end of the pushing rib and below the lower supporting rib 123, so that the pushing rib guides the lowermost cup lid to be separated to move below the lower supporting rib 123. The pushing rib plays an auxiliary pushing role to ensure the separation accuracy of the lowermost cup lid to be separated.

[0079] It should be particularly noted that the attached drawings provided in this embodiment do not show the pushing rib. If the cup lid to be separated can be separated under its own gravity through the mutual cooperation of the lower supporting rib 123 and the upper supporting rib 124, the pushing rib may not be provided, and it can be freely selected whether to provide the pushing rib according to actual production needs.

[0080] Since the lid separating mechanism 1 plays a role in separating lids and is also used to cooperate with the pressing mechanism 2 for pressing, optionally, as Figure 6-8 shown, both the first separating wheel 12 and the second separating wheel 13 further include a supporting member 125. The supporting member 125 protrudes from the outer peripheral surface of the body 121. The supporting member 125 can abut against the top surface of the lowermost cup lid to be separated. The bottom surface of the supporting member 125 can exert a downward force on the top surface of the lowermost cup lid to be separated. When the pressing mechanism 2 moves towards the lid separating mechanism 1, the pressing mechanism 2 exerts an upward force on the cup lid to be separated through the cup body. The upward force and the downward force sandwich the cup body and the lowermost cup lid to be separated therebetween, thereby realizing the stable pressing of the two.

[0081] To ensure the pressing effect, optionally, both the upper supporting rib 124 and the supporting member 125 are arc-shaped structures, and the central angle of the supporting member 125 is larger than the central angle of the upper supporting rib 124, so that the contact area between the supporting member 125 and the lowermost cup lid to be separated is larger, the coverage range is larger, and the pressing effect is good.

[0082] It can be understood that the upper supporting rib 124 and the supporting member 125 can be integrally formed structures to reduce the time for assembling parts and the production efficiency is relatively high. In addition, the supporting member 125 can be arranged on the body 121, or the supporting member 125 can be separately arranged on other parts of the lid separating mechanism 1, as long as the pressing can be realized, it is within the protection scope of this embodiment.

[0083] Furthermore, as Figure 9-10As shown, the pressing mechanism 2 includes a cup holder 21, a pressing drive source 22, a transmission assembly, and a fixing plate 25. The cup holder 21 is used to accommodate and carry the stacked cups. The fixing plate 25 is used to mount the pressing drive source 22. The pressing drive source 22 is drivingly connected to the cup holder 21 through the transmission assembly. The pressing drive source 22 drives the cup holder 21 to move towards the lid separating mechanism 1, thereby realizing the pressing process.

[0084] After the lid separating mechanism 1 separates the lowermost lid to be separated, the lid may directly fall on the cup. Through the mutual cooperation of the pressing drive source 22, the transmission assembly, and the cup holder 21, the movement distance between the cup and the lid to be separated is minimized, reducing the positional deviation caused by the floating of the lid to be separated. While or after a time delay when the lid separating mechanism 1 operates, the support member 125 moves to the top of the lowermost lid to be separated. The lowermost lid to be separated needs to be pressed on the cup. Then, the pressing drive source 22 drives the cup holder 21 to move vertically upward. The opposite movement of the cup holder 21 and the support member 125 completes the pressing action between the lowermost lid to be separated and the cup. After the pressing is completed, the pressing drive source 22 drives the cup holder 21 to move vertically downward, causing the cup holder 21 to move away from the support member 125 to achieve reset.

[0085] Optionally, the pressing drive source 22 can be a motor arranged in the vertical direction. The transmission assembly includes a transmission lead screw and a lead screw nut. A transmission lead screw is provided at the output end of the motor. The transmission lead screw passes through the lead screw nut. By driving the rotation of the transmission lead screw by the motor, while the lead screw nut rotates along with the transmission lead screw, the lead screw nut moves along the transmission lead screw. The lead screw nut is connected to the cup holder 21, enabling the cup holder 21 to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0086] Optionally, as Figure 10 shown, the pressing drive source 22 can be a motor arranged in the horizontal direction. The transmission assembly includes a driving wheel 23 and an eccentric shaft 24. The driving wheel 23 is provided at the output end of the pressing drive source 22. The axis of the eccentric shaft 24 does not coincide with the axis of the driving wheel 23, such that the eccentric shaft 24 and the driving wheel 23 are eccentrically arranged. One end of the eccentric shaft 24 is provided on the driving wheel 23, and the other end passes through the cup holder 21. The pressing drive source 22 drives the driving wheel 23 to rotate, and drives the eccentric shaft 24 to perform eccentric rotation. The eccentric shaft 24 drives the cup holder 21 to move up and down in the vertical direction.

[0087] Since it is necessary to convert the rotation of the eccentric shaft 24 into the movement of the cup holder 21, in order to avoid jamming during the movement process, as Figure 11-12As shown in the figure, a driving groove 211 is provided on one side of the cup holder 21 close to the eccentric shaft 24. The driving groove 211 cannot be a round hole structure. Preferably, the driving groove 211 is a rectangular structure. The length direction of the driving groove 211 is arranged horizontally. The width of the inner wall of the driving groove 211 is equal to the diameter of the eccentric shaft 24, and the eccentric shaft 24 is slidably engaged with the inner wall of the driving groove 211.

[0088] In this way, the eccentric movement of the eccentric shaft 24 on the inner wall of the driving groove 211 can be decomposed into a first decomposition force along the length direction of the driving groove 211 and a second decomposition force along the width direction of the driving groove 211. Under the action of the first decomposition force, the eccentric shaft 24 can slide along its length direction in the driving groove 211. Under the action of the second decomposition force, the eccentric shaft 24 can drive the cup holder 21 to move along the width direction of the driving groove 211, that is, the vertical direction, which is the direction close to or away from the separating cover mechanism 1, so as to realize the pressing process.

[0089] To ensure the smoothness of the pressing process, as Figure 10 shown, the pressing mechanism 2 further includes a guide rail 26, a slider 27 and a connecting member 28. The guide rail 26 is arranged vertically on the fixed plate 25. One side of the slider 27 is slidably engaged with the guide rail 26, and the other side is connected to the cup holder 21 through the connecting member 28. Through the sliding fit between the slider 27 and the guide rail 26, the guiding function of the cup holder 21 during the movement is achieved, ensuring the smoothness of the pressing process.

[0090] The working process of the discharging and pressing device provided in this embodiment is as follows:

[0091] If the sensor detects the cup lid to be separated, the sensor transmits the signal to the controller, and the controller can control the rotation drive source 14 to work;

[0092] When the rotation drive source 14 drives the driving eccentric block to rotate through the driving wheel, under the cooperation of the driving eccentric block and the driving hole, the first rack 111 and the second rack 112 are driven to move along their respective length directions through the connecting portion 113, and the two first separating wheels 12 and the two second separating wheels 13 are respectively driven to rotate. The two first separating wheels 12 rotate forward, and the two second separating wheels 13 rotate reversely;

[0093] In the initial position, the lower supporting edge 123 bears the edge of the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer. At this time, the lower supporting edge 123 holds all the cup lids to be separated. During the rotation of the gear 122, the main body 121 also rotates accordingly. Before the lower supporting edge 123 leaves the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer, the upper supporting edge 124 has reached the position to hold the cup lid adjacent to the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer. The main body 121 continues to rotate, and the lower supporting edge 123 leaves the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer. Without the support of the lower supporting edge 123, the blanking notch provides a falling space for the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer, facilitating the falling of the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer, thereby realizing the separation of the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer.

[0094] Simultaneously with or with a time delay of the operation of the lid separating mechanism 1, the support member 125 moves to the top of the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer. The separated cup lids at the bottom layer need to be pressed onto the cup body. Then, the pressing drive source 22 drives the cup holder 21 to move vertically upward. The cup holder 21 and the support member 125 move towards each other to perform the pressing action between the separated cup lids at the bottom layer and the cup body.

[0095] After the pressing is completed, the pressing drive source 22 drives the cup holder 21 to move vertically downward, making the cup holder 21 move away from the support member 125 to achieve reset. After the separated cup lids at the bottom layer fall, the rotation drive source 14 rotates in the reverse direction, and the first rack 111 and the second gear 122 move linearly in the reverse direction, driving the first separation wheel 12 and the second separation wheel 13 to rotate to the starting point. At this time, the cup lid adjacent to the cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer has fallen onto the lower supporting edge 123 and becomes the new cup lids to be separated at the bottom layer, thus completing a working cycle.

[0096] This embodiment also provides a vending machine, including a storage container and the above-mentioned discharging and pressing device. The storage container is used to hold the cup lids to be separated, and the lid separating mechanism 1 is used to separate the cup lids to be separated in the storage container one by one, so as to solve the problem that the cup lids to be separated cannot be discharged normally only by gravity.

[0097] The vending machine provided in this embodiment cancels the additional conveying step. While the lid separating mechanism 1 plays the role of separating the lids, the lid separating mechanism 1 and the pressing mechanism 2 cooperate to perform pressing, without the need to additionally set pressing mechanisms such as pressing heads, simplifying the structure, having a lower production cost, and being able to directly perform pressing without waiting for the conveying process of the conveying device, reducing the duration of each working cycle of the entire vending machine and improving the production efficiency.

[0098] In the description of this article, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships such as "upper", "lower", "right", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of description and simplifying operations, 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. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation to the present invention. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for distinction in description and have no special meaning.

[0099] In the description of this specification, the description referring to terms such as "one embodiment", "example", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in connection with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0100] In addition, the above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention and the technical principles applied. Those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein, and various obvious changes, re-adjustments and substitutions can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, although the present invention has been described in detail through the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Without departing from the concept of the present invention, more other equivalent embodiments can be included, and the scope of the present invention is determined by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A discharging and pressing device, characterized in that, Comprising: A lid separating mechanism configured to accommodate the cup lids to be separated stacked thereon and separate the lowermost cup lid to be separated from the immediately adjacent upper cup lid to be separated; A pressing mechanism capable of moving directly below the lid separating mechanism such that the pressing mechanism and the lid separating mechanism are disposed at the same station. The pressing mechanism is configured to carry the stacked cup bodies, and is configured to drive the cup bodies and the lowermost separated cup lid covering thereon to move together in a direction approaching the lid separating mechanism, and the lid separating mechanism abuts against the top surface of the lowermost separated cup lid to press-fit the cup bodies and the lowermost separated cup lid; The pressing mechanism includes: A cup holder for carrying the stacked cup bodies; A pressing drive source drivingly connected to the cup holder through a transmission assembly to drive the cup holder to move in a direction approaching the lid separating mechanism; The lid separating mechanism includes: A rack frame; A first separating wheel disposed on one side of the rack frame and meshing therewith; A second separating wheel disposed on the other side of the rack frame and meshing therewith, and for accommodating the cup lids to be separated stacked between the first separating wheel and the second separating wheel; A driving eccentric block passing through the middle of the rack frame; A rotary drive source, the output end of which is connected to the driving eccentric block through a driving wheel, such that the rotation of the driving eccentric block drives the movement of the rack frame, and the first separating wheel and the second separating wheel rotate in opposite directions for separating the lowermost cup lid to be separated from the immediately adjacent upper cup lid to be separated; Both the first separating wheel and the second separating wheel include: A body; A gear disposed on the top of the body and meshing with the rack frame; A lower supporting rib protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the body, and the lower supporting rib is configured to carry the edge of the lowermost cup lid to be separated; An upper supporting rib (124) protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the body and located above the lower supporting rib, and the upper supporting rib is configured to carry the edge of the immediately adjacent upper cup lid to be separated from the lowermost cup lid to be separated.

2. The discharging and pressing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission assembly includes: A driving wheel disposed at the output end of the pressing drive source; An eccentric shaft, the axis of which does not coincide with the axis of the driving wheel. One end of the eccentric shaft is disposed on the driving wheel, and the other end passes through the cup holder.

3. The discharging and pressing device according to claim 2, characterized in that, A driving groove is provided on one side of the cup holder close to the eccentric shaft, and the length direction of the driving groove is arranged horizontally. The eccentric shaft is in sliding fit with the inner wall of the driving groove.

4. The discharging and pressing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pressing mechanism further includes: A fixing plate for mounting the pressing drive source; A guide rail disposed on the fixing plate in the vertical direction; A slider, one side of which is in sliding fit with the guide rail, and the other side is connected to the cup holder through a connecting member.

5. The discharging and pressing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the first separating wheel and the second separating wheel further include a supporting member protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the body, and the supporting member can abut against the top surface of the lowermost separated cup lid.

6. The discharging and pressing device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The upper supporting edge and the supporting member are both arc-shaped structures, and the central angle of the supporting member is greater than the central angle of the upper supporting edge.

7. A vending machine, characterized in that, It includes the discharging and pressing device according to any one of claims 1-6.

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