Vending machine and vending system

Abstract

The present application relates to a kind of vending machine and vending system, belong to vending machine field.The vending system includes interface robot and vending machine, interface robot is provided with goods receiving bin, vending machine includes cabinet and the goods shelf being set in the cabinet, goods receiving door assembly and delivery assembly, cabinet includes the side wall with first opening.Goods receiving door assembly includes gate with second opening, in up-down direction, the size of second opening is less than the size of first opening.Gate is set in the inside of side wall and has closing position and at least two opening positions.Gate is located in closing position, gate will first opening be closed, can prevent foreign matter to enter the inside of cabinet.Gate is located in any one opening position, goods can be sent to the outside of cabinet and fall in the goods receiving bin of interface robot.Gate is located in different opening positions, and the delivery height of goods is different, can be corresponding different model interface robot.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of vending machines, in particular to a vending machine and a vending system. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the development of intelligent technology, some vending machines begin to be equipped with special docking robots. The docking robot is provided with a receiving warehouse. The docking robot moves to the receiving opening of the vending machine, so that the entrance of the receiving warehouse is opposite to the receiving opening of the vending machine. The vending machine outputs goods from the receiving opening, and then the goods fall into the receiving warehouse through the entrance of the receiving warehouse. However, the height of the receiving warehouse of the docking robot produced by different manufacturers is different, and the height of the receiving opening of the vending machine in the prior art is fixed, so that it can only be accurately matched with a receiving warehouse of one height, and the adaptability is poor. SUMMARY

[0003] In view of this, the purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide a vending machine and a vending system. The vending machine has a goods outlet channel of different heights, so it can be connected with receiving warehouses of different heights, and can be accurately matched with more models of docking robots.

[0004] The embodiments of the present application are implemented as follows:

[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a vending machine, which comprises a cabinet and a goods shelf, a receiving door assembly and a delivery assembly arranged in the cabinet. The cabinet comprises a side wall having a first opening.

[0006] The receiving door assembly comprises a gate having a second opening. In the up-down direction, the size of the second opening is smaller than the size of the first opening.

[0007] The gate is arranged on the inner side of the side wall in a liftable manner and has a closed position and at least two open positions. When the gate is in the closed position, the second opening is blocked by the side wall and the first opening is closed by the gate. When the gate is in any one of the open positions, the second opening and the first opening jointly form a goods outlet channel. The height of the goods outlet channel is different when the gate is in different open positions. The delivery assembly can receive goods on the goods shelf and deliver the goods from the goods outlet channel to the outside of the cabinet.

[0008] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned embodiments, in the left-right direction, the size of the first opening is smaller than or equal to the size of the second opening.

[0009] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned embodiments, the receiving door assembly further comprises a motor, which is in transmission connection with the gate. The motor is used to drive the gate to move in the up-down direction.

[0010] The cabinet further comprises at least one slide rail extending in the up-down direction, and the gate is sleeved with the slide rail so as to enable the gate to be lifted along the slide rail.

[0011] As an optional solution of the above embodiment, the vending machine further comprises a door lock arranged on the inner side of the side wall, and the door lock cooperates with the gate and locks the gate when the gate is in the closed position.

[0012] As an optional solution of the above embodiment, when the second opening and the first opening jointly form a delivery channel, all or part of the second opening is exposed through the first opening, and the other part of the first opening is closed by the gate.

[0013] As an optional solution of the above embodiment, the cabinet further comprises two sealing members, both of which are arranged on the inner side of the side wall and located on the left and right sides of the first opening respectively, and each of the sealing members is provided with a sliding groove extending in the up-down direction; the gate comprises a plate body, the second opening is arranged on the plate body, and the left and right ends of the plate body are respectively inserted into the sliding grooves of the two sealing members and cooperated with the sliding grooves in the up-down direction.

[0014] As an optional solution of the above embodiment, the gate comprises a plate body and a roller shutter door, the second opening is arranged on the plate body and adjacent to the upper edge or lower edge of the plate body, the first end of the roller shutter door is connected with the plate body and adjacent to the second opening, and the second end of the roller shutter door is connected with the cabinet; when the gate is in the closed position, the roller shutter door is rolled up, and the plate body closes the first opening; when the gate is in the open position, the roller shutter door is unfolded.

[0015] As an optional solution of the above embodiment, the second opening is adjacent to the lower edge of the plate body, and the roller shutter door is connected with the lower edge of the plate body. When the gate is in the closed position, the second opening is below the first opening, and the roller shutter door is rolled up below the second opening. In this way, the occupied space is small, and the lower edge of the first opening can be arranged at a lower position, which is beneficial to match with a docking robot having a lower delivery warehouse.

[0016] As an optional solution of the above embodiment, the second opening is adjacent to the upper edge of the plate body, and the roller shutter door is connected with the upper edge of the plate body. When the gate is in the closed position, the second opening is above the first opening, and the roller shutter door is rolled up above the second opening. In this way, the upper edge of the first opening can be arranged at a higher position, which is beneficial to match with a docking robot having a higher delivery warehouse.

[0017] As an alternative to the above embodiment, the goods taking door assembly further comprises two rotating shafts arranged in the up-down direction, and the two rotating shafts are respectively connected with the upper and lower ends of the gate, and the rotating shafts can wind the gate and make the second opening rise and fall when rotating.

[0018] The gate can be made of flexible material and can be wound on the rotating shaft or unfolded.

[0019] As an alternative to the above embodiment, the gate comprises a plurality of door plates arranged in sequence, and adjacent door plates are pivotally connected, and the two door plates at the two ends are respectively connected with the two rotating shafts.

[0020] As an alternative to the above embodiment, the goods taking door assembly further comprises a flap, one end of the flap is pivotally connected with the gate, and the flap has a closed position and a guiding position; when the flap is in the closed position, the flap closes the second opening; when the gate is in the open position and the flap is in the guiding position, the second end of the flap passes through the first opening and extends to the outside of the cabinet, and the flap extends obliquely downward.

[0021] By arranging the flap, when the vending machine does not dispense goods, the flap closes the second opening, further avoiding foreign matter from entering the inside of the cabinet through the second opening, and increasing the sealing performance of the cabinet and the safety of the goods in the cabinet. When the vending machine dispenses goods, the flap extends to the outside of the cabinet and obliquely downward, and the delivery assembly can place the goods on the flap, and the goods can slide into the goods receiving bin of the docking robot along the oblique flap under the action of gravity, and the dispensing is reliable.

[0022] As an alternative to the above embodiment, the goods taking door assembly further comprises an elastic member, the elastic member makes the flap always have a tendency to rotate to the guiding position; when the gate moves downward from the open position to the closed position, the flap is gradually pressed to the closed position by the side wall.

[0023] With the rising and falling of the gate, the flap can close or open the second opening, without the need for additional control mechanisms, and the structure is simple and convenient to use.

[0024] As an alternative to the above embodiment, the delivery assembly is movably arranged in the cabinet and has a receiving position and at least two delivery positions, the delivery positions corresponding to the open positions one by one; the delivery assembly comprises a support frame and a delivery bucket, the delivery bucket being rotatably arranged in the support frame, the delivery bucket comprising a receiving bucket and a guide plate; when the delivery assembly is in the receiving position, the receiving bucket is capable of receiving the goods output by the goods shelf, the guide plate is opposite to the goods shelf and is used for preventing the goods from passing over the receiving bucket; when the delivery assembly is in any one of the delivery positions, the delivery bucket is overturned, the guide plate is inclined to extend downward and is capable of guiding the goods in the receiving bucket to fall outside the cabinet through the delivery channel.

[0025] The delivery assembly is capable of receiving the goods output by the goods shelf, at this time the guide plate is capable of ensuring the goods to fall into the receiving bucket, and the goods in the receiving bucket are caused to fall along the guide plate through overturning of the delivery bucket.

[0026] As an alternative to the above embodiment, the delivery bucket has a first position and a second position; when the delivery assembly is in the receiving position and the delivery bucket is in the first position, the receiving bucket is capable of receiving the goods output by the goods shelf, the guide plate is opposite to the goods shelf and is used for preventing the goods from passing over the receiving bucket; when the delivery assembly is in any one of the delivery positions and the delivery bucket is in the second position, the delivery bucket is overturned, the guide plate is inclined to extend downward, the opening of the receiving bucket faces the second opening, the goods in the receiving bucket fall from the opening of the receiving bucket onto the guide plate under the action of gravity and fall along the guide plate.

[0027] As an alternative to the above embodiment, the delivery assembly further comprises a receiving bucket motor, the receiving bucket motor being in transmission connection with the delivery bucket, the receiving bucket motor being capable of driving the delivery bucket to rotate between the first position and the second position.

[0028] The embodiment of the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] The vending machine provided by the present application comprises a cabinet, a shelf arranged in the cabinet, a taking door assembly and a delivery assembly. The cabinet comprises a side wall with a first opening. The taking door assembly comprises a gate with a second opening. In the up-down direction, the size of the second opening is smaller than that of the first opening. The gate is arranged on the inner side of the side wall in a liftable manner and has a closed position and at least two open positions. When the gate is in the closed position, the second opening is shielded by the side wall and the first opening is closed by the gate, so that foreign matters can be prevented from entering the cabinet and the inside of the cabinet is kept clean and tidy. When the gate is in any one of the open positions, the second opening and the first opening jointly form a delivery channel, and the height of the delivery channel is different when the gate is in different open positions. The delivery assembly can receive goods on the shelf and deliver the goods out of the cabinet and into a receiving warehouse of a docking robot. In the present embodiment, the height of the delivery channel is different when the gate of the vending machine is in different open positions, so that the delivery height of the goods is different, and the goods can be accurately dropped into receiving warehouses of different heights. Therefore, the vending machine provided by the present embodiment can be docked with receiving warehouses of different heights and can be accurately used in cooperation with docking robots of more models, and has strong adaptability.

[0030] The present embodiment further provides an automatic vending system comprising a docking robot and the above-mentioned vending machine. The docking robot is provided with a receiving warehouse for receiving goods delivered by the delivery assembly from the delivery channel.

[0031] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned embodiment, the vending machine further comprises a motor for driving the gate to move and a controller configured to control the motor to adjust the height of the delivery channel according to the height of the receiving warehouse of the docking robot, so that the delivery channel matches the receiving warehouse.

[0032] As an optional solution of the above-mentioned embodiment, the vending machine further comprises a camera for acquiring image information of the docking robot and transmitting the image information to the controller. The controller is further configured to determine the height of the receiving warehouse according to the image information.

[0033] The present embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0034] The automatic vending system provided by the present embodiment comprises a docking robot and a vending machine. The height of the delivery channel is different when the gate of the vending machine is in different open positions, so that the delivery height of the goods is different. The automatic vending system can be used in cooperation with docking robots of different models, so that the goods can be accurately dropped into receiving warehouses of different heights. The automatic vending system provided by the present embodiment can use the same vending machine in cooperation with docking robots of different models, and has high cost performance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the accompanying drawings needed in the embodiments will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only represent some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative effort. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present application will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In all the drawings, the same reference signs refer to the same parts. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and emphasis is instead placed upon illustrating the principles of the present application.

[0036] Figure 1 A structural schematic diagram of an automatic vending system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 2 A structural schematic diagram of a connection robot of an automatic vending system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 3 A structural schematic diagram of an automatic vending machine provided by an embodiment of the present application (without a cabinet door);

[0039] Figure 4 A cooperation relationship schematic diagram of a side wall, a gate and a delivery assembly of an automatic vending machine provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 1 ;

[0040] Figure 5 A cooperation relationship schematic diagram of a side wall, a gate and a delivery assembly of an automatic vending machine provided by an embodiment of the present application Figure 2 ;

[0041] Figure 6 A structural schematic diagram of an automatic vending machine of an automatic vending system provided by an embodiment of the present application, in which a delivery channel is located at a first height;

[0042] Figure 7 A structural schematic diagram of an automatic vending machine of an automatic vending system provided by an embodiment of the present application, in which a delivery channel is located at a second height;

[0043] Figure 8 A partial structural exploded schematic diagram of an automatic vending machine provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 9 A structural cross-sectional view of a side wall and a gate of an automatic vending machine provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 10 A structural schematic diagram of a gate of an automatic vending machine provided by an embodiment of the present application in one form;

[0046] Figure 11Structure schematic view of another form of gate of the vending machine provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0047] Figure 12 Cross-sectional schematic view of the delivery assembly of the vending machine provided by the embodiment of the present application.

[0048] Icon:

[0049] 10 - vending system; 11 - transfer robot; 12 - vending machine; 110 - receiving warehouse; 120 - cabinet; 121 - cabinet body; 122 - cabinet door; 123 - side wall; 124 - first opening; 125 - sealing element; 126 - sliding groove; 127 - sliding rail; 130 - shelf; 131 - layer plate; 132 - partition plate; 133 - goods channel; 134 - push plate; 140 - taking door assembly; 141 - gate; 142 - second opening; 143 - plate body; 144 - rolling shutter door; 145 - rotating shaft; 146 - flap; 147 - first part; 148 - second part; 150 - delivery assembly; 151 - support frame; 152 - support plate; 153 - delivery hopper; 154 - hopper; 155 - guide plate; 156 - pivoting shaft; 157 - cross beam; 158 - vertical beam; 160 - bottom plate; 161 - front plate; 162 - rear plate; 163 - side plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0051] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed present application, but only represents selected embodiments of the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0052] It should be noted that: similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent drawings.

[0053] In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for differentiation in description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0054] Please refer to Figure 1As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an automatic vending system 10 for automatic vending. Wherein, the automatic vending system 10 comprises a docking robot 11 and an automatic vending machine 12, the automatic vending machine 12 is used for containing goods and sending out the goods purchased by the user, and the docking robot 11 is used for receiving the goods delivered by the automatic vending machine 12 and sending the goods to the user.

[0055] Wherein, the structure of the docking robot 11 can refer to the prior art, please refer to Figure 2 As shown, the docking robot 11 is provided with a goods receiving bin 110, and the docking robots 11 produced by different manufacturers have different models, and correspondingly, the height of the goods receiving bin 110 also has differences. In order to adapt to the goods receiving bin 110 of different heights, the embodiment of the present application improves the automatic vending machine 12. The automatic vending machine 12 can be independently produced, sold, used, etc., and does not depend on the docking robot 11.

[0056] Specifically, please refer to Figures 3-5 As shown, the automatic vending machine 12 comprises a cabinet 120, a goods shelf 130, a goods taking door assembly 140 and a delivery assembly 150, and the goods shelf 130, the goods taking door assembly 140 and the delivery assembly 150 are all arranged inside the cabinet 120.

[0057] The structure of the cabinet 120 can refer to the prior art, generally speaking, the cabinet 120 is closed at the periphery, top and bottom to form a closed space. The cabinet 120 comprises a cabinet body 121 and a cabinet door 122 (please refer to Figure 1 ), the cabinet door 122 can be used as the side wall 123 in the embodiment (of course, in other embodiments, the side wall 123 is not the cabinet door 122), which is arranged vertically, one side of the side wall 123 is the inside of the cabinet 120 for containing goods, etc., and the other side of the side wall 123 is the goods taking side, and the docking robot 11 can take goods at the goods taking side.

[0058] A first opening 124 is formed on the side wall 123, and the shape of the first opening 124 is not limited, for example, the shape of the first opening 124 is rectangular, circular, irregular, etc., and in the embodiment, the shape of the first opening 124 is rectangular.

[0059] The goods shelf 130 is located inside the cabinet 120, and the style of the goods shelf 130 is not limited and can refer to the prior art, which is mainly used for containing goods, etc. In some embodiments, in addition to being able to carry goods, the goods shelf 130 can also push the goods forward to make the goods fall into the delivery assembly 150. Of course, the goods shelf 130 does not have the function of pushing the goods, but only has the function of supporting, and other structures (such as a mechanical hand, etc.) can also transfer the goods to the delivery assembly 150.

[0060] In the embodiment, the shelf 130 comprises a layer plate 131, a partition plate 132, and a push plate 134. The layer plate 131 and the partition plate 132 enclose a plurality of goods channels 133. The push plate 134 is used to push the goods in the goods channels 133 out one by one.

[0061] The taking door assembly 140 comprises a shutter 141 located on the inner side of the side wall 123. The spacing between the shutter 141 and the opposite surface of the side wall 123 can be set as required, and of course, the two can be attached. The shutter 141 and the side wall 123 are movably connected. The connection mode of the shutter 141 and the side wall 123 is not limited. The shutter 141 can move up and down, that is, the shutter 141 can be lifted and lowered. In the embodiment, the connection mode between the shutter 141 and the cabinet 120 can be that the cabinet 120 further comprises a slide rail 127. The number of the slide rail 127 is not limited, for example, one, two, etc. The slide rail 127 extends in the up-down direction. The shutter 141 is sleeved with the slide rail 127, so that the shutter 141 can be lifted and lowered along the slide rail 127.

[0062] The shutter 141 is provided with a second opening 142. The shape of the second opening 142 is not limited, for example, the shape of the second opening 142 is rectangular, circular, irregular, etc. In the embodiment, the shape of the second opening 142 is rectangular. In the up-down direction, the size of the second opening 142 is smaller than the size of the first opening 124. In the left-right direction, the size of the first opening 124 is smaller than or equal to the size of the second opening 142. Of course, in other embodiments, in the left-right direction, the size of the first opening 124 can also be greater than the size of the second opening 142.

[0063] During the lifting of the shutter 141, the second opening 142 can be lifted, so that the shutter 141 assembly has a closed position and at least two open positions. When the shutter 141 is in the closed position, the second opening 142 is blocked by the side wall 123, the first opening 124 is closed by the shutter 141, the inside of the cabinet 120 is isolated from the outside, the goods in the cabinet 120 cannot be sent out, and foreign matters such as dust outside cannot enter the inside of the cabinet 120. When the shutter 141 is in any one of the open positions, the second opening 142 and the first opening 124 jointly form a goods delivery channel. The second opening 142 is fully exposed or partially exposed through the first opening 124. The goods delivery channel formed by the second opening 142 and the first opening 124 communicates the inside of the cabinet 120 with the outside.

[0064] The delivery assembly 150 can receive the goods on the shelf 130 and send them out of the goods delivery channel to the outside of the cabinet 120.

[0065] The height of the goods delivery channel is different when the shutter 141 is in different open positions. Please refer to Figs. 1B, 1C and 1D respectively. Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 6 ​​The delivery channel of the vending machine 12 shown in FIG. 1 is low in position, which can be used in cooperation with the docking robot 11 having a low receiving warehouse 110. Figure 7 The delivery channel of the vending machine 12 shown in FIG. 2 is high in position, which can be used in cooperation with the docking robot 11 having a high receiving warehouse 110. Therefore, the vending machine 12 provided in the embodiment can be used in cooperation with more types of docking robots 11, and has strong adaptability. The vending system 10 provided in the embodiment can use the same vending machine 12 to be used in cooperation with docking robots 11 of different types, and has high cost performance.

[0066] Please refer to FIG. 3. Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 3, the shutter 141 includes a plate body 143, and the second opening 142 is arranged on the plate body 143. Optionally, the plate body 143 is made of a metal material and has high rigidity. When the shutter 141 closes the first opening 124, the plate body 143 blocks the first opening 124, and it is difficult to pry the plate body 143 from the outside, thereby ensuring the safety of the goods in the cabinet 120.

[0067] Optionally, in an embodiment, the plate body 143 can include a first part 147 and a second part 148, wherein the first part 147 is located above the second opening 142, and the second part 148 is located below the second opening 142.

[0068] Optionally, the at least two opening positions of the shutter 141 include a lowest opening position and a highest opening position. When the shutter 141 is located at the lowest opening position, the lower edge of the second opening 142 is aligned with the lower edge of the first opening 124, and at this time, the remaining part of the first opening 124 is closed by the first part 147. When the shutter 141 is located at the highest opening position, the upper edge of the second opening 142 is aligned with the upper edge of the first opening 124, and at this time, the remaining part of the first opening 124 is closed by the second part 148.

[0069] In the up-down direction, the size of the first portion 147 is not less than the size of the first opening 124, and the sum of the size of the second opening 142 and the size of the second portion 148 is not less than the size of the first opening 124, at this time, when the shutter 141 is in the closed position, the second opening 142 is below the first opening 124, and the first opening 124 is completely closed by the first portion 147. Alternatively, in the up-down direction, the size of the second portion 148 is not less than the size of the first opening 124, and the sum of the size of the first portion 147 and the size of the second opening 142 is not less than the size of the first opening 124, at this time, when the shutter 141 is in the closed position, the second opening 142 is above the first opening 124, and the first opening 124 is completely closed by the second portion 148. Of course, in other embodiments, the size of the first portion 147 and the size of the second portion 148 can also be greater than the size of the first opening 124, at this time, when the shutter 141 is in the closed position, the second opening 142 can be below or above the first opening 124.

[0070] Optionally, please refer to Figure 9 As shown in the figure, the cabinet 120 further comprises two seals 125, both of which are arranged inside the side wall 123 and extend in the up-down direction, and are spaced apart in the left-right direction, wherein the two seals 125 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the first opening 124, and the seal 125 is provided with a sliding groove 126 extending in the up-down direction.

[0071] The left and right ends of the plate body 143 are respectively inserted into the sliding grooves 126 of the two seals 125, and the plate body 143 and the sliding groove 126 can be gap fit, transition fit, interference fit, etc. The plate body 143 and the sliding groove 126 are slidingly fitted in the up-down direction, and the plate body 143 can slide along the sliding groove 126 to change the height of the second opening 142. In this way, the sealing between the shutter 141 and the side wall 123 can be ensured, and the movement reliability of the shutter 141 can be improved.

[0072] The shutter 141 changes the height of the second opening 142 by lifting, thereby changing the height of the delivery passage. The lifting of the shutter 141 can be controlled by a motor. The motor is in transmission connection with the shutter 141, and is used to drive the shutter 141 to move in the up-down direction.

[0073] The transmission structure for lifting the motor-driven plate body 143 is not limited, and the transmission structure converts the rotation of the output shaft of the motor into the lifting movement of the plate body 143, for example, a lead screw nut structure, a crank slider structure, etc. can be used. For example, the transmission structure adopts a lead screw nut structure, the lead screw nut structure includes a lead screw and a nut, the lead screw is arranged in the cabinet 120 along the up-down direction, the lead screw can rotate around its axis, the lead screw is driven to rotate by the motor, the nut cooperates with the lead screw, the nut is connected with the plate body 143, the rotation of the lead screw drives the nut to move along the up-down direction, and in turn drives the plate body 143 to lift.

[0074] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 10 In an embodiment, the shutter 141 includes a plate body 143 and a roller shutter door 144, the second opening 142 is arranged on the plate body 143, the second opening 142 can be adjacent to the upper edge or the lower edge of the plate body 143, the first end of the roller shutter door 144 is connected with the plate body 143 and adjacent to the second opening 142, and the second end of the roller shutter door 144 is connected with the cabinet 120. Specifically, when the second opening 142 is adjacent to the upper edge of the plate body 143, the first end of the roller shutter door 144 is connected with the upper edge of the plate body 143; when the second opening 142 is adjacent to the lower edge of the plate body 143, the first end of the roller shutter door 144 is connected with the lower edge of the plate body 143. The structure of the roller shutter door 144 can refer to the prior art, the roller shutter door 144 can be wound or unfolded, and the motor-driven plate body 143 can drive the roller shutter door 144 to wind or unfold when lifting.

[0075] When the shutter 141 is in the closed position, the roller shutter door 144 is wound, the plate body 143 closes the first opening 124, and the second opening 142 is blocked by the side wall 123. When the shutter 141 is in any one of the open positions, the second opening 142 is exposed through the first opening 124, the roller shutter door 144 is unfolded, the roller shutter door 144 and the plate body 143 jointly close the part of the first opening 124 except the part opposite to the second opening 142, and the second opening 142 and the first opening 124 jointly form the delivery passage.

[0076] Specifically, in this embodiment, the second opening 142 is adjacent to the lower edge of the plate 143, and the roller shutter 144 is connected to the lower edge of the plate 143. When the gate 141 is in the closed position, the rigid plate 143 closes the first opening 124 to ensure the safety of the goods. At this time, the second opening 142 is located below the first opening 124, and the roller shutter 144 rolls up below the second opening 142. This arrangement occupies less space and allows the lower edge of the first opening 124 to be positioned lower, which is beneficial for matching with the connecting robot 11, which has a lower receiving compartment 110. When the gate 141 is in the open position, the second opening 142 moves upward and is exposed through the first opening 124. The roller shutter 144 unfolds. When the lower edge of the second opening 142 is above the lower edge of the first opening 124, the opening between the lower edge of the second opening 142 and the lower edge of the first opening 124 is blocked by the roller shutter 144. If the upper edge of the second opening 142 is below the upper edge of the first opening 124, the opening between the upper edge of the first opening 124 and the lower edge of the second opening 142 is blocked by the plate 143. That is, except for the part of the first opening 124 opposite to the second opening 142 which is open, the rest is blocked by the plate 143 and the roller shutter 144. This prevents criminals from stealing goods from the cabinet 120 through the first opening 124 when the gate 141 of the vending machine 12 is in the open position, thus ensuring the safety of the goods in the cabinet 120.

[0077] Alternatively, in other embodiments, the second opening 142 is adjacent to the upper edge of the plate 143, and the roller shutter 144 is connected to the upper edge of the plate 143. When the gate 141 is in the closed position, the rigid plate 143 closes the first opening 124 to ensure the safety of the goods. At this time, the second opening 142 is located above the first opening 124, and the roller shutter 144 rolls up above the second opening 142. This arrangement allows the upper edge of the first opening 124 to be positioned at a higher level, which is beneficial for matching with the receiving robot 11, which has a higher receiving compartment 110. When the gate 141 is in the open position, the second opening 142 is exposed through the first opening 124, and the roller shutter 144 unfolds. Except for the part of the first opening 124 opposite to the second opening 142, the rest of the first opening 124 is covered by the plate 143 and the roller shutter 144, thereby ensuring the safety of the goods inside the cabinet 120.

[0078] Alternatively, please refer to Figure 11 As shown, in another embodiment, the pickup door assembly 140 further includes two rotating shafts 145 spaced apart in the vertical direction. The two rotating shafts 145 are respectively connected to the upper and lower ends of the gate 141. The gate 141 can be rolled up or unfolded. When the rotating shafts 145 rotate, they can wrap around the gate 141 and cause the second opening 142 to rise and fall.

[0079] In an embodiment, the gate 141 is made of flexible material, and the gate 141 can be wound on the rotating shaft 145 when the rotating shaft 145 rotates. In another embodiment, the gate 141 comprises a plurality of gate plates arranged in sequence, adjacent gate plates are pivotally connected, i.e. adjacent two gate plates can rotate relative to each other, and the gate plates at both ends are connected with the two rotating shafts 145 respectively. When the rotating shaft 145 rotates, the gate plate close to the rotating shaft 145 rotates relative to each other, so as to be wound on the rotating shaft 145.

[0080] The two rotating shafts 145 can be synchronously driven by a motor, i.e. the motor is simultaneously in driving connection with the two rotating shafts 145, the motor drives the two rotating shafts 145 to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise at the same time when the motor rotates forward, so that the upper rotating shaft 145 winds the gate 141, and the lower rotating shaft 145 releases the gate 141, thereby moving the second opening 142 upward; when the motor is controlled to rotate reversely, the lower rotating shaft 145 winds the gate 141, and the upper rotating shaft 145 releases the gate 141, thereby moving the second opening 142 downward. Alternatively, the two rotating shafts 145 are driven by different motors, i.e. two motors are in driving connection with the two rotating shafts 145 respectively, the two motors work at the same time to ensure that the two rotating shafts 145 rotate synchronously to wind or release the gate 141.

[0081] In other embodiments, the gate 141 can also comprise two gate plates, i.e. an upper gate plate and a lower gate plate, the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate are arranged in a spaced manner along the vertical direction, and the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate can be connected or not connected, and the second opening 142 is formed between the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate.

[0082] In an embodiment, the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate are not connected, i.e. the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate are independently lifted, and the two gate plates are provided with two motors respectively, one motor is in driving connection with the upper gate plate to drive the upper gate plate to slide along the vertical direction, and the other motor is in driving connection with the lower gate plate to drive the lower gate plate to slide along the vertical direction. The two motors can drive the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate to slide along the vertical direction respectively, so as to adjust the position of the second opening 142 and the size of the second opening 142 along the vertical direction.

[0083] In another embodiment, the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate are connected, and the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate are synchronously lifted, and the two gate plates are provided with one motor, the motor is in driving connection with the upper gate plate or the lower gate plate to drive the upper gate plate and the lower gate plate to synchronously slide along the vertical direction, so as to adjust the position of the second opening 142.

[0084] In addition, the vending machine 12 can further comprise a door lock arranged on the inner side of the side wall 123, which cooperates with the shutter 141 when the shutter 141 is in the closed position and locks the shutter 141, so that the shutter 141 cannot be lifted to ensure the safety of the goods inside the cabinet 120. The structure of the door lock can refer to the prior art, which can be a mechanical lock, an electronic lock, etc. For example, the door lock adopts an electronic lock, which has a retractable lock rod, and a lock hole is arranged on the shutter 141. When locking is needed, the lock rod is inserted into the lock hole to prevent the shutter 141 from being lifted; when unlocking is needed, the lock rod is controlled to be separated from the lock hole.

[0085] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 1, Figures 5-7 The goods taking door assembly 140 can further comprise a flap 146, which can open or close the second opening 142.

[0086] Specifically, the first end of the flap 146 is pivotally connected to the shutter 141 through a pivot shaft (not shown in the figure), i.e., the flap 146 and the shutter 141 are pivotally connected, and the flap 146 can rotate around the pivot axis, so that the flap 146 has a closed position and a guide position. When the flap 146 is in the closed position, the flap 146 closes the second opening 142. When the shutter 141 is in the open position and the flap 146 is in the guide position, the second end of the flap 146 passes through the first opening 124 and extends to the outside of the cabinet 120, and the flap 146 extends obliquely downward.

[0087] The rotation control mode of the flap 146 is not limited, for example, but not limited to the following schemes: the goods taking door assembly 140 further comprises a resilient member connected between the shutter 141 and the flap 146, and the elastic force of the resilient member always makes the flap 146 have a tendency to rotate to the guide position.

[0088] The resilient member can adopt a tension spring, a compression spring, a torsion spring, etc. In this embodiment, the resilient member can adopt a torsion spring, which is sleeved on the pivot shaft, the first torsion arm of the torsion spring is connected to the flap 146, and the second torsion arm of the torsion spring is connected to the shutter 141.

[0089] When the shutter 141 is in the open position, the second opening 142 is exposed through the first opening 124, the flap 146 is opposite to the second opening 142 and is not blocked by the side wall 123, and the torsion spring drives the flap 146 to flip to the guide position. When the shutter 141 moves to the closed position, the flap 146 is pressed by the side wall 123, the side wall 123 pushes the flap 146 to rotate against the torsion of the torsion spring until the flap 146 reaches the closed position and closes the second opening 142. With the lifting of the shutter 141, the flap 146 can close or open the second opening 142 without the need for an additional control mechanism, which is simple in structure and convenient to use.

[0090] By setting the flap 146, when the vending machine 12 does not dispense goods, the flap 146 closes the second opening 142, further preventing foreign matter from entering the inside of the cabinet 120 through the second opening 142, increasing the sealing of the cabinet 120 and the safety of the goods inside the cabinet 120. When the vending machine 12 dispenses goods, the flap 146 extends from the dispensing channel to the outside of the cabinet 120 and extends downwardly and obliquely, and optionally, the second end of the flap 146 extends into the receiving warehouse 110, and the delivery assembly 150 can place the goods on the flap 146, and the goods can slide into the receiving warehouse 110 of the docking robot 11 along the oblique flap 146 under the action of gravity.

[0091] In other embodiments, the rotation control mode of the flap 146 can also be that the flap 146 is driven to rotate by a turnover motor.

[0092] The delivery assembly 150 is used to receive goods on the goods shelf 130 and send the goods out of the cabinet 120 through the dispensing channel. The delivery assembly 150 is movably arranged in the cabinet 120 and has a receiving position and at least two dispensing positions, and each dispensing position corresponds to an opening position. When the delivery assembly 150 is located at the receiving position, the delivery assembly 150 can receive goods output from the goods channel 133, and when the delivery assembly 150 is located at the dispensing position, the delivery assembly 150 can send the goods out of the cabinet 120 through the dispensing channel.

[0093] It should be noted that the vending machine 12 includes a plurality of goods channels 133, and therefore the delivery assembly 150 has a plurality of receiving positions corresponding to the plurality of goods channels 133. When the delivery assembly 150 is located at any one of the plurality of receiving positions, the delivery assembly 150 can receive goods output from the goods channel 133 opposite to the delivery assembly 150.

[0094] The vending machine 12 further comprises a delivery assembly driving mechanism for driving the delivery assembly 150 to move between the receiving position and the dispensing position.

[0095] Specifically, the delivery assembly driving mechanism is located inside the cabinet body 121 and between the side wall 123 and the shelves 130. In this embodiment, the delivery assembly driving mechanism is located between the cabinet door 122 and the shelves 130. The delivery assembly driving mechanism includes two cross beams 157, a vertical beam 158, a first driving mechanism, and a second driving mechanism. The two cross beams 157 are spaced apart in the up-down direction and are fixedly connected to the cabinet body 121 and extend in the left-right direction. The upper and lower ends of the vertical beam 158 are movably connected to the two cross beams 157, and the delivery assembly 150 is movably connected to the vertical beam 158. The first driving mechanism is in transmission connection with the vertical beam 158 and is used to drive the vertical beam 158 to move along the cross beam 157. The second driving mechanism is in transmission connection with the delivery assembly 150 and is used to drive the delivery assembly 150 to move along the vertical beam 158. Therefore, under the driving of the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism, the delivery assembly 150 can move in the left-right direction and the up-down direction to move to any one of the plurality of receiving positions opposite to the target goods channel 133 to receive the goods output from the target goods channel 133. The delivery assembly 150 can also move to any one of the delivery positions so that the delivery assembly 150 can deliver the goods to the outside of the cabinet 120 through the delivery channel.

[0096] The specific structure of the first driving mechanism and the second driving mechanism is described in the related art of the delivery assembly driving mechanism of the vending machine 12, which will not be described here.

[0097] Specifically, please refer to Figures 3-7 , Figure 12 As shown in the drawings, the delivery assembly 150 includes a support frame 151 and a delivery hopper 153. The support frame 151 is movably connected to the vertical beam 158, and the delivery hopper 153 is rotatably arranged on the support frame 151. The structure of the support frame 151 is not limited, and in this embodiment, the support frame 151 includes two support plates 152 spaced apart from each other. The delivery hopper 153 is located between the two support plates 152 and is rotatably connected to the support plates 152. The delivery hopper 153 includes a hopper 154 and a guide plate 155. The hopper 154 has an opening for receiving or releasing goods. The guide plate 155 is arranged on the top side of the hopper 154. The cross section of the delivery hopper 153 is J-shaped.

[0098] The specific structure of the hopper 154 can adopt, but is not limited to, the following scheme: the hopper 154 comprises a bottom plate 160, a front plate 161, a rear plate 162 and two side plates 163, the bottom plate 160 is arc-shaped, the front plate 161 and the rear plate 162 are oppositely arranged and respectively connected with the front and rear ends of the bottom plate 160, the two side plates 163 are located at the left and right ends of the bottom plate 160, and the two side plates 163 are oppositely and spacedly arranged, each side plate 163 is connected with the front plate 161, the rear plate 162 and the bottom plate 160, and the side plate 163 is rotationally connected with the support plate 152 through the pivot shaft 156. The guide plate 155 is connected with the top end of the rear plate 162. The bottom plate 160, the front plate 161, the rear plate 162 and the two side plates 163, and the guide plate 155 can be integrally formed, detachably connected, welded, partially integrally formed, etc.

[0099] The delivery hopper 153 is capable of rotating and has a first position and a second position. When the delivery assembly 150 is located at any one of the delivery positions and the delivery hopper 153 is located at the first position, the opening of the hopper 154 faces upward and is capable of receiving the goods output by the goods shelf 130, and the guide plate 155 is opposite to the goods shelf 130 and is used to prevent the goods from passing through the hopper 154.

[0100] When the delivery assembly 150 is located at any one of the delivery positions and the delivery hopper 153 is located at the second position, the opening of the hopper 154 faces the second opening 142, and the goods in the hopper 154 can be output through the opening, and the guide plate 155 extends downwardly and obliquely and is capable of guiding the goods output by the hopper 154 to fall outside the cabinet 120 through the delivery channel.

[0101] Optionally, when the second opening 142 is provided with the flap 146, the guide plate 155 abuts against the flap 146 in the closed position when the delivery hopper 153 rotates from the first position to the second position, and is capable of driving the flap 146 to rotate to the guide position, so that the guide plate 155 finally overlaps the flap 146, and the goods can slide along the guide plate 155 and the flap 146 into the receiving bin 110 of the docking robot 11, thereby ensuring smooth delivery. In this scheme, the flap 146 can also be provided with a resilient member to have a tendency to move to the closed position.

[0102] Optionally, the delivery assembly 150 further comprises a hopper motor, and the rotation of the delivery hopper 153 can be driven by the hopper motor, the hopper motor is in transmission connection with the hopper 154, and the hopper motor is capable of driving the delivery hopper 153 to rotate between the first position and the second position.

[0103] In other embodiments, the vending machine 12 further comprises a motor for driving the gate 141 to move and a controller configured to control the motor to adjust the height of the delivery channel according to the height of the receiving bin 110 of the docking robot 11, so that the delivery channel matches the receiving bin 110.

[0104] In other embodiments, the vending machine 12 further comprises a camera configured to acquire image information of the docking robot 11 and transmit the image information to the controller, and the controller is further configured to determine the height of the receiving compartment 110 according to the image information.

[0105] In other embodiments, the docking robot 11 is provided with a radio frequency tag for identifying the height of the receiving compartment 110, and the vending machine 12 further comprises a radio frequency reader / writer, which reads the radio frequency information of the radio frequency tag when the docking robot 11 takes the goods, and transmits the radio frequency information to the controller, which controls the motor to drive the gate 141 to move according to the radio frequency information, so as to match the delivery channel with the receiving compartment 110 of the docking robot 11.

[0106] The use method of the vending system 10 provided by the embodiment is as follows:

[0107] The docking robot 11 is moved to the taking side of the cabinet 120, and the receiving compartment 110 is opposite to the first opening 124; the gate 141 is lifted to the open position, the second opening 142 is exposed, and the height of the delivery channel is matched with the height of the receiving compartment 110; the flap 146 is flipped until the flap 146 passes through the first opening 124 and is inclined downward, and the second end of the flap 146 is matched with the receiving compartment 110; the delivery assembly 150 is controlled to move to the receiving position, and the delivery hopper 153 is ensured to be located at the first position, and the hopper 154 receives the goods conveyed by the goods shelf 130; the delivery assembly 150 is moved to the delivery position, and the delivery hopper 153 is rotated to the second position, the guide plate 155 is overlapped with the flap 146, and the goods slide along the guide plate 155 and the flap 146 to the receiving compartment 110; the delivery hopper 153 is rotated to the first position; the gate 141 is lifted to the closed position, and the flap 146 is flipped to the closed position.

[0108] The above steps can be increased, reduced, modified, adjusted in order, etc. according to needs.

[0109] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and is not used to limit the present application. For those skilled in the art, the present application can have various modifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An automatic vending machine, comprising a cabinet and a shelf, a taking door assembly and a delivery assembly arranged inside the cabinet, the cabinet comprising a side wall having a first opening; characterized in that the taking door assembly comprising a gate having a second opening, the second opening being smaller than the first opening in the up-down direction; the gate being arranged on the inner side of the side wall and having a closed position and at least two open positions; when the gate is in the closed position, the second opening is shielded by the side wall and the first opening is closed by the gate; when the gate is in any one of the open positions, the second opening and the first opening jointly form a delivery channel, and the delivery channel has different heights when the gate is in different open positions, the delivery assembly being capable of receiving goods on the shelf and delivering the goods from the delivery channel to the outside of the cabinet, the delivery assembly being movably arranged in the cabinet and having a receiving position and at least two delivery positions corresponding to the open positions respectively; the delivery assembly comprising a support frame and a delivery hopper, the delivery hopper being rotatably arranged on the support frame, the delivery hopper comprising a hopper and a guide plate; when the delivery assembly is in the receiving position, the hopper is capable of receiving goods output by the shelf, and when the delivery assembly is in any one of the delivery positions, the guide plate is used to guide the goods in the hopper to fall through the delivery channel to the outside of the cabinet.

2. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the cabinet further comprising two seals, both of which are arranged on the inner side of the side wall and located on the left and right sides of the first opening respectively, the seals being provided with sliding grooves extending in the up-down direction; the gate comprising a plate body, the second opening being arranged on the plate body, and the left and right ends of the plate body being respectively inserted into the sliding grooves of the two seals and slidingly matched with the sliding grooves in the up-down direction.

3. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the gate comprising a plate body and a roller shutter, the second opening being arranged on the plate body and adjacent to the upper edge or the lower edge of the plate body, a first end of the roller shutter being connected with the plate body and adjacent to the second opening, and a second end of the roller shutter being connected with the cabinet; when the gate is in the closed position, the roller shutter is wound, and the plate body closes the first opening; when the gate is in the open position, the roller shutter is unwound.

4. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the taking door assembly further comprising two rotating shafts arranged in the up-down direction and connected with the upper and lower ends of the gate respectively, the rotating shafts being capable of winding the gate and lifting the second opening when the rotating shafts rotate.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the taking door assembly further comprising a flap, one end of the flap being pivotally connected with the gate, the flap having a closed position and a guiding position; when the flap is in the closed position, the flap closes the second opening; when the gate is in the open position and the flap is in the guiding position, a second end of the flap passes through the first opening and extends to the outside of the cabinet, and the flap extends obliquely downward.

6. The machine of claim 5, wherein The pickup door assembly further comprises an elastic member, which makes the flap always have a tendency to rotate to the guide position; when the gate is moved downward from the open position to the closed position, the flap is gradually pressed to the closed position by the side wall.

7. The machine of claim 1, wherein When the delivery assembly is in the pickup position, the guide plate is opposite to the shelf and is used to prevent the goods from passing through the hopper; when the delivery assembly is in any one of the delivery positions, the delivery hopper is turned over, so that the guide plate extends downward and can guide the goods in the hopper to fall outside the cabinet through the delivery channel.

8. An automated vending system, characterized by The vending machine comprises a docking robot and the vending machine of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the docking robot is provided with a pickup bin for receiving the goods delivered by the delivery assembly from the delivery channel.

9. The vending system of claim 8, wherein, The vending machine further comprises a motor for driving the gate to move and a controller configured to control the motor to adjust the height of the delivery channel according to the height of the pickup bin, so that the delivery channel matches the pickup bin.

10. The vending system of claim 9, wherein, The vending machine further comprises a camera for acquiring image information of the docking robot and transmitting the image information to the controller, and the controller is further configured to determine the height of the pickup bin according to the image information.

Images