A vending machine

Abstract

This application relates to an automatic vending machine, comprising a body with storage layers and dispensing layers arranged sequentially inside, storage compartments in each storage layer, a lifter in each storage compartment, a belt seal on the body and located within the storage layer, an electric push rod on the body and located in the dispensing layer, and a rotary microwave heater on the body. Each storage layer has a dispensing layer above it. The bottom of each storage compartment is closed, and the top is open. The belt seal is used to close and open the top of the storage compartment. The electric push rod is used to push the goods out of the dispensing layer. There is a gap between the bottom of the storage compartment and the bottom surface of the storage layer. This vending machine, by providing multiple dispensing windows, achieves rapid dispensing and also provides a rapid food heating method, allowing users to obtain ready-to-eat finished products after purchasing pre-prepared meals, thus expanding the application scenarios for pre-prepared meal sales.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of automatic vending equipment, and in particular to an automatic vending machine. Background Art

[0002] Pre-prepared meals are pre-packaged dishes made from one or more edible agricultural products and their products, which are industrially pre-processed and can only be eaten after being heated or cooked. Pre-prepared meals have advantages in terms of food safety and convenience, but currently there are shortcomings in terms of variety, price and convenience.

[0003] Vending machines are unmanned vending equipment. If the two can be combined, improvements can be made in terms of product categories and prices. At the same time, the 24-hour service of vending machines can further reduce costs. However, the current delivery method of vending machines is not suitable for pre-prepared meals, and the pre-prepared meals purchased by users cannot be eaten directly. These factors limit the use scenarios of vending machines. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present application provides a vending machine that achieves rapid delivery by providing multiple pickup windows, and also provides a rapid food heating method, so that users can obtain finished products that can be eaten directly after purchasing pre-prepared meals, thereby expanding the use scenarios of pre-prepared meal sales.

[0005] The above-mentioned purpose of the present application is achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0006] The present application provides a vending machine, comprising:

[0007] The body has a storage layer and a retrieval layer in sequence, and there is a retrieval layer above each storage layer;

[0008] Multiple groups of storage bins, one group of storage bins is arranged on one storage layer, the bottom end of the storage bin is a closed end, and the top end of the storage bin is an open end;

[0009] A lifter, located in the storage bin;

[0010] A belt sealer is provided on the machine body and located in the storage layer, and the belt sealer is used to close and open the top of the storage bin;

[0011] An electric push rod is provided on the machine body and located at the taking layer, and is used to push the commodity out from the taking layer;

[0012] A rotary microwave heater is arranged on the machine body and is used for heating the goods;

[0013] There is a gap between the bottom end of the storage bin and the bottom surface of the storage layer.

[0014] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the storage bins on a storage layer are arranged in an MxN matrix form, where M and N are both natural numbers greater than zero;

[0015] A band sealer is used to close and open the top ends of a row or column of storage bins on a storage level.

[0016] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the belt sealer includes:

[0017] A guide wheel assembly is arranged on the storage bin;

[0018] A sealing belt is wound around the guide wheel set, and an opening is provided on the sealing belt;

[0019] A driver, which is arranged on the machine body and connected to a guide wheel in the guide wheel group;

[0020] Wherein, a part of the sealing belt passes through the gap between the bottom end of the storage bin and the bottom surface of the storage layer.

[0021] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the rotary microwave heater includes:

[0022] The rotating chamber is arranged inside the machine body;

[0023] An electric turntable is arranged inside the rotating bin;

[0024] A microwave device is arranged in the rotating chamber and located inside the rotating disk;

[0025] The feeding end and the discharging end are both arranged on the machine body and communicated with the rotating bin.

[0026] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, the device further includes a partition disposed in the rotating bin, the partition dividing the area in the electric turntable into an independent heating area and an independent non-heating area;

[0027] The inlet and outlet ends are both connected to the independent non-heating zone.

[0028] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the method further includes:

[0029] The feeding module and the pushing module are both arranged in the rotating bin and located inside the electric turntable. The feeding end is used in conjunction with the feeding module, and the sending end is used in conjunction with the pushing module.

[0030] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the feeding module includes:

[0031] A storage compartment is provided inside the machine body;

[0032] Two unpacking manipulators are arranged inside the machine body and symmetrically on both sides of the storage bin;

[0033] The first electric push rod is arranged inside the machine body, and the electric push rod is used to push the goods placed in the storage bin into the heating chamber on the electric turntable.

[0034] In a possible implementation manner of the first aspect, the device further includes an electric puncture needle disposed inside the body, wherein a working end of the electric puncture needle points toward the placement bin.

[0035] In a possible implementation of the first aspect, notches for use by an unpacking robot are symmetrically arranged on the bottom surface of the storage bin. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the appearance of an automatic vending machine provided in this application.

[0037] Figure 2 It is an internal schematic diagram of a vending machine provided by the present application.

[0038] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the location of a tear line on a product provided by the present application.

[0039] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of an electric push rod provided in this application.

[0040] Figure 5 and Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of an electric push rod provided in this application.

[0041] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of a sealing belt provided by the present application replacing a transverse partition at the bottom surface of a taking layer.

[0042] Figure 8 It is a structural schematic diagram of a belt sealer provided in the present application.

[0043] Fig. 9 It is a schematic diagram of the movement of an opening on a sealing belt provided by the present application.

[0044] Fig.10 It is a structural schematic diagram of a rotary microwave heater provided in the present application.

[0045] Fig.11 This is a schematic diagram of the distribution of product bins on an electric turntable provided in this application.

[0046] Fig.12 It is a structural schematic diagram of a delivery module provided in this application.

[0047] Fig.13 is based on Fig.12 Structural diagram of the module after adjusting the viewing angle.

[0048] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of the working principle of a push module provided by this application.

[0049] In the figure, 1, body, 2, storage bin, 4, belt sealer, 5, electric push rod, 6, rotary microwave heater, 11, storage layer, 12, picking layer, 41, guide wheel group, 42, sealing belt, 43, drive, 61, rotating bin, 62, electric turntable, 63, microwave device, 64, feeding module, 65, pushing module, 66, feeding end, 67, feeding end, 68, partition, 421, opening, 621, back plate, 622, slide groove, 623, through hole, 641, placement bin, 642, unpacking robot, 643, first electric push rod, 644, electric puncture needle, 645, notch. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] The technical solution in this application is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0051] The present application discloses an automatic vending machine. In some examples, the automatic vending machine disclosed in the present application includes a machine body 1 , a storage bin 2 , a lifter belt sealer 4 , an electric push rod 5 and a rotary microwave heater 6 .

[0052] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 A storage layer 11 and a taking layer 12 are sequentially arranged inside the body 1. One possible implementation method is to use a partition to divide the space inside the body 1. The space between the two partitions is the storage layer 11 or the taking layer 12. In the bottom-up direction, the storage layer 11 and the taking layer 12 are alternately arranged, and there is a taking layer 12 above each storage layer 11.

[0053] The height of the storage layer 11 must be greater than the height of the taking layer 12. Taking the height of the product as an example, the height of the storage layer 11 is N times the height of the product (N is a natural number greater than zero), where N is related to the storage quantity. The height of the taking layer 12 is 1.5-2 times the height of the product.

[0054] A group of storage bins 2 are disposed on each storage layer 11. In some possible implementations, the storage bins 2 are arranged in an MxN matrix, where M and N are both natural numbers greater than 0. Each storage bin 2 stores a commodity.

[0055] The commodities here refer to pre-prepared dishes. It should be noted that the pre-prepared dishes used in this application generally include dishes and staple foods, which are mainly sold in commercial office areas and residential areas, because these two areas have a high population density and can provide sufficient purchasing power.

[0056] There are three types of products: unpackaged, plastic packaged, and paper packaged. Unpackaged products refer to products without external packaging and can be heated directly. For plastic and paper packaging, a tear line needs to be added in the middle of the plastic and paper packaging. Please refer to Figure 3 , making it easy to break open plastic and paper packaging.

[0057] The bottom end of the storage bin 2 is a closed end, and the top end is an open end. At the same time, a lifter is added to the bottom surface of the storage bin 2. The function of the lifter is to push the goods in the storage bin 2 out from the top of the storage bin 2. The goods that emerge enter the taking layer 12 and are then pushed out by the electric push rod 5 in the taking layer 12.

[0058] See also Figure 2 and Figure 4 The electric push rod 5 is installed on the body 1 and is located at the taking layer 12. The electric push rod 5 can push out one commodity or multiple commodities at the same time in one action. This method can greatly improve the delivery speed.

[0059] Here, considering that the length of the electric push rod 5 is limited by the thickness of the body 1, the power component in the electric push rod 5 uses a motor, the push rod is slidably connected to the body 1, and the motor is installed on the push rod and drives the push rod to slide back and forth through the friction pair.

[0060] For example, conventional vending machines use a sequential delivery method, where a customer pays and picks up the goods after the purchase is completed, and the next customer repeats the above process after the process is completed. Considering the concentration of meal times, this method will cause some or even most customers to give up because the waiting time is too long.

[0061] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 , and the present application uses a batch delivery method, a picking layer 12 can push out multiple products at the same time, and multiple picking layers 12 can work at the same time without affecting each other.

[0062] pass Figure 5 and Figure 6 It can also be seen that an opening corresponding to the storage bin 2 is provided on the bottom surface of the taking layer 12 , and the goods enter the taking layer 12 through the opening and are then sent out by the electric push rod 5 .

[0063] Alternatively, the tape sealer 4 may be used to replace the diaphragm at the bottom of the pick-up layer 12, such as Figure 7 shown.

[0064] The advantage of this structure is that the commodity ( Figure 5 and Figure 6 The dotted box in the figure has many types and small quantities, which can provide customers with more choices, shorten the selling time of a single product category, and speed up the turnover of goods.

[0065] The belt sealer 4 is installed on the body 1 and located in the storage layer 11. The belt sealer 4 is used to close and open the top of the storage bin 2. In addition, one belt sealer 4 is used to close and open the top of a row or column of storage bins 2 on a storage layer 11.

[0066] This method can use one belt sealer 4 to serve multiple storage bins 2, simplifying the product structure and reducing energy consumption. There is a gap between the bottom end of the storage bin 2 and the bottom surface of the storage layer 11 where it is located, for the belt sealer 4 to use.

[0067] The rotary microwave heater 6 is arranged on the body 1 and is used for heating the goods. The purpose of using the rotary microwave heater 6 here is to continuously heat the goods. The process of putting in and taking out the goods can be carried out continuously without affecting each other, which can effectively improve the speed of serving the food.

[0068] In addition, it should be noted that:

[0069] The outer surface of the body 1 is provided with a product display area, where the same products as those in the storage bin 2 are placed and marked with prices and numbers. After scanning the QR code on the body 1, the customer enters the mini program and enters the product number before paying. After completing the payment, the electric push rod 5 and the lifter at the corresponding position are actuated to take out the product and push it out from the taking layer 12.

[0070] The purchased goods can be located at the edge of the taking layer 12, or a hanging basket can be provided on the machine body 1, and the purchased goods can fall into the hanging basket.

[0071] For some examples, see Figure 8 and Fig. 9 (The thickness of the sealing belt 42 in the figure has been appropriately enlarged), the belt sealer 4 includes a guide wheel group 41, a sealing belt 42 and a driver 43, the guide wheel group 41 is installed on the storage bin 2, the sealing belt 42 is wound around the guide wheel group 41, and the driver 43 is installed on the body 1 (partition) and is connected to a guide wheel in the guide wheel group 41.

[0072] A portion of the sealing belt 42 passes through the gap between the bottom end of the storage bin 2 and the bottom surface of the storage layer 11, so that the sealing belt 42 can rotate both clockwise and counterclockwise.

[0073] When the driver 43 is working, it can drive the sealing belt 42 to move through the guide wheel set 41. When the opening 421 on the sealing belt 42 moves to the top of a certain storage bin 2, the storage bin 2 is in an open state, otherwise the storage bin 2 is in a closed state.

[0074] When no one is buying, all the storage bins 2 are closed. On the one hand, this is to prevent the loss of goods and the entry of debris into the storage bins 2. On the other hand, if the goods need to be stored at low temperatures, the closed storage bins 2 can provide better insulation effect.

[0075] For some examples, see Fig.10 The rotary microwave heater 6 includes a rotating chamber 61 , an electric turntable 62 , a microwave device 63 , a feed end 66 and a feed end 67 . The rotating chamber 61 is located inside the body 1 , and the electric turntable 62 is located inside the rotating chamber 61 .

[0076] The microwave device 63 is located in the rotating chamber 61 and inside the electric turntable 62. The microwave generated by the microwave device 63 propagates in the electric turntable 62 to heat the goods on the electric turntable 62. Product chambers are sequentially arranged on the inner side wall of the electric turntable 62, and one product can be placed in each product chamber.

[0077] The feeding end 66 and the delivery end 67 are both arranged on the body 1 and connected to the rotating bin 61 . The feeding end 66 is used to place the goods into the product bin on the electric turntable 62 , and the delivery end 67 is used to deliver the goods from the product bin on the electric turntable 62 .

[0078] See also Fig.11 There are twelve product bins on the electric turntable 62 in the figure, each of which has a back plate 621, symmetrically arranged slide slots 622 and through holes 623 opened on the back plate 621, and the through holes 623 are used by the ejection module 65. The corresponding positions of the rotating bin 61 and the through holes 623 also need to be opened.

[0079] exist Figure 1 There is a basket below the delivery end 67, and the goods fall into the basket after falling from the delivery end 67.

[0080] In some possible implementations, the electric turntable 62 rotates intermittently. When the commodity bin on the electric turntable 62 rotates to the product bin on the electric turntable 62, it will wait for a period of time, and the waiting time is controlled within 3-5 seconds.

[0081] Taking a specific scenario as an example, after purchasing a product, the customer will first pick up the product from the edge of the picking layer 12 or the hanging basket, and then check the integrity of the product packaging and the production date. The purpose of this step is to improve the credibility of the product, because if the fully automatic heating method is directly used, the customer will not be able to know whether the product packaging is complete or the production date.

[0082] After confirming the appearance and production date, the customer will remove the outer packaging of the product and then send the product into the rotary microwave heater 6 for heating. After the heating is completed, the customer takes the heated product from the delivery end 67.

[0083] In some examples, a partition 68 is added in the rotating chamber 61, and the partition 68 divides the area in the electric turntable 62 into an independent heating area and an independent non-heating area, see Fig.12 The feeding end 66 and the delivery end 67 are both connected to the independent non-heating zone. The function of the partition 68 is to isolate the electromagnetic waves generated during the operation of the microwave device 63 to prevent the electromagnetic waves from overflowing through the feeding end 66 and the delivery end 67.

[0084] In some examples, a feeding module 64 and a pushing module 65 are also added, and the specific description is as follows:

[0085] The feeding module 64 is arranged in the rotating bin 61 and inside the electric turntable 62, and cooperates with the feeding end 66 to automatically remove the outer packaging of the goods. Fig.10 and Fig.12 The feeding end 66 is composed of a placing bin 641 , an unpacking robot 642 and a first electric push rod 643 . The placing bin 641 is arranged in the rotating bin 61 and is located inside the electric turntable 62 .

[0086] Fig.12 The backplane 621 in the Fig.10 The horizontal plate below the middle feeding end 66.

[0087] See also Fig.12 and Fig.13 The two unpacking manipulators 642 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the placement bin 641. When working, the two unpacking manipulators 642 simultaneously clamp the edges of the product packaging from both sides and then tear the product packaging open. The first electric push rod 643 is deployed on the rotating bin 61. The first electric push rod 643 is used to push the product on the placement bin 641 into the heating chamber on the electric turntable 62.

[0088] The unpacking robot 642 includes two electric cylinders, which are responsible for horizontal extension and vertical holding respectively. When holding, it contacts a clamping plate to achieve large-area contact with the goods. The unpacking robot 642 is also responsible for lifting the packaging of the goods off the storage bin 641.

[0089] In a possible implementation, it also includes an electric puncture needle 644 disposed on the rotating bin 61, the working end of the electric puncture needle 644 points to the placement bin 641, and the function of the electric puncture needle 644 is to puncture the film on the product to prevent the film from breaking during the heating process.

[0090] It should be understood that under existing regulations, preservatives are not allowed to be used in pre-prepared dishes. Therefore, in order to preserve freshness, the film is generally used to isolate the air. At the same time, the film can also play a good fixing role, isolating the dishes from the staple food. However, when the goods are heated in the microwave, the heat generated will cause the film to expand or even explode.

[0091] Therefore, in the present application, an electric puncture needle 644 is used to make vent holes on the film in advance to avoid the above situation.

[0092] In some examples, notches 645 are symmetrically arranged on the bottom surface of the placement bin 641 for use by the unpacking robot 642. The function of the notch 645 is to ensure that the unpacking robot 642 can accurately clamp the edge of the product. The length of the notch 645 is smaller than the length of the product, so as to prevent the product from falling from the notch 645.

[0093] The push-out module 65 includes an electric push rod, which has a function similar to that of the first electric push rod 643 , that is, to push the heated goods out of the heating chamber on the electric turntable 62 .

[0094] The feeding end 66 is used in conjunction with the feeding module 64, and the sending end 67 is used in conjunction with the pushing module 65. Generally speaking, both the feeding end 66 and the sending end 67 use flaps with springs.

[0095] The embodiments of this specific implementation method are all preferred embodiments of the present application, and are not intended to limit the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made based on the structure, shape, and principle of the present application should be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A vending machine, characterized in that: include: A machine body (1) is provided with a storage layer (11) and a taking layer (12) in sequence therein, and a taking layer (12) is located above each storage layer (11); A plurality of groups of storage bins (2), wherein one group of storage bins (2) is arranged on a storage layer (11), the bottom end of the storage bin (2) is a closed end, and the top end of the storage bin (2) is an open end; An elevator is disposed in the storage bin (2), and the elevator pushes the commodities in the storage bin (2) to emerge from the top of the storage bin (2), and the emerged commodities enter the taking layer (12); A belt sealer (4) is provided on the machine body (1) and is located in the storage layer (11), and the belt sealer (4) is used to close and open the top of the storage bin (2); An electric push rod (5) is arranged on the machine body (1) and located at the taking layer (12), and the electric push rod (5) is used to push the commodity out of the taking layer (12); A rotary microwave heater (6) is arranged on the machine body (1), and the rotary microwave heater (6) is used to heat the commodity; There is a gap between the bottom end of the storage bin (2) and the bottom surface of the storage layer (11) where it is located.

2. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage bins (2) on a storage layer (11) are arranged in an MxN matrix form, where M and N are both natural numbers greater than zero; A belt sealer (4) is used to close and open the top ends of a row or column of storage bins (2) on a storage layer (11).

3. The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The belt sealer (4) comprises: A guide wheel assembly (41) is arranged on the storage bin (2); A sealing belt (42) is wound around the guide wheel assembly (41), and an opening (421) is provided on the sealing belt (42); A driver (43) is disposed on the machine body (1) and connected to a guide wheel in the guide wheel assembly (41); Part of the sealing belt (42) passes through a gap between the bottom end of the storage bin (2) and the bottom surface of the storage layer (11).

4. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotary microwave heater (6) comprises: A rotating chamber (61) is arranged inside the machine body (1); An electric turntable (62) is arranged inside the rotating bin (61); A microwave device (63) is arranged in the rotating chamber (61) and located inside the electric turntable (62); The feeding end (66) and the discharging end (67) are both arranged on the machine body (1) and are in communication with the rotating bin (61).

5. The vending machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: It also includes a partition (68) disposed in the rotating bin (61), the partition (68) dividing the area in the electric turntable (62) into an independent heating area and an independent non-heating area; Both the inlet end (66) and the outlet end (67) are connected to the independent non-heating zone.

6. The vending machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: Also includes: The feeding module (64) and the ejecting module (65) are both arranged in the rotating bin (61) and located inside the electric turntable (62); the feeding end (66) is used in conjunction with the feeding module (64), and the ejecting end (67) is used in conjunction with the ejecting module (65).

7. The vending machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The feeding module (64) comprises: A storage compartment (641) is arranged inside the machine body (1); Two unpacking manipulators (642) are arranged inside the machine body (1) and symmetrically arranged on both sides of the placement bin (641); A first electric push rod (643) is provided on the machine body (1), and is used to push the commodities on the placement bin (641) into the heating chamber on the electric turntable (62).

8. The vending machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: It also includes an electric puncture needle (644) disposed on the body (1), wherein the working end of the electric puncture needle (644) points toward the placement chamber (641).

9. The vending machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: Notches (645) for use by the unpacking robot (642) are symmetrically arranged on the bottom surface of the placement bin (641).

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