Cup holder for beverage vending machine

Abstract

A cup holder designed to be mounted in a beverage vending machine to support a single cup in a filling station and / or in a take-out station; the cup holder has a vertical axis and includes a frame and a cup holding device supported by the frame and defining a cup holding area designed to be occupied by a cup when the cup is supported by the cup holding device. The cup holder further comprises an electric actuator kinematically coupled to the cup holding means to move the cup holding means so that the size of the cup holding area fits the size of the cup, and the electric actuator is mounted on the frame via a quick engagement / disengagement means, the quick engagement / disengagement device is configured to enable the electric actuator to be easily and quickly mounted on / dismounted from the holder of the cup holder through several simple operations.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application, the application number of the parent application is 202080088018.5 (international application number is PCT / IB2020 / 059822), the application date is October 19, 2020, and the name of the invention is “Cup holder for beverage vending machine”.

[0002] This patent application claims the priority of European Patent Application No. 19204194.5 filed on October 18, 2019, and of Italian Patent Applications No. 102020000024493 and No. 102020000024496 filed on October 16, 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a cup holder which is advantageously but not exclusively applicable to beverage vending machines and will be described below with reference to such machines without loss of generality. Background Art

[0004] In the vending field, it is known to arrange a cup dispenser inside a beverage vending machine to feed a single cup to a cup filling station where it is filled with beverage and, if necessary, sugar and a stirring blade.

[0005] Typically, a cup dispenser comprises a tower or carousel magazine comprising a rotatable support mounted to rotate about a vertical axis and a plurality of tubular containers mounted on the support about the vertical axis, the tubular containers being designed to accommodate a corresponding stack of cups. In use, the support is rotated about the vertical axis so that one tubular container is disposed at a time in a cup release station, where a cup detaching device separates a single cup from the bottom of the stack and causes it to fall, suitably guided through a chute, into a cup holder from which the user manually removes the cup after it has been filled with a beverage.

[0006] Typically, each tubular container is equipped with a respective cup detaching device, whereas the cup holder is individual and common to all tubular containers and can be stationary in the filling station or movable between a cup receiving point and the cup filling station.

[0007] The need to deliver cups of different sizes has led manufacturers to equip tower magazines with tubular containers of different diameters and to use adjustable breakaway devices in order to allow the size of the breakaway device to be modified according to the size of the cups housed in the corresponding tubular containers.

[0008] Therefore, the desire to dispense cups of different sizes also requires a cup holder that can receive and securely hold cups of different sizes.

[0009] Currently known solutions solve this problem in essentially two ways that can be applied alternatively or in combination: equipping the vending machine with cup holders of different sizes and / or using one cup holder having a shape (usually a funnel shape) capable of holding cups of various sizes.

[0010] A first type of solution is disclosed, for example, in EP 2 369 559 A1 and has the disadvantage that it is too bulky due to the space occupied by the cup holder and in particular the space required for its movement.

[0011] For example, a second type of solution is disclosed in EP 1 974 328 A1 and has the disadvantage that when a cup is in the cup holder, the cup holder is less stable than a cup holder having a shape designed to couple only to a cup of a given size. In addition, the range of cup sizes that the cup holder can receive is quite limited.

[0012] Another problem with cup holders is their daily maintenance. Cup holders need to be frequently cleaned by the operator, since this is natural in terms of their function and, in use, when a cup is filled, splashes of beverage splashing outside the cup easily reach the cup holder. The problem of needing to frequently clean the cup holder arises from the fact that, usually, deep cleaning of the cup holder requires removing the cup holder and completely cleaning it with water. However, this operation is often quite complicated due to the presence of electrical components on the cup holder (e.g. an actuator designed to move the cup holder), and for this reason the cup holder is usually subjected to a surface cleaning limited to the parts that the operator can reach without having to remove it from the cup holder, with unsatisfactory results in terms of hygiene. Summary of the invention

[0013] The object of the present invention is to provide improvements which address the above-mentioned disadvantages.

[0014] According to the present invention, there is provided a cup holder for a beverage vending machine as claimed in the present invention. According to the present invention, there is provided a cup holder designed to be mountable in a beverage vending machine to support a single cup in a filling station and / or in a removal station; the cup holder has a vertical axis and includes a cup retaining device, the cup retaining device defining a cup retaining area intended to be occupied by the cup when the cup is supported by the cup retaining device, and the cup retaining device includes a plurality of cup retaining members that are operated by an electric actuator to slide in respective radial directions relative to the axis to adapt the size of the cup retaining area to the size of the cup to be supported; the cup holder also includes a transmission device that drives the electric actuator to slide the cup retaining area. The cup holder is kinematically connected to the cup holding device, and the transmission device includes a swing member, which is coaxial with the axis and connected to the electric actuator via a kinematic linkage, the kinematic linkage is designed to convert the rotational motion received from the electric actuator into a reciprocating swinging motion of the swing member around the axis, and the swing member is connected to the cup holding member via a kinematic linkage, the kinematic linkage is designed to convert the reciprocating swinging motion of the swing member into a synchronous reciprocating linear motion of the cup holding member in corresponding radial directions; the cup holder also includes an electronic control system to control the movement of the cup holding member and thereby control the size of the cup holding area; the electronic control system comprising: a sensing system mounted and configured to generate an electrical output to allow the size of the cup holding area to be determined; and an electronic control unit electrically connected to the sensing system to receive the electrical output of the sensing system and electrically connected to the electric actuator to supply an electrical control signal to the electric actuator, and the electronic control unit is programmed to control the electric actuator based on the electrical output of the sensing system to adapt the size of the cup holding area to the size of the cup to be supported by moving the cup holding member. inch; the sensing system includes a magnetic angular position sensor device, which is designed and installed to provide an electrical output indicating the absolute angular position of the swing member and therefore the absolute radial position of the cup holding member; the magnetic angular position sensor device includes: - an axially magnetized permanent magnet, having a magnetization axis and installed to rotate around a rotation axis perpendicular to the magnetization axis of the permanent magnet in response to the rotation of the swing member; and - a magnetic angular position sensor, arranged in a fixed position close to the permanent magnet, to provide an electrical output indicating the angular position of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 4 is a perspective top view of a cup holder for a beverage vending machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 is from Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the cup holder viewed from below.

[0017] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Exploded view of the cup holder with some parts removed for clarity.

[0018] Figure 4 Shown in plan view Figure 3 details.

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of a detail from below, the scale of the detail being exaggerated and with some parts removed for clarity.

[0020] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A perspective top view of a detail of the invention, the scale of which is exaggerated and some parts are removed for clarity.

[0021] Figure 7 yes Figure 1 Detailed exploded view of the.

[0022] Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Shown in different installation positions Figure 7 Detail of the drawing, the scale of which is exaggerated and some parts have been removed for clarity. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to enable those skilled in the art to produce the invention and use it. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles described may be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope of protection of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention should not be considered to be limited to the described and illustrated embodiments, but should be given the widest scope of protection according to the described and claimed features.

[0024] If not otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly used by those of ordinary skill in the art. In the event of a conflict, the present specification (including the definitions provided) will be binding. In addition, these examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting.

[0025] To facilitate understanding of the embodiments described herein, reference will be made to some specific embodiments and specific language will be used to describe them. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0026] In the drawings, reference numeral 1 generally designates a cup holder for a beverage vending machine (not shown).

[0027] The cup holder 1 is typically arranged in a cup filling station and is associated with a cup dispenser (for example a cup dispenser of the type described and shown in the applicant's patent WO 2017 / 158555 A1) to receive a single cup 2 from the cup dispenser at a time and hold the cup 2 under one or more nozzles arranged for dispensing the raw material of the beverage.

[0028] Typically, the cup filling station coincides with a cup removal station where the cup 2 filled with the beverage is removed by the user, and, for this purpose, the cup holder 1 is shaped to allow the cup 2 to slide laterally out of the cup holder. According to a variant, the cup removal station does not coincide with the cup filling station, and the cup holder 1 is mounted to move between the cup filling station and the cup removal station.

[0029] The cup holder 1 comprises a frame 3 shaped to define a cup falling channel 4 having a vertical axis 5. Preferably, the cup falling channel 4 has a longitudinal opening at least at a lower end portion thereof, preferably with an angular width of about 90°.

[0030] The cup holder 1 further comprises a slide rail 7 mounted on the frame 3 and designed to receive, in use, a cup 2 from a cup dispenser and feed the cup 2 to the inlet of the cup drop channel 4 in a position as central as possible with respect to the axis 5 .

[0031] Finally, the cup rack 1 includes a cup holding device, which is arranged in the cup falling channel 4 (conveniently arranged at the exit of the cup falling channel) to hold the cup 2 fed to the cup falling channel 4 each time.

[0032] The cup holding device comprises a plurality of cup holding members 8 defining between them a holding area A coaxial with the axis 5 and designed to be occupied by the cup 2 when it is supported by the cup holding members 8 .

[0033] The cup holding member 8 is slidably mounted on the frame 3 to slide in respective radial directions relative to the axis 5 in order to widen or reduce the holding area A according to the size of the cup 2 to be held.

[0034] In order to move the cup holding member 8, the cup holder 1 comprises an electric actuator 9 and a transmission 10 designed and arranged to convert the rotational movement from the electric actuator 9 into a synchronous linear movement of the cup holding member 8 along a corresponding radial direction.

[0035] As shown in the drawings, the frame 3 includes an upper half case 3 a and a lower half case 3 b coupled to each other, and the electric actuator 9 is a gear motor mounted on the upper half case 3 a.

[0036] The transmission device 10 is accommodated between the upper half shell 3a and the lower half shell 3b and preferably includes a crank and slotted connecting rod mechanism, wherein the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation of the wheel 11 about the rotation axis 12 parallel to the axis 5 is transmitted to the swinging member 13, which is installed to swing about the axis 5 in response to the rotation of the wheel 11 and is kinematically connected to the cup holding member 8 so as to convert its own swinging motion about the axis 5 into reciprocating linear motion of the cup holding member 8 along the corresponding radial direction.

[0037] Specifically, the swinging member 13 that controls the radial sliding movement of the cup holding member 8 is defined by a circular arc section coaxial with the axis 5, and the swinging member extends in a plane perpendicular to the axis 5 and is slidably engaged with a curved guide 14, which is formed in the frame 3 (specifically in the lower half shell 3b) and is coaxial with the axis 5.

[0038] Preferably, the rotational movement of the swinging member 13 about the axis 5 is also guided by a plurality of slides carried by the lower half-shell 3 b and slidably engaging corresponding curved grooves formed in the swinging member 13 .

[0039] The cup holding members 8 are mounted on the swinging member 13 and are distributed (preferably evenly distributed) along an arc of approximately 270° so as to define an opening corresponding to the above-mentioned longitudinal opening of the cup falling channel 4 and having a similar range between the two cup holding members 8 arranged at the free ends of the swinging member 13.

[0040] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, each cup holding member 8 comprises a guide slide 15 extending radially with respect to the axis 5 and slidably engaging a corresponding track 16 formed in the frame 3, in particular in the lower half-shell 3b.

[0041] Each cup holding member 8 further comprises a circular arc-shaped cup engaging portion 17 which is connected to the radially inner end of the associated guide slide 15 and which delimits the above-mentioned holding area A together with the other cup engaging portions 17 .

[0042] The swing member 13 controls the cup holding member 8 via a cam mechanism. To this end, the swing member 13 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 18, each of which is arranged facing a corresponding guide slide 15 and slidably engaged by an associated follower or pin 19 carried by the respective guide slide 15.

[0043] The slot 18 is oriented relative to the radial direction such that in response to rotation of the swing member 13 about the axis 5 , the cup holding member 8 moves radially from or toward the axis 5 depending on the direction of rotation of the swing member 13 .

[0044] The swinging member 13 is moved by the wheel 11 by means of a pin-slot connection structure designed to convert the continuous rotation of the wheel 11 into a reciprocating swinging motion of the swinging member 13 around the axis 5 as described, and to convert the swinging motion of the swinging member 13 into a radial translation of the cup holding member 8.

[0045] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 7 As shown, the wheel 11 is carried by the lower half-shell 3 b and is kinematically connected via a shaft 32 to an output 9 a of the electric actuator 9 , which is arranged on the bottom wall of the housing of the electric actuator 9 .

[0046] In particular, the shaft 32 is integral with the wheel 11 and extends upwards from the centre of the wheel 11 parallel to the axis 5 through the upper wall 34 of the upper half-shell 3 a until it engages a bushing 33 coaxial with the axis 12 .

[0047] The free end of the shaft 32 has a prismatic shape and projects from the bushing 33 to engage the output 9 a of the electric actuator 9 , thereby angularly coupling it to the wheel 11 and transmitting the movement to the oscillating member 13 .

[0048] On the side opposite to the shaft 32 , the wheel 11 carries an offset pin 20 which is parallel to the axes 5 and 12 and which slidably engages in a rectilinear slot 21 formed in the oscillating member 13 .

[0049] According to a different embodiment (not shown), the swing member 13 is not defined by a circular arc segment, but by a circular ring coaxial with the axis 5, and the cup holding members 8 are distributed along the entire swing member 13 so as to hold the cup 2 along the entire periphery of the cup 2. Therefore, in this case, the opening 6 is absent, and the cup 2 is not manually removed directly from the cup holder 1 by the user, but is released onto the surface of the cup removal compartment by radially opening the cup holding members 8. Conveniently, in this embodiment, the cup holder 1 can be provided with at least one movement in a direction parallel to the axis 5, so that it can be raised and lowered to allow the cup 2 filled with a beverage to be released more easily onto the support surface of the cup removal compartment.

[0050] like Figure 7 , Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the electric actuator 9 is mounted on the half-shell 3a by means of a quick engagement / disengagement device 35 designed to allow the electric actuator 9 to be easily and quickly mounted and dismounted by a small number of simple operations, thereby enabling an operator to separate its electronic device-containing parts from the cup holder 1 and wash the remaining parts of the cup holder 1 with water without any risk of damaging the cup holder.

[0051] According to the preferred embodiment shown, the quick engagement / disengagement device 35 includes a bayonet connection 36 and a rod release mechanism 37, which is configured to be manually operated by an operator and moved from a locked configuration to a released configuration, in which the rod release mechanism prevents the actuator 9 from being removed from the frame 3, and in the released configuration, the rod release mechanism allows the operator to move the electric actuator 9 relative to the frame 3 so that the bayonet connection 36 disengages and the electric actuator 9 is completely separated from the frame 3.

[0052] According to the preferred embodiment shown, the bayonet connection 36 includes a tab 38 that projects laterally from the outer surface of a sleeve 39 that projects from the bottom wall of the electric actuator 9, surrounds the output portion 9a, and is coaxial with the axis 12 and freely mounted on the bushing 33 when the electric actuator 9 is mounted on the frame 3.

[0053] The bayonet coupling 36 also comprises an L-shaped groove 40 carried by the frame 3 and shaped to be penetrated by the tab 38 during mounting and removal of the electric actuator 9 , so that the bayonet coupling 36 is locked and respectively unlocked.

[0054] Specifically, the groove 40 is defined by a protrusion 41 extending from the wall 34 of the half shell 3a near the bushing 33, and is formed to define a vertical section of the groove 40 and a horizontal section of the groove 40, wherein the vertical section is designed to be passed through by the protrusion 38 due to the movement of the electric actuator 9 in a direction parallel to the axis 12, and the horizontal section is designed to be passed through by the protrusion 38 due to the rotation of the electric actuator 9 around an axis parallel to the axis 12.

[0055] like Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the lever release mechanism 37 comprises a pin 42 mounted to be able to slide through the wall 34 in a direction parallel to the axis 12 and which engages a hole 43 in the bottom wall of the actuator 9 when the actuator 9 is mounted on the frame 3 .

[0056] The lever release mechanism 37 further comprises an actuation lever 44 extending transversely to the pin 42 and conveniently coupled, in particular rigidly connected, to the pin 42 so as to drive the pin 42 in response to manual operation of the actuation lever 44 by an operator.

[0057] Specifically, the actuator rod 44 can be manually moved from a conventional resting position to a release position, in which the actuator rod 44 is held in a raised position by a spring (not shown) and the pin 42 extends beyond the upper surface of the wall 34 and engages the hole 43, in which the actuator rod 44 is lowered so that the pin 42 cannot extend beyond the upper wall 34, so that the hole 43 is vacant and the electric actuator 9 can be removed due to the disengagement of the bayonet connection 36, that is, due to the rotation of the electric actuator 9 is suitable for moving the protrusion 38 along the horizontal section of the groove 40, and the translation of the electric actuator 9 in a direction parallel to the axis 12 is suitable for moving the protrusion 38 along the vertical section of the groove 40 until the electric actuator 9 is completely separated from the frame 3.

[0058] To remount the electric actuator 9 on the frame 3 , the operator does not have to reset the actuating lever 44 to the release position, since it is sufficient to orient the electric actuator 9 so that the tab 38 is aligned with the vertical section of the groove 40 and moved to the wall 34 .

[0059] The bottom wall of the electric actuator 9 is formed so that when the electric actuator 9 moves to the wall 34 to move the protrusion 38 along the vertical section of the groove 40, a portion of the wall 34 contacts the pin 42 and lowers the pin so that the pin does not interfere with the subsequent rotation of the electric actuator 9 to move the protrusion 38 along the horizontal section of the groove 40.

[0060] The horizontal section of the groove 40 is dimensioned so that when the tab 38 reaches the end of its travel and the bayonet coupling 36 is in the locked position, the pin 42 is aligned with the hole 43 and engages the hole under the urging of a spring (not shown) which resets the actuating rod 44 and the pin 42 therewith to the rest position.

[0061] The cup holder 1 also includes an electronic control system 22, which is used to control the operation of the cup holder 1, and the cup holder is configured to determine the initial configuration of the cup holder 1 when the cup holder is installed, and adjust the size of the holding area A during use so that it is suitable for the size of the cup 2 to be used, and dynamically correct the position of the cup holding member 8 to compensate for any deviation that may occur after a certain use cycle due to various reasons (for example, wear or dirt).

[0062] In the embodiment in which the swinging member 13 has the shape of a ring, the electronic control system 22 is also configured to operate the cup holding members 8 so that they have a configuration in which the cup 2 filled with a beverage is released onto the supporting surface of the cup removal compartment and to bring the cup holding members 8 into a cup holding configuration in which an empty cup 2 is held.

[0063] The electronic control system 22 includes:

[0064] a sensor system 23 mounted and configured to output an electrical output so as to allow the size of the holding area A to be determined; and

[0065] - an electronic control unit 24, electrically connected to the sensing system 23 to receive its electrical output, and electrically connected to the electric actuator 9 to provide an electrical control signal thereto, and the electronic control unit is programmed to control the electric actuator 9 based on the electrical output of the sensing system 23 so that the dimensions of the holding area A are adapted to the dimensions of the cup 2 for accommodating the selected beverage.

[0066] In particular, the sensing system 23 comprises a magnetic angular position sensor device 27 designed and mounted to output an electrical output indicative of the absolute angular position of the swing member 13 and hence the absolute radial position of the cup holding member 8 .

[0067] For this purpose, the magnetic angular position sensor device 27 comprises:

[0068] an axially magnetized permanent magnet 25 having a magnetization axis B and mounted to rotate in response to the rotation of the oscillating member 13 about an axis of rotation C orthogonal to and passing through the magnetization axis B of the permanent magnet 25; and

[0069] a magnetic angular position sensor 26 arranged in a fixed position close to the permanent magnet 25 so as to output an electrical output (preferably of digital type) indicative of the angular position of the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 25 .

[0070] The permanent magnet 25 is expediently a cylindrical magnet carried for rotation about an axis of rotation C parallel to the axis 5 by a shaft 28 of a gear 29 mounted on the frame 3 and meshing with a toothed section 30 formed along the edge of the oscillating member 13 .

[0071] The permanent magnet 25 is inserted into a hole formed at the free end of the shaft 28 facing the magnetic angular position sensor 26 and has an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation C and coinciding with the axis of magnetization B.

[0072] The magnetic angular position sensor 26 is mounted on a printed circuit board 31 which is housed in a fixed position inside the housing of the electric actuator 9 and which is arranged in alignment with the axis of rotation C.

[0073] Gear 29 includes a plurality of teeth with a constant pitch. In one possible embodiment, gear 29 includes 18 teeth with a pitch of 20°. In different embodiments, gear 29 may include a number of teeth greater than or less than 18 to have a pitch less than or greater than 20°.

[0074] Since the number of teeth of the gear 29 determines the corresponding number of possible discrete angular positions at which the gear 29 can be arbitrarily coupled to the toothed section 30 of the swing member 13 when the cup holder 1 is installed, the electronic control unit 24 is programmed to determine the initial configuration of the cup holder when the cup holder 1 is installed, which is defined by the initial size of the holding area A when the cup holder 1 is installed.

[0075] To this end, in one embodiment, the electronic control unit 24 is programmed to:

[0076] - determining the current absolute angular position of the permanent magnet 25 based on the electrical output of the magnetic angular position sensor 26,

[0077] - the electric actuator 9 is energized until the electronic control unit 24 detects, based on the current absolute angular position of the permanent magnet 25:

[0078] o a first rotational direction reversal of the permanent magnet 25, which is caused by a reversal in the swing direction of the swing member 13 and indicates that the swing member 13 has reached a first end-of-stroke absolute angular position corresponding to a first end-of-stroke radial position of the cup holding member 8 and, therefore, to a minimum or maximum dimension of the holding area A of the cup 2, and

[0079] o a second rotational direction reversal of the permanent magnet 25, which is caused by a reversal in the swing direction of the swing member 13 and indicates that the swing member 13 has reached a second end-of-stroke absolute angular position opposite to the first end-of-stroke absolute angular position, which second end-of-stroke absolute angular position corresponds to a second end-of-stroke radial position of the cup holding member 8 and, therefore, corresponds to the other of the minimum and maximum dimensions of the cup holding area of ​​the cup 2,

[0080] - determining the initial absolute angular position assumed by the permanent magnet 25 when the electric actuator 9 is energized, and determining a first and a second final absolute angular position of the permanent magnet 25 corresponding to a first and a second end-of-stroke absolute angular position of the oscillating member 13,

[0081] - determining the stroke or angular range of the oscillating member 13 in response to one complete rotation of the wheel 11 based on the first and second final absolute angular positions of the permanent magnet 25 corresponding to the first and second final absolute angular positions of the oscillating member 13 (specifically the absolute value of the difference therebetween), and

[0082] Based on the angular displacement of the permanent magnet 25 from the initial absolute angular position to the first final absolute angular position corresponding to the first swing reversal of the swing member 13 and the determined stroke or angular range of the swing member 13, the initial configuration of the cup holder 1 when the cup holder 1 is installed is determined, and thus the initial size of the holding area A is determined.

[0083] In different embodiments, in addition to energizing the electric actuator 9 so that the swinging member 13 performs a full stroke or angular stroke in response to a complete rotation of the wheel 11 so as to reach a first stroke end absolute angular position and a second stroke end absolute angular position, and then determining the stroke or angular stroke range of the swinging member 13 in response to a complete rotation of the wheel 11 based on the first stroke end absolute angular position and the second stroke end absolute angular position, the stroke or angular stroke range of the swinging member 1 can also be stored in the electronic control unit 24, and the electric actuator 9 can be energized until the electronic control unit 24 detects that the first rotation direction of the permanent magnet 25 is reversal.

[0084] Therefore, in this embodiment, only the initial absolute angular position assumed by the permanent magnet 25 when the electric actuator 9 is powered on and the first final absolute angular position of the permanent magnet 25 corresponding to the first stroke end absolute angular position of the swing member 13 are determined, and the first final absolute angular position is adopted when the first swing direction reversal of the swing member 13 is detected; therefore, the initial configuration of the cup holder 1 is determined based on the angular displacement of the permanent magnet 25 from the initial absolute angular position to the first final absolute angular position corresponding to the first swing reversal of the swing member 13 and the stored stroke or angular range of the swing member 13.

[0085] The electronic control unit 24 may also be programmed to:

[0086] - determining the number of teeth of the gear 29 corresponding to the angular displacement from the initial absolute angular position to the first final absolute angular position closer to the permanent magnet 25 according to the pitch between the teeth, and

[0087] - Determining the angular displacement of the permanent magnet 25 from its initial absolute angular position to a first final absolute angular position based on the determined number of teeth of the gear wheel 29 and the pitch between the teeth.

[0088] Finally, the electronic control unit 24 is programmed to adapt the size of the holding area A to the size of the cup 2 to be used, based on its initial size when the cup holder 1 is mounted and based on the pitch between the teeth of the gear 29 .

Claims

1. A cup holder (1) designed to be mounted in a beverage vending machine to support a single cup (2) in a filling station and / or in a removal station; the cup holder (1) having a vertical axis (5) and comprising a cup holding device (8), the cup holding device defining a cup holding area (A) intended to be occupied by the cup (2) when the cup (2) is supported by the cup holding device (8), and the cup holding device comprising a plurality of cup holding members (8) operated by an electric actuator (9) to slide in respective radial directions relative to the axis (5) so as to adapt the size of the cup holding area (A) to the size of the cup (2) to be supported; The cup holder (1) further comprises a transmission device (10), which kinematically connects the electric actuator (9) to the cup holding device (8), and the transmission device comprises a swinging member (13), which is coaxial with the axis (5) and is connected to the electric actuator (9) via a kinematic linkage, the kinematic linkage being designed to convert the rotational motion received from the electric actuator (9) into a reciprocating swinging motion of the swinging member (13) around the axis (5), and the swinging member is connected to the cup holding member (8) via a kinematic linkage, the kinematic linkage being designed to convert the reciprocating swinging motion of the swinging member (13) into a synchronous reciprocating linear motion of the cup holding member (8) in corresponding radial directions; The cup holder (1) further comprises an electronic control system (22) for controlling the movement of the cup holding member (8) and thereby controlling the size of the cup holding area (A); The electronic control system (22) comprises: a sensing system (23) mounted and configured to generate an electrical output to allow the size of the cup holding area (A) to be determined; as well as an electronic control unit (24) electrically connected to the sensing system (23) to receive the electrical output of the sensing system, and electrically connected to the electric actuator (9) to supply an electrical control signal to the electric actuator, and the electronic control unit is programmed to control the electric actuator (9) based on the electrical output of the sensing system (23) so as to adapt the size of the cup holding area (A) to the size of the cup (2) to be supported by moving the cup holding member (8); The sensing system (23) comprises a magnetic angular position sensor device (53) designed and mounted to provide an electrical output indicative of the absolute angular position of the swing member (13) and hence the absolute radial position of the cup holding member (8); The magnetic angular position sensor device (53) comprises: - an axially magnetized permanent magnet (25) having a magnetization axis (A) and mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation (B) perpendicular to the magnetization axis (A) of the permanent magnet (25) in response to the rotation of the oscillating member (13); as well as - a magnetic angular position sensor (26) arranged in a fixed position close to said permanent magnet (25) to provide an electrical output indicative of the angular position of the magnetic field generated by said permanent magnet (25).

2. The cup holder (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The magnet (25) is a cylindrical magnet carried by the shaft (28) of a gear (29) which is mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation (B) parallel to the axis (5) and which meshes with a toothed section (30) formed along the edge of the oscillating member (13).

3. The cup holder (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The electronic control unit (24) is also programmed to determine an initial configuration of the cup holder (1) defined by an initial size of the cup holding area (A) when the cup holder (1) is installed.

4. The cup holder (1) according to claim 3, wherein: In order to determine the initial configuration of the cup holder (1), the electronic control unit (24) is also programmed to: - determining the current absolute angular position of the magnet (25) based on the electrical output of the magnetic angular position sensor (26), - energizing the electric actuator (9) until the electronic control unit (24) detects, based on the current absolute angular position of the magnet (25): o a first rotational direction reversal of the magnet (25), which is caused by a reversal of the swinging direction of the swinging member (13) and indicates that the swinging member (13) has reached a first end-of-stroke absolute angular position, which corresponds to a first end-of-stroke radial position of the cup holding member (8) and, therefore, to a minimum dimension or a maximum dimension of the cup holding area (A) of the cup (2), and o a second reversal of the direction of rotation of the magnet (25), which is caused by another reversal of the direction of swinging of the swinging member (13) and indicates that the swinging member (13) has reached a second end-of-stroke absolute angular position opposite to the first end-of-stroke absolute angular position, the second end-of-stroke absolute angular position corresponding to a second end-of-stroke radial position of the cup holding member (8) and therefore corresponding to the other of the minimum and maximum dimensions of the cup holding area (A) of the cup (2), - determining the initial absolute angular position assumed by the magnet (25) when the electric actuator (9) is energized, and the first absolute angular position and the second absolute angular position of the magnet (25) correspond to the first end-of-stroke absolute angular position and the second end-of-stroke absolute angular position of the oscillating member (13), - determining the stroke or angular range of the oscillating member (13) in response to one complete rotation of the wheel (11) based on the difference between the first and second absolute angular positions of the magnet (25) corresponding to the first and second end-of-stroke absolute angular positions of the oscillating member (13), and - determining an initial configuration of the cup holder (1) based on the angular displacement of the magnet (25) from the initial absolute angular position to a first final absolute angular position corresponding to the first end-of-stroke absolute angular position of the swing member (13) and the determined stroke or angular range of the swing member (13).

5. The cup holder (1) according to claim 3, wherein: In order to determine the initial configuration of the cup holder (1), the electronic control unit (24) is also programmed to: - storing the travel or angular range of the oscillating member (13) in response to a complete rotation of the wheel (11), - determining the current absolute angular position of the magnet (25) based on the electrical output of the magnetic angular position sensor (26), - energizing the electric actuator (9) until the electronic control unit (24) detects, based on the current absolute angular position of the magnet (25): o a first rotational direction reversal of the magnet (25), which is caused by a reversal of the swinging direction of the swinging member (13) and indicates that the swinging member (13) has reached a first end-of-stroke absolute angular position, which corresponds to a first end-of-stroke radial position of the cup holding member (8) and therefore to a minimum dimension or a maximum dimension of the cup holding area (A) of the cup (2), - determining the initial absolute angular position assumed by the magnet (25) when the electric actuator (9) is energized, wherein the first absolute angular position of the magnet (25) corresponds to the first end-of-travel absolute angular position of the oscillating member (13), and - determining the initial configuration of the cup holder (1) based on the angular displacement of the magnet (25) from the initial absolute angular position to a first final absolute angular position corresponding to the first end-of-stroke absolute angular position of the swing member (13) and the stored stroke or angular range of the swing member (13).

6. A beverage vending machine, comprising: a cup dispenser designed to release a single cup (2); And a cup holder (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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