A rotary spoon type vending machine adapted for round bottled goods

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of vending machine technology and discloses a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted for round bottled goods, comprising a cabinet, a vertical modular storage channel at the bottom of the cabinet, a shelf fixedly installed inside the cabinet, a dispensing hole on one side of the shelf, a rotating spoon dispensing component directly below the dispensing hole, and a guide channel between the rotating spoon dispensing component and the vertical modular storage channel. This invention, by employing a lifting, rotating, and releasing action mode, ensures that the bottle is always constrained by the curved spoon surface during rotation, preventing rolling, deviation, and mutual compression, thus completely solving the jamming problem caused by traditional spring-driven and gravity-driven sliding mechanisms.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vending machine technology, and more specifically, to a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, vending machines primarily use three dispensing methods for round bottled goods: spring push, conveyor belt, and gravity slide. Spring push has a simple structure and low cost, but the smooth bottle body makes it easy to roll, which can easily lead to problems such as jamming, empty pushing, and compression deformation. Conveyor belts run smoothly, but their structure is complex, takes up a lot of space, and has a relatively high cost. Gravity slides depend on the tilt angle, are sensitive to the size of the bottle and the center of gravity, have poor versatility, and the large impact of falling bottles can easily cause damage to the goods.

[0003] Overall, existing equipment generally suffers from poor compatibility with round bottled goods, unstable delivery, high jamming and breakage rates, and inconvenient maintenance, making it difficult to meet the actual needs of convenience stores, communities, office buildings, and other scenarios for stable, efficient, and low-damage automated vending. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In order to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art, the present invention provides a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods, so as to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods includes a cabinet, a vertical modular storage channel is provided below the cabinet, a shelf is fixedly installed inside the cabinet, a dispensing hole is opened on one side below the shelf, a rotating spoon dispensing component is provided directly below the dispensing hole, and a guide material dropping channel is provided between the rotating spoon dispensing component and the vertical modular storage channel.

[0006] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotating spoon dispensing assembly includes a spoon-shaped tray, which is rotatably connected below the dispensing hole, and the rotating shaft of the spoon-shaped tray is connected to a drive system.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive system includes a rotary shaft, a stepper motor, an angle sensor, and a microcontroller. The stepper motor is fixedly installed at the bottom of the shelf, and the output shaft of the stepper motor is connected to the rotary shaft. One end of the rotary shaft is connected to the rotating shaft of the spoon-shaped tray. The angle sensor and the microcontroller are respectively fixed under the shelf on one side of the spoon-shaped tray.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the drive control system supports a wireless communication module, which can remotely monitor the shipment status, jamming faults, and product inventory information.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vertical modular storage channel is a multi-layer independent structure, and each layer of the vertical modular storage channel is provided with adjustable side plates on both sides.

[0010] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the inner arc surface of the spoon-shaped tray matches the outline of the circular bottle, and the surface of the spoon-shaped tray is treated with anti-slip material.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of buffer sponge blocks are fixed on the inner sidewall of the guide material dropping channel.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, casters are fixed at the four corners of the bottom of the cabinet.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. This invention employs a lifting, rotating, and releasing action mode, ensuring that the bottle body is always constrained by the curved spoon surface during rotation, preventing it from rolling, shifting, or squeezing against each other, thus completely solving the jamming problem caused by traditional spring pushing and gravity sliding tracks.

[0014] 2. This invention ensures that there is no impact, squeezing, or collision during the entire shipping process. The flexible guide channel further buffers the falling speed, making it particularly suitable for glass bottles and easily deformable bottles, thus ensuring the integrity of the goods.

[0015] 3. The width of the product channel in this invention is adjustable, and the spoon-shaped tray adopts a universal arc design, which can be compatible with round bottled products of different diameters and heights without changing any parts, greatly improving the versatility of the equipment.

[0016] 4. This invention uses a real-time closed-loop feedback sensor to ensure precise and controllable rotation angle, and ensures that each delivery action is completely consistent, without problems such as pushing too far, pushing too much, or not reaching the correct position.

[0017] 5. This invention supports wireless communication, remote monitoring, inventory management, and fault alarms, meeting the needs of intelligent, digital, and unmanned operation in new retail. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to the present invention; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the main structure of a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a side view of the structure of a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating spoon dispensing component of a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to the present invention.

[0020] In the diagram: 1. Cabinet; 2. Vertical modular storage aisle; 3. Casters; 4. Shelf; 5. Rotating spoon delivery assembly; 51. Spoon-shaped tray; 52. Rotating shaft; 53. Stepper motor; 54. Angle sensor; 55. Microcontroller; 6. Guide material drop channel; 7. Buffer foam block. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0022] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, this invention provides a rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods, including a cabinet 1. A vertical modular storage channel 2 is provided below the cabinet 1. A shelf 4 is fixedly installed inside the cabinet 1. A dispensing hole is opened on one side below the shelf 4. A rotating spoon dispensing component 5 is provided directly below the dispensing hole. A guide material discharge channel 6 is provided between the rotating spoon dispensing component 5 and the vertical modular storage channel 2. The cabinet 1 is made of cold-rolled steel plate bent and welded, and the surface is treated with electrostatic powder coating, which is rust-proof and durable. A transparent acrylic door panel is provided at the front of the cabinet 1 to facilitate users to observe the goods inside. A human-machine interaction module is provided above the door panel, including a touch screen, a payment QR code, and a status indicator light. A dispensing port is provided below the door panel, and a flip-top baffle is installed at the dispensing port.

[0023] The cabinet 1 contains multiple rows of multi-layer vertical modular storage channels 2, each independent of the others, for vertically stacking round bottled goods. A rotating spoon dispensing assembly 5 is installed at the bottom of each channel. Below the rotating spoon dispensing assembly 5 is a guide channel that converges at the retrieval port. The drive control system, power module, and communication module are installed at the bottom of the cabinet 1, providing control, drive, power supply, and remote communication functions for the entire machine.

[0024] The rotating spoon dispensing component 5 includes a spoon-shaped tray 51, which is rotatably connected below the dispensing hole. The inner arc surface of the spoon-shaped tray 51 matches the outline of the circular bottle, and the surface of the spoon-shaped tray 51 is treated with anti-slip material. The rotating shaft of the spoon-shaped tray 51 is connected to a drive system, which includes a rotating shaft 52, a stepper motor 53, an angle sensor 54, and a microcontroller 55. The stepper motor 53 is fixedly installed at the bottom of the shelf 4, and the output shaft of the stepper motor 53 is connected to the rotating shaft 52. One end of the rotating shaft 52 is connected to the rotating shaft of the spoon-shaped tray 51. The angle sensor 54 and the microcontroller 55 are respectively fixed below the shelf 4 on one side of the spoon-shaped tray 51. The drive control system supports a wireless communication module, which can remotely monitor the dispensing status, jamming faults, and product inventory information.

[0025] The spoon-shaped tray 51 is integrally injection molded or sheet metal stamped. Its concave arc surface matches the round bottle bottom, which can stably support a single bottle. The rotating shaft 52 is fixedly connected to the spoon-shaped tray 51 and is driven to rotate by the stepper motor 53. The angle sensor 54 is coaxially installed with the rotating shaft 52 to collect the rotation angle in real time and send it to the drive control system to achieve closed-loop precise positioning.

[0026] Shipping process: When in standby mode, the spoon-shaped tray 51 is in a horizontal lifting position; upon receiving an instruction, the stepper motor 53 drives the spoon-shaped tray 51 to rotate slowly, lifting the bottle body upward and moving it forward, so that the bottom of the bottle is separated from the upper product. It continues to rotate to a release angle between 45° and 75°, and the bottle body slides out along the arc surface under its own weight. Then the spoon-shaped tray 31 quickly returns to its original position, completing one shipment.

[0027] The vertical modular storage channel 2 is a multi-layered independent structure, with adjustable side panels on both sides of each layer. The vertical modular storage channel 2 includes adjustable side panels 21, a rear baffle 22, and a channel support 23. The adjustable side panels 21 are connected to the channel support 23 via slide rails, allowing for left and right width adjustment to accommodate round bottled goods of different diameters. The adjustment range covers bottle shapes from 38mm to 85mm in diameter, encompassing most commercially available mineral water, beverages, milk, and daily chemical bottles. The channel is vertical, with goods stacked from top to bottom, the bottom bottle landing directly on the spoon-shaped tray 31 of the rotating spoon dispensing component 3. Replenishment is achieved by placing the product directly from the top of the channel, eliminating the need to open each layer of support, resulting in high replenishment efficiency.

[0028] The inner wall of the guide material drop channel 6 is fixed with multiple buffer sponge blocks 7. The guide material drop channel 6 is an arc-shaped buffer channel with a flexible buffer inner wall and multiple levels of buffer sponge blocks 7, which slows down the falling of goods step by step to avoid impact damage. Anti-jamming sensors are installed inside the channel, using infrared through-beam or reflective photoelectric sensors. When the goods pass through normally, the sensor signal is blocked and then recovers, and the system determines that the delivery is normal. If the goods are stuck and the sensor signal continues to be abnormal for more than a set time (such as 2 seconds), the drive control system immediately controls the rotating spoon assembly 5 to perform a small auxiliary rotation to push the goods to fall smoothly and realize automatic jamming.

[0029] Among them, the four corners of the bottom of the cabinet 1 are all fixed with casters 3, which can facilitate the movement of the cabinet 1.

[0030] A method for shipping round bottled goods includes the following steps: S1: The system is in standby mode, and the spoon-shaped trays of each cargo channel are in a horizontal lifting position, supporting the bottom bottle of the product.

[0031] S2: After the user completes the product selection and payment, the payment module sends a shipment instruction to the microcontroller.

[0032] S3: The microcontroller initializes the parameters of the corresponding feed channel motor and starts the stepper motor.

[0033] S4: The stepper motor drives the spoon-shaped tray to rotate to the lifting position, separating the bottom bottle from the top bottle.

[0034] S5: The spoon-shaped tray continues to rotate at a constant speed until the release angle is reached, and the product slides out smoothly along the spoon surface.

[0035] S6: The goods enter the guide feeding channel and fall down along the buffer channel to the picking port.

[0036] S7: Anti-jamming sensor detects the status of goods passing through in real time.

[0037] S8: If the test is normal, the spoon-shaped tray will quickly reset, and the shipment will be completed.

[0038] S9: If a jam is detected, the system will execute an automatic jam removal program and control the spoon to rotate slightly to assist in pushing the product.

[0039] S10: After the delay is resolved, the system resets and records the fault information, then waits for the next instruction.

[0040] Working principle and usage process: Equipment installation and power-on: Move the equipment to the designated location, lock the casters, connect the power supply, and the equipment will complete its self-test and enter standby mode.

[0041] Product Replenishment: Open the front door of the cabinet, place the round bottled products from the top of the vertical modular storage channel 2, stack the products vertically along the channel, and place the bottom bottle on the spoon-shaped tray 51.

[0042] User purchase: Users select products through the human-computer interaction module and complete the payment by scanning a code with their mobile phone, or by using banknotes or coins.

[0043] Automatic delivery: After successful payment, the drive control system controls the rotating spoon delivery component 5 of the corresponding delivery channel to rotate, lift and release the goods.

[0044] Buffered feeding: The goods slide smoothly down the guide feeding channel and reach the picking port after being buffered by flexible means.

[0045] Pick up the goods: The user opens the pick-up slot cover and takes out the goods, completing the single purchase process.

[0046] Automatic card sorting and fault monitoring: If the shipment process is delayed, the system will automatically start the card sorting program; if the fault cannot be automatically resolved, the system will issue an alarm and upload it to the backend to notify the operation and maintenance personnel.

[0047] Remote management: The back-end server receives equipment transaction data, inventory data, and fault information in real time, and can remotely monitor, adjust prices, upgrade, and maintain the equipment.

[0048] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0049] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods, comprising a cabinet (1), characterized in that: A vertical modular storage channel (2) is provided below the cabinet (1). A shelf (4) is fixedly installed inside the cabinet (1). A delivery hole is opened on one side below the shelf (4). A rotating spoon delivery component (5) is provided directly below the delivery hole. A guide material drop channel (6) is provided between the rotating spoon delivery component (5) and the vertical modular storage channel (2).

2. The rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating spoon dispensing assembly (5) includes a spoon-shaped tray (51) which is rotatably connected below the dispensing hole, and the rotating shaft of the spoon-shaped tray (51) is connected to a drive system.

3. The rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to claim 2, characterized in that: The drive system includes a rotary shaft (52), a stepper motor (53), an angle sensor (54), and a microcontroller (55). The stepper motor (53) is fixedly installed at the bottom of the shelf (4). The output shaft of the stepper motor (53) is connected to the rotary shaft (52). One end of the rotary shaft (52) is connected to the rotating shaft of the spoon-shaped tray (51). The angle sensor (54) and the microcontroller (55) are respectively fixed under the shelf (4) on one side of the spoon-shaped tray (51).

4. The rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to claim 3, characterized in that: The drive control system supports a wireless communication module, which can remotely monitor the shipment status, jamming faults, and product inventory information.

5. A rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical modular storage channel (2) is a multi-layer independent structure, and each layer of the vertical modular storage channel (2) is provided with adjustable side plates on both sides.

6. A rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to claim 2, characterized in that: The inner arc surface of the spoon-shaped tray (51) matches the outline of the circular bottle, and the surface of the spoon-shaped tray (51) is treated with anti-slip treatment.

7. A rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: Multiple buffer sponge blocks (7) are fixed on the inner wall of the guide material discharge channel (6).

8. A rotating spoon-type automatic vending machine adapted to round bottled goods according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cabinet (1) is fixed with casters (3) at the four corners of its bottom.

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