Warehousing system for vending machine

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of food machining, in particular to a warehousing system for a vending machine. Comprising a box body with a box door, and the interior of the box body is divided into a plurality of cavities by partition plates; the storage rack is mounted at the bottom of the cavity in a sliding manner and is used for placing a plurality of commodities which are stacked in order into the box body at a time; the leading-out unit penetrates through the side wall of the cavity and is used for transferring the commodities in the cavity to the outside of the box body; and the grabbing unit is located at the top of the cavity and is configured to grab the specific commodities out of the commodity shelf according to the requirements of a user and transfer the specific commodities to the exporting unit. According to the warehousing system, on the premise that specific meals are accurately taken out, one-time placement of a large number of meals can be achieved, compared with the prior art, the loading time is effectively shortened, the labor intensity of maintenance personnel is relieved, and the timeliness and stability of response of the whole sales network are guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of food machinery processing technology, specifically to a storage system for automatic vending machines. Background Technology

[0002] Vending machines, as a convenient retail method, have been widely used in various locations. Traditional vending machines typically use storage methods such as spiral conveyors, spring conveyors, or conveyor belt conveyors. While these methods are simple in structure, they have significant shortcomings in terms of product replenishment and placement efficiency.

[0003] Traditional warehousing systems require manual placement of goods one by one into the storage lanes, which is cumbersome and time-consuming. Especially when there are many types and large quantities of goods, the replenishment efficiency is low and it is difficult to meet the high-frequency, large-volume replenishment needs.

[0004] Therefore, developing a storage system for vending machines that is simple in structure, low in cost, and capable of quickly placing goods is of great practical significance and application value. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a storage system for vending machines that is simple in structure, low in cost, and can realize the rapid placement of goods.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A storage system for vending machines includes: a cabinet with a door, the interior of which is divided into several chambers by partitions;

[0008] A shelf, which is slidably installed at the bottom of the chamber, is used to place several neatly stacked goods into the box at once;

[0009] A gripping unit, located at the top of the chamber, is configured to identify, grip, and transfer specific items from the shelf to the export unit according to the user's needs.

[0010] The export unit penetrates the side wall of the chamber and is used to transfer the goods inside the chamber to the outside of the box.

[0011] Preferably, the shelf is surrounded by a fence, and the space enclosed by the fence is divided into multiple compartments by crisscrossing baffles.

[0012] Preferably, the bottom of the shelf is provided with a slider, and the bottom of the chamber is provided with a slide rail corresponding to the slider.

[0013] Preferably, the enclosure of the shelf is equipped with handles.

[0014] Preferably, the export unit includes two guide rails, a sliding plate, and a rack located at the outlet of the chamber and fixedly installed on the outer wall of the box.

[0015] A slide plate is slidably mounted on the guide rail, and the rack is located below the slide plate and fixed between the two guide rails;

[0016] A drive motor is fixedly installed on the skateboard, and a gear is installed at the output end of the drive motor, which meshes with a rack.

[0017] Preferably, the gripping unit includes a suction cup robotic arm and a horizontal and vertical motion mechanism;

[0018] The horizontal and vertical motion mechanism is arranged at the top of the chamber and is used to drive the suction cup robotic arm to a designated position to adsorb, grasp, and transfer specific products.

[0019] Preferably, the suction cup robotic arm is equipped with a camera, which, with the assistance of an image recognition algorithm, feeds back the position information of a specific product to the horizontal and vertical motion mechanism so as to transport the suction cup robotic arm directly above the specific product.

[0020] The beneficial effect of this utility model is that by pushing the pre-stacked goods rack into the box at once, the replenishment time is greatly shortened and the replenishment efficiency is improved. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the box structure of this utility model.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the derived unit structure of this utility model.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the gripping unit structure of this utility model.

[0024] In the diagram: 1. Box body; 2. Box door; 3. Partition; 4. Shelf; 5. Enclosure; 6. Slider; 7. Slide rail; 8. Handle; 9. Outlet; 10. Guide rail; 11. Slide plate; 12. Rack; 13. Gear; 14. Drive motor; 15. Suction cup robotic arm; 16. Horizontal and vertical motion mechanism; 17. Baffle. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the present invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, this utility model provides a storage system for vending machines, including: a box 1 with a door 2, wherein the interior of the box 1 is divided into several chambers by a partition 3;

[0027] A shelf 4 is slidably installed at the bottom of the chamber and is used to place several neatly stacked goods into the box 1 at one time.

[0028] The export unit extends through the side wall of the chamber and is used to transfer the goods inside the chamber to the outside of the box 1;

[0029] A grasping unit, located at the top of the chamber, is configured to identify and grasp specific items from the shelf 4 according to user needs, and transfer them to the export unit. When the vending machine sells items with high preservation requirements, such as cakes, rice, and steamed buns, large-scale deployment of such vending machines in a certain area will put enormous pressure on logistical support, as a large number of maintenance personnel will need to travel to various locations to replenish these items to the vending machines. Taking breakfast as an example, the normal breakfast time is between 7 am and 9 am, which means that maintenance personnel must leave from the central kitchen before 7 am to deliver the fresh breakfast to all vending machines that day, otherwise it will affect the day's turnover. If the meals are manually placed into the warehouse one by one as in the existing vending machines, it will inevitably slow down the replenishment progress. The logistics department will either need to hire more maintenance personnel or make the central kitchen and maintenance personnel start work earlier, but neither of these is the optimal solution. The former will increase logistics expenses, and the latter will impose more stringent requirements on the employees' work and rest schedules.

[0030] Therefore, in this specific embodiment, by redesigning the vending machine's storage system, workers in the central kitchen can directly stack the meals according to different types on the shelves 4 during the meal packaging process. Maintenance personnel can then move the entire shelf 4 from the central kitchen until it reaches a vending machine, where they can open the door 2 and place the shelf 4 into the container 1, completing the loading of multiple meals at once. This loading method, which involves placing a large number of meals into the container 1 at once using the shelves 4, not only saves on the additional packaging materials needed during the transfer of meals from the central kitchen to the vending machine, but also greatly shortens the loading time, reduces the pressure on logistical support, and achieves the goal of rapid restocking of vending machines.

[0031] However, with the redesign of the internal structure of container 1, the process of unloading food from container 1 will inevitably differ from traditional spiral, spring, or tracked conveyor systems. For example... Figure 3As shown, optionally, the gripping unit includes a suction cup robotic arm 15 and a horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16;

[0032] The horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16 is arranged at the top of the chamber and is used to drive the suction cup robotic arm 15 to a designated position to adsorb, grasp and transfer specific products.

[0033] Specifically, when a large number of meals are placed at the bottom of the chamber by the shelf 4, the upper surface of the meal box will open to the suction cup robotic arm 15. The horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16 is horizontally arranged at the top of the chamber. The horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16 includes, but is not limited to, an electric push rod structure, or a structure that drives the claw to move in a plane as in existing claw machines. It only needs to be able to drive the suction cup robotic arm 15 to move horizontally at the top of the chamber. After receiving the meal selection information, the horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16 horizontally transports the suction cup robotic arm 15 directly above the designated type of meal. Then, the suction cup robotic arm 15 can change its length to push the suction cup at its end close to the upper surface of the meal box, and then generate negative pressure to suction and grasp the meal box. The specific structure and grasping principle of the suction cup robotic arm 15 are existing technologies and will not be described in detail here.

[0034] To improve the gripping accuracy of the suction cup robotic arm 15, optionally, the suction cup robotic arm 15 is equipped with a camera. With the assistance of an image recognition algorithm, the camera feeds back the position information of a specific product to the horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16, so that the suction cup robotic arm 15 can be transported directly above the specific product. Because the camera is mounted on the suction cup robotic arm 15, its superior perspective allows it to capture the food information on the entire upper surface of the shelf 4. The camera feeds back the collected images to the corresponding image analysis and processing module, which identifies the specific type of food in each compartment and correlates it with the compartment's position information. When a gripping task is triggered, the position information of the specific type of food is sent to the horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16, enabling the horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16 to transfer the suction cup robotic arm 15 to above the specific food, thus achieving the gripping action. The use of image recognition algorithms to identify the type of product and the image analysis and processing module during the identification process are both existing technologies. The introduction of image recognition algorithms makes the placement and order of food in shelf 4 less critical. Even if the types of food in shelf 4 are misplaced, it will not lead to incorrect food dispensing, thus ensuring the reliability of the vending machine.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, optionally, the export unit includes two guide rails 10, a sliding plate 11, and a rack 12 located at the chamber outlet 9 and fixedly installed on the outer wall of the box 1;

[0036] A slide plate 11 is slidably mounted on the guide rail 10, and the rack 12 is located below the slide plate 11 and fixed between the two guide rails 10;

[0037] A drive motor 14 is fixedly installed on the slide plate 11, and a gear 13 is installed at the output end of the drive motor 14. The gear 13 meshes with the rack 12.

[0038] Specifically, after the suction cup robotic arm 15 picks up the food container from a certain storage compartment and then transports it to the slide plate 11 for release, the food container is transferred from the storage compartment to the slide plate 11 by the transfer action of the suction cup robotic arm 15. At this time, the drive motor 14 on the slide plate 11 drives the gear 13 under the slide plate 11 to rotate. The rotating gear 13 will drive the slide plate 11 to slide out of the box 1 along the guide rail 10 through meshing with the rack 12. Thus, the designated food in the box 1 is transferred to the outside of the box 1 through the discharge port 9 opened in the side wall of the chamber.

[0039] Optionally, to enable the storage rack 4 to meet the stacking and transfer needs of different types of food, the storage rack 4 is surrounded by barriers 5, and the space enclosed by the barriers 5 is divided into multiple compartments by crisscrossing baffles 17. The compartments enclosed by the barriers 5 and baffles 17 have a certain depth, allowing multiple types of food to be stacked vertically inside. Optionally, the cross-sectional dimensions of the compartments are designed according to the standardized size of food containers, so that the compartment walls can restrain and limit the food containers, ensuring the stability of the food containers during the transfer of food on the storage rack 4.

[0040] Optionally, a handle 8 is installed on the enclosure 5 of the shelf 4. This allows maintenance personnel to apply force to the shelf 4 by holding the handle 8, facilitating the handling of the shelf 4 during transportation; when the shelf 4 is placed on the partition 3, it can be pulled out of the box 1 by pulling the handle 8, facilitating the unloading of the shelf 4 from the box 1.

[0041] To ensure the smoothness and stability of the shelf 4 when placed into the housing 1, optionally, a slider 6 is provided at the bottom of the shelf 4, and a slide rail 7 is provided at the bottom of the cavity corresponding to the slider 6. Specifically, by providing a slide rail 7 at the bottom of the cavity, when the shelf 4 is placed on the cavity, the slider 6 at the bottom of the shelf 4 will slide and engage with the slide rail 7. When maintenance personnel push the shelf 4 into the cavity, the slider 6 can slide along the slide rail 7, ensuring the stability and smoothness of the shelf 4 during placement. At the same time, the limiting of the slider 6 by the slide rail 7 can also ensure the uniformity of the shelf 4's placement position each time, facilitating the gripping unit's gripping and ensuring its gripping accuracy.

[0042] In summary, this utility model simplifies the internal structure of the container 1, making it similar to a drawer with the shelf 4. This allows maintenance personnel to directly place the shelf 4, which contains pre-filled meals, into the container 1 after leaving the central kitchen, thus completing the filling of a large quantity of different types of meals at once. In order to accommodate the horizontal stacking of meals inside the container 1, a suction cup robotic arm 15 is specially designed above the shelf 4. Under the transport of the horizontal and vertical motion mechanism 16, it can be accurately transferred to the top of a specific meal box. Then, the meal box is picked up from the storage compartment in the shelf 4 by negative pressure gripping and transferred to the slide plate 11. The slide plate 11 then continues to horizontally transfer the grabbed meal box to the outside of the container 1, thus completing the entire storage process of the meal box from storage to retrieval. Furthermore, during the warehousing process, while ensuring the accurate retrieval of specific meals, a large quantity of different types of meals can be placed at once. Compared with existing technologies, this effectively shortens the loading time, reduces the labor intensity of maintenance personnel, and ensures the timeliness and stability of the entire sales network response.

[0043] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and do not limit the patent scope of this utility model. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of this utility model specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A storage system for vending machines, characterized in that, include: A box (1) with a door (2), the interior of which is divided into several chambers by a partition (3); A shelf (4) is slidably installed at the bottom of the chamber and is used to place several neatly stacked goods into the box (1) at one time. A gripping unit located at the top of the chamber and configured to grip specific items from the shelf (4) according to the user's needs and transfer them to the export unit; The export unit penetrates the side wall of the chamber and is used to transfer the goods inside the chamber to the outside of the box (1).

2. The warehousing system for vending machines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shelf (4) is surrounded by a fence (5), and the space enclosed by the fence (5) is divided into multiple warehouses by crisscrossing baffles (17).

3. The warehousing system for vending machines according to claim 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the shelf (4) is provided with a slider (6), and the bottom of the chamber is provided with a slide rail (7) corresponding to the slider (6).

4. The warehousing system for vending machines according to claim 3, characterized in that: Handles (8) are installed on the enclosure (5) of the shelf (4).

5. The warehousing system for vending machines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The export unit includes two guide rails (10), a slide plate (11), and a rack (12) located at the outlet (9) of the chamber and fixedly installed on the outer wall of the box (1). A slide plate (11) is slidably mounted on the guide rail (10), and the rack (12) is located below the slide plate (11) and fixed between the two guide rails (10); A drive motor (14) is fixedly installed on the slide plate (11), and a gear (13) is installed at the output end of the drive motor (14), which meshes with the rack (12).

6. The warehousing system for vending machines according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gripping unit includes a suction cup robotic arm (15) and a horizontal and vertical motion mechanism (16). The horizontal and vertical motion mechanism (16) is arranged at the top of the chamber and is used to drive the suction cup robotic arm (15) to a designated position to adsorb, grab and transfer specific goods.

7. The warehousing system for vending machines according to claim 6, characterized in that: The suction cup robotic arm (15) is equipped with a camera. With the assistance of an image recognition algorithm, the camera feeds back the position information of a specific product to the horizontal and vertical motion mechanism (16) so as to transport the suction cup robotic arm (15) directly above the specific product.

Images