Intelligent split-charging popcorn self-service vending machine

Abstract

The utility model provides an intelligent subpackage popcorn self-service vending machine which is characterized in that a plurality of hoppers are symmetrically arranged on the upper portion inside a machine box along the central axis, a distribution channel with sealing plates at the two ends is arranged below each hopper, the lower end of each hopper is detachably connected with the sealing plate at the upper end of the corresponding distribution channel, and a first electric push rod and a second electric push rod are arranged on one side of each distribution channel; a cup conveying mechanism arranged along the central axis is arranged on the lower portion in the machine box and comprises a horizontal moving module, a lifting module and a rotating module, a cup distributing mechanism is arranged above the rear end of the horizontal moving module, and a goods taking opening is formed in the corresponding position of the front wall of the front-end machine box. The cup feeding mechanism drives the cup holders to be sequentially positioned to the cup distributing mechanism, any hopper and the goods taking opening. The problems that a pre-processed popcorn split charging device is low in mechanization degree, cross contamination of multiple taste channels is caused, the split charging and conveying precision is low, and the popcorn storage and preservation capacity is poor are solved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of popcorn production, especially to a popcorn self-service vending machine with intelligent subpackaging. BACKGROUND

[0002] As a snack that is easy to process and convenient to use, popcorn is sold in places with high human flow such as cinemas, shopping malls, and amusement parks. With the progress of science and technology, businesses have set up popcorn self-service vending machines to reduce labor demand. In the field of automatic vending of freshly made food, commercial automatic vending equipment for pre-processed popcorn has long faced the dual technical bottlenecks of storage preservation and subpackaging efficiency.

[0003] Traditional popcorn vending machines usually use fixed storage bins to store finished popcorn, and subpackaging is completed through spiral conveying or gravity feeding. This design causes popcorn to soften and get wet due to long-term exposure to room temperature during storage, and a single storage structure cannot achieve mixed subpackaging of multiple flavors. Most existing cup feeding mechanisms rely on linear motion modules to complete cup conveying, lacking precise positioning capability in three-dimensional space, which leads to problems such as cup jamming and stacking during cup separation. Most equipment lacks intelligent sensing systems, making it impossible to monitor material reserves in real time and provide timely warnings, which may result in empty bins. In addition, the brittleness of pre-processed popcorn requires a specific temperature and humidity environment inside the equipment, while traditional heating schemes mostly use whole hot air circulation, resulting in high energy consumption and local overheating that exacerbates popcorn carbonization.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a popcorn automatic vending equipment that integrates intelligent subpackaging, temperature control preservation, and modular mechanical three-dimensional conveying. SUMMARY

[0005] The main purpose of the utility model is to provide a popcorn self-service vending machine with intelligent subpackaging, solving the problems of low mechanization of pre-processed popcorn subpackaging equipment, cross-contamination of multiple flavor channels, low subpackaging and conveying precision, and poor popcorn storage and preservation capability.

[0006] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model adopts the following technical scheme: a popcorn self-service vending machine with intelligent subpackaging, multiple hoppers are symmetrically arranged along the central axis on the top inside the machine case, each hopper is provided with a distribution channel with sealing plates at both ends below, the lower end of the hopper is detachably connected with the upper end sealing plate of the distribution channel, a first electric push rod and a second electric push rod are arranged on one side of each distribution channel for controlling the opening and closing of the sealing plates at both ends of the distribution channel, a cup feeding mechanism is arranged along the central axis below the inside of the machine case, the mechanism includes a horizontal movement module, a lifting module, and a rotating module, a cup separating mechanism is arranged on the upper end of the rear end of the horizontal movement module, a take-out port is arranged on the front wall of the machine case corresponding to the front end, and the cup feeding mechanism drives the cup holder to be positioned to the cup separating mechanism, any hopper, and the take-out port in turn.

[0007] In the preferred solution, the horizontal moving module comprises a horizontal guide rail, a horizontal sliding block, a horizontal screw and a first motor, the horizontal guide rail and the horizontal screw are arranged in parallel along the central axis of the cabinet, and the length thereof is adapted to the distance from the cup separating mechanism to the take-out port, the horizontal sliding block is threadedly connected with the horizontal screw through a middle screw nut portion, and the lower end thereof is slidably connected with the horizontal guide rail to form a linear guide mechanism with bidirectional constraint, and the output end of the first motor is connected with one end of the horizontal screw to drive the horizontal sliding block to move linearly along the horizontal guide rail.

[0008] In the preferred solution, the lifting module comprises a vertical guide rail, a vertical sliding block, a vertical screw and a second motor, the vertical guide rail and the vertical screw are arranged vertically above the horizontal screw, the vertical sliding block is threadedly connected with the vertical screw at the middle portion thereof, and one side thereof is slidably connected with the vertical guide rail to form a linear guide mechanism with bidirectional constraint, and the other side thereof is connected with the cup holder through a supporting rod, and the output end of the second motor is connected with one end of the vertical screw to drive the vertical sliding block to move linearly in the vertical direction.

[0009] In the preferred solution, a rotating module is further arranged between the horizontal moving module and the lifting module, a rotating platform is connected above the horizontal sliding block, a third motor is rigidly connected with the lower surface of the rotating platform, the output end of the third motor penetrates through the rotating platform and is connected with one side of a rotating block, the other side of the rotating block is connected with the lower end of the lifting module, and the third motor drives the lifting module to rotate around the motor rotating shaft.

[0010] In the preferred solution, the bottom end of the hopper is tapered to form a circular discharge port, a convex ring is arranged at the end of the discharge port, a U-shaped guide rib with an opening width adapted to the outer diameter of the convex ring is arranged on the upper surface of the sealing plate at the upper end of the distribution channel, the convex ring is slidably connected with the U-shaped guide rib to achieve detachable connection between the lower end of the hopper and the sealing plate at the upper end of the distribution channel.

[0011] The middle portion of the sealing plate at both ends of the distribution channel is provided with a through hole with a size equal to that of the discharge port, the distribution channel, the through hole and the arc-shaped portion of the U-shaped guide rib are coaxially aligned to form a discharging channel.

[0012] In the preferred solution, the side edge of the sealing plate is provided with a plug-in plate slot extending in the length direction thereof, the moving end of the first electric push rod is connected with a first plug-in plate, the feeding direction of the first electric push rod is consistent with the extension direction of the plug-in plate slot, and the first electric push rod is used for closing the passage between the hopper and the upper end of the distribution channel.

[0013] The moving end of the second electric push rod is connected with a second plug-in plate, the feeding direction of the second electric push rod is consistent with the extension direction of the plug-in plate slot, and the second electric push rod is used for closing the outlet at the lower end of the distribution channel.

[0014] The length of the first plug-in plate and the second plug-in plate is greater than the distance from the port of the plug-in plate slot to the farthest point of the through hole, the width of the first plug-in plate and the second plug-in plate is greater than the diameter of the through hole, and the thickness of the first plug-in plate and the second plug-in plate is adapted to the thickness of the plug-in plate slot.

[0015] In the preferred solution, the plurality of hoppers and their corresponding distribution channels are symmetrically arranged along the central axis in the cabinet through two first supports, the first support is provided with a plurality of discharge ports corresponding to the through holes, a plurality of first electric push rods and second electric push rods are symmetrically arranged along the central axis in the cabinet through the second support on both sides of the distribution channel, and the cup separating mechanism is arranged at the end of the central axis in the cabinet through the two first supports.

[0016] In the preferred solution, the cup separating mechanism includes a driving device, an internal gear, a driven wheel, a secondary gear, an inclined friction wheel and a separate cup rack, a plurality of separate cups are stacked in the separate cup rack, the lower end of the separate cup extends into the center of the internal gear, the internal gear is engaged with a plurality of driven wheels on the inner side, the secondary gear is engaged with the other side of the driven wheel, the inclined friction wheel is coaxially connected with the secondary gear, a plurality of inclined friction wheels abut against the cup wall of the separate cup, the driving device drives the rotation of the plurality of inclined friction wheels through a plurality of gear transmissions, and the inclined friction force is used to separate the popcorn separate cups one by one.

[0017] In the preferred solution, the transmitting end of the opposite direction sensing sensor is connected with the two first supports through a third support and is arranged between any two hoppers symmetrically along the central axis, monitoring windows are arranged on the two sides of the hopper, and the transmitting light of the transmitting end of the opposite direction sensing sensor respectively passes through the monitoring windows of the two sides of the hopper and points to the receiving end of the opposite direction sensing sensor at the corresponding position of the inner wall of the cabinet, so that the capacity of popcorn in the hopper can be monitored.

[0018] In the preferred solution, a heating jacket is further arranged on the outer circle of the distribution channel, and the heating jacket is used for heating the popcorn temporarily stored in the distribution channel.

[0019] A door plate is arranged on the inner side of the taking opening of the front wall of the cabinet, a third electric push rod drives the door plate to rise and fall through a connecting rod structure, and the taking opening is opened and closed.

[0020] A display screen, an observation window and a camera are further arranged on the outer side of the front wall of the cabinet.

[0021] The intelligent popcorn self-service vending machine has the beneficial effects that multiple flavors are independently separated and stored and cross contamination is prevented, multiple hoppers and independent distribution channels are symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the cabinet, and the independent distribution channels are detachably connected, so that the isolated storage and separate storage of popcorn with different flavors are realized. An electric plugboard sealing system is arranged at the two ends of the distribution channel, so that the sealing property of each channel during the separate storage process is ensured, and the mixing and cross contamination of flavors are effectively avoided.

[0022] Three-dimensional accurate positioning and efficient conveying, the cup feeding mechanism integrates horizontal movement, lifting and rotation modules, and through a lead screw guide rail system and a bidirectional constraint guide mechanism, the accurate positioning of the separate cup in the three-dimensional space is realized. This design greatly reduces the clamping and leakage problems, improves the separate storage efficiency, and saves the internal space of the equipment at the same time.

[0023] Intelligent monitoring and real-time early warning, based on the hopper capacity monitoring system of the transmission sensor and transparent monitoring window, real-time detection of popcorn surplus, timely supplement of the intelligent control module, avoid empty warehouse downtime, ensure continuous and stable operation of the equipment.

[0024] Energy saving and health protection, the outer circle of the distribution channel is provided with a heating jacket, combined with the design of the closed feeding channel, only the temporarily stored popcorn is locally heated, which maintains its brittleness and aroma and reduces the overall energy consumption, the plug seal structure and the through hole are accurately matched to ensure the hygiene of the sub-packaging process and reduce the pollution risk.

[0025] High-efficiency and precise cup dividing, the cup dividing mechanism adopts multi-stage gear transmission and inclined friction wheel design, which separates the stacked sub-packaging cups one by one through inclined friction force, with high success rate and no mechanical damage.

[0026] Modular maintenance and long service life design, the hopper and the distribution channel are connected by U-shaped guide ribs, which can be easily replaced and cleaned; the drive modules are symmetrically arranged and independently installed, which reduces the maintenance complexity and prolongs the service life of the equipment.

[0027] In summary, the combination of structure optimization and intelligent control technology significantly improves the sub-packaging efficiency, product preservation ability and user experience of the popcorn vending machine, while reducing energy consumption and maintenance cost, with outstanding practical value and market competitiveness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] The utility model will be further described below in combination with the drawings and examples:

[0029] Figure 1 It is the overall appearance structure diagram of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 2 It is the machine case section structure diagram of the utility model;

[0031] Figure 3 It is the internal device structure diagram of the machine case of the utility model;

[0032] Figure 4 It is the side view structure diagram of any group popcorn sub-packaging mechanism of the utility model;

[0033] Figure 5 It is the exploded structure diagram of any group popcorn sub-packaging mechanism of the utility model;

[0034] Figure 6 It is the side view structure diagram of the cup feeding mechanism of the utility model;

[0035] Figure 7 It is the rotating block connection structure diagram of the utility model;

[0036] Figure 8It is cup separating mechanism side view structure diagram of the utility model;

[0037] Figure 9 It is cup separating mechanism gear transmission structure diagram of the utility model;

[0038] Figure 10 It is cup separating mechanism inclined friction wheel connecting structure diagram of the utility model;

[0039] Figure 11 It is the structure diagram of the utility model's taking goods opening and closing door plate;

[0040] Figure 12 It is the structure diagram of the utility model's opposite radiation sensing module.

[0041] In the drawing: case 1;Taking goods opening 101;Display screen 102;Observation window 103;Camera 104;Hopper 2;Discharge port 201;Monitoring window 202;Convex ring 2011;Distribution channel 3;Sealing plate 4;U-shaped guide rib 401;Through hole 402;Plugboard seam 403;First electric push rod 5;Second electric push rod 6;Horizontal movement module 7;Horizontal guide rail 701;Horizontal sliding block 702;Lead screw nut part 7021;Horizontal lead screw 703;First motor 704;Lifting module 8;Vertical guide rail 801;Vertical sliding block 802;Vertical lead screw 803;Second motor 804;Rotary module 9;Rotary platform 901;Third motor 902;Rotating block 903;Cup separating mechanism 10;Driving device 1001;Internal gear 1002;Driven wheel 1003;Second gear 1004;Inclined friction wheel 1005;Sub-pack cup holder 1006;Cup holder 11;Supporting rod 12;First plugboard 13;Second plugboard 14;First support 15;Blanking port 1501;Second support 16;Opposite radiation sensing emission end 17;Third support 18;Opposite radiation sensing receiving end 19;Heating sleeve 20;Door plate 21;Third electric push rod 22;Linkage structure 23. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Example 1

[0043] As Figures 1-12 shown, an intelligent sub-pack popcorn self-service vending machine, a plurality of hoppers 2 are symmetrically arranged in the upper part of the case 1 along the central axis line, two distribution channels 3 with sealing plates 4 at both ends are arranged below each hopper 2, the lower end of the hopper 2 is detachably connected with the upper end sealing plate 4 of the distribution channel 3, a first electric push rod 5 and a second electric push rod 6 are arranged on one side of each distribution channel 3, which are used for controlling the opening and closing of the sealing plates 4 at both ends of the distribution channel 3, a cup feeding mechanism is arranged in the lower part of the case 1 along the central axis line, the mechanism includes a horizontal movement module 7, a lifting module 8 and a rotary module 9, a cup separating mechanism 10 is arranged at the upper end of the rear end of the horizontal movement module 7, a taking goods opening 101 is arranged at the front wall of the case 1 corresponding to the front end, and the cup feeding mechanism drives the cup holder 11 to be positioned to the cup separating mechanism 10, any hopper 2 and the taking goods opening 101 in turn.

[0044] The application adopts multiple hoppers 2 to store multiple different flavors of pre-processed popcorn, and each hopper 2 is provided with a corresponding connecting distribution channel 3 at the lower end, and the distribution channel 3 is provided with a hole sealing plate 4 and an electric plug plate structure at both ends to realize the opening and closing of the passageway from the hopper 2 to the distribution channel 3 or the passageway from the distribution channel 3 to the lower popcorn sub-packaging cup.

[0045] After the customer confirms the selected flavor, the cup conveying mechanism drives the cup holder 11 to move and position below the cup separating mechanism 10, and after the cup separating mechanism 10 separates and drops a single popcorn cup, the cup conveying mechanism moves, rotates, and rises to below the corresponding distribution channel 3, and is aligned with the lower outlet 1501. The first electric push rod 5 opens the corresponding upper end sealing plate 4, and at this time, the second electric push rod 6 pushes the lower end sealing plate 4 to keep the lower outlet 1501 closed. When the popcorn falls into the distribution channel 3 to a certain amount, the first electric push rod 5 drives the upper end through hole 402 to close, and after the heating sleeve 20 heats the popcorn in the distribution channel 3, the second electric push rod 6 opens the lower outlet 1501, and the popcorn falls into the sub-packaging cup in the cup holder 11. The cup conveying mechanism conveys the sub-packaged popcorn to the pickup port 101.

[0046] In the preferred scheme, the horizontal movement module 7 includes a horizontal guide rail 701, a horizontal sliding block 702, a horizontal lead screw 703, and a first motor 704. The horizontal guide rail 701 and the horizontal lead screw 703 are arranged in parallel along the central axis of the machine box 1, and their lengths are adapted to the distance from the cup separating mechanism 10 to the pickup port 101. The horizontal sliding block 702 is threadedly connected to the horizontal lead screw 703 through a middle lead screw nut part 7021, and is slidably connected to the horizontal guide rail 701 at the lower end, forming a linear guide mechanism with bidirectional constraint. The output end of the first motor 704 is connected to one end of the horizontal lead screw 703, driving the horizontal sliding block 702 to move linearly along the horizontal guide rail 701.

[0047] In the preferred scheme, the lifting module 8 includes a vertical guide rail 801, a vertical sliding block 802, a vertical lead screw 803, and a second motor 804. The vertical guide rail 801 and the vertical lead screw 803 are arranged vertically above the horizontal lead screw 703. The vertical sliding block 802 is threadedly connected to the vertical lead screw 803 at the middle part, and is slidably connected to the vertical guide rail 801 at one side, forming a linear guide mechanism with bidirectional constraint. The other side is connected to the cup holder 11 through a supporting rod 12. The output end of the second motor 804 is connected to one end of the vertical lead screw 803, driving the vertical sliding block 802 to move linearly in the vertical direction.

[0048] In the preferred scheme, the rotating module 9 is further arranged between the horizontal moving module 7 and the lifting module 8, the horizontal sliding block 702 is connected with a rotating platform 901, a third motor 902 is rigidly connected with the lower surface of the rotating platform 901, the output end of the third motor 902 penetrates through the rotating platform 901 and is connected with one side of a rotating block 903, and the lower end of the lifting module 8 is connected with the other side of the rotating block 903, so that the third motor 902 drives the lifting module 8 to rotate around the motor rotating shaft.

[0049] The cup feeding mechanism adopted in the application is cooperatively controlled by the horizontal moving module 7, the lifting module 8 and the rotating module 9, so as to realize accurate positioning of the cup holder 11 in the three-dimensional space, and the three modules are highly integrated, so as to reduce the space occupation and avoid interference with the distribution channel 3 during movement. The screw pair can realize high-precision positioning through thread engagement feeding, the guide rail sliding block system bears the overturning torque, so as to prevent the cup feeding mechanism from being overturned, the parallel layout of the screw and the guide rail saves a large amount of installation space compared with the independent driving and guiding system, and the double restraint mechanism prevents motion instability. The horizontal moving module 7 and the lifting module 8 are both integrated linear driving mechanisms with screw guide rails, the cup holder 11 can accurately catch the falling sub-packaged cups, realizes accurate alignment of the sub-packaged cups in space with the discharge ports 1501 corresponding to the flavors, prevents popcorn from leaking out of the gap due to alignment deviation, causes pollution in the cabinet 1 and capacity error of the popcorn in the sub-packaged cups, and finally accurately moves to the front end of the cabinet 1 through the pickup port 101 and is handed over to the customer.

[0050] The rotating module 9 is highly combined with the basic components of the horizontal moving module 7 and the lifting module 8, the rotating platform 901 is integrally fixed with the horizontal sliding block 702, the third motor 902 is installed between the rotating platform 901 and the horizontal sliding block 702 and is supported thereby, the second motor 804 of the lifting module 8 is arranged at the upper end and does not interfere with the third motor 902, the three motors of the overall cup feeding mechanism are rationally arranged in space, the driving performance of the mechanism is ensured, the symmetrical layout and the dispersed layout of the device are realized, and the cup feeding mechanism is a high-efficiency and stable multi-degree-of-freedom moving mechanism.

[0051] In the preferred scheme, the bottom end of the hopper 2 is tapered to form a circular discharge port 201, the end of the discharge port 201 is provided with a convex ring 2011, the upper surface of the sealing plate 4 at the upper end of the distribution channel 3 is provided with a U-shaped guide rib 401 with an opening width matched with the outer diameter of the convex ring 2011, the convex ring 2011 is slidably connected with the U-shaped guide rib 401, and the lower end of the hopper 2 and the upper end of the sealing plate 4 of the distribution channel 3 are detachably connected.

[0052] The middle part of the sealing plate 4 at the two ends of the distribution channel 3 is provided with a through hole 402 with a size equal to that of the discharge port 201, the distribution channel 3, the through hole 402 and the arc-shaped part of the U-shaped guide rib 401 are coaxially aligned, and a discharging channel is formed.

[0053] The hopper 2 needs to be replaced, so the U-shaped guide rib 401 structure is provided to guide and position the disassembly and assembly of the hopper 2. When in use, the hopper 2 is fixed on the end plate 4 at the upper end of the distribution channel 3 through the stepped surface of the U-shaped guide rib 401. The tapered structure allows the popcorn to concentrate and fall into the circular discharge port 201, and then pass through the through hole 402 with the same diameter and the distribution channel 3, preventing the formation of stepped surfaces due to different sizes and causing popcorn blockage.

[0054] In the preferred embodiment, the side of the end plate 4 is provided with a plug-in slot 403 extending in the length direction thereof. The moving end of the first electric push rod 5 is connected with the first plug-in plate 13, and the feeding direction thereof is consistent with the extension direction of the plug-in slot 403, which is used to close the passage between the hopper 2 and the upper end of the distribution channel 3.

[0055] The moving end of the second electric push rod 6 is connected with the second plug-in plate 14, and the feeding direction thereof is consistent with the extension direction of the plug-in slot 403, which is used to close the outlet at the lower end of the distribution channel 3.

[0056] The length of the first plug-in plate 13 and the second plug-in plate 14 is greater than the distance from the port of the plug-in slot 403 to the farthest point of the through hole 402, the width is greater than the diameter of the through hole 402, and the thickness is adapted to the thickness of the plug-in slot 403.

[0057] The plug-in plate system controlled by the first electric push rod 5 and the second electric push rod 6 forms a double-end sealing structure, which is reliable in structure and provides a relatively closed space for the heating of popcorn in the distribution channel 3. The plug-in plate is precisely matched with the through hole 402 and the plug-in slot 403 to prevent popcorn from leaking out and provide a relatively closed transmission path for popcorn, thereby ensuring the hygiene and flavor of the packaged product.

[0058] In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of hoppers 2 and corresponding distribution channels 3 are symmetrically arranged in the cabinet 1 along the central axis through two first supports 15. The first support 15 is provided with a plurality of discharge ports 1501 corresponding to the through hole 402. A plurality of first electric push rods 5 and second electric push rods 6 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the distribution channel 3 in the cabinet 1 along the central axis through a second support 16. The cup dispensing mechanism 10 is arranged at the end of the central axis in the cabinet 1 through two first supports 15.

[0059] A plurality of popcorn storage spaces and distribution channels 3 are arranged in the limited control space of the cabinet 1, which improves the space utilization. The plurality of support structures ensure the stability of the device and the accuracy of the operating orientation of the push rod. The device is symmetrically arranged along the central axis of the cabinet 1, that is, when the cup feeding mechanism moves linearly along the central axis, the angle of rotation required for the rotation of each receiving hopper 2 is symmetrical and the total path is relatively short, which reduces the complex path planning and ensures the accuracy of the moving route of the popcorn mechanism.

[0060] The cup-separating mechanism 10 includes a drive unit 1001, an internal gear 1002, a driven wheel 1003, a secondary gear 1004, an oblique friction wheel 1005, and a cup holder 1006. Multiple cups are stacked in the cup holder 1006, with their lower ends extending into the center of the internal gear 1002. The internal gear 1002 meshes with one side of the multiple driven wheels 1003 on its inner side, and the secondary gear 1004 meshes with the other side of the driven wheels 1003. The oblique friction wheel 1005 is coaxially connected to the secondary gear 1004, and the multiple oblique friction wheels 1005 abut against the cup wall. The drive unit 1001 drives the multiple oblique friction wheels 1005 to rotate through multi-stage gear transmission, which is used to separate the popcorn cups one by one through oblique friction.

[0061] Multiple stacked popcorn dispensing cups are placed in the dispensing cup holder 1006 above the dispensing cup mechanism 10. The lower cup walls abut against multiple oblique friction wheels 1005 around the perimeter. The driving device 1001 sequentially drives the meshing internal gear 1002, driven wheel 1003 and secondary gear 1004 to rotate. The oblique friction wheels 1005 rotate accordingly. The contact point between the outer ring of the wheel and the cup wall of the dispensing cup moves obliquely downward with the rotation. The dispensing cup that is in contact moves downward a distance and separates from the stacked dispensing cups above, and then falls from the center of the dispensing cup mechanism 10.

[0062] In the preferred embodiment, the through-beam sensor transmitter 17 is connected to two first supports 15 via a third support 18 and is positioned between any two hoppers 2 symmetrically arranged along the central axis. Monitoring windows 202 are provided on both sides of the hoppers 2. The emitted light from the through-beam sensor transmitter 17 passes through the monitoring windows 202 of the two hoppers 2 and points to the through-beam sensor receiver 19 at the corresponding position on the inner wall of the casing 1, for monitoring the popcorn capacity in the hoppers 2.

[0063] The hopper 2 capacity detection device utilizes the existing support structure, with a compact layout, symmetrical and unobstructed detection path, ensuring the accuracy of monitoring performance and timely prompting for adding popcorn.

[0064] In the preferred embodiment, a heating sleeve 20 is also provided on the outer ring of the distribution channel 3 for heating the popcorn temporarily stored in the distribution channel 3;

[0065] A door panel 21 is provided inside the front wall of the chassis 1, the loading port 101. The third electric push rod 22 drives the door panel 21 to rise and fall through the linkage structure 23, which is used to open and close the loading port 101.

[0066] The outer side of the front wall of the chassis 1 is also equipped with a display screen 102, an observation window 103 and a camera 104.

[0067] Before being delivered to the customer, the heating sleeve 20 heats and enhances the aroma of the popcorn temporarily stored in the distribution channel 3, which is closed at both ends.

[0068] The above-mentioned embodiments are only preferred technical solutions of the present application, and should not be regarded as limiting the present application, and the protection scope of the present application should be the technical solutions recited in the claims, including the equivalent replacement solutions of the technical features recited in the claims as the protection scope. That is, the equivalent replacement improvements within the scope are also within the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A smart portioned popcorn self-service vending machine, characterized in that: The machine case (1) is internally provided with a plurality of hoppers (2) symmetrically along the central axis, and each hopper (2) is provided with a distribution channel (3) with a sealing plate (4) at both ends, and the lower end of the hopper (2) is detachably connected with the upper end sealing plate (4) of the distribution channel (3), and each distribution channel (3) is provided with a first electric push rod (5) and a second electric push rod (6) on one side, which is used for controlling the opening and closing of the sealing plates (4) at both ends of the distribution channel (3), and the lower part of the machine case (1) is provided with a cup feeding mechanism arranged along the central axis, which comprises a horizontal moving module (7), a lifting module (8) and a rotating module (9), the rear upper end of the horizontal moving module (7) is provided with a cup separating mechanism (10), and the front wall of the front end of the machine case (1) is provided with a take-out port (101), and the cup feeding mechanism drives the cup holder (11) to be positioned to the cup separating mechanism (10), any hopper (2) and the take-out port (101) in turn.

2. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The horizontal moving module (7) comprises a horizontal guide rail (701), a horizontal sliding block (702), a horizontal lead screw (703) and a first motor (704), the horizontal guide rail (701) and the horizontal lead screw (703) are arranged in parallel along the central axis of the machine case (1), and the length thereof is adapted to the distance from the cup separating mechanism (10) to the take-out port (101), the horizontal sliding block (702) is threadedly connected with the horizontal lead screw (703) through a middle lead screw nut portion (7021) and is slidably connected with the horizontal guide rail (701), thereby forming a linear guide mechanism with bidirectional constraint, and the output end of the first motor (704) is connected with one end of the horizontal lead screw (703), thereby driving the horizontal sliding block (702) to move linearly along the horizontal guide rail (701).

3. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting module (8) comprises a vertical guide rail (801), a vertical sliding block (802), a vertical lead screw (803) and a second motor (804), the vertical guide rail (801) and the vertical lead screw (803) are vertically arranged above the horizontal lead screw (703), the vertical sliding block (802) is threadedly connected with the vertical lead screw (803) in the middle and is slidably connected with the vertical guide rail (801) on one side, thereby forming a linear guide mechanism with bidirectional constraint, and the other side is connected with the cup holder (11) through a supporting rod (12), and the output end of the second motor (804) is connected with one end of the vertical lead screw (803), thereby driving the vertical sliding block (802) to move linearly in the vertical direction.

4. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating module (9) is further arranged between the horizontal moving module (7) and the lifting module (8), the horizontal sliding block (702) is connected with a rotating platform (901) above, a third motor (902) is rigidly connected with the lower surface of the rotating platform (901), the output end of the third motor (902) penetrates through the rotating platform (901) and is connected with one side of a rotating block (903), the lower end of the lifting module (8) is connected with the other side of the rotating block (903), and the third motor (902) drives the lifting module (8) to rotate around the motor rotating shaft.

5. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom end of the hopper (2) is tapered to form a circular discharge port (201), the end of the discharge port (201) is provided with a convex ring (2011), the upper surface of the sealing plate (4) at the upper end of the distribution channel (3) is provided with a U-shaped guide rib (401) with an opening width matching the outer diameter of the convex ring (2011), the convex ring (2011) and the U-shaped guide rib (401) are in sliding connection, realizing the detachable connection of the lower end of the hopper (2) and the sealing plate (4) at the upper end of the distribution channel (3); The middle part of the sealing plate (4) at both ends of the distribution channel (3) is provided with a through hole (402) with a size equal to that of the discharge port (201), the distribution channel (3), the through hole (402) and the arc-shaped part of the U-shaped guide rib (401) are coaxially aligned to form a discharging channel.

6. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that: The side edge of the sealing plate (4) is provided with a plug-in plate slot (403) extending in the length direction thereof, the moving end of the first electric push rod (5) is connected with a first plug-in plate (13), the feeding direction of the first electric push rod (5) is consistent with the extension direction of the plug-in plate slot (403), and the first electric push rod (5) is used for closing the passage between the hopper (2) and the upper end of the distribution channel (3); The moving end of the second electric push rod (6) is connected with a second plug-in plate (14), the feeding direction of the second electric push rod (6) is consistent with the extension direction of the plug-in plate slot (403), and the second electric push rod (6) is used for closing the outlet at the lower end of the distribution channel (3); The length of the first plug-in plate (13) and the second plug-in plate (14) is greater than the distance from the port of the plug-in plate slot (403) to the farthest point of the through hole (402), the width is greater than the diameter of the through hole (402), and the thickness is matched with the thickness of the plug-in plate slot (403).

7. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: A plurality of hoppers (2) and corresponding distribution channels (3) are symmetrically arranged in the cabinet (1) along the central axis through two first supports (15), the first support (15) is provided with a plurality of discharging ports (1501) corresponding to the through holes (402), a plurality of first electric push rods (5) and second electric push rods (6) are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the distribution channel (3) in the cabinet (1) along the central axis through a second support (16), and a cup distributing mechanism (10) is arranged at the end of the central axis in the cabinet (1) through two first supports (15).

8. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: Cup distributing mechanism (10) includes driving device (1001), inner gear (1002), driven wheel (1003), secondary gear (1004), inclined friction wheel (1005) and sub-packaging cup rack (1006), a plurality of sub-packaging cups are stacked in the sub-packaging cup rack (1006), the lower end of the sub-packaging cup extends into the center of the inner gear (1002), the inner gear (1002) is engaged with a plurality of driven wheels (1003) on the inner side thereof on one side, the secondary gear (1004) is engaged with the driven wheel (1003) on the other side, the inclined friction wheel (1005) is coaxially connected with the secondary gear (1004), a plurality of inclined friction wheels (1005) abut against the cup wall of the sub-packaging cup, the driving device (1001) drives a plurality of inclined friction wheels (1005) to rotate through multi-stage gear transmission, and is used for separating the sub-packaging cups of the popcorn one by one through inclined friction force. ​ 9. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: The transmission end (17) of the opposite radiation sensor is connected with the two first supports (15) through a third support (18) and is arranged between any two hoppers (2) symmetrical along the central axis. Monitoring windows (202) are arranged on both sides of the hoppers (2). The transmission light of the transmission end (17) of the opposite radiation sensor respectively passes through the monitoring windows (202) of the two hoppers (2) and is directed to the receiving end (19) of the opposite radiation sensor corresponding to the inner wall of the cabinet (1) to monitor the capacity of the popcorn in the hopper (2).

10. The self-service popcorn vending machine with intelligent portioning according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises: A heating jacket (20) is further arranged on the outer ring of the distribution channel (3) to heat the popcorn temporarily stored in the distribution channel (3); A door plate (21) is arranged on the inner side of the front wall of the cabinet (1) at the taking opening (101). A third electric push rod (22) drives the door plate (21) to lift through a connecting rod structure (23) to open and close the taking opening (101). A display screen (102), an observation window (103) and a camera (104) are further arranged on the outer side of the front wall of the cabinet (1).

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