Food vending machine

Abstract

The utility model provides a kind of food vending machine, comprising: slide rail, chute is provided on slide rail, at least one blanking hole is provided on the bottom wall of chute;Clamp jaw, for clamping and taking container, and drive container to move along chute from first position to second position;Sweeping material piece, it is installed on clamp jaw, can be contacted with the inner bottom wall surface of chute in the process of clamp jaw moving, to push material on chute to blanking hole;Waste tray is set correspondingly blanking hole, for collecting material discharged from blanking hole. Through sweeping material piece, it can sweep the popcorn and other residues in chute to blanking hole in the process of clamp jaw moving, fall to the waste tray below from blanking hole, realize the cleaning of chute, avoid the residues in chute to influence the movement and weighing of container, also can keep the hygiene in chute, guarantee food safety, reduce the workload and difficulty of cleaning food vending machine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of vending machine technology, and more specifically, to a food vending machine. Background Technology

[0002] Self-service popcorn vending machines include a chute and a cup dropper. The cup dropper lowers the popcorn bucket to the cup drop position on the chute, where grippers hold the bucket and move it along the chute to the dispensing position so that the bucket can collect popcorn. However, in these systems, the chute often accumulates bits of popcorn and other debris. This debris can interfere with the sliding of the popcorn bucket, causing it to jam and affecting the weighing accuracy. This increases the failure rate of the self-service popcorn vending machine and reduces the user experience.

[0003] Therefore, how to solve the problem of cup jamming in self-service popcorn vending machines has become an urgent issue to be addressed. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application aims to at least solve the technical problems of easy cup jamming and low weighing accuracy of popcorn buckets in existing or related technologies.

[0005] Therefore, the purpose of this application is to propose a food vending machine.

[0006] An embodiment of this application provides a food vending machine, comprising: a slide rail with a chute, the bottom wall of the chute having at least one material discharge hole; grippers for gripping a material container and moving the container along the chute from a first position to a second position; a sweeping plate mounted on the grippers, capable of contacting the inner bottom wall of the chute during gripper movement to push the material on the chute to the material discharge hole; and a waste tray corresponding to the material discharge hole for collecting the material discharged from the discharge hole.

[0007] According to the embodiments of this application, the food vending machine can specifically be a vending machine for popcorn, juice, etc. The food vending machine includes a slide rail, grippers, a scraper, and a waste tray. The slide rail has a first position and a second position; the first position can be a cup-dropping position, and the second position can be a dispensing position. The grippers can move between the first and second positions to pick up a container from the first position and move it to the second position to receive the food. This movement of the grippers allows for container replacement. The scraper, mounted on the grippers, scrapes against the bottom of the slide rail as the grippers move between the first and second positions, pushing residual material in the slide rail to the discharge hole, allowing waste to fall into the waste tray. The sweeping blades, while the grippers are moving, also sweep popcorn and other residues from the chute to the discharge hole, where they fall into the waste tray below. This cleans the chute and prevents residue from interfering with the movement and weighing of the food containers. Furthermore, the sweeping blades maintain hygiene within the chute, ensuring food safety and reducing the workload and difficulty of cleaning the vending machine.

[0008] In addition, by mounting the sweeping blade on the gripper, a sweeping action can be performed every time the gripper moves, eliminating the need for additional mounting and drive structures. This simplifies the product structure and reduces the overall modification cost.

[0009] Optionally, the feeding hole allows food sold by the vending machine to pass through.

[0010] In any of the above technical solutions, optionally, the width and length of the feeding hole are greater than the target value so that the food sold by the food vending machine can pass through the feeding hole.

[0011] In these technical solutions, to ensure that popcorn and other food items falling from the container can be transferred to the waste tray through the discharge hole after falling into the chute, the length and width of the discharge hole can be set to be greater than the larger of the width and length of the food item being sold (i.e., the target value). For example, in a popcorn vending machine, the width and length of the discharge hole can be ensured to be greater than the diameter of the popcorn.

[0012] In any of the above technical solutions, optionally, a bent edge is provided on the outer bottom wall of the chute. The bent edge is formed by bending the edge of the discharge hole. The bent edge extends from the outer bottom wall to a direction away from the outer bottom wall and gradually moves away from the center of the discharge hole.

[0013] In these technical solutions, the edge of the material discharge hole is folded downward at a certain angle to form a bent edge, which can make the inner bottom wall of the chute smoother, ensuring that the material container can pass smoothly through the material discharge hole when moving on the chute, and that the container is less likely to get stuck.

[0014] In any of the above technical solutions, optionally, the material discharge hole is an elongated opening extending along the width direction of the chute, and the bent edges are provided on both sides of the elongated opening along the extension direction of the slide rail.

[0015] In these technical solutions, the material discharge hole extends along the width direction of the slide rail, thus forming an elongated opening. Bent edges are located on both sides of the elongated opening along its width direction. That is, only the edges on both sides of the material discharge hole are bent downwards to form bent edges. The length of the material discharge hole can be reasonably set based on the width of the slide rail.

[0016] In any of the above technical solutions, optionally, one end of the sweeping plate is connected to the gripper, and the end of the sweeping plate away from the gripper is a flexible structure.

[0017] In these technical solutions, one end of the sweeping blade is connected to the gripper, and the other end is used to contact the chute to clean the chute. In order to ensure the cleaning effect of the sweeping blade, the end of the sweeping blade near the chute can be set as an elastic deformable structure. By contacting the chute with the elastic material, on the one hand, the sweeping blade can avoid wear on the chute, and on the other hand, it can ensure that the sweeping blade and the chute are in full contact to ensure the cleaning effect.

[0018] The material scraper can specifically be a silicone part.

[0019] Specifically, when the sweeping blade contacts the chute, at least a portion of the sweeping blade near the chute is in a deformed state. That is, at least a portion of the sweeping blade is in a bent state when it contacts the chute.

[0020] In any of the above technical solutions, optionally, the gripper includes two clamping parts that can separate or close relative to each other. A sweeping plate is mounted on one of the clamping parts. The gripper releases or clamps the container through the two clamping parts. Mounting the sweeping plate on one of the clamping parts can prevent excessive sweeping plates from interfering with the movement of the gripper. Of course, it is also possible to provide sweeping plates on both clamping parts.

[0021] For example, the sweeping sheet is mounted on a clamping sheet positioned away from the first position.

[0022] In any of the above technical solutions, optionally, the sweeping sheet further includes: a translation device, which can move along the extension direction (i.e., the length direction) of the slide rail to drive the gripper to move from the first position to the second position.

[0023] In these technical solutions, the translation device can translate, thereby driving the gripper to translate as well. This allows the gripper to move from the first position to the second position along the slide rail, thus moving the material container from the first position to the second position.

[0024] The translation device is the power unit for the grippers. Specifically, the translation device may include components such as a motor.

[0025] Optionally, in any of the above technical solutions, the food vending machine further includes: a casing, a slide rail, grippers, and a material sweeping plate installed inside the casing; wherein, the waste tray can be detachably installed inside the casing.

[0026] In these technical solutions, the food vending machine also includes a casing, which serves as the outer shell of the entire product. The slide rails, grippers, and sweeping blades are all installed inside the casing. The waste tray is detachably installed inside the casing, facilitating timely cleaning of any residue from the waste tray.

[0027] Optionally, in any of the above technical solutions, the food vending machine may further include: a cup dropper, corresponding to the first position, disposed above the slide rail, for causing the food container to fall to the first position of the slide chute.

[0028] In these technical solutions, the cup dropper enables the automatic dropping of the container. When a container is needed, the cup dropper is activated to drop a container to the first position, and then the gripper is activated to move the container to the second position. This enables intelligent cup dispensing in the food vending machine, providing a foundation for fully automatic integrated vending machines.

[0029] Optionally, in any of the above technical solutions, the food vending machine further includes a feeding device, including a feeding port located above the second position of the slide rail, so that the material falling from the feeding port can fall into the material container located at the second position.

[0030] In these technical solutions, the feeding device is used to output food items such as popcorn ready for sale. The feeding port of the feeding device is located above the second position of the slide rail, so that the food falling from the feeding port can fall directly into the collecting container for collection.

[0031] Optionally, in any of the above technical solutions, the food vending machine further includes a weighing device, which is disposed at a second position on the chute. When the container is in the second position, the container is located above the weighing device, so that the weighing device can detect the total weight of the container and its contents.

[0032] In these technical solutions, a weighing device can weigh the total weight of the container and the food inside, thereby controlling when the feeding device stops feeding, thus controlling the amount of food fed.

[0033] Alternatively, food vending machines include puffed food vending machines, such as popcorn vending machines.

[0034] Additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent in the following description or may be learned by practice of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0035] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this application will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0036] Figure 1 One of the structural schematic diagrams of a food vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0037] Figure 2 The second schematic diagram of the structure of the food vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0038] Figure 3 The third schematic diagram of the structure of the food vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0039] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure at point AA;

[0040] Figure 5 The fourth schematic diagram of the structure of the food vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0041] Figure 6 The fifth schematic diagram of the structure of the food vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0042] Figure 7 The sixth schematic diagram of the structure of the food vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0043] Figure label:

[0044] 1. Slide rail, 12. Slide groove, 14. Discharge hole, 16. Bending edge, 2. Gripper, 22. Clamping part, 3. Material container, 4. Sweeping plate, 5. Waste tray, 6. Translation device, 7. Cup dropper, 8. Discharge device, 82. Discharge port, 9. Weighing device, 10. Box shell. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To better understand the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application, the application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0046] Many specific details are set forth in the following description in order to provide a full understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] The following reference Figures 1 to 7 This application describes a food vending machine provided according to some embodiments.

[0048] like Figure 1 , Figure 2and Figure 3 As shown, the food vending machine provided according to the embodiments of this application can specifically be a vending machine for popcorn, juice, etc. The food vending machine includes a slide rail 1, grippers 2, a scraper 4, and a waste tray 5. The slide rail 1 is provided with a first position and a second position. The first position can be a cup-dropping position, etc., and the second position can be a dispensing position, etc. The grippers 2 can move between the first and second positions to grip a container 3 from the first position and then move the container 3 to the second position to receive the food. Thus, the container 3 can be replaced by moving the grippers 2. The scraper 4 is mounted on the grippers 2 and can scrape against the bottom of the slide 12 when the grippers 2 move between the first and second positions, pushing residual materials in the slide 12 to the discharge hole 14, so that waste can fall into the waste tray 5 through the discharge hole 14. The sweeping blade 4 can sweep popcorn and other residues in the chute 12 to the discharge hole 14 during the movement of the gripper 2. The residues fall from the discharge hole 14 to the waste tray 5 below, thus cleaning the chute 12. This prevents the residues in the chute 12 from affecting the movement and weighing of the container 3, and also keeps the chute 12 clean, ensuring food safety and reducing the workload and difficulty of cleaning the food vending machine.

[0049] In addition, by mounting the sweeping plate 4 on the gripper 2, a sweeping action can be performed every time the gripper 2 moves, without the need to add an additional mounting structure and drive structure. This simplifies the product structure and reduces the overall modification cost of the machine.

[0050] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, the width and length of the feeding hole 14 are greater than target values, so that the food sold by the vending machine can pass through the feeding hole 14. The target values ​​are greater than or equal to the larger of the width and length of the food.

[0051] In these embodiments, to ensure that popcorn and other food items falling from the container 3 can be transferred from the discharge hole 14 to the waste tray 5 after falling into the chute 12, the length and width of the discharge hole 14 can be set to be greater than the larger of the width and length of the food item being sold. For example, in a popcorn vending machine, the width and length of the discharge hole 14 can be ensured to be greater than the diameter of the popcorn.

[0052] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figure 1 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a bent edge 16 is provided on the outer bottom wall of the chute 12. The bent edge 16 is formed by bending the edge of the discharge hole 14. The bent edge 16 extends from the outer bottom wall to a direction away from the outer bottom wall and gradually moves away from the center of the discharge hole 14.

[0053] In these embodiments, the edge of the discharge hole 14 is folded downward at a certain angle to form a bent edge 16, which can make the inner bottom wall of the chute 12 smoother, ensuring that the material container 3 can pass smoothly through the discharge hole 14 when it moves on the chute 12, and the container is less likely to get stuck.

[0054] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the material discharge hole 14 is an elongated opening extending along the width direction of the slide groove 12, and the bent edge 16 is provided on both sides of the elongated opening along the extension direction of the slide rail 1.

[0055] In these embodiments, the discharge hole 14 extends along the width direction of the slide rail 1, thereby forming an elongated opening. Bent edges 16 are provided on both sides of the elongated opening along its width direction. That is, only the edges on both sides of the discharge hole 14 are bent downwards to form the bent edges 16. The length of the discharge hole 14 can be reasonably set based on the width of the slide groove 12.

[0056] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, one end of the sweeping blade 4 is connected to the gripper 2, and the end of the sweeping blade 4 away from the gripper 2 is a flexible structure, that is, the end of the sweeping blade 4 away from the gripper 2 is made of flexible material.

[0057] In these embodiments, one end of the sweeping blade 4 is connected to the gripper 2, and the other end is used to contact the chute 12 to clean the chute 12. In order to ensure the cleaning effect of the sweeping blade 4, the end of the sweeping blade 4 near the chute 12 can be set as an elastic deformable structure. By contacting the chute 12 with the elastic material, on the one hand, the sweeping blade 4 can avoid wear on the chute 12, and on the other hand, it can ensure that the sweeping blade 4 and the chute 12 are in full contact to ensure the cleaning effect.

[0058] The material sweeping sheet 4 is a flexible part; for example, the material sweeping sheet 4 can be a silicone part.

[0059] Specifically, when the sweeping plate 4 contacts the chute 12, at least a portion of the end of the sweeping plate 4 closest to the chute 12 is in a deformed state. That is, at least a portion of the sweeping plate 4 is in a bent state when it contacts the chute 12.

[0060] For example, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the gripper 2 includes two gripping parts 22, which can separate or close relative to each other to release or grip the material container 3. A scraping plate 4 is mounted on one of the gripping parts 22. This prevents excessive scraping plates 4 from interfering with the movement of the gripper 2. Alternatively, scraping plates 4 can be provided on both gripping parts 22.

[0061] For example, the sweeping sheet 4 is mounted on a clamping sheet positioned away from the first position.

[0062] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figure 1 and Figure 7 As shown, the sweeping plate 4 also includes a translation device 6. The translation device 6 can move along the extension direction (i.e., the length direction) of the slide rail 1 to drive the gripper 2 from the first position to the second position.

[0063] In these embodiments, the translation device 6 can translate, thereby driving the gripper 2 to translate as well, so that the gripper 2 can move from the first position to the second position along the slide rail 1, thereby moving the material container 3 from the first position to the second position.

[0064] The translation device 6 is the power unit for the gripper 2. The translation device 6 may specifically include components such as a motor.

[0065] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figure 6 As shown, the food vending machine also includes a housing 10, which serves as the outer shell of the entire product. The slide rail 1, grippers 2, and scraper 4 are all installed inside the housing 10. The waste tray 5 is detachably installed inside the housing 10, facilitating timely cleaning of any residue from the waste tray 5.

[0066] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figure 6 As shown, the food vending machine also includes a cup dropper 7, corresponding to the first position, positioned above the slide rail 1, used to lower the container 3 to the first position of the slide chute 12. The cup dropper 7 enables the automatic lowering of the container 3. When a container 3 is needed, the cup dropper 7 is activated to lower it to the first position, and then the gripper 2 is activated to move the container 3 to the second position. This enables intelligent cup dispensing in the food vending machine, providing a foundation for a fully automatic integrated vending machine.

[0067] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figure 6 As shown, the food vending machine also includes a feeding device 8, which includes a feeding port 82 located above the second position of the slide rail 1, so that the material falling from the feeding port 82 can fall into the material container 3 located in the second position.

[0068] In these embodiments, the feeding device 8 is used to output food products such as popcorn for sale. The feeding port 82 of the feeding device 8 is located above the second position of the slide rail 1, so that the food products falling from the feeding port 82 can fall directly into the holding container 3 for collection.

[0069] In any of the above embodiments, optionally, as Figure 6As shown, the food vending machine also includes a weighing device 9, which is located at the second position of the slide 12. When the container 3 is in the second position, the container 3 is positioned above the weighing device 9, so that the weighing device 9 can detect the total weight of the container 3 and its contents. By weighing the container 3 and its contents, the total weight can be measured, thereby controlling when the dispensing device 8 stops dispensing, thus controlling the amount of food dispensed.

[0070] Alternatively, food vending machines include puffed food vending machines, such as popcorn vending machines.

[0071] The following describes a self-service popcorn vending machine in a specific embodiment.

[0072] The self-service popcorn vending machine in the proposed solution only has a drip tray to collect spilled popcorn, but it lacks a cleaning device for the popcorn residue remaining on the surface of the components above the drip tray. This residue can affect the movement of the cups and the accuracy of weighing, causing equipment malfunctions and increasing the workload and difficulty for maintenance personnel in cleaning the equipment.

[0073] To address the aforementioned issues, this embodiment proposes a self-service popcorn vending machine. By adding a soft component to the gripper 2, combined with the square hole structure in the chute 12, popcorn residue within the chute 12 is swept to the square hole structure as the gripper 2 moves normally with the cup bucket, falling through the hole into the waste hopper below. This prevents residue in the chute 12 from affecting the movement and weighing of the cup bucket, maintains hygiene within the chute 12, ensures food safety, and reduces the workload and difficulty for maintenance personnel in cleaning the equipment.

[0074] like Figures 1 to 7 As shown, this application includes a popcorn cup, a gripper assembly 2, a chute 12, and a waste hopper (i.e., a waste tray 5). The gripper assembly 2 includes a metal gripper body and a soft sweeping blade 4 (i.e., a sweeping blade 4). The chute 12 includes a rectangular hole (i.e., a discharge hole 14), with both sides of the rectangular hole folded at a certain angle.

[0075] Overall assembly instructions: The gripper 2 assembly is assembled above the slide 12, so that the soft sweeping plate 4 and the surface of the slide 12 form an interference fit, and the waste hopper is assembled below the slide 12.

[0076] The soft material sweeping plate 4 installed on the gripper 2 can sweep the waste material to the waste hopper below every time the gripper 2 component moves to pick up the popcorn cup. This eliminates the need for additional cleaning actions, solves the problem of waste material affecting the weighing accuracy of the scale, and avoids waste material obstructing the operation of the gripper 2.

[0077] The width of the rectangular hole on the chute 12 is greater than the diameter of the popcorn, ensuring that the popcorn waste can be completely transferred into the waste hopper below during the sweeping process.

[0078] The two sides of the square hole on the slide 12 are folded downward at a certain angle to serve as a guide, ensuring that the popcorn cup can smoothly pass through the square hole on the slide 12 without interference.

[0079] All waste swept into the waste hopper below can be easily extracted, and manual emptying and cleaning can be performed at regular intervals to ensure that the equipment is clean and tidy.

[0080] The square holes on the chute 12 can be replaced with different shapes depending on the type of material being fed. The width of the square holes on the chute 12 can be adjusted according to the type of material being fed. The container can be configured differently based on the type of material being fed.

[0081] Based on the above embodiments, the following effects can be achieved:

[0082] 1. The sweeping plate 4 is installed on the metal body of the gripper 2, so that a sweeping action can be performed every time the gripper 2 moves, without the need for additional mechanical movement, thus saving costs.

[0083] 2. The sweeping plate 4 is installed on the metal body of the gripper 2. The sweeping action can be completed when the gripper 2 slides to pick up the popcorn cup, ensuring that there is no waste material on the equipment before the material is dropped, improving the weighing accuracy of the material, and avoiding waste material from hindering the operation of the gripper 2.

[0084] 3. Make a rectangular hole in the chute 12. The width of the hole is larger than the diameter of the popcorn, so that the popcorn waste can be completely transferred into the waste hopper below when sweeping.

[0085] 4. The two sides of the square hole on the slide 12 are folded down at a certain angle to serve as a guide, ensuring that the popcorn cup can pass smoothly through the square hole on the slide 12 without interference.

[0086] 5. All waste swept into the waste hopper below can be easily extracted, and manual emptying and cleaning can be carried out at regular intervals to ensure that the equipment is clean and tidy.

[0087] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0088] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of this application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A food vending machine, characterized in that, include: A slide rail, wherein a slide groove is provided on the slide rail, and at least one material discharge hole is provided on the bottom wall of the slide groove; The gripper is used to grip the container and move the container along the slide from a first position to a second position. A material sweeping plate, mounted on the gripper, can contact the inner bottom wall of the chute during the movement of the gripper to push the material on the chute to the discharge hole; A waste tray, corresponding to the discharge hole, is used to collect the material discharged from the discharge hole.

2. The food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width and length of the feeding hole are greater than the target value so that the food sold by the vending machine can pass through the feeding hole.

3. The food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, A bent edge is provided on the outer bottom wall of the chute. The bent edge is formed by bending the edge of the material discharge hole. The bent edge extends from the outer bottom wall to a direction away from the outer bottom wall and gradually moves away from the center of the material discharge hole.

4. The food vending machine according to claim 3, characterized in that, The material discharge hole is an elongated opening extending along the width direction of the chute, and the bent edges are located on both sides of the elongated opening along the extension direction of the slide rail.

5. The food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the sweeping blade is connected to the gripper, and the end of the sweeping blade away from the gripper is a flexible structure.

6. The food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gripper includes two clamping parts, which can be separated or closed relative to each other to release or clamp the material container, and the sweeping plate is mounted on one of the clamping parts.

7. The food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The translation device is capable of moving along the extension direction of the slide rail to move the gripper from the first position to the second position.

8. The food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: The housing, the slide rail, the gripper and the sweeping plate are installed inside the housing; The waste tray can be detached and installed inside the housing.

9. The food vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A cup dropper, corresponding to the first position, is disposed above the slide rail and is used to allow the material container to fall to the first position of the slide groove; The feeding device includes a feeding port located above a second position of the slide rail, so that the material falling from the feeding port can fall into a material container located at the second position.

10. The food vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Also includes: A weighing device is disposed at the second position of the chute. When the material container is in the second position, the material container is located above the weighing device, so that the weighing device can detect the total weight of the material container and the material inside it.

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