Food vending machine for dispensing food

Abstract

The invention relates to a food vending machine (1) for dispensing food (31), comprising a machine frame (2) to which a display unit (3, 4) for storing food (31), an image processing system (41) for optically detecting a spatial arrangement of food (31), a manipulator (51) for handling food (31) and a manipulator control unit (74) coupled to the image processing system (41) are assigned, wherein the manipulator control unit (74) is configured to control the manipulator (51) depending on the spatial arrangement of the food (31) and wherein the manipulator (51) is assigned an intermediate storage unit (23) which is configured for the intermediate storage of a selection of food (31) provided by the manipulator (51) and for the transport of the selection of food (31) to a packaging unit (30) or to a goods output interface.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vending machine for dispensing food. In a vending machine known from the prior art, various individually packaged food items, such as beverage cans, energy bars, and sandwiches, are held in horizontally oriented storage chutes within a machine frame. The machine frame is enclosed with cladding to form a closed machine housing. Each storage chute is assigned a conveying device that, upon a customer request, conveys the food item from the storage chute horizontally into a dispensing chute. Upon entering the dispensing chute, the food item falls downwards into a dispensing area located away from the storage chutes.This dispensing area is equipped with a pivoting flap to allow customers to retrieve the requested food items without accessing the storage compartments. In a further development of this type of vending machine, a vertically adjustable tray is provided in the dispensing chute. This tray can be moved to the level of the storage compartment from which a food item is to be dispensed. After the food item has been pushed from the compartment onto the tray, the tray is then lowered vertically to allow the customer to retrieve the requested item.

[0002] DE 10 2005 005 193 A1 discloses a device for storing, processing and dispensing foodstuffs, in particular baked goods, consisting of at least two sections, wherein at least between the two sections a structural separating element, in particular a wall, with one or more connecting openings is arranged, wherein at least one section is arranged in a sales area and the at least one connecting opening provided in the separating element lies within an area covered by the at least one sales area-side section.

[0003] DE 10 2016 123 717 A1 discloses a dispensing device for holding, presenting and removing baked goods, with at least one dispensing compartment, wherein the at least one dispensing compartment comprises: a feed section that enables the loading of the at least one dispensing compartment with baked goods, a removal section for removing the baked goods, a transport surface arranged between the feed section and the removal section on which the baked goods travel from the feed section to the removal section, and a measuring device, wherein the baked goods pass the measuring device on their way from the feed section to the removal section, wherein the measuring device registers the presence and / or absence of these baked goods and generates corresponding electrical signals.

[0004] The object of the invention is to provide a food vending machine with which unpackaged food can be dispensed to customers.

[0005] This task is solved by the food vending machine having a machine frame to which a display unit for storing food, an image processing system for optically capturing a spatial arrangement of food, a manipulator for handling food, and a manipulator control coupled to the image processing system are assigned, wherein the manipulator control is designed to control the manipulator depending on the spatial arrangement of the food, and wherein the manipulator is assigned an intermediate storage unit, which is designed for the intermediate storage of a selection of food provided by the manipulator and for the transport of the selection of food to a packaging unit or to a goods output interface.

[0006] The machine frame can be designed as an arrangement of profile parts, a combination of profile parts and cladding parts, or an arrangement of cladding parts alone, and forms the basic mechanical framework for the food vending machine. Preferably, the machine frame is provided with cladding parts to form a closed machine housing.

[0007] A display tray for food items is mounted on the machine frame. Depending on the type of food to be sold by the vending machine, the display tray can be a tray with a flat surface or a tray with a multitude of recesses, arranged in a predefined grid. Preferably, the display tray is arranged in a way that facilitates customer viewing of the displayed food items. This can be achieved, for example, by orienting the display tray at a slight incline relative to a horizontal plane, so that a customer who wishes to view the food items on the display tray, for example, through a viewing window fixed to the machine frame, can see at least most of the items on the display tray.

[0008] Furthermore, the vending machine includes a manipulator with which individual food items can be placed on or removed from the display. For this purpose, the manipulator has a gripper with which the respective food item can be gripped by friction and / or form-fit. The manipulator also enables the spatial movement of food items in three mutually perpendicular spatial directions. Preferably, two of the mutually perpendicular spatial directions of the manipulator define a plane of movement that is parallel to a surface of the display. The third spatial direction can be parallel to a surface normal to the display surface or, for example, aligned in a vertical direction, also referred to as the perpendicular.The manipulator can, for example, be designed as a multi-axis industrial robot with electric and / or pneumatic and / or hydraulic drive systems.

[0009] To enable a targeted grasping process for food items, such as those placed on a display shelf, a manipulator controller, designed to control the manipulator's respective drive mechanisms, is integrated with an image processing system. This image processing system includes an optical sensor, in particular a camera, to generate image signals. These image signals are evaluated by a microprocessor within the image processing system using a computer program running on the microprocessor. Information is derived from the image signals, which the manipulator controller then uses to control the manipulator's drive mechanisms.The manipulator control system can also be a microprocessor with corresponding electrical and electronic peripherals, running a computer program designed to perform targeted control (open loop) or regulation (closed loop) of the individual drive units of the manipulator based on information provided by the image processing system and, if applicable, sensor signals from sensors assigned to the manipulator. It is advantageous if the manipulator control system is designed to maintain an inventory list of the food items placed on the display, thus ensuring that up-to-date information regarding the presence of food items at specific locations on the display is always available for subsequent picking operations using the manipulator.For example, food items placed on the display are entered into the inventory list, while food items taken from the display are removed from the inventory list.

[0010] The manipulator is associated with an intermediate storage unit designed to temporarily hold several food items picked sequentially from the display by the manipulator. The intermediate storage unit is coupled to the manipulator so that movements of the manipulator in at least one predetermined spatial direction, particularly along a vertically oriented direction, directly result in a movement of the intermediate storage unit in that same direction. The intermediate storage unit can be designed as a storage surface, particularly a flat one, or as a container with a concave geometry, and is dimensioned for the simultaneous temporary storage of several food items.

[0011] Following the arrangement of a selection of food items on or within the intermediate storage unit, a subsequent step may involve making this selection available to a packaging unit. The packaging unit's function is to package the selected food items and make them available to the customer at a goods issue interface. Alternatively, a subsequent step may involve making the selection of food items stored on or within the intermediate storage unit directly available at the goods issue interface. In particular, it may be possible for the selected food items to be packaged as they are placed in the intermediate storage unit, and then subsequently made available to the customer at the goods issue interface.

[0012] Advantageous further developments of the invention are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0013] It is advantageous if a product carrier holder is arranged on the machine frame, designed to hold a product carrier, and if the image processing system is configured to detect food items arranged on the product carrier. For example, the product carrier holder is arranged on the rear of the vending machine, facing away from the front, with the front of the vending machine facing the customer. Preferably, the vending machine is positioned in a building, particularly a retail store, such that the rear of the vending machine is accessible only to employees and not to customers. The product carrier holder can be designed, in particular, as a holder for trays, baking sheets, or boxes.This system assumes that the food items arranged on or in the respective product carrier do not have a precise spatial arrangement relative to one another. Accordingly, the image processing system is designed to detect food items arranged randomly on the product carrier and derive information from this information, which is then provided to the manipulator control system. This enables the targeted picking of individual food items and their subsequent transport to the display area. Preferably, the product carrier holder is designed such that a product carrier picked up from it has an identical or at least similar spatial orientation to the display area.For example, it is provided that a surface of the display unit defines a display plane on which the food items can be placed and retrieved by the manipulator, and that a surface of the product carrier is aligned in this display plane or parallel to it. This measure minimizes the number of movements the manipulator must perform to pick up a food item from the product carrier and place it on the display, thus enabling a rapid transfer of food items from the product carrier to the display. It is particularly preferred that at least the optical sensor of the image processing system, which may be designed as a camera, is arranged vertically above the product carrier holder to enable rapid detection of the (usually randomly ordered) food items arranged on a newly positioned product carrier attached to the product carrier holder.

[0014] If necessary, an information interface is provided on the product carrier holder, which is designed for contact-based or contactless information transfer between the product carrier and the image processing system and / or the manipulator control. For example, it may be provided that when a product carrier is positioned on the product carrier holder, information about its properties, such as the average weight of the food and / or its maximum pressure resistance, or other properties such as the production date or maximum shelf life, which are stored in a storage medium on the product carrier, is transferred via the information interface.

[0015] Alternatively, it may be provided that information directly readable by the image processing system, such as a barcode or a QR code, is attached to the product carrier in order to provide essential information about the food on the product carrier to the manipulator control without the need to provide an information interface.

[0016] It is particularly preferred that the vending machine includes, in addition to or integrated into the manipulator control, an inventory management system. This inventory management system can thus optionally be a separate computer with corresponding software or integrated as a program module within the manipulator control. The inventory management system is designed to store information about food products delivered to the vending machine on the product carriers. This information can include, for example, batch numbers or other key data related to the delivery and / or production of the food products.Additionally or alternatively, the information can include how long the respective food item remains saleable (best before date) and when a special offer for that item might be available, for example, if the best before date is approaching. Furthermore, the inventory management system can also collect, store, and, if necessary, transmit information to a higher-level inventory management system regarding whether a food item is still in the vending machine or has already been packaged and is on its way to the checkout, provided that payment is not made directly at the vending machine.The inventory management system can also be configured to trigger a reorder of food items based on statistical methods when it becomes apparent that the food items in the vending machine are either being sold out or are nearing their expiration date. For example, the system can be configured to issue a baking order when more than 50 percent of the baked goods in the vending machine have been sold.

[0017] It is advantageous if the image processing system is designed to recognize the geometric properties of the food items placed on the product carrier, calculate gripping coordinates for each item, and provide these coordinates to the manipulator control system. The food items to be placed on the carrier and transported to the display area by the manipulator are primarily natural products, artisanal products, or industrially manufactured products. Accordingly, these food items, which may include fruits, vegetables, or baked goods, can exhibit significant variations in shape.

[0018] To ensure the least possible damage during transport of these food items, the manipulator must grip them with minimal force. Therefore, precise information about the food's properties, particularly its size, shape, mass, and orientation, is essential. The image processing system's task is thus to first capture the spatial arrangement and individual dimensions of each food item and then use this information to calculate the gripping coordinates for the manipulator's gripper. Specifically, the gripper's Tool Center Point (TCP) and the opening and closing values ​​necessary for damage-free gripping are determined and then transmitted to the manipulator's control system.

[0019] When using a symmetrically designed gripper to grasp a foodstuff that is at least substantially spherical, such as an apple, the gripper's center of gravity (TCP) may be positioned on an axis perpendicular to the surface of the product carrier. In particular, the TCP may be located at the foodstuff's center of gravity. Furthermore, the gripper must first be opened sufficiently to allow for approach to the foodstuff without any mechanical contact between the gripping surfaces and the food. During the subsequent grasping of the foodstuff, the gripping surfaces of the gripper close, ensuring both a secure grip and maintaining a pressure on the foodstuff below a predetermined maximum pressure.

[0020] Preferably, the manipulator control is configured to control the manipulator in such a way that food items are picked up from the display carrier and placed on the display in a predefined spatial arrangement, depending on their spatial arrangement, and that food items are picked up from the display and provided to the intermediate storage unit based on a selection command. It is assumed that the food items on the display carrier do not have a predefined spatial arrangement, for example, in a fixed grid. Rather, the food items on the display carrier are arranged in a disordered manner to such an extent that, for each item, the image processing system must first calculate gripping coordinates, gripper opening values, and gripper closing values.After performing this calculation for individual food items or for all food items arranged on the display unit, the manipulator can pick up the respective food item from the unit and transfer it to the display area. The display area is designed so that the food items are placed by the manipulator in a predefined spatial arrangement, which can be, for example, a square grid or another predefined pattern. The position of each food item on the display area is stored in the manipulator's control system until the food item has been transferred by the manipulator to the intermediate storage area.If necessary, the manipulator may be designed to rearrange the food items displayed on the merchandise at regular intervals or upon operator request in order to ensure a favorable appearance for the food items on display.

[0021] In a further development of the invention, several product displays are arranged on the machine frame, their surfaces spaced apart in a vertical direction and aligned parallel to each other, and the manipulator is mounted on the machine frame so as to be linearly movable along the vertical direction. This enables a high storage density for food items in the vending machine. Preferably, exactly one type of food item is placed on each of the product displays. Alternatively, different types of food items can be arranged on one or more product displays.The parallel alignment of the product displays ensures that the manipulator, when picking up or placing food items on the respective display, does not need to consider different spatial orientations of the displays, thus avoiding the need for complex three-dimensional control of the manipulator. Preferably, the display planes of the product displays are angled with a vertical direction, also referred to as the plumb line, which, for example, lies within an interval of 65 degrees to 85 degrees. To ensure a cost-effective design of the manipulator, picking up and placing movements of the food items are performed along the vertical direction, while transfer movements of the food items are essentially parallel to the display planes of the respective product displays.The manipulator, with the intermediate storage unit coupled to it, is preferably moved along the vertical direction by an electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic drive. It is particularly preferred that the manipulator and intermediate storage unit are mounted on a carriage which is itself linearly movable along a vertically oriented guide rail, and that the carriage can be moved along the vertical direction by an electric motor with a threaded spindle drive or a toothed belt drive.

[0022] In a further embodiment of the invention, the intermediate storage unit has a storage surface designed to receive a transport container, in particular a folding box. In this embodiment of the intermediate storage unit, it is assumed that the food products picked up from the display by the manipulator are placed directly into a transport container, which may be, for example, a tub or box. The transport container is either automatically closed, closed by the customer, or the transport container is designed without a lid for open transport of the food products it contains.

[0023] Alternatively, the intermediate storage unit is designed as a receiving chute with a surrounding chute wall, the chute wall defining a receiving opening and a dispensing opening. The dispensing opening is equipped with a movably mounted closure on the chute wall to selectively open or close it. The receiving opening is arranged vertically above the dispensing opening. Using a receiving chute as an intermediate storage unit is advantageous when the food items displayed on the merchandise display are not particularly sensitive to mechanical stress, as might be the case, for example, with small baked goods, especially rolls. In this case, the food items picked up from the merchandise display by the manipulator are initially collected in the receiving chute.The dispensing opening is then released by a relative movement of the closure, mounted on the shaft wall, from a closed to an open position. The selected food items fall into a transport container, particularly a folding carton or bag, located vertically below the intermediate storage unit. For example, the closure can be moved from the closed to the open position when the manipulator, with the attached intermediate storage unit, is moved vertically into an unloading position, thus causing the closure to pivot around a pivot axis. As soon as the manipulator with the intermediate storage unit moves vertically upwards from the unloading position, a spring mechanism automatically closes the closure, allowing a new selection of food items to be placed in the receiving shaft.

[0024] In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a packaging unit is arranged on the machine frame. This packaging unit is designed to provide packaging from a packaging storage unit, to open the packaging, and to close the packaging after receiving the selection of food items temporarily stored in the intermediate storage unit. By way of example, the packaging unit is designed to remove a paper bag from a packaging storage unit, to open the paper bag such that the bag opening is located below the intermediate storage unit, and to perform a closing process for the bag after receiving the selected food items from the receiving chute.

[0025] Preferably, the manipulator has several arm sections, each connected to the others by joints, and a working area of ​​the manipulator includes the product display and the product carrier. Particularly preferably, the manipulator is designed as a horizontal articulated robot (SCARA robot), wherein, unlike the typical configuration of such a horizontal articulated robot, the linear axis is assigned to the first arm section. By way of example, the linear axis is formed by a carriage that is linearly movable along the vertical direction on a profile rail. It can be provided that a pivot joint with an associated drive unit is formed between the carriage and the first arm section, between the first arm section and the second arm section, and between the second arm section and the third arm section.The gripper is arranged on the third arm section and preferably has a linear degree of freedom of movement for at least one of at least two gripping jaws arranged opposite each other for carrying out the gripping movement, wherein a drive device for the movement of the at least one gripping jaw can be housed in the third arm section.

[0026] In a further embodiment of the invention, the product displays are arranged adjacent to a movement area for the manipulator, within which the manipulator, with its compact arm sections, can be moved vertically. By way of example, the movement area extends along the vertical axis with a rectangular profile and is bounded on both sides by product displays. This allows for efficient utilization of the manipulator's maximum range of motion, enabling it to place and pick up food items from product displays arranged to the right and left of the movement area by pivoting its arm sections.In a compact arrangement of the manipulator, it is assumed that the longitudinal axes of the first arm section and the second arm section are aligned parallel to each other, so that a projection of the manipulator onto a horizontal plane oriented perpendicular to the vertical direction has a minimal area.

[0027] An advantageous embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing. Here, the drawing shows: Fig. 1. A purely schematic perspective representation of a food vending machine, Fig. 2 a purely schematic side view of the food vending machine according to the Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 a schematic excerpt from the Fig. 1. To illustrate how the manipulator works.

[0028] One in the Fig. 1 to 3 The food vending machine 1, shown purely schematically, is intended as an example for the sale of baked goods 31, which are shown as table rolls for the sake of simplicity.

[0029] The vending machine 1 can, for example, be used in a supermarket, in which case it is fitted with a cover (not shown) to prevent customers from directly accessing the baked goods 31 and thus also to prevent customers from contacting a manipulator 51, which is intended for the automated handling of the baked goods. Preferably, the vending machine 1 is arranged between other vending machines or shelves adjacent to the side (not shown), such that only the front 11 of the vending machine 1 is accessible to customers, while the rear 12 of the vending machine 1 is accessible only from an operator area that only supermarket employees can enter.For example, it may be provided that one or more ovens (not shown) are additionally installed in this operator area, in which, in particular, pre-made, deep-frozen dough pieces are baked and then made available for sale at the food vending machines 1 in the manner described in more detail below.

[0030] By way of example, the food vending machine 1 comprises a machine frame 2 formed from a multitude of horizontally and vertically oriented profile rails 13, which are connected to one another by suitable connecting elements. By way of example, it is provided that two groups of product displays 3, 4 are arranged on the machine frame, each designed as plane-parallel plates with a square base. The product displays 3 of the first group are each aligned parallel to each other and have the same distance between them in a vertical direction 14. The product displays 4 of the second group are each aligned parallel to each other and have the same distance between them in the vertical direction 14. By way of example, it is provided that adjacent product displays 3, 4 are each arranged in a common, in the Fig. 2 are arranged on the schematically drawn display level 21.

[0031] The merchandise displays 3, 4 are arranged in a first horizontal direction 15 with a distance 17 from each other, whereby a movement space 18 is kept free between the merchandise displays 3, 4, which has a rectangular cross-section in a cross-sectional plane not shown, oriented transversely to the vertical direction 14.

[0032] Furthermore, it is provided that the product displays 3, 4 enclose an angle 19 with the vertical direction 14, which, purely by way of example, is 85 degrees. This ensures that a customer not shown in the illustration has the best possible overview of all baked goods displayed on the product displays 3, 4.

[0033] For example, the movement area 18 on the front 11 of the vending machine 1 is provided for, at least in part, by a display device 9, which is only shown schematically and which may, for example, be a touchscreen. This display device 9 serves to visualize user information and, if applicable, to input purchase requests, which are implemented by the vending machine 1 in the manner described in more detail below.

[0034] In the area of ​​the rear 12 of the food vending machine 1, a guide rail 53 extends parallel to the vertically oriented profile rails 13, which is provided for a linear guide of a carriage 54 along the vertical direction 14 and which is connected to the profile rails 13 of the machine frame 2 in a manner not shown in detail.

[0035] The carriage 54 carries a first pivot drive 55, which comprises an electric motor (not shown) and a pivot joint (also not shown), wherein the pivot joint is configured for a pivotable bearing of a first arm section 56 relative to the carriage 54. The first pivot drive 55 allows the first arm section 56 to be pivoted about a first pivot axis 57 relative to the carriage 54. A second pivot drive 58 is attached to an end region of the first arm section 56 facing away from the first pivot drive 55. This second pivot drive 58 comprises an electric motor (not shown) and a pivot joint (not shown), wherein the pivot joint is configured for a pivotable bearing of a second arm section 59 relative to the first arm section 56. The second pivot drive 58 allows the second arm section 59 to be pivoted about a second pivot axis 60 relative to the first arm section 56.A third pivot drive 61 is arranged at an end region of the second arm section 59 facing away from the second pivot drive 58. This third pivot drive 61 comprises an electric motor (not shown) and a pivot joint (not shown), the pivot joint being designed for a pivotally movable bearing of a third arm section 62 relative to the second arm section 59. The third pivot drive 61 allows the third arm section 62 to be pivoted relative to the second arm section 49 about a third pivot axis 63. As shown in the illustration... Fig. 2 can be removed, the first pivot axis 57, the second pivot axis 60 and the third pivot axis 63 are aligned parallel to each other and normal to the projection plane 21.

[0036] The third arm section 62 carries a gripper 66, which is designed purely as an example of a two-jaw gripper, in which the opposing gripping jaws 67, of which in the illustrations of the Fig. 1 to 3, each of which is only one visible, can be linearly brought closer together or moved away from each other by a drive integrated in the third arm section 62, which is not shown in detail, in order to enable a gripping or release movement of these gripping jaws 67.

[0037] In addition to the first rotary drive 55, an intermediate storage unit 23 is arranged on the carriage 54. This intermediate storage unit is shown, purely as an example, in a box-shaped form with a vertically oriented shaft wall 24 that defines a receiving opening 25 and a discharge opening 26. The receiving opening 25 is always open, thus allowing the supply of foodstuffs, for example baked goods 31, into the intermediate storage unit 23. The discharge opening 26 is, as shown in the illustration, Fig. 2 closed by a plate-shaped closure 27, so that baked goods 31 placed in the intermediate storage 23 do not fall out downwards. According to the illustration of the Fig. 3 the closure 27 is pivoted about a pivot axis 28, thereby releasing the dispensing opening 26 and allowing the baked goods 31 to be dispensed downwards from the intermediate storage 23.

[0038] By way of example, it is provided that a packaging device 30, shown only schematically, is arranged below the intermediate storage unit 23, which can be configured, for example, to pack the baked goods 31 dispensed from the intermediate storage unit 23 into a transport container such as a bag or box and to attach this transport container to a schematically shown component on the front 11 of the vending machine 1. Fig. 1 to provide the output interface 32 shown, which can be opened by a customer to remove the transport container contained therein.

[0039] For linear movement of the carriage 54 along the guide rail 53, the carriage 54 is fixed to a toothed belt 70, which partially encircles a first pulley 71 and a second pulley 72, the first pulley 71 being arranged above the second pulley 72 in the vertical direction 14. A drive motor 73, for example an electric motor, is associated with the first pulley 72 and can initiate a rotational movement on the second pulley 72 to effect a linear movement of the carriage 54 in the vertical direction 14.

[0040] The manipulator 51, formed from the sections 56, 59, 62 with the associated swivel drive 55, 58 and 61 as well as the guide rail 53, the carriage 54, the toothed belt 70 with the pulleys 71 and 72 and the drive motor 73, enables the picking up and placing of foodstuffs on the display shelves 3, 4.

[0041] Furthermore, the manipulator 51 is designed to pick up food items from a product carrier 5, which can be attached to a product carrier receptacle 6 on the rear 12 of the vending machine 1. For example, the product carrier 5 is designed as a baking tray, and a large number of baked goods 31 are arranged randomly on the product carrier 5. As shown in the illustration of the Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 can be removed, the product carrier 5 is aligned parallel to the display level 21 of the product displays 3, 4, thereby ensuring efficient grasping and placement of baked goods 31 by the gripper 66.

[0042] To enable this targeted grasping of the baked goods 31 by the gripper 66, a camera 43 is arranged on the machine frame 2, which corresponds to the dashed symbol representation in the Fig. 3 is designed for optical scanning of the entire surface of the product carrier 5. For this purpose, the camera 43 is attached to a camera bracket 42, which in turn is fixed to one of the profile rails 13. The camera 43 is connected via an electrical connection 44 to a microcomputer 45 (shown in strict schematic form), wherein the microcomputer 45 contains a microprocessor (not shown in detail) which is configured using a computer program to process and evaluate the image signals from the camera 43. During the evaluation of the image signals from the camera 43, the microcomputer 45 determines the size and / or shape and / or orientation of the baked goods 31 and, based on this information, defines the gripping coordinates for the gripper 66 with which the gripper 66 can grasp the respective baked goods 31. These gripping coordinates are the Fig. 3 symbolized by arrows above the respective baked goods 31, which are placed on the product carrier. Furthermore, the microcomputer 45 can also determine a minimum opening value and a maximum closing value for the gripper 66 from the image signals of the camera 43, in order to enable damage-free picking up and placing of the respective baked goods 31. The camera 43, together with the microcomputer 45, forms an image processing system 41.

[0043] The microcomputer 45 is electrically connected via an internal interface (not shown) to a manipulator control unit 74 (also shown only schematically). The manipulator control unit 74 comprises a microprocessor (not shown) on which a computer program runs. This program is configured to control the manipulator 51 based on information provided by the microcomputer 45. For this purpose, the manipulator control unit 74 is connected to the manipulator 51 via electrical connecting lines 75 and 76.

[0044] One operating mode for the food vending machine 1 can be described as follows: First, an operator (not shown) attaches a product carrier 5, loaded with randomly arranged baked goods 31, to the product carrier holder 6. The baked goods 31 on the product carrier 5 are then scanned by the camera 43, and the electrical signals from the camera 43 are sent to the microcomputer 45. The microcomputer 45 identifies the shape, size, and spatial arrangement of the baked goods 31 and calculates the gripping coordinates for the gripper 66, as well as the opening and closing values ​​for the gripper 66. This information is transmitted from the microcomputer 45 to the manipulator control unit 74, which converts this information into movement commands for the individual drives (swivel drives 55, 58, 61 and drive motor 73) of the manipulator 51 and sends these movement commands to the drives of the manipulator 51.

[0045] Thus, in subsequent steps, the baked goods 31 arranged on the product carrier 5 are placed on the product displays 3, 4 in a predetermined arrangement, in particular a grid arrangement. This grid arrangement is defined by the crosshairs that are in the Fig. 3 on the merchandise display 4 is symbolized.

[0046] As soon as a customer submits an order for baked goods 31 to the vending machine 1, which can be done either by direct input at the display unit 9 or, for example, by using a mobile phone with software configured for the vending machine 1, the manipulator control 74 decides which movement of the manipulator 51 will retrieve the desired baked goods 31 from the display units 3, 4. If it is necessary to move the manipulator 51 between different levels of the display units 3, 4, the manipulator 51 is moved into a compact operating position in which the first arm section 56 and the second arm section 59 are aligned parallel to each other and can move without collision in the vertical direction 14 within the movement space 18.

[0047] Once a baked good 31 has been gripped by the gripper 66, it is picked up by placing the gripper 66 above the receiving opening 25 of the intermediate storage 23 and opening the gripper 66 in the intermediate storage 23. As soon as either the desired selection of baked goods 31 has been picked up in the intermediate storage 23 or the intermediate storage 23 has reached a predetermined capacity, the manipulator 51 is moved into a transfer position, as schematically shown in the Fig.Figure 2 shows the process. In this transfer position, a minimum distance is ensured between the dispensing opening 26 of the intermediate storage unit 23 and the packaging unit 30, so that in a subsequent step, by pivoting the closure 27 about the pivot axis 28, the baked goods 31 received in the intermediate storage unit 23 are transferred into the packaging unit 30 solely by gravity. In the packaging unit 30, the baked goods are placed in a transport container such as a bag or box, and preferably the transport device is closed. The transport device can then be made available to the customer at the output interface 32.

Claims

[1] Food vending machine (1) for dispensing food (31), comprising a machine frame (2) to which a display unit (3, 4) for storing food (31), an image processing system (41) for optically detecting a spatial arrangement of food (31), a manipulator (51) for handling food (31) and a manipulator control (74) coupled to the image processing system (41), wherein the manipulator control (74) is configured to control the manipulator (51) depending on the spatial arrangement of the food (31) and wherein the manipulator (51) is assigned an intermediate storage unit (23) which is configured for the intermediate storage of a selection of food (31) provided by the manipulator (51) and for the transport of the selection of food (31) to a packaging unit (30) or to a goods output interface. [2] Food vending machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized by, that a product carrier receptacle (6) is arranged on the machine frame (2) which is designed to receive a product carrier (5) and that the image processing system (41) is designed for detecting foodstuffs (31) which are arranged on the product carrier (5). [3] Food vending machine (1) according to claim 2, characterized by , that the image processing system (41) is designed for recognizing geometric properties of the foodstuffs (31) placed on the carrier (5), as well as for calculating gripping coordinates for the respective foodstuff (31) and for providing the gripping coordinates to the manipulator control (74). [4] Food vending machine (1) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized by, that the manipulator control (74) is designed to control the manipulator (51) in such a way that foodstuffs (31) are picked up from the product carrier (5) depending on their spatial arrangement and placed on the product display (3, 4) in a predetermined spatial arrangement and that foodstuffs (31) are picked up from the product display (3, 4) depending on a selection order and made available to the intermediate storage (23). [5] Food vending machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that several product displays (3, 4) are arranged on the machine frame (2), the surfaces (21) of which are spaced apart in a vertical direction (14) and aligned parallel to each other, and that the manipulator (51) is mounted linearly movable on the machine frame (2) along the vertical direction (14). [6] Food vending machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by, that the intermediate storage (23) has a storage area designed to receive a transport container, in particular a folding box. [7] Food vending machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by , that the intermediate storage (23) is designed as a receiving shaft with a circumferential shaft wall (24), wherein the shaft wall (24) defines a receiving opening (25) and a discharge opening (26), wherein the discharge opening (26) is assigned a closure (27) movably mounted on the shaft wall (24) in order to selectively open or close the discharge opening (26), and wherein the receiving opening (25) is arranged in a vertical direction above the discharge opening (26). [8] Food vending machine (1) according to claim 7, characterized by, that a packaging unit (30) is arranged on the machine frame (2), which is designed to provide a package from a packaging storage, to open the package and to close the package after receiving the selection of foodstuffs (31) temporarily stored in the intermediate storage. [9] Food vending machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by , that the manipulator (51) has several arm sections (56, 59, 62) which are each connected to each other by joints (55, 58, 61), and that a working area of ​​the manipulator (51) includes the merchandise display (3, 4) and the merchandise carrier (5). [10] Food vending machine (1) according to claim 9, characterized by , that the merchandise displays (3, 4) are each arranged adjacent to a movement space (18) for the manipulator (51), in which the manipulator (51) can be moved in a vertical direction with a compact arrangement of the arm sections (56, 59, 62).

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