Extruded Profile Vending Machine Housing with Serrated Strongbox
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing coin vending machines lack effective resistance to vandalism, particularly in outdoor areas, and current methods for reinforcement, such as introducing safes or constructing reinforced compartments, are complex and costly to design and produce.
Innovation Solution
A coin vending machine design featuring a housing made from an extruded profile with serrated sheets that fit into notches, providing a secure and aesthetically pleasing compartment that is easy to assemble and resistant to vandalism, including a secure piggy bank and access door mechanism to prevent attacks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional methods (introducing a safe or constructing reinforcements) are used to protect currency, then resistance to vandalism is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into modular extruded profile segments that can be assembled together. Each profile contains integrated notches that serve as both structural elements and mounting features for the safe, eliminating the need for separate reinforcement components and reducing overall assembly complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The safe mounting features (notches and slides) are integrated directly into the extruded profile structure itself, combining the housing and safe mounting functions into a single component. This eliminates the need for separate safe introduction or additional reinforcement construction, reducing both design complexity and manufacturing steps
2Strength
If traditional assembly methods (screwing, bolting, welding) are used to assemble sheets and profiles, then structural strength is improved, but ease of manufacture and assembly deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional mechanical fastening methods (screws, bolts, welding) are replaced with a friction-fit mechanical interference system. The serrated edges of the sheets engage with the notches in the extruded profiles through direct insertion, creating a secure connection without requiring additional fasteners or thermal processes
Solution Approach 2:
The assembly system is self-aligning and self-securing. The serrated edges automatically engage with the notches during insertion, and the friction fit provides self-locking without requiring separate fastening operations. The structure assembles itself through the inherent geometry of the components
3Manufacturing precision
If tight production tolerances are enforced for profile and sheet dimensions, then assembly precision is improved, but manufacturing cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The design transitions from a clearance-fit system to a friction-fit interference system. By changing the dimensional parameters of the notches and serrated edges to create overlapping geometries, the system transforms tolerance accumulation from a problem into a self-accommodating feature, where slight variations in manufacturing are absorbed by the friction engagement rather than requiring precise alignment
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a money-operated machine, including a housing made from an extruded profile (1) and comprising a compartment that houses a money acceptor and a compartment that houses a money box in communication with the money acceptor. According to the invention, in order to protect the collected money, the money box is housed in a strongbox consisting of metal sheets (10, 11, 12, 13), which are nested within one another by means of serrations (15, 16) cut out on the edges of the metal sheets, and is attached to the extruded profile (1) by means of the cut-out serrations (15, 16) being inserted into grooves or notches (3, 5) of the extruded profile (1) acting as guides.