Frozen Confectionery Vending Layout for Centralized Topping Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vending machines for frozen confections face challenges such as the inability to dispense harder confections, uneven topping distribution, costly temperature maintenance, and inefficient robotic arm usage, while lacking customizable and visually appealing features.
Innovation Solution
A customer-interactive vending machine with a rotatable carousel for frozen confectionery cups, a vertically oriented arm for liquid toppings, and a centralized gear motor for radial topping dispensing, along with a touch screen for customization and secure access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robotic arm is used to move the ice-cream receiving cup to topping holding stations, then customization is enabled, but the machine complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving the cup to different topping stations, the invention inverts the approach by bringing all toppings to a centrally located cup. The centralized topping dispensing system rotates to position selected toppings under the cup, eliminating the need for complex robotic arm movements and multiple fixed topping stations.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized topping dispensing mechanism serves multiple functions: it stores various toppings, selects among them, dispenses them evenly, and cleans itself. This multi-functional design replaces the need for separate robotic arm, multiple topping stations, and cleaning systems, reducing overall machine complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the robotic arm travels to each topping dispensing location, then customization is achieved, but the dispensing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system inverts the traditional approach by having toppings come to the cup rather than the cup traveling to toppings. The centralized dispensing mechanism rotates to bring selected toppings into position, significantly reducing travel time and enabling faster customization.
Solution Approach 2:
Toppings are pre-positioned in the centralized dispensing mechanism, ready for quick selection and dispensing. The system prepares the topping delivery path in advance, allowing rapid customization without time-consuming robotic arm movements across multiple stations.
3Volume of stationary object
If the frozen confectionery is stored in the top portion of the vending machine, then space is utilized, but the energy cost to maintain freezing temperature increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the machine into two distinct temperature zones: a freezer enclosure for storing frozen confectionery and a delivery/topping dispensing enclosure at ambient temperature. This segmentation allows freezing to be maintained only where necessary, reducing energy consumption while preserving storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery and topping dispensing functions are extracted from the frozen storage environment and placed in a separate ambient temperature enclosure. This extraction eliminates the need to maintain freezing temperatures in the delivery area, reducing energy costs while maintaining adequate storage space in the freezer section.
4Temperature
If the top portion of the machine is kept at freezing temperatures in an uninsulated environment, then frozen confectionery is stored, but moisture creates ice particles that attach to the transparent front surface
Solution Approach 1:
The machine is segmented into a frozen storage enclosure and an ambient delivery enclosure separated by an insulation barrier. This segmentation prevents moisture from the ambient environment from reaching the cold surfaces, eliminating ice particle formation on the transparent front surface while maintaining freezing temperatures in the storage section.
Solution Approach 2:
The delivery and dispensing functions are extracted from the frozen environment into a separate ambient temperature enclosure. This extraction creates a thermal barrier that prevents moisture condensation and ice formation on external surfaces, particularly the transparent front view panel, while preserving freezing conditions in the storage section.
Data Source
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AI summary
An interactive frozen confectionery vending machine (100) with a freezer enclosure (6), a delivery and toppings dispensing enclosure (4) and a control system enclosure. A programable control system allows a customer to select a frozen confectionery cup (26) stored within the freezer enclosure (6) and to select a hard and soft topping that are automatically dispensed into the cup and the cup is delivered to the waiting customer through a customer access door (16) that closes after the transaction is completed. A centrally located gear motor (74) rotates an arm that terminates in a cup (42). The cup (42) receives a topping from a canister (8) and then rotates to drop the topping into the frozen confectionery cup (26). A soft topping is pumped via flexible liquid topping delivery tubes into a dispensing arm (18) located above the frozen confectionery cup.