Coupling System for Synchronizing Vending Machine Rollers
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vending machine storage and dispensing technologies, such as spirals and sliders, are limited in accommodating various product sizes and shapes, making it difficult to change products seasonally or when offering different items, as they often require costly conversions or are not technically feasible for products like canned goods or unusual shapes.
Innovation Solution
A coupling system with rotatable rollers and a coupling device that allows for mechanical synchronization of transport devices, enabling easy adjustment and synchronization of conveying speed, accommodating products of varying dimensions and shapes by creating a releasable positive connection between adjacent rollers, allowing for flexible and customizable storage and dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional spirals or sliders are used for conveying goods, then the structure is simple and reliable, but the adaptability to different product sizes and shapes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transport system is divided into multiple independent transport devices, each with its own rotatable roller and drive mechanism. These segmented units can be independently configured and combined to handle different product types, allowing the system to adapt to various product sizes and shapes without requiring complete system replacement
Solution Approach 2:
The transport devices incorporate rotatable rollers that can rotate at variable speeds and can be mechanically synchronized through coupling devices. This dynamic capability allows the system to adjust its operation to match different product characteristics and conveying requirements, enhancing adaptability while maintaining coordinated operation
2Adaptability or versatility
If the vending machine is converted to accommodate different products, then product versatility is improved, but the conversion cost and complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The transport devices are designed as universal, modular units that can handle multiple product types through standardized interfaces and adjustable parameters. The coupling system allows different transport devices to be combined in various configurations, enabling a single standardized design to serve multiple product categories without costly custom conversions
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves product versatility by changing operational parameters such as roller rotation speed, coupling configuration, and transport device arrangement rather than physically modifying the structure. This allows the same hardware to adapt to different products by adjusting speed ratios and mechanical connections, avoiding expensive conversions
3Productivity
If multiple transport devices are used to handle various products, then product capacity is improved, but the synchronization of conveying speed becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple transport devices are mechanically merged through the coupling system, which connects adjacent rotatable rollers through a common coupling device. This merging creates a synchronized mechanical linkage where the rotation of one roller is directly coupled to others, ensuring coordinated conveying speed across multiple devices while maintaining their individual capacity to handle different products
4Adaptability or versatility
If fixed-speed transport devices are used, then the device structure is simple, but the ability to adjust conveying speed for different products is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The transport devices transition from fixed-speed operation to dynamic speed control through independently drivable rotatable rollers. Each roller can be driven at variable speeds and mechanically synchronized through coupling devices, allowing the system to adapt conveying speeds to different product requirements while maintaining coordinated operation through mechanical linkage
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
The present invention relates to a coupling system (1) for the mechanical synchronization of adjacent transport devices (2), in particular for or in a vending machine (3): comprising a plurality of adjacent transport devices (2), each having a rotatable roller (4) extending along a common axis of rotation (X); and comprising at least one coupling device (5) configured to establish a releasable positive-locking connection between two adjacent rotatable rollers (4) of the plurality of adjacent transport devices (2) in a predetermined end position, such that the plurality of transport devices (2) can be driven in a mechanically synchronized manner. The present invention further relates to a vending machine, a coupling device, and a method for configuring a coupling system.