Vending Machine Dispensing Tray with Pivotable Gate
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vending machines for hot packaged food require customers to reheat the food after dispensing, and their complex mechanical structures increase manufacturing and maintenance costs.
Innovation Solution
A vending machine with a simple mechanical design featuring pivotable gates, a carrier structure with an engaging mechanism, and a collection mechanism, including pulleys and lever arms, that maintains packaged food warm and facilitates easy dispensing and collection without the need for reheating, using a heating element and ultra-high temperature sterilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If spring structure or electromagnetic structure is used on the dispensing tray for pushing packaged food out, then the packaged food can be dispensed, but the structure becomes more complicated with more mechanical moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex spring or electromagnetic pushing structures from the dispensing tray. Instead, it uses a simple pivotable gate mechanism that relies on gravity and a straightforward engaging feature to dispense food, extracting the unnecessary complex components while maintaining dispensing functionality
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than using active pushing mechanisms (spring/electromagnetic) to force food out, the patent inverts the approach by using a passive gate that allows food to slide out naturally when opened, converting an active pushing system into a passive guiding system
2Ease of operation
If conventional vending machines dispense packaged food without heating, then the mechanical structure is simpler, but customers cannot consume the food directly and must reheat it
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heating function with the dispensing mechanism by integrating a heating element directly into the dispensing tray. This combination allows the food to be both heated and dispensed through a unified system, improving convenience without proportionally increasing complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The heating element pre-heats the packaged food while it remains on the dispensing tray, before the customer receives it. This preliminary heating action ensures the food is ready for immediate consumption, eliminating the need for additional reheating steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables convenient consumption of hot packaged food directly from the machine, reducing manufacturing and maintenance costs by simplifying the mechanical design and ensuring effective heat transfer and sterilization.
Implementation Method 1
using a heating element and ultra-high temperature sterilization
Implementation Method 2
The slideway is inclined by a tilting angle from a horizontal axis... the packaged food is slidable relative to the individual dispensing tray
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a vending machine for dispensing hot packaged food. The vending machine includes a storage and dispenser unit comprising plural dispensing trays arranged in an array for storing one or more packaged foods, a frame, and a carrier structure. Each individual dispensing tray includes a pivotable gate and a slideway inclined by a tilting angle from a horizontal axis. The carrier structure comprises a carrying arm having an engaging feature; and an engaging mechanism for actuating the pivotable gate. The engaging mechanism is configured to move the carrying arm towards the individual dispensing tray such that the engaging feature actuates the pivotable gate from a locked position to an unlocked position. The packaged food is prevented from sliding down when the pivotable gate is at the locked position. The packaged food is slidable relative to the individual dispensing tray when the pivotable gate is at the unlocked position.