Vending Machine Storage Column Height Detection and Bucket Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vending machines experience abnormal item discharge due to uncertainty in the height of storage columns caused by varying weights of items, leading to misalignment between the bucket and the level plate, which prevents smooth item retrieval.
Innovation Solution
A vending machine equipped with detection members and sensors that adjust the bucket's position to match the target height of each storage column, ensuring the bearing surface of the bucket aligns with the level plate, thereby facilitating normal item discharge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the bucket position is fixed at a predetermined height, then the device structure is simple, but the bucket cannot align with level plates of varying heights causing abnormal item discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the level plate height using a sensor and detection member before the item discharge process. The controller stores the detected height information and uses it to pre-adjust the bucket position, ensuring the bucket bearing surface aligns with the level plate upper edge before items are discharged, thus preventing abnormal discharge.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs a feedback mechanism where the sensor detects the position of the detection member relative to the level plate, sends signals to the controller, which then adjusts the bucket position accordingly. This closed-loop feedback ensures the bucket is always positioned at the correct height to receive items from level plates of varying heights.
2Reliability
If the bucket position is adjusted for each storage column, then item discharge reliability is improved, but the operation time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs height detection and position adjustment in advance, before the actual item discharge operation. The controller stores the detected height information for each storage column, so when an item needs to be discharged, the bucket is already positioned correctly or can be quickly adjusted using the pre-stored height data, minimizing operational delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The bucket position is made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. The driving device enables the bucket to move vertically to different heights based on the detected level plate positions, allowing the system to adapt to varying storage column configurations while maintaining efficient operation.
3Measurement precision
If the detection member is positioned to detect the lower edge of the level plate, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the structural design becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The detection member serves as an intermediary element between the sensor and the level plate. It is positioned to extend beyond the lower edge of the level plate, allowing the sensor to indirectly detect the level plate height by detecting the detection member's position relative to the level plate lower edge, which simplifies the overall detection structure while maintaining accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are a vending machine and a method of detecting height of a storage column. The vending machine may determine whether a sensor squarely faces the front end surface of the level plate of a storage column by detecting the type of an output signal of the sensor. When the sensor squarely faces the front end surface of the level plate of the storage column, the height of the level plate of the storage column may be obtained based on a height difference between the sensor and the bearing surface of a bucket and the height of the bucket. Thus, according to the height of the level plate of the storage column, the bearing surface of the bucket and the upper edge of the front end surface of the level plate of the storage column lie in the same level when dispensing an item.