Vending Tray Release Device Prevents Product Tilting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Product vending machines with traditional trays experience issues where products tilt forward and potentially jam or get damaged when fed through the outlet, leading to operational impairments.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a release device with independent stop and retaining mechanisms, including a flap and rocker arm or a cylindrical coil with an elastic crosspiece, to control the flow of products, preventing tilting and ensuring smooth dispensing by activating only one product at a time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If products are fed forward in a straight line through the outlet into the drop shaft, then the conveying process is simple and direct, but the products tilt forward and may jam or get damaged
Solution Approach 1:
The outlet is divided into two separate outlets: a first outlet for conveying products in a straight line to maintain simple and efficient conveying, and a second outlet positioned below the first outlet for products to drop vertically into the drop shaft to prevent tilting and jamming. This segmentation allows each outlet to perform its specific function optimally.
Solution Approach 2:
A retaining member is introduced as an intermediary component between the two outlets. The retaining member selectively retains products at the first outlet, controlling their release to the second outlet. This mediator ensures products are properly positioned and released in a controlled manner, preventing tilting and jamming while maintaining conveying efficiency.
2Device complexity
If a single outlet is used for product dispensing, then the device structure is simple, but products tilt forward causing damage and operational impairment
Solution Approach 1:
The single outlet is segmented into two distinct outlets: a first outlet for straight-line conveying and a second outlet for vertical dropping. This segmentation eliminates the harmful tilting effect while maintaining structural simplicity through the clear functional division of the two outlets.
Solution Approach 2:
A retaining member is introduced as an intermediary component to control product flow between the two outlets. This additional element, while increasing complexity slightly, effectively prevents product tilting and jamming by ensuring controlled release from the first outlet to the second outlet.
3Productivity
If products are released without retention control, then the release process is fast and simple, but multiple products may be dispensed at once causing jamming
Solution Approach 1:
The retaining member acts as an intermediary that selectively retains and releases products one at a time from the first outlet to the second outlet. This controlled release mechanism ensures that only single products are dispensed at a time, preventing jamming while maintaining fast release speed through the efficient transfer between outlets.
Solution Approach 2:
The retaining member operates in a periodic manner, selectively retaining products and then releasing them in controlled intervals. This periodic action ensures that products are released one at a time in a rhythmic fashion, maintaining high release speed while ensuring accurate single-product dispensing and preventing jamming.
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
This solution effectively prevents products from tilting and jamming, ensuring safe and efficient dispensing by activating the release mechanism only for the selected product, reducing damage and operational issues.
Implementation Method 1
a cylindrical coil (53) with an elastic crosspiece (60)
Data Source
AI summary
A tray for product vending machines, the tray having at least one channel with an outlet; a conveying device extending along the channel to support a column of products and feed the products to the outlet; and a release device for selectively allowing the products through the outlet, and having an independent passive retaining member, which extends across the channel to intercept a top portion of the first product in the column, and is moved by the first product from a normal withdrawn position to a forward position, in which the passive retaining member is located at least partly past the outlet in the travelling direction of the conveying device.