초록 ▼

A vending machine control apparatus has a product delivery motor home circuit and a DC power supply modulated in response to varying line voltage and/or load by a pulse width modulation circuit. The modulated DC power signal supplies power to one or more DC product delivery motors in a vending machi

A vending machine control apparatus has a product delivery motor home circuit and a DC power supply modulated in response to varying line voltage and/or load by a pulse width modulation circuit. The modulated DC power signal supplies power to one or more DC product delivery motors in a vending machine. Each product delivery motor has an associated switch which passes pulses, resulting from the modulation of the power supply, when the delivery motor is in its home position. A simple motor home detection circuit detects these pulses, and preferably a microprocessor control circuit connected to the detection circuit determines that a home condition exists.

대표청구항 ▼

A vending machine apparatus comprising at least one product delivery means, said product delivery means comprising an electrically operated actuator for delivery of products, said actuator having a home position, an impedance element and a circuit opening switch responsive to the position of the act

A vending machine apparatus comprising at least one product delivery means, said product delivery means comprising an electrically operated actuator for delivery of products, said actuator having a home position, an impedance element and a circuit opening switch responsive to the position of the actuator, the impedance element and the switch being connected electrically in series with each other and in an electrically parallel circuit with the actuator; the circuit comprising the actuator, the impedance element and the circuit opening switch being a motor module; a first modulated DC power supply for supplying a single modulated power signal to the electrically operated actuator for regulating its speed during delivery of products, said first modulated power supply comprising a power supply for providing a power signal and a means for modulating said power signal dependant on at least one of the line voltage and load; opening and closing of the switch in said motor module being controlled by the operation of the actuator such that when the actuator is in the home position the switch and the impedance element will pass the modulated DC power signal and such that when the actuator is not in the home position, the switch is open and the modulated DC power signal is filtered by the actuator; and means electrically connected to said motor module for detecting the operational condition of the actuator and the home position of the actuator by detecting the single modulated power signal at the output of said motor module.