A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding one or more product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates thro
A sanitized vending machine includes product and cup dispensing mechanisms and an actuation mechanism. The product dispensing mechanism, holding one or more product items, rotates through a product dispensing cycle to dispense them. The cup dispensing mechanism, holding a stack of cups, rotates through a cup dispensing cycle to dispense a cup to a predetermined position. The dispensing cycles occur in a predetermined sequence so as to enable the dispensed product items to be received in a previously dispensed cup. The dispensing mechanisms respectively include rotatable first and second driven gears drivingly interfaced to rotate during respective product and cup dispensing cycles. The actuation mechanism includes a handle and a rotatable drive gear drivingly interfaced with the first driven gear. When the handle is turned by a user through an actuation cycle the driven gears rotate the respective mechanisms through respective product and cup dispensing cycles.
대표청구항▼
1. A sanitized vending machine, comprising: a product dispensing mechanism adapted to hold a plurality of product items and rotate through a product dispensing cycle during which said product dispensing mechanism dispenses one or more of product items, said product dispensing mechanism including a f
1. A sanitized vending machine, comprising: a product dispensing mechanism adapted to hold a plurality of product items and rotate through a product dispensing cycle during which said product dispensing mechanism dispenses one or more of product items, said product dispensing mechanism including a first driven gear for undergoing rotation during the product dispensing cycle;a cup dispensing mechanism adapted to hold at least one stack of cups and rotate through a cup dispensing cycle during which said cup dispensing mechanism dispenses a cup from the stack to a predetermined position, said respective product and cup dispensing cycles occurring in a predetermined sequence so that the dispensed product items are received in a cup located in the predetermined position, said cup dispensing mechanism including a second driven gear drivingly interfaced with said first driven gear of said product dispensing mechanism for undergoing rotation during the cup dispensing cycle;an actuation mechanism including a rotatable shaft,a drive gear mounted to said shaft so as to undergo rotation with said shaft, said drive gear being drivingly interfaced with said first driven gear of said product dispensing mechanism, anda handle mounted to said shaft and adapted to be turned to rotate said shaft and said drive gear therewith through an actuation cycle such that when said handle is turned by a user through the actuation cycle said first and second driven gears respectively rotate with said mechanisms through respective product and cup dispensing cycles; anda well structure including front and rear chambers disposed in a tandem relationship and an opening defined in said well structure where said chambers meet one another, said front chamber communicating with a product dispensing opening in a front bottom wall of said well structure, said first driven gear of said product dispensing mechanism being mounted to undergo rotation in said front chamber, said rear chamber communicating with a cup dispensing opening in a rear bottom wall of said well structure, and said second driven gear of said cup dispensing mechanism being mounted to undergo rotation in said rear chamber. 2. The machine of claim 1 further comprising: a product storage magazine disposed above said product dispensing mechanism such that product items due to the force of gravity drop into a compartment of said product dispensing mechanism to provide one or more of product items in said compartment before said first driven gear and said compartment of said product dispensing mechanism undergo rotation during the product dispensing cycle. 3. The machine of claim 1 further comprising: an outer cup separator device and an inner cup separator device mounted to said well structure in a spaced relation to one another and adapted to separate a lowermost cup from the stack in a cup holder device of said cup dispensing mechanism so as to enable dispensing the separated cup due to the force of gravity through the cup dispensing opening upon rotation of said cup holder device during the cup dispensing cycle. 4. The machine of claim 3 further comprising: a depression formed in said rear bottom wall of said well structure at an upstream side of said cup dispensing opening to ensure that the lowermost cup will release on time from the cup immediately above it as the stack of cups is moved over said cup dispensing opening. 5. The machine of claim 1 further comprising: a cup drop chute disposed below and in communication with the product dispensing opening in said front bottom wall of said well structure and the cup dispensing opening in said rear bottom wall of said well structure, said cup drop chute adapted to guide the dispensed cup to the predetermined position at an intermediate location in said drop chute, between said cup dispensing opening and a discharge location below said cup drop chute, where the cup is temporarily retained awaiting dispensing of product items therein, said cup drop chute also adapted to guide into the temporarily retained cup the predetermined number of product items dispensed from the product dispensing opening, and said cup drop chute further adapted to release the temporarily retained cup with the predetermined number of product items therein and guide the same to the discharge location below said cup drop chute. 6. The machine of claim 5 further comprising: an access door mounted on said housing and movable between open and closed positions to provide access by a user to a cup containing product items resting at the discharge location in said housing proximate to said access door; andan access door locking mechanism coupled to said actuation mechanism and adapted to maintain said access door in a locked condition at a closed position until said handle of said actuation mechanism has been turned by a user through the actuation cycle whereupon said access door is converted to an unlocked condition permitting a user to open said access door and remove the cup containing product items. 7. The machine of claim 6 further comprising: a cup shielding mechanism disposed below said cup drop chute and adapted to obstruct a user through the open access door at the end of a given actuation cycle from being able to reach a cup disposed at the intermediate location in said cup drop chute to receive product items during a next actuation cycle. 8. The machine of claim 1 further comprising: a separation restraint device disposed above and in close positional relationship to where said first driven gear of said product dispensing mechanism drivingly interfaces with said second driven gear of said cup dispensing mechanism so as to ensure that said first and second driven gears cannot separate from their drivingly interfacing relationship with one another. 9. The machine of claim 1 further comprising: a position restraint device associated with said product dispensing mechanism to ensure said mechanism is maintained in a proper beginning position for the start of a given product dispensing cycle. 10. The machine of claim 1 further comprising: a latching device disposed adjacent to said cup dispensing mechanism and adapted to detect depletion of the stack of cups and in response thereto stop said cup dispensing mechanism from being rotated and thereby prevent a user from being able to turn said handle of said actuation mechanism. 11. A sanitized vending machine, comprising: a housing;a well structure mounted in said housing, said well structure including front and rear chambers disposed in a tandem relationship and an opening defined in said well structure where said chambers meet one another, said front chamber communicating with a product dispensing opening in a front bottom wall of said well structure, said rear chamber communicating with a cup dispensing opening in a rear bottom wall of said well structure;a product dispensing mechanism mounted to undergo rotation in said front chamber of said well structure, said product dispensing mechanism including at least one compartment adapted to hold one or more product items and dispense the same through the product dispensing opening due to the force of gravity upon rotation of said compartment with said product dispensing mechanism during a product dispensing cycle, anda first driven gear defined about a lower peripheral portion of said product dispensing mechanism for undergoing rotation therewith during the product dispensing cycle;a product storage magazine supported by said housing above said compartment of said product dispensing mechanism such that product items due to the force of gravity drop into said compartment of said product dispensing mechanism to provide one or more product items in said compartment before said first driven gear and said compartment of said product dispensing mechanism undergo rotation during the product dispensing cycle;a cup dispensing mechanism mounted to undergo rotation in said rear chamber of said well structure, said cup dispensing mechanism including a cup holder device adapted to hold at least one stack of cups and dispense the same through the cup dispensing opening due to the force of gravity upon rotation of said cup holder device with said product dispensing mechanism during a cup dispensing cycle, anda second driven gear defined about a lower peripheral portion of said cup holder device and drivingly interfaced with said first driven gear on said product dispensing mechanism for undergoing rotation during the cup dispensing cycle;an outer cup separator device and an inner cup separator device mounted to said well structure in a spaced relation to one another and adapted to separate a lowermost cup from the stack in said cup holder device so as to enable dispensing the separated cup due to the force of gravity through the cup dispensing opening upon rotation of said cup holder device during the cup dispensing cycle;an access door mounted on said housing and movable between open and closed positions to provide access by a user to a cup containing product items resting at a discharge location in said housing adjacent to said access door;a cup drop chute mounted in said housing below and in communication with the product dispensing opening in said front bottom wall of said well structure and the cup dispensing opening in said rear bottom wall of said well structure, said cup drop chute adapted to guide the dispensed cup to an intermediate location in said drop chute, between said cup dispensing opening and the discharge location, where the cup is temporarily retained awaiting dispensing of product items therein, said respective product and cup dispensing cycles occurring in a predetermined sequence so that the dispensed product items are received in a cup temporarily retained at said intermediate location, said cup drop chute also adapted to guide into the temporarily retained cup the predetermined number of product items dispensed from the product dispensing opening, and said cup drop chute further adapted to release the temporarily retained cup with the predetermined number of product items therein and guide the same to the discharge location; andan actuation mechanism including a shaft rotatably mounted to said housing so as to extend between the exterior and interior of said housing,a drive gear mounted to said shaft in the interior of said housing so as to undergo rotation with said shaft, said drive gear being drivingly interfaced with said first driven gear on said product dispensing mechanism, anda handle mounted to said shaft at the exterior of said housing and adapted to be turned to rotate said shaft and said drive gear therewith through an actuation cycle such that when said handle is turned by a user through the actuation cycle said first and second driven gears respectively rotate said mechanisms through respective product and cup dispensing cycles. 12. The machine of claim 11 further comprising: a depression formed in said rear bottom wall of said well structure at an upstream side of said cup dispensing opening to ensure that the lowermost cup will release on time from the cup immediately above it as the stack of cups is moved over said cup dispensing opening. 13. The machine of claim 11 further comprising: an access door locking mechanism coupled to said actuation mechanism and adapted to maintain said access door in a locked condition at a closed position until said handle of said actuation mechanism has been turned by a user through the actuation cycle whereupon said access door is converted to an unlocked condition permitting a user to open said access door and remove the cup containing product items. 14. The machine of claim 11 further comprising: a cup shielding mechanism disposed below said cup drop chute and adapted to obstruct a user through the open access door at the end of a given actuation cycle from being able to reach a cup disposed at the intermediate location in said cup drop chute to receive product items during a next actuation cycle. 15. The machine of claim 11 further comprising: a separation restraint device disposed above and in close positional relationship to where said first driven gear of said product dispensing mechanism drivingly interfaces with said second driven gear of said cup dispensing mechanism so as to ensure that said first and second driven gears cannot separate from their drivingly interfacing relationship with one another. 16. The machine of claim 11 further comprising: a position restraint device associated with said product dispensing mechanism to ensure said mechanism is maintained in a proper beginning position for the start of a given product dispensing cycle. 17. The machine of claim 11 further comprising: a latching device disposed adjacent to said cup dispensing mechanism and adapted to detect depletion of the stack of cups and in response thereto stop said cup dispensing mechanism from being rotated and thereby prevent a user from being able to turn said handle of said actuation mechanism.
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Goulet Douglas P. ; Ziesel Lawrence B. ; Weinaug Kenneth S. ; Coffey Jimmie L., Automated beverage system.
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Wiley Ronald L. (Marietta GA) Miller Benjamin D. (Chicago IL) Groover Phillip B. (Woodstock GA), Automatic beverage dispensing system with programmable cup drop.
Claesson, Jan; Smith, William E.; Nevarez, Roberto, Controller and method of controlling an integrated system for dispensing and blending/mixing beverage ingredients.
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