Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments – With discharge means for each source
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2002-04-30
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
With discharge means for each source
C221S222000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06378728
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a cup feeding apparatus, and more particularly to a cup feeing apparatus for feeding a cup based on the rotation torque of a motor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In conventional cup-type vending machines, cups for receiving a beverage are stacked on one another and stored in a cup storing section. Upon the receipt of a request for selling, one cup is separated from the stacked cups and fed to a cup stage.
In recent years, the diversification of cup-type beverages has been advanced and has led to the appearance of a cup-type vending machine which can selectively feed a cup of size S, M, or L according to the selected type of cup-type beverage. In this cup-type vending machine, a mechanism for separating cups is provided for each of the cup sizes, and, upon the receipt of a request for selling, the cup separating mechanism corresponding to the selected beverage is driven, and separates and feeds one cup from the stacked cups.
FIG. 10A
shows a cup feeder
5
in a conventional cup-type vending machine. The cup feeder
5
comprises: cup delivery sections
5
A,
5
B,
5
C which are provided according to cup sizes (S, M, L) and function to deliver a cup
24
based on the operation of rotation of a barrel
51
having on its periphery spiral grooves; a lever
52
integrally mounted on a ring (described later) which rotatively drives the barrel
51
; a drive motor
2
which is rotated at the time of cup delivery operation; a torque transmission section
3
for transmitting the torque of the drive motor
2
to a rotating member
55
; and a connecting member
54
for connecting the lever
52
to the rotating member
55
through a pin
53
. As soon as the drive motor
2
is driven, the rotational motion created in the rotating member
55
is converted to reciprocating motion by an eccentrically rotating section
55
a
, and is transmitted to the lever
52
.
FIG. 10B
shows the barrel
51
. As soon as the connecting member
54
connected through the pin
53
to the lever
52
integrally mounted on the ring
52
A is displaced in a direction A, the ring
52
A is rotated in a direction A′. The ring
52
A has, in its internal circumference, a gear
52
B engaged with a gear
51
A mounted on a rotating shaft of the barrel
51
. Upon the rotation of the ring
52
A in the direction A′, the barrel
51
is rotated in a direction r
1
. As soon as the connecting member
54
is displaced in a direction B, the ring
52
A is rotated in a direction B′ to rotate the barrel
51
in a direction r
2
. The rotation of the barrel
51
in the direction r
1
, permits an edge
24
A of the lowermost cup
24
to be held in a spiral groove, and, upon the rotation of the barrel
51
in the direction r
2
, the edge
24
A is sent to the downward side of the barrel
51
in the paper. Consequently, the lowermost one cup is separated from the stacked cups
24
, and is delivered downward.
The conventional cup feeding apparatus, however, needs to provide motors, wirings, and drive circuits, the number of which corresponds to the number of cup delivery sections mounted. This disadvantageously increases the apparatus cost, and, in addition, deteriorates the working efficiency of the assembly and the maintenance and inspection.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a cup feeding apparatus which can feed various cups without providing a plurality of drive sources and can realize excellent working efficiency of assembly and maintenance and inspection without increasing the apparatus cost.
According to the first feature of the invention, there is provided a cup feeding apparatus for feeding a cup from one cup feeder selected, according to a beverage to be sold, from a plurality of cup feeders respectively for a plurality of cup sizes, within a cup-type vending machine, said cup feeders for respective cup sizes each storing therein a plurality of corresponding cups stacked on top of one another, said cup feeding apparatus comprising:
a first rotating member which is rotated in a first or second rotation direction based on the rotation of a motor;
a second rotating member provided coaxially with the first rotating member;
a one-way clutch which, when the first rotating member is rotated in the first rotation direction, releases coupling between the first rotating member and the second rotating member, and, when the first rotating member is rotated in the second rotation direction, couples the first rotating member with the second rotating member;
a displacement mechanism for displacing the second rotating member in the axial direction according to the quantity of rotation of the first rotating member in the first rotation direction; and
a plurality of operating members which are provided so as to correspond to the plurality of cup feeders and, upon receipt of an external operation command, permits the plurality of cup feeders to perform cup feed operation,
said second rotating member being constructed so that the second rotating member is displaced to a position in the axial direction corresponding to a size selected from the plurality of sizes to directly or indirectly engage with one operating member selected from the plurality of operating members, thereby issuing the operation command to the one operating member.
According to the above cup feeding apparatus, two operations, the selection of an object to be driven and the transmission of driving force, are selectively executed by the second rotating member based on the rotation direction of the first rotating member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3807600 (1974-04-01), Mass et al.
patent: 4854479 (1989-08-01), Callahan et al.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Noland Kenneth W.
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
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