Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2003-04-22
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
C221S119000, C221S121000, C221S120000, C221S092000, C414S795600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06550637
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a drink cup supplying apparatus to be installed in a cup type automatic vending machine which sells soft drinks such as coffee, juice etc. in BIB (BAG IN BOX) unit.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventionally, in a drink cup supplying apparatus in a cup type automatic vending machine of this kind, for example, there is such type of apparatus as disclosed in Japanese examined patent publication No.62-44316 etc. The structure is that cup groups, which are piled vertically and to be loaded in cup take-out mechanisms, are disposed and held in a cup holding unit within the main body of the apparatus, in circularly movable state and in being enabled to be supplied selectively to the cup take-out mechanisms when any of them becomes empty, and that at the time of sale, the cup is detached one by one from the lowest column of the cup group and supplied to a machine body side.
However, in the conventional drink cup supplying apparatus, there is a disadvantage in that, since the cup take-out mechanisms are disposed in the periphery off the orbit of the cup groups, when replenishing new cup groups onto the cup holding unit, cup groups which have been loaded on the cup take-out mechanisms become obstacles and interrupt the replenishing work from an arbitrary direction. Replenishing of cups needs to be conducted avoiding the cup take-out mechanisms, and therefore the cup replenishing work can not be conducted in a short time and easily.
As another conventional example, there has been developed such a drink cup supplying apparatus as shown in FIG.
1
. The apparatus comprises a main body
1
capable of being opened and closed in both faces by a pair of the front and back divided doors
2
and
3
, a circular track-shaped cup holding unit
4
provided within the main body
1
, cup holding stands
5
, on each of which vertically piled cup group (not shown) is placed, which are disposed in the cup holding unit
4
in a state being arranged in connected plural rows and capable of circling intermittently, cup take-out mechanisms
6
disposed every drink kind and in a row at peripheral positions in the front side A corresponding to the orbit X of the cup holding stands
5
, and cup push-out-loading mechanisms
7
disposed at positions corresponding to the respective cup take-out mechanisms
6
for selectively pushing out to load the cup groups placed on the cup holding stands
5
into the cup take-out mechanisms
6
.
However, in the drink cup supplying apparatus according to the above structure, also, the respective cup take-out mechanisms
6
are positioned in the periphery of the orbit X of the respective cup holding stands
5
, and the respective cup push-out-loading mechanisms
7
are positioned inside the orbit X. And, in operation, the cup groups placed on the cup holding stands
5
corresponding to the respective cup take-out mechanisms
6
are pushed out by the respective cup push-out-loading mechanisms
7
from the back side to the respective cup take-out mechanisms
6
and loaded therein. Therefore, when opening the pair of the front and back divided doors
2
and
3
and supplying new cups to an emptied cup holding stand
5
for cup replenishment, cup groups which have been loaded in the cup take-out mechanisms
6
become obstacles, and replenishing of cup groups from the front side A can not be conducted. Namely, in the case of this conventional apparatus, there is a disadvantage in that cup replenishing work can not be conducted except from the back side B or the side C opposing to the position where the divided doors
2
and
3
are fitted.
In addition, when replenishing new cups from the back side B to the respective cup holding stands
5
on the respective cup take-out mechanisms
6
side, the work must be conducted, after the ceiling of the main body
1
of the apparatus corresponding to the respective cup holding stands
5
have been opened, from the upper part of the main body
1
because the respective cup push-out-loading mechanisms
6
interfere and obstruct the work. Therefore, cup replenishing work can not be conducted in a short time easily.
Also, There is another disadvantage in that at the time of maintenance and inspection of the cup push-out-loading mechanisms
7
, the cup holding unit
4
needs to be removed, in other words, the apparatus is bad in maintenance characteristic, because the respective push-out-loading mechanisms
7
are disposed inside the orbit X of the respective cup holding stands
5
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a drink cup supplying apparatus in which cup replenishing work can be conducted in a short time easily and maintenance characteristic can be improved.
According to the invention, a drink cup supplying apparatus, comprising:
A drink cup supplying apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of cup stands, arranged with a predetermined interval on a closed track in a predetermined direction, for mounting a plurality of groups of piled cups thereon;
means, arranged in a central space of said closed track, for receiving one group of said plurality of groups of piled cups to release one cup for service from a bottom of said one group;
means, positioned on the outside of said closed track, for transferring a corresponding one of said plurality of groups of piled cups to said receiving means; and
a door for closing said plurality of cup stands, said receiving means, and said transferring means, and for opening to load a group of piled cups on a corresponding one of said plurality of groups of piled cups.
According to the invention, a drink cup supplying apparatus, comprises:
A circular track-shaped cup holding unit enabled to be opened and closed in both faces by a pair of the front and back divided doors;
cup holding stands, disposed in the cup holding unit in a state of being arranged in connected plural rows and movable circularly and intermittently, for placing vertically piled cup groups thereon;
cup take-out mechanisms, disposed every drink kind and in a row at positions corresponding to an orbit of the respective cup holding stands, the respective cup take-out mechanisms being loaded with the cup groups and capable of detaching them one by one; and
cup push-out-loading mechanisms, each being disposed at positions corresponding to the respective cup take-out mechanisms, for selectively pushing out the cup groups on the cup holding stands to the respective cup-take out mechanisms for loading;
wherein the respective cup take-out mechanisms being disposed in the inside of the orbit of the respective cup holding stands.
In the preferred embodiment, the cup push-out-loading mechanisms may be disposed on the reverse side of one of the divided doors.
That is to say, according to the drink cup supplying apparatus, in the circular track-shaped cup holding unit enabled to be opened and closed in both faces by the pair of the front and back divided doors, cup holding stands, on which vertically piled cup groups are placed, are disposed in a state that they are arranged in connected and plural rows and enabled to circle intermittently, and inside the orbit of the cup holding stands, the cup take-out mechanisms, in which the cup groups pushed out from the cup holding stands are loaded, are disposed. Therefore, at the time of cup replenishing, in the opened state of the divided doors, the cup groups can be supplied to the cup holding stands from an arbitrary direction around the cup holding unit.
Further, by disposing the cup push-out-loading mechanisms in the reverse side of one of the divisional doors, maintenance characteristics at the time of maintenance and inspection of the apparatus can be improved.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2571283 (1951-10-01), Nicholson
patent: 4480764 (1984-11-01), Takagi et al.
patent: 4948011 (1990-08-01), Mueller et al.
patent: 5000345 (1991-03-01), Borgna et al.
patent: 5261467 (1993-11-01), Yamamoto et al.
patent: 6053359 (2000-04-01), Goulet et al.
Butler Michael E
Fuji Electric Co, Ltd.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Walsh Donald P.
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