Article dispensing – With discharge assistant – Multiple – simultaneously acting and circumposed
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-29
2004-11-30
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
With discharge assistant
Multiple, simultaneously acting and circumposed
C221S222000, C221S223000, C221S297000, C221S298000, C192S045100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824010
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a selective actuating apparatus, and particularly to a selective actuating apparatus by which common use of a driving source is achieved to simplify its driving system and to reduce a cost therefor.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG.
12
(
a
) shows a cup feeding section
5
in a conventional automatic vending machine for dispensing cup-shaped containers (hereinafter referred optionally to as “cups”) composed of cup dispensing sections
5
A,
5
B and
5
C for each dispensing a cup
24
, due to a rotating operation of barrels
51
each outer circumference of which is defined a spiral groove and each prepared dependent upon cup sizes (S, M, L); levers
52
each of which is integrally mounted to each of rings (to be undermentioned) for driving rotatively a barrel
51
; driving motors
2
for each rotating in case of an operation for dispensing a cup; torque transmitting sections
3
for each transmitting a torque of the driving motor
2
to each of rotational members
55
; and connection members
54
for each connecting each lever
52
with each rotational member
55
by means of each of pins
53
wherein a revolving movement produced in each of the rotational members
55
by driving each of the driving motors
2
is converted into a reciprocating motion to transmit the same to each of the levers
52
.
FIG.
12
(
b
) shows the barrel
51
wherein the ring
52
A rotates in a direction indicated by the arrow A′, when the connection member
54
mounted integrally to the lever
52
connected with the pin
53
shifts along a direction indicated by the arrow A. The ring
52
A contains on the inner circumference thereof a gear
52
B engaging with a gear
51
A mounted on a revolving shaft of the barrel
51
wherein when the ring
52
A rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow A′, the barrel
51
rotates along a direction indicated by the arrow r
1
. Furthermore, when the connection member
54
shifts to a direction indicated by the arrow B, the ring
52
A rotates in a direction indicated by the arrow B′ thereby to rotate the barrel
51
in a direction indicated by the arrow r
2
. Due to the rotation of the barrel
51
in the direction r
1
, an edge portion
24
A of a cup
24
positioned at the lowest position is held in a spiral groove, and in this condition, when the barrel is rotated in the direction r
2
, the edge portion
24
A is transferred to the lower side of the barrel
51
on the surface of the drawing. As a result, the lowest cup is separated from a stacked layer of the cups
24
to be dispensed downwards.
However, according to a conventional automatic vending machine for dispensing cup-shaped containers, since independent driving systems are provided in every cup dispensing sections, there is such a problem that the number of parts increase, because motors, wirings, and driving circuits are required for the every driving systems, whereby the resulting driving systems become large-sized.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a selective actuating apparatus by which a plurality of objects to be driven can be driven without requiring a plurality of driving sources, whereby a downsized driving system is achieved.
In order to achieve the above described object, a selective actuating apparatus, according to the feature of the invention, wherein one of a plurality of actuating members disposed with a predetermined spacing in a predetermined direction is selected, and the one actuating member is actuated due to a torque obtained by a single motor, comprises:
a first rotating member rotated by the torque transmitted;
a second rotating member disposed coaxially with respect to the first rotating member;
a free wheeling clutch means placed in between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and transmitting the torque of the first rotating member to the second rotating member in the case when the first rotating member rotates in a first rotating direction; and
a displacing means disposed in between the first rotating member and the second rotating member and displacing the second rotating member with the predetermined spacing in the predetermined direction due to a rotating operation of the first rotating member in the case when the first rotating member rotates in a second rotating direction;
the second rotating member selecting the one actuating member at a position in the predetermined direction determined as a result of displacement by the displacing means, and being constituted so as to actuate the one actuating member by means of the torque transmitted through the free wheeling clutch means.
According to the above described selective actuating apparatus, the free wheeling clutch means transmits the torque to the second rotating member in the case when the first rotating member rotates in the first rotating direction, whereby the second rotating member rotates, while the free wheeling clutch means does not transmit the torque to the second rotating member in the case when the first rotating member rotates in the second rotating direction, whereby the second rotating member is displaced with the predetermined spacing in the predetermined direction. Thus, either of two motions is conducted on the basis of switching rotating directions of a single motor, whereby common use of the motor can be achieved.
According to the selective actuating apparatus as described in the above paragraph as to the feature of the invention, wherein the displacing means contains a stepped part defined in a stepped contour with a step corresponding to the predetermined spacing on the inner circumference of the first rotating member, and a projecting part defined on the outer circumference of the second rotating member which engages with the stepped part; the first rotating member is rotated in the case when it is rotated in the second rotating direction in a condition where no torque is transmitted to the second rotating member as a result of uncoupling of the free wheeling clutch means, while the first rotating member displaces the second rotating member with the predetermined spacing in the predetermined direction as a result of sliding the projecting part defined on the second rotating member along the stepped part.
According to the selective actuating apparatus as described in the above paragraph as to the feature of the invention, wherein the second rotating member is provided with a cam section for displacing the one actuating member against elastic force in a direction intersecting the predetermined direction at right angles as a result of rotating the second rotating member in the first rotating direction.
According to the selective actuating apparatus as described in the above paragraph as to the feature of the displacing means of the invention, wherein the first rotating member contains a wall surface formed by an inclined plane extending from the highest step to the lowest step in the stepped part.
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Butler Michael E.
Fuji Electric & Co., Ltd.
McDermott Will & Emery LLP
Walsh Donald P.
LandOfFree
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