IT201900006898A1 - AUTOMATIC DISTRIBUTOR OF ARTICLES - Google Patents

Description

DESCRIPTION

of the Italian Patent for Industrial Invention entitled:

"AUTOMATIC ARTICLES DISTRIBUTOR"

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine for articles.

More specifically, the present invention relates to a vending machine for the automatic dispensing and sale of items, such as packets of cigarettes, packets of shredded tobacco, packets of chewing gum, packets of sweets, packets of condoms.

PRE-EXISTING TECHNIQUE

As is known, automatic vending machines for products are intended to be installed outside tobacconists, or in any case in areas intended for the influx of users, who, by entering the requested amount and selecting an item indicated in a selection push-button panel, they can withdraw the selected article from a specific article pick-up mouth.

Such automatic vending machines comprise a support casing suitable for supporting a plurality of magazines, each one suitable for housing a single type of article. The support carter and the magazines are protected by an external box-like casing, in which the pick-up mouth of the articles is made.

The warehouses must necessarily be periodically replenished manually, so that all types of items housed in the vending machine are always available to the users of the vending machine.

A known drawback is that these operations for replenishing the distributor's warehouses are particularly arduous and lengthy.

In fact, each item of the distributor, based on its type, must be inserted in a specific warehouse, which is why the refueling operator is required to remember exactly in which warehouse a particular item is to be housed and / or to check on one reference schema or map the exact allocation warehouse of the item every time an item is inserted in a warehouse. An object of the present invention is therefore to obviate this drawback of the known art.

A further purpose is to achieve this goal in the context of a rational, effective and low-cost solution.

These purposes are achieved by the characteristics of the invention reported in the independent claim. The dependent claims outline preferred and / or particularly advantageous aspects of the invention.

EXHIBITION OF THE INVENTION

In particular, the invention makes available an automatic vending machine for a plurality of items, which vending machine includes:

● a plurality of warehouses for housing the articles,

● a recognition sensor,

● an interface device,

● an electronic control unit, operatively connected to the recognition sensor and to the interface device, and configured to identify the type of article by means of the recognition sensor and to indicate a magazine of the plurality of magazines corresponding to the type of article by means of the interface device .

Thanks to this solution, the invention makes available an automatic product dispenser that allows rapid loading of the products into the respective warehouses, thus solving the drawback of prior art devices, thanks to the recognition sensor, to the interface device. and to the electronic control unit, through which there is a rapid recognition of the type of article and a rapid and unequivocal indication of the warehouse in which the article must be inserted, thus allowing the procedure to be carried out without mnemonic efforts and without the need to check schemes or maps.

Another aspect of the invention provides that the recognition sensor may include an optical sensor.

Thanks to this solution, the recognition device is made available as part of a simple and inexpensive solution, thanks to the use of a widely used technology, as well as a technology particularly suitable for uniquely recognizing a particular item.

A further aspect of the invention provides that the signaling device can comprise a plurality of light emitters, each of which is associated with a respective warehouse of the plurality of warehouses.

Thanks to this solution, each warehouse can be signaled through the use of the light emitter associated with it, as part of a particularly simple solution.

Preferably said light emitters each comprise a LED.

Thanks to this, the routine maintenance required is minimized thanks to the high durability of the LEDs and the low power supply required by them, thus making the interface device available as part of a particularly economical solution.

Still, another aspect of the invention provides that each light emitter can be associated with the respective warehouse in correspondence with a dispensing device associated with the warehouse itself.

Thanks to this solution, the architecture of the interface device is particularly rational, in fact the light emitter is efficiently placed outside the warehouse, keeping its capacity unchanged and avoiding that any signal and power supply wires run through the warehouse itself with the risk of create obstacles for the items housed therein.

Another aspect of the invention provides that the vending machine can further comprise an input device, operatively connected to the electronic control unit, and in which the electronic control unit is configured to associate a number of articles declared by the input device to a corresponding warehouse and write this number of items in a memory unit.

Thanks to this solution, the automatic product dispenser allows you to keep under control the number of items loaded in each warehouse.

Furthermore, another aspect of the invention provides that the input device can be a voice recognition device.

Thanks to this solution, the operator who is replenishing the warehouses even if manually engaged in these operations can simply communicate by voice the number of items to be included in a particular warehouse.

Another aspect of the invention provides that the electronic unit can be operationally connected to a memory unit and that it can be configured to count the number of items present in a warehouse, in which the count is given by the difference between the number of items loaded. in a warehouse and the number of articles dispensed therefrom, and also configured to write the result of this count in a memory unit.

Thanks to this solution, the vending machine is also equipped with a system that allows you to monitor the number of items in a respective warehouse, thus allowing you to carry out a more in-depth check on the items themselves in order to promptly highlight deficiencies that often occur in this field due to theft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features and advantages of the invention will become evident from reading the following description provided by way of non-limiting example, with the aid of the figures illustrated in the attached tables.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the distributor of figure 1 with a door of a casing open to make the inside of the distributor accessible.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view of the portion III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front view of the distributor of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of a portion of the vending machine of Figure 4 along the section line V-V in which a group of magazines and a dispensing device are shown in detail.

BEST WAY TO IMPLEMENT THE INVENTION

With particular reference to these figures, the numeral 10 globally indicates an automatic vending machine for articles P, for example tobacco articles P such as packets of cigarettes, packets of shredded tobacco, chewing gum and the like.

The distributor 10 can comprise a support frame and a casing 15, fixed thereto, for example of a box-like shape and provided with an opening for accessing an internal volume of the casing 15 itself, which casing 15 is preferably supported by the support frame which is received inside the casing 15 itself.

Preferably, the distributor 10 of articles P is of the cabinet type.

For example, the casing 15 can be equipped with a door 20 connected, preferably hinged, to a box-shaped body of the casing 15 and able to allow access to the internal environment of the distributor 10, i.e. the door 20 is movable between a first position , in which it closes the opening of the casing 15, and a second position, in which it allows access to the internal volume of the casing 15.

The door 20 can be shaped as a plate-like body, for example quadrangular, preferably rectangular.

The distributor 10 can comprise a plurality of interface elements 25 with the user, for example a device for selecting the item (touch-screen), a device for verifying payments, etc., preferably housed in door 20.

For example, at least part of these interface elements 25 includes a portion that protrudes from the door 20 towards the inside of the distributor 10, or towards the inside of the box-like body of the casing 15.

In an embodiment not shown, the vending machine 10 can be located inside a shop, for example a tobacconist's, and has no interface devices in the casing 15. In this embodiment, the vending machine 10 can be controlled by means of a recorder. cash.

The distributor 10 may also include a withdrawal mouth 30 designed to allow access from the outside to a withdrawal area for the items P located inside the distributor 10.

The withdrawal mouth 30 is shaped like a through slot made in the casing 15, for example in the door 20.

A door is associated with the pick-up mouth 30, which is able to close the pick-up mouth 30 and, for example, is movable in such a way that only a push from the outside of the casing 15 towards the inside allows the pick-up mouth to be freed. 30 from the dimensions of the door.

For example, the distributor 10 can comprise an element supporting the articles P (defining the picking area of the articles P) located in correspondence with the picking mouth 30, or adjacent to the picking mouth 30, so that a user can grasp a product present on the support element, passing through the pick-up mouth 30.

The support element is placed inside the casing 15, or in the internal volume defined by the casing 15.

The distributor 10 also comprises a plurality of magazines 35, for example contained, preferably completely, in the casing 15.

The magazines 35 of the plurality of magazines 35 can be connected, for example fixed without degrees of freedom, to the support frame.

Each magazine of the plurality of magazines 35 is preferably configured to house a single type of articles P inside it, arranging said articles P in a row side by side (in contact) with each other along a substantially horizontal direction in the case of a warehouse arranged horizontally (i.e. with a substantially horizontal longitudinal axis), or arranged stacked on top of each other along a substantially vertical direction in the case of a vertically arranged warehouse (i.e. with a substantially vertical longitudinal axis) as in the embodiment illustrated in figures 1- 4.

In detail, in this illustrated embodiment, the warehouses 35 of the plurality of warehouses 35 are organized into five groups, of which a first group of warehouses 35, a second group of warehouses 35 at least partially superimposed in plan on the first group of warehouses 35 , a third group of warehouses 35 superimposed in plan (preferably completely) on the second group of warehouses 35, a fourth group of warehouses 35 superimposed in plan (preferably completely) on the third group of warehouses 35, and a fifth group of warehouses 35 superimposed in plan plant (preferably completely) to the fourth group of warehouses 35.

The warehouses 35 of each group of warehouses 35 are side by side along a substantially horizontal X direction.

Such magazines 35 of the plurality of magazines 35 can be configured to house both articles P of regular shape, such as for example rectangular packets, and articles P of irregular shape, such as for example envelopes or pouches.

Furthermore, each magazine can be configured to allow the sliding of the articles P present inside it along a feed direction A, for example only along the feed direction A.

The direction of advancement A is the same direction along which the items P present in the warehouse are placed side by side or stacked, in the example stacked. Each magazine can be sized in such a way as to accommodate the articles P to size and guide them along the direction of advancement A (and in such a way as to prevent the rotation of the articles P during their movement along the direction of advancement A).

Each warehouse has an access opening E, for example a single access opening E, through which items P are inserted.

The access opening E therefore allows access to an internal volume of the warehouse itself where items P are stored.

The access opening E is placed at one end of the warehouse itself, for example at an axial end of the warehouse relative to the direction of advancement A.

Each warehouse then has an exit opening 40, for example a single exit opening 40, through which the items P are dispensed.

The outlet opening 40 is located at one end of the magazine itself, for example at an axial end of the magazine 35 opposite the axial end where the access opening E is made relative to the direction of advance A. Particularly, in the embodiment illustrated, the access openings of the magazines 35 of the same group (first, second, third, fourth and fifth) of magazines 35 are mutually coplanar, ie they lie substantially on the same lying plane.

Each magazine can be shaped as an axially hollow tubular body and can comprise a pair of opposite side walls, which extend along the direction of advance A, each of which defines a guiding surface for the articles P.

For example, the distance between the guide surfaces of a magazine is such as to accommodate the articles P to size, i.e. with reduced play, in such a way as to prevent the rotation of the articles P during movement along the direction of advancement A.

Or again, the distance between the guiding surfaces is substantially equal to the width of the articles P in a direction transverse to the direction of advance A.

The dispenser 10 then comprises a dispensing device, designed to take over the articles P coming out of the warehouses 35 through the outlet opening 40 of the same, and to convey them towards the pickup mouth 30.

For example, the dispensing device is placed at a lower height than the height at which the outlet opening 40 of the magazines 35 is located.

In this way, the items P coming out of a warehouse fall to rest directly on the dispensing device under the action of their own weight force. In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-4, the dispensing device comprises a plurality of conveyors T, each of which is associated with a respective magazine 35.

That is, the dispensing device comprises a plurality of conveyors T, each of which is able to take on the items P from a single warehouse of the plurality of warehouses 35.

However, it is not excluded that, in other embodiments of the invention, the dispensing device may comprise a single conveyor T adapted to take charge of the articles P emerging from all the stores 35 of the plurality of stores 35.

In detail, in the illustrated embodiment, the conveyors T of the plurality of conveyors T are organized in five groups, of which a first group of conveyors T associated with the first group of magazines 35, a second group of conveyors T associated with the second group of warehouses 35 and at least partially superimposed in plan to the first group of warehouses 35, a third group of conveyors T associated with the third group of warehouses 35 and superimposed in plan (preferably completely) to the second group of warehouses 35, a fourth group of conveyors T associated to the fourth group of warehouses 35 and superimposed in plan (preferably completely) to the third group of warehouses 35, and a fifth group of conveyors T associated with the fifth group of warehouses 35 and superimposed in plan (preferably completely) to the fourth group of warehouses 35.

The conveyors T of each group are placed side by side along the X direction alongside the warehouses 35 of the same group.

Each conveyor T defines a support surface 45 for the articles P and comprises a support frame rigidly fixed to the casing 15 of the distributor 10 and a conveyor belt or belt rotatably associated with the support frame and supported by opposite parts from lateral sides of the frame support.

The conveyor belt or belt is then wound to form a ring path around at least one pair of pulleys, of which at least one motorized pulley, or directly connected to a motor, rigidly fixed to the frame of the conveyor T, through which it is placed in rotation.

For example, the support surface 45 for the articles P develops along a direction Z substantially orthogonal to the direction of advancement A of the articles P inside the warehouse, and orthogonal to the direction of flanking X of the warehouses 35.

In particular, the support surface 45 has a development along this direction Z such as to protrude beyond the encumbrance of the warehouses 35 of the plurality of warehouses 35 along this direction Z.

More in detail, the support surface 45 for the articles P of each conveyor T of the dispensing device is parallel to a plane where the outlet opening 40 of the respective magazine lies, and is at a substantially equal distance from it (or at most slightly greater) of the extension along the direction of advancement A of the article P protruding from said respective magazine 35 through the outlet opening 40.

The conveyor T then comprises a plurality of pallets 50, which rise from the conveyor belt, substantially squared with it.

Each blade 50 is shaped like a rigid plate, for example substantially parallelepiped in shape.

The pallets 50 of the plurality of pallets 50 are each rigidly fixed to the conveyor belt, without residual degrees of freedom, and moved by the same along the ring path.

In particular, the pallets 50 are spaced from each other along the axis so that between two consecutive pallets 50 a housing compartment is defined to accommodate an article P coming out of the exit opening 40 of a warehouse 35.

That is, the pallets 50 are placed at a distance from each other so that the distance between two consecutive pallets 50 is such as to substantially accommodate an item P.

For example, it is possible to provide that the position of the blades 50 of a conveyor T can be adjustable, so as to vary the distance between two consecutive blades 50.

In this way each conveyor T can be easily adapted to the size of the articles P which it is able to take over from the respective warehouse 35.

Furthermore, each blade 50 of the plurality of blades 50 has a height, understood as the distance between an upper end of the blade 50 distal from the supporting surface 45 and the supporting surface 45 itself, substantially equal to (or at most slightly smaller) than said development of article P along the feed direction A.

In practice, during the delivery phase of an article P, the article P falls to rest by gravity on the supporting surface 45 of the conveyor, in the housing compartment between two consecutive pallets 50, at this point by means of the conveyor belt the article P is pushed by means of a pallet 50 along the Z direction towards the pick-up mouth 30.

The distributor 10 further comprises a recognition sensor 55.

For example, said recognition sensor 55 can comprise an optical sensor.

In the illustrated embodiment, the recognition sensor 55 comprises a bar code reader. However, it is not excluded that in alternative embodiments of the invention the recognition sensor 55 may comprise a camera or an RFID reader or any other type of sensor. fit for purpose. The recognition sensor 55 can be fixed inside the vending machine 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the recognition sensor 55, that is the bar code reader, is fixed inside the vending machine 10 near the magazines 35 of the plurality of magazines 35, for example in correspondence with the fifth group of warehouses 35, and flanked to them along the direction X alongside the warehouses 35.

However, it is not excluded that the recognition sensor 55 may be external to the vending machine 10, and that it may be integrated in a portable device supplied to an operator responsible for loading the vending machine 10, for example a smartphone or a tablet or other device.

The distributor 10 also includes an interface device, for interfacing with the operator responsible for loading the articles P inside the warehouses 35 of the distributor 10.

The interface device is for example a visual interface device. Alternatively or in addition, the interface device may comprise a sound interface device, i.e. an acoustic emitter.

In the illustrated embodiment, the interface device comprises a plurality of light emitters 60, for example one for each magazine of the plurality of magazines 35.

The light emitters 60 are each fixed at a respective magazine 35.

For example, the light emitters 60 are fixed to the delivery device, and in particular each light emitter 60 is fixed to the conveyor T associated with a single respective magazine, preferably in correspondence with a lateral side of the support frame of the same and in correspondence with an axial end of the conveyor T along the Z direction.

For example, it is possible to provide that each light emitter 60 can be configured to emit a light of a different color with respect to the color of the light emitted by the light emitters 60 of the other stores 35. In the illustrated embodiment each light emitter 60 comprises an LED.

However, it is not excluded that, in other embodiments of the invention, each light emitter 60 may comprise another type of light source.

The distributor 10 then comprises an electronic control unit 65, operatively connected to the recognition sensor 55 and to the interface device.

The electronic control unit 65 can be operationally connected to the recognition sensor 55 and to the interface device by means of cables or, alternatively, by means of wireless communication technology.

The electronic control unit 65 is configured to identify the type of item through the recognition sensor 55.

To this end, the electronic control unit 65 is operationally connected to a memory unit, and a database (or other cataloging system, however suitable for the purpose) is allocated in this memory, which contains the types of products and the characteristics uniquely associated with each type, for example the barcode or visual information or any other characteristic capable of uniquely identifying a type of product.

For example, it is possible to provide that said database can be a database available online and that the electronic control unit can be equipped with a module for connection to an internet network, and configured to connect to the internet and access said database.

For example, the electronic control unit 65 is configured to detect the barcode by means of the recognition sensor 55 and compare said barcode with the barcodes within the database allocated in the memory unit to uniquely identify the type. of article P.

It is possible to provide, in alternative embodiments, that if the recognition sensor 55 is a camera, the electronic control unit 65 is configured to operate product recognition algorithms, for example OCR algorithms, in order to identify the type of product. through symbols on the package, or that in general the electronic unit can be configured to operate any other recognition algorithm however suitable for the purpose. Said electronic control unit 65 is also configured to indicate a magazine of the plurality of magazines 35 corresponding to the type of article P by means of the interface device.

For this purpose, in the database allocated in the memory unit, at least one respective warehouse is associated with each type of article P.

The electronic control unit 65 is therefore configured to turn on the light emitter 60 of the interface device associated with the warehouse corresponding to the type of item detected by the recognition sensor 55.

For example, it is possible to provide that more warehouses 35 of the plurality of warehouses 35 are able to contain the same type of articles P, for example in the case of articles P of large consumption.

In this case, all the warehouses 35 within which it can be allocated are associated with this type of item P in the database.

The electronic control unit 65 is therefore configured to indicate via the interface device all the warehouses 35 in which the operator assigned to load the articles can enter the type of article detected, i.e. it is able to simultaneously switch on all the light emitters 60 associated with said corresponding stores 35.

Alternatively or in addition, the electronic control unit 65 can be configured to indicate, by means of the interface apparatus, the first unoccupied magazine 35 of the plurality of magazines 35 so as to insert an article P therein. In particular, the electronic control unit 65 can be configured to store in a memory medium the information that a magazine 35 is not occupied when the electronic control unit detects, for example by monitoring the operation of the dispensing device, and indicate by means of the apparatus interfacing the magazine 35 is not occupied when the electronic control unit detects an article P to be inserted in the vending machine by means of the recognition sensor.

If so configured, the electronic control unit is also configured to store in the memory medium the type of article P inserted in the warehouse 35 not occupied and recognized by the recognition sensor.

The distributor 10 can further comprise an input device 70 through which the operator assigned to loading the articles P into the warehouses 35, can enter the number of articles P of the same type to be inserted in a corresponding warehouse.

Said input device 70 can be a digitative type device, for example a keyboard, or a sound input device 70, such as for example a voice recognition device or any other device suitable for the purpose.

Said input device 70 is, for example, arranged inside the distributor 10, preferably it is fixed to the casing 15 of the distributor 10 in proximity to the recognition sensor 55.

However, it is not excluded that the input device may be external to the vending machine 10, and that it may be supplied to an operator responsible for loading the vending machine 10, and that for example said input device may be a smartphone or a tablet or other. mobile device.

Said input device 70 is operatively connected to the electronic control unit 65, by means of wiring or alternatively by means of wireless communication technology.

The electronic control unit 65 is therefore configured to associate a number of articles P of the same declared type, or inserted by keying or other system, by means of the input device 70 to a corresponding warehouse (or to more warehouses 35 containing the same type of article) and write this number of articles into the memory unit P.

Furthermore, it is not excluded that the electronic control unit 65 can be configured to operate counting algorithms for the articles P of each type, in order to monitor the number of articles P of each type present inside the vending machine 10 at each time.

In detail, starting from an initial condition in which the vending machine 10 is empty, i.e. it does not contain articles P, the electronic control unit 65 can be configured to receive the number of articles P of each types loaded during a first loading phase inside the vending machine 10, and moreover it can be configured to write in the memory unit this number corresponding to the number of articles P present inside the vending machine 10 after said first loading.

The electronic control unit 65 can also be operatively connected to the interface elements 25 to monitor the number of items P of each type requested by the users of the vending machine 10 and delivered, and, at each delivery, the electronic control unit 65 is configured to subtract a unit from the number of articles P of the dispensed type present in the dispenser 10, so as to update the number of articles P of each type present in the dispenser 10 and from time to time overwrite the number in the memory unit.

Furthermore, it is possible to provide that the electronic control unit 65 can be operatively connected to a remote device, and that it can be configured to receive an input from this remote device corresponding to the number of articles P of each type to be loaded, in an instant of time before the arrival of the P items to be loaded.

For example, this instant of time may coincide with the sending of the articles P from a storage warehouse of the articles to the distributor 10 to be loaded.

The electronic control unit 65 can therefore be configured to write this input received from the remote device into the memory unit, in a memory cell different from that in which it is configured to write the number of articles P to be loaded for each type received in input via the input device 70.

The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.

Furthermore, all the details can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to requirements without thereby departing from the scope of the protection of the following claims.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS 1. An automatic dispenser (10) for a plurality of articles (P), which dispenser (10) comprises: ● a plurality of magazines (35) for housing the articles (P), ● a recognition sensor (55), ● an interface device (60), ● an electronic control unit (65), operatively connected to the recognition sensor (55) and to the interface device (60), and configured to identify the type of article (P) by means of the recognition sensor (55) and indicate a magazine (35) of the plurality of magazines (35) corresponding to the type of article (P) by means of the interface device (60). A distributor (10) according to claim 1, wherein the recognition sensor (55) comprises an optical sensor. A distributor (10) according to claim 1, wherein the interface device comprises a plurality of light emitters (60), each of which is associated with a respective magazine (35) of the plurality of magazines. A distributor (10) according to claim 2, in which each light emitter (60) is associated with the respective magazine (35) in correspondence with a dispensing device (T) associated with the magazine (35) itself. A distributor (10) according to claim 1, further comprising an input device (70), operatively connected to the electronic control unit (65), and in which the electronic control unit (65) is configured to associate a number of articles (P) declared by means of the input device (70) to a corresponding warehouse (35) and write this number of articles (P) in a memory unit. A dispenser (10) according to claim 5, wherein the input device (70) comprises a speech recognition device.