Goods transmission system

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a goods transmission system in vending machines.

2. Description of Related Art

Vending machines include goods channels for accommodating a plurality of sale items. Typical vending machines use motors to push the goods to output trays, and customers can get the goods from the output trays. Motors usually respond slowly and may not push the correct items to the output trays.

Therefore, there is a need for improvement in the art.

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a goods transmission system; the goods transmission system includes a goods output member and a driving member.

FIG. 2 is an isometric, exploded view of the goods output member and the driving member of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is an assembled view of the goods transmission system of FIG. 2 .

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.”

FIG. 1 shows a goods transmission system in a vending machine which includes a cabinet 10 and a plurality of goods output members 20 located in the cabinet 10 .

The cabinet 10 includes a first sidewall 11 , a second sidewall 12 , a top wall 13 , and a bottom wall 14 . The first sidewall 11 , the second sidewall 12 , the top wall 13 , and the bottom wall 14 corporately form an accommodating space 15 therebetween. The first sidewall 11 is parallel to the second sidewall 12 . The top wall 13 is parallel to the bottom wall 14 . The top wall 13 and the bottom wall 14 are connected to the first sidewall 11 and the second sidewall 12 . A door 16 is pivotably mounted on the first sidewall 11 . An accommodating box 17 is mounted at a corner of the door 16 . The accommodating box 17 defines a first opening 171 at a top for receiving goods. The accommodating box 17 defines a second opening 172 on one side for a customer to pick up purchased goods. The second opening 172 is defined in the door 16 and communicates with an outside of the cabinet 10 .

FIG. 2 shows that each of the plurality of goods output members 20 includes a supporting plate 21 . A flexible drive member 30 is mounted on the supporting plate 21 . A rectangular cutout 22 is defined at a corner of the supporting plate 21 . An upwardly inclined plate (bottom plate 23 ) extends from a side edge of the supporting plate 21 . A plurality of separating plates 24 substantially perpendicularly extend upwards from the bottom plate 23 .

The drive member 30 includes an endless transmission chain 31 . An accommodating slot 311 is formed within the transmission chain 31 when installed. A plurality of first engaging portions 312 protrude from the transmission chain 31 to an inner side of the accommodating slot 311 . A motor 32 is mounted in the accommodating slot 311 . A round gear 321 is mounted on a top of the motor 32 . A plurality of second engaging portions 322 protrude from the periphery of the gear 321 . An endless transmission band 33 is mounted to an outer side of the transmission chain 31 . When installed, the transmission band 33 includes a number of supporting portions 331 along the straight outer side of the transmission band 33 and an arc-shaped connecting portion 332 , connected to the supporting portions 331 , at each end of the transmission band 33 when installed. The supporting portions 331 are parallel to each other. A plurality of rectangular first resisting brackets 34 substantially perpendicularly extend from each supporting portion 331 . The plurality of first resisting brackets 34 are spaced from each other. A second resisting bracket 35 substantially perpendicularly extends from each connecting portion 332 . In one embodiment, a distance between adjacent two of the first resisting brackets 34 is equal to a distance between adjacent two of the separating plates 24 . The distance between adjacent two of the first resisting brackets 34 is equal to a length of the second resisting bracket 35 . A width of the cutout 22 is greater than the distance between adjacent two of the first resisting brackets 34 .

FIGS. 1 to 3 show that in assembly, the transmission chain 31 and the motor 32 are mounted on the supporting plate 21 . The motor 32 is received in the accommodating slot 311 and located within the transmission chain 31 . The plurality of first engaging portions 312 of the transmission chain 31 engage with the plurality of second engaging portions 322 of the gear 321 . The transmission band 33 is mounted to the outer side of the transmission chain 31 . The motor 32 is rotated such that a receiving space between adjacent two of the first resisting brackets 34 faces a receiving space between adjacent two of the separating plates 24 . The drive member 30 is mounted on the goods output member 20 . The goods output member 20 is located in the accommodating space 15 of the cabinet 10 . The cutout 22 on the supporting plate 21 faces the first opening 171 on the top of the accommodating box 17 .

In operation, a plurality of goods (not shown) are located on the bottom plate 23 between adjacent two of the separating plates 24 . One of the plurality of goods between adjacent two of the separating plates 24 slides into the receiving space between adjacent two of the first resisting brackets 34 . Another one of the plurality of goods between adjacent two of the separating plates 24 slides into the receiving space between the resisting bracket 34 and the second resisting bracket 35 . When the motor 32 rotates, the gear 321 drives the transmission chain 31 to rotate. The transmission chain 31 drives the transmission band 33 to rotate. The plurality of resisting brackets 34 adjacent to the plurality of separating plates 24 and the resisting bracket 35 push a plurality of goods to move on the supporting plate 21 until one of the plurality of goods is pushed above the cutout 22 . The goods drop into the accommodating box 17 of the door 16 from the cutout 22 . Customers can get the goods from the second opening 172 in the door 16 . Therefore, the possibility of malfunction of the vending machine is reduced.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present disclosure have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and the arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.