VENDING MACHINE

Abstract

An automatic vending machine has a control unit controlling a payment unit. The payment unit is configured to receive payment from a user. The refrigeration unit is a chest freezer having a top lid and a hinge. The top lid is controlled by the control unit. The top lid moves between an open position and a closed position. A food package is stored in the refrigeration unit. A picking arm is mounted on a picking arm swivel. The picking arm has a pick suction tip that is vacuum driven. The picking arm is controlled by the control unit. The control unit is configured to control the picking arm to pick a food package from the refrigeration unit and move it to the microwave heating unit for heating.

Claims

1. An automatic vending machine comprising: a. a control unit; b. a payment unit, wherein the payment unit is configured to receive payment from a user; c. a refrigeration unit, wherein the refrigeration unit is a chest freezer having a top lid and a hinge, wherein the top lid is controlled by the control unit, wherein the top lid moves between an open position and a closed position; d. a food package stored in the refrigeration unit; e. a picking arm mounted on a picking arm swivel, wherein the picking arm has a pick suction tip that is vacuum driven, wherein the picking arm is controlled by the control unit; f. a microwave heating unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control the picking arm to pick a food package from the refrigeration unit and move it to the microwave heating unit for heating; and g. a pickup area, wherein the food package moves to the pickup area after being heated, wherein the pickup area has a pickup port for dispensing to a user.

2. The automatic vending machine of claim 1, further including a communication unit, wherein the communication unit monitors the payment unit, refrigeration unit, microwave heating unit, the picking arm, and the control unit.

3. The automatic vending device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the temperature of the refrigeration unit at less than or equal to −18° C.

4. The automatic vending device according to claim 1, wherein the microwave heating unit is formed with a closed microwave heating cavity, wherein the closed microwave heating cavity has set of magnetrons, wherein the set of magnetrons includes a first magnetron, a second magnetron and a third magnetron, wherein the total power of the three magnetrons is more than 3500 watts of power, wherein a microwave heating time is less than 60 seconds.

5. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the picking arm to not only automatically move the food package from the refrigeration unit to the microwave heating chamber, but to also move the food package after heating to the pickup area.

6. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further including an ozone sterilization unit mounted inside the refrigeration unit.

7. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further including a pickup port hatch mounted over a pickup port, wherein the control unit is configured to control the pickup port hatch to open and close the pickup port hatch so as to reveal a pickup area.

8. The automatic vending device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge opens with a linear motor mounted on a freezing unit sidewall of the chest freezer, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motion of the linear motor.

9. The automatic vending device according to claim 1, wherein the refrigeration unit is mounted on a cold side and the microwave heating unit is mounted on a hot side, wherein the cold side and the hot side are separated by an isolation module, wherein the isolation module is formed as an insulated wall, wherein the insulated wall has a partition door opening formed through the insulated wall, wherein a partition door is mounted to the partition door opening, wherein the picking arm swivel is configured to send the food package through the partition door opening into the microwave heating unit.

10. The automatic vending device according to claim 9, wherein the partition door is spring-loaded and automatically closes after the food package passes through the partition door opening.

11. The automatic vending machine of claim 9, further including a communication unit, wherein the communication unit monitors the payment unit, refrigeration unit, microwave heating unit, the picking arm, and the control unit.

12. The automatic vending device according to claim 9, wherein the control unit sets the temperature of the refrigeration unit at less than or equal to −18° C.

13. The automatic vending device according to claim 9, wherein the microwave heating unit is formed with a closed microwave heating cavity, wherein the closed microwave heating cavity has set of magnetrons, wherein the set of magnetrons includes a first magnetron, a second magnetron and a third magnetron, wherein the total power of the three magnetrons is more than 3500 watts of power, wherein a microwave heating time is less than 60 seconds.

14. The automatic vending machine according to claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to control the picking arm to not only automatically move the food package from the refrigeration unit to the microwave heating chamber, but to also move the food package after heating to the pickup area.

15. The automatic vending machine according to claim 9, further including an ozone sterilization unit mounted inside the refrigeration unit.

16. The automatic vending machine according to claim 9, further including a pickup port hatch mounted over a pickup port, wherein the control unit is configured to control the pickup port hatch to open and close the pickup port hatch so as to reveal a pickup area.

17. The automatic vending device according to claim 9, wherein the hinge opens with a linear motor mounted on a freezing unit sidewall of the chest freezer, wherein the control unit is configured to control the motion of the linear motor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention with the front doors open.

[0029] FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of a horizontal cross section of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] FIG. 3 is a diagram of the chest freezer embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the food heating magnetron chamber area.

[0032] FIG. 5 is a side perspective view of the chest freezer embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] The following callout list of elements can be a useful guide in referencing the element numbers of the drawings. [0034] 100 Vending Machine Main Body [0035] 101 Light Box [0036] 102 Advertising Screen [0037] 103 Cargo Lane [0038] 104 First Conveyor Belt [0039] 10 control unit [0040] 11 fuse [0041] 20 Freezing Unit [0042] 21 Freezing Chamber [0043] 22 Compressor [0044] 24 lid [0045] 25 hinge [0046] 26 freezing unit sidewall [0047] 27 linear motor [0048] 30 heating unit [0049] 31 Heating Chamber [0050] 32 Magnetron [0051] 33 heating chamber upper opening [0052] 34 first magnetron [0053] 35 second magnetron [0054] 36 third magnetron [0055] 37 flat plate [0056] 38 heating chamber funnel [0057] 39 heating chamber front door [0058] 40 Conveying Unit [0059] 41 Transport Table [0060] 42 First Drive Mechanism [0061] 43 First Push Mechanism [0062] 44 Second Conveyor [0063] 50 payment unit [0064] 51 Operation Screen [0065] 52 Cash Collection Port [0066] 53 receipt printer [0067] 60 Pick-Up Unit [0068] 61 Pick-Up Port [0069] 62 Second Push Mechanism [0070] 63 pickup port hatch [0071] 70 Isolation Module [0072] 71 right door [0073] 72 left door [0074] 73 cover door [0075] 74 partition door [0076] 75 partition door opening [0077] 80 Remote Monitoring Unit [0078] 81 camera [0079] 88 food package [0080] 90 communication module [0081] 120 conveyor belt [0082] 121 picking arm [0083] 122 pick section tip [0084] 123 picking arm swivel [0085] 128 pickup area

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0086] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The structure and the like of the vending machine are schematically simplified in the drawing.

[0087] Embodiments of the present invention provide a vending machine, as shown in FIG. 1, including a vending machine body 100 having a light box 101 and an advertising screen 102 for illumination and advertising. The kiosk main body 100 is provided with a control unit 10, a freezing unit 20, a heating unit 30, a conveying unit 40, a payment unit 50, and a pickup unit 60. Wherein, the control unit 10 can control the operation of the vending machine; the freezing unit 20 can store the food and freeze the stored food; the heating unit 3 can receive the food and heat the received food; and the conveying unit 40 can transfer the food from the freezing unit 20 to the heating unit 30; the payment unit 50 is capable of the user selecting the food and paying; the picking unit 60 is capable of taking and taking out the food from the vending machine main body 100. The heating unit 30 and the freezing unit 20 are thermally isolated by the isolation module 70, and in particular, the isolation module 70 is a polyurethane insulation panel. The freezing unit 20, the heating unit 30, the conveying unit 40, the payment unit 50, and the pickup unit 60 are all in communication connection with the control unit 10.

[0088] Compared with the prior art, the vending machine provided by the present invention can prevent the temperature fluctuation of the freezing unit 20 from affecting the temperature fluctuation of the heating unit 30 by setting the freezing and heating isolation of the food and separately, thereby improving the food's safe storage period. The isolation module 70 can thermally isolate the freezing unit 20 from the heating unit 30, reduce heat transfer between the two, improve the freezing capacity of the freezing unit 20, and thereby improve the safe storage period of the food.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 1, the freezing unit 20 includes a freezing chamber 21 and a compressor 22 that compresses refrigerant to control the temperature in the freezing chamber 21 to −18° C. or lower. The freezing unit 20 also includes a condenser, an evaporator, an air deflector, etc., which are common devices in compression refrigeration, which are not shown in the drawings for the sake of simplicity. The temperature of the freezing chamber 21 is controlled to −18° C. or below, and the original quality of the food is preserved at a low temperature such that, for example, water, juice, etc. in the food tissue are not lost, and microorganisms are effectively inhibited without any preservatives and additives. At the same time, the food nutrition is preserved to the utmost extent, and the food has the advantages of deliciousness, convenience, health, hygiene, nutrition and benefits, and the food is safe.

[0090] Referring to FIG. 1, an ozone sterilization module 23 is further disposed in the freezing unit 2 to sterilize and disinfect the food in the freezing unit 20 by using ozone to ensure the safety of the food. Ozone sterilization is rapid and efficient, and the oxides produced during the sterilization process are non-toxic and tasteless, and will not cause secondary pollution. Referring to FIG. 1, the heating unit 30 includes a closed heating chamber 31, a magnetron 32 for heating, and a cooling module for cooling the magnetron 32. For example, two magnetrons 32, can be disposed at upper and lower positions of the heating chamber 31. Microwaves can be generated by the magnetron 32 to microwave the food located in the heater.

[0091] Specifically, there are two magnetrons 32, and two magnetrons 32 are disposed at the top and bottom of the heating chamber 31. The two magnetrons 32 disposed above and below enable the temperature inside the heating chamber 31 to rise rapidly, so that the food in the heating chamber 31 can be quickly heated. The heating unit 3 has the advantages of uniform heating, high speed, selective heating, strong heat penetration capability, etc., which can shorten the heating time, improve the food manufacturing efficiency, and improve the product quality.

[0092] Water has a higher specific heat capacity and can absorb more heat. Therefore, the cooling module is provided as a water-cooling module, and the magnetron 32 is quickly and effectively cooled by water cooling, and the cooling efficiency is high. In other embodiments, the cooling module can also be an air cooled module or any other module that can effect cooling of the magnetron 32.

[0093] Referring to FIG. 2, the freezing unit 20 also has a plurality of cargo lanes 103, each of which is capable of receiving a plurality of food items. The receiving surface of the cargo lane 103 is provided with a first conveyor belt 104. When it is necessary to purchase the food at a certain cargo lane 103, the first conveyor belt 104 operates to transport the food product toward the opening of the cargo lane 103 until the food product near the opening falls onto the conveying unit 40.

[0094] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the conveying unit 40 includes a transport table 41, a first drive mechanism 42 and a first push mechanism 43, the transport table 41 is capable of receiving food, and the first drive mechanism 42 is configured to be capable of driving the position of the transport table 41. In the transfer, the first pushing mechanism 43 can push the food on the transfer table 41 through door 63 into the pickup unit 60, which is capable of lifting the food vertically into heating unit 3. The food is taken up by the transport table 41, and when the food is pushed into the heating unit 3 by the first pushing mechanism 43, the food on the transport table 41 is only subjected to the gravity and the support force given by the transport table 41, and the food is not affected by the external force. No deformation occurs to keep the shape of the food intact and beautiful. The first pushing mechanism 43 may be a linear motor, a cylinder assembly or a screw assembly, or the like.

[0095] The first driving mechanism 42 is a two-axis linkage mechanism, and the first driving mechanism 42 can drive the up and down and left and right movements of the transport table 41. The receiving surface of the transport table 41 is provided with a second conveyor belt 44. When the transport table 41 is moved to the heating unit 30, the second conveyor belt 44 operates to transport the food toward the heating unit 30, reducing the force of the first pushing mechanism 43 that was pushing the food to protect the shape of the food.

[0096] Referring to FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, the payment unit 50 includes operation screen 51 and a cash collection port 52. The operation panel 51 can display the type, price, and the like of the food. The user can select the product on the operation screen 51 and select the product. The cash is then paid through the cash collection port 52, or the payment code is generated on the operation screen 51, and electronic payment is performed using an electronic device such as a mobile phone. In other embodiments, the payment unit 50 may also include a button and a scan code payment code, the user selects the food through the button, and scans the code for electronic payment. Of course, the operation screen 51 may be combined with the scan code payment code, the cash collection port 52 may be combined with the button, or only the operation panel 51 or the like may be provided as long as the selection and payment of the food can be realized. The food can be selected by using the button or the operation screen 51, and the payment can be completed by cash or electronic payment. The selection and payment method of the food is simple and diverse, and is convenient for the user to purchase.

[0097] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the pickup unit 60 includes a pick-up port 61, and the pick-up port 61 is adjacent to the heating unit 30, so as to facilitate pushing the heated food to the pick-up port 61, simplifying the work of the second pushing mechanism 62 to speed up the efficiency of food shipments. The pickup unit 60 further includes a second pushing mechanism 62 capable of pushing the food to the pickup port 61. The second pushing mechanism 62 may be a linear motor, a cylinder assembly or a screw assembly, or the like.

[0098] Referring to FIG. 1, the control unit 1 is also communicably connected with a remote monitoring unit 8 by using a communication module 90, and the communication module 90 transmits the information by the control unit 1 to the remote monitoring unit 80, and the remote monitoring unit 80 is controlled by a background system, such as a computer system implemented on one or more host servers each of which having their own system memory, processors and communications interface. The remote monitoring unit 80 works remotely through the background system to monitor and control the vending machine. The communication module 90 may be a modem, a wired or wireless network interface (e.g. an Ethernet card), a communications port or the like. By setting up the remote monitoring unit 8, the remote collection, monitoring and control of the vending machine can be realized through the background system, and the intelligent operation of the control unit computer system can be maximized to improve the automation and efficiency of the management and reduce the monitoring cost. The communication module 90 can also be used for interactive communication between the cloud management platform and a computer application, and the operator can remotely collect the sales information, monitor the device status, and control the operation or stop of the vending machine through the background system.

[0099] The automatic vending machine can sell package food such as burgers that are frozen at −18° C. or lower than −18° C. in a chest freezer and the burgers can be heated at a microwave heating unit capable of rapidly heating the hamburgers. Preferably, the vending machine has a cloud management platform that remotely, collects, monitors and controls the vending machines through a backend system. The cloud management platform enabled by the communication module 90 allows the communication module 90 monitor and manage the operation panel unit 51, a refrigeration unit 20, a microwave heating unit 30, the conveyor belt 120, the control unit 10, and the payment unit 50. The payment unit 50 can process card or code payments such as cell phone QR code payments. Optionally, a receipt printer 53 can provide a receipt for the user, or the user can receive an email receipt.

[0100] As seen in FIGS. 3-5, the vending machine operation begins with the advertising screen 102 which the user sees. The user also sees the light box 101 with the advertisement on the lightbox. The user can make a selection using the operation panel unit 51, or by the user's cell phone. The user can scan a QR code on the advertising screen 102 and access a cell phone app for ordering items through the communication module 90. The user application can be downloaded from Wi-Fi which could be selectively enabled just for installing the application on the user mobile device. Once a user purchases the product through the payment unit 50, the food package 88 is suctioned with a pick section tip 122 mounted on a picking arm 121. The refrigeration unit 20 is a chest freezer that holds the food package 88 which can be a hamburger.

[0101] The linear motor 27 pushes open the lid 24 at the hinge 25 and then the picking arm pics the food with a vacuum mounted to a vacuum tube inside the picking arm. The vacuum tube is powered during the picking process. After the food package 88 is suctioned, the picking arm raises and then swivels on a picking arm swivel 123. The picking arm passes the food package 88 through the partition door 74. The partition door 74 can be an insulated spring-loaded door that allows passage of the picking arm to drop the food into the heating chamber 31. The control unit 10 controls the picking arm so that the picking arm biases the partition door 74 open. The partition door 74 can be mounted on a partition door opening 75. The partition door opening 75 is formed on the isolation module 70 which can be a vertical plank of polyisocyanurate foam. The partition door 74 is also preferably insulated so as to keep the chest freezer and the heating unit thermally separate. The refrigeration unit 20 has a freezing unit sidewall 26 on which the linear motor 27 is mounted. The refrigeration unit 20 can further receive refrigeration by a refrigerator mounted in the lightbox area above the cooling side. The cooling side refrigeration can be a separate refrigeration system from the chest freezer. The cooling side refrigeration can be by evaporative cooling for example.

[0102] As seen in FIG. 4, the heating chamber 31 has a first magnetron 34, a second magnetron 35, a third magnetron 36 mounted to an external part of the heating ever 31. The heating chamber 31 also has a heating chamber front door 39 for removal of the food package after heating. Optionally, a heating chamber funnel 38 may allow magnetron concentration through a electromagnetically transparent flat plate 37 such as a glass flat plate. A fuse 11 protects against overheating and electrical shorts.

[0103] The first magnetron and second magnetrons can be mounted underneath the heating chamber with the third magnetron mounted behind the heating chamber. The first and second magnetrons can be mounted underneath the heating chamber funnel 38. The heating chamber funnel 38 is sized to provide a resonating power to the food package 88.

[0104] As seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, the conveyor belt 120 delivers the food package 88 to a pickup area 128. The pickup port 61 opens at a pickup port hatch 63. The pickup port 61 is mounted on a right door 71 and can be actuated by a right door linear motor which is noted to the right door and controlled by the control unit 10.

[0105] After dropping the food package 88 into the heating chamber 31, the control unit 10 sends the picking arm back to the cold side so as to minimize the thermal convective transfer between the hot side on the right and the cold side on the left.

[0106] In the description of the present invention, it is to be understood that the terms “upper”, “lower”, “front”, “back”, “left”, “right”, “top”, “bottom”, “inner”, the orientation or positional relationship of the “outside” or the like is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and is merely for the convenience of describing the present invention and the simplified description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to has a specific orientation. It is constructed and operated in a specific orientation and is therefore not to be construed as limiting the invention.

[0107] For those skilled in the art, the steps of the above control method can be deleted or sequentially adjusted as needed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in the various embodiments described above, numerous technical details are set forth to provide the reader with a better understanding of the present application. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the above embodiments, the technical solutions claimed in the claims of the present application can be substantially realized. Therefore, various changes in the above-described embodiments may be made in the form and details without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.