EP1887533A2

EP1887533A2 - Popcorn vending machine

Info

Publication number: EP1887533A2
Application number: EP07114066A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Claudio Sinico
Original assignee: Lucietto Moreno
Current assignee: Lucietto Moreno
Priority date: 2006-08-11
Filing date: 2007-08-09
Publication date: 2008-02-13
Also published as: ITPD20060306A1; EP1887533A3

Abstract

A popcorn vending machine comprising, inside a box-like containment body (11), a vessel for corn kernels, a dosage device for selecting the amount of corn to be introduced in associated corn cooking or roasting means, and means for dispensing the popcorn flakes toward an appropriately provided container (70) which can be removed manually by a consumer, the vending machine further comprising an integrated dispenser (14) of lids for the containers, the lids (12) having a containment chamber (59), which can be opened toward the inside of the associated container, for a substance to be mixed with the popcorn flakes inside the container itself.

Description

The present invention relates to a popcorn vending machine.
Popcorn vending machines are currently known and are widespread particularly in meeting and recreational venues such as cinemas, gaming arcades, exhibition spaces, sports facilities and the like.
These currently known popcorn vending machines generally comprise a vessel for corn kernels, a dosage device for selecting the amount of corn to be introduced in associated corn cooking or roasting means, and means for dispensing the popcorn flakes toward appropriately provided means for mixing the flakes with flavoring substances, such as salt or sugar but also caramel, chocolate, nutritional yeast and other similar ingredients, such substances in turn being sent to the mixing means from corresponding vessels by means of a selection and dosage device; after mixing, the popped corn is poured by way of dispensing means into a container, generally a cup, which can be removed manually by a consumer.
The management of salt and sugar, but also of the other cited ingredients, causes unpleasant drawbacks for known machines; in particular, both sugar and especially salt have substantial hygroscopic characteristics which cause the kernels to absorb moisture from the environment and to clump inside the corresponding vessels in clumps that are too large to pass through the tubes and ducts for dispensing toward the mixing means.
Accordingly, for machines which dose salt and sugar automatically, such dosage is often inaccurate and the associated dosage devices often jam, and such jamming forces accurate maintenance to restore and maintain correct operation.
In addition to this drawback, there are those related to the aggressiveness of salt against certain components of the vending machine, on which the salt deposits or with which the salt can come accidentally into contact during the operation of the machine.
Further, these vending machines increase in complexity as the number of substances that can be mixed with the popcorn flakes increases, since for each of said substances there is a vessel and there are associated dosage means arranged so as to converge toward one or more mixing chambers.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a popcorn vending machine which is capable of obviating the problems and drawbacks of known machines.
Within this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which is capable of managing the substances to be associated with the corn flakes, be they salt, sugar, caramel or others, without said substances impairing the correct and regular operation of the machine.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine which requires less maintenance than known machines.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which is capable of managing a plurality of different substances.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which is capable of associating with each portion of popcorn a predefined constant amount of additional substance, regardless of the humidity characteristics of the environment in which the machine is placed to work.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a popcorn vending machine which can be manufactured cheaply with known systems and technologies.
This aim and these and other objects, which will become better apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a popcorn vending machine which comprises, inside a box-like containment body, a vessel for corn kernels, a dosage device for selecting the amount of corn to be introduced in associated corn cooking or roasting means, and means for dispensing the popcorn flakes toward an appropriately provided container which can be removed manually by a consumer, said vending machine being characterized in that it comprises means for accommodating, selecting and dispensing lids for said containers, said lids having a containment chamber which can be opened toward the inside of the associated container, for a substance to be mixed with the popcorn flakes inside the container itself.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become better apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment thereof, illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of the means for accommodating, selecting and dispensing lids of the machine according to the invention;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a first detail of the means of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a sectional side view of a detail of Figure 3;
Figure 5 is a front view of a second detail of the means of Figure 2;
Figure 6 is a sectional view, taken along the line VI-VI of Figure 5;
Figure 7 is a bottom perspective view of a component of the means of Figure 2;
Figure 8 is a schematic side view of a machine according to the invention.

With reference to the figures, a popcorn vending machine according to the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 10.
As shown schematically in Figure 8, the machine 10 comprises, inside an upper part 11a of a box-like containment body 11, a vessel 61 for corn kernels, a dosage device 62 for selecting the quantity of corn to be introduced in associated means 63 for cooking or roasting the corn, and means 64 for dispensing the popcorn flakes toward an appropriately provided container, which is visible in Figure 1, is designated therein by the reference numeral 70 and can be removed manually by a consumer.
In a lower part 11b of the box-like body 11, the machine 10 also comprises a dispenser 14 for lids for the containers.
The arrangement of the lid dispenser 14 in a lower region with respect to the rest of the machine 10 is to be understood as a non-limiting example of the invention.
The lids, designated hereinafter by the reference numerals 12, 12a and 12b, are provided with a containment chamber 59, which can be opened toward the inside of the associated container, for a substance to be mixed with the popcorn flakes with the popcorn flakes inside the container.
A container dispenser 13 is also associated with the machine 10.
The lid dispenser, designated by the reference numeral 14 in Figure 2, comprises containment means 15 for two stacks 16 of lids 12.
Means 17 for lifting each of the stacks 16 of lids toward means 18 for gripping and conveying a single lid 12 toward means 19 for exposing at least part of a lid 12 outside the box-like body 11 of the machine 10, available for grip on the part of a user, are associated with the containment means 15.
The containment means 15 are provided, for each stack of lids 16, by two containment shoulders 20 which are predominantly longitudinally elongated and are fixed to the supporting frame 31 of the dispenser 14 so as to form a vertically elongated compartment for accommodating a stack 16 of lids 12.
The lifting means 17 are constituted, for each stack 16, by a pan 21, which is visible in Figures 3 and 4 and on which the stack 16 is arranged; the pan is rigidly coupled by way of fixing and guiding means to a belt 22, which is actuated vertically between two pulleys, a first upper pulley 23 and a second lower pulley 24.
The upper pulley 23 is moved by associated motorization means, which are managed by a central electronic controller of the vending machine 10, which is arranged inside the box-like body 11.
In the example described here, the motorization means are constituted by a first electric motor 25.
The fixing and guiding means for the pan 21 are provided by an L-shaped bracket 26 which supports the pan 21; the vertical portion 26a of the bracket 26 is rigidly coupled, by way of threaded coupling means 28, to the belt 22 and to a slider 27 for maintaining the correct ascent configuration of the pan 21.
The slider 27 is arranged so as to slide in a vertical guide 29, which in turn is fixed to a column-like element 30 of the frame 31 which supports the lid dispenser 14.
The column-like element 30 is interposed between the front portion, which is directed toward the outside of the machine 10, and the rear portion of the belt 22.
The grip and transport means 18 for an individual lid are constituted by a clamp device 32, which is moved by means 33 for its horizontal translational motion, which are fixed to the frame 31 above the two stacks 16 of lids, at such a height that lifting one lid supporting pan 21 arranges the upper lid 12a of the stack 16 between the grip elements 34 of the clamp device 32, which is described in greater detail hereinafter.
The horizontal translational motion means 33 are constituted by a belt 35, which is moved between two pulleys 36 and 37 which have vertical and parallel axes; one of the pulleys, for example the first pulley 36, is actuated by a second electric motor 38, which is managed by the electronic central control unit.
The clamp device 32 is rigidly coupled to the belt 35 by way of fixing and guiding means.
The clamp device 32 is constituted by the two mutually opposite grip elements 34 cited above, each of which supports a pair of pins 39 which protrude downward; the grip elements 34 are arranged so as to slide on two parallel horizontal bars 40 below a supporting plate 41.
The supporting plate 41 has two opposite flaps 43 which are folded downward and to which the two bars 40 are fixed by their ends.
Elastic means are interposed between the flaps 43 and the grip elements 34 to contrast the thrust applied by a cam-like element 42, which is arranged between the two grip elements 34 and is turned by a third electric motor 44, which is rigidly coupled to the plate 41.
In the embodiment of the invention described here by way of non-limiting example of the invention, the elastic means are constituted by helical springs 45 arranged so as to surround the ends of the sliding bars 40.
The fixing and guiding means for the clamp device 32 are constituted by an L-shaped bracket 46, which is rigidly coupled to the clamp device 32, the vertical portion 46a of which is rigidly coupled, by way of threaded coupling means 47, to the belt 35 and to a slider 48 for maintaining the correct configuration for horizontal translational motion; the slider 48 is arranged so as to slide in a horizontal guide 49, which in turn is fixed to a transverse element 50 of the frame 31.
The transverse element 50 in turn is bracketed by means of flanges 51 to the partition 52 of the frame 31 and is interposed between the front portion, which is directed toward the outside of the machine 10, and the rear portion of the belt 35.
Corresponding switches are fixed to the frame at the stroke limits for the pans 21 that support the stacks 16 and for the clamp device 32 and are adapted to report to the electronic central control unit the position of said elements.
Figure 3 illustrates a first upper switch 53, which reports when the pan 21 has risen completely and therefore has no lids 12 and accordingly the machine needs to be resupplied with a new stack of lids.
There is also a second lower switch 54, which reports complete filling of the compartment between the two shoulders 20.
Figures 2 and 5 illustrate a third switch 55 and a fourth switch 56; the third switch 55 indicates the position of the clamp device 32 at a first stack of lids, the rightward stack in the figures, and the fourth switch 56 indicates the position of the device 32 at the second stack of lids, the left one.
Two other switches, a fifth one 57 and a sixth one 58, are arranged on the clamp device 32; the two switches on the clamp device 32 report the opening and closure of the grip elements 34 around a lid 12.
The means 19 for exposing a lid are constituted by a chute which is interposed, below the grip and transport means 18, between the two stacks 16 of lids; in the chute, the ends directed toward the outside of its lateral shoulders 19a are folded inward so as to form a stop abutment for the outgoing lid 12b.
The operation of the vending machine 10 according to the invention is as follows.
In order to select the substance (for example salt or sugar) with which the consumer wishes to flavor the popcorn, one presses one of the buttons 60 visible in the upper part 11a of the box-like body 11 of the machine 10.
Once the substance with which the consumer wishes to flavor the popcorn has been chosen, the electronic control unit coordinates the translational motion of the clamp device 32 at the stack 16 of the two stacks of lids which are provided with the selected substance in their containment chamber 59.
At the same time, the rise of the corresponding pan 21 is started and said pan is raised by the movement of the belt 22 until the upper lid 12a of the stack 16 is arranged between the pins 39 of the grip elements 34.
Once the lid 12a is in position between the grip elements 34, which are divaricated, i.e., spaced from the open configuration imposed by the rotated position of the cam element 42, such cam element is turned by the associated motor 44 so as to allow the springs 45 to push the two grip elements 34 toward each other until the pins 39 clamp around the lid 12a, gripping it.
When the clamp device 32 has engaged the lid 12a, the corresponding stack 16 descends until it frees the horizontal movement of the clamp device 32 with the lid 12a.
The clamp device 32 is then subjected to a horizontal translational motion until it reaches the chute, onto which the clamp device 32 opens to drop the lid 12a thereon, the lid sliding toward the outside of the machine 10 and being available for grip by a consumer, as shown by way of example in Figure 1.
The machine 10 is therefore capable of dispensing pre-dosed portions of popcorn in association with a lid which contains the substance with which one wishes to flavor it.
The supply of salt, sugar, caramel or others by means of an associated lid dispensed by the same machine 10 allows to avoid the provision of the vessel and of the dosage and dispensing devices designed to manage a single substance and the provision of a mixing chamber for mixing the exploded corn flakes with the selected substance.
This solves the problems linked to the handling of salt and sugar and also the other cited ingredients, i.e., the problems linked to the hygroscopic characteristics of these substances, such as their clumping inside the corresponding vessels in clumps of different and sometimes excessive sizes, with consequent inaccurate dosage or even jamming of known machines.
The salt, enclosed within the lids, is in fact completely separated hermetically with respect to the lid dispenser 14 and therefore cannot damage the components of the vending machine, since it cannot deposit in any point of the machine and cannot come accidentally into contact with any of its parts during operation.
The lid dispenser 14, described herein applied to a popcorn vending machine, is also a subject of the invention.
In a manner similar to what has been described above, the lid dispenser 14 is characterized in that it is constituted by containment means for at least two stacks of lids 15; means 17 for lifting each of the stacks 16 of lids 12 toward means 18 for gripping and conveying a single lid 12 toward means 19 for exposing at least part of a lid 12 outside a box-like body 11 in which the dispenser is installed, available for grip by a user, are associated with said containment means.
The containment means are constituted by the containment shoulders 20 which are predominantly longitudinally elongated and are fixed so as to form a vertically extended compartment for accommodating a stack 16 of lids 12.
The lifting means are provided, for each stack 16, by a pan 21 on which the stack 16 is rested, said pan being rigidly coupled by way of fixing and guiding means to a belt 22 which is actuated vertically between two pulleys 23 and 24, of which the upper one is moved by a first electric motor 25 managed by an electronic central control unit of the dispenser 14.
The means for gripping and conveying a single lid are constituted by a clamp device 32 as described above, which is moved by the horizontal translational motion means 18, also as described above.
The exposure means 19 are constituted by a chute which is interposed between the two stacks 16 of lids 12 below the grip and conveyance means 18.
In practice, it has been found that the invention thus described solves the problems noted in known types of popcorn vending machine.
In particular, the present invention provides a vending machine which is capable of handling the substances to be associated with the corn flakes, be they salt, sugar, caramel or others, without said substances affecting the correct and regular operation of the machine.
Moreover, the present invention provides a machine which requires less maintenance than known machines, since it lacks those parts which in known machines fail due to the action of salt or sugar.
Moreover, the present invention provides a vending machine which is capable of managing more than two different substances, since it is sufficient to provide a lid dispenser with as many stacks of lids as there are substances to be made available to the consumer.
Further, the present invention provides a vending machine which is capable of associating with each portion of popcorn a predefined constant quantity of additional substance, regardless of the humidity characteristics of the environment in which the machine is placed to work.
Moreover, the present invention provides a popcorn vending machine which can be manufactured cheaply with known systems and technologies.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims; all the details may further be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to requirements and to the state of the art.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. PD2006A000306 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

A popcorn vending machine comprising, inside a box-like containment body (11), a vessel (61) for corn kernels, a dosage device (62) for selecting the amount of corn to be introduced in associated corn cooking or roasting means (63), and means (64) for dispensing the popcorn flakes toward an appropriately provided container (70) which can be removed manually by a consumer, said vending machine being characterized in that it comprises an integrated dispenser (14) of lids for said containers, said lids (12) having a containment chamber (59), which can be opened toward the inside of the associated container, for a substance to be mixed with the popcorn flakes inside the container itself.
The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said lid dispenser (14) is constituted by containment means (15) for at least two stacks (16) of lids (12), means (17) for lifting each of the stacks (16) of lids (12) toward means (18) for gripping and conveying a single lid (12) toward means (19) for exposing at least part of a lid (12) outside the box-like body (11) of the machine (10), available for grip by a user, being associated with said containment means.
The vending machine according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said containment means (15) are constituted, for each stack (16) of lids (12), by two predominantly longitudinally elongated containment shoulders (20), which are fixed to a frame (31) for supporting the dispenser (14) so as to form a vertically elongated compartment for accommodating a stack (16) of lids (12).
The vending machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said lifting means (17) are constituted, for each stack (16), by a pan (21) on which the stack (16) rests, said pan being rigidly coupled by way of fixing and guiding means to a belt (22) which is actuated vertically between two pulleys, a first upper pulley (23) and a second lower pulley (24), at least one of said two pulleys being moved by associated motorization means which are managed by an electronic central control unit of the vending machine (10).
The vending machine according to claim 4, characterized in that said fixing and guiding means for the pan (21) are constituted by an L-shaped bracket (26) which supports said pan (21), its vertical portion (26a) being rigidly coupled, by way of threaded coupling means (28), to said belt (22) and to a slider (27) to maintain the correct ascent configuration, said slider (27) being arranged so that it slides within a vertical guide (29), which in turn is fixed to a column-like element (30) of the frame (31), said column-like element (30) being interposed between the front portion, directed toward the outside of the machine (10), and the rear portion of the belt (22).
The vending machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said grip and conveyance means for a single lid are constituted by a clamp device (32), which is moved by means (33) for its horizontal translational motion which are fixed to the frame (31) above said at least two stacks (16) of lids (12), at such a height that the lifting of the pan (21) moves the upper lid (12a) between the grip elements (34) of said clamp device (32).
The vending machine according to claim 6, characterized in that said means (18) for horizontal translational motion are constituted by a belt (35), which is moved between two pulleys (36, 37) which have vertical and parallel axes, said clamp device (32) being rigidly coupled to said belt (35) by way of fixing and guiding means.
The vending machine according to claim 7, characterized in that said clamp device (32) is constituted by two mutually opposite grip elements (34), each of which supports a pair of pins (39) which protrude downward, said grip elements (34) being arranged so as to slide on two parallel horizontal bars (40) below a supporting plate (41) which has two opposite flaps (43) which are folded downward and to which the two bars (40) are fixed by their ends, elastic means for contrasting the thrust applied by a cam element (42), arranged between the two grip elements (34) and turned by an electric motor (44) rigidly coupled to said plate (41), being interposed between said flaps (43) and said grip elements (40).
The vending machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said elastic means are constituted by helical springs (45) which are arranged so as to surround the ends of the sliding bars (40).
The vending machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said fixing and guiding means for said clamp device (32) are constituted by an L-shaped bracket (46), which is rigidly coupled to the clamp device (32) and whose vertical portion (46a) is rigidly coupled by way of threaded coupling means (47) to said belt (35) and to a slider (48) for maintaining the correct configuration for horizontal translational motion, said slider (48) being arranged so as to slide in a horizontal guide (49), which in turn is fixed to a transverse element (50) of the frame (31), which is interposed between the front portion, directed toward the outside of the machine (10), and the rear portion of the belt (35).
The vending machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that at the stroke limits for the pans (21) for supporting the stacks and for the clamp device (32), corresponding switches (53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58), adapted to report to the electronic central control unit the position of said elements, are fixed to the frame.
The vending machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (19) for exposing a lid (12) are constituted by a chute which is interposed, below the grip and conveyance means (18), between the two stacks (16) of lids (12), the ends of said chute directed toward the outside of its lateral shoulders (19a) being folded inward so as to form a stop abutment for the outgoing lid (12b).
A dispenser particularly for lids, characterized in that it is constituted by means (15) for containing at least two stacks (16) of lids, means (17) for lifting each of the stacks (16) toward means (18) for gripping and conveying a single lid (12) toward means (19) for exposing at least part of a lid (12) outside a box-like containment body (11) for containing said dispenser (14), available for grip by a user, being associated with said containment means.
The lid dispenser according to claim 13, characterized in that said containment means (15) are constituted, for each stack of lids, by two predominantly longitudinally elongated containment shoulders (20), which are fixed to supporting means so as to form a vertically elongated compartment for accommodating a stack (16) of lids.
The dispenser according to claims 13 and 14, characterized in that said lifting means are constituted, for each stack (16), by a pan (21) on which the stack (16) is arranged, said pan being rigidly coupled by way of fixing and guiding means to a belt (22) which is actuated vertically between two pulleys, a first upper pulley (23) and a second lower pulley (24), at least one of said two pulleys being moved by associated motorization means, which are managed by an electronic central control unit of the dispenser (14).
The dispenser according to one or more of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that said grip and conveyance means for a single lid are constituted by a clamp device (32) which is moved by means for its horizontal translational motion which are fixed to the frame (31) above said at least two stacks (16) of lids, at such a height that the rise of the lid supporting pan (21) is adapted to arrange an upper lid (12a) of a stack between the grip elements (34) of said clamp device (32).
The dispenser according to one or more of claims 13 to 16, characterized in that said means (18) for horizontal translational motion are constituted by a belt (35) which is moved between two pulleys (36, 37) which have vertical and parallel axes, said clamp device (32) being rigidly coupled to said belt (35) by way of fixing and guiding means and being constituted by two mutually opposite grip elements (34), each of which bears a pair of pins (39) which protrude downward, said grip elements (34) being arranged so as to slide on two horizontal parallel bars (40) below a supporting plate (41) which has two opposite flaps (43) which are folded downward and to which the two bars are fixed by their ends, elastic means for contrasting the thrust applied by a cam element (42), arranged between the two grip elements (43) and turned by an electric motor (44) rigidly coupled to said plate (41), being interposed between said flaps (43) and said grip elements (34).
The dispenser according to one or more of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that said means (19) for exposing a lid (12) are constituted by a chute which is interposed, below the grip and conveyance means (18), between the two stacks (16) of lids, the ends of said chute which are directed toward the outside of its lateral shoulders (19a) being folded inward so as to form a stop abutment for the outgoing lid (12b).