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DE-102024129629-B4 - Food vending machine for dispensing food

DE102024129629B4DE 102024129629 B4DE102024129629 B4DE 102024129629B4DE-102024129629-B4

Abstract

The invention relates to a food vending machine (1) for dispensing food (31), comprising a machine frame (2) to which a display unit (3, 4) for storing food (31), an image processing system (41) for optically detecting a spatial arrangement of food (31), a manipulator (51) for handling food (31) and a manipulator control unit (74) coupled to the image processing system (41) are assigned, wherein the manipulator control unit (74) is configured to control the manipulator (51) depending on the spatial arrangement of the food (31) and wherein the manipulator (51) is assigned an intermediate storage unit (23) which is configured for the intermediate storage of a selection of food (31) provided by the manipulator (51) and for the transport of the selection of food (31) to a packaging unit (30) or to a goods output interface.

Inventors

  • Leif Pudewills
  • Petra Keusch
  • Hans-Jörg Hopfengart
  • Siegfried Keusch
  • Tobias Waibel

Assignees

  • FESTO SE & CO. KG

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241014

Claims (10)

  1. Food vending machine (1) for dispensing food (31), comprising a machine frame (2) to which a display unit (3, 4) for storing food (31), an image processing system (41) for optically detecting a spatial arrangement of food (31), a manipulator (51) for handling food (31) and a manipulator control unit (74) coupled to the image processing system (41) are assigned, wherein the manipulator control unit (74) is configured to control the manipulator (51) depending on the spatial arrangement of the food (31) and wherein the manipulator (51) is assigned an intermediate storage unit (23) which is configured for the intermediate storage of a selection of food (31) provided by the manipulator (51) and for the transport of the selection of food (31) to a packaging unit (30) or to a goods output interface.
  2. Food vending machine (1) after Claim 1 , characterized in that a product carrier receptacle (6) is arranged on the machine frame (2) which is designed to receive a product carrier (5) and that the image processing system (41) is designed for detecting foodstuffs (31) which are arranged on the product carrier (5).
  3. Food vending machine (1) after Claim 2 , characterized in that the image processing system (41) is designed for recognizing geometric properties of the foodstuffs (31) placed on the carrier (5), as well as for calculating gripping coordinates for the respective foodstuff (31) and for providing the gripping coordinates to the manipulator control (74).
  4. Food vending machine (1) after Claim 2 or 3 , characterized in that the manipulator control (74) is configured to control the manipulator (51) in such a way that foodstuffs (31) are picked up from the product carrier (5) depending on their spatial arrangement and placed in a predetermined spatial arrangement on the product display (3, 4) and that foodstuffs (31) are picked up from the product display (3, 4) depending on a selection order and made available to the intermediate storage (23).
  5. Food vending machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that several product displays (3, 4) are arranged on the machine frame (2), the surfaces (21) of which are spaced apart in a vertical direction (14) and aligned parallel to each other, and that the manipulator (51) is linearly movable along the vertical direction (14) on the machine frame (2).
  6. Food vending machine (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the intermediate storage (23) has a storage surface designed to receive a transport container, in particular a folding box.
  7. Food vending machine (1) according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , characterized in that the intermediate storage (23) is designed as a receiving shaft with a circumferential shaft wall (24), wherein the shaft wall (24) defines a receiving opening (25) and a discharge opening (26), wherein the discharge opening (26) is assigned a closure (27) movably mounted on the shaft wall (24) in order to selectively open or close the discharge opening (26), and wherein the receiving opening (25) is arranged in a vertical direction above the discharge opening (26).
  8. Food vending machine (1) after Claim 7 , characterized in that a packaging unit (30) is arranged on the machine frame (2), which is designed to provide a package from a packaging storage, to open the package and to close the package after receiving the selection of foodstuffs (31) temporarily stored in the intermediate storage.
  9. Food vending machine (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the manipulator (51) has several arm sections (56, 59, 62) which are each connected to each other by joints (55, 58, 61), and that a working area of the manipulator (51) comprises the product display (3, 4) and the product carrier (5).
  10. Food vending machine (1) after Claim 9 , characterized in that the merchandise displays (3, 4) are each arranged adjacent to a movement space (18) for the manipulator (51) in which the manipulator (51) can be moved in a vertical direction with a compact arrangement of the arm sections (56, 59, 62).

Description

The invention relates to a vending machine for dispensing food. In a vending machine known from the prior art, various individually packaged food items, such as beverage cans, energy bars, and sandwiches, are held in horizontally oriented storage chutes within a machine frame. The machine frame is enclosed with cladding to form a closed machine housing. Each storage chute is assigned a conveying device that, upon a customer's request, conveys the food item held in the storage chute horizontally into a dispensing chute. Upon entering the dispensing chute, the food item falls downwards into a dispensing area located away from the storage chutes. This dispensing area is equipped with a pivoting flap to allow the customer to remove the requested food item without accessing the storage chutes. In a further development of such a vending machine, a vertically movable tray is provided in the dispensing chute. This tray can be moved to the level of the storage chute from which a food item is to be dispensed. After the food item has been pushed from the chute onto the tray, the tray is then moved downwards in a vertical direction to allow the customer to take the requested food item. The DE 10 2005 005 193 A1 Disclosing a device for storing, processing and dispensing foodstuffs, in particular baked goods, comprising at least two sections, wherein at least between the two sections a structural separating element, in particular a wall, with one or more connecting openings is arranged, wherein at least one section is arranged in a sales area and the at least one connecting opening provided in the separating element lies within an area covered by the at least one sales area-side section. The DE 10 2016 123 717 A1 Disclosing a dispensing device for holding, presenting and removing baked goods, with at least one dispensing compartment, wherein the at least one dispensing compartment comprises: a feed section that enables the loading of the at least one dispensing compartment with baked goods, a removal section for removing the baked goods, a transport surface arranged between the feed section and the removal section on which the baked goods travel from the feed section to the removal section, and a measuring device, wherein the baked goods pass the measuring device on their way from the feed section to the removal section, wherein the measuring device registers the presence and/or absence of these baked goods and generates corresponding electrical signals. The object of the invention is to provide a food vending machine with which unpackaged food can be dispensed to customers. This task is solved by the food vending machine having a machine frame to which a display unit for storing food, an image processing system for optically capturing a spatial arrangement of food, a manipulator for handling food, and a manipulator control coupled to the image processing system are assigned, wherein the manipulator control is designed to control the manipulator depending on the spatial arrangement of the food, and wherein the manipulator is assigned an intermediate storage unit, which is designed for the intermediate storage of a selection of food provided by the manipulator and for the transport of the selection of food to a packaging unit or to a goods output interface. The machine frame can be designed as an arrangement of profile parts, a combination of profile parts and cladding parts, or an arrangement of cladding parts alone, and forms the mechanical framework for the food vending machine. Preferably, the machine frame is provided with cladding parts to form a closed machine housing. A display tray for food items is mounted on the machine frame. Depending on the type of food to be sold by the vending machine, the display tray can be a tray with a flat surface or a tray with a multitude of recesses, arranged in a predefined grid. Preferably, the display tray is arranged in a way that facilitates customer viewing of the displayed food items. This can be achieved, for example, by orienting the display tray at a slight angle to a horizontal plane, so that a customer who wishes to view the food items on the display tray, for example, through a viewing window fixed to the machine frame, can see at least most of the items. One can view the food items displayed in the merchandise display. Furthermore, the vending machine includes a manipulator with which individual food items can be placed on or removed from the display. For this purpose, the manipulator has a gripper with which the respective food item can be grasped by friction and/or form-fit. The manipulator also enables the spatial movement of food items in three mutually perpendicular spatial directions. Preferably, two of the mutually perpendicular spatial directions of the manipulator define a plane of movement that is parallel to a surface of the display. The third spatial direction can be parallel to a surface normal to the display or, for example, in a vertical direction, also