EP0947518A1 - Automatic drinks vending machine - Google Patents
Automatic drinks vending machine Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0947518A1 EP0947518A1 EP98830190A EP98830190A EP0947518A1 EP 0947518 A1 EP0947518 A1 EP 0947518A1 EP 98830190 A EP98830190 A EP 98830190A EP 98830190 A EP98830190 A EP 98830190A EP 0947518 A1 EP0947518 A1 EP 0947518A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- water
- vending machine
- machine according
- drinks vending
- control unit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0057—Carbonators
- B67D1/0069—Details
- B67D1/0074—Automatic carbonation control
- B67D1/0076—Automatic carbonation control by sensing temperature
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0015—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught the beverage being prepared by mixing at least two liquid components
- B67D1/0021—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught the beverage being prepared by mixing at least two liquid components the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
- B67D1/0022—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught the beverage being prepared by mixing at least two liquid components the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed
- B67D1/0023—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught the beverage being prepared by mixing at least two liquid components the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed control of the amount of the mixture, i.e. after mixing
- B67D1/0024—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught the beverage being prepared by mixing at least two liquid components the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed control of the amount of the mixture, i.e. after mixing based on the timed opening of a valve
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0057—Carbonators
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/08—Details
- B67D1/0857—Cooling arrangements
- B67D1/0858—Cooling arrangements using compression systems
- B67D1/0861—Cooling arrangements using compression systems the evaporator acting through an intermediate heat transfer means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/08—Details
- B67D1/12—Flow or pressure control devices or systems, e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
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- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
- G07F13/00—Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs
- G07F13/06—Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof
- G07F13/065—Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof for drink preparation
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/08—Details
- B67D1/0801—Details of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs
- B67D2001/0811—Details of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs provided with coded information
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00002—Purifying means
- B67D2210/00005—Filters
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00002—Purifying means
- B67D2210/00013—Sterilising means
- B67D2210/00015—UV radiation
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
- B67D2210/00047—Piping
- B67D2210/0006—Manifolds
Definitions
- the subject of the present invention is an automatic drinks vending machine.
- a conventional automatic drinks vending machine comprises a refrigerating cabinet inside which there are compartments in which packaged drinks and mineral waters of various types are stacked in an orderly manner, each type in a respective compartment.
- a dispensing mechanism discharges the drink or mineral water selected by the user by means of a suitable push-button after payment of a predetermined charge.
- the drinks supplied are normally packaged in cans or in bottles. There are carousel dispensers in which drinks packaged in cartons can also be loaded. Mineral water is normally packaged in bottles.
- the drinks and mineral waters have to be packaged at suitable production sites from which they are transported to intermediate storage sites and, finally, they are transported to the sites at which the automatic vending machines are located.
- the packaged drinks and mineral waters take up a considerable amount of space and, if there are many users of the vending machine, the operator has to reload the machine frequently.
- the object of the present invention is to prevent the aforementioned problems.
- an automatic drinks vending machine comprising:
- the automatic drinks vending machine generally indicated 10 in Figure 1, comprises a cabinet 11 housing the components of the vending machine.
- a connector 12 for connection to a continuous water supply such as, for example, the water mains.
- a pipe 13 extends from the connector 12 and is connected to the inlet of a first, coarse-filtration filter 14, for example, a metal mesh filter the outlet of which is connected to the intake of a pump 16 by means of a pipe 15.
- the output of the pump 16 is connected by means of a pipe 17 to the inlet of a further, fine-filtration filter 18 which may be a reverse osmosis filter, an activated-carbon filter, or the like, according to the type of water to be treated.
- the outlet of the filter 18 is connected to the inlet of an ultraviolet sterilizer 20 by means of a pipe 19.
- the outlet of the sterilizer 20 is connected to a storage device 22 by means of a pipe 21.
- This device 22 is shown in detail in Figure 2. It comprises two separate cylindrical tanks 23 and 24 arranged coaxially and surrounded by a thermally-insulating casing 25 in which a coil 26 surrounding the two tanks 23 and 24 is incorporated. A coolant liquid flowing in the coil 26 is provided by a refrigeration circuit, of which the compressor 27 and two pipes 28 and 29 connecting the compressor to the inlet end and to the outlet end of the coil 26, respectively, are shown.
- the pipe 21 coming from the sterilizer 20 is connected to an inlet of the tank 23.
- An outlet of the tank 23 is connected by means of a pipe 30 to a T-shaped connector 31 from which a pipe 32 and a pipe 33 extend.
- the pipe 32 is connected to the intake of a pump 34 the output of which is connected to an inlet of the tank 24 by means of a pipe 35, a non-return valve 36 and a pipe 37.
- Another inlet of the tank 24 is connected to a cylinder, indicated 38, containing carbon dioxide; the cylinder 38 is connected to a manometer 39 and also to a pressure switch 40 connected to the tank 24 by means of a pipe 41, a non-return valve 42 and a pipe 43.
- the device 22 is completed by a temperature sensor 44 fitted in the tank 23 and two level sensors, indicated 45.1 and 45.2, respectively, fitted in the tank 24 for detecting minimum and maximum levels:
- the outlet of the tank 23 of the device 22 is connected to one end of a manifold pipe 48 by means of the pipe 33, an on/off solenoid valve 46, and a pipe 47.
- An outlet of the tank 24 of the device 22 is also connected to the aforesaid end of the manifold pipe 48 by means of a pipe 49, an on/off solenoid valve 50, and a pipe 51.
- a series of bottles 52 each containing a respective liquid substance to be combined with the water to produce a particular drink is also connected to this manifold pipe 48.
- the bottles 52 are mounted on a support structure 53 above the manifold pipe 48 with their mouths facing downwardly.
- Each bottle 52 is connected to the manifold pipe 48 by means of a respective pipe 54 extending from the mouth of the bottle, a respective on/off solenoid valve 55, and a respective pipe 56 which is connected to the manifold pipe at a point between the two end portions of the manifold.
- the base of each bottle 52 has a transponder 57; above the bottles 52 there is a bracket 58 which includes a series of antennas 59 each mounted in the vicinity of a respective transponder 57.
- the support structure 53 comprises a lower horizontal shelf 60, an upper horizontal shelf 61, and a vertical rear wall 62 which connects the two above-mentioned shelves.
- a hole 63 with a diameter slightly larger than the neck of a bottle is formed in the lower shelf 60, and a hole 64 with a diameter slightly larger than the body of the bottle is correspondingly formed in the upper shelf 61; the bottle is housed in the two holes 63 and 64 with the neck of the bottle extending through the hole 63, the shoulders of the bottle bearing against the portion of the shelf 60 around the hole 63, and the body of the bottle fitted in the hole 64.
- Passageways extend from the holes 63 and 64 and open outwardly in the front edges of the surfaces 60 and 61.
- the support structure 53 is hinged on two shoulders 67 so that it can pivot about an axis X between the operative position described and a forwardly inclined position.
- a nut-and-bolt coupling 68 provided on each shoulder 67 connects the shoulder to the support structure and slides in a slot 69 so that the support structure 53 can be locked in the operative position or released in order to be inclined forwardly.
- Each pipe 54 is connected to the respective bottle 52 by means of a needle 70 inserted in a membrane 71 closing the bottle; the pipe 54 is connected to the respective solenoid valve 55 by means of a quick coupling, not shown.
- the bracket 58 is constituted by an upper plate 72 of insulating material and by a lower base 73 of plastics material.
- the antennas 59 are fixed to the lower face of the plate 72 and the connections to the antennas 59, all of which are united in a single connector element 74 at the side of the bracket, are applied to the lower face of the plate 72 by the printed-circuit technique.
- the base 73 has a series of through-holes 75 each of which houses a respective antenna 59.
- a pipe 76 extends from the opposite end of the manifold pipe 48 to the end to which the pipes 47 and 51 are connected and terminates in a compartment 77 into which cups are supplied one at a time, in known manner.
- the cup supplied, indicated A, is disposed adjacent the outlet of the pipe 76.
- the vending machine 10 has a control unit 78 connected to the pumps 16 and 34, to the filter 18, to the sterilizer 20, to the compressor 27, to the sensors 44, 45.1 and 45.2, to the solenoid valves 46, 50 and 55, and to the antennas 59, by means of the connector element 74.
- a temperature sensor 79 located in the lower portion of the vending machine and connected to the control unit 78 for detecting the temperature outside the vending machine.
- the unit 78 thus controls the operation of the vending machine 10.
- the unit 78 is also connected to a series of control push-buttons 80 disposed on the outside of the cabinet 11.
- the automatic vending machine 10 described operates as follows.
- the tank 23 is full of water and the tank 24 is full of carbonated water.
- the control unit 78 operates the pump 16 which draws mains water through the connector 12 and sends it to the tank 23 of the device 22 through the pipes 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21; during this operation, the water passes through the filters 14, 18 and through the sterilizer 20 so as to be filtered and sterilized. The water thus purified accumulates in the tank 23.
- the control unit 78 also operates the pump 34 which draws purified water from the tank 23 and admits it to the tank 24 through the pipes 32, 35 and 37; carbon dioxide flows from the cylinder 38 to the tank 24 so that carbonated water is formed in the tank 24.
- the non-return valve 36 prevents carbonated water from flowing back from the tank 24 to the tank 23 and the non-return valve 42 prevents carbon dioxide from flowing back from the tank 24 to the cylinder 38.
- the compressor 27 is also activated so as to activate the refrigeration circuit and to cause coolant liquid to flow in the coil 26, cooling the tanks 23 and 24.
- the control unit 78 keeps the tanks 23 and 24, and hence the water, at a predetermined temperature dependent on the outside temperature, by means of the temperature sensors 44 and 79, and maintains a predetermined level of water in the two interconnected tanks, by means of the level sensors 45.1 and 45.2.
- the charge state of the cylinder 38 can be monitored by means of the manometer 39.
- the pressure switch 40 maintains a predetermined carbon-dioxide pressure in the tank 24.
- the control unit 78 opens the solenoid valve 46, if a non-carbonated drink is required, or the solenoid valve 50, if a carbonated drink is required, until a predetermined quantity of water has passed, and also opens, for a predetermined time, the solenoid valve 55 connected to to the bottle 52 which contains the liquid substance to be combined with the water to produce the selected drink.
- the solenoid valve 55 is closed before the solenoid valve 46 or the solenoid valve 50 is opened.
- the water which flows into the manifold pipe 48 thus also rises into the pipe 56 taking with it the residual liquid substance contained therein and thus washing the pipe; the water cannot at the same time rise towards the bottle 52 through the pipe 54 since the solenoid valve 55 is closed.
- the pipe 56 which in this case is indicated 56.1, may be connected so as to be inclined in the direction of the water-flow, relative to the axis of the manifold pipe 48; a vacuum is thus created in the pipe 56.1 enabling all of the liquid substance contained in this pipe 56.1 to be drawn in, so as to clean it.
- the liquid substances contained in the bottles 52 may be aromatic essences, mineral salts dissolved in water, tonics, etc.
- the vending machine can also supply solely non-carbonated or carbonated water by the opening of the solenoid valve 46 or the solenoid valve 50 with the solenoid valves 55 kept closed.
- the automatic vending machine 10 described and illustrated solves all of the problems of the known vending machines described in the introduction.
- the drink or mineral water obtained from the vending machine 10 is fresh since it is produced on the spot. If mineral salts are added, the water has the characteristics of artificial mineral water.
- vending machine 10 has further advantages.
- the bottles 52 are easy to replace. With reference to Figure 4, for this operation, it is necessary to loosen the couplings 68, to incline the support structure 53 forwards, to extract the bottles 52 from the holes 63 and 64 by removing the pipes 54 through the passageways 65 and 66, to disconnect the pipes 54 from the bottles and then to proceed in reverse in order to load the new bottles.
- the connection of the pipe 54 to the bottle 52 by means of the needle 70 which perforates the membrane 71 makes the operation even easier.
- the pipe 54 can be replaced upon each loading operation.
- the control unit 78 converses with the transponder 57 of each bottle 52, sending interrogation signals to the transponder and receiving response signals therefrom by means of the antenna 59. This provides various useful items of data regarding the bottle. First of all, the control unit 78 recognizes, by checking a suitable code contained in the transponder, if it is an original bottle and if not, for example, locks the vending machine. Moreover, the control unit 78 picks up data relating to the type of liquid substance contained in the bottle in order to supply it when requested, data relating to the capacity of the bottle in order to indicate when the bottle is empty on the basis of consumption, data relating to the use-by date, in order to indicate that the bottle should be replaced, etc.
- the water may be purified by other devices arranged differently from those illustrated.
- the storage device may also be constructed differently from that shown. Amongst other things, two separate storage tanks may be considered, instead of a single device. The system for adding carbon dioxide to the water may differ from that shown.
- the structure for supporting the bottles may also vary both structurally and functionally, provided that it permits convenient loading of the bottles.
- Another type of container with a quick coupling may be used instead of the bottles with quick coupling of the pipe by means of a needle.
- Water may also be drawn from other external supplies such as large tanks, wells, etc., instead of from the water mains.
Abstract
Description
- The subject of the present invention is an automatic drinks vending machine.
- As is well known, a conventional automatic drinks vending machine comprises a refrigerating cabinet inside which there are compartments in which packaged drinks and mineral waters of various types are stacked in an orderly manner, each type in a respective compartment. A dispensing mechanism discharges the drink or mineral water selected by the user by means of a suitable push-button after payment of a predetermined charge.
- The drinks supplied are normally packaged in cans or in bottles. There are carousel dispensers in which drinks packaged in cartons can also be loaded. Mineral water is normally packaged in bottles.
- Although these automatic drinks vending machines are widespread, they are not free of problems.
- First of all, the drinks and mineral waters have to be packaged at suitable production sites from which they are transported to intermediate storage sites and, finally, they are transported to the sites at which the automatic vending machines are located. This involves packaging and transportation costs which are a considerable burden on the final cost of the drink or mineral water.
- Moreover, the operation of loading the drinks and mineral waters into the vending machines takes a certain amount of time, given the large number of items to be loaded.
- Moreover, the packaged drinks and mineral waters take up a considerable amount of space and, if there are many users of the vending machine, the operator has to reload the machine frequently.
- It should be added that the drinks and mineral waters which are in least demand remain in the vending machine for a long time without checks and thus inevitably lose their freshness.
- The object of the present invention is to prevent the aforementioned problems.
- This object is achieved by means of an automatic drinks vending machine comprising:
- means for drawing water from an external water supply,
- means for purifying the water drawn,
- one or more containers containing consumable liquid substances to be mixed with the water,
- means for conveying the water drawn and purified and the liquid substances held in the containers towards a drink-dispensing outlet in a controlled manner,
- an electronic control unit which is connected to the drawing and conveying means and which, upon an external command, arranges for the supply of purified water and one or more liquid substances so as to provide a drink constituted by a mixture of purified water and one or more liquid substances.
- For a better understanding, an embodiment of the invention is described by way of example below and shown in the appended drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a schematic view of an automatic drinks vending machine according to the invention,
- Figure 2 shows a component of the vending machine of Figure 1 in longitudinal section, and on an enlarged scale,
- Figure 3 shows a detail of the vending machine of Figure 1,
- Figure 4 shows the detail of Figure 3 during the reloading of the vending machine,
- Figure 5 shows another detail of the vending machine of Figure 1, in section and on an enlarged scale,
- Figure 6 shows a variant relating to the detail of Figure 5.
-
- The automatic drinks vending machine, generally indicated 10 in Figure 1, comprises a
cabinet 11 housing the components of the vending machine. - On the outside of the
cabinet 11 there is a connector 12 for connection to a continuous water supply such as, for example, the water mains. - All of the elements described below are inside the
cabinet 11. - A pipe 13 extends from the connector 12 and is connected to the inlet of a first, coarse-
filtration filter 14, for example, a metal mesh filter the outlet of which is connected to the intake of apump 16 by means of apipe 15. The output of thepump 16 is connected by means of apipe 17 to the inlet of a further, fine-filtration filter 18 which may be a reverse osmosis filter, an activated-carbon filter, or the like, according to the type of water to be treated. The outlet of thefilter 18 is connected to the inlet of anultraviolet sterilizer 20 by means of apipe 19. The outlet of thesterilizer 20 is connected to astorage device 22 by means of apipe 21. - This
device 22 is shown in detail in Figure 2. It comprises two separatecylindrical tanks casing 25 in which acoil 26 surrounding the twotanks coil 26 is provided by a refrigeration circuit, of which thecompressor 27 and twopipes coil 26, respectively, are shown. Thepipe 21 coming from thesterilizer 20 is connected to an inlet of thetank 23. An outlet of thetank 23 is connected by means of apipe 30 to a T-shaped connector 31 from which apipe 32 and apipe 33 extend. Thepipe 32 is connected to the intake of apump 34 the output of which is connected to an inlet of thetank 24 by means of apipe 35, anon-return valve 36 and apipe 37. Another inlet of thetank 24 is connected to a cylinder, indicated 38, containing carbon dioxide; thecylinder 38 is connected to amanometer 39 and also to apressure switch 40 connected to thetank 24 by means of apipe 41, anon-return valve 42 and apipe 43. Thedevice 22 is completed by atemperature sensor 44 fitted in thetank 23 and two level sensors, indicated 45.1 and 45.2, respectively, fitted in thetank 24 for detecting minimum and maximum levels: - With reference to Figure 1, the outlet of the
tank 23 of thedevice 22 is connected to one end of amanifold pipe 48 by means of thepipe 33, an on/offsolenoid valve 46, and apipe 47. An outlet of thetank 24 of thedevice 22 is also connected to the aforesaid end of themanifold pipe 48 by means of apipe 49, an on/offsolenoid valve 50, and apipe 51. - A series of
bottles 52 each containing a respective liquid substance to be combined with the water to produce a particular drink is also connected to thismanifold pipe 48. Thebottles 52 are mounted on asupport structure 53 above themanifold pipe 48 with their mouths facing downwardly. Eachbottle 52 is connected to themanifold pipe 48 by means of arespective pipe 54 extending from the mouth of the bottle, a respective on/offsolenoid valve 55, and arespective pipe 56 which is connected to the manifold pipe at a point between the two end portions of the manifold. The base of eachbottle 52 has atransponder 57; above thebottles 52 there is abracket 58 which includes a series ofantennas 59 each mounted in the vicinity of arespective transponder 57. - With reference to both Figure 1 and Figure 3, the
support structure 53 comprises a lowerhorizontal shelf 60, an upperhorizontal shelf 61, and a verticalrear wall 62 which connects the two above-mentioned shelves. For eachbottle 52, ahole 63 with a diameter slightly larger than the neck of a bottle is formed in thelower shelf 60, and ahole 64 with a diameter slightly larger than the body of the bottle is correspondingly formed in theupper shelf 61; the bottle is housed in the twoholes hole 63, the shoulders of the bottle bearing against the portion of theshelf 60 around thehole 63, and the body of the bottle fitted in thehole 64. Passageways, indicated 65 and 66, respectively, extend from theholes surfaces support structure 53 is hinged on twoshoulders 67 so that it can pivot about an axis X between the operative position described and a forwardly inclined position. A nut-and-bolt coupling 68 provided on eachshoulder 67 connects the shoulder to the support structure and slides in aslot 69 so that thesupport structure 53 can be locked in the operative position or released in order to be inclined forwardly. Eachpipe 54 is connected to therespective bottle 52 by means of aneedle 70 inserted in amembrane 71 closing the bottle; thepipe 54 is connected to therespective solenoid valve 55 by means of a quick coupling, not shown. - With particular reference to Figure 3, the
bracket 58 is constituted by anupper plate 72 of insulating material and by alower base 73 of plastics material. Theantennas 59 are fixed to the lower face of theplate 72 and the connections to theantennas 59, all of which are united in asingle connector element 74 at the side of the bracket, are applied to the lower face of theplate 72 by the printed-circuit technique. Thebase 73 has a series of through-holes 75 each of which houses arespective antenna 59. - As shown in Figure 1, a
pipe 76 extends from the opposite end of themanifold pipe 48 to the end to which thepipes compartment 77 into which cups are supplied one at a time, in known manner. The cup supplied, indicated A, is disposed adjacent the outlet of thepipe 76. - The
vending machine 10 has acontrol unit 78 connected to thepumps filter 18, to thesterilizer 20, to thecompressor 27, to thesensors 44, 45.1 and 45.2, to thesolenoid valves antennas 59, by means of theconnector element 74. There is also atemperature sensor 79 located in the lower portion of the vending machine and connected to thecontrol unit 78 for detecting the temperature outside the vending machine. Theunit 78 thus controls the operation of thevending machine 10. Theunit 78 is also connected to a series of control push-buttons 80 disposed on the outside of thecabinet 11. - The
automatic vending machine 10 described operates as follows. - In the operating condition, the
tank 23 is full of water and thetank 24 is full of carbonated water. In order to bring the vending machine to the operating condition, thecontrol unit 78 operates thepump 16 which draws mains water through the connector 12 and sends it to thetank 23 of thedevice 22 through thepipes filters sterilizer 20 so as to be filtered and sterilized. The water thus purified accumulates in thetank 23. Thecontrol unit 78 also operates thepump 34 which draws purified water from thetank 23 and admits it to thetank 24 through thepipes cylinder 38 to thetank 24 so that carbonated water is formed in thetank 24. Thenon-return valve 36 prevents carbonated water from flowing back from thetank 24 to thetank 23 and thenon-return valve 42 prevents carbon dioxide from flowing back from thetank 24 to thecylinder 38. Thecompressor 27 is also activated so as to activate the refrigeration circuit and to cause coolant liquid to flow in thecoil 26, cooling thetanks control unit 78 keeps thetanks temperature sensors cylinder 38 can be monitored by means of themanometer 39. Thepressure switch 40, on the other hand, maintains a predetermined carbon-dioxide pressure in thetank 24. - When the vending machine is in operation, if one of the push-
buttons 80 is pressed, thecontrol unit 78 opens thesolenoid valve 46, if a non-carbonated drink is required, or thesolenoid valve 50, if a carbonated drink is required, until a predetermined quantity of water has passed, and also opens, for a predetermined time, thesolenoid valve 55 connected to to thebottle 52 which contains the liquid substance to be combined with the water to produce the selected drink. If a non-carbonated drink has been selected and thesolenoid valve 46 is therefore opened, a certain quantity of water enters themanifold pipe 48 through thepipe 47 and a certain quantity of liquid substance, depending on the time for which thesolenoid valve 55 is open, falls by gravity from the correspondingbottle 52 through thepipes manifold pipe 48 and is mixed with the water. The mixture of water and the liquid substance is then conveyed by thepipe 76 into the cup A previously supplied into thecompartment 77. A drink ready to drink from the cup A is thus produced. If a carbonated drink has been selected and thesolenoid valve 50 is therefore opened, carbonated water flows into themanifold pipe 48 from thetank 24 through thepipes bottle 52 as in the previous case and a carbonated drink is thus supplied in the cup A. - To prevent a liquid substance not relating to the selected drink from being mixed with the water during a subsequent drink selection, the
solenoid valve 55 is closed before thesolenoid valve 46 or thesolenoid valve 50 is opened. As shown in Figure 5, the water which flows into themanifold pipe 48 thus also rises into thepipe 56 taking with it the residual liquid substance contained therein and thus washing the pipe; the water cannot at the same time rise towards thebottle 52 through thepipe 54 since thesolenoid valve 55 is closed. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 6, thepipe 56, which in this case is indicated 56.1, may be connected so as to be inclined in the direction of the water-flow, relative to the axis of themanifold pipe 48; a vacuum is thus created in the pipe 56.1 enabling all of the liquid substance contained in this pipe 56.1 to be drawn in, so as to clean it. - The liquid substances contained in the
bottles 52 may be aromatic essences, mineral salts dissolved in water, tonics, etc. - Several liquid substances may also be mixed with the water to produce a particular drink simply by the simultaneous opening of the
respective solenoid valves 55. - Naturally, the vending machine can also supply solely non-carbonated or carbonated water by the opening of the
solenoid valve 46 or thesolenoid valve 50 with thesolenoid valves 55 kept closed. - The
automatic vending machine 10 described and illustrated solves all of the problems of the known vending machines described in the introduction. - There is no need to transport and store drinks or water since they are not packaged beforehand but are produced on the spot.
- Loading involves only the bottles which, however, do not have to be replaced frequently since they contain concentrated liquid substances which are used in very small measures for each drink.
- Since there are no packaged drinks or mineral waters in the vending machine 10 a large space is not required for housing them therein. Space is required for the bottles but, as stated above, these have a high output in comparison with the space which they occupy.
- The drink or mineral water obtained from the
vending machine 10 is fresh since it is produced on the spot. If mineral salts are added, the water has the characteristics of artificial mineral water. - Moreover, the
vending machine 10 has further advantages. - The
bottles 52 are easy to replace. With reference to Figure 4, for this operation, it is necessary to loosen thecouplings 68, to incline thesupport structure 53 forwards, to extract thebottles 52 from theholes pipes 54 through thepassageways pipes 54 from the bottles and then to proceed in reverse in order to load the new bottles. The connection of thepipe 54 to thebottle 52 by means of theneedle 70 which perforates themembrane 71 makes the operation even easier. Thepipe 54 can be replaced upon each loading operation. - The
control unit 78 converses with thetransponder 57 of eachbottle 52, sending interrogation signals to the transponder and receiving response signals therefrom by means of theantenna 59. This provides various useful items of data regarding the bottle. First of all, thecontrol unit 78 recognizes, by checking a suitable code contained in the transponder, if it is an original bottle and if not, for example, locks the vending machine. Moreover, thecontrol unit 78 picks up data relating to the type of liquid substance contained in the bottle in order to supply it when requested, data relating to the capacity of the bottle in order to indicate when the bottle is empty on the basis of consumption, data relating to the use-by date, in order to indicate that the bottle should be replaced, etc. - Naturally, variants and/or additions to the above-described embodiment are possible.
- The water may be purified by other devices arranged differently from those illustrated.
- The storage device may also be constructed differently from that shown. Amongst other things, two separate storage tanks may be considered, instead of a single device. The system for adding carbon dioxide to the water may differ from that shown.
- The structure for supporting the bottles may also vary both structurally and functionally, provided that it permits convenient loading of the bottles.
- Another type of container with a quick coupling may be used instead of the bottles with quick coupling of the pipe by means of a needle.
- Moreover, instead of the manifold pipe, separate pipes may be used for the non-carbonated water, for the carbonated water and for the liquid substances, all of the pipes converging towards the cup where the mixing of the water with the liquid substances takes place.
- It should, however, be stressed that, as stated above, the vending machine described and illustrated has been found advantageous with regard to the particular solutions adopted, as well as with regard to the general solution.
- Water may also be drawn from other external supplies such as large tanks, wells, etc., instead of from the water mains.
Claims (15)
- An automatic drinks vending machine (10) comprising:means (12, 16) for drawing water from an external water supply,means (15, 18, 20) for purifying the water drawn,one or more containers (52) containing consumable liquid substances to be mixed with the water,means (46, 48, 50, 55, 76) for conveying the water drawn and purified and the liquid substances held in the containers (52) towards a drink dispensing outlet (77) in a controlled manner,an electronic control unit (78) which is connected to the drawing means (12, 16) and the conveying means (46, 48, 50, 55, 76) and which, upon an external command, arranges for the supply of the purified water and of one or more liquid substances so as to provide a drink constituted by a mixture of purified water and one or more liquid substances.
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 1, in which the means for drawing water comprise a connector (12) for connection to the external supply and a pump (16) connected to the control unit (78) for drawing the water through the connector (12).
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the means for purifying the water drawn comprise at least one filter (14; 18) and one sterilizer (20).
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 3, in which there is a filter (14) for coarse filtration of the water and a filter (18) for fine filtration of the water.
- A drinks vending machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which a purified-water storage tank (23), filled and cooled in a manner controlled by the control unit (78), is interposed between the purifying means (14, 18, 20) and the conveying means (46, 48, 50, 55, 76).
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 5, in which a further purified-water storage tank (24), filled and cooled in a manner controlled by the control unit (78), is interposed between the purification means (14, 18, 20) and the conveying means (46, 48, 50, 55, 76) and is supplied, in controlled manner, with carbon dioxide coming from a container (38) in order to carbonate the water.
- A drinks vending machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the conveying means comprise a manifold (48) communicating with the outlet of the vending machine, first valve means (46, 50) which allow water to flow into the manifold (48) under the control of the control unit (78), and second valve means (55) which allow one or more liquid substances to flow from the respective bottles (52) into the manifold (48) upon command by the control unit (78) so that the mixture of purified water and of one or more liquid substances is formed in the manifold (48).
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 7 when it is dependent on Claim 6, in which the first valve means (46, 50) allow non-carbonated water or carbonated water to flow into the manifold (48) from the respective tanks (23, 24).
- A drinks vending machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the liquid substances are supplied from the respective bottles (52) to the conveying means by gravity.
- A drinks vending machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each bottle (52) is connected to the conveying means by a respective pipe (54) which is engaged in the bottle by means of a needle (70) which pierces a membrane (71) sealing the bottle (52).
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which, during the dispensing operation, the second valve means (55) are closed before the first valve means (46, 50) are opened.
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 9 when it is dependent on Claim 7 or Claim 8, in which each bottle (52) is connected to the manifold (48) by means of a respective pipe (56.1) which is connected so as to be inclined in the direction of the flow of water in the manifold (48), relative to an axis of the water-flow.
- A drinks vending machine according to any one of the preceding claims, in which each bottle (52) is replaceable and comprises bottle-identification means (57) which can be read by the control unit (78).
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 13, in which the identification means comprise a transponder (57) fixed to the bottle (52) and communicating with the control unit (78) by means of an antenna (59) disposed in the vicinity of the transponder (57).
- A drinks vending machine according to Claim 5 or Claim 6, in which there are sensor means (44) for detecting the temperature of the tank (23) or of the tanks (23, 24) containing water and further sensor means (79) for detecting the temperature outside the vending machine, the control unit (78) being connected to the sensor means (44, 79) in order to keep the tank (23) or the tanks (23, 24) at a predetermined temperature dependent on the temperature outside the vending machine.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP98830190A EP0947518A1 (en) | 1998-03-31 | 1998-03-31 | Automatic drinks vending machine |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP98830190A EP0947518A1 (en) | 1998-03-31 | 1998-03-31 | Automatic drinks vending machine |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0947518A1 true EP0947518A1 (en) | 1999-10-06 |
Family
ID=8236598
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP98830190A Withdrawn EP0947518A1 (en) | 1998-03-31 | 1998-03-31 | Automatic drinks vending machine |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0947518A1 (en) |
Cited By (12)
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US6375043B1 (en) | 2000-09-20 | 2002-04-23 | Leblanc Patrick T. | Drink machine |
EP1489042A1 (en) * | 2003-06-19 | 2004-12-22 | Whitlenge Drink Equipment Limited | Beverage dispensing system with automatic identificator of ingredient containers |
NL1029124C2 (en) * | 2005-05-25 | 2006-11-28 | Friesland Brands Bv | Dispenser system with gas injection. |
EP1838410A1 (en) * | 2004-11-21 | 2007-10-03 | David Mitchell Windmiller | Bottom fillable bottles and systems for charging the same |
US7318893B2 (en) | 2001-12-12 | 2008-01-15 | Sara Lee/De N.V. | Apparatus for offering and dispensing mineral water suitable for consumption |
WO2009106959A1 (en) * | 2008-02-28 | 2009-09-03 | N & W Global Vending S.P.A. | Beverage vending machine |
DE202009012335U1 (en) | 2009-09-10 | 2011-01-20 | Fischer, Rouven | Controlled dispensing system |
ITRE20090113A1 (en) * | 2009-11-26 | 2011-05-27 | Tech S R L A | PLANT FOR THE DELIVERY OF COLD AND / OR GAS DRINKING WATER |
WO2012032543A1 (en) * | 2010-09-07 | 2012-03-15 | M Haridas | Automated purified drinking water vending machine with container dispenser |
US9090447B2 (en) | 2000-06-08 | 2015-07-28 | Beverage Works, Inc. | Appliance having a user interface panel and a beverage dispenser |
EP3000777A1 (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2016-03-30 | Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A. | Beverage dispensing device with mixing chamber and cooling functionality |
CN110139720A (en) * | 2016-12-29 | 2019-08-16 | 涤康7号系统有限公司 | System for mixing and distributing fluid |
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US9090447B2 (en) | 2000-06-08 | 2015-07-28 | Beverage Works, Inc. | Appliance having a user interface panel and a beverage dispenser |
US9090448B2 (en) | 2000-06-08 | 2015-07-28 | Beverage Works, Inc. | Appliance having a user interface panel and a beverage dispenser |
US9090449B2 (en) | 2000-06-08 | 2015-07-28 | Beverage Works, Inc. | Appliance having a user interface panel and a beverage dispenser |
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EP1838410A4 (en) * | 2004-11-21 | 2011-08-03 | David Mitchell Windmiller | Bottom fillable bottles and systems for charging the same |
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DE202009012335U1 (en) | 2009-09-10 | 2011-01-20 | Fischer, Rouven | Controlled dispensing system |
ITRE20090113A1 (en) * | 2009-11-26 | 2011-05-27 | Tech S R L A | PLANT FOR THE DELIVERY OF COLD AND / OR GAS DRINKING WATER |
WO2012032543A1 (en) * | 2010-09-07 | 2012-03-15 | M Haridas | Automated purified drinking water vending machine with container dispenser |
EP3000777A1 (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2016-03-30 | Anheuser-Busch InBev S.A. | Beverage dispensing device with mixing chamber and cooling functionality |
WO2016046373A3 (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2016-05-19 | Anheuser-Busch Inbev S.A. | Beverage dispensing device with mixing chamber and cooling functionality |
CN106715323A (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2017-05-24 | 安海斯-布希英博股份有限公司 | Beverage dispensing device with mixing chamber and cooling functionality |
US20170240411A1 (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2017-08-24 | Anheuser-Busch Inbev S.A. | Beverage Dispensing Device with Mixing Chamber and Cooling Functionality |
RU2695826C2 (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2019-07-29 | Анхойзер-Буш Инбев С.А. | Beverage dispensing device with mixing chamber and cooling function |
AU2015323752B2 (en) * | 2014-09-26 | 2020-07-02 | Anheuser-Busch Inbev S.A. | Beverage dispensing device with mixing chamber and cooling functionality |
US10717637B2 (en) | 2014-09-26 | 2020-07-21 | Anheuser-Busch Inbev S.A. | Beverage dispensing device with mixing chamber and cooling functionality |
CN110139720A (en) * | 2016-12-29 | 2019-08-16 | 涤康7号系统有限公司 | System for mixing and distributing fluid |
CN110139720B (en) * | 2016-12-29 | 2020-08-11 | 涤康7号系统有限公司 | System for mixing and dispensing fluids |
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