Method and apparatus for storing articles for use with an article handling device

• US 7,063,232 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Issued: 06/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Munroe Chirnomas
• Original Assignee: Munroe Chirnomas
• Inventors: Chirnomas, Munroe
• Primary Examiner(s): Walsh, Donald P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): KOHNER, MATTHEW J
• Application Number:
  US10/215,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20040026441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 221/92, 221/95, 221/123, 221/221
• US Class Current: 221/92
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/14 with means for raising the stack of articles to permit delivery of the topmost

Abstract

An article storage container, comprising a bin for storing in an a columnar manner, articles to be dispensed from a dispensing end of the bin. A plurality of article supporting intrusions positioned in a spaced manner along at least a portion of the length of the bin function to provide load bearing support for articles stored in the bin.

Sectional bins, bin sleeves and macro bins are also disclosed for facilitating rapid, accurate and efficient loading of articles into an article dispenser.

Claims

1. An article storage container, comprising

a bin for storing in an a columnar manner, articles to be dispensed from a dispensing end of the bin, and

at least one article supporting intrusion positioned inside the bin, and when a plurality of articles are stored in the bin and said bin is vertically positioned so that the longitudinal axis of the bin is substantially parallel to gravity, the dispensing end of the bin is oriented such that movement of the article for dispensing is in a direction opposed to gravity, and said intrusion functioning to provide load bearing support for the weight of the articles.

2. The article storage container of claim 1, including a plurality of said article supporting intrusions positioned in a spread manner along at least a portion of the length of the bin.

3. The article storage container of claim 2, wherein said article supporting intrusions comprise flexible tabs.

4. The article storage container of claim 2, wherein said flexible tabs are positioned in opposed pairs so as to intrude into the interior space of the bin from opposed walls of the bin.

5. The article storage container of claim 3, wherein said flexible tabs are formed integrally with the sidewalls of the bin.

6. The article storage container of claim 3, wherein said tabs have a resistance to movement in the dispensing direction which is less than its resistance to movement in a direction which is opposite to the dispensing direction.

7. The article storage container of claim 3, wherein said flexible tabs are part of an article support having a base secured to an outside wall of said bin, and having tab portions which extend through slots formed in the sides of the bins.

8. The article storage container of claim 2, wherein said bin has a generally rectangular cross-section, and said article supporting intrusions comprise a portion of a corner of each bin, bent inward so as to intrude into the interior thereof and function as a support for said articles.

9. An article retrieving apparatus, comprising:

a storage area for storing articles along at least one longitudinal axis in a storage bin;

an article extracting device including an end for selectively extracting an article from the storage bin; and

a drive mechanism coupled to the article extracting device for moving the end thereof in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis in the storage bin,

wherein said bin comprises;

an elongated columnar enclosure having a cross-sectional shape adapted to surround the shape of articles intended to be stored therein, and a dispensing end of the enclosure providing access to the interior of said bin for extraction of said articles in a direction which is opposed to gravity; and

at least one article supporting intrusion positioned inside the bin, said intrusion functioning to provide load bearing support for articles, when a plurality of articles are stored in the bin.

10. A vending machine for dispensing articles, comprising:

a housing for forming exterior sides, enclosing an interior volume, and forming an article delivery port for the article dispensing apparatus;

said interior volume including,

a storage volume including at least one storage bin for storing articles to be dispensed in an a columnar manner,

an article dispensing device for selectively extracting articles from the storage bin and providing them to said delivery port, and

control apparatus for controlling said article dispensing device so as to move a selected article from a bin in said storage volume to the dispensing port,

wherein said bin comprises;

an elongated columnar enclosure having a cross-sectional shape adapted to surround the shape of articles intended to be stored therein, and a dispensing end for providing access to the interior of said bin;

at least one article supporting intrusion positioned inside the bin, said intrusion having a resistance to movement in a direction in the bin toward the dispensing end which is less than their resistance to movement in a direction which is opposite to the dispensing end, the difference in resistance to movement being such that said intrusion functions to provide load bearing support for articles, when a plurality of articles are stored in the bin, yet not hinder their removal during dispensing from the bin.

11. An article dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a housing for forming exterior sides, enclosing an interior volume, and forming an article delivery port for the article dispensing apparatus;

said interior volume including,

a storage volume including at least one storage bin for storing articles to be dispensed in an a columnar manner,

an article dispensing device being controlled so as to selectively enter a dispensing end of the storage bin to extract a selected article therefrom by contacting the article and then moving the article against the effects of gravity until it is extracted from the dispensing end of the bin, and thereafter provide the article to said delivery port, and

control apparatus for controlling said article dispensing device so as to move the selected article from inside a storage bin in said storage volume to the dispensing port,

wherein said bin comprises;

an elongated columnar enclosure having a cross-sectional shape corresponding approximately to the shape of articles intended to be stored therein, and an open dispensing end for providing access to the interior of said bin;

at least one article supporting intrusion positioned inside the bin, and when said bin is vertically positioned so that the longitudinal axis of the bin is substantially parallel to gravity, and said intrusion functioning to provide load bearing support for articles stored in the bin.

12. An article storage container, comprising

a bin for storing in an a columnar manner, articles to be dispensed from a dispensing end of the bin, and

a plurality of article supporting intrusions positioned in a spaced manner along at least a portion of the length of the bin, said intrusions having a resistance to movement in a direction in the bin toward the dispensing end which is less than their resistance to movement in a direction which is opposite to the dispensing end, the difference in resistance to movement being such that said intrusions function to provide load bearing support for articles, when a plurality of articles are stored in the bin, yet not hinder their removal during dispensing from the bin.

13. An article storage container, comprising

a bin for storing in an a columnar manner, an article to be dispensed from a dispensing

end of the bin, said article being dispensed from inside the bin by passing the dispensing end in a direction substantially opposed to gravity, and

a hinged article support coupled to the bin, said hinged article support having first and second orientations, said first orientation of said support functioning so as to provide load bearing relief for said article, and said second orientation of said support functioning so as to provide no load bearing relief for said article.

14. The article storage container of claim 13, wherein said hinged article support comprises a substantially rigid (1022) plate coupled in a hinged manner to a sidewall of said bin, said plate being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bin when said plate is in said first orientation, and said plate being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bin when said plate is in said second orientation.

15. The article storage container of claim 14, wherein when said plate is in said second orientation, an article in the bin positioned below the plate can pass the plate in an unobstructed manner in a direction toward the dispensing end.

16. The article storage container of claim 13, wherein said bin includes a blockage device for supporting a portion of said plate which is remote from its hinged coupling to the sidewall of the bin, when said plate is in said second position.

17. The article storage container of claim 16, wherein said plate is rectangular, and has a length in at least one of its axes which substantially spans opposed sidewalls in the interior of the bin when said plate is in said first position.

18. The article storage container of claim 13, wherein said bin comprises;

a plurality of bin segments, each bin segment comprising a pre-packaged group of at least one article to be positioned in an aligned manner with at least one other bin segment, so as to form at least one article storage column having an end corresponding to said dispensing end; and

each bin segment having at least one hinged article support positioned towards an end of the bin segment which is opposed to the dispensing end.

19. The article storage container of claim 18, wherein said hinged article support comprises a substantially rigid plate (1022), said plate being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the bin when said plate is in said first orientation, and said plate being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the bin when said plate is in said second orientation.

20. An article dispensing apparatus, comprising:

a storage area for storing articles along at least one longitudinal axis in an article storage bin;

an article extracting device including an end for selectively extracting an article from a dispensing end of the article storage bin; and

a drive mechanism coupled to the article extracting device for moving the end thereof into and then out of the dispensing end of the article storage bin and in a direction aligned with the longitudinal axis in the article storage bin, in order to extract a selected article from inside the article storage bin;

wherein said article storage bin comprises;

a bin for storing in an a columnar manner, at least two articles to be dispensed from a dispensing end of the article storage bin, said articles being dispensed from inside the article storage bin by passing the dispensing end in a direction opposed to gravity as a result of operation of said article extracting device, and

a hinged article support coupled to the bin at a position so that at least one of said articles is positioned below said article support and one of said articles is positioned above said article support,

said hinged article support being moveable between first and second endpoints of hinged movement, the orientation of said article support when at said first endpoint of hinged movement causing said hinged article support to obstruct the inside of said bin and provide load bearing support for said article which is positioned above said hinged article support, and the orientation of said article support when at said second endpoint of hinged movement causing said hinged article support to not obstruct the inside of said bin and thereby allow said article which is positioned below said hinged article support to pass thereby when being moved by said article extracting device toward the dispensing end of the bin,

wherein said hinged article support is urged to move from said first to said second endpoint of hinged movement as a result of movement of said article extracting device.

21. The article storage bin of claim 20, wherein said hinged article support comprises a substantially rigid plate said plate being substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the article storage bin when said plate is at said first endpoint of hinged movement, and said plate being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the article storage bin when said plate is at said second endpoint of hinged movement.

22. The article storage bin of claim 20, wherein said article storage bin comprises;

a plurality of article storage bin segments, each article storage bin segment comprising a pre-packaged group of articles to be positioned in an aligned manner with at least one other article storage bin segment, so as to form at least one article storage column having an end corresponding to said dispensing end;

each article storage bin segment having at least one hinged article support positioned towards an end of the article storage bin segment which is opposed to the dispensing end.

23. The article storage container of claim 22, wherein said hinged article support comprises a substantially rigid plate (1022), said plate being substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the article storage bin when said plate is at said first endpoint of hinged movement, and said plate being substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of the article storage bin when said plate is at said second endpoint of hinged movement.