Weighing type ice vending machine

• US 8,091,374 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2009
• Issued: 01/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dongguan Jiafeng Mechanical Equipment Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Dongguan Jiafeng Mechanical Equipment Company Limited
• Inventors: Chang, Wei-Cheng
• Primary Examiner(s): NORMAN, MARC E
• Application Number:
  US12/388,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 621/37, 623/44, 623/81, 177/245, 221/2, 221/8, 221/150.R, 222/146.6
• US Class Current: 62/137
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 2700/02 Level of ice
• CPC Class Codes: F25C 5/20 Distributing ice
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 21/22 Weigh pans or other weighing receptacles; Weighing platforms
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/00 Auxiliary devices for weighing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/04 by weight
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0071 Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a cold condition, e.g. ice and ice cream

Abstract

A weighing type ice vending machine includes an ice cube formation device installed in a machine body for supplying a specific weight of ice cubes after coins are inputted, and a body composed of a storage bucket, an output device, a weight sensing module and a control loop. Pure water is put into an ice tray in the machine body and condensed into ice cubes which are gathered into a storage bucket for a cold storage. A user puts a user'"'"'s container on a weighing scale of the weight sensing module at an outlet of the machine body outlet and inserts coins whose dollar amount information is displayed. The quantity of outputted ice cubes is calculated and outputted automatically, and then the ice supply is stopped. The quantity of remained ice cubes in the machine body is recorded automatically, such that the ice cube will be produced again timely and the supply of ice cubes will be stopped temporarily.

Claims

1. A weighing type ice vending machine, comprising a heat dissipating opening disposed on an external surface of a machine body for discharging heat, a display screen installed at the front side of the machine body, a coin slot, an outlet for putting a container and allowing ice cubes to come out, a weighing scale installed at the bottom of the outlet, and the bottom of the weighing scale being coupled to a weight sensing module, and having an overflow water collecting tank, an ice cube formation device installed in the machine body and comprised of a storage bucket, an output device, a weight sensing module and a control loop, and pure water being put into an ice tray made of a metal and installed in the machine body to form a plurality of ice cubes, and the ice cubes being put into the storage bucket for a cold storage, and the ice bucket being made of a stainless steel and the circumferential surface of the external periphery of the ice bucket being wrapped by insulating materials including polylon, insulating foam material and aluminum foil layer, and an output device being disposed at an outlet of the storage bucket in the machine body, and comprised of a vane roller, a catch plate and a weight block, such that after the plurality of ice cubes produced in the machine body is put into the storage bucket for the cold storage, and a user puts a user'"'"'s container on the weight sensing module at the outlet of the machine body, and the information of coins inputted by the user is displayed, the quantity of ice cubes corresponding to the dollar amount of the inputted coins is calculated and outputted automatically, and then the output of ice cubes is stopped, and the quantity of ice cubes remained in the machine body is recorded automatically, such that ice cubes are produced again timely and automatically, and the vending machine is closed for business temporarily, and the weight sensing module is provided for calculating the total weight of the container and a fixed quantity of ice cubes to achieve the effect of supplying ice cubes according to the dollar amount of the inputted coins.

2. The weighing type ice vending machine of claim 1, wherein the machine body has an output device installed at the position of an outlet of the storage bucket and formed by a vane roller, a catch plate and a weight block, and the catch plate and the weight block are disposed under the vane roller, and the vane roller is driven by a motor to rotate to move the ice cubes to the catch plate, and drop the ice cubes into the container if the weight of the catch plate is greater than the weight of the weight block at another end, and the catch plate is shut when the dropping of the ice cubes completes.

3. The weighing type ice vending machine of claim 2, wherein the vane roller of the output device disposed above the outlet of the storage bucket in the machine body not only pushes the ice cubes, but also compresses the ice cubes at the same time to assure that the ice cubes are separated from each other and prevent the plurality of ice cubes from being condensed into an aggregate of a large volume.

4. The weighing type ice vending machine of claim 1, wherein the weight sensing module disposed on the outlet of the machine body uses an electronic component for sensing weight.

5. The weighing type ice vending machine of claim 1, wherein the weight sensing module disposed on the outlet of the machine body uses a mechanical component for sensing weight.