Automatic frozen food product vending machine

• US 9,259,016 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vollrath Company LLC
• Original Assignee: PW Stoelting, LLC
• Inventors: Mohammed, Aamer, Wattenford, Dave, Pagel, Jeff, Wetenkamp, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): ARNETT, NICOLAS ALLEN
• Application Number:
  US13/830,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20140261873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/9, 141/82, 141/83, 141 94- 95, 141/98, 141192-193, 141/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/228 Arrangement and mounting of control or safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/28 for portioning or dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/282 for dispensing multi-flavour ice-creams
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 9/283 for filling containers with material
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/16 Delivery means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/00 Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/06 with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/10 with associated dispensing of containers, e.g. cups or other articles
• 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

An automatic frozen food product vending machine includes a first freezer barrel configured to produce a first frozen food product, a first spigot fluidly connected to the first freezer barrel, the first spigot for dispensing the first frozen food product, a second freezer barrel configured to produce a second frozen food product, a second spigot fluidly connected to the second freezer barrel, the second spigot for dispensing the second frozen food product, a third spigot fluidly connected to both the first freezer barrel and the second freezer barrel, the third spigot for dispensing a mixture of the first and second frozen food products, and a movable platform for supporting a container to receive frozen food product, the movable container movable among a home position, a first fill position below the first spigot, a second fill position below the second spigot, and a third fill position below the third spigot.

Claims

1. An automatic frozen food product vending machine, comprising:

a first freezer barrel configured to produce a first frozen food product;

a first spigot fluidly connected to the first freezer barrel, the first spigot for dispensing the first frozen food product;

a second freezer barrel configured to produce a second frozen food product;

a second spigot fluidly connected to the second freezer barrel, the second spigot for dispensing the second frozen food product;

a third spigot fluidly connected to both the first freezer barrel and the second freezer barrel, the third spigot for dispensing a mixture of the first frozen food product and the second frozen food product;

a movable platform for supporting a container to receive frozen food product, the movable container movable among a home position, a first fill position below the first spigot, a second fill position below the second spigot, and a third fill position below the third spigot;

a container presence sensor configured to detect the presence of a container on the movable platform, wherein the container presence sensor is attached to the movable platform;

a first presence sensor located below the first spigot, the first presence sensor configured to detect the container on the movable platform when the movable platform is in the first fill position;

a second presence sensor located below the second spigot, the second presence sensor configured to detect the container on the movable platform when the movable platform is in the second fill position;

a third presence sensor located below the third spigot, the third presence sensor configured to detect the container on the movable platform when the movable platform is in the third fill position; and

a processing circuit configured to determine an elapsed time for the movable platform to move from the home position to one of the first fill position, the second fill position, and the third fill position.

2. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine a size of the container on the movable platform based on the elapsed time.

3. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 2, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to open the appropriate spigot and fill the container with an amount of frozen food product corresponding to the size of the container.

4. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 3, further comprising:

a user input device coupled to the processing circuit to provide user inputs to the processing circuit;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine which of the first fill position, the second fill position, and the third fill position to move the movable container to in response to a location input.

5. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 4, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to verify the size of the container by comparing a container size input to the elapsed time.

6. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 5, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to open the appropriate spigot and fill the container with an amount of frozen food product corresponding to the verified size of the container.

7. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 4, further comprising:

a front door enclosing the first spigot, the second spigot, the third spigot, and the home position, the front door including an access door for accessing the movable platform when the movable platform is in the home position;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to prevent movement of the movable platform when the access door is open.

8. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a gantry connected to the movable container platform, the gantry movable in a first direction and a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 8, wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the direction of gravity.

10. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 1, further comprising:

a user input device coupled to the processing circuit to provide user inputs to the processing circuit;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine which of the first fill position, the second fill position, and the third fill position to move the movable container to in response to a location input from the user input.

11. A method of operating an automatic frozen food product vending machine, comprising:

receiving a location input from a user input device;

detecting a container on a movable platform;

moving the movable platform to a fill position under one of three spigots for dispensing a frozen food product in response to the location input;

determining an elapsed time for the movable platform to move from a home position to the fill position;

determining a container size based on the elapsed time;

filling the container with frozen food product based on the determined container size; and

returning the movable platform to the home position.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a container size input from the user input device; and

comparing the container size input to the determined container size.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the fill position is established when a presence sensor is activated by the container on the movable platform.

14. An automatic frozen food product vending machine, comprising:

a first freezer barrel configured to produce a first frozen food product;

a first spigot fluidly connected to the first freezer barrel, the first spigot for dispensing the first frozen food product;

a second freezer barrel configured to produce a second frozen food product;

a second spigot fluidly connected to the second freezer barrel, the second spigot for dispensing the second frozen food product;

a third spigot fluidly connected to both the first freezer barrel and the second freezer barrel, the third spigot for dispensing a mixture of the first frozen food product and the second frozen food product;

a movable platform for supporting a container to receive frozen food product;

a gantry connected to the movable platform for linearly moving the container among a home position, a first fill position below the first spigot, a second fill position below the second spigot, and a third fill position below the third spigot, wherein the gantry is linearly movable in a first direction and a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first direction is substantially parallel to the direction of gravity;

a first stepper motor configured to linearly move the gantry in the first direction;

a second stepper motor configured to linearly move the gantry in the second direction; and

a processing circuit configured to determine a number of accumulated steps of the stepper motors to move the movable platform from the home position to one of the first fill position, the second fill position, and the third fill position.

15. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 14, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to open the appropriate spigot and fill the container with an amount of frozen food product corresponding to the size of a container.

16. The automatic frozen food product vending machine of claim 14, further comprising:

a user input device coupled to the processing circuit to provide user inputs to the processing circuit;

wherein the processing circuit is further configured to determine which of the first fill position, the second fill position, and the third fill position to move the movable container to in response to a location input from the user input.