Cup dispenser for a beverage vending machine

A cup dispenser for a beverage vending machine, the cup dispenser comprising:

• a cup-holder turret rotatably mounted to rotate about a rotation axis and including a column support configured to support a plurality of columns arranged around the rotation axis and each adapted to contain a respective stack of cups and provided with an associated cup release device operable to release individual cups from the stack of cups;
• an electronically-controllable actuator assembly to move the cup-holder turret and operate the cup release devices;
• wherein the electronically-controllable actuator assembly comprises:
• a first electric actuator to rotate the cup-holder turret about the rotation axis to selectively bring the columns to a fixed cup release station;
• and
• a second electric actuator to operate the cup release device associated with the column arranged in the cup release station;
• an electronic control system to control operation of the cup dispenser, wherein the electronic control system comprises:
• a sensory system configured to output an electrical output such as to allow an angular position of the cup-holder turret to be determined;
• and
• an electronic control unit electrically connected to the sensory system to receive the electrical output thereof, and to the first and second actuators of the actuator assembly to supply electric commands thereto;
• wherein the sensory system comprises a magnetic angular position sensor device configured to output an electrical output such as to allow the electronic control unit to determine the absolute angular position of the cup-holder turret;
• wherein the magnetic angular position sensor device comprises:
• a diametrically magnetized permanent ring magnet carried by the cup-holder turret in an axially fixed position coaxial to the rotation axis of the cup-holder turret, so as to result in the diametrically magnetized permanent ring magnet rotating together with the cup-holder turret, and
• a magnetic angular position sensor carried by the actuator assembly so as to be arranged in a fixed position outside the ring magnet, close to, and alongside, the ring magnet, on a lying plane of the ring magnet transverse to the rotation axis, so as to result in the magnetic angular position sensor outputting an electrical output indicative of the absolute angular position of the magnetic field generated by the ring magnet.