# US 2014/0197191 A1 · Vending machine

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0197191 A1
- Document ID: US20140197191A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/009,036
- Filed: 2012-03-29
- Published: 2014-07-17
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-30
- Assignees: Sanden Corporation
- Inventors: Masaru Ohkubo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140197191A1

## CPC

- G07F 11/42: the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
- G07F 11/165: {using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

There is provided a vending machine that prevents a commodity receptacle from being damaged and a commodity from slipping out thereof by a shock due to falling even if a commodity receptacle undergoes free fall without requiring a complicated structure for preventing the commodity receptacle from undergoing free fall. When it is detected that the fall velocity of a bucket 60 falling due to disconnection of power supply to a second motor 72a of a bucket moving mechanism 70 is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, a braking force for decelerating the fall velocity of the bucket 60 is intermittently generated and thereby the bucket 60 can be lowered to the lowest point at a speed slower than free fall. This configuration prevents the bucket 60 from being damaged and a commodity from slipping out thereof by a shock due to falling and does not require a complicated structure for preventing the bucket 60 from undergoing free fall. Additionally, the bucket 60 is not locked, and thus the bucket 60 can be manually moved during maintenance work for restarting the vending operation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vending machine comprising: a plurality of commodity columns arranged in a vertical direction of a vending machine body; a commodity receptacle for receiving a commodity from the commodity column; and a moving mechanism that moves the commodity receptacle in the vertical direction by a motor, wherein the moving mechanism moves the commodity receptacle to any commodity column, the commodity receptacle receives the commodity from the commodity column, the moving mechanism moves the commodity receptacle having received the commodity to a commodity take-out port, and the commodity is delivered to the commodity take-out port from the commodity receptacle, the vending machine comprising:
a fall detection means of detecting a fall velocity of the commodity receptacle falling due to disconnection of power supply to the motor of the moving mechanism;
a braking force generating means of generating a braking force for decelerating the fall velocity of the commodity receptacle; and
a control unit of causing the braking force generating means to intermittently or continuously generate the braking force when the fall velocity detection means detects that the fall velocity of the commodity receptacle is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the motor is constituted by a pulse motor;
the fall velocity detection means is configured to detect a change in pulse value of the motor as a fall velocity of the commodity receptacle; and
the control unit configured such that when a change amount of the pulse value of the motor is greater than a predetermined change amount, the braking force generating means generates a braking force.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2)

The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
the braking force generating means is configured such that the motor generates a force for stopping the rotation as a braking force by holding an electrode of the motor at the same potential.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2)

The vending machine according to claim 1, 2, or 3, further comprising position detection means of detecting that the commodity receptacle has reached the lowest point,
the vending machine being configured such that when the position detection means detects that the commodity receptacle has reached the lowest point, the moving mechanism moves the commodity receptacle to the commodity take-out port, and the commodity receptacle performs a commodity delivery operation to the commodity take-out port.