Optical device for detecting a falling object
OwnerJack Cheninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A falling object, such as a product falling from a magazine to a discharge chute of a vending machine, is detected using a rectangular light curtain having parallel sides. A plurality of light emitters are positioned along one side and a plurality of receptors are positioned along another side opposite the emitters. A timing circuit momentarily illuminates the emitters one at a time at a time while an electronic controller examines the outputs signal from all the receptors. Where one of the receptors fails to receive a signal from one of the emitters an object is presumed to have interrupted the signal. To work properly the electronic controller must complete a cycle of illuminating all the emitters within the time frame that a falling object interrupts the light curtain.
Claims12
In a vending machine having a magazine for retaining a plurality of dispensable products, dispensing means for dispensing said plurality of dispensable products from said machine one at a time, a discharge chute through which a dispensed product will drop, said discharge chute having a cross sectional plane defined by a first side and a second opposing side, and means for detecting that one of said plurality of dispensable products has been dispensed, the improvement comprising
- a plurality of optical emitters paced along said first side, said optical emitters aimed at said second opposing side,
- a plurality of receptors spaced along said second opposing side,
- a sequencing circuit for sequentially illuminating each one of said optical emitters, and
- means for determining when light from one of said plurality of optical emitters aimed at one of said plurality of receptors has failed to reach said one of said receptors.
A device for detecting that an object has fallen from a discharge, said device comprising
- a light curtain defined by a first side and an opposing second side,
- a plurality of optical emitters spaced along said first side,
- said plurality of optical emitters aimed toward said second side,
- a plurality of receptors along said second side,
- means for successively illuminating said plurality of optical emitters one at a time, and
- means for determining that light aimed at one of said plurality of receptors from one of said plurality of optical emitters has failed to reach said one of said plurality of receptors.
A vending machine comprising
- a magazine for retaining a plurality of products,
- a cash receptor for receiving money from a customer,
- a discharge chute,
- a discharge device for discharging said plurality of products one at a time,
- means for initiating said discharge device upon receipt of a signal from said cash receptor that a purchase price has been paid,
- means for detecting that a product has fallen from said magazine to said discharge chute,
- said means for detecting including a light curtain made up of a plurality of optical emitters, and
- sequencing means for sequentially illuminating said plurality of emitters.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.