CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority to Italian patent application no. 102021000026507 filed on 15.10.2021, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a stir stick forming assembly for a stir stick dispenser in a beverage vending machine, to which the following description will refer without thereby losing generality.

STATE OF THE ART

In the vending industry, it is known to have a stir stick dispenser inside the beverage vending machines and which is controlled by an electronic control unit of the beverage vending machine to dispense stir sticks directly inside the beverage cups.

The stir sticks are normally released in the cups before the cups are filled with the beverage and dispensing may be responsive to users’ requests for sugar to be added in the selected beverages.

Various types of stir sticks are used nowadays in the beverage vending machines. A moderate amount of use is still reserved for plastic stir sticks, which, however, is gradually losing interest due to the known problems of environmental pollution.

Instead of the traditional plastic stir sticks, biodegradable paper stir sticks are finding increasing use. An example of paper stir sticks is described in WO 2020/225669 Al in the name of the present Applicant. In WO 2020/225669 Al, the paper stir sticks are produced from a paper tape arranged in a fixed unwinding station; the tape unwound from the reel by a feeding assembly is firstly supplied through a shaping assembly and then through a cutting assembly that cuts it transversally to size to form stir sticks with predefined lengths which vary according to the height of the cups, inside which the beverage is dispensed.

Although formation of stir sticks from tape reels allows stable stir sticks with variable lengths to be rapidly produced by controlling the feeding of the tape and the cutting assembly, this production mode is found to be not completely satisfactory due to the fact that the known feeding and cutting assemblies are found to be relatively bulky and expensive and, for these reasons, they fail to allow the increasingly felt need to produce extremely compact and cost-effective stick dispensers to be met.

The known feeding and cutting assemblies are driven by independent actuators that are difficult to synchronize and to maintain synchronized over time. As a result, even after relatively short periods of time, the dispensed stir sticks present degrees of finishing and, in some cases, even dimensions or geometries that differ from those intended by the design. In other words, even small synchronization errors between the feeding and cutting assemblies generate undesired burrs or tears on the stir sticks especially on opposite end portions thereof.

Then, in some cases, lack of synchronization or inaccurate feeding of the tape are the reasons for jamming of the forming assembly and the resulting unavoidable machine downtimes.

OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The aim of the present invention is to produce a stir stick forming assembly for a stir stick dispenser in a beverage vending machine, which allows the above problems to be simply and economically overcome.

A particular aim of the present invention is to produce a stir stick forming assembly which is extremely compact, easy to control, and cost-effective.

A further aim of the present invention is to produce a stir stick forming assembly with a high and constant efficiency and reliability, thus being able to produce stir sticks always having the intended geometry and intended length and a constant product quality.

According to the present invention a stir stick forming assembly is provided, in particular for a stir stick dispenser of a beverage vending machine; the forming assembly comprising a frame for attachment to a fixed body; an inlet passage for a tape material, an outlet opening for stir sticks, a feeding member for feeding the tape material towards said outlet opening, first motorized means for moving said feeding member, a cutting member for transversally cutting the tape material, and second motorized means for moving said cutting member; characterized in that said first and second motorized means comprise a single common electric motor; command and control means to command and control said single electric motor are provided and configured to rotate said single electric motor in one direction for driving said feeding member and in the opposite direction for driving said cutting member.

Preferably, in the above-defined assembly, the first motorized means and the second motorized means are arranged symmetrically and on opposite sides of a vertical laying plane where an axis of a rotating shaft of the single electric motor lays. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a stir stick dispenser provided with a preferred embodiment of a stir stick forming assembly according to the present invention.

Figures 2A, 2B and 2C are three different perspective views, on an enlarged scale and with parts removed for clarity, of the stir stick forming assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation view of the forming assembly of Figure 2B.

Figure 4 is a section view along line IV-IV of Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are side views, with parts removed for clarity, of the forming assembly of Figure 2B arranged in two different operating positions.

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of a detail of the forming assembly of Figure 2B.

Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view, with parts removed for clarity, of a further detail of the forming assembly of Figure 2B.

Figure 9 is an exploded perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the further detail of Figure 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached Figures to allow an expert person to produce it and use it. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be immediately clear to the expert persons and the generic principles described may be applied to other embodiments and applications without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. Therefore, the present invention must not be considered as limited to the embodiments described and illustrated but should be awarded the broadest scope consistent with the principles and the characteristics described and claimed herein.

Figure 1 schematically and partially shows a beverage vending machine 1 comprising a stir stick dispenser 2 to dispense individual stir sticks 3 to stir beverages dispensed in cups 4.

In the example described, the stir stick dispenser 2 is housed in a box-shaped outer casing of the beverage vending machine 1.

Alternatively, the stir stick dispenser 2 may be arranged outside the outer casing or may be even distinct from the beverage vending machine 1 so as to form a stand-alone device operable by a user independently of the beverage vending machine 1 to dispense stir sticks 3 on demand.

In all cases, the stir stick dispenser 2 is configured to form and dispense stir sticks 3 in succession, which conveniently are disposable shaped stir sticks. The stir stick dispenser 2 comprises a support structure 6 connected to a fixed support 7, a tape supply device 8 for supplying a tape 9 of food-grade ecological material, and a stir stick forming assembly 10 arranged below the tape supply device 8. The stir stick forming assembly 10 has an upper inlet passage 11 for the tape 9 and a lower outlet opening 12 for the stir sticks 3 and directed towards the cup 4 by a conveyor 13.

Conveniently, the tape 9 is wound to form a reel 14 housed in the tape supply device

8 and is preferably biodegradable or compostable and conveniently plastic-free, for example, waterproof cardboard.

With reference to Figures 2A-2C and 3, the stir stick forming assembly 10 comprises a mounting frame 15 to allow the stir stick forming assembly 10 to be mounted to the support structure 6, a tape feeding assembly 16 to feed the tape 9, a tape shaping assembly 18 to shape the tape, and a tape cutting assembly 19 to transversally cut the tape

9 to form the stir sticks 3.

Preferably, the tape shaping assembly 18, known per se, is designed as a vertical tape deformation and guide V-shaped folder (Figure 2C) to V-shape deform the tape 9 in a known manner.

With reference to Figures 2, 3 and 4, in the stir stick forming assembly 10, the tape feeding assembly 16 and the tape cutting assembly 19 are driven by a single electric motor 20, which is carried by an upper portion of the mounting frame 15, has an output shaft 21 mounted to rotate about a vertical axis 21 A, and is controlled by an electronic command and control unit 22 configured to cause the electric motor 20 to rotate in opposite directions.

With reference to Figures 2A, 2B and, in particular to Figure 3, the torque delivered by the motor 20 is directed to two distinct parallel branches A and B by a mechanical transmission 23. The mechanical transmission 23 comprises an inlet bevel pinion 24 fitted to the shaft 21 and two identical motion output bevel gears 25 arranged on opposite diametrical sides of the bevel pinion 24.

The bevel gears 25 each stably carry a disk or plate 49, are idly mounted to respective shafts 26 and 27 (Figures 3 and 8), which extend coaxially to a fixed common axis 28 orthogonal to the axis 21 A, in opposite directions from the transmission 23, and form end segments of a one-piece single shaft coaxial to the axis 28. Due to being in one single piece, this shaft is axially removable.

The shafts 26 and 27 support part of the tape feeding assembly 16 and part of the tape cutting assembly 19, respectively.

In addition, the tape feeding assembly 16 comprises a tape guide 18A defined by an extension of the vertical tape deformation and guide V-shaped folder and a tape feeding wheel 29 (Figures 2C and 4), which is externally toothed and cooperates with the tape 9 through a slot formed in the cusp of the tape guide 18A (Figure 2C). The feeding wheel 29 is idly mounted to an intermediate segment 30A of a shaft 30 rotatably coupled to the mounting frame 15 to rotate about a fixed hinge axis 31 parallel to and lowered with respect to the axis 28.

With reference to Figure 3, the tape feeding assembly 16 further comprises a gear wheel 32, which is mounted to the shaft 30 so as to be angularly idle and axially fixed, is fixed to the feeding wheel 29 and meshes with a one-way angular motion transmission assembly 33 surrounding the shaft 26.

Hereafter, one-way angular motion transmission assembly is meant to indicate any device capable of transmitting motion in one rotation direction and preventing the motion transmission in an opposite rotation direction.

In the specific case, with reference to Figure 3 and, in particular, to Figure 8, the one-way angular motion transmission assembly 33 is of a ratchet or a freewheel type, is configured to transmit rotational motion to the gear wheel 32 and to the feeding wheel 29 when the electric motor 20 rotates in one rotation direction and to prevent the transmission of the motion to the gear wheel 32 when the electric motor 20 rotates in the opposite rotation direction.

With reference to Figures 8 and 9, the one-way angular motion transmission assembly 33 comprises an externally toothed wheel 35 permanently meshing with the gear wheel 32 (Figure 3) and idly coupled to the shaft 26 and a ratchet or harpoon 36. Preferably, the ratchet or harpoon 36 comprises a gear wheel 37 with slanted toothing in contact with and stably connected to the gear wheel 35, and an elastic foil 38, which has one end stably connected to the mounting frame 15, cantilevers from the mounting frame 15 and has an opposite free end portion snap-fitted to the slanted toothing of the gear wheel 37 (Figures 5, 6 and 8). In this way, the ratchet or harpoon 36 allows the gear wheel 35 to freely rotate in one rotation direction and causes the gear wheel 35 to become angularly integral with the mounting frame 15 in the opposite rotation direction.

With reference to Figures 8 and 9, the one-way angular motion transmission assembly 33 further comprises a snap-fit compliant angular joint 40 between the plate 49 and the gear wheel 35.

The angular joint 40 comprises a transmission or engagement member 41 including a hub 42 mounted to rotate about the shaft 26 and to freely slide along the shaft 26, a plurality of radial arms 43 stably connected to the hub 42 and, for each arm 43, a respective retention tooth 44. Each retention tooth 44 extends in a direction parallel to the axis 28 and on opposite sides of the relevant arm 43 and comprises a tail portion 45 and a head portion 46, the tail portion 45 coupled to the plate 49 so as to be axially slidable and angularly fixed, so as to always be angularly integral with the plate 49 and with the corresponding bevel gear 25. The head portion 46 of each tooth 44 is so shaped as to axially and disengageably insert into each of the seats 47 of a crown of angular retention seats formed in a core 35A of the gear wheel 35 coaxially to the axis 28. The head portions 46 are pushed to engage the seats 47 by a wire compression spring 48, which surrounds the shaft 26 and is elastically forced between the plate 49 carried by the bevel gear 25 and the hub 42.

The head portions 46 are moved to disengage the seats 47 by a cam assembly 50 comprising, for each portion 46, two shaped surfaces 51 and 52 inclined with respect to the axis 28, wherein the surfaces 51 frontally delimit the relevant head portions 46, while the surfaces 52 are mutually angularly equidistant around the axis 28 and axially delimit circular segments of the core 35A of the gear wheel 35 (Figures 8 and 9).

The curvatures or inclinations of the surfaces 51 and 52 are chosen so that, when the electric motor 20 is operated to rotate in one rotation direction, and in particular in the direction in which the ratchet 36 allows the gear wheel 35 to rotate, the teeth 44 remain in the seats 47 and cause the gear wheel 35 and the gear wheel 32 to rotate, whereas, when the motor 20 is operated to rotate in the opposite rotation direction and the ratchet 36 angularly blocks the gear wheel 35, the surfaces 51 and 52 slide on each other, thus exerting an axial thrust on the teeth 44 opposite to and greater than that exerted by the spring 48 on the hub 42. In this condition, the teeth 44 move back toward the plate 49 and gradually disengage the seats 47, thus allowing the gear wheel 35 to remain angularly stationary with respect to the mounting frame 15. In this way, the gear wheel 35 transmits the motion to the gear wheel 32 when the motor 20 is operated to rotate in one rotation direction, which results in a feeding of the tape 9 by an amount equal to the desired length of the stirs sticks 3. When the motor 20 is operated to rotate in the opposite rotation direction, the tape 9 remains stationary along the guide 18A in a tape cutting position.

The tape 9 is cut by the tape cutting assembly 19, which, with reference to Figures 3, 4 and 7, comprises a guillotine cutting blade 55 fixed to a carriage 56 coupled to a guide 57 fixed to the mounting frame 15 to slide in opposite directions along a cutting direction 58 orthogonal to the axes 21A, 28 and 31 and to the tape guide 18A.

The carriage 56 is part of the tape cutting assembly 19, which further comprises a gear wheel 60 identical to the gear wheel 32 and fixed to the shaft 30 on opposite sides of the gear wheel 29 with respect to the gear wheel 32 (Figure 3).

The tape cutting assembly 19 comprises a one-way angular motion transmission assembly 61 which is conceptually the same as and mirrors the one-way angular motion transmission assembly 33. Therefore, in the following, the parts of the one-way angular motion transmission assembly 61 will be referenced with the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts of the one-way angular motion transmission assembly 33 with the addition of a apex ('). As a result of the foregoing, the one-way angular motion transmission assembly 61 is capable of transmitting the rotational motion to the shaft 30 and rotating the gear wheel

60 when the electric motor 20 rotates in one rotation direction and preventing the motion transmission to the shaft 30 when the electric motor 20 rotates in the opposite rotation direction.

The one-way angular motion transmission assembly 61 surrounds the shaft 27, is coupled to the relevant bevel gear 25 in the same way that the assembly 33 is coupled to the other bevel wheel 25 and comprises a gear wheel 35' meshing with the gear wheel 60 (Figure 3).

With reference to Figures 2,5,6 and 7, the tape cutting assembly 19 comprises a cam driving device 65 to move the carriage 56 and the blade 55 with respect to the mounting frame 15 and tape guide 18A between a retracted rest position in which the tape 9 is allowed to be fed and a advanced position in which the tape 9 is allowed to be cut (Figure 5).

The cam driving device 65 comprises two L-shaped arms 66 arranged on opposite sides of the gear wheels 32 and 60 (Figures 3 and 7) and of the carriage 56.

Each arm 66 has an upper end portion 67 hinged to the mounting frame 15 above the axis 28 to rotate about a fixed hinge axis 68 parallel to the axes 28 and 31. Each arm 66 comprises a lower end 70 coupled to a respective side of the carriage 56 by a respective pin 71, which cantilevers from the carriage 56 parallel to the axis 68, is fixed to the carriage 56, and slidably engages a vertical eyelet 72 formed in the lower end 70 of the relevant arm 66.

The arms 66 swing in unison around the relevant pins 68 under the thrust of an eccentric cam 73 driven by the shaft 30 and forming part of the tape cutting assembly 19. The eccentric cam 73 comprises, for each arm 66, a radial lobe 75 eccentric with respect to the axis 31 and stably connected to a respective end portion 30B of the shaft 30. Each arm 66 comprises an intermediate portion kept in abutment against a respective radial lobe 75 by a traction spring 76 arranged between the lower end 70 of the relevant arm 66 and the mounting frame 15.

With reference to Figure 7, for simplicity of assembly, the shaft 30 is made in two parts referenced by 77 and 78, which are mutually connected by a front tooth joint 79 and are axially tightened against each other by a screw 80. The part 78, the gear wheel 60 and the relevant radial lobe 75 form part of a one-piece body, while the other part 77 carries the other radial lobe 75 and cooperates with the part 78 to support the gear wheel 32 and the wheel 29 so that they may rotate with respect to the shaft 30.

From the above, it may be appreciated that the mechanical transmission 23, the opposing support shafts 26, 27 and the mutually symmetrical one-way assemblies 33 and

61 allow only the tape feeding assembly 16 to be driven when the motor 20 rotates in one rotation direction and only the tape cutting assembly 19 to be driven when the motor 20 rotates in the opposite rotation direction, while keeping the other assembly stationary or waiting.

In particular, when the motor 20 is rotated in one rotation direction, the motion is transmitted from the bevel pinion 24 to both the bevel gears 25. Since the ratchets 36 and 36' are mutually symmetrical, one of the ratchets opposes the rotation of the relevant gear wheel 35, 35', while the other ratchet allows the relevant gear wheel 35, 35' to rotate and transmit the motion. Identical situation but reversed occurs when the motor 20 is rotated in a rotation direction opposite than the previous one.

The consequence is that for one rotation direction only the tape feeding assembly 16 is operated while the tape cutting assembly 19 remains in a waiting condition, during which the relevant joint 41,41' snaps repeatedly and prevents the motion transmission and the blade 55 remains in a retracted rest position, shown in Figure 6. This situation persists as long as the tape portion beyond the cutting line has a length equal to a desired length of the stir sticks 3 stored in the electronic control and command unit 22.

When the desired length is reached, the rotation direction of the motor 20 is reversed by the electronic control and command unit 22. Due to what has been said above, in this condition, the joint 41 snaps as the relevant wheel 35 is blocked by the foil 38, thus keeping the feeding wheel 29 stationary for as long as the cam during rotation moves the arms 66 from the retracted rest position (Figure 5) to the feeding position (Figure 6) for cutting the tape 9 and separating the stir sticks 3.

From the above it may be appreciated that the tape forming assembly 10 is easily controllable since the control of the tape feeding and cutting assemblies depends only on the control of a single motor and, in particular, only on the rotation direction of the same.

Operation of the tape forming assembly 10 is hence made correct, precise, and time invariant by the provision of a paper presence sensor SI, shown in Figure 2C, an encodertype tape feeding sensor S2 shown in Figure 7, and a cutting blade position sensor S3, partially shown in Figure 7, arranged to sense the angular position of the arms 66 around the axis 68.

As the tape feeding and cutting steps depend only on the rotation direction of the motor and on the time during which the motor 20 rotates in one rotation direction or the other, the tape feeding and cutting assemblies are always perfectly mutually synchronized, so resulting in the stir sticks having always the same desired length and, above all, a high and constant quality.

In addition, the tape forming assembly 10 is extremely compact compared with known solutions. The foregoing results not only from the provision of a single motor shared by the tape feeding and cutting assemblies, but also from the particular arrangement of the various motion transmission members. Specifically, as may be appreciated in Figure 3, the tape forming assembly 10, the mechanical transmission 23, the two shafts 25 and 27, the one-way angular motion transmission assemblies 33,61, the two cam lobes 75, the two gear wheels 32 and 60, and the two arms 66 are arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of a vertical laying plane P where a rotation axis 21 A of an output shaft of the electric motor 20 lays and passing through the tape feeding wheel 29.

In addition, the use of pairs of identical gear wheels, as well as of the identical arms 66 results in the tape forming assembly 10 being cheap and easy to assemble, also thanks to the particular structure of the shaft 30.

From the foregoing it may appreciated that several modifications may be made to the above-described tape forming assembly 10 without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

In particular, the mechanical transmission 23 for transmitting the torque delivered by the motor 20 to the two branches A and B may be different from the one described above, just as the tape feeding assembly 16 and the tape cutting assembly 16 may be constructively different from the one described above. In particular, the tape cutting assembly 19 may comprise a different drive cam and/or a single arm 66 for moving the cutting blade 55 shaped in the same way as or different from that exemplarily described.