The present invention relates to moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute and, in particular, it concerns a side-grip method for grasping the textile items.
It is current practice in the art of vending machines configured for dispensing garments and other textile items to package the item. Packaging keeps the textile item contained during the transfer for the storage area to the dispensing chute. While this simplifies the dispensing process, it adds time and expense to the overall vending process in the form of cost of the packaging used and the time require to insert the item into the package.
There is therefore a need for a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged and a device configured to implement such a method.
The present invention is a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged and a device configured to implement such a method.
According to the teachings of the present invention there is provided, a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged, the method comprising: (a) providing a stack of textile items; (b) providing an article selection mechanism configured with a gripping element; (e) vertically displacing the gripping element until the gripping element reaches a level of a top textile item in the stack; and (d) grasping the textile item with the gripping element proximate to an edge of the textile item.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item is folded at least one time.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item is unwrapped.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element grasps only the textile item.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element grasps the textile item on at least a portion of an edge.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element grasps at least a portion of a top surface of the textile item in proximity to an edge of the textile item.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element is implemented with a support arm 14 for securing the textile item 20t between the gripping element 12 and the support arm 14.
There is also provided according to the teachings of the present invention, a vending machine for dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged, the vending machine comprising: (a) a stack 20 of textile items; and (b) an article selection mechanism 10 configured with a vertically displaceable gripping element 12; wherein the vertically displaceable gripping element 12 is configured for gripping a top item 20t in the stack 20 proximate to an edge of the textile item 20t.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item 20t is deployed in the vending machine in a folded state being folded at least one time.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the textile item 20t is deployed in the vending machine in an unwrapped state.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element 12 grasps only the textile item.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element is configured to grasps the textile item 20t on at least a portion of an edge 2.
According to a further teaching of the present invention, the gripping element is implemented with a support arm 14 for securing the textile item 20t between the gripping element 12 and the support arm 14.
The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
The present invention is a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine from the storage area to the dispensing chute that does not require the textile item to be packaged.
The principles and operation of a side-grip method of grasping and moving textile items in a vending machine according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings and the accompanying description.
By way of introduction, it should be understood that the current state of the art requires that textile items be dispensed in a vending machine are deployed in some kind of packaging such as metal/plastic cans, bag-like wrappers and bands that surround at least a portion of the item. An innovation of the present invention is to provide both a method and a system for dispensing a textile item that does not require the textile item to be packaged, thereby saving the time and expense for placing the textile item in a package suitable of interaction with the vending machine to be used to dispense it. That is to say, the vending machine of the present invention is able to dispense textile items that are not deployed in any kind of package or wrapper and are merely stacked one on another. In some situations, the textile item may be deployed in the stack in a folded arrangement. However, in all situations in which the textile items are deployed in the vending machine in an unwrapped state, the gripping element 12 of the article selection mechanism 10 is gripping only the textile item itself and not a package or wrapper in which the textile item is deployed. That said, it will be appreciated that the method of the present invention may be used to equally benefit with items that are deployed in the vending machine in a wrapper or package.
Referring now to the drawings,
As mentioned above, the gripping element 12 may be configured to grip the textile item along at least a portion of the folded edge 2 (i.e., closing on both the top and bottom surfaces of the folded item), or to grip only at least a portion of the top surface of the item 20t in proximity to the folded edge 2. It has been found that when some garments are gripped on the top surface of the item in proximity to the folded edge 2, some textile item becomes at least partially unfolded when subsequently raised along with the gripping element 12.
To solve this problem, alternatively or optionally, a support arm 14 is added to the gripping element 12. Support arm 14 is configure to be displaced as the textile item 20t is raised by the gripping element 12 and secure the textile item 20t between the gripping element 12 and the support arm 14. In such a deployment, the support arm 14 supports the bottom/back surface of the folded textile item 20t while confining the folded textile item 20t between the gripping element 12 and the support arm 14. Such support has been found to prevent the textile item 20t from unfolding as it is transported to the dispensing chute 32.
It will be appreciated that the above descriptions are intended only to serve as examples and that many other embodiments are possible within the spirit and the scope of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61452182 | Mar 2011 | US |