Technical Field

The invention relates to a snack vending machine, which conserves shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks in general in a healthy manner, which performs the sales of these products automatically without human hands touching them.

Background of the Invention

Since machines like this are not used in especially cafes, bars, hotels and entertainment centers that conserve, keep and sell shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks, these products are sold under unhealthy circumstances; exposed to air and not as fresh, leading to effects on human health. In such conditions, some negative situations arise, as given below;

Products are not protected from external pests, hygiene cannot be achieved against pathogen viruses of influenza, casualties and yield loss occurs due to manual handling.

As products are sold as exposed to air, the level of toxins is increased.

Products are not sold as fresh.

Products experience structural deterioration as fatty products are heated in the same environment with the same temperature.

An unnecessarily extra effort is spent during the sales of the product.

During sales of the product, one touches the metal coin and then to the product; causing unhealthy hand contact.

The abovementioned stages cause negative situations especially during the consumption of the snack.

Similar applications regarding the conserve of shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks in a hygienic manner and automatic sales thereof have been encountered in the literature review. Utility model with application no TR 201 1/03862 relates to an electrically heated display and sales aisle for dried fruits and candy. Choice of whether to heat the desired shelf in the stand or not is enabled by a switch; low cost heating is provided by means of using electric power instead of LPG or natural gas power; drawers on the stand are provided to be used for different purposes due to the fact that they are cold. Dried fruits on the shelves of the glass showcase are prevented from gathering moisture and going bad by means of placing electric heaters at the backside of the glass showcase shelves.

Utility model with application no TR2012/10491 relates to a machine that contains a body; a moving cauldron placed on the body; a heater placed inside the body and under the cauldron; a transmission mechanism that transmits motion; an arm transmitting the motion by means of being connected to the transmission mechanism; a mixing arm that is connected to the arm, that moves rotationally by the motion from the arm, that is placed towards the inside of the mentioned cauldron and that mixes the snacks to be placed inside the cauldron; a reducer that provides motion to the cauldron, enables the mixing arm and the cauldron to rotate in opposite directions with respect to each other and that is placed inside the body and under the cauldron; a lock component that enables locking the cauldron, wherein the machine enables frying the snacks and making them ready to eat by coating with food additives in the food industry.

Consequently, there are developments regarding the conserve of shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks in general in a healthy manner and automatic sales thereof. Therefore, new embodiments are necessary to eliminate the abovementioned disadvantages and provide solutions for the existing systems. Object of the Invention

Present invention relates to a snack vending machine that meets all the abovementioned needs, eliminates all disadvantages and provides some additional advantages, that conserves shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks in general in a healthy manner, that provides automatic sales of the products without human hands touching them with tokens or metal coins according to the amount paid.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a healthy and reliable sale by automatically selling snacks without human hands touching them. An object of the invention is to extend the storage period of shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks in general by heating them according to their type.

Another object of the invention is to provide fresh and healthy snacks to the customer instantly by heating shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks according to their type.

An object of the invention is to take precaution against rusting by means of producing the filler cover from stainless plate sheet.

Another object of the invention is to manufacture the product storage chamber in a manner not to host moisture by means of using unbreakable and hard product storage chamber made of transparent material in accordance with the food codex. An object of the invention is to produce the heating chamber from aluminum casting material to provide equal heat distribution in the heating chamber.

An object of the invention is to obtain higher efficiency with lower labor by means of selling the snacks automatically.

In order to achieve the abovementioned objects, snack vending machine of the invention contains at least one ventilation duct that provides air inlet and outlet to the product storage chamber, thus prevents moisture and going bad; a heating chamber that enables keeping the products fresh and crispy by means of heating; and a software card that follows heating, storing, discharge operations and performs the product sale by actuating the discharge motor according to the money paid.

Figures to Help Understand the Invention

Figure-1 is a general view of the snack vending machine assembly. Drawings do not necessarily need to be scaled and details that are not essential for understanding the present invention may have been omitted. Furthermore, at least significantly identical components or components with at least significantly identical functions are designated by the same number. Part References

A. Snack vending machine

1. Air duct

2. Filler cover

3. Body

4. Sensor

5. Product storage chamber

6. Heating chamber

7. Payment port

8. Resistance

9. Control panel

10. Status display

11. Discharge spring

12. Discharge motor

13. Software card

14. Ethernet port

15. Transformer

16. Take out port

17. Lock piece

18. Led light

19. Electronic module

Detailed Description of the Invention In this detailed description, preferred embodiments of the snack vending machine (A) of the invention are explained only for the better understanding of the subject and in a manner not to pose any limiting effects.

The invention relates to a snack vending machine (A) that conserves shelled and unshelled foods that are expressed as snacks in general in a healthy manner; that provides automatic sales of the products without human hands touching them with tokens or metal coins according to the amount paid.

In Figure 1 , a view representing the snack vending machine (A) is provided. According to this, snack vending machine (A) contains a body (3) that carries the sub-components constituting the snack vending machine (A) and that protects them from external factors. Product storage chamber (5) that stores the products to be sold is provided inside the body (3). An opening filler cover (2) that enables placing products in the product storage chamber

(5) ; that protects the product storage chamber (5) from external environment and that is in connection with the body (3) is placed on the product storage chamber (5). On the mentioned filler cover (2), there is at least one ventilation duct (1 ) that prevents moisture and going bad by providing air inlet and outlet to the product storage chamber (5); and a lock piece (17) that enables fastening the filler cover (2) to the body (3). A LED light (18) is placed on the body (3) in order to make products inside the product storage chamber (5) more visible in indoor areas.

As seen in Figure 1 , snack vending machine (A) of the invention contains a heating chamber

(6) that is positioned under the product storage chamber (5) and that enables preserving the freshness and crispiness of products by means of heating. At least one resistance (8) is positioned inside the heating chamber (6) in order to create the necessary heat for the heating chamber (6).

As seen in Figure 1 , snack vending machine (A) of the invention contains a payment port (7) that is positioned inside the body (3) and in which money and tokens are collected in automatic sales. An electronic module (19) containing a sensor (4) is provided on the payment port (7) in order to determine if the price is input as well as the type of money and/or token so as to automatically sell products in special areas.

As seen in Figure 1 , snack vending machine (A) of the invention contains a control panel (9) that digitally displays the usage values of the snack vending machine (A) at the time of operation. It contains a status display (10) that shows the start and stop positions of the snack vending machine (A) with lights. It contains a software card (13) that follows heating, storing and discharge operations and performs the product sale by actuating the discharge motor (12) according to the money paid. An Ethernet port (14) is provided under the software card (13) in order to enable remote connection to the snack vending machine (A). A transformer (15), from which the electric power needed by the snack vending machine (A) enters, is placed under the body (3).

As seen in Figure 1 , snack vending machine (A) of the invention contains a discharge spring (1 1 ) that transfers the product inside the heating chamber (6) to the take out port (16). It contains a discharge motor (12) that is connected to the discharge spring (1 1 ); and that transfers an amount of products worth the payment made to the take out port (16) by actuating the discharge spring (1 1 ) after the command received from the software card (13). A take out port (16) is placed under the mentioned discharge spring (1 1 ) in order to take the sold product out. In accordance with the information given above, snack vending machine (A) of the invention operates as follows.

As seen in Figure 1 , snacks in the snack vending machine are stored in a product storage chamber (5) made of unbreakable polycarbonate material. Snacks are continuously heated by means of resistances (8) that are located inside the heating chamber (6) placed under the mentioned product storage chamber (5). According to the area of use, money or token is thrown into the sensor (4) and the amount of wanted snack is input. Sensor (4) transfers the information to the electronic software card (13). When a person inputs the amount of snack, starting status appears on the electronic status display (10) that is connected to the control panel (9) on which usage values are digitally displayed. Control panel (9) actuates the discharge motor (12) depending on the amount of snack to be sold. Snacks inside the heating chamber (6) are moved towards the take out port (16) by means of the discharge spring (1 1 ) actuated by the discharge motor (12). Thus, the products are served by the take out port (16).

Hot air from the resistance (8) is removed form inside the body (3) by means of the ventilation duct (1 ). Snack is filled through the filler cover (2). Led light (18) is provided on the front face of the product storage chamber (5) that is placed on the body (3) in order to enable seeing the inner section in indoor areas. Lock piece (17) is placed on the upper part of the product storage chamber (5). Collected money is received from the payment port (7). In the meantime, information flow to an external center is provided by means of the Ethernet port (14).

A special filter is employed on the ventilation duct (1 ) located on the filler cover (2) in order to prevent moisture from entering. This filter enables air to move out and prevents it from coming in by means of rising hot air. Lock piece (17) on the filler cover (2) is locked in order to prevent intervening in the product in commercial sales. Precaution against rusting has been taken by means of producing the filler cover (2) using stainless sheet. In commercial use, time and money loss is prevented by the automated product. Moreover, product storage chamber (5) is manufactured in a manner not to host moisture by means of using unbreakable and hard product storage chamber made of transparent material in accordance with the food codex. Heat settings of the heating chamber (6) are performed electronically according to each product heating level and equal heat distribution is provided by manufacturing it from aluminum casting material. By means of the discharge spring (1 1 ), made of stainless material and used for product transfer, rotating around its own axis; product is transferred to the take out port (16) without getting harmed. Furthermore, by installing software to the software card (13), sales amount of the product in a time period can be monitored and fast delivery is provided for stock.