This invention generally relates to an automatic product dispensing machine comprising a goods lift designed to dispense the above-mentioned products in an extremely reliable and controlled manner.

For the widely consumed packaged products, such as cans, bottles, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals or the like, there are automatic machines that distribute these products following the selection and subsequent payment by the user.

Currently, these machines, after the user has selected and paid for a specific available product, identify the chosen product inside them, which is arranged on an internal shelf of the machine, in a suitable station; the product then falls by gravity from the drawer into an underlying collection pocket from where the user can retrieve it by hand.

With the system described, it is obvious that the products distributed by the higher internal drawers can have considerable distribution problems, especially as regards the more delicate products.

In fact, in addition to possible jamming of the selected product along the descent, there is the danger of damaging it due to the height of the fall; one of the most important cases is when the automatic machine distributes glass bottles such as, for example, wine bottles.

Furthermore, cans of carbonated drinks can also undergo a considerable shaking during the fall, with the consequence that, upon their subsequent opening, the internally compressed gas tends to cause part of the drink to escape.

For this purpose, there are still automatic product dispensing machines equipped with a module for transporting them from the distribution point (located at a product drawer) to the collection point (at the recovery pocket or door, where the user is able to pick them up).

However, even in this case, some drawbacks occur during the delivery of the products; in particular, depending on the packaging and the various structural and weight characteristics, it may happen that some of them get stuck between the product holder drawer and the positioning surface of the container which moves vertically between the various shelves, in particular if the container collects the products by placing itself flush with the product dispensing level, from the relative product holder drawer.

Furthermore, the prior art machines used are standardised as much as possible and, consequently, their use is not equally efficient for all types of contained products, especially if there are products of very different sizes inside the distributor.

This can cause, by way of example, a jamming of the machine, with the relative consequences due to the necessary intervention of an operator, or the breakage of the product itself, if it is too fragile.

Within the scope of the above-mentioned requirements, therefore, the aim of the invention is to provide an automatic product dispensing machine, which allows the selected product to be positioned safely on the collection plane of the movable container vertically between the various shelves.

Another aim of the invention is to provide an automatic product dispensing machine which is designed to guarantee reliable and controlled dispensing, which avoids the occurrence of jamming due to incorrect positioning of each product to be dispensed on the collection surface of the mobile container.

A further aim of the invention is to provide an automatic product dispensing machine which operates regardless of the size of the selected product and the material of which it is made.

The aim of the invention is to provide an automatic product dispensing machine which allows the safe distribution of fragile products, such as glass bottles, to the end user.

Not least, an aim of the invention is to provide an automatic product dispensing machine with reliable and controlled delivery, which is particularly efficient and at low costs, by virtue of the advantages achieved. These and other aims are achieved by an automatic product dispensing machine, according to the attached claim 1 ; the further dependent claims contain other detailed features of the invention.

Further aims and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description, relating to example and preferred, but not limiting, embodiments of the automatic product dispensing machine, according to the invention, and from the attached drawings, also provided by way of a preferred, non-limiting example, but not limiting, where:

- Figure 1 shows a front view of the automatic product dispensing machine comprising a goods lift, according to the invention;

- Figures 2A and 2B show front views of an example of operation of the goods lift of Figure 1 , according to the invention;

- Figure 3A shows a side sectional view of the goods lift for the automatic product dispensing machine of Figure 1 , by way of example, in use with products of standard dimensions;

- Figure 3B shows a side sectional view of the goods lift included in the automatic machine of Figure 1 , when in use with products of smaller than standard dimensions.

With reference to the above-mentioned drawings, the invention relates to an automatic product dispensing machine 18 comprising a goods lift 20; in particular, the above-mentioned goods lift 20 allows the transport of the products 18 from a distribution point, located near a product holder drawer, to a collection point, at a door or recovery pocket of the dispensing machine. The above-mentioned goods lift 20 reaches, as shown by way of example in Figure 2A, flush with the respective shelf where the product holder drawer is installed from which the selected product is distributed.

In particular, the automatic product dispensing machine, according to the invention, has one or more shelves 10, each equipped with at least one product-holder drawer 1 1 .

Advantageously, when a product 18 is selected which can be of any type, material and size, the machine itself identifies the product-holder drawer 11 which contains it and, through an ejection system, pushes it into a collection area of the goods lift 20, which carries the product 18 in question to the collection point located at a product holder drawer, accessible from the outside of the machine through a door 12; the above-mentioned door 12 is integral with the fixed structure 13 of the machine.

In particular, the goods lift 20 is located in the area located in front of the product-carrying drawers 1 1 , and moves, advantageously, in the above- mentioned area, in particular, from the selected product-carrying drawer 1 1 , to the collection point, which is located behind the door 12, and vice versa. The above-mentioned goods lift 20 is essentially composed of a sliding container 14, which is positioned in front of the selected product-holder drawer 1 1 , receives the product and carries it, for the collection, behind the door 12 (in Figures 2A and 2B it is shown the sliding container 14 in the two positions just described).

The movement of the container 14 of the goods lift 20 therefore generally appears to be like the movement of a common lift which moves vertically with respect to the machine in question.

The displacement of the goods lift 20 determines a translation of the container 14 which is placed flush with the various shelves 10 to receive the relative products 18 located in the product-carrying drawers 1 1 and to subsequently bring them to the collection position, behind the door 12.

During this movement it is possible that the above-mentioned product 18 gets stuck or remains in balance between the drawer 1 1 and the container 14 and, therefore, is not transported to the collection position and the entire operation of the machine is interrupted.

Moreover, in the event that the product 18 is a fragile type product such as, for example, a glass bottle, such displacement can cause it to break.

For this purpose, according to the invention, the container 14 is equipped with at least two shock-absorbing devices 19 (Figures 3A and 3B) advantageously made of impact-absorbing or shock-absorbing materials, such as to absorb the impact with the selected product 18, in such a way as to preserve its structure and, therefore, helping to obtain a safe and reliable advancement of the product 18 itself up to its stable positioning on the surface of the container 14 of the goods lift 20.

According to preferred embodiments, a first shock-absorbing device 19 is placed at the base of the container 14 of the goods lift 20 and, in particular, at the portion of container 14 distal from the edge of the drawer 1 1 , from which the product 18 emerges.

More specifically, this first shock-absorbing device 19 has a substantially cylindrical shape and is designed to be placed inside the container 14 of the elevator 20, distally, therefore on the opposite side, with respect to the edge of the drawer 1 1 , in particular at the lower edge of the container 14, extending along the entire length of the container 14 of the goods lift 20. In particular, the above-mentioned first device 19, when in use, will come into contact with the lower portion of the product 18 (for example the bottom or base of a bottle).

Advantageously, the geometry of the first device 19 and the relative positioning are such as to allow the reception of the selected product 18, absorbing the impact caused by its displacement in the lift 20 after its selection.

Still advantageously, the second shock-absorbing device 19A is placed inside the container 14 above and parallel to the first shock-absorbing device 19, taking as a reference the level on which the base of the container 14 is located.

In particular, similarly to the first shock-absorbing device 19, the second device 19A also has a substantially cylindrical shape, extending longitudinally for the entire length of the container 14 of the lift 20 on which it is placed.

In particular, the above-mentioned second device 19, when in use, will come into contact with the upper portion of the product 18 (for example shoulder, neck or ring of the bottle).

What has just been said allows, advantageously, the absorption of a possible impact at the upper portion of the product 18 (for example the area of the bottle neck). Advantageously, this second shock-absorbing device 19A is made in such a way as to create an abutment with the neck of a bottle of standard dimensions, for example, a glass bottle with a capacity of 0.75 litres. Again advantageously, this solution given by the second device 19A and, in particular, by its positioning, allows the product 18 to be received and prevent it from breaking during movement inside the lift.

Generally, the shock-absorbing devices 19, both in terms of the material of which they are made and the strategic position in which they are configured inside the container 14, advantageously allow a collection, a fall and a positioning of the bottle on the container 14 which is as much as possible controlled. According to further preferred but non-limiting embodiments, the container 14 comprises, connected thereto by means of a fulcrum 22, a lever 21 rotatable around the fulcrum 22 itself and placed on the container 14, between the first and the second shock-absorbing devices 19.

The above-mentioned lever 21 has, in the end opposite to the fulcrum 22, a shock-absorbing head 23 which rotates around the fulcrum 22 synchronously with the lever 21 .

The above-mentioned lever 21 is advantageously designed to guarantee the control of the collection, falling and positioning of the product 18, above all when it has a lower height than the height where the second shockabsorbing device 19A is located; this guarantees, in fact, the possibility of using the goods lift in the most versatile way possible regardless of the size/height and/or structure of the product 18 itself and, in particular, it can be used in the case of dispensing bottles and/or cans with a height lower than the height of standard bottles.

As previously mentioned, by way of example only, bottles having standard heights can be considered to be the bottles of any type and shape starting from 0.75 litres.

The characteristics of the automatic product dispensing machine, according to the invention, clearly emerge from the description, as do the advantages thereof.

Lastly, it is clear that numerous other variants might be made to the automatic product dispensing machine in question, without forsaking the principles of novelty of the inventive idea, while it is clear that in the practical actuation of the invention, the materials, the shapes and the dimensions of the illustrated details can be of any type according to requirements, and can be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.