The present invention refers to a sanitized, sterilized or disinfected vending machine (or merchandising machine) traditionally used to deliver packaged edible products (or foods) and/or even durable goods (or objects or items) to users.

It is well known that vending machines are automatic merchandising machines used to rent and outright sell durable goods, even the most delicate and fragile ones, such as for example, books, speakers, smartphones, tablets, jewelry, baked products and cosmetics, and the like, and/or outright sell packaged edible products (or foods), such as for example sweet and savory snacks, candies, sandwiches, ice cream, frozen foods, various kinds of beverages, or sell products such as cigarettes, alcohol, instant lottery tickets or coupons, printer cartridges, watches, PC accessories, cameras, clothing and more.

Such vending machines, which are increasingly common on the market, deliver products upon direct request by the user, following payment, performed by cash, credit card, prepaid cards or modern electronic payment systems, even remote systems. An example of known vending machine is shown in EP3561784 A1.

Usually, such machines are installed in work places and communities (for example, hospitals, airports, shopping centers, companies), however the use thereof is increasingly progressively spreading also to places open to the public, such as train or subway stations, fuel stations, urban centers, underground parking lots, cruise ships or other specific dedicated locations.

Specifically, the current vending machines for delivering products of any type are available in several versions and dimensions, adapted to meet various requirements of the client.

From a constructional viewpoint, it may generally be assumed that a merchandising machine of conventional type comprises a display warehouse, organized in several housing rows placed at various height levels or horizontal shelves for supporting and containing a substantially box-like casing (or frame) which, moreover, characterizes the appearance of the machine itself.

The horizontal support shelves are parallel and often, although not always, equally spaced apart from one another along a vertical direction so that the products to be delivered - considering the dimensions thereof and the shape thereof - are as evenly distributed as possible in the display warehouse in the box-like support casing and occupy the inner volume of the latter as efficiently as possible.

Moreover, the rows for housing the products to be delivered are placed side-by- side and parallel to one another at each of the shelves.

The products to be delivered are placed inside a plurality of support seats defined in each of the housing rows according to configurations capable of receiving a wide range of products or goods which differ from one another in shape, dimensions and packaging.

Should the products be intended for permanent delivery, such as for example the edible goods identified above, the conventional vending machines are provided with a predominantly transparent front door, rotatably coupled by rotation means to the box-like support casing inside of which the display warehouse is contained: the transparency (obtained by installing a shatterproof glass sheet) of such a front door allows the end user to see the available products to effectively and completely make his/her selection.

Each housing row, if not each individual support seat defined in the display warehouse of such vending machines, furthermore is marked by an alphanumeric code, the user enters on a specific control panel (also of the touch screen type) applied to the outside of the support casing in order to make the desired selection after making the payment of the related amount by inserting coins, bills or other into a specific slot obtained in the front door.

When the user makes the selection, the products aligned in the housing rows are moved towards the front door, for a preset stretch, by transport or delivery means (consisting of, for example a plurality of rotating spirals of the conventional type or of a lift or again, of belt or chain transport systems) so that the first product of the selection row is conveyed, while remaining supported, or released by gravity into an inner collection compartment obtained in the support casing, in positions which are dependent on the construction choices and/or operating and application requirements.

The end user accesses the collection compartment upon a manual or automatic movement of a mobile bulkhead (or safety door) which belongs to the front door itself or is below it according to the embodiments and which, usually or in release position, closes the access mouth of said collection room.

In the step of collecting the preselected good, the mobile bulkhead also prevents the products fraudulent removal from the display warehouse, it being operatively associated with anti-theft means which inhibit any desire of an ill-intentioned end user to illegitimately take one or more of the products or goods contained on the horizontal shelves of the display and containment warehouse without paying for it. Should the products instead be intended to be sold, but especially rented, such as durable goods, a conventional vending machine of the known art also comprises a keyboard and a screen, or a touch-screen type of screen, which are coupled to the front door or the support casing so as to be available to the user using them to select the products.

Here, the products and/or goods are made available to the user, generally by lateral and front translation, at an outlet mouth through which the previously rented product is returned after the temporary user thereof, again upon the payment of a given amount or the insertion of a prepaid card from which the amount due is automatically deducted.

Also this second type of vending machine comprises transport and delivery means, for example a gripper associated with a carriage sliding along at least two axes or a kind of lift sliding along three axes which, upon the control imparted on the keyboard by the end user, pick the selected (edible or durable) product or good from the display warehouse and convey it, following a lateral and/or vertical translation motion, to the outlet mouth if the user is renting or purchasing the product or good, or in the opposite direction (from the collection compartment to the display warehouse) if the user is returning the rented product or good.

In the field of vending machines of edible products and/or durable goods, vending and/or renting machines provided for the purpose currently available on the market therefore adapt to any requirement of the client (intended as purchaser of the machines themselves), substantially allowing the actual, secure and reliable sale of any type of item, also in outdoor locations.

However, also the most modern, recent and evolved vending machines of the prior art briefly described above have certain recognized drawbacks, in particular associated with the need to ensure the users and operators are provided with the greatest conditions of hygiene, sterilization or disinfection in the environment inside the box-like support casing after each withdrawal of the selected product performed by the users themselves.

This is even more important in sanitary emergency circumstances - also contingent circumstances - due to epidemics or pandemics during which the level of attention and pursuit of hygienic and disinfected conditions of environments, objects, products and items is the highest.

The primary drawback of the vending devices of the current art herein examined is therefore due to the fact that they have hygiene or sterilization levels which, as much as the operator performs the cleaning operations at regular frequencies and thoroughly, are not high or constantly the ideal or optimal ones, especially between one cleaning or maintenance interval and the next and especially at the most sensitive and critical components because they are touched by the users and undoubtedly comprise the control (or command) panel, the collection compartment, often consisting of a shelf on which the product selected each time by the user and to be collected is temporarily housed and, albeit to a more limited extent, the mobile bulkhead which at times the user manually moves to access the collection compartment itself.

This exposes the users who continuously access the vending machine on a daily basis to purchase products, to conditions of risk for their health which, in widespread epidemic or pandemic circumstances, may easily change from potential to actual, rather concrete and real.

Therefore, starting from the awareness of the aforesaid drawbacks of the known art, the present invention proposes to completely and effectively remedy them.

In particular, it is primary purpose of the invention to provide a vending machine (or merchandising machine) of products which has a sanitization level of the inner components, in particular of those with which the user comes in contact, which is decidedly greater than the one of the known vending machines.

In other words, it is main purpose of the current invention to indicate a vending machine of products which allows at least the delivery means with which the products are made directly available to the user to be effectively sterilized. Within the scope of such a purpose, it is therefore a task of the invention to conceive a vending machine of products which automatically and continuously - that is, after each withdrawal of products performed by the user - performs the operation of sterilization, sanitization or disinfection of the most sensitive and critical components thereof, such as in particular, the delivery or transport means.

It is a further purpose of the invention to create a sanitized vending machine of products which also makes the access or approach to a vending machine by persons interested in purchasing one of the products contained in the display warehouse thereof also psychologically safer for their personal health.

It’s a last but not least purpose of the present invention to provide a products vending machine whose construction concept generally is in no way complicated by the additional functionality with which it is provided with respect to known vending machines and which is useful to obtain an effective sanitization of the inner volume of the box-like casing or at least of certain components in the latter.

Said purposes are achieved by a sanitized, sterilized or disinfected vending machine (or merchandising machine) of products and/or goods according to the appended claim 1 , as hereinafter referred for the sake of brevity of disclosure.

Further detailed technical features of the sanitized vending machine of products of the invention are contained in the respective dependent claims.

The aforesaid claims, hereinafter specifically and concretely defined, are an integral part of the present description.

Advantageously, the sanitized vending machine of the invention has a level of sterilization or disinfection which has not been found in any equivalent vending machine of the known type.

This is according to the fact that the vending machine of the invention favorably and positively comprises sterilization means arranged inside the support casing and operatively connected to second actuation means such as, for example a central control and processing unit, which are adapted to activate the sterilization means to sanitize at least the delivery means themselves suitably before each withdrawal of products by the user.

Equally advantageously, therefore, in the invention, the delivery and transport means through which the selected product is made available to the user are continuously sanitized and sterilized after each withdrawal of product by the user, all to the advantage of the collectivity represented by the successive users who access the vending machine of the invention.

Equally advantageously and contrary to the prior art, the sanitized vending machine of the present invention carefully (albeit not absolutely) protects the health of the users who access it to look at the products available and select one of them for consumption, and this by performing a sterilization operation at least of the delivery means through which such a product is made available to the user, after that product was collected by said user.

Moreover, the sanitized vending machine of the invention advantageously is also assuring from a psychological viewpoint for the user approaching it to select and consume a product among those presented in the display warehouse: to this end, the support casing and/or the control panel coupled thereto may transmit a message to the user which signals the sterilization or sanitization function automatically performed by the vending machine of the invention at the end of each withdrawal of the selected product.

Moreover, again advantageously, the sanitized vending machine of the invention has a construction concept which is comparable to those of equivalent vending machines, despite the further technical equipment - represented by the sterilization means - with which it is provided and which significantly sets it apart from the prior art in a non-trivial manner.

Said purposes and advantages indicated will be more apparent from the description that follows, related to preferred embodiments of the sanitized vending machine (or merchandising machine) of products and/or goods (or objects or items) of the invention, given by way of indicative and non-limiting example, with the aid of the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 is the simplified front view of a first embodiment of the sanitized vending machine of the invention;

- figure 2 is the assonometric view of a constructional detail in figure 1 ;

- figure 3 is the front view of figure 2;

- figure 4 is the view in figure 3 according to the section plane IV-IV;

- figure 5 is the view in figure 3 according to the section plane V-V; - figure 6 is the simplified front view of a second embodiment of the sanitized vending machine of the invention;

- figure 7 is the assonometric view of a constructional detail in figure 6;

- figure 8 is the front view of figure 7;

- figure 9 is the view in figure 8 according to the section plane IX-IX;

- figure 10 is the view in figure 8 according to the section plane X-X.

The sanitized or disinfected vending machine of goods and/or products of the invention, adapted in particular to sell delicate products or products which are to be delivered in horizontal position, is shown in figures 4, 5 and 6, where it is indicated as a whole by 1 .

It should be noted that such a sanitized or disinfected vending machine 1 comprises:

- a substantially box-like support casing 2 adapted to rest on a reference surface, such as the floor of a treadable structure accessible to the public, and having an inner collection compartment 3;

- a display warehouse 4 contained in the support casing 2 and formed by a plurality of mutually parallel support shelves 5 spaced apart along a vertical direction (that is arranged at different heights along such a vertical direction Y) and adapted to receive products to be delivered to a user;

- an at least partly transparent front door 6 to allow the user to see the goods and/or the products and thus knowingly make a selection: the front door 6 is rotatably coupled (by rotation means such as one or more hinges 11 vertically aligned with one another along a front intermediate edge 2b of the support casing 2) to the support casing 2 to allow an operator to move it to open/close the support casing 2, for example during periodic maintenance, cleaning, checking and replenishing operations of the products in the housing rows 12 of the display warehouse 4;

- a mobile bulkhead 7 coupled with the front door 6 and cooperating with first actuation means (not shown in the accompanying drawings) which are adapted to move it between a release (or lowered or protruding) position in which the mobile bulkhead 7 closes an access mouth 8 of the collection compartment 3, and a return (or raised, lifted or recessed) position in which the movable bulkhead 7 opens the access mouth 8 for the withdrawal and/or return of the products;

- delivery means, indicated as a whole by 9, cooperating with the display warehouse 4 to direct the products selected by the user to the collection compartment 3 and/or bring back to the display warehouse 4 the products returned by the user through the access mouth 8.

In accordance with the invention, the disinfected vending machine 1 comprises sterilization means, indicated as a whole by 10, arranged inside the support casing 2 and operatively connected to second actuation means (not shown) adapted to activate the sterilization means 10 to sanitize at least the delivery means 9 before each withdrawal of the products by the user, notably the users following the one who just collected the selected product.

Here, in a preferred but non-binding manner, the first actuation means coincide with the second actuation means and for example, comprise a central processing and control unit (not shown in the accompanying drawings) belonging to a control panel contained inside the box-like support casing 2, where it is accessible only to the operator through a side door (not shown in the following drawings).

In this specific and preferred embodiment of the invention, the central processing and control unit also manages all the movements of the components of the sanitized vending machine 1 of the invention shown in accompanying figures 1 -5.

The sanitized vending machine 1 of the invention is convenient and practical to use both for the client/purchaser and for the end user: indeed, it does not force the end user purchasing the product to bend down to collect it, rather it delivers it at breast height, at about 85-90 cm from the reference surface.

In this regard, as seen in figure 1 , the inner collection compartment 3 in the sanitized vending machine 1 of the invention is arranged in the middle (with respect to the reference consisting of the vertical direction Y) of the partly transparent front door 6 (or display case) and preferably, also the mobile bulkhead 7 is completely transparent.

This solution facilitates the withdrawal and return by the user of the product which is selected and delivered by virtue of the opening, here automatic opening, of the motorized mobile bulkhead 7 and the position thereof at about 85-90 cm from the reference surface, also designed in consideration of the needs of disabled persons or persons with mobility problems.

The vending machine 1 of the present invention is an apparatus provided with the most evolved and advanced technology such as, for example an LCD touchscreen control panel 13, front/rear loading of the products or goods by the operator, electronic price screen 14, various payment systems (also the most innovative ones), which are indicated as a whole by 15.

According to technological solutions already currently available in known apparatuses in the field at hand, the sanitized vending machine 1 of the invention also comprises a self-diagnosis system prior to each delivery adapted to verify the operating status of the housing rows 12 of the products and/or goods to be delivered to the end users.

It shall be understood that the first actuation means may be separate from the second actuation means in other embodiments of the sanitized vending machine of the invention (not depicted hereinafter): for example, the first actuation means may be of the manual type and comprise the hand of a user who rotates or slides the mobile bulkhead, while the second actuation means may again be of the automatic type and again include the central processing and control unit introduced above.

With regards to the sterilization means 10, they are electrically connected to the aforesaid second actuation means which, in addition to being as mentioned of the automatic type, are coupled to the support casing 2 and can be operated by the user by the LCD control panel 13, here of the touch screen type, belonging to the control panel.

More in detail, the sterilization means 10 here preferably are coupled only to the delivery means 9 by stable fixing means, indicated as a whole by 16 and indicated in detail in figures 2 and 3.

Preferably, but not exclusively, the stable fixing means 16 include any one of the coupling systems chosen from the group consisting of glues, screw means, interlocking means, coupling means and so on.

It should also be noted that the sterilization means 10 may be activated when the delivery means 9 are completely facing only the front door 6 and are as far apart as possible or staggered in height (along the vertical direction Y) from the components made of plastic material, and especially from the collection compartment 3 and from the mobile bulkhead 7 of the vending machine 1 of the invention.

As may be noted in figure 1 , this preferably materializes by temporarily arranging the delivery means 9 at a sanitization zone Z preferably but suitably defined in the top part 2a and in the inner volume 23 of the support casing 2 of the vending machine 1 of the invention, at the top of the collection compartment 3 and the mobile bulkhead 7, and orienting the sterilization means 10 downwards.

According to the preferred embodiment herein described of the invention, the sterilization means 10 include a radiation source 17 (such as a gaseous discharge lamp, an LED lamp or a gas laser) of ultraviolet rays (or radiation), more preferably class C (or sometimes, although less preferably, class A) which, when activated, emits a light with adequate intensity and with germicidal function, possibly colored to signal to everyone that sanitization is in progress.

More specifically, such class C ultraviolet rays substantially are invisible to the human eye and have a wavelength comprised in the 100-280 nm band (or range), preferably in the 270-278 nm band, and namely equal to 275 nm in which the power peak is encountered.

Instead, in the less frequent case in which the ultraviolet rays are in class A, the wavelength thereof is comprised in the 315-450 nm band (or range).

When the delivery means 9 include a transport member 18, such as a lift with horizontal extension sliding at least vertically and interposed between the display warehouse 4 and the front door 6 inside the support casing 2 (as shown in the example in figures 1 -5 where such a transport member 18 extends for almost the entire width of the transparent door 6 associated with the support casing 2), the radiation source 17 is arranged on a longitudinal bar 19 coupled to the transport member 18 and mainly oriented and facing towards an upper surface 20a belonging to a base plane 20 of the transport member 18 and housing the product selected each time by the user, as also shown in accompanying figures 4 and 5.

In particular, the longitudinal bar 19 is provided with opposing ends 19a, 19b coupled by the aforesaid stable fixing means 16 to two respective opposing lateral walls 21 , 22 facing the transport member 18, wherein such side walls 21 , 22 protrude orthogonally upwards from the base plane 20.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the longitudinal bar 19 supporting the radiation source 17 is partly oriented, in any case suitably, also towards at least one of the support shelves 5 of the display warehouse 4 which house the exhibited products available for selection by the user.

Thereby, almost indirectly but advantageously, the vending machine 1 of the invention allows also disinfecting a non-negligible part (at least two support shelves 5) of the display warehouse 4 and of the packaged products therein housed and exhibited to the user.

It should be understood that further embodiments of the sanitized vending machine of the invention (not shown in the accompanying drawings) may provide for the sterilization means to be coupled, by the stable fixing means, only to the display warehouse or both to the display warehouse and to the delivery means, while also providing suitable construction adaptations or contrivances when such components are applied.

Again with reference to the radiation source 17, it preferably is provided with intermittent driving means (not shown in the accompanying drawings) adapted to be operated by the second actuation means when the sterilization means 10 are operating - activated by the second actuation means themselves - at the sanitization zone Z spaced apart in height from the collection compartment 3.

According to what is indicated above, it is suitable for the front door 6 to be made of shielding material such as, for example a shatter-proof heat-absorbing glass sheet with which it is conventionally made and installed, adapted to stop the visual transmission of the class C (or class A) ultraviolet rays to the outside.

The sanitized vending machine 1 shown in figures 1 -5 lends itself to the sale of many different products; the withdrawal door (that is the mobile bulkhead 7) is positioned at breast height, allowing the products to be collected without the user requiring to bend over and the transport member 18 delivers them through the withdrawal door 7 without overturning or damaging them.

Here, therefore, the delivery of the products occurs by a system which does not provide spirals, thus allowing the various support shelves to be efficiently and freely organized according to the requirements of the end operator installing the machine: thereby, also very fragile and delicate products may be delivered.

When required, the sanitized vending machine 1 of the invention is also provided with a sliding, shatter-proof laminar panel (not depicted in the accompanying drawings) serving the function of stopping access to and the view of the support shelf 5 placed immediately behind the mobile bulkhead 7 when this is raised to allow the delivery of the selected and dispensed product to the user.

When the sanitized vending machine 1 of the invention is not in delivery step, the sliding laminar panel remains in rest position, concealed from sight and non- operational, to allow the user to see all the products in the display warehouse 4.

The following figures 6-10 show a first possible embodiment of the invention in which the sanitized vending machine, the object of invention itself, is indicated as a whole by 50.

It differs from the sanitized vending machine described above and indicated by 1 especially in the construction concept of the delivery means, indicated as a whole by 58: indeed, unlike the transport member 18 running the whole width of the front door 6 shown in figures 1 -5, here the delivery means 58 comprise a transport member 67, such as a carriage with a contained width (also called shuttle), controlled by a robotic system.

The transport member 67 therefore extends horizontally for a much smaller width L2 than the whole width Li of the front door 55 and moves over at least two axes, transporting the product from the support shelves 54 of the display warehouse 53 to the collection or withdrawal compartment 52 obtained in the side service column (or console) 66 of the box-like casing 51 and accessible by an access mouth 57 at which the mobile bulkhead 56 is mounted, also in this case motorized and automatically controlled by the second actuation means.

Figures 6-10 highlight that the sterilization means (indicated as a whole by 59) also in this case preferably are of the same type as the sterilization means 10 and are coupled to the delivery means 58 by stable fixing means (indicated as a whole by 65), in particular in the top part of the transport carriage 67, in substantially equivalent manner to the system used to couple the sterilization means 10 to the delivery means 9 described above. Another significant difference between the sanitized vending machine 50 being described and the sanitized vending machine 1 described above refers to the position of the sanitization zone Z of the delivery means 58 that is defined in a corner of the lower part 51 b and in the inner volume 60 of the support casing 51 , in any case always in front of the front door 55 made of shielding material and at least partly (but sufficiently) transparent, for example heat-absorbing shatter-proof glass.

The sanitized vending machine 50 of the invention is of the utmost reliability at the time of delivery by virtue of the preferred presence of photosensors arranged at the side of the transport carriage 67 and capable of recognizing the incoming and outgoing product.

The conveyor belt 68, which is incorporated in the transport member 67, forms the base plane and is operatively connected to the second actuation means, also allows the sale of delicate products or products which are to be delivered in horizontal position.

Summarizing, the sanitized vending machine 50 of the invention allows the completely secure sale of even products with a high nominal value - such as, for example technological objects such as smartphones, tablets, printer cartridges, watches, PC accessories, cameras, videogames, frames for glasses or clothing - especially by virtue of the robotic system with which it is provided and the control panel 62 of the touch screen type which facilitates displaying the data related to the objects for sale with the addition of images, descriptions and videos.

Should, according to an alternative embodiment of the sanitized vending machine of the invention (not accompanied by the reference drawings below), the delivery means instead comprise a plurality of conventional parallel spirals arranged in each of the support shelves of the display warehouse, the radiation source of the sterilization means may be arranged on a longitudinal bar coupled with a front edge of at least one of the support shelves and/or with an upper inner wall of the box-like support casing on which it is suitably oriented so as to involve the components to be disinfected.

In further embodiments of the sanitized vending machine of the invention (not shown below), the sterilization or disinfection means may be of another type and comprise, for example at least one ozonator or an alternative ultraviolet ray germicidal radiation source, conventionally of the ozone gas type: in this case, such sterilization means may be activated during the night when access to the vending machine of the invention is prohibited or by providing the temporary inhibition thereof for a sufficient and set time period.

In light of the foregoing description, it can be therefore understood that the sanitized vending machine (or merchandising machine) of products and/or goods of the invention achieves the purposes and reaches advantages mentioned above. Modifications may be made to the sanitized vending machine (or merchandising machine) of products of the current invention in the implementation step, consisting of, for example delivery means which differ from those described above and shown in the accompanying drawings.

In addition, other embodiments of the sanitized vending machine (or merchandising machine) of products herein exclusively claimed (not disclosed below) may exist, in which the display warehouse and the mobile bulkhead may have a different construction configuration from the one shown in the accompanying drawings and partly described above, which does not affect the advantage brought about by the present invention.

Other embodiments of the vending machine (or merchandising machine) of goods and/or products of the invention (again, not depicted) may provide for the display warehouse to consist of a different number of horizontal support shelves from the one shown in the accompanying drawings, such a number being variable starting from two according to the construction selections and/or application requirements. Finally, it is clear that several other variants may be made to the sanitized vending machine at hand, without departing from the principles of novelty inherent in the inventive idea, just as it is clear that in the practical implementation of the invention, the materials, shapes and sizes of the details shown may be any according to the requirements and may be replaced by other technically equivalent elements.

Where the constructive features and techniques mentioned in the successive claims are followed by references signs or numerals, such reference signs were introduced for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims themselves and accordingly, such reference signs have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example only by such reference signs.