FR2912300A1 - Product e.g. jacket and trousers, dispensing cabinet element for enterprise, has shuttle controlling successive displacement of racks from distribution position to storage position during return movement of shuttle - Google Patents

Abstract

The element (3) has a parallelepiped structure (32) with racks (10) movable between a horizontal storage position and a downward inclined position i.e. distribution position, during displacement of the racks. The structure has a shuttle (13) stimulated with raising and lowering movements along the structure. The shuttle controls successive displacement of the racks from the storage position to the distribution position during leaving movement of the shuttle, and successive displacement of the racks from the distribution position to the storage position during return movement of the shuttle.

Description

The present invention relates to a furniture component distributor of

  products, in particular folded linen, being in the form of a shelf structure, adapted to be housed at least partially in a protective enclosure of the contents of the shelves to form, in cooperation with said enclosure generally equipped with access means a furniture distributor of the contents of the shelves, said shelves, arranged in the superimposed state and pivotally mounted on the structure, being movable during their pivotal displacement between a substantially horizontal position, said storage of Io products to be dispensed, and a downwardly inclined, so-called dispensing position, in which the products stored on the shelf slide towards the base of the structure forming a zone for receiving the products to be dispensed before delivery, as well as a product dispensing cabinet comprising at least one such element. In many companies, employees must wear specific work clothes as part of their activity. These work clothes are usually managed by the company that employs them or by a subcontracting company specialized in the cleaning of work clothes. The management, and more particularly the distribution, of work clothes is relatively heavy because of the human resource costs and the difficulty of setting up a reliable distribution.

  At present, some automatic laundry dispensing devices exist but are generally complicated and expensive. Thus, patent WO2004086165 describes a device consisting of a closed enclosure containing various dedicated and juxtaposed locations, a controller controlled by a control system, and a delivery zone of the laundry. Each dedicated location contains a type of storied garment, in the stacked state, according to its size and / or color characteristics. The automaton, placed inside the enclosure, is controlled by a control device placed outside the dispensing device. The automaton is suspended above the locations each containing a type of laundry and guided in displacement by a transmission member along a horizontal guide rail. When a person comes to the laundry distribution device, he selects, via a command interface, the laundry he wants, and function of different parameters, such as color and / or size. Thus, when the choice of clothing is made, the controller moves along the guide rail to the location containing the desired laundry. The automaton seizes, thanks to a suitable gripping means, the laundry then brings it to the vertical of the delivery zone. The means of prehension then releases the linen I seized. This falls into the delivery zone located in the lower zone of the enclosure. The employee can then retrieve the ordered linen.

  The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is on the one hand to simplify the automatic laundry dispensing mechanism by avoiding the presence of an automaton, such as an articulated arm and the associated elements such as: that position sensors, guide rail, and secondly to present locations for storing for distribution, indifferently a linen or a set of linens such as jacket + pants in each of the locations.

  A first object of the present invention is to provide an automated and reliable distribution of laundry by means of a simplified design linen dispensing device.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide yin piece of furniture 25 whose design allows storing the folded laundry to be distributed in individual compartments so as to accommodate a set such as jacket + pants.

  A final object of the present invention is also to provide a piece of furniture for automatic distribution of laundry easily movable.

  For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a product dispenser element, in particular folded laundry, in the form of a shelving structure, able to be housed at least partially in a protective enclosure for the contents of the containers. shelves for forming, in cooperation with said enclosure generally equipped with means of access, a furniture distributor of the contents of the shelves, said shelves, arranged in the superimposed state and mounted to pivot on the structure, being movable during their pivotal movement between a substantially horizontal position, known as storage, of the products to be dispensed and a downwardly inclined position, called distribution, in which the products stored on the shelf slide towards the base of the structure forming a reception zone of the pro Juits to distribute before delivery, characterized in that the structure is equipped, in addition, at least one animated shuttle a movement of up and down along said structure, the or each shuttle commander during sc, n movement said go, the successive displacement of the shelves from the storage position to the dispensing position and during its movement said return, the successive displacement of the shelves from the dispensing position to the storage position.

  Preferably, each shelf is held in storage position by means of at least one locking member co-operating with a complementary locking member disposed on the structure, the or each shuttle 20 controlling during its movement to go the passage of the locked position at the unlocked position of said member; and during its return movement, the return to the locked position of these organs.

  Preferably, one of the at least two locking members for locking between the structure and the shelf is spring-loaded in the locked position, and in that the or each shuttle exerts, during its forward movement, on said member locking a force against the action of the spring for unlocking said locking members between them. Preferably, the spring-loaded locking member is carried by the shelf support structure.

  Preferably, each shelf is, during the return movement of the or each shuttle, driven in displacement from the dispensing position corresponding to the unlocked position of said locking members to the storage position corresponding to the locked position of said locking members by simple effort of the or each shuttle on the shelf, in particular on a support lever equipping said shelf.

  Preferably, the or each support lever is a lever with two branches, integral in rotation with the shelf, one of the branches being integral in displacement from the locking member of the shelf to the structure.

  Preferably, each shelf is, during its passage from the storage position to the dispensing position, limited in angular displacement by means of at least one stop. Preferably, the or each angular displacement limiting abutment of each shelf is formed by the edge of a lumen formed in the support structure and inside which the locking member of the shelf moves during from its passage from the storage position to the distribution position

  Preferably, the or each shuttle is formed of a part integral with an endless transmission, said transmission being driven in a step-by-step movement and then a return movement from appropriate control means. forward movement corresponding to the height of the stack of shelves to go, each step corresponding substantially to the distance between two shelves superimposed.

  Preferably, the or each shuttle is animated with a vertical upward movement called upward movement and a downward vertical downward movement. The present invention also relates to a furniture product dispenser, in particular folded laundry, to a plurality of users, said furniture comprising at least one piece of furniture in the form of a shelving structure and at least one enclosure protection of the contents of the shelves at least partially housing said furniture element, said enclosure being equipped with access means to a delivery zone of the products to be dispensed, characterized in that the or each furniture element is of the aforementioned type.

  The invention will be better understood on reading the following description of an exemplary embodiment, with reference to the appended drawings in which:

  - Figure 1 is a front view of the laundry vending machine according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a piece of furniture according to the invention;

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the area C of FIG. 2; - Figure 4 is a perspective view of a furniture element in which one of the side walls has been removed;

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the zone K of FIG. 4 and

  - Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the area K of Figure 4, in which a lever 16 has been removed.

  As mentioned above, the subject of the invention is an item 3 of furniture 30 automatic product dispenser, intended to automatically distribute in one by one products and more particularly folded laundry, and a piece of furniture 1 automatic laundry machine integrating such a piece of furniture. As shown in FIG. 1, the folded laundry machine 1 comprises an enclosure 2 for protecting the contents of the furniture housing at least one, preferably a plurality of distributor furniture elements 3 arranged side by side, means 4 desired linen delivery control and a laundry delivery zone 5. The enclosure 2 of protection comprises an optionally transparent facade for viewing the products to be dispensed and access means, such as a hatch, inside said enclosure for extracting the furniture product to be dispensed. The delivery zone 5 of the furniture, positioned in the lower part of the furniture 1 lo dispenser, may be separate for each element 3 furniture distributor or be common to all the elements 3 of furniture. The furniture 1 distributor also comprises means 6 of displacement, such as wheels.

  The folded laundry dispensing control means 4 may be of different natures. In a first configuration of the control means 4, a control means 4 is envisaged, such as a push button, associated with each furniture element 3. In a second configuration, not shown, control means 4, there is provided an electronic device 20 for controlling and controlling the furniture elements 3. Each person is provided with an individual electronic card, this card containing a number or identification code. The control and control device has a card reader and an interface connecting said reader to a database. This database contains the personal information relating to each smart card owner, and makes it possible to associate with each number or identification code of a smart card, characteristics specific to the owner of said smart card, such as than its size, the color of its garment, its gender (masculine or feminine). Thus, when reading the electronic card, the interface queries the database, which recognizes the number or identification code of the owner of the smart card and defines the characteristics of the laundry to be delivered. In a last configuration, not shown, control means 4, these include the device for controlling and controlling the furniture elements 3 as described above, a piece of furniture dedicated to the rendering of used laundry, this piece of furniture being provided with a device chip reader, and a computer for managing the distribution and rendering of laundry. In this case, each cloth is equipped with an identification chip. The computer is connected to both the furniture distributor, the control device and control of the furniture distributor, and furniture dedicated to rendering used laundry. When returning the used laundry, the person presents his personal smart card to identify himself, a hatch of the furniture dedicated to the rendering of used laundry opens allowing access to a reception area of said used laundry. The person inserts the subject laundry into said receiving area. A chip reading device reads the information contained in the electronic chip of used laundry deposited in said reception area. The information contained in the electronic chip of the laundry, as well as in the personal smart card, is then transmitted to the computer, which thus manages the traceability of the laundry 15 via a database. The distribution of the folded laundry is performed, in the same way as the second proposed configuration of the control means 4.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the furniture element 3 has the shape of a parallelepipedal structure 32 formed of uprights 7 and profiled cross-members 8. The lateral faces of said structure comprise so-called cheek side walls 9a, 9b, the cheek 9a being provided with a plurality of apertures 18 and apertures 33, whereas the cheek 9b is provided only with apertures 33. rear faces 11 and bottom 12 are provided with walls 25 preferably solid. The front face, meanwhile, is not provided with a wall, this for the purpose of forming an access zone inside the furniture element 3.

  The furniture furniture element 3 or each furniture element 3 comprises 3o a plurality of shelves 10, these shelves 10 being arranged in the superimposed state and pivotally mounted on the cheeks 9a, 9b to move from a substantially horizontal position. , called storage, of the products to be dispensed, at a downwardly inclined position, called distribution, in which the products stored on the shelf 10 slide in the direction of the base of the structure 32. Each element 3 of furniture comprises a product to distribute the same from one shelf 10 to another. Each shelf 10 is provided with a lever 16, linked in displacement with the shelf 10 with which it is associated. Furthermore, each shelf 10 is, in its storage position, locked to an upright 7 of the structure 32 by locking means cooperating with means 17 for locking the structure 32 arranged in the superimposed state along said upright 7 , in a position substantially opposite the shelf 10 with which they are associated. The furniture element 3 is furthermore equipped with at least one shuttle 13, the latter being mounted on the profiled upright 7. In the examples shown, each piece of furniture 3 is equipped with a single shuttle 13. Equally, the or each furniture element 3 could be equipped with two 1s shuttles 13 operating in synchronism, each shuttle 13 moving in one direction parallel to an amount 7 of the structure 32.

  Said shuttle 13 is slidably movable up and down along the upright 7, by means of an endless transmission member 14, such as a belt, actuated by a motor 15, preferably electric. During its upward vertical movement in ascending succession, the shuttle 13 controls the successive passage of each shelf 10 from its storage position to its downwardly inclined position, said dispensing position. Conversely, during the descent movement, preferably continuous, of the shuttle 13, the latter 25 controls the successive passage of each shelf 10 from the dispensing position to the storage position.

  As illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, each shelf 10 is carried by two coaxial axes 19, each connecting the shelf 10 to one of the cheeks 9a, 9b and 30 forming the pivot axis of the shelf 10. Each axis 19 is adapted to be housed in an opening 33 formed in the cheeks 9a and 9b. A lever 16 is mounted on the axis 19 connecting the shelf to the cheek 9a and disposed on the outer face of the cheek 9a. This lever 16 has the general shape of an L.

  According to a first embodiment of the invention according to that shown, a notch 21 is formed at the end of one of the branches of the L, forming the lever 16. Each shelf 10 is further provided with a axis 20, s said locking member 20, disposed near the axis 19 and substantially parallel to the axis 19. Moreover, this locking member 20 is housed in the notch 21 of the lever 16 and connected in displacement with said lever 16. The shelf 10 + lever 16 + locking member 20 thus form a unitary assembly in rotation. This locking member 20 is able to move in the ~ o light 18, formed in the cheek 9a. In this first embodiment, the axis 19 of pivoting of the shelf is mounted free to rotate relative to the bearing surface of the shelf 10.

  According to a second equivalent embodiment, each shelf 10 is rotatably connected to the lever 16 via the axis 19 of pivoting of the shelf 10, this axis 19 being mounted integral in rotation with the bearing surface. from the shelf. The lever 16 is provided with an axis 20, said locking member 20, this locking member 20 being arranged and fixedly attached to one of the branches of said lever 16. The shelf 10 + axis 19 + lever 16 thus form a together 20 secured in displacement. The locking member 20 is able to move in the light 18, formed in the cheek 9a.

  As illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6, the means 17 for locking the shelf 10 carried by the structure 32 are placed in the superimposed state along the upright 7, each being positioned at the height of the shelf 10. which he is associated. Each means 17 for locking the structure 32, intended to cooperate with the locking member 20 carried by the shelf 10 to immobilize the shelf 10 in the storage position, comprises a support 22 fixed to the upright 7, a spring not shown in the figures, a latch 23, said complementary locking member 30 pivotally mounted on said support 22 and a wheel 24 free to rotate relative to the complementary locking member 23. The axis of rotation between the support 22 and the complementary locking member 23 is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the wheel 24. The spring 25 positioned between said support 22 and said complementary locking member 23 exerts a force on said member 23 to maintain it in a determined position, called locking. Furthermore, the complementary locking member 23 has a lower edge 29 in the form of a bevel and a notch 28 formed transversely and positioned above said edge 29. This notch 28 houses the locking member 20 carried by the shelf 10 in storage position of the shelf.

  The shuttle 13, slidably mounted along the upright 7, affects the shape lo of a square, one 13a of the branches of the bracket ensuring the translational guidance of the shuttle along the upright 7, the other arm 13b carrying two axes 26, 27 of unequal length and substantially parallel to the axis 19 of rotation of the shelf 10.

  When a shelf 10 is in the so-called storage position, that is to say in a substantially horizontal position in the furniture element 3, the locking members 20 and 23 are in locked position relative to each other. the other. The locking member 20 of the shelf is housed in the notch 28 of the complementary locking member 23, the latter being subjected to the action of the spring. When a shelf 10 is in a downwardly inclined position, said dispensing position, the members 20 and 23 are no longer in contact. The locking member 20 is then abutting against the edge of the slot 18, this edge forming a stop 30 for limiting the angular displacement of the shelf 10.

  When a person actuates the control means 4, the latter control the shuttle 13 in displacement, the latter being previously prepositioned in abutment against a low position detection member 31, called the initial position, on the upright 7.

  The displacement of the shuttle 13 along the upright 7 is carried out step by step for the upward vertical movement, while it is performed, preferably continuously, for the downward movement downward 2912300 He vertical thanks to the motor 15 step-by-step drive. The pitch corresponds substantially to the height between two shelves 10. During the vertical upward movement of the shuttle 13, the axis 27 of the shuttle 13 exerts a pressure on the wheel 24 against the load of the spring. The wheel 24 5 causes the angular displacement of the complementary locking member 23. This angular displacement of the complementary locking member 23 around the support 22 causes disengagement of the locking member 20 of the shelf 10 from the notch 28 of the complementary locking member 23. The locking members 20 and 23 are then in the unlocked state. The unlocking of said members 20 and 23 allows the angular displacement of the shelf 10, under the effect of its own weight and the laundry that it supports, around its axis 19, and the passage from the storage position to the position of distribution. The inclination of the shelf 10 causes the laundry to slide to the base of the furniture element 3 in the delivery zone 5 so that the person can take the ordered laundry. The extreme dispensing position is reached when the axis 20 constituting the locking member 20 of the shelf 10 is in abutment with the limit stop 30 of angular displacement formed by the edge of the light 18.

  When all the shelves 10 of the furniture element 3 have been emptied of their contents, the shuttle 13, controlled by the motor 15, returns to its initial position. When it returns, the shuttle 13 performs a continuous vertical downward movement. The axis 26 of the shuttle 13 actuates, for each shelf 10, the lever 16, causing rotation, about the axis 19, of the lever assembly 16 + 25 shelf 10 + 20 locking member. When the shelf 10 substantially reaches the storage position, the locking member 20 actuates, in cooperation with the bevel-shaped edge 29, the complementary locking member 23. Since the force exerted by the locking member on said member 23 is greater than the load exerted by the spring on said member 23, the cylindrical surface of the locking member 20 slides on the edge 29 and causes the rotation of the locking member 23 against the action of the spring. When the locking member 20 reaches up to the notch 28 of the locking member 23, the load exerted by the spring becomes greater than the action of the locking member 20 on said member 23, the spring then causing the rotation of the locking member 23. The locking member 20 is housed in the notch 28, thus locking the position of the shelf 10 in the storage position. During its vertical upward or downward vertical movements, the shuttle 13 acts on each shelf 10 that it encounters.

  It should be noted, moreover, that the mechanism described can be indifferently io disposed on the right side, that is to say on the upright 7 and the cheek 9a, or left side (not shown in the figures), it is on the other upright 7 and the cheek 9b, with respect to the element 3 of furniture distributor. It can, moreover, be present on both sides of the element 3 furniture distributor, this embodiment is not shown. In this case, a single motor 15 can drive the two shuttles 13. This application will be considered more in the case of a large weight of laundry per shelf 10.

Claims (11)

  1. Item (3) furniture product dispenser, in particular folded laundry, in the form of a structure (32) with shelves (10), adapted to be housed at least partially in a chamber (2) protection the contents of the shelves (10) for forming, in cooperation with said enclosure (2) generally equipped with access means, a furniture (1) dispensing the contents of the shelves (10), said shelves (10) arranged at the superimposed state and pivotally mounted on the structure (32), being movable during their pivotal displacement between a substantially horizontal position, called storage, the products to be dispensed and a downwardly inclined position, said distribution, in which the products stored on the shelf (10) slide towards the base of the structure (32) forming a zone (5) for receiving the products to be dispensed before delivery, characterized in that the structure (32) is equipped, furthermore , of the self ns a shuttle (13) animated by a movement of up and down along said structure (32), the or each shuttle (13) controlling during its movement said go, the successive displacement of the shelves (10) of the position storage at the dispensing position and during its so-called return movement, the successive displacement of the shelves (10) from the dispensing position to the storage position.   2. Element (3) furniture product dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that each shelf (10) is held in the storage position via at least one locking member (20) cooperating with a member (23) complementary locking arranged on the structure (32), the or each shuttle (13) controlling during its movement go the passage from the locked position to the unlocked position of said locking members (20, 23) and during its return movement, the return to the locked position of said members (20, 23).   3. Element (3) of furniture product distributor according to claim 2, characterized in that one of the at least two locking members (20, 23) 13servant interlocking between structure (32) and shelf (10) is recalled by spring in the locked position, and in that the or each shuttle (13) exerts, during its forward movement, on said locking member (23) a force against the action of the spring in order to an unlocking of said locking members (20, 23) between them.   4. Product distribution furniture element (3) according to claim 3, characterized in that the spring loaded locking member (23) is carried by the support structure (32) of the shelves (10).   5. Item (3) furniture product distributor according to claim 2, characterized in that each shelf (10) is, during the return movement of the or each shuttle (13), driven in displacement of the dispensing position corresponding to the unlocked position of said locking members (20, 23) at the storage position corresponding to the locked position of said locking members (20, 23) by simple effort of the or each shuttle (13) on the shelf (10). ), in particular on a support lever (16) equipping said shelf (10).   6. Product furniture furniture element according to claim 5, characterized in that the or each lever (16) of support is a lever (16) with two branches, integral in rotation with the shelf (10), the one of the branches being integral in displacement of the member (20) for locking the shelf (10) to the structure (32).   7. Element (3) furniture product dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that each shelf (10) is, during its passage from the storage position to the dispensing position, limited displacement Angularly via at least one stop (30).   8. Product distributing furniture element according to claim 7, characterized in that the or each stop (30) for limiting the angular displacement of each shelf (10) is formed by the edge of a light (18) formed in the structure (32) support and inside which the member (20) locking the shelf (10) moves during its passage from the storage position to the dispensing position.   9. Element (3) furniture product distributor according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the or each shuttle (13) is formed of a part integral with an endless transmission (14), said transmission (14) being animated Io a step-by-step movement and then a return movement from appropriate control means (4), the forward movement or respectively the return movement corresponding to the height of the stack of shelves (10) to go, each step corresponding substantially to the distance between two shelves (10) superimposed. 15   10. Element (3) furniture product dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the or each shuttle (13) is animated a vertical upward movement said rising and downward movement vertical 20 says descent.   11. Furniture (1) distributing products, in particular folded laundry, to a plurality of users, said furniture (1) comprising at least one furniture element (3) in the form of a structure (32) to shelves (10) and at least one enclosure (2) for protecting the contents of the shelves (10) at least partially housing said furniture element (3), said enclosure (2) being provided with means for access to a zone ( 5) for dispensing the products to be dispensed, characterized in that the or each furniture element (3) is in accordance with one of claims 1 to 10.