US 12,347,260 B2
Cup holder for a beverage vending machine
Dan Alexie Sirbu Villa, Milan (IT)
Assigned to EVOCA S.P.A., Milan (IT)
Appl. No. 17/768,566
Filed by EVOCA S.P.A., Milan (IT)
PCT Filed Oct. 19, 2020, PCT No. PCT/IB2020/059822
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 13, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/074911, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 22, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19204194 (EP), filed on Oct. 18, 2019; application No. 102020000024493 (IT), filed on Oct. 16, 2020; and application No. 102020000024496 (IT), filed on Oct. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0177909 A1, Jun. 8, 2023
Int. Cl. G07F 13/10 (2006.01)
CPC G07F 13/10 (2013.01) 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cup holder designed to be mountable in a beverage vending machine to support an individual cup in a filling station and/or in a picking station; the cup holder having a vertical axis, the cup holder comprising:
a cup retention device, which defines a cup retention area intended to be occupied by a cup when the cup is supported by the cup retention device;
wherein the cup retention device comprises a plurality of cup retention members mounted to be slidable in respective radial directions relative to the axis so as to adapt a dimension of the cup retention area to a dimension of the cup to be supported; and
an electric actuator and a transmission designed to kinematically connect the electric actuator to the cup retention members and transform a rotary motion of the electric actuator into a simultaneous linear motion of the cup retention members in the respective radial directions,
wherein the transmission comprises a crank and slotted link comprising a wheel with a rotation axis parallel to said axis and designed to receive a rotary motion from the electric actuator, and an intermediate member arranged between the wheel and the cup retention members and provided with a slot engaged by a pin integral to the wheel to transform the rotary motion of the wheel into a reciprocating motion of the intermediate member relative to said axis.