Abstract: A cup feed unit for supplying cups in a beverage vending machine, wherein the cups are fed through an annular body, which has a substantially vertical axis, internally defines a through passage of diameter D, and has a number of locators, which are fitted to the annular body, are equally spaced about the axis, and are movable between a normal rest position, in which the locators limit the through passage to define a smaller passage of diameter D1<D, and a withdrawn position, in which the locators are positioned outside the through passage.

Abstract: An assembly for dispensing stir-sticks and sugar in a beverage vending machine, the assembly having a fixed storage device defined by two stores, each for housing a respective stack of stir-sticks; an extracting device associated with the storage device and having, for each store, a respective extractor associated with the relative store and for extracting individual stir-sticks from the relative store; a sugar dispensing device; and an actuating device common to the two extractors, and which operates either one of the extractors at each operating cycle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic product dispenser, i.e. vending machine featuring improved product delivery ability. The vending machine according to the present invention comprises at least one tray (5) for supporting the products (2) to be dispensed, which is arranged in a substantially horizontal manner and is subdivided into a plurality of compartments (6), at least a conveyor belt (9) for handling the products (2) within said compartments (6) and conveying said products (2) towards a release section (35); the inventive vending machine further comprises delivery means (17) provided close to said release section (35). The inventive vending machine is characterized in that at least one of said compartments (6) is so configured as to be able to receive products (2) arranged along two rows, and in that it comprises selection means (19) adapted to arrange said products (2) into a single row in proximity of said release section (35).

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a delta-sigma modulator incorporating a delta-sigma modulation loop having an analog-to-digital converter in a forward path and a digital-to-analog converter in a feedback path such that the ADC is arranged to receive samples of an analog input signal. The ADC is operably coupled to auto-ranging logic arranged to shift a digital output signal from the ADC representative of the analog input signal to counteract an effect of an input variation of the analog input signal. In this manner, the application of auto-ranging logic with a self-recovery technique supports a reduction of the number of comparators required in a multi-bit delta-sigma ADC.

Abstract: In one embodiment the present invention includes a circuit for calibrating analog and digital circuits. The circuit includes an analog input stage, a discrete time processing stage, a DAC, and a calibration circuit. The analog input stage includes an input resistance and the DAC includes a capacitance. The input resistance and the capacitance set a time constant for the circuit. A reference signal is applied to the input of the analog input stage, and the calibration circuit generates a control signal to adjust the time constant. As the time constant is changed, a digitized signal at the output of the discrete time processing stage also changes. When the digitized signal crosses a threshold set by a digital reference signal, the time constant is calibrated.

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprises a delta-sigma modulator incorporating a delta-sigma modulation loop having an analog-to-digital converter in a forward path and a digital-to-analog converter in a feedback path such that the ADC is arranged to receive samples of an analog input signal. The ADC is operably coupled to auto-ranging logic arranged to shift a digital output signal from the ADC representative of the analog input signal to counteract an effect of an input variation of the analog input signal. In this manner, the application of auto-ranging logic with a self-recovery technique supports a reduction of the number of comparators required in a multi-bit delta-sigma ADC.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an automatic product dispenser, i.e. vending machine featuring improved product delivery ability. The vending machine according to the present invention comprises at least one tray (5) for supporting the products (2) to be dispensed, which is arranged in a substantially horizontal manner and is subdivided into a plurality of compartments (6), at least a conveyor belt (9) for handling the products (2) within said compartments (6) and conveying said products (2) towards a release section (35); the inventive vending machine further comprises delivery means (17) provided close to said release section (35). The inventive vending machine is characterized in that at least one of said compartments (6) is so configured as to be able to receive products (2) arranged along two rows, and in that it comprises selection means (19) adapted to arrange said products (2) into a single row in proximity of said release section (35).

Abstract: Packaged-product vending machine comprising a bearing structure (2) provided with an access door (3) and a storage compartment (4) in which there is mounted at least a tray (5) adapted to hold the products to be delivered into a dispensing compartment (6) that is accessible from the outside for collecting the vended products, in which said tray (5) is associated by means of sliding means (8) to side runners (7) so as to be able to be pulled out to a product-loading position, said tray (5) being further connected to said sliding means (8) by means of coupling means (9) that are capable of oscillating between a first position, in which said tray (5) is in a horizontal condition, and a second position, in which said tray (5) is in its product-loading position in a forwards and downwards inclined condition.