1. A carbon nanotube composite preform, comprising:
a substrate;
a carbon nanotube array formed on the substrate, wherein the carbon nanotube array comprises a plurality of carbon nanotube bundles, each of the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles comprises a first end and a second end opposite to the first end; the first end of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles is attached to the substrate, and the second end of each of the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles extends away from the substrate; a first gap between adjacent two of the first ends is smaller than a second gap between adjacent two of the second ends, the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles forms one carbon nanotube layer;
each of the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles comprises a plurality of carbon nanotubes, and each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes comprises a third end and a fourth end opposite to the third end; the third end of each of the carbon nanotubes is attached to the substrate, and the fourth end of each of the carbon nanotubes extends away from the substrate, and a third gap between adjacent two of the third ends is greater than a fourth gap between adjacent two of the fourth ends.
2. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein an extending direction of each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes is gradually varied from perpendicular to the substrate to parallel with the substrate.
3. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles defines a first portion adjacent to the substrate and a second portion away from the substrate, the first portion, the plurality of carbon nanotubes are perpendicular to the substrate; and in the second portion, orientations of the plurality of carbon nanotubes is gradually varied to parallel with the substrate.
4. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 3, wherein in the first portion, a first distance between each adjacent two of the carbon nanotubes is the same, in the second portion, a second distance between each adjacent two of the carbon nanotubes are gradually decreased along a direction away from the substrate.
5. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein a plurality of honeycomb-shaped holes is defined by the second ends of the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles around together.
6. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein sizes of the first gaps between the first ends are in a range from about 1 nanometer to about 100 nanometers.
7. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein diameters of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are in a range from about 1 nanometer to about 100 nanometers.
8. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein lengths of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are in a range from about 1 micrometer to about 500 micrometers.
9. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein sizes of the second gaps between the second ends are in a range from about 2 micrometers to about 300 micrometers.
10. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotube layer has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, each of the plurality of carbon nanotubes extends from the first surface to the second surface.
11. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 10, wherein the first surface is defined by the third ends and the second surface is defined by the fourth ends.
12. The carbon nanotube composite preform of claim 1, wherein in each of the plurality of carbon nanotube bundles, the fourth ends of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are crowded together to form a tip.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A vending machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet;
a plurality of shelves arranged within the product storage zone, each of the plurality of shelves including a plurality of dividers that establish a plurality of product queues;
a dispensing chamber arranged within the cabinet, the dispensing chamber including an access opening that provides access to a dispensed product; and
a product delivery mechanism that shifts, along multiple axes, to transport a selected product from one of the plurality of products queues towards the dispensing chamber, the product delivery mechanism including:
first and second guide rails fixedly mounted relative to the cabinet and extending along first and second spaced, substantially parallel axes;
a carriage rail extending across the cabinet along a third axis, the carriage rail including a first end portion slidably connected to the first guide rail extending to a second end portion slidably connected to the second guide rail, the first end portion including first and second pairs of grooved rollers on opposite sides of the first guide rail and spaced apart along a length of the first guide rail, the second end portion including third and fourth pairs of grooved rollers on opposite sides of the second guide rail and spaced apart along a length of the second guide rail, wherein circumferential grooves on each of the rollers receives an edge of the first or second guide rail;
a carrier member mounted for relative movement along the carriage rail;
a first drive belt mounted to the carriage rail, the first drive belt being operatively connected to the carrier member;
a first drive motor supported by the carriage rail and operatively connected to the first drive belt, the first drive motor being selectively activated to shift the carrier member relative to the carriage rail along the third axis;
a second drive belt mounted in the cabinet, the second drive belt being continuous and including a first portion operatively connected to the first end portion of the carriage rail and extending along a portion of the length of the first guide rail separating the carriage rail from a first end of the first guide rail, substantially parallel to the third axis between the first and second guide rails, along the second guide rail from a first end to a second end of the second guide rail, and along a portion of the length of the second guide rail separating the carriage rail from the second end of the second guide rail, the second drive belt also including a second portion operatively connected to the second end portion of the carriage rail and extending along a portion of the length of the second guide rail separating the carriage rail from a second end of the second guide rail, substantially parallel to the third axis between the first and second guide rails, along the first guide rail from a first end to a second end of the first guide rail, and along a portion of the length of the first guide rail separating the carriage rail from the second end of the first guide rail; and
a second drive motor fixedly mounted relative to the cabinet and operatively connected to the second drive belt, the second drive motor being selectively operated to shift the carriage relative to the first and second guide rails along the first and second axes, wherein the first and second drive motors combine to position the carrier member adjacent one of the plurality of product queues corresponding to the selected product, wherein the carrier member carries the selected product towards the dispensing chamber.
2. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:
first and second roller plates, the first and second roller plates being mounted to corresponding ones of the first and second ends of the carriage rail, with each of the first and second roller plates including the first and second pairs of grooved rollers and the third and fourth pairs of grooved rollers, respectively.
3. The vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the rollers constitute a plurality of guide rollers and a plurality of support rollers.
4. The vending machine according to claim 3, wherein each of the rollers includes a smooth surface adapted to ride against an exposed surface portion of a respective one of the first and second guide rails.
5. The vending machine according to claim 2, wherein each of the first and second roller plates includes a mounting member, the mounting member being fixedly attached to the second drive belt.
6. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:
a belt tensioning device acting upon the second drive belt to maintain a desired belt tension.
7. The vending machine according to claim 6, wherein the belt tensioning device is constituted by spring member.
8. The vending machine according to claim 6, wherein the belt tensioning device is constituted by a spring loaded idler pulley assembly fixedly mounted in the cabinet.
9. The vending machine according to claim 8, wherein the product storage zone including a top wall, a bottom wall and opposing side walls, the belt tensioning device being constituted by first and second spring loaded idler pulley assemblies, the first spring loaded idler pulley assembly being mounted on one of the opposing side walls adjacent the bottom wall and the second spring loaded idler pulley assembly being mounted on the one opposing side wall adjacent the top wall.
10. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:
a product delivery cup mounted to the carrier member, the product delivery cup being adapted to transport a selected product from the one of the plurality of product queues to the dispensing chamber for delivery to a consumer.
11. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of cover plates extending across at least one of the first and second drive belts to preventing foreign objects from interfering with movement of the product delivery mechanism.
12. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the first axis extends along a substantially horizontal axis and the third axis extends along a substantially vertical axis.
13. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the first drive belt also constitutes a continuous drive belt.
14. A vending machine comprising:
a cabinet;
a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet;
a plurality of shelves arranged within the product storage zone, each of the plurality of shelves including a plurality of dividers that establish a plurality of product queues;
a dispensing chamber arranged within the cabinet, the dispensing chamber including an access opening that provides access to a dispensed product; and
a product delivery mechanism that shifts to transport a selected product from one of the plurality of products queues towards the dispensing chamber, the product delivery mechanism including:
a product transporting unit;
a continuous drive belt mounted in the cabinet and connected to the product transporting unit such that movement of the continuous drive belt causes shifting of the product transporting unit, the continuous drive belt including a first portion extending from a member supporting the product transporting unit along a first axis to a first end of a guide member along which the member supporting the product transporting unit travels, a second portion extending along a second axis for a length of a second guide member along which the member supporting the product transporting unit travels and from a second end of the second guide member along the second axis to the member supporting the product transporting unit, and a third portion extending along a third axis between the first and second guide members, the continuous drive belt further including a fourth portion extending from the member supporting the product transporting unit along the second axis to a first end of the second guide member, a fifth portion extending along a length of the first guide member and from a second end of the first guide member along the first axis to the member supporting the product transporting unit, and a sixth portion extending along the third axis between the first and second guide members, with the first and second axes being substantially parallel to each other and the third axis being substantially perpendicular to each of the first and second axes; and
a single drive motor fixedly mounted relative to the cabinet and operatively connected to the continuous drive belt, the single drive motor being selectively operated to shift the product transporting unit relative to the cabinet along the first and second axes in order to position the product transporting unit adjacent the selected product, wherein the product transporting unit carries the selected product towards the dispensing chamber.
15. The vending machine according to claim 14, wherein the first and second axes extend substantially horizontally and the third axis extends substantially vertically.
16. The vending machine according to claim 14, further comprising:
a belt tensioning device acting upon the drive belt to maintain a desired belt tension, wherein the product storage zone including a top wall, a bottom wall and opposing side walls, the tensioning device being constituted by first and second spring loaded idler pulley assemblies, the first spring loaded pulley assembly being mounted on one of the opposing side walls adjacent the bottom wall and the second spring loaded pulley assembly being mounted on the one opposing side wall adjacent the top wall.
17. A method of transporting a selected product from a plurality of product queues arranged on a product shelf in a vending machine towards a dispensing chamber arranged within the vending machine, the vending machine including a cabinet, a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet, a plurality of shelves arranged within the product storage zone, each of the plurality of shelves including a plurality of dividers that establish a plurality of product queues, a dispensing chamber arranged within the cabinet, the dispensing chamber including an access opening that provides access to a dispensed product, and a product delivery mechanism that shifts, along multiple axes, to transport a selected product from one of the plurality of products queues towards the dispensing chamber, the product delivery mechanism including first and second guide rails fixedly mounted relative to the cabinet and extending along first and second spaced, substantially parallel axes, a carriage rail extending across the cabinet along a third axis, the carriage rail including a first end portion slidably connected to the first guide rail extending to a second end portion slidably connected to the second guide rail, the first end portion including first and second pairs of grooved rollers on opposite sides of the first guide rail and spaced apart along a length of the first guide rail, the second end portion including third and fourth pairs of grooved rollers on opposite sides of the second guide rail and spaced apart along a length of the second guide rail, wherein circumferential grooves on each of the rollers receives an edge of the first or second guide rail, a carrier member mounted for relative movement along the carriage rail, a first drive belt mounted to the carriage rail, the first drive belt being operatively connected to the carrier member, and a second drive belt mounted in the cabinet, the second drive belt being continuous and including a first portion operatively connected to the first end portion of the carriage rail and extending along a portion of the length of the first guide rail separating the carriage rail from a first end of the first guide rail, substantially parallel to the third axis between the first and second guide rails, along the second guide rail from a first end to a second end of the second guide rail, and along a portion of the length of the second guide rail separating the carriage rail from the second end of the second guide rail, the second drive belt also including a second portion operatively connected to the second end portion of the carriage rail and extending along a portion of the length of the second guide rail separating the carriage rail from a second end of the second guide rail, substantially parallel to the third axis between the first and second guide rails, along the first guide rail from a first end to a second end of the first guide rail, and along a portion of the length of the first guide rail separating the carriage rail from the second end of the first guide rail, the method comprising:
selectively activating a first drive motor supported by the carriage rail and operatively connected to the first drive belt to shift the carrier member along the third axis; and
selectively activating a second drive motor fixedly mounted relative to the cabinet and operatively connected to the second drive belt to shift the carrier member at both of the first and second end portions along the first and second axes, wherein the first and second drive motors combine to position the carrier member adjacent a select one of the plurality of product queues on the product shelf,
wherein the carrier member carries the selected product towards the dispensing chamber.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
guiding movement of the carriage rail through the use of a plurality of support plates and rollers.
19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
tensioning the second drive belt.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second drive belt is tensioned with a pair of loaded idler pulleys.