JPH06176260A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the automatic vending machine which is provided with the upper part throw-out mechanism, and also, in which thickness in the front and rear directions is small. CONSTITUTION:This automatic vending machine contains plural kinds of commodities T, and feeds out the selected commodity T to a commodity take-out port 5 provided in a comparatively high position. A commodity containing part 21 for containing the commodities T by arranging them in the horizontal direction is provided in plural stages. In each commodity containing part 21, a sliding mechanism 22 for sliding the commodity in one end direction by a prescribe amount each is provided. In one end side of each commodity containing part 21, a commodity carrying mechanism 23 for carrying the commodity T in the front position, allowed to slide from the commodity containing part 21 to the commodity take-out port 5 is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine which stores a plurality of types of products and sends selected products to a product outlet provided at a relatively high position.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a vending machine places a product outlet at a high position so that the purchaser can take out the product without bending over, placing importance on the operability of the product purchaser.

An example of such an automatic vending machine is described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-76981 as an embodiment. This is because the product storage units that store products in a stacked state are arranged in a row, and each bottom part of the product storage units is equipped with a dispensing mechanism that slides the lowest product forward or backward, and the lower front or front of the product storage unit or A guide passage is arranged below the rear part to receive the ejected product and send it downward. At the front of the vending machine, a bucket that conveys the product sent through the guide passage to the upper product outlet and an elevating mechanism therefor are arranged.

Then, the products are stacked and stored in the product storage section,
Drop the lowest product forward or backward. The ejected product is guided to the bucket at the lower front by the guide passage, the bucket accommodating the product ascends, and the product is delivered to the upper product outlet.

[0005]

However, in the above-described conventional structure, since the products in the product storage unit are ejected forward or backward, the ejected products are turned downward before and after the product storage unit. Space and a passage for guiding products after they are thrown out, and since the bucket and its lifting mechanism are installed in front of the vending machine, the thickness of the vending machine in the front-rear direction increases. Will end up. When installed on the side of the road, such a vending machine sticks out on the road, which causes a problem of obstruction.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic vending machine having an upper ejection mechanism and a small thickness in the front-rear direction.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a plurality of types of products T are stored, and a selected product T is automatically delivered to a product outlet 5 provided at a position higher than the lowest product storage position. In the vending machine, a plurality of stages of product storage units 21 for storing the products T arranged side by side, and the product storage units 21.
A slide mechanism 22 for sliding a predetermined amount of a product stored in one end in a predetermined amount, and a foremost product T slid from the product storage part 21 provided at one end of each product storage part 21 is the product outlet. And a product transport mechanism 23 for transporting the product to the vehicle.

[0008]

According to the present invention, when the user selects the product T, the slide mechanism 22 provided in the product storage unit 21 for storing the product T operates to operate the product T stored in the product storage unit 21. Is slid by a predetermined amount. Next, the product transport mechanism
23 operates to convey the frontmost product T among the slid products T to the product outlet 5.

By providing a plurality of product storage sections for storing the products arranged side by side in a lateral direction and providing a product transfer mechanism for transferring the products to the product outlet at one end of each product storage section, The vending machine has a dispensing mechanism and a small thickness in the front-rear direction.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An automatic vending machine for products such as cigarettes will be described below with reference to the drawings as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the vending machine. A door 2 is provided on the front of the vending machine body 1 so as to be openable and closable.
On the front of the product sample display section 3, operation section 4, product outlet 5
And an advertisement display unit 6 is provided. The product sample display section 3 is provided with an exhibition window 7 in which product samples are arranged and a selection button 8. The operation section 4 is provided with a coin slot 9, a bill slot 10, a return lever 11 and a coin return slot 12. The merchandise outlet 5 is provided at a relatively high position in the vertical center of the door 2.

FIG. 1 shows the internal structure of a vending machine, in which a plurality of product storage sections 21 for storing rectangular products T such as cigarettes arranged side by side in a standing posture are provided in the vertical direction. Each product storage unit 21 is provided with a slide mechanism 22 that slides the stored products T by a predetermined amount toward one end.
At one end of the product storage unit 21, a product transfer mechanism 23 that takes out the product T from the product storage unit 21 and transfers the product T to the product outlet 5 is provided. At the upper right end of the vending machine body 1, a money handling unit 24 for handling the inserted money is provided, and a take-out member 25 for receiving the product T conveyed to the product take-out port 5 by the product conveying mechanism 23. It is provided.

FIG. 3 shows a single product storage section 21, which is provided with a frame member 31 fixedly attached to the vending machine body 1. The frame member 31 has a horizontally long bottom plate portion 32 and a bottom plate portion 32. Side frame portions 33 having a substantially C-shaped cross section are bent and formed from both side edge portions, and the standing products T are laterally accumulated and stored on the bottom plate portion 32 between the both side frame portions 33. A plurality of guide piece portions 34 are formed to project at one end of the bottom plate portion 32 in the product dispensing direction A.

The slide mechanism 22 is attached to the frame member 31, and the slide mechanism 22 is composed of a pair of rail members 41, a slide member 42, a drive mechanism 43, and a product support member 44.

The pair of rail members 41 are slidably fitted inside each side frame portion 33 of the frame member 31 along the longitudinal direction, and a rack 51 is formed along the inner side surface thereof. A guide groove 52 is formed below the rack 51. One end of the pair of rail members 41 is a slide member.
A connecting member that is integrally connected at 42 and has a long hole 53 at the other end.
54 are integrally connected.

In the slide member 42, a bottom plate portion 61 is attached to the lower surface of one end of a pair of rail members 41, side plate portions 62 are formed upright from both sides of the bottom plate portion 61, and the bottom plate portion 61 is formed.
An end plate portion 63 is formed upright from the tip of 61. The bottom plate portion 61 is formed with a groove portion 64 into which the guide piece portion 34 of the frame member 31 is slidably fitted, and the lever portion 140 of the product lift 104 described later is provided at the center of the tip of the bottom plate portion 61 and the center portion of the end plate portion 63. An opening 65 is formed so that the product can contact the stored product T. Then, by this slide member 42,
It supports the surface and the bottom surface of the frontmost products T accumulated and stored in the product storage portion 21 on the side of the dispensing direction A.

A detector 66 for detecting the presence or absence of the product T is attached to the lower portion of the tip of the slide member 42.
The detector 67 of the detector 66 is arranged in the opening 65.

The drive mechanism 43 includes a bottom plate portion 32 of the frame member 31.
A cam plate 71 is rotatably supported, a pin 72 of the cam plate 71 is fitted in the long hole 53, and a gear 73 is connected to the cam plate 71.
A gear 75 attached to the rotating shaft of the motor 74 is meshed with the.

The rotary motion of the motor 74 is converted into a reciprocating motion, and the rail member 41 and the slide member 42 reciprocate (slide). Thereby, the slide member 42
Is slid between a reference position and a protruding position protruding in the ejection direction A by a distance equal to or slightly larger than the thickness of the product T from the reference position.

In the product support member 44, a support plate 82 is provided upright on the product dispensing side of the base 81, and a notch 83 is formed on the side of the base 81 opposite to the product dispensing side. Base 81
Guide protrusions 84 that are slidably fitted in the guide grooves 52 of the rail member 41 are formed at the four lower corners of the.

A pair of engaging members 85 is provided on the lower surface of the base 81 as a support shaft.
It is rotatably supported by 86. Each of these engaging members
Reference numeral 85 denotes a substantially triangular shape, the inner edge side substantially center of which is pivotally supported by a support shaft 86, and an engagement portion which engages with the rack 51 of the rail member 41 toward the side opposite to the ejection direction A from the support shaft 86 at the outer edge portion. A portion 87 is formed, and a protruding piece portion 88 is formed so as to protrude from the support shaft 86 at the inner edge portion toward the ejection direction A side. A spring 89 is stretched between the tip ends of the pair of engaging members 85 in the ejection direction A, and the meshing portion is formed by the spring 89.
87 is urged to rotate outward. And
The product support member 44 is allowed to move in the ejecting direction A with respect to the rail member 41 due to the relationship between the position of the support shaft 86 of the engaging member 85 and the rotational biasing direction of the spring 89. Movement in the direction opposite to the direction A is blocked.

A release member 90 is attached to the cutout portion 83 of the base portion 81. In this release body 90, a pair of release pieces 91, 92 are rotatably supported by a support shaft 93, and
At 93, a torsion spring (not shown) is attached, which biases the release pieces 91, 92 so that the upper ends of the release pieces 91 and 92 expand and the lower ends close. Further, a friction member 94 is attached to a lower portion of the release piece 92, and the friction member 94 is attached to the bottom plate portion 32 of the frame member 31.
By being pressed against and causing friction, the movement of the product support member 44 in the direction opposite to the ejection direction A is prevented.

The product support member 44 is provided in the product storage section 21.
The product row stored in the above is supported from the side opposite to the dispensing direction A, and is moved together when the slide member 42 is slid from the reference position to the projecting position, and is kept stopped when sliding from the projecting position to the reference position. It has become. In addition, in order to move the product support member 44 to the side opposite to the ejection direction A at the time of product replenishment or the like, in order to move the product support member 44, both release pieces 9 of the release body 90 are
By gripping the upper ends of 1 and 92 and rotating them to the side opposite to the support plate portion 82, the friction member 94 separates from the bottom plate portion 32 of the frame member 31 and presses the projecting piece portion 88 of the engaging member 85. As a result, the meshing portion 87 separates from the rack 51 and becomes movable.

As shown in FIG. 1, the merchandise transport mechanism 23 has a chain 102 between the sprockets 101a and 101b arranged at one end of the merchandise storage portion 21 in the vertical direction of the vending machine body 1. The product is wound around almost the entire area, and the chain 102 is rotated by the motor 103. The product T is taken out from the product storage unit 21 to the chain 102 and conveyed to the product outlet 5 to be ejected. Lift 104 is attached.

The product lift 104 can move up and down in the guide frame 105 shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The guide frame 105 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section from the plate portion 106 in the ejection direction A and the plate portions 107, 108 on both sides, and although not shown, the guide frame 105 is provided inside the plate portion 107 on one side. Chain 102
And a guide rail for guiding the up and down movement of the product lift 104 is attached to the inside of both plate portions 107 and 108.

7 and 8 show the structure of the product lift 104, in which the upper surface between the two side plates 116 connected by the plurality of support shafts 111 to 115 is the upper surface of the product T taken out from the product storage section 21 and A first product holding mechanism 117 that supports the front surface in the dispensing direction A is provided, and a second product holding mechanism 118 that supports the lower surface of the product T and dispenses is provided on the lower side.

The first product holding mechanism 117 has a swinging member 121. The swing member 121 includes a swing member 121 which is rotatably supported by a support shaft 111 and is biased by a torsion spring (not shown) to rotate in a direction opposite to the ejection direction A. . The rocking member 121 includes guides 12 along both sides.
2 is formed, a locking projection 123 is formed on the upper surface in the projecting direction A side, and the upper end is projecting direction A.
Pushing plates 124 are attached to the side so as to project from both sides of the swinging member 121.

A product holding member 125 is fitted on the guide portion 122 and attached to the swing member 121 so as to be vertically movable.
The commodity holding member 125 is biased downward b by a tension spring 126 attached to the swing member 121, has a side plate portion 127 facing the side surface of the swing member 121, and has a tip end of this side plate portion 127. A groove 128 is formed inside. The product holding member 125 includes a product holding metal fitting 129, and the product holding metal fitting 129 has a pair of upper surface holding portions for supporting the upper surface of the product T.
130 is formed, and a pair of front surface holding portions 131 that support the front surface of the product T are formed.

A lock member 132 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 111 on the side of the swing member 121.
132 is fitted in the groove 128 of the product holding member 125 and is rotationally biased in the direction c opposite to the ejection direction A by a torsion spring (not shown). A step portion 133 that can be locked to the lower surface of the product holding member 125 is formed in the middle portion of the lock member 132, and a stopper portion 134 is formed at the upper end portion so as to project.

A product detection member 135 is rotatably supported on the support shaft 112, and is urged to rotate in a direction d opposite to the dispensing direction A by a torsion spring (not shown). The product detection member 135 includes a locking block 136 that is rotatably fitted to the support shaft 112, and the rocking member 12 is attached to the locking block 136.
The stepped portions 137 and 138 with which the locking projection 123 of 1 can engage are 2
It is formed in steps. The product detection lever 139 is mounted on the locking block 136.
A lever portion 140 of 139 is formed to project toward the product storage portion 21.

A pair of return members 141 are rotatably supported on the support shaft 113. The return members 141 are formed in a substantially L shape, and one end 142 of the return member 141 pushes the swing member 121. Moving board 12
It can come in contact with 4.

In the first product holding mechanism 117, in the standby state, the locking projection 123 of the rocking member 121 is a stepped portion of the product detecting member 135 while the rocking member 121 is inclined in the ejection direction A. Commodity holding member engaged with 137 and raised
The step portion 133 of the lock member 132 is engaged with the lower surface of the 125, and
The state shown in FIG. 8 is maintained. Also, as will be described in detail later, when the lever 140 is pushed by the product T in the dispensing direction A and the product detection member 135 is rotated at the time of dispensing, the step portion 137 is disengaged and the swinging member is released. 121 is product T
When it swings in the direction of, and is swung to a certain degree (substantially upright), the stepped portion 133 of the lock member 132 is disengaged from the product holding member 125, and the product holding member 125 descends to hold the upper holding portion 130 The front surface holding portion 131 holds the upper surface of the product T and the front surface in the dispensing direction A. Further, resetting to the standby state is performed by reset members 173 and 174 described later.

The second product holding mechanism 118 is provided with a swinging member 151 which is rotatably supported by a support shaft 114. The swinging member 151 has a support shaft 115 penetrating through an opening 152 formed in the center thereof, and is swingable within a range in which the inner surface of the opening 152 abuts on the support shaft 115.
Is biased to rotate in the direction.

The support shaft 114 is rotatably supported with respect to the side plate 116, and a large pulley 153 is provided on the lower side of the swing member 151.
Is fixedly attached to the support shaft 114, and a small pulley 154 is rotatably supported by the tip of the swinging member 151, and a large pulley 153.
The ejection belt 155 is stretched between the small pulley 154 and the small pulley 154. A one-way clutch (free rotation in the f direction, g
The urethane roller 156 is attached via a support shaft 114).

Further, the guide frame 105 is provided on the outer surface of the side plates 116.
A guide member 161 that engages with a guide rail (not shown) for restricting the horizontal movement of the product lift 104 is attached vertically, and is connected to the chain 102 on the outer side of one side plate 116 to connect the product lift 104. A connecting lever 162 is attached rotatably to give a vertical movement to the.

Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the guide frame 105 is formed with an opening 171 communicating with the take-out member 25 at the plate portion 106 in correspondence with the product dispensing position.
Inside the plate portion 108, there is attached an ejecting member 172 which is brought into contact with the urethane roller 156 and frictionally rotates. Also, FIG.
As shown in 0, reset members 173 and 174 for resetting the first product holding mechanism 117 of the product lift 104 to the standby state are attached to the plate portion 106 at the lowest position, and the product lift 104 is at the lowest position. When descending to the lower position, the lower reset member 173 comes into contact with the lower surface of the side plate portion 127 of the product holding member 125, and the upper reset member 174 is returned.
It abuts the end 143 of the.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

When the user inserts money and presses a predetermined selection button 8, the product storage unit 21 storing the corresponding product T slides. Next, the product lift 104 moves to take out the product T, convey it to the product ejection port 5, and eject it.

13 (a) to 13 (d) show the operating condition of the product storage section 21. As shown in FIG. During standby, the slide member 42 is at the reference position S retracted from the passage of the product lift 104. The product T is stored without a gap between the slide member 42 and the product support member 44 (FIG. 13 (a)).

Next, the motor 74 of the product storage unit 21 in which the product T selected by the user is stored is rotated by half, and the rail member 41 and the slide member 42 slide in the ejection direction A,
Along with this, the product T and the product support member 44 also slide.
The sliding amount by which the sliding member 42 slides to the protruding position is the same as or slightly larger than the thickness of one product (FIG. 13 (b)).

The product lift 104 rises, and the product T at the forefront position
Is pulled out upward (Fig. 13 (c)).

Detector 66 attached to slide member 42
Detects the "absence" of the product, the motor 74 makes a half rotation, and the rail member 41 and the slide member 42 return to the reference position S. At this time, as described above, the product support member 44 does not move and stays at that position together with the product T, so that the space of the product T that has been thrown out is closed and put in a standby state (FIG. 13 (d)). ).

14 (a) to 14 (f) show the operating condition of the product lift 104. As shown in FIG. In the standby state, the product lift 104 is at the lowest standby position, the swinging member 121 is supported by the product detection member 135 in a state of being inclined in the dispensing direction A, and the product holding member 125 is pulled upward. In this state, it is supported by the lock member 132 (Fig. 14 (a)). This state is achieved by returning the product lift 104 to the lowest fixed position after the end of the previous transaction.

When the product lift 104 rises in response to the slide of the product storage unit 21 and reaches the side of the slide product storage unit 21, one side of the frontmost product T causes the lever unit 140 of the product detection member 135. Is pushed, and the engagement between the commodity detection member 135 and the swinging member 121 is released (FIG. 14 (b)).

As a result, the swinging member 121 swings to return to the upright state and swings to some extent (substantially upright state).
At that time, the engagement between the lock member 132 and the product holding member 125 is released. By this disengagement, the product holding member 125
Is lowered, and the upper surface holding portion 130 and the front surface holding portion 131 of the holding metal fitting 129 come into contact with the upper surface of the product T and the front surface in the dispensing direction A and stop (FIG. 14 (c)).

Further, when the product lift 104 rises and the small pulley 154 of the swinging member 151 reaches the lower surface of the product T, the product T is held between the product holding member 125 (FIG. 14 (d)).
), The product T is pulled out from the product storage section 21 and conveyed (FIG. 14 (e)).

The product lift 104 holding the product T ascends to the highest position and descends along with the chain 102 meshing with the sprocket 101a. The product lift 104
The urethane roller 156 rotates in contact with the ejection member 172 when passing through the side of the product ejection port 5 when the product T rises. Maintained.

When the product lift 104 descends to the side of the product ejection port 5, the urethane roller 156 rotates in contact with the ejection member 172, and this rotation passes through the large pulley 153 and the ejection belt 155. Be transmitted to. The ejection belt 155 is shown in FIG.
4 Rotate in the middle clockwise direction to hold the product T
Since the lower side of the product is sent in the dispensing direction A, the product T is dispensed to the product dispensing port 5 (FIG. 14 (f)).

When the product lift 104 is lowered to the lowest position after the product is discharged, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the product holding member 125 abuts against the reset member 173 and is pushed up, and the return member 141 is released. The reset member 174 is contacted and rotated to swing the swing member 121 in the ejection direction A. Therefore, the product holding member 125 is the step portion 133 of the lock member 132.
And the swing member 121 engages with the step portion 137 of the product detection member 135 and then stops, and the initial standby state is reset.

Then, the product lift 104 is stopped at the lowest standby position, and one transaction is completed.

In the vending machine configured as described above, the product T is thrown into the product take-out port 5 arranged at a high position, so that the product purchaser does not have to bend over to take the product take-out port 5. The product T can be taken out from. Also, the product T
Since the product storage units 21 for storing the products are arranged side by side in a plurality of stages, and the product transfer mechanism 23 for transferring the product T to the product outlet 5 is provided at one end of each product storage unit 21, The vending machine can be equipped with a dispensing mechanism and has a small thickness in the front-rear direction.

[0052]

According to the present invention, a plurality of product storage sections for storing products arranged side by side in the lateral direction are provided, and a product transfer mechanism for transferring the products to the product outlet is provided at one end of each product storage section. Therefore, it is possible to provide an automatic vending machine having an upper ejection mechanism and a small thickness in the front-rear direction.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an internal structure showing an embodiment of a vending machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the vending machine according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a product storage unit according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the product support member according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a product support member of the above embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a product support member of the above embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a product lift according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the product lift according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a guide frame of the product lift according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a guide frame of the product lift according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a reset state of the product lift according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a reset state of the product lift according to the above embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation status of the product storage unit according to the embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation status of the product lift according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Product outlet 21 Product storage 22 Slide mechanism 23 Product transport mechanism T product

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine which stores a plurality of types of products and sends the selected products to a product outlet provided at a position higher than the lowest product storage position, wherein the products are arranged side by side. A plurality of stages of product storage units to be stored, a slide mechanism that slides the products stored in each product storage unit by a predetermined amount toward one end, and a slide mechanism that is provided at one end of each product storage unit and slides from the product storage unit. A vending machine, comprising: a merchandise conveying mechanism that conveys the foremost merchandise to the merchandise outlet.