WO2007036142A1

WO2007036142A1 - Flat item depositing and outputting apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2007036142A1
Application number: PCT/CN2006/002511
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jiacong Chen
Original assignee: Jiacong Chen
Priority date: 2005-09-29
Filing date: 2006-09-25
Publication date: 2007-04-05
Also published as: US20090152289A1

Abstract

A flat item depositing and outputting apparatus. The apparatus comprises a cabinet body. A depositing frame and an item transferring mechanism for outputting the flat item are disposed within the cabinet body. An item outputting port is disposed on the cabinet body. The depositing frame comprises vertical posts (2) and baffle plates (1) disposed on the vertical posts (2). Baffle plate layers are formed between the baffle plates (1). The item transferring mechanism comprises a pushing rod (6) that can pass through the baffle plate layers and a movement element for driving the pushing rod (6) to move. The shape of the flat item does not limit the apparatus when the apparatus transfers item. The apparatus does not damage the item during the transferring of the item.

Description

Flat object storage and output device

The present invention relates to an apparatus for storing and outputting articles, and more particularly to a storage and output device for flat articles such as periodicals, newspapers, magazines, and the like. Background technique

As a convenient way to sell, vending machines have been accepted by more and more people. Commonly used vending machines include cold drink machines, small food machines, condom machines, tissue machines, small commodity vending machines, over-the-counter vending machines, newspaper vending machines, hot drink vending machines, etc., but for articles such as journals and books, The size, thickness, weight, cover material, and packaging are different, and it is not completely rigid. The storage and output mechanism of common vending machines is difficult to apply to the use of such items, so it is used to sell books, periodicals and magazines. Class vending machines are still rare today.

At present, there are mainly two types of self-sales newspapers and magazines that have appeared on the market. One is a vending machine that uses a three-dimensional robotic arm as an automatic delivery mechanism, and the other is a vending machine that is a vertical spiral propulsion mechanism.

The automatic vending machine using the three-dimensional robot arm arranges the newspapers and magazines in the depth direction of the same type, and the different types are arranged side by side in the order of the upper, lower, left and right planes, and are positioned by the three-dimensional robotic arm of the Cartesian coordinates, and the target is sucked by the vacuum suction cup. . Journals, books, and flats vary in material, packaging, and roughness, and the use of suction cups does not guarantee success for every object. At the same time, the number of newspapers and magazines placed on the shelves of the vending machine is fixed and cannot be more than the setting value of the vending machine. For example, if the setting value is nine, the number of objects to be placed cannot be greater than nine. Moreover, the use of three-dimensional robotic arms and vacuum chucks increases the cost of manufacturing and maintenance.

The vertical spiral propelling and exporting newspapers and magazines use the structure of the existing small commodity vending machine, and the newspapers and magazines are vertically and vertically placed in the same category, and the different types are arranged side by side in the order of the upper, lower, left and right planes, and each type is spirally propelled. The device is launched one by one and falls to the exit. The magazines that fall in this way are often stuck in the delivery channel because of their unstable trajectory. In addition, this way of falling out will make books and magazines easy to touch. Injury, and Moreover, it is inconvenient to place the items on the shelves.

As can be seen from the above, the existing vending machines are not suitable for the sale of flat articles such as periodicals, newspapers, magazines, books, etc., mainly because the storage and output devices of these vending machines cannot adapt to the performance requirements unique to such items. Summary of the invention

The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide the above-mentioned deficiencies in the prior art, and to provide a product that is not limited by the shape of newspapers, magazines, and flats, can be accurately produced, is convenient for storage and output, and can be selected according to instructions. Output and storage devices for flat objects that do not damage items during the delivery process.

The technical solution for solving the technical problem of the present invention is that the storage and output device of the flat object comprises a cabinet body, the cabinet body has a storage shelf and a delivery mechanism for outputting a flat object, and the cabinet body is provided with a discharge port, wherein The storage shelf comprises a column and a partition disposed on the column, and a partition layer is formed between the partitions, and the feeding mechanism comprises a movement rod that can pass through the partition layer and a movement unit that drives the movement of the lever.

The movement unit may include a first linear actuator having a body substantially parallel to the column, a second linear actuator substantially parallel to the direction in which the body and the spacer are placed, and a driving device of the first and second linear actuators, the first linear actuator The body has a first slider slidable in the direction of the body, the body of the second linear actuator is fixed on the first slider, and the second linear actuator has a second slider slidable in the direction of the body, the lever Fixed to the second slider.

The separator layer may be formed of a plurality of separators arranged in the extending direction of the column.

Preferably, the apparatus may further include a docking mechanism between the storage shelf and the exit opening. The receiving mechanism adopts various forms that can realize automatic delivery, and the following are two preferred ones:

For example, the receiving mechanism may include a hopper having a side edge fixed to the first slider and corresponding to the partition layer, and the first linear actuator is disposed near the discharge opening.

In order to prevent the object from being crushed due to the excessive weight of the received articles, the conveying process of the article is more stable. Preferably, the receiving mechanism further comprises a linear guide disposed parallel to the first linear drive near the outlet, the linear guide A slider that slides down the body of the device is embedded, and the other side of the bucket is fixed to the slider. The pick-up mechanism has reached the selected baffle layer before the lever moves to the item to be taken out, so that the object is quick and the mechanism is simplified, which is an ideal mechanism.

Alternatively, the receiving mechanism may include a receiving bucket, a third linear actuator disposed between the storage shelf and the outlet, the body of the third linear actuator being substantially parallel to the column, and the body having a third sliding Block, one side of the bucket is fixed on the third slider.

Preferably, the docking mechanism further comprises a second linear guide disposed adjacent to the discharge opening in parallel with the third linear drive, the second linear guide being embedded with a fourth slider slidable along the body of the device, The other side of the bucket is fixed to the fourth slider.

The drive unit can be an electric motor, a linear linear motor, a hydraulic or pneumatic mechanism depending on the situation.

The drive mechanism of each of the linear actuators may be a screw drive mechanism, a toothed belt drive mechanism, a linear linear motor mechanism or a pneumatic mechanism.

The invention adopts the storage shelf of the multi-layer separator to facilitate the storage of periodic magazines, books and flat parts of different volumes, shapes and packages, and the spacing between two adjacent partitions can be adjusted according to needs to accommodate storage. Different sizes, sizes, and thicknesses.

With this kind of storage shelf, the types of books stored can be changed according to requirements. For example, within the maximum storage quantity, a certain book, a periodical magazine can be allocated three in order, one is five, and the other is five... Etc., the distribution method is flexible. When storing the item, the item is typically placed manually or otherwise from the front side of the storage shelf.

The apparatus of the present invention can select the number of storage shelves depending on the number and/or type of flat items. When the number and/or types of flat objects stored are large, a plurality of storage shelves may be used, and a plurality of receiving mechanisms may be correspondingly configured according to the plurality of storage shelves, or only one receiving mechanism capable of multi-directional movement may be used. .

In the process of the invention, the journals, books and other flat articles stored in the device are smoothly dropped, so that the articles are not damaged, and the articles stored on the shelves are not considered in the output process of the articles. Can be a flexible item.

The feeding mechanism of the present invention can position and output the object by using only two-dimensional motion in the vertical z direction and the depth Y direction, and the maintenance process is simpler and more convenient than using the three-dimensional system plus the suction cup method, and the manufacturing and maintenance costs are reduced. DRAWINGS

1 is a perspective view of the front side of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

2 is a perspective view of the back side of Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

3 is a perspective view of the front side of Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

4 is a perspective view of the back side of Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the front side of Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

6 is a perspective view of the back side of Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

7 is a perspective view of the front side of Embodiment 5 of the present invention;

8 is a perspective view of the back side of Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

In the figure: 1 a partition 2 - column 3 - second linear drive 4 - Y drive motor 5 - second slide 6 - lever 7 - first linear drive 8 - Z drive motor 9 a first slider 10—linear guide 11—slider 12—interceptor 13—base 14—rack 15—third linear actuator 16—third slider 17—second linear guide 18—fourth slider 19—Z-direction drive motor detailed description

The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and the accompanying drawings.

The following examples are non-limiting examples of the invention.

Example 1

As shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the present invention comprises a cabinet body. The cabinet body is composed of a base 13 and a frame 14 on the base 13. The front side of the cabinet body has a product outlet (not shown), and the cabinet has storage shelves. And the delivery agency.

In this embodiment, the storage shelf comprises a vertical column 2 and a partition 1 disposed on the column 2, and a plurality of partitions 1 arranged in a vertical direction form a partition layer, and various periodicals can be placed on the partition 1. Magazines and flat objects. The column 2 may be two or more. The partition 1 may take a variety of shapes for facilitating the placement of the article. In the present embodiment, the spacer 1 has a quadrangular structure. The column 2 is three, and the front triangles of the partitions 1 are respectively fixed to the three columns 2, and the fourth corner of the partition plate 1 is suspended to facilitate the movement of the lever 6 in the feeding mechanism described hereinafter.

The feeding mechanism includes a first linear drive 7, a second linear drive 3, and a linear drive The drive mechanism of the actuator.

The body of the first linear actuator 7 is disposed in parallel with the column 2 in the Z direction, and the first linear actuator 7 is embedded with a first slider 9 capable of moving in the Z direction, and the body of the second linear actuator 3 is fixed at the first a slider 9 having a body substantially perpendicular to the body of the first linear actuator 7, a second slider 5 for horizontal Y-direction movement is embedded in the body, and a lever 6 is fixed on the second slider 5. The second slider 5 can drive the lever 6 through the spacer layer.

The driving device in this embodiment employs an electric motor. The first linear actuator 7 and the second linear actuator 3 are driven by the Z-direction drive motors 8 and Y to the drive motor 4, respectively.

Linear actuators are general-purpose products for the translation and positioning of Cartesian coordinates. Currently, the main products of linear actuators are Germany Festo, Parker, USA, and products from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China, linear drive drivers. The mechanism mainly includes a screw drive mechanism, a toothed belt drive mechanism, a linear linear motor and a pneumatic drive mechanism. The linear actuator used in this embodiment is a DGE-SP type or DGE-ER type linear actuator manufactured by Festo, Germany.

By attaching the automatic control system and the corresponding casing to the apparatus of the present invention, it becomes a vending machine for storing and outputting flat objects, and the vending process can be completed by operating the human-computer interaction panel.

The working process of the embodiment is as follows - when the storage and output device of the flat object of the present invention receives an instruction from a storage device of a specified output cabinet of the automatic control system, such as a book, the device is activated according to the instruction. The feeding mechanism - firstly, the first linear actuator 7 is activated to stop when the second linear actuator 3 is moved in the Z direction to reach the target partition position of the partition layer;

Then, the second linear actuator 3 is activated to drive the lever 6 to move in the Y direction toward the outlet, and the lever 6 pushes the object on the partition 1 to the outlet;

Finally, the second linear actuator 3 drives the lever 6 to move backwards, and stops after returning to the starting point;

The take-up process ends. Example 2: As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the body of the first linear actuator 7 is disposed near the fourth corner of the spacer layer suspension. The body of the first linear actuator 7 can also be placed at other locations within the cabinet as needed.

Other structures and functions of this embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. Example 3:

The difference between this embodiment and Embodiment 1 is that the device further includes a receiving mechanism. The receiving mechanism is a hopper 12 fixed to the first slider 9 at a side, and the hopper 12 is disposed between the partition layer and the outlet opening opposite to the partition layer.

The other structure of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment.

The working process of this embodiment is as follows - when the storage and automatic output device of the flat object of the present invention receives an instruction from a storage system of a designated output cabinet of the automatic control system to store a shelf (such as a book), the device is activated by the command. Delivery agency:

First, the first linear actuator 7 is activated to stop when the second linear actuator 3 is moved in the Z direction to reach the target partition position of the partition layer, and the hopper 12 is synchronously slid along the Z direction with the second linear actuator 3 to the target partition. The front of the board position;

Then, the second linear actuator 3 is activated to drive the lever 6 to move in the direction of the Y-direction hopper 12, and the lever 6 pushes the object on the partition 1 into the hopper 12;

Then, the second linear actuator 3 drives the lever 6 to move in the reverse direction, and stops after returning to the starting point;

Finally, the hopper 12 is driven by the first linear actuator 7 to be lowered to the exit position;

The take-up process ends. Example 4:

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the difference between this embodiment and the third embodiment is that the device further includes a linear guide 10, and the body of the linear guide 10 is disposed in parallel with the body of the first linear actuator 7 at the outlet and the storage. Between the shelves, the linear guide 10 has a slider 11, and the other side of the bucket 12 is fixed to the slider 11. Since the two sides of the bucket 12 are respectively fixed at the first a first slider 9 of a linear actuator 7 and a slider 11 of the linear guide 10, such that the bucket 12 is movable in the Z direction, and the first slider 9 drives the bucket under the driving of the Z-direction drive motor 8. When the 12 is moved up and down, the slider 11 also moves up and down in the linear guide 10 accordingly. In this way, the receiving bucket 12 is stable and reliable, and can withstand higher load capacities.

The other structure of this embodiment is the same as that of the third embodiment.

The working process of this embodiment is as follows:

When the storage and automatic output device of the flat article of the present invention receives an instruction from a specified output cabinet of the automatic control system to store a shelf layer storage (e.g., a book), the device activates the delivery mechanism as command:

Then, the second linear actuator 3 is activated to drive the lever 6 to move in the direction of the Y direction toward the hopper 12, and the lever 6 pushes the object on the partition 1 into the hopper 12;

Then, the second linear actuator 3 drives the lever 6 to move in the reverse direction, and stops after returning to the starting point.

The take-up process ends. Example 5

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the difference between this embodiment and the embodiment 2 is that a receiving mechanism is further provided between the outlet (not shown) and the column 2.

The pickup mechanism includes a bucket 12 opposite to the separator layer, a Z-direction drive motor 19, a third linear actuator 15 parallel to the column 2, and a second linear guide 17. The third linear actuator 15 has a third slider 16 embedded therein, and the second linear guide 17 has a fourth slider 18 embedded therein. One side of the bucket 12 is fixed to the third slider 16 and the other side is The side is fixed to the fourth slider 18. The Z-direction drive motor 19 can drive the third slider 16 on the third linear actuator 15 to move in the Z direction along the body thereof, and the bucket 12 moves in the Z direction, and the fourth slider 18 follows the bucket 12 The body of the second linear guide 17 slides. The working process of this embodiment is as follows:

When the storage and automatic output device of the flat article of the present invention receives an instruction from a specified output cabinet of the automatic control system to store a shelf layer storage (such as a book), the device activates the delivery mechanism according to the instruction - first, start the first A linear actuator 7 is actuated to stop when the second linear actuator 3 moves in the Z direction to reach the target partition position of the partition layer.

At the same time, the third linear actuator 15 is activated, and the hopper 12 is synchronously slid in the Z direction to the front of the target partition position under the driving of the third linear actuator 15.

Then, the second linear actuator 3 is activated to drive the lever 6 to move in the direction of the Y direction toward the receiving bucket 12, and the lever 6 pushes the object on the partition 1 into the receiving bucket 12;

Finally, the second linear actuator 3 drives the lever 6 to move in the opposite direction, and stops the action after returning to the starting point.

At the same time, the bucket 12 is driven by the third linear actuator 15 to the outlet position;

The take-up process ends.

Claims

Claim

A storage and output device for a flat object, comprising a cabinet, a storage shelf and a delivery mechanism for outputting a flat object in the cabinet, the cabinet having a discharge opening, wherein the storage shelf comprises a column (2) And a partition (1) provided on the column, the partition layer is formed between the partitions, and the feeding mechanism comprises a shifting rod (6) which can pass through the partition layer and a movement unit for driving the shifting rod.

2. The storage and output device for a flat article according to claim 1, characterized in that the movement unit comprises a first linear actuator (7), a body and a partition (the body) which are substantially parallel to the column (2). 1) a second linear actuator (3) in which the directions are substantially parallel and a driving device of the first and second linear actuators, the first linear actuator having a first slider (9) slidable in the direction of the body, The body of the two linear actuator is fixed on the first slider (9), the second linear actuator has a second slider (5) slidable along the body, and the lever (6) is fixed to the second slider ( 5) On.

3. The storage and output device for a flat article according to claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a receiving mechanism between the storage shelf and the exit opening.

4. The storage and output device for a flat article according to claim 3, wherein the attachment mechanism comprises a hopper that is laterally fixed to the first slider (9) and corresponds to the spacer layer ( 12), the first linear drive (7) is placed near the exit.

5. The storage and output device for a flat article according to claim 4, wherein the receiving mechanism further comprises a linear guide (10) disposed adjacent to the discharge opening in parallel with the first linear actuator (7), The linear guide (10) has a slider (11) that can slide down the body, and the other side of the bucket (12) is fixed to the slider (11).

6. The storage and output device for a flat article according to claim 3, wherein the receiving mechanism comprises a hopper (12) disposed between the storage shelf and the exit opening. The linear actuator (15), the body of the third linear actuator (15) is substantially parallel to the column (2), and has a third slider (16) on the body, and one side of the receiving bucket (12) is fixed at the first side Three sliders (16).

7. The storage and output device for a flat article according to claim 6, wherein the receiving mechanism further comprises a second linear guide (17) disposed adjacent to the discharge opening and parallel to the third linear actuator (15). A fourth slider (18) is slidable along the body of the second linear guide (17), and the other side of the hopper (12) is fixed to the fourth slider (18).

The storage and output device for a flat object according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the driving device is an electric motor, a linear linear motor, a hydraulic or pneumatic mechanism.

The storage and output device for a flat object according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the driving mechanism of each linear actuator is a screw drive mechanism, a toothed belt drive mechanism, a linear linear motor mechanism or Pneumatic mechanism.

The storage and output device for a flat object according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the spacer layer is formed by a plurality of partitions (1) arranged in the extending direction of the column.