CN111164656B

CN111164656B - Automatic vending machine

Info

Publication number: CN111164656B
Application number: CN201980004819.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 村上旭; 岩子努; 福田胜彦
Original assignee: Fuji Electric Co Ltd
Current assignee: Fuji Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-30
Filing date: 2019-03-27
Publication date: 2022-03-11
Anticipated expiration: 2039-03-27
Also published as: WO2019189465A1; CN111164656A; JP6844745B2; JPWO2019189465A1

Abstract

In order to alleviate the impact when the commodity falls down to the commodity output chute and suppress the generation of foam of the beverage mixed with carbon dioxide, the commodity output chute (6) comprises a main chute (61) and a sub chute (62), the sub chute (62) is formed by the main chute (621), the sub chute (621) and a joint part (623) which are divided in the front-back direction, the joint part (623) connects the main chute (621) and the sub chute (622) and limits the mountain fold between the main chute (621) and the sub chute (622), on the other hand, the valley fold between the main chute (621) and the sub chute (622) is allowed, the sub chute (62) is formed into a movable chute which receives the acting force returning to the standby position after the rising, and the main chute (621) and the sub chute (622) are valley folded by the joint part (623), thereby increasing the movable stroke of the sub chute (62), a buffer member (65) which is pressurized when the sub chute (62) is lowered against the biasing force is arranged below the sub chute (62), and the impact load when the commodity falls down to the sub chute (62) is absorbed by the biasing force of the torsion coil Spring (SP) and the buffer member (65).

Description

Automatic vending machine

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine including a commodity discharge chute for delivering commodities discharged from commodity storage racks disposed in commodity storage chambers of a main body cabinet to a commodity discharge port, and more particularly, to an automatic vending machine which alleviates an impact on commodities due to dropping of commodities containing beverages mixed with carbon dioxide to the commodity discharge chute and suppresses foaming (foaming) of the beverages.

Background

In an automatic vending machine including a commodity storage rack called a tilt rack, the commodity storage rack includes a plurality of commodity storage paths in which a plurality of commodities are stored in a horizontal posture in a row in a front-rear direction in a vertical direction, and a plurality of rows are arranged in a left-right direction in a commodity storage compartment of a main body cabinet. The vending machine is configured such that a commodity output device is provided at a commodity outlet of a commodity storage passage of the commodity storage rack, and commodities stored in the commodity storage passage in a horizontal posture are output one by the commodity output device. As such a vending machine, a vending machine shown in fig. 9 is known.

Fig. 9 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional vending machine. This automatic vending machine includes: a main body cabinet 1 formed as a heat-insulating casing whose front surface is opened; and an outer door 2 supported openably and closably on a front surface of the main body cabinet 1. The front surface of the commodity storage of the main body cabinet 1 is closed by an openable and closable heat-insulating inner door 3. A plurality of commodity storage shelves 4 are arranged in the left-right direction and each commodity storage shelf 4 includes commodity storage shelves 42 arranged in a plurality of stages in the up-down direction, and the commodity storage shelves 4 are stored in the commodity storage compartment of the main body cabinet 1. The commodity storage rack 4 includes a pair of left and right

rack side plates

41, 41 of a rectangular shape disposed along the left and right sides, and the commodity storage shelf 42 is erected on the pair of left and right

rack side plates

41, 41. The commodity storage shelf 42 is disposed so as to be inclined at a predetermined inclination such that the front side of the commodity inlet 44 is high and the rear side of the commodity outlet 45 is low. The upper space of the commodity storage shelf 42 is configured as a commodity storage passage 43 in which a plurality of commodities S are stored in a row in a horizontal posture in the front-rear direction. Further, a commodity discharge device 5 is disposed in the vicinity of the commodity discharge port 45 of the commodity storage shelf 42, and the commodity discharge device 5 discharges and discharges the commodities S stored in the commodity storage passage 43 one by one.

A commodity drop path 46 is formed between the commodity discharge port 45 of each commodity storage shelf 42 and the rear surface of the commodity storage box (the rear wall of the main body cabinet 1). Further, a posture control plate 47 that rotates between a protruding position protruding toward the commodity dropping passage 46 and a retracted position pushed open by the falling commodity S and retracted from the commodity dropping passage 46 is provided at the rear end of each commodity storage shelf 42. The other attitude control plates 47 than one (in the case of the drawing, the lowermost attitude control plate 47) of the plurality of attitude control plates 47 are urged by a torsion coil spring (not shown) so as to protrude toward the commodity dropping passage 46, and have a function of correcting the attitude of the commodity S into a horizontal attitude when pushed open by the commodity S dropped from the commodity dropping passage 46 and retracted from the commodity dropping passage 46, and absorbing the dropping energy of the commodity S to reduce the dropping speed of the commodity S. A cushion pad (oil damper) 48 for braking the rotation of the lowermost position control plate 47 in the direction in which the lowermost position control plate 47 is pushed open by the commodity S falling from the commodity falling passage 46 and retreats from the commodity falling passage 46 from the state in which the lowermost position control plate 47 protrudes toward the commodity falling passage 46 is connected to the lowermost position control plate 47. Further, a cushion pad 49 that cooperates with the attitude control plate 47 to cushion the impact of the commodity S dropped from the commodity dropping path 46 is provided at a position facing the lowermost attitude control plate 47 via the commodity dropping path 46.

A commodity discharge chute 6, which is disposed in a posture of being low in front and high in rear, and has a plurality of vent holes formed in a plate surface thereof, is provided at a lower portion of the commodity housing rack 4. The commodity discharge chute 6 connects the lower end of the commodity falling path 46 to the commodity discharge port 2a of the outer door 2 via a commodity discharge port 3a having a discharge port shutter 3b provided in the heat-insulating inner door 3. Further, a cooling/heating unit 7 (shown by a broken line) that cools or heats the inside of the commodity storage compartment and stores the commodities S stored in the commodity storage shelves 4 in a cold state or a hot state is disposed below the commodity discharge chute 6. The cooling/heating unit 7 is covered by a wind tunnel. A freezer condensing unit 9 (shown by a broken line) forming a freezing cycle with the cooling unit of the cooling/heating unit 7 is disposed in the equipment room 8 at the lower portion of the main body cabinet 1. A duct (not shown) for circulating the inside air is provided on the back surface of the commodity storage (the back wall of the main body cabinet 1), extends in the vertical direction along the back wall of the main body cabinet 1, has an open suction port at the upper end, and has a lower end communicating with the air tunnel of the cooling/heating unit 7.

The air heated or cooled by the cooling/heating unit 7 is configured to be circulated through a path of the air tunnel returning from the duct for circulating the inside air to the cooling/heating unit 7 via the suction port of the duct for circulating the inside air after the commodity S stored in the commodity storage rack 4 is raised inside the compartment while being heated or cooled via the plurality of ventilation holes of the commodity outlet chute 6.

When the commodities S stored in the commodity storage shelves 4 are cooled or heated to a temperature suitable for sale, the commodity shelf becomes a saleable state, and when a commodity selection button provided in the outer door 2 openably and closably attached to the front opening of the main body cabinet 1 is pressed, the commodity output device 5 provided in the commodity storage passage 43 of the corresponding commodity storage shelf 42 operates, and one commodity S stored in the commodity storage passage 43 is discharged. The posture of the commodity S discharged from the commodity discharge device 5 is corrected by the posture control plate 47 while the commodity S is falling from the commodity falling path 46, the falling speed is reduced, the falling speed is further reduced by the posture control plate 47 at the lowermost layer, the commodity S collides with the cushion pad 49 and is buffered, then the commodity S falls down onto the commodity discharge chute 6, rolls or slides on the commodity discharge chute 6, and the outlet shutter 3b provided at the commodity outlet 3a of the heat insulating inner door 3 is pushed open and is discharged to the commodity outlet 2a (for example, patent document 1).

In the vending machine including such a tilt rack, various kinds of commodities having a large diameter to a small diameter can be sold, and it is necessary to respond to a demand for selling various kinds of commodities (multi-selection) accompanying diversification of commodities, and to absorb an impact generated in the commodities when the various kinds of commodities fall (arrive) on the commodity output chute 6. In this regard, in the invention disclosed in patent document 1, the lowermost posture control plate 47 is connected to a cushion pad (oil damper) 48 that brakes the rotation in the retreat direction from the commodity-dropping passage 46, and a cushion pad 49 that cooperates with the posture control plate 47 to cushion the impact of the commodity S dropped from the commodity-dropping passage 46 is provided at a position facing the lowermost posture control plate 47 across the commodity-dropping passage 46, whereby the foam of the commodity S containing the beverage mixed with carbon dioxide is particularly suppressed and the ejection of foam at the time of opening the lid is prevented.

As a conventional technique for buffering the impact of the commodity S when the commodity S falls onto the commodity discharge chute 6, the following technique is known: as a conventional technique for dividing the commodity discharge chute 6 into a fixed chute and a movable chute arranged above the fixed chute, and interposing an elastic member (coil spring) between the fixed chute and the movable chute (see, for example, patent document 2), there is also known the following technique for buffering an impact generated in the commodity when the commodity falls onto the commodity discharge chute: a reinforcing plate is provided at a lower portion of the movable commodity discharge chute, and a flat cushion pad is interposed between the commodity discharge chute and the reinforcing plate (for example, patent document 3).

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 9-274684

Patent document 2: japanese patent No. 3555822

Patent document 3: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 6-231346 (FIG. 4)

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the invention described in patent document 1, the lowermost posture control plate 47 is connected to a cushion pad (oil damper) 48, and a cushion pad 49 is provided at a position facing the lowermost posture control plate 47, so that foaming of a product containing a beverage mixed with carbon dioxide can be suppressed. However, since it is necessary to provide the cushion pads (oil dampers) 48 on the lowermost position control plates 47 of the plurality of commodity-accommodating shelves 4 arranged in the left-right direction in the commodity-accommodating storage of the main body cabinet 1, an increase in cost is inevitable. Further, the commodity S finally reaches the commodity discharging chute 6 via the attitude control plate 47 and the cushion pad 49, and receives an impact when finally reaching the commodity discharging chute 6, and the degree of the impact is weak, but foaming is inevitable due to the impact. The invention described in patent document 2 has the following problems: although the drop impact of the commodity can be alleviated by the elastic member (coil spring) interposed between the fixed chute and the movable chute, a predetermined movable stroke is required for the elastic member (coil spring) to function as a sufficient cushion, and the commodity repeatedly bounces due to the repulsive force of the elastic member (coil spring), thereby generating foam. In the invention described in patent document 3, although the drop impact of the commodity can be alleviated by the flat cushion interposed between the commodity chute and the reinforcing plate, the commodity discharge chute is provided in a form of being placed on the cushion, and therefore the cushion is constantly pressurized by the load of the commodity discharge chute. Therefore, there is a problem that the cushion pad changes (plastically deforms) with time. In the invention described in patent document 3, since the commodity discharge chute is configured to be movable with the front end as a fulcrum, when a commodity arrives (falls) at the commodity discharge chute, the commodity discharge chute swings with the front end side as a fulcrum and the rear end side approaching the reinforcing plate, and in the case of a large-diameter and heavy commodity, the rear end of the commodity discharge chute comes into contact with the reinforcing plate, and there is a risk that the falling impact of the commodity cannot be relieved any more. To avoid this, it is also considered to increase the movable stroke of the movable commodity discharge chute (to increase the thickness of the cushion pad), but the following results are caused: in order to maintain the number of layers of the commodity storage passages in the vertical direction, it is necessary to increase the height of the vending machine, and in order to maintain the height of the vending machine, it is necessary to decrease the number of layers of the commodity storage passages, which is not preferable.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an automatic vending machine that solves the above-described problems, and that can alleviate the impact when a commodity falls down to a commodity discharge chute, thereby suppressing the foaming of a beverage mixed with carbon dioxide.

Means for solving the problems

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is an automatic vending machine including, in a product storage compartment of a main body cabinet: a commodity storage rack which stores commodities; and a commodity discharge chute that feeds out the commodity discharged from the commodity storage rack to a commodity discharge port, wherein the commodity discharge chute includes: a sub chute located at a position where the commodity is dropped from the commodity storage rack; and a main chute that feeds the commodity falling down to the sub chute to the commodity outlet, wherein the sub chute includes a main chute, a sub chute, and a joint section that is divided in the front-rear direction, the joint section connects the main chute and the sub chute, and restricts mountain folding between the main chute and the sub chute, while allowing valley folding between the main chute and the sub chute, and the sub chute is formed as a movable chute that receives a biasing force returning the main chute to a raised standby position in a form that can swing in the up-down direction with a main chute side of the main chute as a fulcrum, and a buffer member that is pressurized when the sub chute is lowered against the biasing force is disposed below the sub chute.

The invention according to claim 2 is the vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the joint portion of the sub chute includes a hinge mechanism and a restricting claw that restricts a mountain fold between the main chute and the sub chute around the hinge mechanism.

The invention according to claim 3 is the vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the urging force for returning the sub chute to the standby position is given by an elastic member provided so as to be connected to a fulcrum of a main chute included in the sub chute.

The invention according to claim 4 is the vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the buffer member is a cushion pad.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the vending machine of claim 1 of the present invention, the vending machine includes, in a product storage compartment of a main body cabinet: a commodity storage rack which stores commodities; and a commodity discharge chute that feeds out the commodity discharged from the commodity storage rack to a commodity discharge port, wherein the commodity discharge chute includes: a sub chute located at a position where the commodity is dropped from the commodity storage rack; and a main chute for delivering the commodity falling down to the sub chute to the commodity outlet, wherein the sub chute is provided with a main chute, a sub chute and a joint part, the main chute, the sub chute and the sub chute are divided in the front-back direction, the joint part connects the main chute and the sub chute, and limits mountain-shaped folding between the main chute and the sub chute, on the other hand, the sub chute allows valley-shaped folding between the main chute and the sub chute, and is formed into a movable chute which receives a force returning to a raised standby position in a form capable of swinging in the up-down direction with the main chute side of the main chute as a fulcrum, and a buffer member which is pressurized when the sub chute is lowered against the force is arranged below the sub chute, and thereby, the impact load when the commodity reaches the sub chute is absorbed by the force applied to the sub chute and the buffer member, therefore, the foaming of the beverage mixed with carbon dioxide can be suppressed. Further, in the case where a large weight commodity reaches the sub chute and the rear end of the sub chute in the sub chute is brought into contact with the fixing member holding the sub chute, the main chute and the sub chute of the sub chute are folded in a valley shape around the joint portion, and the swing of the main chute is allowed. Further, since the sub chute receives a biasing force for returning the sub chute to the standby position, the buffer member disposed below the sub chute is not pressurized by the sub chute returned to the standby position, and the sub chute is continuously pressurized in the sales standby state, thereby achieving an effect of suppressing a secular change.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view from obliquely right above showing the structure of the commodity discharge chute and the lower duct member of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the commodity discharge chute and the lower duct member of fig. 2 as viewed from the back side.

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the structure of the goods output chute and the lower duct member of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows a relationship among the sub chute, the cushion pad, and the fixing metal fitting, fig. 5 (a) is an exploded view of the sub chute, fig. 5 (b) is a perspective view of a state in which the sub chute and the cushion pad are assembled to the fixing metal fitting, and fig. 5 (c) is a perspective view of fig. 5 (b) as viewed from the back side.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the connection between the commodity discharge chute and the lower duct member.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the merchandise output chute and lower duct member of fig. 2.

Fig. 8 shows the operation of the sub chute of the commodity discharging chute, where fig. 8 (a) is a side view of a state where the sub chute is in contact with the fixed attachment from the rear end of the chute, and fig. 8 (b) is a side view of a state where the sub chute is valley-folded.

Fig. 9 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional vending machine.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a vending machine for vending canned beverages and plastic bottled beverages as an example of the vending machine to which the present invention is applied. The left and right sides are left and right when viewed from the front surface of the vending machine.

As shown in fig. 1, the vending machine includes: a main body cabinet 1 formed as a heat-insulating casing whose front surface is opened; and an outer door 2 supported openably and closably on the front surface of the main body cabinet 1 so as to close the front surface opening of the main body cabinet 1, and the outer door 2 is provided with a commodity outlet 2 a. The main body cabinet 1 is a heat-insulating case constructed by arranging heat-insulating panels made of urethane foam on the inner sides of an outer box made of steel plate, that is, an upper wall 1a, left and right side walls 1b, a back wall 1c, and a bottom wall 1d, and a space surrounded by the heat-insulating panels arranged on the upper wall 1a, left and right side walls 1b, the back wall 1c, and the bottom wall 1d is a commodity storage room, and the lower part of the commodity storage room is an equipment room 8. In the commodity storage compartment surrounded by the heat insulating panels of the main body cabinet 1, a plurality of commodity storage chambers are partitioned in the left-right direction by heat insulating partitions (not shown). In each of the commodity storage chambers, commodity storage shelves 4 having commodity storage shelf plates 10 arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction are respectively stored. The front surface of the commodity storage in the main body cabinet 1 is closed by a heat-insulating inner door 3, the heat-insulating inner door 3 is supported by the main body cabinet 1 so as to be openable and closable by a hinge mechanism, and the heat-insulating inner door 3 is provided with a commodity outlet 3a having an outlet shutter 3b which is opened by a commodity sent out from the commodity storage. The outlet shutter 3b is formed such that: the upper end is supported by a shaft and hangs down, and the commodity outlet 3a is closed by its own weight to prevent outflow of cold air or warm air, and the commodity is pushed open by the commodity output through the commodity output chute 6, and the commodity is sent out to the commodity outlet 2a of the outer door 2.

The commodity storage rack 4 includes a pair of left and right

rack side plates

41, 41 made of a rectangular flat plate-like thin steel plate, and the commodity storage shelf 10 is erected on the pair of left and right

rack side plates

41, 41. The commodity-accommodating shelf plate 10 is erected vertically in multiple stages (10 stages in this embodiment) on the left and right

shelf side plates

41, 41 so as to be inclined with a predetermined inclination such that the front side of the commodity-inlet 44 is high and the rear side of the commodity-outlet 45 is low. The mechanical locking capsule 100 is mounted on the left and right

shelf side plates

41, 41 above the uppermost commodity-accommodating shelf plate 10. The upper ends of the left and right

shelf side plates

41, 41 are configured to be engageable with and disengageable from a pair of left and right guide fittings (not shown) laid on the ceiling surface of the commodity storage box, and the commodity storage shelf 4 is housed in the commodity storage box by engaging the left and right

shelf side plates

41, 41 with the guide fittings.

An inner space surrounded by the commodity storage shelf 10, the left and right

shelf side plates

41 and 41, or the partition member 48 placed on the commodity storage shelf 10 as necessary is divided into commodity storage paths 43 (commodity passage) for storing a plurality of commodities arranged in a row in a horizontal posture in the front-rear direction. A commodity carrying out device 5 for carrying out the discharge of the commodities S stored in the commodity storage paths 43 one by one is disposed in the vicinity of the commodity discharge port 45 of each commodity storage path 43 defined by the commodity storage shelf 10, above each commodity storage path 43, and on the lower surface side of the commodity storage shelf 10 on the upper layer side in the present embodiment. Further, an attachment (not shown) for adjusting the distance between the commodity carrying out device 5 and the passage surface of the commodity storage passage 43 is laid on the commodity storage shelf 10 as necessary. The commodity carrying out device 5 that discharges the commodities stored in the commodity storage passage 43 on the uppermost tier one by one is attached to the mechanical locking member 100 disposed above the commodity storage shelf 10 on the uppermost tier.

The commodity output device 5 includes the following components and the like as is well known: a pedal member provided so as to be freely retractable with respect to the commodity storage path 43 and movable between a protruding position protruding toward the commodity storage path 43 in a state of holding a commodity in the 1 st order of sale (the rearmost commodity, also referred to as a "sales commodity") and a retracted position retracted from the commodity storage path 43 in a state of releasing the holding of the sales commodity; a stopper member provided so as to be freely retractable with respect to the commodity storage passage 43 and movable between a retracted position retracted from the commodity storage passage 43 and a protruding position protruding toward the commodity storage passage 43 in a state of holding a commodity of the 2 nd order of sale (a commodity next to the rearmost commodity, also referred to as a next commodity of sale) to be sold next; a link mechanism that moves the pedal member and the stopper member to a protruding position and a retracted position; and a drive means (solenoid, motor) for driving the link mechanism, wherein the commodity output apparatus 5 is configured such that the pedal member projects toward the commodity storage passage 43 to hold a commodity for sale during a time of a commodity waiting for sale, the stopper member is in a state of retreating from the commodity storage passage, the drive means is driven based on a sale command, the stopper member projects toward the commodity storage passage 43 via the link mechanism to hold a next commodity for sale, and thereafter, the pedal member is retreated from the commodity storage passage 43 to deliver the commodity for sale.

An in-compartment upper fan F2 is disposed at a rear end upper position of the mechanical locking capsule 100. The upper region of the rear end of the mechanical locking capsule 100 is a portion that becomes a blind spot by the mechanical locking capsule 100 being disposed at a predetermined inclination so that the rear side is lower than the front side, and the in-compartment upper fan F2 is disposed by the blind spot. The indoor upper fan F2 blows air downward through the indoor air lifted by the upper duct member 70b disposed along the back wall 1c of the main body cabinet 1, and is mounted on the pair of left and right

rack side plates

41, 41.

The rear ends (commodity discharge ports 45) of the commodity storage shelves 10 arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction in each commodity storage rack 4 are positioned on the same vertical line, and a commodity falling path 46 through which commodities fall is formed between the commodity discharge port 45 and the upper duct member 70 b. The commodity dropping path 46 is provided with a position control plate 47, and the position control plate 47 has a rotation center at a position close to the rear end portion of each commodity storage shelf 10 and is rotatable between a protruding position protruding toward the commodity dropping path 46 and a retracted position retracted from the commodity dropping path 46 by being pushed open by a falling commodity. The attitude control plate 47 is biased by a torsion coil spring, not shown, to protrude toward the commodity falling path 46, and the attitude control plate 47 has the following functions: when pushed open by a commodity falling from the commodity falling path 46 and retreated from the commodity falling path 46, the posture of the commodity is corrected to a horizontal posture, and the falling energy of the commodity is absorbed to reduce the falling speed.

The lower portion of the commodity storage rack 4 is provided with: a commodity discharge chute 6 which is disposed in a posture of being inclined in a front-lower and rear-higher manner so as to connect a lower region of the commodity falling passage 46 and an inner door discharge port 3a provided in the heat-insulating inner door 3, and which has a plurality of vent holes 61a (see fig. 2) perforated in a plate surface thereof; and a cooling/heating unit 7 that cools or heats the commodities stored in the commodity-storing shelves 4 to store the commodities in a cold state or a hot state, wherein the commodity-storing shelves 4, the commodity-discharging chute 6, and the cooling/heating unit 7 are arranged in the commodity-storing compartment in this order from top to bottom.

The cooling/heating unit 7 is disposed in a space behind the commodity discharge chute 6 that is disposed in an inclined manner in a low-front high-rear posture. The cooling/heating unit 7 includes an evaporator 7a, a heater 7b, and an in-compartment lower fan F1, and the evaporator 7a, the heater 7b, and the in-compartment lower fan F1 are juxtaposed in the front-rear direction in the order of the heater 7b, the in-compartment lower fan F1, and the evaporator 7a from the front side. The inner-compartment lower fan F1 can have a variable rotation speed by performing voltage control or PWM control on the fan driving motor. The evaporator 7a, the lower fan F1 in the warehouse, and the heater 7b are disposed in the air tunnel 40 surrounding and protecting them. A lower duct member 70a is provided in connection with the air tunnel 40 of the cooling/heating unit 7. The lower duct member 70a is disposed along the rear surface of the commodity storage (the back wall 1c of the main body cabinet 1), and includes an inlet side opening 74 (see fig. 4) facing the outlet of the air tunnel 40 and an outlet side opening 75 (see fig. 4) communicating with the area below the commodity falling passage 46. The upper duct member 70b is disposed in communication with the outlet-side opening 75 of the lower duct member 70 a.

A refrigerator condensing unit 9 forming a refrigeration cycle with the evaporator 7a of the cooling/heating unit 7 is disposed in the equipment chamber 8 at the lower portion of the main body cabinet 1. The refrigerator condensation unit 9 includes a compressor 9a, a condenser 9b, an outdoor fan 9c, an expansion valve (not shown), and the like, and the condenser 9b disposed outside the commodity storage and the evaporator 7a disposed inside the commodity storage are connected by a refrigerant pipe via the expansion valve.

Further, components necessary for automatic selling of commodities by the input of money, such as a commodity selection button for specifying a commodity to be purchased, a coin input port for inputting coins of a price, a bill insertion port for inserting bills of a price, a coin return port for taking out coins of change or coins returned in response to a return instruction, a return lever for instructing return of change or input coins, and the like are arranged on the front surface of the outer door 2 in addition to the commodity display chamber 22 on which a plurality of commodity samples 21 corresponding to a commodity passage are displayed, and a handle for closing and locking the outer door 2 to a door locking mechanism of the main body cabinet 1 is provided, and illustration thereof is omitted.

Fig. 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 show a commodity discharge chute 6 disposed below the commodity storage rack 4 and a lower duct member 70a connected to the air tunnel 40 (see fig. 1) of the cooling/heating unit 7. As shown in fig. 2, the commodity discharge chute 6 is composed of a main chute 61 and a sub chute 62 made of a thick steel plate, the sub chute 62 is connected to the rear side of the main chute 61, and the flat plate surface of the sub chute 62 is arranged higher than the flat plate surface of the main chute 61.

The main chute 61 is formed so as to be bent at an inclination angle larger in a front half region of a flat plate surface serving as a rolling (sliding) surface of the commodity than in a rear half region thereof, and so as to appropriately bend left and right end portions thereof for reinforcement, and a fixing portion 611 bent downward is formed at a front end of the main chute 61. The fixing portion 611 is formed with a screw through hole 611a on a plate surface along the front wall of the main body cabinet 1, and is screwed to the front wall of the main body cabinet 1. A mounting portion 612 (see fig. 3 and 4) bent downward and bent rearward is formed at the rear end of the main chute 61. The mounting portion 612 is screwed to be locked to the front lower surface of the anchor fitting 63, and the anchor fitting 63 is locked to the reinforcement fitting 64 screwed to the lower pipe member 70 a. Further, a plurality of vent holes 61a and ribs 61b are provided on the flat surface of the main chute 61. Further, a locking hole 61c1 (see fig. 4) for fitting the merchandise chute 601 and locking holes 61c2 and 61c3 (see fig. 4) for fitting the merchandise chute 602 are bored in the flat plate surface of the main chute 61.

The

commodity chutes

601 and 602 each cause a commodity rolling (sliding) on the flat plate surface of the main chute 61 to approach the center of the main chute 61. The

commercial chutes

601, 602 are made of steel plate, and are provided with

inclined surface portions

6011, 6021, left and right

side surface portions

6012, 6022, and

front surface portions

6013, 6023, the rear side of each of the

inclined surface portions

6011, 6021 is positioned at the rear outer end portion of the commodity discharging chute 6 (the left end portion in the case of the commodity chute 601, the right end portion in the case of the commodity chute 602) and the front end side of each of the

inclined surface portions

6011, 6021 is positioned at the commodity discharge port 3a side, so that the flat plate surface (rolling surface of the commodity) of the main chute 61 on which the commodity rolls (slides) is narrowed as going from the rear side to the front side, the inclination angles of the

inclined surface portions

6011, 6021 gradually increase from the plate surface (rolling surface) of the commodity discharge chute 6 toward the outside (the left end side in the case of the commodity chute 601 and the right end side in the case of the commodity chute 602), the

commodity chutes

601 and 602 are formed by bending in a triangular pyramid shape with an open bottom.

A locking claw 6011a (see fig. 4) is formed near the rear end of the lower edge of the inclined surface portion 6011 of the commercial chute 601, and the locking claw 6011a (see fig. 4) is inserted into and locked in a locking hole 61c1 bored in the main chute 61. The lower end of the front surface 6013 of the commercial chute 601 is bent rearward so as to be in close contact with the flat plate surface of the main chute 61, and a screw insertion hole is formed in the bent portion, which is not shown. A window 6013a is provided in the front surface portion 6013 in order to insert and fasten a screw into the screw insertion hole of the bent portion.

A locking claw (not shown) is formed at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the lower edge of the inclined surface portion 6021 in the commercial chute 602, and is inserted into and locked to a locking hole 61c2 bored in the main chute 61, and a locking claw 6022a is formed at an intermediate position in the front-rear direction of the lower edge of the side surface portion 6022, and the locking claw 6022a is inserted into and locked to a locking hole 61c3 bored in the main chute 61. The front surface portion 6023 of the commercial chute 602 is connected to the fixing portion 611 of the main chute 61, and a screw through hole 60231a (see fig. 4, and a screw through hole 611b of the fixing portion 611 of the main chute 61 is threadably fixed to the plate surface of the locking piece 60231 extending downward from the lower edge of the front surface portion 6023. furthermore, since the commercial chute 602 is a triangular cone in a form of closing the vent hole 61a of the main chute 61, the same vent hole as the vent hole 61a of the main chute 61 is formed in the inclined surface portion 6021 thereof, and illustration thereof is omitted.

The fixing metal fitting 63 is made of sheet metal and is disposed so as to be placed on the reinforcing metal fitting 64 screwed to the lower pipe member 70 a. Two

hook pieces

632, 632 are formed on the plate surface of the fixing metal fitting 63. Further, a pair of left and right hollow cylindrical (curled)

shaft insertion portions

63a, 63a (see fig. 4) are formed to protrude upward at both left and right ends of the front flange 631 of the fixing metal fitting 63.

The reinforcement fitting 64 is made of sheet metal, and includes a top plate 641, a back plate 642 connected to the rear end side of the top plate 641, and left and

right side plates

643, 643 with flanges 643a connected to the left and right end portions of the top plate 641. The reinforcing metal fitting 64 is formed in the following form: in the unfolded state, the half-wrapped (japanese: half (japanese traditional jacket)) (T-shape) shape is formed, and the arm portions are formed with sleeves (japanese: sleeve pairs き), the half-wrapped chest and arm portions respectively form a top plate 641 and left and right side plates 643, the main body portion forms a back plate 642, and the sleeves of the arm portions form flanges 643a of left and right side walls. The back plate 642 is provided with a central opening only on the left and right sides. In the reinforcing metal fitting 64, the

flanges

643a, 643a of the left and

right side plates

643, 643 are welded to the left and right back plates 642, and the top plate 641 is made substantially horizontal. The top plate 641 has a concave front end, and two

hook pieces

632, 632 formed on the plate surface of the fixing metal fitting 63 are accommodated in the concave portion of the top plate 641 and engaged with the top plate 641. The back plate 642 is provided with a central opening only on the left and right sides in order to prevent the inlet opening 74 formed in the front surface wall 71 of the lower duct member 70a described later from being closed. Screw insertion holes (not shown) through which screws are inserted in a superimposed state are formed in the left and right back plates 642 and the

flanges

643a, 643a of the left and right side plates 643, and can be screwed to the lower duct member 70 a.

The sub chute 62 connected to the rear side of the main chute 61 is configured to include a main chute 621 and a sub chute 622 divided in the front-rear direction, and a joint portion 623 located between the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622 so as to connect the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622. The joint 623 restricts mountain folding between the main diagonal groove 621 and the sub diagonal groove 622 centered on the joint 623, and allows valley folding between the main diagonal groove 621 and the sub diagonal groove 622, and the main diagonal groove 621 and the sub diagonal groove 622 are formed of a plate having a rectangular flat plate surface having a width substantially equal to the width of the main diagonal groove 61. The sub chute 622 constituting the sub chute 62 is located below the commodity drop path 46 (see fig. 1).

As shown in fig. 5, 3 shaft penetrating portions 621a each having a hollow cylindrical shape (a curled shape) are formed so as to protrude downward in a dispersed manner in the left-right direction on the lower edge of a flange 6211 formed by bending downward from the front edge of a flat surface (an arrival surface) of the main chute 621 constituting the sub chute 62. These curled shaft insertion portions 621a are formed so as to be positioned between a pair of left and right curled

shaft insertion portions

63a, 63a formed at the front edge of the fixing metal fitting 63. At the rear edge of the flat surface (arrival surface) of the main

inclined groove

621, 3 hollow cylindrical (curled) shaft penetrating portions 621b are formed so as to protrude rearward in a dispersed manner in the left-right direction. Further, stoppers 6212 bent downward are provided at rear ends of left and right side edges of the flat plate surface (arrival surface) of the main inclined groove 621.

The restricting

claws

6221, 6221 are provided on both left and right sides of the front edge of the inclined groove 622 constituting the sub inclined groove 62, the restricting

claws

6221, 6221 are formed by bending so as to protrude forward one step lower than the flat plate surface (reaching surface) of the inclined groove 622, and a pair of left and right curled

shaft insertion portions

622a, 622a are provided between the left and right restricting

claws

6221, 6221 from the front edge of the inclined groove 622. The distance between the pair of left and right curled

shaft penetration portions

622a, 622a is set to a size capable of being accommodated in the central shaft penetration portion 621b among the 3 shaft penetration portions 621b provided at the rear edge of the main chute 621, and the distance between the pair of left and right curled

shaft penetration portions

622a, 622a and the left and right restricting

claws

6221, 6221 is set to a size capable of being accommodated in the left and right

shaft penetration portions

621b, 621b among the 3 shaft penetration portions 621b provided at the rear edge of the main chute 621. Therefore, when the rear edge of the main inclined groove 621 and the front edge of the sub inclined groove 622 are butted against each other, the 3 shaft penetration portions 621b provided at the rear edge of the main inclined groove 621 and the pair of left and right curled

shaft penetration portions

622a and 622a provided at the front edge of the sub inclined groove 622 are connected in a left-right line in a staggered meshing manner. In this case, the restricting

claws

6221, 6221 provided from both the left and right sides of the front edge of the inclined groove 622 are submerged below the main inclined groove 621 and abut against the back surface of the main inclined groove 621.

As described above, the rear edge of the main inclined groove 621 and the front edge of the inclined groove 622 are butted to each other, and the 3 shaft penetration portions 621b provided at the rear edge of the main inclined groove 621 and the pair of left and right

shaft penetration portions

622a and 622a provided at the front edge of the inclined groove 622 are alternately engaged with each other, and then the main inclined groove 621 and the inclined groove 622 are connected to each other by passing the hinge shaft PN1 (see fig. 4) through the 3 shaft penetration portions 621b provided at the rear edge of the main inclined groove 621 and the pair of left and right

shaft penetration portions

622a and 622a provided at the front edge of the inclined groove 622. The hinge mechanism is constituted by 3 shaft penetrating portions 621b provided at the rear edge of the main inclined groove 621, a pair of left and right

shaft penetrating portions

622a, 622a provided from the front edge of the inclined groove 622, and a hinge shaft PN 1. When the rear edge of the main chute 621 and the front edge of the sub-chute 622 are butted against each other, the restricting

claws

6221, 6221 provided on both the left and right sides of the front edge of the sub-chute 622 and submerged below the main chute 621 restrict the main chute 621 and the sub-chute 622 from mountain folding around the hinge mechanism (hinge axis PN1) in a state of being in contact with the back surface of the main chute 621, while allowing the main chute 621 and the sub-chute 622 to valley folding around the hinge mechanism (hinge axis PN 1). The hinge mechanism and the restricting

claws

6221, 6221 provided on both the left and right sides from the front edge of the inclined groove 622 constitute the joint portion 623 of claim 1. Further, since the 3 shaft penetration portions 621b provided at the rear edge of the main inclined groove 621 and the pair of left and right

shaft penetration portions

622a and 622a provided from the front edge of the inclined groove 622 that are alternately engaged are formed in a curled shape, the surface of the hinge mechanism portion is flush with the arrival surface of the main inclined groove 621 and the arrival surface of the inclined groove 622 in a state where the mountain folding is restricted.

In the main chute 621 and the sub-chute 62 connected from the chute 622 via the joint 623 as described above, 3 curled shaft insertion portions 621a provided on the front edge side of the main chute 621 are positioned between the pair of left and right curled

shaft insertion portions

63a, 63a of the fixing metal fitting 63, and the sub-chute 62 is connected to the fixing metal fitting 63 so as to be swingable by inserting a hinge shaft PN (see fig. 4) through both. A torsion coil spring SP is wound around the hinge shaft PN (see fig. 4 and 5). One end of the torsion coil spring SP is engaged with the fixed metal fitting 63, and the other end of the torsion coil spring SP is engaged with the main inclined groove 621, whereby a biasing force is applied to the main inclined groove 621 (the sub inclined groove 62) in a direction away from the fixed metal fitting 63. Therefore, the main chute 621 (sub chute 62) is biased by the torsion coil spring SP to swing freely in the vertical direction about the hinge shaft PN as a fulcrum. The upward swing of the main chute 621 (the sub chute 62) is restricted by the contact of the front edge of the main chute 621 with the flange 6211 of the main chute 61.

In this way, the position at which the upward swing is restricted becomes the standby position after the rise of the sub chute 62. Thus, the sub chute 62 is formed as a movable chute that receives a biasing force for returning the sub chute to the raised standby position by the torsion coil spring SP. In the standby position after the rise of the sub chute 62, it is preferable that the arrival surface of the sub chute 62 be flush with the plate surface of the main chute 61, but the arrival surface of the sub chute 62 is configured to be slightly higher than the plate surface of the main chute 61 so that the arrival surface of the sub chute 62 is lower than the plate surface of the main chute 61 without an assembly error or the like. The torsion coil spring SP is a torsion coil spring having a relatively weak biasing force to return the sub chute 62 to the raised standby position so that the commodity falling to the rear end side of the sub chute 62 does not bounce back.

A cushion pad 65 is disposed between the plate surfaces of the sub chute 62 and the fixing metal fitting 63. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the cushion pad 65 has a square column shape and is bonded to the fixing member 63. The cushion portion 65 is made of low resilience foam rubber. Further, it is preferable that the cushion pad 65 is disposed below the main chute 621 so as not to obstruct valley-shaped folding between the main chute 621 and the sub-chute 622 in the sub-chute 62.

In this manner, the sub chute 62 of the commodity discharging chute 6 is configured to return to the raised standby position by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring SP in the sales standby state. Further, the cushion pad 65 bonded to the fixing metal fitting 63 absorbs the impact load when the commodity is dropped onto the sub chute 62. In this case, since the sub chute 62 is returned to the standby position by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring SP, the cushion pad 65 bonded to the fixed member 63 is not subjected to the load of the sub chute 62, and the problem that the cushion pad is subjected to the load of the commodity discharge chute and is subjected to an aged change (plastic deformation) as in the invention disclosed in patent document 3 can be suppressed. Further, if the relationship between the sub chute 62 and the cushion pad 65 is configured such that the sub chute 62 returned to the standby position after the rise is spaced from the cushion pad 65, the cushion pad 65 is not pressurized by the sub chute 62 in the standby state and becomes a non-pressurized state, and therefore, the secular change (plastic deformation) of the cushion pad 65 can be suppressed.

As shown in fig. 4, the lower duct member 70a is made of a thin steel plate formed into a concave shape in cross section, and includes a front surface wall 71 in a rectangular flat plate shape and left and right side walls 72, and cushions 73, 73 are bonded to the insides of the left and

right side walls

72, 72. An inlet-side opening 74 communicating with an outlet of the air tunnel 40 via a spacer 76 is formed in the vicinity of a substantially central lower portion of the front surface wall 71. The spacer 76 connecting the air tunnel 40 and the opening 74 of the lower duct member 70a is made of a gate-shaped sheet metal, and the spacer 76 is fixed by being screwed to the front surface wall 71. An upper edge 761 of a crossbar (japanese: bamboo hat) corresponding to the top of the door in the spacer 76 is formed with an upward flange 7611. The air tunnel 40 is integrally connected to the lower duct member 70a by engaging a downward flange (not shown) provided at the upper edge of the air tunnel 40 with the upward flange 7611.

The lower duct member 70a is disposed such that the lower end thereof is placed on the bottom wall 1d of the main body cabinet 1 and the left and

right side walls

72, 72 are brought into close contact with the back wall 1c of the main body cabinet 1 by double-sided tape or the like, a space surrounded by the front surface wall 71 of the lower duct member 70a, the left and right side walls 72, and the back wall 1c of the main body cabinet 1 serves as a passage through which air in the interior flows, and the upper end of the lower duct member 70a serves as an outlet-side opening 75 communicating with the lower end of the upper duct member 70 b.

As shown in fig. 6, the commodity discharge chute 6 is assembled by assembling the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622 constituting the sub chute 62 to the fixing metal fitting 63 to which the cushion pad 65 is bonded, and fixing the rear end of the main chute 61 to the fixing metal fitting 63. The product delivery chute 6 configured as described above is assembled to the reinforcing member 64, and the reinforcing member 64 is fixed to the lower duct member 70a arranged along the back wall 1c of the main body cabinet 1 from the open front surface of the main body cabinet 1 in advance. In this case, the plate surface of the fixing metal fitting 63 is press-fitted so as to be placed on the top plate 641 of the reinforcing metal fitting 64, and the two

hook pieces

632, 632 provided on the fixing metal fitting 63 are engaged so as to be press-fitted into the top plate 641 of the reinforcing metal fitting 64, and then the fixing portion 611 provided at the front end of the main chute 61 is screwed to the front wall of the main body cabinet 1, whereby the commodity discharge chute 6 is assembled to the main body cabinet 1 (see fig. 2, 3, and 7). In this manner, the merchandise discharge chute 6 is configured in such a manner that the two

hook pieces

632, 632 provided on the fixing metal fitting 63 are engaged with the top plate 641 of the reinforcing metal fitting 64 and disposed on the top plate 641 of the reinforcing metal fitting 64, and the two

hook pieces

632, 632 are separated from the top plate 641 and can be separated from the reinforcing metal fitting 64, so that the merchandise discharge chute 6 can be easily attached to and detached from the main body cabinet 1.

The sub chute 62 is not limited to being pivotally supported by the fixed attachment 63 so as to be freely swingable, and the sub chute 62 may be coupled to the main chute 61 via a hinge (japanese butterfly) and returned to the standby position by a spring member.

In the vending machine having this configuration, the outer door 2 and the heat-insulating inner door 3 shown in fig. 1 are opened, and the commodity is loaded from the commodity inlet 44 into the commodity storage passage 43 defined by the commodity storage shelf 10. The commodity first loaded into the commodity storing path 43 is held by the pedal member of the commodity output device 5 protruding to the commodity storing path 43 to be the commodity in the 1 st order of sales, the loaded commodity is stacked on the front side of the commodity held by the pedal member to be the commodity in the 2 nd order of sales, and the loaded commodity is sequentially stacked on the front side of the commodity in the 2 nd order of sales. The commodities stored in the commodity storage shelves 4 in this manner are cooled or heated by the cooling/heating unit 7, and are stored in a cold state or a hot state suitable for sale, and are brought into a saleable state (a sales standby state).

In such a sales standby state, when a commodity selection switch provided in the outer door 2 is operated, the commodity discharge device 5 of the commodity storage passage 43 corresponding to the selected commodity, which is disposed on the commodity storage shelf 10 spanning the commodity storage rack 4, is operated, and the commodity in the 1 st order of sales stored in the commodity storage passage 43 is discharged to the commodity falling passage 46. The falling speed of the commodity discharged to the commodity falling path 46 is reduced by the posture control plate 47, and the commodity falls to the arrival surface of the sub chute 62 of the commodity discharge chute 6 from the chute 622 after the posture is corrected. In this case, since the joint portion 623 constituting the sub diagonal groove 62 restricts the mountain fold between the main diagonal groove 621 and the sub diagonal groove 622, when the commodity falls onto the arrival surface of the sub diagonal groove 62 from the sub diagonal groove 622, the commodity load acts on the main diagonal groove 621 via the joint portion 623. Thereby, the torsion coil spring SP contracts and the sub chute 62 starts to descend (swing) so as to move downward from the standby position after the ascent. When the sub-chute 62 descends (swings) and comes into contact with the cushion pad 65, the cushion pad 65 contracts to allow the sub-chute 62 to descend, and absorbs the falling impact (component force in the vertical direction) of the commodity together with the torsion coil spring SP. The commodity, which has been absorbed by the torsion coil spring SP and the cushion pad 65 by the drop impact (component force in the vertical direction) that has fallen on the sub chute 62, moves from the sub chute 62 to the main chute 61 by the forward component force, and then, is pushed toward the center of the main chute 61 by the action of the

commodity chutes

601 and 602, and then, is fed out to the commodity outlet 2a of the outer door 2 by pushing open the outlet shutter 3b provided at the commodity outlet 3a of the heat insulating inner door 3 shown in fig. 1. After the commodity is transferred from the sub chute 62 to the main chute 61, the sub chute 62 is raised by the biasing force of the torsion coil spring SP and returned to the standby position.

Here, since the torsion coil spring SP is a torsion coil spring having a relatively weak biasing force to the extent of returning the sub chute 62 to the standby position after the ascent, the product dropped to the sub chute 62 is not bounced by the repulsive force of the torsion coil spring SP, and the generation of foam of the beverage mixed with carbon dioxide can be suppressed, while in the automatic vending machine provided with such a tilt rack, since various kinds of products are handled, when the weight of the product is large, when the sub chute 62 descends along with the sub chute 622 where the product having a large weight drops (reaches) to the sub chute 62, the tip of the sub chute 622 may come into contact with the fixed metal fitting 63. In this case, when the sub chute 62 does not include the joint portion 623, the drop impact is applied to the commodity and foam is generated when the sub chute 622 abuts against the fixed metal fitting 63. However, in the case of the sub diagonal groove 62 including the joint portion 623, when the tip of the sub diagonal groove 622 abuts on the fixing metal fitting 63, the joint portion 623 allows valley-shaped folding between the main diagonal groove 621 and the sub diagonal groove 622. Fig. 8 shows this state, in which fig. 8 (a) shows a state in which the fixing metal fitting 63 is in contact with the front end of the inclined groove 622, and fig. 8 (b) shows a state in which the main inclined groove 621 and the inclined groove 622 are valley-folded. Further, since the functions of the torsion coil spring SP and the cushion pad 65 continue to act on the main inclined groove 621 even after the valley-shaped folding between the main inclined groove 621 and the sub inclined groove 622 by the joint portion 623, the falling impact of the product can be absorbed together with the torsion coil spring SP. The valley fold between the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622 constituting the joint portion 623 of the sub chute 62 means that the movable stroke of the sub chute 62 is substantially increased, and the number of layers of the commodity storage passage can be maintained in the vertical direction while the height of the vending machine is maintained.

As described above, according to the vending machine of the present embodiment, the vending machine includes the commodity storage rack 4 in which commodities are stored and the commodity discharge chute 6 which feeds out the commodities discharged from the commodity storage rack 4 to the commodity discharge port in the commodity storage compartment of the main body cabinet 1, and in the vending machine, the commodity discharge chute 6 includes: a sub chute 62 located at a position where the commodity is dropped from the commodity-accommodating rack 4; a main chute 61 for delivering the commodity dropped on the sub chute 62 to the commodity outlet, wherein the sub chute 62 includes a main chute 621 divided in the front-rear direction, a sub chute 622, and a joint portion 623 for connecting the main chute 622 and the sub chute 622 and restricting the mountain fold between the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622 while allowing the valley fold between the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622, and wherein the sub chute 62 is formed as a movable chute that receives a biasing force (biasing force of the torsion coil spring SP) for returning the main chute 61 of the main chute 621 to the raised standby position in a manner of being capable of swinging in the up-down direction with the main chute side 61 of the main chute 621 as a fulcrum, and a buffer member (buffer pad 65) pressurized when the sub chute 62 is lowered against the biasing force (biasing force of the torsion coil spring SP) is disposed below the sub chute 62, as a result, the impact load when the commodity reaches the sub-chute 62 is absorbed by the urging force (urging force of the torsion coil spring SP) applied to the sub-chute 62 and the cushion member (cushion pad 65), and therefore, the generation of foam in the beverage mixed with carbon dioxide can be suppressed. Further, in a case where a heavy commodity reaches the sub chute 62 and the rear end of the sub chute 622 in the sub chute 62 is brought into contact with the fixing member (fixing metal fitting 63) holding the sub chute 62, the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622 of the sub chute 62 are folded in a valley shape around the joint portion 623, and the swing of the main chute 621 is allowed, so that the movable stroke of the sub chute 62 is increased, and the biasing force (the biasing force of the torsion coil spring SP) and the cushion member (cushion pad 65) applied to the sub chute 62 function, and the impact when the heavy commodity reaches the sub chute 62 can be alleviated. Further, since the sub chute 62 receives a biasing force (biasing force of the torsion coil spring SP) for returning the sub chute to the standby position, the buffer member (cushion pad 65) disposed below the sub chute 62 is not pressurized by the sub chute 62 returned to the standby position, and the sub chute is continuously pressurized in the sales standby state, thereby achieving an effect of suppressing the secular change.

In the above-described embodiment, the joint portion 623 of the sub chute includes the hinge mechanism and the restricting claw 6221 for restricting the mountain fold of the main chute 621 and the sub chute 622 around the hinge mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various mechanisms can be adopted: this mechanism connects the main chute 61 and the sub chute 62, restricts mountain folding between the main chute 61 and the sub chute 62, and allows valley folding between the main chute 61 and the sub chute 62. In the above embodiment, the example in which the cushion pad 65 is bonded to the fixing metal fitting 63 has been described, but the cushion pad 65 may be disposed so as to be bonded to the lower surface of the sub chute 62 in a manner spaced apart from the fixing metal fitting 63, and is not limited to the embodiment.

Description of the reference numerals

1. A main body cabinet; 4. a commodity storage rack; 5. a commodity output device; 6. a commodity output chute; 7. a cooling/heating unit (cooling/heating means); 9. a freezer condensing unit; 10. a commodity storage shelf; 43. a commodity storage passage; 44. a commodity input port; 45. a commodity outlet; 46. a commodity falling path; 61. a main chute; 62. an auxiliary chute; 65. a cushion pad (cushion member); SP, torsion coil spring (elastic member); 621. a primary chute; 622. a slave chute; 623. a joint section; 6221. the pawl is restrained.

Claims

1. An automatic vending machine, which is provided with a commodity storage chamber of a main body cabinet: a commodity storage rack which stores commodities; and a commodity output chute for delivering the commodity output from the commodity storage rack to a commodity output port,

the commodity output chute comprises:

a sub chute located at a position where the commodity is dropped from the commodity storage rack; and

a main chute for delivering the commodity dropped to the sub chute to the commodity outlet,

the sub chute is provided with a main chute, a secondary chute and a joint part, wherein the main chute, the secondary chute and the joint part are divided in the front-back direction, the joint part connects the main chute and the secondary chute, limits mountain-shaped folding between the main chute and the secondary chute, and allows valley-shaped folding between the main chute and the secondary chute,

the auxiliary chute is formed as a movable chute which is subjected to a biasing force for returning the main chute to the raised standby position in a manner that the auxiliary chute can swing in the vertical direction with the main chute side of the main chute as a fulcrum,

a buffer member is disposed below the sub chute and pressurized when the sub chute is lowered against a biasing force,

the joint portion of the sub chute includes a hinge mechanism and a restricting claw that restricts a mountain fold between the main chute and the sub chute centered on the hinge mechanism.

2. The vending machine of claim 1,

the urging force for returning the sub chute to the standby position is given by an elastic member provided so as to be connected to a fulcrum of the main chute included in the sub chute.

3. The vending machine of claim 1,

the cushioning member is a cushion pad.