JP2000251145A - Cup supplying device for cup type automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cup supplying device for a cup type automatic vending machine capable of performing selling satisfactorily by preventing the curled part of a cup from being deformed when cups are replenished. SOLUTION: This cup supplying device for a cup type automatic vending machine which houses plural cups C respectively having curled parts 29 while piled up vertically and makes the lowest cup C fall and supplies it when a beverage is sold is provided with a cup housing device housing plural cups C, a cup separating cam 26 which is provided in the lower part of the cup housing device, supports the plural cups C by being engaged with the curled part 29 of the lowest cup C when waiting for a sale and also makes only the lowest cup C fall by releasing the engagement when the beverage is sold and a buffering means supporting the cam 26 in a vertically movable way.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup-type vending machine for storing a plurality of cups each having a curled portion in a vertically stacked state and dropping and supplying a lowermost cup at the time of sale. Related to the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this kind of cup supply device,
The one described in JP-A-5-81547 is known. This cup supply device is provided at a lower end portion of a cylindrical cup container for accommodating a large number of cups stacked up and down, and separates a lowermost cup from other cups thereon. It has a cup drop ring for dropping. The cup drop ring has a through hole through which the cup passes in the center, a case-shaped cup drop ring main body, and a plurality of cup separating cams arranged in the cup drop ring main body so as to face the through hole. ,have. Each cup separating cam is formed in a substantially columnar shape, and is fixed to a vertically extending rotation shaft rotatably supported at upper and lower ends in a cup drop ring ring main body. This cup separation cam supports all the cups by engaging with the curled portion of the lowermost cup (a portion formed in a curl shape around the drinking spout) during standby for sale, and rotates at the time of sale. By releasing the engagement with, and by engaging the curl portion of the cup immediately above the lowest cup,
It is formed so that only the lowest cup is dropped. Accordingly, when the rotation shaft rotates once by the drive motor, the cup separating cam also rotates once, and only the lowest cup is dropped and supplied onto the cup stage provided below the cup drop ring. You.

When refilling a cup into such a cup supply device, a large number of cups are dropped into a cup container from above in a stacked state. Thereby, all the refilled cups are stored in the cup storage device in a state where the curl portion of the lowest cup is engaged with the cup separating cam so as to be supported from below.

[0004]

As described above, when replenishing cups to a conventional cup supply device, a large number of cups are stacked in a state of being dropped from above and stored in a cup storage device. , The weight of all cups (approximately 500 for 100 cups)
g) impact load is applied. On the other hand, the curl portion of the lower cup of all the cups receives a compressive load due to an upward reaction force due to the impact load and a downward force due to the weight of the upper cup. For this reason, when refilling the cup, the curled portion of the lower cup may be deformed. If the curled portion of the cup is deformed, the cup may fall down at the time of sale or fall on the cup separating cam, and the cup cannot be properly dropped and supplied, resulting in poor sales. Would.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to prevent the curled portion of the cup from being deformed at the time of refilling the cup. An object of the present invention is to provide a cup feeding device for a vending machine.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a cup supplying apparatus for a cup-type vending machine, in which a plurality of cups each having a curl portion are stored in a vertically stacked state, and at the time of sale, the lowest cup is placed. A cup supply device of a cup-type vending machine for dropping and supplying a cup, which is provided at a lower end portion of the cup storage portion for storing a plurality of cups and curls a lowermost cup when waiting for sale. A cup separating member that supports multiple cups by engaging the part and releases only the lowest cup at the time of sale by releasing the engagement, and the cup separating member can be moved up and down. And a buffer means for supporting the first and second members.

According to this configuration, when the cups are refilled, the stacked cups are stored in the cup storage portion so as to be dropped from above, so that the cup separating member can reduce the impact load due to the weight of those cups. Even if received, the shock load can be reduced while moving the cup separating member downward by the buffer means. Thus, when the cup is refilled, the reaction force of the impact load that the cup receives from the cup separating member at the curl portion can be reduced, and the deformation of the curl portion can be prevented. As a result, at the time of sale, the cup can be properly dropped,
Sales can be performed well.

In this case, the buffer means is disposed between the cup separating member and the base, a guide member for vertically guiding the cup separating member, a base provided below the cup separating member. And an elastic means for supporting the cup separating member.

According to this configuration, at the time of refilling the cup, while moving the cup separating member downward by the guide member,
The impact load applied to the cup separating member is reduced (absorbed) by elastic means disposed between the cup separating member and the base portion.
Accordingly, the reaction force of the impact load received by the cup can be reduced. Further, the buffer means can be realized with the simple configuration as described above. In addition,
Various means such as a coil spring, rubber, and a damper can be used as the elastic means.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the inside of a cup-type vending machine provided with a cup supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this vending machine, various drinks such as coffee and juice are poured into cups for sale. As shown in FIG.
The vending machine includes a vending machine main body 2 and a main door 4 having a sales port 3 slightly below the center in the vertical direction and opening and closing the front surface of the vending machine main body 2. In the vending machine main body 2, a raw material container 5 for powder-based raw material and syrup-based raw material is provided.
And a water tank (not shown) and a hot water tank (not shown)
A carbon dioxide gas cylinder 6 for supplying carbonic acid, an ice maker 7 for making ice, a cup stage 8 arranged at a position corresponding to the sales opening 3 of the main door 4, and a cup stage 1 for selling at the time of sale. A cup supply device 9 for dropping and supplying the liquid to be placed on the cup 8; and a drainage bucket 11 arranged below the cup stage 8 for storing residual liquid and the like dripping from the supply nozzle 10 of the beverage after sale. And so on.

In the vending machine 1, when powder hot beverage such as instant coffee is sold, first, a cup C for hot beverage is dropped from the cup supply device 9 and a cup chute (not shown). ) Is placed on the cup stage 8. And the raw material container 5
Coffee powder, as well as sugar and cream, are mixed with hot water in a mixer 12 and supplied to a cup C via a predetermined supply nozzle 10. On the other hand, when a syrup-based cold beverage such as juice is sold, a cup C for cold beverage is supplied from the cup supply device 9 in the same manner as described above.
Is placed on the cup stage 8, the concentrated raw material from the raw material container 5 and the water from the water tank or the carbonated water obtained by mixing the carbonic acid from the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 6 into the water flow through the predetermined supply nozzle 10. The ice from the ice maker 7 is further supplied to the cup C via the flexible hose 13.

As described above, the cup supply device 9 supplies a large number of cups C stacked and stored one above the other on the cup stage 8 one by one from below. The cup supply device 9 is configured to be able to supply two types of cups C for hot beverages and cold beverages. The cup storage device 21 (cup storage unit) for storing the cups C and the cup storage device 21 And a cup drop ring 22 for separating and dropping only the lowest cup C from other cups above it.

The cup container 21 is formed in a box shape extending in the up-down direction, and has two storage chambers 23, 23 in which a plurality of cups C of the same type can be stored in a vertically stacked state. It is juxtaposed in the direction. The cup drop ring 2 is provided at the lower end of each storage chamber 23.
2 are arranged. Further, the cup storage device 21 is provided with an open / close lid (not shown) on an upper surface thereof. When the cup C is refilled, the open / close lid is opened, and the stacked cups C are opened.
Is replenished so as to be dropped into the storage chamber 23 from above.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cup drop ring 22 is formed in a case shape, and has a through hole 24 at the center thereof for allowing a cup C to pass therethrough. Body 2
5, a plurality of cup separating cams 26 (cup separating members) (only two are illustrated in FIG. 2) arranged so as to face the through-hole 24 and separate and drop only the lowermost cup C. And a coil spring 27 (elastic means) disposed between the cup separating cam 26 and the bottom wall 25a (base portion) of the cup drop ring main body 25.

Each of the cup separating cams 26 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and the upper and lower ends thereof are rotatably supported by the center wall at the ceiling wall 25b and the bottom wall 25a of the cup drop ring body 25, respectively. The rotated shaft 28 (guide member) is loosely inserted. A projection (not shown) projecting outward is provided on the surface of the rotating shaft 28 in the cup separating cam 26, and a groove corresponding to the projection and engaging with the projection is provided.
It is formed near the center of the cup separating cam 26 so as to extend vertically. Thereby, the cup separating cam 26
Is movable in the vertical direction with respect to the rotation shaft 28 and is rotatable with the rotation of the rotation shaft 28.

The cup disconnecting cam 26 engages with the curl portion 29 of the lowermost cup C so as to support the lowermost cup C from the lower side during standby for sale, thereby supporting all cups and selling the cup. Sometimes, the engagement is released with the rotation and is engaged with the curl portion 29 of the cup C immediately above the lowermost cup, so that only the lowermost cup C is dropped. . Therefore, when the rotating shaft 28 engaged with the cup separating cam 26 is rotationally driven by a driving motor (not shown), specifically, the rotating shaft 2
8 makes one rotation, and accordingly, each cup separating cam 26
Make one rotation in synchronization with each other, cut off only the lowermost cup C, drop it onto the cup stage 8 and supply it.

The rotary shaft 28 is loosely inserted into the coil spring 27, and the coil spring 27 supports the cup separating cam 26 from below. Therefore, when refilling cup C,
Even when the cup separating cam 26 receives an impact load from above by the cup C, the cup separating cam 26 is
7, the shock load is moved downward while absorbing the shock load, and the shock load can be reduced.

As described above, the cushioning means of the present invention, which supports the cup separating cam 26 so as to be vertically movable and can reduce the impact load received by the cup separating cam 26 from above, comprises the cup drop ring body 25, It comprises a rotating shaft 28, a coil spring 27 and the like.

In place of the coil spring 27, other elastic members such as rubber, or even a damper may be used.
It is possible to reduce the impact load in the same manner as described above. For example, when rubber is used, a through hole is formed in the rubber formed in a block shape, and the rubber is cup-disconnected cam 26 so that the rotating shaft 28 is loosely inserted into the through hole.
And the bottom wall 25a of the cup drop ring main body 25. On the other hand, when a damper is used, the damper may be arranged on the bottom wall 25a so as to support the cup separating cam 26 from below.

As described in detail above, according to the cup supply device 9 of the present invention, when the cups C are refilled, a large number of the stacked cups C are stored in the cup storage device 21 so as to be dropped from above. Even when the cup separating cam 26 receives an impact load due to the weight of the cup C, the impact load can be reduced by the coil spring 27 provided below the cup separating cam 26. Thus, when the cup C is refilled, the cup C
Accordingly, the reaction force of the impact load received from the cup separating cam 26 can be reduced, and the deformation of the curled portion 29 can be prevented. As a result, at the time of sale, the cup C can be appropriately dropped and supplied so as to be placed on the cup stage 8, and sales can be performed well.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various modes. Further, the detailed configuration of the cup separating cam, the rotating shaft, the coil spring, and the like described in the embodiment are merely examples, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention.

[0022]

As described in detail above, the cup supply device of the cup-type vending machine of the present invention can prevent the curl portion of the cup from being deformed at the time of refilling the cup, thereby enabling good sales. It has the effect of being able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a main door of a cup-type vending machine incorporating a cup supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention is opened, and shows a state in which the cup supply device is slid to the right front.

FIG. 2 is an internal structural view showing a cup drop ring of the cup supply device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine 9 Cup supply device 21 Cup storage device (cup storage part) 22 Cup drop ring 25a Bottom wall (base portion) 26 Cup separation cam (cup separation member) 27 Coil spring (elastic means) 28 Rotary shaft ( Guide member) 29 Curl section C cup

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cup supply device for a cup-type vending machine, wherein a plurality of cups each having a curl portion are stored in a vertically stacked state, and at the time of sale, a lowermost cup is dropped and supplied. A cup storage section for storing a plurality of cups, provided at the lower end of the cup storage section,
By engaging the curl of the lowermost cup,
A cup separating member that supports the plurality of cups and releases only the lowermost cup by releasing the engagement at the time of sale, and a buffering device that supports the cup separating member to be vertically movable. A cup supply device for a cup-type vending machine, comprising: 2. The cushioning means includes: a guide member for guiding the cup separating member in a vertical direction; a base provided below the cup separating member; The cup supply device of a cup-type vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising: an elastic means disposed between the elastic members and supporting the cup separating member.