JP2001229445A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly vend articles up to the last one. SOLUTION: This automatic vending machine is equipped with a storage column 2 in which box-shaped articles 7 are stacked and stored, an article carrying-out device 25 which pushes the bottom article 7 out, and an article holding device 29 which pushes the articles 7 from above when the number of the remaining articles 7 decreases below a specific value and detects a sellout state when released from abutting against the articles 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine in which the lowest order product of box-shaped products stacked and stored in a storage column is pushed out of the storage column by a product discharge device and sold.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional vending machine of this type, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-65226 discloses a vending machine in which the lowest order product of box-shaped products stacked and stored in a product storage column is pushed forward by a product discharge device and sold. What is disclosed is disclosed.

[0003]

FIGS. 11 to 14 show a conventional vending machine.
1 is a product storage column, 102 is a sold-out detection device provided at the lower part of the product storage column, and 103 is a product unloading device.

Conventionally, a product 104 in a product storage column 101
Are not sold all but sold out with a few items 104 left.

[0005] The reason is that, when the state shown in FIG. 12, that is, when two products 104 are left and sales are continued, the products 104 can be properly sold as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the last product 104 is placed on the push-out member 105 of the product discharging device 103, and the posture is collapsed and the product 104 is dropped. This is because it is possible that the device 103 cannot carry out the product.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems and provides a vending machine aiming at selling all commodities without leaving commodities in a storage column while selling commodities properly. I do.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, and pressing a lowermost product provided at a lower portion of the storage column. When the remaining number of commodities is equal to or less than a predetermined number, the abutting and pressing of the commodities from above is performed, and when the abutment on the commodities is released, the sold-out state of the commodities is detected. By having the holding member, when the number of the products in the storage column is less than a predetermined number, it is possible to prevent the posture of the products from collapsing, and when all the products are extruded, the sold-out state of the products is reduced. It is possible to provide a vending machine capable of detecting the vending machine.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine according to the first aspect, the holding member is provided at a lower portion of the storage column, and rotates around a support shaft to press the product. Unit and a product detection unit that detects a sold-out state of the product when rotated by a predetermined angle about the support shaft, so that the product can be easily pressed from above and the sold-out state of the product can be easily detected. can do.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine according to the first or second aspect, by being movable in the stacking direction of the products, the vending machine is suitable for products having different thicknesses in the stacking direction. It is possible to move the holding member to a suitable position.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column in a standby state for sale, FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column in a state of three remaining products, and FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of the main part of the storage column in the state, and FIG.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part of a storage column showing a state in which pieces are sold
FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column showing a state in which one product remains, FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column showing a state in which the last product is sold, and FIG. 10 is a storage column showing a completely sold out state. FIG.

1 to 3 are a vending machine main body, an inner box 3 having a front opening provided with a product column 2 therein,
An inner door 4 for closing the front opening of the inner box 3; an outer box 5 provided with the inner box 3 and the inner door 4 therein; and an exhibition door for closing the front opening of the outer box 5 so as to be openable and closable. 6 is provided.

A display section 8 for displaying a sample of the product for sale 7 is provided above the display door 6, and a product selection button 9 for selecting a product is provided below the sample of the product for sale 7. Have been.

A bill insertion slot 10 of the bill identification device, a coin insertion slot 11 of the coin identification device,
A return lever 12, an input amount indicator 13, and the like are provided. Reference numeral 14 denotes a door opening / closing lever for opening the exhibition door 6 when replenishing the sales product 7, and the door opening / closing lever 1
4 is provided with a key.

Further, a product outlet 15 for taking out the sales product 7 is provided below the display door 6, and a return port 16 for paying change and return money is provided on a side of the product outlet 15.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a pedestal for supporting the vending machine 1, and reference numeral 18 denotes a hinge of the display door 6.

Further, a sales product 7 is provided below the inner door 4.
A delivery door 19 which is opened only when the product is carried out is provided. The delivery door 19 of the inner door 4 receives the product from the delivery door 19 and the product from the product outlet 15 of the display door 6. 4, a product receiver 20 is provided.

Further, below the product storage column 2 in the inner box 3 is provided a product chute 21 for guiding the sales product 7 toward the delivery door 19.

The product storage column 2 is formed in a box shape with a front opening, and a product holder 22 extending vertically is provided in the front opening. The product holder 22 is positioned in front of the product storage column 2 to prevent the sales product 7 from falling off, and is opened from the front of the product storage column 2 to replenish the sales product 7.

The main part of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

A product detection device 2 for detecting the presence or absence of stored products for sale is provided at the lower rear portion of the product storage column 2.
3 are provided.

The product detecting device 23 includes a pressing portion 29a at one end of a product holding device 29 which rotates about a support shaft 24.
Abuts on the sale product 7 to detect a state where the sale product 7 is present, and all the products are extruded and the contact with the sale product 7 is released, so that the product detection switch unit on the other end side is released. 29b detects the sold-out state by pressing the detection lever 23a of the product detection device 23.

Further, below the product detection device 23,
A product carrying-out device 25 for carrying out the sales product 7 located at the lowest position in the product storage column 2 is provided.

A placing table 26 for placing the lowest order merchandise 7 is provided below the merchandise storage column 2. The center and the rear of the merchandise 7 are placed on the placing table 26. The other front portion is located above the product chute 21.

Further, the commodity carrying-out device 25 comprises a pusher 27 for pushing the lowest commodity 7 forward, and a driving device 28 for moving the pusher 27 in the front-rear direction. In addition, the pusher 27 is the mounting table 26 described above.
It is possible to move further forward, this pusher 2
The lowest sales product 7 is carried out by the forward movement of 7.

Here, the commodity holding device 29 is provided so as to press the commodity 7 from above when the number of remaining commodities 7 in the commodity storage column 2 becomes less than a predetermined number. . Further, the product holding device 29 is always urged toward the sales product 7 side by an urging member such as a spring (not shown).
, Ie, counterclockwise around the support shaft 24.

The operation of the above configuration will be described.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which there are six remaining products for sale 7. In this state, a pressing portion 29 a at one end of the product holding device 29 faces upward on the rear surface of the fifth product for sale 7. In contact.

Here, when the customer enters a predetermined amount and presses the product selection button 9, the pusher 27 of the product delivery device 25 moves forward and pushes out the lowest sales product 7 forward. Then, the sold product 7 slides down on the product chute 21, opens the delivery door 19, and falls into the product receiver 20.

When the sales product 7 enters the product reception 20, the customer takes out the sales product 7 from the product outlet 15. If there is change, the change is returned to the return port 16 provided beside the product outlet 15.

When the sales commodities 7 are sequentially sold, the merchandise holding device 29 rotates counterclockwise around the support shaft 24, and as shown in FIG. The pressing portion 29a is located above the uppermost sales product 7.

When one sale product 7 is further sold, as shown in FIG. 6, the pressing portion 29a presses almost the center of the top-most sale product 7. That is, the sales product 7 is sandwiched between the placing table 26 and the pressing portion 29a of the product holding device 29 from above and below.

As described above, even if the number of the sold commodities 7 becomes two, it is pressed from above by the pressing portion 29a of the merchandise holding device 29 provided at the lower rear portion of the merchandise storing column 2, and the merchandise storing column 2 Fig. 7
As shown in FIG. 8, one of the remaining two items is sold, and the last sales item 7 is placed on the pusher 27, and the pusher 27 is moved backward as it is, as shown in FIG. The posture of 7 does not collapse.

Therefore, as shown in FIG.
After moving forward and selling the last sale product 7, as shown in FIG. 10, all the sale products 7 in the storage column 2 are sold out, and the sale product 7 stored in the product storage column 2 is securely sold to the end. be able to. When the last sale product 7 is sold, the pressing portion 29a at one end of the product holding device 29 is released from contact with the product, and the product detection switch portion 29b at the other end is connected to the product detection device 23. By pressing the detection lever 23a, the product detection device 23 can detect a state where there is no sales product 7, that is, a sold-out state.

Further, all the sold products 7 are sold out,
When refilling the sales product 7, the product holding device 29 rotates clockwise in the figure and returns to the standby position in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the predetermined switch, the inner door 4, or the product holder 22 or the like. It should be noted that this may be performed manually, or may be linked with another device or the like that is operated when refilling the sales product 7.

Further, the product holding device 29 according to the embodiment of the present invention has a simple structure in which the product for sale 7 is pressed by rotating and the sold-out product is detected when the product is rotated by a predetermined angle. In addition to being small, it can be unitized with the product detection device 23 and attached to an existing product. Further, the product holding device 29 and the product detection device 23
Are unitized, and these can be integrally moved in the stacking direction of the sales products 7, so that the sold-out state is detected when these devices are sold as the last sales products 7 according to the sales products 7 having different thicknesses. Can be easily moved to the most suitable position for sale, and a large number of sales products 7 having different thicknesses.
Can be sold.

In the present embodiment, the product holding device 29 is rotated about the support shaft 24 and the pressing portion 29 at the end thereof is rotated.
Although a is for pressing the sales product 7, the sales product 7 is pressed by providing the product holding device 29 which can move in the vertical direction above the product storage column 2, and after selling all the sales products 7, that is, The sold-out state may be detected by providing the product detection device 23 that detects the position of the product holding device 29 when the sold product 7 is gone.

[0038]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the number of commodities in the storage column becomes less than a predetermined number, the posture of the commodities is prevented from being collapsed, and all the commodities are stored in the storage column. By detecting the sold-out state when the product is pushed out of the storage column, all the products in the storage column can be sold, and the number of product refills of the vending machine can be reduced.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the holding member for preventing the posture of the product from being distorted and detecting the sold-out state of the product is provided at the lower portion of the storage column and rotated, so that the product can be moved. By being easily pressed from above and detecting the sold-out state of the product, it is possible to provide a highly reliable device with a simple structure and few failures.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the holding member can be moved to an appropriate position in accordance with the products having different thicknesses in the stacking direction, the products having different thicknesses can be moved. It is possible to sell each storage column.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a side view of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a main part of a storage column in a sales standby state.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column in a state where three items remain.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column in a state where there are two remaining products.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a main part of a storage column showing a state where one of two remaining products is sold.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a main part of a storage column showing a state in which one product remains.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column showing a state where the last product is sold.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of a main part of the storage column showing a completely sold out state.

FIG. 11 is a side view of a conventional vending machine.

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of a lower portion of a conventional storage column.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view of a lower portion of a conventional storage column showing a state where one of two products is sold.

FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a lower portion of a conventional storage column showing a state in which the attitude of the last sold product has been lost.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine 2 Storage column 7 Commodity 23 Commodity detection device 25 Commodity unloading device 29 Commodity holding device 29a Pressing section 29b Commodity detection switch section

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3E044 AA01 DA08 DB05 DD05 FB05 FB07 FB08 FB17 3E046 BA01 BB02 CA11 DA01 EA01 EB01 FA03 GA03 HA06

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, a product discharging device provided at a lower portion of the storage column for extruding the lowest order product, and when the remaining number of products is less than a predetermined number. A vending machine comprising: a holding member that contacts and presses the product from above and detects the sold-out state of the product by releasing the contact with the product. 2. The holding member is provided at a lower portion of the storage column, and is configured to rotate around a support shaft and press the product, and when the support member is rotated by a predetermined angle around the support shaft. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a product detection unit that detects a sold-out state of the product. 3. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the holding member is movable in a direction in which the commodities are stacked.