JP2002183828A - Cup supporting device in automatic drink vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cup supporting device for an automatic drink vending machine with improved cup holders capable of securely holding cups regardless of cup sizes. SOLUTION: A pair of the cup holders 3 on both size of a setting position for a cup 1 in a vending port 2 comprise holding parts 3a and 3b each comprising a pair of flat surfaces bent toward the outer circumferential surface side of the cup 1. A space formed by the holding parts 3a and 3b is larger at an upper part. One of the cup holders 3 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 4 extended forward and back in a device main body, and the other is fixed in the vending port 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine provided with a cup holder for holding a introduced cup in a sales outlet prior to sale.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional cup supporting device of a beverage vending machine. In FIG. 8, a pair of cup holders 30 are arranged opposite to each other in the sales outlet 2 with the set position of the cup 1 (dashed line) interposed therebetween.
This is for holding the cup 1 introduced into the sales opening 2 at the set position. The pair of cup holders 30 are formed by opposing two partial surfaces of an inverted cone having a hollow inside, and the space formed by the two surfaces increases as going upward. One of the pair of cup holders 30 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 4 extending in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body, and the other is fixed to the inside of the sales outlet 2. That is, the cup holder 30
Is supported by the support shaft 4 so that the inclination angle changes in the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the cup 1 has a different size, the cup 1 can be rotated by using one rotation of the cup holder 30. It can be introduced at the set position.

FIG. 9 is an end view showing a state where the cup 1 is supported in the cup holder 30. In particular, FIG. 9 shows that the cup holder 30 and the cup 1 have two contact portions 31.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another example. In FIG. 10, a pair of cup holders 35 are disposed opposite to each other at the sales port 11 with the cup 1 set therebetween, and hold the cup 1 introduced into the sales port 11 at the set position. is there. The pair of cup holders 35 are such that two partial surfaces of a cylinder having a hollow inside are opposed to each other. This cup holder 35
When the cup 1 is taken out, it can be opened right and left and taken out by a control means (not shown) for controlling the left and right width according to the size of the cup 1.

[0005] FIG.
It is an end elevation showing the state where was supported. In particular, FIG.
As in FIG. 9, the cup holder 35 and the cup 1 have two contact portions 36.

[0006]

However, the curvature for the pair of cup holders 30 and 35 to clamp the outer peripheral surface of the cup 1 is adjusted to the curvature of the outer peripheral surface of the largest cup that can be used in a vending machine. is there. Therefore, when the pair of cup holders 30 and 35 sandwich a small cup, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 11, the cup holders 30 and 35 and the cup 1
Do not match, and they are clamped at two places on the left and right.
For this reason, the cup 1 may be supported at two points, and the cup 1 may become unstable and may be pinched while being inclined. If the cup 1 is kept tilted, there is a problem that the beverage spills out or spills when the beverage is poured.

When a beverage is prepared in the cup 1, the positional relationship between the mixing nozzle and the cup 1 greatly affects the quality of the beverage, and the cup 1 needs to be pinched and fixed at an accurate position as much as possible. Further, in a device having a mechanism for mixing and stirring in the cup 1, if the position of the stirring device and the cup 1 are not appropriate, the cup 1 may be broken through. For this reason, a holding mechanism for setting the cup 1 at a correct position is required.

If the inner curved surfaces of the cup holders 30 and 35 are stained with a beverage or the like, the contact area between the cup holders 30 and 35 and the cup 1 increases because the cup 1 is a slightly flexible material. There is also a problem that the outer peripheral surface of the cup 1 becomes dirty, which gives a drinker discomfort.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine having a cup holder capable of securely holding a cup regardless of the size of the cup.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage vending machine having a pair of cup holders disposed opposite to each other to hold a cup. In at least one of the pair of cup holders, at least one of the pair of cup holders is formed of a polyhedral member bent toward the outer peripheral surface side of the cup to be sandwiched, and at least two surfaces of the polyhedral member have a contact portion that contacts the cup. is there. Since at least one of the cup holders supports the outer peripheral surface of the cup at at least two points, the cup holder can be stably held regardless of the size of the cup. Even if the cup holder is dirty, at least 2
Since point contact is performed by point support, dirt on the cup can be reduced.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the surface of the polyhedral member that contacts the cup on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup is a flat surface, and the contact portion that contacts this flat surface with the outer peripheral surface of the cup is: Because of point contact, dirt on the cup can be reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the surface of the multi-faced member that contacts the cup on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup is a convex surface, and the contact portion that contacts the convex surface with the outer peripheral surface of the cup is: Because of point contact, dirt on the cup can be reduced. Further, even when the cup is made of a flexible material and the contact area is likely to be large, the contact area can be kept small.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the surface of the polyhedral member which comes into contact with the cup on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup comprises a flat surface or a convex surface, and a projection on the flat or convex surface. , And the contact portion. Since the surface that contacts the cup and the contact portion that contacts the projection and the outer peripheral surface of the cup are point contacts, dirt on the cup can be reduced. In particular, the protruding portion can keep the contact area small even when the cup is made of a flexible material and the contact area is likely to be large.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the other of the pair of cup holders is a flat surface, and a contact portion between the flat surface and the outer peripheral surface of the cup is a point contact. Dirt can be reduced.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the multi-faceted member constituting one of the pair of cup holders is bent in a vertical direction which is a direction of introduction of the cup, and is centered on a support shaft in the direction of introduction of the cup and in the lateral direction. Even when the cup is large, the cup holder is pressed by the falling cup and rotates, so that the cup holder can be stably held regardless of the size of the cup.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the same configurations as those in the related art.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cup supporting device of a beverage vending machine showing a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
In the above, the cup holder 3 is disposed opposite to the inside of the sales port 2 with the set position of the cup 1 interposed therebetween, and guides the cup 1 introduced into the inside of the sales port 2 to the set position, and simultaneously holds the cup 1 at the set position. It is to be held in a proper posture. The pair of cup holders 3 includes a pair of flat holding surfaces 3a bent toward the outer peripheral surface side of the cup 1;
3b are opposed to each other.
The space formed by 3b increases as it goes upward. One of the pair of cup holders 3 is rotatably supported by a support shaft 4 extending in the front-rear direction of the apparatus main body, and the other is fixed to the inside of the sales outlet 2. That is, since one of the cup holders 3 is supported by the support shaft 4 so that the inclination angle changes in the vertical direction,
Even if the cups 1 have different sizes, the cup 1 can be introduced to the set position by utilizing the rotation of the holding portion 3b, which is one of the pair of cup holders 3. FIG. 2 is an end view showing a state where the cup 1 is supported in the cup holder 3. In particular, FIG. 2 shows that the cup holder 3 and the cup 1 have four contact portions 5.

With the above configuration, the conventional 2
Although the cup 1 was unstable at the point support, the cup 1 is supported at four points by the pair of opposing holding portions 3a and 3b.
Even when the cup 1 is large, the holding portion 3b is pressed by the falling cup 1 and rotates counterclockwise around the support shaft 4, so that the cup 1 can be stably held regardless of its size. it can. Furthermore, even if the cup holder 3 is dirty, the point contact by the four-point support can reduce the stain on the cup 1 and the beverage can be comfortably drunk.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cup supporting device of a beverage vending machine showing a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
, The cup holder 12 is disposed opposite to the sales port 11 across the set position of the cup 1 to guide the cup 1 introduced into the sales port 11 to the set position, and to set the cup at the set position. 1 is held in an appropriate posture. The pair of cup holders 12 hold the holding portion 1 having a pair of two flat surfaces bent toward the outer peripheral surface of the cup.
2a and 12b are vertically opposed. The cup holder 12 is supported in the cup holder 12 by control means (not shown) for controlling the left and right widths according to the size of the cup 1. be able to. FIG. 4 is an end view showing a state where the cup 1 is supported in the cup holder 12. In particular, FIG. 4 shows that the cup holder 12 and the cup 1 have four contact portions 13.

By providing the above configuration, the conventional 2
Although the cup 1 was unstable at the point support, the cup holder 12 is four-point supported by the pair of opposing holding portions 12a and 12b, and the cup holder 12 opens and closes left and right according to the size of the cup 1. Regardless of the size of the cup 1, it can be stably held. Furthermore, even if the cup holder 12 is soiled, the point contact by the four-point support allows the stain on the cup 1 to be reduced, and the beverage can be comfortably drunk.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments of the cup holders 3 and 12 in the first and second embodiments of the present invention. For example, in FIG. On the outer peripheral surface side, a pair of flat holding surfaces 15a and a bent flat holding surface 1 having two surfaces
5b are opposed to each other. FIG. 5 is an end view showing a state where the cup 1 is supported in the cup holder 15, and the cup holder 15 and the cup 1 have three contact portions 1.
6 is represented. With this configuration, three-point support is provided by the pair of opposing holding portions 15a and 15b, so that the cup 1 can be stably held regardless of the size. Further, even if the cup holder 15 is dirty, the point contact by the three-point support allows the stain on the cup 1 to be reduced.
Drinks can be comfortably consumed.

In FIG. 6, the cup holder 20
Has a pair of flat holding surfaces 20a and 20b which are bent toward the outer peripheral surface of the cup, and four projections 21 are provided inside each surface. This figure 6
Is an end view showing a state in which the cup 1 is supported in the cup holder 20, and the cup holder 20 and the cup 1 are
This indicates that the four projections 21 make contact. With this configuration, a pair of holding portions 20 facing each other are provided.
Since four points are supported by the projections 21 a and 20 b, the cup 1 can be stably held regardless of the size of the cup 1. Furthermore, since the cup is a slightly flexible material, the contact area between the cup holder and the cup tends to be large when the inner surface of the cup holder is dirty with a beverage or the like,
Since the point contact is provided by the four-point support by the projections 21, the contact area is small, so that the dirt on the cup 1 can be further reduced, and the beverage can be comfortably drunk.

In FIG. 7, the cup holder 25
Has a pair of holding portions 25a and 25b having a pair of convex surfaces facing the outer peripheral surface side of the cup 1. FIG. 7 is an end view showing a state in which the cup 1 is supported in the cup holder 25, and shows that the cup holder 25 and the cup 1 have four contact portions 26. With this configuration, a pair of opposing holding portions 25 are provided.
Since a and 25b provide four-point support, it can be stably held regardless of the size of the cup 1. Furthermore, even if the cup holder 25 is dirty, since the point contact is achieved by the four-point support, the contact area of the holding portions 25a and 25b of the cup holder 25 is smaller than the flat surface with respect to the outer peripheral surface of the cup 1. As a result, the stain on the cup 1 can be reduced, and the beverage can be comfortably drunk.

In the embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the pair of cup holders is bent to the outer peripheral surface side of the cup, and the holding portions 3a, 3b having the two flat surfaces are other components.
The holding portion is not limited to the holding portion having two surfaces, but may be a holding portion having three or more surfaces, that is, may be opposed to each other as the multi-surface member. By providing this configuration, when the size of the cup is limited, the surface can be arranged in accordance with the outer peripheral surface of the cup as the number of arranged surfaces increases, so that the cup can be stably held. . Further, even when the cup holder is dirty, since the point contact is achieved by the point support, the stain on the cup can be reduced.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, since the cup 1 can be held in a proper posture, the problem that the beverage is scattered or spilled out at the time of injecting the beverage is eliminated.

In addition, when the beverage is prepared in the cup 1, the positional relationship between the preparation nozzle and the cup 1 is pinched and fixed at an accurate position, so that the beverage quality is greatly improved. Further, in a device having a stirring and mixing mechanism in the cup 1, the positions of the stirring device and the cup 1 become appropriate, and it is possible to prevent the cup from breaking through.

[0027]

As described above, according to the cup supporting apparatus of the beverage vending machine of the present invention, the cup is unstable by the conventional two-point support. Therefore, it can be stably held regardless of the size of the cup. Furthermore, even if the cup holder is dirty, since the point contact is made by the multiple points support, the contact area is small and the stain on the cup can be reduced, and the beverage can be comfortably drunk.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cup supporting device of a beverage vending machine showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an end view showing a state where a cup is supported in the cup holder of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a cup supporting device of a beverage vending machine showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an end view showing a state where a cup is supported in the cup holder of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an end view showing a state in which the cup is supported in a cup holder in which a pair of flat one-side holding portions and a bent flat two-side holding portion are opposed to each other on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup; It is.

FIG. 6 shows a pair of flat holding surfaces having a pair of flat surfaces facing each other on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup, and the cup is supported in a cup holder provided with a total of four projections inside each surface. It is an end elevation showing a state.

FIG. 7 is an end view showing a state in which the cup is supported in a cup holder in which a pair of holding portions having a pair of convex surfaces are opposed to each other on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a cup supporting device of the beverage vending machine showing the first embodiment of the related art.

FIG. 9 is an end view showing a state where the cup is supported in the cup holder of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cup supporting device of a beverage vending machine showing a second conventional embodiment.

11 is an end view showing a state where a cup is supported in the cup holder of FIG. 10;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cup 2 Inside of sales mouth 3 Cup holder 3a Holding part 3b Holding part 4 Supporting shaft 5 Contact part 11 Sales opening part 12 Cup holder 12a Holding part 12b Holding part 13 Contact part 15 Cup holder 15a Holding part 15b Holding part 16 Contact part 20 Cup Holder 20a Holding section 20b Holding section 21 Projecting section 25 Cup holder 25a Holding section 25b Holding section 26 Contact section 30 Cup holder 31 Contact section 35 Cup holder 36 Contact section

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine having a pair of cup holders disposed opposite to each other to clamp a cup, wherein at least one of the pair of cup holders is a cup to be clamped. A cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine, comprising a multi-faced member bent toward the outer peripheral surface of the vending machine, wherein at least two faces of the multi-faced member have a contact portion that comes into contact with the cup. 2. A cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a surface of said multi-faced member which is in contact with the cup on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup is a flat surface. 3. The cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the multi-faced member that contacts the cup on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup is a convex surface. 4. A surface of the multi-faced member that comes into contact with the cup on the outer peripheral surface side of the cup includes a flat surface or a convex surface, and a protrusion on the flat or convex surface, and the protrusion is the contact portion. The cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine according to claim 1, wherein 5. The cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the other of the pair of cup holders is flat. 6. The multi-faceted member forming one of the pair of cup holders is bent in a vertical direction which is a direction of introduction of the cup, and is rotated about a support shaft in a direction of introduction of the cup and a lateral direction. A cup supporting device for a beverage vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: