JP2003022471A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a new automatic vending machine which can easily be installed on a desk or a table in an office. SOLUTION: The automatic vending machine comprises a main body box 10 and an article storage rack 16 put in the main body box 10, the box 10 has at least a top part 11, a front part 12, and right and left flank parts 13, and the top part 11 of the box 10 can be opened and closed, the front part 12 can be opened and closed by swinging around its top side or bottom side. The article storage rack 16 stores articles facing the front part 12. The top part 11 of the box 10 is opened and the articles can be put in the inside article storage rack 16, and the front part 12 is opened and the articles stored in the article rack 16 can be operated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine, and more particularly to a novel vending machine that can be easily installed on an office desk or table.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, many vending machines for selling canned drinks, plastic bottled drinks, etc. are installed in a corner of an office or a factory. Such conventional vending machines are usually installed in cafeterias or rest rooms of offices or factories, and many of them sell a wide variety of products reflecting the user's intention.

[0003]

However, such conventional vending machines are often upsized in order to increase the variety and number of stored products. Therefore, in a small office, etc., it is not possible to install such a large conventional vending machine due to space restrictions,
It was inconvenient to use vending machines installed on the streets.

Further, in the conventional vending machine, since the device itself is large, the inlet for the replenishment product is located at the high part of the device, and it takes time and effort to replenish the product. It was customary to outsource the management of vending machines. The present invention is proposed in view of such circumstances, and is a novel one that dispels the image of a conventional vending machine, and can be easily installed and used in a small office or the like. The purpose is to provide a vending machine.

[0005]

The vending machine of the present invention according to claim 1, which is proposed to achieve the above object, comprises:
It consists of a main body box and a product storage shelf built in the main body box, and the main body box has at least a top surface portion, a front surface portion, left and right side surface portions,
The top part of the main body box can be opened and closed, and the front part of the main body box can be opened and closed by swinging around its upper side or lower side.
The product storage shelf stores the products so that the products are lined up facing the front part of the main body box, and the top surface part of the main body box can be opened to put the product in the internal product storage shelf. The configuration is such that the front portion of the box can be opened to operate the products stored in the product storage rack.

The vending machine of the present invention is much smaller than conventional vending machines, and has a shape that can be easily installed and used, for example, on an office desk or table. In other words, with the vending machine installed on a table or desk, the height from the floor to the top of the vending machine is sufficiently lower than the height of an adult. Further, in the vending machine of the present invention, the front portion of the main body box can be opened and closed by swinging around the upper side or the lower side. That is, in a normal vending machine,
The front part is opened and closed centering on the right or left side. Therefore, a space is required to open the front part on the left and right of the vending machine. On the other hand, in the present invention, the front portion is tilted in the front-rear direction and opened, or opened with the upper side as the center. Therefore, there is no need for a space for opening the front portion, which is required in a normal lateral opening structure.

According to the configuration of the present invention, as described above,
Since the vending machine is small, even if it is installed on a desk, the height to the top surface is small. Thus, when the stored products are exhausted, the top surface of the main body box can be opened to easily replenish the internal product storage shelves with the products. Further, the front portion of the main body box can be opened, and the products stored in the product storage shelf can be operated. Accordingly, even if there is a problem that the stored product can be used inside the product storage shelf, the product can be easily operated and recovered. To open and close the front part of the main body box, a hinge mechanism may be provided between the lower side of the front part and the main body box, and the front part may be opened so as to be tilted toward you. Further, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which a hinge mechanism is provided between the upper side of the front portion and the main body and the front portion is opened so as to be flipped up.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the front portion of the main body box has a removable structure. According to this configuration, when the front portion is opened, the front portion can be removed from the main body box without holding the front portion by tilting it toward you or flipping it up. This facilitates product operation and internal maintenance.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the product storage shelf has a frame and a product pressing plate provided on the front side of the frame, and the product pressing plate is configured to be openable / closable or removable. Has been done. According to this configuration, when the front part of the main body box is opened, the product pressing plate provided on the product storage shelf is exposed to the front side. Then, by opening or removing the product pressing plate, the products stored in the product storage rack can be directly operated. As a result, even if a problem occurs such that the product stored in the product storage rack can be used, recovery can be easily performed and maintenance is easy.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a drawer is provided in the lower portion of the product storage shelf, and the drawer can be drawn out from the front side of the main body box, and the product falls from the product storage shelf into the drawer. It can be configured to be taken out from the front surface side. Here, it is necessary for the vending machine to have a structure in which the product is taken out from the front side. For this reason,
If the part where the product falls from the product storage shelf is closer to the back side, it is necessary to move the product from the part on the back side to the front part along the inclined transport path. However, the height of the main body box is increased by providing the inclined conveyance path for discharging such products. Further, instead of providing the inclined transport path, a transport mechanism for transporting the product from the area where the product falls to the front part may be provided, but the structure becomes complicated and the cost increases. According to the present invention, the user can easily take out the product by the simple structure in which the drawer is arranged at the portion where the product falls, and moreover, the height of the main body box is increased and the structure is complicated. It will never happen.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the vending machine of the present invention comprises a main body box and a product storage shelf built in the main body box, and a drawer is provided at the bottom of the product storage shelf. It can be pulled out from the front side of the main body box, and the product is configured to fall from the product storage shelf to the drawer and taken out from the front side. As described above, in the vending machine, a transport structure (an inclined transport path or a transport mechanism) for moving the product between the part where the product falls from the product storage shelf and the front side where the product is taken out is indispensable. . However,
As described above, when such a transport structure is provided, the height of the main body box increases and the structure becomes complicated. According to the present invention, it is possible to easily take out a product only by arranging a drawer at a portion where the product falls, and it is possible to avoid an increase in the height of the main body box and a complicated structure.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the product storage rack is configured to store the products in a plurality of rows in the depth direction. With this configuration, it is possible to increase the number of products to be stored while reducing the size of the vending machine. It is also possible to store and sell different products for each storage row of the product storage shelves. This allows you to store multiple types of products little by little, depending on the location of the vending machine and the sales of the products.
Alternatively, the same product can be stored in a large amount.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the main body box has a transparent portion in a part thereof, and the inside of the main body box is visible.
In particular, if the transparent portion is provided on the front surface of the main body box, the products stored in the product storage rack can be viewed through the transparent portion. This makes it easy to see the products sold by the vending machine.
It is also possible to omit the display of the sale item. It is also possible to confirm the storage status of products, the number of remaining products, etc. through the transparent portion.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the vending machine 1 according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the vending machine 1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is provided in a main body box of the vending machine 1. FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view schematically showing the inside of the main body box, and FIG. 5 shows a state in which the product pressing plate is removed in FIG. It is an explanatory view shown.

The vending machine 1 includes a main body box 10 and a main body box 10
It has a product storage shelf 16 built in. Body box 10
Includes a top surface portion 11, a front surface portion 12, left and right side surface portions 13, a rear surface portion 14 and a bottom surface portion 15.
Two legs L are attached. The inside of the main body box 10 is maintained at a preset predetermined refrigeration temperature.

The front portion 12 has a lid shape with a shallow depth, and has a curved portion 12a which is slightly curved upward from the center portion toward the rear side. The center of the curved portion 12a retreats in a rectangular shape toward the back side, the retreat portion is opened, and a transparent window (transparent portion) 20 to which a transparent acrylic panel is attached is provided. A coin slot 21 is provided in the center of the lower step of the retreat portion, and product selection buttons 22, 22 are provided on the left and right of the step.

Below the transparent window 20, a horizontally open fee collection door 24 is provided, and the fee collection door 24 can be opened by inserting a key (not shown) into the key hole 26. A change outlet 25 is provided below the charge collection door 24. Further, a box-shaped drawer B for taking out products is provided below the charge collection door 24.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the inside of the main body box 10 has two rows of front and rear products which are curved so as to be convex toward the front side from the central portion of the top surface portion 11 to the substantially central portion of the front surface portion 12. Storage shelves 16 and 16 are attached. The product storage shelves 16 are made by combining the frame bodies 16a.
It is formed by attaching the commodity pressing plates 17 and 30 which are curved in the up-down direction inside the frame of two rows and the right and left rows.

The product pressing plates 17, 30 are provided with slit-shaped openings 17a, 30a on the curved surface in the vertical direction, and are provided for each row of the frame 16a. That is, a product pressing plate 17 is provided on the front part of the product storage shelf 16, and another product pressing plate 30 is provided between the front and rear two rows of frame bodies 16a. As described above, the product pressing plates 17 and 30 are provided with the openings 17a and 30a, and the product stored through the openings 17a and 30a is easily viewed. Further, the product pressing plate 17 on the front side is detachably fixed by being engaged with an engaging portion provided on the frame 16a, as will be described later. In the present embodiment, the width of the left front two rows is narrower than the width of the right front two rows of the product storage rack 16 so that the PET bottle beverages S having different heights (different capacities) can be stored.

At the lower ends of the product storage shelves 16 and 16, a product dispensing device 18 is provided. The product dispensing device 18 drops the products stacked upward on the product storage shelves 16 one by one in response to a control signal, and is provided for each row of the product storage shelves 16. A box-shaped drawer B for taking out products is inserted in the lower part of the product dispensing device 18.

A device storage chamber 19 for storing devices such as a compressor and an evaporator for maintaining the inside of the main body box 10 at a predetermined refrigerating temperature is provided in the lower portion of the main body box 10 on the side of the rear surface portion 14. . In addition, the equipment storage room 19
A control unit 28 that controls the vending machine including temperature control is provided on the back surface portion 14 that is located on the upper part of the. Further, on the back surface of the charge collection door 24, a charge processing unit 27 that performs a process of calculating the amount of coins inserted from the coin insertion port 21 and a process of discharging change is attached.

Although the vending machine having such a structure can be manufactured in various sizes, in the present embodiment, the main body box 1
The height of 0 is about 60 cm, and the width and depth are about 45 cm, which is extremely compact compared to the conventional vending machine. That is, even if the vending machine 1 of the present embodiment is installed on a desk or a table having a height of about 70 cm, the height from the floor to the top surface portion 11 is only 130 cm, and it is extremely easy to store the products described later. It is a structure that can be done.

The vending machine 1 of this embodiment purchases products as follows. First, the user is the vending machine 1
Refer to the merchandise guide display (not shown) attached to, or visually check the merchandise stored inside through the transparent window 20 and select the merchandise to purchase. Then, coins corresponding to the product price are inserted into the coin insertion slot 21. The charge processing unit 27 calculates the total amount of coins inserted, and when the inserted amount is equal to or exceeds the price of the product, the product selection button 22 of the corresponding product is blinked in blue. The user sees the blinking blue display of the product selection button 22 and operates one of the product selection buttons 22 corresponding to the product to be purchased.

Then, the charge processing unit 27 refers to the signal of the operated product selection button 22 and sends a control signal to the payout device 18 corresponding to the product. As a result, the corresponding product falls from the product dispensing device 18 to the drawer B. Further, the charge processing unit 27 discharges the change to the change outlet 25 when the input amount exceeds the product price. The user pulls the drawer B to the front to take out the commodities inside, and then returns the drawer to the original state. Also,
If there is change, take out the change from the change outlet 25.

As described above, since the vending machine 1 of this embodiment has a simple structure with two kinds of products for sale, selection of the products is extremely easy. On the other hand, when the product in the vending machine 1 is sold out, the product is replenished as follows.

The manager of the product inserts a key (not shown) into the key hole 23 provided in the upper portion of the front portion 12, and opens the front portion 12 by tilting it forward as shown in FIG. In this way, in the vending machine 1 of the present embodiment, the front part 12 opens so as to fall forward around the lower side, so that when the front part 12 is opened, the left and right objects do not interfere. Therefore, the vending machine 1 of the present embodiment can be installed in a place where there is no margin on the left and right, such as a space sandwiched between walls and lockers.

Then, as described above, the front surface portion 12 is tilted forward and opened, and then the top surface portion 11 is opened toward the rear surface side. Here, in the present embodiment, the locking piece 1 is provided on the front surface side of the top surface portion 11.
1a is provided in a protruding manner, and the engaging recess 1
2a is provided. Then, when the front surface portion 12 is closed with the top surface portion 11 closed, the engaging recess 12a is engaged with the locking piece 11a.
Has a structure to fit in. That is, a structure is adopted in which the top surface portion 11 cannot be opened unless the front surface portion 12 is opened, and both the front surface portion 12 and the top surface portion 11 can be locked with one key.

After opening the front part 12 and the top part 11,
The products corresponding to the rows of the product storage shelves 16 are placed sideways and sequentially loaded. When the product storage is completed, the top surface portion 11 is first closed, and then the front surface portion 12 is closed to lock the product. As a result, the front surface portion 12 and the top surface portion 11 are locked. still,
Although various methods can be used to detect the shortage of stored products, in the present embodiment, the detection of the shortage of stored products is performed by the product dispensing device 18. Further, when the product is out of stock, the product selection button 22 is switched to the red display to notify the user of the product out of stock.

Next, when the administrator collects the fee,
Follow the steps below. The administrator inserts a key (not shown) into the key hole 26 of the charge collection door 24 provided on the front part 12 and opens the charge collection door 24 toward the right side. Then, the charge storage box 27a provided adjacent to the charge processing unit 27 on the back surface of the charge collection door 24 is opened to collect the charge. After this, the fee collection door 24 is closed and locked.

By the way, in the vending machine 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS.
Of the product pressing plates 17 and 30 provided on the 6a, the product pressing plate 17 on the front side is detachable. That is, slit-like engagement holes 17b and 17b are provided above and below the substantially central portion of the product pressing plate 17, and project upward in an L shape at the upper and lower portions of the central portion of the front side of the frame body 16. Locking protrusion 16
b, 16b are provided. And product holding plate 17
It is possible to easily attach the engaging hole 17b by inserting the engaging hole 17b into the locking projection 16b of the frame 16 and dropping it.

When the product pressing plate 17 is removed, the products stored in the front row can be directly touched as shown in FIG. Thus, even if the product is caught inside the product storage unit 16, the product can be easily restored. Further, the product pressing plate 30 provided in the center of the frame body 16 in the front-rear direction also has a slit-shaped opening 30a in the vertical direction.
Is provided. As a result, 2 through the opening 30a
It is also possible to visually check the storage status of the products stored in the product storage shelves 16 in the row.

As described above, according to the vending machine 1 of the present invention, the vending machine 1 is a very small one that wipes away the image of the conventional vending machine, and can be easily installed on a desk or the like in a small office, so that it can be purchased or Replenishment and maintenance are also extremely easy.
Also, depending on the sales situation, you can store multiple types of products,
Alternatively, it is possible to flexibly sell the same product such as storing a large number of the same product. Further, since the vending machine itself is small and it is extremely easy to replenish and maintain the product, it is possible to manage the vending machine in the office.

In the above embodiment, a hinge mechanism is provided on the lower side of the front portion 12 so that the front portion 12 can be opened so as to be tilted toward you. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and a hinge mechanism may be provided on the upper side of the front face portion 12 to open the front face portion 12 so as to flip up. It is also possible to remove the front part 12.

Further, in the above embodiment, the product pressing plate 1
Although 7 is configured to be removed from the frame 16a of the product storage shelf 16, it may be configured to be openable and closable with respect to the frame 16a. Further, in the embodiment, the cross section has been described as an example of storing a plastic bottle beverage, but the cross section has a round plastic bottle beverage and, in addition to the plastic bottle, canned beverages and paper pack beverages are stored. It is also possible to sell.
It is also possible to sell products other than beverages according to demand.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the inside of the main body box 10 is described as being refrigerated and kept warm, but it is also possible to keep warm or keep it warm or to switch refrigeration or warm depending on the season. is there. The drawer B described in the above embodiment is not limited to the vending machine of the present invention,
It can be applied to a conventional vending machine, and the size and simplification of the device can be achieved.

In the vending machine 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the constituent elements of the main body box 10 are made of a synthetic resin material so as to have a light weight. However, the vending machine 1 should be made of another plate material such as a metal plate. Is also possible.

[0037]

According to the present invention as set forth in claim 1, it is possible to provide an automatic vending machine which is easy to purchase, replenish, or maintain a product, and has improved usability. In particular, by making the vending machine small, it can be freely installed on a table or a table, and the range of use can be expanded. In addition, the vending machine of the present invention,
It can also be installed in places between walls or rockers. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the front portion can be removed from the main body box, so that it is easy to perform internal maintenance. According to the third aspect of the present invention, the product can be directly operated by opening or removing the product pressing plate, the inside of the product storage shelf can be easily maintained, and even if the product is stuck. You can recover immediately. According to the present invention as set forth in claim 4 or 5, the product can be easily taken out by the simple structure in which the drawer is arranged at the position where the product falls from the product storage rack, and the height of the vending machine can be increased. Can be reduced and the structure can be simplified. According to the present invention described in claim 6, different products can be stored in each storage row of the product storage shelves, or the number of the same products stored can be increased, and the product can be flexible according to the installation location of the vending machine. You can make a sale. According to the present invention as set forth in claim 7, it is possible to confirm the storage status of products, the number of remaining products, and the like through the transparent portion, and it is possible to provide a vending machine that is novel in appearance.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the vending machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a front portion and a top portion are opened in the vending machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing the internal structure of the vending machine shown in FIG.

5 is a perspective view showing the vending machine shown in FIG. 4 with the product pressing plate removed.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 body box 16 product storage shelves 11 Top part 12 Front 13 Left and right side S product 1 Vending machine. 16a frame 17,30 Product holding plate 18 drawers 20 Transparent part (transparent window)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Yukio Morikawa             4-2-5 Takaidahondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture               Within Matsushita Cold Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Teruzo Mori             4-2-5 Takaidahondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture               Within Matsushita Cold Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takashi Sugawara             4-2-5 Takaidahondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture               Within Matsushita Cold Machinery Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Katsuya Fukuoka             4-2-5 Takaidahondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture               Within Matsushita Cold Machinery Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 3E044 AA01 FB01 FB02 FB03 FB06                       FB17                 3E046 BA03 BB03 BB04 CA11 CA12                       CC01 CC04 DA01 EA08 HA04                       HA06                 3L045 AA04 BA01 CA02 DA02 PA04

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A main body box and a product storage shelf built in the main body box, wherein the main body box has at least a top surface portion, a front surface portion, and left and right side surface portions, and the top surface portion of the main body box can be opened and closed.
The front part of the main body box can be opened and closed by swinging around the upper side or the lower side thereof, and the product storage shelf stores the products so that the products are lined up facing the front part of the main body box. Automatic sales characterized by opening the top surface of the main body box to put products into the internal product storage shelves, and opening the front part of the main body box to operate the products stored in the product storage shelves Machine. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the front portion of the main body box is removable. 3. The product storage shelf has a frame and a product pressing plate provided on the front side of the frame, and the product pressing plate can be opened and closed or removed.
Or the vending machine according to 2. 4. A drawer is provided at the bottom of the product storage shelf, and the drawer can be drawn from the front side of the main body box, and the product falls from the product storage shelf to the drawer.
The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the vending machine is taken out from the front side. 5. A main body box and a product storage shelf built in the main body box, a drawer is provided at the bottom of the product storage shelf, and the drawer can be pulled out from the front side of the main body box. An automatic vending machine, which is dropped from a storage rack to the drawer and taken out from the front side. 6. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the product storage rack can store products in a plurality of rows in the depth direction. 7. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the main body box has a transparent portion in a part thereof and the inside is visible.