JP2003187308A - Merchandise take-out port lighting device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a merchandise take-out port lighting device for an auto matic vending machine, with which a portion where merchandise is discharged in a merchandise take-out port can easily be found at night or the like. <P>SOLUTION: A translucent door is used for a passing aperture door 21 for opening and closing an aperture 9 for passing the merchandise and a light source 22 illuminating the merchandise 6 discharged to the merchandise take-out port 10 through the passing aperture door 21 is disposed at the part facing each aperture 9 for passing the merchandise inside an inner box. Also, a lamp 22 and a driving motor of a carrying conveyor are connected in parallel. Then, in synchronism with a driving timing of the carrying conveyor corresponding to a heat insulating space 15 where the merchandise 6 to be discharged is housed, only the lamp 22 disposed in the same heat insulating space is lighted. By the constitution, when the merchandise 6 is discharged inside the merchandise take-out port 10, only the part is illuminated with the light source 22 and the merchandise 6 is easily found. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product outlet illuminating device for a vending machine, which illuminates a product dispensed to a product outlet of the vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As shown in FIG. 6, in an automatic vending machine capable of selling a product by cooling or heating it, an outer door 1
Inside the vending machine body 2 that supports the open and close freely, an inner box 4 having a heat insulating structure that can be opened and closed by an inner door 3 having a heat insulating front opening is provided. Products 6 such as cans are stored in the storage transport paths 5 arranged in a plurality of rows.
At the lower end of the storage / conveyance path 5, a product dispensing device 7 is disposed which drops the stored products 6 downward and sequentially dispenses them.
The products 6 dispensed by the product dispensing device 7 are transported forward by a transport conveyor 8 arranged in the lower part of the inner box 4, and pass through a product passage opening 9 opened in the lower part of the inner door 3. , The product is taken out to the product outlet 10 provided at the lower part of the outer door 1.

A passage opening door 11 pivotally supported at the upper end portion of the inner passage 3 is provided at the upper end of the inner passage 3 so that the passage opening door 11 can be opened and closed in a diagonally forward direction. Is designed to be prevented from leaking to the outside by the passage opening door 11.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the product outlet 10
An outlet door 12 is rotatably attached to the container so as to open and close the opening thereof, and the outlet door 12 is formed of a transparent plate so that the inside of the commodity outlet 10 can be seen clearly. Further, in addition to the exit door 12, the anti-theft plate 13 for preventing theft is provided at a position on the back side of the exit door 12.
Is rotatably provided with its upper end being pivotally supported.

In this type of vending machine, the inner box 4 has a heat insulating function and a vertically extending partition wall (not shown) so that hot and cold products can be sold in parallel. Many of them are partitioned into a plurality of heat insulation spaces 15, and each heat insulation space 15 is provided with a storage / conveyance path 5, a product delivery device 7, a conveyance conveyor 8 and the like and is individually cooled or heated. It is like this. In response to this, the product passage opening 9 that is the payout point for the product 6
Since a plurality of product outlets 10 are also provided, the product outlet 10 has a wide width or a plurality of product outlets 10 are provided.

As described above, in the vending machine in which the commodity outlet 10 is configured to have a wide width or the commodity outlets 10 are provided in a plural number, the commodity 6 of the vending machine can be sold in a dark environment such as at night. When the product 6 is sold and delivered to the product outlet 10, it is difficult to see where the product 6 is delivered to the product outlet 10. Therefore, there is a configuration in which the entire product outlet 10 is illuminated by a light. .

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the structure of the conventional article outlet lighting device is such that the upper surface portion 10a of the frame portion constituting the article outlet 10 is made of a transparent plate material and the upper portion thereof is The lamp 16 is disposed in the product, and the light from the lamp 16 passes through the transparent upper surface portion 10a and the product outlet 10
It is configured to illuminate the inside. Then, the lamp 16 is turned on before the product 6 is dispensed to the product outlet 10.
After that, the lamp 16 is operated for a certain period of time so that the inside of the product outlet 10 looks good for a while even after the products are dispensed.
Is configured to keep lighting. Due to the structure of the product outlet 10 and the like, one lamp 1 is provided inside the product outlet 10.
When it is difficult to illuminate with only 6 lamps, a plurality of lamps 16 are provided, but in this case, the plurality of lamps 16 are collectively turned on and off, and it is not possible to individually control the lamps 16. not going.

[0008]

However, according to the above-mentioned conventional product outlet illuminating device of the vending machine, when the product 6 is dispensed, the entire product outlet 10 is illuminated by the lamp 16. Therefore, the purchaser has to look around the entire merchandise outlet 10 to find the merchandise 6, which is troublesome.

In addition, the window provided on the upper surface 10a of the article outlet 10 through which the light from the lamp 16 passes may be misplaced by a person trying to steal his or her hand while putting his hand through the window. In order to prevent this, a transparent plate had to be attached separately, so that there was a problem that the manufacturing cost was correspondingly increased.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and in a dark environment such as at night, it is possible to easily find the place where the product has been dispensed at the product outlet, and to minimize the increase in manufacturing cost. It is an object of the present invention to provide a product outlet lighting device for a vending machine which can be used.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a product outlet lighting device for a vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention provides a product storage part in an inner box with a product stored in an outer door. In a vending machine in which an opening for passing a product to be delivered to a product outlet is provided in an inner door for opening and closing an inner box, at least a part of the passing opening door for opening and closing the opening for passing the product is transparent. A light source configured to have lightness and illuminating the product delivered to the product outlet through the passage opening door is disposed at a position facing each product passage opening in the inner box. Is characterized by.

According to this structure, when the product to be dispensed is still in the inner box when the product is sold, the inside of the product outlet is illuminated by the light source through the passage opening door, and then the product is sold. When the product passes through the product passage opening, the light from the light source is temporarily blocked by this product and becomes dark, and when the product is dispensed into the product outlet, the product is the light source. Will be illuminated. Therefore, the place where the product has been dispensed is illuminated as if it were blinking, and it is easy to find the product. Further, by adopting a material having a light-transmitting property for the passage opening door, it is not necessary to separately provide a transparent plate or the like, so that an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed to a minimum.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the article outlet lighting device of the vending machine according to the first aspect, the articles dispensed from the article storage section are provided for each heat insulation space in the inner box. A conveyor and a light source are arranged to convey and discharge to the passage opening, and the light source is connected in parallel with the driving source of the conveyor to drive the conveyor corresponding to the heat insulation space in which the product to be dispensed is stored. It is characterized in that the light source is turned on in synchronization with the timing.

According to this structure, when the product is sold, the transport conveyor corresponding to the heat insulation space in which the product is placed is driven, and the light source is turned on in synchronization with the drive timing. . Therefore, only the light source corresponding to the product passage opening to be dispensed is turned on,
Only the place where the product is paid out in the product outlet is illuminated, and it becomes easier to find the product. Further, since the light source is connected in parallel with the conveyer conveyor, a control circuit for controlling only the light source alone is not required, and the increase in manufacturing cost can be minimized.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. The same functions as those of the constituent elements of the conventional vending machine are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in this vending machine, each passage opening door 21 for opening and closing the commodity passage opening 9 has a predetermined heat insulating function and is made of a transparent resin material. Etc. Further, a lamp 22 as a light source for illuminating the product 6 delivered to the product outlet 10 through the passage opening door 21 faces the product passage opening 9 of each heat insulation space 15 in the inner box 4, For example, slightly below the transport conveyor 8 at a position between the front end of the transport conveyor 8 and the product passage opening 9,
They are arranged at positions where they do not come into contact with the products 6 to be dispensed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a lamp (LED or the like) as a light source is supplied to the control unit 30 of the vending machine.
22 and the drive motor 8a of the conveyor 8 are connected in parallel. Then, in synchronization with the drive timing of the conveyor 8 corresponding to the heat-insulating space 15 in which the discharged products 6 are stored, only the lamps 22 arranged in the same heat-insulating space 15 are turned on.

In FIGS. 2 and 3, 8a is a drive motor for the conveyor 8, 10b in FIG. 4 is a partition plate provided in the product take-out port 10, and the partition plate 10b is provided in the product take-out port 10. Each space corresponding to the product passage opening 9 is partitioned and a light-shielding material is used.

According to the above construction, when the product 6 is sold, only the conveyor 8 corresponding to the heat insulation space 15 in which the product 6 is placed is driven and synchronized with this drive timing. Lamp 2 in the same heat insulation space 15
Only 2 lights up. Specifically, immediately after the product dispensing device 7 is driven and the products 6 are dispensed onto the transport conveyor 8, the products 6 pass from the transport conveyor 8 through the product passage opening 9 and inside the product outlet 10. The conveyor 8 and the lamp 22 in the heat insulating space 15 are synchronously driven and turned on for a sufficient time until they are discharged.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, only the lamp 22 corresponding to the product passing opening 9 to be dispensed is turned on and only the place where the product 6 is dispensed is illuminated.
As a result, the payout point of the product 6 can be easily known and easily found. Further, since the lamp 22 is connected in parallel with the conveyor 8, the conventional control circuit of the conveyor 8 can be used as it is, and a control circuit for controlling only the lamp 22 alone is unnecessary. The manufacturing cost can be reduced.

When the product 6 to be dispensed is still in the inner box 4 when the product 6 is sold, as shown in FIG.
The interior is illuminated by the lamp 22. After that, when the product 6 passes through the product passage opening 9, as shown in FIG. 5B, the light of the lamp 22 is temporarily blocked by the product 6 and becomes dark. When the product is dispensed into the product take-out port 10, as shown in FIG.
Will be illuminated by the lamp 22. Therefore,
The place where the product 6 has been dispensed is illuminated as if it were blinking, which makes it easier to find the product 6.
Further, at this time, since the light from the lamp 22 illuminates the inside of the inner box 4, it is easy for the light reflected on the product 6 to enter the eye, and the product 6 is easily recognized.

When a light source such as a lamp is provided at a position facing the product outlet 10, the light source is designed so as not to be touched by the user, or the product outlet 1
It is necessary to devise a structure that does not hinder the removal of the product outlet 10 from the outer door 1 when the product outlet 10 is removed and cleaned when the inside of 0 is dirty. According to the configuration, such a structure is unnecessary. Furthermore, since there is nothing to block the light of the lamp 22, it is possible to illuminate the entire inside of the product outlet 10 satisfactorily.

Further, according to the above-mentioned embodiment, by adopting a material having a light-transmitting property as the passage opening door 21, it is not necessary to separately provide a transparent plate or the like as in the conventional case. The number of points does not increase, and the increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the case where the passage opening door 21 itself is made of the transparent resin material is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the lamp 22 is not limited thereto.
You may make it transparent only in the range of the part you want to illuminate.

In the above embodiment, the case where the conveyor 8 is provided has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention is applicable to a case where a chute is provided instead of the conveyor 8. And in this case,
For example, the lamp 22 is arranged at a position directly below or on the back surface of the chute, and if necessary, at least the front part of the lamp 22 in the chute is made transparent, and light from the lamp 22 is taken out through the transparent part of the chute. Irradiate within 10. However, in this case the lamp 2
A separate control circuit for controlling 2 is required.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case of the so-called serpentine type vending machine in which the product is a can or the like is shown, but the invention is not limited to this, and a direct stacking type automatic vending machine for selling paper pack products or the like Of course, it can also be applied to vending machines.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, the passage opening door for opening and closing the commodity passage opening is constructed so that at least a part of the passage opening door has a light transmitting property, and the passage opening door is paid to the commodity outlet. A light source that illuminates the released product through the passage opening door,
By arranging the product in the inner box so as to face each product passage opening, the place where the product was dispensed at the product outlet is illuminated as if blinking, making it easier to find the product and making a purchase. The convenience for the person is improved. Also,
By adopting a translucent material for the passage opening door, it is not necessary to separately provide a transparent plate or the like, so that the number of parts does not increase and an increase in manufacturing cost can be suppressed.

Further, the light source is connected in parallel with the drive source of the conveyor, and the light source is turned on in synchronization with the drive timing of the conveyor corresponding to the heat-insulating space in which the product to be dispensed is stored. Since only the light source corresponding to the product passage opening to be dispensed is turned on, only the portion of the product outlet where the product is dispensed is illuminated, which makes it easier to find the product. Further, since the light source is connected in parallel with the conveyer conveyor, a control circuit for controlling only the light source alone is not required, and the increase in manufacturing cost can be minimized.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall side sectional view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a main part of the same vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a schematic circuit diagram of essential parts of the same vending machine.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view schematically showing a commodity outlet lighting device of the same vending machine.

5 (a) to 5 (c) are diagrams schematically showing the product outlet of the same vending machine, and FIG. 5 (a) is a case where the product to be paid out is still in the inner box when the product is sold. In the figure, (b) shows a state in which the product passes through the product passage opening, and (c) shows a state in which the product is dispensed into the product outlet.

FIG. 6 is an overall side sectional view of a conventional vending machine.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view schematically showing a product outlet lighting device of a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

6 products 8 Conveyor 8a Drive motor (drive source) 9 Product passing openings 10 Product outlet 15 Insulation space 21 Passage opening door 22 lamps (light source) 30 control unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic vending machine provided with an inner door for opening and closing an inner box, wherein a commodity passing opening for paying out a commodity from a commodity storage section in the inner box to a commodity outlet of an outer door, A light source for illuminating the product dispensed to the product outlet through the passage opening door, which is configured such that at least a part of the passage opening door is opened and closed. A product outlet illumination device for a vending machine, wherein the product outlet illumination device is arranged at a position facing each product passage opening in the inner box. 2. A transport conveyor for transporting and discharging the product dispensed from the product storage section to the product passage opening for each heat insulating space in the inner box, and the light source transport conveyor. 2. The light source is connected in parallel with the drive source, and the light source is turned on in synchronism with the drive timing of the conveyer conveyor corresponding to the heat-insulating space in which the product to be dispensed is stored. Illumination device for product outlets of vending machines.