JP2003346236A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vending machine capable of saving energy while keeping commodities in a desired temperature state. <P>SOLUTION: In the vending machine wherein a shooter 301 having an air hole 301a is mounted inside of a storage 300, a commodity storage chamber 302 is configurated at an upper part of the shooter 301, a heat exchange chamber 303 including a heat exchanger is configurated at a lower part of the shooter 301, and further the storage chambers 302 and the heat exchange chamber 303 are mutually communicated by a circulation duct 318, so that the air of the storage 300 is successively circulated to the heat exchange chamber 303, the air hole 301a of the shooter, the storage chamber 302, and the circulating duct 318 by driving a blasting fan 308 to keep the storage chamber 302 within a desired temperature range, the heat exchange chamber 303 is provided with an air duct 311 applying the shooter 301 as its upper wall, to guide the air in the heat exchange chamber 303 to the storage chamber 302 through the air duct 311. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

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 vending machine for cooling or heating a product such as a beverage contained in a container such as a can, a bottle, a pack, and a plastic bottle for sale. About the machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows a general vending machine. In this vending machine, the chute 2 is arranged inside the storage 1, so that an accumulation chamber 4 for accumulating products, for example, can products 3, is formed above the chute 2. A cooling unit 5 is provided below the shooter 2.
A heat exchange chamber 7 accommodating the evaporator 5a and the heater 6 is formed. On the front side of the evaporator 5a and the heater 6, a blower fan 8 for blowing air forward is arranged. The shooter 2 arranged so as to partition the stacking chamber 4 and the heat exchange chamber 7 is inclined so as to be gradually lowered toward the front, and sends out the canned goods 3 discharged from the rack of the stacking chamber 4 to the goods outlet 9. be able to. Further, the shooter 2 is provided with a large number of ventilation holes 2a for appropriately circulating air between the accumulation chamber 4 and the heat exchange chamber 7. A circulation duct 10 is provided at the innermost part of the storage 1 so as to communicate between the accumulation chamber 4 and the heat exchange chamber 7.

In the vending machine configured as described above, for example, when the blower fan 8 is driven while the cooling unit 5 is driven, the air cooled by the evaporator 5a causes the air vent 2a of the shooter 2 and the accumulation chamber to move. 4. Since the inside of the storage 1 is circulated through the circulation duct 10, the canned goods 3 accumulated in the rack of the accumulation room 4 can be cooled. Contrary to this, when the blower fan 8 is driven while the heater 6 is driven, the air heated by the heater 6 circulates inside the storage 1 through the ventilation hole 2 a of the shooter 2, the accumulation chamber 4, and the circulation duct 10. Thus, the canned commodities 3 accumulated on the rack of the accumulation chamber 4 can be heated.

In this type of vending machine, when the cooling unit 5 or the heater 6 is continuously driven, the can products 3 accumulated in the accumulation chamber 4 are overcooled or overheated. Not only does it pose a problem as a product, but it is not preferable in terms of energy saving. For this reason, in these vending machines, a desired temperature range is set in advance, and the cooling unit 5 or the heater 6 is controlled to be ON (driving) / OFF (stop) so that the inside of the storage 1 maintains this temperature range. It is common to do so.

When the ON / OFF control of the cooling unit 5 or the heater 6 is repeatedly performed as described above (steady operation), the temperature in the refrigerator is maintained in the temperature range between the ON point and the OFF point. Thus, it is possible to prevent the overcooling of the can product 3 and to save energy as compared with the case where the cooling unit 5 or the heater 6 is continuously driven.

[0006]

Since most of the vending machines are operated continuously for 24 hours, further energy saving is desired.

However, in the conventional vending machine, air does not circulate only through the vent hole 2a of the shooter 2 but also flows through a gap formed between the shooter 2 and the wall surface of the storage case 1. It was distributed. Since the air leaking from the gap formed between the shooter 2 and the wall of the storage 1 does not directly hit the product, it does not directly contribute to cooling or heating, but contributes to energy loss. I was

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine capable of further saving energy while maintaining a product at a desired temperature state. .

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine, comprising: While constituting a product accumulation room, a heat exchange chamber containing a heat exchanger is formed below the shooter,
Furthermore, the accumulation chamber and the heat exchange chamber are communicated with each other by a circulation duct, and the air in the storage chamber is driven by a blower fan so that the heat exchange chamber, the vent hole of the shooter,
By sequentially circulating the stacking chamber and the circulation duct, in a vending machine in which the stacking chamber is maintained in a desired temperature range, a ventilation duct having the shooter as an upper wall is provided in the heat exchange chamber, The air in the heat exchange chamber is guided to an accumulation chamber through the ventilation duct.

According to the present invention, the ventilation duct having the chute as the upper wall is provided in the heat exchange chamber, and the air in the heat exchange chamber is guided to the accumulation chamber through the ventilation duct, so that the cooled or heated air is not leaked. The product can be applied to the product, and the product can be cooled or heated efficiently. Therefore,
It is possible to reduce the operation rate of the heat exchanger and contribute to energy saving.

[0011] A vending machine according to a second aspect is the first aspect.
In the vending machine according to the above, the blower fan is arranged in the heat exchange chamber, and a wind tunnel member surrounding the blower fan and the ventilation duct are integrally formed.

Since the blower fan is arranged in the heat exchange chamber and the wind tunnel member surrounding the blower fan and the ventilation duct are integrally formed, the number of parts to be handled at the time of manufacturing can be reduced.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a sectional side view conceptually showing a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional front view of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a vending machine shooter, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the vending machine shown in FIG. 3 from another angle, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a temperature control system of the vending machine. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the vending machine exemplified here has three storage boxes 1 inside a main body cabinet 20.
00, 200, and 300.
It is possible to individually control the temperatures of 0, 200, and 300. Of these, the storage 100 on the left side as viewed from the front
Is dedicated to cooling, while the two storages 200 and 300 on the right side when viewed from the front can switch between cooling and heating.
That is, in the storage 100 on the left side, a heat exchanger dedicated to cooling is arranged. On the other hand, the two storage boxes 200 and 300 on the right side are provided with heat exchangers capable of switching between cooling and heating as heat exchangers. Except for the heat exchanger, all storages 100, 200, 3
00 is common. Therefore, hereinafter, only the storage 300 on the right side as viewed from the front will be sequentially described.

As shown in FIG. 1, this vending machine includes:
The shooter 30 so as to partition the inside of the storage 300 up and down.
1, a stacking chamber 302 is formed above the shooter 301, and a heat exchange chamber 303 is formed below the shooter 301.

The stacking chamber 302 has a rack 3
04a, 304b, 304c, 304d, and 304e are provided. Racks 304a, 304b, 304c, 3
04d and 304e are provided in a plurality of rows (five rows in the embodiment) along the depth direction of the stacking chamber 302, and a plurality of products, for example, can products 305 can be stacked in each of the rows. Racks 304a, 304b, 304c, 3 in each row
04d and 304e are configured to pay out the filled canned commodities 305 one by one from the lower end. As is clear from the figure, the rear three rows of racks 304c, 3c
04d and 304e are arranged such that their lower end surfaces are located above the lower end surfaces of the racks 304a and 304b in the two rows on the front side.

In the heat exchange chamber 303, an evaporator 306a, a heater 307 and a blower fan 308 are sequentially arranged from the back. The evaporator 306a forms a cooling unit 306 by a compressor 306b, a condenser 306c, and an expander 306d arranged below the storage 300. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, individual evaporators 106a, 206a, and 306a are arranged in each of the three storages 100, 200, and 300, while a compressor 306b, a condenser 306c, and an expander are provided. 30
Regarding 6d, one common to each evaporator 106a, 206a, 306a is arranged below each of the storages 100, 200, 300, and one electromagnetic valve 106e, 206e, 306e
The evaporator 106a, which is driven by opening and closing the
206a and 306a can be selected. The heater 307 drives to generate heat when a predetermined voltage is applied. The blower fan 308 includes a motor 309
(See FIG. 5). The motor 309 drives to blow air from the back to the near side of the heat exchange chamber 303 when the motor 309 is driven. The evaporator 306a and the heater 307 are arranged inside a frame 310 whose front and rear end surfaces are open.

On the other hand, the shooter 301 located between the stacking chamber 302 and the heat exchange chamber 303 is arranged so as to be gradually lowered toward the front, and each rack 304a, 304b, 304c, 304d, 304e
The canned goods 305 paid out from the inner door 3 of the storage 300.
The product can be sent out to the product outlet 317 through 16.

The heat exchange chamber 303 is provided with a ventilation duct 311. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the ventilation duct 311 is configured by incorporating a wind tunnel member 312 surrounding the blower fan 308 with the shooter 301 as an upper wall and both side walls 311a and a bottom plate 311b. It is configured so that it can be combined with the frame 310 surrounding the heater 307 without gaps. On the other hand, a guide member 314 extending in the vertical direction is provided at the front end of the ventilation duct 311. In addition, the ventilation duct 311 may be provided separately from the wind tunnel member 312. However, if the wind duct member 312 is incorporated and integrally configured, the number of parts to be handled at the time of manufacturing can be reduced, and between the two. There is no risk of causing a problem such as air leakage from the air.

As shown in FIG. 3, vent holes 301a are provided evenly on the entire surface of the shooter 301. By uniformly providing the vent holes 301a in the shooter 301 in this way, the inside of the ventilation duct 311 and the accumulation chamber 302 are formed.
Air can be appropriately circulated between and. More specifically, as shown in FIG.
Are respectively separated from the inside of the ventilation duct 311 into the accumulation chamber 30.
2, that is, the respective racks 304 a and 304
b, 304c, 304d, and 304e.

Further, the vending machine has a storage 30
A circulation duct 318 is provided at the innermost part of the cylinder 0 along the vertical direction. The upper end of the circulation duct 318 extends to a position above the last row, that is, the lowermost can product 305 stored in the rack 304e in the front fifth row, and has an intake port 318a at the extending end. are doing. The lower end of the circulation duct 318 communicates with the rear end of the frame 310 surrounding the evaporator 306 a and the heater 307 beyond the shooter 301.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a temperature control system of the vending machine. In FIG. 5, the operation input unit 31
Reference numeral 9 denotes a portion where the installer of the vending machine or the maintenance operator inputs the setting, and is provided at a position exposed to the outside when the outer door 320 for opening and closing the front surface of the main body cabinet 20 is opened. The setting items input from the operation input unit 319 include, for example, settings for selecting one of cooling and heating for each of the two right storages 200 and 300 as viewed from the front, as described above. . The setting input information from the operation input unit 319 is given to a temperature control unit 321 to be described later. The in-compartment thermistor 322 is a sensor for detecting the internal temperature of the accumulation chamber 302, and is provided at an appropriate position in the accumulation chamber 302. The detection result of the in-compartment thermistor 322 is given to a temperature control unit 321 to be described later. The temperature control unit 321 includes a cooling unit 306, an electromagnetic valve 306e, a heater, and the like in accordance with programs and data stored in the memory 323 in advance, setting input information from the operation input unit 319, a detection result of the internal thermistor 322, and the like. 30
7 and a portion for controlling the driving of the motor 309.

According to the vending machine, the evaporator 306a
And a ventilation path 313 between a front end of the frame 310 surrounding the periphery of the heater 307 and a portion reaching the shooter 301.
Is provided, the air blown from the blower fan 308 hits the can goods 305 in the stacking chamber 302 without leakage, so that the can goods 305 can be efficiently cooled or heated. The shooter 30
1 are provided with air holes 301a evenly, so that air from the fan
04a, 304b, 304c, 304d, and 305e can be evenly distributed and can product 305 can be cooled or heated uniformly. Therefore, the cooling unit 30
6 or the heater 307 can be reduced to contribute to energy saving.

The products sold at the vending machine need not necessarily be the canned products 305, and may be applied to products that need to be cooled or heated. Is possible. In this case, the storage 300 of the vending machine does not need to support both cooling and heating, and may be dedicated to cooling or dedicated to heating. Further, the stacking chambers 302 do not necessarily have to be in five rows. The number of storages provided in the vending machine is not limited to three. Further, the position of the ventilation hole 301a provided in the shooter 301 can be arbitrarily changed according to the arrangement of the products stored in the accumulation chamber 302.

[0025]

As described above, according to the vending machine according to the present invention (claim 1), a ventilation duct having a shooter as an upper wall is provided in the heat exchange chamber, and the air ventilation duct in the heat exchange chamber is provided. , The cooled or heated air can be applied to the product without leakage. In addition, since the cooled or heated air is evenly distributed, the products in the accumulation room can be cooled or heated uniformly.
Therefore, the product can be efficiently cooled or heated, and the operation rate of the heat exchanger can be reduced to contribute to energy saving.

According to the vending machine according to the present invention (Claim 2), the ventilation fan is disposed in the heat exchange chamber, and the ventilation tunnel surrounding the ventilation fan and the ventilation duct are integrally formed. In addition, the number of parts to be handled at the time of manufacturing can be reduced, and there is no possibility that a problem such as leakage of air from the both will be caused.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

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

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a shooter of the vending machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vending machine shown in FIG. 3 when viewed from another angle.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a temperature control system of the vending machine.

FIG. 6 is a sectional side view conceptually showing a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 Main body cabinet 300 Storage room 301 Shooter 301a Vent hole 302 Stacking chamber 304a, 304b, 304c, 304d, 304e
Rack 305 Canned product 306 Cooling unit 306a Evaporator 306b Compressor 306c Condenser 306d Expander 306e Solenoid valve 307 Heater 308 Ventilation fan 310 Frame 311 Ventilation duct 312 Wind tunnel member 313 Ventilation path 314 Guide member 318 Circulation duct 318a Inlet 320 Outside Door 321 temperature control unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A heat exchanger in which a chute having a ventilation hole is arranged inside a storage to form an accumulation chamber for commodities above the chute, and a heat exchanger is accommodated below the chute. A chamber, and furthermore, the accumulation chamber and the heat exchange chamber are communicated with each other by a circulation duct, and the air of the storage is heated by the blower fan, the heat exchange chamber, the vent hole of the shooter, the accumulation chamber, and In the vending machine in which the circulation chamber is sequentially circulated to maintain the accumulation chamber in a desired temperature range, a ventilation duct having the shooter as an upper wall is provided in the heat exchange chamber; A vending machine, wherein the air is guided to an accumulation chamber via the ventilation duct. 2. The automatic air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the blower fan is disposed in the heat exchange chamber, and a wind tunnel member surrounding the blower fan and the ventilation duct are integrally formed. Vending machine.