JP2004295581A - Commodity holding/discharging device for vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the commodity holding/discharging device of a vending machine for efficiently using the commodity holding space of a vending machine by relatively simply and compactly configuring a movable stopper, and reducing the occupancy of a width space reqired for the movable stopper as much as possible. <P>SOLUTION: The commodity holding/discharging device of the vending machine for selectively catching a commodity stored in a plurality of commodity holding/discharging columns arranged on the rack board of a commodity holding part by a bucket to be driven to horizontally and vertically move, and for discharging the commodity to a commodity discharging part is provided with a belt for discharging the commodity in the commodity holding/discharging column to the top end side of the commodity holding/discharging column, a conveyer base for bridging the belt, and a movable stopper supported at the top end lower part of the conveyer base at the top end side of the commodity holding/discharging column so as to be rotated, and to be projected to the discharging path of the commodity on the belt at the top end front part of the conveyer base for regulating the discharge of the commodity. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a product storage and unloading device of a vending machine, and is particularly effective when applied to a see-through type vending machine in which sales products stored for each column are viewed through a front door type panel to make a purchase selection. About technology.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The see-through type vending machine is configured to selectively acquire products stored in a line in a plurality of product storage / unloading columns with a catcher bucket that moves in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and to carry out the products to a predetermined product delivery unit. It was made. The product storage / unloading column is configured to store the products in a line in the front-rear direction (depth direction) of the vending machine, and to sequentially feed the products to the front of the column by power transmission drive from the bucket side. The bucket moves to the front of a column in which a product purchased and selected by a customer (a user of a vending machine) is stored, receives the product, conveys the product to a predetermined product delivery unit, and discharges the product. Products stored in each column can be seen through the front door panel. The customer can make a purchase selection through the panel through the real product.
[0003]
FIG. 7 shows the appearance (front view) of the see-through type vending machine described above. In FIG. 1, a housing 10 of a vending machine is formed with a product storage section 12 having an open front. Although not shown, a cooling and / or heating system and the like are also stored. The front of the housing 10 is closed by a door-type panel (front panel) 13 so as to be openable and closable. The door type panel 13 has a wide see-through window so that the whole of the product storage section 12 can be seen. Other than the see-through window, an operation panel 14 for selecting a purchased product, a bill and / or coin receiving device 15, a product payout portion 16, a change / refund payout portion 17, and a locking device (only a keyhole is shown) 18 are provided. Is provided.
[0004]
A plurality of drawer-type shelves 301 are attached to the product storage section 12 at regular intervals in the vertical direction (Y direction). A plurality of product storage / unloading columns 401 are arranged on each shelf plate 301 in the width direction (X direction). The products 11 are stored in the respective product storage / export columns 401 in a state of being lined up in a line in the front-rear direction (Z direction). The commodities 11 in the commodities storing / unloading column 401 are respectively fed out to the tip of the column for each column, and the commodities 11 are visually recognized through the door type panel 13.
[0005]
The commodity 11 delivered to the tip of the commodity storage / export column 401 is selectively received (picked up) by a movable carry-out device called a catcher based on the customer's selection and carried out to the commodity delivery section. The catcher is configured by a bucket 901 for receiving a product from the product storage / unloading column 401, and an XY drive mechanism for moving the bucket 901 in a matrix direction (up and down and left and right). The bucket 901 moves in the matrix direction (XY direction) between the tip of the product storage / unloading column 401 arranged in a matrix and the door-type panel 13 and stores products selected by a customer operation. The product 11 is received from the tip of the product storage / unloading column 401. The received product 11 is carried out to the product delivery unit 16.
[0006]
FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the product storage / export column 401 part. The product storage / unloading column 401 has a conveyor belt 431 driven in a fixed direction (Z direction) as shown in a side view of FIG. The conveyor belt 431 is a belt-shaped flexible belt. The products 11 are arranged in a line on the conveyor belt 431 and stored, and the products 11 are sequentially moved forward of the product storage / output column 401 by driving the conveyor belt 431. It is configured to extend. The conveyor belt 431 is driven by being stretched around a driving pulley 511 that is pivotally supported at the tip of the product storage / output column 401 and a driven pulley 541 that is pivotally supported at the rear end.
[0007]
The drive pulley 511 is pivotally supported on a shelf plate 301 and a gear 531 is provided at one end thereof as shown in the front view of FIG. The gear 531 meshes with the transmission gear on the side of the bucket 901 (FIG. 7) and is driven to rotate. A bucket drive mechanism (not shown) is mounted on the bucket 901, and the rotation drive from the drive mechanism is transmitted to the gear of the drive pulley 511 via a transmission gear. Thus, the conveyor belt 431 of each product storage / unloading column 401 is driven by power transmission from the bucket 901 side. Although not shown in detail, the driven pulley 541 is pivotally supported in a spring-suspended state so as to apply necessary tension (tension) to the conveyor belt 431.
[0008]
On the conveyor belt 431, a backrest plate 601 for preventing the product 11 on the conveyor belt from falling backward is erected and fixed as shown in FIGS. Have been. A movable stopper 701 is provided in front of the conveyor belt 431 for keeping the product 11 conveyed to the tip of the column at the tip of the column, as shown in FIG.
[0009]
The movable stopper 701 has a vertical slide portion 702 and a horizontal arm portion 703 to form a substantially L-shape, and the horizontal arm portion 703 comes into contact with the front of the product at the tip of the column. The vertical slide portion 702 is mounted on the front end face of the column partition wall 651 so as to be slidable in the up-down direction (Y direction). The column partition walls 651 are fixedly installed on the shelf board 301 at regular intervals.
[0010]
The movable stopper 701 is always spring-biased at a position where the movable stopper 701 comes into contact with the commodity 11 at the tip of the commodity storage / export column 401, but when the bucket 901 is located in front of the commodity storage / export column 401, the bucket 901 side The stopper function is released by being depressed downward by an operation from. Thus, the product 11 at the tip of the product storage / export column 401 is pushed forward and transferred to the bucket 901. The bucket 901 receives the product 11 from the product storage / unload column 401 by driving the column conveyor belt 431 with the transmission gear and simultaneously pressing the movable stopper 701 downward.
[0011]
It is desirable that the conveyor belt 431 be installed so that the step with the shelf plate 301 is as small as possible in order to feed out and carry out the product 11 in a stable posture. For this reason, both the driving pulley 511 and the driven pulley 541 are formed with a small diameter. To reliably drive the belt 431 with the small-diameter drive pulley 511, a tubular friction member 512 made of rubber or the like is placed over the center of the drive pulley 511. The belt 431 is driven by the friction member 512 in contact with the driving pulley 511 with high friction.
[0012]
Further, as shown in (c), a backrest plate 601 is attached to the conveyor belt 431, and a wide cutout portion 432 is provided in a portion located in front of the backrest plate 601. The conveyor belt 431 is configured such that the notch 432 releases the contact with the friction member 512. At this contact release position, the contact friction between the belt 431 and the driving pulley 511 is reduced. Thus, when all the products 11 on the conveyor belt 431 are paid out and the backrest plate 601 comes into contact with the stopper 701, the drive pulley 511 idles and the backrest plate 601 comes into contact with the stopper 701. It can be stopped safely without difficulty at the contact position.
[0013]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-30140 A
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2002-24932 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
This type of vending machine requires a movable stopper that is released only when necessary, in order to prevent the product conveyed to the tip of the conveyor belt from accidentally rolling down. Here, the above-described conventional movable stopper is attached to the front end face of the column partition wall 651 so as to be slidable in the up-down direction (Y direction), so that the structure of the partition wall 651 is complicated and the partition wall 651 is complicated. However, there is a problem that the width of the space increases, and the width space available for storing the product decreases accordingly.
[0016]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a vending machine in which a movable stopper is configured to be relatively simple and compact, and the movable stopper occupies as little space as possible. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine product storage / unloading device capable of efficiently using the product storage space.
[0017]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the present invention, a product stored in a plurality of product storage and unloading columns provided on a shelf plate of a product storage section is selectively acquired by a bucket which is driven to move in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction to pay out the product. A product storage and unloading device of a vending machine that unloads a product, a belt that unloads the product in the product storage and unloading column to the tip side of the product storage and unloading column, and a conveyor base that stretches the belt, At the front end of the conveyor base, it is pivotally supported at the lower end of the conveyor base, which is the front end side of the product storage / export column, and protrudes to the product carry-out path on the belt at the front end of the conveyor base. And a movable stopper for restricting carry-out.
[0018]
According to the merchandise storage and unloading device of the vending machine, the movable stopper can be compactly configured with a space having substantially the same width as the conveyor base. The width of the movable stopper is substantially absorbed by the width of the conveyor base, and the width space occupied only by the movable stopper is almost zero. This makes it possible to efficiently use the product storage space of the vending machine.
[0019]
Further, in the merchandise storage and unloading device of the vending machine, the movable stopper has a floor portion that bridges between the bucket and the belt when the movable stopper is evacuated from the unloading path of the commodities on the belt. Further, the movable stopper is rotated by transmitting the driving force from the bucket. Further, the movable stopper has a display surface of information for identifying the price of the product storage / unloading column or the product.
[0020]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
1 to 6 each show a main embodiment of the present invention. The vending machine of the embodiment shown in the figure is a see-through type vending machine in which the actual product to be sold is seen through a front door type panel and a purchase is selected, and the basic structure is a conventional vending machine. Same as technology. That is, the vending machine according to the embodiment selects the products 11 arranged and stored in a row in the plurality of product storage / unloading columns 40 by the bucket 90 which is driven to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction (XY directions in FIG. 1). It is configured to receive the product and carry it out to a predetermined product delivery unit. The product storage / output column stores the products in a line in the front-rear direction (depth direction: Z direction) of the vending machine and stores the products in front of the product storage / output column 40 by transmitting the power from the bucket 90 side. Are configured to be sequentially fed out. The bucket 90 moves to the front of the commodity storage / export column 40 in which the commodity selected and purchased by the customer (user of the vending machine) is stored, receives the commodity 11, and transports the commodity 11 to the commodity payout unit 16. The stored products 11 of each product storage / export column 40 can be seen through the front door-type panel 13. The customer can make a purchase selection through the door-type panel 13 while seeing through the real product.
[0021]
FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a see-through type vending machine to which the present invention is applied, as viewed from the front. In FIG. 1, a housing 10 of a vending machine is formed with a product storage section 12 having an open front. Although not shown, a cooling and / or heating system and the like are also stored. The front of the housing 10 is closed by a door-type panel (front panel) 13 so as to be openable and closable. The door type panel 13 has a wide see-through window so that the whole of the product storage section 12 can be seen. Other than the see-through window, an operation panel 14 for selecting a purchased product, a bill and / or coin receiving device 15, a product payout portion 16, a change / refund payout portion 17, and a locking device (only a keyhole is shown) 18 are provided. Is provided.
[0022]
A plurality of drawer-type shelves 30 are attached to the product storage section 12 at regular intervals in the vertical direction (Y direction). A plurality of product storage / output columns 40 are arranged on each shelf 30 in the width direction (X direction). The space between the product storage / output columns 40 is partitioned by a partition plate 65. The products 11 are stored in the respective product storage / export columns 40 in a state where the products 11 are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction (Z direction). The commodities 11 in the commodities storage / export column 40 are respectively fed out to the tip of the column for each column, and the commodities 11 can be visually recognized through the door type panel 13.
[0023]
The commodity 11 fed to the tip of the commodity storage / export column 40 is selected by a movable carry-out device called a catcher based on the customer's selection and carried out to the commodity delivery section 16. The catcher includes a bucket 90 for receiving the product 11 from the product storage / unloading column 40, and an XY drive mechanism for moving the bucket in a matrix direction (up and down and left and right). The bucket 90 moves in the matrix direction (XY direction) between the end of the product storage / unloading column 40 arranged in a matrix and the door-type panel 13, and stores the products selected by the operation of the customer. The product 11 is received from the tip of the product storage / unload column 40. The received product 11 is carried out to the product delivery unit 16.
[0024]
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the main parts of a drawer-type shelf plate 30 and a product storage / output column 40. As shown in the figure, the product storage / output column 40 of this embodiment has a conveyor belt 43 (endless belt) driven in a fixed direction (Z direction). The commodities 11 are arranged in a row on the conveyor belt 43 and stored, and the commodities 11 are sequentially fed out to the front of the commodities storage / export column 40 by driving the conveyor belt 43. The conveyor belt 43 is an endless belt in which belt-like woven fabrics of synthetic fibers are connected in a loop, and sprocket holes 44 are provided at a constant pitch along both width ends. The conveyor belt 43 is attached and held in a stretched state on a conveyor base 45 detachable from the shelf 30. That is, the product unloading mechanism of the product storing and unloading column 40 is configured as a conveyor unit 41 independent of the shelf board 30. The conveyor unit 41 has an L-shaped locking key portion 42 projecting downward, and the locking key portion 42 is inserted into and locked in the slit 35 of the shelf plate 30, so that an arbitrary portion on the shelf plate 30 can be formed. It is designed to be mounted in a position.
[0025]
The shelf plate 30 has a tray-like shape in which a back plate 32 and a side plate 33 are raised from three sides of a rectangular bottom plate 31. The bottom plate 31 and the back plate 32 each have a number of slits 35 for fitting and locking a locking key portion. They are drilled side by side in parallel. The slits 35 and 34 are provided at an interval pitch sufficiently smaller than the width of the product storage / output column 40. The conveyor unit 41 can be mounted at an arbitrary position on the shelf board 30 by inserting and locking the locking key portion 42 into one of the many slits 35 formed in the bottom plate 31.
[0026]
A partition plate 65 for partitioning the product storage / unloading column 40 is also detachably mounted on the shelf plate 30. The partition plate 65 has a substantially rectangular flat plate shape having a length substantially equal to the depth length of the shelf plate 30, and has an L-shaped key portion 66 fitted into and engaged with the slit 35 of the bottom plate 31 and a slit of the back plate 32. A projecting plate portion (tongue plate portion) 67 that fits into and engages with the projection 34. The partition plate 65 engages with and engages with the L-shaped key portion 66 and the protruding plate portion 67 in any of a number of slits 35 and 34 formed in the bottom plate 31 and the back plate 32, respectively. Similarly, it can be installed at any position on the shelf 30 and erected.
[0027]
According to the above-described configuration, the product storage / export columns 40 can be installed by an arbitrary number (the number of rows) within the width of the shelf 30 for each shelf 30 and the width of each product storage / export column 40 is also arbitrary. Can be set to The width of the product storage / export column 40 can be optimally variably set without any excess or shortage according to the width size of the product 11 to be stored and transported. Accordingly, it is possible to flexibly cope with a plurality of types of products 11 having different sizes, and it is possible to efficiently use the storage space of the products 11. The slits 35 and 34 can also function as good ventilation holes for keeping the product 11 cool or warm.
[0028]
At the tip of the conveyor unit 41, a gear 53 for driving the conveyor belt 43 from the bucket 90 side, and the product 11 conveyed to the tip of the product storage / export column 40 at the tip of the product storage / export column 40 A movable stopper 70 for keeping the position is provided. These will be described with reference to FIG.
[0029]
FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the main part of the conveyor unit 41. 3A is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 3B is a schematic side view. As shown in the figure, the conveyor unit 41 includes a conveyor base 45, a conveyor belt 43, a driving pulley 51, a driven pulley 54, a backrest plate 60, a movable stopper 70, and the like.
[0030]
The main structural part of the conveyor base 45 is constituted by a strip-shaped frame having a length adapted to the depth of the shelf board 30. At the front and rear ends of the frame, shaft plates 46 and 47 are protruded, respectively. A drive pulley 51 is pivotally supported on the front support plate 46, and a driven pulley 54 is supported on the rear support plate 47. The drive pulley 51 is provided with a sprocket projection (sprocket pin) 52 that engages with the sprocket hole 44 of the conveyor belt 43. The conveyor belt 43 is driven by the engagement between the sprocket hole 44 and the sprocket projection 52.
[0031]
A gear 53 is provided at one end of the driving pulley 51. The gear 53 meshes with the transmission gear on the bucket 90 side and is driven to rotate. A bucket drive mechanism (not shown) is mounted on the bucket 90, and the rotation drive from the drive mechanism is transmitted to the gear 53 of the drive pulley 51 via a transmission gear. As a result, the conveyor belt 43 of each product storage / output column 40 is driven by the transmission power from the bucket 90 side. Although this transmission mechanism is not shown, for example, the one disclosed in JP-A-2002-24932 or the like can be used as it is. Although not shown in detail, the driven pulley 54 is pivotally supported in a spring-suspended state to apply necessary tension (tension) to the conveyor belt 43.
[0032]
The conveyor belt 43 is stretched and driven by a driving pulley 51 and a driven pulley 54, and the stretching is performed such that the transport surface on which the product 11 is mounted is parallel to the shelf board 30 surface. In this case, since the diameter of the driving pulley 51 is larger than that of the driven pulley 54, the center axis of the driving pulley 51 is supported below the center axis of the driven pulley 54. For this reason, the support plate 46 that supports the drive pulley 51 projects obliquely downward and forward of the conveyor base 45 while bending in a crank shape. With such a configuration, the step between the conveyor belt 43 and the shelf plate 30 can be reduced, and thereby the storage efficiency of the product 11 in the product storage unit 12 can be improved. Also,
Since the winding angle of the conveyor belt 43 around the drive pulley 51 is increased, the axial load of the drive pulley 51 is reduced, and the conveyor belt 43 can be driven reliably. Further, since the conveyor unit 41 has a simple structure, the cost can be reduced.
[0033]
As described above, in the embodiment, the driving of the conveyor belt 43 is performed not by the friction between the pulley and the belt, but by the catch between the sprocket hole 44 and the sprocket projection 52. For this reason, the tension of the conveyor belt 43 can be greatly reduced as compared with the conventional drive by a small-diameter pulley. Thereby, the torque load of the belt drive can be reduced. As a result, the driving load on the bucket 90 side can be reduced, and the operation of feeding and unloading the product 11 in the product storage and unloading column 40 can be performed smoothly.
[0034]
The conveyor unit 41 has a backrest plate 60 for preventing the products 11 on the conveyor belt 43 from falling backward, and the products 11 conveyed to the tip of the product storage / unloading column 40. A movable stopper 70 is provided for retaining the column at the tip end of the carry-out column 40. The backrest plate 60 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. The movable stopper 70 is formed so as to move in and out of the conveyor belt 43 by being pivotally supported by the conveyor base 45 and rotating.
[0035]
The movable stopper 70 has a stopper portion 71 and a guide portion 72 integrally, and is formed so that a side surface thereof has a substantially arc shape. Then, the stopper portion 71 protrudes and abuts on the front surface of the product 11 at the tip of the product storage / output column 40 to regulate the delivery of the product 11. The movable stopper 70 is supported on the conveyor base 45 together with the panel 73. The spring 73 always elastically urges the stopper 71 to the front of the product storage / output column 40, that is, to the stopper position. Below the stopper 71, a concave receiving portion 74 that receives a pressing operation from the bucket 90 side is formed. A guide portion 72 is formed on the back side of the receiving portion 74. The guide portion 72 is formed so as to cover the distal end portion of the conveyor belt 43 stretched around the drive pulley 51.
[0036]
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the configuration near the movable stopper 70. As shown in the figure, when the bucket 90 is positioned in front of the product storage / unloading column 40, the receiving portion 74 is pushed down obliquely by lever operation from the bucket 90 side. By this lever operation, the stopper portion 71 is retracted below the stopper position in front of the product storage / unloading column 40, and the stopper function is released. As a result, the product 11 at the tip of the product storage / output column 40 is pushed forward and transferred to the bucket 90.
[0037]
The bucket 90 has an operation lever 92 that swings in synchronization with the operation of the transmission gear, and simultaneously pushes the movable stopper 70 downward while the transmission gear drives the conveyor belt 43 of the product storage / output column 40. Thereby, the product 11 is received from the product storage / export column 40 side. At this time, the upper end of the stopper 71 retracted (retracted) from the stopper position is formed so as to bridge a flat floor surface 75 between the conveyor belt 43 and the bucket 90. Thus, the product 11 at the end of the conveyor belt 43 is smoothly transferred to the bucket 90. The bucket 90 is provided with a cam mechanism 94 for synchronizing the operation lever 92.
[0038]
The movable stopper 70 described above can be configured independently of the shelf board 30 by being pivotally supported and attached to the distal end portion of the conveyor base 45, and can have a space substantially equal in width to the conveyor base 45. And can be made compact. Thereby, the product storage space of the vending machine can be efficiently used. In addition, since the movable stopper 70 is pivotally supported by the lower portion of the conveyor belt 43, the floor surface 75 of the movable stopper 70 projects toward the bucket 90 when the movable stopper 70 rotates downward. Become. That is, when the movable stopper 70 is at the stopper position, a clearance is secured between the movable stopper 70 and the bucket 90 as much as the floor 75 protrudes toward the bucket 90. Thus, it is possible to reliably prevent the bucket 90 from interfering with the conveyor belt 43 when moving in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction. Furthermore, when the movable stopper 70 rotates downward, the clearance can be eliminated, so that the commodity 11 can be reliably carried out to the commodity payout section 16.
[0039]
FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the backrest plate 60. In the figure, (a) shows a front sectional view of the conveyor unit 41, and (b) and (c) show side views thereof. As shown in the figure, the backrest plate 60 is in the shape of a vertically long box having a thickness in the front-rear direction, and is formed on the conveyor belt 43 so as to stand upright. A projection 61 is formed on the bottom surface of the backrest plate 60 so as to fit into and engage with the sprocket hole 44 of the conveyor belt 43. The backrest plate 60 has a pair of legs 62 extending downward from both sides. Each leg 62 is bifurcated to extend in the longitudinal direction of the column 40. A convex portion 63 is formed inside each of the branched leg portions 62. The backrest plate 60 is placed with the pair of legs 62, 62 straddling the conveyor belt 43. The tips of the legs 62, 62 straddling the conveyor belt 43 are located on the side of the conveyor base 45, respectively.
[0040]
On both sides of the conveyor base 45, there are provided linear guide grooves 48 into which the convex portions 63 are loosely fitted and guided in the longitudinal direction of the product storage / output column 40. A groove 49 is formed on the upper surface of the conveyor base 45 so that the projection 61 formed on the bottom surface of the backrest plate 60 can be dropped into the sprocket hole 44 of the conveyor belt 43 and fitted. The groove 49 is formed at a predetermined depth up to a position near the tip of the product storage / export column 40.
[0041]
When the backrest plate 60 is located at a certain distance from the tip of the product storage / unloading column 40, the projection 61 on the bottom of the backrest plate 60 fits into the sprocket hole 44 of the conveyor belt 43 and engages. As a result, the product 11 is moved forward together with the conveyor belt 43 and supports the product 11 on the product storage / output column 40 from behind. The backrest plate 60 moved forward needs to be moved rearward (rearward) when refilling the product 11 into the product storage / output column 40. At this time, conventionally, the backrest plate fixed to the belt has to be forcibly retracted together with the belt. However, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5C, the backrest plate 60 is tilted obliquely and the bottom surface is slightly lifted, so that the protrusions 61 on the bottom surface and the conveyor belt 43 are formed. By releasing the engagement with the sprocket hole 44, only the backrest plate 60 can be easily and smoothly retracted to an arbitrary position. Then, when the backrest plate 60 is again self-standing at the target retreat position, the engagement between the projection 61 and the sprocket hole 44 can be resumed at that position. In this case, the protrusions 63 are provided on both of the branched legs 62, but the protrusion 63 of one of the branch legs is formed to fit relatively deeply into the guide groove 48, and the protrusion of the other branch leg is formed. The portion 63 is preferably formed so as to be relatively shallowly fitted into the guide groove 48 and easily detached therefrom.
[0042]
FIG. 6 shows the groove 49 formed on the upper surface of the conveyor base 45. 3A is a side sectional view showing a state at a position distant from the tip of the product storage / export column 40, and FIG. 2B is a side sectional view showing a state near the tip of the product storage / export column 40. On the upper surface of the conveyor base 45, there is provided a groove 49 for dropping the projection on the bottom surface of the backrest plate 60 into the sprocket hole 44 of the conveyor belt 43 and engaging the same. It is formed so that the depth gradually decreases near the tip of the carry-out column 40 and decreases near the tip of the column.
[0043]
For this reason, the backrest plate 60 is driven to move forward together with the conveyor belt 43 by the engagement between the projection 61 and the sprocket hole 44 at a position distant from the tip of the product storage / export column 40. When it comes to a position near the tip of the carry-out column 40, the protrusion 61 is pushed up, the backrest plate 60 is inclined forward, and the engagement with the sprocket hole 44 becomes shallow. In this shallow engagement state, as shown in (b), even if the belt 43 is driven forward, the protrusion 61 escapes above the sprocket hole 44.
[0044]
Therefore, although the backrest plate 60 receives a slight forward moving force, it can be stopped safely without difficulty when it comes into contact with the movable stopper 70. Conventionally, in order to stop the backrest plate by abutting against the stopper, a wide notch is provided in a part of the conveyor belt to reduce friction. It is possible to make unnecessary friction control unnecessary. Further, since there is no need to provide a large cutout portion in the belt, there is no risk of belt breakage due to reduced strength.
[0045]
As described above, the present invention has been described based on the typical embodiments, but the present invention can have various aspects other than the above. For example, the front surface of the movable stopper 70 can be used as a display label surface (display surface) of a product. Further, it can also be used as a position detection target when positioning the bucket 90 in front of the column.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while a movable stopper can be comprised comparatively easily and compactly, the occupation of the width space by the movable stop is reduced, and the product storage space of a vending machine can be used efficiently. To
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view showing an external configuration of a see-through type vending machine to which the present invention is applied.
FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a main part of a drawer-type shelf and a product storage / unloading column in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view and a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a main part of a conveyor unit in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a configuration near a movable stopper according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a front sectional view and a side view showing a configuration of a backrest plate in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a state of a groove formed on an upper surface of a conveyor base in the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a front view showing an external configuration of a conventional see-through vending machine.
FIG. 8 is a side view, a front view, and a perspective view showing a configuration of a product storage / export column portion in a conventional vending machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Vending machine housing 11 Commodity 12 Commodity storage unit 13 Door type panel 14 Operation panel for selecting purchased commodities 15 Bill and / or coin collection device 16 Commodity dispensing unit 17 Change / refund dispensing unit 18 Locking device 30 Pull-out shelf Plate 31 Bottom plate 32 Back plate 33 Side plate 34, 35 Slit 40 Commodity storage / unloading column 41 Conveyor unit 42 L-shaped locking key 43 Conveyor belt 44 Sprocket hole 45 Conveyor bases 46, 47 Spindle plate 48 Linear Guide groove 49 Groove 51 Drive drum 52 Sprocket protrusion 53 Gear 54 Follower pulley 60 Backrest plate 61 Projection 62 Leg 63 Projection forming slide follower 65 Partition plate 66 L-shaped key 67 Projection 70 Moving stopper 71 Stopper Part 72 guide part 73 panel 74 concave receiving part 75 cross-linked floor 90 Tsu door 92 operation lever 94 cam mechanism

Claims (5)

The products stored in the plurality of product storage and unloading columns arranged on the shelf plate of the product storage unit are selectively acquired by a bucket that is driven to move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction, and are discharged to the product payout unit. A vending machine product storage and unloading device,
A belt that carries out the products in the product storage / export column to the tip end side of the product storage / export column,
A conveyor base for stretching the belt,
At the front end of the conveyor base, it is pivotally supported at the lower end of the conveyor base, which is the front end side of the product storage / export column, and protrudes to the product carry-out path on the belt at the front end of the conveyor base. A movable stopper that regulates unloading,
A product storage and delivery device for a vending machine, comprising: 2. The product storage of a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the movable stopper has a floor portion bridging between the bucket and the belt when the movable stopper is evacuated from a product carrying path on the belt. Unloading device. 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the movable stopper is rotated by receiving a driving force from the bucket. 4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the movable stopper has a display surface for displaying information for identifying the product storage / unloading column. 5. 5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the movable stopper has a display surface for displaying information for identifying a price of the product.

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