JP2005078548A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce variations in temperature of commodities by uniforming directions and quantities of air blown out from a shooter. <P>SOLUTION: A vending machine comprises commodity racks having functions of vertically storing commodities and sequentially carrying out them downward and being arranged in a plurality of rows in directions of right and left and multiply arranged forward and backward in a commodity storage room formed inside a case of a main body to be made as a heat insulating housing; a shooter carrying out commodities positioned below the racks and cut out from the racks to a commodity outlet and of which the plate face is provided with a plurality of air holes; a heat exchange chamber positioned below the shooter and having a fan to blow heated or cooled air; and a circulation duct disposed at rear part of the storage room and communicating between the inside of the storage room and the fan. The vending machine has a shielding member to shield air blowing out from a side end of the shooter and forms an air ejecting space by the shooter and the shielding member and instales a barrier plate almost vertically arranged inside the air space and in front of the fan. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine that cools or heats products such as beverages in containers such as cans, bottles, packs, and PET bottles for sale.

10 to 13 show the prior art of vending machines. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the vending machine, FIG. 11 is a three-dimensional view of the vicinity of the shooter of the vending machine, FIG. 12 is an explanatory view showing the flow of wind at the upper part of the shooter, and FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing the flow at the lower part of the shooter. It is.
The configuration of a conventional vending machine will be described with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 1 denotes a product storage chamber formed in a body case having a front opening and serving as a heat-insulating housing, and a plurality (mostly three) of the product cases are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction of the body case by a heat-insulating partition wall. Reference numeral 2 denotes a shooter which is installed in a slanted downward direction inside the product storage chamber 1 and has a large number of holes on its plate surface. 3 is a product that is sold by cooling or heating in the product storage room of the vending machine, and 4 is a product stacked in the vertical direction and stored above the shooter 2. This is a product rack, and a plurality of rows (1 to 4 rows) are installed in the product storage room in the left-right direction and in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. Reference numeral 5 denotes a cooling unit composed of a refrigeration compressor and a condenser for cooling the commodity storage chamber 1, and reference numeral 6 denotes an evaporator which is piped to the cooling unit 5 and arranged below the shooter 2. Reference numeral 7 denotes a heater disposed in front of the evaporator 6, and 8 denotes a heat exchange chamber in which the evaporator 6, the heater 7, and the fan 9 are housed. A product opening 10 is opened in front of the outer door, and the product 3 carried out from the product rack 4 rolls out along the shooter 2 and is sent out by the customer. 11 is installed on the rear surface of the product storage chamber 1, heated or cooled by the fan 9 of the heat exchange chamber 8, passed through the holes of the shooter 2, and the air exchanged with the product 3 in the product rack 4 is returned again. It is a circulation duct that is a passage returning to the heat exchange chamber 8. Reference numeral 12 denotes an inner door made of a heat insulating material that opens and closes the front opening of the product storage chamber 1, and 13 is arranged on both sides of the product storage chamber 1 to insulate the outside air or the adjacent product storage chamber. 14 is a bottom plate that is disposed on the bottom surface of the product storage chamber 1 and insulates the space between the cooling unit 5 and the space.

In the vending machine configured as described above, for example, when the fan 9 is driven while the cooling unit 5 is driven, the air cooled by the evaporator 6 passes through the vent hole 2a from the lower part of the shooter 2, The inside of the product storage chamber 1 is circulated through the rack 4 and the circulation duct 11, and the product 3 accumulated in the product rack 4 can be cooled. On the contrary, when the fan 9 is driven with the heater 7 being driven, the air heated by the heater 7 circulates inside the product storage chamber 1 through the vent hole 2a of the shooter 2, the product rack 4, and the circulation duct 11. As a result, the product 3 accumulated in the product rack 4 can be heated.
In the above-described conventional vending machine, the inventor of the present application indicates that the wind blown by the drive of the fan 9 and directed to the product rack 4 through the vent hole 2a shows a flow as shown by arrows in FIGS. The product storage chamber 1 is made of a transparent member, and is observed and confirmed by a visualization experiment. On the upper surface of the shooter 2, the flow discharged from the air holes 2 a has a nonuniform wind speed and direction toward the front, upper, and sides as shown in FIG. 12. Further, below the shooter 2, in the flow discharged from the fan rotating clockwise as viewed from the front, a large amount of wind flows on the left side as viewed from the front as shown in FIG. 13.

For example, a method according to the following patent document has been proposed for the purpose of uniformly blowing air on the products 3 in the product rack 4 arranged in parallel.
In Patent Document 1, it is proposed to achieve rectification with a crossflow fan and a turbulent flow device. However, in this method, the efficiency of the cross flow fan is reduced by about half compared to the propeller fan, and the power of the fan motor driven by the increase in fluid resistance by the turbulence device is increased, resulting in an increase in cost and power consumption. Incurs an increase.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-228561 proposes to make the flow uniform by attaching an upward guide to the lower surface of the shooter. However, in this method, since the fluid resistance from both end portions of the shooter is smaller than the fluid resistance formed by the vent hole of the shooter and the upward guide, the wind toward the upward guide is greatly limited. The In order to effectively discharge from the upward guide, it is necessary to increase the fan air volume and the power of the motor, leading to an increase in power consumption.
JP 2000-353276 A JP 2002-8117 A

In the above-described conventional vending machine, the direction and the amount of air blown from the shooter are not uniform, and when the area to be cooled or heated becomes large, the cooled or heated air is uniformly fed into the entire product room. As a result, the temperature of the product in the product storage room varies, and there is a risk that a product with insufficient cooling or heating will be sold.
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and provides a vending machine that can realize the direction and amount of air blown from a shooter, reduce variation in product temperature, and can be realized at low cost. The purpose is to do.

  In order to achieve the above object, a vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention stores products vertically in a product storage chamber formed in a case of a main body case serving as a heat insulating casing. A product rack having a function of carrying out in a direction, arranged in multiple rows in the left-right direction and multiplexed in the front and rear, and a product that is below the product rack and cut out from the product rack is conveyed to a product outlet, And a shooter having a plurality of air holes formed on the plate surface, a heat exchange chamber having a fan under the shooter for blowing heated or cooled air, and a rear portion of the product storage chamber, In a vending machine provided with a circulation duct that communicates between a product storage room and a fan, a shielding member that blocks air flowing out from a side end of the shooter is provided, and a discharge air space is provided by the shooter and the shielding member. Configure In the discharge air space, and the fan front, and having a substantially vertically arranged has been partition plate.

  In order to achieve the above object, a vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention is the vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the vent holes of the shooter are stored in a product rack that is installed in multiple directions in the front-rear direction. It is characterized by being arranged in at least one line in the front-rear direction against the product.

As is apparent from the above description, according to the vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention, a shielding member for blocking air flowing out from the side end of the shooter is provided, and the shooter and the shielding member are used for discharging. By configuring the air space and having a partition plate arranged substantially vertically in the discharge air space and in front of the fan, the air discharged from the fan is divided into two substantially right and left by the partition plate Then, the two rows of the shooter 2 are arranged in a substantially uniform manner and are blown out from the air holes 2a so that they are evenly applied to the product, and the product can be cooled or heated well without variation.
Further, according to the vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention, the vent holes of the shooter are arranged in at least one line in the front-rear direction so as to face the products stored in the product rack installed in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the product can be uniformly concentrated on the product, and the product can be cooled or heated well without variation.

Embodiments of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below. In the embodiment described below, the same reference numerals are used for portions corresponding to the above-described conventional technology, and descriptions of substantially the same portions as the conventional technology are omitted.
(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of the vicinity of a shooter 2 showing Embodiment 1 of a vending machine according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the front part of the fan of FIG. 1 taken along a vertical plane and viewed from the front, and arrows indicate the flow of air. In FIG. 1, the shooter 2 has two rows of vent holes along the longitudinal direction of the shooter 2 corresponding to two rows of product racks in the left-right direction in this example at locations facing the products 3 stored in the product rack. 2a is perforated. Reference numeral 20 denotes a shielding plate extending downward from both side ends of the shooter, and its lower end is fastened to the bottom plate 14 in the cabinet. Reference numeral 21 denotes a discharge air space surrounded by the shooter 2 and the shielding plate 20. A partition plate 22 stands substantially vertically in front of the fan in the discharge air space 21 and is installed at a position that substantially bisects the cross-sectional area 9a of the air discharged from the fan.

  In this configuration, the flow of air discharged from the fan 9 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 2, in the discharge air space 21 a on the right side of the partition plate 22 when viewed from the front, the wind discharged from the fan 9 generating a clockwise swirling flow (broken arrow in the figure) hits the bottom plate 14. It flows upward along the partition plate 22 and passes from the back surface of the shooter 2 to the product 3 through the vent hole 2a. On the other hand, the flow in the left discharge air space 21b similarly flows clockwise along the partition plate 22 while turning clockwise, rises along the shielding plate 20, passes through the vent hole 2a from the back surface of the shooter 2, Head to product 3. Therefore, according to this configuration, the air discharged from the fan 9 is divided into two substantially right and left by the partition plate, and blown out from the vent holes 2a in the distribution array of both rows of the shooter 2 to the product. Evenly winds and the product is cooled or warmed well without variation.

Further, the vent holes 2a may be configured in a plurality of rows instead of being arranged in a single row on both the left and right sides. For example, in a product having a long dimension such as a 500 ml pet product, particularly a product requiring cooling / heating, the vent holes 2a are arranged in two or three rows.
Further, by changing the arrangement, quantity, or diameter of the air holes in the front-rear direction of the air holes, it is possible to reduce the product temperature variation in the front-rear direction. For example, in order to further cool / warm the products in the second row from the front in the front-rear direction of the product rack, arrange the vent holes directly under the products in two rows in the left-right direction, or increase the diameter of the vent holes. It ’s fine.
(Embodiment 2) FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of a shooter portion showing Embodiment 2 of a vending machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the shooter. In FIGS. 3 and 4, reference numeral 23 denotes a wind guide flat plate fixed from the back side directly below the shooter air hole 2a, and 23a penetrates the wind guide flat plate 23 to form a passage communicating with the shooter air hole 2a. It is a wind guide. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In this configuration, the straightness of the air discharged from the fan 9 is improved by increasing the straight section of the passage formed by the wind guide 23a and the vent hole 2a of the shooter. Therefore, the wind speed of the air exchanged with the product 3 is made uniform, and the variation in the product temperature is reduced.
In the experiment conducted by the inventors, in the central portion of the shooter 2 in the longitudinal direction, the wind speed blown out from the left and right vents showed a nonuniform value of 5 m / s and 1 m / s. By using the configuration, the left and right wind speeds were improved to 3.5 m / s and 2.5 m / s, respectively. As a result, the product temperature variation between the left and right is 8. It was able to be halved to 4 ° C relative to ° C.
Another embodiment in which the shape of the wind guide is changed in the second embodiment will be described below.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing another embodiment of the wind guide. Reference numeral 30a denotes a cylindrical flange in which the vent hole of the shooter 30 is formed by burring, which is one of stretch flange moldings. Reference numeral 30b denotes a wind guide formed on the inner surface of the cylindrical flange 30a. The cylindrical flange 30a has a height of 2.5 mm with respect to a diameter of 10 mm of the wind guide 30b.

According to such a configuration, since the wind guide can be easily manufactured by continuous punching with an automatic machine, the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, since the air passing through the vent hole is increased in linearity by this wind guide, the same operations and effects as those of the second embodiment are obtained.
Moreover, FIG. 6 is sectional drawing which shows another Example of a wind guide. 31 a is a wind guide in which the cross-sectional area of the hole of the wind guide plate 31 is perforated larger than the vent hole 2 a of the shooter 2. According to this configuration, the wind passing through the wind guide 31a is contracted as shown by the arrow in the figure, and can further increase the straightness, so that the wind speed of the air that exchanges heat with the product becomes uniform, Variation in product temperature is reduced.
Further, the shape of the wind guide 31a is not limited to a circle, and the same action and effect can be obtained even if it is a rectangle.

7 and 8 are sectional views showing another embodiment of the wind guide. 32a is a wind guide in which all the holes of the wind guide plate 32 are formed in a tapered shape, and 33a is a part of the holes in the wind guide plate 33 that is tapered. In any case, the wind passing through the wind guide with this configuration reduces the resistance to contraction, further increasing the straightness of the wind, and uniformizing the wind speed of the air that exchanges heat with the product. Variation is reduced.
Moreover, FIG. 9 is sectional drawing which shows another Example of a wind guide. Reference numeral 34a denotes a cylindrical flange portion formed by burring the vent hole of the shooter 34. Reference numeral 34b denotes a cylindrical flange portion 34a which is further formed into a taper shape by performing V-shaped bending processing or tube expansion processing from the back side of the shooter. A wind guide. According to such a configuration, since the wind guide can be easily formed by die processing, it can be manufactured at low cost. In addition, since the air passing through the vent hole is increased in linearity by this wind guide, the same actions and effects as described above are exhibited.

It is a three-dimensional view showing Embodiment 1 of the vending machine according to the present invention. It is sectional drawing which cut | disconnected the front part of the fan of FIG. 1 by the vertical surface, and was seen from the front. It is a three-dimensional view of the shooter part which shows Embodiment 2 of the vending machine based on this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the shooter of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows another Example of a wind guide. It is sectional drawing which shows another Example of a wind guide. It is sectional drawing which shows another Example of a wind guide. It is sectional drawing which shows another Example of a wind guide. It is sectional drawing which shows another Example of a wind guide. It is a cross-sectional view of a conventional vending machine. It is a three-dimensional view near a shooter in a vending machine according to the prior art. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the wind of the upper part of a shooter in the vending machine of a prior art. It is explanatory drawing which shows the flow of the lower part of a shooter in the vending machine of a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

1 Product Storage Room 2 Shuta 2a Vent 3 Product 4 Product Rack 5 Cooling Unit (Cooling Device)
6 Evaporator (cooling device)
7 Heater (heating device)
8 Heat exchange chamber 9 Fan 10 Beverage outlet 13 Left and right side walls 14 Bottom plate 20 Shield plate 21 Discharge air space 22 Partition plate 23 Wind guide plate 23a Wind guide 30 Shutter 30a Cylindrical flange 30b Wind guide

Claims (2)

The product storage room formed in the case of the main body case as a heat-insulating housing has the function of storing products in the vertical direction and sequentially transporting them downward, arranged in multiple rows in the left-right direction and multiple in the front and back A product rack, a shooter that is below the product rack and cut out from the product rack, transports the product to a product take-out port, and has a plurality of vent holes formed on a plate surface; and below the shooter In a vending machine having a heat exchange chamber having a fan for blowing heated or cooled air, and a circulation duct installed at the rear of the product storage chamber and communicating between the product storage chamber and the fan,
A shielding member for blocking air flowing out from the side end of the shooter is provided, and the shooter and the shielding member constitute a discharge air space, which is disposed substantially vertically in the discharge air space and in front of the fan. Vending machine characterized by having a partition plate. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the air holes of the shooter are arranged in at least one row in the front-rear direction so as to face the product stored in the product rack that is installed in the front-rear direction.

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