JP2005228058A - Commodity storing/dispensing device of vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store even a commodity whose container configuration is soft and weak in a commodity storage rack without disarraying the storage attitude while preventing the appearance from becoming worse, and to reliably dispense the commodity from the commodity storage rack. <P>SOLUTION: A commodity storing/dispensing device of a vending machine, which stores commodities by arranging them side by side, and dispenses the commodity positioned at one end thereof when the commodity is sold, has a pair of commodity supporting parts 23 which faces each other and disposed and extend in the depth direction with a clearance 30 of a predetermined width, an endless carrier 25 installed in the depth direction along the clearance 30, commodity partition members 26 which are supported by the carrier 25, and are arranged so as to partition the clearance 30 in the back and forth direction at predetermined intervals, and a drive means 18 for driving the carrier 25. The commodity supporting part 23 nips, suspends and stores each commodity movably in the depth direction freely, in the clearance 30 partitioned by the commodity partition members 26. The commodity partition members 26 move to one side in the depth direction by the carrier 25 driven by the drive means 18, and sequentially dispense the commodity from one end of the clearance 30. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a product storage / dispensing device for a vending machine that stores a plurality of products side by side in a product passage and discharges the stored product from one end of the product passage at the time of sale.

As such a conventional vending machine, the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-105868 is known. In the main body of the vending machine, a product storage having heat insulation is provided, and a plurality of product storage racks are arranged in the product storage in the upper, lower, left and right directions. The product storage rack also includes a product delivery device for storing a plurality of products side by side in the front-rear direction, sending out the stored products forward, and delivering them one by one from the front end. Further, in front of the product storage rack, there is provided a product carry-out device for transporting the paid-out product to a product take-out portion provided on an outer door that covers the front surface of the main body.
Here, the product storage rack of the vending machine includes a partition wall portion that is arranged in the left-right direction at intervals and extends in the front-rear direction, and a product pusher provided on the partition wall portion. A product passage extending in the front-rear direction is defined between the partition walls adjacent to each other, and a plurality of products are stored in the product passage side by side in the front-rear direction before the product pusher.

When selling the product in the product passage, the product pusher presses the product located at the end in the product passage from behind. Then, the last product presses the previous product, and similarly, the previous product further presses the previous product. Then, the products lined up in the product passage are moved forward as a whole, and the product located in the forefront of the product passage is paid out from the product outlet at the front end. Further, the dispensed product is conveyed to a product take-out unit provided on the outer door by a product carry-out device in front of the product storage rack, and the product is sold.
JP 2000-105868 A

By the way, the product storage rack of such a vending machine, when selling, presses a plurality of products stored side by side in the product passage from the back by a product pusher, moves the entire product forward, and is positioned at the forefront. Since the product to be stored is sold from the front end, if the container form of the product to be stored is soft, the product is crushed and deformed to cause clogging in the product passage, The product may not be properly paid out from the product passage.
In recent years, in order to respond to the diversification of consumer preferences, for example, a product filled with a flexible bag-like container having a mouth portion with a cap, called a cheer pack, is sold. ing. Since this cheer pack is formed of a hard member at the upper part and a soft member at the lower filling bag part, when placed on the product passage of such a product storage rack, the product storage posture is lost. If the appearance deteriorates or the products are stored side by side, the mouth part may break and lean on an adjacent product, and the products may be entangled and the products may not be surely discharged from the product passage one by one.

In addition, even if the product stored in the product storage rack is soft, prepare an adapter suitable for the product form and place it between the product pusher and each product, so that It is possible to move the goods appropriately. However, in this case, the product stored in the product passage may be hidden by the adapter or the like, and the appearance may deteriorate. In particular, in a vending machine designed so as to make it possible to see through the product in the product storage and its sales operation for the purpose of stimulating the purchase intention of the product, there is a possibility that the feature is not sufficiently exhibited.
The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and even if the container form of the product is soft, it can be stored in the product storage rack without disturbing the storage posture of the product. An object of the present invention is to provide a product storage / dispensing device for a vending machine that ensures that products are paid out from the product passage by appropriately moving the product in the product passage while preventing the appearance from deteriorating. It is.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is a product storage / dispensing device of a vending machine that stores a plurality of products side by side and delivers a product located at one end of the plurality of products at the time of sale. A pair of product support portions arranged to oppose each other so as to extend in the depth direction with a gap of a predetermined width, an endless transport body constructed in the depth direction along the gap, and held by the transport body and A product partitioning member disposed so as to partition the gap forward and backward at a predetermined interval; and a driving means for driving the transport body, wherein the product support part is disposed in the gap partitioned by the product partitioning member. The products are suspended and housed by being moved one by one in the depth direction, and at the time of sale, the product partition member is moved by pushing the products in one direction in the depth direction by a carrier driven by the driving means. And said One in which from one end of paying out the goods. According to this, since a plurality of products are suspended by being sandwiched between the pair of product support portions, they can be stored side by side in the gap without breaking the storage posture. In addition, since the products are moved one by one by the product partition member, the products can be appropriately paid out from one end of the gap without being crushed.

  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of products are hung between a pair of product support portions, and stored side by side in the gap between the pair of product support portions without breaking the storage posture. Therefore, the product can be stored in the product storage / dispensing device without impairing the appearance of the product. In addition, since the product is moved one by one by the product partitioning member, it can be properly paid out from one end of the gap between the pair of product support parts without crushing the product. Can be paid out.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a product storage / dispensing device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a product storage / dispensing device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a side sectional view showing a commodity storage / dispensing device of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 4, the vending machine includes a box-shaped main body 1 and a main door 2 that opens and closes the front surface thereof. In the main body 1, a product storage 3 having an open front is surrounded by a heat insulating material, and a transparent heat insulating door 4 that closes the opening is provided on the front of the product storage 3. The main door 2 is provided with a transparent panel 5 corresponding to the front opening of the product storage 3 and the vending machine is designed so that the products in the product storage 3 can be seen from the front.

The product storage 3 is partitioned into upper and lower product storage chambers 3a and 3b by an in-compartment partition plate 11 having heat insulation properties, and products that store the products in the upper and lower product storage chambers 3a and 3b side by side in the front-rear direction. Storage racks (product storage / dispensing devices) 6 are arranged in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction. The product storage rack can be pulled forward when storing products. Further, in front of the product storage rack 6, a product delivery device 8 for delivering products delivered from the product storage rack 6 to a product outlet 7 provided at the lower part of the main door 2 is provided in the upper and lower product storage chambers 3 a. 3b. Here, the product carry-out device 8 receives the product paid out from the product storage rack 6 and conveys it to the product take-out port 7, a transport mechanism 10 that moves the bucket 9 in the vertical and horizontal directions, and the like. It has.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the commodity storage rack 6 of this vending machine is adjacent to a plurality of partition walls 16 provided in a state of being arranged in the left-right direction with a predetermined width interval. When the product placement member 17 provided between the partition walls 16 and the product delivery unit (drive means) 18 provided on the product placement member 17 and the container form of the product to be stored are soft, the product A product suspension abutment 20 attached to a product storage passage 19 defined on the mounting member 17 is provided.

At the front end of the partition wall 16 of the product storage rack 6, a gate member 31 that opens and closes the product discharge outlet 19 a at the front end of the product storage passage 19 is provided. A gate opening / closing portion 32 is provided below the gate member 31. The gate opening / closing portion 32 rotates the tip end portion 31a of the gate member 31 upward to open the product outlet 19a when pressed.
The product placing member 17 is formed with a plurality of ribs 17a extending in the front-rear direction on the upper surface thereof. The rib 17a reduces the frictional force generated between the product S placed on the product placement member 17 and the product placement member 17 when the product S moves back and forth on the product placement member 17. The movement can be guided in the front-rear direction to facilitate the movement of the product S. Further, a product stopper 33 is provided at the front end of the product placement member 17. When the product storage column 6 is pulled out from the product storage chambers 3 a and 3 b, the product stopper 33 protrudes from the upper surface of the product mounting member 17 to be inclined and is stored in the product storage passage 19. S is prevented from sliding off from the product outlet 19a at the front end. Further, when the product storage column 6 is returned to a predetermined position in the product storage chambers 3 a and 3 b, one end 33 a of the top surface of the product placement member 17 is disposed so as not to hinder the delivery of the product in the product storage passage 19. It is retracted from and is kept in a horizontal state.

The product dispensing unit 18 provided on the product placement member 17 includes a drive gear 35 provided at one end of the front end thereof, a drive pulley 37 connected coaxially to the drive gear 35 via a connecting shaft 36, A driven pulley 38 provided at the rear of the product placing member 17, a drive pulley 37, an endless belt 39 wound around the driven pulley 38, and a pusher connected to the endless belt 39 and moving back and forth in the product storage passage 19. 34 etc. are provided.
The product suspension abutment 20 suspends and stores the product S when the container form of the product S to be stored is soft, and includes a wire frame 21 that is framed according to the size of the product storage passage 19, A pair of product sandwiching plates (product support) disposed opposite to each other with side walls 22 provided on both sides of the wire frame 21 along the partition wall 16 with a gap 30 having a predetermined width above the product placement member 17. Part) 23, an endless transport chain (transport body) 25 provided between the front and rear sprockets 24, 24 provided along the gap 30, and the link connection of the transport chain 25. A product partition pin (product partition member) 26 and the like are formed by extending the pins laterally so as to cross the gap 30 at a predetermined interval. Further, the product suspension abutment 20 is configured to be detachable from the product storage passage 19 and is removed, for example, when storing a product whose container form is not easily deformed such as a box shape.

In the product storage rack 6 of the vending machine configured as described above, for example, a so-called cheer pack container form in which a flexible bag-like container having a mouth portion with a cap is filled with a jelly-like food or drink is soft. The operation of storing and selling the commodity S will be described.
First, when the product S is stored in the product storage passage 19 of the product storage rack 6, the product storage rack 6 is pulled forward from the product storage chambers 3 a and 3 b, and the pusher 34 of the product carry-out unit 18 is moved to the product storage passage 19. Move to the back. Then, the product suspension abutment 20 is attached on the product placement member 17 of the product storage passage 19. Then, the product S is inserted into the gap 30 formed between the pair of product holding plates 23 from the rear of the product suspension abutment 20. At that time, the recess Sa formed in the mouth portion of the product S is sandwiched between a pair of opposed product sandwiching plates 23, and the product S is suspended from the rear part of the pair of product sandwiching plates 23. In this case, it is desirable that the space between the product sandwiching plate 23 and the product placement member 17 is provided so that the lower end portion of the product S touches the upper surface of the product placement member 17 lightly. And the conveyance partition 25 is rotated and the product partition pin 26 provided in the link connection part is pressed against the cap of the mouth of the inserted product S from the rear. Further, the conveyance chain 25 is rotated to move the product S forward, and an area for suspending the product S to be inserted next is secured at the rear portion of the product holding plate 23. Similarly, the next product S is inserted into the gap 30 between the product holding plates 23. Such operations are repeated to store the products S side by side in the product storage passage 19 while feeding the products S forward. Then, after inserting a predetermined number of products S and pressing the product partition pin 26 of the transport chain 25 from the rear to the cap of the mouth of the last product S, the transport chain 25 is further rotated to the next position. The product partition pin 26 to be operated is positioned at the rear end portion of the product holding plate 23. In this case, it is confirmed that the foremost product S is not in contact with the gate member 31. Then, the pusher 34 of the product dispensing unit 18 is moved forward, and the pin pressing portion 34 a at the upper end is lightly applied to the product partition pin 26. Thereafter, the product storage rack 6 is pushed back to a predetermined position in the product storage chambers 3a and 3b.

  Next, the case where the product S stored in the product storage rack 6 is sold will be described. When the bucket portion 9 of the product carry-out device 8 moves to the front of the product storage passage 19 of the product storage rack 6 at the time of sale, a gate opening / closing member (not shown) provided in the bucket portion 9 is connected to the gate opening / closing portion at the front end of the partition wall 16. 32 is pressed and the gate member 31 is rotated to open the product outlet 19a of the product storage passage 19. Then, a driving force transmission gear (not shown) provided in the bucket portion 9 meshes with the driving gear 35 of the product dispensing unit 18 to rotate it. When the drive gear 35 is rotationally driven, the drive pulley 37 connected coaxially thereto rotates, the endless belt 39 rotates in a predetermined direction, and the pusher 34 connected thereto moves forward. As a result, the product partition pin 26 positioned at the rear end portion of the product holding plate 23 is pressed from the rear by the pin pressing portion 34 a of the pusher 34, so that the transport chain 25 rotates and is suspended by the product holding plate 23. The product S thus moved is pushed forward by each product partition pin 26 that presses the cap of the mouth portion from the rear. When the mouth portion of the product S located at the foremost is pushed out from the front end of the product holding plate 23, the product S is detached from the product holding plate 23 and paid forward from the product discharge outlet 19a of the product storage passage 19. Is delivered to the bucket unit 9.

Further, when the product S delivered to the bucket unit 9 is completely stored in the bucket unit 9 and this is detected by a product detection sensor (not shown) of the bucket unit 9, the rotation of the drive transmission gear stops. At the same time, the meshing with the drive gear 35 of the product dispensing unit 18 is released. Accordingly, the forward movement of the pusher 34 of the commodity dispensing unit 18 is stopped, and the forward movement of the commodity S in the commodity storage passage 19 is also stopped. Further, the gate opening / closing member of the bucket portion 9 is retracted, and the gate member 31 at the front end of the partition wall 16 is rotated horizontally to close the commodity payout opening 19a. And the bucket part 9 moves toward the goods outlet 7, and the goods S in the bucket part 9 are conveyed to the goods outlet 7, and are sold. In this way, the product S stored in the product storage rack 6 is sold to the purchaser.
By the way, in the product storage rack 6 of this embodiment, even if the container form of the product S is soft like a cheer pack, the product storage passage is sandwiched between the pair of product holding plates 23. Since it can be suspended and stored in 19, the product S is not crushed or bent, and can be stored without destroying its storage posture. In other words, since the appearance of the product S stored in the product storage rack 6 is not impaired, the vending machine designed so that the product S in the product storage can be seen through for the purpose of encouraging purchase intention of the product. However, the characteristics can be fully exhibited.

Moreover, since the mouth part of each product S stored side by side in the product storage passage 19 is pressed from the rear by the product partition pin 26 to move each product forward, the product S in the product storage passage 19 is pushed. The product S can be surely paid out one by one without being crushed or entangled with adjacent products and clogging in the product storage passage 19.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the pusher 34 for moving the product S forward via the product partition pin 26 provided on the transport chain 25 is provided on the product placing member 17. The pusher 34 is provided on the partition wall. It is also possible to provide 16 or the like. Further, instead of the transport chain 25, for example, an endless belt may be used, and a hard rubber rod-like member may be protruded laterally and welded, and this may be used as a product partition pin. That is, the present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the present embodiment, and application changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

It is a perspective view which shows the goods storage / dispensing apparatus of the vending machine concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the goods storage / dispensing apparatus of the vending machine concerning embodiment of this invention. It is side sectional drawing which shows the goods storage / dispensing apparatus of the vending machine concerning embodiment of this invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Main door 3 Goods storage 5 Transparent panel 6 Goods storage rack (goods storage / dispensing device)
18 Product delivery unit (drive means)
20 Product suspension abutment 23 Product holding plate (product support part)
25 Conveying chain (conveying body)
26 Product partition pin (product partition member)
30 Gap 34 Pusher

Claims (1)

A product storage / dispensing device for a vending machine that stores a plurality of products side by side and, at the time of sale, pays out a product located at one end of the plurality of products,
A pair of product support portions arranged to oppose each other so as to extend in the depth direction with a gap of a predetermined width, an endless conveyance body constructed in the depth direction along the gap, and the gap held by the conveyance body and the gap A product partitioning member arranged to partition the front and rear at a predetermined interval, and a driving means for driving the transport body,
The product support section suspends and stores the products in the gap partitioned by the product partition member so as to be movable in the depth direction one by one. A product storage / dispensing device for a vending machine, wherein the product is pushed and moved in one direction in a depth direction by a transport body driven by, and the product is paid out from one end of the gap.

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