JP2007048032A - Commodity storage device of vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a commodity storage device of a vending machine that allows use of common parts regardless of the width size of a commodity storage column and the number of lines of commodity passages arranged longitudinally. <P>SOLUTION: The commodity storage device has a first commodity guide member 34 provided at one end of a slot passage 30c along its width direction, and a second commodity guide member 37 provided at the other end along the width direction in such a manner as to be movable in the width direction. The first commodity guide member 34 whose width size is smaller than the interval between side plates 31 has its movement regulated along its width direction. Thus, for the commodity storage column 30 whose passage width W2 is greater than the passage width W1 of the commodity passage 30a, the first commodity guide member 34 whose width size W1 is smaller than the passage width W2 can be used, and common parts can be used for a plurality of kinds of commodity storage columns 30 which differ in the interval between their side plates 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a product storage device of a vending machine for selling products such as cans, bottles or beverages in plastic bottles.

Conventionally, this type of product storage device has a plurality of front and rear product passages extending in the vertical direction between a pair of side plates in the width direction, a plurality of front and rear product storage columns capable of storing products in each product passage, and a front end. There is known one provided with a plurality of product guide members for guiding a product input from a product input port provided in a product storage column located to a product passage (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP-A-10-162213

  By the way, since the products stored in the product storage device have different longitudinal dimensions depending on the products, several types of product storage columns are manufactured having intervals between the side plates corresponding to the longitudinal dimensions of the products to be stored. For this reason, a dedicated product guide member having a different width size corresponding to the interval between the respective side plates is required, and there is a problem that the manufacturing cost increases.

  In addition, since the number of rows of product passages arranged in the front-rear direction differs depending on the specifications of the vending machine, the conventional product storage device has dimensions in the front-rear direction depending on the number of rows of product passages arranged in the front-rear direction. A different dedicated product guide member is required, resulting in an increase in manufacturing cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and the object of the present invention is to share common parts regardless of the width of the product storage column and the number of product passages arranged in the front-rear direction. An object of the present invention is to provide a product storage device for a vending machine that can be realized.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has a plurality of front and rear product passages extending vertically between a pair of side plates in the width direction, a plurality of front and rear product storage columns capable of storing products in each product passage, and a front end. In a product storage device of a vending machine provided with a plurality of product guide means for guiding products input from a product input port provided in a product storage column located in a product passage, each product guide means is arranged in the width direction. A first product guide member provided on one side plate side, and a second product guide having a side wall portion provided on the other side plate side in the width direction so as to be movable in the width direction and restricting the movement of the product in the width direction. The first and second product guide members are supported between the side plates by a support shaft connecting the side plates, and the width of the first product guide member is smaller than the size between the side plates. Movement regulation that regulates movement in the width direction And it includes a stage.

  Thereby, since the movement in the width direction of the first commodity guide member is restricted by the movement restricting means, the first commodity guide member having a width direction dimension smaller than the interval between the side plates can be attached.

  According to the present invention, the first product guide member having a width-direction dimension smaller than the interval between the side plates can be used. Therefore, it is possible to share components for a plurality of types of product storage columns having different intervals between the side plates. Can be planned.

  1 to 9 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a vending machine, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the vending machine, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a product storage column. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the main part of the product storage column, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the main part of the product storage column, FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the main part of the second product guide member, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a front view of the main part of the product storage column with the passage width W1, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the main part of the product storage column showing a method for setting the passage width of the inlet passage.

  The vending machine provided with the commodity storage device includes a vending machine body 10 having an opening on the front surface and an outer door 20 that opens and closes the front surface of the vending machine body 10. The vending machine main body 10 is rotatably supported on the front side.

  Inside the vending machine main body 10, a product storage section 12 is formed by partitioning the upper surface side, the bottom surface side, the back surface side, and the left and right side surfaces with the heat insulating walls 11, and the product storage section 12 includes a plurality of products to be described later. A plurality of storage columns 30 are arranged in the width direction and the front-rear direction. In addition, an inclined plate 13 for guiding the product dropped and carried out from each product storage column 30 to the product outlet 21 provided in the outer door 20 is tilted forward and downward at the lower part of the product storage unit 12. Provided below the inclined plate 13 are a cooler 14 and a cooler blower 15 for cooling the product storage unit 12. Furthermore, the front surface of the product storage unit 12 is made of a heat insulating member, and one end in the width direction is opened and closed by an inner door 16 that is rotatably supported by the vending machine main body 10. The lower part of the inner door 16 is provided with a plurality of merchandise outlets 16a for communicating the merchandise storage portion 12 with the merchandise take-out port 21, and the upper end of each merchandise outlet 16a is an outlet for opening and closing the merchandise outlet 16a The door 16b is rotatably supported. Further, a machine room 17 is provided below the product storage unit 12, and a compressor and a condenser (not shown) connected to the cooler 14 by a refrigerant circulation pipe made of copper or stainless steel are provided in the machine room 17. Refrigeration equipment and electrical units are arranged.

  Each product storage column 30 is provided to extend vertically between a pair of side plates 31 provided to face the width direction of the vending machine main body 10, and between the side plates 31, and includes a plurality of front and rear product passages 30a. A plurality of chute plates 32 to be formed, a movable side plate 33 provided on one side plate 31 side and capable of changing the passage width of each product passage 30a, and a plurality of product inputs located on the front end side of the product storage portion 12 A plurality of first product guide members 34 that form part of one end in the width direction of the input port passage 30c that communicates the opening 30b and the upper end of each product passage 30a, and a product carry-out provided at the lower portion of the product passage 30a A mechanism 35 and a movement restricting member 36 for restricting movement of the chute plate 32 and the first commodity guide member 34 in the width direction are provided.

  Further, the insertion port passage 30c is formed by a second product guide member 37 extending in the front-rear direction of the product storage column 30 arranged at the other end in the width direction in the front-rear direction.

  Each side plate 31 is composed of a plate-like member extending in the vertical direction, and forms the left and right side surfaces of the product passage 30a and the inlet passage 30c. Further, hook-like engaging portions 31 a extending in the front-rear direction are provided at the upper ends of the side plates 31, and the engaging portions are provided on the rail member 12 a provided on the ceiling surface of the product storage portion 12 so as to extend in the front-rear direction. The product storage column 30 is suspended and supported by the product storage unit 12 by engaging the 31a.

  Each chute plate 32 is formed of a plate-like member in which a plurality of arc portions 32a formed in an arc shape are continuously provided in the vertical direction, and has a predetermined width direction dimension W1. Each chute plate 32 is provided so that the concave portion of the arc portion 32a is opposed in the front-rear direction, and the merchandise passages 30a meander and extend in the up-down direction by arranging the arc portions 32a so as to be displaced in the up-down direction. ing. A connecting portion 32c formed in a cylindrical shape is provided between the upper end and the lower end of each chute plate 32 and each arc portion 32a, and a chute is inserted between the side plates 31 by inserting the support shaft 40 into each connecting portion 32c. The plate 32 is supported. The support shaft 40 is inserted into an attachment hole 31b provided in each side plate 31 with a retaining ring 41 or the like attached to one end portion, and then the other end portion is crimped to each side plate 31. It is supposed to be fixed. At the lower end side of each arc portion 32a of each chute plate 32, a posture control plate 32b that is formed substantially the same as the width direction dimension of the chute plate 32 and controls the drop posture of the product falling through the product passage 30a is vertically It is connected so as to be rotatable in the direction. The posture control plate 32b is biased by a coil spring (not shown) wound around the proximal end so that the distal end protrudes substantially horizontally toward the product passage 30a.

  The movable side plate 33 is made of a member extending in the vertical direction in the product passage 30a, and is connected to one side plate 31 via a link mechanism (not shown). The movable side plate 33 is movably provided in the width direction of the product passage 30a by a link mechanism, and the width of the product passage 30a can be changed in the vertical direction according to the longitudinal dimension of the product to be stored. .

  Each first product guide member 34 is formed in a predetermined width direction dimension W1, and is provided between the side plates 31 so as to be inclined downward toward the rear. The first product guide members 34 are arranged without gaps by arranging the product storage columns 30 continuously in the front-rear direction, and the width of the input passage 30b from each product input port 30b to the upper end of each product passage 30a. One end side in the direction is formed. In addition, connecting holes 34a penetrating in the width direction are provided on both side surfaces in the width direction of the front and rear ends of each first product guide member 34, and each first product guide member 34 is provided in each connection hole 34a. A support shaft 40 for mounting between the side plates 31 is inserted. The support shaft 40 is inserted into an attachment hole 31b provided in each side plate 31 with a retaining ring 41 or the like attached to one end portion, and then the other end portion is crimped to each side plate 31. It is supposed to be fixed. Further, each first product guide member 34 is provided with a plurality of elongated holes 34b extending in the front-rear direction in which the second product guide member 37 engages in the width direction.

  The product carry-out mechanism 35 has a gate lever 35a that can open and close the lower end of each product passage 30a. The product is dropped and carried out one by one by opening the lower end of the product passage 30a by the gate lever 35a. ing.

  The movement restricting member 36 is made of a cylindrical member that can be inserted through the support shaft 40, between one side plate 31 and the connecting portion 32 c on the upper end side of each chute plate 32, one side plate 31, and each first product. It is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the support shaft 40 located between the guide member 34.

  Each second product guide member 37 is made of a member provided so as to extend in the front-rear direction on the other end in the width direction of the inlet passage 30c, and includes a side wall portion 37a extending in the up-down direction over the front-rear direction, It has the bottom face part 37b extended in the width direction from the lower end of the side wall part 37a. Further, the second product guide member 37 is provided with a connecting portion 37c by bending the front end side of the bottom surface portion 37b, and has a width with respect to the front end side of the first product guide member 34 or the movement restricting member 36. It can be connected movably in the direction and the rotation direction. Engagement pieces 37d that can be engaged with the respective long holes 34b of the first product guide member 34 are formed at one end in the width direction of the bottom surface portion 37b so as to extend downward.

  In the product storage device of the vending machine configured as described above, when the product passage 30a is set to the passage width W2, the axial dimension L1 is formed on the outer peripheral portion of the support shaft 40 having a length exclusively for the passage width W2. The movement restricting member 36 (L1 = W2-W1) is attached. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 7, gaps having a dimension L <b> 1 are generated between one side plate 31 and each chute plate 32 and between one side plate 31 and each first product guide member 34. However, since the movement restricting member 36 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the support shaft 40, the movement in the width direction of each chute plate 32 and each first product guide member 34 is restricted. At this time, a second product guide member 37 is attached to the movement restricting member 36 side of each first product guide member 34, and as shown in FIG. 5, the side wall portion 37 a and the bottom surface of the second product guide member 37. The portion 37b forms one side surface and a part of the bottom surface side of the inlet passage 30c. As a result, the product is not dropped from the gap between the side plate 31 on which the movement restricting member 36 is located and each first product guide member 34 or the product is clogged in the gap, and is introduced from the product input port 30b. The merchandise is guided to the upper end of the merchandise passage 30a. Further, when the product passage 30a is set to the passage width W1, as shown in FIG. 8, the product passage 30a is assembled by the support shaft 40 having a length exclusively for the passage width W1 without using the movement restricting member 36.

  Moreover, when changing the passage width of the product passage 30a according to the longitudinal dimension of the product to be stored, the passage width of the product passage 30a can be changed by moving the movable side plate 33 in the width direction.

Further, when the passage width of the inlet passage 30c is changed in accordance with the longitudinal dimension of the product to be stored, the second product guide member 37 is rotated upward to engage as shown in FIG. After the engagement between the piece 37d and the elongated hole 34b of each first product guide member 34 is released, the second product guide member 37 is moved in the width direction so that the engagement piece 37d is moved to the first product guide member 34. By engaging with the predetermined long hole 34b, the passage width of the insertion port passage 30c can be changed. Thus, according to the product storage device of the vending machine of the present embodiment, the width of the insertion port passage 30c. A first product guide member 34 provided on one end side in the direction and a second product guide member 37 provided on the other end side in the width direction so as to be movable in the width direction, and having a width smaller than the interval between the side plates 31. The movement in the width direction of the first product guide member 34 of the size is restricted. Thus, the first product guide member 34 having the width direction dimension W1 smaller than the passage width W2 can be used for the product storage column 30 having the passage width W2 larger than the passage width W1 of the product passage 30a. It is possible to share parts for a plurality of types of product storage columns 30 having different intervals 31.

  Further, a movement restricting member 36 that is provided between the one side plate 31 and each first product guide member 34 in the support shaft 40 and restricts the movement of each first product guide member 34 in the width direction is used. Therefore, it is not necessary to process the support shaft 40, and by changing the axial dimension of the movement restricting member 36, it is possible to cope with a plurality of types of product storage columns 30 with different intervals between the side plates 31, and the manufacturing cost. Can be prevented from increasing.

  In addition, since the movement restricting member 36 is formed in a cylindrical shape through which the support shaft 40 can be inserted, the movement restricting member 36 can be formed by simple processing by cutting the cylindrical member into a predetermined length. Thus, an increase in manufacturing cost can be prevented.

  In addition, since the inlet passage 30c is formed from the plurality of front and rear first product guide members 34 arranged for each product storage column 30, the inlet passage 30c is formed by a combination of the first product guide members 34. It is possible to share parts without requiring dedicated product guide members for vending machines having different numbers of rows before and after the product passage 30a.

  In the above-described embodiment, in order to restrict the movement of each first product guide member 34 in the width direction, the support shaft 40 is inserted into the movement restricting member 36 formed in a cylindrical shape, and the support shaft 40 is connected to each side plate. As shown in FIG. 10, the extension portion 41 is integrally formed over the circumferential direction by header processing or the like at a predetermined position of the support shaft 40 as shown in FIG. You may make it regulate the movement of the width direction of each 1st goods guide member 34 by forming a projection part. In this case, since the extension part 41 is provided integrally with the support shaft 40, it can be handled as one part, and an increase in assembly man-hours can be prevented.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the thing using a cylindrical member was shown as the movement control member 36, as shown in FIG. 11, the member which has a C-shaped cross section as a movement control member 36a is used. The movement restricting member 37a may be bent and attached to the support shaft 40 in a detachable manner in the radial direction.

  In the above embodiment, the product storage column 30 having two rows of product passages 30a in the front-rear direction is shown, but the product storage column 30 having three rows of product passages 30a in the front-rear direction may be used.

1 is an overall perspective view of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention. Side view of vending machine Perspective view of product storage column Exploded perspective view of the main part of the product storage column Perspective view of main part of product storage column The principal part perspective view of the 2nd goods guidance member Front view of main part of product storage column with passage width W2. Front view of main part of product storage column with passage width W1 Perspective view of the main part of the product storage column showing how to set the passage width of the inlet passage Front view of relevant parts of product storage column showing other examples The perspective view of the spindle which shows another example, and a movement control member

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 30 ... Product storage column, 30a ... Product passage, 30b ... Product insertion port, 30c ... Injection port passage, 31 ... Side plate, 34 ... First product guide member, 36 ... Movement restriction member, 36a ... Movement restriction member, 37 ... Second product guide member, 37a, side wall, 37b, bottom surface, 40, support shaft, 41, extending portion.

Claims (6)

A plurality of front and rear product storage columns that have a plurality of front and rear product passages extending in the vertical direction between a pair of side plates in the width direction and that can store products in each product passage, and a product input provided in the product storage column located at the front end In the product storage device of the vending machine provided with a plurality of product guide means for guiding the product introduced from the mouth to the product passage,
Each of the product guide means is provided on a first product guide member provided on one side plate side in the width direction and on the other side plate side in the width direction so as to be movable in the width direction, and restricts movement of the product in the width direction. A second product guide member having a side wall,
While supporting the 1st and 2nd goods guide member between each side board with the spindle which connects each side board,
A product storage device for a vending machine, characterized by comprising movement restriction means for restricting movement in the width direction of a first product guide member having a width dimension smaller than the dimension between the side plates. As the movement restricting means, a movement restricting member that is provided between one side plate of the support shaft and the first commodity guide member and restricts the movement of the first commodity guide member in the width direction is used. The product storage device for a vending machine according to claim 1. The commodity storage device for a vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the movement restricting member is formed in a cylindrical shape into which a support shaft can be inserted. The commodity storage device for a vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the movement restricting member is formed to be detachable in a radial direction of the support shaft. As the movement restricting means, there is provided a movement restricting portion that is formed by deforming between one side plate of the support shaft and the first commodity guide member, and restricts the movement of the first commodity guide member in the width direction. The product storage device for a vending machine according to claim 1. The product storage device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the first product guide member is formed by a plurality of front and rear product guide plates respectively arranged in each product storage column.

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