JP2009069880A - Merchandise storage device for vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a merchandise storage device for a vending machine in which merchandises can be stored in a desired posture on a merchandise storage path. <P>SOLUTION: This merchandise storage device for the vending machine is provided with: a merchandise storage path 22 formed in such configurations that it is extended along the vertical direction by arranging a plurality of curved segments (23) between a pair of right and left base side boards 21; a movable side board 25 arranged so as to be movable along the right and left direction in such configurations that it approaches or departs at the base side boards 21 for adjusting the right and left width of the merchandise storage path 22; and an input port guide 26 arranged rockably between the pair of base side boards 21 in such configurations that it moves back and forth in the passage region of merchandise at the upper side of the merchandise storage path 22, and engaged through an engagement means with the movable side boards 25 so as to move along the right and left direction according to the movement of the movable side board 25. When the movable side board 25 moving to one side of the right and left is moved to the other side, the engagement means allows only the movement of the movable side board 25 only by a predetermined distance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a product storage device of a vending machine, and more particularly to a product storage device of a vending machine that sells products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a serpentine-type product storage rack is known as a product storage device of a vending machine that sells products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages. Such a product storage device has a configuration in which a plurality of arc-shaped segments are installed between a pair of base side plates that are erected so as to be opposed to the left and right, and extend in a meandering manner in the vertical direction. The product storage passage is formed. In addition, the merchandise storage device is provided with a bend mechanism for cutting out and transporting the lowest product on the lower side of the merchandise storage passage, while a top tray is provided on the upper side of the merchandise storage path. Yes.

  The top tray is for product introduction provided in such a manner that it is gradually inclined downwardly from the front to the rear along the front-rear direction between the pair of base side plates. A product guide passage is formed in such a manner as to communicate with the upper end opening, and guides a product thrown in from the front to the upper end opening of the product storage passage.

  In the product storage device having such a configuration, when a product is replenished, the product is thrown into the upper surface (product guide path) of the top tray from the front side in a lying posture. As a result, the products gradually roll backwards according to the inclination of the top tray, fall from the rear end of the top tray along the segments while rolling along the meandering product storage passage, and line up on the bend mechanism. Stacked and stored. Then, when selling a product, the bend mechanism is driven based on the sales command to drop the lowest product downward. As a result, the product is sent to the product outlet of the vending machine.

  Further, the product storage device is provided with a movable side plate and a slot guide. The movable side plate is made of a thin steel plate that is processed into a sheet metal shape according to the shape of the product storage passage. The movable side plate is arranged on one side plate of the pair of base side plates so that the surface faces the product storage passage, for example, via a link mechanism. Has been. This movable side plate is for adjusting the left-right width of the product storage passage by moving along the left-right direction via the link mechanism in a manner of approaching and separating from the base side plate.

  The insertion port guide is swingably disposed between the base side plates so as to move forward and backward in the product passage area in the upper side of the product storage path, that is, in the area leading from the product guide path to the product storage path. This insertion port guide is for abutting on the product rolling in the product guide passage and correcting the posture of the product. Further, the insertion port guide is engaged with the movable side plate via an engaging means. Then, along with the movement of the movable side plate along the left-right direction, it moves along the left-right direction integrally with the movable side plate (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-126138 A

  In recent years, the diversification of products sold by vending machines has progressed, and the shapes of products have become diverse, and the height of products tends to vary greatly from product to product. As described above, in the product storage device, it is necessary to change the left and right widths of the product storage passage according to the height of the assigned product in order to store the product in a lying posture. The slot guide needs to correspond to various products, and has a size when the left and right width of the product storage passage is minimized, that is, a size that can accommodate a product with the smallest product height.

  However, in the product storage device of the vending machine proposed in Patent Document 1 described above, the insertion port guide has a configuration that moves along the left-right direction integrally with the movable side plate. When the left-right width is maximized, that is, when the product height is the size that can accommodate the product with the highest product height (hereinafter also referred to as a large product), the inlet guide should be positioned in a state of being largely biased toward the movable side plate. become. Therefore, it can contact only the end of the large product that has rolled in the product guide passage, and as a result, the posture of the large product is greatly disturbed, and the product is stored in the product storage passage in a desired posture. There was a fear that I could not.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a product storage device for a vending machine capable of storing products in a desired posture in a product storage passage.

  In order to achieve the above object, a product storage device for a vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention extends in the vertical direction by disposing a plurality of passage components between a pair of left and right base side plates. A product storage passage defined in an existing mode, a movable side plate arranged to be movable along the left-right direction in a manner close to and away from these base side plates, and for adjusting the left-right width of the product storage passage; A swingable arrangement is provided between the pair of base side plates in such a manner as to move forward and backward in the product passage area above the product storage passage, and the movable side plate is engaged with the movable side plate via an engaging means. In the product storage device of the vending machine provided with a guide member that can move in the left-right direction according to the movement of the side plate, the engaging means moves the movable side plate moved to the left or right side to the other side. When moving, the movable side plate Characterized in that it allows movement only by a predetermined distance.

  According to the commodity storage device of the vending machine of the present invention, when the engaging means moves the movable side plate moved to the left or right side to the other side, only the movement of the movable side plate is allowed for a predetermined distance. When the movable side plate moves and the left and right width of the product storage passage is maximized, the guide member is not likely to be positioned in a state of being largely biased toward the movable side plate. Therefore, the guide member can be brought into contact with the central region portion of the product that has rolled in the product guide passage, and the posture of the product can be corrected to a desired posture, so that the product can be stored in the product storage passage in a desired posture. There is an effect that can be done.

  Exemplary embodiments of a product storage device for a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  1 to 3 show the configuration of a vending machine to which the product storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vending machine is for selling products such as canned beverages and beverages containing plastic bottles, and includes a main body cabinet 1.

  The main body cabinet 1 is formed as a rectangular heat insulating casing having an open front surface. Inside the main body cabinet 1, a plurality of independent commodity containers 2a, 2b, 2c are arranged side by side. These merchandise containers 2a, 2b, and 2c are for accommodating merchandise such as canned drinks and plastic bottled drinks while being maintained at a desired temperature. Each of the product storage boxes 2a, 2b, 2c is provided with a product storage device 20 for storing the product input through the product input ports 3a, 3b, 3c at the upper part thereof, while the carry-out shooter A heat exchanger (not shown) is disposed in a lower portion partitioned by 4, and the beverage can and the plastic bottle stored in the product storage device 20 are driven at a desired cooling temperature by driving the heat exchanger. Alternatively, the heating temperature can be maintained.

  The vending machine is provided with a door 5 at one side edge of the main body cabinet 1. The door body 5 is used to open and close the front opening of the main body cabinet 1, and includes an inner door 5a, an inner door 5b, and an outer door 5c. The inner door 5a has a size sufficient to cover the front surfaces of the product containers 2a, 2b, 2c provided in the main body cabinet 1. In the illustrated example, the inner door 5a is divided into upper and lower parts so that each can be opened and closed individually.

  The middle door 5b is disposed on the front side of the inner door 5a. The middle door 5b has a plurality of product sample stages 6 (three in the example shown in the figure) vertically arranged with a sample of sales products (hereinafter also referred to as a product sample) S arranged in a row on the front side. Are arranged side by side. The middle door 5b is provided with an electric lighting plate 7 at the lower part on the front side.

  The outer door 5 c has a size sufficient to cover the front opening of the main body cabinet 1. The outer door 5 c is provided with a display window 8, a product selection button 9, a coin insertion slot 10, a bill insertion slot 11, an integrated display 12, a coin return slot 13, and a merchandise outlet 14 on the front side. On the other hand, a coin processor 15, a coin collection box 16, and a banknote processor 17 are provided on the rear surface side of the outer door 5c.

  The display window 8 is a window for allowing the user to visually recognize the product sample S (product sample stage 6) and the lighting plate 7 arranged on the inner door 5b. The product selection button 9 is a push button switch for the user to select a purchased product, and is prepared for each product sample S visually recognized through the display window 8. The coin slot 10 is an opening through which a user inserts coins. The coins inserted through the coin insertion slot 10 are identified by the coin processor 15 and then stored in the coin collection box 16. The bill insertion slot 11 is an opening for a user to insert a bill. The banknote inserted through the banknote insertion slot 11 is identified in the banknote processing machine 17 by its denomination. The bill insertion slot 11 has a function for returning bills that could not be identified by the bill processor 17. The integrated display 12 is for displaying various information to the user, such as the amount of money input, whether or not it is being sold, and whether or not there is change. The coin return port 13 is an opening for returning to the user a coin that could not be identified by the coin processor 15 or a coin to be changed. The product outlet 14 is an opening for the user to receive the product paid out from the product storage device 20.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view schematically showing the main part of the product storage device 20 constituting the vending machine. The product storage device 20 illustrated here stores products that are thrown in a lying position in the product storage 2a, 2b, 2c of the vending machine, while delivering a product corresponding to a case where a sales instruction is given. A product storage passage 22 is provided between the pair of left and right base side plates 21 for storing products.

  The product storage passage 22 is configured by arranging a plurality of passage components between the pair of base side plates 21 and extends in a meandering manner in the front-rear direction along the vertical direction. On the other hand, the lower end opening is a product outlet. The front and rear depth length of the product storage passage 22 is configured to allow the product to pass through even when the product with the largest diameter is input.

  A curved segment 23 is applied as a passage component that defines the product storage passage 22. The curved segment 23 is a thin plate-like member having a width corresponding to the distance between the base side plates 21 and having a curved longitudinal section, with the curved inner surfaces facing each other inward and back and forth along the vertical direction. Arranged in a zigzag manner. Although not clearly shown in the drawing, the curved segment 23 is appropriately provided with a flapper. The flapper is provided so as to protrude into the product storage passage 22 by an elastic force such as a leaf spring, and shocks applied to the product by abutting on the product passing through the product storage passage 22 are buffered, and the product storage passage 22 is provided. This is for correcting the attitude of the product.

  In addition to the product storage passage 22, the product storage device 20 is provided with a top tray 24, a movable side plate 25, and a slot guide (guide member) 26.

  The top tray 24 is a plate-like member for guiding the products thrown in from the front opening of the product storage boxes 2 a, 2 b, 2 c to the upper end opening of the product storage passage 22. The top tray 24 is installed between the base side plates 21 in such a manner that the top tray 24 is gradually inclined upward from the product storage passage 22, in other words, the top tray 24 is gradually inclined downward from the front toward the product storage passage 22. is there. The top tray 24 forms a product guide passage 27 that guides a product that has been thrown in from the front to the upper end opening of the product storage passage 22 in a manner that communicates with the upper end opening of the product storage passage 22 on the upper surface of the top tray 24. A top guide 24 a is provided on the upper surface of the top tray 24. The top guide 24a is for adjusting the left-right width (passage width) of the product guide passage 27 according to the length of the product.

  The movable side plate 25 is made of a thin steel plate processed by sheet metal processing in accordance with the shape of the product storage passage 22. The movable side plate 25 is disposed so as to be movable along the left-right direction in a manner of approaching and moving away from the base side plate 21 by a link mechanism (not shown), and the product height of the product passing through the product storage passage 22, that is, the sideways posture. This is for adjusting the left-right width of the product storage passage 22 in accordance with the left-right width of the product.

  The inlet guide 26 is provided on the upper side of the product storage passage 22, that is, in a portion from the product guide passage 27 to the product storage passage 22. The insertion port guide 26 is formed by appropriately processing one plate-like body, and has a base portion 26a, a contact portion 26b, and a cover portion 26c. The base part 26a, the contact part 26b, and the cover part 26c each have a flat plate shape, and the contact part 26b extends obliquely from one end of the base part 26a toward the front side, while the other end of the base part 26a. The cover portion 26c extends obliquely from the front side.

  On the rear side of the base portion 26a of the inlet guide 26, a pair of left and right tongue-shaped projections 26d (see FIGS. 5 and 6) are provided so as to protrude rearward. Through holes 26e are formed in the projecting pieces 26d, and the insertion port guide 26 is configured to have an axial center of the shaft portion 28 by passing through the through holes 26e through the shaft portions 28 installed on the pair of base side plates 21. It is provided in such a manner that it can swing around. As a result, the insertion port guide 26 can swing between the base side plates 21 in such a manner that it moves forward and backward in the product passage area above the product storage path 22, that is, in the area leading from the product guide path 27 to the product storage path 22. It is arranged.

  In addition, the left and right width of the inlet guide 26 is the size when the left and right width of the product storage passage 22 is the smallest, that is, the size that can accommodate the product with the smallest product height, and the product height is the largest. It is a size slightly smaller than the product height of the small product (the product is in a horizontal position because the product is lying down).

  In the product storage device 20 of the present embodiment, the movable side plate 25 and the insertion port guide 26 are engaged as follows. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the movable side plate 25 is formed with an engagement protrusion 25 a. The engaging protrusion 25a includes a horizontal extending portion 25a1 extending along the horizontal direction (left-right direction), and a hanging extending portion 25a2 extending in a manner of hanging downward from the extending end of the horizontal extending portion 25a1. And. Then, when the hanging extension portion 25 a 2 enters between the projecting pieces 26 d of the insertion port guide 26, the movable side plate 25 and the insertion port guide 26 are engaged.

  Here, the extending length (that is, the length in the left-right direction) of the horizontal extending portion 25a1 of the engaging protrusion 25a constituting the movable side plate 25 is larger than the left-right width of the insertion port guide 26. As shown in FIG. 5, when the movable side plate 25 is at a position where the left-right width of the product storage passage 22 is maximized, the input port guide 26 can be positioned in a region that is substantially at the center of the product storage passage 22. It is preferable that

  In this way, when the movable side plate 25 is moved in the left-right direction from the state in which the left and right width of the product storage passage 22 is maximized, the left and right width of the product storage passage 22 is minimized as shown in FIG. Will move toward the right side. After that, as a result of the drooping extension 25a2 coming into contact with and pressing against the right-side protruding piece 26d, the insertion port guide 26 moves toward the right side following the movement of the movable side plate 25. Then, when the right side of the insertion port guide 26 comes into contact with a stopper (not shown) at a position closest to the right-side base side plate 21, or the movable side plate 25 reaches the movement limit position to the right side, FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the left-right width of the product storage passage 22 is the smallest.

  Next, when the movable side plate 25 is moved in the left-right direction from the state where the left-right width of the product storage passage 22 is maximized in this way, the left-right width of the product storage passage 22 is maximized as shown in FIG. The movable side plate 25 moves toward the left side. Thereafter, the drooping extension portion 25a2 contacts and presses the left-side protruding piece 26d. As a result, the insertion port guide 26 is moved toward the left side following the movement of the movable side plate 25. Then, when the movable side plate 25 reaches the leftward movement limit position, the left-right width of the product storage passage 22 becomes the largest as shown in FIG.

  As described above, the engaging projecting piece 25a and the projecting piece 26d constitute the engaging means for engaging the movable side plate 25 and the inserting port guide 26, and extends downwardly between the projecting pieces 26d of the inputting port guide 26. By allowing the portion 25a2 to move, an allowance portion (so-called play portion) that allows the movement of only the movable side plate 25 by a predetermined distance is configured.

  According to the product storage device 20 of the vending machine in the present embodiment, when the movable side plate 25 moved to one side of the left and right is moved to the other side, only the movement of the movable side plate 25 is allowed for a predetermined distance. Therefore, when the movable side plate 25 moves to the left and the left and right width of the product storage passage 22 is maximized, the insertion port guide 26 is not likely to be positioned in a state of being largely biased toward the movable side plate 25 side. Therefore, the insertion port guide 26 can abut on the central region of the product (large product) that has rolled in the product guide passage 27, and the posture of the large product can be corrected to a desired posture, so that the product can be placed in the product storage passage. It can be stored in a desired posture.

  In addition, according to the product storage device 20, since the hanging extension portion 25a2 of the engaging protrusion 25a is inserted between the protrusions 26d and the movable side plate 25 and the insertion port guide 26 are engaged, There is no risk of an increase in the number of parts even if compared to products.

  As described above, the product storage device according to the present invention is useful for vending machines that sell various products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages.

It is the front view which showed the vending machine to which the goods storage apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention was applied. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the outer door in the vending machine shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the door body in the vending machine shown in FIG. It is a cross-sectional side view which shows typically the principal part of the goods storage apparatus which comprises a vending machine. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the mutual relationship of a movable side board and a slot guide from the front side. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the mutual relationship of a movable side board and a slot guide from the front side.

Explanation of symbols

20 Commodity storage device 21 Base side plate 22 Commodity storage passage 23 Curved segment 24 Top tray 24a Top guide 25 Movable side plate 25a Engaging protrusion 25a1 Horizontally extending portion 25a2 Drooping extending portion 26 Loading port guide 26a Base portion 26b Abutting portion 26c Cover 26d Projection piece 26e Through hole 27 Product guide passage 28 Shaft

Claims (1)

A product storage passage defined in a manner extending along the vertical direction by disposing a plurality of passage components between the pair of left and right base side plates;
A movable side plate that is arranged movably along the left-right direction in a manner that is close to and away from these base side plates;
A swingable arrangement is provided between the pair of base side plates in such a manner as to move forward and backward in the product passage area above the product storage passage, and the movable side plate is engaged with the movable side plate via an engaging means. In a product storage device of a vending machine comprising a guide member that can move along the left-right direction according to the movement of the side plate,
The product storage device for a vending machine, wherein the engaging means permits only a predetermined distance to move the movable side plate when moving the movable side plate moved to the left or right side to the other side. .

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