JP2012230457A - Merchandise delivery device and automatic dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a merchandise delivery device capable of stabilizing a drop attitude of the merchandise and carrying out the merchandise regardless of the shape of the merchandise, and an automatic dispenser.SOLUTION: In a merchandise delivery device for storing the merchandise 15 in a spiral space part 12 of a spiral member 12 placed on a bottom surface of a merchandise storing part for storing the merchandise 15 in the longitudinal direction and delivering the merchandise 15 in the forefront row by rotating the spiral member 12 by a drive motor 13, a flap is rotatably provided at a front end of the merchandise storing part, and the flap part is provided with a notch part corresponding to the shape of the merchandise 15. Accordingly, the drop attitude due to a different size of the merchandise 15 can be stabilized, and a troublesome operation and a cause for erroneous setting can be eliminated.

Description

  The present invention relates to a product delivery device that drives a spiral member in a horizontal direction to deliver a product stored in a spiral space.

  Conventionally, there is a product sending apparatus provided with a spiral member as disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  FIG. 6 is an external perspective view of a conventional product delivery device for a vending machine described in Patent Document 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a plan view of a conventional product delivery device of a vending machine.

  6 and 7, two rotary carry-out members (spiral members) 2 on the product storage column 1 are driven to mutually reverse by the drive motor 3, and the spiral space of the spiral member 2 is rotated by the drive motor 3 rotating once. The product sandwiched between the portions 2 a slides on the flat spiral angle 4 penetrating the spiral member 2 by one pitch of the spiral member 2, is conveyed forward, and the product in the foremost row is the spiral member 2. When the upper part comes off the free end and is hooked on the chute guide 5, it falls so as to slide on the chute 6, and finally falls to a product outlet (not shown). The chute guide has a structure that can change the contact position in the height direction according to the size of the product.

  Further, in order to detect the sold out of the product, an actuator 7 is provided which is in pressure contact with the product and rotates with the movement of the product. When the actuator 7 rotates, the sold out switch 8 is detected and turned off. When the product does not rotate, the sold-out switch 8 is detected and turned on to display sold-out.

  The product 9 is filled horizontally in the spiral space 2a across the two spiral members, and is conveyed on the spiral angle 4 in this posture.

  Therefore, with these configurations, the two spiral members 2 are driven in reverse by the drive motor 3 in a reverse manner, so that the product is conveyed forward on the spiral angle 4 while maintaining a horizontal posture. In addition, since the product is pressed against the actuator 6 to detect whether or not the product is sold out, it is possible to convey and sell the product up to the last one.

JP 2001-222752 A

  However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the position of the chute guide 5 that determines the dropping posture of the product can be adjusted, but is basically fixed. When the width / height of the product changes, the chute guide 5 matches the product. The position adjustment is necessary, and the operation is troublesome. In addition, if the height of the chute guide 5 is adjusted incorrectly, the contact position becomes a different drop posture than expected, and in the worst case, there is a possibility that the product cannot be carried out. Further, if the chute guide 5 is fixed, there is a problem that a load is applied when the product is in contact with the chute guide 5 and deformation or breakage occurs.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and even if the product size changes, the product can be separated from the spiral with a stable posture, and the chute guide itself is not subjected to a load so that the durability is improved. It aims at providing a sending device and a vending machine.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, the product delivery device of the present invention stores products in a spiral space of a spiral member placed on the bottom surface of a product storage unit that stores products in the front-rear direction, and the drive means In the product delivery apparatus for delivering the products in the front row by rotating the spiral member, the product storage unit has a flap at the front end thereof, and a lower portion of the flap is provided with a notch corresponding to the shape of the product. Is.

  As a result, it is possible to stabilize the drop posture due to the difference in size of the product, and to eliminate troublesome operations and causes of erroneous settings.

  The vending machine according to the present invention eliminates the troublesome setting of the chute guide according to the product size, and can carry out the product in a stable posture.

The front view of the goods delivery apparatus of the vending machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention The top view of the goods delivery apparatus of the vending machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention The side view of the goods delivery apparatus of the vending machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention The side view of the goods delivery apparatus of the vending machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention The external perspective view of the vending machine provided with the goods delivery apparatus in the 2nd Embodiment of this invention External perspective view of conventional vending machine product delivery device Side view of a conventional vending machine product delivery device

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the product is stored in the spiral space of the spiral member placed on the bottom surface of the product storage unit that stores the product in the front-rear direction, and the spiral member is rotated by the driving means to be in the front row. In the product delivery device for delivering the product, a contact resistance between the product and the flap is provided by having a flap rotatably at the front end of the product storage unit, and having a notch portion corresponding to the shape of the product at the lower part of the flap. This makes it possible to stabilize the dropping posture of the product and to omit troublesome settings due to the difference in size of the product. Further, since the regulating plate is movable, durability can be enhanced by reducing the load on the regulating plate.

  The invention of claim 2 is the invention of claim 1, wherein the lower end of the flap is positioned in the vicinity of the upper end of the front portion of the spiral member, so that when a product dropped from above falls and collides, It is possible to prevent the dropped product from clogging by pushing the flap.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when a commodity dropped from above falls and collides by providing a stopper for regulating the closed position of the flap, This is a product delivery device that can prevent a product that has fallen from being pushed in and clogging the flap.

  Invention of Claim 4 is a vending machine provided with the goods delivery apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3, and can improve versatility.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 shows a front view of a commodity delivery device for a vending machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the commodity delivery device of the vending machine in the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the product delivery device of the vending machine in the first embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a rotary carrying member (hereinafter referred to as a spiral member) 12 is placed in a substantially V-shaped groove portion 11a of a product storage column 11 having a substantially M-shaped cross-sectional structure, and a drive motor 13 and a spiral member 12 that rotate the spiral member 12 are mounted. And a joint 14 connecting the drive motor 13. Further, loads of the product 15a (box product) and the product 15b (bag product) are received at the apex portion 11b2 of the product storage column 11, and the product 15a (box product), the product 15b (bag product), and the apex portion 11b. The frictional resistance is kept to a minimum. Further, the lateral displacement of the spiral member 12 is regulated by the substantially V-shaped groove portion 11a. Further, the flap 16 covers the top of the product 15a (box product), and the lower end is formed to avoid the product 15b (bag product).

  In FIG. 2, the product delivery device includes a product storage column 11, a spiral member 12 placed in a substantially V-shaped groove 11 a over the length direction, a drive motor 13 for rotating the spiral member 12, and both The joint 14 for interposing the product, the flap 16 for guiding and guarding the front of the product, the product detection sensor 17 for detecting the sale of the product 15a (box product), and the separation of the product 15 at the front end of the product storage column At this time, the guide 18 is configured to regulate the jumping direction, the chute 19 as a path through which the product 15 passes, and the stopper 20 that regulates the closed position of the flap 16.

  Note that the flap 16 is arranged in parallel with the holding posture of the product 15 by the spiral member 12, and the portion of the guide 18 where the left slope 18a and the right slope 18b start to drop is a starting point. The connected line and the line connecting the left slope 18a and the right slope 18b are arranged so as to be parallel to the holding posture of the product 15 as described above.

  A chute 19 is formed in front of the product storage column 11 as a path through which the product storage column 11 passes when it is separated from the spiral member 12 and falls forward. The front wall 19a of the chute 19 is formed in parallel to a line connecting the tip of the left slope 18a of the guide 18 and the tip of the right slope 18b.

  In FIG. 3, the flap 16 abuts at a position close to the tip of the spiral member 12, the flap 16 is arranged so as to be rotatable about the upper end as a support shaft, and the closed position of the flap 16 is set by the stopper 20. It is regulated. The product storage column 11, the spiral member 12, the product 15, the flap 16, the guide 18, the chute 19, and the stopper 20 are different in actual cross section and shape, but are simply described for easy understanding of the operation.

  The operation and effect of the vending machine product delivery apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

  First, in FIG. 2, the drive motor 13 has an origin position detection (not shown). When the drive motor 13 rotates 360 ° from the origin position to the origin position, the spiral member 12 directly connected to the joint 14 is moved. The product 15 rotated once and sandwiched between the spiral space portions 12a slides on the apex portion 11b of the product storage column 11 and is sent forward by one pitch of the spiral member 12. Unlike the case where the conventional spiral member is composed of two pieces, since the spiral member 12 is composed of one piece, the product is conveyed forward in an oblique posture as seen from the plane.

  A series of continuous operations in the case of the product 15a (box product) will be described with reference to the simplified diagram of FIG. FIG. 3A shows the standby state, and the closing position of the flap 16 is regulated by the stopper 20. In FIG. 3B, the product 15a (box product) sent forward by the rotation of the spiral member 12 pushes the flap 16 and the product 15a (box product) is sent forward. In FIG. 3C, the product 15 a (box product) sent forward slides on the guide 18 when it is removed from the sliding surface of the product storage column 11, but the product 15 is sandwiched between the flap 16 and the guide 18. It is shaped like a sword, and always slides down diagonally in a stable posture. In FIG. 3 (D), the product 15a (box product) finally leaves the guide 18 so as to protrude obliquely downward, but rotates in a posture that hits or follows the front wall 19a of the chute 19 disposed in front of it. Without dropping, it can be dropped downward in a stable posture. Furthermore, if the product 15a (box product) falls too early, it may be placed on the front end of the spiral member 12 and become unbalanced and begin to rotate. The product can be dropped in a stable posture without contacting the front end of the 12 release.

  In the case of the product 15b (bag product), the lower end of the flap 16 is formed so as to avoid the product 15b (bag product) as shown in FIG. A series of continuous operations in the case of the product 15a (box product) will be described with reference to the simplified diagram of FIG. FIG. 4A shows a standby state in which the closed position of the flap 16 is regulated by a stopper 20. In FIG. 4B, the product 15 b (bag product) sent forward by the rotation of the spiral member 12 is sent forward while passing through the gap without pushing the flap 16. In FIG. 4 (C), when the product 15b (bag product) sent forward is removed from the sliding surface of the product storage column 11, it slides on the guide 18 and slides obliquely downward. In FIG. 4D, the product 15b (bag product) finally leaves the guide 18 so as to protrude obliquely downward, but is stable in a posture that hits or follows the front wall 19a of the chute 19 disposed in front of it. And can be dropped downward. Furthermore, if the product 15 falls too early, it may be placed on the front end of release of the spiral member 12 and start to rotate out of balance, but the guide 18 determines the product's ejection posture, so the front end of the spiral member 12 is released. The product can be dropped in a stable posture without coming into contact with the product.

  Further, in FIG. 1, a product detection sensor 17 for detecting the presence or absence of a product by reflecting light on the product placed on the bottom surface of the product storage column 11 is provided, and the light emitted from the light emitting element is received by the light receiving element. Is detected, and sold out is displayed when no item is detected. Since the sensor 17 does not detect the product by applying an external force to the product, it does not interfere with the delivery of the product, can reduce the product clogging by the detecting means, and can improve the accuracy of the sold-out detection.

  As described above, in the product delivery device of the vending machine according to the present embodiment, when the product holding posture by the spiral member 12 is the same, the shape of the product 15a (box product) and the product 15b (bag product) is irrelevant. Therefore, the product can be prevented from being jammed because it can always be put out in a stable posture. In addition, even when all the diagonal dimensions of the product cannot be ensured, the product can be dropped without rotating, so the product delivery device can be downsized. Further, since the front of the product delivery device is covered by the flap 16 and the closed position is regulated by the stopper 20, the product dropped from the upper stage is prevented from entering, and the product is dropped in a stable posture without destroying the dropping posture. Can be made.

(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 5 shows an external perspective view of a vending machine provided with a product delivery device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  Rails 22 that can be pulled out in the front-rear direction are provided on both sides of the product storage unit 21 to form a product storage shelf 23 having a plurality of product storage columns 11 in the vertical and horizontal directions, and covers the front of the product storage unit 21. The door 24 is connected to the storage shelf 23 and is locked with a key 25 except for the filling and maintenance of products. Further, a merchandise display window 26, a merchandise selection button 27, and a merchandise outlet 28 are arranged on the outer door 24 so that a merchandise purchaser can select a desired merchandise.

  The operation and effect of the vending machine product delivery apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

  First, a purchaser of a product selects a product by looking at the product display window 26 of the outer door 24 and presses a product selection button 27. The product is taken out from the product storage column 11 and the purchaser takes out the product from the product outlet 28. When the sale of the product is repeated, the sale product in the product storage column 11 runs out, and the product detection sensor 17 detects that there is no product and performs a sold-out determination. Therefore, an operation for replenishing goods occurs. At this time, since the goods storage shelf 23 is connected to the outer door 24, when the outer door 24 is held and pulled forward, all the above-mentioned operations are performed with a light operating force by the rail 22. The product storage shelf 23 can be pulled out, and the product storage column 11 can be easily replenished.

  In addition, a stopper is provided in the middle to ensure safety so that the slidable product storage shelf 23 is not pulled out and dropped out.

  As described above, in the product storage section of the vending machine according to the present embodiment, all the product storage shelves 23 can be pulled out with a light operating force, and the product can be easily replenished to all the storage shelves. it can.

  As described above, the product delivery device and the vending machine according to the present invention can improve the product clogging and unloading performance by stabilizing the dropping posture of the product, and therefore can be applied to all types of vending machines that are transported by a spiral member. can do.

11 Product Storage Column 12 Spiral Member 13 Drive Motor 15, 15a, 15b Product 16 Flap 18 Guide 20 Stopper 21 Product Storage Unit

Claims (4)

In a product delivery device that stores products in a spiral space of a spiral member placed on the bottom surface of a product storage unit that stores products in the front-rear direction, and rotates the spiral member by a driving unit to send the products in the front row, A product delivery device comprising a flap at the front end of the product storage portion that is rotatable, and a lower portion of the flap provided with a notch corresponding to the shape of the product. The product delivery device according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the flap is positioned in the vicinity of an upper end of a front portion of the spiral member. The product delivery device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a stopper for regulating a closed position of the flap. A vending machine comprising the commodity delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.