JP2020107049A - Commodity storage rack for vending machines - Google Patents

Abstract

To facilitate maintenance with simplified configuration and reduced costs.SOLUTION: A commodity storage rack for vending machines, tilted in such a way that the rear side is lower than the front side, hangs and stores a commodity 100 slid by its own weight. Frame members used for construction includes a pair of left and right support frame members 21 and 22 are arranged vertically and extending in a fore and aft direction, a pair of front and rear vertical frame members 23 fixed to the support frame members 21 and 22, and a plurality of beam members 24 vertically installed on the front vertical frame member 23. A commodity support unit 30 includes a pair of left and right holding members 31 arranged at intervals so as to sandwich the commodity 100, and front and rear connecting members 32 and 33 connecting the holding members 31. Engagement portions projecting from the commodity support unit 30 to the left and right is engaged with engagement portions of the rear vertical frame member and the front connecting member 32 of the commodity support unit 30 is locked to the beam members.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention is an automatic vending machine that sells a product having a hooked portion at the mouthpiece part, which supports the product in a hanging manner and inclines so that the rear side is lower than the front side (product insertion side). The present invention relates to a product storage rack of an automatic vending machine which slides and stores the product by its own weight and has a product discharge mechanism at the rear end.

The products handled by vending machines are diversified, and in addition to hard canned products and plastic bottled products filled with beverages, jelly-like food and drinks are filled in flexible bag-shaped containers, and An automatic vending machine capable of selling a spout as a spout made of a hard synthetic resin in a flexible bag-like container to serve as a drinking port and a cap attached to the spout (hereinafter, also referred to as a pouch product). Is required, and an automatic vending machine that can sell this pouch product is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

The vending machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes product storage racks arranged in a plurality of upper and lower stages in a cabinet of a main body cabinet, and the product placement surfaces of the respective product storage racks are spaced from each other by a predetermined distance in the left-right direction. A plurality of partition walls are provided in the product, and the product storage passages are provided between adjacent partition walls to store the products side by side in the front-back (depth) direction, and each product storage passage is provided with a pusher member that pushes the product forward. Is operated to push out the pusher member to push out the product.

JP, 2005-228058, A

In the vending machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, the product storage rack is horizontally arranged, and the product storage rack is configured to store and store the product in the product storage passage. Therefore, when a pouch product having a weak container form is stored, the storage posture of the pouch product is disturbed, and when the pouch product is pressed from the rear by the pusher member, the pouch product may be crushed and cannot be sold. Therefore, in the product storage rack disclosed in Patent Document 1, paying attention to the fact that the product stands up if the flange provided on the spout of the pouch product is supported as a hook portion, and there is a gap so as to sandwich the spout of the pouch product. A product support member arranged at a space is provided, and a pouch product is loaded and accommodated so that the flange is hooked on the product support member, and is conveyed close to the product support member and stretched between front and rear sprockets. A plurality of product partition pins that press the spout (or cap) of the pouch product from behind are arranged on the chain, and the conveyor chain is driven at the time of sale to push out the pouch product by the product partition pin. The vending machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 is excellent in that it can sell pouch products having a weak container form, but has a problem that the structure of the product storage rack becomes complicated and the cost increases.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to solve the above problems and simplify the configuration of a product storage rack capable of storing a product having a hook portion at a drinking mouth portion. An object is to provide a product storage rack of a vending machine which is easy to maintain while reducing costs.

In order to achieve the above object, a product storage rack of a vending machine according to the present invention is a product storage rack of a vending machine that sells a product having a hook portion at a drinking mouth part, and is composed of a frame material for up, down, left and right. Constructs a frame for a product storage rack, vertically erected on the left and right frame members to support the hooking part of the product, and tilts so that the rear side is lower than the front side (product loading side) Then, the product is slid by its own weight to be hung and housed, and a product support unit having a product unloading mechanism is provided at the rear end, and the product support unit is removably installed on a frame material that constructs a product storage rack. In a product storage rack of an automatic vending machine, the frame members are arranged vertically, and a pair of left and right support frame members extending in the front-rear direction, a pair of front and rear vertical frame members fixed to the support frame members, and a front portion. The vertical frame member is composed of a plurality of beam members vertically arranged, and the product support unit is composed of a pair of left and right holding members arranged at intervals so as to sandwich the product and connecting members before and after connecting the holding members. The engaging portion projecting leftward and rightward from the product supporting unit is engaged with the engaging portion of the vertical frame member on the rear side, and the connecting member on the front side of the product supporting unit is locked to the beam member. Is characterized by.

The present invention is also directed to the product storage rack of the above-mentioned vending machine, wherein the product support rack is formed to extend in the vertical direction by being closed by a back plate and a side plate attached to the rear side of the support frame member. A product discharge passage through which a product discharged from the unit falls, and a product which is attached below the back plate and the side plate so as to be higher toward the rear side and incline downward as it goes forward, and which falls through the product discharge passage. And a delivery member for delivering the tape along an inclination.

Further, in the present invention, in the above-described product storage rack of the vending machine, the product unloading mechanism is orthogonal to the extending direction of the product storage passage formed between the solenoid serving as the drive source and the sandwiching member. When the solenoid is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward, and when the solenoid is in a non-excited state, it moves forward into the product storage passage and locks the rearmost product arranged rearmost, while the solenoid is in an excited state. A first stopper that allows the rearmost product to be carried out by retreating from the product storage passage and releasing the locking state with the rearmost product; and the extending direction of the product storage passage. Is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward in a manner orthogonal to, and when the solenoid is in a non-excited state, it retreats from the product storage passage, while when the solenoid is in an excited state, it moves forward into the product storage passage. Then, a second stopper for locking the second product from the rear adjacent to the last product is provided.

Further, in the present invention, in the product storage rack of the above-mentioned vending machine, the engaging portion protruding leftward and rightward from the product supporting unit is a stepped screw, and the engaging portion of the rear vertical frame member is the stepped screw. It is characterized by being a notch that accepts.

Further, according to the present invention, in the product storage rack of the above-mentioned vending machine, the sandwiching member is formed of a thin coated steel sheet having a lubricious coating on one surface thereof and faces each other with a predetermined gap. It is characterized in that an end portion of the sandwiching member is double-holded so that the other surfaces of the coated steel sheet come into contact with each other to form a sliding tree shape.

According to the present invention, it is a product storage rack of a vending machine that sells a product having a hook portion at the drinking mouth part, wherein the frame body of the product storage rack is constructed by the upper, lower, left, and right frame members, and The product is vertically installed in a plurality of stages, supports the hooking part of the product, and slants the product by its own weight while tilting so that the rear side is lower than the front side (product insertion side), and stores the product in a hanging manner. In addition, in the product storage rack of the vending machine, which is provided with a product support unit having a product unloading mechanism at the rear end, and the product support unit is detachably installed on a frame material that constructs a product storage rack, the frame material is From a pair of left and right support frame members arranged vertically and extending in the front and rear direction, a pair of front and rear vertical frame members fixed to the support frame member, and a plurality of beam members vertically installed on the front vertical frame member. The product support unit is composed of a pair of left and right sandwiching members arranged at intervals so as to sandwich the product and connecting members before and after connecting the sandwiching members, and an engaging portion protruding left and right from the product supporting unit. A product storage rack for storing a pouch product with a weak container form by engaging with an engaging portion of a rear vertical frame member and locking a front connecting member of the product support unit with a beam member. Can have a simple structure, and the cost can be reduced. In addition, the product support unit can be easily attached to or removed from the frame material that constructs the product storage rack arranged in the product storage cabinet of the vending machine. Maintenance can be performed easily.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire configuration of an automatic vending machine to which a product storage rack according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, with an outer door opened. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a main part of the vending machine shown in FIG. 3A and 3B show a product storage rack according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views for explaining attachment and detachment of a product support unit, and FIG. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the upper part of a storage rack. 4A and 4B show the product support unit shown in FIG. 3, in which FIG. 4A is a perspective view showing a front view and FIG. 4B is a perspective view showing a rear view. 5A and 5B show a state in which the cover of the product discharge mechanism shown in FIG. 4 is removed, FIG. 5A is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 5B is a perspective view showing an enlarged main part. FIG. 6 is a wiring diagram showing connection of bend wiring. FIG. 7 shows a pouch product having a soft container form, and (a) and (b) are front views of different types of pouch products. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the product is loaded in the product support unit, FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram of a state in which the product is loaded in the product support unit, and FIG. 8B is a view in which the product is loaded in the product support unit. It is a front view showing a state. FIG. 9 is a side view showing a state in which products are stored in the product support unit. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the pouch product loaded in the product support unit slides. FIG. 11 is a plan view for explaining the unloading operation of the product unloading mechanism. FIG. 12 shows an adapter member for making it compatible with a serpentine type product storage rack, and FIGS. 12A and 12B are partially exploded perspective views for explaining assembling of different adapter members. .. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a state in which products are stored in the product support unit. 14 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, (a) is a side cross-sectional view of a main product storage room, which is a hot/cold combined room, and (b) is a cross-sectional view. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of a main part of the rightmost product storage room which is a hot/cold combined room. 15A and 15B show a modified example of the product support unit shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 15A is a perspective view showing a front view, and FIG. 15B is a perspective view showing a rear view. Is. 16A and 16B show a state in which the cover of the merchandise carrying-out mechanism shown in FIG. 15 is removed, FIG. 16A is an exploded perspective view, and FIG. 16B is an enlarged perspective view of a main part. FIG. 17 shows another modification of the product support unit shown in FIG. 4, (a) is a perspective view in which a part of the product unloading mechanism is disassembled, and (b) is a main part of the product unloading mechanism. FIG. 18A and 18B show still another modified example of the product unloading mechanism in the product support unit shown in FIG. 4, in which FIG. 18A is a plan view during standby for sales, and FIG. 18B is a plan view during sales operations. is there.

A preferred embodiment of a product storage rack of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

First, the overall structure of the vending machine will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a main body cabinet having an open front surface. The main body cabinet 1 is configured as a heat-insulating housing by arranging a heat-insulating board made of urethane foam on the inside of an outer box made of steel plate, that is, on the upper wall, the left and right side walls, the back wall and the bottom wall 1a.

A plurality of product storage chambers 12, 13, 14 in the left-right direction are partitioned by a heat insulating partition plate 11 inside the product storage space surrounded by the heat insulation board of the main body cabinet 1.

Serpentine-type product storage in which left and right product storage chambers 12 and 14 form a meandering product passage by arranging segment rows in which curved segments, which are well known in the art, are vertically connected to each other, are arranged to face each other. Racks 121 and 141 are housed in two rows each on the left and right. In the central product storage chamber 13, slant-type product storage racks 20 provided by the present invention, which will be described later, are housed.

At the lower part of the product storage racks 121, 141, 20 is arranged a shooter 2 that is inclined forward and downward and has innumerable holes. Below the shooter 2, a cooling unit or a cooling/heating unit for cooling or heating each of the product storage chambers 12, 13, 14 to store the products stored in the product storage racks 121, 141, 20 in a cold hot state. A unit is provided.

Further, a lower portion of the bottom wall 1a of the main body cabinet 1 is formed as a machine room, and in the machine room, a cooling unit of the cooling/heating unit and a compressor 3 (see FIG. 2) that constitutes a refrigeration cycle, a condenser are formed. A vessel 4, an expansion mechanism (which is hidden and not visible in the drawing), and an outside fan 5 for blowing air to the condenser 4 are provided.

The product storage room in which only the cooling unit is installed is a cold only room, and the product storage room in which the cooling/heating unit is installed is a hot/cold combined room. In the example shown in the figure, the product storage room 12 is The cold room and the product storage rooms 13 and 14 are both hot/cold rooms. In this case, the cold storage room 12 has a compressor 3 and a condenser 4 in the machine room at the lower part of the storage room. An evaporator 6 in which the condensed refrigerant is circulated and a fan 7 in the refrigerator are installed as a cooling unit, and the evaporator 6 and the refrigerator 6 are provided in the lower portions of the commodity storage chambers 13 and 14 which are hot/cold chambers. In addition to the inner fan 7, a heater 8 for heating products is installed as a heating unit.

A circulation duct 9 is provided on the back surface of each of the product storage chambers 12, 13, and 14 in communication with a cooling unit or a cooling/heating unit, and the upper end 9a of the circulation duct 9 is a product storage box. It opens in the middle position. In addition, in FIG. 1, reference numerals 122 and 142 are fixing fittings for fixing the product storage racks 121 and 141.

On the front surface of the outer door 10 (see FIG. 1), which is openably and closably mounted on the front surface of the main body cabinet 1, a display chamber for a product sample mounted on a display stand is formed, as is well known. The transparent plate covering the front of the display room is provided with a product selection button unit having product selection buttons provided corresponding to each product sample, and in addition to the product outlet 10a, a coin slot and a banknote slot. A mouth, a change return port, a return lever, and a handle lock device with a cylinder lock are assembled.

The inner door 15 that closes the front of the product storage in the main body cabinet 1 is divided into upper and lower parts in this example, and the lower inner door 15 faces the shooters 2 of the respective product storage chambers 12, 13, and 14. A product outlet that is always closed by the carry-out door 15a is provided at the position.

The carry-out door 15a of the product carry-out port is rotatably supported at its upper end to constantly block the product carry-out port to prevent cold air or warm air from flowing out, so that it can be pushed open by the product sent through the shooter 2. Has been formed.

Now, the configuration of the slant type product storage rack 20 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, a pair of vertical frame members 23, 23 are fixed to the front and near the center of the pair of left and right upper supporting frame members 21, 21 and lower supporting frame members 22, 22 by screws.

The upper support frame members 21 and 21, the lower support frame members 22 and 22, and the pair of vertical frame members 23 and 23 provided near the front and the center (hereinafter, also referred to as the rear side) are the product storage rack 20. To construct the frame material for building.

A plurality of beam members 24 are vertically fixed between the front vertical frame members 23 and 23, and a beam member 24A is also fixed to the upper ends of the rear vertical frame members 23 and 23. The rear side of the upper support frame members 21 and 21 and the lower support frame members 22 and 22 (the depth side as can be understood from FIG. 2, hereinafter also referred to as the depth) is closed by the back plate 25 and the side plate 26. Has been done. The closed space extending in the vertical direction is formed as a product discharge passage through which a product falls.

Further, a ventilation hole 25a is formed on the upper side of the back plate 25. Below the back plate 25 and the side plate 26, a U-shaped delivery member 27 opened upward is mounted so as to be higher toward the rear side and incline downward toward the front. That is, the delivery member 27 connects the vertical product unloading passage to the product unloading port 10a of the outer door 10 via the product unloading port of the shooter 2 and the inner door 15 as shown in FIG.

A cushion 28 is attached to the front end portion of the delivery member 27, and the cushion 28 is configured as a shielding member that closes the gap between the delivery member 27 and the shooter 2. Each member of the product storage rack 20 is formed of a thick steel plate, and the product storage rack 20 has main body side hook fittings 50, 55 laid on the ceiling of the product storage cabinet of the main body cabinet 1 (see FIG. 1). The upper support frame members 21 and 21 are attached (see FIG. 12) directly or via an attachment member (adapter member). This attachment will be described later with reference to FIG.

An inclined product support unit 30 is mounted on the front and rear vertical frame members 23, 23 fixed to the upper support frame members 21, 21 and the lower support frame members 22, 22.

Although mounting of the product support unit 30 will be described later, eight notches 231 are formed in the vertical direction in the pair of left and right vertical frame members 23 on the rear side for mounting the product support unit 30. The notch 231 constitutes an engaging portion of the vertical frame member 23.

The structure of the product support unit 30 is shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the product support unit 30 includes a pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31, connecting members 32, 33 before and after connecting the sandwiching members 31, 31, and a product unloading installed on the rear connecting member 33. It comprises a mechanism 34 and mounting fittings 35, 35 fixed to the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 so as to project outward.

It should be noted that one of the mounting brackets 35 (the left mounting bracket 35 in FIG. 4A, which is hereinafter referred to as the left mounting bracket 35) is provided on the rear surface thereof for connecting the bend wiring 60 (see FIG. 3). The coupler CP10 is attached, and the wiring connection coupler CP11 (see FIG. 6) forming a pair with the wiring connection coupler CP10 is connected to the left vertical frame member 23 of the left and right rear vertical frame members 23. It is fixed to the vertical frame member 23 at a position in the vicinity of the notch 231 via a fitting (not shown).

The pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 are long members formed in an L shape by a thin coated steel plate (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a thin steel plate) having a lubricating coating on one surface. , Are arranged to face each other with a predetermined gap t.

The leg ends of the pair of right and left holding members 31, 31 forming the gap t are double-folded (reference numeral 36 is attached) by bending so that one surface (coating surface) is on the outside. The upper and lower surfaces of the leg end portion forming the gap t are coated surfaces (that is, surfaces having good lubricity).

The double hold 36 at the leg ends of the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 constitutes a portion that comes into contact with the hooking portion (flange 105) of the product (pouch product 100) formed in the shape of a sliding tree. The pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 suspend and support the pouch product. The loading of the pouch product will be described later.

The connecting members 32 and 33 are configured as a frame body so as to surround the pair of left and right holding members 31 and 31 with a gap t left therebetween. The pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 are firmly fixed to the connecting members 32, 33 with screws, respectively, so that the gap t is constant between the leg ends of the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31. It is kept.

A mounting piece 321 having a T-shape when viewed from the front is integrally formed with the connecting member 32 on the front side. The attachment piece 321 is to be engaged with the beam member 24 of the product storage rack 20 shown in FIG. 3, the upper end thereof is bent in a hook shape, and the screw hole 322 is formed near the center of the leg piece. ing.

The mounting bracket 35 is made of a thick steel plate and has a hat-shaped cross section, and each flange is screwed to the sandwiching members 31, 31. A stepped screw 351 is screwed onto the head of the mounting bracket 35, and the stepped screw 351 is formed in the vertical frame members 23, 23 near the center of the product storage rack 20 shown in FIG. To be engaged with.

The product unloading mechanism 34 is one in which the unloading mechanism is incorporated into a box body composed of a base 341 and a cover 342, and the unloading mechanism is shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the product unloading mechanism 34 with the cover 342 removed, as seen from diagonally above. In the figure, 40 is a solenoid as a drive source, and a stopper 41 is connected to a plunger 41 of this solenoid 40.

In the stopper member 42, stepped screws 421 and 421 are loosely fitted in long holes 43 and 43 parallel to the moving direction of the plunger 41, and are arranged slidably in the moving direction of the plunger 41 and a return spring. 44 is attached.

A first stopper 45 and a second stopper 46 extending downward are formed at the rear end of the stopper member 42. The second stopper 46 extends downward through an opening (not shown) provided in the cover 342 and the connecting member 33 that connects the left and right holding members 31, 31. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a locking member 461 including a pressing piece 462 that is bent toward the rear side by bending at the tip is locked to the second stopper 46.

The first stopper 45 is located at the rear ends of the pair of sandwiching members 31, 31, and the second stopper 46 is located at a position apart from the first stopper 45 by a predetermined distance to the front side. ..

Then, in the sale standby state (non-excited state of the solenoid 40), the first stopper 45 is positioned so as to face the gap t formed by the pair of holding members 31, 31, and the second stopper 46 is placed in the gap. When the solenoid 40 is energized, the first stopper 45 retracts from the gap t and the second stopper 46 moves to face the gap t when the solenoid 40 is excited. To do.

Reference numeral 47 is a product detection switch (sold-out switch) including a micro switch, and the operation lever 471 (see FIG. 4) of the micro switch is arranged so as to face the gap t formed by the pair of holding members 31, 31. Has been done.

Reference numeral 401 is a signal line connected to the solenoid 40, reference numeral 472 is a signal line connected to the product detection switch 47, and these signal lines 401 and 472 are the wiring connection coupler CP10 (see FIG. 4 (a), which is attached to the rear surface of the left side mounting member 35 hidden in the product unloading mechanism 34 in FIG. 5).

The mounting of the product support unit 30 configured as described above on the product storage rack 20 will be described below with reference to FIG.

Note that FIG. 3 exemplifies a case in which the product support units 30 are installed in four stages. In FIG. 3A, the product support units 30 from the third to the bottom are mounted, and the product support units at the top stage are installed. A state before mounting the product 30 (or a state where the product 30 is removed) is shown, and a case where the product support unit 30 is mounted in the empty area at the uppermost position will be described as a representative.

First, the product support unit 30 is inserted between the front vertical frame members 23, 23 forming the product storage rack 20. In this case, the product support unit 30 is inserted sideways so that the left and right mounting brackets 35, 35 are aligned on a straight line. This is because when the product support unit 30 is inserted between the vertical frame members 23, 23 in a posture in which the left and right mounting members 35, 35 are located on the horizontal line, the mounting members 35, 35 become the left and right vertical frame members 23, 23. This is to avoid this, as they abut.

Then, when the mounting brackets 35, 35 of the product support unit 30 have passed between the front vertical frame members 23, 23, the product support unit 30 is moved to the rear while returning the product support unit 30 to the original posture.

Next, the stepped screws 351 and 351 screwed into the mounting brackets 35 and 35 of the product support unit 30 are made to face the notches 231 formed in the rear vertical frame members 23 and 23 that form the product storage rack 20. And move them rearward to engage them.

In this case, the wiring connecting coupler CP10 (see FIG. 4A) attached to the left mounting bracket 35 of the product support unit 30 is fixed to a position near the notch 231 of the left vertical frame member 23 on the rear side. And the coupled wiring connecting coupler CP11.

In this state, the T-shaped mounting piece 321 formed on the connecting member 32 on the front side of the product support unit 30 is engaged with the beam member 24 and screwed.

In this way, the product support unit 30 mounted on the product storage rack 20 is inclined so that the front side (the product loading side) is high and the rear side (the product unloading mechanism 34 side) is low, and the bend wiring 60 and The product unloading mechanism 34 of the product support unit 30 is connected via the wiring connecting coupler CP10. On the other hand, at the time of maintenance work of the product support unit 30, the product support unit 30 can be removed from the product storage rack 20 by the procedure reverse to the above-mentioned procedure, and the product connection unit 30 can be pulled out to the front to connect the wiring connection coupler. The bond of CP10 is automatically released.

The bend wiring 60 described above is routed along the outer surface of the left vertical frame member 23 of the pair of left and right vertical frame members 23 that constructs the product storage rack 20 in FIG. It is connected to each of the product unloading mechanisms 34 of 30 through the above-mentioned wiring connecting couplers CP10 and CP11.

Here, the bend wiring 60 will be described with reference to FIG. 6. In the figure, reference numeral 60 indicates the bend wiring again, and reference numeral CP11 indicates the wiring connection coupler of the product unloading mechanism 34 of the uppermost product support unit 30. Reference symbol CP21 indicates a wiring connection coupler of the product unloading mechanism 34 of the product support unit 30 in the third stage from the bottom, and reference symbol CP31 indicates a wiring connection of the product unloading mechanism 34 of the product support unit 30 in the second stage from the bottom. Reference numeral CP41 indicates a coupler for wiring connection of the product unloading mechanism 34 of the lower product support unit 30.

CP0 is a wiring connection coupler commonly connected to the wiring connection couplers CP11 to CP41. The common wiring connection coupler CP0 is coupled to a signal line coupler connected to an electrical box (not shown). P0 to P9 in the drawing show the terminals of the common wiring connection coupler CP0, the terminals P1 and P2 of the wiring connection couplers CP11 to CP41 are the signal terminals (power supply terminals) to the solenoid 40, and the terminals P3 and P4 are , The signal terminal (power supply terminal) to the product detection switch 47, the signal terminal P2 to the solenoid 40 of each stage is commonly connected as ground, and the signal terminal P4 to the product detection switch 47 is also commonly connected. Has been done.

On the other hand, the terminals P0 to P3 of the wiring connecting coupler CP0 are signal terminals to the solenoids 40 of the respective stages, the terminals P4 to P7 are signal terminals to the product detection switch 47 of the respective stages, and the terminals P8 and P9 are the respective terminals. It is a common signal terminal to the solenoid 40 and the product detection switch 47 of the stage.

In this way, by using the common wiring connecting coupler CP0 for the solenoid 40 and the product detection switch 47 in each stage, the number of bend wirings 60 can be reduced.

That is, when the signal lines are individually wired to the solenoid 40 and the product detection switch 47 of each stage, in this example, two wirings are required for each of the solenoid 40 and the product detection switch 47 of each stage. While 16 signal lines are required in 4 stages, when the common wiring connecting coupler CP0 is used, the signal lines are connected by making the ground lines of the solenoid 40 and the product detection switch 47 of each stage common. The number of signal lines can be reduced to six, so that the number of signal lines can be reduced. Further, by using the common wiring connection coupler CP0, the solenoid 40 and the product detection switch 47 at each stage can be collectively connected to the electrical equipment box.

Here, the product drops in the space closed by the back plate 25 and the left and right side plates 26, 26 attached to the upper support frame members 21 and 21 and the lower support frame members 22 and 22 that construct the product storage rack 20. It is formed as a product carry-out passage and constitutes a circulation passage for air inside the warehouse.

Therefore, the blower air A (white chain line) from the cooling unit including the evaporator 6 and the internal fan 7 shown in FIG. 2 or the heating unit including the evaporator 6, the internal fan 7 and the product heating heater 8 is shown. Indicates a ventilation hole 25a (see FIG. 3) formed in the back plate 25 as shown by an arrow B after passing through each of the product support units 30 vertically stacked on the vertical frame members 23, 23. The product which is guided to the opening (arrow C) of the upper end 9a of the circulation duct 9 disposed on the rear surface of the inside of the refrigerator and returns to the cooling unit or the heating unit, and which is hung and supported by the product supporting units 30 in the upper and lower stages ( Cool or heat the pouch product evenly.

In this case, even if a gap is formed between the front end portion of the delivery member 27 and the shooter 2 due to an assembly error or the like, since the cushion (shielding member) 28 closes the gap, the blown air A causes the gap. Since it is not guided to the opening of the upper end 9a of the circulation duct 9 via the, that is, the short-circuit passage is not formed, the cooling or heating performance can be favorably maintained.

A cushion (shielding member) 28A may be provided behind the product storage rack 20 as shown by the broken line in FIG. The cushion 28A is attached to the back surface of the back plate 25 and has a width that matches the left and right width of the inside of the refrigerator, and when there is a gap between the product storage rack 20 and the left and right walls of the inside of the refrigerator. Also, it is possible to prevent a short circuit passage from being formed in which the blower air A is guided to the opening of the upper end 9a of the circulation duct 9 through the gap, and the cool air or the warm air does not leak and the arrow A, the arrow B, and the arrow indicated by chain lines are shown. It can be cycled through the C path.

Now, as described above, the product support unit 30 mounted on the product storage rack 20 is arranged in an inclined state such that the front side (product replenishment side) is high and the back side (product unloading mechanism 34 side) is low. Therefore, an empty space is formed on the upper side of the uppermost product support unit 30 (upper part of the product storage rack 20) toward the rear, and an excess product support unit 30A is stored and stored in this empty space. There is. That is, since an empty space is formed in the upper rear part of the product storage rack 20, this empty space is used as the storage space for the surplus product support unit 30A.

Here, the surplus product support unit 30A indicates a state in which four stages of product support units 30 are installed in FIGS. 3A and 3B, but the top product support unit is shown. When the product support units 30 in the lower three stages are removed by the procedure reverse to the above-mentioned mounting procedure while leaving the 30 left, and the product support units 30 are mounted in the notches 231 in the empty state in the figure, the product storage rack 20 is attached. The product support unit 30 having five stages is installed.

As described above, when the product support unit 30 is detachably attached to the vertical frame member 23 that constructs the product storage rack 20 and the number of stages thereof is changed from 5 to 4, an unused product support unit 30 is produced. The used product support unit 30 becomes a surplus product support unit 30A.

In order to store and store the above-described surplus product support unit 30A, as shown in FIG. 3C, a beam member 24A is provided near the upper ends of the rear vertical frame members 23, 23 constituting the product storage rack 20. A cutout groove 261 is formed in the left and right side plates 26, 26 (the cutout groove 261 on the left side in the figure is hidden by the product support unit 30A and is not visible).

The product support unit 30A engages the stepped screws 351 and 351 screwed into the mounting brackets 35 and 35 (see FIG. 4) with the cutout grooves 261 of the left and right side plates 26 and 26, and the product support unit 30A. The T-shaped mounting piece 321 formed on the front side coupling member 32 (see FIG. 4) of the 30A is engaged with the beam member 24A and screwed to be stored and stored.

When the product support unit 30 is changed from 4 stages to 5 stages, the attachment position of the beam member 24 attached to the front vertical frame members 23, 23 is changed and the remaining one beam member 24 is used as a product storage rack. The beam member 24A for attaching the surplus product support unit 30A stored and stored in the unit 20 may be used. Therefore, the beam member 24A is fixed to the vertical frame members 23 and 23 on the rear side by screws as in the same manner as the beam member 24 that is fixed to the front vertical frame members 23 and 23 by screws. A notch similar to the notch 231 formed in the vertical frame members 23, 23 on the rear side for erection of the unit 30 is formed, and a stepped screw is screwed into the beam member 24A so that they are engaged with each other. May be.

The length (height dimension) of the pouch product to be sold depends on how many stages (four or five stages in this example) the number of stages of the product support unit 30 installed vertically in the product storage rack 20 is set. Depends on. A method for suspending and storing the pouch products in the product support unit 30 will be described later, but a state in which the pouch products are suspended and housed in the four-stage product support unit 30 is illustrated in FIG.

In this case, the product support unit 30 has a length (height dimension) such that the pouch products suspended and accommodated do not come into contact with the product discharge mechanism 34 (see FIG. 4) of the vertically adjacent lower product support unit 30. Both long-sized pouch products (illustrated in the lower two-stage product support unit in FIG. 2) and short-sized short-sized pouch products (illustrated in the upper two-stage product support unit in the same figure) are suspended and accommodated. It is possible.

Here, when only the long-sized pouch product is to be sold, the number of stages of the product support unit 30 is four depending on the length of the long-sized pouch product. On the other hand, when a short-sized pouch product is targeted for sale, if the number of stages of the product support unit 30 remains 4, the space between the lower product support unit 30 vertically adjacent to the lower end of the pouch product is wasted. Occurs.

Therefore, in the present invention, the product support unit 30 is attached to and detached from the vertical frame member 23 that constructs the product storage rack 20, and the number of steps is changed from 4 steps to 5 steps. It is configured to hang and store the pouch products. As a result, the number of short-sized pouch products that can be stored in the product storage rack 20 can be significantly increased.

As a matter of course, in the opposite case, that is, it is possible to change the 5-tier product support unit 30 suitable for short-sized pouch products from 4 tiers to 4 items for sale, and to sell long-sized pouch products. Even afterwards, it is possible to replace pouch products of different sizes at the installation location.

FIG. 7 shows a pouch product loaded in the product support unit 30. As shown in FIG. 7A, in the pouch product 100, a spout 104 as a spout portion made of hard synthetic resin is fixed to a flexible bag-shaped container 102, and a cap 106 is attached to the spout 104. It becomes.

A flange 105 is formed on the spout 104. In the example of FIG. 7A, the pouch product 100 has one flange 105, and in the example of FIG. 7B, the pouch product has two flanges 105. It shows 200.

Jelly-shaped food and drink is injected from the spout 104 into the flexible bag-shaped container 102, and it is difficult to stand up because the flexible bag-shaped container 102 is soft. The reference numeral 107 indicates a joint flange provided on the spout 104.

As described above, since it is difficult to stand up a pouch product having a soft container form, in the present invention, the pouch product is hung and supported by the product support unit 30 described above. Loading (replenishment) of the pouch product in the unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 8 shows the case where the pouch product 100 is loaded, and the pouch product 100 is loaded from the front of the product support unit 30 as indicated by the white arrow. That is, the spout 104 is inserted into the gap t formed between the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 of the product support unit 30, and the flange 105 formed on the spout 104 is attached to the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31. hook. Here, the gap t formed between the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 is set to a predetermined dimension that is larger than the width of the spout 104 of the pouch product 100 and shorter than the length of the flange 105. In the pouch product 100 in which the flange 105 is hooked on the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 of the product support unit 30, the flange 105 slides on the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 and moves rearward by its own weight. .. That is, the pair of holding members 31, 31 form a product storage passage between them.

The pouch product 100 that has moved to the rear of the product support unit 30 is locked by the first stopper 45 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the product unloading mechanism 34, and is hung and supported while stopped at that position.

Next, the loaded pouch product 100 comes into contact with the product locked by the first stopper 45 and stops. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the pouch product 100 is replenished and accommodated in the product support unit 30 in this manner, and the pouch product 100 is suspended and supported by the product support unit 30 in a posture substantially along the vertical line due to gravity. ..

Here, the pouch product 100 is housed by inserting the spout 104 into the gap t between the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 of the product support unit 30 and hooking the flange 105. As shown in FIG. 7, in addition to the flange 105, the lower portion of the cap 106 is present as a hook. Therefore, when the pouch product 100 is loaded into the product support unit 30, there is a risk that the cap 106 (lower end of the pouch product) may be erroneously loaded so as to be hooked on the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 of the product support unit 30. If such an erroneous loading occurs, the lower end of the cap 106 may be fitted into the gap t between the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 to cause a product jam, or may fall off in the worst case.

As a solution to this problem, it is used that the thickness dimension tb between the cap 106 and the flange 105 is smaller than the thickness dimension ta between the flange 105 and the joining flange 107 (ta>tb). It is conceivable to increase the thickness of the steel plates forming the pair of right and left holding members 31, 31 so that the lower end of the cap 106 cannot be hooked.

However, when a thick steel plate is used for the pair of right and left holding members 31, 31, the weight and the cost increase.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, even if a thin steel plate is used, erroneous loading can be prevented. Therefore, the leg end portions of the sandwiching members 31, 31 that are opposed to each other with a gap t are bent. The thickness regulating member 36 is double-held. By thus double-holding the thin steel plate, it is possible to allow the lower portion of the flange 105 to be hooked, and it becomes difficult to hook the lower portion of the cap 106, so erroneous loading such as erroneous loading of the hooked portion is prevented. ..

Even in the case of the two pouch products 200 having the two flanges 105 shown in FIG. 7B, the lower flange 105 must be hooked and loaded, but the upper flange 105 is present as a hooking portion. Although there is a risk of erroneous loading such as hooking the upper flange 105 from above, the dimension td between the two flanges 105 is smaller than the dimension tc between the lower flange 105 and the joining flange 107 (tc> Therefore, erroneous loading can be prevented by bending and double-holding the leg ends of the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31.

Further, since the pouch product 100 is configured such that the flange 105 is placed on the pair of left and right holding members 31 of the product support unit 30 and is slid by its own weight, the pair of left and right pairs of the flange 105 and the product support unit 30 are arranged. It is desirable that the frictional resistance between the holding members 31, 31 and the leg ends is small.

In response to this requirement, the product storage rack 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the leg ends of the pair of right and left holding members 31 and 31 which are arranged to face each other with a gap t, are bent and double-held, is advantageous.

That is, since a commonly used steel sheet is a coated steel sheet with a lubricous coating film coated on one side to facilitate cutting, one surface of this coated steel sheet (lubricious coating By double-holding (the portion with reference numeral 36 in FIG. 4 etc.) so that the surface coated with the film is on the outside, the leg end portions of the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 forming the gap t are formed. Both the upper and lower surfaces are surfaces with good lubricity (surfaces with low frictional resistance).

Therefore, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance between the flange 105 of the pouch product 100 and the leg ends of the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31.

Further, by increasing the inclination angle of the product support unit 30, slipping due to the weight of the pouch product 100 is improved, while increasing the inclination angle of the product support unit 30 causes the pouch product 100 itself to follow a substantially vertical line due to gravity. Since the posture is continuously maintained, as shown in FIG. 10, the flange 105 and the joining flange 107 of the pouch product 100 come into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the leg ends of the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31 at the same time. In this case, when the leg ends of the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 are not double-held, either the flange 105 or the joining flange 107 of the pouch product 100 and the leg ends of the holding members 31, 31 are formed. The frictional resistance of the holding members 31 and 31 according to the embodiment of the present invention is double-held so that one surface of the coated steel sheet (the surface coated with the lubricating coating) is on the outside. In the above, even if the flange 105 and the joining flange 107 of the pouch product 100 simultaneously contact the upper and lower surfaces of the leg ends of the sandwiching members 31, 31, the frictional resistance between them can be reduced.

Therefore, the inclination angle of the product support unit 30 can be increased in order to improve the slip of the pouch product 100 due to its own weight, and the pouch product can be smoothly accommodated in the product support unit 30.

It should be noted that it is desirable that the coated steel sheet forming the sandwiching members 31, 31 is a thin plate in order to double-hold, and when a thin coated steel sheet is used, it contributes to reduction of weight.

Further, in the pouch product as shown in FIG. 7, the width dimensions L1 and L2 (for example, the width dimensions L1 and L2 of the flange 105 are different depending on the content of the food or drink or the difference in the content of the food or drink filled in the flexible bag-like container 102. , L1<L2) are different. Particularly, in the pouch products having the same food and drink filled in the flexible bag-like container 102 and having different contents, the outer shapes are similar, so that the pouch products may be erroneously loaded.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8, a pair of width regulating members 37 is provided, which are planted in close proximity to the leg ends of the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31. The width dimension L0 between the pair of width regulating members 37 is set to L1<L0<L2 (where L1<L2) with respect to the width dimensions L1 and L2 (see FIG. 7) of the flange 105 of the pouch product. Has been.

Therefore, a pouch product having a flange 105 dimension of L0 or less can be inserted and loaded between the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31, 31, and a width regulating member can be used for a pouch product having a flange 105 dimension of L0 or more. 37 prevents loading, which prevents erroneous loading of different types of pouch products.

Although FIG. 8 describes the case where a dedicated member is implanted as the width regulating member 37, a screw for fixing the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 and the connecting member 32 connecting the holding members 31, 31. Can also be used, and in this case, the number of parts can be reduced.

Next, the cooling/heating operation of the product storage chambers 12, 13, 14 in the vending machine to which the product storage rack 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when the product storage chambers 13, 14 (hot/cold chambers) are used as cold chambers, the heater 8 is turned off, and the refrigerant compressed and condensed by the compressor 3 and the condenser 4 is transferred to the evaporator 6. The cool air sent and heat-exchanged in the evaporator 6 is blown into the inside of the store from below the shooter 2 by the inside fan 7 to cool the products in the product storage racks 20 and 141 and the evaporator 6 via the circulation duct 9. Perform a cold air circulation to return to.

On the other hand, when the product storage chambers 13 and 14 are used as hot chambers, the refrigerant to the evaporator 6 is stopped, the heater 8 is turned on, and warm air is circulated in the same manner as above to heat the product. The switching of the product storage chambers 13 and 14 to the hot/cold chamber is performed at the turn of the season.

In the product storage chamber 12 which is a cold-only room, the cold air that has been heat-exchanged by the evaporator 6 is constantly blown from the lower side of the shooter 2 into the storage by the internal fan 7 to cool the products in the product storage rack 121. Cold air circulation is performed so as to return to the evaporator 6 via the circulation duct 9.

Although the product storage room 13 in which the product storage rack 20 is stored is a hot/cold combined room, this is provided in case a product to be sold as a hot product as a pouch product appears.

Next, an operation at the time of sale in the vending machine to which the product storage rack 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described.

FIG. 11 shows the operation of the first stopper 45 and the second stopper 46 during the operation of the product unloading mechanism 34, and referring to FIG. 5 showing the overall configuration of the product unloading mechanism 34, regarding the selling operation. explain.

In the sales standby state, the solenoid 40 is in a non-excited state, the first stopper 45 projects to the position of the gap t between the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31, and the product in the sales order (hereinafter referred to as the sales product). The second stopper 46 located between the sale item and the item with the second highest sales order (hereinafter, also referred to as the next sale item) has the first stopper 45 and the pair of left and right holding members. It is retracted from the position of the gap t between 31 and 31.

In this state, the operation lever 471 of the product detection switch (sold-out switch) 47 composed of a micro switch contacts the product for sale and outputs a product detection signal.

Now, when the product selection button provided on the outer door 10 (see FIG. 1) is operated, an excitation signal having a predetermined time width is supplied from the control unit (not shown) to the corresponding product unloading mechanism 34 (solenoid 40).

When the solenoid 40 is excited, the stopper member 42 moves leftward and rightward (rightward in FIG. 5) via the plunger 41 shown in FIG. As a result, the first stopper 45 and the second stopper 46 move leftward in FIG. 11, the first stopper 45 retracts from the gap t, and the second stopper 46 projects into the gap t.

By retracting the first stopper 45 from the gap t, the product for sale is unlocked by the first stopper 45. At the same time, the pressing piece 462 of the locking member 461 provided on the second stopper 46 presses the product for sale in the process in which the second stopper 46 moves so as to project into the gap t, thereby supporting the product for sale. After being discharged from 30, the second stopper 46 projects into the gap t.

When the sale product is carried out, the products after the next sale lose their support, so that they slide sequentially toward the rear end of the product support unit 30 and are temporarily held by being locked by the second stopper 46 protruding into the gap t. To be done.

When the excitation signal to the solenoid 40 is cut off, the plunger 41 is returned to the original position (state of FIG. 5) by the return spring 44, the first stopper 45 projects to the position of the gap t, and the second stopper 46 retracts from the gap t.

When the second stopper 46 retreats from the gap t, the products after the next sale held by the second stopper 46 slide toward the carry-out end of the product support unit 30 and project into the gap t. It is locked by the stopper 45 and enters a sales standby state.

The product carried out by the product carry-out mechanism 34 and falling from the rear end of the product support unit 30 is delivered to the shooter 2 via the delivery member 27 of the product storage rack 20 shown in FIG.

Now, FIG. 1 shows an automatic vending machine in which the product storage rack 20 according to the present invention is installed in parallel with the serpentine type product storage racks 121 and 141. This makes it possible to sell a wide variety of products (products whose containers are hard, such as canned beverages, and those whose containers are relatively soft, such as pouches), can be sold on vending machines. However, in order to make it possible to sell a wide variety of products, if the configuration of the existing vending machine is changed drastically, the existing vending machine must be replaced with a new vending machine.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, the existing vending machine in which the product storage rack 20 capable of storing the pouch products is compatible with the serpentine type product storage rack (in which the serpentine type product storage rack is mounted) is provided. Also, the product storage rack 20 according to the present invention can be mounted. Hereinafter, a product storage rack 20 that is compatible with a known serpentine type product storage rack will be described.

FIG. 12 shows a product storage rack 20 which is compatible with a known serpentine type product storage rack. There are the following two types of methods for arranging a known serpentine type product storage rack in a product storage of an automatic vending machine. First, the method will be described.

First, in the first method, as shown in FIG. 12A, the main body side hook metal fitting 50 extending in the front-rear direction is laid on the ceiling surface of the vending machine, and the main body side hook metal fitting 50 is mounted on the commodity storage rack 121. , 141, and the second method is as shown in FIG. 12(b), in which a main body side hook fitting 55 extending in the left and right direction is laid on the ceiling surface of the vending machine. This is a fixing method for fixing the product storage racks 121 and 141 to the metal fitting 55. As described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-122596, the hooking method engages the hook 501 of the main body side hook fitting 50 with the upper ends of a pair of left and right rack side plates that form the product storage racks 121 and 141. A rack side hook is provided, and the rack side hook is engaged with the hook 501 of the main body side hook metal fitting 50. In this hooking method, the main body side hook metal fitting 50 is used as a guide to slide the product storage racks 121, 141. By doing so, it can be stored in the storage or can be pulled out from the storage.

On the other hand, the fixing method is, for example, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-288768, in which rack side hook fittings are installed on a pair of left and right rack side plates constituting the product storage racks 121 and 141, and the rack side hook fittings are attached. The main body side hook fitting 55 is engaged with the hook 551 and screwed together.

As described above, the known serpentine-type product storage racks 121 and 141 are arranged in the product storage using the main body side hook fittings 50 and 55 shown in FIG. Therefore, the inventors have found that if the main body side hook fittings 50 and 55 can be fitted with the product storage rack 20 according to the present invention, they will have compatibility with the serpentine type product storage racks 121 and 141. We have developed an adapter member for mounting the storage rack 20 on the main body side hook fittings 50, 55.

Now, FIG. 12 shows an adapter member for mounting the product storage rack 20 on the main body side hook fittings 50, 55. Since the product storage rack 20 shown in FIG. 12 is assembled as described with reference to FIG. 3, redundant description will be omitted here.

FIG. 12A shows an adapter member 51 used in the above-described hooking method, and the adapter member 51 includes a pair of left and right rack fixing fittings 52 and a rack side hook fitting 53. The pair of left and right rack fixing brackets 52 is made of a thick steel plate having a Z-shaped cross section, and one end thereof is fixed to the pair of left and right upper support frame members 21 and 21 constituting the product storage rack 20 with screws. The other end is fixed to the rack side hook fitting 53.

The rack-side hook metal fitting 53 is formed of a thick steel plate into a box shape with an open lower surface, and rack-side hooks 54 that engage with the hooks 501 of the main body-side hook metal fitting 50 are formed at both left and right ends.

In the product storage rack 20, two sets of adapter members 51 are fixed to the upper support frame members 21 and 21 in advance. When arranging the product storage rack 20 in the product storage, first, the rack side hooks 54 of the rack side hook fittings 53 in the rear adapter member 51 are made to face the hooks 501 of the main body side hook fittings 50, and both are arranged. Similarly, push and slide the hooks of the rack side hook fitting 53 of the adapter member 51 to the hook 501 of the main body side hook fitting 50 so that the rack side hook 54 of the adapter member 51 is engaged and slid.

FIG. 12B shows the adapter member 56 adopted in the above-mentioned fixing method, and the adapter member 56 is composed of a rack side hook metal fitting 57. The rack side hook metal fitting 57 is made of a flat plate of a pressure plate steel plate, and has a fixed arm 58 at its lower end which is screwed into the lower surfaces of the pair of left and right upper support frame members 21 and 21 constituting the product storage rack 20, and an upper end. A rack side hook 59 that engages with the hook 551 of the main body side hook fitting 55 is formed.

In the product storage rack 20, two sets of adapter members 56 are fixed to the upper support frame members 21 and 21 in advance. When the product storage rack 20 is arranged in the product storage, the rack side hooks 59 of the respective adapter members 56 are opposed to the hooks 551 of the main body side hook fittings 55 so that they are engaged with each other.

Next, the adapter member 56 and the main body side hook fitting 55 are screwed and assembled. By providing the adapter members 51 and 56 as shown in FIG. 12, the product storage rack 20 that stores the pouch products can be made compatible with the known serpentine type product storage racks 121 and 141. It can be replaced with an existing vending machine's serpentine-type product storage rack.

In the embodiment of the present invention, as described above, the product storage rack 20 according to the present invention is structurally compatible with the serpentine type product storage rack, and the serpentine type product of the existing vending machine is used. It can be replaced with a storage rack and is electrically compatible.

This is because in a product unloading mechanism of a serpentine type product storage rack, a lower stopper that locks a product to be sold and an upper stopper that locks a product to be sold next are driven by solenoids to move the lower stopper and the upper stopper to the product passage. In view of alternately projecting the products, the solenoid 40 is also used as the drive source of the product unloading mechanism 34 in the product storage rack 20 according to the present invention, and the solenoid 40 drives the stopper member 42 to lock the product for sale. The first stopper 45 and the second stopper 46 for locking the next sale product are configured to alternately appear and appear in the gap t between the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31.

Further, a product detection switch 47 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) for detecting the products loaded in the product storage rack 20 is provided, and the product detection switch 47 is configured to output a product sold-out detection signal. There is.

By using the product unloading mechanism 34 and the product detection switch 47 as described above, the product unloading mechanism 34 executes the product unloading operation by the power supply or the control signal supplied to the product unloading mechanism of the serpentine type product storage rack, and the product detection is performed. The switch 47 sends a sold-out signal to the control unit of the vending machine.

In other words, by connecting the product storage rack 20 according to the present invention with the serpentine product storage rack and performing wiring connection without changing the control program of the existing vending machine equipped with the serpentine product storage rack. The vending machine can be operated immediately.

As described above, according to the present invention, the product storage rack 20 of the vending machine that sells the product (pouch product 100, 200) having the hook portion (flange 105) at the drinking mouth part, and includes the frame members (top, bottom, left, and right). The upper support frame members 21 and 21, the lower support frame members 22 and 22, and a pair of vertical frame members 23 and 23 provided near the front and the center, respectively, form a frame body of the product storage rack 20, and the left and right frames are formed. Material (a pair of vertical frame members 23, 23 provided near the front and the center, respectively) are erected in a plurality of stages in the up-and-down direction to support a hooking portion (flange 105) of the product (pouch product 100, 200), and The product support unit 30 having the product carry-out mechanism 34 at the rear end is provided while slanting so that the rear side is lower than the front side (commodity input side) so that the product slides by its own weight and is stored. Since the product support unit 30 is detachably installed on the frame material that constructs the product storage rack 20, the product storage rack 20 that stores the pouch product whose container form is weak can have a simple configuration, and the cost can be reduced. It is possible to Moreover, maintenance can be easily performed by making the product support unit 30 detachable.

As described above, according to the product storage rack 20 of the vending machine of the embodiment of the present invention, the product having the hooking portion (flange 105) at the drinking portion and having a soft container form (pouch products 100, 200). ), which is a product storage rack 20 of an automatic vending machine, which includes upper, lower, left and right frame members (upper support frame members 21, 21, lower support frame members 22, 22, vertical frame members 23, 23). The frame body is constructed, and a plurality of vertical frame members (vertical frame members 23, 23) are installed in the vertical direction, and the pair of left and right holding members 31, 31 arranged with a predetermined gap t between The hooking portion (flange 105) is hooked and supported, and the product is slid by its own weight so as to be slanted so that the rear side is lower than the front side (commercial product insertion side), and the product is suspended and accommodated at the rear end. A product support unit 30 having a product unloading mechanism 34 is provided, and portions of the holding members 31, 31 that come into contact with the hooking portions (flange 105) of the products (pouch products 100, 200) are formed in a sliding tree shape. Specifically, the sandwiching members 31, 31 are formed by a thin coated steel sheet having a lubricating coating film on one surface, and end portions of the sandwiching members 31, 31 facing each other with a predetermined gap. Is double-held so that the other surfaces of the coated steel sheets come into contact with each other, so that the product storage rack 20 that has a hooking part (flange 105) at the mouth part and that stores a product with a weak container form Can have a simple structure, and since the holding members 31, 31 for suspending and supporting the product can be formed of thin steel plates, it is possible to reduce the weight of the vending machine. Further, even when the upper and lower surfaces of the holding members 31 and 31 come into contact with each other, since the frictional resistance between the product and the holding member is small, the product can be smoothly slid, so that the slip due to the weight of the product is good. Therefore, it is possible to increase the inclination angle of the holding members 31, 31.

As described above, according to the vending machine, a plurality of main body side hook fittings 50 and 55 are laid in advance on the ceiling surface of the vending machine, and the serpentine type product storage rack is attached to the main body side hook fittings 50 and 55. An automatic vending machine in which a plurality of 121, 141 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and the upper and lower left and right frame members (upper support frame members 21, 21, lower support frame members 22, 22, vertical frame members 23, 23) are used. The frame of the product storage rack 20 is constructed, and a plurality of vertical frame members are vertically installed on the left and right frame members (vertical frame members 23, 23 ), and the flange portion 105 is provided at the drinking portion, and the container form is weak. The flange 105 of the (pouch product 100, 200) is supported, and the product is slid by its own weight so as to be slanted so as to descend downward as it goes inward, and the product is carried out at the rear end portion 34. The slant type product storage rack 20 is provided, which is provided with the product support unit 30 having the above, and is detachably installed on the frame material forming the product storage rack 20. Adapter members 51 and 56 for connecting the main body side hook fittings 50 and 55 to each other are provided, and instead of at least one of the serpentine type product storage racks 121 and 141 arranged side by side in a lateral direction, the container form is weak. A slant type product storage rack 121, 141 and a slant type product storage rack 20 by attaching the slant type product storage rack 20 containing the product to the main body side hook fittings 50, 55 via the adapter members 51, 56. By arranging in parallel, the slant-type product storage rack 20 that stores products with a weak container form can be made compatible with the known serpentine-type product storage rack, and the serpentine-type product storage It is possible to mount a slant type product storage rack 20 that stores products with a weak container form instead of the known serpentine type product storage rack without significantly changing the configuration of the vending machine equipped with the rack. Become.

Further, the slant type product storage rack 20 that stores products whose container form is weak is replaced by a serpentine type product storage rack for a vending machine equipped with an existing serpentine type product storage rack. Can sell weak products.

As described above, the pouch product 100 carried out by the product carry-out mechanism 34 is a product carry-out that extends from the rear end of the product support unit 30 in the vertical direction surrounded by the back plate 25 and the side plate 26 shown in FIG. After dropping in the passage, the product is delivered to the shooter 2 via the delivery member 27 of the product storage rack 20 shown in FIG.

Here, the fall posture of the pouch product 100 carried out by the product carry-out mechanism 34 will be described with reference to FIG. 13. It is assumed that the pouch product 100 is carried out from the product carry-out mechanism 34 of the uppermost product support unit 30 in the figure. , The pouch product 100 falls downward in the standing posture as indicated by the white arrow.

Since the length in the front-back direction of the product support units 30 that are vertically installed in a plurality of stages is the same, the product carry-out mechanism 34 of the product support unit 30 in the lower stage exists on the way of the drop path of the pouch product 100. Become.

Therefore, the product comes into contact with the product unloading mechanism 34 of the lower product support unit 30 in the middle of the fall. In this case, when the cover 342 with the inclined surface 342A that covers the product unloading mechanism 34 according to the present invention is not provided, the falling pouch product 100 abuts the product unloading mechanism 34 and is prevented from falling. 100 collapses the falling posture and becomes a sideways posture. In this way, when the pouch product is in the laid-down posture, the pouch product 100 is placed between the back plate 25 (see FIG. 3) that constitutes the product unloading passage and the product that is hung and stored in the product unloading mechanism 34 or the product support unit 30. It may get caught and cause product jams.

In this regard, in the present invention, since the cover 342 with the inclined surface 342A is provided, when the falling pouch product 100 comes into contact with the inclined surface 342A of the cover 342, the product moves along the inclination of the inclined surface 342A of the cover 342. The product is discharged into the product discharge passage so as to be separated from the support unit 30. The product thus released away from the product support unit 30 falls in the product carry-out passage while being maintained in a substantially upright posture, is guided to the delivery member 27, and from the product carry-out mechanism 34 of the product support unit 30 on the upper stage side. The pouch product 100 that has been carried out can be stably carried out while maintaining a substantially upright posture.

As described above, according to the present invention, the product storage rack 20 of the vending machine which has the flange 105 (hooking part) at the mouth portion and which sells the pouch products 100 and 200 having a weak container form, The upper support frame members 21 and 21, the lower support frame members 22 and 22, and the vertical frame members 23 and 23 (upper and lower left and right frame members) form a frame body of the product storage rack 20, and the vertical frame members 23 and 23 (left and right frame members). Frame member) is vertically installed in a plurality of stages, and the flange 105 of the product is hooked and supported by a pair of right and left holding members 31, 31 arranged with a predetermined gap t, and the front side (product replenishment side) A slant type product storage rack in which the product is slid by the weight of the product so as to be lower toward the rear side and accommodated in a suspended manner, and a product support unit 30 having a product discharge mechanism 34 at the rear end is provided. In the vending machine provided with 20, the guide means (the inclined surface 342A of the product unloading mechanism 34 for dropping the pouch products 100, 200 carried out from the product unloading mechanism 34 of the product supporting unit 30 while maintaining the substantially upright posture. By providing the attached cover 342), the pouch products 100 and 200 carried out from the product carrying-out mechanism 34 on the upper stage side are brought into contact with the product carrying-out mechanism 34 on the lower stage side or the sales products suspended and housed in the product supporting unit 30. The pouch can be dropped in a state of maintaining a substantially upright posture without losing its posture, and the pouch products 100 and 200 are prevented from losing their posture during the fall and causing a product jam, so that the product can be stably and reliably delivered. It is possible to

In the above-described embodiment, the cover 342 of the product unloading mechanism 34 is used as the guide means, and the cover 342 is also used as the guide means. However, a member having an inclined surface 342A is added to guide the guide. It can also be used as a means and is not limited to the embodiment.

Next, the bend wiring of the vending machine will be described with reference to FIG. The figure shows the right side surface of the part of the serpentine type product storage rack 141. Since the serpentine type product storage rack is well known, it is shown by a virtual line (two-dot chain line), and regarding the cooling/heating unit, The bend wiring is omitted for easy understanding.

The serpentine-type product storage rack 141 in this embodiment has a six-fold column formed by connecting racks divided into two columns each at the front and rear, and the lower part of the front and rear two columns (product storage passage) of each rack. Each of the product unloading mechanisms 143 and 143 is arranged back to back. The product unloading mechanisms 143, 143 use a solenoid (driving source) to provide a lower stopper (not shown) that locks the lowest product (sales product) and an upper stopper that locks the second product (the next sales product) from the bottom. By driving, the lower stopper and the upper stopper are alternately projected into the product storage passage to carry out the products one by one, and a micro that detects the products stored in the product storage passage (column). A product detection switch (sold-out switch) is provided.

On the other hand, in the machine room of the main body cabinet 1, an electrical box containing slave control units such as a money processing unit, a cooling control unit, and a sales control unit, which are connected to a master control unit that controls the entire vending machine. (Not shown) is provided, and the electrical box and the product unloading mechanisms 143, 143 are connected by the bend wiring VW.

The bend wire VW is composed of a power supply line and a control line, and can be separated into a body side bend wire VW1 and a mechanism side bend wire VW2 by a wire connecting coupler CP. The main body side bend wiring VW1 is divided into front and rear two columns (two product unloading mechanisms 143, 143), and the product is unloaded from the machine room in which the electrical equipment box is arranged along the side wall (heat insulating partition plate 11) in the warehouse. In addition to being covered by the wiring covers 11A1, 11A2, 11A3 provided on the side wall (the heat insulating partition plate 11) in the refrigerator at the midway position (that is, the position crossing the shooter 2), the wiring cover 11A1, 11A2, 11A3 Are connected to the mechanism side bend wire VW2 via the wire connecting coupler CP. The electrical equipment box is configured to send a sales signal (drive signal) to the solenoids of the product unloading mechanisms 143, 143, while the product unloading mechanism 143, 143 is configured to send a product sold-out signal to the electrical equipment box. There is. Among the bend wires VW, the main body side bend wire VW1 is commonly used for the product discharge mechanisms 143 and 143 of the serpentine type product storage rack and the product discharge mechanism of the slant type product storage rack 20.

Next, the configuration of a modified example of the product support unit 30 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the product support unit 30 is installed on a pair of left and right holding members 31a, 31a, front and rear connecting members 32a, 33a connecting the holding members 31a, 31a, and a rear connecting member 33a. It is composed of a carry-out mechanism 34a.

The pair of left and right holding members 31a, 31a is a long member formed in an L shape by a thin coated steel plate (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a thin steel plate) having a lubricating coating on one surface, They are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap t. The leg ends of the pair of right and left holding members 31a, 31a forming the gap t are double-folded (reference numeral 35a) by bending so that one surface (coating surface) is on the outside. The upper and lower surfaces of the leg end portion forming the gap t are coated surfaces (that is, surfaces having good lubricity).

In addition, a notch 35Aa is formed near the front ends of the double holds 35a, 35a as a mark for the product accommodation limit of the product support unit 30a. The pair of left and right sandwiching members 31a, 31a suspend and support the pouch product. The loading (replenishment) of the pouch product will be described later. The upper area of the double holds 35a, 35a including the gap t is referred to as a product storage passage.

The connecting members 32a and 33a are configured as a frame body surrounding the pair of left and right holding members 31a and 31a, and are firmly fixed to the pair of left and right holding members 31a and 31a by screws, respectively. The gap t between the leg ends (double holds 35a, 35a) of the members 31a, 31a is kept constant. Further, a T-shaped attachment piece 321a in a front view is integrally formed with the connecting member 32a on the front side. The mounting piece 321a is engaged with the beam member 24 of the product storage rack 20, the upper end thereof is bent into a hook shape, and a screw hole 322a is formed near the center of the leg piece.

Reference numeral 323a is a cover integrally provided on the connecting member 32a so as to cover the front surface of the pair of left and right L-shaped holding members 31a, 31a excluding the leg ends, and connects the holding members 31a, 31a. This is for covering the end of the screw protruding into the inside of the connecting member 32a which is fixed to the member 32a and preventing the end of the screw from being touched by the hand.

On the other hand, the rear connecting member 33a encloses the pair of left and right L-shaped holding members 31a, 31a from the upper surface outer periphery of each side wall outer periphery without wrapping around the bottom wall outer peripheral surfaces of the left and right pair of sandwiching members 31a, 31a. , Are fixed to each side wall as described below.

That is, the connecting member 33a is formed in an inverted U-shape in cross section, and front engaging claws 331a and 331a (see FIG. 15A) and rear engaging claws 332a and 332a are formed on the side surfaces of the inverted U-shaped leg piece, respectively. (See (b) of FIG. 15) is provided, and the front engaging claws 331a, 331a are fitted and locked in the openings 311a, 311a formed in the side walls of the left and right holding members 31a, 31a, respectively. The rear engaging claws 332a, 332a are locked to the side wall rear edges of the left and right holding members 31a, 31a, respectively.

Then, the inverted U-shaped leg pieces of the connecting member 33a are fixed to the side walls of the left and right holding members 31a, 31a by screws, so that they are firmly connected. The connecting member 33a is integrally formed with a fitting 333a protruding in the left-right direction by a bending process, and a stepped screw 334a is screwed to the head of the fitting 333a. It is attached to the vertical frame members 23, 23 on the rear side of the product storage rack 20 via attached screws 334a.

Reference numeral 343a in FIG. 15 indicates a protective member attached to the cover 342a of the product unloading mechanism 34a. The protective member 343a covers the upper region of the wiring connection coupler CP1 to connect the wiring from water droplets caused by dew condensation. It protects the coupler CP1.

The product unloading mechanism 34a arranged at the rear of the product supporting unit 30a is one in which the unloading mechanism is incorporated inside a box body composed of a base 341a and a cover 342a, which is shown in FIG.

FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the product unloading mechanism 34a with the cover 342a removed, and is viewed obliquely from above, and FIG. 16B is an exploded view of main components of the product unloading mechanism 34a. FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of an essential part shown in FIG. 1. First, the components of the product unloading mechanism 34a will be described, and then the details of the individual components will be described.

In the figure, reference numeral 40a is a solenoid as a drive source, and a stopper member 42a is connected to a plunger 41a of the solenoid 40a. In the stopper member 42a, stepped screws 421a and 421a are loosely fitted in long holes 43a and 43a parallel to the moving direction of the plunger 41a, and the stopper member 42a is slidably arranged in the moving direction of the plunger 41a and also has a return spring. 44a is attached.

A first stopper 45a and a second stopper 46a extending downward are formed at the rear end of the stopper member 42a. The second stopper 46a extends downward through an opening (not shown) provided in the connecting member 33a that connects the base 341a and the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31a, 31a. Also, as shown in FIG. 15B, a locking member 461a having a pressing piece 462a inclined toward the rear side by bending at the tip is locked to the second stopper 46a.

The first stopper 45a is located at the rear end of the pair of sandwiching members 31a, 31a, and the second stopper 46a is located at a position apart from the first stopper 45a by a predetermined distance to the front side. Then, in the sales standby state (non-excited state of the solenoid 40a), the first stopper 45a is located facing the gap t (product storage passage) formed by the pair of left and right holding members 31a, 31a, and the second The stopper 46 is retracted to a position deviated from the gap t in the left-right direction, and when the solenoid 40a is excited, the first stopper 45a is retracted from the gap t and the second stopper 46a is retracted to the gap t. It moves to face.

A wire 471a including a power supply line for supplying power to the product detection switch 47a and a signal line for transmitting a detection signal from the product detection switch 47a is fixed to the cover 342a of the product discharge mechanism 34a together with the signal line 401a to the solenoid 40a. It is connected to the wiring connecting coupler CP1.

The mounting of the product support unit 30a on the product storage rack 20 will be described. First, the product support unit 30a is inserted from between the vertical frame members 23, 23 on the front side forming the product storage rack 20. In this case, the product support unit 30a is inserted sideways so that the left and right attachments 333a, 333a are aligned on the vertical line. This is because when the product support unit 30a is inserted between the vertical frame members 23, 23 with the left and right fixtures 333a, 333a positioned on the horizontal line, the fixtures 333a, 333a become left and right vertical frame members 23, 23. This is because it abuts and interferes with the insertion, so that this is avoided.

Then, when the fixtures 333a, 333a of the product support unit 30a pass between the vertical frame members 23, 23 on the front side, the product support unit 30a is moved backward while returning the product support unit 30a to the original posture. A T-shaped attachment piece 321a formed on the connecting member 32a (see FIG. 15) in front of the product support unit 30a is engaged with the beam member 24 and temporarily fixed. Next, the stepped screws 334a screwed to the heads of the fixtures 333a, 333a of the product support unit 30a are locked by the locking grooves () formed in the vertical frame members 23, 23 on the rear side of the product storage rack 20. (Not shown) and fix. In this state, the T-shaped attachment piece 321a formed on the connecting member 32a on the front side of the product support unit 30a is screwed to the beam member 24. In this way, the product support unit 30a mounted on the product storage rack 20 is inclined such that the front side (product replenishment side) is high and the rear side (product unloading mechanism 34a side) is low.

In this way, the wiring connection coupler CP1 (see FIGS. 15 and 16) of each of the product unloading mechanisms 34a of the product supporting units 30a which are vertically arranged in four stages has the bend wiring VW (see FIG. 14). The other end of the side bend wire VW2 is connected. Here, since the product support unit 30a has four upper and lower stages, that is, four columns, the mechanism side bend wiring VW2 is the product carry-out mechanism of the serpentine type product storage rack (the product carry-out mechanisms of the front and rear two columns are assembled back to back). The product unloading mechanism 34a of the upper two-stage product supporting unit 30a (two columns) and the product unloading mechanism 34a of the lower two-stage product supporting unit 30a (two columns) are divided into two columns. Then, it is routed along the rear vertical frame members 23, 23 and connected to each body side bend wire VW1. The mechanism side bend wiring VW2 is connected to the main body side bend wiring VW1 via the wiring connecting coupler CP. The connection work will be described later, and the description thereof will be omitted here.

In this embodiment, as described above, the slant type product storage rack 20 according to the present invention is structurally compatible with the serpentine type product storage rack, and the serpentine type product storage of the existing vending machine is stored. Not only can it be replaced with a rack, but it also has electrical compatibility (control program). In the product unloading mechanism 143 (see FIG. 14B) of a serpentine type product storage rack, this is a solenoid (driving source) having a lower stopper for locking a product for sale and an upper stopper for locking a product for next sale. The slant type product storage rack 20 according to the present invention is also configured so that the lower stopper and the upper stopper are alternately projected into the product passage to be sold one by one by being driven by A solenoid 40a is used as a drive source of the carry-out mechanism 34a. The solenoid 40a drives a stopper member 42a to lock a product for sale, and a first stopper 45a for locking a product for sale and a pair of left and right stoppers 46a. It is configured so as to alternately appear and appear in the gap t of the holding member 31. Further, a product detection switch 47a for detecting the products loaded in the slant type product storage rack 20 is provided, and the product detection switch 47a is configured to output a product sold-out signal. By using the product unloading mechanism 34a and the product detection switch 47a as described above, the product unloading mechanism 34a executes the product unloading operation by the signal supplied to the product unloading mechanism 143 of the serpentine type product storage rack, and the product detection switch 47a is activated. Send a sold-out signal to the electrical box of the vending machine. That is, the slant type product storage rack 20 according to the present invention is replaced with the serpentine type product storage rack without changing the control program of the existing vending machine equipped with the serpentine type product storage rack. By connecting the wiring to the vending machine, the vending machine can be operated immediately.

That is, as shown in FIG. 14A, the main body side bend wiring VW1 connected to the electrical equipment box among the bend wiring VW is laid in advance as illustrated. Here, as described with respect to the bend wiring VW of the serpentine type product storage rack 141 with reference to FIG. 14B, the main body side bend wiring VW1 connected to the electrical equipment box is the machine of the main body cabinet 1 among the bend wiring VW. Since the electrical equipment box installed in the room and the serpentine type product storage rack 141 are laid in advance near the product discharge mechanisms 143 and 143, the slant type product storage rack 20 is installed on the main body side bend wiring VW1. When the mechanism side bend wire VW2 connected to the carry-out mechanism 34a is connected via the wire connecting coupler CP, the connecting work of the bend wire VW is completed. That is, the control mode of the product unloading mechanism 34a of the slant type product storage rack 20 is set to be the same as the control mode of the product unloading mechanism 142 of the serpentine type product storage rack 141 (or 121), so that the electrical components of the bend wiring VW are electrically connected. The main body side bend wiring VW1 connected to the box can be commonly used for the product unloading mechanism 143 of the serpentine type product storage rack 141 (or 121) and the product unloading mechanism 34a of the slant type product storage rack 20. .. As a result, even when the serpentine type product storage rack 141 and the slant type product storage rack 20 of the existing vending machine are replaced, the bend wiring VW can be easily connected. On the contrary, when the slant type product storage rack 20 is returned to the serpentine type product storage rack, or the slant type product storage rack 20 in the vending machine shipped with the slant type product storage rack 20 installed is replaced with the serpentine type product storage rack. The connection work of the bend wiring can be easily performed even when the product storage rack is replaced.

A product unloading mechanism 34b, which is another modification of the product unloading mechanism 34, will be described. 17A is a perspective view of the internal structure of the product unloading mechanism 34b as seen obliquely from above, and FIG. 17B is an enlarged plan view of an essential part of the product unloading mechanism 34b. In b), products (pouch products described later) suspended and supported by the pair of holding members 31b, 31b are also shown.

In the figure, reference numeral 40 indicates a solenoid as a drive source, and a stopper member 42b is connected to a plunger 41b of the solenoid 40b via a pin 44b.

The stopper member 42b is slidably arranged in the moving direction of the plunger 41b (the direction of the white arrow), and the return spring 43b is attached. Further, the stopper member 42b is formed with a first locking portion 45b and a second locking portion 46b (see FIG. 17(b)) extending laterally so as to block the product storage passage. As shown in FIG. 17(b), the first locking portion 45b extends laterally so as to block the product storage passage formed by the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31b and 31b, and is the first product in the sales order. A stopper part 451b for locking (sales product) and a holding part 452b bent forward from the stopper part 451b are provided, and the second locking part 46b extends in a direction perpendicular to the product accommodation passage direction. Become.

Here, as shown in (b) of FIG. 17, the pair of left and right holding members 31b, 31b is such that one holding member 31b (right holding member 31b in the figure) is at least one product long. The holding member 31b is formed to be short, and the rear end portion of the one holding member 31b is disposed so as to be displaced from the rear end portion of the other holding member 31b so that only one product is located on the front side. A discharge space DS is formed where one holding member 31b is missing from the member 31b. The stopper portion 451b of the first locking portion 45b is positioned on the substantially vertical line of the rear end portion of the other holding member 31b (left holding member 31b in the figure) with respect to the pair of left and right holding members 31b, 31b. At the same time, the holding portion 452b is located in the discharge space DS, and the second locking portion 46b is arranged at a position separated from the stopper portion 451b of the first locking portion 45b by a predetermined distance to the front side.

Then, in the sales standby state (the non-excited state of the solenoid 40b), the holding portion 452b of the first locking portion 45b is positioned to face the product storage passage, and the second locking portion 46b extends in the left-right direction from the product storage passage. When the solenoid 40b is excited, the holding portion 452b of the first locking portion 45b is retracted from the product storage passage, and the second locking portion 46b is moved to face the product storage passage. To do.

Reference numeral 47b denotes a product detection switch (sold-out switch) including a micro switch, and an operation lever 471b (see FIG. 17B) of the micro switch is arranged so as to face the product storage passage.

18A and 18B show still another modification of the product unloading mechanism 34. FIG. 18A is a plan view during standby for sales, and FIG. 18B is a plan view during sales. The same components as those in the above-described embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. Further, in this modified example, only the main part of the product unloading mechanism 34c is shown, and in the figure, the bottom of the paper surface is the unloading end of the product storage passage.

In the figure, a solenoid 40c is fixed to a base (not shown). One end of an operation link 60c is connected to the plunger 41c of the solenoid 40c. The operating link 60c is formed by cutting and bending a flat plate, and is formed from the lower part of the hanging plate that is bent so as to extend downward (in the figure, the rear side with respect to the paper surface) from the connecting plate that is connected to the plunger 41c. It is configured by a pin receiving plate formed by cutting so as to extend toward the carry-out end of the storage passage, and the pin 61c faces upward (front side with respect to the paper surface in the figure) at the tip side of the pin receiving plate. Have been planted.

In addition, the operating link 60c is arranged such that a hanging plate extending downward penetrates the above-mentioned base and is slidable in the front-back direction (the vertical direction with respect to the paper surface in the drawing, the moving direction of the plunger 41c). ing.

Reference numeral 70c indicates a wheel formed in a "V" shape that constitutes a stopper member, and is the cap 106 of the pouch product 100 (sales product) in the sales order, which is suspended and housed in the product support unit 30a. It is arranged laterally.

One end side (the carry-out end side of the product storage passage) of the wheel 70c is formed as a first locking portion 71c that locks a sale product, and the other end is formed as a second locking portion 72c that locks a next sale product. Has been done.

Further, the wheel 70c is formed with a fitting groove 73c into which the pin 61c is fitted, and the fitting groove 73c is formed with an engaging projection 73Ac that engages with the pin 61c.

A shaft 74c is formed at a substantially intermediate position between the first locking portion 71c and the second locking portion 72c of the wheel 70c, and the shaft 74c is rotatably supported by the base described above. ..

The wheel 70c is rotatable about the shaft 74c as a support shaft, and in the sales standby state (non-excited state of the solenoid 40c), the first locking portion 71c is formed by a gap t formed by a pair of holding members 31c, 31c, In other words, the second engaging portion 72c has retracted from the product accommodating passage by advancing into the product accommodating passage, and the first engaging portion 71c has retracted from the product accommodating passage during the sales operation when the solenoid 40c is excited. When the solenoid 40c is in the non-excited state after the locking portion 72c moves so as to advance into the product storage passage, the original state is restored.

As described above, the wheel 70c repeatedly carries out the carrying-out of the product by repeatedly operating the first locking portion 71c and the second locking portion 72c so as to appear in and out of the product storage passage.

In the sales standby state shown in (a) of FIG. 18, the solenoid 40c is in a non-excited state, and the first locking portion 71c of the wheel 70c causes the product storage passage (the gap t between the pair of left and right sandwiching members 31c, 31c). It has moved to the vicinity) and locked the products for sale. On the other hand, the second locking portion 72c of the wheel 70c is retracted from the product storage passage.

In the standby state for sale, the pin 61c of the operation link 60c engages with the engagement protrusion 73Ac formed in the fitting groove 73c of the wheel 70c to prevent (lock) the rotation of the wheel 70c. The first locking portion 71c of the wheel 70c that has advanced to the position locks the product for sale.

Now, when the product selection button provided on the outer door is operated, an excitation signal (sales signal) having a predetermined time width is supplied from the control unit (not shown) to the corresponding product unloading mechanism 34c (solenoid 40c). When the solenoid 40c is excited, the operating link 60c slides upward in the drawing via the plunger 41c, and the pin 61c of the operating link 60c disengages from the engaging projection 73Ac formed in the fitting groove 73c of the wheel 70c. The wheel 70c is unlocked. When the lock of the wheel 70c is released, the sold product starts to slide toward the carry-out end of the product storage passage due to its own weight.

Due to the sliding of the sold product, the wheel 70c rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 74c, the first locking portion 71c of the wheel 70c retracts from the product storage passage, and the second locking portion 72c advances to the product storage passage. To lock the next sale item. This state is shown in FIG.

In this case, the pin 61c of the operation link 60c is formed on the slope formed at the end of the fitting groove 73c of the wheel 70c (the slope perpendicular to the component force of the wheel 70c rotating clockwise due to the product load). The second sale part 72c is brought into contact with the second sale part 72c and is thereby held once. The sale product released from the engagement with the first engagement portion 71c of the wheel 70c slides by its own weight and is discharged from the product support unit 30a, and the shooter 2 via the delivery member 27 of the product storage rack 20 shown in FIG. Sent to.

When the excitation signal to the solenoid 40c is cut off, the plunger 41c is returned to its original position (the state shown in FIG. 18(a)) by a return spring (not shown), and the pin 61c of the operation link 60c moves to the wheel 70c. The wheel 70c is rotated counterclockwise in the process of fitting in the fitting groove 73c.

Therefore, the first locking portion 71c of the wheel 70c advances into the product storage passage, and the second locking portion 72c retracts from the product storage passage. As a result, the product after the next sale product held in the second engagement portion 434 slides toward the carry-out end of the product support unit 30a, and then the next sale product is retained as the sale product in the first engagement portion 71c. It becomes a sales standby state.

According to this modified example, as illustrated in FIG. 18, even if there is no gap between the products suspended and housed in the product support unit 30a, the wheels 70c can reliably and stably carry out the products one by one. Is.

1 Main Cabinet 2 Shooter 3 Compressor 4 Condenser 6 Evaporator 9 Circulation Duct 10 Outer Door 12, 13, 14 Product Storage Room 15 Inner Door 20 Product Storage Rack 21 Upper Support Frame Material 22 Lower Support Frame Material 23 Vertical Frame Material 24 beam members
30 Product Support Unit 31 Clamping Member 32, 33 Connecting Member 34 Product Unloading Mechanism 36 Thickness Control Member (Double Hold)
37 width regulating member 40 solenoid (driving source)
41 Plunger 42 Stopper Member 44 Return Spring 45 First Stopper 46 Second Stopper 47 Product Detection Switch (Sold Out Switch)
50 Main unit side hook metal fitting 51 Adapter member 52 Rack fixing metal fitting 57 Rack side hook metal fitting 54 Rack side hook 100,200 Pouch product

Claims (5)

It is a product storage rack of a vending machine that sells products with hooks at the mouth part, constructing the frame body of the product storage rack with the upper, lower, left, and right frame materials, and erection in the vertical direction on the left and right frame materials The product is supported by the hook portion of the product, and slanted so that the rear side is lower than the front side (product insertion side) so that the product slides by its own weight and is accommodated in a hanging manner and at the rear end part. In a product storage rack of a vending machine, which is provided with a product support unit having a carry-out mechanism, and the product support unit is detachably installed on a frame material for constructing a product storage rack,
The frame members are arranged vertically, and a pair of left and right support frame members extending in the front-rear direction, a pair of front and rear vertical frame members fixed to the support frame members, and a plurality of vertical frame members installed vertically on the front vertical frame member. The product support unit is composed of a pair of left and right sandwiching members arranged at intervals so as to sandwich the product and connecting members before and after connecting the sandwiching members, and protrudes left and right from the product supporting unit. A product storage rack for a vending machine, characterized in that the engaging part is engaged with the engaging part of the vertical frame member on the rear side, and the connecting member on the front side of the product supporting unit is engaged with the beam member. .. A product unloading passage through which a product carried out from the product supporting unit falls, the product carrying unit being formed to extend in a vertical direction by being closed by a back plate and a side plate attached to the rear side of the support frame member,
A delivery member that is attached to the lower part of the back plate and the side plate so as to be higher toward the rear side and incline downward as it goes forward, and that sends out the products that have fallen through the product delivery passage along the slope. The product storage rack of the vending machine according to claim 1, wherein: The product unloading mechanism is
A solenoid that is a drive source,
When the solenoid is in a non-excited state, it is advanced to move to the product storage passage and is most likely to move forward and backward in a manner orthogonal to the extending direction of the product storage passage formed between the holding members. While the rearmost product arranged rearward is locked, when the solenoid is in an excited state, the solenoid is retracted from the product storage passage and the locked state with the last product is released and the last product is released. A first stopper that allows the
When the solenoid is in a non-excited state, the solenoid is retracted while the solenoid is in a non-excited state, while the solenoid is in an excited state. And a second stopper for advancing into the product storage passage and locking the second product from the rear adjacent to the rearmost product. Product storage rack for vending machines. The engaging portion protruding leftward and rightward from the product support unit is a stepped screw, and the engaging portion of the rear vertical frame member is a notch that receives the stepped screw. The product storage rack of the vending machine according to claim 2. The sandwiching member is formed by a thin coated steel sheet having a lubricious coating on one surface, and the end portions of the sandwiching member facing each other with a predetermined gap are provided on the other side of the coated steel sheet. The product storage rack of the vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the surfaces are in contact with each other and double-holded to form a sliding tree shape.

Images