JP2022064696A - Merchandise storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a merchandise storage device that can perform excellent carrying-in and carrying-out of a merchandise even if the merchandise is the relatively light-weight merchandise.SOLUTION: A merchandise storage device includes: a base that forms a merchandise storage pathway 20a in an upward region; and a spiral that is configured to be spirally wound along an extending direction of the merchandise storage pathway. The merchandise storage device comprises: a sold-out detection lever 52 that is oscillatably disposed in the base so as to advance and retreat to/from the merchandise storage pathway 20a through a lever opening of the base, advances to the merchandise storage pathway 20a by being urged by a lever spring 55 in a normal state, and retreats from the merchandise storage pathway 20a against urging force of the lever spring 55 when being pressed by a merchandise between pitches at the forefront; and a lever mechanism that, when driving force is given by a lever motor, compulsory causes the sold-out detection lever 52 to oscillate against the urging force of the lever spring 55.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 16

Description

The present invention relates to a product storage device, and more particularly to a product storage device applied to a vending machine that sells a product.

Conventionally, in a vending machine that sells products, the products stored in the product storage device of the product storage are delivered to a transport tray, and then the products are transported by the transport tray and delivered to a predetermined product take-out area. There is something. The merchandise take-out area is a space that communicates with the outside of the merchandise storage through the merchandise outlet, and the purchased merchandise can be taken out if the user inserts his / her hand from the merchandise take-out port.

Normally, in this type of vending machine, the door body constituting the front surface is composed of a transparent face plate such as glass, and the product stored in the product storage device of the product storage is visually selected from the outside. Further, it is possible to observe a state in which the purchased product delivered from the product storage device is transported to the product removal area by the transport tray. As described above, the vending machine in which the inside of the product storage can be visually recognized has an advantage that the user's purchasing motivation can be increased.

The product storage device in such a vending machine is configured to include a base, a spiral, and a spiral pressing member.

The base has a flat plate shape and is for forming a product storage passage extending in the front-rear direction in the upper region. The product storage passages are arranged side by side in a state of being partitioned by a partition plate or the like erected on the upper surface of the base.

The spiral is configured to be spirally wound along the extending direction of the product storage passage. This spiral rotates around the central axis when the driving force is transmitted from the transport motor via the transmission member.

The spiral pressing member is formed by processing a long strip-shaped sheet metal. This spiral pressing member extends along the extending direction of the product storage passage inside the spiral with the front end fixed to the base, and the product is placed on the upper surface. The rear end portion of the spiral pressing member is connected to the disk-shaped member. The disk-shaped member has a through hole formed therein, and is supported by the transmission member by inserting the shaft portion of the transmission member through the through hole.

In the product storage device having such a configuration, the product placed on the spiral pressing member is normally restrained between the pitches of the spiral, and the product restrained between the pitches when the spiral rotates. Is gradually carried forward and the front product is paid out.

The product storage device is provided with a sold-out detection lever and a sold-out detecting means. The sold-out detection lever is swingably arranged on the spiral pressing member so as to move forward and backward to the product storage passage, and is normally urged by the urging means to move forward and backward to the product storage passage. When pressed by a product between pitches, it regresses from the product storage aisle against the urging force of the urging means.

The sold-out detection means detects that there is a product when the sold-out detection lever moves backward from the product storage aisle, while it detects that there is no product when the sold-out detection lever moves forward to the product storage passage. (See, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2016-139314

By the way, in the above-mentioned product storage device, the sold-out detection lever swayably arranged on the spiral presser member is urged by the urging means so as to advance and move to the product storage passage. There was a problem.

That is, when the product placed on the spiral pressing member and restrained between each pitch of the spiral is relatively lightweight, the urging means is attached when each product is carried forward by the rotation of the spiral. There was a risk that the attitude of the product would be disturbed by the forces, and the delivery and delivery of the product would become unstable.

In view of the above circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a product storage device capable of satisfactorily carrying out and paying out even a relatively lightweight product.

In order to achieve the above object, the product storage device according to the present invention has a base forming a product storage passage extending in the front-rear direction in the upper region and a spiral shape along the extending direction of the product storage passage. A product that is configured to be wound around a product and is provided with a spiral that is rotatably arranged around a central axis in the product storage passage, and is constrained between each pitch of the spiral when the spiral rotates. It is a product storage device that gradually carries out the product toward the front and pays out the front product, and is swingably arranged on the base in a manner of advancing and retreating to the product storage passage through a lever opening formed in the base. While being installed and normally urged by the urging means to advance and move to the product storage passage, when pressed by the product between the front pitches, the urging force of the urging means is countered. A sold-out detection lever that moves backward from the product storage passage, and a lever swing that forcibly swings the sold-out detection lever against the urging force of the urging means when a driving force is applied from the drive source. It is characterized by having a dynamic mechanism.

Further, according to the present invention, in the product storage device, the lever swing mechanism uses the sold-out detection lever in a posture of regressing from the product storage passage when a driving force is applied from the drive source. It is characterized by forcibly swinging against the urging force of the urging means.

Further, in the present invention, in the product storage device, the product storage passages are arranged side by side in a state of being partitioned from each other in the upper region of the base, and the lever swing mechanism has a driving force from the drive source. When given, the sold-out detection lever, which is arranged so as to swing back and forth with respect to each product storage passage, is forcibly swung against the urging force of the urging means. It is characterized by that.

According to the present invention, the sold-out detection lever swayably arranged on the base in a manner of advancing and retreating to the product storage passage through the lever opening formed in the base urges the urging means in the normal state. While moving forward to the product storage passage, when pressed by the product between the front pitches, it moves backward from the product storage passage against the urging force of the urging means, and the lever swing mechanism moves from the drive source. When the driving force is applied, the sold-out detection lever is forcibly swung against the urging force of the urging means, so that the amount of advance movement of the sold-out detection lever to the product storage passage can be regulated. When a product placed on the base and restrained between each pitch is carried forward as the spiral rotates, it is possible to prevent the posture from being disturbed by the sold-out detection lever. This has the effect that even relatively lightweight products can be carried out and paid out satisfactorily.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view schematically showing an internal structure of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing one product storage device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of the product storage device shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a main part of the product storage device shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing a characteristic control system of the product storage device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a main part of the product storage device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 by omitting some components. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the components of the product storage device shown in FIG. 6 in an exploded manner. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing a part of the components of the product storage device shown in FIG. 6 in an exploded manner. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a sold-out detection unit constituting the product storage device shown in FIG. 2 and the like. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view of a sold-out detection unit constituting the product storage device shown in FIG. 2 and the like. FIG. 11 is a side view showing a state in which the sold-out detection lever constituting the sold-out detection unit shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 has advanced and moved to the product storage passage. FIG. 12 is a side view showing a state in which the sold-out detection lever constituting the sold-out detection unit shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is moved backward from the product storage passage. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the sold-out detection unit showing a state in which the sold-out detection lever has moved backward from the product storage passage. FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the lever swing mechanism. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lever swing mechanism. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining the operation of the lever swing mechanism. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional side view of the product storage device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining the operation of the lever swing mechanism. FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining the operation of the lever swing mechanism. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining the operation of the lever swing mechanism. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional side view for explaining the operation of the lever swing mechanism.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the product storage device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view schematically showing an internal structure of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vending machine illustrated here is configured to include a main body cabinet 1.

The main body cabinet 1 is a rectangular vending machine main body having an opening (hereinafter, also referred to as a front opening) on the front surface, and a product storage 2 having a heat insulating structure is provided inside the main body cabinet 1. The product storage 2 is provided with a plurality of product storage devices 20 in a plurality of stages along the vertical direction. These product storage devices 20 are erected between the support side plates (not shown) erected on the left and right sides of the product storage 2, respectively, and store the products, and the configuration thereof will be described later.

Further, the product storage 2 is provided with an evaporator 3 as a cooling means. The evaporator 3 constitutes a refrigerating cycle in which the refrigerant is circulated with the compressor 5 installed in the machine room 4, the condenser 6, and the like, and the refrigerant passing through the refrigerant passage (not shown) and its surroundings are separated from each other. The air is cooled by exchanging heat with the air inside the passing goods storage 2. Here, the machine room 4 is a room defined on the lower side of the product storage 2 inside the main body cabinet 1.

The air cooled around the evaporator 3 is sucked into the ventilation passage 9 from the suction port 8a of the rear duct 8 installed on the back surface of the product storage 2 by driving the air blower fan 7 in the refrigerator, and this ventilation is provided. The products stored in the product storage device 20 are cooled by being blown out from the air outlet 8b after passing through the road 9.

In the front area of the product storage device 20, transport rails 10 are arranged on both sides of the transport rails 10 in a pair on the left and right sides, and the transport trays 11 are arranged along the vertical direction between the transport rails 10 by a transport mechanism (not shown). It is arranged so that it can be moved. That is, a transport passage 12 for passing the transport tray 11 is formed between the transport rails 10. The transport passage 12 extends to the front of the machine room 4, and the transport passage 12 and the machine room 4 are partitioned by a partition heat insulating material 13.

The main body cabinet 1 is provided with a door body 14 and a closing member 15. The door body 14 opens and closes the upper part of the front opening of the main body cabinet 1, more specifically, the front area of the product storage 2, and is arranged on one side edge of the main body cabinet 1 for opening and closing movement. The door body 14 has a heat insulating structure, and is provided with a heat insulating glass plate (not shown) that enables the inside to be visually recognized from the outside.

The closing member 15 closes the lower portion of the front opening of the main body cabinet 1, more specifically, the lower portion of the front opening of the main body cabinet 1 that cannot be closed by the door body 14. Therefore, the closing member 15 closes the front of the transport passage 12 formed in front of the machine room 4.

A rectangular product outlet 15a is formed on the closing member 15. The product outlet 15a is an opening for the user to take out the product transported through the transport tray 11, and is opened and closed by the product take-out door 16.

The product storage device 20 will be described. Since the product storage devices 20 provided in a plurality of stages along the vertical direction of the product storage 2 have a common configuration, one product storage device 20 will be described below.

2 is a plan view showing one product storage device 20 shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are perspective views showing a main part of the product storage device 20 shown in FIG. 2, respectively. FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing a characteristic control system of the product storage device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

The product storage device 20 exemplified here includes a base 21, a spiral 30, a spiral pressing member 40, a sold-out detection unit 50, a lever swing mechanism 60, and a control unit 70.

The base 21 is a rectangular flat plate made of, for example, a sheet metal or the like, and constitutes the bottom of the product storage device 20. A plurality of partition plates 22a and 22b extending in the front-rear direction are erected on the upper surface of the base 21, whereby the upper region of the base 21 extends in the front-rear direction. A plurality of product storage passages 20a are arranged side by side on the left and right. These partition plates 22a and 22b form the side wall of the product storage passage 20a, and the partition plate 22a arranged on the left side of the product storage passage 20a constitutes the left side wall (one side wall) of the product storage passage 20a. The first side wall component, the partition plate 22b arranged on the right side of the product storage passage 20a, is the second side wall component constituting the right side wall (the other side wall) of the product storage passage 20a.

As shown in FIG. 6, the spiral 30 is formed by, for example, a metal rod-shaped body spirally wound along the front-rear direction (extending direction of the product storage passage 20a). The spiral 30 is wound in such a manner that the rear end portion 31 is dense and the restraint region 32 excluding the rear end portion 31 is sparse, and the restraint region 32 can restrain the product between each pitch. There is, and the rear end portion 31 functions as a spring.

As shown in FIG. 7, such a spiral 30 has a rear end portion 31 connected to a transmission member 34 of the drive unit 33. The drive unit 33 is attached to the base 21 so as to be arranged at the rear end portion of the product storage passage 20a. The drive unit 33 houses a spiral motor 36 (see FIG. 5), which is a transport drive source, inside the drive case 35, and is a rod-shaped transmission member that protrudes forward from the drive case 35. 34 is provided.

The transmission member 34 rotates around its own central axis when the spiral motor 36 is driven by a command given from the control unit 70, and more specifically, rotates clockwise when viewed from the front. The central axis of the transmission member 34 is adjusted to coincide with the central axis of the spiral 30, and the spiral 30 rotates integrally with the transmission member 34.

Therefore, the spiral 30 is integrally restrained between the pitches in the restraint region 32 by rotating around the central axis (rotating clockwise when viewed from the front) integrally with the transmission member 34, and is mounted on the upper surface of the base 21. The placed products are gradually carried out toward the front, and the products restrained between the front pitches are paid out toward the front.

By the way, the carry-out detection unit 37 (see FIG. 5) is housed inside the drive case 35. The carry-out detection unit 37 detects that the transmission member 34 makes one rotation. As described above, since the spiral 30 rotates integrally with the transmission member 34, the carry-out detection unit 37 detects that the spiral 30 makes one rotation. When the carry-out detection unit 37 detects that the transmission member 34 (spiral 30) has made one rotation, the carry-out detection unit 37 gives that effect to the control unit 70.

The spiral pressing member 40 is a long member having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction, which is formed by, for example, bending a sheet metal or the like. As shown in FIG. 8, such a spiral pressing member 40 is configured by integrally forming a pressing base 41, a pressing front end portion 42, and a pressing rear end portion 43.

The presser base 41 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending along the front-rear direction, and its upper end portion and lower end portion are curved to the left to form a curl shape. The presser foot front end portion 42 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending to the left from the front end portion of the presser foot base 41. Two mounting holes 42a are formed in the presser foot front end portion 42. The presser foot rear end portion 43 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending to the right from the presser foot base portion 41 rear end portion. One connecting hole 43a is formed in the pressing rear end portion 43.

As shown in FIG. 8, the spiral pressing member 40 having such a configuration is inserted into the spiral 30 from the front, and the tip portion of the transmission member 34 is relatively inserted into the connecting hole 43a of the pressing rear end portion 43. The mounting screw 45 for inserting the mounting hole 42a of the presser front end portion 42 from the front while being inserted is screwed into the front end surface of the left partition plate 22a to be mounted. In the spiral pressing member 40 attached to the left partition plate 22a in this way, the surface of the pressing base 41 faces the right partition plate 22b.

As a result, the spiral presser member 40 has the front end portion 42 of the presser foot fixed to the left partition plate 22a, which is the first side wall component constituting one side wall of the product storage passage 20a, in the front-rear direction inside the spiral 30. The maximum left-right width of the product that can be constrained between each pitch is defined between the product storage passage 20a and the right partition plate 22b, which is the second side wall component constituting the other side wall of the product storage passage 20a. ing.

Such a spiral pressing member 40 is for restricting the spiral 30 from being displaced in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction when the spiral 30 rotates around the central axis.

9 and 10 show the sold-out detection unit 50 constituting the product storage device 20 shown in FIG. 2 and the like, respectively, FIG. 9 is a perspective view, and FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view. The sold-out detection unit 50 exemplified here includes a unit main body 51, a sold-out detection lever 52, and a sold-out detection unit 53 (see FIG. 5).

The unit main body 51 is, for example, a box-shaped body formed of a resin material and having an opening at an upper portion, and is attached to the base 21 in such a manner that the rectangular lever opening 21a formed in the base 21 is closed from below. There is. The lever opening 21a is formed in a portion of the base 21 that is a lower region of the front end portion of the product storage passage 20a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the unit main body 51 is covered with a base cover 23 so as not to be exposed from other than the lever opening 21a. Further, lever support holes 51a are formed on both left and right sides of the unit main body 51 in a paired manner, and cam support holes 51b are formed on the rear side of the lever support holes 51a.

The sold-out detection lever 52 is formed of, for example, a resin material, and is configured by integrally molding the lever base portion 521 and the lever acting portion 522.

The lever base 521 is a long portion extending along the front-rear direction, and through holes 521a are formed in a paired manner on the left and right, and the through holes 521a are formed on the front side of the formed portion. The shielding plate 521b is attached so as to project downward.

The lever acting portion 522 is a substantially flat plate-shaped portion connected to the upper end portion of the lever base portion 521 and having a longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. The left-right width dimension of the lever acting portion 522 is smaller than the left-right width dimension of the lever opening 21a.

Such a sold-out detection lever 52 is installed on the unit main body 51 in a state where the columnar lever shaft portion 54 penetrating the through hole 521a penetrates the lever support hole 51a, whereby the central shaft of the lever shaft portion 54 is installed. It is supported by the unit main body 51 in such a manner that it can swing around in the vertical direction. Further, between the through holes 521a constituting the sold-out detection lever 52, one is locked to the sold-out detection lever 52 and the other is locked to the unit main body 51 in a manner of winding the lever shaft portion 54. 55 is provided. The lever spring 55 is an urging means for urging the sold-out detection lever 52 upward.

As a result, the sold-out detection lever 52 is swingably arranged on the unit main body 51 (base 21) so as to move back and forth to the product storage passage 20a through the lever opening 21a, and is normally arranged as shown in FIG. In, the lever spring 55 is urged to move forward to the product storage passage 20a. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12, when the sold-out detection lever 52 is pressed by the product between the front pitches in the restraint region 32 of the spiral 30, the product storage passage is opposed to the urging force of the lever spring 55. It regresses from 20a.

The sold-out detection unit 53 is provided in the unit main body 51, and is configured by, for example, an optical sensor or the like. When the sold-out detection lever 52 advances to the product storage passage 20a, the sold-out detection unit 53 receives the light from the light emitting unit 531 by the light receiving unit 532 and is turned on, while the sold-out detection lever 52 is turned on. When the product moves backward from the product storage passage 20a, the light from the light emitting unit 531 is blocked by the shielding plate 521b and the light receiving unit 532 does not receive the light and is turned off. Then, the sold-out detection unit 53 detects that there is a product between the front pitches of the spiral 30 when it is turned off, and detects that there is no product between the front pitches of the spiral 30 when it is turned on. This is to be given to the control unit 70 as a signal to that effect.

As shown in FIG. 14, the lever swing mechanism 60 includes a cam member 61, a lever motor 63 (see FIG. 5), and a rotation amount detecting unit 64 (see FIG. 5). The cam member 61 is formed of, for example, a resin material, and is configured by integrally molding a cam base portion 611 and a cam acting portion 612.

The cam base portion 611 is a portion having a columnar shape, and a linking hole 611a extending in the left-right direction is formed therein. The linking hole 611a has a regular hexagonal shape. The cam acting portion 612 is a portion extending from a part of the peripheral surface of the cam base portion 611 toward the outside in the radial direction of the cam base portion 611, and the outer peripheral surface 612a is a portion forming an arc shape. A notch portion 612b is formed at one end of the cam acting portion 612.

In the unit main body 51, such a cam member 61 is rotatably arranged in the unit main body 51 by penetrating the linking hole 611a through the transmission rod 62 penetrating the cam support hole 51b. The transmission rod 62 is a long member extending along the left-right direction, and has a regular hexagonal shape so as to fit into the linking hole 611a. As a result, the cam member 61 can rotate together with the transmission rod 62 around the central axis of the transmission rod 62. Although the details of the cam member 61 will be described later, when the cam member 61 rotates around the central axis of the transmission rod 62, the notch portion 612b of the cam acting portion 612 is the rear end portion of the sold-out detection lever 52, that is, the lever acting portion 522. It is possible to abut on the rear end portion and then the outer peripheral surface 612a of the cam acting portion 612 is in sliding contact. That is, in the unit main body 51, the cam base portion 611 is separated from the sold-out detection lever 52, but the outer peripheral surface 612a of the cam acting portion 612 is arranged at a position where it can be slidably contacted with the sold-out detection lever 52. Has been done.

As shown in FIG. 15, such a transmission rod 62 is a unit main body constituting each sold-out detection unit 50 provided corresponding to the product storage passages 20a arranged side by side in the product storage device 20. It penetrates 51. That is, the transmission rod 62 penetrates through the linking holes 611a of the plurality of cam members 61 installed in one product storage device 20.

The lever motor 63 is linked to the right end of the transmission rod 62 via a linking means (not shown), and is a drive source that drives in response to a command given from the control section 70. The lever motor 63 rotates the transmission rod 62 around the central axis when driven in response to a command given from the control unit 70, whereby each cam member 61 is rotated together with the transmission rod 62. It is rotated around the central axis of 62.

The rotation amount detection unit 64 is composed of, for example, a plurality of microswitches, a plurality of optical sensors, and the like, and detects the presence or absence of a protrusion (not shown) formed on the transmission rod 62 to detect the rotation amount of the transmission rod 62. That is, it detects the amount of rotation of the cam member 61. The rotation amount detection unit gives the detected rotation amount to the control unit 70 as a signal.

The control unit 70 is electrically connected to the carry-out detection unit 37, the sold-out detection unit 53, the spiral motor 36, the lever motor 63, and the rotation amount detection unit 64, and is electrically like the carry-out detection unit 37 and the like. It is a control means for comprehensively controlling the operation of the product storage device 20 according to the programs and data stored in the connected storage unit 71. Further, the control unit 70 is a higher-level device and is electrically connected to the vending machine control unit 80 that comprehensively controls the sales operation and the product management operation of the vending machine to which the product storage device 20 is applied.

The control unit 70 may be realized by, for example, a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), that is, software, or hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit). It may be realized by using software and hardware together.

In the product storage device 20 having the above configuration, under normal conditions, as shown in FIG. 16, the sold-out detection lever 52 and the cam member 61 are in a non-contact state with each other. As a result, the sold-out detection lever 52 moves forward with respect to the product storage passage 20a due to the urging force of the lever spring 55, but the product is restrained between each pitch including the front pitch of the spiral 30. By being pressed, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the product is moved backward from the product storage passage 20a.

In such a state, the product selection means (product selection button, etc.) provided on the door body 14 is selected and operated by the user, and the selected product is processed with money, so that the vending machine control unit 80 A payout command is given to the control unit 70 of the product storage device 20 that stores the product selected from.

The control unit 70, which is given a payout command from the vending machine control unit 80 in this way, gives a drive command to the spiral motor 36 of the drive unit 33 of the product storage passage 20a for storing the corresponding product. As a result, the spiral motor 36 is driven, and the spiral 30 together with the transmission member 34 rotates clockwise around the central axis when viewed from the front.

By rotating the spiral 30 in this way, as shown in FIG. 17, the product placed on the upper surface of the base 21 is carried forward while being restrained between the pitches in the restraint region 32 of the spiral 30. , Goods restrained between the front pitches are paid out forward. The product from which the product has been discharged from the spiral 30 is received by the transport tray 11 and transported to the vicinity of the product outlet 15a, and then can be taken out through the product outlet 15a.

When the carry-out detection unit 37 detects that the spiral 30 has made one rotation, the control unit 70, which is given a signal from the carry-out detection unit 37 that the spiral 30 has made one rotation, issues a drive stop command to the spiral motor 36. give. As a result, the rotation of the spiral 30 is stopped.

By paying out the products between the frontmost pitches in this way, the sold-out detection lever 52 swings upward in a manner of advancing and moving with respect to the product storage passage 20a by the urging force of the lever spring 55. However, when the product is pressed by the product restrained between the front pitches, the product is moved backward from the product storage passage 20a. Therefore, the sold-out detection unit 53 continues to be off, and it is detected that there is a product.

By the way, when the product restrained between each pitch is relatively lightweight, the posture of the product is changed by the urging force of the lever spring 55 when the product between each pitch is carried forward by the rotation of the spiral 30. There is a risk of being disturbed.

In this case, the control unit 70 gives a drive command to the lever motor 63, and the transmission rod 62 and the cam member 61 are clockwise when viewed from the right side until the rotation amount detection unit 64 detects that the rotation amount detection unit 64 has rotated by a predetermined angle. Rotate to.

Here, as a predetermined angle detected by the rotation amount detection unit 64, as shown in FIG. 18, the notch portion 612b of the cam member 61 abuts on the rear end portion of the sold-out detection lever 52, and the sold-out detection lever The size of the 52 is such that the lever spring 55 can be forcibly swung downward by a predetermined amount against the urging force of the lever spring 55.

As a result, it is possible to regulate the amount of advance movement of the sold-out detection lever 52 with respect to the product storage passage 20a, and the product placed on the base 21 and restrained between the pitches is directed forward as the spiral 30 rotates. It is possible to prevent the posture from being disturbed by the reaction force (urging force) of the sold-out detection lever 52 (lever spring 55) when the product is carried out.

Further, in the product storage device 20, when the products stored in the product storage passage 20a are stored in a frozen state, the door body 14 is swung in the opening direction to open the upper portion of the front opening of the main body cabinet 1. When the product is replenished, dew condensation occurs, and the generated dew water freezes, causing the sold-out detection lever 52 to join the base 21 due to freezing, and there is a risk that the function as the sold-out detection lever 52 will not be exhibited. There is.

Therefore, when the vending machine control unit 80 gives that the door body 14 swings in the opening direction and then swings in the closing direction to close the upper portion of the front opening of the main body cabinet 1, the control unit 70 may change the door body 14. A drive command is given to the lever motor 63 continuously or intermittently for a predetermined time (for example, about 30 minutes).

As a result, the transmission rod 62 and the cam member 61 rotate clockwise when viewed from the right side, and as shown in FIG. 19, the sold-out detection lever in a state of being pressed by the product between each pitch and regressing from the product storage passage 20a. The cutout portion 612b abuts on the rear end portion of the 52, and then, as shown in FIG. 20, the outer peripheral surface 612a of the cam acting portion 612 of the cam member 61 slides into contact with the rear end portion of the sold-out detection lever 52. The sold-out detection lever 52 is forcibly swung downward against the urging force of the lever spring 55.

By rotating the cam member 61 in this way, as shown in FIG. 21, when the sliding contact state between the outer peripheral surface 612a of the cam acting portion 612 and the rear end portion of the sold-out detection lever 52 is released, the cam member 61 is sold out. Since the detection lever 52 and the cam member 61 are separated from each other, the sold-out detection lever 52 swings upward due to the urging force of the lever spring 55. Since the product is restrained between the pitches of the spiral 30 in the product storage passage 20a, the sold-out detection lever 52 is pressed by the product and regresses from the product storage passage 20a.

Then, the notch portion 612b of the cam member 61 that rotates as it is comes into contact with the rear end portion of the sold-out detection lever 52 again, and then the outer peripheral surface 612a of the cam acting portion 612 slides into contact with the rear end portion of the sold-out detection lever 52. As a result, the sold-out detection lever 52 is forcibly swung downward against the urging force of the lever spring 55, and the outer peripheral surface 612a of the cam acting portion 612 is in sliding contact with the rear end portion of the sold-out detection lever 52. When the state is released, the sold-out detection lever 52 swings upward due to the urging force of the lever spring 55.

In this way, each time the cam member 61 makes one rotation, the sold-out detection lever 52 that has regressed from the product storage passage 20a can be swung up and down, and the sold-out detection lever 52 is the base due to the freezing of dew condensation water. It is possible to suppress joining with 21.

As described above, in the product storage device 20 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the spiral presser member 40 has a left partition plate 22a (the first side wall of the product storage passage 20a in which the presser front end portion 42 constitutes one side wall of the product storage passage 20a. With the right partition plate 22b (second side wall component) that extends along the front-rear direction inside the spiral 30 while being fixed to the one side wall component) and constitutes the other side wall of the product storage passage 20a. Since the maximum left-right width of the product that can be restrained between each pitch is defined, it is possible to restrain the product between each pitch of the restraint region 32 of the spiral 30 while the product is placed on the upper surface of the base 21. Become.

As a result, according to the product storage device 20, the product can be satisfactorily restrained between each pitch of the spiral 30, and the product can be satisfactorily carried out and discharged.

Since the spiral presser member 40 regulates the spiral 30 to be displaced in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction when the spiral 30 rotates around the central axis, the presser front end portion 42 is forward of the front end portion of the spiral 30. Need to be placed. When the spiral pressing member 40 is attached to a column case or the like as in the conventional case, the product is placed and the front end portion thereof is arranged in front of the spiral, so that the distance between the front pitches due to the rotation of the spiral In some cases, the product restrained by the spiral presser member was placed on the front end portion of the spiral pressing member, and could not be satisfactorily dispensed toward the front.

However, in the product storage device 20, since the spiral presser member 40 is attached to the partition plate 22a on the left side, the presser front end 42 is arranged on the front side of the spiral 30 front end, but the product is loaded. The front end portion of the base 21 to be placed can be formed below the front end portion of the spiral 30. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, by disposing the block 24 having the inclined surface 24a that gradually inclines downward toward the front at the front end portion of the base 21, the inclined surface 24a of the block 24 is shoter. As a result, the product can be guided forward by the rotation of the spiral 30, whereby the front product can be reliably trimmed and the product can be satisfactorily paid out.

Further, according to the product storage device 20, the rear end portion 31 of the spiral 30 functions as a spring by being wound in such a manner that the pitch distance is closer than that of the restraint region 32, so that the spiral 30 functions as a spring. The blur can be absorbed by the rear end portion 31 during rotation, and vibration or the like can be suppressed from being transmitted to the transmission member 34 or the like.

Further, according to the above-mentioned product storage device 20, when the lever swing mechanism 60 applies a driving force from the lever motor 63, the sold-out detection lever 52 is forced downward against the urging force of the lever spring 55. Therefore, it is possible to regulate the amount of advance movement of the sold-out detection lever 52 with respect to the product storage passage 20a, and the product placed on the base 21 and restrained between each pitch is accompanied by the rotation of the spiral 30. It is possible to prevent the posture from being disturbed by the sold-out detection lever 52 when the product is carried out toward the front, whereby even a relatively lightweight product can be carried out and paid out satisfactorily. ..

Further, according to the product storage device 20, the lever swing mechanism 60 causes the sold-out detection lever 52 in a posture of regressing from the product storage passage 20a when a driving force is applied from the lever motor 63 to the lever spring. Since it is forcibly swung against the urging force of 55, the sold-out detection lever 52 is joined to the base 21 by freezing the dew condensation water by swinging the sold-out detection lever 52 up and down. It is possible to prevent it from being stored, and it is possible to satisfactorily detect sold-out.

In particular, the lever swing mechanism 60 includes a sold-out detection lever 52 that is swayably arranged so as to move forward and backward with respect to the respective product storage passages 20a when a driving force is applied from the lever motor 63. Since the lever spring 55 is forcibly swung against the urging force, it is common to the sold-out detection lever 52 of each product storage passage 20a, and the number of parts is reduced to reduce the manufacturing cost. Can be planned.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made.

In the above-described embodiment, the lever swing mechanism 60 is applied to the sold-out detection lever 52 constituting each product storage passage 20a, but in the present invention, the lever swing mechanism is 1 It may be provided corresponding to one sold-out detection lever.

In the above-described embodiment, the spiral pressing member 40 is attached to the left partition plate 22a, but in the present invention, the spiral pressing member 40 may be attached to the right partition plate 22b.

1 ... Main body cabinet, 2 ... Product storage, 20 ... Product storage device, 20a ... Product storage passage, 21 ... Base, 21a ... Lever opening, 22a, 22b ... Partition plate, 30 ... Spiral, 31 ... Rear end, 32 ... Restraint area, 33 ... Drive unit, 34 ... Transmission member, 35 ... Drive case, 36 ... Spiral motor, 37 ... Carry-out detection unit, 40 ... Spiral presser member, 41 ... Presser base, 42 ... Presser front end, 43 ... Rear end of the presser, 50 ... Sold out detection unit, 51 ... Unit body, 52 ... Sold out detection lever, 53 ... Sold out detection unit, 54 ... Lever shaft, 55 ... Lever spring, 60 ... Lever swing mechanism, 61 ... Cam member, 611 ... Cam base, 612 ... Cam acting unit, 62 ... Transmission rod, 63 ... Lever motor, 64 ... Rotation amount detection unit, 70 ... Control unit, 80 ... Vending machine control unit.

Claims (3)

A base that forms a product storage aisle that extends in the front-back direction in the upper area,
It is configured to be spirally wound along the extending direction of the product storage passage, and is provided with a spiral rotatably arranged around the central axis in the product storage passage.
A product storage device that, when the spiral rotates, gradually carries out the products restrained between the pitches of the spiral toward the front and pays out the front product.
It is oscillatingly arranged on the base in a manner of advancing and retreating to the product storage passage through the lever opening formed in the base, and is normally urged by the urging means to move forward and backward to the product storage passage. On the other hand, when the product is pressed between the front pitches, the sold-out detection lever moves backward from the product storage aisle against the urging force of the urging means.
Product storage characterized by being equipped with a lever swing mechanism that forcibly swings the sold-out detection lever against the urging force of the urging means when a driving force is applied from the driving source. Device. When a driving force is applied from the driving source, the lever swing mechanism forces the sold-out detection lever, which is in a posture of regressing from the product storage passage, against the urging force of the urging means. The product storage device according to claim 1, wherein the product is oscillated. The product storage passages are arranged side by side in the upper area of the base in a state of being separated from each other.
The lever swing mechanism urges the sold-out detection lever, which is arranged so as to swing forward and backward with respect to each product storage passage when a driving force is applied from the drive source. The product storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the product is forcibly swung against the urging force of the means.

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