JP2548524Y2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

The present invention relates to a vending machine for substantially cylindrical products such as canned beverages, and furthermore, a product storage box is arranged at the lower part of a case in two upper and lower stages, and each product storage box is provided with a vending machine. The present invention relates to an improvement of a vending machine for feeding a product to a guide means arranged on an upper portion of a case by means of a unidirectional endless conveyor having a product support arm and vertically rising in a case.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of the above-mentioned vending machine is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-21.
No. 4998. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, the vending machine includes an upper product storage box 2, a lower product storage box 3, and a product storage box 2, which are arranged in two stages below a case 1.
A conveying device 7 having a product support arm 4 for receiving the products A and B of 3 and vertically rising and supplying the products to the upper guide means 5 or 6
Consisting of

[0003] Openings 2b, 3b are provided in the lower part of the back plate of the product storage boxes 2, 3 so that the product can be moved out.

The transfer device 7 is provided with the operating portion 7b of the support arm 4 over a pair of right and left vertically suspended rails 7a, 7a (one 7a is not shown) and provided on the operating portion 7b. It moves up and down along the rails 7a by the operation of the transport motor. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the operating portion 7b further includes an arm 7c that expands and contracts toward the product storage box 2 or 3.
And a pair of holding pieces 7d, 7d provided at the tip of this arm 7c.
And

In this vending machine, for example, when a product supply signal to the upper guide means 6 is issued, the operating portion 7b (FIG. 1) which is on standby with the holding pieces 7d, 7d on the upper side and the arm 7c contracted.
1) to the position corresponding to the product B in the product take-out section 2a of the product storage section 2 and then actuate the operating section rotating device (not shown) to move the telescopic arm 7c and the holding pieces 7d, 7d to the product. B, the telescopic arm 7c is extended, and the holding piece 7
Product B is sandwiched between d and 7d (FIG. 10).

Thereafter, the telescopic arm 7c is contracted and rotated to return to the state shown in FIG. 11, and the operating portion 7b is raised to a position facing the product receiving port 6a of the upper guide means 6 while holding the product B. The product B is supplied to the upper guide means 6 by performing substantially the same operation as described above.

When the supply is completed, the operating section 7b is returned to the state shown in FIG. 11, and descends and waits (FIG. 9).

In FIG. 9, reference numerals 8 and 8 denote exit stoppers of the upper guide means 5 and 6, and 9 denotes an outlet for taking out the product discharged from the guide means 5 and 6.

[0009]

The above-described vending machine has a function of detecting the stop position of the operating portion 7b, detecting the stop position of the telescopic arm 7c, and detecting that the holding pieces 7d, 7d hold the product. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a device for operating these operating portions, the telescopic arms, and the holding pieces, and to provide a processing device for each detection signal, and the device becomes complicated as a whole.

It is an object of the present invention to improve this point, to obtain a vending machine in which the electrical control is reduced and a mechanical structure is adopted, thereby simplifying the structure of taking out and transporting goods.

[0011]

According to the present invention, the lower part of the case is arranged in two stages, upper and lower, each having a side plate, a bottom plate and a vertical back plate, and a substantially cylindrical product is provided with its axis centered on the back. First (lower side), second (upper side) that is placed sideways and accommodated in a state parallel to the face plate
A product storage box, and a conveyor comprising two parallel unidirectional rotating endless chains having products supporting arms for receiving products from each product storage box and supplying the products to guide means provided on the upper part of the case. In the vending machine, the first product storage box has a center portion of the back plate cut off from the upper end to the lower portion, and an end portion of the bottom plate is continuous with the cut portion of the back plate.
The second product storage box is wider than the cut portion and narrower than the length of the product to be accommodated therein, and is cut away leaving a band-like fixed product support portion for supporting the product on both sides. The center of the back plate is cut from the upper end to the lower end, and the end of the bottom plate is continuous with the cut portion of the back plate, is wider than the cut portion, and is stored in the first product storage box. The product support arm can pass through the cutout portion of the bottom plate of the first product storage box, and the product support arm is wider than the cutout portion of the back plate of each product storage box, The product has a width capable of passing through the cut-out portion of the back plate, and comprises a connecting portion following the product receiving portion, and a direction in which the product receiving portion and the connecting portion are substantially perpendicular to the chain when ascending via the conveyor mounting portion. And projecting outward, and when descending, approximately parallel to the chain , Is mounted on the chain so as to be rotatable so as to be located at a position, and reciprocates in parallel with the outer surface of the back plate of the first or second product storage box to open or close between the back plates of the product storage boxes, and A shutter having shutter pieces positioned in parallel with each other in the vertical direction with a width equivalent to the width of the cut-out portion of the back plate, and a second product provided at the tip of the second product storage box on the bottom surface of the bottom plate of the second product storage box. It has a cut portion narrower than the length of the product stored in the storage box and wider than the width of the product receiving portion, and a band-shaped plate portion sandwiching the cut portion, and the band-shaped plate portion is below the cut portion of the bottom plate. A movable product supporting portion that slides along the lower surface of the bottom plate between a position where the product can be supported and a position where the cut portion is completely opened, and the product fixed to the lower surface of the band-shaped plate portion; The product placed on the support arm and rising Permit movement commodity supporting portion and the abutting member to be moved backward to the open position in the position, the movement commodity supporting portion and the retracted, after the commodity passage,
A sliding product support device having an elastic body for returning to the original product supportable position, and a width capable of passing through the cutout portions of the back plates of the first and second product storage boxes, and being wider than the product support arm. At a position in front of the conveyor in the traveling direction and at a position where only one product can be placed on the product receiving portion of the support arm, the limited component attached to the chain and the lower portion of the conveyor, which tend to turn upward. A control device for maintaining the product support arm in a direction substantially parallel to the chain or projecting outward in a direction substantially orthogonal to the chain.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
In these figures, 1, 5, 6, 8, and 9 indicate the same elements as those indicated by the same reference numerals in FIG.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the vending machine of this embodiment.
Here, reference numeral 10 denotes a first product storage box disposed below the case 1, 11 denotes a second product storage box disposed above the first product storage box, and 12 denotes a product that receives a product from the product storage box 10 or 11. It consists of two parallel unidirectional endless chains 12a (only one shown) having a support arm 13 and vertically rising inside the case and supplying the goods to the first or second upper guide means 5 or 6. Conveyors and 14 are limited parts for mounting only one product on the product support arm mounted on the chain 12a, and 15 is a part (FIG. 7) of the first and second product storage boxes 10 and 11 at an interval l. The shutter that opens and closes, 16 is the first and second
A guide member for opening and closing the product receiving side of the upper guide means, 1
Reference numeral 7 denotes a slide product support device that slides along the lower surface of the bottom plate 11c of the second product storage box 11. Products A and B
(Canned) is stored in the product storage box in a horizontal state, as is clear from the figure.

The structure of the product storage boxes 10 and 11 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.
In a, the central portion is cut from the upper end to the lower end (cut portions are indicated by 10b and 11b), while the back plate 10a,
The ends of the bottom plates 10c and 11c that are inclined to the 11a side are
The first product is cut after being continuous with the cut portions 10b and 11b and wider than the width w of the cut portion and narrower than the length of the product A to be accommodated therein (cut portions are indicated by 10d and 11d). In the storage box 10, the cut-out portion 10 d
On both sides, there are strip-shaped fixed product support portions 10e, 10e sufficient to support both ends of a product placed laterally with its axis parallel to the back plate 10a (interval between 10e). W is larger than w), and in the second product storage box 11, there is no equivalent to the fixed product support portion,
The cut portion 11d is configured to have a distance D extending to the left and right side plates 11f, 11f (FIG. 3) (accordingly,
Interval D> Interval W> Interval w). This interval D is wider than the length of the products stored in the first product storage box. In order to more reliably guide the product received from the first product storage box on the product support arm 13 and ascending in the second product storage box, the bottom plate 11 is provided on both sides of the cutout portion 11d from the lower end of the side plate 11f. A strip-shaped plate that opens downward may be attached.

The product support arm 13 of the conveyor 12 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, the width W1 of the first storage box 10 is wider than the width w of the back plate cut portion 10b and can pass through the bottom plate cut portion 10d.
And a connecting portion 13b having a width w1 that can pass through the cut-out portion 10b and connecting the product receiving portion 13a and the conveyor mounting portion 13c (FIG. 4). The conveyor mounting portion 13c is located at a corner formed by a connecting portion 13b and an auxiliary piece 13d that is perpendicular to the connecting portion 13b, and is rotatably attached to a shaft 13e fixed to two parallel chains 12a. . In addition, the goods receiving unit 13a is,
The whole may be tilted slightly obliquely upward, or the tip may be slightly bent as shown.

The product support arm 13 is configured such that the portion composed of the product receiving portion 13a and the connecting portion 13b is made heavier than the portion of the auxiliary piece 13d so that the product receiving arm 13a and the connecting portion 13b as shown on the right side of FIG. Is in a posture substantially parallel to the chain 12a, and when ascending, as shown on the left side of FIG. 4, the product receiving portion 13a and the connecting portion 13b project outward in a direction substantially perpendicular to the chain 12a (ie, toward the product storage box). (FIG. 1). In order to define the position of the product receiving portion 13a when ascending, the conveyor mounting portion 13c of the auxiliary piece 13d is used.
A regulating piece 13f that is in contact with the side surface is fixedly provided on the chain.

As shown in FIG. 4, in the chain 12a, only one product is placed on the product receiving portion 13a.
The limited part 14 is provided approximately 1.5 times above the size of the product from the product receiving portion 13a. This limited part 14 is shown in FIG.
6, the shaft 14a (which is the chain 12a
), And three parallel sliding shafts having one end slidably mounted on the base (the center sliding shaft is denoted by 14d and the other sliding shafts are denoted by 14c). And a limiting piece 14e fixed to the other end of each sliding shaft, a compression spring 14f mounted on the center sliding shaft 14d, and the limiting piece 14e when ascending, as in the product support arm 13, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the chain. It consists of a regulating piece 14h (FIG. 4) fixed to the chain 12a at a position where the protruding piece 14g of the base 14b abuts so as to be located outward.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in this embodiment, the shutter 15 is a fixing member 1 fixed to both side portions of the back plates 10a and 11a of the first and second product storage boxes 10 and 11.
5a, 15a; two guide pins 15b───15b screwed to the fixing members 15a, 15a, respectively; slide pieces 15d, 15d having elongated holes 15c, 15c sliding on the two guide pins; Shutter parts 15f, 15f, which are composed of shutter pieces 15e, 15e integral with and orthogonal to the slide pieces;
The connecting rods 15g and 15g of a moving device (not shown) for moving the 5f in the vertical direction. Note that the interval w3 between the shutter pieces 15e, 15e is the cutout portion 1 of the back plate.
0b, 11b, and the length L in the vertical direction of the shutter piece is slightly longer than the interval l between the first and second product storage boxes, and the position of the two guide pins 15b, 15b, slide The length of the slot 15c is set so that the shutter piece 15e can move between a position where the shutter piece 15e straddles between the first and second product storage boxes and a position where the shutter piece 15e releases between the first and second product storage boxes. did.

The slide product support device 17 (FIG. 3)
) Is the fixed product support portion 10 of the first product storage box 10.
e, two strip-shaped plate portions 17a, 17e, 1e (FIG. 2).
7a at the end, a guide portion 11g provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate 11c of the second product storage box 11 fits therein, and is capable of reciprocating in the longitudinal direction of the second product storage box along the lower surface of the bottom plate. A moving product support portion 17c having a long hole 17b, and an inclined surface 17d fixed to the lower surface of the band-shaped plate portions 17a, 17a and having a tip slightly projecting from the band-shaped plate portion 17a and extending rearward from the protruding portion. Contact members 17e, 17e
And a compression spring 17f for pressing the moving product support portion 17c in the direction of the conveyor 12.
1g, the long hole 17b and the spring 17f, the position where the band-shaped plate portions 17a and 17a cross the cut portion 11d of the bottom plate 11c to support both ends of the product (canned product, etc.) and the position where the cut portion 11d is opened. It was set to be able to reciprocate between the spaces. Note that the moving device for reciprocating motion may be a device having a well-known configuration.

As shown in FIG. 1, the guide member 16 provided on the product receiving side of the upper guide means 5 and 6 comprises a product passage blocking portion 16a, a product passage possible portion 16b, and a guide frame 16c. 16b is installed at a position corresponding to the respective entrances of the upper guide means 5 and 6 so as to be able to reciprocate up and down.

Reference numeral 18 in FIG. 1 denotes a support arm control device for controlling the movement of the commodity support arm 13 at the lower end of the conveyor 12, and includes a movable control part 18a movably mounted at a solid line position and a dotted line position. It comprises a driving device 18b for moving the control component 18a and a fixed control component 18c for guiding the product support arm to the component 18a.

[0022]

Since the vending machine of this embodiment has the above-described structure, for example, a product (not shown) for detecting a decrease in the number of commodities in the upper guide means supplies the commodities in the first commodity storage box 10 to the upper guide means. When the command is received, the movable control part 18a of the support arm control device 18 is moved from the dotted line position to the solid line position in FIG. 1, while it is on the fixed control part 18c and is substantially parallel to the chain. The commodity support arm 13 is disengaged from the fixed control part 18c when the chain starts to move, and the chain 1
It gradually changes its direction so that it is almost orthogonal to 2a and faces outward,
The first product storage box 10 passes between the bottom plate cutout portion 10d and the rear plate cutout portion 10b, and is loaded with the product A1 at the lower right end in the first product storage box and rises.

The limited part 14 mounted on the chain in front of the product support arm 13 in the traveling direction naturally enters the first product storage box prior to the product support arm and advances while being pressed against the product. And one product, ie, A1 on the product support arm.
Only the product A2 on the product A1 operates so as not to be placed. That is, when the product A1 is placed on the support arm 13, the product A2 thereon is pushed by the limited part 14, the center of gravity is inclined, and the product A2 moves as shown by the dotted line in FIG. I'll put you there.

The pair of shutter pieces 15e are first and second
The product A1 on the product support arm 13 is located between the product storage boxes, and the interval w3 between the shutter pieces 15e, 15e allows the passage of the connecting portion 13b. It rises along with it, contacts the contact member 17e of the slide product support device 17, and moves the device 17 away from the shutter 15. At this time, the product B1 in the cut-out portion 11d of the bottom of the second storage box 11 has no support at both ends, but the product A1 on the product support arm is not provided.
Supported by

This movement allows the product A1 to rise through the bottom plate cutout portion 11d of the second product storage box 11.

The second product storage box 11 is raised in the same manner as the product other than the product A1 is lifted in the first product storage box 10 while being pushed away by the limited parts 14, and the product support arm 13 is moved upward. Only the product A1 is placed outside the second product storage box 11 and continues to rise, is guided by the guide member 16, and the product A1 is moved to a predetermined upper guide means. When the pressing force on the contact member 17d is released as the product A1 rises, the moving product support member 17c returns to the original position by the action of the spring 17f. Does not fall down.

The chain is then stopped by the action of a detector (not shown) that issues a drive stop signal for the chain when the product support arm is detected, and the product support arm stands by at a predetermined position. At a position slightly above the entrance of the guide means 5, the product support arm at the lower position is fixed to the fixed control part 18.
Stand by at the position in contact with c. ).

Next, a case where the product B in the second product storage box 11 is supplied to the upper guide means will be described. In this case, when the supply command is received, the movable control part 18a of the support arm control device 18 moves to the dotted line position. Therefore, the product support arm 13 maintains the posture substantially parallel to the chain 12a, and the tip of the product receiving portion 13a is received by the back plate 10a of the first product storage box 10, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. Without contacting the first storage box with the above posture,
Rise.

The shutter 15 is moved by the above signal,
The shutter piece 15e is located on the back plate 11 of the second product storage box 11.
a, and is open between the first and second product storage boxes 10 and 11.

Therefore, the commodity support arm 13 that has passed the first commodity storage box 10 is no longer received, and assumes a posture substantially orthogonal to the chain and facing outward.

On the other hand, the two band-shaped plate portions 17a of the moving product support portion 17c pressed by the spring 17f cross the bottom plate cutout portion 11d of the second product storage box to support both ends of the product B1.

The limited part 14 and the product support arm 13 rise between the band-shaped plate portion 17a and the cut-out portion 11b of the rear plate of the second storage box. In the same manner as described above, only the product B1 is placed and raised, and it is delivered to a predetermined upper guide means.

In the above embodiment, the cutout portion 11d of the bottom plate of the second product storage box 11 is configured to extend to the left and right side plates 11f, 11f. However, such a structure is not necessarily required. The width of 11d only needs to be large enough to allow the products stored in the first product storage box to pass therethrough, and a strip-shaped plate may be provided on both sides of the cutout 11d.

The number of the product support arms 13 and the limited parts 14 attached to the chain 12a may be more than two.

In the case where a plurality of the apparatuses are juxtaposed and all the chains are driven by one driving device, the supply of the product is not required according to the product supply command of the line requiring the supply of the product. A chain of another line, for example, the chain 12a is also driven. At this time, the movable control part 18a of the chain 12a that does not require the supply of the product is moved to the position indicated by the dotted line, and the shutter pieces 15e are moved to the first and second positions. It may be located at a position that straddles the product storage box. Then, the commodity support arm 13 of the chain 12a is moved to the first and second arms.
Until it has passed through the product storage box, it is kept in a position substantially parallel to the chain, does not enter any storage box, and therefore does not carry the product.

When changing the posture of the product support arm between the first product storage box and the second product storage box in a direction substantially orthogonal to the chain, if the auxiliary parts such as leaf springs are used, the posture can be changed. Can be performed quickly.

[0037]

According to the present invention, the vending machine according to the present invention can reduce the electric control and make most of the mechanical structure, thereby avoiding the complexity of the apparatus and realizing accurate product transportation. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic layout explanatory view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a first product storage box 10 and a product support arm 13;

FIG. 3 shows a second product storage box 11 and a slide product support device 1
Exploded perspective view showing the positional relationship with 7

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the relationship between the product support section 13 and the limited parts 14;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the limited part 14;

6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG.

7 is a sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. 8, showing a relationship between the product storage boxes 10, 11 and the shutter 15.

8 is a sectional view taken along the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7, showing a relationship between the product storage boxes 10, 11 and the shutter 15.

FIG. 9 is a schematic layout explanatory view of an example of a conventional apparatus.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the operation unit in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of the operation of the operation unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case 5, 6 Upper guide means 10 1st goods storage box 10a The back plate 10b of the box 10 The cut part of the back plate 10a 10c The bottom plate of the box 10 10d The cut part of the bottom plate 10c 10e The fixed goods support part 11 The 2nd goods storage box 11a Back plate of box 11 11b Cut-out portion of back plate 11a 11c Bottom plate of box 11 11d Cut-out portion of bottom plate 11c 11f Side plate of box 11c 12 Conveyor 12a Chain 13 Product support arm 13a Commodity receiving portion 13b Connecting portion 13c Conveyor mounting portion 14 Limited parts Reference Signs List 15 shutter 15e shutter piece 15d slide piece 17 slide product support device 17a band-shaped plate portion 17c moving product support portion 17e contact member 17f spring 18 product support arm control device

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A lower part of a case is arranged in two upper and lower stages, each having a side plate, a bottom plate, and a vertical back plate, and a substantially cylindrical product is horizontally laid with its axis parallel to the back plate. It has first (lower) and second (upper) product storage boxes for placing and storing, and a product support arm for receiving products from each of the product storage boxes, and supplies the products to guide means provided at the upper part of the case. One-way rotation 2
In a vending machine provided with a conveyor comprising parallel endless chains of books, the first commodity storage box has a central portion of a back plate cut off from an upper end to a lower portion, and an end of a bottom plate of the first commodity storage box has an end portion of the back plate. It is continuous with the cut portion, is wider than the cut portion, and is narrower than the length of the product accommodated therein, and is cut off, leaving a band-shaped fixed product support portion supporting the product on both sides, In the second product storage box, the center of the back plate is cut from the upper end to the lower end, and the end of the bottom plate is continuous with the cut portion of the back plate, is wider than the cut portion, and has the first product storage box. The product support arm is cut out wider than the length of the product to be stored in the box, and the product support arm can pass through the cutout portion of the bottom plate of the first product storage box, and is wider than the cutout portion of the back plate of each product storage box. Through the product receiving section of the It has a possible width and consists of a connecting portion following the product receiving portion, and the product receiving portion and the connecting portion protrude outward and in a direction substantially orthogonal to the chain when ascending, via the conveyor mounting portion, and when descending. It is rotatably mounted on the chain so as to be positioned in a direction substantially parallel to the chain, reciprocates in parallel with the outer surface of the back plate of the first or second product storage box, and moves between the back plates of the product storage boxes. A shutter having shutter pieces that are opened or closed and that are positioned vertically parallel to each other with a width equal to the width of the cutout portion of the back plate, and disposed on the bottom surface of the bottom plate of the second product storage box. At the end, there is a cutout portion having a width smaller than the length of the product to be stored in the second product storage box and wider than the width of the product receiving portion, and a band-shaped plate portion sandwiching the cutout portion. A position that can support the product under the cutout of the bottom plate And a movable product supporting portion that slides along the bottom surface of the bottom plate between a position where the cut portion is completely opened, and a moving product supporting portion that is fixed to the lower surface of the band-shaped plate portion, and is placed on the product supporting arm and raised. An abutting member that retreats the moving product support portion at the product supportable position to the open position depending on the product that comes, and moves the retracted moving product support portion to the original product supportable position after passing the product. A slide product support device having an elastic body to be repositioned; and a width capable of passing through a cutout portion of each of the back plates of the first and second product storage boxes, wherein the product support arm is located forward of the conveyor in the traveling direction of the conveyor. At the position where only one product can be placed on the product receiving part of the support arm, the limited parts attached to the chain, and the product support arm below the conveyor, which is about to turn up, is almost parallel to the chain. Orientation or chain Vending machine, characterized by comprising a control device to protrude substantially perpendicular direction and outwardly.