JP2569600Y2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

In this invention, a product storage portion is provided at a lower portion of a case, and a one-way rotating conveyor receives a product from the storage portion, transports the product to an upper portion of the case, and supplies the product to a product guide chute. Vending machine with
The present invention relates to a vending machine having a configuration in which one conveyor conveys products in two product storage units provided in two upper and lower stages.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vending machine in which a conveyor receives a product from a product storage section provided at a lower portion of a case and transports the product to an upper portion of the case is already known. (Application No. 2-110493, filed on June 10, 1991, serial number D1691 [application number undecided]).

Referring to FIG. 2 (side sectional view), a main part of the main part is a merchandise storage section A provided at a lower portion of the case 1 and an endless conveyor for receiving the merchandise in the merchandise storage section A and conveying the same to the upper part of the case. B, and the goods are received from the conveyor B, and the goods are taken out D
And a guide chute C for guiding the product in the direction of.

[0004] Thus, as shown in FIG.
The top surface A1 is open, and the back plate A2 facing the conveyor B forms an inclined surface that falls in the direction of the back surface 1a (FIG. 2) of the case 1 and is formed by cutting off the upper end to the lower end at the center thereof. It has an opening A3, and has a cutout A5 in which a part of the bottom plate A4 is cut wider than the width of the opening A3 so as to be continuous with the opening A3. The goods are waiting at the cutouts to be conveyed.

[0005] The conveyor B is provided with two product support arms B1 and B1 at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction, emanates from below the product storage portion A, and rises in parallel with the back plate A2 of the product storage portion A.
A unidirectional rotating endless chain that rises vertically and extends above the guide chute C. The product support arm B1 has an arm in the horizontal direction during ascending, and rotates under its own weight when it reverses and starts to descend. This is a configuration in which it hangs down.

The unit device accommodated in the case is composed of one conveyor B and one guide chute C per one product storage section A, but the conveyor B has one common drive shaft S. Are connected by A plurality of the unit devices are arranged in the case 1 in parallel.

F is a product support arm guide device set below each conveyor B, and includes a rotatable guide plate F1 and a fixed guide plate F2. E is any guide chute C
Is a detector for detecting that the number of products held by the common drive shaft has decreased. In response to a product decrease signal from the detector E, a motor (not shown) for the common drive shaft rotates to rotate all the conveyors.

At this time, in order to supply the product only to the guide chute which has issued the signal, only the product support arm guide device F of the conveyor B included in the device which has issued the signal operates, and its guide plate F1 is provided with the electromagnetic valve. As described above, the support arm B1 is rotated to the open position (indicated by a dotted line) by the reciprocating device F3, and when the ascending process is started, there is no object to be restrained. When the product is received at the portion A5 and rises through the opening A3 (see FIG. 3), the received product is subsequently raised along the guide plate G, delivered to the guide chute C, and reaches the upper position (FIG. 2). The motor stops at (shown by a solid line).

On the other hand, in a conveyor corresponding to a guide chute that does not emit a signal, the guide plate F1 of the product support arm guide device F is at the position of the solid line in FIG. 2, and the product support arm B1 is restrained by the guide plate F1. The outer surface of the back plate A2 of the storage section A as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 3 without being able to rotate in the horizontal direction, moving in a state parallel to the chain, and without entering the cutout section A5 of the corresponding storage section. It is guided by and rises in the sky.

In FIG. 2, H denotes a roller H attached to the product storage to draw the product storage out of the case.
1 is a guide frame, and J is a guide fence for transferring a product of the product support arm of the conveyor to the guide chute. The product cannot pass, but the product support arm B1 has a size and a shape that can pass.

[0011]

The improved vending machine described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 arranges a plurality of the unit devices in a case in parallel, so that a product of only the parallel type can be manufactured. Although it can be stored, a configuration that can store more types of products in one case is desired. An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine configured to meet such a demand.

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, two product storage sections are provided at the top and bottom, and two guide chutes for receiving the product at the product storage section are provided at the top and bottom correspondingly.
In addition, receiving a product decrease signal of any guide chute,
The two product storage sections are horizontally and in opposite directions such that the product storage section storing the products to be supplied to the guide chute is located at a position close to the conveyor, and the other product storage section is located at a position away from the conveyor. And a guide switching device for closing the entrance of the guide chute that has not issued the decrease signal.

[0013]

As described above, the vending machine according to the present invention has a unit device including two product storage units and a conveyor including a guide switching device for preventing the product from being supplied. It is possible to store products of twice as many kinds as the vending machine of No. 2 and take them out accurately.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

This embodiment is based on the vending machine described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, and is positioned as an improvement. Therefore, in FIG. 1, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 2 and 3 denote the same parts. , Point.

In the vending machine of this example, the unit device mainly includes two product storage sections, two corresponding guide chutes, and one conveyor, which are arranged in parallel.

First, the product storage section provided at the lower part of the case 1 has the same structure as that shown in FIG. 3, and two AA and AB are provided so as to overlap on the upper and lower sides. Moving mechanism 2 for moving them horizontally and in opposite directions
Is added. This moving mechanism includes an upper product storage section A
An upper rack 3 fixed to the bottom side of A and extending in the horizontal direction, a lower rack 4 fixed to the top side of the lower product storage portion AB and provided in parallel with the upper rack 3, and between these upper and lower racks. And a pinion gear 5 that meshes with both racks 3 and 4, and a drive device 6 including a motor, a chain, and a sprocket for driving the pinion gear.

In response to the two product storage units, a guide chute for storing the products (for example, cans) from the product storage units AA and AB and feeding the products to the product outlet D is provided above the case 1. Two pieces (C1, C2) are provided so as to be stacked on the upper and lower sides. Thus, the upper and lower guide chute C
Detector E for detecting product decrease for C1 and C2 respectively
1, E2 are provided.

Each conveyor B has two product support arms B1 at equal distances in the longitudinal direction, has the support arm guide device F below, is connected by a common drive shaft S, and the like. 2. Same as described with reference to FIG. 2, but with the two guide chutes, with a special guide changeover piece 8 for accurate product replenishment.

This part 8 has a U-shaped plane shape, and when the product support arm B1 passes through the opening side, a portion of the product that protrudes from the product support arm B1 hits the upper part thereof, so that the conveyor 8 is conveyed. A fixed guide fence 9 (corresponding to the guide fence J in FIG. 2) for transferring the goods from B to the guide chute, and disposed below and along the guide chute opening to supply the goods to the upper guide chute C1. The lower guide chute C2 has a fixed closing fence 10 which closes the opening of the lower guide chute C2 so that no product is supplied to C2, and is attached to the guide plate G so as to be movable up and down as a whole.

Although not shown in the drawings, the fixed closing fence 10
Has a U-shaped cross section, and the side facing the both sides of the product support arm B1 is extended upward to be connected to the fixed guide fence 9 and to guide the fixed closing fence 10 and both sides of the fixed guide fence 9. Was fixed to the upper portion of the guide plate G.

The upper and lower merchandise storage sections AA and AB are provided with the other merchandise storage sections B and B so that when the conveyor B receives the merchandise from one of the merchandise storage sections and moves up, the other merchandise storage section does not hinder the movement. Away from the place. Therefore, detection sensors 7a and 7b are provided which detect the positions where the storage sections AA and AB are separated from the conveyor and stop, and output a signal for stopping the driving of the moving device.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described.

Now, as shown in FIG. 1, the lower product storage section AB
Is located at a position where products can be supplied, the upper product storage section AA is located at a position away from the conveyor, and a signal indicating that the number of products in the upper guide chute C1 has decreased in the unit device shown in the drawing is a detector E
1, the driving device 6 is not operated and remains as it is, but the product support arm guide device F is operated and the guide plate F1 is opened. Also start rotating simultaneously, but the guide device F of those conveyors does not operate, and therefore,
The guide plate F1 is also kept closed), and with the rotation of the conveyor, the product support arm B1 changes its direction so as to be perpendicular to the chain, so that the inside of the cutout portion A5 (FIG. 3) of the lower product storage portion. Enter, receive the goods, pass through the opening A3,
The product moves past the back plate A2 of the upper product storage portion AA at the retreat position, and the product that has been further raised and lifted by the product support arm is transferred to the upper guide chute C1 by the guide fence 9 of the guide switching component 8. . At this time, since the opening of the lower guide chute C2 is closed by the closing fence 10, goods do not accidentally enter the chute C2.

In the state shown in the drawing, on the contrary, if a signal indicating that the number of products in the lower guide chute C2 has decreased is output from the detector E2, the driving device 6 is operated, and the pinion gear 5 rotates clockwise. Accordingly, the upper product storage portion AA is advanced in a direction approaching the conveyor B, while the lower product storage portion AB is advanced in a direction away from the conveyor B. Thus, when the lower rack 4 approaches the detection sensor 7b, the rotation of the driving device stops. Next, the guide plate F1 is opened, and the product support arm B1 changes its direction in a direction perpendicular to the chain and rises. Since the lower product storage section AB is located away from the conveyor B and the upper product storage section AA is at the position shown by the two-dot chain line, the product support arm B1 enters the upper product storage section AA and rises while receiving the product. On the other hand, the guide switching component 8 is lowered by the signal from the detector E2, and stops when the guide fence 9 reaches the upper end of the opening of the lower guide chute C2 (indicated by a dotted line). Therefore, the product carried by the product support arm is guided. It is guided by the fence 9 and moved to the guide chute C2. At this time,
The closing fence 10 of the guide switching component 8 is below the entrance of the guide chute C2.

In the above embodiment, the drive shafts of the conveyors B are connected by the common drive shaft S when a plurality of unit devices are arranged in parallel. However, a drive device may be provided for each conveyor B. In that case, the product support arm guide device F becomes unnecessary.

[0027]

According to the present invention, it is possible to at least double the number of kinds of products that can be accommodated in comparison with the vending machine shown in FIG.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a main part of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing a main part of one example of the advance vending machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a product storage unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Case AA Upper product storage section AB Lower product storage section B Conveyor B1 Product support arm C1 Upper guide chute C2 Lower guide chute 2 Moving mechanism D Product take-out port F Product support arm guide device 8 Guide switching parts

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A one-way rotating conveyor having a product storage section provided at a lower portion of a case, product support arms for receiving a product from the product storage section at two locations at equal intervals, and conveying the product to an upper portion of the case, and the product. And a guide chute for receiving the product from the conveyor at the upper part of the case and guiding the product to the product take-out port. In response to a product decrease signal of any one of the guide chutes, a product storage unit storing the product supplied to the guide chute is provided at a position close to the conveyor, and the other is provided. A moving mechanism for moving the two product storage sections horizontally and in opposite directions so as to dispose the product storage section away from the conveyor; and closing an entrance of the guide chute that does not output the product reduction signal. A vending machine comprising a guidance switching device. 2. A moving mechanism comprising: a motor driven by a product reduction signal of a guide chute; a pinion gear driven by the motor; and two rack gears on both sides of the pinion gear meshing with the pinion gear. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the two rack gears are connected to one of the product storage sections.