JP2838726B2 - Cup unloading device for cup-type vending machines - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cup discharging device for a cup-type vending machine.

(Related Art) In recent years, vending machines have been remarkably popularized mainly by beverage vending machines. There are beverage vending machines in cans, bottles, cups, and the like. Here, cup-based vending machines will be taken as conventional examples.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a cup-type vending machine that supplies a beverage such as coffee or juice into a cup and provides the cup, a cup unloading device that supplies a cup one by one to a predetermined selling position based on a sales command is required. In order to store and supply a large number of cups, this cup unloading device is usually provided with a plurality of stacked cup rows in a row, and a delivery mechanism for delivering the cups one by one from these cup rows. The mainstream is a method of sequentially moving the cups to the delivery position, separating the cups one by one, and dropping and supplying them to the sales position.

Conventionally, this type of cup unloading device is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-44.
Although a cylindrical one having a plurality of cup storage parts as shown in Japanese Patent No. 316 and an elliptical storage part shown in JP-A-62-197890 have been proposed. , Both of which are of a rotary type, there is a dead space around the outer circumference of the cylindrical part and near the center of rotation, and the limited space cannot be used effectively. However, there is a problem in that the number of problems must be reduced, and this problem must be solved by some method.

In order to solve these problems, FIG. 7 shows a cup supply apparatus disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-39815 in which the storage section is made square to improve the storage efficiency. In the figure, a cup rail 2 for placing a cup row 1 in which a plurality of cups are stacked, on a plurality of rows adjacent to each other in a linear and slidable manner.
The cup row 1 is moved forward on the cup rail 2 and dropped by one cup row, thereby guiding the cup row 1 to the cup discharging mechanism, and removing one cup from the cup row 1.
In a cup supply device for separating and discharging individual cups, a cup push plate 3 is provided above a cup rail 2 so as to be movable in a vertical direction and along the cup rail 2. A sprocket 4 which contacts the bottom surface of the row 1 and moves the cup row 1 forward during rotation; and a cup push plate 3 and a sprocket 4 which are connected to the cup push plate 3 and the sprocket 4 via a chain 5 as an interlocking mechanism.
And a motor 6 for feeding the cup synchronously in the direction in which the cup row 1 moves forward.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, in the above conventional configuration, the cup rail 2
A mechanism for driving the cup pressing plate 3 for pushing the upper cup row 1 forward, that is, a space for accommodating the chain 5, the sprocket 4, and the like is required, and the depth dimension is somewhat larger than the diameter dimension of the cup. Therefore, the horizontal direction in which the cup row 1 moves is efficient without dead space, but the front-rear direction is large due to the space of the mechanism, and there is room for improvement as a whole.

In addition, in this apparatus, when the cup row 1 is moved and the stored cup row 1 is reduced and the cup row 1 is refilled, the motor 6 is reversed by the changeover switch and the cup push plate 3 is moved. In order to prevent the refilled cup row 1 from falling to the left and right after refilling, it is necessary to move the motor 6 forward to move the cup push plate 3 to the left and refill the cup row. 7 must be stopped at a position where the cup push plate 3 contacts the right end.

Such an operation is actually a troublesome operation, and the cup push plate 3 in the cup row refilling operation described above.
The operation of stopping at the position where it contacts the right end of the cup row 1 requires some skill, and has a drawback in operability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and to provide a cup unloading device which further reduces dead space and improves operability when filling a cup row.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A cup discharge device of a cup-type vending machine according to the present invention has a driven pulley pivotally supported at one end inside an endless belt below a cup discharge device main body, and pivotally supported at the other end. A conveyor device including a driving pulley, a belt drive motor connected to the driving pulley, a cup outlet separated from a shaft support end of the conveyor device, and a semicircular shape extending vertically above the outlet. A cup separating drum, a hollow gear rotatably supporting the upper and lower ends of the cup separating drum at the center of the semicircular shape of the cup separating drum, and being provided around the lower end of the semicircular portion of the cup separating drum; A drum drive motor connected to the hollow gear to rotationally drive the cup separation drum, and a control switch for controlling operation of the belt drive motor;
A control device for controlling the rotation of the belt drive motor and the drum drive motor via the control switch, a guide rail fixed above the main body relative to the conveyor device, and slidable left and right on the guide rail; A cup row pressing plate, a wire rope having one end fixed to the cup row pressing plate, and the other end fixed to one end of the guide rail, and one bend when the wire rope is bent and stretched into a substantially S-shape. And a tension spring having one end engaged with the guide rail and the other end engaged with the other end of the guide rail, and a rotatable constant pulley engaged with another bent portion. Is rotatably mounted on one end of the shaft.

(Operation) According to the present invention, the cup separating drum normally waits with the opening of the semicircular portion facing forward with the above configuration.
Then, a cup row in which a plurality of cups are stacked is inserted from the opening. Thereafter, the cup rows are sequentially placed on the endless belt from the cup separating drum side, and the cup row filling operation is completed. Then, as a normal selling operation, the cups are carried out by sequentially separating and dropping the cup rows in the cup separation drum from below by a delivery device arranged below the cup separation drum. Thereafter, when the row of cups in the cup separating drum is removed by the feeding device, the drum drive motor is energized by the cup detecting switch incorporated in the feeding device, the cup separating drum is rotated by 90 °, and stopped by the control switch. Let it. Thereby, the opening of the semicircular portion of the cup separating drum is made to stand by toward the endless belt side, and the endless belt is transferred to the cup separating drum side by the belt driving motor by the control switch, so that the The cup row moves to the cup separating drum side, and the cup row closest to the cup separating drum separates from the endless belt, and falls and is stored in the cup separating drum. Then, the cup detecting switch is activated by the dropped cup row, the cup separating drum is further rotated by 270 °, stopped again by the control switch, and the preparation for the selling operation by the sending device is completed again.

As described above, the cup row on the endless belt is transferred into the cup separating drum by the same operation.

(Embodiment) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the same components as those of the related art will be denoted by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a cup unloading device of a cup-type vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line E in the direction of the arrow, FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the main part of the lower part of FIG. 1 in a normal standby state of the cup separating drum, and FIG. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a main part in the lower part of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is a control circuit diagram in FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a control circuit diagram in FIG.

1 to 6, reference numeral 8 denotes a main body composed of a frame, a driven pulley 9 disposed as a conveyor device below the main body 8, and a driven pulley 10 disposed separated from the driven pulley 9. Are rotatably supported by the belt support plate 11. Reference numeral 12 denotes an endless belt which is stretched between the driven pulley 9 and the driven pulley 10. Reference numeral 13 denotes a belt drive motor, which is connected to the driving pulley 10 by a gear 14. Reference numeral 15 denotes a semicircular cup separating drum arranged on the side of the driven pulley 9, which extends vertically and is rotatably supported at its upper and lower ends. Reference numeral 16 denotes a hollow gear, which is provided around the lower end of the cup separating drum 15. The outer periphery of the hollow gear 16 is provided with a gear portion 16a for receiving rotational power. Reference numeral 17 denotes a drum drive motor. A drive gear 18 for transmitting rotation to the hollow gear 16 is axially mounted on the output shaft 17a, and is engaged with a gear portion 16a of the hollow gear 16. Reference numeral 19 denotes a delivery device, which has a full cycle cam 22 mounted on a discharge port 20 disposed directly below the cup separation drum 15 and mounted on an output shaft 21a by a cup delivery motor 21.
By rotating, the cam control switch 23 detects the rotation, stops the rotation, and sequentially sends out cups.
Is a conventionally known mechanism as described in
The description is omitted.

24A and 24B are drum control switches, and the cup separation drum 1
The energization of the drum drive motor 17 is controlled by a cycle cam 25 attached to a support shaft 15a attached to the upper end of 5. Reference numeral 26 denotes a cup detection switch disposed below the cup separation drum 15, which detects the presence / absence of the cup row 1a in the cup separation drum 15 by contacting and detaching the cup detection lever 26a, and as a control switch of the belt drive motor 13. Control energization.

Reference numeral 27 denotes a guide rail fixed above the main body 8, and a roller 28 a that moves freely left and right is rotatably mounted on a cup row push plate 28 suspended on the guide rail 27. Reference numeral 29 denotes a wire rope, one end of which is engaged with the guide rail 27 and the other end of which is engaged with the cup row push plate 28, respectively. A constant pulley 30 is rotatably mounted on one end of the guide rail 27. Reference numeral 31 denotes a tension spring having one end fixed to the other end of the guide rail 27. The wire rope 29 is bent and stretched in a substantially S-shape. One bent portion 29a is fixed to the fixed pulley 30, and the other bent portion 29b is
Are engaged with the other ends of the tension springs 31, respectively, and normally the urging of the tension springs 31 urges the cup row pressing plate 28 toward the cup separating drum 15 side.

The operation of the cup discharging device configured as described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. First, a cup row 1a in which a plurality of cups are stacked is filled from the semicircular opening 15b of the cup separation drum 15, and the delivery device 1
Place on 9. Next, press the cup row push plate 28 to the left,
Another cup row 1b is placed on the endless belt 12 between the cup separation drum 15. By successively placing the cup rows 1c to 1f on the endless belt 12 in the same manner as described above while pressing the cup row pressing plate 28 to the left, the filling operation of the cup row 1 is completed. At this time, the cup row pressing plate 28 abuts on the left side of the last filled cup row 1f and is constantly pressed rightward by the tension spring 31.

In this state, when the cup sending motor 21 of the sending device 19 is energized by the sales command, the cups are separated one by one from the cup row 1a.
It falls and the cup is sent out. And this cup row 1a
Is lost by the above-described sending operation, the detection lever 26a of the cup detection switch 26 is released from contact with the cup row 1a, and the cup detection switch 26 is operated, the drum drive motor 17 is energized, and the drive gear 18, the hollow The rotation of the gear 16 causes the cup separation drum 15 to rotate in the direction of arrow C. After the 90 ° rotation, the detection lever 24a of the drum control switch 24A rides on the peak 25a of the cycle cam 25 which is axially mounted on the upper end of the cup separation drum 15, and stops the rotation of the cup separation drum 15. At the same time, the belt drive motor 13 is energized by the operation of the drum control switch 24B, and the cup rows 1b to 1f move rightward with the movement of the endless belt 12, and eventually the cup row
1 b is detached from the endless belt 12, stored in the cup separation drum 15, dropped and placed on the delivery device 19. Then, the cup row 1b is placed on the delivery device 19, so that the cup row
1b contacts the cup detection switch 26, and the belt drive motor
The energization of 13 is stopped and the energization of the drum drive motor 17 is again performed to rotate the cup separating drum 15 in the direction of arrow C.
After 270 ° rotation, the drum control switches 24A and 24B cause the detection lever 24a to enter the valley 25b of the cycle cam 25, and stop the rotation of the cup separation drum 15.

By performing such a series of operations up to the cup rows 1c to 1f, the cup rows 1 placed on the endless belt 12 are stored in the cup separating drum 15 and are sent out one by one by the sending device 19. become.

When the cup separating drum 15 rotates 270 °, the flange of the cup row 1b and the brim of the next cup row 1c that enter the cup separating drum 15 engage with each other to prevent the cup row 1b from dropping to the delivery device 19. This may hinder the cup separation drum
This problem is solved by the rotation of 15 while interrupting between both cup rows 1b and 1c. Also, at the time of the feeding operation of the cup row 1 by the normal feeding device 19, the cup row 1 that has entered the cup separating drum 15 moves to drop the cups one by one downward. Since the two cup rows 1 are separated from each other, no malfunction occurs due to engagement between the collars.

(Effects of the Invention) According to the present invention, a driven pulley pivotally supported on one inner side of an endless belt below a main body, and a driven pulley pivotally supported on the other end,
A slidable conveyor device composed of a belt drive motor connected to the pulley, a semicircular cup separation drum extending up and down a cup discharge port separated from a shaft end of the conveyor device, and a cup separation drum The upper and lower ends of the drum are rotatably supported at the center of the semicircular shape of the cup separating drum, and a hollow gear is provided around the outer periphery of the lower end of the semicircular portion of the cup separating drum, and the cup separating drum is connected to the hollow gear. Control switches for controlling the operation of the drum drive motor and the belt drive motor for rotating the drive, a guide rail fixed above the main body relative to the conveyor device, and a cup suspended on the guide rail and capable of sliding left and right. A row push plate, a wire rope having one end connected to the cup row push plate, and the other end connected to one end of the guide rail, and a wire rope having a bent portion of the wire rope. And a cup feeding device disposed immediately below the discharge port. Usually, the cup feeding device separates and drops the cup rows in the cup separating drum one by one. When the cup row in the cup separation drum runs out due to sales, the cup separation drum is rotated by 90 ° and stopped in order to perform the replenishment operation, and another cup row filled and placed on the endless belt is conveyed. To stop in the cup separation drum and stop the cup separation drum again.
The replenishing operation is completed by bringing the apparatus into a standby state by stopping it by rotating it by 0 °.

With the cup unloading device configured in this way, its whole shape is square and its depth is several mm larger than the diameter of the cup.
To the extent that it becomes larger, the cup can be efficiently stored with respect to the external dimensions. In addition, when filling the cups, the arrangement when storing the cups is in a straight line on the left and right, so that the filling work is easy, and when filling the cup row, the filling is performed sequentially to the left from the cup outlet side, so a new cup row is refilled Sometimes it will always fill the left side of the remaining cup row,
The so-called first-in first-out order, in which old cups are sold first, is also possible, and the practical effect is great.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a cup unloading device of a cup-type vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is EE of FIG.
3 is an enlarged plan view of the main part at the bottom of FIG. 1 in a normal standby state of the cup separating drum, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the same when the cup separating drum is rotated 90 °. Fig. 1 is an enlarged plan view of the main part at the bottom, Fig. 5 is a control circuit diagram in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 is a control circuit diagram in Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a cup of a conventional cup-type vending machine. It is a front view which shows a carrying out apparatus. 1 ... cup row, 8 ... body, 9 ... slave pulley, 10 ...
… Movable pulley, 12… Endless belt, 13… Belt drive motor, 14… Gear, 15… Cup separation drum, 16… Hollow gear, 17… Drum drive motor, 20 …… Discharge port, 24A,
24B ... Drum control switch, 25 ... Cycle cam, 26
…… Cup detection switch, 27 …… Guide rail, 28 ……
Cup row push plate, 29 …… Wire rope, 30 …… Fixed pulley, 31
… Tension spring.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A conveyor device comprising a driven pulley supported at one end inside an endless belt below a main body, a driven pulley supported at the other end, a belt drive motor connected to the driven pulley, and the conveyor. A semi-circular cup separating drum extending up and down above a cup discharge port separated from a shaft support end of the apparatus; and upper and lower ends of the cup separating drum rotatable around the center of the semi-circular shape of the cup separating drum. A hollow gear rotatably supported around the lower end of the semicircular portion of the cup separating drum, a drum driving motor connected to the hollow gear to rotationally drive the cup separating drum, and an operation of the belt driving motor A control device for controlling rotation of the belt drive motor and the drum drive motor via the control switch, and a control device fixed above the main body relative to the conveyor device. A guide row, a cup row push plate suspended on the guide rail and slidable left and right, a wire rope having one end fixed to the cup row push plate, and the other end fixed to one end of the guide rail, respectively. When the wire rope is bent and stretched in a substantially S-shape, one end is engaged with one bent portion, and the other end is engaged with the other end of the guide rail, and is rotated around the other bent portion. The constant pulleys are engaged with each other, and the constant pulleys are rotatably mounted on one ends of the guide rails. A cup discharging device for a cup-type vending machine, characterized in that the pressing device is pressed.