JP2914402B2 - Vending machines and refillable product packaging boxes - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine for cans and bottles, which is provided with a plurality of product racks arranged side by side, left and right, and a product packaging for delivery and supply applied to the vending machine. About the box.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The supply of goods to vending machines currently on the market has been carried out as follows. That is,
Rootman delivers the product packaging box made of cardboard boxes and the like in which cans and bottled products are lined up in single units by type, and delivered to the location of the vending machine, and then opens the product packaging box locally. The company manually removes products one by one and puts them into a product rack of a vending machine. However, replenishing goods to a vending machine by the above-described method requires labor and labor, and the work efficiency is extremely poor. Accordingly, a vending machine that can automatically replenish products directly from a product packaging box to a product rack in accordance with the progress of product sales simply by setting a product packaging box containing the product in the box, has been proposed by the present applicant. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-33694). In the vending machine of this proposal, a product insertion opening is opened at the top of the rack for each of the product racks housed side by side in the warehouse, a product packaging box is loaded on the product rack, and the product rack is mounted. In this case, the end face of the product packaging box facing the product input port is opened to supply the products contained in the product packaging box directly to the product rack.

[0003]

The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication
In the configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-33694, there is a problem in workability when loading the product packaging box. That is, although the product packaging box is inserted into the machine from the front and loaded on the product rack, especially when the product packaging box is loaded on the rear rack of the product racks arranged in front and rear, Since the product packaging boxes already loaded in the rack will be in the way,
The loading operation is performed after the entire product rack is tilted forward. However, since the product rack is quite heavy, it takes a great deal of force to tilt the entire product rack forward or store it in the machine again, and if the product rack is tilted, the position of the product in the product rack will increase. There is a possibility that the sales operation may be disturbed due to disturbance.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and based on the commodity replenishment system proposed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-33694, it is possible to easily load a commodity packaging box into a commodity rack. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine configured as described above and an improved refillable product packaging box applied to the vending machine.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, the commodity racks are fixedly arranged, and the front and rear stages are provided on the upper part of the warehouse in each of the right and left rows. The product packaging boxes can be put in and taken out from the front corresponding to the product racks arranged in a row, and a product supply chamber for storing the product packaging boxes is provided in upper and lower stages.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, in particular, for a product rack row near the hinge side of the front door of a vending machine, a product packaging box is provided from the front corresponding to each of the front and rear product racks. The product supply room to be taken in and out is divided into upper and lower tiers and provided at the upper part of the warehouse, and with respect to the remaining product rack rows, a drawer type in which the product racks arranged in the front and rear stages can be collectively pulled out from the warehouse to the front. The present invention is characterized in that a product replenishment room is provided as a shelf, and a product replenishing chamber for taking in and out a product packaging box from the side of the shelf is provided above the drawer-type shelf.

On the other hand, as a supply product packaging box applied to the vending machine having the above structure, a product packaging box having a size corresponding to each product rack on a one-to-one basis and facing a product input port of the product rack. An opening perforation in the end face of the body (Claim 3), or a plurality of boxes of a size corresponding to a plurality of product racks arranged in front and rear, and facing a product input port of each product rack. (Claim 4) can be adopted.

In order to keep the product remaining in the product packaging box in a state of being loaded in the refrigerator cool and warm, a large number of ventilation holes are dispersedly opened on the peripheral surface of the box of the product packaging box. It is better to keep (claim 5).

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, while the respective product racks are fixed and arranged, a product packaging box is provided from the front in the upper part of the warehouse corresponding to the respective product racks arranged in the front and rear rows in each of the right and left rows. In the case where the product supply room to be taken in and out is provided in the upper and lower stages, the product racks can be loaded into each product rack without mutual interference between the product racks in the front and rear stages.

As described in the second aspect of the present invention, the front door (single-opening door) of the vending machine may not be fully opened due to installation location restrictions. For a row of product racks close to, the product rack is fixedly arranged and the product packaging boxes are loaded from the front, and for the remaining row of product racks, the product packaging boxes are drawn out as shelves. By adopting the method of loading from the side, it is possible to load the product packaging boxes on each product rack without any trouble in the restricted work space even when the front door is half open.

On the other hand, in the product packaging box, a perforation for opening is provided in a portion of the box facing the product input port of the product rack as in the invention according to claim 3, and the product packaging box is attached to the product packaging box. When the product is loaded on the rack and the perforation is opened, the product stored in the product packaging box falls by its own weight and is supplied in the product rack. Here, as in the invention according to claim 4, for a large-sized product packaging box corresponding to a plurality of product racks arranged in front and rear, an opening sewing machine is provided at a plurality of locations corresponding to a product input port of each product rack. By keeping an eye on the product, the product can be simultaneously supplied from the product packaging box to a plurality of product racks. Further, as in the invention according to claim 5, by opening a ventilation hole on the peripheral surface of the box body of the product packaging box, when the product packaging box is loaded in the refrigerator, cool air and warm air in the refrigerator are reduced. Since the product enters the box, the products remaining in the box are cooled and heated to a temperature suitable for sale.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body case of a vending machine (a front door is omitted in the drawing), 2 denotes a plurality of product racks arranged in the cabinet of the main body case 1 side by side, right and left, 3 Reference numeral 13 denotes a shooter for sending out the product carried out of the product rack 2 to a product outlet opening at the front door, and reference numeral 13 denotes a product packaging box loaded on the product rack 2. Here, the product rack 2 is, for example, a serpentine type rack, and as is well known, a product rail defining a meandering product passage, a product carrying mechanism installed at an exit end of the product passage, and a rack. The product opening is open at the top. Although not shown, the inside of the main body case 1 is provided with a cooler and a heater for keeping and heating the stored products in response to cold sales and hot sales.

The product packaging boxes 13 used in this embodiment are loaded over two product racks 2 arranged in the front and rear stages, and the same type of product is supplied from the product packaging boxes 13 to the two product racks 2. It is of a large size. FIG. 4 shows a specific structure of the product packaging box 13. In FIG. 4, two perforations 13a and 13b for opening the product packaging box 13 are placed at two locations facing the product input ports of the two product racks 2 arranged in the front and rear rows. Although not shown, a number of ventilation holes are dispersedly opened on the peripheral surface of the box of the product packaging box 13. Such a large-sized product packaging box 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a case where the same type of product is sold in the product racks 2 arranged in front and rear, and two product racks 2
In this case, since the loading operation of the product packaging box is completed only once, the product replenishment operation can be performed efficiently.

Each of the product racks 2 in this embodiment is fixedly arranged in the storage, and is placed in front of the main case 1 with respect to each of the four (four) product racks 2 arranged in the front and rear stages.
(Large size corresponding to two product racks). That is, in the upper part of the interior of the main body case 1, commodity supply chambers 14, 15 which are opened forward correspond to two commodity racks arranged on the front side and two commodity racks arranged on the rear side, respectively. It is divided and divided. Reference numeral 16 denotes a partition wall that partitions between the commodity supply rooms 14 and 15. Then, in the product supply room 14, the large-sized product packaging boxes 13 are arranged in a vertical orientation and
The product 12 is loaded so as to straddle the original product rack 2, and the product 12 is supplied to the product rack 2 from the product packaging box 13. On the other hand, the product supply room 15 has a large-sized product packaging box 13.
Supplies the commodities 12 to two commodity racks 2 arranged in the rear stage side in a sideways posture inclined backward. In addition, in order to supply products from the product packaging box 13 to the two product racks 2 in a state where the product packaging box 13 is in the sideways posture, as shown in FIG. Perforations 13c and 13d are provided.

According to this embodiment, for a plurality of product racks arranged in the front and rear stages, the product packaging boxes to be loaded in the preceding product rack and the product packaging boxes to be loaded in the rear product rack are free from mutual interference. Can be individually put in and out from the front. Next, one embodiment of the vending machine of the invention according to claim 2 is shown in FIG.
Shown in FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine. Although not shown, a front door provided in the main body case 1 is of a left-opening type, and a hinge mechanism thereof is located at a left end of the main body case 1. Further, in the cabinet of the main body case 1, product racks 2 are arranged in five rows on the left and right, and a plurality of rows are arranged before and after each row. Here, as for two rows of product racks arranged in the left area near the hinge mechanism of the front door, a method is adopted in which the product rack 2 is fixed and the product packaging box 13 is loaded from the front as in FIG. On the other hand, the remaining three rows of product racks arranged in the right area are configured as drawer-type shelves that allow the product racks at the front and rear stages to be collectively pulled out to the front of the main body case 1 via the drawer mechanism 10. The product packaging box 4 is mounted on the product rack 2 from the side of the shelf.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the relationship between three rows of product racks 2 and product packaging boxes 4 arranged in the right side area of the interior of the cabinet in the main body case 1 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 3, a product rack 2 is a serpentine type rack, a product rail 5 defining a meandering product path, a product unloading mechanism 6 installed at an exit end of the product path, and a product input opening at the top of the product rack 2. A holder 8 for the product packaging box 4 provided on the upper surface side of the product rack alongside the mouth 7 and a tool rest 9 for opening the product packaging box 4
Etc. The structure of this product rack is the same as that disclosed in the above-mentioned JP-A-2-33694.

FIG. 5 shows a specific structure of the product packaging box 4. That is, the product packaging box 4 is a cardboard box in which a predetermined number of products 12 are arranged and accommodated, and the end surface on the product take-out side (in the state where the product packaging box is loaded on the product rack, the 3) of the peripheral edge
An opening perforation 4a is formed in a U-shape along the side, and a number of ventilation holes 4b are dispersedly opened on the peripheral surface of the box. When the product packaging box 4 is loaded at a predetermined position on the product rack 2 and pushed down, the perforation 4a is broken by hitting the blade edge of the tool post 9 and the end face is illustrated by the weight of the product 12 stored in the box. It is opened like. When the product packaging box 4 is loaded in the storage, the ventilation holes 4
b, the cold or warm air in the refrigerator flows into the box and the product 1
2 is kept cool or warm.

In the operation of supplying goods to the vending machine in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the supply of goods to the two rows of commodity racks 2 arranged on the left side near the hinge mechanism of the front door of the main body case 1 is performed as shown in FIG. The description is omitted here because it is the same as in the case, and three rows of product racks 2 are arranged in the right area in the warehouse.
A description will be given of the operation of replenishing the product. In order to supply the goods to the three rows of the goods racks 2 arranged in the right area in the storage, the front door of the vending machine is opened, and the goods rack 2 for supplying the goods is pulled forward using the drawer mechanism 10. Withdraw. Then, in this state, the empty merchandise packaging box 4 is taken out from the side of the merchandise rack, and the merchandise packaging box 4 containing the merchandise is newly loaded instead. In this case, as described with reference to FIG. 5, the end face including the perforation 4a is directed toward the product slot 7 of the product rack 2, and after the product is loaded, the product packaging box 4 is moved to the tool rest 9
Press As a result, the product packaging box 4 is opened, and the product 12 stored in the box is rolled out by its own weight and dropped and stored in the product rack 2. When the loading of the product packaging box 4 is completed, the product rack 2 is pushed into the storage and returned to the original position. Note that all the commodities 12 in the merchandise packaging box 4 cannot be stored in the merchandise rack 2 and the surplus merchandise 12 remains in the merchandise packaging box 4, but the merchandise 12 is unloaded from the merchandise rack 2 by the selling operation. As a result, the product packaging box 4 is sequentially supplied to the product rack 2.

This embodiment has the following advantages. That is, there is a case where a normally single-opening front door can be opened only in a half-open state due to an installation place of a vending machine, an obstacle, or the like. Receive. As described above, when the front door is in the half-open state, a work space is narrow particularly in a region near the hinge mechanism, and a wide work space is secured in a region on the opposite side. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 2, in a region near the hinge mechanism of the front door, the product rack is fixed and the product packaging box is loaded from the front. On the contrary, in a region far from the hinge mechanism, the product rack is pulled out. By loading the product packaging boxes from the side, the product packaging boxes can be loaded into each row of product racks on the left and right in the restricted work space even if the front door is half open. it can.

[0020]

According to the vending machine of the present invention constructed as described above, the operation of refilling a product rack into a product rack in units of a product packaging box while keeping the product in the product packaging box. In addition to efficient vending machines, product racks are arranged in multiple rows in the front and rear, and even when vending machines are loaded with product packaging boxes into each product rack, The product packaging boxes can be easily loaded individually into the respective product racks while maintaining the horizontal posture and without interference between the front and rear stages.

[0021] In addition, a product packaging box applied to such a vending machine, particularly, a large-size product packaging box in which perforations for opening are provided at portions corresponding to respective product input ports of product racks arranged in front and rear. By using, the same type of product can be replenished from the same packaging box to multiple product racks at the same time, so that product replenishment work can be performed efficiently and ventilation holes should be opened around the product packaging box. Thus, the cold air and warm air inside the warehouse flow through the interior of the product packaging box when the product packaging box is loaded in the warehouse, so that the products remaining in the product packaging box can be kept cool and heated to the selling temperature. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a vending machine in a state in which a product packaging box is loaded, showing one embodiment of the invention according to claim 1;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the configuration of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the invention according to claim 2;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a product rack in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a configuration perspective view of a large-sized product packaging box applied to the vending machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

5 is a configuration perspective view of a product packaging box having a size corresponding to the product rack applied to the vending machine in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... vending machine body case, 2 ... product rack, 4,1
3. Product packaging box, 4a, 13a, 13b, 13c, 13
d: perforation, 7: product introduction port, 12: product, 14, 1
5… Product supply room.

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kozo Matsushima 1-1, Tanabe-Nitta, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (56) References JP-A-3-273476 (JP, A) Hei 3-273473 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G07F 9/00 108

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vending machine for cans and bottles having a plurality of merchandise racks arranged side by side, left and right in a warehouse, wherein a merchandise packaging box is placed on the merchandise rack having a merchandise inlet opening at the top. The product packaging box that is loaded and the end face of the product packaging box facing the product input port of the product rack is opened to directly supply the products contained in the product packaging box to the product rack. The product packaging boxes can be put in and taken out from the front corresponding to the product racks arranged in the front and rear rows in each of the left and right rows, and product supply chambers arranged in upper and lower rows for storing the product packaging boxes are provided. vending machine. 2. A vending machine for cans and bottles having a plurality of merchandise racks arranged side by side, left and right in a refrigerator, wherein a merchandise packaging box is placed on the merchandise rack having a merchandise inlet opening at the top. A row of product racks arranged side by side, in which the product packaging box that is loaded and that faces the product input port of the product rack is opened to directly supply the product stored in the product packaging box to the product rack. Among the product rack rows near the hinge side of the front door, the product supply room for loading and unloading product packaging boxes from the front corresponding to each product rack in the front and rear stages is divided into upper and lower tiers at the upper part of the warehouse. With respect to the remaining product rack rows, the product racks arranged in the front and rear rows are collectively configured as a drawer-type shelf that can be pulled out from the inside of the warehouse forward, and a shelf is provided at an upper part of the shelf of the drawer-type shelf. Out of the product packaging box from the side of Vending machine, characterized in that the provided goods supply chamber that. 3. A merchandise packaging box to be applied to the vending machine according to any one of claims 1 and 2, having a size corresponding to each merchandise rack in a one-to-one correspondence, and a merchandise insertion port of the merchandise rack. A refillable product packaging box, characterized in that an opening perforation is provided on an end face of the facing box body. 4. A refillable product packaging box to be applied to the vending machine according to claim 1, having a size corresponding to a plurality of product racks arranged in front and rear, and a product in each product rack. A replenishing product packaging box, characterized in that perforations for opening are provided at a plurality of locations of the box body facing the input port. 5. A refillable product packaging box according to claim 3, wherein a number of ventilation holes are dispersedly opened on the peripheral surface of the box body.