JP3044783B2 - Vending machine product take-out device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[Industrial application field] The present invention is directed to a vending machine that sells cans and bottled products, receives a product dropped from a product rack in the machine, and extends to a product outlet opening at a middle position of a front door. The present invention relates to a product take-out device that lifts and conveys a product to take out the product. [Prior art] As a product take-out device of the above-mentioned vending machine, a belt conveyor with fingers is laid on the back side of a front door, and a product dropped and carried forward from a product rack via a shooter to a front door with a belt conveyor with fingers. The one that lifts and conveys to the product outlet located in the middle stage of
For example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2-115392 has been proposed by the present applicant. Next, a vending machine equipped with the proposed product take-out device,
The configuration of the product take-out device will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in FIGS. 2 and 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body case of a vending machine, 2 denotes a front door, 3 denotes an insulated inner door, 4 denotes a serpentine type product rack installed in the storage of the main body case 1, and 5 denotes a product. An unloading shooter 6 is a product outlet provided at a middle position of the front door 2, and a product outlet 3 a with a flapper opened to the heat-insulating inner door 3 and a product outlet 6 are linked to each other so that a back surface of the front door 2 is provided. A product take-out device 7 (the structure of the product take-out device will be described later) is provided on the side. In the above configuration, the product 8 (product in a can) is stored in the product rack 4, and the product 8 dropped and carried out of the product rack 4 based on the sales command rolls on the product take-out chute 5 to be insulated inside the door 3. From the product exit 3a to the product take-out device 7 positioned in front of the product take-out device 3a, and further lifted and conveyed to the product take-out port 6 along the transport path of the product take-out device 7. As described above, the commodity 8 dropped and carried down from the commodity rack 4 is lifted and conveyed upward through the commodity take-out device 7, so that the commodity take-out port 6 can be provided at the middle position, so that the customer does not bend. The product can be taken out from the product outlet 6 in a comfortable posture while standing. Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a specific structure of the above-described product take-out device 7. FIG. In the drawing, reference numeral 9 denotes an endless belt conveyor stretched and laid between pulleys 10 along an L-shaped product transport path between a horizontal transport path and a vertical transport path, and 11 denotes a peripheral surface of the belt conveyor 9. Fingers provided upright from the belt at regular intervals along the belt, 12 is a drive motor for the belt conveyor 9, 13 is a product guide rail provided above the belt conveyor 9 along the product transport path, and 14 is a belt conveyor 9. Is a cylindrical product guide cover provided in the vertical transport path. The belt body and the fingers 11 of the belt conveyor 9 are made of a material having appropriate hardness and elasticity, such as urethane rubber. As shown in FIG. 5, the product guide rail 13 is laid so as to form a concave guide surface in an inverted C-shape on both left and right sides of a central groove through which the finger 11 passes. The product 8 is placed on the sheet and transported. Further, the end portion of the vertical conveyance path of the product guide rail 13 is arched toward the product outlet 6, and a shooter 13a for discharging the product is formed here. Such a product take-out device operates as follows. That is, when the product is sold, the product 8 is dropped and carried out of the product rack 4 and rolls on the product carry-out chute 5, and further the door 3 is insulated.
When the flapper of the product exit 3a is pushed open and rolls forward, the product 8 is placed on the product guide rail 13 on the basis of a horizontal inverted posture parallel to the transport direction of the product removal device 7 as shown in FIG. Land. On the other hand, the drive motor 12 of the conveyor belt 9 is started based on the sales command, and circulates the belt conveyor 9 in the direction of arrow A at a speed of, for example, about 1 m per second. Then, when the product 8 lands on the product guide rail 13, the finger 11 that has moved from behind hits the rear end face of the product 8 and pushes it forward. Thereby, the product 8
Moves forward while sliding on the upper surface of the product guide rail 13, and after passing through a corner that changes direction by bending at a right angle,
Further, in the vertical transport path, the product is lifted and transported while being supported by the product guide cover 14. When the product 8 is carried to the end of the product guide rail 13, the product 8 jumps out by inertia along the chute 13 a curved toward the product outlet 6 at this end position, and is thrown into the product outlet 6. You. Although not shown, a product detection switch is provided at the end of the guide rail 13, and when the product 8 passes therethrough, the product detection switch is activated to control the stop of the drive motor 12 to control the belt conveyor 9 to move. Stop.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the commercialization of the product take-out device, there are the following problems to be solved in terms of the product transfer operation and the attitude control. (1) The impact force applied when the finger 11 of the belt conveyor 9 collides with the product 8 that has landed on the guide rail 13 of the product take-out device 7 from the rear at a speed of about 1 m / sec. If it is a carbonated beverage, beer, or the like, foaming (foaming phenomenon) occurs due to the impact when the finger 11 collides, and when the mouth of the product 8 is opened after sale, the content beverage blows out at once with a large amount of foam. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and a vending machine product capable of preventing various troubles such as forming of a content beverage generated in a product transport process and smoothly lifting and transporting the product to a product outlet. It is intended to provide an unloading device. [Means for Solving the Problems] To achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 is
A horizontal transport path for receiving the products transported forward from the product rack via the product unloading shooter, and a vertical transport path for lifting and transporting the products from this horizontal transport route to a product outlet provided at a middle position of the front door. A product pick-up device for a vending machine provided with a belt conveyor comprising: a finger that stands on the belt conveyor at regular intervals and that pushes a product by hitting a rear end of the product in an inverted posture and pressing the product. Is characterized in that a portion rising from the belt conveyor is made solid and a head portion abutting on the rear end of the product is made hollow. [Function] As described in claim 1, the head portion of the finger which contacts the product is a hollow body, so that the impact when the finger collides with the rear end of the product deforms the hollow body and the solid portion. , Thereby reducing foaming of the content beverage. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, the same members corresponding to FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a structural view of an embodiment according to claim 1 of the present invention, in which fingers (for example, made of urethane rubber) are provided so as to stand up from the belt surface of a belt conveyor 9.
Indicates that the root portion rising from the belt surface is solid, and the product 8
A hollow body is formed by forming a hollow hole 11a in the head that abuts on the rear side. By making only the head portion that abuts on the rear of the product 8 hollow, the front side of the finger 11 is easily deformed, and the root portion is also slightly deformed (bent), so that the product 8 is conveyed in the transportation process. The impact when the finger 11 strikes from behind is reduced. Thereby, the forming (foaming) of the content beverage of the product 8 can be favorably suppressed. [Effects of the Invention] As described above, by adopting the configuration of claim 1, the effect that the impact when the finger hits the product can be reduced and the occurrence of excessive forming of the beverage inside the product can be suppressed. To play.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
2 and 3 are a front view and a sectional side view of a vending machine equipped with a product take-out device, FIG. 4 is an overall configuration view of a conventional product take-out device, FIG. The figure is a sectional view of FIG. 4: Commodity rack, 5: Commodity unloading shooter, 6: Commodity take-out, 7:
Product take-out device, 8: product, 9: belt conveyor, 11: finger, 13: product guide rail.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Kazushige Nagata 1-1-1, Tanabe-Nitta, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture Inside Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koji Kawakami 1-1-1, Tanabe-Nitta, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture (56) References JP-A-1-246694 (JP, A) JP-A-54-162382 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 11 / 00-11/72 G07F 9/00

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A horizontal transport path for receiving a product carried forward from a product rack via a product unloading shooter, and a product from the horizontal transport path being lifted and transported to a product outlet provided at a middle position of a front door. A product conveyor of a vending machine provided with a belt conveyor comprising a vertical conveying path, and a finger that stands on the belt conveyor at regular intervals and hits the rear end of the product in an inverted posture to press the product. A product take-out device for a vending machine, characterized in that the finger has a solid portion at a portion rising from a belt conveyor and a hollow portion at a head portion abutting on a rear end of the product.