JP3050821B2 - vending machine - 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 merchandise packed in containers such as bottles, cans, and PET bottles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An elevator that moves up and down, a plurality of product shelves that are vertically stacked on the sides of the elevator and are spaced apart from each other and that are inclined downward toward the elevator, and a product attached to each product shelf A vending machine provided with a carry-out device and a driving device of a product carry-out device attached to an elevator is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-147483. In the vending machine disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 1-147483, a product delivery device is driven by a drive device attached to the elevator, and a product placed on an inclined product shelf falls onto the elevator by its own weight. Is conveyed to the product outlet by the elevator.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A commodity carrying-out device has a commodity holding state for preventing the leading commodity in the commodity row from falling from the inclined shelf, and a commodity allowing the leading commodity from the commodity row to fall from the inclined shelf. The state can be moved only between the unloading state. A DC motor is used as a driving device of the product unloading device. During the unloading of the product, the driving device of the product unloading device needs to drive the product unloading device to the product unloading position and hold the product unloading position at the position for a predetermined time. If the DC motor of the driving device of the product unloading device is kept turned on during product unloading, the DC motor is overloaded and damaged because the product unloading device is locked in the product unloading state. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and includes an elevator that moves up and down, and a plurality of merchandise shelves that are stacked at intervals on the sides of the elevator and that are vertically inclined toward the elevator. A vending machine comprising: a product unloading device mounted on each product shelf; and a driving device of the product unloading device mounted on the elevator, wherein a DC of the driving device of the product unloading device is provided.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine in which a motor is not overloaded during unloading of a product.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided an elevator which moves up and down,
A plurality of merchandise shelves stacked vertically at intervals on the sides of the elevator and inclined downward toward the elevator, a merchandise unloading device mounted on each merchandise shelf, and a merchandise unloading device mounted on the elevator And a control device for duty-controlling the motor of the driving device of the product unloading device. In the vending machine according to the present invention, the product unloading device is driven from the product holding state to the product unloading state by the driving device attached to the elevator, and the product placed on the inclined product shelf is placed on the elevator by its own weight. Fall.
The goods dropped on the elevator are sent to the goods outlet by the vertical movement of the elevator, and are taken out of the vending machine through the goods outlet. In the vending machine according to the present invention, at the time of unloading the product, the control device duty-controls the motor of the drive device of the product unloading device at least after the unloading device has moved to the unloading state. The motor of the driving device of the product unloading device is turned on and off in a minute cycle
Is repeated to keep the product unloading device in the product unloading state.
Thereby, the product is carried out of the inclined product shelf without any trouble. Since the motor of the drive of the product unloading device repeats ON and OFF in a minute cycle, unlike the case where it is kept ON,
Does not overload. As a result, damage to the motor of the driving device of the product unloading device is prevented.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description, the directions of arrows I, II, III, IV, V, and VI in FIGS. 1 to 9 will be referred to as forward, backward, left, right, upward, and downward, respectively. In addition,
1, 2, 3, and 8, the direction from the back surface to the front surface of the paper is the front, and the direction from the front surface to the back surface is the rear. In FIG. 9, the direction from the back surface to the front surface of the paper is the left side, and the direction from the front surface to the back surface is the right side.

FIG. 1 shows a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, an elevator 1 that can move up and down is disposed at the center of the vending machine 100 in the left-right direction. On the left and right sides of the elevator 1, a plurality of product shelves 2 that are stacked vertically and spaced apart from each other and that are inclined downward toward the elevator 1 are provided. The lower edge of the product shelf 2 extends forward and backward. Each product shelf 2
On the upper side, goods 200 packed in containers such as bottles, cans, and PET bottles are placed in a state of being aligned in the left-right direction with the central axis extending in the front-rear direction. On each product shelf 1, a plurality of rows of products 200 are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction.
Rows are placed.

[0007] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a seesaw-type product unloading device 3 is provided on the lower surface of the lower edge of each product shelf 2 and directly below each row of products 200. Elevator 1
The configuration of the product unloading device 3 will be described focusing on the product unloading device 3 on the left side of FIG. The product unloading device 3 includes a hinge-shaped first stopper 31 whose upper end is rotatably supported on the product shelf 2 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the front-rear direction and whose lower end is a free end, and whose lower end is in the front-rear direction. Product shelves 2 that can rotate freely about an extending axis
A second stopper 32 whose upper end is a free end and whose upper end is rotatably connected to a free end of the first stopper 31 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the front-rear direction. An intermediate arm 33 is connected to a free end of the stopper 32 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the front-rear direction. The first stopper 31, the second stopper 32, and the intermediate arm 33 have their upper ends, which are the support ends of the first stopper 31, point obliquely upward and to the left, and the lower ends, which are the support ends of the second stopper 32, point obliquely downward and to the right. It is arranged so as to extend to the left and right in parallel with the shelf 2. The product shelf 2 has an opening 21 that allows the joint of the first stopper 31 and the joint of the second stopper 32 to protrude above the product shelf 2. The opening 21 may be formed by stamping the product shelf 2 or by forming a recess in the product shelf 2 by press working or the like, and forming the first stopper 31 and the second stopper 3 in the recess.
2. The intermediate arm 33 is stored, and the open end of the concave portion is opened.
It may be 1. The intermediate arm 33 is a first diagonally lower right.
It is supported by the product shelf 2 so as to be movable parallel to the product shelf 2 only between the position and the second position diagonally above and to the left. The intermediate arm 33 is urged by a spring 34 obliquely downward and to the right in parallel with the shelf 2. As a result, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, the intermediate arm 33 is normally at the first position diagonally right lower, the joint of the second stopper 32 projects above the product shelf 2, and the joint of the first stopper 31 The unit retreats below the product shelf 2 and the product unloading device 3 is in a product holding state. The second stoppers 32 projecting upward from the product shelf 2 support the products 200 at the lower end of the product row, and prevent all the products 200 belonging to the product row from falling. Intermediate arm 33
Is fixed to the pressing piece 35. When the push piece 35 is pushed diagonally left and up, the intermediate arm 33 moves to the second position diagonally left and up, and as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
Is retracted below the shelf 2 and the first stopper 3
The joint portion 1 protrudes above the product shelf 2 and the product unloading device 3
Is in the state of carrying out the goods. The first product 200 at the lower end of the product row drops downward from the lower edge of the product shelf 2 losing support of the second stopper 32, and the second product 200 protrudes above the product shelf 2 from the lower end of the product row. The remaining products 200 supported by the stopper 31 and belonging to the product row are prevented from falling.

As shown in FIG. 4, the elevator 1 is constituted by a box-shaped member 11 whose upper end is open. A plurality of openings 11a are formed in the left and right side walls of the box-shaped member 11 so as to face a plurality of product carrying-out devices 3 arranged at an interval in the front and rear and at intervals in the anteroposterior direction. . As shown in FIG. 5, the elevator 1 is fixed to a slider 41 of the elevator driving device 4. Two vertically extending guide rods 42 are inserted into the slider 41, and vertically extending screw rods 43 are inserted into the slider 41 and screwed to the slider 41. Bevel gear 4 on top of screw bar 43
4 is fixed. The bevel gear 44 meshes with a reduction gear provided in a gear box 45, and the reduction gear is connected to a DC servomotor 46 with an encoder. As shown in FIG. 6, the elevator 1 and the elevator driving device 4 are assembled in a rectangular framework 5. An opening 51 a is formed at the upper end of the front vertical girder 51 of the U-shaped cross section of the framework 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the framework 5 includes one of the vending machines.
00 at the center in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 9, an opening 101 a is formed in the inner door 101 of the vending machine 100 so as to face the opening 51 a of the framework 5.
The outer door 102 of the vending machine 100 has an opening 51
A product outlet 102a is formed opposite to a.

As shown in FIG. 4, a belt-type product carrying conveyor 6 is attached to the elevator 1 so as to extend back and forth in parallel with the lower edge of the product shelf 2. As shown in FIG. 4, the elevator 1 is provided with side plates 7 that are disposed on both left and right sides of the product transport conveyor 6 and that can be turned only between a standing position and a position where the product transport conveyor 6 falls down. ing. The side plate 7 is urged in a rising direction by a spring (not shown). As shown in FIG. 4, the elevator 1 is provided with a side plate 7 on both sides of the product transport conveyor 6 when the side plate 7 is pushed down to the product transport conveyor 6 side.
A switch 8 for detecting that the product has fallen to the product transport conveyor 6 side is attached.

The elevator 1 has a driving device 9 for driving the product unloading device 3 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 below the product conveying conveyor 6 and facing the plurality of openings 11a formed in the side wall. Are mounted at intervals in the direction parallel to the lower edge of the product shelf 2, that is, in the front-back direction. The driving device 9 includes a DC servo motor 91 having an encoder and a reduction gear 9 disposed in a gear box 92.
3, a driving rod 94 meshing with the reduction gear 93, and a driving rod 9
4 and an optical sensor 95 for detecting the initial position.
As can be seen from FIG. 8, the driving rod 94 is curved in an arc shape, and as shown by an arrow in FIG.
3 makes a circular motion to the left and right. When the drive rod 94 makes an arc movement to the left, the left end of the drive rod 94 passes through the opening 11a of the left side wall of the elevator 1 and protrudes to the left of the elevator 1. When the drive rod 94 makes an arc movement to the right, Drive rod 9
The right end of 4 protrudes to the right of the elevator 1 through the opening 11a in the right side wall of the elevator 1.

The operation of the vending machine 100 according to this embodiment will be described below. One product row is composed of the same product 200. On a plurality of product shelves 2, constituent products 2
There are a plurality of different commodity rows of 00. The user selects a desired product 200 and presses a product selection switch (not shown). A control device (not shown) built in the vending machine 100 operates, the servo motor 46 of the elevator driving device 4 rotates, and the screw rod 43 rotates via a reduction gear provided in the gear box 45, and the screw rod 43 rotates. The slider 41 screwed to the 43 is guided by the guide rod 42 and moves downward from the uppermost position, which is the initial position, and the elevator 1 fixed to the slider 41 places a row of desired products 200 thereon. Approach the product shelf 2. The DC servomotor 46 is stopped, and the elevator 1 is stopped facing the lower edge of the product shelf on which the row of desired products 200 is placed. By comparing the number of pulses by the encoder with the number of pulses indicating a preset product shelf position, the stop position control of the elevator 1 is accurately performed by a control device (not shown) incorporated in the vending machine 100.

The DC servo motor 91 of the driving device 9 facing the product line constituted by the desired products 200 is turned on by a control device (not shown) incorporated in the vending machine 100, and the reduction gear 93 rotates. The drive rod 94 meshing with the reduction gear 93 is moved from the initial position in which the left and right ends are at the same height position to the product shelf 2 on which the product row constituted by the desired product 200 is placed. , And the left or right end of the drive rod 94 passes through an opening 11 a formed in the side wall of the elevator 1, and a product shelf on which a product row composed of desired products 200 is placed. Protruding toward 2. When a product line constituted by desired products 200 is placed on the left product shelf 2, the left end of the drive rod 94 passes through the opening 11 a formed in the left side wall of the elevator 1 and moves to the left. The product row that is protruded and configured by the desired product 200 is the product shelf 2 on the right side.
When mounted on the upper side, the right end of the drive rod 94 protrudes rightward through an opening 11 a formed in the right side wall of the elevator 1. The stroke of the circular motion of the driving rod 94 is determined by comparing the number of pulses by the encoder with the number of pulses indicating a preset stroke.
0 is accurately controlled by a built-in control device (not shown).

The protruding end of the drive rod 94 enters the gap between the vertically adjacent product shelves 2 and comes into contact with the pushing piece 35 of the product carrying-out device 3 disposed immediately below a desired product row. Press piece 3
5. Push up diagonally upward. Since the arc-shaped drive rod 94 makes an arc movement, the protruding end of the drive rod 94 moves substantially along the inclined gap between the vertically adjacent product shelves 2. As a result, the gap between the vertically adjacent product shelves 2 is narrow, and the lower surface of the product shelf 2 on which a desired product row is placed and the top of the product 200 placed on the product shelf 2 immediately below the product shelf 2 Is small, the protruding end of the drive rod 94 can move in the narrow inclined gap without interfering with the commodity 200 below. The end of the driving rod 94 is the pressing piece 35.
As a result, the intermediate arm 33 of the product unloading device 3 moves from the first position diagonally below to the second position diagonally upward, and the joint of the second stopper 32 retreats below the product shelf 2. The first stopper 31 protrudes above the product shelf 2. That is, the product unloading device 3 moves from the product holding state to the product unloading state. The lowermost commodity 200 of the desired commodity row loses the support of the second stopper 32 and falls from the lower end of the commodity shelf 2 into the elevator 1. The second product 200 from the lowermost end of the desired product row is supported by the first stopper 31. As a result, all other products 200 belonging to the desired product row are prevented from falling from the product shelf 2. When the intermediate arm 33 of the commodity unloading device 3 reaches a predetermined position near the second position, that is, when the stroke of the circular motion of the driving rod 94 reaches a predetermined value, the control device (not shown) incorporated in the vending machine 100 is activated. ON until
The control of the DC servo motor 91 of the driving device 9 which has been continuously performed is switched to the duty control. Under the duty control, the DC servo motor 91 is turned on and
While repeating FF, the intermediate arm 33 is pushed up to the second position. The intermediate arm 33 is held at the second position, and thus the product unloading device 3 is held in a product unloading state. While the product unloading device 3 is kept in the product unloading state, the desired product 200 is unloaded from the inclined product shelf 2 without any problem.
During the unloading of a desired product 200, the product unloading device 3 is held in the unloading state by the operation of the DC servo motor 91, but the DC servo motor 91 repeats ON and OFF in a minute cycle under duty control. ON
Unlike when you continue to do so, there is no overload. As a result, breakage of the DC servo motor 91 is prevented.

When the lowermost product 200 of the desired product row falls from the lower end of the product shelf 2 into the elevator 1, the side plate 7 of the elevator 1 is pushed down to the product transport conveyor 6 side. The switch 8 is pressed by the pushed down side plate 7, and the side plate 7
Is detected, that is, that the desired product 200 has been carried out of the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1. After the product 200 moves into the elevator 1, the fallen side plate 7 stands up by the urging force of a spring (not shown). The upright side plate 7 facing the pushed down side plate 7 prevents occurrence of a situation in which the commodity 200 gets over the elevator 1 and falls to the opposite side. After it is detected that the desired product 200 has been carried out of the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1, the vending machine 10
Under the control of a control device (not shown), the DC servo motor 91 rotates in the reverse direction and the drive rod 94 returns to the initial position. The return of the drive rod 94 to the initial position is detected by an optical sensor for detecting the initial position. Desired product 2
If it is not detected that 00 has been carried out of the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1, the drive rod 94 is driven again, and an attempt is made to carry out the desired product 200 from the product shelf 2.

After a desired product 200 is carried out of the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1, the elevator 1 moves upward and
It reaches the height position of the opening 51a of the framework 5. Since the elevator 1 is assembled in the framework 5, it has sufficient strength and operates stably. While elevator 1 is moving
The upright side plate 7 prevents the commodity 200 from falling from the elevator 1. The product transport conveyor 6 starts operating, and the product 200 is transported toward the opening 51a. As shown in FIG. 9, the product 200 passes through the opening 51 a of the framework 5 and the opening 101 a of the inner door 101, and falls on a product take-out shelf 103 disposed below and forward of the opening 101 a, and the outer door 1
02 from the vending machine 100 through the product outlet 102a.

As can be understood from the above description, in the vending machine according to the present embodiment, while the desired product 200 is being carried out,
The operation of the DC servo motor 91 keeps the product unloading device 3 in the product unloading state.
Is repeatedly turned ON and OFF in a minute cycle under the duty control, so that unlike the case where it is kept ON, no overload occurs and the DC servomotor 91 is not damaged.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. In the above embodiment,
When the intermediate arm 33 of the product unloading device 3 reaches a predetermined position near the second position, the control of the DC servo motor 91 of the driving device 9 which has been kept ON until then is switched to duty control. The duty control may be switched to immediately after the intermediate arm 33 of the device 3 reaches the second position.

[0018]

As described above, in the vending machine according to the present invention, at the time of unloading a product, the control device controls the driving device of the unloading device at least after the unloading device has moved to the unloading state. Is duty-controlled. The motor of the driving device of the product unloading device
N and OFF are repeated to keep the product unloading device in the product unloading state. Thereby, the product is carried out of the inclined product shelf without any trouble. The motor of the drive of the product unloading device is ON,
Since OFF is repeated in a minute cycle, overload does not occur unlike the case where ON is continued. As a result, damage to the motor of the driving device of the product unloading device is prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an internal structure of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of a product discharging device provided in the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an elevator provided in the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an elevator driving device provided in the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a diagram showing a state in which the elevator of FIG. 4 and the elevator driving device of FIG. 5 are assembled in a framework. (A)
Is a perspective view, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along the arrow bb in (a).

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a driving device for driving a product unloading device provided in the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the arrow aa in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view showing the operation of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Elevator 2 Merchandise shelf 3 Commodity unloading device 4 Elevator drive device 5 Frame 6 Commodity transport conveyor 7 Side plate 8 Switch 9 Driving device for driving commodity unloading device 91 DC servo motor 100 Vending machine 102 Commodity take-out

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An elevator that moves up and down, a plurality of merchandise shelves that are stacked on the sides of the elevator with an interval in the up and down direction and that are inclined downward toward the elevator, and a product attached to each of the merchandise shelves. A vending machine comprising a carry-out device, a drive device of a product carry-out device attached to an elevator, and a control device for duty-controlling a motor of the drive device of the product carry-out device.