JP3084359B2 - 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 In Japanese Patent Application No. 8-234418, the applicant of the present invention has an elevator moving vertically and stacked vertically at intervals on the sides of the elevator and inclined downward toward the elevator. A plurality of product shelves, a product dispensing device that pays out products from the product shelves to the elevator, and a product transport conveyor attached to the elevator and extending parallel to a lower edge of the product shelves, each product shelf having a product shelf There has been proposed a vending machine on which products are placed in a plurality of product rows at intervals in a direction in which the lower edge extends. In the above vending machine, when the user presses the product selection button, the elevator moves from the origin position to the position of the product shelf on which the product selected by the user is placed, and the product dispensing device is activated to move the desired product from the product shelf. Are delivered to the elevator, the elevator moves to the height of the product outlet, and the product transport conveyor operates to transport the product to the product outlet.

[0003]

In the above vending machine, after the elevator reaches the height position of the product outlet, the product transport conveyor is operated, so that the user selects the product and then loads the product. There was a problem that it took time to receive. On the other hand, when the elevator starts moving toward the height of the product outlet and activates the product transport conveyor at the same time, if the product is dispensed from the product row near the product outlet on the product shelf far from the product outlet, Before the elevator reaches the height position of the product outlet, the product reaches the end of the product transport conveyor on the product outlet side,
A problem arises in that the product interferes with the components of the vending machine and the product is damaged. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, an elevator that moves up and down, and a plurality of product shelves that are stacked at intervals on the sides of the elevator and that are vertically separated from each other and that are inclined downward toward the elevator. A product dispensing device for dispensing products from a product shelf to an elevator,
A product transport conveyor attached to the elevator and extending in parallel to the lower edge of the product shelf, and each product shelf forms a plurality of product rows at intervals in the direction in which the lower edge of the product shelf extends. A vending machine on which products are placed, and the time between when a user selects a product and when the product is received is short,
It is another object of the present invention to provide a vending machine that does not have a risk of being damaged when a product delivered from a product shelf to an elevator is transported to a product outlet.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided an elevator which moves up and down,
A plurality of product shelves stacked vertically apart from each other on the sides of the elevator and inclined downward toward the elevator, a product dispensing device for discharging products from the product shelves to the elevator, and a product shelf attached to the elevator A product transport conveyor extending in parallel with the lower edge of the product shelf, and a plurality of product rows are placed on each product shelf at intervals in the direction in which the lower edge of the product shelf extends. And a control device for starting the product transport conveyor when the elevator loaded with the products paid out from the product shelf reaches a predetermined height area set for each product row to which the products belonged. To provide a vending machine characterized by the above. In the vending machine according to the present invention, when the elevator loaded with the products paid out from the product shelves reaches a predetermined height area set for each product row to which the products belonged, the product transport conveyor is moved. By starting, the time from when the user selects the product to when the product is received is short, and there is no automatic damage that is possible when the product delivered from the product shelf to the elevator is transported to the product exit. Vending machine realized.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description, FIGS.
The directions of arrows I, II, III, IV, V, and VI are referred to as forward, backward, leftward, rightward, upward, and downward, respectively. In FIGS. 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. 9 and 10, the direction from the back side to the front side of the paper is the left side, and the direction from the front side to the back side is the right side.

FIG. 1 shows a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 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 2, four rows of products 200 are placed at an interval in the front-rear direction.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a seesaw-type product dispensing mechanism 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 structure of the commodity payout mechanism 3 will be described focusing on the commodity payout mechanism 3 on the left side of FIG. The product dispensing mechanism 3 has a hinge-shaped first stopper 31 having a support end rotatably supported on the product shelf 2 with an upper end rotatably around an axis extending in the front-rear direction and a free end at a lower end. 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 intermediate arm 33 is supported by the product shelf 2 so as to be movable in parallel with the product shelf 2 between a first position diagonally lower right and a second position diagonally upper left. Intermediate arm 33
Is biased downward and obliquely to the right by a spring 34 in parallel with the product shelf 2. As a result, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 3, the intermediate arm 33 is normally at the first position diagonally below and to the right, and the joint of the second stopper 32 projects above the product shelf 2,
The joint of the first stopper 31 is retracted below the product shelf 2. Second stopper 32 protruding upward from product shelf 2
Thereby, the commodity 200 at the lower end of the commodity row is supported, and the fall of all the commodities 200 belonging to the commodity row is prevented. A pressing piece 35 is fixed to the intermediate arm 33.

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 dispensing mechanisms 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 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. Front stringer 5 of frame 5
An opening 51a is formed at the center in the height direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the framework 5 is attached to the center of the vending machine 100 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 9, a framework 5 is provided at the center in the height direction of the middle door 101 of the vending machine 100.
The opening 101a is formed to face the opening 51a. A product outlet 102a is formed at the center in the height direction of the outer door 102 of the vending machine 100 so as to face the opening 51a of the framework 5. A product take-out shelf 1 is provided below the front of the opening 101a.
03 is provided. Product take-out shelf 103 is middle door 101
Attached to the front of the

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 an article delivery mechanism for driving the article delivery mechanism 3 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 below the article transport conveyor 6 and facing a plurality of openings 11a formed in the side wall. A plurality of driving devices 9 are attached in a direction parallel to the lower edge of the product shelf 2, that is, in the front-back direction with a space therebetween. The commodity dispensing mechanism driving device 9 includes a servo motor 91 with an encoder, a reduction gear 93 disposed in a gear box 92, an arc-shaped drive rod 94 meshing with the reduction gear 93, and an origin position of the drive rod 94. And an optical sensor 95 for detecting When the drive rod 94 is at the origin position, the left and right ends of the drive rod 94 are at the same height as shown by the solid line in FIG. 8, and the drive rod 94 is stored in the elevator 1. When the driving rod 94 is at the origin position, the slit 94a formed in the driving rod 94 faces the optical sensor 95, and the optical sensor 95 detects that the driving rod 94 is at the origin position. The driving rod 94 is shown in FIG.
As shown by the arrows, the rotating reduction gear 93 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, The right end of the driving rod 94 protrudes to the right of the elevator 1 through the opening 11a in the right side wall of the elevator 1. The product payout mechanism 3 and the product payout mechanism driving device 9 constitute a product payout device. Elevator 1, product delivery mechanism drive 9, product transport conveyor 6
Is controlled by a control device (not shown).

The starting area of the goods transport conveyor 6 shown in FIG. 10 is stored in the memory of the control device.
As can be seen from FIG. 10, the opening area 51 a of the framework 5, and hence the product outlet 10,
2a, the opening 51 of the framework 5
A region A near the height position of the product outlet 102a is set, and a region B that is wider than the region A is set for the product line 2 adjacent to the product line 1,
For the product row 3 adjacent to the product row 2, an area C that is wider than the area B is set, and the innermost product farthest from the opening 51a of the framework 5 adjacent to the product row 3 and thus the product outlet 102a. For column 3, a region D that is wider than the region C is set.

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
00 different four product rows are placed. The user selects a desired product 200 and presses a product selection switch (not shown). The control device (not shown) provided in the vending machine 100 operates, the servo motor 46 of the elevator driving device 4 rotates, and the screw rod 43 rotates through the reduction gear provided in the gear box 45, and the screw rod 43 Is guided by the guide rod 42 and moves downward from the uppermost position, which is the origin position, so that the elevator 1 fixed to the slider 41 moves the desired product 200 from the uppermost position, which is the origin position. The product approaching the shelf 2 on which the row is placed. The servo motor 46 stops, and the elevator 1 moves to the desired product 2
It stops facing the lower edge of the product shelf on which the row of 00 is placed. The stop position control of the elevator 1 is accurately performed by comparing the number of pulses by the encoder attached to the servomotor 46 with the number of pulses indicating the preset product shelf position.

The servo motor 9 of the commodity dispensing mechanism driving device 9 facing the commodity row constituted by the desired commodity 200
1 rotates, and the reduction gear 93 rotates. The drive rod 94 meshing with the reduction gear 93 is moved left or right from the origin position where 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
Through the opening 11a formed in the side wall of the elevator 1,
It protrudes toward the product shelf 2 on which a product line composed of desired products 200 is placed. 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. When the product line protruding and constituted by the desired product 200 is placed on the right product shelf 2, the right end of the driving rod 94 passes through the opening 11 a formed in the right side wall of the elevator 1, Protruding toward. The stroke of the circular motion of the driving rod 94 is
By comparing the number of pulses by an encoder attached to the servomotor 91 with the number of pulses indicating a preset stroke, control is performed with high accuracy.

The protruding end of the drive rod 94 enters the gap between the vertically adjacent product shelves 2 and comes into contact with the pressing piece 35 of the product payout mechanism 3 disposed immediately below the desired product row. Spring 3
The pressing piece 35 is pushed up obliquely upward against the elastic force of No. 4.
Since the arc-shaped drive rod 94 makes an arc movement, the drive rod 94
The protruding end portion 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. As a result of the end of the driving rod 94 pushing the push piece 35 obliquely upward, the intermediate arm 33 of the product payout mechanism 3 is moved obliquely downward to the first
From the position, the joint moves to the second position diagonally above, the joint of the second stopper 32 retreats below the product shelf 2, and the first stopper 31 projects above the product shelf 2. 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 lowermost product 200 in 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 paid out from the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1. After the fallen side plate 7 has moved into the elevator 1,
It is raised 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 delivered from the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1, the servo motor 91 rotates in the reverse direction, and the drive rod 94 returns to the home position. The return of the driving rod 94 to the origin position is detected by the optical sensor 95 for detecting the origin position. Desired goods 20
If it is not detected that “0” has been dispensed from the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1, the drive rod 94 is driven again to try to dispense a desired product 200 from the product shelf 2. The memory of the control device stores the number of the product shelf on which the paid-out product 200 is placed and the number of the product row to which the paid-out product 200 belongs.

After the desired product 200 is dispensed from the product shelf 2 to the elevator 1, the elevator 1 moves up and down to the height position of the opening 51a of the framework 5, and eventually to the height position of the product outlet 102a. approach. Since the elevator 1 is assembled in the framework 5, it has sufficient strength and operates stably. During the movement of the elevator 1, the upright side plate 7 prevents the commodity 200 from falling from the elevator 1.

By comparing the number of pulses by the encoder attached to the servomotor 46 with the number of pulses corresponding to the upper and lower limits of the areas A to D in FIG. ＤD is detected. Stored in the memory of the control device,
The number of the product shelf on which the paid-out product 200 is placed, the number of the product row to which the paid-out product 200 belongs, and the detection result that the elevator 1 has entered the areas A to D in FIG. Based on the above, the product transport conveyor 6 is started. That is, the product outlet 102 shown in FIG.
In the case where the goods 200 are paid out from the goods row 1 closest to a, the goods transport conveyor 6 is started when the elevator 1 enters the area A, and the goods 200 are paid out from the goods row 2 adjacent to the goods row 1. When the product is delivered, the product transport conveyor 6 starts when the elevator 1 enters the area B, and when the product 200 is paid out from the product row 3 adjacent to the product row 2, the elevator 1 is moved to the area C. When the product 200 is paid out from the deepest product row 4 farthest from the product outlet 102a adjacent to the product row 3, the elevator 1 enters the area D. Then, the product transport conveyor 6 starts. As the product line to which the dispensed product 200 belongs goes away from the product outlet 102a, the starting time of the product transport conveyor 6 is advanced, so that even if the product 200 is dispensed from any of the product sequences, the elevator 1 can take out the product. Almost synchronously with reaching the height position of the outlet 102a, it is possible to realize that the product 200 reaches the vicinity of the end of the product transport conveyor 6 on the side of the product outlet 102a. Therefore, the user can receive the product in a relatively short time after selecting the product, and before the elevator 1 reaches the height position of the product outlet 102a,
The product 200 is the product outlet 102 of the product transport conveyor 6
When the product 200 reaches the a-side end and the product 200 is
This prevents the occurrence of a situation where the product is damaged due to interference with the product.

The product 200 is transported by the product transport conveyor 6 toward the opening 51a. As shown in FIG.
The merchandise 200 passes through the opening 51a of the frame 5 and the opening 101a of the middle door 101, falls onto a merchandise take-out shelf 103 disposed below and in front of the opening 101a, and is automatically sold through the outer door 102 and a merchandise outlet 102a. Removed from the machine 100.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment,
By comparing the number of pulses by the encoder attached to the servomotor 46 with the number of pulses corresponding to the upper and lower limits of the areas A to D in FIG.
D, the number of the commodity shelf 2 on which the dispensed commodity 200 is placed (that is, the height position of the commodity shelf 2) stored in the memory of the control device, and the elevator It may be detected that the elevator 1 has entered the areas A to D based on the elapsed time from when the apparatus 1 starts moving toward the height position of the product outlet 102a.
In the above embodiment, the commodity delivery mechanism 3 is driven by using the commodity delivery mechanism driving device 9 attached to the elevator. However, a solenoid that drives the pressing piece 35 of the commodity delivery mechanism 3 is attached to each commodity delivery mechanism 3, The product payout mechanism 3 may be driven using the solenoid.

[0020]

As described above, according to the present invention, the time from when the user selects a product to when the product is received is short, and the product delivered from the product shelf to the elevator is transported to the product outlet. A vending machine is provided that will not be damaged in the event of a vending machine.

[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 commodity payout mechanism 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 perspective view showing a state in which the elevator of FIG. 4 and the elevator driving device of FIG. 5 are assembled in a framework.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a driving device that drives a commodity payout mechanism 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.

FIG. 10 is a diagram exemplifying a starting area of the product transport conveyor 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Elevator 2 Merchandise shelf 3 Commodity payout mechanism 4 Elevator drive 5 Frame 6 Commodity conveyor 7 Side plate 8 Switch 9 Commodity payout mechanism drive 100 Vending machine

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-143694 (JP, A) JP-A-6-176260 (JP, A) JP-A-6-195556 (JP, A) 73699 (JP, A) JP-A-4-25991 (JP, A) JP-A-7-20681 (JP, U) JP-A-3-66477 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 1/00-17/42

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An elevator that moves up and down, a plurality of merchandise 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 that goods are paid from the merchandise shelves to the elevator. A product delivery device
A product transport conveyor attached to the elevator and extending in parallel to the lower edge of the product shelf, and each product shelf forms a plurality of product rows at intervals in the direction in which the lower edge of the product shelf extends. When the elevator on which the products are placed and the products paid out from the product shelves reach a predetermined height area set for each product row to which the products belonged, the product transport conveyor is started. A vending machine comprising: