JP3120119B2 - 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, and more particularly to a column structure for storing goods.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a general structure of a vending machine, a vending machine has a main body and a front door provided at a front portion of the main body.
A plurality of columns for stacking and storing products are provided inside the main body.

[0003] In the structure of the column, in the case of a product, for example, a tobacco, the tobacco is vertically stacked, and the stacked tobacco is provided one by one by a product delivery device provided at the bottom of the column. Carried out of the column.

[0004] In recent years, the types of products sold by vending machines have increased, and the number of columns stored in the main body has tended to increase. In particular, in vending machines for cigarettes, the types of cigarettes to be sold increase, and when the types are large, as many as 60 types are available. However, products that actually sell well are fixed, and may not require a large number of columns. Therefore,
It is desirable to be able to increase or decrease the number of columns according to the environment in which the vending machine is located.

[0005]

However, in a conventional vending machine, the number of columns provided inside the main body is fixed, and the arrangement of the columns is determined at the time of unloading from a factory. The administrator of the plane could not change the number of columns.

[0006] Therefore, there is a problem that a product cannot be sold according to the environment in which the vending machine is placed.

[0007]

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine in which the number of columns stored in a main body can be easily changed.

[0008]

The vending machine of the present invention comprises:
The main unit of the vending machine and the sample shelf provided at the front of the main unit
A vending machine equipped with a front door with a coin and a mech, etc., and a plurality of columns for stacking and storing products inside the main unit.
Rams, and fixed columns
A product unloading device that unloads products to the front or back of the column
At the bottom of each column, from the top of the body from multiple columns
In addition to arranging the configured column unit,
Unit can be pulled out of the main unit and pulled out
The column unit is a product stacked in each column
The product unloading device that unloads the product to the back of the column is located at the bottom of each column.
And the column unit has a column
Form several types with different configurations of
When the column unit is pulled out, it can be replaced .

[0009]

[Operation] In the vending machine having the above-described structure, a column unit having a plurality of columns as one set is formed. In this column unit, the number of columns to be combined is changed, and several types are formed.

Therefore, when it is desired to form a large number of columns in a vending machine, a column unit having a large number of combined columns may be inserted into the main body in a pull-out manner to increase the number of columns inside the main body. .

Conversely, when it is desired to reduce the number of columns provided inside the main body, a column unit having a small number of combined columns may be inserted into the main body.

When the column unit is inserted into the main body, the column unit can be easily inserted into the main body because the column unit is provided so as to be freely drawn out from the main body.

[0013]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can sell cigarettes T as shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a main body of the vending machine 10, which is a box having a front surface 12a opened as shown in FIG.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a front door provided on the front surface 12a of the main body 12. On the front surface of the front door 14, as shown in FIG. 2, a sample shelf 16, a selection button 18, an amount indicator 20, a coin slot 22, a 1,000-yen bill insertion slot 24, and a cigarette outlet 26 are provided. I have. A coin mech 28, a 1,000-yen bill discriminator 30, an operation box 32, and the like are provided on the rear surface of the front door 14.

Next, the detailed structure of the main body 12 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

Reference numeral 34 denotes a product carrying path provided at a lower portion of the main body 12 as shown in FIG. This product exit 3
4 guides the tobacco T discharged from a column to be described later to a tobacco outlet 26.

Inside the main body 12, there are provided a plurality of columns for storing the cigarettes T stacked vertically. There are a plurality of types of columns in which the number of stored cigarettes and the types of cigarettes that can be stored are different from each other, and the types are as follows.

As shown in FIG. 3, one at the front of the column,
A column 48 (hereinafter, referred to as two columns) provided with a storage space for two tobacco T, one at the rear. With this three column 46, two kinds of cigarettes T can be stored by 12 pieces. A product unloading device 47 is provided below each storage space.

As shown in FIG. 4, one at the front of the column,
A column 46 (hereinafter, referred to as three columns) provided with a storage space for a total of three cigarettes T, two in the rear vertical direction.
In this three column 46, one kind of tobacco T is 12 pieces,
Two types of cigarettes T can be stored by five each. A product unloading device 47 is provided below each storage space.

As shown in FIG. 5, a column 44 (hereinafter, referred to as four columns) is provided with a total of four tobacco T storage spaces, two in each of the longitudinal direction and the longitudinal direction. In this four column 44, there are eight, six, four types of cigarettes T
5 or 3 can be stored. A product unloading device 47 is provided below each storage space.

Reference numeral 36 denotes a plurality of columns provided on the right side and the lower left side inside the main body 12, respectively. The column 36 is fixed to the main body 12. Hereinafter, this column 36 is referred to as a fixed column.

Reference numeral 38 denotes a product discharging device provided below the fixed column 36. This product unloading device 38
This is for pushing out the stacked cigarettes T forward or backward of the fixed column 36. The tobacco T extruded by the product discharge device 38 drops through the guide path 40 to the product discharge path 34 and reaches the cigarette outlet 26.

Reference numeral 42 denotes a column unit provided at the upper left of the fixed column 36. This column unit 4
7, two columns 44 are provided in three rows from the left in FIG. 7, three columns 46 are provided on the left side, and two columns 48 are provided on the left side, and these columns are integrated. When refilling the four columns 44, the third column 46, and the second column 48 with the tobacco T, respectively, as shown in FIG. These columns 44 ~
The cigarette T is replenished from the lateral direction of the columns 44 to 48 by pulling out the front 48.

The column unit 42 is provided so as to be able to be pulled out to the front of the main body 12 so that the column unit 42 can be replaced. The structure will be described below with reference to FIGS.

Reference numeral 50 denotes the upper surface 4 of the column unit 42.
This is a left rail provided on the left side of 2a along the front-rear direction.

Reference numeral 52 denotes the upper surface 4 of the column unit 42.
This is a central rail provided along the front-rear direction at the center of 2a.

Reference numeral 54 denotes the upper surface 4 of the column unit 42.
This is a right rail provided along the front-rear direction on the right side of 2a.

Reference numeral 56 denotes a left roller mounting plate provided on the left side of the inner ceiling surface 12b of the main body 12.

Reference numeral 60 denotes a right roller mounting plate provided substantially at the center of the inner ceiling surface 12b of the main body 12.

Reference numeral 58 denotes a center roller mounting plate provided between the left roller mounting plate 56 and the right roller mounting plate 58 on the inner ceiling surface 12b of the main body 12.

Reference numeral 62 denotes a left roller provided on the left mounting plate 56. The left roller 62 slides along the upper surface of the left rail 50 with the left rail 50 suspended.

Reference numerals 64 and 66 denote a pair of central rollers provided on the central roller mounting plate. This central roller 6
Reference numerals 4 and 66 slide along the upper surface of the central rail 52 with the central rail 52 suspended.

Reference numeral 68 denotes a right roller provided on the right mounting plate 60. The right roller 68 slides along the upper surface of the right rail 54 with the right rail 54 suspended.

That is, the left roller mounting plate 56, the central roller
The column unit 30 is suspended by the roller mounting plate 58 and the right roller mounting plate 60, and
The column unit 42 can be pulled out forward by a roller.

By the way, the column unit 42 has three four columns 44, two three columns 46, and one column 48.
It is a column unit with one set. However, the combination of the columns is not limited to this, and 4 columns 44, 3 columns 4
The combined number of six and two columns 48 can be varied. That is, in the case of the column unit 42, a total of 20 columns are formed, but if the number of the four columns 44 is increased, the number of columns included in the column unit 42 is increased. Therefore, a plurality of column units having different numbers of columns are prepared. And the vending machine 10
The number of columns in the vending machine 10 as a whole may be changed by replacing the column unit according to the environment in which the vending machine is placed and the sales status of the product.

When the column unit is replaced, the column unit 42 can be easily replaced because the column unit 42 can be pulled out with respect to the main body 12.

For example, in the case of a six-column unit, twelve columns can be formed by arranging two columns 48 in six rows. When four columns 44 are combined in six rows, 24 columns can be formed. That is, the number of columns can be selected from 12 to 24 in one column unit 42.

In the vending machine 10 having the above-described structure, the column unit 42 is provided only in the upper left portion of the main body 12. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the entire upper portion may be a column unit. May be provided according to the circumstances.

Further, in this embodiment, the column unit 4
Although 2 is suspended from the main body and can be pulled out forward, the structure to be pulled out forward is not limited to this. For example, a rail or the like may be provided on the fixed column 36 so as to be freely pulled out.

[0042]

According to the vending machine having the above-mentioned structure, the number of columns of the entire vending machine can be changed by changing several types of column units in which the number of columns to be combined is changed. Therefore, the number of columns may be changed according to the environment where the vending machine is placed. In this case, since the column unit is provided so as to be freely drawn out from the vending machine main body, the column unit can be easily replaced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vending machine with the front door opened.

FIG. 3 is a side view of four columns.

FIG. 4 is a side view of three columns.

FIG. 5 is a side view of two columns.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a column.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an entire column.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a column unit.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged front view of the upper surface of the column unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Vending machine 12 Main body 14 Front door 36 Fixed column 38 Product unloading device 40 Guideway 42 Column unit 44 4 columns 46 3 columns 48 2 Column 50: Product unloading device

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vending machine main body and a sample shelf, a coin mech, etc. , provided at a front part of the main body.
In a vending machine equipped with a front door and a plurality of columns for stacking and storing products inside the main body, a fixed column with a fixed column structure is installed at the bottom of the main body.
For fixed columns, the products stacked in each column are
Move the product unloading device to be unloaded forward or backward under each column.
And a column unit consisting of multiple columns at the top of the main unit.
And the column unit to the main body.
The column unit is provided so that it can be freely moved in and out of the front.
A product unloading device for unloading to the rear of the
Each has, also, this column unit, also changed the structure of a column
Are formed in advance, and the column unit is
A vending machine characterized in that it can be replaced when pulled out .