JP3188985B2 - 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 having a plurality of small columns.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In vending machines for selling products such as cigarettes, the number of products to be sold has increased in recent years, so that it is necessary to increase the number of columns for storing products. Is coming. However, since the size of the housing was large in proportion to the number of columns, the columns had to be small. In that case, since the number of products that can be stored in one column is small, the same product is stored in multiple columns, and the columns containing the same product are converged programmatically by the control circuit, and there is no inventory at the time of sale Even if a column is selected, it is configured to carry out delivery from the column with stock. Furthermore, the fact is that it is also programmed to sell the converged columns evenly. However, even if a large number of small columns are converged and sold by converging and selling the stocked products programmatically, miniaturization of the columns has a different problem.

[0003] That is, the column for stacking products on the basis of the product is opened in the pushing direction, but since only one product at the bottom needs to be pushed, all the products do not fly out of the open portion of the column in the pushing direction. Product 1 at the bottom
It is necessary to provide an opening that only allows the individual to pass through and a stopper to prevent the product above it from falling over and jumping out.
Such a vending machine is, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-29011, a member forming an opening for extruding one product at a lower portion of a front open portion of a column, and stacked from the upper portion. And a stopper member provided to prevent the product from jumping out. In such a configuration, the product is filled by retracting the upper stopper member. In this case, the stopper member is formed of a spring, and when the product is filled, the stopper can be retracted by the product to be filled or the hand by using the elasticity of the spring, and the product can be stored in the column.

However, when the size of the column is large in the stacking direction of the product, the stopper member can be easily retracted and the product can be filled. However, when the size of the column in the height direction becomes extremely small, the size of the column becomes extremely small. In such a configuration, the product cannot be filled. For this reason, it has been attempted to open and close the stopper members of all the columns at the same time by using the stopper members of a large number of columns as one door. However, in this case, since the stopper member is integrated, it is difficult to change the position or the size of the stopper member when the size of the product changes. Further, when all the columns are opened at the same time, the product may jump out of the columns due to a slight swing or vibration, and in that case, the stopper member may not be closed, which is a preferable method.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine capable of reducing the size of a column to accommodate a large variety of products.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides an
Was the open extrusion direction of the product together with the surrounding product comprising a column formed <br/> U-shape, the horizontal shift in a direction perpendicular to the extrusion direction of the item to the top of the open portion of the column
Dynamic is provided a sliding unit capable, said depending from the sliding portion
Close the open part of the column and refill the sliding part when refilling the product.
Provided with a rod <br/> shaped stopper is retracted from the opening portion of the column are moved in parallel by the moving, even least <br/> of the product formed between the base and the lower end of the stopper 1 Plunge into the base from the opening whose size is extruded
The problem is solved by providing a product carrying device for pushing out the product.

[0007]

When the sliding portion slides, the stopper is retracted from the open portion of the column, and the open portion of the column is completely opened, so that the product can be easily filled. And by setting the length of the stopper arbitrarily, an opening of any size can be formed between the lower end of the stopper and the base on which the products are stacked,
It can easily deal with products of different thicknesses. Furthermore, the structure is simplified and the manufacture is easy.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of a vending machine according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the inside of the vending machine shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a main part showing a main part of a structure for accommodating and carrying out a product. FIG. 4 is an essential part front view showing a structure of a stopper provided in an open portion of the column. FIG. 5 is an essential part perspective view showing the shape of the stopper. FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing the structure of the stopper. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part showing a state where a stopper according to another embodiment is attached to a sliding portion.

In FIG. 1, the vending machine is provided with a column group 2 having four stages vertically and six columns in the width direction inside a housing 1. And each column 3
Is formed in a U-shape that is open in the direction in which the product is extruded, and each of the open portions is provided with a stopper 4 that hangs down from above. Further, a base 5 is provided in the lower part of the column 3 so that goods (not shown) can be stacked, and an opening 6 is formed by the base 5 and the lower end of the stopper 4. In the lower part of the housing 1, a product outlet 7 is formed for selling products carried out from the respective columns 3.

In FIG. 2, the vending machine is provided with a four-stage column group 2 in a vertical direction inside a housing 1.
Each of the columns 3 constituting the column group 2 is provided with a stopper 4 hanging from an upper portion at an open portion.
A door 8 is provided on the front surface of the housing 1 so as to be openable and closable. A chute 10 for dropping and discharging the product 9 toward a product outlet 7 formed below the door 8 is adjacent to the base 5. It is provided. Furthermore, on the upper part of the front of the door 8,
A product display shelf 11 for selecting a product is provided. The products 9 are stacked on the base 5, and two products 9 are arranged in front and behind in the unloading direction. The goods 9 stacked on the column 3 are carried out by the unloading device 1 provided at the lower part of the base 5.
The extruded piece 13 reciprocates in the upper portion of the base 5 by 2 and is configured to be carried out one by one from the lower portion through the opening 6.

In FIG. 3, a product 9 that has been heavily blamed on a base 5 is provided so as to be surrounded by a column 3 whose front is opened in a U-shape. It is partitioned by a side plate 14 stretched in the front-rear direction which is the extrusion direction. And this side plate 1
4 is provided so as to be able to move in the front-rear direction with respect to the base 5 and the ceiling plate 15 of the column 3, and is configured to be pulled out from an open portion. Furthermore, the side plate 14
A notch 16 is formed, and an end 18 of a sliding portion 17 is provided so as to fit into the notch 16.

The sliding portion 17 is movably provided by a bolt 20 on a support plate 19 fixed to the ceiling plate 15. The stopper 4 is attached to the sliding part 17 via a fixed part 21, and the fixed part 21 is
It is fixed to the sliding portion 17 by 2 and a screw 23.

An unloading device 12 provided below the base 5
The extruded piece 13 traveling back and forth on the upper portion of the base 5 is connected to a belt 24. The belt 24 is connected to a gear 25 that is rotated by an electric motor (not shown), and is configured to move a predetermined amount programmatically. Have been.

In FIG. 4, a stopper 4 for closing the open portion of the column 3 is fixed to the sliding portion 17 and is configured to move together with the sliding portion 17 in the direction in which the column 3 is provided. The sliding portion 17 is configured so that the bolt 20 is fitted in the groove 26 and moves along the groove 26. The stopper 4 is moved from the position of the side plate 14 to the stopper indicated by a dotted line in the drawing. It is configured to be able to move to the position 4a. Further, an opening 6 through which the product 9 is extruded is formed between the lower end of the stopper 4 and the base 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, the stopper 4 is
1 is composed of a molded product such as resin,
Are integrally provided, and a hole 27 into which a screw can be inserted from below is formed.

In FIG. 6, a screw hole 28 is formed in the lower part of the fixing portion 21, and the stopper 4 is screwed and attached to the screw hole 28.

In FIG. 7, the fixed portion 21a is
9, a plurality of holes in the sliding portion 29 into which the pin 22a is fitted, and a plurality of holes 2 in the sliding portion 21a through which the bolts 23 pass.
7 a is formed to be long in the front-back direction of the column 3.

In such a configuration, the vending machine includes:
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, a plurality of columns 3 are formed in the housing 1 in the vertical and width directions.
Is provided with a carry-out device 12, and further provided with a door that can be opened and closed on the front surface of the housing 1 in the pushing direction.
When each column 3 is filled with the product 9, when the stopper 4 is moved to the position of the side plate 16, the stopper 4 is moved.
Can be moved in the width direction of the vending machine, so that the stoppers 4 in the same row
Move in the moving direction of the
Is retracted from the open portion in front of the target column 3 and the product 9
Can be filled. The column 3 in which the stopper 4 is retracted in this way completely opens the column 3 from the portion of the base 5 to the ceiling plate 15, so that the product 9 is filled.
This is possible regardless of the height direction of the column 3.

Further, the column 3 filled with the goods 9 is
When the stopper 4 is returned, the filled commodities 9 do not jump out of the column 3 and enter a sales standby state. When the commodity 9 is selected by a selection button (not shown), the commodity 9 in the corresponding column 3 is transferred to the unloading device 12.
As a result, the product is extruded from the opening 6 formed between the lower end of the stopper 4 and the base 5 and sold. At this time, the product 9 extruded by the extruded piece 13 collides with the stopper 4 in an attempt to simultaneously extrude the stacked upper products 9, but the length of the column 3, that is, the dimension in the height direction is small. Therefore, the stopper 4 has sufficient rigidity, and only the lowest one product 9 of the stacked products 9 can be carried out from the opening 6 without being easily bent.

The extruded piece 13 for extruding and carrying out the product 9 is formed to be slightly thinner than the thickness of the product 9 so that only one of the lowermost products 9 is extruded, so that the lowermost portion is surely formed. One of the commodities 9 can be carried out. The product 9 can be arbitrarily carried out by controlling the extruded piece 13 to reciprocate above the base 5 by a belt 24 or the like rotated by an electric motor.

In this embodiment, since the commodities 9 are stacked in the front and rear two rows on the upper portion of the base 5, the extruded piece 13 does not reciprocate at a time, but one piece by the operation of the sales control circuit. What is necessary is just to be configured to be processed in a program so as to be able to extrude one by one. In this case, the number of rows is not limited to two, and if it is allowed to increase the size in the unloading direction, the number of rows is three. Up to four products 9 can be filled in the front-rear direction. In this way, the plurality of rows of products 9 can be easily accommodated in the front-rear direction despite the small height dimension of the column 3 because the stopper 4 is retracted to completely open the front of the column 3. This makes it extremely easy to handle as a vending machine including a large number of small columns 3.

For such a stopper 4, a rod made of a material such as iron, which is fixed to the fixing portion 21 so as to hang down, is sufficient, and a special rigidity such as steel is not required. If it is treated, it can be made up of inexpensive materials. The fixing portion 21 may be formed of a molded product such as a resin, and the stopper 4 may be fixed to the fixing portion 21 by a screw or the like, or any method may be used as long as it is firmly fixed. Good. Further, the fixing part 21
May be fixed to the sliding portion 17 by the pins 22 and the bolts 23 so as not to rotate.

The product 9 thus carried out of the column 3
Is dropped to the product outlet 7 via the chute 10,
The goods 9 will be carried out to the purchaser's hand, and the goods 9
End of sale.

[0024]

According to the present invention, even if the length of the column for accommodating commodities, that is, the dimension in the height direction is extremely reduced, the filling of the commodities can be performed smoothly without hindrance. Since a large number of small columns can be provided inside the restricted housing, the stopper can be easily configured, it is advantageous in manufacturing, and the product can be easily filled. There can be no breakthrough vending machines.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the inside of the vending machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a main part showing a main part of a structure for accommodating and carrying out a product.

FIG. 4 is an essential part front view showing a structure of a stopper provided in an open portion of the column.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part showing a shape of a stopper.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of a main part showing a structure of a stopper.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part showing a state in which a stopper according to another embodiment is attached to a sliding portion.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Case 3 ... Column 4 ... Stopper 5 ... Base 9 ... Product 12 ... Unloading device 14 ... Side plate 17 ... Sliding part 21 ... Fixed part

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vending machine for extruding sold lower by stacking the rectangular item to the base, a column formed in a U-shape the extrusion direction and opened items together surrounding the products that intussusception, set at the top of the open portion of this column
Yes horizontal movement in a direction perpendicular to the digit direction of extrusion of the product
Noh sliding part open of the column depending from the sliding portion
When the product is replenished, the sliding part is closed.
And the rod-shaped stopper to be retracted from the opening portion of the column to move in parallel, the opening sized to at least one is extruded in the product formed between the base and the lower end portion of the stopper, the base through the opening vending machine, characterized in that a product unloading device which pushes the stacking the goods.