JP3306101B2 - Vending machine product unloading device - 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 carrying out box-shaped products such as cigarettes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vending machine for unloading box-shaped products such as tobacco has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-812.
No. 83, JP-A-2-73279, JP-A 2-1
No. 08187, etc., a product storage column in which products are stacked and stored, a chain provided below the product storage column and provided with an extrusion member for extruding the product, and the chain is rotated. There is known a configuration including a driving unit having a motor unit.

[0003] In such a product discharge device, the drive unit is driven in response to a sales command to rotate the chain and the extruding member in the product discharge direction, thereby lowering the lowest position of the product storage column at the discharge standby position. The product is pushed out of the product storage column through an opening provided at the lower end of the product storage column.

[0004]

However, in such a conventional vending machine product discharging apparatus, a chain is used to rotate the extruding member. There is a problem in that it takes time and effort to attach the pushing member, and the tension of the chain itself needs to be adjusted.

[0005] Further, not only is the apparatus heavy due to the heavy weight of the chain, but also the motor section cannot be arranged in the circumference of the track due to the thick chain, and there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large.

On the other hand, the number of stored products is reduced,
When the load due to the residual product on the next sale product decreases, the next sale product that falls to the unloading standby position after the lowest product is unloaded does not drop straight to the unloading standby position,
In some cases, the product storage column is caught in an oblique state, resulting in a so-called bridge state.

[0007] If the product delivery device is operated when the product is in the bridge state, the product may be damaged or jammed, making it impossible to carry out the product properly. For this reason, conventionally, a sold-out detection switch is provided on the back of the product storage column to detect the sold-out of the product and to detect that the product is in the bridge state, and to detect that the product is in the bridge state by the sold-out detection switch. Then, the unloading operation is stopped.

[0008] However, while this makes it possible to ensure the proper removal of the product, the product that has been in a bridge state remains in the sold-out product storage column, so that the product cannot be sold out. A space for providing a sold-out detection switch must be provided on the back of the storage column, and there is a problem that the sales efficiency and the space use efficiency of the vending machine are reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a small and light product delivery device for a vending machine which can be easily assembled and can carry out the product reliably.

[0010]

According to the present invention, there is provided a product storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, and a lowermost product stored in the product storage column so as to be freely rotatable below the product storage column. Endless discharge belt provided with an extruding member for extruding, a drive unit for rotating the discharge belt, and interlocking with the rotation of the discharge belt, the discharge belt
The rear end of the next-sell product that rotates in the direction opposite to the circling direction , periodically appears and disappears on the lower surface behind the lowest product to be extruded, falls with the movement of the lowest product, and slopes downward. And a posture control member that pushes the upward upward to return the tilted posture of the next-sold product to a substantially horizontal position.

[0011]

Further, the present invention provides a product storage column for stacking and storing box-type products, and a rotatable lower portion of the product storage column for pushing out the lowest order product stored in the product storage column. In a product discharging device of a vending machine including an endless discharge belt provided with an extruding member, and a drive unit for rotating the discharge belt, the driving unit is disposed so as to be positioned within a track circumference of the discharge belt. A motor for rotating the carry-out belt, a substrate on which the motor is mounted, and a case of the drive unit having a side surface opened while mounting the transport belt, and fixing the motor with the substrate and the case Is what you do.

Still further, the present invention provides a product storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, and a rotatable lower portion of the product storage column for pushing out the lowest order product stored in the product storage column. An output belt provided with an extrusion member, a drive unit provided with a motor for rotating the output belt, and an auxiliary drive unit provided with an auxiliary output belt detachably attached to the drive unit and arranged in parallel with the output belt; And a drive shaft for transmitting the driving force of the driving unit to the carry-out belt and the auxiliary carry-out belt, and circulates the carry-out belt and the auxiliary carry-out belt synchronously.

[0014]

According to this structure, the lowermost product of the product storage column storing the box-shaped products in a stacked state is rotated by an endless discharge belt provided rotatably below the product storage column by the drive unit. It can be extruded by the extrusion member of the carry-out belt. Furthermore, in conjunction with the rotation of the carry-out belt, the posture control member which rotates in the direction opposite to the circumferential direction of the carry-out belt and periodically appears and disappears on the lower surface behind the lowest-most product to be extruded is used to move the lowest-order product. Accordingly, the trailing end of the next sale product that falls can be lifted, and the attitude of the next sale product can be returned to a substantially horizontal position.

[0015]

Further, in the driving section, a motor for rotating the carry-out belt is disposed so as to be positioned within the track circumference of the carry-out belt, and a substrate on which the motor is mounted, a transfer belt, and a side surface are opened. It can be fixed with the case of the drive unit.

Furthermore, a drive shaft for transmitting the driving force of the drive unit to the carry-out belt and the auxiliary carry-out belt connects the carry-out belt and the auxiliary carry-out belt arranged in parallel with the carry-out belt and attached to the auxiliary drive unit. , And can be rotated synchronously.

[0018]

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

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a product unloading device of a vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG.
3 is a top view of the main part, FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line CC.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a product storage column in which box-shaped products 2 such as cigarettes are stacked and stored, and an opening 1a for extruding the product 2 is provided at the lower end. An endless carry-out belt 4 integrally formed with the extruding member 3 and provided so as to freely rotate;
A drive unit 6 having a motor unit 5 for rotating the carry-out belt 4 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the left and right cases 7a and 7b accommodating the driving portion 6 form a groove 8a over the entire circumference in the front-rear direction in a combined state, and push the member along the groove 8a. 3 rotates as the carry-out belt 4 rotates.

Here, the carry-out belt 4 has a predetermined strength so as not to bend when the extruded member 3 integrally formed extrudes the product 2, and has a predetermined elastic force so as to be able to orbit. And is formed to a predetermined thickness.

The pushing member 3 is connected to the left and right cases 7.
a, a contact portion 3a vertically provided to be in contact with the lowest product 2a placed on the upper surface 8b of the a, 7b, and a projecting portion 3b extending in parallel with the carry-out belt 4 from the contact portion 3a. Consists of

The protruding portion 3b comes into contact with an unloading belt stop position detecting switch (to be described later) as the unloading belt 4 circulates, and when the switch is turned on for a predetermined period, the pushing member 3 is stopped for a predetermined time. When you go around the position,
This is for stopping the carry-out belt 4.

On the other hand, for example, the upper surface 8 of the left case 7a
A sold-out lever 9 urged to protrude from the upper surface 8b protrudes from b. Here, this sold-out lever 9
Usually, it is pushed by the lowest product 2a to turn on a sold-out detection switch described later.

While the sold-out detection switch is ON, the sales control device (not shown) determines that the product 5 remains in the product storage column 1, and when the sales button (not shown) is pressed, the driving unit A drive command is issued to the drive unit 6 to drive the drive unit 6.

When the product 2 in the product storage column 1 is sold out, the sold-out lever 9 projects to the upper surface 8b to turn off the sold-out detection switch, so that the sales control device can operate the drive unit even if the sales button is pressed. 6 is not issued a sales order.

As shown in FIG. 4, the carry-out belt 4 is stretched between a driving pulley 5a of the motor unit 5, an upper driven pulley 5b, and a lower driven pulley 5c. Here, this drive pulley 5a is fixed to the output shaft 5f of a plurality of reduction gears 5e attached to the motor 5d as shown in FIG. 5, and linked with the rotation of the motor 5d, the arrow A in FIG. The carry-out belt 4 is circulated in the carry-out direction shown in FIG. Note that the motor 5d can be disposed within the circumference of the track of the carry-out belt 4.

As shown in FIG. 5, a transmission gear 10a for rotating a posture control cam 10, which is a posture control member, in a direction opposite to the transport direction is coaxially attached to the upper driven pulley 5b.

Here, the attitude control cam 10 has, for example, a triangular shape, and periodically moves its end from the rear of the upper surface 8b of the right case 7b in conjunction with the rotation of the carry-out belt 4. It rotates so as to protrude, and pushes up the rear part of the product 2 as shown in FIG.

When the commodity 2 becomes less and the lowest commodity 2a is pushed out, even if the next sale commodity 2b is inclined and becomes a bridge state as shown in FIG. Product 2 which became
Since the rear part of b is pushed upward, the product 2b returns to a substantially horizontal posture. Thereby, the bridge state of the next sale product 2b can be eliminated.

Here, since the rotation direction of the attitude control cam 10 is opposite to the unloading direction as shown by the arrow, the attitude control cam 10 does not promote the bridge state of the next sale product 2b, but It can operate to eliminate a bridge condition.

The drive unit 6 includes an electric circuit as shown in FIG. 8, and a motor 5d, a sold-out detection switch 9a, a belt stop position detection switch 4a, and a connector 11a connected to the sales control device. The attached substrate 11 is detachably attached to the side opening of the left case 7a.

On the front surface of the motor 5d, for example, two locking holes 12a are formed. When the substrate 11 is mounted on the left and right cases 7a and 7b, the engaging holes 1a are formed.
2a, the motor housing 1 formed in the right case 7b.
3 two projections 12 protruding from the contact surface with the motor 5d
b is engaged to prevent the motor 5d from rotating.

Thus, the substrate 11 is moved to the left and right cases 7.
The motor 5d can be fixed without attaching screws or the like to the motor 5d by simply attaching the motor 5d to the motor 5d.
The man-hour for assembling the drive unit 6 can be reduced.

The substrate 11 is connected to the left and right cases 7a, 7a.
b), the side opening is closed by an outer lid (not shown). At this time, the screw for attaching the outer lid to the left and right cases 7a and 7b is shared with the screw for attaching the substrate 11. Can also.

The substrate 11 is connected to the left and right cases 7a, 7a.
When the switch is mounted on the switch b, the sold-out detection switch 9a is located below the sold-out detection lever 9 as shown in FIG.

Thus, when the normal sold-out detection lever 9 is rotated downward by the lowest product 2a, the product sold-out detection switch 9a is turned on, and the sales control device leaves the product 5 in the product storage column 1. It is adapted to determine a.

On the other hand, when the product 2 is sold out and the sold-out detection lever 9 rotates upward, the product sold-out detection switch 9 is turned on.
a is turned off, and the sales control device determines that the product 5 is sold out.

Next, a description will be given of a product unloading operation of the product unloading device of the vending machine thus configured.

When the sales button is pressed, the sales control device issues a sales command to the drive unit 6 to rotate the motor 5d.
The rotation of the motor 5d is transmitted to the drive pulley 5a via the reduction gear 5e and its output shaft 5f as shown in FIG.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the carry-out belt 4 stretched between the drive pulley 5a, the upper driven pulley 5b, and the lower driven pulley 5c orbits in the carry-out direction shown by the arrow A. In addition, with the circulation of the carry-out belt 4,
The transmission gear 10a coaxially mounted on the upper driven pulley 5b rotates, and the attitude control cam 10 rotates in the direction opposite to the transport direction.

As the carry-out belt 4 rotates, the push-out member 3 is formed into the grooves 8a of the left and right cases 7a and 7b.
, And eventually comes into contact with the lowest order product 2a placed on the upper surface 8b of the left and right cases 7a, 7b. Thereafter, the extruding member 3 further circulates in the transport direction together with the carry-out belt 4, whereby the lowest product 2 a is pushed out from the opening 1 a of the product storage column 1.

When the product is carried out, the posture control cam 10
Rotates in such a manner that the end portion periodically protrudes from the upper surface 8b of the right case 7b in conjunction with the rotation of the carry-out belt 4, and initially rotates the rear portion of the lowest product 2a, and the product 2a moves in the carry-out direction. After that, the rear part of the next sale product 2b is pushed upward.

[0045] In this manner, the commodity 2
Are carried out one by one. However, when the remaining goods 2 are reduced and the load due to the remaining goods 2 applied to the next sales goods 2b is reduced after the lowermost goods 2a are carried out, as shown in FIG. 2b may be oblique and in a bridge state.

However, even in this case, the posture control cam 10
Pushes up the rear part of the product 2b in the bridge state, so that the product 2b assumes a substantially horizontal posture as shown in FIG. 9, the bridge state is eliminated, and the product 2b is pushed out without clogging by the next sales command. .

After the product 2 is extruded in this way, the projecting portion 3b of the extruding member 3 comes into contact with the carry-out belt stop position detecting switch 4a, and the switch 4a is turned on for a predetermined period to thereby extrude the product. After rotating the member 3 to a predetermined stop position, the carry-out belt 4 is stopped.

When all the products 2 have been carried out in this way, the sold-out lever 9 protrudes, and the sold-out detection switch 9a is turned off.
Is determined to be sold out, and no sale command is issued even if the sale button is pressed thereafter.

As described above, the lowermost product 2a can be sequentially extruded by rotating the extruding member 3 together with the carry-out belt 4. Also, the posture control cam 1 works in conjunction with the carry-out belt 4.
By rotating 0 and pushing up the rear of product 2,
Even if the next sale product 2b is in a bridge state, this product 2b
b can be returned to a substantially horizontal posture.

Further, by making the board 11 detachable, when the motor 5d, the sold-out detection switch 9a, etc. break down, the board 11 is removed from the left and right cases 7a, 7b to easily recover from the fault. Can be.

When a wide product 2 is carried out, only one pushing member 3 is used to open the product storage column 1 through the opening 1.
There is a case where the product 2 cannot be pushed straight toward “a”.

In this case, as shown in FIG.
By detachably attaching the auxiliary drive unit 6a provided with the carry-out belt 4, two carry-out belts 4 are arranged in parallel,
A wide product 2 is formed by the extrusion member 3 of the carry-out belt 4.
Can be pushed out straight.

In order to rotate the two carry-out belts 4 synchronously, instead of the drive shaft 5f to which the drive pulley 5a is fixed as shown in FIG. Using a shaft 5g, a drive pulley 5a is fixed to one end of the drive shaft 5g, and an auxiliary drive unit 6 is attached to the other end.
The drive pulley 14a is fixed.

The auxiliary driving section 6a has an upper driven pulley 14b and a lower driven pulley (not shown) in addition to the driving pulley 14a. between <br/> the carry-out belt 4 is provided Zhang.

As a result, the driving pulley 5a of the driving unit 6 and the driving pulley 14a of the auxiliary driving unit 6a rotate in synchronization with the rotation of the motor 5d of the driving unit 6, and the two discharge belts 4 and the push-out belt 4 are pushed out. The member 3 orbits synchronously. In addition,
When the narrow product 2 is pushed out again, the auxiliary drive unit 6a may be removed.

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention, the carry-out belt is used in place of the chain, and the carry-out belt and the pushing member are integrally formed, so that the number of assembling steps can be reduced, and the apparatus can be downsized. The weight can be reduced.

Further, this carry-out bell works in conjunction with the carry-out belt.
With the attitude control cam rotating in the direction opposite to the circling direction, the next sale product can always be in a horizontal state, and the product can be reliably carried out. Further, the motor of the driving unit can be fixed by the substrate on which the motor is mounted and the case of the driving unit, and the number of assembling steps of the driving unit can be reduced .

[0058] Furthermore, a discharge belt, by circulating synchronously with the auxiliary discharge belt, can be pushed wide product width in <br/> waiting straight instrument.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a product unloading device of a vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of a main part of the commodity discharging device.

FIG. 3 is a top view of a main part of the commodity discharging device.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state where a next sale product is in a bridge state.

FIG. 8 is a view showing a state of assembling a driving unit.

FIG. 9 is a view showing a state in which the lowest order product is carried out.

FIG. 10 is a top view of a driving unit to which an auxiliary driving unit is attached.

FIG. 11 is a top cross-sectional view of a driving unit to which an auxiliary driving unit is attached.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Commodity storage column 2 Commodity 3 Extrusion member 4 Carry-out belt 6 Driving part 6a Auxiliary driving part 10 Attitude control cam 11 Substrate

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 11/16

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A product storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, and an extruding member provided below the product storage column so as to be freely rotatable and for pushing out the lowest order product stored in the product storage column. Endless output belt, a driving unit for rotating the output belt, and interlocking with the rotation of the output belt , rotating in a direction opposite to the rotation direction of the output belt.
And, the rear end portion of the next販商articles lowest product is periodically infested to the lower surface of the rear inclined rearwardly downwards to fall with the movement of the lowermost product pushed upward to be extruded, this next sales A product carrying device for a vending machine, comprising a posture control member for returning a product to a substantially horizontal inclined position. 2. A product storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, and an extruding member provided below the product storage column so as to be freely rotatable and for pushing out the lowest order product stored in the product storage column. Endless output belt, and a drive unit for rotating the output belt, a product discharging device of a vending machine, wherein the driving unit is disposed so as to be located within the track circumference of the output belt, and the output belt is disposed. A motor that circulates, a board to which the motor is attached, and a case of the driving unit to which the transport belt is attached and whose side surface is opened, wherein the motor is fixed by the board and the case. A vending machine's product unloading device. 3. A product storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, and an extruding member which is provided below the product storage column so as to be freely rotatable and which pushes out the lowest order product stored in the product storage column. A carry-out belt, a drive unit having a motor for rotating the carry-out belt, an auxiliary drive unit equipped with an auxiliary carry-out belt detachably attached to the drive unit and arranged in parallel with the carry-out belt, and A product unloading device for a vending machine, comprising: a drive shaft for transmitting a driving force to the unloading belt and the auxiliary unloading belt; and rotating the unloading belt and the auxiliary unloading belt in a synchronized manner.