JP3381514B2 - Chain elevator type product rack of 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 chain elevator type product rack of a vending machine, and more particularly to an assembly structure of a shelf position detecting switch incorporated in the product rack.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a chain elevator type product rack described above, a plurality of shelf boards are dispersedly suspended and supported on the circumference of an endless transport chain stretched between a pair of upper and lower sprockets, and the shelf boards are A guide frame for posture control laid in front of the conveyor chain along the descending path is used to restrain and hold it in a horizontal posture, and the conveyor chain is driven based on the sales command to drive the shelf plate near the chain folding point on the lower side. A method of reversing and dropping out a product is known in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-103775.

Next, a conventional structure of the chain elevator type product rack is shown in FIG. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a rack case having an open bottom surface. In the case 1, an endless transport chain 4 stretched between a pair of upper and lower sprockets 2 and dispersed on the circumference of the chain 4. A cantilevered shelf board 5 which is swingably supported, and also serves as a support member of a chain mechanism laid between the carrier chain 4 and the rear edge of the shelf board 5 along the descending path of the shelf board 5. The guide frame 6 for controlling the shelf posture, the bend motor 7 connected to the sprocket 2, and the shelf motor 5 descending from the upper position are detected when the next standby position (stop position) is detected and the bend motor 7 is detected. A stop positioning switch (micro switch) 8 for stopping the product is incorporated, and the products 9 are placed and stored one by one on the shelf plate 5 which is held in a horizontal posture along the descending path.

Further, the shelf board 5 has a hook portion formed at the tip of a support arm 5a which projects obliquely rearward from the central portion of the rear edge thereof, and the hook portion projects leftward and rightward from a chain segment of the transport chain 4. It is hung and supported by being hooked on the connecting pin. On the other hand, the stop positioning switch 8 is arranged on the back surface side of the guide frame 6, and its lever type actuator 8a is mounted at the tip thereof.
It projects toward the trailing edge of the shelf 5 toward the shelf descending path through the window hole opened at the bottom.

With such a structure, when the bend motor 7 is started based on the sales command to drive the transport chain 4, the shelf board 5 on which the commodity 9 is placed moves down from the standby position together with the chain 4, and the shelf arranged at the lowest position. When the plate 5 approaches the chain folding point around the sprocket 3 and comes off the guide frame 6, the posture is reversed and the product 9 is dropped and carried out. At the same time, when the second shelves arranged in the upper position come down to a predetermined sale standby position, the rear edge of the shelves 5 pushes the actuator 8a of the stop positioning switch 8 protruding into the conveyance path to operate the switch 8a. Then, the bend motor 7 is stopped by this switch operation signal.

[0006]

By the way, in the stop positioning switch described above, the following malfunction may occur in terms of control of the selling operation. That is, in the stop positioning switch 8, when the shelf 5 is stopped at the sale standby position, the actuator 8a is pushed into the rear edge of the shelf 8 and the switch 8 is turned on. Here, when the shelf plate 5 starts descending in the next selling operation, the shelf plate 5 is detached from the actuator 8a, so that the switch 8 is once turned OFF. Then, when the shelves 5 lined up on the upper side come down and the actuator 8a is pushed in, the switch 8 is turned on again.
It operates, and the bend motor 7 is stopped by this switch operation signal.

Therefore, the product 9 placed and stored on the shelf board 5
8 has a relatively small size as shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 and is placed in the center of the shelf board 5, the goods 9 and the actuator 8a of the switch 8 do not directly interfere with each other, but the shelf board 5 Large and heavy product shown in chain line above 9
When L is pushed and placed so as to be almost in contact with the plate surface of the guide frame 6 behind, the product 9L is switched to the switch 8 before the next shelf 5 arrives while the shelf 5 is descending. The switch 8 may be reversed by operating the actuator 8a by pushing the actuator 8a. For this reason, the control unit erroneously determines that the shelf 5 of the next stage has reached the sale standby position and stops the bend motor 7 before the product 9 is carried out.
Causes bend trouble.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to avoid unnecessary interference between a product placed on a shelf board and a stop positioning switch of the shelf board. It is an object of the present invention to provide a chain elevator type product rack of a vending machine capable of surely preventing a trouble, particularly an assembly structure of a stop positioning switch incorporated in the product rack.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a shelf stop positioning device assembled by linking a stop positioning switch and an actuator mechanism of the switch from a descending path of the shelf. It is arranged to be retracted and arranged behind the guide frame, and when the shelf board descends, the hook portion of the shelf board connected to the transport chain pushes the actuator mechanism to operate the stop positioning switch.

Further, according to the present invention, the shelf stop positioning device described above is configured in the following specific form. 1) A shelf stop positioning device, in which a stop positioning switch, an operation cam that abuts a push button of the switch, a spindle having the operation cam attached to one end, and a downward path of a hook portion of the shelf from the spindle. It is composed of an assembly of an actuator mechanism that is a combination of a protruding lever and a return spring, and a mounting base that incorporates the actuator mechanism together with a stop positioning switch, and the mounting base is aligned with the sales standby position of the shelf board. Attach to the guide frame.

2) Locking claws are provided on the mounting base, and the locking claws are fitted into the locking holes formed in the guide frame to lock and fix them. 3) The mounting base is made of a resin molded product, and a rib-shaped chain guide is provided which protrudes from the wall surface toward the transport chain and restricts twisting of the chain. In the above configuration, the assembly of the stop positioning device is installed behind the guide frame, and the lever of the switch actuator mechanism incorporated in the mounting base does not have its tip protruding from the descending passage of the shelf. Therefore, when the shelf board moves down, there is no possibility that the products placed on the shelf board interfere with the switch actuator mechanism. Then, when the shelf board descends from the upper side in accordance with the selling operation and reaches a predetermined sales standby position, the hook portion of the shelf board connected to the transport chain pushes the lever of the actuator mechanism, and the operation cam that follows this Stops and reverses the positioning switch.
Therefore, it is possible to reliably avoid the occurrence of bend trouble due to the interference between the product placed on the shelf and the switch actuator.

Further, since the actuator mechanism is incorporated into the mounting base together with the stop positioning switch and the mounting base is mounted on the guide frame by the engagement of the locking claws / locking holes, troublesome screwing work is not required. It can be easily attached to and detached from the product rack. Further, the rib-shaped chain guide provided on the mounting base projects from the rear end toward the transport chain so as to be almost in contact with the roller and the connecting pin of the chain segment. Therefore, the transport chain passing through this shelf stop positioning device is not twisted by being guided by the chain guide, whereby the connecting pin of the chain tilts and interferes with the lever of the switch actuator mechanism. Bending troubles such as malfunction of the stop positioning switch can be prevented in advance.

[0013]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings of the embodiments, the same members corresponding to FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals. [Embodiment 1] In FIGS. 1 and 2, a conveyor chain 4 laid along a descending path of a shelf plate 5 is stretched around a guide frame 6 through a recess 6a having a U-shaped cross section so as to move around. The hook-shaped hook portion 5b formed at the tip of the forked support arm 5a protruding from the rear edge of the shelf board 5 is hooked and supported by the connecting pin 4a protruding left and right from each segment of the transport chain 4. ing. In addition,
6b and 6c are carrier chains 4 provided on the guide frame 6.
It is a steady rest regulation guide.

On the other hand, on the back surface side of the guide frame 6 which partitions the descending path of the shelf board 5, a stop positioning switch 8 for the shelf board 5 and an actuator mechanism 10 for the switch 8.
The shelf stop positioning device 12 configured by incorporating the above into a mounting base 11 having a U-shaped cross section, which is a resin molded product, holds the recess 6a of the guide frame 6 from the outside in accordance with the sales standby position of the shelf 5. Have been installed.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the actuator mechanism 10 has an operation cam 10a which abuts on a push button 8b of a stop positioning switch 8 which is a micro switch.
And a support shaft 10b having one end connected to the operation cam 10a and pivotally supported by the mounting base 11, and a protrusion protruding from the upper circumferential surface of the support shaft 10b to the descending movement path of the hook portion 5c of the shelf board 5. Of the lever 10c and a return spring (spiral spring) 10d hung between the operation cam 10a and the mounting base 11 and incorporated in the mounting base 11 in combination with the stop positioning switch 8. Further, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, locking claws 11 a are formed on the inner wall surface of the mounting base 11 at two positions, that is, the locking claws 11 a of the guide frame 6. The locking hole 6d opened in the side wall of the recess 6a is fitted in the direction indicated by the arrow so as to be locked and fixed at a predetermined position.

With this structure, when the shelf 5 has not reached the predetermined sales standby position, the operation cam 10a pushes the push button 8b of the stop positioning switch 8 by the spring force of the return spring 10d incorporated in the actuator mechanism 10. The switch is off. In this state, when the shelf board 5 descends from above to reach the sale standby position, the tip hook portion 5b of the support arm 5a of the shelf board 5 hooked on the connecting pin 4a of the transport chain 4 hits the lever 10c of the actuator mechanism 10. And push this down. Thereby, the support shaft 10b
The operation cam 10a rotates clockwise against the return spring via the switch to reverse the stop positioning switch 8 to turn the switch ON, and the switch operation stops the bend motor 7 (see FIG. 8). Then, when the bend motor is started based on the next sales command and the shelf board 5 stopped at the sales standby position starts moving downward, the hook portion 5b of the shelf board 5 is disengaged from the lever 10c of the actuator mechanism 10. , The operation cam 10a is reversed by the spring force of the return spring 10d, whereby the stop positioning switch 8 is turned off.
Switch to FF.

Moreover, since the actuator mechanism 10 is arranged on the back side of the guide frame 6 and is retracted from the descending movement path of the shelf board 5, the product 9 placed on the shelf board 5 directly interferes with the actuator mechanism 10. There is no
It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a bend trouble due to the interference between the product and the actuator as described above. [Second Embodiment] Next, the shelf stop positioning device 1 of the first embodiment.
2 is a further improved embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 (a) to (e).
Shown in. That is, in the configuration of the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the steady rest regulating guide 6 provided on the guide frame 6 is provided.
b and 6c prevent the carrier chain 4 from swinging. However, if the pitch between the upper and lower shelves 5 is large, the carrier chain 4 may be twisted due to the tension in the middle between the upper shelves and the lower shelves. Segment connecting pin 4
As shown in FIG. 5, “a” tilts in the left-right direction and interferes with the lever 10c of the actuator mechanism 10, which causes the stop positioning switch 8 to malfunction and the middle stage before the next shelf 5 reaches the sales standby position. Bend trouble may occur that stops at an odd position.

Therefore, in order to prevent such a bend trouble, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS.
Three rib-shaped chain guides 11b, 11c, and 11d that project from the rear wall of the mounting base 11 of the shelf stop positioning device 12 toward the transport chain 4 and are arranged side by side are formed, and the tip thereof is the transport chain 4. On the other hand, as shown in the figure, the rollers of the chain segment and the left and right connecting pins face each other so as to be almost close to each other. The chain guide 11c arranged in the center of the chain guides is the same as in the first embodiment.
Corresponds to the steady rest regulating guide 6b provided on the guide frame side.

As a result, the conveying chain 4 is provided with a pair of left and right restraint guides 6 provided on the guide frame 6 side for steady rest.
c and the left and right chain guides 11b to 11d provided on the mounting base 11 and the three chain guides 11b to 11d at the center, the guides are sandwiched from the front and rear. Therefore, the twisting of the chain as described in FIG. 5 and the malfunction of the stop positioning switch 8 due to the twisting of the chain are reliably prevented. The chain guides 11b to 11d are molded integrally with the mounting base 11 which is a resin molded product.

[0020]

As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, the malfunction of the switch due to the interference between the actuator of the stop positioning switch and the product placed on the shelf board, which has been a problem in the conventional configuration. , And the bend troubles caused by the malfunction of the switch can be reliably prevented, and the reliability of the sales operation can be improved.

Further, by adopting the assembling structure described in claims 2 and 3 for the stop positioning switch and the actuator mechanism, it is necessary to perform a screw operation which is troublesome to be incorporated into a product rack and to be removed due to replacement of parts. It can be carried out by a simple one-touch operation of the locking claws, and by the structure of claim 4, the malfunction of the stop positioning switch and the bend trouble caused by the twist of the transport chain are prevented in advance, and the reliability of the sales operation is improved. To do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the peripheral structure of a shelf stop positioning device incorporated in a chain elevator type product rack corresponding to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the shelf stop positioning device in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of the operation principle of the shelf stop positioning device in FIG.

4 is an assembly of the shelf stop positioning device in FIG. 1,
And a diagram showing a mounting structure to a guide frame,
(A) is a side view, (b) is a plan view

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a bend trouble occurrence situation with the configuration of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a shelf stop positioning device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

7A and 7B are specific structural views of the mounting base of the shelf stop positioning device in FIG. 6, where FIG. 7A is a rear view, FIG. 7B is a side view, FIG. 7C is a front view, and FIG. End view, (e) sectional view

FIG. 8 is a conventional configuration diagram of an entire chain elevator type product rack to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 rack case 3 sprockets 4 Transport chain 4a connecting pin 5 shelf boards 5b support arm 5c Hook part 6b, 6C Chain steady rest regulation guide 6 Guide frame 6d locking hole 8 Stop positioning switch 9 products 10 Actuator mechanism 10a operation cam 10b spindle 10c lever 10d return spring 11 Mounting base 11a locking claw 11b-11d Chain guide 12 Shelf board stop positioning device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (58) Fields surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 11/00-11/72

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cantilever-supported shelf plate for loading products distributed on the circumference of a carrier chain stretched between upper and lower sprockets, and the shelf plate is conveyed along its descending path. Hold the product in a horizontal position along with the attitude control guide frame laid in front of the chain, and drive the transport chain based on the sales command to invert the shelf plate near the bottom chain turnaround point and drop the product. A chain elevator type product rack to be carried out, which is provided with a stop positioning switch which detects a shelf board descending from above and stops the shelf board at a sale standby position in the middle of the shelf board descending path, The shelf stop positioning device assembled by linking the stop positioning switch and the actuator mechanism of the switch is retracted from the descending path of the shelf and placed behind the guide frame. Chain elevator type product rack of an automatic vending machine hook shelf linked to the transport chain, characterized in that so as to operate the stop position switch by pressing the actuator mechanism when the shelf plate is lowered. 2. The product rack according to claim 1, wherein the shelf stop positioning device includes a stop positioning switch, an operation cam that abuts a push button of the switch, a support shaft having the operation cam attached to one end, and the support shaft. From an actuator mechanism formed by combining a lever projecting toward the descending path of the hook portion of the shelf board and a return spring, and a mounting base incorporating the actuator mechanism together with a stop positioning switch. Chain elevator type product rack for vending machines, characterized in that the stand is attached to the guide frame in line with the shelf standby position. 3. The product rack according to claim 2, wherein a locking claw is provided on the mounting base, and the locking claw is fitted and locked in a locking hole formed in the guide frame. Chain elevator type product rack for vending machines. 4. The product rack according to claim 2, wherein the mounting base is a resin molded product, and a rib-shaped chain guide is provided which protrudes from the wall surface of the product toward the conveyor chain to restrict twisting of the chain. Chain elevator type product rack for vending machines.