JP3548760B2 - Vending machine column structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the structure of a vending machine column having a serpentine column.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vending machine that sells products such as cans and bottles, as a column for storing these products, a plurality of curved plates are suspended so as to face each other in a vertical direction so that the inside thereof meanders. Is used.
[0003]
When the serpentine column is filled with a product, the product is loaded from the upper end of the column in a sideways state and dropped into the interior. Then, the products are stacked and stored inside.
[0004]
However, since the column is formed in a meandering shape, the product collides with the curved plate during the fall, and the collision sound generated when the vertical curved plates collide with each other has been annoying. Further, since the vibration of the curved plate after the collision has a long decay time, the vibration sound remains unpleasant, which also causes noise.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Therefore, in order to reduce the noise, a curved plate has been proposed in which long holes are provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-36581).
[0006]
However, the sound cannot be sufficiently reduced only by providing the curved plate with the long holes.
[0007]
In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a structure of a column of a vending machine, which can minimize the sound generated when a product is put into the column.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The column structure of the vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention is a column for storing products such as cylindrical cans and bottles in a stacked state in a laterally lying state, and this column vertically extends a plurality of curved plates. In a vending machine having a serpentine type column which is suspended and configured so that a product passage meanders, a curved plate is formed by stacking two metal plates.
[0009]
A column structure of a vending machine according to a second aspect is the vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein a lower portion of a curved plate formed by stacking two metal plates is folded back to a side opposite to a product passage, and a product is folded at the folded lower portion. The one metal plate on the side of the passage is longer than the other metal plates.
[0010]
A column structure of a vending machine according to a third aspect is the vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein an upper portion of the curved plate is bent into a cylindrical shape to form a curled portion, and both ends of the curled portion are respectively protruded in the left-right direction. A pair of left and right hinge portions are formed, and the pair of left and right hinge portions is engaged with a pair of fitting holes formed in the left and right side walls of the column to suspend the curved plate.
[0011]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a column structure for a vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein at least one of the two metal plates of the curved plate is provided with a rib in a vertical direction.
[0012]
The column structure of a vending machine according to a fifth aspect is the vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein one metal plate is folded at an upper portion to form a curved plate.
[0013]
A column structure of a vending machine according to a sixth aspect is the vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein one metal plate is folded at a lower portion to form a curved plate.
[0014]
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a column structure for a vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein two superposed metal plates on the curved plate are fixed to each other by caulking or engaging portions.
[0015]
The column structure of a vending machine according to claim 8 is the column structure according to claim 1, wherein one metal plate is folded at an upper portion and a curved plate is formed by providing a gap between lower portions of the folded metal plates. is there.
[0016]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, since the curved plate is formed by the two metal plates, the thickness can be reduced to about half that of the conventional curved plate of the column, and the vibration frequency can be easily attenuated. Collision noise is reduced.
[0017]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the metal plate on the commodity passage side at the lower part of the curved plate is longer, it is possible to prevent the commodity from hitting and damaging the end of another metal plate.
[0018]
According to the third aspect of the present invention, a special member for suspending the curved plate, for example, a shaft is not required by forming the hinge portion by projecting both sides of the curl portion.
[0019]
According to the invention of claim 4, by providing the rib on the metal plate, the strength of the metal plate on the side where the rib is provided is improved. In addition, since the vibration frequency of the metal plate provided with the ribs is different from the vibration frequency of the metal plate provided with no ribs, the metal plates interfere with each other, and the vibration is attenuated quickly and the collision sound is reduced.
[0020]
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily form a double curved plate by folding one metal plate at the upper part.
[0021]
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, it is possible to easily form a two-layered curved plate by folding one metal plate at the lower portion.
[0022]
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the two metal plates are fixed by caulking or engaging portions, the two metal plates are in close contact with each other, and the vibration energy of the curved plate is easily converted into frictional heat. The collision sound is reduced earlier.
[0023]
According to the invention of claim 8, since a gap is provided between the lower portions of the folded metal plates, the curved plate has a spring property, so that the impact at the time of falling of the product can be reduced and the collision noise can be reduced.
[0024]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(First embodiment)
First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0025]
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the vending machine 10 for selling cans C such as juice and coffee of the present embodiment, and the entire configuration will be described based on this figure.
[0026]
The vending machine 10 includes a main body 12 having a heat insulating structure and a door 14 provided on a front surface thereof. A cooler 13 is provided at a lower portion in the main body 12, and a machine room 16 is provided at a bottom portion of the main body 12, and a condenser 18, a compressor 20, and the like are provided therein. Is cooled. Further, inside the main body 12, four columns of serpentine columns 22 are provided in the front-rear direction and a plurality of columns 22 are also provided in the left-right direction.
[0027]
At the lower end of the column 22, an unloading device 24 for selling the cans C stored in the column 22 one by one is provided.
[0028]
A chute 26 for guiding the can C to a product outlet provided on the front surface of the door 14 is provided below the column 22.
[0029]
When the cans C are stored in the column 22, the door 14 is opened, and the cans C are rolled and charged into the interior of the column 22 through a charging path 28 provided at an upper end of the column 22 in an oblique direction.
[0030]
Next, the column 22 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0031]
The column 22 suspends a plurality of curved plates 30 on a pair of left and right side walls 34 and 36 by a suspension shaft 32 so as to face each other in the vertical direction. The product passage 38 through which the can C passes is formed so as to meander in a serpentine manner.
[0032]
Next, the structure of the curved plate 30 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0033]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the curved plate 30 viewed from the side opposite to the product passage, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the curved plate 30 viewed from the product passage. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line II in FIG.
[0034]
The curved plate 30 has a structure in which one metal plate 40 is folded in two at its upper part. Here, in order to simplify the following description, the metal plate 40 located on the product passage 38 side will be described as an inner plate portion 42, and the metal plate 40 on the opposite side will be described as an outer plate portion 44. An upper portion of the curved plate 30, that is, a joint portion between the inner plate portion 42 and the outer plate portion 44 constitutes a curl portion 46 formed in a cylindrical shape. The curl portion 46 is a portion into which the suspension shaft 32 is inserted.
[0035]
Further, the lower portions of the inner plate portion 42 and the outer plate portion 44, and the inner plate lower portion 48 and the outer plate lower portion 50 are bent to the opposite side to the product passage 38 side. In this case, the protruding length A of the inner plate lower portion 48 is longer than the protruding length B of the outer plate lower portion 50, and the lower caulking portion 52 is provided from the outer plate lower portion 50. The outer plate lower part 50 is tightly fixed.
[0036]
Further, a pair of right and left caulking portions 54 project from both sides in the vertical direction of the inner plate portion 42, and fix the outer plate portion 44 in close contact therewith.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 3, a rib 56 is formed in a vertical direction in a central portion of the outer plate portion 44. The outer plate portion 42 has a flat shape as shown in FIG.
[0038]
The case where the can C is charged into the column 22 having the above configuration from the charging path 28 will be described.
[0039]
When the can C is loaded from the charging path 28 into the column 22 in a state of lying down, the can C falls while meandering along the curved plate 30. In this case, the curved plate 30 and the can C collide, and a collision sound is generated. Further, since the curved plate 30 is suspended by the suspension shaft 32, when the can C falls, the lower portion of the curved plate 30 and the curl portion 46 of the curved plate 30 thereunder come into contact with each other. A collision sound is generated.
[0040]
However, since the inner plate portion 42 and the outer plate portion 44 of the curved plate 30 are in close contact with each other by the caulking portions 52 and 54, the vibration energy, which is the collision sound, is easily converted into frictional heat, and the vibration is quickly damped. Therefore, the collision sound can be reduced quickly.
[0041]
Since the outer plate portion 44 is provided with the ribs 56 and the inner plate portion 42 has a flat structure, the outer plate portion 44 has a higher strength, and the vibration frequency when a collision sound is generated due to the difference in the strength is reduced. Since they are different from each other, they can interfere with each other, the vibration can be damped quickly, and the collision noise can be reduced.
[0042]
Since the inner plate lower part 48 is formed longer than the outer plate lower part 50, the can C does not hit the end of the outer plate lower part 48 and is not damaged. Since the lower portion 48 of the inner plate is bent so as to form the caulking portion 52, the can C is not damaged at the lower portion.
[0043]
Since the curved plate 30 has a structure in which the inner plate portion 42 and the outer plate portion 44 are overlapped with each other, the thickness of the curved plate 30 can be reduced to about half the thickness of the conventional curved plate, thereby easily reducing the vibration frequency due to the collision sound. , Collision noise can be reduced quickly.
[0044]
Since the curved plate 30 can be constituted by one metal plate 40, the number of parts can be reduced.
[0045]
(Second embodiment)
A second embodiment of the curved plate 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0046]
The difference between the curved plate 30 of the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that, in the present embodiment, the metal plate 40 is folded downward and two curved plates 30 are stacked. Then, one end of the metal plate 40 is bent in an arc shape to form a curled portion 46, and the other end is engaged with the end of the curled portion 46. The lower part of the curved plate 30 is a folded portion of the metal plate 40 as shown in FIG.
[0047]
In the case of the curved plate 30 having the above configuration, the lower portion of the curved plate 30 is a folded portion of the metal plate 40. Therefore, even if the can C hits this portion, no damage is caused.
[0048]
(Third embodiment)
A third embodiment of the curved plate 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0049]
Unlike the curved plate 30 of the first embodiment, the curved plate 30 of the third embodiment does not fix the outer plate lower part 50 and the inner plate lower part 48, and provides a gap as shown in FIG. It is bent. That is, the inner plate portion 42 and the outer plate portion 44 have a spring property at the position of the curl portion 46. Therefore, even when the can C falls on the inner plate portion 42, the impact at the time of the fall can be reduced by the spring property, and the collision sound can be reduced.
[0050]
(Fourth embodiment)
A fourth embodiment of the curved plate 30 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0051]
The difference between the present embodiment and the first embodiment is that a pair of hinge portions 58 are provided by projecting both ends of the curl portion 46 in both left and right directions.
[0052]
With such a configuration, the curved plate 36 can be hung on both side walls 34, 34 of the column without using the hanging shaft 32 in the first embodiment.
[0053]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, by stacking two curved plates, the thickness can be reduced, the attenuation of vibration energy due to the collision sound can be accelerated, and the collision sound can be reduced quickly.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a curved plate according to a first embodiment of the present invention, viewed from a side opposite to a commodity passage side.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a curved plate similarly viewed from a product passage side.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a column.
FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the vending machine.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a curved plate according to a second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a curved plate according to a third embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a curved plate according to a fourth embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
30 curved plate 42 inner plate portion 44 outer plate portion 46 curl portion 48 inner plate lower portion 50 outer plate lower portion 52 swaging portion 54 swaging portion 56 rib

Claims (8)

A column for stacking and storing products such as cylindrical cans and bottles in a side-by-side state, and the column is configured such that a plurality of curved plates are suspended in a vertical direction so that a product passage meanders. In vending machines with serpentine columns,
A vending machine column structure comprising a curved plate formed by stacking two metal plates. The lower part of the curved plate in which two metal plates are stacked is folded back to the side opposite to the product path, and one metal plate on the product path side is longer than the other metal plate at the folded lower part. The structure of the vending machine column according to claim 1. The upper part of the curved plate is bent into a cylindrical shape to form a curled portion, and both ends of the curled portion are projected in the left-right direction to form a pair of left and right hinge portions,
2. The structure of a vending machine column according to claim 1, wherein the curved plate is suspended by engaging a pair of fitting holes formed on both left and right side walls of the column with a pair of left and right hinge portions. 2. The vending machine column structure according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the two metal plates in the curved plate has a rib provided in a vertical direction. 2. A vending machine column structure according to claim 1, wherein a curved plate is formed by folding a single metal plate at an upper portion. 2. The structure of a vending machine column according to claim 1, wherein one metal plate is folded at a lower portion to form a curved plate. The structure of a column of a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein two superposed metal plates of the curved plate are fixed to each other by caulking or engaging portions. 2. The vending machine column structure according to claim 1, wherein one metal plate is folded at an upper portion, and a curved plate is formed by providing a gap between lower portions of the folded metal plate.

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