JP3804374B2 - Vending machine product dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a product dispensing apparatus for a vending machine that dispenses the lowest sales product among a plurality of products stored in a product passage in a state of being stacked in a vertical direction while being laid down.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, in vending machines that store products such as canned beverage products and plastic bottle products in a column (product passage) in a vertically stacked state, a plurality of products stored at the lower end of the column are stored. There is provided a product dispensing device that dispenses only the lowest sales product of the product downward. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, such a product dispensing device is provided above the lower stopper 51 and a lower stopper 51 that supports the sold product S from the lower side during sales standby and releases the support at the time of sales. Just before the lower stopper 51 releases the support of the sale product S, an upper stopper (not shown) for supporting the next sale product S located immediately above the sale product S from below, and these upper and lower stoppers And a drive mechanism (not shown) having a solenoid or a drive motor for driving the motor.
[0003]
The lower stopper 51 is configured to be rotatable around a rotation shaft 52 inserted through the base end portion, and closes the column 56 at the time of sale standby and supports the sale product S, and the column 56 at the time of sale. A stopper main body 53 that opens and rotates between an open position that allows the sale product S to be discharged, a torsion coil spring (not shown) that urges the stopper main body 53 to the closed position, and a stopper main body 53. And a locking mechanism 54 that locks the stopper main body 53 in the closed position. The lock mechanism 54 has a lock shaft 55 that is disposed slightly rearward (rightward in FIG. 11) from the rotation shaft 52. The lock shaft 55 releases the lock of the stopper main body 53 by releasing the contact and the lock position where the stopper main body 53 is locked to the closed position by the base end of the stopper main body 53 coming into contact from the lower side. It is configured to slide between the unlocked position (the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. 11B).
[0004]
With the commodity dispensing device configured as described above, the sales commodity S is dispensed from the column 56 at the time of sale. That is, when the vending machine shifts from the sales standby state to the sales state, an upper stopper (not shown) supports the next sales product S, and then the lock shaft 55 at the lock position slides to the lock release position. Then, as shown in FIG. 11B, the stopper main body 53 is unlocked in the closed position, and the stopper main body 53 is driven to rotate from the closed position toward the open position by the weight of the product S for sale. . When the sale product S falls and is dispensed from the column 56, the stopper main body 53 in the open position is rotationally driven toward the closed position by a torsion coil spring (not shown). When the stopper main body 53 reaches the closed position, the lock shaft 55 in the unlocking position slides to the locked position, and the stopper main body 53 is locked again in the closed position. Thereafter, the support of the next sale product S by the upper stopper (not shown) is released, so that the next sale product S moves onto the stopper body 53 and is prepared as a sale product in the next sale.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the conventional product dispensing apparatus as described above, at the time of sale standby, the rotation shaft 52 is attached to the stopper main body 53 by the weight of the sale product S and further by the weight of the other product S stacked on the sale product S. A rotating moment acts. In this case, the stopper main body 53 is locked in a state in which the base end portion of the stopper main body 53 abuts on the lock shaft 55 to prevent the rotation, so that a large load due to the moment is applied to the lock shaft 55 from below. Works. For this reason, the lock mechanism 54 including the lock shaft 55 needs to have sufficient support strength and material strength that can withstand the load. For this reason, the lock mechanism 54 is increased in size or has high strength and high cost. The lock mechanism 54 must be made of these parts. In addition, a large driving force is required to slide the lock shaft 55 on which the load acts directly from the lock position to the lock release position. For this reason, a high-power solenoid and a drive motor are required, and the device itself is expensive and large.
[0006]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and by reducing the load acting on the lock mechanism during standby for sales, the support strength and material strength required for the lock mechanism are reduced. As a result, an object of the present invention is to provide a product dispensing device for a vending machine that can be manufactured in a compact and low-cost manner.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The product dispensing device of the vending machine according to the present invention is a vending machine that dispenses the lowest sales product among a plurality of products stored in the product passage in a state of being laid down and stacked vertically at the time of sale. Between the closed position for closing the merchandise passage so as to prevent the merchandise from being dispensed and the open position for opening the merchandise passage so as to allow the merchandise to be dispensed. And an opening / closing member that can rotate from the closed position to the open position depending on the weight of the product being sold, and a member provided on the passage wall on the distal end side of the opening / closing member of the product passage With the joint, As the opening / closing member is driven to rotate toward the open position by the weight of the product sold, the engagement position is provided at the tip of the opening / closing member so as to be freely rotatable. A locking member that is rotatable about a base end portion between a separation position where the joint portion is separated from the joint portion; When waiting for sales, Lock member in engagement position By locking, the lock mechanism that locks the opening and closing member in the closed position, and at the time of sale, by the lock mechanism By unlocking the lock member, And an unlocking mechanism for unlocking the opening / closing member.
[0008]
According to this configuration, A lock member is rotatably provided between an engagement position and a disengagement position at a distal end portion of an opening / closing member that is rotatable between a closed position and an open position with a base end portion as a center. At the time of sales standby, the lock mechanism locks the lock member at the engagement position where the lock member is engaged with the engagement portion of the passage wall, whereby the open / close member is locked at the closed position. As a result, the sold product is held in the product passage in a state where payout from the product passage is blocked. On the other hand, when the lock member is unlocked by the lock release mechanism at the time of sale, the lock member can be rotated from the engagement position to the disengagement position. Then, as the opening / closing member is driven to rotate toward the open position depending on the weight of the product for sale, the lock member rotates toward the disengagement position and is disengaged from the engaging portion of the passage wall. Thereby, the lock of the open / close member in the closed position is released, and the open / close member further rotates toward the open position, The sale merchandise falls and is dispensed downward from the merchandise passage. the above The lock mechanism Engagement position for engaging a locking member rotatably provided at the distal end opposite to the base end, which is the center of rotation, with the engaging portion of the passage wall Since the opening / closing member is locked at the closed position by locking to, the load acting on the locking mechanism due to the moment around the rotation center of the opening / closing member at the time of sale is reduced unlike the conventional case. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the support strength and material strength required for the lock mechanism. As a result, the lock mechanism can be miniaturized and no expensive high-strength parts are required. Can be manufactured in a compact and low-cost manner.
[0009]
in this case , The lock mechanism has a lock shaft that can be freely engaged with and disengaged from the lock member at a position separated from the center of rotation of the lock member, and the lock shaft is attached to the lock mechanism. A shaft holding member that is movable between a lock position that locks to the engagement position, and a lock release position that releases the lock of the lock member by releasing the lock shaft from the lock member; The unlocking mechanism is configured to be vertically movable and vertically movable with the driving means, and is driven downward by the driving means at the time of sale to lock the shaft holding member by pressing the shaft holding member from above. And a pressing member that drives from the position to the unlocked position.
[0010]
According to this configuration, at the time of sale, the pressing member driven downward by the driving means of the lock release mechanism presses the shaft holding member from above, so that the shaft holding member is driven from the lock position to the lock release position. The If it does so, a lock shaft will detach | leave from the lock member located in the engagement position provided in the front-end | tip part of the opening-and-closing member. Thereby, the lock of the lock member is released, Thereby, The lock of the opening / closing member in the closed position is also released. As described above, since the load acting on the lock mechanism is small, the moment around the rotation center of the lock member due to the load is small. Therefore, the load acting on the lock shaft is also reduced by this moment. For this reason, there is no need to manufacture a lock mechanism component such as a lock shaft with a high-strength material, and the lock shaft can be detached from the lock member with a small force. A high output is not required, and an inexpensive one can be used.
[0011]
In this case, it is determined by allowing the next sale product located immediately above the sale product to move downward, moving from the allowable position toward the sale product, and contacting the top of the sale product, By supporting the next sale product in cooperation with the passage wall, it is configured to be slidable between the next sale product and a blocking position that prevents the next sale product from moving downward. The next sale product support member driven toward the position is further provided, and the pressing member is provided in a state of being pivotably suspended from the tip of the next sale product support member, to the sale product of the next sale product support member. It is preferable that the shaft holding member is pressed in conjunction with the abutment to drive the shaft holding member toward the unlocking position.
[0012]
According to this configuration, at the time of sale, the next sale product support member slides from the allowable position to the blocking position by the driving means, and interlocks with the contact with the upper part of the sale product, that is, the next sale product. At almost the same time as the support member reaches the blocking position, a pressing member that is rotatably provided in a state of hanging from the tip of the next-sales product support member presses the shaft holding member and moves toward the unlocking position. Drive. Then, the lock of the lock member at the engagement position is released, and as a result, the lock of the opening / closing member at the closed position is released. Accordingly, the sold product is paid out from the product passage, while the next sale product is supported by the cooperation of the next sale product support member and the passage wall. Therefore, at the time of sale, it is possible to reliably pay out only the sales products at an appropriate timing while preventing the next sales products from falling. Further, since the driving means can be shared for unlocking the opening / closing member and supporting the next sale product, the manufacturing cost of the entire apparatus can be reduced as compared with the case where they are separately performed by two different driving means. Can be planned.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a product dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. This product dispensing device 1 is incorporated in, for example, a vending machine that sells canned beverage products, plastic bottle products, etc., and only the lowest-order sales product among a plurality of products stored in a stacked state in a vertical direction on its side. Is paid downward at the time of sale. As shown in the figure, the product dispensing device 1 is usually attached to the lower end of a partition wall (not shown) of two product passages 2 and 2 extending in the vertical direction (left and right in FIG. 1) in a state of being back-to-back with each other. At the time of sale, each product delivery device 1 operates independently and delivers the sale product S in each product passage 2.
[0014]
As shown in FIG. 1, the left and right product dispensing apparatuses 1 and 1 are symmetric, and therefore, in the following description, the description will focus on the left commodity dispensing apparatus 1. In addition, among the plurality of products S stored in the product passage 2, the sales product and the next sales product located immediately above the product will be described with appropriate reference numerals "S1" and "S2".
[0015]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the product dispensing device 1 opens and closes the lower end portion of the product passage 2 at the time of sale, thereby dropping the sales product S1 stored in the product passage 2 and dispensing it downward. 4, an ejector 5 that protrudes into the product passage 2 and supports the next sale product S2 in cooperation with the opposite passage wall 3 of the product passage 2, a drive mechanism 6 (drive means) that drives the ejector 5 at the time of sale, and the like As shown in FIG. 2B, the stopper 4 and the ejector 5 are assembled between a pair of side plates 7 and 7 having a predetermined shape facing each other in the left-right direction.
[0016]
As shown in FIGS. 2B and 3, the stopper 4 is formed in a substantially rectangular planar shape, and has a base end portion (an upper end portion in FIG. 2B and a right end portion in FIG. 3A). A stopper main body 11 (opening / closing member) that is rotatable around the center, a lock mechanism 12 that locks the stopper main body 11 in a closed position, which will be described later, and the like.
[0017]
The stopper body 11 is pivotally attached to the side plates 7 and 7 via a pivot shaft 13 inserted in the base end portion and extending in the left-right direction, and prevents the sale product S1 from being dispensed during a standby state. The product can be rotated between a closed position for closing the product passage 2 (see FIG. 1 and the like) and an open position (see FIG. 8) for opening the product passage 2 so as to allow the sale product S1 to be discharged at the time of sale. It is like that. Although not shown, a torsion coil spring is attached to the rotating shaft 13, and this torsion coil spring constantly urges the stopper body 11 clockwise in FIG. 1.
[0018]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the stopper body 11 is provided with a notch 14 having a rectangular planar shape for assembling a lock member 21 to be described later. A lever accommodating portion 15 is provided which is continuous from the rear end of the notch 14 and opens upward and is convex downward to be assembled in a state where a lock lever 24 described later is accommodated.
[0019]
The lock member 21 assembled to the notch 14 of the stopper body 11 is configured to be engageable with and disengageable from an engagement member 27 of the passage wall 3 described later, and is engaged with the engagement member 27 by the lock mechanism 12. The stopper body 11 is locked in the closed position by being locked in the closed state. As shown in FIG. 2B, the lock member 21 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and the left and right sides of the notch 14 are connected to each other via a rotation shaft 22 that extends through the base end and extends in the left-right direction. And a disengagement position (see FIG. 1) where the tip end portion engages with the engagement member 27 of the passage wall 3 and a disengagement position (see FIG. 1). 7), and so on. Further, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the lock member 21 extends parallel to the rotation shaft 22 at a position slightly rearward from the rotation shaft 22, and locks the lock mechanism 12 described later. The shaft 23 can be engaged and disengaged, and a concave shaft engaging portion 21a having a substantially ¼ arc in cross section is formed.
[0020]
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the lock mechanism 12 extends in parallel with the shaft engaging portion 21 a of the lock member 21, and engages and disengages with the shaft engaging portion 21 a, and the lock shaft 23. And a lock lever 24 (shaft holding member) attached to the lever housing portion 15 of the stopper body 11 with the lower portion housed therein. As shown in FIG. 3C, the lock lever 24 has a substantially triangular side cross section, and the lock shaft 23 is formed on the apex angle portion 24a of the front end portion (left end portion in FIG. 3C). Is attached in a state facing the outside. Further, the lock lever 24 is rotatably attached to the left and right side walls of the lever accommodating portion 15 via a rotation shaft 25 inserted through the apex angle portion 24b of the lower end portion, and the lock shaft 23 is a lock member. 21 by engaging the shaft engaging portion 21a of the lock 21 (see FIG. 1 and the like) for locking the lock member 21 to the engaging position, and by releasing the lock shaft 23 from the shaft engaging portion 21a. The lock member 21 can be rotated between the engagement position and the lock release position (see FIG. 6) for releasing the lock. A torsion coil spring 26 is attached to the rotating shaft 25 of the lock lever 24, and the torsion coil spring 26 constantly biases the lock lever 24 to the lock position.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 (b), the passage wall 3 extends to a position facing the lock member 21 when the stopper main body 11 is in the closed position, and approximately the same as the lateral width of the passage wall 3. In addition, an engagement member 27 (engagement portion) protruding in the product passage 2 is provided. The engaging member 27 has an inclined portion 28 that is inclined backward and downward, and a large opening 28 a is formed in the inclined portion 28. When the lock member 21 is engaged with the engagement member 27, the distal end portion of the lock member 21 is supported from the lower side by the lower edge portion 28b of the opening 28a. Further, the passage wall 3 protrudes from the product passage 2 by a predetermined length to a height that is substantially the same as the height at which an ejector body 31 to be described later supports the next sale product S2, and extends to the same extent as the lateral width of the passage wall 3. Support convex portions 29 are provided.
[0022]
Next, the ejector 5 disposed above the stopper main body 11 and between the side plates 7 and 7 and supporting the next sale product S2 in cooperation with the passage wall 3 will be described. The ejector 5 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction and obliquely forward and downward, and is movable in the vertical direction with an ejector main body 31 (next sales product support member) supporting the next sales product S2 in cooperation with the passage wall 3. And a joint 32 that connects the ejector body 31 to the drive mechanism 6.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 2A, the ejector main body 31 includes three ejector plates 33 formed in a horizontally long rectangular shape, and two connecting shafts 34 that are rotatably connected to each other in a suspended state. 34, and an upper shaft 35a and a lower shaft 35b, which are configured in the same manner as the connection shafts 34 and 34, and are respectively attached to the upper end portion of the uppermost ejector plate 33 and the lower end portion of the lowermost ejector plate 33; In a suspended state, it is configured by a pressing member 36 having a predetermined shape that is rotatably connected to the lower shaft 35b. Both ends of each connecting shaft 34, upper shaft 35a, and lower shaft 35b are loosely inserted into ejector guide grooves 37 formed on both side plates 7, 7, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, each ejector guide groove 37 includes a vertically extending vertical guide groove 37a and an inclined guide groove 37b that extends from the lower end of the vertical guide groove 37a, inclines forwardly, and extends toward the sales product S1. As a result, it is formed in a U shape. As shown in FIG. 4, the inclined guide groove 37 b of each ejector guide groove 37 is closer to the passage wall 3 than the end on the opposite side to the passage wall 3 of the commodity S <b> 1 supported by the stopper body 11. It extends like so.
[0024]
Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, the pressing member 36 of the ejector main body 31 extends downward in a stepped manner, and a portion (hereinafter referred to as “pressing portion”) 36a corresponding to the lever accommodating portion 15 of the stopper main body 11 is formed. It is formed so as to extend greatly downward.
[0025]
The ejector body 31 configured as described above moves as the joint 32 moves up and down while being guided by the ejector guide groove 37. Specifically, an allowable position (see FIG. 10) that allows the next sale product S2 to move downward is determined by the ejector body 31 coming into contact with the sale product S1, and the next sale product S2 is connected to the passage wall 3. By supporting in cooperation, it slides between a blocking position (see FIG. 6) for blocking the downward movement of the next sale product S2. At the time of sale, when the ejector body 31 slides from the allowable position toward the blocking position, the pressing member 36 moves downward, and the lock lever 24 is pressed from above by the pressing portion 36a. Thereby, the lock lever 24 rotates from the lock position to the lock release position, and the lock of the lock member 21 at the engagement position is released (see FIG. 6).
[0026]
The joint 32 that connects the ejector main body 31 to the drive mechanism 6 is engaged with rails (not shown) that are provided on the side plates 7 and 7 and that extend in the vertical direction. It can move up and down along. Further, the joint 32 is attached to the upper shaft 35a of the ejector body 31 on the front surface side, and a drive shaft 42 of the drive mechanism 6 described later is screwed to a drive shaft coupling portion 32a provided on the rear surface side. .
[0027]
Next, the drive mechanism 6 that drives the ejector 5 and unlocks the stopper body 11 by the lock mechanism 12 will be described. The drive mechanism 6 includes a drive motor 41, a drive shaft 42 that extends in the vertical direction and is rotationally driven around the axis by the drive motor 41, and a reduction gear train (not shown) inside. Is transmitted to the drive shaft 42. As described above, the drive shaft 42 is screwed into the drive shaft coupling portion 32a of the joint 32. When the drive motor 41 operates, the drive shaft 42 rotates around the axis line, so that the joint 32 moves in the vertical direction. . As a result, the ejector body 31 slides between the allowable position and the blocking position. At the time of sale, the ejector body 31 slides toward the blocking position, and the pressing portion 36a of the pressing member 36 presses the lock lever 24 from above, whereby the lock of the lock member 21 at the engagement position is released. Then, the stopper body 11 is unlocked in the closed position. As described above, the lock release mechanism of the present invention includes the drive mechanism 6 and the ejector 5.
[0028]
Next, with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10, the delivery of the product S by the product delivery device 1 configured as described above will be described in order. FIG. 4 shows the product dispensing apparatus 1 in a sales standby state when a plurality of products S are stored in the product passage 2. In this state, the lock member 21 is locked in a state where it is engaged with the engagement member 27 of the passage wall 3, whereby the stopper main body 11 is locked in the closed position. On the other hand, the ejector main body 31 is located at the allowable position, and is in contact with the sale product S1 with the pressing member 36 hanging down. Therefore, in this state, the sales product S1 is supported by the stopper body 11 from the lower side, and the next sales product S2 is supported by the sales product S1 from the lower side.
[0029]
When shifting from the sales standby state as described above to the sales state, first, the drive motor 41 is operated so as to rotate forward, whereby the drive shaft 42 rotates in a predetermined direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the joint 32 moves downward, and the ejector body 31 slides downward toward the blocking position. In this case, the pressing member 36 receives a reaction force from the sales product S1 at the portion that is in contact with the sales product S1, and thereby rotates in the counterclockwise direction around the upper end portion while pressing the lower pressing portion 36a. Presses the lock lever 24 in the locked position from above. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, in conjunction with the ejector body 31 coming into contact with the upper portion of the sale product S1, that is, almost simultaneously with reaching the blocking position, the pressing portion 36a of the pressing member 36 is further counteracted. By rotating clockwise, the lock lever 24 is rotated to the unlocked position against the torsion coil spring 26. As a result, the lock shaft 23 is detached from the shaft engaging portion 21a of the lock member 21, and the lock member 21 is in a state where it can be rotated to the disengaged position.
[0030]
As described above, when the lock member 21 is unlocked at the engagement position, as shown in FIG. 7, the stopper main body 11 resists a torsion coil spring (not shown) due to the weight of the commercial product S1. The lock member 21 is rotated counterclockwise toward the open position, and the lock member 21 is detached from the engaging member 27 of the passage wall 3 while rotating clockwise. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, when the stopper main body 11 reaches the open position, the sold product S1 is dispensed downward from the product passage 2 while falling. When the payout of the sales product S1 is detected by a detection device (not shown) including a switch, a sensor, or the like, the operation of the drive motor 41 is stopped. When the sold product S1 is paid out in this way, the next sold product S2 is supported by the cooperation of the ejector body 31 and the passage wall 3 (including the support convex portion 29) at the blocking position, and is prevented from moving downward. Is done.
[0031]
When the sale product S1 is paid out, the stopper main body 11 in the open position rotates clockwise by the restoring force of a torsion coil spring (not shown) attached to the rotation shaft 13 of the stopper main body 11, and as shown in FIG. In a state where the lock lever 24 is in contact with the pressing portion 36a of the pressing member 36, the locking lever 24 stops at a position slightly beyond the closed position. Thereafter, when the drive motor 41 is operated so as to rotate in the reverse direction, the drive shaft 42 rotates in the opposite direction to the above, and accordingly, the joint 32 moves upward and the ejector body 31 slides toward the allowable position. . Then, the pressing portion 36a of the pressing member 36 is separated from the lock lever 24, and the lock lever 24 is rotated to the lock position by the restoring force of the torsion coil spring 26 attached to the rotation shaft 25 of the lock lever 24. The lock member 21 is locked. When the ejector main body 31 reaches the allowable position, the next sale product S2 moves downward and drops onto the stopper main body 11. Thereby, the stopper main body 11 is slightly rotated counterclockwise by the weight of the next sale product S2, and is locked in the closed position as shown in FIG. When it is detected by a sales product detection device (not shown) composed of a switch, a sensor and the like that the next sales product S2 has fallen on the stopper body 11, the operation of the drive motor 41 is stopped. Then, the next sale product S2 dropped on the stopper body 11 is prepared as a sale product in the next sale.
[0032]
As described above in detail, according to the product dispensing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the stopper main body 11 in the closed position has the locking member 21 provided at the distal end thereof, and the engagement of the passage wall 3 by the locking mechanism 12. By being locked in a state of being engaged with the joint member 27, it is locked in the closed position. Thereby, unlike the conventional case, the load acting on the lock mechanism 12 due to the moment around the rotation shaft 13 of the stopper main body 11 at the time of sales standby is reduced. For this reason, the support strength and the material strength required for the lock mechanism 12 can be reduced, and the lock shaft 23 can be detached from the lock member 21 with a small force. Therefore, the lock mechanism 12 can be downsized, and there is no need to use expensive high-strength parts or high-power drive motors. As a result, the product dispensing apparatus 1 itself can be manufactured in a compact and low-cost manner. .
[0033]
Further, at the time of sale, it is possible to reliably pay out only the sales product S1 at an appropriate timing while preventing the ejector main body 31 from dropping the next sale product S2. Furthermore, since the ejector body 31 is driven by the single drive motor 41 and the stopper body 11 is unlocked in the closed position, the apparatus is compared with a case where they are separately performed by two different drive sources. The overall manufacturing cost can be reduced.
[0034]
In addition, this invention can be implemented in various aspects, without being limited to the said embodiment described. The detailed configuration of the product dispensing apparatus 1 shown in the embodiment is merely an example, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the gist of the present invention.
[0035]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, the commodity dispensing device of the vending machine according to the present invention can reduce the supporting strength and material strength required for the lock mechanism by reducing the load acting on the lock mechanism during the standby state. As a result, the apparatus itself can be produced in a compact and low-cost manner.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a product dispensing device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2A is a front view showing an ejector main body, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing a stopper main body and its periphery.
3A and 3B are side sectional views showing the stopper in an exploded manner, in which FIG. 3A shows a stopper body, FIG. 3B shows a lock member, and FIG. 3C shows a lock lever.
FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of a product dispensing apparatus for explaining the dispensing of products, and shows a sales standby state.
FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the product dispensing device continued from FIG. 4 and shows a state where the ejector body slides toward the product for sale and the pressing member slightly presses the lock lever in conjunction with this.
6 is a side cross-sectional view of the product dispensing device subsequent to FIG. 5, showing a state in which the ejector body is in contact with the product for sale and the pressing member presses the lock lever and rotates to the unlocked position.
7 is a side cross-sectional view of the product dispensing device subsequent to FIG. 6, showing a state in which the stopper main body is slightly rotated toward the open position, and accordingly, the lock member is rotated to the disengagement position.
FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of the product dispensing device continued from FIG. 7, showing a state where the stopper main body reaches the open position and the sold products are dispensed.
FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the commodity dispensing device continued from FIG. 8, showing a state where the stopper main body rotated from the open position toward the closed position is rotated to a position slightly beyond the closed position.
FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the product dispensing device following FIG. 9, and when the next sale product supported by the ejector body falls onto the stopper body, the stopper body rotates to the closed position and is locked. Indicates the state.
FIG. 11 is a side sectional view showing a part of a product dispensing device of a conventional vending machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
1. Product delivery device
2 Product passage
3 passage walls
4 Stopper
5 Ejector
6 Drive mechanism (drive means)
11 Stopper body (opening / closing member)
12 Locking mechanism
21 Locking member
23 Lock shaft
24 Lock lever (shaft holding member)
27 Engagement member (engagement part)
31 Ejector body (supporting product for next sale products)
36 Pressing member

Claims (3)

A product dispensing device for a vending machine that dispenses the lowest sales product among a plurality of products stored in the product passage in a state of being stacked in the vertical direction on its side,
Between the closed position that closes the merchandise passage so as to prevent the merchandise from being paid out and the open position that opens the merchandise passage so as to allow the merchandise to be paid out, it is rotated around the base end. An openable / closable member that is movable and that is rotatable from the closed position toward the open position by the weight of the product for sale.
An engagement portion provided on a passage wall on the tip end side of the opening and closing member of the commodity passage;
The opening / closing member is rotatably provided at the tip of the opening / closing member, and the opening / closing member is driven to rotate toward the opening position by the engagement position for engaging with the engagement portion and the weight of the product for sale. Accordingly, a lock member that can rotate around a base end portion between a disengagement position that disengages from the engagement portion, and
A lock mechanism that locks the open / close member in the closed position by locking the lock member in the engagement position at the time of sales standby;
A lock release mechanism for releasing the lock of the opening and closing member by releasing the lock of the lock member by the lock mechanism at the time of sale;
A vending machine product dispensing device characterized by comprising: The lock mechanism is a position distant from the rotation center of the lock member, and a lock shaft that is detachable from the lock member;
When the lock shaft is attached, the lock shaft is engaged with the lock member, thereby locking the lock member at the engagement position, and when the lock shaft is detached from the lock member, A shaft holding member movable between the lock release position for releasing the lock of the lock member, and
The unlocking mechanism includes driving means,
It is configured to extend in the vertical direction and to be movable in the vertical direction, and is driven downward by the driving means at the time of sale, and presses the shaft holding member from above to release the lock from the locked position. The product dispensing apparatus for a vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing member that is driven to a position. An allowable position that allows downward movement of the next sales product located immediately above the sales product, and is determined by moving from the allowable position toward the sales product and abutting on an upper portion of the sales product, By supporting the next sale product in cooperation with the passage wall, the next sale product is configured to be slidable between a blocking position for preventing the next sale product from moving downward. A further sale product support member that is driven from the allowable position toward the blocking position;
The pressing member is provided in a state of being pivotably suspended at a distal end portion of the next-selling product support member, and the shaft holding member is interlocked with the contact of the next-selling product support member with the sales product. 3. The product dispensing device for a vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the device is configured to press and drive the shaft holding member toward the unlocking position.

Images