JP3945946B2 - Vending machine product entry passage structure - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a structure of a product input passage of a vending machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In general, vending machines that handle cans and the like have the structure shown in FIGS. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a product storage unit 2 having both a conveyance function and a storage function is provided in the vending machine main body 1 over a plurality of rows (two rows in the illustrated example) on the left and right sides of the drawing. A plurality of lines are also arranged in the direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet.
[0003]
In order to reduce the storage height of the can, which is the product 3, or to reduce the drop impact when the product is replenished, the product storage section 2 is formed with a storage transport path 4 in a meandering shape.
A product delivery device 5 for sequentially delivering the stored products 3 is provided at the lower end of each product storage unit 2, and the product 3 delivered from the product delivery device 5 is connected to the product outlet via the chute 6. 7
[0004]
There are many types of can products 3 stored in the product storage and conveyance path 4 of such a vending machine, and the product introduction path 9 can be applied even to the products 3 having different lengths. A width guide 10b (FIG. 7) is provided in the entrance guide 10 that constitutes the product, and a width direction adjusting plate 40 (FIGS. 5 and 6) is provided in the product storing and conveying path 4, and they are moved in parallel to move to the product type. At the same time, the width of the product storage / conveyance path 4 is usually variable up to the product delivery device 5.
[0005]
Furthermore, when introducing a can product into the product storage and conveyance path 4, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 6, an entrance guide 10 is used to prevent the can product from being inclined or standing upright so that the can product is in a correct horizontal posture. A drop posture control plate 41 is pivotally supported by a support rod 29 on the back end side of the door, and as shown in the plan view of the main part of the inlet guide in FIG. As shown by the alternate long and short dash line, the can product is corrected to an appropriate posture.
[0006]
By the way, in recent years, the deformed products 3 such as PET bottles and bottles are increasing in addition to the can products, but these deformed products 3 are liable to cause an unequal change in the throwing posture.
That is, the deformed product 3 having a long constricted portion on the side of the drinking mouth 3a like the bottle-shaped product 3 shown in FIG. There is. This is because the drinking mouth 3a side is narrowed narrowly across the center of gravity G of the deformed product 3, so that the drinking mouth 3a side rolls first in the entrance guide 10 compared to the bottom 3b side.
[0007]
However, the installation position of the drop attitude control plate 41 described above is biased to one side of the product storage conveyance path 4 in correspondence with the product delivery device 5 so as not to interfere with the free movement of the width direction adjustment plate 40 in the direction of the arrow. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when a tall bottle-shaped product 3 is to be introduced, the position of the drop posture control plate 41 is located on the bottom 3 b of the bottle-shaped product 3 together with the product dispensing device 5. As a result, there is a problem that the posture control cannot be performed reliably.
[0008]
However, if the direction of the mouth 3a and the bottom 3b of the bottle-type product 3 is reversed, the posture is properly controlled by the drop posture control plate 41, but the opening / closing provided in the product dispensing device 5 Since the flapper 42 (FIG. 6) is in contact with the drinking mouth 3a side of the bottle-type product, there is a possibility that the product cannot be properly discharged.
Therefore, the direction of input cannot be reversed.
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks, and automatically moves the position of the drop posture control plate regardless of the position of the product dispensing device with the movement of the width guide of the entrance guide. The purpose of this is also to provide a structure of the product input passage of the vending machine that can reliably control the attitude.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To solve the above problem, the structure of introducing products passage for the automatic vending machine according to claim 1, and to the inclined introduction path flow to the rear side of the item from the front side is inclined obliquely downward, in the inclined introduction path, path A width guide which is movably arranged in the width direction and adjusts the effective width of the inclined introduction path, and extends in the vertical direction. The upper end of the inclined introduction path is connected to the connecting portion of the inner end of the inclined introduction path. Width adjustment to adjust the effective width of the product storage and transport path in the product storage and transport path and the product storage and transport path so as to be movable in the path width direction. And a drop posture control plate that is disposed in the upper corner on the back side of the tilt introduction path and corrects the drop posture of the product flowing from the tilt introduction path to the product storage conveyance path to an appropriate posture, and is provided at the back of the width guide. End and upper end of the width direction adjusting plate The is engaged, and the width of the inclined introduction path, the width of the product storage conveyance path leading to the article dispensing device is configured integrally adjustable both according to the length of the product, the width guide And the upper end of the width direction adjustment plate is engaged with the drop posture control plate , and the drop posture control plate has a width guide for the inclined introduction path and a width direction adjustment plate for the commodity storage and conveyance path. It can be interlocked in the width direction.
[0011]
According to the present invention, the drop posture control plate moves in parallel with the width guide of the inlet guide, so that the drop posture control plate can be easily changed in posture while the product dispensing device is located at the bottom of the bottle product. It can be located at the mouth part, and the bottled goods can be reliably put into the storage conveyance path in a horizontal posture .
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a width guide 10 b that adjusts the width according to the length of the product is disposed in the inlet guide 10 that constitutes the inclined introduction path 9, and this width guide 10 b is the width of the product storage conveyance path 4. The width direction adjustment plate 40 is adjusted to adjust the width to the product dispensing device 5 at the same time.
[0015]
The width guide 10b of the entrance guide 10 is supported so as to be slidable in the width direction as shown by a two-dot chain line along the slide groove 10c formed in the base surface 10a, as shown in FIG. Yes.
In the figure, reference numerals 10d to 10d denote fitting holes for positioning and fixing the width guide 10b slidably moved in the width direction at a predetermined width position.
[0016]
On the back end side of the width guide 10b, a support rod 29 is installed between the side plates 2a and 2a (FIG. 1) on the top of the product storage and conveyance path 4, and a drop posture control plate 41 is supported on the support rod 29 by a shaft support 41a. , 41a is pivotally supported around the support rod 29 so as to be swingable. At the same time, the drop posture control plate 41 is supported by the shaft support 41a so as to be slidable in the axial direction along the support rod 29.
[0017]
The width direction adjusting plate 40 is provided with a bracket plate 40 a, and a support rod 29 is penetrated through the bracket plate 40 a and supported so as to be slidable along the support rod 29.
An engaging portion 40b extends in the direction of the drop posture control plate 41 on the bracket plate 40a, and the support portion 41a of the drop posture control plate 41 is engaged with an engagement groove 40c formed in the engagement portion 40b. As a result, the bracket plate 40a and the drop posture control plate 41 are integrally moved together in the axial direction, but are engaged so that relative rotation around the shaft is possible.
[0018]
Further, the front end of the bracket plate 40 a can be engaged with the back end of the width guide 10 b, and the lower end is joined integrally with the width direction adjusting plate 40.
In the above, screw holes are provided at corresponding positions in the rear end of the width guide 10b and the bracket plate 40a, and are fixed by fasteners 43, 43 such as screws and bolts and nuts.
[0019]
Although not shown, a box-shaped receiving portion is formed at the back end of the width guide 10b, and the front end of the bracket plate 40a is inserted into the receiving portion to engage the both. .
In this case, both can be engaged by simply inserting them, and it is not always necessary to fasten them with a fastener as described above.
[0020]
Further, the width guide 10b of the entrance guide 10 is extended to the back of the entrance guide 10 and the support rod 29 is inserted, and the engagement portion 40b with the drop posture control plate 41 is provided in the width guide 10b, as shown in FIG. You may engage similarly to an engagement structure.
Next, the use state of the above embodiment will be described.
FIG. 3 shows the attachment position of the width guide 10b when handling the can product 3H. The width guide 10b is translated in the direction of narrowing the product passage width of the substrate 10a according to the length of the can product 3H. Yes.
[0021]
At this time, the drop posture control plate 41 also moves along the support rod 29 via the bracket plate 40a engaged with the width guide 10b. The width direction adjusting plate 40 also moves.
Therefore, even if the can product 3 </ b> H rolls on the entrance guide 10, even if the posture changes in an oblique direction, the can product 3 </ b> H is corrected to the horizontal posture by the drop posture control plate 41.
[0022]
In this case, the commodity dispensing device 5 is positioned directly below the drop attitude control plate 41 as shown in the figure.
Next, as shown in FIG. 4, when a bottle-shaped product is introduced, the width guide 10b is moved according to the length of the bottle-shaped product.
Along with this movement, the drop attitude control plate 41 and the width direction adjusting plate 40 also move in the wide direction.
[0023]
However, since the position of the drop posture control plate 41 is always interlocked with a certain distance away on the side close to the width guide 10b, the bottle 3 so that the thick bottom 3b comes to the commodity dispensing device 5. Even if the mold product 3 is inserted, the drinking mouth 3a portion whose direction is easy to change collides with the drop posture control plate 41 first, and even if the entrance guide 10 changes its direction during rolling, the drop posture control plate 41 The orientation is definitely corrected.
[0024]
As described above, according to this embodiment, when the product 3 to be introduced is the bottle-type product 3, even if the position of the width guide 10 is translated in accordance with this, the drop posture control plate 41 is always provided. As a result, the position of the width guide 10 is controlled according to the length of the product, because the mouth portion that always moves downward as a result of this movement and the mouth portion that always inclines downward collides first. The product posture does not become inappropriate even if the item is changed. Moreover, since the bottom part 3b of the bottle-type product 3 can be made to correspond to the product delivery device 5, there is no possibility that the delivery function will be hindered.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the structure of the product input passage of the vending machine of the present invention, even if the product stored in the vending machine is a deformed product such as a bottle-type product other than a can product, the product is inclined. When shifting from the introduction path to the product storage and transport path, the drop posture control plate corrects the product to an appropriate horizontal posture, and the loading posture with respect to the product dispensing device is always optimized.
[0026]
Further, when the width of the inclination introduction path is adjusted, the drop posture control plate and the width direction adjusting plate can be adjusted at the same time, so that handling becomes easy.
Further, since the structure is simple, there is an effect that it can be easily implemented at low cost.
[Brief description of the drawings]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an internal side view showing a product conveying device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a product entrance guide that is a product inclination introduction path.
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a principal part showing a use state when the can product is introduced.
[Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a plan view of an essential part showing a use state when the bottle-type product is introduced.
FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway side view of a conventional vending machine.
FIG. 6 is an internal side view of a product storage section of the conventional vending machine.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of a product input part of the conventional vending machine.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of a product input part of the conventional vending machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Product storage section 2a Side plate 3 Product 4 Storage transport path 9 Inclined introduction passage 10 Product entrance guide 10b Width guide 41 Drop attitude control plate 41a Bracket plate

Claims (1)

And it is inclined introduction path flow to the rear side of the item from the front side is inclined obliquely downwards,
In this inclined introduction path, a width guide that is arranged to be movable in the passage width direction and adjusts the effective width of the inclined introduction path,
A product storage and conveyance path extending in the vertical direction, the upper end of which is connected to the connecting portion of the rear end of the inclined introduction path, and the lower end of which is provided with the product dispensing device;
In the product storage and conveyance path, a width direction adjustment plate that is disposed movably in the passage width direction and adjusts the effective passage width of the product storage and conveyance path;
A drop attitude control plate disposed in the upper corner of the inclination introduction path to correct the drop attitude of the product flowing from the inclination introduction path to the product storage conveyance path to an appropriate attitude;
With
By engaging the back end portion of the width guide and the upper end portion of the width direction adjusting plate, the width of the inclined introduction path and the width of the product storage and conveyance path leading to the product dispensing device are both It is configured to be integrally adjustable according to the length ,
The rear end portion of the width guide or the upper end portion of the width direction adjusting plate is engaged with the drop posture control plate so that the drop posture control plate is in the width direction of the tilt introduction path and the width direction of the product storage and conveyance path. The structure of the vending machine's product entry passage that can be linked to the adjustment plate in the width direction.

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