JP4201307B2 - Vending machine product storage device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a product storage device of a vending machine that sells cylindrical products such as canned beverages and plastic bottled beverages.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In vending machines such as canned beverages and beverages containing plastic bottles, products are stacked and stored in a product storage passage having a width slightly larger than the thickness of the product, and meandering in the vertical direction. One by one is discharged sequentially from the section. Such product storage passages are arranged in a plurality of rows in the front-rear direction to form a product rack, and a plurality of such product storage passages are assembled to constitute a product storage device.
[0003]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the vending machine. In FIG. 8, 101 is a vending machine door, 102 is an inner box, 103 is a storage room, 104 is a product storage device provided in the storage room 103, 105 is a cylindrical product such as a can, a bottle or a plastic bottle. , 106 is a passage forming plate disposed between the left and right side plates (not shown), thereby forming a product storage passage 107 for meandering in the vertical direction to stack and store the products 105. Reference numeral 108 denotes a product insertion port to the product storage passage, which is connected to the product storage passage 107 in a state of being inclined downward toward the rear.
[0004]
A product discharge mechanism 109 is provided at the lower end of the product storage passage, and is provided in the product storage device 104 in parallel with the product storage passage 107 and the product insertion port 108 in the front-rear direction. A chute 110 is provided below the product storage device 104 and is connected to a sales outlet (not shown) provided on the door 101. Reference numeral 111 denotes a compressor, 112 denotes a condenser, 113 denotes an evaporator for cooling the inside of the cabinet, and 114 denotes a blower inside the cabinet. These are arranged in the lower part of the storage chamber 103.
[0005]
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional product storage device. 9, 106 is a passage forming plate, 115 is an engaging pin that engages with the upper end of the passage forming plate 106, and 116 is a support pin that supports the lower end of the passage forming plate 106. A large number of the product storage passages 107 are arranged so as to face each other. The engagement pin 115 and the support pin 116 are fixed to the mounting holes 118 provided in the left and right side plates 117. Reference numeral 119 denotes a plurality of elongated holes formed in the entire passage forming plate 106 extending vertically with a predetermined interval on the left and right, and 120 denotes a plurality of beads protruding toward the inside of the product storage passage 107.
[0006]
The product discharge mechanism 109 includes ejectors 121 and 122. The ejectors 121 and 122 are interlocked, and normally, the ejector 121 supports the product in the product storage passage 107 from below, and the ejector 122 is stored in the frame. When discharging the product from the product storage passage 107, the ejector 121 is pulled toward the frame by a solenoid (not shown). At that time, one product supported by the ejector 121 falls, but at the same time, the ejector 122 pivots downward and protrudes out of the frame to support the product on it so that it does not fall down. Thereafter, the ejectors 121 and 122 are returned to the original state, and the discharging operation is completed.
[0007]
When the product 105 is stored in the product storage device 104 of the vending machine configured as described above, the product 105 is input from the product input port 108 and falls in the product storage passage 107. At that time, the product 105 repeatedly collides with the passage forming plates 106 on both sides and moves downward while rolling, but the speed decreases due to energy loss at the time of collision and friction with the passage forming plates 106, and the rolling speed is below a predetermined value. Can be suppressed.
[0008]
At that time, the impact sound of the product 105 against the passage forming plate 106 is generated and causes noise during product filling, but the numerous elongated holes 119 and beads 120 provided in the passage forming plate 106 shown in FIG. It plays a role in reducing the generation of such noise. Moreover, since the outer periphery circle | round | yen of the product 105 tries to follow the large circular arc part of the passage formation board 106 because the goods 105 collide and contact with the passage formation board 106, the goods 105 are horizontally turned by the passage formation board 106 sideways. Change your posture.
[0009]
While passing through the product storage passage 107, the product 105 falls to the product discharge mechanism 109 and stops while repeatedly receiving the posture control as described above. Thereafter, the sequentially loaded products 105 are stacked while being meandering upward and stored in the product storage passage 107. The products 105 stored in the product storage device 104 are dropped one by one on the chute 110 by the product discharge mechanism 109 that operates according to the sales command, and move to the sales outlet.
[0010]
Further, as shown in FIG. 10, such a product storage device may be provided with a posture control plate 123 that protrudes into the product storage passage 107 from the passage forming plate 106 side. The attitude control plate 123 is mounted so as to be pivotable up and down around a pivot shaft provided horizontally at the lower edge of the passage forming plate 106, and is always urged to protrude into the product storage passage 107 by a spring. Has been. When the product 105 introduced into the product storage passage 107 from the product insertion port 108 rolls down in the product storage passage 107 and hits the posture control plate 123, the posture control plate 123 is resisted against the spring. Press down. And the fall speed of the goods 105 is suppressed by the reaction, and the attitude | position of the goods 105 is corrected horizontally.
[0011]
As shown in FIG. 11, the posture control plate 123 is attached to the passage forming plate 106 by rotating the rotation shaft while holding the spring 125 between the two insertion portions 124 projecting on both lower ends of the passage forming plate 106. 126 is inserted, and the curl portion 127 of the attitude control plate 123 is caulked and attached to the rotating shaft 126.
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the product storage device of the conventional vending machine, the rotation shaft 126 is inserted while holding the spring 125 between the two insertion portions 124 to attach the attitude control plate 123 to the passage forming plate 106. The curl portion 127 of the attitude control plate 123 needs to be caulked and attached to the rotation shaft 126, which is very troublesome and increases the production cost.
[0013]
In order to solve this point, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-4882 (G07F 11/34), an attitude control plate integrally formed of plastic together with a spring portion and a shaft portion has been proposed. Applications are limited in terms of strength and durability.
[0014]
Further, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-215350 (G07F 11/34), a large number of passage forming plates 106, each of which is formed in a circular arc shape as shown in FIG. There has also been proposed a product storage apparatus in which a product storage passage is formed by opposingly arranging passage forming plates formed of a single metal plate over the entire length so as to have a substantially constant interval. However, such a passage forming plate cannot be attached with a posture control plate as shown in FIG. 11 or a posture control plate as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-4882.
[0015]
The present invention solves such a problem, that is, it is possible to easily attach a posture control plate to various forms of passage forming plates so that sufficient strength and durability can be obtained. It is intended.
[0016]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, the product storage device of the vending machine according to claim 1 is configured to meander while arranging a plurality of passage forming plates facing each other in parallel between a pair of left and right side plates facing upright. A product storage passage extending in the vertical direction is formed, and the product control passage is pivotally supported by a shaft hole provided so as to face the passage formation plate, and can be rotated in the vertical direction in the product passage. And a product storage device for a vending machine in which products are stacked and stored, wherein the attitude control plate has a rotation shaft fixed horizontally on the left and right of the base, and One of the dynamic axes is a long axis and the other is a short axis. A coil spring that applies resistance to the downward rotation of the attitude control plate and presses the base against the shaft hole on the short axis side is provided on the long axis. It is characterized by being inserted. In this way, the posture control plate can be easily attached to various forms of passage forming plates so that sufficient strength and durability can be obtained.
[0017]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the commodity storage device for the vending machine, wherein the long axis is provided on a side close to the side plate, and a distance between the side plate and the side plate side edge of the attitude control plate is It is characterized by being shorter than the surplus length from. In this way, it is possible to reliably prevent the posture control plate from falling off.
[0019]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a view showing a passage forming plate in a product storage device of a vending machine according to the present invention, FIG. 1 (a) is a perspective view, and FIG. 1 (b) is a side view. The passage forming plate is formed of a single metal plate having a total length.
[0020]
The passage forming plate has a flat surface 3 between inclined surfaces 1 and 2 that are inclined in opposite directions, and the inclined surfaces 1 and 2 and the flat surface 3 constitute one chevron. The chevron is provided so that the convex direction is alternately inverted in the vertical direction and is repeated a plurality of times, and the flat surface 3 is triangular in the convex direction of the chevron with an interval in the width direction. A plurality of projecting portions 4 projecting on the surface are formed.
[0021]
Further, beads 5 and 6 that pass through the protruding portion 4 and protrude in the same direction as the protruding portion 4 are formed continuously in the longitudinal direction. The beads 5 and 6 are alternately convex toward the front side and the back side as shown in the AA sectional view of FIG. That is, in the passage forming plate, the flat surfaces 3 and the protrusions 4 are alternately formed in the lateral direction, and are also alternately formed in the longitudinal direction. The beads 5 and 6 are continuously formed in the longitudinal direction so as to protrude from the convex surface of the protrusion 4.
[0022]
Further, snap pieces 7 and 8 for fixing the passage forming plate to the side plate are provided on both left and right edges of the passage forming plate. Further, in order to attach the attitude control plate 11 to the inclined surface 2 of the passage forming plate before and after the product rack, a punching hole 9 is formed and bearing pieces 10 are formed at both outer ends thereof. The attitude control plate 11 has a structure as shown in FIG. The attitude control plate 11 is formed of a metal plate such as a steel plate, and a long axis 13 and a short axis 14 are provided at one end thereof by rounding the metal plate into a cylindrical shape.
[0023]
Then, the coil spring 12 is inserted into the long shaft 13, and the long shaft 13 and the short shaft 14 are fitted into the shaft hole 15 of the bearing piece 10 through the punching hole 9 of the passage forming plate B from the inside. At that time, as shown in FIG. 4A, the long shaft 13 is inserted first, and the short shaft 14 is inserted into the shaft hole 15 of the bearing piece 10 while compressing the coil spring 12. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4B, the posture control plate 11 is pressed against the short shaft 14 by the pressing force of the coil spring 12 to prevent the short shaft 14 from coming off the shaft hole 15.
[0024]
As described above, after the posture control plate 11 is attached to the passage forming plate B, a plurality of passage forming plates B are arranged in parallel between the side plates provided upright on the left and right, and the product storage passage is provided between them. Form. As shown in FIG. 5, the passage forming plate B is attached to the side plate by snap fitting by inserting the snap pieces 7 and 8 into the square holes 17 provided in the side plate 16. 5A is a perspective view showing a part of the attachment portion of the passage forming plate B, and FIG. 5B is a view showing a state in the middle of inserting the snap piece 8 into the square hole 17. FIG. 5C is a view showing a state after the snap piece 8 is inserted into the square hole 17.
[0025]
When the snap piece 8 is inserted into the square hole 17, the snap piece 8 is aligned with the square hole 17, and the passage forming plate B is pushed toward the side plate 16. As shown in FIG. It bends elastically and passes through the square hole 17. After the snap piece 8 passes through the square hole 17, the snap piece 8 returns to its original state and the passage forming plate B cannot be removed from the side plate 16 as shown in FIG.
[0026]
Further, around such a snap piece 8, a reinforcing portion 18 made of a protrusion is provided by squeezing so as to surround the snap piece 8. The reinforcing portion 18 mechanically reinforces the base portion of the snap piece 8 and also performs a positioning function with respect to the square hole 17.
[0027]
When all the snap pieces 7 and 8 of the passage forming plate B are inserted into the square holes 17 of the side plate 16 and fixed, the passage forming plates B-1 to B-3 are completely fixed to the side plate 16 as shown in FIG. Is done. The operation can be easily performed because the snap pieces 7 and 8 are simply inserted into the square holes 17.
[0028]
In the product storage device of the vending machine of the present invention, a plurality of such passage forming plates B-1 to B-3 are arranged in parallel, and a product storage passage 19 is formed between them. The posture control plate 11 is provided on the passage forming plates B-1 and B-3 arranged at the front and rear, and the posture control plate 11 is provided on the intermediate passage forming plate B-2 that partitions the product storage passages 19. Not provided. Therefore, the punching hole 9 and the bearing piece 10 as shown in FIG. 1 are not provided in the intermediate passage forming plate B-2.
[0029]
In the product storage passage 19 thus formed, the flat surface 3 faces the opposite side of the protruding portion 4 across the passage, so that the width of the product storage passage 19 is substantially uniform over the entire length, Is less likely to clog in the passage. Further, since the beads 5 and 6 are formed on the inner surface of the product storage passage 19 over the entire length, the rolling friction of the product can be reduced, and the noise generated when the product rolls can also be reduced. Further, since the protruding portion 4 is formed so as to protrude from the flat surface 3 at the top of the chevron portion, the height between the protruding surface 4 and the adjacent protruding portion 4 protruding to the opposite side is not increased so much. A large difference in elevation can be obtained. Therefore, it becomes easy to form the protrusion part 4 by a drawing process.
[0030]
Further, the posture control plate 11 protrudes into the product storage passage 19 by the spring force of the coil spring 12, and when the product falls in the product storage passage 19 and collides with the posture control plate 11, the posture control plate 11. Is rotated downward against the coil spring 12, but the reaction speed suppresses the falling speed of the product. At that time, even if the product is slightly inclined, the posture of the product is controlled to be horizontal by the surface of the posture control plate 11.
[0031]
FIG. 7 is a partial horizontal sectional view of the product storage passage. The posture control plate 11 is provided so that the long axis 13 is on the side close to the side plate 16, and the distance between the side plate 16 and the side plate side edge of the posture control plate 11 is an extra length from the shaft hole 15 of the short shaft 14. I try to make it shorter. As a result, after the passage forming plate B is fixed to the side plate 16, even if the posture control plate 11 is to be removed, the edge of the posture control plate 11 hits the side plate 16 and the short shaft 14 is disengaged from the shaft hole 15 of the bearing piece 10. This prevents the attitude control plate 11 from falling off.
[0032]
In the embodiment described above, the case where the posture control plate 11 is attached to the passage forming plate B whose entire length is formed of one metal plate has been described. However, the present invention is similar to that shown in FIG. The present invention can also be applied to a passage forming plate of a system in which a large number of passage forming plates B each having a circular arc shape are provided in series.
[0033]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.
That is, in the commodity storage device of the vending machine according to the first aspect, the attitude control plate has a rotation shaft that is horizontally fixed to the left and right of the base, one of the rotation shafts being the long axis and the other being the other. The long axis is inserted with a coil spring that gives resistance to the downward rotation of the attitude control plate and presses the base against the shaft hole on the short axis side. As a result, the posture control plate can be easily attached to various forms of passage forming plates so that sufficient strength and durability can be obtained.
[0034]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the product storage device for the vending machine, wherein the long axis is provided on a side close to the side plate, and a gap between the side plate and the edge on the side plate side of the attitude control plate is a shaft hole of the short shaft. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the posture control plate from falling off.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a view showing a passage forming plate in a product storage device of a vending machine according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a view showing an attitude control plate.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a method for attaching an attitude control plate.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a mounting structure of a passage forming plate.
FIG. 6 is a partial side view of the product rack.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a partial horizontal cross-sectional view of a product storage passage.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an internal structure of the vending machine.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conventional product storage device.
FIG. 10 is a view showing the inside of a product storage passage to which a posture control plate is attached.
FIG. 11 is a view showing a conventional posture control plate mounting structure.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2 ... Inclined surface 3 ... Flat surface 4 ... Protruding part 5, 6 ... Bead 7, 8 ... Snap piece 9 ... Punching hole 10 ... Bearing piece 11 ... Attitude control board 12 ... Coil spring 13 ... Long axis 14 ... Short axis 15 ... Shaft hole 16 ... Side plate 17 ... Square hole 18 ... Reinforcement part 19 ... Product storage passage

Claims (2)

Between a pair of left and right side plates facing upright, a plurality of passage forming plates are arranged opposite to each other in parallel to form a product storage passage that extends in a vertical direction while meandering, and the product storage passage includes the passage formation plate. Product storage of vending machines that are pivotally supported by a shaft hole provided opposite to the product and provided with a posture control plate that can be rotated in the vertical direction in the product storage passage so that products can be stacked and stored inside. A device,
The posture control plate has a pivot shaft that is horizontally fixed to the left and right of the base. One of the pivot shafts is a long axis and the other is a short shaft. A merchandise storage device for a vending machine, wherein a coil spring that applies resistance to rotation downward and presses the base against a shaft hole on the short shaft side is inserted. Provided on a side close to the long axis to the side plate, claim the distance between the side plate side edge of the side plate and the position control plate, characterized in that it has the be shorter than the excess length from the axial hole of the minor axis The product storage device of the vending machine according to 1.

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