JP4715721B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vending machine, and more specifically, product storage for storing products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages while maintaining them in a desired temperature state, that is, in a cooled or heated state. The present invention relates to an improvement of a vending machine in which a storage and a product storage for storing the product in a normal temperature state are partitioned vertically.

  Conventionally, the following are known as vending machines that sell products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages.

  For example, there is a vending machine in which a product storage and a product storage are divided into upper and lower parts inside a cabinet that is a vending machine body.

  The product storage is disposed on the upper side inside the cabinet, has a heat insulating structure, and is provided with a product storage rack for storing products. This commodity storage is for storing and storing the commodity in the commodity storage rack in a desired temperature state (cooled or heated) by cooling or heating the internal atmosphere of the commodity storage. In such a product storage case, an input tray that is inclined in such a manner that the height gradually decreases from the front to the rear in the upper region of the product storage rack, and the product is input from the front side of the input tray. As a result, the product is stored in the product storage rack through the input tray.

  The product storage is disposed on the lower side inside the cabinet, and is used for storing products at room temperature. This merchandise storage box stores merchandise by arranging merchandise storage shelves (columns) for arranging and storing merchandise in a line along the front-rear direction in upper and lower rows and left and right rows.

  Such a vending machine is provided with a transport mechanism for transporting products stored in the product storage to the product storage in response to a product replenishment command. The transport mechanism is provided on the front side inside the cabinet. In response to the product replenishment command, this transport mechanism takes out the product located on the front side of the designated product storage shelf of the product storage and transports it to the input port of the specified input tray of the product storage. . Here, the product conveyed to the input port enters the product storage rack through the input tray, and is stored in the product storage rack. Then, in accordance with the merchandise sales command, the carry-out mechanism at the lower part of the merchandise storage rack that stores the selected merchandise is driven to carry out the merchandise at the lowest level of the merchandise storage rack. The carried-out merchandise is transported and sold to a merchandise outlet formed in a door provided to open and close the front opening of the cabinet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-5-20536

  By the way, in general, when replenishing products to a product storage, with the door opened, that is, with the front of the product storage opened, the product storage shelf is pulled forward to the product storage shelf. The product will be replenished.

  However, in the vending machine proposed in Patent Document 1 as described above, the transport mechanism transports the product located in front of the product storage shelf designated by the product replenishment command to the product storage, so In this case, it is necessary to place the product that has been stored in the product vault in the front of the product storage shelf or the product with a near expiration date before the product storage shelf, and place the newly replenished product on the rear side of the product storage shelf. In order to realize first-in first-out of products, the product replenishment operation (so-called loading operation) has been complicated.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine capable of facilitating a product replenishment operation and realizing a first-in first-out of a product.

In order to achieve the above object, an automatic vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention arranges a plurality of columns for storing products in a line along the front-rear direction in upper and lower rows and left and right rows, and placing the products at room temperature. A product storage for storing products in a state, and a plurality of columns for storing products arranged in a line along the front-rear direction, arranged in upper and lower rows and left and right rows, and maintaining the products at a desired temperature state Vending machine main body and a door body for opening and closing the front opening formed in the vending machine main body, and selling the products stored in the product storage In the machine, in response to a product replenishment command, a first transport means for taking out the last product of the designated column of the product storage and transporting it to the rear end of the designated column of the product storage; Depending on the sales order, Removed foremost side of the product of the constant has been column becomes a second conveying means for conveying to the commodity takeout port which is formed in a manner open to the front surface of the door body, wherein the product depot, the product The product is stored in a lying position, and the first transport means erects the product stored in a lying position in the product storage and transports the product to the product storage, and the product storage stores the product in a standing posture. The product is stored, and the second transport means transports the product stored in the product storage container in a standing posture to the product take-out port in the standing posture .

The vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention, Oite in claim 1 described above, the commodity depot, while is provided on the partitioned upper side of the vending machine body, said product accommodating The warehouse is provided on the partitioned lower side of the vending machine main body.

A vending machine according to claim 3 of the present invention is the vending machine according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein a maintenance opening and an opening / closing door for opening and closing the opening are provided on the back of the vending machine main body. And is provided.

  According to the vending machine of the present invention, the first transport means takes out the last product of the designated column of the product storage in response to the product replenishment command, and the rear end of the designated column of the product storage To the product take-out port formed in such a manner that the second transport means takes out the product on the foremost side of the designated column of the product storage and opens the front side of the door body in accordance with the product sales instruction. Since the products are transported, it is only necessary to insert the products from the front of the product storage when the products are replenished. This makes it possible to facilitate the product replenishment operation and to realize the first-in first-out of the products.

  Exemplary embodiments of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 each schematically show a vending machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view, and FIG. 2 is a sectional side view. 1 and 2, the vending machine sells products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages in a cooled or heated state, and a main body cabinet 1 that is the main body of the vending machine. It has.

  The main body cabinet 1 has a rectangular shape with an open front surface, and the interior is largely divided into three parts, upper, middle, and lower. The machine room 2, the product storage 10 and the product storage 20 are provided. It is provided.

  The machine room 2 is a room partitioned in the lowermost part, and various machines are disposed therein. In particular, the compressor 1 and the condenser are provided as those related to the first embodiment, although not shown in the drawing.

  The commodity storage 10 is a room partitioned at the top. A plurality of product storage columns 11 are arranged inside the product storage 10 in the upper and lower stages and the left and right rows. The merchandise storage column 11 extends along the front-rear direction and is inclined so as to gradually decrease in height from the front to the rear. The product storage column 11 stores products in a line along the front-rear direction in a posture in which the products are laid down. Such a product storage 10 stores the products stored in each product storage column 11 at room temperature.

  In addition, an unloading mechanism (not shown) for unloading stored products one by one is provided at each rear end of the product storage column 11. Here, the carry-out mechanism does not have a drive unit separated from a power source such as a drive motor and a solenoid, and when the bucket unit 41 described later accesses the designated product storage column 11, the bucket unit 41 is The power from the electric drive mechanism 41a to be configured is transmitted and driven.

  The product storage 20 is a room partitioned in the middle, that is, a room located between the machine room 2 and the product storage 10. That is, the product storage 10 is provided on the partitioned upper side, while the product storage 20 is provided on the partitioned lower side. The commodity storage 20 has a heat insulating structure by disposing a heat insulating plate at a predetermined location. More specifically, the commodity storage 20 is a chamber formed by disposing an upper heat insulating plate 20a, a bottom heat insulating plate 20b, a rear heat insulating plate 20c, and a pair of left and right side heat insulating plates (not shown). is there.

  Moreover, as for the goods storage 20, the two chambers are demarcated up and down by the partition heat insulation board 20d provided between a pair of side part heat insulation boards. Inside the lower chamber 21a, there is provided an evaporator (not shown) connected to the above-described compressor and condenser through refrigerant piping. Such an evaporator constitutes a cooling unit together with a compressor and a condenser, and cools the internal atmosphere of the lower chamber 21a, whereby the lower chamber 21a is a cold chamber. A heater (not shown) is provided inside the upper chamber 21b. When such a heater is driven, the internal atmosphere of the upper chamber 21b is heated. On the other hand, when the heater is not driven and is in communication with the lower chamber 21a, the internal atmosphere of the upper chamber 21b is cooled. Thereby, the upper chamber 21b is a cold / greenhouse.

  A plurality of product storage columns 22 are arranged in the upper and lower tiers and the left and right rows inside such a product storage 20. More specifically, a plurality of product storage columns 22 are arranged in the left and right rows in each room constituting the product storage 20. The product storage columns 22 are provided in such a manner as to extend along the front-rear direction. The product storage column 22 is configured by extending an endless belt conveyor 222 between a pair of column pulleys 221 arranged in the front and rear, and each product is placed in a line along the front-rear direction in a standing posture. Stored side by side. Here, although not explicitly shown in the drawing, a pair of column pulleys 221 has a pulley drive mechanism 22a such as a motor connected to one of them, and as a result of the pulley drive mechanism 22a rotationally driving the column pulley 221, the belt The conveyor 222 is displaced.

  In addition, a product detection sensor S (see FIG. 5) is provided for each product storage column 22 inside the product storage 20. The product detection sensor S detects whether or not the corresponding product storage column 22 has a vacancy, and when there is a vacancy, outputs a signal to that effect to the vending machine control unit C1 described later.

  As described above, the product storage 20 maintains the products stored in the product storage columns 22 in a desired temperature state, that is, in a cooled or heated state.

  On the other hand, the main body cabinet 1 is provided with a door. The door body has an outer door 3 and an inner door 4. The outer door 3 covers the front opening of the main body cabinet 1 and is hinged to the one side edge of the main body cabinet 1 so as to be opened and closed. A display window 5 and a product outlet 6 are provided on the front side of the outer door 3. The display window 5 is a window for visually recognizing the product sample 7 provided inside the outer door 3. The product outlet 6 is provided at the center position on the front side of the outer door 3 and serves as an opening for the user to take out the product. Although not clearly shown in FIG. 1, a product selection button B (see FIG. 5), a bill insertion slot, a coin insertion slot, and a return lever, which are necessary when selling products, are provided on the front surface of the outer door 3. A money amount indicator and a coin return port are provided, and a money processing unit K (see FIG. 5) is provided on the rear side.

  The inner door 4 is divided into upper and lower parts, and an upper door (hereinafter also referred to as a first inner door) 4 a is for covering the front surface of the product storage 10 and a lower door (hereinafter referred to as “the lower door”). 4b is also used to cover the front surface of the commodity storage 20, and is disposed at one side edge of the main body cabinet 1 so as to be openable and closable at a position inward of the outer door 3. It is. The second inner door 4b is a heat insulating door.

  The main body cabinet 1 is provided with a product take-out chamber 30, a first transfer unit (first transfer means) 40, and a second transfer unit (second transfer means) 50.

  The product take-out chamber 30 is a room defined in the center region in the left-right direction on the front side of the bottom of the product storage 10. The product take-out chamber 30 is for the user to take out the product. The product take-out chamber 30 is defined at a position facing the product take-out port 6 from the rear side, and is separated from the product storage 10.

  The 1st conveyance unit 40 is provided in the back side of the goods storage 10 and the goods storage 20, and conveys the goods currently stored in the goods storage 10 to the goods storage 20. The first transport unit 40 includes an XY transport mechanism (not shown) and a bucket unit 41.

  Although not explicitly shown in the drawing, the XY transport mechanism mounts the bucket unit 41 and moves the bucket unit 41 in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction. This XY transport mechanism is a well-known one. An X-axis transport unit 40a (see FIG. 5) extending in the left-right direction extends in the up-down direction, and a pair of left and right Y-axis transport units 40b (see FIG. 5). 5).

  The X-axis transport unit 40a guides and supports the mounted bucket unit 41 so as to be movable along the X-axis direction, that is, the left-right direction. A first long heat insulating plate 42 (see FIG. 2) having a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction is provided at the bottom of the X-axis transport unit 40a. The first long heat insulating plate 42 is sufficient to close the opening formed by the above-described upper heat insulating plate 20a and the rear heat insulating plate 20c and the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 20d and the rear heat insulating plate 20c. It has a large size.

  The Y-axis transport unit 40b guides and supports the X-axis transport unit 40a so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. That is, the Y-axis transport unit 40b guides the movement of the bucket unit 41 mounted on the X-axis transport unit 40a along the vertical direction.

  Further, in such an XY transport mechanism, position detecting means (not shown) for moving and stopping the bucket unit 41 to the designated column (product storage column 11, product storage column 22) position. Are transferred to the designated product storage column 11 and product storage column 22 in accordance with a given product supply command.

  Further, the Y-axis transport unit 40b is separate from the X-axis transport unit 40a, and below the X-axis transport unit 40a is a second long heat insulating plate 43 (see FIG. 2) whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction. It is guided and supported so as to be movable along the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. The second long heat insulating plate 43 has a size sufficient to close the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 20d and the rear heat insulating plate 20c, similarly to the first long heat insulating plate 42 described above. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the bucket unit 41 includes a pedestal portion 411, a receiving portion 412, a delivery portion 413, and an electric drive mechanism 41 a (see FIG. 5). The pedestal 411 is guided and supported by an X-axis transport unit 40a that constitutes an XY transport mechanism via a guide roller 414.

  In the state shown in FIG. 3, the receiving portion 412 is a box body whose front and left sides (the sending portion 413 side) are open. The receiving portion 412 is large enough to store the product. The receiving portion 412 is provided with a support piece 415, and a support rod 416 through which a support hole (not shown) formed in the support piece 415 and a through hole (not shown) formed in the base portion 411 are inserted. Is provided on the pedestal portion 411 so as to be swingable. The end of the support rod 416 is connected to a swing mechanism 41b (see FIG. 5) such as a motor. That is, the receiving portion 412 is driven to swing through the support rod 416 by the swing mechanism 41b. When the receiving portion 412 is driven to swing in this manner, the product placed in the lying position inside the receiving portion 412 is placed in the standing posture on the delivery portion 413 as shown in FIG. .

  The delivery unit 413 is configured by an endless belt conveyor 418 stretched between a pair of front and rear delivery rollers 417. One of the pair of delivery rollers 417 is connected to a roller driving mechanism 41c (see FIG. 5) such as a motor. As a result of the delivery roller 417 being driven to rotate, the belt conveyor 418 is displaced.

  As described above, the electric drive mechanism 41a transmits the driving force to the carry-out mechanism of the product storage column 11 to drive the carry-out mechanism.

  In such a first transport unit 40, the bucket unit 41 normally has a bottom rear position of the product storage 10, that is, the first long heat insulating plate 42 is connected to the upper heat insulating plate 20 a and the rear portion as shown in FIG. 2. It waits in the position which obstruct | occludes the opening formed with the heat insulation board 20c. Moreover, the 2nd elongate heat insulation board 43 is standing by in the position which obstruct | occludes the opening formed by the partition heat insulation board 20d and the rear part heat insulation board 20c.

  The 2nd conveyance unit 50 is provided in the front side of the goods storage 20, and conveys the goods accommodated in the goods storage 20 to the goods take-out port 6 (product take-out room 30). The second transport unit 50 includes an XY transport mechanism (not shown) and a receiving unit 51.

  Although not explicitly shown in the drawing, the XY transport mechanism is provided with a receiving portion 51 to move the receiving portion 51 in the vertical direction and the left-right direction. This XY transport mechanism is a well-known one, and an X-axis transport unit 50a (see FIG. 5) extending in the left-right direction extends in the vertical direction, and a pair of left and right Y-axis transport units 50b (see FIG. 5). 5).

  The X-axis transport unit 50a guides and supports the receiving unit 51 to be mounted so as to be movable along the X-axis direction, that is, the left-right direction. A third long heat insulating plate 52 (see FIG. 2) is provided at the bottom of the X-axis transport unit 50a. The third long heat insulating plate 52 closes the opening formed by the upper heat insulating plate 20a and the second inner door 4b and the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 20d and the second inner door 4b. Have a sufficient size.

  The Y-axis transport unit 50b guides and supports the X-axis transport unit 50a so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. In other words, the Y-axis transport unit 50b guides the movement of the receiving unit 51 mounted on the X-axis transport unit 50a along the vertical direction.

  Further, in such an XY transport mechanism, a position detection means (not shown) is provided for moving and stopping the receiving portion 51 to a specified column (product storage column 22, product take-out chamber 30). And is transferred to the designated product storage column 22 and the product take-out chamber 30 in accordance with a given product sales command.

  The Y-axis transport unit 50b is not shown in the figure, but is a fourth long heat insulating plate that is separate from the X-axis transport unit 50a and has a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction above the X-axis transport unit 50a. The fifth long heat insulating plate is guided and supported so as to be movable along the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. The fourth long heat insulating plate is large enough to close the opening formed by the upper heat insulating plate 20a and the second inner door 4b, that is, the opening serving as the boundary between the product storage 20 and the product take-out chamber 30. have. The fifth long heat insulating plate is large enough to close the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 20d and the second inner door 4b and the opening formed by the upper heat insulating plate 20a and the second inner door 4b. Have

  The receiving portion 51 is configured by an endless belt conveyor 512 stretched between a pair of front and rear delivery rollers 511 (see FIG. 7). One of the pair of delivery rollers 511 is connected to a roller drive mechanism 51a (see FIG. 5) such as a motor. As a result of the delivery roller 511 being driven to rotate, the belt conveyor 512 has its upper surface facing forward. Displace in a moving manner. Such a receiving part 51 is guided and supported by an X-axis transport part 50a constituting an XY transport mechanism via a guide roller (not shown).

  In such a second transport unit 50, the receiving unit 51 normally stands by at a position in front of the lowermost product storage column 22 of the product storage 20. The fourth long heat insulating plate stands by at a position that closes the opening formed by the upper heat insulating plate 20a and the second inner door 4b, and the fifth long heat insulating plate is connected to the partition heat insulating plate 20d and the second heat insulating plate. 2 Stands in a position to close the opening formed by the inner door 4b.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram schematically showing the control system of the vending machine in the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the vending machine includes a vending machine control unit C1, a product supply control unit C2, and a product sales control unit C3.

  The vending machine control unit C1 controls the overall operation of the vending machine. In particular, in the first embodiment, the vending machine control unit C1 outputs a product supply command to the product supply control unit C2, and the product sales control unit. A product sales command is output to C3. More specifically, when the product detection sensor S provided in each product storage column 22 of the product storage 20 outputs a signal, the vending machine control unit C1 sends a product supply command to the product supply control unit C2. Is output.

  On the other hand, the vending machine control unit C1 determines whether the money is inserted through the banknote insertion slot and the coin insertion slot through the money processing section K, and further recognizes the insertion amount when it is a genuine coin. The vending machine control unit C1 activates the product selection button B when the amount of money necessary for product sales is inserted, and further controls the product sales instruction when the activated product selection button B is pressed. Output to part C3.

  The product replenishment control unit C2 controls each part of the first transport unit in accordance with a program and data stored in advance in the memory M1 when a product replenishment command is output from the vending machine control unit C1.

  The merchandise sales control unit C3 controls each part of the second transport unit according to a program and data stored in advance in the memory M2 when a merchandise sales command is output from the vending machine control unit C1.

  The product supply operation and the product sales operation of the vending machine having the above configuration will be described.

  First, when replenishing goods to the vending machine from the outside, the outer door 3 and the first inner door 4a are opened. Thereby, the commodity storage 10 is in a state where the front surface is opened. In this state, the product is laid down from the front side and put in the posture. The introduced product rolls with the upper surface of each product storage column 11 facing rearward. As a result of performing this for each type of product to be replenished, as shown in FIG. 2, the products are stored in a line along the front-rear direction in each product storage column 11. Then, the 1st inner door 4a and the outer door 3 are closed, and the replenishment operation | work of goods is complete | finished.

  If the product storage column 22 of the product storage 20 is empty in such a state, a signal is output from the product detection sensor S provided in the product storage column 22 to the vending machine control unit C1. Then, the vending machine control unit C1 outputs a product supply command to the product supply control unit C2.

  When the product supply command is output, the product supply control unit C2 causes the bucket unit 41 to access the designated product storage column 11 through the XY transport mechanism. That is, the bucket unit 41 is positioned on the rear side of the commodity storage column 11. When the bucket unit 41 accesses the designated product storage column 11, the product replenishment control unit C2 drives the electric drive mechanism 41a to drive the carry-out mechanism of the product storage column 11 and stores it at the last side. The merchandise, that is, the merchandise that is input first in the merchandise storage column 11 is carried out. The unloaded goods are stored in the receiving unit 412 of the bucket unit 41 while being laid down.

  When a product is stored in the receiving unit 412, the product supply control unit C2 causes the bucket unit 41 to access the designated product storage column 22 through the XY transport mechanism. That is, the bucket unit 41 is positioned on the rear side of the commodity storage column 22. At that time, the second long heat insulating plate 43 is moved downward by the Y-axis transport unit 40b.

  When the bucket unit 41 accesses the designated product storage column 22, the product supply control unit C2 drives the swing mechanism 41b to drive the receiving unit 412 to swing. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4, the commodity accommodated in the receiving portion 412 is placed on the upper surface of the delivery portion 413 in a standing posture.

  When the product is placed on the upper surface of the delivery unit 413 in an upright position in this way, the product supply control unit C2 drives the roller drive mechanism 41c to rotationally drive the pair of delivery rollers 417 to displace the belt conveyor 418. At the same time, the pulley drive mechanism 22a is driven to rotationally drive the pair of column pulleys 221 to displace the belt conveyor 222. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the product placed in the standing posture on the upper surface of the delivery unit 413 is stored in the product storage column 22 from the rear side while maintaining the posture. Thereafter, the same product replenishing operation is repeatedly performed to load products in all the product storage columns 22 in a standing posture.

  By performing such a product replenishment operation, the product stored at room temperature in the product storage 10 is transported to the product storage 20 so that the internal atmosphere of the product storage 20 is cooled, or As a result of being heated, it is cooled or maintained in a heated state. That is, the desired temperature state is maintained.

  On the other hand, when a product sales command is output from the vending machine control unit C1, the product sales control unit C3 passes through the XY transport mechanism to the product storage column (designated product storage column) 22 corresponding to the selected product. The receiving unit 51 is accessed. That is, the receiving portion 51 is positioned on the front side of the commodity storage column 22. When the receiving unit 51 accesses the designated product storage column 22, the product sales control unit C3 drives the pulley drive mechanism 22a to rotationally drive the pair of column pulleys 221 to displace the belt conveyor 222, The drive mechanism 51a is driven to rotationally drive the pair of delivery rollers 511 to displace the belt conveyor 512. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the product stored in the foremost side of the product storage column 22, that is, the product stored first in the product storage column 22, Place on top.

  When the product is placed on the receiving unit 51, the product sales control unit C3 causes the receiving unit 51 to access the product take-out chamber 30 through the XY transport mechanism and ends the product sales operation. In that case, a 4th long heat insulation door and a 5th long heat insulation board will move upwards by the Y-axis conveyance part 50b.

  When the receiving unit 51 accesses the product take-out chamber 30, the user can take out the product through the product take-out port 6.

  In the vending machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention as described above, the first transport unit 40 responds to the product replenishment command, and the last product in the designated product storage column 11 of the product storage 10 That is, the product stored first in the product storage column 11 is taken out and transported to the designated product storage column 22 of the product storage 20, and the second transport unit 50 stores the product in accordance with the product sales instruction. The product in the foremost side of the designated product storage column 22 of the warehouse 20, that is, the product stored first in the product storage column 22 is taken out and transported to the product take-out port 6. It is only necessary to put in the product from the front of the storage box 10, and the replenishment work of the product can be facilitated, and the first-in first-out of the product can be realized well.

  According to the vending machine, since the product is conveyed to the product take-out port 6 in a standing posture, the user can easily take out the product, and the convenience can be improved. In particular, since the product is stored in the product storage 20 in the standing posture and the second transport unit 50 transports the selected product while maintaining the standing posture, the product sales time can be minimized.

  In addition, according to the vending machine, the commodity is stored in the commodity storage 10 at the normal temperature, and the commodity necessary for the sale is stored in the commodity storage 20 while maintaining the desired temperature state. In addition, energy required for cooling or heating can be reduced, and energy saving can be achieved.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show the vending machine according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention in a simplified manner, FIG. 8 is a front view, and FIG. 9 is a sectional side view. 8 and 9, the vending machine sells products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages in a cooled or heated state, and the main body cabinet 100 that is the main body of the vending machine. It has.

  The main body cabinet 100 has a rectangular shape with an open front, and the interior thereof is roughly divided into two parts, and a product storage 60 and a product storage 70 are provided.

  The product storage 60 is a room partitioned at the bottom. Inside the product storage 60, a plurality of product storage columns 61 are arranged in upper and lower rows and left and right rows. The merchandise storage column 61 is provided so as to extend along the front-rear direction. The product storage column 61 is configured by an endless belt conveyor 612 stretched between a pair of column pulleys 611 arranged at the front and rear, and each product is placed in a line along the front-rear direction in a standing posture. Stored side by side. Here, although not explicitly shown in the drawing, a pair of column pulleys 611 has a pulley drive mechanism 62a such as a motor connected to one of them, and as a result of the pulley drive mechanism 62a rotationally driving the column pulley 611, the belt The conveyor 612 is displaced. Such a product storage 60 stores products stored in each product storage column 61 at room temperature.

  The product storage 70 is a room defined in the upper part, that is, a room located above the product storage 60. That is, the product storage 60 is provided on the partitioned lower side, while the product storage 70 is provided on the partitioned upper side. The commodity storage 70 has a heat insulating structure by disposing a heat insulating plate at a predetermined location. More specifically, the commodity storage 70 is a chamber formed by disposing an upper heat insulating plate 70a, a bottom heat insulating plate 70b, a rear heat insulating plate 70c, and a pair of left and right side heat insulating plates (not shown). is there.

  In addition, the product storage case 70 has two chambers defined vertically by a partition heat insulating plate 70d provided between the pair of side heat insulating plates. A cooler (not shown) is provided inside the lower chamber 71a. Such a cooler cools the internal atmosphere of the lower chamber 71a, whereby the lower chamber 71a is a cold chamber. A heater (not shown) is provided in the upper chamber 71b. When such a heater is driven, the internal atmosphere of the upper chamber 71b is heated. On the other hand, when the heater is not driven and is in communication with the lower chamber 71a, the internal atmosphere of the upper chamber 71b is cooled. Thereby, the upper chamber 71b is a cold / greenhouse.

  A plurality of product storage columns 72 are arranged in the upper and lower tiers and the left and right rows in such a product storage 70. The product storage columns 72 are provided so as to extend along the front-rear direction. The product storage column 72 is configured by extending an endless belt conveyor 722 between a pair of column pulleys 721 arranged in the front and rear, and each product is placed in a line along the front-rear direction in a standing posture. Stored side by side. Here, although not explicitly shown in the drawing, a pair of column pulleys 721 has a pulley drive mechanism 72a such as a motor connected to one of them, and the column drive pulley 72a is driven to rotate by the pulley drive mechanism 72a. The conveyor 722 is displaced.

  In addition, a product detection sensor S (see FIG. 10) is provided for each product storage column 72 inside the product storage box 70. The product detection sensor S detects whether or not the corresponding product storage column 72 has a vacancy, and if there is a vacancy, outputs a signal to that effect to the vending machine control unit D1 described later.

  As described above, the product storage 70 maintains the products stored in the product storage columns 72 in a desired temperature state, that is, in a cooled or heated state.

  On the other hand, the main body cabinet 100 is provided with a door. The door body has an outer door 103 and an inner door 104. The outer door 103 is for covering the front opening of the main body cabinet 100 and is hinged to the one side edge of the main body cabinet 100 so as to be opened and closed. A window 105 and a product outlet 106 are provided on the front side of the outer door 103. The window part 105 is an opening corresponding to the size of the product storage case 70. The product take-out port 106 is provided at the center position on the front side of the outer door 103 and serves as an opening for the user to take out the product. Further, although not explicitly shown in FIG. 8, a product selection button B (see FIG. 10) necessary for selling products is provided on the front surface of the outer door 103 and the front surface at a position corresponding to the product storage container 70. A bill insertion slot, a coin slot, a return lever, a monetary indicator, and a coin return slot are provided, and a money processing unit K (see FIG. 10) is provided on the rear side.

  The inner door 104 is for covering the front surface of the product storage 70 and is disposed at one side edge of the main body cabinet 100 so as to be openable and closable at a position inward of the outer door 103. The inner door 104 is a heat insulating glass door. Therefore, when the vending machine is viewed from the front, the commodity storage 70 can be visually recognized through the window portion 105 of the outer door 103 and the inner door 104 (heat insulating glass door).

  The main body cabinet 100 is provided with a product take-out chamber 31, a third transfer unit (first transfer means) 80, and a fourth transfer unit (second transfer means) 90.

  The product take-out chamber 31 is a room defined in a central region in the left-right direction on the upper front side of the product storage 60. The product take-out chamber 31 is for the user to take out the product. The product take-out chamber 31 is defined at a position facing the product take-out port 106 from the rear side, and is separated from the product storage 60.

  The 3rd conveyance unit 80 is provided in the back side of the goods storage 60 and the goods storage 70, and conveys the goods currently stored in the goods storage 60 to the goods storage 70. The third transport unit 80 includes an XY transport mechanism (not shown) and a receiving portion 81.

  Although not explicitly shown in the drawing, the XY transport mechanism is provided with a receiving portion 81 to move the receiving portion 81 in the vertical direction and the left-right direction. This XY transport mechanism is a well-known one, and is configured such that an X-axis transport unit 80a extending in the left-right direction extends in the vertical direction and is connected to a pair of left and right Y-axis transport units 80b. is there.

  The X-axis transport unit 80a guides and supports the receiving unit 81 to be mounted so as to be movable along the X-axis direction, that is, the left-right direction. A sixth long heat insulating plate 82 (see FIG. 9) is provided at the bottom of the X-axis transport unit 80a. The sixth long heat insulating plate 82 is sufficient to close the opening formed by the above-described bottom heat insulating plate 70b and the rear heat insulating plate 70c and the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 70d and the rear heat insulating plate 70c. It has a large size.

  The Y-axis transport unit 80b guides and supports the X-axis transport unit 80a so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. That is, the Y-axis transport unit 80b guides the movement of the receiving unit 81 mounted on the X-axis transport unit 80a along the vertical direction.

  Further, in such an XY transport mechanism, a position detecting means (not shown) is provided for moving the receiving portion 81 to the designated column (product storage column 61, product storage column 72) and stopping it. Are transferred to the designated product storage column 61 and product storage column 72 according to a given product supply command.

  The Y-axis transport unit 80b is separate from the X-axis transport unit 80a, and a seventh long heat insulating plate 83 (see FIG. 9) having a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction is provided above the X-axis transport unit 80a. It is guided and supported so as to be movable along the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. The seventh long heat insulating plate 83 has a size sufficient to close the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 70d and the rear heat insulating plate 70c, similarly to the sixth long heat insulating plate 82 described above. Yes.

  The receiving portion 81 is configured by extending an endless belt conveyor 812 between a pair of front and rear delivery rollers 811 (see FIGS. 11 and 12). One of the pair of delivery rollers 811 is connected to a roller drive mechanism 81a such as a motor. As a result of the delivery roller 811 being rotationally driven, the belt conveyor 812 is displaced. Such a receiving part 81 is guided and supported by an X-axis transport part 80a constituting an XY transport mechanism via a guide roller (not shown).

  In such a third transport unit 80, the receiving unit 81 normally has a rear position of the lowermost product storage column 72 of the product storage box 70, that is, the sixth long heat insulating plate 82 is connected to the bottom heat insulating plate 70b. The seventh long heat insulating plate 83 is on standby at a position to close the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 70d and the rear heat insulating plate 70c. is doing.

  The 4th conveyance unit 90 is provided in the front side of the goods storage 70, and conveys the goods accommodated in the goods storage 70 to the goods taking-out port 106 (product taking-out chamber 31). The fourth transport unit 90 includes an XY transport mechanism (not shown) and a receiving portion 91.

  Although not explicitly shown in the drawing, the XY transport mechanism is provided with a receiving portion 91 that moves the receiving portion 91 in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. This XY transport mechanism is a well-known one, and is configured such that an X-axis transport unit 90a extending in the left-right direction extends in the vertical direction and is connected to a pair of left and right Y-axis transport units 90b. is there.

  The X-axis transport unit 90a guides and supports the receiving unit 91 to be mounted so as to be movable along the X-axis direction, that is, the left-right direction. An eighth long heat insulating plate 92 (see FIG. 9) is provided at the bottom of the X-axis transport unit 90a. The eighth long heat insulating plate 92 includes an opening formed by the above-described bottom heat insulating plate 70b and the inner door 104, that is, an opening serving as a boundary between the product storage container 70 and the product take-out chamber 31, and a partition heat insulating plate 70d. It is large enough to close the opening formed by the inner door 104.

  The Y-axis transport unit 90b guides and supports the X-axis transport unit 90a so as to be movable in the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. That is, the Y-axis transport unit 90b guides the movement of the receiving unit 91 mounted on the X-axis transport unit 90a along the vertical direction.

  Further, in such an XY transport mechanism, a position detecting means (not shown) is provided for moving and stopping the receiving portion 91 to a specified column (product storage column 72, product take-out chamber 31). And is transferred to the designated product storage column 72 and product take-out chamber 31 according to a given product sales command.

  The Y-axis transport unit 90b is separate from the X-axis transport unit 90a, and a ninth long heat insulating plate 93 (see FIG. 9) whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction is above the X-axis transport unit 90a. It is guided and supported so as to be movable along the Y-axis direction, that is, the vertical direction. The ninth long heat insulating plate 93 has a size sufficient to close the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 70d and the inner door 104.

  The receiving portion 91 is configured by extending an endless belt conveyor 912 between a pair of front and rear delivery rollers 911 (see FIG. 13). One of the pair of delivery rollers 911 is connected to a roller driving mechanism 91a such as a motor. As a result of the delivery roller 911 being rotationally driven, the belt conveyor 912 is displaced in such a manner that the upper surface moves forward. To do. Such a receiving portion 91 is guided and supported by an X-axis transport portion 90a constituting an XY transport mechanism via a guide roller (not shown).

  In such a fourth transport unit 90, the receiving unit 91 is normally waiting at a position in front of the lowermost product storage column 72 of the product storage 70. The ninth long heat insulating plate 93 stands by at a position where the opening formed by the partition heat insulating plate 70d and the inner door 104 is closed.

  FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing the control system of the vending machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10, the vending machine includes a vending machine control unit D1, a product supply control unit D2, and a product sales control unit D3.

  The vending machine control unit D1 controls the overall operation of the vending machine. In particular, in the second embodiment, the vending machine control unit D1 outputs a product supply command to the product supply control unit D2, and also the product sales control unit. A product sales command is output to D3. More specifically, when the product detection sensor S provided in each product storage column 72 of the product storage 70 outputs a signal, the vending machine control unit D1 sends a product supply command to the product supply control unit D2. Is output.

  On the other hand, when the money is inserted through the bill insertion slot and the coin insertion slot, the vending machine control unit D1 determines whether the money is correct through the money processing unit K, and further recognizes the insertion amount when it is a true coin. The vending machine control unit D1 activates the product selection button B when the amount of money necessary for product sales is inserted, and further controls the product sales instruction when the activated product selection button B is pressed. To the part D3.

  The product supply control unit D2 controls each part of the third transport unit according to a program and data stored in the memory N1 in advance when a product supply command is output from the vending machine control unit D1.

  The merchandise sales control unit D3 controls each part of the fourth transport unit in accordance with a program and data stored in the memory N2 in advance when a merchandise sales command is output from the vending machine control unit D1.

  The product supply operation and the product sales operation of the vending machine having the above configuration will be described.

  First, the outer door 103 is opened when a vending machine is replenished with goods from the outside. Thereby, the goods storage 60 will be in the state where the front surface was opened. In this state, the product is placed on the upper surface of each product storage column 61 in a standing posture from the front side. As a result of performing this for each type of product to be replenished, as shown in FIG. 9, the products are stored in a line along the front-rear direction in each product storage column 61. Thereafter, the outer door 103 is closed, and the product replenishment operation is completed.

  In this state, if the product storage column 72 of the product storage 70 is empty, a signal is output from the product detection sensor S provided in the product storage column 72 to the vending machine control unit D1. Then, the vending machine control unit D1 outputs a product supply command to the product supply control unit D2.

  When the product supply command is output, the product supply control unit D2 causes the receiving unit 81 to access the designated product storage column 61 through the XY transport mechanism. That is, the receiving portion 81 is positioned on the rear side of the product storage column 61. When the receiving unit 81 accesses the designated product storage column 61, the product replenishment control unit D2 drives the pulley drive mechanism 62a to rotationally drive the pair of column pulleys 611 to displace the belt conveyor 612, and the rollers. The drive mechanism 81a is driven to rotate the pair of delivery rollers 811 to displace the belt conveyor 812. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, the product stored at the rearmost side of the product storage column 61, that is, the product stored first in the product storage column 61, is kept in the standing position while holding the standing posture. Place on top.

  When the product is placed on the receiving unit 81, the product replenishment control unit D2 causes the receiving unit 81 to access the designated product storage column 72 through the XY transport mechanism. That is, the receiving portion 81 is positioned on the rear side of the product storage column 72. At that time, the seventh long heat insulating plate 83 is moved upward by the Y-axis transport unit 80b.

  When the receiving unit 81 accesses the designated product storage column 72, the product replenishment control unit D2 drives the pulley drive mechanism 72a to rotationally drive the pair of column pulleys 721 to displace the belt conveyor 722, and the rollers. The drive mechanism 81a is driven to rotate the pair of delivery rollers 811 to displace the belt conveyor 812. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the product placed on the receiving portion 81 is stored in the product storage column 72 from the rear side while maintaining its posture. Thereafter, the same product replenishing operation is repeated to load products in all the product storage columns 72 in a standing posture.

  By performing such a product replenishment operation, the product stored at room temperature in the product storage 60 is transported to the product storage 70 so that the internal atmosphere of the product storage 70 is cooled, or As a result of being heated, it is cooled or maintained in a heated state. That is, the desired temperature state is maintained.

  On the other hand, when a product sales command is output from the vending machine control unit D1, the product sales control unit D3 passes through the XY transport mechanism and the product storage column 72 (designated product storage column 72) corresponding to the selected product. The receiving unit 91 is accessed. That is, the receiving portion 91 is positioned on the front side of the product storage column 72. When the receiving unit 91 accesses the designated product storage column 72, the product sales control unit D3 drives the pulley drive mechanism 72a to rotationally drive the pair of column pulleys 721 to displace the belt conveyor 722, and the rollers. The drive mechanism 91a is driven to rotate the pair of delivery rollers 911 to displace the belt conveyor 912. As a result, as shown in FIG. 13, the product stored in the foremost side of the product storage column 72, that is, the product stored first in the product storage column 72, is kept Place on top.

  When the product is placed on the receiving unit 91, the product sales control unit D3 causes the receiving unit 91 to access the product take-out chamber 31 through the XY transport mechanism, and ends the product sales operation.

  When the receiving unit 91 accesses the product take-out chamber 31, the user can take out the product through the product take-out port 106.

  In the vending machine according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention as described above, the third transport unit 80 responds to the product replenishment command, and the last product in the product storage column 61 designated in the product storage 60 That is, the product stored first in the product storage column 61 is taken out and transported to the designated product storage column 72 of the product storage 70, and the fourth transport unit 90 stores the product according to the product sales instruction. The product in the foremost side of the designated product storage column 72 of the warehouse 70, that is, the product stored first in the product storage column 72 is taken out and transported to the product takeout port 106. It is only necessary to place the product from the front of the storage 60. The product can be easily replenished, and the first-in first-out of the product can be realized well.

  According to the vending machine, since the product is conveyed to the product take-out port 106 in a standing posture, the user can easily take out the product, and the convenience can be improved. In particular, since the product is stored in the product storage container 70 in the standing posture and the fourth transport unit 90 transports the selected product while maintaining the standing posture, the product sales time can be minimized.

  In addition, according to the vending machine, the commodity is stored in the commodity storage 60 at a normal temperature, and only the quantity necessary for the sale is stored in the commodity storage 70 while being maintained at a desired temperature state. In addition, energy required for cooling or heating can be reduced, and energy saving can be achieved.

  Furthermore, since the inner door 104 that opens and closes the front surface of the product storage container 70 is a heat insulating glass door, the inside of the product storage container 70 can be visually recognized, and the user selects the product selected at the time of product sales. Can be visually observed, and the ability to attract customers can be improved.

<Embodiment 3>
FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 show the vending machine according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention in a simplified manner, FIG. 14 is a rear view, and FIG. 15 is a sectional side view. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to what has the same structure as the vending machine in Embodiment 1 mentioned above, and the description is abbreviate | omitted. The vending machine illustrated here is the state which cooled or heated goods, such as a canned drink, a bottled drink, and a plastic bottled drink, like the vending machine in Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 mentioned above. The main body cabinet 1 'which is the main body of the vending machine is provided.

  An opening 8 is provided on the back surface of the main body cabinet 1 '. More specifically, a rectangular opening 8 is provided at a predetermined position on the bottom of the commodity storage 10 on the back surface of the main body cabinet 1 ′. The opening 8 is large enough to allow the service provider's hand to enter. That is, the opening 8 is for maintenance having a size sufficient to perform maintenance of the first transport unit 40 through the opening 8.

  The opening 8 is provided with an opening / closing door 9 for opening and closing the opening 8. The open / close door 9 is composed of left and right doors, each of which is hinged to the side edge of the opening 8 of the main body cabinet 1 ′ and can be opened and closed.

  Other configurations of the main body cabinet 1 'are the same as those of the main body cabinet 1 described above. That is, the vending machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the vending machine according to the first embodiment except that the vending machine includes the opening 8 and the open / close door 9.

  According to the vending machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention, since the maintenance opening 8 is provided on the back side of the main body cabinet 1 ', the main body cabinet 1' is moved forward and the main body cabinet 1 'is moved. After securing the space behind 1 ′, the opening / closing door 9 is opened, and maintenance of equipment such as the first transfer unit 40 on the back side inside the main body cabinet 1 ′ can be performed through the opening 8. . That is, it is not necessary to open the door and remove the rack or the like disposed inside the main body cabinet when performing maintenance on the equipment disposed on the back side inside the main body cabinet as in the prior art. Therefore, according to the vending machine, it is possible to improve the maintainability of the equipment disposed on the back side inside the main body cabinet 1 ′.

  In the third embodiment of the present invention, the hinged door 9 is shown as an example of the opening / closing door 9. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and any one can open and close the opening 8. It may be of a different specification.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the vending machine according to the present invention, when the first transport means transports the product from the product storage to the cold / greenhouse of the product storage, and the cold / greenhouse is used as a greenhouse, the product storage ( If the product is not sold within a predetermined time after the product is conveyed to the cold / greenhouse, the storage column storing the product may be invalidated.

  As described above, the vending machine according to the present invention is useful for selling products such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, and plastic bottled beverages.

It is a front view which shows simply the vending machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a cross-sectional side view which shows simply the vending machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is the perspective view which showed the bucket unit in FIG. It is the perspective view which showed the bucket unit in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows simply the control system of the vending machine in Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which expanded and showed the conveyance process of the 1st conveyance unit. It is explanatory drawing which expanded and showed the conveyance process of the 2nd conveyance unit. It is a front view which shows simply the vending machine in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a cross-sectional side view which shows simply the vending machine in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows simply the control system of the vending machine in Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which expanded and showed the conveyance process of the 3rd conveyance unit. It is explanatory drawing which expanded and showed the conveyance process of the 3rd conveyance unit. It is explanatory drawing which expanded and showed the conveyance process of the 4th conveyance unit. It is a rear view which shows simply the vending machine in Embodiment 3 of this invention. It is a cross-sectional side view which shows simply the vending machine in Embodiment 3 of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body cabinet 6 Product outlet 8 Opening 9 Opening / closing door 10 Product storage 11 Product storage column 20 Product storage 22 Product storage column 40 1st conveyance unit 50 2nd conveyance unit C2 Product supply control part C3 Product sales control part

Claims (3)

A plurality of columns that store products arranged in a line along the front-rear direction are arranged in upper and lower rows, left and right columns, and a product storage that stores the products at room temperature, and stores the products arranged in a row along the front-rear direction A vending machine main body in which a plurality of columns are arranged in upper and lower rows and left and right rows, and a product storage for storing the products while maintaining the desired temperature state is divided vertically.
A door body for opening and closing a front opening formed in the vending machine body,
In a vending machine that sells products stored in the product storage,
In response to a product replenishment command, a first transport unit that takes out the last product of the designated column of the product storage and transports it to the rear end of the designated column of the product storage;
In accordance with a product sales instruction, a second transport means for taking out the product on the foremost side of the designated column of the product storage and transporting it to a product take-out port formed in a form opening in the front surface of the door body. And
The product storage room stores the product in a lying position,
The first transport means erects the product stored in a lying position in the product storage and transports it to the product storage,
The product storage unit stores the product in a standing posture,
The vending machine, wherein the second conveying means conveys the product stored in the product container in an upright posture to the product take-out port in the upright posture . The commodity storage is provided on the partitioned upper side of the vending machine body, while the product storage is provided on the partitioned lower side of the vending machine body. Item 2. The vending machine according to item 1. The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an opening for maintenance and an opening / closing door for opening and closing the opening are provided on a back surface of the main body of the vending machine.

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