JP5217474B2 - Merchandise storage and dispensing device for vending machines - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a product storage / dispensing device of a vending machine that stores a plurality of products in a state where they are arranged in the vertical direction in a front part and a rear part in a product storage, and delivers the products one by one at the time of sale.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a vending machine equipped with this type of product storage and dispensing device, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. This vending machine sells frozen products, and includes a product storage for holding the products in a frozen state. In the product storage, there are provided a plurality of product column units for storing a plurality of products in a state where they are arranged in the vertical direction and for paying out the lowest product at the time of sale. Each product column unit is shaped like a vertically long box. Specifically, the vertically long box-shaped column case with its lower surface open, and spirally extending in the vertical direction, are housed in the column case so as to be freely rotatable. A spiral member that is fixed on the top plate of the column case, and a drive device that rotationally drives the spiral member.

  A column case of such a product column unit is generally made of a metal plate, and a front door that is opened and closed when a product is replenished is provided on the front surface (see Patent Document 2). The spiral member supports a plurality of products stored in a vertically long product passage in the column case so that they are arranged in the vertical direction, and is rotated by a predetermined angle by a driving device at the time of sale. While moving the whole downward along the product passage, the lowest product is paid out downward. The product column units configured in this way are arranged in two rows in the front and rear in a state where a plurality of product column units are arranged in the left-right direction, for example, four in the front row and five in the rear row. . In addition, each product column unit in the front row is configured to be slidable in the left-right direction. When the product is replenished to the product column unit in the rear row, the product column unit is appropriately slid to access the product column unit in the rear row from the front. The product is replenished after it is made possible.

  As described above, in the product storage / dispensing device, a plurality of vertically long box-shaped product column units are arranged in two rows in the front-rear direction and arranged in the left-right direction in the product storage, and each product column unit is mutually connected. Products of different items are stored. However, it is difficult to say that the vending machine equipped with the product storage / dispensing device fully utilizes the entire product storage space, which is a product storage space.

  That is, in this vending machine, since all products to be sold are stored in the product column unit installed in the product storage, the product column unit adjacent in the left-right direction in the space in the product storage The inevitable gap between them and the thickness of the metal plate constituting the column case become a so-called dead space that cannot be used for storing products. In addition, unlike the product column unit in the front row, the product column unit in the rear row that does not need to slide in the left-right direction is arranged throughout the left-right direction in the product storage, but all the products for the dead space described above The total of the passage widths in the left-right direction of the passages is significantly smaller than the width dimension in the left-right direction in the product storage. Therefore, the passage width of the product passage of each product column unit is very small compared to the value obtained by dividing the width dimension in the product storage box by the number of all product passages. In addition, since the number of product passages is determined by the number of product column units installed in the product storage, in the product storage having a certain width dimension, the number of product passages cannot be easily increased, Therefore, it is difficult to increase the number of items that can be sold.

  The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problems, and effectively uses the space in the product storage to increase the width of the product passage in the product storage as much as possible, or the product passage. A vending machine product storage and delivery device that can flexibly respond to the shape, size, number of items, etc. of products to be sold, and improve versatility. The purpose is to do.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7-282330 ([0005], FIGS. 1, 3 and 5) JP 2006-139448 A ([0030], FIGS. 1 to 4)

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 stores a plurality of products in a vertically aligned state at the front and rear of the product storage, and pays the products one by one at the time of sale. A vending machine storing and dispensing device for vending machines, which is provided so as to protrude forward on the rear wall of the product storage, extends in the vertical direction, and stores a plurality of products by partitioning the rear part in the product storage Partition plates that define a plurality of product passages that extend in the vertical direction and are arranged in the left-right direction, a plurality of delivery devices that are provided in each of the plurality of product passages and that deliver products from each product passage at the time of sale, Each of the plurality of dispensing devices extends in a spiral shape in the vertical direction and a drive unit, and is rotatably provided in the product passage, and is rotated by a predetermined angle by the drive unit at the time of sale. In the product passage A spiral member that pays out the lowest product while moving all the products downward, and extends in the horizontal direction between the left and right inner walls near the upper end of the product storage and is attached to the inner wall Drive unit supporting members that support the drive units of the plurality of dispensing devices, a plurality of product detection units that are provided in each of the plurality of product paths and detect the presence or absence of products in each product path, and a product storage A product detection unit supporting member that extends in the left-right direction between the left and right inner walls of the first and second inner walls and is attached to the inner wall at a lower level than the drive unit support member and supports a plurality of product detection units, At the time of manufacturing, a plurality of drive units are attached to the drive unit support member outside the product storage, and the plurality of product detection units are the product detection unit support units Attached to the support state to then drive support member and product detector support member, characterized in that attached to the commodity storage chamber.

  According to this configuration, the product storage / dispensing device stores a plurality of products in a vertically aligned state in the front and rear portions of the product storage, and delivers the products one by one at the time of sale. A partition plate extending in the vertical direction is provided on the rear wall in the product storage so as to protrude forward. A plurality of product passages extending in the up-down direction and arranged in the left-right direction for storing products are defined in the rear part of the product storage compartment partitioned by the partition plate. Each of these merchandise paths is provided with a plurality of payout devices, and merchandise is paid out from each merchandise path at the time of sale.

  As described above, by dividing the rear part in the product storage box with a partition plate, the product passages that are aligned in the left-right direction are defined, so unlike the conventional case where a plurality of product column units are arranged in the left-right direction, A plurality of product passages that effectively utilize the rear space in the storage can be easily defined. That is, all the portions of the rear space in the product storage box except for the thickness of the partition plate can be used as the product passage. Therefore, by appropriately setting the position and number of the partition plates, the width of the product passage in the rear space in the product storage can be made as large as possible, or the number of product passages can be increased as much as possible. Thereby, it is possible to flexibly cope with the shape and size of the product to be sold, the number of items, and the like, and to improve versatility.

Further , according to the above configuration, each of the plurality of dispensing devices has the drive unit and the spiral member, and the spiral member extends spirally in the vertical direction and is rotatably provided in the product passage. It has been. At the time of sale, the spiral member is rotationally driven by a predetermined angle by the drive unit, so that the lowest product is dispensed downward while moving all the products in the product passage downward. In this way, the product in the product passage can be delivered smoothly and reliably by the dispensing device having a relatively simple configuration provided for each product passage.

Moreover, according to said structure, the drive part of the some dispensing apparatus is supported by the drive part support member attached to the inner wall of goods storage. That is, the drive units of the plurality of dispensing devices are supported by a common drive unit support member, so that those drive units are so-called unitized via the drive unit support member. Therefore, for example, when manufacturing the product storage / dispensing device, the drive unit is attached to the outside of the product storage unit in a state where all the drive units are supported by the drive unit support member and attached to the inner wall of the product storage unit. Compared with the case of attaching one by one in the product storage, the product storage / dispensing device can be efficiently manufactured.
Furthermore, according to said structure, the some goods detection part is each provided in the some goods passage, and the presence or absence of the goods in each goods path is detected by these goods detection parts. Based on the detection result, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the product has been sold out for each product passage or whether the product has been properly refilled into the product passage. Moreover, the some product detection part is supported by the product detection part support member attached to the inner wall of a goods storage. That is, by supporting a plurality of product detection units on a common product detection unit support member, the product detection units are so-called unitized via the product detection unit support member. Therefore, for example, when manufacturing the product storage / dispensing device, the product detection unit is attached to the product detection unit support member outside the product storage unit, and the product detection unit is attached to the inner wall of the product storage unit. Compared with the case where the detection units are attached to the product storage case one by one, the product storage / dispensing device can be efficiently manufactured.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the commodity storage / dispensing device of the vending machine according to the first aspect , the partition plate includes a plurality of partition plates arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. At least one of the partition plates is detachably attached to the product storage.

  According to this configuration, since at least one of the plurality of partition plates arranged at intervals in the left-right direction is detachably attached to the product storage case, for example, one partition plate is attached to the product storage case. By removing from the two, the two adjacent product passages can be made into a single widened product passage. Thereby, it becomes possible to store and sell a product of a larger size in the product passage. In this way, the product passage can be easily widened, and therefore the versatility of the product storage / dispensing device can be improved.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the commodity storage / dispensing device of the vending machine according to the first or second aspect , the front end portion of the partition plate extends along the vertical direction and protrudes toward the commodity passage side. It is further provided with a stopper that is provided so as to partially cover and prevents the product stored in the product passage from moving forward.

  According to this configuration, the front end of the partition plate is provided with a stopper that extends along the vertical direction and protrudes toward the product passage. This stopper prevents the product stored in the product passage from moving forward, ensuring that the product in the product passage will pop out of the product passage regardless of whether the product is on sale or on standby. The product can be stably held in the product passage. In addition, since the stopper only partially covers the product passage instead of the whole, the operator can visually check the remaining amount of the product in the product passage from the front when the product is replenished. it can. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly and appropriately determine whether or not each product passage needs to be replenished with products, and product replenishment can be performed efficiently.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an ice vending machine equipped with a product storage / dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the vending machine 1 includes a box-shaped vending machine body 2 and a main door 3 that opens and closes the front surface of the vending machine body 2. A plurality of product display plates 4 are arranged on the front surface of the main door 3 so as to be lined up and down and left and right, and a product selection button 5 is provided for each product display plate 4. In addition, a coin insertion slot 6, a bill insertion slot 7, a coin return slot 8, and the like are provided on the right part of the main door 3, and a product outlet 9 is provided on the lower part. The product outlet 9 is opened forward, and an outlet door 9a that is normally closed and opened when the product is taken out is provided on the front surface thereof. A control device (not shown) having a microcomputer for controlling various devices such as a commodity storage / dispensing device 13 and a cooling device to be described later in the vending machine 1 is provided on the back side of the main door 3. ing.

  The vending machine main body 2 has a cabinet 11 constituting its outer shell. The cabinet 11 is configured in a vertically long box shape in which a plurality of metal plates having a predetermined shape are assembled and the front surface is opened. And the goods storage 12 is provided in this cabinet 11 full.

  FIG. 2 shows the inside of the cabinet 11. As shown in the figure, the commodity storage 12 is configured in a vertically long box shape in which a plurality of heat insulating walls having a predetermined shape are assembled and the front surface is opened. In addition, a product storage / dispensing device 13 is installed inside the product storage 12, and a product chute for transporting products delivered from the product storage / dispensing device 13 to the product take-out port 9 below the product storage / dispensing device 13. 14 is provided. A heat insulating door (not shown) that opens and closes the front surface of the product storage 12 is provided between the product storage 12 and the main door 3. A cooling device (not shown) for maintaining a low temperature (for example, −25 to −30 ° C.) is installed.

  The product storage / dispensing device 13 stores a plurality of products in a plurality of rows in the vertical direction, stores a plurality of products for each item, and pays out one by one at the time of sale. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the product storage / dispensing device 13 includes a front storage / dispensing unit 21 provided in the front half of the product storage 12, and a rear storage / dispensing unit 22 provided in the rear half. It has.

  The front storage / dispensing part 21 is composed of three identical product column units 23 whose appearance is formed in a vertically long box shape, and these product column units 23 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Each product column unit 23 is configured to be movable in the left-right direction while being guided by an upper guide rail 15 and a lower guide rail 16 fixed to the inner wall of the product storage 12.

  The upper guide rail 15 is configured by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and is attached so as to extend in the left-right direction near the front end of the ceiling surface of the product storage case 12. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the front end portion (the left end portion in both figures) of the upper guide rail 15 is formed in a J-shaped cross section, and three product column units 23 are suspended from the front end portion, respectively. Three sliders 17 that are supported in a lowered state are engaged. Each of the sliders 17 is, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 8, a horizontally long slider body 17a formed by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and the slider body 17a rotatably supported by the slider body 17a. The left and right rollers 17b and 17b are rotatably engaged with the guide rail 15. At the lower end portion of the slider body 17a, two left and right hook portions 17c and 17c are provided that protrude forward and forward. The product column unit 23 is locked to the slider 17 in a state where these hook portions 17 c and 17 c are inserted into horizontally long rectangular holes 35 b and 35 b of a ceiling plate 33 described later of the product column unit 23. Thus, the product column unit 23 is supported by the upper guide rail 15 via the slider 17 at the upper end portion thereof.

  On the other hand, the lower guide rail 16 extends in the left-right direction and is configured by a metal plate having a horizontally long front shape, and left and right end portions are attached to left and right side walls in the product storage case 12. And the engaging part 18 provided in the lower end part of the front side of the product column unit 23 is slidably engaged with the upper end part of the lower guide rail 16 in a mounted state. Thus, the product column unit 23 is supported by the lower guide rail 16 at the lower end portion thereof.

  As described above, the product column unit 23 supported by the upper guide rail 15 and the lower guide rail 16 is movable in the left-right direction along the guide rails 15 and 16, and is moved to the rear storage / dispensing portion 22. When the product is replenished, it is appropriately slid.

  FIG. 9 shows the appearance of the product column unit 23. As shown in FIG. 4 and FIGS. 4 and 6, the product column unit 23 is formed in a vertically long box shape. The column case 24 opens downward, and the column case 24 is partitioned into left and right to vertically A partition plate 26 defining two left and right product passages 25, two left and right spiral members 27, 27 rotatably provided in the product passages 25, 25, and an upper surface of the column case 24, Two left and right drive devices 28, 28 for rotationally driving the spiral members 27, 27, and two left and right sold-out detection switches 29 provided at the lower end of the column case 24 and detecting the presence or absence of products in both product passages 25, 25. 29.

  The column case 24 is formed by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and is attached to the front surface of the case body 31 so as to be openable and closable. And a front door 32. The front door 32 is made of a transparent synthetic resin (for example, polycarbonate), and is made of an extruded material that extends in the vertical direction and has a predetermined cross section (see FIG. 6B). The front door 32 is rotatably attached to the column case 24 via a support shaft 32a at the left end.

  A ceiling plate 33 is attached to the upper end portion of the case body 31 so as to cover the entire upper surface of the case body 31. The drive device 28, 28 is detachably attached to the upper side of the ceiling plate 33, and the spiral members 27, 27 are rotatably supported on the lower side. As shown in FIG. 10, the ceiling plate 33 is formed by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and specifically, a main body portion 34 having a substantially rectangular planar shape, and the main body portion. The front plate portion 35 and the rear plate portion 36 that are bent upward at right angles from the front end and the rear end of the main portion 34, and the left and right side plate portions 37 and 37 that are bent downward at right angles from the left and right ends of the main body portion 34, respectively It is configured. The ceiling plate 33 is formed substantially symmetrically, and in the following description, the description will focus on the configuration of the left half.

  The main body part 34 of the ceiling plate 33 is formed so that the latter half part is slightly higher than the front half part. The main body part 34 has a plurality of vent holes 34a penetrating in the vertical direction and appropriately arranged. Is formed. Further, a screwing piece 38 having a screw hole 38a is cut and raised at a predetermined position in the front half of the main body 34, and locking slits 34b and 34b are formed on the left and right sides of the screwing piece 38, respectively. Yes. The screwing piece 38 is for screwing a case holder 61, which will be described later, that supports the drive device 28. Both locking slits 34b, 34b are locking pieces 62, which will be described later, of the case holder 61. 62 is for engaging. Further, a joint support hole 34c that rotatably supports a joint 39 for connecting a later-described drive shaft 43 of the drive device 28 and the spiral member 27 is formed at a predetermined position in the latter half of the main body 34. . The relatively large hole 34d formed at the rear of the joint support hole 34c of the main body 34 is for letting out a portion that slightly protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the drive device 28.

  In addition, two left and right circular holes 35a and 35a penetrating in the front-rear direction and two left and right horizontally-oriented rectangular holes 35b and 35b located outside these are formed at predetermined positions of the front plate portion 35 of the ceiling plate 33. Yes. Each circular hole 35 is located in front of a mounting screw 69 to be described later for screwing the rear driving device 28 onto the ceiling plate 33 (see FIG. 16). On the other hand, the hook portions 17c and 17c of the slider 17 that engage with the above-described upper guide rail 15 are inserted into the horizontally long rectangular holes 35b and 35b, respectively.

  In addition, a horizontally elongated locking hole 36 a penetrating in the front-rear direction is formed at a predetermined position of the rear plate portion 36 of the ceiling plate 33. When the driving device 28 is attached to the ceiling plate 33, the locking hole 36a is locked in a state in which a locking protrusion 45c described later of the driving device 28 is inserted.

  Here, the drive device 28 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the drive device 28 includes an outer case 41 having a rectangular planar shape, a motor 42 accommodated in the outer case 41, and a drive shaft 43 that protrudes downward from the outer case 41. And a gear train 44 that is housed in the outer case 41 and transmits the power of the motor 42 to the drive shaft 43.

  The outer case 41 is formed of a synthetic resin (for example, polyacetal) molded product, and has a lower case portion 45 that opens upward and an upper case portion 46 that opens downward. The upper surface peripheral portion 45a of the lower case portion 45 and the lower surface peripheral portion 46a of the upper case portion 46 have complementary shapes, and the case portions 45 and 46 are fitted in each other in the vertical direction. In combination, a plurality of positions (eight positions in the present embodiment) on the peripheral edge are screwed with mounting screws 47. The lower case portion 45 is formed with a deep rear half portion and a shallow front half portion, while the upper case portion 46 is formed with a substantially constant depth. In addition, a fitting convex portion 45 b that protrudes upward is formed on the upper peripheral edge portion 45 a of the lower case portion 45 over the entire circumference. Therefore, in a state where both the case portions 45 and 46 are combined, the upper case portion 46 is fitted to the outside of the fitting convex portion 45b.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 14, an annular packing 48 extending along the outer periphery is attached near the base of the fitting convex portion 45 b. The packing 48 is made of a material having elasticity such as rubber, and is formed in an annular shape having a shorter circumferential length than the entire circumference of the fitting convex portion 45b in a state before being attached. Therefore, the packing 48 is attached in the state of being pressed against the vicinity of the base of the fitting convex portion 45 a and is sandwiched between the upper surface peripheral portion 45 a of the lower case portion 45 and the lower surface peripheral portion 46 a of the upper case portion 46. In this case, in the fitting portion between the lower case portion 45 and the upper case portion 46, the packing 48 is formed by the lower surface peripheral portion 46a of the upper case portion 46, the upper surface peripheral portion 45a of the lower case portion 45, and the fitting convex portion 45b. It will be in the state contact | adhered to three surfaces of upper, lower, and inner side. Thereby, for example, compared with the case where the packing 48 is brought into close contact with only the upper and lower two surfaces only by the lower surface peripheral portion 46a of the upper case portion 46 and the upper surface peripheral portion 45a of the lower case portion 45, the outer case 41 Water tightness can be increased.

  Further, a locking projection 45c slightly protruding rearward is provided at the upper end of the back surface of the lower case portion 45. When the driving device 28 is mounted on the ceiling plate 33, the locking projection 45 c is locked to the rear plate portion 36 while being inserted into the locking hole 36 a of the rear plate portion 36 from the front. In addition, a magnet 49 for switching a reed switch 63 (described later) to an ON state is screwed to the front end portion of the bottom surface of the lower case portion 45.

  As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the motor 42 is attached to the rear portion in the lower case portion 45 with the rotating shaft 42 a protruding downward. Specifically, the motor 42 is screwed to a mounting plate 50 having a rectangular planar shape with the rotary shaft 42a passing through the mounting plate 50, and the mounting plate 50 is mounted in the lower case portion 45 by the mounting screws 50a. It is screwed to the back. A pinion 42 b is fixed to the tip of the rotating shaft 42 a of the motor 42 and meshes with a first intermediate gear 51 (described later) of the gear train 44.

  The gear train 44 includes a first intermediate gear 51, a second intermediate gear 52, a third intermediate gear 53, and a drive gear 54, which are in mesh with each other. More specifically, the first to third intermediate gears 51, 52, and 53 are configured by two-stage gears having a small-diameter gear portion and a large-diameter gear portion above and below, and the small diameters of the adjacent intermediate gears 51-53. The gear portion and the large-diameter gear portion mesh with each other, and upper and lower end portions of the rotation shafts of the intermediate gears 51 to 53 are rotatably supported by the upper case portion 46 and the lower case portion 45, respectively. The drive gear 54 meshes with the small-diameter gear portion of the third intermediate gear 53. Therefore, the first to third intermediate gears 51, 52, 53 and the drive gear 54 constitute a reduction gear train. The drive gear 54 is located at the front part of the outer case 41, and the drive shaft 43 rotatably supported by the upper case part 46 and the lower case part 45 is fixed to the center part.

  As shown in FIG. 11B, the drive shaft 43 protrudes downward from the front part of the bottom surface of the lower case part 45. An engaging pin 55 is attached to the projecting lower end of the drive shaft 43 so as to penetrate the drive shaft 43 at right angles and project on both sides of the drive shaft 43 and engage with the joint 39.

  The drive device 28 configured as described above is screwed to the ceiling plate 33 via the case holder 61 that is fitted to the front end portion of the exterior case 41. Similar to the outer case 41, the case holder 61 is formed of a synthetic resin molded product, and as shown in FIG. 11, the front shape is a substantially rectangular shape, and the case back is open. The lower end of the case holder 61 is provided with two locking pieces 62 and 62 projecting downward at the left and right ends, and each locking piece 62 is formed with a notch 62a that opens rearward. Yes. In addition, a reed switch 63 for controlling the rotation angle of the spiral member 27 is attached to the lower part of the case holder 61, just above both the locking pieces 62, 62.

  The reed switch 63 is configured in the same manner as a general reed switch. That is, the reed switch 63 is made of a ferromagnetic material, and has two lead pieces (not shown) whose contact portions are opposed to each other with a gap therebetween, and both lead pieces are generated by the magnetic field generated by the magnet 49. Is magnetized. In this case, the contact portions of the two lead pieces are attracted to each other by becoming different magnetic poles, whereby the contact portions of the two lead pieces come into contact with each other, and the reed switch 63 is turned on. On the other hand, the magnetic field blocking plate 72 described later is positioned between the magnet 49 and the reed switch 63, whereby the magnetic field of the magnet 49 with respect to the reed switch 63 is blocked. As a result, the magnetization of both lead pieces of the reed switch 63 is eliminated, and the contact portions of both lead pieces are separated from each other, whereby the reed switch 63 is turned off.

  Further, a motor connector 65 connected to the motor 42 via an electric wire 64a and a reed switch connector 66 connected to the reed switch 63 via an electric wire 64b are engaged with the front portion of the case holder 61. A connector locking portion 67 is provided. Further, a screwing piece 68 for screwing the case holder 61 to the ceiling plate 33 is provided at the lower end on the front side of the case holder 61 so as to hang down. A screw insertion hole 68a penetrating therethrough is formed.

  The case holder 61 configured as described above is fitted to the outer case 41 of the driving device 28 in a state where the front end portion is covered. And these drive device 28 and case holder 61 are attached on the ceiling plate 33 in the following states, as shown in FIGS.

  In other words, the locking projection 45 c at the rear end of the driving device 28 is locked to the rear plate 36 in a state where it is inserted from the front into the locking hole 36 a of the rear plate 36 of the ceiling plate 33. Further, the left and right locking pieces 62, 62 at the lower end of the case holder 61 are inserted from above into the locking slits 34b, 34b of the main body 34 of the ceiling plate 33, and the notches 62a of the locking pieces 62 are The main body portion 34 is engaged with the rear portion of the corresponding locking slit 34b. Further, the case holder 61 and the screwing pieces 68 and 38 of the main body 34 overlap in the front-rear direction, and both the screws 68 and 38 are screwed from the front by a mounting screw 69. As described above, the driving device 28 is firmly attached on the ceiling plate 33.

  Further, when the drive device 28 is removed from the ceiling plate 33 during maintenance or the like, the drive device 28 can be easily removed by removing the mounting screw 69. Specifically, first, a screwdriver or the like for removing the mounting screw 69 is inserted from the front into the circular hole 35 a of the front plate portion 35 of the ceiling plate 33, and the mounting screw 69 is removed. Next, the drive device 28 is slightly slid forward together with the case holder 61. As a result, the locking projection 45c at the rear end of the drive device 28 is disengaged from the rear plate portion 36 (locking hole 36a) of the ceiling plate 33, and the notches in both locking pieces 62, 62 of the case holder 61 are provided. 62a is disengaged from the main body 34 of the ceiling plate 33 (the rear part of the locking slit 34b). Then, the driving device 28 is slightly lifted together with the case holder 61. Thereby, both locking pieces 62 and 62 of the case holder 61 are detached from the main body 34 (locking slits 34 b and 34 b) of the ceiling plate 33. As described above, the drive device 28 can be easily detached from the ceiling plate 33 by simply sliding the drive device 28 forward together with the case holder 61 and lifting it after removing the mounting screw 69. In addition, when attaching the removed drive apparatus 28 to the ceiling plate 33, it can attach easily in the reverse procedure to the above.

  Further, in a state where the driving device 28 is attached to the ceiling plate 33, the driving shaft 43 engages with the joint 39 in a state where it can rotate integrally. As described above, the joint 39 is for connecting the drive shaft 43 and the spiral member 27, and includes the joint body 71 and the magnetic field shielding plate 72 attached to the upper end of the joint body 71. ing.

  FIG. 15A shows a state where the magnetic field shielding plate 72 is removed from the joint body 71. The joint body 71 is formed of a synthetic resin molded product, and extends in the vertical direction. The joint body 71 is connected to the spiral member 27, and is connected to the spiral member 73. The drive shaft connecting portion 74 is formed and connected to the drive shaft 43. The spiral connecting portion 73 has an inner diameter into which an upper end portion of a later-described support shaft portion 81 of the spiral member 27 can be inserted. Further, a connecting hole 73a for passing through a predetermined position of the spiral connecting portion 73 so as to be orthogonal to the spiral connecting portion 73 and connecting the spiral connecting portion 73 and the spiral member 27 via a connecting pin 83 described later. Is formed.

  On the other hand, the drive shaft connecting portion 74 has an engagement groove 75 that opens upward and engages with the drive shaft 43 and the engagement pin 55. The engaging groove 75 includes a circular groove portion 75a having a circular planar shape, and two extending groove portions 75b and 75b extending in the opposite directions from the circular groove portion 75a along the major axis direction of the drive shaft connecting portion 74. ing. The circular groove 75a has substantially the same diameter as that of the drive shaft 43, and is formed so that the spiral connecting portion 73 and the central axis coincide with each other. Further, each extending groove 75 b is formed to have substantially the same size as the outer shape of the engaging pin 55 protruding from the drive shaft 43. The upper surface peripheral edge portion 76 of the engaging groove 75 configured in this way is formed one step higher than the other portion of the upper surface of the drive shaft connecting portion 74. Further, locking convex portions 74a and 74a (only one is shown in FIG. 15) are provided at both ends in the minor axis direction of the drive shaft connecting portion 74, respectively. The magnetic field blocking plate 72 is attached to the drive shaft connecting portion 74 with the engagement groove 75 facing upward.

  The magnetic field cut-off plate 72 is for switching the reed switch 63 on the case holder 61 side, which is turned on by the magnetic field generated by the magnet 49 on the drive device 28 side, to the off state by blocking the magnetic field. . The magnetic field shielding plate 72 is made of a predetermined metal plate (galvanized steel plate in the present embodiment) that can block the magnetic field, and is formed in a predetermined shape and size. Specifically, the magnetic field shielding plate 72 is formed in an elliptical shape having a substantially equal minor axis and a longer major axis with respect to the drive shaft coupling part 74 of the joint body 71 having an elliptical planar shape. The magnetic field shielding plate 72 is formed with engaging holes 77 having a predetermined shape penetrating in the vertical direction, and locking pieces 78 having locking holes 78a at both ends in the minor axis direction. Yes. The magnetic field blocking plate 72 configured in this way has the engagement hole 77 through which the upper peripheral edge 76 of the engagement groove 75 on the joint body 71 side penetrates from below, and into the engagement hole 78a of each engagement piece 78. It is attached to the upper end portion of the joint body 71 in a state in which the locking projection 74a on the joint body 71 side is fitted from the inside. In this case, the magnetic field shielding plate 72 protrudes horizontally from the joint body 71 in opposite directions.

  As described above, the joint 39 configured as described above is rotatably supported by the ceiling plate 33 via the joint support hole 34c. Specifically, when the spiral coupling portion 73 of the joint 39 is inserted into the joint support hole 34c from above, the spiral coupling portion 73 protrudes below the main body portion 34 of the ceiling plate 33, while the drive shaft The connecting portion 74 is placed on the main body portion 34. When the drive device 28 is attached to the ceiling plate 33 via the case holder 61, the drive shaft 43 and the engagement pin 55 are connected to the engagement groove 75 of the joint 39 as shown in FIG. Fits snugly. In this case, the magnetic field cutoff plate 72 of the joint 39 is positioned at a height between the magnet 49 and the reed switch 63 as shown in FIG. As described above, when the drive shaft 43 rotates, the joint 39 rotates integrally therewith, and the spiral member 27 connected to the spiral connecting portion 73 also rotates.

  FIG. 16 shows the upper and lower parts of the product column unit 23 in an enlarged manner. As shown in the figure, the spiral member 27 includes a support shaft portion 81 extending in the vertical direction and a spiral portion 82 extending spirally in the vertical direction around this.

  The support shaft portion 81 is formed of a metal round bar having the same diameter as the inner diameter of the spiral connection portion 73 of the joint 39, and a connection hole that passes through the upper end portion so as to be orthogonal to the support shaft portion 81. 81a is formed. In a state where the upper end portion of the support shaft portion 81 is inserted into the spiral connection portion 73 of the joint 39 from below, the connection hole 73a of the spiral connection portion 73 and the connection hole 81a of the support shaft portion 81 that match each other have a predetermined shape. The connecting pin 83 is inserted. Thereby, the support shaft portion 81 is connected to the spiral connection portion 73 of the joint 39. Further, the lower end portion of the support shaft portion 81 is rotatably supported by a spiral support member 88 attached to a switch support plate 84 described later.

  On the other hand, the spiral portion 82 is formed of a flat and elongated metal square bar, and has a predetermined diameter and a vertical direction while rotating clockwise around the support shaft portion 81. It extends in a spiral at an equal pitch. The spiral portion 82 is connected to the support shaft portion 81 at the upper and lower ends.

  The spiral member 27 configured as described above is integrally connected to the drive shaft 43 of the drive device 28 via the joint 39. Therefore, when the spiral member 27 rotates with the rotation of the drive shaft 43, the magnetic field shielding plate 72 of the joint 39 also rotates. In this case, the magnetic field cut-off plate 72 is positioned between the magnet 49 and the reed switch 63 every time the drive shaft 43 and the spiral member 27 rotate about 180 degrees, so that the ON / OFF state of the reed switch 63 is changed. Can be switched. Therefore, based on the ON / OFF state of the reed switch 63, the rotation angle of the spiral member 27 can be easily and appropriately controlled by the control device.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 16, etc., stoppers 26a, 24a extending in the vertical direction and projecting leftward are respectively formed on the partition plate 26 in the column case 24 and the front end portion of the right side plate of the column case 24. Is attached. As shown in FIG. 16, a switch support plate 84 having a predetermined shape is attached to the lower end portion of the column case 24. The switch support plate 84 is detachably attached with two left and right sold-out detection switches 29 and 29 for detecting the sold-out of the product so as to correspond to the left and right product passages 25 and 25.

  FIG. 17 shows both the sold-out detection switches 29, 29 and their surroundings in an enlarged manner, and shows a state in which the left-side sold-out detection switch 29 is removed from the switch support plate 84. As shown in the figure, the switch support plate 84 is formed by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and specifically, a main body portion 85 having a substantially rectangular front shape, and the main body portion. Left and right side plate portions 86, 86 bent at right angles forward from the left and right ends of the portion 85, and an upper plate portion 87 bent at right angles forward from the upper end of the main body portion 85, and further bent at right angles upward from the front end thereof. It consists of The switch support plate 84 is configured such that the left and right side plate portions 86, 86 overlap the outer sides of the left and right side plates of the column case 24 and the front surface of the upper plate portion 87 is in contact with the back plate of the column case 24. It is attached to the lower end of the case 24.

  The main body 85 of the switch support plate 84 has a relatively large upper engagement hole 85a having a convex front shape and a relatively small lower engagement hole 85b having a rectangular front shape formed below the front engagement hole 85a. However, two sets are formed on the left and right, and the sold-out detection switch 29 is detachably attached to the main body 85 via the upper engagement hole 85a and the lower engagement hole 85b of each set. The spiral support member 88 that extends horizontally forward and has a bearing portion 88a at the front end is attached to the lower end of the main body 85. The support shaft portion 81 of the spiral member 27 is rotatably supported by the spiral support member 88 with its lower end portion inserted into the bearing portion 88a from above.

  As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the sold-out detection switch 29 includes a switch lever 91 and a lever support member 92 for supporting the sold-out detection switch 29 and attaching the sold-out detection switch 29 itself to the switch plate 84. The switch lever 91 and the lever support member 92 are both made of a synthetic resin molded product. The switch lever 91 is formed in a vertically long rectangular front shape, and support shafts 91a and 91a that protrude leftward and rightward and are rotatably supported by a lever support member 92 are formed on the upper part on the back side. Is provided. A magnetic field shielding plate 93 is attached to the lower part on the back side of the switch lever 91. The magnetic field shielding plate 93 is made of a metal plate similar to the magnetic field shielding plate 72 provided in the joint 39, and is attached to the switch lever 91 so as to extend in the vertical direction and protrude rearward. .

  On the other hand, the lever support member 92 is formed in a vertically long rectangular front shape, and a magnet 94 and a reed switch 95 facing each other at a predetermined interval in the left-right direction are attached to a predetermined position in the lower part. The magnet 94 and the reed switch 95 are the same as the magnet 49 and the reed switch 63 attached to the driving device 28 and the case holder 61, respectively. A coil spring 96 extending in the vertical direction is provided on the back side of the lever support member 92, and an upper end portion of the coil spring 96 is connected to a spring engaging portion 91 b provided at the upper end portion of the switch lever 91. The portion is locked to a spring locking portion 92 a provided at the center in the vertical direction of the lever support member 92. By this coil spring 96, the switch lever 91 is biased so as to rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG. 18B about the support shafts 91a and 91a. Further, an upper locking portion 92b that protrudes upward is provided at the upper end portion on the back side of the lever support member 92, while a hook-shaped lower locking portion 92c that protrudes rearward is provided at the lower end portion. Yes.

  In the sold-out detection switch 29 configured as described above, when a product is stored in the product passage 25, the switch lever 91 is pressed from the front by the lowest product. FIG. 19A shows a state when the switch lever 91 is being pushed by a product. In this case, the switch lever 91 has a substantially vertical posture, and the magnetic field shielding plate 93 on the switch lever 91 side is positioned between the magnet 94 on the lever support member 92 side and the reed switch 95. As a result, the magnetic field generated by the magnet 94 is blocked by the magnetic field blocking plate 93, whereby the reed switch 95 is turned off.

  On the other hand, FIG. 19B shows a state when the switch lever 91 is not pushed by the product, that is, a state when the product in the product passage 25 is sold out. In this case, the switch lever 91 is biased forward by the coil spring 96, so that the magnetic field shielding plate 93 comes out between the magnet 94 and the reed switch 95. As a result, the reed switch 95 is switched to the ON state by the magnetic field generated by the magnet 94.

  Therefore, based on the ON / OFF state of the sold-out detection switch 29, the control device can appropriately determine whether the product in the product passage 25 has been sold out.

  When the sold-out detection switch 29 is removed from the switch support plate 84 during maintenance or the like, the tip of the lower locking portion 92c of the sold-out detection switch 29 is slightly pushed up with a finger. As a result, the lower locking portion 92 c of the lever support member 92 is released from the lower engagement hole 85 b of the switch support plate 84. Next, the lower part of the sold-out detection switch 29 is pulled forward, and further the entire sold-out detection switch 29 is pulled forward and obliquely downward, whereby the upper locking portion 92b of the lever support member 92 is moved to the upper engagement hole 85a of the switch support plate 84. Deviate from. As described above, the sold-out detection switch 29 can be easily detached from the switch support plate 84 manually. Note that when the removed sold-out detection switch 29 is attached to the switch support plate 84, it can be easily attached in the reverse procedure.

  In the product column unit 23 configured as described above, in each product passage 25, a plurality of products of the same item are stored in a state of being arranged in the vertical direction. Specifically, these products are inserted one by one into the gaps of the spiral portion 82 with the support shaft portion 81 of the spiral member 27 therebetween, thereby being stored in a zigzag state when viewed from the front. Is done. When the spiral member 27 is rotated by a predetermined angle (about 180 degrees) by the drive device 28 at the time of sale, the entire product in the product passage 25 moves downward, and the lowest product is placed in the product passage. 25 is paid out downward from a payout opening 25a at the lower end of 25.

  Next, the rear side storage / dispensing part 22 provided in the latter half part in the goods storage 12 is demonstrated, referring FIGS. 20-24. The rear storage / dispensing portion 22 is different from the front storage / dispensing portion 21 constituted by the three product column units 23 in the shape of a vertically long box as described above, and the entire rear space in the product storage 12 is detachable. In the embodiment, a plurality of (10 in the present embodiment) product passages 102 that are defined by being partitioned in the left-right direction by 10 partition plates 101 and extending in the up-down direction and arranged in the left-right direction are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the rear storage / dispensing portion 22 has an in-compartment plate 103 arranged along the rear wall and the left and right side walls in the commodity storage 12. The internal plate 103 is formed in a U shape with a planar shape opened forward by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and is attached to the commodity storage 12. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 23, the front surface portion is composed of a main body portion 104 having a rectangular shape, and left and right side plate portions 105 that are bent forward at right angles from the left and right ends of the main body portion 104. . In the main body 104, a plurality of sets (one embodiment) having two upper and lower locking slits 104a and 104a arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction to lock the plurality of partition plates 101 (this embodiment). 10 sets) are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction.

  In addition, a ceiling plate 106 (driving unit support member) having the same function as the ceiling plate 33 of the commodity column unit 23 described above is provided near the upper end of the interior plate 103, while the back side of the interior plate 103 is provided. A switch support plate 107 (product detection unit support member) having a function similar to that of the switch support plate 84 described above is provided in the vicinity of the lower end of the switch. Both the ceiling plate 106 and the switch support plate 107 extend in the left-right direction between the left and right side plate portions 105, 105 of the internal plate 103, and are attached to the internal plate 103 and / or the inner wall of the commodity storage 12. It has been. Further, an elongated support member 108 extending in the left-right direction and supporting each partition plate 101 from below is provided near the lower end on the front side of the interior plate 103, and the left and right ends of the support member 108 are used to store the product. It is attached to the left and right side walls in the cabinet 12.

  FIG. 22 shows an enlarged part of the ceiling plate 106. The ceiling plate 106 is formed by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and as shown in the figure, the planar shape has a horizontally long main body 111 and a front end of the main body 111. The front plate portion 112 is bent at a right angle downward, and the rear plate portion 113 is bent at a right angle upward from the rear end of the main body portion 111. The main body portion 111 and the rear plate portion 113 of the ceiling plate 106 are configured in substantially the same manner as the main body portion 34 and the rear plate portion 36 of the ceiling plate 33 of the commodity column unit 23 described above (see FIG. 10).

  That is, the main body portion 111 of the ceiling plate 106 includes a vent hole 111a corresponding to the vent hole 34a of the main body portion 34, the two locking slits 34b and 34b, the joint support hole 34c and the hole 34d, and the screwing piece 38, respectively. Two locking slits 111b and 111b, a joint support hole 111c, a hole 111d, and a screwing piece 114 are provided. On the other hand, the rear plate portion 113 of the ceiling plate 106 has a locking hole 113 a corresponding to the locking hole 36 a of the rear plate portion 36. Then, a plurality of sets (11 sets in this embodiment) including the above-described two locking slits 111b and 111b, joint support hole 111c, hole 111d, screwing piece 114, and locking hole 113a are arranged on the left and right sides. It is provided at predetermined intervals in the direction. In addition, in the front plate portion 112 of the ceiling plate 106, a plurality of locking slits 112a that penetrates in the front-rear direction and opens downward to lock the plurality of partition plates 101 have a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. It is formed apart.

  In the ceiling plate 106 formed as described above, a plurality of (11 in the present embodiment) drive devices 115 (drive units) are provided in the left-right direction on the upper side of the ceiling plate 106 in the same manner as the product column unit 23 described above. A plurality of (11 in the present embodiment) spiral members 117 are rotatably provided in the commodity passage 102 on the lower side of the ceiling plate 106 while being detachably attached via the case holder 116 in a lined state. It is attached in a detachable state. The driving device 115 and the spiral member 117 corresponding to the upper and lower sides are connected through a joint 118.

  The driving device 115 and the case holder 116 are the same as the driving device 28 and the case holder 61 of the commodity column unit 23 described above, and are attached to the ceiling plate 106 in the same manner as the driving device 28 and the case holder 61. ing. The removal from the ceiling plate 106 is performed in the same manner.

  In the rear storage / dispensing portion 22, two types of spiral members 117A and 117B are used as spiral members. That is, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 5, one spiral member 117 </ b> A is the same as the spiral member 27 of the product column unit 23 described above, and the spiral portion 122 is centered on the support shaft portion 121 extending in the vertical direction. It extends in a spiral shape while rotating downward in the clockwise direction. The other spiral member 117B does not have the support shaft 121 as described above, and has a spiral portion 123 that extends in a spiral shape while rotating downward in the clockwise direction. A circular disk 124 having a circular planar shape is fixed to the upper end portion of the spiral portion 123, and a connecting convex portion 125 that protrudes upward and is connected to the joint 118 while being inserted from below is provided at the center. It has been.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 and 5, the spiral members 117A and 117B configured as described above are provided in the five product passages 102a on the left side and the two product passages 102a on the right side, and the spiral member 117B is provided on the four product passages 102b in the center. A spiral member 117A is rotatably accommodated.

  Further, as the joint 118 for connecting the spiral members 117A and 117B and the driving device 115, two types of joints 118A and 118B corresponding to each of them are used. That is, as shown in FIG. 22, the joint 118A for the spiral member 117A is the same as the joint 39 of the product column unit 23 described above, and the magnetic field shielding plate 126A protrudes horizontally from the joint body 127 in both directions opposite to each other. ing. On the other hand, in the joint 118B for the spiral member 117B, the magnetic field shielding plate 126B projects from the joint body 127 only in one direction. Therefore, each time the spiral member 117B connected to the drive shaft of the drive device 115 rotates by about 360 degrees, the ON / OFF state of the reed switch of the drive device 115 is switched by the joint 118B.

  The switch support plate 107 is formed by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape. As shown in FIGS. 21 and 23, the switch support plate 107 has a main body 128 having a horizontally long rectangular front shape. Similar to the switch support plate 84 of the product column unit 23 described above, the main body 128 has an upper engagement hole 128a and a lower engagement hole 128b for detachably supporting the sold-out detection switch 131 (product detection unit). A plurality of sets of engagement holes (11 sets in the present embodiment and 9 sets in FIG. 23) are provided at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The sold-out detection switch 131 is the same as the sold-out detection switch 29 of the commodity column unit 23 described above, and is attached to the switch support plate 107 in the same manner as the sold-out detection switch 29. The removal from the switch support plate 107 is performed in the same manner.

  The main body 128 of the switch support plate 107 is provided with a plurality of locking slits 128c at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction in order to lock the plurality of partition plates 101. The stop slits 128 c are respectively arranged at positions immediately below the respective sets of the locking slits 104 a and 104 a of the internal plate 103. Furthermore, a plurality (four in this embodiment) of spiral support members 129 having the same function as the spiral support member 88 of the product column unit 23 described above are attached to the main body 128 of the switch support plate 107. By these spiral support members 129, the lower end portion of the support shaft portion 121 of the spiral member 117A is rotatably supported.

  As shown in FIGS. 23 and 7, the partition plate 101 is configured by a metal plate having a substantially rectangular shape on the side surface. The rear end portion of the partition plate 101 is provided with three wedge-shaped locking projections 132 protruding rearward at the upper end portion, the central portion, and the lower end portion, respectively. As shown in FIG. 8, a notch 132 a that opens downward is formed at the lower end of each locking projection 132. In addition, a bent portion 101 a that is bent at a right angle to the right is provided at the front end portion of the partition plate 101.

  As shown in FIGS. 24 and 6, the front end portion of the partition plate 101 </ b> A on the left side of the product passage 102 b that houses the spiral member 117 </ b> A having the support shaft portion 121 of the partition plate 101 extends in the vertical direction and is bent. A guide plate 130 that slightly protrudes rearward from the front surface of 101a is attached.

  Further, a stopper 133 that extends in the vertical direction and protrudes to the left by a predetermined length is attached to the right side partition plate 101A of the commodity passage 102b that houses the spiral member 117A. The stopper 133 is for preventing the product stored in the product passage 102b from moving forward, and covers about ¼ of the width of the product passage 102b in the left-right direction. The reason why the stopper 133 is disposed on the right side of the commodity passage 102b is as follows. That is, since the spiral member 117A extends in a spiral shape while rotating downward in the clockwise direction, among the products stored in the product passage 102b, those stored on the right side of the support shaft 121 are lowered forward. The center of gravity is easily located on the front side. Therefore, by arranging the stopper 133 on the right side of the product passage 102b as described above, it is possible to reliably prevent the product from jumping forward from the product passage 102b.

  On the other hand, the partition plate 101B on the left side of the product passage 102a that accommodates the spiral member 117B without the support shaft portion 121 has a stopper 134 that extends in the vertical direction to the bent portion 101a at the front end and protrudes to the right by a predetermined length. Is attached. Similar to the stopper 133, the stopper 134 is used to prevent the product stored in the product passage 102a from moving forward. The stopper 134 is made of a synthetic resin (for example, polypropylene), and as shown in FIG. 24, the stopper 134 itself is attached to the bent portion 101a of the partition plate 101B, and protrudes rightward from the attaching portion 134a. The stopper main body portion 134b covers about 1/3 of the passage width of the product passage 102a. Moreover, in this stopper 134, the attaching part 134a is hard and the stopper main body part 134 is soft, and both 134a and 134b are comprised integrally. For this reason, even when a product hits the stopper main body portion 134b when the product is replenished from the front to the product passage 102a, the stopper main body portion 134b bends backward so that the product can be easily replenished. Further, the main body 134b of the stopper 134 returns to the original state when the product is stored in an appropriate state in the product passage 102a even if the main body 134b bends backward when the product is replenished. Therefore, the replenishment operator can easily confirm whether or not the product is properly stored.

  In addition, since the stoppers 133 and 134 only partially cover the product passage 102 instead of the whole, when the product is replenished, the operator can check the remaining amount of the product in the product passage 102. Can be viewed from the front. Accordingly, it is possible to quickly and appropriately determine whether or not each product passage 102 needs to be replenished with products, and product replenishment can be performed efficiently.

  In each partition plate 101 configured as described above, the three locking projections 132 at the rear end are respectively provided in the locking slits 104 a and 104 a of the internal plate 103 and the locking slit 128 c of the switch support plate 107. In the inserted state, it is locked to the internal plate 103 and the switch support plate 107. Further, the partition plate 101 is locked to the ceiling plate 107 with its upper end inserted into the locking slit 112 a of the ceiling plate 106 at its front end, and its lower end is the locking hole of the support member 108. In a state of being inserted from above (not shown), it is locked to the support member 108. As described above, each partition plate 101 is firmly attached in the product storage box 12, and as described above, a plurality of product passages 102 arranged in the left-right direction are defined.

  In the rear storage / dispensing unit 22 configured as described above, a plurality of products of the same item are stored in each product passage 102 in a state of being arranged in the vertical direction. In this case, in the product passage 102b that accommodates the spiral member 117A having the support shaft portion 121, one product is placed in each gap of the spiral portion 122 with the support shaft portion 121 in between, as in the product column unit 23 described above. They are inserted one by one and stored in a zigzag state when viewed from the front. On the other hand, in the merchandise passage 102a that accommodates the spiral member 117B without the support shaft portion 121, merchandise is inserted into each gap of the spiral portion 123, and is accommodated in a substantially straight state when viewed from the front. When the spiral member 117 is rotated at a predetermined angle (spiral member 117A: about 180 degrees, spiral member 117B: about 360 degrees) by the driving device 115 at the time of sale, the entire product in the product passage 102 is lowered downward. While moving, the lowest-order product is delivered downward from the delivery outlet 102 c at the lower end of the product passage 102.

  As shown in FIGS. 21 and 24, product guides 135A and 135B having a predetermined shape are provided at the rear part of each product passage 102 in accordance with the types of spiral members 117A and 117B provided therein. . These product guides 135A and 135B are formed by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, etc., and are detachably attached to the main body portion 104 of the internal plate 103 while extending in the vertical direction and protruding forward. It is attached.

  Specifically, the product guide 135A provided in the product passage 102b that accommodates the spiral member 117A is formed in a U-shape in which the planar shape is opened forward, and the left protruding portion extends to the vicinity of the outer periphery of the spiral portion 122. It extends. Thus, for example, as shown in the right half of FIG. 25 (a), when the product SA, which is ice with a stick, is stored in the product passage 102b as shown in FIG. As it is, it can be stably moved downward at the time of sale. On the other hand, the product guide 135B provided in the product passage 102a that accommodates the spiral member 117B is formed in a V-shape in which the planar shape opens forward, and the protruding portions on both sides extend to the vicinity of the outer periphery of the spiral portion 123. . Thus, for example, as shown in the left half of FIG. 25 (a), when the product SB, which is conical ice, is stored in the product passage 102a as shown in FIG. It can be moved downward stably at the time of sale.

  Further, each partition plate 101 attached in the product storage 12 can be easily detached from the product storage 12 by sliding it slightly upward and then pulling it forward. FIG. 25 (b) shows a state in which one partition plate 101b is removed and both product guides 135B and 135B are removed in FIG. 25 (a). In this case, the two adjacent product passages 102a and 102a that accommodate the spiral member 117B can be made into a single product passage having a wider passage width. Thereby, it becomes possible to store and sell a product SC of a larger size in the product passage.

  The product delivered from the product storage / dispensing device 13 configured as described above is guided while sliding down on the product chute 14 and is carried out to the product outlet 9.

  FIG. 26 shows the product chute 14. The product chute 14 is formed of a synthetic resin (for example, polypropylene) molded product by vacuum molding. As shown in FIG. 6, the planar shape is larger than the area occupied by the outlets 25a and 102c of all the product passages 25 and 102. Is formed in a slightly longer horizontally long rectangular shape, and the whole is curved convexly downward. The product chute 14 includes a chute main body 141 having a guide surface 140 for guiding the merchandise discharged from the payout outlets 25a and 102c, and a front wall 142 connected to the front end of the chute main body 141. Yes. At the center of the front wall portion 142, a projecting wall portion 143 having a U-shaped front surface and projecting forward is provided, and on the inside thereof, a product carry-out port 144 opening forward is formed. The product outlet 144 is located immediately behind the product outlet 9 and communicates with the product outlet 9.

  The guide surface 140 of the chute main body 141 is configured to guide the product that has been delivered and dropped from the delivery outlets 25a and 102c to the front while sliding down and to the product take-out port 9 through the product delivery port 144. Has been. Specifically, the guide surface 140 is formed of a continuous curved surface whose height gradually decreases toward the product carry-out port 144 (product take-out port 9). In addition, the inclination of the rear portion of the guide surface 140 is slightly larger than that of the front portion, and the inclination of both the left and right portions of the guide surface 140 is slightly larger than that of the central portion.

  The product chute 14 having the guide surface 140 as described above has a chute formed by bending the metal plate while the rear and left and right ends of the upper end are supported by the inner wall of the product storage 12. The product is mounted in the commodity storage 12 while being supported from below by the support plate 145.

  With the product chute 14 configured as described above, the product delivered from the product storage / dispensing device 13 can be guided while being smoothly slid down, and reliably delivered to the product take-out port 9.

  As described above in detail, according to the present embodiment, the rear part in the product storage 12 is partitioned by the partition plate 101 so as to define a plurality of product passages 102 aligned in the left-right direction. Of the rear space in 12, all the portions excluding the thickness of the partition plate 101 can be used as the merchandise passage, and the rear space in the merchandise storage case 12 can be effectively utilized. In addition, since the partition plate 101 is detachable in the product storage box 12, by setting the position and number of the partition plates 101 as appropriate, the passage width of the product passage 102 of the rear storage / dispensing portion 22 is made as large as possible. Alternatively, the number of commodity passages 102 can be increased as much as possible. Thereby, it is possible to flexibly cope with the shape and size of the product to be sold, the number of items, and the like, and to improve versatility.

  Further, in the rear storage / dispensing unit 22, a plurality of driving devices 115 are supported by a common ceiling plate 106, so that these driving devices 115 are unitized via the ceiling plate 106. Similarly, a plurality of sold-out detection switches 131 are supported by a common switch support plate 107, so that these sold-out detection switches 131 are also unitized via the switch support plate 107. Therefore, for example, when manufacturing the product storage / dispensing device 13, all the drive devices 115 are attached to the ceiling plate 106 and all the sold-out detection switches 131 are attached to the switch support plate 107 outside the product storage 12. By attaching the product storage 12 to the inner wall of the product storage 12, the product storage / dispensing device 13 can be manufactured more efficiently than when the drive device 115 and the sold-out detection switch 131 are installed one by one in the product storage 12.

  In addition, this invention can be implemented in various aspects, without being limited to the said embodiment described. For example, in the embodiment, the case where the product storage / dispensing device 13 is applied to a vending machine for selling ice has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and vending for selling various other products. It can also be applied to machines. The detailed configuration of the commodity storage / dispensing device 13 shown in the embodiment is merely an example, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention.

It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the vending machine provided with the goods storage / dispensing apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows the inside of the vending machine main body which abbreviate | omitted the cabinet. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a goods storage / dispensing apparatus and a goods chute. It is a front view which shows the goods storage / dispensing apparatus and the goods chute which were installed in the goods storage. It is a figure which shows the state which abbreviate | omitted the front side storage / dispensing part among the goods storage / dispensing apparatuses of FIG. (A) is sectional drawing which follows the VIa-VIa line | wire of FIG. 4, (b) is sectional drawing which follows the VIb-VIb line | wire of the figure. It is sectional drawing which follows the VII-VII line of FIG. It is a figure which expands and shows the upper part of FIG. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a goods column unit. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the ceiling plate of a goods column unit, and two right and left drive devices, and shows the state where the left drive device was removed from the ceiling plate. It is a perspective view which shows the state which isolate | separated the drive device, the case holder, and the joint, (a) shows the state which looked at the drive device etc. from diagonally upward, (b) shows the state which looked at the drive device etc. from diagonally downward. It is a perspective view which shows the state which isolate | separated the upper case part and the lower case part in the drive device. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of a drive device, (a) is a top view, (b) is a right view. (A) is sectional drawing which follows the XIVa-XIVa line | wire of FIG. 13, (b) is a figure which expands and shows the inside of the dashed-dotted line C of (a). It is a perspective view which shows a joint, (a) shows the state which isolate | separated the joint main body and the magnetic field interruption | blocking plate, (b) shows the state which the drive shaft of the drive device engaged with the joint. It is a front view which expands and shows the upper part and lower part of a goods column unit, and shows the state which removed the left spiral member from the goods column unit. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the switch support plate of a goods column unit, and two right-and-left sold-out detection switches, and shows the state which removed the left-hand sold-out detection switch from the switch support plate. It is a figure which shows a sold-out detection switch, (a) is a front view, (b) is a right view. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of a sold-out detection switch, (a) shows the state when goods are not sold out, (b) shows the state when goods are sold out. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a rear side storage / dispensing part. It is a perspective view which shows the state which isolate | separated the ceiling plate and the switch support plate from the rear side accommodation / dispensing part of FIG. It is a fragmentary perspective view which expands and shows a part of ceiling plate and drive device of a rear side storage and discharge part, and shows the state where one drive device and a joint were removed from the ceiling plate. It is a perspective view which shows a part of interior plate of a back side storage / dispensing part, a switch support plate, and a partition plate, and shows the state which removed the partition plate. It is sectional drawing corresponding to FIG.6 (b), and expands and shows a part of back side storage / dispensing part. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the accommodation state of the goods in a rear side storage / dispensing part. It is an external appearance perspective view which shows a goods chute.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine 12 Goods storage 13 Goods storage / dispensing device 22 Rear side storage / dispensing part 101 Partition plate 102 Product path 106 Ceiling plate (drive part supporting member)
107 Switch support plate (product detection unit support member)
115 Drive unit (drive unit)
117 Spiral member 131 Sold out detection switch (product detection unit)
133 Stopper 134 Stopper SA Product SB Product SC Product

Claims (3)

A product storage / dispensing device of a vending machine that stores a plurality of products in a vertically aligned state in the front and rear of a product storage, and delivers the products one by one at the time of sale,
It is provided to project forward on the rear wall of the product storage, extends in the vertical direction, and extends in the vertical direction for storing a plurality of products by partitioning the rear part in the product storage and in the horizontal direction. A partition plate defining a plurality of lined product passages;
A plurality of dispensing devices that are respectively provided in the plurality of commodity passages and that dispense the commodity from the commodity passages at the time of sale;
Equipped with a,
Each of the plurality of dispensing devices includes:
A drive unit;
It extends spirally in the vertical direction and is rotatably provided in the product passage. When sold, the product is rotated by a predetermined angle by the drive unit to move all products in the product passage downward. However, a spiral member that pays out the lowest product downward,
Have
A drive part support member that extends in the left-right direction across the left and right inner walls near the upper end of the commodity storage, is attached to the inner wall, and supports the drive parts of the plurality of dispensing devices;
A plurality of product detectors provided in each of the plurality of product passages for detecting the presence or absence of products in the product passages;
A product detection unit support member that extends in the left-right direction across the left and right inner walls of the product storage, is attached to the inner wall below the drive unit support member, and supports the plurality of product detection units,
Further comprising
At the time of manufacturing the product storage / dispensing device, the plurality of drive units are attached to the drive unit support member outside the product storage, and the plurality of product detection units are the product detection units. A product storage / dispensing device of a vending machine , wherein the drive unit support member and the product detection unit support member are mounted in a state of being supported by a support member, and then the product detection unit support member is mounted in the product storage. The partition plate is composed of a plurality of partition plates arranged at intervals in the left-right direction,
At least one of the plurality of partition plates, but the product storage dispenser of a vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that detachably attached inside the product storage. At the front end portion of the partition plate, it extends along the vertical direction, protrudes toward the product passage side, and is provided so as to partially cover the product passage, and allows the product stored in the product passage to move forward. The product storage / dispensing device for a vending machine according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a stopper for blocking.

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