JP5263892B2 - Article supply equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device for making operation impossible and displaying sold-out information of commodities when the commodities run short in an article supplying device for supplying a small article manually. <P>SOLUTION: An ejector mechanism (5), for pushing out the commodities stacked on a stocker (3) sequentially from the article stacked at the bottom toward a discharging mouth (4), and an operation mechanism (7) for manually reciprocating the ejector mechanism (5) are arranged, and a follow-up object (37) is laid on the article stacked at the top (bn). The article is discharged by feeding a coin and rotating the operation mechanism (7) one revolution from a neutral position (N). When the article stacked at the top is pushed out and the article in the stocker (3) runs short, the follow-up object (37) falls and the ejector mechanism (5) is locked at a drive position (EJ). At this moment, the operation mechanism (7) is halted at a halfway position (M) and cannot receive the coin. The follow-up object (37) makes a display operation mechanism (31) operate and displays the article sold-out information (30) on a display window (23) of a front wall of housing (2a). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an article supply apparatus such as a vending machine that sells small articles as commodities.

  Conventionally, a vending machine that sells various small articles as commodities is known. As such a vending machine, an electric type occupies the mainstream, but a manual mechanical type with no restrictions on the installation place by a power source or the like is preferable.

  The manual mechanical vending machine has a housing, a stocker for stacking a number of articles in the upper and lower parts inside the housing, a carry-out port for carrying out the lowest article from the stocker to the outside of the housing, and an outlet located at the back of the stocker. A reciprocating movement between the movement start position and the forward movement end position located at the bottom of the stocker, and an ejector mechanism that pushes out the lowest item from the carry-out port; and coins can be received at the neutral position and An operating mechanism provided with one-way means that can rotate only in one direction by receiving it, and a power transmission mechanism that reciprocally drives the ejector mechanism in response to the rotation of the operating mechanism.

  The operation mechanism includes a knob member that can rotate only in one direction. When a coin is inserted into a slit provided outside the housing, the knob member can be rotated only once at a predetermined rotation angle from the start point to the end point. An operation permission mechanism is provided. Specifically, the operation permission mechanism includes a locking means that can be freely engaged and disengaged, and is not allowed to rotate when the locking means is locked, but when the coin inserted from the slit is received in the pocket, It is configured to be rotatable by releasing the locking of the locking means with a coin.

  Thus, when the operation mechanism is in the neutral position, the coin can be received in the pocket, and the operation permission mechanism can rotate the operation mechanism in a state where the coin is inserted in the pocket.

  Therefore, a customer who wants to purchase an article inserts a coin into the slit and then manually rotates the knob from the neutral position. The power of the manually-rotated operation mechanism carries the lowermost article among the stacked articles by moving the ejector mechanism from the forward movement start position to the forward movement end position via the power transmission mechanism. Push to the exit. When this one-time operation is completed and the neutral position is reached again, the knob member is held unrotatable.

  By the way, even if a conventional vending machine has a shortage of stocker items due to being sold out, etc., when a coin is inserted into the slit, the coin is received in the pocket of the operation mechanism waiting in the neutral position, and the operation permission mechanism works. The knob member can be rotated. However, since the article is lacking, the ejector mechanism is idle. For this reason, a customer who does not know the lack of goods feels angry that the article is not supplied from the carry-out port even if the coin is inserted and the knob is rotated, causing trouble with the article supplier. .

  In view of this, an article supply apparatus has been proposed in which a follower that descends following the lowering of the uppermost article accompanying the carry-out of the article is provided, and a lock mechanism is configured by the follower. The follower is composed of a weight and is placed on the uppermost article. When the ejector mechanism pushes out the uppermost article from the carry-out port, the lock mechanism locks the follower and the ejector mechanism to each other. And the ejector mechanism is locked so as not to move. Therefore, in this locked state, even if the customer tries to rotate the knob member, it is not rotated.

JP 2008-152724 A JP 2003-296806 A

  In the above-described conventional technology, the lock mechanism provided in the article supply device locks the ejector mechanism so that the ejector mechanism cannot be moved, and thus the knob member of the operation mechanism cannot be rotated. There is no trouble to do.

  However, in the case of the prior art, the ejector mechanism that has pushed out the last article is locked so as not to move by the lock mechanism at the forward movement end position. At this time, the operation mechanism is in the neutral position, and the slit Can be received in the pocket.

  For this reason, when a customer who does not know that the ejector mechanism is in a locked state inserts a coin into the slit, the coin is inserted from the slit toward the pocket, making it impossible or impossible to remove the coin. The cause of trouble is still not solved.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problem, and when the stocker's goods are deficient, not only the ejector mechanism is locked so as not to move, but also information indicating that it is locked, in other words, that the product is sold out. Is provided, and an article supply apparatus configured to notify the customer of this information is provided.

  Further, the present invention informs the customer that the coin cannot be inserted when the operation mechanism refuses to accept the coin even if the customer tries to insert the coin into the slit while the ejector mechanism is locked. An article supply apparatus configured to abandon the input of the item is provided.

Therefore, the present invention is configured as a means, a housing, a stocker for stacking a number of articles vertically inside the housing, a carry-out port for carrying out the lowest article from the stocker to the outside of the housing, and a back part of the stocker And an ejector mechanism that pushes the lowest article toward the carry-out port by reciprocating between the bottom of the stocker, an operation mechanism that can rotate by receiving coins, and the ejector that receives rotation of the operation mechanism A power transmission mechanism that reciprocates the mechanism, and when the article of the stocker is deficient, a lock device that makes the ejector mechanism immovable, and a display that displays product sold-out information on a display window provided on the front wall of the housing Device is provided, the locking device is for the top-level article (bn) accompanying the carry-out of the article stacked on the stocker. A follower mounted on the uppermost article (bn) is configured to constitute a weight that descends following the lowering, and the follower descends with the carry-out of the uppermost article, and is a lower receiving member And an operating means for operating the display device. The display device is positioned on the back surface of the front wall of the housing and is on standby. A display plate that moves between the position (L) and the operating position (H) and that displays the information on the product sold out on the display window at the operating position (H), and a follower that descends as the top article is carried out. The display actuating mechanism is configured to engage the actuating means to move the display plate to the operating position (H), and the follower includes a first weight member provided with a locking means for locking the ejector mechanism; , Constituted by a second weight member provided with an operating means for operating the display operating mechanism, In a state where the second weight member is slidably moved vertically with respect to the first weight member and the first weight member is placed on the article, the lower surfaces of the first weight member and the second weight member are flush with each other. In the state where the article is removed, the display operation mechanism is operated by sliding the second weight member downward with its own weight with respect to the first weight member .

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the front wall of the housing provided with the display window is constituted by a door member that opens and closes the front opening of the housing, and the opening / closing hinge means of the door member is connected to the side edge of the front opening. In the state where the display operating mechanism is provided on the back surface of the door member and the display operating mechanism is engaged with the operating means of the follower to move the display plate to the operating position. When the door member is opened, the display operating mechanism is separated from the operating means of the follower, and the display plate is automatically returned to the standby position.

  The ejector mechanism moves forward from the forward movement start position (FS) located at the back of the stocker to the drive position (EJ) where the article is pushed out and located at the bottom of the stocker, and further, the forward movement ends from the drive position (EJ). After moving forward to the position (FE), it is configured to return to the forward movement start position (FS), and the operation mechanism can receive coins only at the neutral position (N), and the neutral position ( N) is configured to correspond to the drive position (EJ) with a rotation midway position (M) in which coins cannot be received before rotating in one direction and again reaching the neutral position (N). The locking means is configured to lock the ejector mechanism so that the ejector mechanism cannot move forward in a state where the ejector mechanism has moved forward to the drive position (EJ).

  The display operating mechanism swings up and down via a pivot on an operating piece provided on a display plate that is movable up and down between a lower standby position and an upper operating position, and a bracket provided on the back surface of the front wall of the housing. The swing member includes a swinging member that is movably pivoted. The swinging member extends from the pivot shaft to the operating piece and engages with the driving member, and the follower body extends from the pivot shaft in a direction opposite to the driving portion. A passive portion is provided that can receive the actuating means, and the follower is lowered from a state in which the swinging member maintains a substantially horizontal posture by receiving a downward biasing force of the display plate on the driving portion. Then, when placed on the receiving member, the passive part is moved downward by the operating means of the follower and the drive part is moved upward to raise the display plate.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the article of the stocker 3 is deficient, the ejector mechanism 5 is locked so as not to be moved, and the product sold-out information 30 is displayed on the display window 23, so that this is indicated to the customer. Since the notification is made, it is possible to prevent a customer trouble that is a problem in the conventional article supply apparatus. And since all of the locking operation of the ejector mechanism 5 and the display operation of the product sold-out information 30 are performed manually and mechanically, no electrical configuration is required. There exists an advantage that it can install suitably.
In particular, according to the present invention, when the last article bn is pushed out, the follower 37 lowers the first weight member 38 by the drop distance D1 and holds the lock locking piece 43 on the ejector mechanism 5. The second weight member 39 is lowered by the drop distance D2 with respect to the first weight member 38, and the actuating means 45 is lowered corresponding to the drop distance obtained by adding the drop distances D1 and D2. For this reason, for example, even when the height of the article bn is relatively low and the drop distance D1 is small, the downward movement distance of the operating means 45 can be increased, so that the display operating mechanism 31 is operated by a sufficient distance. The display board 26 can be moved to the operating position H.

  By the way, the sold-out information 30 functions effectively as a means of notifying the customer as well as the manager of the article supply apparatus 1 of the necessity of article supply. Therefore, according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the manager opens the door member 21 when replenishing the article, the display operating mechanism 31 is separated from the operating means 45 of the follower 37, and the display plate 26 is moved to the standby position. Since it is configured to automatically return to L, there is an effect that the manager does not need a complicated work of returning the display plate 26 from the operating position H to the standby position L.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, when the article of the stocker 3 is deficient, the follower 37 locks the ejector mechanism 5 at the drive position EJ that does not reach the forward movement end position FE, and allows the operation to be performed. Since the mechanism 7 is configured to lock the mechanism 7 so that it cannot rotate at the midway position M where the coin cannot be received before coming to the neutral position N, even if the customer tries to insert a coin into the slit, the coin is rejected. The customer can be informed that the coin cannot be inserted, and the customer's trouble can be surely prevented.

  According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage that the display operating mechanism 31 for operating the display plate 26 can be easily configured as a manual mechanical structure without providing an electric means. is there.

It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows an inside by opening the door member of one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view shown in the state which decomposed | disassembled the Example of a display apparatus and a display action mechanism. The example of a follower is shown, (A) is a perspective view which shows the state which combined the 1st weight member and the 2nd weight member from the back side, and (B) is an exploded view of the 1st weight member and the 2nd weight member. The perspective view which shows the state which carried out from the back side, (C) is a perspective view which shows the state which decomposed | disassembled the 1st weight member and the 2nd weight member from the front side. The operation of the display device and the display operation mechanism is shown, (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the display plate is in the standby position, and (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the display plate is in the operation position. It is a perspective view which shows the ejector mechanism and power transmission mechanism in one Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the action of the ejector mechanism and showing a state in which the slider has moved to the forward movement start position when carrying out the articles of the first article laminate. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the action of the ejector mechanism and showing a state in which the slider is moving forward from the forward movement start position when carrying out the articles of the first article laminate. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the action of the ejector mechanism and showing a state where the slider has moved to a drive position where the article is pushed out when carrying out the article of the first article laminate. It is sectional drawing which shows the effect | action of an ejector mechanism and shows the state which the slider moved to the forward movement start position when carrying out the articles | goods of a 2nd article laminated body. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the action of the ejector mechanism and showing a state where the slider has moved to a driving position where the article is pushed out when carrying out the article of the second article laminate. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the action of the ejector mechanism, in which the slider is moved to a driving position where the uppermost article of the second article laminate is pushed out and locked in a forward-movable state by a locking device.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the article supply apparatus 1 includes a housing 2, a stocker 3 for stacking a number of articles vertically inside the housing 2, and a lowermost article from the stocker 3 to the outside of the housing 2. And a forward exit position FS located at the back of the stocker 3 to a drive position EJ that is located at the bottom of the stocker 3 and pushes out articles, and further from the drive position EJ to a forward end position. An ejector mechanism 5 (see FIGS. 6 and 7) that moves backward to FE and then moves back to the forward movement start position FS, a power transmission mechanism 6 that reciprocates the ejector mechanism 5, and a front wall 2a of the housing 2 And an operation mechanism 7 that is manually rotated outside, and when the operation mechanism 7 is rotated, the ejector mechanism 5 is reciprocally driven via the power transmission mechanism 6.The operation mechanism 7 has a knob member 14, and a coin return port 4 a is provided on the front wall 2 a at a position below the knob member 14.

  As shown in the figure, the stocker 3 is preferably provided with a plurality of rows, and in the illustrated example, two rows of stockers 3A and 3B are arranged in parallel, and an ejector mechanism 5 is individually provided corresponding to each row of stockers 3. ing. As shown in FIG. 7, each row of stockers 3 includes a first tower portion 3a on the back side that houses a first article laminate A in which n articles a1, a2,. The second tower part 3b on the front side that houses the second article laminate B in which n articles bs, b1, b2,... Bn are laminated in order from the bottom is configured. The tower portions 3b are opened so that the lowest articles stored in the tower portions 3b can be moved in the pushing direction, but the upper portions are located on both side edges on the front side of the first tower portion 3a and the second tower portion 3b. A holding wall 3w that holds the article immovably is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the first article laminate A and the second article laminate B are supported by rails 9 provided with the lowest articles on both sides of the bottom of the stocker 3. The first rail part 9a that horizontally supports the lowest article a1 of the first article laminate A, the second rail part 9b that horizontally supports the lowest article bs of the second article laminate B, An inclined rail portion 9c having an upward slope from one rail portion 9a to the second rail portion 9b is continuously configured. Accordingly, the first rail portion 9a is positioned lower than the second rail portion 9b via the inclined rail portion 9c, and the lowermost article a1 of the first article stack A is the ejector mechanism 5. The article a1 advances while being lifted through the inclined rail portion 9c, and pushes the lowest article bs of the second article laminate B to the lower side of the adjacent upper article b1. It is configured to enter.

  As shown in FIG. 6, two ejector mechanisms 5 a and 5 b are arranged corresponding to the bottoms of the two rows of stockers 3 </ b> A and 3 </ b> B, and each ejector mechanism 5 is provided below each stocker 3. The slider 10 includes a guide portion 10a slidable along a guide rail (not shown). The slider 10 includes a first tongue piece 11a and a second tongue piece 11b that are swingable in the undulation direction. Each tongue piece 11 is normally held in an inclined posture with its tip erected in the forward movement direction of the slider.

  The power transmission mechanism 6 for reciprocating the ejector mechanism 5 includes a rotation drive mechanism 8a connected to the operation mechanism 7, and a reciprocation drive mechanism for converting the rotation of the rotation drive mechanism 8a into a reciprocating motion and transmitting it to the ejector mechanism 5. 8b.

  The reciprocating drive mechanism 8b includes a drive shaft 12 and crank mechanisms 13a and 13b provided on the drive shaft 12 corresponding to the ejector mechanisms 5a and 5b. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the drive shaft 12, crank mechanisms 13 a and 13 b are provided with a phase difference of 180 degrees in the direction around the axis, so that, for example, the first operation of rotating the knob member 14 of the operation mechanism 7 is the first ejector. The mechanism 5a moves forward from the forward movement start position FS to the forward movement end position FE, and in the meantime, the second ejector mechanism 5b moves from the forward movement end position FE (in other words, the backward movement start position BS) to the forward movement start position FS. It moves back to (in other words, back end position BE). In the second time, the first ejector mechanism 5a moves backward from the forward movement end position FE (in other words, backward movement start position BS) to the forward movement start position FS (in other words, backward movement end position BE). In addition, the second ejector mechanism 5b moves forward from the forward movement start position FS (in other words, backward movement end position BE) to the forward movement end position FE (in other words, backward movement start position BS).

  As shown in FIG. 6, the operation mechanism 7 includes a rotatable knob member 14, a rotary shaft 15 rotated by the knob member 14, and a one-way means 16 provided on the back surface of the knob member 14. The one-way means 16 includes, for example, a ratchet mechanism that allows a ratchet wheel that rotates together with the rotary shaft 15 to rotate only in one direction. Although not shown in detail, the operation mechanism 7 includes a disk-shaped casing 17 attached to the front wall 2a of the housing 2, and a slit 18 for inserting coins is formed in the upper portion of the casing 17, and the slit 18 Built-in operation permission mechanism that allows the knob member 14 to rotate only once from the neutral position N in a state where the coin is received in a pocket provided on the back of the knob member 14 when a coin is inserted into the casing 17 doing.

  The rotation drive mechanism 8a that receives the rotation of the operation mechanism 7 includes the rotation shaft 15, and bevel gears 19 and 20 that transmit the rotation of the rotation shaft 15 to the drive shaft 12 of the reciprocation mechanism 8b in a reduced state. It is configured. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the operation permission mechanism is configured to allow the knob member 14 of the operation mechanism 7 to rotate 360 degrees, and when the rotary shaft 15 is rotated 360 degrees, the drive shaft 12 of the reciprocating mechanism 6 is moved. By rotating 180 degrees, one article is pushed out from any one stocker 3 to the carry-out port 4. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the operation permission mechanism is configured so that the knob member 14 can be rotated by a predetermined angle range, and the article from the stocker 3 when the rotary shaft 15 rotates by a predetermined angle. The reduction ratio may be set so as to be carried out.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, when the operation mechanism 7 is in the neutral position N, the opening of the pocket provided on the back of the knob member 14 is matched with the slit 18 so that coins can be received. In this state, the first ejector mechanism 5a stands by at the forward movement start position FS. Therefore, when the operation mechanism 7 is rotated as shown by the arrow R1 by inserting coins, the operation permission mechanism allows the operation mechanism 7 to rotate, and the coin is removed from the opening of the pocket that is turned downward as the knob member 14 rotates. Is dropped downward, and the first ejector mechanism 5a moves forward to the drive position EJ to push the article out of the first stocker 3A. At this time, the operating mechanism 7 is located at a midway position M before coming to the neutral position N again. In the state of being located at the midway position M, the opening of the pocket of the operation mechanism 7 does not match the slit 18, so even if a coin is inserted into the slit 18 again, it is not received in the pocket.

  Therefore, when the rotation of the operation mechanism 7 is continued, the operation permission mechanism works in a state where the operation mechanism 7 has come to the neutral position N again, and the operation mechanism 7 is stopped so as not to rotate. While the operation mechanism 7 is rotated from the midway position M to the neutral position N, the first ejector mechanism 5a moves forward from the drive position EJ to the forward movement end position FE.

  When one article is carried out to the carry-out port 4 as described above and then a coin is again inserted into the slit 18, the operation mechanism 7 rotates again as shown by an arrow R2 as shown in FIG. can do. The first ejector mechanism 5a is moved from the forward movement end position FE (that is, the backward movement start position BS) to the forward movement start position FS (that is, until the operation mechanism 7 makes one rotation from the neutral position N and again reaches the neutral position N). Return to the return end position BE). During this time, similarly to the above, the second ejector mechanism 5b moves forward from the forward movement start position FS to the forward movement end position FE, and carries the article from the second stocker 3B to the carry-out port 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the front wall 2 a of the housing 2 is constituted by a door member 21 that closes and opens the front opening of the housing 2, and the opening / closing hinge means 22 of the door member 21 is opened to the front opening. It is provided on the side edge of the. And the door member 21 is provided with the display apparatus 24 which displays goods sold-out information on the display window 23 formed in the outer surface.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the display device 24 is provided with a frame frame 25 outside the display window 23 established in the door member 21, and the first bracket 26 a and the second bracket 26 on the back surface (inside) of the door member 21. A bracket 26b and a third bracket 26c are provided. The frame frame 25, the first bracket 26a and the second bracket 26b are fixed to each other by screws 27 with the door member 21 interposed therebetween, and the third bracket 26c is fixed to the door member 21 via screws not shown.

  The first bracket 26 a and the second bracket 26 b form holding grooves 28 and 28 that face each other on both sides of the display window 23, and both side edges of the display plate 26 are slidably inserted into the holding grooves 28 and 28. ing. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, the display board 26 is held so as to be movable up and down between the lower standby position L and the upper operation position H, and at the portion facing the display window 23 at the standby position L, For example, merchandise sales information 29 composed of characters “sold” is provided, and product sold-out information 30 composed of characters “sold out” is provided at a position facing the display window 23 at the operating position H. The display board 26 has a downward urging force due to its own weight, etc., and is normally positioned at the standby position L so that the product sales information 29 is displayed on the display window 23 and is raised by the display operating mechanism 31. When the operation position H is reached, the product sold-out information 30 is displayed on the display window 23.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the display actuating mechanism 31 includes an actuating piece 32 that is bent at the top of the display plate 26 and a swing member 33. The swinging member 33 is pivotally connected to bearing pieces 35, 35 provided on the first bracket 26a and the third bracket 26c with pivots 34, 34 provided coaxially at both ends. A drive part 33a extending from 34 to the lower side of the operating piece 32 and engaging therewith, and a passive part 33b extending from the pivots 34, 34 in the opposite direction of the drive part 33a are formed.

  Therefore, when the display plate 26 is inserted into the holding grooves 28 and 28 with the pivots 34 and 34 of the swing member 33 being pivotally supported by the bearing pieces 35 and 35, the operating piece 32 of the display plate 26 is moved to the swing member 33. The swinging member 33 is held in a substantially horizontal posture by the downward biasing force caused by the weight of the display plate 26. At this time, the upper ends of the holding grooves 28 and 28 form stoppers 28a and 28a for stopping the display panel 26 at the standby position L. From this state, as will be described later, when the movable member 33 is moved downward to the passive portion 33b, the drive portion 33a is moved upward to raise the display plate 26 to the operating position H. At this time, a stopper 36 for stopping the display plate 26 at the operating position H is provided.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a follower body 37 constituting a weight is placed on the uppermost article of the second article laminate B housed in each stocker 3A, 3B. As shown in FIG. 4, the follower 37 includes a first weight member 38 and a second weight member 39.

  The first weight member 38 is formed in a substantially U-shaped cross section including an upper wall portion 41 and a lower wall portion 42 that are bent in the back direction at the upper and lower ends of the front wall portion 40, and is a second tower portion 3b of the stocker. The lock locking piece 43 is formed so as to have a size that can be accommodated in the housing, is extended further from the lower wall portion 42 in the back direction, and is bent downward. The lock locking piece 43 is provided in the second tower. It is formed so as to protrude to the back side of the portion 3b.

  The second weight member 39 includes a sliding portion 44 slidably inserted into slide holes 41a and 42a formed in the upper wall portion 41 and the lower wall portion 42 of the first weight member 38, and the sliding portion. Actuating means 45 that is bent and protrudes in the front direction from the upper end of 44 is provided. In a state where the sliding portion 44 is inserted into the slide holes 41a and 42a, ribs 44a bent from both sides of the sliding portion 44 in the back direction so that the sliding portion 44 maintains an upright posture without tilting. 44a is aligned with the slide holes 41a, 42a, and the lower end rib 44b formed by bending from the lower end of the sliding portion 44 in the front direction is aligned with the lower slide hole 42a so as to be flush with the bottom surface of the lower wall portion 42. It is configured to be matched. Furthermore, in order to guide the sliding of the second weight member 39 in the vertical direction, vertical slits 46, 46 are formed on both sides of the sliding portion 44, and guide pins 47, 47 inserted into the slits 46, 46. Is provided on the front wall 40 of the first weight member 38.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, the follower 21 is the uppermost layer of the second article laminate B housed in the stockers 3 </ b> A and 3 </ b> B in a state where the first weight member 38 and the second weight member 39 are combined. Placed on the article. In this state, the operating means 45 protrudes from the narrow opening extending in the vertical direction between the holding walls 3w provided on both sides of the front of the second tower 3b of the stocker 3, and the lock locking piece 43 Protrudes from the back surface of the second tower part 3b and is located between the second tower part 3b and the first tower part 3a.

  As described above, when the operation mechanism 7 stands by at the neutral position N and the customer inserts a coin into the slit 18 of the casing 17, the knob member 14 can be rotated only once within a predetermined rotation angle range. is there. Therefore, when the knob member 14 is rotated, any one of the ejector mechanisms 5 moves forward from the forward movement start position FS to the forward movement end position FE via the power transmission mechanism 6. At this time, when the ejector mechanism 5 moves forward to the drive position EJ, the lowest article of the corresponding stocker 3 is pushed out toward the carry-out port 4.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, in the state where the first article stack A is stored in the first tower 3 a of the stocker 3 and the second article stack B is stored in the second tower 3 b, the ejector Since the second tongue piece 11b of the mechanism 5 is pushed down by the article a1, when the ejector mechanism 5 moves forward from the forward movement start position FS shown in FIG. 7, the first tongue piece 11a causes the outermost portion of the first article laminate A to move. The article a1 positioned at the lower position is moved while being pushed, and the lowest article bs of the second article laminate B is pushed out toward the carry-out port 4 through the article a1 as shown in FIGS. As described above, when the operation mechanism 7 is rotated from the neutral position N to the midway position M, the ejector mechanism 5 moves forward from the forward movement start position FS to the drive position EJ, thereby pushing out the article bs to the carry-out port 4. Thereafter, when the operation mechanism 7 is further rotated to the neutral position N after one rotation, the ejector mechanism 5 moves forward from the drive position EJ to the forward movement end position FE. Although the ejector mechanism 5 is moved backward later, the second tongue piece 11b is pushed back by the article a1, and the first tongue piece 11a is moved backward by the article a2. Therefore, by repeating the insertion of coins and the rotation operation of the knob member 14, the ejector mechanism 5 repeats the same operation to carry out the articles, and the articles of the first article laminate A are deficient as shown in FIG. .

  When the articles of the first article laminate A are deficient, the second tongue 11b of the ejector mechanism 5 is in a standing posture. Therefore, every time the ejector mechanism 5 moves forward from this state, the article of the second article laminate B is moved. It is pushed out toward the carry-out port 4 for one item from the lowest item.

  As described above, the follower 37 is placed on the uppermost article bn of the second article laminate B, and the follower 37 also descends following the lowering of the uppermost article bn as the article is carried out. To do. FIG. 11 shows a state in which only the last uppermost article bn remains in the second tower portion 3b as a result of extruding the article b of the second article laminate B. In this state, the follower 37 placed on the uppermost article bn has the lower surface 42 of the first weight member 38 and the lower surface of the lower end rib 44b of the second weight member 39 flush with the article bn. It is mounted on the upper surface of. The passive portion 33 b of the swing member 33 provided on the closed door member 21 of the housing 2 faces below the operating means 45.

  Therefore, after the ejector mechanism 5 is moved back by receiving the further rotation of the operation mechanism 7, the operation mechanism 7 is rotated by inserting a coin into the slit 18, and the ejector mechanism 5 is moved to the driving position as shown in FIG. When moving forward to EJ, the uppermost article bn is pushed out and the follower 37 falls. Since the first weight member 38 of the follower 37 is accommodated in the second tower 3b as having approximately the same size as the article bn, the rail 9 for guiding the carry-out of the article is used as a receiving member, and only the fall distance D1 is obtained. It falls and is placed on the receiving member. Since the second weight member 39 is sized to pass the interval between the receiving members (rails 9), the second weight member 39 falls through the slide holes 41a and 42a of the first weight member 38 as the fall distance D2.

  The first weight member 38 locks the lock locking piece 43 to the tip of the first tongue piece 11 a of the ejector mechanism 5 in a state in which the first weight member 38 stops falling by contacting the receiving member (rail 9). As a result, the ejector mechanism 5 is locked so as not to move forward from the drive position EJ toward the forward movement end position FE. Further, the operation mechanism 7 stops at the midway position M and is locked so as not to rotate toward the neutral position N. As described above, the operation mechanism 7 is configured so that the pocket opening is displaced from the slit 18 at the midway position M, and it is impossible to receive coins. Even if a coin is to be inserted into the slit 18, the coin is not inserted into the interior.

  FIG. 5 (A) shows the state in which the top article bn remains as the last product in the second tower section 3b of the stocker 3, and FIG. 5 (B) shows the state after the article bn is carried out. Yes. The position of the receiving member (rail 9) is shown as a reference level LV.

  In the state shown in FIG. 5A, the follower 37 is positioned above the reference level LV by the height of the article bn with the lower surfaces of the first weight member 38 and the second weight member 39 being flush with each other, At this time, the swinging member 33 constituting the display operating mechanism 31 maintains a substantially horizontal posture, and the passive portion 33 b faces the lower proximity position of the operating means 45. As described above, the display board 26 is stopped at the standby position L, and the merchandise sales information 29 is displayed on the display window 23.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (B), when the last article bn is pushed out, the follower 37 is dropped to lower the first weight member 38 by the drop distance D1 until the first weight member 38 is placed on the reference level LV. The second weight member 39 is lowered by the drop distance D2 through the slide holes 41a and 42a of the first weight member 38. As a result, the actuating means 45 provided on the second weight member 39 descends and swings corresponding to the total drop distance D1 of the first weight member 38 and the drop distance D2 of the second weight member 39. The passive part 33b of the member 33 is moved downward. For this reason, for example, even when the height of the article bn is relatively low and the drop distance D1 is small, the downward movement distance of the actuating means 45 can be increased. It is possible to move down only. Further, there is a distance between the stocker 3 and the door member 21, and the distance L1 from the pivot 34 of the swinging member 33 to the tip of the passive portion 33b and the distance L2 from the tip of the drive portion 33a are L1> L2. Even in this case, the drive unit 33a can be moved up by a sufficient distance, and the display plate 26 can be raised from the standby position L to the operating position H.

  Thus, when the last article bn is pushed out, the follower 37 is dropped, so that the ejector mechanism 5 is locked so as not to move forward from the drive position EJ to the forward movement end position FE. 7 is locked so as to be stopped at a midway position M in which coin insertion from the slit 18 is not accepted. At the same time, the display board 26 is moved to the operating position H, and the sold-out information 30 is displayed on the display window 23 to inform the customer that the sales are not possible.

  The sold-out information 30 effectively functions as means for notifying not only the customer but also the manager of the article supply apparatus 1 of the necessity of article supply. Therefore, when the article is replenished, the door member 21 is opened, the follower 37 is taken out from the front side of the housing 2, the article is then stacked on the stocker 3, and the follower 37 is placed on the top article again. And work is easy. In particular, when the door member 21 is opened, the swinging member 33 is simultaneously separated from the operating means 45 of the follower 37, and the display plate 26 is automatically returned to the standby position L by the downward biasing force. No complicated work is required to return the plate 26 from the operating position H to the standby position L.

  Of course, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the display plate 26 is rotatable between the standby position L and the operating position H in place of the configuration that can be raised and lowered as illustrated. The display actuating mechanism 31 may be configured by a link mechanism or interlocking means using a rope instead of the swinging member 33 that rotates with a pivot as shown in the figure. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Article supply apparatus 2 Housing 2a Front wall 3 Stocker 4 Unloading port 5 Ejector mechanism 6 Power transmission mechanism 7 Operation mechanism 8a Rotation drive mechanism 8b Reciprocating drive mechanism 9 Receiving member (rail)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Slider 14 Picking member 16 One-way means 18 Slit 21 Door member 22 Opening / closing hinge means 23 Display window 24 Display apparatus 26 Display board 29 Product sales information 30 Product sold-out information 31 Display operating mechanism 32 Actuating member 33 Swing member 33a Drive part 33b Passive Part 34 pivot 37 follower 38 first weight member 39 second weight member 43 lock locking piece 45 actuating means

Claims (4)

A housing (2), a stocker (3) for stacking a number of articles vertically inside the housing, a carry-out port (4) for unloading the lowest article from the stocker to the outside of the housing, the back of the stocker and the stocker The ejector mechanism (5) that pushes the lowest article toward the carry-out port by reciprocating between the bottom, the operation mechanism (7) that can rotate by receiving coins, and the rotation of the operation mechanism. A power transmission mechanism (6) for reciprocating the ejector mechanism (5),
When the stocker article is deficient, a lock device that makes the ejector mechanism immovable and a display device that displays product sold-out information on a display window provided on the front wall of the housing are provided,
The locking device is placed on the uppermost article (bn) by forming a weight that descends following the lowering of the uppermost article (bn) as the article stacked on the stocker (3) is carried out. The follower (37) is lowered when the follower (37) is lowered and placed on the lower receiving member (9) when the uppermost article is carried out, and the follower (37) is engaged with the ejector mechanism (5). A locking means (43) for stopping and an operating means (45) for operating the display device (24) are provided,
The display device (24) is located on the back surface of the front wall (2a) of the housing and moves between a standby position (L) and an operating position (H), and at the operating position (H), the display window (23 ) And the display plate (26) engaged with the operating means (45) of the follower (37) that descends as the uppermost article is unloaded. Is configured to move the display to the operating position (H).
The follower (37) includes a first weight member (38) having a locking means (43) for locking the ejector mechanism (5), and an operating means (45) for operating the display operating mechanism (31). The second weight member (39) provided with the second weight member (39) is slidably combined with the first weight member (38) in the vertical direction, and the first weight member (38) is an article. In the state where the first weight member (38) and the second weight member (39) are flush with each other, the second weight member (39) is attached to the second weight member (39) when the article is removed. An article supply apparatus configured to operate the display operating mechanism (31) by sliding downward with its own weight with respect to the single weight member (38) . The front wall (2a) of the housing provided with the display window (23) is configured by a door member (21) that closes and opens the front opening of the housing so that the opening and closing hinge means (22) of the door member can be opened. Provided at the side edge of the front opening, and provided the display operating mechanism (31) on the back of the door member
In the state where the display plate (26) is moved to the operating position (H) by the display operating mechanism (31) being engaged with the operating means (45) of the second weight member (39) , the door member When (21) is opened, the display operating mechanism (31) is separated from the operating means (45) of the second weight member (39) , and the display plate (26) is automatically returned to the standby position (L). The article supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article supply apparatus is configured as described above. The ejector mechanism (5) moves forward from the forward movement start position (FS) located at the back of the stocker to the drive position (EJ) for pushing the article located at the bottom of the stocker, and further from the drive position (EJ). It is configured to move backward to the forward movement start position (FS) after moving forward to the forward movement end position (FE),
The operating mechanism (7) can receive coins only at the neutral position (N), and cannot receive coins before rotating to the neutral position (N) after rotating in one direction from the neutral position (N). It is configured so that the midway rotation position (M) corresponds to the drive position (EJ),
The locking means (43) of the first weight member (38) is configured to lock the ejector mechanism (5) so that the ejector mechanism (5) cannot move forward in a state where the ejector mechanism (5) moves forward to the drive position (EJ). The article supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article supply apparatus is configured. The display operating mechanism (31) includes an operating piece (32) provided on a display plate (26) that is movable up and down between a lower standby position (L) and an upper operating position (H), and a housing Provided with a swinging member (33) pivotably connected to a bracket provided on the back surface of the front wall (2a) via a pivot (34),
The swing member (33) extends from the pivot (34) to the operating piece (32) and engages with the drive part (33a), and extends from the pivot (34) in the opposite direction of the drive part. A passive portion (33b) that can receive the operating means (45) of the second weight member (39 ) is provided,
The swinging member (33) is moved from the state where the drive unit (33a) receives a downward biasing force of the display plate (26) to maintain a substantially horizontal posture, and the follower (37) is lowered to receive the receiving member. when placed on the member (9), by upward movement of the drive portion (33a) said passive portion (33b) is moved downward by the second deadweight actuating means members (39) (45) The article supply apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the display board (26) is configured to be raised.

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