JP5477110B2 - Vending machine product storage device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a product storage device of a vending machine, and more particularly to a product storage device applied to a vending machine that sells products such as canned beverages and beverages in plastic bottles.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a serpentine type product rack is known as a product storage device of a vending machine that sells products such as canned drinks and plastic bottled drinks. Such a product storage device extends in a meandering manner in the vertical direction by laying a plurality of arc-shaped segments (passage components) between a pair of base side plates erected opposite to the left and right. It has a commodity storage passage defined in an existing manner. In addition, the product storage device is provided with a payout mechanism for cutting out and paying out the lowest product on the lower side of the product storage passage, while a top tray is provided on the upper side of the product storage passage. ing.

  The top tray is for product introduction provided in such a manner that it is gradually inclined downwardly from the front to the rear along the front-rear direction between the pair of base side plates. A product guide passage is formed in such a manner as to communicate with the upper end opening, and guides a product thrown in from the front to the upper end opening of the product storage passage.

  In the product storage device having such a configuration, when a product is replenished, the product is laid sideways on the top surface (product guide path) of the top tray in a posture. As a result, the product gradually rolls backward according to the inclination of the top tray, falls from the rear end of the top tray along the segments while rolling along the meandering product storage passage, and is lined up on the dispensing mechanism. Stacked and stored. When selling the product, the payout mechanism is driven based on the payout command to drop the lowest-order product downward. As a result, the product is sent to the product outlet of the vending machine.

  By the way, in such a product storage device, a flapper is provided in a segment that defines a product storage passage. The flapper is swingably provided in the segment in such a manner as to move forward and backward in the product storage passage, and is urged by biasing means such as a leaf spring and a coil spring, and normally moves forward into the product storage passage. . Then, by abutting against the product passing through the product storage passage, the product moves backward against the urging force of the urging means and allows the product to pass. Such a flapper cushions the impact applied to the product when the flapper itself abuts on the product, and corrects the attitude of the product in the product storage passage (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 4403963

  By the way, in recent years, products other than canned beverages and beverages in plastic bottles have been requested to be sold in vending machines due to the demand for diversified products to be sold. There is also a need to sell new products. For example, it is a container made of plastic and having a bottomed cylindrical shape, and its outer diameter gradually increases from the bottom portion toward the upper end opening, and the upper end opening is closed by a lid member. Such a container has such a characteristic that when placed on a horizontal plane in a posture, the outer shape of the container is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

  When a product such as a beverage placed in such a container is to be stored in the above-described product storage device (serpentine product rack), the product falls while rolling down in the product storage passage in a lying position. However, because of having the above-described characteristics, if the flapper comes into contact with the entire left and right width of the product, that is, the entire product height direction, the impact received on the upper end opening side having a large outer diameter is There is a risk that the product posture will be disturbed because it becomes larger than the impact received on the bottom side having a small outer diameter. Such a disturbance in the product attitude is not preferable because it causes a product jam in the product storage passage.

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention can achieve a desired posture without disturbing the product posture even if the product has an outer shape in which the central axis is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface when placed in a horizontal posture on the horizontal surface. An object of the present invention is to provide a product storage device for a vending machine that can be stored well.

  In order to achieve the above object, a product storage device for a vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention extends in the vertical direction by disposing a plurality of passage components between a pair of left and right base side plates. A product storage passage configured to sequentially store a product that has been input and placed in a horizontal position, and is swingably disposed in the passage component in a manner of moving forward and backward with respect to the product storage passage. Is urged by the urging means to advance into the product storage passage, and abuts against the product passing through the product storage passage, thereby retreating against the urging force of the urging means to change the posture of the product. A merchandise storage path of a vending machine that dispenses the lowest product out of the products stored in the product storage passage when a payout command is given. Lying on the horizontal plane When the product is placed with a force, the product having an outer shape in which the central axis is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane is alternately stored so that the wide side end of the product faces either the left or right side, The flapper member is characterized in that the width of the flapper member is set to a size that allows the flapper member to come into contact with the central region portion of the product in a lying position.

  According to the present invention, since the width of the flapper member is defined to be such that the width of the flapper member can be brought into contact with the central region portion of the product in the lying position, the impact received from the product does not change and the outside of the product in the contact range is not changed. Since the difference in diameter can be made sufficiently small and there is no possibility of disturbing the product posture of the product passing through the product storage passage, product clogging in the product storage passage will not be caused. Therefore, even if the product has an outer shape in which the central axis is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane when placed in a horizontal position on the horizontal plane, it can be satisfactorily stored in a desired posture without disturbing the product attitude. There is an effect.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing an internal structure of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing products stored in the product rack (product storage device) according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing products stored in the product rack (product storage device) according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the product rack shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the guide member shown in FIG. 4 in an enlarged manner. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the guide member shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship between the product and the flapper. FIG. 8 is a front view showing the product inlet shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing, in an enlarged manner, main portions of the guide mechanism shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing, in an enlarged manner, main portions of the guide mechanism shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the cam base that constitutes the guide mechanism shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a front view showing the product insertion slot shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. FIG. 13 is an explanatory view showing the passage width defining plate shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a plan view showing between the dispensing mechanism and the passage width defining plate.

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

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing an internal structure of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vending machine illustrated here sells a product in a cooled or heated state, and includes a main body cabinet 1, an outer door 2, and an inner door 3.

  The main body cabinet 1 is configured in a rectangular shape with a front surface opened by appropriately combining a plurality of steel plates, and has a product housing 4 with a heat insulating structure inside. The outer door 2 is for covering the front opening of the main body cabinet 1 and is disposed at one side edge of the main body cabinet 1 so as to be opened and closed. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, on the front surface of the outer door 2, a display window, a product selection button, a bill insertion slot, a coin insertion slot, a return lever, an integrated indicator, a coin return slot, a merchandise outlet 2a, etc. What is needed when selling products is provided. The inner door 3 is a heat insulating door for covering the front opening of the commodity storage 4, and is disposed at one side edge of the outer door 2 so as to be openable and closable at a position inward of the outer door 2. In the lower part of the inner door 3, there is provided a merchandise outlet 3 a for carrying merchandise out of the merchandise container 4.

  In addition, the vending machine has a product shooter 5 provided inside the product storage 4, and a temperature control unit 6 is provided in a region below the product shooter 5 (hereinafter also referred to as a “heat exchange region”). On the other hand, a product rack (product storage device) 10 is provided in a region above the product shooter 5 (hereinafter also referred to as “product storage region”).

  The merchandise shooter 5 is a plate-like member for guiding the merchandise 100 delivered from the merchandise rack 10 to the merchandise carry-out port 3a of the inner door 3, and is arranged so as to be gradually inclined downward toward the front side. It is. Although not clearly shown in the figure, the product shooter 5 has a large number of ventilation holes communicating between the heat exchange region and the product storage region.

  The temperature adjustment unit 6 is for maintaining the internal atmosphere of the commodity storage 4 in a desired temperature state, and includes a refrigeration cycle evaporator 6a, an electric heater 6b, and a blower fan 6c. In this temperature control unit 6, for example, when the blower fan 6 c is driven in a state where the refrigeration cycle is operated, the air cooled in the evaporator 6 a is fed upward through the vent hole of the product shooter 5. Can be maintained at a low temperature. On the other hand, when the blower fan 6c is driven while the electric heater 6b is energized, the air heated by the electric heater 6b is fed upward through the vent hole of the product shooter 5, so that the product storage area is maintained at a high temperature. be able to. Note that the compressor, the condenser, and the expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle are all disposed in a machine room that is outside the commodity storage 4.

  Here, the product 100 to be sold by the vending machine will be described. The vending machine sells products such as canned beverages and beverages containing plastic bottles, for example, but also sells products 100 in the following containers. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, it is a container made of, for example, plastic and has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and its outer diameter gradually increases from the bottom portion 101 toward the upper end opening 102, and the upper end opening 102 is not shown. It is closed by a film-like sealing material, and a plastic lid member 103 is attached to the upper end portion. For example, a coffee drink or the like is placed inside the container, and a folding straw (not shown) placed in a bag is attached to the surface of the container. As shown in FIG. 3, such a product 100 has such a characteristic that the center axis 100 a has an outer shape that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane 110 when placed on the horizontal plane 110 in a lying posture. And in this goods 100, an upper end part turns into the wide width side edge part used as a larger diameter than a lower end part.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the product rack 10 is arranged in three rows in the front and rear in the illustrated example, and a curved guide member (passage) called a segment between a pair of base side plates 11. The product storage passage 13 is formed in a meandering manner along the vertical direction by disposing the constituent elements 12, and a plurality of products 100 are stored in a lying position along the vertical direction inside the product storage passage 13. Is. More specifically, the guide member 12 is appropriately disposed on the front side and the rear side of the product storage passage 13 so as to face each other, and is fixed to the base side plate 11. The guide member 12 is obtained by processing a single plate-like member, and has a curved shape in which the side facing the product storage passage 13 is concave. The product 100 passing through the product storage passage 13 is alternately brought into contact with the concave surface of the guide member 12 disposed on the front side and the concave surface of the guide member 12 disposed on the rear side. Further, by alternately arranging the guide members 12 on the front side and the guide members 12 on the rear side in the vertical direction, the product storage passage 13 meanders along the vertical direction.

  Such a guide member 12 is provided with a substantially “h” -shaped flapper 14. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the flapper 14 is swingably disposed on the guide member 12 in such a manner as to move forward and backward with respect to the commodity storage passage 13. The flapper 14 is biased by a coil spring (biasing means) 15 and normally moves into the commodity storage passage 13. Then, by contacting the product 100 passing through the product storage passage 13, the device itself moves backward along the meandering product storage passage 13 against the biasing force of the coil spring 15 to correct the posture of the product 100. Is.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the width of the flapper 14 is regulated to a size that allows it to come into contact with the central region portion 120 of the product 100 in the lying position. As described above, since the width of the flapper 14 is defined to be a size that can contact the central region portion 120 of the product 100 in the lying position, as shown in FIG. Even when the wide-width side end is in a sideways posture facing the left, as shown in FIG. 7B, the upper end portion (the wide-side end) of the product 100 is in a sideways posture facing the right. However, the impact received from the product 100 does not change, and the difference in the outer diameter of the product 100 in the contact range can be sufficiently reduced.

  The merchandise storage passage 13 is provided with a top tray 16 at the upper end and a dispensing mechanism 30 at the lower end. The top tray 16 is a plate-like member for guiding the product 100 introduced from the front product input port 17 to the upper end opening of the product storage passage 13, and constitutes a product guide passage 18 on its upper surface. The top tray 16 is disposed in such a manner that it gradually inclines upward from the upper end of the commodity storage passage 13 toward the front side. Note that the top tray 16 is not provided at the upper end of the foremost product storage passage 13, and the upper end of the product storage passage 13 is integrated with the product input port 17.

  A guiding mechanism 20 is disposed in the vicinity of the product input port 17. The guide mechanism 20 is provided with a guide plate 21 formed on a flat plate so as to be rotatable. As shown in FIG. 8, the guide plate 21 is displayed on the front surface 21 a urging the user to insert the product 100 in such a manner that the upper end portion (the wide side end portion) faces the left side, and the product surface 100 is displayed on the back surface 21 b. Is displayed so that the upper end portion (the wide-side end portion) faces the right side. Protrusions 22 and 23 projecting to the side are formed on both sides of the guide plate 21, and the projecting part 22 on the right side is the base side plate 11 (right side) that constitutes the product rack 10. It penetrates a hole (not shown) formed in the side base side plate. On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the left side protruding portion 23 is provided with a pin 25 in a manner of penetrating the through hole 24, and the pin 25 is always directed leftward by a spring 26. Is energized. Further, the tip of the left-side protruding portion 23 is inserted into the insertion hole 27 a of the cam base 27, and the pin 25 is engaged with the valley portion 27 b of the cam base 27. Here, as shown in FIG. 11, the cam base 27 has an insertion hole 27a inside, and a trough portion 27b and a peak portion 27c. As described above, the insertion hole 27a is for insertion of the tip of the protruding portion 23 on the left side of the guide plate 21. The trough portion 27b is engaged with the pin 25. When the pin 25 engages with the valley portion 27b, the guide plate 21 is disposed such that either the front surface 21a or the back surface 21b faces the front. The mountain portion 27c has an inclined surface.

  Such a guide plate 21 rotates as follows. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when the product 100 indicated by a two-dot chain line is placed in a lateral position from the product insertion port 17, the guide plate 21 is brought into contact with the product 100. As a result, the pin 25 separates the trough 27b against the biasing force of the spring 26 and slides on the inclined surface of the peak 27c. That is, the engagement state between the pin 25 and the valley portion 27b is released, and the guide plate 21 rotates about its own axis, that is, around the central axis of both the protruding portions 22 and 23. At this time, the pin 25 sliding on the inclined surface is again engaged with the trough 27b by the biasing force of the spring 26, whereby the rotation of the guide plate 21 is a half rotation in which the front surface 21a and the back surface 21b are interchanged. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the guide plate 21 has a posture in which the back surface 21b faces the front, and prompts the user to insert the product 100 in such a manner that the upper end portion (the wide side end portion) faces the right side. Become. That is, the guide plate 21 makes the half turn of the guide plate 21 in such a manner that the front surface 21a and the back surface 21b are switched by being brought into contact with the product 100 inserted through the product input port 17.

  The payout mechanism 30 controls the behavior of the product with the passage width defining plate 31 to store the product in the product storage passage 13 in the standby state, and on the other hand, when a payout command is given, the corresponding product 1 to the product shooter 5 one by one. As shown in FIG. 4, the payout mechanism 30 includes a first pedal member 30a and a second pedal member 30b. The first pedal member 30a is swingably disposed so as to move forward and backward with respect to the product storage passage 13. In the standby state, the first pedal member 30a advances and moves into the product storage passage 13 to contact the lowest product. In the case where a payout command is given, the product moves backward from the product storage passage 13 and allows the product to move downward. The second pedal member 30b is swingably disposed in such a manner that the second pedal member 30b moves forward and backward with respect to the product storage passage 13. In the standby state, the second pedal member 30b moves backward from the product storage passage 13, while the product is turned off when a payout command is given. The advancing movement with respect to the storage passage 13 is brought into contact with the second product from the lowest position to restrict the downward movement of the product. Such a payout mechanism 30 is conventionally known and will not be described in detail.

  A spacer 32 is disposed on the passage width defining plate 31 facing the payout mechanism 30. The spacer 32 is formed by bending a plate-like member such as a steel plate, and is disposed so as to protrude into the product storage passage 13 in a manner in which the vertical direction is the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the spacer 32 is defined to have a size that allows contact with the central region portion 120 of the product 100 in the lying position, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, and the product 100 in the lying position. The product 100 functions to press the product 100 against the payout mechanism 30.

  In the product rack 10 having the above-described configuration, the guide mechanism 20 provided in the vicinity of the product input port 17 has a posture in which one of the front surface 21a and the rear surface 21b of the guide plate 21 faces forward, and the product input port. Since the guide plate 21 is rotated halfway in such a manner that the front surface 21a and the back surface 21b are switched by being brought into contact with the product 100 inserted through the product 17, the product replenisher can use the upper end (the wide side end) of the product 100. Can be determined according to information given from the guide plate 21, and the product 100 can be put in a desired posture. Thus, the product replenisher does not need to remember the previous loading posture of the product 100, and may adjust the loading posture of the product 100 according to the information given from the guide plate 21. As a result, the products 100 sequentially stored in the product storage passage 13 have a posture in which the upper end portion (the wide side end portion) alternately faces left and right. That is, the product storage passage 13 stores the product 100 alternately so that the upper end portion (the wide side end portion) of the product 100 faces either the left or the right.

  The flapper 14 that is swingably provided on the guide member 12 that constitutes the product storage passage 13 is defined such that its left and right width can be brought into contact with the central region portion 120 of the product 100 in the lying position. Therefore, the impact received from the product 100 does not change, the difference in the outer diameter of the product 100 in the contact range can be sufficiently reduced, and the product posture of the product 100 passing through the product storage passage 13 may be disturbed. There is no.

  In addition, the spacer 32 disposed on the passage width regulating plate 31 facing the payout mechanism 30 abuts against the central region portion 120 of the product 100 in the lying position and presses the product 100 against the payout mechanism 30. The product 100 at the lowest position can be surely cut out by the first pedal member 30a that constitutes, and the second product 100 from the lowest position can be reliably held by the second pedal member 30b. Moreover, since the spacer 32 presses the product 100 against the delivery mechanism 30, the posture of the product 100 delivered downward by the first pedal member 30a is also stabilized.

  As described above, according to the product rack 10 (product storage device) according to the embodiment of the present invention, the left and right widths of the flapper 14 can be brought into contact with the central region portion 120 of the product 100 in the lying position. Therefore, the impact received from the product 100 does not change, the difference in the outer diameter of the product 100 in the contact range can be made sufficiently small, and the product posture of the product 100 passing through the product storage passage 13 can be changed. Since there is no possibility of disturbance, the product storage passage 13 is not clogged with products. Therefore, even if the product 100 has an outer shape in which the central axis 100a is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface 110 when placed on the horizontal surface 110 in a lying posture, the product 100 is satisfactorily stored in a desired posture without disturbing the product posture. be able to.

  Further, according to the product rack 10, the guide mechanism 20 is arranged so that one of the front surface 21 a and the back surface 21 b of the guide plate 21 faces forward, and comes into contact with the product 100 introduced through the product insertion port 17. Since the guide plate 21 is rotated halfway in a manner in which the front surface 21a and the back surface 21b are switched, the product replenisher is given information from the guide plate 21 in the direction in which the upper end (the wide side end) of the product 100 faces. The product 100 can be thrown down and put in a posture, and the replenishment work of the product 100 having an outer shape in which the central axis 100a is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface 110 when the product 100 is placed on the horizontal surface 110 is simplified. However, it can be stored well in a desired posture.

  Furthermore, according to the product rack 10, the spacer 32 disposed on the passage width defining plate 31 facing the delivery mechanism 30 abuts against the central region portion 120 of the product 100 in the lying position, thereby delivering the product 100. 30, the product 100 can be reliably cut out by the payout mechanism 30, the posture of the cut out product 100 can be stabilized, and the center axis 100 a is placed on the horizontal surface 110 in a lying position. The product 100 having an outer shape inclined more than the horizontal surface 110 can be paid out satisfactorily.

  The preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications can be made.

  In the embodiment described above, as an example of the product 100, the container 100 is a plastic bottomed cylindrical shape whose outer diameter gradually increases from the bottom portion 101 toward the bottom portion 101, and the upper end opening 102 is not shown. In the present invention, the container is closed by a film-like sealing material and accommodated in a container having a plastic lid member 103 attached to the upper end portion. A cylindrical shape may be used.

  Further, in the embodiment described above, the shape of the flapper 14 is rectangular as shown in FIG. 6, but in the present invention, the flapper 14 is not limited as long as it can contact the center region portion of the product in the lying position. The shape is not limited, and may be a tapered shape in which the lateral width gradually decreases toward the tip.

  As described above, the product storage device according to the present invention is useful for, for example, a vending machine that sells products such as canned beverages and beverages containing plastic bottles, and the center of the product storage device particularly when placed in a horizontal position on a horizontal surface. It is suitable for storing products that have an outer shape whose axis is inclined from the horizontal plane.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body cabinet 2 Outer door 3 Inner door 4 Product storage 5 Product shooter 10 Product rack (product storage device)
11 Base side plate 12 Guide member (path component)
13 Product storage passage 14 Flapper 15 Coil spring (biasing means)
16 Top tray 17 Product inlet 18 Product guide passage 20 Guide mechanism 21 Guide plate 21a Front surface 21b Back surface 22 Projection portion 23 Projection portion 24 Through hole 25 Pin 26 Spring 27 Cam base 27a Insertion hole 27b Valley portion 27c Mountain portion 30 Delivery mechanism 30a First 1 pedal member 30b second pedal member 31 passage width defining plate 32 spacer 100 product 100a central shaft 101 bottom portion 102 top opening 103 lid member 120 central region portion

Claims (1)

A product storage passage that is defined in a manner extending along the vertical direction by disposing a plurality of passage components between the pair of left and right base side plates, and that stores sequentially the products that have been thrown in a lying position;
A product that is swingably disposed in the passage component in a manner that moves forward and backward with respect to the product storage passage, and is normally urged by an urging means to advance into the product storage passage and pass through the product storage passage. A flapper member that moves backward against the urging force of the urging means to correct the posture of the product by contacting the
In the product storage device of the vending machine that pays down the lowest product among the products stored in the product storage passage when a payout command is given,
When the product storage passage is placed in a horizontal position on a horizontal plane, the product has an outer shape in which the central axis is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and the wide side end of the product faces either the left or right side. It is to be stored alternately,
The product storage device of a vending machine, wherein the flapper member is defined to have a size such that a lateral width of the flapper member can be brought into contact with a central region portion of a product in a lying posture.

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