JP5630079B2 - Cup vending machine for cup vending machines - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cup transport device of a cup type vending machine that transports a cup in a vending machine main body to cook a beverage and sells the cup into a product outlet of a main door from the back side.

  Conventionally, as this type of cup conveyance device, for example, the one disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The cup transport device includes a cup holder for placing the cup and holding the cup sandwiched from both sides, and a transport mechanism for transporting the cup from front to back and from side to side by moving the cup holder in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. It has. The cup holder protrudes forward from the lower end of the box-shaped main body, and a cup stage on which the cup is placed, and a left and right that protrudes forward from the upper end of the main body, and grips the cup placed on the cup stage from both sides. It has two hand parts. On the other hand, the transport mechanism has two front and rear fixed rails extending in parallel in the left-right direction, and a movable rail that extends in the front-rear direction and spans between the two fixed rails and moves in the left-right direction along the fixed rail. The cup holder is provided on the movable rail so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the length direction of the movable rail. In addition, the main door is provided with a product outlet for a user of the vending machine to take out a drink-containing cup as a product. The product outlet portion has a front opening, and a cup carry-in port is provided on the rear side.

  This vending machine cooks beverages in the cup by supplying various powder ingredients and liquids for beverages (hot water, coffee, etc.) to the cup while moving the cup holder at the time of sale. The cup is carried into the product take-out port via the cup carry-in port on the back side of the product take-out port. Specifically, the movable rail stops just behind the product outlet, the cup holder stops near the front end of the movable rail, and the cup stage and both hand portions that support the cup are connected to the product via the cup carry-in port. A cup is carried in in the state which entered the outlet part. And sale is completed when a user takes out a cup from a goods taking-out part. In addition, in this cup transport device, in order to prevent mischief such as putting a hand or an object behind the product outlet, the cup holder is moved backward in the state where the cup is carried into the product outlet. Locked in a blocked state.

  In general, the vending machines as described above generally have a test sale to check whether the vending machine operates properly after the operator opens the main door and performs maintenance and replenishment of raw materials. Done. In this test sale, various devices of the vending machine are operated in the same manner as at the time of sale with the main door opened, and the operator confirms the operation. Then, after confirming that the test sale is properly executed, the main door is closed.

JP-A-10-255160

  As described above, in the test sales, various devices normally perform the same operations as the sales except that the main door is opened. Therefore, at the end of the test sale, the movable rail stops just behind the product outlet, and the cup holder stops near the front end of the movable rail at the end of the test sale. However, after the end of the test sale, the movable rail may move in the left-right direction when the operator touches the movable rail or the cup holder before the main door is closed. In this case, when the cup holder is shifted to the left and right with respect to the cup inlet of the product outlet and the main door is closed in this state, the back part of the product outlet and the cup stage or hand of the cup holder are closed. They may collide with each other and damage them.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. When the main door is closed after execution of test sales, the cup holder on the vending machine main body side and the product collection on the main door side are provided. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cup transport device for a cup-type vending machine that can avoid collision with the outlet portion, thereby reliably preventing damage to the cup holder and the product outlet portion.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a cup-type vending machine having a main door that can be opened and closed on the front side of a vending machine main body having an open front surface. A cup vending machine for a cup-type vending machine that transports a cup in the vending machine main body to cook the product, and carries the cup from the back side to a product outlet provided on the main door, A cup holder having a cup support provided so as to protrude forward from the main body, and holding the cup in a state of being supported by the cup support; and by moving the cup holder horizontally, the cup holder A horizontal conveyance mechanism that horizontally conveys the cup held in the cup and the horizontal conveyance mechanism, and the cup holder is attached to the cup when the beverage is provided at the time of sale. It stops in the sales position located product outlet section, at the end of the test sale, the cup support part preparative item a rear side of the rear surface of the outlet portion, a predetermined distance from the front end of the horizontal transport mechanism rearwardly, away And a control means for stopping at the test sales position.

According to this configuration, the cup held by the cup holder while being supported by the cup support portion is horizontally transported in the vending machine body by moving the cup holder horizontally by the horizontal transport mechanism. By controlling the horizontal transport mechanism by the control means, the cup holder is stopped at the sales position where the cup support portion is located in the product outlet portion together with the cup when the beverage is provided at the time of sale. Thereby, the cup with a drink is carried in into a goods taking-out part from the back side, and it provides to the user of a vending machine in the state which can take out the cup from the front of a goods taking-out part. On the other hand, at the end of the test sale, the cup holder is stopped at a test sale position at a predetermined distance away from the front end of the horizontal transport mechanism, with the cup support part behind the back side of the product outlet part. .

  As described above, the test sale is performed by an operator who performs maintenance of the vending machine, replenishment of raw materials, etc. in order to check the operation of the vending machine, and is performed with the main door opened. As described above, at the end of the test sales, the cup holder stops at the test sales position, so that the cup support portion of the cup holder is located behind the back surface of the product outlet portion. Therefore, after the test sale is performed, when the main door is closed, the cup holder on the vending machine body side and the product outlet on the main door side can be prevented from colliding with each other. Breakage of the take-out port portion can be reliably prevented.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the cup conveying device of the cup type vending machine according to the first aspect, the horizontal conveying mechanism has a movable part that extends in the front-rear direction and is movable in the left-right direction. By moving along the length direction on the movable part, a front-rear direction transport mechanism that transports the cup held by the cup holder in the front-rear direction, and by moving the movable part in the left-right direction, A left-right direction transport mechanism that transports the held cup in the left-right direction, and the front-rear direction transport mechanism stops the cup holder at the sales position by stopping the cup holder near the front end of the movable part, The cup holder is stopped at the test sales position by stopping the holder at a position away from the front end of the movable part by a predetermined distance.

  According to this configuration, the horizontal transport mechanism includes the front-rear direction transport mechanism having a movable part extending in the front-rear direction, and the left-right direction transport mechanism that moves the movable part in the left-right direction. The cup holder is configured to move in the length direction on the movable part. Therefore, the cup held by the cup holder can be easily transported forward, backward, left and right by moving the cup holder with the horizontal transport mechanism. Further, the front-rear direction transport mechanism stops the cup holder near the front end of the movable portion, thereby stopping the cup holder at the sales position, and thereby the cup is carried into the product outlet portion. Further, the front-rear direction transport mechanism stops the cup holder at the test sales position by stopping the cup holder at a position away from the front end of the movable portion by a predetermined distance. As described above, by adopting the horizontal transport mechanism configured as described above, a cup transport device that stops the cup holder at the sales position and the test sales can be easily realized.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the cup conveying device of the cup-type vending machine according to the second aspect, the cup holder locking means for locking the cup holder when the cup holder is located at the sales position and the test sales position. , Further provided.

  According to this configuration, the cup holder is locked at the selling position by the cup holder locking means, so that the cup holder becomes immobile. For example, even if a mischief such as putting a hand or an object behind the product outlet part is performed, the main body of the cup holder is located on the back side of the product outlet part, and the cup holder is moved backward. Since this is impossible, the above-mentioned mischief can be prevented. Further, the cup holder is locked at the test sales position by the cup holder locking means, so that the cup holder becomes immobile. For example, even if the operator touches the cup holder after the end of the test sale, it is impossible to move the cup holder forward, so even if the main door is closed after the end of the test sale, the cup holder and the main door side Collisions with the product outlet can be reliably avoided.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the cup transport device of the cup-type vending machine according to the third aspect, the cup support portion of the cup holder is configured to support the cup in a mounted state and to be movable up and down. A stage, and two gripping arms that support the cup placed on the cup stage from both sides, and the main body of the cup holder includes a drive mechanism for driving the cup stage, and a cup When the holder is positioned at the sales position and the test sales position, the cup stage is configured to be positioned at the lowest position, and the cup holder locking means is configured to move up and down integrally with the cup stage. Lock convex part that protrudes from the bottom surface of the main body when positioned at the lowest position and the upper surface of the movable part, and protrudes from the bottom surface of the main body Characterized in that it comprises a locking portion for locking the locking protrusion, was.

  According to this configuration, the cup holder has the cup stage and the gripping arm as the cup support portion, and holds the cup while being placed on the cup stage and gripped from both sides by the gripping arm. Thereby, the cup can be firmly held by the cup holder when the cup holder is moved or when the cup stage is moved up and down. Further, as the cup holder locking means, a lock convex portion is provided on the cup holder side, and an engaging portion is provided on the movable portion side. The lock projection moves up and down integrally with the cup stage, and when the cup holder is located at the sales position and the test sales position, the cup stage driven by the drive mechanism provided in the main body is positioned at the lowest position. Accordingly, it protrudes from the lower surface of the main body and is locked to the locking portion. As described above, the cup holder locking means for locking the cup holder to the sales position and the test sales position can be easily realized with a relatively simple configuration by the lock convex part on the cup holder side and the engaging part on the movable part side. Can do.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cup holder of the cup type vending machine according to the fourth aspect, wherein the locking portion is provided at the front end of the upper surface of the movable portion and is located at the sales position. When the lock convex part of this is abutted from the front, the sales position stopper that prevents the cup holder from moving backward, and the sales position stopper on the upper surface of the movable part are provided behind the sales position stopper and are located at the test sales position. A test sales position stopper that prevents the cup holder from moving forward when the lock convex portion of the cup holder abuts from behind is characterized in that it has a feature.

  According to this configuration, the sales position stopper and the test sales position stopper are provided as the locking portions at predetermined positions on the upper surface of the movable portion. When the cup holder is located at the sales position, the cup holder side lock projection is brought into contact with the sales position stopper from the front to prevent the cup holder from moving backward, thereby preventing the above-described mischief. Can do. On the other hand, when the cup holder is positioned at the test sales position, the cup holder side locking projection comes into contact with the test sales position stopper from the rear, so that the cup holder is prevented from moving forward. The collision between the cup holder and the product outlet portion described later can be reliably avoided. Thus, the engaging portion of the cup holder lock means can be easily realized with a relatively simple configuration by the sales position stopper and the test sales position stopper.

It is a front view which shows the cup type vending machine to which the cup conveyance apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention is applied. It is a perspective view which shows a cup carrying-in space definition part. The cup carrying-in space definition part is shown, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is sectional drawing which follows the cc line of (b). The cup conveyance apparatus and its periphery are shown, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is a top view. The cup holder is shown, (a) is a front view, (b) is a right view. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the raising / lowering operation | movement of the cup stage of a cup holder. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the cup conveyance operation | movement by a cup conveyance apparatus, Comprising: (a) is a top view, (b) is a side view which shows a cup holder and its periphery, The state just before carrying in is shown. It is explanatory drawing similar to FIG. 7, and has shown the state which the cup holder stopped in the sales position at the time of sale, and the cup was carried in to the goods extraction part. It is explanatory drawing similar to FIG. 7, and has shown the state which the cup holder stopped in the test sales position at the time of test sales. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating in order the disposal processing of the cup left in the goods extraction part. It is explanatory drawing following FIG. It is explanatory drawing following FIG.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a cup type vending machine to which a cup transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. This vending machine 1 sells beverages such as coffee and juice in a cup C. The vending machine main body 2 (see FIG. 4 (b)) having an open front surface and a front side thereof. The main door 3 is provided so as to be rotatable about a vertical axis via a hinge (not shown) provided at the left end, and opens and closes the front surface of the vending machine body 2.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of product plates 4 each displaying a plurality of types of beverage products to be sold are arranged in parallel at the upper part of the main door 3, and a product selection button 4 a is provided at the lower part of each product plate 4. It has been. Further, near the center of the main door 3 is provided a product outlet 5 for a user of the vending machine 1 to take out a cup C containing beverages. Further, the main door 3 is provided with a banknote insertion part 6 for inserting banknotes, a coin insertion slot 7 for inserting coins, and a coin return lever 8 at the upper right of the product outlet 5. A coin return port 9 is provided at the lower right of the exit portion 5.

  Further, the product outlet 5 of the main door 3 is opened to the front, and the front shape is a rectangular outlet 11 and is provided on the back side of the outlet 11 to provide a space for the cup C containing beverage to be carried in. A cup carry-in space defining unit 12 is defined. The outlet 11 is opened and closed by a door 11a. The door 11a is closed in a locked state at the time of sale standby, and when the beverage is provided at the time of sale, that is, when the cup C is carried into the product outlet 5, the lock is released and automatically opened. And then automatically closed when the cup C is removed.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the cup carry-in space defining unit 12 has a back wall 13, left and right side walls 14, 14 and a bottom wall 15, and is formed in a box shape whose front and upper surfaces are open. . The back wall 13 is formed with a cup carry-in port 13a having a predetermined shape penetrating in the front-rear direction. The left and right side walls 14 and 14 are provided with cup sensors 14a and 14a each composed of an optical sensor including a light emitting element and a light receiving element facing each other. By these cup sensors 14a, 14a, it is detected whether or not the cup C is present in the product outlet 5. In addition, the front end of each side wall 14 is provided with two upper and lower elongated mounting holes 14b, 14b, and the cup carry-in space defining portion 12 is connected to the main door 3 via these mounting holes 14b. It is screwed to. Further, the bottom wall 15 is formed with a recess 15a that is one step lower than the upper surface thereof and is continuous with the cup carry-in port 13a of the back wall 13.

  FIG. 4 shows a cup transport device 21 that transports the cup C and its periphery. The cup conveying device 21 is installed in the vending machine main body 2 at almost the same height as the product outlet portion 5 of the main door 3. As shown in the figure, the cup transport device 21 horizontally moves the cup C held by the cup holder 22 by moving the cup holder 22 horizontally, front, back, left and right. A horizontal transport mechanism 23 to be moved and a control device (control means, not shown) having a microcomputer for controlling them are provided.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cup holder 22 is provided so as to protrude forward from a main body 24 having a case 24a formed in a box shape and a lower end portion of the case 24a of the main body 24, A cup stage 25 (cup support part) that supports the cup C placed thereon and a cup C placed on the cup stage 25 are gripped from both sides so as to protrude forward from the upper end of the case 24a. There are two left and right grip arms 26 and 26 (cup support portions) that are supported in a state.

  The cup stage 25 is formed in the shape of a cage with a rectangular planar shape, and is driven up and down as shown in FIG. 6 by a cup stage drive mechanism (not shown) provided in the main body 24. It is configured. Further, the base 25a of the cup stage 25 is provided with a lock projection 25b (cup holder locking means) that protrudes downward and locks the cup holder 22 to a sales position and a test sales position, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 6, the lock protrusion 25 b is configured to move up and down integrally with the cup stage 25, and protrudes downward from the bottom surface of the main body 24 when the cup stage 25 is positioned at the lowest position. .

  On the other hand, the left and right grip arms 26, 26 are formed so as to extend in the front-rear direction with an interval in the left-right direction and to bend convexly in the opposite directions. Each gripping arm 26 is configured to be rotationally driven around the vertical axis at the base portion 26 a by a gripping arm drive mechanism (not shown) provided in the main body 24. Therefore, by rotating the gripping arms 26 and 26 so as to approach each other, the cup C placed on the cup stage 25 is gripped from both sides, and the gripping arms 26 and 26 are rotated so that they are separated from each other. The cup C is released by moving.

  The horizontal transport mechanism 23 is configured to transport the cup C held by the cup holder 22 horizontally in the front-rear direction by horizontally moving the cup holder 22 in the front-rear direction with the cup holder 22 supported from below. 31 and the left-right direction which horizontally conveys the cup C held by the cup holder 22 in the left-right direction by horizontally moving the cup holder 22 in the left-right direction with the front-rear direction transport mechanism 31 supported from below. A transport mechanism 32.

  The front-rear direction transport mechanism 31 is configured by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and has a box-shaped movable rail 33 (movable part) extending a predetermined length in the front-rear direction. Although not shown, this movable rail 33 is provided with two front and rear pulleys arranged at the front end portion and the rear end portion, and an endless timing belt that is wound around these and connected to the cup holder 22. It has been. A motor box 34 with a built-in stepping motor is provided at the rear end of the movable rail 33, and the timing belt is rotated by the rotation of the rear pulley by the motor. The holder 22 moves on the movable rail 33 along the front-rear direction.

  A front stopper 35a for locking the cup holder 22 to the sales position and the test sales position by locking the lock projection 25b of the cup holder 22 at a predetermined position of the front end of the upper surface of the movable rail 33. (Cup holder locking means, locking portion, sales position stopper) and rear stopper 35b (cup holder locking means, locking portion, test sales position stopper) are provided. These stoppers 35 a and 35 b are arranged at a predetermined interval in the front-rear direction, and both are fixed on the upper surface of the movable rail 33 so as to protrude by a predetermined height.

  In addition, the movable rail 33 is supported by a predetermined part on the front side from below by the left-right direction transport mechanism 32 and is slidable via a roller (not shown) on a rear rail part 36 whose rear end part extends in the left-right direction. Is engaged.

  The left-right direction transport mechanism 32 is configured by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape, and has a box-shaped fixed rail 37 extending a predetermined length in the left-right direction. Although not shown, the fixed rail 37 is provided with two left and right pulleys arranged at the left end and the right end, and an endless timing belt that is wound around these and connected to the movable rail 33. ing. A motor box 38 with a built-in stepping motor is provided at the left end portion of the fixed rail 37, and the timing belt rotates as the left pulley is driven to rotate by the motor. However, it moves on the fixed rail 37 along with the cup holder 22 in the left-right direction.

  A flat powder tray 39 made of a metal plate is provided below the cup transport device 21 configured as described above so as to be close to the lower surface of the fixed rail 37. The powder tray 39 is used to prevent powder raw materials and liquids (boiled water and beverages) for beverage cooking from falling on equipment or the like disposed in the lower part of the vending machine main body 2. The front tray 39a and the rear tray 39b are arranged in the front and rear directions, respectively. The front tray 39a is bent so that the front and rear end portions and the left end portion are bent upward, and is inclined slightly forward and downward toward the right.

  Further, on the right side of the front tray 39a, there is provided a cup discarding unit 41 for discarding a cup C containing a beverage left in the product outlet 5 due to a user forgetting to take it at the time of sale. The cup discarding part 41 is disposed below the cup disposal port 42 penetrating in the vertical direction, and is disposed for disposal of the cup C dropped from the cup disposal port 42 and the beverage in the cup C. The bucket 43, the cup C formed downward extending from the cup disposal port 42, the disposal chute 44 for guiding the discarded cup C and the beverage in the cup C to the disposal bucket 43, and the disposal of the cup C, A cup abutting plate 45 for abutting the cup C is provided.

  The cup contact plate 45 is configured by bending a metal plate having a predetermined shape or assembling each other, and is fixed to the inner surface of the right side wall of the vending machine body 2 by screws. The cup abutment plate 45 includes an upright portion 45a disposed so as to stand near the front end of the cup disposal port 42, and a left abutment portion 45b extending a predetermined length from the upper left end of the upright portion 45a to the left diagonally backward. And a rear contact portion 45c extending a predetermined length to the right from the rear end portion of the left contact portion 45b. The left contact portion 45b and the rear contact portion 45c of the cup contact plate 45 are located above the front tray 39a, more specifically, at a height between the cup stage 25 and the gripping arm 26 of the cup holder 22. positioned.

  In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, the several canister which supplies the several powder raw material for cooking various drinks is arranged in parallel by the left-right direction above the back tray 39b in the vending machine main body 2. FIG. . In addition, a large number of cups are stored in a stacked state above the cup disposal opening 42 in the vending machine main body 2, and the lowest cup is dispensed downward one by one at the time of sale and supplied to the cup holder 22. Supply device is installed. In addition, the cup supply device is usually composed of an optical sensor at the lower end of the cup supply device, and is provided with a cup payout sensor for detecting whether or not the cup has been paid out.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 7 to FIG. 9, the transport operation of the cup C by the cup transport device 21 at the time of sale and test sales will be described. When a desired beverage is selected by the user at the time of sale, the cup holder 22 moves below the cup supply device, and the supplied cup C is placed on the cup stage 25 and the gripping arms 26, 26 from both sides. Hold by holding with. Next, while the cup holder 22 moves back and forth and left and right, the cup holder 22 sequentially stops at a predetermined raw material supply position, a beverage supply position, etc. according to the selected beverage, and cooks the beverage in the cup C. Then, after the beverage has been cooked, the cup C is carried into the product outlet 5 of the main door 3 from the back side.

  FIG. 7 shows a state immediately before the cup C is carried into the product outlet 5. As shown in the drawing, when the cup holder 22 moves and conveys the cup C, the bottom surface of the main body 24 of the cup holder 22 is slightly higher than the front stopper 35a and the rear stopper 35b, and the upper surface of the movable rail 33 Move in a floating state. In addition, the cup stage 25 of the cup holder 22 is slightly higher than the lowest position, and the lock convex portion 25b provided on the base portion 25a is positioned at a position higher than the bottom surface in the state where it is accommodated in the main body portion 24. doing. Furthermore, the movable rail 33 of the front-rear direction transport mechanism 31 is located directly behind the product outlet 5.

  From the state shown in FIG. 7, the cup holder 22 moves forward, and as shown in FIG. 8, the cup C is carried into the product outlet 5 from the back side, and sales near the front end of the movable rail 33 are performed. Stop in position. Specifically, in a state in which the cup stage 25 of the cup holder 22 and the both holding arms 26 and 26 have entered the product outlet 5 via the cup inlet 13a of the cup carry-in space defining unit 12, the cup C Carry in. Thereafter, the cup stage 25 is lowered to the lowest position while the cup C is placed. Along with this, the lock protrusion 25b protrudes from the lower surface of the main body 24 and is positioned immediately in front of the front stopper 35a. Then, as described above, the door 11a of the product outlet 5 is automatically opened, and the cup C with beverage is provided to the user.

  In this case, for example, even if a mischief such as pushing the cup holder 22 backward and putting a hand or an object behind the product outlet portion 5 is performed, the lock convex portion 25b of the cup holder 22 is moved to the movable rail. It abuts on the front stopper 35a of 33 from the front. Therefore, the cup holder 22 is locked at the sales position in a state in which the backward movement is prevented, thereby preventing the above-described mischief.

  Further, in this vending machine 1, as in a general cup type vending machine, after the operator opens the main door 3 and performs maintenance, replenishment of raw materials, etc., does the vending machine 1 operate properly? A test sale is conducted to confirm whether or not. In this test sale, various devices perform the same operations as in normal sale except that the main door 3 is opened and the control of the stop position of the cup holder 22 at the end of the test sale.

  That is, at the time of test sales, the beverage is cooked in the cup C held by the cup holder 22 while moving the cup holder 22 in the same manner as at the time of sales. Then, the cup holder 22 moves forward from the state shown in FIG. 7 described above, and stops at a test sales position away from the front end of the movable rail 33 by a predetermined distance. FIG. 9 shows a state at the end of the test sale in which the cup holder 22 is stopped at the test sale position. The test sale is performed with the main door 3 opened. In FIG. 9, in order to show the positional relationship between the cup holder 22 and the cup loading space defining part 12 of the main door 3, the main door 3 is shown. 3 shows a closed state.

  As shown in FIG. 9, at the end of the test sale, the cup stage 25 and the both holding arms 26, 26 are positioned behind the product outlet 5, that is, behind the back wall 13 of the cup loading space 12. The cup holder 22 stops. Thereafter, the cup stage 25 descends to the lowest position as in the case of sales. Accordingly, the lock projection 25b protrudes from the lower surface of the main body 24 and is positioned immediately behind the rear stopper 35b. Thereby, the cup holder 22 is locked at the test sales position in a state where the forward movement is prevented. After the end of the test sale, the operator removes the cup C containing the beverage from the cup holder 22 and discards it in the disposal bucket 43.

  Next, referring to FIG. 10 to FIG. 12, after the cup C containing the beverage is carried into the product outlet 5 at the time of sale, the cup C left in the product outlet 5 due to the user forgetting to remove it or the like. The discarding process will be described.

  FIG. 10A shows a state in which the cup holder 22 is stopped at the sales position and the cup C is carried into the commodity outlet 5. After the door 11a of the product outlet 5 is opened, the cup C is not taken out for a predetermined time, and if this is detected by the cup sensors 14a, 14a, the cup C is left in the product outlet 5 The disposal process is executed.

  First, after the door 11a is closed and locked, the cup stage 25 is slightly raised, and the lock projection 25b is retracted into the main body 24 of the cup holder 22 accordingly. Then, as shown in FIG.10 (b), the cup holder 22 moves back. Specifically, the cup holder 22 moves to the rear side of the rear end of the cup contact plate 45 of the cup disposal unit 41 and stops. Next, as shown in FIG. 5C, the movable rail 33 moves to the right. Specifically, the movable rail 33 moves to the right from the rear contact portion 45c of the cup contact plate 45 and stops.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 11A, the cup holder 22 moves forward. Specifically, the cup holder 22 is configured such that the cup C is positioned on the front side of the rear contact portion 45c of the cup contact plate 45 and the main body portion 24 is positioned on the rear side of the rear contact portion 45c. Move forward, stop. Next, as shown in FIG. 5B, the movable rail 33 moves to the left. Specifically, the movable rail 33 moves to the left so that the cup C approaches the left contact portion 45b of the cup contact plate 45, and stops.

  Then, after the gripping arms 26 and 26 of the cup holder 22 are opened away from each other and the cup C is released, the cup holder 22 moves rearward as shown in FIG. Specifically, the cup holder 22 moves to the rear side of the rear contact portion 45c of the cup contact plate 45 and stops. In this case, the cup C placed on the cup stage 25 comes into contact with the rear contact portion 45c and is prevented from moving backward, thereby dropping from the cup stage 25 onto the movable rail 33.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 12A, the movable rail 33 moves to the left. Specifically, the movable rail 33 moves to the left of the left contact portion 45b and the rear contact portion 45c of the cup contact plate 45 and stops. In this case, the cup C on the movable rail 33 abuts on the left abutting portion 45 c and is prevented from moving to the left, thereby dropping from the movable rail 33 onto the front tray 39 a of the powder tray 39.

  In this case, when the cup C falls from the movable rail 33 onto the front tray 39a, the cup C may fall onto the front tray 39a in a collapsed state as shown in FIG. Many. In this way, when the cup C falls on the front tray 39a, the opening of the cup C faces the right side of the front tray 39a, that is, toward the cup disposal port 42 side, and the beverage in the cup C moves toward the cup disposal port 42 side. Flowing into. As described above, since the front tray 39a is inclined downward to the right, the beverage spilled on the front tray 39a flows to the cup disposal port 42 side and flows down along the inner surface of the disposal chute 44. In the disposal bucket 43. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the beverage from accumulating on the front tray 39.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 12C, the movable rail 33 moves to the right. Specifically, the movable rail 33 moves to the vicinity of the cup disposal opening 42 and sends it to the cup disposal opening 42 while pressing the cup C on the front tray 39a. Then, the cup C falls from the cup disposal port 42, is guided by the disposal chute 44, and is accommodated in the disposal bucket 43. Thus, the disposal process for the cup C is completed.

  As described above in detail, according to this embodiment, when a beverage is provided at the time of sale, the cup holder 22 is sold with the cup stage 25 and both gripping arms 26 and 26 entering the product outlet 5 together with the cup C. Stop in position. On the other hand, at the end of the test sales, the cup holder 22 is placed behind the back side of the product outlet 5 (the back wall 13 of the cup loading space defining unit 12) with the cup stage 25 and the holding arms 26, 26. Stop at the test sales position. Moreover, the cup holder 22 stopped at the test sales position is locked in a state in which it is prevented from moving forward by the lock projection 25b on the cup holder 22 side and the rear stopper 35b on the movable rail 33 side. Therefore, after the test sale ends with the main door 3 opened, the cup holder 22 will not move forward even if the operator touches the cup holder 22, so the main door 3 is closed after the test sale ends. Even so, it is possible to reliably avoid the collision between the cup stage 25 and the grip arm 26 of the cup holder 22 and the cup carry-in space defining part 12 on the main door 3 side, thereby reliably preventing the breakage thereof. Can do.

  Further, when the cup C left in the product outlet 5 is discarded, the cup C is transported to the cup discarding part 41 side by the cup transporting device 21 and the cup abutment plate 45 is used to It is dropped from the cup stage 25 onto the movable rail 33, and further dropped onto the front tray 39 a of the powder tray 39 from the movable rail 33. Then, the cup C on the front tray 39 a is sent to the cup disposal port 42, dropped while being guided by the disposal chute 44, and accommodated in the disposal bucket 43. Thus, since the cup C held by the cup holder 22 is once dropped onto the front tray 39a and then dropped into the disposal bucket 43, when dropping directly from the cup holder 22 into the disposal bucket 43, In comparison, the distance at which the cup C falls at one time can be shortened, thereby suppressing the upward splashing of the beverage in the cup C. As a result, it is possible to prevent the beverage that scatters when the cup C is discarded from adhering to the cup dispensing sensor of the cup supply device, and to ensure the continuation of the sale of beverage products in the vending machine 1.

  The detailed configurations of the cup holder 22 and the horizontal transport mechanism 23 of the cup transport device 21 shown in the embodiment are merely examples, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cup type vending machine 2 Vending machine main body 3 Main door 5 Product outlet part 21 Cup conveyance device 22 Cup holder 23 Horizontal conveyance mechanism 24 Cup holder main body part 25 Cup stage (cup support part)
25b Lock convex part (cup holder lock means)
26 Grip arm (cup support)
31 Front-rear direction transport mechanism 32 Left-right direction transport mechanism 33 Movable rail (movable part)
35a Front stopper (cup holder locking means, locking part, sales position stopper)
35b Rear stopper (cup holder locking means, locking part, test sales position stopper)
C cup

Claims (5)

In a cup-type vending machine provided with a main door that can be opened and closed on the front side of the vending machine main body with an open front, the cup is transported in the vending machine main body for cooking beverages in the cup at the time of sale. A cup transport device for a cup-type vending machine that transports a cup from the back side to a product outlet provided in the main door,
A cup holder having a main body part and a cup support part provided so as to protrude forward from the main body part, and holding the cup supported by the cup support part;
A horizontal transport mechanism for transporting the cup held by the cup holder horizontally by moving the cup holder horizontally;
Controls the horizontal transport mechanism, said cup holder, at the time of providing the beverage at time of sale is stopped sales position where the cup support part is positioned at the product outlet portion together with the cup, at the end of the test sale, the cup A control means for stopping the test sales position at a predetermined distance away from the front end of the horizontal conveyance mechanism, the support portion being behind the back surface of the product outlet portion;
A cup transport device for a cup-type vending machine, comprising: The horizontal transport mechanism is
A movable part extending in the front-rear direction and movable in the left-right direction is provided, and the cup held by the cup holder is moved in the front-rear direction by moving the cup holder along the length direction on the movable part. A front-rear direction transport mechanism for transporting to
A left-right direction transport mechanism that transports the cup held by the cup holder in the left-right direction by moving the movable part in the left-right direction;
The front-rear direction transport mechanism stops the cup holder at the sales position by stopping the cup holder near the front end of the movable part, and separates the cup holder from the front end of the movable part by a predetermined distance. The cup transport device of the cup type vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the cup holder is stopped at the test sales position by being stopped at the opened position.   The cup-type vending machine according to claim 2, further comprising cup holder locking means for locking the cup holder when the cup holder is located at the sales position and the test sales position. Cup transport device. The cup support portion of the cup holder is
A cup stage configured to be supported while the cup is placed and freely movable up and down;
Two gripping arms that support the cup placed on the cup stage in a state of gripping from both sides,
The main body portion of the cup holder has a drive mechanism for driving the cup stage, and when the cup holder is positioned at the sales position and the test sales position, the cup stage is positioned at the lowest position. Configured,
The cup holder locking means is
A lock projection that is configured to move up and down integrally with the cup stage, and projects from the bottom surface of the main body when the cup stage is positioned at the lowest position,
A locking portion that is provided on the upper surface of the movable portion, and that locks the locking projection protruding from the bottom surface of the main body portion;
The cup conveying device of the cup type vending machine according to claim 3, wherein The locking portion is
A sales position stopper that is provided at the front end of the upper surface of the movable part and prevents the cup holder from moving backward when the lock projection of the cup holder abuts from the front when positioned at the sales position. When,
When the upper surface of the movable portion is provided behind the sales position stopper and the lock convex portion of the cup holder abuts from the rear when positioned at the test sales position, the cup holder moves forward. A test sales position stopper to prevent
The cup conveying device of the cup type vending machine according to claim 4, wherein

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