JP5678608B2 - 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 commodity storage device is defined in such a manner that a passage component is disposed between a pair of base side plates that are erected so as to be opposed to the left and right, and extends in a meandering manner in the vertical direction. A product storage passage. 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. The top tray is disposed between the base side plates by inserting both end portions of the guide bar constituting the top tray into holes having irregular shapes formed in the base side plates.

  In the product storage device having such a configuration, when a product is replenished, the product is laid sideways on the upper surface (product guide path) of the top tray from the input port in a posture. Accordingly, the products gradually roll backward according to the inclination of the top tray, fall from the rear end of the top tray while rolling down the product storage passage, and are stacked and stored in a row on the dispensing mechanism. Then, when selling the product, the payout mechanism is driven according to the sales command to drop the lowest-order product downward. As a result, the merchandise is sent to the merchandise outlet of the vending machine and sold.

  And in the said product storage apparatus, it becomes possible to move a top tray along the front-back direction by moving the both ends of a guide bar within the unusually shaped hole formed in each base side plate, The front-rear width at the upper end opening of the product storage passage is adjusted (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2009-059342 A

  By the way, in the product storage device as described above, both ends of the guide bar constituting the top tray are inserted into the holes of the irregular shape of the base side plate, and the both ends move in the hole so that the upper end of the product storage passage is reached. Since the front-rear width in the opening was adjusted, it was necessary to form a hole having a different shape in the place where the top tray was provided in each base side plate. In particular, the location of the top tray varies depending on the length of the corresponding product storage passage in the vertical direction.

  Therefore, a base side plate that defines a row of product storage passages is formed with a hole having a different shape at a predetermined location, and the location of the hole is unique to the product storage passage. Such a base side plate cannot constitute another row of product storage passages whose lengths in the vertical direction are different from the product storage passage, thereby making it difficult to share the base side plate.

  Here, in order to share the base side plate, it may be possible to use the base side plate by forming a plurality of irregularly shaped holes at each height level in the base side plate. There is a possibility that it is formed excessively and the strength is insufficient. Further, depending on the base side plate, it may be impossible to form a hole having a different shape at each height level. As a result, it is difficult to make the base side plate common.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a product storage device for a vending machine capable of sharing a base side plate.

To achieve the above object, product storage device for the automatic vending machine according to the present onset Ming, defined in a manner extending along the vertical direction by arranging the passage forming elements between the right and left pair of base plates A vending machine comprising: a product storage passage for storing products in a lying position in order; and a top tray having a product guide passage for guiding products input through the input port to an upper end opening of the product storage passage. In the storage device, the top tray has a fixing member fixed between the base side plates by inserting a locking projection provided on a side end portion into a locking hole of each base side plate, and the top surface of the top tray is the product guide. A movable portion that defines a front-rear width at the upper end opening of the product storage passage by constituting the passage and engaging with the fixing member in a manner that allows displacement along the extending direction of the fixing member. Parts and Wherein the movable member, the engaging projection provided on a side end portion of the fixing member enters the engagement hole formed in itself, and the locking projection on the adjustment groove formed on its enters Thus, the engaging member is engaged with the fixing member .

  According to the commodity storage device of the vending machine of the present invention, the top tray is fixed between the base side plates by inserting the locking projections provided on the side end portions into the locking holes of the base side plates. And the upper surface of the product constitutes a product guide passage and is engaged with the fixing member in such a manner that it can be displaced along the extending direction of the fixing member. Since the movable member that defines the front-rear width is provided, the front-rear width of the upper end opening of the product storage passage can be adjusted regardless of the base side plate when the movable member is displaced with respect to the fixed member. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the base side plate with a hole having a different shape that allows the top tray to move in the front-rear direction as in the prior art, and the base side plate can be shared.

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 illustrating a case where the top tray illustrated in FIG. 1 is viewed from the side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the top tray shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the front left upper side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the top tray shown in FIG. 2 as viewed from the front lower left side. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a fixing member constituting the top tray shown in FIGS. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a case where the fixing member constituting the top tray shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is viewed from the front left upper side. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a case where the fixing member constituting the top tray shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is viewed from the lower left front side. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing a movable member constituting the top tray shown in FIGS. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a case where the movable member constituting the top tray shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is viewed from the front left upper side. FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a case where the movable member constituting the top tray illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 is viewed from the lower left front side. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure for displacing the movable member with respect to the fixed member. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a displacement procedure of the movable member with respect to the fixed member. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a procedure for displacing the movable member with respect to the fixed member. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a procedure for displacing the movable member with respect to the fixed member. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a procedure for displacing the movable member with respect to the fixed member. FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged upper end opening of the product storage passage shown in FIG. 1.

  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 main body cabinet 1 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”). The product storage device 10 is provided in a region above the product shooter 5 (hereinafter also referred to as “product storage region”).

  The product shooter 5 is a plate-like member for guiding the product paid out from the product storage device 10 to the product exit 3a of the inner door 3, and is arranged in a manner that gradually inclines 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 (not shown) for 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 arranged in a machine room 7 that is outside the commodity storage 4 although not shown in the drawing.

  In the illustrated example, the product storage device 10 is arranged in three rows in the front-rear direction, and the passage forming member 12 is disposed between the pair of base side plates 11 so as to meander along the vertical direction. A configured product storage passage 13 is provided, and a plurality of products are stored inside the product storage passage 13 in a vertically lying position along the vertical direction. More specifically, the passage forming 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 passage forming member 12 is provided with a flapper 14. The flapper 14 is swingably disposed on the passage forming member 12 in such a manner that the flapper 14 moves forward and backward with respect to the commodity storage passage 13. The flapper 14 is biased by a flapper spring 15 (see FIG. 16) and normally moves forward into the product storage passage 13. Then, by coming into contact with the product passing through the product storage passage 13, it moves backward along the meandering product storage passage 13 against the biasing force of the flapper spring 15 to correct the posture of the product. Is.

  In such a product storage device 10, a dispensing mechanism 16 is provided below the product storage passage 13, while an inlet guide 20 and a top tray 30 are provided above the product storage passage 13 as necessary. is there.

  The payout mechanism 16 controls the behavior of the product with the passage width defining plate 17 so as 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. Such a payout mechanism 16 includes a first pedal member 16a and a second pedal member 16b.

  The first pedal member 16a is swingably disposed so as to move forward and backward with respect to the product storage passage 13, and in a standby state, the first pedal member 16a abuts on the lowest product by moving forward into the product storage passage 13. 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 16b is swingably disposed in such a manner that the second pedal member 16b moves forward and backward with respect to the product storage passage 13. In the standby state, the second pedal member 16b moves backward from the product storage passage 13, but 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 16 is conventionally known and will not be described in detail.

  The inlet guide 20 is disposed so as to be swingable around the axis of a shaft member (not shown) in such a manner that it moves forward and backward to a product passage region 40 in the upper region of the product storage passage 13. Such a slot guide 20 contacts the product before being loaded through the slot and carried into the merchandise storage passage 13 to adjust the posture of the merchandise.

  The top tray 30 supports the insertion port guide 20 so as to be swingable. When the flat tray-shaped product guide member 50 that is gradually inclined downward from the front to the rear is disposed in the front area of the top tray 30, the top tray 30 is inserted through the inlet with the product guide member 50. The product is guided to the upper end opening of the product storage passage 13. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, such a top tray 30 includes a fixed member 31 and a movable member 32 that are each formed by bending a flat sheet metal. Here, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a case where the top tray 30 shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the side, and FIG. 3 is a case where the top tray 30 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a case where the top tray 30 shown in FIG. 2 is viewed from the lower left front side.

  5 to 7 show the fixing members 31 constituting the top tray 30 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, respectively. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the case seen from the front left upper side. FIG. 7 and FIG. 7 are perspective views showing the case seen from the front lower left side. The fixing member 31 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The fixing member 31 has a product guide base 311 and a passage configuration portion 312. The merchandise guide base 311 is a portion that gradually inclines downward from the front to the rear, and on which the movable member 32 is placed. The passage constituting portion 312 is a portion extending in a downwardly bent form from the rear end portion of the product guide base 311 and constitutes the product storage passage 13 together with the passage forming member 12 below the passage constituting portion 312. .

  In such a fixing member 31, a first locking protrusion 313, a second locking protrusion 314, and engaging protrusions 315a and 315b (sometimes simply referred to as an engaging protrusion 315) are formed. The first locking protrusion 313 is formed in a manner protruding left and right at the front end portion of the product guide base 311. The second locking protrusion 314 is formed in a manner that protrudes left and right at the lower end portion of the passage constituting portion 312. Both the first locking projection 313 and the second locking projection 314 are formed by curling a sheet metal constituting the fixing member 31.

  The engaging protrusions 315 are provided symmetrically in such a manner that they protrude left and right from the front and rear sides of the left and right ends of the product guide base 311.

  Such a fixing member 31 has a locking hole (not shown) in which a first locking projection 313 and a second locking projection 314 that protrude from the left and right ends of the fixing member 31 are formed in the pair of base side plates 11. ) Is fixed between the base side plates 11.

  8 to 10 show the movable members 32 constituting the top tray 30 shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, respectively. FIG. 8 is an explanatory view, and FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the case seen from the front left upper side. FIG. 10 and FIG. 10 are perspective views showing the case seen from the front lower left side. The movable member 32 will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The movable member 32 has a product guide part 321 and a hanging part 322. The product guide portion 321 is a flat portion having a lateral width equivalent to the product guide base portion 311 of the fixing member 31, and a product guide passage for guiding the product with its upper surface inserted to the upper end opening of the product storage passage 13. It is composed.

  The hanging part 322 is a part that extends downward from both side parts of the product guide part 321. These hanging portions 322 are provided with two engagement holes 323a and 323b and two adjustment grooves 324a and 324b, respectively. Both the engagement holes 323a and 323b have a long hole shape in which the longitudinal direction is the longitudinal direction, and are formed on the front side and the rear side of the hanging part 322. The adjustment grooves 324a and 324b are formed in such a manner that they are aligned in the front and rear direction in the front area further than the front engagement hole 323a. These adjustment grooves 324a and 324b both have an opening downward, but the front adjustment groove 324a extends from the opening toward the rear side, and the rear adjustment groove 324b extends forward from the opening. It extends towards the side.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the movable member 32 allows the engagement protrusion 315 of the fixing member 31 to enter the engagement holes 323 a and 323 b and the first engagement protrusion 324 b to the rear adjustment groove 324 b. The product guide 321 is engaged with the fixing member 31 in a state where the product guide 321 is placed on the product guide base 311 as the 313 relatively enters. The example shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 is a state in which the movable member 32 is displaced to the most front side with respect to the fixed member 31, and the rear end portion of the movable member 32 and the commodity storage on the rear side of the movable member 32. The width with respect to the member forming the passage 13 (the passage forming member 12 or the passage constituting portion 312 of the rear side top tray 30), that is, the front-rear width of the upper end opening of the product storage passage 13 is defined to be the largest.

  The movable member 32 can be displaced toward the rear side from the state shown in FIG. 2 as follows. As shown in FIG. 11, by moving the movable member 32 upward once so as to be separated from the fixed member 31, the first locking protrusion 313 that has relatively entered the adjustment groove 324b on the rear side is moved. The front engaging protrusion 315a is released from the front engaging hole 323a while being removed from the adjustment groove 324b. Then, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the movable member 32 is displaced rearward while the rear engagement protrusion 315b enters the rear engagement hole 323b, as shown in FIG. Further, the movable member 32 is displaced until the first locking projection 313 is positioned in the vicinity of the opening of the front adjustment groove 324a. After that, as shown in FIG. 15, the movable member 32 is moved downward so that the first locking projection 313 is relatively entered into the front adjustment groove 324a and the front engagement projection 315a is moved forward. The movable member 32 can be displaced rearward by entering the joint hole 323a.

  In the state where the movable member 32 is displaced to the rearmost side, as shown in FIG. 16, the front-rear width L of the upper end opening of the product storage passage 13 is defined to be the smallest.

  Next, when the movable member 32 is displaced toward the front side from the state shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the movable member 32 is first moved upward so as to be separated from the fixed member 31. The first locking projection 313 that has relatively entered the adjustment groove 324a is released from the adjustment groove 324a, and the front engagement projection 315a is released from the front engagement hole 323a. Next, in a state where the rear engagement protrusion 315b enters the rear engagement hole 323b, the movable member 32 is displaced toward the front side, and the first engagement protrusion is formed in the vicinity of the opening of the rear adjustment groove 324b. The movable member 32 is displaced until 313 is positioned. Then, by moving the movable member 32 downward, the first locking projection 313 is relatively entered into the rear adjustment groove 324b and the front engagement projection 315a is entered into the front engagement hole 323a. Thus, the movable member 32 can be displaced forward.

  In this way, the movable member 32 is engaged with the fixed member 31 in such a manner that the upper surface of the movable member 32 constitutes a merchandise guide passage and can be displaced along the extending direction of the fixed member 31. Defines the front-rear width L of the upper end opening of the commodity storage passage 13.

  In the product storage device 10 having the above-described configuration, the top tray 30 is configured such that the locking projections 313 and 314 provided at the side end portions are inserted into the locking holes of the base side plates 11, thereby The fixed member 31 fixed between and the upper surface of the fixed member 31 is configured to engage with the fixed member 31 in such a manner that the upper surface of the fixed member 31 constitutes a product guide passage and can be displaced along the extending direction of the fixed member 31. Since the movable member 32 that defines the front-rear width L at the upper end opening of the commodity storage passage 13 is provided, the commodity storage passage is disregarded regardless of the base side plate 11 when the movable member 32 is displaced with respect to the fixed member 31. The front-rear width L of the upper end opening 13 can be adjusted. Thereby, it is not necessary to provide the base side plate 11 with a hole having an irregular shape that allows the top tray 30 to move in the front-rear direction as in the conventional case, and the base side plate 11 can be shared. Moreover, since it is not necessary to form holes in the base side plate 11 more than necessary, there is no possibility that the strength of the base side plate 11 is impaired.

  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, the product storage passage 13 is defined by disposing the bent passage forming member 12 between the base side plates 11 as an example of a passage component. A product storage passage may be defined by installing a member called a segment as a passage component between the pair of base side plates.

  In the above-described embodiment, the displacement position of the movable member 32 is determined by relatively moving the first locking protrusion 313 of the fixed member 31 into the adjustment grooves 324a and 324b of the movable member 32. May adopt a configuration in which the displacement position is determined without relatively moving the locking projection into the adjustment groove.

  As described above, the product storage device of the vending machine according to the present invention is useful for a vending machine that sells products such as canned drinks and plastic bottled drinks.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Commodity storage apparatus 11 Base side plate 12 Passage forming member 13 Commodity storage passage 16 Discharge mechanism 20 Loading port guide 30 Top tray 31 Fixing member 311 Commodity guide base 312 Passage component 313 First locking protrusion 314 Second locking protrusion 315a Joint protrusion 315b Engagement protrusion 32 Movable member 321 Product guide part 322 Hanging part 323a Engagement hole 323b Engagement hole 324a Adjustment groove 324b Adjustment groove 40 Passing zone 50 Product guide member L Front-rear width

Claims (1)

A product storage passage which is defined in a manner extending along the vertical direction by disposing a passage component between the pair of left and right base side plates, and sequentially stores the product in a lying position;
In a product storage device of a vending machine comprising a top tray having a product guide passage for guiding a product input through an input port to an upper end opening of the product storage passage,
The top tray is
A fixing member fixed between the base side plates by inserting a locking projection provided on the side end portion into the locking hole of each base side plate;
The upper surface of the product storage passage is configured to engage with the fixing member in such a manner that the upper surface of the product constitutes the product guide passage and can be displaced along the extending direction of the fixing member. and a movable member defining a longitudinal width of,
In the movable member, an engagement protrusion provided on a side end of the fixed member enters an engagement hole formed in the movable member, and the engagement protrusion enters an adjustment groove formed in the movable member. A product storage device for a vending machine, wherein the product storage device is engaged with the fixing member .

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