JP6754613B2 - Goods payout device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article dispensing device that dispenses articles.

The prize payer installed in the game facility in Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of payout units housed in the cabinet, and each payout unit accommodates a plurality of prize cassettes. In the prize cassette, a plurality of prizes are stored in a stacked state. The prize stored in the prize cassette is paid out from the payout port formed above each payout unit on the upper surface of the cabinet.

Japanese Patent No. 5208698

It is known that goods such as prizes are distributed to the market in a state of being housed in a through box. In the case of Patent Document 1, it takes time and effort to manually take out the prizes wholesaled from the wholesaler to the amusement facility from the return box and transfer them to each prize cassette of the prize payer.

The present invention has been made under such a background, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article dispensing device capable of improving usability in handling articles distributed in a returnable box.

The present invention has a set portion in which a returnable box for accommodating articles in distribution is set, a storage portion that exists separately from the returnable box and stores articles, and a returnable box set in the set portion. This is an article dispensing device including a transfer unit for transferring articles from the storage unit to the storage unit and a dispensing unit for discharging the articles stored in the storage unit to the outside of the machine.

Further, the present invention is characterized by including an identification unit for identifying an article housed in a return box set in the set unit.

Further, the present invention is characterized by including a counting unit that counts articles housed in a return box set in the set unit.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the transfer unit transfers an article from the return box to the storage unit by dropping the article from the return box to the storage unit.

Further, in the present invention, a returnable box containing a card-shaped article in an upright posture is set in the set portion, the article is stored in the upright posture in the storage portion, and the payout portion is the storage portion. It is characterized in that the articles stored in the box are discharged in an upright position.

According to the present invention, in the article dispensing device, if a returnable box containing an article is set in the set unit, the transfer unit transfers the article from the return box to the storage unit, and then the dispenser unit Discharge the items stored in the storage section to the outside of the machine. In other words, even if the items stored in the return box are not manually removed from the return box and transferred to the storage section, if the return box containing the items is set in the set section, the items can be moved from the return box to the storage section. It will be transferred automatically. Therefore, it is possible to improve the usability of handling the goods distributed in the returnable box.

Further, according to the present invention, since the article dispensing device can identify the articles housed in the return box set in the set section by the identification section, as a result of the identification, only the target articles can be stored in the storage section. it can.

Further, according to the present invention, the article dispensing device can grasp the number of articles contained in the return box by counting the articles contained in the return box set in the set unit by the counting unit. ..

Further, according to the present invention, the transfer unit can transfer the article from the return box to the storage section by a simple configuration in which the article is dropped from the return box to the storage section by utilizing the weight of the article.

Further, according to the present invention, when the return box containing the card-shaped articles in the standing posture is set in the set portion, these the transferred articles are stored in the storage portion in the standing posture and then discharged. It is paid out in an upright position by the department. If the article is in an upright position, it is easy to grasp and pick it up after paying out, and the surface of the article is less likely to be scratched during payout.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a returnable box in a state where articles are housed. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the internal structure of the article dispensing device according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the article dispensing device according to the modified example. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC of FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the returnable box according to the modified example. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an outline of an article inspection device.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the return box 1 in a state where the article P is housed. An example of the article P is a card-shaped prize having a thickness of about several mm acquired by a player in a gaming facility such as a pachinko parlor. The returnable box 1 is formed in a shape of a long box in a predetermined direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1), and is made of resin, for example. On the upper surface of the return box 1 in the posture of FIG. 1 (referred to as “basic posture”), a rectangular entrance / exit 1A long in the longitudinal direction L of the return box 1 is formed, and the article P passes through the entrance / exit 1A. It is taken in and out of the storage space in the box 1. For example, the article P is housed in the storage space of the return box 1 in an upright posture in which the plate thickness direction coincides with the longitudinal direction L of the return box 1 and stands up from the bottom plate 1B of the return box 1, and the article P in this state , The upper part protrudes from the doorway 1A.

When a plurality of articles P are housed in the return box 1, these articles P are stored in the return box 1 in a state of being stacked in the longitudinal direction L. A maximum of, for example, 100 articles P can be stored in the return box 1. The storage space of the return box 1 is divided into a plurality of (for example, 5) small storage spaces arranged in the longitudinal direction L by a partition plate (not shown), and a predetermined number of articles P (for example, 20 sheets) are provided. ) May be accommodated in each small accommodation space.

The article P is distributed in the market in a state of being housed in the returnable box 1. In the case of prizes, the goods P are collected from the game facility, the exchange where the goods P acquired by the player are exchanged for cash, the wholesaler who purchases the goods P from the exchange and wholesales them to the game facility, and the wholesalers. The goods P are shuffled and then distributed in a returnable box 1 so as to pass through a compatible place to be distributed to each wholesaler.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the internal structure of the article dispensing device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The article payout device 10 is installed in the game facility. The vertical direction of FIG. 2 is the front-rear direction of the article dispensing device 10, the lower side of FIG. 2 is the front side of the article dispensing device 10, and the upper side of FIG. 2 is the rear side of the article dispensing device 10. Further, the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 2 is the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the article dispensing device 10.

The article payout device 10 includes a box-shaped device main body 11 forming an outer shell thereof, one replenishment unit 12 housed in the device main body 11 side by side in the left-right direction, and a plurality (here, six) payout units 13. including. As an example, the replenishment unit 12 is located on the far left. The replenishment unit 12 and each payout unit 13 are formed in a box shape having a depth in the front-rear direction. One loading port 11A and a plurality (here, six) outlets 11B are formed side by side in the left-right direction on, for example, the front end of the upper surface of the apparatus main body 11. The loading port 11A is located directly above the replenishment unit 12, and each payout port 11B is located directly above one corresponding payout unit 13 (same position in the left-right direction).

At the front end portion of the replenishment unit 12 located directly below the loading port 11A, a set portion 14 having a space large enough to receive the return box 1 in a posture in which the longitudinal direction L is vertically elongated along the vertical direction is provided. ing. The replenishment unit 12 is provided with a feeding roller 15, a stage 16, an actuator 17, a transport belt 18, a transport unit 19, an identification unit 20, and a counting unit 21.

The feeding roller 15 is driven and rotated around a central axis extending in the vertical direction by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor. A plurality of (three in this case) feeding rollers 15 form one row arranged in the front-rear direction, and two rows of these rows are provided on the rear side of the set portion 14 at intervals in the left-right direction. The stage 16 has a horizontally flat plate shape, and is adjacent to the two rows of the feeding rollers 15 from the rear side. The stage 16 moves up and down along the vertical direction according to the operation of the actuator 17, which is a drive unit of a stepping motor or the like. The transport belt 18 is, for example, a pair of left and right endless belts extending from the upper side to the rear side of the stage 16, and moves around by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor.

The transport unit 19 has a flat plate shape in the horizontal direction, and when it is in the standby position, it is adjacent to the rear end of the transport belt 18 from the rear side. The transport unit 19 is slidably supported in the left-right direction by, for example, the apparatus main body 11, and moves to the right from the standby position by receiving a driving force of a drive unit (not shown) such as a motor, and each payout unit It is possible to enter the rear end of 13 and return to the standby position. The identification unit 20 identifies the type and authenticity of the article P from the color or pattern on the surface of the article P or the identification information provided on the article P. The counting unit 21 has a configuration for counting articles P one by one, and a known counting sensor such as a light-shielding sensor can be used as the counting unit 21.

Within each payout unit 13, a transport payout unit 25 arranged on the upper side and a storage unit 26 arranged on the lower side of the transport payout unit 25 are provided (see also FIG. 3). In FIG. 2, in the payout unit 13A located on the leftmost side, the second payout unit 13B from the left, and the third payout unit 13C from the left, the transport payout unit 25 and the storage unit 26 are shown, but the rest. In the three payout units 13 on the right side of the above, the transport payout unit 25 and the storage unit 26 are not shown.

The transport / payout unit 25 includes a receiving space 27 that receives the transport unit 19 at the rear end inside the payout unit 13, a shutter 28 that is arranged in pairs in front of the receiving space 27, for example, and three sets of shutters 28. It includes a transport belt 29 arranged above and a payout portion 30 located directly below the payout outlet 11B at the front end portion inside the payout unit 13.

With reference to the payout unit 13A, the pair of shutters 28 in each set are closed so as to approach each other or separated from each other in the left-right direction by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown) such as a solenoid. It can be opened. The transport belt 29 is, for example, a pair of left and right endless belts extending forward from the receiving space 27 to the payout portion 30, and moves around by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor. The payout unit 30 includes a box-shaped holding unit 31 and a stage 32 arranged in the holding unit 31. The upper surface of the holding portion 31 is located lower than the transport belt 29, and an opening 31A facing the payout port 11B from directly below is formed on the upper surface thereof (see FIG. 3). The stage 32 has a flat plate shape in the horizontal direction, and moves up and down along the vertical direction by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown) such as a stepping motor.

The storage unit 26 includes a first unit 33, a second unit 34 located in front of the first unit 33, a stage 35, and an actuator 36. Each of the first unit 33 and the second unit 34 is formed in a thin box shape in the left-right direction. Each of the first unit 33 and the second unit 34 is slidably supported in the front-rear direction by the payout unit 13, and each payout unit 13 receives a driving force of a drive unit (not shown) such as a motor. Can be individually slid back and forth within (see payout units 13B and C). In each of the first unit 33 and the second unit 34, two vertically long box-shaped storage portions 37 are housed side by side in the front-rear direction. Each storage unit 37 is a component that constitutes the article dispensing device 10, and is different from the return box 1 described above. The upper surfaces of the first unit 33, the second unit 34, and each of the storage portions 37 are open, and the internal spaces of the first unit 33 and the second unit 34 are exposed to the upper side.

The stages 35 have a flat plate shape in the horizontal direction, and are arranged one by one at the same positions as the front end portion and the rear end portion of the transport belt 29 in the front-rear direction. Each stage 35 moves up and down along the vertical direction by receiving a driving force of an actuator 36 which is a driving unit of a stepping motor or the like. An opening (not shown) for passing the elevating stage 35 is formed on the lower surface of each of the first unit 33, the second unit 34, and each storage portion 37.

The operator inserts the return box 1 containing the article P into the loading port 11A of the apparatus main body 11 of the article dispensing device 10 from above in a vertically long posture with the doorway 1A facing the rear side, and the replenishment unit 12 Set in the set unit 14. The set unit 14 is provided with a configuration for positioning the set return box 1. Further, the loading port 11A may be formed on the front surface of the apparatus main body 11, for example, and the vertically long returnable box 1 may be set in the setting portion 14 by being fitted into the loading port 11A from the front side.

In the state where the return box 1 is set in the set portion 14, the portion of the article P housed in the return box 1 that protrudes rearward from the doorway 1A is located between the two rows of feeding rollers 15. When each of the feeding rollers 15 is driven and rotated in this state, the articles P in the return box 1 are fed out to the rear side in order from the lower articles P due to the friction between the feeding rollers 15 and the article P. The distance between the two rows of the feeding rollers 15 may be narrowed according to the operation of an actuator (not shown) or the like so that the feeding rollers 15 can surely come into contact with the article P in the return box 1.

The article P drawn out from the return box 1 to the rear side is placed on the stage 16. When a plurality of articles P are present on the stage 16, these articles P are in a state of being vertically stacked in a posture in which the thickness directions of the articles P are along the vertical direction. When the stage 16 is raised, the article P on the stage 16 comes into contact with the front end portion of the transport belt 18 from below. After that, the transport belt 18 orbits. As a result, due to the friction between the transport belt 18 and the article P, the articles P on the stage 16 are transported one by one from the upper article P to the rear side in order. In addition, on the lower side of the transport belt 18, for example, a transport surface (not shown) extending horizontally along the rear side is provided, and the transport belt 18 prevents the article P being transported from falling. ..

The articles P being transported by the transport belt 18 are identified one by one by the identification unit 20, and then counted one by one by the counting unit 21. The article P, which is identified as non-target such as a fake, is collected after being rejected by a reject unit (not shown) provided in the article dispensing device 10. The article P that has finished counting is delivered onto the transport unit 19 in the standby position. When a plurality of articles P are present on the transport unit 19, these articles P are in a state of being vertically stacked in a posture in which the thickness directions of the articles P are along the vertical direction.

When there are a plurality of types of the article P, each storage unit 37 is also divided for each type of the article P. Therefore, the transport unit 19 that has received the article P moves to the receiving space 27 of the payout unit 13 that has the target storage unit 37. In the payout unit 13, the first unit 33 and / or the first unit 33 and / or the first unit 33 and / or the first unit 33 so that the target storage unit 37 is located directly under the shutter 28 of either set prior to the transfer unit 19 reaching the receiving space 27. The front and rear positions of the two units 34 are adjusted.

Focusing on the payout unit 13A, when the transfer unit 19 reaches the receiving space 27, the transfer belt 29 orbits around. As a result, due to the friction between the rear end portion of the transport belt 29 and the article P, the article P on the transport unit 19 is conveyed one by one from the upper article P to the front side in order. An endless belt 39 (see FIG. 3) hung around a plurality of rollers 38 arranged in the front-rear direction is provided on the lower side of the transport belt 29, and the article P being transported is referred to as a transport belt 29. By advancing between the endless belt 39 and the endless belt 39, the article P is prevented from unexpectedly falling.

When the article P being conveyed by the transfer belt 29 reaches directly above the target storage portion 37, a pair of shutters 28 (second set from the front side in the payout unit 13A) located between the article P and the storage portion 37. Shutter 28) opens. As a result, the article falls from between the pair of open shutters 28 and is stored in the target storage unit 37. Articles P in a flat posture along the horizontal direction are stored in each storage portion 37 in a vertically stacked state (see FIG. 3). Then, by repeating the above operations of the feeding roller 15, the stage 16, the transport belt 18, the transport unit 19, the shutter 28, and the transport belt 29, all the articles P in the return box 1 set in the set portion 14 are removed. It is transferred to any storage unit 37. That is, at least the feeding roller 15, the stage 16, the transport belt 18, the transport unit 19, the shutter 28, and the transport belt 29 (including the drive unit that moves them) are moved from the return box 1 set in the set unit 14 to the storage unit 37. It functions as a transfer unit 40 for transferring the article P. The empty return box 1 is taken out of the machine through the loading port 11A.

When the article P stored in each storage unit 37 is to be discharged to the outside of the machine, first, one of the stages 35 is located directly under the storage unit 37 storing the article P to be discharged, and the storage unit 37 is located. The front and rear positions of the first unit 33 and / or the second unit 34 are adjusted so that any set of shutters 28 is located directly above. After that, the shutter 28 opens, and the stage 35 rises to enter the storage portion 37 from below and lift the article P in the storage portion 37. As a result, the highest-level article P in the article P lifted by the stage 35 comes into contact with the transport belt 29 from below. After that, the transport belt 29 orbits. As a result, due to the friction between the transport belt 29 and the article P, the article P on the stage 35 is conveyed one by one from the upper article P to the front side in order, and is put into the holding portion 31 of the payout portion 30. ..

In the payout section 30, the articles P thrown into the hold section 31 are stacked on the stage 32 in the hold section 31. After that, as the stage 32 rises, the article P on the stage 32 is lifted up to the payout port 11B directly above and is discharged to the outside of the machine. For example, the article P on the stage 32 may be pushed out to either the front or the back on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 11 by closing the shutter 41 (see FIG. 3) that opens and closes the payout port 11B. It should be noted that each payout unit 13 may be able to be pulled out from the device main body 11, and when the game facility is closed, the article P remaining in the article payout device 10 can be collected in a state of being stored in the storage unit 37. In that case, articles P of the same type may be collected in a specific storage unit 37 and then collected.

As described above, in the article payout device 10, if the return box 1 in which the article P is housed is set in the set unit 14, the transfer unit 40 transfers the article P from the return box 1 to the storage unit 37. After that, the payout unit 30 pays out the article P stored in the storage unit 37 to the outside of the machine. That is, even if the article P housed in the return box 1 is not manually taken out from the return box 1 and transferred to the storage section 37, if the return box 1 containing the article P is set in the set section 14, the article P is automatically transferred from the returnable box 1 to the storage unit 37. Therefore, it is possible to improve the usability of handling the article P that is distributed in the return box 1.

Further, since the article P housed in the return box 1 set in the set unit 14 can be identified by the identification unit 20, only the target article P can be stored in the storage unit 37 as a result of the identification. Therefore, in the amusement facility in which the article payout device 10 is installed, the authenticity of the article P can be identified at the timing of receiving the article P from the wholesaler, and the non-target article P can be rejected. Further, the article payout device 10 can grasp the number of articles P housed in the return box 1 by counting the articles P housed in the return box 1 set in the set unit 14 by the counting unit 21. it can. In the article dispensing device 10, by combining the counting result by the counting unit 21 and the identification result by the identification unit 20, it is possible to clearly grasp what kind of article P is stored in each storage unit 37 and how much.

Next, the article dispensing device 50 according to the modified example will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. The direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. 4 (vertical direction in FIG. 5) is the front-rear direction of the article dispensing device 50, and the front side (lower side in FIG. 5) of the paper surface of FIG. 4 is the front side of the article dispensing device 50. Yes, the back side of the paper surface in FIG. 4 (upper side in FIG. 5) is the rear side of the article dispensing device 50.

With reference to FIG. 4, the article payout device 50 includes a box-shaped device main body 51 forming an outer shell thereof, and a plurality of (here, five) payout units 52 housed in the device main body 51 side by side in the left-right direction. And include. Each payout unit 52 is formed in a box shape having a depth in the front-rear direction. At a position on the front surface of the apparatus main body 51 that overlaps with each payout unit 52, a plurality of rows (here, two rows) composed of a plurality of loading ports 51A arranged side by side (here, three rows) are spaced vertically apart. It is provided. From each loading port 51A, the inside of the payout unit 52 behind it can be accessed. A door (not shown) for opening and closing each loading port 51A may be provided on the front surface of the device main body 51.

With reference to FIG. 5, the internal space of each payout unit 52 is related to the payout of the article P as the replenishment area 53 as a set portion in which the return box 1 is set as the area of the substantially front half and the area of the article P as the area of the substantially second half. It is partitioned into a payout area 54. As described above, since the internal space of each payout unit 52 is divided into a replenishment area 53 and a payout area 54 for each role, the maintainability of each area can be improved. In the replenishment area 53 of each payout unit 52, two returnable boxes 1 whose longitudinal direction L is horizontally long along the front-rear direction can be set side by side, and a set of two returnable boxes 1 on the left and right can be set up and down. 3 sets can be set side by side. That is, in the replenishment area 53 of each payout unit 52, the same number (six in this case) of returnable boxes 1 as the loading port 51A can be set side by side in the vertical and horizontal directions (see FIG. 4).

A feeding roller 55 and a payout portion 56 are provided at the front end portion of the payout area 54. The feeding roller 55 is arranged substantially at the center in the left-right direction at the front end portion of the payout area 54. The feeding roller 55 is driven and rotated around a central axis extending in the vertical direction by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor. In FIG. 5, in the four payout units 52 on the left side other than the payout unit 52A located on the far right side, the illustration of the internal configuration of the payout roller 5 and the payout portion 56 is omitted.

The payout portion 56 is arranged on the left side of the payout roller 55. The payout portion 56 includes a box-shaped casing 57 and a box-shaped holding portion 58 housed in the casing 57. The upper surfaces of the casing 57 and the holding portion 58 are open, and their internal spaces are exposed upward. An inlet 57A formed in a vertically elongated slit shape is formed at a position facing the feeding roller 55 from the left side on the right side surface of the casing 57. Inside the casing 57, a pair of front and rear intake rollers 59 that sandwich the inlet 57A from the front and rear direction are provided. Each intake roller 59 is driven and rotated around a central axis extending in the vertical direction by receiving a driving force of a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor.

An inlet 58A formed in a vertically elongated slit shape is formed at a position facing the pair of intake rollers 59 from the left side on the right side surface of the holding portion 58. In the holding portion 58, a plate-shaped pressing portion 60 having a plate thickness direction corresponding to the front-rear direction and an urging member 61 such as a spring that urges the pressing portion 60 to the front side are provided.

The holding portion 58 is slidably supported in the vertical direction by the casing 57, and moves up and down along the vertical direction by receiving a driving force of a driving portion (not shown) such as an actuator. One payout outlet 51B is formed on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 51 at a position directly above the holding portion 58 of each payout unit 52.

With reference to FIG. 6, inside each of the payout units 52, storage portions 62 formed in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped long front and rear are provided. The storage unit 62 is a component that constitutes the article dispensing device 50, and is different from the return box 1 described above. The storage unit 62 is movably supported by the payout unit 52 in the front-rear and up-down directions, and by receiving the driving force of a drive unit (not shown) such as an actuator, each payout unit 52 is in a longitudinal posture in the front-rear direction. Can move across the replenishment area 53 and the payout area 54 in the internal space of.

The worker puts the return box 1 containing the article P in the standing posture in the basic posture in which the return box 1 is horizontally elongated in the front-rear direction and the entrance 1A faces upward, and as shown by the white arrow, the loading port of the article dispensing device 50. It is inserted into 51A from the front side and set in the replenishment area 53 of any of the payout units 52. In addition, it should be noted
The article dispensing device 50 may include, for example, a tray-shaped support portion (not shown) that supports the returnable box 1 at the time of insertion from below. Further, the replenishment area 53 is provided with a configuration for positioning the set return box 1.

The storage unit 62 moves to just below the return box 1 set in the replenishment area 53. In the return box 1 applied to the article dispensing device 50 according to the modified example, an opening (not shown) is formed in the bottom plate 1B thereof, and a shutter (not shown) for opening and closing the opening is provided. The replenishment area 53 of the payout unit 52 includes an actuator for opening and closing the shutter (not shown) of the bottom plate 1B of the return box 1, and an opening (not shown) formed in the bottom plate 1B of the return box 1 by this actuator. ) Opens. Further, the article dispensing device 50 according to the modified example has a posture in which the vertical direction of the return box 1 set in the replenishment area 53 is reversed so as to correspond to the return box 1 in which the bottom plate 1B is not provided with an opening or a shutter. A changing mechanism (not shown) may be provided, and the posture changing mechanism reverses the vertical orientation of the return box 1 set in the replenishment area 53.

In the return box 1 set in the replenishment area 53, the opening (not shown) of the bottom plate 1B is opened or the vertical direction is reversed, so that the article P in the return box 1 is marked with a black arrow. As shown by, it falls into the storage unit 62 that stands by directly below (see storage unit 62A). As a result, the article P is transferred from the return box 1 set in the replenishment area 53 to the storage unit 62. That is, in the article dispensing device 50, the structure for opening the opening of the bottom plate 1B of the storage unit 62 and reversing the vertical direction of the return box 1 is such that the return box 1 to the storage unit 62 are set in the replenishment area 53. It functions as a transfer unit 65 for transferring the article P to. The article payout device 50 according to the modified example has the above-mentioned effect on the article payout device 10, and further, the article P is dropped from the return box 1 to the storage section 62 by the transfer unit 65 by utilizing the weight of the article P. With this simple configuration, the article P can be transferred from the returnable box 1 to the storage unit 62. The empty return box 1 is taken out of the machine through the loading port 51A.

The article dispensing device 50 includes the identification unit 20 and the counting unit 21 (see FIG. 2) described above, and the article P is identified by the identification unit 20 before or after the timing of transferring the article P from the return box 1 to the storage unit 62. It may be identified and counted by the counting unit 21. The article P identified as non-target such as a fake is collected after being rejected from the return box 1 or the storage section 62 to the reject section (not shown) provided in the article dispensing device 50.

The articles P transferred to the storage unit 62 are stacked in the front-rear direction in the same standing posture as when they are stored in the return box 1, and are stored in the storage unit 62. The storage unit 62 storing the article P retracts from the replenishment area 53 to the payout area 54 (see the storage unit 62B), and then rises to the same position as the feeding roller 55 (see the storage unit 62C). With reference to FIG. 5, the feeding roller 55 is located on the front side of the raised storage portion 62, and is in contact with the frontmost article P in the storage portion 62 from the front side. In this state, the storage unit 62 is on standby.

When the article P stored in the storage section 62 is to be discharged, the article P in the storage section 62 is driven and rotated by the feeding roller 55 while the storage section 62 is on standby as described above. , While maintaining the standing posture, the articles P on the front side are paid out one by one to the left side in order. The delivered article P enters between the pair of take-in rollers 59 through the inlet 57A of the casing 57 in the payout portion 56, and is housed in the holding portion 58 from the inlet 58A by the drive-rotated take-in roller 59. Will be done. The article P housed inside the holding portion 58 maintains an upright posture by being pressed forward by the pressing portion 60 urged by the urging member 61. After that, when the holding portion 58 rises, the article P in the holding portion 58 is lifted up to the payout port 51B directly above in the standing posture and is discharged to the outside of the machine (see FIG. 6).

Further, in the article dispensing device 50 according to the modified example, the return box 1 storing the card-shaped article P in the standing posture is set in the replenishment area 53, and the article P transferred from the return box 1 to the storage unit 62 is , It is stored in the storage unit 62 in the standing posture, and then is paid out in the standing posture by the payout unit 30. The article P paid out in an upright posture is easier to pick up because it can be grasped by hand without damaging the nails as compared with the article P paid out along the upper surface of the device main body 51, and the article P is easy to take out when paying out. The surface of the surface is less likely to be scratched.

Further, since the return box 1 for storing the card-shaped article P in the upright posture has a narrow width, a large number of return boxes 1 can be stored in the replenishment area 53 of the article dispensing device 50. Therefore, the maximum number of articles P stored in the article dispensing device 50 can be increased. Further, since the storage unit 62 to which the article P has been transferred from the return box 1 moves to the feeding roller 55 and stands by, the delivery of the article P from the storage unit 62 can be started promptly. Therefore, in the article dispensing device 50, the processing time required for dispensing the article P can be shortened.

The present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the claims.

For example, the article dispensing devices 10 and 50 described above may include an alignment mechanism (not shown) for aligning the front and back surfaces of the articles P delivered from the return box 1, and in this case, the return boxes 1 to the storage portions 37 and 62. All the articles P transferred to can be paid out in the same front and back directions.

Further, the configuration related to transferring the article P from the return box 1 to the storage portions 37 and 62 in the article payout devices 10 and 50 (that is, the transfer portions 40 and 65 described above, etc.) is, for example, an article in a game facility. In addition to the payout device, it can also be applied to a dedicated device for receiving the article P from the wholesaler.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the above-mentioned predetermined number (for example, 20 pieces) of articles P may be housed in the return box 1 in a state of being stacked in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction L of the return box 1. .. An article inspection device 70 capable of setting such a returnable box 1 as it is may be installed at a compatible place, for example.

With reference to the left-right direction in FIG. 8, the return box 1 in the basic posture in which the article P in the standing posture with the entrance 1A facing upward is provided, for example, the loading port 70A provided at the left end of the upper surface of the article inspection device 70. Therefore, it is set in the article inspection device 70 while maintaining the basic posture. The set return box 1 is placed on the first transport belt 71 composed of endless belts extending in the left-right direction, and while maintaining the basic posture, is transported to the right side as the first transport belt 71 orbits. Will be done. The other transport belts appearing below are composed of endless belts extending in the left-right direction like the first transport belt 71. The return box 1 transported to the right on the first transport belt 71 is delivered onto the second transport belt 72 adjacent to the first transport belt 71 from the right side, and the second transport belt 72 is maintained in the basic posture. It is transported to the right side as it moves around.

At the right end of the second transport belt 72, a first holder 73 having a cross-sectional shape bent in a substantially L shape is located. The first holder 73 can revolve around a predetermined rotation axis J. The first holder 73 rotates approximately one-fourth clockwise on the second transport belt 72 with the return box 1 transported to the right side. Then, the return box 1 that has been rotated about a quarter together with the first holder 73 is placed in a posture in which the entrance 1A is tilted sideways so as to face the right side, and is placed on the feeding unit 74 on the lower right side of the second transport belt 72. ..

Next, the feeding roller 75 provided at the front end of the feeding unit 74 is driven and rotated in a state of being in contact with the lowest article P in the return box 1 on the feeding unit 74 from below, whereby the return box is driven and rotated. The article P in 1 is fed out to the right in order from the lower article P. A pair of upper and lower transport rollers 76 are arranged side by side in front and behind of the delivered article P. The delivered article P is conveyed to the right side in a horizontal posture by passing between the upper and lower transfer rollers 76 that are driven and rotated.

The article dispensing device 50 includes the identification unit 20 and the counting unit 21 (see FIG. 2) described above, and the article P in the article passing between the upper and lower transport rollers 76 is identified by the identification unit 20. , Counted by the counting unit 21. The article P, which is identified as non-target such as a fake, is collected after being rejected by the reject portion 90 provided below the transport roller 76.

The article P that has passed between the upper and lower transport rollers 76 at the right end is housed from above in the box-shaped collection unit 77 that is waiting on the right side of these transport rollers 76. The article P is housed in the collection unit 77 in a state of being stacked vertically so that the plate thickness direction coincides with the vertical direction.

When all the articles P are fed out from the return box 1 on the feeding unit 74, the feeding unit 74 is temporarily retracted downward as shown by the dotted line, and the first holder 73 is empty as shown by the dotted line. With the return box 1, it makes another approximately quarter turn clockwise. The empty return box 1 is delivered onto the third transport belt 78, which is lower than the second transport belt 72, with the doorway 1A facing downward, and the third transport belt is maintained in the same posture. It is transported to the right side with the orbital movement of 78.

The left end of the fourth transport belt 79 is located below the right end of the third transport belt 78. The empty return box 1 transported to the right on the third transport belt 78 falls to the left end of the fourth transport belt 79, and at that time, changes its posture so that the entrance 1A faces the left side, and then the same. While maintaining the posture, the fourth transport belt 79 is transported to the right side as it orbits. A second holder 80 having a cross-sectional shape bent in a substantially L shape is located at the tip of the empty return box 1 conveyed on the fourth transfer belt 79 to the right, and the empty return box 1 is The doorway 1A is placed on the second holder 80 while facing the left side. The second holder 80 rises to the collection unit 77 with the empty return box 1. As a result, the entrance / exit 1A of the empty return box 1 faces the articles P stacked vertically in the collection unit 77 from the right side.

After that, the extrusion member 81 provided in the recovery unit 77 pushes all the articles P in the collection unit 77 to the right side. As a result, all the articles P in the collection unit 77 are transferred to the return box 1 held by the second holder 80. An arm 82 extending to the right from the second holder 80 is connected to the second holder 80, and the second holder 80 is accompanied by a return box 1 to which the article P has been transferred, and the rotation axis 83 at the right end of the arm 82. Rotate approximately a quarter clockwise around. The return box 1 that has rotated about a quarter together with the second holder 80 is separated from the second holder 80 (see the second holder 80 shown by the dotted line), and the fifth transport is carried out in the basic posture in which the entrance 1A faces upward. It rests on the left end of the belt 84. While maintaining the basic posture, the return box 1 is transported to the right side as the fifth transport belt 84 orbits moves, and is taken out from, for example, an outlet 70B provided on the right wall of the article inspection device 70.

With such an article inspection device 70, the article P can be set in a state of being housed in the return box 1, and the identified and counted article P is taken out in a state of being loaded in the return box 1. Along with the stricter inspection work of the article P, the labor saving of the inspection work can be achieved.

In FIG. 8, the configuration in which the article P is automatically extracted from the through box 1, identified and counted, and then automatically loaded into the empty return box 1 constitutes one assembly line work lane. There are the same number (for example, 5) as the small storage spaces in the return box 1 in the article inspection device 70, and they are arranged side by side in the direction orthogonal to the paper surface of FIG. Of course, if there is only one small storage space in the return box 1, only one lane needs to be provided in the article inspection device 70, and the article inspection device 70 in this case becomes compact. Further, the article inspection device 70 may function as an article reading device installed at a wholesaler or an exchange, and in that case, the article inspection device 70 is not in a state where the article P is housed in the return box 1 but is loose. After being set in the state, it is automatically loaded into the empty return box 1 as described above.

In addition, the outside of a management center or the like that controls the article dispensing devices 10 and 50 installed in the amusement facility, the article inspection device 70 installed in the compatible place, and the article reading device installed in the wholesaler and the exchange mentioned above. Facilities may exist. In this case, the management center unifies the distribution of the goods P across the amusement facility, the compatible office, the wholesaler, and the exchange by communicating with each of the goods dispensing device 10 or 50, the goods inspection device 70, and the goods reading device. Since it can be managed, it is possible to prevent fraud related to the article P at the time of distribution.

1 Return box 10 Goods payout device 14 Set part 20 Identification part 21 Counting part 30 Payout part 37 Storage part 40 Transfer part 50 Goods payout device 53 Replenishment area 56 Payout part 62 Storage part 65 Transfer part P Goods

Claims (5)

A set part where a returnable box for storing card-shaped items in circulation is set, and
A storage unit that exists separately from the return box and stores goods,
A transfer unit that transfers goods from the return box set in the set unit to the storage unit, and
An article dispensing device including a dispensing section for discharging articles stored in the storage section to the outside of the machine. The article dispensing device according to claim 1, further comprising an identification unit for identifying an article housed in a return box set in the set unit. The article dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2, which includes a counting unit that counts articles housed in a return box set in the set unit. The article dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transfer unit transfers an article from the return box to the storage unit by dropping the article from the return box to the storage unit. A return box containing card-shaped articles in an upright posture is set in the set portion.
Articles are stored in the storage unit in an upright posture.
The article dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the dispensing section dispenses articles stored in the storage section in an upright posture.

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