JP7255244B2 - Product storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a product storage device installed in a store such as a supermarket or convenience store, and having both functions of a showcase and a vending machine in one machine, thereby reducing installation space and energy consumption. is.

The invention disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as this type of product storage device. This commodity storage device comprises a case body formed as a heat-insulating housing and having an open front surface, a door provided in the front opening of the case body so as to be openable and closable and having a commodity outlet at the bottom, and an interior of the case body. a product placement shelf in which a plurality of product storage racks for storing products arranged in a row in the front-rear direction are arranged in a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction; to receive the products carried out from the product storage rack and transport them to the product outlet.

The door is formed as a rectangular frame with a window in the upper region in which a transparent member such as glass is fitted so that the inside of the case body can be seen through, and a product outlet in the lower region. of products are visible.

The product storage racks arranged on the product placement shelf are equipped with a product transport mechanism consisting of an endless transport belt that is hooked on a driving roller and a driven roller arranged in front and behind. Goods are stored.

The upper surface of the endless conveyor belt is formed as a placement surface for arranging and storing products in a line. A product pressing member is provided on the placement surface so as to be positioned behind the rearmost product stored in a row.

The conveyor belt is configured to carry out the product when a driving force is transmitted from the side of the product conveying device that runs in front of the product placement shelves on each stage. In this case, the commodities stored in a row on the conveying belt are conveyed forward from the commodity pressing member without falling down.

On the side of the main body of the case, there are the billing unit (bills insertion slot, coin insertion slot, return lever, coin return slot, etc.) necessary for vending products and the operation part (tenkey for product selection, decision key, etc.). buttons, a display panel for displaying the number associated with the selected item or the received amount, change amount, etc.).

The invention described in Patent Document 1 has a vending machine mode for vending products automatically and a showcase mode for manned vending. Then, the operation unit is set to be usable, and in the showcase mode operated as a showcase, the door is unlocked and the operation unit is set to be unusable.

According to the invention described in Patent Document 1, it is excellent in that it is possible to reduce the installation space and the energy consumption by combining the function of a showcase and the function of a vending machine with one machine. .

In the vending machine described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above, the door for opening and closing the front opening of the case body is provided with a product outlet. The product is transported and sold, and in the showcase mode, the purchaser opens the door and takes out the product from the product storage rack. Therefore, when the vending machine described in Patent Document 1 is installed in a store such as a supermarket, the door is installed in such a manner that it is located inside the store, and the operation of the vending machine (product sales) is reduced. There is a problem that it is limited to the business hours of the store. In order to solve this problem, both the front and back sides of the case body are opened, and a partition wall is provided in the middle position in the front and back direction of the case body. A showcase-integrated vending machine provided with a door is also known (see Patent Document 2, for example).

Japanese Patent No. 4379324 JP-A-8-124007

In the showcase-integrated vending machine described in Patent Document 2 mentioned above, the case body faces the wall of the store so that the door for the showcase faces the inside of the store, while the door of the vending machine faces the outside of the store. installed through. According to this known showcase-integrated vending machine, products can be sold as a showcase during the business hours of the store, and products can be sold by the vending machine even outside the business hours of the store.

However, in the known vending machine integrated with a showcase, the products to be sold as the showcase and the products to be sold as the vending machine must be prepared for the showcase and the vending machine, respectively. must be loaded for each showcase and vending machine. Furthermore, there is a problem that it is necessary to manage the expiry date of the product for each showcase and vending machine.

By the way, if the technique of a well-known showcase-integrated vending machine is applied to the vending machine described in Patent Document 1, products can be sold as a showcase during the business hours of the store and outside the business hours of the store. can sell products through vending machines. Therefore, after opening the back of the case body in the vending machine described in Patent Document 1, a showcase door having a transparent member such as glass that allows the inside to be seen through is provided in the opening. It is conceivable that the case body penetrates the wall of the store so that the door of the vending machine faces the outside of the store while the door of the vending machine faces the inside of the store. According to this, the products stored in the product storage racks of the product placement shelf can be shared by the showcase and the vending machine. However, opening the back of the case body configured as a heat insulating housing means removing the heat insulating material on the back of the case body, which undeniably reduces the heat insulating performance of the case body. When the heat insulation performance is lowered in this way, it is inevitable that the size of the refrigerator condensing unit is increased in order to maintain the desired cooling temperature of the products stored on the product placement shelf in the case body, resulting in increased power consumption. increases, which is contrary to energy saving. In this way, even if the technique of a known showcase-integrated vending machine is simply applied to the vending machine described in Patent Document 1, the products stored in the case main body can be used as a showcase while maintaining energy saving. And there is a problem that it is not possible to obtain a showcase and vending machine that can be shared for vending machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a commodity storage device that can share stored commodities for showcases and vending machines while maintaining energy saving. .

In order to achieve the above object, the commodity storage device according to the present invention has a case body which is formed as a box-shaped heat-insulating housing and has a take-out opening formed on an arbitrary surface and which is opened and closed by a door. and an apparatus main body having a product outlet formed at a location different from the take-out opening, and a product storage chamber formed inside the case body in a manner facing the take-out opening and storing the product. The product storage device comprises a transport means for transporting the selected product from the product storage chamber to the product outlet when the product is selected by operating an operation unit provided in the device main body. characterized by

Further, according to the present invention, in the above product storage device, the case body has a product outlet formed on a surface different from the surface on which the take-out opening is formed, and the product outlet is formed with the product outlet. Another door provided on the case body in such a manner that it approaches and separates from the surface of the product, and is provided at a position facing the product outlet.

Further, according to the present invention, in the product storage device described above, the surface on which the product outlet is formed faces the surface on which the take-out opening is formed.

In the product storage device of the present invention, the interior of the case body is divided in the left-right direction into the product storage chamber and the product unloading chamber, and the product storage chamber and the product unloading chamber are opened so as to communicate with each other. and a heat-insulating partition member formed with a product dispensing port that is always closed by a dispensing port door, and a space for carrying out the product between the product storage chamber and the door body. A plurality of product storage racks are installed in a plurality of rows in the left-right direction and mounted with a product carrying-out mechanism for transporting and carrying out the products stored in a row in the front-rear direction in the direction of the door body. an in-warehouse product conveying device comprising a product placing shelf, wherein the conveying means is disposed in the space for carrying out the product, and conveys the product carried out from the product storage rack toward the product outlet; and an out-of-warehouse product conveying device that receives the product conveyed by the in-warehouse product conveying device and dispensed through the product outlet and conveys the product to the product outlet.

In the product storage apparatus according to the present invention, the in-chamber product conveying device is detachably installed in the space for carrying out the product, and is an in-chamber product delivery chute gradually inclined downward toward the product outlet. characterized by being

Further, according to the present invention, in the above product storage apparatus, the in-chamber product delivery chute removed from the product delivery space is stored in the product delivery chamber side.

In the commodity storage apparatus according to the present invention, a locking member for locking the in-chamber commodity discharge chute removed from the commodity discharge space is provided in the vicinity of the commodity outlet on the commodity discharge chamber side. The in-commodity discharge chute is engaged with the locking member in such a manner as to prevent the discharge port door of the commodity discharge port from being opened.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above product storage device, the product carrying-out mechanism includes a conveyor belt stretched endlessly between a driving roller and a driven roller arranged in front and behind, a motor for driving the conveyor belt, and a sold-out detection device for detecting sold-out of the products stored on the conveyor belt.

Further, according to the present invention, in the commodity storage device described above, the other door body is provided with a display device comprising a liquid crystal display.

In the product storage device according to the present invention, the in-warehouse product transfer device includes an in-warehouse product discharge tray that gradually slopes downward toward the product outlet, and an elevating mechanism for moving in the vertical direction in the space.

According to the present invention, in the commodity storage apparatus, the lifting mechanism normally arranges the in-chamber commodity carrying-out tray at a position above the highest commodity placing shelf.

Further, in the above product storage apparatus, the in-chamber product discharge tray has a first inclined guide portion that gradually slopes downward as it approaches the product storage rack, A second slanted guide part that is continuous with the end closest to the storage rack and that gradually slopes upward as it approaches the product storage rack.

According to the present invention, when a product is selected by operating the operating portion provided on the main body of the apparatus, the transport means is provided for transporting the selected product from the product storage chamber to the product outlet. When the opening is opened by the door, the product in the product storage room is allowed to be taken out through the take-out opening, and when the operation part is operated, the product in the product storage room is transported by the conveying means. It can be allowed to be transported to the outlet and taken out. Therefore, by opening the back of the case body, which is configured as a heat-insulating housing as in the past (removing the heat insulating material on the back of the case body), the heat insulation performance of the case body is remarkably lowered, and the stored products are desired. It is possible to overcome the disadvantage that the size of the refrigerator condensing unit for maintaining the cooling temperature is increased, resulting in an increase in power consumption. Therefore, it is possible to share stored commodities for showcases and vending machines while maintaining energy saving.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine that also serves as a showcase as a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a perspective view of the showcase seen from the customer service side. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the showcase/vending machine of FIG. 1 as seen from the customer service side of the vending machine. FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing the showcase door and the maintenance door of the vending machine also used as a showcase in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded view showing a vending machine door in which the showcase/vending machine of FIG. 2 is disassembled. FIG. 5 shows a discharge port frame unit attached to the product discharge port provided on the back plate of the case body, (a) is a perspective view of the discharge port frame unit, and (b) is an exploded view of the discharge port frame unit. be. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a heat insulating partition member. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a product storage rack. 8 is a partially omitted perspective view of the product delivery mechanism shown in FIG. 7. FIG. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view, partly omitted, showing a state in which the drive unit is mounted in the mounting slot of the base member. FIG. 10 is a front view of the drive unit with the front cover removed. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a swing member and a link member that constitute the sold-out detection device. FIG. 12 shows an in-compartment product delivery chute, (a) is a perspective view showing the in-compartment product delivery chute together with a mounting bracket, and (b) is a perspective view of the in-compartment product delivery chute as seen from below. 13 is an exploded view of the in-commodity delivery chute of FIG. 12. FIG. FIG. 14 is a partially omitted perspective view of a state in which the in-chamber product discharge chute is installed on the case body. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing the outside carrying-out chute. FIG. 16 is a partially omitted right side view of the case body with the right side plate removed. FIG. 17 is a partially omitted perspective view showing the case of using the showcase/vending machine in the showcase mode, with the right side plate of the case main body removed. FIG. 18 is a partially omitted perspective view showing the case of using the showcase/vending machine in the vending machine mode, with the right side plate of the case main body removed. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a modification of the product storage device according to the embodiment of the invention. FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the in-chamber product conveying device shown in FIG. 19. FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a main part of the in-chamber product conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 20. FIG. 22 is a front view showing a main part of the in-chamber product conveying apparatus shown in FIG. 20. FIG. FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing the in-chamber product unloading tray shown in FIGS. 21 and 22. FIG. FIG. 24 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the in-store product delivery tray in the normal state. FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the in-chamber product delivery tray.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of a product storage device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 4 show a product storage device according to an embodiment of the invention. The product storage device illustrated here is, for example, a showcase/vending machine 10 installed in a store such as a convenience store. The case body is installed through the wall of the store so that the customer service side of the vending machine faces the outside of the store. In the following description, the terms "front" and "left and right" refer to when the showcase vending machine 10 is viewed from inside the store (that is, when viewed from the customer service side of the showcase).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, this showcase/vending machine 10 includes a device main body 10a. The apparatus main body 10a is formed as a box-shaped heat-insulating housing, and includes a case main body 1 having an opening on one side in the front-rear direction (hereinafter, also referred to as a front surface) and a front opening of the case main body 1. A showcase door (door body) 2 and a maintenance door 3 which are freely openable and closable, and a product outlet 40 which is freely openable and closable on the other surface of the case main body 1 (hereinafter also referred to as a back plate). and a vending machine door (another door body) 4 which divides the inside of the case body 1 in the left-right direction into a product storage chamber 1A and a product unloading chamber 1B. a heat-insulating partition member 5 formed with a commodity outlet 51 with a commodity outlet door 53 (see FIG. 6) opened in a manner communicating with the display case door 2 in the commodity storage chamber 1A in the case main body 1; A plurality of tiers (five tiers in this example) are erected vertically in the upper region of the commodity storage chamber 1A in such a manner that a space 2a for carrying out the commodities is formed between them, and the commodities stored are arranged in a line in the front-rear direction. is transported toward the showcase door to carry out one product, and a product delivery mechanism 71 (see FIG. 7 to be described later) having a sold-out detection device 78 (see FIG. 7 to be described later) for detecting the sold-out of the product. A product placement shelf 6 (in this example, the product storage racks 7 are arranged in the upper two stages, and the product storage racks 7 are arranged in the lower three stages). is not disposed), and a warehouse that is disposed in the product discharge space 2a of the case body 1 and conveys the product discharged from the product storage rack 7 toward the product discharge opening 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5. In-warehouse product delivery chute (in-warehouse product transport device) 8 and the products transported by the in-warehouse product delivery chute 8 and carried out through the product delivery port 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5 are received and delivered to the vending machine. An outside-compartment product carry-out chute (outside-compartment product conveying device) 9 for carrying the product toward a product take-out opening 40 of the door 4 is provided. In other words, the in-compartment product discharge chute 8 and the outside product discharge chute 9 constitute a conveying means 1C for conveying the product discharged from the product storage rack 7 from the product storage chamber 1A to the product outlet 40. As shown in FIG.

The case body 1 is formed into a box shape with an open front surface by appropriately combining a top plate 11, a back plate 12 (see FIG. 3), left and right side plates 13, and a base 14 at the bottom, each made of a plurality of steel plates. A heat insulating material made of urethane foam is disposed on the top wall, back wall, left and right side walls, and bottom wall 15 (see FIG. 3), which are inside the box shape, to form a heat insulating housing.

The inside of the case body 1 surrounded by the heat insulating material is configured as a product storage chamber 1A and a product unloading chamber 1B, which are partitioned left and right by a heat insulating partition member 5, and the lower part of the case body 1 is configured as a machine room 20. there is The opening on the left side of the heat insulating partition member 5 is the extraction opening 2b.

A machine room cover 201 is arranged in front of the machine room 20 below the product storage room 1A. A cooling/heating unit (not shown) for cooling or heating the products stored in the product storage chamber 1A and storing them in a cold or hot state is arranged in the lower part of the product storage chamber 1A (upper surface of the bottom wall 15). .

The cooling/heating unit consists of an evaporator, a heater and an internal fan. A refrigerator condensing unit (not shown) forming a refrigerating cycle with the evaporator of the cooling/heating unit is arranged on the base 14 of the machine room 20 behind the machine room cover 201 in the lower part of the case body 1. .

The refrigerator condensing unit consists of a compressor, a condenser, an outside fan, an expansion valve, etc. The condenser arranged in the machine room 20 and the evaporator arranged in the product storage room 1A are connected via the expansion valve. are connected by refrigerant piping.

In the product unloading chamber 1B, in addition to the above-described external product unloading chute 9, components such as a vending machine main controller, a power supply box, and an earth leakage circuit breaker are arranged.

As shown in FIG. 4, the back plate 12 of the case main body 1 is formed with an open commodity outlet 16 to which a outlet frame unit 19 is mounted. This product carrying-out port 16 is formed in a size through which the products carried out from the product storage racks 7 of the product placement shelf 6 and transported via the in-compartment product carrying-out chute 8 and the outside product carrying-out chute 9 can pass. ing.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the outlet frame unit 19 comprises a frame-shaped outlet frame 17 sized to fit into the opening of the product outlet 16 and a outlet door 18 pivotally supported by the outlet frame 17 . Become. The carry-out door 18 has a bulging portion 182 formed by bulging the central portion of a rectangular flat plate to one side. It forms shafts 18a, 18a projecting toward.

Since the carry-out door 18 is provided with the bulging portion 182, when the left and right shafts 18a, 18a are supported and hung down, the center of gravity of the bulging portion is located above the vertical line passing through the shafts 18a, 18a. 182 is shifted to the opposite side. The outlet door 18 is rotatably supported by engaging left and right shafts 18a, 18a with bearings (not shown) provided on the upper portions of the left and right inner walls of the outlet frame 17. As shown in FIG.

The left and right inner walls of the outlet frame 17 are formed with inclined surfaces 171 with which the flat plate portion 181 abuts when the shafts 18 a of the outlet frame 17 are engaged with the bearings provided on the outlet frame 17 . For this reason, when the outlet door 18 is attached to the outlet frame 17 and suspended, the product outlet 16 is blocked by the own weight of the outlet door 18 together with the deviation of the center of gravity due to the bulging portion 182, and outside air is blown. prevent inflow.

The front opening of the case body 1 is openably and closably supported by the left edge of the case body 1, and is closed by a showcase door 2 and a maintenance door 3, which are double doors. That is, the take-out opening 2b is opened and closed by the showcase door 2. As shown in FIG.

A transparent glass plate 22 is fitted in the outer frame 21 of the showcase door 2, and the inside of the product storage chamber 1A can be visually recognized from the outside through the transparent glass plate 22. - 特許庁A piston-cylinder spring 23 and a stopper member 24 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the outer frame 21 on the hinge side of the showcase door 2 .

The piston-cylinder type spring 23 is a well-known one (for example, JP-A-5-118179) for automatically closing the open showcase door 2, and the stopper member 24 adjusts the opening angle of the showcase door 2 (for example, 90 degrees) and prevents the showcase door 2 from opening more than the specified angle (for example, JP-A-5-118179). The maintenance door 3 is in the shape of a thin metal box, and has a key lock device (not shown) with a key groove 31 facing the front.

The vending machine door 4 has a thin box shape that covers the back surface of the case body 1, and has hinge shafts (not shown) at both upper and lower ends on the right end side. It is attached to the back surface of the case body 1 so as to be openable and closable.

A display window 41 is formed in an upper region that occupies approximately half of the vending machine door 4, and the display window 41 is provided with a display device (operation unit) 42 comprising a liquid crystal display. Further, next to the display window 41 in the door 4 for the vending machine, there are a bill insertion port 43a, a coin insertion port 43b, a return lever 43c, a coin return port 43d, and a key groove of a key lock device (not shown). 44 are provided. Further, a commodity outlet 40 having a circular opening is formed near the right end of the vending machine door 4 below the display window 41 .

The display device 42 is a touch panel type screen, and has a function as display means for displaying the product to be sold and the product price. to the main controller of the vending machine. It should be noted that electronic money settlement can also be performed using a recording medium (IC card, mobile phone, etc.) loaded with electronic money instead of the billing unit 43 , and is not limited to the billing unit 43 .

A product receiving box 401 (see FIG. 17) is provided on the front side of the product outlet 40 (the rear side when viewed from the vending machine door 4). The product receiving box 401 is configured with a top plate, a bottom plate, and left and right side plates, and is formed as a box-shaped structure with open front and rear surfaces. The product receiving box 401 has a rear surface facing a product outlet 40 provided by opening the vending machine door 4, and a front surface facing a product outlet 16 formed in the back plate 12 of the case main body 1. 16 to receive goods sent out. The product outlet 40 is closed by an inward-opening outlet door 400 (see also FIG. 16) whose upper end is pivotally supported.

FIG. 6 shows a heat-insulating partition member 5 that divides the interior of the case body 1 into a product storage chamber 1A and a product unloading chamber 1B in the left-right direction. The heat insulating partition member 5 is mainly composed of a heat insulating material made of rectangular urethane foam. At an intermediate position in the vertical direction near the front of the heat-insulating partition member 5, a product delivery port 51 is formed to communicate with the product storage chamber 1A and the product unloading chamber 1B. The commodity delivery opening 51 is formed in a size that allows the commodity carried out from the commodity storage rack 7 of the commodity placing shelf 6 and conveyed via the in-chamber commodity delivery chute 8 to pass through. Also, a payout port frame unit 54 is attached to the product payout port 51 . The payout port frame unit 54 is composed of a frame-shaped payout port frame 52 and a payout port door 53 pivotally supported by the payout port frame 52, and has the same configuration as the carry-out port frame unit 19 described above. Redundant explanations are omitted. The dispensing port door 53 of the dispensing port frame unit 54 closes the product dispensing port 51 by its own weight to prevent cold air or warm air in the product storage chamber 1A from flowing out to the product delivery chamber 1B side. .

Further, the heat insulating partition member 5 is provided with a pair of upper and lower locking members 55 and 56 . These latches 55 and 56 are for holding the in-store product delivery chute 8 when not in use and storing it in the product delivery chamber 1B. 56a. A metal plate 500 is adhered to the heat insulating partition member 5, and latches 55 and 56 are screwed to the metal plate 500. As shown in FIG.

A plurality of tiers of product placement shelves 6 are installed in the product storage chamber 1A in the vertical direction and are formed as rectangular flat plate shelves having left and right side walls. A plurality of rollers (not shown) are provided in the front-rear direction on the outside of the left and right side walls of the product placement shelf 6 . These rollers are held by rails R (see FIG. 17) fixed to struts (not shown) arranged on the front, back, left and right inside the product storage chamber 1A of the case body 1. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the product placement shelf 6 is slidable in the front-rear direction between a position stored in the product storage chamber 1A and a position pulled forward from the product storage chamber 1A.

7 to 11 show the product storage racks 7 arranged in a plurality of rows in the horizontal direction on the upper two product shelves 6 of the five product shelves 6 in the vertical direction. The upper three shelves 6 for placing products form a space 2a for carrying out the products between them and the showcase door 2, and an in-store product carrying-out chute 8 is arranged in the space 2a for carrying out the products. It is pushed into a recessed position so that it can be

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the product storage rack 7 receives the rotational driving force from the drive unit 70 and conveys the products stored in a row in the front-rear direction toward the showcase door. and a product carrying-out mechanism 71 having a sold-out detection device 78 for detecting sold-out products.

The product carrying-out mechanism 71 is a belt conveyor having an endless transport belt 72 capable of transporting the product G placed on its transport surface 72a in the transport direction A by running with the rotational driving force from the drive unit 70. consists of a mechanism. The conveying belt 72 is wound endlessly between a driving roller 73 provided upstream in the conveying direction A and a driven roller 74 provided downstream, and is driven by the rotational driving force of the driving roller 73 . That is, the conveying belt 72 is supported by the driving roller 73 at the most upstream position in the conveying direction A, and is supported by the driven roller 74 at the most downstream position.

The driving roller 73 is pivotally supported between left and right side walls 710a, 710a erected on the base end side of the conveyor base 710 mounted on the base member 700. It is pivoted between the side walls. A detection member 780 that constitutes a sold-out detection device 78 is provided on the transport surface 72 a of the product delivery mechanism 71 . The detecting member 780 is attached to the conveying belt 72 by engaging an engaging claw (not shown) provided on a contact surface with the conveying belt 72 with an engaging hole (not shown) appropriately bored in the conveying belt 72 . It is removable. The detection member 780 is provided behind the rearmost (last) product G among the aligned products G (see, for example, the detection member 780 indicated by a chain double-dashed line in FIG. 7, and finally moves to the front of the product storage rack 7 as indicated by the solid line in FIG. The detection member 780 includes a pressing portion 780a projecting in the left-right direction.

As shown in FIG. 8, a connecting gear 75 having a connecting portion 751 connected to a rotating body 704 (see FIG. 9 to be described later) of the drive unit 70 and a connecting gear 75 are provided at the far side end of the product carrying-out mechanism 71 . A driven gear 76 that is driven to rotate by meshing with the driven gear 76, a driving roller 73 positioned on the side surface of the driven gear 76, and a tension that is disposed in front of and below the driving roller 73 to apply tension to the conveying belt 72. A roller 77 is provided. The connecting gear 75 is a large-diameter "bevel gear" that meshes with the driven gear 76, and has a cylindrical connecting portion 751 protruding from the "bevel gear" toward the inner side. A protrusion 751 a extending in the front-rear direction is formed on the peripheral edge of the cylindrical connecting portion 751 . The driven gear 76 has a "bevel gear" that meshes with the "bevel gear" of the connecting gear 75, and is fitted to one end side of the drive roller 73 pivotally supported between the left and right side walls 710a, 710a of the conveyor base 710. Thus, it is coaxially and integrally connected with the driving roller 73 .

As shown in FIG. 9, the drive unit 70 includes a housing 701 having a rectangular box shape with a front cover 701a and a rear cover 701b. As shown in FIG. 10 (a front view of the drive unit 70 with the front cover 701a removed), the housing 701 accommodates a motor 702, a gear mechanism 703, a rotating body 704, and a detection switch 705. It is configured. A rocking member 782 that constitutes the sold-out detection device 78 is provided on the front surface of the front cover 701 a of the housing 701 . The swinging member 782 is a plate-like member configured in a substantially triangular shape when viewed from the front, and protrudes from the front cover 701a of the housing 701 shown in FIG. A shaft pin 706 is inserted through the shaft pin 706 so that it can swing around the shaft pin 706 as a rotation center. The drive unit 70 is mounted in a mounting slot 700a of a base member 700 in which the article carrying-out mechanism 71 mounted on the conveyor base 710 shown in FIG. 8 is mounted.

A worm gear (screw gear) 702 a is fixed to the rotating shaft of a motor 702 housed inside a housing 701 of the drive unit 70 . The gear mechanism 703 is a transmission mechanism (reduction mechanism) for transmitting the rotation of the motor 702 to the rotating body 704, and is rotated by the worm wheel (helical gear) 703a that meshes with the worm gear 702a and the worm wheel 703a. and a transmission gear 703b that drives the rotating body 704 to rotate. The detection switch 705 is a microswitch whose push button 705b is pushed down when the detection lever 705a is pressed and swung. The rotating body 704 has a large-diameter gear portion 7041 that meshes with a small-diameter gear integrated with the transmission gear 703b (hidden by the transmission gear 703b in FIG. 10 and cannot be seen), and a cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than the gear portion 7041. and a mounting portion 7042 extending to the . A connecting portion 751 of a connecting gear 75 provided at the far side end portion of the commodity carry-out mechanism 71 can be attached to and detached from the mounting portion 7042 . In this case, a plurality of grooves 7042 a are formed in the inner peripheral surface of the mounting portion 7042 along the circumferential direction, and the grooves 7042 a can be engaged with projections 751 a formed on the connecting portion 751 of the connecting gear 75 . Therefore, by mounting the connecting portion 751 of the connecting gear 75 to the mounting portion 7042 of the rotating body 704 in such a manner that the protrusion 751a formed on the connecting portion 751 of the connecting gear 75 is engaged with the groove portion 7042a, the rotation of the motor 702 is connected. It is transmitted to the gear 75 and the conveying belt 72 runs.

Next, the sold-out detection device 78 extends along the conveying direction A on the side surface of the base member 700 and is slid in the conveying direction A by the detecting member 780 provided on the conveying belt 72 . It is composed of a long rod-shaped link member 781 , a swing member 782 provided in the drive unit 70 and a detection switch 705 .

The detection member 780 is provided behind the last product G among the products G aligned on the product storage rack 7 and moves in the conveying direction A together with the product G. Then, when the last product G is dispensed from the product storage rack 7 , the pressing portion 780 a formed at the lower portion thereof projecting in the left-right direction is pushed forward from the rear surface of the tip end surface 781 a of the link member 781 at the foremost position of the product storage rack 7 . Push the side forward and slide.

As shown in FIG. 11, the link member 781 includes a front end surface 781a, a first projecting piece 781b that is provided behind the front end surface 781a and projects horizontally toward the inside of the base member 700, and a substantially central portion in the longitudinal direction. A second protruding piece 781c that is provided on the base member 700 and protrudes horizontally toward the inside of the base member 700, and a third protruding piece 781d that is provided on the rear end side and protrudes horizontally toward the inside of the base member 700. , and a pressing piece 781e formed in a substantially L shape in a side view by bending upward from the rear end and protruding rearward. The first protruding piece 781b, the second protruding piece 781c, and the third protruding piece 781d are formed in the side surface of the base member 700 and are movably engaged with slide long holes (not shown) extending along the transport direction A. and guides the sliding motion of the link member 781 . At this time, a coil spring (not shown) is attached between the second protruding piece 781c and the base member 700, so that the link member 781 moves backward relative to the base member 700 (in the direction opposite to the conveying direction A). ). A free end (rear end) of the pressing piece 781e is formed with an inclined surface 781f that can be slidably contacted with the side surface of the swing member 782 . The inclined surface 781f is formed by cutting the pressing piece 781e such that the thickness thereof gradually decreases toward the rear.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the swinging member 782 can swing in the left-right direction (solid line arrow L, dotted line arrow R), and is biased in the dotted line arrow R by a coil spring 783 (see FIG. 9). ing. A pressing lever 782b protrudes from the side surface of the rocking member 782 toward the inner side. The pressing lever 782 b faces the detection lever 705 a of the detection switch 705 through an opening provided in the front cover 701 a of the housing 701 of the drive unit 70 .

Next, the sold-out detection operation by the sold-out detection device 78 will be described.

First, when the product G remains in the product storage rack 7 and the detecting member 780 provided on the conveying belt 72 is separated from the tip surface 781a of the link member 781, the link member 781 slides backward. In this state, the thick portion of the inclined surface 781f formed on the pressing piece 781e located at the rear end of the link member 781 came into contact with the side surface of the rocking member 782, and the rocking member 782 rocked in the direction of the solid arrow R. maintained in a state. When the rocking member 782 rocks in the direction of the solid arrow R, the pressing lever 782b of the rocking member 782 is at a position separated from the detection lever 705a of the detection switch 705, and the detection switch 705 is off. .

From this state, while the last product G of the product storage rack 7 is being dispensed, the pressing portion 780a of the detection member 780 comes into contact with the tip surface 781a of the link member 781 and slides the link member 781 forward. By sliding the link member 781 forward, the portion of the inclined surface 781f in sliding contact with the side surface of the rocking member 782 moves from the thick portion to the thin portion, thereby pressing the rocking member 782 in the direction of the solid arrow R. pressure is gone. Accordingly, the swinging member 782 swings in the direction of the dotted arrow L due to the biasing force of the coil spring 783 . As a result, the pressing lever 782b of the rocking member 782 presses the detection lever 705a of the detection switch 705, and the detection lever 705a pushes the push button 705b down, so that the detection switch 705 is turned on. The main control circuit of the vending machine monitors the signal of the detection switch 705, and when it determines that the detection switch 705 has been turned on, the rack number of the product storage rack 7 in which the product G has been sold out is detected. is sold out and displayed on the display device 42 to notify the purchaser.

When the operator opens the showcase door 2 and replenishes the product G in the product storage rack 7 for which the sold-out is detected, the detection member 780 is again moved to the back side to detect the last product G. , the link member 781 and the swing member 782 return to their normal states.

12 and 13 show the in-commodity delivery chute 8. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the in-commodity delivery chute 8 includes a chute body 80, a front guide member 84 and a rear guide member 85 arranged along both front and rear edges of the chute body 80, and a chute body. It consists of locking fittings 86 and 87 arranged at the lower ends of the 80 . In addition, 801 and 802 in FIG. 12(a) denote fixing members for arranging the in-chamber product carrying-out chute 8 in the product carrying-out space 2a of the product storage chamber 1A of the case main body 1. As shown in FIG. The fixing member 801 is fixed inside the left side plate 13 of the case body 1 as shown in FIG. It is fixed.

The shooter main body 80 includes a frame 81 composed of a front frame 81a and a rear frame 81b on the long sides and left and right frames 81c and 81c on the short sides, and a large number of shafts 82 arranged to extend over the long sides of the frame 81. , and a plurality of rollers 83 supported by these shafts 82 are arranged. The shooter main body 80 is in the form of a so-called "abacus".

The front guide member 84 is composed of a right guide member 841 and a left guide member 842 which are divided into left and right. The right guide member 841 and the left guide member 842 have mounting portions 841a and 842a along the front frame 81a of the frame 81, and flat portions 841b and 842b that are connected to the mounting portions 841a and 842a and cover the upper surface of the front frame 81a. and guide portions 841c and 842c which are connected to the flat portions 841b and 842b and which are inclined upward. The width of the mounting portions 841a and 842a is determined to be wider than the width of the front frame 81a, and when the mounting portions 841a and 842a are arranged along the front frame 81a, the screws are positioned below the front frame 81a so as not to overlap the front frame 81a. Insertion holes S11 to S14 are provided.

The rear guide member 85 has a bottom portion 851 and a guide portion 852 . The bottom portion 851 comprises a bottom plate 851a, left and right side walls 851b, 851b, a rear wall 851c, and a front wall 851d. It is A front wall 851d of the bottom portion 851 is bent downward to form a space for storing the shooter body 80 from the front. In the front wall 851d, screw grooves S21 are provided at positions facing screw insertion holes S11 to S14 drilled in the mounting portions 841a and 842a of the right guide member 841 and the left guide member 842 constituting the front guide member 84. ˜S24 are formed. In addition, the rear guide member 85 has a flat portion 853 connected to the rear wall 851c, and a guide portion 852 is formed connecting to the flat portion 853. As shown in FIG. The guide portion 852 is composed of an inclined portion 852a inclined obliquely upward and a vertical portion 852b connected to the inclined portion 852a. The left end side of the vertical portion 852b is arranged so as not to interfere with the product carried out from the product storage rack 7 when the in-chamber product delivery chute 8 is arranged in the product delivery space 2a of the product storage chamber 1A of the case body 1. cut into appropriate shapes.

The shooter body 80 is assembled to the bottom portion 851 of the rear guide member 85 by inserting the shooter body 80 into the bottom portion 851 from the front of the space (frontage) released by bending the front wall 851d of the bottom portion 851 downward. Shooter main body 80 is stored in bottom portion 851 by pushing until rear frame 81b of 80 contacts rear wall 851c of bottom portion 851 . When the shooter main body 80 is stored in the bottom portion 851 of the rear guide member 85, the rear frame 81b of the frame 81 enters the groove formed by the bottom portion 851 of the rear guide member 85, the rear wall 851c, and the flat portion 853. The front frame 81a of 81 and the front wall 851d of the bottom portion 851 are flush with each other in the vertical direction. Mounting portions 841a and 842a of the right guide member 841 and the left guide member 842 constituting the front guide member 84 are arranged along the front frame 81a, and the screws formed in the mounting portions 841a and 842a are inserted. By screwing screws S1 to S4 into screw grooves S21 to S24 formed in the rear guide member 85 through holes S11 to S14, the chute main body 80, the front guide member 84, and the rear guide member 85 are integrated to form a unit. A product delivery chute 8 is configured. In this case, the flat portions 841b and 842b of the right guide member 841 and the left guide member 842 cover the front frame 81a and the rear frame 81b of the frame 81 to prevent the product from contacting the front frame 81a and the rear frame 81b. To prevent.

The flat portions 841b and 842b of the right guide member 841 and the left guide member 842 and the rear wall 851c of the rear guide member 85 are connected to the engaging pieces 55a of the pair of upper and lower locking members 55 and 56 provided on the heat insulating partition member 5. , 56a (see FIG. 18). That is, when the in-compartment product unloading chute 8 is not used, the in-compartment product unloading chute 8 is placed in a position in which the bottom portion 851 of the rear guide member 85 is parallel to the surface of the heat insulating partition member 5, and then the front side of the heat insulating partition member 5 is moved. , the flat portions 841b and 842b of the right guide member 841 and the left guide member 842, and the rear wall 851c of the rear guide member 85 are arranged so as to face the engagement pieces 55a and 56a of the fasteners 55 and 56. , 56, the in-chamber product delivery chute 8 is stored in the product delivery chamber 1B while being held by the latches 55, 56. As shown in FIG.

Locking metal fittings 86 and 87 are fixed to the bottoms of the left and right ends of the in-commodity unloading chute 8 by screws or welding. Specifically, the locking fittings 86 and 87 are fixed to a bottom plate 851a forming the bottom portion 851 of the rear guide member 85 by screws or welding. These latching metal fittings 86 and 87 are engaged with a mounting metal fitting 801 fixed to the inner side of the left side wall of the case body 1 and a mounting metal fitting 802 fixed to the inner wall of the heat insulating partition member 5 on the product storage chamber 1A side. The in-chamber product carrying-out chute 8 is installed in the space 2a of the case body 1 for carrying out the product.

As shown in FIG. 13, the locking metal fitting 87 has a base 87a fixed by screws or welding to a bottom plate 851a constituting the bottom portion 851 of the rear guide member 85, and a front and rear pair formed by bending downward from the base 87a. tongues 87b, 87b, an abutting piece 87c positioned between these tongues 87b, 87b, and protrusions 87d, 87d projecting outward from the base 87a. The tongues 87b, 87b and projections 87d, 87d are inserted into engagement holes 802a, 802a (see FIG. 12) provided in a substantially box-shaped mounting bracket 802 and engaged with the mounting bracket 802. As shown in FIG. The tongues 87b, 87b prevent the in-compartment product discharge chute 8 from moving laterally and falling off from the mounting bracket 802. Prevents falling off from metal fittings 802. - 特許庁The abutment piece 87c abuts against the mounting bracket 802 to determine the position of the in-commodity discharge chute 8. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, the locking metal fitting 86 is formed in the same manner as a base 86a fixed by screws or welding to a bottom plate 851a constituting the bottom portion 851 of the rear guide member 85, and a pair of front and rear tongues 87b, 87b of the locking metal fitting 87. and a pair of front and rear tongues 86b, 86b. A pair of front and rear tongues 86b, 86b of the locking metal fitting 86 are inserted into locking holes 801a, 801a (see FIG. 12) provided in a substantially box-shaped mounting metal fitting 801 to engage with the mounting metal fitting 801. To prevent an in-store commodity carrying-out chute 8 from moving in the left-right direction and falling off from a fitting 801.例文帳に追加

As shown in FIG. 14, the in-chamber product discharge chute 8 having such a structure is fixed to a mounting bracket 801 fixed to the inside of the left side wall of the case body 1 and to the inner wall of the heat insulating partition member 5 on the product storage chamber 1A side. It is installed in the space 2a of the case body 1 for carrying out the product via the locking metal fittings 86 and 87 on the mounting metal fitting 802 . In this case, the in-chamber product discharge chute 8 is inclined downward to the right, and the right end of the in-chamber product discharge chute 8 faces the product discharge opening 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5 . In this manner, the in-compartment product delivery chute 8 installed in the product delivery space 2a of the case body 1 moves the product carried out from the product storage rack 7 of the product placement shelf 6 into the product outlet 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5. transport to.

15 and 16 show the out-of-compartment product carrying-out chute 9. As shown in FIG. FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view showing the out-of-compartment carrying-out chute, and FIG. 16 is a partially omitted right side view of the case main body with the right side plate removed.

As shown in FIG. 15, the out-of-chamber commodity delivery chute 9 comprises a conveying section 91 that serves as a sliding or rolling surface for the commodity, and left and right side walls 94 and 95 vertically rising from the left and right sides of the conveying section 91 . The upper portion of the left side wall portion 94 has an inclined portion 94 a inclined toward the heat insulating partition member 5 . Engagement pieces 92 and 93 are formed at both front and rear ends of the conveying portion 91. The engagement pieces 92 are formed with screw insertion holes 92a and 92a. 93a is formed.

The fittings 901 and 902 are engaged with the engaging pieces 92 and 93 to construct the out-of-chamber product delivery chute 9 in the product delivery chamber 1B of the case body 1. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14, the mounting bracket 901 has its left and right ends fixed to the heat insulating partition member 5 and the right side plate 13 of the case body 1 with screws. It is As shown in FIG. 16, the mounting bracket 902 is affixed to the back plate 12 of the case body 1, and slit-like grooves 902b, 902b are formed in a horizontal portion 902a. The mounting bracket 902 is affixed below the product delivery port 16 to which the delivery port frame unit 19 provided on the back plate 12 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is mounted.

The outside product delivery chute 9 is installed in the product delivery chamber 1B of the case body 1 as follows. That is, the tongues 93a, 93a of the engaging piece 93 provided at the rear end of the conveying portion 91 are inserted into the slit-shaped grooves 902b, 902b of the mounting bracket 902 attached to the back plate 12 of the case main body 1 to engage. After that, the vertical portion 901a of the fitting 901 fixed to the right side plate 13 of the right side plate 13 of the heat insulating partition member 5 and the case body 1 is covered with the engaging piece 92 provided at the front end of the conveying portion 91 so as to overlap the vertical portion 901a. After matching, they are screwed together with screws S5 and S6.

In this way, the outside product delivery chute 9 installed in the product delivery chamber 1B of the case main body 1 supports the product carried out through the product delivery port 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5 and provided on the back plate 12. Dispense towards exit 16 . The product delivered to the product outlet 16 pushes open the outlet door 18 of the outlet frame unit 19 and is pushed open to the front side of the product outlet 40 of the vending machine door 4 (when viewed from the vending machine door 4). is delivered to a box-shaped product receiving box 401 (see FIG. 17) provided on the back side).

When the showcase vending machine 10 having such a configuration is used in the showcase mode, as shown in FIG. Store in 1B. In this case, the inside product delivery chute 8 is arranged such that the bottom 851 of the rear guide member 85 is parallel to the surface of the heat insulating partition member 5, and the right guide member 841 and the left guide member 842 are mounted from the front of the heat insulating partition member 5. and the rear wall 851c of the rear guide member 85 are inserted between the fasteners 55 and 56 so as to face the engagement pieces 55a and 56a of the fasteners 55 and 56. The product is stored in the product unloading chamber 1B while being held by the tools 55 and 56.例文帳に追加In addition, the in-compartment product discharge chute 8 is held by the latches 55 and 56, and the outlet frame is attached to the product outlet 51 in such a manner as to close the product outlet 51 formed in the heat insulating partition member 5. It covers the outlet door 53 of the unit 54. - 特許庁As a result, when the vending machine 10 also used as a showcase is used in the showcase mode, it is possible to prevent the discharge port door 53 from unexpectedly opening and leaking cold air or warm air. In this way, when the showcase vending machine 10 is used in the showcase mode, the purchaser opens the showcase door 2 and takes out the merchandise from the merchandise storage rack 7 or the merchandise placement shelf 6 .

When the showcase/vending machine 10 is used in the vending machine mode, as shown in FIG. After that, after opening the showcase door 2, it is installed in the space 2a of the case main body 1 for carrying out the product as shown in FIG. The installation of the in-chamber product delivery chute 8 in the product delivery space 2a in the case body 1 is as described above with reference to FIG. and a mounting bracket 802 (see also FIG. 14) fixed to the inner wall of the heat-insulating partition member 5 on the product storage chamber 1A side via locking fittings 86 and 87 (see FIG. 13). It is installed in the space 2a of the case body 1 for carrying out the product. Regarding the product storage rack 7 in which the product is purchased in the showcase mode, the operator opens the showcase door 2 and installs the in-chamber product delivery chute 8 in the product delivery space 2a of the case body 1. Replenish items as needed.

Thus, in the vending machine mode in which the in-chamber product delivery chute 8 is installed in the product delivery space 2a of the case body 1, the product to be sold and the product price are displayed on the display device 42 of the vending machine door 4. do. In the showcase mode, the display device 42 of the vending machine door 4 is used as a sales promotion panel for product advertisement and displays various content information.

In the vending machine mode, when a purchaser inserts bills and coins into the bill insertion slot 43a and the coin insertion slot 43b, the authenticity and denomination of the bills and coins are identified by a bill identification device and coin identification device (not shown). is "true", a denomination signal is sent from the bill identification device and coin identification device to the main controller of the vending machine, and the total amount is calculated. is returned to the bill insertion port 43a, and the inserted coin is returned to the coin return port 43d. The main controller of the vending machine compares the total amount of bills and coins inserted with the commodity price, and displays the commodity whose total amount matches or exceeds the commodity price on the display device 42 so that the purchaser can make a purchase. When the product displayed on the display device 42 is touched to indicate the intention, a drive signal is given to the motor 702 of the drive unit 70 mounted on the product storage rack 7 in which the product is stored, and the product delivery mechanism 71 aligns the product in the front-rear direction. The commodities stored in rows are conveyed in the direction of the showcase door 2, and one commodity (commodity in the front row) is taken out.

Products that have been carried out from the product carrying-out mechanism 71 mounted on the product storage rack 7 and dropped into the in-store product carrying-out chute 8 are pushed through the outlet door of the outlet frame unit 54 attached to the product outlet 51 of the insulating partition member 5 . 53 is pushed open to fall into the outside product delivery chute 9 and delivered toward the product delivery port 16 provided in the back plate 12 of the case body 1, and then the delivery port frame unit 19 attached to the product delivery port 16. A product receiving box 401 having a box-shaped structure is provided on the front side of the product take-out port 40 of the vending machine door 4 (on the back side when viewed from the vending machine door 4) by pushing open the carry-out door 18 of the vending machine door 4. is sent to The product delivered to the product receiving box 401 is taken out by the purchaser pushing open an inward-opening take-out door 400 closing the product take-out port 40 .

When change is required because the total amount of coins and banknotes inserted by the purchaser exceeds the price of the selected product, the main controller of the vending machine obtains the required change from the coin identification device and bill identification device. Pay out and end the selling operation.

As described above, according to the showcase and vending machine 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is formed as a box-shaped heat-insulated housing, one surface (front surface) in the front-rear direction is open, and the other surface is opened. A case body 1 having a product outlet 16 formed on the other side (back plate 12) opposite to the side (front) of the case body 1, and an opening on one side (front) of the case body 1 that can be freely opened and closed. The showcase door 2 faces the product outlet 16 provided on the other side (back plate 12) of the case body 1 so as to be openable and closable and provided on the other side (back plate 12) of the case body 1. A vending machine door 4 provided with a product outlet 40 at a position corresponding to the vending machine door 4, and a product storage chamber 1A and a product unloading chamber 1B which partition the inside of the case body 1 in the left-right direction into a product storage chamber 1A and a product unloading chamber. A heat-insulating partition member 5 formed with a commodity dispensing opening 51 which opens in a manner communicating with the case body 1B and which is always closed by a dispensing opening door 53; A plurality of stages are erected in the vertical direction so as to form a space 2a for carrying out the product between the doors 2, and the products G stored in a row in the front-rear direction are conveyed toward the showcase door 2 and carried out. and a product placement shelf 6 in which a plurality of rows of product storage racks 7 mounted with a product carrying-out mechanism 71 having a sold-out detection device 78 for detecting the sold-out of the product G are arranged in a horizontal direction; The in-warehouse product transport device (in-warehouse product transport device) is detachably disposed in the space 2a for product carry-out, and transports the product G carried out from the product storage rack 7 toward the product outlet 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5 (in-warehouse product carry-out device). The product G conveyed by the chute 8) and the in-compartment product conveying device (in-chamber product delivery chute 8) and carried out through the product discharge port 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5 is received, and the other side of the case body 1 receives the product G. and an outside product conveying device (outside product carrying-out chute 9) that conveys to the product carrying-out port 16 provided on the other surface (back plate 12) of the case main body 1 (back plate 12 ) is formed only with a product outlet 16, and the case body is insulated by opening the back of the case body configured as a heat-insulating housing like the conventional device (removing the heat insulating material on the back of the case body). The disadvantage is that the performance is remarkably degraded, and the size of the refrigerator condensing unit for maintaining the products stored on the product placement shelf in the case main body at the desired cooling temperature increases, resulting in an increase in power consumption. It is possible to solve the problem and save energy. Moreover, there is an effect that the product G housed in the case main body 1 can be used both for the showcase and for the vending machine.

Next, a modification of the product storage device according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a modification of the product storage device according to the embodiment of the invention. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as those of the commodity storage apparatus (showcase/vending machine 10) of the above-described embodiment, and redundant explanations will be omitted.

The product storage device illustrated here is a showcase/vending machine 10' installed in a store such as a convenience store, for example. installed through the wall of

A showcase/vending machine 10' has a device body 10a'. This device main body 10a' includes a case main body 1, a showcase door (door body) 2, a maintenance door 3, and a vending machine door (another door body) 4. The case main body 1 includes: It is provided with a heat insulating partition member 5, a product placement shelf 6, and a conveying means 1D.

The conveying means 1D is disposed in the product unloading space 2a, and includes an in-compartment product transport device 100 for transporting the product unloaded from the product storage rack 7 toward the product outlet 51, and an external product unloading chute (warehouse). foreign goods conveying device) 9.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the in-chamber product conveying device 100 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 20 , the in-chamber product transfer device 100 includes an in-chamber product delivery tray 110 and an elevating mechanism 120 .

As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the in-warehouse product delivery tray 110 has a tray body 111, a front guide member 112, and a rear guide member 113. As shown in FIGS. 23, the tray body 111 has a front inclined guide portion (first inclined guide portion) that gradually slopes downward as it approaches the product storage rack 7, that is, as it goes rearward. ) 1111, and a rear-side slanting guide portion (second 2 inclined guide portion) 1112, and as a whole, it is gradually inclined downward toward the product delivery port 51 (toward the right).

The front-side inclined guide portion 1111 and the rear-side inclined guide portion 1112 constituting the tray main body 111 are supported by a large number of shafts 1113 arranged along the front-rear direction by being inserted through the shafts 1113. It is formed by arranging a plurality of rollers 1114, and is in the form of a so-called "abacus".

The front guide member 112 is formed, for example, by processing sheet metal or the like, and is provided so as to extend upward from the front end portion of the tray body 111 (the front end portion of the front inclined guide portion 1111). ing. The rear guide member 113 is formed, for example, by processing sheet metal or the like, and extends upward from the rear end portion of the tray main body 111 (the rear end portion of the rear inclined guide portion 1112). is provided.

The lifting mechanism 120 is for moving the in-warehouse product discharge tray 110 along the vertical direction in the product discharge space 2a. , and a pair of left and right lifting guide rails 122 are provided on the case body 1 .

The left lifting body 121L is provided so as to extend downward from the left end portion of the tray body 111, and a plurality of guide rollers 123a are rotatably attached. The right lifting body 121R is provided so as to extend downward from the right end portion of the tray body 111, and a plurality of guide rollers 123b are rotatably attached.

The left lifting guide rail 122L of the lifting guide rails 122 is a long member that guides the guide roller 123a of the left lifting body 121L along the longitudinal direction in a straight line through the guide path 124a. It constitutes the left edge of the space 2a. The right elevating guide rail 122R is an elongated member that guides the guide roller 123b of the right elevating body 121R in a straight line along the longitudinal direction, and constitutes the right end edge of the product unloading space 2a. The right elevating guide rail 122R is attached to the heat insulating partition member 5, and has a delivery opening 125 communicating with the product delivery port 51. As shown in FIG.

The elevating mechanism 120 has a sprocket 126 attached to a left elevating guide rail 122L. The sprocket 126 is linked to an elevating actuator 128 such as an electric motor via a rod 127. The sprocket 126 rotates forward/reversely by the elevating actuator 128. When the central axis of rotation is horizontal along the left-right direction, the sprocket 126 rotates leftward and rightward. It is attached to the upper region of the vertical lifting guide rail 122L. A timing chain 129 is wound around the sprocket 126 . The timing chain 129 has one end connected to the left lifting body 121L and the other end connected to the upper end of the balance weight 130 .

On the other hand, the right elevating guide rail 122R is not provided with a structure corresponding to the sprocket 126 or the timing chain 129, and only the pull cable 131 is provided between the balance weight 130 and the right elevating body 121R. connected by The pull cable 131 has a metal inner wire 131b disposed inside a sheath 131a, and is held at the upper edge of the front opening (extraction opening 2b) of the case body 1 via the sheath 131a. . Both ends of the pull cable 131 extend downward, and the ends of the inner wires 131b extending from the respective ends of the sheath 131a are connected to the upper ends of the right lifting body 121R and the balance weight 130. ing. The length of the inner wire 131b is set to a length that allows connection between the right lifting body 121R and the balance weight 130 without loosening in the middle.

Such a lifting mechanism 120 normally arranges the in-chamber product unloading tray 110 at a position above the uppermost product placement shelf 6 in the product unloading space 2a as shown in FIG. I am letting Therefore, in a normal state, the in-chamber product delivery tray 110 is arranged behind the blindfold plate 2c shown in FIG.

When the showcase vending machine 10' having such a configuration is used in the showcase mode, the in-chamber product delivery tray 110 is arranged behind the blind plate 2c and is not visible to the purchaser. Then, the purchaser can open the showcase door 2 and take out the product from the product storage rack 7 or the product placement shelf 6. - 特許庁

When the showcase/vending machine 10' is used in the vending machine mode, the display device 42 of the vending machine door 4 displays the merchandise to be sold and the merchandise price. In the showcase mode, the display device 42 of the vending machine door 4 is used as a sales promotion panel for product advertisement and displays various content information.

In the vending machine mode, when a purchaser inserts bills and coins into the bill insertion slot 43a and the coin insertion slot 43b, the authenticity and denomination of the bills and coins are identified by a bill identification device and coin identification device (not shown). is "true", a denomination signal is sent from the bill identification device and coin identification device to the main controller of the vending machine, and the total amount is calculated. is returned to the bill insertion port 43a, and the inserted coin is returned to the coin return port 43d.

The main controller of the vending machine compares the total amount of bills and coins inserted with the commodity price, and displays the commodity whose total amount matches or exceeds the commodity price on the display device 42 so that the purchaser can make a purchase. When the product displayed on the display device 42 is touched to indicate the intention, the lift actuator 128 is driven to rotate the sprocket 126, and as shown in FIG. , is placed in front of a product placement shelf 6 having a product storage rack 7 storing the product G therein. In addition, the main controller gives a drive signal to the motor 702 of the drive unit 70 mounted on the product storage rack 7, and the product transporting mechanism 71 moves the stored products G in a line in the front-rear direction to the showcase door. One product (product in the front row) is carried out by conveying in direction 2.

The product G that has been carried out from the product carry-out mechanism 71 mounted on the product storage rack 7 and dropped onto the in-chamber product carry-out tray 110 moves rightward due to the shape of the tray body 111 . When the in-warehouse product unloading tray 110 receives the product G, the main controller drives the elevation actuator 128 to rotate the sprocket 126 and move the in-house product unloading tray 110 along the vertical direction. The right end portion of the tray main body 111 is arranged at a height level facing the dispensing opening 125 (merchandise dispensing opening 51). As a result, the product G pushes open the discharge port door 53 of the discharge port frame unit 54 attached to the product discharge port 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5 and falls onto the out-of-compartment product discharge chute 9, whereupon the back plate 12 of the case main body 1 is dropped. After the product is sent out toward the product outlet 16 provided in the product outlet 16, the outlet door 18 of the outlet frame unit 19 attached to the product outlet 16 is pushed open to open the front surface of the product outlet 40 of the vending machine door 4. The product is delivered to a product receiving box 401 having a box-shaped structure provided on the side. The product G delivered to the product receiving box 401 is taken out by the purchaser pushing open the take-out door 400 of the inward opening type closing the product take-out port 40 .

When change is required because the total amount of coins and banknotes inserted by the purchaser exceeds the price of the selected product, the main controller of the vending machine obtains the required change from the coin identification device and bill identification device. Pay out and end the selling operation.

According to the showcase-cum-vending machine 10' as described above, it is formed as a box-shaped heat-insulated housing, and one side (front surface) in the front-rear direction is open and faces one side (front surface). a case body 1 formed with a product outlet 16 formed on the other side (back plate 12) of the case body 1; , a commodity outlet 40 is provided on the other side (back plate 12) of the case body 1 so as to be openable and closable and faces the commodity outlet 16 provided on the other side (back plate 12) of the case body 1. and a vending machine door 4, which divides the inside of the case body 1 into a product storage chamber 1A and a product unloading chamber 1B in the left-right direction, and communicates the product storage chamber 1A and the product unloading chamber 1B. A product is placed between a heat insulating partition member 5 formed with a product delivery port 51 which is open and is always closed by a delivery port door 53, and the showcase door 2 in the product storage chamber 1A of the case main body 1. A plurality of stages are erected in the vertical direction to form a carry-out space 2a, and the products G stored in a row in the front-rear direction are conveyed in the direction of the showcase door 2 and carried out, and the products G are carried out. A product placement shelf 6 having a plurality of rows of product storage racks 7 mounted with a product carrying-out mechanism 71 having a sold-out detecting device 78 for detecting sold-out, and a product carrying-out space 2a in the case body 1. an in-warehouse product carry-out tray 110 arranged movably along the vertical direction, and conveying the product G carried out from the product storage rack 7 toward the product outlet 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5; The product G transported by the carry-out tray 110 and carried out through the product outlet 51 of the heat insulating partition member 5 is received and transported to the product outlet 16 provided on the other surface (back plate 12) of the case main body 1. and an outside product transport device (outside product delivery chute 9), only the product delivery port 16 is formed on the other surface (back plate 12) of the case body 1, and the conventional By opening the back of the case body, which is configured as an insulated housing like a device (removing the heat insulating material on the back of the case body), the heat insulation performance of the case body is significantly reduced, and the product shelf inside the case body is removed. Energy can be saved by overcoming the disadvantage that the refrigerator condensing unit for maintaining the commodities stored in the refrigerator at a desired cooling temperature is enlarged and causes an increase in power consumption. Moreover, there is an effect that the product G housed in the case main body 1 can be used both for the showcase and for the vending machine.

Further, according to the showcase/vending machine 10', the following effects can be obtained. That is, in a normal state, the in-warehouse product carry-out tray 110 is arranged above the uppermost product placement shelf 6 in the product carry-out space 2a, so the in-warehouse product carry-out tray 110 is removed in the showcase mode. Not only is it not necessary, but the sales time can be shortened by moving it to the height level of the commodity storage rack 7 in which the commodity selected in the vending machine mode is stored and the commodity outlet 51. can.

In particular, since the in-chamber product unloading tray 110 is movable along the vertical direction, it is possible to handle products whose contents are likely to be damaged by a drop impact as sales products, and to expand the range of applicable products. .

The tray main body 111 of the in-warehouse product delivery tray 110 has a front inclined guide portion 1111 that gradually slopes downward as it approaches the product storage rack 7 , and the front inclined guide portion 1111 is closest to the product storage rack 7 . 1111a, which is continuous with the rear end portion 1111a and which is gradually inclined upward as it approaches the product storage rack 7, so that it has a V shape when viewed from the side. For example, it is possible to convey even irregularly shaped products such as products placed in a container such as a bag.

Although the embodiments and representative modifications of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made.

In the above-described embodiment, the in-chamber product discharge chute 8 is provided, but in the present invention, the following product conveying device can be provided in place of the in-chamber product discharge chute 8 . That is, a bucket that moves up and down by a Y-axis conveying mechanism is provided in the space for carrying out the product in the case body, and an endless conveyor belt that conveys the product in the X-axis direction (horizontal direction) is arranged on the bottom surface of the bucket. A product transport device may also be provided which is driven by a drive motor which drives the transport belt. Such a product conveying device can employ a known technique as a product conveying device used in a vending machine in which the inside can be seen through. It is not limited to the in-chamber product delivery chute 8 . Further, the out-of-chamber delivery chute can also be an endless conveyor belt. Further, as the product delivery mechanism, a known system such as a spiral system can be used instead of a conveyor system using a conveyor belt. It is not limited.

In the above-described embodiment and modifications, the vending machine door 4 is provided with the product outlet 40. However, in the present invention, the product outlet is provided in a place other than the outlet opening (2b) in the main body of the device. It may be provided in place. That is, the product outlet may be provided on the side surface of the case main body, or the product outlet may be provided on a door that opens and closes an opening formed on the side surface of the case main body.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Case main body 2...Showcase door 3...Maintenance door 4...Vending machine door 5...Insulating partition member 6...Product placement shelf 7...Product storage rack 8...Internal product carry-out Chuter (in-chamber product conveying device), 9... Outside product carrying-out chute (outside-chamber product carrying device), 10... Vending machine combined with showcase, 12... Back plate, 16... Product outlet, 17... Export outlet frame, 18... Carry-out door, 19... Carry-out frame unit, 70... Drive unit, 71... Commodity carry-out mechanism, 72... Conveyor belt, 78... Sold-out detector.

Claims (10)

The case body is formed as a box-shaped heat-insulated housing and has a case body in which a take-out opening formed on an arbitrary surface is opened and closed by a door, and a commodity take-out port is formed at a location different from the take-out opening. a device body,
a product storage chamber formed inside the case main body in such a manner as to face the take-out opening and for storing products,
The case main body has a product outlet formed on a surface different from the surface on which the take-out opening is formed,
The product outlet is provided at a position facing the product outlet in another door body provided in the case main body in such a manner as to approach and separate from the surface on which the product outlet is formed,
a transport means for transporting the selected product from the product storage chamber to the product outlet when the product is selected by operating an operation unit provided in the apparatus main body ;
The interior of the case body is partitioned into the product storage chamber and the product unloading chamber in the left-right direction, the product storage chamber and the product unloading chamber are opened in a manner to communicate with each other, and are always closed by a dispensing port door. a heat-insulating partition member formed with a product outlet;
In the interior of the product storage chamber, a plurality of tiers are installed in the vertical direction in such a manner as to form a space for carrying out products between the product storage chamber and the door. A product placement shelf in which a plurality of rows of product storage racks equipped with a product carrying-out mechanism for transporting and carrying out products are arranged in the left-right direction
with
The conveying means is
an in-warehouse product conveying device disposed in the product carrying-out space for carrying the product carried out from the product storage rack toward the product outlet;
an out-of-warehouse product transport device that receives the product transported by the in-warehouse product transport device and dispensed through the product outlet and transports the product to the product outlet;
A product storage device comprising : 2. A product storage device according to claim 1 , wherein the surface on which the product outlet is formed faces the surface on which the take-out opening is formed. 2. The in-warehouse product transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein the in-warehouse product transfer device is an in-warehouse product delivery chute detachably installed in the product delivery space and gradually inclined downward toward the product outlet. product storage device. 4. A product storage apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the in-chamber product carrying-out chute removed from said product carrying-out space is stored in said product carrying-out chamber side. a locking tool for locking the in-chamber product discharge chute removed from the product discharge space is provided in the vicinity of the product outlet on the product discharge chamber side,
4. A commodity storage apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said in-chamber commodity carrying-out chute is engaged with said locking member in such a manner as to prevent the outlet door of said commodity outlet from being opened. The product unloading mechanism is
a conveying belt stretched endlessly between a driving roller and a driven roller arranged in front and behind;
a motor for driving the conveyor belt;
2. The product storage device according to claim 1 , further comprising a sold-out detection device for detecting sold-out of the products stored on the conveyor belt. 2. A product storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said another door body is provided with a display device comprising a liquid crystal display. The in-warehouse product conveying device includes:
an in-chamber product delivery tray that gradually inclines downward toward the product delivery port;
2. The commodity storage apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a lifting mechanism for moving the in-chamber commodity unloading tray in the vertical direction in the commodity unloading space. 9. A product storage apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the lifting mechanism normally places the in-store product discharge tray at a position higher than the uppermost product placement shelf. The in-warehouse product unloading tray is
a first inclined guide part that gradually inclines downward as it approaches the product storage rack;
a second slanted guide part that is continuous with an end of the first slanted guide part that is closest to the product storage rack and that gradually slopes upward as it approaches the product storage rack. The commodity storage device according to claim 8 or 9 .

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