JPH02202694A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the constitution and the control and to quickly carry a commodity to a takeout exit by providing a duct having a required sectional form between the output end of a commodity rack and the commodity takeout exit above this rack to carry the commodity by vacuum. CONSTITUTION:A commodity 6 in a commodity rack 4 is sent out to the rack output end by a vending mechanism 5 of the rack 4, and this output end and a commodity takeout exit 3 above the rack are coupled with a carrying duct 8 whose section is similar to that of the commodity 6. The commodity 6 is carried in the duct 8 by a vacuum pump 10, which is turned on by a sale command and is turned off through a commodity detecting sensor 12, and is dropped to the commodity takeout exit 3 through an open/close cover 11 opened with the weight of the commodity. Consequently, an elevator or the like is unnecessary, and the constitution and the control are simplified to quickly carry the commodity to the takeout exit. A required space under the rack is reduced to improve the efficiency of commodity storage in a vendor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a vending machine that sells regular products such as cigarettes.

[Conventional technology]

As a vending machine that sells regular products such as cigarettes, the products are stacked in a rack installed inside the machine, and the products are taken out from the shelf by the operation of a pusher-type bending mechanism and then fall through a chute under its own weight. It is well known to have a device that sends the gas out to the outlet, and this type of vending machine is particularly popular in cigarette vending machines.

By the way, in the conventional vending machine described above, in which the products taken out from the rack are guided to the product outlet by their own weight, the product outlet is inevitably located at the bottom of the vending machine cabinet. It turns out. For this reason, the customer must bend down and take a low position to retrieve the product.

On the other hand, as a measure to eliminate the inconvenience of taking out products, we have installed a product takeout port above so that customers can take out products in a comfortable position while standing, and we have installed product racks inside the aircraft. For example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-5571 discloses a method in which an elevator mechanism is provided to connect the exit of the rack and the product takeout port, and the products taken out from the rack are conveyed to the product takeout port by the elevator mechanism. It is known for.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the above-mentioned elevator transportation system, the structure of the elevator mechanism and its control system are complicated, which increases manufacturing costs, and due to restrictions on the transportation speed of the elevator mechanism,
Customers will have to wait longer from the time they insert a coin until the product comes out.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and is an automatic system that can transport products taken out from a rack to a product takeout port located above in a short time with almost no waiting time, without using a complicated elevator mechanism. The purpose is to provide vending machines.

[Means to solve the problem]

the above! In order to solve IN, the vending machine of the present invention:
A transport duct with a cross-sectional shape that is approximately the same as the external shape of the product is installed between the exit end of the product storage rack with a bend mechanism and the product take-out port located above it, and a pipe for taking out the product is installed at the end of the transport duct. A device that is equipped with a normally closed lid and connected to a vacuum pump, and is configured so that the vacuum pump is operated every time a sales operation is performed, and the products taken out from the rack are sent to the product removal port by vacuum conveyance via a transport duct. shall be.

[Effect]

With the above configuration, the bending mechanism of the rack is actuated by a sales command and the product is delivered from the rack outlet to the product transport duct, and at the same time, the vacuum pump is started and the space inside the transport duct is pressurized to a negative pressure relative to atmospheric pressure. Reduce the pressure so that As a result, negative pressure acts on the front side of the product, and due to the differential pressure between the product and the atmospheric pressure on the rear side, the product moves within the duct and is vacuum-transferred to the end position of the duct in a short time.

On the other hand, the end of the product conveyance duct is equipped with a normally closed lid that opens downwards due to the product's own weight toward the product take-out port. When you get on the machine, the opening/closing lid opens and the product falls into the product outlet and is taken out. Note that a product detection sensor is provided at the end of the transport duct, and when the product is transported to the end of the duct, this is detected and the vacuum pump is controlled to stop.

In addition, if the product rack consists of multiple columns, provide an independent conveyance duct for each column, and connect a common vacuum pump to each column via a valve between the end of each conveyance duct. By opening the valve leading to the designated column according to the selection of the product to be sold, one vacuum pump can handle multiple columns.

〔Example〕

1 and 2 are configuration diagrams of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figures, 1 is the cabinet of the vending machine, 2 is the front door, 3 is the product outlet opening in the front door 2, and 4 is the cabinet 1. A product rack is housed at the bottom of the refrigerator, 5 is a button-type bending mechanism attached to rack 1, and 6 is a fixed product such as cigarettes. The operation of the pusher type bending mechanism 5 is well known, and by sliding the pusher 5a alternately in the front and rear directions with respect to the products 6 that are stacked and stored in one row in the front and back in the rack 4, The products 6 are pushed out by the pusher 5a and delivered one by one from the rack 4.

On the other hand, a room 7 is partitioned on the product exit side of the rack 4, and a product conveyance duct 8 is piped between the room 7 and a position above the product take-out chute 3a of the product take-out port 3. This duct 8 is a sealed duct whose cross-sectional shape is approximately the same as the external shape of the product 6, and when the rack 4 consists of multiple columns, a chamber 7 and a transport duct 8 are provided independently for each column. It is. Further, a common vacuum pump IO is connected to each duct at the end position of the duct 8 facing the product outlet 3 via a solenoid valve 9, as shown in FIG. Further, at the bottom of the terminal end of the duct 8, a normally closed opening/closing lid 11 is provided, which is biased by a weak spring so as to be opened by the weight of the product 6 toward the product take-out shake 3a. A detection sensor 12 is provided. In addition, the room 7 on the rack exit side is provided with an opening/closing mechanism 1113.14 which also functions as a chute and alternately opens the passage on the product delivery side in conjunction with the bend mechanism 5, to minimize air leakage. There is. Note that 15 is a sales control section.

Next, the product sales operation with the above configuration will be explained.

First, in the sales standby state, the vacuum pump 10 is stopped, each electromagnetic valve 12 is closed, and the opening/closing lid 11 is also closed. When a sales command is given to the control unit 15 from this state, the bending mechanism 5 of the column corresponding to the selected product is activated to take out the product 6 from the rack 4, and in conjunction with the bending mechanism 5, the opening/closing lid 13.14 The opening/closing lid on the product delivery side is opened, and the product 6 is taken out to the room 7.

On the other hand, in response to the sales command, the solenoid valve 9 leading to the product conveyance duct 8 corresponding to the selected column is opened, and at the same time, the vacuum pump IO starts operating. As a result, the internal space of the duct 8 is evacuated through the vacuum pump 10 through the electromagnetic valve 9 . In this case, the entrance side passage of the conveyance duct 8 is blocked by the product 6 taken out from the rack 4, and the pressure inside the duct in front of the product 6 is reduced to negative pressure. On the other hand, the back side of the product remains at atmospheric pressure, and therefore, due to the pressure difference between the negative pressure acting on the front side of the product 6 and the atmospheric pressure acting on the back side, the product 6 is moved to the terminal position of the conveyance duct 8. By vacuuming, the material can be transported up to a certain height at once. Here, when the product 6 reaches the terminal position of the conveyance duct 8,
The product detection sensor 12 detects the product 6, and based on the detection signal, the solenoid valve 9 is closed and the vacuum pump 10 is controlled to stop based on a command from the control unit 15. Furthermore, when the product 6 falls into the end of the duct and lands on the product removal lid 11, the product 6 pushes open and close the lid 11 downward by its own weight, falls under its own weight, passes through the product removal chute 3, and is taken out. It is sent to exit 3.

Thereafter, each time a sales command is given, the product taken out from the selected column is vacuumed and conveyed through the conveyance duct 8 to its terminal position, the lid 11 is opened, and the product is sent to the product takeout port 3. Ru.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The vending machine according to the present invention is configured as described above, and has the following effects.

That is, a conveyance duct having a cross-sectional shape that is approximately the same as the outer shape of the product is installed between the exit end of the product storage rack with a bend mechanism and the product take-out port located above the exit end, and the product is placed at the end of the transport duct. A normally closed opening/closing lid for takeout is provided, and a vacuum pump is connected, so that the vacuum pump is operated every time a sales operation is performed, and the product taken out from the rack is sent to the product takeout port by suction via a conveyance duct. (1) Direct the products taken out from the product storage racks inside the aircraft toward the product removal port located above (the opening is at a high position where customers can easily take out products while standing). By using vacuum conveyance, the product can be conveyed to the lift in a short time without giving customers much waiting time.

(2) Compared to the conventional elevator transportation system, the mechanism is simpler, and maintenance is easier with less occurrence of failures.

(3) There is no dead space below the product storage racks installed in the aircraft, improving product storage efficiency.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an internal configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a connection diagram of a conveyance duct corresponding to multiple columns and a vacuum pump. :Bend mechanism, 6:Product, 8:! lI transmission duct, 9: Solenoid valve, 10:
Vacuum pump, 11: Opening/closing lid for product removal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) A transport duct with a cross-sectional shape that is approximately the same as the external shape of the product is installed between the exit end of the product storage rack with a bend mechanism and the product take-out port located above the exit end, and the product is placed at the end of the transport duct. In addition to providing a normally closed lid for removal,
A vending machine characterized in that a vacuum pump is connected, and the vacuum pump is operated every time a vending operation is performed, and the products taken out from the rack are sent to the product takeout port by vacuum conveyance via a conveyance duct.