JPH0241736Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] [Industrial application field] This invention enables cups of different sizes to land stably on one bend stage, and also enables stable supply of beverages. Regarding beverage vending machines.

[Conventional technology]

A cup-type beverage vending machine is provided with a bend stage on which a cup delivered via a cup shooter lands, and this bend stage is generally composed of left and right side walls and a bottom stage. Additionally, a pair of cup guides are provided on the left and right side walls above the stage.

Such a beverage vending machine is constructed as shown in FIG. Here, 1 is a bending stage, and 2 is a cup shooter for guiding a cup 3 sent out from a cup storage cylinder (not shown) onto the bending stage 1. The bending stage 1 includes left and right side walls 11 and a slatted stage 12 installed at the bottom.
Stage 1 consists of a cup 3 with a slatted shape.
2. Land in an upright position.

Further, a pair of cup guides are provided on the side wall 11 at a certain distance H above the slatted stage 12 to support the cup 3 in an upright position. This cup guide has a fixed guide 13 and a flap guide 14 so that it is easy to take out the cup.
The fixed guide 13 and the flapper guide 14 are installed facing each other at an appropriate interval in the left-right direction. Further, the fixed cup guide 13 is fixed to the left side wall in this case, and the flapper guide 14 is coupled to a balance weight 15 and swingably supported by a hinge fitting 16 provided on the right side wall. 17 is balance weight 1
This is a stopper that restricts the swing range of the flapper guide 14 provided opposite to the flapper guide 5. Furthermore, with respect to the bending stage 1, the opening end of the beverage nozzle 4 faces diagonally above the landing position of the cup 3.

In this configuration, the cup 3 is guided by the cup shooter 2 and delivered onto the bending stage 1.
hits the fixed guide 13 and the flapper guide 14, and causes the flapper guide 14 to swing in the direction of the arrow against the balance weight 15,
It continues to fall, assumes an upright position due to the return movements of the fixed guide 13 and flapper guide 14, and lands on the slatted stage 12.

In this way, cups of different sizes were supported by moving the cup support mechanism in the left-right direction (for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52
-37096, Utility Model Application Publication No. 57-60285, etc.)

[The problem that the idea attempts to solve]

By the way, as shown above, the countermeasures for irregularly shaped cups are only for the left and right directions, and no countermeasures have been taken for the relationship between the beverage nozzle and the cup position when the cups are of different sizes.

This idea was made in view of the above points, and the purpose is to provide a beverage vending machine that can sell cups of different sizes on one bending stage and ensure a stable supply of sold beverages. shall be.

[Means to solve the problem]

This invention is achieved by providing a drive mechanism that automatically moves the bending stage up and down based on a sales command for irregularly shaped cups.

[Effect]

According to this invention, the relative distance between the bending stage and the beverage nozzle can be changed to an appropriate distance according to the size of the cup, and the relationship with the cup guide can also be adjusted at an appropriate position, allowing the irregularly shaped cup to handle beverages. Sales can be performed stably with one bend stage.

〔Example〕

Figure 1 shows an embodiment of this invention.
The same reference numerals as in the figures indicate the same or similar items.

In FIG. 1, the left and right side walls 11 and the slat-shaped stage 12 forming the bending stage 1 have an independent structure. Reference numeral 5 denotes a motor as a driving means, a gear 6 is connected to the motor 5, and a gear shaft 7 is provided so as to mesh with the gear 6. This gear shaft 7 is connected to the lower side of an independently formed slatted stage 12. A slatted stage 12 is held by a fixed plate 8 via a gear shaft 7. In addition, the slatted stage 12 has a movement amount so that it can move to the dashed-dotted position (the position where the relative distance between the stage 12 and the pair of cup guides is h) where the lower surface of the large cup 30 can be held when the large cup 30 is carried out. settings have been made.

In this configuration, usually a slatted stage 1
2 is waiting at the solid line position suitable for selling small cups 3. Therefore, when the sales signal for the small cup 3 is input, the driving means does not operate, and the stage 12 receives the small cup 3 at the solid line position.

On the other hand, when selling beverages using the large cup 30, the motor 5 is driven by a control circuit (not shown) based on a sales command from the large cup 30, and the gear shaft is raised via the gear 6. When the slatted stage reaches the position indicated by the dashed-dotted line suitable for supporting the large cup 30, the drive of the motor is temporarily stopped by a timer motor cam (not shown), and the large cup 30 is carried out in this state. Therefore, the large cup 30 is supported from the left and right by the fixed guide 13 and the flapper guide 14, and lands on the slatted stage 12 in an upright position. When the large cup 30 is taken out, a microswitch (not shown) is activated, and the motor 5 rotates in the opposite direction, returning the slatted stage 12 to the solid line position.

In this embodiment, after the large cup 30 is sold, the slatted stage 12 returns to the solid line position, but it is stopped at the dashed-dotted line position and stands by for the sale of the large cup 30, so that the small cup 3 is not sold. It may be controlled to return to the solid line position when it is performed.

Further, although the stage 12 is raised and lowered in this embodiment, the cup guide may be raised and lowered, or both may be raised and lowered in opposite directions. Further, although the motor 5 is used as the driving means, it can also be achieved using a solenoid.

This invention has been explained in terms of raising and lowering the bend stage in relation to the cup guide, but the bend stage can be raised and lowered so that the distance between the beverage nozzle and the bend stage is the same for the large cup and the small cup. It may also be controlled.

[Effect of idea]

According to this invention, a drive means is provided to automatically move the bending stage up and down based on sales instructions for irregularly shaped cups, so the relative distance between the bending stage and the beverage nozzle can be adjusted according to the size of the cup. You can change the distance to suit your needs. In addition, it is possible to maintain an appropriate position in relation to the cup guide. Therefore, each irregularly shaped cup can be reliably placed in an upright position on the stage, making it possible to always sell beverages in a normal state.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which a cup of a beverage vending machine according to an embodiment of this invention is taken out, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a conventional embodiment of this invention. 1...Bend stage, 11...Side wall, 12...
...Slatted stage, 13...Fixed guide, 1
4...Flatspa guide, 2...Katsupusuta,
3...cup, 5...motor, 6...gear, 7...
...Gear shaft.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] It is equipped with a bending stage that forms a landing surface for the cups delivered from the cup shooter, and a pair of cup guides that are installed above the bending stage to face each other at an appropriate interval and support the delivered cups in an upright position, The beverage vending machine is configured to supply beverages to cups on the bending stage, and the bending stage is automatically moved up and down based on a sales command for irregularly shaped cups. A beverage vending machine characterized by: