JPH0293789A - Goods housing part in automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent that a piece of goods stops halfway even when the shape of the piece of goods is a square shape difficult to roll by providing plural rollers for an inclined shelf and setting the rollers so that the piece of goods can roll in an obliquely downward direction by the displacement of the rollers. CONSTITUTION:Plural rollers 8 are provided for an inclined shelf 6. A roller diameter D and a roller pitch P of the rollers 8 always displace the horizontal direction position of a center of gravity SG of a piece of goods S to the upper side of a goods carrying out direction compared with the horizontal direction position of a center RC of one roller 8 to currently contact with the piece of goods S. Further, the rollers are set so that the piece of goods S can roll in the obliquely downward direction by the displacement. Therefore, even when the piece of goods S on the inclined shelf 6 is about to stop on the rollers 8 accidentally, moment to rotate the stopping piece of goods S in the obliquely downward direction is always applied to the piece of goods S, and the piece of goods S never stops and easily moves in the obliquely downward direction.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a vending machine, and particularly to an improvement in the product storage section thereof.

[Conventional technology]

In conventional vending machines, storage shelves equipped with a cross-feeding mechanism for horizontally feeding multiple products are provided in multiple levels above and below, and multiple products are placed diagonally downward above at least one of these storage shelves. In order to guide the products to the storage shelf, an inclined shelf is provided in an inclined state such that the upper side of the storage shelf in the product carrying direction is located downward, and the products to be guided obliquely downward on the inclined shelf are guided to the product carrying out direction of the storage shelf. Some types have a supply port for dropping the supply at the upper end of the direction.

In such a vending machine, when the space above the storage shelf is large and wasteful, the space can be used effectively by providing the slanted shelf in the space and storing products on it as well. The aim is to

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Incidentally, the force that causes the product on the slanted shelf to be guided diagonally downward is nothing but a conversion of the force that causes the product to roll on the sloping surface of the slanted shelf.

Therefore, if the product itself is easy to roll, such as a canned beverage or a round plastic bottle, there will be no problem, but if the product is a beverage packed in a square paper bag or a square plastic bottle, If the product is square in shape and difficult to roll, there is a problem in that the product may stop midway on the inclined shelf.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a means that can solve the above-mentioned problems.

[Means to solve the problem]

In the product storage section of the vending machine according to the present invention, the inclined shelf is provided with a plurality of rollers that roll while coming into contact with the lower surface side of the products to be guided diagonally downward by the inclined shelf,
Moreover, the roller diameter and roller pitch are such that the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the product being guided obliquely downward on the inclined shelf is always compared to the horizontal position of the center of the roller that is actually in contact with the product. It is characterized in that it is set to be deviated to the upper side in the product carrying direction (for the slanted shelf, to the lower side in the product movement direction), and the product is set so as to roll diagonally downward due to the deviation. have.

[For production]

In the product storage section of such a vending machine, the plurality of rollers are provided on the inclined shelf, so that even if the product on the inclined shelf has a rectangular shape, the product is transferred through the rollers. It becomes easier to roll on the inclined shelf and move diagonally downward. Moreover, the roller diameter and roller pitch of the roller are such that the horizontal position of the center of gravity of the product is always moved upward in the product exudation direction (i.e., the inclination The product is deviated (downwards) of the shelf, and is set so that the product can roll diagonally downward due to the deviation, so even if the product on the slanted shelf accidentally tries to stop on the roller, A moment that tries to rotate the product diagonally downward always acts on the product that is about to stop, and the product easily moves diagonally downward without stopping.

〔Effect of the invention〕

Therefore, when using the product storage section in the vending machine according to the present invention, even if the product has a rectangular shape that is difficult to roll, the product will easily roll diagonally downward on the inclined shelf, and the product will easily roll diagonally downward on the inclined shelf. This eliminates the problem of stopping in the middle of the process, and the above-mentioned conventional problem is solved.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 3 shows a vending machine that sells products (S) such as cans and bottles. Inside the casing (C) of this vending machine, there are a plurality of upper and lower belt conveyor type storage shelves (2) equipped with a first transmission motor (1) as a cross-feeding mechanism for cross-feeding multiple products (S). Installed in tiers, these storage shelves (2)
The product (S) sent out from the specified storage shelf (2)
) is provided so that it can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and a second electric motor (4) is provided as a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the mounting table (3).

The mounting table (3) is locked to an endless chain (5),
This endless chain (5) and a second electric motor (4) serving as the drive mechanism are interlocked, and the mounting table (3) can be raised and lowered by forward and reverse rotation of the second electric motor (4). It is.

Among the plurality of storage shelves (2), a plurality of products (
A slanted shelf (6) for guiding the product S) obliquely downward is provided in an inclined state such that the upper side of the storage shelf (2) in the product carrying direction is positioned lower. And, between the guide end portion of the inclined side (6) and the casing (C) opposite thereto,
The product (S) to be guided diagonally downward is placed on the storage shelf (
2) A supply port (7) for dropping the product is provided at the upper end in the product delivery direction to form a hairpin-shaped meandering product path.

Now, as shown in detail in FIG. 1, the inclined side (6) is in contact with the lower surface side of the product (S) to be guided diagonally downward by the inclined side (6) (its inclination angle: θ). A plurality of rollers (8) are provided, and the roller diameter and roller pitch P of the rollers (8) are set so that the product (S) is guided diagonally downward on the inclined side (6). Center of gravity (SG
) is always on the upper side in the product delivery direction (downward direction for the inclined side (6)) compared to the horizontal position of the center (RC) of the roller that is actually in contact with the product (S).
(for example, by h in FIG. 1), and the product (S) is set to roll diagonally downward due to the deflection.

The setting conditions for the roller diameter and roller pitch P of the roller (8) are, for example, the roller diameter D (may) on the horizontal axis.
, and the roller pitch P (mm) is plotted on the vertical axis.
The area indicated by diagonal lines in the figure may be used. The solid line in the figure is the limit of the roller diameter that can actually be used to construct the roller (8) when the shaft diameter is 4 mm, and the roller diameter must be larger than that. ) is 18°, the inclination angle θ is 18 degrees from the top of the space.
2+n+
n, and in order to make the deviation larger than 2m+n so that the product (S) can roll diagonally downward, the roller pitch P must be less than or equal to the condition. The dashed line indicates the condition that the roller pitch P is at least 2 mm larger than the roller diameter, and the roller (
In order for 8) to not interfere with each other, the roller pitch P must be greater than the above conditions, and taking these conditions into consideration,
The setting conditions for the roller diameter and roller pitch P of the roller (8) are limited to the shaded area in FIG. 2.

If the plurality of rollers (8) are provided on the inclined side (6) under such conditions, even if the product (S) on the inclined side (6) has a rectangular shape, the rollers (8)
This makes it easier to roll on the inclined side (6) and move diagonally downward. The roller diameter and roller pitch P of the roller (8) are such that the horizontal position of the center of gravity (SG) of the product (S) is determined by the roller (8) that is actually in contact with the product (S).
always to the upper side in the product delivery direction (i.e. to the lower side of the inclined side (6)) compared to the horizontal position of the center (RC) of
Since the product (S) is set so as to be able to roll diagonally downward due to the deflection, the tilted side (6
Even if the product (S) on top of S) will now easily move diagonally downward without stopping.

It should be noted that the present invention is not only applicable to the case where the sloped side (6) is provided above at least one storage shelf (2) among the storage shelves (2) in a plurality of upper and lower stages as in the above-mentioned embodiment. ,
Needless to say, the present invention can also be applied to a storage shelf (2) in which a sloped side (6) is provided above the storage shelf (2).

Incidentally, although reference numerals are written in the claims section for convenience of comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure of the attached drawings by such entry.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the main part of an embodiment of the product storage section in a vending machine according to the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the allowable setting of the roller diameter and roller pitch of the roller provided in the main part. A graph showing an example of the conditions, and FIG. 3 is a front view schematically showing the entire vending machine. (1)...Transverse feed mechanism, (2)...Storage shelf, (6)...Slanted side, (7)...
Supply port, (8)...Roller, (S)...
・Product, (SG)... Product's center of gravity, (RC)・
...The center of Laura. Representative Patent Attorney Osamu Kitamura Diagram Law Liaison Officer (-1) Diagram

Claims (1)

[Claims] A storage shelf (2) equipped with a cross-feeding mechanism (1) for horizontally feeding a plurality of products (S) is provided above the storage shelf (2) in order to guide the plurality of products (S) diagonally downward. , the inclined shelf (6) is provided in an inclined state such that the upper side of the storage shelf (2) in the product carrying direction is located downward, and the product (S) to be guided obliquely downward on the inclined shelf (6). A supply port (7) for supplying the liquid to the upper end of the storage shelf (2) in the product carrying direction.
A product storage section in a vending machine equipped with a
The inclined shelf (6) is provided with a plurality of rollers (8) that roll while coming into contact with the lower surface of the product (S) to be guided diagonally downward. The roller diameter and roller pitch are such that the horizontal position of the center of gravity (SG) of the product (S) to be guided obliquely downward on the inclined shelf (6) is determined by the roller (8) that is currently in contact with the product (S). Compared to the horizontal position of the center (RC), the storage shelf is always deviated upward in the product carrying direction, and the product (S) is set so as to be able to roll diagonally downward due to the deviation. The product storage section of a vending machine.