JPH03240191A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve operability by utilizing an automatic vending machine from either of two right-angled surfaces of the automatic vending machine main body. CONSTITUTION:When a user operates a customer device 9a or 9b on either surface, an article discharge instruction is given to an article stocker 7 and a target article 6 is discharged onto a conveyor 10. The article 6 is carried laterally by a belt conveyor 10, passed to an upward feed device 23 and fed upward, and discharged into a common pocket 18. Thus, the user can operate either of the customer devices on the two right-angled surfaces, and the article 6 can be discharged to the pocket 18 through the common belt conveyor 10 and upward feed device 23 and can be taken out of the opposite surface side. Consequently, the automatic vending machine is reducible in size, simplified in structure, and reduced in cost although the two surface operation function is obtained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine that allows products to be purchased from either of two orthogonal sides.

A conventional vending machine in general is constructed as shown in FIG. An inner box 32 having a heat-insulating structure is provided inside the vending machine surrounded by the vending machine main body 30 and the front door 3I. Inside the chamber surrounded by the inner box body 33 and the inner door 34, there is a product stocker 3 in which canned beverages 35 are stacked and stocked.
6 is installed.

In this conventional type, when the customer service device 37 provided on the front door 31 is operated, the canned drinks 35 dispensed from the product stocker 36 are dispensed onto the chute 38, and the canned beverages 35 are dispensed from the product outlet opened in the front door 31. It will be paid out on 39th.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the front door 31 is installed in the center of platform A of a station facing the track B side, the vending machine can be opened from the longitudinal side of platform A. Furthermore, if the front door 31 is installed facing the lengthwise side of platform A, the vending machine cannot be used from the track B side. This can be solved by installing two vending machines in different directions, but installing both vending machines requires a large area and has many problems, such as increasing the total equipment cost. Furthermore, as seen in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 1-164589,
In a vending machine that has a product outlet at the top and a vertical conveyance mechanism inside, the two vending machines each have their own vertical conveyance mechanism, making them larger (installation requires less space). (expansion) and higher prices will become even worse.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can be used from either of the two perpendicular sides of the vending machine body, and that can also be used as a feeding device for feeding products. do.

Means for Solving the Problems The vending machine of the present invention is provided with a product stocker for dispensing products downward in the main body of the vending machine, and customer service devices respectively installed at the top of two sides located at right angles to the main body of the vending machine. A belt conveyor is provided at the position to receive the products taken out from the product stocker to transport the received products laterally, and a pocket is provided at the corner formed by both sides of the product from which both product exits face. , is characterized in that it is equipped with an up-feeding device that transfers the products received from the belt conveyor to the pockets.

According to this configuration, when a user operates the customer service device on either side, an instruction to dispense the product is given to the product stocker, and the desired product is delivered onto the belt conveyor. This product is transported horizontally by a belt conveyor.
After being passed to the upper feeding device and transported upward, it is dispensed into a common pocket.

This allows the user to take out the product in the pocket from the opposite side. In this way, the user can operate the customer service device from either of the two sides located at right angles, dispense the goods into the pocket via the common belt conveyor and feeding device, and then from the opposite side. Goods can be taken out.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 4.

An inner box 3 having a heat-insulating structure is provided inside the vending machine, which is surrounded by a vending machine body 1 and doors 2A and 2B attached to two sides located at right angles to the vending machine body 1. . A plurality of product stockers 7 are installed in the chamber surrounded by the inner box body 4 and the inner door 5, in which canned beverages 6, which are an example of products, are piled up and stocked. 5
The canned beverage 6 is dispensed downward through a dispensing port 8 formed at the lower part of the can. An evaporator, a sheathed heater, and a fan are installed at the bottom of the inner box 3, and a compressor, a condenser, etc. are installed at the bottom of the vending machine body 1; It forms a refrigeration cycle. Customer service devices 9A and 9B are provided above both doors 2A and 2B.

A belt conveyor IO is provided below and in front of the product stocker 7 to receive canned beverages 6 discharged from the discharge port 8 of the product stocker 7 and then convey them laterally. A conveyance direction 11 by the belt conveyor 10 is directed toward a corner portion 12 formed by two surfaces of the vending machine main body 1 to which both doors 2A and 2B are attached. This corner part 1
2, and the upper part (middle part) thereof has a product outlet 13A.

13B is provided. These product outlet ports 13A, 13
B is provided with swingable opening/closing doors +5A and 15B supported by a common vertical pin 14 located at the corner portion 12. The opening/closing doors 15A and 15B are the operation parts 16A and 16B.
Although it is manually operated via the lock device, only the set priority (described later) is opened, and the next priority is the lock device 1i17A.

17B prevents the opening movement. A common pocket 18 facing both product outlets 13A and 13B is formed inside the corner portion 12, and a bottom plate 19 forming this pocket 18 is formed in the shape of a chute with the belt conveyor IO side facing upward. Below the pocket 18, there are coin slots 2+A and 2 which are opened on both sides by a partition plate 20.
1B is formed and the inserted coin is Coin Mech 22
to go into. Although the coin mech 22 is shared, priority is set depending on which side of the coin insertion sections 21A and 21B is inserted first.

Across the outer end of the conveyance direction 11 and the inner side of the bottom plate 19,
An uplift device 23 is provided to transfer the canned beverage 6 received from the belt conveyor 10 to the pocket 18.

The upper feeding device 23 includes a pair of chenos 24 and a pair of chenos 24.
It consists of a product holder 25 attached between four parts. The bottom plate 25a of the product receiver 25 has the upper side facing the belt conveyor 10 and is inclined at an equal angle to the bottom plate 19, and the receiving plate 25b on the lower side of the inclination is always in an upright state due to a cam action, etc., and has a pocket. When facing the bottom plate 18, it becomes sideways and is located on the extension line of the bottom plate 19. A hanging holder 26 is provided on the inner surface of the product holder 25, and this hanging holder 26 also has a
It has a receiving plate 26a that swings similarly to the product receiving device 25 side.

When the change receiver 26 is at its lower limit, the change chute 27 from the coin mech 22 faces it.

For example, the user enters the coin insertion section 2+ from one door 2A side.
When a coin is inserted into A and the customer service device 9A is operated, a product payout instruction is given to the product stocker 7, and the desired canned beverage 6 is delivered from the payout port 8 onto the belt conveyor 10. The canned beverage 6 is then conveyed laterally by the belt conveyor 10 and placed into the product receiver 25 at the lower limit position. Coin mech 22 from coin input section 2+A
The coins inserted into the machine are calculated and subtracted based on the signal from the customer service device 9A, and when change is required, the change taken out from the coin mech 22 is passed through the change chute 27 to the change receiver 26. Injected.

After completing the above-described processing, the canned beverage 6 is raised by the operation of the lifting device 23. When the product receiver 25 faces the pocket 18, the receiver plates 25b and 26a swing downward due to a cam action, etc., and the canned beverage 6 is placed on the bottom plate 25a.
It slides onto the bottom plate 19 via the receiving plate 25b and is dispensed into the pocket 18. Pocket 1 for change in the same way.
It will be paid out within 8. Therefore, a user who inserts a coin from one door 2A side can open the opening/closing door 15A.
Canned beverage 6 and change can be taken out.

When the user inserts a coin into the coin insertion section 21B from the other door 2B side, the same operation as described above is performed, and the opening/closing door 1
By opening 5B, the canned beverage 6 and change can be taken out from the common pocket 18.

When two users insert coins one after the other from both doors 2A and 2B, priority is given to the side that CoinMech 22 detects first, and that priority side is opened and closed by doors +5A and 15.
B can be opened, but the rear doors 15B and +5A cannot be opened due to the action of the locking devices 17B and +7A. This can eliminate mistakes. Then, when the priority side ends, the subsequent side moves up to the priority side. The coin mech 22 is also equipped with a mechanism to prevent coins from being inserted simultaneously.

In addition, when the priority order can be determined using another format,
Coin insertion section 2] A and 21B can be combined into one.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, the vending machine can be used from either side of the two orthogonal sides of the vending machine main body, and operability can be improved. In addition, the belt conveyor, upper feeding device, and pocket can each be used on both sides, which allows for miniaturization (reduced installation area) and structure while still having a two-sided operation function. simplification and cost reduction.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 4 show an embodiment of the vending machine of the present invention, where Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional plan view including a pocket section, and Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view including a coin insertion section. A cross-sectional plan view of the main part,
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view, FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional vending machine, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the conventional vending machine installed on a platform. 1... Vending machine body, 6... Canned beverage (product), 7
...Product stocker, 8...Payout port, 9A, 9B
...Customer service equipment, lO...Belt conveyor, 12...
・Corner part, +3A, 13B...Product outlet, +5
A, 15B...opening/closing door, 1? A, 17B...Lock device, 18...Pocket, 21A. 21B... Coin insertion section, 22... Coin mech,
23...Upper feeding device, 25...Product receiver, 25b...
- Receiver plate, 26...Change receiver, 27...Change chute.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A product stocker for dispensing products downward is installed in the vending machine body, and a customer service device and a product takeout port are installed at the top of two sides located at right angles to the vending machine body, respectively.
The position to receive the products taken out from the product stocker is
A vending machine that is equipped with a belt conveyor that transports the received products laterally, a pocket with both product outlet openings facing the corner formed by both sides, and an upper feeding device that transfers the products received from the belt conveyor to the pocket. .