JPH0397096A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a user to easily take out a commodity at a standing posture by gathering the commodities, which are carried out of respective commodity racks arranged to right and left, in one spot and afterwards, sending the commodities through a longitudinal conveying mechanism to a commodity pickup port arranged in the interrupted position of a front panel. CONSTITUTION:A commodity 8 is played out in a lower direction, moved through a shooter 5 or a lateral conveying mechanism, which enters the exit of a commodity rack 4, to the prescribed position and dispatched to a longitudinal conveying mechanism 6. Next, the commodity is discharged to an upper shooter 7 at the laying posture in the upper end position of the longitudinal conveying mechanism 6 and in a process that the commodity is rolled on the surface of the shooter 7, the commodity changes the direction from the laying posture to the standing posture and drops down on a stage in the internal part of the commodity pickup port. Under the control of a commodity presence / absence detection sensor, an automatic opening / closing door 31 is opened. Further, when the user takes out the commodity 8 to an external part, the door 31 is automatically closed and returned to a standby state again. Thus, the user can easily take out the commodity 8.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a vending machine that primarily sells canned and bottled beverage products. [Conventional technology] In the above-mentioned vending machines, serventine racks are often used as product racks installed inside the vending machines. As is well known, such serpentine racks are of a type in which the products stored in the aisles within the rack are carried downwards by falling under their own weight, and normally the products are carried out from the bottom of the product rack and transferred to the shooter as they are. ζThe product is taken out through the product outlet provided at the lower front of the front panel of the main body case.On the other hand, if the product outlet is installed at a low position as mentioned above, the user cannot take out the product from the product outlet. When taking it out,
There is the inconvenience of having to bend over and take an awkward posture. Therefore, in order to make it easier for users to take out products while standing, the location of the product removal station has been moved from the bottom of the front panel to the middle position, and the product removal port and the exit of the product rack inside the warehouse have been moved from the bottom of the front panel to the middle position. A device in which an elevator mechanism is provided by directly connecting the product rack and the product rack to lift and convey the product taken out from the product rack to the product take-out port is known in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 60-5571. [Problems to be solved by the invention] By the way, vending machines these days tend to be larger and larger, with the majority of vending machines offering multiple selections.
In such multi-selling machines, multiple product racks are installed side by side inside the main case. Therefore, if the above-mentioned elevator mechanism were to be applied as is to such a large multi-selling machine, it would be necessary to install an elevator mechanism between each product rack in the warehouse and the product outlet, which would complicate the internal structure of the machine. In addition, in order to avoid mutual interference between the elevator mechanisms of each unit, the product outlet provided in the front panel is wide, which impairs the design of the vending machine. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and is easily compatible with large multi-selection machines, and has a product collection system in which products dropped from each product rack arranged on the left and right are placed above the front panel. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can deliver products to the exit (and also improve the operability of taking out products, thereby improving service to users. [Means for solving the problem] ] In order to solve the above problems, the vending machine of the present invention includes a chute or a horizontal conveyance mechanism that collects the products carried out from each of the product racks arranged on the left and right in a central location, and a chute or a horizontal conveyance mechanism that collects the products taken out from the product racks arranged on the left and right, and a chute or a horizontal conveyance mechanism that collects the products received from the chute or the horizontal conveyance mechanism. The system shall be equipped with an Nti transport mechanism that transports the product upward and delivers it to the upper chute connected to the rear of the product take-out port.The horizontal transport mechanism in the above configuration has a finger on the circumference of the endless belt. It can be used as a horizontally movable conveyor that receives products carried out from the product rack by a motor drive and transports them to the position of the vertical transport mechanism.The vertical transport mechanism also has fingers on the circumference of the endless belt. It can be configured as a vertically movable conveyor that lifts and conveys products received from the chute or horizontal transport mechanism to the position of the upper chute using a motor drive. It can be equipped with a posture control mechanism that changes the product received from the conveyance mechanism from a lying position to a standing position and sends it to the product takeout port.In addition, in order to improve service to users, the product takeout port has a , it is preferable to have an automatic opening/closing door that opens when it detects the arrival of the product and closes when it detects that the product is taken out.Furthermore, the product takeout port improves the design effect and
In order to clearly identify the location of the product outlet, it is best to have it protrude forward from the front panel in the form of a bay window. [Operation] In the above command, when the product is discharged downward from the product rack in the warehouse based on the sales signal, the product is delivered to a predetermined position in the center of the left and right via the chute or horizontal conveyance mechanism leading to the exit of the product rank. It will be transferred and handed over to the vertical transport mechanism in the summer. Next, the vertical transport mechanism receives the product, lifts it upward, and releases it into the upper chute at the upper end position while lying in a horizontal position. On the other hand, the products released into the upper chute are
During the process of moving on the chute surface, the posture control mechanism changes the direction from the lying posture to the standing posture and lands on the stage inside the product extraction port. Then, when the product reaches the product exit, the product presence/absence detection sensor installed at the product removal port opens an automatically opening/closing door based on the sensor signal, and when the user takes the product outside, the door automatically opens. Close it and return to standby mode. In this case, the products, such as five cans, are erected inside the product outlet that protrudes from the front panel in a bay window style, allowing the user to easily grab and take out the products. [Embodiment] Figures 1 to 3 are side views of one embodiment of the present invention, and Figures 4 and 5 are structural diagrams of different applied embodiments. First, in Figures 1 to 3, ■ is the main body case of the vending machine, 2 is the front panel as the front door,
3 is a product outlet provided at the center position z of the front panel 2;
Reference numeral 4 denotes a plurality of serventine-type product racks arranged side by side inside the main body case 1. Inside the warehouse, there is a lower part of the product racks 4 lined up left and right, which collects the products to be carried out from the product racks in the center. A chute 5, a vertical conveyance mechanism 6 installed in alignment with the bottom of the chute 5, and an upper chute 7 connected to the back of the product take-out port 3 on the inside of the refrigerator to communicate with the vertical conveyance mechanism 6. It is equipped. Here, the product take-out port 3 is equipped with a see-through door 3l which is formed to bulge forward from the front panel 2 in the form of a bay window, and the door 31 is, for example, a photoelectric type opening/closing door 31. Based on the detection signal of a product presence detection sensor (not shown), the automatic system automatically opens when a product reaches the product takeout port and automatically closes when the product is taken out from the product takeout port. It is a door that opens and closes. Furthermore, as clearly shown in FIG. 3, an upper chute 7 connected to the product outlet 3
A guide bin 71 is provided on the chute surface of the chute as a position control mechanism for changing the rolling product from a lying position to a standing position and sending it to the product outlet 3. On the other hand, the vertical conveyance mechanism 6 provided inside the warehouse is equipped with fingers 63 for receiving and holding products at regular pitch intervals on the circumference of an endless belt 62 stretched between a pair of upper and lower subrockets 6l. It is constructed as a vertically movable conveyor that is driven around in a fixed direction by a drive motor. The automatic opening/closing door 31 of the product takeout port 3, the product rank 4, and the vertical transport mechanism 6 are controlled by commands from a controller (not shown) based on the sales signal. Next, we will explain the product sales operation. First, canned and bottled products 8 are loaded into each product rack 4 from the front and stored. Here, when a coin is inserted from the sales standby state and the product selection button is pressed, the selected product rack 4 operates based on the sales signal and carries out one product 8 by dropping it downward. Moreover, the product 8 carried out from the product rack 4 is placed in the lower chute 5.
The finger 62 of the vertical conveyor fIII6 slipped down the slope of the
Transfer to. Subsequently, the *t* feed mechanism 6 is started, and the product 8 received and held by the fingers 63 is lifted and conveyed upward, and at the upper end position, the fingers are reversed and the product 8 is discharged into the upper chute 7 while in a recumbent position. On the other hand, the product 8 transferred to the upper chute 7 is transferred to the third place on the chute surface.
As shown by the chain line in the figure, it is constrained by the guide pin 7l,
Change your posture from lying down to standing position and land on the stage inside product outlet 2. Furthermore, when the arrival of the product 8 at the product outlet 3 is detected by the product presence/absence detection sensor, the door 3l, which has been closed until now, is automatically opened. When the user pulls out the product 8 from the product outlet 3, the door 31 is automatically closed, thereby completing a series of sales operations and returning to the sales standby state again. FIGS. 4 and 5 show an example in which a horizontal conveyance mechanism 9 serving as a horizontally movable conveyor is provided in place of the lower chute 5 in the previous embodiment. As clearly shown in FIG. 5, this lateral conveyance mechanism has fingers 93 provided at regular pitch intervals on the circumference of an endless belt 92 stretched between a pair of left and right sprockets 9l. It moves left and right when driven. Then, the product that has been dropped and carried out from the product rack 4 is received, moved to the vertical conveyance mechanism 6, and delivered. The subsequent product transport operations are the same as in the previous example. [Effects of the Invention] Since the vending machine according to the present invention is designed as explained above, it has the following effects. (1) Compatible with Multi-Selexigon multi-selling machines, the products carried out from the product racks lined up on the left and right are collected in one place, and then sent to the product take-out port located in the middle of the front panel via a vertical conveyance mechanism. You can send it. (2) Users can take out products from the product outlet while standing comfortably. (3) During the transportation process inside the machine, the product is changed from a lying position to a standing position before being delivered to the product takeout port, allowing the user to easily grab and take out the product from the product takeout port. (4) By using an automatic opening/closing door for the product take-out port, the user does not need to open the door himself.Furthermore, by configuring the product take-out port in the form of a bay window, the product has a design effect as well as the product from the user's perspective. Serviceability for users can be improved by making the location of the outlet clearer.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 to 3 are structural diagrams of one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 4. Fig. 5 is a structural diagram of another applied example, Fig. 1 is an external view of the vending machine, Fig. 2 is a structural layout diagram inside the machine with the front panel open, and Fig. 3 is a structural diagram of the vending machine. Figure 4 is a detailed structural diagram of the main mechanism, Figure 4 is a horizontal layout diagram of a part of the inside of the machine, and Figure 5 is a structural diagram of the horizontal transport mechanism in Figure 4. In the figure, 1: main case, 2: front panel, 3 product outlets,
31: Opening/closing door, 4: Product rack, 5: Lower shooter, 6
:F4 conveyance mechanism, 62: Endless belt, 63: Finger, 7: Upper chute, 7l: Guide bin (posture control mechanism), 8: Product, 9: Lateral conveyance Figure 4'/1 5th stitch

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) A product takeout port located on the front panel and located above the exit of the product rack, which allows the products to be transported downward from the product racks arranged side by side inside the main body case. The vending machine is configured to transport products from the left and right product racks to a central location, and a chute or horizontal transport mechanism that transports products received from the chute or horizontal transport mechanism upwardly. A vending machine characterized by being equipped with a vertical conveyance mechanism that transfers products to an upper chute connected to the back of an outlet. 2) In the vending machine according to claim 1, the horizontal conveyance mechanism includes fingers on the circumference of the endless belt, and receives the products carried out from the product rack by a motor drive and conveys them to the position of the vertical conveyance mechanism. A vending machine characterized by being a mobile conveyor. 3) In the vending machine according to claim 1, the vertical conveyance mechanism includes fingers on the circumference of the endless belt, and lifts and conveys the product received from the chute or the horizontal conveyance mechanism to the position of the upper chute by driving a motor. A vending machine characterized by being a mobile conveyor. 4) In the vending machine according to claim 1, the upper chute connected to the product takeout port includes a posture control mechanism that changes the product transferred from the vertical conveyance mechanism from a lying position to a standing position and sends it to the product takeout port. A vending machine characterized by being equipped with. 5) The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the product takeout port is equipped with an automatic opening/closing door that opens upon detecting arrival of the product and closes upon detecting removal of the product from the outside. vending machine. 6) The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the product outlet is formed so as to protrude forward from the front panel in the form of a bay window.