JPH0411443B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a product storage and take-out device that can automatically take out and store products such as video cassettes.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, product retrieval and storage devices such as automatic video cassette lending machines have been proposed.

In this way, according to a product retrieval/storage device such as an automatic video cassette dispensing machine, a plurality of product storage shelves are installed horizontally in a storage case with a product entrance/exit provided on the front panel. In between, a product transport means that moves vertically and horizontally within the storage case takes out products from the storage shelves and transports them to the product entrance for lending, and also transports products returned to the product entrance to the storage shelves. It is configured to be stored back.

In addition, to prevent items stored in the storage shelves from falling from the storage shelves due to earthquakes, etc.
A configuration is shown in which a receiving piece is provided for a stored item (container) placed on a horizontal storage shelf, and a holding means is provided for locking a lock lever to the receiving piece to prevent the stored item from moving from the storage shelf. ing.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In a conventional product take-out/storage device, products are taken in and out of one of the plurality of storage shelves by a product conveying means provided between the plurality of storage shelves and the product entrance/exit.

Providing a locking means for each product as a means to prevent the products in the product retrieval and storage device from moving or falling from the storage shelves due to vibrations such as earthquakes complicates the device itself, and in some cases may damage the product. There are inconveniences such as storing it in a container and storing it on a storage shelf.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the risk of products stored in storage shelves falling due to vibrations such as earthquakes without providing any special additional means to the products, and to solve the problem that the engaging claw members of the product conveyance means are tilted. An object of the present invention is to provide a product retrieval/storage device equipped with a means for easily engaging and disengaging products placed on a storage shelf.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a storage case having a plurality of storage shelves for storing products on the back plate side and a single product entrance/exit on the lower side of the front panel, and the product entrance/exit, the product in one of the multiple storage shelves is transported to the product entrance, and the product in the product entrance/exit is transported to one of the multiple storage shelves. In a product takeout/storage device equipped with a product conveyance means, the product conveyance means includes a placement member on which a product can be placed that can be rotated by 180 degrees at a position facing a product entrance, and an engagement formed at one end of the lower part of the product. and a transfer member that moves the engaging claw member and can transfer the product between the storage shelf and the placement member or between the product entrance and exit and the placement member, and the plurality of The storage shelves of the tiers are inclined so that the back plate side, which is the mounting side, is lower than the side facing the placement member, and the inclination angles of the placement members and product entrances are adjusted to match the inclination angle of the storage shelf. It is characterized by setting the following.

[Effect]

Products on the storage shelves are lower at the back of the storage shelves, so they will not easily slip off the front side of the storage shelves even if vibrations are applied due to an earthquake or the like. Also, when pulling out a product from a storage shelf onto a loading member, when feeding a product from a loading member into a storage shelf, or when placing a product on a loading member from a product entrance/exit, or when feeding a product from a loading member into a product entrance/exit. Since the storage shelf, the product entrance and exit, and the placement member are inclined at the same inclination angle, the product can smoothly move between the placement member, the storage shelf, and the product entrance without changing its posture.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of the product take-out and storage device of the present invention. In the figure, numeral 1 is a storage case, 2 is a storage shelf, 3 is a product entrance/exit, 4 is a product conveyance means, and 5 is a front panel.

The storage shelves 2 are attached to the back plate 6 of the storage case 1 in a plurality of stages (10 stages in the drawing) in parallel to each other. This storage shelf 2 is in a horizontal state when viewed from the front side of the storage case 1, but when viewed from the side, it is inclined so that the back side (back plate 6 side) is lower. This angle of inclination is such that the video cassette 7 can be prevented from falling by itself, and the engaging claw member 13 of the product conveyance means 4 can be engaged with the recess 7a of the case of the video cassette 7 without being obstructed by the video cassette 7 stored in the lower stage. The angle is set to create a space for release, and in this embodiment, it is approximately 10 degrees.

The width in the longitudinal direction of each storage shelf 2 is set to be large enough to store approximately 20 video cassettes 7 in a parallel and upright state. Further, the width of each storage shelf 2 in the short side direction is set shorter than the length of the video cassette 7, and a part of the video cassette 7 (the recess 7
The storage shelf 2 is stored in such a way that the part a) protrudes from the front part of the storage shelf 2.

The product entrance/exit 3 is located on the front panel 5 of the storage case 1.
The storage shelf 2 is inclined at the same angle as the storage shelf 2 at a lower position. A barcode reader 8 for reading the barcode printed on the video cassette 7 is provided near the product entrance/exit 3. In addition to the product entrance 3, the front panel 5 is provided with a keyboard, a CRT, a printer exit, a card insertion slot, etc. (not shown).

The product conveyance means 4 is guided by vertical guide rails 10 provided on both side plates 9 of the storage case 1 and moves vertically within the storage case 1, and both ends engage with the vertical guide rails 10 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. It moves in the left-right direction while being guided by the horizontal shaft 11. Although not shown, the storage case 1 is equipped with a drive device for moving the product conveyance means 4. This drive device is the barcode reader 8 mentioned above.
The product transport means 4 is
move.

3 to 5 show the product conveying means 4 in detail. This product conveying means 4 includes a reversible placing member 12 and a recess 7a in the case of the video cassette 7.
The video cassette 7 is composed of an engaging claw member 13 that is detachably engaged with the video cassette 13, and a transfer member 14 that moves the engaging claw member 13 to transfer the video cassette 7 onto or from the mounting member 12. ing.

The mounting member 12 is rotated 180° by a motor 15 at the position shown in the two-dot chain line shown in FIG.
A mounting table 16 on which a video cassette 7 is placed is inclined at the same angle of inclination as the storage shelf 2.

The mounting table 16 has a slit 16 along the length direction.
A is formed, and side walls 17 and 18 are erected to sandwich the video cassette 7, and micro switches 19 and 19 for detecting the video cassette 7 are provided at the upper end of one of the side walls 17. Note that a bearing portion 21 for the horizontal shaft 11 is provided on the member 20 to which the motor 15 is fixed.

The engaging claw member 13 is constructed by rotatably attaching a claw piece 24 via a pin 23a to a block piece 23 that moves guided by a guide protrusion 22 provided on the mounting member 12. A spring 25 is interposed between the claw piece 23 and the claw piece 24 to maintain the claw piece 24 in an upright state. The claw piece 24 protrudes from the slit 16a of the mounting table 16.
6a.

The transfer member 14 rotates pulleys 26 and 27 provided on the mounting member 12, a wire 28 that is wound around the pulleys 26 and 27 and whose one end and the other end are fixed to the block piece 22, and one pulley 26. The engaging claw member 13 is reciprocated in the longitudinal direction of the mounting member 12.

When taking out a video cassette 7 from the storage shelf 2, the desired video cassette 7 is designated from the keyboard on the front panel 5. As a result, the drive device (not shown) operates, and the product conveying means 4 is guided from the standby position (the position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) by the vertical guide rail 10 and the horizontal shaft 11 to the designated video cassette 7 and Move to the opposite position.
At this time, the product conveying means 4 is first stopped at a position slightly lower than a predetermined position so that the claw pieces 24 do not hit the video cassette 7. When the claw piece 24 is positioned below the recess 7a of the video cassette 7, the product conveying means 4 is raised to engage the claw piece 24 with the recess 7a (see FIG. 2).

After this, the engaging claw member 1 is moved by the pulse motor 29.
3 to one end side (pulley 26 side) of the mounting member 12, the video cassette 7 is pulled out from the storage shelf 2, and placed on the mounting table 16. At this time, since the storage shelf 2 and the mounting member 12 (mounting table 16) have the same inclination angle, the video cassette 7 moves smoothly without losing its posture. Note that when the video cassette 7 is caught on the storage shelf 2 and is not transferred to the mounting table 16, the claw piece 24 rotates about the pin 23a and comes off from the recess 7a, causing undue force to be applied to the video cassette 7. Therefore, there is no risk that the case of the video cassette 7 will be damaged. Claw piece 24 removed from recess 7a
returns to the upright state due to the restoring resiliency of the spring 25.

When it is detected by the micro switches 19, 19 that the video cassette 7 has been completely transferred onto the mounting table 16, the product conveyance means 4 is moved to the standby position by the drive device. When the product conveying means 4 moves to the standby position, the motor 15 operates to turn the placement member 12 180 degrees and bring it closer to the product entrance/exit port 3. At this time, the other end side of the mounting member 12 (pulley 27
side) is located on the product entrance 3 side. Then, the pulse motor 29 is operated to move the engaging claw member 13 to the other end side of the mounting member 12, and the video cassette 7 is sent from the mounting table 16 to the product entrance/exit 3. As a result, the video cassette 7 comes out from the product entrance 3 and is available for lending.

When returning the video cassette 7, insert the video cassette 7 from the product entrance 3, and the recess 7a of the video cassette 7 will engage with the claw piece 24.
The video cassette 7 is now ready to be transferred to the mounting member 12. Then, the pulse motor 29 operates to move the engaging claw member 13 from the other end of the mounting member 12 to the one end. As a result, video cassette 7
is transferred from the product entrance/exit 3 onto the mounting table 16. At this time, since the product entrance/exit 3 and the mounting member 12 have the same inclination angle, the video cassette 7 moves smoothly without losing its posture. Further, the barcode of the video cassette 7 is read by the barcode reader 8, and if the barcode is not read correctly, it is pushed out of the machine and only the correct one is stored.

Next, after the mounting member 12 is reversed by 180 degrees by the motor 15, the drive device is operated to move the product conveying means 4 to a position where the video cassette 7 is stored. When the product conveying means 4 moves to the storage position, the pulse motor 29 operates and the engaging claw member 13
is moved from one end side of the mounting member 12 to the other end side. As a result, the video cassette 7 is placed on the mounting table 16.
From there, it is sent out to the storage shelf 3 and stored in the storage shelf 3. Also at this time, since the mounting member 12 and the storage shelf 3 have the same inclination angle, the video cassette 7 moves smoothly without losing its posture.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the storage shelf is tilted so that the back side is lower than the front side, so even if vibrations are applied to the storage case due to an earthquake, etc., the products on the storage shelf can easily fall by themselves. There is no need to provide a natural fall prevention mechanism on the storage shelf. In addition, by tilting the storage shelves, the space necessary for engaging and disengaging the engaging claw members of the product conveyance means can be secured, and unlike when the storage shelves are installed horizontally, the engaging claw members can be placed between each storage shelf. There is no need to provide a space for engaging and disengaging operations, the interval between each storage shelf can be shortened by this space, and the storage space within the storage case can be increased.

Furthermore, since the placing member, the storage shelf, and the product entrance are set at the same inclination angle, the product can be transferred between the placing member, the storage shelf, and the product entrance without any problem.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a side sectional view, Fig. 2 is an explanatory view showing the engagement operation between the claw piece and the recess, and Fig. 3 shows the product conveyance means in detail. A partially omitted side view, FIG. 4 is a view taken along the - line in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a view taken along the - line in FIG. 3. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Storage case, 2... Storage shelf, 3... Product entrance/exit, 4... Product conveyance means, 7... Product (video cassette), 12... Placement member, 13... Engaging claw member, 14 ...transfer parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Multi-stage storage shelf 2 for storing products 7 on the back plate side.
A storage case 1 is provided with a single product entrance 3 on the lower side of the front panel, and between the plurality of storage shelves 2 and the product entrance 3, one of the plurality of storage shelves 2 is provided. In a product retrieval/storage device comprising a product transport means for transporting products from a storage shelf to a product entrance 3 and products from the product entrance 3 to one of a plurality of storage shelves 2, as the product transport means. , a placement member 12 on which a product can be placed that can be rotated 180 degrees at a position facing the product entrance/exit 3; an engagement claw member 13 that can be freely engaged and detached from an engagement portion formed at one end of the lower part of the product; Matching claw member 13
A transfer member 14 that can move the product between the storage shelf and the placement member or between the product entrance and exit and the placement member.
The plurality of storage shelves 2 are inclined so that the back plate side, which is the mounting side, is lower than the side facing the mounting member, and the inclination angle of the storage shelves 2 is made to match the angle of inclination as described above. A product takeout/storage device characterized in that the inclination angles of the mounting member 12 and the product entrance/exit 3 are set.