JPH04123292A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve commodity replenishing work by providing the automatic vending machine with a robot, plural mounting racks for mounting commodity carrying cases and a carrying device for moving an optional rack corresponding to a selected commodity to a specific position. CONSTITUTION:In service man's commodity replenishing work, each commodity carrying case 10 mounted on the road carrying platform of a circulating service vehicle is set up on a mounting rack 15 determined in accordance with the branch of commodities B stored in the case 10. When a certain commodity is selected at the time of running the automatic vending machine, the rack 15 mounting the commodities B of the selected brand is carried up to the specific position 9 by the carrying device 14, one of commodities B stored in the case 10 is grasped by the robot hand 11 of the robot 13 and extracted from the case 10 and the tip of the hand 11 is moved to the upper part of the rear end of a chute 17 connected to a commodity discharging port 16 to discharge the commodity. Since the commodity replenishing work can be completed only by remounting the commodity carrying case on the mounting rack, a service man can be released from heavy labor.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to a vending machine that is easy to replenish with products.

In conventional vending machines for canned drinks, etc., when replenishing the product delivery device A with products, as shown in FIG.
The service person manually takes out the product from the product transport container 5 placed on the installation surface 4 and places it in the vending machine main body 1.
Product input port 6 of product delivery device A provided at the top of
It repeats the action of putting it in.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional configuration, the operation of manually taking out a product from the product transport container 5 located at a low position and inserting it into the product input port 6 at the top of the vending machine main body 1 is repeated. The problem is that it is very hard work.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can improve product replenishment work.

Means for Solving the Problems The vending machine room of the present invention includes a robot that grasps a product contained in a product transport container located at a specific location in the warehouse, transports it to another location necessary for dispensing, and releases it. The present invention is characterized in that it has a plurality of shelves on which product transport containers are placed, and a transport device that moves the shelves to the specific location depending on the selected product.

Function: According to this configuration, replenishment is completed by placing a product transport container containing multiple products on a shelf inside the vending machine, and when dispensing, an appropriate shelf is placed within the robot's operating range. The robot picks and dispenses products from the product transport container placed on the shelf.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 3.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the vending machine of the present invention, on the right side 8 of the chamber 7, a robot hand I+ is used to transport the product B contained in the product transport container IO located at a specific location 9. A robot I3 is provided which grasps and transports it to another location 12 required for dispensing and releases it. Further, inside the warehouse 7 is provided a transport device 14 to which a plurality of storage shelves are attached.

This transport device I4 is capable of transporting a suitable one of the mounting shelves 15 to the specific location 9 within the operating range of the robot 13, and here, each mounting shelf 15 is rotated within the same plane. An endless conveyor is used. Each shelf 1
A product transport container IO containing a predetermined brand of product B is placed at 5. Product transport container IO shown in Figure 3
A partition wall 19 is formed inside.

The service personnel fill the product with the front door 2 and inner door 3.
The customer opens the container and sets the product transport container 10 loaded on the platform of a traveling service vehicle on the shelf 15 determined according to the brand of the product B. Replenishment of the plurality of products B is completed by one movement of transferring the product transport container IO.

During sales operation, when a product selection operation is executed, the transport device 14 is operated until the shelf 15 on which the selected brand of product B is placed comes to the specific location 9, and then the robot hand 11 of the robot 13 is operated. grabs the product B in the product transport container 10 that has arrived at the specific location and transfers it to the product transport container IO.
The product B is taken out from the machine, and the tip moves above the rear end of the unit 17 whose tip is connected to the product dispensing port 1G, and the product B that was being held there is released, completing the product dispensing.

Furthermore, as the products are dispensed, each product transport container 10 will have locations where product B is present and locations where product B is not.
Each time a product selection operation is performed, the robot hand 11 is configured to inquire as to which position the product is located, and to direct the robot hand 11 to the position where the product is present, and to pick the selected position. , “Product available” to “
Update data without products.

Alternatively, instead of registering the location of the product as described above, a small television camera device 18 may be provided near the robot hand 11, and the captured data may be image-processed to determine the presence or absence of the product. However, it is also possible to configure the robot hand 11 to start picking at a position where a product is present.

In this way, the transport device 14 moves the appropriate loading shelf 15 to the robot).
13, the products can be delivered by simply providing a small robot 13 with a small motion range.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a robot that grasps a product contained in a product transport container located at a specific location in a warehouse, transports it to another location required for dispensing, and releases it, and a product transport container. It has a plurality of shelves on which the products are placed, and a transport device that moves the shelves to the specific location according to the selected product. Replenishment work is completed as soon as the product is reloaded, and there is no need to take out and replenish products one by one as in the past, freeing service personnel from heavy labor. Furthermore, since the transport device transports an appropriate shelf within the robot's operating range, it is possible to dispense products simply by installing a small robot with a small operating range, and when a large robot is installed inside the warehouse. In comparison, the number of products that can be accommodated can be expanded.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional front view of the vending machine of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the main parts of the vending machine, Fig. 3 is a plan view of a product transport container containing products, and Fig. 4 is a conventional vending machine. It is a perspective view of a vending machine in a product replenishment state. B...Product, 7...Inside the warehouse, 9...Specific location, lO
...Product transport container, I+...Robot hand, 13
...Robot, 14...Transfer device, 15...Placement shelf, 17...Chute.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. It has a robot that grabs the product contained in a product transport container located at a specific location in the warehouse, transports it to another location necessary for dispensing, and releases it, and multiple shelves on which the product transport container is placed. , and a conveyance device that moves the shelf to the specific location according to the selected product.