JPH04293195A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the assembling cost and necessary assembling space of a detecting means since respective carrier bodies can be successively stopped at the waiting position and the ejecting position by providing one detecting means at a special position and stopping the driving movement of the carrier body each time the detecting means detects the detected part. CONSTITUTION:One detecting means 8 to detect successively plural detected parts 9a and 9b provided at the prescribed providing interval at a non-edge rotating body 5 side is provided at the position on the way of a surrounding channel where plural carrier bodies 3 are linked through the non-edge rotating body 4 and these carrier bodies 3 are moved and driven, and the prescribed providing interval is set at the interval where the interval portion to be distant from the part equivalent to a carrier moving distance L1 to carry a merchandise C and an interval portion to be distant from the part equivalent to a waiting moving distance L2 until one of the carrier bodies 3 reaches a waiting position H after the carrier action of the merchandise C is completed are mutually arranged.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a method in which a plurality of conveyance bodies for conveying products toward a product take-out position are connected at predetermined intervals via an endless rotating body, and the plurality of conveyance bodies are connected to a product storage area. The product is driven in one direction along a series of circular paths passing through a standby position where it waits to transport the product dispensed from the machine and a discharge position where it stops to discharge the product to the product take-out position. After one of the conveyance bodies passes the discharge position, stopping means is provided for stopping a conveyance body following the conveyance body at the standby position, and one of the conveyance bodies moves from the standby position to the discharge position. The present invention relates to a vending machine in which a conveyance movement distance is different from a standby movement distance from when one of the conveyance bodies arrives at the discharge position until a conveyance body following the conveyance body moves to the standby position.

0002

[Prior Art] The above-mentioned vending machine drives and moves a plurality of carriers in one direction along a series of circular paths at regular intervals, without changing the moving direction of the carriers back and forth.
Products can be efficiently transported to the product take-out position, and after one of the transporters passes the discharge position, the transporter following it is stopped at the standby position, making it possible to efficiently transport products using a small number of transporters. Although it has the advantage of being able to be transported, there are two problems: the distance it takes for one of the transport bodies to move from the standby position to the ejection position, and the time it takes for one of the transport bodies to reach the ejection position before the next transport body returns to the standby position. Conventionally, when controlling the drive movement of a transport body, a plurality of detected parts are provided on the endless rotary body side in a state corresponding to each transport body, and one of the transport bodies is ejection position detection means that detects a detection target corresponding to one of the transport bodies when one of the transport bodies arrives at the discharge position, and a standby position detection means that detects a detection target corresponding to the transport body when one of the transport bodies arrives at the standby position. Two detection means are provided on the fixed side, and when it is detected that one of the conveyors has arrived at the discharge position, its drive movement is stopped and the product is discharged, and then one of the conveyors is moved to the standby position. When it is detected that the product has arrived at the location, the drive movement is stopped and the product is left on standby at that location until it is dispensed.

0003

Problem to be Solved by the Invention Since it is necessary to provide two detection means, the ejection position detection means and the standby position detection means, not only does the cost of assembling the detection means increase;
There is a drawback that space for assembling two detection means must be secured. The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and by devising a means for detecting the stop position of the conveyor, it is possible to efficiently convey the product toward the product take-out position, and moreover, it is possible to efficiently convey the product with a small number of conveyors. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine that can be transported but can reduce the assembly cost and required space for a detection means.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] The characteristic structure of the present invention for achieving the above object is as follows:A. A plurality of transport bodies that transport the product toward the product take-out position are connected at predetermined intervals via an endless rotating body,
The plurality of conveyance bodies move along a series of circular paths passing through a waiting position where they wait to convey the product taken out from the product storage section and a discharge position where they stop to discharge the conveyed product to the product take-out position. B. After one of the carriers passes the discharge position,
A stopping means is provided for stopping a conveyance body following the conveyance body at the standby position; B. A transport movement distance in which one of the transport bodies moves from the standby position to the discharge position, and a transport body following the transport body moves to the standby position after one of the transport bodies reaches the discharge position. D. A vending machine with different standby travel distances until the The stopping means is configured by providing one detecting means at a position in the middle of the circular path for sequentially detecting a plurality of detected parts provided at predetermined intervals on the endless rotating body side, and E. A above-mentioned vending machine, wherein the predetermined arrangement interval is set to an interval such that an interval portion separating the conveyance movement distance and an interval portion separating the standby movement distance equivalent are alternately arranged.
This configuration has the configurations E to E, and these configurations provide the following effects.

[0005]

[Effect] a. With configuration A, the product can be efficiently transported toward the product take-out position without changing the moving direction of the conveyor back and forth, and with configuration B, the product can be efficiently transported with a small number of conveyors. Yes, but b.
With the configurations C, D, and E, instead of providing two detection means corresponding to the discharge position and the standby position,
By providing one detection means at a specific position and stopping the drive movement of the conveyance body every time the detection means detects the detected part, each conveyance body is sequentially stopped at a standby position and an ejection position. Can be done.

[0006]

Effects of the Invention: Due to the effect of a above, the vending machine can efficiently transport products toward the product take-out position, and moreover, can efficiently transport products with a small number of conveyors. By simply providing a detection means, it is possible to sequentially stop each transport body at the standby position and the ejection position, which reduces the installation cost and required space for the detection means.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 11 shows a vending machine in which a door body B is pivotally supported to be able to swing open and close on a main body A in which three product storage sections 1 are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. Each of the product storage units 1 includes a plurality of serpentine product storage units 1a arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction, and a rotating container for canned or bottled beverages discharged from one of the product storage units 1 based on a sales command. The chute 1c is provided to guide the body-shaped product C downhill toward the product dispensing port 1b. The product dispensing port 1
b are separately provided for each product storage section 1 and arranged at different positions along the lateral direction. As shown in FIG. 7, the door body B has a receiving surface 2 that is formed in a series along the direction in which the product dispensing ports 1b are disposed and receives the products C dispensed from each product dispensing port 1b, and a receiving surface 2 for receiving the products C dispensed from each product dispensing port 1b. Regardless of whether the product C is dispensed from the opening 1b, the product C received by the receiving surface 2 is scooped up by the conveyor 3 waiting at a standby position H on the upper side in the transport direction than each product dispensing port 1b. , and a product transport device D that transports the product toward a product take-out box 4 serving as a product take-out position located higher than the product delivery port 1b. The product transport device D has a horizontal transport path E in which the transport body 3 is driven and moved laterally along the receiving surface 2, and the product C received on the receiving surface 2 is transported while being pushed out by the transport body 3; It is continuous with the vertical conveyance path F, in which the conveyance body 3 is driven upward and the product C conveyed along the horizontal conveyance path E is lifted and conveyed by the downwardly curved conveyance surface 3a of the conveyance body 3. It is equipped with an L-shaped conveyance path. The L-shaped conveyance path includes upper and lower sprockets G1,
An endless chain 5 serving as an endless rotating body is wound around G2 and five guide sprockets G3 in an L-shape, and two conveyors 3 are attached to this endless chain 5 via conveyor attachment members 6 so as to be approximately parallel to each other. It is constructed by connecting them at equal intervals. As shown in FIGS. 8, 9, and 10, each of the conveyance bodies 3 has a conveyance surface 3a shaped like a gutter that curves downward,
A guide rail 7 is connected to the conveyor mounting member 6 so as to be able to swing up and down, and has rollers 6a pivotally supported on both left and right sides of the conveyor mounting member 6 along the winding route of the endless chain 5. The two carriers 3 are guided and driven by a drive motor M that is chain-linked to a lower sprocket G2, so that the two carriers 3 are driven and moved in one direction along a series of circumferential paths. A swinging arm 3c that can freely swing up and down and a roller 3 that rolls on the receiving surface 2 are provided on the bottom surface of the carrier 3.
The swinging arm 3c is spring-biased toward the side closer to the carrier 3, and the swinging arm 3c is attached to the long hole 6c of the swinging piece 6b connected to the carrier mounting member 6 and capable of vertically swinging. moving arm 3
The swinging range of the swinging arm 3c is regulated by engaging a pin 3f connected to the swinging arm 3c.

[0008] The receiving surface 2 is formed in the shape of a gutter, which is wider than the outer diameter of the product C and is bent so that it becomes lower toward the center in the width direction, so that the product C dispensed from the product dispensing port 1b can be disposed of along its length. It is configured to be received at the center in the width direction with the direction facing the conveyance direction, and a slit-shaped gap 10 is formed along the center in the width direction.
It is configured to pull the conveyor 3 from zero and drive it along the lateral conveyance path E. Each of the conveyance bodies 3 is at a standby position H where it waits to convey the product C delivered from any of the product delivery ports 1b to the receiving surface 2 on the horizontal transport path on the upper side in the transport direction than each product delivery port 1b. The conveyor 3 is driven in one direction along the L-shaped conveyance path while successively passing through the discharge position J where the lifted and conveyed product C is stopped to be slid down and discharged into the chute 4a of the product removal box 4. The transport movement distance L1 from the standby position H to the discharge position J is longer than the standby movement distance L2 from when the transport body 3 reaches the discharge position J until the other transport body 3 moves to the standby position H. It's made longer. As shown in FIG. 8, the carrier 3 has a receiving surface 2 of a rolling wheel 3b pivotally supported on the carrier 3.
By supporting it on the top, the moving posture along the horizontal conveying path E is guided to a pushing posture in which the conveying surface 3a is tilted backward with respect to the conveying direction, and the moving posture along the vertical conveying path F is guided to a pushing posture in which the conveying surface 3a is tilted backward with respect to the conveying direction. A cam surface 1 is provided with a guide roller 3d pivotally supported on the other end side of the movable arm 3c along the vertical conveyance path F.
1, the product C is guided to a lifting position in which it can be lifted and transported by the transport surface 3a. The product C, which is being pushed and moved along the horizontal transport path E, is scooped up by the transport surface 3e and placed on the transport surface 3e as the transport body 3 changes its posture from the pushing position to the lifting position. It is configured so that

[0009] A stopping means is provided beside the vertical conveyance path F for stopping one of the conveyance bodies 3 following the conveyance body 3 at a standby position H after one of the conveyance bodies 3 has passed the discharge position J. The stopping means is a proximity switch serving as a single detection means that outputs a signal to a control device that controls the drive of the product conveyance device D when kicked by the dogs 9a and 9b serving as detected portions connected to the endless chain 5 side. The dogs 9a and 9b are connected to the endless chain 5 at a predetermined interval in which an interval portion separating the conveyance movement distance L1 and an interval portion separating the standby movement distance L2 correspond to each other are alternately arranged. A sensor 12 is provided on the bottom of the product take-out box 4 to detect when the product C is discharged into the product take-out box 4 .

Next, drive control of the product conveyance device D will be explained based on the flowchart of FIG. 1 and the operational diagrams of FIGS. 2 to 6. As shown in FIG. 2, while one of the conveyors 3 is waiting at the standby position H, the product C is delivered to the product dispensing port 1b.
When the product C is removed from the product, the drive motor M is driven to start the product transport device D (step S1), and the transport body 3, which had been stopped at the standby position H, moves to transport the product C toward the product takeout port 4. Start. As shown in FIG. 3, when one of the first dogs 9a (hereinafter referred to as the first dog) kicks the proximity switch 8, the control device determines that the carrier 3 has arrived at the discharge position J (step S2), The driving of the drive motor M is stopped and the product conveyance device D is stopped (step S3). Then, when the sensor 12 detects that the product C has been discharged (step S4), the product conveyance device D is started again (step S5), and as shown in FIG. ) kicks the proximity switch 8, the control device determines that the other following conveyor 3 has arrived at the standby position H (step S6), and the product conveyor D is stopped (step S7), The other transport body 3 is in standby position H
is configured to wait at

[0011] Furthermore, at the start of vending control such as when power is connected to the vending machine, it is determined whether the signal input from the proximity switch 8 to the control device is from the first dog 9a or the second dog 9b. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, if sales control is started while one of the conveyors 3 is stopped at the discharge position J, the signal from the second dog 9b may be mistaken as the signal from the first dog 9a. Then, as shown in FIG.
There is a risk that the product conveyance operation will end with the product stopped at the standby position H, and the normal sales operation will not be performed. Therefore, if it is not detected that the product C has been discharged into the product removal box 4 even after the predetermined time T has elapsed, the conveyor 3 is stopped at the standby position H without the discharged product C being transported. It is determined that the product conveyance operation has ended (step S8), and the counter is set to 1 (step S9).
) Returning to step S1, the product conveyance operation is started again, and the normal sales operation is performed. When it is determined that the counter is 2 or more (step S10), error processing is performed (step S11). In addition, the carrier 3
On the return path in which the transport body 3 returns from the discharge position J to the standby position H, a guide mechanism is provided to tilt the transport body 3 toward the endless chain 5 side, so that the transport body 3 is guided to return in a compact posture.

[Another embodiment] A. The series of circular routes is not limited to an L-shaped circular route, but may be a circular route that rotates in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. stomach. The detection means may be a detection means that detects the detected portion in a non-contact manner, such as a photosensor. cormorant. The mounting position of the detection means is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the detected portion provided on the endless rotating body side. workman. The method of transporting the product is not particularly limited, and may be a method in which a bucket-shaped transporter directly receives and transports the product discharged from the product storage section.

[0013] Although reference numerals are written in the claims for convenience of comparison with the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the structure shown in the accompanying drawings.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

[Figure 1] Flowchart showing drive control of the product conveyance device

[Figure 2] Diagram explaining the operation of the product conveyance device

[Figure 3] Diagram explaining the operation of the product conveyance device

[Figure 4] Diagram explaining the operation of the product conveyance device

[Figure 5] Diagram explaining the operation of the product conveyance device

[Figure 6] Diagram explaining the operation of the product conveyance device

[Figure 7] Schematic side view showing the product conveyance device

[Figure 8] Enlarged view of main parts of product conveyance device

[Figure 9] Enlarged view of main parts in Figure 10

[Figure 10] XX line arrow view in Figure 7

[Figure 11] Partially cutaway front view of vending machine

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Product storage department 3 Transport body 4 Product removal position 5 Endless rotating body 8 Detection means 9a Detected part 9b Detected part C Product H Standby position J Discharge position L1 Transport movement distance L2 Standby movement distance

Claims (1)

[Claims] [Claim 1] Product (C) at product take-out position (4)
A plurality of transport bodies (3) to be transported toward an endless rotating body (5
), and the plurality of conveyors (3) are connected to each other at predetermined intervals via
C), and a discharge position (J), where the transported product (C) is stopped to be discharged to the product take-out position (4). The transport body (3
) has passed the discharge position (J), the conveyor (3) following the conveyor (3) is moved to the standby position (H).
) is provided with a stopping means for stopping the transport body (3).
one of which is the transport movement distance (L1) traveled from the standby position (H) to the discharge position (J), and the transport body (3).
After one of the conveyance bodies (3) arrives at the discharge position (J), the conveyance body (3) that follows the conveyance body (3) is at the standby position (H).
The vending machine has a different standby travel distance (L2) until the vending machine moves to a position, and the stopping means is provided at a predetermined interval on the endless rotating body (5) side at a midway position of the circular route. It is configured by providing one detection means (8) that sequentially detects a plurality of detection target parts (9a) and (9b), and the predetermined arrangement interval is separated by an interval corresponding to the transport movement distance (L1) and the A vending machine in which intervals are set such that intervals corresponding to a waiting travel distance (L2) are alternately arranged.