JPH0486986A - Automatic vending machine with replenishing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make opening of the door of an automatic vending machine unnecessary when the machine is replenished with commodities by providing a commodity supplying port and a carrying device which carries supplied commodities upward at the lower end of a commodity storing sections group. CONSTITUTION:When a lid plate 12 is opened to a lying state from a closed state as shown by the solid lines, a digital display 37 is switched to a replenishment displaying side and a driving device 27 actuates all conveyor devices 20. When a specific commodity storing section 4 is designated in such state by pressing a commodity selecting button 36, the kind and required quantity to be supplied of the commodity 15 contained in the section 4 are displayed on the display 37 and, at the same time, a chute plate 31 at the upper end is opened and a guide plate 34 is moved to a prescribed position. When the displayed commodity 15 is supplied by the displayed quantity through a commodity supplying port 10, the commodity rolls on the bottom surface 10a of the port 10 and reaches the starting end section of the conveyer device 20 from which the commodity is carried upward. Then the commodity rolls on a distributing path 32 through the chute plate 31, etc., and drops down in its commodity storing section 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a vending machine that handles products such as canned drinks and packaged drinks.

Conventional technology Conventionally, this type of vending machine was developed using the Japanese Patent Application Publication No.
The structure found in Publication No. 16697 is provided.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, within the product storage section 45, a plurality of vertical product storage sections 46 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction as well as in the front-back direction, and a chute 47 facing below the group of product storage sections 46 is provided. In addition to providing this chute 47
A product dispenser 048 which can be freely opposed to the lower end of the door section 49 is provided in the door section 49.

According to this conventional configuration, the product 50 that has been selectively dispensed from below the product storage section 46 group is taken out to the product dispensing port 48 via the chute 47. In such vending machines, store managers and route personnel
For example, the product 50 is replenished periodically. This replenishment of the products 50 is performed by opening the door section 49 and then inserting the products 50 into the group of product storage sections 46 from above the front surface.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention According to the above conventional configuration, the input position is quite high;
The loading process is not easy to perform, and it requires loading a large number of products many times, making it a total labor-intensive task. Especially for the elderly and women who are often seen as store managers, restocking products is a difficult task due to their height and physical strength. The replenishment operation requires a considerable amount of time, and during that time, the door section 49 is opened and the cold air flows out.

An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine with a replenishing device that allows replenishment of products with light work and prevents cold air from flowing out.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, a vending machine with a replenishment device of the present invention includes a plurality of vertical product storage sections arranged side by side in a main body of the vending machine, A product take-out port and a product replenishment port communicating with the lower end of the product storage group are provided, and a transfer device is provided for supplying the product replenished from the product replenishment port to the upper side of the product storage portion.

According to the configuration of the present invention, when replenishing products,
For example, the product is supplied in a pouring manner to the starting end of the transfer device from a product replenishment port provided at the lower front of the door section. The products are then transferred one after another by the transfer device, and after being raised, are supplied to the desired product storage section from above.

EXAMPLE An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The main body 1 of the vending machine consists of a product storage section 2 and a door section 3, and within the product storage section 2, a plurality of vertical product storage sections 4 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction as well as in the front-rear direction. The lower end of each product storage section 4 serves as a dispensing port 5, and each dispensing port 5 is provided with a shutter member 6 that can be opened and closed.

Corresponding to each row in the left and right direction (four rows in the example),
A chute 7 is provided facing the dispensing port 5 of the product storage section 4 from below, and these chutes 7 are arranged so as to be inclined so that the rear side is upward. A product take-out port 8 is formed in the door portion 3 facing the front end of each chute 7, and a cover body 9 that can be opened and closed manually is provided on the front side of the product take-out port 8. Below the product take-out port 8, the door section 3 has a product replenishment port 1.
0 is formed, and the bottom surface 10a of these product replenishing ports 10 is inclined so that the rear side is at the lower side. A lid plate 12 is attached to the front side of each product replenishment port 10, which can stand up and fall down with its lower part as a support shaft 11. The horizontal position of the lid plate 12 is maintained along the slope of the bottom surface 10a, and the upright position is maintained by the lock 13.

Inside the product storage section 2, a plurality of transfer devices 19 are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction for supplying the products 15 replenished from the product replenishment port 10 to the upper side of the product storage section 4.

That is, the transfer device 19 transfers the product 1 from the product replenishment port 10.
A conveyor device 20 that transports the products 15 later and then raises them, and a distribution device that distributes the products 15 from this conveyor device 20 to each product storage section 4 is installed. It consists of 30. The conveyor device 20 has a front wheel 21 provided near the product replenishment 010.
, a rear wheel body 22 provided at the rear at the same level as this front wheel body 21 , a driving wheel body 23 provided above this rear wheel body 22 , and a drive wheel body 23 provided opposite to the rear wheel body 22 . A pair of guide wheels 24, these wheels 21, 22, 23.
The belt 25 is stretched between the belts 24 and 24, the product receivers 26 are erected at predetermined intervals on the surface of the belt 25, and a drive device (such as a motor) 27 is linked to the drive wheel body 23. An L-shaped transfer path 28 is formed extending from the bottom of the chute 7 to the rear of the product storage section 4 group. The apparatus 30 has a chute plate 31 that can open and close the upper end of each product storage section 4, and as these chute plates 31 close, the front side of the lower part is distributed through the upper surface of the chute plate 31. A path 32 is formed, and the opening movement is performed in a hanging manner.

The opening/closing movement is performed by a solenoid 33, for example. Above the chute board 31$¥, the distribution is route 3.
a guide plate 34 that is movable in two directions;
5 and an actuating device 35 is provided.

A product selection button 36 is provided on the front side of the door portion 3,
Furthermore, a digital display 37 is provided for displaying the amount of money put in and the amount of change. This digital display 37 displays the type of product 15 in each product storage section 4 by opening the lock 13, or by operating an internal switch after opening the lock 13 and opening the cover plate 12.
It is configured to display the remaining amount, replenishment amount, etc. Note that the door section 3 is provided with a control section 38, and the product storage section 2 is provided with a refrigerator 139 and the like.

Next, the product replenishment work based on control via the control unit 38 in the above embodiment will be explained.

The manager or route man first opens the lock 13 and switches the cover plate 12 from the upright closed position as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 1 to the sideways open position as shown by the solid line. By this operation or by operating an internal switch, the digital display 37 is switched to the replenishment display side, and the drive device 27 is started to operate all conveyor devices 20. In this state, a specific product storage section 4 is specified by pressing the product selection button 36 or by pressing another operation button. As a result, the type, remaining amount, replenishment amount, etc. of the product 15 in the specific product storage section 4 are displayed on the digital display 37, and at the same time, the upper chute plate 31 is opened and the guide plate 34 is moved to a predetermined position. Ru. The manager or route man replenishes the product replenishment port 10 with the corresponding product 15 in the corresponding amount while understanding the display contents. At that time, for example, the product 15 in the case 40 may be replenished by pouring it in. In this case, the cover plate 12 also serves as a guide, and the replenished product 15 rolls on the bottom surface 10a and is transferred to the conveyor. When the starting end of the device 20 is reached, the belt 25 and the product receiver are transferred backwards with the receivers being stopped by the section 26, and then transferred upwards. The product 15 that has reached the upper end of the transfer path 28 is sorted to the path 3 by, for example, a pick-up device with a comb tooth structure.
2 to be taken out. And product 15 is chute board 31
The distribution is transferred along the route 32 via the guide plate 34, and then transferred to the target product storage section 4.
The amount of replenishment carried out in this way is counted and displayed on the digital display 37, and by displaying a predetermined number, replenishment of the target product storage section 4 is completed.

Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, a new specific product storage section 4 is specified and replenishment is performed.After all product storage sections 4 have been refilled in this way, the lid plate 12 is closed and locked. Multiply by 13. At this time, the drive device 27 is stopped and the digital display 37 is switched to the vending side.

In the above embodiment, all the conveyor devices 19 are operated at the same time, but each conveyor device 19 may be operated separately using a clutch or the like. Further, the product replenishment port 10 may be formed on the product storage section 2 side.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention having the above configuration, products can be replenished by feeding them in a pouring manner from the product replenishment port provided at the lower part of the main body, such as the front lower part of the door part, and can be carried out quickly with light work. It can be carried out. Additionally, products can be refilled without opening the door, eliminating the possibility of cold air escaping.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 15! U
2 is a longitudinal side view, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conventional example. 1...Main body, 2...Product storage section, 3...Door section,
4... Product storage section, 5... Dispensing port, 7... Chute, 8... Product taking out port, 10... Product replenishment port, 12... Lid plate, 13... Tablet, 15...product,
19... Transfer device, 2o... Conveyor device, 25.
...Belt, 26...Product receiver is section, 28...Transfer route, 30...Distribution is mounting! , 31... Shoot board,
32... Distribution is the route, 34... Guide plate, 37.
...Digital display, 38...Control unit. Agent Yoshihiro Morimoto/ // 2/ /ρ

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of vertical product storage sections are arranged in parallel in the vending machine main body, and the vending machine main body is provided with a product take-out port and a product replenishment port that communicate with the lower end of the product storage section group; A vending machine with a replenishment device, characterized in that a transfer device is provided for supplying products replenished from a product replenishment port to an upper part of a product storage section.