JPH0620148A - Merchandise ejecting device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the merchandise ejecting device of an automatic vending machine capable of surely ejecting merchandise without damaging the merchandise. CONSTITUTION:The merchandise 4a sent out from plural merchandise storage columns 2a and 2b provided above a merchandise take-out port 9 provided around the center of a front door 7 and arranged in front and rear is ejected from a merchandise send-out path 5b formed in the front part of a main body 1 to the merchandise take-out port 9. Also, the merchandise 4 sent out from the merchandise storage columns 3a and 3b provided below the merchandise take-out port 9 to the lower part is moved to the upper part by the merchandise ejecting device 8b provided in the front part of the main body 1 to be ejected to the merchandise take-out port 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product discharge device for an automatic vending machine, which moves a product sent downward from a product storage column and carries it out to a product outlet provided near the center of a front door.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional product discharging device for an automatic vending machine, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 3-152690 and 3-44 are available.
Some of the products, such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 781, move the product delivered downward from the product storage column and carry it out to a product outlet provided near the center of the front door.

As an example of an automatic vending machine equipped with such a conventional product unloading device, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of commercial product columns are provided in an automatic vending machine main body (hereinafter referred to as the main body) 1. There is one in which two and three are arranged in two rows in the upper and lower sides and in two rows in the front and rear.

In such an automatic vending machine, the products 4a stored in the product column 2a at the rear of the upper stage pass through the rear product dropping passage 5a formed at the rear of the main body 1 to the product chute 6 provided below. The product 4a that has dropped and is stored in the product column 2b in the upper front part passes through the front product drop passage 5b formed in the front part of the main body 1 and the product chute 6
It is supposed to fall.

Further, the products 4 stored in the product columns 3a and 3b in the lower stage are also dropped on the product chute 6 through the rear product dropping passage 5a or the front product dropping passage 5b. Then, the products 4, 4 a that have fallen onto the product chute 6 slide down on the product chute 6 and are delivered to the product unloading device 8 provided at the lower portion of the front door 7.

Here, the product unloading device 8 is placed in a product unloading passage 10 formed to unload the sent products 4, 4a to a product unloading port 9 provided near the center of the front door 7. A conveyor belt 12 stretched by the provided drive pulley 11a and a plurality of driven pulleys 11, and a drive provided obliquely above the product outlet 9, for example, in order to orbit the conveyor belt 12 in the carry-out direction indicated by the arrow. Pulley 1
1a and a drive unit (not shown).

It should be noted that the conveyor belt 12 has products 4,
The product delivery engaging portions 13 for contacting the rear surface of the product 4a and delivering the product are provided upright at a predetermined interval, and the products 4 and 4a delivered to the product unloading device 8 are conveyed by the conveyor belt 12 After moving horizontally in the product discharge passage 10 in a state of being locked by any one of the locking portions 13 with the circulation of
Ascend above the merchandise exit 9.

Then, the products 4, 4a that have risen above the product outlet 9 move horizontally, and eventually the upper door 9a rotatably provided above the product outlet 9 is moved downward. It is adapted to be rotated and fall to the product outlet 9.

It should be noted that the products unloading passage 10 has products 4, 4
a hits the driven pulley 11 and the drive pulley 11a,
A cover 14 is provided to prevent the products 4, 4a and the pulleys 11, 11a from being damaged.

[0010]

However, in such a conventional product unloading device for an automatic vending machine, since the product conveyed by the conveyor belt rotates and swings, the product is caught at the curved portion of the product unloading passage. Sometimes. But,
Since the product unloading mechanism continues the unloading operation even when the product is caught in such a manner, there is a problem that the product is pushed into the curved portion and jams or is damaged in the product unloading passage.

Further, in order to reliably drop the product into the product outlet, a control mechanism for controlling the operation of the drive unit is required, which not only complicates the internal structure of the main body but also increases the cost. there were.

An object of the present invention is to provide a product unloading device for an automatic vending machine which can reliably carry out a product without damaging it.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a product storage column for stacking and storing products vertically, a product outlet provided near the center of a front door, and a product sent from the product storage column. In a vending machine equipped with a product unloading device provided at the front of the main body for moving upward and unloading the product to the product outlet, the product unloading device is a product in which the product moves toward the product outlet. A chain provided with a partitioning plate on the side of the carry-out passage so as to be freely circulated, and provided with a locking member for sending out a product that projects into the product carrying-out passage and abuts against the rear surface of the product; The locking member is flexible.

Further, according to the present invention, a product storage column for stacking and storing products vertically, a product outlet provided near the center of the front door, and a product delivered from the product storage column are moved upward. In a vending machine equipped with a product unloading device provided at the front of the main body for unloading the product to the product exit port, the product unloading passage through which the product carried out by the product unloading device moves A spring member for controlling a posture such that the lower product carry-out passage for carrying the product and an upper product carry-out passage for moving the product upward are provided, and a product entrance to the upper product carry-out passage controls the product to be carried into the product entrance. The cushioning / posture control member formed in 1. is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, a product storage column for stacking and storing products vertically, a product take-out port provided near the center of the front door, and a product sent from the product storage column are moved upward. In a vending machine equipped with a product unloading device provided at the front of the main body for unloading the product to the product exit port, the product unloading passage through which the product carried out by the product unloading device moves A lower product unloading passage for transporting and an upper product unloading passage for moving the product upward, and an attitude control member for controlling the product in a unloading attitude is provided at the product outlet facing the product outlet of the upper product unloading passage. On the other hand, the attitude control member on the product exit side is provided with detection means for detecting product passing by swinging the attitude control member.

[0016]

With this configuration, the drive section can rotate the chain that is freely circulated with the partition plate on the side of the product discharge passage. Then, the product delivery locking member provided in the chain and having flexibility and projecting into the product delivery passage is brought into contact with the rear surface of the product delivered from the product storage column due to the circulation of the chain. It is possible to move the product upward and carry it out to a product takeout port provided near the center of the front door.

Further, the product unloading passage through which the product carried out by the product unloading device moves can be formed by a lower product carrying-out passage for laterally carrying the product and an upper product carrying-out passage for moving the product upward. it can. By providing a cushioning and posture control member formed of a spring member at the product entrance to the upper product carry-out passage, it is possible to control the product so that it can be carried into the product entrance.

Further, the product can be controlled in the carry-out attitude by the attitude control member provided at the product outlet facing the product outlet of the upper product carry-out passage. Then, the passage of the product can be detected by the detection means provided in the attitude control member.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an automatic vending machine equipped with a product unloading device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front sectional view thereof. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIGS. 7 and 8 indicate the same or corresponding portions.

In the figure, numeral 15 is a product guide having a rear wall portion projecting from the lower rear end of the product outlet 9 into the main body 1 and extending upward by a predetermined length. The tip of the upper commodity chute 6a extending obliquely upward is located immediately above the upper end of the. In addition, one side portion of the product guide 15 is opened so that the product 4 rising by a product unloading device 8a described later can be received.

As a result, the products 4a stored in the product column 2a at the rear of the upper stage pass through the upper product chute 6a, and the products 4a stored in the product column 2b at the front of the upper stage are in the front product drop passage 5b. Through the product guide 15
And is carried out to the product outlet 9 along the product guide 15.

Further, 6b is a lower commodity chute, and the commodities 4 stored in the commodity column 3a at the rear of the lower stage and delivered to the front by the commodity delivery device 16 pass through the lower commodity chute 6b into the product unloading device 8a. The product delivery passage 10 is formed so as to fall into a lower product delivery passage 10a, which will be described later. The products 4 stored in the product column 3b at the lower front are directly connected to the lower product discharge passage 10a.
It is supposed to fall.

Here, the product unloading device 8a is for sending the products 4 sent out from the product storage columns 3a, 3b in the lower stage through the product unloading passage 10 into the product guide 15. Since the product guide 15 is provided so as to project into the main body 1, the product discharge device 8a is attached not to the lower side of the front door 7 but to the back surface of the inner door (not shown) of the main body 1.

The product unloading device 8a is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, a chain 17 stretched by a driving sprocket 11a and a plurality of driven sprockets 11, and the driving sprocket 11 for driving the chain 17.
and a motor unit 18 which is a drive unit attached to a. The motor unit 18 is driven by a carry-out command from a sales control unit (not shown) after the sale button (not shown) is pressed and the merchandise 4 is delivered after a predetermined time has passed.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, a locking member 19 for sending out a product, which is formed of a flexible coil spring, is attached to the chain 17 via a mounting member 19a. By forming the locking member 19 with a coil spring, when the product 4 is caught in the product unloading passage 10 at the time of unloading, the chain 17 circulates and the locking member 19 forcibly pushes the back surface of the product 4. If it does so, conversely, the locking member 19 can be bent.

When the product 4 is pushed further, the locking member 19 is further bent and the product 4 is no longer locked. As a result, the locking by the locking member 19 is released and the force applied to the product 4 is eliminated, so that the product 4 itself and the locking member 19 are not damaged, and the product 4 is clogged in the product discharge passage 10. Is also gone.

By the way, the product unloading passage 10 receives the product 4 delivered from the lower product storage columns 3a and 6b, and the lower product unloading passage 10a along which the product 4 moves laterally and the lower product unloading passage 10a. The product 4 which is connected to the passage 10a and moves laterally is moved upward to the product guide 15 and includes an upper product discharge passage 10b.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the lower product unloading passage 10a includes a partition plate 20, a bottom cover 21a of the product unloading device 8a, and one side cover 21.
and b.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, the upper product unloading passage 10b includes a partition plate 20, a bottom cover 21a of the product unloading device 8a, and one side cover 21.
b and a top surface cover 21c provided so as to face the bottom surface cover 21a.

The partition plate 20 includes a lower product unloading passage 10a, an upper product unloading passage 10b, and a chain 17.
Since it is provided between the chains 17, the goods 4 to be carried out are prevented from coming into contact with the chain 17 and being damaged.

A part of the partition plate 20 is bent toward the product chute 6b so that the product 4 falling from the lower product chute 6b is not caught. Further, the partition plate 20 is provided with a locking member 19 for the chain 1.
A moving groove (not shown) is formed so that it can move together with 7.

Further, the partition plate 20 is movable in the front-rear direction so that the widths of the lower product discharge passage 10a and the upper product discharge passage 10b can be changed according to the width of the product 4 to be discharged. .

On the other hand, the top cover 21c of the product receiving port 22a provided at the curved tip of the upper product carrying-out passage 10b.
A leaf spring 23, which is a cushioning and posture control member, is provided at the tip of the plate so as to project outward.

Here, the leaf spring 23 is brought into contact with the moving product 4 which is locked by the locking member 19, and is first bent downward so as to absorb the impact at the time of this contact, and then the repulsive force thereof. The product 4 is thereby inclined, and the product 4 that advances in this state is laid sideways by the spring force of the bent tip portion. The leaf spring 23 can be replaced with an appropriate one according to the diameter of the product 4 to be carried out.

Then, when the product 4 is laid down sideways, the locking member 19 that has locked the product 4 until then disengages from the product 4, so that the product 4 is locked to the next locking member 19. Then, it moves from the product receiving port 22a into the upper product unloading passage 10b.

By the way, behind the leaf spring 23, there is provided a lower posture control member 24a whose tip portion is pivotally supported so as to be swingable within a predetermined range. Here, the lower position control member 24a has a rear end portion which is connected to the commodity receiving port 22.
The product 4 moving from a is pressed into contact with the product 4 so that the product 4 is held by the bottom cover 21a.
This is for ensuring the locking by 9 more.

On the other hand, an upper posture control member 24b whose rear end is pivotally supported so as to be swingable within a predetermined range is provided at a curved portion above the top cover 21c of the upper product discharge passage 10b. There is. Here, this upper attitude control member 24b
The product 4 is attached to the front end of the product 4 so that the product 4 does not get caught in the product dispensing outlet 22b provided in front of the curved portion.
This is to press the product 4 against the bottom cover 21a so as to ensure that the product 4 is in a sideways posture.

Below the upper posture control member 24b, when the commodity passes, the upper posture control member 24b is turned on when the upper posture control member 24b holds down the commodity 4 and swings downward. A micro switch 25 is provided as a detection means for notifying that 4 has passed.

Then, when the micro switch 25 is turned on, the sales control unit thereafter continues to drive the motor unit 18 until a predetermined time elapses and drops the product 4 from the product dispensing outlet 22b to the product guide 15. After that, the motor unit 1
The drive of No. 8 is stopped.

Next, the product unloading operation of the product unloading device of the vending machine configured as described above will be described.

First, the case where the product 4a stored in the upper product storage columns 2a and 2b is carried out will be described. In this case, when the sales button corresponding to the product 4a stored in the upper product storage columns 2a and 2b is pressed, the sales control unit operates the product delivery device 16 to store the upper product storage as shown in FIG. Products 4 from columns 2a and 2b
a is sent forward.

Then, the delivered product 4a enters the product guide 15 through the front product drop passage 5b or the upper product chute 6a, and is carried out to the product outlet 9 along the product guide 15.

Next, a case where the products 4 stored in the lower product storage columns 3a and 3b are carried out will be described.
In this case, when the sales button corresponding to the product 4 stored in the lower product storage columns 3a and 3b is pressed, the sales control unit operates the product delivery device 16 to move the product from the lower product storage columns 3a and 3b. 4 is sent forward.

The delivered product 4 passes through the lower product chute 6b and the lower product delivery passage 10a of the product delivery device 8a attached to the back surface of the inner door of the main body 1.
When the sales button is pressed and a predetermined time has elapsed after that, the sales controller drives the motor unit 18.

As a result, the rotation of the motor portion 18 is transmitted to the chain 17 via the drive sprocket 11a, and the chain 17 circulates. With this, the locking member 19 formed of a coil spring starts circling, and the product 4 Moves horizontally in the lower product discharge passage 10a toward the upper product discharge passage 10b.

Then, the product 4 is transferred to the upper product discharge passage 1
When the product 4 moves to the product receiving port 22a at the tip of 0b, the product 4 comes into contact with the leaf spring 23 projecting from the tip of the product receiving port 22a and bends the leaf spring 23 downward.
The repulsive force of the leaf spring 23 and the spring force of the tip portion bent downward causes the plate spring 23 to fall sideways.

After this, this product 4 has the next locking member 19
And is moved to the inside of the upper product discharge passage 10b.

Since the locking member 19 is formed of a coil spring, even if the product is caught in the product receiving port 22a, the chain 17 will rotate and the locking member 19 will force the product 4 to be pushed. Then, on the contrary, the locking member 19
Will bend.

When the product 4 is pushed further, the locking member 19 is further bent, the locking by the locking member 19 is released, and the force applied to the product 4 is lost, so that the product 4 passes through the upper product discharge passage 10b. It doesn't get stuck inside.

In this way, the upper product discharge passage 10b
The merchandise 4 that has moved in is held down by the bottom cover 21a by the rear end portion of the lower attitude control member 24a, and the locking member 1
It is securely locked at 9 and goes up.

Eventually, this product 4 is transferred to the upper product discharge passage 1
When reaching the upper curved portion of 0b, the tip of the upper posture control member 24b of the curved portion restrains the bottom cover 21a, and the commodity 4 is controlled to a sideways posture so that the commodity 4 does not get caught in the outlet 22b. To be done.

Even if the lower attitude control member 24a and the upper attitude control member 24b are caught by the product, the locking member 19 is formed by the coil spring, so that the product 4 is blocked in the upper product discharge passage 10b. There is no.

Then, the commodities 4 lying down fall down from the commodity payout outlet 22b to the commodity guide 15 and are carried out along the commodity guide 15 to the commodity takeout opening 9. It should be noted that when the upper attitude control member 24b swings downward by the product 4 passing through and the micro switch 25 is turned on, the sales control unit thereafter stops the drive of the motor unit 18 after a lapse of a predetermined time.

In this way, the upper product storage columns 2a,
The product 4a stored in 2b is transferred to the front product drop passage 5
b or the upper product chute 6a, and can be carried out to the product outlet 9. Further, the products 4 stored in the lower product storage columns 3a and 3b can be carried out to the product take-out port 9 by the product carry-out device 8a attached to the back surface of the inner door of the main body 1.

Further, the leaf spring 23 projecting from the tip of the product receiving port 22a at the tip of the upper product unloading passage 10b and the lower attitude control member 2 provided in the upper product unloading passage 10b.
The attitude can be controlled by the 4a and the upper attitude control member 24b so that the product 4 is not caught.

[0057]

As described above, according to the present invention, the locking member is formed of a coil spring, and a leaf spring is provided at the tip of the product receiving port at the tip of the upper product carrying-out passage and a leaf spring is provided at the upper product carrying-out passage. By providing the lower posture control member and the upper posture control member respectively, it is possible to reliably carry out the product without damaging it.

Further, since the passage of the product can be detected by the detection means provided in the attitude control member, a control mechanism for controlling the operation of the drive unit is unnecessary and the structure inside the main body can be simplified. It is possible to reduce the cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an automatic vending machine equipped with a product unloading device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the product unloading device.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the product unloading device.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the chain.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a vending machine including a conventional product unloading device.

FIG. 8 is a front cross-sectional view of a vending machine including a conventional product unloading device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2, 3 Product column 7 Front door 8, 8a Product unloading device 9 Product unloading port 10 Product unloading passage 15 Product guide 17 Chain 19 Locking member 23 Leaf spring 24a Lower position control member 24b Upper position control member 25 Micro switch

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] October 7, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Brief description of the drawing

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an automatic vending machine equipped with a product unloading device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front sectional view of the vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the product unloading device.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the product unloading device.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the chain.

6 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a vending machine including a conventional product unloading device.

FIG. 8 is a front cross-sectional view of a vending machine including a conventional product unloading device.

[Explanation of symbols] 2,3 Product column 7 Front door 8,8a Product unloading device 9 Product unloading port 10 Product unloading passage 15 Product guide 17 Chain 19 Locking member 23 Leaf spring 24a Lower position control member 24b Upper position control member 25 Microswitch

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be corrected] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All drawings

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Figure 6]

[Figure 1]

[Fig. 2]

[Figure 3]

[Figure 4]

[Figure 5]

[Figure 7]

[Figure 8]

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A product storage column for vertically stacking and storing products, a product outlet provided near the center of a front door, and a product storage column that moves products upward from the product storage column. In a vending machine provided with a product unloading device provided in the front part of the main body for carrying out to the exit, the product unloading device is a partition plate on the side of a product unloading passage where the product moves toward the product unloading port. A chain provided with a locking member for sending out a product that is arranged so as to be freely rotatable around and that projects into the product discharge passage and contacts the rear surface of the product, and a drive unit that drives this chain,
The product discharge device of an automatic vending machine, wherein the locking member has flexibility. 2. A product storage column for vertically stacking and storing products, a product outlet provided near the center of the front door, and a product output by moving the product sent out from the product storage column upward. In a vending machine equipped with a product unloading device provided at the front of the main body for carrying out to an exit, a product unloading passage through which a product carried out by the product unloading device moves is a lower product for laterally carrying the product. It is composed of a carry-out passage and an upper product carry-out passage for moving the product upward. At the product entrance to the upper product carry-out passage, a spring member for controlling the posture so that the product can be carried into the product entrance is formed. A product discharge device for a vending machine, which is provided with a cushioning and attitude control member. 3. A product storage column for stacking and storing products vertically, a product outlet provided near the center of the front door, and a product sent out from the product storage column by moving the product storage column upwardly. In a vending machine equipped with a product unloading device provided at the front of the main body for carrying out to an exit, a product unloading passage through which a product carried out by the product unloading device moves is a lower product for laterally carrying the product. A delivery passage and an upper product delivery passage for moving the product upward, and a product outlet facing the product outlet of the upper product delivery passage is provided with an attitude control member for controlling the product in a delivery attitude, The product unloading device for a vending machine, wherein the attitude control member on the product exit side is provided with detection means for detecting product passage by swinging the attitude control member.