JPH0652428A - Merchandise rack of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an article, which is fallen and carried from a spiral wire, from being disenabled to be carried out by being caught by the support plate of the front lower end plate of a rack case by pushing the article out forward with the frictional force, etc., of the spiral wire. CONSTITUTION:The merchandise 10 is fallen from the spiral wire 8 and carried out. When a door 5 which carries and guides the front surface of the article 10 on the internal surface of the rack case 1 receives the force of the pushed-out article 10, a spring 15 which energizes the lower end part of the door 5 in the opposite direction stops the merchandise 10 from being pushed out. Further, the support plate 2 provided at the front lower end part of the rack case 1 is formed in an inversely bent sectional shape and then even when the merchandise 10 is pushed out, the front end is guided to a slanting surface, so that the article 10 is securely fallen and carried.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to vending machines,
The present invention relates to a product rack that includes a spiral wire in a rack case, stores a product in a spiral space of the spiral wire, and rotates the spiral wire to sequentially drop and carry out the product one by one.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 show this type of product rack.
Those shown in are known. In the figure, a rack case 1 having a quadrangular cross section has a lower surface and a front surface opened, and a supporting plate 2 is provided at a lower end portion of the front surface, and a supporting plate 4 integrated with a ceiling plate 3 is provided at an upper end portion. The front side of the rack case 1 is provided with a door 5 whose one end is supported by a hinge, and the upper end of the door 5 is attracted to a magnet 6 arranged on the ceiling plate 3 to be in a closed state. Retained. In the rack case 1, a drive motor 7 installed on the ceiling plate
A spiral wire 8 whose upper end is connected to the output shaft of the spiral wire 8 is provided.
Zeros are supported by a spiral wire and are stored vertically side by side. Guides 11 and 12 for conveying and guiding the products 10 are attached to the inner surfaces of the product rack 1 and the inner surface of the door 5, respectively. Reference numeral 13 denotes a product sold-out detection switch provided at a lower end portion near the lower surface opening which is a product carrying-out port of the rack case 1, and when the product 10 normally pushes the actuator 13a against the switch 13, the final product 10 is carried out. The actuator 13a is opened and the switch 13 transmits a sold-out signal.

In the above-mentioned product rack, the spiral wire 8 is rotated by a predetermined rotation angle by the operation of the drive motor 7 in response to the sales signal, and this rotation causes the product 1 in the rack case 1 to be rotated.
While 0 is guided by the guides 11 and 12, they all descend at the same time, and the lowermost product loses the support of the spiral wire 8 and falls through a lower surface opening onto a product chute (not shown). However, the fallen product is sent to the product outlet of the vending machine for sale.

[0004]

By the way, the product 10 stored in the product rack receives a force which is pushed forward by the frictional force of the spiral wire 8 toward the door 5, that is, toward the door 5. Product 10 below is actuator 1
A force in the same direction is applied by 3a. However, in the conventional product rack, as shown in FIG. 4, the product 10 that has received the force bends the lower end of the door 5 and is pushed forward, and the front end is caught on the upper end surface of the support plate 2 in the arrow direction. There was a concern that the product would not be able to be carried out due to being pinched between the support plate 2 and the spiral wire 8 after being rotated. As a method for eliminating this concern, as shown in FIG. 5, a gap S larger than the height H of the product 10 may be provided between the support plate 2 and the spiral wire 8. In this case, the depth of the rack case 1 is increased. Either the size must be increased or the outer diameter of the spiral wire 8 must be reduced. In the former case, the product rack becomes large in size, and in the latter case, the stability of product support deteriorates, which causes different problems and is difficult to realize.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a product rack of a vending machine which can eliminate the concern that the product will be caught on the way and cannot be carried out without changing the sizes of the rack case and the spiral wire.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a rack case having a rectangular cross section having support plates at both upper and lower ends and a front surface opened, and a front surface of the rack case are opened and closed. And a door that guides and conveys the product on the inner surface, and a spiral wire that is installed in the rack case and has an upper end connected to a drive motor, and the product is stored in the spiral space of the spiral wire side by side.
In the product rack of a vending machine in which the products are lowered all at once by the rotation of the spiral wire and the lowermost product loses the support of the spiral wire and is carried out, it is pushed outward by the product under the door. A spring for urging the door to be inwardly provided is further provided, and in addition, a supporting plate at the lower end of the door is formed in a shape with an inverted cross section so that the product pushed forward is pushed back by the supporting plate. To do.

[0007]

When the door is pushed by the product, the spring prevents the door from being pushed and bent because the spring pushes the door in the opposite direction. Further, even if the door is slightly curved and the product shifts to the front, the guide plate guides the product downward in a normal posture without being caught on the support plate, and is dropped and carried out.

[0008]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention.
Also, parts common or identical to those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals.
In FIG. 1, the door 5 has a hook-shaped cross section at its lower end. Reference numeral 15 denotes a spring that biases the door 5 inward when the door 5 is pushed outward, and is easily deformed when the door 5 is opened and closed so that the door 5 can be opened and closed without any trouble. The support plate 2 is formed in an inverted cross-section having an inclined surface 2a whose upper portion is inclined forward toward the hook-shaped space.

In the above-mentioned structure, even if the product 10 is pushed forward by pushing the door 5 due to the frictional force with the rotating spiral wire 8 and the pushing force of the actuator 13a, the door 5 is turned into the spring 15. The amount of support and deformation is extremely small. Further, even if the door 5 bends and the product 10 is pushed slightly forward, the front end of the product comes into contact with the inclined surface 2a of the support plate 2 and is guided by the inclined surface 2a to descend.
No. 0 passes through the lower surface opening of the rack case 1 without falling down, and is dropped and carried out.

The case where the spring 15 is provided and the inclined surface 2a is formed on the support plate 2 has been described in the above embodiment.
Depending on the magnitude of the force that pushes the product 10 forward,
It is also possible to use the supporting plate 2 as another example without changing the conventional structure by merely providing the spring 15. Spring 1 in this case
5 is required to be slightly strengthened, and some force is required to open and close the door 5.

As a further embodiment, it is conceivable that the spring 15 in the first embodiment is not provided and the support plate 2 is formed in an inverted cross section. In this case, the front end of the extruded product 10 must surely hit the inclined surface 2a,
It is necessary to set the length and angle of the inclined surface 2a.

[0012]

According to the present invention, a rack case having supporting plates at both upper and lower ends and having a square cross section with an open front surface, a door for opening and closing the front surface of the rack case and for guiding the conveyance of goods by the inner surface, It consists of a spiral wire that is installed in the rack case and whose upper end is connected to a drive motor. Products are stored side by side in the spiral space of the spiral wire, and the products are simultaneously lowered by the rotation of the spiral wire and the bottommost stage. In the product rack of the vending machine in which the products of the above are sequentially dropped and carried out without supporting the spiral wire, a spring for urging the door pushed outward by the product inward is provided at the lower part of the door, and further. The support plate at the lower end of the door is formed in an inverted cross section,
The products pushed out to the front are pushed back by the support plate, so that the products stored in the rack case can be stored without increasing the size of the product rack and without lowering the stability of the product support of the spiral wire. It is possible to provide a product rack in which a product is reliably dropped and carried out without losing the transporting posture even if the product is pushed forward and this force acts on the door or the product moves a little forward.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part of a product rack showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional product rack.

3 is a cross-sectional view of the product rack shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a bottom cross-sectional view for explaining a defective state of a conventional product rack.

FIG. 5 is a bottom cross-sectional view for explaining a conventionally considered countermeasure against a defect.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 rack case 2 support plate 5 rack case 7 drive motor 8 spiral wire 10 product 15 spring

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A rack case having a rectangular cross section with support plates at both upper and lower ends and a front surface open, a door that opens and closes the front surface of the rack case and guides the transportation of goods on the inner surface, and is installed in the rack case. Composed of a spiral wire whose upper end is connected to a drive motor, the products are housed side by side in the spiral space of the spiral wire, and the products are descended all at once by the rotation of the spiral wire and the products at the bottom are sequentially spiral wires. In a product rack of a vending machine which is dropped and carried out without support of the vending machine, a spring for urging the door pushed outward by the product inward is provided at a lower portion of the door. Product rack. 2. A rack case having a rectangular cross section having support plates at both upper and lower ends and a front surface opened, a door for opening and closing the front surface of the rack case and for guiding and guiding goods on the inner surface, and a rack case installed in the rack case. Composed of a spiral wire whose upper end is connected to a drive motor, the products are housed side by side in the spiral space of the spiral wire, and the products are descended all at once by the rotation of the spiral wire and the products at the bottom are sequentially spiral wires. In a product rack of a vending machine that is dropped and carried out without support, the support plate at the lower end of the door is formed in a reverse cross section, and the product pushed forward is pushed back by the support plate. Product rack for vending machines. 3. A rack case having a rectangular cross section with support plates at both upper and lower ends and a front surface opened, a door that opens and closes the front surface of the rack case and guides goods on the inner surface, and is installed in the rack case. Composed of a spiral wire whose upper end is connected to a drive motor, the products are housed side by side in the spiral space of the spiral wire, and the products are descended all at once by the rotation of the spiral wire and the products at the bottom are sequentially spiral wires. In a product rack of a vending machine that is carried out without being supported, a spring for biasing the door pushed outward by the product inward is provided at the lower part of the door, and a supporting plate at the lower end of the door. A product rack for a vending machine, which is characterized by having an inverted cross section.