JPH0670826B2 - Vending machine unloading device - Google Patents

Description

Description: [Industrial field of use] The present invention relates to a carry-out device for an automatic vending machine which is integrally provided with a base on which products are stacked.

[Prior Art] In order to maximize the number of products that can be stored in a vending machine, the column surrounding the products stacked on the base is enlarged in the vertical direction to increase the number of products that can be stored. Design efforts are being made to make the columns smaller so that they can be placed side by side.

Therefore, from such a design goal, in order to reduce the dimension of the column in the width direction, the carry-out device for pushing out the product to the lower part of the column is made as small as possible.

However, there is a limit to the downsizing of the unloading device due to the force required for unloading, and when the product is a small size such as a cigarette, the downsizing limit is exceeded.

In general, when many columns are installed side by side to increase the number of products, a pedestal that moves in the product pushing direction is provided at the bottom of the column base, and this pedestal is equipped with members that act on stacked products, such as solenoids, and then carried Configure the device.

With such a configuration, it is sufficient to drive the gantry with one electric motor, and the extruded pieces such as solenoids provided in each column are small-sized parts, so that they easily fit within the width of a small column.

However, in order to increase the variety of products for sale inside the outer box of the limited space, the number of columns is 20 even for cigarettes.
The number reaches up to 30 pieces, and if such a large number of columns are installed side by side, there will be a large difference in the sales quantity of the sold products among different types.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] Therefore, providing a large number of columns having the same shape has a problem that the outer box cannot be effectively used.

Therefore, for products with low sales volume, the dimension in the stacking direction should be reduced so that the product capacity of the column is reduced, and for products with high sales volume, the dimension in the stacking direction of the column should be large. There must be.

When such a column with a small dimension in the stacking direction is installed side by side, it is advantageous to arrange the base sides of the columns horizontally so that the unloading device can be configured using a common pedestal. There was a wasted space, and it was meaningless to downsize the column.

In order to solve such a problem, it is an object of the present invention to construct a carry-out device that can be adapted to a small column and obtain a carry-out device for an automatic vending machine in which the inside of the outer box can be effectively used.

[Means for Solving the Problem] The present invention is provided with a horizontal base formed almost in the width of a product, and an endless chain is arranged in the lower part of the base so that the rotation axis is oblique to the base. , The chain is provided with an extruding piece and is configured to travel on the upper surface of the base by rotation of the chain, and a position detector for detecting the position of the extruding piece is provided to generate a signal for determining a stop position of the extruding piece. In addition, a product detector that detects the presence or absence of a product placed on the base is provided to form a product presence / absence signal, and an electric motor that rotates the chain is provided in the lower space of the base together with a speed reducer. It solves the problem.

[Operation] By arranging the endless chain obliquely with respect to the base, it is possible to reduce the dimension in the width and height directions with respect to the base even if the turning radius of the chain is increased.

Therefore, the cross section of the lower space of the base can be made into a small quadrangle, and the speed reducer and the electric motor as well as the product detector and the extruded piece are provided in the triangular space portion formed by the chains diagonally arranged in this quadrangle. The position detector of can be installed.

Therefore, it becomes possible to integrally form the carry-out device in a small size, and it becomes possible to provide the carry-out device for each column, and it is not necessary to align the positions of the bases, so that the column can be provided at any position. .

[Embodiment] The present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of an essential part of a carry-out device of an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure is a side view thereof.

In FIG. 1, the carry-out device of the vending machine is configured so that products are stacked on top of the base 1 by being surrounded by a column (not shown), and the products are pushed out of the base 1 by the extrusion piece 2. It is configured to be carried out.

The lower portion of the base 1 forms a quadrangular space having the base 1 as an upper surface, and the chain 3 having a rotation axis inclined with respect to the base 1 so as to form a traveling surface in a diagonal shape in this space. By stretching, a triangular space is formed in the quadrangular space.

The pushing piece 2 is fixed to the rotating chain 3,
The chain 3 is suspended by gears 4 provided at two points in the product pushing direction, and at least one gear 4 is
The reduction gear 5 is configured to reduce and transmit the rotation of the electric motor 6.

Further, when the extruding piece 2 is located at a position above the locus of the chain 3, the extruding piece 2 is exposed on the base 1 and the electric motor 6
Is configured to travel to one side on the base 1 by the rotation of, and the product on the base 1 is pushed out.

Further, the electric motor 6 and the gear 4 have a base of which the axis of rotation is the base 1.
It is provided so as to be inclined with respect to
The forward movement pushes out the product on the base 1, and the backward movement base 1.
Is configured to return below.

A product detector 8 is provided in the space below the base 1, a pin 7 of which is projected to the upper surface of the base 1, and a position detector which is provided with a pin 9 for detecting the position of the extrusion piece 2. Ten are provided.

In FIG. 2, the pin 7 of the product detector 8 projects above the base 1, and when a product (not shown) is above the base 1, it is pushed to the bottom of the base 1 and the product detector 8 detects the product. It is configured to detect that the product is in stock, and when there is no product on the base 1, the pin 7 projects above the base 1 to detect that the product is out of stock.

In addition, the position detector 10 of the extruded piece 2 has a pin 9 protruding to a position where the extruded piece 2 passes, and when the extruded piece 2 passes,
It is configured to operate by being pushed.

In such a configuration, when the product is stacked on the base 1, the carry-out device of the vending machine enables the product to be carried out by the pin 7 being pushed and the product detector 8 detecting the presence of the product. .

Then, when the product is unloaded, the gear 6 is rotated by the rotation of the electric motor 6 through the reduction gear 5, and the extrusion piece 2 is rotated.

The rotation of the push-out piece 2 is caused by the rotation of the chain 3 on the base 1.
Is configured to move forward on the upper side of the base 1 and return on the lower side of the base 1. During this reciprocating motion, the products stacked on the base 1 are discharged from the extrusion column. is there.

And when there are no products stacked on the base 1,
The commodity detector 8 operates to stop the unloading operation.

When the product runs out by such an operation, the unloading is stopped, the sold-out display is displayed, and the short-selling is not performed at the same time.

Moreover, since the chain 3 and the like are provided diagonally with respect to the rectangular space formed by the base 1, the chain 3
It is not necessary to increase the vertical dimension even when the radius of gyration is increased, and the speed reducer 5, the product detector 8 and the position detector 10 are provided in the triangular space formed by the chains 3 arranged diagonally. Since it can be provided, the space formed under the base 1 can be effectively used and the integration can be easily realized.

For this reason, since the width of the carry-out device is small, the width of the column can be made small, and the carry-out device can fit under each column without protruding to the adjacent column even if the positions in the height direction of the base are not aligned. This means that the column can be provided with the unloading device independently.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, an automatic vending machine can be provided with a carry-out device even if the width of a column is reduced, and the number of products that can be sold in a limited outer box space can be increased. Can be obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of a carry-out device of an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. 1 ... Base, 2 ... Extruded piece, 3 ... Chain, 4 ...
Gears, 5 ... reducer, 6 ... electric motor, 7 ... pin, 8 ...
… Merchandise detector, 10 …… Position detector.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A carry-out device for an automatic vending machine that pushes out products stacked on a base from a lower part and carries out the product, comprising a horizontal base having a width substantially equal to the width of the product, and a rotation axis oblique to the base. An endless chain is arranged in the lower part of the base so that the chain is equipped with an extruding piece so that the chain travels on the upper surface of the base by rotation of the chain, and a position detector for detecting the position of the extruding piece. To form a signal for determining the stop position of the extruded piece, and further to provide a product presence / absence signal to detect the presence / absence of a product placed on the base by forming a signal indicating the presence / absence of the product. An unloading device for a vending machine, comprising an electric motor to be rotated together with a speed reducer in a space below the base.