JPH07168974A - Article path width adjusting device of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an article path width adjusting device of automatic vending machine constituted as that the confirmation of an adjusting location and the switching operation of the adjusting location are simply and easily performed. CONSTITUTION:In the article path width adjusting device adjusting the ejection path width of an article rack according to article sizes, the device is composed of an article press plate 1 for path width regulation which is disposed between rack side plates via a supporting pin 5 at a location opposite to a bend mechanism across an article path, a spacer 2 hanging down and supporting the plate 1 so that it may advance to and retract from the side of the article path via a freely oscillatable connection plate 3 within a window 1a opened at the center of the plate surface of the article press plate 1, an operation slider 4 with clamp 9 disposed movably in the right and left directions on the rear side of the article press plate 1 opposed to the projecting part 2a bulge formed on the rear side of the spacer 2 via a supporting pin 8, and a stopper 11 restraining and holding the slider 4 at each moving location in the right and left directions. By projecting the spacer 2 from the article press plate 1 toward the article path and retracting it from the article path by the right and left moving operation of the slider 4, an article path width is changed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product passage width adjusting device for a vending machine which is applied to a serpentine type product rack mounted on a vending machine for cans and bottles.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a serpentine type product rack has a meandering product passage for storing products arranged in a row in a vertical direction in the rack, and an outlet passage is sandwiched on the lower carry-out end side thereof. The bend mechanism and product holding plate are installed so that they face each other. Then, during standby for sale, the lowest product stored in the rack is locked in the passage between the bend mechanism and the product pressing plate, and the lock of the product is released by the operation of the bend mechanism for each sale. The books are configured to be dropped and carried downward.

On the other hand, since the size of the product container in the can and bottle products sold in the serpentine type product rack varies depending on the type, in the above-mentioned serpentine type product rack, the product passage width on the carry-out end side is the product size. It is necessary to set correctly according to. In addition, each time the product sold by the vending machine installed at the location is changed, it is necessary to readjust the product passage width according to the diameter size of the new product.

As means for that purpose, various types of product passage width adjusting devices have been conventionally known as follows. (1) As seen in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-29706,
A combination of a movable plate (spacer) on the aisle side of the product holding plate is fitted into a multi-stage adjustment groove that is drilled in the side plate of the product rack via support pins, and is engaged at the adjustment position via a stopper mechanism. A method to fix and fix the product passage width by moving the above-mentioned product holding plate and movable plate back and forth along the adjustment groove according to the product size of the product to be sold.

(2) As seen in JP-A-1-261800, a movable plate (combined by covering the aisle side with a product holding plate engaged with an adjustment groove formed in a side plate of a product rack). Spacer) is moved in the front-rear direction through an adjustment mechanism consisting of a disk-shaped operation cam with an operation lever and a stepped guide groove to adjust the product passage width.

[0006]

By the way, the conventional adjusting device typified by the above has the following problems in terms of adjusting operation. That is, in the method (1), it is extremely troublesome to change the width of the product passage by inserting the hand into the narrow space in the refrigerator and confirming the adjustment position. In addition, the method (2) has the advantage that the switching operation and the adjustment position can be confirmed easily because the adjustment step can be switched by lever operation, but the movable plate is moved up and down relative to the product pressing plate by the cam operation. In addition, since the movable plate is configured to move forward and backward along the stepped guide groove by this vertical movement, the movement of the adjusting mechanism is not smooth and a large operating force is required to switch the adjusting position. Operability is poor.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to make it possible to easily and easily perform adjustment position switching operation as well as confirmation of the adjustment position. An object is to provide a product passage width adjusting device for a vending machine.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, a product passage width adjusting device of the present invention has a vertical structure at a position facing a bend mechanism installed at a carry-out end of a product rack with a product passage therebetween. A product holding plate for controlling the passage width, which is installed between the rack side plates via a pair of support pins, and a swingable connecting plate in a window opened in the center of the product holding plate to the product passage side. It is composed of a spacer that is supported so that it can be retracted and supported, and a slide type operation mechanism that projects the spacer from the product pressing plate toward the product passage and retracts it by adjusting operation from the rear.

Further, the slide type operation mechanism having the above-mentioned construction is specifically provided with a handle which is movably incorporated in the left and right direction on the back side of the product pressing plate so as to face the convex portion formed on the back side of the spacer. It can be implemented with a configuration including an operation slider and a stopper that holds the operation slider at respective left and right moving positions. Further, as a means for enlarging the adjustment step of the product passage width according to the above-mentioned configuration, both ends of the support pin passed through the product pressing plate are fitted into the stepped guide grooves formed in the side plate of the product rack to be locked and supported. There are also embodiments.

[0010]

In the above structure, the spacer hangs by its own weight with respect to the product pressing plate via the connecting plate. And
When the operating slider is slid toward the left and right adjustment positions from this state, the spacer is driven by the movement of the operating slider to project from the storage position in the window of the product holding plate toward the product passage or move backward. The product passage width between the bending mechanism and the bending mechanism is variably adjusted, and the adjustment position can be confirmed by the position of the handle attached to the operation slider.

In this case, at the adjustment position where the spacer is retracted from the product passage and stored in the window of the product pressing plate, the operation slider is moved to a position where it does not interfere with the convex portion protruding to the rear surface side of the spacer. . On the other hand, when the operation slider is slid from this adjustment position to the opposite adjustment position, the convex portion rides on the plate surface of the operation slider, whereby the spacer moves from the window of the product holding plate to the product passage side through the connecting plate. The connecting plate also protrudes in parallel, and the connecting plate also projects obliquely to form a gentle product guide surface between the plate surface of the product pressing plate and the spacer. Moreover, the spacer itself simply hangs down by its own weight so that the spacer can be projected by applying a slight force to the operating slider.
It can be moved to the retracted position. Since the operation slider is locked and held at each adjustment position by the stopper, the adjustment position will not be accidentally switched during use.

Further, by moving the product pressing plate forward and backward along the stepped guide groove of the product rack, the number of adjusting positions can be further increased in combination with the adjustment of the spacer.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 (a) to 1 (c) show an assembly structure of a product passage width adjusting device, and the device has a product holding plate 1, a spacer 2, a connecting plate 3, and an operating slider 4 as main components. It is assembled. Here, the product pressing plate 1 is installed between the left and right side walls of a product rack (not shown) via a pair of support pins (through pins) 5 which are passed through the upper and lower ends, and a spacer is provided at the center of the plate surface. 2. A large window 1a for storing the connecting plate 3 is opened. Further, the upper end of the connecting plate 3 is pivotally supported by the pin 6 laid over the product holding plate 1, and the spacer 2 can be projected and retracted forward from the product holding plate 1 via the support pin 7 at the lower end of the connecting plate 3. Suspended and supported. Further, the operation slider 4 is the product pressing plate 1.
It is erected so as to be slidable in the left-right direction across a pair of upper and lower support pins 8 laid on the back side of the product, the lower end of which projects downward from the product holding plate 1 and an operating handle is attached to the tip thereof. There is. Reference numeral 10 is a stopper for preventing the support pin 8 from coming off, and 11 is a stopper for holding the operation slider 4 in each adjustment position.

On the back surface side of the spacer 2, two convex portions 2a are formed so as to bulge on the right and left sides. The convex portion escape holes are formed on the plate surface of the operation slider 4 in accordance with the positions of the convex portions 2a. The square hole 4a is opened. Note that FIG. 1B is a side view at the adjustment position corresponding to FIG. 1A, and the spacer 2 is retracted and stored in the window of the product pressing plate 1.
On the other hand, FIG. 6 (c) shows the state in which the operating slider 4 is slid to the right in FIG. 3 (a), and the spacer 2 and the connecting plate 3 are in front of the product holding plate 1 (product passage side) in this adjusting position. ) Is protruding. Further, in this state, the connecting plate 3 protruding in an oblique posture forms a smooth product guide surface between the product pressing plate 1 and the spacer 2.

Next, the operation of switching the adjustment position by the operation slider 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b).
2 shows a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1 (a), in which FIG. 2 (a) is shown in FIG. 1 (b) and FIG. 2 (b) is shown in FIG. 1 (c). It corresponds to each position. That is, at the adjustment position of FIG. 2A in which the operation slider 4 is moved to the left, the left protrusion 2a of the spacer 2 fits into the square hole 4a of the slider 4, and the right protrusion 2a is removed from the slider 4. ing. Therefore, the spacer 2 hangs by its own weight without being restrained by the slider 4 and is stored in the window of the product pressing plate 1. On the other hand, when the operation slider 4 is slid rightward as shown in FIG.
Rides on the plate surface of the slider 4. As a result, the spacer 2 comes to project forward from the product pressing plate 1. Further, each adjustment position of the spacer 2 can be easily confirmed by whether the operation handle 9 protruding below the product holding plate 1 is located on the left side or the right side.

The detailed structure of the stopper 11 provided on the operation slider 4 is shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). This figure is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.
FIGS. 3A and 3B show the operating state of the stopper 11 corresponding to FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively. That is, a stopper 11 of a leaf spring is attached to the lower part of the operation slider 4 so that its tip projects toward the plate surface of the product pressing plate 1. The stopper 11 faces the stopper 11 and the central portion of the product pressing plate 1. A convex step portion 1b for positioning is formed on the. With this configuration, when the operation slider 4 is switched between the diagrams of FIGS.
However, the slider 4 can be positioned and the adjustment position can be prevented from being accidentally switched.

4 (a) and 4 (b) show the shape of the stopper 10 for preventing the support pin 8 from coming off in FIG. 1 (a). After assembling the parts, the stopper 10 is inserted from the back side between the support pin 8 and the side surface of the product pressing plate 1 as shown in the drawing, and the claw 10a of the stopper 10 is opened in the side surface of the product pressing plate 1 into a square hole 1c. Hang it on and fix it.

Further, FIGS. 5A and 5B correspond to FIGS. 1B and 1C and FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively.
It is the arrow CC sectional view of (a). next,
A use state diagram in which the product passage width adjusting device having the above-described configuration is incorporated in a serpentine-type product rack, and a relationship between an adjusting position and a product passage width will be described with reference to FIGS. In the figure, 12 is a serpentine-type product rack, 13 is a bend mechanism installed at the carry-out end of the product rack 12, 14 is a product passage through which products (cans, bottle products) 15 are carried out, and the product holding plate 1 described above is Bending mechanism 1 separated by the product passage 14
It is installed at a position facing No. 3. Here, on the left and right side plates of the product rack 12, stepped guide grooves 16 and 17 having a shape as shown in the drawing are formed by aligning with the upper and lower support pins 5 passed through the product holding plate 1. The product pressing plate 1 is installed between the side plates of the product rack 12 by inserting the tips of the support pins 5 into the pins 16 and 17.

The stepped guide grooves 16 and 17 have been conventionally used as a mounting position adjusting groove for the product pressing plate 1. By moving the locking position of the support pin 5 along the guide groove, the product can be manufactured. The attachment position of the holding plate 1 is the product passage 1
Move forward and backward toward 4. Then, the product pressing plate 1 is fixed to the product rack 12 in the retracted position of FIG.
In this state, the spacer 2 incorporated in the product holding plate 1 is shown in FIG.
When the storage position shown in (b) is set, the product passage 14 is restricted to the maximum width D1. Further, when the spacer 2 is set to the projecting position shown in FIG. 1C as shown in FIG. 6B with the mounting position of the product pressing plate 1 being unchanged, the product passage 1
The width of 4 is changed to D2 (D2 <D1). On the other hand, FIG.
As shown in (c), if the product holding plate 1 is moved to the retracted position with respect to the product rack 12 and the spacer 2 is set to the retracted position in this state, the product passage width changes to D3 (D3 <D2). Further, when the spacer 2 is set to the projecting position as shown in FIG. 6D, the product passage width is changed to the minimum width D4.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 6A to 6D, the mounting position of the product pressing plate 1 to the product rack 12 is adjusted (forward and backward), and the spacer 2 incorporated in the product pressing plate 1 is adjusted ( By combining (projecting and storing),
The passage width of the product passage 14 is set to 4 according to the diameter size of the sold product.
The setting can be changed in steps (D1 to D4).

[0021]

As described above, according to the structure of the present invention, the spacer incorporated in the product holding plate is moved forward and backward by simply sliding the handle of the operating slider to either the left or right adjusting position. The product passage width between the bend mechanism and the bending mechanism can be changed, and the setting state can be easily confirmed at the handle position. Further, by installing the product pressing plate in the stepped guide groove perforated in the product rack via the support pin, it is possible to increase the set number of passage widths in combination with the operation of the spacer described above.

Moreover, since the spacer is suspended and supported in the window of the product holding plate via the connecting plate, and the spacer is directly projected from the back to the product passage side by the slider operation and is retreated, the spacer switching is performed. Can be performed easily with a little operating force.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an assembly configuration diagram of a product passage width adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is a rear view, (b) is a side view of (a) showing a retracted state of a spacer, and (c) is. Side view showing the protruding state of the spacer

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1A, in which FIGS. 2A and 2B respectively show a state in which a spacer corresponding to FIGS. Figure

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 1A, in which FIGS. 3A and 3B are views showing stopper positions corresponding to FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a structure of a support pin retaining stopper in FIG.

5 is a sectional view taken along the line C-C in FIG. 1A, in which FIGS. 5A and 5B respectively show a retracted state and a protruding state of the stopper corresponding to FIGS. 1A and 1B, respectively. Figure

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a relationship between each adjustment position and a product passage width when the product passage width adjusting device of the embodiment of the present invention is incorporated in a product rack, and (a) to (d) are different adjustment positions. State diagram at

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Product Holding Plate 2 Spacer 2a Convex Part 3 Connecting Plate 4 Operation Slider 4a Square Hole 5 Support Pin 9 Handle 11 Stopper 12 Product Rack 13 Bend Mechanism 14 Product Passage 15 Product 16 Stepped Guideway 17 Stepped Guideway

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A product passage width adjusting device for a vending machine, which adjusts a carry-out passage width of a serpentine type product rack according to a product size, wherein a bend mechanism installed at a carry-out end portion of the product rack and a product passage are separated from each other. Product holding plate for controlling the passage width, which is installed between the rack side plates via a pair of upper and lower support pins, and a connecting plate swingable in a window opened at the center of the plate surface of the product holding plate. It is composed of a spacer that is hung and supported so that it can be retracted to and from the product passage side through a slide, and a slide-type operation mechanism that projects the spacer from the product holding plate toward the product passage by adjusting operation from the back and retracts it. The product passage width adjustment device for vending machines. 2. The product passage width adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the slide type operation mechanism is movable in the left-right direction on the back surface side of the product pressing plate so as to face the convex portion bulged on the back surface side of the spacer. A product passage width adjusting device for a vending machine, comprising an operating slider with a built-in handle and stoppers for holding and holding the operating slider at respective left and right moving positions. 3. The product passage width adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein both ends of the support pin passed through the product pressing plate are fitted into stepped guide grooves formed in the side plate of the product rack to be locked and supported. Product width adjustment device for vending machines.