JPH07262450A - Passage width adjusting device for commodity rack loaded on automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a passage width adjusting device for a commodity rack which can adjust the width of a commodity carrying-out passage multi-stepwise by using a conventional commodity guide plate as reference structure. CONSTITUTION:In the passage width adjusting device for variably adjusting the width of the commodity carrying-out passage 3 in accordance with the size of a commodity by moving a commodity guide plate 4 arranged in the commodity rack storing commodities 10 in a vertical line so as to be opposed to a bend mechanism 2 with the passage 3 inbetween back and forth toward the passage 3, the guide plate 4 is laid between stepped adjusting grooves 7, 8 formed on the right and left side plates of the rack through through-pins 5, 6 inserted into the upper and lower end parts of the side edge of the plate 4, at least the lower side through-pin out of both the through-pins 5, 6 is loosely fitted in a lateral groove 4b formed on the side edge 4a of the guide plate 4 and a slide type passage width setting changeover spacer 11 is arranged on the rear side of the guide plate 4 so as to be inserted between the rear side and the through-pins 5, 6. Thus the width of the commodity carrying-out passage 3 can be adjusted in four stages by using both of the spacer 11 and the adjusting grooves.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the width of a product carrying-out passage for a product rack mounted on an automatic vending machine, particularly a serpentine type product rack for storing cans and bottles in a line in a row.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a product passage width adjusting device for the above-mentioned serpentine type product rack, a device having a structure as shown in FIG. 4 is conventionally known. In the figure, 1 is a left and right side plate of the product rack, 2 is a bend mechanism installed on the carry-out end side of the product rack, 3 is a product carry-out passage, and 4 is a product guide plate that is arranged opposite to the bend mechanism 2 with the product carry-out passage 3 interposed therebetween. Is. Although not shown, a curved rail segment is laid between the left and right side plates 1 on the upper side of the product rack so as to be connected to the product unloading passage 3 and is defined between the rail segments. A large number of products are arranged in a line in the product passage to be stored.

Here, the product guide plate 4 is a plate having a U-shaped cross section in which the left and right side edges 4a are bent to the back side at a right angle, and the through pins 5 and 6 are passed through the upper and lower ends of the left and right side edges 4a. , These through pins 5 and 6 to the left and right side plates 1 of the product rack
It is bridged between the stepped adjustment grooves 7 and 8 in which the two adjustment steps that have been drilled are set and supported at a predetermined position. Further, the bend mechanism 2 is locked and supported between a pair of upper and lower through pins 9 spanning the left and right rack side plates 1. It should be noted that reference numeral 10 indicates a can-type product waiting at the selling position.

The operation for adjusting the width of the product passage according to the above structure is performed as follows. That is, the stepped adjustment groove 7,
On the other hand, in the state where the product guide plate 4 is supported at the solid line position in the figure via the through pins 5 and 6, the passage width of the product discharge passage 3 regulated between the bend mechanism 2 and the product guide plate 4 is L.
It is 1. On the other hand, when the product 10 is changed to a product having a small diameter, the product guide plate 4 is inserted into the stepped adjustment grooves 7 and 8.
Is moved to the position indicated by the chain line. As a result, the width of the carry-out passage is reduced to L2 <L1.

[0005]

By the way, with the above-described structure of the conventional article passage width adjusting device, the carry-out passage width can be switched only in two stages of L1 and L2. On the other hand, in recent years, the size of product containers (cans, bottles) tends to be more and more diversified with the diversification of product types.
For this reason, it is not possible to cope with the diversification of product sizes simply by switching the width of the product carry-out passage in two stages.

Therefore, conventionally, in order to accommodate a product having a diameter smaller than the passage width L1 or L2, an attachment prepared as an optional product is overlaid on the surface of the product guide plate 4 on the side of the product passage to carry out the passage width. I try to increase the number of adjustment steps. However, this adjustment method is troublesome because it is necessary to attach and detach the attachments stored and prepared in a different location on the product guide plate each time when the product to be sold has a different size.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has the above-mentioned conventional product guide plate as a basic structure.
An object of the present invention is to provide a passage width adjusting device for a product rack in which the width of a passageway for carrying out products can be adjusted in multiple stages by simply adding additional simple parts thereto.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the product passage width adjusting device of the present invention is such that at least the lower through pin among the through pins passing through the upper and lower ends of the product guide plate is the product guide plate. A slide-type passage width setting switching spacer, which is inserted between the through pin and the through-hole, is provided on the back side of the product guide plate.

Further, the passage width setting switching spacer in the above structure has a tapered spacer piece at the tip and is supported on the back side of the product guide plate so as to be slidable in the vertical direction via a support pin. It can be carried out.

[0010]

In the above structure, when the passage width setting switching spacer is pulled down to the lower retracted position and removed from the lower through pin, the stepped adjustment is made in the product rack side plate as in the conventional product guide plate. By moving the product guide plate back and forth along the groove, the carry-out passage width can be adjusted in two steps. On the other hand, if you slide the passage width setting switching spacer upward from the retracted position and insert the spacer piece at the tip between the product guide plate and the through pin, the product guide plate will have the lower end with the upper through pin as the fulcrum. The product is inclined so as to project toward the carry-out passage side, and the width of the product carry-out passage is reduced accordingly. Therefore, by combining the above-mentioned passage width setting switching spacer and the stepped adjustment groove formed in the side plate of the product rack, the carry-out passage width can be variably adjusted in at least four steps.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the drawings of the embodiments, the same members corresponding to those in FIG. 4 are designated by the same reference numerals. 1 to 3, through pins 5, which are laid across the upper and lower ends of the product guide plate 4,
Through pin 6 through the lower end of the product guide plate 4
Is loosely fitted in a laterally long groove 4b formed in the left and right side edges 4a.
Further, a slide type passage width setting switching spacer indicated by reference numeral 11 is provided on the back side of the product guide plate facing the through pin 6. This passage width setting switching spacer 1
1 is a hook-shaped spacer piece 11a with a tapered tip.
And a spacer base portion having a U-shape with respect to the product guide plate 4 is slidably supported in a vertical direction via a support pin 11b. Here, when the passage width setting switching spacer 11 is pulled down to the lower retracted position, the spacer piece portion 11 a at the tip end is pulled out from between the through pin 6.
Conversely, when the spacer 11 is slid upward, the spacer piece 11a at the tip interrupts between the product guide plate 4 and the through pin 6, whereby the product guide plate 4 and the through pin 6 are separated by the thickness of the spacer piece 11a. The relative position changes in the front-back direction.

Next, the operation for adjusting the width of the product passage will be described. First, in the state where the passage width setting switching spacer 11 is pulled down as shown in FIG. 1, the commodity guide plate 4 along with the through pins 5 and 6 along the stepped adjustment grooves 7 and 8 of the rack side plate 1 is shown in the solid line position in the figure. ., And the chain line position, the passage width of the product discharge passage 3 is changed to L1 and L2 corresponding to each adjustment position, as in FIG.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the passage width setting switching spacer 11 is slid upward from the retracted position,
When the spacer piece 11a at the tip thereof is inserted between the product guide plate 4 and the through pin 6, the product guide plate 4 is inclined so that the lower end side projects toward the product discharge passage 3 with the through pin 5 on the upper end side as a fulcrum. It becomes a posture. Then, in this state, when the product guide plate 4 is moved to the positions of the solid line and the broken line along the stepped adjustment grooves 7 and 8 of the rack side plate, the carry-out end side passage width of the product carry-out passage 3 becomes L3 ( L3 <L1),
And L4 (L4 <L2). That is, by using the stepped adjustment grooves 7 and 8 and the passage width setting switching spacer 11 together, the carry-out passage width can be adjusted and changed in four stages of L1, L2, L3, and L4.

In the illustrated embodiment, the passage width setting switching spacer 11 is provided only for the lower through pin 6, but a similar passage width setting switching spacer is provided for the upper through pin 5 as well. It can also be carried out.

[0015]

As described above, according to the structure of the present invention, the slide type passage width setting switching spacer additionally provided on the back side of the product guide plate and the stepped adjustment groove formed in the side plate of the product rack. By using and together, the product discharge passage width can be adjusted in at least four stages. Moreover,
The troublesome attachment and detachment attachment used in the conventional device is not necessary, and the carry-out passage width can be easily adjusted and changed by one-touch operation of the passage width setting switching spacer, and the operability can be simplified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a product passage width adjusting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a main part structure in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the adjustment position shown in FIG. 1 is changed to another adjustment stage.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional product passage width adjusting device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 product rack side plate 2 bend mechanism 3 product unloading passage 4 product guide plate 4a side edge 4b lateral groove 5,6 through pin 7,8 stepped adjustment groove 10 product 11 passage width setting switching spacer 11a spacer piece

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A bend mechanism in which a product rack, which stores products arranged in a line in the upper and lower direction, is moved forward and backward toward a product passage by a product guide plate disposed opposite to the bend mechanism across the product discharge passage. Is a passage width adjusting device for a product rack that variably adjusts a product discharge passage width between the product rack and the left and right sides of the product rack via through pins that pass through the upper and lower end portions of the product guide plate. Of the through pins, at least the lower through pin is loosely fitted in a laterally long groove formed in the side edge of the product guide plate, and the back side of the product guide plate is laid between the step adjustment grooves formed in the side plate. A passage width adjusting device for a product rack mounted on a vending machine, wherein a slide type passage width setting switching spacer that is inserted between the through pin and the through pin is provided. 2. The passage width adjusting device according to claim 1,
The vending width setting switching spacer has a tapered spacer piece at the tip and is supported on the back side of the product guide plate so as to be slidable in the vertical direction via a support pin. Aisle width adjustment device for the product rack installed in the machine.