JPH07282328A - Commodity discharging device of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a commodity discharging device of an automatic vending machine(AVM) which can reduce shock applied to a commodity discharged from a stocker without generating troubles in various maintenance work. CONSTITUTION:An intermediate chute 21 inclined so as to be lowered toward the back is fixed on the rear face of an inner door 4 and a flapper 23 is supported by a pin 22 inserted into the lower end part of a front side stocker 5 so as to be optionally rotated back and forth. A commodity 10 discharged from the forefront line position 5a of the stocker 5 is temporarily received by a chute 21, abutted on the flapper 23 to reduce its power and then discharged to a chute 6. Since the discharged commodity 10 is temporarily received by the intermediate chute 21, shock applied to the commodity 10 is reduced. Since the chute 21 is fixed to the inner door 3, an operator can execute work such as the insertion of his hand into a gap between the lower end of the stocker 5 and the chute 6 without generating any trouble.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product dispensing device for an automatic vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional vending machine for selling products such as canned beverages, one shown in FIG. 2 is known.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of a vending machine which supports a front door 2 in an openable and closable manner. Inside the main body 1 of the vending machine, an inner box 4 having an inner door 3 supported in an openable and closable manner at the front thereof is arranged. ing. On the upper side of the inner box 4, a plurality of rows of stockers 5 for storing the products are arranged in front and rear (two rows in FIG. 2). It is arranged so as to be lowered. Here, 7 is a product dispensing opening provided in the lower portion of the inner door 3, 8 is a product outlet provided in the lower portion of the front door 2, and 9
Is a payout station facing the merchandise outlet 8.

Each stocker 5 has a product 10 such as a canned drink.
Are stored in two rows in the front and rear in a stacked posture, and the lowermost product 10 stored in the stocker 5 is discharged downward from the lower end opening of the stocker 5. The product 10 paid out from the stocker 5 is dropped onto the chute 6 and then guided by the chute 6 to be paid out to the payout station 9 through the product payout opening 7.

[0005]

By the way, depending on the type of the product 7, for example, the diameter of the canned beverage (thick can or thin can), the width of the product passage in the stocker 5 is set to various values provided below the stocker 5. An adjustment mechanism (not shown) may be adjusted by a person in charge. The stocker 5 and the chute 6 should be separated from each other by a certain distance so that an attendant can perform such maintenance work with the hands between the lower end of the stocker 5 and the chute 6 with the inner door 3 open. In particular, a relatively large distance is provided between the lower end of the frontmost row portion 5a of the stocker 5 and the chute 6 in particular. Therefore, the product 7 such as a can of carbonated drink contained in the front row portion 5a receives a large impact when it is dispensed and falls on the chute 6, and a large impact sound is generated when the product 7 falls. At the same time, the product 7 foams when it is opened.

The present invention solves the above problems, and provides a dispensing device for a vending machine which can reduce the impact on the products dispensed from the stocker without hindering various maintenance operations. The purpose is.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first means of the present invention is to provide a stocker for accommodating a product in a vending machine main body whose inner door is openably and closably supported on the front side, In a vending machine provided with a slope that is inclined so that it becomes lower toward the front, and a chute that guides the products dispensed and dropped from the stocker toward the product dispensing opening of the inner door, the vending machine becomes lower toward the rear. An intermediate chute which is tilted so as to be attached to the back surface of the inner door and which guides the product discharged from the stocker to the rear side of the chute is provided.

The second means of the present invention is the same as the above-mentioned first means, except that it is supported on the lower part of the stocker rotatably below the stocker centering on the horizontal axis and guided by the intermediate chute. A depressurizing member is provided to reduce the momentum of the products coming into contact with the chute side from the intermediate chute.

[0009]

With the first means, the product dispensed from the stocker is once received by the intermediate chute and then dispensed from the intermediate chute side to the chute side. The shock received by is reduced. Further, since the intermediate chute is attached to the inner door, when the inner door is opened, the intermediate chute moves together with the inner door and evacuates from between the lower end of the stocker and the chute, and the clerk operates the lower end of the stocker and the chute. Various maintenance work such as putting hands between and can be performed without any hindrance.

Further, by the second means, the product guided by the intermediate chute comes into contact with the depressurizing member, and the depressurizing member is rotated backward or upward. Since the kinetic energy of the product is reduced by the amount corresponding to the kinetic energy of the energy reducing member, the momentum of the product being paid out to the chute side is further reduced, and the impact on the product is further reduced. Since the flapper is rotatably supported,
The flapper does not hinder maintenance work.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to those having the same functions as those of the related art and the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, an intermediate chute 21 is attached to the back surface of the inner door 4. The intermediate chute 21 has a substantially L-shaped cross section, and has an inclined surface 21a that is inclined toward the rear so as to be lower toward the rear side. The inclined surface 21a of the intermediate chute 21 is projected obliquely rearward at a height approximately midway between the lower end of the frontmost row portion 5a of the stocker 5 and the chute 6.

A pin 22 is provided at the center of the lower end of the front stocker 5 in the front-rear direction as a member at the center of the horizontal axis penetrating the lower end of the stocker 5 in the left-right direction. A flapper 23 as a damping member is supported so as to be rotatable back and forth. Flapper 23
In the state where no external force is applied, the lower end of the is close to the rear end of the intermediate chute 21, as indicated by the solid line in FIG.

In the above structure, the product 10 paid out from the frontmost row portion 5a of the stocker 5 is once received by the intermediate chute 21 and then the inclined surface 21a of the intermediate chute 21 as shown by a phantom line in FIG. Along the back, the flapper 23 comes into contact with the flapper 23, and the flapper 23 is thereby rotated upward from the rear. On the other hand, the product 10 is paid out onto the chute 6 as shown by an imaginary line in FIG.

At this time, since the dispensed product 10 is once received by the intermediate chute 21, the drop distance at each location becomes smaller than in the conventional case, and the shock received by the product 10 is reduced. Further, since the product 10 is guided by the intermediate chute 21 and is paid out to the rear side, the position on the chute 6 for receiving the product 10 is also higher than the conventional position, and the distance to drop on the chute 6 is reduced accordingly, and the impact is reduced. Is more relaxed.

Further, when the product 10 comes into contact with the flapper 23, the kinetic energy corresponding to the kinetic energy of the flapper 23 is reduced by an amount corresponding to the kinetic energy of the flapper 23. As a result, the impact on the product 10 is further reduced. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the damage and impact sound due to the impact of the product 10, and even when the product 10 is a can of carbonated drink, it is possible to prevent the product 10 from foaming when opened.

Since the intermediate chute 21 is attached to the inner door 3, the intermediate chute 2 is opened when the inner door 3 is opened.
1 moves together with the inner door 3 and retreats from between the lower end of the stocker 5 and the chute 6, and the staff member
Various maintenance work such as putting a hand between the lower end of the chute and the chute 6 can be performed without any trouble. The flapper 23
Since it is rotatably supported, the flapper 23 does not interfere with the maintenance work.

In the above embodiment, the intermediate chute 21 and the flapper 23 are shown as being formed of a simple plate, but the inclined surface 21 of the intermediate chute 21 is shown.
A cushioning member such as a sponge that absorbs impact may be provided on the upper surface side of a, the front surface side of the flapper 23, or the like. Further, the flapper 23 may be brought into contact with the rear end of the intermediate chute 21. In addition, the flapper 23
In order to further reduce the load, a weight or the like is added to the flapper 23, or a biasing member such as a spring that applies a biasing force to rotate the flapper 23 toward the intermediate chute 21 is externally fitted to the pin 22. Good, flapper 2
You may use those other than 3 as a damping member.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the intermediate chute which is inclined so as to become lower toward the rear is attached to the back surface of the inner door, the product discharged from the stocker is temporarily received by the intermediate chute. As a result, the drop distance at each location is reduced, and the impact on the product is reduced.
Further, since the products are guided by the intermediate chute and paid out to the rear side, the position for receiving the products on the chute is also higher than the conventional position, and the distance to fall on the chute is reduced accordingly, and the impact is further mitigated. . Since the intermediate chute is attached to the inner door, the clerk can perform various maintenance work such as putting a hand between the lower end of the stocker and the chute without any trouble.

Further, by rotatably providing a depressurizing member at the lower part of the stocker for reducing the momentum of the product delivered to the chute side, the momentum of the product delivered to the chute side is further reduced and the product receives. Impact is further reduced. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the damage and impact sound due to the impact of the product, and it is possible to prevent the product from foaming at the time of opening, even when the product is a can of carbonated drink.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing a main part of an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending machine main body 3 Inner door 4 Inner box 5 Stocker 6 Chute 7 Product dispensing opening 10 Product 21 Intermediate chute 21a Inclined surface 22 Pin (horizontal axis) 23 Flapper (energizing member)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine main body having an inner door openably and closably supported on the front side, and a stocker for storing products and a slantingly arranged so as to be lower toward the front and dispensed from the stocker. In a vending machine equipped with a chute that guides dropped products to the product delivery opening side of the inner door, the vending machine is attached to the back of the inner door while being inclined so that it becomes lower toward the rear, and is dispensed from the stocker. A product dispensing device for a vending machine, which is provided with an intermediate chute for receiving the stored products and guiding them to the rear side of the chute. 2. The stocker is rotatably supported below the stocker about a horizontal axis, and contacts the product guided by the intermediate chute so that the product is expelled from the intermediate chute to the chute side. The product dispensing device for a vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a depressurizing member for reducing the energy.