JPH0778285A - Article storage device of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the article storage device of an automatic vending machine which is capable of improving article storage efficiency. CONSTITUTION:The lowest rank article 2a of box type articles 2 which are stored in an article storage column 1 and are placed on an article placing plate 3 is pushed out backward from an article ejection port 7 formed between the article placing plate 3 and the lower end of the back board 1a of the article storage column 1 by an extrusion member 4 provided on the article placing plate 3. After this pushed out article 2a is received by a curved guide part 5a of the upper end part of the article chute 5 provided on the backward of the article ejection port 7, the bottom surface central part of the article 2a is applied to a guide shaft 10 distributed by being away from the front of the article chute 5 and the article 2 is made to slip forward, turning the article 2 upside down along a guide part by making the guide shaft 10 as a rotation support.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product storage device for an automatic vending machine which pushes out a box-shaped product stored in a product storage column by an extruding member from a product outlet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional product storage device for an automatic vending machine, a product storage column for vertically stacking box-shaped products and a product storage column provided below the product storage column and equipped with an extruding member. While having a placing table, the lowest product placed on the product placing table is pushed out to the product selling port by pushing out from the product carrying-out port formed between the product placing table and the product storage column with an extruding member. There is something like this.

Further, for example, in order to store a large number of products having convex portions, the product storage column is tilted rearward, and a product carry-out port is formed between the product mounting table and the back plate lower end of the product storage column. Some products push the product backward from the product exit.

[0006] In such a product storage device which pushes out the product backward, as described in Japanese Patent Application No. 5-149885 previously filed by the applicant of the present application, the product storage device is provided behind the product carrying-out port. There is a product chute that has a curved guide portion that is provided at the upper end and that receives the lowest product that is pushed out by an extruding member and that slides forward while the product is inverted along the guide portion.

[0005]

However, in such a conventional product storage device for a vending machine, the lowest product 2a of the box-shaped products 2 stored in the product storage column 1 as shown in FIG. Extruding member 4 provided on product placing table 3
If the space between the product chute 5 and the product placing table 3 is narrow when the product chute 5 is pushed out, the product 2a reversed along the guide portion 5a of the product chute 5 is caught between the product placing table 3 and the product chute 5. There is a possibility that it may become clogged and you cannot carry it out.

For this reason, conventionally, the product chute 5 is provided so as to be separated from the product placing table 3 by at least the diagonal dimension of the product 2a as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. There is a problem in that the vertical space occupied in the lower space of the storage column 1 becomes large, and the product storage efficiency of the vending machine deteriorates.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a product storage device for an automatic vending machine which can improve the product storage efficiency.

[0008]

According to the present invention, a product storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products and a lowermost product of the product storage column is provided below the product storage column. A product placing table having an extruding member that pushes the lowest order product backward, a product carrying-out port formed between the product carrying table and the lower end of the back plate of the product storage column, and behind the product carrying-out port. A product chute that is provided and that has a curved guide portion that receives the product pushed out by the extruding member is formed at the upper end, and slides forward while flipping the product along the guide part, and in front of the product chute. And a guide shaft, which is spaced apart from the product, hits the central portion of the bottom surface of the product so that the extruded product is reversed along the guide portion, and serves as a rotation fulcrum of the product. Than it is.

[0009]

[Function] With this configuration, the product is stored in the storage column,
The lowest product of the box-shaped products placed on the product placing table is formed by the extrusion member provided on the product placing table between the product placing table and the lower end of the back plate of the product storage column. Can be pushed backwards from. Then, after the pushed-out product is received by the curved guide portion at the upper end of the product chute provided behind the product carry-out port, the bottom center part of the product is arranged in front of the product chute. By contacting the guide shaft with the guide shaft, the product can be slid forward while being inverted along the guide portion with the guide shaft as the rotation fulcrum.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of a commodity storage device of an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 4 indicate the same or corresponding portions.

In the figure, 1A is a main body of a vending machine,
B is a product storage device, 6 is arranged below the product table 3,
When a select button (not shown) is pressed, the product placing table 3
Drive device for orbiting the push-out member 4 so as to push the lowest-order product 2a placed on the rearward side from the product carrying-out port 7 formed between the product placing table 3 and the lower end of the back plate 1a of the product storage column 1. Is.

The product storage column 1 has a back plate for adjusting the length of the product storage column 1 and the height of the product carry-out port 7 so that products of different sizes can be stored and carried out. 8 is attached to the back plate 1a of the product storage column 1. The back plate 8 is vertically moved and moved back and forth into the product storage column 1 in accordance with the size of the product 2 to be stored.
Further, a sold-out detection switch 9 is attached to the lower rear surface of the back plate 8.

On the other hand, a guide shaft 10 is arranged in front of the product chute 5 in the product storage device 1B so as to be separated therefrom. Here, the guide shaft 10 comes into contact with the central portion of the bottom surface of the product 2a so that the product 2a pushed out by the pushing member 4 is reversed along the guide portion 5a, and serves as a rotation fulcrum of the product 2a.

The installation position of the guide shaft 10 is such that it comes into contact with the center of the bottom surface of the smallest product stored in the product storage column 1. Accordingly, even when another large product is stored in the product storage column 1, the guide shaft 10 can hit at least the bottom surface of the product in front of the central portion of the bottom surface of the product, and can serve as a rotation fulcrum of the product. ing.

Next, the product unloading operation of the product storage device of the vending machine thus configured will be described.

When the select button is pressed, first, the driving device 6 causes the push-out member 4 to make an orbital motion, whereby the lowest-order product 2a placed on the product placing table 3 is pushed backward from the product carrying-out port 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the tip of the product 2a is received by the guide portion 5a of the product chute 5. Then, the product 2a slides down along the guide portion 5a while inclining downward, and eventually the center portion of the bottom surface hits the guide shaft 10 as shown in FIG.

The central portion of the bottom surface is the guide shaft 10.
When the product 2a hits, the product 2a is reversed along the guide portion 5a with the guide shaft 10 as the rotation fulcrum as shown in the figure, and after the product 2a is slid down along the product chute 5, the product sales port (not shown) is shown. Be delivered to.

As described above, the guide shaft 1 is separated from the product chute 5 provided at the rear of the product carry-out port 7 in front of the product chute 5.
0 is provided, and the central portion of the bottom surface of the product 2a pushed out from the product outlet 7 is applied to the guide shaft 10, so that the product 2a can be reversed along the guide portion 5a with the guide shaft 10 as the rotation fulcrum. .

In the above description, as the product storage device, the product storage column 1 is tilted backward and the product is pushed backward, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the product storage device is used as a product storage device. It can also be applied to a column that is vertically erected and that pushes products alternately in the front-back direction.

Although the guide shaft 10 has been described as being fixed, the guide shaft 10 can be moved up and down while the guide shaft 10 is provided with an elastic member, and the elastic member normally serves as the guide shaft 10. May be biased and held upward.

In this way, by normally biasing and holding the guide shaft 10 upward by the elastic member,
Even if the product is sandwiched between the product placing table 3 and the product chute 5 for some reason, the pressure of the sandwiched product can push down the guide shaft 10 to prevent the product from being clogged and lower the product. The guide shaft 10 moved to the position can be reversed. Further, when the product starts reversing and becomes substantially vertical, the guide shaft 10 returns by the elastic member and pushes the rear end of the product during this returning operation, so that the product is more reliably reversed. Will be able to.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, the product can be inverted by a simple structure in which the guide shaft is arranged in front of the product chute and the product is applied to the guide shaft. The product can be carried out without providing the product chute away from the product mounting table by a diagonal dimension of the product or more. As a result, the vertical space occupied by the product chute below the product storage column can be reduced, and the product storage efficiency of the vending machine can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a product storage device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing a state of the product storage device at the time of product extrusion.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which an extruded product is reversed.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a conventional product storage device of a vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 product storage column 2 product 3 product mounting table 5 product chute 10 guide shaft

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A product storage column for stacking and storing box-shaped products, and a product storage column provided below the product storage column for mounting a lowest product of the product storage column and pushing the lowest product backward. A product placing table having an extruding member, a product carry-out port formed between the product placing table and the lower end of the back plate of the product storage column, and the extruding member provided behind the product carry-out port. A curved guide portion for receiving the pushed product is formed at an upper end portion, and a product chute that slides forward while flipping the product along the guide part, and is arranged in front of the product chute with a space therebetween, An automatic vending machine, characterized in that the extruded product hits the center of the bottom surface of the product so as to be turned over along the guide part, and has a guide shaft that serves as a fulcrum of rotation of the product. Machine of commodity storage devices.