JPH08138120A - Stocker device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a stocker device for automatic vending machine, which can prevent the occurrence of large noise, which can be made a thin type and which is not deteriorated in cooling/heating performance. CONSTITUTION: The commodity transportation path 22 of the commodity stocker part 20 storing commodities 3 is formed by path wall surface parts 21. The path wall surface part 21 is constituted by plural rollers 23 and plural partition plates 24. Two path wall surface parts 21 are arranged so that they face each other. The parts 21 are arranged by shifting them in upper/lower directions so that the upper/lower positions of the roller 23 in one path wall surface part 21 becomes the intermediate positions of the upper/lower direction of the roller 23 in the facing path wall surface part 21. The commodity transportation path 22 is formed by the two path wall surface parts 21. In the supplied commodities 3, a part of dropping energy is received by the roller 23, is converted into the rotation energy of the roller 23, dropping speed is effectively reduced and shock sound is suppressed to be small.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stocker device for storing products in an automatic vending machine for selling products such as canned beverages.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a stocker device for an automatic vending machine, as shown in FIG. 5, a road wall surface frame 2 in which a plurality of arcuately curved metal guide members 1 are vertically arranged.
Are arranged so as to face each other in two rows, and the positions of the guide members 1 facing each other are vertically shifted from each other to form a meandering article discharge passage 4 in which the goods 3 can be stored between the two rows of the road wall surface frames 2. There is something I did. In this type of stocker device, the product unloading passage 4 is formed in a meandering shape. ,
The falling speed is reduced, the impact on the product is finally reduced, and the product is prevented from being jammed in an unnatural posture (tilted posture or standing posture). ing.

As shown in FIG. 5, a cooling device 6 and a heating device (not shown) are provided at the bottom of the vending machine body 5, and are cooled or heated by these cooling device 6 and the heating device. The air is sent into the product discharge passage 4 to cool or heat the product.

[0004]

However, according to this type of stocker device, since the product 3 comes into contact with each guide member 1 and bounces off, the impact sound at this time is large and noise is generated. Further, since the product unloading passage 4 is formed by the curved guide member 1, more space is required in the front-rear direction by the amount of the front-rear curve of the guide member 1, and the vending machine can be made thinner. There was also a problem that we could not deal with it.

As a measure for reducing the thickness of the stocker device of the vending machine, as shown in FIG. 6, there is one in which a curved movable guide member 12 is projected in a substantially straight product discharge passage 11 vertically. . The movable guide member 12 is biased by a biasing means such as a spiral spring (not shown) in a direction projecting into the product discharge passage 11, and when the product 3 is loaded into the product discharge passage 11, the product 3 Is supplied while dropping the movable guide member 12 obliquely downward. According to the stocker device of this vending machine, since the product unloading passage 11 is not curved so much in the front and rear, it is possible to make the stocker device thinner.
However, since the product 3 pushes down the movable guide member 12 and drops downward, a large amount of noise is generated even in this structure. Further, since the movable guide member 12 is positioned so as to be urged in the direction of closing the product unloading passage 11, it is difficult for the cooled or heated air to pass through the product unloading passage 11 and the cooling or heating performance is deteriorated. I will invite you.

The present invention solves the above problems and provides a stocker device for a vending machine which can prevent generation of a large amount of noise, can be adapted to be thin, and will not cause deterioration of cooling or heating performance. It is intended to be provided.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first means of the present invention is to arrange a plurality of rollers rotatable about a lateral axis in the vertical direction at appropriate intervals. A partition plate extending vertically is provided between these rollers, and a road wall surface portion is constituted by these rollers and the partition plate. The product discharge passage is formed so that the product can be stored.

The second means of the present invention is the same as the first means, wherein a part of the road wall surface portion constituted by the roller and the partition plate is arranged so as to face the two product unloading passages, and adjacent to each other. It is also used as the road wall surface portion of the product discharge passage.

The third means of the present invention is the above-mentioned first or second means, wherein a cushioning material for absorbing at least one of impact and impact sound is provided on the outer periphery of the roller.

[0010]

According to the first means, the product is supplied while falling on the product discharge passage while contacting the roller. In this case, since the roller is rotatably held around the lateral axis, it rotates downward when it comes into contact with the product. Therefore, since a part of the falling energy of the product is received by the roller and converted into rotational energy of the roller, the falling speed is effectively reduced and the impact noise is suppressed to a low level. Further, since the product is received by the roller and slips while moving with the roller, the impact noise can be reduced as compared with the conventional case where the product bounces. Moreover, since a curved guide member as used in the past is not used, the arrangement space can be reduced and the thickness can be reduced.
Since there is no obstruction to the air flow in the product discharge passage, the cooling or heating performance is not deteriorated.

Further, according to the second means, since the road wall surface portion is also used as the road wall surface portion of the adjacent article carrying-out passage, the arrangement space can be further reduced and the thickness can be reduced.

By the third means, shocks and shock noises on the product are absorbed by the cushioning material provided on the outer circumference of the roller, and shocks and shock noises on the product are further reduced.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the same reference numerals are given to those having the same functions as those of the conventional one.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, reference numeral 21 denotes a road wall surface portion that forms a product unloading passage 22 of a product stocker portion 20 that stores products 3. The road wall surface portion 21 includes a plurality of rollers 23 and a plurality of partition plates 24. It is composed of.

The rollers 23 are vertically arranged at predetermined intervals on a stocker partition wall 25 for partitioning the product stocker section 20 into the right and left (widthwise direction of the vending machine), and are erected laterally from the stocker partition wall 25. A metal shaft body 26 as a shaft center fixed in such a posture, a resin roller body 27 rotatably supported by the shaft body 26 and having flange portions 27a on both end surfaces, and this roller body. 27, and a rubber cylinder 28 as a cushioning material that is externally mounted between the collar-shaped portions 27a. A partition plate 24 extending vertically is arranged between the rollers 23.
The partition wall 24 constitutes the road wall surface portion 21.

The two rows of road wall surface portions 21 are arranged to face each other, and the upper and lower positions of the rollers 23 of one road wall surface portion 21 are opposed to each other.
The rollers 23 are vertically offset from each other so as to be located at an intermediate position in the vertical direction, and the two rows of the road wall surface portions 21 can store the products 3 in the product discharge passage 22.
Is slightly meandering. Reference numeral 22a is a product insertion port formed on the front surface of the upper end of the product stocker unit 20.

Further, in this embodiment, the product unloading passages 22 are formed at four positions in the front and rear, but the road wall surface portion 21 located between the product unloading passages 22 has two product unloading passages 2.
2, each roller 23 is projected into both the product discharge passages 22, and one road wall surface portion 21 is also used as the road wall surface portion 21 of the product discharge passages 22 adjacent to each other.

In the above structure, the product 3 inserted from the product insertion port 22a is supplied while dropping on the product unloading passage 22 while contacting the roller 23. In this case, the roller 2
Since 3 is rotatably held around the shaft body 26, when it comes into contact with the product 3, it rotates downward. Therefore, since a part of the falling energy of the product 3 is received by the roller 23 and converted into the rotational energy of the roller 23, the falling speed is effectively reduced and the impact sound is suppressed to a low level. Further, since the product 3 is received by the roller 23 and slides and moves together with the roller 23 while slightly rotating, the impact noise can be reduced as compared with the case of bouncing back as in the conventional case, and the curved guide member as in the conventional case is used. Since it is not used, as shown in FIG. 1, the arrangement space can be reduced and the thickness can be reduced. Further, since there is no obstruction to the circulation of the air in the product discharge passage 22 and the air circulates well in the vertical direction, the cooling or heating performance is improved and the thermal efficiency is improved.

Further, since the road wall surface portion 21 is also used as the road wall surface portion 21 of the article carrying-out passages 22 adjacent to each other, the arrangement space in the front-rear direction can be further reduced and the thickness can be reduced. Furthermore, since the impact and impact sound on the product 3 are absorbed by the rubber cylinder 28 provided on the outer periphery of the roller 23, the impact and impact sound on the product 3 are further reduced.

In the above embodiment, the case where the rubber cylinder 28 is provided as the cushioning material has been described, but other elastic bodies or sound absorbing materials may be used. Further, depending on the weight of the product 3, a roller 23 having a weight and a size that can appropriately reduce the falling speed of the product 3 may be selected and attached.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of freely rotatable rollers are arranged at appropriate intervals in the vertical direction, and a partition plate extending vertically is provided between these rollers to form these rollers. A partition wall constitutes a road wall surface part, and the positions of the opposing rollers are vertically shifted from each other to form a product unloading passage between two rows of road wall surface parts, so that the product can be dropped. The speed can be effectively reduced and the impact noise can be suppressed to a low level. Moreover, since a curved guide member unlike the conventional one is not used, the arrangement space can be reduced and the thickness can be reduced. Since there is no obstruction to the air flow in the product discharge passage, the cooling or heating performance is improved and the thermal efficiency is improved.

Further, by making the road wall surface portion also serve as the road wall surface portion of the article discharge passages which are adjacent to each other, the arrangement space can be further reduced and the thickness can be reduced. Further, by providing a cushioning material that absorbs at least one of impact and impact sound on the outer periphery of the roller, impact and impact sound on the product can be further reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the stocker device of the same vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of a roller of the stocker device.

FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of a roller of the stocker device.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of a conventional vending machine.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 products 20 product stocker 21 road wall surface 22 product unloading passage 23 roller 24 partition plate 25 stocker partition wall 26 shaft (axial center) 27 roller body 28 rubber cylinder (buffer material)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of rollers rotatable about a horizontal axis are arranged at appropriate intervals in the vertical direction, and partition plates extending vertically are provided between these rollers, and these rollers and the partition plate. A stocker device for a vending machine, which constitutes a road wall surface part, and is configured such that the positions of the rollers facing each other are vertically displaced from each other to form a product unloading passage between two rows of road wall surface parts for storing products. . 2. A part of a road wall surface portion constituted by a roller and a partition plate is arranged so as to face two product unloading passages, and is also used as a road wall surface portion of an adjacent product unloading passage. Stocker device of the vending machine described in. 3. The stocker device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a cushioning material that absorbs at least one of impact and impact sound is provided on the outer periphery of the roller.