JPH08147549A - Columnar stacking type article housing rack for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To easily replenish columns with articles by providing a lever type gate mechanism serving also as an article supporting guide swingable to horizontal and drooping attitudes with the front surface upper end as the fulcrum for the respective columns of a rack case. CONSTITUTION: At the time of article replenishment, the hand is put on handles 12b and 13b, a stopper pin 13a is pulled out from the vertical lock groove part of a guide groove 10b against a pressing spring 15, the lock state of a gate board 12 is released and the gate board 12 is sprung upwards while moving along a circular-arcuate guide groove part and shifted to the article replenishment position in the horizontal attitude. Also, at the time, the stopper pin 13a is automatically fitted to the horizontal lock groove part of the guide groove 10b by the pressing spring 15 and the gate board 12 is locked. In this state, since the entire front area of the column 3 is turned to an open state, the articles 5 are freely loaded. Then, when the article replenishment is finished and unlocking is performed by operating the handle 13b, the gate board 12 is lowered to the drooping attitude by gravity, automatically locked and held at a sales position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vertically stacked product storage rack mounted on a vending machine for selling box-shaped products such as cigarettes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a product storage rack for the above-mentioned cigarette vending machine, the products stacked and stored in each column of a rack case with an open front are cut off one by one by operating the pusher type bend mechanism. The one configured to be carried out forward is disclosed in, for example, JP-A-3-154995.
It is publicly known as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No.

FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b) show a conventional structure of a vertically stacked product storage rack in combination with such a pusher type bend mechanism. In FIG. 7, reference numeral 1 denotes a front open type vertically long rack. A case 2 is a partition wall that defines columns 3 arranged in a row on the left and right, 4 is a pusher type bending mechanism arranged on the bottom side of each column 3, and 5 is on the stage 4a of the bending mechanism 4 for each column 3. These products are stacked and stored. Further, on the front side of the rack case 1, for each column, a gate member 6 for separating products and a column facing the stage 4a of the bend mechanism 4 with a gate passage corresponding to one product interposed therebetween are provided. A crankshaft type support guide bar 7 is provided for supporting the products 5 stacked and stored therein from the front to prevent the products 5 from falling and falling. Here, the gate member 6 is screwed side by side on a rail-shaped gate mounting base 8 laid in front of the rack case 1, and the support guide bar 7 is provided between the gate member 6 and the upper mounting plate 9. It is laid across.

The product selling operation with such a configuration is well known, and when the pusher type bending mechanism 4 operates in accordance with a sales command, the pusher 4b pushes out the products 5 arranged in the lowest position from the rear, and the product is the gate member 6 described above. It passes through the gate passage between and and is carried out to the front, and is delivered to the product outlet via a shooter (not shown). Further, when changing a sale product to a product having a different size, the mounting position of the gate member 6 is adjusted in the front-rear direction according to the size of the product.

[0005]

By the way, in the above-described conventional structure of the vertically stacked product storage rack, when replenishing the rack with the merchandise, the gate member 6 and the gate mount 8 serve as obstacles to replenish the merchandise. There is a drawback that it becomes difficult to do the work. That is, in a cigarette vending machine or the like, the columns 3 of the product storage rack are partitioned side by side in the left / right and upper / lower stages, and when replenishing the columns with products, first the support guide bar 7 is manually operated to the side of the column. The products are evacuated to one side, and then the hand is inserted into the column from above the gate member 5 to stack and load the products 5 one by one. For this reason, when loading a product into an empty column when the product is sold out, the gate mounting that crosses in front of the column 3 is necessary especially in the upper column that is lined up at a high position or the column that stores a small number of products. The table 8 and the gate member 6 block a part of the front surface of the column, which makes it very difficult to replenish the product. In addition, it is difficult to visually check the brand and quantity of the products remaining in the column because the gate mount 8 and the gate member 6 are obstructive, so that a product loading error such as accidentally loading a product of a different brand is prevented. Easy to cause.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is incorporated in a vertically-stacked product storage rack of an automatic vending machine, particularly a rack, which solves the above-mentioned problems and makes it easy to replenish products to a column. It is intended to provide a gate mechanism.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, for each column of a rack case, a product replenishment position in a horizontal posture and a product sale in a drooping posture with an upper end as a fulcrum on the front surface thereof are provided. It shall be equipped with a lever-type gate mechanism that can be swung to a position and that also serves as a product support guide. The gate mechanism includes a mounting board fixed to an upper front part of a rack case, a gate plate that also serves as a product support guide whose upper end is pivotally supported by a hinge pin on the mounting board, and the gate plate is in a horizontal posture. It consists of a replenishment position and a stopper mechanism that holds the product in the hanging position at the product sales position.

Further, in the gate mechanism having the above structure,
It can be implemented in a mode in which the following additional requirements are added. 1) A torsion coil spring that biases the gate plate toward the product sale position is provided on the axis of the hinge pin that pivotally supports the gate plate. 2) The stopper mechanism is guided and supported along with the gate plate, and has a slide type stopper piece with a handle, stopper pins protruding laterally from the upper end of the stopper piece, and the stopper pin is fitted to the gate plate. The deformed guide groove is formed in the side wall surface of the mounting substrate so as to be locked at the product selling position and the product replenishing position, and the biasing spring that locks the stopper piece at the locking position.

3) An adjusting piece for changing the height of the gate passage according to the product size is provided at the tip of the gate plate. 4) A flapper with a restraining spring is provided at the tip of the gate plate and is opened by being pushed by the goods to be carried out. 5) Open a transparent window hole in the center of the gate plate to look into the product rack.

[0010]

In the above structure, when the product is sold, the gate plate is locked in the hanging position to close the front of the column of the rack case to prevent the stored products stacked in the column from falling over and falling. Thus, a gate passage having a height corresponding to one product is secured between the tip of the gate plate and the stage of the bending mechanism facing the gate plate.

On the other hand, when replenishing the product to the column, after unlocking the lock of the gate plate, the gate plate is flipped up and moved to a horizontal posture and locked at this position. This allows
The front surface of the column is open from the upper end to the lower end, so that it is possible to freely insert hands and stack and load products in the column. In this case, since there are no obstacles in the front of the column, it is possible to look deep into the column, and the brand and quantity of the products remaining in the column can be visually confirmed. Then, if the gate plate is returned to the hanging posture after the products are replenished, the state of sale is restored again.

In this case, as described in the above item 1), by providing a torsion coil spring for urging the gate plate toward the product selling position on the axis of the hinge pin that pivotally supports the gate plate, When the gate plate is pushed down in the drooping posture after the product replenishment is completed, the gate plate is correctly set at the product selling position by the bias of the torsion coil spring. In addition, by adopting the stopper mechanism of item 2), the product sales position of the gate plate,
The lock can be easily released by locking it to the product replenishment position and operating the handle. Further, by providing the flapper of the item 3) at the tip of the gate plate, it is possible to avoid the trouble that the product is accidentally dropped from the gate passage in the standby state for sale.
In addition, the provision of the adjusting plate of item 4) makes it possible to deal with products of various sizes.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Embodiment 1 Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a lever type gate mechanism that also serves as a product support guide according to the present invention comprises a mounting board 10 screwed and fixed to a mounting plate 9 (see FIG. 6) arranged on the upper front part of a rack case. , A long gate plate 12 which also hangs swingably on the mounting substrate 10 via a hinge pin 11 and which also functions as a product support guide, a position for replenishing products in a horizontal position and a position for selling products in a hanging position It is an assembly of a stopper piece 13 that is locked and held by the gate plate 12, and an adjustment plate 14 attached to the tip of the gate plate 12, and serves as a substitute part for the gate member 6, the support guide rod 8, and the gate mount 8 described in FIG. Equipped on the front of the rack case column.

Here, the mounting substrate 10 is a frame having an inverted U-shaped cross section, and the upper surface thereof is of a long hole type for adjusting the fixing position to the mounting plate 9 in the front-back direction according to the length size L of the product 5. The screw hole 10a is provided. Further, the stopper piece 13 is slidably incorporated in the gutter-shaped gate plate 12, and the stopper pin 1 protruding left and right from the upper end thereof.
Deformed guide groove 10b in which 3a penetrates the long hole 12a opened in the side wall of the gate plate 12 and is bored in the side wall surface of the mounting substrate 10.
Is stuck in. Further, a handle 13b projects forward from the lower end of the stopper piece, and a biasing spring that locks the stopper piece in a locking position between the handle 13b and the handle 12b provided on the gate plate 12 so as to face the handle 13b. A (compression spring) 15 is interposed. Here, the irregular guide groove 10b has an arc-shaped guide groove portion having an arc angle of 90 ° about the hinge pin 11 and locking groove portions extending horizontally and vertically from both ends of the guide groove portion. Further, the adjusting piece 14 is connected to the gate plate 12 via a connecting pin 16, and the height A of the gate passage 17 set between the tip of the adjusting piece 14 and the stage surface of the bend mechanism 4 is a product. The adjusting plate 14 has a plurality of stages of pin holes opened at different positions so that the adjusting plate 14 can be adjusted according to the thickness d.

With such a structure, as shown in FIG. 1, when the product is sold, the gate plate 12 is locked and held in a hanging posture to close the front surface of the column 3, and the product 5 stacked and stored in the column is held at this position. A gate passage 17 is provided between the gate plate 12 and the stage surface of the bending mechanism 4 to prevent the products 5 from falling one by one and to prevent the product from falling over and falling. As a result, as in the case of FIG. 6, the products 5 are carried out one by one in order from the lowest order for each selling operation. At this product sale position, the stopper pin 13a of the stopper piece 13 fitted to the gate plate 12 is fitted into the vertical locking groove portion of the deformed guide groove 10b, and is locked at this position by the spring force of the biasing spring 15. Has been done.

On the other hand, when replenishing products, the handles 12b and 13b
On the guide groove 10 by sliding the stopper piece 13 upward against the biasing spring 15.
The gate plate 12 is unlocked by pulling it out from the vertical locking groove portion of a. Subsequently, the stopper pin 13a is attached to the irregular guide groove 10
While moving along the arcuate guide groove of b, the gate plate 1
As shown in FIG. 4, the item 2 is flipped up and transferred to the horizontal product replenishment position. When the gate plate 12 moves to the horizontal position, the spring force of the biasing spring 15 causes the stopper pin 13a of the stopper piece 13 to automatically move to the deformed guide groove 10.
The gate plate 12 is locked in this position by fitting in the horizontal locking groove portion of b. In this state, the entire front surface of the column 3 from the upper end to the lower end is in an open state, so you can freely insert your hand into the inside of the column and load the product 5, and the products that remain in the column. The brand and quantity of can be confirmed visually. Then, when the replenishment of the products is completed and the handle 13b of the stopper piece 13 is operated in the same manner as described above to unlock the lock, the gate plate 12 hangs down in the hanging position by its own weight and the lock is automatically locked at this position. 1 is locked and held in the selling position shown in FIG.

When changing the sale product 5 to a product of a different size, the fixing position of the mounting substrate 10 and the protruding length of the adjusting plate 14 are adjusted according to the length L and the thickness d of the product. You can easily respond by doing. Second Embodiment Next, FIG. 5 shows an application example in which the gate mechanism of the first embodiment is improved. This embodiment is basically the same as the structure of the first embodiment, but in addition to the structure of the first embodiment, a torsion coil spring, a flapper 26,
Parts such as the transparent window holes 27 and 28 are newly added.

Here, the torsion coil spring 25 is provided on the axis of the hinge pin 11 that pivotally supports the gate plate 12 on the mounting substrate 10, and the spring force biases the gate plate 11 toward the selling position. I have to. That is, in the configuration of the first embodiment described above, the weight of the gate plate 12 returns from the horizontal product replenishment position to the drooping position of the selling position, but the friction and bite between the gate plate 12 and the hinge pin 11 may occur. Due to the above reasons, the gate plate 12 often does not completely return and stops at a halfway position, and the gate plate 12 may not be locked at the selling position. Moreover, if the selling operation is performed in this state, the gate plate does not serve as a product support guide,
A half-opened state causes bend troubles such as the products stacked and stored in the product rack collapse.
In this regard, if the above-mentioned torsion coil spring 25 is provided and the gate plate 12 is biased to the selling position, the stopper is released and the gate plate 12 becomes free after the completion of the product replenishment in the product rack. , The gate plate 12 is twisted by the coil spring 2 even if the gate plate 12 is not pushed in by applying a force to the hand.
Upon receiving the spring force of No. 5, it surely returns to the selling position, and the stopper mechanism works at this position to lock.

On the other hand, the flapper 26 is axially supported at the tip of the gate plate 12 via a through pin 26a, and is biased in the closing direction by a torsion coil spring 26b having a weak spring force. With this configuration, when the gate plate 12 is set in the hanging position, the flapper 26 protruding downward from the tip of the gate plate 12 (the protruding size corresponds to the height of the gate passage 17 shown in FIG. 1) is the product rack. When the pusher of the bending mechanism carries out the product during the sales operation by closing the side gate passage 17, the flapper 26 is opened by the carried-out product and the gate passage 17 is opened. In other words, the flapper 26 functions as an anti-theft flapper by closing the gate passage while waiting for sale, and also prevents the goods from accidentally rubbing through the gate passage and falling out even when the vending machine is shaken. Fulfill.

The aforementioned transparent window holes 27 and 28 are opened at the central portions of the gate plate 12 and the stopper piece 13, respectively, and the gate plate 12 is closed to close the rack case 1.
Even when the front surface (see FIG. 1) is closed, the stock quantity of the products remaining in the rack can be visually confirmed by looking through the transparent window holes 27 and 28. Embodiment 3 FIGS. 6A to 6C show a different embodiment of the present invention, the basic structure of which is similar to that of Embodiment 1.
In contrast to the assembly of the mounting substrate 10, the gate plate 12 also serving as the product support guide, and the slide type stopper piece 13,
The locking mechanism is different from that of the first embodiment.

That is, the gate plate 12 is the hinge pin 11
It is pivotally supported by the rear end of the mounting substrate 10 via. Further, a ratchet type stopper claw 19 for locking the connecting link 18 and the gate plate 12 at the selling position is pivotally supported by the hinge pin 17 provided on the mounting substrate at a position displaced from the hinge pin 11, and the stopper claw 19 is also supported. A coil spring 20 is pressed and biased in the direction of arrow P. On the other hand, a rear end of the stopper piece 13 is connected to the elongated hole of the connecting link 18 through a pin 21, and a through pin 22 that penetrates through the elongated holes formed in the left and right sidewalls of the stopper piece 13 and passes through the gate plate 12. A tension spring 23 is bridged between the protrusions 13c cut and raised from the stopper piece 13 to urge the stopper piece 13 in the arrow Q direction.
In addition, a lock pin 24 is mounted on the mounting substrate 10 so as to engage with the locking claw portion 13d of the stopper piece 13.
Further, the gate plate 12 is provided with an engaging projection 12c for locking the stopper claw 19 at the selling position shown in FIG. 5C. In addition, 19a is a torsion coil spring for urging the stopper claw 19 in a counterclockwise direction, and 19b is a projection for moving the stopper claw 19 to a release position.

With the above structure, when replenishing products, FIG.
As shown by, the gate plate 12 is flipped up and locked and held in a horizontal posture. In this state, the stopper piece 13 is biased by the spring 23 so that the tip of the stopper piece 13 projects forward from the gate plate 12, and at this position, the locking claw portion 13d causes the lock pin 2 to move.
4 to engage and hold the gate plate 12 in a horizontal posture. Then, in this state, products are stacked and loaded in the columns of the rack case in the same manner as described in the first embodiment.

On the other hand, the gate plate 12 is shown in FIG.
In order to move to the selling position shown in (c), first, the tip of the stopper piece 13 is pushed in with a fingertip. This allows lock pin 2
4 and the engaging claw portion 13d are disengaged, and the free gate plate 12 tilts in a hanging posture by its own weight with the hinge pin 11 as a fulcrum. Further, when the gate plate 12 approaches the drooping posture, the stopper piece 13 is constrained by the connecting link 18 so that the tip end thereof is displaced so as to be retracted into the gate plate 12, and the stopper claw 19 which is biased by the spring 19a moves. The engagement projection 12c cut and raised from the gate plate 12 is passed over and locked to the projection 12 so that the gate plate is
It is locked and held in the drooping posture shown in (c).

Next, in order to move the gate plate 12 from the selling position to the product replenishing position, first, the protrusion 19 of the stopper claw 19 is moved.
B is pushed in and the stopper claw 19 is moved to the center on the axis of the hinge pin 17 against the spring 20 to release the lock between the engaging projection 12c. Gate plate 12 which became free subsequently
When flipping up, the stopper piece 1
Since the tip of 3 projects from the gate plate 12, push it in with your fingertips, and when the gate plate 12 is in the horizontal position and release the hand from the stopper piece 13, the spring 23 biases the engaging claw of the stopper piece 13. The portion 13d is engaged with the lock pin 24, and the gate plate 12 is locked and held in the state of FIG. 5B.

[0025]

As is apparent from the above description, the structure of the present invention has the following effects. (1) By flipping up the lever type gate mechanism to the upper position when replenishing products, the front of the column of the rack case is opened, so compared to the conventional structure in which the gate member and gate mount remain as obstacles. , You can freely put your hand in the column, which allows you to efficiently and easily replenish the product.

(2) By flipping up the gate mechanism upward, it is possible to look deep into the column, so that the brand and quantity of the products remaining in the column can be visually confirmed. This will prevent product loading mistakes such as making mistakes in the brand of supplementary products. (3) The gate plate of the gate mechanism, which is locked and held in the hanging position at the time of sale, closes the front of the column and plays the role of a product support guide that prevents the products stacked and stored in the column from falling or falling. Through the gate passage secured between the tip and the pusher-type bend mechanism, the bend mechanism can be operated so that the products can be cut out one by one in order from the lowest position and delivered.

(4) Further, according to the constitution in which the torsion coil spring for urging the gate plate toward the product sale position is provided on the axis of the hinge pin pivotally supporting the gate plate, the gate plate is replenished after the product is replenished. Even if you do not press it by hand when returning it to the selling position,
The spring force allows the gate plate to be completely set in the selling position. (5) Also, by providing the tip of the gate plate with an adjustment piece that changes the height of the gate passage according to the product size,
It can easily accommodate products of various sizes.

(6) Further, by providing a flapper with a restraint spring at the tip of the gate plate, the flapper closes the gate passage of the product rack during the stand-by for sale to prevent theft.
In addition, it is possible to prevent accidental dropping of products. (7) If a transparent window hole is opened in the center of the gate plate to look inside the product rack, the stock status of the products remaining in the product rack with the gate plate closed can be visually checked through the transparent window hole. It is possible and convenient.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a selling position set state of a gate mechanism of a vertically stacked product storage rack corresponding to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG.

3 is a front view of FIG.

4 is a diagram showing a state in which the gate mechanism of FIG. 1 is moved and set to a product replenishment position.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a gate mechanism corresponding to the second embodiment of the present invention.

6A and 6B are configuration diagrams of a gate mechanism corresponding to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 6A is a bottom view in a state of being set at a product replenishment position, and FIG. 6B is a side view sectional view of FIG. (C) is a diagram showing a state where the gate mechanism is moved and set to a selling position.

7A and 7B are configuration diagrams of a conventional vertically stacked product storage rack, in which FIG. 7A is an external perspective view of one column, and FIG. 7B is a sectional side view of a column combined with a pusher bend mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Rack case 3 Column 4 Pusher type bend mechanism 5 Product 10 Mounting board 10b Deformed guide groove 11 Hinge pin 12 Gate plate 13 Stopper piece 13a Stopper pin 13b Handle 14 Adjustment piece 15 Bias spring 25 Torsion coil spring 26 Flapper 26b Restraint spring 27, 28 perspective window

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A vertically stacked product storage rack for a vending machine that sells box-shaped products such as cigarettes. By stacking and storing products stacked in each column of a rack case with an open front by operating a pusher-type bend mechanism. In the case of cutting one by one from the lowest position and carrying it out forward, it is possible to swing to the product replenishing position in the horizontal position and the product selling position in the drooping position with the upper end at the front of each column of the rack case as a fulcrum. A vertically stacked product storage rack for vending machines, which is equipped with a lever-type gate mechanism that also serves as a product support guide. 2. The product storage rack according to claim 1,
A gate mechanism has a mounting board fixed to an upper front part of a rack case, a gate plate also serving as a product support guide whose upper end is pivotally supported by a hinge pin on the mounting board, a product replenishing position in which the gate plate is in a horizontal posture, and A vertically stackable product storage rack for a vending machine, comprising a stopper mechanism that holds and holds the product in a hanging position. 3. The product storage rack according to claim 2,
A vertically-stacked product storage rack for a vending machine, characterized in that a torsion coil spring for urging the gate plate toward the product sale position is provided on the hinge pin that pivotally supports the gate plate. 4. The product storage rack according to claim 2,
The stopper mechanism is a slide-type stopper piece with a handle that is guided and supported along with the gate plate, a stopper pin protruding laterally from the upper end of the stopper piece, and the stopper pin is fitted to the gate plate for sale. Position of the vending machine, which comprises a deformed guide groove drilled on the side wall surface of the mounting substrate so as to lock the position and the product replenishing position, and an urging spring that locks the stopper piece to the locking position. Stackable product storage rack. 5. The product storage rack according to claim 2,
A vertically stackable product storage rack for vending machines, which has an adjusting piece that changes the height of the gate passage according to the product size at the tip of the gate plate. 6. The product storage rack according to claim 2,
A vertically stacked product storage rack for a vending machine, which is equipped with a flapper with a restraining spring at the tip of the gate plate that opens when the product is carried out. 7. The product storage rack according to claim 2,
A vertically stacked product storage rack for a vending machine, which has a transparent window hole in the center of the gate plate that allows you to look into the product rack.