JPH08194868A - Method and device for storing commodity in automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a commodity storing method capable of stably holding the lowermost commodity regardless of its shape and expecting sure ejecting operation. CONSTITUTION: An interval between two commodity drop suppressing members 24, 17 is controlled in accordance with a commodity to be dealed, and while accurately pushing a 2nd commodity counted from the lowermost one the side by the upper commodity drop suppressing member 24 to regulate its drop, the lower member 17 is released to discharge the lowermost commodity. The member 17 is pivoted so as to be changed to horizontal posture and vertical posture and its posture is controlled by a commodity supporting tool 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for storing goods in a vending machine for milk and soft drinks packed in containers such as paper packs, bottles and cans.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional product storage device for an automatic vending machine, there is a chain elevator type device for rotating a pair of chains to sequentially dispense products on shelves mounted between the chains.

Further, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 53-148696, the first and second movable storage stockers I can be freely moved in and out as shown in FIG.
Commodities II that are stacked by installing the unloading plates II ₁ and II ₂
Of the I ₁ , III ₂ ..., the first unloading plate II ₁ is pushed into the storage stocker I and the lowermost product III ₁ is pressed against the side wall IV on the opposite side, and the lowermost product III ₁ and above it. It supports the loads of all commodities III ₂ , III _3, ... When paying out the product III _1, as shown in the storage stocker I on the left side of the drawing, the second carry-out plate II ₂ projects and the second product III ₂ from the bottom is pressed against the side wall IV on the opposite side to obtain the product III ₂ . All products II stacked on it
The first unloading plate while supporting the load of I ₃ , III ₄ ...
II ₁ is retracted to deliver the product III _1, and when the dispensing is completed, the first delivery plate II ₁ is projected again and then the second delivery plate II ₂ is retracted, and the products III ₂ , III ₃ , III ₄ ...
Is descending.

[0004]

In the standby state [0005], the product III ₁ the lowermost as seen on the right side of the housing stocker I as shown in FIG. 8, the side walls of the first carry-out plate II ₁ is opposite IV
In a state pressed against the, for supporting all the loads of products that are stacked on it, if the weight per product one becomes heavy, first out plate II ₁ and the product A very large force acts on the abutting point of, and the product is damaged.

Therefore, when handling heavy goods,
Conventionally, there is a problem that it is necessary to operate the vehicle in a state where the height of stacked products is reduced and the number of stored products is small.
In addition, in this product storage device, the first unloading plate II ₁ is moved into and out of the storage stocker I so that the front end and the side wall of the _first unloading plate II ₁ are removed.
It is designed with the basic idea of controlling the payout of the bottom edge product III ₁ by narrowing or widening the passageway to and from the IV.Therefore, the bottom edge product III ₁ may depend on the shape of the product. Since it will be held in an inclined state, the posture of the product stacked on this product III ₁ is also unstable, and from this point as well, the stacking height of the product is lowered and the number of products accommodated is reduced. There is a problem that you have to drive in a small amount.

Further, in the conventional example shown in FIG. 8, since the products are directly stacked, the products can be stored without gaps, but there is a disadvantage that the products having different shapes and sizes cannot be stored. An object of the present invention is to provide a product storage method and a product storage device that can stably hold the bottommost product regardless of the shape of the product and can expect a reliable payout operation.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for storing a product, wherein two upper and lower product drop preventing members provided at a lower portion of a vertically long product storage path (6) are associated with each other to intermittently operate. , A large number of products are stacked and stored in the product storage route (6) so that the products can be carried out one by one from below the product storage route (6), and the interval between the two product fall prevention members can be handled as a product. It is characterized by handling products of different sizes by adjusting accordingly.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a product storage path (6) in which lower and upper two-stage product fall prevention members provided at the bottom of the product storage path (6) are intermittently operated in association with each other. 6) A large number of product storage devices that can carry out the products one by one from the bottom are arranged side by side, and the interval between the two product fall prevention members for each product storage device is adjusted according to the product to be handled, and the shape and size can be adjusted. It is characterized by handling different types of products.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a product storage device having a vertically long product storage path (6) provided with two upper and lower product fall prevention members, and the two product fall prevention members are associated with each other for intermittent operation. The product is dispensed one by one from below the product storage path (6), and the interval between the two product fall prevention members is adjustable.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a commodity storage device having a vertically long product storage path (6) provided with two upper and lower product fall prevention members, and the two product fall prevention members are associated with each other for intermittent operation. It is characterized in that a large number of product storage chambers for dispensing the products one by one are provided side by side from below the product storage path (6).

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the commodity storage device according to the third aspect.
Alternatively, in the product storage device according to claim 4, a product receiving plate (17) capable of changing the positions of the two product fall prevention members between a horizontal position and a drooping position, and a product support for controlling the position of the product receiving plate (17). Tool (15) and product storage path (6)
And a product holding plate (24) for pushing down the second product from the bottom of the products stacked on the product receiving plate (17) to the side to restrict the product from falling. It is characterized in that the space between the product pressing plate (24) and the product receiving plate (17) can be adjusted.

[0012]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the distance between the two commodity falling prevention members is adjusted in accordance with the product to be handled, and the second commodity from the bottom is accurately pushed laterally by the upper commodity falling prevention member. In this state, the lowering of the commodity falling prevention member is released, and the lowermost commodity is dispensed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a plurality of types of commodities having different sizes are adjusted by adjusting the distance between each of the two commodities drop prevention members of the plurality of juxtaposed commodity storage devices according to the commodities handled. Can be handled by vending machines.

According to the third and fourth commodity storage devices, the first and second commodity storage methods can be realized.
According to the commodity storage device of claim 5, the commodity pressing plate (24).
The method of claims 1 and 2 can be realized by adjusting the distance between the product and the product receiving plate (17) according to the product to be handled.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the product storage device of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 1 denotes a vending machine main body, 2 denotes a front door, and 3 denotes a vending machine disposed on a receiving shelf 4 in the vending machine main body 1.
One stocker, two U-shaped frames 5 and two U-shaped frames 5 arranged in the center of each U-shaped frame 5, two in each U-shaped frame 5,
A partition frame 7 having a rectangular cross section forming a total of four product storage paths 6, an inner wall 8 having an L-shaped cross section fixed to both side walls of the U-shaped frame 5, and fixed to the upper ends of both U-shaped frames 5. An upper end frame 9,
A lower frame 10 fixed to the lower ends of the two U-shaped frames 5.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a drive shaft which is inserted into each partition frame 7 and whose upper and lower ends are rotatably supported by bearings 12 of the upper end frame 9 and the lower end frame 10, and 13 and 14 are the lower end portion and the center of the partition frame 7. It is a product storage device provided in the section and is composed of the following items.

Reference numeral 15 denotes a semi-circular product support plate. A boss 15A provided at the center of the arc is fitted around the drive shaft 11 and pinned. Further, in the standby state, the product support plate 15 protrudes into both product storage paths 6 through the holes of the partition frame 7 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 7B.

Reference numeral 16 denotes a pair of support shafts, both ends of which are supported by the partition frame 7 directly above the product support plate 15, and 17 has a through-hole at the base end rotatably fitted to each support shaft 16 and a tip end. The part is a product receiving plate placed on the product supporting plate 15, and on each receiving plate 17, products 18 in which a container made of paper and synthetic resin is filled with contents are stacked.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a pair of horizontal plates which are vertically arranged at positions immediately above the product receiving plate 17 in the partition frame 7 and both ends of which are screwed to the partition frame 7. Reference numeral 20 denotes a pair of vertical plates each having both ends fixed to the horizontal plates 19 between the horizontal plates 19, and a total of four vertical plates, and a plurality of vertical plates (four in this embodiment) are arranged at appropriate intervals along the vertical line. A hole 21 is formed.

Reference numeral 22 denotes a window formed at a location surrounded by both horizontal plates 19 and both vertical plates 20 on both side walls of the partition frame 7.
Is a pair of support pins inserted into appropriate holes 21 of both vertical plates 21 whose both ends face each other.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a product holding plate having an upper end hole rotatably fitted to each of the support pins 23 and a lower end bent portion located in the window 22. Reference numeral 25 denotes a portion of the drive shaft 11 opposed to the product holding plate. There are a plurality of (three in this embodiment) through holes formed at the same intervals as the holes 21 of the vertical plate 20.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a fan-shaped product holding cam provided opposite the bent portion of the lower end of the product holding plate 24. A boss portion 26A provided at the base of the cam 26 fits outside the drive shaft 11 and has an appropriate through hole 25. Is fixed to the drive shaft 11 by a pin 27 inserted into the drive shaft 11.

Reference numeral 28 denotes both vertical plates 20 whose both ends face each other.
A pair of connecting pins inserted into the holes 21 at the upper end of the connecting pin 28, and 29 are holes formed at the upper and lower sides of both side edge bent portions.
And a pair of first window closing plates fitted onto the respective support pins 23.

Reference numeral 30 is an operation hole closing plate for closing an operation hole 31 formed between both horizontal plates 19 on the front wall of the partition frame 7. Three
Reference numeral 2 is a drive motor arranged in the upper end frame 9 and includes a drive shaft 11
Is intermittently rotated in the direction of arrow A every 180 °.

Reference numeral 33 denotes a vertical axis having upper and lower ends supported by an upper end frame 9 and a lower end frame 10 in front of both side walls of the U-shaped frame 5.
Reference numeral 4 is a product support plate whose base end hole is rotatably fitted on the vertical shaft 33, and its front end bent portion is a spring (not shown).
Is brought into contact with the product 18 in the product storage path 6.

A procedure for paying out the product 18 based on the above configuration will be described. Each product storage device is provided with two upper and lower product drop prevention members. Specifically, the lower product drop prevention member is a product receiving plate 17 and a product support 1.
5 and the upper product drop prevention member is formed by a product holding plate 24. The space between the product receiving plate 17 and the product pressing plate 24 is set as follows.

First, in the standby state shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the products 18 are directly stacked on the respective product receiving plates 17 whose posture is controlled by the product support plate 15 in a horizontal posture.

Each of the product holding plates 24 is retracted from the product storage path 6, and the product holding plate 24 is not in contact with the stacked products 18. In this standby state, when the user inserts a coin into the insertion slot and presses a predetermined product selection button, the drive motor 32 selected by the command signal is pressed.
Is operated, and the drive shaft 11 is rotated in the direction of arrow A.

Then, the product holding cam 26 at the position (a) in FIG. 4 is also rotated in the same direction and hits the product holding plate 24 on the left side in FIG. 3, and when the cam 26 comes to the position (b), the product holding is performed. The bent portion at the lower end of the plate 24 is projected outward with the support pin 23 as a fulcrum.
The second product 18 from the bottom is pressed against the side surface of the product and is held between the lower end bent portion of the product pressing plate 24 and the inner wall 8 and is prevented from falling.

When the product support plate 15 also rotates integrally with the drive shaft 11 and rotates 90 ° as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the product support plate 15 moves to the left of the product support plate 17 in FIG. 6, the commodity receiving plate 17 on the left side in FIG. 6 rotates downward with the support shaft 16 as a fulcrum and assumes a hanging posture, and only the lowermost commodity 18 is paid out.

The switching of the product receiving plate 17 from the horizontal position to the hanging position is performed until the product supporting plate 15 and the product receiving plate 17 are disengaged from each other until the product receiving plate 17 is controlled to the horizontal position. Product support plate 15 and product receiving plate 1
When the engagement with 7 is released, the load of the lowermost product to be paid out on the product receiving plate 17 is also applied, and the product receiving plate 17 switches its posture from the horizontal position to the drooping position at a stroke, Is certainly paid out.

The product 18 dispensed from the lower product storage device 14 is guided to the chute 35 and dispensed to the product outlet 36. The products 18 paid out from the upper product storage device 13 are dropped on the stacked products 18 supported by the lower product storage device 14.

When the drive shaft 11 further rotates beyond 90 °, the left-sided product receiving plate 17 in FIG. 6 starts to be supported again by the product support plate 15 and returns to the horizontal position, and returns to the horizontal position. After returning to the horizontal position, the cam 26 separates from the left product holding plate 24 in FIG. 6, and the lower bent portion of the left product holding plate 24 in FIG. The commodities 18 that have been stacked and the commodities 18 stacked thereon fall on the commodity receiving plate 17.

In this case, since the product receiving plate 17 is in the horizontal position, the products can be stably received even when the number of stored products is large and the product stacking height is high.

When the drive shaft 11 rotates 180 °, that is, when the cam 26 reaches the position (c) as shown in FIG. 7B, the operation of the drive motor 32 is stopped and the product storage device 1
3 and 14 are in a standby state. Next, when the coin is again inserted into the insertion slot and the product selection button is pressed, the drive shaft 32 is rotated by 180 ° in the direction of arrow A by the drive motor 32 as in the above case.
It is rotated and the goods 18 on the right side of FIG. 7 are paid out.

In the above embodiment, a relatively small product 18
Has been described as an example, but the product receiving plate 1
The distance between 7 and the product pressing plate 24 is changed as follows. When handling a medium-sized product 18, the screw is removed, the operation hole closing plate 30 is removed, and then the support pin 23 and the connecting pin 28 are removed to remove the first window closing plate 29 and the product holding plate 2
Then, another window closing plate (not shown) having a height lower than that of the window closing plate 29 is inserted into the window 22 and connected to its upper end hole and the upper end holes 21 of both vertical plates 20. The pin 28 is inserted, the upper part of the window 22 is closed by another window closing plate, and then the upper end hole of the product holding plate 24, the lower end hole of another window closing plate, and the second from the top of both vertical plates 20. The support pin 23 may be inserted into the hole 21 to connect the product holding plate 24, and the lower end bent portion may be opposed to the center of the side surface of the second middle product 18 from the bottom.

When a larger product 18 is to be handled, the support pin 23 is inserted into the upper end hole portion of the product holding plate 24 and the uppermost holes 21 of the vertical plates 20 to insert the product holding plate 2.
The height of 4 should be raised further.

As described above, by adjusting the distance between the two product drop preventing members of the product holding plate 24 and the product receiving plate 17 according to the product to be handled, the product holding plate 24 can accurately hold the second product from the bottom. The product can be pushed out to the side to restrict the descent of the product. By operating the product holding plate 24 and the product receiving plate 17 in association with each other, products of the desired size can be paid out one by one, and products of different sizes can be discharged. Even if it is stored, there is no trouble of paying out.

Therefore, by arranging a plurality of the above-described commodity dispensing apparatuses, commodities having different sizes can be sold by one vending machine. Further, according to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, in the standby state, the bottom end of the commodity is supported by the commodity support plate 15 via the commodity receiving plate 17 in the standby state. Therefore, the contact area between the product and the product receiving plate 17 can be easily increased, and the product can be prevented from being damaged due to concentration of the load by receiving the full load of the stacked products on a wide surface. Further, since the rotating product support plate 15 does not contact the product 18, the product support plate 15
It has an excellent structure that does not damage the product due to damage.

[0040]

As described above, according to the product storage method of the present invention, by adjusting the distance between the two product fall prevention members according to the product to be handled, products of different sizes can be handled and a plurality of products can be handled. Selling products of different sizes with one vending machine by arranging the product dispensing devices side by side and adjusting the interval between the two product fall prevention members of each product dispensing device according to the products handled it can.

Further, the lowermost product can be stably held without being affected by the shape of the product, the stacking height can be increased, and a large amount of products can be stored, and the product filling of the vending machine can be performed. As well as improving efficiency, it can contribute to diversification of sales products with different sizes.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a vending machine provided with a product storage device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of a dispensing device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an IV-IV arrow view of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view taken in the direction of arrows VV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view and a schematic transverse sectional view showing a payout procedure according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic vertical sectional view and a schematic horizontal sectional view showing a payout procedure of the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of a conventional product storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 vending machine main body 3 stocker 6 product storage path 11 drive shaft 13, 14 product storage device 15 product support plate 17 product receiving plate [lower product fall prevention member] 24 product holding plate [upper product fall prevention member] 25 through hole 26 Product holding cam 27 Pin 32 Drive motor

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A product fall prevention member of two upper and lower stages provided at the bottom of a vertically long product storage path (6) is associated with each other to intermittently operate, and a product is transferred from the lower side of the product storage path (6) to 1 Product storage route (6) so that you can carry them out individually
A method for storing goods in an automatic vending machine, in which a large number of goods are stacked and stored, and the distance between the two product fall prevention members is adjusted according to the products to be handled to handle products of different sizes. 2. The upper and lower product storage paths (6), which are provided at the bottom of the product storage path (6), are intermittently operated by associating the upper and lower two-stage product drop prevention members with each other, and the product is transferred from below the product storage path (6) to Automatically handle multiple types of products with different shapes and sizes by arranging multiple product storage devices that can be carried out one by one and adjusting the interval between the two product drop prevention members for each product storage device according to the product handled. How to store products in vending machines. 3. An upper and lower vertically long product storage path (6) is provided with upper and lower two-stage product drop blocking members, and the two product drop blocking members are associated with each other to intermittently operate to thereby carry out the product storage path (6). A product storage device for a vending machine, which is configured so that the products can be dispensed one by one from below and the distance between the two product fall prevention members can be adjusted. 4. The product storage path (6) is provided with two upper and lower product drop prevention members at the lower part of the vertically long product storage path (6), and the two product drop prevention members are associated with each other to intermittently operate. A product storage device for a vending machine, which has a number of product storage rooms set up to dispense products one by one from below. 5. A product support plate (17) capable of changing the positions of two product fall prevention members between a horizontal position and a drooping position, and a product support tool (15) for controlling the position of the product support plate (17).
And the product receiving plate (17) that moves in and out of the product storage path (6)
The product pressing plate (24) and the product receiving plate (24) configured to push the second product from the bottom of the products stacked on top of the product to the side and regulate the falling of the product. The article storage device of the vending machine according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the interval of 17) is adjustable.