JPH08212450A - Article storage device of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a column article support without increasing the size of an article storage device. CONSTITUTION: The article storage device of the automatic vending machine has a column which contains articles in a stacked state and has an opening, partitioned with a partition plate 9, in the front; and a longitudinally long slit 21 is formed in the partition plate 9 on the side of the opening 11 and a column article support 23 is provided in the slit 21.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a structure of a product storage device of an automatic vending machine which sequentially dispenses products stacked on a column.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, there is known a product storage device for a vending machine having a column which stores products in a stacked state and has an opening on the front face which is partitioned by a partition plate. In this type, a column product support is generally provided on the opening side of the products so that the products stored in a stacked state do not fall to the opening side of the column during product sales.

The conventional column product support is naturally provided so as not to interfere with the product filling work, and for example, a shaft type, a spring type, a brush type, a soft rubber type and the like are known (for example, actual opening). Sho 61-27599
No. 5).

[0004]

However, since all the conventional column product supports are provided inside the column, considering the work at the time of filling the product, the opening width of the column becomes larger by that amount, and the product is stored. There is a problem that the device becomes large in the width direction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and to provide a column product support without increasing the size of the product storage device. To provide.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 stores products in a laminated state,
In a product storage device of a vending machine having a column with an opening provided on the front surface for partitioning by a partition plate, a vertically long slit is formed on the opening side of the partition plate, and a column product support is provided on this slit.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, the column product support is temporarily retracted to the outside of the column through the slit when the product is filled, and protrudes into the column when the product is sold.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, the column product support is a coil spring extending in a longitudinal direction.

[0009]

According to the invention described in claims 1 to 3, since the column product support is provided in the slit of the partition plate, the width of the opening of the column is correspondingly reduced, and therefore the product storage device is compact. Turn into. If the column product support is temporarily retracted to the outside of the column through the slit when the product is filled and protrudes into the column when the product is sold, the width of the column opening is further reduced and the product storage device is downsized.

If the column product support is a vertically extending spring, the product is simply pushed into the column when the product is filled, and the spring automatically retracts to the outside of the column through the slit. Will be much simpler than the conventional one.

[0011]

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

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a cigarette vending machine. The cigarette vending machine 1 is provided with a large door 3 that can be opened and closed. Inside the large door 3, as shown in FIG. 2, a product storage unit (hereinafter, referred to as a rack) that can store products in a stacked state. ) 5 is provided. This rack 5 is provided with a plurality of columns 7, and each column 7 has a plate thickness of approximately 2 to 2.
It is separated by a 3 mm partition plate 9.

An opening 11 is provided on the front surface of each column 7, and a product (cigarette) is stored in the column 7 through the opening 11.
Is filled.

FIG. 3 shows the upper portion of the rack 5 in an enlarged manner, and the lower portion of the rack 5 is provided with a merchandise selling mechanism 13 as shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 3, a vertically long slit 21 is formed on each partition plate 9 forming the rack 5 at the opening 11 side. The vertically long slits 21 are formed separately at the upper portion and the lower portion of the partition plate 9, and each slit 2
A column product support 23 is disposed on the la and 21b.

The column product support 23 is composed of a coil spring, and the upper and lower ends 23a of the column product support (hereinafter referred to as coil spring) 23 are locked in the upper and lower holes 25 of the slit 21, respectively. As shown in FIG. 5, the outer diameter D of the coil spring 23 is considerably larger than the plate thickness t of the partition plate 9, and according to this, the slits 21a, 21
When the coil spring 23 is attached to b, the outer periphery of the coil spring 23 naturally projects to the column 7.

Referring to FIG. 4, the merchandise selling mechanism 13 has a rotating endless chain 15, and a pusher 17 is fixed to the endless chain 15. The pusher 17 rotates together with the rotation of the endless chain 15 and pushes out the lowest product 18 dropped from the column 7 toward the product outlet. The merchandise 19 on the lowest merchandise 18 is temporarily held by the upper merchandise via the stopper 20.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 5 to 6, when the column 7 is filled with a product (cigarette), the coil spring 23 automatically retracts to the outside of the adjacent column 7 or rack 5 through the slit 21. Then, as shown in FIG.
When the filling of the product is completed, the coil spring 23 projects to the column 7 by the spring force, and thereafter, the coil spring 23 supports the filled product.

In the conventional case, since the column product support 23 is disposed inside the column 7, the width of the opening 11 of the column 7 is correspondingly increased.

According to this embodiment, however, the coil spring 23 is provided in the slit 21, so that FIGS.
As is clear from the above, since the width of the opening 11 of the column 7 can be made substantially the same as the width of the product (cigarette), the size of the rack 5 in the width direction can be reduced, and the size can be reduced. it can. Further, as is clear from FIGS. 5 to 7, the work at the time of filling products is simply pushed into the column 7, and the work at the time of filling products is extremely simplified.

The above is an embodiment in which the column product support 23 provided in the slit 21 is formed of a coil spring.

The column product support 23 may be such that it is temporarily retracted to the outside of the column through the slit 21 at the time of filling the product and projects to the column 7 at the time of selling the product. Therefore,
The column product support 23 may be, for example, a brush 31 as shown in FIG. 8 or a shaft 33 as shown in FIG.
It may be. In the case of the brush 31, the hook 31a
Can be locked in the hole 25 (FIG. 3), and in the case of the shaft 33, the pin 33a can be rotatably fitted into holes (not shown) provided in the upper wall and the lower wall of the slit 21. Good. Although not shown, a shutter, hard rubber or the like may be used.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but various modifications can be made if necessary. For example, the slit 21 provided in the partition plate 9 is
Obviously, one vertically long slit may be provided, though it is provided by being divided into two vertically.

[0025]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the column product support is provided in the slit, the width of the opening of the column is correspondingly reduced, and the product storage device is downsized. be able to.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the column product support temporarily retracts to the outside of the column through the slit when the product is filled, and projects into the column when the product is sold.
The width of the opening of the column becomes smaller, which also makes it possible to miniaturize the product storage device.

According to the third aspect of the invention, since the column product support is a vertically extending spring, the product is simply pushed into the column at the time of filling the product, and the spring is automatically temporarily moved outside the column through the slit. The product filling operation is greatly simplified because the evacuation process is carried out.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a large door of the vending machine of FIG. 1 is opened.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a product storage device of a vending machine.

4 is a perspective view showing a merchandise selling mechanism provided in a lower portion of the merchandise storage device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a column is filled with products.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a column is filled with products.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a state where filling of products is completed.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing another embodiment of the column product support.

FIG. 9 is a front view showing another embodiment of the column product support.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending Machine 3 Large Door 5 Product Storage 7 Column 9 Partition Plate 11 Opening 21, 21a, 21b Slit 23 Column Product Support

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A product storage device for a vending machine having a column for storing products in a stacked state and having an opening on the front face which is partitioned by a partition plate, wherein a longitudinal slit is provided on the opening side of the partition plate. A product storage device for a vending machine, which has a column product support in the slit. 2. A product storage device of a vending machine having a column for storing products in a stacked state and having an opening on the front face which is partitioned by a partition plate, wherein a vertically long slit is provided on the opening side of the partition plate. A column product support is provided in the slit.
A product storage device for a vending machine, which is temporarily retracted to the outside of the column through the slit when the product is filled and protrudes into the column when the product is sold. 3. The product storage device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the column product support is a coil spring extending in a longitudinal direction.