JPH09147205A - Article reception detecting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain the article reception detecting mechanism which can be made thin by installing a microswitch so that its thickness direction is parallel to the depth direction of an automatic vending machine, and pressing an actuator in the height direction of the automatic vending machine with the depression part of a reception lever. SOLUTION: This article reception detecting mechanism 1 has the microswitch 10 and reception lever 11. The microswitch 10 is fitted to a nearly frame-shaped fitting plate 12 and fitted to the control box main body 30 of an article carrying- out mechanism 3 installed in the automatic vending machine through the fitting plate 12, and also connected to a lead wire 13. This microswitch 10 includes a microswitch main body 100 and the actuator 101. The upper end part of this actuator 101 projects having a plane parallel to the thickness direction of the microswitch main body 100 and the upper end part of this actuator 101 is pressed by the reception lever 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product out-of-stock detection mechanism which is provided in an automatic vending machine and detects when a product such as a bottled beverage or a canned beverage is sold out. It belongs to a product out-of-stock detection mechanism that is configured integrally with the carry-out mechanism.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some conventional product out-of-stock detection mechanisms are provided in a control box body of a product unloading mechanism provided in an automatic vending machine. This type of product out-of-stock detection mechanism is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the micro switch 10 and the cut-off lever 11 are included. The micro switch 10 is attached to the control box body 30 and has an actuator 101. The actuator 101 protrudes on a plane parallel to the thickness direction of the microswitch 10 and is pressed by a pressing portion 110 of the break-off lever 11 described later. In this way, when the actuator 101 is pressed, the micro switch 10 is configured to disconnect the product sold-out circuit. On the other hand, the take-off lever 11 is rotatably provided on the control box body 30 and has a pressing portion 110 and a detecting portion 111. Pressing part 110
Is configured to press the actuator 101 of the micro switch 10, and the detection unit 111 is connected to the pressing unit 110 so as to move in and out of the product passage 50 configured in the vending machine. Made of Further, the receiving lever 11 is biased so that the detection portion 111 projects into the product passage 50.

In the conventional case, the micro switch 10 is attached to the control box body 30 so that the thickness direction thereof is parallel to the width direction of the vending machine, and the actuator 101
Is substantially pressed in the depth direction of the vending machine (see, for example, JP-A-5-307676).

In this conventional product out-of-stock detection mechanism 1, when a product (not shown) is stored in the product passage 50, the detection unit 1 of the out-of-concept lever 11 is detected by this product.
11 is pressed, the detection unit 111 is pulled into the control box main body 30 by this, and when the product is sold out and no product is present in the product passage 50, the product and the detection unit 1 are detected.
The engagement with 11 is released, and the urging force applied to the break-off lever 11 causes the detection unit 111 to project into the product passage 50. Along with this, the pressing portion 110 of the receiving / ending lever 11 is also rotated to press the actuator 101 of the micro switch 10, and as a result, the sold-out of the product can be detected.

[0005]

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for thinner vending machines, and in order to meet this demand, it is necessary to reduce the thickness of the product delivery mechanism. For this purpose, it is necessary to thin the product out-of-stock detection mechanism provided in the product carry-out mechanism.

However, in the case of this kind of conventional product out-of-stock detection mechanism, as described above, the micro switch is
It is attached to the control box body with its thickness direction parallel to the width direction of the vending machine, so that the width direction or length direction of the micro switch is parallel to the depth direction of the vending machine. There is. In this case, the width dimension or the length dimension of the micro switch is longer than the thickness dimension of the micro switch, so that it is difficult to make the merchandise back-out detection mechanism thin because of the micro switch.

Further, in the conventional case, since the actuator of the micro switch is configured to be pressed in a direction substantially parallel to the depth direction of the vending machine, the actuator is not moved in the depth direction of the vending machine. It is necessary to secure a space for retreating and a space for rotating the receiving / delivering lever, which also makes it difficult to make the product receiving / delivering detection mechanism thin.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a merchandise out-of-stock detection mechanism that can be made thinner than before.

[0009]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a product out-of-stock detection mechanism provided in a control box body of a product carry-out mechanism provided in an automatic vending machine, the micro switch and the receiving device. A cut-off lever, the microswitch has an actuator that is attached to the control box body, protrudes in a plane parallel to the thickness direction of the microswitch, and is pressed by the cut-off lever. The break lever is rotatably provided on the control box main body, and detects a pressing portion that presses the actuator, and a reciprocating movement with respect to a product passage that is connected to the pressing portion and is configured in the vending machine. In the product out-of-stock detection mechanism having a portion, and the detection unit is biased so as to project into the product passage, the microswitch has a front in a thickness direction. The actuator is attached to the control box main body so as to be parallel to the depth direction of the vending machine and to be pressed in a direction substantially parallel to the height direction of the vending machine, A commodity out-of-stock detection mechanism is obtained in which the pressing portion is formed so as to press the actuator along a direction substantially parallel to the height direction.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the pressing portion presses the actuator, the pressing portion is pressed so that the tip of the pressing portion is substantially parallel to the upper end surface of the actuator. The product out-of-stock detection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the portion is bent.

[0011]

1 is a front view, FIG. 1 (b) is a side view, and FIG. 2 is a product receiving detection mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of the run-out detection mechanism, FIG. 3 shows a product carry-out mechanism including the product acceptance / run-out detection mechanism shown in FIG. 1, and FIG.
(B) is a side view in a sold-out state, (c) is a side view in a sold state.

With reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the product out-of-stock detection mechanism 1 of this embodiment is a control box body 3 of a product unloading mechanism 3.
0 is provided. This product out-of-stock detection mechanism 1
It has a micro switch 10 and a cut-off lever 11.

The micro switch 10 is attached to a mounting plate 12 having a substantially frame shape, and is mounted on the control box body 30 of the article unloading mechanism 3 provided in an automatic vending machine (not shown) via the mounting plate 12. Also, it is connected to the lead wire 13. The micro switch 10 includes a micro switch body 100 and an actuator 101. The microswitch main body 100 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The lower end portion of the actuator 101 is embedded in the microswitch main body 100, and the upper end portion thereof projects from the microswitch main body 100. The upper end portion of the actuator 101 has a micro switch body 10
It projects in a plane parallel to the thickness direction of 0 (the facing direction of the pair of faces of the microswitch main body 100 that face each other at the shortest interval among the three faces of the pair of faces that face each other). The upper end of the actuator 101 is pressed by the break-off lever 11. As described above, the micro switch 10 is attached to the control box body 30 via the attachment plate 12, and the attachment state is such that the thickness direction of the micro switch body 100 is parallel to the depth direction of the vending machine. And the actuator 101 is substantially parallel to the height direction of the vending machine (it does not mean parallel in a strict sense).
It is in a state where it is pressed in various directions.

The take-off lever 11 is rotatably mounted on a mounting plate 12, and is rotatably mounted on the control box body 30 via the mounting plate 12. This pass-through lever 1
Reference numeral 1 denotes a pressing unit 110, a detecting unit 111, and a pivotally connecting unit 112.
And The pressing unit 110 is the micro switch 1
This is a portion for pressing the actuator 101 of 0. The pressing portion 110 is bent so that when the tip portion presses the actuator 101, the tip portion is substantially parallel to the upper end surface of the actuator 101. The detection unit 111 is connected to the pressing unit 100 with the pivotally connecting unit 112 interposed therebetween and moves in and out of the product passage 50 formed in the vending machine. Incidentally, the product passage 50 is formed between the product unloading mechanism 3 shown in FIG. 3 and a product unloading mechanism or a guide mechanism (neither is shown) different from the product unloading mechanism 3. A product (not shown) is unloaded from the vending machine through the product passage 50. The pivot portion 112 has a substantially tubular shape, and the pin 113 inserted into the pivot portion 112 pivotally attaches the break-off lever 11 to the mounting plate 12.
Further, in the take-out lever 11, the detection unit 111 has the product passage 5
It is biased by a spring 114 so as to project into 0. With the above configuration, when a product is present in the product passage 50, the detection unit 111 is pushed into the control box body 30 by the product, and the pressing unit 1 is accordingly pushed.
00 rotates in a direction away from the actuator 101,
On the other hand, there is no product in the product passage 50, and the detection unit 111
When the engagement between the product and the product is released, the detection unit 111 projects into the product passage 50 by the force of the spring 114, and accordingly, the pressing unit 100 rotates, and the actuator 10 moves.
It is made to press 1.

The product delivery mechanism 3 shown in FIG. 3 incorporates the product out-of-stock detection mechanism 1 of this embodiment. The product unloading mechanism 3 has a control box body 30, a solenoid 31, a lock lever 32, and a gate lever 33.

The control box body 30 includes a front plate 300 and side plates 30 that are continuously provided on both side edges of the front plate 300.
One.

The solenoid 31 is attached to the control box body 30 and is connected to the lock lever 32 and the gate lever 33.

The lock lever 32 is rotatably attached to the control box body 30 and moves in and out of the product passage 50.

The gate lever 33 is rotatably attached to the control box body 30 and moves in and out of the product passage 50. Further, the gate lever 33 is connected to the lock lever 32, and these are alternately projected into the product passage 50, and these are driven by the solenoid 31.

[0020]

The merchandise out-of-stock detection mechanism of the present invention is installed such that the thickness direction of the microswitch is parallel to the depth direction of the vending machine, and the actuator of the microswitch is installed at the height of the vending machine. Since it is configured to be pressed by the pressing portion of the cut-off lever in the vertical direction, it is possible to reduce the thickness more easily than the conventional one. As a result, the vending machine can be made thinner.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view and (b) is a side view showing an article out-of-stock detection mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a main part of the product out-of-stock detection mechanism shown in FIG.

3A and 3B show a product unloading mechanism including the product acceptance / rejection detection mechanism shown in FIG. 1, in which FIG. 3A is a front view, FIG. 3B is a side view in a sold-out state, and FIG. 3C is a side view in a sold state. Is.

4A and 4B show a conventional product unloading mechanism provided with a conventional product out-of-stock detection mechanism, where FIG. 4A is a front view, FIG. 4B is a side view in a sold-out state, and FIG. 4C is a side view in a sold state. .

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Product Receiving Outage Detection Mechanism 3 Product Unloading Mechanism 10 Micro Switch 11 Receiving Outgoing Lever 30 Control Box Main Body 100 Micro Switch Main Body 101 Actuator 110 Pressing Unit 111 Detecting Unit

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A product out-of-stock detection mechanism provided in a control box body of a product unloading mechanism provided in an automatic vending machine, the micro-switch including a micro-switch and a receiving-and-out lever, wherein the micro switch is the control box. Attached to the body,
And an actuator that protrudes on a plane parallel to the thickness direction of the microswitch and is pressed by the break lever, the break lever being rotatably provided on the control box body, and the actuator A pressing unit for pressing, and a detection unit that is connected to the pressing unit and moves in and out of a product passage formed in the vending machine,
Furthermore, in the product out-of-stock detection mechanism in which the detection unit is biased to project into the product passage, the microswitch has a thickness direction parallel to a depth direction of the vending machine and the actuator. Is attached to the control box body so as to be pressed in a direction substantially parallel to the height direction of the vending machine, and the cut-off lever is
The product out-of-stock detection mechanism, wherein the pressing portion is formed so as to press the actuator along a direction substantially parallel to the height direction. 2. The pressing portion is bent so that, when the pressing portion presses the actuator, the tip of the pressing portion is substantially parallel to the upper end surface of the actuator. The product out-of-stock detection mechanism according to claim 1.