JPH09153183A - Merchandise housing column for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To remarkably reduce impulsive sound at the time of charging merchandise and to attenuate it at an early stage by forming plural stagger- arranged slits across the entire guide plates. SOLUTION: Each guide plate 7 is provided with a circular arc part 11 bended to outside, which constitutes its main part, and many slits 12 are formed across the entire of this circular arc part 11. These slits 12 are respectively extended to be longitudinally long in a vertical direction and stagger-arranged. As the plural slits are stagger-arranged, the degree of the rigidity deterioration of the guide plate 7 with forming the slits are reduced and when the opening rate of the slit 12 is the same, the composition of the guide plate 7 is larger by far. Consequently when merchandise thrown in from a merchandise through-in port 5 collides with the guide plate 7 the displacement of the guide plate 7 is reduced by reducing acoustic reflection caused by wave energy, as the result, impulsive sound is remarkably reduced.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention mainly relates to a product storage column of an automatic vending machine that sells products such as cans and bottles having a circular cross section.

[0002]

As a conventional product storage column of this type,
There is known a so-called serpentine-type product storage column in which a serpentine product passage is formed by arranging a large number of arc-shaped guide plates in a vertical direction and facing each other. This type of product storage column has a problem of noise generated when a product falling when loading products collides with the guide plate. This problem is particularly noticeable when the vending machine is installed indoors or in a public facility. become.

A product storage column that addresses this problem is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-36581.
In this product storage column, a large number of slits are formed in each guide plate, and these slits extend vertically with the same length and are regularly arranged at the same height in the left-right direction. In this way, by forming a large number of slits to reduce the mass of the guide plate, resonance of collision sound due to collision of products is prevented, and noise is reduced.

[0004]

However, since the slits are regularly arranged in the guide plate of the conventional product storage column, the rigidity of the entire product is significantly reduced. And
Due to the decrease in rigidity, the displacement of the guide plate in the event of a product collision increases, and the acoustic reflection due to wave energy increases, so it is impossible to effectively reduce the impact sound itself in the conventional product storage column. .

Further, since the slits are regularly aligned, continuous propagation paths are formed between the slits, so that the wave energy generated by the impact is left in the slits through the continuous propagation paths. It is transmitted without being disturbed. As a result, since the wave energy cannot be sufficiently absorbed in the guide plate, it is impossible to damp the impact sound at an early stage.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and a product storage column of a vending machine capable of significantly reducing the impact sound at the time of filling the product and attenuating the product at an early stage. It is intended to be provided.

[0007]

To achieve this object, the invention of claim 1 is to arrange a plurality of arc-shaped guide plates between a pair of left and right side plates in the vertical direction so as to face each other in the front-rear direction. Is a product storage column of a vending machine that configures a product passage that guides the fall of the inserted product, and the guide plate is formed with a plurality of staggered slits all over the guide plate. Is characterized by.

According to this structure, since the plurality of slits formed in the guide plate are arranged in a staggered manner, the rigidity of the guide plate is reduced due to the slit formation, as compared with the conventional case in which the slits are arranged regularly. Is reduced. Therefore, the displacement of the guide plate when the product thrown into the product passage collides with the guide plate is significantly reduced,
The impact sound is significantly reduced by greatly reducing the acoustic reflection due to the wave energy.

Further, since the slits are arranged in a staggered manner, the guide plate becomes an acoustically discontinuous body.
By effectively absorbing the wave energy due to the impact at the discontinuous portion, the impact sound can be quickly attenuated in the guide plate.

In this case, it is preferable that the guide plate has a cylindrical curl portion at the upper end thereof, and is directly rotatably attached between the side plates via both ends of the curl portion.

According to this structure, since the cylindrical curl portion is integrated with the guide plate and the guide plate is directly and rotatably attached between the side plates via the curl portion, the support shaft of the guide plate can be used. There is no need to provide it separately. This simplifies the structure and eliminates the support shaft,
Generation of noise due to the vibration is also prevented.

Furthermore, in this case, the guide plate has a rounded portion at the lower end portion which is curved on the side opposite to the arc portion of the guide plate,
It is preferable that the rounded portion is arranged at a position facing the curl portion of another guide plate adjacent to the lower side from the inside.

According to this structure, since the rounded portion of the lower end portion of the guide plate is curved to the side opposite to the arc portion and faces the curl portion of the lower guide plate from the inside, the guide plate is formed. The shape of the configured product passage becomes smooth, and the product can be smoothly guided to fall. Further, the sway of the guide plate at the time of filling the product can be regulated by hitting the curled portion with the rounded portion. In this case, the curled portion surely blocks the movement of the rounded portion because the rounded portion is curved on the side opposite to the arcuate portion. That is, the curl portion can also be used as a stopper for the guide plate, thereby simplifying the structure and reducing noise.

[0014]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of a product storage column of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a product storage column to which the present invention is applied. This product storage column 1
The vending machine for canned drinks and bottled drinks constitutes a product storage, and as shown in FIG.
Two product passages 4 and 4 arranged side by side between 2
In each product passage 4, a large number of products A of the same type are vertically stored.

Each product passage 4 has a horizontal passage 4a extending obliquely downward and rearward from the product inlet 5, a vertical passage 4b bent downward from the rear end of the horizontal passage 4a, and a payout continuous to the lower end of the vertical passage 4b. It is composed of a passage 4c. The lateral passage 4a is
It is composed of a top plate 6 extending obliquely downward from the product insertion port 5, and guides the product A, which is inserted horizontally from the product insertion port 5, to the upper part of the vertical passage 4b while rolling. The vertical passages 4b are formed in a meandering shape by a large number of arc-shaped guide plates 7, 7 which are alternately arranged vertically and which face each other in the front-rear direction, and the introduced products A are stocked in a meanderingly stacked state. It The payout passage 4c is provided with the product payout mechanism 9
And the regulation plate 10 facing the product dispensing mechanism 9, and the products A are dispensed one by one to the outside from this portion.

The commodities A, which have been inserted side by side from the commodity insertion port 5 one by one, are dropped into the vertical passage 4b through the transverse passage 4a and are sequentially filled in the commodity passage 4 from the dispensing passage 4c. . Then, when the product is sold, the product dispensing mechanism 9 operates to dispense the products A one by one from the dispensing passage 4c to the outside. Further, although not particularly shown, the regulation plate 10 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction so that the dispensing passage 4c can be switched to a thin can setting or a thick can setting according to the can diameter of the product A to be stored. Has become.

As shown in FIG. 2, each guide plate 7 has an arcuate portion 11 which is a main part and is curved outward, and a large number of slits 12 are formed over the entire arcuate portion 11. . These slits 12 extend vertically in the vertical direction and are arranged in a staggered pattern. That is, these slits 12 are aligned in the vertical direction, and when a plurality of such aligned slits 12 are defined as slit rows, the slit rows are 5 rows each on the left and right of the arc portion 11, A total of 10 rows are formed. Then, on the left and right of the arc portion 11, the positions of the slits 12, 12 are vertically displaced from each other between adjacent slit rows, and the slit rows are arranged every other row in the same arrangement.

By arranging the plurality of slits 12 in a zigzag manner in this manner, the degree of decrease in rigidity of the guide plate 7 due to the formation of the slits can be reduced and opening of the slits can be reduced as compared with the conventional case in which the slits are regularly arranged. If the ratio is the same, the rigidity of the guide plate 7 will be much higher than in the conventional case. Therefore, the displacement of the guide plate 7 when the product A inserted from the product insertion port 5 collides with the guide plate 7 is significantly reduced, and the acoustic reflection due to the wave energy is significantly reduced, so that the impact sound is significantly reduced. It can be reduced. In addition, a plurality of slits 12 arranged in a staggered pattern.
As a result, the guide plate 7 becomes an acoustically discontinuous body, so that the impact sound can be quickly attenuated in the guide plate 7 by effectively absorbing the wave energy due to the impact at this discontinuous portion.

The guide plate 7 is, as shown in FIG.
The upper end portion is provided with a cylindrical curl portion 13, and the curl portion 1
3 is formed integrally by winding the upper end of the arc portion 11. Split pin-shaped movable caulking portions 13a are integrally formed at both ends of the curl portion 13. As shown in FIG.
A mounting hole 2a for inserting 3a is provided.

The guide plate 7 having the above-mentioned structure is formed by inserting the movable caulking portions 13a into the mounting holes 2a and then expanding the guide plate 7 by using an appropriate jig (not shown).
It is rotatably attached to the. In this way, the curl portion 1
Since 3 is integral with the guide plate 7 and the guide plate 7 is directly attached to the side plate 2 via the curl portion 13,
It is not necessary to separately provide the support shaft of the guide plate 7. As a result, the structure can be simplified, and the omission of the support shaft can prevent the generation of noise due to the vibration. The curl portion 13 serves not only as a reinforcing portion against the twist of the guide plate 7 but also as a stopper of the upper guide plate 7 as described below.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, at the lower end of the guide plate 7, there is formed an inwardly curved rounded portion 14 on the side opposite to the arcuate portion 11, and this rounded portion 14 is formed on the lower side. It faces the curl portion 13 of the guide plate 7 from the inside.
The rounded portion 14 also has a plurality of slits 12 arranged in parallel to reduce impact noise. Such a rounded section 14
With the shape and arrangement of the product, the product passage 4 has a smooth shape, and the fall of the product A can be smoothly guided.

Also, the shaking of the guide plate 7 when the product is filled
The radius portion 14 can be regulated by hitting the curl portion 13 of the lower guide plate 7. In this case, since the rounded portion 14 is curved inward, the curled portion 13 can reliably block the rounded portion 14. In this way, since the curl portion 13 can also serve as a stopper for the guide plate 7, it is not necessary to separately provide a stopper, and the structure can be simplified and noise can be further reduced. Incidentally, reference numeral 15 in FIG.
Is a long hole for pushing the product A into the product passage 4 by inserting a finger or the like when the product A is caught in the product passage 4. Of course, the elongated hole 15 also functions as one of the slits 12 for reducing impact noise.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various modes.
In particular, various aspects are possible for the slits, the aperture ratio, the length, width and shape of each slit, or the arrangement of the slit row, etc., depending on the type of product to be filled and the material of the guide plate, as appropriate. It is possible to change. For example, the slit may have a corrugated shape, a hook shape, an elliptical shape, a circular shape, or a shape that extends horizontally in the left-right direction.

[0025]

As described above, according to the product storage column of the vending machine of the present invention, the impact sound at the time of filling the product can be significantly reduced and can be attenuated early. ing.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a product storage column of a vending machine to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a guide plate of the product storage column of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a guide plate is attached to a product storage column.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing an arrangement relationship of guide plates of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 product storage column 2 side plate 4 product passage 7 guide plate 11 arc part 12 slit 13 curl part 14 are part A product

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine comprising a plurality of arc-shaped guide plates, which are arranged between a pair of left and right side plates, arranged vertically in opposition to each other in the front-rear direction so as to form a product passage for guiding the fall of the inserted product. A product storage column for a vending machine, wherein the guide plate is formed with a plurality of staggered slits over the entire guide plate. 2. The guide plate has a cylindrical curl portion at an upper end portion, and is rotatably attached directly between the side plates via both end portions of the curl portion. The product storage column of the vending machine according to claim 1. 3. The guide plate has a rounded portion at a lower end portion which is curved in a side opposite to an arc portion of the guide plate, and the rounded portion is formed on the curled portion of another guide plate adjacent to a lower side. The product storage column of the vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the product storage column is arranged at a position facing from the inside.