JPH09218976A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inexpensive and simply structured automatic vending machine equipped with the appeal property of merchandise. SOLUTION: This vending machine houses plural serpentine type merchandise columns 7 inside a merchandise storage box 5. At such a time, a display part 13 for visually recognizing the inside of the merchandise storage box 5 from the outside is arranged on the front face while facing a merchandise inserting port 11 for the plural merchandise columns 7, and holding means 21 for holding articles B are provided at the upstream parts of the respective merchandise columns 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a so-called see-through type vending machine in which a stored product can be directly viewed through a product display.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a vending machine which has been generally used in the past, one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 16693/1990 is known. In this vending machine, a product display is arranged in front of a main door, and in the product display, a sample product for display illuminated by a lamp is arranged so as to be visually recognized. In addition, a plurality of serpentine-type product columns are housed in the vending machine body invisible from the outside. In this case, a selection button is arranged on the front surface of the main door so as to correspond to the product sample, and a product corresponding to the product sample is dispensed from the product column by pressing the selection button.

[0003]

In such a conventional vending machine, sample products, lamps, etc. must be properly arranged on the product display, which not only complicates the structure of the product display but also increases the manufacturing cost. There was a problem that the cost becomes high. Moreover, when loading a product, there is a problem that the product is mistakenly put in a different product column.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic vending machine which has an appealing property of a product which has not been hitherto available, and which is inexpensive and simple in structure. Has an aim.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is an automatic vending machine in which a plurality of serpentine type product columns are housed in a product storage, and a plurality of product columns are provided on the front side. It is characterized in that a display section is provided so as to be visible from the outside inside the product storage so as to face the product insertion port, and a holding means capable of holding a product is provided at an upstream part of each product column.

With the above structure, the product insertion port of the serpentine type product column provided in the product storage can be seen from the outside through the display unit.
Therefore, by leaving the product in the upstream part of the product column, that is, in the product insertion port by the holding means, the product to be actually sold can be displayed as a product sample. That is, the product can be appealed without requiring a dedicated product sample. In addition, since the product at the product insertion port remains at the time of the next loading, it is not necessary to display the product to display the product corresponding to each product column, and the operator mistakenly displays it in each product column. It is possible to prevent the input of different products. In addition, since the product left in the product insertion port is in the pre-cooled or pre-hot state, it is possible to sell the product at an appropriate temperature even immediately after loading. Furthermore,
Despite the see-through structure of the vending machine, by adopting the serpentine type product column, the conventional vending machine can be easily modified into a unique product display type.

In this case, it is preferable to provide a temperature indicator for temperature control, which indicates the temperature inside the product storage by changing the color, at a position visible through the display section.

According to the above construction, it is possible to display the temperature inside the product storage compartment in color by the temperature indicator for temperature control (thermo sheet). For this reason, for example, by using a temperature indicator that changes to a warm color when the inside of the product storage is warmed and changes to a cold color when it is in a cooled condition, the warmth of the product can be sensuously changed according to the color. It can display pod coldness and can function as a HOT / COLD display. Therefore, it is not necessary to switch the HOT / COLD display plate when the season changes.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of a see-through type vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This vending machine is for selling canned drinks such as canned juice and canned coffee,
1 is a front view thereof, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing a product storage. As shown in these drawings, the vending machine 1 includes a vending machine body 2 having a housing shape, and a main door 3 which is attached to the front surface of the vending machine body 2 so as to be openable and closable. Further, inside the vending machine body 2, a product storage 5 having a heat insulating door 4 on the front is provided. In the product storage 5, five rows of product racks 6 are arranged in the left-right direction, and five rows of product columns 7 are arranged in the front-rear direction in each row of product racks 6.

As shown in FIG. 2, each product column 7 is of a serpentine type and has a lateral passage 8 extending in the front-rear direction while inclining rearward and a vertical passage 9 extending in the vertical direction while meandering. It is configured. Further, the foremost end of the lateral passage 8 including the top plate 10 forms a product insertion port 11 for inputting the product A, and the product storage 5
Are aligned in the vertical and horizontal directions at the top of the (see FIG. 3).

Each commodity inlet 11 is arranged in the upper part inside the heat insulating door 4, and a transparent panel 12 is incorporated in the upper part of the heat insulating door 4 in correspondence therewith. In addition, a transparent product display 13 is provided on the upper front portion of the main door 3 so as to correspond to the transparent panel 12. As a result, the vending machine 1 having a see-through structure in which the portion of each product insertion port 11 can be visually recognized from the outside through the product display 13 is configured.

In this case, the product display 13 is made of a transparent acrylic resin or the like, and the transparent panel 12 of the heat insulating door 4 seen through the product display 13 is
It is made of transparent glass or acrylic resin with a multilayer structure. In this way, by making only a part of the heat insulating door 4 transparent, it is possible to reduce the weight of the heat insulating door 4 as compared with the case where the whole heat insulating door 4 is made of transparent glass. Leakage can be suppressed only to the transparent panel 12, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, a stopper (holding means) which can stand upright on the top plate 13 in the vicinity of each product insertion port 11
15 is provided, and the frontmost product B that can be visually recognized from the product display 13 is made unrollable by the stopper 15. As a result, the forefront product B can be always left as a product sample in the product insertion port 11, and the product can be continuously appealed to the customer even after the product is sold out.

Further, since the product A can be loaded from the product insertion port 11 in accordance with the brand of the frontmost product (sample product) B left in each product insertion port 11, it corresponds to each product column 7. It is possible to prevent the operator from mistakenly loading a different product A into each product column 7 without displaying the product name. Then, when the product A is loaded, the remaining frontmost product B in the pre-cooled or pre-hot state is first dropped into the product column 7 to sell the product A that has reached an appropriate temperature immediately after loading. be able to.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, a customer service portion (this portion is opaque) 14 is provided below the product display 13 on the front surface of the main door 3. The customer service section 14 is provided with a bill insertion slot 16, a coin insertion slot 17, a cash indicator 18, a return lever 19, and the like. Further, in the customer service section 14, selection buttons 20 are arranged corresponding to the arrangement of the sample products B that can be visually recognized from the product display 13. Therefore, by pressing the selection button 20 corresponding to the number attached to the product display 13, the desired product A can be paid out to the customer. The selection button 20 may be arranged as a centralized key in the center of the vending machine 1, or may be of a ten-key type.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in each of the product racks 6, a temperature control temperature indicating material 21 (thermo sheet) visible through the product display 13 is provided at the inner lower end of the transparent panel 12, and this temperature indicating is carried out. The material 21 displays the temperature inside the product rack 6 by a change in color. Therefore, for example, when the inside of the product storage is in a heated state, it changes to warm color, and when it is in a cooled state, it changes to cool color, and it is possible to sensuously display the warmth or coldness of the product. Further, the HOT character can be made to stand out when in the heating state, and the COLD character can be made to stand out when in the cooling state. Therefore, when the season changes, HOT / COL
It is no longer necessary to switch the display of D.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the product display 13 is provided with a signboard member 41.
The signboard member 41 is a transparent sheet on which advertising contents 42 such as a maker's name (logo) are printed, and is attached to a hook 43 provided at an upper end portion so as to be freely detachable. In this case, the signboard member 41 can be removed when the advertisement is unnecessary, and the signboard member 41 can be replaced with other advertisement contents 42 as appropriate.
It can be exchanged for another one.

The advertisement content 42 printed on the signboard member 41 is
For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the pattern (character) is composed of a set of points arranged with a gap, and the outline of the character is composed of so-called dots. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4B, the advertisement content 42 of the signboard member 41 has a dot-shaped transparent portion formed on the contour portion of the translucent character. That is, the advertisement content 42 printed on the signboard member 41 can be seen through the commodity display 13, and the commodity B stored so as to be displayed on the commodity rack 6 can be seen so as to overlap with the advertisement content 42.

FIG. 5 shows a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a transparent door 30 is provided in this portion instead of the transparent panel 12 described above. The transparent door 30 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the product storage 5 and the heat insulating door 4, and at the time of loading work, the work can be performed by opening only the transparent door 30. Therefore, it is not necessary to open the heat insulating door 4 during loading of the product A, and it is possible to make it difficult to escape the cool air or the warm air in the product storage 5. Instead of the heat insulating door 4, this portion can be used as a heat insulating wall.

The structure of the above stopper is arbitrary as long as it can prevent rolling of the frontmost product. Further, depending on the position of the stopper, the number of stoppers may be one for a large can and two for a thin can.

[0021]

As described above, according to the vending machine of the present invention, it is possible to appeal a product without the need for a dedicated product sample, and a product display for loading is required in the product column. There is nothing to do. For this reason, it is possible to provide an appealing property of a product that has not been available in the past, and to make the structure inexpensive and simple.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a product storage.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a printed state of advertisement contents on a signboard member.

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view showing a second embodiment of the vending machine according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending Machine 2 Vending Machine Main Body 5 Product Storage 7 Product Column 11 Product Insertion 13 Product Display 14 Customer Service Department 15 Stopper 21 Temperature Control Temperature Indicator

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine in which a plurality of product columns of a serpentine type are stored in a product storage box, and the inside of the product storage box is visually recognized from the outside by confronting the product inlets of the plurality of product columns on the front side. An automatic vending machine, wherein a display unit capable of holding a product is provided, and a holding unit capable of holding a product is provided upstream of each product column. 2. An automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a temperature control temperature indicator for displaying the temperature of the inside of the product storage by a change in color at a position visible through the display unit. Machine.