JPH09319959A - Carrying-out mechanism for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To securely carry an article, dropped from the lower edge of an article rack, to an article taking-out opening without flawing it by providing an article-receiving member swinging device which swings an article receiving member, which can move up and down, around a horizontal axis. SOLUTION: When the article-receiving member 5 which contains an article 200 moves down to approach an opening 101 formed in the lower part of a casing 100, a solenoid which drives an operation piece 8 operates. The operation piece 8 abuts against the lower part of the front end of a 3rd link member 7c and pushes up the tip of the 3rd link member 7c as the article receiving- member 5 moves down. Consequently, an article storage container 5b swings clockwise around a pin 6, when viewed from the left. Then the article storage container 5b slants down from the front. The article 200, put in the article storage container 5b, slides backward on the article storage container 5b, drops from the rear end of the article storage container 5b, and then drops on the floor 102a of the article taking-out opening 102 through the opening 101.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an unloading mechanism of an automatic vending machine for products packed in rotationally symmetrical containers such as bottles and cans.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an unloading mechanism of an automatic vending machine for products packed in rotationally symmetrical containers such as bottles and cans, a plurality of devices are stacked at intervals in the vertical direction and are inclined downward toward one side. A carry-out mechanism is known that includes a product shelf and a product drop control mechanism that prevents a product placed on the product shelf from falling from the lower edge of the product shelf and allows the product to fall. As an example of a product drop control mechanism, a hinge-shaped first stopper having a support end at one end and a free end at the other end, a hinge-shaped second stopper having a support end at one end and a free end at the other end, and a first stopper at one end are provided. A seesaw type product stopper having an intermediate arm rotatably connected to the free end and the other end rotatably connected to the free end of the second stopper. The seesaw-type product stopper is disposed parallel to the product shelf below the lower edge of each product shelf with the support end of the first stopper directed obliquely upward and the support end of the second stopper directed obliquely downward.

In the above-mentioned carry-out mechanism having a seesaw type product stopper as a product drop control mechanism, the product has its rotation axis extending in parallel with the lower edge of the product shelf so that the product moves from the upper edge to the lower edge of the product shelf. They are lined up and placed on the product shelves. The intermediate arm of the product stopper is biased obliquely downward by a spring or the like, and the joint of the second stopper projects above the product shelf through an opening formed in the product shelf. As a result, the commodity at the lower end of the commodity row is supported by the second stopper, and the fall of all the commodities belonging to the commodity row is prevented. When unloading the product, the intermediate arm is pushed obliquely upward against the urging force of a spring or the like. As a result,
The joint of the second stopper retreats below the product shelf, and the product at the lower end of the product row loses support and falls downward from the lower edge of the product shelf. On the other hand, the joint portion of the first stopper protrudes above the product shelf through the opening formed in the product shelf, and supports the second product from the lower end of the product row. As a result, the remaining products in the product row are prevented from falling. When the unloading of the product is completed, the force of pushing the intermediate arm upward diagonally is released, the intermediate arm moves diagonally downward by the urging force of a spring or the like, and the joint of the second stopper projects onto the product shelf, and The stopper retracts below the shelf. As a result, the remaining products in the product row move toward the lower edge of the product shelf, and the products at the lower end are supported by the second stopper.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a plurality of merchandise shelves stacked vertically and spaced apart from each other and inclined downward to one side, and a plurality of merchandise shelves placed on the merchandise shelves. A carry-out mechanism including a product drop control mechanism for preventing a fall from an edge and allowing a fall, and a means for reliably transporting a product dropped from a lower edge of a product shelf to a product take-out port without damaging the product shelf. It is an object to provide an unloading mechanism.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, there are provided a plurality of product shelves stacked vertically and spaced apart from each other and inclined downward to one side, A product drop control mechanism for preventing and allowing the product placed on the product shelf from falling from the lower edge thereof, and a product receiving member disposed on the side of the lower edge of the product shelf and capable of moving up and down,
There is provided a carry-out mechanism for an automatic vending machine, comprising a product receiving member swinging device for swinging the product receiving member around a horizontal axis. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the product receiving member has a vertically movable dolly and a product storage container placed on the dolly, and the product receiving member swinging device is attached to a vending machine and is in a retracted position. And an operating piece movable between an operating position and a trolley of a product receiving member,
A link mechanism is provided, one end of which is fixed to the product storage container and the other end of which is engageable with the operating piece in the operating position. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the product receiving member has a vertically movable dolly and a product storage container placed on the dolly, and the product receiving member swinging device is attached to a vending machine and is in a retracted position. And a rack movable between an operating position, a gear supported by the cart of the product receiving member and meshable with the rack in the operating position, and supported by the cart of the product receiving member,
The link mechanism has one end fixed to the product storage container and the other end fixed to the gear.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the following description, the directions of arrows I, II, III, IV, V and VI in FIGS. 1 to 6 will be referred to as front, rear, left, right, upper and lower, respectively. A delivery mechanism of a vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in a right half portion of a casing 100 of a vending machine, seven commodity shelves 1 laminated vertically and inclined downward from right to left are inclined. It is arranged. On each product shelf 1,
Products 20 packed in rotationally symmetrical containers such as bottles and cans
0 is placed in line with the left-right direction with the rotary shaft extending in the front-back direction. Two rows of products 200 are placed on the uppermost product shelf 1, and three rows of products 200 are placed on the other product shelf 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a hinge-shaped first stopper 2a having a support end at the upper end and a free end at the lower end, and a hinge-shaped second stopper 2b having a support end at the lower end and a free end at the upper end are provided. A seesaw type product stopper 2 having an intermediate arm 2c rotatably connected to a free end of a first stopper 2a and a lower end rotatably connected to a free end of a second stopper 2b is provided in each product shelf 1. It is arranged immediately below the left end, which is the lower edge, and immediately below each row of the products 200. The product stopper 2 is arranged in parallel with the product shelf 1 with the upper end, which is the supporting end of the first stopper 2a, directed toward the upper right diagonal direction and the lower end, which is the supporting end of the second stopper 2b directed diagonally downward left. . Each product shelf 1 has an opening 1a that allows the joint of the first stopper 2a and the joint of the second stopper 2b to protrude above the product shelf 1. The intermediate arm 2c is supported by the product shelf 1 so as to be movable in parallel with the product shelf 1 between a first position diagonally lower left and a second position diagonally upper right. The intermediate arm 2c is biased by a spring 3 downward and obliquely to the left in parallel with the product shelf 1. A piston 4a extending diagonally to the lower left of a solenoid 4 arranged in parallel with the product shelf 1 is fixed to an intermediate arm 2c.

When the solenoid 4 is stopped, the piston 4a projects obliquely downward and to the left. When the solenoid 4 is operated, the piston 4a retracts obliquely upward and to the right. As a result, when the solenoid 4 is stopped,
As shown by a solid line, the intermediate arm 2c is at the first position diagonally below and to the left, and the joint of the second stopper 2b is
, And the joint of the first stopper 2 a is retracted below the product shelf 1. The second stopper 2b protruding above the product shelf 1 allows the product 200 at the lower end of the product row to be
Are supported, and all the products 200 belonging to the product row are prevented from falling. When the solenoid 4 operates, the intermediate arm 2
c moves to the second position diagonally to the upper right, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 3, the joint of the second stopper 2b retreats below the product shelf 1, and the joint of the first stopper 2a moves to the product shelf. 1
Project upward. As a result, the product 20 at the lower end of the product row
0 loses the support of the second sopper 2b and falls downward from the lower edge of the product shelf 1. The second product 20 from the bottom of the product row
0 is supported by the first stopper 2a to prevent all remaining products 200 belonging to the product row from falling. Next, when the solenoid 4 stops, the intermediate arm 2c moves to the first position diagonally below and to the left, the joint of the second stopper 2b projects above the shelf 1, and the joint of the first stopper 2a Retreat down. As a result, the remaining products belonging to the product row move toward the lower edge of the product shelf, the products 200 at the lower end of the product row are supported by the second stopper 2b, and the fall of all the products 200 belonging to the product row is prevented. You.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, a dolly 5a, which is a groove-shaped cross-sectional member extending forward and backward and having an open upper end, is located to the left of the left end, which is the lower edge of the product shelf 1, and a dolly 5a. A product receiving member 5 having a product storage container 5b which is placed on the top and extends in the front-rear direction and which has a groove-shaped cross-section member having an open upper end is disposed. As shown in FIG. 2, the product receiving member 5 faces almost the entire width of the product shelf 1 in the front-rear direction. The dolly 5a of the product receiving member 5 is driven by a drive device (not shown) and is movable in the vertical direction. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the pin 6 is fixed to the lower part of the rear end of the left side surface of the product storage container 5b. The pin 6 rotatably penetrates the left side wall of the carriage 5a and extends to the left. The upper end of the first link member 7a is fixed to the left end of the pin 6. Second extending back and forth
The rear end of the link member 7b is connected to the lower end of the first link member 7a so as to be rotatable around an axis extending in the left and right directions. The rear end of the third link member 7c is connected to the front end of the second link member 7b so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left and right directions. The central portion of the third link member 7c is supported by the lower part of the front end of the left side wall of the carriage 5a so as to be rotatable about an axis extending left and right. The front end of the third link member 7c projects forward of the front end of the carriage 5a. As shown in FIG. 2, a rod-shaped actuating piece 8 extending in the left-right direction is supported by a lower front portion of the casing 100 so as to be movable in the left-right direction. The operating piece 8 is driven left and right by a solenoid (not shown) and moves between a retracted position and an operating position. When the operating piece 8 is in the retracted position, the operating piece 8 moves to the third link member 7
Does not engage the front end of c. When the operating piece 8 is in the operating position, the operating piece 8 can engage with the front end portion of the third link member 7c. As shown in FIG. 2, the cart 5a of the product receiving member 5
A buffer material 9 such as a spring is attached to the.

As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of product shelves 1, a product stopper 2, a spring 3, and a solenoid 4 are also arranged in the left half of the casing 100 of the vending machine. Product shelf 1, product stopper 2, spring 3, solenoid 4 in the left half of casing 100, and casing 1
The product shelf 1, the product stopper 2, the spring 3, and the solenoid 4 in the right half of 00 are arranged to face each other with the product receiving member 5 interposed therebetween.

The operation of the carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to this embodiment having the above structure will be described below. One product shelf 1
, The same product 200 is placed. The solenoid 4 is stopped, and as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3, the joint of the second stopper 2b of the product stopper 2 projects above the product shelf 1 to support the product 200 at the lowermost end of the product row. This prevents all the commodities 200 belonging to the row from falling.
The solenoid (not shown) that drives the operating piece 8 is stopped, and the operating piece 8 is in the retracted position where it does not engage with the front end portion of the third link member 7c.

The consumer selects a desired product 200 and presses a product selection switch (not shown). A control unit (not shown) incorporated in the vending machine is activated, and the product receiving member 5 moves up and down to place the specified product 200 on the product shelf 1
Approach.

When the product receiving member 5 reaches just below the lower edge of the target product shelf 1, one of the solenoids 4 attached to the target product shelf 1 is actuated, and the product stopper 2 driven by the actuated solenoid 4 is actuated. Second stopper 2b
The commodity 200 at the lower end of the commodity row supported by the product falls from the lower edge of the commodity shelf 1. The remaining merchandise 200 in the merchandise row to which the fallen merchandise 200 belongs is the activated solenoid 4
The product stopper 2 driven by the first stopper 2a is supported by the first stopper 2a and is prevented from falling. After the product 200 at the lower end of the product row falls from the lower edge of the product shelf 1, the operated solenoid 4 stops. The intermediate arm 2c moves to the first position diagonally below and to the left, the joint of the second stopper 2b projects above the shelf 1, and the joint of the first stopper 2a retreats below the shelf 1. As a result, the remaining products belonging to the product row move toward the lower edge of the product shelf, the products 200 at the lower end of the product row are supported by the second stopper 2b, and the fall of all the products 200 belonging to the product row is prevented. You.

A product 200 dropped from the lower edge of the product shelf 1.
Are stored in the product storage container 5b of the product receiving member 5. The product receiving member 5 containing the product 200 descends and approaches the opening 101 formed in the lower portion of the casing 100. A solenoid (not shown) that drives the operating piece 8 operates, and the operating piece 8 moves to the operating position. As shown in FIG. 4, the operating piece 8 contacts the lower part of the front end of the third link member 7c, and as the product receiving member 5 descends, the operating piece 8 pushes the front end of the third link member 7c upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 and as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 2, the third link member 7c swings clockwise when viewed from the left, and the second link member 7b moves forward, First link member 7a
However, the product storage container 5b swings clockwise around the pin 6 when viewed from the left. As a result, the product storage container 5b inclines downward from the front to the rear, and the product 200 stored in the product storage container 5b is transferred to the product storage container 5b.
It slides upward to the rear, falls to the rear from the rear end of the product storage container 5b, passes through the opening 101, and falls onto the floor 102a of the product outlet 102. The consumer opens the cover 103 and takes out the product 200 from the product outlet 102.
After the product 200 drops rearward from the rear end of the product storage container 5b, the solenoid (not shown) that drives the operating piece 8 stops, and the operating piece 8 moves to the retracted position. The engagement between the operating piece 8 and the third link member 7c is released, and the tilted product storage container 5b swings by its own weight around the pin 6 counterclockwise when viewed from the left, and is placed on the carriage 5a. . The cushioning material 9 causes the tilted commodity storage container 5b to swing around the pin 6 counterclockwise when viewed from the left side by its own weight, and absorbs the impact when it is placed on the trolley 5a.

As can be seen from the above description, in the carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to this embodiment, the product stopper 2
200 that has fallen from the lower edge of the product shelf 1 due to the operation of
Is stored in the product storage container 5b of the product receiving member 5 immediately below the lower edge of the product shelf 1, so that the product 200 is not damaged. The product 200 stored in the product receiving member 5 is reliably conveyed to the product outlet 102 by the descending movement of the product receiving member 5 and the swinging of the product storage container 5b.

The carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. In the carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to the present embodiment, the cart 5 of the product receiving member 5 is used.
The input gear 10a that meshes with the front end portion of the left side surface of b,
Reduction gear 10 including an intermediate gear 10b and an output gear 10c
Is attached so as to be rotatable around an axis extending to the left and right. The front end portion of the third link member 7c 'is the output gear 10
It is fixed to c and the rear end is attached to the front end of the second link member 7b so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the left and right directions. The vertically extending rack 11 is attached to the lower front portion of the casing 100 so as to be rotatable around the vertically extending axis X. The rack 11 is urged by a spring 12 to rotate clockwise about the axis X as viewed from above. An electromagnet 13 is arranged on the left side of the rack 11. When the electromagnet 13 is not operating, the rack 11
As shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, it is in the retracted position rotated clockwise about the axis X under the biasing force of the spring 12 when viewed from above. When the electromagnet 13 is actuated, the rack 11 rotates counterclockwise around the axis X against the biasing force of the spring 12 as viewed from above, and moves to the operating position, as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. When the rack 11 is in the retracted position, the rack 11
Does not mesh with the input gear 10a of the reduction gear. Rack 11
The rack 11 can mesh with the input gear 10a of the reduction gear when the is in the operating position. In the carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to this embodiment, the third link member 7 of the first embodiment is used.
c, the operating piece 8, and the solenoid for driving the operating piece are not provided. Except for the above, the carry-out mechanism according to the present embodiment is the first
This is similar to the carry-out mechanism according to the embodiment.

In the carry-out mechanism according to this embodiment, when the commodity receiving member 5 accommodating the commodity 200 descends and approaches the opening 101 formed in the lower portion of the casing 100,
The electromagnet 13 operates and the rack 11 moves against the urging force of the spring 12 from the retracted position shown by the solid line in FIG. 6 to the operating position shown by the alternate long and short dash line. Input gear 10a of the reduction gear 10
Meshes with the rack 11, the reduction gear 10 operates as the product receiving member 5 descends, and the third link member 7c ′ swings as shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG.
b moves forward. As a result, as in the first embodiment,
The product storage container of the product receiving member 5 swings and tilts, and the product stored in the product storage container falls on the floor of the product outlet. The consumer takes out the product from the product outlet. After the product stored in the product storage container falls on the floor of the product outlet, the electromagnet 13 is stopped and the rack 11 is rotated by the spring 12.
6 is moved to the retracted position indicated by the solid line in FIG. The engagement between the rack 11 and the input gear 10a is released,
The inclined product storage container of the product receiving member 5 swings by its own weight and is placed on the carriage 5a. Also in the carry-out mechanism according to the present embodiment, the products contained in the product receiving member 5 are lowered by the product receiving member 5 and the product storage container is swung.
The product is surely transported to the outlet.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The operation piece 8 of the first embodiment is provided with the third link member 7c in an arbitrary mode different from that of the first embodiment.
The rack 11 of the second embodiment may be moved between a retracted position that does not engage with and an operating position that engages with the third link member 7c, and the input gear 1 in an arbitrary mode different from that of the second embodiment.
It may be moved between a retracted position where it does not mesh with 0a and an operating position where it meshes with the input gear 10a. Product stopper 2
May be driven by using an appropriate driving means in place of the solenoid 4, for example, a link mechanism engaging with the vertically moving carriage 5a. Further, a rim member is erected on the lower edge of the product shelf 1 to prevent the product 200 from falling, and the product 200 at the lower end of the product row is lifted and stored in the product storage container 5b using the lift device attached to the carriage 5a. It may be done.

[0019]

As described above, in the carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to the present invention, the product receiving member disposed laterally of the lower edge of the product shelf and movable up and down, and the product receiving member being horizontal. Since the product receiving member swinging device that swings about the axis is provided, the product dropped from the lower edge of the product shelf can be reliably conveyed to the product outlet without being damaged.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a view as viewed in the direction of arrows aa in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a seesaw-type product stopper provided in the unloading mechanism of the vending machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of arrows bb in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a bb arrow view of FIG. 1 showing the operation of the product receiving member provided in the carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of a product receiving member included in the carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 product shelf 2a first stopper 2b second stopper 2c intermediate arm 3 spring 4 solenoid 5 product receiving member 5a trolley 5b product storage container 7a first link member 7b second link member 7c third link member 8 actuating piece 9 cushioning material 10 Reduction gear 11 Rack 12 Spring 13 Electromagnet

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of product shelves that are vertically stacked at intervals and inclined downward toward one side, and a product placed on the product shelves is prevented from falling and falling from a lower edge of the product shelves. Product drop control mechanism for controlling the product, a product receiving member that is arranged laterally on the lower edge of the product shelf and is movable up and down, and a product receiving member swinging device that swings the product receiving member around a horizontal axis. A vending machine unloading mechanism characterized by comprising: 2. The product receiving member has a vertically movable dolly and a product storage container placed on the dolly, and the product receiving member swinging device is attached to a vending machine and is in a retracted position and an operating position. And a link mechanism that is supported by the cart of the product receiving member and has one end fixed to the product storage container and the other end that can be engaged with the operating piece. The carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to claim 1. 3. The product receiving member has a vertically movable dolly and a product storage container placed on the dolly, and the product receiving member swinging device is attached to a vending machine and is in a retracted position and an operating position. A rack that is movable between the rack, a gear that can be meshed with a rack that is in the operating position and that is supported by the cart of the product receiving member, and is supported by the cart of the product receiving member, one end of which is fixed to the product storage container and the other end of which is It has a link mechanism fixed to the gear, The carry-out mechanism of the vending machine according to claim 1 characterized by things.