JPH0950575A - Chain elevator type commodity rack for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To efficiently and accurately execute the visual inspection of a rack pitch in the case of assembling chain elevator type commodity racks or interchanging trays. SOLUTION: In the chain elevator type commodity rack provided with plural trays 7 distributed around a carrier chain 5 stretched between upper and lower sprockets 3, 4 and suspended and supported by connection pins connected to the chain 5 to load respective commodities 10, one of plural trays 7 arranged around the chain 5 is set up as a pitch setting reference tray 7A, a color A (identification marking means) for distinguishing the reference tray 7A from other trays 7 is applied to the tray 7A. At the time of inspecting a rack pitch, a round of the chain 5 can be easily and visually checked based upon the reference rack 7A to be a mark.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the structure of a chain elevator type product rack (product storage / delivery device) incorporated in an automatic vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As the above-mentioned chain elevator type product rack, a plurality of shelves that are distributed around the circumference of a carrier chain stretched between a pair of upper and lower sprockets and are swingably supported by connecting pins of the chain are supported. With the guide rails laid along the descending transport path of the transport chain, the shelf plate on which the product is mounted is held in a horizontal posture, and the shelf plate is disengaged from the lower end of the guide rail during the descending transport process by driving the transport chain. By the way, a structure in which a product is dropped and carried out is known, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-103775.

Next, the chain elevator type product rack will be described with reference to FIG. 1 (configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention). In the figure, reference numeral 1 is a rack case with an open bottom surface, 2 is a door of the rack case 1, and in the rack case 1, a transport chain 5 stretched between a pair of upper and lower sprockets 3 and 4 and an upper sprocket 3 are connected. The bend motor 6 and the connecting pin of the chain 5 (the pin connecting between the link plates of the chain is extended left and right) by allocating to the constant pitch interval (set according to the size of the sold product) on the circumference of the transport chain. ) A shelf board 7 which is swingably suspended and supported on the 5a via a hook portion 7a, and a shelf board for horizontally holding the shelf board laid between the chain 5 and the shelf board 7 along the descending transport path of the transport chain 5. A guide rail 8, a shelf stop position detection switch 9 and the like are incorporated, and these constitute a chain elevator type product rack.

With such a configuration, the products 10 are mounted and stored one by one on the shelf board that is held horizontally by the guide rails 8 along the descending conveyance path. Then, when the bend motor 6 drives the conveyor chain 5 in a clockwise direction in response to the sales instruction, the shelf board 7 on which the product 10 is placed moves downward in conjunction with the conveyor chain 5, and the shelf board 7 guides the shelf board 7 during the transportation process. When removed from the lower end of 8, the shelf board swings around the connecting pin 5a of the chain 5 as a fulcrum as shown in the figure to be in a hanging posture, and the product 9 is dropped down and carried out, and the shelf board of the next stage is also carried out. When 7 descends and is detected by the switch 9, the bend motor 6 stops and returns to the sales standby state. It should be noted that the products carried out from the product rack are sent to the product outlet through a shooter laid below the rack or a horizontal conveyor mechanism.

[0005]

In the chain elevator type product rack described above, the pitch of the shelves 7 which are distributed and mounted on the circumference of the carrier chain 5 is set according to the size of the product to be sold. Is set in the process of assembling the product rack, and the worker visually checks at a fixed position whether or not the intervals between the shelves are set at a predetermined pitch while rotating the transport chain after the assembly. Also, when changing the sale product to the product having a different size at the location of the vending machine, the shelf plates are rearranged and the shelf pitch is adjusted again in the same manner as described above.

By the way, all the shelf boards which are the constituent parts of the conventional chain elevator type product rack are made in the same shape and the same color. Therefore, when visually inspecting the pitch between the shelves while rotating the transport chain after mounting the shelves on the circumference of the transport chain, even if the shelves at the work start position make one round, Indistinguishable from shelf boards. For this reason, there is a problem in the inspection work such that the transport chain is rotated once or more to double-check the pitch, or conversely, the transport chain is not rotated once and the inspection is finished with an unchecked portion left. It was

Moreover, if the shelf pitch is not correctly set according to specifications within the range left uninspected, it may cause a sales trouble. Especially 2 in the rack case for 1 column
A pair column that has a set of chain elevator mechanism to store and sell long-sized products straddling the shelf boards arranged side by side has a perfect shelf pitch and height position of the left and right shelf boards. If they do not match, the storage posture of the product may tilt and fall off the shelf.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to perform a visual inspection of a shelf pitch at the time of assembling a product rack or changing a shelf board with high work efficiency. And to provide a chain elevator type product rack that can be accurately performed.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, one of a plurality of shelf boards lined up on the circumference of a conveyor chain is used as a reference shelf for pitch setting. The shelf board is provided with identification marking means for distinguishing it from other shelf boards. Here, as the marking means, the reference shelf is colored differently from other shelves, the reference shelf is marked with an identification mark, the reference shelf is pasted with an identification sticker, or the shape of the reference shelf is different. It can be dealt with by changing the shape of the shelf.

Then, when visually inspecting the shelf pitch of the shelf boards incorporated in the product rack, first, the transport chain is turned to set so that the reference shelf comes to a predetermined check point. While feeding the transport chain from here, check the pitch between the shelf plate and the next shelf plate by counting the number of connecting pins of the chain of the transport chain. When this operation is repeated and the transport chain goes around once, the reference shelf returns to the inspection point again, so that the inspection can be visually confirmed to confirm the completion of the inspection for one column.

With this, it is possible to avoid a problem that the conveyance chain is rotated one or more turns more than once for double-checking, or conversely, the inspection is finished with an unchecked portion left.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The above-mentioned reference shelf marking means is specifically implemented in the following form. 1) Of the resin shelf boards installed in the product rack and distributed around the circumference of the transport chain, the remaining shelf boards except one reference shelf remain "white", and the reference shelf is For example, it is colored “blue”.

2) An identification mark serving as a mark is engraved on the end surface of the reference shelf. 3) Attach an identification sticker as a mark on the end surface of the reference shelf. 4) Use differently shaped shelves so that the reference shelves can be distinguished from other shelves.

[0014]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment described in the section 1) of the above-mentioned embodiment, and among the plurality of shelf plates 7 distributed and suspended and supported on the circumference of the carrier chain 5. With respect to one specified shelf board 7A, for example, "blue" is given an identification coloring A (the colored portion A is shown by diagonal lines in the drawing), and the other shelf boards are left "white". .

When inspecting the shelf pitch of the shelf boards incorporated in the rack in the process of assembling the product rack, the carrier chain 5 is rotated and the reference shelf 7A is initially set so as to be in the inspector's visual position. Then, from this state, the conveyor chain 7 is rotated to visually check whether or not the shelf pitch between the shelf boards is set according to the specifications. Then, when it is visually confirmed that the reference shelf 7A has returned to the original inspection point after the transport chain 5 has made one round, the pitch inspection for one column is finished here.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, one of the plurality of shelves dispersively mounted on the circumference of the transport chain is used as a reference shelf and the other shelves are used. By providing distinguishable identification markings, when carrying out the inspection work of the shelf pitch, it is possible to visually confirm that the transport chain has made one round with the reference shelf as a mark, thereby performing excessive inspection or uninspected. Inspection work can be performed accurately and efficiently without leaving any parts, and serviceability and maintainability can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a chain elevator type product rack showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3,4 Sprocket 5 Conveyor chain 5a Chain connecting pin 6 Bend motor 7 Shelf 7A Reference shelf 8 Guide rail 10 Product A Identification coloring

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of shelves, which are distributed around the circumference of a conveyor chain stretched between a pair of upper and lower sprockets and suspended and supported by connecting pins of the chain, are laid along a descending conveyor path of the conveyor chain. Chain elevator type product of a vending machine that holds the shelf board on which the product is mounted by the guide rail in a horizontal posture and drops the product when the shelf plate comes off the lower end of the guide rail during the downward transfer process by driving the transfer chain. In the rack, one of the plurality of shelves arranged on the circumference of the transport chain is used as a reference shelf for pitch setting, and the shelving plate is provided with identification marking means for distinguishing it from other shelves. A chain elevator type product rack of a featured vending machine. 2. A chain elevator type product rack for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the reference shelf is colored in a color different from that of other shelves as marking means. 3. The chain elevator type product rack of claim 1, wherein the reference shelf has an identification mark as a marking means. 4. The chain elevator type product rack for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein an identification seal is attached to a reference shelf as a marking means. 5. A chain elevator type product rack for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a shelf having a shape different from other shelves is adopted as a reference shelf as the marking means.