JPH1021454A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vending machine in which a lump guide can be closed at the same time when the door in closed even if closing the lump guide of storing frame line is forgotten. SOLUTION: The automatic vending machine is provided with the lump guide 2 for frame lines 8a. This lump guide 20 has a twisted coil spring 62 at a pair of upper and lower hinges 40. The lump guide 20 at an opening position can be automatically returned to a prescribed returning position by this twisted coil spring 62, so that even if the door of the automatic vending machine is closed in this state, the door automatically pushes back the lump guide 20 at the returning position to the closing position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine having an improved product refilling operation.

[0002]

[Related Background Art] For example, tobacco vending machines
To meet the diversifying needs of consumers, there is a need to be able to sell many brands of tobacco. In other words, the number of brands stored per vending machine must be increased. For this purpose, the capacity of each storage frame of the tobacco inside is reduced to secure a large number of frames.

[0003] However, the reduction in the volume of the storage frame means that the maximum number of tobacco stored in the storage frame is small, and that the tobacco is sold out quickly. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently perform the work of replenishing cigarettes in the storage frame. When refilling tobacco into the storage frame, the user must open the guide at the front opening of the storage frame to prevent tobacco from popping out, but conventionally, the guide must be opened and closed for each storage frame. As a result, the refilling of tobacco was not easy.

Therefore, a vending machine has been developed in which the individual guides of the storage frames arranged in the horizontal direction are connected to each other as a collective guide, and the collective guide can be opened and closed collectively. It can be done easily.

[0005]

The above-mentioned collective guide is supported by a fixed member in a vending machine via a hinge,
By pulling it forward, it can be opened in either the left or right horizontal direction. Refilling of cigarettes is performed with the front door of the vending machine open and the collective guide also fully opened. Is overhanging from the front opening surface. For this reason, if you close the front door of the vending machine without closing the batch guide, the front door will collide with the batch guide, and the cigarette provided on the back of the front door as well as the batch guide. May be damaged or deformed.

[0006] In particular, during the refilling of cigarettes, the front door in the open state often hinders pedestrians and passing vehicles. In such a case, the vending machine administrator does not close the collective guide. They tend to close the front door in a hurry. The present invention has been made based on the above-described circumstances, and an object thereof is to pay out the collective guide and the door even if the front door of the vending machine is closed with the collective guide closed. An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine capable of closing a collective guide together with a front door without damaging or deforming a chute or the like.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, a vending machine according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises an openable and closable door forming the front of the machine body, and a plurality of storage frames for commodities in the machine body. The storage frame rows arranged adjacent to each other and arranged so as to close the front opening of each storage frame, and are supported by a fixing member on the fuselage side via a hinge so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction, and are rotated. A collective guide that opens the front openings of the individual storage frames at once when the collective guide is opened, and a return unit that allows the collective guide to return to a predetermined return position when the collective guide is opened. In one state, when the door is closed, the collective guide is closed while being pushed by the door. According to the vending machine of the first aspect, when refilling the individual storage frames of the storage frame row with commodities, the administrator first opens the door of the vending machine, and then moves the collective guide of the storage frame row horizontally. The product is replenished from the front opening of a desired storage frame while the collective guide is held open, for example, by a hand or body. When the hand or body is released from the collective guide, the collective guide is rotated by the return means from its open position to a predetermined return position. During product replenishment or after the replenishment is completed,
Even if the administrator closes the door without completely closing the collective guide, the door comes into contact with the collective guide at the return position, and the collective guide is automatically returned to the closed position with the closing operation of the door.

[0008] In the case of the vending machine of the second aspect, the return means of the collective guide has a biasing member provided on the hinge. According to the vending machine of the second aspect, the collective guide is opened against the urging force of the urging member, and is rotated back from the open position to the return position by the urging force of the urging member. In the vending machine according to claim 3, when the collective guide is closed,
It further includes a lock mechanism for locking the collective guide. According to the vending machine of the third aspect, after closing the collective guide, the lock mechanism prevents the collective guide from being opened carelessly.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a vending machine for cigarettes is provided with a door 4 on a front surface of a body 2 of the vending machine, and the door 4 is attached to the body 2 via a pair of upper and lower hinges 6. Have been. FIG. 1 shows the vending machine with the door 4 open, so that a number of rows of storage frames within the fuselage 2 are exposed. These storage frame rows are arranged in the machine body 2 in a plurality of upper and lower stages. In FIG. 1, the storage frame row 8 in the middle to upper part and the storage frame row 10 in the lower left part are shown.
Only the storage frame row 12 at the center and the storage frame row 14 at the right part at the bottom are shown as blocks.

Referring to FIG. 1, the storage frame row 8 includes a first type storage frame row 8a disposed on the upper left portion of the body 2 and a second type storage frame row 8b disposed on the upper right portion. , A second type storage frame row 8c arranged in the upper central portion, and first and second type storage frame rows 8a, 8b on the left and right sides of the second type storage frame row 8c.
And a second-type storage frame row 8d arranged below. The storage frame row 10 is a third type storage frame row. Note that the storage frame rows 12 and 14 are of the same type as the second type storage frame row.

The storage frame row is formed by horizontally adjoining individual storage frames each having an open front surface, and a commodity payout unit 16 is arranged below each of the storage frames. In other words, the bottom surface of each storage frame is the product payout unit 16
Are formed by the upper surface. The commodity dispensing unit 16 has a function of dispensing tobacco as commodities stacked in the corresponding storage frame 8 one by one from below. The dispensed tobacco is guided to a commodity dispensing port via a chute (not shown).

The first type storage frame row 8a and the second type storage frame row 8
The configurations of the guides for opening and closing the front surface are different from those of b, 8c and 8d. That is, the second type storage frame rows 8b, 8c,
The guides of the individual storage frames 8d are constituted by guide rods 18. These guide rods 18 extend vertically on the front surface of the storage frame, and the upper and lower ends thereof are once bent in the horizontal direction, and thereafter, are rotatably supported. Therefore, by rotating the guide rod 18 rightward about its upper and lower ends as viewed in FIG. 1, the front surface of the storage frame can be widely opened, and in this state, the loading of the cigarette into the storage frame is performed. Alternatively, replenishment can be performed.

On the other hand, the guide of the first type storage frame row 8a is configured as a collective guide 20 as shown in FIG.
The collective guide 20 includes a main frame 22 having a downward U-shape, and the main frame 22 has substantially the same width as the first storage frame row 8a. The right edge portion of the main frame 22 is rotatably supported by the first storage frame row 8a via a pair of upper and lower hinges 40. That is, the left and right outer plates located on the outermost sides of the first storage frame 8a project forward, respectively, and the main frame 22 is supported by the projecting portion of the right plate via the pair of hinges 40. .

A sub-frame 24 is provided at the center of the main frame 22. The sub-frame 24 extends horizontally between both side edges of the main frame 22, and both ends thereof are connected to the main frame 22. I have.
Guide bases 26 are arranged above and below the sub-frame 24. These guide bases 26 also extend horizontally between both side edge portions of the main frame 22, and both ends are connected to the main frame 22.

Each guide base 26 has an individual storage frame 3
A guide plate 28 is attached for every zero. However, a pair of upper and lower guide plate portions 32 is provided instead of the guide plate 28 for the rightmost storage frame in FIG. These guide plate portions 32
Is attached to the inner surface of the right edge portion of the main frame 22. The guide plate 28 and the guide plate portion 32 are respectively positioned at the front openings of the corresponding storage frames 30, and the front openings are closed.

More specifically, the guide plate 28 on the upper guide base 26 side extends along the front surface of the storage frame row 8a, and a portion protruding from the center thereof is fixed on the guide base 26. The guide plate 28 on the lower guide base 26 side also has the same shape as the guide plate 28 on the upper guide base 26 side, but as is clear from FIG. It is formed as. The inclined portion 38 is inclined upward so as to gradually move away from the storage frame 30. Note that the upper and lower guide plate portions 32 are
The edge on the zero side is bent, and the bent portion functions as a guide.

Referring to FIG. 3, the upper hinge 40 is shown in greater detail. The hinge 40 includes a hinge piece 42 a attached to the main frame 22 and a storage frame row 8.
It comprises a hinge piece 42c attached to the a side and a hinge shaft 44. The lower hinge 40 has the same configuration as the upper hinge 40. The hinge shaft 44 extends vertically along the right edge of the collective guide 20, and its upper and lower ends project from the hinge pieces 42a and 42c, respectively. At the upper end of the hinge shaft 44, a stopper 46 is attached.
Prevents the hinge shaft 44 from falling off. In addition,
The hinge shafts 44 of the upper and lower hinges 40 are arranged coaxially with each other.

Accordingly, the collective guide 20 can be opened in the horizontal direction through the pair of upper and lower hinges 40. FIG. 2 shows how the collective guide 20 is opened by a two-dot chain line. When the collective guide 20 is opened, the guide plate 28 and the guide plate portion 32 are simultaneously separated from the corresponding storage frames 30, and as a result, the front opening of the storage frame row 8a can be greatly opened.

As described above, the collective guide 20 can be opened in the horizontal direction. However, once closed, the lock mechanism keeps the closed state as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 so as not to be easily opened. have. Hereinafter, the lock mechanism will be described. The lock mechanism is disposed on the left side of the collective guide 20 in FIG. 2 and includes a lock angle 34 attached to a left edge portion of the main frame 22 and a lock plate 50 attached to the storage frame row 8a. As shown in FIG.
Guide holes 58 are formed.
8, stepped bolts 56 projecting from the main frame 22 toward the guide angles 34 are fitted respectively. Since a gap is provided between the stepped bolt 56 and the guide hole 58, the main frame 22
The guide angle 34 can be moved in the vertical direction with respect to the stepped bolt 56 fixed to. The stepped bolt 56 has a bolt head (not shown) in front of the guide hole 58 in FIG. 4, so that the bolt head serves as a stopper, so that the guide angle 34 does not fall off the stepped bolt 58. Further, the lock angle 34 is formed with a pair of upper and lower claws 54 facing downward on the edge on the lock plate 50 side, and each of the claws 54 has an inclined edge 60.

On the other hand, the guide plate 50 is formed with a pair of upper and lower openings 52 at positions corresponding to the upper and lower claws 54 of the guide angle 34, respectively. Claw part 5
4 has a width and a length that can be inserted. Batch Guide 20
Is in an open state, the guide angle 34, the stepped bolt 56, and the guide plate 50 are connected to each other by the
The positional relationship shown in FIG. At this time, the guide angle 34
Is at the lowest position with respect to the stepped bolt 56 due to its own weight. At this time, the upper portion of the inclined edge 60 of each claw portion 54 in the guide angle 34 is located slightly above the lower edge of the corresponding opening 52 of the lock plate 50.

Next, when trying to close the collective guide 20, the lock angle 34 and the lock plate 50 are
2 (b). At this time,
The inclined edge 60 of each claw portion 54 in the lock angle 34 has a top portion corresponding to the corresponding opening 5 on the lock plate 50 side.
2 abuts on the lower edge. Thereafter, when the collective guide 20 is further pushed and closed, as shown by a solid line in FIG. 4B, the lock angle 34 is in a state where the inclined edge 60 of the claw 54 is in contact with the lower edge of the opening 52. Then, while being guided by the stepped bolt 56, it slides obliquely upward to the right as viewed in the figure. When the collective guide 20 is further pushed, the claw 54 of the lock angle 34 gets over the lower edge of the corresponding opening 52 on the lock plate 50 side as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. When the lock angle 34 completely falls into the opening 52 and then comes off from above the lower edge of the opening 52, the entire lock angle 34 descends by its own weight, and is locked on the lock plate 50 as shown by a solid line in FIG. At this point, the collective guide 20 is completely closed as shown by the solid line in FIG.

Therefore, when the collective guide 20 is closed, the claws 54 of the lock angle 34 are engaged with the corresponding openings 52 of the lock plate 50 on the side of the storage frame row 8a, so that the collective guide 20 is not It doesn't open easily. Conversely, when opening the collective guide 20, the lock angle 34
And lift the claw 54 and the opening 5 of the lock plate 50.
2 and release the lock, release the lock mechanism and release the collective guide 20.
Can be easily opened. Further, if the collective guide 20 is rotated rightward as viewed in FIG. 2, the front surface of the storage frame row 8a can be widely opened.

In practice, tobacco is replenished into each of the storage frames 30 with the collective guide 20 wide open as described above. The procedure will be described below. First, the vending machine administrator operates the door 4 as shown in FIG.
Is opened, the collective guide 20 of the storage frame row 8a is unlocked and opened. At this time, the collective guide 20
Rotates about the hinge axis of the pair of hinges 40, that is, the hinge shafts 44, in the horizontal right direction as viewed in FIG. When the collective guide 20 is fully opened, each of the guide plates 28 and each of the guide plate portions 32 are stored in the storage frame row 8a.
In this state, the manager can refill tobacco from the front opening of the storage frame 30 that needs replenishment, in the state where the front opening of the corresponding storage frame 30 is greatly opened.

In the vending machine of the present invention, even if the collective guide 20 is widely opened, a return mechanism is provided which always rotates the collective guide 20 in a direction to close it to a certain position. Will describe this return mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, the lower end of the hinge shaft 44 of each hinge 40 largely protrudes downward from the hinge piece 42a. A torsion coil spring 62 is attached to the projecting portion of the hinge shaft 44 so that the coil portion surrounds the projecting portion.
Has its lower end supported by the holding plate 42d. The holding plate 42d is fixed to the storage frame row 8a, and has a pipe portion through which the hinge shaft 44 is inserted.

The torsion coil spring 62 includes a pair of arms 6
4 and 66, and the arms 64 and 66 extend toward the hinge piece 42a. The upper arm 64 is bent upward and is fixed to the collective guide main frame 22 via a fixing member 68. The lower arm 66 is in a free state and can be locked to the stopper 70. The stopper 70 is provided to protrude from the pipe of the holding plate 42d.

When the collective guide 20 is rotated, the torsion coil spring 62 rotates about the hinge shaft 44 together with the collective guide 20 because the upper arm 64 is fixed to the main frame 22. FIG. 5 shows the state of the torsion coil spring 62 at the position where the collective guide 20 is largely opened by a solid line. The two-dot chain line indicates the state of the torsion coil spring 62 at the position where the collective guide 20 is closed.

As is apparent from FIG. 5, when the torsion coil spring 62 is rotated in conjunction with the opening operation of the collective guide 20, the lower arm 66 of the torsion coil spring 62 is moved to the stopper 70 of the holding plate 42d. The torsion coil spring 62 is stopped at this time. However, the upper arm 64 of the torsion coil spring 62 moves the collective guide 20 to a position where the collective guide 20 is largely opened.
It will rotate with it. Therefore, the lower arm 66
Is locked to the stopper 70, the torsion coil spring 6
2 changes the angle formed by the pair of arms 64 and 66,
Generates a torsional moment around the coil center line. That is, the collective guide 20 is rotated against the urging force of the torsion coil spring 62.

If the user releases the collective guide 20 in this state, the collective guide 20 rotates in the closing direction by receiving the urging force of the torsion coil spring 62, and is automatically returned to a predetermined position. Here, the collective guide 20 is at least the collective guide 2
It is returned by the torsion coil spring 62 to a position where the angle between 0 and the front surface of the storage frame row 8a is smaller than 90 °.

During the actual cigarette replenishment operation, the administrator presses the collective guide 20 with a hand or the like in a state in which the collective guide 20 is greatly opened to the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. Keep wide open. When the tobacco replenishment operation is completed and the holding force of the collective guide 20 is released, the collective guide 20 is automatically rotated back to the position indicated by the solid line in FIG.

After that, before closing the door 4 of the vending machine, the administrator normally pushes the collective guide 20 further from the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 6 to close it, and then reopens the collective guide 20 by the above-described lock mechanism. It will be locked so that there is no. However, even if the administrator forgets to close the collective guide 20 and closes the door 4 of the vending machine during or after the refilling operation of the cigarette, the collective guide 20 remains at the return position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 7, the collective guide 20 is pushed by the door 4 as shown in FIG. 7, and is turned from the return position to the closed position.

Thereafter, when the door 4 is completely closed as shown in FIG. 8, the collective guide 20 is also completely closed, and the collective guide 20 is locked via the above-described lock mechanism. Thereafter, even if the door 4 is opened again, the collective guide 20 does not easily open. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the collective guide is not limited to the one that opens in the right direction, and may be one that opens in the left direction, and can be applied to a vending machine for products other than tobacco.

[0032]

As described above, according to the vending machine of the first aspect, even if the door of the vending machine is closed with the collective guide of the storage frame row forgotten to be closed, the collective guide is provided by the return means. Is always rotated back to the predetermined return position, the door is closed while pushing back the collective guide at the return position, whereby the collective guide is also automatically closed at the same time. Therefore, even if the collective guide is forgotten to be closed, the collective guide does not become a member that prevents the closing operation of the door, and breakage or deformation of the collective guide and the tobacco dispensing chute provided on the back surface of the door. Can be reliably prevented.

According to the vending machine of the second aspect, the collective guide has a simple structure in which the urging member is simply attached to the hinge thereof, and can rotate and return from the open position to the return position automatically and reliably. it can. According to the vending machine of the third aspect, since the collective guide is locked at the closed position, the collective guide at the closed position does not open carelessly.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a vending machine according to an embodiment with a door opened.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a storage frame row and a collective guide.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of an upper hinge of the collective guide.

FIG. 4 is a continuous view showing the movement of the lock mechanism of the collective guide from the side.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the collective guide automatically returns.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the collective guide is pushed by a door and is closed to a position short of a closing position.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the collective guide and the door are completely closed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Body 4 Door 8 Storage frame row 20 Batch guide 34 Lock angle 40 Hinge 50 Lock plate 62 Torsion coil spring

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A door that can be opened and closed, which constitutes the front of an airframe, a storage frame row in which a plurality of storage frames for goods are arranged right and left adjacent to each other in the airframe, and a front opening of each of the storage frames is closed. And a collective guide that is supported rotatably in the horizontal direction via a hinge to a fixing member on the fuselage side and that opens the front openings of the individual storage frames collectively when rotated. Return means for allowing the collective guide to return to a predetermined return position when the collective guide is opened, wherein the collective guide is provided when the door is closed while the collective guide is at the return position. The vending machine is closed while being pushed by the door. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said return means has an urging member provided on said hinge of said collective guide. 3. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a lock mechanism that locks the collective guide when the collective guide is closed.