JPH10320631A - Article carrying-out device of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the automatic vending machine which has its constitution simplified and facilitates adjusting operation at the time of a change in article size. SOLUTION: The carrying-out device provided below a column 34 constitutes a column device 51 together with a column 34 where box type articles 52 are stacked in two arrays at a mutual interval along the carrying-out direction B1 of the articles 52, the column 34 is equipped with a stop plate 55 which is movable in a carrying-out direction B1 and a stop plate 56 which is provided at a fixed position on the upstream side in the carrying-out direction B1, and the side of the stop plate 55 is the front side of the automatic vending machine 21. The carrying-out device 35 is equipped with pulleys 57 and 58 and a belt 59, and carrying-out plates 60 and 61 which are fixed at mutually symmetrical positions of the belt 59; and the length L1 of the carrying-out plates 60 and 61 is a half as long as the quantity L2 of movement of the movable stop plate 55 to the side of the stop plate 56 or as long as the quantity L3 of movement of an article 52 on the side of the stop plate 56 to an article 52 on the side of the stop plate 56.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for discharging goods provided in each column of a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the following description, a vending machine for selling various products such as tobacco and soft drinks will be described.
In such a vending machine, products to be sold are stacked and stored in a plurality of columns provided in the vending machine. At the lower part of each column, a product discharging device is arranged, and the lowermost product in the column is discharged to the outside of the column. A plurality of selection buttons arranged on the front door of the vending machine and associated with a plurality of product samples on a one-to-one basis are associated with each column. A control device such as a microcomputer mounted on a vending machine scans a switch matrix including a selection button. When a desired one of the selection buttons is pressed, the operated selection button is detected. Next, the carry-out device provided in the column corresponding to the operated selection button is operated, and the lowermost product of the products stacked and stored in the column is carried out of the column. The carried-out product slides down in the chute provided from the vicinity of the column toward the outlet formed in the front door toward the outlet.

FIG. 6 shows a system diagram of a column apparatus 1 of a conventional vending machine. The column device 1 includes a box-shaped product 2
Along the unloading direction A1 of the product 2
A column 3 which is stacked and stored in a row, and a product 2 which is provided at a lower portion of the column 3 and is the lowest layer of the column 3
And an unloading device 4 for unloading to the outside. Column 3
The unloading direction A1 and the downstream side of the unloading direction A1
Are provided with stop plates 5 and 6 which can move along. The stop plates 5 and 6 are moved by the operator in a direction toward or away from each other according to the size of the product 2 stored in the column 3.

The unloading device 4 provided at the lower portion of the column 3 is wound around the pair of pulleys 7 and 8 driven by the motor 16 and driven in the running direction A2. Belt 9 and take-out plates 10 and 11 fixed at mutually symmetric positions of belt 9, respectively.
And The unloading plates 10 and 11 have operation surfaces 12 and 13 facing the belt 9 and pressing portions 14 and 15 protruding outward, respectively. Between the pulleys 7 and 8, limit switches SW1 and SW2 are provided. The limit switch SW1 is provided at a position where the carry-out plate 11 or the carry-out plate 10 activates the limit switch SW1 when the carry-out plate 10 or the carry-out plate 11 reaches the center position along the carry-out direction A1 of the column 3.
The limit switch SW2 detects that the unloading plate 10 or unloading plate 11 has unloaded one product 2 from the column 3,
At the timing when the carry-out plate 10 or the carry-out plate 11 is removed from the inside of the column 3, the carry-out plate 11 or the carry-out plate 10 is provided at a position where the limit switch SW2 is operated.

[0005] The operation of the column device 1 will be described below. When the product 2 stored in the column 3 is of a relatively large size, the stop plates 5, 6 are relatively far away from each other as shown by the solid lines in FIG. The unloading plate 14 is shown in FIG.
Assume that the column 3 is located at a central position along the unloading direction A1 as shown in FIG. At this time, when the selection button of the vending machine is operated, the motor 16 is started, the pulleys 7 and 8 rotate, and the belt 9 runs. At this time, when the front end of the operation surface 13 of the unloading plate 11 in the running direction activates the limit switch SW2, a microcomputer (hereinafter, microcomputer) provided in the vending machine detects a detection signal from the limit switch SW2. Then, calculation of the balance of the inserted money, lighting of a sellable lamp corresponding to a product that can be sold within the balance, and the like are performed.

When the motor 16 continues to rotate, the carry-out plate 11 reaches near the center of the column 3. At this time, the front end of the operation surface 12 of the unloading plate 10 in the traveling direction activates the limit switch SW1. The microcomputer detects the detection signal from the limit switch SW1, and stops the motor 16. Thereby, the unloading plate 11 is moved from the position facing the limit switch SW1 shown in FIG.
At the center position of the vehicle, and stops at the center position.

When the product 2 stored in the column 3 is of a relatively small size, the stop plates 5, 6 are located relatively close to each other as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. Also, the carry-out plate 14
The center position along the running direction of the column 3 at which the product 2 stops does not change even if the size of the product 2 is changed. The processing described above is also performed on such a small-sized product 2.

[0008]

In the case of such a conventional vending machine 1, when a product 2 having a different size is stored in the column 3, the pair of stop plates 5 and 6 need to be separated from each other by a new distance. It is necessary to perform the operation of sliding each of them so as to conform to the size of. In addition, this work needs to be performed for each column 3, and there are problems that there are many work locations and that work is troublesome.

[0009] In the vending machine, the product 2
Is generally set in the front-back direction of the vending machine. For this reason, when the front door of the vending machine is opened and the product 2 is exchanged, even if one of the stop plates 5 and 6 is on the near side of the vending machine, one of the other stop plates 5 and 6 is not used. Is behind the column 3.
Therefore, it is difficult to adjust the positions of the stop plates 5 and 6. Further, when the position adjustment work can be easily performed from the front side of the column 3 by connecting parts to the stop plates 5 and 6 on the rear side of the column 3, the number of parts of the vending machine increases. However, there is a problem that the configuration becomes complicated.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine product in which the configuration is simplified and the adjustment work when the product size is changed is facilitated. An object of the present invention is to provide an unloading device.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an article dispensing apparatus for a vending machine, which is provided at a lower portion of a column in which articles are stacked and stored in a plurality of rows along the article unloading direction. This column has a support wall that can move in the carry-out direction according to the size of the product on either the upstream side or the downstream side in the carry-out direction. In this product unloading device, a pressing member fixed to a traveling member that travels along the unloading direction with respect to the product is provided. The pressing member is
It has one or a plurality of detected parts corresponding to one or a plurality of predetermined stop positions in the column, which are arranged along the carry-out direction. When the traveling member travels, the pressing member moves along the unloading direction, presses the product along the unloading direction, and unloads the product from the column. The detecting means arranged near the traveling member outputs a different detection signal every time the detected portion of the pressing member is detected. The control means identifies the detection signal from the detection means and controls the traveling state of the traveling member so that the pressing member stops at the one or more stop positions corresponding to the detection signal.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the size of the product stored in the column is changed, the movable support wall provided on either the upstream side or the downstream side in the unloading direction. Is moved along the unloading direction in accordance with the size of the product. At this time, one or a plurality of predetermined stop positions in the column of the pressing member for carrying out the product from the column are determined based on a detection signal from the detection unit. Therefore, it is tentatively required to provide movable columns on both sides of the column along the unloading direction.

Thus, when storing products of different sizes in the column, it is possible to reduce the number of support walls for performing an operation of sliding the product to fit the size of a new product. As a result, the adjustment work according to the product size can be simplified.

Further, in the present invention, if the movable support wall is provided on the front side inside the vending machine, when the front door of the vending machine is opened and a product exchange operation is performed,
The adjustment operation can be easily performed. In addition, since a situation in which a support wall is provided behind the column is avoided, there is no need to separately provide operation parts on the support wall behind the column, and the number of components can be reduced, and the configuration can be simplified. Can be achieved.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments. 1 to 5 show one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a product unloading device 20 used in a vending machine 21 according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine 21, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the vending machine 21. Hereinafter, an external configuration of the vending machine 21 will be described with reference to FIG. The vending machine 21 of the present embodiment sells box-shaped products such as cigarettes as an example, and a display section 23 for products in a plurality of stages is provided on the front surface of the front door 22.

On the front face of the front door 22, a selection button 24 for goods, a bill insertion slot 25, a coin insertion slot 26, an amount indicator 27 for displaying the inserted amount, and a return lever operated at the time of change refund. 28, return port 2 where change is returned
9 and a product take-out port 30 are provided. The select button 24 includes a sold-out lamp 31 for displaying a sold-out state, and a sellable lamp 32 for identifying whether or not the product selected according to the inserted amount can be sold.

Hereinafter, the electrical configuration of the vending machine 21 will be described with reference to FIG. The vending machine 21 includes, for example, a control unit 33 realized by a microcomputer or the like. The control unit 33 is connected to a plurality of columns 34 having a configuration described below and arranged inside the front door 22. Then, the product is taken out of each column 34. In the columns 34, for example, products such as cigarettes are stacked and stored, and column numbers 1 to n are set for each column 34. The selection button 24 on the front surface of the front door 22 is also connected to the control unit 33. Each selection button 24 is located on the front of the front door 22 of the vending machine 21,
It is placed at the position corresponding to each product sample, and each column 3
4 and 1 to 1. The sold-out lamp 31 and the sellable lamp 32 built in each selection button 24 as described above are also connected to the control unit 33, respectively.

The control unit 33 includes a carry-out device 35 for carrying out the products taken out from the columns 34 to the take-out port 30, a bill burr 36 for receiving inserted bills, and a receiving process for inserted coins. The operation panel 38 used for inputting data relating to the size of the commodity, the coin indicator 37, and the size of the product to the control unit 33 is connected. The control unit 33 includes a CPU (central control unit) 41 and an I / O port 42, a timer 43, and a memory 44 for inputting and outputting data and signals to and from the outside.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a description will be given of a product discharging device 35 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Unloading device 35
As shown in FIG. 1, a box-shaped product 52 is
The column device 51 is configured together with the columns 34 that are stacked and stored in two rows at an interval from each other along the second unloading direction B1. The carry-out device 35 is provided below the column 34 that forms the column device 51, and carries out the lowermost product 52 of the column 34 out of the column 34. Column 3
4 includes a stop plate 55 movable on the upstream side in the unloading direction B1 along the unloading direction B1 and a stop plate 56 provided at a fixed position on the downstream side in the unloading direction B1. . The stop plate 55 is used to store the product 52 stored in the column 34.
Corresponding to the size of the stop plate 56, the stop plate 56 is moved by the operator in a direction toward or away from the stop plate 56. In the present embodiment, the stop plate 55 side is configured to be on the front side of the vending machine 21.

The unloading device 35 provided at the lower part of the column 34 is wound around a pair of pulleys 57, 58 driven by a motor 66 and the pulleys 57, 58, and is driven to travel in the traveling direction B2. Belt 59, and carry-out plates 60 and 61 fixed at mutually symmetric positions of the belt 59, respectively. Unloading plates 60, 61
Has operation surfaces 62 and 63 facing the belt 59, and pressing portions 64 and 65 protruding outward.
A limit switch S is provided between the pulleys 57 and 58.
W1 and SW2 are provided. Limit switch SW
1 has reached the center position along the unloading direction B1 of the column 34 when the unloading plate 60 or the unloading plate 61 has the standard size of the products 52 stacked in two rows in the column 34 as an example. Sometimes, the unloading plate 61 or the unloading plate 60
Is provided at a position where the limit switch SW1 is operated. When the unloading plate 60 or the unloading plate 61 has unloaded one product 52 from the column 34 and the unloading plate 60 or the unloading plate 61 is removed from the inside of the column 34, the limit switch SW2 sets the unloading plate 61 or the unloading plate. 6
0 is provided at a position where the limit switch SW2 is operated.

In this embodiment, each of the carry-out plates 60, 61
As shown in FIG. 1, when the size of the product 52 in the column 34 is changed from a standard size shown by a solid line to a small size shown by a two-dot chain line as shown in FIG. The length of 1/2 of the possible movement amount L2 of the stop plate 55 to the stop plate 56 side, or the product 5 on the stop plate 55 side
The length is selected to be the same as the movement amount L3 of the second stop plate 56 to the product 52 side. This is because, in the present embodiment, only the stop plate 55 among the stop plates 55 and 56 constituting the column 34 can be moved, so that the center position along the unloading direction B1 of the column 34 varies depending on the size of the product 52. Will be
This is because the center position can be set according to the product size as described later.

In the following, referring to FIG.
Will be described. In step a1, the operator sets the product size in the control unit 33 by operating the operation panel 38, operating the stop plate 55, or the like. In the present embodiment, as the size of the product 52, a first size of a relatively large size and a second size of a relatively small size are assumed as examples. When the product 52 stored in the column 34 is of a relatively large first size, the stop plates 55, 56 are relatively far away from each other as shown by solid lines in FIG. Also, as shown in FIG.
At the center position along the carry-out direction B1.
In step a2, the vending machine 21 is switched from the setting mode to the selling mode. When the selection button 24 of the vending machine 21 is operated in step a3, step a4
, The motor 66 is started and the pulleys 57 and 58 rotate,
The belt 59 runs. At this time, when the unloading plate 61 reaches the limit switch SW2 and operates, and the detection signal from the limit switch SW2 is detected by the control unit 33,
Assuming that the carry-out of the product 52 from the column 34 has been completed, the control unit 33 performs calculation of the balance of the inserted money, lighting of a sellable lamp corresponding to a product that can be sold within the balance, and the like.

Next, at step a5, the vending machine 21
The control unit 33 provided on the standby state waits for detection of a detection signal from the limit switch SW1. When the motor 66 continues to rotate, the unloading plate 61 reaches near the center of the column 34. At this time, the front end of the operation surface 62 of the unloading plate 60 in the traveling direction is the limit switch SW1.
Activate That is, when the determination in step a5 is affirmative, at this time, the front end of the operation surface 62 of the unloading plate 60 in the traveling direction operates the limit switch SW1.
At this time, in step a6, the control unit 33 determines whether or not the product size set in step a1 is the first size. If this determination is affirmative, the motor 66 is stopped in step a7. That is, at the timing when the unloading plate 60 reaches the limit switch SW1, the unloading plate 6
1 is stopped. At this time, the carry-out plate 61 is located at a central position along the carry-out direction B1 of the column 34.

When the product 52 stored in the column 34 is set in step a1 so as to be a relatively small second size, the stop plate 55 is connected to the stop plate 56 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. It is in a relatively close position. At this time, the same processes as those described above are performed in steps a2 to a4. Next, in step a5, the control unit 33 provided in the vending machine 21 waits for detection of a detection signal from the limit switch SW1. As the motor 66 continues to rotate, the unloading plate 61 reaches near the center of the column 34. At this time, the front end of the operation surface 62 of the unloading plate 60 in the running direction activates the limit switch SW1. That is, when the determination in step a5 is affirmative, at this time, the front end of the operation surface 62 of the unloading plate 60 in the traveling direction operates the limit switch SW1. At this time,
In step a6, the control unit 33 determines whether or not the product size set in step a1 is the first size. If this determination is negative, the process waits in step a8 for the limit switch SW1 to be turned off. That is,
When the rear end of the operation surface 62 of the unloading plate 60 along the traveling direction B2 passes the limit switch SW1, the limit switch SW1 is turned off.

At this time, the carry-out plate 61 has moved from the middle position between the two rows of large-sized products 52 to the middle position between two rows of the small-sized products 52. If the determination in step a8 is affirmative, the motor 66 is stopped in step a7. That is, the unloading plate 61 is stopped at the timing when the unloading plate 60 has passed the limit switch SW1. At this time, the unloading plate 61 is located at the center position along the unloading direction B1 of the two rows of small-sized products 52.

As described above, in this embodiment, when the product size is changed, the stop plate 55 constituting the column 34,
56, the stop plate 5 located on the front side of the vending machine 21
Only 5 can be moved. In addition, since the center position of the products 52 stacked in two rows changes, the center position between the product rows corresponding to the product sizes can be automatically determined with the same component configuration as in the related art. .

As described above, the vending machine 21 of this embodiment
When the size of the product 52 stored in the column 34 is changed, the movable stop plate 55 provided on the upstream side in the unloading direction B1 is moved along the unloading direction B1 in accordance with the size of the product 52. To move. Also, since the center position of the two product rows in the columns 34 of the unloading plates 60 and 61 for carrying out the product 52 from the column 34 changes depending on the product size, the timing at which the detection signal from the limit switch SW1 is turned on is determined. , On, and off. Therefore, the stop plate 5 of the column 34
This eliminates the need to make each of 5, 5 movable.

Thus, when the products 52 having different sizes are stored in the column 34, the number of the stop plates 55 for performing the operation of sliding to fit the size of the new product 52 can be reduced. As a result, the adjustment work according to the product size can be simplified.

Further, in this embodiment, the movable stop plate 55 is provided on the front side inside the vending machine 21, so that the front door 22 of the vending machine 21 is opened and the product 52 is replaced. When performing an operation, the adjustment operation can be easily performed. Further, since a situation in which the stop plate 56 on the rear side of the column 34 can be moved is avoided, it is not necessary to separately provide an operation component on the stop plate 56 on the rear side of the column 34, and the number of components can be reduced. The configuration can be simplified.

FIG. 5 shows a discharge plate 70 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The unloading plate 70 is the unloading plate 55 in the above embodiment,
It is used in the same manner as 56, and includes an operation surface 71 facing the belt 59, a pressing portion 72 for carrying out a product, and a recess 73 is provided in a part of the operation surface 72.
In this embodiment, when the carry-out plate 70 reaches the limit switch SW1, the front end of the operation surface 71 in the traveling direction B2 is at the timing when the limit switch SW1 is turned on.
The timing at which the limit switch SW1 is turned off at the recess 73, the timing at which the limit switch SW1 is turned on again at an upstream portion of the recess 73 in the traveling direction B2, and the timing at which the operation surface 71 has passed through the limit switch SW1. The following four timings can be obtained.

According to this, four sizes can be set as the size of the product 52 stored in the vending machine 21, and corresponding to these sizes, the inside of the column 34 as in the above-described embodiment is set. The center positions of the two product rows are automatically identified.

It is clear that the above-described effects can be obtained in such an embodiment.

The above-described embodiment shows one example of the present invention, and does not limit the present invention. The present invention
The present invention has a wide variety of modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0034]

According to the vending machine of the present invention, the product discharging device of the vending machine is provided at the lower part of the column where the products are stacked and stored in a plurality of rows along the direction in which the products are discharged.
This column has a support wall that can move in the carry-out direction according to the size of the product on either the upstream side or the downstream side in the carry-out direction. In this product unloading device, a pressing member fixed to a traveling member that travels along the unloading direction with respect to the product is provided. The pressing member has one or a plurality of detected portions corresponding to one or a plurality of predetermined stop positions in the column, which are arranged along the unloading direction. When the traveling member travels, the pressing member moves along the unloading direction, presses the product along the unloading direction, and unloads the product from the column. The detecting means arranged near the traveling member outputs a different detection signal every time the detected portion of the pressing member is detected. The control means identifies the detection signal from the detection means and controls the traveling state of the traveling member so that the pressing member stops at the one or more stop positions corresponding to the detection signal.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the size of the product stored in the column is changed, the movable support wall provided on one of the upstream side and the downstream side in the unloading direction. Is moved along the unloading direction in accordance with the size of the product. At this time, one or a plurality of predetermined stop positions in the column of the pressing member for carrying out the product from the column are determined based on a detection signal from the detection unit. Therefore, it is tentatively required to provide movable columns on both sides of the column along the unloading direction.

[0036] Thus, when articles of different sizes are stored in the column, the number of support walls for performing the operation of sliding to fit the size of a new article can be reduced. As a result, the adjustment work according to the product size can be simplified.

Further, in the present invention, if the movable support wall is provided on the front side inside the vending machine, when the front door of the vending machine is opened and a product exchange operation is performed,
The adjustment operation can be easily performed. In addition, since a situation in which a support wall is provided behind the column is avoided, there is no need to separately provide operation parts on the support wall behind the column, and the number of components can be reduced, and the configuration can be simplified. Can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of a column device 34 of a vending machine 21 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine 21. FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the vending machine 21.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a vending machine 1 according to the prior art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 21 vending machine 22 front door 30 take-out port 33 control unit 35 carry-out device 34 column 51 column device 52 product 55, 56 stop plate 59 belt 60, 61 carry-out plate 62, 63 operating surface 64, 65 pressing unit 66 motor B1 carry-out direction B2 Travel direction SW1, SW2 Limit switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A product is stored in a plurality of rows along a product discharging direction and is stored in a plurality of rows, and is disposed on either the upstream side or the downstream side in the discharging direction in accordance with the size of the product. A product carrying device provided at a lower portion of a column having a support wall movable along the carrying member, the traveling member traveling along the carrying-out direction with respect to the product; And has one or a plurality of detected portions corresponding to one or more predetermined stop positions, is fixed to the traveling member, and moves along the unloading direction along with the traveling of the traveling member. A pressing member that presses the product along the unloading direction and unloads the product from the column; and a detection signal that is disposed near the traveling member and outputs a different detection signal each time the detected portion of the pressing member is detected. Detecting means; and A vending machine comprising: control means for identifying a detection signal and controlling a traveling state of the traveling member such that the pressing member stops at the one or more stop positions corresponding to the detection signal.