JPH11272936A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vending machine capable of efficiently selling plural kinds of commodities by automatically replenishing according to an actual sales situation. SOLUTION: Within the warming and cooling room 7 of a vending machine, plural kinds of commodities S are housed in plural commodity passages 13a and a commodity S swept out by plural sweeping out mechanisms 13e at the time of selling is carried out to a sales port 3a through a carrying out port 15. In a normal temperature room 8, replenishing commodities S1 are housed within plural replenishing commodity passages 16a and swept out to a replenishing and carrying-out port by a replenishing and carrying-out mechanism 16b. After moving a carrying means 20 near the replenishing and carrying-out port according to the sales situation of the commodities S detected by a detecting means, a control means allows the plural replenishing and sweeping out mechanism 13e to sweep out the commodities S1 of the same kind of the commodities S to replenish and allows the means 20 to carry the received commodities S1 to the feeding port of the plural passages 13a for replenishing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a plurality of storage rooms partitioned in a vending machine, and sells goods stored in one storage room at the time of sale, and from another storage room during operation. The present invention relates to a vending machine having a structure for automatically refilling a product in one storage room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vending machine of this type is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 7-129842. In this vending machine, the inside of the vending machine main body is divided into two upper and lower storage rooms by a partition wall having heat insulation, and the lower storage room is provided with four rows of serpentine track type product passages in the front-rear direction. A product rack is housed. Each of these product passages extends while meandering in the vertical direction, and stores therein different types of products. At the lower end of each product passage, a payout mechanism is arranged. When the product is sold, the payout mechanism pays out the lowest product in the product passage downward, and is carried out to the sales outlet via a chute. You. In addition, the product aisle at the last position stores best-selling products expected to sell best among the four types of products. Further, a cooling device and a heating device are provided in the main body of the vending machine, and the products in the product rack in the lower storage room are cooled or heated by these devices.

On the other hand, the upper storage room stores a product stocker that stores only a large number of top-selling products. The partition wall is configured in a hopper shape having an opening in the center thereof,
A heat insulating shutter for opening and closing the opening is provided. The opening communicates with a product passage that stores the hot-selling product, and when the heat-insulating shutter opens the opening, the hot-selling product in the product stocker falls into the product passage at the last position.
In this vending machine, at the time of selling a product, every time a hot selling product is sold, the heat-insulating shutter opens the opening of the partition wall so that the hot selling product is automatically refilled into the product passage at the last position. Is set to

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional vending machine, the products automatically refilled in the product aisles of the product rack are limited to the best-selling products which are expected to sell best. Product cannot be replenished. For this reason, in a conventional vending machine, when there are a plurality of types of hot selling products, and when a hot selling product of a different type from the hot selling product in the upper storage room is sold out, the product rack is replenished with this product until the loading operation. And the sales opportunity is missed, and there is a problem that the sales efficiency is reduced.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and is intended to automatically replenish a plurality of types of commodities in accordance with the actual sales situation, thereby enabling efficient sales. The purpose is to provide a machine.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine, comprising: a vending machine main body; a vending machine main body; Partition walls, a plurality of product passages provided in the heating and cooling room, each of which stores a plurality of different types of products, a plurality of input ports for inputting products into the plurality of product passages, and A plurality of payout mechanisms for paying out the goods stored in the plurality of product passages, a carry-out port communicating with the plurality of payout mechanisms, and a plurality of types of products provided in the room temperature room and stored in the plurality of product passages. A plurality of replenishment merchandise passages each storing at least a part of the same plurality of commodities as replenishment merchandise, a plurality of replenishment and dispensing mechanisms for dispensing replenishment merchandise from the plurality of replenishment merchandise passages, and a plurality of replenishment and dispensing mechanisms, respectively. A supplement A carry-out port, a sales port through which goods paid out by the plurality of pay-out mechanisms at the time of sale are carried out through the carry-out port, a transport means movably provided between the plurality of input ports and the replenishment carry-out port, Detecting means for detecting the sales situation of the goods stored in the goods passage of the product, and, according to the sales situation of the goods detected by the detecting means, moving the transport means to the vicinity of the replenishment outlet, and then replenishing the plurality of replenishments The dispensing mechanism pays out the same kind of refill product as the product to be replenished to the replenishment outlet, and the transport means receives the replenished replenished product and conveys it to the input port of the product passage for storing the product to be replenished. And control means for controlling.

[0007] According to this vending machine, at the time of sale, commodities paid out by a plurality of payout mechanisms are carried out to a sales outlet through an outlet. As the sale of goods progresses, the control means:
According to the detection result of the sales situation of the detecting means, when a situation occurs in which a plurality of kinds of replenished goods and the same kind of goods are to be replenished in a plurality of product passages, the transport means is moved to the vicinity of the replenishment outlet, and The replenishment / dispensing mechanism is configured to pay out a replenishment product of the same type as the refill product. The replenishment product is received by the conveying means through the replenishment carry-out port, and is conveyed to the input port of the product passage for storing the product to be replenished. In this manner, a plurality of types of replenished products can be automatically replenished to a plurality of product passages in accordance with an actual sales situation, so that the plurality of types of replenished products are set and stored in a plurality of popular products, respectively. Thereby, a plurality of popular products can be appropriately replenished to a plurality of product passages. As a result, unlike the related art, even when there are a plurality of types of top-selling products, they can be sold abundantly by taking advantage of sales opportunities, and sales efficiency can be improved.

Further, since the control means controls the plurality of replenishment / dispensing mechanisms and the carry-out means, it is necessary to change the type and ratio of replenishment products stored in the plurality of replenishment product passages in accordance with changes in hot-selling products. , And can respond flexibly to it. Furthermore, since the inside of the vending machine body is divided into a room temperature room and a heating / cooling room, compared to heating or cooling the entire inside of the vending machine body, the volume of the heating / cooling room becomes smaller, so that stored products can be stored. Power consumption for heating or cooling can be reduced, and operation costs can be reduced.

In the above, the transport means is configured to be movable between a carry-out port and a sales port, and the control means controls the plurality of payout mechanisms after the transport means moves to the vicinity of the carry-out port when selling the product. It is preferable to control the delivery means to receive the delivered goods and transport the goods to a sales outlet.

According to this vending machine, the conveying means for replenishing the replenished commodities in the merchandise path also serves as the conveying means for conveying the commodities paid out by the plurality of payout mechanisms to the sales outlet. It is not necessary to separately provide the transporting means for the above and the transporting means for selling the product, so that the structure can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In addition, since the transporting means transports the product from the outlet to the sales outlet, the installation position of the sales outlet can be freely set.

Further, in the above, the plurality of input ports and the replenishment carry-out port face from the same side with respect to the transport means, and the transport means receives the replenishment product from the replenishment carry-out port and inputs the received replenishment product into the input port. Has an opening for paying out to
A box-shaped bucket that is rotatable between a position inclined obliquely downward and a horizontal position toward the side opposite to the opening, and a bucket provided at the bottom of the bucket, and the mounting portion moves toward the opening A belt conveyor that is rotatable so as to perform the control, the control means stops the bucket in an obliquely lowered position near the replenishment outlet, and stops the bucket in a substantially horizontal position in the vicinity of the insertion port. It is preferable to rotate the bucket after stopping near the inlet.

[0012] According to this vending machine, the bucket stops at a position obliquely downward toward the side opposite to the opening in the vicinity of the replenishment outlet, so that the replenishment product falls into the bucket through the opening. And it is surely received. In addition, since the belt conveyor rotates after the bucket stops in a substantially horizontal position near the plurality of input ports, the replenishment products on the belt conveyor in the bucket are supplied through the openings in a plurality of stable positions. It is paid out to the mouth.
Thus, the replenishment product can be stably and reliably transported from the replenishment outlet to the plurality of input ports.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
A vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 shows a side cross section of a vending machine 1 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine 1 lays down a product S having a circular cross section such as a canned beverage or a bottled beverage. It is stored and sold. The vending machine 1 includes a vending machine main body 2 and a main door 3 that opens and closes a front surface thereof. The main door 3 has a sales port 3a at the center of the front surface thereof.
b (see FIG. 3) is attached. When the commodity selection button 3b is pressed, the commodity S is paid out and carried out to the sales outlet 3a as described later. On the back side of the main door 3, an insulating door 4 is provided. Inside the vending machine main body 2, a heat insulating door 4 and a heat insulating door 4 are provided.
The storage 5 is defined by the wall plates 5a,
The heat insulating door 4 is attached to the vending machine main body 2 so that the front surface of the storage 5 can be opened and closed. The sales outlet 3a is
The heat-insulating door 4 is opened in the storage 5 through the center of the heat-insulating door 4. The heat-insulating door 4 has a sales outlet door 4 that opens and closes this opening.
a is attached.

As shown in FIG. 1, the interior of the storage 5 has a horizontal partition wall 6a, both of which have heat insulation properties, and a partition wall 6a.
A lower storage chamber 7, an upper storage chamber 8, and a transport path 9 located in front of these upper and lower storage chambers 7 and 8 and communicating with the upper storage chamber 8 by a partition wall 6 b extending downward from the front end of the storage chamber 7. It is divided into. A movable shutter 6c movable in the front-back direction (left-right direction in FIG. 1) and a movable shutter 6
and a drive mechanism (not shown) for driving the movable shutter 6c. The drive mechanism moves the movable shutter 6c forward (to the left in FIG. 1), so that the lower storage chamber 7 and the upper storage chamber 8 communicate with each other. That is, it is configured to be one storage room.

As shown in FIG. 2, the lower storage chamber 7 is divided into three storage chambers 7a to 7c in the middle left and right by two heat insulating partition walls 6d and 6e. As shown in FIG. 1, a cooling device 10 including a compressor 10 a, a fan 10 b, a condenser 10 c, and the like is arranged in a lower space of the storage 5. An evaporator 10d of the cooling device 10 is mounted on the bottom wall 5a of the middle storage chamber 7b, and the evaporator 10d is connected to the compressor 10a and the condenser 1 via a refrigerant pipe (not shown).
0c. Furthermore, the bottom wall 5 of the middle storage room 7b
a, a heater 11a of the heating device 11 and a fan 12
The fan 12, the heating device 11 and the cooling device 10 are switched and operated as needed, so that the inside of the middle storage chamber 7b is heated or cooled. As described above, the middle storage room 7b is set as a shared room for both heating and cooling. The left storage room 7a is set as a cooling room exclusively for cooling, and the right storage room 7c is set as a shared room for both heating and cooling.

Each of the left and right storage chambers 7a and 7c has a total of eight serpentine track-type product columns (product passages), four in the front-rear direction in FIG. 1 and two in the left-right direction in FIG.
A column body 13 having 3a is built therein. The column storage unit 7b has four columns in the front-rear direction in FIG. 1 and one column in the left-right direction in FIG.
3 is built-in. Thus, in the lower storage room 7,
A total of 20 product columns 13a are provided, and these product columns 13a store different types of products S. That is, in the lower storage room 7, a total of 20 types of products are stored, and among these, the four product columns 13a of the middle storage room 7b each include four types of top-selling products that are expected to sell considerably. S is stored. Also, one product column 13a in each of the left and right storage rooms 7a and 7c is expected to sell considerably.
The top selling products S are stored in the lower storage room 7
The 0 types of merchandise S include 6 types of top selling merchandise S.

As shown in FIG. 1, the lower half of each product column 13a extends vertically while meandering, and the upper end has an input port 1 facing the transport path 9 through the opening of the partition wall 6c.
3b. As shown in FIG. 2, these inlets 13b are arranged vertically and have a flapper 13c (see FIG. 4) for opening and closing the inlet 13b. Flapper 1
3c always closes the input port 13b by its own weight, and is pushed by the product S when the product S is input into the input port 13b.
By rotating the upper end as a fulcrum, the input port 1
Release 3b. The product column 13a has an input port 13b
The loading plate 13d is provided obliquely downward and rearward so as to be continuous with the loading plate 13d, and the loading plate 13d forms a product introduction path.

At the lower end of the product column 13a, a payout mechanism 13e is provided. The merchandise S is normally held in the merchandise column 13a in a sideways posture by the payout mechanism 13e, and the lowest product is paid out as the sold merchandise S at the time of sale. Each commodity column 13a is provided with a commodity sensor 13f (see FIG. 3) at a predetermined position (not shown).
During the operation, the number of the commodities S in the commodity column 13a is reduced by a predetermined number (for example, 5) from the maximum storage number. A chute 14 extending obliquely downward is provided below the column body 13, and a front end of the chute 14 is connected to the carry-out port 15. The carry-out port 15 penetrates the heat-insulating door 4 and opens to the transport path 9, and is opened and closed by the carry-out port plate 15a. Exit plate 15
a, which always closes the carry-out port 15, is rotated by the upper end thereof as a fulcrum by being pushed by the goods S sliding down on the chute 14 when the goods S are sold.
Release 5.

On the other hand, the interior of the upper storage room 8 is a room temperature room at normal temperature, and as shown in FIGS. , And a total of 42 product racks 16 are arranged in seven stages. Each of these product racks 16 has a so-called slant shelf type replenishment product passage 16a that is obliquely downwardly lowered.
In each of these replenishment commodity passages 16a, replenishment commodities S1 for replenishment of the same kind as the twenty kinds of commodities S in the lower storage chamber 7 described above are stored as follows. In other words, the refill products S1 of the same type as the six kinds of hot-selling products S are stored in the four refill product passages 16a, respectively. In 16a, one of the same 10 other types is included.
Are stored in the two supplementary product passages 16a.

Each of the product racks 16 can be pulled out of the upper storage room 8 forward, and as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.
The operation of loading the replenishment product S into the replenishment product passage 16a is performed by opening the main door 3 and the heat-insulating door 4, and pulling out the product rack 16 toward the user. A replenishment / dispensing mechanism 16b is provided at the front end of each replenishment commodity passage 16a. The replenishment / dispensing mechanism 16b replenishes the commodity column 13a of the lower storage room 7 with the replenishment commodity S1 as described later. At this time, the replenishment product S1 is paid out from the replenishment product passage 16a. The front end of the replenishment and dispensing mechanism 16b faces the transport path 9 and constitutes a replenishment discharge port 16c (see FIG. 4A).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the transport path 9 extends vertically between the heat insulating door 4 and each of the storage chambers 7 and 8 in the vertical direction. An elevator 20 (transporting means) that can be moved is disposed.
As will be described later, the elevator 20 conveys the commodity S to be sold from the carry-out port 15 to the sales port 3a at the time of sale, and conveys the replenished commodity S1 from the replenishment carry-out port 16c to the insertion port 13b at the time of replenishment. Things. 1 to 3
As shown in FIG. 2, the elevator 20 is provided with two left and right vertical guide rails 21 and 21 which are respectively disposed near the heat insulating doors 4 at the left and right ends in the storage 5 and extend in the vertical direction. The left vertical guide rail 21 is provided with a slide member 22 that can slide up and down along the left vertical guide rail 21, and the first drive mechanism D1 is mounted on the right vertical guide rail 21.

Between the first drive mechanism D1 and the slide member 22, two horizontal guide rails 23, 23 extending horizontally in the left-right direction and an attitude control plate 24 are arranged. The first drive mechanism D1 includes a motor and a gear mechanism with a rotary encoder (not shown), and the horizontal guide rails 23, 23 and the attitude control plate 24 are slid vertically by rotation of the motor. Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first drive mechanism D1 is
Is rotated about a horizontal axis about its front end between a horizontal posture indicated by a two-dot chain line and a diagonally forward lowered posture indicated by a solid line.

A bucket 25 is provided on the attitude control plate 24. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the bucket 25 includes left and right side walls 25a, 25a facing each other,
Bottom wall 25b, front dispensing plate 25c, rear opening 25
d and is formed in a box shape.
The front face of the bucket 25 is opened and closed. The horizontal guide rails 23 penetrate the bottom wall 25b of the bucket 25, and the bucket 25
23 is slidably supported. Therefore, the bucket 25 and the horizontal guide rails 23, 23 rotate between a horizontal posture and a diagonally forward lowering posture with the rotation of the posture control plate 24 by the first drive mechanism D1.

A second drive mechanism D2 is attached to a lower portion of the outer surface of the left side wall 25a of the bucket 25. The second drive mechanism D2 includes a motor and a gear mechanism with a rotary encoder (not shown), similarly to the first drive mechanism D1, and the rotation of the motor causes the bucket 25 to move the two horizontal guide rails 23, Slide left and right along 23.

As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG.
5, a belt conveyor 26 is arranged at the bottom,
A third driving mechanism D3 for driving the belt conveyor 26 is attached to a lower portion of the outer surface of the left side wall 25a.
The third drive mechanism D3 also has the same configuration as the first and second drive mechanisms. When the motor (not shown) rotates, the mounting portion of the belt conveyor 26 is opened as shown in FIG. This is rotated clockwise in the figure so as to move to the 25d side. As a result, as described later, during the replenishment operation, the replenishment product S1 placed on the belt conveyor 26 is paid out from the opening 25d of the bucket 25 to the rear.

A fourth drive mechanism D4 for opening and closing the dispensing plate 25c is mounted on the upper portion of the outer surface of the right side plate 25a. The fourth drive mechanism D4 is also the first to third
The drive mechanism has the same structure as the drive mechanism. When the motor (not shown) rotates, as shown in FIG.
c is rotated about a horizontal axis passing through its upper end between an open angle indicated by a two-dot chain line and a closed angle indicated by a solid line.

Further, the bucket 25 is provided with left and right two positioning plates 27 for positioning the left and right positions of the received replenishment product S1. Left positioning plate 27
Is fixed to the inner surface of the left side plate 25a, and the left ends of the two round guide rails 28 are
It is fixed to the inner surface of and extends to the right. Right positioning plate 2
7 has two round guide rails 28, 28 at its upper end.
Is slidably supported. A fifth drive mechanism D5 having the same configuration as each of the drive mechanisms D1 to D4 described above is attached to an upper portion of the outer surface of the right positioning plate 27.
The right positioning plate moves between a position indicated by a solid line and a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 when a motor (not shown) of the fifth drive mechanism D5 rotates. At this time, the right positioning plate 27 does not interfere with the belt conveyor 26,
When sliding to the left and right on the two guide rails 28, 28, the supplementary product S1 (or the product S) is moved so as to be pressed against the left positioning plate 27 side. Thereby, the replenishment product S1 is positioned in the left-right direction so as to contact the left positioning plate 27.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the above-mentioned product selection button 3b, product sensor 13f, payout mechanism 13e, replenishment payout mechanism 16b, and first to fifth drive mechanisms D1 to D5.
Are electrically connected to a control unit (control means) CU. The control unit CU includes a CPU (not shown),
A microcomputer including a ROM and a RAM, the payout mechanisms 13e and 16b, and drive mechanisms D1 to D5.
And a driving circuit for driving the vending machine 1. When the vending machine 1 is operated, the vending machine 1 controls the vending machine 1 as described below to execute the selling operation of the commodity S and the replenishing operation of the supplementary commodity S1.

That is, at the time of selling the product S, based on the pressed product selection button 3b, the 2 in the product column 3a is displayed.
It is determined which of the 0 types of commodities S has been selected, and the elevator 20 at the home position is moved to the vicinity of one of the five exits 15. For example, a case where the product S stored in the middle storage room 7b is selected will be described.
First, by driving the first drive mechanism D1, the horizontal guide rail 23 and the attitude control plate 24 are moved along the left and right vertical guide rails 21 and 21 to the outlet 1 of the middle storage chamber 7b.
Move to a height of 5. At the same time, the second drive mechanism D
By driving 1, the bucket 25 is moved to a position at the center of the horizontal guide rail 23. At the time of these drives, each of the motors of the first and second drive mechanisms D1 and D2 is determined while judging the vertical and horizontal positions of the bucket 25 based on the outputs of the rotary encoders of the first and second drive mechanisms D1 and D2. To control the amount of rotation.

When the bucket 25 moves to a position near the carry-out port 15, the bucket 25 is stopped, and the attitude control plate 24 moves to the position shown in FIG.
The first drive mechanism D1 is driven so as to rotate to the posture shown in FIG. Thereafter, by driving the payout mechanism 13e of the product column 13a, the lowest product S in the product column 13a is paid out as the sales product S downward. The paid-out sales commodities S slide down on the chute 14 and fall into the bucket 25 through the opening 25d. At this time, since the bucket 25 is in a diagonally forward-downward posture as shown in FIG. 4A, the sold product S is stably moved without moving while in contact with the belt conveyor 26 and the dispensing plate 25c. 25.

After a predetermined time has elapsed since the payout mechanism 13e paid out the sales product S, the first drive mechanism D1 is driven to move the bucket 25 upward to the height facing the sales port 3a while keeping the bucket 25 in the diagonally forward lower position. Move to Thereafter, by driving the fourth drive mechanism D4, the payout plate 25c is rotated as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.
5. Open the front of 5. As a result, the sales product S is paid out from the bucket 25 to the sales port 3a side, and the sales port door 4
A is pushed out into the sales port 3a while pushing a. Thereafter, the elevator 20 returns to the home position,
The selling operation ends.

Next, a replenishing operation for replenishing the replenished commodities S1 to the commodities column 13a of the lower storage room 7 by the elevator 20 will be described. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the replenished product S is stored in the product column 13a at the last position of the middle storage room 7b.
The case where 1 is added will be described. First, when it is detected from the output of the product sensor 13f that the number of products S in the product column 13a at the last position has decreased by a predetermined number, the first and second driving mechanisms D1 and D2 are driven as described above. Elevator 20 in home position
Is moved to a position facing the replenishment carry-out port 16c of the commodity rack 16 storing the replenished commodities S1 of the same kind as the reduced commodities S. During this movement, as described above, the first drive mechanism D1 is driven and the attitude control plate 24 is rotated, so that the bucket 25 is inclined obliquely downward.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), when the bucket 25 moves to a position facing the replenishment outlet 16c, the replenishment and dispensing mechanism 16b is driven to replenish the replenishment product S1.
Is discharged into the bucket 25 through the replenishment carry-out port 16c. At this time, as described above, since the bucket 25 is in the attitude of diagonally lowering forward, the replenishment product S1 is stored in the bucket 25 in a stable state. Thereafter, the fifth driving mechanism D
5 is driven to move the right positioning plate 27 to the left, thereby moving the replenishment product S1 to the left and making contact with the left positioning plate 27. As a result, the refill product S1 in the bucket 25 can be positioned at a predetermined position in the left-right direction. Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, the bucket 25 is moved to a position facing the insertion port 13b of the product column 13a at the last position, stopped, and then driven by the first drive mechanism D1, so that the bucket 25 is driven. 25 is in a horizontal position.

Thereafter, by driving the third driving mechanism D3, the belt conveyor 26 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 4B, and the replenishment product S is paid out from the rear opening of the bucket 25 to the insertion port 13b side. . The replenishment product S1 moves on the loading plate 13d while rotating the flapper 13c, and is stored in the product column 13a. At this time, as described above, the replenishment product S1 is positioned in the left-right direction by the positioning plate 27.
Even if the width of the insertion port 13b is narrowed in accordance with 1, the position of the replenishment product S1 in the left-right direction can be reliably inserted into the insertion port 13b without variation in the left-right direction. In addition, the replenishment product S1 is a belt conveyor 2
6 and is moved in a posture parallel to the input port 13b, and without being inclined, the opening 25 of the bucket 25.
It is paid out from d in the same posture. by this,
The replenishment product S1 is reliably stored in a stable state without being clogged in the product column 13a. Thereafter, the elevator 20 returns to the home position, and ends the refilling operation.

As described in detail above, according to the vending machine 1 of the present embodiment, the control unit CU controls any one of the 20 types stored in the product column 13a by the output of the product sensor 13f. When the number of types of commodities S decreases by a predetermined number, the elevator 20 and the replenishment / dispensing mechanism 16c are driven to receive the replenishment commodities S1 of the same type as the commodities S paid out by the replenishment / dispensing mechanism 16c by the elevator 20, and receive the same. It is transported to the input port 13b of the column 13a. As described above, the product column 13a storing 20 types of products can be automatically replenished from the refill product passage 16a storing 20 types of refill products S1, which is impossible with a conventional vending machine. Many kinds of popular products can be replenished appropriately and automatically according to the actual sales situation. As a result, the selling merchandise S can be sold frequently without missing a sales opportunity, and the sales efficiency can be improved. In addition, since the control unit CU controls the elevator 20 and the replenishment / dispensing mechanism 16c, it is possible to flexibly change the type of the product S stored in the lower storage room 7 and the upper storage room 8, change the ratio of the best selling products S, and the like. These can be set and these can be set freely. In addition, since the upper storage room 8 is a room temperature room and only the inside of the lower storage room 7 needs to be heated or cooled, the power consumption is lower than when the entire inside of the storage 5 is heated or cooled. Can be reduced, and operating costs can be reduced.

Further, the elevator 20 that conveys the sold product S to the sales port 3a is used to store the replenished product S1 in the product column 13a.
, It is not necessary to provide a mechanism for replenishing the replenished product S1 separately.
Manufacturing costs can be reduced. Further, when the elevator 20 throws in the refill product S into the slot 13b, the positioning plate 27 is placed in the bucket 25 of the elevator 20.
To position the replenishment product S1 to the left and right.
Is reliably supplied to the input port 13b. In addition to this,
At this time, the bucket 25 pays out the refill product S1 to the slot 13b without being rolled by the belt conveyor 26, so that the refill product S1 is stably stored in the product column 13a without being clogged.

In the above embodiment, the storage 5
Although the inside is partitioned into two upper and lower storage chambers 7 and 8, the invention is not limited to this, and it may be partitioned left and right. In addition, lower storage room 7
Although a column main body 13 having a serpentine track type product column 13a is incorporated therein, the present invention is not limited to this, and a slant shelf type product rack with a product passage or a product rack with a horizontal product passage may be used. ,
What is necessary is just a structure which can be paid out. Similarly, although a slant shelf type product rack 16 is built in the upper storage room 8, a column body having a serpentine track type product column, a product rack with a horizontal product passage, or the like may be used instead. Any configuration can be used as long as the product can be stored and paid out.

Further, the belt conveyor 26 is provided at the bottom of the bucket 25 of the elevator 20 and is driven to drive the replenishment commodities S1 into the inlet 16b. However, the present invention is not limited to this. May be omitted, and the first drive mechanism D1 may rotate the attitude control plate 24 obliquely backward and downward to pay out the refill product S1 from the bucket 25 to the input port 16b and insert it. Further, the configuration is such that the product S sold by the elevator 20 is transported to the sales port 3a, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the elevator 20 is dedicated to replenishment operation, and the sales port 3a is connected to the chute 14 below the main door 3. And the sales item S paid from the item column 13a is the shoot 1
It may be configured to reach the sales port 3a while rolling on the top 4.

In addition, the replenishment operation by the elevator 20 is performed according to the output of the commodity sensor 13f. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the replenishment operation may be performed according to the output of the one that detects the sales situation of the commodity S. . For example, product selection button 3
The replenishment operation may be performed according to the output of b, or may be performed according to the sales amount of the product S per unit time, the remaining amount of the product S in each product column 13a, and the like. Further, a replenishment operation may be performed for each sale operation of the product S, and a replenishment operation may be performed for a product with a small sales volume at a midnight.

[0040]

As described above, according to the vending machine of the present invention, a plurality of types of commodities can be automatically replenished according to the actual sales situation, and thereby can be efficiently sold.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the structure of a product storage unit of the vending machine.

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

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing (a) an operation of receiving a replenished product and (b) an operation of carrying out the replenished product to a slot.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vending machine 2 Vending machine main body 3a Sales outlet 6a Partition wall 6b Partition wall 7 Lower storage room (hot / cold room) 8 Upper storage room (normal temperature room) 9 Transport path 13a Product column (product path) 13b Input port 13e Dispensing mechanism 13f Commodity sensor (detection means) 15 Carry-out port 16a Replenishment merchandise passage 16b Replenishment / dispensing mechanism 16c Replenishment carry-out port 20 Elevator (carry-out means) 25 Bucket 25d Opening 26 Belt conveyor CU Control device (Control means) S Product S1 Replenishment product

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine main body, a partition wall having heat insulation properties and partitioning the inside of the vending machine main body into a normal temperature room at room temperature and a heating / cooling room to be heated or cooled, and provided in the heating / cooling room. A plurality of merchandise passages for accommodating a plurality of types of commodities different from each other, a plurality of insertion openings for introducing the commodities into the plurality of merchandise passages, A plurality of dispensing mechanisms for dispensing the product, a carry-out port communicating with the plurality of dispensing mechanisms, and at least a part of the plurality of types of the product provided in the room temperature room and stored in the plurality of product passages, A plurality of replenishment merchandise passages for storing the same plurality of types of commodities as replenishment commodities, a plurality of replenishment and dispensing mechanisms for respectively dispensing the replenishment commodities from the plurality of replenishment commodities, and a plurality of replenishment and dispensing mechanisms. A replenishment outlet, a sales outlet through which the commodities paid out by the plurality of dispensing mechanisms are unloaded through the outlet, and a movable outlet between the plurality of inlets and the replenishment outlet. And a detecting means for detecting a sales situation of the product stored in the plurality of product passages. The conveying means sets the replenishment in accordance with the sales status of the product detected by the detecting means. After moving to the vicinity of the carry-out port, the plurality of replenishment / dispensing mechanisms pay out the same kind of replenished goods to the replenishment carry-out port as the goods to be replenished, and the transport means removes the paid-out refilled goods. And vice versa. The vending machine further comprises: control means for controlling so as to receive the product to be replenished and to convey the product to the input port of the product path for storing the product to be replenished. 2. The transportation unit is configured to be movable between the outlet and the sales outlet, and the control unit is configured to move the transportation unit to a position near the outlet when selling the product. 2. The automatic delivery system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of payout mechanisms pays out the product, and the transporting unit controls to receive the delivered product and transport the product to the sales outlet. Vending machine. 3. The plurality of input ports and the replenishment carry-out port,
Facing from the same side with respect to the transport means, the transport means has an opening for receiving the replenishment product from the replenishment outlet and paying out the received replenishment product to the slot, A box-shaped bucket that is rotatable between a position inclined obliquely toward the side opposite to the opening and a horizontal position, and is provided at the bottom of the bucket,
A belt conveyor rotatable so that the mounting portion moves toward the opening side, wherein the control means stops the bucket in the obliquely lowered position near the replenishment carry-out port, The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the vending machine is stopped in a substantially horizontal posture in the vicinity of the slot, and the belt conveyor is rotated after the bucket stops near the slot.