JPH11283105A - Article ejection width controller for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article ejection width controller for an automatic vending machine with which even a bottle-shaped article having a rectangular cross section can be smoothly ejected. SOLUTION: When pulling down an operating plate 14, guide rods 151 and 152 attached to this operating plate 14 are moved down. At such a time, the guide rods 151 and 152 are in contact with guide sides 121 and 131 of respective lock plates 12 and 13, and the respective upper and lower lock plates 12 and 13 are turned toward the side of an article ejection port 2 (the ejection width of the article ejection port is narrowed). Thus, even when setting the ejection width a little wider, this next sales article lock plate 12 is protruded in the article ejection port 2 while being inclined, and the article is held without facing the article to be next vended. Besides, the article-just-before-sale lock plate 13 is protruded into the article ejection port 2 while being inclined as well, and the article just before sale can be surely held.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a merchandise discharge width adjusting device for a vending machine for adjusting a discharge width of a product stored in a serpentine column or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a serpentine type vending machine shown in FIG. 5 is known.

In this vending machine, a merchandise carrying-out device (hereinafter, referred to as a carry-out device) 3 is provided at a merchandise carrying-out port (hereinafter, referred to as a carry-out port) 2 of a serpentine column (hereinafter, referred to as a column) 1.
And the carry-out device 3 carries out the lowest order goods A in the column 1 one by one. That is, in the sales standby state, the gate lever 3a of the carry-out device 3 projects into the carry-out port 2 and holds the lowest commodity A. At the time of sale, the gated lever 3a retracts once and the lowest product A
While the lock lever 3b (shown by a broken line)
Protrudes and holds the second lowest product, and the gate lever 3a protrudes into the carry-out port 2 again to be in a standby state for sale.

The vending machine is provided with a product unloading width adjusting device (hereinafter referred to as an adjusting device) 4 opposed to the unloading device 3, and the adjusting device 4 controls the unloading width corresponding to the width of the product A. W1 and W2 are set. That is, when the adjusting direction of the adjusting device 4 is set in a direction approaching the unloading device 3, the unloading width W1 of the unloading port 2 is reduced, and thereby,
Small canned juices can be carried out. On the contrary, when the adjustment direction is set in the direction away from the carry-out device 3, the carry-out width W2 of the carry-out port 2 is widened, so that a large-diameter can juice or the like can be carried out.

As described above, the carry-out widths W1 and W2 are adjusted by the adjusting device 4
As an adjustment structure, there is known a structure (not shown) in which an adjustment plate installed on the front side is horizontally moved in the front-rear direction to adjust the carry-out width (JP-A-9-259341). Gazette).

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Such an adjusting device 4 is described.
In the above, when the products stored in the column 1 are cylindrical, such as canned juice, there is not much inconvenience in the control of carrying out the products, but the products in the column 1 have a substantially square cross section. There are the following drawbacks when using plastic bottle products.

That is, in the standby state for sale, the side of the rectangular bottle product faces the adjustment plate, so that the lock lever 3
When b rotates to lock the product, the product is fixed in surface contact with the adjustment plate. Therefore, when the carry-out width is set close to the width of the product in order to prevent inclination of the product, there is a disadvantage that the operating range of the lock lever 3b is small and the product cannot be sufficiently held. Lock lever 3
When setting the holding force of b large, the lock lever 3b
Has the drawback that the tip of the product bites into the product, causing a so-called biting lock phenomenon.

[0008] On the other hand, when the carry-out width is set wide in order to prevent such a drawback, the product may be tilted, which may cause a carry-out failure.

Further, even when the product is held by the gate lever 3a, there is a problem that the holding force of the product is somewhat weak because the adjusting plate is vertical in the vertical direction.

An object of the present invention, in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, is to provide a product discharge width adjusting device for a vending machine which can smoothly discharge even plastic bottle products having a square cross section.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to an automatic vending machine which opposes a product discharge device installed at a product discharge port of a product column and adjusts a discharge width between the product discharge device and the product discharge device. In the apparatus for adjusting the product discharge width of a machine, a main body plate fixed to a side wall of a product column by upper and lower support shafts, and a second sales product from the lowest, which is rotatably supported on the main body plate in a vertical direction. Next-sale product locking plate to be stopped, Right-to-sale product locking plate that is rotatably supported on the main body plate in the vertical direction and locks the lowest immediately-before-sale product, and up and down on the back side of each locking plate An operation plate slidably movable, a guide formed on each locking plate and extending obliquely rearward from an upper end to a lower end, and a guide rod attached to the operation plate and contacting the guide of each locking plate. It has become the example was structure.

According to the present invention, when the operation plate is pulled down, the guide rod attached to the operation plate moves downward. At this time, the guide rod is in contact with the guide of each plate, and rotates each of the upper and lower locking plates toward the product outlet side (narrows the outlet width of the product outlet).

Thus, even when the carry-out width is set somewhat wide, the next sale product locking plate projects in an inclined state from the product exit, and holds the product without facing the next sale product. Further, the product immediately before sale locking plate also protrudes in an inclined state from the product exit, so that the product immediately before sale can be securely held.

[0014]

1 to 4 show an embodiment of an adjusting device according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a rear view of the adjusting device, and FIG. 2 is a cross section of the adjusting device set for selling canned goods. FIG. 3
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a standby state of an adjusting device set for selling rectangular bottle products, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a selling time of the adjusting device set for selling rectangular bottle products. Since the structure of the vending machine is the same as that shown in FIG. 5 which has already been described, its illustration and description will be omitted.

The adjusting device 10 is installed at the outlet 2 of the column so as to face the unloading device 3 and adjusts the unloading width of the unloading outlet 2 as in the vending machine shown in FIG. The adjusting device 10 according to the present embodiment includes a main body plate 11.
And a next sale product locking plate (hereinafter, referred to as an upper locking plate) 1 disposed near the upper portion of the main body plate 11.
2 and a product contact plate immediately before sale (hereinafter, referred to as a lower locking plate) 1 which is disposed near a lower portion of the main body plate 11.
3 and an operation plate 14 arranged on the back surface of each locking plate 12 and contact plate 13.

First, the structure of the rectangular main body plate 11 will be described. The main body plate 11 bulges toward the front surface and projects in a substantially U-shaped cross section.
In FIG. 1, a support shaft 111a penetrates an upper portion thereof, and a pair of left and right support pins 111b penetrates a lower portion thereof. As shown in FIG.
The main body plate 11 is fixed to the side plate 1a of the column and the column is attached to the column. The main body plate 11 has upper and lower openings in a rectangular shape (openings 112a and 112b), and an upper locking plate 12 is arranged in the upper opening 112a.
The lower locking plate 13 is disposed in the lower opening 112b.

Next, the structure of the upper locking plate 12 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the locking plate 12 is opposed to the second lowest product A1, and its upper end is pivotally supported by the upper support shaft 111a so as to be vertically rotatable. 2 is attached to the side plate 120 of the locking plate 12.
As shown in FIG. 4, a guide side 121 extending obliquely rearward from the upper end to the lower end is formed.

Next, the structure of the lower locking plate 13 will be described. The contact plate 13 is opposed to the lowest product A2 as shown in FIG.
To the left and right side plates 112c via the support shaft 13a,
It is rotatable vertically. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, guide side 131 extending diagonally rearward from the upper end to the lower end is provided on the side plate 130 of the lower locking plate 13.
Are formed.

Further, the structure of the operation plate 14 will be described. A guide bar (upper guide bar) 151 penetrates the upper end of the operation plate 14, and both ends of the upper guide bar 151 abut on the guide sides 121 of the upper locking plate 12. On the other hand, a guide rod (lower guide rod) 152 also penetrates substantially the center of the operation plate 14 in the vertical direction.
Both ends of the lower guide rod 152 abut against the guide side 131 of the lower locking plate 13. Also, the operation plate 14
A handle ring 141 is attached to the lower end of the, and the handle plate 141 is gripped to operate the operation plate 14 up and down.

The unloading width adjusting operation performed by using the adjusting device 10 having the above-described configuration will be described below.

First, when a can product is stored in a column, and the diameter of the product is large, as shown in FIG. 2, the upper locking plate 12 and the lower plate 13 are moved to the main plate without operating the operation plate 14. 11 inside. As a result, normal product unloading is performed (this operation is the same as in the conventional example, so that the figure showing the unloading state is omitted).

On the other hand, when a rectangular bottle product is stored in the column, the upper and lower locking plates 1 are operated by the following operation.
2 and 13 are made to protrude forward from the main body plate 11. That is, the handle ring 141 is gripped and the operation plate 14 is pulled down. Thereby, the guide sides 121 and 131
The guide rods 151 and 152 that are in contact with move from the upper end position shown in FIG. 2 to the lower end position shown in FIG. As the guide rods 151 and 152 move, the locking plates 12 and
13 is pushed forward, rotates further forward, and projects from the main body plate 11 in an inclined state.

By such an operation, each plate 12,
13 is moved so as to narrow the carry-out port 2, and in the standby state for sale, as shown in FIG.
And the lower locking plate 13 holds the lowermost product A2.

Here, since the lower locking plate 13 holds the product A2 from the lower end side similarly to the gate lever 3a, the product A2 is held from the left and right, and the holding force is improved.

When a sales signal is inputted in this standby state, as shown in FIG. 4, the gate lever 3a is retracted from the carry-out port 2, and the lock lever 3b is protruded to the carry-out port 2, so that the lock lever 3b The second lowest product A1 is locked by the upper locking plate 12. At this time, since the upper locking plate 12 does not face the product A2, the product A2 has a degree of freedom, and the lock lever 3b does not bite into the product A2.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When a plastic bottle product having a rectangular cross section is held by the lock lever of the carry-out device, the other of the bottle products is held by the next-sale product locking plate protruding from the carry-out port in an inclined state. Therefore, since the locking plate is not opposed to the bottle product, the lock lever does not bite into the product, so that the unloading does not occur. In addition, since the product locking plate just before sale also protrudes to the carry-out exit in an inclined state,
Product holding power is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an adjusting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of an adjusting device set for selling canned goods according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a standby state of an adjusting device set for selling rectangular bottle products according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an adjusting device set for selling rectangular bottle products according to the present invention at the time of sale.

FIG. 5 is a schematic side view of a vending machine showing a product unloading structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 ... Unloading port, 3 ... Unloading device, 10 ... Adjustment device, 11 ... Main body plate, 12 ... Upper locking plate, 13 ... Lower locking plate, 14 ... Operation plate, 121,131 ... Guide side, 151, 152 ... Guide stick.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A merchandise unloading width adjusting device for a vending machine which opposes a merchandise unloading device installed at a merchandise unloading outlet of a merchandise column and adjusts an unloading width between the merchandise unloading device and the merchandise unloading device. A main body plate fixed to the side wall by upper and lower support shafts; a next sale product locking plate that is rotatably supported by the body plate in a vertical direction and locks a second sale product from the bottom, An immediately before-sale product locking plate that is pivotally supported by the main body plate so as to be vertically rotatable and locks a lowest-priority product immediately before sale; an operation plate that slides up and down on the back side of each of the locking plates; A guide formed on each of the locking plates and extending obliquely rearward from an upper end to a lower end; and a guide rod attached to the operation plate and in contact with the guide of each of the locking plates. This is a vending machine's product delivery width adjustment device.