JPS6132468Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a product storage device such as a vending machine, and more particularly to a device for storing products such as bottles and transporting the products to a predetermined location, such as a product discharge section.

Conventionally, in vending machines that sell products such as bottles, shelf boards are bridged at predetermined intervals between a pair of endless chains spaced apart in the front and back, and products placed and stored on each shelf board are installed. A structure is adopted in which the conveyance is carried out by driving an endless chain. In such a structure, the rear end of the product placed on the shelf comes into contact with the inside rear surface of the product storage section of the vending machine body equipped with the product storage device, and does not move backward, so it cannot be removed from the shelf. Although it does not slip out backwards, the front side of the shelves is open so that products can be stored on each shelf. For this reason, products with small-diameter tips such as bottles may slide forward and come off the shelves, especially when the vending machine is installed facing downwards in the front. There is a significant tendency for the vehicle to slide forward and fall.

Therefore, for example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 53-3112, a structure is known in which the entire product storage device is tilted rearward within the main body of the vending machine to prevent the products from slipping out from the shelves forward. It is being In this structure, since the entire product storage device is inclined within the vending machine main body, a large amount of space is formed within the main body, resulting in a problem that the amount of products stored is reduced compared to the size of the main body.

Conventionally, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 55-39512, each shelf board is installed between a pair of endless chains at the front and back in an inclined manner with the shelf facing downward to the rear side, thereby preventing the product from slipping out from the shelf board forward. Structures that prevent this are also known. However, according to this structure, since the entire shelf board is attached with a difference in head and back positions, the shelf board is likely to be twisted, and the smoothness of driving the endless chain is likely to be impaired.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems by smoothly driving the endless chain and preventing the products stored on the shelves from falling forward without increasing the volume occupied by the product storage device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a product storage device that can prevent this from happening.

The product storage device of the present invention includes a pair of endless chains arranged substantially parallel to each other, each of which has its upper and lower ends suspended around a sprocket, is driven by the rotation of the sprocket, and has one side as a conveyance side;
a shelf board for transporting products that is attached between the pair of endless chains at a predetermined interval in the length direction of the pair of endless chains and holds the products on the transport side; The plate has a support plate part attached to the same height position of the pair of endless chains, and a mounting plate part formed at a substantially right angle from the lower end of the support plate part, and the plate has a support plate part attached to the rear side of the support plate part. is formed larger downward than the front side, and the rear side of the mounting plate section is inclined downward.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a vending machine main body, which is shaped like a box and has an opening on the front that can be opened and closed by a door (not shown).

A product storage section 2 is formed within the main body 1, and a plurality of product storage devices 3 are arranged in parallel in this product storage section 2. This product storage device 3 has a pair of sprockets 4 and 5 mounted on the upper and lower front and back, respectively.
Endless chains 6, 7 are respectively suspended from the upper and lower pair of sprockets 4, 5, and the front and rear pair of endless chains 6, 7 are arranged substantially parallel to each other and spaced apart from each other in the front and rear. The pair of endless chains 6, 7 are driven by the rotation of at least one of the upper and lower sprockets 4, 5. Further, one descending side of the pair of front and rear endless chains 6, 7 is defined as a conveyance side 8.

Further, between the front and rear pair of endless chains 6, 7, a large number of shelf boards 10 on which products 9 such as bottles are placed in the front and back direction are spaced at regular intervals in the longitudinal direction of the endless chains 6, 7. They are each installed at the same height. This shelf board 10 is made up of a mounting plate part 11 and a support plate part 12 that continues approximately at right angles from one side edge of the mounting plate part 11 in the front and back direction.
It is formed into a letter shape. The support plate portion 12 has a height h ₂ on the rear side higher than a height h ₁ on the front side, the upper edge is formed horizontally, and the rear side of the mounting plate portion 11 is inclined downwardly from the front side. Further, a pivot support 13 is formed at both ends of the upper edge of this support plate portion 12, and this pivot support 1
Reference numeral 3 denotes a shaft portion 16 at the same height, which is formed by extending a shaft rod 15 to which the links 14 of the endless chains 6 and 7 are attached, and is rotatably attached to the pair of front and rear endless chains 6 and 7, respectively. . The shelf board 10 is held substantially horizontally on the conveyance side of one side of the endless chains 6, 7, and the rear side of the mounting plate section 11 is inclined downwardly from the front side. The rear end side of the product 9 placed on the product 11 is inclined downward to prevent it from coming off in the forward direction. Further, the mounting plate portion 11 of the shelf board 10
A projecting edge 17 for holding the rear end of the product 9 projects upward from the rear end.

Further, a guide member 18 is provided between the conveyance sides 8 of the pair of endless chains 6 and 7 on which the outer surface of the support plate portion 12 of the shelf board 10 slides. rotation is now prevented.

In addition, a shelf board 10 is provided below each product storage device 3.
A discharge section 19 for the product 9 placed thereon and transported is formed. Further, on one side of the product storage section 2 of the main body 1, a product storage section 20 is formed for storing various products such as cans. This product storage section 20 is provided with a product storage device 21 formed by a vertically meandering column. In addition, the product storage devices 3 and 20 are provided at the bottom of the main body 1.
A device 22 for cooling or heating is provided.

Further, the sprockets 4 and 5, on which each pair of endless chains 6 and 7 are suspended, are rotated by an electric motor (not shown), which is operated by a signal from a vending machine (not shown). Further, this vending device is activated by a product selection operation after money is inserted, and drives an electric motor that rotates the sprockets 4 and 5 of the product storage device 3 corresponding to the selected product. Incidentally, the sprockets 4 and 5 of each product storage device 3 can also be linked to one electric motor via a clutch mechanism provided for each product storage device 3.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

When storing the products 9, a door (not shown) is opened to open the front side of each product storage device 3.

Then, a conveyance side 8 on one side of the endless chains 6 and 7
Since the support plate portion 12 of the shelf board 10 located at Since the rear end side of the product 9 is inclined downward, the product 9 does not fall off to the front side, and the product 9 is held on the placement plate portion 11 by the rear end of the product 9 being brought into contact with the protruding edge 17. After storing the products 9 in this manner, the door body is closed and the front of each product storage device 3 is closed.

Then, the sprockets 4 and 5 of the product storage device 3 storing the product 9 selected by the product sales signal are driven, and the endless chains 6 and 7 move in the direction in which the conveying sides 8 of the endless chains 6 and 7 descend. The shelf board 10 is lowered, the support plate part 12 of the lowest shelf board 10 reaches the position of the lower end sprocket 5, and the support plate part 13 of the shelf board 10 guides at the position where the endless chains 6 and 7 change direction. The shelf board 10 is detached from the member 18, and the shelf board 10 is attached to the support plate part 12 of the mounting plate part 11 with the shaft part 16 as the center.
The side opposite to the side rotates downward, and the product 9 is released from the discharge part 1
Released on 9th. In this state, endless chains 6, 7
stops driving. This operation is repeated for each product 9 dispensing signal, and the shelf board 10 is suspended downward about the shaft portion 16 on the upward side of the endless chains 6 and 7, and is elevated.

Further, since the rear side of the placing plate part 11 is tilted downward when the shelf board 10 is lowered, the product 9 placed on the shelf board 10 will not come off forward.

In the above embodiment, the shaft portion 1 is extended by extending the shaft rod 15 connecting the links 14 of the endless chains 6 and 7.
6 is formed, but it is also possible to weld the shaft portion 16 to the link 14 and provide it in a protruding manner.

According to the present invention, a shelf board for transporting products is installed at the same height position between a pair of endless chains while maintaining a predetermined interval in the length direction of a pair of endless chains arranged substantially parallel to each other. The rear side of the support plate part of the shelf board is formed larger downward than the front side, and the rear side of the placing plate part is sloped downward, so that the rear side of the products placed on each shelf slopes downward. Products can be safely stored without slipping out in front, and there is no need to increase the volume of the product storage section compared to a structure in which the entire product storage device is tilted.Moreover, each shelf has a pair of endless support plates. Since they are mounted at the same height of the chain, there is no twisting of the shelf board, and therefore, the drive can be smoothly performed even at the direction changing part of the sprocket of the endless chain.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a front view of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view of the vending machine, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a side view of a part of the same. ,
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the same as above. 4, 5... Sprocket, 6, 7... Endless chain, 8... Conveyance side, 9... Product, 10... Shelf board, 11... Placing plate section, 12... Support plate section.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A pair of endless chains arranged substantially parallel to each other, each having its upper and lower ends suspended around a sprocket, driven by the rotation of the sprocket, and with one side serving as a conveyance side; and a shelf board for transporting products that is attached between a pair of endless chains at a predetermined interval in the length direction and holds the product on the transport side, and each of the shelf boards for transporting products is connected to the shelf board of the pair of endless chains. It has a support plate section attached to the same height position of the endless chain, and a mounting plate section formed almost at right angles from the lower end of the support plate section, and the rear side of the support plate section is larger downwardly than the front side. A product storage device characterized in that the rear side of the placement plate is tilted downward.