JPS61894A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Technical field to which the invention pertains] The present invention is provided with a large number of product columns so that a wide variety of products can be sold, and a novel product delivery mechanism for delivering the products to a product removal port. Regarding a vending machine equipped with.

[Prior art and its problems]

As a vending machine that sells a wide variety of individual products, that is, solid products and products such as drinks packaged in solid containers, the main case is divided vertically and horizontally into a large number of product columns. In addition, a spiral wire and a drive motor with a reduction gear connected to the rear end of the spiral wire are installed in each product column.
Multiple products filled one by one are sent forward by rotating a spiral wire by a certain angle in response to a sales signal, and the first product falls from the product column onto a chute and is carried out to the product takeout port. It has been known.

However, in conventional vending machines, since a considerable amount of space is required above the spiral wire for filling products, the space efficiency of the product columns is low, and therefore the number of product columns cannot be increased, and the number of product types that can be sold is limited. There are disadvantages in that there are relatively few products, and the size or depth of the products to be stored is limited by the pitch of the spiral wires.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that is equipped with a large number of product columns, can sell a much wider variety of products than before, and is not subject to the conventional restrictions on the size of the products.

[Key points of the invention]

In this invention, one extrusion unit installed at the rear of a product column is moved immediately behind the selected product column in response to a sales signal, and a push plate wound around a rotating drum of the extrusion unit is moved. It unravels from the rotating drum and restores its straight shape to push out the product.

[Embodiments of the invention] Figures 1 to 5 show embodiments of this invention.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a main case whose front side is open, and 2 a door provided on the front side of the main case 1 and having a glass window 2a and a product outlet 8. Reference numeral 4 denotes a large number of product columns divided vertically and horizontally into the main body case l, each of which is assigned a unique number.In each product column 4, different products 5 are lined up in a row in the front and back direction. The products 5 and the numbers of the product columns 4 are stored side by side, and the products 5 and the numbers of the product columns 4 can be seen from the outside through the glass window 2a. In addition, the above product column 4
Since it is sufficient to have a space large enough to accommodate the products 5, high space efficiency can be obtained, and a much larger number of product columns 4 can be formed in the main body case 1 than in the past. Reference numeral 6 designates a coin input slot, 7 a push button switch for selling products, which is assigned a unique number corresponding to each product column 4, and 8 a coin return slot.

Reference numeral 10 designates an extrusion unit located at the rear of the product column group and movably supported by a transfer device to be described later, including a rotating drum 11, a unit that supports the rotating drum 11 and has a built-in pulse motor for driving the rotating drum. It consists of a main body 12 and a push plate 18. The push plate 18 is formed using a band-shaped steel plate having elasticity and an arcuate cross section, and has one end latched to the rotating drum 11 and a contact plate 14 at the tip.
The other fixed end extends forward through a guide 15 fixedly provided on the unit body 12. This push plate 18 is wound around the rotating drum 11 by the operation of the pulse motor, and the contact plate 14 is moved to the unit main body 12.
, and due to the reverse rotation of the rotating drum 11,
As it is unwound from the rotating drum 11, the unwound portion restores its straight shape with the required rigidity, and the abutting plate 14 is pushed straight forward. 16 is a guide roller that guides the push plate 18 when it is rolled up.

Note that the push plate 13 can also be a push plate 18 formed by joining the two strip steel plates facing each other as shown in FIG. 4. In this case, when restored to a straight shape, Greater rigidity can be obtained.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a transfer device for moving the extrusion unit 10 vertically and horizontally, and is constructed as follows. In other words, 21 has a feed screw 21a on the outer periphery, and the upper and lower ends are fixed to the main body case 1, and the rear right and left sides of the product column 4 (22 are a pair of upright pillars; 22 is a pair of driving parts 28, Drive part 2
The lifting platform has a pair of front and rear support shafts 24 that are fixed at both ends to the drive section 8 and connect them. Further, a pulse motor for moving the lifting table is built in to rotate this screw engagement body and raise and lower the lifting table 22.

A feed screw 24& is provided on the outer periphery of the support shaft 24. Reference numeral 25 denotes a pair of driving bodies protruding from both the front and rear sides of the unit main body 11, each of which has a screw engaging body that is screwed onto the feed screw 24B and is rotatably held, and a screw engaging body that rotates this screw engaging body to drive the extrusion unit 10. It has a built-in pulse motor for moving the unit left and right. The push button switch 7 is electrically connected to the unit moving pulse motor, the elevator platform moving pulse motor, and the drum driving pulse motor 1 through a position detector and a pulse generator comprising a CPU.

In the above-described configuration, the push plate 1B of the extrusion unit 10 is normally fully wound around the rotating drum 11, and the contact plate 14 is separated from the rear end surface of the product column 4. When the customer selects the product 5, inserts a coin, and presses the push button switch 7, the position detector and pulse generator are activated, and the pulse motor for moving the elevator and the pulse motor for moving the unit are activated. each rotates at an appropriate number of rotations. As a result, the lifting platform 22 moves up and down the support column 21, and the push-out unit 10 moves left and right around the support shaft 24, so that the contact plate 14 occupies a position immediately behind the product column 4 corresponding to the selected pushbutton switch 7. do. Next, the drum driving pulse motor is driven to rotate the rotating drum 1.
Rotate 1 in the forward direction.

The push plate 18 then moves forward and enters the product column 4, and the contact plate 14 moves the product 5 forward from its rearmost position. At this time, the pulse motor continues to rotate according to the command from the position detector until it pushes the product 5 further by one product from the rotation angle at the time of the previous sale of the product column 4, and then rotates in the opposite direction to push the push plate 18. is wound around the drum 11 which rotates in reverse. The first product 5 pushed forward by the push plate 18 is pushed out of the product column 4 and falls, and is delivered to the product take-out port 8 of the door 2, and the vending machine completes the vending operation and returns to a sales standby state.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to this invention, a large number of product columns are partitioned into a main body case so that products can be stored in a line in the front-rear direction, and an elastic column provided behind the group of product columns and wound around a rotating drum. A push-out unit in which a belt-shaped push plate having a push plate is fed out from the rotating drum and restored to a linear shape to push the products from behind and sequentially push out the first product and drop it out; Since the vending machine is equipped with a transfer device that moves the product immediately to the rear, the number of product columns formed within the main body case increases, making it possible to significantly increase the number of product types for sale. Since the products are stored in a straight line, the products can be stored without being restricted in size.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a front view with the door removed, Fig. 8 is a side view of the extrusion unit, and Fig. 4 shows different push plates. The sectional view, FIG. 5, is a plan view of the transfer device. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Main body case, 4... Product column, 5... Product, 10... Extrusion unit, 11... Rotating drum, 18.18... Push plate, 20... Transfer device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) In a vending machine that sells individual products, a large number of product columns are formed in the main case so that the products are stored in a line in the front and rear direction, and a vending machine is provided at the rear of the group of product columns. a push-out unit in which an elastic band-shaped push plate, which is provided and wound around a rotating drum, is fed out from the rotating drum and restored to a linear shape to push the products from behind, sequentially pushing out the leading products and dropping them; and a transfer device that moves the extrusion unit immediately behind the selected product column.