JPS6258038B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention provides a star foil provided with a plurality of protruding pieces such that the protruding pieces can be sequentially retracted into and out of the product passage by driving an electric motor. The present invention relates to a product delivery device for a vending machine that sends out one product in a vending machine.

(B) Prior Art Conventionally, this type of product delivery device has a star foil as a delivery member, and an actuating member as a product sold-out detection member provided above the star foil in a box body, which extends in the vertical direction. The lowest product in the product aisle, which can store cylindrical products stacked in a line, is locked by the protruding piece of the star foil that protrudes into the product aisle, and the delivery is controlled. A device is known in which the presence or absence of a product in a product aisle is detected using an actuating member that protrudes freely into the product aisle, and is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-62482.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the prior art with such a configuration, the star foil as a sending member and the operating member as a sold-out detection member that operates the sold-out detection switch are vertically separated from each other. The product delivery device comprising the star foil and the sold-out detection member has become large in size, requiring a large space for installing the product delivery device, resulting in a problem that the number of products stored is limited. Also,
In order to detect the presence or absence of a product at the product position that is latched to the star wheel, the operating member must be extended for a long time, and the operating member may easily deform, resulting in malfunction of the sold-out detection switch. It was the cause of Additionally, if the actuating member is shortened to prevent deformation, it will not be possible to detect the product at the product position where it is locked by the star foil, and the presence or absence of the product above it will be detected.In this case, sold-out detection At times, the products would be sold out with only a few items left attached to the star foil.

In view of the above points, the present invention aims to reduce the size of a product delivery device, and provides a device that can reliably send out products without leaving any products remaining when the product is sold out.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides a plurality of actuating pieces on the shaft corresponding to the protruding pieces of the star foil, a product sold-out detection switch corresponding to the actuating pieces, and an electrically operated A drive shaft driven by a motor is connected to one end of the shaft portion of the star foil, and a gap is formed in the connection portion to allow slight rotation of the star foil, and the star foil is moved in the opposite direction to the product delivery direction. A spring is provided that is biased with elasticity that overcomes the product load, and when the star foil is rotated in a direction opposite to the product delivery direction due to the elasticity of the spring when the product is on standby, the product is sold out. The detection switch is configured to operate to sell out the product.

(E) Function A plurality of operating pieces are provided on the shaft of the star wheel, and a product sold-out detection switch is provided corresponding to each of the operating pieces, so that the shaft of the star wheel is allowed to rotate slightly by the electric motor. If there is no product to be stopped by the star foil when the product is connected and waiting to be delivered, the elasticity of the spring causes the star foil to rotate a predetermined amount in the opposite direction to the product delivery direction, and this rotation causes the actuating piece to release the product. Activate the sold-out detection switch.

(F) Embodiment Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 designates a product storage shelf, which has a pair of left and right side plates 2, 2' vertically facing each other, and bendable running members 3, 3' placed front and rear oppositely between the side plates 2, 2'. A product passageway 4 is formed which extends vertically while being bent to stack and store cylindrical products A in a row. Reference numeral 5 denotes a star foil having a plurality of protruding pieces 7 protruding outwardly at equal intervals on both ends of a shaft portion 6. A drive hole 8 is provided on one end side of the shaft portion 6, and a shaft support hole 9 is provided on the other side. At the same time,
A plurality of actuating pieces 10 extending in the axial direction are positioned on the shaft portion 6 between the protruding pieces 7 provided on both sides, corresponding to each of the protruding pieces 7, respectively. Further, the drive hole 8 has regulation pieces 8a and 8b formed to protrude inward, and a drive block 11 having drive pieces 11a and 11b is disposed therein.
A predetermined gap B is formed between the drive block 11 and the drive hole 8 to allow the drive block 11 to rotate within the drive hole 8. Spring 1 with elasticity that can be defeated
2 are provided. The star wheel 5 is pivotally supported by a shaft support member 13 provided on the side plate 2 through a shaft support hole 9, and an engagement groove 11c of a drive block 11 is connected to a speed reduction mechanism 15 driven by an electric motor 14. The projecting piece 7 is provided so as to be movable into and out of the product passageway 4 by being engaged and supported by the drive shaft 15a. That is, in the star wheel 5, a drive shaft 15a driven by an electric motor 14 is connected to one end of the shaft portion 6 via a drive block 11, and a gap B is formed in this connection portion to allow slight rotation of the star wheel 5. The electric motor 14 can be rotated by a predetermined angle even when the electric motor 14 is stopped, and the spring 1
Due to the elasticity of No. 2, it is constantly biased in the opposite direction to the product delivery direction. Reference numeral 16 denotes a product sold-out detection switch provided corresponding to the shaft portion 6 of the star foil 5, which activates the operating piece 10 of the star foil 5 when the star foil 5 is in a product delivery standby state in which the product A in the product path 4 is locked.
When the star foil 5 is rotated in the direction opposite to the product delivery direction due to the elasticity of the spring 12 and there is no product A locked on the star foil 5, the actuating piece 10 prevents the product from being pressed. If there is no pressing operation, a sold-out signal is sent. Reference numeral 17 denotes a stop switch for stopping the electric motor 14, which is operated by a cam 18 provided on the drive shaft 15a every time the drive shaft 15a rotates 90 degrees.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained. First, when waiting for product delivery, the star foil 5 projects the protruding piece 7 into the product path 4 to lock the lowest product A.
The drive piece 11a of the drive block 11 and the regulation piece 8a of the drive hole 8 are in abutting and locking state against the elasticity of the spring 12. Further, the stop switch 17 is operated by a cam 18, and the product sold-out detection switch 16 is operated by the operating piece 1.
It is in the state of being pressed by 0. When a product delivery signal is generated to the electric motor 14, the drive shaft 15a moves the star foil 5 in the product delivery direction (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2) due to the drive of the electric motor 14.
The product A is rotated 90 degrees to
At the same time, the next protruding piece 7 protrudes into the product passage 4 and locks the next product A, returning to the product delivery standby state. However, if there is no next product A, the product A to be delivered protrudes. When separated from the piece 7, the elasticity of the spring 12 causes the drive piece 11a to rotate in the opposite direction to the product delivery direction by the distance of the gap B where the drive piece 11a abuts and locks on the regulating piece 8a, and the drive piece 11a rotates in the opposite direction to the product delivery direction When the cam 18 operates the stop switch 17, the electric motor 14 is stopped. During this stop, the actuation piece 10 does not press the product sold-out detection switch 16 because the star wheel 5 is at a predetermined rotational position in the opposite direction to the product delivery direction. Therefore, the product sold-out detection switch 16 sends out a sold-out signal, indicating that the product is sold out.

(g) Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides a plurality of operating pieces on the shaft portion corresponding to the protruding pieces of the star foil, a product sold-out detection switch corresponding to the operating pieces, and an electric motor. A drive shaft driven by the star wheel is connected to one end of the shaft portion of the star foil, and a gap is formed in the connection portion to allow slight rotation of the star foil, and the star foil is moved in the direction opposite to the product delivery direction. A spring biased by elasticity that overcomes the load is provided, and when the star foil is rotated in a direction opposite to the product delivery direction due to the elasticity of the spring during product delivery standby, the product sell-out is detected. The switch is configured to operate to sell out the product, and the star foil serving as the product delivery member also serves as an actuating member as the product sold-out detection member. Therefore, there is no need to separately provide a product sold-out detection member.
The product delivery device can be made simple and compact, and reliable delivery operation can be achieved without malfunctions due to deformation of the product sold-out detection member. In addition, since the configuration detects the sold-out status of a product based on the presence or absence of the product that is locked on the star foil, it is possible to send out and sell all the products without leaving them in the product aisle when the product is sold out. It is something that you have.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a product storage shelf showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the product delivery device section, FIG. 3 is a plan sectional view of the product delivery device section, and FIG.
The figure is a side view of the main parts of the star foil. 5... Star foil, 6... Shaft, 7... Protruding piece, 10... Operating piece, 12... Spring, 14... Electric motor, 16... Product sold out detection switch, B...
…gap.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a star foil provided with a plurality of protruding pieces, the protruding pieces are provided so that the protruding pieces can sequentially move in and out of the product passage by driving an electric motor, and the protruding pieces of the star foil are arranged so that the protruding pieces can be sequentially retracted and retracted into the product passage to send out one product in the product passage, in which the protruding pieces of the star foil A plurality of actuating pieces are provided on the shaft corresponding to the above, a product sold-out detection switch is provided corresponding to the actuating pieces, and a drive shaft driven by the electric motor is connected to one end of the star wheel's shaft. At the same time, a gap is formed in the connecting portion to allow slight rotation of the star foil, and a spring is provided to bias the star foil in a direction opposite to the product delivery direction with elasticity that overcomes the product load. Product delivery of the vending machine, wherein the product sold-out detection switch operates to sell out the product when the star foil is rotated in a direction opposite to the product delivery direction due to the elasticity of the spring during standby. Device.