JPS63285696A - Automatic 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 (Al Industrial Application Field) This invention relates to a simple vending machine powered by an automobile battery or the like.

(b1 Background of the Invention) In order to expand sales channels for bottled beverages, a sales system has been proposed in which beverages are sold inside public transportation vehicles, especially taxis, in addition to conventional retail store sales.

Beverages are generally sold after being cooled or heated, so a cooling/heating device is required, and since there is no staff in charge of sales inside a taxi, a vending machine has to be used. However, devices installed inside a taxi cannot be sold at general retail stores; in other words, because the space inside a car is limited, it is not possible to install a device having a large transport mechanism or the like. Furthermore, since the device is driven by a motor vehicle, there is a problem in that it is not possible to provide a mechanism that requires a large amount of electric power to drive the device.

This invention was made in view of these problems.
To provide a vending machine capable of controlling sales by allowing or locking a customer to take out a stored beverage bottle.

(Means for Solving the Problems) This invention comprises: a pair of rails provided in parallel; a movable plate made up of a plurality of movable pieces that are movable only in the sliding direction of the rails; a spring that urges the movable pieces to join together; a locking mechanism that fixes the plurality of movable pieces in a joined state; and a locking mechanism that, when the locking mechanism is released, causes the plurality of movable pieces to move in the sliding direction. A detecting means for detecting a return to the joined state from separation; and a locking means for enabling the locking mechanism when the detecting means does not detect a return of the plurality of moving pieces to the joined state. The present invention is characterized in that the plurality of movable pieces each form a recessed portion having a size that allows only a part of the product to fit therethrough when joined to each other.

(81 Effect) In the vending machine of the present invention, a part of the product is stored in the opening formed by the recess in the joint of each movable piece. In this state, the locking mechanism is enabled. Sometimes, each moving piece is fixed in a joined state, so that no other part of the item can pass through said opening and the item cannot be removed.When the locking mechanism is released, the moving piece can be separated in the sliding direction, and a predetermined product can be extracted.As the product is extracted, the movable pieces are once separated, and after being extracted, they return to the joined state by the biasing force of the spring. .The detection means detects the return from this release and activates the locking mechanism again (locking means).This series of operations makes it possible to pick out only one product, and sales are controlled by the customer's picking action. be able to.

(f) Embodiment FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a beverage vending machine which is an embodiment of the present invention. This beverage vending machine is installed inside a vehicle such as a taxi, and is driven by the vehicle's battery as a power source. A lid 2 that can be opened and closed around a rear fulcrum is provided on the top surface of the device, and inside M2 is provided a beverage bottle extraction control device, which will be described later, and a beverage bottle cooling device, which is the embodiment described above. Five openings 8 are provided on the top surface of the beverage bottle extraction control device, and one beverage bottle is stored in each opening (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In the standby state, only the neck of the beverage bottle can fit through the opening, and at the time of sale, the opening is controlled so that the body can pass through. Further, a coin slot 3 for inserting coins for payment is provided on the right side of the top surface of the device. Air intake ports 4 and exhaust ports 6 for heat radiation are provided on the side and bottom surfaces of the device. Further, a coin return port 5 for returning different types of coins is provided on the front side of the device, and a coin ejecting lower for taking out stored coins is provided on the right side of the device.

When the customer inserts a predetermined coin from the coin slot 3, the beverage bottle extraction control device allows the beverage bottle to be extracted, and the beverage bottle is removed from the opening 8.
It becomes possible to expand the inside to the body of the beverage bottle.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the internal structure of the beverage vending machine. Inside the device, a metal cylinder block 13 for storing a beverage bottle is erected on a metal substrate 12. This metal substrate 12 is placed on a Bertier element 11 which is a cooling thermo module and has an insulating heat conductive sheet 22 (see Fig. 5).
are in close contact with each other through A beverage bottle 21 is housed within the cylinder of the cylinder block 13. As a result, the heat of the beverage bottle 21 is transferred to the cylinder block 13. Metal substrate 12
It is almost directly taken by the Bertier element 11 via the air and is efficiently cooled. Furthermore, a radiation fin 14 is also closely attached to the side of the Bertier element 11 opposite to the metal substrate 12 via a heat conductive sheet 22. This heat radiation fin 1
4 is for discharging the heat taken away from the upper beverage 21. That is, the Vertier element 11 has a function of transferring heat taken from the upper surface to the lower surface. moreover,
A fan 15 is provided on the left side of the radiation fin 14 in order to improve the heat radiation efficiency of the radiation fin 14. The fan 15 takes in outside air from the air intake port 4, forcibly circulates the air within the radiation fins 14, and then exhausts the air from the exhaust port 6. These Peltier elements 11. Metal substrate 12. Cylinder block 13. The radiation fins 14 and the fan 15 constitute a beverage bottle cooling device.

A coin handling a18 is provided on the right side inside the device. A coin storage section 20 for storing inserted coins is provided at the lower end of the coin handling machine 18. Furthermore, the coin handling machine 18 is provided with a coin sensor 52 for detecting the inserted coin and a coin shutter 55 for forcibly returning the inserted coin to the coin return slot 5 when the beverage is sold out.

Furthermore, a beverage bottle 21 is provided on the upper surface of the cylinder block 13.
A beverage bottle withdrawal control mechanism 16 is attached to control the withdrawal of the beverage bottle. This beverage bottle extraction control mechanism 16 has a control section (
(see Figure 6), and allows or prohibits customers from taking out beverage bottles.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the beverage bottle extraction control mechanism.

The neck of the beverage bottle housed in the cylinder projects onto the device through an opening in the moving plate 30. here,
The movable plate 30 is formed by joining six movable pieces 31 to 36, and each movable piece is attached so as to be movable only in the sliding direction of rails 48 and 49 provided on the upper and lower sides. Notches (for example, 31b, 32a, 32b, etc.) on a partial arc are provided on both sides of each of the moving pieces 31 to 36, and the notches (for example, 31b, etc.) that face each other when the two moving pieces are joined are provided. and 32a) are opening 8 (first
(see figure). Only the neck of the beverage bottle 21 can protrude through the joined openings, such as the notches 31b and 32a, and the body cannot pass through, and extraction is prohibited.

Further, plate spring locking portions 31c and 36c are formed at both ends of the moving pieces 31 and 36 at both ends, and plate springs 41 and 42 are respectively locked. The leaf springs 41 and 42 bias the movable pieces 31 to 36 in a direction that maintains their joined state. Further, from the right side 36e of the rightmost movable blade 36, the tongue portion 36
d stands out.

Further, the right side 36e of the movable piece 36 faces the body of the microswitch 37, which will be described later.
When the right side 36e moves a predetermined distance to the right against the urging force, the right side 36e and the microswitch 37 come into contact with each other, and further movement is restricted. Furthermore, a stopper 47 is installed on the left side of the leftmost movable piece 31, and similarly to the microswitch 37, the stopper 47 restricts the movement of the movable piece 31 beyond a predetermined distance. When the movable pieces 36 and 31 move until they come into contact with the body of the microswitch 37 and the stopper 47, the body of the beverage bottle can be passed through any one of the five openings. That is, removal of one beverage bottle can be permitted.

By the way, on the right side of the tongue portion 36d of the movable piece 36, a lock claw 38 having a protrusion 38a that comes into contact with the tongue portion 36d is provided. This lock pawl 38 can be swung using its upper end as a fulcrum. This lock pawl 38 is urged upward by a locking spring (coil spring) 40, and normally this urging force causes the pawl portion 38a to move toward the tongue portion 3.
6d to prevent the movable pieces from moving to the right and maintain the joined state of each movable piece. The lower end of the lock pawl 38 is locked by a solenoid 39, and when the solenoid 39 is driven, the lock pawl 38 moves downward against the biasing force of the lock spring 40. At this time, the claw portion 38a and the tongue portion 36
d is released, allowing the movable blades 31 to 36 to move a predetermined distance. Note that this figure shows a state in which the lock pawl 38 is swung downward and the lock is released, and the beverage bottle 21 is removed. The lock pawl 38 and solenoid 39 constitute the lock mechanism of the present invention.

A hinge lever 37a of the micro switch 37 is provided on the right side of the tongue 36d, and when the tongue 36d (moveable side 36) moves to the right by removing the beverage bottle 21, this hinge lever 37a pushes down. microswitch 37 is turned on.

FIGS. 4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams showing how the states of the movable pieces 31 to 36 and their surrounding parts change when the beverage bottle is removed. First, FIG. 5A shows a normal standby state. The lock claw 38 is the tongue portion 36 of the moving side 36.
d, thereby maintaining the movable sides 31 to 36 in a joined state.

Figure (I3) shows the state when the lock by the lock claw 38 is released and the beverage bottle 21 is pulled out. By releasing the lock, each movable piece can move a predetermined distance to the right or left. Movement to the right is possible until the right side 36e of the moving side 36 comes into contact with the microswitch 37, and movement to the left is possible until the left side of the moving piece 31 comes into contact with the stopper 47. Beverage bottle 21
With the extraction operation, the movable pieces 32 and 33 move left and right, respectively, allowing the body of the beverage bottle to pass between the notches 33b and 34a. At this time, the hinge lever a of the microswitch 37 is pushed down to turn on this microswitch. When the beverage bottle is removed, the microswitch 37 is turned off again, and this turning off triggers the control to relock. That is, when this off signal is input to the control section, the control section turns off the solenoid 39, brings the lock pawl 38 into contact with the tongue section 36d, and prohibits movement of the movable side.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing details of the beverage bottle cooling device 10. A heat conductive sheet 22 which is an insulator with high thermal conductivity is provided above the Peltier element 11, and the metal substrate 12 is attached to the upper part of the Peltier element 11 through the heat conductive sheet 22, and the radiation fins 14 are closely attached to the lower part by screws 23. can be installed.

By crimping these together with the screws 23, the heat conduction efficiency can be further improved. 5 on the metal substrate 12
Cylinder block 13 that can store books of beverages
has been erected. This cylinder block 13 is made of the same kind of metal as the metal substrate 12, and five cylinders are integrally formed to reduce space and overlap. If the number of cylinders is small, the cylinders may be formed one by one.

Furthermore, in order to further improve thermal efficiency, it is desirable to form the metal substrate 12 and the cylinder block 13 integrally. A fan 15 is installed in front of the radiation fins 14.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control section of the beverage vending machine.

A controller 50 consisting of a microcomputer centrally controls the operation of this device, and this controller 50 includes a coin sensor 52. Said microswitch 37. Solenoid39. A voice synthesizer 53, a cooler 54 and a coin shutter 55 are connected. Further, a reset switch 51 is connected to the controller 50.

The coin sensor 52 is built into the coin handling machine 18 and is a device that detects coins that are inserted. Also, the speech synthesizer 53
After the drink was removed, he said, ``Thank you.

This is a device that synthesizes and emits the voice of ``. Also cooler 54
is a device including the Peltier element 11 and the fan 15, and the controller 50 turns on/off the power of these devices.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the controller. This operation starts when an attendant sets drinks in each storage section and turns on the reset switch 51.

First, a reset process such as clearing the memory in the controller 50 is performed (nl), and the process waits until the customer inserts a coin. When the coin sensor 52 detects the inserted coin (n2), the number of inserted coins is counted up (n3).
), n2. until the number of drinks equivalent to the cost of the drink (n drinks) is inserted. Repeat the operation of n3 (n4). When the number of coins is inserted, the solenoid 39 is turned on to permit withdrawal of the beverage (n5).

At this time, one of the five beverage bottles is taken out by the customer. If the removal of the beverage is detected by turning on/off the micro switch 37 (n6), the solenoid 39
After turning off n7) and driving the voice synthesizer 53 (n8), the area for counting the number of coins is cleared and the area for counting the number of beverage bottles taken out is added (n9). If nlo determines that five drinks have been extracted, that is, if it determines that all five drinks have been sold, the cooler 54 is turned off and the coin shutter 55 is closed (nil).
Finish the action. If all five drinks have not been sold yet, the process returns from nlo to n2 and waits.

The microswitches 37 and n6 correspond to the detection means of the present invention, and n7 corresponds to the locking means of the present invention.

(g) Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, when the locking mechanism is released, the movable plate can be slid to remove the product. The detection means detects the S movement of the movable plate due to extraction, and the locking mechanism can be re-enabled based on this, so it is possible to prohibit subsequent extraction when one product is extracted. can. As a result, it is possible to control the sale of beverages by allowing or prohibiting the customer to take out the product, and since there is no need to provide a complicated imaging device or the like, the entire vending device can be downsized. Furthermore, since this device can be driven using only electric power to drive the solenoid and some parts, it can be operated satisfactorily even when using a power source with limited capacity such as an automobile battery. can.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view of a beverage vending machine that is an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the beverage vending machine, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sampling control mechanism used in the beverage vending machine, and FIG. 4(A). (B) is a plan view of the extraction control mechanism, and is a diagram showing the sliding state of the movable plate as the beverage bottle is extracted. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a cooling device used in the beverage vending machine, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the control section of the beverage vending machine, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control section. 1 - Beverage vending machine, 30 - Moving plate, 31b, 32a - Notch, 37 - Micro switch, 38 - Lock pawl, 39 - Solenoid, 41.42 - Plate spring, 48.49 - Rail.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A pair of parallel rails, a moving plate made up of a plurality of moving pieces that can move only in the sliding direction of the rails, and a spring that urges the plurality of moving pieces to join each other. a locking mechanism that fixes the plurality of moving pieces in a joined state; and a locking mechanism that, when the locking mechanism is released, causes the plurality of moving pieces to return to the joined state from separation in the sliding direction. a detection means for detecting, and a locking means for enabling the locking mechanism when the detection means detects the return of the plurality of moving pieces to the joined state, and each of the plurality of moving pieces has: A vending machine characterized by forming a recess large enough to fit only a portion of the product when they are joined together.