US20080290108A1 - Commodity carrying out device - Google Patents

Commodity carrying out device Download PDF

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Publication number
US20080290108A1
US20080290108A1 US12/124,811 US12481108A US2008290108A1 US 20080290108 A1 US20080290108 A1 US 20080290108A1 US 12481108 A US12481108 A US 12481108A US 2008290108 A1 US2008290108 A1 US 2008290108A1
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
commodity
bucket
carrying
main unit
width direction
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Abandoned
Application number
US12/124,811
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Masaru Tsunoda
Takeshi Onda
Toshihiko Kurihara
Yuuki Yanagisawa
Yoshitaka Watanabe
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sanden Corp
Original Assignee
Sanden Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Sanden Corp filed Critical Sanden Corp
Assigned to SANDEN CORPORATION reassignment SANDEN CORPORATION ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: KURIHARA, TOSHIHIKO, ONDA, TAKESHI, TSUNODA, MASARU, WATANABE, YOSHITAKA, YANAGISAWA, YUUKI
Publication of US20080290108A1 publication Critical patent/US20080290108A1/en
Abandoned legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
    • G07F11/02—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines
    • G07F11/38—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which the magazines are horizontal
    • G07F11/42—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which the magazines are horizontal the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
    • G07F11/02—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines
    • G07F11/04—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
    • G07F11/16—Delivery means
    • G07F11/163—Delivery means characterised by blocking access to the output bins
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
    • G07F11/02—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines
    • G07F11/04—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
    • G07F11/16—Delivery means
    • G07F11/165—Delivery means using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements
    • G07F11/1653—Delivery means using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements the picking arrangements being collecting buckets
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
    • G07F11/02—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines
    • G07F11/28—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which the magazines are inclined
    • G07F11/30—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from non-movable magazines in which the magazines are inclined two or more magazines having independent delivery

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a commodity carrying out device that is capable of carrying out a commodity that is stored in a commodity storage column to a predetermined commodity carrying out position.
  • a device that includes a plurality of commodity storage columns that are aligned with respect to each other in a vertical direction and a width direction for storing commodities in a condition in which the commodities are arranged in the front-to-rear direction, a bucket for receiving a commodity that is stored in a selected commodity storage column, and a bucket moving mechanism for moving the bucket to the front side of an arbitrary commodity storage column and moving the bucket that receives a commodity to a predetermined commodity carrying out position.
  • a commodity stored in a commodity storage column is received in the bucket in a state in which the commodity has the same posture as when the commodity is stored in the commodity storage column and the bucket is then moved to the predetermined commodity carrying out position. Consequently, in a case in which a commodity that has a vertically long shape is received in a bucket in an upright state, when the bucket is moved in the width direction towards the predetermined commodity carrying out position a situation can arise in which the commodity becomes unstable inside the bucket, such as when the commodity topples over to the side that is opposite the predetermined commodity carrying out position. There is thus a risk that a carrying-out failure, such as the commodity dropping down from the bucket, will occur.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a commodity carrying out device that can reliably carry even a commodity that has a vertically long shape to a predetermined commodity carrying out position without a carrying-out failure occurring.
  • the present invention comprises: a plurality of commodity storage columns aligned in a vertical direction and a width direction with respect to each other for storing commodities arranged in a front-to-rear direction; a bucket for receiving a commodity to be carried out, and in which movement of the commodity in a direction other than a direction towards a surface side from which the commodity is taken in and put out is restricted; a bucket moving mechanism for moving the bucket to a front side of an arbitrary commodity storage column and moving the bucket that receives the commodity to a predetermined commodity carrying out position; and a bucket rotating mechanism for rotating the bucket so that a surface at which the commodity is taken in and put out of the bucket faces the commodity storage column side and the predetermined commodity carrying out position side.
  • the present invention comprises: a plurality of commodity storage columns aligned in a vertical direction and a width direction with respect to each other for storing commodities arranged in a front-to-rear direction; a bucket for receiving a commodity to be carried out; a bucket moving mechanism for moving the bucket to a front side of an arbitrary commodity storage column and moving the bucket that receives the commodity to a predetermined commodity carrying out position; and a commodity retention mechanism for retaining the commodity in an inclined posture when moving the bucket that receives the commodity to a predetermined commodity carrying out position.
  • the commodity is retained in the bucket in an inclined state, the commodity is retained in a stable state in the bucket that moves towards the predetermined commodity carrying out position.
  • FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of an automatic vending machine that illustrates a first embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the automatic vending machine that shows a state in which an external door and an operation door are open;
  • FIG. 3 is a side surface cross-section of the automatic vending machine
  • FIG. 4 is a plan view of essential parts of a commodity storage column
  • FIG. 5 is a front view of a commodity storage column
  • FIG. 6 is a side surface cross-section of essential parts of a commodity storage column
  • FIG. 7 is an overall perspective view of a bucket unit
  • FIG. 8 is a plan view of the bucket unit
  • FIG. 9 is a front view of the bucket unit
  • FIG. 10 is a rear view of the bucket unit
  • FIG. 11 is a side view of the bucket unit
  • FIG. 12 is a block diagram that illustrates a control system
  • FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 14 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 15 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 16 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 17 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 18 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 19 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 20 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 21 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 22 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 23 is an operation explanatory view relating to an operation to carry out a commodity
  • FIG. 24 is a flowchart that illustrates operations of a controller when carrying out a commodity from a commodity storage column that is positioned at a wall surface side of a commodity storage chamber;
  • FIG. 25 is a front view of essential parts of an automatic vending machine that illustrates the positional relationship between a commodity that is received by a bucket unit and a wall surface of a commodity storage chamber;
  • FIG. 26 is a plan view of a bucket unit that illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 27 is an overall perspective view of a bucket unit that illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 to FIG. 22 illustrate the first embodiment of the present invention.
  • An automatic vending machine that includes this commodity carrying out device comprises an automatic vending machine main unit 10 that has an opening at the front, an external door 20 provided in an openable and closable condition at one end side in the width direction of the opening of the automatic vending machine main unit 10 , and an operation door 30 provided in an openable and closable condition at the other end side in the width direction of the opening of the automatic vending machine main unit 10 .
  • the automatic vending machine main unit 10 is provided with a commodity storage chamber 12 for storing commodities A for sale and an equipment storage chamber 13 for storing equipment relating to selling operations. This is achieved by partitioning the inside of the automatic vending machine main unit 10 in the width direction with a heat insulating partition wall 11 .
  • the interior surface of the commodity storage chamber 12 is covered with a heat insulating material.
  • a commodity outlet portion 14 At the lower part of the equipment storage chamber 13 is provided a commodity outlet portion 14 to which a commodity A to be sold is carried.
  • An opening 15 that connects the commodity outlet portion 14 and the commodity storage chamber 12 is provided in the partition wall 11 .
  • the external door 20 is rotatably supported at one end side in the width direction of the automatic vending machine main unit 10 and is arranged to open and close the front of the commodity storage chamber 12 .
  • the external door 20 comprises a transparent plate 21 comprising glass or a synthetic resin or the like and a frame member 22 provided around the perimeter of the transparent plate 21 .
  • the interior of the commodity storage chamber 12 can be visually recognized from outside the external door 20 .
  • the operation door 30 is rotatably supported at the other end side in the width direction of the automatic vending machine main unit 10 and is arranged to open and close the front of the equipment storage chamber 13 .
  • a coin insertion slot 31 At the front of the operation door 30 are provided a coin insertion slot 31 , a coin return lever 32 , a money amount indicator 33 , a banknote insertion slot 34 , a commodity selection portion 35 , a coin return port 36 , and a commodity outlet port 37 .
  • the commodity storage chamber 12 In the commodity storage chamber 12 are provided a plurality of commodity storage columns 50 that are disposed in alignment in the width direction with a plurality of vertically spaced shelves 40 , respectively, a bucket unit 60 as a commodity carrying out device for carrying a commodity A stored in a commodity storage column 50 to the commodity outlet portion 14 , and a unit moving device 70 .
  • the commodity storage chamber 12 is also configured so as to be cooled or heated by a cooler and an electric heater that are not shown.
  • an equipment chamber for housing unshown refrigerating devices such as a compressor and a radiator.
  • each of the vertically aligned shelves 40 are slightly greater than the height dimensions of a commodity A to be stored. This prevents erroneous storage of a commodity A that has large height dimensions that are different to the height dimensions of a commodity A that is intended to be stored.
  • Each shelf 40 is formed so that the dimensions thereof in the front-to-rear direction are smaller than the dimensions in the front-to-rear direction of the commodity storage column 50 . Further, to secure an operating space for receiving a commodity A into the bucket unit 60 from the commodity storage column 50 , the front end of each shelf 40 is positioned further to the rear side than the front end of the commodity storage column 50 .
  • Each commodity storage column 50 is provided with a commodity passage 50 a extending in the front-to-rear direction that is formed by a base plate 51 and a side plate 52 .
  • Vertically long commodities A such as canned beverages, bottled beverages, or PET bottles can be stored in the commodity passage 50 a in a condition in which they are aligned in the front-to-rear direction.
  • a commodity locking portion 51 a that is formed to extend vertically is provided for restricting movement of a commodity A in the frontward direction.
  • a notch portion 51 b that enables movement of a fork member, described later, of the bucket unit 60 in the vertical direction.
  • An ejecting plate 53 which is movable in the front-to-rear direction and which is urged frontward by an unshown urging member such as a power spring is disposed in the commodity passage 50 a .
  • an unshown urging member such as a power spring
  • the ejecting plate 53 is provided with a notch portion 53 a to enable movement in the vertical direction of a fork member, described later, of the bucket unit 60 when the ejecting plate 53 is positioned at the front end side of the commodity passage 50 a.
  • a gate plate 54 that opens and closes the front end side of the commodity passage 50 a is connected in a vertically rotatable condition to the front end side of the side plate 52 .
  • the gate plate 54 is arranged so as to block off the commodity passage 50 a in a posture in which it extends diagonally upward from the side plate 52 .
  • the gate plate 54 is urged in a direction that blocks off the commodity passage 50 a by an urging member such as a coiled spring.
  • the gate plate 54 is arranged to open the commodity passage 50 a by rotating upward against the urging force of the urging member through contact of a gate release portion, described later, provided on the bucket unit 60 side against the bottom surface of the gate plate 54 .
  • a guide portion 52 a for guiding the gate release portion in the front-to-rear direction is also provided on the commodity passage 50 a side of the side plate 52 on which the gate plate 54 is supported.
  • the bucket unit 60 comprises a unit base 61 that is connected with a unit moving device 70 , a bucket base 62 that is moveable in the front-to-rear direction with respect to the unit base 61 , a rotating member 63 that is rotatably supported by the bucket base 62 with the vertical direction as the central axis, a bucket 64 that is supported by the rotating member 63 and is provided to support a side surface of a commodity A that is carried out, a fork member 65 that is rotatably supported in the vertical direction by the lower end of the bucket 64 and which supports the bottom surface of a commodity A that is carried out, a rotation restricting member 66 for restricting rotation of the fork member 65 , a commodity detecting plate 67 for detecting the existence or non-existence of a commodity A within the bucket 64 , and a restriction releasing member 68 for releasing the rotation restriction of the fork member 65 by the rotation restricting member 66 .
  • the unit base 61 has an electric motor 61 a as a motive power that moves the bucket base 62 in the front-to-rear direction and also rotates the bucket 64 , a guide groove 61 b for guiding the bucket base 62 in the front-to-rear direction, a protrusion 61 c that imparts a force that rotates the rotating member 63 to the commodity outlet portion 14 side upon movement of the bucket base 62 to the front, a pair of width direction rails 61 d for regulating movement of the fork member 65 in the width direction to guide the fork member 65 in the front-to-rear direction, and a commodity detecting sensor 61 e such as a microswitch that is turned on/off by the commodity detecting plate 67 .
  • an electric motor 61 a as a motive power that moves the bucket base 62 in the front-to-rear direction and also rotates the bucket 64
  • a guide groove 61 b for guiding the bucket base 62 in the front-to-rear direction
  • the two ends on the left and right of the bottom surface side and the upper and lower sides of one end in the width direction of the bucket base 62 are formed so as to engage with the guide groove 61 b that is provided in the unit base 61 so that the bucket base 62 is movable along the guide groove 61 b .
  • a groove 62 a extending in the width direction is also provided on the bottom surface of the bucket base 62 , and a link member 69 having one end connected to the electric motor 61 a is arranged so that the other end side thereof engages with the groove 62 a .
  • the bucket base 62 is moved in the front-to-rear direction along the guide groove 61 b by the movement of the other end side of the link member 69 .
  • An abutting portion 62 b formed to have a curved surface shape is provided in the bucket base 62 .
  • the surface of the bucket 64 on the opposite side of the commodity receiving surface contacts against the abutting portion 62 b .
  • a gate release portion 62 c that extends rearward from a position below the abutting portion 62 b is also provided in the bucket base 62 . By rearward movement of the bucket base 62 , the gate release portion 62 c presses the gate plate 54 upward to open the front end side of the commodity passage 50 a.
  • the rotating member 63 is connected to the bucket 64 in a condition in which the bucket 64 is rotatable backwards and forwards. Further, an end in the width direction of the rotating member 63 is rotatably connected to the bucket base 62 .
  • the rotating member 63 is urged by an unshown urging member so that the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 faces rearward (towards the commodity storage column side). More specifically, the rotating member 63 moves in the front-to-rear direction together with the bucket base 62 in a state in which the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 faces rearward.
  • the rotating member 63 is pushed by the protrusion 61 c arranged in the unit base 61 so as to extend rearward. As a result, the orientation of the rotating member 63 changes by 90° to the commodity outlet portion 14 side.
  • the bucket 64 is formed in a semi-cylindrical, curved surface shape in which a concave side serves as a commodity receiving surface.
  • the lower end side is rotatably connected to the rotating member 63 , and a surface on a side opposite the commodity receiving surface is supported by the abutting portion 62 b of the bucket base 62 so that the commodity receiving surface faces diagonally upward.
  • the angle of inclination of the bucket 64 is arranged so as to be changed in accordance with the shape of the abutting portion 62 b of the bucket base 62 and the shape of the bucket 64 against which the abutting portion 62 b abuts.
  • the angle of inclination of the bucket 64 at the start of rotation is set to be less than when receiving a commodity A. Thereafter, when the bucket 64 faces completely to the commodity outlet portion 14 side, the angle of inclination is set to be larger than when receiving a commodity A.
  • An opening for attaching the commodity detecting plate 67 is provided at the center in the width direction of the bucket 64 , in a condition in which the opening extends in the vertical direction.
  • the base end side of the fork member 65 is connected to the lower end side of the bucket 64 in a condition in which the fork member 65 is rotatable in the vertical direction.
  • the fork member 65 is provided with a plurality of commodity supporting portions 65 a that are arranged with a space between each commodity supporting portion 65 a .
  • On the under surface of the fork member 65 are provided a pair of grooves 65 b for moving the fork member 65 along the pair of width direction rails 61 d provided in the unit base 61 that restrict movement in the width direction of the fork member 65 .
  • the upper surface of the fork member 65 is inclined in a normal state from the base end side towards the front end side.
  • a contact surface 65 c that contacts with the top surface of the unit base 61 .
  • the angle of the top surface of the fork member 65 can be changed depending on the shape of the top surface of the unit base 61 . More specifically, the top surface of the unit base 61 against which the contact surface 65 c contacts is formed to be low at the rear end side so that when the bucket base 62 is positioned at the rear end side, the angle of inclination of the top surface of the fork member 65 is small, and when the bucket base 62 is disposed at a position other than the rear end side, the angle of inclination of the top surface of the fork member 65 is greater than when the bucket base 62 is positioned at the rear end side.
  • the rotation restricting member 66 is arranged to be moveable in the vertical direction at a lower part of the surface on the opposite side to the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 , and is urged toward the bottom side by an unshown urging member.
  • the rotation restricting member 66 contacts against the end on the base end side of the fork member 65 in a state in which the rotation restricting member 66 is positioned on the lower side to thereby restrict downward rotation of the fork member 65 .
  • the rotation restricting member 66 is arranged so as to release the restriction on downward rotation of the fork member 65 by moving upward.
  • the rotation restricting member 66 is arranged so as to be pressed upward by the restriction releasing member 68 .
  • the commodity detecting plate 67 extends in the vertical direction over the commodity receiving surface side of the bucket 64 , and the top end side thereof is rotatably supported by the bucket 64 .
  • the commodity detecting plate 67 is formed in a curved surface shape so that a center portion in the width direction of the commodity receiving surface curves inward vertically so that a commodity A that is received in the bucket 64 is moved to the center portion side.
  • the lower end side of the commodity detecting plate 67 is urged in a direction away from the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 by an unshown urging member so as to rotate when a commodity A is received.
  • a commodity detecting sensor 61 e provided in the unit base 61 is arranged so as to be turned on/off by the top end of the commodity detecting plate 67 in a state in which the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 is facing the commodity outlet portion 14 side.
  • the commodity detecting sensor 61 e turns off, and when the bucket 64 does not contain a commodity A, the commodity detecting sensor 61 e turns on.
  • An abutting portion 67 a against which the rotation restricting member 66 that moves upward contacts is provided in a projecting condition on the surface of the side opposite the commodity receiving surface of the commodity detecting plate 67 .
  • the restriction releasing member 68 is provided in a condition in which it is linearly moveable in a diagonally upward direction on the commodity outlet portion 14 side of the unit base 61 .
  • the restriction releasing member 68 is arranged so as to push the rotation restricting member 66 upward when the restriction releasing member 68 is operated in a state in which the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 is facing the commodity outlet portion 14 side.
  • the restriction releasing member 68 is arranged so as to be operated by contact with an operating portion 16 that is provided adjacent to the opening 15 that communicates with the commodity outlet portion 14 upon the operating portion 16 moving horizontally to the commodity outlet portion 14 side of the unit base 61 .
  • the restriction releasing member 68 has an abutting portion 68 a that extends to the bucket base 62 side.
  • the restriction releasing member 68 is arranged so as to be lowered downward by contact of the bucket base 62 with the abutting portion 68 a when the bucket base 62 moves rearward.
  • the unit moving device 70 is provided at the front side of the commodity storage chamber 12 .
  • the unit moving device 70 comprises a widthwise movement mechanism 71 for moving the bucket unit 60 in the width direction and a vertical movement mechanism 72 for moving the bucket unit 60 in the vertical direction.
  • the widthwise movement mechanism 71 and the vertical movement mechanism 72 are respectively constituted by an unshown mechanism that converts rotational motion into linear motion, such as a belt and pulley, a chain and sprocket, or a feed screw mechanism.
  • the widthwise movement mechanism 71 and the vertical movement mechanism 72 are respectively arranged to be driven by an electric motor so as to move the bucket unit 60 in the width direction and the vertical direction.
  • This automatic vending machine also includes a controller 80 that carries out temperature control of the commodity storage chamber 12 and control relating to a selling operation with respect to the commodity A.
  • the controller 80 comprises a microcomputer. As shown in FIG. 12 , the electric motor 61 a and the unit moving device 70 are connected to the controller 80 , and the controller 80 is configured so as to send output signals to the electric motor 61 a and the unit moving device 70 .
  • the bucket unit 60 that is positioned at a predetermined standby position moves using the unit moving device 70 to the front end side of a commodity storage column 50 in which the selected commodity A is stored.
  • the electric motor 61 a is driven to lower the commodity supporting portion 65 a of the fork member 65 downward while moving the bucket base 62 rearward with respect to the unit base 61 so that, as shown in FIG.
  • the commodity supporting portion 65 a is inserted to an area below the commodity A positioned at the front end side of the commodity storage column 50 .
  • the gate release portion 62 c of the bucket base 62 contacts the bottom surface of the gate plate 54 of the commodity storage column 50 , the gate plate 54 is rotated upward by the rearward movement of the bucket base 62 , to thereby open the front end side of the commodity passage 50 a of the commodity storage column 50 .
  • the bucket unit 60 is moved upward by the unit moving device 70 so that the commodity A is lifted by the fork member 65 to receive the commodity A inside the bucket 64 .
  • the top surface of the fork member 65 forms a downward slope from the front edge side to the base end side thereof, as shown in FIG. 17 , the commodity A that is lifted upward tilts forward so that it moves forward and is received inside the bucket 64 .
  • the bucket unit 60 that receives the commodity A moves the bucket base 62 forward with respect to the unit base 61 and, as shown in FIG. 19 , raises the commodity supporting portion 65 a of the fork member 65 upward to incline the commodity A to the bucket 64 side.
  • the bucket base 62 is moved further forward, as shown in FIG. 20 , the bucket 64 rotates to the commodity outlet portion 14 side.
  • the rotating member 63 contacts against the protrusion 61 c of the unit base 61 and changes orientation by 90° to the commodity outlet portion 14 side, and as a result the bucket 64 rotates towards the commodity outlet portion 14 .
  • the bucket 64 rotates while the upper side thereof contacts against the abutting portion 62 b , at the start of rotation the angle of inclination of the bucket 64 is less than the angle of inclination thereof when receiving the commodity A, and when the bucket 64 completely faces the commodity outlet portion 14 side, the angle of inclination thereof is greater than the angle of inclination when receiving the commodity A.
  • the bucket unit 60 containing the commodity A is moved in the vertical direction and width direction by the unit moving device 70 to move to the commodity carrying out position.
  • the commodity A in the bucket unit 60 is retained in a state in which the commodity A inclines in a width direction that is opposite to the width direction in which the bucket unit 60 moves.
  • the restriction releasing member 68 contacts against the operating portion 16 provided adjacent to the opening 15 of the commodity outlet portion 14 and moves diagonally upward to thereby move the rotation restricting member 66 upward.
  • This movement releases the restriction on rotation of the fork member 65 so that the fork member 65 rotates downward and the received commodity A is carried out in a diagonally downward direction.
  • the rotation restricting member 66 moves upward, as shown in FIG.
  • the rotation restricting member 66 contacts against the abutting portion 67 a of the commodity detecting plate 67 to cause the commodity detecting plate 67 to rotate.
  • the commodity A in the bucket 64 is pushed out in a diagonally upward direction so that the commodity A is reliably carried out to the commodity outlet portion 14 .
  • the bucket unit 60 from which the commodity A has been carried out is then moved to the predetermined standby position by the unit moving device 70 to complete the operation.
  • FIG. 24 shows a flowchart illustrating operations to be performed when a commodity A in a commodity storage column 50 located adjacent to the wall surface on the opposite side to the commodity outlet portion 14 side of the commodity storage chamber 12 is to be carried out to the commodity outlet portion 14 .
  • the controller 80 receives the commodity A in the bucket 64 from the commodity storage column 50 (step S 1 ), moves the bucket unit 60 a predetermined distance in the width direction to the commodity outlet portion 14 side (step S 2 ), and rotates the bucket 64 to the commodity outlet portion 14 side (step S 3 ).
  • the bucket 64 is rotated so that the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 faces the commodity storage column 50 side and the predetermined commodity carrying out position side.
  • the commodity A when moving the bucket unit 60 that receives the commodity A in the width direction towards the predetermined commodity carrying out position, the commodity A is retained in a state in which it is inclined the other way in the width direction with respect to the direction in the width direction that the bucket unit 60 moves. Since it is thus possible to hold the commodity A in a stable state in the bucket unit 60 that moves towards the predetermined commodity carrying out position, even when carrying out a commodity A that has a vertically long shape, the commodity A can be reliably carried out to the commodity outlet portion 14 without a carrying-out failure occurring.
  • the carrying-out device of the present invention is arranged so as to rotate the bucket 64 that supports the side surface side of the commodity A with the commodity A in an inclined state and the fork member 65 supporting the bottom surface side of the commodity A with the commodity A in an inclined state so that the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 faces to the commodity outlet portion 14 side from the commodity storage column 50 side.
  • the bucket 64 and the fork member 65 that hold the commodity A are rotated to the commodity outlet portion 14 side.
  • the commodity A that is retained by the bucket 64 and the fork member 65 does not contact the wall surface when a commodity A of a commodity storage column 50 adjacent to a wall surface on an opposite side to the commodity outlet portion 14 side of the commodity storage chamber 12 is received in the bucket unit 60 and the bucket 64 and the fork member 65 are rotated, an increase in the width direction dimensions of the automatic vending machine main unit 10 can be prevented.
  • the carrying-out device of the present invention also comprises the rotation restricting member 66 for restricting rotation of the fork member 65 , the restriction releasing member 68 for releasing the restriction on rotation of the fork member 65 by the rotation restricting member 66 , and the operating portion 16 provided adjacent to the opening 15 of the commodity outlet portion 14 for operating the restriction releasing member 68 by movement of the bucket unit 60 . It is therefore possible to rotate the fork member 65 by movement of the bucket unit 60 and to carry out the commodity A retained in the bucket 64 and the fork member 65 to the commodity outlet portion 14 without separately requiring a motive power for rotating the fork member 65 , and thus production costs can be decreased.
  • the commodity detecting plate 67 is also provided as a commodity push-out member that pushes out, in the commodity carrying out direction, the commodity A that is contained in the bucket 64 in response to movement of the rotation restricting member 66 .
  • the commodity A can be pushed out in the commodity carrying out direction by the commodity detecting plate 67 when the restriction on rotation of the fork member 65 is released and the commodity A is carried out to the commodity outlet portion 14 , the commodity A that is received in the bucket 64 can be reliably carried out to the commodity outlet portion 14 .
  • the surface side of the commodity detecting plate 67 that contacts with a commodity is formed in a curved shape so that the center in the width direction of the commodity detecting plate 67 forms a concave portion.
  • the surface side of the bucket 64 that contacts with the commodity A is formed in a curved shape so that the center in the width direction of the bucket 64 forms a concave portion. Since the commodity A that is received in the bucket 64 can therefore be positioned in the center in the width direction of the bucket 64 , the commodity A can be reliably retained in the bucket 64 .
  • the angle of inclination of the bucket 64 after the commodity receiving surface of the bucket 64 is rotated to the commodity outlet portion 14 side is arranged to be greater than the angle of inclination of the bucket 64 when receiving the commodity A in the bucket 64 from the commodity storage column 50 .
  • the angle of inclination of the bucket 64 after the bucket base 62 is moved forward with respect to the unit base 61 is arranged to be smaller than the angle of inclination of the bucket 64 when the commodity A is received in the bucket 64 from the commodity storage column 50 . Since it is therefore possible to prevent the commodity A that is received in the bucket 64 from contacting the external door 20 , an increase in the dimensions in the front-to-rear direction of the automatic vending machine main unit 10 can be prevented.
  • the restriction releasing member 68 is arranged to be moved downward by moving the bucket base 62 rearward with respect to the unit base 61 . Consequently, since it is possible to reliably move the restriction releasing member 68 downward by an operation when receiving the commodity A of the commodity storage column 50 in the bucket 64 , the operation to carry out the commodity A can be reliably performed.
  • FIG. 26 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention.
  • the same reference symbols are assigned to components that are the same as in the previous embodiment.
  • the bucket 64 is composed from a pair of bucket members 64 a disposed in the width direction.
  • the pair of bucket members 64 a are rotatably connected to each other in a condition in which the center in the width direction of the bucket 64 serves as the center of rotation.
  • each bucket member 64 a of the bucket 64 rotates so that the commodity A is pinched from both sides in the width direction by the pair of bucket members 64 a.
  • the bucket 64 is composed from a pair of bucket members 64 a disposed in the width direction in a condition in which they are rotatably connected to each other.
  • the pair of bucket members 64 a are arranged to pinch a received commodity A from both sides in the width direction. It is thus possible to prevent a received commodity A from dropping out of the bucket 64 and improve the precision with respect to carrying out a commodity A.
  • FIG. 27 illustrates a third embodiment of the present invention.
  • the same reference symbols are assigned to components that are the same as in the foregoing embodiment.
  • This automatic vending machine comprises a pair of drop prevention plates 64 b for preventing a received commodity A from dropping.
  • the pair of drop prevention plates 64 b are arranged so as to respectively extend along the commodity receiving surface side from both sides in the width direction of the bucket 64 .
  • Each drop prevention plate 64 b is rotatably supported by the bucket 64 and is urged by an unshown urging member so as to extend in the horizontal direction to the commodity receiving surface side from both sides in the width direction of the bucket 64 .
  • the drop prevention plates 64 b contact the side plate 52 of the commodity storage column 50 and rotate downward. Further, when the bucket unit 64 that receives the commodity A is to be moved to the predetermined commodity carrying out position, the drop prevention plates 64 b prevent the commodity A from dropping from the bucket 64 .
  • drop prevention plates for preventing a received commodity A from dropping are provided so as to extend to the commodity receiving surface side from both sides in the width direction of the bucket 64 . It is therefore possible to prevent a received commodity A from dropping down from the bucket 64 and to improve the accuracy with respect to carrying out a commodity A.
  • the commodity detecting sensor 61 e that is turned on/off by the commodity detecting plate 67 is provided in the unit base 61 .
  • the commodity detecting sensor 61 e can similarly detect when a commodity A is sold out or when a fault occurs during an operation to carry out a commodity A.
  • the commodity A of a predetermined commodity storage column 50 is sold out, the commodity A of a different commodity storage column 50 can be carried out, and in the case of a failure to receive a commodity A in the bucket 64 , the carrying out operation is performed again so that the commodity A can be definitely sold.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
US12/124,811 2007-05-21 2008-05-21 Commodity carrying out device Abandoned US20080290108A1 (en)

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JP2007-134536 2007-05-21
JP2007134536 2007-05-21

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EP (1) EP2012281B1 (zh)
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CN (1) CN101311975B (zh)

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US20150206373A1 (en) * 2012-08-24 2015-07-23 Supercooler, Inc. Beverage vending machine and method for controlling temperature of vending machine
WO2018111493A1 (en) * 2016-12-16 2018-06-21 Pepsico, Inc. Lean vending machine
WO2018132763A1 (en) * 2017-01-12 2018-07-19 Crane Merchandising Systems, Inc. Enhanced vending machine product delivery system
FR3065864A1 (fr) * 2017-05-05 2018-11-09 Cksquare Distributeur automatique d'articles ou de produits, en emballages rigides ou souples
USD878466S1 (en) * 2018-06-07 2020-03-17 Vendors Exchange International Vending machine door
US20200090445A1 (en) * 2018-09-18 2020-03-19 Pepsico, Inc. Vending Machine
USD900606S1 (en) 2018-03-02 2020-11-03 Berlin Packaging, Llc Closure
US20200394866A1 (en) * 2017-12-29 2020-12-17 Shandong New Beiyang Information Technology Co., Ltd. Bucket and vending machine
US20210272411A1 (en) * 2018-07-27 2021-09-02 Weihai New Beiyang Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Vending machine
USD931101S1 (en) 2018-03-02 2021-09-21 Berlin Packaging, Llc Closure
US20210312751A1 (en) * 2018-08-03 2021-10-07 Weihai New Beiyang Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Cabinet and vending machine

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KR101620251B1 (ko) * 2013-08-09 2016-05-12 후지 덴키 가부시키가이샤 상품 수납 장치
JP6477861B2 (ja) * 2015-02-27 2019-03-06 富士電機株式会社 商品払出装置
CN105719394B (zh) * 2016-01-26 2019-02-26 橙果信息技术有限公司 自动售货机取货机械手
CN106157447A (zh) * 2016-08-02 2016-11-23 徐海慧 一种自动售水机
CN106485834B (zh) * 2016-09-29 2019-07-19 江苏蓝天空港设备有限公司 自动售货机
CN106781002B (zh) * 2017-01-03 2022-06-28 上海机商实业有限公司 一种连续加热食品的装置
CN106743034B (zh) * 2017-01-18 2019-07-02 上海机商实业有限公司 一种商品运输装置
JP2019135571A (ja) * 2018-02-05 2019-08-15 富士電機株式会社 自動販売機

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US20150206373A1 (en) * 2012-08-24 2015-07-23 Supercooler, Inc. Beverage vending machine and method for controlling temperature of vending machine
RU2752368C2 (ru) * 2016-12-16 2021-07-26 Пепсико, Инк. Упрощенный торговый автомат
WO2018111493A1 (en) * 2016-12-16 2018-06-21 Pepsico, Inc. Lean vending machine
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US11170599B2 (en) 2016-12-16 2021-11-09 Pepsico, Inc. Lean vending machine
WO2018132763A1 (en) * 2017-01-12 2018-07-19 Crane Merchandising Systems, Inc. Enhanced vending machine product delivery system
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USD878466S1 (en) * 2018-06-07 2020-03-17 Vendors Exchange International Vending machine door
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US20210312751A1 (en) * 2018-08-03 2021-10-07 Weihai New Beiyang Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Cabinet and vending machine
US11640743B2 (en) * 2018-08-03 2023-05-02 Weihai New Beiyang Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Cabinet and vending machine
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Also Published As

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CN101311975A (zh) 2008-11-26
CN101311975B (zh) 2013-01-02
JP2009003924A (ja) 2009-01-08
JP5308713B2 (ja) 2013-10-09
EP2012281A3 (en) 2009-11-25
EP2012281A2 (en) 2009-01-07
EP2012281B1 (en) 2014-11-19

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