WO2022196022A1

WO2022196022A1 - Article accommodation device and article supply device

Info

Publication number: WO2022196022A1
Application number: PCT/JP2021/048259
Authority: WO
Inventors: 厳洋村上; 創近藤; 達志五十嵐; 信夫黒川
Original assignee: 株式会社バンダイ
Priority date: 2021-03-15
Filing date: 2021-12-24
Publication date: 2022-09-22
Also published as: JP7232855B2; JP2022141352A

Abstract

Provided is an article accommodation device which has a structure that makes it possible to supply sheets and/or cases as articles and which can be mounted on an article supply device. This article accommodation device is to be mounted on an article supply device, said article accommodation device comprising a main body unit capable of accommodating articles in layers. The main body unit includes a first holding unit which is capable of moving in the width direction of the main body unit and which holds, along the width direction, the articles that are placed and accommodated in the main body unit, a second holding unit which is capable of moving in the depth direction of the main body unit and which holds the articles along the depth direction, and a pressing unit which presses a part of the articles that is positioned frontward with respect to the main body unit.

Description

Article storage device and article supply device

The present invention relates to an article storage device and an article supply device.

There is an article supply device that supplies articles in response to payment of a price. Patent Literature 1 discloses an article supply device capable of supplying articles upon payment.

JP-A-2008-27226

The article supplied in Patent Document 1 was not a sheet-like or case-like article. On the other hand, there is a demand for a configuration that accommodates sheets and cases as articles and attaches them to an article supply device so that articles such as sheets and cases can be supplied.　

Accordingly, an article storage device that has a structure capable of supplying sheets and cases as articles and that can be attached to an article supply device, and an article supply device equipped with the article storage device are provided.

The present invention is an article storage device attached to an article supply device, comprising a main body configured to accommodate articles in a stacked state, the main body being movable in the width direction of the main body. a first holding portion that holds the article placed and accommodated in the main body portion in the width direction; and a first holding portion that is movable in the depth direction of the main body portion and holds the article in the depth direction A second holding portion and a pressing portion that presses a portion of the article located in front of the main body portion.　

The present invention is an article supply device, which is the article storage device described above, comprising: an article storage device comprising a delivery unit that delivers the stored items to the outside; and a reception unit that accepts payment for the items. , a detection unit that detects the payment of the price, an operation unit that accepts an operation for sending out the article contained in the article storage device in response to the detection of the payment of the price, and the sending unit according to the operation and a power transmission unit that transmits power to the article to deliver the article.

It is possible to provide an article storage device that has a structure capable of supplying sheets and cases as articles and that can be attached to an article supply device, and an article supply device equipped with the article storage device.

1 shows an example of the appearance of an article supply device 10 according to an embodiment, and a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the article supply device 10. FIG. The figure which shows an example of the external appearance of the goods accommodating part 11 which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the structures of a guide portion 206 and a support member 305 according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the structures of a guide portion 206 and a support member 305 according to the embodiment; The figure which shows a mode that the structure of the guide part 206 periphery which concerns on embodiment was observed from the right side surface side of the goods accommodating part 11. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a pressing portion 205 and a rail 208 according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining configurations of a first holding portion 202 and a second holding portion 203 according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a structure for interlocking detection of the presence of an article by the switch 204 and notification by the notification unit 108 according to the embodiment; 4A and 4B are diagrams for explaining the configuration of a roller 207 according to the embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between an opening 201A of a placement section 201 and rollers 207 according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a power transmission mechanism on the main body 13 side for transmitting power according to an operation on the handle 104 according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a power transmission mechanism on the side of an article storage section 11 for transmitting power according to an operation on a handle 104 according to the embodiment;

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Two or more of the features described in the embodiments may be combined arbitrarily. Also, the same or similar configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted.　

First, referring to FIG. 1(A), the external configuration of the article supply device 10 will be described. FIG. 1(A) is a diagram showing an example of the front appearance of the article supply device 10 corresponding to the embodiment. In FIG. 1A, the main body of the article supply device 10 is composed of a front wall, a rear wall, and a side wall, and an article storage section (also referred to as an article storage device or an article holding device) 11 is the article supply device 10. It is a container (or a bucket, a case, or the like) in which articles to be supplied to the user are accommodated, and is attached to the article supply device 10 . To attach the article supply device 10, the article storage section 11 is slid from the front side to the rear side of the article supply device 10 along a predetermined rail or the like arranged inside the cover section 12. may Also, the article storage section 11 can be removed from the article supply device 10 by pulling the article storage section 11 forward along the rail from the article supply device 10 . The rear wall of the article storage section 11 and the rear wall of the article supply device 10 may be prevented from coming into contact with each other during mounting.　

The article storage section 11 is made of plastic, and is provided with an area 101 on the front surface configured so as to be able to present information about the article to be supplied. The article storage section 11 may or may not be configured so that articles housed therein can be visually recognized from the outside. The article can be, for example, an article such as a sheet, a printed matter, a card, a CDROM case, or the like, which can be stacked and accommodated in the article accommodating section 11 . The article storage section 11 is provided with an article supply port 102, and the supply port is provided with a shutter (opening/closing door) 103 to prevent unauthorized access into the article storage section 11 through the supply port 102. ing.　

The article storage section 11 is installed on the upper side of the main body 13. The main body 13 has a handle 104, a cash slot 105, a cash return opening 106, a cash return button 107, and an article storage section 11 on the front side. A notification unit 108 is provided for notifying the user of the non-existence.　

The handle 104 is an operating member configured to be rotatable in the direction of the arrow in response to payment of the price. When the user rotates the handle 104, the shutter 103 opens and the articles stored in the article storage section 11 are displayed. Among them, the lowermost article is supplied from the supply port 102 . The handle 104 is prevented from rotating by the lock mechanism when payment of the price cannot be confirmed, and when the payment of the price is confirmed, the lock mechanism is released and the handle 104 can be rotated.　

The cash slot 105 is used to insert coins when paying in cash, and there may be a plurality of types of slot depending on the size of the cash. For example, as an example, it is possible to prepare insertion slots each having a size that allows insertion of a 500-yen coin and a 100-yen coin. However, in FIG. 1, the slot for the 500-yen coin and the 100-yen coin are shared, and the slot corresponding to the size of the 100-yen coin is sealed (blocked).　

The cash slot 105 can switch between a state in which cash is inserted and a state in which cash is not accepted by controlling an internal mechanism. Specifically, the article storage unit 11 may have a mechanism for detecting the existence of an article, and may close the slot to not accept insertion of coins when the existence of an article is not detected. As a result, when the inside of the article accommodating portion 11 cannot be visually recognized from the outside, it is possible to prevent a coin from being erroneously inserted even though there is no article inside.　

The cash slot 105 is formed with a curved recess, and the slot is provided near the bottom (deepest part) of the recess. Therefore, even a small child can easily insert cash from the cash slot 105 by sliding and following the curved surface. The cash return port 106 is configured such that inserted coins are returned in response to operation of the cash return button 107 and the returned coins can be taken out from the device.　

FIG. 1B is a functional block diagram of the hardware mechanism (partially including software) in the article supply device 10. As shown in FIG. Coins inserted from the cash slot 105 are held in the cash holding unit 111, and the price payment detection unit 112 determines whether or not the amount has reached a predetermined amount. When it is determined that the predetermined amount has been reached, the lock of the rotating portion 113 connected to the handle 104 is released, and the handle 104 becomes rotatable. This allows the handle 104 to be rotated. When the rotating part 113 rotates, the coins held in the cash holding part 111 are ejected into the coin storing part 114, and the rotating part 113 is locked again. Also, when the cash return button 107 is operated, the cash held in the cash holding unit 111 is returned from the cash return port 106 .　

The notification unit 108 is a notification unit that notifies when there is no article in the article storage section 11 . The notification unit 108 visibly notifies the outside of the presence of the article according to the detection result of the detection unit that detects the presence or absence of the article in the article storage unit 11 when the article is not present.　

In this specification, when describing the positional relationship of each member, front (front), rear (rear), left (left side), right (right side), top (upper), bottom (lower), etc. As may be stated, these representations are relative to the article feeder 10 of FIG. For example, the front side corresponds to the front side of the article supply device 10 and the rear side corresponds to the rear side of the article supply device 10 . Further, up, down, left, and right are up, down, left, and right with respect to the article supply device 10 in FIG.　

Next, referring to FIG. 2, the structure of the article storage section 11 corresponding to this embodiment will be described. The article accommodating portion 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped body portion having an outer wall portion 200 forming the outer circumference of the article accommodating portion 11 and a placement portion 201 on which an article is placed. The upper surface of the mounting portion 201 forms the same plane as the lower end surface of the supply port 102 . In addition, the placement section 201 separates the space inside the article storage section 11 into a first space located above the placement section 201 and a second space located below the placement section 201 . Articles placed on the placement part 201 in the first space may have various sizes. The shape of the article is also a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, and the size can be specified by width×length×height. At this time, the width, length, and height of the article respectively correspond to the sizes in the directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown in the coordinate system of FIG. 2(A). The article can be, for example, a business card-size to A4-size sheet or card, and thicker items such as a CDROM case or a DVD case.　

First holding

portions

202L and 202R and a second holding portion 203 are arranged in the first space so that articles of various sizes can be discharged. The

first holding portions

202L and 202R are holding members that support the article from the sides in the width direction of the article, and are moved in the width direction (X-axis) along rails formed on the placing section 201. As a result, the space (W1) between the first holding

portions

202L and 202R can be made to correspond to the width of the article. The

first holding portions

202L and 202R are movable on rails along the width direction of the pressing portion 205, and the first holding

portions

202L and 202R are movable in a direction toward or away from each other. It is configured. The second holding section 203 is a holding member that supports the article from the side in the depth direction of the article, and can be moved in the depth direction (Y-axis) along rails formed on the placing section 201 . This makes it possible to set the distance (L1) between the second holding portion 203 and the position where the leading portion of the article on the supply port 102 side is arranged to correspond to the length of the article. The range of movement of the second holding portion 203 on the rail is larger than the range of movement of the first holding portion 202 on the rail.　

A switch 204 is a detection unit that detects whether or not an article exists in the article storage section 11 . If an item is present, it can be detected because it pushes downward. Note that the article is pressed downward by the pressing portion 205 and held, and even if only one article remains, the pressing force of the pressing portion 205 is transmitted to the switch 204 via the article. The presence of articles can be detected. On the other hand, since the switch 204 is not directly pressed by the pressing portion 205, the absence of the article can be detected without the switch 204 being pressed when the article is not present.

The pressing portion 205 can move downward by its own weight, and presses downward the tip portion (front portion) of the article held by the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203 on the supply port 102 side. do. The pressing portion 205 is configured to be detachable from the main body via rails 208 which will be described later. The guide part 206 has a function of guiding an article when the article accommodated in the article accommodation section 11 is delivered to the outside. The guide unit 206 adjusts the height from the placement unit 201 according to the height of the single article so that only the single article passes through the article ejection path and is ejected from the supply port 102. , to adjust the height of the discharge path.　

FIG. 2(B) is a diagram showing an example of the cross-sectional configuration of the article storage section 11 along the AA' cross section of FIG. 2(A). Components 201 to 206 are the same as those described in FIG. 2(A). In FIG. 2B, the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203 have substantially the same height. The stacking amount of articles that can be accommodated in the portion 11 is determined. In the article storage section 11, rollers 207 for ejecting articles to the outside and part of the transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the handle 104 to the rollers 207 are mounted below the placement section 201 on which the articles are placed. is placed in the second space of　

The roller 207 is provided near the center in the width direction of the article storage section 11 (or the pressing section 205), and is interlocked with the handle 104. When the handle rotates once, the roller 207 also rotates once. A non-slip material such as rubber is formed on the surface of the roller 207 . The cross section of the roller 207 has a cylindrical shape with a notch, and the notch allows one rotation of the handle to discharge only one article. If the roller 207 were to have a perfect cylindrical shape, there would be a risk that the articles would be discharged continuously. Further, according to the rotation of the roller 207, the shutter 103 operates to open toward the outside of the article storage section 11. As shown in FIG. This allows the shutter 103 to be opened and the article to be supplied only when the roller 207 is rotated.　

Further, the shutter 103 is configured by arranging a plurality of opening/closing doors in the width direction of the article storage section 11, and at least one of the opening/closing doors opens when articles are supplied. In this embodiment, the shutter 103 can be composed of three opening/closing doors, first to third, and depending on the width of the article, only the second opening/closing door in the center may be opened, or all three doors may be opened. You may open the opening and closing door of The rail 208L is a rail member for regulating the vertical movement direction of the pressing portion 205 so that the pressing portion 205 accurately presses the article.　

The operating portion 209 is a mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the handle 104 to the roller 207, and is connected to the mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the handle 104 provided on the main body 13 positioned below the article storage portion 11. Therefore, at least a part thereof protrudes below the bottom of the article storage section 11 .　

Next, the configuration of the guide portion 206 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of the guide portion 206. As shown in FIG. The guide portion 206 has a reinforcing member 302 attached to a main member 301 extending in the width direction, and engages with a support member 305 shown in FIG. . The guide portion 206 is detachably arranged in the article storage portion 11 via the support member 305 . A gripping portion 301A for gripping the guide portion 206 is provided at approximately the center of the main member 301, and an instruction portion 301B for enabling the position of the guide portion 206 to be specified at the end portion of the gripping portion 301. is provided. The indicating portion 301B functions to indicate the current position of the guide portion 206 with respect to the scale portion indicating the position of the guide portion 206 arranged in the article storage portion 11 . The first engaging portion 304A for engaging with the support member 305 is arranged near one end of the guide portion 206, and the second engaging portion 304B is arranged near the other end of the guide portion 206. there is　

The bottom surface of the guide portion 206 coincides with the bottom surface of the main member 301 , and when the guide portion 206 is arranged in the article storage portion 11 , the bottom surface is substantially parallel to the top surface of the placement portion 201 . The guide portion 206 may be made of plastic, for example, in which case the reinforcing member 302 may be made of metal (eg, iron or other metal). The

gripping portions

302A and 302B form part of the reinforcing member 302 and are used for gripping when adjusting the height of the guide portion 206. As shown in FIG.　

The

members

303A and 303B are used to attach the first engaging portion 304A and the second engaging portion 304B to the main member 301, respectively. It is arranged slidably in the arrow direction (the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 206 and the width direction of the article storage portion 11) in the space formed between the

members

303A and 303B. The first engaging portion 304A and the second engaging portion 304B have projections in the sliding direction (horizontal direction). recess) to support the guide portion 206 at a predetermined height.　

FIG. 3B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the support member 305. As shown in FIG. The support member 305 is configured to have a first support portion 305A and a second support portion 305B. The first support portion 305A and the second support portion 305B are formed with grooves on the front surfaces of both left and right ends. The distances from the respective grooves to the bottom surface of the support member 305 and, in turn, the distances to the top surface of the placement section 201 when stored in the article storage section 11 are different. The support member 305 has a first surface facing the area 101 or the supply port 102 of the article accommodating portion 11 when accommodated in the article accommodating portion 11, and a second surface on the opposite side. , the grooves of the first support portion 305A and the second support portion 305B are formed on the second surface. That is, FIG. 3B mainly shows the configuration of the support member 305 from the second surface side, and similarly the guide portion 206 shown in FIG. 3A also shows the configuration from the second surface side. there is　

The first support portion 305A has a first engaged portion and a second engaged portion formed of grooves in multiple stages, and the second support portion 305B has a third engaged portion and a fourth engaged portion. have a part. The first to fourth engaged portions are each composed of grooves of the same number of stages (for example, four stages). The height from the bottom surface 306 of the support member 305, or from the top surface of the placement section 201 when installed in the article storage section 11, is the same, and the second engaged section and the third engaged section have the same height. The same height of the grooves is matched. That is, the height positions of the grooves of the lowest stage of the first engaged portion and the lowest stage of the fourth engaged portion are the same, and similarly, the height positions of the second, third and uppermost stages are the same. match. Further, the height positions of the grooves of the lowest stage of the second engaged portion and the lowest stage of the third engaged portion are the same. match.　

FIG. 3B further shows an example of the arrangement of the first engaging portion 304A and the second engaging portion 304B. Here, the first engaging portion 304A is engaged with the lowest step of the first engaged portion, and the second engaging portion 304B is engaged with the lowest step of the fourth engaged portion. The bottom surface position of the portion 206 is the lowest, corresponding to the case where the thickness of the single article is the thinnest. In addition, since the number of steps to be paired is determined, if one engaging portion engages with the first engaged portion (or the fourth engaged portion) in a certain number of steps, the other engaging portion will also correspond. It engages with the fourth engaged portion (or the first engaging portion) at the number of steps. Similarly, if one engaging portion engages with the second engaged portion (or third engaged portion) at a certain number of stages, the other engaging portion also engages with the third engaged portion (or third engaged portion) at the corresponding number of stages. or second engaging portion).　

In this manner, the first engaging portion 304A and the second engaging portion 304B are arranged in the width direction of the article accommodating portion 11 (the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 206 and the article width direction), and for example, the first engaging portion 304A is arranged in the width direction. 1 longitudinal direction (left direction) to engage with the first engaged portion, and the second engaging portion 304B is moved in a second longitudinal direction (right direction) opposite to the first longitudinal direction. The first engaging portion 304A is slid to engage with the fourth engaged portion, or the first engaging portion 304A is slid in the second longitudinal direction (rightward direction) to engage with the second engaged portion to engage the second engaging portion. By sliding the engaging portion 304B in the first longitudinal direction (leftward direction) to engage with the third engaged portion, it is possible to handle articles of any height. Further, the first engaging portion 304A can be engaged with either the first engaged portion or the second engaged portion by sliding the second engaging portion 304A. can engage with either the third engaged portion or the fourth engaged portion by sliding.　

FIG. 4A shows how the first engaging portion 304A and the first supporting portion 305A are engaged. The article storage section 11 is configured such that each engaging section and each supporting section can be engaged with each other when the guide section 206 is in contact with the supporting member 305 . In FIG. 4A, it can be seen that the first engaging portion 304A engages with the lowest groove of the first engaged portion. Further, FIG. 4B is an enlarged view showing how the first engaging portion 304A and the first supporting portion 305A are engaged. As shown in FIG. 4B, the first engaging portion 304A has

cylindrical projections

401 and 402 on the left and right, and a convex operating portion 403 is formed on the top. The shape of the first engaging portion 304A and the second engaging portion 304B is not limited to the shape shown in FIG. 4(B) as long as at least a portion thereof has a cylindrical shape. The user can operate the operation portion 403 to slide each engagement portion. Each engaged portion (groove) 404 formed in the first support portion 305A has a C-shape or an inclined U-shape, and has a structure in which the second surface side of the support member 305 is open. have.　

FIG. 4C is a diagram showing the relationship between the indicator 301B provided on the grip portion 301A of the main member 301 and the scale 404. As shown in FIG. The scale portion 404 is marked with a scale corresponding to the position of the guide portion 206 corresponding to each step number from the first engaged portion to the fourth engaged portion. can specify the number of steps of the engaged portion. It should be noted that the scale portion 404 may be provided with a numerical value indicating the number of steps in addition to the line segment indicating the pointing position. Alternatively, a value indicating the height of the guide portion 206 or a value indicating the height or size of the article may be assigned to the scale portion 404 .　

Next, FIG. 5 is a view showing the structure around the guide portion 206 as observed from the right side of the article storage portion 11. As shown in FIG. The position of the guide portion 206 is fixed by inserting the tip portion 501a of the fixing member 501 into the gap between the end portion of the main member 301 and the rail 208R. When adjusting the height of the guide portion 206 from the upper surface of the mounting portion 201, it is necessary to remove the fixing member 501 before performing the adjustment. The fixing member 501 is provided with an inclination at the base side of the tip portion 501a to prevent the end portion of the main member 301 from coming off. Although FIG. 5 shows only the structure of the right side, the position of the left end of the main member 301 is also fixed by a similar structure.　

A portion surrounded by a dotted line circle in FIG. 5 indicates a distance d from the upper surface of the mounting portion 201 of the guide portion 206 (main member 301). It changes according to the position of the (groove). For example, if the groove increases by an equal distance (α) each time the groove rises by one step, the distance d is d=di+α(n-1) where di is the initial value corresponding to the first step (lowest step) (however, n is a value corresponding to any number of stages from 1 to 8). Note that the value of α may be variable. For example, the higher the level, the smaller or larger the increment may be. Note that the position of the lower end portion of the shutter 103 substantially coincides with the position of the upper surface of the mounting portion 201 .　

Next, the configuration of the pressing portion 205 and the rail 208 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6A shows an example of the appearance of the pressing portion 205, FIG. 6B shows an example of the appearance of the rail 208, and FIG. Here is an example.

The pressing part 205 is a member that extends along the width direction of the article placed in the article accommodation part 11 (or the width direction of the article accommodation part 11), and presses the article in the article accommodation part 11. In this case, the front portion of the article located on the supply port 102 side is pressed from the upper surface side of the article. The pressing portion 205 is configured to be vertically movable along

rails

208L and 208R arranged at both left and right ends of the pressing portion 205 . The pressing portion 205 can be removed from the rail 208 by operating the protrusion 601 on the top. Engaging portions 602 are provided at both ends of the pressing portion 205 , and the pressing portion 205 is positioned by engaging the engaging portions 602 with the notch portions 611 of the rails 208 . The cutout portion 611 has an upper open end 611A and a lower end portion 611B. The engaging portion 602 is inserted through the open end 611A, and the pressing portion 205 naturally falls along the cutout portion 611 due to its own weight. can be made The pressing portion 205 is positioned at the lowest point when the engaging portion 602 reaches the end portion 611B.　

The pressing portion 205 has a protective member 604 for protecting the switch 204 at its lower portion. The protection member 604 functions to prevent external operation through the supply port 102 when no articles are present in the article storage section 11 and the switch 204 protrudes upward. The protective member 604 has a holding portion 605 in which the switch 204 is arranged to hold the switch 204 . As a result, it is possible to prevent the switch 204 from being broken by being operated from the outside. The projecting portion 603 abuts on the rail portion 208 to reduce the load applied to the engaging portion 602 in the front-rear direction of the article accommodating portion 11 and prevent the engaging portion 602 from being damaged.　

Further, as shown in FIG. 6C, the bottom surface of the pressing portion 205 is formed with a concave portion 606 so as not to hinder the rotation of the roller 207 . The shape of the recess 606 is not particularly limited as long as it does not interfere with the rotation of the roller 606, but it can be, for example, a circumferential depression along the rotation of the roller so as not to interfere with the ejection of the article. Also, the recess 606 may be formed only in the portion where the roller 606 is arranged. Further, the surface of the concave portion 606 forms a surface that is continuous with the opening portion 201A provided in the mounting portion 201 .　

Next, referring to FIG. 7, the mechanism of the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203 for holding the article placed on the placement portion 201 will be described. FIG. 7A shows the state of the first holding

portions

202L and 202R and the second holding portion 203 arranged on the mounting portion 201. FIG. The

first holding portions

202L and 202R can move in the width direction of the article accommodating portion 11 along

openings

701L and 701R formed in the placing portion 201 and rails 702L and 702R. Also, the second holding portion 203 can move in the depth direction of the article accommodating portion 11 along the opening 703 and the rail 704 formed in the placing portion 201 .　

Each of the first holding

units

202L, 202R and the second holding unit 203 has a lock mechanism so that it can be stopped at a predetermined position, and the stop position according to the size of the article can be assigned in advance. An opening 705 formed in the mounting portion 201 is used for positioning the second holding portion 203. By attaching the locking member of the second holding portion 203 to the second holding portion 203 through the opening, The second holding portion 203 can be fixedly supported with respect to the mounting portion 201 . A plurality of openings 705 can be arranged at positions corresponding to the length of the article in the depth direction along the long side of the opening 703 . Thereby, the second holding portion 203 can be fixed to the mounting portion 201 through the respective openings 703 using the locking member. The protrusion 203D is a member for releasing the locked state by the lock member. When the protrusion 203D is pushed, the lock member engaged with the opening 705 and the like can be pushed downward to release the lock. The lock member is biased toward the second holding portion 203 by a spring or the like, and when the protrusion 203D is released from the position where the opening is formed on the mounting portion 201, the lock member is opened according to the biasing force. to fix the stop position of the second holding part 203 . A lock mechanism including such a lock member, projection 203D, etc. can also be employed in the first holding portion 202 in the same manner.　

In FIG. 7A, an overhanging portion 203A is arranged on the top of the second holding portion 203. As shown in FIG. The projecting portion 203A is configured to be vertically movable along an opening 203B formed in the second holding portion 203 . The opening 203B is formed from the upper end of the second holding portion 203 to approximately the middle height, and the protruding portion 203A cannot move below it. An elastic body 203C is attached to the back side of the second holding portion 203, and the elastic force of the elastic body acts to push down the overhanging portion 203A. The elastic force acts to press the upper surfaces of the articles stacked on the placement section 201 downward via the projecting section 203A. The elastic force may act within the range in which the second holding portion 203 moves within the opening 203B, or may act within a part of the range. At this time, when the height of the stacked articles is above a certain level, for example, when it is higher than the lower end of the opening 203B, it is pressed downward by the projecting portion 203A. The elastic body may be made of, for example, rubber or a spring, as long as it generates an elastic force.　

The protruding portion 203A can have, for example, a substantially hexagonal shape obtained by cutting out the vertex portion on the front side of the article accommodating portion 11 in the rectangular shape. Alternatively, it may be elliptical, semicircular, semielliptical, or any other shape. Moreover, the projecting portion 203A has a shape in which the length in the width direction is longer than the length in the depth direction, and is configured to press at least part of the rear of the articles stacked on the placing portion 201. It is　

FIG. 7B is a diagram for explaining the movable range of the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203 on the mounting portion 201. FIG. The movable range of the first holding portion 202 is the range indicated by arrow D1, and the movable range of the second holding portion 203 is the range indicated by arrow D2. At this time, D2>D1 is established.　

Next, referring to FIG. 8, the interlocking structure between the detection of the existence of an article by the switch 204 and the notification by the notification unit 108 will be described. FIG. 8A shows the state inside the article storage section 11 when there are articles in the article storage section 11 . At this time, although the switch 204 is urged upward, it is pressed downward by the article 800 , so the notification display section 801 is not visible from the outside in the notification section 108 . At this time, the tip portion 204A of the switch 204 is positioned on the same plane as the mounting portion 201. As shown in FIG. The notification display unit 801 is connected via a rotating shaft to an L-shaped member 802 that abuts on the projection 204B of the switch 204, and the L-shaped member 802 rotates clockwise in FIG. It is biased by a spring or the like. Rotation of the L-shaped member 802 and the notification display section 801 interlocked therewith due to the biasing force is suppressed by the protrusion 204B of the switch 204 .　

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8(B), when the article 800 is no longer present and the downward pressure by the article is released, the switch 204 moves upward according to the urging force so that the tip portion 204A of the switch 204 is placed on the placement portion. The protrusion 204B, which protrudes upward from 201 and, as a result, suppresses the rotation of the L-shaped member 802, also moves upward. As a result, the L-shaped member 802 rotates in the direction of the arrow, and the notification display portion 801 also rotates downward accordingly. As a result, the message area 801A of the notification display portion 801 shown in FIG. 8C becomes visible from the outside through the notification portion . The notification unit 108 is made of a member such as transparent plastic or glass, and the user can visually recognize the message area 801A from the outside through the member.　

Next, the structure of roller 207 will be described with reference to FIG. The roller 207 functions as a delivery section capable of delivering the article accommodated in the article accommodation section 11 to the supply port 102 . 9A to 9C show an example of the external configuration of the roller 207. FIG. FIG. 9A shows the front of the roller 207. As shown here, a rotating shaft 901 protrudes left and right from the side of the roller 207, and can rotate with the rotating shaft 901 as a reference. The rotating shaft is linked to the handle 104 via a predetermined mechanism, and when the handle 104 is rotated once, the roller 207 also rotates about the rotating shaft 901 once. A flat portion 902 is formed on the surface of the roller 207 along the rotation axis 901, and the flat portion 902 does not come into contact with the article to be delivered when the roller 207 rotates.　

FIG. 9(B) shows the side surface of the roller 207 , and a curved surface portion 903 is formed on the back side of the flat portion 902 of the roller 207 . The roller 207 has a shape in which a part is missing by cutting off the outer surface of a cylinder. It should be noted that the ratio of the remaining portion is larger between the cut off portion and the remaining portion of the cylinder. Also, the area of the curved portion 903 is larger than the area of the flat portion 902 .　

FIG. 9(C) shows the back surface of the roller 207 , and the curved surface portion 903 of the roller 207 functions to contact the article and feed the article to the supply port 102 . Since the curved surface portion 903 transmits a rotational force to the article when it comes into contact with the article, the surface is desirably covered with a non-slip material such as a soft member such as rubber, or a non-slip member. However, the entire curved surface portion 903 may not be covered with the soft member, and at least a portion thereof may be covered. For at least a part of the range, the circumferential direction of the curved surface portion 903 may be covered as a whole while the width direction may be intermittently covered. Also, the circumferential direction may not be continuously covered, and the circumferential direction may be covered as a whole by a plurality of soft members.　

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6C, the placing section 201 is provided with an opening in the vicinity of the supply port 102, and by bringing the roller 207 and the article into contact with each other through the opening, By transmitting the rotational force of the roller 207 to the article, the article can be delivered to the supply port 102 . FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the opening and the roller 207. As shown in FIG.　

FIG. 10 shows the relationship between each rotational position of the roller 207 and the placement section 201 as a state transition diagram. State 1 indicates the initial position when the rotation of the roller 207 is started. In the state of the initial position, the roller 207 does not protrude from the opening 201A of the mounting portion 201 . After that, the roller 207 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. By contacting from the right end of the article storage section 11, the article is pushed out forward of the article storage section 11. In this manner, state 2, in which curved surface portion 903 of roller 207 protrudes from opening 201A, progresses to state 4 via state 3. FIG. During this time, the curved surface portion 903 protruding from the opening 201A comes into contact with the article, and a force acts to push the article forward. In states 2 through 4, the roller 207 is in the "ready for delivery" state. After the left end of the roller 207 contacts in state 4, as in state 5, the roller 207 and the article lose contact. That is, only the curved surface portion 903 protrudes from the opening 201A and contacts the article, and the flat surface portion 902 does not protrude and does not contact the article. In such state 5 to state 1, the roller 207 is in a "undeliverable state". In this state, the position of the article does not move, but the article is exposed to the outside from the supply port 102 by a sufficient extent to pull out the article. The user can pull the portion of the article exposed from the supply port 102 to remove the article from the article storage section 11 .　

Next, with reference to FIG. 11, a power transmission mechanism that transmits power according to the operation of handle 104 will be described. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the power transmission mechanism. In FIG. 11, one end of a main shaft body 1101 that constitutes a part of the gear interlocking mechanism is attached to the rotation center shaft of the handle 104 . A spur gear 1102 is fixed to the other end of the main shaft 1101 . A small gear 1103 meshing with the spur gear 1102 is rotatably supported above the spur gear 1102 . Furthermore, above the small gear 1103, a spur gear 1104 that meshes with the small gear 1103 is pivotally supported at the lower end of the back surface of the article storage section 11, and power corresponding to the operation of the handle 104 is transmitted via the small gear 1103. It can be transmitted to the article storage section 11 .

Therefore, when the handle 104 is manually rotated in the direction of the arrow T1, the rotational force is transmitted to the spur gear 1102 through the main shaft body 1101, and the rotational force in the direction of the arrow T2 is transmitted through the small gear 1103 meshing therewith. It is transmitted to the spur gear 1104 . By continuing to operate the handle 104, the spur gear 1104 rotates once.　

A spur gear 1106 meshing with the spur gear 1102 is rotatably supported obliquely below the spur gear 1102 . Below the spur gear 1106 is rotatably supported an intermediate shaft 1108 having one end fitted with a small gear 1107 that meshes with the spur gear 1106 . A bevel gear 1109 is attached to the end of the intermediate shaft 1108 . When the user rotates the handle 104 , the main shaft 1101 rotates and rotates the spur gear 1102 . This, on the one hand, causes the pinion gear 1103 and the spur gear 1104 to rotate. On the other hand, rotation of spur gear 1102 rotates intermediate shaft 1108 via spur gear 1106 and pinion gear 1107 to rotate bevel gear 1109 . Therefore, when the bevel gear 1109 is prevented from rotating, the handle 104 and the spur gear 1104 are also prevented from rotating.　

A bevel gear 1110 meshes with the bevel gear 1109 . Therefore, when the bevel gear 1109 is rotated with the rotation of the handle 104, the bevel gear 1110 is also rotated. Here, as described above, the rotating portion 113 is a mechanism for unlocking the handle 104 in response to the detection of the payment detecting portion 112 that a coin corresponding to a predetermined amount has been inserted, and the predetermined amount has been inserted. If not, the rotating part 113 is locked. In this case, bevel gear 1110 and bevel gear 1109 cannot rotate, resulting in rotation of handle 104 being blocked. Thus, when the rotating portion 113 is locked, the

bevel gears

1109 and 1110 are also prevented from rotating, and the handle 104 cannot be rotated. On the other hand, when the price payment detection unit 112 detects that a predetermined amount of money has been inserted, the rotation unit 113 is unlocked and the operation of the handle 104 is permitted. Gear 1110 and bevel gear 1109 rotate, and spur gear 1104 rotates.　

In FIG. 11, the main shaft 1101 directly connected to the handle 104 and the intermediate shaft 1108 to which the bevel gear 1109 that cooperates with the rotating part is attached are separated. 1101 may be provided.　

Next, with reference to FIG. 12, a power transmission mechanism inside the article storage section 11 that transmits power according to the operation of the handle 104 will be described. FIG. 12A is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the transmission mechanism. In the transmission mechanism, when the spur gear 1104 provided on the rear wall of the article storage section 11 rotates after being unlocked by the switch 1201, the rotational force is transferred to the spur gear 1202, the main shaft body 1203, the

bevel gears

1204, 1205, It is transmitted to roller 207 via intermediate shaft 1206 .　

In the transmission mechanism shown in FIG. 12A, the switch 1201 functions as a lock section that controls whether or not the spur gear 1104 shown in FIG. 11 can be rotated. When the article accommodating portion 11 is attached to the article supply device 10, the projection 1201C is pressed by contacting the rear wall of the article supply device 10, and the projection (1201D in FIG. 12C) at the tip of the switch 1201 and the The engagement state (contact state) with the spur gear 1104 is released, and the spur gear 1104 becomes rotatable. As shown in FIG. 12(D), the spur gear 1104 is formed with a recess 1104B that engages with the projection 1201D at the tip of the switch 1201 on the side surface where the tooth profile is not formed. The switch 1201 is swingable about a shaft 1201A, and is biased in a first direction indicated by an arrow by a biasing portion 1201B. A projection 1201D on the tip can be actuated in a direction to lock the spur gear 1104. FIG. Therefore, when it is not in contact with the rear wall of the article supply device 10, the protrusion 1201D engages with the spur gear 1104 due to the biasing force of the biasing portion 1201B, and the rotation of the spur gear 1104 is suppressed. The projecting direction of the protrusion 1201C of the switch 1201 is also the first direction. A protrusion 1201D of the switch 1201 protrudes in a second direction opposite to the first direction.　

Spur gear 1104 meshes with spur gear 1202 to transmit power from handle 104 to main shaft 1203 . In FIG. 12A, the length of the main shaft body 1203 is omitted. Rotation of the main shaft 1203 is transmitted to the rollers 20 via

bevel gears

1204 and 1205 and an intermediate shaft 1206 . In this way, it is possible to transmit the rotation of the handle 104 to the roller 207 as well. The spur gears 1104 and 1202 are covered with a cover 1207 , but since the spur gear 1104 meshes with the pinion gear 1103 , part of the spur gear 1104 is exposed outside the cover 1207 . Cover 1207 protects

spur gears

1104 and 1202 from contacting the inside of the rear wall of article feeder 10 and preventing rotation thereof.　

Next, FIG. 12(B) is a diagram showing a state in which the spur gear 1104 and the spur gear 1202 are in mesh. are facing each other at positions corresponding to each other. In this embodiment, as described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the shape of the roller 207 is such that a part of the cylinder is missing. It is necessary to correctly determine the rotation start position of the roller 207 so that the . If the curved surface portion 903 does not make proper contact with the article, there is a risk that the article will not be discharged from the supply port 102 . Therefore, in this embodiment, the state where the mark 1104A and the mark 1202A face each other is associated with the rotation start position of the roller 207, and the state shown in FIG. The article container 11 is attached to the article supply device 10 in a state where rotation is locked. The switch 1201 plays the role of fixing the rotation start position of the roller 207, while the engagement state with the spur gear 1104 is released when the switch 1201 is mounted, so that subsequent operations are not hindered.　

The rotational position of the spur gear 1104 can be changed by manually rotating the spur gear 1104 as long as the article container 11 is not attached to the article supply device 10 . Therefore, when the article accommodating section 11 is detached from the article supply device 10 and then attached again, the spur gear 1104 is manually rotated so that the rotational positions of the

spur gears

1104 and 1202 are aligned so that the

marks

1104A and 1202A face each other. By correcting the position, it is possible to reliably discharge the article from the article supply device 10 without malfunction.　

The switch 1201 is arranged to be able to engage with the concave portion 1104B of the spur gear 1104 when the spur gear 1104 is in the position (first position) shown in FIG. 12(B). Recess 1104B has a depth sufficient to engage protrusion 1201D of switch 1201 . When the spur gear 1104 is in the first position, it can be locked by the switch 1201, but in a position other than the first position (second position), the recess 1104B of the spur gear 1104 and the switch 1201 are engaged. Since it does not match, it becomes impossible to lock.　

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.

Claims

An article storage device attached to an article supply device, comprising a main body configured to accommodate articles in a stacked state, the main body being movable in the width direction of the main body, A first holding section that holds the article placed and housed in the body section in the width direction, and a second holding section that is movable in the depth direction of the body section and holds the article in the depth direction. and a pressing portion that presses a portion of the article located in front of the main body portion.
2. The article storage device according to claim 1, wherein said pressing portion is detachable from said body portion.
2. The pressing portion is configured to be vertically movable, and is movable downward by its own weight according to the number of articles held by the first holding portion and the second holding portion. 3. The article storage device according to 2.
4. The article storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said first holding section and said second holding section hold said article from the sides of said article.
5. The first holding portion according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first holding portion includes one holding portion and the other holding portion, and is movable in a direction toward or away from each other in the width direction. article storage device.
The article storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first holding portion is movable along the width direction of the pressing portion.
The main body part has rails formed on the bottom surface on which the first holding part and the second holding part can move, and the first holding part and the second holding part lock themselves at predetermined positions on the rails. 7. The article storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising a lock portion for
8. The article storage device according to claim 7, wherein a range of movement of said second holding part on said rail is larger than a range of movement of said first holding part on said rail.
The second holding part includes an overhanging part that is vertically movable, and the overhanging part presses the article downward when the height of the article placed in the main body part is equal to or higher than a certain level. 9. An article storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, configured to be able to.
10. The article storage device according to claim 9, wherein said projecting portion and said pressing portion are capable of pressing the article held by said first holding portion and said second holding portion from the upper surface thereof.
11. The article storage device according to claim 9, wherein said protruding portion includes an elastic body, and is capable of pressing said article by elastic force of said elastic body.
The projecting portion is movable up and down in a partial range including the upper end of the second holding portion, and the elastic force is such that the projecting portion can press the article in the partial range. 12. An article receiving device according to claim 11 acting on an overhang.
13. The article storage device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein said protruding portion can press at least part of the rear of said article.
14. The article storage device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the projecting portion has a rectangular shape in which corners on the front side of the main body portion are notched.
The main body further comprises a detection unit for detecting the presence of the article in the main body, and a display unit for notifying that the article cannot be supplied when the detection unit does not detect the article. wherein the detection unit includes a tip that is pressed by the article when the article exists, and the display unit detects the tip when the article does not exist and the tip is released; 15. The article storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein said notification is configured to be visible from the outside of the main body.
16. The article storage device according to claim 15, wherein the pressing section includes a third holding section that holds the detection section in a state where the first holding section and the second holding section do not hold an article. .
An article storage apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 16, comprising: an article storage apparatus comprising a delivery unit for delivering the stored items to the outside; and an acceptance unit for accepting payment for the items. , a detection unit that detects the payment of the price, an operation unit that receives an operation for sending out the article contained in the article storage device in response to detection of the payment of the price, and the sending unit that is performed by the operation and a power transmission unit that transmits power to and feeds out the article.