JP2662012B2 - Vending machine shelf - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine having a meandering product passage called a so-called serpentine type product shelf provided in a vending machine for automatically vending cans or bottled beverages. It relates to the shelf of the machine.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the diversification of product container shapes, product shelves of vending machines corresponding to various types of containers have been considered.

Hereinafter, a description will be given of a product shelf of a conventional vending machine.
4th through the side wall of the product shelf of the conventional vending machine
Shown in the figure. FIGS. 5 and 6 are detailed perspective views of main parts.

Reference numeral 1 denotes two side plates that stand upright facing each other. Reference numeral 2 denotes a curved rail which is formed in a substantially semicircular arc shape and whose inner arc surface forms a product rolling surface. Reference numeral 3 denotes a meandering upper and lower merchandise path, and the merchandise path 3 includes two curved rails 2.
It is formed by vertically continuing between the side plates 1 and arranging vertically with the rolling surfaces facing each other. In addition, a tray 4 for guiding inserted products is arranged in the upper part of the product passage 3, a product input opening 3 a is formed, and a product outlet 3 b provided with a product unloading mechanism 5 is formed in a lower end. Further, the curved rail 2 is supported between the two side plates 1 by inserting a support shaft 7 provided over the two side plates 1 into a shaft hole 2a of the curved rail 2. Further, the tray 4 is also supported by inserting a support shaft 7 provided over the two side plates 1 into the shaft hole 4a.

8 is a guide flap having a substantially U-shape.
The bent portions 8b of both sides of the guide flap 8 are inserted into the cut grooves 2b of the curved rail 2 facing the input port 3a, the support shaft 7 is inserted through the guide flap shaft hole 8a, and the hinge is rotatably suspended on the curved rail 2. Supported.

The operation of the merchandise shelf of the vending machine configured as described above will be described below.

The product 6 inserted from the product insertion port 3a rolls and falls down the product path 3. The lowermost one of the products 6 is stored so as to be stacked in the product passage 3 by being locked by the star wheel 5a of the product discharging mechanism 5 and the lowering portion of the product 6 being operated by the sales command. Are sequentially carried out one by one.

The operation at the time of filling the product will be further described.
The product 6 introduced from the hopper is inserted into the entrance 3a of the guide flap 8.
It rolls to the product passage 3 so as to push up the side. At this time, in the case of an extremely oblique insertion, the stop is made at the back of the insertion opening 3a, and the occurrence of the product clogging in which the product 6 stands vertically in the product passage 3 is prevented.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention With the above-described configuration, it is possible to prevent the oblique insertion of an extreme product in which the product is likely to be clogged because the product stops at the back of the insertion port, and the product is clogged due to this. Can be prevented, but the result of a detailed investigation of the inclination of the product by experiments shows that when the product is thrown in slightly inclined, the tip of the product that is inclined when the product rolls and falls from the tray to the guide flap is on the guide flap side. By pressing the flap side, the product passage side is pushed down about the fulcrum. At this time, the end of the product on the tray side is pressed against the tray by the portion of the guide flap on the product passage side as shown by the arrow in FIG. 4, and the rolling and falling of the product does not go smoothly, and the product is placed on the tray. Is stopped, and only the side that has been previously introduced into the product passage side rolls and falls, and has a disadvantage that the inclination increases.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems and does not increase the inclination during rolling and falling of the product. That is, the product is always rolled and dropped almost horizontally, and the product is filled. It is an object to provide a high shelf of a vending machine.

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve this object, a vending machine according to the present invention has a merchandise shelf comprising a merchandise passage standing up in a meandering shape by curved rails arranged to face each other, and an upper portion of the passage. , A tray for guiding the product from the input port to the passage, and a substantially V-shaped guide flap disposed on the upper portion of the curved rail facing the input port. A plurality of set positions are set such that the entire tray can be moved up and down according to the maximum diameter of the product to be put in such a manner that the product comes into contact with only one of the tray or the guide flop when the product falls.

Operation With this configuration, a tray provided with a plurality of set positions that allows the entire tray to be moved up and down is arranged, and the tray is moved up and down depending on the maximum diameter of the product to be loaded, and the product is always placed in the tray or guide when the product is loaded. By contacting only one of the flaps, the guide flap does not push the product to the stage even if the product is thrown in at an angle, and the product falls smoothly into the product path.

In addition, when the product is extremely inclined, as in the past, the product comes into contact with a total of three points sandwiching the fulcrum of the tray and the guide flap, so that the product stops, rolls and falls extremely into the product path. I will not do it. Therefore, when a product rolls and falls in the product path, it always rolls and falls substantially horizontally.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the figure, the same components as those of the conventional example are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the vending machine according to the present embodiment as seen through a side wall of a product shelf. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a main part of the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of a main part of the present embodiment.

First, 9 is a guide flap.
It is attached to the uppermost part of the curved rail 2 facing 3a.
The guide flap 9 has a fulcrum a and has a substantially U-shape. One end 9a is directed toward the input port 3a, and the other end 9b is directed downward under the product passage 3. It is arranged on the curved rail 2.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a tray for guiding the product 6 from the input port 3a to the product passage 3. This tray 10 has U-shaped holes 10 on both sides.
The hole 10a is attached to the hole 10a through a mounting pin 11 so as to penetrate the hole 10a together with the sidewall 1. The horizontal portions of the holes 10a are set positions 10b and 10c. The difference d in height between the set positions 10b and 10c is the difference in diameter between the products 6 stored in the product shelf, for example, about 11 mm when storing products with a diameter of 66 mm and a diameter of 55 mm.
And the difference. The tray 10 is mounted at a position where it comes into contact with only one of the guide flap 9 and the tray 10 when the product 6 is loaded.

The operation of the merchandise shelf of the vending machine configured as described above will be described below.

First, when launching a product with a diameter of 66 mm,
Is set to the lower stage 10b, and when a product with a diameter of 55 mm is put in, the tray 10 is set to the upper stage 10c.

First, when the product 6 is thrown at an extreme inclination, as shown in FIG. 3, the product 6 comes into contact with two points 9a and 9b sandwiching the fulcrum a of the guide flap 9 and three points of the tray 10. However, the product passage 3 becomes narrower than the outer shape of the product 6, and does not fall.

When the product 6 is thrown in with a slight inclination, the guide flap 9 first hits the portion 9b on the product passage 3 side almost without pushing up the portion 9a on the inlet 3a side. At this time
The 3a side portion 9a is pushed down slightly, but since the product 6 does not hit both the guide flap 9 and the tray 10, when the product 6 is pushed down, the product 6
Since it is not above, the portion 9a of the guide flap 9 on the input port 3a side does not push the product 6 against the tray 10. Therefore, the product 6 smoothly rolls and falls into the product path 3, and does not increase in inclination, and rolls and falls in the product path 3 while remaining substantially horizontal.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the product 6 is placed on the tray 10.
Depending on the diameter of the product to be loaded, be sure to contact only one of the tray 10 or the guide flap 9 when falling.
By providing the set positions 10b and 10c for moving the entire tray 10 up and down, even when the obliquely inserted product 6 moves across the guide flap 9 from the tray 10,
A portion 9b of the guide flap 9 on the side of the product passage 3 is pushed by the product 6, and the reaction of the portion 9b causes the slot of the guide flap 9 to be inserted.
When the product 6 is pushed downward from the portion 9a on the 3a side, the product 6 is not on the tray 10, and the product 6 smoothly rolls and falls into the product path 3, and there is no increase in inclination, and the product 6 is almost horizontal. It will roll and fall as it is.

In addition, when the extremely tilted product 6 is inserted, the fulcrum a of the tray 10 and the guide flap 9 is sandwiched as in the related art.
Since the product 6 touches at a total of three points, the product 6 stops,
It does not roll and fall into the product passage 3a while being extremely inclined.
Therefore, when the product 6 rolls and falls in the product path 3,
It will always roll and fall while remaining substantially horizontal.

Effect of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides a product passage that rises in a meandering shape by curved rails that are arranged facing each other and spaced apart, an input port at an upper part of the channel, and a product from the input port to the channel. And a substantially f-shaped guide flap disposed on the upper part of the curved rail opposite to the input port, and when the product falls onto the tray, the product is always placed on only one of the tray or the guide flap. The multiple trays can be set up and down so that the entire tray can be moved up and down according to the maximum diameter of the product to be put in, so that the product can be guided even when the product placed diagonally moves from the top tray to the guide flap. When the flap opening side pushes down the product, the product is no longer on the top tray and the product tilts almost horizontally without increasing the tilt. It will roll and fall.

In addition, when the product is thrown at an extremely high angle, the product comes into contact with the product at a total of three points including the fulcrum of the top tray and the guide flap as in the past, so that the product stops and rolls extremely in the product path. Will not fall. Therefore, when a product rolls and falls in the product path, it always rolls and falls while remaining substantially horizontal, and it is possible to provide a highly reliable product shelf of a vending machine without product clogging caused by product standing. Becomes

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a product shelf of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed side view of a main part in the present embodiment, FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of a product shelf of a conventional vending machine, FIG. 5 is a detailed view of a conventional main part, and FIG. 6 is a side view of FIG. 3 ... Product passage, 3a ... Inlet, 4 ... Top tray,
9 ... Guide flap.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A product passage that rises in a meandering shape by curved rails that are arranged opposite to and away from each other, an input port at an upper portion of the channel, and a tray that guides the product from the input port to the channel. A substantially f-shaped guide flap disposed on the upper part of the curved rail opposite to the loading port, wherein the product is loaded on the tray so that the product comes into contact with only one of the tray or the guide flap when the product falls. A vending machine product shelf, wherein a plurality of set positions are set so that the entire tray can be moved up and down according to the maximum diameter of the product to be made.