JP3185570B2 - Product width adjustment device for serpentine product rack - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a serpentine type product rack which is mounted on a vending machine and stores canned and bottled products in a line up and down. The present invention relates to a product passage width adjusting device for variably adjusting a product passage width.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a product passage width adjusting device for a serpentine type product rack described above, a device having the structure shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has been conventionally employed in vending machines and is well known.
In the figure, 1 is a left and right side plate of a product rack, 2 is a curved rail segment that defines a meandering product storage portion in the rack, 3 is a top tray for placing products laid on the upper part of the rack, and 4 is a rack. The bend mechanism 5, which is incorporated in the lower discharge end side, is a product holding plate that is disposed to face the bend mechanism 4 with the product discharge passage 6 interposed therebetween.

The product holding plate 5 is a U-shaped plate having left and right side edges bent toward the back side, and a pair of upper and lower through pins 7 and 8 passing through the left and right side walls are connected to the left and right racks. Unusual stepped adjusting grooves 9.1 drilled in side plate 1
0, and the product holding plate 5 is inserted through the through pins 7 and 8.
Are mounted between the rack side plates so as to be movable back and forth. Further, the bend mechanism 4 is locked and held between a pair of through pins 11 bridged between the left and right rack side plates 1, and in this state, the goods 12 stored in the rack are bent with the bend mechanism 4 and the goods holding plate 5. I try to support between.

[0004] The operation of adjusting the width of the product passage with this configuration is performed as follows. That is, when selling a large-sized can product (shown by a solid line) having a large diameter, the through pins 7, 8 passed through the product holding plate 5 are engaged with the stepped adjusting grooves 9, 10 at the positions indicated by the solid lines. Stop. Thereby, the product carrying passage 6 regulated between the bend mechanism 4 and the product holding plate 5.
Is L1. On the other hand, when changing the product for sale to a thin can indicated by the dashed line, the through pins 7, 8 are moved to the position indicated by the dashed line with respect to the stepped adjusting grooves 9, 10. As a result, the width of the product carry-out passage 6 is reduced to L2 (L2 <L1).

[0005]

However, when the above-mentioned conventional product holding plate is employed, there arises a problem that the depth dimension of the product rack is increased more than necessary. That is,
A pair of upper and lower through pins 7 and 8 for supporting the product holding plate 5
Are inserted into the stepped adjusting grooves 9 and 10 formed in the left and right rack side plates 1 after passing through the left and right side walls bent to the back side of the product holding plate 5 so as not to interfere with the product carrying passage 6. . For this purpose, the left and right rack side plates 1 are further forwardly moved from the product carrying path 6 partitioned by the product holding plate 5 to A.
As a result, the product rack protrudes by an extension, and as a result, the depth dimension of the entire product rack increases more than necessary. In addition, as an example of a vending machine manufactured by the present applicant,
The protruding dimension A of the rack side plate required for incorporating the product holding plate 5 of FIG. 2 into the product rack is as large as 13.5 mm.

On the other hand, recently, vending machines installed outdoors have a social problem of protruding from the road, and it is a major issue for manufacturers to push down the thickness of vending machines. As one of the measures to reduce the thickness of vending machines, it has been studied from various angles that the useless space of the product rack mounted in the machine is eliminated as much as possible and the depth dimension is reduced to a necessary minimum. .

Considering the product rack having the above configuration from this viewpoint, the dimension A is a dimension protruding from the product carry-out passage 6, and if this dimension can be reduced, it will be effective in pushing down the thickness of the vending machine. . The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has been designed to be incorporated in a rack with little occupation of extra space and to be able to adjust the width of a product passage so as to reduce the depth dimension of a product rack. It is an object of the present invention to provide a product passage width adjusting device for a serpentine type product rack which is effective in the above.

[0008]

The above object is achieved by the present invention which comprises the following configuration of a product passage width adjusting device. (1) The product holding plate has a U-shaped cross section in which the product holding plate is concave toward the product path, and a pair of upper and lower support pins protruding outward is provided on the left and right side walls, and the support pins are formed on the left and right rack side plates, respectively. The product holding plate is inserted into the upper and lower stepped adjustment grooves from the inside so that the product holding plate can be moved back and forth and adjusted.

The product holding plate is preferably made of a resin molded product integrated with the support pin. (2) The product holding plate has a U-shaped cross section in which it is concave toward the product passage, and has a structure in which a through-pin hole is formed in the upper part of the left and right side walls and a stepped adjusting groove is formed in the lower part. Spans between the stepped adjustment grooves drilled in the outer area of the product passage of the left and right rack side plates, and separates the left and right between the lower stepped adjustment groove and the rivet holes drilled in the left and right rack side plates. The product holding plate is connected by rivets and installed so that it can be moved back and forth.

[0010] In the above structure, a fixed cover having a U-shaped cross section is provided outside the product holding plate so as to surround the product holding plate, and the fixed cover is provided on the left and right racks through through pins together with a bend mechanism incorporated in the product rack. Between the side plates, between the rivet holes drilled in the left and right rack side plates through the stepped adjusting grooves drilled in the side wall of the product holding plate, and the rivet holes drilled in the side wall of the fixed cover in alignment with the rivet holes. May be adopted by rivets.

[0011]

According to the constructions of (1) and (2), the product holding plate having a U-shaped cross section provided between the left and right rack side plates is concave toward the product passage and has left and right side walls. Are overlapped with the product passage area, and the pins for supporting the product holding plate are connected to the rack side plate at locations not crossing the product passage. Therefore, the assembly of the product holding plate does not protrude significantly from the product passage area in the rack, thereby reducing unnecessary depth and reducing the depth dimension of the product rack.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings of each embodiment, the same members corresponding to FIGS. 6 and 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Embodiment 1: FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment corresponding to claims 1 and 2 of the present invention. In this embodiment, a product holding plate 5 having a U-shaped cross section is made of a resin molded product, and a pair of support pins 5b projecting outward from above and below are integrally formed on left and right side walls 5a. The product holding plate 5 has the side walls 5a interposed inside the left and right rack side plates 1 toward the product discharge passage in the rack, and the support pins 5b are pierced in the front edge portion of the rack side plates 1 to form upper and lower steps. The product holding plate 5 is inserted into the adjusting grooves 9 and 10 so as to be movable back and forth. In addition, a stepped portion 1a that slightly spreads left and right by the thickness of the product holding plate 5 is provided below the rack side plate 1.
To prevent the side wall 5b of the product holding plate 5 from protruding toward the product passage.

The operation of adjusting the width of the product passage with the above configuration is as follows.
This is exactly the same as the conventional configuration described with reference to FIG. 7, and if the product holding plate 5 is set at the solid line position in FIG.
1 and when the product moves to the position indicated by the dashed line,
To shrink. Moreover, the product holding plate 5 having a U-shaped cross section is concave toward the product discharging passage with respect to the product carrying passage 6 defined between the bend mechanism 4 and the product holding plate 5, and the side wall 5a of the product holding plate 5 has a U-shaped cross section. The support pins 5b protruding outward do not interfere with the product carry-out path. As a result, the protrusion A of the rack side plate 1 protruding forward from the area of the product carry-out passage 6 only needs to be at most about 2 mm corresponding to the thickness of the product holding plate 5 at most, and compared with the conventional structure of FIG. The depth dimension of the product rack can be reduced by at least about 10 mm.

Embodiment 2 FIGS. 3 to 5 show an embodiment corresponding to claims 3 and 4 of the present invention. In this embodiment, a left and right side wall 5a of a product holding plate 5 having a U-shaped cross section in which right and left side edges are bent at right angles so as to be concave toward the product carrying path 6 in the rack is extended upward. And a pin hole 5 through which the through pin 14 is inserted at its upper end.
c is opened, and a stepped adjusting groove 5d corresponding to the stepped adjusting groove 10 on the lower side formed in the rack side plate of the first embodiment is formed in the lower part.
Is perforated. In addition to the product holding plate 5, a fixed cover 13 having a U-shaped cross section surrounding the holding plate from the outside is prepared, and the fixed cover 13 is provided with a bend mechanism 4 incorporated in a rack as described later. 11 and spans the left and right rack side plates 1.
On the other hand, a cutout portion 1b is formed on the front edge side of the left and right rack side plates 1 in accordance with a mounting position of the product holding plate 5,
Further, the stepped adjusting groove 9 on the upper side is perforated at a position above the notch portion 1b and off the meandering product passage defined by the curved rail segment 2. Further, rivet holes 1c and 13a for passing round rivets 15 are opened in the rack side walls 1 and the side walls of the fixed cover 13 so as to face the lower stepped adjusting groove 5d formed in the lower side of the side wall of the product holding plate 5. ing.

The above components are assembled as follows to constitute a product passage width adjusting device. First, the product holding plate 5 is set at the position of the notch 1b from the front so as to hold the left and right rack side plates 1 from the outside. Here, the through pins 14 are provided with the stepped adjusting grooves 9 of the rack side plate and the pin holes 5 of the product holding plate 5.
Pass through c. Next, the fixed cover 13 is overlapped on the outside of the product holding plate 5, and is installed between the left and right rack side plates 1 together with the bend mechanism 4 via the through pin 11. Further, a short rivet 15 is formed between the rivet hole 1c of the rack side wall 1 and the rivet hole 13a of the fixed cover 13 through a stepped adjusting groove 5d formed on the side wall 5a of the product holding plate 5 separately on the left and right sides.
And crimp it. In this case, the rivet 15
It is preferable to form a recess around the rivet hole 1c so that the head does not protrude from the rack side plate 1 toward the product carry-out passage.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show the assembled state of the commodity passage width adjusting device having such a configuration. The bend mechanism 4 is set by setting the commodity holding plate 5 to the solid line position and the chain line position shown in the drawing.
Can be variably adjusted to L1 and L2 in accordance with the size of the product to be sold. Moreover, the product holding plate 5 having a U-shaped cross section is disposed so as to be concave toward the product passage side, as described in the first embodiment.
Neither the through pin 14 nor the rivet 15, which supports the product holding plate 5 between the left and right rack side plates 1, crosses the product passage or protrudes into the passage. Therefore, the dimension A shown in FIG. 4 is at most about 4 mm (the total thickness of the product holding plate 5 and the fixed cover 13). Thus, the depth of the product rack can be reduced by about 10 mm as compared with the conventional structure shown in FIG.

[0017]

As described above, according to the structure of the present invention, the assembly of the product passage width adjusting device incorporated in the product rack hardly protrudes in the depth direction from the product passage area in the rack. This eliminates the extra space occupied in the rack, reducing the depth of the product rack compared to the conventional configuration, and greatly contributing to the thinning of vending machines as a countermeasure against road overhang. it can.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a product passage width adjusting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view showing an assembled state of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a product passage width adjusting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the assembled state of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged plan view of FIG. 4;

6A and 6B are configuration diagrams of a conventional serpentine type product rack, where FIG. 6A is a side view of the entire rack, and FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a product passage width adjusting device.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a product passage width adjusting operation according to FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 rack side plate 1 c rivet hole 4 bend mechanism 5 product holding plate 5 a side wall 5 b support pin 5 c pin hole 5 d stepped adjusting groove 6 product carrying path 9, 10 stepped adjusting groove 11 through pin 12 product 13 fixing cover 13 a rivet hole 14 through pin 15 rivet

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 11/34

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A bend mechanism, comprising a merchandise passage interposed therebetween, at a discharge end side of a serpentine merchandise rack mounted on a vending machine.
And a product holding plate opposed to the product holding plate, and moving and adjusting the product holding plate back and forth according to the diameter size of the product to be sold, wherein the product holding plate is concave toward the product passage. It has a U-shaped cross section, and a pair of upper and lower support pins projecting outward on the left and right side walls,
A product passage width adjusting device for a serpentine type product rack, wherein the support pins are inserted from the inside into upper and lower stepped adjusting grooves formed in left and right rack side plates so that the product holding plate can be moved back and forth. . 2. A merchandise passage width adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the merchandise holding plate is formed of a resin molded product integrated with a support pin. 3. A bend mechanism, with a product path interposed therebetween, at a discharge end side of a serpentine type product rack mounted on a vending machine.
And a product holding plate opposed to the product holding plate, and moving and adjusting the product holding plate back and forth according to the diameter size of the product to be sold, wherein the product holding plate is concave toward the product passage. It has a U-shaped cross section and has a structure in which a through pin hole is drilled in the upper part of the left and right side walls, and a stepped adjusting groove is drilled in the lower part. The product holding plate can be moved back and forth by connecting the right and left individual rivets between the lower stepped adjusting groove and the rivet holes drilled in the left and right rack side plates. A merchandise passage width adjusting device for a serpentine merchandise rack, which is provided. 4. A merchandise passage width adjusting device according to claim 3, wherein a fixing cover having a U-shaped cross section is provided around the merchandise holding plate, and the fixing cover is provided together with a bend mechanism incorporated in a merchandise rack. And a rivet hole drilled in the left and right rack side plates through a stepped adjusting groove drilled in the side wall of the product holding plate, and a position of the rivet hole is aligned with the rivet hole and a side wall of the fixed cover. A product passage width adjusting device for a serpentine product rack, wherein a rivet hole is formed between the rivet hole and the rivet hole.