JP3323410B2 - Vending machine product storage device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine for vending a vending machine which sells contents and stores the contents in the vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various devices have been devised for improving the operability of a product storage device of a vending machine.

As a conventional product storage device of a vending machine, there is one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 6-51977.

[0004] Hereinafter, the above-mentioned conventional vending machine product storage device will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is an upper side sectional view of a conventional product storage device of a vending machine. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a product storage shelf which has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and in which a number of products can be stored. Reference numeral 2a denotes a flat side plate which stands upright and forms the front side of the product storage shelf 1. Reference numeral 2b is a flat side plate that also stands upright and left and forms the rear side of the product storage shelf 1. Reference numeral 3 denotes a curved track segment in which a plurality of upper and lower rows and a plurality of rows are arranged in front and rear between the left and right side plates 2a and 2b. Numeral 4 is a product rolling path meandering up and down in a meandering manner by the rows of the track body segments 3 arranged in front and behind. The product rolling passages 4 are usually formed in plural before and after, and in this case, five are provided. Reference numeral 6 denotes a flat top tray provided at the upper end of the product rolling path 4. Reference numeral 7 denotes a slot formed by the front end of the top tray 6 at the front of the product storage shelf 1. Reference numeral 8 denotes a horizontal stock passage extending obliquely downward and backward from the inlet 7 and constituted by the top tray 6. Reference numeral 9 denotes a slot width regulating member a which is supported in front of the top tray 6 and slides right and left immediately above the top tray 6 and has an L-shaped extending front and rear. Reference numeral 10 denotes a guide pin a which bends the front end of the top tray 6 in a round shape and projects this cylindrical portion from both left and right ends. The supporting portion of the slot width regulating member a9 is a claw having a U-shaped side cross section, and the guide pin a is formed by its own elastic force.
Supported by 10. Reference numeral 11 denotes a U-shaped locking groove a provided on the left and right side plates 2a for sliding the guide pin a10, with both legs facing downward. Reference numeral 12 denotes a hole a provided on a rear side surface of the support portion of the input port width regulating member a9. Reference numeral 13 denotes a rear portion of the input port width regulating member a9, which projects downward and has a hole b1 of the top tray 6 formed therein.
4 are projections fitted to the projections 4. Reference numeral 14 denotes a plurality of holes b provided on the left and right sides of the rear portion of the top tray 6. Reference numeral 17 denotes an upper connecting member a having a U-shaped cross section provided at an upper rear portion between the left and right side plates 2a of the front product storage shelf 1. Reference numeral 18 denotes an upper connecting member b having a U-shaped cross section, which is provided at the upper front part between the left and right side plates 2b of the rear product storage shelf 1. Reference numeral 19 denotes a tack screw fixing the upper connecting member a17 and the upper connecting member b18.

The operation of the commodity storage device of a vending machine configured as described above will be described below.

First, before a product is put into the slot 7, the width of the slot 7 is adjusted by sliding the slot width regulating member a9 right and left in accordance with the entire length of the product. This means that, while the slot width regulating member a9 is supported in front of the top tray 6, while inserting a finger into the hole a12 and lifting it slightly,
That is, the protrusion 13 is slid to the left and right in a state of being separated from the hole b14, and the protrusion 13 is fitted into another hole b14 again, so that the width of the input port 7 can be set without the top tray 6 being shifted left and right. Is done.

[0007]

However, in the above-described conventional configuration, when adjusting the width of the slot 7, the finger is slid left and right while lifting the slot width regulating member a9 with the force of one finger inserted into the hole a12. The disadvantage is that the operability is very poor.

An object of the present invention is to solve the conventional problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a product storage device of a vending machine which can easily operate a slot width regulating member with one hand.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a notch is provided at a front end portion of a side wall of an inlet width regulating member.

[0010] Thus, the inlet opening width regulating member can be easily operated with one hand.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention relates to a product storage shelf capable of storing a plurality of products therein, a flat side plate which stands upright to form an outer shell of the product storage shelf, and a space between the left and right side plates. A plurality of track segments vertically arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of rows arranged in front and rear, a product rolling path meandering and running up and down by the rows of the track body segments arranged in front and rear, and provided at an upper end of the product rolling path. Flat top tray, an input port width regulating member supported by the front end of the top tray, movable right and left just above the top tray , and rotatable about the front end, and the input port width restriction. Provided at the front end of the side wall of the member
Notch, and a plurality of notches provided at the rear of the top tray
A hole and a protrusion fitted into the hole are provided on the input port width regulating member.
And the inlet width regulating member operates the notch.
This allows the front end to pivot about the fulcrum and
The fitting between the raised portion and the hole can be detached .

When adjusting the width of the slot, the index width control member is supported in front of the top tray, and the index finger of one hand is hooked on the notch, and the thumb is inserted into the slot width restriction member. Other fingers at the front lower part of the slot hold the slot width regulating member at the front upper part of the slot width regulating member, and then apply a downward force to the index finger to regulate the slot width with the rear of the slot width regulating member raised. Since the member can be moved right and left, the inlet width regulating member can be easily operated with one hand.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; The same components as those in the related art are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description is omitted.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a product storage device of a vending machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG.
FIG. 2 is an upper side sectional view of the product storage device of the vending machine of the embodiment.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, reference numeral 31 denotes an inlet width regulating member c which is supported in front of the top tray 6 and which slides right and left immediately above the top tray 6 and extends back and forth. Reference numeral 32 denotes a cutout provided at the front end of the side wall of the slot width regulating member c31, where one finger is hooked.

The operation of the commodity storage device of the vending machine configured as described above will be described below.

First, before a product is put into the slot 7, the width of the slot 7 is adjusted by sliding the slot width regulating member c31 to the left and right in accordance with the entire length of the product. This is because in the state where the slot width regulating member c31 is supported in front of the top tray 6, one index finger is hooked on the cutout portion 32, and the thumb is held at the lower front part of the slot width regulating member c31. Grips the inlet width regulating member c31 at the upper front part of the inlet width regulating member c31. Thereafter, when a downward force is applied to the index finger, the rear of the slot width regulating member c31 is lifted, and the projection 13 is separated from the hole b14. While keeping this state, the input port width regulating member c31 is slid left and right, and the projection 13 is fitted into another hole b14 again, so that the width of the input port 7 is reliably set without shifting the top tray 6 left and right. Is done.

As described above, the product storage device of the vending machine according to the present embodiment has an input port width regulating member c31 which is supported in front of the top tray 6 and slides right and left immediately above the top tray 6 and extends back and forth. And a cutout portion 32 provided at the front end of the side wall of the slot width regulating member c31 so that one finger can be hooked thereon. The notch 32 is provided so that a force can be applied in the picking direction, and the slot width regulating member c31 can be slid left and right using all fingers of one hand. Therefore, the operation of adjusting the width of the slot 7 is not required. It can be easily done with one hand.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, the cutout portion is provided at the front end of the side wall of the slot width regulating member supported in front of the top tray and movable right and left just above the top tray. A notch is provided so that the index finger can apply force in the direction of pinching the slot width regulating member to lift the rear of the regulating member, and the slot width regulating member can be slid left and right using all fingers of one hand. Therefore, the operation of adjusting the width of the input port can be easily performed with one hand.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of Embodiment 1 of a product storage device of a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the upper part of the product storage device of the vending machine according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of an upper part of a product storage device of a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Commodity storage shelf 2a, 2b Side plate 3 Track body segment 4 Commodity rolling path 6 Top tray 31 Input port width regulating member 32 Notch

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A product storage shelf capable of storing a plurality of products therein, a flat side plate that stands upright to form an outer shell of the product storage shelf, and a plurality of upper and lower front and rear portions between the left and right side plates. A plurality of track body segments arranged side by side; a product rolling passage meandering up and down meandering by the rows of the track body segments arranged in front and rear; and a flat top tray provided at an upper end of the product rolling passage. And can be moved right and left directly above the top tray supported by the front end of the top tray ,
And an opening width regulating member rotatable around a front end and
A notch provided at the front end of the side wall of the inlet width regulating member,
A plurality of holes provided at the rear of the top tray and fitted into the holes
A protrusion is provided on the input port width regulating member, and the input port is
The width regulating member operates the notch so that
Rotating around an end portion, and fitting the protrusion and the hole
A product storage device for a vending machine, which is capable of attaching and detaching .