JP3362974B2 - Vending machine product unloading device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

The present invention is based on a sales order,
Products such as frozen foods dropped from the product column,
The present invention relates to a product unloading device for an automatic vending machine that carries out the product to the product sales outlet side.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a product unloading device for an automatic vending machine of this type, for example, a device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-147781 is known. This vending machine has a so-called spiral type product column (bend mechanism) built into the product storage, and the product is made by sliding the product such as frozen food dropped on the chute by the rotation of the spiral. It is designed to be carried out from the product carry-out port of the storage to the product sales port side. In this case, if the product may slide on the chute while standing sideways, it is necessary to make the product carry-out port large (cold air leakage increases). Therefore, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, an attitude control plate is provided so that the tilted end of the product on the verge of falling hits the product so that the product does not greatly tilt when it comes off the spiral.

[0003]

However, the attitude control plate works effectively when dealing with products of exactly the same size and weight in one product column, but handles products of different sizes and weights. In this case, depending on the product, there is a problem that the posture tends to collapse. However, as long as the chute is tilted with respect to the lower end of the product column, the products that fall on the chute will bounce irregularly on the chute, so the posture will easily collapse and the products will be transported to the product sales side in various postures. I will end up.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a product unloading device for a vending machine, which can reliably carry out a product from a product column to a product selling side in an appropriate posture. Is the purpose.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a main chute for sending out a product dropped from each product column in a product storage to the product sales opening side, and a drop for each product column. A sub-chute for sending out the contained product to the main chute side, a rotating means for rotating the main chute between a horizontal position for receiving the product and an inclined position for sliding the product, and a control for controlling the operation of the rotating means. And means,
The auxiliary chute is rotatably attached to the side wall in the product storage at one end, and is mounted on the main chute at the other end.

In this case, the rising portions are formed at the upstream ends of the main chute and the auxiliary chute.
preferable.

In these cases, it is preferable that the main chute be biased upward by a spring.

In these cases, it is preferable that a roller is interposed between the main chute and the sub chute at the placement position of the main chute on which the sub chute is placed.

In these cases, it is preferable that the control means is configured to be able to cancel the operation of the rotating means in response to a sales command corresponding to an arbitrary product column while the main chute is in the inclined position.

[0010]

According to the article carrying-out device of the first aspect, the control means actuates the turning means to turn the main chute to the horizontal position based on the sales command. At this time, the auxiliary chute, one end of which is placed on the main chute, is rotated so as to be pushed up by the rotation of the main chute, and becomes substantially horizontal like the main chute. Then, at the next timing, a product is dropped from the product column onto the main chute or the sub chute. When the dropped product is received by the main chute or the secondary chute, the rotating means is activated to rotate the main chute to the inclined position, and
Tilt following the main chute. As a result, the product on the main chute is slid directly to the product sales port side, and the product on the secondary chute is slid to the product sales port side via the main chute.

In this case, since the products dropped from the product column are received by the horizontally located main chute or sub chute, the bouncing at the time of drop is stable, and the main chute or the sub chute is kept in an appropriate posture. It is received by the chute, and then, by the inclined main chute or sub chute, the chute is sent to the merchandise selling side while maintaining an appropriate posture. On the other hand, the auxiliary chute is rotatably attached to the side wall in the product storage at one end, and is mounted on the main chute at the other end. Even if it is not provided, the auxiliary chute can be rotated by its own weight in accordance with the rotation of the main chute. .

According to the commodity discharging apparatus of the second aspect, since the rising portions are formed at the upstream ends of the main chute and the auxiliary chute, the merchandise has the main chute and the auxiliary chute on the upstream side. When it is received straddling, the start-up part of the main chute pushes the product to the product sales opening side and the start-up part of the sub-shooter pushes the product to the main chute during the subsequent tilt rotation. Even if a product (for example, frozen food) adheres to the main chute or the secondary chute, the product can be smoothly slid off.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the main chute is urged by the spring in the upward movement direction, so that the spring and the self-weight of the auxiliary chute mounted on the main chute are offset. Therefore, the load applied to the rotating means can be reduced accordingly.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the roller is interposed between the main chute and the sub chute at the placement position of the main chute on which the sub chute is placed. When the auxiliary chute is rotated, the frictional force acting between the two can be reduced, and the load applied to the rotation means can be reduced accordingly.

According to the article unloading device of the fifth aspect, the control means can cancel the operation of the rotating means with the main chute in the inclined position in response to the sales command corresponding to an arbitrary article column. Therefore, for example, in the case of a thin and large product whose posture does not easily change, it is possible to give priority to shortening the sales time by omitting the rotation of the main chute.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An article carrying-out device for an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
This vending machine sells boxed frozen food such as curry rice. FIG. 1 is a side view of the inside of the vending machine, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the inside of the vending machine. As shown in both figures, this vending machine 1 has its cabinet 2
The inside of the product has become the product storage 3 widely, and the product storage 3
In the upper half part, the product columns 4 are housed in two rows in the front and rear and three rows in the left and right. In the lower half of the product storage 3, a movable chute 5 is provided so as to cover the lower side of the six product columns 4.
Is provided. Also, below the movable chute 5,
Fixed chute 6 connected to the product sales port (not shown) at the front
However, the cooling unit 7 for cooling the inside of the product storage 3 at the rear part
But each is housed.

The products A are housed so as to be inserted into the gaps of the spirals 8 provided in the product columns 4, respectively. The rotation of the commodity A in the spiral 8 is regulated, and the spiral 8 rotates in accordance with the sales instruction, so that the commodity A gradually descends and is dropped downward from the lowest order. The dropped product A is once received by the movable chute 5, and by the subsequent tilting of the movable chute 5, slides on the fixed chute 6 from the movable chute 5,
It is sent to the product sales outlet side.

The movable chute 5 includes a main chute 9 located at the center in the left-right direction, a pair of sub-chutes 10 and 10 located on both sides of the main chute 9, and a turning device for turning the main chute 9. (Means) 11 and a controller (control means) 12 for controlling the operation of the rotating device 11. The main chute 9 is rotated by the turning device 11, and the horizontal position for receiving the product A from the product column 4 and the received product A
The auxiliary chute 10 is rotated so as to overlap with the main chute 9 at its end, and the auxiliary chute 10 is placed so as to overlap the main chute 9 at its end.
Rotate between a horizontal position and a tilted position.

On the other hand, the fixed chute 6 is composed of a chute portion 6a which is inclined forward and downward toward the product sales port, and left and right side plate portions 6b and 6b which are raised on both sides of the chute portion 6a. The front portion of the main chute 9 rotated to the inclined position is overlaid on the portion 6a (see FIG. 3), and the upper end of each side plate portion 6b is provided with the auxiliary chute 10 rotated to the inclined position. Face it with the tip resting (see FIG. 7).

The main chute 9 is formed of a "Y" -shaped steel material having a rear end portion formed to fill the width of the product storage 3 and narrowed toward the front end. It is rotatably supported by the frame 24 of the rotating device 11. On the other hand, each sub chute 10 is formed of a trapezoidal steel material in which one end in the left-right direction is formed to the full depth of the product storage 3 and narrowed toward the other end. The end portion is rotatably supported on the side wall 3a of the product storage 3. Further, the other end of each sub chute 10, that is, the end on the side of the main chute 9 is placed so as to overlap the end of the main chute 9 on the side of the sub chute 10, and is supported by the main chute 9 at this portion. Has been done. Then, the main chute 9 and both sub-chutes 10, 10 in the inclined position are
It becomes a normal chute shape in which three surfaces are inclined, and the main chute 9 and both sub-chutes 10, 10 in the horizontal position are
The ends overlap each other to form a planar shape (see FIGS. 3 to 8).

In this case, a roller 13 is attached to the mounting portion of each sub chute 10 on the main chute 9 so that the sub chute 10 and the main chute 9 can smoothly and slidably contact each other when rotating. It has become. In addition, the rear end of the main chute 9 and the side end of each sub chute 10 (side wall 3
In a), that is, at the upstream ends of these chutes 9 and 10, rising portions 9a and 10a are formed, respectively. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when the product A is dropped from the product column 4 located at the rear corner and the product A is attached to the secondary chute 10 due to a frozen product, the product A is considered. Is tilted toward the main chute 9 together with the auxiliary chute 10, and is pushed forward by the rising portion 9a of the main chute 9 in the tilting process. As a result, the product A is peeled off from the auxiliary chute 10 and smoothly slides down.

On the other hand, the main chute 9 is rotatably supported on the frame 24 by the support shaft 14, and is urged to rotate upward by the torsion coil spring 15 wound around the support shaft 14. (See Figures 3 and 7). The torsion coil spring 15 has a spring force that substantially opposes the weights of the auxiliary chutes 10 and 10, and when the main chute 9 and the auxiliary chute 10 are rotated from the inclined position to the horizontal position, the rotation device 11 is provided.
It is designed to reduce the load on.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotating device 11 includes a pair of left and right support brackets 21 and 21 fixed to the lower surface of the main chute 9, and a crank 22 engaged with the both support brackets 21 and 21. A gear motor 23 that rotates the crank 22 and a frame 24 that supports the crank 22 and the rear end of the main chute 9 are provided. The crank 22 includes a pair of left and right crank arms 25, 25,
Actuating rod 26 passed between both crank arms 25, 25
And a pair of left and right rotating shafts 27a and 27b that cantileverly support each crank arm 25, and the shaft end of one rotating shaft 27a is connected to the gear motor 23 via a universal joint 28. . A rotary body 30 having a switch actuator (magnet) 29 is attached to the shaft end of the other rotary shaft 27b.
9, the detection switches 31 and 31 arranged at two positions around the rotating body 30 are turned on, and the gear motor 23 can be stopped appropriately. Then, these two rotary shafts 27a, 27b and the two detection switches 31, 31
Are respectively supported by the frame 24.

On the other hand, at the bottom of each support bracket 21,
A long hole 21a extending in the front-rear direction is formed, and an operating rod 26 of the crank 22 is inserted into the long hole 21a. When the gear motor 23 operates from the horizontal position shown in FIGS. 4, 6 and 8 where the main chute 9 and the auxiliary chute 10 move horizontally, the crank arm 25 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing. Then, the operating rod 2 of the crank 22
6 slides forward in the long hole 21a of the support bracket 21, and the main chute 9 pivots forward through the support bracket 21. As shown in FIGS. 3, 5 and 7, when the operating rod 26 of the crank 22 reaches the bottom dead center position with respect to the elongated hole 21 a of the support bracket 21,
The tip of the rotating main chute 9 rotates to a position where it rests on the fixed chute 6 (tilt position), the switch actuator 29 of the rotating body 30 faces (turns on) the detection switch 31, and the gear motor 23 stops. .

On the contrary, when the gear motor 23 is operated from the tilted position shown in FIG. 4, the crank arm 25 further rotates counterclockwise and the main chute 9 is pulled up horizontally. Then, the long hole 21 of the support bracket 21
With respect to a, when the operating rod 26 of the crank 22 reaches the top dead center position, the main chute 9 and the auxiliary chute 10 become horizontal (horizontal position), and the switch actuator 29 becomes
Facing the other detection switch 31, the motor 23
Stops. In this description, for convenience, the main chute 9 and the auxiliary chute 10 rotate from the horizontal position to the inclined position and return to the horizontal position again, but in reality, the inclined position is in the standby state. , Main shoot 9
And the sub chute 10 performs an operation of rotating from the tilt position to the horizontal position and returning to the tilt position again based on the sales command.

On the other hand, the start and stop of the gear motor 23 is controlled by the controller 12. That is, the control device 12 operates the gear motor 23 in synchronization with the rotation of the spiral 8 based on the sales signal of the sales instruction, and stops the gear motor 23 based on the detection signal of the detection switch 30. Further, the control device 12 identifies each product column 4 by the sales signal, and cancels the operation of the gear motor 23 when a predetermined product column (product A) 4 is selected. That is, when a product column A that is extremely hard to fall over is stored in a product column 4, the selling operation can be performed while the main chute 9 and the auxiliary chute 10 are held in the inclined position, and the selling time can be shortened. ing.

With the above configuration, the product A dropped from the product column 4 is once horizontally received and then slipped off. At that time, the product A dropped on the main chute 9 is mainly The product A directly sent from the chute 9 to the product sales port and dropped on the auxiliary chute 10 is sent to the product sales port via the main chute 9.

As described above, according to this embodiment, for the product A dropped from the product column 4, the main chute 9 and the auxiliary chute 10 are rotated to the horizontal position to receive the product A. Main shoot 9 and sub shoot 10
Since the product A is rotated to the inclined position and sent out, the product A is received immediately below the product column 4 in a proper horizontal posture without greatly bouncing and is smoothly slid off in this state. Therefore, it is possible to carry out the product A in a state where the product A is held in an appropriate posture.

Further, since the end portion of the auxiliary chute 10 is placed on the main chute 9 and the auxiliary chute 10 rotates following the main chute 9, the auxiliary chute 10 need not be provided with a dedicated turning device. , It can be rotated. Moreover, since the torsion coil spring 15 provided on the main chute 9 can cancel the self-weight of the sub chute 10, the turning device 11 of the main chute 9 can be configured without considering the load of the sub chute 10. You can

In the present embodiment, the structure in which two auxiliary chutes are arranged on both sides of the main chute has been described. However, in the case where the product sales outlet is on the right side of the vending machine,
A structure having only one auxiliary chute may be used. Alternatively, the fixed chute may be omitted by configuring the tip of the main chute to be pushed forward in association with tilting.

[0031]

As described above, according to the product transporting apparatus of the present invention, since the main chute and the auxiliary chute appropriately rotate between the horizontal position and the inclined position, the product is properly stored in the product storage. It has an effect that it can be received in various postures and can be carried out to the product sales opening side in an appropriate posture.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of the inside of a vending machine in which a product transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the inside of an automatic vending machine incorporating the product transporting device of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which a main chute and a sub chute have moved to an inclined position.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which a main chute and a sub chute have moved to a horizontal position.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a state in which a main chute and a sub chute have moved to an inclined position.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a state in which a main chute and a sub chute have moved to a horizontal position.

FIG. 7 is a front view showing a state in which a main chute and a sub chute have moved to an inclined position.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a state in which a main chute and a sub chute have moved to a horizontal position.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 vending machine 3 product storage 3a side wall 4 product column 9 Main shoot 10 Deputy shoot 11 Rotating device 12 Control device 13 Roller 15 torsion coil spring A product

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-3-276293 (JP, A) JP-A-4-348493 (JP, A) JP-A-4-256094 (JP, A) Actual development Sho-60- 25068 (JP, U) Actually open 3-25976 (JP, U) Actually open 56-156162 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07F 11/10 G07F 9 / 00

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] 1. A main chute for sending the products dropped from each product column in the product storage to the product sales opening side, and a sub-shoot for sending the products dropped from each product column to the main chute side. The main chute is provided with a rotating means for rotating between a horizontal position for receiving the commodity and an inclined position for sliding the commodity, and a control means for controlling the operation of the rotating means. Is rotatably attached to the side wall in the product storage at one end of the product, and is placed on the main chute at the other end. 2. The product discharging device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein a rising portion is formed at an upstream end of each of the main chute and the auxiliary chute. 3. The product unloading device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the main chute is urged by a spring in a direction of upward movement. 4. A roller is interposed between the main chute and the sub chute at a mounting portion of the main chute on which the sub chute is mounted. Alternatively, the product discharge device of the vending machine according to item 3. 5. The control means is configured to be able to cancel the operation of the rotating means in response to a sales command corresponding to an arbitrary product column while the main chute is in the inclined position. The product unloading device for an automatic vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.