JP3800110B2 - Serpentine product storage rack for vending machines - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a serpentine type product storage rack mounted on a vending machine, and more particularly to an assembly structure of a parallel link mechanism attached to a movable side plate for adjusting the passage width disposed in the product passage.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a product storage rack of a vending machine that sells products such as cans, bottles, and plastic bottles, the serpentine product storage rack mentioned above is well known. This serpentine-type product storage rack defines a meandering product path by vertically arranging arc-shaped rack segments facing each other between the rack side plates erected on the left and right sides and facing each other, The products stacked and stored in the product passage in the horizontal posture are cut out in order from the lowest order by the operation of the bend mechanism arranged on the outlet side of the product passage, and the conventional configuration is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG.
[0003]
Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a vending machine equipped with a serpentine-type product storage rack. 1 is a vending machine main body case, 2 is a front outer door, 3 is a heat insulating inner door, 4 is a product outlet, and 5 is a main body. Serpentine-type product storage racks housed in the case 1 cabinet (in the example shown, two racks 5I and 5II are combined in the front and rear, and two rows of product passages are defined in each rack) , 6 is a merchandise carry-out shooter that leads the merchandise delivered from the merchandise storage rack 5 to the merchandise outlet 4, and 7 is a condensing unit of a refrigerator that keeps the inside of the main body case 1 cold.
[0004]
Here, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the serpentine type product storage rack 5 is constructed by arranging arc-shaped rack segments 52 between a pair of left and right rack side plates 51 in a staggered manner. A product passage 53 meandering in the vertical direction is defined between the two, a bend mechanism 54 and an outlet passage adjuster 55 are arranged on the lower end side of the product passage 53 with the outlet passage interposed therebetween, and the product passage 53 is disposed on the upper end side. The top tray 56 is arranged.
[0005]
With such a configuration, when a product (can, bottle, plastic bottle product) is put in the top tray 56 from the front when the product is replenished, the product rolls in a meandering product path 53 along the rack segment 52. While falling, they are stacked and stored on the bend mechanism 54 in a row. As is well known, when the bend mechanism 54 is actuated based on the sales command, it is dropped and carried out in order from the products arranged in the lowest order and sent to the product outlet 4 via the carry-out shooter 6 shown in FIG. is there.
[0006]
The serpentine-type product storage rack 5 is equipped with a movable side plate 8 as means for adjusting the width of the product passage 53 in accordance with the length size of the product for each column. The structure and operation of this movable side plate are described in detail in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-348248, which was previously proposed by the same applicant as the present invention. Next, the conventional structure will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). To do.
[0007]
That is, the movable side plate 8 is made of a thin steel plate that is sheet-metal processed in accordance with the shape of the meandering product passage 53 shown in FIG. 4B, and is incorporated into the product passage of the rack in combination with the parallel link mechanism described later. Yes. In addition, a channel portion 8a having a U-shaped cross section is formed in the center of the movable side plate 8 in the vertical direction, and a bearing portion 8b (a pair of left and right) is connected to the parallel link mechanism toward the back side at the upper and lower portions. And a product guide extending toward the upper surface of the top tray 56 shown in FIG. 4 is coupled to the upper end side of the movable side plate 8 . And is suspended so as to be movable left and right through through pins (not shown) installed between the rack side plates 51.
[0008]
On the other hand, the parallel link mechanism for holding the movable side plate 8 in a vertical posture at the passage width adjustment position is fitted from the front to the pair of upper and lower links 9 and the channel portion 8a of the movable side plate 8 and hinged to the link 9. The bearing portion 10a formed at the upper and lower ends of the connecting plate 10 and the bearing portion 9a formed at the tip of the link 9 is a combination of the link connecting plate 10 having a U-shaped cross section, and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b). As shown in FIG. 2, the pin is coupled to the elongated hole 8b-1 formed in the bearing portion 8b of the movable side plate 8 via the split pin 11.
[0009]
Further, in order for this link connecting plate 10 to function effectively as a reinforcing beam for preventing the bending of the movable side plate 8, a bearing portion 10b similar to the bearing portion 8b is provided at the intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the link connecting plate 10. Then, this bearing portion 10b is cut and raised in the channel portion 8a of the movable side plate 8 and overlapped with a formed bearing portion 8d with a long hole (similar shape to the bearing portion 8b) and slidably coupled via the split pin 11. is doing. Reference numeral 12 denotes a U-shaped reinforcing spacer fitted into the bearing portion 10 b of the link connecting plate 10, and is assembled integrally with the link connecting plate 10 through the split pin 11. The other end (swinging fulcrum side) of the link 9 is pivotally coupled to a bearing portion formed by cutting and raising the plate surface of the rack side plate 5I .
[0010]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the assembly structure of the conventional parallel link mechanism described above, there are the following problems in terms of production such as the number of parts and assemblability.
That is, as described in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the split pin 11 is interposed between the bearing portion 10b formed at the upper and lower intermediate portion of the link connecting plate 10 and the bearing portion 8d of the movable side plate 8, so that the gap between the two is interposed. It is slidably connected. For this reason, the number of assembly parts of the parallel link mechanism increases. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the split pin 11 is made to prevent the tip of the pin from being folded back into an R shape by manual operation after insertion, but this operation is troublesome and requires skill, and the bent shape is not appropriate. There is also a problem that the split pin is caught and the link connecting plate 10 does not move smoothly, or conversely, the split pin comes off and the connection is released.
[0011]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and with respect to the parallel link mechanism that is mounted on a serpentine-type product storage rack and supports the movable side plate, the conventional structure has been reviewed to reduce the number of parts and improve the assemblability. An object of the present invention is to provide an assembly structure improved so as to achieve the above.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, meandering products are formed by arranging arc-shaped rack segments vertically in front and rear for each column between rack side plates erected on the left and right sides. A serpentine-type product storage rack of a vending machine that defines a passage and discharges products stacked and stored in a horizontal posture in the product passage in order from the lowest order based on a sales order. A movable side plate that adjusts the lateral width of the passage according to the length of the product is disposed, and a pair of upper and lower swing links are connected between the movable side plate and one rack side plate. Then, a parallel link mechanism composed of a combination with a link connecting plate having a U-shaped cross section fitted in the channel portion of the movable side plate is bridged to support the movable side plate in a vertical posture at each adjustment position.
A tab-like engagement flange is formed at an intermediate portion along the longitudinal direction of the link connecting plate, and then the engagement flange is inserted into a slit-like long groove formed in the channel portion of the movable side plate and protrudes to the back side thereof. The bent part is bent and slidably engaged.
[0013]
With the above configuration, the number of parts can be reduced by omitting the split pins used in the conventional assembly structure, and the engagement flange formed on the link connecting plate is also inserted into the slit groove on the movable side plate in terms of assembly work. It is only necessary to bend the cable, and assembly work can be easily performed compared to the conventional split pin connection method.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the examples shown in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (c) and FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b). In addition, in the figure of an Example, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member corresponding to FIG. 5, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.
In the configuration of the illustrated embodiment, the movable side plate 8, the link 9 and the link connecting plate 10 are directly connected to each other without using the split pin 11 (see FIG. 5) employed in the conventional assembly structure. ing. That is, for the connection structure between the link 9 and the movable side plate 8 and the link connection plate 10, the hinge shaft portion 9b is formed at both ends of the link 9, and the hinge shaft portion 9b is used as a bearing hole of the counterpart member. They are directly inserted and interconnected.
[0015]
In addition, as a means for slidably connecting the intermediate portion of the link connecting plate 10 to the movable side plate 8, in the illustrated example, tab (ear) -like engagements standing on the left and right side edges of the link connecting plate 10 processed into a U-shaped cross section. The joint flange 10c is formed, and slits (long grooves) 8e are formed in the left and right side edge portions along the longitudinal direction of the channel portion 8a of the movable side plate 8 corresponding to the engagement flange 10c. The engaging flange 10c has a notch hole in the center base portion of the flange plate surface so that the bending work described later can be easily performed.
[0016]
Then, in the assembly process of assembling the parallel link mechanism to the movable side plate 8, the link connecting plate 10 is fitted into the channel portion 8a from the surface side with respect to the movable side plate 8 as shown in FIG. At the same time, the engaging flange 10 c is inserted into the slit 8 e of the movable side plate 8. In this state, the hinge shaft portion 9b formed at the tip of the link 9 from the back surface side of the movable side plate 8 is fitted into the shaft holes of the bearing portions 8b and 10a to be interconnected. Further, the engaging flange 10c of the connecting plate penetrating the slit 8e and protruding to the back surface side of the movable side plate 8 is bent to the left and right sides as shown in FIG. 1 (c) so as not to come out of the slit 8e. Slidably engage.
[0017]
Thus, the center portion of the link connecting plate 10 can be slidably connected to the movable side plate 8 by a simple operation of bending the engaging flange 10c without using the split pin. It effectively functions as an anti-bending beam.
[0018]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a movable side plate that adjusts the width of the passage along the product passage in the rack according to the length size of the product is disposed, and the movable side plate and one of the rack side plates are arranged. A parallel link mechanism comprising a combination of a pair of upper and lower rocking links and a link connecting plate having a U-shaped cross-section that is connected between the links and fitted in the channel portion of the movable side plate is bridged between the movable side plate and the movable side plate. In a structure that is supported in a vertical posture at each adjustment position, a tab-like engagement flange is formed at a substantially intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the link connecting plate, and then the engagement flange is formed on the channel portion of the movable side plate. By inserting into the slit-shaped long groove formed, bending the part protruding to the back side and engaging it slidably,
The split pins used for connecting the movable side plate and the parallel link mechanism in the conventional assembly structure can be omitted, thereby reducing the number of parts and improving the assembly workability of the parallel link mechanism.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an assembly structure diagram of a movable side plate and a parallel link mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (a) is an overall perspective view, (b) is an enlarged front view of part A in (a), ) Is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX in (b). [Fig. 2] Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of Fig. 1 (a). [Fig. 3] External view of a vending machine equipped with a serpentine type product storage rack [Fig. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a serpentine-type product storage rack in FIG. 4A, (a) is an external perspective view of the rack, and (b) is a side view showing the internal structure of the rack. FIG. It is a conventional configuration diagram showing the assembly structure, (a) is an exploded perspective view, (b) is an enlarged sectional view of the main part in the assembled state [Explanation of symbols]
5 Serpentine Product Storage Rack 51 Rack Side Plate 52 Rack Segment 53 Product Passage 54 Bend Mechanism 8 Movable Side Plate 8e Slit (Long Groove)
9 Link 10 Link connecting plate 10c Engagement flange

Claims (1)

Between the rack side plates standing facing left and right, arc-shaped rack segments are arranged vertically in front and back for each column to define a meandering product passage, and the product is placed horizontally in the product passage. It is a serpentine type product storage rack of a vending machine that pays out products stacked and stored in order from the lowest order based on a sales directive, and the width of the passage is adjusted to the length size of the product along the product passage A movable side plate to be adjusted is disposed, a pair of upper and lower swing links between the movable side plate and one rack side plate, and a U-shaped cross section that is connected between the links and fitted into the channel portion of the movable side plate. In a structure that supports a movable side plate in a vertical posture at each adjustment position by spanning a parallel link mechanism composed of a combination with a link connecting plate,
A tab-shaped engagement flange is formed at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the link connecting plate, and then the engagement flange is inserted into a slit-shaped long groove formed in the channel portion of the movable side plate and protruded to the back side thereof Serpentine-type product storage rack of vending machine, characterized in that it is bent and slidably engaged.

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