JP4010107B2 - Vending machine product unloading device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a product unloading device of a vending machine, and more specifically, a product (a product of a can beverage or a plastic bottle beverage) having a different shape and outer diameter without adjusting a product passage size such as a serpentine product rack. This relates to a product unloading device for vending machines capable of selling
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, various vending machine product carry-out devices have been provided, which are also disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-295384. These vending machine carry-out devices are provided at the lower part of the product passage with a main flap for receiving the lowest product and a sub-flap that is located above and receives the second product from the bottom when carried out. The carry-out of the product is controlled by alternately projecting these flaps to the product passage side.
[0003]
That is, since these product carry-out devices regulate the product passage dimensions depending on the presence or absence of the protrusion of the flap (the amount of protrusion is always constant), when selling products with different shapes and outer diameters, In order to cope with this problem, a member that regulates the width of the passage is separately provided in the product passage, or a dedicated product carry-out device adapted to the product dimensions is provided.
[0004]
However, as is well known, since containers of can beverages and plastic bottle beverages are distributed in various shapes and outer diameters, if a product having a different shape or the like is sold, The size of the product passage must be adjusted, which is troublesome, and depending on the shape of the container, there is a problem that it may not be suitable for the mechanism of the product carry-out device and may not be sold.
[0005]
Accordingly, the applicant of the present application, in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-140853, has provided a product unloading device for a vending machine that can sell products having different shapes and outer diameters without adjusting the product passage dimensions. Hereinafter, this commodity carry-out device will be described.
[0006]
FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view showing the product unloading device of the vending machine according to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-140853, FIG. 8 is a front perspective view showing the product unloading device of the vending machine, and FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing a sales standby state of a small-diameter product, FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a sales state of the small-diameter product, and FIG. 12 is a sales state of a large-diameter square product. It is explanatory drawing.
[0007]
The board | substrate 1 is arrange | positioned at the lower part of the merchandise rack which is not shown in figure, and forms one surface of a merchandise path. A product outlet adjusting plate 20 is disposed on the other surface of the product passage, and the product passage is set to a size that can accommodate a large-diameter product. The substrate 1 is provided with openings 1a and 1b. On the back surface of the substrate 1, a pair of bearing portions 1c are erected on both side edges of the opening 1a. The bearing portion 1c is provided with a long hole 1d for slidably holding the shaft 3 of the upper pedal 2. A cover member 17 is provided on the back surface of the substrate 1 along the operation range of the carrier 7.
[0008]
The upper pedal 2 is formed so as to be movable forward and backward from the opening 1a toward the product passage, and is for supporting the second product from the bottom among the products stacked in the product passage. The upper pedal 2 is screwed into a napier screw member 6 that is rotated by a motor unit 25 having a gear box, and is connected to a carrier 7 that moves up and down along this via a spring 10. It is formed so as to advance and retreat from the opening 1a.
[0009]
The opening 1 a is provided with a receiving portion 1 g that comes into contact with the back surface of the upper pedal 2. The opening 1a is provided at a position where the product G2 that is in contact with both the bottom product G supported by the lower pedal 4 and the substrate 1 can be advanced and retracted without being obstructed by this. Here, the product G1 is located immediately above the product G, and the product G2 is located diagonally with respect to the product G.
[0010]
The carrier 7 includes a screw hole 7a that is screwed into the Napier screw member 6 and a pin 7b that connects the lower end portion of the spring 10, and resists the tension of the spring 11 via the shaft holding member 8 when the carrier 7 is lowered. It is formed to press. Further, when the carrier 7 is raised, the stopper shaft 9 is moved upward by the tension of the spring 11. The stopper shaft 9 is held by a shaft holding member 8 and is connected to the bearing portion 1 e by a spring 11. The shaft holding member 8 has a long hole (not shown), and is held by the bearing portion 1e so as to be vertically movable by a stepped screw or the like (not shown) inserted through the long hole.
[0011]
The self-propelled switch 13 is for detecting the standby position of the carrier 7. The lower pedal 4 is for supporting the first product from the bottom among the products stacked in the product passage, and is rotatably supported by the shaft 5 provided on the bearing portion 1e on the back surface of the opening 1b. Has been. The fan-shaped stopper portion 4a provided on the back surface of the lower pedal 4 is for contacting the stopper shaft 9 that slides up and down in the elongated hole 1f of the bearing portion 1e, thereby restricting the rotation range of the lower pedal 4. Is.
[0012]
That is, when the stopper shaft 9 is positioned above the elongated hole 1f, the stopper portion 4a and the stopper shaft 9 are pressed against each other, and the lower pedal 4 can be prevented from opening (see FIG. 10). On the other hand, when the stopper shaft 9 is positioned below the long hole 1f, the pressure contact between the stopper portion 4a and the stopper shaft 9 is released, and the lower pedal 4 is formed so as to be opened by a product load (see FIG. 11). .
[0013]
When the product G is sold out and the product load is no longer applied to the lower pedal 4, the spring 12 is biased to return to the closed state. The sold-out state of the product is detected by a sold-out switch (not shown) provided at the base of the lower pedal 4.
[0014]
Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS. In the sales standby state, it is as shown in FIG. In response to a sales command from a main control unit (not shown), the motor unit 25 is operated and the Napier screw member 6 rotates, whereby the carrier 7 starts to descend, and the upper pedal 2 connected to the spring 10 is connected to the opening 1a from the opening 1a. When it protrudes and its tip comes into contact with the first product from the bottom, it enters a sales start state.
[0015]
Even after the upper pedal 2 comes into contact with the first product from the bottom, the carrier 7 continues to descend while extending the spring 10 and presses the shaft holding member 8. As shown in FIG. 11, when the carrier 7 is lowered to the lower limit position, the shaft holding member 8 pushes down the stopper shaft 9, so that the contact with the stopper portion 4a of the lower pedal 4 is released, the lower pedal 4 is opened, and the lower pedal 4 is opened. The first product will fall.
[0016]
When the product falls, the upper pedal 2 protrudes to the maximum extent by the tension of the extended spring 10 and supports the next product. That is, since the upper pedal 2 protrudes following the dropping operation of the first product from the bottom, even a product having a diameter much smaller than the product passage size can be reliably supported.
[0017]
Thereafter, the lower pedal 4 returns to the standby position shown in FIG. Since the carrier 7 is lifted by the rotation of the napier screw member 6, the upper pedal 2 is pushed up to be retracted into the opening 1a and returned to the standby position.
[0018]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, if an excessive product load is applied to the tip when the upper pedal 2 is fully projected, the shaft 3 escapes upward along the elongated hole 1e, and the upper pedal 2 is unnecessarily opened. .
[0019]
This invention is made in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the goods carrying-out apparatus of the vending machine which can maintain a closed state and can support goods reliably.
[0020]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, a control method for a vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention is provided at a lower end portion of a merchandise passage, forming a substrate forming one inner wall of the merchandise passage, A lower pedal that is formed so as to protrude freely from the opening and supports the product located at the lowermost end, and an upper pedal that is formed so as to protrude freely from the opening of the substrate and supports the product located second from the bottom. The upper pedal is biased so as to protrude toward the product passage prior to the opening operation of the lower pedal, and when the support of the product located at the lowest position by the lower pedal is released, In the merchandise carry-out device of the vending machine formed so as to protrude to the position that supports the second merchandise, the upper pedal is slidably held on the rotating shaft by a bearing portion having a long elongated hole in the vertical direction. The lower end of the long hole of the bearing , It is provided with a expanded diameter portion of the enlarged bore diameter toward the commodity passage side.
[0021]
As a result, if a product load is applied to the tip when the upper pedal protrudes to the maximum, the load is distributed from the rotating shaft to the enlarged diameter portion (product passage side), and the rotating shaft follows the elongated hole of the bearing portion. Therefore, the upper pedal can be kept closed and the product can be reliably supported.
[0022]
In the control method of the vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention, the upper pedal has a curved shape. As a result, the upper pedal can be easily protruded between the first product and the second product from the bottom, and the advancing and retreating direction of the upper pedal can be made closer to the direction along the board surface, and the board thickness direction Since the operation stroke can be shortened, the entire apparatus can be thinned. Further, the rigidity of the upper pedal itself can be increased.
[0023]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a product carry-out device for a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.
[0024]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the enlarged diameter portion of the product carry-out device according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the product carry-out device, and FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing the product carry-out device. 4 is a rear view showing the commodity carry-out device, FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing an operation in the case where a diameter-expanded part is not provided. In the following description, members that are the same as or correspond to those already described are denoted by the same reference numerals, redundant description of the basic configuration and operation is omitted, and only different portions will be described.
[0025]
The upper pedal 2 is connected to the carrier 7 via a connecting member 14 that is slidably formed on the substrate 1. The upper pedal stopper mechanism portion 30 advances and retreats from the opening 1a in conjunction with the opening / closing operation of the upper pedal 2, supports the upper pedal 2 from the back surface, and can receive a product load. The lower pedal stopper mechanism 50 is formed so that the lower pedal 4 is opened by contact when the carrier 7 is lowered, and the lower pedal 4 is kept closed at other times. The position detection switch 60 detects the start and end of the operation of the carrier 7. The sold-out switch 70 detects the sale of the product G by detecting the opening / closing operation of the actuator 76.
[0026]
Next, an outline of the basic operation of the commodity carry-out device will be described. In the sales standby state, the upper pedal 2 is opened and the lower pedal 4 is closed, and the products stacked in the rack are supported by the lower pedal 4. And according to the sales command from the control part which is not illustrated, the motor unit 25 operate | moves and the Napier screw member 6 rotates.
[0027]
Then, the carrier 7 screwed into the Napier screw member 6 descends, the upper pedal 2 connected via the connecting member 14 begins to protrude from the opening 1a, and the upper pedal stopper mechanism 30 supports the upper pedal 2 from below. . At this time, the protruding direction of the upper pedal 2 is regulated by the shaft 16 and protrudes between the first product from the bottom supported by the lower pedal 4 and the second product from the bottom.
[0028]
As the carrier 7 further descends, the amount of protrusion of the upper pedal 2 also increases. When the carrier 7 reaches the lower limit, the protrusion amount of the upper pedal 2 is maximized to support the second product from the bottom, and the carrier 7 releases the lock by the lower pedal stopper mechanism portion 50. Open the pedal 4 and carry out the first product from the bottom.
[0029]
The carrier 7 starts to rise from the lower limit position by the action of the Napier screw member 6. Then, the lower pedal 4 is automatically returned to the closed state by the urging means and is locked in the closed state by the lower pedal stopper mechanism unit 50.
[0030]
As the carrier 7 rises, the upper pedal 2 moves backward from the opening 1a, and the upper pedal stopper mechanism 30 also moves backward while supporting the upper pedal 2. Then, the product previously supported by the upper pedal 2 loses its support and falls onto the lower pedal 4, and again enters a sales standby state. The above is the basic operation of the commodity carry-out device according to the present invention. Next, the main part of the present embodiment will be described.
[0031]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the upper pedal 2 has a shaft 15 slidably held by a bearing 112 in which a long hole 112 a that is long in the vertical direction is formed, and a product passage is formed at the lower end of the long hole 112 a of the bearing 112. An enlarged diameter portion 1s having a hole diameter enlarged toward the side was provided. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1, when the product load F1 is applied to the tip when the upper pedal 2 protrudes to the maximum, the load F2 is dispersed from the shaft 15 to the enlarged diameter portion 1s side (product passage inner wall 21 side). Since the shaft 15 does not escape upward along the long hole 112a of the bearing 112, the upper pedal 2 can be maintained in the closed state and the product G can be reliably supported.
[0032]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the enlarged diameter portion 1s is not formed, the load F3 acts on the shaft 15 and escapes upward along the elongated hole 112a, and the upper pedal 2 opens carelessly. It can happen. The bearing 112 is formed of a hard resin (for example, polyacetal), and is fitted between the standing portion 1m of the substrate 1 and the side plate portion 1k.
[0033]
Therefore, by drawing the above-mentioned portion of the substrate 1 and providing the enlarged diameter portion 1s, the effect that the upper pedal 2 can maintain the closed state and the product G can be reliably supported is obtained.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the control method of the vending machine according to the present invention (Claim 1), the substrate disposed at the lower end portion of the commodity passage and forming one inner wall of the commodity passage, A lower pedal that is formed so as to protrude freely from the opening and supports the product located at the lowermost end, and an upper pedal that is formed so as to protrude freely from the opening of the substrate and supports the product located second from the bottom. The upper pedal is biased so as to protrude toward the product passage prior to the opening operation of the lower pedal, and when the support of the product located at the lowest position by the lower pedal is released, In the merchandise carry-out device of the vending machine formed so as to protrude to the position that supports the second merchandise, the upper pedal is slidably held on the rotating shaft by a bearing portion having a long elongated hole in the vertical direction. The lower end of the long hole of the bearing Since the diameter-enlarged portion with the hole diameter enlarged toward the product passage side is provided, when a product load is applied to the tip portion when the upper pedal protrudes to the maximum, the diameter-expanded portion side (product passage side) from the rotating shaft Since the load is distributed to the rotating shaft and the rotating shaft does not escape upward along the long hole of the bearing portion, the upper pedal can be maintained in the closed state, and the product can be reliably supported.
[0035]
Further, according to the control method for the vending machine according to the present invention (Claim 2), since the upper pedal has a curved shape, the upper pedal is directed between the first product and the second product from the bottom. The upper pedal can be moved forward and backward in the direction along the substrate surface, and the operation stroke in the substrate thickness direction can be shortened, so that the entire apparatus can be made thinner. Further, the rigidity of the upper pedal itself can be increased.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an operation of a diameter-enlarged portion of a product carry-out device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view showing the product carry-out device.
FIG. 3 is a front perspective view showing the product carry-out device.
FIG. 4 is a rear view showing the product carry-out device.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation when no enlarged diameter portion is provided.
FIG. 7 is a rear perspective view showing a product carry-out device of a vending machine according to Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-140853.
FIG. 8 is a front perspective view showing a product carry-out device of a vending machine.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a receiving portion of a substrate opening.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a sales standby state of a small-diameter product.
FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a sales state of small-diameter products.
FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing a sales state of a large-diameter square product.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Board | substrate 1a Opening part 1k Side board part 1m Standing part 1s Expanding part 2 Upper pedal 4 Lower pedal 6 Napier screw member 7 Carrier 7d Arm part G Product 14 Connecting member 14a Sliding piece 15 Shaft 16 Shaft 21 Product passage inner wall 25 Motor unit 30 Upper pedal stopper mechanism 50 Lower pedal stopper mechanism 60 Position detection switch 70 Sold-out switch 76 Actuator 112 Bearing 112a Slotted hole

Claims (2)

A substrate disposed at the lower end of the product passage and forming one inner wall of the product passage;
A lower pedal that is formed so as to protrude freely from the opening of the substrate and supports a product located at the lowest end;
An upper pedal that is formed so as to protrude freely from the opening of the substrate and supports a product located second from the bottom;
With
The upper pedal is urged to protrude toward the product passage prior to the opening operation of the lower pedal, and when the support of the product located at the lowest position by the lower pedal is released, the second pedal from the bottom In the product unloading device of the vending machine formed so as to protrude to the position supporting the product of
The upper pedal is slidably held on the rotating shaft by a bearing portion having a long hole formed in the vertical direction,
A product carry-out device for a vending machine, wherein a diameter-enlarged portion having a hole diameter enlarged toward the product passage side is provided at a lower end portion of the long hole of the bearing portion. The commodity delivery device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the upper pedal has a curved shape.

Images