JP4333025B2 - Vending machine's direct product storage rack - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a direct-product type product storage rack of a vending machine that stores and sells various products such as paper packs, cans, bottles, and plastic bottles in a rack case.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As a product storage rack to be mounted on a vending machine for paper pack products such as brick packs or cans and bottles, the direct product storage rack described above is well known.
Next, the configuration of the vending machine equipped with the direct product storage rack and the direct product storage rack will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 3, 1 is a cabinet of a vending machine, 2 is a front door thereof, 2a is a product outlet, and the direct-product-type product storage rack 3 is drawn forward in the cabinet 1 by being arranged left and right. It is mounted so that the product delivered from the product storage rack 3 is sent to the product outlet 2a through the shooter 4. The cabinet 1 is a heat-insulating housing, and a cooling / heating unit (not shown) is provided in the cabinet so as to keep the stored product cool or warm.
[0003]
Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the direct-product-type product storage rack 3 defines a product storage column 3c on the left and right sides with a partition portion 3b sandwiched inside a box-shaped rack case 3a with one side and bottom opened. The bend mechanism 5 described below is incorporated in the partition portion 3b, and a product supply door (not shown) is provided on the open surface of each column 3a. When the product is replenished, the rack 3 is pulled forward from the interior as shown in FIG. 1 and the door is opened. In this state, the product (paper pack product, can product) 6 is loaded into the column 3c. And store it.
[0004]
On the other hand, the bend mechanism 5 has a bend motor 5a, an upper flapper 5b, and a lower flapper 5c as shown in FIG. 5, and the upper flapper 5b and the lower flapper 5c are alternately operated by operation of a control cam connected to the drive shaft of the bend motor 5a. It protrudes toward the product storage column 3c.
In an actual product, in order to make the bend mechanism 5 correspond to the two columns 3c defined on both sides of the partition part 3b in FIG. 4, the partition part 3b is separated from the upper flapper 5b and the lower flapper 5c shown in FIG. Similar upper and lower flappers are also provided on the rear side of each of them, and each set of flappers is selectively controlled by the bend motor 5b so that the products stored in the respective columns 3c are individually carried out.
[0005]
The selling operation of the vending machine equipped with such a direct-product-type product storage rack is well known, and the products 6 are stacked and stored in the upper and lower rows for each product storage column 3c of the rack case 3, and in the standby state, FIG. The upper flapper 5b is retracted to the side of the product passage as shown in FIG. 8, and the product (paper-packed product) 6 is placed on and supported on the lower flapper 5c held in a horizontal posture. When the bend mechanism 5 is operated in accordance with the sales command from this state, as shown in FIG. 6 (b), the upper flapper 5b protrudes from the retracted position into the product passage, and the products 6 arranged in the second lowest position are locked at that position. While holding, the lower flapper 5c opens to the hanging posture, and the lowest product 6 is dropped and carried out downward. Further, when the bend mechanism 5 returns to the original position after the product is dispensed, the second and subsequent products descend the passage in the column and are placed on the lower flapper 5c to return to the sales standby state. The sales operation of cans and bottle products is the same.
[0006]
Next, conventional arrangements of commodity storage racks mounted on vending machines are illustrated in FIGS. That is, in the example of FIG. 7, a partition wall 1 a is provided in the center of the cabinet 1 and divided into left and right rooms, and n direct product type product storage racks (6 columns) 3 are added to each room. It carries 4 units (6 columns x 4) and sells paper packs, cans, and bottle products 6.
[0007]
On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows an example of a vending machine that sells a large capacity PET bottle product 6L in addition to a paper pack, can, and bottle product 6, and a normal size product 6 such as a paper pack, can, and bottle is a cabinet 1. It is stored in the n-unit direct-product-type product storage rack 3 housed in the left chamber of the warehouse, and the large plastic bottle product 6L is a large product storage rack for plastic bottles installed in the right chamber of the warehouse ( They are stored in a serpentine rack or chain / elevator rack) 7 for sale.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the above-described conventional vending machine has the following problems in terms of product sales management. In other words, the types of products sold by the vending machine (container shape and capacity) are various as described above, and the sold products are replaced depending on conditions such as the installation location of the vending machine and the season. Therefore, in order to cope with such diversification of sales, in addition to normal size cans, bottles, paper pack products as well as large plastic bottle products, the same product storage rack is required. Is done.
[0009]
In this regard, the above-described conventional direct-product-type product storage rack 3 can sell various products such as paper packs, cans, and bottles if it is a normal size, but cannot handle the sales of large plastic bottle products 6L. For this reason, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 8, a plastic bottle compatible product storage rack (such as a serpentine rack) 7 is mounted to sell PET bottles.
[0010]
However, the plastic bottle rack 7 is large and occupies a large space in the warehouse. As shown in FIG. Only one rack 7 can be accommodated. In addition, it is possible to sell regular-sized cans and bottle products 6 by combining passage width regulating plates with large-sized racks 7 for PET bottles, but even in this case, they are sold in individual columns. There is only one type of product 6 that can be played, leaving a play space in the column that is not used for product sales. For this reason, if a normal-sized can and bottle product is sold using a plastic bottle rack, the efficiency of storing the product is greatly reduced.
[0011]
The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to improve a vending machine that can sell normal size paper packs, cans, bottle products, and large-capacity plastic bottle products by using the same rack. It is to provide a direct product type product storage rack.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a direct-product type product storage rack of a vending machine that is installed in a cabinet of a cabinet and sells various products of large and small sizes, and forward from a storage position in the cabinet. Inside the rack case that can be pulled out to the front, a plurality of front and rear product storage columns are defined, and a flapper opening and closing type bend mechanism is provided for each column, and the products stacked and stored in the column are bent. In this case, each rack case column is provided with doors for product replenishment on both left and right sides, and the rack case column is attached to the n ( n ≦ 2) The width corresponding to the number of pieces is set, and the n-type bend mechanism is combined with the left and right bend mechanisms corresponding to the column. Each of the bend mechanisms is divided into n rows so as to individually correspond to the respective base bend mechanisms, and then stacked and stored in the columns. The commodity is stacked and stored in the column across the base bend mechanisms of the n-link type bend mechanism, and then the bend mechanism of each base is synchronously controlled to be carried out (Claim 1).
[0013]
Further, according to the present invention, the rack can be specifically configured in the following manner.
(1) In contrast to the n-type bend mechanism, it is equipped with a detachable connecting plate that connects the flappers of each base bend mechanism when selling large-sized products, such as paper packs, cans, bottles, etc. When selling regular size products, the product is sold with the connecting plate removed, and when changing the sold product to a large plastic bottle product, attach the connecting plate to the n-type bend mechanism. The flappers of the respective base bend mechanisms are connected to each other, and in this state, the bend mechanisms of the respective bases are controlled synchronously so as to carry out large-sized products (claim 2).
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the examples shown in FIGS. In addition, in the figure of an Example, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the member corresponding to FIGS. 4-7, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.
In FIGS. 1 (a) to (c), the left chamber defined on both sides of the partition wall 1a provided in the center of the cabinet 1 has a paper pack, cans, Two drawer-type direct-product type product storage racks 3 corresponding to normal size products 6 such as bottles are mounted. On the other hand, instead of the direct product rack 3 shown in FIG. 7 or the plastic bottle rack 7 shown in FIG. 8, the right-hand chamber stores a large size product 6L such as a normal size product 6 and a plastic bottle product. , One large direct-product-type product storage rack 3L having the following configuration is mounted for sale.
[0017]
That is, in the direct-product-type product storage rack 3L, the width D of the front and rear columns 3L-c defined in the rack case 3L-a is set to a length corresponding to at least two normal-size products 6. At the same time, as the bend mechanism corresponding to each column 3L-c, a double bend mechanism 8 comprising two bend mechanisms 8L and 8R arranged side by side on the left and right is integrated.
[0018]
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, the left and right end surfaces of the rack case 3L-a are provided with doors 3d for replenishing products corresponding to the columns 3L-c, respectively. Two sets of passage restriction plates 3e extending in the vertical direction are provided inside the column 3L-c. The passage restriction plate 3e serves as a partition plate for setting the depth of the passage in the column according to the product size, and is slidably mounted to the left and right along the column partition wall of the rack case 3L-a. Yes.
[0019]
When the normal product 6 of paper packs, cans and bottles is sold using the direct-product-type product storage rack 3L configured as described above, the rack 3L is pulled out to the front of the cabinet 1, and the passage restriction plate 3e is illustrated. After setting in accordance with the position represented by 1 (b), the left and right doors 3d are opened and the products 6 are loaded from the left and right, and the products 6 are sorted and stored in two columns on each column. In this state, at the time of sale, the base bend mechanisms 8L and 8R of the double bend mechanism 8 are individually controlled to carry out the product 6.
[0020]
As a result, the same number of products 6 as the conventional rack arrangement in which two racks 3 corresponding to normal-size products are mounted in the right chamber of the cabinet 1 as shown in FIG. 7 can be stored in the rack 3L and sold. .
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), when selling the large size product 6L of the PET bottle instead of the normal size product 6, the passage regulating plate 3e is provided for the column storing the large size product 6L. As shown in the figure, the left door 3d is opened and the large-sized plastic bottle 6L is loaded so as to straddle the base bend mechanisms 8L and 8R of the double bend mechanism 8, and is placed in the column. Stack and store. At the time of sale, the bend mechanisms 8L and 8R of the respective groups are synchronously controlled to carry out the product 6L.
[0021]
Next, FIG. 2 shows a detailed structure of the above-described double bend mechanism 8. That is, the double-type bend mechanism 8 is a combination of the left and right bend mechanisms 8L and 8R having the same structure as the bend mechanism 5 shown in FIG. A bend motor 8a, an upper flapper 8b, and a lower flapper 8c are provided. In addition, when the large-sized product 6L such as a PET bottle is sold (see FIG. 1 (c)), the double bend mechanism 8 is mounted in advance and the upper flappers 8b of the respective bend mechanisms 8L and 8R are installed. A separate connecting plate 8d is prepared so as to interconnect each other, and engaging claws 8d-1 formed at both ends of the connecting plate 8d are formed on the upper flapper 8b of the bend mechanisms 8L and 8R. The upper flappers are connected to each other by fitting in the mating groove 8b-1.
[0022]
As described above, when the large size product 6L is sold, by attaching the connecting plate 8d to the double bend mechanism 8, even a large size product of a deformed container such as a plastic bottle can be used during the sales operation. The products lined up second from the bottom can be reliably supported by the two upper flappers 8b arranged on the left and right, and the load of the product 6L is equally applied to the bend mechanisms 8L and 8R via the connecting plate 8d. become. Therefore, the load applied to the bend motor 8a of the bend mechanisms 8L and 8R is not biased, and the product carry-out operation is stabilized.
[0023]
In the above-described embodiment, the description has been given of the case where the column is used for two normal-size products and the double bend mechanism is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Can do.
[0024]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the configuration of the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) Each rack case column has a product replenishing door on both left and right sides, and the rack case column is set to a width corresponding to n (n ≦ 2) of normal size products. With the configuration of claim 1 combined with this n-type bend mechanism, the product can be easily loaded into the column when the product is replenished, and the column space of the direct stacking type product storage rack is maximized, and the paper pack , Cans, bottles, etc., and large size products such as PET bottles can be sold, which makes it possible to sell a wide variety of products and variations.
[0026]
(2) According to the structure of claim 2 , further comprising a detachable connecting plate that is attached to the n-type bend mechanism and interconnects the flappers of the respective bend mechanisms when selling large-sized products. For example, even in a product of a deformed container such as a plastic bottle, the load applied to each bend motor of the n-unit bend mechanism can be equally shared through the connecting plate, thereby ensuring a stable product carry-out operation.
[Brief description of the drawings]
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration, arrangement, and product storage state of a direct-product-type product storage rack of the present invention mounted on a vending machine, and (a) is a schematic rack arrangement diagram in a warehouse. Fig. 2 (b) is a plan view of a rack in which a normal size product is stored, and Fig. 2 (c) is a plan view of a large size product stored in some columns. FIG. 3 is an external view of a vending machine equipped with a direct product storage rack. FIG. 4 is a structural perspective view of a conventional direct product storage rack in FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a product carry-out operation by the bend mechanism of FIG. 5, (a) is a diagram showing a state of waiting for sale, and (b) is a state of the product carry-out operation. FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the rack arrangement in the vending machine equipped with the rack of FIG. Figure [EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS] the arrangement of the rack in the manner represented with FIG 8 7 storage room of the vending machine by replacing a part rack in a conventional PET bottle corresponding rack in schematically showing
1 Cabinet 3, 3L Direct stack type product storage rack 3L-a Rack case 3L-c Column 3d Door 3e Passage restricting plate 6 Normal size product 6L Large size product 8 Double bend mechanism 8L, 8R Bend mechanism 8a of each base Bend motor 8b Upper flapper 8c Lower flapper 8d Connecting plate

Claims (2)

A vending machine direct-mounting type product storage rack that sells various products of large and small sizes installed in the cabinet cabinet, and multiple rows in the front and back of the rack case mounted so that it can be pulled out from the storage position in the cabinet Each product storage column is defined, and a flapper opening / closing type bend mechanism is provided for each column so that the products stacked and stored in the column can be dropped and carried out in order from the product lined up at the bottom by the operation of the bend mechanism. Each rack case column is provided with doors for product replenishment on both left and right end surfaces, and the rack case columns are set to have a width corresponding to n (n ≦ 2) of normal size products. Equipped with an n-unit bend mechanism that combines left and right bend mechanisms for n groups corresponding to the column, and normal size products individually correspond to each base bend mechanism of the n-unit bend mechanism In such a way that the n-rows are stacked and stored in the columns, the bend mechanisms of each group are selected and controlled, and the products are individually carried out. A vending machine direct-loading type product storage rack, wherein the bend mechanism of each group is synchronously controlled and transported after being stacked and stored in a column. The direct product type product storage rack according to claim 1, wherein a detachable connecting plate is used to connect the flappers of the respective bend mechanisms to each other when the large size product is sold with respect to the n- type bend mechanism. A product stacking rack for vending machines that is equipped with a vending machine.

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