JP7635568B2 - Product storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a product storage device, and more specifically, to a product storage device that is applied to a vending machine that sells products.

Conventionally, some vending machines that sell products are designed to feed products stored in product racks in a product storage facility onto a transport tray, which then transports the products to a specified product removal area. The product removal area is a space that is connected to the outside of the product storage facility via a product removal opening, and a user can remove a purchased product by inserting their hand through the product removal opening.

Typically, in this type of vending machine, part of the front door that makes up the front surface is made of a transparent panel such as glass, making it possible to visually view and select products stored in the product racks in the product storage from the outside, and also to observe the state in which purchased products are dispensed from the product racks and transported by the transport tray to the product removal area. A vending machine that allows the interior of the product storage to be viewed in this way has the advantage of increasing the user's desire to purchase.

The product rack in such a vending machine is composed of multiple product columns arranged side by side on the left and right. Each product column that makes up the product rack has a product storage passage that extends in the front-to-rear direction and is equipped with a spiral and a product guide.

The spiral is configured to be wound in a helical shape along the extension direction of the product storage passage, i.e., the front-to-rear direction. This spiral rotates around its central axis when a driving force is transmitted from a motor, which serves as a driving source, via a transmission mechanism.

The product guide is made of, for example, sheet metal, and is a long, elongated member with the front-to-rear direction as its longitudinal direction. This product guide extends in the front-to-rear direction so as to penetrate the inside of the spiral, with its front end attached to the front end portion of the base that constitutes the bottom surface of the product storage passage, and its rear end attached to a mounting bracket that penetrates the hollow portion constituted by the transmission mechanism. Such a product guide allows products to be placed on its upper surface.

In a product column with such a configuration, products are normally restrained between each pitch of the spiral, and when the spiral rotates, the products restrained between each pitch are gradually conveyed forward so that the front product is dispensed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 6443459

However, in the above-mentioned product column, depending on the shape of the products to be stored, it may be desirable to place the products that are constrained between each pitch on the base rather than on the top surface of the product guide, and in such cases it is preferable to remove the product guide.

However, in the product column proposed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the front end of the product guide was attached to the front end of the base and the rear end was attached to the mounting bracket, so the product guide could not be removed by itself, and it was not very convenient.

In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a product storage device that can improve convenience by simply attaching and detaching the product guide.

In order to achieve the above object, the product storage device according to the present invention is provided with a spiral wound in a spiral shape along the extension direction of a product storage passage extending along the front-rear direction, and when the spiral rotates around a central axis, the product restrained between each pitch of the spiral is gradually conveyed forward to dispense the foremost product, and is characterized in that the product storage device is provided with a product guide that extends along the front-rear direction in a manner that passes through the inside of the spiral and allows products to be placed on its upper surface, and the product guide is installed with its front end attached to the front end portion of a base that constitutes the bottom surface of the product storage passage, and its rear end placed on a part of the spiral in a manner that allows it to slide against a part of the spiral.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the above-mentioned product storage device, at least the lower surface of the rear end of the product guide is made of a low-friction material.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the above-mentioned product storage device, the low-friction material is a resin material.

The present invention is also characterized in that in the above-mentioned product storage device, the product guide has a bottom surface at the rear end that gradually slopes upward as it moves rearward.

According to the present invention, the product guide, which extends in the front-to-rear direction while passing through the inside of the spiral and on which products are placed, is installed with its front end attached to the front end portion of the base that constitutes the bottom surface of the product storage passage, while its rear end is placed on a part of the spiral in a manner that allows it to slide against that part, so that the product guide can be removed by removing the front end from the front end portion of the base. Moreover, with the spiral attached, the product guide can be installed by passing through the inside of the spiral, which allows the product guide to be attached and detached without removing the spiral. This has the effect of improving convenience by only attaching and detaching the product guide.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the external configuration of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view showing a schematic internal structure of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing one of the product racks shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the product rack shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a main part of the product rack shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the drive unit shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the drive unit, transmission member, and spiral, which are components of the product column. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the product guide shown in FIGS. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the product guide shown in FIGS. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the state in which the product guide shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 is attached. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the product column shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a product column according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the product guide shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the product guide shown in FIG.

Below, a preferred embodiment of the product storage device according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 each show a vending machine to which a product storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, with Figure 1 being a front view showing the external configuration of the vending machine, and Figure 2 being a cross-sectional side view showing a schematic internal structure of the vending machine. The vending machine 1 shown here is one that is installed, for example, in a store, and is equipped with a main cabinet 10, which is the main body of the device.

The main cabinet 10 is a rectangular housing with an opening 10a on the front (hereinafter also referred to as the front opening), and has a product storage room 11 inside. The product storage room 11 is a room surrounded by insulating material and has an insulated structure, and multiple product racks 13 are provided in the vertical direction. These product racks 13 are installed between rack support side panels (not shown) erected on both sides of the product storage room 11, and are used to store products.

The product storage 11 is provided with an evaporator 14a. The evaporator 14a constitutes a refrigerant circuit 14 that circulates refrigerant with a compressor 14b, a condenser 14c, and an expansion mechanism 14d that are arranged in a machine room 12 defined in the lower area of the product storage 11, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant passing through its own refrigerant passage (not shown) and the air inside the product storage 11 that passes around it, thereby cooling the air.

The air cooled around the evaporator 14a is drawn into the ventilation duct 16b through the intake port 16a of the rear duct 16 installed on the rear side of the product storage room 11 by driving the interior ventilation fan 15, and after passing through this ventilation duct 16b, is blown out from each outlet port 16c, thereby cooling the products stored in the product racks 13.

In the forward area of the product rack 13 in the product storage warehouse 11, a pair of transport rails 17a are arranged on both sides, and transport trays 17b are arranged between the transport rails 17a so that they can move vertically by a transport mechanism (not shown). In other words, a transport path 17 is formed between the transport rails 17a to allow the transport trays 17b to pass through. This transport path 17 extends to the forward area of the machine room 12, and the lowest position in the forward area of the machine room 12 is the product removal area 18.

The front opening 10a of the main cabinet 10 is opened and closed by a front door 20. The front door 20 is a door body large enough to close the front opening 10a, and is provided on the left edge of the front side of the main cabinet 10 so as to be able to swing.

This front door 20 has an insulated structure and is equipped with a window section 21 fitted with an insulating glass plate 21a that allows the inside to be seen from the outside, and a rectangular product removal opening 22 is formed below the window section 21.

This product removal opening 22 is an opening through which the user can remove products that have been transported to the product removal area 18 by the transport tray 17b, and is opened and closed by a product removal door 23.

The front door 20 is also provided with a product selection section 24, a coin slot 25, a bill slot 26, a card reader 27, a coin return slot 28, etc., to the right of the window 21.

The product selection section 24 has a push button numeric keypad, a display, etc., and is used by the user to select a product. The coin insertion slot 25 is an opening for inserting coins. The banknote insertion slot 26 is an opening for inserting banknotes.

The card reader 27 transmits and receives data related to money between a recording medium, which stores monetary information known as electronic money, and the recording medium when the recording medium is held in a specified communication area. The coin return slot 28 is an opening for returning inserted coins or change, etc.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing one product rack 13 shown in Figures 1 and 2. Note that since the multiple product racks 13 shown in Figures 1 and 2 all have the same configuration, the following will explain one product rack 13 and will omit explanations of the other product racks 13.

The product rack 13 illustrated here is composed of a base 30, a partition plate 40, and multiple product columns (product storage devices) 50.

The base 30 is made of sheet metal or the like, and is composed of a base frame 31 and a base plate 32. As shown in FIG. 4, the base frame 31 is rectangular in shape and is configured by framing a front frame portion 311, a rear frame portion 312, and a pair of left and right side frame portions 313, 314 on all four sides, and has a rectangular opening (not shown).

The front frame 311 is an elongated member whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction, and constitutes the front end portion of the base 30. The rear frame 312 is an elongated member whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction, and is also a flat member that protrudes upward. The left side frame 313 (hereinafter also referred to as the left frame) extends along the front-rear direction in a manner that connects the left end portion of the front frame 311 and the left end portion of the rear frame 312, and is attached with a left wall 313a extending along the front-rear direction. The right side frame 314 (hereinafter also referred to as the right frame) extends along the front-rear direction in a manner that connects the right end portion of the front frame 311 and the right end portion of the rear frame 312, and is attached with a right wall 314a extending along the front-rear direction.

The base plate 32 is placed on the base frame 31 in such a manner that it closes the rectangular opening. As shown in FIG. 4, the base plate 32 has a number of recesses 321 arranged side by side on the left and right sides, each extending in the front-rear direction, and the space between adjacent recesses 321 forms a flat surface 322.

The partition plates 40 are provided in plurality, and each is a long plate-like member made of sheet metal or the like. The partition plates 40 are fixed and supported on the base 30 with their longitudinal direction aligned with the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. 4, by inserting the lower end locking piece 41 formed at the lower end into the lower locking hole 322a (see FIG. 5) formed in the flat portion 322 of the base plate 32, inserting the rear end locking piece 42 formed at the rear end into the rear locking hole 312a (see FIG. 5) formed in the rear frame portion 312 of the base frame body 31, and attaching the mounting margin 43 formed at the lower end to the base plate 32 via the mounting pin 44.

In this way, by fixing and supporting the multiple partition plates 40 to the base 30, product storage passages 45 extending in the front-rear direction are defined between adjacent partition plates 40, between the left wall portion 313a and the leftmost partition plate 40 adjacent thereto, and between the right wall portion 314a and the rightmost partition plate 40 adjacent thereto. The base plate 32 forms the bottom surface of each product storage passage 45, and in particular the multiple recesses 321 of the base plate 32 each form the bottom of the product storage passage 45. In addition, a circular connecting hole 312b is formed in the part of the rear frame portion 312 that forms the rear surface of each product storage passage 45.

The multiple product columns 50 are each provided in correspondence with a product storage passage 45, and as shown in FIG. 5, are configured with a drive unit 51 (see FIG. 4), a transmission member 53, a spiral 55, and a product guide 60.

Note that although the multiple product columns 50 arranged side by side on the product rack 13 may differ in the direction of rotation of the spiral 55, etc., they have the same basic configuration, so the following will describe the product column 50 shown in Figure 5 and will omit descriptions of the other product columns 50.

The drive unit 51 is attached to the rear frame 312 as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the drive unit 51 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 6, the drive unit 51 is configured by housing a motor 512, an output gear 513, and a discharge detection switch 514 inside a pair of front and rear drive cases 511a, 511b.

The motor 512 is a drive source that is driven by a drive command given from a control unit (not shown). The output gear 513 has a substantially annular shape, with a first output tooth portion 513a formed on the outer periphery and a second output tooth portion 513b formed on the inner periphery. The output gear 513 is stored inside the drive cases 511a and 511b in such a manner that the second output tooth portion 513b is exposed from the inner surface of a through hole 511c formed in the drive cases 511a and 511b. Here, the through hole 511c extends in the front-rear direction in the substantially central portion of the drive cases 511a and 511b.

The output gear 513 is linked to the motor 512 via a linking gear unit 515. The linking gear unit 515 includes a first linking gear 515a meshed with the output shaft 512a of the motor 512, and a second linking gear 515b meshed with the first linking gear 515a. The output gear 513 can rotate around its own central axis by meshing the first output tooth portion 513a with the second linking gear 515b. The output gear 513 is housed in the drive cases 511a and 511b so that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the through hole 511c of the drive cases 511a and 511b.

The discharge detection switch 514 is housed in the drive cases 511a and 511b so as to be located to the right of the output gear 513. The discharge detection switch 514 is provided with a discharge contactor (not shown). The discharge contactor is biased by a biasing means (not shown) to determine its standby position. When the discharge contactor is not pressed and is in the standby position, the discharge detection switch 514 sends a low signal to the electrically connected control unit, whereas when the discharge contactor is pressed against a protrusion (not shown) formed on the output gear 513 and displaces against the biasing force of the biasing means, the discharge detection switch 514 sends a high signal to the control unit. In other words, the discharge detection switch 514 is disposed in a position where the discharge contactor can abut against the protrusion of the output gear 513.

The drive unit 51 having such a configuration is attached to the rear frame portion 312 by inserting the multiple engagement pieces 52 formed on the drive cases 511a and 511b into the engagement holes 312c formed in the rear frame portion 312. In this case, the drive unit 51 is attached to the rear frame portion 312 in such a manner that the through holes 511c of the drive cases 511a and 511b and the connecting hole 312b of the rear frame portion 312 are aligned, and the second output tooth portion 513b of the output gear 513 is exposed from the front through the connecting hole 312b.

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the drive unit 51, transmission member 53, and spiral 55, which are components of the product column 50. The transmission member 53 and spiral 55 will be described using Figure 7 as appropriate.

The transmission member 53 is configured by integrally forming a transmission base 531, a first transmission shaft 532, and a second transmission shaft 533. The transmission base 531 has a bottomed cylindrical shape, and a through hole (not shown) is formed in the center of the bottom portion 531a.

The first transmission shaft 532 is a cylindrical portion formed in a manner that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the bottom portion 531a of the transmission base 531. The first transmission shaft 532 has an outer diameter that can be inserted into the through-hole 511c of the drive cases 511a and 511b, and its inside is connected to the through-hole portion. In addition, meshing pieces 532a are formed at the rear end portion of the first transmission shaft 532 in portions facing each other. Meshing protrusions 532b are formed at each end of these meshing pieces 532a, and mesh with a part of the second output tooth portion 513b of the output gear 513. As a result, the transmission member 53 can rotate around its own central axis integrally with the output gear 513. Here, the central axis of the transmission member 53 coincides with the central axis of the through-hole 511c of the drive cases 511a and 511b and the central axis of the output gear 513.

The second transmission shaft 533 is formed in a manner that protrudes forward from the front surface of the bottom portion 531a of the transmission base 531, and its interior is connected to the through-hole portion. In other words, the interior of the second transmission shaft 533, together with the through-hole portion of the transmission base 531 and the interior of the first transmission shaft 532, forms a hollow portion. The central axis of the second transmission shaft 533 coincides with the central axis of the first transmission shaft 532, and coincides with the central axis of the transmission member 53.

The spiral 55 is formed, for example, by winding a metal rod in a spiral shape along the front-to-rear direction. The central axis of such a spiral 55 coincides with the central axis of the transmission member 53 (the central axis of the output gear 513), and the rear end is connected to the transmission base 531 of the transmission member 53, so that it can rotate integrally with the transmission member 53.

By rotating around a central axis, the spiral 55 gradually conveys the products held between each pitch forward and dispenses the products held between the frontmost pitches.

The discharge detection switch 514 detects the rotation of the output gear 513 when the discharge contactor comes into contact with a protrusion provided on the output gear 513. However, the output gear 513 and the transmission member 53 rotate integrally, and further, the spiral 55 rotates integrally with the transmission member 53. As a result, the discharge detection switch 514 detects the rotation of the spiral 55.

Figures 8 and 9 show the product guide 60 shown in Figures 3 and 5, respectively, with Figure 8 being a perspective view and Figure 9 being an exploded perspective view. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the product guide 60 is configured with a guide body portion 61 and a guide cover portion 62.

The guide body 61 is an elongated member formed, for example, by bending a metal plate or the like, with the longitudinal direction being the front-to-rear direction. The guide body 61 is configured by integrally molding a base 611, a left side portion 612, a right side portion 613, a rear surface portion 614, and a front end portion 615.

The base 611 is a horizontally extending portion that extends along the front-to-rear direction. The left side portion 612 is a portion that extends downward from the left side edge portion of the base 611, and its extending end portion 612a is bent to the right to form part of the underside of the guide main body portion 61. The right side portion 613 is a portion that extends downward from the right side edge portion of the base 611, and its extending end portion 613a is bent to the left to form part of the underside of the guide main body portion 61.

The left side 612 and right side 613 are a left-right pair, and their downward extension lengths from the base 611 are the same. Furthermore, the downward extension lengths of the left side 612 and right side 613 at their respective rear ends become gradually smaller toward the rear. In other words, the left side 612 and right side 613 are gradually inclined upward as the extending ends 612a, 613a at their rear ends move toward the rear.

The rear surface portion 614 extends downward from the rear end portion of the base portion 611, and has a support hole 614a formed therein. The front end portion 615 is a portion provided continuous with the front end portion of the base portion 611. This front end portion 615 includes a front end inclined portion 6151, a front surface forming portion 6152, and a front end locking portion 6153.

The front end inclined portion 6151 is a portion that gradually inclines downward as it moves forward from the front end portion of the base portion 611. The front surface component 6152 is a portion that extends downward from the extended end of the front end inclined portion 6151 and then extends rearward. The front end locking portion 6153 is a portion that extends downward from the extended end of the front surface component 6152, and has an attachment through hole 6153a formed therein.

The guide body 61 having such a configuration has a bottom surface formed by a part of the left side portion 612 and a part of the right side portion 613, and a bottom opening 61a is formed between the extended end portion 612a of the left side portion 612 and the extended end portion 613a of the right side portion 613.

The guide cover 62 is a long sheet-like member made of a resin material such as polyethylene, with the longitudinal direction being the front-rear direction. The guide cover 62 is bonded to the extending end 612a of the left side 612 and the extending end 613a of the right side 613, which constitute the lower surface of the guide body 61, by adhesive or the like, in a manner that closes the lower surface opening 61a of the guide body 61. The rear end 621 of the guide cover 62 is bent upward to form a support through hole 621a, and a support pin 63 that covers the rear surface 614 and penetrates the support through hole 621a from the rear is inserted into the support hole 614a and supported by the guide body 61.

As a result, the bottom and rear surfaces of the product guide 60 are formed by the guide cover portion 62, and the bottom surface of the rear end portion 60a gradually slopes upward as it moves rearward.

The product guide 60 is then inserted into the inside of the spiral 55 from the front as shown in FIG. 10, and the guide mounting pin 65, which passes through the mounting through hole 6153a from the front, is inserted into the mounting hole 311a formed in the front frame portion 311 and attached to the inside of the spiral 55.

As shown in FIG. 11, such a product guide 60 is installed such that its front end 615 is attached to the front end portion (front frame portion 311) of the base 30 that constitutes the bottom surface of the product storage passage 45, while its rear end 60a is placed on a part of the spiral 55 in such a manner that it can slide against that part, and products that are restrained between each pitch of the spiral 55 can be placed on the upper surface of the base 611.

In the product column 50 configured as described above, when a user selects a product from the product column 50 through the product selection unit 24 and inserts the desired amount of money or performs a specified monetary transaction (subtraction process), the motor 512 is driven by the control unit, and the spiral 55 rotates through the rotation of the output gear 513 and transmission member 53, causing the products held between each pitch of the spiral 55 to be carried forward, and the product held between the frontmost pitches to be dispensed forward. The product dispensed from this product column 50 is received by the transport tray 17b, and is transported by the transport tray 17b to the product removal area 18, where it becomes available for removal through the product removal opening 22.

As described above, according to the product column 50 of the embodiment of the present invention, the product guide 60 extends in the front-rear direction while passing through the inside of the spiral 55, and on whose upper surface products are placed, has its front end 615 attached to the front frame 311, while its rear end 60a is placed on a part of the spiral 55 in such a manner that it can slide against the part. Therefore, the product guide 60 can be removed by removing the front end 615 from the front frame 311. Moreover, with the spiral 55 attached, the product guide 60 can be installed by passing through the inside of the spiral 55, and thus the product guide 60 can be attached and detached without removing the spiral 55. Therefore, convenience can be improved by attaching and detaching only the product guide 60.

In addition, according to the above-mentioned product column 50, the underside of the product guide 60 is configured with a guide cover portion 62 formed from a resin material, so that the frictional force when it comes into sliding contact with the spiral 55 can be reduced, thereby reducing the sliding resistance, and the dispensing by the spiral 55 can be improved. In particular, since the underside of the rear end portion 60a of the product guide 60 gradually slopes upward toward the rear, it is possible to further reduce the sliding resistance with the rear portion of the spiral 55 close to the motor 512, and the load on the motor 512 can be further reduced.

Furthermore, with the product column 50, a part of the spiral 55 can be pressed down from above by the weight of the product placed on the upper surface, suppressing the rattling of the spiral 55 during rotation and stabilizing the forward discharge position.

Figure 12 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a product column 50 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that the same components as those in the product column 50 according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figures 1 to 11 above are given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. The product column 50' shown here is configured with a drive unit 51, a transmission member 53, a spiral 55, and a product guide 70.

As shown in Figs. 12 and 13, the product guide 70 is configured to include a guide upper surface portion 71 and a guide lower surface portion 72. The guide upper surface portion 71 is a long sheet-like member formed of a resin material such as polyethylene, with the longitudinal direction being the front-to-rear direction. Such a guide upper surface portion 71 is configured by integrally molding an upper surface base portion 711 and an upper surface front end portion 712.

The upper surface base 711 is a horizontally extending portion that extends along the front-rear direction. The upper surface front end portion 712 is a portion that is provided continuous with the front end portion of the upper surface base 711. This upper surface front end portion 712 is formed along the sheet metal member 74, and includes a front end inclined portion 7121, a front surface forming portion 7122, and a front end locking portion 7123.

The front end inclined portion 7121 is a portion that gradually inclines downward as it moves forward from the front end portion of the upper surface base portion 711. The front surface component 7122 is a portion that extends downward from the extended end of the front end inclined portion 7121 and then extends rearward. The front end locking portion 7123 is a portion that extends downward from the extended end of the front surface component 7122, and has an attachment through hole 7123a formed therein.

The guide underside 72 is a long sheet-like member made of a resin material such as polyethylene, with the longitudinal direction being the front-to-rear direction. This guide underside 72 is joined to the underside of the upper surface base 711 of the guide upper side 71 via a substantially rectangular cushion material 73 made of a resin material such as foamed polyethylene, and forms the underside of the product guide 70. The rear end 72a of this guide underside 72 is gradually inclined upward as it approaches the rear.

As a result, the upper and lower surfaces of the product guide 70 are made of a resin material, and the rear end 72a of the guide lower surface portion 72, which forms the lower surface of the rear end, gradually slopes upward as it moves rearward.

The product guide 70 is then inserted into the inside of the spiral 55 from the front, and the guide mounting pin 75, which passes through the mounting through hole 7123a from the front, is inserted into the mounting hole 311a formed in the front frame portion 311 and attached to the inside of the spiral 55.

As shown in FIG. 12, such a product guide 70 is installed such that the upper front end 712 is attached to the front end portion (front frame portion 311) of the base 30 that constitutes the bottom surface of the product storage passage 45, while the rear end is placed on a part of the spiral 55 in such a manner that it can slide against that part, and products that are restrained between each pitch of the spiral 55 can be placed on the upper surface of the upper base portion 711.

In the product column 50' configured as described above, when a user selects a product from the product column 50' through the product selection unit 24 and inserts the desired amount of money or performs a specified monetary transaction (subtraction process), the motor 512 is driven by the control unit, and the spiral 55 rotates through the rotation of the output gear 513 and the transmission member 53, causing the products held between each pitch of the spiral 55 to be carried forward, and the products held between the frontmost pitches to be dispensed forward. The products dispensed from the product column 50' are received by the transport tray 17b, and are transported by the transport tray 17b to the product removal area 18, where they can be removed through the product removal opening 22.

As described above, according to the product column 50', the product guide 70 extends in the front-rear direction while passing through the inside of the spiral 55, and on whose upper surface a product is placed is installed in a state in which the upper front end 712 is attached to the front frame portion 311, while the rear end is placed on a part of the spiral 55 in a manner that allows it to slide against a part of the spiral 55. Therefore, the product guide 70 can be removed by removing the upper front end 712 from the front frame portion 311. Moreover, with the spiral 55 attached, the product guide 70 can be installed while passing through the inside of the spiral 55, and thus the product guide 70 can be attached and detached without removing the spiral 55. Therefore, convenience can be improved by attaching and detaching only the product guide 70.

In addition, according to the product column 50', the upper and lower surfaces of the product guide 70 are made of a resin material, so that the frictional force when the product guide 70 slides in contact with the spiral 55 can be reduced, thereby reducing the sliding resistance, and the spiral 55 can dispense the products satisfactorily. In particular, since the lower surface of the rear end of the product guide 70 (rear end 72a of the guide lower surface portion 72) is gradually inclined upward toward the rear, the sliding resistance with the rear portion of the spiral 55 close to the motor 512 can be further reduced, and the load on the motor 512 can be further reduced.

Furthermore, with the product column 50', a part of the spiral 55 can be pressed down from above by the weight of the product placed on the upper surface, suppressing the rattling of the spiral 55 during rotation and stabilizing the forward delivery position.

The above describes the preferred embodiment of the present invention and its variations, but the present invention is not limited to these and various modifications can be made.

In the above-described embodiment, the undersides of the rear ends 60a, etc. of the product guides 60, 70 are gradually inclined upward as they move toward the rear, but in the present invention, the undersides of the rear ends of the product guides do not have to be gradually inclined upward as they move toward the rear.

In the above-described embodiment, the underside of the rear end 60a of the product guide 60 is made of a resin material, but in the present invention, at least the underside of the rear end may be made of not only a resin material, but also, for example, a lubricant-coated steel plate, may be lubricant-coated, or may be made of a low-friction material.

In the above-described embodiment, the underside of the product guides 60, 70, including the rear end 60a, is made of a low-friction material such as a resin material, but in the present invention, the spiral may be made of a lubricating painted steel plate, or may have a lubricating coating on the surface.

1...vending machine, 10...main cabinet, 11...product storage, 13...product rack, 20...front door, 30...base, 31...base frame, 311...front frame, 312...rear frame, 313, 314...side frame, 32...base plate, 40...partition plate, 45...product storage passage, 50...product column (product storage device), 51...drive unit, 53...transmission member, 55...spiral, 60...product guide, 60a...rear end, 61...guide main body, 611...base, 612...left side, 613...right side, 614...rear, 615...front end, 62...guide cover.

Claims (3)

A spiral is provided in a product storage passage extending along a front-rear direction, the spiral being wound in a spiral shape along the extension direction of the product storage passage,
When the spiral rotates around a central axis, the spiral gradually conveys products held between each pitch of the spiral forward and dispenses the front product,
a product guide extending in a front-rear direction so as to pass through the inside of the spiral and allowing a product restrained between each pitch of the spiral to be placed on an upper surface of the product guide;
The product guide is installed in a state in which its front end is attached to the front end portion of a base that forms the bottom surface of the product storage passage, and a portion of its underside is placed on a portion of the spiral in such a manner that it can slide against the portion of the spiral, and the underside of its rear end is gradually inclined upward as it extends rearward . The product storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the underside of the rear end of the product guide is made of a low-friction material. The product storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that the low-friction material is a resin material.

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