JPH0417556B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a commercially available liquid milk product in a cup with a flange, in which liquid milk to be added to a beverage such as coffee is divided into cup containers. The present invention relates to a dispensing device for products in cups that is incorporated into a fresh brew coffee vending machine or the like and dispenses the liquid milk products one by one to a product dispensing port in accordance with the coffee vending operation.

[Conventional technology]

Diversity in the preferences of vending machine users these days,
Due to the trend toward higher quality coffee, there has recently been a growing demand for liquid milk to be used as an additive for coffee sold in the coffee vending machines mentioned above, and in response to this demand, liquid milk products in cups are stored on board. In addition, a product dispensing device that dispenses coffee items one by one in accordance with the sales operation of coffee is being developed.

By the way, the above-mentioned liquid milk products in cups that are currently on the market have a weight of 6 to 6.
It is a small and lightweight item of about 8 gr, and its shape is as shown in Figure 5.
As shown in FIG. 6, the product cup 1 has a lid on its upper surface with a large-diameter flange portion 1b projecting from the cup body 1a to the outer periphery, and a portion of the lid has a protruding portion 1c that serves as a pouring spout. It is made as a small circular container with a special shape. Furthermore, this container is made of thin plastic and is easily deformed by a slight external force. The dimensional ratio of the cup container 1 is A>
The relationship is B>C.

When storing a large number of such products in irregularly shaped brimmed cups in the product storage case of the device and controlling their dispensing, the products are arranged one by one and placed in the case like a product storage shelf in a normal vending machine. If the device is housed inside the device, the entire device will be large and complicated, and loading the product will be time-consuming. Therefore, from the standpoint of product management services, it is desirable to have a configuration that can store a large amount of products in bulk and control their removal one by one based on instructions.

From this point of view, as a dispensing device for products in cups of this kind, a product input port and a product output port are opened at the top and bottom, and the case width between the side walls is regulated to a dimension corresponding to the cup height dimension C of the product. For the box-shaped product storage case configured, a bend guide is provided on the side of the case, and a conveyance belt mechanism is arranged at the bottom of the case, leaving an exit path leading to the product exit between the bend guide and the bend guide. A large number of products are stored in this storage case in a horizontal orientation, and by driving the conveyor belt mechanism in response to a product delivery command, the products lined up on the conveyor belt are sequentially transported through the product delivery path. A device configured to discharge the product by sending it to an exit has already been proposed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the above-mentioned product dispensing device, when the product storage case is full of brimmed cup products, the products are pushed against each other by their own weight, and the products are pressed against the above-mentioned bend guides at both left and right ends of the case. Due to the shape of the case, the products may remain connected to each other across the entire width of the case and may be stuck in that position. When such a bridging phenomenon occurs, the product remains stuck in the case and cannot be replenished onto the conveyor belt mechanism, which may result in the product being unable to be transported.
Another problem is that for products containing liquid milk mentioned above, a so-called first-in, first-out system is required to maintain quality. In other words, the products stored in the product storage case first need to be dispensed before the next product to be replenished.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing device for products in cups which prevents the occurrence of the above-mentioned product confusion and also enables the first-in, first-out dispensing system to be reliably realized.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a product that is placed in a cup container having a lid with a brim on the top surface, and the brim is set such that the height dimension of the cup container is smaller than the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the top surface of the container. A dispensing device that stores a large number of products in a cup at once and discharges the products one by one based on a product dispensing command, and has a product input port and a product discharge port opened at the top and bottom, and is located inside a case between the side walls. For a box-shaped product storage case configured such that the aisle width is regulated to the height of the cup container of the product, a bend guide provided on the side of the case and the product exit port are provided between the bend guide and the bend guide. and a conveyor belt mechanism disposed at the bottom of the case, leaving an ejection passage leading to are provided at both left and right ends of the conveyor belt mechanism to form two left and right product delivery passages between the bend guide and the conveyor belt mechanism, and between each of the conveyor belts constituting the bend guide and the conveyor belt mechanism and the side wall of the case. A slit into which the brim of the product can fit is formed in each of the slits, and the conveyor belt mechanism is driven alternately on the left and right sides in response to each product delivery command, so that products are delivered alternately from the left and right product delivery paths. .

[Effect]

According to the above means, the left and right two inside the product storage case
A product ejection path is formed between the bend guide and the conveyor belt mechanism at certain points, and the products stored in the case are delivered alternately from the left and right sides each time a delivery command is given. Since jammed stored items are shaken left and right alternately to change their position, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of product blistering, and even if product blistering occurs temporarily, it can be prevented by the left and right movement of the product. This allows the products to be smoothly supplied to the conveyor belt mechanism in order from the first stored product without being stagnant in the middle of the case.

〔Example〕

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the overall configuration of a product dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figures, reference numeral 2 indicates that a lid 3 is installed on the product input port on the top surface;
It is a box-shaped product storage case with a product delivery port 4 opened at the bottom end, and inside the case there are bend guides indicated by reference numerals 5 and 6 at both the left and right ends, and a case that faces the lower surfaces of the bend guides 5 and 6. A conveyor belt mechanism 7 is installed opposite to each other at the bottom of the interior, and two left and right locations indicated by reference numerals 8 and 9 are located between the left and right ends of the conveyor belt mechanism 7 and the facing surfaces of the bend guides 5 and 6, respectively. A product delivery path has been formed.
The conveyor belt mechanism 7 is composed of pulleys 10, 11, a tension pulley 12, and an endless conveyor belt 13 stretched between these pulleys.
4, the rotation is performed alternately in forward and reverse directions as shown by arrows P and Q. Further, a product guide roller 15, a product detection switch 16, etc. are installed in the bend guides 5 and 6, respectively, so as to face the product delivery paths 8 and 9 facing the conveyor belt mechanism 7, and further communicate with the product delivery port 4. A shooter 17, a falling product detection switch 18, and the like are installed in the product dropping path. The enlarged structure of the above-mentioned product delivery passage is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. On the other hand, as clearly shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the product storage case 2 has a passage width W in the case between its front and rear walls that corresponds to the height C of the product 1 shown in FIG. The dimensions are set to be slightly wider than dimension C. Furthermore, slits d into which the collar portion 1b of the product 1 can fit are formed between the bend guides 5, 6 and the case side wall, and between the conveyor belt 13 and the case side wall.

Next, the product dispensing operation in the above configuration will be explained. First, the products 1 are loaded into the case 2 in bulk by opening the upper lid 3. In this case, the width W of the passage inside the case is set according to the height dimension C of the product 1 as described above, and therefore, all the products 1 placed in the case are placed on the conveyor belt 13 in a horizontal position. They will be stacked and stored upwards. In addition, for stored products located at the left and right ends of the case, the collar 1b fits into the slit d between the bend guides 5, 6 and the case side wall, so the peripheral edge of the collar does not hit the wall surface. The products 1 lined up at the lowest position have their flange portions 1b inserted into the slits d between the conveyor belt 13 and the side wall of the case, so the products 1 are lined up so that their cup bodies 1a are in contact with the belt surface of the conveyor belt 13. Here, in the payout standby state in FIG. 1, the products lined up at the bottom are on the conveyor belt 13 as shown, and the products 1 in the front row on the left are on the opposing surface of the belt 13 and the left bend guide 5. The product is kept waiting at the position where it is sent into the product transport path 8 between the products.
Next, when a product delivery command is given from the standby state, the bend motor 14 is started in response to this command and drives the conveyor belt mechanism 7 in the direction of arrow P. As a result, the products 1 lined up on the belt are fed by the frictional force acting between them and the belt 13, and the products lined up in the front row pass through the product delivery path 8 between the bend guide 5 and the belt 13 and fall into the fall path. The product falls inside as shown by the arrow, slides on the shooter 17, and is carried out from the product outlet 4. When the falling product detection switch 18 is turned on during this falling product, this signal causes the bend motor 14 to rotate in the reverse direction and send the product 1 on the belt in the direction of arrow Q, in the opposite direction to the previous time, so that the product lined up in the front row is When the user enters the product delivery path 9 on the right side of the bend guide 6 and operates the product detection switch 16, the bend motor 14 is stopped and the product returns to the standby state. Here, when the product delivery command is given again, the conveyor belt mechanism 7 moves to the arrow Q
direction, and one product is carried out through the product carrying-out passage 9 on the right side. In this way, each time a delivery command is given, one product is delivered alternately through the left and right product delivery passages 8, 9.

By the way, according to the present invention, as mentioned above, there are product delivery passages 8 and 9 in the product storage case 2 between the bend guides 5 and 6 at two locations on the left and right sides of the conveyor belt mechanism 7 provided at the bottom of the product storage case 2. The conveyor belt mechanism 7 is driven alternately on the left and right sides each time a delivery command is given, and the products 1 are carried out alternately from the left and right product delivery passages 8 and 9. Therefore, the products 1 stored in the case, especially the products lined up on the conveyor belt 14, are moved alternately left and right as the conveyor belt mechanism 7 is operated each time the product is dispensed, and the shape is influenced by this movement. The relative positions of the items stored in the upper part of the case can also be changed in various directions on the spot, albeit slightly. As a result, the occurrence of the bridging phenomenon due to the entanglement of the products mentioned above will be suppressed within the case, and even if bridging occurs temporarily, the bridging will be easily broken by the movement of the products mentioned above. . In this respect, the product carry-out passage is formed only on either the left or right side, and the conveyor belt mechanism 7
If the drive is configured to be operated in a fixed direction, the above-mentioned left and right rocking effect cannot be obtained and the products tend to move towards the narrower product delivery aisle, causing the products to become closer to each other. They tend to get tangled and cause bridging. In addition, by shaking the stored products in the case from side to side, the stored products do not stagnate in the middle of the case, and as the products are being dispensed, the conveyor belt mechanism 7
They are now sequentially replenished onto the conveyor belt, making it possible to dispense all of them without leaving the last one behind. In this way, the principle of first-in, first-out products mentioned earlier can be achieved.

The product storage case described above is cooled as a whole when installed in a vending machine, thereby refrigerating products such as liquid milk and maintaining the quality thereof.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, bend guides are provided at both left and right ends in the case to form two product delivery passages on the left and right between the bend guide and the transport belt mechanism, and the transport belt is By driving the mechanism alternately on the left and right sides and dispensing products alternately from the left and right product delivery passages, this eliminates the issue of product clutter inside the product storage case, which has traditionally been a problem with this type of product dispensing device. By simultaneously solving the principles of generation, first-in, and first-out methods, products can be smoothly dispensed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a product dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged view of the main parts in FIG. 1. , Figure 4 is the arrow view in Figure 3 -
The cross-sectional view, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6 are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing the shape of the product in a cup with an irregular brim. In the figure, 1...Product, 1a...Cup body, 1b...Brim portion, 4...Product delivery port, 5, 6...Bend guide, 7...Transport belt mechanism, 8, 9...Product delivery path , 13... Conveyor belt, W... Passage width in the case, C... Product cup height, d... Slit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Bulk storage of a large number of products in cup containers with a brim on the top surface, the height of which is smaller than the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the top surface of the container, It is a dispensing device that discharges products one by one based on a product dispensing command, and has a product input port and a product discharge port opened at the top and bottom, and the width of the passage inside the case between the side walls is the height of the cup container of the product. For a box-shaped product storage case configured with regulated dimensions, a bend guide provided on the side of the case and an ejection passage leading to the product ejection port are left between the bend guide and the inside bottom of the case. and a conveyor belt mechanism arranged therein, and the conveyor belt mechanism is driven and operated in response to a product dispensing command to dispense the product,
The bend guides are provided at both left and right ends in the case to form two right and left product delivery passages between the bend guide and the conveyor belt mechanism, and each of the conveyor belts constituting the bend guide and the conveyor belt mechanism. A slit into which the collar of the product can fit is formed between the case and the side wall of the case, and the conveyor belt mechanism is driven alternately on the left and right for each product delivery command, so that the product is delivered alternately from the left and right product delivery paths. A dispensing device for products in a cup, characterized in that it is configured as follows.