JPH0353336Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a product storage device for a vending machine that stores products in a meandering product guide path.

(Prior Art) As this type of product storage device, a meandering product guide path is formed by a front wall and a rear wall formed by vertically extending a plurality of arcuate plates between a pair of side plates. In 1962, the special public interest was developed by fixing the mutual positions of the upper and lower ends of each arc plate and making it possible to adjust the distance between the front and rear walls.
-45597.

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the above product storage container,
Although it is possible to adjust the distance between the front wall and the rear wall depending on the size of the products such as cans and bottles stored in the product guide path, it is possible to adjust the distance between the front wall and the rear wall. Since the top and bottom edges of the board are fixed, they cannot sufficiently absorb the impact when the products collide with each other or the walls when filled with products, resulting in the container being deformed or damaged. There was a risk that it would happen. In addition, since the meandering shape created by the above-mentioned intervals is almost fixed by each adjustment position, when the storage position of the product becomes uneven, it is difficult to return to the normal position, and the product may get caught in the product guide path. Ta. Moreover, when the product passes through, it hardly expands, and therefore, the applicable dimensions of the product are limited to this adjustment only, and a sufficient adjustment range cannot necessarily be obtained.

The purpose of this invention is to make it possible to adjust the distance between the front wall and the rear wall of the product guide path, and to widen the product guide path depending on the size of the product and the collision load during filling, so that the product deforms. To provide a product storage container for a vending machine which allows products to be stored in an orderly manner without fear of damage or breakage.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has a curved front wall and a rear wall facing each other with a gap between a pair of side plates, and extending in the vertical direction. In a product storage container for a vending machine, the front wall and the rear wall are each made of a plurality of circular arc plates, each of which has an upper end attached to a support shaft and a lower end of which is a free end. The side plates are biased to rotate in the direction of narrowing the product guide path about a shaft as a fulcrum. Provided with mutually parallel inclined elongated holes that are inclined with respect to the front-rear direction through which the support shafts are inserted, and horizontally oblong holes horizontal in the front-rear direction through which the support shafts of other circular arc plates of the rear wall are inserted; a connecting plate that is located on the outside of both side plates and has a vertically elongated hole in the vertical direction into which the support shaft located at the horizontally elongated hole is attached and the support shaft located at the inclined elongated hole is inserted; An actuation plate to which a spindle at the hole position is attached and adjusts the movement of the spindle along the oblique oblong hole, and a locking portion for locking the actuation plate to the side plate at each movement adjustment position are provided.

(Function) According to the present invention, each of the circular arc plates forming the front wall and the rear wall of the product guide path has a support shaft attached to the upper end and a free end at the lower end, so that the arc plates form the front wall and the rear wall of the product guide path in the direction of narrowing the product guide path. Each of the arcuate plates on the front wall is attached to both side plates, and the support shafts of at least one pair of the arcuate plates on the rear wall are connected to the oblique oblong holes on both side plates and the longitudinal lengths of both connecting plates. The spindle of the other circular arc plate on the rear wall is inserted through the oblong hole in both side plates and attached to both connecting plates, and both actuating plates are attached to the oblique oblong hole. When the shafts are moved along the horizontal direction, each support shaft moves along the inclined elongated hole or the horizontal elongated hole, and the actuating plate is moved by the locking portion at the appropriate movement adjustment position. When it is locked to the side plate, the movement position can be adjusted. When the product is stored in the product guide path, the arc plate rotates around the shaft against the force depending on the collision load during product filling and the size of the product. is expanded.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a side view of a product storage container of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

1 is a product storage container installed inside the vending machine body, 2 is two parallel left and right side plates, and 3 is a side plate 2.
A meandering product guide path is formed between the two, 4 is a product filling port of the product guide path 3, and 5 is a product discharge port of the product guide path 3.

The product guide path 3 is located at the front (on the left side in the figure) between the side plates 2, with the concave sides of a plurality of arcuate plates 6a and 6b arranged vertically facing each other at intervals, and staggered in the vertical direction. A front wall formed by the arc plate 6a and a rear wall formed by each arc plate 6b are formed in a meandering shape, facing each other at shifted positions.

The upper end of each arcuate plate 6a forming the front wall is pivotally attached to each support shaft 7a, each support shaft 7a is inserted into the mounting hole 8 of the side plate 2 and fixed, and the lower end is a free end. There is. The upper end of each arcuate plate 6b forming the rear wall is pivotally attached to each support shaft 7b, and the lower end is a free end. Each side plate 2 is provided with oblong oblong holes 9 that are parallel to each other and are inclined with respect to the front-rear direction, corresponding to a support shaft 7b to which each of the uppermost and lowermost circular arc plates 6b is pivotally attached. Each horizontally elongated hole 10, which is horizontal in the front-rear direction and has a length equivalent to the horizontal component length of the inclined elongated hole 9, is provided corresponding to the support shaft 7b to which each arcuate plate 6b is pivotally mounted. are inserted into each inclined elongated hole 9 or horizontally elongated hole 10 in a loose manner.

A spring 11 is attached to each shaft 7a, 7b, one end of the spring 11 is locked to the back surface of each arcuate plate 6a or 6b, and the other end is connected to a locking pin 1 provided on the side plate 2.
2, or is locked to locking walls 13 and 14 provided along each of the oblong oblong holes 9 and the oblong holes 10, respectively;
Each arcuate plate 6a, 6b is urged to rotate in a direction to narrow the product guide path 3 so that the product guide path 3 becomes narrower than the intended size of the product.

Each connecting plate 15 is arranged on the outside of each side plate 2. Each connecting plate 15 has a reinforcing standing portion 15a.
A vertically elongated hole 16 facing each inclined elongated hole 9 and having a length equivalent to the vertical component length of the elongated hole 9 is provided.
, and each support shaft 7b is inserted into the vertically elongated hole 16 in a loose manner. Each connecting plate 15 is also provided with mounting holes 17 facing each horizontally elongated hole 10, and each support shaft 7b is inserted through each mounting hole 17 and fixed.

An actuating plate 18 is disposed on the outside of each connecting plate 15, and each actuating plate 18 has a reinforcing upright portion 18a, and faces each vertical hole 16 and has each mounting hole 19.
are provided, and each support shaft 7b is inserted and fixed into each attachment hole 19. A locking hole 20 for actuation positioning is also provided below each actuation plate 18,
Each side plate 2 has adjustment holes 21a, 21b, 21 selectively aligned with the locking hole 20, respectively.
c are provided along each of the lower inclined elongated holes 9. When the adjustment pin 22 is inserted into each of the locking holes 20 and into any of the adjustment holes 21a to 21c, the actuating plate 18 is positioned and locked with respect to the side plate 2. . In addition, adjustment pin 2
2 may be attached to the actuating plate 18 so as to be movable within the locking hole 20, and the adjusting pin 22 may be biased in the direction of entering the locking hole 20 by a spring.

In the above configuration, it is assumed that the adjustment pin 22 is inserted into the adjustment hole 21a and the product guide path 3 is adjusted to the minimum interval, and when increasing the interval of the product guide path 3 from this state, first the adjustment pin 22 is inserted into the adjustment hole 21a. 22
is pulled out from the adjustment hole 21a, and the actuating plate 18 is moved in the direction of arrow a. At this time, the oblong hole 10
The inner support shaft 7b moves in the direction of arrow b together with the connecting plate 15 by the horizontal component of the movement of the actuating plate 18, and each arcuate plate 6b moves in a direction to widen the interval between the product guide paths 3. At the same time, the support shaft 7 in the inclined elongated hole 9
b moves in an inclined manner while descending in the longitudinal hole 16, that is, while lowering the actuating plate 18 relative to the connecting plate 15, so that each arcuate plate 6b similarly moves toward the product guide path 3.
move in the direction of increasing the distance between. Then, at a desired movement position, the adjustment pin 22 is inserted into the adjustment hole 21, for example.
When inserted into b, the interval between the product guide paths 3 can be adjusted by the locking.

After each of these adjustments, when the product is fed from the product filling port 4, the product hits the concave portion of each arcuate plate 6a, 6b, and each arcuate plate 6a, 6b is pressed against the spring 11.
It rotates about the support shaft 7a or 7b from the state shown by the broken line in FIG.
Then, when the products are continuously fed, even when the products collide with each other, they receive the collision load and rotate in the same way. Therefore, the impact at the time of supply is absorbed and the product container is prevented from being deformed or damaged. Furthermore, if the storage posture in the product guide path 3 becomes uneven, such as when the product is fed at an angle, the arcuate plates 6a and 6b in the vicinity rotate and the product guide path 3 temporarily widens. In addition, the return force of the rotation works to return to the normal posture. Alternatively, the product guide path 3 is similarly widened to accommodate products of various sizes.

In addition, in this embodiment, each arc plate 6a, 6b
Although the spring 11 is used as the biasing means, it may be configured such that each arcuate plate 6a, 6b returns naturally by its own weight.

(Effect of the invention) As explained above, according to the invention, each arcuate plate constituting the product guide path has an upper end attached to a support shaft and a lower end serving as a free end, and the upper end position is moved to allow the product to be delivered. The spacing between the guide paths can be adjusted, and when the product is stored, the product guide path can be expanded depending on the impact of filling the product or the size of the product, so there is no risk of deformation or damage to the product. Therefore, the stored posture of the product can be easily restored to its normal state, and the range of applicable dimensions of the product can be expanded.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a product storage device of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the product storage device of FIG. 1... Product storage container, 2... Side plate, 3... Product guide path, 6a... Arc plate on front wall, 6b... Arc plate on rear wall, 7a, 7b... Support shaft, 9... Incline length hole, 1
0...Horizontal hole, 11...Spring, 15...Connecting plate,
16... Vertical hole, 18... Actuation plate, 21a, 21
b, 21c...adjustment hole, 22...adjustment pin.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A vending machine in which a bent front wall and a rear wall are opposed to each other with a gap between a pair of side plates and extend vertically to form a meandering product guide path. In the product storage container, the front wall and the rear wall are each made of a plurality of circular arc plates, each upper end is attached to a support shaft, each lower end is a free end, and the front wall and the rear wall are rotated about the support shaft in a direction to narrow the product guide path. The side plates are biased to move, and each side plate is attached with each support shaft of the arc plate of the front wall, and is inclined with respect to the front-rear direction through which the support shafts of at least one pair of arc plates of the rear wall are inserted. Each oblong oblong hole parallel to each other is provided, and each oblong hole horizontal in the front-rear direction through which the support shaft of the other circular arc plate of the rear wall is inserted, A connecting plate having a vertically elongated hole in the vertical direction into which the shaft is attached and the supporting shaft located at the inclined elongated hole is inserted; A product storage device for a vending machine, comprising: an actuating plate that adjusts its movement along an oblique oblong hole; and a locking portion that locks the actuating plate to a side plate at each movement adjustment position.