JPH0594588A - Commodity carrying device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To comparatively freely set up the position of a commodity vending port. CONSTITUTION:A commodity sent from a commodity storing rack 4 is received by a commodity carrying device and carried up to a commodity vending port 3. The commodity carrying device is constituted of two commodity carrying racks 10a, 10b arranged on upper and lower stages and connected through an engaging part 11 and receives a commodity by either one of the commodity carrying racks corresponding to the height of the commodity storing rack 4 sending the commodity. Since a projection 12 formed on the engaging part 11 is engaged with a long hole 13 formed on the back of the rack 10b and both the racks 10a, 10b are connected, the rack 10b is also moved interlocking with the movement of the rack 10a. In the state that the projection 12 is not locked on the edge part of the long hole 13, moving power is not transmitted to the rack 10b. Thereby the moving distance of the rack 10b is shortened only by the length of the long hole 13 at maximum as compared with the rack 10a, so that the degree of freedom can be applied to the position of the commodity vending part 3 for vending commodities.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product transfer device for an automatic vending machine having a selling opening for selling products on the upper part thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a prior art prior to the present invention, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11494/1993 discloses a product transport shelf device for transporting products in a horizontal direction, and a product carried out from the product transport shelf device. In an automatic vending machine equipped with an elevator device that receives a bucket that moves in a direction and conveys it to a product sales port, two buckets are provided above and below the elevator device at a required interval, and an upper bucket is provided. Is for receiving products from each of the above-mentioned product transport shelving devices, and the lower bucket is for receiving products from each of the above-mentioned product transport devices of the lower half, and on the front of the vending machine, When the product is located at substantially the central position or the product delivery unit provided to deliver the product to the product delivery port, the product is delivered from the product receiving rack to the product delivery port or the product delivery unit. Sea urchin configured products carry-out device for an automatic vending machine comprising it has been filed from the applicants.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the above-mentioned prior art article transporting apparatus, upper and lower buckets are provided at a predetermined interval, and an upper bucket is located above the article sales port provided at the substantially central position. Although the bucket below the sales outlet receives the product, the interval between the upper and lower buckets cannot be changed, so the product sales outlet must be provided at the central position.
Therefore, due to the design of the vending machine, there is a problem that the position of the sales outlet must be the central position.

In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a product transfer device for an automatic vending machine, which aims to deal with the position of a sales outlet.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] As a means for achieving the above object, a product transfer device of an automatic vending machine according to the present invention has a customer service surface on the front surface for selling products, and the customer service surface is substantially The product sales port provided near the central position and the product storage shelves that horizontally transport the stored products are installed in multiple stages, and the products that are unloaded from the product unloading end of each product storage shelf are In a vending machine equipped with a product transfer device that receives a product transfer shelf that moves in a direction and transfers the product transfer port to the product sales port, two product transfer shelves are provided above and below the product transfer device with a required interval. An upper product transport shelf is provided for receiving products from the respective product storage shelves provided above the product sales port, and a lower product transport shelf is provided for each product storage below the product sales port. For receiving goods from shelves The upper product transport shelf is provided with an engaging portion extending downward and having a protrusion on the lower portion, and the lower product transport shelf is fitted with the protrusion of the engaging portion to move in the vertical direction. This is a configuration in which a long hole for guiding is provided.

[0006]

[Operation] The product placed on the upper product storage shelf with the product sales port as a boundary is conveyed to the sales port on the upper product transfer shelf,
The products placed on the product storage shelves below the product sales port are transported to the sales port on the product transport shelf below. At this time, the lower product storage shelves move in synchronism with the movement of the upper product storage shelves by the drive of the product transport device, but when the upper product storage shelves move, the protrusions move in the long holes. The lower product transport shelf does not move within the range. Therefore, the upper product transport shelf has only the long holes provided in the lower product transport shelf,
It can be moved up and down longer than the lower product transport shelf. Therefore, the merchandise outlet for delivering merchandise does not necessarily have to be located at the central position, but can be located below the central position.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Reference numeral 1 is a vending machine body provided with a serpentine type product storage rack 4 for storing cans and a conveyor type product storage rack 4 for placing and storing bottles and bottles.

This vending machine is provided with an openable / closable door 2 having a customer service surface on the front surface of which a product selection button, a coin slot, etc. (not shown) are arranged. A merchandise selling port 3 for taking out merchandise is located slightly below the center position. The merchandise selling port 3 is attached to the vending machine body 1, and a window portion to which the selling port 3 is fitted is formed in a portion of the front door 2 facing the selling port 3 (FIG. 1). Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, conveyor-type product storage shelves 4 for storing and storing products for sale are provided in a plurality of upper and lower stages in the right side storage of the vending machine body 1.
A serpentine-type product storage shelf 4 is provided in the left side storage of the vending machine body 1. Then, a product transport device 5 is vertically extended to receive the products stored in these product storage shelves 4 and to transfer the products to the product sales port 3. Further, the vending machine main body 1 is provided with a lateral extension below the sub-pentaine type product storage shelves 4, and a product transporting device for delivering a product carried out from the serpentine type product storage shelves 4. A product delivery device 23 that conveys the product 5 is provided.

Further, as shown in FIG.
3 is a conveyor type for laterally transporting the product by an endless belt, and in order to reliably transport the delivered product to the product transport device 5, its mounting surface for holding the product is inclined downward in the depth direction in the refrigerator. Is formed. As a result, the product carried out from the serpentine type product storage rack 4 moves in the product carrying device 5 as indicated by an arrow in the figure, so that the product can be reliably carried.

As shown in FIG. 12, the conveyor type product transfer shelves 4 can carry products by endless belts, and a plurality of product storage shelves 4 arranged horizontally in the left-right direction are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. .. This conveyor type product storage shelf 4 is rotationally driven when a sales command is given, and conveys the products placed on it to the product transfer device 5, that is, toward the center of the vending machine body 1. Further, at the carry-out end of the product storage rack 4, the earliest product is locked when the product is on standby, and when there is a sales command, a lock mechanism (not shown) that holds this locking.
There are stopper members 6 which are detached from each other and rotate clockwise when the product is moved. This stopper
When a product is carried out, the member 6 is held in a rotation-prevented state by a spring (not shown) to lock the next product.

Further, the serpentine type product storage shelf 4 is
A plurality of products are arranged side by side in the lateral direction, and the products are carried out downward.

In the product conveying device 5, an endless belt 7 is installed between a pair of upper and lower sprockets 8 (FIG. 12), and one of the sprockets 8 is driven by a drive motor 9 capable of rotating in the normal and reverse directions through a speed reducing mechanism (not shown). It is designed so that it can rotate forward and backward. Of the upper and lower product transport shelves 10a and 10b for receiving products, only the upper product transport shelf 10a is connected to the endless belt 7, and the lower product transport shelf 1 is connected.
0b is attached to the upper product transport shelf 10a in a suspended state. That is, a pair of left and right bar-shaped engaging portions 11 vertically extending downward are provided on the lower portion of the back surface of the upper product transport shelf 10a, and a protrusion 12 protruding leftward and rightward is formed on the lower portion thereof. At the same time, an elongated hole 13 for guiding the protrusion of the engaging portion 11 is formed in the lower product transport shelf 10b. By adopting such a stretch structure, the upper product transport shelf 10a can move up and down longer than the lower product transport shelf 10b by the range of the slot 13.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, one end of an upper connecting member 14a is rotatably connected to the rear portion of the lower surface of the upper commodity transport shelf 10a, and the other end of the upper connecting member 14a is a lower portion. It is pivotally supported at one end of the connecting member 14b. The other end of the lower connecting member 14b is rotatably connected to the central portion of the upper surface of the lower product transport shelf 10b, but the moving range of the lower connecting member 14b is restricted within the acute angle range of the triangular restricting member 25. Has been done. The lower surfaces of the product transfer shelves 10a and 10b serve as product placement plates 15 for placing products, and the product placement plates 15 are in the left-right direction slightly forward from the center when the connecting member 14 pushes them upward. It is configured to rotate about a rotation shaft 24 extended to the fulcrum and tilt forward. Then, the product placing plate 15 of the lower product transport shelf 10b is inclined forward in the normal standby state,
The product can be transported stably.

A claw portion 17 for holding the product placing plate 15 in a horizontal state is provided at the rear portion of the product placing plate 15, and the claw portion 17 is engaged with the product carrying shelf 10b. A holding member 19 is provided. The holding member 19 is rotatable about a support shaft 22 so that the holding member 19 can be engaged with and disengaged from the claw portion 17. Further, the holding member 19 is provided at the position facing the product sales port 3 on the rear surface of the product transport device 5 with the claw portion 17.
A protruding guide member 18 is provided in order to separate the guide member 18 from each other. The holding member 19 has the guide member 1
A rotating wheel 20 is provided so as to be able to move smoothly with respect to 8. Further, a pair of left and right pins 21 for forcibly tilting the product placing plate 15 to the front at the height of the product selling port 3 are provided on both side walls of the product carrying device 5.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 13 to 18, the lower product transport shelf 1 is located at the lower front of the upper product transport shelf 10a.
With 0b being located in the product sales port 3, a theft prevention guard 16 is provided for preventing a theft of a placed product near the sales port 3 by a person putting his or her hand through the product sales port 3. There is. The anti-theft guard 16 is formed of a thin metal plate, and is formed so as to open the product sales port 3 with the upper product transport shelf 10a being located at the uppermost position. This is because at this position, the lower product transport shelf 10b is located at the product sales port 3, so there is no risk of product theft, and when the product is transported by the lower product transport shelf 10b, This is to prevent the anti-theft guard 16 from hitting the product being sold and being unable to carry it out.

Since the product transport shelves 10a and 10b adopt the above-described stretch structure so that the upper product transport shelves 10a and the lower product transport shelves 10b have different moving distances, the height of the product selling port 3 is increased. There are no restrictions on vending machines. Therefore, the height of the product sales port 3 can be set to a position below the center, that is, a position where a large product such as a bottle can be easily taken out. And product sales outlet 3
Is attached to the main body of the vending machine, and the front door 2
Even if is opened, the cover 3A that covers the product sales port 3 only moves in conjunction with the front door 2. In this way, the product sales port 3 is left on the main body 1 side of the vending machine because when the product sales port 3 is clogged or the product is cracked, the product is sold to the front door 2 having a customer service side. The reason for providing the mouth 3 is to prevent a jammed product or a broken product from losing support due to opening the door and dropping.

The operation of the product transporting device 5 having the above structure will be described. FIG. 1 shows a standby state, and when a customer performs an operation for purchasing a product on the customer service surface 2 in this state, the control circuit of the vending machine (not shown) issues a product sales command based on the operation. The product storage rack 4 that stores the product selected by the sales command for this product is driven to send one product for sale. When the product storage shelf 4 is a serpentine type product storage shelf, the product storage device 4 is carried out onto the product delivery device 23.
Here, since the product delivery device 23 is inclined downward in the depth direction, the product delivery device 23 is always held in the depth direction in a stable state and transported to the product transport shelf 10b. Further, when a product stored in the conveyor type product storage device 4 is selected, the product transport shelf 10 is selected according to the height of the product storage device 4.
a, 10b move and accept the sent product. Then, when the products are received in the product transfer shelves 10a, 10b, the product transfer device 5 transfers the product transfer shelves 10a, 10b receiving the products to the product sales port 3. Here, as shown in FIG.
Since the 10b is provided with an inclination in the depth direction, it is possible to prevent the carrying-out posture from being displaced. The product transported to the product transport device 5 in this manner is transported to the product selling port 3 located above the normal vending machine for sale.

Next, the vertical movement operation of the commodity conveying device 5 will be described.

First, a description will be given of the state in which the products are unloaded from the serpentine type product storage shelves 4 shown in FIGS. 8 to 11. The transported products are stored in the product transport shelf 10
Due to the fact that the product placement plates 15 of a and 10b are inclined in the depth direction, when they roll forward or are carried out forward, the detection means such as an optical sensor (shown in the figure) is kept in that posture. No.), the product transport shelves 10a, 10b start the upward movement operation. First, the upper product transport shelf 10a starts to move upward, but the lower product transport shelf 1
The ascending movement of 0b is not performed. This is because the endless belt 7 is provided only on the upper product transport shelf 10a, the lower product transport shelf 10b is suspended and supported by the upper product transport shelf 10a, and is provided on the lower product transport shelf 10b. In the range of the elongated slot 13, the upward movement of the product transport shelf 10a is performed by the range of the slot 13 because no upward drive is transmitted to the lower product transport shelf 10b. Then, the upper product transport shelf 1 raised by the range of the long hole 13
0a then suspends the lower product transport shelf 10b and starts rising. Then, the product transport shelf 1 that receives the product
0b conveys the product to the product sales port 3. When the product arrives at the product sales port 3, the product transfer shelf 10b below
The product placing plate 15 is tilted forward and the placed product is carried out to the product selling port 3, but the product placing plate 15 is held horizontally until the product is conveyed to the product selling port 3. Since it has to be provided, the claw portion 17 provided on the rear portion of the lower product transport shelf 10b is engaged with the holding member 19 provided on the lower product transport device 5. Then, when the lower product transport shelf 10b comes to the product sales port 3, the holding member 19 is disengaged from the claw portion 17 to release the horizontal holding, and the pins 21 provided on both walls of the product transport device 5 are moved downward. The product placing plate 15 of the product transport shelf 10b is brought into contact with the product placing plate 15 and the product placing plate 15 is forcibly inclined forward to carry out the product. Further, when the lower product transport shelf 10b carries out the product at the product selling port 3, the upper product transport shelf 10b.
“A” is located at the product receiving position of the conveyor type product storage shelf 4 located at the top.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, when the product to be sold is the conveyor type product storage rack 4, the product transfer shelves 10a and 10b up to the product storage rack 4 on which the selected product is placed according to the sales command. Move upwards. This is because if the product storage shelf 4 above the product sales port 3 carries the product on the upper product transfer shelf 10a, if the product storage shelf 4 below the product sales port 3 carries the product below. Products are transported on the shelf 10b. As described above, the product transport shelves 10a and 10b go to the product storage shelves 4 on which the selected products are placed to receive the products.

Here, when a product on the conveyor type product storage shelf 4 provided below the product sales port 3 is selected, as shown in FIG. 9 to FIG.
The product is transported at 0b. Upon receipt of a product from the conveyor-type product storage rack 4, the product transfer device 5 rotationally drives the drive motor 9 to transfer the product upward. Then, when the product comes to the product selling port 3, the product placing plate 15 of the lower product carrying shelf 10b is tilted forward to carry out the placed product to the product selling port 3. Since the product placing plate 15 must be held horizontally until the product is conveyed to the lower part, the claw portion 17 provided at the rear part of the lower product carrying shelf 10b is provided in the lower product carrying device 5. The holding member 19 is engaged. Then, when the product carrying shelf 10b below this comes to the product selling port 3, the holding member 19
Is released from the claw 17 to release the horizontal holding,
Pins 21 provided on both walls of the product transfer device 5 contact the product mounting plate 15 of the product transfer shelf 10b below, and the product mounting plate 15 is forcibly inclined forward to carry out the product. To do.

When a product on the conveyor type product storage shelf 4 provided above the product sales port 3 is selected, the product transfer shelf 10a above the product transfer shelf 10a as shown in FIGS. 1 to 5.
Will carry the goods. In this case, when the product transport device 5 is driven, the product transport shelf 10a first rises from the standby state of FIG.
With the movement of a, the lower connecting member 14b moves to the upper connecting member 14
It is pulled by a and pivots upward with the shaft 30 as a fulcrum (FIG. 2). However, since the rotation range of the lower connecting member 14b is restricted by the restricting member 25, the lower connecting member 1
When 4b reaches the limit, the lower connecting member 14b and the upper connecting member 14a are fixed. Product transport shelf 1 in this state
0a continues to rise, the product placing plate 1 of the product transport shelf 10a
5 rotates clockwise around the rotation shaft 24 as a fulcrum and becomes horizontal. Then, when the projection 12 reaches the upper edge of the elongated hole 13, the product placing plate 15 of the product transport shelf 10a rises in a horizontal state, and the product transport shelf 10b also moves to the product transport shelf 1.
When the product transport shelf 10a reaches the product storage rack 4 holding the selected product, the product transport device 5 stops driving (FIG. 3).

When the above-mentioned detection means detects that the product has been received in the product transfer shelf 10a, the product transfer device 5 reverses the drive motor 9 to transfer the sold product to the product sales port 3. Here, the upper product transport shelf 10a is lowered downward, so that the lower product storage shelf 10b is first moved.
Reaches the bottom of the product transport device 5 (FIG. 4). However, due to the stretch structure, the upper product transport shelf 10a continues to descend, and the connecting member 14b whose upward rotation is restricted by the restricting member 25 is connected to the upper product transfer shelf 10a. It is pushed downward by the connecting member 10a. Then, when the connecting member 14b reaches the upper surface of the lower product transport shelf 10b, the connecting member 14a cannot push the connecting member 14b any more.
When the product transport shelf 10a is further lowered, the connecting member 14a pushes the product placing plate 15. As a result, the product placing plate 15 can be rotated counterclockwise about the shaft 24 as a fulcrum to carry the product to the product selling port 3.

[0025]

[Effects of the Invention] The product discharge device of the vending machine of the present invention is
In an automatic vending machine with two upper and lower product transport shelves that transport the sent products to the product sales outlet, the position of the product sales outlet can be changed by changing the moving distance of the product transportation shelves. It is not necessary to limit the position to the center, and it is possible to give flexibility to the position of the product sales outlet.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a product transport device of the present invention in a standby state.

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view immediately after the operation of the product transport device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a product transfer shelf above the product transfer device of the present invention,
It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the state which receives the placed goods of the conveyor type goods storage shelf located in the uppermost stage.

FIG. 4 shows a product transfer shelf above the product transfer device of the present invention,
It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state in which a placed product is received and then conveyed to a product selling port.

FIG. 5 shows a product transfer shelf above the product transfer device of the present invention,
It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a state in which a product has been carried out to a product sales port.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an automatic vending machine equipped with the product transport device of the present invention when the door is opened.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an automatic vending machine including the product storage device of the present invention when the door is opened when the product is unloaded.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a product delivery device for carrying a product from a serpentine type product storage rack to the product transport device of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a vertical cross-sectional view in a standby state in the case where a product is carried to a sales port by a product carrying shelf below the product carrying device.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a state in which the product is being conveyed to a sales port on a product transfer shelf below the product transfer device, in the middle of transfer.

FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a state in which a product transfer shelf below the product transfer device carries out a product to a sales outlet.

FIG. 12 is a front view of an automatic vending machine equipped with the product transport device of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the upper commodity transport shelf provided with the anti-theft guard in a standby state.

FIG. 14 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an upper commodity transport shelf provided with an anti-theft guard in a standby state.

FIG. 15 is a front view of the upper product transport shelf provided with the anti-theft guard when it is lifted.

FIG. 16 is a vertical cross-sectional view when the upper product transport shelf equipped with the anti-theft guard is lifted.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a merchandise carrying shelf below the merchandise carrying device equipped with an anti-theft guard when the goods are unloaded.

FIG. 18 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the product transport shelf below the product transport device including the anti-theft guard when the product is unloaded.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending Machine 2 Customer Service Surface 3 Product Selling Port 4 Product Storage Shelf 5 Product Transfer Device 10 Product Transfer Shelf 11 Engagement Part 12 Protrusion 13 Long Hole

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Takuya Sakataka 2-18 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi City Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takashi Nishiyama 2-18 Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. In-company (72) Hiroaki Toyoshima 2-18, Keihan Hondori, Moriguchi-shi Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Shigeto Fukushima 2--18, Keihan Hon-dori, Moriguchi Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Kazuo Kameda 2-18, Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A product storage shelf having a customer service surface for selling products on the front surface, the product sales opening provided near the center of the customer service surface, and a product storage shelf for horizontally transporting the stored and stored products. A vending machine equipped with a plurality of upper and lower stages, and a product transfer device that receives the products carried out from the product carry-out end of each product storage shelf into a product transfer shelf that moves vertically and transfers them to the product sales port. In the above, the product carrying shelves are vertically
Individually, provided at the required interval in the product transport device, the upper product transport shelf is for receiving products from the respective product storage shelves provided above the product sales port, and the lower product transport shelf is For receiving products from each of the product storage shelves provided below the product sales port, the upper product transport shelf is provided with an engaging portion extending downward and having a projection at the lower portion, A product transfer device for a vending machine, wherein a lower product transfer shelf is provided with an elongated hole that is fitted to the protrusion of the engaging portion and is guided in the vertical direction.