JPS647431Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a cup feeding device that is incorporated into a cup-type beverage vending machine.

In this type of cup feeding device, it is desirable from a hygienic point of view that dirt, dust, etc. do not get into the cups housed inside the machine.

[Prior Art] First, the configuration of a commonly used cup feeding device will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a cup storage cylinder having a plurality of cup storage columns 2 defined on its circumference, and is connected to a drive motor 4 via a rotating shaft 3. Reference numeral 5 denotes a board on which the cup storage cylinder 1 is mounted, and a cup row drop-in hole 5a is opened at one location on the movement locus of the cup storage column, and a cup delivery mechanism 6 is installed below the hole 5a. Reference numeral 7 denotes a cup shooter for conveying the unloaded cup toward the bending stage.

A cup row 8 in which a large number of cups are stacked up and down in each cup storage column is loaded into the above-mentioned cup feeding device. fed on top. If a sales command is given in this state, the cup delivery mechanism 6 operates to drop and transport the cups one by one from the bottom of the cup row 8. Furthermore, when the supply of cups on the cup discharging mechanism runs out, the cup storage tube 1 rotates one pitch and a new cup row 8 is replenished from the next column.

Such a configuration is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 56-22660.

[The problem that the idea aims to solve]

By the way, this type of vending machine is often installed in stores or outdoors, and is exposed to an environment where dirt, dust, insects, etc. can easily enter the machine through gaps during operation. The conventional cup feeding device does not have a sealed structure and has gaps everywhere, so dirt, dust, etc. can enter the cup storage column 2 through the gaps. An example of a gap through which dirt or the like can enter is a see-through slit 9 shown in FIG. 2 for visually checking the presence or absence of a storage cup from the outside. Although the top surface of the storage tube 1 is open in FIG. 2, for example, the
As seen in Japanese Patent No. 22660, since a lid is usually provided, dirt and the like hardly enter from the top surface of the storage cylinder 1. Other gaps include the gap between the cup delivery mechanism 6 and the cup, which can be eliminated in the case of the transparent slit 9 by making the storage tube 1 (outer cover) transparent. It is difficult to make the entire cup supplying device completely sealed, as the gap created by the cup delivery mechanism 6 cannot be easily eliminated.

On the other hand, since the individual cups in the cup row 8 are stacked on top of each other, even if dirt, insects, etc. enter through the above-mentioned gaps, the trash will not enter most of the cups, but the cup row 8 Only the top cup is left open at the top, allowing dirt to get inside the cup while it is being stored on board. As a result, the beverage is supplied to the cup with dirt, dust, etc. still in it, and is then sold.
In this regard, the current situation is that conventional cup feeding devices do not have any protective measures, which is a drawback in terms of cup hygiene management.

This invention was developed in consideration of the above points, and its purpose is to create a cup feeding device that eliminates the drawbacks of the conventional method and reliably prevents dirt, dust, etc. from entering the storage cup using simple means. Our goal is to provide the following.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, this invention stores a cup row in which a large number of paper cups are stacked vertically in a cup storage tube, and based on sales instructions, cups are delivered one by one from the bottom of the cup row through a cup delivery mechanism. In the cup feeding device for dropping and carrying out the cup, a dust-proof cap that is detachably attached to the uppermost cup in the row of cups is installed inside the cup storage tube via a connecting member.

[Effect]

This device prevents dirt, dust, and even insects from getting into the cups by using a dust-proof cap that can be easily attached and detached to cover the topmost cup in a row of cups inside the cup storage tube, and when the cup is removed, the dust-proof cap comes off the cup and remains inside the cup storage tube.

〔Example〕

3 to 6 show examples of this invention. According to this invention, a dustproof cap 10 is tied to a string 11 as a connecting member for each cup storage column 2 in the cup storage tube 1. Equipped with: This string is flexible, and one end is tied to the dustproof cap 10, and the other end is tied to the storage tube 1.
It is fixed to the upper wall of the cup storage cylinder 1, and its length is determined by the height from the upper end fixing point P of the string 11 to the lower end of the cup storage cylinder 1 to prevent the cap 10 from falling into the cup row drop-in hole 5a of the board 5. The length is set to be shorter than the dimension h. Further, the dustproof cap 10 has a size and shape that is larger than the cup diameter and can be detachably covered.

In the above configuration, the dust-proof cap 10 is placed over the uppermost cup of the cup row 8 when the cup row 8 is stored in the cup storage tube 1. This prevents dust from entering from outside while the cup row 8 is being stored in the cylinder. Dust and the like will not get into the cup. Furthermore, as the cup row 8 descends one after another as the cups are carried out, the dust-proof cap 10 also follows and descends inside the column, until the uppermost cup is moved to the cup storage tube 1.
When it comes to the step to come out of the cylinder, the string 11 is fully stretched and the cap 10 is removed from the cup and remains in the cylinder. Therefore, there is no problem in the cup feeding operation.

Although the string 11 is shown in the illustrated embodiment as a connection member for the dustproof cap 10, a support arm is also attached to the dustproof cap, and this support arm is attached along a vertical guide rail laid on the inner wall of the cup storage tube. It may also be configured so that it can be guided up and down freely.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, according to this invention, a dust-proof cap that can be detachably attached to the top cup in a row of stored cups is installed inside the cup storage cylinder via a connecting member, so that the cup can be easily removed while being stored in the cylinder. It is possible to prevent dirt, dust, etc. from entering, thereby making it possible to solve the problem of staining of the storage cup, which has been a problem in the past.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the configuration of a conventional cup feeding device, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the cup storage tube shown in FIG. 1, FIGS. 3 to 6 show embodiments of this invention, 5 and 4 are sectional views of main parts showing the cup row storage state and the cup out-of-stock state, respectively, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are a plan view and a sectional perspective view of FIG. 3, respectively. 1...Cup storage cylinder, 6...Cup delivery mechanism,
8...Cup row, 10...Dust cap, 11
...String as a connecting member, ...Length dimension of the string.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] 1. Storing a row of paper cups stacked one above the other in a cup storage tube, and dropping and transporting the cups one by one from the bottom of the row of cups through a cup delivery mechanism based on a sales directive. 1. A cup supplying device for a beverage vending machine, characterized in that a dust-proof cap that can be attached and detached to cover the uppermost cup in the row of cups is installed inside a cup storage tube via a connecting member. 2. Scope of Utility Model Registration Claims In the cup feeding device as set forth in claim 1, a beverage automatic machine in which one end of a flexible string as a connecting member is tied to the dust-proof cap, and the other end of the string is attached to the upper part of the cup storage cylinder. Cup feeding device for vending machines. 3. The cup feeding device for a beverage vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the length of the string is shorter than the length from the upper end attachment position to the lower end of the cup storage cylinder.