JP2001357443A - Merchandise carry-out device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a merchandise carrying-out device for an automatic vending machine wherein assembling work maintenance service are facilitated as well as the device is installed smoothly in a merchandise housing rack even in an invisible state. SOLUTION: The device is provided with a substrate 6 to be engaged with a pin 40 disposed at a merchandise path 4a, engaging projection pieces 7a, 8 which are plurality formed at the upper part of the base plate 6 to insert and hold the pin 40, a lower pedal 30 which is formed in the state of being capable of projecting freely toward the side of the path 4a from the opening part 6a of the base plate 6 to hold merchandise at the lowest end, and an upper pedal 10 for holding the second lowest merchandise. The respective pedals 10 and 30 are made to project alternately to the side of the path 4 to control carrying out of the merchandise, and the device is formed so that it can be combined with another merchandise carrying-out device 5. Furthermore, a tilting part 7b is provided at the flange part of the base plate 6. When installing the base plate 6, the abutting direction of a segment 4d and the abutting direction of the engaging projection piece 7a of an opposite base plate 6 to be combined are regulated to prevent contacting each other.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product unloading device for a vending machine, and more particularly, to a product unloading device which can be smoothly installed on a product storage rack even in a working state where it cannot be visually recognized, thereby improving assembly workability and maintenance serviceability. The present invention relates to a vending machine product unloading device capable of improving the quality of a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional product unloading device of a vending machine, which is related to Japanese Patent Application No. 11-374406 by the present applicant. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a positional relationship between a flange portion and a segment in the steps (a) to (c) of installing the product unloading device alone;
FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the flange portion and the locking projection in the steps (a) to (c) of tying and installing the product carrying device.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 7, an opening is provided in the substrate 106, and an upper pedal 110 and a lower pedal 130 for controlling the carry-out of goods are rotatably supported in the opening. The lower pedal 130 supports the lowest commodity in the commodity path in the open state. When the lower pedal 130 is closed and the lowermost commodity is carried out, the upper pedal 110 supports the next commodity (the second commodity from the bottom) to be moved to the lowermost position. Things.

The pedals 110 and 130 are opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) including a link mechanism, a rotation stopper, and the like, and a driving source is a solenoid. The ends of the pins of the opening / closing mechanism and the pedals 110, 13
A substantially central portion of the pin supporting the zero is supported by the bearing member 120.

[0005] A pair of locking projections 107a having an L-shaped longitudinal section are provided on a horizontal flange portion 107 forming the upper surface of the substrate 106. When the substrates 106 of the two product unloading devices 105 are tied together, the locking projections 107a pinch the pins 140 previously mounted on the product storage rack with the locking projections 107a of the other product unloading device 105. It is arranged to be able to.

[0006] The locking projection 108 is used when the product unloading device 105 is installed alone in a product storage rack.
7a so that the pin 140 can be held therebetween. The locking portion 109 is formed so that the entire product unloading device 105 can be supported by the pin 160 by hooking the pin 160 from above.

Next, the installation operation of the product unloading device 105 will be described. The operator holds the product carrying device 105 in his / her hand and inserts it through a front opening (not shown) of the vending machine main body. At this time, it is usual that the installation location cannot be visually observed.

First, a case in which the product unloading device 105 is installed in a single state will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG.
In order to pin the pin 140 between the pins 07a and 108, the product unloading device 105 is gradually lifted so that the corresponding portion is directed to the pin 140. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the distal end portion of the segment 104d forming the meandering product passage comes into contact with the flange portion 107 and is often caught.

Therefore, while appropriately changing the posture of the product discharging device 105, the above-mentioned catch is released, and in that state, the product discharging device 105 is lifted, and the locking portion 109 is moved to the pin 160.
, The installation is completed as shown in FIG.

[0010] Next, the already installed product unloading device 1
A case in which another product unloading device 105 is installed in a state of being tied to the device 05 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
As shown in FIG.
In order to pin the pin 140 between a and 108, the product unloading device 105 is gradually lifted so that the portion is directed to the pin 140.

Then, as shown in FIG. 1B, the leading end of the locking projection 107a of the product discharging device 105 on the lifting side is connected to the flange portion 1 of the installed product discharging device 105.
07 often comes in contact with the back surface and gets caught.

Therefore, while properly changing the posture of the product discharging device 105, the above-mentioned catch is released, and in that state, the product discharging device 105 is lifted, and the locking portion 109 is
, The installation is completed as shown in FIG.

[0013]

However, in the installation operation of the product unloading device 105, since the installation location cannot be visually observed as described above, the flange portion 1
07 and the tip of the segment 104d are caught, and there is a problem that a smooth installation operation cannot be performed.

Also, the already installed product unloading device 10
In the case where another product discharge device 105 is installed in a state of being tied to 5, the tip of the locking projection 107 a of one product discharge device 105 is attached to the back surface of the flange 107 of the already installed product discharge device 105. There was a problem that it was caught and could not be installed smoothly.

[0015] The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is a vending machine which can be smoothly installed on a product storage rack even in an invisible work state, and can improve assembling workability and maintenance serviceability. It is an object of the present invention to provide a product unloading device.

[0016]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a vending machine according to the present invention comprises:
A board fixed to a plurality of pins provided in the product passage and forming one inner wall of the product passage; a plurality of locking projections formed on an upper portion of the board to sandwich the pin; A lower pedal that is formed to be protrudable from the opening toward the product passage and that holds the lowest product in the product passage; and a product passage that is formed to be protrudable from the opening of the substrate toward the product passage. And an upper pedal for holding a second commodity from the bottom, wherein each pedal is formed so as to alternately protrude to the commodity passage side to control the carry-out of the commodity, and the other vending machine An inclined portion is provided on a part or the entirety of the upper portion of the substrate, and the abutting direction and the tying of the segments constituting the product passage when the substrate is installed in the product passage. To install It is obtained so as to restrict the contact direction of the engagement protrusion of the substrate.

An operator holds the product carrying device in his / her hand and inserts it through an opening in the front of the main body of the vending machine. At this time, it is usual that the installation location cannot be visually observed. First, when the product unloading device is installed as a single unit, the pin (the one disposed at the top) is sandwiched by the locking projections of the product unloading device, so that the product is unloaded so that the portion faces the pin. Lift the device slowly. Then, the distal end of the segment and the inclined portion come into contact with each other, but the distal end is guided toward the front side of the substrate by the inclined portion, so that the locking projection easily grips the pin.

Then, in this state, the product unloading device is lifted, and the locking portion provided at the lower portion of the substrate is hooked on another pin (the lower portion), thereby completing the installation. As described above, by providing the inclined portion on the substrate, when the product unloading device is installed in a product storage rack in a state in which it is not visible,
The upper portion (flange portion) of the substrate and the tip of the segment can be prevented from being caught, and a smooth installation operation can be performed.

In the case where another product carrying device is installed in a state of being tied to an already installed product carrying device, a pin (arranged at the upper portion) is locked by a locking projection of the product carrying device. In order to hold the product, the product carrying device is gradually lifted so that the corresponding portion is directed to the pin. Then, the leading end of the locking projection of the product discharging device on the lifting side comes into contact with the back surface of the inclined portion of the installed product discharging device, and the leading end portion is guided to the vicinity of the pin by the back surface of the inclined portion. Therefore, the pin can be easily pinched by the locking projection.

Then, in this state, the product unloading device is lifted, and the locking portion provided on the lower portion of the substrate is hooked on another pin (the lower portion), thereby completing the installation. As described above, by providing the inclined portion on the substrate, when the product unloading device is installed in a product storage rack in a state in which it is not visible,
It is possible to prevent the upper portion (flange portion) of the substrate from being caught by the tip of the locking protruding piece, and to perform a smooth installation operation.

As described above, even in a work state in which the product cannot be visually checked, the product carry-out device can be smoothly installed on the product storage rack, and the assembling workability and the maintenance serviceability can be improved.

[0022]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; The present invention is not limited by the embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a product carrying device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is tied, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a product storage rack, and FIG. 3 is a product carrying device. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the product is installed in a product storage rack. FIG.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the inclined portion and the segment in (c), and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the inclined portion and the locking projection in the process (a) to (c) of tying and installing the product carrying device. FIG.

First, a schematic configuration of a product storage rack of a vending machine to which the present invention is applied will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of product storage racks 4 are provided in the main body 1 of the vending machine, and a shooter 2 communicating with an opening 3 of an outer door (not shown) is provided with a product output path. Has become. As shown in FIG. 2, the product storage rack 4 has a plurality of serpentine-type product passages 4a formed in a meandering shape by a large number of segments 4d, and side plates 4b are provided on both side surfaces.

At the lower end of the product passage 4a, the two product unloading devices 5 are held together so that the later-described upper pedal 10 and lower pedal 30 face the product passage 4a.
60 (see FIG. 1), and control of opening and closing of the pedals 10 and 30 can control the carry-out of the product.

The pins 40 and 60 are previously mounted on the side plate 4b of the product storage rack 4. In addition, product passage 4
The outlet adjuster 4c is disposed at a. The sold-out switch 80 is for detecting sold-out of a product.

Next, the overall configuration of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, an opening 6 a is provided in the substrate 6, and an upper pedal 10 and a lower pedal 30 for controlling product carry-out are rotatably provided by pins 15 and 35 in the opening 6 a. Have been. Both ends of the pins 15 and 35 are supported on the sides of the substrate 6, respectively. The lower pedal 30 supports the lowermost commodity in the commodity path 4a in the open state. When the lower pedal 30 is closed and the lowermost product is carried out, the upper pedal 10 supports a product (the second product from the bottom) that will move to the next lowermost position. Things.

The pedals 10, 30 are opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism (not shown) including a link mechanism, a rotation stopper, and the like, and a driving source is a solenoid. The ends of the pins of the opening / closing mechanism and the approximate center of the pins 11 and 31 are supported by bearing members 20.

Next, the main part of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a pair of locking projections 7 a having an L-shaped vertical section are provided on the flange portion 7 that forms the upper surface of the substrate 6. The locking projections 7a are arranged so that when the substrates 6 of the two product unloading devices 5 are tied together, the pins 40 can be sandwiched by the locking projections 7a of the other product unloading device 5. .

The inclined portion 7b is formed at a position facing the locking projection 7a of the counterpart product unloading device 5 so as to have an appropriate inclination angle by sheet metal processing, and has a width larger than the width of the locking projection 7a. It is formed large. As will be described later, when the product unloading device 5 is installed in the product storage rack 4 in a state in which the product unloading device 5 cannot be seen, the flange portion 7 and the segment 4 are used.
(d) In addition to preventing the front end portion from being caught, the flange portion 7 and the locking projection 7a of the counterpart product unloading device 5 are prevented from being caught in the case of the above-mentioned tying-up installation, so that a smooth installation work can be performed. It is.

The locking projection 8 is provided so that the pin 40 can be pinched by the locking projection 7a when the product unloading device 5 is installed alone on the product storage rack 4. The locking portion 9 is hooked on the pin 60 from above, and
The whole is formed so as to be supported by the pins 60.

Next, the installation operation of the product carrying device 5 will be described. As shown in FIG.
And put it through the opening 3 of the main body 1. At this time, it is usual that the installation location cannot be visually observed.

First, a case where the product carrying-out device 5 is installed in a single state will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3A, in order to pinch the pin 40 with the locking projections 7a, 8 of the product discharging device 5, the product discharging device 5 is gradually lifted so that the corresponding portion is directed to the pin 40. Then, as shown in FIG. 7B, the tip of the segment 4d comes into contact with the inclined portion 7b, but the tip is guided to the front of the substrate 6 (left side in the figure) by the inclined portion 7b. Therefore, the locking projections 7a and 8 can easily pinch the pin 40.

Then, in this state, if the product unloading device 5 is lifted and the locking portion 9 is hooked on the pin 60, the product (c) in FIG.
The installation is completed as shown in FIG. By providing the inclined portion 7b on the substrate 6 as described above, it is possible to prevent the flange portion 7 from being caught by the tip of the segment 4d when the product unloading device 5 is installed in the product storage rack 4 in a state where it cannot be seen. And smooth installation work.

Next, the already installed product unloading device 5
A case where another product carrying device 5 is installed in a tied state will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3A, in order to pinch the pin 40 with the locking projections 7a, 8 of the product discharging device 5, the product discharging device 5 is gradually lifted so that the corresponding portion is directed to the pin 40.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, the tip of the locking projection 7a of the product discharging device 5 on the lifting side is
The tip of the installed product unloading device 5 comes into contact with the back surface of the inclined portion 7b.
, The pin 40 can be easily clamped by the locking projections 7a, 8.

Then, in this state, if the product unloading device 5 is lifted and the locking portion 9 is hooked on the pin 60, the product (c) in FIG.
The installation is completed as shown in FIG. As described above, by providing the inclined portion 7b on the substrate 6, when the product unloading device 5 is installed on the product storage rack 4 in a state where it cannot be seen, the catch between the flange portion 7 and the tip of the locking projection 7a is prevented. Can be prevented and smooth installation work can be performed.

As described above, according to the merchandise unloading device of the vending machine according to this embodiment, the merchandise unloading device 5 can be smoothly installed on the merchandise storage rack 4 even in a working state in which the vending machine cannot be visually recognized. Workability and maintenance serviceability can be improved.

In the above embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the inclined portion 7b is provided at a position opposed to the locking projection 7a of the counterpart product unloading device 5, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, for example, as shown in FIG. 6, it may be formed in a wider range of the flange portion 7 of the substrate 6. Here, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another inclined portion formed with an expanded range.

[0040]

As described above, according to the merchandise unloading device of the vending machine according to the present invention, the board which is locked to the plurality of pins provided in the merchandise passage and forms one inner wall of the merchandise passage is provided. A plurality of locking projections formed on the upper portion of the substrate and holding the one pin, and formed so as to be able to protrude from the opening of the substrate toward the product passage, and a lowermost product in the product passage is disposed A lower pedal for holding, and an upper pedal formed so as to be able to protrude from the opening of the substrate toward the product passage and holding a second product from the bottom in the product passage. Side is formed so as to control the unloading of the product by alternately protruding to the side, and is formed so as to be installed together with the product unloading device of another vending machine, and an inclined portion is provided on a part or all of the upper part of the substrate. To the product passage of the substrate At the time of installation, since the contact direction of the segments constituting the product passage and the contact direction of the locking projections of the mating substrate to be installed by tying together are regulated, even in a work state that cannot be seen, the upper part of the substrate is It is possible to prevent the front end of the segment from being caught, and also possible to prevent the upper portion of the board from being caught by the locking projection of the counterpart board. Therefore, the product unloading device can be smoothly installed on the product storage rack, and the assembling workability and the maintenance serviceability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a product carrying device of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is tied.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a product storage rack.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a product unloading device is installed on a product storage rack.

FIG. 4 shows a process (a) for installing the product unloading device alone.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of an inclination part and a segment in (c).

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the inclined portion and the locking projection in the steps (a) to (c) of tying and installing the product carrying device.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another inclined portion formed with an expanded range.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a conventional product unloading device of a vending machine.

FIG. 8 shows a process (a) for installing the product unloading device alone.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship between a flange part and a segment in (c).

FIG. 9 is an explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the flange portion and the locking projection in the steps (a) to (c) of tying and installing the product carrying device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body 2 Shooter 3, 6a Opening 4 Merchandise storage rack 4a Merchandise passage 4b Side plate 4d Segment 5 Merchandise unloading device 6 Substrate 7 Flange part 7a, 8 Engagement projection 7b Inclined part 9 Engagement part 10 Upper pedal 15, 35 axis Branch 30 Lower pedal 40, 60 pin

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A substrate which is locked to a plurality of pins provided in a product passage and forms one inner wall of the product passage, and a plurality of locking projections formed on an upper portion of the substrate for holding the one pin. A lower pedal which is formed so as to be protrudable from the opening of the substrate toward the product passage and holds the lowest product in the product passage; and is formed so as to be protrudable from the opening of the substrate toward the product passage. And an upper pedal for holding a second product from the bottom in the product path, and wherein the pedals are alternately protruded toward the product path side to control the discharge of the product, and In a vending machine product discharging device formed so as to be able to be installed by being tied with a product discharging device of another vending machine, an inclined portion is provided in a part or all of an upper portion of the substrate, and the substrate is placed in the product passage. Sometimes, the product passage A product discharge device for a vending machine, wherein a contact direction of a segment and a contact direction of a locking projection of a mating substrate to be installed by being tied together are regulated.