JP2002183820A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vending machine of a simple constitution and easy handling capable of effectively saving energy, and preventing deterioration of contained merchandise due to long-time heating by cooling or heating part of the contained merchandise. SOLUTION: This vending machine is provided with a merchandise rack 77 inside a merchandise storage 66. It is provided with a first range 2c composed above the merchandise rack 77, a second range 2d composed below it to be cooled or heated, a first merchandise delivery device 1 provided between the ranges 2c and 2d to be normally closed to insulate heat between the ranges 2c and 2d, and carry out merchandise S in the first range 2c to the second range 2d, and a second merchandise delivery device 81 provided below the second range 2d to discharge the merchandise S in the second range 2d to a vending port 116. The first merchandise delivery device 1 and the second merchandise delivery device 81 have roughly similar constitution, and they do not require setting for sorts of merchandise to vend.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a method for cooling or heating a part of a product such as a canned beverage put into a product storage and storing the cooled or heated product according to a customer's request. Vending machines to sell.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-91855 filed by the present applicant has been disclosed as a vending machine of this kind. This solves the problem that the product passage of the product rack in this type of vending machine could not reliably insulate the area to be cooled or heated and the area for stock above it. A shutter device that opens and closes in response to the passage of a product is provided in a product path between a stock region above a product rack and a region to be cooled or heated below, so that the region is reliably separated and insulated, It is intended to clearly classify the preservation state and to realize effective energy saving.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional technique, a product feeding device for feeding a product from a stock area to a region to be cooled or heated above a shutter device is provided with a shutter device. Is required separately. In addition, when using an existing so-called ejector mechanism as the product feeding device, it is necessary to change the setting of the width of the product passage according to the type of the product to be stored. It is difficult to access because it is arranged in the middle part in the vertical direction, and in order to perform the setting change according to the type of product, it is possible to provide an opening for setting change operation and split the product rack and detach it And other methods are required. Therefore, there are problems that the structure of the device is complicated and handling is complicated.

In view of the above, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, has a simpler structure than the conventional one, and is easy to handle. It is another object of the present invention to provide a vending machine that sells cooled or heated products according to customer requests.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an invention according to claim 1 is an automatic vending machine that cools or heats a cylindrical product put in a product storage and sells the product through a sales outlet. A first area formed in the upper part of the product storage, a second area formed below the first area and cooled or heated,
Provided between the first region and the second region.
A first product unloading device for unloading the products in the second area to the second area; and a second product unloading device provided below the second area.
And a second product unloading device that discharges the products in the area to the sales outlet, wherein the first product unloading device supports the lowest product in the first area by a closing operation in a standby state. In the selling state, the turning direction is always urged upward so as to allow the product to fall by the door opening operation of the product due to its own weight, and the product opens and closes between the first area and the second area. Possible unloading product support means, locking means for locking the unloading product support means in the closed state, and between the lowermost product and the upper product in the closed state of the unloading product support means by the locking means. Holding means which is guided and moved so as to protrude toward the first area, regulates the width of the product passage provided in the lower part of the first area in accordance with the outer diameter of the product, and holds the upper product to prevent the product from falling; This holding means is Drive means for guiding and moving in the direction of protrusion to the upper product, wherein the lock means locks when the holding means is moved to a regulated position corresponding to the outer diameter of the stored product. It will be canceled.

[0006] According to this configuration, the first product unloading device interposed between the first region in the product storage and the second region to be cooled or heated has the size of the input product ( The width of the product passage is automatically regulated according to the outer diameter), so that it is not necessary to manually adjust the width of the product passage by the first product unloading device, which is located at a position where it is difficult to access and is not easily adjusted. .

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine according to the first aspect, the carried-out goods support means carries out goods from the first area to the second area by a closing operation in a standby state. By providing a configuration that seals the product passage and partitions the first region and the second region, the carried-out product support means can surely separate the first and second regions.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine according to the second aspect, the carried-out article supporting means is formed of a heat insulating member, so that the first area and the second area are supported.
Area can be more reliably insulated and divided with a simple configuration.

The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to claims 1 to 3.
In the vending machine according to any one of the above, a product rack is provided in a product storage, and the product rack is provided with a first region for stocking the products put in above and a cooling or cooling device below the first region. By disposing a second region to be heated and including the first and second product unloading devices, the vending machine having the existing product rack and the product rack have compatibility. The existing vending machine can be easily configured as the vending machine of the present invention by exchanging only the product rack, and the versatility is enhanced.

[0010] The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claims 1 to 4.
In the vending machine according to any one of the above, the second product unloading device supports the lowermost product in the second area by the door closing operation in a standby state, and moves downward by the own weight of the product in the sales state. Opening / closing sales product support means whose rotation direction is always urged upward so as to allow the product to fall by the door opening operation, and a sales door lock for enabling the sales product support means to be locked in a closed state. Means, the holding means, and the driving means, wherein the selling door locking means is unlocked when the holding means is moved to a regulated position corresponding to the outer diameter of the stored product. It is.

[0011] According to this configuration, the configurations of the first and second merchandise unloading devices are made substantially common to reduce the number of types of parts, and according to the size (outer diameter) of the merchandise put into the merchandise rack. Adjustment of the width of the product passage that has been set in the first region and the second region.
Is unnecessary in the region of

[0012]

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

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine 101 as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front internal configuration diagram of the vending machine 101 excluding a front door 103, and FIG.
1 is a vertical side view of FIG. Vending machine 101 shown in the embodiment
Is a unit for cooling or heating and selling canned beverages.
Openable and closable front door 1 pivotally supported on one side at 02
03. The front door 103 is provided with a product display 106 on which a plurality of product samples are displayed.
Bill slot 107, cash indicator 108, coin slot 10
9, coin return slot 111, return lever 112 and key 11
3 are provided. In addition, selection buttons 114 are provided on the front surface of the product display 106 corresponding to the lower side of each product sample, and a sales outlet 116 is provided below the front door 103.

The product storage 66 is formed in the main body 102 behind the front door 103, and is located in the product storage 66 on the left side of the partition wall 67 filled with a heat insulating material as shown in FIG. A dedicated cooling compartment 66a is formed, and a cooling and heating compartment 66b is formed on the right side, which can be selectively switched between cooling and heating.

Two rows of merchandise racks 77 are suspended from the front and rear of the cooling only storage 66a and the cooling and heating storage 66b, respectively. Inside each product rack 77, a side plate 78 constituting an outer surface and a partitioning section 10 for partitioning the inside back and forth are provided.
The product passages 2 extending in the up-down direction are respectively formed in two rows in front and back. Further, a product input port 9 is formed at the upper end of each product path 2, and a product discharge port 8 is formed at the lower end thereof. The first merchandise unloading device 1 is attached to each partition 10 at the same height, and the second merchandise unloading device 81 is attached to each partition 10 at each merchandise outlet 8. A chute 71 inclined downward toward the front is disposed below such a commodity rack 77, and the commodity G discharged from each commodity rack 77 falls on the chute 71, rolls, and rolls. It is led from the payout port 72 of 104 to the sales port 116 of the front door 103.

A cooler 73 and a blower 74 are disposed below the chute 71 in each of the compartments 66a and 66b, and a blower 7 of the cooler 73 is provided in the cooling and heating compartment 66b.
An electric heater 75 is attached to the fourth side. A machine room 61 is formed below the main body 102, and the
3, a compressor 62, a condenser 63, and a condenser blower 64 which constitute a well-known refrigeration cycle are provided.

Here, FIG. 4 shows a first product unloading device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first product unloading device 1 is incorporated in a vending machine 101 that sells cylindrical products such as canned beverage products and plastic bottle products, and stores a plurality of products stored in a state where they are stacked side by side and stacked vertically. Only the lowest product to be carried out is paid out at the time of carrying out. In addition, the first product unloading device 1
Normally, as shown in FIG. 5, the two product passages 2 are arranged at the lower end of a not-shown partition portion 10 of two front and rear (left and right in FIG. 5) extending vertically in a state of being back to back with each other. 1st area 2 above 1 goods unloading device 1
c and a second area 2d thereunder. When the goods are unloaded, each of the first goods unloading devices 1 operates independently, and the goods S are moved from the first area 2c to the second area 2d. Pay out.
In the following description, the product S stored in the product path 2 will be described.
Of these, the outgoing product (the bottom product) and the next carried product (the upper product) located immediately above it,
The symbols “S1” and “S2” are assigned.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the first product unloading device 1 opens and closes the product passage 2 at the time of unloading.
Stopper 4 for dropping out and discharging the conveyed product S1 stored in the first area 2c downward (conveyed product support means)
Ejector 5 projecting into product passage 2 and supporting next conveyed product S2 in cooperation with passage wall 2a facing product passage 2
(Holding means) and a driving mechanism 6 (driving means) for driving the ejector 5 at the time of unloading. The stopper 4 and the ejector 5 face each other in the left-right direction as shown in FIGS. It is assembled between a pair of side plates 7 having a predetermined shape.

The stopper 4 has a substantially rectangular planar shape as shown in FIG. 8, is made of a thick plate, and has a stopper body 11 which is rotatable about a base end.
The stopper main body 11 is locked at a closed position described later by a locking means 12 attached thereto.

The stopper body 11 is rotatably attached to the side plate 7 via a rotating shaft 13 attached to a base end portion, and prevents a product S1 from being dispensed during standby for unloading. A closed position for closing the passage 2 (FIG. 1)
2), and an opening position (see FIG. 16) for opening the product passage 2 so as to allow the delivery of the unloaded product S1 at the time of unloading.
And can be rotated between them. In addition, as shown in FIG.
An elongated through-hole 14 is formed which extends parallel to the axis 3 (hereinafter referred to as “rotation axis”) and whose cross section extends in the radial direction with respect to the center of rotation. A lock shaft 15 (lock shaft) for locking the stopper body 11 to the closed position is loosely inserted into the through hole 14. The lock shaft 15 is configured to be slidable in the long hole direction of the through hole 14. Both ends of the lock shaft 15 projecting outward from the through hole 14 are formed on each side plate 7 shown in FIG. 8. Each of the guide grooves 16 (guide portion) is loosely inserted into a guide groove 16 having a predetermined shape. Each guide groove 16 is formed so as to extend in a substantially 1/4 arc shape about the rotation axis.
At the upper end, while guiding the lock shaft 15,
A shaft locking groove 17 is formed to slide and lock this to the base end side of the stopper main body 11. When the stopper body 11 is in the closed position, a seal portion 11c is formed at the tip of the stopper body 11 so that the tip abuts on the passage wall 2a to close the product passage 2 and block the product up and down. The stopper body 11 and the upper lid 1 described below are used.
1b is made of polyacetal, polystyrene, or the like, and the seal portion 11c is made of soft PVC, nylon, or the like, and has heat insulating properties.

The stopper body 11 constructed as described above
Are connected via the lock shaft 15 to the guide grooves 16 on both sides.
, Is smoothly rotated between the closed position and the open position, and the lock shaft 15 is securely locked in the closed position by being locked in the shaft locking groove 17 of each guide groove 16. .

As described above, the locking means 12 locks the stopper body 11 in the closed position, and includes the lock shaft 15 and the shaft locking groove 17.
And a lock mechanism 18 that is assembled to the stopper body 11 and locks the lock shaft 15 in the shaft locking groove 17.
Etc. As shown in FIG. 8 or FIG. 11A, the shaft locking groove 17 is continuous with the inner guide surface 16a of the guide groove 16, and is formed with a locking portion 17a that projects horizontally toward the rotating shaft 13 side. A vertical guide portion 17b which is connected to the tip of the locking portion 17a and extends substantially vertically upward;
The upper end of the vertical guide portion 17b and the inclined guide portion 17c inclined and connected to the outer guide surface 16b of the guide groove 16 form a substantially right triangle. When the stopper body 11 rotates from the open position to the closed position,
The lock shaft 15 is guided by the inclined guide portion 17c and the vertical guide portion 17b and locked by the lock portion 17a, whereby the stopper body 11 is locked in the closed position.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the lock mechanism 18 is housed in an opening 11a having a substantially rectangular planar shape of the stopper main body 11, and in this opening 11a, a lock position and an unlock position described later are provided. And a lock member 22 that locks the slide member 21 at the lock position and slides the slide member 21 toward the unlock position at the time of sale.

The slide member 21 includes a pair of side walls 23 extending in parallel with a gap therebetween, an upper wall 24 extending substantially horizontally between the upper ends of the side walls 23, and a lower end of the side walls 23. And a lower wall 25 continuous with the lower wall. Side wall 23
The lock shaft 15 is inserted through the distal end of the lock shaft 15 and attached thereto.
Each of the elongated holes 23a extends in the extending direction of the elongated hole 23a. The upper wall portion 24 is located above the long hole 23a,
The slide member 3 a is formed so as to extend a predetermined length from a substantially middle portion in the long hole direction toward the tip end of the slide member 21.
A lock member 2 to be described later is provided at the tip of the upper wall portion 24.
Opening engaging part 24a in which two engaging convex parts 27a can be disengaged
Are formed. On the other hand, the lower wall portion 25 is formed so as to extend downward from the distal end of the upper wall portion 24 and bend at a right angle to extend toward the distal end portion of the slide member 21.

The slide member 21 constructed as described above
As shown in FIG. 10 (d), in the state where the lock shaft 15 at the distal end is loosely inserted into the through hole 14 of the stopper main body 11 in the state of being housed in the opening 11 a of the stopper main body 11, The rotation shaft 13 is loosely inserted into 23a. The slide member 21 is locked at a lock position (see FIG. 11A) where the lock shaft 15 is locked in the lock portion 17a of the shaft lock groove 17, and the lock shaft 15 is detached from the lock portion 17a. It can slide between the unlock position (see FIG. 11D).

On the other hand, the lock member 22 is
Is inserted between the hole 26 and the lock portion 27 extending a predetermined length from the hole 26 and having a tip portion (hereinafter referred to as an “engaging projection”) 27a protruding upward. , Extending in a direction opposite to the lock portion 27 and having a connection portion 28 connected to a drive shaft 52 and a payout shaft 53 of the drive mechanism 6 described later. The lock member 22 is assembled to the stopper main body 11 in a state where the hole 26 is loosely inserted into the rotation shaft 13, so that the engagement protrusion 27 a of the lock member 22 is lowered to the engagement portion 24 a of the slide member 21. The rotating shaft is positioned between an engaging position (see FIGS. 10D and 11A) engaging from the side and a disengaging position (see FIG. 11B) disengaging from the engaging portion 24a. 13 can be freely rotated. Two notches 28 a extending parallel to each other toward the hole 26 are formed in the connecting portion 28. The lower ends of the drive shaft 52 and the payout shaft 53 are loosely inserted into these cutouts 28 a, whereby the connecting portion 28 is connected to the drive shaft 52 and the payout shaft 53.

The end 28b (pressing portion) of the connecting portion 28 opposite to the notch 28a is formed one step higher than the lock portion 27. Therefore, the slide member 2
In addition to the above, when the lock member 22 is assembled to the stopper body 11 and the lock member 22 is located at the engagement position, as shown in FIG. Near the end of the upper wall 24. In addition, a tension spring 29 (first
Biasing means) is attached. This tension spring 29
10 urges the lock member 22 to rotate in the clockwise direction in FIG.
The lock member 22 is always urged to the engagement position.

The lock member 22 configured as described above is
When the connecting portion 28 is pulled up by the drive shaft 52 or the dispensing shaft 53, the connecting portion 28 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 10 from the engagement position to the disengagement position.

The stopper body 11 has an opening 11a.
The upper lid 11b for opening and closing the cover is detachably attached. When the upper lid 11b is attached, the upper lid 11b and the stopper body 11 are flush.

Here, the locking and unlocking of the stopper body 11 by the locking means 12 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 7A, during standby for sale, the slide member 21 is located at the lock position, and the lock member 22 is located at the engagement position so as to lock the slide member 21 at the lock position. ing. In this case, the lock shaft 15 of the slide member 21 is supported by the locking portion 17a of the shaft locking groove 17 from below, whereby the stopper main body 11 supports the carried-out product S1 from below. Locked in closed position.

In this state, when the connecting portion 28 of the lock member 22 is pulled up by the drive shaft 52 or the discharging shaft 53, the lock member 22 rotates counterclockwise toward the disengagement position against the tension spring 29. I do. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11B, the engagement protrusion 27a of the lock member 22 is separated from the engagement portion 24a of the slide member 21, and the end 28b of the connection portion 28 of the lock member 22 is The end of the upper wall 24 of the slide member 21 is pressed toward the tip of the stopper body 11. Then, the slide member 21 at the lock position is moved as shown in FIG.
As shown in (c), the user gradually slides toward the unlock position. When the lock member 22 further rotates and presses the slide member 21 and the slide member 21 reaches the lock release position, as shown in FIG. 17a is completely disengaged. Then, the stopper main body 11 is pivotally driven toward the open position while being guided by the guide groove 16 via the lock shaft 15 by the own weight of the sale product S1 as shown in FIG. When it arrives, the unloaded commodities S1 fall and are paid out from the first area 2c to the second area 2d.

Thereafter, when the drive shaft 52 or the payout shaft 53 that has lifted the connecting portion 28 of the lock member 22 releases the pulling, the lock member 22 is released from the tension spring 2.
9 is driven to rotate clockwise by the restoring force. Then, the engaging projection 27a of the lock member 22 presses the upper wall portion 24 of the slide member 21 from below, whereby the stopper body 11 moves toward the closed position as shown in FIG. Rotate clockwise.

When the lock member 22 further rotates clockwise, the stopper body 11 also rotates clockwise, and the lock shaft 15 is guided along the inclined guide portion 17c of the shaft locking groove 17 while being guided by this. As shown in FIG. 11G, the shaft reaches the upper end of the groove 17. Then, the stopper body 11 stops at the position shown in FIG. In this case, the lock shaft 15 is
c, the lock shaft 15
Slides toward the proximal end side of the stopper body 11, whereby the slide member 21 slides to the lock position. Then, the engagement protrusion 27a of the lock member 22 engages with the engagement portion 24a of the slide member 21 that has slid to the lock position.

Thereafter, when the next conveyed product S2 moves downward and falls on the stopper main body 11, the stopper main body 11 rotates counterclockwise due to the weight of the next sold product S2.
In this case, the lock shaft 15 is
Is guided downward by the vertical guide portion 17b of the
7a. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 11H or 11A, the stopper main body 11 is locked at the closed position.

As described above, the stopper body 11 is locked in the closed position via the lock shaft 15, and the lock shaft 15
By being locked to the lock position by the lock member 1 and the lock member 22, the lock is doubly locked. Thereby, it is possible to reliably prevent the lock shaft 15 from detaching from the locking portion 17a of the shaft locking groove 17 due to an impact on the stopper body 11 due to a drop of the product S when refilling the product, a mischief, and the like. , The lock of the stopper body 11 can be securely held. In addition, while the slide member 21 is locked in the lock position by the lock member 22 and the lock member 22 rotates,
Since the slide member 21 is slid to the unlock position, both the locking of the stopper main body 11 in the closed position by the lock shaft 15 and the unlock thereof can be easily performed by the single lock member 22 having a simple configuration. .

Next, above the stopper body 11,
The ejector 5 that is arranged between the side plates 7 on both sides and supports the next sale product S2 in cooperation with the passage wall 2a will be described. The ejector 5 is configured to be movable vertically and diagonally forward and downward, and cooperates with the passage wall 2a to sell the next product S2.
, And a joint 32 that is configured to be vertically movable and that connects the ejector body 31 to the drive mechanism 6.

As shown in FIG. 8, the ejector body 31
Are configured in the same manner as the four ejector plates 33 formed in a horizontally-long rectangular shape, three connecting shafts 34 which are rotatably connected to each other in a state where they are suspended, and The upper end of the upper ejector plate 33,
And an upper shaft 35a and a lower shaft 35b attached to the lower end of the lowest ejector plate 33, respectively. Both ends of each connecting shaft 34, upper shaft 35a, and lower shaft 35b are loosely inserted into ejector guide grooves 36 formed in both side plates 7, respectively. Each ejector guide groove 36 is provided in the vertical guide groove 3 extending vertically.
6a and an inclined guide groove 36b extending from the lower end of the vertical guide groove 36a, inclined forward and extending toward the carried-out product S1, are formed in a V shape. In addition, the inclined guide groove 36b of each ejector guide groove 36 is
As shown in FIG. 5, the passage wall 2 is located closer to the passage wall 2 a than the end opposite to the passage wall 2 a of the sale product S1 supported by the stopper body 11.
a.

Ejector body 3 configured as described above
1 moves with the vertical movement of the joint 32 while being guided by the two ejector guide grooves 36. In particular,
An allowable position (FIG. 1) at which the downward movement of the next conveyed product S2 is permitted.
8) and the ejector main body 31 abuts on the carried-out product S1, and the next-moving product S2 is supported in cooperation with the passage wall 2a, thereby preventing downward movement of the next-selling product S2. Slide between the blocking position. In addition,
The maximum slidable range of the ejector 31 is between the position where the upper shaft 35a contacts the upper end of the vertical guide groove 36a and the position where the lower shaft 35b contacts the tip of the inclined guide groove 36b.

Also, as shown in FIG.
Are provided on a joint body 41 having a horizontally-long rectangular shape, a pair of ejector connecting portions 42 provided on the front surface of the joint body 41 and sandwiching the upper shaft 35 a of the ejector body 31, and provided on the back surface of the joint body 41. The drive mechanism 6 has a drive shaft connecting portion 43 and a payout shaft connecting portion 44 into which the payout shaft 53 and the payout shaft 53 are inserted, respectively. Both sides of the joint body 41 are supported by vertically extending rails 45 provided on the side plates 7 respectively, so that the joint body 41 can slide vertically along the rail 45. I have. Each of the drive shaft connecting portion 43 and the dispensing shaft connecting portion 44 has a semicircular cross section and through holes 43a and 44a extending vertically. In the through hole 43a of the drive shaft connecting portion 43, a female screw is formed to engage with a male screw formed on the surface of the drive shaft 52. On the other hand, the through hole 4a of the payout shaft connecting portion 44 is formed.
4a is formed in a size in which the payout shaft 53 can be loosely inserted.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the product wall 2 has a predetermined length (actually, 3 inches) on the passage wall 2a at a height substantially equal to the height at which the ejector body 31 supports the next conveyed product S2.
(Approximately 5 mm) and a support projection 2b (projection) extending substantially the same as the lateral width of the passage wall 2a. By providing the support protrusion 2b on the passage wall 2a, when the ejector main body 31 supports the next conveyed product S2 in cooperation with the passage wall 2a, the next conveyed product S2 is placed on the passage wall 2a.
It is easy to get caught in.

Next, the drive mechanism 6 for driving the ejector 5 and releasing the lock of the stopper body 11 by the lock means 12 will be described. The driving mechanism 6
As shown in FIG. 8, a drive motor 51, a drive shaft 52 that is arranged to extend in the up-down direction, is configured to be movable in the up-down direction, and is driven to rotate around the axis by the drive motor 51, The dispensing shaft 53 is arranged in parallel with the shaft 52 and pays out the products S at one time when all the products S stored in the product passage 2 are exchanged. Not shown),
And a gearbox 54 for transmitting the power of the drive motor 51 to the drive shaft 52.

As shown in FIG. 8, the drive shaft 52 has a joint 32 above the gear box 54.
The drive shaft 52 is inserted into the through-hole 43a of the drive shaft connecting portion 43 in a state where both threads are engaged with the female screw of the drive shaft connecting portion 43. Thus, when the drive shaft 52 rotates around the axis, the joint 32 moves in the vertical direction, and accordingly, the ejector body 31 slides between the allowable position and the blocking position. At the lower end of the drive shaft 52 projecting below the gear box 54, a drive shaft small-diameter portion 52a having a smaller diameter than the shaft diameter above the gear box 54 of the drive shaft 52 and extending in the axial direction is provided. The drive shaft large-diameter portion 5 which is connected to the lower end of the drive shaft small-diameter portion 52a and extends in the axial direction and has the same diameter as the shaft diameter.
2b are formed. This drive shaft small diameter portion 52a is
The drive shaft large-diameter portion 52b is loosely inserted into one of the notches 28a of the lock member 22, and is larger than the width of the notch 28a of the lock member 22. Therefore, as described later, the drive shaft 52 is driven upward, so that the drive shaft large-diameter portion 52b presses the vicinity of the notch 28a of the lock member 22 from below, thereby connecting the lock member 22. By pulling up the portion 28, the lock member 22 is rotated.

As shown in FIG. 6, a compression spring 56 (second biasing means) for biasing the drive shaft 52 downward is inserted into the bearing 55 at the upper end of the drive shaft 52. Therefore, as described later, when the drive shaft 52 is driven upward, the compression spring 56 is compressed, and when the drive shaft 52 is released from being driven upward, the restoring force of the compression spring 56 causes the drive shaft 52 to return. 52 is driven downward. Instead of such a compression spring 56, a tension spring for urging the drive shaft 52 downward may be provided at the lower end of the drive shaft 52 or the like. The drive shaft 52 in the gear box 54 is loosely inserted into a gear (not shown) that meshes with the above-mentioned not-shown reduction gear. The cross-sectional shape of the part of the drive shaft 52 that is loosely inserted into this gear has a regular hexagonal shape. Alternatively, it is formed in a D-shape.
Thus, the power of the drive motor 51 can be reliably transmitted to the drive shaft 52 via a gear (not shown), and the drive shaft 52 can be moved up and down without moving the gear up and down.

On the other hand, the payout shaft 53 is
On the other hand, except that there is no thread on the surface,
The drive shaft 52 has almost the same configuration. However, when the ejector main body 31 moves further upward beyond the allowable position, the joint main body 4
A pressed portion 57 that is pressed against the upper end portion 1 is provided.

Here, the unlocking of the stopper main body 11 by the drive mechanism 6 and the ejector main body 31 at the time of carrying out the product are performed.
Will be described. First, the drive motor 51 of the drive mechanism 6 operates so as to rotate forward, and when the drive shaft 52 is driven to rotate in a predetermined direction, the joint 32 engaged with the drive shaft 52 rotates.
Moves down. Accordingly, the ejector body 31 slides toward the blocking position. Then, when the lower end of the ejector main body 31 comes into contact with the upper part of the conveyed product S1 and the ejector main body 31 reaches the blocking position (see, for example, FIG. 13), the joint 32 that has moved downward stops.
If the drive shaft 52 continues to rotate even after the ejector body 31 reaches the blocking position, the drive shaft 52
While compressing 6, it moves upward relative to the stopped joint 32. Thus, the lock member 22 at the engagement position, which is connected to the lower end of the drive shaft 52, is rotationally driven toward the disengagement position, and the lock of the stopper body 11 at the closed position is released. Thereby, the stopper body 11
Is driven to rotate toward the open position by the weight of the unloaded product S1, and the sold product S1 is paid out from the first area 2c to the second area 2d. When the ejected product S1 is paid out and the ejected product S1 is released from contact with the ejector body 31, the drive shaft 51 is driven downward by the restoring force of the compression spring 56 to return to the original position.

The operation of a predetermined button (instruction means) (not shown) causes the drive motor 51 to rotate in the reverse direction unlike the above-described unloading operation, and the drive shaft 52 also moves in the opposite direction to the unloading operation. When driven to rotate, the joint 3
2 moves upward, and the ejector main body 31 moves further beyond the allowable position. Then, the upper end portion of the joint body 41 presses the pressed portion 57 of the payout shaft 53 from below, whereby the payout shaft 53 is lifted upward. As a result, the lock member 22 at the engaged position, which is connected to the lower end of the payout shaft 53, is driven to rotate toward the disengaged position, and the stopper body 11 at the closed position is rotated.
Is unlocked. Then, the ejector main body 31 moves at least above the allowable position, and furthermore, the lock of the stopper main body 11 in the closed position is released, so that all the products S in the first area 2c are at once blown to the first position. Paid out to the area. Therefore, by operating the predetermined button, the operator can pay out all the stored products S at a stretch, and can perform the replacement work of the products S in a short time.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 12 to 18, the payout of the goods S by the first goods unloading device 1 configured as described above will be described in order.

FIG. 12 shows the first product unloading device 1 in the unloading standby state when the product S is stored in the first area 2c. In this state, the stopper body 11 is located at the closed position, while the ejector body 31 is located at the allowable position. Therefore, as shown in the figure, the unloaded product S1 is supported by the stopper body 11 from below, and the next delivered product S2 is supported by the unloaded product S1 from below.

When the state shifts from the unloading standby state to the unloading state as described above, first, the drive motor 51 operates so as to rotate forward, whereby the drive shaft 52 rotates in a predetermined direction. Then, the joint 32 moves downward, and accordingly, the ejector main body 31 also slides downward toward the blocking position. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, when the ejector main body 31 comes into contact with the upper portion of the conveyed product S1 and reaches the blocking position, the joint 32 that has moved downward stops. Even after the ejector body 31 reaches the blocking position,
The drive motor 51 continues to operate, thereby causing the drive shaft 52
Moves upward with respect to the stopped joint 32. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the slide member 21 is slid toward the unlock position while the lock member 22 rotates counterclockwise. When the slide member 21 reaches the unlock position, the lock of the stopper body 11 in the closed position is released, and the stopper body 11 is unlocked.
Rotates counterclockwise toward the open position by the weight of the unloaded product S1, as shown in FIG. Then, when the stopper body 11 reaches the open position, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the carried-out product S1 is discharged downward from the first area while falling.

In this case, the next conveyed product S2 is supported by the cooperation of the ejector body 31 and the passage wall 2a, and is prevented from moving downward. Further, in this case, when the ejected product S1 is separated from the ejector main body 31 and the contact of the ejector main body 31 with the carried-out product S1 is released, the drive shaft 52 that has moved upward moves downward by the restoring force of the compression spring 56. And move downward to return to the original position. When the detection unit (not shown) detects that the drive shaft 52 has returned to the original position, the drive motor 51
Operation stops.

When the conveyed product S1 is paid out as described above, the tension spring 29 attached to the lock member 22
, The lock member 22 rotates clockwise. As a result, the stopper body 11 is
17, the lock shaft 15 is rotated to a position where the lock shaft 15 comes into contact with the upper end of the shaft locking groove 17, as shown in FIG. Then, drive motor 5
When 1 is operated to rotate in the reverse direction, the drive shaft 52 rotates in the opposite direction to the above, and accordingly, the joint 32 moves upward and the ejector body 31 slides toward the allowable position. When the ejector main body 31 reaches the allowable position, the next conveyed product S2 moves downward and falls on the stopper main body 11. Thereby, the stopper body 11
Is slightly rotated counterclockwise by the weight of the next conveyed product S2, and is locked at the closed position as shown in FIG. The operation of the drive motor 51 stops when the sale product detection means including a sensor (not shown) detects that the next carry product S2 has dropped onto the stopper body 11. Then, the next conveyed product S dropped on the stopper body 11
No. 2 is prepared as a carry-out product in the next product carry-out.

FIG. 19 shows the second product unloading device 81 in a sales standby state when a product S is stored in the second area 2d of the product path 2. As shown in the figure, the second product unloading device 82 is configured in the same manner as the first product unloading device 1, but the first product unloading device 1 is provided at the tip of the stopper body 82 (sales product support means). Seal part 11
c is not formed. Therefore, the second area 2d is
A cooler or a warmer air is circulated by a blower 74 disposed below the chute 71 without being divided into a region below the cooler 71, and the product S is cooled or heated and stored.

Also, the delivery of the product operates in the same manner as in the case of the first product unloading device 1.

The operation of the vending machine 101 according to the embodiment of the present invention having the above configuration will be described. For example, assuming that the cooling-only storage 66a shown in FIG. 2 is set to the cooling setting and the cooling and heating storage 66b is set to the heating setting, only the cooler 73 of the cooling-only storage 66a is operated by the operation of the compressor 62 shown in FIG. The blower 74 exerts a cooling effect, and discharges the cool air exchanged with the cooler 73 forward and circulates the cooled air in the cooling dedicated storage 66a. Also,
The warm air heated by the electric heater 75 of the cooling and heating chamber 66b is discharged forward and circulated through the cooling and heating chamber 66b.

The cool air or warm air discharged into each of the compartments 66a and 66b enters the second area 2d of the product passage 2 from the product discharge port 8 of the front product rack 77 and rises. The stopper main body 11 of the product carrying device 1 is turned upside down because the product passage 2 is closed and closed. Then, it enters the second area 2d of the product path 2 of the product rack 77 on the rear side, descends, and is circulated into the blower 74 via the cooler 73 or the electric heater 75. The compressor 62
Operation of the electric heater 75 and the energization of the electric heater 75
It is controlled by a control device (not shown) based on the temperature setting inside.

As a result, only the second area 2d, which is a part of the product rack 77 in the product storage 66, is actively cooled or heated. Since the stopper body 11 made of a heat insulating member and the seal member 11c formed at the tip end hermetically close and block the product passage 2, heat leakage between the first area 2c and the second area 2d is reduced. Very slightly suppressed. In this way, by dividing both regions reliably with a simple configuration, it is possible to reduce production costs and realize energy saving.

When the selection button 114 shown in FIG. 1 is pressed from the standby state in which the commodity S is stored and stored as described above, the control device causes the commodity rack 77 containing the commodity S corresponding to the selection button 114 to be stored. Second product unloading device 81
Is driven to discharge the lowest selling product S1 onto the chute 71. The discharged product S rolls on the chute 71 and is discharged from the payout port 72 to the sales port 116. Further, the control device drives the first product unloading device 1 at the same time as the operation of the second product unloading device 81, or with a slight delay, and transfers the lowermost product S1 in the first area 2c of the product passage 2 to the second item unloading device. 2 is dropped on the uppermost commodity S in the area 2d. Here, the first
The ejector body 31 of the product unloading device 1 and the second product unloading device 81 is moved by the drive mechanism 6 to a blocking position corresponding to the size (outer diameter) of the product, and the width of the product passage 2 is automatically regulated. I do. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the width of the passage of the product rack 77 for each size (outer diameter) of the stored product, which facilitates the handling and divides the operation window and the product rack 77 for changing the setting. Is unnecessary, and the structure of the apparatus can be simplified.

Further, since the first product unloading device 1 and the second product unloading device 81 are configured to be mounted on the product rack 77 as described above, the replacement of only the product rack
An existing vending machine can be easily configured as a vending machine for carrying out the present invention, and the versatility is enhanced. Further, the configuration of the first product unloading device 1 and the second product unloading device 81 is different only in the stopper main bodies 11 and 82, and the other components can be shared. Therefore, the number of types of parts can be reduced and the productivity can be improved. it can.

[0059]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the width of the product passage is automatically regulated in accordance with the size (outer diameter) of the product, so that the product is located at a position where it is difficult for a hand to enter. By eliminating the need for manual adjustment of the product passage width of a certain first product unloading device, it is not necessary to divide an opening or a product storage for a setting change operation, thereby simplifying the structure of the device. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the carried-out product support means efficiently separates or heats the second area by reliably separating the first and second areas. Energy saving can be realized.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the first area and the second area are clearly insulated and divided by a simple structure, thereby reducing the production cost and increasing the energy saving effect. Can be.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the vending machine according to the present invention can be easily replaced by replacing the existing vending machine with the commodity rack by providing the commodity rack with the first and second commodity carrying-out devices. Can be configured, and the versatility can be increased.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the first
In addition, the configuration of the second product unloading device is made substantially common to reduce the types of parts, and the width of the product passage according to the size (outer diameter) of the product put into the product rack is adjusted by the first and second products. By enabling automatic processing in the second area, productivity can be improved and handling can be made easier.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine of FIG. 1 excluding a front door and a heat insulating door.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional side view of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a first commodity dispensing device of the vending machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state where the first commodity dispensing apparatuses are arranged back to back and goods are stored in a commodity path.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a first commodity delivery device.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the first product payout device.

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view showing the first commodity delivery device.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a stopper main body of the first commodity delivery device.

10A is a side view showing a stopper main body of the first commodity dispensing apparatus, FIG. 10B is a side view showing a slide member, FIG. 10C is a side view showing a lock member, and FIG. is there.

FIG. 11 is a side sectional view sequentially showing a series of operations from unlocking of the stopper main body of the locked first product unloading device to re-locking.

FIG. 12 is a side sectional view of the first commodity delivery device for explaining the delivery of the commodity, showing a state before an ejector body starts to move.

FIG. 13 is a side sectional view of the first commodity dispensing device continued from FIG. 12 and shows a state immediately after the ejector main body abuts on a commodity for sale.

FIG. 14 is a side sectional view of the first commodity dispensing device continued from FIG. 13 and shows a state in which a lock member is detached from a slide member.

FIG. 15 is a side sectional view of the first commodity dispensing device continued from FIG. 14 and shows a state in which a stopper main body rotates toward an open position.

FIG. 16 is a side sectional view of the first commodity dispensing device following FIG. 15, showing a state in which the stopper main body reaches the open position and the commodity for sale is dispensed;

FIG. 17 is a side sectional view of the first commodity dispensing device continued from FIG. 16 and shows a state in which the stopper main body is rotated to an upper limit position of the guide groove.

FIG. 18 is a side sectional view of the first commodity dispensing device continued from FIG. 17, and when the next-sale commodity supported by the ejector main body falls on the stopper main body, the stopper main body rotates to the closed position. , Shows the locked state.

FIG. 19 is a side cross-sectional view showing a state in which the second commodity delivery devices are arranged back to back with each other, and the commodity is stored in the commodity path.

[Description of Signs] 1 First merchandise unloading device 2 Merchandise passage 2c First area 2d Second area 4 Stopper (conveyed merchandise supporting means) 5 Ejector (holding means) 6 Drive mechanism (driving means) 8 Merchandise outlet Reference Signs List 9 Product introduction port 11 Stopper body 12 Lock means 31 Ejector body 51 Drive motor 66 Product storage 73 Cooler 74 Blower 75 Electric heater 77 Product rack 81 Second product unloading device 82 Stopper body (sales product support means) 101 Automatic vending Machine 116 Sales outlet S Product S1 Sales product (bottom row product) S2 Next sales product (top row product)

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Ryosuke Hisatomi 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka F-term in Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. 3E044 AA01 DB16 DE10 FB05 FB07 FB13

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine that cools or heats a cylindrical product put in a product storage and sells the product through a sales outlet, wherein a first area formed in an upper portion of the product storage is provided; A second region configured below the first region to be cooled or heated, and a product provided between the first region and the second region and provided in the first region. A first product unloading device that unloads the product into the second area, and a second product unloading device that is provided below the second area and discharges the product in the second area to the sales outlet. The first product unloading device supports the lowest commodity in the first area by the closing operation in the standby state, and drops the commodity by the downward opening operation by the own weight of the commodity in the selling state. The rotation direction is always urged upward to allow the Product support means that can be opened and closed between the area and the second area, lock means for enabling the carry-out product support means to be locked in a closed state, and a lock means for closing the carry-out product support means in a closed state. The width of a product passage provided below the first area is regulated in accordance with the outer diameter of the product by being guided and moved so as to protrude between the lower product and the upper product, and the upper product is Holding means for holding and preventing dropping, and driving means for guiding and moving the holding means in a protruding direction between the lowermost product and the uppermost product, wherein the locking means comprises: A vending machine which is unlocked when it is moved to a regulated position according to the outer diameter of a stored product. 2. The unloading product support means closes a product passage for unloading products from the first area to the second area by a door closing operation in a standby state, and connects the first area and the second area. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the vending machine is partitioned. 3. The vending machine according to claim 2, wherein the carried-out product support means is made of a heat insulating member. 4. A merchandise rack is provided in a merchandise storage, and the merchandise rack stores a firstly stocked merchandise.
And a second area to be cooled or heated below the first area, and the apparatus includes the first and second product unloading devices. The vending machine according to any one of the above. 5. The second merchandise unloading device supports the lowest commodity in the second area by a door closing operation in a standby state, and performs a downward opening operation by a self-weight of the commodity in a selling state. Openable / closable sales merchandise support means whose rotation direction is constantly urged upward to allow the goods to fall, sales door lock means for locking the sales merchandise support means in a closed state, and the holding means And the driving means, wherein the selling door locking means is unlocked when the holding means is moved to a regulated position corresponding to the outer diameter of the stored product. The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4.