JP2006048383A - Article-dispensing unit and article-dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article-dispensing device capable of surely dispensing an article inside an article storage box, to the outside a unit. <P>SOLUTION: This article-dispensing unit has a drive force transmission mechanism 420 having a cam 422A rotating by article dispensing operation, and an article push-out member 440 advancing and retreating the inside/outside the article storage box 410 by the rotation of the cam 422A, and the article push-out member 440 is disposed at a height position where the most downward article P among the articles P, P, etc. inside the article storage box 410 can be pushed out toward an article take-out port 252c. Thereby, when the cam 422A is rotated, the article push-out member 440 advances and retreats, so that the most downward article P, among the articles P, P, etc. inside the article storage box 410, is pushed out toward the article take-out port 252c. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an article dispensing unit and an article dispensing apparatus for dispensing, for example, cards, small paper pieces such as stickers and stickers / photos sandwiched between folded cardboards one by one.

  For example, it has a housing that contains a large number of transparent capsules that enclose items such as toys, gum, candy, and chocolate. There is an article dispensing device that dispenses one by one while stirring.

  Such an article dispensing device is a place where the colors and decorations are devised so that the articles in the housing can be seen by the buyer, and the articles can be widely advertised or attracted by customers. Installed. The article to be sold is managed by the manager of the article dispensing device, and the article is regularly replenished or exchanged based on the sales situation of the article and the sales plan for the article.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is one that can easily replenish articles to this kind of article dispensing apparatus (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  The article take-out apparatus (article dispensing apparatus) of Patent Document 1 is configured such that an article storage case is detachably attached to an upper portion of the apparatus body so that the article storage case can be replaced.

According to the article dispensing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the article change in the article storage case is performed by exchanging the article storage case.
JP-A-9-326081 ([0024], FIG. 3)

  However, since the size of the replaceable article storage case is constant in the article dispensing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the amount of articles stored is larger when handling a large article than when handling a small article. Less. For this reason, the remaining amount of the articles tends to be exhausted, and the replenishment must be performed frequently. This is because, when the remaining amount of the article becomes small, the purchase willingness of the purchaser who visually recognizes this state declines, so that the sales volume may be reduced, and this situation needs to be avoided.

  In addition, since articles that can be handled are limited to those that can be encapsulated in a capsule, or those that conform to the shape and size of the capsule, articles that deviate from such a form cannot be handled.

  The present invention has been made to meet such a demand, and among a plurality of article delivery units including a particular article delivery unit having an article extrusion member, at least two article delivery units or a plurality of article delivery units or units having different unit sizes from each other. With the extremely simple configuration of forming a plurality of storage spaces in the unit storage space capable of selectively storing a plurality of article delivery units of a specific combination among the article delivery units, the amount of articles stored in each article delivery unit can be reduced. It can be made uniform in appearance, so that the number of replenishment of good-selling items and relatively large-sized items can be reduced, and the occurrence of misalignment of replenishment timing between good-selling items and bad-quality items can be prevented. Provided is an article dispensing apparatus capable of

  Further, another invention of the present invention includes an article delivery mechanism having a cylindrical cam that rotates by an article delivery operation and an article push-out member that advances and retreats in and out of the article storage box by the rotation of the cylindrical cam. Of these, the article in the article storage box can be reliably discharged out of the unit by a very simple configuration in which the article extruding member is disposed at a height position where the lowest article can be pushed out toward the article outlet. An article dispensing unit is provided.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the first invention has a built-in article storage box for storing articles in a stacked state, and an article outlet for taking out articles in the article storage box out of the unit and the inside of the unit. An article dispensing unit comprising: a unit main body having a visually recognizable viewing window; and an article dispensing mechanism that is disposed within the unit body and dispenses articles from the article storage box to the outside of the unit in response to an article dispensing operation. The article delivery mechanism includes a cylindrical cam that rotates by an article delivery operation, and an article push-out member that advances and retreats in and out of the article storage box by the rotation of the cylindrical cam. An article dispensing unit is provided, wherein the article is disposed at a height position at which a lowermost article can be pushed out toward the article take-out port.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the second invention provides a device main body having a unit accommodating space therein, and a plurality of article dispensing units including the article dispensing unit of the first invention, which is accommodated in the unit accommodating space of the apparatus main body. An article dispensing apparatus comprising a unit and a controller for controlling the article dispensing operation of the article dispensing unit to a possible / impossible state, wherein each unit of the plurality of article dispensing units is provided in the unit accommodation space. A plurality of accommodating space portions capable of selectively accommodating a plurality of article dispensing units of a specific combination among at least two article dispensing units having different sizes or a plurality of the article dispensing units are formed. An article dispensing device is provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of times of replenishment of articles with good sales or relatively large articles, and it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a replenishment timing difference between articles with good sales and articles with poor sales.
Further, according to the present invention, even if the article is not in a capsule form, the article can be reliably paid out of the unit from the inside of the article storage box.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (first and second embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings. The first embodiment is an article dispensing apparatus including eight article dispensing units. The second embodiment is an article dispensing apparatus including two article dispensing units.

[First Embodiment]
(Overall configuration of article dispensing device)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
In FIG. 1, an article dispensing apparatus denoted by reference numeral 1 includes an apparatus main body 2 as a casing, article dispensing units A to H that dispense articles according to an article dispensing operation by an article dispenser, and article dispensing units A to H. And a control unit (controller) 10 for controlling the article dispensing operation to a possible / impossible state.

(Configuration of the apparatus body 2)
As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus main body 2 has a base 2A and a main body 2B. The base portion 2A functions as a seat member of the article dispensing device 1 and is formed of a substantially pentagonal box made entirely of a metal material such as a steel plate. And it is comprised so that the main-body part 2B and the article | item delivery units AH and the control unit 10 may be hold | maintained.

  On the other hand, the main body 2B has a unit accommodating space 100 therein, and is entirely formed of a substantially rectangular box made of the same forming material as the forming material of the base 2A. In the unit accommodating space 100, three large / medium / small article delivery units A (B to E), F (G), and H having different unit sizes (dimensions in the width direction) among the plurality of article delivery units A to H, or these Four accommodation space portions 100A to 100D capable of selectively accommodating a plurality of article delivery units of a specific combination among the large, medium, and small three article delivery units A (B to E), F (G), and H are formed. Yes.

  The unit sizes (width direction dimensions) of the article dispensing units A to E are set to the same dimension, and the unit sizes (width dimension) of the article dispensing units F and G are set to the same dimension.

  The accommodation space portion 100A has an article delivery unit A / B having an intermediate unit size between the maximum unit size and the minimum unit size, and the accommodation space portion 100B has an article delivery unit C. D is accommodated adjacent to each other in the width direction. In the accommodation space 100C, an article delivery unit E having an intermediate unit size and an article delivery unit F / G having a minimum unit size are stored in parallel in the left-right (width) direction. In the accommodation space portion 100D, the article dispensing device H having the maximum unit size is accommodated.

  In the storage spaces 100A and 100B, instead of the intermediate unit size article delivery devices A to D, the maximum unit size article delivery device H, the intermediate unit size article delivery unit E, and the smallest unit size It is possible to accommodate the article dispensing unit F · G and further the article dispensing device F · G having the smallest unit size. Similarly, in the storage spaces 100C and 100D, instead of the article delivery unit E having an intermediate unit size, the article delivery apparatus F / G having the smallest unit size, and the article delivery unit H having the largest unit size, an article delivery apparatus is provided. It is possible to accommodate other article dispensing units such as A and B.

  That is, in the storage spaces 100A to 100D, three large, medium, and small article delivery units A (B to E) and F (G) having different unit sizes (dimensions in the width direction) among the plurality of article delivery units A to H. It is possible to selectively accommodate a plurality of article delivery units of a specific combination of H or these three large, medium and small article delivery units A (B to E), F (G), and H.

(Configuration of the article dispensing units A to E)
FIG. 2 is a view for explaining an article dispensing unit having a medium unit size among a plurality of article dispensing units in the article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is an exploded perspective view showing an article non-storage state. FIG. 2B is a side view showing the article storage state. In the article dispensing unit in FIG. 2B, the handle panel is removed from the article dispensing unit in FIG.

  The article dispensing units B and C have substantially the same configuration as the unit in which the back plate for expanding (reducing) the volume of the unit internal space (article storage unit) is removed from the article dispensing units A, D, and E. Therefore, only the configuration of the article dispensing units A, D, and E will be described, and the description of the configuration of the article dispensing units B and C will be omitted. Since the article dispensing units A, D, and E have substantially the same configuration, only the configuration of one article dispensing unit A will be described, and the description of the configuration of the other article dispensing units D and E will be omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the article dispensing unit A includes a unit main body 200 as a unit housing and a rotor unit as a driving force transmission mechanism (article dispensing mechanism) for dispensing articles P. 300 and a handle 71 for driving the rotor unit 300, and is detachably accommodated in the accommodating space 100A of the apparatus main body 2. The article dispensing unit A is attached to the storage space 100A by locking, and the detachment from the storage space 100A is performed by unlocking.

(Configuration of unit body 200)
The unit main body 200 includes a substantially rectangular structure 25 formed by combining the frame member 25 </ b> A and the column 25 </ b> B, the front panel 5 that forms the front wall of the structure 25, and the side panel 27 that forms the side wall of the structure 25. And a back panel 400 that forms the back wall of the structure 25 and a reinforcing plate 26 for reinforcing the structure 25.

  The structure 25 is made of a metal material. In the upper part of the structure 25, an article storage unit 3A for storing articles P such as toys and gum, candy, and chocolate housed in a transparent capsule is provided. A first guide plate 501 that guides the article P stored in the article storage unit 3A from the outside to the front area of the article storage unit 3A (the back surface of the front panel 5) is provided at the intermediate portion in the structure 25 from the outside. In addition, a second guide plate 35 for guiding the article P of the article storage unit 3A to the accommodation hole 38 is provided. In the lower part of the structure 25, an inclined duct 39 is disposed as an article passage communicating with an article outlet 9A (described later).

  The front panel 5 includes a transparent panel 5A as a visual recognition unit that can visually recognize the article P of the article storage unit 3A, a sign panel 32 that functions as a display board, and a handle 71 for paying out the article P of the article storage unit 3A. It comprises a handle panel 70A for holding. The transparent panel 5 </ b> A has a signboard panel 32 formed of thick paper or the like sandwiched between two transparent resin plates, and is disposed on the front surface of the structure 25. A display lamp 33 (lamp panel) made of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) or the like is disposed above the front panel 5. On the signboard panel 32, characters and the like for advertising the article P in the article storage unit 3A and notifying the amount of the article P are displayed. The handle panel 70A is provided with an article take-out port (article take-out part) 9A for taking out the article P to the outside. Further, the handle panel 70A is provided with a locking portion 74 for preventing the article dispensing units A, D, and E from being detached from the apparatus main body 2 (accommodating space portions 100A to 100C).

  The side panel 27 is made of a transparent panel such as glass and is disposed on both side surfaces of the structure 25. The side panel 27 is not limited to a transparent panel, and may be formed of an opaque panel.

  The back panel 400 includes a first back plate 401 for closing a part of the rear opening of the structure 25 and a box-shaped second back plate 21 for expanding the volume of the article storage unit 3A. It is arranged on the back part. The first back plate 401 is provided with a through window 401A that opens in the front-rear direction. The second back plate 21 is detachably disposed on the outer peripheral edge of the through window 401 </ b> A while being exposed to the outside of the structure 25. The second back plate 21 can also be disposed on the inner opening periphery of the through window 401 </ b> A in a state of being housed inside the structure 25. In this case, the volume of the article storage unit 3A is reduced.

  The reinforcing plate 26 is located below the side panel 27 and is disposed on both side surfaces of the structure 25. And it is comprised so that the structure 25 may be reinforced as mentioned above.

(Configuration of rotor unit 300)
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view for explaining a rotor unit of an article dispensing unit having an intermediate unit size among a plurality of article dispensing units in the article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the rotor unit 300 includes a unit base 300 </ b> A as a unit base, a rotor 31 that is rotated by a handle rotation operation by an article dispenser (article purchaser), and a plurality (5) that rotate together with the rotor 31. And a rotor spacer 320 capable of holding an article P in an accommodation hole 38 (described later) of each of the hole bases 310, and a unit main body 200 (both shown in FIG. 2) in the structure 25. The upper space (article storage unit 3A) and the lower space are separated from each other.

  The unit base 300A has a bottomed round cylindrical base main body 301 and a flange 302 protruding on the outer peripheral surface of the base main body 301, and the whole is formed of a resin material. A connection window 300 a that opens in front of the apparatus main body 2 is provided on the peripheral wall of the base main body 301. At the bottom of the base body 301, a boss 303 with a shaft insertion hole 303A located in the unit base 300A and a guide hole 301A communicating with the article discharge outlet 9A via the inclined duct 39 are provided. Also, at the bottom of the base body 301, there are provided three leg insertion holes 301B through which legs 322 (described later) of the rotor spacer 320 can be inserted, and screw insertion holes 301C for fixing the rotor spacer 320 to the unit base 300A. It has been. A plurality of article dropping springs 37 (shown in FIG. 2) for dropping the article P into the accommodation hole 38 are mounted on the collar 302 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Yes. Further, presser pieces 305 and 306 for restricting the upward movement of the rotor 31 are attached to the collar portion 302.

  The rotor 31 is disposed in the unit base 300A and is rotatably supported by the boss 303 of the base body 301, and is entirely formed of an annular plate made of the same resin material as the unit base 300A. Within the rotor 31, there are a cap holding rotor central portion 31A having a shaft insertion hole 31a at the rotor central position, and a plurality (five) of hole base mounting portions 31B arranged in parallel at equal intervals around the rotor central portion 31A. It is arranged. A gear portion 36 that meshes with a gear 73 (described later) of the handle 71 is provided on the outer peripheral edge of the rotor 31. A rotor cap 307 having a shaft 307A that is inserted into the shaft insertion holes 303A and 31a is held on the rotor center portion 31A of the rotor 31. On the rotor cap 307, a plurality of (three) article stirring springs 304 arranged in parallel at equal intervals in the circumferential direction are attached. A U nut 308 is screwed to the insertion end of the shaft 307 </ b> A of the rotor cap 307.

  Each hole base 310 has an accommodation hole 38 having an opening size corresponding to the outer size of the article P, is detachably attached to each hole base attachment portion 31B of the rotor 31, and is entirely formed of a resin material. . And each hole base 310 is comprised so that it can replace | exchange according to the size and kind of the goods P stored in the goods storage part 3A. Each accommodation hole 38 is disposed at a position that communicates with the inclined duct 39 (the guide hole 301 </ b> A of the base body 301) by the rotation operation of the rotor 31 by the rotation operation of the handle 71.

  The rotor spacer 320 includes a spacer main body 321 for holding the article P below the accommodation hole 38, and three leg portions 322 (only one is shown) corresponding to the leg insertion holes 301B of the base main body 301. The rotor 31 and the unit base 300A are interposed. The spacer body 321 is provided with a notch 321A for guiding articles that can communicate with the receiving hole 38 and the guide hole 301A, and a screw hole 321B corresponding to the screw insertion hole 301C of the base body 301. An annular spacer felt 323 having a notch 323A for releasing an article is disposed on the upper surface of the spacer main body 321. The leg portion 322 is provided with a screw hole (not shown) that opens to the front end surface (lower end surface) and that corresponds to the screw insertion hole 301 </ b> C of the base body 301.

  Here, when the article P having a relatively large outer size is stored in the article storage unit 3A, the leg 322 is inserted into the insertion hole 301B of the base body 301, and the spacer body 321 is replaced with the unit base 300A (base body 301). The rotor spacer 320 is attached to the unit base 300A using the screw insertion hole 301C of the base body 301 and the screw hole 321B of the spacer body 321. On the other hand, when the article P having a relatively small outer size is stored in the article storage unit 3A, after the leg portion 322 inserted into the insertion hole 301B of the base body 301 is pulled out, the rotor spacer 320 is shifted in the circumferential direction. The leg 322 is placed on the bottom of the unit base 300A (base body 301), and the rotor spacer 320 is attached to the unit base 300A using the screw insertion hole 301C of the base body 301 and the screw hole (not shown) of the leg 322. Install.

  In addition, as the forming material of each component (unit base 300A, rotor 31, hole base 310, rotor spacer 320) in the rotor unit 300, the article P stored in the article storage unit 3A includes food. For example, polyacetal having excellent safety is preferable. Further, when the rotor 31 is a large rotor, it is preferable to form the rotor 31 in a divided manner in order to improve mass productivity.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the handle 71 has a handle shaft 72 and is rotatably disposed on the handle panel 70A. The handle shaft 72 is restricted from rotating by the handle lock portion 43A. A gear 73 that meshes with the gear portion 36 of the rotor 31 is fixed to the handle shaft 72. The handle lock portion 43A engages a plunger (not shown) with the handle shaft 72 to restrict the rotation of the handle 71 (handle shaft 72), and locks based on the insertion of coins into the coin insertion slot 13 (described later). The handle 71 can be rotated by releasing the engaged state between the plunger and the handle shaft 72 by inputting a release signal.

(Structure of the goods dispensing unit F / G)
FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which the article dispensing unit having the smallest unit size among the plurality of article dispensing units in the article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention is viewed from the front. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the article dispensing unit of FIG. 4 as viewed from the side. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a main part of FIG. FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the driving force transmission mechanism of the remaining amount display board in the article dispensing unit of FIG. FIG. 7A is a side view showing a state before the driving force transmission by the driving force transmission mechanism is started. FIG. 7B is a side view showing a state immediately after the driving force transmission by the driving force transmission mechanism is started. FIG. 7C is a side view showing a state during the driving force transmission by the driving force transmission mechanism. FIG. 8 is a view for explaining a display state of the remaining amount presence / absence display plate operated by driving of the driving force transmission mechanism in FIG. Fig.8 (a) is a front view which shows the state which looked at the residual amount presence / absence display board shown to Fig.7 (a) from the front part of the goods delivery unit. FIG. 8B is a front view showing a state in which the remaining amount presence / absence display plate shown in FIG. 7B is viewed from the front side of the article dispensing unit. FIG.8 (c) is a front view which shows the state which looked at the residual amount presence / absence display board shown in FIG.7 (c) from the front part of the goods delivery unit.

  Since the article dispensing units F and G have a common unit housing and the configuration of each component is substantially the same, only the configuration of one article dispensing unit F will be described, and the other article dispensing unit F A description of the configuration of G is omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the article dispensing unit F includes a unit main body 405 as a unit housing, an article storage box 410 that stores cards as articles P, and an article P in the article storage box 410. Driving force transmission mechanism 420 for paying out, handle 430 for driving the driving force transmission mechanism 420, article push-out member 440 that moves forward and backward by driving the driving force transmission mechanism 420 by rotating the handle 430, and article storage box 1 includes a weight 450 for pressing the article P in 410 in the direction of gravity, and a remaining amount presence / absence display plate 460 that is rotated by the pressing of the weight 450, and is disposed adjacent to the article dispensing unit E as shown in FIG. And is detachably accommodated in the accommodating space 100C of the apparatus main body 2. The article dispensing unit F is attached to the storage space 100C by locking, and the detachment from the storage space 100C is performed by unlocking.

(Configuration of unit body 405)
The unit main body 405 includes a substantially rectangular structure 250 that opens forward, and a front panel 251 that forms a front wall of the structure 250.
The structure 250 is made of a metal material. In the structure 250, a space 250A for accommodating the article storage box 410, the driving force transmission mechanism 420, and the like is formed.

  The front panel 251 includes a transparent panel 251A that allows the space 250A of the structure 250 to be visually recognized and a handle panel 252C that holds the handle 430. The front panel of the structure 250 is indicated by a solid line and a two-dot chain line in FIG. It is pivotally supported so that it can be opened and closed. A display lamp 480 (lamp panel) made up of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) or the like is disposed above the front panel 251. A lock part 481 for preventing the front panel 251 from being released from the apparatus main body 2 (shown in FIG. 1) is disposed on the side of the display lamp 480.

  The handle panel 252C is provided with a transparent window 252b through which the remaining amount display panel 460 can be visually recognized. On the front surface of the handle panel 252C, characters or the like for advertising the article P in the article storage box 410 or notifying the amount of the article P are displayed. A holder 253 that holds the article storage box 410 and the driving force transmission mechanism 420 is disposed on the rear surface of the handle panel 252C. Further, the handle panel 252C is provided with an article outlet 252c for taking out the article P to the outside.

  The article storage box 410 has a space portion 410 </ b> A for storing the article P in a stacked state, is disposed on the back surface of the front panel 251 with a predetermined interval, and is held on the holder 253. The article storage box 410 is provided with an article insertion / extraction opening 410 </ b> B that opens upward and enables the article P to be stored, replenished, and collected. As shown in FIG. 4, a guide hole 410C for guiding the hook 450A of the weight 450 in the vertical direction (vertical direction of the article storage box 410) and both sides of the guide hole 410C are juxtaposed on the front surface of the article storage box 410. Card viewing windows 410D and 410E are provided. On the back surface of the article storage box 410, a guide hole for guiding the hook 450B of the weight 450 in the vertical direction and an extrusion member insertion / extraction port (both not shown) for inserting and extracting the article extrusion member 440 are provided. The article P stored in the article storage box 410 uses a card or a small piece of paper such as a sticker or a sticker / photo that is sandwiched between two thick cardboards.

  As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the driving force transmission mechanism 420 includes a shaft 421 that extends along the handle axis of the handle 430 and a cylinder 422 that rotates when the handle 430 is rotated by the purchaser. It is disposed in the structure 250 and is held by a holder 253 via a bracket 423.

Both ends of the shaft 421 are fixed to the bracket 423 and inserted into the cylinder 422.
The cylinder 422 is rotatably disposed around the shaft 421 and is connected to the handle shaft of the handle 430. On the outer peripheral surface of the cylinder 422, a spiral cam 422A for applying an advancing / retreating force to the article pushing member 440 is disposed.

  The handle 430 has a handle shaft and is rotatably disposed on the handle panel 252C. As with the handle 71 (shown in FIG. 2), the handle shaft is restricted from rotating by a handle lock portion (not shown). Note that the overload in the rotational operation direction with respect to the handle shaft is absorbed by an overload absorbing member (not shown). Similarly to the handle lock portion 43A (shown in FIG. 2), the handle lock portion also engages a plunger (not shown) with the handle shaft to restrict the rotation of the handle 430, and to the coin slot 13 (described later). The handle 430 can be rotated by releasing the engagement state between the plunger and the handle shaft by inputting a lock release signal based on the insertion of coins.

  The article extruding member 440 has a pair of rollers 440A and 440B that roll along the cam 422A, and is disposed in the holder 253 so as to be able to advance and retreat. Moreover, the article | item extrusion member 440 is arrange | positioned in the height position which can push out the lowest article | item P among articles | goods P, P, ... in the article | item storage box 410 toward the article | item outlet 252c. Then, by rotating the cylinder 422 by rotating the handle 430, the inside and outside of the article storage box 410 are moved forward and backward in the front-rear direction of the unit main body 405 (device main body 2) (the opening direction of the article take-out port 252c).

  Accordingly, when the handle 430 is rotated clockwise by the rotation operation of the purchaser, the article pushing member 440 is moved from the standby position (advance position) indicated by the solid line in FIGS. 5 and 6 to the retracted position indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. evacuate. In this case, when the article extruding member 440 is retracted from the standby position to the retracted position, the articles P, P,... In the article storage box 410 are lowered by the weight 450, and the lowermost article P is the article take-out port 252c and the article extruding member. It is arranged at the same height as 440. Thereafter, when the handle 430 is further rotated clockwise by the rotation operation of the purchaser, the article pushing member 440 advances from the retracted position to the standby position, and the lowermost of the articles P, P,. The article P is pushed out toward the article take-out port 252c.

  The weight 450 includes a weight main body 450C that presses the article P in the article storage box 410 downward (the bottom of the article storage box 410), and a pair of hooks 450A and 450B that project forward and backward of the weight 450C. The box 410 is disposed so as to be movable up and down.

  The weight main body 450C is disposed on the uppermost article P among the articles P, P,... In the article storage box 410, and the height position of the weight main body 450C is varied according to the storage amount of the article P in the article storage box 410. It is configured as follows.

  The hooks 450A and 450B are partly exposed to the outside of the article storage box 410 through the guide holes 410C and attached to the front and rear end edges of the weight body 450C, respectively. Of these, the hook 450 </ b> A is configured to function as a driving force transmission member for the remaining amount presence / absence display plate 460.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the remaining amount presence / absence display plate 460 is formed of a U-shaped pivot member having a display portion 460A and a non-display portion 460B, and is disposed between the front panel 251 and the article storage box 410, and It is pivotally supported in the vicinity of the transparent window 252b. Thereby, the purchaser or the like is configured to be able to know the presence or absence of the article P in the article storage box 410. When the hook 450A is not in contact with the remaining amount display plate 460, the shaft that pivotally supports the remaining amount display plate 460 so that the posture of the remaining amount display plate 460 is in the state shown in FIG. A coil spring is attached to the coil, one end of the spring is fixed to a fixed system, and the other end is fixed to a part of the remaining amount presence / absence display plate 460. You may make it take the attitude.

  Thereby, the purchaser or the like can know the presence or absence of the article P in the article storage box 410. In this case, in the non-pressed state of the hook 450A with respect to the remaining amount presence / absence display plate 460 (the state shown in FIG. 7A), as shown in FIG. The transparent window 252b is arranged (exposed) in a substantially upright state, and therefore, the non-display portion 460B of the remaining amount display plate 460 is visually recognized by the purchaser or the like, and the “remaining” of the article P in the article storage box 410 is displayed. It is possible to know the “amount” state.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, the remaining amount display plate 460 starts to rotate clockwise by the pressing of the hook 450A due to further lowering of the weight 450, and the remaining amount display as shown in FIG. 8B. The display portion 460A of the plate 460 is disposed (exposed) in the transparent window 252b in an inclined state. For this reason, a part of the display portion 460A is visually recognized by the purchaser or the like, and the “remaining item P” in the article storage box 410 is displayed. It is possible to know the “low amount (remaining amount)” state.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 7 (c), the remaining amount presence / absence display plate 460 is further rotated clockwise by the pressing of the hook 450A due to the lowering of the weight 450, and as shown in FIG. 8 (c), the remaining amount display plate 460. The display unit 460A is placed (exposed) in the transparent window 252b in a substantially upright state, and therefore, the purchaser and the like can visually recognize all of the display unit 460A, and the “remaining amount of the article P in the article storage box 410” "None" status can be known.

(Configuration of the article dispensing unit H)
FIG. 9 is a view for explaining an article dispensing unit having a maximum unit size among a plurality of article dispensing units in the article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a view for explaining an article stirring spring in the article dispensing unit of FIG. FIG. 10A is a perspective view, and FIG. 10B is a front view.

  The article delivery unit H is different from the article delivery unit A / D / E shown in FIG. 2 in unit size (width dimension) (the unit size of the article delivery unit H is greater than the unit size of the article delivery unit A / D / E). Accordingly, the size of each component is set to be larger than the size of each component of the article dispensing unit A, D, E. In addition, since the components other than the article stirring spring are configured substantially the same, only the configuration of the article stirring spring (peripheral mechanism) will be described, and the configuration of other components will be described. Is omitted. 9 and 10, the same or equivalent members as in FIG. 2 (except for the article stirring spring) are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  At the center of the rotor 31 of the article dispensing unit H shown in FIG. 9, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), a holder made up of two upper and lower spring holders 701 and 702 facing each other via a column 700. A mechanism 710 is provided. The strut 700 is disposed on an imaginary line passing through the approximate center of the rotor 31.

  The upper spring holder 701 is provided with a pair of first springs 703 and 704 for stirring articles that are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction at a predetermined interval. The first springs 703 and 704 are arranged at an eccentric position that is bent from the center of the first spring 703 and 704 and separated from the center of the rotor 31.

  In the lower spring holder 702, a pair of second springs 705 and 706 for stirring articles are arranged in parallel in the horizontal direction at a predetermined interval. The second spring 705 is bent at an intermediate portion on the opposite side to the bending direction of the first spring 704, and is arranged at an eccentric position that is substantially symmetric with respect to the eccentric center position of the first spring 704. The second spring 706 is bent to the side opposite to the bending direction of the first spring 703, and is arranged at an eccentric position that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the roller center with respect to the eccentric position of the first spring 703.

(Configuration of control unit 10)
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a circuit of a control unit in the article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 10 includes a unit main body 600 (shown in FIG. 1) as a unit housing and an operation panel for generating selection signals for the article dispensing units A to H by a button operation of the purchaser. 12, a coin mechanism 15 that processes inserted coins to generate a coin processing signal, and a signal processing device 601 that processes each signal, and a central portion of a unit housing space 100 (both shown in FIG. 1) of the device main body 2. Is detachably accommodated.

  A safe (not shown) for storing coins that have passed through the coin mechanism 15 is disposed in the unit main body 600. The operation panel 12 has a plurality of selection buttons corresponding to the article dispensing units A to H, and is disposed on the front surface of the unit main body 600. The coin mechanism 15 has a coin insertion slot 13 for inserting coins as a price for the article P and a coin return slot 14 for returning coins, and has a built-in coin processing unit 42 and disposed in the unit main body 600. Has been.

  The signal processing device 601 is operated by an operator during maintenance / inspection, and an input unit 45 such as a keyboard for instructing execution of registration / reading / maintenance of various settings, and data and sales set based on the various settings. Storage unit 44 having a data storage unit 44A for storing quantity data and the like along with the sales date and program storage unit 44B for storing a program such as a maintenance program, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) for displaying the results of various settings and operation tests, etc. Display unit 11 and a control unit 41 for controlling each unit. The control unit 41 has a built-in clock circuit (not shown) for adding sales date and time to the sales volume data.

  Further, the signal processing device 601 includes a printer (not shown) that prints out data set by various settings and data such as sales volume based on the maintenance program stored in the program storage unit 44B.

  When the signal processing device 601 satisfies the sales condition based on the selection signal of the article dispensing units A to H inputted from the operation panel 12 and the coin processing signal inputted according to the price from the coin mechanism 15, the corresponding article is obtained. Lock release signals are output to the handle lock portions 43A to 43H of the payout units A to H. Accordingly, the handle lock portions 43A to 43H electrically release the lock state of the handle 71 (shown in FIG. 1) in response to the lock release signal. As a result, the purchaser can rotate the handle 71.

(Operation of article dispensing apparatus 1)
The purchaser selects an article dispensing unit in which the article P he / she wishes to purchase is stored from the article dispensing units A to H, and inserts coins corresponding to the amount into the coin insertion slot 13. The coin processing unit 42 of the coin mechanism 15 determines whether the inserted coin is appropriate based on the material, the outer diameter, etc., distributes the coin determined to be “appropriate” to a predetermined coin passage, and guides it to the safe. Also, the denomination is determined in this process, and the total amount of coins inserted is output to the control unit 41. The control unit 41 lights up the selection button of the operation panel 12 corresponding to the total amount to notify the purchaser that “sale is possible”.

  Next, the purchaser presses the selection button corresponding to the article dispensing unit in which the article P that he / she wishes to purchase is stored among the lit selection buttons. For example, when the purchaser presses a selection button for selecting the article dispensing unit A, a selection signal is input to the control unit 41. Based on the selection signal, the control unit 41 outputs the sales number data to the storage unit 44 and outputs the unlock signal to the handle lock unit 43A. When the sales number data is input from the control unit 41, the storage unit 44 accumulates the sales number data of the article dispensing unit A in the data storage unit 44A.

  Thereafter, the purchaser manually rotates the handle 71 of the article dispensing unit A clockwise. The rotational force of the handle 71 is transmitted to the gear 73 via the handle shaft 72. The rotational force from the gear 73 is transmitted to the rotor 31, and accordingly, the rotor 31 rotates and the article P accommodated in the accommodation hole 38 is guided to the guide hole 301A (shown in FIG. 3). Thereby, one article P is paid out from the guide hole 301 </ b> A and falls into the inclined duct 39. The inclined duct 39 guides the article P to the article outlet 9A along the inclined surface. The handle 71 is electrically locked again by the handle lock portion 43A after one rotation.

  Then, the purchaser takes out the article P from the article outlet 9A by opening the flapper of the article outlet 9A with fingers.

  When the article P is sold in this manner, the storage amount of the article handled by the article dispensing units A to H varies depending on whether it is sold out or unsold. Next, an operation for changing the unit increase / decrease of the article dispensing apparatus 1 based on the actual number of sales in the article dispensing units A to H will be described.

(Unit increase / decrease change of article dispensing device 1)
FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a procedure for unit increase / decrease change of the article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing an arrangement example of the article dispensing units of the article dispensing apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13A is a front view showing an arrangement example (1) of the article dispensing unit. FIG. 13B is a front view showing an arrangement example (2) of the article dispensing unit.
In the unit increase / decrease change of the present embodiment, “installation of item delivery device”, “initial setting”, “sales start”, “sale status survey”, “operation of input unit”, “unit increase / decrease”, and “article” Since each process of “replenishment” is sequentially performed, each of these processes will be described sequentially.

"Installation of goods dispensing equipment"
First, the administrator of the article dispensing apparatus 1 installs the article dispensing apparatus 1 at a place such as a store where many buyers gather (step S10). In this case, as shown in FIG. 13A, the article dispensing units A and B are in the accommodating space portion 100A, the article dispensing units C and D are in the accommodating space portion 100B, and the article dispensing units E, F, and G are in the accommodating space. It is assumed that the article dispensing unit H is accommodated in the accommodating space portion 100D in the portion 100C.

"Initial setting"
The administrator operates the input unit 45 of the control unit 10 to perform the initial setting of the article dispensing device 1 in the storage unit 44 so as to accumulate the sales quantity data generated based on the sale of the article P (step S11). ).

"Sales start"
The administrator stores the article P in each article storage unit 3A of each article dispensing unit A to H and starts selling the article P (step S12). When the purchaser selects and purchases the item P from the item dispensing units A to H, the sales number data of the purchased item P is accumulated in the data storage unit 44A of the storage unit 44.

“Investigation of sales status”
When a certain period of time (for example, two weeks as a replenishment cycle of the article P) has elapsed since the start of the sale of the article P, the manager investigates the sales situation (the remaining amount of the article P) (step S13). In this case, if there is a remaining amount of the article P (YES in step S13), the process proceeds to step S14. If there is no remaining amount of the article P (NO in step 13), the sale of the article P is stopped. After the sale of the article P is stopped, for example, the article P based on a new sales plan is replenished to the article dispensing units A to H and the sale is performed.

"Input section operation"
The administrator operates the input unit 45 of the control unit 10 so that the maintenance program is executed (step S14). Here, the maintenance program is read from the program storage unit 44 </ b> B by the control unit 41, whereby the sales quantity data for each article P of the article dispensing units A to H is displayed on the display unit 11.

"Increase or decrease unit"
The manager determines whether or not there is a need to increase / decrease the article dispensing units A to H based on the displayed sales quantity data and the storage amount of the article P of the article dispensing units A to H (step S15). Here, for example, the article P is already sold out in the article dispensing unit F / G, and the period from the sales date / time to the sold out of the sales number data is several days. In the article dispensing unit B, the remaining amount of the article P is If it is larger than the payout unit C, it is determined that there is a “necessity” of the unit increase / decrease change (YES in step S15), and the goods payout unit B (intermediate size goods payout unit) as shown in FIG. ) Is removed from the storage space 100A, and the article delivery unit FG (intermediate size article delivery unit) is stored in the storage space 100A (step 16). If the administrator determines that the unit increase / decrease change is “no need” (NO in step S15), the process proceeds to step S17 without changing the unit increase / decrease.

"Supplement of goods"
The administrator replenishes the article delivery units A to H with the article P (S17). Next, the input unit 45 of the control unit 10 is operated to execute the sales volume data reset process in the data storage unit 44A, the maintenance program is terminated, and the process returns to step S12. In the subsequent sales process, sales number data generated based on the sale of the article P is accumulated in the data storage unit 44A of the storage unit 44.

(Effects of the first embodiment)
According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The arrangement of the article dispensing units A to H according to the sales of the article P can be performed by changing the unit. For this reason, even if there is a difference in the sales amount of the article P between the article dispensing units A to H, the remaining amount can be apparently made uniform, and the number of times of replenishing a good-selling article or a relatively large article Can be reduced, and a shift in the replenishment timing between the good-selling goods and the bad-selling goods can be prevented.

(2) About the good-selling goods P, since specific goods delivery unit AH which stores this goods P can be accommodated and increased in the unit accommodation space 100, even if the number of sales increases, it is sold out. It does not occur.

(3) Since the article dispensing units A to H that store the article P can be removed from the unit accommodating space 100 and reduced with respect to the article P with poor sales, the remaining amount is compared with the article P with good sales. It can be sold with uniform appearance, and it is possible to prevent overstocking.

(4) Unit increase / decrease can be realized by accommodating (attaching) / removing (detaching) the article dispensing units A to H in the unit accommodating space 100, and the apparatus configuration is not complicated.

(5) The driving force transmission mechanism (article delivery mechanism) 420 has a cam 422A (cylindrical cam) that rotates by an article delivery operation, and an article push-out member 440 that advances and retreats inside and outside the article storage box 410 by rotation of the cam 433A. Since the article extruding member is disposed at a height position at which the lowermost article P among the articles P, P,... In the article storage box 410 can be pushed out toward the article outlet 252c, when the cam 422A rotates, The article push-out member 440 advances and retreats, and the lowermost article P among the articles P, P,... In the article storage box 410 is pushed toward the article take-out port 252c. For this reason, the articles P (cards) in the article storage box 410 can be reliably paid out of the article dispensing unit F.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the accommodation space portions 100A to 100D of the article dispensing units A to H are arranged at positions corresponding to two rows and two rows of the unit accommodation space 100 (two in the vertical and horizontal directions) will be described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the layout and number of the accommodating space portions can be changed as appropriate.

  Further, in the present embodiment, a plurality of large / medium / small three article dispensing units A to H having different unit sizes (width-direction dimensions) or a plurality of large / medium / small three article dispensing units A to H are used. Although the case where the article dispensing unit is selectively accommodated in the four accommodating spaces 100A to 100D has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, three large, medium, and small articles having different unit sizes (width direction dimensions). Among the dispensing units and the article dispensing units that are smaller (larger) than these large, medium, and small three article dispensing units, or among these large, medium and small three article dispensing units, and those that are smaller (larger) than these large, medium, and small three article dispensing units Selectively accommodate multiple goods dispensing units in a specific combination in multiple storage spaces In other words, a plurality of article delivery units having a plurality of article delivery units, each having a unit size (dimension in the width direction) of different sizes, or a plurality of article delivery units in a specific combination among a plurality of article delivery units. It can also be accommodated selectively in the part. That is, in short, the present invention provides a plurality of accommodation space portions including a plurality of article delivery units of a specific combination among at least two article delivery units having a different unit size among a plurality of article delivery units or a plurality of article delivery units. Can be accommodated selectively.

[Second Embodiment]
(Overall configuration of article dispensing device)
FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing an article dispensing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. 14, the same or equivalent members as those in FIGS. 1 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 14, an article dispensing apparatus denoted by reference numeral 1000 includes an apparatus main body 1012 as a casing, an article dispensing unit I that dispenses an article P in response to an article dispensing operation by an article dispenser, and an article that is processed by processing input coins. A coin mechanism 15 that mechanically controls the article dispensing operation of the dispensing unit I to a possible / impossible state.

(Configuration of apparatus main body 1012)
As shown in FIG. 14, the apparatus main body 1012 has a base portion 1012A and a main body portion 1012B. The base portion 1012A functions as a seat member of the article dispensing device 1000, and is entirely formed of a box made of, for example, a reinforced resin material. And it is comprised so that the main-body part 1012B and the goods delivery unit I may be hold | maintained. A safe 35B for storing coins that have passed through the coin mechanism 15 is disposed in the base portion 1012A.

  On the other hand, the main body portion 1012B has a unit storage space 1100 therein, and is entirely formed of a substantially rectangular box made of the same forming material as the forming material of the base portion 1012A. Two article dispensing units I and I are disposed in the unit storage space 1100.

(Structure of the article dispensing unit I)
The article dispensing unit I includes a unit main body 200 as a unit housing, an article dispensing mechanism (the driving force transmission mechanism 420 in FIG. 5) for dispensing the article P, and a handle 71 for driving the driving force transmission mechanism 420. And is detachably accommodated in the unit accommodation space 1100 of the apparatus main body 2. Note that the article dispensing unit I is attached to the unit accommodation space 1100 by locking, and detached from the unit accommodation space 1100 by unlocking.

  In the structure 25 (shown in FIG. 2) in the unit main body 200, in addition to cards, an article storage box 410 (see FIG. 5) that stores small paper pieces such as stickers and stickers / photos sandwiched between two folded cardboards. Is shown).

  In the present embodiment, the case of the article dispensing apparatus 1000 including a plurality (two) of article dispensing units I and I has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a single article dispensing unit is provided. It may be an article dispensing device provided.

(Effect of the second embodiment)
According to the second embodiment described above, since the driving force transmission mechanism 420 shown in the first embodiment is provided, when the cam 422A of the driving force transmission mechanism 420 rotates, the article push-out member 440 advances and retreats. The lowermost article P among the articles P, P,... In the article storage box 410 is pushed out toward the article outlet 252c. For this reason, the article P in the article storage box 410 can be reliably paid out of the article dispensing unit I.

The perspective view which shows the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure shown in order to demonstrate the goods delivery unit whose unit size is a middle size among the several goods delivery units in the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The disassembled perspective view shown in order to demonstrate the rotor unit of the article delivery unit whose unit size is an intermediate size among a plurality of article delivery units in the article delivery device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The front view which shows the state which looked at the goods delivery unit with the smallest unit size among several goods delivery units in the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention from the front. Sectional drawing which shows the state which looked at the goods delivery unit of FIG. 4 from the side. Sectional drawing which shows the principal part of FIG. The figure shown in order to demonstrate the drive force transmission mechanism of the residual amount presence / absence display board in the article | item delivery apparatus of FIG. The figure shown in order to demonstrate the display state of the residual amount presence / absence display board which operate | moves by the drive of the driving force transmission mechanism in FIG. The figure shown in order to demonstrate the goods delivery unit with the largest unit size among the some goods delivery units in the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure shown in order to demonstrate the spring for goods stirring in the goods delivery unit of FIG. The block diagram which shows the circuit of the control unit in the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The flowchart which shows the procedure about the unit increase / decrease change of the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The figure which shows typically the example of arrangement | positioning of the goods delivery unit of the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view which shows the goods delivery apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Goods delivery apparatus, 2 ... Apparatus main body, 2A ... Base part, 2B ... Main body part, 3A ... Goods storage part, 5 ... Front panel, 9A ... Goods outlet, 10 ... Control unit, 11 ... Display part, 12 ... Operation panel, 13 ... Coin slot, 14 ... Coin return slot, 15 ... Coin mechanism, 21 ... Second back plate, 25 ... Structure, 25A ... Frame member, 25B ... Post, 26 ... Reinforcement plate, 27 ... Side panel 31 ... Rotor, 31A ... Rotor center part, 31B ... Hall base mounting part, 31a ... Shaft insertion hole, 32 ... Signboard panel, 33 ... Display lamp, 35 ... Second guide plate, 35B ... Safe, 36 ... Gear part, 38 ... accommodating hole, 39 ... inclined duct, 41 ... control unit, 42 ... coin processing unit, 43A to 43H ... handle lock unit, 44 ... storage unit, 44A ... data storage unit, 44B ... program storage unit, 45 ... input unit , 7 A ... handle panel, 71 ... handle, 72 ... handle shaft, 73 ... gear, 74 ... locking part, 100 ... unit accommodation space, 100A to 100D ... accommodation space part, 200 ... unit body, 250 ... structure, 250A ... space 251 ... Front panel, 251A ... Transparent panel, 252b ... Transparent window, 252c ... Goods outlet, 252C ... Handle panel, 253 ... Holder, 300 ... Rotor unit, 300A ... Unit base, 301 ... Base body, 301A ... Induction Hole, 301B ... Leg insertion hole, 301C ... Screw insertion hole, 303 ... Boss, 303A ... Shaft insertion hole, 304 ... Spring, 305, 306 ... Presser piece, 307A ... Shaft, 307 ... Rotor cap, 308 ... U nut, 310 ... Hall base, 320 ... Rotor spacer, 321 ... Spacer body, 21A ... Notch, 321B ... Screw hole, 322 ... Leg, 322A ... Screw hole, 323 ... Spacer felt, 323A ... Notch, 400 ... Back panel, 401 ... First back plate, 401A ... Through window, 405 ... Unit 410, article storage box, 410C, guide hole, 410D, 410E, card viewing window, 420, driving force transmission mechanism, 421, shaft, 422, cylinder, 422A, cam, 423, bracket, 430 ... handle, 440 ... article extruding member, 440A, 440B ... roller, 450 ... weight, 450A, 450B ... hook, 450C ... weight body, 460 ... remaining amount display plate, 460A ... display portion, 460B ... non-display portion, 480 ... Display lamp, 481 ... Locking part, 501 ... First guide plate, 600 ... Unit body , 601 ... Signal processing device, 700 ... Column, 701, 702 ... Spring holder, 703, 704 ... First spring, 705, 706 ... Second spring, 710 ... Holder mechanism, 1000 ... Article delivery unit, 1012 ... Device main body, 1012A: Base unit, 1012B: Main unit, 1100: Unit housing space, A to I: Article dispensing unit, P: Article

Claims (6)

A unit main body having a built-in article storage box for storing articles in a stacked state, an article outlet for taking out the article in the article storage box out of the unit, and a visual recognition window for visually recognizing the inside of the unit;
An article dispensing unit provided in the unit main body and provided with an article dispensing mechanism that dispenses articles from the article storage box to the outside of the unit in response to an article dispensing operation,
The article dispensing mechanism has a cylindrical cam that rotates by an article dispensing operation, and an article push-out member that advances and retreats inside and outside the article storage box by the rotation of the cylindrical cam,
The article ejecting unit, wherein the article extruding member is disposed at a height position at which a lowermost article among the articles in the article storage box can be pushed toward the article outlet.   The article dispensing unit according to claim 1, wherein the article pushing member is provided with a roller that can roll on the cylindrical cam. A weight that is disposed in the article storage box so as to be movable up and down, and has a weight body for holding the article and a hook for pressing the display member,
Further comprising a remaining amount display member disposed in the vicinity of the lowermost article pressing position of the weight and reciprocating by pressing and non-pressing of the hook,
The said remaining amount presence / absence display member has a display part exposed in the said visual recognition window in the press state by the said hook, and a non-display part exposed in the said visual recognition window in the non-pressing state by the said hook. Goods delivery unit.   The article dispensing unit according to claim 3, wherein the article storage box is provided with a guide hole for guiding the hook. An apparatus main body having a unit housing space therein;
A plurality of article dispensing units including the article dispensing unit according to any one of claims 1 to 4, housed in a unit housing space of the apparatus main body,
An article dispensing apparatus comprising a controller for controlling the article dispensing operation of the article dispensing unit to a possible / impossible state,
In the unit accommodating space, at least two article dispensing units having different unit sizes from each other among the plurality of article dispensing units or a plurality of article dispensing units by a specific combination among the plurality of article dispensing units are selectively selected. An article dispensing apparatus, wherein a plurality of accommodating space portions that can be accommodated are formed.   The plurality of accommodation space portions include a plurality of large, medium, and small article dispensing units having different unit sizes among the plurality of article dispensing units, or a plurality of article dispensing units by a specific combination among these three large, medium, and small article dispensing units. 6. The article dispensing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein is selectively accommodated.