JP3937590B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vending machine including a plurality of storage rooms (for example, a heating chamber and a cooling room) that can be kept at different temperatures, and in particular, a product stored in the storage room is carried out by a single carrying-out device. Related to vending machines.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as this type of vending machine, the one described in JP-A-8-138132 is known. In the product storage (product storage room) of this vending machine, an upper storage room and a lower storage room are formed which are partitioned into two upper and lower stages by a partition wall (heat insulating partition plate) having heat insulation properties. The upper storage chamber and the lower storage chamber can be set so that the internal temperatures thereof differ from each other according to the sales temperature of the product. In both storage chambers, a plurality of product racks are respectively provided in the vertical direction, and unloading devices for unloading the products discharged from the product racks to the product takeout port are provided. Each carry-out device includes a bucket that receives a product paid out from the product rack, and a conveyor-type carry-out mechanism that moves the bucket in the vertical direction and carries the received product.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In such a vending machine, since a carry-out device is provided for each storage room, the manufacturing cost of the vending machine increases. Of course, if the number of carry-out devices is one and the products in the respective storage chambers are carried out only by this carry-out device, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by the amount of carry-out devices reduced. However, in this case, since the carry-out mechanism is provided across both the storage chambers, both the storage chambers communicate with each other via the internal space of the carry-out mechanism in the partition wall. For this reason, heat leaks due to the air in the two storage chambers coming and going to each other, making it impossible to efficiently keep the two storage chambers at different temperatures.
[0004]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and can reduce the manufacturing cost by carrying out a plurality of products in the storage room with one carry-out device. An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine capable of reducing heat leakage in a storage room and efficiently keeping the storage room at different temperatures.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The vending machine according to the present invention is provided with a plurality of storage chambers that store products and can be kept warm at mutually different temperatures, partition means that partitions the plurality of storage chambers, and a plurality of storage chambers. Unloaded mechanism, It is configured to be movable to any of a plurality of storage rooms, By unloading mechanism What When driven, it moves in the adjacent direction of the plurality of storage rooms, From one of multiple storage rooms Receive goods The A product unloading member to be unloaded and a case for housing the unloading mechanism in a state of covering the entire unloading mechanism are provided.
[0006]
According to this configuration, the unloading mechanism But Provided across multiple storage rooms The product carry-out member driven by this carry-out mechanism can be moved to any of the plurality of storage chambers. Therefore, even if there are a plurality of storage chambers, it is only necessary to provide one unloading device including a commodity unloading member and a unloading mechanism. Receive goods from one of the storage rooms, Can be carried out. Therefore, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to provide a carry-out device for each storage room, so that the manufacturing cost of the vending machine can be reduced. Moreover, since the carrying-out mechanism is accommodated in the case in a state where the whole is covered, the storage chambers do not communicate with each other through the inside of the carrying-out mechanism at the partition means. For this reason, the heat leak by the air in each storage chamber can be prevented, and the storage chamber can be efficiently kept at different temperatures.
[0007]
In this case, the case preferably has a heat insulating material covering its outer surface.
[0008]
According to this configuration, since the outer surface of the case is covered with the heat insulating material, it is possible to suppress heat conduction through the case. Thereby, the heat leak in a storage chamber can be reduced further.
[0009]
In these cases, a slit formed in the case so as to extend in the adjacent direction, an arm that connects the carry-out mechanism and the product carry-out member in a state of protruding from the slit, and a seal that seals the slit are further provided. It is preferable.
[0010]
According to this configuration, even if the arm that connects the carry-out mechanism and the product carry-out member protrudes from the slit of the case, the slit is sealed by the seal, so that the storage chambers can communicate with each other through the slit. Absent. For this reason, the heat leak through a slit can be prevented.
[0011]
In this case, the seal is preferably flexible.
[0012]
According to this configuration, a portion of the seal that is in contact with the arm bends so as to be pushed away, closely contacts the arm, and the other portion seals the slit. For this reason, the slit can be sealed while ensuring the movement of the arm along the slit.
[0013]
In the above case, the partitioning means can be opened and closed between a closed position that partitions the plurality of storage chambers and an open position through which the product discharge member can pass, and the product discharge member is stored in one of the plurality of storage chambers. It is preferable to be configured to be driven to an open position when moving from a chamber to another storage chamber.
[0014]
According to this configuration, the partitioning unit is configured to be openable and closable between a predetermined closed position and an open position, and in the standby state where the product carry-out member is stopped, the partition unit stores the storage chamber. The space is partitioned (closed position). On the other hand, at the time of sale, the partitioning means is driven to the open position only when the product carry-out member moves from one storage chamber to another storage chamber (open position). In this way, the partition means is driven to the open position only at the time of sale and when moving across the storage chambers, so that the storage chambers are temporarily connected to each other. However, the heat leakage caused thereby can be reduced.
[0015]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view (FIG. 1A) and a side sectional view (FIG. 1B) of a vending machine. As shown in the figure, the vending machine 1 includes a box-shaped vending machine body 2 and a main door 3 that opens and closes the front surface thereof. The main door 3 incorporates a transparent panel 4 corresponding to the size of the front surface of the product storage 7 described later, and a glass heat insulating door (glass heat insulating door 6) is provided on the front surface of the product storage 7. It has been. That is, the vending machine 1 is a so-called see-through type in which the product S in the vending machine main body 2 can be seen from the front, which makes the purchaser feel interesting and can directly see the product. It can be purchased.
[0016]
Further, on the front surface of the main door 3, although not shown, a coin insertion slot, an amount display unit for displaying the amount of coins inserted, a return lever for returning coins, and a coin return slot for taking out returned coins In addition, a selection button for selecting the product S is provided. Further, a product outlet 5 for the purchaser to take out the product S is provided at the lower part of the main door 3.
[0017]
In the vending machine 2, a product storage 7 defined by a front glass heat insulating door 6 and a peripheral wall containing a heat insulating material 7 a and a front part of the product storage 7 are arranged, and the product S is a product. A product carry-out device 8 for carrying out to the take-out port 5 is provided. The product storage 7 is slightly above the upper and lower middle part, and is partitioned into two upper and lower stages by a partition wall 9 and a passage partition wall 10 (partitioning means) having heat insulation properties, the upper side being the heating chamber 11 and the lower side being the cooling chamber. 12
[0018]
The heating chamber 11 is provided with a heater (not shown), and the product S is heated by heating the inside thereof. On the other hand, the cooling chamber 12 is provided with an evaporator (not shown) constituting a part of the cooling device 13 and a circulation fan (not shown) for circulating air in the cooling chamber 12. In addition, a condenser 14, an exhaust fan 15, a compressor 16 and the like constituting a part of the cooling device are provided below the commodity storage 7, that is, the lower part in the vending machine main body 2. And the evaporator, the compressor 16, and the capacitor | condenser 14 are connected in order by refrigerant | coolant piping (not shown). These, the circulation fan, the exhaust fan 15, and the like constitute a cooling device 13, and the cooling device 13 cools the inside of the cooling chamber 12 to cool the product S.
[0019]
In addition, in the heating chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 12, there are three and four stages in the vertical direction, and eight product racks 17 are juxtaposed in the horizontal direction in each stage. Each merchandise rack 17 extends in the front-rear direction of the vending machine main body 2 and is formed in a U-shaped cross-section with the upper side opened, and the same kind of merchandise S is placed vertically and stored in a row. Each of the product racks 17 is configured to be pulled out to the front side of the vending machine main body 2 so that the product can be easily replenished (loaded). In addition, a stopper 18 is provided on the front end side of each product rack 17 to prevent the product S located at the forefront from being inadvertently paid out from the product rack 17. The stopper 18 includes a presser member 18a that abuts the front surface of the product S and a support member 18b that rotatably supports the left end portion thereof. The presser member 18a rotates in synchronization with the delivery of the product S at the time of sale. Then, the contact with the product is released.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. rack A carry-out mechanism (hereinafter referred to as “X module part”) 22 having a bucket 21 (a product carry-out member) for receiving the product S paid out from 17 and carrying it out to the product take-out port 5, and an X module part 22 And a carry-out mechanism (hereinafter referred to as “Y module part”) 23 for moving the slab vertically. By this merchandise carry-out device 8, the bucket 21 moves to the merchandise rack 17 in which the selected merchandise is stored, and the delivered merchandise S is carried out to the merchandise outlet 5.
[0021]
The X module section 22 includes the bucket 21 described above and a bucket housing body 24 that is coupled to the Y module section 23 while housing the bucket 21. The bucket housing 24 has openings in the upper and lower parts (upper opening 25a and lower opening 25b) and is formed in a horizontally long box shape. In addition, rails (not shown) that engage the upper and lower portions of the bucket 21 and guide the bucket 21 in the left-right direction are provided at the upper and lower portions in the bucket housing 24. Furthermore, a moving mechanism for moving the bucket 21 in the left-right direction is provided in the bucket container 24. Specifically, it is moved by a driving roller and a driven roller respectively provided at both left and right end portions in the bucket housing 24, a timing belt wound around them, and a motor that rotates the driving roller. A mechanism is configured, and a bucket 21 is fixed to a part of the timing belt. Therefore, by operating the motor, the timing belt rotates, and accordingly, the bucket 21 moves in the left-right direction in the bucket housing 24. In addition, the front surface of the bucket accommodating body 24 is comprised with the transparent panel etc., and the bucket 21 can be visually observed now from the front.
[0022]
On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the bucket 21 is formed in a box shape having an opening 26 in the upper portion, and the product S delivered from the product rack 17 is fed into the upper opening 25 a of the bucket container 24 and the opening. 26 is accommodated in the bucket 21. In addition, an openable / closable unloading door 27 is provided at the bottom of the bucket 21 so that a product once stored in the bucket 21 can be dropped downward. Specifically, the carry-out door 27 is rotatable around its rear end, and when the bucket 21 storing the product stops at the position closest to the product outlet 5, that is, at the product carry-out position. In the meantime, it will be opened down. Further, the movement of the bucket 21 and the opening / closing operation of the carry-out door 27 are performed by a control signal from a control circuit in which a moving motor and an opening / closing motor (both not shown) in the bucket housing 24 are built in the vending machine body 2. It has been received. The wiring that electrically connects the control circuit and those motors is protected by a so-called cable chain 28 so that it can withstand long-term handling of the X module part 22 by vertical movement. . Note that a small window 21 a is formed on the front surface of the bucket 21 so that a product stored in the bucket 21 can be partially seen.
[0023]
On the other hand, the Y module part 23 moves the bucket 21 up and down via the bucket container 24, and is provided at both left and right ends of the commodity storage 7. The Y module parts 23 and 23 are the same, and the following description will focus on the right Y module part (right side in FIG. 2).
[0024]
The Y module unit 23 is fixed to the chain wound around the sprockets at the upper end and the lower end of the product storage 7, so that the X module unit 22 (bucket 21) is accompanied by the rotation of the chain. Is moved up and down. That is, the Y module unit 23 is disposed at the upper and lower ends of the product storage 7 and is respectively rotatable driven sprocket 31 and drive sprocket 32, drive motor 33 for rotating the drive sprocket 32, driven sprocket 31 and drive sprocket. 32, the first chain 35 and the second chain 36 whose front end is connected to the bucket housing 24 via the arm 34, and the front end of the second chain and the arm 34. A tension spring 37 to be connected and a weight 38 which is connected to the rear ends of the first chain 35 and the second chain 36 and has a function as a balancer with the X module portion 22 are provided. Further, the above-described components excluding the drive motor 33 are accommodated in a case 39 having a U-shaped cross section.
[0025]
The driven sprockets 31 and 31 and the drive sprockets 32 and 32 of both Y module parts 23 and 23 are coaxially arranged. The driven sprockets 31 are rotated independently of each other by the first chains 35, while the drive sprockets 32 and 32 are fixed to both ends of the drive shaft 40 and are rotated in synchronization with each other. That is, both the drive sprockets 32 and 32 are driven by a drive motor 33 provided at the lower part of the product storage 7 and a worm gear 43 comprising a worm 41 at the tip of the motor shaft and a worm wheel 42 fixed to the drive shaft 40. When the drive shaft 40 rotates through the rotation, the drive shaft 40 rotates in synchronization.
[0026]
Both the first chain 35 and the second chain 36 have the same length as the distance between the driven sprocket 31 and the drive sprocket 32. As described above, the first chain 35 is wound around the driven sprocket 31, the front end of the driven sprocket 31 is directly connected to the upper part of the arm 34, and the rear end is directly connected to the upper part of the weight 38. Yes. On the other hand, the second chain 36 is wound around the drive sprocket 32, and an end portion on the front side of the drive sprocket 32 is connected to a substantially intermediate portion in the vertical direction of the arm 34 via a tension spring 37, and a rear end portion thereof. Is connected to the lower part of the weight 38.
[0027]
The tension spring 37 applies tension to the whole of the first chain 35 and the second chain 36 by pulling the front end portion of the second chain 36 upward. Thus, the first chain 35 and the second chain 36 are held in a state of being wound around the driven sprocket 31 and the driving sprocket 32 without loosening. Therefore, even when the drive sprocket 32 rotates, the second chain 36 is not caught inside the drive sprocket 32, and the drive sprocket 32 can be smoothly rotated.
[0028]
The arm 34 is composed of a plate-like member, and is fixed to the rear end portion of the bucket housing 24 on the front side, and is connected to the front end portions of the first chain 35 and the second chain 36. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a guide member 44 for smoothly moving the arm 34 in the vertical direction is provided at the rear portion of the arm 34. A pair of rotatable rollers 44a and 44a are provided at the upper and lower ends of the guide member 44, and a pair of rotatable rollers 44b and 44b are also provided at the front and rear ends. The guide member 44 allows the arm 34 to move along the arm guide rail 45 extending in the vertical direction in the case 39 so that the arm 34 can move smoothly in the vertical direction without being shaken back and forth and left and right. As a result, the bucket housing 24 fixed to the arm 34 and the bucket 21 housed therein can also move smoothly in the vertical direction along the arm guide rail 45.
[0029]
The weight 38 is formed by stacking iron plates having a thickness of about 2 mm, and has a weight slightly lighter than the weight of the X module portion 22. Therefore, the X module part 22, the weight 38, and the driven sprocket 31 that also functions as a fixed pulley can move the X module part 22 up and down without requiring a large driving force. A pair of rollers 38a, 38a similar to the guide member 44 are rotatably provided at the upper and lower ends of the weight 38, and a weight guide rail (in the case 39) extending vertically. The weight 38 can be smoothly moved in the vertical direction along (not shown).
[0030]
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the case 39 includes a case main body 46 accommodated in a state of covering the entire Y module portion 23, and a heat insulating case 47 made of a heat insulating material and covering the outer surface of the case main body 46. ing. Each of the case body 46 and the heat insulating case 47 is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and covers the entire Y module portion 23 so that the opening portion of the side surface is pressed against the side surface of the product storage case 7. In this case, the rear side of the opening edge of the case 39 is in contact with the side surface of the product storage 7, and on the other hand, a slit 48 is provided between the front side of the opening edge and the side of the product storage 7 in the vertical direction. The arm 34 protrudes from the inside of the case 39 through the slit 48. And the seal | sticker 49 which seals the slit 48 is provided along the longitudinal direction (up-down direction) of the slit 48 in the heat insulation case 47 side in this slit 48, and the side surface side of the goods storage 7 which opposes it. .
[0031]
The seal 49 is configured by two pairs of fin pieces 49 a, 49 a made of a soft rubber material provided before and after the slit 48. Each pair of fin pieces 49a, 49a has one end fixed to the side surfaces of the heat insulating case 47 and the product storage case 7, and the other end bent to the inside of the case 39. It comes to adhere closely. Further, the portion of the seal 49 that contacts the arm 34 is bent so that each fin piece 49 a is pushed away by the arm 34, so that it closely contacts the side surface of the arm 34. By providing such a seal 49 in the slit 48, the slit 48 is sealed while ensuring the movement of the arm 34 along the slit 48.
[0032]
As described above, in the commodity carry-out device 8 configured by the X module unit 22 and the Y module unit 23, the bucket 21 has a predetermined horizontal movement range L between the left and right ends in the bucket container 24 and the driven sprocket 31. It can move freely within a range W (movable range) constituted by a predetermined vertical movement range H between the lower side and the upper side of the drive sprocket 32 (see FIG. 2).
[0033]
Here, operation | movement of the goods carrying-out apparatus 8 at the time of sale of goods is demonstrated easily. As shown in FIG. 4 (a), in the sales standby state, the X module 22 (bucket 21) is positioned at the lowest position of the movable range W, and the bucket 21 is at a substantially middle portion in the left-right direction in the bucket housing 24. positioned. In this sales standby state, when the purchaser inserts a coin and presses a desired product selection button, the X module unit 22 and the Y module unit 23 operate simultaneously, and the bucket 21 stores the desired product. It moves to the discharge port in front of the rack 17 (see FIG. 4B). In this case, in the Y module portion 23, the drive sprocket 32 rotates forward (the drive sprocket 32 in FIG. 4 is clockwise), and the first chain 35 pulls the X module portion 22 upward, while the second chain 36 is the drive sprocket. 32 is sent to the X module section 22 side. Since the tension is applied to the first chain 35 and the second chain 36 by pulling the second chain 36 upward by the tension spring 37 at the front end thereof, even if the drive sprocket 32 rotates. The second chain 36 is smoothly fed out without being loosened.
[0034]
Further, in this case, when the purchaser presses the selection button of the product stored in the heated greenhouse 11, the passage partition wall 10 provided in front of the partition wall 9 and partitioning the passage of the X module unit 22 is Slide backward (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the left and right end portions 10a of the passage partition wall 10 first slide to the center side in the left-right direction substantially by the width in the left-right direction of the case 39, and then the X module portion 22 passes. Slide back as much as you can (open position Q). Thereby, the channel | path for the X module part 22 to pass from the cooling chamber 12 to the heating chamber 11 is ensured.
[0035]
When the bucket 21 reaches the delivery port of the product rack 17, the X module unit 22 and the Y module unit 23 are stopped, and the product S located in the forefront in the product rack 17 is delivered and stored in the bucket 21. The Thereafter, the X module unit 22 and the Y module unit 23 are activated again, the bucket 21 moves downward, and returns to the position in the sales standby state. Specifically, the drive sprocket 32 rotates in the reverse direction, the X module unit 22 moves downward, and the bucket 21 moves to a substantially intermediate position in the bucket container 24. When the passage partition wall 10 is slid rearward, the passage partition wall 10 slides forward when the X module portion 22 moves from the heating chamber 11 to the cooling chamber 12, and the left and right end portions 10a thereof. Slides in contact with the side surface of the product storage 7 to close the passage (closed position P).
[0036]
And if the bucket 21 returns to the position of a sales standby state, the carrying-out door 27 of the bucket 21 will open, the goods S will be dropped, and it will carry out to the goods taking-out port 5.
[0037]
As described in detail above, according to the vending machine 1 according to the present embodiment, the unloading apparatus having the Y module unit 23 as the unloading mechanism provided in a state extending over the heating chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 12, Products stored in the heating chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 12 can be carried out. Therefore, the manufacturing cost of the vending machine can be reduced as compared with the conventional case in which a carry-out device is provided for each storage room. Moreover, since the whole Y module part 23 is accommodated in the case 39, the heating chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 12 do not communicate with each other through the inside of the Y module part 23. For this reason, the heat leak by the air in both the storage chambers 11 and 12 can be prevented, and the inside of the heating chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 12 can be efficiently kept at an appropriate temperature.
[0038]
In addition, since the heat insulating material is provided on the outer surface of the case 39, even if the case 39 is provided across the heating chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 12, heat conduction through the case 39 can be suppressed. it can. Thereby, the heat leak in both the storage chambers 11 and 12 can be reduced further. Furthermore, since the slit 48 of the case 39 is sealed with a predetermined seal 49, heat leakage through the slit 48 can be prevented.
[0039]
Furthermore, the passage partition wall 10 slides from the closed position P to the open position Q only at the time of sale and for a short time when the X module unit 22 moves to the heating chamber 11. Even if the greenhouse 11 and the cooling chamber 12 are temporarily in communication, the heat leakage caused thereby can be reduced.
[0040]
In addition, in the vending machine 1 of this embodiment, although the heating chamber 11 and the cooling chamber 12 were arrange | positioned up and down, it is not limited to this, You may make it arrange | position both storage chambers back and forth or right and left. . Three or more storage chambers may be provided.
[0041]
Moreover, in this embodiment, in order to move the X module part 22 between both the storage chambers 11 and 12, although comprised so that the passage partition wall 10 might be slid back and forth, it is not limited to this, For example, By making the passage partition wall 10 rotatable at the rear end portion thereof, the passage partition wall 10 may be rotated 90 degrees when the X module portion 22 passes.
[0042]
Moreover, although the chain (the first chain 35 and the second chain 36) is used for the Y module portion 23, the present invention is not limited to this, and a timing belt or the like may be used instead of the chain. Further, in the commodity carry-out device 8, the moving mechanism of the bucket container 24 and the bucket 21 may be omitted, and the bucket 21 may be of the same size as the bucket container 24. In this case, the bucket 21 is connected to the Y module unit 23 via the arm 34.
[0043]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost by carrying out the products in a plurality of storage rooms with one carry-out device, and to reduce the heat leakage in each storage room. There is an effect that the storage chamber can be efficiently kept at different temperatures.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front view and a side sectional view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a product carry-out device.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the periphery of a Y module portion in the product carry-out device.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged side view showing the product carry-out device.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Vending machine
2 Vending machine
7 product storage
8 Product unloading device
11 Greenhouse
12 Cooling room
21 bucket
22 X module section
23 Y module section
31 Followed sprocket
32 Drive sprocket
34 arm
39 cases
46 Case body
47 Thermal insulation case
48 slits
49 Seal

Claims (5)

A plurality of storage rooms that can store products at different temperatures,
Partition means for partitioning the plurality of storage chambers;
An unloading mechanism provided across the plurality of storage chambers;
Wherein in any of the plurality of storage chambers is movable, to move to an adjacent direction of the plurality of storage chambers by being driven me by the delivery mechanism, a product from one of said plurality of storage chambers receive Ri, and product carry-out member to carry-out,
A case that accommodates the entire carry-out mechanism in a covered state;
Vending machine characterized by comprising The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the case has a heat insulating material covering an outer surface thereof. A slit formed in the case so as to extend in the adjacent direction;
An arm that connects the carry-out mechanism and the product carry-out member in a state of protruding from the slit;
The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a seal that seals the slit. The vending machine according to claim 3, wherein the seal has flexibility. The partition means is openable and closable between a closed position for partitioning the plurality of storage chambers and an open position through which the product carry-out member can pass.
5. The structure according to claim 1, wherein the product carry-out member is configured to be driven to the open position when moving from one storage chamber of the plurality of storage chambers to another storage chamber. The vending machine according to any one of the above.

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