JP2538477Y2 - Vending machine product delivery device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product sending device for a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in order to push out a product located at the lowermost portion of a product in which a number of products are stacked and stored, for example, as shown in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Sho 62-81283, a ring is connected to a driving unit. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a product delivery device including a transport unit configured by a chain driven by a chain and an extruding member mounted on the chain.

[0003]

In the case where at least two product storage columns for stacking and storing products are arranged side by side, and the products are paid out alternately from the two product storage columns, each of the columns has a There is provided control means for controlling the operation of the product extruding member between the product pushing operation and the standby state stop of the next sale corresponding to the product. The control means is generally configured mechanically, and when there is a product in both of the product storage columns, the control means operates to establish an alternate sale operation of the product.

However, in this kind of commodity sending device,
Considering its availability, it is desirable that the configuration is such that one product is sold regardless of whether the product is placed in both columns or only one column.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine merchandise delivery apparatus which can achieve the above object by not considering a change in mechanical settings but an electrical circuit. And

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is directed to a transporter which rotates and moves in a fixed direction provided in a lower part of a product which is stacked and stored in a product storage column provided in two front and rear rows. In a vending machine for feeding by a product extruding member provided on a chain, a driving unit for driving the transport chain, two product extruding members arranged at equal intervals on the transport chain, and A carrier switch that is arranged near the traveling path of the chain and that outputs a drive stop signal to the transport chain so as to alternately send out products from the product storage column by the product pushing member for each sales command; The carrier switch is actuated at the time when the product push-out member is disposed at the product delivery standby position at four equal intervals on the transport chain so as to operate the carrier switch. Four carrier switch actuating members in a positional relationship with each other, and a product selling switch disposed on each of the product storage columns, wherein both of the product selling switches are inactive and the products are stored in both of the product storage columns. If there is, the drive unit is controlled so as to stop the transport chain by a single operation of the carrier switch by the carrier switch operating member, and one of the merchandise selling switches is not operated and only one of the merchandise storage columns is provided. If there is a product, control means is provided for controlling the drive unit to stop the transport chain by operating the carrier switch twice based on a sold-out signal of the other sold-out product sold-out switch. A product sending device for a vending machine.

[0007]

When there is a product in any of the product storage columns, every time the carrier switch is operated once, an operation stop signal is output to the drive unit to stop the transport chain. In this case, the product pushing member sends out the products in order from the parallel product storage columns.

If there is a product storage column containing no product, a sold-out signal of the product sold-out switch in that column is used, and if the control means performs the operation of the carrier switch twice, the transport chain is stopped.

Therefore, the movement of the transport chain is controlled until the product is reliably sent out from the product storage column with the product, and the product is sent out by the product pushing member.

[0010]

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

[0011] Commodity storage columns for vertically stacking and storing box-shaped products M such as cigarettes are arranged in two front and rear rows, 1 is a front product storage column, and 2 is a rear product storage column. It is. Reference numeral 3 denotes a base on which the product M is placed. On both sides of the base 3, endless transport chains 4a and 4b that rotate and move in a certain direction are provided to face each other.
The transport chains 4a and 4b are stretched in a triangular shape as shown in the figure between the driven gears 5 and 5 and the one driven gear 6 arranged in front and rear. 7, 7 are the respective transport chains 4a,
The output shaft 7a and the driving gear 6 are connected by a power transmission belt 8 to a driving motor which is a driving unit for driving the driving gear 4b.

Reference numerals 9A and 9B denote a sold-out switch for detecting the presence or absence of a product in each of the product storage columns 1 and 2, and the product is rotationally biased to protrude upward from the center of the base 3. Each has a detection lever 10, and when there is a product, the product detection lever 10 is pushed by the lowest product in the column, and when the product M is sold out, the product is turned upward and sold out.

By the way, between the transport chains 4a and 4b, two product delivery shafts 12a and 12b, which are two product pushing members, are bridged therebetween. The product delivery shafts 12a, 12b are connected to the transport chains 4a, 4
b is attached and fixed at a position that equally divides the entire length of b into two equal parts. On the outer side of one of the transport chains 4a, there are provided pin-shaped carrier switch operating members 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d for turning on a carrier switch (described later) at positions equally dividing the entire length into four. There are protruding pieces. The carrier switch operating members 13a, 13
b, 13c and 13d, ie, 13b and 13
d is provided on the outer side of the transport chains 4a, 4b corresponding to the position where the product delivery shafts 12a, 12b are provided. Reference numeral 14 denotes a carrier switch, and the carrier switch actuating members 13a, 13b, 13 which move as the transport chains 4a, 4b rotate.
It is turned ON by being pressed by c and 13d to generate a stop signal for the drive motors 7 and 7. Also,
Although not shown, a controller is provided which is a control means for receiving signals from the sold-out switches 9A, 9B and the carrier switch 14 and controlling the driving of the drive motors 7, 7.

The above-mentioned components constitute a product sending device, and the whole product sending device is indicated by reference numeral 15.

Next, the product sending operation will be described. When there is a sales command in the sales standby state shown in FIG.
7 is activated. The transport chains 4a, 4b move in the direction of the arrow, and the lowermost product 2M-1 of the rear product storage column 2 is moved forward by the product delivery shaft 12a waiting at the rear position of the rear product storage column 2. The user moves while pressing the lowest product 1M-1 in the product storage column 1.

The extruding operation further proceeds, and as shown in FIG. 3, the product 1M-1 is released. Immediately before the end, the carrier switch operating member 13a presses the carrier switch 14 to turn on the carrier switch 14, and the drive motor 7,
7 stops slightly after overrun. Then, product 2M
-1 is the lowest product in the front product storage column 1, and the rear product 2M-2 is the lowest product in the rear product storage column 2, and the product is sent out to the rear of the product 2M-1. The shaft 12a stops waiting and waits for the next sales command.

At the time of the next sale, the product 2M-1 is pushed out by the product delivery shaft 12a, but the product delivery shaft 12b is at the position shown in the figure, and the product 2M-2 is not delivered. Therefore, after the payout of the commodity 2M-1, the next commodity 1M-2 in the front commodity storage column 1 descends and becomes the lowest commodity.

Thus, the products M are dispensed one by one from the two product storage columns 1 and 2 alternately.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an operation of normally paying out one product M when one of the product storage columns is empty and one of the product storage columns has a product will be examined. Try.

In this case, for example, referring to FIG.
The product delivery shaft 12a is the product delivery shaft 1
By controlling the drive motors 7 so that the transport chains 4a and 4b rotate to the position of 2b, it is possible to send out the goods.

Therefore, as a means for switching to such a control method of the drive motors 7, 7, the electric circuit switching is performed by using a sold-out detection signal of the sold-out switch 9A, 9B which is sold out. Let them do it.

FIG. 6 is a control flow for achieving the switching control. When the flow starts, first, it is checked whether or not a sales signal has been input (decision 21). If there is an input (YES in decision 21), then whether or not there is an input of the sold-out switch 9A, that is, It is determined whether the sold-out operation is performed and a sold-out signal is issued (decision 22). If the decision 22 is YES and the selling-out operation is being performed, it is checked whether or not the other selling-out switch 9B is input (decision 23).
If the sold-out operation is also performed (YES in judgment 23), the selling is stopped (process 24), and the sold-out display is performed (process 25).

If the judgment 22 is NO, the sold-out switch 9
If A is not sold out, then it is checked whether there is an input of the sold-out switch 9B, that is, whether or not the sold-out operation has been performed (judgment 26). If the judgment 26 is NO, in this case, it indicates that there is a product in both the product storage columns 1 and 2.
Therefore, the drive motors 7, 7 are turned on (process 27), and the product sending operation is performed. And carrier switch 1
4 is activated to see if the input is present (decision 28). When the carrier switch 14 is operated, for which the determination 28 is YES, the drive motors 7, 7 are turned off (process 29).
The sale ends (process 35).

However, when the judgment 23 is NO or the judgment 26 is YES, the situation is such that the product M exists only in one of the product storage columns 1 and 2. At this time, the drive motors 7, 7 are turned on (process 3).
0) Next, it is checked whether the input of the carrier switch 14 is present, that is, whether the carrier switch 14 is operated (decision 3).
1). When the judgment 31 is YES, a counter (not shown)
Is incremented by one, and the number of times the carrier switch is operated is calculated (process 32). Then, it is determined whether or not the number of times of operation is two (decision 33).

Until counting is performed twice, judgment 31 and processing 3
2. The flow of the judgment 33 is executed, and when counting is performed twice (YES in the judgment 33), the drive motors 7, 7 are turned off (process 34). Then, the sales are terminated (process 35).

By doing so, control can be performed to move the product delivery shafts 12a and 12b, which are moved in the case of alternate sales, twice as long as the moving stroke, so that the product is stored in only one of the product storage columns. Also successfully 1
Can be sold individually.

Although the embodiment has described the case where the number of the product storage columns is two, the present invention can cope with an increase in the number of columns. In other words, if there are N product storage columns, the number of product delivery shafts is N, and the shaft is set at a position where the transport chain is evenly divided by 1 / N. The number of carrier switch ON pins is 2N. The pins may be provided at positions where the transport chain is evenly divided by 1 / 2N.

[0028]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, with the commodity sending device of the present invention, even when the commodity is put in all the commodity storage columns,
Even in the case where a product containing column and a product containing column that do not contain a product are mixed, the drive circuit of the product delivery device is switched and controlled, and the product can be delivered one by one accurately.

Therefore, no matter how the goods are put into the goods storage column, the goods can be normally sold and the sales efficiency is improved. In addition, preparation work for sales is also facilitated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side configuration diagram of a product sending device in a sales standby state when a product is present in both product storage columns.

FIG. 2 is a front configuration diagram of the commodity sending device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the commodity sending device showing a pattern when the commodity is sent.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the product delivery device in a standby state for sale when the front product storage column is empty and there is a product in the rear product storage column.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the product delivery device in a sales standby state when there is a product only in the front product storage column.

FIG. 6 is a control flowchart for operating a product sending device by switching to a product sending operation in accordance with a stored column by a product selling switch.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Front Product Storage Column 2 Rear Product Storage Column 4a, 4b Transport Chain 7, 7 Drive Motor 9A, 9B Product Sold Out Switch 12a, 12b Product Delivery Shaft 13a, 13b, 13c, 13d Carrier Switch Operating Member 14 Carrier Switch M Product

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A vending machine which sends out products stored and stacked in respective product storage columns provided in front and rear two rows by a product push-out member provided in a lower part of a conveying chain which rotates in a fixed direction. A driving unit for driving the transport chain, two product extruding members disposed at equal intervals on the transport chain, and a drive unit disposed near a traveling path of the transport chain, and for each sales command. A carrier switch that outputs a drive stop signal to the transport chain so as to alternately send out the products from the product storage column by the product pushing member; and a four-divided interval to the transport chain so as to operate the carrier switch. And four carrier switches which are in a positional relationship in which the carrier switch is operated at the time when the commodity push-out member is at the commodity delivery standby position. A moving member, and a product selling switch disposed on each of the product storing columns. When both of the product selling switches are inactive and there is a product in both product storing columns, the carrier by the carrier switch operating member is used. The drive unit is controlled so as to stop the transport chain by one operation of the switch, and when one of the commodity selling switches is not operated and there is a commodity only in one of the commodity storage columns, the other selling operation is performed. Control means for controlling the drive unit so as to stop the transport chain by operating the carrier switch twice based on a sold-out signal of the sold-out merchandise switch. apparatus.