JPH0644453A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simplify the structure by constituting the vending machine so that a sliding plate slit opened downward is formed in the lower end of a sliding plate, and a side plate is floated, and also, can be drawn out forward, when a side plate slit and the sliding plate slit coincide with each other. CONSTITUTION:In this inside of a column 3, a side plate 14 is provided erectly on a base 5, and as for the side plate 14, a projection 16 is fitted and fixed to a hole 17 formed on the base 5, the upper part of the side plate 14 is fitted into a groove 25 formed on a ceiling plate 15, and also, a side plate slit 18 is fitted to a sliding plate 19, and its movement in the forward and the backward directions is controlled. In such a state, in the case of detaching the side plate 14, when the sliding plate 19 is moved, the slide plate slit 18 and the sliding plate slit coincide with each other, by which the moving control in the forward and the backward directions of the side plate 14 is released. Also, since the side plate 14 can be floated up, the side plate 14 can be drawn out in the front direction by raising the side plate 14 from the base 5 and releasing the fitting of the projection 16 and the hole 17.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine having a structure including a large number of small columns.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In vending machines that sell products such as cigarettes, the number of types of products to be sold has increased in recent years, so it is necessary to increase the number of columns for storing the products. Is coming. However, in order to increase the number of columns, if you arrange all columns in the left and right directions, it will be an extremely wide vending machine, so it is unavoidable.
I had to construct a small column in several stages above and below. For this reason, the number of products that can be stored in one column is small, the same product is stored in multiple columns, and the columns containing the same product are programmatically converged by the control circuit. Even if is selected, it is configured so that it can be carried out and sold from a column with stock.
Furthermore, the reality is that it is programmed to evenly sell the multiple columns that have converged. In this way, it is convenient to make a large number of small columns by consolidating and selling the inventoried products by converging and selling a large number of small columns because it is possible to operate as if there are large columns.

However, providing a large number of miniaturized columns over several stages causes a different problem. That is,
Since a large number of columns must be configured in terms of structure, it is not easy to configure and assemble the side plates that form the columns and the stoppers for the products that are provided to prevent the products from popping out of the columns.

Conventionally, such a configuration has been disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-2.
As described in Japanese Patent No. 9011, the adjustment plate is configured to be moved back and forth and attached together with a spring that serves as a stopper, but there is a problem that the structure is complicated and the number of constituent components increases. However, it is difficult to mount many stoppers having such a structure on a small column. Further, in these configurations, when the column is downsized, the stopper member becomes an obstacle until all the stopper member is removed from the open portion of the column, so that the product cannot be filled.

When the column is composed of a plurality of stages, a base for stacking products on each stage is required, and a carry-out device for carrying out the products must be provided at the bottom of the base. Therefore, it became necessary to form and assemble a large number of short side plates constituting the column. Such assembling requires a considerable assembling time when it reaches about 40 columns, and it is not easy to attach an auxiliary plate or the like for adjusting the position of the side plate in order to adapt to products of different sizes. .

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in an automatic vending machine in which a column can be downsized to accommodate a large number of product types, the structure is simplified and the assembly is improved. It is intended to provide a vending machine having an easy structure.

[0007]

According to the present invention, a side plate that forms a column is erected between a base and a ceiling plate, and a sliding plate that is movable in the left-right direction is erected on the front portion of the ceiling plate. , Forming a side plate slit into which the sliding plate fits at the upper end of the side plate,
A sliding plate slit that opens downward is formed at the lower end of the sliding plate, and when the side plate slit and the sliding plate slit are aligned, the side plate floats up and can be pulled out forward. Has been resolved.

[0008]

When the side plate acts as a column to enclose the product, the side plate is regulated to float so that the upper end of the side plate is pressed by the lower end of the sliding plate, and the side plate slit is fitted to the sliding plate. The side plate cannot move in the front-back direction. Also,
When the sliding plate slit reaches the position of the side plate, the floating regulation of the side plate is released and the side plate can be lifted. Therefore, by lifting the side plate and releasing the fitting with the base,
The side plate can be pulled forward. By performing such a process in reverse, the side plate can be easily fixed on the base and assembled.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described based on an embodiment shown in the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of a vending machine of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the inside of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part showing a main part of a structure for storing and carrying out a product. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main part showing the inside of the column from the side. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an essential part disassembled to show the structure of the column.

In FIG. 1, a vending machine is provided with a column group 2 inside a housing 1 which is composed of four columns in the vertical direction and six columns in the width direction. And each column 3
Are formed in a U-shape that is opened in the direction in which the product is pushed out, and stoppers 4 are provided so as to hang down from the tops of the open portions. Further, the column 3 is provided with a base 5 on the lower part thereof so that products (not shown) can be stacked, and the base 5 and the lower end of the stopper 4 form an opening 6.

At the lower part of the housing 1, product outlets 7 for selling the products carried out from the respective columns 3 are formed.

In FIG. 2, the vending machine is provided with a columnar group 2 of four stages in the vertical direction inside a casing 1.
Each of the columns 3 forming the column group 2 is provided with a stopper 4 hanging from the upper portion at an open portion.
A door 8 is provided on the front surface of the housing 1 so as to be openable and closable, and a chute 10 that drops and carries out a product 9 toward a product take-out port 7 formed at a lower portion of the door 8 is adjacent to the base 5. Is provided. Furthermore, in the upper part of the front surface of the door 8,
A merchandise display shelf 11 for selecting merchandise is provided. Further, the products 9 are stacked on the base 5, and two products are arranged in the front-rear direction in the carry-out direction. The products 9 stacked on the column 3 are the unloading device 1 provided under the base 5.
The push-out piece 13 that reciprocates on the upper portion of the base 5 by 2 is carried out from the lower portion one by one through the opening 6.

In FIG. 3, the products 9 stacked on the base 5 are provided so as to be surrounded by a column 3 whose front is open in a U-shape. It is partitioned by a side plate 14 stretched in the front-rear direction, which is the pushing direction of. And this side plate 1
The column 4 is configured to fit vertically with respect to the base 5 and the ceiling plate 15 of the column 3 at a predetermined position, and is configured to be detached from the base 5 and taken out forward when it floats. In such a configuration, the side plate 14 is fitted to the base 5 such that the projection 16 at the lower end of the side plate 14 and the hole 17 of the base 5 are fitted.
It is composed of and.

Further, a side plate slit 18 is formed at the upper end of the side plate 14, and a sliding plate 19 formed on the front portion of the ceiling plate 15 so as to be fitted in the side plate slit 18 so as to be movable left and right. This sliding plate 19 is fitted in the side plate slit 18 and regulates the movement of the side plate 14 in the front-rear direction. Further, the sliding plate 19 is provided with a sliding plate slit 20, and when the sliding plate slit 20 coincides with the side plate slit 18, the side plate 14 can be floated.

A stopper 4 is attached to the upper portion of the sliding plate 19 with a bolt 21.
Can be moved left and right by moving the sliding plate 19, as indicated by the dotted line in the figure. Further, the sliding portion 19 is moved by the support plate 2 fixed to the ceiling plate 15.
A bolt 24 is movably attached to the second plate 2 through a long hole 24 of the sliding plate 19.

In FIG. 4, inside the column 3, a side plate 14 is erected on the base 5, and the side plate 14 is the base 5.
The projection 16 is fitted and fixed in the hole 17 formed in the ceiling plate 15. The upper portion of the side plate 14 has a groove 25 formed in the ceiling plate 15.
The side plate slit 18 is fitted to the sliding plate 19 and the movement in the front-back direction is restricted. Furthermore, the side plate 1
The upper end of 4 is formed so as not to float above the lower end of the sliding plate 19.

The side plate 14 is formed in an L shape, and a micro switch 26 for detecting the presence or absence of the commodity 9 is provided on the side portion formed at the rear portion.

In FIG. 5, the side plate 14 is formed in an L shape, a plurality of side plate slits 18 are formed at the upper end, and a plurality of protrusions 16 are formed at the lower end. In addition, a plurality of holes 17 are formed in the base 5 so as to fit into the protrusions 16.

In such a structure, the vending machine is
The upper and lower four-level bases 5 are formed inside the housing 1, and the columns 3 are assembled on the upper portions of the bases 5. The column 3 includes the groove 25 of the ceiling plate 15 and the sliding plate 19
It is accommodated so that it is inserted from the front part to the rear part side along the sliding plate slit 20. At this time, the side plate 14 is the sliding plate 14
Since the sliding plate slit 20 of the above has released the side plate 14 from being restricted from floating, the side plate 14 can be lifted and the protrusion 16 can move on the upper portion of the base 5, so that the protrusion 16 of the base 5 can be moved. When reaching the hole 17, the side plate 14
The side plate 14 to the base 5 by fitting the side plate 14 into the hole 17 of the base 5.
It is fixed upright. When the sliding plate 1 is moved in the left and right directions, the sliding plate slit 20 restricts the floating of the side plate 14 so as to press the bottom of the side plate slit.

The side plates 14 thus erected on the base 5 surround the products 9 stacked on the upper part of the base 5, and are carried out by the carry-out device 12 from the column 3 for sale one by one.

When the side plate 14 is removed, the sliding plate 19
By moving the side plate slit 18 and the sliding plate slit 20 to coincide with each other, the movement restriction of the side plate 14 in the front-rear direction is released.
Can be floated, the side plate 14 is lifted from the base 5, the projection 16 and the hole 17 are disengaged, and the side plate 14 is pulled out in the front direction.

The side plate 14 as described above can be easily mounted between the base 5 and the ceiling plate 15 and has an extremely simple structure. The side plate can be manufactured easily and can be easily disassembled and assembled. Easy to do. Also, product 9
For filling the column 3 with the column 3, the sliding plate 19 is moved to retract the stopper 4 from the front portion of the column 3, so that the front portion of the column 3 which is formed and opened in a U shape is completely opened. There are no obstacles and products can be filled very easily.

As described above, the products 9 can be easily accommodated in a plurality of rows in the front-rear direction despite the fact that the dimension of the column 3 in the height direction is small. Because it is opened, it becomes extremely easy to handle as an automatic vending machine including a large number of small columns 3.

As long as the stopper 4 is fixed to the sliding plate 19 so as to hang down, a rod made of a material such as iron is sufficient, and a special rigidity such as steel is required. If it is processed so as not to rust, it can be sufficiently composed of an inexpensive material. And stopper 4
The fixing portion may be formed of a molded product such as resin, the rod-shaped portion of the stopper 4 may be fixed by screwing such as a screw, and any method may be used as long as it is firmly fixed. The product 9 thus carried out from the column 3 is dropped to the product outlet 7 through the chute 10 and the product 9 is discharged.
The product 9 is to be delivered to the purchaser and the sale of the product 9 is completed.

When it is desired to change the dimension of the product 9 housed in the column 3 in the front-rear direction, the position where the hole 17 formed in the base 5 and the protrusion 16 of the side plate 14 are fitted is changed. This can be done easily. Then, at this time, another side plate slit 18 formed at the upper end of the side plate 14
Is similarly arranged so as to be in the position of the sliding plate 19 so as to allow the sliding plate 19 to move.

[0026]

According to the present invention, the base is formed in several stages,
Even when a large number of columns are formed on the top of each base, small side plates can be easily accommodated and mounted, and not only the assembly is easy, but also the side plates are easy to manufacture and the products can be easily filled. It is possible to obtain a revolutionary vending machine that has never existed before.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the inside of a vending machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing the inside of the vending machine shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part showing a main part of a structure for storing and carrying out a product.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main part showing the inside of the column from the side surface.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a main part disassembled to show the structure of a column.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 …… Case 3 …… Column 4 …… Stopper 5 …… Base 9 …… Product 12 …… Unloading device 14 …… Side plate 18 …… Side plate slit 19 …… Sliding plate 20 …… Sliding plate slit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic vending machine in which products stacked on a base are surrounded by a U-shaped column whose front is open, and the products are extruded from the lower part of the column for sale. A side plate that forms a column is erected, a sliding plate that is movable in the left-right direction is erected on the front part of the ceiling plate, and a side plate slit into which the sliding plate fits is formed at the upper end of the side plate, A sliding plate slit that opens downward is formed at the lower end of the sliding plate, and when the side plate slit and the sliding plate slit are aligned, the side plate floats up and can be pulled out forward. Vending machine.