JPH07282347A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an automatic vending machine capable of easily taking a timing after edjecting a commodity from a commodity edjecting device with a simple structure. CONSTITUTION:This automatic vending machine for stacking plural packs of cigarettes T on the bottom 14 of a column 12 and extruding the lowermost cigarette T from the bottom 14 by an extruding member 18, plural columns 12 are arrayed in parallel in the lateral direction is provided with a pair of infrared-ray sensors consisting of a light emitting part 28 and a light receiving part are arranged on both the sides of the plural columns 12, and a controller for stopping the member 18 when the member 18 run across the space between the light emitting part 28 and the light receiving part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine for cigarettes or the like, a commodity unloading device for unloading cigarettes from a column uses a motor for unloading.

The timing for starting the drive of this motor is determined by the commodity selection button that the customer has turned on. In addition, the timing of stopping the driving of the motor after carrying out the cigarette is to set a micro switch near the stop position of the pushing member that pushes the cigarette out from the bottom surface of the column, and the micro switch is turned on or off. The motor is stopped when

[0004]

However, in the structure provided with the microswitches as described above, if the number of columns increases, the number of microswitches increases with the number of columns, and in order to connect these microswitches. There is a problem that the space and cost of the connection line of the device increases. Further, there is a problem that the work for connecting the connecting line becomes complicated.

Therefore, in view of the above problems, the present invention provides an automatic vending machine which can easily take a timing after carrying out a product in a product carrying-out device with a simple structure.

[0006]

The vending machine according to the present invention comprises:
In a vending machine in which a plurality of products are stacked on the bottom surface of a column and the bottommost product is pushed out from the bottom surface by an extruding member, a plurality of the columns are arranged side by side in a lateral direction and light is emitted on both sides of the plurality of columns. A pair of sensors including a light-receiving portion and a light-receiving portion are provided, and the pushing-out member has a control unit that stops the pushing-out member when the pushing-out member crosses between the light-emitting portion and the light-receiving portion of the sensor.

[0007]

[Operation] In the vending machine having the above structure, a plurality of columns are arranged side by side in the lateral direction, and a pair of sensors including a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion are provided on both sides of the column. Then, when the pushing member of one column crosses between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor, the control means stops the pushing member.

Therefore, one sensor may be provided as a means for stopping the push-out members of all the columns, which makes the structure very easy.

[0009]

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

Reference numeral 10 is a product discharge device in the automatic vending machine for cigarettes T of this embodiment. This product unloading device 1
0 forms the bottom face 14 of the column 12 in which a plurality of cigarettes T are stacked and accommodated, and the cigarettes T accommodated in the column 12 are carried out one by one. As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality (five in the case of FIG. 2) of the product unloading device 10 and the column 12 are provided in parallel in the horizontal direction.

Reference numeral 16 is an elongated hole 16 provided at the center of the bottom surface 14 in the front-rear direction.

Reference numeral 18 is a pushing member for pushing the cigarette T from the bottom surface 14. The push-out members 18, 18 are attached to the endless chain 20, and the push-out members 18 are driven by the rotation of the chain wheels 22, 24. The pushing member 18 projects from the long hole 16 provided in the bottom surface 14 and moves in the long hole 16 in the carrying-out direction.

Reference numeral 26 is a motor for rotating the chain wheel 22.

Reference numeral 28 is a light emitting portion of the infrared sensor 27. The light emitting portion 28 is provided in the column 1 arranged in parallel.
It is provided on the right side of 2 and at the rear of the bottom surface 14.

Reference numeral 30 is a light receiving portion of the infrared sensor 27 which forms a pair with the light emitting portion 28. This light receiving unit 30
It is provided on the left side of the plurality of columns 12 arranged in parallel and at the rear of the bottom surface 14. The infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 28 can be received by the light receiving unit 30. Further, the pushing member 18 moves between the light emitting portion 28 and the light receiving portion 30 to block infrared rays.

Reference numeral 32 denotes a control device, which drives the motor 26 by operating a product selection button 34 provided on the front surface of the vending machine as shown in FIG. 3, and outputs the infrared sensor 29 to drive the motor 26. Stop. The control state will be described based on the time chart of FIG.

When the product selection button 34 is pressed, the control device 32 drives the motor 26.

When the motor 26 is driven, the pushing member 18 is
Moves forward and pushes the cigarette T located at the bottom of the column 12 forward. When the cigarette T is completely pushed out and carried out, the pushing member 18 moves below the bottom surface 14 from the elongated hole 16. The other extruding member 18 has a bottom surface 1
4 appears above the bottom surface 14 through the elongated hole 16 from below, and passes between the light emitting section 28 and the light receiving section 30. at this point,
The output of the sensor 29 is shielded. When the other pushing member 18 further moves, infrared rays enter the light receiving unit 30 again. At this point, the controller 32 stops the motor 26.

As described above, since the mounting position of the sensor 29 is provided immediately before the pushing member 18 is stopped, the pushing member 18 always stops at the same position, and there is no error in the stopping position.

Further, it is only necessary to mount one sensor 29 on each of the five columns 12, the space for mounting the sensor 29 and the wiring can be reduced, and the number of parts can be reduced. Therefore, cost can be reduced and reliability can be improved.

[0021]

As described above, according to the vending machine of the present invention, it is possible to set the stop timing of the motors of a plurality of columns, reduce the wiring, and reduce the number of parts only by providing a pair of sensors. The cost can be kept low and reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a product unloading device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a state in which a plurality of product discharge devices are arranged in parallel.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a product unloading device.

FIG. 4 is a time chart in the control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Commodity carrying-out apparatus 12 Column 18 Push-out member 26 Motor 28 Light-emitting part 29 Sensor 30 Light-receiving part 32 Control device 34 Product selection button

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine in which a plurality of products are stacked on the bottom surface of a column and the bottommost product is pushed out from the bottom surface by an extruding member. A pair of sensors consisting of a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion are provided on both sides of the column, and the pushing member has a control means for stopping the pushing member when it crosses between the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the sensor. Vending machine characterized by.