Article supply device

Abstract

To provide an article supply device adaptable to types of articles.SOLUTION: An article supply device 1 that can supply an article P1 of a first type and an article P2 of a second type includes: a main body part 2; storage parts 10, 20 that store articles; supply parts 30, 35 that supply articles P1, P2 stored in the storage parts 10, 20; a lock part 38 that disables supply of the articles P1, P2 from the supply parts 30, 35; and detection parts (a detection part 40a for the first article and a detection part 40b for the second article) that can sense the presence / absence of the articles P1, P2 in the storage parts and the presence / absence of the articles P1, P2 in the storage parts 10, 20. Under the condition that it is sensed by the detection parts that the articles P1, P2 are absent, the lock part 38 is brought into a lock state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article supplying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses, for example, a toy capable of supplying items, which is configured so that one of a number of spherical items stored in a supply box can be removed from an outlet at the bottom of the main body by rotating an operating part on the front side of the main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 62-78998 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The toy, which can be called an article supplying device, disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a device that supplies spherical articles, and cannot be used for articles other than spherical articles. That is, in this type of article supplying mode, an article supplying device dedicated to an article of one external shape is required. Therefore, when an article of another shape is to be supplied, a mechanism or device that matches the shape of the other article is required.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an article supplying device that can accommodate different types of articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an item supplying device capable of supplying a first type of item and a second type of item, comprising a main body section, a storage section for storing the items, a supply section for supplying the items stored in the storage section, a locking section that prevents the items from being supplied from the supply section, and a detection section capable of detecting the presence or absence of the first type of item in the storage section and the presence or absence of the second type of item in the storage section, and the locking section is put into a locked state when the detection section detects the absence of items. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an item supplying device that can handle different types of items. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the product supply device of the present invention with a storage section for a first type of product and a storage section for a second type of product removed from a main body portion. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of an item supplying device capable of supplying a first type of item. [Diagram 3] 4 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a storage section for a first type of item. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a first type of article is detected. [Diagram 5] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a link mechanism of a storage section for a first type of item. FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part showing the operation of a notification section of a first type of article. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a front view of the product supply device when the notification unit is in an operating state. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a detection structure for a first type of article. [Figure 9] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation mechanism of a notification section and a lock section. FIG. [Figure 10] 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of an item supplying device capable of supplying a second type of item. FIG. [Figure 11]11 is a perspective view showing the inside of a storage section for a second type of item. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a supply section for a second type of article. [Figure 13] 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional oblique view of a main part of a storage section for a second type of item. FIG. [Figure 14] 13 is a schematic perspective view of a main portion for explaining a link mechanism of a storage section for a second type of item. FIG. [Figure 15] 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part showing the operation of the notification section for a second type of article. FIG. [Figure 16] 11 is a perspective view of the product supply device in a state in which the notification section for a second type of product is in operation. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an article supplying device according to one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, directions are described as front-rear directions (front side or rear side), left-right directions (right side or left side), and up-down directions (upper side or lower side) with the front side being the front when the article supply device is viewed from the front side. Also, each direction is indicated by an arrow in the drawings.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic oblique view showing the state in which a storage section 10 for a first type of item (hereinafter also referred to as the first storage section 10) and a storage section 20 for a second type of item (hereinafter also referred to as the second storage section 20) have been removed from the main body section 2 of the item supply device 1. The item supplying device 1 can supply (discharge) a first type of item, for example a spherical capsule-shaped first item P1, by inserting money. Furthermore, the item supplying device 1 can supply (discharge) a second type of item, a thin second item P2. In other words, the item supplying device 1 is a device that can provide multiple types of items (goods).

[0011] The capsule-shaped first object P1 here refers to, for example, an object in the form of a capsule-shaped case made of synthetic resin containing various products or a spherical object, while the second object P2 refers to, for example, a relatively thin, flat plate or sheet-shaped object such as a sheet-shaped printed matter, a card, or a thin case, which can be stacked and stored.

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1, the article supply device 1 has a main body 2 having a box shape with a front wall 2f, left and right side walls 2s, a rear wall 2r, a top wall 2u, and a bottom wall (not shown), and various operation parts are provided on the front wall 2f. On the front wall 2f, for example, a coin insertion section 5 into which the price of the first article P1 can be inserted, a first supply port 9 from which the first article P1 is discharged, an operation section 4 that allows the first article P to be supplied from the first supply port 9 by a rotating operation, a return port 6 that returns cash as necessary, a cash return button 7, and a second notification section 92 that can emit light (described later) are provided. In addition, on the upper side of the front wall 2f, a mounting section 3 with a large opening on the front side and the upper front side is provided. This mounting section 3 is capable of attaching and detaching a first storage section 10 that stores the first article P1 or a second storage section 20 that stores the second article P2.

[0013] The first storage section 10 stores the spherical first object P1 as described above, but the objects are stored in a non-aligned state as shown in the figure, whereas the second storage section 20 is configured to store the second object P2 in a stacked and aligned state.

[0014] Each part will be explained below. The operation unit 4 is configured to be rotatable, for example, in a clockwise direction (the direction of the arrow in the figure) on the condition that a price is paid. For example, when a user inserts a coin into the coin insertion unit 5 and then rotates the operation unit 4, a first item P1 is dispensed into the first supply port 9. Also, a second item P2 is dispensed from a second supply port 29 provided on the front side of the second storage unit 20. The operation of the operation unit 4 is common to both the state in which the first storage unit 10 is attached and the state in which the second storage unit 20 is attached.

[0015] The coin insertion section 5 for cash is configured with a circular recess having a slit-like opening through which coins can be inserted. The return slot 6 is configured to return inserted coins in response to the operation of the cash return button 7, and to allow the coins returned from the device to be taken out.

[0016] The mounting section 3 has a substantially rectangular opening structure surrounded by left and right side walls 2s, a rear wall 2r, an upper wall 2u, and a bottom wall 2d that is appropriately opened. The first housing section 10 and the second housing section 20 have substantially the same shape except for at least the front side of both case main bodies 10a, 20a. Therefore, for example, when the first housing section 10 and the second housing section 20 are attached to or detached from the mounting section 3, they are both slid in the front-rear direction of the main body 2.

[0017] A communication portion 9a for supplying the first article P1 to the first supply port 9 is provided on the bottom wall 2d side of the mounting portion 3. In addition, a gear mechanism (gears 4b, 4c, 4d, 4d) engageable with gear members of the first storage portion 10 and the second storage portion 20 is provided on the bottom wall 2d side.

[0018] In addition, on the bottom wall 2d side of the mounting section 3, as described below, there is provided a first member 41a of the first item detection section 40a, which corresponds to the bottom surface portion of the first storage section 10 and is capable of detecting the presence or absence of a first item P1, and a first member 41b of the second item detection section 40b, which corresponds to the bottom surface portion of the second storage section 20 and is capable of detecting the presence or absence of a second item P2.

[0019] Hereinafter, the supply of the first article P1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a main part of the article supplying device 1 that supplies the first article P1.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the operation unit 4 has an operation shaft 4a extending rearward. The operation shaft 4a extends to the rear wall 2r, and a first gear 4b is provided at the rear end thereof. The first gear 4b is rotatably supported on the inner surface of the rear wall 2r, and constitutes a gear mechanism that meshes with another second gear 4c and a third gear 4d. The third gear 4d is provided with a fourth gear 4e that is integral with and concentric with the third gear 4d. The fourth gear 4e meshes with a gear portion 31g on the lower surface of a turntable 31 (described later) that supplies the first article P1. By rotating the operation unit 4, the turntable 31 of the first supply unit 30 can be rotated via the operation shaft 4a, the first gear 4b, the second gear 4c, the third gear 4d, and the fourth gear 4e, and the first article P1 can be supplied as described later.

[0021] A discharge mechanism is provided at the lower part of the bottom wall 2d to which the first storage unit 10 is attached, for dispensing the first article P1 from the first storage unit 10 attached to the attachment unit 3 to the first supply port 9. The discharge mechanism moves the first article P1, which has fallen downward from the communication unit 9a (see FIG. 1), to the first supply port 9 via a chute 3b that slopes downwardly and forwardly.

[0022] 2, the first supply unit 30 includes a turntable 31 rotatably provided in a substantially circular storage recess 10d provided in the bottom 10b of the first storage unit 10. The turntable 31 has a disk-like configuration in a plan view, and is supported by a support shaft (not shown) and rotatably provided within the storage recess 10d.

[0023] Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a main part of the internal structure of the first storage section 10. Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing a state in which the first object P1 is detected. As shown in Fig. 3, the turntable 31 is provided with a plurality of article holding holes 31h, for example, five holes, at equal intervals along the circumferential direction (see Fig. 5). A face gear-shaped annular gear portion 31g is provided on the outer periphery of the lower end surface of the turntable 31 and meshes with a fourth gear 4e. A protruding portion 32 protruding upward is provided at the center of rotation on the upper surface side of the turntable 31, and a plurality of spring stirring members 31a are provided at the upper end of the protruding portion 32.

[0024] The storage recess 10d is provided with an article passing hole 10dh through which the first article P1 can fall into the communication part 9a of the main body part 2. That is, when the first storage part 10 is attached to the main body part 2, the first article P1 falls into the communication part 9a of the main body part 2 through the article passing hole 10dh.

[0025] The first storage section 10 is provided with an inclined bottom 10u (see FIG. 2) that constitutes the bottom surface of the storage space SP1 for the first article P1, further forward than the storage recess 10d, and guides the first article P1 toward the turntable 31. In addition, above the article passing hole 10dh, a spring-shaped restraining member 10i or the like is provided to restrain the position of the first article P1 above the article passing hole 10dh so that it does not move in the direction of the article passing hole 10dh (downward).

[0026] 3, a second member 42a of the first article detector 40a is provided in the link mechanism 50 below the inclined bottom portion 10e as a detector capable of detecting the presence or absence of a first article P1. The second member 42a is configured to detect an article based on its positional relationship with a first member 41a (see FIGS. 5 and 8) described below.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the link mechanism 50 is provided on the front side of the turntable 31 and has a structure including a horizontal swing pin 51 capable of contacting the first item P1, a first link member 52 connected to the horizontal swing pin 51, a second link member 53 connected to the first link member 52, a third link member 54 connected to the second link member 53, and a first notification portion 91 connected to the third link member 54 and capable of notifying that the first item P1 is not present.

[0028] The horizontal swing pin 51 is provided so as to be horizontally rotatable via a support shaft 51d near the outer periphery of the turntable 31. The tip 51a of the horizontal swing pin 51 is bent, for example, in a substantially L-shape in plan view, and the base end 51b extends forward beyond the support shaft 52d. A tension coil spring 59a engages with the base end 51b, and the base end 51b is pulled to the left. Therefore, the tip 51a can enter the article holding hole 31h that holds the first article P1 through the notch 36 due to the biasing force of the tension coil spring 59a.

[0029] A cylindrical projection 51c protruding upward is provided on the base end 51b of the horizontal swing pin 51. The first link member 52, which engages with the projection 51c, is provided so as to be horizontally swingable around a support shaft 52d protruding from the bottom 10b. The first link member 52 includes a first lever 52a that extends from the support shaft 52d to one side (the right side in the figure) slightly bent (bent in a substantially V-shape), and a second lever 52b that extends to the other side (the left side in the figure) at a predetermined angle from the first lever 52a. The first lever 52a is provided with an elongated hole 52c that is bent along the longitudinal direction of the first lever 52a, and the projection 51c of the horizontal swing pin 51 is loosely engaged with the elongated hole 52c. This allows the projection 51c to be connected so as to move within the elongated hole 52c. On the other hand, a cylindrical portion 52e (see FIG. 4), for example, is provided at the tip of the second lever 52b, and a rear end portion 53a of a rod-shaped second link member 53 extending in the front-rear direction is rotatably connected to the cylindrical portion 52e.

[0030] The second link member 53 is provided at its front end with an elongated hole 53c extending in the front-rear direction, and a tip portion of a swinging portion 57 attached to the third link member 54 is movably engaged with this elongated hole 53c.

[0031] The third link member 54 is a rod-shaped member, for example, having a square cross section, extending in the left-right direction, and both left and right ends thereof are rotatably supported via bearings 56. The third link member 54 has a first notification part 91 attached to its other end side (right side in the figure) opposite to the swing part 57 at one end (left side in the figure). In addition, a tension coil spring 59b is attached to the third link member 54 via a swing auxiliary arm 59c. As a result, the third link member 54 is assisted in being biased in the clockwise direction when viewed from the right side surface direction, and an auxiliary force is applied in the direction in which the first notification part 91 is lifted upward.

[0032] The first notification part 91 includes an attachment base 91a fixed to the right end of the third link member 54, a base side plate part 91b extending from the attachment base 91a in the direction of the rotation radius, and a notification plate part 91c bending downward from the tip side of the base side plate part 91b and curving along the rotation plane. An indication such as "Sold Out" is provided on the outer surface of the notification plate part 91c. The bottom part 10b is provided with an insertion opening 10bh through which the notification plate part 91c can be exposed downward from the bottom part 10b.

[0033] The operation when the first item P1 is sold out will be described. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the link mechanism 50. Fig. 6 is a side view showing the operation of the first notification unit 91, and Fig. 7 is a front view of the article supply device showing the operating state of the first notification unit 91. As shown in FIG. 5, when the first article P1 is removed from the first storage section 10, the horizontal swing pin 51 is inserted deeply into the article holding hole 31h by the tension coil spring 59a. This releases the first link member 52 from the rotational locking by the protrusion 51c. This releases the state in which the rotation of the second link member 53 and the third link member 54 is restricted. This causes the first notification portion 91 to descend forward and downward due to its own weight, and the notification plate portion 91c penetrates the insertion opening 10bh and is exposed below the bottom portion 10b. In other words, the first notification portion 91 is released from the restriction by the link mechanism 50 and rotates forward and downward due to its own weight.

[0034] The notification plate portion 91c, which has rotated and descended, protrudes from the insertion opening 10bh against the tensile force of the tension coil spring 59a, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. This causes the first notification portion 91 to be in a state where the "SOLD OUT" message provided on the outer surface of the notification plate portion 91c is visible. At the same time, the notification plate portion 91c covers the front side of the coin insertion portion 5. In this way, the first notification portion 91 notifies the user of the "SOLD OUT" message at a position close to the operation portion 4, for example, at the upper right, and further causes the coin insertion portion 5 to be unable to insert coins. In this state, the second notification portion 92 emits light at a position close to the operation portion 4, at the upper left, to function as a second notification.

[0035] The notification mechanism of the second notification unit 92 will be described below. FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a detection structure for activating the second notification section 92. As shown in FIG. The second notification unit 92 (see FIG. 7) is configured as a light-emitting unit equipped with a light-emitting element such as an LED. The configuration for activating (emitting light from) the second notification unit 92 includes, for example, a first member 41a for the first item installed on the main body unit 2 side and a second member 42a for the first item provided in the link mechanism 50, as shown in FIG.

[0036] The first member 41a for the first item is configured as a magnetic sensor fixed and installed, for example, via a bracket 41ab, inside the left side wall 2s of the main body 2. On the other hand, the second member 42a for the first item has a magnet provided on an attachment portion 42ab attached to one end of the first link member 52. In other words, the magnetic sensor and the magnet are configured to be able to face each other closely with the bottom portion 10b of the first storage portion 10 in between.

[0037] In the first article detection unit 40a configured in this manner, when a magnet approaches the magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensor detects the magnetic force of the magnet and transmits a detection signal to the control unit 100 (see FIG. 9). For example, as described above, when the first article P1 is not stored in the first storage unit 10, that is, when the horizontal swing pin 51 operates to enter the article holding hole 31h, the first link member 52 moves, causing the second member 42a (magnet) to approach the first member 41a (magnetic sensor) (the state shown in FIG. 8).

[0038] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the second notification portion 92 and the operation mechanism of the lock portion 38. As shown in FIG. When the first object P1 is removed, the magnetic force of the magnet is detected by the magnetic sensor. Then, a detection signal indicating that the first object P1 has been removed is transmitted by the first object detection unit 40a (first member 41a) to the control unit 100. Based on this transmitted signal, the control unit 100 controls the second notification unit 92 to emit light, for example, by flashing or lighting up.

[0039] Additionally, the lock unit 38 that prevents the operation of the operating unit 4 when the first article P1 is gone will be described. 9, the lock unit 38 includes, for example, a lock pin 4p of a first gear 4b attached to the operating shaft 4a of the operating unit 4, and a lock pin 38p of a lock drive unit 38a adjacent to the first gear 4b. For example, the lock drive unit 38a is configured to enable the lock pin 38p to advance and retreat toward the first gear 4b in response to a signal from the control unit 100.

[0040] Therefore, when the first article P1 is gone, the lock driver 38a protrudes the lock pin 38p toward the first gear 4b based on the detection signal sent from the first member 41a. This causes the lock pin 38p to engage with the stop pin 4p. As a result, the operation unit 4 is locked so that it cannot rotate, and the turntable 31 is prevented from rotating, resulting in a locked state in which the article supply operation cannot be performed.

[0041] When the article P1 is removed, the horizontal swing pin 51 swings as described above, and the tip 51a of the horizontal swing pin 51 enters the article holding hole 31h. As a result, the tip 51a gets caught in the notch 36 of the turntable 31, locking the turntable 31 and restricting the rotational movement of the turntable 31. However, as described above, the locking portion 38 completely prevents the operation unit 4 from being rotated, so that the load on the horizontal swing pin 51 or the turntable 31 is avoided.

[0042] Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the article supplying device with the second storage section 20 attached. Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the second storage section 20. In FIG. 10, the main body 2 has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 2, and therefore the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in Fig. 10 and Fig. 11, the second storage section 20 is a box-shaped structure with an open top, which is made up of a front wall 20f on the front side, a rear wall 20r on the rear side, side walls 20s on the left and right sides, and a bottom wall 20d on the bottom side. The storage space SP2 inside is configured as a box-shaped rectangular space. The article placement section 20b forming the bottom of the storage space SP2 is configured flat so that the second article P2 can be stacked and stored at a high position spaced apart from the bottom wall 20d. The second storage section 20 is configured such that the discharge rollers 21 of the second supply section 35 that discharge the second article P2 from the second supply port 29 are provided between the article placement section 20b and the bottom wall 20d (see Fig. 10).

[0043] Further, the second housing section 20 is provided with a gear part 20t along the rear wall part 20r of the second housing section 20. The gear at the bottom end of the gear part 20t meshes with a third gear 4d driven by the operating part 4 when the second housing section 20 is in the attached state, as shown in FIG.

[0044] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a pair of left and right guides 20e are provided in the storage space SP2 near the front of the space, and a rear guide 20h is provided near the rear of the space so as to rise from the article placement section 20b. In addition, a pressing section 20i is provided in front of the left and right guides 20e to press the second article P2 downward from above when the second article P2 is stored and stacked. The pressing section 20i is a weight having a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the left-right direction, and is held so as to be vertically movable by a rail-shaped holding section 20j having a groove that is erected in front of the left and right guides 20e.

[0045] The left and right guides 20e are provided so as to be movable in the left-right direction on the article placement section 20b, and the rear guide 20h is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction on the article placement section 20b. Therefore, by moving the left and right guides 20e and the rear guide 20h, second articles P2 of different sizes can be stored in a stacked state.

[0046] A front end guide portion 20k involved in sending out the articles is provided along the pressing portion 20i on the front side of the pressing portion 20i. This front end guide portion 20k is disposed immediately behind a shutter 20m that can swing to open and close the second supply port 29. The front end guide portion 20k guides the second articles P2 so that they are discharged one by one when they are discharged, and its height from the article placement portion 20b can be adjusted to match the thickness of the second articles P2.

[0047] The discharge roller 21 is provided as a horizontally extending rotating part at a position facing the pressing part 20i under the article placement part 20b. As shown in FIG. 12, the discharge roller 21 has an arc outer surface 21a and a non-arc outer surface 21b having a smaller diameter than the arc outer surface 21a in a side view. Therefore, when rotated around the rotation axis 21c, the arc outer surface 21a comes into contact with the lower surface of the second article P2 (see the enlarged portion of FIG. 12) pressed downward by the pressing part 20i. The second article P2 is sent forward by the rotation of the arc outer surface 21a in the contact state. That is, the arc outer surface 21a protrudes slightly upward from the placement part opening 20bh provided in the article placement part 20b and comes into contact with the lower surface of the second article P2, and slides the second article P2 forward to be discharged from the second supply port 29. In this manner, the second supplies of the second articles P2 are sequentially discharged (supplied) by the second supply section 35 starting from the bottommost second article P2 that is stacked and aligned and contained in the second storage section 20.

[0048] The discharge roller 21 is connected to, for example, a connecting shaft 20n (see FIG. 10) extending toward the discharge roller 21 (forward) from one shaft portion of the gear portion 20t provided along the rear wall portion 20r, and a gear (not shown) provided on the front end side of the connecting shaft 20n. Therefore, when the second storage portion 20 is attached to the main body portion 2, the discharge roller 21 is rotationally driven by the operation portion 4 that becomes operable by inserting a coin.

[0049] A vertically movable pin 61 capable of contacting the second article P2 from the underside of the article placement section 20b is provided on the rear side of the discharge roller 21 as a mechanism for detecting the presence or absence of the stored second article P2. The vertically movable pin 61 is held by a pin holding section 62 so as to be vertically movable, and is biased upward by a compression coil spring 63 inside the pin. When the second article P2 is not present, the pin 61 is configured to protrude upward from the placement section opening 20bh from the article placement section 20b. The pressing section 20i is provided with a notched opening 20ih corresponding to the placement section opening 20bh, which is configured to allow the vertically movable pin 61 to protrude.

[0050] Fig. 13 is an enlarged perspective sectional view of the second supply section 35 of the second storage section 20. Fig. 14 is a schematic perspective view of a main part for explaining the link mechanism 80 of the second storage section 20. 13 and 14, the vertically movable pin 61 is connected to a link mechanism 80 (described later) that has a main shaft member 81 as a rotation axis. A second article detector 40b including a second member 42b for a second article is provided as a detector utilizing the movement of the link mechanism 80.

[0051] The second object detection unit 40b includes a first member 41b for the second object (see Figs. 1 and 10) and a second member 42b for the second object. The first member 41b for the second object is fixed and installed via a bracket to the front lower portion of the mounting unit 3 of the main body unit 2, and is configured as, for example, a magnetic sensor. As shown in Fig. 13, the second member 42b for the second object is attached to the main shaft member 81 in the link mechanism 80 and is rotatable. For example, the second member 42b for the second object is provided as a magnet on a swinging portion 83 extending in the direction of the rotation radius of the main shaft member 81. The second member 42b for the second object is a magnet that is movable relative to the first member 41b for the second object, and is detected by the first member 41b for the second object. This detection signal constitutes a notification unit that causes the second notification unit 92 to emit light, similar to the first object detection unit 40a shown in Fig. 9. As shown in FIG. 9, it also functions as a detector that activates the lock unit 38.

[0052] The left and right ends of the main shaft member 81 are rotatably supported by bearings 85, 86 (see FIG. 14). One end of the main shaft member 81 is provided with a hook-shaped locking portion 82 that extends in the direction of the rotation radius of the main shaft member 81 and has an engagement surface 82a at its tip end that can engage with the locking projection 64 of the vertically movable pin 61. A pair of these locking portions 82 are provided at positions that sandwich the pin holding portion 62 that holds the vertically movable pin 61 so that it can move up and down.

[0053] A first notification part 91 of the second article P2 is provided on the other end side of the main shaft member 81 (the side opposite to the vertical movement pin 61). This first notification part 91 includes an attachment base part 91a, a base side plate part 91b extending from the attachment base part 91a in the rotation radius direction, and a notification plate part 91c curving downward from the base side plate part 91b, and has the same configuration as the first notification part 91 of the first article P1 shown in FIG. 4. In addition, a force that tends to rotate the first notification part 91 downwardly forward is always acting on the first notification part 91 due to its own weight. However, when the second article P2 is present (the state shown in FIG. 12), the locking protrusion 64 of the vertical movement pin 61 prevents the first notification part 91 from rotating downwardly forward.

[0054] The vertically movable pin 61 is provided with locking projections 64 that protrude from both the left and right sides of the pin holding portion 62. When the second article P2 is present, the locking projections 64 are located on the lower side of the pin holding portion 62 and engage with an engagement surface 82a of the locking portion 82, preventing the main shaft member 81 from rotating.

[0055] Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part for illustrating the operation of the first notification unit 91. Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the article supply device 1 in a state in which the first notification unit 91 is in operation. Here, when the second object P2 is removed and the vertically movable pin 61 moves upward by the compression coil spring 63 (as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 14), the engagement between the locking protrusion 64 and the engagement surface 82a is released. This causes the first notification section 91 to rotate forward and downward due to its own weight. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the state of the first notification section 91 thereafter is the same as in the case of the first storage section 10, with the notification plate section 91c positioned to cover the front side of the coin insertion section 5 and "SOLD OUT" displayed on the front of the device. With the coin insertion section 5 covered by the first notification section 91 in this way, it becomes impossible to insert coins.

[0056] 15, the second member 42b for the second object provided on the main shaft member 81 rotates forward due to the rotation of the main shaft member 81. This causes the second member 42b for the second object to approach the first member 41b for the second object. In other words, the magnet approaches the magnetic sensor. In this manner, when the second object P2 is gone, the second member 42b for the second object (magnet) approaches the first member 41b for the second object (magnetic sensor), and a detection signal is sent to the control unit 100 by magnetic force detection, causing the second notification unit 92 to emit light.

[0057] As described above, the item supply device 1 of this embodiment detects that there are no items (first item P1, second item P2) in the device using the detection units, the first item detection unit 40a and the second item detection unit 40b, and activates at least the lock unit 38 to prevent supply of either the first item P1 or the second item P2. Also, when there are no items, a "sold out" message can be displayed.

[0058] In the article supplying device 1 of this embodiment, in either the case of the first article P1 or the second article P2, a notification unit that notifies the outside of the device that an article is not present in the device has a function of notifying the customer by, for example, a recognition means that is provided in the device and can be visually recognized on the outer surface of the device. Therefore, since the customer can obtain the information before operating the device, they do not need to perform unnecessary operations.

[0059] Furthermore, in the article supplying device 1 of this embodiment, one of the notification units (first notification unit 91) can notify the absence of articles by moving a display plate. Also, by moving the display plate, for example, an action such as closing the coin insertion unit 5 can be performed, improving the usability of the device. Furthermore, the other, second notification unit 92, can notify by emitting light, for example by using a flashing light, thereby improving the recognition effect of the notification.

[0060] According to the present embodiment of the product supply device 1, the first notification unit 91 and the second notification unit 92 are configured to provide notification in the vicinity of the operation unit 4, thereby making it possible to more reliably prevent unnecessary operations when the customer operates the device.

[0061] In the article supply device 1 of this embodiment, the operation unit 4 for supplying articles is locked by the lock unit 38 when there is no article (first article P1, second article P2) and the operation unit cannot be operated, thereby preventing unnecessary operations by customers. In addition, the lock unit 38 can maintain a secure locked state without placing unnecessary load on the drive unit of the device.

[0062] In the present embodiment of the item supply device 1, both the first item detection unit 40a and the second item detection unit 40b employ sensing that utilizes position changes caused by non-contact first members 41a, 41a and second members 42a, 42b, for example, using magnetic force, so that information can be easily transmitted between the first and second storage units 10, 20 and the main body unit 2.

[0063] In addition, since the detection unit has a detection structure that corresponds to the different structures of the first storage unit 10 and the second storage unit 20, i.e., the first item detection unit 40a and the second item detection unit 40b, respectively, it can be made a detection unit that can accommodate both storage units 10, 20 having different structures.

[0064] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of its technical concept. For example, the structures of the article supply device 1, the first storage section 10, and the second storage section 20 in the above embodiment are not limited to those shown in the drawings.

[0065] As described above, this specification describes the following:

[0066] (1) Goods of the first type and goods of the second type An article supplying device capable of supplying an article, A main body portion, A storage section for storing the item; a supply section that supplies the items stored in the storage section; a locking section that prevents the article from being supplied from the supply section; A detection unit capable of detecting the presence or absence of the first type of item in the storage unit and the presence or absence of the second type of item in the storage unit; Equipped with putting the locking unit into a locked state on condition that the detection unit detects that the article is not present; Goods supply device.

[0067] (2) The article supply device according to (1), The device further includes a notification unit that notifies an outside device that the item is absent when the detection unit detects that the item is absent. Goods supply device.

[0068] (3) The article supply device according to (2), The notification unit includes a first notification unit and a second notification unit, The first notification unit is configured to be movable, The second notification unit is configured to be immovable. Goods supply device.

[0069] (4) The article supply device according to (3), The first notification unit is configured to notify the absence of the article by moving a display board, The second notification unit is configured to notify the absence of the article by emitting light from the light emitting unit. Goods supply device.

[0070] (5) The article supply device according to (3) or (4), The first notification unit is provided in the storage unit, The second notification unit is provided in the main body unit. Goods supply device.

[0071] (6) An article supply device according to any one of (3) to (5), The main body includes a coin insertion portion for payment of a price, The first notification unit operates to prevent the insertion of coins into the coin insertion unit when the detection unit detects that the article is not present. Goods supply device.

[0072] (7) An article supply device according to any one of (3) to (6), the main body portion includes an operating portion that operates to allow the article to be supplied from the supply portion, The first notification unit and the second notification unit are configured to notify in the vicinity of the operation unit. Goods supply device.

[0073] (8) An article supply device according to any one of (1) to (7), the main body portion includes an operating portion that operates to allow the article to be supplied from the supply portion, The operation unit is operable when the lock unit is in an unlocked state. Goods supply device.

[0074] (9) An article supply device according to any one of (1) to (8), The detection unit includes a first member fixedly provided in the main body and a second member movably provided in the storage unit. Goods supply device.

[0075] (10) The article supply device according to (9), The detection unit is configured such that, when the object is not contained in the storage unit, the first member and the second member are closer to each other than when the object is contained in the storage unit. Goods supply device.

[0076] (11) An article supply device according to (9) or (10), The second member is composed of a magnet, The detection unit detects the absence of the article by a magnetic force generated when the second member approaches the first member. Goods supply device.

[0077] (12) An article supply device according to any one of (9) to (11), The storage section is configured to be detachable from the main body section, The first member is provided at a lower portion of the housing portion attached to the main body portion and at a position accessible to the second member. Goods supply device.

[0078] (13) An article supply device according to any one of (9) to (12), The first member includes a first member that detects the presence or absence of the first type of object and a second first member that detects the presence or absence of the second type of object, The one first member and the other first member are provided at different positions in the main body. Goods supply device.

[0079] (14) An article supply device according to any one of (1) to (13), The storage section includes a first storage section and a second storage section, The first storage section is configured to be able to store the first type of item, The second storage section is configured to be able to store the second type of item. Goods supply device.

[0080] (15) The article supply device according to (14), The first storage section is configured to store the first type of articles in a non-aligned state, The second storage section is configured to store the second type of articles in an aligned state. Goods supply device.

[0081] (16) An article supply device according to (14) or (15), The main body is configured so that the first storage section and the second storage section can be replaced with each other. Goods supply device.

[0082] (17) The article supply device according to (16), The detection unit includes a first detection unit and a second detection unit, The first detection unit is configured to detect the presence or absence of the first type of article, The second detection unit is configured to detect the presence or absence of the second type of article. Goods supply device.

[0083] (18) The article supply device according to (17), The first detection unit is configured to be able to detect the presence or absence of the first type of item when the first storage unit is attached to the main body unit, The second detection unit is configured to detect the presence or absence of the second type of item when the second storage unit is attached to the main body unit. Goods supply device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0084] 1 Goods supply device 2 Main unit 4 Control section 5 Coin slot 10 First storage section (storage section) 20 Second storage section (storage section) 30 1st supply section (supply section) 35 2nd supply section (supply section) 38 Rock Club 40a First object detection unit (detection unit) 40b Second object detection unit (detection unit) 41a First member for first object (first member) 41b First member for second article (first member) 42a: Second member for the first article (second member) 42b Second member for second article (second member) 91 1st Notification Department (Notification Department) 92 Second Notification Department (Notification Department) P1 1st article (article) P2 Second article (article)

Claims

1. An item supplying device capable of supplying a first type of item and a second type of item, A main body portion, A storage section for storing the item; a supply unit that supplies the items stored in the storage unit; a locking portion that disables the supply of the article from the supply portion; The device includes one and the other first members fixedly provided in the main body portion and a second member movably provided in the storage portion, and detects the presence or absence of the first type of item in the storage portion; A detection unit capable of detecting the presence or absence of the second type of article in the storage unit; Equipped with The one first member that detects the presence or absence of the first type of object and the other first member that detects the presence or absence of the second type of object are provided at different positions in the main body, putting the locking unit into a locked state on condition that the detection unit detects that the article is not present; Goods supply device.

2. The article supply device according to claim 1, The device further includes a notification unit that notifies an outside device of the absence of the article when the absence of the article is detected by the detection unit. Goods supply device.

3. The article supply device according to claim 2, the notification unit includes a first notification unit and a second notification unit, The first notification unit is configured to be movable, The second notification unit is configured to be immovable. Goods supply device.

4. The article supply device according to claim 3, The first notification unit is configured to notify the user that the item is absent by moving a display board, The second notification unit is configured to notify the absence of the article by emitting light from the light-emitting unit. Goods supply device.

5. The article supply device according to claim 3, The first notification unit is provided in the storage unit, The second notification unit is provided in the main body unit. Goods supply device.

6. The article supply device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, The main body includes a coin insertion portion for payment of a price, The first notification unit operates to prevent the insertion of coins into the coin insertion unit when the detection unit detects that the article is absent. Goods supply device.

7. The article supply device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, The main body includes an operating unit that operates the supply unit to supply the article, The first notification unit and the second notification unit are configured to provide notification in the vicinity of the operation unit. Goods supply device.

8. The article supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The main body includes an operating unit that operates the supply unit to supply the article, The operation unit is operable when the lock unit is in an unlocked state. Goods supply device.

9. The article supply device according to claim 1, The detection unit is configured such that, when the item is not contained in the storage unit, the first member and the second member are closer to each other than when the item is contained in the storage unit. Goods supply device.

10. The article supplying device according to claim 9, The second member is constituted by a magnet, The detection unit detects the absence of the article by a magnetic force caused by the approach of the second member to the first member. Goods supply device.

11. The article supplying device according to claim 9, The housing portion is configured to be detachable from the main body portion, The first member is provided at a lower portion of the housing portion attached to the main body portion and at a position accessible to the second member. Goods supply device.

12. The article supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The storage section includes a first storage section and a second storage section, The first storage section is configured to be able to store the first type of item, The second storage section is configured to be able to store the second type of item. Goods supply device.

13. 13. The article supplying device according to claim 12, The first storage section is configured to store the first type of articles in a non-aligned state, The second storage section is configured to store the second type of articles in an aligned state. Goods supply device.

14. 13. The article supplying device according to claim 12, The main body is configured so that the first storage section and the second storage section can be replaced with each other. Goods supply device.

15. 15. The article supplying apparatus according to claim 14, The detection unit includes a first detection unit and a second detection unit, The first detection unit is configured to detect the presence or absence of the first type of article, The second detection unit is configured to detect the presence or absence of the second type of article. Goods supply device.

16. 16. The article supplying apparatus according to claim 15, The first detection unit is configured to be able to detect the presence or absence of the first type of article when the first storage unit is attached to the main body unit, The second detection unit is configured to be able to detect the presence or absence of the second type of article when the second storage unit is attached to the main body unit. Goods supply device

Images