Spiral-type item handling unit

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a spiral-type item handling unit that ensures a large storage width for items and can accommodate items of various sizes. [Solution] A spiral-type item handling unit 1 comprises: a box-shaped column 2 with an opening 22 at the bottom; a motor unit 3 having a motor 11; and a spiral component 20 disposed within the column 2, the upper end of which is detachably connected to the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, and the lower end extending spirally toward the opening 22 of the column 2; and the spiral component 20 is driven by the rotation of the motor 11 to sequentially handle the items supported on the spiral component 20 from the opening 22; wherein the spiral unit 4, composed of the spiral component 20 and the guide portion 21, can be interchanged into a first spiral unit having a first guide portion and a second spiral unit having a second guide portion, the first guide portion extending vertically along the central axis of the spiral component 20, and the second guide portion extending vertically to the left of the central axis of the spiral component 20.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an article handling unit using a screw mechanism. Prior Technology

[0002] The spiral item dispensing unit used in vending machines and the like is a device in which items are pre-inserted between spiral components arranged in a column to store the items, and the items are sequentially dispensed from the other end of the spiral component by rotating one end of the spiral component through a motor.

[0003] In recent years, a single vending machine can typically hold and sell multiple types of items, and a vending machine with a spiral item dispensing unit that can hold and sell items of different sizes has also been developed.

[0004] For example, the spiral-type article delivery unit (goods delivery device) disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to allow the motor driving the spiral to move in the width direction of the column, thereby allowing articles (goods) of different widths to be accommodated by moving the spiral relative to the column.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes a spiral-type item dispensing unit for a vending machine, which includes a spiral extending in a generally horizontal direction and an item display plate. One end of the item display plate rotatably supports the rotating shaft of a motor and extends towards the central axis of the spiral, while the other end is fixed to a column. The item display plate also functions as a guide, which guides the movement of the item as it is dispensed by the rotation of the spiral. [Previous Technical Documents] [Patent Literature]

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Statute No. 62-17908 Summary of the Invention

[0007] [The problem the invention aims to solve]

[0008] However, as shown in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, even if the screw can move in the width direction of the column, the movable distance of the screw in the width direction is still limited when the diameter of the screw is relatively large. Furthermore, the guide section limits the size of the items that can be stored. Therefore, there is a need for a screw-type item handling unit that is particularly suitable for arranging the column and screw in a vertically extending manner, and that can store and move items of various sizes.

[0009] The present invention was made in view of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a spiral-type item handling unit that can ensure a wide storage width for items and can accommodate items of various sizes. [Methods used to solve problems]

[0010] To address the aforementioned issues, the spiral article handling unit of the present invention comprises: a column having an opening on at least one side; a motor supported on the column; and a spiral member disposed within the column, one end of which is detachably connected to the rotation shaft of the motor, and the other end extending spirally into the opening of the column to support articles; and the spiral member is driven by the rotation of the motor to sequentially move articles supported on the spiral member out of the opening of the column. The feature of the element is that it has a guide portion that extends from one end of the aforementioned spiral member toward the other end of the aforementioned spiral member and is detachably supported on the aforementioned column at the other end of the aforementioned spiral member. The aforementioned spiral member is supported in a manner that allows it to move in the width direction of the aforementioned column. The aforementioned guide portion can be interchanged with a first guide portion and a second guide portion. The first guide portion extends at least along the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member, and the second guide portion extends at a position in the width direction of the aforementioned column that is different from the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member.

[0011] Preferably, the aforementioned column comprises: a first support portion supporting the other end of the aforementioned first guide portion; and a second support portion supporting the other end of the aforementioned second guide portion.

[0012] Preferably, a first spiral unit is formed by the aforementioned spiral member and the aforementioned first guide portion, and a second spiral unit is formed by the aforementioned spiral member and the aforementioned second guide portion, and either the aforementioned first spiral unit or the aforementioned second spiral unit is selectively arranged in the aforementioned column.

[0013] Preferably, the aforementioned first guide portion extends along the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member, and the aforementioned spiral member can move at the center position in the width direction of the aforementioned column.

[0014] Preferably, the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member is arranged to extend in the vertical direction, with one end being above and the other end being below. The aforementioned column has at least a rear wall and left and right side walls. The aforementioned first guide portion is supported on the aforementioned rear wall of the aforementioned column at the aforementioned other end side, and the aforementioned second guide portion is supported on either of the aforementioned left and right side walls of the aforementioned column at the aforementioned other end side.

[0015] Preferably, the aforementioned motor unit is supported on the wall of the aforementioned column at one end of the aforementioned screw member in such a way that it can slide at least in the width direction of the aforementioned column.

[0016] Preferably, the motor is attached to the wall of the column at one end of the aforementioned screw member, and is fixed to the column by moving at a position selected from among a plurality of positions in the width direction of the aforementioned column in a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned width direction.

[0017] Preferably, the aforementioned first support portion and the aforementioned second support portion are identified and displayed, which indicates the usage corresponding to the aforementioned first guide portion or the aforementioned second guide portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the spiral-type item handling unit of the present invention, by placing the spiral component at the center position of the column in the width direction and using the first guide part, items of the same width can be stored in the column on both sides of the first guide part.

[0019] Furthermore, by moving the auger from the center of the column in the width direction, wider items can be accommodated on either side of the guide section. Moreover, by using a second guide section extending at a position different from the auger's central axis in the width direction of the column, the second guide section can be moved further in the width direction of the column, allowing even wider items to be accommodated within the column.

[0020] Thus, by moving the spiral component in the column in the width direction and exchanging the guide section from the first guide section to the second guide section, wide items can be accommodated. Therefore, a spiral-type item handling unit that can accommodate a wide range of items of various sizes and widths can be provided. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0021] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of the spiral-shaped item handling unit of this embodiment. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the spiral-type item handling unit of this embodiment. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the structure of the mounting part of the motor unit. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the mounting part of the motor unit in the sliding state. Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the mounting part of the motor unit. Figure 6 is a top view of the column showing an example of product storage when the first spiral unit is installed. Figure 7 is a front view of the column showing an example of product storage when the first spiral unit is installed. Figure 8 is a side view of the column showing an example of product storage when the first spiral unit is installed. Figure 9 is a top view of the column showing an example of product storage when the second spiral unit is installed. Figure 10 is a side view of the column showing an example of product storage when the second spiral unit is installed. Implementation

[0022] [The form in which the invention is carried out]

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 is an external view of the spiral article handling unit 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the spiral article handling unit 1 according to this embodiment.

[0025] One embodiment of the present invention is a spiral-shaped item dispensing unit 1, for example, used in a vending machine, which has the function of pre-collecting goods (items) for sale and dispensing them one by one according to the purchase operation of the buyer.

[0026] An automatic vending machine, located inside the box-shaped main body, has one or more detachable spiral-shaped item dispensing units 1.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the spiral-type item handling unit 1 of this embodiment includes a column 2, a motor unit 3 (motor part) and a spiral unit 4.

[0028] The column 2 is formed into a box-shaped form with an opening on the bottom (one side) that is longer in the vertical direction. The column 2 includes: a box-shaped body part 5 with openings on the front and bottom; and a cover part 6 that covers the opening on the front of the body part 5. The cover part 6 is supported on the body part 5, can open and close the opening on the front of the body part 5, and is fixed to the body part 5 by a locking member 7 when closed.

[0029] The motor unit 3 is constructed by housing the motor 11 inside the box-shaped housing 10 and is placed on the upper wall 12 (wall surface) of the column 2.

[0030] The motor 11 is fixed to the lower wall of the housing 10, i.e., the base plate 13. The rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11 is configured such that its front end (lower end) extends downward relative to the base plate 13 and the upper wall 12 of the column 2, and extends in the vertical direction parallel to the left and right side walls 15 and 16 of the column 2.

[0031] The spiral unit 4 is composed of a spiral component 20 and a guide part 21.

[0032] The spiral component 20 is formed by rolling a round rod-shaped component into a spiral shape. One end (upper end) of the spiral component 20 is detachably fixed to the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, and the central axis extends downward on the same axis as the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11. The other end (lower end) extends to the vicinity of the opening 22 at the lower end of the column 2.

[0033] The guide part 21 is supported at the center of the upper end of the spiral member 20 and extends in the vertical direction inside the spiral member 20. The lower end (the other end) is located below the lower end of the spiral member 20 and extends radially outward toward the spiral member 20, and is detachably fixed to the column 2.

[0034] The spiral unit 4 is integrally formed by the spiral part 20 and the guide part 21, and is detachably connected to the column 2 and the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11.

[0035] Furthermore, the guide section 21 shown in Figure 2 illustrates the shape of the second guide section 51 described later, and the spiral unit 4 illustrates the shape of the second spiral unit 50 described later.

[0036] In the spiral-type item handling unit 1 configured as described above, the cover 6 of the column 2 is opened, and the item is inserted from the front opening between the pitches of the spiral member 20, thus storing the item inside the column 2. Therefore, the item is stored inside the column 2 arranged vertically.

[0037] Then, the auger 20 is rotated by the motor 11, causing the goods supported on the auger 20 inside the column 2 to move downwards and be taken out one by one from the opening 22 below the column 2.

[0038] Figures 3 and 4 are perspective views showing the structure of the mounting portion of motor unit 3. Figures 3 and 4 are views of the upper wall 12 of column 2 viewed from a slightly lower angle. Figure 3 shows the motor unit 3 located at the center of column 2 in the width direction, suitable for installation with the first spiral unit 40 described later. Figure 4 shows the motor unit 3 in a sliding position, sliding to the left from the center position, suitable for installation with the second spiral unit 50 described later. Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the mounting portion of motor unit 3.

[0039] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the base plate 13 is composed of a rectangular plate-shaped component, with the front and rear parts bent. The front part has a sliding support part 25 fixed to the upper wall 12 of the column 2, and the rear part has a positioning part 26 for positioning relative to the upper wall 12.

[0040] The sliding support 25 is formed by bending the front part of the base plate 13 into a roughly L-shape, and has a portion on the lower side of the upper wall 12 that extends along the lower surface of the upper wall 12. The positioning part 26 is formed by bending the rear part of the base plate 13 vertically downward, and protrudes downward from the upper wall 12. Furthermore, the sliding support 25 is located in front of the rotation axis 14 of the motor, and the positioning part 26 is located behind the rotation axis 14 of the motor.

[0041] The upper wall 12 of the column has a first elongated hole 27 for the sliding support 25 to be inserted, a second elongated hole 28 for the rotating shaft 14 of the motor to be inserted, and a third elongated hole 29 for the positioning part 26 to be inserted. The first elongated hole 27, the second elongated hole 28 and the third elongated hole 29 are formed with the width direction of the column 2 as the long side, and the base plate 13 is configured to be movable in the width direction of the column 2 (specifically the left and right width direction).

[0042] The sliding support 25 has a hole for inserting a fixing screw 23. On the other hand, the upper wall 12 of the column 2 has a plurality of threaded holes 30 and 31 spaced apart in the width direction for fastening the fixing screw 23. By inserting the fixing screw 23 into the hole from below the sliding support 25, the fixing screw 23 is locked into any one of the threaded holes 30 or 31 in the upper wall 12 of the column 2, thus fixing the base plate 13 to the upper wall 12. In this way, the motor unit 3 can be fixed to the column 2.

[0043] Furthermore, two protrusions 32 and 33 protruding forward are provided on the upper wall 12 of the column 2 and on the rear edge of the third elongated hole 29. The protrusions 32 and 33 are configured to restrict the movement of the base plate 13 relative to the column 2 in the width direction by means of the positioning holes 34 provided in the positioning part 26 of the base plate 13. The two protrusions 32 and 33 are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the column 2.

[0044] As shown in Figure 3, when the fixing screw 23 in the hole of the sliding support 25 is tightened into the threaded hole 30 on the right side of the upper wall 12, the protrusion 32 on the right side is inserted into the positioning hole 34 of the positioning part 26. At this time, the rotation shaft 14 of the motor 11 is located at the center position in the width direction of the column 2. Furthermore, the moving position of the base plate 13 in this state, that is, the moving position of the motor unit 3 in the width direction of the column 2, is set to the center position.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4, when the fixing screw 23 in the hole of the sliding support 25 is tightened into the female threaded hole 31 on the left side of the upper wall 12, the protrusion 33 on the left side is inserted into the positioning hole 34 of the positioning part 26. At this time, the rotation shaft 14 of the motor 11 is located to the left of the center position in the width direction of the column 2. Furthermore, the moving position of the base plate 13 in this state, that is, the moving position of the motor unit 3 in the width direction of the column 2, is set as the sliding position.

[0046] The first elongated hole 27, the second elongated hole 28, and the third elongated hole 29 are formed extensively in the front-rear direction by means of the sliding support part 25 and the positioning part 26 of the base plate 13 and the rotation shaft 14 of the motor 11, so that the motor unit 3 can move forward relative to the fixed position of the column 2 and the motor unit 3 as shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4. In this way, by moving the motor unit 3 forward from the fixed position, the motor unit 3 can move between the central position and the sliding position in the width direction.

[0047] As shown in Figure 5, screws 35 with approximately hemispherical heads are fastened to the underside of the base plate 13 of the motor unit 3 at four locations, for example, with the heads of the screws 35 facing downwards. The heads of the screws 35 contact the upper wall 12 of the column 2, and the base plate 13 and the upper wall 12 of the column 2 are separated in the vertical direction.

[0048] Figures 6 to 8 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of how product P is stored when the first spiral unit 40 is installed. Figure 6 is a top view of column 2, Figure 7 is a front view of column 2, and Figure 8 is a side view of column 2.

[0049] Figures 9 and 10 show an example of how the product P is stored when the second spiral unit 50 is installed. Figure 9 is a top view of the column 2 and Figure 10 is a front view of the column 2.

[0050] In the spiral-type article handling unit 1 of this embodiment, as spiral unit 4, a first spiral unit 40 and a second spiral unit 50 with different shapes of guide part 21 are prepared in advance. The first spiral unit 40 or the second spiral unit 50 is selectively installed on the column 2.

[0051] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the guiding part 41 of the first spiral unit 40 is composed of a rod-shaped member, namely the central shaft 42, and a plate-shaped member, namely the support plate 43. The upper end of the central shaft 42 is fixed to the upper end of the spiral member 20, and extends downward along the central axis of the spiral member 20, and extends downward more than the lower end of the spiral member 20.

[0052] The support plate 43 rotatably supports the plate-shaped member at the lower end of the central shaft 42 and extends rearward from the lower end of the central shaft 42, and is detachably fixed to the first support portion 44 provided on the rear wall 17 of the column 2. Furthermore, the first support portion 44, for example, is a hole provided in the rear wall 17, as long as it has a structure that allows it to be fixed by hooking the end of the support plate 43. In addition, the first support portion 44 can be pre-identified with colors, text, etc., indicating its use during installation of the first spiral unit 40.

[0053] In the first spiral unit 40, the spiral component 20 and the central shaft 42 will rotate due to the rotation of the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11.

[0054] When installing the first spiral unit 40, the position of the base plate 13 of the motor unit 3 can be set to the central position as shown in Figure 3, and the central axis of the spiral component 20 can be set to the center position of the width direction of the column 2.

[0055] Thus, by setting the central axis of the spiral member 20 of the first spiral unit 40 at the center of the width direction of the column 2, a total of two rows of goods P with approximately the same width can be stored in one column 2, on the left and right sides of the central axis 42. Then, by rotating the spiral member 20 half a turn one by one, the goods P on the left and right sides of the central axis 42 can be sequentially moved out from the opening 22 below the column 2.

[0056] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the guide portion 51 of the second spiral unit 50 is formed by bending both ends of a plate-shaped member. The upper end of the second guide portion 51 is rotatably supported on the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, and the lower end is detachably fixed to the second support portion 52 provided on the left side wall 15 of the column 2. Furthermore, the second support portion 52 can be used to identify and display the installation and use of the second spiral unit 50 in advance using colors, text, etc.

[0057] The second guide portion 51 of the second spiral unit 50 extends radially outward from the support position of the upper part of the rotation shaft 14 toward the spiral member 20. Inside the spiral member 20, it extends downward parallel to the central axis SCL of the spiral member 20 at a position radially outward from the central axis SCL, or in other words, closer to the left side wall 15 of the column 2 than the central axis SCL of the spiral member 20. The lower end of the second guide portion 51 extends from the lower part of the spiral member 20 toward the second support portion 52 on the left side wall 15 of the column 2.

[0058] In the second spiral unit 50, although the spiral member 20 rotates by the rotation of the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, the second guide part 51 does not rotate or move.

[0059] When installing the second spiral unit 50, the position of the base plate 13 of the motor unit 3 is set to the sliding position as shown in Figure 4 above, so that the central axis SCL of the spiral member 20 is located to the left of the center position CCL in the width direction of the column 2.

[0060] Thus, by positioning the central axis SCL of the auger 20 to the left of the center position CCL in the width direction of the column 2, a wider product P can be accommodated in the column 2 on the right side of the second guide portion 51. Furthermore, by using the second auger unit 50, the second guide portion 51 is positioned to the left of the central axis SCL of the auger 20, thus a wider product P can be accommodated between the guide portion 21 and the right side wall 16 of the column 2.

[0061] Thus, when the second spiral unit 50 is installed, only a row of wider goods P is stored on the right side of the guide part 21, and the spiral part 20 is rotated once, so that the goods can be moved out from the right side of the guide part 21 through the opening 22 below the column 2.

[0062] Furthermore, since the spiral item dispensing unit 1 of this embodiment is detachable from the vending machine, when exchanging the first spiral unit 40 and the second spiral unit 50 in the column 2, the exchange can be easily carried out by temporarily removing the spiral item dispensing unit 1 containing the column 2 from the vending machine.

[0063] As described above, the spiral-type article handling unit 1 of this embodiment includes: a first spiral unit 40, which has a first guide portion 51 extending vertically along the central axis of the spiral member 20; and a second spiral unit 50, which has a second guide portion 52 extending to the left of the column 2, closer to the central axis of the spiral member 20; and either of these spiral units 40 and 50 can be interchanged on the column 2. Furthermore, the motor unit 3 can be moved in the width direction of the column 2, and the central axis of the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, i.e., the central axis of the spiral member 20, can be set in a manner that allows it to move in the width direction of the column 2.

[0064] Furthermore, by using a first spiral unit 40 with a spiral component 20 positioned at the center of the width direction of the column 2 and having a first guide portion 41, the first guide portion 41 is located at the center of the width direction of the column 2, and the product P with approximately the same width can be stored in the column 2 on the left and right sides of the first guide portion 41.

[0065] On the other hand, by using the second spiral unit 52 with the second guide portion 51, a wider item P can be stored on one side (right side) of the second guide portion 51. The second guide portion 51 extends at a position (left side) different from the central axis SCL of the spiral member 20 in the width direction of the column 2. Furthermore, by moving the spiral member 20 from the center position in the width direction of the column 2 toward the width direction (left side), the second guide portion 51 is further moved toward the width direction (left side) of the column 2, allowing a wider item to be stored on the right side of the second guide portion 51.

[0066] By supporting the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11 at the upper end of the guide section 21 (first guide section 41, second guide section 51), the oscillation of the rotating shaft 14, i.e., the oscillation of the screw 20, during the rotation of the motor 11 can be suppressed. In addition, when the screw 20 rotates while the product is being taken out of the column 2, the guide section 21 can suppress the left-right movement of the product P (the width direction of the column 2), thus facilitating the smooth removal of the product P.

[0067] Since the column 2 has a first support portion 44 that supports the support plate 43 at the lower end of the first guide portion 41, and a second support portion 52 that supports the lower end of the second guide portion 51, the first spiral unit 40 and the second spiral unit 50 can be easily installed on the column 2 in an interchangeable manner.

[0068] By providing a first support 44 on the rear wall 17 of the column 2, and by arranging the support plate 43 at the lower end of the support center shaft 42 in a manner that extends toward the first support 44 behind the column 2, the goods P stored on the left and right sides of the center shaft 42 can be moved downwards without interfering with the support plate 43.

[0069] On the other hand, since the second support portion 52 is provided on the left side wall 15 of the column 2, the length of the portion extending radially toward the spiral member 20 at the lower end of the second guide portion 51 can be suppressed, and the oscillation of the second guide portion 51, that is, the oscillation of the spiral member 20 when the spiral member 20 rotates, can be effectively suppressed.

[0070] Furthermore, the base plate 13 in the motor unit 3 is mounted on the upper wall 12 of the column 2 and is supported on the upper wall 12 in a manner that allows it to slide relative to the upper wall 12. A screw 35, configured in a generally hemispherical shape with its head facing downwards, is provided on the underside of the base plate 13, and the head of the screw 35 contacts the upper wall 12 of the column 2 to separate the base plate 13 from the upper wall 12 of the column 2. This suppresses friction when the base plate 13 slides relative to the column 2 and prevents the base plate 13 from sticking to the upper wall 12 of the column 2 due to ice or frost.

[0071] Protrusions 32 and 33 are provided on the upper wall 12 of the column 2, allowing the base plate 13 to move forward perpendicular to the width direction of the column 2. Either protrusion 32 or 33 is inserted into the positioning hole 34 of the base plate 13, thereby setting the position of the base plate 13 relative to the column 2 in the width direction. Since the protrusions 32 and 33 are configured to correspond to the sliding positions (central position and sliding position) of the motor unit 3, the sliding position of the motor unit 3 can be easily set to either the central position or the sliding position.

[0072] Furthermore, since the first support portion 44 displays the usage of the first spiral unit 40 during installation, and the second support portion 52 displays the usage of the second spiral unit 50 during installation, the first spiral unit 40 and the second spiral unit 50 can be easily installed on the column 2.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the sliding position of the motor unit 3 relative to the column 2 can be suitably set to a plurality of positions. Furthermore, regarding the spiral unit 4, the diameter of the spiral member 20 and the position and shape of the guide portion 21 can be suitably changed from the first guide portion 41 and the second guide portion 51, or in addition to the first spiral unit 40 and the second spiral unit 50, a plurality of different types of spiral units 4 can be prepared for exchange.

[0074] In the aforementioned embodiment, the auger 20 is configured to move in the left-right width direction of the column 2, but it can also be configured to move in the front-back width direction of the column 2. When the auger 20 is configured to move in a manner that allows it to move behind the column 2, it is sufficient to provide a second support portion 52 supporting the lower end of the second guide portion 51 at the lower part of the rear wall 17 of the column 2.

[0075] Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiments, the column 2 is longer in the vertical direction, and the spiral component 20 of the spiral item handling unit 1 extends in the vertical direction. However, the configuration in which the column 2 extends in a direction other than vertical, i.e., the unit that handles the goods in a direction other than downward, can also be applied to the present invention.

[0076] The spiral-shaped item handling unit of this invention can be widely used in various systems for the storage and handling of items, in addition to vending machines.

[0077] 1: Spiral-type item handling unit 2: Column 3: Motor Unit (Motor Section) 12: Upper wall (wall surface) 15: Left side wall (side wall) 17: Rear wall 20: Spiral component 21: Guidance Department 40: First Helical Unit 41: First Guiding Section 44: First Support Section 50: Second spiral unit 51: Second Guiding Section 52: Second Support Section

Claims

1. A spiral-type article handling unit comprising: a column having an opening on at least one side; a motor supported on the column; and a spiral member disposed within the column, one end of which is detachably connected to the rotation shaft of the motor, and the other end extending spirally toward the opening of the column to support articles; and the spiral member being driven by the rotation of the motor to sequentially move articles supported on the spiral member out of the opening of the column, characterized in that: it includes a guide portion extending from one end of the spiral member toward the other end, and one end being supported on the first end of the spiral member or the rotation shaft of the motor; on the other hand, the other end... The end of the aforementioned spiral member is detachably supported on the aforementioned column at the other end side. The aforementioned spiral member is supported in a manner that allows it to move in the width direction of the aforementioned column. The aforementioned guide portion can be interchanged with a first guide portion and a second guide portion. The first guide portion extends at least along the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member, and items of approximately the same width can be stored in the aforementioned column on the left and right sides of the aforementioned guide portion. The second guide portion extends at a position different from the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member in the width direction of the aforementioned column, and items with a width greater than the aforementioned items of the same width can be stored in the aforementioned column on the left and right sides of the aforementioned guide portion. The aforementioned first guide portion or the aforementioned second guide portion can move together with the aforementioned spiral member in the width direction of the aforementioned column.

2. The spiral-type article handling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aforementioned column comprises: a first support portion supporting the other end of the aforementioned first guide portion; and a second support portion supporting the other end of the aforementioned second guide portion.

3. The spiral-type article handling unit of claim 1, wherein the first spiral unit is constituted by the aforementioned spiral component and the aforementioned first guide portion, the second spiral unit is constituted by the aforementioned spiral component and the aforementioned second guide portion, and either the aforementioned first spiral unit or the aforementioned second spiral unit is selectively arranged in the aforementioned column.

4. The spiral-type item handling unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aforementioned first guide extends along the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member, and the aforementioned spiral member can move at the center position in the width direction of the aforementioned column.

5. The spiral-type article handling unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the central axis of the aforementioned spiral member is arranged in a vertical direction, with one end being above and the other end being below, the aforementioned column having at least a rear wall and left and right side walls, the aforementioned first guide portion being supported on the aforementioned rear wall of the aforementioned column at the aforementioned other end, and the aforementioned second guide portion being supported on either of the aforementioned left and right side walls of the aforementioned column at the aforementioned other end.

6. The spiral article handling unit of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the aforementioned motor unit is supported on the wall of the aforementioned column at one end of the aforementioned spiral member in such a way that it can slide at least in the width direction of the aforementioned column.

7. The spiral article handling unit of claim 6, wherein the aforementioned motor unit is attached to the wall of the aforementioned column at one end of the aforementioned spiral member, and furthermore, at a position selected from a plurality of positions in the width direction of the aforementioned column, it moves in a direction perpendicular to the aforementioned width direction and is fixed to the aforementioned column.

8. The spiral-type item handling unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the aforementioned first support and the aforementioned second support are identified and displayed, the identification and display indicating the use of the aforementioned first guide or the aforementioned second guide.

Images