Spiral item removal unit

Abstract

The present invention is a spiral article unloading unit (1), comprising: a box-shaped support (2) having an opening (22) on its lower surface; a motor unit (3) having a motor (11); a spiral member (20) arranged in the support (2), the upper end of which is detachably connected to the rotating shaft (14) of the motor (11), and the lower end of which extends in a spiral shape toward the opening (22) of the support (2); the spiral member (20) is driven to rotate by the motor (11) so that the articles supported by the spiral member (20) are sequentially unloaded from the opening (22); a spiral unit (4) consisting of the spiral member (20) and a guide portion (21) can be replaced between a first spiral unit and a second spiral unit, the first spiral unit having a first guide portion extending in an up-down direction on the central axis of the spiral member (20); and the second spiral unit having a second guide portion extending in an up-down direction at a position to the left of the central axis of the spiral member (20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article carrying-out unit using a screw. Background Art

[0002] The spiral article unloading unit used in vending machines, etc. is a device that stores articles by inserting them between spirals arranged in pillars, and then sequentially unloading the articles from the other end of the spiral by driving one end of the spiral to rotate by a motor.

[0003] In recent years, a vending machine with a spiral article removal unit has been developed. Generally, a variety of articles can be stored and sold in one vending machine, and articles of different sizes can also be stored and sold.

[0004] For example, the spiral article unloading unit (product discharging device) disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured to move a motor driving a screw along the width direction of a support column, and to accommodate articles (products) of different widths by moving the screw relative to the support column.

[0005] Furthermore, the spiral-type item unloading unit of a vending machine described in Patent Document 1 includes a spiral extending in a generally horizontal direction and a product loading plate on which items are loaded. One end of the product loading plate rotatably supports the motor shaft and extends along the central axis of the spiral. The other end of the product loading plate is fixed to a support and functions as a guide to guide the movement of products when the spiral rotates to unload them.

[0006] Prior art literature

[0007] Patent Literature

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-17908 Summary of the Invention

[0009] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0010] However, even if the spiral can be moved along the width of the support as in Patent Document 1, the widthwise movable distance of the spiral is limited if the diameter of the spiral is relatively large. Furthermore, there is a problem of limiting the size of merchandise that can be accommodated by the guide portion. In particular, a spiral article unloading unit is required that is suitable for being configured so that the support and spiral extend in the vertical direction and that can accommodate and unload articles of various sizes.

[0011] The present invention is made in view of the above problems, and its object is to provide a spiral article carrying-out unit that can ensure a large article storage width and can store articles of various sizes.

[0012] Technical solutions used to solve technical problems

[0013] The invention also provides a screw-type article unloading unit, wherein the screw has an opening on at least one surface thereof; a motor part, the motor part being supported by the screw; and a screw member, the screw member being arranged in the screw member, one end of the screw member being detachably connected to the rotating shaft of the motor part, the other end of the screw member extending in a spiral shape toward the opening of the screw member and supporting the article, and the article supported by the screw member is sequentially unloaded from the opening of the screw member by driving the screw member to rotate by the motor part. The invention is characterized in that the screw member is provided with a guide part, the guide part having a portion extending from the one end of the screw member to the other end thereof and being detachably supported by the screw member on the other end side of the screw member, the screw member being supported so as to be movable along the width direction of the screw member, the guide part being replaceable between at least a first guide part and a second guide part, the first guide part extending on the central axis of the screw member, and the second guide part extending in the width direction of the screw member and at a position different from the central axis of the screw member.

[0014] Preferably, the support column includes a first support portion and a second support portion, wherein the first support portion supports the other end portion of the first guide portion, and the second support portion supports the other end portion of the second guide portion.

[0015] Preferably, the spiral and the first guide portion constitute a first spiral unit, and the spiral and the second guide portion constitute a second spiral unit, and either the first spiral unit or the second spiral unit is selectively disposed in the support column.

[0016] Preferably, the first guide portion extends along the central axis of the screw, and the screw is movable to a central position in the width direction of the support column.

[0017] Ideally, the central axis of the spiral is configured to extend in the up-down direction, with one end portion being above and the other end portion being below, the pillar having at least a rear wall and left and right side walls, the first guide portion being supported on the rear wall of the pillar at the other end side, and the second guide portion being supported on either of the left and right side walls of the pillar at the other end side.

[0018] Preferably, the motor unit is supported by a wall surface of the support at one end side of the screw so as to be slidable at least along a width direction of the support.

[0019] Ideally, the motor unit is preferably moved in a direction perpendicular to the width direction at a selective position among a plurality of positions in the width direction of the support, on the wall surface of the support on one end side of the screw, and is fixed to the support.

[0020] Preferably, the first support portion and the second support portion are provided with identification marks indicating usage status corresponding to the first guide portion or the second guide portion.

[0021] Effects of the Invention

[0022] According to the spiral article unloading unit of the present invention, by arranging the spiral at the center position of the pillar in the width direction and using the first guide portion, articles of the same width can be stored in the pillar on both sides of the first guide portion.

[0023] Furthermore, by arranging the spiral to move along the width direction from the center position of the width direction of the pillar, wide articles can be stored on one of the left and right sides of the guide portion. In addition, by using a second guide portion extending at a position different from the central axis of the spiral in the width direction of the pillar, the second guide portion can be further moved along the width direction of the pillar to store even wider articles in the pillar.

[0024] By moving the spiral member in the width direction within the support and replacing the guide portion from the first guide portion to the second guide portion, wide articles can be stored. Therefore, a spiral article unloading unit can be provided that can accommodate and store articles of various widths. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of the spiral article unloading unit according to this embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 It is a longitudinal sectional view of the spiral article unloading unit of this embodiment.

[0027] Figure 3 It is a perspective view showing the structure of the mounting portion of the motor unit.

[0028] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing the structure of the mounting portion of the motor unit in a sliding state.

[0029] Figure 5 It is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the mounting portion of the motor unit.

[0030] Figure 6 This is a plan view of a support column showing an example of storing products when the first spiral unit is attached.

[0031] Figure 7 This is a front view of a support column showing an example of storing products when the first spiral unit is attached.

[0032] Figure 8 This is a side view of the support column showing an example of storing products when the first spiral unit is attached.

[0033] Figure 9 It is a top view of the support column showing an example of storing products when the second spiral unit is attached.

[0034] Figure 10 This is a side view of the support column showing an example of storing products when the second spiral unit is attached. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 It is an external view of the spiral article unloading unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 It is a longitudinal sectional view of the spiral article unloading unit 1 of this embodiment.

[0037] The spiral article unloading unit 1 as one embodiment of the present invention is used in, for example, an automatic vending machine and has a function of storing commodities (articles) to be sold in advance and operating to unload commodities one by one in response to purchase operations by buyers.

[0038] The automatic vending machine includes one or more spiral article carrying-out units 1 in a detachable manner inside a box-shaped main body.

[0039] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown, the screw-type article unloading unit 1 of this embodiment includes a support column 2 , a motor unit 3 (motor portion), and a screw unit 4 .

[0040] The support column 2 is formed into a vertically elongated box-like shape with an open bottom surface (one side). The support column 2 includes a box-like main body 5 with open front and bottom surfaces, and a cover 6 that covers the front opening of the main body 5. The cover 6 is supported by the main body 5 and can open and close the front opening of the main body 5. In the closed state, the cover 6 is secured to the main body 5 by a locking member 7.

[0041] The motor unit 3 is configured such that a motor 11 is housed in a box-shaped housing 10 and is placed on an upper wall 12 (wall surface) of the support column 2 .

[0042] The motor 11 is fixed to a bottom plate 13, which serves as the lower wall of the housing 10. The front end (lower end) of the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11 extends downward from the bottom plate 13 and the upper wall 12 of the support column 2, and is arranged to extend in the vertical direction parallel to the left and right side walls 15 and 16 of the support column 2.

[0043] The spiral unit 4 is composed of a spiral member 20 and a guide portion 21 .

[0044] The spiral member 20 is formed by winding a round rod-shaped member into a spiral shape. One end (the upper end) of the spiral member 20 is detachably fixed to the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11. The central axis of the spiral member 20 extends downward coaxially with the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, and the other end extends to the vicinity of the opening 22 at the lower end of the support 2.

[0045] The upper end of the guide portion 21 is supported at the center of the upper end of the spiral member 20, and extends in the spiral member 20 along the up and down directions. The lower end (the other end) extends radially outward of the spiral member 20 at a position lower than the lower end of the spiral member 20, and is fixed to the support 2 in a detachable manner.

[0046] The screw unit 4 is formed by integrating a screw 20 and a guide portion 21 , and is detachably connected to the support column 2 and the rotation shaft 14 of the motor 11 .

[0047] in addition, Figure 2 The guide portion 21 shown shows the shape of a second guide portion 51 described later, and the spiral unit 4 shows the shape of a second spiral unit 50 described later.

[0048] In the spiral article unloading unit 1 having the above structure, the cover 6 of the support 2 is opened and articles are inserted into the spaces between the spiral members 20 through the opening on the front surface to be stored in the support 2. As a result, the articles are stored in the support 2 in a vertically aligned manner.

[0049] Furthermore, by driving the motor 11 to rotate the screw 20 , the products supported by the screw 20 in the support 2 are moved downward and carried out one by one from the opening 22 at the bottom of the support 2 .

[0050] Figure 3 、 Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing the structure of the mounting portion of the motor unit 3 . Figure 3 、 Figure 4 This is a diagram of the upper wall 12 of the support column 2 as viewed obliquely from below. Figure 3 The motor unit 3 is shown in a state where it is located at the center position in the width direction of the support column 2 and is suitable for mounting the first screw unit 40 described later. Figure 4 The figure shows the sliding position of the motor unit 3 after it has moved leftward from the center position, that is, the state suitable for attaching the second screw unit 50 described later. Figure 5It is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the mounting portion of the motor unit 3 .

[0051] like Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the bottom plate 13 is formed of a rectangular plate-like member with curved front and rear portions. The front portion includes a sliding support portion 25 fixed to the upper wall 12 of the pillar 2, and the rear portion includes a positioning portion 26 for positioning relative to the upper wall 12.

[0052] The sliding support portion 25 is formed by bending the front portion of the bottom plate 13 into a generally L-shape, and has a portion located below the top wall 12, extending along the lower surface of the top wall 12. The positioning portion 26 projects downward from the portion formed by bending the rear portion of the bottom plate 13 vertically downward, that is, further downward from the top wall 12. The sliding support portion 25 is located forward of the motor shaft 14, while the positioning portion 26 is located rearward of the motor shaft 14.

[0053] The upper wall 12 of the support column includes a first elongated hole 27, a second elongated hole 28, and a third elongated hole 29. The first elongated hole 27 is for inserting the sliding support portion 25, the second elongated hole 28 is for inserting the motor shaft 14, and the third elongated hole 29 is for inserting the positioning portion 26. The first elongated hole 27, the second elongated hole 28, and the third elongated hole 29 are formed with their longer sides along the width direction of the support column 2, and the base plate 13 is configured to be movable along the width direction of the support column 2 (specifically, the left-right width direction).

[0054] The sliding support portion 25 includes holes for inserting the fixing screws 23. Meanwhile, the upper wall 12 of the support column 2 includes female threaded holes 30 and 31 spaced apart in the width direction for fastening multiple (two) fixing screws 23. By inserting the fixing screws 23 into the holes from below the sliding support portion 25 and fastening them to any of the female threaded holes 30 and 31 in the upper wall 12 of the support column 2, the base plate 13 and the upper wall 12 are fixed together. This secures the motor unit 3 to the support column 2.

[0055] Furthermore, two protrusions 32 and 33 are provided on the rear edge of the third elongated hole 29 on the upper wall 12 of the support column 2, projecting forward. These protrusions 32 and 33 are inserted into positioning holes 34 provided in the positioning portion 26 of the base plate 13, thereby restricting movement of the base plate 13 in the width direction relative to the support column 2. The two protrusions 32 and 33 are spaced apart in the width direction of the support column 2.

[0056] like Figure 3As shown, when the fixing screw 23 passing through the hole of the sliding support portion 25 is fastened to the female threaded hole 30 on the right side of the upper wall 12, the convex portion 32 on the right side is inserted into the positioning hole 34 of the positioning portion 26. At this time, the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11 is located at the center position in the width direction of the support column 2. In addition, the moving position of the bottom plate 13 in the above state, that is, the moving position in the width direction of the motor unit 3 in the width direction of the support column 2, is set as the central position.

[0057] As Figure 4 shown, when the fixing screw 23 passing through the hole of the sliding support portion 25 is fastened to the female threaded hole 31 on the left side of the upper wall 12, the convex portion 33 on the left side is inserted into the positioning hole 34 of the positioning portion 26. At this time, the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11 is located to the left of the center position in the width direction of the support column 2. In addition, the moving position of the bottom plate 13 in the above state, that is, the moving position in the width direction of the motor unit 3 in the width direction of the support column 2, is set as the sliding position.

[0058] The first elongated hole 27, the second elongated hole 28, and the third elongated hole 29 are formed larger in the front-rear direction so that the sliding support portion 25 of the bottom plate 13, the positioning portion 26, and the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11 can move forward relative to Figure 3 or Figure 4 the fixing position of the support column 2 and the motor unit 3 shown. By moving the motor unit 3 forward from the fixing position as described above, the motor unit 3 can be moved between the central position and the sliding position in the width direction.

[0059] As Figure 5 shown, on the lower surface of the bottom plate 13 of the motor unit 3, for example, screws 35 with a pot head shape (Japanese: ナベ頭形状) having a substantially hemispherical head are fastened at four places, and the heads of the screws 35 are fixed in a downward-facing manner. The heads of the screws 35 contact the upper wall 12 of the support column 2, and the bottom plate 13 and the upper wall 12 of the support column 2 are separated in the up-down direction.

[0060] Figures 6 to 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of storing the product P when installing the first spiral unit 40, Figure 6 is a top view of the support column 2, Figure 7 is a front view of the support column 2, Figure 8 is a side view of the support column 2.

[0061] Figure 9 、 Figure 10 shows an example of storing the product P when installing the second spiral unit 50, Figure 9 is a top view of the support column 2, Figure 10 is a front view of the support column 2.

[0062] In the spiral article unloading unit 1 of this embodiment, a first spiral unit 40 and a second spiral unit 50 having different shapes of guide portions 21 are prepared as the spiral units 4. The first spiral unit 40 or the second spiral unit 50 is selectively attached to the support column 2.

[0063] like Figures 6 to 8 As shown, the first guide portion 41, which serves as the guide portion of the first spiral unit 40, is composed of a central shaft 42, which is a rod-shaped member, and a support plate 43, which is a plate-shaped member. 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 to a position lower than the lower end of the spiral member 20.

[0064] The support plate 43 is a plate-shaped member that rotatably supports the lower end of the central shaft 42. It extends rearward from the lower end of the central shaft 42 and is removably secured to a first support portion 44 provided on the rear wall 17 of the support column 2. The first support portion 44 may be, for example, a hole provided in the rear wall 17, and any structure capable of hooking the end of the support plate 43 for securing the support plate 43 may be employed. Furthermore, it is preferred that an identification mark, such as color or text, be pre-indicated on the first support portion 44 to be used when installing the first spiral unit 40.

[0065] In the first screw unit 40 , the screw 20 and the central shaft 42 are rotated by the rotation of the rotation shaft 14 of the motor 11 .

[0066] When installing the first screw unit 40, it is best to set the position of the bottom plate 13 of the motor unit 3 to the above Figure 3 The central position shown is the central axis of the screw 20 as the center position in the width direction of the support 2.

[0067] By positioning the central axis of the screw 20 of the first screw unit 40 at the center of the width of the support 2, two rows of products P of approximately the same width can be stored on either side of the central axis 42 of a single support 2. Furthermore, by rotating the screw 20 half a turn each time, the products P on either side of the central axis 42 can be sequentially unloaded from the opening 22 at the bottom of the support 2.

[0068] like Figure 9 、 Figure 10 As shown, the second guide portion 51, which serves as a guide for the second spiral unit 50, is formed by bending the two ends of a plate-like member. The upper end of the second guide portion 51 is supported for rotation relative to the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, and the lower end is detachably fixed to a second support portion 52 provided on the left side wall 15 of the support column 2. Alternatively, the second support portion 52 may be provided with a marking, such as color or text, for identification during installation of the second spiral unit 50.

[0069] The second guide portion 51 of the second spiral unit 50 extends from the support position of the rotating shaft 14 at its upper portion toward the radially outer side of the spiral 20. The second guide portion 51 passes within the spiral 20 at a position radially outward of the central axis SCL of the spiral 20, in other words, closer to the left side wall 15 of the support column 2 than the central axis SCL of the spiral 20, and extends downwardly parallel to the central axis SCL of the spiral 20. The lower end of the second guide portion 51 extends below the spiral 20 toward the second support portion 52 of the left side wall 15 of the support column 2.

[0070] In the second screw unit 50 , the screw 20 rotates due to the rotation of the rotation shaft 14 of the motor 11 , but the second guide portion 51 does not rotate or move.

[0071] When installing the second screw unit 50, the position of the bottom plate 13 of the motor unit 3 is set to the above Figure 4 In the sliding position shown, the central axis SCL of the screw 20 is located to the left of the widthwise center position CCL of the support column 2 .

[0072] Thus, by positioning the central axis SCL of the spiral 20 to the left of the widthwise center position CCL of the support column 2, wider products P can be stored on the right side of the second guide portion 51 in the support column 2. Furthermore, since the second guide portion 51 is positioned to the left of the central axis SCL of the spiral 20 by using the second spiral unit 50, even wider products P can be stored between the guide portion 21 and the right side wall 16 of the support column 2.

[0073] When the second spiral unit 50 is installed in the above manner, by storing a row of wide products P only on the right side of the guide portion 21 and rotating the spiral 20 one circle each time, the products can be sequentially unloaded from the right side of the guide portion 21 through the opening 22 below the support 2.

[0074] In addition, since the spiral article unloading unit 1 of this embodiment adopts a structure that can be installed and removed from the vending machine, when replacing the first spiral unit 40 and the second spiral unit 50 in the support 2, the spiral article unloading unit 1 including the support 2 can be easily replaced by temporarily removing it from the vending machine.

[0075] As described above, the spiral article unloading unit 1 of this embodiment includes: a first spiral unit 40 having a first guide portion 41 extending vertically along the central axis of the spiral 20; and a second spiral unit 50 having a second guide portion 51 extending to the left of the central axis of the spiral 20 relative to the support column 2. Either spiral unit 40 or 50 can be interchangeably incorporated into the support column 2. Furthermore, the motor unit 3 can be moved along the width direction of the support column 2, and the central axis of the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11, i.e., the central axis of the spiral 20, can be arranged to be movable along the width direction of the support column 2.

[0076] In addition, by arranging the spiral member 20 at the center position in the width direction of the pillar 2 and using the first spiral unit 40 having the first guide portion 41, the first guide portion 41 can be located at the center position in the width direction of the pillar 2, and products P of approximately the same width can be stored in the pillar 2 on the left and right of the first guide portion 41.

[0077] On the other hand, by using the second spiral unit 50 having the second guide portion 51 extending at a position (to the left) different from the central axis SCL of the spiral 20 in the width direction of the pillar 2, it is possible to store wide products P on one side (the right side) of the second guide portion 51. Furthermore, by arranging the spiral 20 so that it moves in the width direction (to the left) from the center position in the width direction of the pillar 2, it is possible to further move the second guide portion 51 in the width direction (to the left) of the pillar 2, and to store even wider products on the right side of the second guide portion 51.

[0078] The guide portion 21 (first guide portion 41, second guide portion 51) supports the rotating shaft 14 of the motor 11 at its upper end, thereby suppressing the swing of the rotating shaft 14 during the rotation of the motor 11, that is, the swing of the screw 20. Furthermore, when the screw 20 rotates during the unloading of products from the support 2, the guide portion 21 suppresses the left-right movement of the products P (in the width direction of the support 2), thereby promoting smooth unloading.

[0079] The pillar 2 has a first support portion 44 that supports the support plate 43 serving as the lower end portion of the first guide portion 41, and has a second support portion 52 that supports the lower end portion of the second guide portion 51. Therefore, the first spiral unit 40 and the second spiral unit 50 can be easily installed on the pillar 2 in a replaceable manner.

[0080] The first support portion 44 is provided on the rear wall 17 of the pillar 2, and is configured so that the support plate 43 supporting the lower end of the center axis 42 extends toward the first support portion 44 and toward the rear of the pillar 2, so that the products P stored on the left and right of the center axis 42 can be moved downward without interfering with the support plate 43.

[0081] On the other hand, since the second support portion 52 is arranged on the left side wall 15 of the pillar 2, the length of the portion extending radially along the spiral member 20 at the lower end portion of the second guide portion 51 can be suppressed, and the swing of the second guide portion 51, that is, the swing of the spiral member 20 when the spiral member 20 rotates, can be effectively suppressed.

[0082] Furthermore, the bottom plate 13 of the motor unit 3 is placed on the upper wall 12 of the support column 2 and is supported so as to be slidable relative to the upper wall 12. A screw 35 is provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate 13, with its head facing downward in a substantially hemispherical shape. The head of the screw 35 contacts the upper wall 12 of the support column 2, and the bottom plate 13 is spaced apart from the upper wall 12 of the support column 2. This reduces frictional forces that would cause the bottom plate 13 to slide relative to the support column 2, and also prevents the bottom plate 13 from becoming fixed to the upper wall 12 of the support column 2 due to ice, frost, etc.

[0083] Protrusions 32 and 33 are provided on the upper wall 12 of the support column 2. By moving the base plate 13 forward perpendicularly to the width direction of the support column 2 and inserting one of the protrusions 32 and 33 into the positioning hole 34 of the base plate 13, the width position of the base plate 13 relative to the support column 2 can be set. Since the protrusions 32 and 33 are arranged to correspond to the sliding position (central position, 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.

[0084] Furthermore, the first support portion 44 is marked for use when attaching the first helical unit 40 , and the second support portion 52 is marked for use when attaching the second helical unit 50 . Therefore, the first and second helical units 40 , 50 can be easily attached to the support column 2 .

[0085] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the sliding position of the motor unit 3 relative to the support 2 can be appropriately set to multiple positions. Furthermore, the spiral unit 4 can be configured such that the diameter of the spiral 20, the position or shape of the guide 21, and the first or second guide 41 or 51 are appropriately changed. Furthermore, multiple types of spiral units 4 can be prepared and interchangeable in addition to the first or second spiral unit 40 or 50.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the spiral member 20 is configured to be movable along the left-right width direction of the support column 2, but the spiral member 20 may also be configured to be movable along the front-back width direction of the support column 2. When the spiral member 20 is configured to be movable toward the rear of the support column 2, it is sufficient to include a second support portion 52 at the lower portion of the rear wall 17 of the support column 2 to support the lower end portion of the second guide portion 51.

[0087] In addition, in the above embodiment, the pillar 2 is long in the vertical direction, and the spiral member 20 of the spiral article unloading unit 1 is arranged to extend in the vertical direction, but the pillar 2 is arranged to extend in a direction other than the vertical direction, that is, the present invention can be applied to a unit that unloads goods in a direction other than the downward direction.

[0088] The spiral article carrying-out unit of the present invention can be widely used as a unit for storing and carrying out articles in various systems in addition to automatic vending machines.

[0089] (Explanation of Symbols)

[0090] 1 spiral item removal unit;

[0091] 2 pillars;

[0092] 3. Motor unit (motor part);

[0093] 12 upper wall (wall surface);

[0094] 15 left side wall (side wall);

[0095] 17 posterior wall;

[0096] 20 spiral pieces;

[0097] 21 guidance department;

[0098] 40 first helical unit;

[0099] 41 first guide portion;

[0100] 44 first supporting portion;

[0101] 50 second helical unit;

[0102] 51 second guide portion;

[0103] 52 second supporting portion.

Claims

1. A spiral article removal unit, comprising: a support column having an opening on at least one side; a motor portion supported by the support column; as well as A spiral member is disposed in the support, one end of the spiral member is detachably connected to the rotating shaft of the motor unit, and the other end of the spiral member extends toward the opening of the support unit to support the article. The motor drives the screw to rotate, so that the articles supported by the screw are sequentially carried out from the opening of the support. It is characterized by: A guide portion is provided, the guide portion extending from the one end portion to the other end portion of the screw and being detachably supported on the support column on the other end portion side of the screw. The spiral member is supported so as to be movable along the width direction of the support. The guide portion is replaceable between at least a first guide portion extending on the central axis of the screw and a second guide portion extending at a position different from the central axis of the screw in the width direction of the support.

2. The spiral article carrying unit according to claim 1, wherein: The support column includes a first supporting portion and a second supporting portion, The first support portion supports the first guide portion on the other end side of the screw. The second support portion supports the second guide portion on the other end portion side of the screw.

3. The spiral article carrying unit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The first spiral unit is formed by the spiral member and the first guide portion. The second spiral unit is formed by the spiral member and the second guide portion. Either the first helical unit or the second helical unit is selectively disposed within the support column.

4. The spiral article carrying unit according to claim 1, wherein: The first guide portion extends on the central axis of the spiral member, The screw is movable to a center position in a width direction of the support column.

5. The spiral article carrying unit according to claim 4, wherein: The central axis of the spiral is configured to extend in the up-down direction, with the one end facing upward and the other end facing downward. The pillar has at least a rear wall and left and right side walls. The first guide portion is supported on the rear wall of the support column on the other end side of the spiral member. The second guide portion is supported by one of the left and right side walls of the support column on the other end side of the spiral.

6. The spiral article carrying unit according to claim 1, wherein: The motor unit is supported by a wall surface of the support at one end side of the screw so as to be slidable at least along a width direction of the support.

7. The spiral article carrying unit according to claim 6, wherein: The motor unit moves along the width direction at a selective position among a plurality of positions in the width direction of the support, on a wall surface of the support on one end side of the screw, and is fixed to the support.

8. The spiral article carrying unit according to claim 2, wherein: The first support portion and the second support portion are provided with identification marks indicating a usage status corresponding to the first guide portion or the second guide portion.

Images