A multi-purpose shelf structure for automatic vending equipment

Abstract

The present invention discloses a multi-purpose shelf structure for automatic vending equipment. A feeding spiral, a traction rope, a plurality of movable sleeves and a carrying sleeve are arranged inside a storage channel of the multi-purpose shelf structure. The carrying sleeve is located in front of the movable sleeve. An inner threading block is arranged on the movable block of the movable sleeve. A movable outer threading block is arranged on the carrying sleeve. The carrying sleeve is provided with a clamping piece for clamping goods. The feeding spiral passes through the inner threading blocks of all the movable sleeves and is connected to the outer threading blocks of the carrying sleeve. One end of the traction rope is wound around a winding roller, and the other end of the traction rope passes through all the movable sleeves and is fixedly connected to the carrying sleeve. The feeding spiral of the storage channel in the multi-purpose shelf structure of the present invention can not only complete the feeding of the storage channel, but also serve as a material discharging transport piece. The carrying sleeve at the head of the feeding spiral can carry the goods at the front end of the storage channel into the picking area, thereby reducing the falling and collision of the goods during delivery.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic vending equipment, and in particular to a multi-purpose shelf structure of automatic vending equipment. Background Art

[0002] Vending machines, which automatically collect money and pay for goods, are a new form of commercial retail. They have been widely used in public areas such as subway stations and office buildings, and are gradually expanding to residential areas.

[0003] The main types of vending machine aisles on the market are spring aisles, serpentine aisles, and crawler aisles. Spring aisles use coiled springs to push items into a pickup area, where consumers can retrieve them. However, items pushed from high locations can fall onto the pickup area, causing damage and affecting product quality. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to improve the situation in which goods at high places in the spring-type vending equipment of the prior art fall and collide after being pushed out, and a multi-purpose shelf structure of the vending equipment is proposed. The existing coil spring part is modified to enable it to be used to pull the goods, thereby reducing the collision after the shelf is pushed out.

[0005] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] A multi-purpose shelf structure for a vending machine includes a horizontally arranged storage channel, within which a feed screw, a traction rope, several movable sleeves, and a carrying sleeve are arranged horizontally along an axis. The carrying sleeve is located in front of the movable sleeve. When the carrying sleeve is located in the material channel, the feed screw, movable sleeve, and carrying sleeve are coaxially arranged. The traction rope is located outside the feed screw, one end of which is wrapped around a winding roller, and the other end of which passes through all the movable sleeves and is fixedly connected to the carrying sleeve. The traction rope is used to pull the carrying sleeve and to position the carrying sleeve within the storage channel. The winding roller is used to reel in and release the traction rope.

[0007] Furthermore, a guide rod is provided within the storage channel, parallel to the axis of the feed screw. A slider is provided on the exterior of the movable sleeve, which is slidably sleeved on the guide rod. The movable sleeve and the storage channel are movably connected along the axis of the feed screw. A spacer cylinder is provided between each of the movable sleeves, with the ends of the spacer cylinders connected to different movable sleeves respectively. The spacer cylinders are used to adjust the axial distance between the movable sleeves.

[0008] Furthermore, a positioning cylinder is provided between the carrying sleeve and the movable sleeve, one end of the positioning cylinder being fixedly connected to the movable sleeve and the other end of the positioning cylinder being in contact with the carrying sleeve. The positioning cylinder can be used to adjust the distance between the carrying sleeve and the movable sleeve to achieve horizontal positioning of the carrying sleeve. When the feeding screw is feeding, the distance between the carrying sleeve and the movable sleeve is the same as the distance between the movable sleeves.

[0009] Furthermore, the movable sleeve is provided with a movable block and a movable annular groove, the movable annular groove being coaxially arranged with the movable sleeve, the movable block being slidably connected to the movable annular groove, and the movable block moving in a circular manner on the movable sleeve through the movable annular groove. A brake cylinder is provided on the movable block, which can limit the sliding of the movable block in the movable annular groove and is used to position the movable block.

[0010] Furthermore, an inner threading block is provided on the movable block, and a threading through hole is provided on the inner threading block to accommodate the passage of the feeding screw. There is friction between the threading through hole and the feeding screw, and the friction force is greater than the friction force between the movable block and the inner wall of the movable ring groove. When the movable block slides in the movable ring groove, the feeding screw does not slide relative to the inner threading block.

[0011] Furthermore, the structure of the carrying cover is the same as that of the movable cover. The carrying cover is provided with an outer threading block movably connected to the carrying cover, and the outer threading block is provided with a hole fixedly connected to the end of the feeding screw.

[0012] One end of the feeding screw is connected to the output end of the feeding motor, and the other end of the feeding screw passes through the inner threading blocks of all the movable sleeves and is connected to the outer threading block of the carrying sleeve. The feeding screw connects the movable sleeve and the carrying sleeve to cooperate with each other.

[0013] Furthermore, a stop block is provided in front of the carrying case in the storage channel to prevent the carrying case from slipping out of the storage channel. The stop block is connected to the storage channel via a stop cylinder, which can drive the stop block to retract or extend at the front end of the storage channel to release or limit the carrying case.

[0014] The cargo is placed between the threads of the feed screw. When the feed screw is feeding, the feed motor drives the feed screw to rotate. At this time, the movable block slides into the movable ring groove, and the movable block of the carrying sleeve can also slide. The limit block limits the carrying sleeve, and the engagement block engages with the positioning block. When the feed screw rotates in the forward direction, the feed screw drives the movable sleeve and the carrying sleeve to move synchronously, pushing the cargo between the movable sleeve and the carrying sleeve.

[0015] Furthermore, a clamping member for clamping cargo is provided on the side of the carrying sleeve opposite the movable sleeve. An axial cylinder, an intermediate block, and radial cylinders are disposed between the clamping member and the carrying sleeve. The intermediate block connects the axial and radial cylinders, with the axes of the axial and radial cylinders being perpendicular to each other. The axial cylinder is fixedly connected to the carrying sleeve, while the radial cylinder is fixedly connected to the clamping member. The axial and radial cylinders cooperate to enable the clamping member to clamp cargo between the movable sleeve and the carrying sleeve.

[0016] When the feeding screw is unloading, the clamping parts on the carrying sleeve clamp the cargo between the carrying sleeve and the movable sleeve, the brake cylinder forms a fixed movable block in the movable ring groove, and the movable block of the carrying sleeve can also be limited. At this time, the limit block releases the limit on the carrying sleeve. The feeding screw rotates in the forward direction, and the feeding screw moves relative to the threading block of the movable block. The length of the feeding screw between the movable sleeve and the carrying sleeve increases, and the feeding screw pushes the carrying sleeve out of the storage channel. The carrying sleeve and cargo enter the drop space. At the same time, the winding roller of the traction rope rotates to release the line, and the traction rope is synchronously released, so that the length of the traction rope released meets the displacement distance of the carrying sleeve.

[0017] The feed screw rotates continuously in the forward direction. When the carrying sleeve enters the retrieval area, the clamping parts release their grip on the goods, and the goods remain in the retrieval area. Then, the feed screw rotates in the reverse direction, retracting the carrying sleeve and allowing it to re-enter the storage channel. The winding roller of the traction rope rotates and rewinds the rope, helping to pull the carrying sleeve back to the storage channel.

[0018] Preferably, the traction rope is hollow, a positioning support rod is provided inside the traction rope, the positioning support rod is movably connected to the traction rope, and the positioning support rod is fixedly connected to the storage channel through a fixing rod. The positioning support rod is used to support the traction rope at the connection with the carrying sleeve.

[0019] When the carrying cover is retracted into the outlet of the storage channel, the positioning support rod inside the traction rope can support the traction rope, helping the carrying cover to enter the storage channel from the outlet. The traction rope is used for radial rotation positioning. When the carrying cover contacts the end of the positioning cylinder, the carrying cover is returned to its original position.

[0020] Preferably, the support rod includes a rod portion and a ball head portion, wherein the ball head portion is a rotatable round ball, which is used to alleviate the movement resistance of the positioning support rod inside the traction rope and protect the rope wall of the traction rope.

[0021] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0022] 1. A feeding spiral is set inside the storage channel in the multi-purpose shelf structure of this vending machine. The feeding spiral can not only complete the feeding of the storage channel, but also serve as a material discharging transport. The carrying sleeve at the head of the feeding spiral can carry the goods at the front end of the storage channel into the picking area. The feeding spiral can continuously pull the goods, so that the goods fall stably to the picking area, reducing the risk of goods falling during delivery.

[0023] 2. A traction rope is also provided in the storage channel of the multi-purpose shelf structure of the vending machine. The traction rope is used to guide the direction and position of the carrying sleeve back to the storage channel, so that the radial angle of the carrying sleeve after returning to the storage channel matches the position of the movable sleeve, keeping the feeding spiral back to the initial twist. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the multi-purpose shelf structure;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the movable set of multi-purpose shelf structures;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the multi-purpose shelf structure carrying case;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the clamping parts of the multi-purpose shelf structure;

[0028] Figure 5 This is a structural diagram of the traction rope head of this multi-purpose shelf structure;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a structural diagram of the traction rope cross section of the multi-purpose shelf structure;

[0030] Figure 7 This is the installation location diagram of this multi-purpose shelf structure in the vending equipment.

[0031] In the figure: 1. Feeding screw; 2. Storage channel; 3. Feeding motor; 4. Winding roller; 5. Positioning support rod; 6. Clamping part; 7. Pulling rope; 8. Movable sleeve; 9. Carrying sleeve; 10. Connecting rod; 11. Spacer cylinder; 12. Positioning cylinder; 13. Fixed rod; 21. Guide rod; 22. Limit block; 23. Limit cylinder; 101. Extension section; 51. Rod; 52. Ball head; 61. Axial cylinder; 62. Intermediate block; 63. Radial cylinder; 81. Movable ring groove; 82. Movable block; 83. Inner threading block; 84. Slider; 91. Outer threading block; 821. Brake cylinder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments.

[0033] Reference Figure 1 , a multi-purpose shelf structure for vending equipment, referring to Figure 7 The multi-purpose shelf structure is located inside the vending machine and is arranged horizontally in multiple layers. The multi-purpose shelf structure is provided with a storage channel 2 for placing goods. A storage channel 2 is provided in front of the storage channel 2, and a storage area is provided at the bottom of the storage channel.

[0034] refer to Figure 1 Inside the storage channel 2, a feeding screw 1, a traction rope 7, a plurality of movable sleeves 8, and a carrying sleeve 9 are arranged horizontally along the axis. The carrying sleeve 9 is located in front of the movable sleeve 8. When the carrying sleeve 9 is located in the material channel, the feeding screw 1, the movable sleeve 8, and the carrying sleeve 9 are coaxially arranged. The goods are placed between the thread intervals of the feeding screw 1, that is, between the movable sleeves 8 and between the movable sleeves 8 and the carrying sleeve 9.

[0035] The traction rope 7 is located outside the feeding spiral 1, one end of the traction rope 7 is wound around the winding roller 4, and the other end of the traction rope 7 passes through all the movable sleeves 8 and is fixedly connected to the carrying sleeve 9. The traction rope 7 is used to pull the carrying sleeve 9 and to position the carrying sleeve 9 inside the storage channel 2. The winding roller 4 is used to reel in and release the traction rope 7.

[0036] Furthermore, a guide rod 21 is provided inside the storage channel 2, parallel to the axis of the feed screw 1. A slider 84 is provided outside the movable sleeve 8, which is slidably connected to the guide rod 21. The movable sleeve 8 and the storage channel 2 are movably connected in the axial direction of the feed screw 1. A spacer cylinder 11 is provided between each of the movable sleeves 8, and the ends of the spacer cylinder 11 are connected to different movable sleeves 8 respectively. The spacer cylinder 11 is used to adjust the axial distance between the movable sleeves 8.

[0037] refer to Figure 1 The axial distances between the movable sleeves 8 can be different and can be adjusted according to the size of the goods. The axial distances between the movable sleeves 8 for placing goods are the same. The axial distances between the movable sleeves 8 without other goods are smaller and are used for storage. The spacing between the remaining movable sleeves 8 can be adjusted.

[0038] Furthermore, a positioning cylinder 12 is provided between the carrying sleeve 9 and the movable sleeve 8. One end of the positioning cylinder 12 is fixedly connected to the movable sleeve 8, and the other end of the positioning cylinder 12 contacts the carrying sleeve 9. The positioning cylinder 12 can be used to adjust the distance between the carrying sleeve 9 and the movable sleeve 8 to achieve horizontal positioning of the carrying sleeve 9. When the feeding screw 1 is feeding, the distance between the carrying sleeve 9 with the goods and the movable sleeve 8 is the same as the distance between the movable sleeves 8.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 The movable sleeve 8 is provided with a movable block 82 and a movable annular groove 81. The movable annular groove 81 is coaxially arranged with the movable sleeve 8. The movable block 82 is slidably connected with the movable annular groove 81. The movable block 82 moves in a circular line on the movable sleeve 8 through the movable annular groove 81. The movable block 82 is provided with a brake cylinder 821. The brake cylinder 821 can limit the sliding of the movable block 82 in the movable annular groove 81 and is used to position the movable block 82.

[0040] Furthermore, an inner threading block 83 is provided on the movable block 82, and a threading through hole is provided on the inner threading block 83 to accommodate the feeding screw 1 passing through. There is friction between the threading through hole and the feeding screw 1, and the friction force is greater than the friction force between the movable block 82 and the inner wall of the movable ring groove 81. When the movable block 82 slides in the movable ring groove 81, the feeding screw 1 does not slide relative to the inner threading block 83.

[0041] It is worth noting that, in actual production, a limiter may be provided between the feed screw 1 and the threading hole of the inner threading block 83 to limit or allow sliding between the feed screw 1 and the inner threading block 83 .

[0042] refer to Figure 3 The structure of the carrying sleeve 9 is the same as that of the movable sleeve 8. An outer threading block 91 movably connected to the carrying sleeve 9 is provided on the carrying sleeve 9. The outer threading block 91 is provided with a hole fixedly connected to the end of the feeding screw 1.

[0043] An extension section 101 is provided at one end of the above-mentioned feeding screw 1, and the extension section 101 is axially slidably connected to the output end of the feeding motor 3 through the connecting rod 10, and the output end of the feeding motor 3 and the connecting rod 10 do not rotate. The other end of the feeding screw 1 passes through the inner threading block 83 of all movable sleeves 8 and is connected to the outer threading block 91 of the carrying sleeve 9. The feeding screw 1 connects the movable sleeve 8 and the carrying sleeve 9 so that they cooperate with each other. The distance between the inner threading block 83 and the outer threading block 91 corresponds to a spiral pitch of the feeding screw 1. The feeding screw 1 in this embodiment is flexible but has a certain radial reset support force. The movable sleeve 8 is used to support the feeding screw 1 so that it has a stable pushing ability when rotating. When the goods are shipped, the feeding screw 1 can be axially stretched, the spiral pitch can be changed, and the part of the feeding screw 1 retained on the movable sleeve 8 can enter the area where the movable sleeve 8 is placed where the goods are placed.

[0044] refer to Figure 1 The storage channel 2 is provided with a limit block 22 in front of the carrying cover 9. The limit block 22 is used to prevent the carrying cover 9 from slipping out of the storage channel 2. The limit block 22 is connected to the storage channel 2 via a limit cylinder 23. The limit cylinder 23 can drive the limit block 22 to retract or extend at the front end of the storage channel 2 to release or limit the carrying cover 9.

[0045] Furthermore, a clamping member 6 for clamping goods is provided on one side of the carrying cover 9 relative to the movable cover 8. Figure 5 An axial cylinder 61, an intermediate block 62, and a radial cylinder 63 are disposed between the clamping member 6 and the carrying sleeve 9. The intermediate block 62 connects the axial cylinder 61 and the radial cylinder 63, with their axes perpendicular to each other. The axial cylinder 61 is fixedly connected to the carrying sleeve 9, while the radial cylinder 63 is fixedly connected to the clamping member 6. The axial cylinder 61 and the radial cylinder 63 cooperate to enable the clamping member 6 to clamp the cargo between the movable sleeve 8 and the carrying sleeve 9. In actual production, the clamping member 6 is kept in a reasonable position so that it does not interfere with the feed screw 1.

[0046] It is worth noting that, in this embodiment, the materials of the carrying case 9 and the clamping member 6 are both lightweight, which facilitates the recycling of the carrying case 9 .

[0047] refer to Figure 5 The traction rope 7 is hollow, and a positioning support rod 5 is disposed within the traction rope 7. The positioning support rod 5 is movably connected to the traction rope 7 and fixedly connected to the storage channel 2 via a fixing rod 13. The positioning support rod 5 supports the traction rope 7 at the connection with the carrying sleeve 9. The traction rope 7 defines a chute, which allows the fixing rod 13 to extend and accommodate movement of the fixing rod 13 relative to the traction rope 7.

[0048] refer to Figure 6 The positioning support rod 5 includes a rod portion 51 and a ball head 52. The ball head 52 is a rotatable ball, which is used to alleviate the movement resistance of the positioning support rod 5 inside the traction rope 7 and protect the rope wall of the traction rope 7.

[0049] The working process of the automatic vending system in this embodiment is as follows:

[0050] When the goods are selected and need to be shipped, the clamping member 6 on the carrying cover 9 clamps the goods between the carrying cover 9 and the movable cover 8, and the brake cylinder 821 forms a fixed movable block 82 in the movable ring groove 81. The movable block of the carrying cover 9 can also be limited. At this time, the limit block 22 releases the limit on the carrying cover 9. The feeding motor 3 drives the feeding screw 1 to rotate in the forward direction. The feeding screw 1 moves relative to the inner threading block 83 of the movable block 82, and the extended section 101 of the feeding screw 1 is fed out. The length of the feeding screw 1 between the movable cover 8 and the carrying cover 9 increases. The feeding screw 1 pushes the carrying cover 9 out of the storage channel 2, and the carrying cover 9 and the goods enter the drop space. The carrying cover 9 is pulled by the feeding screw 1. At the same time, the winding roller 4 of the traction rope 7 rotates to release the line, and the traction rope 7 is synchronously released, so that the length of the traction rope 7 released meets the displacement distance of the carrying cover 9.

[0051] The feeding screw 1 rotates forward continuously, and when the carrying cover 9 enters the picking area, the clamping member 6 releases the grip on the goods, and the goods remain in the picking area. Subsequently, the feeding screw 1 rotates in the reverse direction, the carrying cover 9 is pulled back, and the winding roller 4 of the traction rope 7 rotates to rewind the line, helping to pull the carrying cover 9 back to the storage channel 2.

[0052] When the carrying cover 9 is pulled to the discharge port of the storage channel 2, the positioning support rod 5 inside the traction rope 7 can support the traction rope 7. The carrying cover 9 is coaxial with the feeding screw 1, assisting the carrying cover 9 to enter the storage channel 2 from the discharge port of the storage channel 2. The traction rope 7 is also used for radial rotation positioning to prevent the feeding screw 1 from excessive twisting inside the storage channel 2.

[0053] When the carrying cover 9 contacts the end of the positioning cylinder 12 , the carrying cover 9 is completely retracted, and the limiting block 22 limits the carrying cover 9 .

[0054] At this point, the goods between the movable sleeve 8 and the carrying sleeve 9 have been removed and need to be replenished. Feed screw 1 can then begin feeding. While maintaining the sliding connection between movable block 82 and movable ring groove 81, the movable block of the carrying sleeve 9 can also slide. Feed motor 3 drives feed screw 1 in forward rotation, which in turn drives movable sleeve 8 and the carrying sleeve 9 to move synchronously, pushing the goods between movable sleeve 8 into the space between them, completing the replenishment.

[0055] The feeding screw 1 of the automatic vending system in this embodiment can not only complete the feeding of the storage channel 2, but also serve as a discharging piece. The goods are carried into the falling space through the carrying sleeve 9. The feeding screw 1 can continuously pull the goods so that the goods fall stably to the picking frame, reducing the risk of goods falling during delivery.

[0056] The above description is only a preferred specific embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field, within the technical scope disclosed by the present invention, who makes equivalent replacements or changes based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered by the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A multi-purpose shelf structure for an automatic vending machine, comprising a horizontally arranged storage channel (2), wherein a feeding screw (1) with a horizontally arranged axis is arranged inside the storage channel (2), characterized in that: Each of the storage channels (2) is further provided with a traction rope (7), a plurality of movable sleeves (8) and a carrying sleeve (9), the carrying sleeve (9) is located in front of the movable sleeve (8), the movable sleeve (8) and the storage channel (2) are movably connected in the axial direction of the feeding screw (1), a spacing cylinder (11) is provided between each of the movable sleeves (8), and a positioning cylinder (12) is provided between the carrying sleeve (9) and the movable sleeve (8); A movable block (82) is provided on the movable sleeve (8), and the movable block (82) is slidably connected to the movable sleeve (8) through a movable ring groove (81) coaxially provided with the movable sleeve (8), and an inner threading block (83) is provided on the movable block (82); An outer threading block (91) movably connected to the carrying cover (9) is provided on the carrying cover (9), and a clamping piece (6) for clamping goods is provided on one side of the carrying cover (9) opposite to the movable cover (8); One end of the feeding screw (1) is connected to the output end of the feeding motor (3), and the other end of the feeding screw (1) passes through the inner threading block (83) of all the movable sleeves (8) and is connected to the outer threading block (91) of the carrying sleeve (9); One end of the traction rope (7) is wound around the winding roller (4), and the other end of the traction rope (7) passes through all the movable sleeves (8) and is fixedly connected to the carrying sleeve (9); The traction rope (7) is hollow, and a positioning support rod (5) is arranged inside the traction rope (7). The positioning support rod (5) is fixedly connected to the storage channel (2) through a fixing rod (13); the positioning support rod (5) includes a rod portion (51) and a ball head portion (52).

2. The multi-purpose shelf structure of a vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage passage (2) is provided with a limiting block (22) in front of the carrying sleeve (9), and the limiting block (22) is connected to the storage passage (2) via a limiting cylinder (23).

3. The multi-purpose shelf structure of a vending machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: An axial cylinder (61), an intermediate block (62) and a radial cylinder (63) are arranged between the clamping member (6) and the carrying sleeve (9); the intermediate block (62) connects the axial cylinder (61) and the radial cylinder (63); and the axes of the axial cylinder (61) and the radial cylinder (63) are arranged perpendicular to each other.

4. The multi-purpose shelf structure of a vending machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: A brake cylinder (821) is provided on the movable block (82) for positioning the movable block (82) in the movable ring groove (81).

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