Article storage device and article supply device

Abstract

Provided is an article storage device having a configuration capable of supplying a sheet, a cartridge, or the like as an article, and capable of being attached to an article supply device. An article storage device capable of being attached to an article supply device, wherein the article storage device includes: a main body portion configured to be capable of storing articles in a stacked state; a moving portion provided to the main body portion; and a lock portion provided to the main body portion, capable of being locked to cause the moving portion not to perform a prescribed movement, the lock portion being configured to be capable of releasing the lock of the moving portion on the condition of attachment of the article storage device to the article supply device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an article storage device and an article supply device. BACKGROUND

[0002] There is an article supply device that supplies an article in accordance with a payment of a price. Patent Literature 1 discloses an article supply device that can supply an article by a payment of a price.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT LITERATURE

[0005] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-27226 SUMMARY

[0006] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0007] The article supplied in Patent Literature 1 is not a sheet-like or a box-like article. In view of this, a structure is sought that stores a sheet, a box, or the like as an article, and is installed in an article supply device, so that the sheet, the box, or the like article can be supplied.

[0008] Therefore, an article storage device that has a configuration capable of supplying a sheet, a box, or the like as an article, and is capable of being installed in an article supply device, and an article supply device having the article storage device installed therein are provided.

[0009] SOLUTION TO PROBLEM

[0010] The present application is an article storage device capable of being installed in an article supply device, wherein the article storage device has: a main body portion configured to store an article in a stacked state; a moving portion provided to the main body portion; and a lock portion provided to the main body portion, capable of being locked to cause the moving portion not to perform a prescribed movement, the lock portion being configured to be capable of releasing the lock of the moving portion in association with installation of the article storage device with respect to the article supply device.

[0011] The present application is an article supply device, wherein the article supply device has: the above-described article storage device; a receiving portion that receives a payment of a price of the article; a detecting portion that detects the payment of the price; an operating portion that receives an operation for delivering an article stored in the article storage device in accordance with detection of the payment of the price; and a power transmission portion that transmits power generated by the operation to the delivering portion to cause the article to be delivered.

[0012] EFFECT OF THE INVENTION

[0013] An article storage device capable of supplying a sheet, a cassette, or the like as an article, and capable of being attached to an article supply device, and an article supply device to which the article storage device is attached can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 is a view showing one example of an appearance of the article supply device 10 of the embodiment, and a view showing one example of a hardware structure of the article supply device 10.

[0015] Figure 2 is a view showing one example of an appearance of the article storage portion 11 of the embodiment.

[0016] Figure 3 is a view for explaining the configuration of the guide portion 206 and the support member 305 of the embodiment.

[0017] Figure 4 is a view for explaining the configuration of the guide portion 206 and the support member 305 of the embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 is a view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the guide portion 206 of the embodiment as viewed from the right side surface side of the article storage portion 11.

[0019] Figure 6 is a view for explaining the structure of the pressing portion 205 and the guide rail 208 of the embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 is a view for explaining the structure of the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203 of the embodiment.

[0021] Figure 8 is a view for explaining the linkage configuration between the detection of the presence of an article of the switch 204 and the notification of the notification portion 108 of the embodiment.

[0022] Figure 9 is a view for explaining the structure of the roller 207 of the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 10 is a view for explaining the relationship between the opening portion 201A of the placement portion 201 and the roller 207 of the embodiment.

[0024] Figure 11 is a view for explaining the power transmission mechanism on the main body 13 side for transmitting power corresponding to an operation performed on the handle 104 of the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 12 is a view for explaining the power transmission mechanism on the article storage portion 11 side for transmitting power corresponding to an operation performed on the handle 104 of the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the embodiments described below do not limit the invention as claimed, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the invention. Any combination of two or more features from the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be used. Additionally, the same or identical structures will be labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0027] First, refer to Figure 1 (A) describes the external structure of the article supply device 10. Figure 1 Figure (A) is an example of the front view of the article supply device 10 corresponding to the embodiment. Figure 1 In (A), the main body of the item supply device 10 includes a front wall, a rear wall, and side walls. The item storage section (also called an item storage device or item holding device) 11 is a storage container (or bucket, box, etc.) for storing items supplied from the item supply device 10 to the user, and is installed on the item supply device 10. Installation relative to the item supply device 10 can be configured such that the item storage section 11 is slid from the front side of the item supply device 10 toward the rear side along a predetermined guide rail disposed inside the cover 12. Alternatively, the item storage section 11 can be removed from the item supply device 10 by pulling it forward along the guide rail. During installation, the rear wall of the item storage section 11 can be installed in a manner where it does not contact the rear wall of the item supply device 10.

[0028] The item storage section 11 is made of plastic and has a region 101 on its front surface, which is configured to display information related to the supplied items. The item storage section 11 can be configured such that the items stored inside are visually identifiable from the outside, or it can be configured such that the items are not visually identifiable from the outside. The items can be stackable items stored in the item storage section 11, such as sheets, printed materials, cards, CD-ROM cases, etc. The item storage section 11 has an item supply port 102, and a gate (opening / closing door) 103 is provided at the supply port to prevent unauthorized entry into the item storage section 11 through the supply port 102.

[0029] The item storage section 11 is located on the upper side of the main body 13. The front surface of the main body 13 is provided with a handle 104, a cash inlet 105, a cash return inlet 106, a cash return button 107, and a notification section 108. The notification section 108 notifies the user when there are no items in the item storage section 11.

[0030] The handle 104 is an operating member configured to be able to rotate in the arrow direction according to payment of the price, and the user rotates the handle 104, whereby the shutter 103 opens and an article located at the lowermost position among the articles housed in the article housing portion 11 is supplied from the supply port 102. In a state where payment of the price cannot be confirmed, the handle 104 is inhibited from rotating by a lock mechanism, and when payment of the price is confirmed, the lock mechanism is released, and the handle 104 is able to rotate.

[0031] In a case where the price is paid with cash, the cash insertion port 105 is used for insertion of coins, and can have a plurality of insertion ports according to the size of the cash. For example, as one example, insertion ports of sizes that can respectively allow insertion of 500 yen coins and 100 yen coins can be prepared. However, in the Figure 1 , the insertion port for 500 yen coins and the insertion port for 100 yen coins are made common, and the insertion port corresponding to the size of the 100 yen coin is closed (plugged).

[0032] The cash insertion port 105 is able to switch between a state of accepting insertion of cash and a state of not accepting insertion of cash by controlling the mechanism inside. Specifically, it can be configured such that the article housing portion 11 has a mechanism that detects the presence of an article, and in a case where the presence of an article is not detected, the insertion port is closed and insertion of a coin is not accepted. Thus, in a case where the inside of the article housing portion 11 cannot be visually recognized from the outside, a situation where a coin is erroneously inserted even though there is no article inside does not occur.

[0033] A recess composed of a curved surface is formed in the cash insertion port 105, and an insertion port is provided near the bottom (deepest portion) of the recess. Thus, even a smaller child is able to easily perform the action of inserting cash from the cash insertion port 105 by slidingly feeling the curved surface. The cash return port 106 is configured to be able to return the inserted coin according to operation of the cash return button 107, and to take out the coin returned from the device.

[0034] Figure 1 (B) of FIG. 1 shows the hardware mechanism (may also partially include software) inside the article supply device 10 as a functional block diagram. The coin inserted from the cash insertion port 105 is held by the cash holding portion 111, and it is judged by the price payment detection portion 112 whether or not a prescribed amount has been reached. When it is judged that the prescribed amount has been reached, the lock of the rotating portion 113 connected to the handle 104 is released, and the handle 104 is able to rotate. Thus, the handle 104 is able to rotate. When the rotating portion 113 rotates, in conjunction therewith, the coin held in the cash holding portion 111 is discharged to the coin housing portion 114, and the rotating portion 113 is again locked. In addition, when the cash return button 107 is operated, the cash held in the cash holding portion 111 is returned from the cash return port 106.

[0035] The notification section 108 is a notification section that notifies of the absence of an article in the article storage section 11. The notification section 108 notifies of the absence of an article in a manner that can be visually recognized to the outside in the case where an article is absent, based on the detection result of the detection section that detects the presence or absence of an article in the article storage section 11.

[0036] In this specification, when the positional relationship of each section is described, it is sometimes described as front (front side), rear (rear side), left (left side), right (right side), upper (upper side), lower (lower side), and the like, but these expressions are relative directions with the article supply device 10 as a reference. For example, the front corresponds to the front side of the article supply device 10, and the rear corresponds to the back side of the article supply device 10. In addition, up, down, left, and right are set with respect to the up, down, left, and right of the article supply device 10. Figure 1 Figure 1

[0037] Next, the configuration of the article storage section 11 corresponding to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 2 The article storage section 11 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped main body section having an outer wall section 200 that forms the outer periphery of the article storage section 11 and a placement section 201 on which an article is placed. The upper surface of the placement section 201 constitutes the same plane as the lower end surface of the supply port 102. In addition, the placement section 201 divides the space in the article storage section 11 into a first space on the upper side of the placement section 201 and a second space on the lower side of the placement section 201. The article placed on the placement section 201 in the first space can have various sizes. The shape of the article is also substantially rectangular parallelepiped and the size can be specified by width x length x height. At this time, the width, length, and height of the article correspond to the size in each direction of the X axis, Y axis, and Z axis shown in the coordinate system of (A) of the article supply device 10. Figure 2 The article can be an article having a thickness, such as a CD ROM case or a DVD case, in addition to a thin sheet or a card from a business card size to an A4 size, for example.

[0038] ​​To accommodate items of various sizes, a first holding part 202L, 202R and a second holding part 203 are arranged within the first space. The first holding parts 202L and 202R are holding members that laterally support the items in the width direction and are movable in the width (X-axis) direction along a guide rail formed on the mounting part 201. Therefore, the gap (W1) between the first holding parts 202L and 202R can be set to a size corresponding to the width of the items. The first holding parts 202L and 202R are movable on the guide rail in the width direction of the pressing part 205, and the first holding parts 202L and 202R are configured to move in directions that are close to each other or in directions that are far apart. The second holding part 203 is a holding member that supports the article from the side in the depth direction of the article, and can move along the guide rail formed on the mounting part 201 in the depth (Y-axis) direction. Therefore, the distance (L1) between the second holding part 203 and the position where the article is positioned near the beginning portion of the supply port 102 can be set to a size corresponding to the length of the article. Furthermore, the range of movement of the second holding part 203 on the guide rail is greater than the range of movement of the first holding part 202 on the guide rail.

[0039] Next, switch 204 is a detection unit that detects whether an item exists in the item storage section 11. When an item is present, switch 204 is pressed down by the item, thus detecting the item. Furthermore, the item is held down by the pressing part 205, so even if only one item remains, the pressing force generated by the pressing part 205 is transmitted to switch 204 via the item, thus detecting the presence of the item. On the other hand, since switch 204 is not directly pressed by the pressing part 205, when no item is present, switch 204 is not pressed, thus detecting the absence of the item.

[0040] The pressing part 205 can move downwards by its own weight, pressing the front end portion (front portion) of the item held by the first holding part 202 and the second holding part 203 downwards towards the supply port 102. The pressing part 205 is configured to be loaded and unloaded relative to the main body via the guide rail 208 described later. The guide part 206 functions to guide the item when it is sent out of the item storage part 11. The guide part 206 adjusts its height from the mounting part 201 according to the height of a single item, and adjusts the height of the discharge path so that only a single item passes through the item discharge path and is discharged from the supply port 102.

[0041] Figure 2 (B) indicates based on Figure 2 A diagram showing an example of the cross-sectional structure of the item storage section 11 along section A-A' of (A). Structural elements 201 to 206 and Figure 2 The structural elements described in (A) are the same.Figure 2 In (B) of FIG. 2, the heights of the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203 are substantially uniform, and the stacking amount of the articles that can be accommodated in the article accommodation portion 11 is determined by the volume specified by the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203. In the article accommodation portion 11, the roller 207 for discharging the articles to the outside and a partial portion of the transmission mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the handle 104 to the roller 207 are arranged in the second space on the lower side of the placement portion 201 on which the articles are placed.

[0042] The roller 207 is arranged near the center in the width direction of the article accommodation portion 11 (or the pressing portion 205) and is linked to the handle 104, and the roller 207 also rotates one turn when the handle rotates one turn. A slip-resistant member such as rubber is formed on the surface of the roller 207. The cross section of the roller 207 has a cylindrical shape with a notch, and one article can be discharged by one rotation of the handle by using the notch. If the roller 207 is provided as a complete cylindrical shape, the articles can be continuously discharged, and thus the notch is provided to discharge only one article. In addition, the shutter 103 operates in such a manner that it opens toward the outside of the article accommodation portion 11 by the rotation of the roller 207. Thus, the shutter 103 can be opened to supply the articles only when the roller 207 has rotated.

[0043] In addition, the shutter 103 is configured by arranging a plurality of shutter doors in the width direction of the article accommodation portion 11, and at least any one of the shutter doors is opened when the articles are supplied. In the present embodiment, the shutter 103 can be configured by three shutter doors of the first shutter door to the third shutter door, and the second shutter door in the center can be opened or all of the three shutter doors can be opened according to the width of the articles. The guide rail 208L is a guide rail member for limiting the upward and downward movement direction of the pressing portion 205, and the pressing portion 205 accurately presses the articles.

[0044] The operation portion 209 is a mechanism for transmitting the rotational force of the handle 104 to the roller 207, and at least a partial portion thereof protrudes downward from the bottom of the article accommodation portion 11 to be connected to the transmission mechanism of the rotational force of the handle 104 provided in the main body 13 on the lower side of the article accommodation portion 11.

[0045] Next, the structure of the guide portion 206 will be described with reference to Figure 3 Figure 3 (A) of FIG. 3 is a view showing one example of the external structure of the guide portion 206. The guide portion 206 is provided with a reinforcing member 302 on a main member 301 extending in the width direction, and the reinforcing member 302 is provided with a guide groove 303 for guiding the article to the article accommodation portion 11. Figure 3 ​The guide portion 206 is detachably arranged in the article storage portion 11 with the aid of the support member 305. A gripping portion 301A for enabling the guide portion 206 to be gripped is provided in the substantially center of the main member 301, and an indication portion 301B for enabling the position of the guide portion 206 to be specified is provided at the end of the gripping portion 301A. The indication portion 301B functions in such a manner as to indicate the current position of the guide portion 206 with respect to a scale portion indicating the position of the guide portion 206 arranged in the article storage portion 11. A first engagement portion 304A for engaging with the support member 305 is arranged near one end of the guide portion 206, and a second engagement portion 304B for engaging with the support member 305 is arranged near the other end of the guide portion 206.

[0046] The bottom surface of the guide portion 206 coincides with the bottom surface of the main member 301, and in the case where the guide portion 206 is arranged in the article storage portion 11, the bottom surface is substantially parallel to the upper surface of the placement portion 201. The guide portion 206 can be made of, for example, plastic, but in this case, the reinforcing member 302 can be made of metal (for example, iron or another metal). The gripping portions 302A and 302B constitute a part of the reinforcing member 302 and are used for gripping when the height of the guide portion 206 is adjusted.

[0047] The members 303A and 303B are used to mount the first engagement portion 304A and the second engagement portion 304B to the main member 301, respectively, and the first engagement portion 304A and the second engagement portion 304B are arranged so as to be slidable in the arrow direction (the longitudinal direction of the guide portion 206 and the width direction of the article storage portion 11) in the space formed between the main member 301 and the members 303A and 303B. The first engagement portion 304A and the second engagement portion 304B have protrusions in the sliding direction (the left-right direction), and the guide portion 206 is supported at a prescribed height by engaging the protrusions with the multiple stages of grooves (engagement portions or recesses) formed in the support member 305.

[0048] Figure 3 (B) is a view showing one example of the structure of the support member 305. The support member 305 is composed of a first support portion 305A and a second support portion 305B. The first support portion 305A and the second support portion 305B each have grooves formed in the front surface at both ends. The distance from each groove to the bottom surface of the support member 305, and further to the upper surface of the placement portion 201 when arranged in the article storage portion 11, is different. The support member 305 has a first surface facing the region 101 of the article storage portion 11 or the side of the supply port 102 and a second surface opposite thereto when arranged in the article storage portion 11, but the grooves of the first support portion 305A and the second support portion 305B are formed in the second surface. That is, Figure 3(B) mainly shows the structure of the 2nd face side of the support member 305, and Figure 3 The guide portion 206 shown in (A) also shows the structure as viewed from the 2nd face side.

[0049] The 1st support portion 305A has a 1st engaged portion and a 2nd engaged portion including grooves of multiple stages, and the 2nd support portion 305B has a 3rd engaged portion and a 4th engaged portion. The 1st to 4th engaged portions are each composed of grooves of the same number of stages (for example, 4 stages), the heights of the grooves of the 1st and 4th engaged portions (from the bottom surface 306 of the support member 305, or from the upper surface of the placement portion 201 in the case where the article storage portion 11 is provided) are identical, and the heights of the grooves of the 2nd and 3rd engaged portions are identical. That is, the height positions of the grooves of the lowest stage of the 1st engaged portion and the lowest stage of the 4th engaged portion are identical, and similarly, the height positions of the 2nd stage, the 3rd stage, and the uppermost stage are respectively identical. In addition, the height positions of the grooves of the lowest stage of the 2nd engaged portion and the lowest stage of the 3rd engaged portion are identical, and similarly, the height positions of the 2nd stage, the 3rd stage, and the uppermost stage are respectively identical.

[0050] In Figure 3 In (B), one example of the arrangement of the 1st engaged portion 304A and the 2nd engaged portion 304B is further shown. Here, since the 1st engaged portion 304A engages with the lowest stage of the 1st engaged portion, and the 2nd engaged portion 304B engages with the lowest stage of the 4th engaged portion, the bottom surface position of the guide portion 206 becomes the lowest, and corresponds to the case where the thickness of the article unit is the thinnest. In addition, since the number of stages of each pair is determined, if one engaged portion engages with the 1st engaged portion (or the 4th engaged portion) at a certain number of stages, the other engaged portion also engages with the 4th engaged portion (or the 1st engaged portion) at the corresponding number of stages. Similarly, if one engaged portion engages with the 2nd engaged portion (or the 3rd engaged portion) at a certain number of stages, the other engaged portion also engages with the 3rd engaged portion (or the 2nd engaged portion) at the corresponding number of stages. Thus, compared to the case where only the 1st engaged portion and the 4th engaged portion are provided (or the case where only the 2nd engaged portion and the 3rd engaged portion are provided), by further providing the 2nd engaged portion and the 3rd engaged portion (or by further providing the 1st engaged portion and the 4th engaged portion), the height position can be set more finely.

[0051] Therefore, by sliding the first engaging portion 304A and the second engaging portion 304B in the width direction of the item storage portion 11 (the long side direction of the guide portion 206 and the width direction of the item), for example, the first engaging portion 304A is slid towards the first long side direction (left direction) and engages with the first engaged portion, and the second engaging portion 304B is slid towards the second long side direction (right direction), which is opposite to the first long side direction, and engages with the fourth engaged portion; or, the first engaging portion 304A is slid towards the second long side direction (right direction) and engages with the second engaged portion, and the second engaging portion 304B is slid towards the first long side direction (left direction) and engages with the third engaged portion, items of any height can be accommodated. Furthermore, by sliding the first engaging portion 304A, the first engaging portion 304A can engage with either the first engaged portion or the second engaged portion, and by sliding the second engaging portion 304B, it can engage with either the third engaged portion or the fourth engaged portion.

[0052] Figure 4 (A) indicates the engagement of the first engaging portion 304A and the first support portion 305A. The item storage section 11 is configured such that, with the guide portion 206 abutting against the support member 305, each engaging portion can engage with each support portion. Figure 4 As can be seen from (A), the first engaging part 304A engages with the lowest slot of the first engaged part. Furthermore, Figure 4 (B) is an enlarged view showing the engagement of the first engaging portion 304A and the first support portion 305A. For example... Figure 4 As shown in (B), the first engaging portion 304A has cylindrical protrusions 401 and 402 on the left and right sides, and a convex operating portion 403 is formed on the top. The shapes of the first engaging portion 304A and the second engaging portion 304B are not limited to having a cylindrical shape at least partially. Figure 4 The shape shown in (B) is such that the user can slide each engaging part by operating the operating part 403. Each engaging part (groove) 405 formed in the first support part 305A has a C-shape or an inclined U-shape, and has a structure in which the second side of the support member 305 is open.

[0053] Figure 4(C) is a diagram showing the relationship between the indicator portion 301B and the scale portion 404 of the grip portion 301A provided on the main component 301. The scale portion 404 has graduations corresponding to the positions of the guide portions 206 that correspond to the levels of the first to fourth engaged portions. The current level of the engaged portion can be specified based on the position indicated by the indicator portion 301B. Furthermore, in addition to line segments indicating the indicated position, the scale portion 404 can also be assigned numerical values ​​indicating the level. Alternatively, the scale portion 404 can be assigned values ​​indicating the height of the guide portions 206 or values ​​indicating the height or size of the item.

[0054] then, Figure 5 This diagram shows the structure around the guide portion 206 as viewed from the right side of the item storage section 11. The guide portion 206 is fixed in position by inserting the front end portion 501a of the fixing member 501 into the gap between the end of the main member 301 and the guide rail 208R. When adjusting the height of the guide portion 206 from the upper surface of the mounting section 201, the fixing member 501 must be removed. The fixing member 501 is inclined at the root of the front end portion 501a to prevent the end of the main member 301 from detaching. Figure 5 Only the right side structure is shown, but the left end of the main member 301 is also fixed in position using the same structure.

[0055] Figure 5 The portion enclosed by the dashed circle represents the distance d between the guide portion 206 (main component 301) and the upper surface of the mounting portion 201. This distance d varies depending on the position of the engaged portion (groove) engaged by the engaging portion. For example, if the groove increases by an equal distance (α) for each level, then when the initial value corresponding to the first level (lowest level) is set to di, the distance d becomes d = di + α(n-1) (where n is a value corresponding to any level number from 1 to 8). Furthermore, the value of α can be variable. For example, it can be set such that the increase decreases as the level increases, or the increase increases as the level increases. In addition, the position of the lower end of the gate 103 is approximately the same as the position of the upper surface of the mounting portion 201.

[0056] Next, refer to Figure 6 Explain the structure of the pressing part 205 and the guide rail 208. Figure 6 (A) represents an example of the appearance of the pressing part 205. Figure 6 (B) represents an example of the appearance of guide rail 208. Figure 6 (C) represents an example of the cross-sectional structure of the item storage section 11 surrounding the pressing section 205.

[0057] The pressing part 205 is a member extending along the width direction of the item disposed within the item storage section 11 (or the width direction of the item storage section 11), and when the item is disposed within the item storage section 11, it presses the front portion of the item located on the supply port 102 side from the upper surface side of the item. By pressing the front portion of the item located directly above the part where the roller 207 is disposed from the upper surface side with the pressing part 205, the item is pushed towards the roller 207, and the rotational force of the roller 207 can be accurately transmitted to the item. The pressing part 205 is configured to move vertically along the guide rails 208L and 208R disposed at the left and right ends of the pressing part 205. The pressing part 205 can be removed from the guide rails 208 by operating the upper protrusion 601. Furthermore, engaging portions 602 are provided at both ends of the pressing portion 205. By engaging these engaging portions 602 with the notch 611 of the guide rail 208, the pressing portion 205 is positioned. The notch 611 has an open end 611A on the upper side and an end 611B on the lower side. When the engaging portion 602 is inserted from the open end 611A, the pressing portion 205 can fall naturally down along the notch 611 by its own weight. The pressing portion 205 is at its lowest point when the engaging portion 602 reaches the end 611B.

[0058] The pressing part 205 has a protective member 604 at its lower part for protecting the switch 204. The protective member 604 functions to prevent operation from the outside via the supply port 102 when the item is not in the item storage part 11 and the switch 204 protrudes upward. The protective member 604 has a retaining part 605 in which the switch 204 is disposed and held. This prevents damage to the switch 204 caused by external operation. The protrusion 603 abuts against the guide rail part 208 and reduces the load on the locking part 602 in the front-rear direction of the item storage part 11, thereby preventing damage to the locking part 602.

[0059] In addition, such as Figure 6 As shown in (C), a recess 606 is formed on the bottom surface of the pressing part 205, so as not to hinder the rotation of the roller 207. The shape of the recess 606 is not particularly limited as long as it does not hinder the rotation of the roller 606, but in order not to hinder the discharge of the article, it can be made into a circumferential recess along the rotation of the roller, for example. In addition, the recess 606 can be formed only in the part where the roller 606 is disposed. In addition, the surface of the recess 606 forms a surface that is continuous with the opening 201A provided in the mounting part 201.

[0060] Next, refer to Figure 7 The mechanism for holding the first holding part 202 and the second holding part 203 of the article disposed on the mounting part 201 is described. Figure 7(A) indicates a case where the first holding portions 202L, 202R and the second holding portion 203 are arranged on the placement portion 201. The first holding portions 202L, 202R are movable along the openings 701L, 701R and the rails 702L, 702R formed in the placement portion 201 in the width direction of the article storage portion 11. In addition, the second holding portion 203 is movable along the opening 703 and the rail 704 formed in the placement portion 201 in the depth direction of the article storage portion 11.

[0061] The first holding portions 202L, 202R, the second holding portion 203 are provided with a locking mechanism so as to be able to stop at a prescribed position respectively, and a stop position corresponding to the size of an article can be assigned in advance. The opening 705 formed in the placement portion 201 is used for positioning the second holding portion 203, and by mounting the locking member of the second holding portion 203 to the second holding portion 203 via this opening, the second holding portion 203 can be fixedly supported with respect to the placement portion 201. The opening 705 can be arranged in multiple positions along the long side of the opening 703 corresponding to the length in the depth direction of the article. Thus, the second holding portion 203 can be fixed to the placement portion 201 by the locking member via each opening 703. The protruding portion 203D is a member for releasing the locked state by the locking member, and the locking member engaged with the opening 705 and the like can be released by pressing down the locking member toward the lower side when the protruding portion 203D is pressed in. The locking member is urged toward the second holding portion 203 by a spring or the like, and when the opening where the protruding portion 203D is pressed in is formed on the placement portion 201, the locking member engages with the opening with the force, and the stop position of the second holding portion 203 can be fixed. The same locking mechanism including the locking member and the protruding portion 203D and the like can also be employed in the first holding portions 202.

[0062] In Figure 7In (A) of FIG. 10, a protruding portion 203A is provided on the top of the second holding portion 203. The protruding portion 203A is configured to be movable up and down along an opening 203B formed in the second holding portion 203. The opening 203B is formed to a height approximately halfway from the upper end of the second holding portion 203, and the protruding portion 203A cannot move to a position lower than the opening 203B. In addition, an elastic body 203C is attached to the back side of the second holding portion 203, and the elastic force generated by the elastic body acts to press the protruding portion 203A downward. This elastic force acts to press the upper surface of the article stacked on the placement portion 201 downward by the protruding portion 203A. This elastic force can act within the range in which the second holding portion 203 is movable within the opening 203B, or it can act locally within this range. At this time, in the case where the height of the stacked article exceeds a certain height, for example, in the case where it is higher than the end portion on the lower side of the opening 203B, the article is pressed downward by the protruding portion 203A. By pressing the stacked article from the back by the protruding portion 203A, it is possible to balance the case where the article is pressed from the front by the pressing portion 205, and it is possible to accurately transmit the rotational force of the roller 207 to the article. The elastic body can be any one of, for example, rubber or a spring, as long as it is a member that generates an elastic force.

[0063] The protruding portion 203A can be, for example, a substantially hexagonal shape obtained by cutting off the vertex portion on the front surface side of the article storage portion 11 in a rectangular shape. Alternatively, it can be an elliptical shape, a semicircular shape, a semicircular shape, or a shape other than these. In addition, the protruding portion 203A is configured to have a shape in which the length in the width direction is longer than the length in the depth direction, and at least a portion of the back of the article stacked on the placement portion 201 is pressed.

[0064] Figure 7 (B) of FIG. 10 is a view for explaining the movable ranges of the first holding portion 202 and the second holding portion 203 on the placement portion 201. The movable range of the first holding portion 202 is the range indicated by the arrow D1, and the movable range of the second holding portion 203 is the range indicated by the arrow D2. At this time, D2 > D1 holds.

[0065] Next, the linkage between the detection of the presence of the article by the switch 204 and the notification by the notification portion 108 will be described with reference to Figure 8 The linkage between the detection of the presence of the article by the switch 204 and the notification by the notification portion 108 will be described with reference to Figure 8(A) shows the state of the item storage compartment 11 with items inside. At this time, although the switch 204 is applied upwards, it is pressed downwards by the item 800, therefore the notification display 801 is not in a state where the notification display 108 can be visually recognized from the outside. At this time, the front end 204A of the switch 204 is on the same plane as the mounting portion 201. The notification display 801 is connected to an L-shaped member 802 that abuts against the protrusion 204B of the switch 204 via a rotation axis. This L-shaped member 802 is subjected to force by a spring, etc. Figure 8 In (A), it is desired to rotate clockwise. The rotation of the L-shaped member 802 and the notification display 801 linked thereto generated by this force is suppressed by the protrusion 204B of the switch 204.

[0066] In contrast, such as Figure 8 As shown in (B), when the item 800 is absent and the downward pressure generated by the item is released, the switch 204, with the upward force, causes its front end 204A to protrude upward from the mounting portion 201. As a result, the protrusion 204B, which inhibits the rotation of the L-shaped member 802, also moves upward. Consequently, the L-shaped member 802 rotates in the direction of the arrow, and simultaneously, the notification display portion 801 also rotates downward. Thus, Figure 8 The message area 801A of the notification display unit 801 shown in (C) is visually recognizable from the outside via the notification unit 108. The notification unit 108 is made of a component such as transparent plastic or glass, through which the user can visually recognize the message area 801A from the outside.

[0067] Next, refer to Figure 9 The structure of roller 207 will be explained. Roller 207 functions as a delivery part that can send items stored in the item storage section 11 to the supply port 102. Figure 9 (A) to Figure 9 (C) represents an example of the external structure of roller 207. Figure 9 Image (A) shows the front of roller 207. As shown here, a rotation shaft 901 protrudes from the side of roller 207, and roller 207 can rotate around this rotation shaft 901. The rotation shaft cooperates with handle 104 by means of a predetermined mechanism, so that when handle 104 is rotated one revolution, roller 207 also rotates one revolution around rotation shaft 901. A flat portion 902 is formed on the surface of roller 207 along rotation shaft 901, and the flat portion 902 does not come into contact with the item to be delivered when roller 207 rotates.

[0068] Figure 9(B) indicates the side surface of roller 207, and a curved surface 903 is formed on the back side of the flat portion 902 of roller 207. Roller 207 is a shape partially missing by cutting off the outer surface of a cylinder, and the cut-off portion corresponds to the flat portion 902, while the remaining semi-cylindrical portion corresponds to the curved surface 903. Furthermore, the remaining portion is larger in proportion to the cut-off portion. In addition, the area of ​​the curved surface 903 is also larger than the area of ​​the flat portion 902.

[0069] Figure 9 (C) indicates the back side of roller 207, but the curved surface 903 of roller 207 functions to contact the article and feed the article to the feed port 102. Since the curved surface 903 transmits rotational force to the article when it contacts it, it is desirable that its surface be covered by a non-slip material, such as a soft component like rubber or an anti-slip component. However, it is also possible that the entire curved surface 903 is not covered by a soft component, but is at least partially covered. The extent of at least partial coverage can be defined as encompassing the circumference of the curved surface 903 as a whole, and intermittently encompassing the width direction. Alternatively, it may not be continuously encompassing the circumference; it can be configured to encompass the circumference as a whole using multiple soft components.

[0070] In addition, such as Figure 6 As shown in (C), in the mounting section 201, an opening is provided near the supply port 102. By making the roller 207 contact the article through the opening, the rotational force of the roller 207 can be transmitted to the article, and the article is sent out to the supply port 102. Figure 10 This is a diagram used to illustrate the relationship between the opening and roller 207.

[0071] Figure 10 This diagram illustrates the relationship between the various rotational positions of roller 207 and the mounting portion 201 as a state transition diagram. State 1 shows the initial position when roller 207 begins to rotate. In this initial position, roller 207 does not protrude from the opening 201A of mounting portion 201. Afterward, it operates as follows: roller 207 rotates around the rotation axis 901... Figure 10When the roller 207 rotates counterclockwise, at least a part of the roller 207 protrudes from the opening 201A, and the end portion on the right side of the roller 207 comes into contact with the article placed on the placement portion 201, thereby pushing the article toward the front of the article storage portion 11. Thus, the curved surface portion 903 of the roller 207 advances from the state 2 in which it protrudes from the opening 201A to the state 4 via the state 3. During this period, the curved surface portion 903 protruding from the opening 201A comes into contact with the article, and acts to push the article toward the front. In the states 2 to 4, the roller 207 is in the "deliverable state". When the state 4 in which the end portion on the left side of the roller 207 comes into contact with the article changes to the state 5, the roller 207 becomes out of contact with the article. That is, the portion of the roller 207 that protrudes from the opening 201A to come into contact with the article is only the curved surface portion 903, and since the flat surface portion 902 does not protrude, it does not come into contact with the article. In such a state 5 to state 1, the roller 207 is in the "undeliverable state". In this state, the position of the article does not move, but the article is exposed to the outside by a sufficient range required to pull the article out of the supply port 102. The user can take the article out of the article storage portion 11 by pulling the portion of the article exposed from the supply port 102.

[0072] Next, the operation of the article supply device 100 will be described with reference to Figure 11 The power transmission mechanism will be described. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the power transmission mechanism. In Figure 11 In the power transmission mechanism, one end of a main shaft body 1101 constituting a part of a gear linkage mechanism is attached to the rotational center axis of the handle 104. The main shaft body 1101 has a spur gear 1102 fixed to the other end. A pinion gear 1103 is rotatably supported above the spur gear 1102 so as to be engaged with the spur gear 1102. Further, a spur gear 1104 engaged with the pinion gear 1103 is supported by a shaft at the lower end of the back surface of the article storage portion 11, so as to be able to transmit power corresponding to the operation of the handle 104 to the article storage portion 11 via the pinion gear 1103.

[0073] Thus, when the handle 104 is manually rotated in the direction of the arrow T1, the rotational force is transmitted to the spur gear 1102 via the main shaft body 1101, and the rotational force in the direction of the arrow T2 is transmitted to the spur gear 1104 via the pinion gear 1103 engaged with the spur gear 1102. Then, by continuing the operation of the handle 104, the spur gear 1104 is rotated one revolution.

[0074] Further, a spur gear 1106 engaged with the spur gear 1102 is rotatably supported below the spur gear 1102. A pinion 1107 engaged with the spur gear 1106 is rotatably supported at one end of an intermediate shaft 1108 installed below the spur gear 1106. Further, a bevel gear 1109 is installed at the end of the intermediate shaft 1108. When the user rotates the handle 104, the main shaft body 1101 rotates to rotate the spur gear 1102. Thus, on one hand, the pinion 1103 and the spur gear 1104 are rotated. Further, on the other hand, the intermediate shaft 1108 is rotated by the spur gear 1102 and the pinion 1107 to rotate the bevel gear 1109. Therefore, when the rotation of the bevel gear 1109 is prevented, the rotation of the handle 104 and the rotation of the spur gear 1104 are also prevented.

[0075] The bevel gear 1109 is engaged with a bevel gear 1110. Thus, when the bevel gear 1109 is rotated in conjunction with the rotation of the handle 104, the bevel gear 1110 is also rotated, but the bevel gear 1110 is integrated with the rotation portion 113 described above. Here, as described above, the rotation portion 113 is a mechanism for releasing the lock of the handle 104 according to the detection of the insertion of a coin corresponding to a predetermined amount by the fare payment detection portion 112, and is locked in the case where the predetermined amount is not inserted. In this case, the bevel gear 1110 and the bevel gear 1109 cannot be rotated, and as a result, the rotation of the handle 104 can be prevented. In this way, in the locked state of the rotation portion 113, the bevel gear 1109 and the bevel gear 1110 are also prevented from rotating, and since the handle 104 cannot be rotated, the spur gear 1104 cannot be rotated, and the article cannot be taken out. On the other hand, in the case where the insertion of the predetermined amount is detected by the fare payment detection portion 112, the lock of the rotation portion 113 is released, and the operation of the handle 104 is permitted, and thus, the bevel gear 1110 and the bevel gear 1109 are rotated according to the operation of the handle 104, and the spur gear 1104 is rotated.

[0076] In Figure 11 the main shaft body 1101 directly connected to the handle 104 is independent from the intermediate shaft 1108 on which the bevel gear 1109 that cooperates with the rotation portion is installed, but the bevel gear 1109 can be provided to the main shaft body 1101.

[0077] Next, the power transmission mechanism in the article storage portion 11 that transmits power corresponding to the operation of the handle 104 will be described with reference to Figure 12 to the accompanying drawings. Figure 12Figure (A) is an example of the appearance of the transfer mechanism. In this transfer mechanism, when the spur gear 1104 located on the rear wall of the item storage section 11 is released from the lock generated by the switch 1201 and rotates, the rotational force is transmitted to the roller 207 via the spur gear 1202, the main shaft 1203, the bevel gears 1204 and 1205, and the intermediate shaft 1206.

[0078] exist Figure 12 In the transmission mechanism shown in (A), switch 1201 serves as a control. Figure 11 The locking part of the spur gear 1104 shown can be rotated. When the item storage part 11 is installed on the item supply device 10, by contacting the rear wall of the item supply device 10, the protrusion 1201C is pressed, and the protrusion at the front end of the switch 1201 ( Figure 12 The engagement state (contact state) between (C) 1201D) and spur gear 1104 is released, allowing spur gear 1104 to rotate. Furthermore, in spur gear 1104, such as Figure 12 As shown in (D), a recess 1104B is formed on the side without teeth, which engages with the protrusion 1201D at the front end of the switch 1201. The switch 1201 can swing about the shaft 1201A. Furthermore, the force applied by the force-applying part 1201B in the first direction indicated by the arrow causes the protrusion 1201D at the front end of the switch 1201 to move towards the locking spur gear 1104 via the shaft 1201A. Therefore, without contacting the rear wall of the article supply device 10, the protrusion 1201D engages with the spur gear 1104 using the force applied by the force-applying part 1201B, and the rotation of the spur gear 1104 is suppressed. In addition, the protrusion direction of the protrusion 1201C of the switch 1201 is also the first direction mentioned above. The protrusion 1201D of the switch 1201 protrudes in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0079] Spur gear 1104 meshes with spur gear 1202, transmitting power from handle 104 to main shaft 1203. Figure 12 In (A), the length of the main shaft 1203 is shown with the middle portion omitted. Rotation of the main shaft 1203 is transmitted to the roller 207 via bevel gears 1204 and 1205 and intermediate shaft 1206. This allows rotation of the handle 104 to be transmitted to the roller 207. Spur gears 1104 and 1202 are covered by the cover 1207, but a portion of spur gear 1104 is exposed outside the cover 1207 to allow it to mesh with pinion 1103. The cover 1207 protects spur gears 1104 and 1202 from contacting the inner side of the rear wall of the article supply device 10 and hindering rotation.

[0080] then,Figure 12 (B) is a view showing the state in which the spur gear 1104 is engaged with the spur gear 1202, at which time the mark 1104A shown on the spur gear 1104 and the mark 1202A shown on the spur gear 1202 face each other at positions corresponding to each other. In the present embodiment, as explained in Figure 9 , Figure 10 the shape of the roller 207 is set to a shape in which a part of a cylinder is missing, and thus it is necessary to accurately determine the start position of rotation of the roller 207 in such a manner that the article comes into contact with the curved surface portion 903 accurately when the roller 207 is rotated. If the curved surface portion 903 does not come into contact with the article accurately, a problem can occur in which the article cannot be discharged from the article supply port 102. Thus, in the present embodiment, the state in which the mark 1104A and the mark 1202A face each other is set to correspond to the start position of rotation of the roller 207, and in the state shown in (B) of FIG. 12, that is, the state in which the rotation of the spur gear 1104 is locked by the switch 1201, the article storage portion 11 is attached to the article supply device 10. The switch 1201 functions to fix the start position of rotation of the roller 207, and on the other hand, since the engaged state between the switch 1201 and the spur gear 1104 is released at the time of attachment, the subsequent operation is not hindered. Figure 12

[0081] Further, as long as the article storage portion 11 is not attached to the article supply device 10, the spur gear 1104 can be rotated manually at will to change the rotational position of the spur gear 1104. Thus, in the case where the article storage portion 11 is detached from the article supply device 10 and then attached again, by rotating the spur gear 1104 manually, the rotational positions of the spur gears 1104 and 1202 are adjusted to the positions at which the mark 1104A and the mark 1202A face each other, and thus the article can be discharged from the article supply device 10 accurately.

[0082] The switch 1201 is configured to be able to engage with the recessed portion 1104B of the spur gear 1104 in the case where the spur gear 1104 is positioned at the position (first position) shown in (B) of FIG. 12. Figure 12 The recessed portion 1104B has a sufficient depth to engage with the protrusion 1201D of the switch 1201. In the case where the spur gear 1104 is positioned at the first position, the rotation of the spur gear 1104 can be locked by the switch 1201, but in the case where the spur gear 1104 is positioned at a position other than the first position (second position), the recessed portion 1104B of the spur gear 1104 does not engage with the switch 1201, and thus the rotation of the spur gear 1104 cannot be locked.

[0083] The present application is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the present application.​

Claims

1. An item storage device, which can be installed on an item supply device, wherein, This item storage device features: The main body is designed to store items in a stacked manner. An action part, which is provided in the main body part; and A locking part, provided on the main body, is capable of locking to prevent the actuating part from performing a predetermined action. The locking mechanism is configured such that the locking of the actuating unit can be released when the item storage device is installed relative to the item supply device. The locking part includes a force-applying part, which applies force to the locking part in a direction that locks the moving part and inhibits the predetermined movement of the moving part. The locking unit is configured to lock the moving part when the moving part is in the first position. The locking part includes a first protrusion protruding in a first direction at one end and a second protrusion protruding in a second direction opposite to the first direction at the other end, and is configured to be able to swing. By swinging the locking part, it is possible to switch between a state in which the locking part locks the moving part and a state in which the locking part releases the locking part from the moving part.

2. The item storage device according to claim 1, wherein, The operating unit is configured to operate on the condition that the detection unit of the item supply device, which is capable of detecting payment of the price of the item, detects the payment of the price and that the operation unit of the item supply device performs an operation to send the item out of the item storage device.

3. The item storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The locking part is configured such that it can be released upon contact with the rear wall inside the article supply device.

4. The item storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The actuating part is located on the rear wall of the main body and is configured to perform a rotational motion as the prescribed action.

5. The item storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The item storage device is configured to be installed on the item supply device in a manner that allows it to be pulled out toward the front side of the item supply device. The actuating unit is configured such that, when the item storage device is installed on the item supply device, it does not contact the rear wall inside the item supply device.

6. The item storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, At least a portion of the moving part protrudes relative to the bottom of the main body.

7. The item storage device according to claim 1, wherein, The locking unit is configured such that it cannot lock the motion unit if the motion unit is located in a second position other than the first position.

8. The item storage device according to claim 1 or 7, wherein, The actuator is configured to be able to adjust to the first position when the main body is not installed on the article supply device.

9. The item storage device according to claim 1, wherein, The locking part is configured such that the locking of the actuating part can be released when the first protrusion contacts the rear wall inside the article supply device.

10. The item storage device according to claim 9, wherein, The second protrusion contacts the actuating part using the force of the force-applying part, and is configured to be able to separate from the actuating part if the first protrusion contacts the rear wall inside the article supply device.

11. The item storage device according to claim 10, wherein, The actuating part is a gear. The locking part can be locked based on the contact between the untoothed portion of the gear and the second protrusion, so that the gear does not rotate.

12. The item storage device according to claim 11, wherein, The gear is configured such that a portion of its tooth shape protrudes from the item storage device. The exposed tooth shape is configured such that, depending on the installation of the item storage device relative to the item supply device, it can be linked to a power transmission unit, which is directly or indirectly connected to the operating unit of the item supply device.

13. The item storage device according to claim 12, wherein, The portion of the gear, excluding the exposed teeth, is covered by a transparent or translucent component.

14. The item storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The main body also includes a delivery section capable of delivering the item stored within the main body. The delivery unit is configured to deliver the item in response to the operation of the action unit.

15. An article supply device, wherein, The item supply device is equipped with: The item storage device according to claim 14; The receiving department accepts payment for the items; The testing department is responsible for testing the payment of the stated price. An operation unit, which, upon detecting payment of the price, accepts an operation to deliver the items stored in the item storage device; and A power transmission unit transmits the power generated by the operation to the delivery unit, thereby delivering the article.

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