Container providing tool

Abstract

To provide a container providing tool which can maintain a clean and sanitary state of a beverage container, when providing a beverage container to a guest.SOLUTION: A container providing tool 10 comprises: a case 11 for covering a storage path 12 in which two or more beverage containers 70 are stored so as to be continuous in a vertical direction; and a delivery mechanism 20 which is configured to deliver one by one, the beverage container 70 at a terminal of the storage path 12 to a discharge path 14 provided in the case 11. The delivery mechanism 20 comprises: an opening / closing member 30 arranged to block a passage from the terminal of the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14; and an operation member 40. When a user operates the operation member 40, the opening / closing member 30 becomes in an open state and the beverage container 70 can be passed from the terminal of the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14. By the container providing tool 10, the beverage container in a sanitary state when the container was stored therein, can be easily taken out and provided to a guest.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container providing tool used for providing beverage containers to customers in restaurants. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is an appliance that stores a beverage container for holding a beverage so that the beverage container can be removed by a user (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2022-506878 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art When providing beverage containers to customers in restaurants, the beverage containers are required to be kept clean and hygienic.

[0005] For example, there is a so-called self-service mode in which a customer picks up a beverage container for himself / herself from among a number of beverage containers prepared at a container providing area in a store and uses it to drink a beverage. In such a mode of service, each of the multiple customers is in a state where they can touch the beverage container at the container providing area, so it is more important to be able to keep the beverage container hygienic and clean.

[0006] This invention has been made to solve such problems, and its object is to provide a container serving tool that allows beverage containers to be easily removed and served in the same hygienic state as when they were stored. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The container providing device of the first invention is a container providing device used to provide beverage containers to customers in a restaurant, and includes a case covering a storage path in which two or more beverage containers are stored so as to be connected to each other in the vertical direction, and a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense beverage containers at the end of the storage path one by one when two or more beverage containers are stored in the storage path to a discharge path provided in the case, the dispensing mechanism including an opening / closing member disposed so as to block a passage from the end of the storage path to the discharge path, and a dispensing mechanism configured to be displaceable relative to the case and operable by a user. and a support mechanism capable of supporting the second beverage container which is in a position to be dispensed next to the beverage container at the end of the storage path, the support mechanism including an operating member provided on the container and a support member which is displaced so as to abut against the second beverage container as the operating member is operated by a user, the support mechanism supporting the second beverage container which is in a position to be dispensed next to the beverage container at the end of the storage path as the operating member is operated by a user, and the opening / closing member being in an open state so that the beverage container can pass from the end of the storage path to the discharge path, thereby discharging the beverage container at the end of the storage path into the discharge path.

[0008] With this configuration, the beverage container can be easily removed and provided while remaining in the same hygienic condition as when it was stored.

[0009] The container providing device of the second invention is a container providing device used to provide beverage containers to customers in a restaurant, and comprises a case covering a storage path in which two or more beverage containers are stored so as to be connected to each other in the vertical direction, and a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense beverage containers at the end of the storage path one by one when two or more beverage containers are stored in the storage path to a discharge path provided in the case, the dispensing mechanism comprising an opening / closing member arranged to block a passage from the end of the storage path to the discharge path, an operating member configured to be displaceable relative to the case and operable by a user, and a dispensing mechanism configured to dispose the beverage containers in the storage path as the operating member is operated by the user. This container providing device has an engagement portion configured to engage with any of the stored beverage containers, and a support mechanism that includes a support member supported by the case and can support the beverage container so that it does not displace downward when the support member comes into contact with the side of the beverage container at the end of the storage path, and is configured so that when the operating member is operated by a user, the opening / closing member opens to allow the beverage container to pass from the end of the storage path to the discharge path, and one of the beverage containers is forced downward by the engagement portion, causing the beverage container at the end of the storage path to displace downward against support by the support mechanism, thereby discharging the beverage container at the end of the storage path into the discharge path.

[0010] With this configuration, the beverage container can be easily removed and provided while remaining in the same hygienic condition as when it was stored. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the container serving tool of the present invention, beverage containers can be easily removed and served in the same hygienic condition as when they were stored. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a store system in a store in which a container providing unit using a container providing tool according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed; [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of the container providing unit. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the container providing unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing beverage containers using the container providing tool; [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing beverage containers using the container providing tool. [Figure 6] 1 is a side view of a container providing unit using a container providing tool according to a second embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a front view showing a structure of a part of the dispensing mechanism of the container providing tool. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing an engagement portion of the container providing tool. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a support mechanism of the container providing tool. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a first diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing beverage containers using the container providing tool; [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a second diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing beverage containers using the container providing tool. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the container providing tool will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, components with the same reference numerals have the same functions, and therefore repeated description may be omitted.

[0014] In the following description, the directions (up, right, front) shown in the drawings are common to all the drawings. Up and down are directions perpendicular to a horizontal plane. The front direction is the direction in which the front of the container providing tool faces, and is sometimes called the front. The back direction is the direction opposite to the front direction, and is sometimes called the rear. The right direction is the direction to the right hand side when facing the front of the container providing tool. The left direction is the direction opposite to the right. The left-right direction may be called the width direction. In the following, the shapes and positional relationships of the various parts may be described by indicating each direction in this way, but these are defined only for the convenience of explanation. The indication of each direction (up, down, front, back, left, right) does not limit the orientation or posture of the container providing tool of the present invention when used.

[0015] (Embodiment 1)

[0016] In the first embodiment, the container provider is used in a store such as a restaurant to provide users with beverage containers, such as cups, teacups, etc. The container provider can store two or more beverage containers in a vertically connected manner. In the first embodiment, the beverage containers can be stored in a horizontal position, tilted sideways from the normal orientation for use. A user can operate a dispensing mechanism by operating an operating member provided on the container provider, and can take out the beverage containers one by one from an outlet at the bottom of the container provider. An example of a container provider configured in this way will be described below.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a store system 1000 of a store in which a container providing unit 1 using a container providing tool 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is arranged.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, a store system 1000 according to this embodiment is used in a store such as a restaurant. A part of the store is shown in Fig. 1. The restaurant is, for example, a conveyor belt sushi restaurant. Note that the store in which the store system 1000 is used may be a restaurant of other business type or industry. Also, products provided to customers (who may also be called customers or users) who visit the store may be provided free of charge or for a fee.

[0019] In this embodiment, the store system 1000 includes seats 3, tables 5, a conveying device 7, and an upper unit 8. The conveying device 7 is provided both inside the store where users eat and drink, and in a kitchen (not shown). A seating arrangement consisting of one table 5 and its corresponding seat 3 is arranged along the conveying device 7.

[0020] The conveying device 7 has a conveying path configured, for example, using a crescent chain with a flat upper surface. Food and drink products such as sushi (not shown) are placed on the conveying path via dishes 80. The conveying device 7 drives the conveying path to convey the products placed on the conveying path to each seat.

[0021] The upper unit 8 is disposed above the transport path. The upper unit 8, for example, has a built-in lighting means and is configured to irradiate light downward to illuminate the transport path. The upper unit 8 may be provided with, for example, an ordering device (not shown) capable of accepting orders from users, or a second transport device (not shown) capable of delivering products and the like to each seat in a manner different from that of the transport device 7.

[0022] In this embodiment, the store system 1000 includes a container providing unit 1 configured to be able to provide beverage containers 70 to customers at a restaurant. The container providing unit 1 will be described below.

[0023] In this embodiment, the beverage container 70 is, for example, a teacup. The beverage container 70 may also be called a cup, a drinking glass, or the like. In a store, customers who normally drink beverages such as drinking water or tea can pour a beverage into the beverage container 70 and drink it during a meal, for example.

[0024] However, the beverage container 70 is not limited to this, and may be various containers that can mainly contain beverages. The material of the beverage container 70 can be appropriately set to synthetic resin, ceramic, glass, paper, metal, or the like.

[0025] In FIG. 1, the container providing units 1 are installed corresponding to each seat. The container providing units 1 are attached to, for example, the upper unit 8. A user using each seat can take out a beverage container 70 from the container providing unit 1 and use it when necessary. That is, the container providing unit 1 can be conveniently used to provide the beverage container 70 to customers in a so-called self-service mode. Since the container providing unit 1 is attached to the upper unit 8, the container providing unit 1 does not take up space on the table 5, and the user can use a large area on the table 5.

[0026] The installation location of the container providing unit 1 is not limited to this example. For example, the container providing unit 1 may be provided so as to be shared by users of multiple seats, or may be located away from the seats or in the kitchen.

[0027] There is an upper limit to the number of beverage containers 70 that can be continuously provided using one set of container providing units 1. If necessary, two or more container providing units 1 can be arranged side by side to provide beverage containers 70 to a greater number of customers. In this case, the frequency with which the container providing units 1 need to be replenished with beverage containers 70 can be reduced, thereby reducing the operational burden associated with store management.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the container providing unit 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of the container providing unit 1.

[0029] In FIG. 3 and other figures below, for convenience of explanation, the structure of the container providing unit 1 is shown in a schematic and simplified manner.

[0030] In this embodiment, the container providing unit 1 includes a container providing tool 10 and a beverage container 70. In the container providing unit 1, a plurality of beverage containers 70 are stored in the container providing tool 10, and can be provided to a user. That is, the container providing unit 1 is made up of the container providing tool 10 configured to store a plurality of beverage containers 70, and the beverage containers 70 stored therein. The container providing tool 10 can store two or more beverage containers 70. For example, the container providing tool 10 can store a maximum of about seven or eight beverage containers 70, but the number of beverage containers 70 that can be stored is not limited to this.

[0031] The beverage container 70 assumed in this embodiment is a substantially cylindrical cup with a bottom that opens at the upper part 71. The bottom part 73 (which may be called the bottom surface) is provided with, for example, a pedestal. In this embodiment, the beverage container 70 has a shape in which the vertical dimension is larger than the outer diameter dimension. The beverage container 70 also has a tapered outer peripheral surface in which the outer diameter of the upper part 71 is larger than the outer diameter of the bottom part 73 side. The shape of the beverage container 70 is not limited to this. For example, a pedestal may not be provided. Also, the beverage container 70 may be formed so that the diameter of the outer peripheral surface is substantially the same at any position in the height direction. Also, the beverage container 70 may not have a shape like a rotating body.

[0032] The container providing tool 10 includes a case 11 and a dispensing mechanism 20. Two or more beverage containers 70 are stored in the case 11 so as to be vertically connected to each other. The dispensing mechanism 20 is configured to, when two or more beverage containers 70 are stored in the case 11, dispense the beverage containers 70 located at the end, i.e., the bottom, of the storage path 12 one by one to a discharge path 14 provided in the case 11.

[0033] First, the configuration of case 11 will be described.

[0034] The case 11 is configured to cover the storage path 12 in which two or more beverage containers 70 are stored. A discharge path 14 is provided below the storage path 12, sandwiching an opening / closing member 30 described later. In this embodiment, it may be said that the internal space of the case 11 is separated by the opening / closing member 30 into an upper storage path 12 and a lower discharge path 14. The discharge path 14 is a portion through which the beverage containers 70 dispensed from the storage path 12 pass before moving to an outlet portion 16 provided at the bottom of the case 11.

[0035] The storage path 12 is a path prepared in the case 11 so that two or more beverage containers 70 can be stored in such a manner that they are connected to each other in the up-down direction. The storage path 12 may be called a storage space. In this embodiment, the storage path 12 is configured to store two or more beverage containers 70 with the top and bottom of each beverage container 70 facing sideways. Two beverage containers 70 arranged adjacent to each other are positioned in the storage path 12 so that their sides are in contact with each other or are close to each other. As the beverage containers 70 are taken out one by one, the beverage containers 70 stored in the storage path 12 are configured to move by gravity along the path of the storage path 12.

[0036] In this embodiment, the storage path 12 is configured so that the beverage containers 70 are lined up one by one along the longitudinal direction of the path. The storage path 12 may have a portion configured so that a plurality of beverage containers 70 are lined up in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the path. The storage path 12 may not be provided so that the vertical direction is the longitudinal direction. For example, the storage path 12 may be provided so that the longitudinal direction is a direction inclined from the vertical direction, or may be curved or extend in a zigzag pattern. Two or more beverage containers 70 stored in the storage path 12 in such a form so as to be lined up along the path may also be said to be connected in the vertical direction. The fact that the storage path 12 can store two or more beverage containers 70 so as to be connected in the vertical direction may also mean that two beverage containers 70 lined up along the path can be stored so as to be at different heights in the vertical direction.

[0037] 2 and 3, the portion of the container providing tool 10 according to the present embodiment that can be said to correspond to the storage path 12 and the portion that can be said to correspond to the discharge path 14 are indicated by dashed lines. In the present embodiment, the storage path 12 has a path that extends in the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction. In the storage path 12, a plurality of beverage containers 70 are stored so that the top and bottom of each beverage container 70 are oriented horizontally and are connected to each other in the vertical direction. It may be said that the storage path 12 stores a container stack 70S formed by a plurality of beverage containers 70 being connected to each other in the vertical direction. It may be said that the discharge path 14 is a path that extends downward from the lower end of the storage path 12 and extends to be connected to the take-out opening 16.

[0038] In this embodiment, the case 11 has, for example, a substantially rectangular box shape with the vertical direction being the longitudinal direction. That is, the container provision tool 10 has, as a whole, a box shape with the vertical direction being the longitudinal direction. The case 11 is, for example, made of a resin plate of a substantially uniform thickness. As the resin material, for example, it is more preferable to use a resin having antibacterial properties. Note that the material of the case 11 is not limited to this, and it may be made of metal, paper, or the like. It may also be an object formed using a mold or shaped by a method such as printing.

[0039] A container stack 70S in which the beverage containers 70 are arranged sideways and vertically connected to each other can be accommodated inside the case 11. In other words, the case 11 itself constitutes a storage path 12 that is a path through which the beverage containers 70 can pass. Such a case 11 can be expressed as covering the periphery of the storage path 12.

[0040] The storage path capable of storing the beverage container 70 by itself may be formed by a member separate from the case 11. In this case, the storage path may be disposed inside the case 11, and thus the storage path may be covered by the case 11.

[0041] In this embodiment, in the storage path 12 that extends vertically as the longitudinal direction as described above, the positions of adjacently arranged beverage containers 70 are shifted in the front-rear direction. By arranging the beverage containers 70 in this zigzag manner, the height dimension of the container stack 70S can be kept small.

[0042] In this embodiment, guide parts 13 are provided inside case 11 to guide beverage containers 70 to be arranged in a zigzag pattern. Guide parts 13 are, for example, portions that protrude forward and backward from the inner wall surface of case 11, and are configured to include members that protrude forward and members that protrude backward, which are arranged alternately in the up-down direction. By providing guide parts 13, storage paths 12 are configured inside case 11 to store beverage containers 70 to be arranged in a zigzag pattern.

[0043] In this embodiment, a removable lid 11b is provided on the top of case 11. When lid 11b is removed from the main body of case 11, case 11 opens upward, allowing beverage container 70 to be placed inside case 11 from above. Note that the openable and closable structure of case 11 is not limited to this.

[0044] The outlet portion 16 is provided at the bottom of the case 11. When two or more beverage containers 70 are stored in the storage path 12, and one beverage container 70 at the end of the storage path 12 is dispensed as described below, that beverage container 70 is positioned at the outlet portion 16. The beverage container 70 dispensed from the storage path 12 can be removed from the outlet portion 16. Being removable means that, for example, a user can pick up and remove the beverage container 70.

[0045] The outlet portion 16 has an opening portion 17 and a restricting portion 18 .

[0046] The opening 17 is an opening that allows the inside and outside of the case 11 to communicate with each other. In this embodiment, the outside of the container provider 10 is connected to the discharge path 14 through the opening 17. In this embodiment, the opening 17 opens forward from the front surface of the case 11. The opening 17 opens to an extent that the beverage container 70 can pass through in the removal direction, which is the front side of the container provider 10. This makes it possible to remove the dispensed beverage container 70 from the case 11 through the opening 17.

[0047] The restricting portion 18 is formed at the lower part of the part where the opening 17 is provided. In the vertical direction, the upper end of the restricting portion 18 is located higher than the bottom of the discharge path 14. In this embodiment, the restricting portion 18 is provided at the lower end of the case 11 near the front end. The restricting portion 18 is configured to restrict the forward movement of the beverage container 70 by contacting the beverage container 70 when the beverage container 70 that has passed through the discharge path 14 and moved to the outlet portion 16 is located at the front side in the case 11. That is, when the beverage container 70 tries to move forward, the restricting portion 18 is configured to apply a backward force to the beverage container 70 by contacting the beverage container 70 to prevent the beverage container 70 from moving further forward. This makes it possible to prevent the beverage container 70 from rolling out of the opening 17 to the outside when no force is applied by the user or the like to take it out.

[0048] Next, a description will be given of dispensing mechanism 20. Dispensing mechanism 20 has an opening / closing member 30, an operating member 40, and a support mechanism 50. In the present embodiment, dispensing mechanism 20 is provided with a contact portion 42.

[0049] In this embodiment, the opening / closing member 30 is disposed inside the case 11 so as to block the passage from the end of the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14. It is not necessary to completely block the space between the storage path 12 and the discharge path 14. The opening / closing member 30 only needs to be configured to block the space between the storage path 12 and the discharge path 14 to an extent that the beverage container 70 cannot pass between them when the opening / closing member 30 is in a predetermined posture with respect to the case 11.

[0050] The opening / closing member 30 is rotatable relative to the case 11 via a rotation shaft (hereinafter, referred to as a flap rotation shaft 39). The opening / closing member 30 is supported relative to the case 11 by the flap rotation shaft 39.

[0051] In this embodiment, the opening / closing member 30 is, for example, a plate-shaped member. The opening / closing member 30 may be called a flap. For example, in a predetermined initial position substantially parallel to the horizontal plane, the opening / closing member 30 is disposed so as to block the passage of the beverage container 70 from the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14 inside the case 11. In this embodiment, the flap rotation shaft 39 is, for example, a shaft parallel to the left-right direction, and is supported in the vicinity of the front surface of the case 11. That is, the opening / closing member 30 is supported by the flap rotation shaft 39 in the vicinity of the front end, and the rear end is displaceable around the flap rotation shaft 39.

[0052] The opening / closing member 30 is restricted so that the rear end portion does not move upward from the initial position. Such a restricting structure (not shown) may be realized by a configuration in which the opening / closing member 30 abuts against an operating member 40 described later, or may be realized by a flap rotation shaft 39 and its support structure, or an engagement structure between the opening / closing member 30 and the case 11, etc.

[0053] In addition, the opening / closing member 30 is biased by a biasing structure (not shown) using, for example, a spring or the like so as to maintain the initial position when a force larger than a predetermined magnitude is not applied to the opening / closing member 30. Specifically, for example, the biasing structure is configured to bias the opening / closing member 30 so that the rear end of the opening / closing member 30 faces upward. By providing the above-mentioned restricting structure, the opening / closing member 30 is maintained in the initial position. Note that the biasing structure may be configured to bias the opening / closing member 30 by the restoring force of a coil spring, a leaf spring, a torsion spring, or an elastic body such as rubber, or may have other structures such as a structure configured to apply torque to the rotating member 30 using a weight or the like.

[0054] In this embodiment, the opening / closing member 30 is configured to be in a closed state in an initial position that does not allow the beverage container 70 to pass from the end of the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14. When the rear end of the opening / closing member 30 rotates from the closed state so as to be displaced downward, the opening / closing member 30 is in an open state that allows the beverage container 70 to pass from the end of the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14.

[0055] In this embodiment, the opening / closing member 30 is configured to be capable of supporting the beverage container 70 at the end of the storage path 12 in the closed state. That is, the beverage container 70 at the bottom of the storage path 12 is supported so as not to be displaced below the opening / closing member 30 by contacting the opening / closing member 30 in the closed state. It may be said that the opening / closing member 30 is a restricting member that restricts the position of the beverage container 70 in the closed state.

[0056] The operating member 40 is configured to be displaceable with respect to the case 11, and is provided so as to be operable by a user. In this embodiment, the operating member 40 is provided with an operating unit 48. The operating member 40 can be displaced with respect to the case 11 by the user applying a force to the operating unit 48.

[0057] The operating member 40 is rotatable relative to the case 11 around a rotation axis (hereinafter referred to as the lever rotation axis 49). It can be said that the operating member 40 is supported relative to the case 11 by the lever rotation axis 49. In this embodiment, each portion of the operating member 40 is disposed above the opening / closing member 30.

[0058] In this embodiment, the operating member 40 is, for example, a member formed by combining beam-shaped members (which may be said to be rod-shaped). The operating member 40 may be said to be a lever-shaped member. In this embodiment, the lever rotation shaft 49 is, for example, a shaft parallel to the left-right direction, and is supported at a portion near the rear surface of the case 11. The operating member 40 is attached so as to extend forward from a portion supported by the lever rotation shaft 49. It can be said that the operating member 40 has two portions extending forward along both the left and right side surfaces of the case 11, and a portion connecting the front ends of both portions in the left-right direction. The operating unit 48 is provided at the front end of the operating member 40, and is located in front of the front surface of the case 11. The operating member 40 rotates around the lever rotation shaft 49, so that the operating unit 48 is displaced up and down.

[0059] The abutment portion 42 is configured to be displaced as a result of the operating member 40 being displaced relative to the case 11. In this embodiment, the operating member 40 is provided with the abutment portion 42, and the abutment portion 42 is configured to rotate around the lever rotation axis 49 as the operating member 40 rotates.

[0060] In this embodiment, the abutment portion 42 is located above the opening / closing member 30 so as to abut against the opening / closing member 30 depending on the attitude of the operating member 40. The abutment portion 42 is disposed inside the case 11. For example, the abutment portion 42 is a rod-shaped portion extending from above the opening / closing member 30 toward the upper surface of the opening / closing member 30 in a side view. The abutment portion 42 is configured to be displaced downward by the operating member 40 rotating downward (meaning that the operating portion 48 rotates in a direction in which it is displaced downward), and its lower end portion abuts against the opening / closing member 30. As described later, by displacing the abutment portion 42 further downward in this state while abutting against the opening / closing member 30, the opening / closing member 30 is pushed downward, and the rear end portion of the opening / closing member 30 is displaced downward. That is, the opening / closing member 30 is configured to rotate from the closed state in response to the displacement of the operating member 40.

[0061] When no force is applied to the operating member 40 by the user, the abutting portion 42 abuts against the opening / closing member 30 that is held in the closed state, so that the operating member 40 is supported in a predetermined posture without rotating downward. The operating member 40 may be configured to maintain a predetermined initial posture by being biased by a biasing member such as a spring (not shown) or by engaging with an engaging portion (not shown) provided on the case 11 or the like.

[0062] The support mechanism 50 is configured to be capable of supporting a beverage container 70 that is located at the end of the storage path 12 when the beverage container 70 at the end of the storage path 12 is dispensed and is positioned to be dispensed next to the beverage container 70. Hereinafter, the beverage container 70 at the end of the storage path 12 and to be dispensed may be referred to as the target beverage container 70b, and the beverage container 70 at the next position to be dispensed after the target beverage container 70b may be referred to as the second beverage container 70c.

[0063] In this embodiment, a support member 44 provided on the operating member 40 is used as the support mechanism 50. It is configured so that the support member 44 is displaced as the operating member 40 is displaced relative to the case 11. In this embodiment, the support member 44 is provided on the operating member 40, and the support member 44 rotates around the lever rotation axis 49 as the operating member 40 rotates. That is, in this embodiment, the operating member 40 serves as the support mechanism 50.

[0064] The support member 44 is located above the opening / closing member 30 inside the case 11. The support member 44 is configured to switch between a state in which the second beverage container 70c is supported and a state in which the second beverage container 70c is not supported depending on the attitude of the operating member 40. In this embodiment, the support member 44 is formed, for example, so as to extend upward from a portion near the lever rotation shaft 49. In this embodiment, the support member 44 is a plate-shaped portion, but is not limited thereto. The support member 44 is displaced so as to come into contact with the second beverage container 70c as the operating member 40 is operated by the user.

[0065] The support mechanism 50 is configured to support the second beverage container 70c when the target beverage container 70b is dispensed by the support member 44 abutting against the lower side surface of the second beverage container 70c. As a result, when the target beverage container 70b is dispensed, the second beverage container 70c remains in the storage path 12 without being dispensed together with the target beverage container 70b.

[0066] When the operating member 40 is operated by a user while a beverage container 70 is stored in the storage path 12, the dispensing mechanism 20 operates as follows. That is, the support mechanism 50, i.e., the support member 44, abuts against the side of the second beverage container 70c, thereby supporting the second beverage container 70c so that it does not move downward. On the other hand, the abutting portion 42 is displaced, causing the opening / closing member 30 to rotate and become open. The target beverage container 70b becomes able to pass from the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14, and the target beverage container 70b is discharged into the discharge path 14.

[0067] Fig. 4 is a first diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing a beverage container 70 by the container providing device 10. Fig. 5 is a second diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing a beverage container 70 by the container providing device 10.

[0068] (Step S11) In an initial position, a plurality of beverage containers 70 are accommodated in the accommodation path 12. In this state, the opening / closing member 30 is in a closed state so as to cover the lower side of the accommodation path 12. The beverage containers 70 are supported by the opening / closing member 30, for example.

[0069] In this state, the support member 44 does not block the storage path 12, and the beverage container 70 at the position of the second beverage container 70c can move downward through the storage path 12. However, since the target beverage container 70b is supported by the opening / closing member 30 and its position does not change, the position of the second beverage container 70c is restricted by the target beverage container 70b.

[0070] (Step S12) When the user applies a downward force to the operating portion 48, the operating member 40 rotates downward (arrow P1). Then, the support member 44 is displaced and positioned inside the storage path 12, and the tip of the support member 44 abuts against the second beverage container 70c. This supports the second beverage container 70c, and together with the beverage container 70 above it, it is maintained in a state in which it is not displaced downward.

[0071] Furthermore, the contact portion 42 is displaced downward, causing the opening / closing member 30 to rotate downward. As the opening / closing member 30 enters the open state, the target beverage container 70b is displaced downward and moves from the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14. At this time, as the opening / closing member 30 rotates downward and tilts so that the upper surface of the opening / closing member 30 faces backward, the target beverage container 70b moves gently downward and backward within the case 11. In this case, since the other beverage containers 70 are supported by the support member 44, they do not displace downward and remain within the storage path 12.

[0072] (Step S13) When the opening / closing member 30 is opened, the target beverage container 70b moves within the discharge path 14 and is guided to the outlet portion 16. The dispensed beverage container 70b remains within the outlet portion 16 with its position restricted by the restricting portion 18 so as not to move any further forward. This allows the user to take out the dispensed beverage container 70b and use it.

[0073] (Step S14) When the downward force on the operating portion 48 is released, the opening / closing member 30 rotates upward (arrow R2) due to a biasing structure that biases the opening / closing member 30, and the operating member 40 is displaced upward accordingly (arrow P2). This displaces the support member 44 that was positioned in the storage path 12, and the contact state between the second beverage container 70c and the support member 44 is released. This allows the second beverage container 70c to move downward due to gravity.

[0074] (Step S15) The second beverage container 70c moves downward and is supported by the opening / closing member 30. That is, the second beverage container 70c moves to the position where the target beverage container 70b was located before this operation. The other remaining beverage containers 70 also move downward along the guide portion 13. That is, the number of contained beverage containers 70 is reduced by one, and the state returns to the state of step S11.

[0075] As described above, the user can take out the beverage containers 70 to be taken out one by one from the container providing unit 1 without touching the stored beverage containers 70. Since the only operation the user needs to perform to take out the beverage containers 70 is to operate the operating member 40, the beverage containers 70 can be easily taken out while maintaining a hygienic state. In other words, by using the container providing tool 10, the beverage containers 70 can be maintained in the same hygienic state as when they were stored. Furthermore, the beverage containers 70 that are maintained in a hygienic state can be provided to the user in a state in which they can be easily taken out.

[0076] In this embodiment, the case 11 of the container providing tool 10 is configured to include the target beverage containers 70b and to cover the entire container stack 70S accommodated in the accommodation path 12. This reliably prevents the accommodated beverage containers 70 from being touched unintentionally or intentionally by a user or other person, or from being touched by an external object for some reason.

[0077] In this embodiment, the path from the discharge path 14 to the storage path 12 is also blocked by the opening / closing member 30 in the closed state. That is, the container providing tool 10 is provided with the opening / closing member 30 that covers the storage path 12 in which the beverage containers 70 are stored in the closed state, so that the beverage containers 70 stored in the storage path 12 cannot be touched from the outside. Therefore, clean beverage containers 70 can always be provided to users.

[0078] (Embodiment 2)

[0079] An overview of the second embodiment will be described below with respect to the differences from the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment mainly in the configuration of a support mechanism for enabling beverage containers to be removed one by one from the container provider and some other parts of the dispensing mechanism. In the second embodiment, the beverage containers are stored inside the container provider in a position such that the height direction of the beverage containers coincides with the up-down direction. In addition, the basic structure of the case, the structure of the opening / closing member, and the basic structure of the operating member (no support member is provided) are approximately the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0080] That is, in the second embodiment, the support mechanism is configured to support the beverage container so as not to displace the beverage container downward by a support member that contacts the side of the target beverage container at the end of the storage path. The operating member has an engagement portion that engages with the upper end of one of the beverage containers in the storage path. When the operating member is operated, the upper end of the beverage container is pushed downward by the engagement portion, so that the target beverage container is displaced downward against the support by the support member and is dispensed from the storage path.

[0081] The container providing unit 201 using the container providing tool 210 according to the second embodiment configured as described above will be described below.

[0082] Fig. 6 is a side view of a container providing unit 201 using the container providing tool 210 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 is a front view showing a part of the structure of the dispensing mechanism 220 of the container providing tool 210. Fig. 8 is a plan view showing an engagement portion 244 of the container providing tool 210. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing a support mechanism 250 of the container providing tool 210.

[0083] In this embodiment, the container providing unit 201 includes a container providing tool 210 and a beverage container 70. The container providing tool 210 includes a case 11 and a dispensing mechanism 220. Two or more beverage containers 70 are stored in the case 11 so as to be connected to each other in the vertical direction. The dispensing mechanism 220 is configured to dispense the beverage containers 70 (referred to as target beverage containers 70b) located at the end, i.e., the bottom, of the storage path 12 one by one to the discharge path 14 provided in the case 11 when two or more beverage containers 70 are stored in the case 11.

[0084] In the second embodiment, the case 11 has a similar basic structure to that of the first embodiment. The case 11 differs from the first embodiment in that it does not have a guide portion 13 and that a recess is formed in the outlet portion 16 so that the beverage container 70 fits in it. It may be said that a part of the recess corresponds to the restricting portion 18. In the present embodiment, the storage path 12 stores a plurality of beverage containers 70 in a vertically connected relationship with each other, with the top and bottom of each beverage container 70 oriented vertically.

[0085] Next, dispensing mechanism 220 will be described. Dispensing mechanism 220 has opening / closing member 30, operating member 40, and support mechanism 250. It is basically the same as in embodiment 1 in that opening / closing member 30 is supported relative to case 11 by flap rotation shaft 39, operating member 40 is supported relative to case 11 by lever rotation shaft 49, and operating member 40 is provided with abutment portion 42 so that opening / closing member 30 is opened as operating member 40 rotates.

[0086] In this embodiment, when the opening / closing member 30 is in a closed state, the bottom of the target beverage container 70b can be placed on the upper surface of the opening / closing member 30. That is, the opening / closing member 30 is configured to be able to support the beverage container 70 stored in the storage path 12 in the closed state so as not to displace it downward. In this embodiment, the beverage container 70 stored in the storage path 12 does not need to be supported by the opening / closing member 30, and in this case, it may be supported only by the support mechanism 250. In this case, the opening / closing member 30 and the abutment portion 42 for displacing it may not be provided.

[0087] In this embodiment, the operating member 40 is provided with an engagement portion 244 in addition to the contact portion 42 and the operating portion 48. The engagement portion 244 is provided on the operating member 40 and configured to be able to engage with any of the beverage containers 70 housed in the storage path 12 as the operating member 40 is operated by the user. In this embodiment, it is configured to be able to engage with a second beverage container 70c that is located at a position to be dispensed next to the beverage container 70 at the end of the storage path 12. The engagement portion 244 may be able to engage with a beverage container 70 that is located at a position to be dispensed later than the second beverage container 70c. It may also be able to engage with a beverage container 70 at the end of the storage path 12.

[0088] In this embodiment, the engagement portions 244 are provided at portions of the operating member 40 that are arranged along both the left and right side surfaces of the case 11. The two engagement portions 244 are arranged inside the case 11, facing each other in the left-right direction, so as to be located on both the left and right sides of the beverage container 70 in a plan view. It may be said that the two engagement portions 244 are provided to form a pair. The number of engagement portions 244 may be one, or may be more than three.

[0089] In this embodiment, each of the engagement parts 244 has a biasing part 245, a holding part 246, and an engagement part rotation shaft 247. The specific configuration of each part is, for example, as follows. That is, the biasing part 245 is made of resin and is a part that comes into contact with the beverage container 70 to be engaged. The holding part 246 is a member formed in the shape of a resin leaf spring that is curved so as to have flexibility as a whole. The holding part 246 is arranged so as to extend inward from the side closer to the operating member 40. The biasing part 245 is attached to a part near the inner end of the holding part 246. The engagement part rotation shaft 247 is provided at a part near the outer end of the holding part 246. The engagement part rotation shaft 247 is held by the operating member 40, and the engagement part 244 is supported rotatably with respect to the operating member 40. In this embodiment, the engagement part rotation shaft 247 is an axis parallel to the left-right direction. That is, the engagement portion rotation axis 247 is parallel to the lever rotation axis 49. Since the engagement portion 244 is rotatable around the engagement portion rotation axis 247, the orientation of the engagement portion 244 relative to the horizontal plane can be maintained even when the operating member 40 rotates around the lever rotation axis 49. However, without being limited to this, the engagement portion 244 may be fixed to the operating member 40 or provided separately from the operating member 40 so as to be displaced in response to the displacement of the operating member 40 by another mechanism.

[0090] In this embodiment, the support mechanism 250 is disposed around the target beverage container 70b at the end of the storage path 12. In this embodiment, the support mechanism 250 extends inward from the outer wall of the case 11 and is disposed so as to be in contact with the target beverage container 70b. The support mechanism 250 is disposed in each of the front, rear, left and right directions as viewed from the target beverage container 70b. That is, the support mechanism 250 includes members disposed at four locations so as to surround the target beverage container 70b. The support mechanism 250 may be configured by members disposed at two or three locations, or may be configured by members disposed at five or more locations.

[0091] In this embodiment, the support mechanism 250 has four support members 251 and four holding parts 256. The specific configuration of each part is, for example, as follows. That is, each support member 251 is a resin member that contacts the side of the target beverage container 70b. The holding part 256 is a resin leaf spring-shaped member that is curved to have flexibility as a whole. The holding part 256 is arranged to extend from the inner wall surface of the case 11 toward the inside. The support member 251 is attached to a part near the inner end of the holding part 256. In this embodiment, the support member 251 is a roller-shaped member having a cylindrical outer circumferential surface. The support member 251 is supported by the holding part 256 so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the horizontal direction.

[0092] In this embodiment, the support mechanism 250 is configured to support the beverage container 70 so that the support members 251 come into contact with the side of the target beverage container 70b and do not displace the beverage container 70 downward. That is, the support mechanism 250 is configured so that the four support members 251 are each biased toward the center of the storage path 12 by the holding members 256. In comparison with a state in which there is no target object supported by the support mechanism 250, in a state in which the support members 251 are pushed outward by bending the holding parts 256, the support members 251 are pressed against the beverage container 70b. Here, the beverage container 70b has a tapered outer circumferential surface in which the outer diameter of the top part 71 is larger than the outer diameter of the bottom part 73 side, so that the beverage container 70b is supported so that it is not displaced downward by the vertical component of the force with which the support members 251 are pressed by the holding parts 256.

[0093] In this embodiment, the dispensing mechanism 220 operates as follows when the operating member 40 is operated by the user while the beverage container 70 is stored in the storage path 12. That is, the contact portion 42 is displaced, and the opening / closing member 30 rotates, and the opening / closing member 30 is in an open state. The target beverage container 70b can pass from the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14. In addition, with the operation of the operating member 40, the upper end of the second beverage container 70c is pushed downward by the engaging portion 244, and the target beverage container 70b below is pushed downward. Then, the target beverage container 70b is displaced downward against the support by the support mechanism 250. Then, the target beverage container 70b is configured to be dispensed from the storage path 12 by the vertical position of the target beverage container 70b being in a position where the support by the support mechanism 250 does not work.

[0094] Fig. 10 is a first diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing the beverage container 70 by the container providing device 210. Fig. 11 is a second diagram illustrating a procedure for dispensing the beverage container 70 by the container providing device 210.

[0095] (Step S21) In an initial position, a plurality of beverage containers 70 are accommodated in the accommodation path 12. In this state, the opening / closing member 30 is in a closed state so as to cover the lower side of the accommodation path 12. The beverage containers 70 are supported by, for example, the opening / closing member 30 and a support mechanism 250.

[0096] (Step S22) When the user applies a downward force to the operating portion 48, the operating member 40 rotates downward (arrow P1). Then, the contact portion 42 is displaced downward, and the opening / closing member 30 rotates downward to the open state (arrow R1). In addition, the engaging portion 244 is displaced downward while being in contact with the upper end portion of the second beverage container 70c from above. As a result, the second beverage container 70c is pushed downward together with the target beverage container 70b. Then, when the support mechanism 250 no longer supports the target beverage container 70b, the target beverage container 70b is dispensed from the storage path 12 to the discharge path 14.

[0097] In this case, the second beverage container 70c is pushed down by the engaging portion 244 and displaced to the position where the previous target beverage container 70b was located, and is supported by the support mechanism 250. Therefore, the other beverage containers 70 do not displace downward and remain in the storage path 12.

[0098] (Step S23) The dispensed beverage container 70b moves by gravity to the outlet portion 16 via the discharge path 14. Ideally, the beverage container 70b comes to rest at the outlet portion 16 in a position such that the bottom of the beverage container 70b rests on a recessed portion provided in the outlet portion 16. This allows the user to take out the dispensed beverage container 70b and use it.

[0099] (Step S24) When the downward force on the operating portion 48 is released, the opening / closing member 30 rotates upward (arrow R2) due to a biasing structure that biases the opening / closing member 30, and the operating member 40 is displaced upward (arrow P2). Then, the engaging portion 244 that was located in the storage path 12 is displaced and positioned above the upper end of the new second beverage container 70c. That is, the number of stored beverage containers 70 is reduced by one, and the state returns to the state of step S11.

[0100] In this embodiment, when the operating member 40 is displaced downward, the biasing portion 245 of the engagement portion 244 is configured so that the bottom surface of the biasing portion 245 comes into contact with the upper surface of the beverage container 70 to push down the beverage container 70. When the operating member 40 is displaced upward, the biasing portion 245 is configured to be able to contact the side surface of the beverage container 70 located one level above the depressed beverage container 70. When the engagement portion 244 is displaced upward in this manner, the biasing portion 245 is configured to be displaced upward while sliding on the side surface of the beverage container 70. In this embodiment, the biasing portion 245 has a tapered shape in which the thickness in the left-right direction is smaller at the upper portion than at the lower portion, so that the beverage container 70 can be reliably pushed down when the engagement portion 244 is displaced downward, and the engagement portion 244 can be smoothly displaced when the engagement portion 244 is displaced upward.

[0101] In the second embodiment, too, the user can take out the beverage containers 70 to be taken out one by one from the container providing unit 201 without touching the stored beverage containers 70. Since the only operation the user needs to perform to take out the beverage containers 270 is to operate the operating member 40, the beverage containers 70 can be easily taken out while maintaining a hygienic state. In other words, by using the container providing tool 210, the beverage containers 70 can be maintained in the same hygienic state as when they were stored. Furthermore, the beverage containers 70 that are maintained in a hygienic state can be provided to the user in a state where they can be easily taken out.

[0102] In this embodiment, the case 11 of the container providing tool 210 is also configured to cover the entire container stack 70S, including the target beverage container 70b, stored in the storage path 12. Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent the user or other people from touching the stored beverage containers 70 unintentionally or intentionally, or from being touched by an external object due to some reason. In addition, in this embodiment, the path from the discharge path 14 to the storage path 12 is also blocked by the opening and closing member 30 in the closed state. That is, the container providing tool 10 is provided with the opening and closing member 30 that covers the storage path 12 in which the beverage containers 70 are stored in the closed state, so that the beverage containers 70 stored in the storage path 12 cannot be touched from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to always provide clean beverage containers 70 to the user.

[0103] (others)

[0104] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible, which are also included within the scope of the present invention.

[0105] For example, the dispensing mechanism may use various transmission mechanisms so that the opening / closing member is displaced in conjunction with the displacement of the operating member relative to the case to change whether or not it is in the open state. As such a transmission mechanism, a mechanism using gears and racks, a mechanism using pulleys and belts, a mechanism using links, or the like can be appropriately adopted.

[0106] An embodiment may be configured by appropriately combining the components of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications. For example, the configuration is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and each component of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be appropriately replaced or combined with components of other embodiments, etc. In addition, some components or functions of the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications may be omitted.

[0107] The user may be a store employee who provides beverage containers to customers. In other words, the user who removes the beverage container from the container providing tool is not limited to the customer himself / herself, but may be an employee engaged in business in the store. [Industrial Applicability]

[0108] INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the container providing tool of the present invention has the effect of allowing beverage containers to be easily removed and provided in the same hygienic state as when they were stored, and is useful as a container providing tool, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1, 201 Container provision unit 10, 210 Container provision equipment 11 Cases 12 Containment Route 13 Information Department 14. Excretion Routes 16 Outlet section 17 Opening 18 Regulatory Department 20, 220 Dispensing mechanism 30 Rotating member 30 Opening and closing members 39 Flap rotation axis 40 Operation member 42 Contact part 44, 251 Support member 48 Control section 49 Lever rotation axis 50, 250 support mechanism 70 Beverage containers 70b Beverage containers covered 70c Secondary drinking container 71 Top 73 Bottom 244 Engagement part 245 Power supply unit 246, 256 Holding part 247 Engagement Rotation Shaft 256 Retaining member

Claims

1. A container providing tool used to provide beverage containers to customers at a restaurant, A case for covering a storage path in which two or more beverage containers are stored so as to be connected to each other in the vertical direction; a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the beverage containers at the end of the storage path one by one into a discharge path provided in the case when two or more beverage containers are stored in the storage path; The dispensing mechanism includes: an opening / closing member disposed so as to block a passage from an end of the receiving path to the discharging path; an operating member configured to be displaceable with respect to the case and operable by a user; a support mechanism including a support member that is displaced so as to come into contact with the second beverage container as the operating member is operated by a user, and capable of supporting the second beverage container that is in a position to be dispensed next to the beverage container at the end of the storage path; This container providing device is configured so that when the operating member is operated by the user, the second beverage container is supported by the support mechanism, and the opening / closing member is opened to allow the beverage container to pass from the end of the storage path to the discharge path, thereby discharging the beverage container at the end of the storage path into the discharge path.

2. A container providing tool used to provide beverage containers to customers at a restaurant, A case for covering a storage path in which two or more beverage containers are stored so as to be connected to each other in the vertical direction; a dispensing mechanism configured to dispense the beverage containers at the end of the storage path one by one into a discharge path provided in the case when two or more beverage containers are stored in the storage path; The dispensing mechanism includes: an opening / closing member disposed so as to block a passage from an end of the receiving path to the discharging path; an operating member configured to be displaceable with respect to the case and operable by a user; an engaging portion provided on the operating member and configured to be able to engage with any one of the beverage containers accommodated in the accommodation path as the operating member is operated by a user; a support mechanism including a support member supported by the case, the support member contacting a side surface of a beverage container at the end of the storage path to support the beverage container so as not to displace the beverage container downward; This container providing device is configured such that, when the operating member is operated by the user, the opening / closing member opens, allowing the beverage container to pass from the end of the storage path to the discharge path, and one of the beverage containers is forced downward by the engagement portion, causing the beverage container at the end of the storage path to be displaced downward against support by the support mechanism, thereby discharging the beverage container at the end of the storage path into the discharge path.

Images