Beverage supply device for vehicle

Abstract

To solve such a problem that, in a conventional vehicle, occupants have difficulty of retrieving desired beverage containers while a vehicle is traveling.SOLUTION: A beverage supply device 10 for vehicle includes: a storage unit 22 that stores multiple beverage containers 18 in a vehicle 11; and a conveying mechanism 24 that conveys the beverage container 18 delivered from the storage unit 22 to container retrieval possible areas R1, R2 of an occupant. With this structure, the occupant can select the desired beverage container 18 in a state of being seated while the vehicle 11 is traveling without stopping the vehicle 11 at a convenience store or the like, and make the container conveyed to a spot near himself / herself, and therefore convenience is improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a beverage supply device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional structure of a beverage supply device for a vehicle is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1. A storage section for storing a plurality of beverage containers is disposed vertically inside the back side of a seat back of a vehicle seat in the front part of the vehicle, such as the driver's seat, relative to the seat back. A push-out device for pushing the beverage containers out is disposed at the lower end of the storage section of the seat back.

[0003] A passenger seated in the rear seat of the vehicle can remove the beverage container from the seat back by manually or automatically operating the push-out device. The beverage container stored in the storage section can then be cooled or heated to a comfortable temperature by using the vehicle's air conditioning and heating system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 55-144131 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a conventional beverage supply device for a vehicle, a plurality of beverage containers are stored in a storage compartment of a seat back of a vehicle seat, and a passenger can obtain a beverage container and drink a beverage from the beverage container while the vehicle is traveling without stopping at a convenience store or the like.

[0006] However, the push-out device is structured to be operated from the rear seat of the vehicle and to supply beverage containers to the rear seat, which poses a problem that when there are no passengers in the rear seats of the vehicle, the driver or the passenger in the front passenger seat cannot operate the push-out device while the vehicle is moving, and therefore cannot retrieve the beverage containers.

[0007] In addition, the vehicle occupant retrieves the beverage containers located at the bottom of the storage unit one by one through a push-out device. Although this structure allows the occupant to retrieve the beverage containers while the vehicle is moving, it has the problem that the occupant cannot select the type of beverage he or she desires.

[0008] In addition, since the storage section is structured to be formed in the seat back of the vehicle seat, the storage space of the storage section is determined by the size and structure of the seat back, which makes it difficult to expand the storage space of the storage section and increase the number of beverage containers that can be stored.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and relates to a beverage supply device for a vehicle in which a beverage container selected by an occupant from a storage section is transported to an area accessible to the occupant via a transport mechanism. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] One embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle beverage supply device that supplies beverage containers to an occupant of a vehicle, and comprises a storage section that stores a plurality of the beverage containers, an operation section that allows the occupant to select the beverage container stored in the storage section, a control section that stores the positions of the beverage containers stored in the storage section and controls the storage section in accordance with operation on the operation section to send out the selected beverage container from the storage section, and a transport mechanism that transports the beverage container sent out from the storage section, wherein the transport mechanism transports the beverage container to a container-accessible area of ​​the occupant seated in the vehicle seat of the vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The beverage supply device for a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of beverage containers in a vehicle, and a transport mechanism that transports the beverage containers sent from the storage unit to an area where the occupant can obtain the beverage containers. This structure allows the occupant to select a desired beverage container while seated while the vehicle is moving and have the container transported to the occupant's vicinity without having to stop the vehicle at a convenience store or the like, thereby improving convenience. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle having a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle having a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2B] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a storage section of a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view illustrating a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5A] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5B] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a plan view illustrating a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view illustrating a beverage supply device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] A beverage supply device 10 for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the description of this embodiment, the same components are generally designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated description will be omitted. The front-rear direction of the paper indicates the overall length of the vehicle 11, the left-right direction of the paper indicates the width direction of the vehicle 11, and the up-down direction of the paper indicates the height direction of the vehicle 11.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a vehicle 11 in which a beverage supply device 10 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment is installed. FIG. 2A is a block diagram illustrating a vehicle 11 in which a beverage supply device 10 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment is installed. FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram illustrating a storage section 22 of the beverage supply device 10 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the beverage supply device 10 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the beverage supply device 10 for a vehicle according to the present embodiment.

[0015] In this embodiment, the interior of the vehicle 11 is composed of a passenger compartment 32 and a luggage compartment 14. The passenger compartment 32 is an area where the front seats and the rear seats 13 are arranged, and the luggage compartment 14 is a rear area of ​​the passenger compartment 32, and is an area where mainly luggage and the like are stored. The passenger compartment 32 has, for example, a passenger seating space 32A above a floor mat 36, and a space 32B below the floor mat 36 in which the vehicle beverage supply device 10 is arranged. The luggage compartment 14 has, for example, a luggage storage space 14A above the floor board 16, and a space 14B below the floor board 16 in which the vehicle beverage supply device 10 is arranged.

[0016] 1, for example, a BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), etc. are adopted as the vehicle 11. Note that the vehicle 11 is not limited to the above-mentioned electric vehicles, but also includes a vehicle 11 that runs on an internal combustion engine fueled by gasoline or the like.

[0017] When the vehicle 11 is, for example, an electric vehicle such as the BEV, engine parts are not required, and therefore a propeller shaft, an exhaust pipe, a fuel tank, and the like disposed on the underside of the body 11A of the vehicle 11 are also not required. As a result, the interior space of the vehicle 11 is not reduced, and the assembly area of ​​the fuel tank and the like of the engine vehicle is used as the installation area of ​​the vehicle beverage supply device 10.

[0018] As shown in the figure, a vehicle 11 equipped with a back door 12, such as a station wagon, has a luggage compartment 14 behind a rear seat 13. The back door 12 closes an opening 15 at the rear of a vehicle body 11A in a freely openable and closable manner, and passengers of the vehicle 11 can open the back door 12 to load and unload luggage into a storage space 14A above a floor board 16 of the luggage compartment 14. The rear seat 13 of this embodiment corresponds to the vehicle seat of the present invention.

[0019] In addition, in the luggage compartment 14, a floor board 16 is disposed over substantially the entire surface above a floor panel 31 (see FIG. 3). In this embodiment, as indicated by a dotted line 17, a space 14B between the floor board 16 and the floor panel 31 is used as a space for disposing the vehicle beverage dispenser 10. Similarly, in the passenger compartment 32, a space 32B between the floor board 16 and the floor panel 31 is used as a space for disposing the vehicle beverage dispenser 10.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2A, the vehicle beverage supply device 10 of this embodiment includes, for example, a vehicle control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation unit 23, a conveying mechanism 24, a battery 25, an imaging unit 26, a heating and cooling device 27, a weight sensor unit 28, and a temperature sensor unit 29.

[0021] The vehicle control unit 21 is configured to include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The vehicle control unit 21 is an electronic control unit (ECU) having one or more processors for executing various calculations for controlling a drive device (not shown) of the vehicle 11 such as a motor, etc. The vehicle control unit 21 also controls the vehicle beverage supply device 10 of this embodiment.

[0022] The vehicle control unit 21 also includes a storage unit (not shown), which is configured, for example, by a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-only Memory). The storage unit stores various data required for calculations in the vehicle control unit 21 and one or more programs executable by the one or more processors. The storage unit also stores the type, storage position, temperature, etc. of the beverage container 18 (see FIG. 2B) stored in the storage unit 22 of the vehicle beverage supply device 10.

[0023] The storage section 22 is a storage container capable of storing a plurality of beverage containers 18. As shown in FIG. 3, the storage section 22 mainly includes an upper lid section 22A, a main body section 22B, and a lower lid section 22C. An occupant of the vehicle or the like can store the beverage container 18 in the main body section 22B by opening and closing the upper lid section 22A relative to the main body section 22B. A camera serving as an imaging section 26 is disposed in the upper lid section 22A. When storing the beverage container 18 in the main body section 22B, the occupant photographs the beverage container 18 with the imaging section 26, and then stores the beverage container 18 in each storage area 22D (see FIG. 2B) of the main body section 22B, whereby the vehicle control section 21 stores the type and storage position of the beverage container 18 in the storage section.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2B, the main body 22B is divided into a storage area 22D for, for example, one plastic bottle, and the inside of the main body 22B is divided into 16 storage areas 22D. In this embodiment, the beverage container 18 is stored upright in each storage area 22D. A known air conditioner 27 is also provided in the main body 22B, and the beverage container 18 is cooled or heated according to the temperature set by the occupant. The air conditioner 27 is controlled by the vehicle control unit 21 and operates by receiving power from the battery 25.

[0025] The lower lids 22C are provided for the respective storage areas 22D of the main body 22B. The lower lids 22C are provided with a known automatic opening and closing mechanism, and are automatically opened and closed under the control of the vehicle control unit 21, so that the beverage container 18 selected by the occupant is sent to the conveying mechanism 24. A weight sensor unit 28 and a temperature sensor unit 29 are provided in each lower lid 22C.

[0026] The weight sensor unit 28 detects a weight within a set range and transmits a detection signal to the vehicle control unit 21. The vehicle control unit 21 then links the type and storage position of the beverage container 18 acquired from the imaging unit 26 and stores them in the memory unit. The temperature sensor unit 29 measures the temperature of the beverage container 18 stored in each storage area 22D and transmits the measured temperature to the vehicle control unit 21. The vehicle control unit 21 then links the measured temperature to the type and storage position of the beverage container 18 and stores it in the memory unit.

[0027] The operation unit 23 is an operating means for an occupant of the vehicle 11 to select a desired beverage container 18 from the plurality of beverage containers 18 stored in the storage unit 22. In this embodiment, for example, a navigation device of the vehicle 11 is used as the operation unit 23. The vehicle control unit 21 controls the navigation device to display the types of beverage containers 18 stored in the storage unit 22 on the display. The occupant can select a desired beverage container 18 from the display contents without moving to the luggage compartment 14. Note that the operation unit 23 may be a portable terminal device of the occupant, such as a smartphone.

[0028] The conveying mechanism 24 conveys the beverage containers 18 sent out from the storage section 22 to container obtainable areas R1, R2 (see FIG. 4) for the occupants of the vehicle 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying mechanism 24 mainly includes a conveying belt 33, a plurality of pulleys 34 supporting the conveying belt 33, a support unit (not shown) supporting the conveying belt 33 and the pulleys 34, and a motor (not shown) for operating the conveying belt 33. The conveying mechanism 24 will be described later with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0029] The battery 25 is disposed, for example, in an underfloor space of the vehicle body 11A. A secondary battery such as a nickel-metal hydride battery or a lithium-ion battery, or an all-solid-state battery is used as the battery 25. The battery 25 supplies power to a motor serving as a drive source of the vehicle 11, the vehicle beverage dispenser 10, and the like.

[0030] 3, the beverage dispenser 10 for a vehicle of this embodiment includes a storage section 22 for storing the beverage containers 18, and a transport mechanism 24 for transporting the beverage containers 18 sent out from the storage section 22. The transport mechanism 24 of the beverage dispenser 10 for a vehicle is formed from near the rear end of the luggage compartment 14 of the vehicle 11 to an area where a driver's seat 37 is disposed in the passenger compartment 32. The driver's seat 37 of this embodiment corresponds to the vehicle seat of the present invention.

[0031] As described above, when the vehicle 11 is, for example, an electric vehicle such as the BEV, a propeller shaft, an exhaust pipe, a fuel tank, and the like arranged on the underside of the vehicle body 11A are not necessary, and the assembly area of ​​the fuel tank and the like is used as the installation area of ​​the vehicle beverage supply device 10. As an arrangement area for the storage section 22 and the transport mechanism 24, for example, the space 32B between the floor panel 31 and the floor mat 36 in the passenger compartment 32 is used. Also, in the luggage compartment 14, the space 14B between the floor panel 31 and the floor board 16 is used.

[0032] The storage section 22 is located near the rear end of the luggage compartment 14, and is disposed in the space 14B below the floor board 16. An occupant of the vehicle 11 can refill the storage section 22 with beverage containers 18 by lifting the floor board 16 upward using a handle 16A (see FIG. 1) of the floor board 16. Since the storage section 22 is structured to be stored within the space 14B, the storage space 14A above the floor board 16 of the luggage compartment 14 can be used as a storage area for shopping luggage and other luggage.

[0033] As shown in the figure, the conveying mechanism 24 includes a conveying belt 33, a plurality of pulleys 34 that support the conveying belt 33, and a support unit (not shown) that supports the conveying belt 33 and the pulleys 34. The support unit is fixed to the vehicle body 11A, such as the floor panel 31.

[0034] The conveyor belt 33 is disposed in the center of the width direction of the vehicle body 11A in the overall length direction of the vehicle 11 so as to be supported by the floor panel 31 via a support portion. The conveyor belt 33 is disposed in a straight line from the area where the driver's seat 37 of the passenger compartment 32 is disposed to the periphery of the back door 12 of the luggage compartment 14 (see FIG. 1).

[0035] The conveyor belt 33 is disposed in a circular shape via a plurality of pulleys 34 disposed on the support portion. The pulleys 34 are rotated by a motor (not shown) fixed to the support portion as a drive source, so that the conveyor belt 33 rotates counterclockwise.

[0036] The conveyor belt 33 is disposed in a position relative to the storage section 22 where the beverage container 18, immediately after being sent out from the main body section 22B, is in an upright state while leaning against the lower lid section 22C. The beverage container 18 is then conveyed in a lying state on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 33 by the rotational movement of the conveyor belt 33. The conveyor belt 33 is formed of, for example, a non-slip rubber material, so that the beverage container 18 in the lying state slides and moves together with the conveyor belt 33 toward the front side of the vehicle 11. Although not shown, the support section has fall prevention walls on both sides of the conveyor belt 33 so that the beverage container 18 does not fall off the conveyor belt 33 during conveyance.

[0037] With this structure, when the occupant operates the operating unit 23 to select a desired beverage container 18, the vehicle control unit 21 (see FIG. 2A) selects one beverage container 18 that is the coldest or warmest from among the plurality of beverage containers 18 of the selected type in the main body 22B of the storage unit 22, as indicated by the dotted circle 19 in FIG. 2B. Thereafter, the vehicle control unit 21 opens the lower lid 22C of the storage area 22D for the selected beverage container 18, and rotates the conveyor belt 33 counterclockwise to convey the selected beverage container 18 from the luggage compartment 14 to the passenger compartment 32.

[0038] Furthermore, when operating the operation unit 23, the occupant selects whether to transport the beverage container 18 to the driver's seat 37 or to the rear seat 13. By this operation, the vehicle control unit 21 operates the conveyor belt 33 to the destination of the beverage container 18, and then stops the conveyor belt 33, so that the selected beverage container 18 is transported to the container obtainable area R1, R2 (see FIG. 4) of the occupant.

[0039] Here, as shown by the dotted line 41 in Fig. 4, the conveyor belt 33 is formed in the center of the width direction of the vehicle body 11A in the overall length direction of the vehicle 11. Also, the dashed line 42 indicates a container obtainable area R1 where a passenger seated in the driver's seat 37 or the passenger seat 35 can obtain the beverage container 18 on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 33 while seated. Similarly, the dashed line 43 indicates a container obtainable area R2 where a passenger seated in the left or right rear seat 13 can obtain the beverage container 18 on the upper surface of the conveyor belt 33 while seated. And, the solid line 46 inside the dashed line 42, 43 indicates an opening and closing lid 45 formed on the floor mat 36. The passenger seat 35 of this embodiment corresponds to the vehicle seat of the present invention.

[0040] As described above, the vehicle control unit 21 controls the transport mechanism 24, and the selected beverage container 18 is transported from the storage unit 22 to the container obtainable areas R1, R2 for the occupant. Then, the occupant can open the opening / closing cover 45 of the floor mat 36 while seated, and obtain the beverage container 18 placed on the upper surface of the transport belt 33. As a result, the occupant can obtain the desired beverage container 18 while seated while the vehicle 11 is traveling, without having to stop the vehicle 11 at a convenience store or the like, thereby improving convenience.

[0041] In particular, by having the desired beverage container 18 transported to the container obtainable area R1, the driver of the vehicle 11 can obtain the desired beverage container 18 without having to significantly deviate from the direction of travel while the vehicle 11 is traveling, thereby improving safety while the vehicle is traveling.

[0042] Next, a storage unit 51 and a conveying mechanism 52, which are modified examples of the beverage supply device 10 for vehicles of this embodiment, will be described with reference to Figures 5A to 6. The beverage supply device 10 for vehicles has the same components as those described above except for the storage unit 51 and the conveying mechanism 52, and the following description will mainly focus on the storage unit 51 and the conveying mechanism 52, with the same components being given the same reference numerals and repeated description being omitted. Figures 1 to 4 and the contents of the descriptions thereof will be referred to as appropriate.

[0043] Fig. 5A is a schematic diagram illustrating the storage section 51 of the vehicle beverage supply device 10 of the present embodiment. Fig. 5B is a cross-sectional view illustrating the transport mechanism 52 of the vehicle beverage supply device 10 of the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a plan view illustrating the transport mechanism 52 of the vehicle beverage supply device 10 of the present embodiment. Fig. 7 is a plan view illustrating the vehicle beverage supply device 10 of the present embodiment.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 5A, the storage unit 51 is a storage container capable of storing a plurality of beverage containers 18. The storage unit 51 mainly includes a rear lid portion 51A, a main body portion 51B, and a front lid portion 51C. An occupant of the vehicle or the like can store the beverage container 18 in the main body portion 51B by opening and closing the rear lid portion 51A relative to the main body portion 51B. The imaging unit 26 is disposed in the rear lid portion 51A. When the occupant or the like stores the beverage container 18 in the main body portion 51B, the occupant photographs the beverage container 18 with the imaging unit 26 and then stores the beverage container 18 in each storage area 51D (see FIG. 2B) of the main body portion 51B, whereby the vehicle control unit 21 stores the type and storage position of the beverage container 18 in the storage unit.

[0045] The storage unit 51 does not have to have the imaging unit 26, and the vehicle control unit 21 does not have to store the type and storage position of the beverage container 18 every time the occupant or the like stores the beverage container 18 in the main body 51B of the storage unit 51. For example, the storage unit 51 may not have the imaging unit 26, and the type and storage position of the beverage container 18 may be determined in advance for the main body 51B, and the above recognition work may be omitted. Then, the occupant can obtain the desired beverage container 18 by operating the operation unit 23 corresponding to the determined type in advance. In this case, the imaging unit 26, weight sensor unit 28, etc. of the storage unit 51 can be omitted, and the structure of the storage unit 51 can be simplified, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost.

[0046] The main body 51B is divided into four storage areas 51D, each capable of storing one PET bottle in a recumbent state, and four PET bottles can be stored in one storage area 51D. A known air conditioner 27, such as that used in a vending machine, is disposed in the main body 51B, and the beverage container 18 is cooled or heated according to the temperature set by the occupant.

[0047] The front lids 51C are provided for the respective storage areas 51D of the main body 51B. The front lids 51C are provided with a known automatic opening and closing mechanism, and are automatically opened and closed under the control of the vehicle control unit 21, so that the beverage container 18 selected by the occupant is sent to the conveying mechanism 52.

[0048] The weight sensor unit 28 and the temperature sensor unit 29 are not provided in the storage unit 51, and basically, the same type of beverage containers 18 are stored in each storage area 51D. The passenger can select the type of beverage container 18 by operating the operation unit 23, and the beverage containers 18 of the selected type are sent to the transport mechanism 52 starting from the one located at the top of the storage area 51D.

[0049] 5B, the storage section 51 is disposed in the space 14B below the floor board 16 near the rear end of the luggage compartment 14. The transport mechanism 52 is formed from near the rear end of the luggage compartment 14 of the vehicle 11 to the area where the driver's seat 37 is disposed in the passenger compartment 32, using the spaces 14B, 32B between the floor panel 31 and the floor mat 36. Since the storage section 51 is structured to be stored in the space 14B, the storage space 14A above the floor board 16 of the luggage compartment 14 can be used as a storage area for shopping luggage and other luggage.

[0050] As shown in the figure, the transport mechanism 52 includes a gravity-type transport rail section 53, lift-up type transport rail sections 54 and 55, and a support section (not shown) that supports the gravity-type transport rail section 53 and the lift-up type transport rail sections 54 and 55. The support section is fixed to the vehicle body 11A such as the floor panel 31.

[0051] The gravity-type conveying rail section 53 is, for example, a resin member having sliding properties, and the beverage container 18 lying down slides down due to its own weight. The gravity-type conveying rail section 53 is, for example, semi-cylindrical in shape, so that the beverage container 18 is less likely to fall off the gravity-type conveying rail section 53. The gravity-type conveying rail section 53 is supported by the floor panel 31 via the support section. The gravity-type conveying rail section 53 is disposed in the center of the width direction of the vehicle body 11A in the overall length direction of the vehicle 11, and is disposed so as to be inclined downward from the storage section 51 toward the front side of the vehicle 11. Although not shown, the support section has fall prevention walls on both sides of the gravity-type conveying rail section 53 so that the beverage container 18 does not fall off the gravity-type conveying rail section 53 during transportation.

[0052] The lift-up type transport rail sections 54, 55 are, for example, resin members having sliding properties, and have a cylindrical shape. The lift-up type transport rail sections 54, 55 are disposed vertically with respect to the floor panel 31, the lift-up type transport rail section 54 is disposed between the rear seats 13, and the lift-up type transport rail section 55 is disposed between the driver's seat 37 and the passenger seat 35. The lift-up type transport rail sections 54, 55 each have a movable plate 56 therein. The movable plate 56 is movable up and down inside the lift-up type transport rail sections 54, 55 by a known lift mechanism constituted by, for example, a motor, a winding reel, or the like.

[0053] As shown in the figure, the lift-up type conveyor rail sections 54, 55 are connected so as to be in communication with the gravity type conveyor rail section 53 extending in the overall length direction of the vehicle 11. Dampers 59, 60 are provided in openings 57, 58 at the connection points between the lift-up type conveyor rail section 54 and the gravity type conveyor rail section 53.

[0054] Here, when beverage container 18 is supplied to lift-up type transport rail section 54 corresponding to rear seat 13, damper 59 is in an open state relative to opening 57, and damper 60 is in a closed state relative to opening 58. On the other hand, when beverage container 18 is supplied to lift-up type transport rail section 55 corresponding to driver's seat 37 or passenger seat 35, damper 59 is in a closed state relative to opening 57, and damper 60 is in an open state relative to opening 58.

[0055] As a basic operation, the movable plate 56 is in a standby state at the lower end of the lift-up type transport rail section 54, 55. Then, the beverage container 18 that has dropped from the gravity type transport rail section 53 to the lift-up type transport rail section 54, 55 is placed in an upright state on the upper surface of the movable plate 56. Thereafter, the movable plate 56 rises inside the lift-up type transport rail section 54, 55, so that the beverage container 18 is transported to the container-acquiring areas R1, R2 (see FIG. 6) where the occupant can acquire the container.

[0056] With this structure, the occupant operates the operation unit 23 to select the desired beverage container 18 and select whether the beverage container 18 is to be transported to the driver's seat 37 or to the rear seat 13. Then, the vehicle control unit 21 (see FIG. 2A) sends the selected type of beverage container 18 from the storage unit 51 to the gravity-type transport rail unit 53 and operates the positions of the dampers 59, 60. Thereafter, the vehicle control unit 21 raises the movable plate 56 of the lift-up type transport rail units 54, 55, and the selected beverage container 18 is transported to the container-acquirable areas R1, R2 (see FIG. 6) of the occupant.

[0057] Here, as shown by the dotted line 61 in Fig. 6, the gravity-type conveyor rail section 53 is formed in the center of the width direction of the vehicle body 11A in the overall length direction of the vehicle 11. Furthermore, the circles 62, 63 indicate the lift-up type conveyor rail sections 54, 55. The dashed line 64 indicates a container-obtainable area R1 in which an occupant seated in the driver's seat 37 or the passenger seat 35 can obtain the beverage container 18 that has been conveyed to the vicinity of the upper end of the lift-up type conveyor rail section 55 while seated. Similarly, the dashed line 65 indicates a container-obtainable area R2 in which an occupant seated in the rear seat 13 can obtain the beverage container 18 that has been conveyed to the vicinity of the upper end of the lift-up type conveyor rail section 54 while seated.

[0058] As described above, the vehicle control unit 21 controls the transport mechanism 52, and the selected beverage container 18 is transported from the storage unit 51 to the container obtainable areas R1, R2 for the occupant. Then, the occupant can obtain the desired beverage container 18 while seated in the vehicle 11 while the vehicle 11 is moving, without having to stop the vehicle 11 at a convenience store or the like, thereby improving convenience.

[0059] In particular, by having the desired beverage container 18 transported to the container obtainable area R1, the driver of the vehicle 11 can obtain the desired beverage container 18 without having to significantly deviate from the direction of travel while the vehicle 11 is traveling, thereby improving safety while the vehicle is traveling.

[0060] In the present embodiment, the case where the storage unit 22, 51 is disposed in the space 14B of the luggage compartment 14 and the transport mechanism 24, 52 is disposed in the space 14B of the luggage compartment 14 and the space 32B of the passenger compartment 32 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this case. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the storage unit 22, 51 may be disposed in the storage space 14A of the luggage compartment 14 or the passenger space 32A of the passenger compartment 32. As shown in FIG. 7, in the case of a BEV, engine parts are not required, so that the interior of the front part of the vehicle body can be used as a front trunk 71 as a storage space. In this case, the storage unit 22, 51 is disposed in the front trunk 71, so that the transport mechanism 24, 52 is disposed from the front part of the vehicle body to the space 32B of the passenger compartment 32. Then, the desired beverage container 18 is transported from the front trunk 71 to the container-obtainable areas R1, R2 of the passenger compartment 32. Even in these cases, the occupant can obtain the desired beverage container 18 while seated in the vehicle 11 while the vehicle 11 is moving, without having to stop the vehicle 11 at a convenience store or the like, thereby improving convenience.

[0061] In addition, the vehicle 11 is described as being an electric vehicle such as a BEV, but is not limited to this. For example, even if the vehicle 11 is an engine vehicle that runs on fuel such as gasoline, by providing the vehicle beverage supply device 10 of this embodiment, the occupant can obtain the desired beverage container 18 while seated while the vehicle 11 is running without stopping the vehicle 11 at a convenience store or the like, thereby improving convenience. In addition, the conveying mechanism 24, 52 may be disposed at the end of the vehicle body 11A in the vehicle width direction, for example, outside the areas where the propeller shaft, exhaust pipe, fuel tank, etc. are disposed. In addition, various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10. Vehicle beverage supply device 11 Vehicles 11A Body 12. Backdoor 13. Back seat 14 Luggage compartment 14A Storage space 14B Space 15 Opening 16 Floorboard 16A Handle 18 Beverage containers 21 Vehicle control unit 22 Storage area 22A Upper lid part 22B Main body 22C Lower lid part 22D Storage Area 23 Control section 24 Transport mechanism 25 Battery 26 Imaging unit 27 Heating and cooling equipment 28 Weight sensor section 29 Temperature sensor section 31 Floor Panel 32 Cabin 32A Boarding Space 32B space 33 Conveyor belt 34 Pulley 35 Passenger seat 36 Floor Mats 37 Driver's seat 45 Opening and closing lid 51 Storage area 51A Rear lid part 51B Main body 51C Front lid 51D Storage Area 52 Transport mechanism 53 Gravity-type transport rail section 54,55 Lift-up type transport rail section 56 Movable plate 57,58 Opening 59,60 Damper

Claims

1. A beverage supply device for a vehicle that supplies beverage containers to an occupant of a vehicle, A storage section for storing a plurality of the beverage containers; an operation unit for allowing the occupant to select the beverage container stored in the storage unit; a control unit that stores the positions of the beverage containers stored in the storage unit, and controls the storage unit in response to an operation on the operation unit to feed the beverage container selected from the storage unit; a conveying mechanism for conveying the beverage container sent out from the storage unit, The beverage supply device for a vehicle, characterized in that the conveying mechanism conveys the beverage container to a container accessible area for the occupant seated in a vehicle seat of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle includes a passenger compartment in which the vehicle seat is arranged, and a luggage compartment located behind the passenger compartment, 2. The beverage supply device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the storage section is disposed in the luggage compartment.

3. a temperature sensor unit that measures the temperature of the beverage container stored in the storage unit; When there are a plurality of beverage containers of the same type in the storage section, 3. The beverage supply device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the control unit sends out the coldest or warmest beverage container from the storage unit based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor unit.

4. 4. The beverage supply device for a vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the conveying mechanism has a conveying belt, and the conveying belt conveys the beverage container from the luggage compartment to the container-accessible area of ​​the vehicle interior.

5. The transport mechanism includes a gravity-type transport rail section along which the beverage container slides, and a lift-up type transport rail section that receives the beverage container from the gravity-type transport rail section and transports the beverage container to the container-obtainable area, The gravity-type transport rail portion is disposed with a downward incline from the luggage compartment to the vehicle interior, 4. The beverage supply device for a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the lift-up type transport rail portion has a movable plate that lifts the beverage container upward.

Images