Article delivery device

Abstract

To provide an article delivery device that minimizes the occurrence of dead space below a delivery port within the device.SOLUTION: An article delivery device 1 includes: a first delivery unit 10 having a delivery port unit 130, a first storage unit 200 for storing articles, and a first delivery mechanism 300 for delivering the articles within the first storage unit 200 to the delivery port unit 130 (first delivery port 140); and a second delivery unit 20 having a second storage unit 500 for storing the articles and a second delivery mechanism 600 for delivering the articles within the second storage unit 500 to the delivery port unit 130 (second delivery port 150), and positioned above the first delivery unit 10. The delivery port unit 130 is positioned above the lowest point of the first storage unit 200 and below the highest point of the second storage unit 500.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article dispensing device for a vending machine or the like that dispenses articles stored in the device to the outside. [Background technology]

[0002] Vending machines that sell canned or bottled beverages, cigarettes, and the like typically have a dispenser located at the bottom of the front of the machine. Inside the machine, multiple storage compartments for storing items are arranged side-by-side and in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions above the dispenser. Items are dispensed from the storage compartments into the dispenser through a chute.

[0003] In such article dispensing devices as vending machines, it is desirable to provide the dispensing opening at a position (for example, at a height of about 1 m) that allows even a person in a wheelchair to easily take out an article, from the viewpoint of barrier-free access.

[0004] The following Patent Document 1 describes a vending machine in which the product take-out port (dispensing port) is positioned higher than conventional vending machines to make it easier for wheelchair users and the like to use. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 2600286 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In an article dispensing device like the vending machine described above, if the position of the outlet is raised to make it easier for wheelchair users to take out articles, and the internal components such as the storage section are also configured to be raised accordingly, there is a risk that dead space will be created below the outlet within the device, which could result in the device becoming unnecessarily tall or reducing the amount of articles that can be stored.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an article dispensing device that is less likely to produce dead space below the dispensing opening inside the device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A main aspect of the present invention relates to an item dispensing device that dispenses items stored within the device to the outside. The item dispensing device according to this aspect includes a first dispensing unit having a dispensing opening, a first storage section in which items are stored, and a first dispensing mechanism for dispensing items from the first storage section through the dispensing opening, and a second dispensing unit located above the first dispensing unit, the second dispensing unit having a second storage section in which items are stored, and a second dispensing mechanism for dispensing items from the second storage section through the dispensing opening. Here, the dispensing opening is located above the bottom of the first storage section and below the top of the second storage section.

[0009] For example, the dispensing opening can be located at a position that is higher than the top of the first storage section and lower than the bottom of the second storage section.

[0010] For example, in the first storage section, as the top item is removed from the first storage section, the other items move up, and in the second storage section, as the bottom item is removed from the second storage section, the other items move down.

[0011] According to the article dispensing device of this aspect, the space below the dispensing opening inside the device can be filled with the first storage section of the first dispensing unit, so that this space is less likely to become dead space.

[0012] In the item dispensing device of this aspect, the dispensing outlet section may be configured to include a first dispensing outlet through which items are dispensed from the first storage section, and a second dispensing outlet adjacent to the first dispensing outlet through which items are dispensed from the second storage section.

[0013] According to the above configuration, items in the first storage section can be removed from the first outlet, and items in the second storage section can be removed from the second outlet. Furthermore, since the first outlet and the second outlet are adjacent to each other, items can be removed at the same height.

[0014] In the item dispensing device according to this aspect, the first dispensing mechanism may be configured to dispense items from the top of the first storage section. In this case, the first storage section may be provided with an inlet through which items are inserted below the top. The first dispensing unit may further be configured to have an item moving mechanism that moves items inserted through the inlet and stored in the first storage section to the top.

[0015] According to the above configuration, in the first storage section, items can be put in from below and thrown out from above. Therefore, items that were put in first can be thrown out first, and old items are less likely to remain in the first storage section.

[0016] In the above configuration, the dispensing port and the input port may be provided on the same side of the article dispensing device.

[0017] With this configuration, the article dispensing device can be installed in an installation location surrounded by walls on three sides.

[0018] As described above, when the first dispensing unit has the item moving device, the item moving mechanism may further be configured to have a stage that can move in the vertical direction on which items in the first storage section are loaded, and a biasing member that biases the stage upward.

[0019] With this configuration, it is possible to move the stage upward and move the article upward without supplying power to the article moving mechanism.

[0020] As described above, when the first dispensing unit includes the article moving device, the article moving mechanism may further be configured to include a stage that is movable in the vertical direction and on which articles in the storage section are loaded. In this case, the first storage section may be provided with a holder that protrudes into the first storage section and holds an article placed on the stage in a predetermined position when the stage is lowered. The holder may be configured to be pushed by the article placed on the stage and retract from above the article when the lowered stage is raised with the article loaded.

[0021] With this configuration, a new item can be inserted into the space between the previously stored item and the lowered stage, while the previously stored item remains in its designated position due to the support of the holder. Then, by raising the stage, the inserted item can be moved above the designated position. This allows the items to be stored in the first storage section in the order they were inserted, starting at the top.

[0022] In the article dispensing device according to this aspect, at least one of the first dispensing mechanism and the second dispensing mechanism may be configured to have a pusher and a pusher-moving mechanism that moves the pusher in a first direction toward the dispensing port and in a second direction opposite to the first direction. In this case, the pusher moves in the first direction to come into contact with an article and push the article toward the dispensing port.

[0023] According to the above configuration, an article in at least one of the first storage section and the second storage section can be pushed out of the storage section by the pusher, and thereby can be thrown out to the throw-out port section.

[0024] When the above configuration is adopted, the pusher body moving mechanism may further be configured to have a support portion that supports the pusher body so that it can rotate in the first direction but cannot rotate in the second direction from the basic position when the pusher body contacts the article.

[0025] With this configuration, when the pusher, which has pushed out the previous item and is positioned ahead of the next item, comes into contact with the next item as it moves in the second direction relative to the next item, it rotates in the first direction. This allows the pusher to move in the second direction relative to the item, avoiding the item. Furthermore, when the item is pushed out, even if a force in the second direction is applied to the pusher, the pusher does not rotate in the second direction. Therefore, the pusher can firmly push the item.

[0026] In the above configuration, the pusher may be movable in a first direction to a predetermined position closer to the outlet than the article before being pushed out. In this case, the at least one throwing mechanism may be configured to have a restriction mechanism that restricts rotation of the pusher from the basic position toward the first direction at the predetermined position.

[0027] With this configuration, when the pusher is at the specified position, the rotation of the pusher in the first direction is restricted by the restricting mechanism, so that the pusher blocks the first-direction side of the article. This makes it impossible to manually pull out the article from the first-direction side, preventing the article from being improperly removed.

[0028] In the item dispensing device of this embodiment, at least one of the first dispensing mechanism and the second dispensing mechanism may be configured to have a dispensing mechanism that dispenses items from at least one of the first storage section and the second storage section, a receiving section that receives the items dispensed from at least one of the storage sections, and an XY conveying mechanism that moves the receiving section horizontally and vertically to transport the items in the receiving section to the dispensing port section.

[0029] According to the above configuration, the article in at least one of the storage sections can be discharged from the storage section to the discharge opening section by the sending mechanism, the receiving section, and the XY transport mechanism.

[0030] The item dispensing device of this embodiment may be configured to further include a housing that covers the first dispensing unit and the second dispensing unit, a first door for opening and closing a first opening that exposes the first storage section in the housing to the outside, a second door for opening and closing a second opening that exposes the second storage section in the housing to the outside, a first door locking mechanism that locks the first door, a second door locking mechanism that locks the second door, an operation input unit that accepts operation input, and a control unit that unlocks either or both of the first door locking mechanism and the second door locking mechanism based on the operation input accepted by the operation input unit.

[0031] According to the above configuration, when replenishing only the first storage section with items, only the first door can be opened, and when replenishing only the second storage section with items, only the second door can be opened. This prevents unauthorized access to the storage section that is not the target of replenishing, out of the first and second storage sections.

[0032] In the item dispensing device of this embodiment, the device may be configured to further include a memory unit that stores the inventory number of items stored in at least one of the first storage unit and the second storage unit, a counting unit that counts the number of items stored in at least one of the storage units, and a control unit that updates the inventory number in the memory unit according to the counting result of the counting unit.

[0033] According to the above configuration, the number of items actually stored in at least one of the storage sections can be ascertained, and inventory can be managed.

[0034] The item dispensing device of this embodiment may be configured to further include a housing that covers the first dispensing unit and the second dispensing unit, a single item storage section which is either the first storage section or the second storage section and in which single items are stored, a set item storage section which is the other of the first storage section or the second storage section and in which set items made up of multiple single items are stored, a door for opening and closing an opening in the housing that exposes the single item storage section to the outside, a door locking mechanism for locking the door, a memory section that stores the inventory number of single items stored in the single item storage section, a counting section that counts the number of single items stored in the single item storage section, and a control section. In this case, the control unit can be configured to, based on a determination that a command to start the loose replenishment process has been received, cause the first dispensing mechanism or the second dispensing mechanism, whichever corresponds to the set item storage unit, to dispense the set item from the set item storage unit, and to cause the door locking mechanism to unlock the door, and, based on a determination that the replenishment of single items to the single item storage unit has been completed, to cause the counting unit to count the number of single items in the single item storage unit, and to update the inventory number in the memory unit.

[0035] According to the above configuration, even if the individual items to be replenished are not yet ready, the individual items obtained by disassembling the set items dispensed from the set item storage section can be replenished to the individual item storage section. Furthermore, the number of individual items in the individual item storage section after replenishment can be managed in the memory section as a new inventory quantity.

[0036] When the above configuration is adopted, the control unit can further be configured to determine whether the number of single items in the single item storage unit counted by the counting unit matches the number of single items obtained by breaking down the set items that were dispensed from the set item storage unit to the dispensing port unit, and if they match, update the inventory number in the memory unit, and if they do not match, execute processing to notify of the discrepancy.

[0037] With this configuration, when all the individual items obtained from the set have not been replenished in the individual item storage section, this fact can be notified to the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0038] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an article dispensing device that is less likely to produce dead space below the dispensing opening inside the device.

[0039] The effects and significance of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments, however, the embodiments shown below are merely examples of how the present invention can be implemented, and the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0040] [Figure 1] 1(a) and 1(b) are a front view and a side view, respectively, of an article dispensing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a first dispensing module according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a first dispensing module according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] 4(a) and (b) are front views of a first dispensing module according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5(a) is a plan view of the first ejection mechanism according to the embodiment with the housing cover removed, and FIG. 5(b) is a side view of the first ejection mechanism according to the embodiment with the housing omitted. [Figure 6] 6(a) and (b) are a front view and a side cross-sectional view of the push body and the slider according to the embodiment, and FIG. 6(c) is a bottom view of the front end portion of the first ejection mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 7(a) and (b) are a front view and a side view, respectively, of a second dispensing module according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an article dispensing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9]9(a) to 9(e) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the first dispensing module for dispensing articles from the first storage unit to the first dispensing opening according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10(a) to 10(e) are diagrams for explaining the replenishment of articles into the first storage section according to the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a replenishment process executed by the control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the reconciliation process executed by the control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] 13(a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating a structure for counting the number of articles in the second storage section according to the first modified example. [Figure 14] 14(a) to 14(d) are diagrams illustrating a structure for counting the number of articles in the second storage section according to the first modified example. [Figure 15] 15(a) to 15(c) are diagrams illustrating a structure for counting the number of articles in the second storage section according to the second modification. [Figure 16] 16(a) and 16(b) are a front view and a side view, respectively, of an article dispensing device according to Modification 3. FIG. [Figure 17] 17(a) and (b) are a plan view and a side cross-sectional view of a second storage section in which a sending mechanism is arranged according to Modification Example 3. Fig. 17(c) is a view for explaining the operation of sending out an article from the second storage section by the sending mechanism according to Modification Example 3. [Figure 18] 18(a) and 18(b) are a front view and a side view, respectively, of a receiving section and an XY transport mechanism according to the third modified example. [Figure 19] 19(a) and (b) are a plan view and a front cross-sectional view of a receiving section and a first transport section according to Modification 3, respectively. [Figure 20] 20(a) and (b) are front views of an article dispensing device according to the fourth modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0042] <Configuration of the article dispensing device> 1(a) and 1(b) are a front view and a side view, respectively, of the article dispensing device 1. FIG.

[0043] The article dispensing device 1 is a device that dispenses articles stored therein to the outside, and is, for example, a vending machine that sells articles. Examples of the articles that can be sold include cigarettes, food products (sweets, bread, etc.), beverages (canned drinks, PET bottled drinks, etc.), etc. The article dispensing device 1 may be a device other than a vending machine.

[0044] The article dispensing device 1 includes a housing 100 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape that forms the outer shell. The housing 100 has a configuration in which a first housing 100a and a second housing 100b are integrally formed. The second housing 100b is disposed on top of the first housing 100a. The housing 100 does not have to be divided into two housings, upper and lower, 100a and 100b.

[0045] The first housing 100a has a first dispensing unit 10 disposed therein, and the second housing 100b has a second dispensing unit 20 disposed therein. The second dispensing unit 20 is located above the first dispensing unit 10 within the housing 100.

[0046] The first dispensing unit 10 is composed of a plurality of first dispensing modules 11 lined up in the left-right direction. Each first dispensing module 11 has a first storage section 200 in which items are stored, a first dispensing mechanism 300 for dispensing the items in the first storage section 200 to the dispensing opening section 130, and an item moving mechanism 400 for moving the items stored in the first storage section 200 upward. Thus, the first dispensing unit 10 has a plurality of sets of first storage sections 200, first dispensing mechanisms 300, and item moving mechanisms 400.

[0047] The second dispensing unit 20 is composed of a plurality of second dispensing modules 21 lined up in the front-rear and left-right directions, and a chute 22. Each second dispensing module 21 has a second storage section 500 in which items are stored, and a second dispensing mechanism 600 for dispensing the items in the second storage section 500 to the dispensing opening section 130. Thus, the second dispensing unit 20 has a plurality of sets of second storage sections 500 and second dispensing mechanisms 600. Two second dispensing modules 21 lined up in the front-rear direction face in opposite directions.

[0048] In the item dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, the second storage section 500 stores individual items as items, and the first storage section 200 stores sets of items, each set consisting of a plurality of individual items. For example, if the individual items are individual cigarettes, the set items will be one carton of cigarettes. The second storage section 500 serves as an individual item storage section in which the individual items are stored, and the first storage section 200 serves as a set item storage section in which set items are stored. The second dispensing mechanism 600 serves as an individual item dispensing mechanism for dispensing the individual items in the individual item storage section to the dispensing port 130, and the first dispensing mechanism 300 serves as a set item dispensing mechanism for dispensing the set items in the set item storage section to the dispensing port 130.

[0049] The types of items (set items) stored in each first storage section 200 may be different, or the items in some of the first storage sections 200 may be the same type, or all of the first storage sections 200 may be the same type. Also, the types of items (single items) stored in each second storage section 500 may be different, or the items in some of the second storage sections 500 may be the same type, or all of the second storage sections 500 may be the same type. Furthermore, the set items stored in the first storage section 200 may all include the same type of single items, or may include a mixture of different types of single items.

[0050] In this embodiment, a single item having a rectangular parallelepiped shape and a set of items having a rectangular parallelepiped shape elongated in the direction in which the single items are arranged are exemplified. Therefore, as will be described later, the first storage section 200 and the second storage section 500 have shapes corresponding to the shapes of the set items and the single items. Note that the items, i.e., the single items and the set items, may have any shape.

[0051] On the front surface of the housing 100, a first door 110 is provided on the front surface of the first housing 100a, and a second door 120 is provided on the front surface of the second housing 100b. The first door 110 opens and closes in the vertical direction around its upper end as an axis, thereby opening and closing a first opening 111 that occupies the entire front surface of the first housing 100a. When the first door 110 is opened, each of the first storage sections 200 of the first dispensing unit 10 is exposed to the outside through the first opening 111. The second door 120 is composed of two doors, one on the left and one on the right, and opens and closes to the left and right around both left and right ends as an axis, thereby opening and closing a second opening 121 of the second housing 100b. When the second door 120 is opened, each of the second storage sections 500 of the second dispensing unit 20 is exposed to the outside through the second opening 121.

[0052] It should be noted that the first door 110 may be made up of two doors, and the second door 120 may be made up of one door.

[0053] A dispensing opening 130 is provided on the front surface of the housing 100. The dispensing opening 130 is provided at a height position that allows a wheelchair user to easily take out an item from the dispensing opening 130, for example, at a height position close to 1 meter. The position of this dispensing opening 130 is in a range above the bottom of the first storage section 200 and below the top of the second storage section 500. The position of this dispensing opening 130 is also in a range above the top of the first storage section 200 and below the bottom of the second storage section 500. In order to increase the storage capacity of the item dispensing device 1 by raising it while complying with barrier-free access, it is desirable that the position of the dispensing opening 130 be within the latter range.

[0054] The dispensing port section 130 includes a first dispensing port 140 and a second dispensing port 150 adjacent to the first dispensing port 140 in the vertical direction. The first dispensing port 140 is provided at the top of the first door 110 and is composed only of a rectangular opening 141 that is elongated in the left-right direction and formed in the first door 110. The second dispensing port 150 is provided between the first door 110 and the second door 120 and is composed of a rectangular opening 151 that is elongated in the left-right direction and formed in the front of the first housing 100a, and a dispensing box 152 located behind the opening 151. A chute 22 of the second dispensing unit 20 is connected to the dispensing box 152. An item (a set of items) from one of the first storage sections 200 is dispensed into the first dispensing port 140. An item (an individual item) from one of the second storage sections 500 is dispensed into the second dispensing port 150 via the chute 22.

[0055] The article dispensing device 1 includes an operation input unit 30 for receiving operation input. The operation input unit 30 is, for example, a tablet-type terminal device, and is provided separately from the device main body 1a consisting of the housing 100, the first dispensing unit 10, and the second dispensing unit 20. The operation input unit 30 is installed, for example, on the front of the housing 100 at a height that makes it easy for a wheelchair user to operate. The operation input unit 30 may also be installed in a position separate from the device main body 1a.

[0056] The operation input unit 30 has an operation display unit 31 such as a touch panel, displays various screens for operation input on the operation display unit 31, and accepts operation input on the screen. The operation input includes an operation input by a customer to purchase an item, an operation input by a staff member to start the item replenishment process, and the like.

[0057] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first ejection module 11. FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the first ejection module 11. FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are front views of the first ejection module 11. FIG. 4(a) shows a state in which the stage 410 is in the lowest position, and FIG. 4(b) shows a state in which the stage 410 is in the highest position. For convenience, the outline of the first ejection mechanism 300 is shown by a dashed line in FIGS. 2 to 4(b).

[0058] In the first discharging module 11, the first discharging mechanism 300 is disposed above the first storage section 200 so that the pusher 301 is located at the top of the first storage section 200. The article moving mechanism 400 is disposed behind the first storage section 200 so that the stage 410 is located within the first storage section 200.

[0059] The first storage section 200 is a column having a generally rectangular box shape that is flat in the left-right direction, and is open at the front and rear, with the top surface being closed by the first dispensing mechanism 300. Inside the first storage section 200, articles (sets) are stored stacked vertically (see FIG. 10(e)).

[0060] A first stopper 210 is disposed at the front end of the first storage unit 200 at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction from the first dispensing mechanism 300. The first stopper 210 has a plate shape that is long in the vertical direction, is fixed to the left side surface 200a of the first storage unit 200, and extends toward the right side surface 200b to a position where it does not interfere with the handle 412 of the stage 410. The predetermined distance is slightly longer than the vertical size of the article to be stored in the first storage unit 200. The vertical position of the first stopper 210 is adjustable, so that if the vertical size of the article to be stored in the first storage unit 200 changes, the position of the first stopper 210 can be changed accordingly.

[0061] On the front surface of the first storage section 200, the opening above the first stopper 210 serves as an outlet 201 for items from the first storage section 200, and the opening below the first stopper 210 serves as an inlet 202 for items into the first storage section 200. The outlet 201 is located at the top of the first storage section 200, and the inlet 202 is located below the top of the first storage section 200. The first outlet 140 (opening 141) of the outlet section 130 is located in front of the outlet 201. The outlet section 130 and the inlet 202 of each first storage section 200 are provided on the same side of the item dispensing device 1, i.e., the front side.

[0062] The first storage section 200 is provided with two holders 220 on each of the left and right side sections 200a and 200b, lined up in the front-to-rear direction. The four holders 220 are substantially rectangular plate-shaped flappers, with their base ends projecting outward from openings 203 formed in the left and right side sections 200a and 200b and rotatably supported on shafts 221 extending in the front-to-rear direction. Each holder 220 is biased by a torsion spring 222 attached to the shaft 221 to project into the first storage section 200 in a horizontal position. Each holder 220 can be rotated upward against the biasing force of the torsion spring 222. The gap between the left and right holders 220 projecting into the first storage section 200 is wider than the left-to-right width of the stage 410 and narrower than the left-to-right width of the item. Therefore, the stage 410 can pass between the left and right holders 220, but the article cannot pass between the left and right holders 220.

[0063] Furthermore, a second stopper 230, which is an elongated plate extending in the vertical direction, is disposed within the first storage section 200 behind the rear holder 220. The second stopper 230 is fixed to the left side surface section 200a. Articles are stored within the first storage section 200 from the insertion opening 202 up to the position where the second stopper 230 hits them. The front-to-rear position of the second stopper 230 is adjustable, so that if the front-to-rear size of the articles stored in the first storage section 200 changes, the position of the second stopper 230 can be changed accordingly.

[0064] The item moving mechanism 400 has a stage 410 that can move up and down on which items in the first storage section 200 are loaded, and a biasing member 420 that biases the stage 410 upward, and moves items that have been inserted through the insertion port 202 and stored in the first storage section 200 to the top of the first storage section 200.

[0065] The stage 410 has a rectangular bar shape extending in the front-rear direction, and is disposed inside the first storage section 200. The stage 410 is provided with a handle 412 that protrudes from the front end of the main body portion 411. The width of the handle 412 in the left-right direction is made smaller than the width of the main body portion 411 in the left-right direction so as not to interfere with the first stopper 210.

[0066] The article moving mechanism 400 includes a housing 430 that is disposed behind the first storage section 200 and has an open front surface. Two shafts 440, a holder 450, and a biasing member 420 are disposed within the housing 430. The two shafts 440 extend vertically with a predetermined distance between them in the front and rear. Two ball bushes 451 are provided vertically aligned on the front side of the holder 450, and one ball bush 451 is provided on the rear side. The two shafts 440 pass through the three ball bushes 451 in the front and rear, and the holder 450 is supported by the two shafts 440 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The rear end of the stage 410 is fixed to the holder 450, and moves vertically together with the holder 450.

[0067] The biasing member 420 is composed of, for example, a plurality of (three) long coil springs 421. In the housing 430, an attachment plate 460 is provided on the bottom surface portion 431, and a pulley 470 is provided on the top surface portion 432. The plurality of coil springs 421 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction and disposed between the two shafts 440. One end of each coil spring 421 is fixed to the bottom surface portion 431 via the attachment plate 460, extends upward, then bends back at the pulley 470 and extends downward, and the other end is fixed to the holder 450. The biasing member 420 biases the stage 410 upward via the holder 450 by the elastic force of the coil spring 421 in the contracting direction.

[0068] When the first storage section 200 is empty, the stage 410 is raised to the uppermost position by the biasing member 420, as shown in FIG. 4(b). When an item is placed in the first storage section 200, the stage 410 is lowered to the lowermost position, as shown in FIG. 4(a). A locking device 240 is provided at the bottom of the first storage section 200. The stage 410 can also be locked in the lowermost position by the locking device 240, as necessary.

[0069] Fig. 5(a) is a plan view of the first ejection mechanism 300 with the cover 320b of the housing 320 removed, and Fig. 5(b) is a side view of the first ejection mechanism 300 without the housing 320. Figs. 6(a) and 6(b) are a front view and a side cross-sectional view of the pusher 301 and the slider 350, and Fig. 6(c) is a bottom view of the front end portion of the first ejection mechanism 300.

[0070] The first discharging mechanism 300 has a pusher 301 and a pusher moving mechanism 302 that moves the pusher 301 in the forward and backward directions, and discharges articles from the top of the first storage section 200 toward the first discharging opening 140. The forward direction is a first direction toward the discharging opening section 130 (first discharging opening 140), and the backward direction is a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0071] The pusher 301 is a substantially rectangular plate piece that is long in the vertical direction. An axial hole 311 that penetrates in the left-right direction is formed at the upper end of the pusher 301, and a protrusion 312 that protrudes slightly upward is formed. A contact surface 313 that comes into contact with an article is provided at the lower end of the pusher 301. A shaft 314 that extends horizontally (left-right direction) is fixed to the center of the pusher 301. The left end of the shaft 314 protrudes from the left side surface of the pusher 301 as a protrusion 315.

[0072] The pusher moving mechanism 302 includes a housing 320 , a ball shaft 330 , a shaft 340 , a slider 350 , a drive unit 360 , a front position detection unit 370 , a rear position detection unit 380 , and a remaining amount detection unit 390 .

[0073] The housing 320 has a generally rectangular box shape that is long in the front-rear direction, and is composed of a main body 320a with an open top and a cover 320b that covers the top of the main body 320a. A narrow opening 322 that is elongated in the front-rear direction is formed in a bottom surface 321 of the housing 320. The left-right width of the opening 322 is greater than the left-right width of the extrusion body 301.

[0074] The ball shaft 330 and the shaft 340 are arranged in the housing 320 so as to be aligned in the left-right direction and extend in the front-rear direction. A spiral groove 331 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the ball shaft 330. The ball shaft 330 is rotatably supported by the front surface 323 and the rear surface 324 of the housing 320. The rear end of the ball shaft 330 protrudes rearward from the rear surface 324. Both ends of the shaft 340 are fixed to the front surface 323 and the rear surface 324.

[0075] The slider 350 is composed of a slider main body 351, a detection unit 352, and a support unit 353. The slider main body 351 has a ball shaft hole 354 that penetrates in the front-to-rear direction on the right side, and a ball bushing 355 on the left side. A steel ball 356 is disposed in the ball shaft hole 354 so that a portion of it is exposed within the hole. A ball shaft 330 passes through the ball shaft hole 354, and the steel ball 356 fits into the groove 331. A shaft 340 passes through the ball bushing 355. The detection unit 352 has a detection piece 352a that protrudes upward, and is fixed to the top surface of the slider main body 351.

[0076] The support part 353 is fixed to the bottom surface of the slider main body part 351. The support part 353 has a support shaft 357 that penetrates the shaft hole 311 of the pusher 301, and rotatably supports the pusher 301. That is, the pusher 301 is rotatable around its upper end below the slider 350.

[0077] The pusher 301 takes a basic position inclined so that the contact surface 313 at the lower end faces horizontally, and in this position comes into contact with the article. At this time, the protrusion 312 at the upper end of the pusher 301 comes into contact with the lower surface 353a of the support portion 353. In this way, the protrusion 312 and the lower surface 353a of the support portion 353 function as a one-way mechanism, so that the pusher 301 can rotate forward (first direction) from the basic position, but cannot rotate backward (second direction).

[0078] The portion of the pusher 301 below the upper end passes through an opening 322 in a bottom surface portion 321 of the housing 320 and protrudes downward from the housing 320 , that is, to the uppermost portion of the first storage section 200 .

[0079] The drive unit 360 is disposed at the rear of the housing 320 and drives the ball shaft 330 to rotate. The drive unit 360 includes a drive motor 361 and a transmission module 362. The drive motor 361 is connected to the transmission module 362. The transmission module 362 has an output shaft 362a connected to the rear end of the ball shaft 330 via a coupling 363, and transmits the rotation of the drive motor 361 to the ball shaft 330. The transmission module 362 is fixed to a fixing plate 325 provided on a rear surface 324 of the housing 320.

[0080] When the drive motor 361 rotates forward or backward, the ball shaft 330 rotates forward or backward. As the steel ball 356 moves in the groove 331 of the ball shaft 330, the slider 350 moves forward or backward, and the pusher 301 moves forward (first direction) or backward (second direction).

[0081] As shown in FIG. 5(b), the pusher 301 can move from a specified position PR behind the article located in the first storage section 200 to a specified position PF in front of the article.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 6( c), the opening 322 in the bottom surface portion 321 of the housing 320 has a front end whose left edge juts inward, narrowing its width in the left-right direction, and the jutted portion 326 overlaps the protrusion 315 of the pusher body 301 in the up-down direction when the pusher body 301 is positioned at the front specified position PF. As a result, when the pusher body 301 rotates forward (in the first direction) from the basic posture at the specified position PF, the protrusion 315 abuts against the jutted portion 326, restricting the rotation. This prevents the pusher body 301 from rotating more than a predetermined angle and from entering the interior of the housing 320. In this way, the jutted portion 315 and the jutted portion 326 function as a restriction mechanism M1 that restricts the rotation of the pusher body 301 in the first direction from the basic posture.

[0083] The front position detection unit 370 is disposed at a specified position PF on the front side at the top of the housing 320, and detects the pusher 301 that has moved to the specified position PF. The rear position detection unit 380 is disposed at a specified position PR on the rear side at the top of the housing 320, and detects the pusher 301 that has moved to the specified position PR.

[0084] The front position detection unit 370 and the rear position detection unit 380 are equipped with photo sensors 371 and 381 as detection sensors, and can detect the extrusion body 301 when the detection piece 352a of the slider 350 blocks light from the light-emitting element to the light-receiving element of the photo sensors 371 and 381.

[0085] The remaining amount detection unit 390 detects when the first storage unit 200 is empty, i.e., when the remaining amount of items has reached zero. The remaining amount detection unit 390 has a detection cam 391 that moves in and out of the housing 320 to the top of the first storage unit 200, and a detection sensor 392 such as a photosensor that detects the movement of the detection cam 391. When the first storage unit 200 is not empty and there are items at the top, the detection cam 391 is pushed upward by the items and retracts into the housing 320. When the first storage unit 200 is empty and there are no items at the top, the detection cam 391 protrudes to the top. The detection sensor 392 detects that the detection cam 391 has protruded to the top, thereby detecting that there are no more items in the first storage unit 200.

[0086] The first dispensing module 11 is provided with a first counting unit 250 that counts the number of items stored in the first storage unit 200. The first counting unit 250 is, for example, a distance sensor such as a TOF (Time of Flight) sensor. As shown in FIG. 3 , the first counting unit 250, which is a distance sensor, is installed at the bottom of the first storage unit 200.

[0087] The distance from first counting unit 250 to stage 410 varies depending on the number of stored items. First counting unit 250 detects the distance to stage 410 and outputs the distance corresponding to the number of items as the counting result to control unit 710. Storage unit 720 has prepared a table showing the relationship between distance and number, and control unit 710 uses this table to calculate the number based on the acquired distance.

[0088] 7(a) and (b) are a front view and a side view, respectively, of the second discharging module 21. FIG.

[0089] The second dispensing module 21 includes a second storage section 500 and a second dispensing mechanism 600. The second storage section 500 is a column having a generally rectangular box shape that is long in the vertical direction, with its front side open and its bottom side closed by the second dispensing mechanism 600. Items (individual items) are stacked vertically and stored in the second storage section 500. A stopper 510 is provided at the bottom of the front side of the second storage section 500 at the height where the second-lowest item is located. The opening below the stopper 510 on the front side of the second storage section 500 is the delivery port 501, and the opening above the stopper 510 is the insertion port 502.

[0090] The second throwing mechanism 600 includes a belt conveyor 610 and a drive motor 620 that drives the belt conveyor 610. The bottommost article in the second storage section 500 is placed on the belt conveyor 610. When the drive motor 620 rotates, the belt conveyor 610 rotates, and the article is sent out from the second storage section 500 through the delivery port 501.

[0091] The second dispensing module 21 is provided with a second counting unit 520 that counts the number of items stored in the second storage unit 500. The second counting unit 520 is, for example, a distance sensor such as a TOF sensor. As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the second counting unit 520, which is a distance sensor, is installed at the upper end of the second storage unit 500. The distance from the second counting unit 520 to the top item in the second storage unit 500 changes depending on the number of stored items. The second counting unit 520 detects the distance to the top item and outputs the distance corresponding to the number of items to the control unit 710 as the counting result. The memory unit 720 contains a table that shows the relationship between distance and number, and the control unit 710 uses the table to calculate the number of items based on the acquired distance.

[0092] FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the article dispensing device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0093] The article dispensing device 1 includes a control unit 710, a storage unit 720, a removal detection unit 730, a first door locking mechanism 740, and a second door locking mechanism 750 in addition to the above-mentioned components.

[0094] The removal detection unit 730 is configured with a photosensor or the like, and detects that an article has been removed from the first throw-out opening 140. The first door locking mechanism 740 locks the first door 110 to prevent it from opening. The second door locking mechanism 750 locks the second door 120 to prevent it from opening.

[0095] The control unit 710 includes an arithmetic circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 710 controls the first dispensing mechanism 300 (drive motor 361), the second dispensing mechanism 600 (drive motor 620), the first door locking mechanism 740, the second door locking mechanism 750, etc. in accordance with an operation program stored in the storage unit 720, based on signals from the operation input unit 30, the front position detection unit 370, the rear position detection unit 380, the remaining amount detection unit 390, the first counting unit 250, the second counting unit 520, the removal detection unit 730, etc.

[0096] The storage unit 720 includes storage media such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a hard disk, and stores the operating program of the control unit 710 and is also used as a work area during control processing by the control unit 710. The storage unit 720 stores the inventory numbers of items (set items) stored in each first storage unit 200 and items (single items) stored in each second storage unit 500.

[0097] <Throwing out items> When a customer performs an operation input to purchase an item at the operation input unit 30, the item is dispensed from the storage unit among the multiple first storage units 200 and second storage units 500 in which the purchased item is stored to the dispensing opening unit 130, i.e., the first dispensing opening 140 or the second dispensing opening 150.

[0098] When a customer purchases a set of items, the set of items is dispensed from the first storage section 200 to the first dispensing opening 140.

[0099] 9(a) to 9(e) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the first dispensing module 11 for dispensing articles from the first storage section 200 to the first dispensing opening 140. FIG.

[0100] 9(a), before the articles (set items) in the first storage section 200 start to be dispensed, the pusher 301 is located at the specified position PF on the front side. As described above, at the specified position PF, the restricting mechanism M1 restricts the forward rotation of the pusher 301 (first direction), so the pusher 301 blocks the front of the articles. This makes it impossible to insert a hand through the first dispense opening 140 and pull out the articles, preventing the articles from being improperly removed.

[0101] When the article starts to be dispensed, the control unit 710 rotates the drive motor 361 in the reverse direction, and the pusher 301 moves backward (second direction). When the pusher 301 moves away from the specified position PF, the restriction on rotation by the restriction mechanism M1 is released.

[0102] 9(b), when the pusher 301 hits an article while moving backward, it rotates forward and is housed in the housing 320. As a result, the pusher 301 moves rearward of the article without being obstructed by the article.

[0103] 9(c), when the pusher 301 moves to the specified position PR on the rear side, the control unit 710 stops the drive motor 361 based on detection by the rear position detection unit 380, thereby stopping the pusher 301. Thereafter, the control unit 710 rotates the drive motor 361 in the forward direction, causing the pusher 301 to move forward.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 9(d), the pusher 301 contacts the article from behind and pushes the article forward, i.e., toward the first dispensing opening 140. At this time, the pusher 301 cannot rotate backward, so it can firmly push the article. The pushed-out article is discharged into the first dispensing opening 140, and its front portion protrudes forward beyond the first dispensing opening 140. At this time, the article below the discharged article is stopped by the first stopper 210 and does not move forward. The pusher 301 stops at a predetermined stopping position. The distance that the pusher 301 moves from the specified position PR to the stopping position is determined by the operating time and number of rotations of the drive motor 361.

[0105] 9(e), when an article is removed from the first outlet 140, the article above it is removed, and the stage 410 automatically rises, and the next article moves to the top of the first storage section 200. The pusher 301 is pushed by the article and stored in the housing 320.

[0106] The removal detection unit 730 detects that the article has been removed, and based on this, the control unit 710 rotates the drive motor 361 in the forward direction. The pusher 301 moves forward and returns to the basic position in front of the article. Based on detection by the front position detection unit 370, the control unit 710 stops the drive motor 361, and the pusher 301 stops at the specified position PF on the front side.

[0107] The control unit 710 updates the inventory quantity of the first storage unit 200 into which the article was dispensed in the storage unit 720, that is, reduces the quantity by one.

[0108] When a customer purchases a single item, the single item is dispensed from the second storage section 500 to the second dispensing opening 150 .

[0109] When the control unit 710 rotates the drive motor 620, the belt conveyor 610 rotates and an item (single item) is sent out from the second storage unit 500 (see FIG. 7(b)). The item slides down the chute 22 and is stored in the discharge box 152 of the second discharge opening 150 (see FIG. 1(b)). The item is then removed from the discharge box 152 through the opening 151.

[0110] The control unit 710 updates the inventory quantity of the second storage unit 500 into which the article was dispensed in the storage unit 720, that is, reduces the quantity by one.

[0111] <Replenishment of goods> First, the replenishment of articles into each of the first storage sections 200 of the first dispensing unit 10 will be described.

[0112] 10(a) to 10(e) are diagrams for explaining the replenishment of articles into the first storage section 200. FIG.

[0113] When the remaining amount detection unit 390 detects that the first storage unit 200 is empty, the control unit 710 causes the operation input unit 30 (operation display unit 31) to notify that the empty first storage unit 200 needs to be replenished with items. This causes the staff member in charge of the item dispensing device 1 to replenish the first storage unit 200 with items. Note that there may be cases where items are replenished when there are only a few items remaining before the first storage unit 200 is emptied.

[0114] When an operator inputs an operation to unlock the door in the operation input unit 30, the control unit 710 unlocks the first door 110 by the first door lock mechanism 740. At this time, the control unit 710 performs authentication by inputting a PIN code into the operation input unit 30, reading an ID card with a reading unit (not shown), etc., to confirm whether the operator has authority, and does not unlock the first door 110 if the operator does not have authority.

[0115] When the first door 110 is opened, it becomes possible to access the inside of each first storage section 200 through the first opening 111. When items are to be replenished in the first storage section 200, as shown in FIG. 10(a), an attendant holds the handle 412 and pulls down the stage 410 to the lowest position, and then inserts the items into the first storage section 200 through the insertion port 202 and places them on the stage 410.

[0116] Next, the attendant moves the stage 410 upward. As shown in FIG. 10(b), the left and right holders 220 that protrude into the first storage section 200 are pushed from below by the rising article, causing them to rotate upward and retract from above the article. As shown in FIG. 10(c), when the article moves above the left and right holders 220, each holder 220 returns to its original state. The attendant again lowers the stage 410 to the lowest position.

[0117] As shown in Figure 10(d), when the stage 410 descends, the item placed on the stage 410 is held in place by the left and right holders 220 and moves away from the stage 410. The attendant places the next item in the first storage section 200 and places it on the stage 410. The attendant then repeats the same operation as before, that is, moves the item placed on the stage 410 to a position beyond the left and right holders 220, then lowers the stage 410 and places a new item on it.

[0118] 10(e), the first storage section 200 becomes full of items, and the replenishment of items is completed. The staff member closes the first door 110 and performs an operation input to the operation input unit 30 to indicate completion of replenishment. The control unit 710 locks the first door 110 using the first door lock mechanism 740. Thereafter, the control unit 710 counts the number of items in the first storage section 200 using the first counting unit 250, and updates the inventory number of items in the first storage section 200 stored in the memory unit 720.

[0119] If replenishment is performed while there are still items remaining in the first storage section 200, when the stage 410 is first lowered, the remaining items will be held by the left and right holders 220, as shown in Figure 10(d). After that, when the above-mentioned replenishment work is performed, new items will be stored below the remaining items, i.e., the old items. This allows the old items to be dispensed first.

[0120] In this way, in the first storage section 200, an article can be put in from below and thrown out from above, and an article that is put in first into the first storage section 200 can be thrown out first.

[0121] Next, the replenishment of articles into each second storage section 500 of the second dispensing unit 20 will be described.

[0122] In the second dispensing unit 20, in addition to the normal replenishment process in which individual replenishment items prepared in advance are replenished into the second storage section 500, a disassembly replenishment process can be performed in which a set of items is dispensed from the first storage section 200, the set of items is disassembled, and the resulting individual items are replenished into the second storage section 500.

[0123] In each second storage section 500, the second counting section 520 periodically counts the number of items (single items), and outputs the counting result to the control section 710. When the remaining amount of items in any second storage section 500 becomes zero or falls below a predetermined number, the control section 710 notifies the operation input section 30 (operation display section 31) that the second storage section 500 needs to be replenished with items. At this time, the control section 710 checks the inventory quantity stored in the memory section 720 for the first storage section 200 that stores set items of the same type as the single items that need to be replenished. When the inventory quantity is greater than the predetermined number and there is no problem in releasing some of the set items for replenishment, the control section 710 notifies the operation input section 30 that a disassembly replenishment process is possible.

[0124] An operation input to start the replenishment process is performed by the staff member at the operation input unit 30. At this time, if the loose replenishment process is possible, it is possible to select whether to perform the normal replenishment process or the loose replenishment process. If the normal replenishment process is selected, the operation input unit 30 outputs a command to start the normal replenishment process to the control unit 710, and if the loose replenishment process is selected, a command to start the loose replenishment process is output to the control unit 710.

[0125] In addition, the control unit 710 performs authentication based on the PIN code entered into the operation input unit 30 or an ID card read by a reading unit (not shown) to confirm whether the operator has the authority, and will not start the replenishment process if the operator does not have the authority.

[0126] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the replenishment process executed by the control unit 710.

[0127] The control unit 710 determines whether the normal replenishment process or the loose replenishment process has been selected (S101).

[0128] When normal processing is selected (S101: normal replenishment), the control unit 710 unlocks the second door 120 by the second door locking mechanism 750 (S102). When the second door 120 is opened, the inside of each second storage unit 500 becomes accessible through the second opening 121.

[0129] The attendant inserts the individual items into the second storage section 500 that needs to be replenished through the insertion port 502. When the attendant has completed the replenishment of the individual items into the second storage section 500, he / she closes the second door 120 and performs an operation input on the operation input unit 30 to indicate that the replenishment is complete.

[0130] As a result, the control unit 710 determines that replenishment is complete (S103: YES), and the second counting unit 520 counts the number of single items in the second storage unit 500 (S104). Then, the control unit 710 updates the inventory quantity of the second storage unit 500 stored in the memory unit 720 to the counted number (S105).

[0131] Thereafter, the control unit 710 locks the second door 120 by the second door locking mechanism 750 (S106), thereby completing the refilling process.

[0132] Note that when it is determined that replenishment is complete, control unit 710 may lock second door 120. Furthermore, when second door 120 is closed, control unit 710 may detect the closure of second door 120 using a door open / close detection unit (not shown), and determine that replenishment is complete.

[0133] On the other hand, when the loose replenishment process is selected (S101: loose replenishment), the control unit 710 causes the first dispensing mechanism 300 to dispense the set items from the first storage unit 200, which stores set items of the same type as the single items to be replenished, to the first dispensing opening 140, and unlocks the second door 120 by the second door locking mechanism 750 (S107). The number of set items to be dispensed is, for example, a number that will ensure that no single items remain when the number of single items obtained by disassembly is replenished. The timing for unlocking the second door 120 may be before dispensing of the set items from the first storage unit 200 begins, during dispensing, or after dispensing is completed.

[0134] Next, the control unit 710 updates the inventory quantity of the set items in the first storage unit 200 so as to decrease it by the amount of the items dispensed (S108).

[0135] The attendant disassembles the set items that have been dispensed and places the resulting individual items into the second storage section 500 to be replenished through the insertion port 502. When the attendant has completed the replenishment of the individual items into the second storage section 500, he / she closes the second door 120 and performs an operation input on the operation input unit 30 to indicate that replenishment is complete.

[0136] As a result, the control unit 710 determines that replenishment is complete (S109: YES), and counts the number of single items in the second storage unit 500 using the second counting unit 520 (S110). The control unit 710 calculates the number of single items replenished to the second storage unit 500 by subtracting the number before replenishment from the counted number (S111). The control unit 710 then determines whether the replenishment number matches the number of single items obtained by disassembling the set (S112).

[0137] If the two quantities match (S112: YES), the control unit 710 updates the inventory quantity of the second storage unit 500 stored in the memory unit 720 to the counted number (S113). Then, the control unit 710 locks the second door 120 using the second door lock mechanism 750 (S106), and ends the replenishment process.

[0138] On the other hand, if the two quantities do not match (S112: NO), the control unit 710 causes the operation input unit 30 to notify the fact that the two quantities do not match (S114). Then, it again monitors whether replenishment is complete (S109). The attendant will then replenish correctly again and perform an operation input to indicate that replenishment is complete.

[0139] The article dispensing device 1 may be equipped with a camera that can monitor the work of an attendant disassembling the set of articles.

[0140] When it becomes necessary to replenish items in the first storage section 200 and the second storage section 500 at the same time, the control section 710 unlocks both the first door locking mechanism 740 and the second door locking mechanism 750 based on an operation input to the operation input section 30 to open the two doors, thereby enabling both the first door 110 and the second door 120 to be opened.

[0141] <Scrutiny of items> In the article dispensing device 1, the control unit 710 performs a reconciliation process periodically or in response to an operation input by an attendant on the operation input unit 30.

[0142] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the reconciliation process executed by the control unit 710.

[0143] The control unit 710 counts the number of stored items (sets) for all first storage units 200 using the first counting unit 250 (S201). Then, the control unit 710 determines whether the counted number matches the inventory quantity stored in the memory unit 720 for each first storage unit 200 (S202). If the counted number matches the inventory quantity for all first storage units 200 (S202: YES), the control unit 710 notifies the operation input unit 30 (operation display unit 31) that there is a match (S203). On the other hand, if the counted number does not match the inventory quantity for at least one first storage unit 200 (S202: NO), the control unit 710 notifies the operation input unit 30 that there is a mismatch and identifies the first storage unit 200 in which the mismatch occurs (S204).

[0144] Next, the control unit 710 counts the number of stored items (single items) for all second storage units 500 using the second counting unit 520 (S205). Then, the control unit 710 determines whether the counted number matches the inventory quantity stored in the memory unit 720 for each second storage unit 500 (S206). If the counted number matches the inventory quantity for all second storage units 500 (S206: YES), the control unit 710 notifies the operation input unit 30 that there is a match (S207). On the other hand, if the counted number does not match the inventory quantity for at least one second storage unit 500 (S206: NO), the control unit 710 notifies the operation input unit 30 that there is a mismatch and the second storage unit 500 in which the mismatch occurs (S208). This completes the reconciliation process.

[0145] In this way, by carrying out the inspection process, it is possible to confirm whether or not articles have been improperly removed from the first dispensing unit 10 and the second dispensing unit 20.

[0146] In addition to the full inspection as described above, it may be possible to perform a partial inspection consisting of only the inspection of the first dispensing unit 10, i.e., only the processing of S201 to S204 in Figure 12, or only the inspection of the second dispensing unit 20, i.e., only the processing of S205 to S208 in Figure 12.

[0147] Furthermore, in addition to performing such a detailed inspection of the inventory quantities of the first storage section 200 and the second storage section 500, a function may be performed to check whether the storage sections 200, 500 contain appropriate items, rather than empty boxes or other types of items. In this case, for example, a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the first storage section 200 or the second storage section 500 is disposed. The memory section 720 stores a table showing the relationship between the appropriate inventory quantity of items and the weight of the storage section. If the inventory quantity detected by the weight sensor differs from the weight of the storage section when the inventory quantity is held in the table, the control section 710 determines that an inappropriate item is contained and notifies this fact via the operation input section 30 (operation display section 31) or the like. This check function may be performed based on a predetermined operation input, periodically, or when replenishment of items is completed.

[0148] <Effects of the embodiment> According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved.

[0149] The item dispensing device 1 comprises a first dispensing unit 10 having a first storage section 200 in which items are stored and a first dispensing mechanism 300 for dispensing items in the first storage section 200 to a dispensing opening section 130, a second storage section 500 in which items are stored and a second dispensing mechanism 600 for dispensing items in the second storage section 500 to a dispensing opening section 130, and a second dispensing unit 20 located above the first dispensing unit 10, wherein the dispensing opening section 130 is located above the bottom of the first storage section 200 and below the top of the second storage section 500.

[0150] According to this configuration, the space below the dispensing opening 130 inside the device can be filled with the first storage section 200 of the first dispensing unit 10, so this space is less likely to become dead space. Therefore, there is no need to worry about the device becoming unnecessarily tall or the storage capacity of articles becoming reduced.

[0151] Furthermore, the dispensing port section 130 includes a first dispensing port 140 through which items are dispensed from the first storage section 200, and a second dispensing port 150 adjacent to the first dispensing port 140 through which items are dispensed from the second storage section 500.

[0152] According to this configuration, items in the first storage section 200 can be removed from the first outlet 140, and items in the second storage section 500 can be removed from the second outlet 150. Furthermore, since the first outlet 140 and the second outlet 150 are adjacent to each other, items can be removed at the same height.

[0153] Furthermore, the first storage section 200 has an inlet 202 through which items are inserted, below the top of the first storage section 200 from which the first dispensing mechanism 300 ejects items, and the first dispensing unit 10 has an item moving mechanism 400 that moves items that have been inserted through the inlet 202 and stored in the first storage section 200 to the top of the first storage section 200.

[0154] According to this configuration, items can be put in from the bottom and thrown out from the top in the first storage section 200. Therefore, items that are put in first in the first storage section 200 can be thrown out first, and old items are less likely to remain in the first storage section 200.

[0155] Furthermore, since the outlet section 130 and the drop-in port 202 of the first storage section 200 are provided on the same side of the item dispensing device 1, the item dispensing device 1 can be installed in an installation location surrounded by walls on three sides.

[0156] Furthermore, the article moving mechanism 400 has a stage 410 that is movable in the vertical direction and on which articles are loaded in the first storage section 200, and a biasing member 420 that biases the stage 410 upward.

[0157] According to this configuration, it is possible to move the stage 410 upward and move the article upward without supplying power to the article moving mechanism 400.

[0158] Furthermore, the first storage section 200 is provided with a holder 220 that protrudes into the first storage section 200 and holds an item placed on the stage 410 in a predetermined position when the stage 410 descends, and when the lowered stage 410 rises with an item loaded thereon, the holder 220 is pushed by the item placed on the stage 410 and moves away from above the item.

[0159] With this configuration, a new item can be inserted into the space between the previously stored item and the lowered stage 410, while the previously stored item remains in its predetermined position due to the holding of the holder 220. Then, by raising the stage 410, the inserted item can be moved above the predetermined position. This makes it possible to store the items in the first storage section 200 in the order in which they were inserted, at the top.

[0160] Furthermore, the first discharging mechanism 300 has a pusher 301 and a pusher moving mechanism 302 that moves the pusher 301 in a first direction toward the first discharging port 140 and in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the pusher 301 comes into contact with an article by moving in the first direction and pushes the article toward the discharging port section 130.

[0161] According to this configuration, the articles in the first storage section 200 can be pushed out of the first storage section 200 by the pusher 301, and can be discharged through the first dispensing opening 140.

[0162] Furthermore, the pusher moving mechanism 302 has a support part 353 that supports the pusher 301 so that it can rotate in a first direction but cannot rotate in a second direction from the basic position when the pusher 301 contacts the article.

[0163] According to this configuration, when the pusher 301, which is positioned at the specified position PF on the first direction side of the article, comes into contact with the article while moving in the second direction side of the article, it rotates in the first direction. This allows the pusher 301 to move in the second direction side of the article while avoiding the article. Furthermore, when the article is pushed out, even if a force in the second direction is applied to the pusher 301, the pusher 301 does not rotate in the second direction. Therefore, the pusher 301 can firmly push the article.

[0164] Furthermore, the first discharging mechanism 300 has a restricting mechanism M1 that restricts the rotation of the pusher 301 in the first direction from the basic position at the specified position PF.

[0165] According to this configuration, at the specified position PF, the pusher 301 blocks the first direction side of the article. This makes it impossible to manually pull out the article from the first direction side, thereby preventing the article from being improperly removed.

[0166] Furthermore, the item dispensing device 1 is equipped with a first door 110 for opening and closing a first opening 111 that exposes the first storage section 200 to the outside, a second door 120 for opening and closing a second opening 121 that exposes the second storage section 500 to the outside, a first door locking mechanism 740 that locks the first door 110, a second door locking mechanism 750 that locks the second door 120, and an operation input unit 30 that accepts operation input, and the control unit 710 unlocks either or both of the first door locking mechanism 740 and the second door locking mechanism 750 based on the operation input accepted by the operation input unit 30.

[0167] According to this configuration, when replenishing items only in the first storage section 200, only the first door 110 can be opened, and when replenishing items only in the second storage section 500, only the second door 120 can be opened. This prevents unauthorized access to the storage section of the first storage section 200 or the second storage section 500 that is not the target for replenishing items.

[0168] Furthermore, the item dispensing device 1 includes a memory unit 720 that stores the inventory numbers of items stored in the first storage unit 200 and the second storage unit 500, and a first counting unit 250 and a second counting unit 520 that count the number of items stored in the first storage unit 200 and the second storage unit 500, respectively, and the control unit 710 updates the inventory numbers in the memory unit 720 in accordance with the counting results of these counting units 250, 520 when replenishing or inspecting items. With this configuration, it is possible to know the number of items actually stored in the first storage unit 200 and the second storage unit 500 and manage the inventory numbers.

[0169] Furthermore, the control unit 710 executes a replenishment process, and in the replenishment process, based on a determination that a command to start the loose replenishment process has been received, causes the first dispensing mechanism 300 to dispense the set items from the first storage unit 200 and causes the second door locking mechanism 750 to unlock the second door 120, and based on a determination that the replenishment of individual items to the second storage unit 500 has been completed, causes the second counting unit 520 to count the number of individual items in the second storage unit 500 and updates the inventory quantity in the memory unit 720.

[0170] According to this configuration, even if the single item to be replenished is not ready, the second storage section 500 can be replenished with the single item obtained by disassembling a set of the same type dispensed from the first storage section 200. This prevents the sale of the single item from being suspended until the replenishment single item is ready. In addition, the number of single items in the second storage section 500 after replenishment can be managed as a new inventory in the memory section 720. Furthermore, if a set includes multiple types of single items, the multiple types of single items obtained by disassembling the set can be used to replenish the second storage section 500 in which each type of single item is stored, i.e., multiple second storage sections 500.

[0171] Furthermore, in the replenishment process, the control unit 710 determines whether the number of single items in the second storage unit 500 counted by the second counting unit 520 matches the number of single items obtained by breaking up the set of items dispensed from the first storage unit 200 to the first dispensing opening 140, and if they match, updates the inventory number in the memory unit 720, and if they do not match, executes processing to notify the fact that there is a mismatch. With this configuration, when all of the single items obtained from the set have not been replenished in the single item storage unit, it is possible to notify the outside.

[0172] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications other than those described above are possible for the embodiments of the present invention.

[0173] <Change example 1> 13(a) to 14(d) are diagrams illustrating a structure for counting the number of articles in the second storage section 500 according to the first modification.

[0174] In the above embodiment, the second counting unit 520 is disposed at the upper end of the second storage unit 500 in order to count the number of articles in the second storage unit 500.

[0175] In contrast, in modified example 1, in the second dispensing unit 20, i.e., each second dispensing module 21, a counting device 530 as a second counting section is arranged in front of the second storage section 500, i.e., on the side of the outlet 501 and the input port 502, at a predetermined distance from the second storage section 500.

[0176] 13(a), counting device 530 includes upward distance sensor 531 facing obliquely upward, downward distance sensor 532 facing obliquely downward, and movement mechanism 533 that moves these distance sensors 531, 532 up and down from the top to the bottom of second storage section 500. Upward distance sensor 531 and downward distance sensor 532 are, for example, TOF sensors. Movement mechanism 533 can be configured, for example, using a drive belt that moves up and down.

[0177] Stopper 510 provided on the front surface of second storage section 500 has an opening in the center in the left-right direction so that upward distance sensor 531 and downward distance sensor 532 can sense articles.

[0178] The corners of rectangular parallelepiped-shaped articles are rounded in an arc shape. Therefore, the rounded corners create a gap in the vertical direction between two articles stacked one above the other in the second storage section 500. Also, as shown in Fig. 13(a), the articles in the second storage section 500 may be stacked with some misalignment in the direction facing the counting device 530 (front-to-back direction).

[0179] As shown in FIG. 14(a), upward distance sensor 531 detects a gap caused by a corner between two items with the upper item protruding toward the sensor. As shown in FIG. 14(b), upward distance sensor 531 moves vertically and outputs a distance signal waveform to control unit 710 that varies depending on the distance to each item and includes a waveform portion representing the gap. If counting device 530 only has horizontally oriented distance sensors, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 14(a), there is a risk that the gap will be hidden when the upper item is crushed by the weight from above, as shown by the dashed line, and the distance sensor will not be able to detect it. Even in such cases, upward distance sensor 531 can detect the gap.

[0180] As shown in Fig. 14(c), downward distance sensor 532 detects a gap caused by a corner between two articles with the lower article protruding toward the sensor. As shown in Fig. 14(d), downward distance sensor 532 moves up and down and outputs a distance signal waveform to control unit 710 that varies depending on the distance to each article and includes a waveform portion corresponding to the gap.

[0181] The control unit 710 can obtain the number of items by reading and counting the gap waveform portions from the distance signal waveforms from both distance sensors 531 and 532. The number of items is the count number + 1.

[0182] If two adjacent articles are not misaligned in the direction facing counting device 530, both upward distance sensor 531 and downward distance sensor 532 can detect the gap, and therefore the gap waveform portion may be included in both distance signal waveforms, as shown in Figures 14(b) and 14(c). If the detected distances before and after the gap waveform portion are equal, control unit 710 counts only the gap waveform portion of one distance sensor, for example, upward distance sensor 531. This prevents duplicate counts and erroneous counting results.

[0183] According to the first modification, it is possible to count the number of articles with high accuracy by utilizing the gap that occurs between two articles stacked one above the other.

[0184] In the first dispensing module 11, a counting device having a similar configuration to the counting device 530 may be used instead of the first counting section 250.

[0185] <Change example 2> 15(a) to 15(c) are diagrams illustrating a structure for counting the number of articles in the second storage section 500 according to the second modification.

[0186] In the second modification, in each second dispensing module 21, a counting device 540 serving as a second counting unit is disposed at a predetermined distance from the second storage unit 500, in front of the second storage unit 500, i.e., on the side of the delivery port 501 and the input port 502. Furthermore, a rotation device 630 consisting of a motor or the like is provided, which rotates the second dispensing mechanism 600 so that the belt conveyor 610 can tilt from the horizontal direction.

[0187] The counting device 540 includes a distance sensor 541 facing horizontally and a movement mechanism 542 that moves the distance sensor 541 vertically from the top to the bottom of the second storage section 500. The distance sensor 541 is, for example, a TOF sensor. The movement mechanism 542 can be configured, for example, using a drive belt that moves vertically. A stopper 510 provided on the front of the second storage section 500 has an opening in the center in the left-right direction so that the distance sensor 541 can sense the articles.

[0188] When counting is performed by counting device 540, as shown in FIG. 15(b), belt conveyor 610 is tilted by rotation device 630 so that the counting device 540 side is higher. As a result, the articles loaded in second storage section 500 are tilted, and steps are generated between adjacent articles in the direction facing counting device 540. Distance sensor 541 moves up and down to detect each step. Then, as shown in FIG. 15(c), distance sensor 541 outputs a distance signal waveform that fluctuates depending on each step to control unit 710.

[0189] The control unit 710 can obtain the number of articles by counting the steps that appear in the distance signal waveform.

[0190] According to Modification 2, it is possible to count the number of items with high accuracy by utilizing the step that occurs between two items when stacked one above the other is tilted. Also, in Modification 2, the distance is more likely to fluctuate than in the gap that occurs between two items described in Modification 1, so it is easier to count the number of items using distance sensor 541.

[0191] In the first dispensing module 11, a counting device having a similar configuration to the counting device 540 may be used instead of the first counting section 250.

[0192] <Change example 3> 16(a) and 16(b) are a front view and a side view, respectively, of an article dispensing device 1 according to a third modified example.

[0193] The item dispensing device 1 of Modified Example 3 includes a second dispensing unit 40 in a second housing 100b, the second dispensing unit 40 having a different configuration from the second dispensing unit 20 of the above embodiment. The second dispensing unit 40 has a plurality of second storage sections 800 arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a first dispensing mechanism 900. Items (individual items) are stored in each second storage section 800, and the first dispensing mechanism 900 dispenses the items in each second storage section 800 into the second dispensing opening 160.

[0194] The first discharging mechanism 900 has a discharging mechanism 910 arranged in each second storage section 800 to discharge items from the second storage section 800, a receiving section 920 that receives the items discharged from the second storage section 800, and an XY transport mechanism 930 that moves the receiving section 920 horizontally and vertically to transport the items in the receiving section 920 to the second discharging opening 160. The second discharging opening 160 is composed only of a square opening 161 that is sized to correspond to the receiving section 920, and is provided below the second door 120 on the front surface of the second housing 100b. The second discharging opening 160, together with the first discharging opening 140, constitutes the discharging opening section 130.

[0195] 17(a) and (b) are a plan view and a side cross-sectional view of a second storage section 800 in which a sending-out mechanism 910 is arranged, according to Modification Example 3. FIG. 17(c) is a diagram for explaining the operation of sending out an article from the second storage section 800 by the sending-out mechanism 910, according to Modification Example 3.

[0196] The second storage section 800 is a column having a generally rectangular box shape that is long in the front-to-rear direction, and is open on the front, rear, and top. An opening 810 that extends in the front-to-rear direction is formed in a bottom surface 801 of the second storage section 800.

[0197] The delivery mechanism 910 includes a pusher 911, a drive belt 912, and a drive motor 913. The pusher 911 has a rectangular plate shape and is disposed in the second storage section 800. A guide portion 911a provided in the center of the lower end of the pusher 911 is housed in an opening 810 of the second storage section 800 and protrudes downward from the opening 810. The pusher 911 is movable in the front-to-rear direction by the guide portion 911a being guided by the opening 810.

[0198] The drive belt 912 extends in the front-rear direction below the second storage section 800 and includes two pulleys 912a, one at the front and one at the rear, and a belt 912b wound around these pulleys 912a. A drive motor 913 is connected to one of the pulleys 912a and drives the drive belt 912. A guide portion 911a of the pusher 911 is connected to the drive belt 912.

[0199] In the second storage section 800, a pusher 911 is disposed at the rear, and a plurality of articles (single articles) are stored in front of the pusher 911 so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction.

[0200] A second counting unit 820 is disposed at the rear end of the second storage unit 800. The second counting unit 820 has a configuration similar to that of the second counting unit 520 of the above embodiment, and detects the distance to the pusher 911, which changes depending on the number of articles in the second storage unit 800, and outputs the distance corresponding to the number of articles to the control unit 710 as the counting result.

[0201] 17(c), when the receiving section 920 is located in front of the second storage section 800, the drive belt 912 rotates forward due to the rotation of the drive motor 913, and the pusher 911 moves forward. All of the articles in the second storage section 800 are pushed by the pusher 911, and the foremost article is sent out from the second storage section 800 and stored in the receiving section 920.

[0202] 18(a) and (b) are respectively a front view and a side view of the receiving unit 920 and the XY transport mechanism 930 according to Modification Example 3. FIGS. 19(a) and (b) are respectively a plan view and a front cross-sectional view of the receiving unit 920 and the first transport unit 940 according to Modification Example 3.

[0203] The receiving unit 920 is, for example, a rectangular tray. The XY transport mechanism 930 includes a first transport unit 940 that moves the receiving unit 920 in the horizontal direction (left and right direction), and a second transport unit 950 that moves the receiving unit 920 together with the first transport unit 940 in the vertical direction (up and down direction).

[0204] The first conveying section 940 has a slider 942, two shafts 943, and a drive belt 944 inside a housing 941, and has a drive motor 945 outside the housing 941. The slider 942 is fixed to the bottom surface of the receiving section 920. The two shafts 943 extend in the left-right direction and support the slider 942 so that it can move horizontally (left-right). The drive belt 944 extends in the left-right direction and includes two pulleys 944a on the left and right and a belt 944b stretched between these pulleys 944a. The drive motor 945 is connected to one of the pulleys 944a and drives the drive belt 944. The slider 942 is connected to the drive belt 944.

[0205] In the first conveying section 940, when the drive belt 944 rotates in the left-right direction due to the rotation of the drive motor 945, the slider 942 moves in the left-right direction, and the receiving section 920 moves in the left-right direction.

[0206] The second transport section 950 includes a pair of left and right installation plates 951, a slider 952, a shaft 953, a drive belt 954, an upper rotation shaft 955, a lower rotation shaft 956, and a drive motor 957, which are arranged on each installation plate 951.

[0207] The left and right sliders 952 are fixed to the left and right ends of the first conveyor section 940. The left and right shafts 953 extend in the vertical direction and support the left and right sliders 952 so that they can move vertically (up and down). The left and right drive belts 954 extend in the vertical direction and include two pulleys 954a, one above the other, and a belt 954b stretched between these pulleys 954a. Each slider 952 is connected to each drive belt 954.

[0208] The upper rotating shaft 955 is connected to the upper left and right pulleys 954a. A gear 958 is provided on the upper rotating shaft 955. The lower rotating shaft 956 is connected to the lower left and right pulleys 954a. A drive motor 957 has a pinion 959 that meshes with the gear 958, and rotates the upper rotating shaft 955 to drive the left and right drive belts 954.

[0209] In the second conveyor 950, when the left and right drive belts 954 rotate vertically due to the rotation of the drive motor 957, the left and right sliders 952 move vertically, and the first conveyor 940 and receiving portion 920 move vertically.

[0210] In the article dispensing device 1 of the third modified example, the purchased article in the second storage section 800 is dispensed from the second storage section 800 to the second dispensing opening 160 by the sending mechanism 910, the receiving section 920 and the XY transport mechanism 930.

[0211] In the article dispensing device 1 of the third modified example, as in the above embodiment, the normal replenishment process and the loose replenishment process can be performed for the second storage section 800, and a detailed inspection can also be performed.

[0212] <Change Example 4> 20(a) and (b) are front views of the article dispensing device 1 according to the fourth modified example.

[0213] The item dispensing device 1 may be provided with a first dispensing unit 50 within the housing 100, i.e., within the first housing 100a, which has a plurality of first storage sections 1000 arranged in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a first dispensing mechanism 1100, similar to the second dispensing unit 40 of the third modified example described above.

[0214] The configuration of the first storage section 1000 is similar to the configuration of the second storage section 800 of the second dispensing unit 40. In the first storage section 1000, articles (set items) are stored side by side in the front-to-rear direction, for example, with their longitudinal directions aligned with the left-to-right direction.

[0215] The first discharging mechanism 1100 has a sending mechanism 1110 arranged in each first storage section 1000 to send out articles from the first storage section 1000, a receiving section 1120 that receives the articles sent out from the first storage section 1000, and an XY transport mechanism 1130 that moves the receiving section 1120 horizontally and vertically to transport the articles in the receiving section 1120 to the first discharging opening 170. The configurations of the sending mechanism 1110, the receiving section 1120 and the XY transport mechanism 1130 are similar to the configurations of the sending mechanism 910, the receiving section 920 and the XY transport mechanism 930 of the first discharging mechanism 900 of the second discharging unit 40.

[0216] The first throw-out opening 170 is configured only by a square opening 171 of a size corresponding to the receiving portion 1120 , and is provided at the top of the first door 110 .

[0217] Within the housing 100, the second dispensing unit 40 of the above-mentioned modified example 3 may be arranged above the first dispensing unit 50, as shown in Figure 20(a), or the second dispensing unit 20 of the above-mentioned embodiment may be arranged, as shown in Figure 20(b).

[0218] In the article dispensing device 1 of the fourth modified example, the purchased article in the first storage section 1000 is dispensed from the first storage section 1000 to the first dispensing opening 170 by the sending mechanism 1110, the receiving section 1120 and the XY transport mechanism 1130.

[0219] In the article dispensing device 1 of the fourth modified example, the first storage section 1000 can also be replenished with articles and inspected.

[0220] <Other change examples> The second dispensing unit 20 may not have a plurality of second dispensing modules 21 and a chute 22 on the rear side, and may be configured so that items are directly dispensed from the second storage section 500 of the plurality of second dispensing modules 21 on the front side to the second dispensing outlet 150 by the second dispensing mechanism 600.

[0221] Furthermore, the second ejection mechanism 600, like the first ejection mechanism 300, may be configured to have an extrusion body and an ejection body moving mechanism that moves the extrusion body in a first direction (forward direction) toward the ejection port portion (second ejection port) and in a second direction (rearward direction) opposite to the first direction.

[0222] Furthermore, the dispensing port section 130 may have openable and closable doors at the openings 141, 151 of the first dispensing port 140 and the second dispensing port 150. These doors may be locked by a locking mechanism until the items are dispensed.

[0223] Furthermore, the first dispensing opening 140 and the second dispensing opening 150 may be provided adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. Also, the dispensing opening section 130 may be configured to include only one dispensing opening. In this case, articles from both the first storage section 200 and the second storage section 500 are dispensed into the single dispensing opening.

[0224] Furthermore, the configurations of the first storage section and the second storage section are not limited to those of the above embodiment and modified example 3, and may be any configuration as long as they can store articles. Similarly, the first dispensing mechanism and the second dispensing mechanism are not limited to those of the above embodiment and modified example 3, and may be any configuration as long as they can store articles from the first storage section and the second storage section, respectively.

[0225] Furthermore, the article moving mechanism 400 of the first dispensing unit 10 may be configured to raise the stage 410 not by the biasing force of the biasing member 420 but by the driving force of a driving unit such as a motor.

[0226] Furthermore, when items are replenished in the first storage section 200 or when items are replenished in the second storage section 500 by the replenishment process shown in Figure 11, the number of items may not be counted by the first counting section 250 or the second counting section 520, but rather an attendant may input the number of items using the operation input section 30.

[0227] Furthermore, the item dispensing device 1 may be configured so that a single item is stored in the first storage section 200 and a set of items is stored in the second storage section 500. Also, the item dispensing device 1 may be configured so that both the first storage section 200 and the second storage section 500 store single items or set of items.

[0228] In addition, the embodiments of the present invention can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims.

[0229] The present embodiment includes the following techniques.

[0230] <Technology 1> An article dispensing device that dispenses articles stored in the device to the outside, A throw-out port portion; a single item storage section for storing a single item; a single item dispensing mechanism for dispensing the single item in the single item storage section to the dispensing port section; a set item storage section for storing a set of a plurality of single items; a set item dispensing mechanism for dispensing the set items in the set item storage section to the dispensing port section; a door for opening and closing an opening for allowing access to the single item storage section; a door lock mechanism for locking the door; a control unit, the control unit, based on a determination that a command to start the disassembly and replenishment process has been received, causes the set item dispensing mechanism to dispense the set items from the set item storage unit and causes the door locking mechanism to unlock the door. An article dispensing device characterized by:

[0231] According to this technology, even if the individual items to be replenished are not ready, the individual items obtained by disassembling a set item ejected from the set item storage section can be replenished in the individual item storage section.

[0232] <Technology 2> In the article dispensing device described in Technology 1, a storage unit that stores the number of individual items stored in the individual item storage unit; A counting unit that counts the number of single items stored in the single item storage unit, the control unit, based on a determination that the replenishment of the single items to the single item storage unit has been completed, causes the counting unit to count the number of single items in the single item storage unit, and updates the inventory number in the memory unit. An article dispensing device characterized by:

[0233] According to this technology, the number of single items in the single item storage section after replenishment can be managed in the memory section as a new inventory number.

[0234] <Technology 3> In the commodity trading device described in Technology 2, The control unit determining whether the number of single items in the single item storage section counted by the counting section matches the number of single items obtained by breaking apart the set of items discharged from the set item storage section to the discharge opening section; If they match, update the inventory quantity in the storage unit; If there is no match, a process is executed to notify the fact that there is no match. An article dispensing device characterized by:

[0235] According to this technique, when all of the individual items obtained from the set have not been replenished in the individual item storage section, this fact can be notified to the outside. [Explanation of symbols]

[0236] 1 Article dispensing device 10, 50 First throwing unit 20, 40 Second throwing unit 30 Operation input section 100 cabinets 110 Door 1 111 First Opening 120 Second Door (Door) 121 Second Opening (Opening) 130 Outlet section 140 1st outlet 150 2nd outlet 200, 1000 First storage section (set item storage section) 202 Inlet 220 Holding body 250 First Counting Department (Counting Department) 300, 1100 1st ejection mechanism 301 Extruded body 302 Extrusion body movement mechanism 353 Support part 400 Goods movement mechanism 410 Stage 420 biasing member 500, 800 Second storage section (single item storage section) 520, 820 Second Counting Department (Counting Department) 530, 540 Counting device (counting unit) 600, 900 2nd dispensing mechanism 710 Control Unit 720 Storage section 740 First door lock mechanism 750 Second door lock mechanism (door lock mechanism) 910, 1110 Delivery mechanism 920, 1120 Receiving part 930, 1130 XY transport mechanism M1 regulatory mechanism

Claims

1. An article dispensing device that dispenses articles stored in the device to the outside, A throw-out port portion; a first dispensing unit having a first storage section in which articles are stored and a first dispensing mechanism for dispensing the articles in the first storage section to the dispensing opening section; a second dispensing unit located above the first dispensing unit, the second dispensing unit having a second storage section in which articles are stored and a second dispensing mechanism for dispensing the articles in the second storage section to the dispensing opening section; The outlet portion is provided at a position higher than the bottom of the first storage portion and lower than the top of the second storage portion. An article dispensing device characterized by:

2. The article dispensing device according to claim 1, The outlet portion is a first outlet through which articles are discharged from the first storage section; a second outlet adjacent to the first outlet through which items are discharged from the second storage section, An article dispensing device characterized by:

3. 3. The article dispensing device according to claim 1, the first ejection mechanism ejects an article from the top of the first storage section, The first storage section is provided with an inlet below the uppermost section, through which an article is inserted; The first dispensing unit further includes an article moving mechanism that moves the article inserted through the insertion port and stored in the first storage section to the top. An article dispensing device characterized by:

4. The article dispensing device according to claim 3, The outlet portion and the input port are provided on the same side of the article dispensing device. An article dispensing device characterized by:

5. 5. The article dispensing device according to claim 3, The article moving mechanism includes: a stage that is movable in the vertical direction and on which items in the first storage section are loaded; and a biasing member that biases the stage upward. An article dispensing device characterized by:

6. The article dispensing device according to any one of claims 3 to 5, the article moving mechanism has a stage that is movable in the vertical direction on which the articles in the storage section are loaded, The first storage section is provided with a holder that protrudes into the first storage section and holds the article placed on the stage in a predetermined position when the stage is lowered, When the stage that has been lowered rises with an article placed on it, the holder is pushed by the article placed on the stage and retreats from above the article. An article dispensing device characterized by:

7. The article dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, At least one of the first ejection mechanism and the second ejection mechanism comprises: an extruded body; a push-out body moving mechanism that moves the push-out body in a first direction toward the outlet portion and a second direction opposite to the first direction, the pusher moves in the first direction to come into contact with the article and push the article toward the outlet portion. An article dispensing device characterized by:

8. The article dispensing device according to claim 7, the pusher moving mechanism has a support part that supports the pusher so that the pusher can rotate in the first direction but cannot rotate in the second direction from a basic posture at which the pusher contacts the article. An article dispensing device characterized by:

9. The article dispensing device according to claim 8, the pusher is movable in a first direction to a specified position closer to the outlet portion than the article before being pushed out, the at least one ejection mechanism has a restriction mechanism that restricts, at the specified position, rotation of the pusher body from the basic position toward the first direction; An article dispensing device characterized by:

10. 3. The article dispensing device according to claim 1, At least one of the first ejection mechanism and the second ejection mechanism comprises: a delivery mechanism that delivers an article from at least one of the first storage section and the second storage section; a receiving section for receiving an article delivered from the at least one storage section; an XY conveyance mechanism that moves the receiving section in horizontal and vertical directions to carry the article in the receiving section to the outlet section, An article dispensing device characterized by:

11. The article dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, a housing that covers the first dispensing unit and the second dispensing unit; a first door for opening and closing a first opening that exposes the first storage section in the housing to the outside; a second door for opening and closing a second opening that exposes the second storage section in the housing to the outside; a first door lock mechanism that locks the first door; a second door lock mechanism that locks the second door; an operation input unit that accepts operation input; a control unit that unlocks either or both of the first door lock mechanism and the second door lock mechanism based on the operation input received by the operation input unit, An article dispensing device characterized by:

12. The article dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, a storage unit configured to store the inventory number of items stored in at least one of the first storage unit and the second storage unit; a counting unit that counts the number of articles stored in at least one of the storage units; A control unit that updates the inventory quantity in the storage unit according to the counting result of the counting unit, An article dispensing device characterized by:

13. The article dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, a housing that covers the first dispensing unit and the second dispensing unit; a single item storage section which is either the first storage section or the second storage section and in which a single item is stored; a set item storage section which is the other of the first storage section and the second storage section and in which a set item made up of a plurality of single items is stored; a door for opening and closing an opening in the housing that exposes the single item storage section to the outside; a door lock mechanism for locking the door; a storage unit that stores the number of individual items stored in the individual item storage unit; a counting unit that counts the number of single items stored in the single item storage unit; a control unit, The control unit based on a determination that a command to start the loose replenishment process has been received, causing one of the first dispensing mechanism and the second dispensing mechanism corresponding to the set storage unit to dispense the set from the set storage unit, and causing the door locking mechanism to unlock the door; based on a determination that the replenishment of the single items to the single item storage section has been completed, the counting section counts the number of single items in the single item storage section, and updates the inventory number in the memory section; An article dispensing device characterized by:

14. The article dispensing device according to claim 13, The control unit determining whether the number of single items in the single item storage section counted by the counting section matches the number of single items obtained by breaking apart the set of items discharged from the set item storage section to the discharge opening section; If they match, update the inventory quantity in the storage unit; If there is no match, a process is executed to notify the fact that there is no match. An article dispensing device characterized by:

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