Hygiene product supply device

Abstract

To provide a more convenient hygiene product dispensing device that can provide hygiene products of different sizes. [Solution] The hygiene product dispensing device comprises a housing for stacking and storing multiple hygiene products, an opening for dispensing the hygiene products located at the bottom of the front of the housing, and a bottom plate located inside the housing that moves in the front-rear direction on which the hygiene products rest. The bottom plate is configured to move forward so that the bottommost of the multiple hygiene products can be guided to the opening. When the thickness of the hygiene products is smaller, the bottom plate moves with a smaller inclination angle, and when the thickness of the hygiene products is larger, the bottom plate moves with a larger inclination angle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technology of a hygiene product providing device for providing hygiene products such as sanitary products.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a hygiene product providing device for providing hygiene products such as sanitary products has been known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a dispenser for providing hygiene products to a user, which includes a storage unit for storing the hygiene products, a discharge unit for discharging the hygiene products stored in the storage unit from the storage unit, and a control unit for operating the discharge unit to discharge the hygiene products when there is a request from the user for providing the hygiene products and the request is valid.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a more convenient hygiene product providing device that can provide hygiene products of different sizes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A sanitary product dispensing device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a housing for stacking and storing a plurality of sanitary products, an opening for dispensing the sanitary products located at the lower part of the front of the housing, and a bottom plate located inside the housing that moves in the front-rear direction on which the sanitary products rest. The bottom plate is configured to move forward so that the sanitary product located at the bottom of the plurality of sanitary products can be guided to the opening. When the thickness of the sanitary products is smaller, the bottom plate moves with a smaller inclination angle, and when the thickness of the sanitary products is larger, the bottom plate moves with a larger inclination angle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, a sanitary product dispensing device can provide sanitary products of different thicknesses. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the external configuration of a hygiene product dispensing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the shutter of the sanitary supplies dispensing device in the open position. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a front view showing the shutter of the sanitary product dispensing device in the open position. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the AA line portion of the hygiene product dispensing device. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the sanitary product dispensing device with the front component removed. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of a sanitary product dispensing device just before the shutter of the dispensing opening opens. [Figure 7] This is a side view showing the internal configuration of a hygiene product dispensing device designed to accommodate thick sanitary products. [Figure 8] This is a side view showing the configuration around the base plate when storing thin sanitary products. [Figure 9] This is a side view showing the configuration around the base plate when accommodating thick sanitary products. [Figure 10] This is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of a hygiene product dispensing device designed to accommodate sanitary products that are small in depth and thin. [Figure 11] This is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of a hygiene product dispensing device designed to accommodate sanitary products that are large in depth and thin. [Figure 12] This is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of a hygiene product dispensing device designed to accommodate large and thick sanitary products. [Figure 13] This is a side view illustrating the operation of the shutter and bottom plate when a thin sanitary product is stored inside. [Figure 14] This is a side view illustrating the operation of the shutter and bottom plate when a thin sanitary product is stored inside. [Figure 15] This is a side view illustrating the operation of the shutter and bottom plate when a thin sanitary product is stored inside. [Figure 16] This is a side view illustrating the operation of the shutter and bottom plate when a thin sanitary product is stored inside. [Figure 17] This is a side view illustrating the operation of the shutter and bottom plate when a thin sanitary product is stored inside. [Figure 18] This is a schematic diagram showing an example of a bottom plate angle adjustment mechanism provided in a hygiene product dispensing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 19] This is a schematic diagram showing another example of a bottom plate angle adjustment mechanism provided in a hygiene product dispensing device according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions of them will not be repeated.

[0009] <First Embodiment> In this embodiment, for example, a sanitary product providing device for providing sanitary products such as sanitary articles, disposable diapers, tissue papers, etc. will be described. More specifically, a sanitary product providing device 1 suitable for providing a sanitary article, which is an example of a sanitary product, will be described. The sanitary product providing device 1 is installed, for example, in an individual room of a dressing room or near a washbasin in a facility used by an unspecified large number of people (such as a public facility, a restaurant, a shopping center, a hotel, a station, etc.), and can provide sanitary articles to the users of the dressing room.

[0010] (Overall configuration of the sanitary product providing device) First, the overall configuration of the sanitary product providing device 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as the providing device 1) according to this embodiment will be described. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the appearance of the providing device 1. FIG. 1 shows a state where the shutter 55 of the take-out opening 21 of the sanitary article is closed. FIG. 2 shows a state where the shutter 55 of the take-out opening 21 is open. FIG. 3 is a front view of the providing device 1 in a state where the shutter 55 of the take-out opening 21 is open. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration inside the housing 50 of the providing device 1, and is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the A-A line portion of the providing device 1 shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 shows the configuration inside the housing 50 with the front member 51 removed.

[0011] The outer shape of the providing device 1 is mainly formed by a housing 50 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 50 has a front portion 50a, an upper portion 50b, side portions 50c, a rear portion 50d, and a bottom portion 50e. In this embodiment, the front portion 50a is formed by a front member 51, and the rear portion is formed by a rear member 52. The front member 51 and the rear member 52 are configured to be removable from the main body portion of the housing 50 that forms the upper portion 50b, the left side portion 50c, and the right side portion 50c, etc.

[0012] Multiple sanitary products 90, 90, ... are stored inside the housing 50 in a stacked state (see Figure 4). The dispensing device 1 according to this embodiment is capable of dispensing sanitary products of different sizes, but it is preferable that the multiple sanitary products stored in the housing 50 at one time are of the same size. For example, Figure 4 shows an example in which multiple relatively thin sanitary products 90 (for example, sanitary products with a thickness of less than 1 cm) are stored.

[0013] A dispensing opening 21 for sanitary products 90 is provided at the lower part of the front portion 50a of the housing 50. The dispensing opening 21 is formed by opening a part of the front member 51.

[0014] Here, the lower part of the front portion 50a refers to the area below the center of the housing 50 in the height direction. For example, it is preferable that the dispensing opening 21 is located within 20 cm from the bottom portion 50e of the housing 50. Furthermore, the dispensing opening 21 is positioned to correspond to the location of the lowest sanitary product 90a among the multiple sanitary products 90 housed inside the housing 50 (see Figure 4).

[0015] A front guide member 31 is provided behind the front member 51 inside the housing 50 (see Figure 5). The front guide member 31 is located above the dispensing opening 21 and can assist in guiding the sanitary products 90a to the dispensing opening 21.

[0016] The dispensing opening 21 is provided with a shutter 55 that shields the dispensing opening 21. The shutter 55 is configured to be movable vertically by a shutter drive motor 61 provided in the dispensing device 1. For example, the shutter 55 moves vertically in response to the detection result of a human presence sensor (not shown) located near the dispensing opening 21 to open and close the dispensing opening 21.

[0017] The housing 50 is provided with a bottom plate 40 that moves in the front-to-back direction on which the sanitary products 90 are placed. The bottom plate 40 is configured to move in the front-to-back direction by a bottom plate drive motor 62 provided in the dispensing device 1. For example, by moving the bottom plate 40 forward, it is configured to guide the sanitary product 90a located at the bottom of the multiple sanitary products 90 to the dispensing opening 21.

[0018] When the motion sensor detects a user's hand, the control unit (not shown) in the dispensing device 1 operates the shutter drive motor 61 to move the shutter 55 upward. This opens the dispensing opening 21, exposing the bottommost sanitary product 90a that is ready for dispensing (standby) inside the housing 50 (see Figure 2). Here, "the bottommost sanitary product 90a is in standby" means, for example, that the tip of the sanitary product 90a is in contact with or close to the back of the closed shutter 55.

[0019] When the shutter 55 opens, the user can remove one sanitary product from the dispensing device 1 by pulling the sanitary product 90a exposed from the dispensing opening 21 towards them. Once the removal of the sanitary product 90a is complete, the control unit operates the shutter drive motor 61 again to move the shutter 55 downward.

[0020] Incidentally, hygiene products such as sanitary napkins and disposable diapers vary considerably in size (e.g., thickness, length, and width) depending on the manufacturer and product. For example, the thickness of sanitary napkins varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer and from product to product, depending on their intended use and lifespan. If it becomes possible to provide multiple types of sanitary napkins with different thicknesses, the convenience of the dispensing device 1 will be improved.

[0021] The dispensing device 1 according to this embodiment can dispense sanitary products of different sizes by varying the angle of the bottom plate 40 according to the size of the sanitary products contained in the housing 50. The following describes the configuration of such a bottom plate 40 in more detail.

[0022] (Configuration of the bottom plate inside the enclosure) Figure 6 shows the internal configuration of the dispensing device 1 when a thinner sanitary napkin 90 is stored inside. In Figure 6, the bottommost sanitary napkin 90a is shown in the state of being ready to be removed (standby) inside the housing 50. Figure 7 shows the internal configuration of the dispensing device 1 when a thicker sanitary napkin is stored inside. Figure 8 shows the configuration around the bottom plate 40 when a thin sanitary napkin 90 is stored inside. Figure 9 shows the configuration around the bottom plate 40 when a thick sanitary napkin 190 (for example, a sanitary napkin with a thickness greater than 1 cm) is stored inside.

[0023] The base plate 40 holds multiple stacked sanitary products 90. As described above, the base plate 40 is configured to be movable in the front-to-back direction by a base plate drive motor 62. By moving forward, the base plate 40 can guide the sanitary product 90a located at the bottom of the multiple sanitary products 90 to the dispensing opening 21.

[0024] When a sanitary napkin 90 with a smaller thickness is placed inside the housing 50, the bottom plate 40 moves at a smaller inclination angle (see Figure 8). Conversely, when a sanitary napkin 190 with a larger thickness is placed inside the housing 50, the bottom plate 40 moves at a larger inclination angle (see Figure 9).

[0025] In this embodiment, the base plate 40 includes a first base plate member 41 and a second base plate member 42. Both the first base plate member 41 and the second base plate member 42 are configured to be movable in the front-rear direction. The first base plate member 41 is located below and slightly in front of the second base plate member 42. The second base plate member 42 is positioned on top of the first base plate member 41 and slides back and forth on top of the first base plate member 41.

[0026] The inclination angle of the first base plate member 41 remains constant regardless of the size of the sanitary product. It then moves back and forth in a nearly horizontal position in accordance with the operation of the base plate drive motor 62.

[0027] The inclination angle of the second bottom plate member 42 can be changed in multiple stages according to the thickness of the sanitary products. In this embodiment, the inclination angle of the second bottom plate member 42 is changed manually. For example, the inclination position of the second bottom plate member 42 can be predetermined for each type of sanitary product, and when the type of sanitary product to be stored in the housing 50 is determined, the worker can change the inclination angle of the second bottom plate member 42 by setting it to the predetermined inclination position. Then, with the second bottom plate member 42 set at the predetermined inclination angle, multiple sanitary products of the selected type can be placed inside the housing 50.

[0028] Furthermore, a projection 43 is provided at the rear end of the base plate 40 to push the sanitary product forward. In this embodiment, the projection 43 is provided at the rear end of the second base plate member 42 located on the rear side. The projection 43 contacts the rear end of the lowest sanitary product 90a (see Figure 6, etc.). As a result, when the second base plate member 42 moves forward, the projection 43 pushes the sanitary product 90a forward.

[0029] Preferably, the height of the projection 43 is set to be approximately the same as the thickness of one sanitary product 90 housed in the housing 50. This allows only one sanitary product to be pushed forward when the second bottom plate member 42 moves forward, putting it in a ready-to-remove (standby) state.

[0030] Therefore, the second bottom plate member 42 may include multiple types with different heights of projections 43. This allows for the selection and installation of an appropriate type of second bottom plate member 42 according to the size (especially the thickness) of the sanitary products stored in the housing 50, ensuring that only one sanitary product is pushed forward regardless of the size of the product stored.

[0031] The position of the projection 43 in the front-to-back direction may be configured to be movable. This allows the projection 43 to be positioned appropriately according to the front-to-back length (depth dimension) of the sanitary products housed in the housing 50, thereby enabling sanitary products of various sizes to be pushed forward. Alternatively, the second bottom plate member 42 having the projection 43 may be configured to be movable in the front-to-back direction. This allows the projection 43 to be positioned appropriately according to the depth dimension of the sanitary products housed in the housing 50.

[0032] Above the dispensing opening 21, an inclined section 32 is provided to guide the lowest sanitary product 90a to the dispensing opening 21. In this embodiment, the inclined section 32 is formed from a part of the front guide member 31 (specifically, the lower end) (see Figure 4). With such an inclined section 32 provided, the leading edge of the sanitary product pushed forward by the bottom plate 40 hits the inclined section 32, and the sanitary product is guided to the dispensing opening 21 along the inclination direction of the inclined section 32.

[0033] Furthermore, it is preferable that a flexible sheet-like member 44 is provided below the inclined portion 32 (see Figure 7, etc.). The sheet-like member 44 is attached to the front end of the base plate 40. As a result, the sheet-like member 44 acts as a base for the sanitary napkin 90a that is pushed forward while placed on the base plate 40. The sheet-like member 44 is made of a material that is softer than the hardness of the inclined portion 32 and has enough flexibility to hold the sanitary napkin in a flexed state.

[0034] The sheet-like member 44 is positioned below the sanitary napkin 90a when the napkin 90a is pushed forward, supporting the lower surface of the napkin 90a. This allows the napkin 90a to be held in front of the dispensing opening 21, sandwiched between the inclined portion 32 and the sheet-like member 44, when the napkin 90a is ready for dispensing (standby). Therefore, when the shutter 55 opens, the napkin 90a can be exposed at the appropriate position in the dispensing opening 21, allowing the user to smoothly remove the napkin 90a.

[0035] Furthermore, the supply device 1 has a rear support member 45 that extends vertically at the rear of the housing 50. In this embodiment, the front-to-back position of this rear support member 45 is configured to be movable.

[0036] With the configuration described above, the dispensing device 1 can handle the provision of sanitary products of various sizes.

[0037] Figure 10 shows the internal configuration of the dispensing device 1 when accommodating sanitary products that are small in depth and thin. As shown in Figure 10, the bottom plate 40 (first bottom plate member 41 and second bottom plate member 42) is located towards the front, and the second bottom plate member 42 is in a nearly horizontal position. Also, the rear support member 45 is located slightly further forward compared to the configuration shown in Figure 11 and other figures.

[0038] Figure 11 shows the internal configuration of the dispensing device 1 when accommodating sanitary products that are large in depth and thin. As shown in Figure 11, the bottom plate 40 (first bottom plate member 41 and second bottom plate member 42) is located on the rear side, and the second bottom plate member 42 is in a nearly horizontal position. The rear support member 45 is also located on the rear side.

[0039] Figure 12 shows the internal configuration of the dispensing device 1 when accommodating sanitary products that are large in depth and thick. As shown in Figure 12, the bottom plate 40 (first bottom plate member 41 and second bottom plate member 42) is located on the rear side, and the second bottom plate member 42 is inclined. The rear support member 45 is also located on the rear side.

[0040] (Shutter and bottom plate operation) Next, the operation of the shutter 55 and bottom plate 40 inside the dispensing device 1 will be explained. Here, the operation will be explained using the example of when a thin sanitary napkin 90 is stored inside the dispensing device 1.

[0041] Figures 13 to 17 sequentially show the operation of each component within the dispensing device 1 from the time that sanitary product 90a, which is in a ready-to-dispensing (standby) state, is taken out until the next sanitary product 90b is ready to be dispensed (standby).

[0042] When the sanitary napkin 90a, located at the bottom of the dispensing device 1, is ready to be taken out, as shown in Figure 13, the shutter 55 is closed, the bottom plate 40 is positioned forward, and the tip of the sanitary napkin 90a is close to the back of the shutter 55.

[0043] Subsequently, when a user who desires sanitary products places their hand near the dispensing opening 21 of the dispensing device 1, the motion sensor detects the user's hand, and the control unit (not shown) inside the dispensing device 1 operates the shutter drive motor 61, moving the shutter 55 upward. As a result, as shown in Figure 14, the dispensing opening 21 opens, and the bottommost sanitary product 90a, which is ready for dispensing (standby) inside the housing 50, is exposed.

[0044] Subsequently, when the user removes the sanitary napkin 90a from the dispensing device 1 (see Figure 15), the control unit in the dispensing device 1 operates the shutter drive motor 61 again to move the shutter 55 downward and close it (see Figure 16). The downward movement of the shutter 55 may be initiated after a predetermined time has elapsed since the shutter 55 was opened, or it may be initiated when the sensor detects that the sanitary napkin 90a has been completely removed.

[0045] After the shutter 55 closes, the control unit operates the bottom plate drive motor 62 to move the bottom plate 40 backward. As a result, as shown in Figure 17, the rear end of the second bottom plate member 42 (the part where the projection 43 is provided) moves backward to approximately the same position as the rear support member 45. As a result, the sanitary napkin 90b, which was previously positioned one position above the sanitary napkin 90a inside the housing 50, falls onto the upper surface of the second bottom plate member 42. That is, the sanitary napkin 90b is now positioned at the same position as the sanitary napkin 90a shown in Figure 8.

[0046] Then, from the state shown in Figure 8, the control unit operates the bottom plate drive motor 62 again to move the bottom plate 40 forward. This puts the next sanitary product 90b to be taken out into standby position behind the dispensing opening 21 (see Figure 6). In this state, the unit prepares to provide the sanitary product 90 to the next user.

[0047] In the dispensing device 1, the shutter 55 and bottom plate 40 operate as described above, allowing one sanitary product to be provided to a user who requests one. Then, when a user who needs another sanitary product 90 appears, the user can place their hand near the dispensing opening 21 of the dispensing device 1 in the same manner as described above, causing the shutter 55 to open and allowing them to immediately take out the sanitary product 90b that is waiting on the back of the shutter 55.

[0048] The above description explains the operation of the shutter 55 and bottom plate 40 when providing thin sanitary products 90, but even when thick sanitary products 190 are contained in the dispensing device 1, the shutter 55 and bottom plate 40 operate in generally the same manner as described above.

[0049] (Summary of the first embodiment) As described above, the hygiene product dispensing device 1 according to this embodiment includes a housing 50 for stacking and storing multiple hygiene products (for example, sanitary napkins 90, 190, etc.), a hygiene product dispensing opening 21 located at the bottom of the front portion 50a of the housing 50, and a bottom plate 40 located inside the housing 50 that moves in the front-rear direction on which the hygiene products are placed. The bottom plate 40 is configured to move forward so that the bottommost hygiene product among the multiple hygiene products (for example, sanitary napkins 90a) can be guided to the dispensing opening 21. When the thickness of the hygiene product is smaller (for example, in the case of sanitary napkins 90), the bottom plate 40 (specifically, the second bottom plate member 42) moves with a smaller inclination angle, and when the thickness of the hygiene product is larger (for example, in the case of sanitary napkins 190), the bottom plate 40 (specifically, the second bottom plate member 42) moves with a larger inclination angle.

[0050] According to the above configuration, thin sanitary products are pushed out with a shallow incline on the bottom plate, and thicker sanitary products are pushed out with a steeper incline on the bottom plate. In this way, the sanitary product dispensing device 1 according to this embodiment can appropriately provide users with sanitary products of different sizes by varying the incline of the bottom plate 40 according to the size (e.g., thickness) of the sanitary products stored in the housing 50.

[0051] According to the sanitary product dispensing device 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to accommodate products of different sizes in a simpler way by changing the angle of the bottom plate according to the size of the sanitary product. As a result, a single sanitary product can be appropriately dispensed by the simple up-and-down movement of the shutter 55, without having to make fine adjustments to the size of the opening of the dispensing opening 21, such as adjusting the degree to which the shutter 55 is opened.

[0052] <Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the first embodiment, a configuration in which the inclination angle of the base plate is changed in two stages, a horizontal state and an inclined state, was described as an example, but the inclination angle of the base plate may be changed in more than two stages. In the second embodiment, an example configuration having an angle changing mechanism in which the inclination angle of the base plate is changed in three stages will be described. Note that the same configuration as in the first embodiment can be applied to the components other than the angle changing mechanism of the base plate.

[0053] The housing 50 of the sanitary product dispensing device 1 according to the second embodiment is provided with a bottom plate 140 on which sanitary products 90 are placed and which moves in the front-to-back direction. Figure 18 shows an example of an angle changing mechanism for the bottom plate 140.

[0054] The base plate 140 includes a first base plate member 141, a second base plate member 142, a link 146, and a joint 147. The first base plate member 141 and the second base plate member 142 are connected to the link 146 via the joint 147. As a result, the second base plate member 142 is held at multiple different inclination angles relative to the first base plate member 141, which is in a substantially horizontal position.

[0055] When a thinner sanitary product (for example, sanitary product 90) is stored inside the housing 50, the second bottom plate member 142 is in a nearly horizontal position, similar to the first bottom plate member 141 (see Figure 18(a)). In this state, the sanitary product located at the bottom of the housing 50 is removed and moved forward to be ready (standby).

[0056] When a sanitary product of moderate thickness (for example, a sanitary product having a thickness between that of product 90 and product 190) is stored inside the housing 50, the second bottom plate member 142 is moderately inclined relative to the first bottom plate member 141 (for example, at an angle of 15 degrees to 45 degrees) (see Figure 18(b)). In this state, the sanitary product located at the bottom of the housing 50 is removed and moved forward to be ready (standby).

[0057] When a thicker sanitary product (e.g., sanitary product 190) is stored inside the housing 50, the second bottom plate member 142 is tilted significantly relative to the first bottom plate member 141 (for example, at an angle of 45 degrees to 60 degrees) (see Figure 18(c)). In this state, the sanitary product located at the bottom of the housing 50 is removed and moved forward to be ready (standby).

[0058] Figure 19 shows another example of the angle adjustment mechanism for the bottom plate 140 provided in the supplying device 1 according to this embodiment.

[0059] The base plate 140 shown in Figure 19 comprises a first base plate member 241, a second base plate member 242, and a gear 246. The first base plate member 241 and the second base plate member 242 are connected by a gear 246 located at the front end of each member. As a result, the second base plate member 242 is held at multiple different inclination angles relative to the first base plate member 241, which is in a substantially horizontal position.

[0060] When a thinner sanitary product (for example, sanitary product 90) is stored inside the housing 50, the second bottom plate member 242 is in a nearly horizontal position, similar to the first bottom plate member 241 (see Figure 19(a)). In this state, the sanitary product located at the bottom of the housing 50 is removed and moved forward to be ready (standby).

[0061] When a sanitary product of moderate thickness (for example, a sanitary product having a thickness between that of product 90 and product 190) is housed in the housing 50, the second bottom plate member 242 is moderately inclined relative to the first bottom plate member 241 (for example, at an angle of 15 degrees to 45 degrees) (see Figure 19(b)). In this state, the sanitary product located at the bottom of the housing 50 is removed and moved forward to be ready (standby).

[0062] When a thicker sanitary product (e.g., sanitary product 190) is stored inside the housing 50, the second bottom plate member 242 is tilted significantly relative to the first bottom plate member 241 (for example, at an angle of 45 degrees to 60 degrees) (see Figure 19(c)). In this state, the sanitary product located at the bottom of the housing 50 is removed and moved forward to be ready (standby).

[0063] As described above, in the hygiene product dispensing device 1 according to this embodiment, the inclination angle of the base plate 140 can be changed in three stages, making it possible to appropriately provide a wider variety of sanitary products of different thicknesses. Therefore, a more convenient hygiene product dispensing device 1 can be provided. Furthermore, by using the angle changing mechanism shown in Figures 18 and 19, it becomes possible to adjust the inclination angle in more stages than just three stages. Therefore, a hygiene product dispensing device 1 that can be adjusted more precisely according to the type of sanitary product can be obtained.

[0064] (summary) A hygiene product dispensing device according to one aspect of the present invention (for example, hygiene product dispensing device 1) comprises a housing (for example, housing 50) for stacking and storing a plurality of hygiene products (for example, sanitary napkins 90, 190), an opening for dispensing the hygiene products (for example, opening 21) located at the bottom of the front part (for example, front part 50a) of the housing, and a bottom plate (for example, bottom plate 40) located inside the housing and moving in the front-rear direction on which the hygiene products are placed. The bottom plate is configured to move forward so that the bottommost hygiene product among the plurality of hygiene products (for example, sanitary napkins 90a) can be guided to the opening. When the thickness of the hygiene product is smaller (for example, in the case of sanitary napkins 90), the bottom plate moves with a smaller inclination angle, and when the thickness of the hygiene product is larger (for example, in the case of sanitary napkins 190), the bottom plate moves with a larger inclination angle.

[0065] In the hygiene product dispensing device (for example, hygiene product dispensing device 1) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a projection (for example, projection 43) for pushing the hygiene product forward is provided at the rear end of the bottom plate (for example, bottom plate 40, second bottom plate member 42, bottom plate 140), and the position of the projection in the front-rear direction may be configured to be movable.

[0066] In the above-described aspect of the present invention, a sanitary product dispensing device (for example, sanitary product dispensing device 1), the inclination angle of the bottom plate (for example, bottom plate 40, second bottom plate member 42, bottom plate 140) may be adjustable in multiple stages.

[0067] In a hygiene product dispensing device (for example, hygiene product dispensing device 1) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, an inclined portion (for example, an inclined portion 32) for guiding the hygiene product to the dispensing opening (for example, dispensing opening 21) may be provided above the dispensing opening.

[0068] In the hygiene product dispensing device (for example, hygiene product dispensing device 1) according to one aspect of the present invention described above, a flexible sheet-like member (for example, a sheet-like member 44) for supporting the hygiene product may be provided below the inclined portion (for example, the inclined portion 32).

[0069] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1: Hygiene supply device 21: Dispensing opening 31: Front guide member 32: Inclined portion of the front guide member (inclined portion) 40: Bottom plate 41: First bottom plate member 42: Second bottom plate member 43: Protrusion 44: Sheet-like member 45: Rear support member 50: Cabinet 51: Front component 52: Rear component 55: Shutter 61: Shutter drive motor 62: Motor for driving the base plate 90: Thin sanitary products (hygiene products) 140: Bottom plate 190: Thick sanitary products (hygiene products)

Claims

1. A housing for stacking and storing multiple hygiene products, The opening for dispensing the sanitary products is located at the lower part of the front of the housing, A bottom plate is placed inside the housing and moves in the front-to-back direction on which the sanitary products are placed. Equipped with, The bottom plate is configured to move forward, thereby guiding the lowest of the multiple sanitary products to the dispensing opening. When the thickness of the aforementioned sanitary product is smaller, the base plate is moved with a smaller inclination angle. When the thickness of the aforementioned sanitary product is greater, the base plate moves with a greater inclination angle. Hygiene supply device.

2. The rear end of the base plate is provided with a projection for pushing the sanitary product forward. The position of the projection in the front-rear direction is configured to be movable. A device for providing sanitary products as described in claim 1.

3. The inclination angle of the base plate can be adjusted in multiple stages. A device for providing sanitary products as described in claim 1.

4. Above the aforementioned dispensing opening, an inclined section is provided to guide the sanitary products to the dispensing opening. A device for providing sanitary products as described in claim 1.

5. Below the inclined portion, a flexible sheet-like member is provided to support the sanitary product. The hygiene product dispensing device according to claim 4.

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