Hot food vending machine

Abstract

To provide a vending machine that sells warm food kept at an appropriate temperature. [Solution] A vending machine for warm food, characterized in that it comprises a chain conveyor consisting of two left and right roller chains that rotate vertically within the warm storage chamber, facing a front frame which serves as the opening and closing door for the warm storage chamber of a vending machine body that is roughly rectangular in shape and surrounded by an outer frame made of a front frame, a tray hanging shelf in which multiple trays are arranged in a horizontal row and whose ends are rotatably supported by the two roller chains that make up the chain conveyor, a heating device that heats the temperature inside the warm storage chamber to a suitable temperature for warming, and the front frame at least having an opening with an opening door for taking out warm food placed on the trays, a display that displays information about the warm food placed on the trays, and a designation means for specifying the warm food to be purchased from the display.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vending machine for warm food products, which can sell various warm food products such as boxed meals packed in packaging containers to consumers in a warm and delicious state without impairing their flavor.

[0002] Conventionally, foods such as boxed meals cooked in food preparation workshops such as kitchens are cooled to approximately room temperature, then packed into lunch boxes, packaged, frozen, and purchased by end consumers as frozen foods. Such purchases may be made by inserting coins into a frozen food vending machine or the like, or by taking the food out of a refrigeration or freezing unit installed at a storefront. In any case, consumers take the food home in a frozen state, thaw it in a microwave oven or the like immediately before eating, reheat it to restore the natural state of the food before freezing, and then eat it. However, even when the above-mentioned conventional frozen foods are heated in a microwave oven, immersed in water or hot water, or naturally thawed, in addition to requiring time for these processes from pre-eating thawing to reheating immediately before eating, there is a problem that the umami and flavor of ingredients seasoned in the kitchen are impaired, making it impossible to enjoy the food sufficiently deliciously.

[0003] Therefore, recently, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a system has been proposed in which warm packaged foods cooked and manufactured in food manufacturing workshops such as kitchens are transferred to a warm packaged food vending machine while maintaining the warm temperature thereof for sale. In addition, Patent Document 2 previously proposed by the present applicant also proposes the use of a vending machine for warm packaged foods in addition to an efficient conveying system for warm packaged foods. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] CN114882635A [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application No.2024-193915 [Summary of the Invention] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, the aforementioned conventional patent documents do not disclose any specific vending machines for hot packaged foods. Therefore, when selling, there is a problem in that an inefficient sales method must be adopted, in which hot packaged foods manufactured in the same way as in the conventional method are placed on shelves in a temperature-controlled storage room, and then manually taken from the shelves and handed to the customer upon order.

[0006] In view of these circumstances, this invention aims to provide a vending machine for hot food (including hot packaged food) that can also be applied to the vending machines for hot food described in the two patent documents mentioned above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To achieve the above objective, the vending machine for warm food is characterized by comprising: a chain conveyor consisting of two left and right roller chains that rotate vertically within the warm storage chamber of a vending machine body which is roughly rectangular in shape and surrounded by an outer frame made of a face frame; a tray hanging shelf in which a plurality of trays are arranged in a horizontal row, with both ends rotatably supported by the two roller chains that make up the chain conveyor; a heating device that heats the temperature inside the warm storage chamber to a suitable temperature for warming; and the front frame having at least a dispensing opening with a dispensing door for taking out warm food placed on the trays; a display that shows information about the warm food placed on the trays; and a designation means for specifying the warm food to be purchased from the display.

[0008] The two roller chains are rotationally driven by the rotation of a rotary drive shaft that is rotated by the same single drive source.

[0009] The key feature is that the drive source is a servo motor.

[0010] The roller chain guides for preventing slack in the roller chain are provided in the vertical section of the roller chain facing the front frame, and in the horizontal sections above and below.

[0011] The roller chain guide has a roughly U-shaped cross-section, and the rollers, pins, and connecting plates of the roller chain are guided inside it.

[0012] The key feature is that a pin guide and the pins guided by this pin guide are provided on the side of the tray, parallel to the indoor side of the vertical section of the roller chain facing the front frame.

[0013] The aforementioned pin guide has a vertical, U-shaped cross-section with a widening entrance and exit.

[0014] The heating device comprises a heating section consisting of a plate with an upper heater and a blowing section consisting of a plate with a lower fan, and the heating device is installed in the lower center of the temperature-insulating storage chamber.

[0015] The drive source is provided on the outer surface of the outer frame. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The vending machine for warm packaged foods of this invention features a tray rack supported at both ends by a chain conveyor consisting of two roller chains on the left and right sides within a warm storage chamber. The tray rack stops at an outlet located on the front frame of the warm storage chamber, where a heating device maintains the temperature suitable for preserving warm foods, including warm packaged foods. The dispenser door can be opened to retrieve a warm food item placed on a designated tray on the tray rack. The warm storage chamber is heated to a temperature suitable for preserving warm foods, and the air is agitated by the vertical rotation of the tray rack, resulting in a nearly uniform temperature throughout the chamber. Consequently, the temperature of all warm foods placed on each tray of the tray rack is also nearly at the optimal preservation temperature. Therefore, regardless of which tray on the tray rack is located within the warm storage chamber, the specified warm food item is always kept at the same temperature. Thus, customers can purchase warm food at the appropriate temperature from the vending machine at all times.

[0017] Furthermore, the front frame is equipped with a screen display that shows information such as the types, quantities, and prices of hot food items available for sale in the insulated storage compartment, making it convenient to quickly obtain the information needed to select hot food items. By specifying the selected hot food item using a button switch or other designation method, the tray with the desired hot food item stops in front of the dispensing opening, the dispensing door opens, and the item can be easily retrieved.

[0018] Since the two roller chains are driven by the rotation of a single drive shaft, the rotation speeds of the left and right roller chains can be easily made the same. As a result, the tray rack supported at both ends by these two roller chains can always remain stable and horizontal during movement, thus preventing warm food from falling from the trays. Furthermore, the appearance from the viewing window is also improved.

[0019] If the drive source is a servo motor, the tray can be precisely stopped in front of the dispensing opening, making it easier to remove warm food from the tray.

[0020] Since roller chain guides for preventing slack of the roller chain are provided on the longitudinal section facing the front frame side of the roller chain, and the upper and lower lateral sections, even when a force in the pushing-pulling direction acts on the roller chain when placing warm food on a tray for replenishment or when a purchaser takes out the product, or even when the weight of the tray and the warm food acts on the roller chain while the tray hanging shelf travels laterally upward or downward, lateral shaking in the pushing-pulling direction, and longitudinal shaking, slack, and bending of the roller chain caused by the action of weight can be prevented.

[0021] Since the roller chain guide has a substantially U-shaped cross section, the rollers, pins, and connecting plates of the roller chain are guided inside the roller chain guide, so it is easy to rotatably fix both ends of the tray hanging shelf to the roller chain, and it is easy to receive slack and bending applied to the roller chain.

[0022] In the case where the pin guide and the pin guided by the pin guide are provided on the side surface of the tray, in addition to the effect of the roller chain guide, rotation of the tray hanging shelf can also be prevented, so that falling of warm packaged food from the tray can be prevented more reliably. Through these features, smooth rotational driving of the chain conveyor and stabilization of the posture of the warm food placed on the tray can be achieved.

[0023] Since the pin guide is a vertical type with a U-shaped cross section and has an inlet and an outlet that widen toward the ends, regardless of whether the roller chain rotates in the forward direction or the reverse direction, the pin can easily enter and exit the pin guide, and the placement surface is more stabilized in the horizontal direction.

[0024] Since the heating device has a heating part formed of a plate having an upper heater and a blower part formed of a plate having a lower fan in the lower central part of the heat insulation storage chamber, an upward air flow is generated by air blown from the blower part from below, and the upward movement of air heated by the upper heater is promoted, whereby the temperature increase of the air in the heat insulation storage chamber can be accelerated.

[0025] Since the driving source is provided on the outer side surface of the outer frame body, heat from the heat-retaining storage chamber and the heating device is not transferred to the driving source, so that occurrence of malfunction can be prevented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] [Figure 1] Front view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention [Figure 2] Simplified front view of a tray hanging shelf and a chain conveyor with the front frame body omitted [Figure 3] Simplified side view inside the heat-retaining storage chamber of a tray hanging shelf attached to the front frame body and the chain conveyor [Figure 4] Side view of partial detailed description of the protective rail of the roller chain and the wheels at four corners [Figure 5] Explanatory diagram of a roller pin and a roller pin guide, and a partially enlarged explanatory diagram of a power transmission mechanism [Figure 6] Explanatory diagram of a driving unit and a power transmission mechanism in a front view with the front frame body in Fig. 5 omitted [Figure 7] Overall external perspective view from the upper right of the vending machine [Figure 8] Explanatory diagram of a partially see-through driving unit in Fig. 7 [Figure 9] Perspective explanatory diagram of a driving transmission mechanism of a vending machine [Figure 10] Exploded explanatory diagram of a heater tray installed in a heat-retaining storage chamber [Figure 11] Exploded explanatory diagram of a fan tray installed in a heat-retaining storage chamber [Figure 12] Side view inside the heat-retaining storage chamber provided with a heater tray and a fan tray MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0027] Embodiments of this invention will be described below with reference to the figures. The vending machine for hot food or hot packaged food (hereinafter simply referred to as "hot food vending machine 1") of this invention, as shown in Figure 7, has an overall shape that is roughly rectangular and is surrounded by an outer frame 3 to form a heat-insulating storage chamber 2 for product A inside. This outer frame 3 has six front frame members: a front frame 4 for loading and unloading product A, two side frame members 5 and 6 on both sides of the front frame 4, a ceiling frame 7 and a bottom frame 8 located above and below the front frame 4, and a rear frame 9 facing the front frame 4. The bottom frame 8 is equipped with height-adjustable legs 8a at the four corners of the bottom surface. The front frame 4 is configured to open and close the insulated storage chamber 2 by being in close contact with and separating from the same-direction end faces of the two side frames 5 and 6, the ceiling frame 7, and the bottom frame 8. The front frame 4 is equipped with various functions, including functions for loading and unloading product A when the manager of the vending machine 1 replenishes or replaces it, a function for displaying various sales-related information to the buyer, and an operation function including monetary payment when purchasing product A.

[0028] Polyurethane foam is preferably used as the insulating material for the outer frame 3. Polyurethane foam has a high R value (an indicator of thermal resistance) and minimizes heat loss, making it suitable for forming a continuous insulating layer that fills gaps and cavities in the face materials forming the outer frame. However, it is of course possible to use other materials as well.

[0029] As clearly shown in Figures 3-8, the aforementioned insulated storage chamber 2 is a roughly rectangular space surrounded by an outer frame 3 consisting of the six face frames. Inside, two roller chains 10a are wound separately around four upper and lower wheels 11 at a predetermined interval, forming a chain conveyor 10 that rotates at the same speed and in the same direction, facing the front frame 4. Both ends of a tray hanging shelf 13, which consists of multiple trays 12 arranged in a horizontal row, are rotatably supported by these two roller chains 10a. The tray hanging shelf 13, consisting of a horizontal row of trays 12, may be made by connecting individual trays 12 in the horizontal direction, or by dividing a horizontally elongated tray 12 with a partition plate to make four smaller trays 12. The opening 12a for loading and unloading product A faces the front frame 4, and the tray 12 is fixed to the chain conveyor 10 so that the product A placement surface 12b of the tray 12 can always maintain a roughly horizontal position.

[0030] The chain conveyor 10, which consists of two roller chains 10a supporting both ends of the tray hanging shelf 13, transmits the rotation of a drive source 14 fixed to the outer surface of a side frame 6 constituting the outer frame 3 to one upper wheel shaft 18 via one end of a rotary drive shaft 16 and a belt 17, as shown in Figures 6-8. The other end of the rotary drive shaft 16 is rotatably fixed to the opposite side frame 6 and transmits the rotation to another upper wheel shaft 18 via the belt 17. Therefore, the two upper left and right wheels 11 rotate in the same direction and at the same speed using the same rotary drive shaft 16. In addition, two other sets of wheels 11 are rotatably fixed to the left and right side frame 5 and 6 respectively below the two upper left and right wheels 11. One roller chain 10a is wound around the four upper and lower wheels 11 on the left side, and another roller chain 10a is wound around the four upper and lower wheels 11 on the right side, so that the opening 12a of the tray 12 faces the front frame 4. The conveyor rotates within the insulated storage chamber 2 in synchronization with the rotation of the drive source 14, as shown by the dotted arrows in Figures 3 and 4, so that the side facing the front frame 4 moves downward. When a servo motor is used as the drive source 14, the rotation speed of the chain conveyor 10 is easy to control. For example, if you want to quickly raise the temperature of product A, you can do so by increasing the rotation speed. If you want to raise the temperature even more rapidly, you can do so by increasing the temperature of the heater 21a of the heating unit 21 or increasing the airflow of the blower unit 21b.

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the chain conveyor 10 is provided with roller chain guides 19 that surround and protect the roller chain 10a in order to prevent the roller chain 10a from bending in the front direction from its vertical orientation when loading or unloading goods A onto the tray 12 while the chain conveyor 10 is stopped on the front frame 4 side, causing the tray 12's mounting surface 12b to tilt and making the loading and unloading of goods A unstable. These guides are located in a vertical section L1 facing the front frame 4 side and a horizontal section L2 passing above and below the insulated storage chamber 2 to prevent the roller chain 10a that constitutes the chain conveyor 10 from sagging downwards due to the weight of the tray 13 itself and the goods A placed on the tray 12 while the chain conveyor 10 is running. In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, a roller chain guide 19 is also provided in the vertical section facing the rear ridge 9 to prevent the roller chain 10a from wobbling or bending, and consequently the tray suspension fence 13 from shaking, even when the rotational speed of the chain conveyor 10 increases, thereby ensuring stable rotational drive of the chain conveyor 10 within the insulated storage chamber 4. In this way, the roller chain guide 19 functions as a protective rail for the roller chain 10a, enabling smooth and stable movement in the direction of travel. Since the roller chain 10a moves while sliding within the guide groove 19a, the roller chain guide 19 is made of wear-resistant, high-density plastic that is less prone to friction with metal materials, making it slippery and less susceptible to wear.

[0032] The roller chain guide 19 has a guide groove 19a in the center through which the rollers 10b of the roller chain 10a pass. The rollers 10b that make up the roller chain 10a and the two lower connecting plates 10d of the connecting plates 10d that rotatably connect the pins 10c protruding from above and below the other rollers 10b located laterally pass through this guide groove 19a. These roller chain guides 19 are installed in the heat-insulating storage chambers 2 of the side frames 5 and 6.

[0033] With this configuration, even if a horizontal or vertical force different from the direction of travel is applied to the roller chain 10a, the roller chain 10a can move while maintaining its vertical or horizontal direction. As a result, the opening 12a of the tray 12 faces the four directions of the front frame, and the mounting surface 12b maintains a horizontal state. This makes it easy to load and unload product A, and prevents it from falling off the mounting surface 12b while moving through the insulated storage chamber 2.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when product A is loaded or unloaded from the front frame 4 side into the tray 12, a pushing and pulling force is applied. To prevent the tray hanging shelf 13 and the tray 12 from tilting, an anti-rotation pin 12d is provided on the tray side surface 12c at the end of the tray hanging shelf 13. This anti-rotation pin 12d passes through a groove 20c in a pin guide 20, which has a roughly U-shaped cross-section and is fixed to the inner surface of the side frames 5 and 6 inside the roller chain 10a parallel to the front frame 4 of the insulated storage chamber 4. The pin guide 20d guides the tray hanging shelf 12 through this groove 20c, preventing it from rotating at both ends. The inlet 20a and outlet 20b are flared open to allow easy entry and exit from the groove 20c of the pin guide 20 in case the roller chain 10a rotates in both directions. While the roller chain guide 19 prevents bending and shaking of the roller chain 10a, the pin guide 20 is for preventing shaking of the tray hanging shelf 13 and the tray 12.

[0035] As shown in Figures 1, 3-5, the front frame 4 is a single-sided frame of the outer frame 3, which is made up of six frames forming the insulated storage chamber 2, and is fixed with hinges or the like so that it can be easily attached and detached, including removal. Four product A retrieval doors 4a are arranged horizontally in the center of the front frame 4 in the vertical direction. This number is the same as the number of trays 12 supported in a horizontal row on the tray hanging shelf 13 of the chain conveyor 10, so that product A can be easily retrieved when the opening 12a of the mounting surface 12b on which product A specified by the buyer is placed is facing the conveyor and the retrieval door 4a of the retrieval opening 4e is opened. LED light strips 4c are provided around the outer perimeter of the opening of the retrieval door 4a, and they flash to indicate which retrieval door 4a can retrieve the specified product A, and turn off after retrieval.

[0036] Above and below the aforementioned retrieval door 4a, there are viewing windows 4b that allow the outside to peek at the product A placed on the trays 12 of the rotating tray racks 13 inside the insulated storage chamber 2. These viewing windows 4b are double-glazed to improve insulation and prevent theft. They are transparent to showcase product A and serve as an advertising tool. Next to the viewing window 4b above the front frame 4, there is a touchscreen display 4d that displays the type and price of product A, allows the user to input the quantity of product A they wish to purchase, and displays the total price. Further below, there is a button switch 4f that serves as a selection tool 4f for specifying the chosen product A.

[0037] Furthermore, an auxiliary frame 61 is attached to the outside of one of the side frames 6. This auxiliary frame 61 houses various control and electronic equipment, such as the payment settlement calculation processing function, a servo motor which is the drive source 14 for the chain conveyor 10, a reduction box 15, and other components that may malfunction or have their functions impaired if affected by the heat of the insulated storage chamber 2.

[0038] An embodiment of the heating device 21, which is installed to maintain a constant temperature (for example, 60°C) inside the aforementioned insulated storage chamber 2, is shown in Figure 12 and mainly consists of a heating unit 21a located above and an air blowing unit 21b located below with a slight gap between them. The heating device 21 is suspended by suspension members 22a and 22b in the same horizontal direction as the horizontal row of trays 12 on the trays 13, at a point approximately in the center of the insulated storage chamber 2 that is outside the passage path of the chain conveyor 10 and the tray hanging shelves 13 below the center. Suspension members 22a and 22b are plates on which the heating unit 21a and air blowing unit 21b, which are suspended from the ceiling frame 7 by suspension equipment not shown, are placed, and suspension member 22b is also a plate on which the air blowing unit 22b is placed. As shown in Figure 10, the heating section 21a consists of three overlapping upper, middle, and lower plates 21a1, 21a2, and 21a3, each having approximately the same length as the distance between the two roller chains 10a. In this embodiment, since there are four trays 12 in the tray hanging shelf 13 in the horizontal direction, four through holes 21k are provided in the horizontal direction, but this is not limited to this. Heaters 21h are incorporated into the holes 21k of the upper plate 21a1, with one heater in the two middle holes and two heaters in the two end holes, so as to equalize the heat distribution within the heat-insulating storage chamber 2. Through holes 21k are also provided in the same positions in the middle plate 21a2 and the lower plate 21a3, which are spaced apart from the upper plate 21 for reinforcement. The heaters 21h are connected via wiring 21s to a power supply and a control device and communication device (not shown) located in the auxiliary frame 61, and exchange information as needed to control the power on / off, intensity, etc.

[0039] As shown in Figure 11, the air blower 21b is installed below the heating unit 21a, suspended by another suspension member 22b, similar to the suspension member 22a. This suspension member 22b is also formed by stacking three plates 21b1, 21b2, and 21b3, and has four through holes 21m corresponding to the number of trays 12 in the vertical direction. A fan 21f is provided in the through hole 21m of the upper plate 21b1 of the air blower 21b. This fan 21f causes the air from the lower part of the heat-insulating storage chamber 2 to pass through the heater 21h in the through hole 21k and escape upward, adding heat as it rises and disturbing the air inside the heat-insulating storage chamber 2 to raise and average the temperature. In Figure 12, the white arrows indicate the circulation route of air heated by the heater 21h. As the air rises to the top of the central area of ​​the insulated storage chamber 2, it enters the spaces between the upper and lower tray shelves 13 and trays 12 that move up and down on both sides, or directly hits the trays 12, warming the trays 12 and the product A placed on the mounting surface 12b. The fan 21f is connected by wiring 21r to a control unit and communication unit (not shown) housed in an auxiliary frame 61 that controls the on / off switch and rotation speed of the fan 21f, allowing for optimal control of the fan 21f's rotation speed and switch on / off. Temperature detection in the insulated storage chamber 2 can be performed at multiple locations, either by detecting the average value or at a single location. Furthermore, by sensing the temperature of product A just before placing it in the tray 12 and combining this with the control of the heat output of the heater 21h and the rotation speed of the fan 21f, the time it takes for product A to heat up can be shortened.

[0040] Next, the use of the vending machine 1 for this warm packaged food (product) A, which has the above configuration, will be explained. When the manager loads product A into the vending machine 1, they open the door of the front frame 4 and place product A on the placement surface 12b through the opening 12a of the empty tray 12 facing the front frame 4. Once product A is loaded, the product name and price are displayed on the touchscreen display 4d, or set by the manager. If the temperature of product A is low, it is desirable to raise the temperature inside the insulated storage chamber 2 only at the beginning, but this can be done manually, or a sensor may detect this and send a command from the control unit (not shown) to the heating device 21 so that the heat quantity and airflow quantity of the heating unit 21a and the blower unit 21b are adjusted to the appropriate amount. When the temperature inside the insulated storage chamber 2 reaches the appropriate temperature (for example, 60°C) and the temperature of product A also rises to the appropriate temperature, the display on the screen 4d switches from a waiting display to an available display, and the buyer can purchase product A by paying the required price by holding a credit card over the reader or by inserting currency into the coin slot. The desired product A can be retrieved by rotating the retrieval door 4a, which has a flashing LED light split 4c, upwards. The inventory information of product A, which is placed on tray 12 in the insulated storage room 2, is constantly transmitted to a monitoring control device (not shown) via a separately provided sensing and communication function. If the inventory quantity falls below a predetermined amount, a replenishment order is sent to the shipping department for product A. [Industrial applicability]

[0041] In the embodiments described above, examples of warm food and packaged food were given as product A, but it may also be refrigerated or frozen food. In this case, product A may be placed in a tray from thawing until it reaches an appropriate temperature (e.g., 60°C), and after a predetermined time has elapsed, or when a temperature sensor indicates that product A has reached an appropriate temperature for consumption, a display unit may be provided on the front frame 4 for each tray so that it can be removed. The range of applications is wide. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1 Vending machine 2. Insulated storage room 3 Outer frame 4. Front frame 4a Removal door 4b Peephole 4c LED Light Split 4D touchscreen display 4e Outlet 4f. Designation method (button switch) 5 Side frame 6. Side frame 61 Auxiliary frame 7 Ceiling frame 8. Base frame 9 Rear frame 10 Chain conveyor 10a Roller Chain 11 wheels 12 trays 13 Tray Hanging Shelves 14. Drive source (servo motor) 15 Speed ​​reduction box 16 Rotary drive shafts 17 belts 18 Wheel Axle 19 Roller chain guide 19a Guide groove 20 Pin Guide 21 Heating device 21a Heating section 21b Air blower Product A (hot food, hot packaged food)

Claims

1. A vending machine for warm food, characterized in that it comprises a chain conveyor consisting of two left and right roller chains that rotate vertically within the warm storage chamber of a vending machine body which is roughly rectangular in shape and surrounded by an outer frame made of face frame members, facing a front frame which serves as the opening and closing door for the warm storage chamber of the vending machine body, a tray hanging shelf in which a plurality of trays are arranged in a horizontal row and whose ends are rotatably supported by the two roller chains that make up the chain conveyor, a heating device that heats the temperature inside the warm storage chamber to a suitable temperature for warming, and the front frame being equipped with at least an opening with an opening door for taking out warm food placed on the trays, a display for displaying information about the warm food placed on the trays, and a designation means for specifying the warm food to be purchased from the display.

2. The hot food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the two roller chains are rotationally driven by the rotation of a rotary drive shaft that rotates with the same single drive source.

3. The hot food vending machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the drive source is a servo motor.

4. A vending machine for hot food according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that roller chain guides for preventing slack in the roller chain are provided in the vertical section of the roller chain facing the front frame side, and in the upper and lower horizontal sections.

5. The automatic vending machine for hot food according to claim 4, characterized in that the roller chain guide has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, and the rollers, pins, and connecting plates of the roller chain are guided inside it.

6. The hot food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a pin guide and a pin guided by the pin guide are provided on the side of the tray parallel to the indoor side of the vertical section of the roller chain facing the front frame.

7. The hot food vending machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the pin guide has a U-shaped cross-section, is vertical, and has an entrance and an exit that widen towards the bottom.

8. The hot food vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating device comprises a heating section consisting of a plate having an upper heater and a blowing section consisting of a plate having a lower fan, suspended below the warm storage chamber.

9. The hot food vending machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the drive source is provided on the outer surface of the outer frame.

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