Vending machines

Abstract

To provide a vending machine capable of cooling objects to be cooled that are located inside an outer door while a heat exchanger is located at a relatively high position.SOLUTION: A vending machine (1) includes: a main body (3) that store commodities; an outer door (5) that opens and closes a front side of the main body; and a temperature controller (7) that is located in the main body to adjust temperatures of the commodities. The temperature controller includes: a heat exchanger (7a) that can exchange heat between a refrigerant distributing in the temperature controller and air; and an air blower (7b) that distributes air from the front to the rear of the heat exchanger to the heat exchanger. The outer door has objects to be cooled (41b and 41c) that are at least a part of a control unit (41) that controls the vending machine. The heat exchanger is located at a position separated by a prescribed distance from a bottom edge of the main body. The objects to be cooled are located at the substantially same height as the heat exchanger when the outer door is closed and faces an air flow path (50) that flows into the heat exchanger from outside the main body by operation of the air blower.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vending machine, and more particularly to a technique for improving the reliability of electrical components. [Background technology]

[0002] Generally, in unmanned vending machines that sell products such as beverages, a worker opens the front door (outer door) and restocks the products on the product storage shelves. The products restocked on the product storage shelves in this way are gradually consumed by consumers and will eventually sell out. Therefore, workers regularly restock each vending machine with products to prevent products from selling out.

[0003] However, if some of the products are consumed by consumers in a short time, they may sell out before workers can replenish them. Also, since workers mainly replenish products that sell well depending on the season or region, they may not have the same type of product as the one that sold out when they replenish the products. In response to this, a technique has been developed that allows spare products to be stored in a warehouse (storage room) formed inside an outer door at the bottom of the vending machine (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 04-181398 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Meanwhile, inside the outer door, there is often a control device (electrical components) that controls the entire vending machine, including the operation level of the temperature adjustment device, and the management of the delivery of merchandise and money to customers. This control device has a part that generates heat when it runs on electricity (a body to be cooled), and therefore needs to be cooled.

[0006] However, when a storage room is formed at the bottom as in the vending machine disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the position of the temperature control device becomes higher in proportion to the height of the storage room, and it is considered that the air flow near the object to be cooled changes compared to when there is no storage room. When the air flow near the object to be cooled changes in this way, the amount of air passing through the object to be cooled or its vicinity decreases or the air temperature increases, which may cause a decrease in the cooling performance for the object to be cooled, and there is room for further improvement.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of such problems, and its object is to provide a vending machine that can cool a cooled object arranged inside the outer door while arranging a temperature control device (heat exchanger) at a relatively high position. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vending machine of the present invention is a vending machine comprising a main body for storing goods, an outer door that covers the front of the main body in an openable and closable manner, and a temperature control device arranged on the main body and adjusts the temperature of the goods, wherein the temperature control device has a heat exchanger capable of exchanging heat between a refrigerant circulating within the temperature control device and air, and a blower that circulates air through the heat exchanger from the front to the rear of the heat exchanger, and the outer door has a cooled body that is at least a part of a control device that controls the vending machine, the heat exchanger is arranged at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the bottom end of the main body, and the cooled body is located at approximately the same height as the heat exchanger and is arranged facing the flow path of air that flows into the heat exchanger from outside the main body when the blower is operated.

[0009] Preferably, the main body has a protective plate arranged in front of the heat exchanger and an air vent formed in the protective plate at a position opposite the heat exchanger, and at least a portion of the body to be cooled is positioned in a position opposite the air vent when the outer door is closed.

[0010] Preferably, the outer door is formed with a product outlet through which the product is provided to a customer from the vending machine, and the cooled body is located directly below the product outlet. Preferably, the product outlet is located above the heat exchanger when the outer door is closed.

[0011] Preferably, the outer door has a product outlet protruding toward the main body for providing the product from the vending machine to the customer, and the main body has a product storage cabinet for storing the products, a machine room formed below the product storage cabinet for housing the heat exchanger, and a partition plate separating the product storage cabinet and the machine room, and the lower rear end of the product outlet is adjacent to or abuts against the front end of the partition plate when the outer door is closed.

[0012] Preferably, at least a part of the body to be cooled is disposed outside the heat exchanger in the left-right direction. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the vending machine of the present invention, the heat exchanger is disposed at a position separated by a predetermined distance from the bottom end of the main body, and the object to be cooled is located at approximately the same height as the heat exchanger and disposed facing the flow path of air flowing into the heat exchanger from the outside of the main body, so that, for example, a storeroom can be formed below the heat exchanger and the air that cools the heat exchanger can be used to cool the object to be cooled. This makes it possible to cool the object to be cooled that is disposed inside the outer door while disposing the heat exchanger at a relatively high position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view of a vending machine according to the present invention; [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a front view of range A in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vending machine taken along cross section II in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For ease of explanation, when viewed from inside the vending machine, the direction in which the outer door, described below, faces outward is referred to as the front, the direction to the right when viewed from the front is referred to as the right, and approximately upward when viewed in the direction of gravity is referred to as the up, and the directions opposite the front, right and upward are referred to as the rear, left and downward, respectively.

[0016] 1, there is shown a front perspective view of a vending machine 1 according to the present invention with an outer door open. The vending machine 1 is a device capable of providing products such as beverages to customers without any human intervention. The vending machine 1 includes a main body 3 and an outer door 5.

[0017] The main body 3 is capable of storing products while controlling the temperature to maintain a predetermined temperature, and of providing products specified by customers. The main body 3 has a product storage cabinet 11, a lower storage chamber 13, and a partition table 15. The product storage cabinet 11 is capable of storing products. The product storage cabinet 11 is formed with a refill port 11a at the top and an outlet 11b at the bottom. Therefore, the product storage cabinet 11 can store products refilled by an operator through the refill port 11a, lined up approximately vertically by product type, and can discharge products specified by customers through the outlet 11b.

[0018] 2, a front view of the range A in FIG. 1 is shown. The lower storage chamber 13 is a space extending in the front-rear direction, which is formed below the product storage 11 at the lower part of the main body 3. Specifically, the upper surface 13a of the lower storage chamber 13 is formed by the lower end of the product storage 11, the left and right side surfaces 13b are formed by the inner side surfaces 9a of the legs 9, the lower surface 13c is formed by the upper surface of the bottom plate 3a forming the bottom surface of the main body 3, and the rear surface 13d is formed by the front surface of the back plate 3b forming the rear end surface of the main body 3. The partition table 15 is, for example, disposed approximately in the vertical center of the lower storage chamber 13, in other words, a plate member disposed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the lower end of the main body 3, and both left and right ends are fixed to the side surface 13b via rails (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction. Therefore, the lower storage chamber 13 is divided into upper and lower parts by the partition table 15, forming a machine room 21 and a warehouse 23.

[0019] The machine room 21 is a space formed above the lower storage room 13, i.e., below the product storage cabinet 11. In this machine room 21, a temperature adjustment device 7 that is operated by power supply and can adjust the temperature inside the product storage cabinet 11 is placed on a partition table 15, in other words, disposed at a predetermined distance from the lower end of the main body 3. Therefore, the product storage cabinet 11 can store the stored products while controlling the temperature by the temperature adjustment device 7. The configuration of the temperature adjustment device 7 will be described later.

[0020] The warehouse 23 is a space formed below the lower storage room 13, i.e., at the bottom of the main body 3. This warehouse 23 is a space used for storing, for example, spare products to be replenished in the product storage room 11, disaster response equipment, and the like.

[0021] Referring to Fig. 3, a front view of the outer door 5 is shown. Referring to Fig. 4, a rear view of the outer door 5 is shown. The outer door 5 has a sample chamber 31, a coin slot 32, a bill slot 33, a lock lever 34, an amount display 35, a change return slot 36, a product outlet 37, a small window 38, a control device 41, a coin mechanism 42, a safe 43, a first approach plate 45, and a second approach plate 47. In addition, the outer door 5 has a ventilation hole 5a formed in the center of the lower end in the left-right direction so as to be recessed upward from the lower end. The ventilation hole 5a will be described later.

[0022] The sample chamber 31 is a space formed from the front surface of the outer door 5 toward the rear, and the front side is covered by a transparent resin window 31a (not shown). In this sample chamber 31, product selection buttons 31b are arranged so as to protrude forward from the window 31a, and multiple types of samples 31c that imitate the shapes of the products can be displayed above the corresponding product selection buttons 31b. The coin slot 32 is an insertion slot through which a customer inserts coins when purchasing a product, and the bill slot 33 is an insertion slot through which bills are inserted.

[0023] The lock lever 34 is a lever used when opening and closing the outer door 5. When the lock lever 34 is pushed backward with the grip portion 34a extending leftward, it is stored in the outer door 5, and the outer door 5 can be locked or unlocked by inserting a key into the lock 34b and turning it. The amount display 35 is a digital panel capable of displaying the amount inserted through the coin slot 32 or the bill slot 33. The change return slot 36 is a return slot that ejects coins as change to be returned to a customer when, for example, the customer purchases a product that is cheaper than the amount inserted through the coin slot 32 or the bill slot 33.

[0024] The product outlet 37 is an outlet through which the customer takes out the product purchased. That is, the customer can take out the product selected by pressing the product selection button 31b from the product storage unit 11 through the product outlet 37. The small window 38 is an opening formed in a position of the outer door 5 corresponding to the storehouse 23, and can be closed with a lid 38a, and the lid 38a can be locked or unlocked with a lock 38b. Thus, the small window 38 can be used to open the storehouse 23 without opening the outer door 5 by unlocking the lock 38b and removing the lid 38a.

[0025] The control device 41 is a device that controls the entire vending machine 1, such as the operation level of the temperature adjustment device 7 and management of the delivery of goods and money to customers. Specifically, the control device 41 has a controller 41a, a control unit (body to be cooled) 41b, and a switching power supply unit (body to be cooled) 41c. The controller 41a is detachably installed inside the outer door 5, and is an operating device that can be operated by an operator in charge of the vending machine 1 to take out money from the safe 43 and goods from the goods storage cabinet 11, and to control each device.

[0026] The control unit 41b is a device that executes overall control of the vending machine 1 based on information input from the controller 41a. The switching power supply unit 41c is a step-down device that can step down the power supplied from a power supply (not shown) of the vending machine 1 to a voltage that corresponds to the controller 41a, the control unit 41b, and each device controlled by the control unit 41b, and supply the power. The control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c generate heat when they operate, and therefore require cooling.

[0027] The coin mec 42 is a device that can sort the coins inserted by the customer into the coin slot 32 by type and store the coins by type. The coins stored in this coin mec 42 are also used as change by customers. The lower end of the coin mec 42 is located above the partition table 15. The safe 43 is a safe that can receive and store coins that cannot be stored in the coin mec 42.

[0028] 5, there is shown a cross-sectional view of the vending machine 1 taken along cross section II in FIG. 3. The ventilation opening 5a formed at the lower end of the outer door 5 opens from the front of the outer door 5 toward the storehouse 23. Therefore, the main body 3 can introduce outside air through the ventilation opening 5a without opening the outer door 5.

[0029] The temperature adjustment device 7 has, for example, a refrigerant circuit (not shown) that circulates a refrigerant, a condenser (heat exchanger) 7a, and a fan (blower) 7b. The condenser 7a is a heat exchanger through which the refrigerant flows, and is capable of exchanging heat between the refrigerant and air passing through from the front to the rear. The fan 7b is a blower disposed behind the condenser 7a, and is operable to circulate air from the front to the rear.

[0030] Therefore, by operating the fan 7b, the temperature adjustment device 7 can move the air located in front of the condenser 7a backward, and can cool the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the air moved by the fan 7b and the refrigerant in the condenser 7a. By cooling the refrigerant in this way, an evaporator (not shown) capable of exchanging heat with the air in the product storage cabinet 11 can be cooled, and the air in the product storage cabinet 11 can be cooled.

[0031] Further, a protective plate 22 is disposed in front of the temperature adjustment device 7. The protective plate 22 is a flat plate member disposed so as to cover the front side of the machine room 21. This protective plate 22 has an air vent 22a formed in a position corresponding to the front of the condenser 7a (see FIG. 1). As a result, the front of the temperature adjustment device 7 is protected by the protective plate 22 from, for example, sand and dust mixed in the outside air, while allowing air to circulate to the condenser 7a via the air vent 22a.

[0032] Above the temperature adjustment device 7, i.e., the upper surface 13a of the lower storage chamber 13, is formed by a lower end wall (partition plate) 11c that forms the lower end of the product storage cabinet 11. On the other hand, a first proximity plate 45 is disposed in the outer door 5 at a vertical position that substantially corresponds to the lower end wall 11c, and a second proximity plate 47 is disposed below the first proximity plate 45. The first proximity plate 45 extends in the left-right direction at a vertical position substantially the same as the lower end wall 11c, and its rear end forms the lower rear end 37a of the product outlet 37. As a result, when the outer door 5 closes the front surface of the main body 3, the lower rear end 37a of the product outlet 37 is adjacent to the front end of the lower end wall 11c. The lower rear end 37a may be formed to abut against the front end of the lower end wall 11c when the outer door 5 closes the front surface of the main body 3, or may abut against or be adjacent to the protective plate 22.

[0033] The second proximity plate 47 is a flat plate member extending in the left-right direction, disposed above the small window 38 and at approximately the same height as the partition base 15. This second proximity plate 47 protrudes rearward from the outer door 5 toward the partition base 15. The front end of the partition base 15 (a second protruding portion 52 described later) is located at the front end of the lower storage chamber 13, and when the outer door 5 closes the front surface of the main body 3, the front end is close to the second proximity plate 47 with a predetermined gap therebetween so that, for example, a hand cannot pass through.

[0034] As a result, the partition table 15 and the second proximity plate 47 can separate the machine room 21 and the storehouse 23 to prevent hands from entering when the outer door 5 is closing the front of the main body 3. This can prevent a person with the intention of mischief from destroying the cover 38a of the small window 38 and operating the controller 41a illegally. In addition, since the second proximity plate 47 has a predetermined gap with the partition table 15, it is possible to allow air to flow between the second proximity plate 47 and the partition table 15.

[0035] 4, the ventilation hole 22a formed in the protective plate 22 is positioned so as to overlap at least a portion of the front of the control section 41b of the control device 41 in the vertical and horizontal directions. As a result, air supplied to the condenser 7a through the vent hole 22a passes through the control unit 41b and its vicinity. On the other hand, the switching power supply unit 41c is located to the right (outside) of the right end of the vent hole 22a, that is, at a position that does not overlap with the front of the vent hole 22a. This makes it possible to prevent the switching power supply unit 41c from blocking the front of the vent hole 22a.

[0036] 5, a flow passage 50 through which air can circulate is formed between the vent 5a of the outer door 5 and the temperature adjustment device 7. The flow passage 50 is a passage formed in a substantially S-shape when viewed from the left and right direction by a first protruding portion 51 protruding rearward from above the vent 5a and a second protruding portion 52 protruding forward from the machine room 21, which corresponds to the front end of the partition base 15.

[0037] By forming the flow passage 50 in this manner, the air introduced into the main body 3 from the vent 5a of the outer door 5 moves backward from the vent 5a, then moves forward again and ascends, passing through the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c and their vicinity, and is supplied to the condenser 7a. That is, the control unit 41b is disposed facing the flow passage 50, which is the flow path of the air flowing into the condenser 7a, and the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c can be cooled by using the air supplied to the condenser 7a.

[0038] As described above, the vending machine 1 according to the present invention is a vending machine 1 including a main body 3 for storing products, an outer door 5 for covering the front of the main body 3 in an openable and closable manner, and a temperature adjustment device 7 disposed in the main body 3 for adjusting the temperature of the products. The temperature adjustment device 7 includes a condenser 7a capable of exchanging heat between a refrigerant circulating within the temperature adjustment device and air, and a fan 7b for circulating air through the condenser 7a from the front to the rear of the condenser 7a. The outer door 5 includes a control unit 41b and a switching power supply unit 41c which are at least a part of a control device 41 for controlling the vending machine 1. ofThe condenser 7a is disposed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the lower end of the main body 3, and the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c are located at approximately the same height as the condenser 7a and are disposed facing a flow passage 50, which is a flow path for air that flows from the outside of the main body 3 into the condenser 7a when the fan 7b is operated.

[0039] Therefore, while the condenser 7a is disposed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the lower end of the main body 3, the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c are positioned at approximately the same height as the condenser 7a and are disposed facing the flow passage 50. Therefore, for example, a warehouse 23 can be formed below the condenser 7a, and the control unit 41b can be cooled using the air that cools the condenser 7a.

[0040] Incidentally, vending machines 1 are often installed outdoors and are generally exposed to wind and rain. In particular, it is conceivable that the lower part of the vending machine 1 may be flooded by a typhoon or the like. In view of the vending machine 1 according to the present invention, the temperature adjustment device 7, coin mechanism 42, control unit 41b, switching power supply unit 41c, etc. (collectively referred to as "electrical components") are disposed at a position a predetermined distance away from the lower end of the main body 3, thereby preventing the electrical components from being damaged by flooding.

[0041] In addition, the main body 3 has a protective plate 22 arranged in front of the condenser 7a and an air vent 22a formed in the protective plate 22 at a position opposite the condenser 7a, and the control unit 41b, which is at least a part of the control device 41, is arranged in a position opposite the air vent 22a when the outer door 5 is closed. Therefore, while the front side of the condenser 7a is protected by the protective plate 22, the control unit 41b can be directly cooled by air supplied to the condenser 7a through the air vent 22a.

[0042] Additionally, the outer door 5 is formed with a product outlet 37 through which products are provided to the customer from the vending machine 1, and the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c are located directly below the product outlet 37. Furthermore, since the product outlet 37 is located above the condenser 7a when the outer door 5 is closed, it is possible to prevent the path from the main body 3 to the product outlet 37 from intersecting with the path from the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c to the condenser 7a. This allows cooling air to be smoothly supplied to the condenser 7a.

[0043] In addition, the outer door 5 has a product removal opening 37 that protrudes rearward (towards the main body) through which products are provided to the customer from the vending machine 1, and the main body 3 has a product storage cabinet 11 for storing products, a machine room 21 formed below the product storage cabinet 11 and housing a condenser 7a, and a bottom wall 11c that separates the product storage cabinet 11 and the machine room 21, and the lower rear end 37a of the product removal opening 37 is close to or abuts the front end of the bottom wall 11c when the outer door 5 is closed, thereby suppressing the flow of air between the product storage cabinet 11 and the machine room 21 and improving the temperature control performance of the product storage cabinet 11.

[0044] In addition, since the switching power supply unit 41c is disposed outside the condenser 7a in the left-right direction, the front of the condenser 7a is prevented from being covered by the condenser 7a, thereby improving the inflow of air into the condenser 7a.

[0045] Although the description of the title of the invention according to the present invention is completed above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be modified within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0046] For example, in this embodiment, when the outer door 5 is closing the front of the main body 3, the partition base 15 and the second proximity plate 47 are arranged close to each other with a predetermined gap between them so that a hand cannot pass through. However, a plurality of openings may be provided at one or both ends of the partition base 15 or the second proximity plate 47 to create a ventilated structure, and the partition base 15 and the second proximity plate 47 may be abutted against each other.

[0047] In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c are arranged at a position a predetermined distance away from the bottom end of the main body 3, but either one may be used, and if there is a device or the like included in the control device 41 that requires cooling (cooled body) other than the control unit 41b and the switching power supply unit 41c, it can be arranged at a position a predetermined distance away from the bottom end of the main body 3. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1. Vending Machines 3. Main unit 5 Outer door 7 Temperature control device 7a Condenser (heat exchanger) 7b Fan (blower) 11 Product storage 11c Bottom wall (partition plate) 21 Machine room 22 Protective plate 22a Ventilation hole 37 Product outlet 37a Lower rear end 41 Control device 41b Control part (cooled object) 41c Switching power supply section (body to be cooled)

Claims

1. A main body for storing products; an outer door that covers the front surface of the main body in an openable and closable manner; A vending machine including a temperature control device disposed in the main body and controlling the temperature of the commodity, The temperature control device is a heat exchanger capable of exchanging heat between a refrigerant flowing through the temperature adjustment device and air; a blower that circulates air through the heat exchanger from the front to the rear of the heat exchanger, The outer door is A cooled body that is at least a part of a control device that controls the vending machine, The heat exchanger is disposed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the lower end of the main body, the object to be cooled is located at approximately the same height as the heat exchanger and is disposed facing a flow path of air that flows into the heat exchanger from the outside of the main body by operation of the blower device; The outer door is formed with a product outlet protruding toward the main body to allow the product to be dispensed from the vending machine to a customer, The body includes: A product storage facility for storing the product; a machine room formed below the product storage unit and housing the heat exchanger; A partition plate separating the product storage room and the machine room, A lower rear end of the product outlet is adjacent to or abuts against a front end of the partition plate when the outer door is closed.

2. A main body for storing goods; an outer door that covers the front surface of the main body in an openable and closable manner; A vending machine including a temperature control device disposed in the main body and controlling the temperature of the commodity, The temperature control device is a heat exchanger capable of exchanging heat between a refrigerant flowing through the temperature adjustment device and air; a blower that circulates air through the heat exchanger from the front to the rear of the heat exchanger, The outer door is A vent hole formed at a lower end of the outer door; A cooled body that is at least a part of a control device that controls the vending machine; The body includes: A product storage facility for storing the product; A lower storage chamber formed below the product storage cabinet; A partition table that divides the lower storage chamber into upper and lower compartments; a machine chamber formed in an upper portion of the lower storage chamber and housing the heat exchanger; The heat exchanger is disposed on the partition base at a predetermined distance from the lower end of the main body, The cooled object is located at approximately the same height as the heat exchanger and is arranged facing a flow passage, which is a flow path for air that is introduced from the outside of the main body through the vent at the lower end of the outer door by operation of the blower device, passes between the front end of the partition table and the inner surface of the outer door, and flows toward the heat exchanger.

3. The body includes: A protective plate disposed in front of the heat exchanger; a ventilation hole formed in the protective plate at a position facing the heat exchanger, The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a portion of the object to be cooled is disposed in a position facing the vent hole when the outer door is closed.

4. The outer door is formed with a product outlet through which the product is provided to a customer from the vending machine, The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the object to be cooled is located directly below the product outlet.

5. The vending machine according to claim 4 , wherein the product outlet is located above the heat exchanger when the outer door is closed.

6. The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least a portion of the object to be cooled is disposed outside the heat exchanger in the left-right direction.

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