Product storage device

Abstract

To ensure good appeal of most downstream items.SOLUTION: An item storage device 10 stores items in an upright posture so that the items are aligned along the direction of an item storage aisle 11 in a manner that an axis center of the item storage aisle 11 extends along a vertical direction in relation to a placing surface 21a of the item storage aisle 11, and includes rotating means (10B) for rotating the most downstream item located at the most downstream side of the item storage aisle 11 around the axis center of the most downstream item. It is also preferred that payout means (10B) is provided which, while regulating the payout of the most downstream item under normal conditions, allows only the most downstream item to be paid out from the item storage aisle 11 when a payout operation is performed according to a payout instruction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product storage device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, as proposed in Patent Document 1, a product storage device is known which stores products in an upright position in a line in a product storage passage extending in the front-to-rear direction, with the axis extending perpendicular to the loading surface of the product storage passage.

[0003] In such a product storage device, a product located at the forefront of the product storage passage is discharged to a front area of ​​the product storage passage in response to a dispensing command. The product discharged to the front area is received in a product tray and then taken out from a product outlet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-295518 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned product storage device, in order to appeal to the public, the products are generally stored in the product storage passage with their front faces toward the front area. Here, the front of the product refers to an area on which letters, patterns, etc. are displayed to help the product be recognized.

[0006] However, external factors such as vibration can cause the product to shift position, resulting in the product being stored in a manner where the front does not face the forward area, which could result in the product not being able to be fully promoted.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a product storage device that can effectively promote the products located at the most downstream side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the product storage device of the present invention is a product storage device that stores products in an upright position along the extension direction of a product storage passage defined by the product storage passage, with the axis extending vertically to the loading surface of the product storage passage, and is characterized in that it is equipped with a rotation means for rotating the most downstream product located at the most downstream side in the product storage passage around the axis of the most downstream product.

[0009] The present invention is also characterized in that the above-mentioned product storage device is provided with a dispensing means which, under normal conditions, restricts the most downstream product from being dispensed, but when a dispensing operation is performed in response to a dispensing instruction, allows only the most downstream product to be dispensed from the product storage passage.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned product storage device, the dispensing means performs the dispensing operation by a drive source common to the rotating means.

[0011] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned product storage device, the dispensing means, in a normal state, slides against the side of the most downstream product to prevent the most downstream product from being dispensed, but when a dispensing operation is performed in which the most downstream product rotates half a turn around the rotation axis of the rotating means in response to a dispensing instruction, the dispensing member is disposed between the most downstream product and the next product adjacent to the most downstream product on the upstream side, thereby allowing only the most downstream product to be dispensed.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned product storage device, the dispensing member, in a normal state, slides against the side of the most downstream product so that the axis of the most downstream product is positioned at a position closer to the next product than the rotation axis of the rotating means.

[0013] Furthermore, in the present invention, in the above-mentioned product storage device, the dispensing member is in sliding contact with a side surface of the most downstream product in a line contact manner.

[0014] Furthermore, in the present invention, in the above-mentioned product storage device, the dispensing member has a flat portion that comes into sliding contact with a side surface of the most downstream product. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, the rotation means rotates the most downstream product, which is located at the most downstream side in the product storage passage, around the axis of the most downstream product, so that the front side, which is an area showing letters, patterns, etc. for recognizing the most downstream product, can be periodically made to face the dispensing area, thereby achieving the effect of making the most downstream product appealing. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the product storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of the product storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the base shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the rotary dispensing mechanism shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a vertical cross section of the internal structure of the rotary dispensing mechanism shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of a drive unit and a shaft base which are essential parts of the rotary dispensing mechanism shown in FIGS. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating shaft member, the torque limiter and the dispensing member which are the main parts of the rotary dispensing mechanism shown in FIGS. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of the rotating shaft member, the torque limiter and the dispensing member which are the main parts of the rotary dispensing mechanism shown in FIGS. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the operation of the product storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven in forward rotation. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the commodity storage device shown in FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a plan view showing the operation of the product storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven to rotate in reverse. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an operation when the motor is driven to rotate in reverse in the commodity storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the operation of the commodity storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven to rotate in reverse. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an operation when the motor is driven to rotate in reverse in the commodity storage device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a plan view showing a main part of a product storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a plan view showing a main part of the base shown in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an enlarged bottom view of a portion of the bottom wall shown in FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing the rotation dispensing mechanism shown in FIG. [Figure 20] 20 is a perspective view showing a vertical cross section of the internal structure of the rotary dispensing mechanism shown in FIG. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a bottom view showing the main part of the dispensing rotation mechanism when the motor is driven in the forward direction as shown in FIG. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a plan view showing the operation of the commodity storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven in reverse rotation. [Figure 23]FIG. 23 is a bottom view showing the dispensing member coming into contact with the rear stopper portion when the motor is driven to rotate in reverse in the commodity storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a plan view showing the operation of the commodity storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven in reverse rotation. [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a plan view showing the operation of the commodity storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven in the forward direction. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a plan view showing the operation of the commodity storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven in the forward direction. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a plan view showing the operation of the commodity storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention when the motor is driven in the forward direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a product storage device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] <Embodiment 1> 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of a vending machine to which a product storage device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vending machine shown here includes a main cabinet 1.

[0019] The main cabinet 1 is a rectangular box-shaped housing with an opening on the front side, and inside it is formed a heat-insulated product storage 2. The product storage 2 has multiple product racks 3 arranged vertically. These product racks 3 are configured by arranging product storage devices 10, which will be described later, side by side on the left and right.

[0020] In the product storage 2, the internal atmosphere is cooled by a cooling means (not shown) or the like, so that the products stored in the product racks 3 are adjusted to a desired temperature. In the front area of ​​the product racks 3 in the product storage 2, a product tray 4 is disposed so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a conveying mechanism (not shown). After receiving a product dispensed from a product storage device 10 that stores a desired product, the product tray 4 moves downward to allow the product to be removed from a product removal opening 6 provided in a closing member 5 that closes the lower side of the front opening of the main cabinet 1. The closing member 5 closes the front opening of the main cabinet 1 together with a door body 7 provided above it, and the door body 7 is disposed in the main cabinet 1 so as to be movable openable and closable.

[0021] 2 and 3 are perspective views showing the external configuration of the commodity storage device 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The commodity storage device 10 illustrated here includes a base 10A and a rotary dispensing mechanism 10B.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, the base 10A is an elongated member whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction, and has a bottom wall portion 21 and a side wall portion 22.

[0023] The bottom wall portion 21 is provided so as to be gradually inclined downward as it approaches the front, and in the upper region thereof, the product storage passage 11 is formed. In other words, the product storage passage 11 is formed so as to extend along the front-to-rear direction so as to be gradually inclined downward as it approaches the front.

[0024] The upper surface of the bottom wall portion 21 constitutes a placement surface 21a on which products are placed in an upright position. The upright position of the product here refers to a position in which the axis of the product extends perpendicularly to the placement surface 21a of the product storage passage 11.

[0025] A circular hole 23 is formed in the front portion of the bottom wall 21, and a stopper piece 24 is formed on the opening edge of the circular hole 23. The stopper piece 24 is an arc-shaped piece formed on the right side of the opening edge so as to protrude toward the center of the circular hole 23.

[0026] The side walls 22 are a pair of left and right side walls each made of a long flat plate member whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction, and are provided so as to protrude upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall 21. These side walls 22 define the dimension of the product storage passage 11 in the left-right direction.

[0027] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B shown in Figures 2 and 3, and Figure 6 is a perspective view showing a vertical cross section of the internal structure of the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B shown in Figure 5. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, rotary dispensing mechanism 10B is configured to include a drive unit 30, a shaft base 40, a rotating shaft member 50, a torque limiter 60, a dispensing member 70 and a rotating plate section 80.

[0028] The drive unit 30 is attached to the lower surface of the bottom wall portion 21 by being supported via a support member (not shown) in a manner to close the circular hole 23 from below. The drive unit 30 is configured to include a motor 31 and an output gear 32.

[0029] The motor 31 is a drive source that is driven by a drive command given from a control unit (not shown). The motor 31 rotates in both forward and reverse directions, and is housed inside a pair of upper and lower drive cases 30a and 30b, as shown in FIG.

[0030] The output gear 32 has a substantially annular shape, with first output teeth 32a formed on the outer circumferential edge portion and second output teeth 32b formed on the upper and lower ends of the inner circumferential edge portion. The output gear 32 is housed inside the drive cases 30a, 30b in such a manner that the second output teeth 32b are exposed from the inner surface of a through hole 33 formed in the drive cases 30a, 30b. Here, the through hole 33 extends in the vertical direction in the substantially central portion of the drive cases 30a, 30b.

[0031] The output gear 32 is linked to the motor 31 via a linking gear unit 34, and can rotate around its own central axis when driven by the motor 31. To explain in more detail, when the motor 31 is driven in a forward direction, the output gear 32 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above, whereas when the motor 31 is driven in a reverse direction, the output gear 32 rotates clockwise when viewed from above. The output gear 32 is housed in the drive cases 30a, 30b so that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the through hole 33 of the drive cases 30a, 30b.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 7, the shaft base 40 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a bottom, for example, made of a resin material, and has a cylindrical portion 41 and a lid portion 42.

[0033] The cylindrical portion 41 has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion of the output gear 32, and a pair of locking pieces 43 protruding upward are formed by forming a notch in part of the cylindrical portion 41. A shaft tooth portion 44 is formed on part of the side peripheral surface at the lower end portion of the cylindrical portion 41.

[0034] The lid portion 42 is a disk-shaped portion that closes the bottom opening of the cylindrical portion 41. The outer diameter of the lid portion 42 is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 33 formed in the drive cases 30a and 30b, and a connecting hole 45 is formed in the center portion, with part of the opening edge being linear.

[0035] Such a shaft base 40 is provided such that the cylindrical portion 41 is inserted from below through the through hole 33 of the drive cases 30a, 30b, so that the shaft teeth portion 44 meshes with the second output teeth portion 32b at the lower end of the output gear 32, and the upper end of the locking piece 43 is locked to the second output teeth portion 32b at the upper end of the output gear 32. This shaft base 40 rotates integrally with the output gear 32. The shaft base 40 is provided such that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the through hole 33 of the drive cases 30a, 30b and the central axis of the output gear 32. The cover portion 42 of the shaft base 40 is exposed below the drive cases 30a, 30b.

[0036] The rotating shaft member 50 is a generally cylindrical member extending in the up-down direction. As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the rotating shaft member 50 has a connecting protrusion 51 formed by cutting out a part of the outer circumferential surface at the lower end portion. The connecting protrusion 51 has a size that fits into the connecting hole 45.

[0037] Further, the rotating shaft member 50 is provided with a fastening rod 53 in a manner of passing through a fastening hole portion 52 extending along the radial direction at the lower end portion above the connecting projection 51 .

[0038] Furthermore, at the upper end portion of the rotating shaft member 50, a linear mounting portion 54 is formed by cutting out a portion of the outer circumferential surface, and a meshing hole 55 is formed in the upper end surface of the mounting portion 54.

[0039] 5, such a rotating shaft member 50 is attached to the shaft base 40 along the central axis of the shaft base 40 with the connecting protrusion 51 inserted from above into the connecting hole 45. In this way, the rotating shaft member 50 is attached to the shaft base 40 along the central axis of the through hole 33 and the central axis of the output gear 32, and rotates integrally with the shaft base 40.

[0040] The torque limiter 60 has a substantially cylindrical shape and has an inner peripheral portion 61 with a hollow portion, and an outer peripheral portion 62 surrounding the inner peripheral portion 61. The torque limiter 60 is fastened to the rotating shaft member 50 by the rotating shaft member 50 penetrating the hollow portion from below and a fastening rod 53 provided on the rotating shaft member 50 entering a fastening groove 63 formed in a manner facing the hollow portion. A transmission block 64 is formed on the upper end surface of the outer peripheral portion 62 of the torque limiter 60 in a manner that protrudes upward.

[0041] Such a torque limiter 60 cuts off transmission between the inner circumference portion 61 and the outer circumference portion 62 when a torque greater than a certain level is generated between the inner circumference portion 61 and the outer circumference portion 62, causing the inner circumference portion 61 to rotate freely relative to the outer circumference portion 62.

[0042] The dispensing member 70 is formed, for example, from a resin material, and is configured by integrally molding a dispensing base portion 71 and a dispensing cam portion 72.

[0043] The dispensing base 71 is circular, and its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the circular hole 23 of the base 10A. A downwardly protruding recess 73 is formed in the center of the dispensing base 71, and a transmission groove 74 is formed in the bottom surface of the recess 73 to allow the transmission block 64 to enter, and a through hole 75 is formed in the center of the bottom surface to allow the rotary shaft member 50 to pass through.

[0044] The dispensing cam portion 72 has a semi-cylindrical shape that protrudes radially outward from a portion of the outer periphery of the dispensing base 71 and protrudes upward.

[0045] Such a dispensing member 70 is provided in such a manner that it can rotate around the central axis of the through hole 75, which serves as the central axis of the dispensing member 70 itself, by the transmission block 64 entering the transmission groove 74.

[0046] The rotating plate 80 is a circular member provided to cover the upper surface of the dispensing base 71, and has a recess 81 formed in its center, which protrudes slightly downward. This recess 81 extends into the recess 73 of the dispensing member 70, and a mounting hole 82 is formed in the center of its bottom surface, which fits the upper end of the rotating shaft member 50 and allows the upper end to be inserted therethrough.

[0047] The rotating plate portion 80 is attached to the rotating shaft member 50 by inserting the mounting portion 54 of the rotating shaft member 50 through the mounting hole 82 from below and then inserting the mounting screw N into the meshing hole 55 of the rotating shaft member 50 from above to mesh with it. The central axis of the rotating plate portion 80 coincides with the central axis of the rotating shaft member 50 and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft member 50.

[0048] The rotating plate section 80 is provided so that its upper surface 83 is flush with the upper surface (mounting surface 21a) of the base 10A, and together with the base 10A, constitutes the product storage passage 11 on which products are placed in an upright position. The rotating plate section 80 is used to place the foremost product (the most downstream product) located on the most downstream side in the product storage passage 11.

[0049] In the product storage device 10 having the above configuration, the motor 31 is driven to rotate in the forward direction, causing the output gear 32 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above. When the output gear 32 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, the shaft base 40 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, and the rotating shaft member 50 attached to the shaft base 40 also rotates counterclockwise around its central axis as viewed from above. When the rotating shaft member 50 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above in this manner, the rotating plate portion 80 attached to the rotating shaft member 50 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above.

[0050] Incidentally, since the dispensing member 70 is connected to the rotating shaft member 50 via the torque limiter 60, the dispensing member 70 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above as a result of the rotating shaft member 50 rotating counterclockwise when viewed from above. However, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 abuts against the stopper piece 24, stopping the rotation.

[0051] As a result, in the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B, while the rotating plate portion 80 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above, the dispensing member 70 stops rotating and the dispensing cam portion 72 is positioned in front of the foremost product, and as shown in Figure 10, while rotating the foremost product, the dispensing cam portion 72 slides against the side of the foremost product to prevent the foremost product from being dispensed forward.

[0052] In the product storage device 10, when the product tray 4 is positioned in the front area of ​​the product storage passage 11 and an instruction to dispense a product to be stored in the product storage passage 11 is given, the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B performs a dispensing operation as follows.

[0053] When the motor 31 is driven in the reverse direction, the output gear 32 rotates clockwise as viewed from above. When the output gear 32 rotates clockwise as viewed from above, the shaft base 40 and the rotating shaft member 50 rotate clockwise as viewed from above, and as a result, the dispensing member 70 and the rotating plate portion 80 also rotate clockwise as viewed from above, as shown in Figures 12 and 13.

[0054] 14 and 15, an end of the dispensing cam portion 72 of the dispensing member 70 comes into contact with the stopper piece 24 to stop its rotation, and the dispensing member 70 allows only the forefront product to be dispensed forward as the dispensing cam portion 72 is interposed between the forefront product and the product adjacent to this forefront product (hereinafter also referred to as the next product). The forefront product dispensed in this manner is received in the product tray 4 and moves downward together with the product tray 4, and is then taken out through the product outlet 6.

[0055] After the product storage device 10 has dispensed only the forefront product, the motor 31 then rotates in the forward direction, causing the output gear 32 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above, which in turn causes the shaft base 40 and the rotating shaft member 50 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above. This causes the dispensing member 70 and the rotating plate portion 80 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above, and then the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 of the dispensing member 70 stops its rotation at the stopper piece 24, and the dispensing cam portion 72 is positioned in front of the next product as the new forefront product. Thus, the dispensing member 70 restricts the new forefront product from being placed on the rotating plate portion 80 and dispensed forward while rotating.

[0056] As described above, in the product storage device 10 of this embodiment 1, the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B functions as a rotation means for rotating the most downstream product located at the most downstream side in the product storage passage 11 around the axis of the most downstream product, and also as a dispensing means for restricting the most downstream product from being dispensed under normal conditions, while allowing only the most downstream product to be dispensed from the product storage passage 11 when a dispensing operation is performed in response to a dispensing instruction.

[0057] According to the above-mentioned product storage device 10, the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B rotates the foremost product in the product storage passage 11 around the axis of the foremost product, and in normal conditions, restricts the foremost product from being dispensed, while allowing only the foremost product to be dispensed from the product storage passage 11 when a dispensing operation is performed in response to a dispensing instruction. Therefore, by rotating the foremost product, the front side, which is an area showing letters, patterns, etc. for identifying the foremost product, can be periodically made to face the forward area, and the foremost product can be effectively promoted.

[0058] According to the above-mentioned product storage device 10, the dispensing member 70 and the rotating plate portion 80 that constitute the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B are driven by a common motor 31, so that the driving source for the dispensing operation by the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B and the driving source for rotating the forefront product can be shared, and manufacturing costs can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

[0059] According to the above-mentioned product storage device 10, in the normal state, the dispensing member 70 slides against the side of the forefront product to prevent the forefront product from being dispensed, but when a dispensing operation is performed in response to a dispensing instruction, in which the dispensing member rotates half a turn around the rotating shaft member 50, the dispensing member 70 is positioned between the forefront product and the next product, allowing only the forefront product to be dispensed.Therefore, the dispensing operation of the rotating dispensing mechanism 10B can be performed on the same rotating shaft as the rotation of the forefront product, and by reducing the installation space required for the rotating dispensing mechanism 10B, the device itself can be made more compact.

[0060] <Embodiment 2> Fig. 16 is a plan view showing the main parts of a commodity storage device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The same components as those in the commodity storage device 10 according to the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals and will not be described again. The commodity storage device 10' illustrated here is configured to include a base 10C and a rotary dispensing mechanism 10D.

[0061] 17, the base 10C is an elongated member whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction. The base 10C is a plate-like member that is gradually inclined downward toward the front, and is provided with a bottom wall portion 21' and a side wall portion 22'.

[0062] The bottom wall 21' is a long, flat member whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction, and is installed on the upper surface of the base 10C. The bottom wall 21' forms the product storage passage 11 in the upper area, and the upper surface forms a placement surface 21a' on which products are placed in an upright position.

[0063] At least two bottom walls 21' are provided, and are installed on the base 10C such that a circular hole 23' having a substantially circular shape formed by the rear end portion of the front bottom wall 21' and the front end portion of the rear bottom wall 21' is formed in an upper region of the mounting opening 10Ca formed in the base 10C. That is, the circular hole 23' is composed of a front circular hole 231 having a substantially semicircular shape formed in the rear end portion of the front bottom wall 21', and a rear circular hole 232 having a substantially semicircular shape formed in the front end portion of the rear bottom wall 21'.

[0064] 18, a front stopper portion 241 and a rear stopper portion 242 are formed in the bottom wall portion 21'. The front stopper portion 241 is formed in a manner extending rightward at a lower portion of an opening edge on the right side of the front circular hole 231 in the front bottom wall portion 21'. The rear stopper portion 242 is formed in a manner extending gradually obliquely rightward toward the rear at a lower portion of an opening edge on the rear side of the rear circular hole 232 in the rear bottom wall portion 21'.

[0065] The side walls 22' are a pair of left and right side walls made of elongated members whose longitudinal direction is in the front-to-rear direction, and are provided on the base 10C in such a manner that they protrude upward from both left and right ends of the bottom wall 21'. These side walls 22' determine the left-right dimension of the product storage passage 11.

[0066] Figure 19 is a perspective view showing rotary dispensing mechanism 10D shown in Figure 16, and Figure 20 is a perspective view showing a vertical cross section of the internal structure of rotary dispensing mechanism 10D shown in Figure 19. As shown in Figures 19 and 20, rotary dispensing mechanism 10D is comprised of a drive unit 30, a shaft base 40, a rotating shaft member 50, a torque limiter 60, a dispensing member 70' and a rotating plate section 80.

[0067] The drive unit 30 is attached to the base 10C by being supported via a support member (not shown) in a manner that closes the circular hole 23' from below.

[0068] The dispensing member 70' is formed, for example, from a resin material, and is configured by integrally molding a dispensing base portion 71 and a dispensing cam portion 72.

[0069] The dispensing base 71 is circular, and its outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the circular hole 23'. A downwardly protruding recess 73 is formed in the center of the dispensing base 71, and a transmission groove 74 is formed in the bottom surface of the recess 73 to allow the transmission block 64 to enter, and a through hole 75 is formed in the center of the bottom surface to allow the rotary shaft member 50 to pass through.

[0070] As a result, the dispensing member 70 ′ is provided in such a manner that it can rotate about the central axis of the through hole 75 , which serves as its own central axis, by the transmission block 64 entering the transmission groove 74 .

[0071] The dispensing cam portion 72 constituting the dispensing member 70' has a semi-cylindrical shape formed in a manner of projecting upward while projecting radially outward from a part of the outer periphery of the dispensing base 71. The dispensing cam portion 72 is provided with a sliding member 76 in a manner of covering the inner surface.

[0072] Such a sliding member 76 is formed, for example, from a resin material. This sliding member 76 is provided so as to protrude toward the center of the dispensing base 71 away from the inner surface of the dispensing cam portion 72, and a hollow portion 76a is formed inside. The inner surface of such a sliding member 76 is composed of a sliding surface portion 761 having a flat shape and a curved surface portion 762 having a curved shape formed in a manner continuing to both side portions of this sliding surface portion 761.

[0073] Meanwhile, at one end of the payout cam portion 72, i.e., at the vertical middle portion of the left end portion in FIG. 16, a protrusion 721 is formed in a manner that protrudes rearward along the arc shape of the payout cam portion 72.

[0074] The rotating plate 80 is a circular member provided in a manner to cover the upper surface of the dispensing base 71, and is attached to the rotating shaft member 50 by inserting the mounting portion 54 of the rotating shaft member 50 through the mounting hole 82 from below and engaging the mounting screw N with the engaging hole 55 of the rotating shaft member 50 from above. The central axis of the rotating plate 80 coincides with the central axis of the rotating shaft member 50, and rotates integrally with the rotating shaft member 50.

[0075] The rotating plate portion 80 is provided so that its upper surface 83 is flush with the upper surface (placing surface 21a') of the bottom wall portion 21', and together with the bottom wall portion 21' constitutes the product storage passage 11 on which products are placed in an upright position. The rotating plate portion 80 is used to place the foremost product (the most downstream product) W1 located at the most downstream side in the product storage passage 11.

[0076] In the product storage device 10' having the above configuration, as shown in Fig. 16, the motor 31 is driven to rotate in the forward direction, causing the output gear 32 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above. As the output gear 32 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, the shaft base 40 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, and the rotating shaft member 50 attached to the shaft base 40 also rotates counterclockwise around its central axis as viewed from above. As the rotating shaft member 50 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above in this manner, the rotating plate portion 80 attached to the rotating shaft member 50 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above.

[0077] In the above-mentioned product storage device 10', the dispensing cam portion 72 is provided with a sliding member 76, which makes line contact with the side of the foremost product W1 at the sliding surface 761, and the sliding member 76 is provided so as to protrude away from the inner surface of the dispensing cam portion 72 towards the centre of the dispensing base 71, so that the centre P1 which is the axis of the foremost product W1 is located closer to the next product W2 (the product adjacent to the foremost product W1) than the central axis Q1 of the rotating shaft member 50 which coincides with the central axis of the rotating plate portion 80. In other words, the dispensing member 70' makes sliding contact with the side of the foremost product W1 so that in the normal state, the axis of the foremost product W1 is located closer to the next product W2 than the rotation axis of the rotating shaft member 50.

[0078] Incidentally, since the dispensing member 70' is connected to the rotating shaft member 50 via the torque limiter 60, the dispensing member 70' rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above as a result of the rotating shaft member 50 rotating counterclockwise when viewed from above. However, as shown in Figure 21, the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 abuts against the front stopper portion 241, stopping the rotation.

[0079] As a result, in the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D, while the rotating plate portion 80 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above, the dispensing member 70' stops rotating and the dispensing cam portion 72 is positioned in front of the foremost product W1, and as shown in Figure 16, while rotating the foremost product W1, the sliding contact member 76 slides against the side of the foremost product W1 to prevent the foremost product W1 from being dispensed forward.

[0080] In the product storage device 10', when the product tray 4 is positioned in the front area of ​​the product storage passage 11 and an instruction to dispense a product to be stored in the product storage passage 11 is given, the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D performs a dispensing operation as follows.

[0081] When the motor 31 is driven in the reverse direction, the output gear 32 rotates clockwise as viewed from above. When the output gear 32 rotates clockwise as viewed from above, the shaft base 40 and the rotating shaft member 50 rotate clockwise as viewed from above, and the dispensing member 70' and the rotating plate portion 80 also rotate clockwise as viewed from above.

[0082] As a result of the dispensing member 70' rotating clockwise as viewed from above in this manner, as shown in Fig. 22, the protrusion 721 comes into contact with the side surface of the next product W2. This contact will now be described in detail. As described above, the dispensing member 70' is in sliding contact with the side surface of the foremost product W1 such that the axis of the foremost product W1 is positioned closer to the next product W2 than the rotation axis of the rotating shaft member 50. Therefore, at the contact point between the protrusion 721 and the next product W2, the angle α formed by the tangent direction of the contact point and the extension direction of the protrusion 721 is an acute angle. This allows the protrusion 721 to smoothly enter between the foremost product W1 and the next product W2 without damaging the side surface of the next product W2, making it possible to smoothly separate the foremost product W1 and the next product W2.

[0083] Thereafter, as shown in Figure 23, the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 of the dispensing member 70' abuts against the rear stopper portion 242 and stops its rotation, so that the dispensing member 70' allows only the foremost product W1 to be dispensed forward, with the dispensing cam portion 72 being interposed between the foremost product W1 and the next product W2, as shown in Figure 24. The foremost product W1 dispensed in this manner is received by the product tray 4 and moves downward together with the product tray 4, and is then removed through the product removal opening 6.

[0084] After the product storage device 10' has dispensed only the foremost product W1, the motor 31 then rotates in the forward direction, causing the output gear 32 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above, which in turn causes the shaft base 40 and the rotating shaft member 50 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above. This causes the dispensing member 70' and the rotating plate portion 80 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above, and then the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 of the dispensing member 70' comes into contact with the front stopper portion 241, stopping the rotation of the dispensing member 70', and the dispensing cam portion 72 is positioned in front of the next product W2 as the new foremost product W1. Thus, the dispensing member 70' restricts the new foremost product W1 from being placed on the rotating plate portion 80 and dispensed forward while rotating.

[0085] Next, a case where products Y1, Y2 having a larger diameter than the products W1, W2 shown in Figs. 16, 22 and 24 are dispensed will be described.

[0086] In the above-mentioned product storage device 10', as shown in Fig. 25, the motor 31 is driven to rotate in the forward direction, causing the output gear 32 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above. As the output gear 32 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, the shaft base 40 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above, and the rotating shaft member 50 attached to the shaft base 40 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above about the central axis Q1. As the rotating shaft member 50 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above in this manner, the rotating plate portion 80 attached to the rotating shaft member 50 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from above.

[0087] In the above-mentioned product storage device 10', the dispensing cam portion 72 is provided with a sliding member 76, which makes line contact with the side of the foremost product Y1 at the sliding surface 761, and the sliding member 76 is provided so as to protrude away from the inner surface of the dispensing cam portion 72 towards the centre of the dispensing base 71, so that the centre P2 which is the axis of the foremost product Y1 is positioned closer to the next product Y2 (the product adjacent to the foremost product Y1) than the central axis Q1 of the rotating shaft member 50 which coincides with the central axis of the rotating plate portion 80. In other words, the dispensing member 70' makes sliding contact with the side of the foremost product Y1 so that in the normal state, the axis of the foremost product Y1 is positioned closer to the next product Y2 than the rotation axis of the rotating shaft member 50.

[0088] Incidentally, since the dispensing member 70' is connected to the rotating shaft member 50 via the torque limiter 60, the dispensing member 70' rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above as a result of the rotating shaft member 50 rotating counterclockwise when viewed from above, but the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 abuts against the front stopper portion 241, stopping the rotation.

[0089] As a result, in the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D, while the rotating plate portion 80 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from above, the dispensing member 70' stops rotating and the dispensing cam portion 72 is positioned in front of the foremost product Y1, and as shown in Figure 25, while rotating the foremost product Y1, the sliding contact member 76 slides against the side of the foremost product Y1 to prevent the foremost product Y1 from being dispensed forward.

[0090] In the product storage device 10', when the product tray 4 is positioned in the front area of ​​the product storage passage 11 and an instruction to dispense a product to be stored in the product storage passage 11 is given, the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D performs a dispensing operation as follows.

[0091] When the motor 31 is driven in the reverse direction, the output gear 32 rotates clockwise as viewed from above. When the output gear 32 rotates clockwise as viewed from above, the shaft base 40 and the rotating shaft member 50 rotate clockwise as viewed from above, and the dispensing member 70' and the rotating plate portion 80 also rotate clockwise as viewed from above.

[0092] As a result of the dispensing member 70' rotating clockwise as viewed from above in this manner, the protrusion 721 comes into contact with the side of the next product Y2, as shown in Figure 26. Because the dispensing member 70' is in sliding contact with the side of the foremost product Y1 so that the axis of the foremost product Y1 is positioned closer to the next product Y2 than the rotation axis of the rotating shaft member 50, at the point of contact between the protrusion 721 and the next product Y2, the angle α formed by the tangent direction of the contact point and the extension direction of the protrusion 721 is an acute angle. This allows the protrusion 721 to smoothly enter between the foremost product Y1 and the next product Y2 without damaging the side of the next product Y2, making it possible to smoothly separate the foremost product Y1 and the next product Y2.

[0093] Thereafter, the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 of the dispensing member 70' abuts against the rear stopper portion 242 and stops its rotation, so that the dispensing member 70' allows only the foremost product Y1 to be dispensed forward, with the dispensing cam portion 72 being interposed between the foremost product Y1 and the next product Y2, as shown in Figure 27. The foremost product Y1 dispensed in this manner is received by the product tray 4 and moves downward together with the product tray 4, and is then removed through the product removal opening 6.

[0094] After the product storage device 10' has dispensed only the foremost product Y1, the motor 31 then rotates in the forward direction, causing the output gear 32 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above, which in turn causes the shaft base 40 and the rotating shaft member 50 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above. This causes the dispensing member 70' and the rotating plate portion 80 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from above, and then the end of the dispensing cam portion 72 of the dispensing member 70' comes into contact with the front stopper portion 241, stopping the rotation of the dispensing member 70', and the dispensing cam portion 72 is positioned in front of the next product Y2 as the new foremost product Y1. Thus, the dispensing member 70' restricts the new foremost product Y1 from being placed on the rotating plate portion 80 and dispensed forward while rotating.

[0095] As described above, in the product storage device 10' of this embodiment 2, the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D functions as a rotation means for rotating the most downstream product located at the most downstream side in the product storage passage 11 around the axis of the most downstream product, and also as a dispensing means for restricting the most downstream product from being dispensed under normal conditions, while allowing only the most downstream product to be dispensed from the product storage passage 11 when a dispensing operation is performed in response to a dispensing instruction.

[0096] According to the above-mentioned product storage device 10', the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D rotates the foremost product W1, Y1 in the product storage passage 11 around the axis of the foremost product W1, Y1, and in the normal state, restricts the foremost product W1, Y1 from being dispensed, while when a dispensing operation is performed in response to a dispensing instruction, allows only the foremost product W1, Y1 to be dispensed from the product storage passage 11. Therefore, by rotating the foremost product W1, Y1, the front side, which is an area showing letters, patterns, etc. for recognizing the foremost product W1, Y1, can be periodically exposed to the forward area, and the foremost product W1, Y1 can be effectively promoted.

[0097] According to the above-mentioned product storage device 10', the dispensing member 70' and the rotating plate portion 80 that constitute the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D are driven by a common motor 31, so that the driving source for the dispensing operation by the rotary dispensing mechanism 10D and the driving source for rotating the forefront products W1, Y1 can be shared, and manufacturing costs can be reduced by reducing the number of parts.

[0098] According to the above-mentioned product storage device 10', in the normal state, the dispensing member 70' slides against the side of the foremost product W1, Y1 to prevent the foremost product W1, Y1 from being dispensed, but when a dispensing operation is performed in which the dispensing member rotates half a turn around the rotating shaft member 50 in response to a dispensing instruction, the dispensing member 70' is interposed between the foremost product W1, Y1 and the next product Y2, allowing only the foremost product W1, Y1 to be dispensed.Therefore, the dispensing operation of the rotating dispensing mechanism 10D can be performed on the same rotating shaft as the rotation of the foremost product W1, Y1, and by reducing the installation space for the rotating dispensing mechanism 10D, the device itself can be made more compact.

[0099] According to the above-mentioned product storage device 10', the dispensing member 70' is in sliding contact with the side of the foremost product W1, Y1 so that the axis of the foremost product W1, Y1 is located closer to the next product W2, Y2 than the axis of the rotating shaft member 50 is, so that at the contact point between the protrusion 721 and the next product W2, Y2, the angle α between the tangent direction of the contact point and the extension direction of the protrusion 721 can be an acute angle, so that the protrusion 721 can smoothly enter between the foremost product W1, Y1 and the next product W2, Y2 without damaging the side of the next product W2, Y2, and the foremost product W1, Y1 and the next product W2, Y2 can be smoothly separated. This makes it possible to prevent damage to the next product W2, Y2, etc.

[0100] In particular, since the sliding surface portion 761 of the sliding member 76, which comes into sliding contact with the forefront products W1, Y1, is flat, the volume of the hollow portion 76a of the sliding member 76 can be sufficiently secured, thereby improving the thermal insulation properties.

[0101] Although the preferred first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and various modifications can be made.

[0102] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the rotary dispensing mechanism 10B has the functions of both the rotating means and the dispensing means, but in the present invention, the rotating means and the dispensing means may be provided separately. Therefore, the rotating means and the dispensing means do not need to be driven by a common drive source, and do not need to rotate around a common rotation axis.

[0103] Although not mentioned in the above-mentioned first embodiment, the present invention may employ the following configuration.

[0104] An attachment member may be removably provided on the inner surface of the dispensing cam portion of the dispensing member. This allows the rotation and dispensing of small products with a small maximum width to be performed smoothly.

[0105] The dispensing cam portion of the dispensing member has a semi-cylindrical shape, but the both ends may have a shape with a smaller curvature than the central portion, or the both end faces may be inclined surfaces that gradually extend toward the central portion of the dispensing cam portion as they move radially outward from the central axis of the dispensing member. By reducing the curvature of both ends or making both end faces inclined, when the dispensing member is rotated, it is possible for the dispensing cam portion to easily enter between the most downstream product and the product adjacent to the most downstream product on the upstream side thereof, and the edge of the products can be smoothly cut off.

[0106] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the product storage passage 11 is described as extending along the front-to-rear direction, with the rear side being the upstream side and the front side being the downstream side; however, in the present invention, the product storage passage may extend in the left-to-right direction instead of the front-to-rear direction, and the downstream side may be the rear side, or the right side or the left side.

[0107] In the above-mentioned embodiment 2, the sliding surface portion 761 of the sliding member 76 was flat, but in the present invention, the portion of the dispensing member that comes into sliding contact with the side of the most downstream product does not have to be flat, and its shape is not particularly limited as long as it can be positioned so that the axis of the most downstream product is closer to the next product than the rotation axis of the rotating means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1...main cabinet, 2...product storage room, 3...product rack, 10...product storage device, 10A...base, 10B...rotary dispensing mechanism, 11...product storage passage, 21...bottom wall portion, 22...side wall portion, 23...circular hole, 24...stopper piece, 30...drive unit, 31...motor, 32...output gear, 40...shaft base, 50...rotating shaft member, 60...torque limiter, 70...dispensing member, 71...dispensing base portion, 72...dispensing cam portion, 80...rotating plate portion.

Claims

1. A product storage device that stores products in an upright position along a direction in which the product storage passage extends, with an axis extending along a direction perpendicular to a placement surface of the product storage passage, in a product storage passage defined by the product storage device itself, a product storage device comprising a rotation means for continuously rotating the most downstream product located at the most downstream side in the product storage passage in one direction about the axis of the most downstream product.

2. 2. The product storage device according to claim 1, further comprising a dispensing means for restricting the most downstream product from being dispensed in a normal state, while allowing only the most downstream product to be dispensed from the product storage passage when a dispensing operation is performed in response to a dispensing instruction.

3. 3. The product storage device according to claim 2, wherein the dispensing means and the rotating means perform the dispensing operation by using a common drive source.

4. The product storage device described in claim 2 or claim 3, characterized in that the dispensing means, in a normal state, slides against the side of the most downstream product to prevent the most downstream product from being dispensed, but when a dispensing operation is performed in which the most downstream product rotates half a turn around the rotation axis of the rotating means in response to a dispensing instruction, the dispensing member is interposed between the most downstream product and the next product adjacent to the most downstream product on the upstream side, thereby allowing only the most downstream product to be dispensed.

5. The product storage device according to claim 4, characterized in that, in a normal state, the dispensing member slides against the side of the most downstream product so that the axis of the most downstream product is positioned closer to the next product than the rotation axis of the rotating means.

6. The product storage device according to claim 5 , wherein the dispensing member is in sliding contact with a side surface of the most downstream product in a line contact manner.

7. 7. The product storage device according to claim 6, wherein the portion of the dispensing member that comes into sliding contact with the side surface of the most downstream product is flat.

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