Capsule Vending Machine

Abstract

To provide a capsule vending machine capable of visually entertaining a purchaser because of a long moving distance and long moving time.SOLUTION: A capsule vending machine includes a transparent case 1 whose inside is visible, capsule transport means 8 that moves a capsule, which is stored in the transparent case, within the transparent case, and brings the capsule to a take-out port of the capsule vending machine, and plural capsules 9 retained by the capsule transport means. The capsule transport means includes a first spiral rail 5 that has an inclination causing a capsule to roll by itself, is spiraled to approach a center direction along with advancement from a departure point to a terminal point, and retains plural capsules, ascending means 6 that captures a capsule existent at the terminal point of the first spiral rail and moves it to a terminal point near the ceiling of the transparent case, and a second spiral rail 7 that receives a capsule, which has moved to the terminal point of the ascending means, at a departure point, has an inclination causing a capsule to roll by itself, and is spiraled to fan out in an outside direction along with advancement from the departure point to the terminal point at the capsule take-out port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] This invention relates to a vending machine for spherical capsules that store toys, etc., and more specifically to a capsule vending machine that is equipped with a capsule transport means that moves the capsules over time within a transparent case that allows the inside to be seen, allowing the user to enjoy watching the capsules move. [Background technology]

[0002] Capsule vending machines allow you to buy capsules that contain toys and other items by inserting cash and operating a lever, and since it is unknown what is in the capsule, the customer can enjoy the anticipation of what will come out. In other words, the customer can be disappointed with a disappointing product or delighted with a product that exceeds expectations, and can enjoy a different sensation from regular shopping where the customer must carefully examine the product before making a purchase decision.

[0003] The capsule providers also take into consideration that even disappointing products are filled with products that are worth the purchase price, so that customers do not feel like they have lost out. Nowadays, capsule vending machines are often categorized by type, such as animal toys, insect toys, miniature furniture toys, etc., and multiple capsule vending machines may be lined up together.

[0004] Incidentally, although conventional capsule vending machines allow users to peek at the multiple capsules stored inside, there is no movement in the capsule vending machine itself or in the capsules, and the purchasing operation is not at all enjoyable (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] To solve these problems, a capsule vending machine has been proposed that allows users to move their purchased capsules and enjoy them visually (see Patent Document 2 below). This capsule vending machine moves a capsule upward and then rolls the capsule down an inclined spiral rail having the same inner diameter, so that a purchaser can enjoy watching the capsule move. [Prior art documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2004-5236

[0007] [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2009-129145 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the conventional capsule vending machines described above have the following problems. Although the above-mentioned conventional capsule vending machines allow the purchaser to enjoy watching the capsules move, the movement is small and the time it takes for the capsules to be discharged from the capsule vending machine is short, so the purchaser does not enjoy the machine sufficiently. In other words, in the conventional capsule vending machines, the inside diameter of the spiral rail is constant, so only the height of the rolling capsule changes, resulting in monotonous movement of the capsule. Another problem is that the capsules are always moving above the capsule vending machine, meaning that small children can only view them by looking up. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The capsule vending machine of the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is configured to comprise a transparent case which allows the inside to be visually observed, a capsule transport means which is stored within the transparent case and moves capsules within the transparent case to deliver them to the capsule vending machine's outlet, and a plurality of capsules held by the capsule transport means. The capsule transport means is configured to comprise a first spiral rail which holds a plurality of capsules and has an inclination angle which allows the capsules to roll under their own weight, forming a spiral which approaches the center as it progresses from the starting point to the end point, an ascending means which captures a single capsule at the end point of the first spiral rail and moves it to the end point near the ceiling of the transparent case, and a second spiral rail which receives the capsule which has moved to the end point of the ascending means at the starting point, and has an inclination angle which allows the capsules to roll under their own weight, forming a spiral which widens outward as it progresses from the starting point to the end point of the capsule vending machine's outlet.

[0010] Alternatively, a capsule vending machine may be configured to include a transparent case that allows the inside to be viewed, a capsule transporting means that is stored within the transparent case and moves capsules within the transparent case to deliver them to an outlet of the capsule vending machine, and a capsule transporting means that stores a plurality of capsules and delivers a single capsule to the capsule transporting means, the capsule transporting means being configured to include a first spiral rail that receives a single capsule from the capsule transporting means at a starting point, has an inclination angle at which the capsule rolls under its own weight, and forms a spiral that approaches the center as it progresses from the starting point to an end point, an ascending means that captures the capsule that has reached the end point of the first spiral rail and moves it to an end point near the ceiling of the transparent case, and a second spiral rail that receives the capsule that has moved to the end point of the ascending means at a starting point, has an inclination angle at which the capsule rolls under its own weight, and forms a spiral that widens outward as it progresses from the starting point to the end point of the capsule outlet. Effect of the Invention

[0011] The capsule vending machine of the present invention moves the capsule using three mechanisms, namely, the first spiral rail, the lifting means, and the second spiral rail, so that the capsule moves a long distance and takes a long time to move, providing visual entertainment to the purchaser and further increasing anticipation about what is stored in the purchased capsule. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a capsule vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention. [Diagram 2] A diagram of the capsule movement path on the first spiral rail of a capsule vending machine. [Diagram 3] A diagram showing the capsule movement path in the lifting means of the capsule vending machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a lifting means of a capsule vending machine. [Diagram 5] 1 is a side view showing the capsule feeding operation of the lifting means of the capsule vending machine. FIG. [Figure 6] 1 is a front view showing the capsule holding operation of the lifting means of the capsule vending machine. FIG. [Figure 7] A diagram of the capsule movement path on the second spiral rail of the capsule vending machine. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is an exploded front view showing a capsule vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention. [Figure 9] A top view showing another configuration example of the second spiral rail of a capsule vending machine. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an external perspective view showing an example in which a metal pipe is provided on a second spiral rail. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] An embodiment of a capsule vending machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view of a capsule vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention, in which 1 is a transparent case, and this transparent case 1 allows the capsules moving inside the capsule vending machine to be visually observed.

[0014] Also, reference numeral 2 in FIG. 1 denotes an operating means, which includes a cash slot and a start lever 3, etc., and a capsule purchaser can operate the capsule vending machine using this operating means 2.

[0015] Numeral 8 denotes a capsule transport means, which is composed of a first spiral rail 5, a lifting means 6, and a second spiral rail 7. As shown in the figure, the first spiral rail 5 holds a number of capsules 9 on the rail, and these capsules 9 can be sent onto the first spiral rail 5 through a capsule insertion port 10 provided in the transparent case 1, allowing the capsule provider to check the number of capsules sold and replenish capsules as necessary.

[0016] The first spiral rail 5 has an inclination angle that allows the capsule 9 to roll under its own weight, and forms a spiral that approaches the center as it moves from the starting point to the end point. The capsule inserted through the capsule insertion port 10 passes through a straight rail and reaches the first spiral rail 5. Therefore, the capsule inserted into the capsule insertion port 10 moves while rolling along the movement path shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2, the movement path on the linear rail is shown by a dashed line.

[0017] When the capsule reaches the end of the first spiral rail 5, it hits the lifting means 6 and stops there, and the multiple capsules 9 that have been inserted wait in a line on the first spiral rail 5 as shown in FIG. When a capsule purchaser gives an instruction to the capsule vending machine to move using the operating means 2, the lifting means 6 moves and moves the capsule upward as a whole. In other words, the capsule moves in a straight line as shown in FIG.

[0018] FIG. 4 shows an example of the configuration of the lifting means 6. The lifting means 6 comprises a circular belt 11 that rotates vertically by a motor (not shown), a plate material 12 fixed to the belt 11, and a pair of holding arms 13 fixed to the plate material 12, and a flexible rubber 14 that can freely change shape is provided between the holding arms 13 and the plate material 12. The width of the pair of holding arms 13 is narrower than the diameter of the capsule, so that the capsule can be captured by being placed above the pair of holding arms 13.

[0019] The holding arm 13 of the lifting means 6 lifts up a capsule that has reached the end point of the multiple capsules lined up on the first spiral rail 5, and when it reaches the starting point of the second spiral rail 7, it abuts against the second spiral rail 7, causing the shape of the flexible rubber 14 to change and the holding arm 13 to tilt as shown in Figure 5, allowing the capsule 9 to roll and be sent to the starting point of the second spiral rail 7. When the lifting means 6 reaches this position, it is detected by a position sensor (not shown) and stops, and then moves downward.

[0020] Then, as shown in Figure 6, the pair of holding arms 13 move toward capsule 9 located at the end point of the first spiral rail 5, and as they abut against capsule 9, the shape of the flexible rubber 14 changes as they contact capsule 9, spreading to the left and right, and descending to a position where they contact both side surfaces of the first spiral rail 5, where they are detected by a position sensor (not shown) and stopped.

[0021] As described above, the lifting means 6 carries a capsule from the terminal point of the first spiral rail 5 to the starting point of the second spiral rail 7, and the capsule purchaser can enjoy this movement. By picking up one capsule, the multiple capsules that have been waiting in line will move all at once along the first spiral rail 5, and you can enjoy watching the multiple capsules move.

[0022] On the other hand, a capsule placed at the starting point of the second spiral rail 7 will move by rolling along the second spiral rail 7, but the second spiral rail 7 has an inclination angle that allows the capsule to roll under its own weight, and forms a spiral that widens outward as it progresses from the starting point to the terminal point at the capsule removal port 4. Therefore, the capsule placed on the second spiral rail 7 moves while rolling along the moving path shown in Fig. 7. The capsule then reaches the capsule removal port 4, which is in the customer's hand, and the series of capsule movements stops. In addition, the capsule moves along a linear rail between the second spiral rail 7 and the outlet 4, and the movement path of the capsule is shown by the dashed line.

[0023] As explained above, the capsule vending machine of the present invention has a longer travel distance and time than conventional capsule vending machines, and its movements are more varied, so you can fully enjoy the anticipation of what will come out. In addition, even a small child can see the capsule moving on the first spiral rail 5 by looking down, and can see the capsule moving on the lifting means 6 and the second spiral rail 7 by looking up, so the child can move his / her head up and down and left and right to follow the capsule with his / her eyes, and can fully enjoy the capsule vending machine.

[0024] In this embodiment, the first helical rail 5 and the second helical rail 7 are configured to roll in opposite directions, but the same effect can be obtained even if the rolling directions are the same.

[0025] Next, a description will be given of an embodiment of the capsule vending machine according to the present invention as set forth in claim 2. Note that the same parts as those in the above-mentioned capsule vending machine will be given the same reference numerals and duplicated explanations will be omitted. FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the capsule vending machine, and no capsules are placed on the first spiral rail 5 of the capsule conveying means 8. The first spiral rail 5 goes inside the capsule discharge means 11 described below and is not visible from the front, but is visible to capsule purchasers looking down through the transparent case 1.

[0026] The capsule dispensing means 11 also comprises an operating means 2 having a cash insertion slot, a start lever 3, and a capsule removal port 4, and stores a plurality of capsules therein. This capsule discharge means 11 is adapted to drop a capsule at the starting point of the first spiral rail 5 in response to a purchase operation by a capsule purchaser. Note that the structure is the same as that of a conventional capsule vending machine, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0027] The capsule placed at the starting point of the first spiral rail 5 rolls along the first spiral rail 5 and is sent to the center as shown by the solid line in FIG. Then, when the lifting means 6 confirms the presence of the capsule by a detection means (not shown), it lifts the capsule as shown in FIG.

[0028] The capsule that has reached the starting point of the second spiral rail 7 rolls down as shown in FIG. 7 and reaches the capsule removal port 4, whereupon the series of capsule movements ends. As explained above, this capsule vending machine also allows you to enjoy watching the capsules move.

[0029] Incidentally, the second spiral rail 7 may be configured as shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a top view showing another configuration example of the second spiral rail 7. This second spiral rail 7 is configured in a spiral shape by connecting multiple straight rails, and each straight rail is connected so as to spread outward as the capsule rolls and advances. When a capsule is rolled on the second spiral rail 7 configured as described above, the capsule rolls on the straight rail gradually increasing in speed, but when it collides with the next straight rail at the joint of the straight rail, the capsule slows down and stops. The capsule then rolls on the next straight rail gradually increasing in speed. That is, the capsule's rolling speed can change from faster to slower, making the motion more interesting and lengthening the travel time.

[0030] On the other hand, if components that make a sound when struck, such as metal pipes, are installed at the connecting parts between each straight rail as shown in Figure 10, a sound will be produced and the metal pipes will swing every time the capsule hits the metal pipe, providing both visual and auditory enjoyment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 transparent case 2 Operating means 3 Start lever 4 Capsule outlet 5 First Spiral Rail 6. Ascent 7 Second Spiral Rail 8 Capsule transport means 9 capsules 10 Capsule slot 11 Capsule ejection means

Claims

1. A vending machine for spherical capsules for storing toys or the like, the capsule vending machine comprising: a transparent case that allows the inside of the capsule vending machine to be viewed; a capsule transport means that moves capsules stored in the transparent case within the transparent case and delivers them to an outlet of the capsule vending machine; and a plurality of capsules held by the capsule transport means; The capsule conveying means, a first spiral rail that holds a plurality of capsules and has an inclination angle at which the capsules roll under their own weight, forming a spiral that approaches a center direction as the capsules move from a starting point to a destination point; a lifting means for capturing a capsule at the end of the first spiral rail and moving it to the end near the ceiling of the transparent case; This capsule vending machine is characterized by being configured with a second spiral rail which receives at a starting point the capsule that has moved to the end point of the ascending means, has an inclination angle at which the capsule rolls under its own weight, and forms a spiral which widens outward as the capsule progresses from the starting point to the end point of the capsule removal port.

2. A vending machine for spherical capsules for storing toys and the like, comprising: a transparent case that allows the inside of the capsule vending machine to be viewed; a capsule transport means that is stored in the transparent case and moves the capsules within the transparent case to deliver them to an outlet of the capsule vending machine; and a capsule delivery means that stores a plurality of capsules and delivers a single capsule to the capsule transport means. The capsule conveying means, a first spiral rail that receives a capsule from the capsule discharge means at a starting point, has an inclination angle at which the capsule rolls under its own weight, and forms a spiral that approaches a center direction as the capsule moves from the starting point to a terminal point; a lifting means for capturing the capsule that has reached the end point of the first spiral rail and moving it to the end point near the ceiling of the transparent case; a second spiral rail which receives at a starting point the capsule that has moved to the end point of the ascending means, has an inclination angle at which the capsule rolls under its own weight, and forms a spiral which widens outward as the capsule travels from the starting point to the end point of the removal port.

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