Product take-out structure of vending machine

Abstract

To improve convenience by swinging a commodity take-out door either automatically or manually.SOLUTION: Provided is a commodity take-out port structure of an automatic vending machine 1 including a commodity take-out port 28 formed in a customer service face of an automatic vending machine body (10, 11), and a commodity take-out door 29 provided pivotally in a mode of opening / closing the commodity take-out port 28, the commodity take-out port structure including an opening / closing mechanism part 30 that in an ordinary state, allows the commodity take-out door 29 to be swung manually to open / close the commodity take-out port 28, and in a case where an internal motor 36 is driven, swings the commodity take-out door 29 to open / close the commodity take-out port 28. Preferably, the commodity take-out door 29 swings toward the front side to open the commodity take-out port 28, and swings toward the rear side to close the commodity take-out port 28.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product take-out opening structure of a vending machine that sells products. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in vending machines that sell products, a product selected from a product rack inside the vending machine body is dispensed into a predetermined product removal area, provided that proper financial transactions have been carried out.

[0003] This allows the purchaser to swing the product removal door, which opens and closes the product removal outlet formed on the front of the vending machine body, in the opening direction, and then insert their hand through the product removal outlet to remove the product dispensed into the product removal area (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] However, the vending machine proposed in Patent Document 1 allows an unspecified number of people to purchase products, and each purchaser typically manually swings the product outlet door in the direction of opening it. As a result, an unspecified number of people come into contact with the product outlet door, which is not considered hygienic.

[0005] Therefore, there is known a vending machine that is equipped with a first opening / closing unit that includes a first biasing means that biases the product take-out door in a manner to swing it in a direction to always close when the product take-out door is to be swung in a direction to automatically open it, and a drive mechanism that, when driven, swings the product take-out door in the direction to open it against the biasing force of the first biasing means, and that is equipped with a second opening / closing unit that includes a second biasing means that biases the product take-out door in a manner to swing it in a direction to always close when the product take-out door is to be swung in a direction to open it manually. In such a vending machine, either the first opening / closing unit or the second opening / closing unit is selectively installed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-238077 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4702240 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Incidentally, in the vending machine proposed in Patent Document 2, a first opening / closing unit is attached when the product removal door is to be swung in a direction to open automatically, and a second opening / closing unit is attached when the product is to be swung in a direction to open manually, and either the first opening / closing unit or the second opening / closing unit is attached alternatively. Therefore, when the first opening / closing unit is attached, the product removal door cannot be swung manually, and when the second opening / closing unit is attached, the product removal door cannot be swung automatically. As a result, the product removal door cannot be opened or closed either manually or automatically, and it cannot be said to be very convenient.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a product take-out opening structure for a vending machine that can improve convenience by allowing the product take-out door to swing either automatically or manually. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the product removal opening structure for a vending machine according to the present invention is a product removal opening structure for a vending machine comprising a product removal opening formed on the customer service surface of the vending machine body, and a product removal door that is swingable to open and close the product removal opening, and is characterized in that, in a normal state, the product removal door swings manually to allow the product removal opening to be opened and closed, while, when an internal drive source is activated, the product removal door swings to open and close the product removal opening, and the structure is equipped with an opening and closing mechanism.

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the product removal outlet structure of the above-mentioned vending machine, the product removal door opens the product removal outlet by swinging forward, and closes the product removal outlet by swinging backward.

[0011] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the product take-out port structure for the above-mentioned vending machine, the opening and closing mechanism comprises a connecting shaft that is connected to the swinging shaft portion of the product take-out door in a manner that their central axes coincide and that rotates integrally with the swinging shaft portion about the central axis; a cam attached to the connecting shaft; a transmission shaft that is rotatable about its central axis in response to drive of the drive source and is connected to the connecting shaft in a manner that allows the connecting shaft to rotate about its central axis with its central axis coinciding; and an action pin that is attached to the transmission shaft and that abuts against and presses the cam when the transmission shaft rotates.

[0012] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the product dispensing opening structure of the above-mentioned vending machine, the cam extends parallel to the central axes of the connecting shaft and the transmission shaft and has a cam action portion in which a V-shaped action recess is formed, and the action pin abuts against the action recess to press the cam when the transmission shaft rotates.

[0013] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the product take-out opening structure of the vending machine, the opening and closing mechanism is arranged in a state where it advances into the swing range of the action pin, and is provided with a regulating member that abuts against the action pin that presses the cam, thereby regulating the swing angle of the product take-out door.

[0014] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the product removal outlet structure of the above-mentioned vending machine, the opening and closing mechanism adjusts the swing angle of the product removal door by changing the protruding length of the action pin from the transmission shaft and changing the point of contact with the regulating member.

[0015] The present invention also provides a product take-out opening structure for a vending machine, wherein the opening and closing mechanism comprises a transmission shaft that is rotatable about its central axis in response to the drive of the drive source and is connected to the swing shaft portion of the product take-out door in a manner that their central axes coincide, and a cam that is attached to the transmission shaft in a manner that it rotates integrally with the transmission shaft when inserted into a notch formed in the product take-out door; in a normal state, the product take-out door is manually swung to allow the product take-out opening to be opened and closed, but when the drive source is driven, the cam rotates together with the transmission shaft, causing a cam protrusion that constitutes the cam to abut and press against a part of the product take-out door, thereby swinging the product take-out door to open and close the product take-out opening.

[0016] The present invention also provides a product outlet structure for a vending machine, which includes an open / close detection mechanism that detects whether the product outlet is open or closed. The open / close detection mechanism includes a detection unit that sends an ON signal indicating that the product outlet is open when a detection switch, which is provided so that it can be retracted into a detection body, is protruded from the detection body, and sends an OFF signal indicating that the product outlet is closed when the detection switch is retracted into the detection body. The open / close detection mechanism also includes a first lever that is connected to a swing shaft of the product outlet door via a lever shaft that is inserted into the swing shaft of the product outlet door so that their central axes coincide, and that rotates integrally with the swing shaft around the central axis of the lever shaft, and a second lever that is provided so as to be swingable around the central axis of the lever shaft and has an extension length greater than that of the first lever. When pressed by the first lever, the second lever puts the detection switch in the retracted state, but when the pressing force from the first lever is released, the second lever is free to allow the detection switch to be in the extended state.

[0017] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the product take-out opening structure of the above-mentioned vending machine, the opening and closing mechanism comprises a connecting shaft that is connected to the swinging shaft portion of the product take-out door in a manner such that their central axes coincide and that rotates integrally with the swinging shaft portion around the central axis, and a damper that is connected to the connecting shaft and that slows down the speed at which the product take-out door swings in the direction of closing the product take-out opening.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the product dispensing opening structure for the vending machine, the opening and closing mechanism comprises a cam attached to the connecting shaft; a transmission shaft that is rotatable about its central axis in response to drive of the drive source and is spaced apart from the connecting shaft while their central axes are aligned; and an action pin that is attached to the transmission shaft and that abuts against and presses against the cam when the transmission shaft rotates. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, the opening and closing mechanism normally allows the product removal door to be manually swung to open and close the product removal outlet, but when the built-in drive source is activated, the product removal door is swung to open and close the product removal outlet, thereby achieving the effect of improving convenience by allowing the product removal door to be swung either automatically or manually. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine to which a product dispensing opening structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the product dispensing opening structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the product take-out opening structure shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the connecting shaft that constitutes the product outlet structure shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the transmission shaft and its surrounding structure that constitute the product outlet structure shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the connection state between the connecting shaft and the transmission shaft, which are essential parts of the product outlet structure shown in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which the product take-out door shown in FIG. 1 has been manually swung forward. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which the action pin constituting the commodity dispensing opening structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention is in contact with the action recess of the cam. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which the product take-out door shown in FIG. 1 is automatically swung forward. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a modified example of the product dispensing opening structure of the vending machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a side view showing a modified example of the product dispensing opening structure of the vending machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a side view of the main part showing the state of contact between the action pin and the regulating member when the protruding length of the action pin shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is changed. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a front view schematically showing a product dispensing opening structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a modified example of the product dispensing opening structure shown in FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the connection between the transmission shaft and the product take-out door, which are essential parts of the modified product take-out opening structure shown in FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the connection between the transmission shaft and the product take-out door, which are essential parts of the modified product take-out opening structure shown in FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the product take-out door shown in FIG. 13 has been manually swung forward. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cam action portion of a cam attached to a rotating transmission shaft abuts against a part of the product take-out door. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a state in which a cam action portion of a cam attached to a rotating transmission shaft abuts against a part of the product take-out door. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing a state in which the product take-out door shown in FIG. 13 has automatically swung forward. [Figure 21]21 is a perspective view showing a state in which an open / close detection mechanism is attached to the product take-out door shown in FIG. [Figure 22] 22 is an exploded perspective view of a lever portion that constitutes the open / close detection mechanism shown in FIG. [Figure 23] 23 is an exploded perspective view of a lever portion that constitutes the open / close detection mechanism shown in FIG. [Figure 24] 24 is a side view showing the open / close detection mechanism in a state where the product take-out door shown in FIG. 21 closes the product take-out opening. [Figure 25] 25 is a side view showing the open / close detection mechanism in a state where the product take-out door shown in FIG. 21 is swung forward. [Figure 26] 26 is a side view showing the open / close detection mechanism in a state where the product take-out door shown in FIG. 21 is swung forward. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a front view schematically showing a product dispensing opening structure according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 28] 28 is an enlarged perspective view showing a main part of the product dispensing opening structure shown in FIG. 27. FIG. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is an exploded perspective view of the components in the main part of the product dispensing opening structure shown in FIGS. 27 and 28. FIG. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is an exploded perspective view of the components in the main part of the product dispensing opening structure shown in FIGS. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is an exploded perspective view showing the transmission shaft shown in FIG. 28 and its surrounding structure. [Figure 32] FIG. 32 is a perspective view showing a state in which the product take-out door shown in FIG. 27 has been manually swung forward. [Figure 33] FIG. 33 is a perspective view showing a state in which the product take-out door shown in FIG. 27 has automatically swung forward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a product take-out opening structure for a vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0022] <First Embodiment> 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine to which a product dispensing opening structure according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied. The vending machine 1 shown here is configured to include a main body cabinet 10.

[0023] The main cabinet 10 is a rectangular, insulated housing with an opening on the front. Within the main cabinet 10, multiple insulated product storage compartments (not shown) are defined, each equipped with a product rack. The product racks have product storage passages extending vertically, and products are stored vertically in the product storage passages. An evaporator is also installed in the product storage compartment. The evaporator, together with a compressor and a condenser, forms a refrigeration cycle that circulates a refrigerant, and the refrigerant evaporates as it passes through, cooling the surrounding air. The air cooled by the evaporator in this way circulates within the product storage compartment by driving an internal fan installed in the product storage compartment, cooling the products stored in the product racks.

[0024] The main body cabinet 10 has a front door 11 that opens and closes the front opening and is swingably provided on the left edge of the front side of the main body cabinet 10. This front door 11, together with the main body cabinet 10, constitutes the vending machine body, and its front surface constitutes the customer side.

[0025] An exhibition room 12 is provided in front of the front door 11. The exhibition room 12 is configured in a rectangular shape with an open front, and is used to display a plurality of product samples 13 inside. This exhibition room 12 has multiple stages 14 arranged vertically (three stages in the example of FIG. 1), and a plurality of product samples 13 are arranged side by side on each stage 14.

[0026] The front opening of the exhibition room 12 is covered with a transparent resin panel 15, which prevents foreign objects from entering from the outside while allowing the interior to be seen through the resin panel 15. The resin panel 15 also has product selection buttons 16 corresponding to each of the product samples 13. In other words, a group of product selection buttons 17 is installed in a vertical row of three, corresponding to the stage 14.

[0027] Below the exhibition room 12 in front of the front door 11, there are a coin slot 21, a banknote slot 22, a card reading and writing unit 23, a display unit 24, a coin return slot 25, a short-range wireless communication unit 26, an advertisement placement unit 27 and a product removal opening 28.

[0028] The coin slot 21 is an opening through which a purchaser (user) inserts coins. The denomination of coins inserted through this coin slot 21 is identified by a coin mechanism (not shown) installed on the rear surface of the front door 11, and then the coins are stored in a coin collection box.

[0029] The bill insertion slot 22 is an opening through which a purchaser inserts bills. The denomination of bills inserted through this bill insertion slot 22 is identified by a bill validator (not shown) installed on the rear surface of the front door 11. The bill insertion slot 22 also has a function of returning bills that could not be identified by the bill validator.

[0030] The card reading and writing unit 23 is for reading or writing card information. The display unit 24 displays information such as the amount of inserted currency (coins or money), whether or not it is on sale, etc.

[0031] The coin return slot 25 is an opening for returning coins that could not be identified by the coin mechanism or coins to be used as change. The short-range wireless communication unit 26 communicates with mobile terminal devices and electronic money cards held within a specified communication area using short-range wireless communication means. The advertising placement unit 27 is for installing advertising panels.

[0032] The product outlet 28 is a rectangular opening through which a purchaser can remove a purchased product. As shown in Fig. 2, a product outlet door 29 is provided at the upper end of each of the left and right edges of the product outlet 28, and is pivotally supported in the front-to-rear direction. The product outlet door 29 is used to open and close the product outlet 28; when it swings forward, it opens the product outlet 28, and when it swings backward, it closes the product outlet 28. The product outlet door 29 closes the product outlet 28 when only its own weight acts on it.

[0033] As shown in Figure 3, an opening / closing mechanism 30 is provided at the left end of the product outlet 28. The opening / closing mechanism 30, together with the product outlet 28 and the product outlet door 29, constitutes the product outlet structure of the vending machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is configured with a connecting shaft 31 and a transmission shaft 32.

[0034] The connecting shaft 31 is a long, substantially cylindrical member that is made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material and extends in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the right end portion of the connecting shaft 31 is inserted into the hollow portion 291a of the swing shaft portion 291 of the product removal door 29.

[0035] The swing shaft 291 is a shaft formed by bending the upper end portion of the product removal door 29 in a curled shape, and both left and right end portions thereof are pivotally supported on the upper ends of the left and right side edges of the product removal opening 28. The central axis of the swing shaft 291 serves as the swing shaft of the product removal door 29. A notch 291b is formed in a part of the swing shaft 291, and the part of the connecting shaft 31 inserted into the swing shaft 291 that is exposed from the notch 291b is connected to the product removal door 29 by a connecting member 33.

[0036] In other words, the right end portion of the connecting shaft 31 is inserted into the hollow portion 291a of the oscillating shaft portion 291 so that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the oscillating shaft portion 291, and a portion of the right end portion is connected to the product removal door 29 via the connecting member 33, so that it rotates around the central axis integrally with the oscillating shaft portion 291 (product removal door 29).

[0037] A part of the left end portion of such connecting shaft 31 is cut away to form a D-cut portion 311 having a D-shaped cross section. The maximum width of this D-cut portion 311 is smaller than the outer diameter of the remaining portion of connecting shaft 31. A cam 34 is attached to this D-cut portion 311.

[0038] The cam 34 is made of, for example, a resin material or a metal material, and is configured by integrally molding a cam base portion 341 and a cam action portion 342. The components of the cam 34 will be described according to the direction shown in FIG.

[0039] Cam base 341 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending in the front-rear direction. Mounting hole 341a is formed in cam base 341. Mounting hole 341a has a shape that matches the outer shape of D-cut portion 311 and allows D-cut portion 311 to pass through.

[0040] The cam action portion 342 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending leftward from the rear end of the cam base 341. A V-shaped action recess 342a is formed in the upper end portion, which is the side end in the extension direction (leftward) of this cam action portion 342. This action recess 342a is formed by the upper end portion of the cam action portion 342 extending at a gradual downward incline as it extends from the extending end (left end) of the cam action portion 342 to the right, and then extending at a gradual upward incline as it extends to the right.

[0041] The cam 34 is attached to the D-cut portion 311 of the connecting shaft 31 by relatively passing through the attachment hole 341a from the right side of the D-cut portion 311. The cam 34 swings integrally with the connecting shaft 31 around the central axis of the connecting shaft 31, i.e., the central axis of the swing shaft portion 291.

[0042] When the product removal door 29 closes the product removal opening 28, the cam 34 is positioned such that the cam action portion 342 extends leftward from the rear end of the cam base 341, and the action recess 342a is positioned at the upper end portion of the cam action portion 342, as shown in Figure 4.

[0043] 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the transmission shaft 32 and its surrounding structure shown in FIG. 3. The transmission shaft 32 shown here is a cylindrical member made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material, and extends in the left-right direction. The transmission shaft 32 is provided rotatably about its central axis, passing through a through-hole 351 in a mechanism body 35 made of, for example, sheet metal.

[0044] A transmission gear 321 is attached to the left end of the transmission shaft 32. The transmission gear 321 has transmission teeth formed on its outer periphery, and these transmission teeth mesh with linking teeth on the outer periphery of a linking gear 352 rotatably provided on the mechanism body 35. The linking gear 352 is linked to a motor 36, which is a drive source, via a torque limiter 353. The motor 36 is installed in the mechanism body 35, and is driven to rotate forward and backward in response to commands given from a control unit 40 electrically connected thereto.

[0045] Such linking gear 352 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when the motor 36 rotates forward, but rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when the motor 36 rotates backward. As a result, the transmission shaft 32 rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when the motor 36 rotates forward, but rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when the motor 36 rotates backward.

[0046] The transmission shaft 32 is formed so that its inner diameter is larger than the maximum width of the D-cut portion 311 of the connecting shaft 31 and smaller than the outer diameter of the connecting shaft 31 other than the D-cut portion 311. The transmission shaft 32 is formed with a pin mounting hole 322 on its side in a manner perpendicular to the direction of the central axis (left-right direction), and an action pin 37 is attached so as to pass through the pin mounting hole 322.

[0047] When the transmission shaft 32 is in a standby state in which the motor 36 is stopped, the action pin 37 extends in the vertical direction, and the action pin 37 abuts against a stopper piece 354 formed in a manner that protrudes toward the right from the mechanism body 35.

[0048] 6, the D-cut portion 311 of the connecting shaft 31, to which the cam 34 is attached, relatively enters the right end portion, so that the central axis of the transmission shaft 32 coincides with the central axis of the connecting shaft 31. As described above, the inner diameter of the transmission shaft 32 is larger than the maximum width of the D-cut portion 311, so the transmission shaft 32 is connected to the connecting shaft 31 in a state that allows the connecting shaft 31 to rotate about its central axis. In this case, the action recess 342a of the cam 34 is located behind the action pin 37, as shown in FIG.

[0049] In the product outlet structure configured as described above, although the connecting shaft 31 and the transmission shaft 32 are connected, the transmission shaft 32 is connected to the connecting shaft 31 in a manner that allows the connecting shaft 31 to rotate about its central axis, and furthermore, when the product outlet door 29 is in a state where it closes the product outlet 28, the action recess 342a of the cam 34 is located behind the action pin 37, so that the opening / closing mechanism 30 allows the product outlet 28 to be opened when the user manually swings the product outlet door 29 forward, as shown in Fig. 7. Furthermore, when the user releases their grip on the product outlet door 29, the opening / closing mechanism 30 allows the product outlet 28 to be closed when the product outlet door 29 swings backward due to its own weight.

[0050] That is, in a normal state in which the motor 36 is not driven, the opening / closing mechanism 30 allows the product take-out door 29 to be manually swung to open and close the product take-out opening 28.

[0051] Meanwhile, in the above-described product take-out opening structure, when a command is given from the control unit 40 to drive the motor 36 in the forward direction for a predetermined time (e.g., about 3 to 5 seconds), the transmission shaft 32 rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right. As a result, as shown in Fig. 8, the action pin 37 abuts against and presses the action recess 342a, causing the opening / closing mechanism 30 to swing the product take-out door 29 forward by a predetermined angle (e.g., about 150°), as shown in Fig. 9, to open the product take-out opening 28. Thereafter, the control unit 40 stops driving the motor 36 for a predetermined time (e.g., about 5 seconds), causing the opening / closing mechanism 30 to maintain the product take-out opening 28 open.

[0052] When the control unit 40 issues a command to drive the motor 36 in reverse for a predetermined period of time (e.g., about 3 to 5 seconds), the transmission shaft 32 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right. This releases the pressing force from the action pin 37 to the action recess 342a, causing the product removal door 29 to swing rearward. Thereafter, when the action pin 37 abuts against the stopper piece 354, the control unit 40 issues a command to stop the motor 36, causing the opening / closing mechanism 30 to close the product removal opening 28.

[0053] That is, when the motor 36 is driven (forward rotation drive and reverse rotation drive), the opening / closing mechanism 30 swings the product take-out door 29 to open and close the product take-out opening 28.

[0054] Here, whether or not the control unit 40 issues a drive command to the motor 36 is determined by a prior setting input using an input means such as a remote control. More specifically, if it is desired to swing the product removal door 29 manually, it is sufficient to use a remote control or the like to set in advance that the control unit 40 will not issue a drive command or a drive stop command to the motor 36. On the other hand, if it is desired to swing the product removal door 29 automatically, it is sufficient to use a remote control or the like to set in advance that the control unit 40 will issue a drive command or a drive stop command to the motor 36 at a predetermined timing.

[0055] As described above, according to the product removal opening structure of embodiment 1 of the present invention, the opening / closing mechanism 30 normally allows the product removal door 29 to be manually swung to open and close the product removal opening 28, but when the built-in motor 36 is driven, it swings the product removal door 29 to open and close the product removal opening 28, so that convenience can be improved by swinging the product removal door 29 either automatically or manually.

[0056] Furthermore, according to the above-described product removal opening structure, the opening / closing mechanism 30 comprises: a connecting shaft 31 that is connected to the swinging shaft 291 of the product removal door 29 in a manner that their central axes coincide and that rotates integrally with the swinging shaft 291 about the central axis; a cam 34 that is attached to the connecting shaft 31 and has a cam action portion 342 that extends in the left-right direction and has a V-shaped action recess 342a formed therein; a transmission shaft 32 that is rotatable about its central axis in response to the drive of the motor 36 and is connected to the connecting shaft 31 in a manner that allows the connecting shaft 31 to rotate about its central axis with their central axes coinciding; and an action pin 37 that is provided on the transmission shaft 32; when the transmission shaft 32 rotates, the action pin 37 abuts against the action recess 342a of the cam action portion 342 and presses the cam 34; therefore, when the action pin 37 presses the cam 34, it is possible to prevent the action pin 37 from being displaced in the left-right direction and to absorb dimensional errors.

[0057] Furthermore, since the action pin 37 is designed to come into contact with the cam 34 (action recess 342a) after the transmission shaft 32 has rotated to a certain extent, the action pin 37 will not come into contact with the cam 34 when the product removal door 29 is closing the product removal outlet 28, and it is possible to prevent the action pin 37 from pressing the cam 34 due to dimensional errors, etc., causing the product removal outlet 28 to remain open at all times.

[0058] <Modification of the First Embodiment> Next, a modified example of the product take-out opening structure of the vending machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0059] Figures 10 and 11 show modified examples of the product dispensing opening structure of the vending machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, with Figure 10 being a perspective view and Figure 11 being a side view. Note that the same components as those in the product dispensing opening structure according to the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the opening / closing mechanism 30' is configured to include a restricting member 38 in addition to the connecting shaft 31 and the transmission shaft 32.

[0061] The regulating member 38 is a block-like member in the shape of a triangular prism, and is disposed in the mechanism body 35. More specifically, the regulating member 38 is disposed in the mechanism body 35 in a state in which it extends into the swing range of the action pin 37. The regulating member 38 has an inclined surface 38a that slopes gradually downward as it extends forward, and is disposed so that the tip of the action pin 37 abuts against the inclined surface 38a.

[0062] In such an opening / closing mechanism 30', the tip of the swinging action pin 37 abuts against the inclined surface 38a of the regulating member 38, thereby regulating the swing angle of the product take-out door 29.

[0063] This makes it possible to restrict the swing angle of the commodity take-out door 29 and prevent the commodity take-out door 29 from being fully opened when it is not appropriate to fully open the commodity take-out door 29 due to the location where the vending machine 1 is installed.

[0064] Furthermore, in the opening / closing mechanism 30', the tip of the action pin 37 is made to abut against the inclined surface 38a, so that by changing the length of protrusion of the action pin 37 from the transmission shaft 32 without changing the position of the restriction member 38, the point of contact between the action pin 37 and the inclined surface 38a (restriction member 38) can be changed, as shown in Figure 12, to adjust the swing angle of the product take-out door 29. This makes it possible to adjust the length of protrusion of the action pin 37 from the transmission shaft 32 and adjust the swing angle of the product take-out door 29 depending on the location where the vending machine 1 is installed.

[0065] <Embodiment 2> 13 is a front view schematically showing a product dispensing opening structure according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. Note that the same components as those in the product dispensing opening structure according to embodiment 1 described above are given the same reference numerals, and their explanation will be omitted where appropriate.

[0066] As shown in Figure 13, a product removal door 29' is provided at the upper end of each of the left and right edges of the product removal opening 28' and is pivotally supported in the front-to-rear direction. This product removal door 29' is used to open and close the product removal opening 28'; when it swings forward, it opens the product removal opening 28', and when it swings backward, it closes the product removal opening 28'. The product removal door 29' closes the product removal opening 28' when only its own weight acts on it.

[0067] 14, an opening / closing mechanism 50 is provided at the left end of the product outlet 28'. The opening / closing mechanism 50, together with the product outlet 28' and the product outlet door 29', constitutes a product outlet structure, and is configured with a transmission shaft 51.

[0068] The transmission shaft 51 is a substantially cylindrical member made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material, and extends in the left-right direction. The transmission shaft 51 is provided rotatably about its central axis while passing through a through-hole 521 of a mechanism main body 52 made of, for example, sheet metal.

[0069] A transmission gear 511 is attached to the left end of the transmission shaft 51. The transmission gear 511 has transmission teeth formed on its outer periphery, and these transmission teeth mesh with linking teeth on the outer periphery of a linking gear 522 rotatably provided on the mechanism body 52. The linking gear 522 is linked to a motor 53, which is a drive source, via a torque limiter 523. The motor 53 is installed in the mechanism body 52, and is driven to rotate forward and backward in response to commands given from the control unit 41, which is electrically connected to the motor 522.

[0070] Such linking gear 522 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when motor 53 rotates forward, and rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when motor 53 rotates backward. As a result, transmission shaft 51 rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when motor 53 rotates forward, and rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when motor 53 rotates backward.

[0071] 15 and 16, a part of the right end portion of such a transmission shaft 51 is cut away to form a D-cut portion 512 having a D-shaped vertical cross section. The maximum width of this D-cut portion 512 is smaller than the outer diameter of the remaining portion of the transmission shaft 51. The D-cut portion 512 is fitted into the hollow portion 291c of the swing shaft portion 291' of the product removal door 29' and has a cam 54 attached thereto.

[0072] The swing shaft 291' is a shaft formed by curving the upper end portion of the product removal door 29' in a curled shape, and both left and right ends thereof are pivotally supported on the upper ends of the left and right edges of the product removal opening 28'. The central axis of the swing shaft 291' serves as the swing shaft of the product removal door 29'. The swing shaft 291' is formed so that its inner diameter is larger than the maximum diameter of the D-cut portion 512, and a notch 291d is formed in part of the swing shaft 291'.

[0073] That is, the D-cut portion 512 of the transmission shaft 51 is inserted into the hollow portion 291c of the swing shaft portion 291' in such a manner that the central axis of the transmission shaft 51 coincides with the central axis of the swing shaft portion 291'.

[0074] The cam 54 is made of, for example, a resin material or a metal material, and is configured by integrally molding a cam base 541 and a cam protrusion 542. The cam base 541 is a disk-shaped portion thick enough to enter the notch 291d of the product removal door 29'. The cam base 541 is formed with an attachment hole 541a. The attachment hole 541a has a shape that fits the outer shape of the D-cut portion 512 and allows the D-cut portion 512 to pass through. The cam protrusion 542 is a flat portion that extends leftward from part of the peripheral edge on the left surface of the cam base 541.

[0075] With the cam base 541 inserted into the notch 291d of the product removal door 29', the cam 54 is attached to the D-cut portion 512 of the transmission shaft 51 by passing the attachment hole 541a through the D-cut portion 512 relatively from the left. The cam 54 swings integrally with the transmission shaft 51 around the central axis of the transmission shaft 51, i.e., the central axis of the swing shaft portion 291'.

[0076] When the product removal door 29' closes the product removal opening 28', the cam 54 is in a position where the cam projection 542 is positioned above the swing shaft 291' as shown in FIG.

[0077] A pin mounting hole 513 is formed in the transmission shaft 51 so as to be perpendicular to the direction of the central axis (left-right direction), and an action pin 55 is mounted so as to pass through the pin mounting hole 513.

[0078] When the transmission shaft 51 is in a standby state in which the motor 53 is stopped, the action pin 55 extends in the vertical direction, and the action pin 55 abuts against a stopper piece 524 formed in a manner that protrudes toward the right from the mechanism body 52.

[0079] In the product take-out opening structure having the above-described configuration, although the D-cut portion 512 of the transmission shaft 51 enters the hollow portion 291c of the swing shaft portion 291', the maximum diameter of the D-cut portion 512 is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 291c of the swing shaft portion 291', and the cam protrusion 542 of the cam 54 attached to the D-cut portion 512 is positioned above the swing shaft portion 291', so that the opening / closing mechanism 50 allows the product take-out door 29' to be manually swung forward by the user to open the product take-out opening 28', as shown in Fig. 17. Furthermore, when the user releases their grip on the product take-out door 29', the opening / closing mechanism 50 allows the product take-out door 29' to be swung backward by its own weight to close the product take-out opening 28'.

[0080] That is, in a normal state in which the motor 53 is not driven, the opening / closing mechanism 50 allows the product take-out door 29' to be manually swung to open and close the product take-out opening 28'.

[0081] Meanwhile, in the above-described product outlet structure, when a command is given from the control unit 41 to drive the motor 53 in the forward direction for a predetermined time (e.g., about 3 to 5 seconds), the transmission shaft 51 rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right. As a result, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, the cam protrusion 542 abuts against and presses against a part of the product outlet door 29', causing the opening / closing mechanism 50 to swing the product outlet door 29' forward by a predetermined angle (e.g., about 150°) and open the product outlet 28', as shown in Figure 20. Thereafter, the control unit 41 stops driving the motor 53 for a predetermined time (e.g., about 5 seconds), causing the opening / closing mechanism 50 to maintain the product outlet 28' open.

[0082] When a command is given from the control unit 41 to drive the motor 53 in reverse for a predetermined time (e.g., about 3 to 5 seconds), the transmission shaft 51 of the opening / closing mechanism 50 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right. This releases the pressing force from the cam protrusion 542 on a portion of the product removal door 29', causing the product removal door 29' to swing backward. Thereafter, when the action pin 55 abuts against the stopper piece 524, the control unit 41 gives a command to stop the motor 53, causing the opening / closing mechanism 50 to close the product removal opening 28'.

[0083] That is, when the motor 53 is driven (forward rotation drive and reverse rotation drive), the opening / closing mechanism 50 swings the product take-out door 29' to open and close the product take-out opening 28'.

[0084] Here, whether or not the control unit 41 issues a drive command to the motor 53 is determined by a prior setting input using an input means such as a remote control. More specifically, if it is desired to swing the product removal door 29' manually, it is sufficient to use a remote control or the like to set in advance that the control unit 41 will not issue a drive command or a drive stop command to the motor 53. On the other hand, if it is desired to swing the product removal door 29' automatically, it is sufficient to use a remote control or the like to set in advance that the control unit 41 will issue a drive command or a drive stop command to the motor 53 at a predetermined timing.

[0085] As described above, according to the product removal opening structure of embodiment 2 of the present invention, the opening / closing mechanism 50 normally allows the product removal door 29' to be manually swung to open and close the product removal opening 28', but when the built-in motor 53 is driven, it swings the product removal door 29' to open and close the product removal opening 28', so that convenience can be improved by swinging the product removal door 29' either automatically or manually.

[0086] <Other variations> In the product outlet structures of the first and second embodiments described above, no means was provided for detecting the swinging of the product outlet doors 29, 29', i.e., the opening and closing of the product outlets 28, 28'. However, in the product outlet structure of the present invention, an opening and closing detection mechanism 60 may be provided, as shown in Fig. 21. The configuration of the opening and closing detection mechanism 60 will be described below. Note that the same components as those in the product outlet structure of the first embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted where appropriate.

[0087] The open / close detection mechanism 60 illustrated here is provided at the right end of the product outlet 28, and is configured to include a detection unit 61 and a lever unit 62.

[0088] The detection unit 61 includes a detection switch 612 (see Figures 24 to 26) that is capable of retracting from the detection body 611 and is normally protruding from the detection body 611, and an arm 613 (see Figures 24 to 26) that has one end supported by the detection body 611 and is swingable in a manner that moves toward and away from the detection body 611.

[0089] When the detection switch 612 emerges from the detection main body 611, the detection unit 61 turns on and sends an on signal to the electrically connected control unit 40, whereas when the arm 613 swings close to the detection main body 611 and presses the detection switch 612, causing the detection switch 612 to recede into the detection main body 611, the detection unit 61 turns off and sends an off signal to the electrically connected control unit 40. The control unit 40, the details of which will be described later, determines that the product outlet 28 is closed when an off signal is sent from the detection unit 61, and determines that the product outlet 28 is open when an on signal is sent from the detection unit 61.

[0090] 22 and 23, the lever portion 62 is configured to include a first lever 621 and a second lever 622. Note that each component of the lever portion 62 will be described according to the directions shown in FIGS.

[0091] The first lever 621 is formed from, for example, a metal material, and is configured to include a first lever base portion 6211 and a first lever action portion 6212.

[0092] The first lever base 6211 is a flat plate-like member extending in the front-rear direction. A lever through-hole 6211a is formed in this first lever base 6211. This lever through-hole 6211a is formed to have the same shape and size as the hollow portion 291a of the swing shaft portion 291 of the product removal door 29. In other words, the lever through-hole 6211a has a substantially circular shape formed in a straight line such that parts facing each other are partially parallel to each other.

[0093] The first lever action portion 6212 is a tongue-shaped portion that extends leftward from a part of the rear end portion of the first lever base portion 6211.

[0094] The second lever 622 is formed by bending a long plate-like body made of, for example, a metal material, and is configured with a second lever base portion 6221 and a second lever action portion 6222.

[0095] The second lever base 6221 is a horizontally extending portion extending in the front-rear direction, and has a cylindrical portion 6221a at its front end portion that is curved in a curled shape. The inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 6221a of the second lever base 6221 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the swing shaft portion 291 of the product removal door 29, and is formed to be smaller than the minimum width of the first lever base 6211.

[0096] The second lever action part 6222 is a long part that extends downward from the rear end part of the second lever base part 6221 and then extends in a manner that gradually tilts forward as it extends downward. The extending end part of this second lever action part 6222 is bent downward at a right angle.

[0097] A lever shaft 63 penetrates the first lever 621 and the second lever 622 from the right. The lever shaft 63 is a substantially cylindrical member extending in the left-right direction. An insertion portion 631 is formed at the left end portion of the lever shaft 63. The insertion portion 631 has an outer shape and outer dimensions that fit the lever through-hole 6211a and the hollow portion 291a of the swing shaft 291, and parts of the opposing portions are formed flat.

[0098] The insertion portion 631 of this lever shaft portion 63 penetrates the lever through-hole 6211a of the first lever 621 from right to left, and also penetrates the cylindrical portion 6221a of the second lever base 6221 of the second lever 622 from right to left, and is inserted into the hollow portion 291a of the oscillating shaft portion 291 in a manner such that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the oscillating shaft portion 291, so that the first lever 621 and the second lever 622 are rotatable around the central axis of the lever shaft portion 63.

[0099] Here, the lever through-hole 6211a of the first lever 621 has the same shape and size as the hollow portion 291a of the swing shaft 291, so the first lever 621 is provided integrally with the product removal door 29 via the lever shaft 63 so as to be swingable about the central axis of the lever shaft 63 (the central axis of the swing shaft 291). On the other hand, the inner diameter of the cylindrical portion 6221a of the second lever 622 is larger than the outer diameter of the swing shaft 291, so that the cylindrical portion 6221a surrounds the right end portion of the swing shaft 291 between the product removal door 29 and the first lever 621. Note that reference numeral 64 in Figures 22 and 23 denotes an annular cover member.

[0100] The open / close detection mechanism 60 configured as described above operates as follows. As shown in Fig. 24, when the product removal door 29 closes the product removal opening 28, the first lever 621, which swings integrally with the product removal door 29, presses the second lever base 6221 of the second lever 622 by the first lever action portion 6212, causing the second lever 622 to swing backward. When the second lever 622 swings backward in this manner, the second lever action portion 6222 abuts against the arm 613, causing the arm 613 to swing close to the detection main body 611, and the detection switch 612 is pressed by the arm 613 to enter a closed state. When the detection switch 612 enters a closed state in this manner, the detection unit 61 sends an OFF signal to the control unit 40, and the control unit 40 determines that the product removal opening 28 is closed.

[0101] On the other hand, when the product takeout door 29 is manually or automatically swung forward, the first lever 621 swung around the central axis together with the product takeout door 29. As a result, the second lever 622, which had been pressed by the first lever action portion 6212 of the first lever 621, is released from the pressing force from the first lever 621 and is subjected to reaction forces from the detection switch 612 and the arm 613, becoming free to swing forward around the central axis following the first lever 621. As shown in Fig. 25, the second lever action portion 6222 moves away from the arm 613, causing the detection switch 612 to enter an ON state. When the detection switch 612 enters an ON state in this way, the detection portion 61 sends an ON signal to the control portion 40, and the control portion 40 determines that the product takeout opening 28 has been opened.

[0102] Thereafter, when the product removal door 29 swings forward as shown in FIG. 26, the first lever 621 swings integrally with the product removal door 29, but the second lever 622 separates from the first lever 621 and remains free.

[0103] Such an opening / closing detection mechanism 60 is equipped with a first lever 621 that swings integrally with the product removal door 29, and a second lever 622 that, when pressed by the first lever 621, causes the detection switch 612 to be in a recessed state, and, when the pressing force from the first lever 621 is released, becomes free and causes the detection switch 612 to be in an extended state. This ensures a sufficient swing angle for the product removal door 29, and also allows for adjustment margins for the detection unit 61, thereby preventing the overall mechanism from becoming larger.

[0104] <Third Embodiment> 27 is a front view schematically showing a product dispensing opening structure according to embodiment 3 of the present invention. Note that the same components as those in the product dispensing opening structure according to embodiment 1 described above are given the same reference numerals, and their explanation will be omitted where appropriate.

[0105] 27, a product removal door 29 is provided on the upper end of a swing shaft support member 281 that forms both the left and right edges of the product removal opening 28. The product removal door 29 is pivotally supported in the front-to-rear direction and is used to open and close the product removal opening 28. When the product removal door 29 swings forward, it opens the product removal opening 28, and when the product removal door 29 swings backward, it closes the product removal opening 28. When only its own weight acts on the product removal door 29, the product removal door 29 closes the product removal opening 28.

[0106] As shown in Figure 28, an opening / closing mechanism 70 is provided at the left end of the product outlet 28. The opening / closing mechanism 70, together with the product outlet 28 and the product outlet door 29, constitutes the product outlet structure of the vending machine 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and is configured with a connecting shaft 71 and a transmission shaft 72, as shown in Figures 29 and 30.

[0107] The connecting shaft 71 is a substantially cylindrical member that is made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material and extends in the left-right direction. The right end portion of the connecting shaft 71 is inserted into the hollow portion 291a of the swing shaft portion 291 of the product removal door 29.

[0108] The swing shaft 291 is a shaft formed by bending the upper end portion of the product removal door 29 in a curled shape, and both left and right ends thereof are supported by the upper ends of the swing shaft support members 281 of the product removal opening 28. The central axis of the swing shaft 291 serves as the swing shaft of the product removal door 29. A notch 291b is formed in a part of the swing shaft 291, and the part of the connecting shaft 71 inserted into the swing shaft 291 that is exposed from the notch 291b is connected to the product removal door 29 by a connecting member 73.

[0109] In other words, the right end portion of the connecting shaft 71 is inserted into the hollow portion 291a of the oscillating shaft portion 291 so that its central axis coincides with the central axis of the oscillating shaft portion 291, and a portion of the right end portion is connected to the product removal door 29 via the connecting member 73, so that it rotates around the central axis integrally with the oscillating shaft portion 291 (product removal door 29).

[0110] A part of the left end portion of such connecting shaft 71 is cut away to form D-cut portion 711, whose longitudinal cross section has a D-shape. This D-cut portion 711 is formed so that its maximum width is larger than the outer diameter of the remaining portion of connecting shaft 71.

[0111] The D-cut portion 711 of the connecting shaft 71 penetrates the left swing shaft support member 281, the damper mounting metal plate 74, and the damper fixing metal plate 75 to be connected to the damper 76. A cam 77 is attached midway through the damper fixing metal plate 75.

[0112] The damper 76 is connected to the connecting shaft 71 and serves to slow down the speed at which the product removal door 29 swings rearward. The damper 76 is attached to and supported by the left swing shaft support member 281 via a damper mounting pin 761, a damper mounting metal plate 74, and a damper fixing metal plate 75.

[0113] Cam 77 is made of, for example, a metal material, and is configured by integrally molding a cam base portion 771 and a cam action portion 772. The components of cam 77 will be described in accordance with the directions shown in Figures 28 to 30.

[0114] Cam base 771 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending in the front-rear direction. An attachment hole 771a is formed in cam base 771. Attachment hole 771a has a shape that matches the outer shape of D-cut portion 711 and allows D-cut portion 711 to pass through.

[0115] The cam action portion 772 is a flat plate-shaped portion extending leftward from the rear end of the cam base 771. A notch 772a is formed in the upper end portion of the cam action portion 772, which is the side end in the extending direction (leftward).

[0116] The cam 77 is attached to the D-cut portion 711 of the connecting shaft 71 by inserting the mounting hole 771a relatively through the D-cut portion 711 from the right. The cam 77 oscillates integrally with the connecting shaft 71 around the central axis of the connecting shaft 71, i.e., the central axis of the oscillating shaft portion 291.

[0117] When the product removal door 29 closes the product removal opening 28, the cam 77 is positioned such that the cam action portion 772 extends leftward from the rear end of the cam base 771 and the cutout portion 772a is positioned at the upper end portion of the cam action portion 772.

[0118] Figure 31 is an exploded perspective view showing the transmission shaft 72 and its surrounding structure shown in Figure 28. The transmission shaft 72 shown here is a cylindrical member made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material, and extends in the left-right direction. This transmission shaft 72 is provided rotatably about its central axis, passing through a through-hole 781 of a mechanism main body 78 made of, for example, sheet metal.

[0119] A transmission gear 721 is attached to the left end of the transmission shaft 72. The transmission gear 721 has transmission teeth formed on its outer periphery, and these transmission teeth mesh with linking teeth on the outer periphery of a linking gear 782 rotatably provided on the mechanism body 78. The linking gear 782 is linked to a motor 79, which is a drive source, via a torque limiter 783. The motor 79 is installed in the mechanism body 78, and is driven to rotate forward and backward in response to commands given from the electrically connected control unit 42.

[0120] Such linking gear 782 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when motor 79 rotates forward, and rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right when motor 79 rotates backward. As a result, when motor 79 rotates forward, transmission shaft 72 rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right, and when motor 79 rotates backward, transmission shaft 72 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right.

[0121] A pin mounting hole 722 is formed on the side of the transmission shaft 72 in a manner perpendicular to the direction of the central axis (left-right direction), and an action pin 80 is attached so as to pass through this pin mounting hole 722.

[0122] In a standby state in which the motor 79 is stopped, the transmission shaft 72 is in a position in which it gradually extends and inclines upward as the action pin 80 moves rearward.

[0123] In the product outlet structure configured as described above, the connecting shaft 71 and the transmission shaft 72 are not connected to each other, and the notch 772a of the cam 77 is positioned below the action pin 80 when the product outlet door 29 closes the product outlet 28 (see FIG. 28 ). Therefore, the opening / closing mechanism 70 allows the product outlet door 29 to be manually swung forward by the user to open the product outlet 28, as shown in FIG. 32 . Furthermore, when the user releases their grip on the product outlet door 29, the opening / closing mechanism 70 allows the product outlet door 29 to be swung backward by its own weight to close the product outlet 28. At this time, the opening / closing mechanism 70 can slow down the backward swing speed by the action of the damper 76 connected to the connecting shaft 71.

[0124] That is, in a normal state in which the motor 79 is not driven, the opening / closing mechanism 70 allows the product take-out door 29 to be manually swung to open and close the product take-out opening 28.

[0125] Meanwhile, in the above-described product outlet structure, when a command is given from the control unit 42 to drive the motor 79 in the forward direction for a predetermined time (e.g., about 3 to 5 seconds), the transmission shaft 72 rotates clockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right. This causes the action pin 80 to abut and press against the notch 772a, causing the opening / closing mechanism 70 to swing the product outlet door 29 forward by a predetermined angle (e.g., about 150°) as shown in Fig. 33, thereby opening the product outlet 28. Thereafter, the control unit 42 stops driving the motor 79 for a predetermined time (e.g., about 5 seconds), causing the opening / closing mechanism 70 to maintain the product outlet 28 open.

[0126] When a command is given from the control unit 42 to drive the motor 79 in reverse for a predetermined time (e.g., about 3 to 5 seconds), the transmission shaft 72 rotates counterclockwise around the central axis as viewed from the right. This releases the pressing force from the action pin 80 to the notch 772a, causing the product take-out door 29 to swing backward. Even at this time, the opening / closing mechanism 70 can slow down the backward swing speed due to the action of the damper 76 connected to the connecting shaft 71. Thereafter, a command is given from the control unit 42 to stop driving the motor 79, causing the opening / closing mechanism 70 to close the product take-out opening 28.

[0127] That is, when the motor 79 is driven (forward rotation drive and reverse rotation drive), the opening / closing mechanism 70 swings the product take-out door 29 to open and close the product take-out opening 28.

[0128] Here, whether or not the control unit 42 issues a drive command to the motor 79 is determined by a prior setting input using an input means such as a remote control. More specifically, if it is desired to swing the product removal door 29 manually, it is sufficient to use a remote control or the like to set in advance that the control unit 42 will not issue a drive command or a drive stop command to the motor 79. On the other hand, if it is desired to swing the product removal door 29 automatically, it is sufficient to use a remote control or the like to set in advance that the control unit 42 will issue a drive command or a drive stop command to the motor 79 at a predetermined timing.

[0129] As described above, according to the product removal opening structure of embodiment 3 of the present invention, the opening / closing mechanism 70 normally allows the product removal door 29 to be manually swung to open and close the product removal opening 28, but when the built-in motor 79 is driven, it swings the product removal door 29 to open and close the product removal opening 28, so that convenience can be improved by swinging the product removal door 29 either automatically or manually.

[0130] Furthermore, according to the above-described product removal outlet structure, the opening / closing mechanism 70 is provided with a connecting shaft 71 that is connected to the swinging shaft 291 of the product removal door 29 in such a manner that their central axes coincide and that rotates integrally with the swinging shaft 291 around the central axis, and a damper 76 that is connected to the connecting shaft 71, and this damper 76 slows down the speed at which the product removal door 29 swings backward (in the direction of closing the product removal outlet 28), thereby reducing the impact noise when the product removal door 29 closes the product removal outlet 28.

[0131] Furthermore, according to the above-described product removal outlet structure, the opening / closing mechanism 70 comprises a cam 77 attached to the connecting shaft 71, a transmission shaft 72 that is rotatable about its central axis in response to the drive of the motor 79 and is spaced apart from the connecting shaft 71 while their central axes are aligned, and an action pin 80 that is attached to the transmission shaft 72 and abuts against and presses the cam 77 when the transmission shaft 72 rotates. When the transmission shaft 72 rotates, this action pin 80 abuts against the notch 772a of the cam action section 772 and presses the cam 77. Therefore, the action pin 80 abuts against the cam 77 (notch 772a) after the transmission shaft 72 has rotated to a certain extent, and the action pin 80 does not abut against the cam 77 when the product removal door 29 is closing the product removal outlet 28. This prevents the action pin 80 from pressing the cam 77 due to dimensional errors, etc., causing the product removal outlet 28 to remain constantly open.

[0132] Although the preferred first to third embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and various modifications can be made.

[0133] In the above-described modification of the first embodiment, the regulating member 38 is disposed in the mechanism body 35, but in the present invention, the regulating member may be disposed outside the mechanism body as long as it is within the swing range of the action pin. Also, while the regulating member 38 is a block having a triangular prism shape, in the present invention, the shape of the regulating member is not particularly limited, and various shapes can be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0134] 1...vending machine, 10...main cabinet, 11...front door, 28...product removal port, 29...product removal door, 291...swinging shaft portion, 291a...hollow portion, 291b...notch, 30...opening / closing mechanism portion, 31...connecting shaft, 311...D-cut portion, 32...transmission shaft, 321...transmission gear, 322...pin mounting hole, 33...connecting member, 34...cam, 341...cam base portion, 341a...mounting hole, 342...cam action portion, 342a...action recess, 35...mechanism body, 351...through hole, 352...linking gear, 353...torque limiter, 36...motor, 37...action pin, 40...control portion.

Claims

1. A product take-out port formed on the customer service surface of the vending machine body; a product take-out door that is swingably provided in a manner that opens and closes the product take-out opening; A product take-out opening structure for a vending machine, an opening / closing mechanism that, in a normal state, allows the product take-out door to be manually swung to open and close the product take-out opening, and that, when driven by a built-in drive source, swings the product take-out door to open and close the product take-out opening, The opening and closing mechanism includes: a connecting shaft that is connected to the swing shaft portion of the product take-out door in such a manner that their central axes coincide with each other and that rotates integrally with the swing shaft portion about the central axis; a cam attached to the connecting shaft; a transmission shaft that is rotatable about a central axis in response to driving of the drive source and is connected to the connecting shaft in a manner that the connecting shaft is rotatable about the central axis with the central axes of the two shafts coinciding with each other; an action pin that is provided on the transmission shaft and that abuts against and presses the cam when the transmission shaft rotates; A product take-out opening structure for a vending machine, comprising:

2. 2. The product take-out opening structure for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the product take-out door swings forward to open the product take-out opening, and swings backward to close the product take-out opening.

3. the cam includes a cam action portion that extends parallel to the central axes of the connecting shaft and the transmission shaft and has a V-shaped action recess formed therein; 2. The product take-out opening structure for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the action pin abuts against the action recess to press the cam when the transmission shaft rotates.

4. The opening and closing mechanism includes: The product take-out opening structure for a vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a restricting member that is disposed in a state where it advances into the swing range of the action pin and that restricts the swing angle of the product take-out door by abutting against the action pin that presses the cam.

5. The product take-out opening structure of a vending machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the opening / closing mechanism adjusts the swing angle of the product take-out door by changing the protruding length of the action pin from the transmission shaft to change the point of contact with the regulating member.

6. A product take-out port formed on the customer service surface of the vending machine body; a product take-out door that is swingably provided in a manner that opens and closes the product take-out opening; A product take-out opening structure for a vending machine, an opening / closing mechanism that, in a normal state, allows the product take-out door to be manually swung to open and close the product take-out opening, and that, when driven by a built-in drive source, swings the product take-out door to open and close the product take-out opening, The opening and closing mechanism includes: a transmission shaft that is rotatable about a central axis in response to driving of the drive source and is connected to a swing shaft portion of the product take-out door in such a manner that their central axes coincide with each other; a cam attached to the transmission shaft in a manner that the cam rotates integrally with the transmission shaft while being inserted into a notch formed in the product take-out door; wherein, in a normal state, the product removal door is manually swung to allow the product removal outlet to be opened and closed, and when the drive source is driven, the cam rotates together with the transmission shaft, causing a cam protrusion constituting the cam to come into contact with and press against a part of the product removal door, thereby swinging the product removal door to open and close the product removal outlet.

7. A product take-out port formed on the customer service surface of the vending machine body; a product take-out door that is swingably provided in a manner that opens and closes the product take-out opening; A product take-out opening structure for a vending machine, an opening / closing mechanism that, in a normal state, allows the product take-out door to be manually swung to open and close the product take-out opening, and that, when driven by a built-in drive source, swings the product take-out door to open and close the product take-out opening, an open / close detection mechanism that detects whether the product outlet is open or closed, The open / close detection mechanism is a detection unit that sends an ON signal indicating that the product outlet is open when a detection switch that is provided so as to be retractable from the detection main body is in a protruding state from the detection main body, and sends an OFF signal indicating that the product outlet is closed when the detection switch is in a retracted state into the detection main body; a first lever connected to a swing shaft of the product removal door via a lever shaft inserted in such a manner that their central axes coincide, and rotating integrally with the swing shaft around the central axis of the lever shaft; a second lever that is swingably provided around the center axis of the lever shaft and has an extension length greater than that of the first lever; Equipped with A product dispensing opening structure for a vending machine, characterized in that when the second lever is pressed by the first lever, it causes the detection switch to the recessed state, and when the pressing force from the first lever is released, it becomes free and allows the detection switch to the extended state.

8. A product take-out port formed on the customer service surface of the vending machine body; a product take-out door that is swingably provided in a manner that opens and closes the product take-out opening; A product take-out opening structure for a vending machine, an opening / closing mechanism that, in a normal state, allows the product take-out door to be manually swung to open and close the product take-out opening, and that, when driven by a built-in drive source, swings the product take-out door to open and close the product take-out opening, The opening and closing mechanism includes: a connecting shaft that is connected to the swing shaft portion of the product take-out door in such a manner that their central axes coincide with each other and that rotates integrally with the swing shaft portion about the central axis; a damper connected to the connecting shaft and configured to reduce the speed at which the product take-out door swings in a direction to close the product take-out opening; a cam attached to the connecting shaft; a transmission shaft that is rotatable about a central axis in response to driving of the drive source, and that is spaced apart from the connecting shaft while their central axes coincide with each other; an action pin that is provided on the transmission shaft and that abuts against and presses the cam when the transmission shaft rotates; A product take-out opening structure for a vending machine, comprising:

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