Item handling device

Abstract

To provide an article carrying-out device for quickly delivering an article from a shooter to a carrier.SOLUTION: An article carrying-out device 1 comprises: a shooter 10 for delivering an article P forward; a carrier 20 for receiving the article delivered from the shooter and carrying it out; and a stopper 50 opening and closing in an open attitude for passing the article from the shooter to the carrier and in a closed attitude not allowing passing of the article. The carrier has: a frame 22 for receiving the article; a pusher 31 pressing the stopper backward; and a moving mechanism 32 for moving the pusher in a cross direction. The stopper is energized to the closed attitude and becomes the open attitude by backward pressing. The pusher is connected to the frame displaceably in the cross direction with respect to the frame. The moving mechanism brings the pusher close to the frame by integrally moving backward the pusher together with the frame and in a state of the frame brought close to the shooter, by moving the pusher backward with respect to the frame, the stopper is pushed backward by the pusher.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to an article unloading device.

Background Art

[0002] Vending machines and the like are equipped with an article unloading device. In the article unloading device, articles are placed side by side in the front-rear direction on a shooter, and the articles sent out from the shooter are transferred to a carrier, and the articles are unloaded by the carrier to a predetermined position (for example, an article outlet).

[0003] Also, between the shooter and the carrier, an openable and closable stopper for permitting or suppressing the passage of articles from the shooter to the carrier is arranged. In Patent Document 1, the opening and closing of the stopper is performed by the swinging operation of an operation lever provided on the carrier (bucket) side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, when transferring an article from the shooter to the carrier, it is necessary to move the carrier closer to the shooter in order to reduce the distance between the shooter and the carrier. In Patent Document 1, after moving the carrier (bucket) closer to the shooter (column), it is considered that the stopper is opened by swinging an operation lever using a mechanism of a different system from the moving mechanism for moving the carrier.

[0006] In this case, a time lag occurs between the operation of moving the carrier closer to the shooter and the operation of opening the stopper, so the transfer of articles from the shooter to the carrier is delayed.

[0007] This disclosure has been made in view of the above, and its purpose is to enable the rapid transfer of goods from a chute to a carrier in an goods dispensing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The article dispensing device according to this disclosure comprises: a chute on which articles are placed in a front-to-back direction and which sends the articles forward; a carrier positioned in front of the chute and which receives and dispenses the articles sent out from the chute; and a stopper that opens and closes between an open position that allows the articles to pass from the chute to the carrier and a closed position that does not allow the articles to pass from the chute to the carrier. The carrier comprises a receiving portion that receives the articles sent out from the chute, a pusher that presses the stopper backward, and a mechanism that moves the pusher in the front-to-back direction. The device has a moving mechanism, the stopper is biased to the closed position and moves from the closed position to the open position by being pressed backward, the pusher is connected to the receiving portion so as to be displaceable in the front-rear direction relative to the receiving portion, the moving mechanism moves the pusher together with the receiving portion backward to bring the receiving portion closer to the chute, and while the receiving portion is close to the chute, moves the pusher backward relative to the receiving portion to press the stopper backward with the pusher. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, the item dispensing device can quickly transfer items from the chute to the carrier. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an article unloading device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows the chute in a perspective view. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the chute. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the carrier in a perspective view. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows the carrier in a right-side view. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows the stopper in a perspective view. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows a perspective view of the unloading of goods by the goods unloading device (the carrier is moved to the front of the chute). [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows a top view of the unloading of goods by the goods unloading device (the carrier is moved to the front of the chute). [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows a top view of the unloading of goods by the goods unloading device (the pusher moves backward together with the frame). [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a top view of the unloading of goods by the goods unloading device (the pusher is moved backward relative to the frame). [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a top view of the unloading of goods by the goods unloading device (goods being sent from the chute to the carrier). [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows a top view of the item unloading by the item unloading device (the pusher moves forward relative to the frame as the item passes the first sensor). [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows a top view of the unloading of goods by the goods unloading device (the goods move forward on the carrier-side conveyor belt). [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows a top view of the item being unloaded by the item unloading device (the pusher moves forward together with the frame as the item passes the second sensor). [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows a top view of the arrangement of stoppers for small diameter items. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows a top view of the arrangement of stoppers for large-diameter articles. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail based on the drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, its applications, or its uses in any way.

[0012] (Article unloading device) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an article unloading device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the X direction in FIG. 1 is the left - right direction, the Y direction in FIG. 1 is the up - down direction, and the Z direction in FIG. 1 is the front - rear direction. In the front - rear direction, the Z + side in FIG. 1 is referred to as the front side, and the Z - side in FIG. 1 is referred to as the rear side. The left side when viewed from the front is referred to as the left side, and the right side when viewed from the front is referred to as the right side.

[0013] The article unloading device 1 is for unloading an article P to a predetermined position. The article unloading device 1 is applied, for example, to a vending machine. The article P is circular in shape. The article P is, for example, a plate, a PET bottle beverage, a canned beverage, or the like.

[0014] The article unloading device 1 includes a housing 2, a plurality of supports 3, a vertical movement mechanism 4, a horizontal movement mechanism 5, a take - out conveyor 7, a plurality of shooters 10, a carrier 20, a first sensor 41 and a second sensor 42 (see FIG. 4 etc.), and a stopper 50.

[0015] The housing 2 is, for example, a box - shaped body formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The housing 2 houses a plurality of supports 3, a vertical movement mechanism 4, a horizontal movement mechanism 5, a take - out conveyor 7, a plurality of shooters 10, a carrier 20, a first sensor 41, a second sensor 42, and a stopper 50.

[0016] ] The support 3 extends in the vertical direction. The supports 3 are arranged side - by - side in the left - right direction at the front part and the rear part inside the housing 2.

[0017] As will be described in more detail later, multiple chutes 10 extend longitudinally in the front-to-back direction and are arranged in a line in the vertical and horizontal directions. The chutes 10 are positioned between the left and right supports 3 and are fixed to the supports 3. Multiple items P are placed on the chutes 10 in a line in the front-to-back direction. The chutes 10 sequentially feed forward the item P in the front row of the multiple items P arranged in the front-to-back direction. The supports 3 and the chutes 10 constitute an item shelf for storing items P.

[0018] A vertical movement mechanism 4 and a horizontal movement mechanism 5 are located on the front side of the chute 10. The vertical movement mechanism 4 is a belt-pulley mechanism. The vertical movement mechanism 4 consists of a vertical guide 4a extending in the vertical direction, two toothed pulleys 4b arranged vertically spaced apart on the vertical guide 4a, a toothed belt 4c stretched over the two toothed pulleys 4b, and a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the toothed pulleys 4b to drive the toothed belt 4c in the vertical direction.

[0019] The left-right movement mechanism 5 is a ball screw mechanism. The left-right movement mechanism 5 includes left and right guides 5a extending in the left-right direction, a screw shaft (not shown) extending in the left-right direction along the left and right guides 5a, a ball nut (not shown) engaged with the screw shaft, and a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the screw shaft to move the ball nut in the left-right direction.

[0020] A carrier 20 is fixed to the toothed belt 4c of the vertical movement mechanism 4. In other words, the carrier 20 is located in front of the chute 10. When the toothed pulley 4b of the vertical movement mechanism 4 is rotated to drive the toothed belt 4c in the vertical direction, the carrier 20 moves vertically along the vertical guide 4a.

[0021] The ball nut of the left-right movement mechanism 5 has an upper and lower guide 4a fixed to it. When the screw shaft of the left-right movement mechanism 5 is rotated to move the ball nut in the left-right direction, the carrier 20 moves in the left-right direction along the left-right guide 5a, accompanied by the upper and lower guide 4a. In this way, the up-down movement mechanism 4 and the left-right movement mechanism 5 constitute an XY movement mechanism that moves the carrier 20 in the up-down direction (Y direction) and the left-right direction (X direction). The carrier 20 is movable in the up-down direction and the left-right direction by the up-down movement mechanism 4 and the left-right movement mechanism 5.

[0022] An outlet 6 is provided on the front of the housing 2. The outlet 6 connects the inside and outside of the housing 2. An outlet conveyor 7 is located immediately behind the outlet 6. The outlet conveyor 7 extends in the front-to-back direction. A conveyor belt mechanism is provided on the outlet conveyor 7.

[0023] The carrier 20 moves to the front of any of the multiple chutes 10 by the vertical movement mechanism 4 and the horizontal movement mechanism 5. Next, the carrier 20 receives the article P that is sent forward from the chosen chute 10. Then, the carrier 20 transports the received article P to the outlet 6 via the retrieval conveyor 7.

[0024] In detail, after receiving the item P, the carrier 20 moves to the immediate rear of the retrieval conveyor 7 and transfers the item P to the retrieval conveyor 7. The retrieval conveyor 7 moves the transferred item P forward by the conveyor belt mechanism and transports it to the retrieval outlet 6. The user receives the item P through the retrieval outlet 6.

[0025] The first sensor 41, the second sensor 42, and the stopper 50 will be described later.

[0026] (Shooter) Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the chute 10. Figure 3 shows an exploded perspective view of the chute 10. The chute 10 includes a frame 11, a front roller 12, a rear roller 13, a driven gear 14, and a chute-side conveyor belt 15.

[0027] The frame 11 is formed in a roughly U-shape that opens downward when viewed in the front-to-back direction and extends longitudinally in the front-to-back direction. The frame 11 includes a roughly rectangular plate-shaped mounting portion 11a facing upwards and downwards, and two side portions 11b that protrude downwards from both the left and right sides of the mounting portion 11a. Roller bearing portions 11c are provided at the front and rear ends of the two side portions 11b. The roller bearing portions 11c are formed by holes drilled in the side portions 11b.

[0028] The front roller 12 extends in the left-right direction and is located at its front end between the two side portions 11b. The front roller 12 is rotatably supported by the front roller bearing portion 11c. The rear roller 13 extends in the left-right direction and is located at its rear end between the two side portions 11b. The rear roller 13 is rotatably supported by the rear roller bearing portion 11c.

[0029] The left end of the front roller 12 protrudes to the left of the roller bearing portion 11c. The driven gear 14 is rotatably coupled to the left end of the front roller 12 to the left of the roller bearing portion 11c. The driven gear 14 can engage with the drive gear 26 of the carrier 20, which will be described later. The driven gear 14 rotates due to torque transmission from the drive gear 26 of the carrier 20.

[0030] The chute-side conveyor belt 15 is an endless belt that is stretched over the front roller 12 and rear roller 13 so as to surround the mounting portion 11a of the frame 11. That is, the chute-side conveyor belt 15 extends longitudinally in the front-to-back direction. The chute-side conveyor belt 15 is made of cloth and is woven in a mesh pattern. A low coefficient of friction is desirable for the chute-side conveyor belt 15. The chute-side conveyor belt 15 may also be made of other materials, such as resin.

[0031] The chute-side conveyor belt 15 is driven by the rotation of the front roller 12, which is linked to the rotation of the driven gear 14. More specifically, when the driven gear 14 rotates, the front roller 12 rotates, driving the chute-side conveyor belt 15 in the forward and backward directions.

[0032] The item P is placed on the mounting section 11a of the frame 11 via the chute-side conveyor belt 15. The item P placed on the mounting section 11a of the frame 11 is sent forward by the drive of the chute-side conveyor belt 15.

[0033] (Career) Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the carrier 20. Figure 5 shows a right side view of the carrier 20. The carrier 20 includes a base 21, a frame 22 as a receiving part, a front roller 23, a rear roller 24, a transmission gear 25, a drive gear 26, a drive motor 27 as a drive unit, an input gear 28, an intermediate gear group 29, a carrier-side conveyor belt 30, a pusher 31, a forward / backward movement mechanism 32, and a spring 33 as an elastic member.

[0034] The base 21 is a roughly rectangular plate shape and extends in the front-to-back direction. The frame 22 is positioned above the base 21. The frame 22 extends longitudinally in the front-to-back direction. The frame 22 includes a roughly rectangular plate-shaped mounting portion 22a facing upward and downward, two side portions 22b provided on both the left and right sides of the mounting portion 22a, a rear projection portion 22c connected to the rear end of the left side portion 22b and projecting backward, and a downward projection portion 22d projecting downward from the rear of the lower surface of the mounting portion 22a.

[0035] Two front and rear guides (not shown) extending in the front-to-back direction are positioned on both the left and right sides of the frame 22. The frame 22 is supported by the front and rear guides and is slidable in the front-to-back direction along the front and rear guides. The frame 22 is also supported on the base 21 via a pusher 31 and a front-to-back movement mechanism 32.

[0036] The mounting section 22a of the frame 22 receives the article P that has been sent forward from the chute 10 to the carrier 20. The rear ends of the two side sections 22b are located at the rear ends on both the left and right sides of the mounting section 22a. The front ends of the two side sections 22b are located in front of the front ends on both the left and right sides of the mounting section 22a.

[0037] The front roller 23 extends in the left-right direction and is positioned at its front end between the two side sections 22b. The front roller 23 is rotatably supported on the inner surfaces of the front ends of the two side sections 22b. The rear roller 24 extends in the left-right direction and is positioned behind the rear ends of the two side sections 22b. The left end of the rear roller 24 is rotatably supported on the rear projection 22c.

[0038] The transmission gear 25 is rotatably coupled to the right end of the rear roller 24. The drive gear 26 is rotatably coupled to the left end of the rear roller 24. That is, the drive gear 26 is rotatably supported on the rear projection 22c of the frame 22 via the rear roller 24. In detail, the left end of the rear roller 24 passes through the drive gear 26 and is rotatably supported on the rear projection 22c. The drive gear 26 is movable integral with the frame 22. The drive gear 26 is engageable with the driven gear 14 of the chute 10.

[0039] The drive motor 27 is fixed to the lower surface of the mounting portion 22a of the frame 22. The output shaft of the drive motor 27 extends in the left-right direction. The tip of the output shaft of the drive motor 27 protrudes to the right.

[0040] The input gear 28 is rotatably coupled to the tip of the output shaft of the drive motor 27. The intermediate gear group 29 consists of multiple gears and is interposed between the input gear 28 and the transmission gear 25. That is, the transmission gear 25 engages with the input gear 28 via the intermediate gear group 29. The drive gear 26 rotates via the intermediate gear group 29, the transmission gear 25 and the rear roller 24 when the input gear 28 is rotated by the drive motor 27.

[0041] The carrier-side conveyor belt 30 is an endless belt and is stretched over the front roller 23 and rear roller 24 so as to surround the mounting portion 22a of the frame 22. That is, the carrier-side conveyor belt 30 extends longitudinally in the front-rear direction. The carrier-side conveyor belt 30 is made of resin. It is preferable that the coefficient of friction of the carrier-side conveyor belt 30 is higher than that of the chute-side conveyor belt 15. The carrier-side conveyor belt 30 may also be made of other materials, such as a mesh made of cloth.

[0042] The drive motor 27 drives the carrier-side conveyor belt 30 in the forward and backward directions by rotating the rear roller 24 via the input gear 28, intermediate gear group 29, and transmission gear 25. In other words, the drive gear 26 coupled to the rear roller 24 rotates in sync with the drive of the carrier-side conveyor belt 30.

[0043] The articles P, which are sent forward from the chute 10 to the carrier 20, are received by the mounting section 22a of the frame 22 via the carrier-side conveyor belt 30. The articles P received by the mounting section 22a of the frame 22 are then sent forward by the drive of the carrier-side conveyor belt 30.

[0044] The pusher 31 includes a main body 31a, two pressing parts 31b, and two pressing rollers 31c. The main body 31a is formed in a roughly U-shape that opens upward when viewed in the front-rear direction, and surrounds the frame 22 from below and on both sides. The main body 31a is positioned in front of the lower projection 22d of the frame 22.

[0045] The two pressing portions 31b extend rearward from the upper ends on both the left and right sides of the main body portion 31a. The rear ends of the pressing portions 31b are located near the transmission gear 25 and the drive gear 26 in the front-rear direction. The pressing roller 31c is provided at the rear ends of the pressing portions 31b. The pressing roller 31c has a central axis extending in the vertical direction. The main body portion 31a and the pressing portions 31b may be integrally formed or composed of separate members. The pusher 31, like the frame 22, is supported by front and rear guides and is slidable in the front-rear direction along the front and rear guides.

[0046] The forward / backward movement mechanism 32 is composed of a rack and pinion mechanism. The forward / backward movement mechanism 32 is positioned in front of the pusher 31 and is fixed to the base 21. The forward / backward movement mechanism 32 includes a housing 32a, a rack (not shown) extending in the forward / backward direction inside the housing 32a, a pinion (not shown) positioned on the rack, a motor (not shown) that rotates the pinion to move it in the forward / backward direction on the rack, and a projection 32b that is integrally connected to the pinion for movement and protrudes rearward from the housing 32a.

[0047] When the pinion is moved in the front-rear direction on the rack, the protrusion 32b moves in the front-rear direction. The protrusion 32b is connected to the front of the main body 31a of the pusher 31. The front-rear movement mechanism 32 moves the pusher 31 in the front-rear direction by moving the protrusion 32b in the front-rear direction.

[0048] The spring 33 is interposed between the main body 31a of the pusher 31 and the lower projection 22d of the frame 22 in the front-rear direction. The spring 33 is a coil spring whose axial direction extends in the front-rear direction. One end of the spring 33 is fixed to the rear surface of the main body 31a of the pusher 31. The other end of the spring 33 is fixed to the front surface of the lower projection 22d of the frame 22. The main body 31a of the pusher 31 is connected to the lower projection 22d of the frame 22 by the spring 33. The pusher 31 is displaceable (movable) in the front-rear direction relative to the frame 22 due to the elastic deformation of the spring 33 in the front-rear direction.

[0049] Although not shown in the diagram, a rod-shaped body, which serves as a first positioning member, is arranged inside the spring 33, extending in the front-rear direction. One end of the rod-shaped body is connected to the rear surface of the main body 31a of the pusher 31. The other end of the rod-shaped body passes through the lower projection 22d of the frame 22 and protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the lower projection 22d.

[0050] A disc, serving as a second positioning member, is connected to the other end of the rod-shaped body. When the pusher 31 moves backward relative to the frame 22, the disc moves backward relative to the lower projection 22d. The length of the rod-shaped body is set such that, in an unloaded state where no backward pressure is applied to the main body 31a of the pusher 31, the disc abuts against and locks into the rear surface of the lower projection 22d of the frame 22. As a result, the spring 33 is shorter than its natural length in an unloaded state.

[0051] (First sensor and second sensor) As shown in Figure 4, the first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42 are positioned above the carrier-side conveyor belt 30 on the carrier 20. The second sensor 42 is positioned in front of the first sensor 41. The first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42 are supported by support members (not shown) within the housing 2. The first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42 may also be supported by the carrier 20.

[0052] The first sensor 41 is an optical sensor and includes an optical transmitting unit 41a and an optical receiving unit 41b. Light transmitted from the optical transmitting unit 41a is received by the optical receiving unit 41b. When an item P passes the first sensor 41, the light between the optical transmitting unit 41a and the optical receiving unit 41b is blocked. The first sensor 41 is positioned in the front-rear direction near the exit of the chute 10, specifically at the rear end of the carrier 20 (the rear end of the frame 22). As a result, the first sensor 41 detects the passage of an item P that is being sent forward by the chute-side conveyor belt 15 of the chute 10 (transferred from the chute 10 to the carrier 20).

[0053] The second sensor 42, like the first sensor 41, is an optical sensor and includes an optical transmitting unit 42a and an optical receiving unit 42b. The second sensor 42 is positioned in the front-rear direction at a location corresponding to the middle of the carrier 20 (the middle of the frame 22). The second sensor 42 detects the passage of articles P being sent forward by the carrier-side conveyor belt 30.

[0054] The first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42 are connected to a control unit (not shown) which consists of a microcontroller and a program. In addition to the first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42, the control unit is also connected to the vertical movement mechanism 4, the horizontal movement mechanism 5, the drive motor 27, and the forward / backward movement mechanism 32.

[0055] (Stopper) Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the stopper 50. Two stoppers 50 (a pair) are provided for each chute 10. The two stoppers 50 are positioned on both the left and right sides of the chute 10. Hereinafter, the side of the chute 10 viewed from the stopper 50 side in the left-right direction will be referred to as the inside in the left-right direction. The side of the stopper 50 viewed from the chute 10 side in the left-right direction will be referred to as the outside in the left-right direction.

[0056] The two stoppers 50 are positioned near the front end of the chute 10. The stoppers 50 are interposed between the chute 10 and the carrier 20. Each stopper 50 has a base roller 51, a tip roller 52, two arms 53, and two torsion springs 54 as biasing means.

[0057] Here, a bracket 8 is fixed to the front support 3. The bracket 8 is roughly U-shaped, open inward in the left-right direction, and includes a main body 8a and two protrusions 8b. The main body 8a is plate-shaped, extending longitudinally in the vertical direction, and facing in the left-right direction. The two protrusions 8b project inward in the left-right direction from the upper and lower ends of the main body 8a. The stopper 50 is fixed to the front support 3 via the bracket 8.

[0058] The base roller 51 extends in the vertical direction. The base roller 51 is positioned inside the two projections 8b. The base roller 51 is rotatably supported by the projections 8b. Both ends of the base roller 51 protrude vertically, passing through the two projections 8b.

[0059] The tip roller 52 extends in the vertical direction. The tip roller 52 is positioned inward in the left-right direction compared to the base roller 51. The tip roller 52 is the contact portion that comes into contact with the article P.

[0060] The arms 53 extend in the left-right direction. The two arms 53 connect the base roller 51 and the tip roller 52 to each other. Specifically, the upper arm 53 fastens the upper end of the base roller 51 and the upper end of the tip roller 52 with bolts. Similarly, the lower arm 53 fastens the lower end of the base roller 51 and the lower end of the tip roller 52 with bolts.

[0061] The two torsion springs 54 are wound inside the two protrusions 8b, near the upper and lower ends of the base roller 51. One end of the torsion spring 54 is fixed to the main body 8a of the bracket 8. The other end of the torsion spring 54 is fixed to the rear of the arm 53. As a result, the torsion spring 54 biases (presses) the arm 53 forward.

[0062] Here, a locking member 9 is provided on the upper projection 8b of the bracket 8. The locking member 9 is positioned in front of the upper arm 53. The locking member 9 locks (contacts) the forward-biased arm 53, preventing the arm 53 from moving any further forward. The locking member 9 may be integrally formed with the bracket 8.

[0063] The tip roller 52 is rotatable around the base roller 51 (see rotation direction R in Figure 6). The tip roller 52 is also rotatable relative to the arm 53. The tip roller 52 is preferably made of a soft material such as resin.

[0064] When the tip roller 52 is unloaded and no rearward pressure is applied to the arm 53, it is positioned forward (R+) by the elastic force (biasing force) of the torsion spring 54 (the arm 53 comes into contact with the locking member 9). The tip roller 52 then closes (blocks) the passage for the article P from the chute 10 to the carrier 20.

[0065] On the other hand, when the tip roller 52 is under load and subjected to a rearward pressure against the arm 53, it is positioned rearward (R-) against the elastic force of the torsion spring 54. The tip roller 52 then opens a passage for the article P from the chute 10 to the carrier 20.

[0066] In other words, the stopper 50 opens and closes between a closed position that prevents the item P from passing from the chute 10 to the carrier 20, and an open position that allows the item P to pass from the chute 10 to the carrier 20. The stopper 50 is biased to the closed position in an unloaded state where no rearward pressure is applied to the arm 53. The stopper 50 moves from the closed position to the open position when a rearward pressure is applied to the arm 53.

[0067] Furthermore, the stopper 50 is composed of a lever that opens and closes in the front-to-back direction. When the stopper 50 is in the closed position, the tip roller 52 of the stopper 50 is located further back than when the stopper 50 is in the open position.

[0068] (Removal of goods using an goods removal device) The following describes the unloading of items P by the item unloading device 1, with reference to Figures 4, 5 and 7-14. As mentioned above, the carrier 20 moves to the front of any of the multiple chutes 10 by the vertical movement mechanism 4 and the horizontal movement mechanism 5, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0069] At this time, the rear end of the frame 22 of the carrier 20 is spaced apart from the front end of the frame 11 of the chute 10 by a distance D. The distance between the drive gear 26 of the carrier 20 and the driven gear 14 of the chute 10 is also approximately the same. In order to feed the goods P from the chute 10 to the carrier 20, it is necessary to bring the carrier 20 closer to the chute 10 to reduce the distance D.

[0070] The spacing D is preferably about 5 mm to 20 mm. The vertical misalignment between the mounting portion 11a of the frame 11 on the chute 10 and the mounting portion 22a of the frame 22 on the carrier 20 is preferably within ±2 mm.

[0071] The item P in the front row of the shooter 10 is prevented from moving forward by the stopper 50 in a closed position.

[0072] Next, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 9, the forward / backward movement mechanism 32 moves the pusher 31 together with the frame 22 to the rear as a single unit. Specifically, the forward / backward movement mechanism 32 moves the pusher 31 to the rear by pushing the main body 31a of the pusher 31 to the rear with the protruding portion 32b. Since the main body 31a of the pusher 31 and the lower protruding portion 22d of the frame 22 are connected to each other by a spring 33, the frame 22 moves to the rear in conjunction with the rearward movement of the pusher 31.

[0073] As a result, the forward and backward movement mechanism 32 moves the frame 22 of the carrier 20 closer to the frame 11 of the chute 10. That is, the distance between the rear end of the frame 22 of the carrier 20 and the front end of the frame 11 of the chute 10 becomes smaller. The forward and backward movement mechanism 32 also engages (meets) the driven gear 14 of the chute 10 with the drive gear 26, which is supported by the rear projection 22c of the frame 22 via the rear roller 24.

[0074] Although not shown in the diagram, positioning members are provided on both the frame 11 (or support 3) of the chute 10 and the frame 22 of the carrier 20. By the contact of these positioning members with each other, the drive gear 26 and the driven gear 14 mesh with each other at their pitch circle without their tooth roots touching each other. In other words, the forward and backward movement mechanism 32 brings the positioning member supported on the frame 22 of the carrier 20 into contact with the positioning member supported on the frame 11 (or support 3) of the chute 10. That is, the carrier 20 contacts the chute 10 via both positioning members.

[0075] The positioning member on the carrier 20 side does not have to be directly fixed to the frame 22, but may be indirectly fixed to the frame 22 via an intermediate member. Similarly, the positioning member on the chute 10 side does not have to be directly fixed to the frame 11 (or support 3), but may be indirectly fixed to the frame 11 (or support 3) via an intermediate member.

[0076] Next, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 10, the forward and backward movement mechanism 32 moves the pusher 31 backward relative to the frame 22 of the carrier 20, that is, with the frame 22 of the carrier 20 close to the frame 11 of the chute 10, i.e., with the drive gear 26 and driven gear 14 engaged, thereby pressing the stopper 50 backward with the pusher 31.

[0077] Specifically, the forward / backward movement mechanism 32 pushes the main body 31a of the pusher 31 backward by the protruding portion 32b. At this point, since the drive gear 26 supported by the frame 22 is engaged with the driven gear 14 of the chute 10, the frame 22 stops as it cannot move any further backward. As a result, the pusher 31 moves backward relative to the stopped frame 22. The spring 33 is compressed by being pressed backward by the main body 31a of the pusher 31.

[0078] The pressing roller 31c of the pusher 31 presses the arm 53 of the stopper 50 backward against the elastic force of the torsion spring 54, thereby positioning the tip roller 52 of the stopper 50 backward and displacing the stopper 50 from a closed position to an open position. This allows the item P to pass forward from the chute 10 to the carrier 20.

[0079] Next, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 11, the chute-side conveyor belt 15 and the carrier-side conveyor belt 30 are driven to send the article P forward from the chute 10 to the carrier 20.

[0080] Specifically, the drive motor 27 drives the carrier-side conveyor belt 30 via the input gear 28, intermediate gear group 29, transmission gear 25, and rear roller 24. The drive motor 27 also rotates the drive gear 26 via the input gear 28, intermediate gear group 29, transmission gear 25, and rear roller 24. The driven gear 14 of the chute 10 rotates due to torque transmission from the drive gear 26 of the carrier 20. The chute-side conveyor belt 15 is driven by the rotation of the front roller 12, which rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the driven gear 14.

[0081] The item P moves forward on the chute-side conveyor belt 15, is transferred to the carrier-side conveyor belt 30, and moves forward on the carrier-side conveyor belt 30.

[0082] The conveyor belt 15 on the chute side and the conveyor belt 30 on the carrier side may be driven before the stopper 50 opens.

[0083] Next, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 12, when the article P passes the first sensor 41, the forward and backward movement mechanism 32 moves the pusher 31 forward relative to the frame 22, thereby releasing the backward pressure applied by the pusher 31 to the arm 53 of the stopper 50.

[0084] Specifically, when the item P passes the first sensor 41, the forward / backward movement mechanism 32 retracts the protruding portion 32b forward, thereby moving the pusher 31 forward. However, even after moving the pusher 31 forward, the frame 22 remains stationary without moving forward until the compressed spring 33 returns to its original position (length).

[0085] Then, when the backward pressure applied to the stopper 50 by the pusher 31 is released, the stopper 50 closes and assumes a closed position. The closed position of the stopper 50 prevents the item P that is about to be sent out from flying forward from the chute 10. Specifically, the item P attempts to move forward on the chute-side conveyor belt 15, but is prevented from doing so by the closed position of the stopper 50. In addition, the item P slides on the chute-side conveyor belt 15, which has a low coefficient of friction, and stops without being carried along by the chute-side conveyor belt 15.

[0086] Next, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 13, the article P moves further forward on the carrier-side conveyor belt 30.

[0087] Next, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 14, when the item P passes the second sensor 42, the forward / backward movement mechanism 32 moves the pusher 31 forward together with the frame 22. Specifically, when the item P passes the second sensor 42, the forward / backward movement mechanism 32 moves the pusher 31 further forward by retracting the protruding portion 32b further forward. At this point, since the spring 33 has returned to its original position (length), when the pusher 31 is moved forward, the frame 22 moves forward in conjunction with the forward movement of the pusher 31. As a result, the engagement between the drive gear 26 and the driven gear 14 is released, and the drive of the chute-side conveyor belt 15 is stopped.

[0088] At the same time, the drive motor 27 stops driving the carrier-side conveyor belt 30. This stops the forward movement of the item P on the carrier-side conveyor belt 30.

[0089] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 1, the carrier 20 moves to the immediate rear of the retrieval conveyor 7 by the vertical movement mechanism 4 and the horizontal movement mechanism 5, and transfers the item P to the retrieval conveyor 7. The retrieval conveyor 7 moves the transferred item P forward by the belt conveyor mechanism and transports it to the retrieval outlet 6. The user receives the item P through the retrieval outlet 6.

[0090] (Placement of stoppers relative to items) Figures 15 and 16 show the arrangement of the stopper 50 relative to the article P in a top view. Figure 15 shows the case of a small-diameter article P. Figure 16 shows the case of a large-diameter article P. The article P has a circular cross-section when viewed in the vertical direction. The article P can be, for example, a disc, cylinder, tubular, or spherical.

[0091] Two (a pair) stoppers 50 are positioned on both sides in the left-right direction with respect to the center P0 of the article P. The tip rollers 52 of the stoppers 50 abut against the circumference P1 of the article P. The stoppers 50 open so that the tip rollers 52 are aligned with the tangential direction P2 of the article P. When the stoppers 50 are in the closed position, the tip rollers 52 of the stoppers 50 are positioned further back than when the stoppers 50 are in the open position.

[0092] When the stopper 50 is in the closed position, the stopper 50 receives a force F in the direction normal to the article P (radial direction) P3. The force F in the normal direction P3 can be decomposed into a first component force F1 and a second component force F2. The first component force F1 and the second component force F2 are orthogonal to each other. The second component force F2 is smaller than the first component force F1.

[0093] The first component force F1 acts outward and forward in the left-right direction and is received by the base roller 51 via the tip roller 52 and arm 53. The second component force F2 acts inward and forward in the left-right direction and presses the tip roller 52 and arm 53 forward.

[0094] The second component force F2 from the article P is applied to the tip roller 52 and the arm 53, so that even if the biasing force (pressing force) that the torsion spring 54 exerts on the arm 53 to move forward is small, the stopper 50 can be maintained in the closed position.

[0095] By reducing the forward biasing force exerted by the torsion spring 54, even if the force exerted by the pusher 31 to press the stopper 50 backward is small, the stopper 50 can be displaced from the closed position to the open position.

[0096] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the second force component F2 acts inward and forward in the left-right direction, regardless of the diameter of the article P (small or large diameter), pressing the tip roller 52 and arm 53 forward. The dimensions of the stopper 50 (length of the arm 53, distance between the left and right stoppers 50, etc.) are set so that this second force component F2 acts regardless of the diameter of the article P.

[0097] In the case of a large-diameter article P (Figure 16), the second component force F2 (the force that closes the stopper 50) is larger compared to the case of a small-diameter article P (Figure 15). Therefore, when opening the stopper 50, it is necessary to apply a relatively large pressing force to the stopper 50 with the pusher 31, and the article P is more likely to be pushed back. If the amount of backward push of the article P is large, the article P is more likely to tip over. The amount of backward push should be as small as possible, preferably 5 mm or less.

[0098] (Effects and Benefits) According to this embodiment, since the pusher 31 is connected to the frame 22 in the carrier 20 so as to be displaceable in the front-rear direction, the operation of bringing the frame 22 closer to the chute 10 and the operation of opening the stopper 50 with the pusher 31 can be performed in a series of steps by pressing the pusher 31 backward with the front-rear movement mechanism 32.

[0099] This allows for the item P to be quickly transferred (replaced) from the chute 10 to the carrier 20 without any time lag between the action of bringing the frame 22 closer to the chute 10 and the action of opening the stopper 50 with the pusher 31.

[0100] Furthermore, since the pusher 31 only needs to be pressed backward by the forward / backward movement mechanism 32, operation is simple.

[0101] By connecting the pusher 31 to the frame 22 with an elastic member 33, the pusher 31 can be easily displaced in the front-rear direction relative to the frame 22.

[0102] Since the elastic member 33 is made of a spring, the structure is simple.

[0103] Since there is no time lag between the operation of engaging the drive gear 26 of the carrier 20 with the driven gear 14 of the chute 10 and the operation of opening the stopper 50 with the pusher 31, the chute-side conveyor belt 15 and the carrier-side conveyor belt 30 can be driven immediately after opening the stopper 50.

[0104] As soon as item P passes the first sensor 41, the backward pressure applied by the pusher 31 to the stopper 50 is released, and the stopper 50 closes. This prevents the next item P to be fed from flying forward from the chute 10, thanks to the closed stopper 50. Then, items P can be fed one by one from the chute 10 to the carrier 20.

[0105] As soon as the item P passes the second sensor 42, the pusher 31 and frame 22 on the carrier 20 move forward together, so that the item P received by the carrier 20 can be quickly transported forward.

[0106] Since the stopper 50 is made up of a lever that opens and closes in the front-to-back direction, the stopper 50 can be easily opened by pressing the stopper 50 backward with the pusher 31.

[0107] Since the tip roller 52 of the stopper 50 is aligned with the tangential direction P2 of the circular article P, the stopper 50 can be opened smoothly. This is also advantageous for accommodating various articles P having different diameters.

[0108] Since a pair (two) of stoppers 50 are positioned on both the left and right sides with respect to the center P0 of the item P, it is advantageous in suppressing the item P from flying forward from the chute 10. Furthermore, it is even more advantageous in accommodating various items P having various diameters.

[0109] Since the item dispensing device 1 is equipped with an up-and-down movement mechanism 4 and a left-and-right movement mechanism 5, the carrier 20 can be moved to the front of any of the multiple chutes 10, and the items P sent from the chutes 10 to the carrier 20 can be dispensed to the outlet 6. This makes the item dispensing device 1 suitable for use in vending machines and the like.

[0110] (Other embodiments) Although this disclosure has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, this description is not limiting, and various modifications are, of course, possible.

[0111] Instead of the spring 33, for example, rubber or other elastic material may be used, or a clutch or other material may be used in addition to an elastic material.

[0112] An intermediate gear may be interposed between the drive gear 26 and the driven gear 14. That is, the drive gear 26 and the driven gear 14 may be indirectly engaged via an intermediate gear. Instead of the drive gear 26 and the driven gear 14, for example, a friction drive pulley and a friction driven pulley may be used.

[0113] Article P may have a circular cross-section when viewed in the left-right direction. In this case, it is preferable that the pair of stoppers 50 be positioned on both sides in the vertical direction with respect to the center P0 of article P. Also, article P may not be circular in shape, but for example, polygonal in shape.

[0114] The chute 10 may have a drive mechanism (e.g., a drive motor) for driving the chute-side conveyor belt 15. In this case, the chute-side conveyor belt 15 is driven independently of the drive motor 27 (carrier-side conveyor belt 30).

[0115] The carrier 20 does not necessarily have a carrier-side conveyor belt 30. In other words, the carrier 20 may be a simple support platform. The carrier 20 may move diagonally. The carrier 20 may move only in the forward and backward directions.

[0116] The vertical movement mechanism 4, the horizontal movement mechanism 5, the drive motor 27, and the forward / backward movement mechanism 32 do not have to be electrically powered; they may be pneumatic or hydraulic, for example.

[0117] The item dispensing device 1 can be applied to any dispensing device other than a vending machine (for example, a plate dispensing device). [Industrial applicability]

[0118] This disclosure is extremely useful and has high industrial applicability because it can be applied to article unloading equipment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0119] X Left / right direction Y vertical direction Z front and back direction Z+ front Z- Back P Goods P0 center P1 Circumference P2 Tangential direction 1 Article unloading device 2 cabinets 4. Vertical movement mechanism 5 Left and right movement mechanism 6 Outlet 10 Shooters 11 frames 14 Driven gear 15. Shoot-side conveyor belt 20 Carriers 22 Frame (receiving part) 26 Drive gear 27. Drive motor (drive unit) 30 Carrier-side conveyor belt 31 Pusher 32 Back and forth movement mechanism (moving mechanism) 33. Springs (elastic components) 41 First Sensor 42. Second Sensor 50 Stopper (Lever) 52. Tip roller (contact part)

Claims

1. A chute on which articles are placed in a front-to-back direction and which sends the articles forward, A carrier positioned in front of the chute and for receiving and transporting the articles sent out from the chute, The system includes a stopper that opens and closes between an open position that allows the article to pass from the chute to the carrier and a closed position that prevents the article from passing from the chute to the carrier, The aforementioned carrier, A receiving section for receiving the article sent out from the chute, A pusher that presses the stopper backward, The pusher has a moving mechanism that moves it in the front-rear direction, The stopper is biased to the closed position and, by being pressed backward, moves from the closed position to the open position. The pusher is connected to the receiving portion so as to be displaceable in the front-rear direction relative to the receiving portion, The moving mechanism moves the pusher together with the receiving portion to the rear as a single unit, thereby bringing the receiving portion closer to the chute, and while the receiving portion is close to the chute, moves the pusher backward relative to the receiving portion, thereby pressing the stopper backward with the pusher.

2. The article unloading device according to claim 1, The pusher is connected to the receiving portion by an elastic member, and the device is an article unloading device.

3. The article unloading device according to claim 2, The elastic member is a spring in the article dispensing device.

4. The article unloading device according to claim 1, The aforementioned carrier, A carrier-side conveyor belt that sends the article received by the receiving section forward, A drive unit for driving the carrier-side conveyor belt, It has a drive gear that is supported by the receiving portion and rotates in sync with the drive of the carrier-side conveyor belt by the drive unit, The aforementioned shooter is, A driven gear that is engageable with the aforementioned drive gear and rotates by torque transmission from the drive gear, It has a chute-side conveyor belt that is driven by the rotation of the driven gear and sends the placed article forward, The moving mechanism engages the drive gear with the driven gear by integrally moving the pusher together with the receiving portion to the rear, and while the drive gear and the driven gear are engaged, moves the pusher backward relative to the receiving portion, thereby pressing the stopper backward with the pusher.

5. The article unloading device according to claim 1, A first sensor is provided to detect the passage of the aforementioned article, The moving mechanism is an article unloading device that moves the pusher forward relative to the receiving portion when the article passes the first sensor.

6. The article unloading device according to claim 5, A second sensor is provided that detects the passage of the aforementioned article and is positioned in front of the first sensor, The moving mechanism is an article unloading device that, when the article passes the second sensor, moves the pusher forward integrally with the receiving portion.

7. The article unloading device according to claim 1, The stopper is composed of a lever that opens and closes in the front-to-back direction. An article unloading device wherein the contact portion of the stopper with respect to the article when in the closed position is located further back than the contact portion when in the open position.

8. The article unloading device according to claim 7, The article has a circular cross-section, The stopper is an article unloading device in which the contact portion opens along the tangential direction of the article.

9. The article unloading device according to claim 7, An article unloading device in which a pair of the stoppers are arranged on both sides with respect to the center of the article.

10. The article unloading device according to claim 1, Multiple chutes arranged in a line in the vertical and horizontal directions, The carrier, which is movable in the vertical and horizontal directions, The system comprises a housing that accommodates the plurality of chutes and the carrier, The housing is provided with an outlet that connects the inside and outside of the housing, The carrier is an article unloading device that moves to the front of any of the plurality of chutes, receives the article sent out from the any of the chutes, and unloads the article to the unloading port.

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