Vending Machine Commodity Column Merging Passages to Reduce Support Space
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vending machine commodity columns have a reduced commodity accommodation capacity due to the large number of spaces required for supporting members between columns, which increases the total number of supporting member placement spaces.
Innovation Solution
The commodity column design features commodity passage members with side walls extending in the front-rear direction and bottoms extending in the left-right direction, allowing adjacent members to be connected through extending ends, with a passage side member connected to the outermost end, reducing the need for supporting member placement spaces by forming multiple commodity array passages within a single column.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple commodity columns are arranged in the commodity accommodation chamber, then the number of commodity types that can be stored increases, but the number of supporting member placement spaces increases, reducing the commodity accommodation capacity
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple commodity passage members are merged into a single integrated column structure, allowing multiple commodity array passages to coexist within one column. This eliminates the need for separate supporting members between individual columns, thereby reducing the total number of supporting member placement spaces while maintaining the ability to store multiple commodity types.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from a conventional single-row commodity arrangement to a multi-row arrangement within a single column by extending commodity passage members in the left-right direction and connecting them through extending ends. This dimensional change allows multiple commodity types to be stored vertically and horizontally within one column, reducing the need for additional supporting members.
2Device complexity
If conventional commodity columns with single row arrangement are used, then the structure is simple, but the commodity accommodation capacity is reduced due to numerous supporting member spaces
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple commodity passage members are merged into a single integrated column structure, allowing multiple commodity array passages to coexist within one column. This eliminates the need for separate supporting members between individual columns, thereby reducing the total number of supporting member placement spaces while maintaining the ability to store multiple commodity types.
Solution Approach 2:
The column is segmented into multiple commodity passage members that can be connected through their extending ends, allowing for modular assembly while forming an integrated multi-row structure. This segmentation enables flexible configuration of multiple commodity passages within a single column without requiring complex supporting members.
Data Source
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AI summary
A commodity column (3) for a vending machine in which commodities (A) are arranged in a front-rear direction, a plurality of the commodity columns being placed in a left-right direction in a commodity accommodation chamber (2), the commodity column (3) having commodity passage members (31) each having a side wall (311) extending in the front-rear direction and a bottom (312) extending from the side wall (311) in one direction along the left-right direction, the commodity passage members (31) being capable of being connected to each other through an extending end of the bottom (312), and a passage side member (32) capable of being connected to the extending end of the bottom (312) of the commodity passage member (31). A plurality of the commodity passage members (31) are placed one after another in one direction along the left-right direction, each adjacent pair of the commodity passage members (31) being connected to each other through the extending end. The passage side member (32) is connected to the extending end of the commodity passage member (31) at the outermost end in the one direction along the left-right direction in the commodity passage members (31). A plurality of commodity array passages are thereby formed in one commodity column (3), and the total number of commodity columns (3) is set small for a large number of commodity array passages. Spaces for supporting member placement formed between adjacent pairs of the commodity columns (3) are correspondingly reduced to enable the commodity accommodation chamber (2) to have an increased commodity accommodation capacity.