JPS6220067Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a starwheel type product discharging device that is employed in a serpentine shelf or inclined shelf of a vending machine that handles can and bottle products.

[Conventional technology]

First, an outline of a serpentine shelf employing the star wheel type product carrying device described above will be explained with reference to FIG. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a serpentine shelf, and products 3 lying on their side are stored in a line in a meandering product passage 2 formed vertically within the shelf. A star wheel type product delivery device 4 is installed at the lower delivery end of the product passage 2. This device consists of a rotatable star wheel 5 that protrudes toward the product aisle 2, a solenoid 6 that operates based on a sales command, and a link mechanism 7 that controls the locking and release of the star wheel 5 by the operation of the solenoid 6. Become. In the sales standby state, the star wheel 5 locks the lowest products in the product aisle 2 and holds all the products within the shelf. If a sales command is given here, the star wheel 5 is unlocked by the operation of the solenoid 6, and the product 3 is carried out by falling under its own weight toward the carry-out chute 8 below, and is taken out to a commercial outlet (not shown). Ru. In addition, the star wheel 5 is rotated as the product is carried out, but due to the return operation of the solenoid 6, the star wheel 5 stops rotating and is locked again, and the second and subsequent products are placed on the shelf by one product. When it moves inside, it is stopped and supported by the star wheel.

In the device shown in Fig. 1, for each sales operation, the star wheel is rotated and fed in a free manner until one product is completely removed from its locking position by falling under its own weight. Separately, the link mechanism 7 is composed of a swing link having a pair of claws, and the pair of claws are controlled so as to contact the arms of the star wheel 5 alternately to carry out one product. The required rotation of star wheel 5 is 2
For example, in the 1970s, intermittent feeding of stages was used.
It is known from Publication No. -46791.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

By the way, the star wheel type product unloading device is
As the drive unit uses an electromagnetic solenoid, which is cheaper, more robust, and more reliable than electric motors, it is most widely used in vending machines that handle can and bottle products, but the function of the product delivery device is In addition to being able to reliably control the unloading of products one by one, soft hand links are required to prevent scratches and damage to the products.

In this regard, in the star wheel type product carrying out device shown in Fig. 1, the star wheel remains free until one product is completely carried out from its latching position by falling under its own weight for each sales operation. Since the product is rotated and fed, each product remaining in the product aisle falls freely at once by a distance equivalent to the diameter of one product for each sales operation, moves within the shelf, and is then stopped by the star wheel again. As a result, as the products move within the shelf, collisions between the products and the star wheel and collisions between the products generate a relatively large impact, which has the disadvantage that the products may be damaged by this impact.

On the other hand, in the system described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 52-46791, in which the rotation of the star wheel 5 required to carry out one product is intermittently fed in two stages, the first star wheel 5 is rotated and fed completely freely. Compared to the one shown in the figure, the above-mentioned impact is alleviated accordingly, and for example, it is possible to prevent damage to regular-sized canned products in metal containers with almost no problems.

However, recently, due to the diversification of product types, vending machines are now selling not only canned products in metal containers, but also larger products that have not been handled before, as well as small impact-resistant materials such as glass and aluminum. There has been a growing demand for products using these products, and if the conventional devices described above are used, there is a problem in that when trying to sell these new products, the products may be damaged.

Therefore, the purpose of this invention was to solve the above-mentioned problems, take advantage of the advantages of inexpensive and robust solenoids, and provide even better soft handling functions to safely handle small shock-resistant products, such as glass bottles. An object of the present invention is to provide a star wheel type product carrying device that can be handled easily.

[Means to solve the problem]

This idea uses a solenoid that operates based on sales commands to lock and release a rotatable star wheel, which is installed so as to protrude toward the product aisle where products are stored in a row, to move products from the bottom up. In a star wheel type product unloading device that controls the unloading of items one by one in a self-weight dropping manner, the number of teeth is set to an integral multiple of 2 or more than the number of arms of the star wheel, and the divided feed is coaxially connected to the star wheel. a ratchet wheel, and a pair of pawls, which are disposed opposite to the ratchet wheel, and are oscillated by the reciprocating motion of the solenoid so that the pair of pawls alternately abut the teeth of the ratchet wheel, causing the ratchet wheel to move intermittently. The solenoid is provided with an intermittent feed control mechanism consisting of a swing link that locks and releases the solenoid, and is configured to reciprocate the solenoid the same number of times as the integer multiple for one selling operation.

[Effect]

According to the star wheel type product discharging device based on the above means, for example, if the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel is doubled compared to the number of arms of the star wheel, the number of reciprocating movements of the solenoid in one selling operation is the same as the double number of teeth. When a sales command is given, the solenoid reciprocates twice, and each time, the pair of claws of the swing link alternately contact the teeth of the ratchet wheel, causing the ratchet wheel to move intermittently. This locking,
Due to release, the rotation of the star wheel required to carry out one product is divided into at least four stages. Therefore, the collision between the goods and the star wheel,
Shocks caused by collisions between products are almost eliminated, and even products with low impact resistance, such as glass bottle products, can be handled safely.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of this invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

First, the structure of the device will be described with reference to FIG. In the figure, the star wheel 5 is 1/1 by carrying out one product.
It has four arms denoted by symbols A, B, C, and D so as to rotate four times, and a spindle 1 attached to a base 9.
0 and is rotatably supported. Connected to the star wheel 5 is a ratchet wheel 11 coaxially arranged and having tooth rows indicated by symbols a to h. Here, the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel 11 is selected to be an integral multiple of 2 or more, for example, 2 times the number of arms of the star wheel 5, which is 4, which is 8. Also, a bifurcated swing link 12 with a pair of claws X and Y facing the tooth row of the ratchet wheel 11
is swingably attached around the pin 13. This link 12 is constantly biased counterclockwise by a tension spring 14 on the one hand, and is connected to a solenoid 6 via a connecting rod 15 on the other hand.
It is connected to the armature 16 of. When the solenoid 6 is energized, the claw X of the link 12 engages with the ratchet wheel 11 due to the urging force of the spring 14, and the clockwise rotation of the ratchet wheel 11 is stopped. In contrast, when solenoid 6 is energized and turned on, armature 1
Due to the suction action of 6, the link 1 is pulled against the spring 14.
2 swings clockwise, the pawl X retreats, and the pawl Y instead protrudes toward the ratchet wheel 11 and locks the ratchet wheel 11. Subsequently, when the solenoid 6 is energized and reset, the claw Y retreats and the claw X protrudes. Due to this reciprocating action of the solenoid, the ratchet wheel 11 and therefore the star wheel 5 are allowed to rotate clockwise by one pitch of the tooth row of the ratchet wheel 11.
Therefore, the number of reciprocating operations of the solenoid 6 for one selling operation is twice as long as the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel 11, which is 8, and the number of arms of the star wheel 5, which is 4, which is twice the number of arms, as previously explained. It is set twice to match the same number. Note that energization control of the solenoid 6 is provided by a control circuit (not shown). This concludes the explanation of the structure, and next, the product delivery control operation will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

Figure 2 shows the sales standby state, with the ratchet wheel 11
The claws X of the link 12 engage with the teeth a of the star wheel 5, and at this position, the products 31, 3, 3 lined up in the product path 2 are locked and held by the arm C of the star wheel 5.

When the solenoid 6 is energized by a sales command from here, the link 12 swings clockwise as shown in FIG. nail Y
It is rotated slightly clockwise until it hits . Therefore, the lowest product 31 falls down within the product aisle from the standby position shown by the chain line to the solid line position by the amount of movement l ₁ . Subsequently, when the solenoid 6 is de-energized, as shown in FIG. The cumulative amount of movement increases to l ₂ . Also, in this state, the star wheel 5 has been rotated by approximately 45 degrees from the standby position shown in FIG. 3
It begins to intersect between the two.

Next, the solenoid 6 is energized and turned on again in the same manner as described above, thereby moving to the state shown in FIG. 5. Therefore, the cumulative amount of goods moved increases to l ₃ . In this state, the lowest product 31 is almost disengaged from the arm C of the star wheel 5, and the second and subsequent products are engaged and supported by the arm B of the star wheel 5, and the lowest product 31 is completely separated. When the solenoid 6 is de-energized in the final step, the product 31 becomes completely free and is carried out by falling under its own weight. At the same time, the arm B of the star wheel 5 is stopped by the ratchet wheel 11 and the link 12 when it reaches the position of the arm C in Fig. 2, that is, after being rotated 90 degrees from the standby position, and the second and subsequent products are stopped at that position. Hold in sales standby position. This completes one sales operation, and one product is carried out.

The above unloading operation can be expressed as a time chart as shown in FIG. 6. That is, the solenoid 6 repeats energization on and off twice based on the sales command for each sales operation. Such energization control is provided by a suitable vending control circuit. By this energization control, the star wheel 5
1. The rotational feed required to carry out one product through an intermittent feed control mechanism consisting of a combination of links 12 is divided into four divisional feed strokes indicated by A to D as shown in Fig. 6, and is intermittent. It will proceed to. In this case, the amount of movement of the product falling within the shelf in the divided feeding process of each stage is smaller than the total amount of movement in one selling operation.
Therefore, since the falling movement speed can be kept low, the impact force acting between the product and the star wheel and due to collisions between the products can be greatly reduced compared to the conventional device mentioned above. Become. In this way, the initial objective of the solenoid drive system is to achieve a better soft handling function, making it possible to safely handle easily breakable glass bottle products.

Note that the illustrated example shows an example in which the sales operation is divided into the four stages of divided feeding processes A to D shown in Fig. 6.
The number of division steps can be easily increased by simply changing the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel and the number of reciprocating operations of the solenoid relative to the number of arms of the star wheel. Increasing the number of division stages will increase the time it takes to transport the products, but it will further improve the soft handling function and make it possible to handle various products with small impact resistance.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, this invention has a split feed ratchet wheel whose number of teeth is set to an integer multiple of 2 or more than the number of arms of the star wheel and which is coaxially connected to the star wheel, and a pair of pawls. and a swinging link installed opposite to the ratchet wheel and swingingly operated by the reciprocating motion of a solenoid so that the pair of pawls alternately abut the teeth of the ratchet wheel to intermittently lock and release the ratchet wheel. In addition to providing an intermittent feed control mechanism, the solenoid is made to reciprocate the same number of times as the integer multiple for one selling operation, so that the rotational feed of the star wheel required to carry out one product is at least 4 times. The feeding process can be divided into stages, and therefore there is almost no impact caused by collisions between products and the star wheel, or between products, and products with small impact resistance.
For example, it is possible to provide a star wheel type product delivery device that can safely handle products in glass bottles.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of the entire serpentine shelf that employs a star wheel type product delivery device, Fig. 2 is a mechanical diagram of an embodiment of this invention showing the sales standby state, and Figs. 3 to 5 are Fig. 2. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the product carrying-out operation showing different operating states, and FIG. 6 is a time chart of the carrying-out operation. 2... Product aisle, 3... Product, 4... Star wheel type product carrying device, 5... Star wheel,
...Solenoid, 11...Divided feed pawl wheel of intermittent feed control mechanism, 12...Swing link of intermittent feed control mechanism, A to D...Arm of star wheel,
Y... A pair of claws of the swing link, a~h... Teeth of the ratchet wheel.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A rotatable star wheel installed to protrude toward the product aisle where products are stored in a line is locked and released by a solenoid that operates based on sales commands, and products are placed one by one starting from the bottom. A device that controls the unloading by falling under its own weight, and has a split feed ratchet whose number of teeth is set to an integral multiple of 2 or more of the number of arms of the star wheel and which is coaxially connected to the star wheel, and a pair of pawls. and a swinging link that is disposed opposite to the ratchet wheel and is rocked by the reciprocating motion of the solenoid so that the pair of pawls alternately abut the teeth of the ratchet wheel to intermittently lock and release the ratchet wheel. A star wheel type product dispensing device for a vending machine, characterized in that an intermittent feed control mechanism is provided, and the solenoid is reciprocated the same number of times as the integer multiple for one vending operation.