Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments – With discharge means for each source
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-12
2003-05-06
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
With discharge means for each source
C312S101000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06557725
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an article discharging device, in particular, a premium supplying device, an automatic vending machine or the like.
2. Description of Earlier Development
Conventionally, an automatic vending machine in the body of which commodities put in plastic capsules (hereinafter referred to as capsule commodities) are contained and a capsule commodity can be discharged by inserting a predetermined coin into a coin put-in slot and turning a handle, has been known.
In such an automatic vending machine, a door made of transparent material which can get up or fall down is provided at an opening formed in the body. The capsule commodities in the vending machine can be recognized visually through the transparent door. Supplement of the capsule commodities in the vending machine was carried out by bringing the door down forward and by adding capsule commodities in the vending machine. Exchange of the capsule commodities contained in the vending machine to another type was also carried out by bringing the door down forward and by exchanging the commodities.
However, the earlier developed automatic vending machine having such a structure has the following problems.
Because the door is brought down forward when supplement or exchange of the capsule commodities in the vending machine is carried out, in particular, during exchanging, the capsule commodities contained in the vending machine often drop. When taking capsule commodities out of the back part of the vending machine, it is required to make an arm stretch to its full length because the door is brought down forward.
Such problems occur in not only vending machines but also gift supplying devices provided by game apparatuses or the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made for solving such problems.
An object of the present invention is to provide an article discharging device convenient for use.
That is, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, the article discharging device having a main body with an opening which is provided in a front side, comprises:
a container for containing and holding an article therein, which comprises a front wall at least a portion of which is transparent and an article entrance formed in an upper side,
wherein the container is able to close the opening and the article held in the container can be viewed through the transparent portion of the front wall in a closed state, and the container can be rotated reciprocally around a predetermined axis, to take the closed state or an article entrance exposed state.
The term “a predetermined axis” may be, for example, an axis extending in a vertical direction or an axis extending in a horizontal direction.
According to the article discharging device, the article entrance can be exposed by rotating the container around the predetermined axis, and thereby it is possible to fill up articles through the exposed article entrance.
Preferably, the front wall of the container has a shape expanded outwardly and the container can be rotated reciprocally around an axis extending from a side of the main body to the other side.
According to the article discharging device having such a structure, when the container is rotated around the axis to take the article entrance exposed state, the articles stored in the container can be surely held by the front wall of the container having the shape expanded outwardly.
Preferably, the article discharging device is an automatic vending machine to discharge an article by putting a coin in and can be used by piling up a plurality of main bodies, and a coin storage portion is provided at a lower position of a lower main body, to be able to store not only a coin from the lower main body but also a coin from an upper main body.
According to the article discharging device having such a structure, it is possible to take the coins out of only one bottom portion. Therefore, it is not only convenient but also advantageous in production cost because it is not required to provide a coin storage portion in every main body.
In the article discharging device, each of the main bodies may be provided with a first coin guide member near a coin insert, for transferring a put-in coin from the coin insert downward and at least a lower main body is also provided with a second coin guide member on a top portion thereof, which is connectable to an end of the first coin guide member of an upper main body, for transferring a coin put in the upper main body toward a lower portion of the lower main body.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the article discharging device having a main body with an opening which is provided in a front side, comprises:
a container for containing and holding an article therein, which comprises a front wall at least a portion of which is transparent and an article entrance formed in an upper side,
wherein the container is able to close the opening and the article held in the container can be viewed through the transparent portion of the front wall in a closed state, and the container can be rotated reciprocally around a lateral axis which extends from a side of the main body to the other side through a predetermined point inside the main body, to take the closed state or an article entrance exposed state.
In the article discharging device, preferably, the front wall of the container has a shape like a portion of a periphery of a cylinder having a lateral central axis or a sphere, having a lateral central axis which extends from a side of the main body to the other side through a predetermined point inside the main body, and the container can be reciprocally rotated approximately around the lateral central axis.
In the article discharging device, the container may have a shape like a cylinder having the lateral central axis and an opening formed in an upper side thereof as the article entrance.
The front wall of the container may have a shape like a portion of a sphere and the container can be reciprocally rotated approximately around the lateral central axis of the sphere.
The container may have a shape like the sphere having the lateral central axis and an opening formed in an upper side thereof as the article entrance.
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Noland Kenneth W.
Staas & Halsey , LLP
Tomy Company Ltd.
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