Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments – With discharge means for each source
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-03-13
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
With discharge means for each source
C221S126000, C221S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199722
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an article providing apparatus for storing articles and for discharging a selected one or ones of the articles in response to operation of an operational unit included in the article providing apparatus.
A conventional article providing apparatus is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication (JP-U) No. 06-3916. The conventional article providing apparatus comprises a storage rack for storing articles, a delivery port, and a conveyance means disposed along the storage rack for conveying a selected one of ones of the articles from the storage rack to the delivery port. The conventional article providing apparatus can handle a wide variety of articles by dividing the storage rack into many parts. Therefore, the realization of an unmanned retail store can be expected by applying the exist technique for automatic vending machines to the conventional apparatus to actualize an article providing apparatus or an automatic vending system.
FIG. 1
shows an article providing apparatus which has been already proposed as an earlier technology. The article providing apparatus comprises two storage racks
1
arranged right and left for storing articles, an operational unit
2
for being operated by a customer, a conveyance means
3
having a conveying robot which moves laterally and vertically along a space between the storage racks
1
for picking up the article from the storage racks
1
to convey the article to the operational unit
2
, and sample showcases
5
which are immovably fixed to cover, in combination with partitions or doors
4
, the front of the storage racks
1
. The operational unit
2
has a delivery port
6
formed therein.
The operation for loading the articles into the each rack
1
is done at its side. For loading the articles, loading spaces
7
are provided on the sides of the respective racks
1
.
However, the article providing apparatus of
FIG. 1
has a serious problem of large installation area. That is, the loading spaces
7
are required large at the sides of the respective storage racks
1
, thereby significantly increasing the installation areas as compared with conventional vending machines. Accordingly, there is less of suitable installation places, hence obstructing the spread.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an article providing apparatus which is capable of being installed in a smaller site.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an article providing apparatus of the type described, which enables a large variety of articles to be handled within a small space.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to the present invention, there is provided an article providing apparatus which includes a storage rack for storing articles therein, an operational unit for designating, as a designated article, one of the articles, and conveyance means for conveying the designated article from the storage rack to the operational unit. The storage rack has a front face, a rear face opposite to the front face, and side faces extending between the front and the rear faces and opposite to each other. The conveyance means comprises a conveying robot movable right and left along the rear face of the storage rack for picking up the designated article rearwardly from the storage rack and conveying the designated article with movement thereof and a conveyor adjacent to one of the side faces of the storage rack for receiving the designated article from the conveying robot to convey the designated article forward. The operational unit being placed in front of the conveyor to receive the designated article from the conveyor. The front face of the storage rack having a loading portion for loading the articles into the storage rack.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3087648 (1963-04-01), Cope
patent: 4995498 (1991-02-01), Menke
patent: 6047855 (2000-04-01), Lin
patent: 52-43499 (1977-04-01), None
patent: 3189897 (1991-08-01), None
patent: 4241699 (1992-08-01), None
patent: 594582 (1993-04-01), None
patent: 6-3916 (1994-01-01), None
patent: 6176260 (1994-06-01), None
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Bollinger David H.
Sanden Corporation
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