Supports: cabinet structure – With movable components – Horizontally movable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-23
2001-03-13
Hansen, James O. (Department: 3636)
Supports: cabinet structure
With movable components
Horizontally movable
C312S322000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06199965
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a commodity storage apparatus suitable for a vending machine which permits to drop forwardly, for example, predetermined packaged commodities for carrying out or delivery of the packaged commodities.
A conventional commodity storage apparatus is shown in Japanese Patent Publication (Unexamined) No. 9-106,476. The conventional commodity storage apparatus comprises an apparatus frame, a plurality of shelves arranged in a vertical direction to space with each other and fixed to the apparatus frame, and a plurality of delivery mechanisms placed at forward ends of the shelves, respectively. Each shelf has a forwardly slant portion and houses commodities therein. Responsive to a vending signal known in the art, each delivery mechanisms makes each of the commodities be slid down forwardly one by one from each shelf. The commodities are supplied from a front face of the commodity storage apparatus to the shelves, respectively.
In the conventional commodity storage apparatus described above, there is a serious problem that the commodities must be inserted through a relatively narrow and small space of the shelves, resulting in deficiency in workability of supplement of commodities. This is because the shelves are fixed to the apparatus frame.
An attempt was made to provide shelves, each of which can be drawn along a forward inclination so that supplement of commodities can be conducted readily. In the attempt, however, there is another problem that when each shelf is drawn forwardly toward a working personnel, a weight or load of each shelf is partly added to the working personnel to thereby provide some defects on the workability of commodity supplement. This is because each shelf has the inclined portion which inclines forwardly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a commodity storage apparatus, which permits ready supplement of commodities into a predetermined position of a shelf.
Other objects of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a commodity storage apparatus for storing commodities, comprising an apparatus frame fixedly installed, a shelf supported by the apparatus frame for housing the commodities, the shelf being movable between a forward position and a backward position, and attitude control means connected to the apparatus frame and the shelf and responsive to movement of the shelf between the forward and the backward positions for controlling an attitude of the shelf in a predetermined plane extending in a fore and aft direction and a vertical direction.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a commodity storage apparatus comprising a shelf for housing commodities in a back and forth alignment relation, an apparatus frame supporting the shelf in a forwardly inclined relation, the shelf being drawable in a forward direction of the apparatus frame, and attitude control means connected to the shelf and the apparatus frame and responsive to movement of the shelf in the forward direction for controlling an attitude of the shelf in such a manner that a rear end of the shelf is descended when the shelf is moved in a forward direction and that the rear end of the shelves is ascended when the shelf is moved in a backward direction.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1189371 (1916-07-01), Lyons
patent: 2769551 (1956-11-01), Just
patent: 4314734 (1982-02-01), Grunert
patent: 4809855 (1989-03-01), Bustos
patent: 5306077 (1994-04-01), Trevaskis
patent: 5599079 (1997-02-01), Ranno et al.
patent: 24 02 376 (1975-07-01), None
patent: 2286576 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 9-106476 (1997-04-01), None
Kanbe Tooru
Kojima Nariaki
Banner & Witcoff , Ltd.
Hansen James O.
Sanden Corporation
LandOfFree
Commodity storage apparatus permitting ready supplement of... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Commodity storage apparatus permitting ready supplement of..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Commodity storage apparatus permitting ready supplement of... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2516423