Article dispensing – With recorder – register – indicator – signal or exhibitor – Dispenser operated register
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-29
2002-12-31
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
With recorder, register, indicator, signal or exhibitor
Dispenser operated register
C221S192000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06499623
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a product carry-out apparatus for a vending machine which, at the time of selling, carries a product, delivered downward from a product housing, in a diagonally upward and forward direction to carry out the product to a product take-out port provided at a relatively high position.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The applicant of the invention has already proposed this type of product carry-out apparatus, for example, in Japanese Patent Application No. 66749/1999. In this product carry-out apparatus, a belt conveyor is applied as an apparatus for conveying a delivered product toward a product take-out port. This belt conveyor is provided below a product housing for housing a large number of products which have been toppled sideways and vertically stacked on top of one another. The belt conveyor comprises: a frame which is extended in a forward and upward inclined state; a conveyor belt which is put and wound on two front and rear rotating shafts rotatably provided respectively on the front and rear ends of the frame and is inclined in a forward and upward direction; a drive mechanism for rotatively driving the conveyor belt through the rotating shafts; and the like. This conveyor belt has a large width according to the width of the product housing, and has, on its surface, a plurality of projections provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the conveyor belt, for supporting the product from behind at the time of carrying the delivered product.
In the above-described product carry-out apparatus provided with a belt conveyor, at the time of selling, a product delivered from the product housing is carried out to a product take-out port as follows. Specifically, the product delivered from the product housing is dropped on the conveyor belt, and is then slightly slid down backward along the conveyor belt. Thereafter, the product is abutted against and supported by one of the projections on the rear side. Upon the rotation of the conveyor belt, the product is carried in a diagonally upward and forward direction, in such a state that the backward movement of the product is stopped by the projection, and is carried out to a product take-out port.
In the above-described product carry-out apparatus, all the projections are protruded at a right angle to the surface of the conveyor belt, that is, in a posture such that the projections are inclined in an upward and backward direction from the surface of the conveyor belt. Therefore, when the product has slid down backward, the product is likely to climb over the projection. For some product, the projection is pushed by the abutted product and is consequently bent backward, and this makes it more easy for the product to climb over the projection. For this reason, in some cases, the delivered product slides down to a projection located behind a projection which should have originally supported the product. In this case, even though the product is delivered from the product housing in its position on the product take-out port side, after the delivery, a lot of time is necessary for carrying out the product, and, in addition, there is a fear of foaming to take place. When the inclination angle, at which the belt conveyor ascends forward, is large, the above problem becomes more significant. Further, in this case, the product cannot be sometimes properly carried in such a state that the product is stopped by the projection. This leads to a fear that a failure of the product to be carried out takes place. Thus, this product carry-out apparatus has room for improvement in the above point.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention has been made with a view to solving the above problems of the prior art, and it is an object of the invention to provide a product carry-out apparatus for a vending machine which can quickly and surely carry out a product, which has been delivered downward from a product housing, to a product take-out port provided at a relatively high position.
According to the first feature of the invention, a product carry-out apparatus for a vending machine, adapted for carrying a product, which has been delivered downward from a product housing at the time of selling, in a diagonally upward and forward direction and then carrying out the product to a product take-out port, comprises:
a chute which is provided below the product housing and is inclined in an upward and forward direction;
a pair of left and right drive mechanisms which are provided respectively at left and right both ends of the chute and comprise front and rear sprockets respectively rotatably provided around the front and rear ends of the chute, and each have a chain put and wound on the front and rear sprockets;
a drive source for rotatively driving, at the time of selling, at least one of the front and rear sprockets constituting the pair of drive mechanisms; and
a product pushing rod which is mounted over a portion between the chains respectively in the pair of drive mechanisms and, in addition, at the time of selling, pushes a product, dropped onto the chute, from behind while being moved above the chute along the chute upon the rotation of the chain.
According to this construction, at the time of selling, the product delivered downward from the product housing is dropped on the chute, then slightly slides down in a diagonally downward and backward direction along the chute, and is abutted against and supported by the product pushing rod on the rear side. Upon the drive of the pair of left and right drive mechanisms by means of the drive source, the chains put and wound on the front sprocket and the rear sprocket are rotated in a predetermined direction, and this permits the product pushing rod to be moved along the chute in a diagonally upward and forward direction. As a result, the product, which has been dropped on the chute and supported by the product pushing rod, is moved along the chute in a diagonally upward and forward direction while being pushed from behind by the product pushing rod, and is carried out to the product take-out port. The product pushing rod is mounted over a portion between the chains in the pair of left and right drive mechanisms. That is, both ends of the product pushing rod are mounted respectively on the left and right chains. Therefore, even when the delivered product slides down backward on the chute and is abutted against the product pushing rod, the product pushing rod does not substantially bend. This enables the product to be surely stopped and to be properly supported at the abutted position. As a result, the product can be quickly and surely carried out to a product take-out port provided at a relatively high position.
In this case, preferably, the chute comprises: a forward and upward inclined base; a cushioning member disposed on the upper side of the base; and a chute plate mounted on the base through the cushioning member.
According to this construction, the chute plate, on which the delivered product drops and hits, is mounted on the base through the cushioning member. Therefore, the impact, which the product receives from the chute plate at the time of dropping of the product on the chute plate, can be relaxed through the cushioning member. By virtue of this, the deformation of the product can be prevented, and, in addition, when the product is a carbonated beverage, foaming can be prevented.
In these cases, preferably, the product housing is partitioned into a plurality of product passages which are arranged in the longitudinal direction and each house therein products and each have at its lower end a plurality of delivery ports for delivering a product, and which further comprises rod stop means for stopping, after the completion of selling, the product pushing rod at a predetermined stop position which is above the chute and avoids the plurality of delivery ports.
According to this construction, after the completion of selling, the product pushing rod is stopped by the rod stop means at a predetermined stop position while avoiding a plurality of deliver
Yajima Hidekazu
Yasaka Yoshio
Fuji Electric & Co., Ltd.
Noland Kenneth W.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
LandOfFree
Product carry-out apparatus for vending machine does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Product carry-out apparatus for vending machine, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Product carry-out apparatus for vending machine will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2981288