Abstract:
In a vending machine having an article passage which is defined by a pair of side plates ( 3   b ) and extends in a vertical direction, a spacing member having a first and a second spacer ( 10, 20 ) is movably attached to one of the side plates to restrict an effective width of a lower portion of the article passage in a horizontal direction. Cooperated with the spacing member, an article discharge device having a delivery piece ( 6 ) discharges a lowermost one of the articles from the lower portion of the article passage. An automatically adjusting arrangement is coupled to the spacing member and makes the spacing member be automatically displaced In accordance with article sizes (R1, R2, R3) of the articles (A, B, C) to adjust the effective width.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a vending machine for vending articles such as canned, bottled or PET-bottled beverage, and the like. 
     In a typical one of conventional vending machines, articles such as canned, bottled or PET-bottled beverage are stacked and stored in a vertically extending article passage or storage section. The articles in the article storage section are delivered downward one by one by a delivery mechanism or an article discharge device provided on the lower end of the article storage section. In such known vending machine, when the article to be vended is changed in diameter, the effective width in the article storage section is adjusted in accordance with the diameter of the article, for example, by changing the position of a spacer attached in the article storage section or replacing the spacer with another spacer. 
     In the conventional vending machine, however, since the spacer position change or replacement is manually performed, the adjustment of the effective width is intricate. Additionally, there is a possibility that the spacer Is attached to an incorrect position or that the spacer for replacement is lost. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It Is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine in which it is unnecessary to manually adjust an effective width of an article passage. 
     Other object of the present invention will become clear as the description proceeds. 
     A vending machine to which the present invention is applicable is for use in vending articles stacked in an article passage extending in a vertical direction. The vending machine comprises a pair of side plates opposite to each other in a horizontal direction to define the article passage therebetween, a spacing member movably attached to one of the side plates for restricting an effective width of a lower portion of the article passage in the horizontal direction, an article discharge device cooperated with the spacing member for discharging a lowermost one of the articles from the lower portion of the article passage, and automatically adjusting means coupled to the spacing member for making the spacing member be automatically displaced in accordance with an article size of each of the articles to adjust the effective width. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional front view of the vending machine; 
     FIG. 3 is a front view of an article storage section of the vending machine: 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the article storage section of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the article storage section of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the article storage section of FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the operation of an automatically adjusting arrangement included in the article storage section of FIG.  3 : 
     FIG. 8 is a further explanatory view showing the operation of the automatically adjusting arrangement; 
     Pigs.  9 A and  9 B are partially sectional plan and front views showing a first relation between an engaging protrusion and an engagement hole included in the automatically adjusting arrangement; 
     FIGS. 10A and 10B are partially sectional plan and front views showing a second relation between the engaging protrusion and the engagement hole; 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B are partially sectional plan and front views showing a third relation between the engaging protrusion and the engagement hole; 
     FIG. 12 is a front view of an article storage section included in a vending machine according to another embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged perspective view of the article storage section of FIG.  12 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, description will be made as regards a vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
     A vending machine shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a vending machine body  1  having an open front face, an outer door  2  for opening/closing the front face of the vending machine body  1 , and an article storage column  3  provided in the vending machine body  1 . Arranged on the outer surface of the outer door  2  are an advertisement display panel  2   a , a coin slot  2   b , article selection buttons  2   c , an article output port  2   d , and the like. The article storage column  3  has a plurality of article passages or article storage sections  3   a  each extending in a vertical direction. The article storage sections  3   a  are partitioned by a plurality of side plates  3   b . In other words, the side plates  3   b  are opposite to each other in a horizontal direction to define each of the article storage sections therebetween. Moreover, an article storage width adjustment device described later is provided on the lower end of each article storage section  3   a.    
     Specifically, articles A such as canned, bottled or PET-bottled beverage are stacked and stored in each article storage section  3   a  of the vending machine. When the article A of the optional article storage section  3   a  is selected, the lowermost article A in the article storage section  3   a  is dropped downward by a delivery mechanism provided on the lower end of the article storage section  3   a , and delivered to the article output port  2   d  via a delivery chute  4 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4. the description will be made as regards one of the article storage sections  3   a  and the article storage width adjustment device. The article storage width adjustment device comprises a plate-like first spacer  10  having a first end rotatable attached to one of the opposite side plates  3   b  of the article storage section  3   a  via a support  11 , a plate-like second spacer  20  having an upper end rotatable attached to a second end of the first spacer  10  via a support  21 , and a plurality of springs  30  for urging the first and the second spacers  10  and  20  towards another of the opposite side plates  3   b . The second spacer  20  is provided with engaging protrusions  40  protruded towards the one side plates  3   b . In the one side plates  3   b , engagement holes  50  are formed for engaging with the engaging protrusions  40 . Attached to the other side plate  3   b  is a fixed spacer  5  opposed to the first and the second spacers  10  and  20 . The delivery mechanism has a delivery piece  6  which is disposed below the fixed spacer  5  and cooperated with the second spacer  20  to discharge the lowermost article A from the lower portion of the article storage section  3   a  in the manner known in the art. This means that the fixed spacer  5  is referred to as an article discharge device. A combination of the first and the second spacers  10  and  20  is referred to as a spacing member for restricting an effective width of the lower portion of the article passage in the horizontal direction. 
     The first spacer  10  is inclined relative to the vertical direction of the article storage section  3   a . The second spacer  20  is formed longer than the first spacer  10  and extended along the article storage section  3   a  in the vertical direction. Moreover, formed in one side plate  3   b  is a hole  3   c  into which joining portions of the first and the second spacers  10  and  20  can be inserted. 
     The springs  30  are attached to upper and lower spots of the second spacer  20  in such a manner that opposite elastically deformable ends of the springs are protruded toward one side plate  3   b . Each of the springs  30  will be referred to as an urging arrangement. 
     The engaging protrusions  40  are attached to upper and lower spots of the second spacer  20  and extended perpendicularly toward one side plate  3   b  from the second spacer  20 . For each engaging protrusion  40 , as shown in FIG. 9A, its tip end width is formed narrower in a stepwise manner than a proximal end width. A first step  41 , second steps  42  and third steps  43  are formed like a staircase in order from the tip end. 
     The engagement holes  50  are formed in upper and lower spots of one side plate  3   b , and opposed to the engaging protrusions  40 . For each engagement hole  50 , as shown in FIG. 9B, its upper end width is formed narrower in a stepwise manner than a lower end width. A first step  51  and second steps  52  are formed like a staircase in order from the upper end. A combination of each engaging protrusion  40  and each engagement hole  50  will be referred to as a restricting arrangement. A combination of the restricting arrangement and the urging arrangement is referred to as an automatically adjusting arrangement. 
     In the article storage width adjustment device constituted as described above, as shown in FIG. 3, the second spacer  20  is pressed toward one side plate  3   b  against the springs  30  by contact of the article A in the article storage section  3   a . As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9B, the first step  41  of the engaging protrusion  40  is engaged on the first step  51  of the engagement hole  50 . Thereby, the second spacer  20  is protruded in the article storage section  3   a  by the length up to the first step  41  of the engaging protrusion  40 , and the corresponding width in the article storage section  3   a  is regulated in accordance with diameter R1 of the article A. 
     Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 5, when the delivery piece  6  of the delivery mechanism is rotated to deliver the last article A from the article storage section  3   a , the spacers  10 ,  20  are released from the contact with the article A, and rotated toward the other side plate  3   b  by the springs  30 . The spacers are then inclined upward relative to the vertical direction of the article storage section  3   a . Thereby, the engaging protrusions  40  are disengaged from the engagement holes  50 . 
     Subsequently, when an article B having a larger diameter than the article A is thrown into the article storage section  3   a , as shown in FIG. 6, first the article B abuts on the first spacer  10 , and the first spacer  10  is rotated toward one side plate  3   b  by the diameter of the article B. In this case, since the diameter of the article B is larger than that of the article A, the first spacer  10  is rotated downward more than when the article A is introduced. 
     Thereafter, the second spacer  20  is pressed by the article B. and rotated toward one side plate  3   b  around the support  21  on the upper end thereof. As shown in FIG. 7, the article B is held between the second spacer  20  and the fixed spacer  5 . In this case, the position of the second spacer  20  is lower because the rotated amount of the first spacer  10  is larger than when the article A is held. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 10A,  10 B, the first step  41  of the engaging protrusion  40  is engaged in the first step  51  of the engagement hole  50 , and the second steps  42  of the engaging protrusion  40  are engaged with opposite edges of the first step  51  of the engagement hole  50 . Thereby, the second spacer  20  is protruded in the article storage section  3   a  by the length up to the second steps  42  of the engaging protrusion  40 , and the corresponding width in the article storage section  3   a  is regulated (broader than R1) in accordance with diameter R2 of the article B. 
     Subsequently, when the last article in the article storage section  3   a  is discharged and, as shown in FIG. 8, an article C having a larger diameter than the article B is thrown into the article storage section  3   a , the first spacer  10  is rotated toward one side plate  3   b  by the diameter of the article C in the same manner as described above. The second spacer  20  abuts on the article C and is then rotated toward one side plate  3   b  around the support  21 . In this case, since the diameter of the article C is larger than that of the article B, the first spacer  10  is rotated to a lower position than when the article B is introduced. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 11A,  11 B, the first and second steps  41 ,  42  of the engaging protrusion  40  are inserted in the second steps  52  of the engagement hole  50 . and the third steps  43  of the engaging protrusion  40  are engaged with opposite edges of the second steps  52  of the engagement hole  50 . Thereby, the second spacer  20  is protruded in the article storage section  3   a  by the length up to the third steps  43  of the engaging protrusion  40 , and the corresponding width in the article storage section  3   a  is regulated (broader than R2) In accordance with diameter R3 of the article C. 
     As described above, the protruded amount of the second spacer  20  from the side plate  3   b  differs in accordance with the engagement positions of the engaging protrusions  40  and the engagement holes  50 . Additionally, when the second spacer  20  is released from the contact with the article, the engaging protrusions  40  are disengaged from the engagement holes  50  by the springs  30 . When the new article A, B or C is thrown into the article storage section  3   a , the spacers  10 ,  20  are rotated by contact of the article. The engaging protrusions  40  and the engagement holes  50  are then engaged in the positions corresponding to the diameter of the new article. Therefore, the article storage width of the article storage section  3   a  can automatically be adjusted just by introducing the article into the article storage section  3   a . Thus, manual adjustment of article storage width is unnecessary, and much labor can be saved. Additionally, conventional disadvantages caused by incorrectly attaching or losing the spacer can securely be prevented. 
     Additionally, the springs  30  attached to the upper and lower spots of the second spacer  20  have been described, but as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the same spring as the spring  30  of the embodiment may be attached only to the lower spot. In this case, a coil spring  31  for urging upward the first spacer  10  is attached to the support  11  of the first spacer  10 . 
     While the present invention has thus far been described in connection with a few embodiments thereof, it will readily be possible for those skilled in the art to put this invention into practice in various other manners. For example, use may be made of the springs of three or more for urging the second spacer. The spacing member may comprise a first and a second plate portion which are formed integral with and flexibly connected to each other.