JP2000011245A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify a customer whether or not a commodity is ready to vend at a low cost by displaying whether or not the commodity is ready to vend on a single display unit. SOLUTION: An commodity sellout detection part 18 sends a vending unreadiness signal to a control microcomputer 17 when commodities in commodity columns are sold out or if a commodity elogging occurs making the vending impossible. The control microcomputer 17 once receiving the vending impossible signal from the commodity sellout detection part 18 displays the object sellout commodity column number on a 7-segment LED 19 provided to a commodity column number display unit 16. For this display, e.g. a number '3' blinks on the LED 19 of the commodity column number display unit 16 when only the commodity column #3 is sold out. When there are plural commodity columns in a sellout state, the sellout commodity column numbers are displayed in order at intervals of 1 to 2 seconds.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a display of sold-out goods of a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the display method of this kind of vending machine is as follows.
JP-A-6-162333 (G07F 9/02)
As disclosed in, in a vending machine display method for displaying a sold-out product on an external display unit corresponding to the product in response to a product unsellable state, when the sold-out of the product is displayed, There is disclosed a display switching operation in which a product sale unavailable factor is displayed on an external display unit.

[0003] In this system, a plurality of display sections are provided corresponding to the product columns, and when the products in a specific product column are sold out or when the product column breaks down, the display section displays the products. .

[0004]

The vending machine as described above is provided with a push button switch for selecting a product corresponding to the product column of the product to be sold, and a sold-out display is provided for the push button switch. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a large number of sold-out display LEDs, which is costly.

In particular, vending machines in recent years have become large in size, and in many cases, the same product is stored and sold in a plurality of product columns. In spite of the same product, sold-out display is performed for each product column. As a result, it was worn even though it was unnecessary for sale, and wasted.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to notify a customer of a sales availability state at low cost.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine which sells a plurality of types of commodities, wherein a vending machine which sells a plurality of types of commodities has a single display. Vending machines to be displayed.

[0008] For this reason, it is only necessary to confirm a single display to confirm whether or not the product can be sold.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein when there are a plurality of unsellable products, the unsellable products are sequentially displayed on a display.

[0010] Therefore, even if a plurality of products cannot be sold, only a single display needs to be checked.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine equipped with the present invention, FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram using a 7-segment LED of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram using a hyper message of the present invention. 4 is a control flowchart of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows a vending machine main body equipped with the present invention. The vending machine main body 1 is provided with a display door which can be opened and closed in order to carry goods in front of the vending machine main body 1. The display door is provided with a front panel 10 and a product display section 3 is provided at an upper front portion where a plurality of product samples 2 (pseudo cans made of resin and made to resemble actual cans) are displayed. ing. Since the product display section 3 displays a product for sale and informs the customer of the product, the product sample 2
Other than the above, real cans or empty cans may be used, or the sold product may be displayed with a photograph.

Below the commodity display section 3, that is, on the right side of the substantially middle part of the front panel 10, a bill burr 4 (a bill validator) for purchasing commodities with bills, and a bill validator 4 for purchasing commodities with coins. A coin slot 5 and a return lever 6 provided beside the coin slot 5 for returning coins or bills inserted by the customer are provided.

The change and the return of coins after the purchase of goods with bills and coins are paid out to the return port 7 at the lower part of the main body 1.

In the lower part of the main body 1, there is provided a product outlet 8 for taking out a product for sale. The product outlet 8 is provided with an external outlet when taking out the product in order to prevent rainwater or dust from entering. A transparent resin cover 9 that is rotatable in the direction is provided.

Further, although not shown, a machine room provided with a compressor, a condenser, a blower for cooling the condenser and the like which constitute a refrigeration cycle is provided below the vending machine main body 1.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a sales promotion unit for mounting a product sales advertisement or event poster, etc., reference numeral 12 denotes a pedestal whose height can be adjusted depending on the installation location, and reference numeral 12 denotes an amount display for displaying the amount of input.

Below the product sample 2, a selection push button switch 1 for selecting a product for selling the corresponding product.
A push button operation unit 14 including 3, 13, 13,... Is provided. The selection push button switches 13, 13,
Reference numeral 13 denotes a horizontally long quadrilateral. When coins or bills corresponding to the sales amount are inserted, the product is sold by a pressing operation.

A number is described immediately above the product sample 2, and the product is identified based on the number. Since this number is intended to inform the customer what the corresponding product is, it may be described in the vicinity of the product sample 2, for example, may be described in the product sample 2 itself, It may be described on the front panel 10 corresponding to the sample 2.

Further, below the product display panel 3,
A numeric keypad button switch 15 capable of inputting numbers and symbols (0 to 9 and *, #) is provided, and a product can be purchased by inputting a product number (number).

In the present embodiment, the numbers are numbers.
Characters, symbols, etc. may be used, and colors may be used.

Here, when using characters, twelve characters are prepared, and if there are less than 12 types of merchandise, each button of the numeric keypad push button switch 15 corresponds. Becomes

If it is a symbol, a symbol such as 、, ×, Δ, Δ, etc. is described, and the symbol is described on a numeric keypad button switch. As with the characters described above, when there are 13 or more types of sales products, these symbols are combined.

Further, the same applies to the case of color coding, and the red, blue, yellow... Buttons of the numeric keypad push button switch 15 are colored, and the product sample 2 of the corresponding product is similarly colored.

Below the price indicator 12, there is provided a product column number display 16 for displaying whether or not the product can be sold, that is, "sellable" or "sold out".

Here, the product column is a storage section for storing each product type. Among the product columns, the column in which the product has been sold out is referred to as a sold-out column.

The configuration of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. In the case of "sold out", the product column number display 16 indicates "sold out product column" so that the customer can see what number.

The selection push button switch 13 and the ten-key push button switch 15 are connected to a control microcomputer 17, which receives a sales request signal from the selection push button switch 13 and the ten-key push button switch 15. By transmitting a sales signal, the vending machine 1 performs a sales operation of a product.

At the exit of each product column, there is provided a product sold-out detector 18 for detecting the sold-out of the product. The sold-out detecting unit 18 sends a non-sale signal to the control microcomputer 17 when the product in the product column is sold out or when the product is clogged and becomes unsellable.

The control microcomputer 17 receives the unsale signal from the sold-out detector 18 and displays the target sold-out product column number on the 7-segment LED 19 provided on the product column number display 16. Is what you do.

For example, when only the third product column is sold out, the display of the product column number
The number “3” blinks on the ED 19.

When there are a plurality of sold-out product columns, sold-out product column numbers are sequentially displayed at intervals of 1 to 2 seconds.

This display indicates that, for example, when the third and fifth product columns are sold out, the product column number display 16
"3" is lit on the LED 19 of "5" after 1-2 seconds.
Lights up. Then, the display of these numbers is repeated. Similarly, when the third, fifth, and seventh product columns are sold out, similarly, “3”, “5”, “7”, “3”,.
Are sequentially turned on at intervals of 1 to 2 seconds.

For this reason, the customer only has to press the selection push button switch 13 of the product column other than the number or input a number other than the number with the ten key push button switch 15.

Since the product column number display 16 is provided immediately below the price display 12 as described above, it is easy for the customer to see. Further, the product column number display 16 and the price display 12 may be shared.

As shown in FIG. 3, the product column number display 16 may be a liquid crystal plate 20 capable of displaying characters, numerals, symbols, etc., instead of the LED 19. This liquid crystal plate 20
Is a character that can be displayed, so that the customer can be notified of the sold-out product by displaying the product name.

When the same product is stored in a plurality of product columns, the corresponding selection push button switch 13
Since there are a plurality of switches, control is performed such that a desired product can be sold by pressing any of the selection push button switches 13.

That is, when the plurality of product columns are all recognized as the same product and the selection push button switch 13 of a desired product is pressed, the pressed selection push button switch 13 is pressed.
Is controlled so that the product is carried out from another product column storing the same product even if the product column corresponding to the item is sold out.

By controlling by the product name in this way, the number of times that the sold-out display is performed can be reduced, and the customer can more easily recognize what is sold out.

With the above arrangement, the operation of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the sold-out detector 18 judges whether the product is sold out (step S1). If the product is not sold out (N), the process waits until the product is sold out, and if it is sold out (Y). It is determined whether there are a plurality of sold-out columns (step S2). If there are a plurality of sold-out product columns (Y), sold-out column numbers are sequentially displayed on the product column number display 16 (step S3), and the vending machine 1 selects the displayed sold-out column number. The selling operation of the corresponding number by the push button switch 13 or the ten key push button switch 15 is rejected (step S4).

In step S2, if there is only one sold-out column, that is, if there are not a plurality of sold-out columns (N), the corresponding sold-out column number is blinked on the product column number display 16 and displayed. (Step S5).

Incidentally, in the above-described embodiment, among the sales availability states,
The case of unsellable, that is, “sold out” has been described.
6 may be displayed.

The customer selects the push button switch 13
Is pressed or the numeric keypad push button switch 15
When a number is input at, the light is turned on if the sale is possible and blinks if the sale is not possible.

Therefore, in the vicinity of the commodity column number display 16, a display "flashing is sold out" and "lighting is available for sale" are described.

When displaying on the liquid crystal panel 20,
When the select push button switch 13 is pressed, a message such as "sellable" or "sold out" is displayed, and in the case of the ten-key push button switch 15, the entered product column number and a message "sellable" or "sold out" are displayed.

For example, in the case of a sale product having a large price difference such as beer and tobacco, the product column numbers of the products that can be purchased with the input amount are displayed on the product column number display 16 in descending order of the price.

In this case, it is described that the product of the number displayed to the customer can be purchased, such as "sale product" and "can sell".

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine 1 that sells a plurality of types of products, the vending machine 1 that displays the sale availability status of the product on a single product column number display 16 is used. provide.

For this reason, it is only necessary to check the single product column number display 16 to check whether or not the product can be sold. There is no need to provide a sales or non-sale lamp for displaying the sale or non-sale for each product. You can do it.

Usually, the product sample 2 is provided in the product display section 3 of the vending machine 1.
The vending machine 1 also needs to be enlarged, and a product must be displayed up to near the upper portion of the vending machine 1. Therefore, if the upper selling product is sold out, it may be difficult to see if the selling button is provided on the selection push button switch 13. However, as in the present invention, a single product column number indicator 1 is provided.
In the case of 6, only the product column number display 16 needs to be confirmed, and it is easy to confirm whether or not the product can be sold.

Further, according to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vending machine 1 according to claim 1, wherein when there are a plurality of unsellable products, the unsellable products are sequentially displayed on the product column number display 16. I do.

For this reason, even if a plurality of products cannot be sold, only the single product column number display 16 needs to be checked, and it is necessary to provide a display, a lamp, or the like for displaying the non-sale of each product. And can be manufactured at low cost.

Usually, the product sample 2 is provided in the product display section 3 of the vending machine 1.
The vending machine 1 also needs to be enlarged, and a product must be displayed up to the vicinity of the upper portion of the vending machine 1. Therefore, when the upper selling product is sold out, it may be difficult to see if the non-sale lamp is provided on the selection push button switch 13. However, as in the present invention, a single product column number indicator 1 is provided.
In the case of 6, only the product column number display 16 needs to be confirmed, and it is easy to confirm that the product cannot be sold.

[0056]

As described above in detail, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in a vending machine for selling a plurality of types of commodities, a vending machine for displaying the availability of the commodities on a single display is provided. provide.

For this reason, it is only necessary to check a single display unit to check whether or not the product can be sold. It is not necessary to provide an indicator or lamp for displaying the sale or not for each product. Can be.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein when there are a plurality of unsellable products, the unsellable products are sequentially displayed on a display.

Therefore, even if a plurality of products cannot be sold, only a single display needs to be checked, and there is no need to provide an indicator or a lamp for indicating the non-sale of each product, thereby reducing cost. It can be manufactured at

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine provided with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram using a 7-segment LED of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a circuit block diagram using a hyper message of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending machine 16 Product column number display

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Kiyotaka Kikuchi 2-5-5 Keihanhondori, Moriguchi-shi, Osaka F-term in Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. 3E044 AA01 CC03 EA07 EA08 EB01 EB05

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine for selling a plurality of types of commodities, wherein the availability of the commodities is displayed on a single display. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein when there are a plurality of unsaleable products, the unsaleable products are sequentially displayed on a display.