JP3812140B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vending machine that sells various products.
[0002]
[Prior art]
First, the configuration of a conventional vending machine is shown in FIG. 3, taking a vending machine for can product sales as an example. In the figure, 1 is a cabinet of a vending machine, 2 is an outer door disposed on the front surface of the cabinet 1, and a product storage rack and a product sales mechanism are mounted in the cabinet 1 although not shown. In addition, the outer door 2 has a display unit 5 having a product selection pushbutton 4 corresponding to each product sample 3 and each product sample 3 on a one-to-one basis, a product outlet 6, and a coin insertion leading to a coin mechanism. It is equipped with an operation unit 7 equipped with a display panel for the mouth, bill validator, amount, etc.
[0003]
In such a configuration, when a customer purchases a product, first, after inserting the necessary money, a desired product is selected from the product samples 3 arranged on the display unit 5, and a product selection button 4 corresponding to the product is selected. Push. As a result, the product corresponding to the pressed product selection button 4 is discharged from the product storage rack and carried out to the product outlet 6.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the conventional method of selecting a purchased product by operating the product selection button 4 corresponding to the product sample 3 displayed on the display unit 5 as described above, the number of products selected corresponding to the type of product sold is selected. A button is required.
On the other hand, in recent years, in order to cope with diversification of products, the number of product selections of vending machines is also increasing. For this reason, in the conventional product selection method, the number of product selection buttons is very large and the cost is high, and a large number of product samples 3 and product selection buttons 4 are arranged on the display unit 5 arranged on the front surface of the outer door 2. There are space limitations in doing.
[0005]
In addition, with the aim of increasing customer attraction of vending machines, it has been known that a vending machine equipped with a vent roulette with an `` additional sales function '' has been incorporated into playability. The fact is that it does not show the effect to the left.
The present invention has been considered in view of the above points, and its purpose is to eliminate the product selection button corresponding to the product sample of the sales product on a one-to-one basis, and to select the purchased product in one place instead. It is an object of the present invention to provide a new vending machine which can be selected by means of selection, and which can improve the attractability of customers by incorporating a variety of merchandise exhibits and a playability in merchandise selection operations.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a product storage rack, a display unit displaying a product sample of a product for sale on the front of a cabinet equipped with a product sales mechanism, a joystick for selecting a product, and a decision button are provided. The product has a control unit and a product outlet, and when selling the product, select the desired product from the product samples displayed on the display unit by operating the joystick, and then press the enter button to determine the product to be purchased. Based on the decision, the specified product is dispensed from the product storage rack and taken out to the product outlet. Each product sample displayed on the display unit has a display lamp, and the display is displayed in accordance with the operation of the joystick. in vending machine to sequentially turn on the lamp and connecting the item swatches exhibited on the display unit It shall provide a flashing light path flashing in accordance with the operating direction of the monitor joystick.
[0007]
According to the above configuration, selection and determination of a large number of products displayed on the display unit can be performed all from one place by operating the joystick and the determination button provided in the operation unit, which is combined with significant space saving. This makes it easy to select products.
[0008]
In addition, by turning on the display lamp for the product sample displayed on the display unit in accordance with the operation of the joystick, it is possible to make the product selection operation playable, and the arrangement of the product sample displayed on the display unit Since there are no restrictions, it is possible to display a wide variety of products.
[0009]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the examples shown in FIGS. In the drawing of the embodiment, the same parts corresponding to those in FIG.
FIG. 1 shows an external view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The operation unit 8 provided separately from the display unit 5 displaying the product sample 3 on the front surface of the outer door 2 has a product selection. A joystick 9 and a determination button 10 are provided. In the illustrated example, the operation unit 8 is also provided with a coin insertion slot 11, a display panel 12 for displaying the amount of money inserted, and the like.
[0010]
Further, the product sample 3 displayed on the display unit 5 is, for example, a plastic dummy product, and a display lamp 3a is incorporated in each product sample, and the joystick 9 is vertically and horizontally as described later. The display lamp 3a of the product sample 3 corresponding to the above operation is turned on. The back panel of the display unit 5 is formed with a blinking light path 13 in which, for example, a large number of LEDs are arranged as a light source so as to connect the product samples 3 to each other, and the operation direction of the joystick 9 is indicated on the display unit 5. The above is displayed.
[0011]
With such a configuration, when a customer purchases a product, when the joystick 9 is manually operated up, down, left and right after inserting the required coins, the flashing optical path 13 is adjusted in the display unit 5 in accordance with the operation direction of the joystick 9. The LED blinks so that light travels at the same time, and the display lamp 3a of the product sample 3 positioned ahead is lit. The joystick 9 is operated in such a procedure, the operation of the joystick 9 is stopped when the display lamp 3a of the desired product sample 3 is turned on, and then the decision button 10 is pressed. As a result, when the sales control unit of the vending machine pushes the decision button 10, the designated product corresponding to the product sample 3 whose lamp 3a is lit is carried out from the product storage rack in the warehouse to the product take-out port 6. One sales operation ends. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the sales operation.
[0012]
In addition, as the product sample 3 displayed on the display unit 5, it is also possible to display the product by printing it on the panel of the display unit instead of displaying the dummy product. Moreover, there is no special restriction | limiting in the arrangement pattern of the product sample 3 and the blinking optical path 13 in the display part 5, and it can respond by various variations.
[0013]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, a joystick and a determination button are provided on an operation unit provided separately from the display unit, and a joystick and a determination button are used to select a product to be purchased from a large number of product samples displayed on the display unit. Because the selection is made by the operation of, there is no need to provide a large number of product selection buttons corresponding to the product sample one-on-one like the conventional vending machine, thereby greatly saving space. In addition, the product selection operation can be concentrated from one place.
[0014]
In addition, the blinking light path connecting the product samples displayed on the display unit in accordance with the operation of the joystick blinks, and the display lamps provided for the product samples are turned on to make the product selection operation playable. Since there are no restrictions on the arrangement of the product samples displayed on the display unit, it is possible to display a wide variety of products, thereby increasing the customer-collection ability of the vending machine.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of product sales operation by the vending machine in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of a conventional vending machine. ]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cabinet 2 Outer door 3 Goods sample 3a Indicator lamp 5 Display part 6 Goods outlet 8 Operation part 9 Joystick 10 Decision button

Claims (1)

A product storage rack, a display unit displaying product samples of products for sale on the front of a cabinet equipped with a product sales mechanism, a joystick for selecting products, an operation unit with a decision button, and a product outlet. Sometimes the desired product is selected from the product samples displayed on the display unit by operating the joystick, and the decision button is pressed to decide the purchased product. Based on this decision, the specified product is dispensed from the product storage rack. preparative be one which is adapted to carry-out the outlet, comprising a display lamp for each product swatches exhibited on the display unit, the vending machine so as sequentially turned the indicator lamp in accordance with the operation of the joystick, the Connect the product samples displayed on the display unit to match the joystick operating direction. Vending machine, characterized in that a flashing flashing light path.

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