JPH07287783A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an automatic vending machine capable of promoting the purchase of a commodity from the specific automatic vending machine and obtaining a profit from a device for transmitting a message through the vending of a commodity. CONSTITUTION:The automatic vending machine is provided with a commodity storing part for storing plural commodities, a commodity sensing part 15 for sending each commodity stored in the commodity storing part, a coin processor 16 for processing coins, a keyboard 8 for selecting a commodity, a message transmitting means for giving or writing a message, and a controller 14 for driving the sending part 15 based upon a signal, from the processor 16 and a signal from the keyboard 8, controls the discharge of a commodity stored in the commodity storing part and transmitting a message through the message transmitting means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a general structure of a conventional vending machine is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 127279/1993 (G07F-9 /
As shown in (00), the conventional vending machine includes a vending machine body, an insulating door rotatably attached to the vending machine body to open and close the vending machine body, and a vending machine body. A main door mounted in the same manner and covering the heat insulation door. Product storage racks are provided side by side in the product storage inside the vending machine body. And
On the front side of the main door are a product selection button, a product display, a coin slot, a change return port, and a product sales port, and on the back side of the main door are a currency handling device, a product display sample, a control device, and a fluorescent lamp. These are located in front of the insulated door. In the conventional general vending machine described above, a control device determines whether or not a product can be sold by inserting money into a money insertion slot and operating a product selection button. When the product can be sold, the product is sent to the product sales outlet.

In addition, a message board, such as a message board, which normally carries out a message,
It is a public service rather than a fee collected by use. Furthermore, JP-A-2-364660 (G0
6F15 / 20), there is disclosed an automatic message device in which a user charges a fee for each message input by a user.

[0004]

In the conventional vending machine, only the product is sold, and if the same product is purchased, there is no difference whether it is purchased at the store or another vending machine. There was no In addition, the conventional message boards and the like have not been profitable even when used. Furthermore, although the conventional automatic message device obtains a fee for use, the use of the automatic message device is hindered because there is no concept of paying a fee for a normal message.

In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to promote the purchase of a product by a specific vending machine and to make a profit through the sale of the product from a device for transmitting a message. .

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 provides a message to an automatic vending machine for selling a product stored in a main body based on the sale of the product. It is provided with a transmission means. Further, the invention of claim 2 is a product storage unit for storing a plurality of products, a product delivery unit for sending out the products stored in the product storage unit, a currency handling device for processing currency, and selection of products. And a message transmission means for providing or writing a message, and a signal from the money handling device and a signal from the product selection means to drive the product sending part to store the product in the product storage part. And a control means for controlling the discharge of the stored product and enabling the message transmission by the message transmission means.

Further, in the invention of claim 3, the message output means for printing out the message provided by the message transmitting means, and the message printed out by the message output means are discharged to the product outlet for taking out the product. It is a thing.
According to the invention of claim 4, the message transmitting means comprises a keyboard and a display device, and the keyboard is used as a product selecting means.

Further, the invention of claim 5 is characterized in that the message transmission means is provided with a display device for displaying a message and also for displaying a type of a product to be sold, and the display device is used as a product selection means. It is an automatic vending product.

[0009]

With the automatic vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide or write a message based on the sale of a product. In the vending machine according to the invention of claim 2, a control for driving the product sending section based on a signal from the money handling apparatus and a signal from the product selecting means to discharge the product stored in the product storage section is performed. At the same time, the control device can enable the message transmission by the message transmission means.

In the vending machine according to the third aspect of the present invention, the message printed out by the message output means is discharged to the product outlet for taking out the product, so that the product and the printed out message are the same. Can be taken from. In the vending machine according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, by using the keyboard as the product selecting means, it is not necessary to provide the product selecting means other than the keyboard, so that the structure can be made simple and inexpensive.

Further, according to the invention of claim 5, by using the display device as the product selection means, it is not necessary to provide the product selection means other than the display device. Therefore, the structure can be made simple and inexpensive. it can.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a front view of a vending machine body to which the present invention is applied. The vending machine body 1 is provided with a front door 2 that can be opened and closed and is closed by a key portion on the front surface. A lighting signboard 3 is arranged in almost the entire area of the front door 2, and an operation display unit 4 is arranged on the upper right side.
The lower part is provided with a product outlet 5.

The illuminated signboard 3 is a signboard on which a product name, a company name, etc. are printed, and is illuminated by a fluorescent lamp (not shown) provided on the back part to appeal the existence of the vending machine. Operation display section 4
Is provided with a product sample 6 displaying the brand of the product in the upper part, a display device 7 composed of a CRT (CRT) or a liquid crystal display in the middle part, and a keyboard 8 as an input device and a coin slot in the lower part. 9 and a bill slot 10
And a deposit amount indicator 11 are provided.

The product take-out port 5 includes a product take-out port 12 and a coin return port 13. The vending machine is provided with a heat-insulating door (not shown) that is rotatably attached to the vending machine body 1 on the back side of the front door 2 so as to open and close the same, as in a known vending machine. In a product storage (not shown) in the vending machine body 1, product storage racks (not shown), which are product storage units, are provided side by side. Below the product storage rack, a product delivery section 15 for sending out the products in the product storage rack, which is controlled by the control device 14 described later.
Is equipped with.

On the back surface of the front door 2, there are a money handling device 16, a control device 14, and the fluorescent lamp, which are arranged in front of the heat insulating door. The message transmitting means includes the display device 7, the keyboard 8 and the control device 14, and the display device 7 displays the sold-out state and the cooling and heating state for each normal product as shown in FIG. ing.

As shown in FIG. 4, the keyboard 8 is provided with input keys 8a capable of inputting alphabets, hiragana and katakana so that a message can be input.
A product selection key 8b, which is a product selection device corresponding to the product sample 6, and an end key 8c for ending the input are provided, and a message can be input and a product can be selected. (A configuration is also conceivable in which a cursor that can be moved for each product, which is displayed on the display device 7, is moved and selected for each product by using the arrow key 8d.) The control device 14 includes a storage unit 14A and is shown in the drawing. As described above, at least the commodity sending unit 15 and the money handling apparatus 16
The display device 7 of the message transmission means and the keyboard 8 are connected.

To explain the operation of the above configuration, when the user of the vending machine inserts money into the coin insertion slot 9 or the bill insertion slot 10, the money processing device 16 transmits a money signal to the control device 14. The control device 14 displays “available for sale” on the display device 7 based on the monetary signal, as shown in FIG. When a product is selected by the product selection key 8d of the keyboard 8, the control device 1
4 transmits a selection signal. When the product selected by the selection signal is a product that can be sold, the control device 14 sends a sending signal to the product sending unit 15, and the product sending unit 15 sends the product corresponding to the selected product. The delivered products are guided by a product chute (not shown) and delivered to the product outlet 12.

When the product is sold, the control device 14
Allows to provide or write a message. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a display for selecting whether to provide the message to the display device 7, to write the message, or not to write the message is displayed (for example, as shown in FIG. 5, “Write message ... 1) "View message ... 2""End ... 3" is displayed). If no operation is performed even after a lapse of a predetermined time, the operation is terminated and returns to the sales standby state.

First, when the message writing (from the user side to the vending machine side) is selected using the keyboard 8 (when 1 is selected from the keyboard), the control device 14 first
Prompt input of a personal identification code from the keyboard 8 which also serves as a personal identification code input means (for example, as shown in FIG. 6, "Please enter the personal identification code.""If the personal identification code is not entered or the personal identification code has been entered. Then press the end key. "Is displayed). When the user inputs the personal identification code and then presses the end key 8c (or, if the recipients of the message are not limited, do not enter the personal identification code,
When the end key 8c is input, a message input screen is displayed next (for example, as shown in FIG. 7, "Please enter the message.""When the message input is complete, press the end key." You can input the message amount according to the amount of money. For example, by purchasing a product of 110 yen, the message amount of 30 characters can be input. In addition, when a message based on the same personal identification code exists, the message that previously existed can be rewritten. The input message is stored in the storage unit 14A together with the secret code and the input time.

Next, when the user chooses to provide a message (from the vending machine side to the user side) using the keyboard 8 (that is, when 2 is selected in the state of FIG. 5), the control device 1
4 is a keyboard 8 which also serves as a personal identification code input means.
Prompt for more personal identification code. When the user inputs the secret code and then presses the end key 8c, the message output screen is displayed next, and among the messages stored in the storage unit 14A, the message having the same secret code is displayed.

Exit key 8c without inputting the secret code
When you enter, the message that the PIN code was not entered is displayed. It is also possible to output the message amount according to the amount of money. For example, by purchasing a product for 110 yen, messages from three message writing destinations can be output.

The message written in the storage unit 14A is erased if the input time simultaneously written in the storage unit 14A is before a predetermined time. By deleting the message written before the predetermined time, the message is stored in the storage unit 14.
It is possible to prevent A from being overwhelmed and to prevent message depletion. Furthermore, it is also possible to output the message from another vending machine that is different from the vending machine that has input the input message, by transmitting / receiving data to / from a plurality of vending machines.

As described above, the display device 7 becomes a display device for a message or the like input by the user after selling the product, but when the product is on standby, the display device 7 displays the product sold by the vending machine. By making an advertisement,
It is possible to appeal the sale of goods more. In the present embodiment, the product is selected by using the keyboard 8 as the product selection device. However, a touch sensor panel or the like is arranged on the front surface of the display device 7 to display the product displayed on the display device 7. Correspondingly, it can be considered that the product is selected by pressing. Furthermore,
It is naturally conceivable to provide a product selection button for each product sample like a well-known vending machine.

In the present embodiment, the message output destination is the CRT.
The output is provided by a display device 7 such as a liquid crystal display or a liquid crystal display, but it is also conceivable that the output is printed out by a printer and provided to the user. By printing out the output, it is possible to reduce the loss of sales opportunities such as the time when the customer reads the message in front of the vending machine. Further, by setting the printout destination of the message to the product outlet 12, the message can be taken out from the same position as the product is taken out.

When the usage time of the vending machine is used at a frequently used time such as daytime, the usage time of the vending machine for writing a message can be set by setting only to output the message. (Keyboard message input time) can be considered to prevent missed product sales opportunities.

[0026]

As described above in detail, the vending machine of the present invention can provide or write a message based on the sale of a product. Further, by discharging the message printed out by the message output means to the product outlet for taking out the product, the product and the printed out message can be taken out through the same product outlet.

Further, by using the keyboard as the product selecting means, it is not necessary to provide the product selecting means other than the keyboard, so that the structure can be made simple and inexpensive. Furthermore, by using the display device as the product selection means, it is not necessary to provide the product selection means other than the display device, so that the configuration can be made simple and inexpensive.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration in blocks.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a keyboard. It is the figure which showed the display content of the display device when selecting a product.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing display contents of a display device when a product is selected.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the display content of the display device when selecting whether to write or view a message.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing display contents of a display device when a personal identification code is input.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display content of a display device when a message is input.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending Machine Main Body 7 Display Device 8 Keyboard 14 Control Device 15 Commodity Sending Unit 16 Money Handling Device

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An automatic vending machine for selling a product stored in a main body, comprising a message transmitting means for providing or writing a message based on the sale of the product. 2. A product storage unit for storing a plurality of products, and a product delivery unit for sending out the products stored in the product storage unit,
A money processing device for processing money, a product selecting device for selecting a product, a message transmitting means for providing or writing a message, a signal from the money processing device, and a signal based on a signal from the product selecting means. A vending machine comprising: a control unit that drives a product delivery unit to control the discharge of the product stored in the product storage unit and that enables the message transmission by the message transmission unit. . 3. The message output unit according to claim 1, which prints out a message provided by the message transfer unit, and discharges the message printed out by the message output unit to a product outlet for taking out a product. Vending machine characterized by. 4. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the message transmitting means comprises a keyboard for inputting a message and a display device for displaying the message, and the keyboard is used as a product selecting means. 5. The automatic system according to claim 1, further comprising a display device that is the message transmission means and displays a message, and also displays a type of product to be sold, and the display device is used as product selection means. Vending machine.