JPS5847079B2 - copy vending machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to copying machines in copying service shops and the like, and particularly to a copying vending machine that minimizes the burden on human hands and is extremely convenient to handle.

Conventionally, in copy service shops, etc., staff members make copies according to customer orders, calculate the number of copies per copy and the unit price according to the copy size, and then charge the customer for the price.

However, copy service shops are often installed in stationery stores, camera shops, etc., and when copying a large number of copies, it may interfere with the original business.

Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a copying machine with an input slot for inserting money such as coins, and adjusts the input amount based on the unit price of the selected copy size (types such as A4, B4, 85, etc.). This is to perform the operation of making one copy.

Furthermore, when copying is finished, the change is refunded after calculating the remaining number of copies that can be made and the unit price for the copy size, which reduces the labor burden on copying services at copy service shops. This makes handling very convenient for the user.

Furthermore, for copy service shops, large users who make a large number of copies are customers who cannot be replaced.

Therefore, one possible promotional method to attract large users is to set discount prices.

The present invention is the coin-operated copying machine described above, which is further provided with a counting means for counting the number of copies, and when the number of copies exceeds a certain number, the unit price of copies after that number of copies is variably discounted. be.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail by giving examples.

The copying machine of the present invention is a general type, and after uniformly charging the surface of a photoreceptor, a light image corresponding to the document is formed on the surface of the photoreceptor to form an electrostatic latent image. After developing with colorant toner, etc., the photoreceptor itself is sent out of the copying machine as a copy, or the toner image is transferred to transfer paper on the side after development, and the transfer paper is sent out of the copying machine. be.

The main body of the copying machine is provided with a selection switch for selecting copy paper of a copy size according to the original, and the desired copy paper is fed in response to a signal from the selection switch, and the present invention operates in accordance with the signal. The number of copies that can be made is displayed.

In this case, the number of copies that can be made is determined by the amount of money inserted, and means is provided to detect the insertion of coins or the like and totalize the amount of money inserted.

This will be explained below according to the drawings.

The figure is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a coin identification means for detecting coins inserted with 10 yen, 50 yen, or 100 yen, and 2 is an amount signal from the coin identification means and a signal from the amount storage circuit 3 that stores the entire amount of the input amount until the previous time. This is an adder circuit that adds .

That is, the coin identifying means 1, the addition circuit 2, and the amount storage circuit 3 constitute means for totalizing the amount of money inserted.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a selection switch for selecting the type of copy size. By pressing any of the selection switches 4, copy paper of the corresponding size is fed.

Further, when a coin is inserted, a signal from the coin identifying means 1 is inputted to the flip-flop 5, the flip-flop 5 is set, and the signal is added to the AND gate 6.

Therefore, when a coin is inserted, the gate 6 opens and the copy size selected by the copy size selection switch 4 is A4, B4, or B5.
A size signal is inputted to the next address register 7 from any one of the address registers 7 and 7.

The address register 7 reads out the unit price of the corresponding size from the unit price storage circuit 8 which stores the unit price of each size.

The unit price storage circuit 8 stores, for example, "10 yen" for B5 size and "10 yen" for A5 size.
4 size is ``20 yen'', B4 size is ``30 yen'', and so on.

In addition, the discount unit price of each size mentioned below will be changed to B5 size "8".
yen,” A4 size “16 yen,” B4 size “24 yen,” and so on.

Now, if A4 size is selected with the size selection switch 4, 2
A signal indicating a unit price of 0 yen is output.

The signal is applied to the discrimination circuit 9.

If the input content from the size unit price storage circuit 8 is "1011," the discrimination circuit 9 sends the signal to the display drive circuit 13 to turn on the lamp 14 to indicate that no size unit price is registered. .

At this time, in order to register the size unit price, first, the registration switch 15 is closed, and the "HII" signal is applied to the AND gate 17 via the inverter 16, leaving the gate 17 in an operating state.

In this state, by manually inputting a unit price on the keyboard 18, the unit price is registered and stored in the unit price storage circuit 8 via the key controller 19.

Furthermore, when changing the unit price, etc., the new unit price may be entered using the keyboard 18.

Further, in the figure, reference numeral 20 denotes an arithmetic control circuit to which a copy instruction signal C is input, and the content from the unit price storage means corresponding to the size currently selected from the contents of the input amount storage circuit 3 is input to the copy instruction signal C. is subtracted each time it is input, and the subtraction result is sent to the input amount storage circuit 3.

Therefore, the unit price of the selected size is subtracted from the input amount storage circuit 3 every time the copy instruction signal C is input, and the subtraction details are stored again.

21 detects when the content of the calculation result from the calculation control circuit 20 becomes "negative" as described above, and instructs the calculation control circuit 20 to add based on the detection signal, and the amount storage circuit 3
This is a determination circuit that restores the original contents and indicates that the copy fee is insufficient.

Further, if the content of the calculation result is "' positive pass (or 0)", a copy start signal S is outputted via the inverter 22, and a predetermined copying operation is executed.

Further, this copy start signal S is input to a counter 10, and the number of copies is counted.

The counter 10 outputs a signal when the counted number reaches, for example, "20", and the output signal is input to the set terminal of the flip-flop 110.

Therefore, the content of the counter 10 is a certain number of sheets.
'', the flip-flop 11 is set.

The set output signal of the flip-flop 11 is applied to the address register 7 mentioned above.

That is, the discount unit price for the copy size selected by the signal from the flip-flop 11 is read out from the unit price storage circuit 8.

For example, if the B4 size is selected, the counter 10 counts '20'', the flip-flop 11 is set, and the unit price memory circuit 8
The unit price of 4 sizes, 1-30 yen" was read out, but the discounted unit price of 24 yen is now read out.

Furthermore, when the copy end signal E is input, 23
The fish hook calculation circuit receives the contents of the amount currently stored in the amount storage circuit 3, and calculates the number of 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, etc. according to the contents of the amount storage circuit 3.

This calculation signal is sent to the change selection section 24.

The change selection section 24 returns the change in response to the above signal.

When the user operates the keyboard 18 to end copying, the key controller 19 outputs a signal E ("H"), and this signal activates the fish hook calculation circuit to calculate change.

The above signal is also applied to the clear circuit 25 and the clear terminal 25c, thereby clearing the contents of the amount storage circuit 3, the contents of the counter 10, and resetting the flip 70 knob 11.

Further, by applying the signal E to the flip-flop circuit 5, the circuit 5 is also reset.

Incidentally, even if the copy end is not operated from the keyboard, if the content calculation output of the calculation control circuit 3 becomes "negative", the discrimination circuit 21 that detects this also outputs the signal E', and this signal It will be treated in the same way as E.

Let us now consider the case where 300 yen is invested in the above configuration to make a copy.

First, when you insert two 100 yen coins into coin identification means 1,
The first 100 yen passes through the addition circuit 2 and the amount storage circuit 3 stores 1-100 yen.

Then, the next 100 yen and the amount memory circuit 3 - 100 yen.”
are added in addition circuit 2 and the addition result is "200 yen"
is stored in the amount storage circuit 3, and when the next 100 yen is inserted, "300 yen" is stored in the amount storage circuit 3.

The flip-flop 5 is set by inserting the 100 yen coin, and this set signal is applied to the AND gate 6.

In this state, if a B5 size copy is to be made, if the size selection switch 4 is operated to select 85, a B5 size signal is input to the address register 7 via the gate 6.

Therefore, from the unit price storage circuit 8, the unit price of B5 size, for example, "
10 yen" is output.

Then, the original is set in a predetermined position and a copy button (not shown) is pressed.

In accordance with the press of the copy button, a copy instruction signal C is output.

As a result, the content of the amount storage circuit 3 is subtracted from the unit price from the unit price storage circuit 8, and the subtraction result "290 yen" is stored in the amount storage circuit 3 again.

At this time, the content of "290 yen" is determined by the determination circuit 21, and since it is not "negative", a copy start signal S is outputted via the inverter 22.

Therefore, B5 size copy paper is fed.

This completes the copying of one B5 size sheet.

On the other hand, the copy start signal S is simultaneously input to the counter 1o, and the counter 10 counts "1"'.

For example, if the number of B5 size copies is set to ``25'' using the keyboard 18, then
The above-described operations are repeatedly executed until 25 B5 size copies have been made.

However, based on the copy instruction signal C output when one copy is completed, the contents from the amount storage circuit 3 and the unit price storage circuit 8 are subtracted, and the count number of the copy counter 10 becomes "
20'', the flip-flop 11 is set.

By setting the flip-flop 11, the address register 7 reads out the discount unit price of 18 yen for size 85 from the unit price storage circuit 8.

At this time, the amount storage circuit 3 stores "100 yen".

In this state, when the 20th copy is completed, "100-8" is executed in the arithmetic circuit 20 in response to the signal C, and the subtraction result "92 yen" is stored in the amount storage circuit 3.

Then, a start signal S is output and copying of the 21st sheet is started.

Once the counter 10 counts as described above, the copy operation is thereafter executed at the discounted unit price, and the amount stored in the amount storage circuit 3 is subtracted at the discounted unit price.

As described above, when 25 copies are completed, the number becomes the same as the set 25 copies, and the operation of the copying machine is stopped.

If the key instructing the end of copying is pressed in this state, the fishhook calculation circuit 23 is activated, and the fishhook calculation circuit 23 takes in the content "60 yen" from the amount storage circuit 3 and calculates the change.

Based on this calculation signal, the change selection unit 24 returns the change of "60 yen".

On the other hand, in the above state (with a balance of 60 yen), 25 B
A case will be described in which copying of A4 size is completed and A4 size copying is performed next.

That is, upon completion of copying 25 sheets of B5 size, the size selection switch 4 is switched to A4 size.

As a result, since the address register 7 receives the signal indicating the A4 size and the discount signal from the flip-flop 11, a unit price of 116 yen is read out from the unit price storage circuit 8.

Therefore, if you set the A4 size original in a predetermined position and press the copy button, the arithmetic circuit 20 will execute the subtraction of "60 x 6", and the calculation content "144 yen" will be stored in the amount storage circuit 3 again. be done.

At the same time, A4 size copy paper is fed in response to the start signal S, and a copying operation is executed.

When the above-mentioned operation is repeated and the fourth A4 size copy is to be executed, that is, when the third copy is completed, the arithmetic control circuit 20 uses the signal C at that time to output "'12-16' is executed.

Since the result of this calculation shows -4 and negative, the judgment circuit 21
outputs the signal C.

Upon output of the signal E', the arithmetic control circuit 20 performs an addition operation and returns the contents of the amount storage circuit 3 to the previous state of "12 yen".

Further, the output signal E/ of the determination circuit 21 is treated in the same manner as the end signal E, operates the fishhook calculation circuit 23, and changes the change selection section 2.
12 yen will be returned from 4.

As described above, the 20th and subsequent copies are calculated with a discount, and the number of copies corresponding to the discount unit price can be easily obtained.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a discount rate of one level is set for the total number of sheets used that exceeds a certain number.

It is also possible to set discount rates in several levels in more detail.

Furthermore, it is possible to separately set discount rates for the same number of sheets (size).

As described above, according to the copy vending machine of the present invention, it is possible to reduce manpower at copy service shops, etc., it is possible to easily obtain the number of copies corresponding to the amount of money input, and it is possible to obtain a predetermined number of copies. If the number of copies exceeds one, a coin-operated copying machine can be provided in which copying operations can be continued at a discounted rate different from the previous standard rate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figure is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the control circuit configuration of a copy vending machine according to the present invention. 1: coin identification means, 3: amount storage circuit, 4: copy size selection switch, 7 near address register, 8: copy size unit price storage circuit, 10: counter, 11: flip-flop, 18: keyboard, 19: key controller, 20: Arithmetic control circuit, E: Copy end signal, S: Copy start signal.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A copying means including charging, exposure, and developing steps, an amount storage means for storing a total of input amounts, a selection means for selecting a copy size, and a unit price corresponding to the copy size stored in the selection means. a unit price storage means for outputting a unit price according to the selected copy size; A copy vending machine equipped with arithmetic control means including means for displaying the number of copies that can be made, and a counting means for storing a discount unit price in the unit price storage means and counting the number of copies, the counting means keeping the number of copies constant. When the number of copies is counted, a discount unit price is read from the unit price storage means, and copies are thereafter executed at the read discount unit price.