DE102015109242A1 - Vending machine with level sensor - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a vending machine with at least one goods shaft (1), wherein in an interior of the at least one goods shaft (1) individual goods (4) can be arranged, wherein along the interior of the at least one goods shaft (1) arranged two guide elements (3) opposite one another and wherein the guide elements (3) together form a capacitor. The invention further relates to a method for operating a vending machine, wherein data of a goods bay (1) associated capacity sensor are recorded at least temporarily, from these data capacity values of a goods shaft are determined and wherein from the capacity value, a level value of the goods shaft (1) is calculated wherein the level value indicates a number of goods located in the goods bay (4).

Description

The invention relates to a vending machine according to the preamble of independent claim 1. The invention further relates to a method for operating a vending machine according to claim 8.

Such vending machines are used for example in public buildings. Frequently, such vending machines are used for the sale of tobacco products, in particular for the sale of cigarette packs.

State of the art

The WO 9 601 460 A1 shows a machine for issuing cards. On the shaft containing the cards, a level sensor is mounted outside. Such external level sensors often work mechanically or with light barriers. Such level sensors take up valuable space in the machine.

task

The object of the invention is to propose a level monitoring of a goods shaft of a vending machine, which is cost-effective and yet designed to save space.

The object is solved by the characterizing features of independent claim 1.

Advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The vending machine according to the invention has at least one goods shaft, wherein individual goods are arranged or stored in the interior of the at least one goods shaft. Along the interior of the at least one goods shaft two guide elements are arranged opposite one another. These guiding elements together form a passive electrical component, a so-called capacitor.

Advantageously, the guide elements are in each case a guide foil, which is glued, for example, to the inner wall of the interior of the goods shaft. The two Leitfolien are aligned parallel to each other in the axial direction of the interior of the at least one goods shaft. With conducting films, the capacitor described above can be realized space-saving and very inexpensive.

Advantageously, an insulating material is present between the surface of the interior of the at least one goods shaft and the guide element. It is important that the conductive foil is not applied electrically conductive on the surface of the interior of the goods shaft when the goods shaft itself is made of conductive material, such as sheet metal. In a manufactured plastic manhole such insulation would not necessarily be necessary.

It is particularly advantageous to make the goods shaft in the form of a rectangular profile, a U-profile or a round profile. The shape of the goods shaft is adapted to the goods stored therein. For example, a goods shaft comprising cigarette tubes, be designed substantially as a U-profile or rectangular profile. A vending machine can also have several, differently shaped, goods shafts.

Advantageously, the vending machine has at least two goods shafts and at least two associated capacitors. It is advantageous to equip each goods slot of the vending machine with a capacitor described above.

It is particularly advantageous if the vending machine has a capacitance sensor which monitors the capacitance of the capacitor or of the capacitors associated with the respective goods well. Advantageously, the vending machine has a control unit with which data of the capacitance sensor or the capacitance sensors can be detected and evaluated. The sensors are connected to the control unit via suitable data lines.

The control unit is equipped with a calculation routine, which can calculate from the respective data of the capacity sensors, how much goods are still in the respective shafts.

The following describes how a fill level calculation assigned to the goods shafts can be carried out.

The data of a capacity well associated with a goods bay are recorded at least temporarily by a control unit of the vending machine. From this data, a capacity value or capacity values of a goods shaft is determined, and then a fill level value of the goods shaft is calculated from the capacity value. For this purpose, the control unit has a suitable calculation routine. The level value indicates a number of goods located in the goods bay.

Advantageously, the time profile of the capacitance value and / or the capacitance values is monitored and from this a prediction is made or derived when the goods shaft is again must be refilled. By such a prediction, the filling can be carried out on time. A filling can be made even before the goods bay is sold short.

As has already been described above, vending machines usually have several goods shafts with different goods stored therein. It is then particularly advantageous for the data of a plurality of capacity sensors assigned to the individual goods shafts to be recorded at least temporarily and for these capacitance values to be determined from these data, and for these fill levels to be calculated, the fill level value being a number of times in each case Warehousing goods indicates. As a result, a prognosis can be made separately for each individual goods shaft when the goods shaft will be empty. Accordingly, a filling with new goods can take place in good time before a short sale.

embodiment

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the drawings and will be explained in more detail below. It shows:

1 a sketched sectional view of a goods shaft of a vending machine.

The figures contain partially simplified, schematic representations. In part, identical reference numerals are used for the same but possibly not identical elements. Different views of the same elements could be scaled differently.

The 1 shows a sectional view of a goods shaft 1 a vending machine. The goods shaft shown here has essentially the shape of a U-profile.

In the interior of the goods shaft or on the inner wall of the goods shaft are both sides Leitfolien 3 pasted by an insulating material 2 , For example, a plastic film, from the surface of the interior of the goods shaft 1 are separated. The goods shaft proposed here consists of sheet metal and is produced in stamping and bending technology.

Between the Leitfolien 3 be several packaged goods 4 one above the other in the goods shaft 1 stacked. The packaged goods are for example cigarette packs.

Through the Leitfolien 3 a capacitor is constructed, which is monitored by a capacitance sensor (not shown). The capacitance of the capacitor depends on the permittivity of the medium between the capacitor plates. The permittivity of cigarette pack is about twice as high as that of air. The change in the capacitor capacity through the removal of a box from the goods shaft, is well within the measurement accuracy of today's capacitance sensor chips. A single capacitance sensor chip could even monitor multiple wells simultaneously.

The solution proposed here for filling level monitoring of goods shafts is cost-effective, since only one capacitance sensor chip and two copper foils per goods shaft are needed. The solution can be easily installed in the existing mechanics of a vending machine and retrofitted accordingly.

Due to quantifiable capacity changes in the removal of cigarette tubes, a vending machine with appropriate control unit can learn independently when other products, such as chewing gum boxes, are stored and sold in a manhole. As a result, such a vending machine can be operated flexibly and vending machine operators do not have to re-program the vending machine.

If the control unit also records the removal rate (withdrawals of goods per time unit) in addition to the fill level of the goods shaft or the individual goods shafts, the control unit can calculate a prediction as to when the vending machine must be refilled. In addition, with knowledge of the exact level of fill at the time of filling accurate work planning for the employees who look after the vending machine. Employees can order or stock the exact quantities of goods needed for filling.

If the filling level is known before and after filling, the total quantity withdrawn and the turnover volume of the vending machine can be recorded, so that theft of the goods in the warehouse can be prevented. An RFID identification via a personal employee transponder, during the filling of the vending machine, further secures the goods.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

 goods bay

2

 Insulating material

3

 Guide elements / conductive foil

4

 goods package

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• WO 9601460 A1 [0003]

Claims (10)

Vending machine with at least one goods shaft ( 1 ), wherein in an interior of the at least one goods shaft ( 1 ) individual goods ( 4 ) can be arranged, characterized in that - along the interior of the at least one goods shaft ( 1 ) two guiding elements ( 3 ) are arranged opposite one another and - that the guide elements ( 3 ) together form a capacitor. Vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it is in the guide elements ( 3 ) is in each case a conductive foil, which in the axial direction of the interior of the at least one goods shaft ( 1 ) are aligned parallel to each other. Vending machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that between the surface of the interior of the at least one goods shaft ( 1 ) and the guiding element ( 3 ) an insulating material ( 2 ) is available. Vending machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the goods shaft ( 1 ) has substantially the shape of a rectangular profile, a U-profile or a round profile. Vending machine according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the vending machine (at least two wells were 1 ) and at least two associated capacitors. Vending machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vending machine has a capacitance sensor which monitors the capacitance of the capacitor or the capacitors. Vending machine according to one of the preceding claims characterized in that the vending machine has a control unit, are provided with which data of the capacity sensor or capacitance sensor can be evaluated. Method for operating a vending machine, characterized in that - data of a vault ( 1 ) are recorded at least temporarily, - that from these data capacity values of a goods shaft are determined and - that from the capacity value a level value of the goods shaft ( 1 ), the level value being a number of the goods in the goods shaft ( 4 ) indicates. Method for operating a vending machine according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the time profile of the capacity value and / or the capacity values is monitored and from this a prediction is made as to when the goods shaft ( 1 ) must be refilled again. Method for operating a vending machine according to one of the two preceding claims, characterized in that - the data of a plurality of the individual goods shafts ( 1 ) associated capacity sensors are recorded at least temporarily, - that from these data the individual shafts ( 1 ) and that - from these capacity values, the goods shafts ( 1 ) associated fill level value is calculated, wherein the level value a number of each in the goods shaft ( 1 ) ( 4 ) indicates.

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