DE3530575A1 - CONTROL CIRCUIT FOR A SELF-SALESMAN - Google Patents

Description

HOEGER, STELLRECHT & PARTNER 3530575

PATENTANWÄLTE UHLANDSTRASSE 14 c D 7000 STUTTGART 1

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A 46 759 b Applicant: ROWE INTERNATIONAL, INC.

k- 192 75 Troy Hills Road

August 23, 1985 Whippany, New Jersey 07981

United States

Description: Control circuit for a self-seller

The invention relates to a control circuit for a self-seller with several individual output units, each of which has its own drive motor having two connections, which can be connected to the two terminals of a voltage source in the course of an output process, and with multiple dialing devices.

Self-sellers with several individual output units, each of which has its own drive motor having are known. In particular, self-sellers are known where each of several Several so-called helical storage and output units are available on floors. Each of the helical or helical elements of these units is for a specific article or a certain product is provided that comes from the space between two adjacent screw threads is issued. Furthermore, a separate drive motor is provided for each unit, which is controlled can be used to rotate the helical element, thereby making an article over a

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Edge of a dispensing plate or the like. To slide, so that the article from there to a dispensing opening falls down. Self-sellers of this type are according to the prior art with a number of dial buttons provided, which is equal to the number of individual storage and output units.

An example of a self-seller of the type described above is found in US Pat. No. 4,354,613, according to which the control circuit of the self-seller comprises a microprocessor. When pressing a the selection buttons - there are as many selection buttons as there are output units - and after a test, in which it is determined whether the requested amount of money has been inserted, deliver appropriate Decoder column and row signals as input signals for a matrix of motor driver circuits, which serve to selectively connect one connection of the motors to one connection of a voltage source, while the second connection of all motors is directly connected to the other connection of the voltage source. Disadvantage of the known The control circuit is that as many driver circuits are required as the drive motors are to be controlled.

Proceeding from the prior art, the invention is based on the object of a simplified control circuit to create for self-sellers with several output units with individually assigned drive motors. The aim is to To reduce the number of components required for the control circuit and at the same time one

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to achieve particularly reliable operation of the control circuit. This task is performed in a control circuit of the type specified at the beginning, achieved according to the invention in that a plurality of first controllable Devices are provided which can be individually controlled / around the one connections of the drive motors to connect to one terminal of the supply voltage source that several second controllable Devices are provided which are individually controllable to the other connections to connect the drive motors to the other connection (reference potential) of the supply voltage source, and that control devices are provided to the first and second controllable devices to be controlled depending on the actuation of the selection devices.

Advantageous refinements of the invention are the subject matter of subclaims.

Further details and advantages of the invention are explained below with reference to drawings explained in more detail. Show it:

Figure 1 is a front view of a self seller for use in conjunction with a control circuit according to the invention;

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2A a schematic representation of a preferred embodiment and 2B a

Control circuit according to the invention

and

3 shows details of the control circuit according to FIGS. 2A and 2B.

In detail, Fig. 1 shows a vending machine or a self-seller 10 in which the improved control circuit according to the invention is used can be. The self-seller 10 has a cabinet 12 which is provided with a door 14 is. A window 16 in the door 14 allows an interested customer to view what is on offer Goods that are on the different spending levels or floors 18, 20, 22 and 24. For example the three upper floors 18, 20 and 22 of the self-seller 10 several so-called double helix storage and output units 26. It is understood that with such Unit each pair of adjacent helical elements is assigned a drive motor. The units mentioned are suitable for relatively large packs, such as. B. bag with chips od. Like. To save and output. The lowest floor 24 of the self-seller 10 comprises several output units each with only one helix, these subunits being denoted by the reference numeral 28 and can be used to store and dispense smaller items, such as candy canes, Chewing gum and mints and the like.

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When one of the storage and dispensing units 26 is actuated, an article from its associated On the 1st floor, this article falls down in a known manner behind an output flap 30, from where it can be taken by the buyer.

The self-seller 10 includes a push-button panel 32, which in the exemplary embodiment has ten dial buttons 34 and a reset button 36 comprises. Furthermore, a slot 38 is provided for inserting coins, next to which there is a return pocket 40, on which coins that have already been inserted if the appropriate Operation of the machine can be ejected again.

As FIG. 2A shows, the control circuit according to the invention for a self-seller, such as, for example 1 shows a control arrangement 42 which consists of a voltage source 44 is fed. A coin mechanism 46 which interfaces with the control assembly 42 via suitable circuitry 48 is connected, which is also fed from the voltage source 44, delivers the Control arrangement both the price information (for the selected product) and the credit information (Amount of coins inserted).

As shown in Fig. 3, the control arrangement 42 comprises a suitable microprocessor 50, for example a Mostek 3870 microprocessor. In Figure 3, the select keys are 34 and the reset key 36 with the designations PB1 to PBO or with R

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designated. The buttons or switches PB1 to PBO correspond to the numbers 1 to 9 and 0. When pressed one of the buttons PB1 to PBO or R is each via a decoupling diode 52 and a Amplifier 54 generates an input signal for microprocessor 50. Depending on the first When one of the keys PB1 to PBO is actuated, the microprocessor 50 delivers a BCD signal on its output lines 56, 58, 60 and 62. Depending on this signal, a BCD / decimal converter delivers 64, with a suitable supply voltage of For example, +5 V is connected, a signal on one of ten output lines, one of which is the first seven transistors T1 to T7 assigned to the base terminals via a driver field are connected. The last three output lines of converter 64 are through a driver arrangement connected to the base of three further transistors T8 to T10. The emitters of all transistors T1 to T10 are connected to a DC voltage source, which has a voltage of +24 V, for example generated. Voltage divider between the supply voltage connections on the one hand and the output lines of the driver field 66 and the driver arrangement 68, ensure that the transistors T1 to T10 are controlled conductive when the output lines of the arrangements 66 and 68 are at reference potential or are grounded.

Due to the structure described above, it is clear that when one of the selection keys is operated PB1 to PBO one of the output lines of the arrangements 66 or 68 is grounded to one of the

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Control transistors T1 to T10 conductive. When this happens, the supply voltage (+24 V) is on placed one of the output lines 1 to 10, which belong to a first connection field P1 and each are connected to reference potential via a resistor and a decoupling diode.

When one of the selection keys is actuated a second time, the microprocessor 50 delivers a binary coded one Signal on three other output lines 70, 72 and 74, and this signal is generated using a analog multiplexer / demultiplexer circuit 76 converted to a decimal signal. Depending on the output signal at one of the seven output lines of the circuit 76 becomes one of the transistors T11 to T17 in analog In a conductive manner, as described for the transistors T1 to T10, by a number of Output lines 10 to 16, which belong to a second connection field P2, with reference potential associate.

In FIGS. 2A and B, the output lines 1 to 10 of the connection field P1 are denoted by the reference symbols C8, C1, C3, C6, C5, C9, C7, CO, C2 and C4. These terms are relatively arbitrary; the Lines CO through C9, however, can be viewed as the ten columns of a matrix. In analog Thus, the output lines 10 to 15 of the connection field P2 are R6, R8, R4, R1, R2 and R3 and corresponding to the rows of a matrix.

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As explained at the beginning, when one of the selection keys is pressed for the first time, one of the output lines becomes 1 to 10 of the connection panel P1 are connected to a supply voltage of 24 V, for example. In a similar manner, the second actuation of one of the dialing keys becomes one of the lines 10 to 15 of the second connection field connected to earth. According to the invention are now the drive motors of the relevant storage and output units to one of the column conductors C1 to CO and connected to one of the row conductors R1 to R4, R6 and R8. As a result, a selected motor is activated when the column conductor with the the motor is connected, is connected to the supply voltage source and if at the same time the line conductor, that this motor is connected to is connected to earth or reference potential. In Figure 2B each of the engines is designated by the letter M and a two-digit number, the first being The second digit denotes the column conductor to which the motor is connected, while the second digit denotes the Denotes row conductor to which the motor is connected. The motors M18 to M58 therefore have each have a first terminal connected to the column conductors C1 to C5, while the respective second terminals are all connected to the same row conductor R8. In the exemplary embodiment are connected to the row conductors 6 and 8 only five motors, while with the row conductor ten motors are connected. Five motors are also connected to the line conductor 1.

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A switch 80 is assigned to each of the motors M ... which ensures that the motor, once switched on, always has a full cycle executes. So if one of the motors is controlled because its column conductor is connected to the supply voltage source is connected while its row conductor is connected to ground, then switch 80 closes and forms a shunt with the keys of the key arrangement. In detail are the assigned Switch 80 with motors M18 to M58 between column conductors C1 to C5 and a line 82, to a connection 7 of the second connection field P2 leads. Furthermore, the switches 80 assigned to the motors M16 to M56 are located between the aforementioned Column conductors and a line 84: which leads to a connection 5 of the second connection field P2. The switches assigned to motors MO4 to M94 are connected via a line 86 to a connection 4 of the second connection field P2, while the switches 80 associated with motors M11 to M51, except with the column conductors with a line 88 are connected, which leads to a connection 1 of the second connection field P2.

From the above description it is clear that the connections of the second connection field P2, with to which the switch lines are connected, are in turn connected to the input amplifiers 54 (in Fig. 3, the corresponding lines are labeled with the connection numbers of the second connection field P2) so that all pushbutton switches are bypassed until the motor that is triggered has completed a full duty cycle.

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It is possible to sell one or more of the storage and output units with a "sale." t "switch 78, which is operated when the article in question is sold out and when the column line to which the relevant unit is assigned is activated, a feedback signal supplies to the control arrangement in order to prevent the motor concerned from starting and if necessary, an advertisement "sold out" to; produce .

When the mains voltage is switched on, the control circuit according to the invention works in the manner that the microprocessor 50 initially controls the transistors T1 to T10 one after the other to be conductive and checks whether any other transistor is turned on, which is the prerequisite for would manage to output an article when it was not intended to do so. If such a conductive transistor (for example a transistor with an internal short circuit) is detected, switches the microprocessor 50 automatically switches off the self-seller 10. When a sum of money has been inserted which corresponds in total to the purchase price of an article, then the microprocessor 50 switches on actuation of the selector key 34 assigned to the article in question switches on the corresponding motor, to initiate the issue of the article. The timing of the motor by the microprocessor takes place in such a way that the corresponding switch ensuring a full cycle must close within about 1s after starting,

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while the sales cycle itself must not last longer than 10s. If any of these conditions is not fulfilled / then the microprocessor 50 interprets this as a blocking and switches off the engine in question while allowing the customer to make another choice. if the self-seller is not currently executing a dispensing cycle, the energy supply to the motors locked to the possibility of malfunction due to a shorted transistor on one Reduce minimum. The inventive arrangement of the motors allows the control of up to seventy motors using only seventeen (power) transistors.

From the above description it is clear that the objects on which the invention is based be solved. It becomes namely an improved control circuit for a self-seller with several Output units created, which is simpler than the control circuits of the previously known Devices of this type. The control circuit according to the invention requires fewer components than before were required. In addition, the control circuit is more reliable in operation than previously for self-sellers of the type under consideration.

Finally, it should be pointed out that, based on the exemplary embodiment explained, also certain details and sub-combinations can be useful and advantageous on their own.

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The person skilled in the art has numerous options for changes and / or additions, without that he would have to leave the basic idea of the invention.

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Claims (5)

HOEGER ₁ STELLRECHT & PARTNER 3530575 PATENTANWÄLTE UHLANDSTRASSE 14 c D 7000 STUTTGART 1 -X- A 46 759 b Applicant: ROWE INTERNATIONAL, INC. k- 192 75 Troy Hills Road August 23, 1985 Whippany, New Jersey 07981 United States Patent claims: Control circuit for a self-seller with several individual output units, of which each has its own, two connections having drive motor, which in the course of a Output process can be connected to the two terminals of a voltage source, and to several Dialing devices, i, characterized by ^ that several first controllable devices (T1 to T10) are provided, which individually can be controlled to connect one connection of the drive motors (M) to one connection (+24 V) to connect the supply voltage source that several second controllable devices {? 11 to T17) are provided, which can be individually controlled in order to connect the other connections of the Drive motors (M) to the other connection (reference potential) of the supply voltage source connect, and that control devices (50,66, 68,76) are provided to the first and second controllable devices (T1 to T17) depending on the actuation of the selection devices (34) to be controlled. A 46 759 b - 2 - k - 192 23rd August 1985 2. Control circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that that the control devices (50,66,68,76) are designed such that the first controllable Devices (T1 to T10) can be actuated when the selection devices (34) are actuated for the first time are and that the second controllable devices (T11 to T17) on a second actuation the selection devices (34) can be actuated. 3. Control circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the selection devices a Include field of dial buttons (34). 4. Control circuit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the controllable devices each have several normally blocked Transistors (T1 to T17) include. 5. Control circuit according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that several column lines (CO, C1 to C9) and several row lines (R1 to R8) are provided, and that the drive motors (M) with the help of the controllable Facilities (T1 to T17) individually each with one with one connection (+ 24 V) the column line connected to the supply voltage source and with one to the other terminal (Reference potential) of the supply voltage source connected row line can be connected.