JP2000113303A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce power consumption and to prevent the taste of a commodity from being changed when an automatic vending machine is installed in an area in which the sale of the commodities is not good. SOLUTION: An automatic vending machine provided with a commodity storage area 2 storing commodity is provided with a dividing part 3 which is installed to vertically divide the inner part of the commodity storage area 2 and has heat insulating property. An upper side divided by the dividing part 3 in the commodity storage area 2 is set to be a commodity preservation area 4 and a lower side to be a commodity sales standby area 5. The inner part of the commodity sales standby area 5 is cooled or heated. The commodities in the commodity preservation area 4 are preserved at a chamber temperature with such constitution.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine configured to sell by cooling or heating a product such as a canned beverage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A plurality of product storage rooms are provided in a main body of a vending machine, and a plurality of product storage columns are provided in each of these product storage rooms. The product is stored. The vending machine is provided with a cooling unit that supplies cool air to each product storage room to cool the products and a heating unit that supplies hot air to each product storage room to heat the products. Whether the product in the product storage room is cooled or heated can be switched for each product storage room by a changeover switch.

[0003]

When a vending machine is installed in a rural area such as a mountainous area, the sale of goods is not very good. In such a case, the period during which the product is stored in the vending machine tends to be long. Here, in the vending machine having the conventional configuration, since the entire inside of the product storage room is cooled or heated, all the products stored in the product storage room are cooled or heated. For this reason, when focusing on a product that cannot be sold for a long time and is only stored and stored, it can be said that cooling or heating of the product is almost wasted. In other words, it is considered that vending machines waste a considerable amount of power in areas where sales of goods are not good. Further, in the case of a product such as canned coffee, if the product is kept at a high temperature for a long period of time by heating the product, the taste may change.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to reduce the power consumption when a vending machine is installed in an area where sales of goods are not good, and to change the taste of goods such as canned coffee. An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can prevent such vending.

[0005]

The vending machine of the present invention comprises:
In a product comprising a product storage area for storing products, the product storage area is provided with a partition portion having heat insulation provided to vertically partition the product storage area, and an upper side partitioned by the partition portion in the product storage area. Is a product storage area, the lower side is a product sales standby area, and the product sales standby area is configured to be cooled or heated.

According to the above configuration, the product storage area is divided into a product storage area and a product sales standby area, and the product sales standby area is configured to be cooled or heated.
The products in the product storage area are stored at room temperature (room temperature).
Therefore, if the sale of the product is not good, the product in the product storage area will be stored at room temperature for a long time,
The power consumption of the vending machine can be reduced, and the taste of a product such as canned coffee does not change.

In the above configuration, when one product in the product sale standby area is sold, a product supply means for supplying one product from the product storage area to the product sale standby area. Preferably, it is provided. Further, it is a preferable configuration to include a product passage provided in the partition portion and an opening / closing member provided to open and close the product passage and having heat insulating properties. Furthermore, it is a good configuration to have a display means for displaying when there are no more products stored in the product storage area.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, in FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically showing the overall configuration of a vending machine, a merchandise storage area 2 is provided in a main body 1 of the vending machine.
Inside the product storage area 2 is a partition wall 3 made of heat insulating material.
It is divided up and down by. The partition wall 3 constitutes a partition having heat insulation. The upper side of the product storage area 2 partitioned by the partition wall 3 is a product storage area 4, and the lower side is a product sales standby area 5.

[0009] The product sales waiting area 5 is divided into three product accommodation rooms, a left room 6, a middle room 7, and a right room 8,
These three chambers 6, 7, 8 are constituted by a heat insulating material (heat insulating box). Each of the chambers 6, 7, and 8 is a product storage chamber configured to be capable of switching between cooling and heating. In the three rooms 6, 7, and 8, a plurality of product storage columns 9 are provided.
Are arranged. These product storage columns 9 are lower product storage columns, and upper product storage columns 10 are arranged in the product storage area 4 so as to correspond to the lower product storage columns 9 respectively. . In this case, the products stored in the upper product storage column 10 move into the lower product storage column 9 through the product passage 11 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) formed in the partition wall 3. It is configured to be possible. The moving operation of the product and a specific configuration for moving the product will be described later.

Further, a first solenoid 12 for discharging the lowermost products one by one is provided below the lower product storage column 9 (see FIGS. 3 and 6). This first
The product discharged by the operation of the solenoid 12 is configured to be discharged through a chute 13 to a product outlet (not shown) provided below the main door (not shown).

The main door is provided at the front of the main body 1 of the vending machine so as to be openable and closable. The main door has a sample display section (not shown) where sample products are displayed.
And a selection switch 14 (see FIG. 6) for selecting each product, a bill or coin slot (not shown), a change outlet (not shown), and a product outlet (not shown). Has been established. The selectable switch 14 has a sellable lamp 14a (FIG. 6) indicating that a product can be sold.
And a sold-out lamp 14b (see FIG. 6) indicating that the product is sold out.

In the lower part of the three chambers 6, 7, 8 are provided coolers 15a, 15b, 15c (only the cooler 15a is shown in FIG. 2) and fan devices 16a, 16b, 16c (only the fan device 16a is shown in FIG. 2). And heaters 17a, 17
b and 17c (see FIGS. 2 and 6).
In the case of this configuration, when the cool air cooled by the coolers 15a, 15b, 15c is sent into each room by the fan devices 16a, 16b, 16c, each room is cooled. Further, the heaters 17a, 17b, 17
hot air heated by c, fan devices 16a, 16b,
Each room is heated (heated) when it is sent into each room by 16c. Furthermore, each room 6, 7,
8 is provided with temperature sensors 18a, 18b, 18c (see FIG. 6) for detecting the temperatures in the respective chambers 6, 7, 8.

Further, a machine room 19 is provided below the main body 1 as shown in FIG. This machine room 19
, A compressor 20, a condenser 21 and a fan device 22 for cooling the compressor 20 and the condenser 21 are arranged.

Now, the structure of the partition wall 3 around the commodity passage 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. The product passage 11 is a substantially rectangular opening formed at a portion between the upper product storage column 10 and the lower product storage column 9 in the partition wall 3. The size of the opening of the product passage 11 is substantially equal to or slightly larger than the size of the openings of the product storage columns 9 and 10. The product passage 11 is provided with a partition door 23.
It is configured to be opened and closed by a.

[0015] As shown in FIG.
The door base 24 is larger than the opening of the product passage 11, and a door heat insulating member 25 provided on the door base 24 and fitted into the opening of the product passage 11. In this case, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the opening of the product passage 11 are Y and W, the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the door heat insulating member 25 are Y1 and W1,
Assuming that the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the door base 24 are Y2 and W2, the following relational expression is established.

Y> Y1 W> W1 Y2> Y W2> W The shaft portions 26 provided at the left and right ends of the door base 24 of the partition door 23 in FIGS. 3 and 5 are hinged to the lower surface of the partition wall 3. The partition door 23 is provided so as to be rotatable around the shaft portion 26 by being rotatably mounted via the support 27. Further, the partition door 23 is urged by a coil spring 28 provided at the left end of the door base 24 to rotate in a direction to close the product passage 11 (counterclockwise in FIG. 3). The spring force of the coil spring 28 always closes the partition door 23 as shown in FIG.
When the commodity 29 falls from the commodity storage column 10 on the upper side, the strength is set such that the partition door 23 is opened by the weight of the commodity 29. Further, the partition door 23
In the state where the product passage 11 of the partition wall 3 is closed,
It is configured so that sufficient heat insulating performance can be obtained.

A second solenoid 30 is provided on the lower right side inside the product storage column 10 on the upper right side in FIG. When the second solenoid 30 is at the position shown in FIG. 3, the product 29 is received by the second solenoid 30 so that the product 29 is not discharged from the upper product storage column 10. . Then, when the second solenoid 30 rotates counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 3, the product 29 moves downward and pushes the partition door 23 to open the partition door 23 (2 in FIG. 3). See dotted line). Thus, the product 29 is configured to be stored in the product storage column 9 on the lower side through the product passage 11. An inclined surface 25a is formed on the upper surface of the door heat insulating member 25 of the partitioning door 23, and the inclined surface 25a is configured to guide the commodity 29 when flowing downward.

When the first solenoid 12 is at the position shown in FIG. 3, the lowermost product 29 of the products 29 stored in the lower product storage column 9 is the first product 29.
Is received by the solenoid 12 so that it is not discharged from the product storage column 9. On the other hand, when the first solenoid 12 rotates counterclockwise from the position shown in FIG. 3, the product 29 falls, is guided by the chute 14, and is discharged to the product outlet of the main door. Have been.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the vending machine. In FIG. 6, a control circuit 31 composed of a microcomputer or the like has a function of controlling the overall operation of the vending machine, and has a control program for that. The control circuit 31 includes a temperature sensor 18a for the left chamber, a temperature sensor 18b for the middle chamber, a temperature sensor 18c for the right chamber, and an outside air temperature sensor 18d.
From each other, and H /
C changeover switch 32a, H / C changeover switch 32 for middle room
b and the respective switch signals from the right ventricle H / C changeover switch 32c are provided. H / for each room
The C changeover switches 32a, 32b, 32c
Switches 7 and 8 are used to switch from the heating operation to the cooling operation or from the cooling operation to the heating operation.

Further, the control circuit 31 is supplied with each selection signal from the selection switch 14 of each product, and receives each selection signal from the sold-out detection switch 33a for detecting the sold-out of the product in the product storage column 9 on each lower side. A detection signal is given, and a storage area empty detection switch 33b for detecting that the commodity in the commodity storage column 10 on each upper side is empty.
Are provided so that each detection signal is supplied.

The control circuit 31 controls the compressor 2
0, fan device 2 for cooling compressor and condenser
2, the fan motor 16d of the fan device 16b for the middle room, the fan motor 16f of the fan device 16c for the right room, the solenoid valve 34 for the left room, Room solenoid valve 35, right room solenoid valve 36, left room heater 17a, middle room heater 17b, right room heater 17c, first solenoid 12, second solenoid 30, sale The drive lamps 14 a, the sold-out lamps 14 b, and the product replenishment lamps 37 are driven and controlled via a drive circuit 38.

Here, the commodity replenishment lamp 37 has no commodity (empty) in the commodity storage column 10 on each upper side.
It is turned on when the event is detected, and is provided on the front surface of the main door so as to correspond to each product (for example, located near the selection switch 14). It is preferable that the manager who manages the vending machine immediately replenishes the product when recognizing the lighting of the product replenishment lamp 37.

In the case of the above configuration, the compressor 20
When the solenoid valve 34 for the left chamber is opened in a state in which the power supply is energized, the cooler 15a for the left chamber is cooled to cool the left chamber 6, and when the solenoid valve 35 for the middle chamber is opened, the cooler 15 for the middle chamber is opened.
When the b is cooled and the middle chamber 7 is cooled, and the solenoid valve 36 for the right chamber is opened, the cooler 15c for the right chamber is cooled and the right chamber 8 is cooled.

On the other hand, when the electromagnetic valve 34 for the left chamber is closed, the cooler 15a for the left chamber is not cooled, and the electromagnetic valve 3
5, the middle room cooler 15b is not cooled, and when the right room solenoid valve 36 is closed, the right room cooler 15b is closed.
c is configured not to be cooled. And
When the left chamber heater 17a is energized, the left chamber 6 is heated. When the middle chamber heater 17b is energized, the middle chamber 7 is heated. When the right chamber heater 17c is energized, the right chamber 8 is heated. Is configured to be heated.

Further, when each of the chambers 6, 7, 8 is operated for cooling or heating, only the space below the partition wall 3, that is,
Only the product sale waiting area 5 is cooled or heated, and the inside of the product storage area 4 above the partition wall 3 is configured to be at room temperature.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. The flowchart of FIG.
3 schematically shows the contents of a control portion for selecting and selling (discharging) a product from the control programs stored in the control program.
In step S1 of FIG. 7, it is determined whether or not the selection switch 14 corresponding to the product desired by the product purchaser has been turned on. If the selection switch 14 is turned on, the process proceeds to "YES" in step S1, and it is determined whether or not the sold-out detection switch 33a is turned on (step S2).

If it is determined in step S2 that the sold-out detection switch 33a is not turned on, the process proceeds to "NO" to drive the first solenoid 12 (step S2).
3). Thereby, the lowermost product 29 among the products 29 stored in the lower product storage column 9 falls, is guided by the chute 14, and is discharged to the product outlet of the main door. In addition, if the bottom product 29 falls,
The first solenoid 12 is configured to return to the original position and receive the next product.

Subsequently, a predetermined time, for example, 5 seconds is measured by a timer built in the control circuit 31 (step S4). When the time measurement for 5 seconds is completed, the second solenoid 30 is driven (step S5). Thereby, the lowermost product 29 of the products 29 stored in the upper product storage column 10 falls and pushes the partition door 23 to open the partition door 23. The product is stored in the lower product storage column 9 through the product passage 11. When the lowermost product 29 falls, the second solenoid 30 returns to the original position and receives the next product. Then, returning to step S1, the same processing is repeated thereafter.

In the above configuration, when one product in the lower product storage column 9 (ie, the product sales standby area 5) is sold, the upper product storage column 10
It is configured to supply one product from the (product storage area 4) into the product storage column 9 on the lower side.
In the case of this configuration, the control circuit 31 constitutes a product supply unit.

On the other hand, if the sold-out detection switch 33a is on in step S2, the process proceeds to "YES" to display the sold-out of the product (step S6). In this case, the control circuit 31 is configured to turn on the sold-out lamp 14b of the selection switch 14. Thereafter, the process returns to step S1, and the same processing is repeated thereafter.

Now, the operation of the vending machine administrator when refilling a product will be described. When a product is sold, the product in the product storage column 10 on the upper side runs out first. When this state is detected by the storage area empty detection switch 33b, the commodity supply lamp 37 is turned on. By turning on the product supply lamp 37, the manager knows that the product in the product storage column 10 on the upper side has run out. It should be noted that even if the product in the product storage column 10 on the upper side runs out, the product can still be sold because the product still remains in the product storage column 9 on the lower side. Then, after the product is sold without being replenished, when the sold-out detection switch 33a detects that the product in the lower product storage column 9 is sold out, the sold-out lamp 14b is turned on and the product is sold out. Sales are prohibited.

Next, by turning on the commodity supply lamp 37,
If it is found that the product in the upper product storage column 10 has run out, the administrator opens the main door of the vending machine and refills the product in the upper product storage column 10.
At this time, the following control operation is performed by the control circuit 31 after the manager replenishes the product.

That is, when the manager refills the product into the product storage column 10 on the upper side, the storage area empty detection switch 3
The control circuit 31 turns off the commodity supply lamp 37 because it is detected by 3b that the commodity is present in the commodity storage column 10 on the upper side. Then, when the administrator closes the main door after refilling the product, the closing of the main door is detected by a main door switch (not shown). Even when this detection is performed, the control circuit 31
If the product is fully packed in the lower product storage column 9, nothing is done.

On the other hand, the lower product storage column 9
If there is a space to put the product inside, the control circuit 31
Is configured to drive the second solenoid 30 to move the products one by one from the upper product storage column 10 into the lower product storage column 9. When the product storage column 9 on the lower side is filled with the product, the movement of the product is stopped.

The control circuit 31 is configured to detect whether or not there is a space (empty space) for storing a number of products in the product storage column 9 on the lower side. That is, if the number of sold products is stored after the upper product storage column 10 is emptied, the stored number of products is stored in the lower product storage column 10 from the lower product storage column 10. This is the number of products to be moved into the storage column 9.

According to the present embodiment having such a configuration, the inside of the product storage area 2 is divided into the product storage area 4 and the product sales standby area 5, and specifically, the product storage column 1 on the upper side.
0 and a lower product storage column 9, which is configured to cool or heat the lower product storage column 9 which is the product sales standby area 5. As a result, the products in the product storage column 10 on the upper side, which is the product storage area 4, are not cooled or heated, and are stored at room temperature (room temperature). Therefore, when the sales of the products are not good, the products in the product storage area 4 (that is, the product storage column 10 on the upper side) are stored at room temperature (room temperature) for a long period of time. Can be reduced, and the taste of a product such as canned coffee can be prevented from changing.

In the above embodiment, when one product in the lower product storage column 9 (commodity sales standby area 5) is sold, the upper product storage column 10 (product storage area 4) is sold. Product storage column 9 on the lower side of one product from
(Commodity sales standby area 5). Thus, the product storage column 9 on the lower side can be filled with the product, and the full product can be cooled or heated.

Further, in the above embodiment, the product passage 11 is provided in the partition wall 3, and the partition door 23 having heat insulation properties is provided so as to open and close the product passage 11. According to this configuration, the upper product storage column 10
And a configuration in which the lower product storage column 9 is insulated and insulated.
The configuration for moving the product from the product storage column 10 on the upper side to the product storage column 9 on the lower side can be easily realized with a simple configuration. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, when there is no product stored in the product storage column 10 (product storage area 4) on the upper side, the product supply lamp 37 is provided to indicate that the product is stored. Can easily recognize that the product storage column 10 on the upper side is empty, and can quickly replenish the product.

[0039]

According to the present invention, as is apparent from the above description, the product storage area is divided into a product storage area and a product sales standby area, and the product sales standby area is cooled or heated. When a vending machine is installed in an area where sales of products are not good, it is possible to reduce power consumption and to prevent the taste of a product such as canned coffee from changing, thereby providing an excellent effect. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a main body of a vending machine showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view of the main body of the vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional side view around a product passage of a partition wall.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a product passage of a partition wall.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a partition door.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 is a main body, 2 is a product storage area, 3 is a partition wall (partition part), 4 is a product storage area, 5 is a product sales standby area,
6 is a left room, 7 is a middle room, 8 is a right room, 9 is a lower product storage column, 10 is an upper product storage column, 11 is a product passage, 12 is a first solenoid, 20 is a compressor and a fan. Device, 23 is a partition door (opening / closing member), 24 is a door base, 25 is a door heat insulating member, 29 is a product, 30 is a second solenoid, 31 is a control circuit (product supply means), 33a is a sold-out detection switch, 33b Denotes a storage area empty detection switch, and 37 denotes a product supply lamp (display means).

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine having a product storage area for storing products, comprising: a partition portion provided to partition the inside of the product storage area up and down and having heat insulating properties; A vending machine characterized in that an upper side partitioned by a partition portion is a product storage area, a lower side is a product sale standby area, and the product sale standby area is cooled or heated. 2. When one product in the product sale waiting area is sold, one product is stored in the product storage area.
2. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a product supply unit that supplies the product into the product sale standby area. 3. The automatic apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a product passage provided in the partition, and a heat-insulating opening / closing member provided to open and close the product passage. Vending machine. 4. The automatic vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying when there is no more product stored in the product storage area. Machine.