JP2000137852A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vending machine suitable to be recycled. SOLUTION: This automatic vending machine is provided with electric apparatuses 3 (3-1 to 3-n) being its components and a control circuit 1 for controlling the electric apparatuses, and is operated based on the control of the electric apparatuses 3 by the control circuit 1. The control circuit 1 stores remaining life data of the respective electric apparatuses 3 in a memory 12 and updates the remaining life data based on the control of the electric apparatuses 3. A remote controller 2 which can input/output the remaining life data is installed. Since latest remaining life data is always stored in the memory 12, it can easily be judged whether the pertinent unit can be recycled or not in the unit of the electric apparatus 3 when remaining life data is referred to be using the remote controller 2.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine which is installed in a store or the like and sells stored articles, beverages and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a vending machine of this type has been collected and disposed of by a trader or the like after an appropriate period of time has elapsed since the vending machine was installed in a market. The main cause of this disposal processing is that the vending machine reaches the end of its service life due to deterioration over time and does not operate properly.

On the other hand, in recent years, from the viewpoint of environmental protection and effective use of resources, recycling (recycling) of vending machines has been demanded by society. Therefore, even if the vending machine as a whole has reached the end of its life, it is desired to reuse this component if there is something that can be recycled in component units.

[0004]

However, in a conventional vending machine, it is very difficult to find a recyclable one from a large number of constituent devices, and a great deal of cost is required. In particular, since the electrical life of electrical equipment cannot be determined from the external appearance, it has been very difficult to determine whether or not it can be recycled. Here, the electric device is a device that is operated by being electrically controlled by the control unit of the vending machine. For example, the electric device illuminates a solenoid, which is a component of a product unloading device that unloads stored products, or a product sample. Examples include an illuminator such as a fluorescent lamp, and an electromagnetic valve that controls the flow of a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine suitable for recycling.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electric device which is a component device;
A vending machine comprising a control unit for controlling an electric device, and operating under control of the electric device by the control unit, wherein the control unit includes a storage unit for storing usage data or life expectancy data for each electric device; Data updating means for updating usage data or remaining life data of the electric device related to the control stored in the storage means in accordance with the control of the equipment, and outputting the usage data or remaining life data stored in the storage means The present invention proposes a device characterized by having an output means for performing the above.

According to the present invention, in the operation of the vending machine in which the control unit controls the electric equipment, the life data or the use data of the electric equipment stored in the storage means is updated according to the control of the control unit. Therefore, the storage means always stores the latest life expectancy data or use data. Further, since the latest life expectancy data or use data can be output by the output means, it is possible to easily determine whether or not each electric device can be recycled based on the data. Further, since both the life expectancy data and the usage data are stored, appropriate data can be stored according to the electric device. This is effective when there is an electric device whose life expectancy cannot be defined.

Here, the life expectancy data of an electric device is data representing a period until the electric device reaches the end of its life and becomes unusable. For example, the life time and the number of times of use of the electric device and a combination thereof are used. This is the specified data. The usage data of the electric device is data indicating a period in which the electric device has been used, and is, for example, data defined by the use time, the number of times of use of the electric device, a combination thereof, and the like.

[0009] According to the invention of claim 2, the above-mentioned claim 1 is provided.
A vending machine as described above, further comprising an input unit for inputting remaining life data to the storage unit is proposed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to input and set the life expectancy data of each electric device as an initial setting, for example, when manufacturing or shipping a vending machine. Further, even when the life expectancy of the electric device is changed due to maintenance such as maintenance / replacement of the electric device, by inputting the life expectancy data after the change, the appropriate life expectancy data can be always stored in the storage means. it can.

Further, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the vending machine according to any one of the first and second aspects, an initializing means for initializing the use data stored in the storage means is provided. I suggest something.

According to the present invention, for example, when manufacturing or shipping a vending machine, it is possible to initialize the use data of each electric device. In addition, even when the usage period is changed due to maintenance such as maintenance / replacement of the electric device, the use data of the electric device is initialized, so that the proper use data can always be stored in the storage unit. .

Further, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention,
3. The vending machine according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is connected to an external device through a wired or wireless connection, and transmits or receives remaining life data or usage data stored in the storage unit to the external device. A feature of the present invention is provided.

According to the present invention, since the remaining data or the use data stored in the storage means can be transmitted or received to the external device by the communication means, the external device handles the remaining data or the use data. be able to.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) A vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electric system of a vending machine, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a life expectancy database, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a life of an electric device.

This vending machine operates by controlling a plurality of electric devices 3 by a control circuit 1. In the present embodiment, a vending machine that includes a cooling device and a heating device and sells a cooled or heated canned beverage or the like will be described. The operation of the electric device 3 in the vending machine is regulated by electric control by the control circuit 1, and is, for example, a solenoid which is a component of a product unloading device for unloading stored products, or a fluorescent light illuminating a product sample. Examples include an illuminator such as a lamp, and an electromagnetic valve that controls the flow of a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle.

The vending machine has a remote controller 2 for inputting and outputting various data, and can input and output data to and from a control circuit 1 to be connected. The remote controller 2 is usually arranged inside an outer door of the vending machine and operated by an administrator of the vending machine or the like. The remote controller 2 includes an input unit including a plurality of key switches and a liquid crystal display and an LE.
An output unit including a D display and the like is provided.

The control circuit 1 includes a CPU 1 serving as a main processing unit.
1. A memory 12 serving as a storage unit for various data and control programs, and a timer 1 for measuring time under the control of the CPU 11.
3, a drive circuit 14 for driving the electric equipment 3 connected under the control of the CPU 11; The control circuit 1 operates according to a control program stored in a memory 12.

In the memory 12, each electric device 3-1 to 3-
A life expectancy database 121 storing n life expectancy data is provided. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the life expectancy database 121 stores the life expectancy data D for each electric device 3, and FIG. 2 illustrates seven life expectancy devices. The life expectancy data D represents how much the electric device 3 can be used in the future, and is defined in units of time or number of times. In addition, this life expectancy database 121
The remaining life data D can be input and output by the remote controller 2.

The initial value of the life expectancy data D in the life expectancy database 121 is inputted by the remote controller 2 at the time of manufacturing the vending machine. If the electric equipment 3 is new,
Life data specified by time or number of times is input. The life data is obtained in advance by experiments or the like, and FIG. 3 shows an example of the life data.

The life expectancy database 121 is updated by the remote controller 2 when maintenance such as replacement or repair of the electric equipment 3 is performed after the vending machine is installed.

Further, the life expectancy database 121
The content is updated together with the vending machine selling operation.
That is, the life expectancy data D is updated in parallel with the control of each electric device 3 performed by the control program stored in the memory 12. An example of the operation of the control program will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the update of the life data of the fluorescent lamp, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the update of the life data of the product discharge solenoid.

First, the life expectancy data D of a fluorescent lamp, which is one of the electric devices 3, will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, first, the life data shown in FIG. 3 is input to the remaining life data D corresponding to the fluorescent lamp by the remote controller 2 as an initial value (step S11).

Next, when the lighting condition of the fluorescent lamp is satisfied, the fluorescent lamp is turned on using the drive circuit 14, and the subtraction of the life expectancy data D corresponding to the fluorescent lamp is started (steps S12, S13, S13). S14). Here, the life expectancy data D corresponding to the fluorescent lamp is defined by time, and the subtraction of the life expectancy data D is performed using the timer 13.

When the lighting condition of the fluorescent lamp is no longer satisfied, the fluorescent lamp is turned off using the drive circuit 14 and the subtraction of the life expectancy data D started at the step S14 is stopped (steps S12 and S12). S15, S1
6).

According to the above steps, if the lighting condition of the fluorescent lamp is satisfied, the lighting of the fluorescent lamp is controlled, and the remaining life data D is subtracted during the lighting. Here, the lighting conditions of the fluorescent lamp include, for example, a case in which the surroundings of the vending machine have reached a predetermined brightness, a case in which a predetermined time has come, and a case in which it is detected that a person is in front of the vending machine. Is mentioned.

Next, the life expectancy data D of the product discharging solenoid which is one of the electric devices 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, first, the life expectancy data D corresponding to the solenoid includes:
The life data shown in FIG. 3 is input by the remote controller 2 as an initial value (step S21).

Next, when the driving condition of the product discharging solenoid is satisfied, the driving circuit 14 drives the discharging solenoid and decrements the value of the life expectancy data D corresponding to the solenoid by one (step S1). S22, S2
3, S24). Here, since the life expectancy data D corresponding to the solenoid is defined by the number of times, unlike the case of the above-described fluorescent lamp, subtraction of the life expectancy data D only requires reducing the value by one.

According to the above steps, when the driving condition of the product discharging solenoid is satisfied, the driving of the solenoid is controlled and the remaining life data D is subtracted.
Here, the driving condition of the product discharge solenoid is a condition that is satisfied when performing control for discharging the product stored in the vending machine.

As described above, according to the vending machine according to the present embodiment, the vending machine is provided with the database 121 of the life expectancy data D corresponding to each electric device 3 of the vending machine. Since the database 121 is updated, the life expectancy database 121 always stores the latest and appropriate life expectancy data D. This allows
If the life expectancy data D is confirmed using the remote controller 2, the life expectancy of the electric device 3 can be easily known. Therefore, when the vending machine is collected and disposed of, the remaining life data D
, It is possible to easily determine whether or not the electric device, which is a component device of the vending machine, can be reused (recycled). That is, if the life expectancy data D is equal to or less than a predetermined value, it can be determined that re-use is impossible, and if it is larger than the predetermined value, it can be determined that re-use is possible.

Further, since the life expectancy data D can be input by the remote controller 2, it is possible to input and set the life expectancy data D of each electric device 3 at the time of manufacturing or shipping of the vending machine. Even when the life expectancy of the electric device 3 is changed due to maintenance such as maintenance and replacement of the electric device 3, by inputting the life expectancy data D after the change, the appropriate life expectancy data D is always stored in the life expectancy database 121. Can be stored. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not recycling is possible.

In this embodiment, the electric device shown in FIG. 2 has been exemplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this. May be other as long as can be defined.

Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The vending machine according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an electric system of a vending machine, and FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a usage database. In the drawings, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

This vending machine differs from the vending machine according to the first embodiment described above in that a use database 122 is provided in the memory 12 in place of the life expectancy database 121 as shown in FIG. On the point.

As shown in FIG. 7, the use database 122 stores the use data U of the electric equipment 3, and in FIG. 7, in addition to the seven equipment exemplified in the first embodiment, 9 Two devices were illustrated. The usage data U indicates how much the electric device 3 has been used, and is defined in units of time or the number of times. Here, among the electrical devices 3 for which the usage data U is to be stored, the electrical devices 3 (devices added in the present embodiment) for which the life and the life expectancy cannot be defined are described in the aforementioned life expectancy database 1.
21 cannot be managed. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the use database 122 storing the use data U is provided instead of the management by the life expectancy database 121, so that it is possible to easily determine whether or not the electric device 3 can be recycled. It is.

Each of the usage data U in the usage database 122 can be output to the remote controller 2 and can be initialized by a predetermined key operation. That is, the usage data U of the usage database 122 is initialized when the vending machine is manufactured. Its initial value is zero. This usage database 1
22 is initialized by a predetermined operation of the remote controller 2 when maintenance such as replacement or repair of the electric device 3 is performed after the vending machine is installed.

Further, the usage database 122 includes:
As with the life expectancy database 121 in the first embodiment, the contents are updated together with the vending machine selling operation. That is, in parallel with the control of each electric device 3 being performed by the control program stored in the memory 12,
The usage data U is updated. An example of the operation of the control program will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the update of the use data for the heater, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the update of the use data for the electromagnetic counter.

First, the usage data U of the heater, which is one of the electric devices 3, will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, first, the use data U corresponding to the heater is initialized to zero (step S31).

Next, when the condition for energizing the heater is satisfied, the heater is energized by using the drive circuit 14, and the addition of the use data U corresponding to the heater is started (steps S32, S33, S34). Here, the usage data U corresponding to the heater is defined by time, and the addition of the usage data U is performed using the timer 13.

When the condition for energizing the heater is no longer satisfied, the heater is turned off using the drive circuit 14 and the usage data U started in step S34 is used.
Is stopped (steps S32, S35, S3).
6).

According to the above steps, when the heater energization condition is satisfied, the heater is energized, and the usage data U is added while the heater is energized. Here, the condition for energizing the heater includes, for example, a case where the temperature of the product storage of the vending machine becomes lower than a predetermined temperature.

Next, the use data U of the electromagnetic counter (for displaying sales), which is one of the electric devices 3, will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, first, the use data U corresponding to the electromagnetic counter is initialized to zero (step S41).

Next, when the driving condition of the electromagnetic counter is satisfied, the electromagnetic counter is driven by using the drive circuit 14, and the value of the usage data U corresponding to the electromagnetic counter is incremented by one (step S42, S43, S4
4). Here, the usage data U corresponding to the electromagnetic counter
Is defined by the number of times, unlike the case of the heater described above, the addition of the use data U may be performed by increasing the value by one.

According to the above steps, when the driving condition of the electromagnetic counter is satisfied, the driving of the electromagnetic counter is controlled and the usage data U is added. In addition,
Here, the driving condition of the electromagnetic counter is a condition that is satisfied when a product stored in a vending machine is carried out and an article is sold.

As described above, according to the vending machine of the present embodiment, the vending machine is provided with the database 122 of the use data U corresponding to the electric equipment 3 of the vending machine, and the use of the vending machine according to the operation of the vending machine. Since the database 122 is updated, the usage database 122 always stores the latest and appropriate usage data U. Thus, if the usage data U is confirmed using the remote controller 2, the remaining life of the electric device 3 can be easily known. Therefore,
By referring to the usage data U when collecting and disposing of the vending machine, it is possible to easily determine whether or not the electric device which is a constituent device of the vending machine can be reused (recycled).

Since the use data U can be initialized by the remote controller 2, the use data U of each electric device 3 can be initialized at the time of manufacturing or shipping of the vending machine. Even when the usage period of the electric device 3 is changed due to maintenance such as maintenance and replacement of the electric device 3, the usage data 122 is initialized and the usage database 122 is always used properly. Data U can be stored. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not reuse is possible.

(Third Embodiment) Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
10 and 1 about a vending machine according to the embodiment of FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an electric system of a vending machine, and FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a usage database. In the drawings, the same components as those of the first and second embodiments are denoted by the same reference numerals.

This vending machine differs from those of the first and second embodiments in that, as shown in FIG. 10, the memory 12 is provided with both the life expectancy database 121 and the use database 122. It is in. That is, since the electrical equipment 3 constituting the vending machine includes those for which the life expectancy data D can and cannot be defined, the former is managed by the life expectancy database 121, and the latter is managed by the use database 122. This makes it possible to appropriately determine whether or not recyclability is possible.

Therefore, the life expectancy database 121 stored in the memory 12 stores the life expectancy data D for the electric equipment 3 which can define the life expectancy data D, as in the first embodiment. The usage database stored in the memory 12 is, as shown in FIG.
The usage data U is stored for the electrical equipment 3 shown in FIG. 7 except for the electrical equipment 3 shown in FIG. 2, that is, for the electrical equipment 3 for which the life expectancy data D cannot be defined.

Other structures and control operations are the same as those of the vending machines according to the first and second embodiments.

As described above, according to the vending machine according to the present embodiment, the vending machine is provided with the database 121 of the life expectancy data D and the database 122 of the usage data U corresponding to the electric equipment 3 of the vending machine. The life expectancy database 121 and the use database 122 are updated in accordance with the operation of
And the usage database 122 stores the latest and appropriate data. Thus, if the life expectancy data D and the use data U are confirmed using the remote controller 2, the life expectancy of the electric device 3 can be easily known. Therefore, when the vending machine is collected and disposed of, by referring to the life expectancy data D and the use data U, it can be easily determined whether or not the vending machine can be reused (recycled) for each electric device which is a component device of the vending machine. be able to.

Other operations and effects are the same as those of the vending machines according to the first and second embodiments.

(Fourth Embodiment) Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The vending machine according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a block diagram of the electric system of the vending machine. In the figure, the same components as those in the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals.

This vending machine A is different from the vending machine according to the third embodiment described above in that a communication circuit 15 is provided in the control circuit 1 as shown in FIG.
It is possible to communicate with.

The external device B is a device for transmitting and receiving data to and from the life database 121 and the use database 122 of the vending machine A, and a general-purpose or special-purpose computer is used. The external device B and the vending machine A can communicate with each other by wire or wireless communication. Specifically, wireless communication using radio waves, infrared rays, ultrasonic waves, or the like, or wired communication using a predetermined cable is used. The external device B includes a communication circuit suitable for a communication mode, a data display unit such as a CRT, and an operation unit such as a keyboard.

The communication circuit 15 is connected to the CPU 11 and transmits or receives the life data D stored in the life database 121 of the memory 12 and the usage data U stored in the usage database 122 to or from the external device B. It is. In addition, the communication circuit 15 is adapted to a communication mode like the external device B.

According to such a vending machine, it is possible to transmit or receive the life expectancy data D and the use data U to / from the external device B. Therefore, the external device B handles the life expectancy data D and the use data U. be able to. That is, when the vending machine A is discarded, the life expectancy data D and the use data U are received by the external device B, and it can be determined from the received data whether the vending machine A can be recycled.
In addition, the external device B can automatically make the determination, and the received data can be easily managed in a database. In addition, the other actions and effects are first to first.
This is the same as the vending machine according to the third embodiment.

As described above, in the first to fourth embodiments, the vending machine which is provided with a cooling device and a heating device and sells a cooled or heated canned beverage or the like has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Other vending machines may be used without the need.
For example, a vending machine that sells stored articles (tobacco, confectionery, magazines, etc.) without a cooling device or a heating device, or a cup-type beverage vending machine may be used.

[0059]

As described above in detail, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the operation of the vending machine in which the control unit controls the electric equipment, the vending machine is stored in the storage means according to the control of the control unit. Since the remaining life data or the usage data of the electrical equipment is updated, the storage means always stores the latest remaining life data or the usage data. Further, since the latest life expectancy data or use data can be output by the output means, it is possible to easily determine whether or not each electric device can be recycled based on the data. Furthermore, since both the life expectancy data and the usage data are stored,
Appropriate data can be stored according to the electric device. This is effective when there is an electric device whose life expectancy cannot be defined.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to input and set the remaining life data of each electric device as an initial setting, for example, at the time of manufacturing or shipping of a vending machine. Further, even when the life expectancy of the electric device is changed due to maintenance such as maintenance / replacement of the electric device, by inputting the life expectancy data after the change, the appropriate life expectancy data can be always stored in the storage means. it can. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not recycling is possible.

Further, according to the invention of claim 3, it is possible to initialize the use data of each electric device, for example, when manufacturing or shipping a vending machine. In addition, even when the usage period is changed due to maintenance such as maintenance / replacement of the electric device, the use data of the electric device is initialized, so that the proper use data can always be stored in the storage unit. . Therefore, it is possible to improve the accuracy of determining whether or not recycling is possible.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the life data or usage data stored in the storage means can be transmitted or received to the external device by the communication means. Or, it can handle usage data. That is, it is possible to easily determine whether or not each electric device can be recycled based on the life expectancy data or the usage data in the external device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electric system of a vending machine according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a life expectancy database.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the life of an electric device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating updating of life expectancy data for a fluorescent lamp.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating updating of life expectancy data applied to a product discharge solenoid.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an electric system of a vending machine according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of a usage database.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating updating of usage data relating to a heater.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating updating of usage data according to the electromagnetic counter.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an electric system of a vending machine according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a usage database.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an electric system of a vending machine according to a fourth embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Control circuit, 11 ... CPU, 12 ... Memory, 121 ...
Life expectancy database, 122 ... Usage database, 13 ...
Timer, 14 Drive circuit, 15 Communication circuit, 2 Remote controller, 3 Electric device, D Life expectancy data, U Usage data,
A: Vending machine, B: External equipment

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Isao Ishizaki, Inventor Fukui term, 2020, Kotobukicho, Isesaki-shi, Gunma Pref. EB06

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine comprising an electric device which is a constituent device and a control unit for controlling the electric device, wherein the vending machine operates under the control of the electric device by the control unit. Storage means for storing usage data or life expectancy data, and data updating means for updating usage data or life expectancy data of the electric equipment according to the control stored in the storage means in accordance with control of the electric equipment, and A vending machine comprising output means for outputting usage data or life expectancy data stored in a storage means. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising input means for inputting life expectancy data to said storage means. 3. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising initialization means for initializing the use data stored in said storage means. 4. The control unit includes a communication unit that is connected to an external device by wire or wirelessly, and that transmits or receives the life expectancy data or usage data stored in the storage unit to or from the external device. The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.