JP2000285295A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly replenish commodities in a commodity carrying part where commodities are sold out and to prevent inconvenience even in the case of the change of stored commodities in the commodity carrying part. SOLUTION: In a vending machine 10, commodity names of commodities stored in respective commodity carrying parts 14 are preliminarily registered in a control part 19, and the control part 19 displays the registered commodity name of the commodity carrying part 14 on a display part 18 on condition that it has read the change of a sellout detection switch 25 of this commodity carrying part 14 in the sale waiting state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a vending machine for cigarettes and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a vending machine for cigarettes or the like, a plurality of commodities are stored in each of different commodities transporting units for each product name, and the commodities can be conveyed and sold from these commodities transporting units. . The replenishment of commodities to each commodities transporting section is periodically performed by the manager, and replenishes commodities that have been sold out or are likely to be sold out.

[0003]

However, when replenishing goods to the goods transport section where all the goods have been sold out, there is no product left in the goods transport section. There are difficulties for administrators to judge. That is, in the prior art, the sold-out detection switch of the product transport unit in the sold-out state in the vending machine is pushed by the administrator, and the light is turned on or off on the product display shelf in front of the door in conjunction with the switch operation. The product on the display shelf corresponding to the sellable lamp and the sold-out lamp is found, and it is determined that the product is the replenishment product, and the determination is complicated and time-consuming.

[0004] As a method of immediately determining the name of a replenished product to the product transport section, a label or the like of the product name of the stored product may be attached to each product transport section. However, in this method, the type (product name) of the product stored in the product transport unit
It is inconvenient to replace the sticker or the like of the product name every time the user replaces the product.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine that can smoothly replenish commodities in a merchandise transporting unit that has sold out all commodities, and that is inconvenient even when there is a change in commodities stored in the merchandise transporting unit. To avoid it.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of commodities are stored in each of different commodities transport units for each product name, and the commodities are conveyed from these commodities transport units. In a vending machine to be sold, a sold-out detection switch provided for each product transport unit and detecting a sold-out state of the product in the product transport unit, and a product name of the product stored in each product transport unit are registered in advance. A control unit for displaying a registered product name of the product transport unit on a display unit on condition that a change in a sold-out detection switch of any of the product transport units is read in a standby state for sale. It is.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the following operations are provided. When the out-of-stock detection switch of the goods transport unit is changed by pushing an out-of-stock detection switch by an administrator or the like in the goods transport unit in a state where all the goods are sold out, the control unit reads the change of the out-of-sale detection switch and reads out the out of stock. Identify the product transport section where the detection switch is provided,
The stored product name registered in the product transport unit in advance is recognized, and the product name is displayed on the display unit. Therefore, the manager recognizes the product having the product name displayed on the display unit as a replenishment product for the product transport unit, and can smoothly replenish the product to the product transport unit.

When the kind (product name) of a product stored in the product transport section is changed while the vending machine is in use, it is possible to respond simply by changing the registered product name of the product transport section. No inconvenience.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a vending machine with a door opened, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vending machine, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a setting display section of the vending machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine 10 has a door 12 on a front surface of a main body 11. And in the main body 11,
A power supply unit 13 and a product transport unit 14 are provided.
A product display shelf (not shown), a coin / bill processing unit 16, a product selection unit 17, and a setting display unit 18 are provided (FIG. 2).
Then, in the vending machine 10, the main body 11 or the door 12
The control unit 19 composed of a microcomputer built in
It is composed of PU, ROM, RAM, I / O (input / output unit), and is connected to the above-mentioned power supply unit 13, commodity transport unit 14, coin / banknote processing unit 16, commodity selection unit 17, setting display unit 18 and used. (A, B ...) cigarettes (TA,
TB ...) can be sold.

Here, the vending machine 10 is provided with a plurality of columns 21 inside the main body 11, and each column 21 is provided with a product transport section 14. Thereby, the vending machine 10
A plurality of cigarettes can be stacked and stored in each of the different product transport units 14 for each of the product names A, B.
The product transport unit 14 includes a transport motor 22 and a motor stop switch 23, and operates the transport motor 22 based on a sales command from the control unit 19 to the product transport unit 14 to operate the transport claw 2.
4 is driven to take out the lowermost tobacco in the column 21 to the side of the product outlet, and then the motor stop switch 23 is operated to position the transport claw 24 in the standby position immediately before the new lowermost tobacco. (FIG. 3A). In addition, the goods transport section 1
Reference numeral 4 denotes a sold-out detection switch 25, which detects the sold-out state in which all the cigarettes are sold out and stored in the column 21 in the product transport section 14 and sold out.
Is switched from off (FIG. 3A) to on (FIG. 3B).

The vending machine 10 has display shelves for displaying samples of a plurality of varieties (trade names) of cigarettes TA, TB,... On the front of the door 12, and corresponds to each sample below each display shelf. A product selection unit 17 is provided. The product selection unit 17 includes a sellable lamp 31 illuminated to indicate that the sample cigarette is available for sale and a sold-out lamp 32 illuminated to indicate that the sample is in a sold-out state. Further, the product selection unit 17 includes a selection switch 33, and the user can select a purchase target by turning on the selection switch 33 corresponding to the lightable salable lamp 31.

The vending machine 10 also has a setting display 18 in the form of a handy remote control which can be attached to and detached from the back of the door 12. The setting display unit 18 includes a liquid crystal display 41
And the numeric keypad 42. The correspondence between the product selection unit 17 and the product transport unit 14 of each display shelf, the initial setting of the unit price of the product stored in the product transport unit 14, and the display of the sales history of the vending machine 10 are performed. (FIG. 4A).

However, the vending machine 10 manages the product names A, B,... Of the cigarettes sold by the vending machine 10 by using the setting display section 18.
The product names A, B,... Of the cigarettes stored in each product transport unit 14 are registered in the control unit 19 in advance. Then, the control unit 19 changes the sold-out detection switch 25 of any one of the merchandise transport units 14 in a standby state in which coins or bills are not inserted into the coin / bill processing unit 16 of the vending machine 10 (the manager sells out). (Change due to pressing of the detection switch 25), and recognizes the commodity transport unit 14;
The registered product names A, B,... Of the product transport section 14 are displayed on the liquid crystal display 41 of the setting display section 18 for a fixed time (FIG. 4B).

Hereinafter, the selling operation of the vending machine 10 will be described. (1) The manager stores the cigarettes TA, TB,... Having different product names A, B,... In each of the product transport units 14, and the product names A, B of the cigarettes stored in each of the product transport units 14.
Are registered in the control unit 19 in advance by using the ten keys 42 of the setting display unit 18.

(2) When the user inserts coins or bills into the coin / bill processing unit 16, the control unit 19 enters a sales state.

(3) The control unit 19 is a product selection unit 17 for cigarettes that can be sold for the amount of money put in.
Lights up.

(4) When the user turns on the selection switch 33 in the product selection section 17 of the desired cigarette, the control section 19 causes the product transport section 14 corresponding to the product selection section 17 to operate.
And the transport motor 22 is operated to carry out the cigarette to the side of the product outlet.

(5) The controller 19 controls the coin / bill processing unit 16
Return the change calculated in to the change return port. Thereafter, the control unit 19 enters a sales standby state.

(6) After the repetition of the above (2) to (5), the sold-out detection switch 25 of the product transport unit 14 including the control unit 19 is provided.
Is turned on, the control unit 19 sends the sold-out lamp 32 of the product selection unit 17 corresponding to the product transport unit 14.
Lights up.

However, each of the goods transport sections 1 of the vending machine 10
The operation of replenishing the product 4 is performed as follows. (A) Refilling the product transport unit 14 where the cigarettes are not sold out The manager visually recognizes the product name of the cigarette remaining in the product transport unit 14, for example, A, and replaces the cigarette TA with the product name A with this product. It is supplied to the transport unit 14.

(B) Commodity transport section 1 in which tobacco is sold out
The administrator changes the value by pressing the sold-out detection switch 25 of the product transport unit 14 or the like. The control unit 19 reads the change of the sold-out detection switch 25 and displays the registered product name, for example, A of the product transport unit 14 provided with the sold-out detection switch 25 on the liquid crystal display 41 of the setting display unit 18 for a certain period of time. (FIG. 4 (B)). The manager replenishes the displayed product transport section 14 with the displayed cigarette TA having the product name A.

Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the following operations are provided. When the out-of-stock detection switch 25 of the commodity transport unit 14 is changed by pushing the sold-out detection switch 25 by an administrator or the like in the commodity transport unit 14 in a state where all the commodities are sold out, the control unit 19 changes the out-of-stock detection switch 25. Read,
The product transport unit 14 provided with the sold-out detection switch 25 is identified, the stored product name registered in advance in the product transport unit 14 is recognized, and the product name is displayed on the display unit 18.
Will be displayed. Therefore, the administrator sets the display unit 18
Is recognized as a replenished product to the product transport unit 14, and the product can be smoothly replenished to the product transport unit 14.

When the type (product name) of a product stored in the product transport unit 14 is changed while the vending machine 10 is in use, it is possible to respond simply by changing the registered product name of the product transport unit 14. Simple and inconvenient.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the design can be changed within the scope of the present invention. The present invention is also included in the present invention.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a vending machine, products can be smoothly replenished to the product transport section where all the products have been sold out, and the products can be replaced with the stored products in the product transport section. In some cases, inconvenience can be avoided. Thereby, the product replenishment efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a door of a vending machine is opened.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control system of the vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a product transport unit of the vending machine.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a setting display unit of the vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Vending machine 14 Commodity transport section 18 Setting display section 19 Control section 25 Sold-out detection switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine which stores a plurality of commodities in each of different commodity transport sections for each commodity name, and conveys and sells the commodities from the commodity transport sections. A sold-out detection switch that detects a sold-out state of a product in the product transport unit; a product name of a product stored in each product transport unit registered in advance; and a sold-out detection of one of the product transport units in a sales standby state. A vending machine having a control unit for displaying a registered product name of the product transport unit on a display unit on condition that a change in a switch is read.