JP2001109944A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vending machine which ca overcome the lack of heating while reducing the running cost through the use of waste heat generated by cooling. SOLUTION: A compressor 52, a heat source side unit 31 having a heat source side heat exchanger 53 and a use side unit 30B having a use side heat exchanger 43B are arranged. The heat source side heat exchanger is branched and connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 and the refrigerant suction pipe 33 of the compressor through switch valves 34A and 34B. A high pressure gas pipe 36 which is branched/connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe, a low pressure gas pipe 37 branched/connected to the refrigerant suction pipe and a liquid pipe 38 connected to the heat source side heat exchanger are installed. The individual use side heat exchangers are branched and connected to the high pressure gas pipe and the low pressure gas pipe through switch valves 39A and 39B. The use side units are installed in the respective cases of an automatic vending machine. A controller has a first mode supplying power to an auxiliary electric heater and a second mode inhibiting the power supply to the auxiliary electric heater and selects one of these modes with the operation of a change-over switch.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine for cooling or heating products such as canned beverages for sale.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional vending machine, a product storage is formed in a main body composed of a heat insulating box, and the product storage is divided into a plurality of storages. Then, the inside of the refrigerator storing the products to be cooled is cooled by a well-known refrigeration cycle,
The interior of the storage for storing the products to be heated was heated by an electric heater.

[0003]

As described above, conventionally,
An electric heater is used as a heating means, and an enormous amount of electricity is required to obtain the amount of heat required for heating. In particular, since the inside of the cooling chamber and the inside of the heating chamber coexist, heat on the heating side by the electric heater is inevitably leaked into the cooling chamber, and excessive heat is leaked to the outside by the amount of heat leaked in the refrigeration cycle. Had to be released. As a result, the refrigeration cycle must be operated excessively, causing a problem that the running cost rises more than necessary.

[0004] In order to avoid such a rise in running cost, it is conceivable to heat the inside of the heating side with waste heat generated in the refrigeration cycle. However, only the waste heat generated by such a refrigeration cycle, especially in winter when the outside temperature is low, or when replenishing a large amount of products in the product storage,
In order to sufficiently heat the inside of the chamber on the heating side until the heating set temperature is reached, there is a problem that it takes an extremely long time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional technical problem, and is intended to reduce the running cost by utilizing the waste heat generated by cooling while reducing the heating. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine capable of coping with the problem.

[0006]

The vending machine of the present invention comprises:
Commodity storage in a main body consisting of an insulated box, dividing this product storage into a plurality of storages, and cooling or heating the products put in each storage and selling them from sales outlets A heat source side heat exchanger comprising a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger, and a plurality of use side units having a use side heat exchanger disposed in each of the refrigerators. Is connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe and a refrigerant suction pipe of a compressor via a switching valve, and a unit-to-unit pipe connecting these two units is connected to a high-pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe, and to a refrigerant suction pipe. Connected low pressure gas pipes; and
With a liquid tube connected to the heat source side heat exchanger,
A cooling and warming device in which each use-side heat exchanger is branched and connected to a high-pressure gas pipe and a low-pressure gas pipe via a switching valve, and a liquid pipe is connected via a refrigerant flow control valve, and is provided in a refrigerator. An auxiliary electric heater, and a control device for controlling each unit and the auxiliary electric heater. The control device includes: a first mode for energizing the auxiliary electric heater when heating the inside of the refrigerator; A second mode for prohibiting energization of the respective switches, and each mode can be selected according to the operation of the changeover switch.

According to the present invention, a product storage is formed in a main body composed of a heat-insulating box, the product storage is partitioned into a plurality of storages, and a product put in each storage is cooled or heated. In a vending machine to be warmed and sold from a sales outlet, a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger, and a plurality of use side units having use side heat exchangers respectively arranged in each storage. The heat source side heat exchanger is branched and connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe and a refrigerant suction pipe of a compressor via a switching valve, and an inter-unit pipe connecting these two units is branched and connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe. A high-pressure gas pipe, a low-pressure gas pipe branched and connected to a refrigerant suction pipe, and a liquid pipe connected to a heat source-side heat exchanger, and each use-side heat exchanger is composed of a high-pressure gas pipe and a low-pressure gas pipe. Branch connection via a switching valve Since a cooling and heating device connected via a quantity control valve is provided, each storage unit using a plurality of use-side heat exchangers has a simple circuit configuration using a single-function heat source-side heat exchanger. In addition to the simultaneous cooling operation or the heating operation in the inside, the simultaneous cooling / heating operation in each storage can be freely selected and performed by an arbitrary user-side unit.

[0008] In the simultaneous operation of cooling and heating in each storage, the use side heat exchanger acting as a condenser and the heat source side heat exchanger acting as an evaporator are connected in series. Efficient operation by recovery can be performed, and the running cost can be significantly reduced.

In particular, the apparatus includes an auxiliary electric heater provided in the refrigerator, and a control device for controlling each unit and the auxiliary electric heater. When the control device heats the refrigerator,
A first mode for energizing the auxiliary electric heater and a second mode for prohibiting energization of the auxiliary electric heater are provided so that each mode can be selected according to the operation of the changeover switch. In the case where the temperature is low, or when the heating operation is insufficient with only the use-side heat exchanger at the time of replenishment of the product, the first mode in which the auxiliary electric heater is used by the changeover switch is used. In addition to the heating by the container, the auxiliary electric heater generates heat so that the product can be quickly heated.

On the other hand, when the outside air temperature in summer is relatively high, or when the product is sufficiently heated, the power supply to the auxiliary electric heater is prohibited by setting the second mode by the changeover switch. In addition, the product can be heated only by the use side heat exchanger. As a result, it is possible to reduce the power consumption while realizing the heating of the product according to any situation without any trouble.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine 1 as an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine 1 excluding a front door 3 and a heat insulating door 4, and FIG. is there.

The vending machine 1 of the embodiment is for cooling or heating and selling canned beverages. The vending machine 1 has a main body 2 composed of an insulated box body opened on the front side and a pivotal support for one side of the main body 2 so as to be rotatable. And an openable front door 3. The front door 3 is provided with a product display 6 on which a plurality of product samples S are displayed. In the lower right corner of the product display 6, a bill insertion slot 7, a cash indicator 8, a coin insertion slot 9 are provided. , A coin return slot 11, a return lever 12, and a key 13 are provided. Also, on the front of the product display 6,
A selection button 14 is provided corresponding to the lower side of each product sample S, and a sales port 16 is provided below the front door 3.
Is arranged.

Behind the front door 3, a heat insulating door 4 is provided on the front.
Is formed in the main body 2.
As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of the product storage 17 is partitioned into three left and right rooms by partition walls 18 and 19 filled with a heat insulating material, and a specific storage 17A is formed on the left side of the partition wall 18. In the center located between the partition wall 18 and the partition wall 19, a cooling and heating box 17B capable of selecting and switching between cooling and heating is formed, and a cooling and heating box is also provided on the right side of the partition wall 19. 17C is formed.

In the product storage 17, two rows of product racks 22 are suspended from front to back. In this case,
The product racks 22 are stored in two rows on the left and right in the specific storage 17A having the largest capacity, and the product racks 22 are stored in one row in the cooling and heating storages 17B and 17C having about half the capacity of the specific storage 17A. .

Inside each product rack 22, there are provided a side plate 23 constituting an outer surface and a partition plate 24 for partitioning the inside back and forth.
Product passages 26, 26 extending in the up-down direction are formed in two rows in front and rear, respectively. In addition, each product passage 26
Are formed at the upper end thereof, and a product discharge port 28 is formed at the lower end, and a product discharge device 29 is provided at each of the product discharge ports 28 with the side plate 23 or the partition plate. 24, respectively.

Each of the merchandise carrying-out devices 29 is called an ejector mechanism (or a bend mechanism). The holding arm 29A always projects toward the merchandise passage 26 to hold the lowermost merchandise G in the merchandise passage 26. When the product is sold, the holding arm 29 is moved along the side plate 23 or the partition plate 24 by an actuator (not shown) such as a solenoid.
A is tilted to drop the products G one by one downward.

A chute 41 inclined downward toward the front is disposed below such a commodity rack 22. The commodity G discharged from each commodity rack 22 falls onto the chute 41 and rolls. Then, it is guided from the outlet 42 of the heat insulating door 4 to the selling port 16 of the front door 3.

Below the chutes 41, corresponding to the specific storage 17A and the cooling and heating storages 17B and 17C, respectively, are a usage-side unit 30A (specific usage-side unit), a usage-side unit 30B, User side unit 3
0C, and each unit has a blower 44
A, 44B and 44C are provided. Further, auxiliary electric heaters 46B, 46C are provided in the cooling and heating chambers 17B, 17C.
Is provided.

On the other hand, the machine room 5
The heat source side unit 31 and the blower 54 are provided in the machine room 51. The heat source side unit 31 and the use side units 30A to 30A
C constitutes a cooling and heating device of the vending machine 1.

Next, a refrigerant circuit of the vending machine 1 in the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The heat source side unit 31 includes a compressor 52, a heat source side heat exchanger 53, a gas-liquid separator 55, and the like.
0A, 30B and 30C are the use side heat exchanger 43
A, 43B and 43C. The heat source side heat exchanger 53 is connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 and the refrigerant suction pipe 33 of the compressor 52 by switching the switching valves 34A and 34B, while the heat source side unit 31 and the use side units 30A, 30B, 3
0C to the refrigerant discharge pipe 32
A low-pressure gas pipe 37 branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe 33, and a liquid pipe 38.

The use side heat exchanger 43A of the use side unit 30A is connected to the low pressure gas pipe 37,
The liquid pipe 38 is connected via a refrigerant flow control valve 47 such as an electric expansion valve. Also, the use side units 30B, 30
The use side heat exchangers 43B and 43C of the C
And switching valves 39A, 39B,
It is branched and connected via 40A and 40B, and connected to the liquid pipe 38 via refrigerant flow control valves 48 and 49 such as an electric expansion valve.

Reference numeral 50 denotes a refrigerant flow control valve such as an electric expansion valve interposed in the liquid pipe 38. Further, in this embodiment, since the specific storage 17A only performs cooling, the use side unit 3
A switching valve 3 such as the use side units 30B and 30C is provided for 0A.
Although 9A, 39B, 40A, and 40B are not provided, a switching valve may be branched and connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 and the refrigerant suction pipe 33 to enable heating. Further, 17A may be used as a dedicated storage for heating, in which case the use side heat exchanger 4
3A is connected to the high-pressure gas pipe 36.

Next, FIG. 5 shows a configuration diagram of the control device C of the vending machine 1. The control device C is constituted by a general-purpose microcomputer 56. On the input side, the selection button 14 (shown by one) of the product G and the specific storage 17A, the cooling and heating storages 17B and 17C are respectively provided. Temperature sensors 58A and 5A as attached temperature detecting means
8B, 58C and the use side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, 43
The temperature sensors 63A, 63B, 63C and 63 as the evaporating temperature detecting means for the refrigerant and the temperature sensors 62B, 62C and 6 as the condensing temperature detecting means are provided in the heat exchanger 53 on the heat source side C and the heat source.
2, and a second switch 60 for arbitrarily switching between a second mode in which the energization of the auxiliary electric heaters 46B and 46C is prohibited and a first mode in which the auxiliary electric heaters 46B and 46C are energized.

On the output side of the microcomputer 56, switching valves 34A, 34B, 39A, 39B, 40
A, 40B, each refrigerant flow control valve 47, 48, 49,
The refrigerant flow control valve 50 and each of the auxiliary electric heaters 46B, 46
C, the compressor 52, each blower 44A, 44B, 44C,
54 and each product carrying-out device 29 (indicated by one) are connected.

Next, the operation of the vending machine 1 having the above configuration will be described. First, the specific storage 17A, the cooling and heating storage 17B,
A case where the product is cooled using all 17C as a cooling cabinet will be described with reference to FIG. The temperature sensors 58A, 58
When the temperature detected by B, 58C is equal to or higher than the cooling set temperature, the microcomputer 56 opens the switching valve 34A of the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 of the heat source side heat exchanger 53 and turns the switching valve 34B of the refrigerant suction pipe 33 on. Closed and switching valves 39A, 40 of high-pressure gas pipe 36 of use side heat exchangers 43B, 43C
A is closed, and the switching valves 39B and 40B of the low-pressure gas pipe 37 are opened.

Thus, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 flows sequentially through the refrigerant discharge pipe 32, the switching valve 34A, and the heat source side heat exchanger 53, and is condensed and liquefied here. 38, each user side unit 30A,
The refrigerant is distributed to refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, and 49 of 30B and 30C, where the pressure is reduced.

At this time, the microcomputer 56
Means that the refrigerant flow control valve 50 is fully opened, and that the refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, and 49 are temperature sensors 58A, 58
The diaphragm amount is adjusted based on the outputs of B and 58C. Thereafter, the refrigerant that has passed through each of the refrigerant flow control valves 47, 48, and 49 is
After flowing into each of the use-side heat exchangers 43A, 43B, and 43C and evaporating, the use-side heat exchangers 43B and 43C provide
The gas enters the low-pressure gas pipe 37 via the switching valves 39B and 40B, and enters the low-pressure gas pipe 37 as it is from the use side heat exchanger 43A. Then, the refrigerant joined by the low-pressure gas pipe 37 is sucked into the compressor 52 through the refrigerant suction pipe 33 and the gas-liquid separator 55 in order.

As described above, in this case, the heat source side heat exchanger 53 acts as a condenser, and the entire use side heat exchanger 43A,
Since 43B and 43C function as evaporators, the specific storage 1
7A, all of the cooling and heating chambers 17B and 17C are simultaneously cooled.

Next, the specific storage 17A and the cooling and heating storage 17B
The case where the cooling and warming storage 17C is heated while cooling is cooled will be described with reference to FIG. For example, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensors 58A and 58B is equal to or higher than the cooling set temperature and the temperature sensor 58C is equal to or lower than the heating set temperature, the microcomputer 56 opens the switching valve 34A of the heat source side heat exchanger 53 and switches the switching valve 34A. The switching valve 39A of the use-side heat exchanger 43B for closing and cooling is closed, the switching valve 39B is opened, and the use-side heat exchanger 43C for heating is cooled.
The switching valve 40A is opened, and the switching valve 40B is closed.

As a result, part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 passes through the high-pressure gas pipe 36 and the switching valve 40A sequentially,
The refrigerant flows into the use side heat exchanger 43C to be heated, and the remaining refrigerant flows into the heat source side heat exchanger 53 from the switching valve 34 via the refrigerant discharge pipe 32. And it is condensed and liquefied in the use side heat exchanger 43C and the heat source side heat exchanger 53. The refrigerant condensed and liquefied in the heat exchangers 43C and 53 is depressurized by the refrigerant flow control valves 47 and 48 of the use units 30A and 30B via the liquid pipe 38, and then the respective use side heat exchangers 43A and 43B. And evaporate.

The microcomputer 56 adjusts the refrigerant flow control valve 49 and the refrigerant flow control valve 50 based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 62C and 62, and adjusts the refrigerant flow control valves 47 and 48 to the temperature sensors 63A and 63B. Adjust based on output.

Further, in winter when the outside air temperature is low, or when replenishing a product in which the inside of the refrigerator cools down at the product temperature, the microcomputer 53 is set to the first mode by the changeover switch 60 so that the output of the temperature sensor 58C is output. When the temperature of the cooling and heating chamber 17C is equal to or lower than the heating set temperature, the auxiliary electric heater 46C is energized to
C is supplementarily heated.

Further, in the summer season when the outside air temperature is high, or when the product temperature is high, the microcomputer 53 is set to the second mode by the changeover switch 60, so that energization of the auxiliary electric heater 46C is prohibited, and the temperature sensor is turned off. Based on the output of 58C, only the use side heat exchanger 43C is used to heat the cooling and heating chamber 17C.

As a result, the heating capacity is insufficient due to the fact that the inside of the cooling / heating chamber 17C is cooled by the commodity due to the replenishment of the commodity due to the cold season in which the condensation temperature of the refrigerant does not rise due to the low outside air temperature. In the case, the changeover switch 6
By operating 0, the microcomputer 53 is set to the first mode, and in addition to the heating by the use-side heat exchanger 43C, the auxiliary electric heater 46C is supplementarily energized to quickly heat the commodity. Will be able to do it.

Further, in the summer when the outside air temperature is high or when the product is sufficiently heated, such as when the heating capacity is sufficient, the second mode in which the auxiliary electric heater 46C is not energized is selected by selecting the second mode. Thus, it is possible to sufficiently heat the product only by the use side heat exchanger 43C, and it is possible to eliminate unnecessary power consumption caused by energization of the auxiliary electric heater 46C.

On the other hand, the refrigerant having passed through the use side heat exchanger 43A flows into the low pressure gas pipe 37, and the refrigerant having passed through the use side heat exchanger 43B flows into the low pressure gas pipe 37 after passing through the switching valve 39B and joins. The refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 52 through the refrigerant suction pipe 33 and the gas-liquid separator 55 in order. As described above, in this case, since the use side heat exchanger 43C acts as a condenser, the cooling and heating chamber 17C is heated, and the use side heat exchangers 43A and 43B which act as evaporators use the specific storage 17A. And the cooling and heating chamber 17B is cooled.

Next, the case where the specific storage 17A is cooled and the cooling and heating storages 17B and 17C are heated will be described with reference to FIG. When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 58A is equal to or higher than the cooling set temperature and the temperature sensors 58B and 58C are equal to or lower than the heating set temperature, the microcomputer 56 closes the switching valves 34A and 34B of the heat source side heat exchanger 53, and The switching valve 39A of the user side heat exchanger 43B to be heated is opened, the switching valve 39B is closed, the switching valve 40A of the user side heat exchanger 43C is opened, and the switching valve 40B is closed.

Thus, the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 52 is heated via the refrigerant discharge pipe 32 and the high-pressure gas pipe 36, and the switching valves 39A, 40 of the utilization units 30B, 30C are heated.
A, flows into each use side heat exchanger 43B, 43C,
Condensed and liquefied in these use side heat exchangers 43B and 43C. And these use side heat exchangers 43B, 4
The refrigerant condensed and liquefied in 3C is decompressed by the refrigerant flow control valve 47 of the use side unit 30A through the liquid pipe 38, and is then evaporated and vaporized in the use side heat exchanger 43A.

The microcomputer 56 fully opens the refrigerant flow control valve 50, and also controls the refrigerant flow control valve 47,
48 and 49 are adjusted based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 63A, 62B and 62C.

Also, as described above, the changeover switch 60
, The user can arbitrarily switch between the second mode and the first mode. Thereby, in the second mode, based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 58B and 58C, only the use-side heat exchangers 43B and 43C are used to cool and heat the storage chambers 17B and 17C.
C is heated. In the first mode, based on the outputs of the temperature sensors 58B and 58C, the cooling and heating chamber 17B,
When the temperature of 17C is equal to or lower than the set heating temperature, the auxiliary electric heater 46B or 46C is energized to heat the cooling and heating chamber 17B or 17C in an auxiliary manner.

Incidentally, in the first mode, even when the commodity is filled in the cooling / heating chamber 17B or 17C, the electric power of the auxiliary electric heater 46B or 46C is supplied by switching the changeover switch 60. good.

As a result, when the heating efficiency is low in winter or the like as described above, the auxiliary electric heaters 46B and 46C are energized in addition to the heating by the use side heat exchangers 43B and 43C, thereby providing It becomes possible to quickly heat the product.

When the heating efficiency is good in summer or the like, the second mode in which the auxiliary electric heater 46B or 46C is not energized can be selected, so that only the use side heat exchanger 43B or 43C is used. In order to sufficiently heat the product, it is possible to reduce unnecessary power consumption caused by energizing the auxiliary electric heaters 46B and 46C.

[0044]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a product storage is formed in a main body composed of a heat insulating box, and the product storage is divided into a plurality of storages and put into each storage. In a vending machine that cools or heats a product and sells it from a sales outlet, a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger, and a use side heat exchanger disposed in each of the refrigerators A plurality of utilization-side units having a heat source-side heat exchanger that is branched and connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe and a refrigerant suction pipe of a compressor via a switching valve, and a pipe between the units that connects these two units is a refrigerant. A high pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the discharge pipe, a low pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe, and a liquid pipe connected to the heat source side heat exchanger, and each use side heat exchanger, Branch connection between high-pressure gas pipe and low-pressure gas pipe via switching valve However, the liquid pipe is provided with a cooling and heating device connected via a refrigerant flow control valve, so that multiple uses are possible under a simple circuit configuration using a single-function heat source side heat exchanger. Simultaneous cooling and heating operations in each of the compartments as well as simultaneous cooling and heating operations in each of the compartments by the side heat exchanger can be freely selected and performed by an arbitrary utilization side unit.

In the simultaneous operation of cooling and heating in each storage, the use side heat exchanger acting as a condenser and the heat source side heat exchanger acting as an evaporator are connected in series. Efficient operation by recovery can be performed, and the running cost can be significantly reduced.

In particular, there is provided an auxiliary electric heater provided in the refrigerator and a control device for controlling each unit and the auxiliary electric heater.
A first mode for energizing the auxiliary electric heater and a second mode for prohibiting energization of the auxiliary electric heater are provided so that each mode can be selected according to the operation of the changeover switch. In the case where the temperature is low, or when the heating operation is insufficient with only the use-side heat exchanger at the time of replenishment of the product, the first mode in which the auxiliary electric heater is used by the changeover switch is used. In addition to the heating by the container, the auxiliary electric heater generates heat so that the product can be quickly heated.

On the other hand, when the outside air temperature in summer is relatively high, or when the product is sufficiently heated, the second mode is set by the changeover switch so that the auxiliary electric heater is not energized. It is forbidden and the product can be heated only with the use side heat exchanger. As a result, it is possible to reduce the power consumption while realizing the heating of the product according to any situation without any trouble.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the vending machine of FIG. 1 excluding a front door and a heat insulating door.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional side view of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of the vending machine of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a control device of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a refrigerant circuit diagram of the vending machine of FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Vending machine 17 Commodity storage 17A Special storage 17B, 17C Cooling and heating storage 30A, 30B, 30C User side unit 31 Heat source side unit 32 Refrigerant discharge pipe 33 Refrigerant suction pipe 34A, 34B, 39A, 39B, 40A, 40B Switching Valve 36 High-pressure gas pipe 37 Low-pressure gas pipe 38 Liquid pipe 43A, 43B, 43C User side heat exchanger 44A, 44B, 44C Blower 46B, 46C Auxiliary electric heater 47, 48, 49, 50 Refrigerant flow control valve 52 Compressor 53 Heat source Side heat exchanger 55 Gas-liquid separator 56 Microcomputer 60 Changeover switch C Controller

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A product storage box is formed in a main body composed of an insulated box, and the product storage box is divided into a plurality of storage boxes, and the goods put in each storage box are cooled or heated to sell them. In a vending machine to be sold from the mouth, a heat source side unit having a compressor and a heat source side heat exchanger,
A plurality of use-side units each having a use-side heat exchanger disposed in each of the refrigerators, wherein the heat-source-side heat exchanger is connected to a refrigerant discharge pipe and a refrigerant suction pipe of a compressor via a switching valve. On the other hand, while the branch connection, the inter-unit pipe connecting these two units, a high-pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant discharge pipe, a low-pressure gas pipe branched and connected to the refrigerant suction pipe, and the heat source side heat exchanger In addition to being constituted by a connected liquid pipe, each of the utilization side heat exchangers is branched and connected to the high-pressure gas pipe and the low-pressure gas pipe via a switching valve, and the liquid pipe is connected via a refrigerant flow control valve. A cooling and heating device connected thereto; an auxiliary electric heater provided in the refrigerator; and a control device for controlling the units and the auxiliary electric heater. The control device heats the interior of the refrigerator. At this time, the first Mode and, a second mode for prohibiting the energization of the auxiliary electric heater, a vending machine, characterized in that it is possible to select the modes in response to the operation of the switch.