JP2002049960A - Crime-prevention device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a crime-prevention device for an automatic vending machine having general applicability, which allows a control center performing centralized control of the stated of automatic vending machines in a specific area to confirm a mischief to the automatic vending machines in a short time. SOLUTION: When a front door 101 is closed, an optical path is formed between a light-emitting element 205 and a light-receiving element 206. Next, when neither of coin insertion nor paper money insertion is performed and the optical path between the element 205 and the element 206 is disconnected, it is discriminated that the mischief of inserting a hand or a foreign matter from a merchandise take-out port 110 is made. Then, a fluorescent lamp 105 is flickered for a fixed time for warning, a buzzer 13 discharges sound for a fixed time for warning and the mischief is announced to the control center 14.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a security device for a vending machine, which is suitable for preventing mischief such as removing a product from a product outlet of the vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine for handling products that do not require cooking (canned beverages, cigarettes, confectionery, etc.), when a user inserts money and presses a selection button of a desired product, the vending machine is located at the bottom of a storage. The goods are paid out from the payout section, and are transported by sliding the chute to the outlet.

However, in this type of vending machine, a transport path corresponding to the size of the product must be secured between the payout section and the take-out port. If the user inserts his hand from the outlet to the dispensing section, the product may be extracted.

Therefore, a technique relating to a mechanism for preventing mischief, which prevents a third party from reaching the dispensing section even if a hand is inserted into the take-out opening, is disclosed (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2).
No. 75269).

[0005]

However, if the shape of the transport path between the payout portion and the outlet and the shape of the outlet are changed, the mechanism itself for preventing mischief must be newly designed. However, there has been a problem that the design cost increases and it is not possible to respond quickly.

Further, the mechanism for preventing mischief may be broken by a tool or the like. However, in a centralized management center for vending machine status (breakdown, sold out, out of change, etc.) in a specific area, the mechanism for preventing mischief was destroyed unless workers patrol the vending machine. Therefore, there was a problem that the security effect could not be expected so much.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a highly versatile vending machine security device that allows a management center for centrally managing the state of vending machines in a specific area to check mischief on the vending machines in a short time. The purpose is to do.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine having a dispensing unit for dispensing commodities, and an outlet for extracting commodities from the dispensing unit, wherein a commodity transport path between the dispensing unit and the outlet is provided. It is provided with a security sensor provided and a control unit for outputting a signal for notifying that the player is mischievous, based on a detection output of the security sensor when the payout unit does not operate.

A second aspect of the present invention is dependent on the first aspect, further comprising switch means for detecting opening / closing of the front door, wherein the control unit is responsive to the detection output of the switch means when the front door is opened. The detection output of the sensor is invalidated.

[0011] Claim 3 is dependent on claim 1 or 2,
In accordance with a signal from the control unit, a sound emitting means is provided for notifying that a mischief is being performed.

[0012] Claim 4 is dependent on claim 1 or 2,
In accordance with a signal from the control unit, a display means is provided for notifying that a mischief is being performed.

[0013] Claim 5 is dependent on claim 4, wherein the display means is an illuminating member for illuminating a product sample room,
It blinks according to a signal from the control unit.

Claim 6 is dependent on claim 1 or 2,
A communication unit for transmitting a signal from the control unit to the management center is provided.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the versatility is high, so that it is possible to quickly respond and reduce the design cost as a security function of a wide-area vending machine that handles products that do not require cooking. Further, since the management center can confirm the fact of the mischief in a short time, it is possible to detect the party who performed the mischief.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which the front door of a vending machine to which the present invention is applied is opened. For example, it is assumed that canned beverages are sold.

In FIG. 3, the front door 101 opens and closes with the left side end of the vending machine as a support shaft. When setting columns, refilling canned beverages, etc., the front door 101 is unlocked and opened for normal sales. Sometimes it is locked and closed. Panel 1
A transparent resin plate 02 covers the sample chamber 103 provided on the front door 101. A plurality of canned beverage samples 104 corresponding to canned beverages handled by a vending machine
Are displayed in the sample chamber 103. Fluorescent light 105
The (illumination member) is provided for each row of the canned beverage sample 104, and illuminates the canned beverage sample 104. That is, the user can select a desired canned beverage to purchase by looking over a plurality of types of canned beverage samples 104 through the panel 102. The coin insertion slot 106 is a portion where a user inserts coins, and the inserted coins are supplied to a coin mechanism inside the vending machine. The bill insertion slot 107 is a part into which a user inserts a bill, and the inserted bill is supplied to a building bar inside the vending machine. The display unit 108 displays the inserted coin amount, the inserted bill amount, and the like. The product selection button 109 has a built-in lamp for selling and a lamp for selling out.
02. The vending lamp corresponds to the canned drink only when the canned beverage is stored in the column inside the vending machine when a user inserts a coin or inserts a bill for purchasing at least one canned beverage. Lights up. When a predetermined column inside the vending machine is emptied, the sold-out lamp always lights up corresponding to the canned beverage. Product selection button 109 with available lamp
When is pressed, the canned beverage corresponding to the canned beverage sample 104 is carried out to the commodity outlet 110. Return lever 1
Numeral 11 is for returning the inserted coin from the return port 112 or returning the change obtained by subtracting the canned beverage purchase amount from the inserted coin or inserted bill from the return port 112. The buzzer 113 (sound emitting means) notifies mischief from the commodity outlet 110.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which a front door of a vending machine to which the present invention is applied is opened.

In FIG. 4, a plurality of columns 201 accommodate canned beverages corresponding to the canned beverage sample 104. The plurality of commodity payout units 202 include the plurality of columns 20.
1 disposed at the lower part of each of them, for paying out canned beverages from the column 201 in accordance with a sales instruction and detecting the out-of-stock state of the column 201. Shoot 203
Is to carry out the canned beverage dispensed from the plurality of commodity dispensing sections 202 to the commodity outlet 108. Machine room 2
Reference numeral 04 includes a built-in evaporator, compressor, condenser, decompressor, heater, and the like for executing a refrigeration cycle. The light-emitting element 205 and the light-receiving element 206 (security sensor)
6 is fixed to the upper portion of both ends of the chute 203 so as to be supplied. That is, if a third party inserts a hand through the product outlet 110 in a state where the front door 101 is closed and the product dispensing unit 202 is not operating, the light emitting element 205 and the light receiving element 206 that should not be shut off originally The light path between them is interrupted. The cutoff output of the light receiving element 206 at this time is a basis for detecting mischief.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a security device for a vending machine according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, a main control unit 1 controls the vending machine, and includes a ROM, CPU, RA
M and a microcomputer including a peripheral circuit (timer, I / O port, etc.). Specifically, R
The OM is a program in which program data for integrally controlling a plurality of slave control units described later is stored in advance.
Is to comprehensively control a plurality of slave control units according to the result of decoding the program data read from the ROM,
The RAM is for writing or reading the results of calculations by the CPU and various data from a plurality of slave control units. In terms of hardware, a ROM is a mask ROM for burning and fixing data in a manufacturing process, an EPROM for repeatedly writing and reading data by erasing data with ultraviolet light, or an EEPROM for repeatedly writing and reading data by electrically erasing data.
M (including a flash memory). The CPU includes a program counter for designating the execution address of the ROM, an instruction decoder for decoding the contents read from the ROM, an arithmetic and logic unit for performing a logical operation, an accumulator for temporarily storing arithmetic data, and the like. The RAM is a volatile memory such as an SRAM. The coin processing control unit 2, the bill processing control unit 3, the customer service control unit 4, the sales control unit 5, and the input control unit 6 correspond to a plurality of sub-control units, and are the same ROMs as the main control unit 1 in hardware. , CPU, and RAM. The coin mechanism 7
It is provided with an out-of-change sensor that detects out-of-change, receives coins inserted from the coin insertion port 106, and returns change from the return port 112 as necessary. The coin processing control unit 2 controls the coin mechanism 7 to determine the denomination and true / false of the inserted coin, calculate the number of coins, store surplus coins in a safe,
The change is paid out. Building Bali 8
As with the coin mechanism 7, the system includes a bill-out sensor for detecting a bill-out, receives bills inserted from the bill insertion slot 107, and returns the bills from the bill insertion slot 107 as necessary. The banknote processing control unit 3 controls the building burr 8 to determine the denomination of the inserted banknote, whether the inserted banknote is true or false, calculate the number of denominations, and pay out bills. Note that the coin processing control unit 2 and the bill processing control unit 3 execute processing operations each time coin insertion and bill insertion are performed. The customer service unit 9 includes a fluorescent lamp 105, a display unit 108, a plurality of product selection buttons 109 provided corresponding to a plurality of types of canned beverage samples 104, a lamp indicating sale, discontinuation, and change of money. It is provided with. The customer service control unit 4 controls the customer service unit 9. That is, the customer service control unit 4 includes the main control unit 1
According to customer service instructions for canned beverage sales from
Lighting a lamp indicating that sales have been discontinued or running out of change, turning on a sellable lamp or sold out lamp for each drink sold, and detecting which one of the plurality of product selection buttons 109 has been pressed. Is transmitted to the main control unit 1. The selling mechanism 10 carries out a canned beverage desired by the user to the product outlet 110. The sales control unit 5 controls the sales mechanism 10 to carry out a desired product of the user to the product outlet 110 according to a sales instruction from the main control unit 1 in response to the detection signal from the customer service control unit 4. In particular, when the output of the light receiving element 206 indicates mischief, the sales control unit 5 outputs a control signal for sounding the buzzer 113 for a certain time. The remote controller 11 allows the worker to perform maintenance inside the vending machine (for example, “column setting” for associating the type and price of a product with each column, and “test sales” for confirming the payout of the product from each column).
, Etc.). Input control unit 6
Is for performing an interface between the main controller 1 and the remote controller 11 when performing maintenance inside the vending machine. That is, the input control unit 6 is supplied with a signal when the remote controller 11 is operated, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the signal.

The door switch 12 is provided on the back of the front door 101, and turns on and off in response to opening and closing of the front door 101. The output signal of the door switch 12 turns on when the front door 101 is opened and goes to a high level (logical value “1”), and turns off when the front door 101 is closed and goes to a low level (logical value “0”). And supplied to the main control unit 1.

The communication control unit 13 is provided for each vending machine, and communicates with a management center 14 that centrally manages the state (failure, sold out, out of change, etc.) of the vending machine in a specific area. Interface. The communication means may be any communication network that can be currently used, such as a LAN or the Internet.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining a security device for a vending machine according to the present invention.

First, when the power is turned on to the vending machine main body, the vending machine main body is initialized according to the result of decoding the initialization program data read from the ROM in the main control section 1. Then, the following processing is executed.

The main controller 1 determines whether the front door 101 is closed. More specifically, the main controller 1 determines whether or not the output signal of the door switch 12 has a logical value “0” (S1). When the main control unit 1 determines that the output signal of the door switch 12 has the logical value “0” (S
1: YES), assuming that the front door 101 is closed, supply the signal A for operating the light emitting element 205 and the light receiving element 206 (for supplying power) to the sales control unit 5. The sales control unit 5 sends the light-emitting element 205
And an optical path is formed between the light receiving element 206 (S
2). Next, the main controller 1 determines whether coin insertion or bill insertion has been performed. Specifically, the main control unit 1
Determines whether a coin insertion signal has been supplied from the coin processing control unit 2 or whether a bill insertion signal has been supplied from the bill processing control unit 3 (S3). Main control unit 1
Determines that neither the coin insertion signal nor the bill insertion signal is supplied (S3: NO), determines that the vending machine is in a standby state, and cuts off the optical path between the light emitting element 205 and the light receiving element 206. Determine whether it has been done. Specifically, the light emitting element 205 and the light receiving element 206
Is cut off, the output of the light receiving element 206 becomes low level. When the low level output of the light receiving element 206 is supplied at this time, the sales control unit 5 supplies the main control unit 1 with a signal B (logical value “0”) responsive thereto. Therefore, the main controller 1 determines whether or not the signal B has a logical value "0" (S4). When the main control unit 1 determines that the signal B has the logical value “0” (S4: YE
S), assuming that a mischief of inserting a hand or a foreign object from the commodity outlet 110 is being performed, a signal C for blinking the fluorescent lamp 105 is supplied to the customer service control unit 4. In accordance with the signal C, the customer service controller 4 blinks the fluorescent lamp 105 for a predetermined time to warn (S5). Next, the main control unit 1
The signal D for sounding the buzzer 113 is transmitted to the sales control unit 5.
To supply. In accordance with the signal D, the sales control unit 5 emits the buzzer 113 for a certain period of time to warn the user (S)
6). Next, the main controller 1 supplies a signal E for notifying the mischief to the management center 14 via the communication controller 13. The management center 14 can confirm the mischief in a short time (S7).

Returning to step S1, the main controller 1
Determines that the output signal of the door switch 12 has the logical value “1” (S1: NO), determines that the front door 101 is open, and determines that the light emitting element 205 and the light receiving element 206 are open.
To stop the operation (to stop the power supply)
The signal F is supplied to the sales control unit 5. The sales control unit 5 eliminates the optical path between the light emitting element 205 and the light receiving element 206 according to the signal F. Thus, when the worker performs maintenance inside the vending machine, the power consumption can be reduced (S8).

Returning to step S3, the main controller 1
When it is determined that at least one of the coin insertion signal and the bill insertion signal has been supplied (S3: YES), it is determined that the vending machine is in the sale state, and the commodity selection button 109
The signal G for selling the canned beverage corresponding to the pressing of the button is supplied to the sales control unit 5. The sales control unit 5 causes the user to carry out the canned beverage desired by the user to the product outlet 110 according to the signal G (S9).

It should be noted that any one of the steps S5, S6 and S7 may be selectively executed.

[0031]

According to the present invention, the versatility is high, and as a security function of a wide-range vending machine that handles products that do not need to be cooked, it can respond quickly and reduce the design cost. Can check the facts of the mischief in a short period of time, so that an advantage can be obtained that the party who performed the mischief can be caught.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a security device for a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a security device for a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state where a front door of a vending machine to which the present invention is applied is closed.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state where a front door of a vending machine to which the present invention is applied is opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main control part 4 Customer service control part 5 Sales control part 12 Door switch 13 Communication control part 14 Management center 105 Fluorescent lamp 110 Merchandise outlet 113 Buzzer 202 Merchandise payout part 203 Shoot 205 Light emitting element 206 Light receiving element

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine having a dispensing unit for dispensing commodities, and an outlet for extracting commodities from the dispensing unit, wherein the vending machine is provided on a commodity transport path between the dispensing unit and the outlet. A vending machine comprising: a security sensor; and a control unit that outputs a signal for notifying that a mischief is performed based on a detection output of the security sensor when the payout unit does not operate. Security equipment. 2. A switch for detecting opening and closing of a front door, wherein the control unit invalidates a detection output of the security sensor according to a detection output of the switch when the front door is opened. The security device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the security device is a vending machine. 3. The security device for a vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising: a sound emitting means for notifying that a mischief is performed in accordance with a signal from the control unit. 4. The security device for a vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for notifying that the user is mischievous in accordance with a signal from the control unit. 5. The security device for a vending machine according to claim 4, wherein said display means is an illumination member for illuminating a product sample room, and blinks according to a signal from said control unit. 6. A security device for a vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising communication means for transmitting a signal from said control unit to a management center.