JP3362571B2 - Vending machine control device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for an automatic vending machine (hereinafter referred to as a vending machine) that sells products with a expiration date such as a shelf life.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a control device for a vending machine that sells a product with a sales deadline, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-271891 is known.
There is a gazette. In this application, the date, the number of replenishments, and the sales deadline are stored in the vending machine when the products are stored, and the sales deadline of the next product to be sold is compared with the current date from the subsequent sales.
There is disclosed a device in which when the expiration date is reached, the product in the column (product storage shelf) is displayed as a sale stop on the display device, and the expired product can be carried out by operating the payout switch. Also known is a device capable of displaying the number of products in stock and the number of days remaining until the sales deadline.

[0003]

However, the conventional control device has the following problems. That is, as described above, the conventional control device suspends the sale or pays out after the expiration actually occurs. Therefore, in order to prevent the expiration from happening in advance, the maintenance inspector made a sales forecast by displaying the number of days remaining until expiration and the number of stocks. In other words, it takes time and effort to replenish products that are not selling well because they must be replenished frequently in small amounts.

When the prediction does not match the actual situation,
As a result of extra product replenishment, expiration could occur. An object of the present invention is to provide a control device for a vending machine, which can minimize the number of times of product replenishment and prevent the expiration of sales.

[0005]

A control device for a vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention is an automatic vending machine that sells products with a sales deadline in the order in which they are replenished in a column, and is stored in a storage means each time a product is sold. The number of replenished products is subtracted from the oldest replenishment time, and at the time of day change, the sales deadline stored in the storage means is compared with the replenishment time, and the products in the column containing the expired products are stored. In a vending machine equipped with a control unit for stopping sales, confirmation instruction means for instructing the display of the number of stocks and the remaining period, a display means for displaying a forecast of sold-out, and the stored products have not reached the sales deadline,
When the number of sales sold from the previous replenishment time to the present is less than the reference number of sales, the control unit causes the display unit to display the sold-out forecast when the confirmation instruction unit gives an instruction.

The controller for the vending machine according to the second aspect of the present invention is the controller for the vending machine according to the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the standard sales number is a value obtained by dividing the product of the full storage number of the column and the number of days elapsed from the previous refilling date by the sales deadline. A control device for a vending machine according to the invention 3 is an automatic vending machine that sells products with a sales deadline in the order in which they are replenished in a column, and each time the product is sold, the replenishment number stored in the storage means has an old replenishment time. Automatically equipped with a control unit that subtracts in order and compares the sales deadline and the replenishment time stored in the storage means at the time of daily change, and stops the sale of the product in the column containing the expired product In the vending machine, the sales number storage means for storing the number of sales from the product replenishment date, the confirmation instruction means for instructing the display of the stock number and the remaining deadline, the display means for displaying the replenishment number, and the stored goods by the sales deadline. When it reaches, the number of sales sold from the previous replenishment date to the sales deadline is stored in the sales number storage means, and when the confirmation instruction means gives an instruction, the sales number is displayed as an appropriate replenishment number. And a control unit for displaying on.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the control unit gives an instruction by the confirmation instructing means when the stored goods have not reached the sales deadline and the number of sales sold from the previous replenishment time to the present is less than the reference sales quantity. When there is, the forecast of sold-out is displayed on the display means. Therefore, it is possible to predict that the product will be sold out based on the sales record, so that the number of times the product is replenished can be minimized to prevent the expiration of the product.

According to the second aspect of the invention, in the control device of the first aspect of the invention, the standard sales quantity is a value obtained by dividing the product of the full storage quantity of the column and the number of days elapsed from the last refill date by the sales deadline. Can be sold out. According to the third aspect of the invention, the control unit, when the stored product reaches the sales deadline,
The number of sales sold from the previous replenishment date to the sales deadline is stored in the number-of-sales storage means, and when there is an instruction from the confirmation instruction means, the number of sales is displayed on the display means as an appropriate number of replenishment. Therefore, since the proper replenishment number at the time of the next replenishment can be known from the sales record, the number of replenishment of products can be minimized to prevent the expiration of the sales period.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of inventions 1 to 3. 1 is C for controlling the entire apparatus
A PU is connected to a ROM 2 for storing a control program, a RAM 3 for storing various data such as product replenishment data, and a clock 4 for timing.

5, 6 and 7 are means for inputting the number of stored products, and the like, 5 is a keyboard for inputting the number of replenished products and the sales deadline, and 6 is the number of stored products when the column is full. A preset switch for notifying the CPU 1 of completion of storage after inputting with the keyboard 5, and 7 is a loading port sensor provided at a loading port of a column for counting the number of loaded products. Reference numeral 8 denotes a confirmation start switch for confirming the sales deadline of the product, the number of stocks, etc. By this operation, data is displayed on the confirmation display device 9.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a pay-out start switch for paying out a product whose sales deadline has expired. By this operation, the product pay-out device 11 carries out the expired product. Reference numeral 12 denotes a non-sale display section using a lamp or the like, for displaying the non-sale of a product whose sale period has expired. (1) Inventions 1 and 2 FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the essential parts of Inventions 1 and 2. The operation will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when the CPU 1 detects that the column has been fully replenished in the column and the preset switch 6 has been pressed (branch Y in step S101), the number of days a elapsed from the commodity replenishment date stored in the RAM 3 is set. It is cleared to zero (step S102). When the preset switch 6 is not pressed (branch N in step S101), the process directly proceeds to step S103.

In step S103, the CPU 1 determines by the clock 4 whether or not there is a daily change. If yes (branch Y), one day is added to the elapsed days a, and if not (branch N), the process directly proceeds to step S105. Next, the CPU 1 determines whether or not the sales deadline has been input by the keyboard 5 and stored in the RAM 3 (step S10).
5) If stored (branch Y), the process proceeds to step S106; otherwise (branch N), the process proceeds to step S113.

In step S113, it is determined that the sales deadline control is unnecessary or the sales are good, the sold-out lamp is turned off, and the process returns to step S101. When the sales deadline is stored in the previous step S105 (branch Y), the CPU 1 judges whether the full number has been input by the keyboard 5 and stored in the RAM 3 (step S106), and if it is stored (branch Y). Y) The process proceeds to step S107, and otherwise (branch N), the process proceeds to step S113.

In step S107, the CPU 1 determines whether or not the number of days a elapsed from the product replenishment date, which is stored in the RAM 3, has reached the expiration date, and if so (branch Y), it is determined that the sales expiration has occurred. Then, the sold-out lamp is turned on (step S114), the sale is disabled, and the process returns to step S101. When the sales deadline has not been reached (branch N in step S107), the process proceeds to step S108.

In step S108, the CPU 1 calculates a sales pace Z for avoiding the expiration of sales. That is, Z = (full storage number) × (elapsed days a) /
If it is (sales deadline), it indicates the standard sales volume from the full storage date to the present. In step S109, the CPU 1 compares the above-mentioned sales pace Z with the number of product sales b from the replenishment date, and when the number of product sales b is equal to or more than the above-mentioned sales pace (branch N), determines that the sales are good, The sold-out lamp is turned off (step S113), and the process returns to step S101. Otherwise (step S
109 branch Y) The CPU 1 determines that the sale is not good, and prepares to blink the sold-out lamp of the confirmation display device 9 (step S110) and proceeds to step S111.

In step S111, the CPU 1 determines whether or not the confirmation activation switch 8 has been pressed. When it is pressed (branch Y), the sold-out lamp blinks (step S112), and when it is not pressed (step S112). Branch N) Return to step S101. Through the above operation, it is possible to display the prediction that the sales expiration has occurred before the expiration of the product. (2) About Invention 3 FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the main part of invention 3. The operation will be described with reference to FIG.

In Inventions 1 and 2, the number of days a since the replenishment date is a
Has reached the sales deadline (branch Y in step S107 of FIG. 2), that is, when the sales deadline has occurred,
In the next step S114, the sold-out lamp is turned on to prohibit sale. However, the progress of sales until the expiration of sales is not used as predictive data for the next product replenishment. On the other hand, in Invention 3, a step is added in which the actual sales number b until the date when the elapsed days a become the same as the sales deadline is stored and displayed as the proper storage number at the time of the next product replenishment. ing.

That is, the flow chart of the invention 3 is that after the branch Y of the step S107 of the inventions 1 and 2 (FIG. 2),
It has a configuration in which steps S214 to S218 are added. The operations of the other steps are the same as those of the first and second inventions. First, in step S214, the CPU 1 determines whether or not the sale has just expired today, that is, whether the number of elapsed days a is equal to the sale deadline, and if so (branch Y), the number of sold products b is stored in the RAM 3. (Step S215), otherwise (branch N), the process proceeds to step S216.

In step S216, the CPU 1 determines that the sales expiration has occurred, lights the sold-out lamp, stops the sales, and proceeds to step S217. In step S217,
The CPU 1 determines whether or not the confirmation start switch 8 has been pressed, and if it has been pressed (branch Y), the confirmation display device is the product sales number b when the sales expiration has occurred as the next appropriate replenishment number (full accommodation number). 9, and if not pressed, the process directly returns to step S201.

As a result of the above operation, when the sales expiration has occurred, the next proper supplement data is displayed. Further, the above-described operation is performed for all product columns, only the good-selling columns are preset when the products are replenished, and the other columns are disabled even if the preset switch is pressed. In this way, the maintenance inspector, when replenishing the product, pushes the confirmation start switch to replenish the product only in the column where the lamp is off, and presses the preset switch to properly replenish the product.

[0022]

According to the first aspect of the invention, since the device displays the expected occurrence based on the actual sales data before the expiration of the sale, the expiration can be prevented in advance, and unnecessary product replenishment is possible. You can save time and effort. According to the invention 2,
When the sales expiration has occurred, the next appropriate replenishment number can be displayed, so maintenance staff can set the full storage number as the proper replenishment number from the next replenishment, and the accuracy of sales expiration prevention can be set. Can be further enhanced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing a control device for a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation based on inventions 1 and 2.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an operation according to the invention 3.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... CPU, 2 ... ROM, 3 ... RAM, 4 ... Clock, 5 ...
Keyboard, 6 ... Preset switch, 7 ... Inlet sensor, 8 ... Confirmation start switch, 9 ... Confirmation display device, 10
... Payment start switch, 11 ... Merchandise payout device, 12 ...
Unavailable for sale display.

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A vending machine that sells products with a sales deadline in the order in which they are replenished in a column, each time a product is sold,
The number of replenished products stored in the storage means is subtracted from the oldest replenishment time, and at the time of day change, the sales deadline and the replenishment time stored in the storage means are compared to store the expired products. In a vending machine equipped with a control unit that suspends the sale of products in a certain column, a confirmation instruction means for instructing the display of the number of stocks and the deadline, a display means for displaying the forecast of sold-out, If the number of sales sold from the previous replenishment time to the present is less than the standard sales quantity, the controller has a control unit for displaying the sold-out forecast on the display unit when instructed by the confirmation instruction unit. A control device for a vending machine, which is characterized in that 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the standard sales number is a product of a column's full storage number and the number of days elapsed from the previous refill date divided by the sales deadline. Vending machine controller. 3. A vending machine that sells products with a sales deadline in the order in which they are replenished in a column, each time the product is sold,
The number of replenished products stored in the storage means is subtracted from the oldest replenishment time, and at the time of day change, the sales deadline and the replenishment time stored in the storage means are compared to store the expired products. In a vending machine equipped with a control unit for stopping the sale of the product in the column, a sales quantity storage means for storing the sales quantity from the product replenishment date, a confirmation instruction means for instructing the display of the inventory quantity and the remaining deadline, There is a display means for displaying the number of replenishments, and when the stored product reaches the sales deadline, the number of sales sold from the previous refill date to the sales deadline is stored in the sales quantity storage means, and then there is an instruction from the confirmation instruction means. When
A controller for an automatic vending machine, comprising: a control unit for displaying the number of sales as an appropriate number of supplements on a display means.