JP3549275B2 - Vending machine control device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
[Industrial applications]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine control device that attaches a function of restricting a sale target, such as prohibition of underage sales, to an existing vending machine (hereinafter referred to as a vending machine).
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a vending machine equipped with a control device with a sales restriction function is known as a vending machine that handles products prohibited from being sold to minors such as sake and tobacco. In such vending machines, in place of ordinary money, commodities cannot be purchased unless sales identification tools such as cards, special coins, and keys in which age information is recorded in advance are inserted into the vending machines.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional vending machine control device as described above has the following problems. That is, the existing vending machines generally do not have the devices and functions for receiving the special cards and coins as described above. In addition, there is a problem that adding or modifying such a control function or replacing a vending machine is troublesome and expensive, and the burden on the vending machine owner is large. Another problem is that if a vending machine provided with the above-described control device is newly manufactured, the scale of the device is increased.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine control device that can easily add a sales restriction function using a card, a special coin, or the like to an existing vending machine.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A vending machine control device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a product detection switch that detects a product in a product discharge unit, a counter that counts the number of sales, and a control unit that controls the entire vending machine. When the product is detected by the product detection switch, the product is in a sellable state.When the product is sold, the signal of the counter is input to the control unit to count the number of product sales. For vending machines,
A reading unit that determines a sales identification tool that has been recognized to be available for sale , and a reading unit control unit that sends and receives signals to and from the control unit is provided in the reading unit.
When sold identification tool by said reading means is determined to be sold, said a salable state the state of the product detection switch by a signal reading means in the control unit, the product sales is completed, the signal from the counter The control unit in the reading unit receives the signal, and sets the state of the product detection switch to a sales prohibition state by a signal from the control unit in the reading unit .
[0006]
A control device for a vending machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is the control device for a vending machine according to the first aspect, wherein the control unit in the reading unit does not receive a signal from the counter within a predetermined time after the sale is enabled. The state of the commodity detection switch is set to a sales prohibition state by a signal from the control unit in the reading means .
[0007]
[Action]
According to the first aspect, when the sales identification tool used by the user when using the vending machine is determined to be available for sale by the reading unit, the control unit in the reading unit sets the state of the product detection switch to the sellable state. Since the sales prohibition is released, the vending machine is sold to the user. Further, if the sale is completed, receives an end signal of the product sold by the counter in the reading means in the control unit, the reading means within the control unit to the state of the goods detection switch ban state, prohibits the merchandise . Therefore, a sales restriction function using a sales identification tool such as a card or a special coin is easily added to an existing vending machine.
[0008]
According to the second aspect, in the vending machine control device according to the first aspect, when the counter does not detect the end of merchandise sales within a predetermined time after the vending machine becomes available for sale, the control unit in the reading means performs the sales. Without performing this, the state of the product detection switch is set to the sales prohibition state, and product sales are prohibited. Therefore, a sales restriction function is added to the vending machine in the same manner as in the first aspect, and the time in the standby state in which the vending machine can be sold can be further restricted.
[0009]
【Example】
FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment comprises an existing vending machine 7 and reading means 2 newly attached thereto. First, the existing vending machine 7 includes a control unit 5 for controlling the entire vending machine, a product detection switch 3, a counter 4, and a sellable display unit 6.
[0010]
The function of the commodity detection switch 3 is as follows in an existing vending machine. That is, a product detection switch is installed in a product unloading section (not shown), and while the product remains, the switch is closed and the product cannot be sold, and when the product is removed, the switch is opened and the product can be sold. Become. This is to prevent the next product from being carried out while the product remains in the carry-out port, thereby preventing collision or damage.
[0011]
Therefore, when the above-mentioned special card is inserted into a card reader or the like, if the switch is controlled to be in an open state, the vending machine can be put into a state in which merchandise can be sold. The present invention utilizes this operation. Next, the function of the counter 4 is a function of counting the number of sales in an existing vending machine. Each time a product is sold, a signal is input to the control unit, and the number of sales of the product is counted. That is, it is possible to detect whether or not the product has been sold based on the signal of the counter 4.
[0012]
Further, in order to add the above-mentioned sales restriction function to the existing vending machine 7, the device newly attached is the reading means 2 for receiving the card 1a or the special coin 1b. The reading unit 2 includes a reading unit control unit 8 that performs the above-described reading operation and exchanges signals with an existing vending machine. The card 1a and the special coin 1b cannot be purchased unless the age is over 20 years old, and the control means 8 in the reading means judges whether or not the card is recognized as being over 20 years old. A signal indicating this is sent to the selling operation prohibiting means 3 of the existing vending machine 7. In this embodiment, a card or a coin is used, but another special key or a card for reading recorded contents without contact may be used.
[0013]
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the main part according to this embodiment. The operation will be described with reference to FIG. First, in step S1, a signal for inserting a card or the like into the reading means 2 is awaited. When a card or the like is inserted (branch Y), the output from the reading unit 2 is controlled by the control unit 8 in the reading unit from the state in which the sales operation is prohibited by the open / close state of the product detection switch 3 which is the sales operation prohibiting unit. The state is switched to the state of no (step S2). In other words, contrary to the above-described operation state of the existing vending machine, if there is an input to the commodity detection switch 3, the commodity can be sold, so that the vending machine can perform a normal vending operation. Is purchased (step S3), and the process proceeds to step S4.
[0014]
In step S4, the control unit 5 of the existing vending machine 7 determines whether or not the vending operation has been completed. If the vending operation has been completed (branch Y), the control unit 8 reads the signal from the counter 4 described above. When receiving the above, the previous selling operation prohibition is returned from the absence to the existing state (step S6), and the reading means is reset (step S7).
[0015]
In step S4, if the selling operation has not been completed (branch N) and the predetermined time has not passed (branch N in step S5), the process waits for sales, and if the predetermined time has passed (branch Y), the process proceeds to step S6. Stop selling. During the operation described above, the user can determine whether or not the selling operation is possible by using the sellable display unit 6 such as lighting a sellable lamp.
[0016]
As described above, a vending machine that cannot determine whether or not it can be sold simply by attaching the control device that performs the above-described operation to the existing vending machine 7 becomes a vending machine that can sell products only to the sales target person without changing the control unit.
[0017]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, product can be sold can either identify fitted with a control device provided with reading means such as a card to existing vending machines, since the use of the product detection switch and the counter of the existing vending machine, no change of the control unit of the existing vending machine By simply adding a simple control device, a vending machine that cannot determine whether or not it can be sold can be changed to a vending machine that can determine whether a product can be sold.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a vending machine control device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of a main part based on the invention of FIG. 1;
1a ... Card, 1b ... Special coin, 2 ... Reading means, 3 ... Product detection switch, 4 ... Counter, 5 ... Control unit, 6 ... Sellable display unit, 7 ... Existing vending machine, 8 ... Control unit in reading unit.

Claims (2)

It has a product detection switch that detects the product in the product unloading section, a counter that counts the number of sales, and a control unit that controls the entire vending machine. When the product is detected by the product detection switch, sales are prohibited. In a vending machine control device, when a product is not detected by a product detection switch, the product is ready for sale, and at the time of product sale, the signal of the counter is input to the control unit and the number of product sales is counted .
A reading unit that determines a sales identification tool that has been recognized to be available for sale , and a reading unit control unit that sends and receives signals to and from the control unit is provided in the reading unit.
When sold identification tool by said reading means is determined to be sold, said a salable state the state of the product detection switch by a signal reading means in the control unit, the product sales is completed, the signal from the counter A control device for a vending machine , wherein the control unit in a reading unit receives the signal, and sets a state of the commodity detection switch to a sales prohibition state by a signal from the control unit in the reading unit . If the control unit in the reading unit does not receive a signal from the counter within a predetermined time after the sale is enabled, the state of the product detection switch is changed by the signal from the control unit in the reading unit. 2. The vending machine control device according to claim 1, wherein the vending machine is in a sales prohibition state .

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