JP3624669B2 - Vending machine sales control method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vending machine that sells cans, bottles, paper packs, cup products with lids, and the like.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As the vending machine described in the head, inside the case of the main body case equipped with an outer door with a product outlet on the front side (perspective door) and an inner door with a product outlet leading to the product outlet (perspective door), A product storage rack in which a plurality of columns for storing products arranged in a line in the front and rear are arranged in the upper and lower stages and the left and right rows, an XY transport mechanism arranged in front of the product storage rack, and an X-axis transport unit of the XY transport mechanism Equipped with the bucket unit mounted on the machine, starts the XY transport mechanism based on the sales order, accesses the front of the column where the bucket unit is selected, and transfers the product dispensed from the column at this access position into the bucket In addition, vending machines are known in which they are sent to a product outlet.
[0003]
In the vending machine, at the position where the bucket unit is accessed to the column of the product storage rack, power is transmitted from the bucket unit side to the product delivery mechanism (pusher mechanism and gate mechanism) of the column to deliver the product. As described above, Japanese Patent Application No. 9-322728 has been previously proposed by the same applicant as the present invention in which a power source for a product dispensing mechanism is incorporated in a bucket unit.
[0004]
3 and 4 are overall configuration diagrams of the vending machine manufactured based on the above proposal. In the drawing, 1 is a main body case of a vending machine, 2 is a see-through outer door provided with a product take-out port 2a at the lower front part, 3 is a see-through inner door provided with a flapper 3a at a product take-out port leading to the product take-out port 2a, 4 Is a product storage rack constructed by arranging drawer-type columns 5 that are arranged in a line in the front and back for each column, arranged in upper and lower rows and left and right rows, 5a is the gate of column 5, and 6 is the product dispensed from column 5. A receiving bucket unit, 7 is an XY transport mechanism in which the bucket unit 6 is mounted and moves in the vertical and horizontal directions between the product storage rack 4 and the inner door 3, and 8 is a product selection keyboard (tenkey type) 9 , A display panel, a coin mechanism, an operation panel equipped with a bill validator, and the like, 10 is a coin return slot.
[0005]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the XY transport mechanism 7. The XY transport mechanism is a combination of an X-axis transport unit 7x and a Y-axis transport unit 7y, and the bucket unit 6 is an X-axis transport. It is mounted on the portion 7x and supported so as to be movable in the X-axis direction along a guide rail laid on the bottom thereof. 7x-1 is an X-axis motor, 7x-2 is a timing belt spanned between the X-axis motor 7x-1 and the bucket unit 6 along the X-axis direction, and 7x-3 is a moving path of the bucket unit 6. A bucket guide frame provided on the front surface of the X-axis transport unit 7x, 7y-1 is a Y-axis motor, 7y-2 is a timing belt in the Y-axis direction, and 7y-3 is a balancer.
[0006]
With this configuration, the bucket unit 6 moves in the X and Y axis directions by driving the X axis transport unit 7x and the Y axis transport unit 7y. In addition, as a position detection means when the bucket unit 6 accesses the designated column from the standby position, a position detection plate laid along the longitudinal direction of the X-axis transport unit 7x and the Y-axis transport unit 7y is used. , The X-axis transport unit 7x is provided with a stop position sensor (photo interrupter), and at the time of sale, based on a signal from the stop position sensor, the column position where the bucket unit 6 is selected by a command from a control unit (not shown), And it is made to move to the standby position (home position) facing the product outlet.
[0007]
Next, the structure of the bucket unit 6 is shown in FIG. In the figure, 11 is a box-shaped bucket case, 12 is a belt conveyor for product delivery laid on the bottom of the bucket case 11, 12a is a belt conveyor motor, and 13 is a flapper (contained in the bucket) provided in front of the bucket case 11. 13a is a return spring (torsion coil spring) that urges the flapper 13 in the closing direction, and 14 is a flapper 13. Open / close detection switch 15, a product detection switch 15 for detecting a product delivered from the product storage column and transferred to the bucket unit 6, 15 a for an actuator of the switch, and 16 for taking in the product spanned to the middle position on the rear surface of the bucket case 11. , 17 is a timing belt for transmission connection between the conveyance roller 16 and the drive motor 12a, 18 is A connecting gear (gear for transmitting power to the product dispensing mechanism of the product storage column) arranged so as to protrude from the rear surface of the rack case 11 and transmitted to the conveyance roller 17, and 19 projects from the rear surface of the rack case 11. Pin pusher that opens and closes the gate mechanism of the storage column, 19a is a feed screw of the pin pusher 19, 19b is a pusher motor, and 20 is a product stopper that spans the upper front of the rack case 11 (the product taken in the bucket is controlled in a standing posture) 21), a stop position sensor (a sensor for detecting the stop position of the bucket unit 6 that moves along the X-axis transport portion of the XY transport mechanism (see FIG. 5)), and 22 a guide roller for the bucket unit 6. is there.
[0008]
With this configuration, when the bucket unit 6 moves from the standby position (home position) based on the sales command and accesses the position of the product storage column selected by the customer, first, the pusher motor 19b is started to project the pin pusher 19 to store the product. The gate 5a of the column 5 is opened. In conjunction with the advancement of the pin pusher 19, the connecting gear 18 projects rearward and meshes with the drive gear of the column-side product delivery mechanism. Next, the conveyor motor 12a is started, the power is transmitted to the column-side product delivery mechanism, and the products arranged in the front row are delivered from the column to the bucket unit 6.
[0009]
Here, when the product dispensed from the column enters the inside of the bucket case 11 (the product is pushed forward from the rear and falls into the forward tilted posture), the product detection switch 15 is activated, and the pin pusher is based on this switch operation signal. 19 is retracted to close the column gate 5a (see FIG. 4). Subsequently, the Y-axis transport unit 7y of the XY transport mechanism 7 (see FIG. 5) is slightly lifted to scoop up the product with the transport roller 16, and the product is taken into the bucket case 11 by the feeding operation of the transport roller 16. . In this case, the upper part of the product leans against the product stopper 20 of the bucket unit 6, and the bottom surface is pushed forward by the feeding of the conveying roller 16 to deepen the posture from the forward leaning posture to the standing posture. When it comes off, it falls in a standing posture and lands on the belt conveyor 12. When the product placed on the belt conveyor 12 is sent forward and the bucket flapper 13 is pushed from the inside, the bucket flapper 13 is slightly opened and the open / close detection switch 14 is reversed. To stop.
[0010]
In this state, the tip of the bucket flapper 13 does not hit the edge of the bucket guide frame 7x-3 of the X-axis transport unit 7x shown in FIG. That is, the bucket guide frame 7x-3 is provided with a notch and a sub shooter so that the bucket flapper 13 can be opened only at a position corresponding to the home position of the bucket unit 6, and this home position is the column of the product storage rack 4. In the access position to the column, the bucket flapper 13 is constrained to a half-open state to hold the product in the bucket case 11.
[0011]
When the bucket unit 6 reaches the home position leading to the product outlet 2a (see FIGS. 3 and 4) by the transport operation of the XY transport mechanism 7, the conveyor motor 12a is started again to rotate the belt conveyor 12. The product is carried out from the bucket unit 6 to the product take-out port 2a while pushing open the bucket flapper 13 and the flapper 3a provided in the product carry-out port (see FIG. 4) of the inner door 3. Further, when the product is carried out to the product take-out port 2a, the bucket flapper 13 returns to the closed position and the opening / closing detection switch 14 returns, so that the conveyor motor 12a is stopped by this operation signal and a series of sales operations is completed. To do. Note that this series of sales operations is performed by a program command from a sales control unit (not shown).
[0012]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, there is no problem when selling can products, paper pack products, etc. with the above-mentioned vending machines. However, when cup products with a lid (beverage products) are sold, the cups are in the middle of the transport route as described below. The lid may come off from the container, which may cause sales trouble.
[0013]
Here, a cup product with a lid is made as a thin plastic molded product on the top of a cup container (the upper surface of the cup container is sealed with aluminum foil or the like so as not to spill out). The lid (with a hole for inserting a straw formed on the top of the lid) is covered, and a straw is inserted into the lid so that drinks can be taken. The lid is attached to the cup container so that it can be easily removed. It is fitted.
[0014]
If this cup product with a lid is sold by the vending machine described above, the lid 23b of the cup product 23 with a lid hits various places on the way of the product transport path from the column 5 of the product storage rack to the product outlet 2a. In some cases, the cup container 23a is detached from the cup container 23a, and only the cup container is carried out to the commodity outlet 2 with the lid removed.
As described above, when the lid 23b is removed in the course of the conveyance path, only the cup container 23a may be carried out to the product take-out port 2a, which gives the customer distrust. The lid 23b removed from the cup container 23a falls into the bucket case and is placed on the belt conveyor 12 (in this case, the lid can be discharged together with the cup container to the product outlet by the conveyor). There are various behaviors, such as dropping outside and falling into the machine, but when the removed lid falls on the rail of the X-axis transport unit 7x (see FIG. 5) of the XY transport mechanism, The sales trouble described below occurs.
[0015]
Next, the occurrence situation of this sales trouble will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 (a) and 7 (b). In FIG. 7B, X1, X2,. . Xn represents the stop position of the bucket unit 6 corresponding to the columns arranged in the left and right rows. Here, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), the lid 23b of the cup product with the lid is removed from the cup container in the previous selling operation and is placed on the X-axis transport unit 7x of the XY transport mechanism 7 (for example, the standby position). If it falls to the bucket unit 6 that is stopped at (home position), and if the product in the column lined up in the leftmost column is selected in the next sale, the X-axis as shown in FIG. 7 (b) In the process of driving the transport unit 7x and moving the bucket unit 6 to the left from the standby position toward the stop position X1, the lid 23b on which the bucket unit 6 has been dropped is pushed. As a result, the lid 23b is sandwiched between the bucket unit 6 and the Y-axis transport portion 7y (left rail portion) at a position before the bucket unit 6 reaches the designated column (X1), and the bucket unit 6 is locked at this position. End up.
[0016]
In this case, in the conventional vending machine, when the bucket unit 6 does not reach the selected column within the specified time after the start of the XY transport mechanism 7 (the position detection sensor described above does not operate). In the current situation, it is determined that an abnormality (failure) has occurred, and the vending machine is immediately stopped selling, and sales are resumed after the fallen objects are removed by in-flight inspection by an administrator. The same applies to the case where the bucket unit 6 becomes inaccessible to some columns due to some foreign matter falling on the XY transport mechanism other than the lid removed from the cup product 23 with lid.
[0017]
By the way, in the abnormal state of FIG. 7B, the bucket unit 6 cannot access the column (X1) in the left end column, but can access the columns located in the columns (X2 to Xn) in the range excluding the left end column. It is. Nevertheless, if the vending machine is immediately stopped, the sales chance is lost and the operating efficiency of the vending machine decreases.
[0018]
The present invention has been considered in view of the above points, and copes with a sales trouble that occurs when a lid that has been removed at the time of selling a cup product with a lid falls on the XY transport mechanism. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine sales control method and apparatus capable of resuming product sales under sales restrictions.
[0019]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to the sales control method of the present invention, a plurality of products that store products in a line in the front-rear direction in a main body case having an outer door with a product outlet on the front and an inner door. Equipped with product storage racks with columns arranged in upper and lower columns, left and right rows, XY transport mechanism arranged in front of the product storage rack, and bucket unit mounted on the X-axis transport part of the XY transport mechanism Based on the command, the XY transport mechanism is started so that the bucket unit is accessed in front of the column selected from the standby position, and the product dispensed from the column is transferred into the bucket and then delivered to the product outlet. In the vending machine
If the bucket unit cannot be moved to the column selected at the time of product sales due to a fallen foreign object in the machine, the column located in the inaccessible range is stopped after returning the bucket unit to the standby position, and other access is possible As a specific aspect, when the bucket unit does not reach the selected column within a specified time when selling the product, the bucket unit is placed in the standby position. Then, the same movement operation is performed again, and the column located in the range where the bucket unit is inaccessible by this movement operation is stopped (claim 2).
[0020]
Further, the sales control device for carrying out the sales control method is caused by means for detecting the access position of the bucket unit corresponding to each column of the product storage rack and the fallen foreign matter in the machine at the time of product sales. Means for discriminating between a column located in an inaccessible range and a column located in an accessible range based on a signal from the position detecting means when the bucket unit cannot move to a selected column; Based on the determination result of the determination means, there is provided means for stopping the sales of the column located in the inaccessible range (claim 3).
[0021]
According to the sales control method and apparatus described above, a sales trouble that prevents the bucket unit from accessing the designated column when selling the product, such as a lid that has been removed at the time of selling the cup product with the lid dropped onto the XY transport mechanism. If this happens, you can sell the product in the remaining accessible columns, which improves the operating efficiency of the vending machine.
[0022]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the examples shown in FIGS.
First, a block diagram of the sales control system is shown in FIG. Here, the ROM (storage unit) 24 stores a control program necessary for the processing operation of the CPU 25, and the control unit 25 performs a series of operations according to a predetermined program procedure in accordance with a sales command from the product selection keyboard 26. The sales operation is executed, the product selected by the customer is dispensed from the column and taken out to the product outlet. Here, the position of the XY transport mechanism 7 is detected by the X-axis position sensors 27x and 27y. The RAM 28 is a storage unit for writing a column inaccessible by the bucket unit 6 at the time of sale as will be described later, and displays the sales stop column on the display unit 29. The display unit 29 is a sold-out lamp provided on the operation panel 8 (see FIG. 3). However, the display unit 29 is not limited to the lamp, and may be a liquid crystal display or a voice guide.
[0023]
Next, taking the product sales described in FIG. 7 as an example, the sales dealing with the sales trouble when the lid 23b removed from the cup container falls on the X-axis transport unit 7x during the sales operation of the cup product with the lid. The control method will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
That is, when the XY transport mechanism is started (step S2) based on the product selection (step S1) command, it is determined whether or not the bucket unit has reached the selection column in step S3. (See FIG. 2) The detection signal (see FIG. 2) is taken in and determined, and when the selected column is reached, it is determined that there is no abnormality, the sales operation is continued in the next step S4, and the product is carried out to the product outlet (step S5). ).
[0024]
On the other hand, the lid that has been removed from the cup product with the lid at the time of the previous sale falls on the X-axis transport section and becomes the state of FIG. 7A, so that even if the specified time elapses in step S3 If the bucket unit does not reach the position of the selected column (when the commodity in the column located in the leftmost column is selected as described in FIG. 7B), the bucket unit is temporarily moved to the standby position (home) in step S6. After returning to the position), the same operation as step S2 is performed again in step S7 (retry operation). If the lid dropped by the retry operation is removed from the X-axis transport unit and the bucket unit reaches the selected column, the process returns from step S8 to step S4 to continue the sales operation.
[0025]
On the other hand, if the bucket unit does not move to the selected column within the specified time even in the retry operation of step S7, the column where the bucket unit is lined in the inaccessible range in step S9 (in the example of FIG. 7B, the left end stop) Only the vertical column corresponding to the position X1 is stopped, and this state is displayed as “sold out” on the display unit of FIG. 2, and the process returns to step S1 to resume the sales of the vending machine. As a result of the resumption of sales, products in the remaining columns accessible by the bucket unit can be sold, except for the columns whose sales were suspended in step S9. Although not shown in the drawing for ease of understanding, a refund operation is executed when a product is not selected within a predetermined time after sales are resumed.
[0026]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the sales control method and apparatus of the present invention, the foreign matter such as the lid removed from the cup container during the selling operation of the cup product with the lid falls on the XY transport mechanism, and this fallen foreign matter Even if the bucket unit cannot be moved to the designated product storage column at the next sale due to an obstacle, the bucket unit is inaccessible without immediately judging the failure and stopping the vending machine immediately. Sales of only the columns located in the column can be stopped, and other columns can be sold, and vending machines can be restarted. This makes it possible to sell products without missing sales opportunities and improve the operating rate of vending machines. Can be planned.
[Brief description of the drawings]
1 is a time chart showing a sales control method according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a sales control system for performing sales control in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a front view of a vending machine that is an object of implementation of the present invention. 4 is an external view showing an open state of the outer door of the vending machine shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a structural perspective view of the XY transport mechanism in FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a detailed structure of the bucket unit in FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a sales trouble when a lid removed from a cup product with a lid falls on an XY transport mechanism, and (a) shows that the lid falls on the X-axis transport unit. (B) is a diagram showing the state when moving the bucket unit toward the selected column in the leftmost column at the time of next product sale.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body case 2 Outer door 2a Product outlet 3 Inner door 4 Product storage rack 5 Column 6 Bucket unit 7 XY conveyance mechanism 7x X-axis conveyance part 7y Y-axis conveyance part 23 Cup product 23a with a lid Cup container 23b Lid

Claims (2)

A product storage rack in which a plurality of columns for storing products arranged in a line in the front and rear are arranged in the upper and lower rows and the left and right rows in the main body case with an outer door with a product outlet on the front, arranged in front of the product storage rack XY transport mechanism, and a bucket unit mounted on the X-axis transport portion of the XY transport mechanism, and the XY transport mechanism is started based on the sales command and the bucket unit is selected from the standby position. In a vending machine that has access to the front and the product dispensed from the column is transferred into the bucket and then delivered to the product outlet, the bucket unit was selected when the product was sold due to falling foreign matter in the machine. If you cannot move to the column, return the bucket unit to the standby position, stop selling the column located in the inaccessible range, and sell other columns. Sales control method for an automatic vending machine, characterized in that to resume sales. 2. The sales control method according to claim 1, wherein when the bucket unit does not reach the selected column within a specified time during product sales, the same movement operation is performed again after returning the bucket unit to the standby position. A sales control method for a vending machine, characterized in that a column located in an inaccessible range of the bucket unit is stopped.

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