JPH021093A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute a discount service for a customer to purchase pieces of goods in the mass by making a certain piece of selling goods corresponding to a prescribed value into a free piece of goods when a selling frequency or a selling amount reaches the prescribed value in a one-time selling operation. CONSTITUTION:The value of N (example:10) is previously set as a discount set number with a ten key 6 for setting discount selling. When a credit counter 1 is inserted into a counter receiver 3, and the pieces of goods are to be purchased in the mass, a goods selecting button 4 is pressed again continuously. The credit counter 1 counts up whenever one piece of goods is purchased, and when the number of the pieces of the selling goods reaches 10, a CPU7 resets the number of the pieces of the selling goods N=10 of a counting part 7a to 0 and takes out the pieces of the selling goods by a driving circuit V. At this time, the credit counter never counts up. In this manner, the selling of the N-th piece of goods corresponding to the previously set discount set number N is never counted, and one piece of goods is given to the customer for free as the discount service.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] This invention relates to a vending machine that sells items other than cash using a credit counter or magnetic card.

[Prior Art] One of the sales methods that do not use cash is a sales method using a credit counter. In FIG. 4, when the credit counter 1 is inserted into the counter holder 3 of the vending machine 2, the credit counter 1 is electrically connected to the internal control unit of the vending machine 2 and is ready for sales. Then, when the product selection button 4 is pressed, the selected product is sold and the value on the counter display section tX of the tallytte counter 1 is counted up by one. The price for the product is to be paid in bulk at a later date according to the count value on the counter display section 1x. If the credit counter 1 is not used, it is possible to purchase with cash by inserting coins into the coin slot 5 in the same way as in a normal vending machine.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, this type of credit-based vending machine is generally installed in workplaces, etc., and mainly sells to specific customers. Therefore, it is desirable that services such as price discounts be applied to customers who purchase in bulk, but conventional vending machines do not offer such services.

This invention was made to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide a vending machine having a discount function for bulk purchases.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The vending machine of the present invention allows the sale of products by inserting a frequency/amount memory A that stores the sales frequency or sales amount, and stores the sales frequency or sales amount depending on the sold product. In a vending machine in which the sales amount is written in the frequency/amount storage body A by the frequency/amount writing means B, there is provided a frequency/amount count for counting the sales frequency or sales amount of a product in one sales operation. means C; count value determination means for determining whether or not the count value M by the frequency/amount counting means C has reached a preset set value N; and the count value determination means determines whether the sales frequency or a writing stop means E for stopping writing of the sales frequency or sales amount in the frequency/amount storage body A for the sale when the counted value M of the sales amount reaches the set value N; .

[Operations] According to the above configuration, the above setting value N is set for the vending machine, and when each person inserts the number/amount storage body A held by each person into the vending machine, the sale is permitted; When the product is sold, the sales frequency/amount is recorded using frequency/amount writing method B.
The frequency or amount is added and written to the amount memory A, but at this time, the sales frequency or amount is added and written in one sales operation, that is, in a sales operation with the frequency/amount memory A being inserted into the vending machine. Amount is frequency/amount counting method C
It is determined by the count value determining means whether the counted value M has reached the set value N, and based on this determination, when the counted value M has reached the set value N, a write is made. The inclusion stopping means E stops writing the frequency or amount into the frequency/amount storage A for the sale.

[Embodiment] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram showing an embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention.

1 is a credit counter as a number storage body,
Inside, there is a counter coil la for driving a counter for counting the number of sales, a shorting wire tb for detecting insertion, and a connecting pin l to which each of the elements 1a, 1b is connected.
c. Reference numeral 3 designates the counter support section, which includes a connector 3C that fits with the connection pin lc of the credit counter 1. 4 is the product selection button mentioned above. 6 is a numeric keypad for setting discount sales, and when N products are purchased in bulk in one sale, the credit counter 1 is used to prevent the count-up for the N-th product.In this discount function, This is to set the value of N as the discount setting number in advance, and in this embodiment, N=toi is set. (2) is a sales mechanism drive circuit that carries out the product selected by the product selection button 4.

7 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that centrally controls this vending machine, and internally it stores the number M of sales in one sale.
and a determining section 7b that determines whether the sales number M has reached the predetermined number N. The counting section 7a and the determining section 7b correspond to the above-mentioned frequency counting means and count value determining means, respectively. 8 is CP
9 is a ROM (read only memory) that stores the control program of the U7, and 9 is an r (AM (random access memory)) that stores various data necessary for controlling the CPU 7 at any time. It is an input/output section, and the aforementioned 4 and 6.V devices are connected to the CPU 7 via this input/output section 10. Reference numerals 11 and 12 are buffer amplifiers, and the counter coil Ia and the insertion detection The shorting lines 1b are each connected to the input/output section !0 via a buffer amplifier 11.12.

Next, the control operation in the vending machine having the above configuration will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step Sl, it is determined whether or not the credit counter 1 has been inserted into the counter holder 3 of the vending machine. If the credit counter 1 has been inserted, the process proceeds from step Sl to step S3, and the product selection button 4 is pressed. It is determined whether or not has been pressed, and if it has been pressed, the process advances to step S4,
+1 is added to the count value in the counting section 7a as the number of sold items. Then, in step S5, the determining unit 7b determines based on the count value of the counter unit 7a whether or not the sold quantity N has reached the discount set number M1, that is, 10 pieces. If the sold quantity is 9 or less, in step S6 , a predetermined signal is sent from the CPU 7 to cause the credit counter l to count up. After that, step S
By sending a predetermined signal to the sales mechanism drive circuit V in step 7, the selected desired product is carried out, and the process proceeds to step St.
Return to By removing the credit counter I inserted when purchasing a single item, the process proceeds from step S1 to step S2, and by setting the count value in the counting section 7a to 0, the number of sold items is initialized to O.

On the other hand, in the case of bulk purchases, if you leave the credit counter ■ as is and press the product selection button 4 again, the flow from step 83 to step S7 described above will be executed, and the credit counter l will count each time you purchase one product. However, when the number of sold items N reaches 10, the process proceeds from step s5 to step S8, where the number of sold items N is reset to 0, and the products are taken out at step S7, so the credit counter l is Not counted up.

In this way, when the discount setting number is 10, it will not be counted as the 10th sale.In other words, if 1g of the product is given free of charge and you continue to buy in bulk, the 20th and 30th sale will not be counted. One product is served at each sale.

In the above embodiment, the sales frequency is recorded by a counter, but the sales frequency may be written on a magnetic card, or the sales amount may be written on a magnetic card, for example.

In that case, when the sales amount in one sales operation reaches a predetermined amount, the price of the sold product may be made free of charge.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention provides benefits to customers who buy in bulk by making the sold product free of charge when the number of sales or sales amount in one sales operation reaches a predetermined value. We can offer discounted services.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a diagram corresponding to the claims of the vending machine of this invention, Figure 2
Figure 3 is a control block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the device shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a vending machine that sells products using a credit counter. It is a diagram. l...Credit counter, la...Counter coil, 3...Counter receiver, 4...Product selection button, 6...Numeric keypad, ■...Sales mechanism drive circuit, 7...
...CPU. 8-ROM, 9-=RAM, I O... input/output section, lI
. 12...Buffer amplifier.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) Permit the sale of the product by inserting a frequency/amount memory that stores the sales frequency or sales amount, and write the sales frequency or sales amount by the frequency/amount writing means according to the sold product. In a vending machine configured to write data into an amount memory, a frequency/amount counting means for counting the sales frequency or sales amount of a product in one sales operation, and a setting in which the count value by the frequency/amount counting means is set in advance. a count value determination means for determining whether or not the value has been reached; and when the count value of the sales frequency or sales amount reaches the set value as determined by the count value determination means, the count value / A vending machine characterized by comprising: a writing stop means for stopping writing of sales frequency or sales amount to an amount storage body.