JPH0240790A - Sold-out detecting device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the need for a mechanical sold-out detection switch and to reduce cost by deciding whether a merchandise exists or not by detecting a power generation time of a driving motor rotated by inertial force which is varied in accordance with a load to a merchandise carrying-out member. CONSTITUTION:When a driving motor 6 turns a star wheel 5 to a merchandise carrying-out completing position, a detection switch 8 is activated, and a reset signal is outputted to a sales control part 9 from a collector of a transistor 13. By this signal, the control part 9 stops applying a DC voltage, but the motor 6 continues to rotate by inertial force, and by a voltage generated in both ends, a transistor 12 becomes ON, and by allowing a current to flow in the direction for reversing the motor 6, the motor 6 is stopped suddenly, and also, a signal is outputted to the control part 9 from a transistor 17 through a photocoupler 16. The time when this signal is outputted is the same as a power generation time by the motor 6, determined by inertial force, and a difference is generated in accordance with whether the merchandise exists or not. In such a manner, whether the merchandise exists or not can be decided, the detection switch becomes unnecessary, and the cost is reduced.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention provides an automatic product discharging mechanism that displaces a product discharging member by a drive motor and that applies a load to the product discharging member that varies depending on the number of remaining products. This invention relates to a sold-out detection device for a vending machine.

(b) Conventional technology As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-3090,
The star wheel, which serves as a product delivery member, is rotated 90 degrees by a drive motor each time it is sold, and the products are delivered in a stacked state, so the load on the star wheel varies depending on the number of products. Vending machines equipped with a dispensing mechanism are generally provided with a sold-out detection switch that detects the presence or absence of products.

(8) Problems to be Solved by the Invention If a sold-out detection switch as disclosed in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-3090 is provided, the number of parts of the product delivery mechanism will be increased, and the assembly process will be increased. There is a problem in that this increases the number of devices, leading to an increase in costs.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention has provided that the inertia force applied to the drive motor changes according to the load applied to the product delivery member, which changes depending on the number of remaining products, so that the drive motor that rotates due to the inertia force generates electricity. To provide a sold-out detection device for a vending machine that eliminates the need for a sold-out detection switch by outputting a signal over a power generation time and determining the presence or absence of a product based on the length of time the signal is output.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and the drive motor that drives the product delivery member is driven each time a product is sold, and the remaining amount of products is In a vending machine equipped with a product discharging mechanism in which the load applied to the product discharging member changes depending on the number of product discharging members, there is provided a switch means that starts energizing the drive motor, and a switch means that detects the product discharging completion position of the product dispensing member and energizes the drive motor. A detection switch that cuts off electricity; and an output means that outputs a signal over the power generation time during which the drive motor rotates due to inertia, which changes depending on the load on the product delivery member after cutting off electricity to the drive motor. The above-mentioned problem is solved by a sold-out detection device for a vending machine, which is equipped with a determining means for determining the presence or absence of a product based on the length of time during which a signal is output by the output means.

(*) Function In the sold-out detection device for a vending machine according to the present invention, the drive motor is energized and rotated by the operation of the switch means, and the product carry-out member carries out the product, and the product carry-out member reaches the product carry-out completion position. If it moves, the detection switch detects it and cuts off the power to the drive motor, but the drive motor continues to rotate due to inertia. In addition, since the inertia force changes depending on the load on the product delivery member corresponding to the remaining amount of products, after cutting off the power to the drive motor, the output means outputs a signal for the power generation time during which the drive motor rotates due to the inertia force. output,
Based on the length of time during which the output means outputs the signal, the presence or absence of the product can be determined by the determination means.

(F) Embodiment To explain the present invention in detail according to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram illustrating a control circuit of a product delivery mechanism using a sold-out detection device of a vending machine as an embodiment, and FIG. 3 and 3 are side sectional views of essential parts showing one operating state of the product delivery mechanism, respectively, and FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a product storage shelf of a vending machine using the product delivery mechanism.

In Fig. 4, (1) is a product storage shelf, which extends vertically while bending to form cylindrical products (2)...(2
) is stacked and stored in - rows (3) (3) (3)
is formed inside. Also, the product aisle (3) (3) (
At the bottom of 3), product delivery mechanisms (4), (4), and (4) are provided, respectively.

2 and 3 respectively show the state of the product delivery mechanism (4) when the product delivery operation is completed. In FIGS. 2 and 3, the star wheel (5) as the product delivery member is driven by the drive motor ( The star wheel (5) is intermittently rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise around the drive shaft (7) by the drive of the drive motor (6). Then, the products stacked and stored in the product aisle (3) are dropped and sent out one by one.

Note that (8) is a detection switch that detects the position of the star wheel (5) at which product delivery is completed.

Furthermore, in Figures 2 and 3, since the load due to the product load applied to the star wheel (5) before the product is carried out is different, the inertia force due to the rotation of the star wheel (5) is as shown in Figure 2. and the case shown in FIG. 3 are different from each other.

Note that the dotted lines in FIGS. 2 and 3 indicate the position of the product before it is carried out.

Here, the control circuit of the product delivery mechanism (4) will be explained below using the block circuit diagram shown in FIG.

First, the vending machine in the example sells three types of products, and is provided with a selection switch (not shown), a product passageway (3), and a product delivery mechanism (4) for each of the three types of products. shall be.

A predetermined amount is put into the vending machine, and the vending control unit (9)
By selectively operating a selection switch (not shown) provided on the product selection device (10) that has been determined to be salable by
The product selection device (10) outputs a product selection signal for each product type to the sales control section (9).

The sales control section (9) which received the product selection signal applied a 24V DC voltage to point A, and was provided corresponding to each product delivery mechanism (4) to maintain the rH level. From the BUS lines (11) (11) (tt), select the BUS line (11) corresponding to the product selection signal.
L, when lowered to the level, the drive motor (6) (6) (6
), the BUS line (11) is dropped to r L , the current flows to the drive motor (6), and the drive motor (6)
starts rotating forward. At this time, a voltage is also applied to the transistor (12), but since the base of the transistor (12) is at the ground level, the voltage is applied to the transistor (12).
12) is rON, L is not present.

When the drive motor (6) rotates the star wheel (5) to the product unloading completion position, the detection switch (8)
) is activated and conducts between a and b, a DC voltage of 5V is applied to point B, the 0 point is dropped to the r L level, and the collector of the transistor (13) is connected to the sales control unit. A reset signal is output at (9).

The sales control section (9) having received the reset signal stops applying the 24V DC voltage to the point A.

However, the drive motor (6) continues to rotate due to inertia, and the drive motor (6) develops a voltage across it. Therefore, the current forms a circuit of 1 drive motor (6) → resistor (14), base of transistor (12) → emitter of transistor (12) → photocoupler L E D (15) J, and as a result, transistor (12) rON,! ,.

When driving motor (6), transistor (12) → photocoupler L E D (15) J circuit is completed and drive motor (
Current flows in the direction in which 6〉 is reversed, and the drive motor (6〉
comes to a sudden stop.

Furthermore, while current is flowing through the photocoupler L E D (15), the photocoupler T r (16) is "ON", so the D point becomes "L" level, and the sales control unit ( A signal is output to 9).

The time during which this signal is output is determined by the drive motor (6
), and since the power generation time is determined by the inertial force corresponding to the load on the star wheel (5), as shown in Figure 5, the remaining amount of the product shown in Figure 2 is There is a difference between the signal output time t when the product is sold out and the signal output time t when the product is sold out as shown in FIG.
>ts.

For this reason, the sales control section (9) sets a time between t and t, and detects whether there is a signal within the set time. If there is a signal, the determination means (9a) determines that there is a remaining quantity of the product, and if there is no signal, it determines that the product is sold out.

The sales control unit (9
) lights up a sold-out lamp (not shown) to notify users of the vending machine that the product is sold out.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the sold-out detection device for a vending machine of the present invention, when a product is sold out, the difference in inertial force corresponding to the load applied to the product carrying member is converted into a difference in signal output time. By this,
This makes it possible to eliminate the need for a sold-out detection switch that requires mechanical parts, contributing to cost reduction.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram illustrating a control circuit of a product dispensing mechanism using a sold-out detection device of a vending machine as an embodiment, and FIGS. 2 and 3 each illustrate one operating state of the product dispensing mechanism. 4 is a side sectional view of a product storage shelf using the same product delivery mechanism, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the signal output time when there is a product remaining and when the product is sold out. be. (4)...Product delivery mechanism, (5)...Star wheel, (6)...Drive motor, (8)...Detection switch, (9)...Sales control unit, (9a) ...determination means, (10) ...product selection device, (15).
...Photocoupler LED, (16)...Photocoupler T r , (17)...Transistor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a vending machine equipped with a product delivery mechanism in which the drive motor that drives the product delivery member is driven each time a product is sold and the product is delivered, and the load applied to the product delivery member changes depending on the number of remaining products, the drive motor a switch means that starts energizing the drive motor; a detection switch that detects the product delivery completion position of the product delivery member and cuts off energization to the drive motor;
After the power to the drive motor is cut off, the drive motor rotates due to inertia force that changes according to the load on the product carrying member, and outputs a signal over the power generation time during which the drive motor generates electricity; and the output means outputs the signal. 1. A sold-out detection device for a vending machine, characterized by comprising a determining means for determining the presence or absence of a product based on the length of time.