JPH03276388A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To keep the open condition of a door and to take out merchandise with only one hand by making a merchandise take-out port open when a user operates a door open operating part and making it close automatically after the lapse of fixed time. CONSTITUTION:A timer circuit 15 counts the time from time when drink injec tion is finished or merchandises are taken out from a merchandise take-out port 21, finishes time counting at the time when the fixed time elapses and transfers the information of the end of time counting to a door control circuit 9. When a door opening button 10 is operated unit the end of the time counting, the circuit 9 issues the instruction of the end of the monitoring in the operation of the button 10 to a door opening detecting circuit 11, the instruction of the end of time counting to the circuit 15 and the instruction to open the door 21 to a door opening mechanism part 16. Thus, the mechanism part 16 is driven and the door 21 is opened. When the merchandises are taken out by a user, an optical path interruption detecting circuit 14 detects it and the circuit 9 instructs the circuit 15 to execute time counting from this time. When the infor mation of the end of time counting is transferred from the circuit 15 to the circuit 9, the circuit 9 instructs the mechanism part 16 to close the door 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Application The present invention relates to a vending machine equipped with a door at a product outlet.

(b) Conventional technology Some vending machines provide beverages in paper cups as products. FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional beverage vending machine with a paper tip, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a product outlet of the beverage vending machine with a paper tip.

In FIG. 2, (1) is a control circuit that controls the entire vending machine.

(2) is a coin input section into which a coin is inserted by the user; (3) is a control circuit that detects that a coin has been inserted in the coin input section and uses the amount that can be determined from the type of coin as data; This is a coin detection circuit that transfers to

(4) is a product selection button operated by the user to select a product; (5) detects that the product selection button (4) has been operated, and uses the type of the selected product as data; This is a product selection detection circuit that transfers data to the control circuit (1).

(6) is a beverage injection unit that serves as an installation means and a beverage injection means that injects beverage into the paper cup after the paper cup is installed in the product outlet; (7) is a beverage injection unit that serves as an installation means and a beverage injection means; The coin return unit (8), which returns coins corresponding to the excess amount when the amount exceeds , is a RAM that stores the amount of inserted coins as data.

When the user inserts a coin into the coin insertion section (2), the coin detection circuit (3) detects that a coin has been inserted, and
The type of coin inserted is identified, and the amount that can be determined from the type of coin is stored as data in the RAM (8'') via the control circuit (1).

The control circuit (1) constantly checks the amount data stored in the RAM (8), and when the sum of the amount data is equal to the amount of the product or is greater than the amount of the product, the product selection detection circuit is activated. In step (5), an instruction is issued to monitor the user's operation of the product selection button (4). When the user's operation is detected, the product selection operation circuit (5) transfers the selected type as data to the control circuit (1). Here, the control circuit (1) compares the amount of the product corresponding to the type data with the total amount of amount data stored in the RAM (8), and if there is a difference, the coins of the difference amount are sent to the coin return unit (7). ) to be returned. Further, the control circuit (1) supplies the selected type of product to the beverage injection unit (7).
provided to the user via.

In FIG. 3, (22) is a nozzle for injecting a beverage into a paper cup (25) installed inside the main body. While the beverage is being poured from the nozzle (22), an extraction lamp (23) at the top outside the product outlet is lit to let the user know that the beverage is being poured.
Or blink.

In order to prevent the beverage injected from the nozzle (22) from splashing outside the product outlet, and to prevent the inside of the product outlet from getting dirty from dust, etc. from the outside of the product outlet, A door (21) is provided at the entrance. The door (21) can be opened and closed by passing a shaft (19) vertically through the left side of the opening surface of the product outlet. This allows the door to be opened by pulling it manually. When the door is opened, when the hand is released, a spring (24) attached to the shaft (19) and whose end points are connected to the door (21) and the product outlet, respectively, is released.
) close by.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Conventional product outlet doors must be opened by the user's own hands. Furthermore, since the door closes when the user releases his/her hand from the door, it is necessary to maintain the open state of the door by hand. Therefore, when taking out the product, the user must keep the door open and take out the product with his or her own hands, and the user usually uses both hands. That is, by opening the door with one hand, the product is taken out with the other hand while the door remains open.

However, if the user is unable to use both hands, such as carrying luggage in one hand or unable to use one hand for some reason, the user should open the door with one hand, maintain the open state, and take out the product. It is very difficult because it has to be done.

In view of the above points, the present invention has been devised so that the user can take out the product with one hand by automatically opening the door of the product takeout port when the user operates an operation part such as a button for opening the door. The device includes a door opening/closing mechanism that closes after a certain period of time has elapsed since the user took out the product from the product outlet.

(d) Means to solve the problem In a vending machine equipped with a door at the product outlet, there is a door opening operation part that is operated to open the door, and a door opening operation that detects that the door opening operation part has been operated. a detection means, a product removal detection means for detecting that the product has been taken out from the product removal port, a timer for measuring time from the time when the product removal detection means detects the product removal, and the door opening operation detection means. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a door opening/closing means that opens the door when it is detected that the door opening operation part has been operated, and closes the door after a certain period of time has been measured by the timing means.

(e) Effect When the user takes out the product from the product takeout port, the door of the product takeout port is opened by operating the door opening operation section, and is automatically closed after a certain period of time has elapsed. Therefore, it is possible to maintain the open state of the door and take out the product from the product outlet with only one hand without using both hands.

(f) Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a conventional beverage vending machine containing paper cups is equipped with the following door opening/closing means, and this door opening/closing means will be explained.

(9) is a door control circuit that controls opening and closing of the door, (
10) is a door opening button as a door opening operation section that is operated by the user to automatically open the door; (11) is a door opening operation detection means that detects that the door opening button has been operated. This is a door open detection circuit.

(12) is a light emitting part that forms an optical path by emitting light, and (13) is a light receiving part that receives the light emitted from the light emitting part. The light-emitting part (12) and the light-receiving part (13) are shown in the simplified cross-sectional view of the product take-out port of the vending machine in Fig. 4 and the simplified perspective view of the product take-out port of the vending machine in Fig. 5. As shown in the figure, a light emitting part (12) is arranged in the upper part of the product takeout port near the entrance of the product takeout port, and a light receiving part (13) is arranged in the lower part of the product takeout port. This results in
When a hand is inserted into the product outlet to take out the product, the optical path is blocked by the inserted hand. In other words,
If the optical path is interrupted for a certain period of time, it is assumed that the product is being removed. (14) is an optical path interruption detection circuit as a product removal detection means that detects that the optical path is interrupted for a certain period of time.

(15) measures the time from the end of beverage injection or the time when the product is taken out from the product outlet, and when a certain period of time determined for each has elapsed, the time measurement is stopped and the door control circuit (9) is a timing circuit as a timing means which transfers the information on the end of timing to (16) is a door opening/closing mechanism section as a door opening/closing means for automatically opening/closing the door.

When the beverage pouring unit (6) finishes pouring the beverage into the paper cup, the control circuit (1) transfers information indicating the completion of beverage pouring to the door control circuit (9). Here, the door control circuit (9) instructs the IIN unexamined release circuit 1) to monitor the operation of the door open button (10), and instructs the timing circuit (15) to end the beverage injection. The light emitting unit (12) receives timing instructions from the optical path interruption detection circuit (14).
It instructs to form an optical path from to the light receiving section (13), and instructs to monitor the interruption of the optical path.

If the door open button (10) is not operated by the end of the time measurement, the door fHm circuit (9) determines that the door will be opened manually by the user as before, and the door open detection circuit (11)
) to finish monitoring the operation of the door open button (10), and to the optical path interruption detection circuit (14) to finish forming the optical path from the light emitting part (12) to the light receiving part (13). , and gives an instruction to end the monitoring of the interruption of the optical path.

In addition, if the door open button (io) is not operated and the optical path is blocked, the door control circuit (9) determines that the user has manually opened the door and taken out the product, and the door open detection circuit An instruction is given to (11) to end monitoring of the operation of the door open button (10), and an instruction is given to the clock circuit (15) to end time counting.

If the door open button (10) is operated before the timing ends, the door control circuit (9) instructs the door open detection circuit (11) to finish monitoring the operation of the door open button (10);
Then, it instructs the clock circuit (15) to end the time measurement, and instructs the door opening/closing mechanism (16) to open the door. Next, when the optical path interruption detection circuit (14) detects that the user has taken out the product, the door control circuit instructs the timing circuit (15) to measure time from the time the product is taken out. And the clock circuit (15
), the door control circuit (9) instructs the door opening/closing mechanism (16) to close the door.

Regarding the door opening/closing mechanism (16), Fig. 6(A)(B)
) (C) This will be explained using a top sectional view of the vending machine product outlet.

(17) is a drive shaft rotated by an electric motor (not shown), and a first gear (18) is attached thereto. (19) can be installed by passing one end of the door (21) of the product takeout port from the top to the bottom of the left side of the product takeout port.
It is a shaft (19) that allows it to be opened and closed freely. The door shaft (19) also has a second gear for meshing with the first gear (18).
A gear (20) is attached.

Usually, the drive shaft (17) is arranged so that the first gear (18) does not mesh with the second gear (20) (
Figure 4A). When the instruction to open the door is received, the drive shaft (1
7) moves to a position where it meshes with the second gear (20).

When the drive shaft (17) rotates, the shaft (19) attached to the door rotates via the first gear (18) and the second gear (20), and the door (21) Release (Figure 4B).

Next, when there is an instruction to close the door, the drive shaft (1) is moved to a position where the first gear (18) does not mesh with the second gear (20).
7) moves, thereby causing the first gear (18) and the second
The door shaft (19), which was maintained by the combination of the gears (20), is returned to its original state by the spring (24).
Close the door (21) (Fig. 4C).

(g) Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, in the present invention, the door opens by pressing the door release button, and closes after a certain period of time has elapsed after the product is taken out.

This allows you to open the door and take out the product with one hand. It can also be opened by hand, similar to conventional vending machines.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the vending machine of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional vending machine, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the product takeout port of the conventional vending machine, Fig. 4 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the product takeout port of the above embodiment, and Fig. 5 6 is a simplified perspective view of the product outlet of the embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the product outlet of the embodiment. (9)...door control circuit, (10)...door open button, (11)...door open detection circuit, (12)...light emitting section, (13)...light receiving section, ( 14)... Optical path interruption detection circuit, (15)... Timing circuit, (16)... Door opening/closing control section. Figure 3 F1 Figure 6

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a vending machine equipped with a door at the product takeout port, a door opening operation section that is operated when opening the door, door opening operation detection means that detects that the door opening operation section has been operated, and a product takeout port. a product removal detection means for detecting that the product has been removed from a product; a timer for measuring the time from the time when the product removal detection means detects the product removal; and a door opening operation section that is operated by the door opening operation detection means. A vending machine characterized in that the vending machine is equipped with a door opening/closing means that opens the door when it detects that a certain amount of time has passed, and closes the door after a certain period of time has been measured by the timing means. (2) The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the product is a beverage in a paper cup, and includes installation means for installing the paper cup in the product outlet, and beverage injection means for pouring the beverage into the paper cup.