JPH0335392A - Commodity select button device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To miniaturize a commodity select button device by providing a push button with a light-transmissive part and using a light-transmissive material as materials of an attaching member, a mobile member which operates a select switch, and a packing pressed between the mobile member and the front of a transparent panel and brightly displaying the light-transmissive part by an illuminating device. CONSTITUTION:A push button 12 is provided with a light-transmissive part 16, and an attaching member 14 placed at the back of the push button 12, a mobile member 13 which is inserted through the attaching member 14 and operates a select switch 15 provided in a showroom 3 by the depressing operation of the push button 12, and an annular packing 17 pressed between the member 13 and the front of a transparent panel 2 are formed with the light- transmissive material. Consequently, the illumination of an illuminating device 20 at the back of the select button device easily reaches the light-transmissive part 16 of the push button 12 to brightly display the light-transmissive part 16. Thus, the device is miniaturized and distinct display is possible.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (b) Industrial application field The present invention relates to a product selection button device for a vending machine.

(b) Conventional technology An exhibition room covered with a transparent panel was set up in front of the main body.
In recent years, emphasis has been placed on display displays of vending machines equipped with a selection button device in which push buttons are arranged side by side on the front side of the transparent panel.
As shown in Publication No. 7, there is a trend to increase the area of the exhibition room in front of the vending machine. For this reason, the product selection button device in this type of vending machine is required to be miniaturized. The installation of the circuit board into the vending machine requires a frame body including the structure, and a push button member that is attached to the frame body via a movable member and that operates an open/close switch by the movement of this movable member. A structure is known in which a book is provided with these items and accommodated therein.

Recently, there has also been an exhibition device in which a product sample is formed into a hollow shape using a light-transmitting material, and the product sample is illuminated from inside so that the product sample itself emits bright light. It is disclosed in the publication No.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention Although the product selection button device according to the prior art can be made smaller, the push button part becomes smaller, making it difficult to distinguish the push button, especially at night. In some cases, the display of the product selection button becomes unclear, causing problems such as confusion and inconvenience to customers.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a product selection button device for a vending machine that is capable of FRF& of a small product selection button device and can be clearly displayed.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides an automatic display system which includes an exhibition room covered with a transparent panel on the front side of the main body, and a selection button device with push buttons arranged side by side on the front side of the transparent panel. In the vending machine, the selection button device includes a push button provided with a light transmitting portion, and a mounting member that is installed by being inserted from the front side into a through hole that is located behind the push button and opens in the transparent panel. , between a movable member that is inserted through the mounting member and has elasticity and is displaced rearward by pressing a push button and automatically returns to the front by operating a selection switch provided inside the exhibition room, and the front surface of the transparent panel; A ring-shaped gasket press-fitted to the button is formed of a light-transmitting material, and the light transmission of the push button is controlled by illumination from an illumination device provided on the back side of the transparent panel corresponding to the rear of the selection button device. The area is displayed brightly.

(E) Effect The present invention with such a configuration includes a push button provided with a light transmitting portion, and a mounting member located at the rear of the push button;
A movable member that is inserted through the mounting member and operates a selection switch provided inside the exhibition room by pressing a push button, and a ring-shaped gasket that is press-fitted between the front surface of the transparent panel and the front surface of the transparent panel are each made of a light-transmitting material. By forming the selection button device, the illumination from the illumination device behind the selection button device can easily reach the light transmitting portion of the push button, and the light transmitting portion is displayed brightly.

(F) Embodiment Each figure shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of the product selection button device, FIG. 2 is a similar cross-sectional plan view, and FIG. 3 is a vending machine. FIG.

1 is the main body of the vending machine, with an exhibition room 3 covered by a transparent panel 2 on the front, and an input slot 4 for inserting coins, etc., and a product output port 5 at the bottom. are doing.

At two predetermined positions on the top and bottom of the transparent panel 2, a large number of circular through holes 6 are arranged in a row in the left and right direction. , the button attachment frame 7 is screwed and fixed with screws 8 from the back side of the transparent panel 2. Also, in the exhibition room 3 on the back side of the transparent panel 2, corresponding to the button mounting frame 7, there are product samples 9.
A base lO that supports the exhibition is fixed.

The button mounting frame 7 has a large number of horizontally elongated openings 11 facing each through hole 6 and opening at the front, and a push button 12 whose front part is exposed forward from the openings 11 and supported so as to be movable back and forth.
At the rear of the push button 12, there is a movable member 13 made of an elastic material made of a transparent material so as to transmit light, and a light member inserted into the rear part of the movable member 13 so as to be movable back and forth. A mounting member 14 made of a transparent material is provided.

The movable member 13 made of a transparent material normally biases the push button 12 forward due to its elasticity and positions it, and when the push button 12 is pressed, it is moved backward and the pressing operation is released. A seal part 13A having elasticity is provided at the front part so as to return the push button 12 to the front position when the push button 12 is pressed. A selection switch 15, which will be described later, is made operable by the pressing part 13B of the push button 12, and a light transmitting part 1, which will be described later, of the push button 12 enables light from a fluorescent lamp 20, which will be described later.
It allows transmission in 6 directions.

The push button 12 has a horizontally elongated shape corresponding to the shape of the opening 11, and is made of a transparent or colored transparent acrylic resin material such as green, approximately in the center of the part exposed to the front from the button mounting frame 7. A light transmitting part 16 that is a member and can transmit light.
is provided so that when the rear end surface is irradiated with light, the front end surface of the light transmitting section 16 is displayed brightly.

Note that the light transmitting portion 161 of the push button 12 may be provided in the entire portion exposed on the surface iii, or the pressing portion 13B body may be formed of a material that transmits light. A light transmitting portion 16 is arranged in the exposed portion.

The mounting member 14 made of a transparent material has its rear end inserted into the through hole 6 of the transparent panel 2 from the front side, and a gasket 17 is interposed between the flange 14A and the front surface of the transparent panel 2. It is clamped and fixed between the transparent panel 2 and the button attachment frame 7, and allows light from a fluorescent lamp 20, which will be described later, to be transmitted in the direction of the light transmitting portion 16 of the push button 12.

The gasket 17 has a portion interposed between the flange 14A and the front surface of the transparent panel 2, and a portion interposed between the mounting member 14 and the through hole 6, which are integrally formed and extend along the periphery of the through hole 6. It has an extending ring shape and is made of a transparent material that transmits light. That is, the packing 17 is provided between the mounting member 14 and the transparent panel 2 and between the mounting member 14
and the through hole 6 to prevent rainwater from entering the through hole 6, and because it is made of a transparent material, the light from the fluorescent lamp 20, which will be described later, is transmitted to the push button 12. The light can be transmitted in the direction of the light transmitting section 16.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a switch holder in which a selection switch 15 is installed, and by removably fitting it into a fitting part 14B provided at the rear of the mounting member 14, the selection switch 15 is pressed against the pressing part 13B of the movable member 13 in a predetermined position. They are arranged to face each other with a gap between them.

On the other hand, the base lO is provided with an opening lOA for mounting the product sample 9 on the upper surface corresponding to each of the push buttons 12,
Also, there is an opening 10B on the front surface corresponding to each of the push buttons 12.
At the same time, a light-transmissive display section 19 is provided on the top surface that slopes continuously downward toward the front, and displays a sold-out display, etc., and is made of a material that does not transmit light. It forms an extended box shape.

Inside this base 10, there is a fluorescent lamp 2 as a lighting device.
0 is disposed, and the fluorescent lamp 20 illuminates the product sample 9 from inside through each opening 10A, and also illuminates the display section 20, and the light from the opening 10B of the base 10 is transmitted to the transparent panel 2, the movable member 13 , the light transmitting portion 16 of the push button 12 is illuminated through the mounting member 14, packing 17, and the like.

(g) Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention provides a push button with a light transmitting part, a mounting member located behind the push button, and a mounting member that is inserted through the mounting member and allows the display room to be opened by pressing the push button. A movable member that operates a selection switch provided inside and a ring-shaped gasket that is pressed into contact with the front surface of the transparent panel are each made of a light-transmitting material, and the illumination of the lighting device behind the selection button device is illuminated. However, the light-transmitting part of the push button can be easily reached, and this light-transmitting part is displayed brightly, so even if the product selection button device is made thin and small, the push button can be displayed very clearly. It is effective.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Each figure shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the product selection button device, and FIG. 2 is a similar ja
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the vending machine. 2...Transparent panel, 3...Exhibition room, 6...Through hole,
7...Button mounting frame body, 12...Push button, 13.
...Movable member, 14...Mounting member, 15...Selection button, 16...Light transmission part, 17...Puttle, 21
...Fluorescent light.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a vending machine having an exhibition room covered with a transparent panel on the front side of the main body, and a selection button device with push buttons arranged side by side on the front of the transparent panel, the selection button device has push buttons. a mounting member that is provided with a light transmitting portion and that is inserted from the front side into a through hole that is located behind the push button and opens in the transparent panel.
between the front surface of the transparent panel and a movable member that is inserted through the mounting member and has elasticity and is displaced backward by pressing a push button and automatically returns to the front by operating a selection switch provided inside the exhibition room; The light-transmitting portion of the push button is illuminated by illumination from an illumination device provided on the back side of the transparent panel corresponding to the rear of the selection button device. A vending machine product selection button device that brightly displays .