JPH04227593A - Free vending control method for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate need for the operation of a patrol routeman by automatically ending free of charge vending when the discharge of articles with specific flavor which are free-of-charge vending reaches a specific number. CONSTITUTION:The specific flavor for the free of charge vending is set in a specific flavor setting part 10 and a planned vending quantity is set in a frequency setting part 11. A controller in vending operation counts the frequency of the operation of a specific selection button for specifying the specific flavor by a counting means 13 every time a decision means 16 detects the operation of the specific selection button and carries on the free of charge vending of the specific flavor until the counted frequency reaches the planned vending quantity. When a comparing means 12 detects the counted frequency reaching the planned vending quantity, the free of charge vending of the specific flavor is automatically ended.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine that can sell specific flavors free of charge for sales promotion.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 55-96481 discloses a free sales circuit in which a product can be dispensed by pressing a selection button without inserting a coin.

[0003] Such a free sales circuit is constructed as follows. FIG. 3 shows the overall configuration of a vending machine, and its control device 1 operates based on the flowchart shown in FIG. In a normal sales operation in which a product is sold by inserting a coin, the control device 1 operates as follows.

[0004] The control device 1 reads the deposited money from the deposited money reading device 2 in step [a-1], and then reads the deposited money from the deposited money reading device 2 in step
-2] Then, this deposited amount is displayed on the deposited money display 3. In step [a-3], the read input amount is compared with the selling prices of the first to third flavors set in advance via the input device 4 to determine the flavor for which the product can be dispensed, and the flavor is bent. Among the lamps 51 to 53, the bend lamp of the flavor (hereinafter referred to as "sellable flavor") for which the product can be dispensed is turned on. In step [a-4], the "
If the operation of the select button of the sellable flavor is detected, the process goes to step [a-5].
3] Reset the sellability judgment in step [a-4]
] Instructs the product dispensing device 7 to execute the product dispensing of the flavor whose operation was detected. This step [a-1]
~Step [a-6] is repeatedly executed to carry out regular sales.

[0005] When setting a free sale operation in which products are dispensed by pressing the selection button without inserting a coin, a specific flavor to be sold for free is set in the control device 1 from the input device 4. When the specific flavor is set in this way, the control device 1
In step [a-3], when determining whether to sell, for other flavors other than the specific flavor, the sales price and input amount are compared and the sales are determined as usual, and for the specific flavor, the sale is determined unconditionally. It is determined that the item is “sellable”, or it is determined that it can be sold by reading the selling price “zero” yen instead of the preset selling price and comparing this with the “zero” yen input amount. When the selection button for a specific flavor is operated without coins being inserted, the product of that specific flavor is paid out in step [a-6].

[0006]

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] In such a conventional free vending machine control method, when a traveling route man sets a specific flavor for free vending, a free vending operation is performed, and the traveling route man performs a free vending operation. The state of free sale operation will continue until you cancel the setting of the specific flavor of sale.

[0007] Therefore, if the patrolling route man is delayed in canceling the setting of free sales, there is a problem that more free sales will be carried out than planned. An object of the present invention is to provide a free sales control method for a vending machine that can keep the number of free sales below a planned number without the need for a traveling route man to cancel the setting of free sales.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] A free sales control method for a vending machine of the present invention sets a planned sales quantity of a specific flavor to be sold for free at the time of free sale, and presses a specific selection button for specifying the specific flavor. Each time an operation is detected, the number of times is counted, and each time an operation of the specific selection button is detected, the specified flavor is sold for free until the counted number of times reaches the planned sales amount, and the counted number of times is the planned sales amount. The present invention is characterized in that the free sale of the specific flavor is terminated upon detecting that the number has been reached.

[0009]

[Effect] Every time a free sale product of a specific flavor is dispensed, the number of sales is counted, and the counted value is compared with the planned number of sales until it is detected that the counted value has reached the planned number of sold. Free sales of the specific flavor may be permitted, and if the count reaches a set number of sales, the free sale of the specific flavor may be prohibited and the free sale may be automatically terminated.

0010

Embodiments The method for controlling free vending machines of the present invention will be explained below based on specific embodiments.

[0011] Components having the same functions as those in FIG. 3 showing the conventional example will be described with the same reference numerals. FIG. 2 shows a functional block diagram of a portion of the control device 1 related to free sales.

[0012] When selling for free, the specific flavor for which the free sale is to be carried out and the planned sales quantity for the free sale are first inputted from the input device 4. The input specific flavor is written into the specific flavor setting section 10 of the control device 1, and the planned sales quantity is written into the number of sales setting section 11. Here, the first
The following description will be made assuming that the "first flavor" of the third flavors is written as a specific flavor in the specific flavor setting section 10, and the number of scheduled sales "N" is written in the number of times setting section 11.

The control device 1 during the sales operation executes step [a-1] and step [a-2] as shown in FIG. 1, and then in step [b-1], the remaining free sales quantity is Determine whether it is “zero”. Specifically, this step [b-1] is executed by the comparing means 12 shown in FIG. In the number setting section 11, as mentioned above, the planned sales number "
N" is written first, and the remaining number of free sales "N" is input to the input of the comparing means 12 via the counting means 13. Initially, since "N>0", the comparing means 12 The determination output is determined to be "state where it can be sold for free (sellable state)".

[0014] Step [b-1] is followed by step [
b-2], the “first flavor” which is a specific flavor
A sales determination is made and a bend lamp 51 is turned on. In FIG. 2, the output of the comparison means 12 and the output of the specific flavor setting section 10 are input to the AND gate 14, and the output signal S1 of the AND gate 14 is latched by the latch section 15 and set in the specific flavor setting section 10. ing"
The first bend lamp 51 of "First Flavor" is turned on regardless of the input amount read in step [a-1] and the normal selling price of the first flavor.

[0015] Step [b-2] is followed by step [
b-3], compare the normal selling prices of the first to third flavors with the input amount read in step [a-1] to determine whether they can be sold and turn on the bend lamp of the sellable flavor. .

[0016] Step [b-3] is followed by step [
a-4], the step [b-2] and step [b-3] of the first to third selection buttons 61 to 63 are selected.
It is checked whether the selection button for the flavor determined to be "saleable" has been operated. When the operation of the selection button is detected in step [a-4], step [b-4] is executed.

[0017] In step [b-4], step [b-4]
-1] If “N≠0”, step [a-4]
It is determined whether the selection button whose operation was detected is the selection button 61 of the specific flavor. Here, the selection button whose operation was detected in step [a-4] is the selection button 62 that is not the selection button 61 of the specific flavor, or the selection button 6
In the case of 3, step [b-4] is followed by step [a-5] and step [a-6] to dispense the product of the selected flavor.

If it is determined in step [b-4] that it is the specific flavor selection button 61, step [b-4] is selected.
4], then execute step [b-5]. In step [b-5], the number of free sales remaining "N" checked in step [b-1] is updated to a value obtained by adding "-1".
In step [b-6], the bend lamp 51 that was turned on in step [b-2] is turned off, and then in step [a-5]
After that, in step [a-6], the product of the first flavor, which is the special flavor, is dispensed.

[0019] This step [b-4], [b-5]
, [b-6] are configured as follows in the functional block diagram of FIG. The determining means 16 determines whether the signal S2 generated in response to the operated selection button when the selection button in the sellable state is operated is the first flavor set in the specific flavor setting section 10; The determining means 16 is the first
When the operation of the flavor selection button 61 is detected, the output of the comparison means 12 which is set to the sellable state and the detection output S
3, the AND gate 17 outputs a signal S4 instructing the dispensing of the product of the first flavor.

The detection output S3 acts on the counting means 13 as an update instruction. For free sales operation, the number of times setting part 1
1 is set to the planned sales number "N", the counting means 13 to which the detection output S3 is first inputted has "N-1".
” is inputted to the comparing means 12, and the counting means 13 to which the second detection output S3 is inputted, “N-2” is inputted to the comparing means 12.
The number of remaining free sales inputted into the comparison means 12 is
Each time a free sale is carried out, "-1" is subtracted.

In this way, the output of the counting means 13 is "N-
Until the state is “N”, press the first flavor selection button 61.
When the output of the counting means 13 becomes "N-N", you can receive the free sale just by operating the first flavor selection button 61. I can't.

[0022]

As described above, according to the free sales control method for a vending machine of the present invention, the number of sales is counted every time a product of a specific flavor for free sale is dispensed, and the counted value is calculated as the planned sales number. , the specific flavor is allowed to be sold for free until it is detected that the counted value has reached the set number of sales, and when the counted value reaches the set number of sales, the free sale of the specific flavor is prohibited. Therefore, the traveling route man can end the free sale at an appropriate time without having to visit the vending machine to cancel the free sale.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a flowchart of a vending machine that implements the free vending control method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the free sales control method of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional vending machine.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart diagram of a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Control device 4 Input devices 51 to 53 First to third bend lamps 61
~63 First to third selection buttons 7 Product dispensing device 10 Specific flavor setting section 11 Number of times setting section 12 Comparison means 13 Counting means 14 AND gate 15 Latch section 16 Determination means

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A planned sales quantity of a specific flavor to be sold free of charge is set, and each time an operation of a specific selection button specifying the specific flavor is detected, the number of times the operation is detected is counted, and the counted number of times is set as the number of sales of a specific flavor that is to be sold free of charge. The free sale of the specific flavor is carried out every time an operation of the specific selection button is detected until the number of sales is reached, and the free sale of the specific flavor is terminated when it is detected that the counted number of times has reached the planned sales number. Free vending machine control method.