JPH0555278U - Lighting control device for vending machines - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] It is possible to perform lighting / extinguishing control in stages without turning on / off multiple lightings installed in a vending machine at once, which is more efficient. (EN) Provided is an illumination lamp control device in a vending machine, which can perform energy-saving control and reduce the chance of missing a sales opportunity for some customers. [Structure] A plurality of illumination lamps 41, 42 for illuminating the sample product section 1, the product selection button section 2, the sign panel section 3, etc.
In the vending machine 5 provided with 43 and 44, the lighting time and extinguishing time of each of the above-mentioned illumination lamps 41, 42, 43 and 44 are set in stages, and lighting / extinguishing control is performed as necessary. It is an illumination lamp control device in a vending machine 5 provided with a control circuit 100.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial application]

 The present invention is an illumination lamp control in an automatic vending machine, which gradually turns on and off a plurality of illumination lamps for illuminating a sample product section, a product selection button section, a sign panel section, etc. provided in the vending machine. Regarding the device.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Generally, as shown in FIG. 4, a vending machine for automatically selling cans containing soft drinks such as coffee and juice has a sample product section 1, a product selection button section 2 and a sign panel section 3 as shown in FIG. An illumination lamp 4 such as a fluorescent lamp that illuminates the Conventionally, as a device for controlling the lighting of the vending machine 5 of this type, for example, there is one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 64-171. As shown in FIG. 5, this is a photoelectric type automatic blinker 9 having a built-in optical sensor 6 such as cds (cadmium sulfide) for automatically blinking the illumination lamp 4, a heater 7 and a contact 8; It is composed of a timer circuit 10 for controlling the lighting time and the extinguishing time, and an illumination lamp switch 11 for directly turning on and off the illumination lamp 4 by a manual operation. When the place where the vending machine 5 is installed becomes dark, the resistance value of the optical sensor 6 of the automatic blinker 9 changes, and the heat generation of the heater 7 connected in series to the optical sensor 6 changes. The bimetal plate (not shown) operates and the contact 8 attached to the bimetal plate is closed to turn on the illumination lamp 4. Alternatively, the illumination lamp 4 is turned on according to the set time of the timer circuit 10.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the conventional lighting control device for the vending machine 5 as described above has the following problem. In other words, because all the lights 4 are turned off and turned on at once, the sales volume of products such as cans containing soft drinks such as coffee and juice decreases or almost disappears. Then, when the illumination lamp 4 is turned off to save energy, the vending machine 5 itself goes dark and the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 cannot be discriminated. There was a problem that the situation would be the same. Also, when setting the time for turning off the lamps 4, if energy saving is prioritized, sales opportunities for some customers will be missed, while if prioritizing sales, efficient energy saving cannot be achieved. was there.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above conventional problems. In other words, it is possible to perform lighting / extinguishing control in stages without turning on / off the plurality of illumination lamps provided in the vending machine at once, and to perform more efficient energy-saving control. At the same time, it is an object of the present invention to provide an illumination lamp control device in a vending machine that can reduce the chances of selling to some customers.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention relates to a vending machine provided with a plurality of illumination lamps for illuminating a sample product section, a product selection button section, a sign panel section, etc. And a turn-off time are set in stages, and a control circuit for performing lighting / turn-off control as needed is provided.

[0006]

[Action]

 As described above, by setting the lighting time and the extinguishing time of a plurality of lighting lamps provided in the vending machine in stages, for example, even if the lighting quantity is turned off and the lighting lamps are extinguished, Turn off the lights of only the sign panel that does not directly affect the sales, and then turn off the lights of the sample product section and the product selection button when the sales are completely stopped. ..

[0007]

[Embodiment] An embodiment of an illumination lamp control device in a vending machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same members as those in the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of an illumination lamp control device in a vending machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagram illustrating a control process of a first example, and FIG. 3 is a control process of a second example. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a general vending machine including a built-in illumination lamp control device according to the present invention.

First, the control circuit 100 shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The vending machine 5 is provided with illumination lamps 41, 42, 43, 44 composed of four fluorescent lamps. The illumination lights 41 and 42 are provided on the sign panel portions 3 and 3 of the vending machine 5, and the illumination lights 43 and 44 are provided on the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 of the vending machine 5. The relay R1 is connected to the lighting lamps 41 and 42, and the relay R2 is connected to the lighting lamps 43 and 44. Reference numeral 15 indicates a contact point of the relay R1 and 25 indicates a contact point of the relay R2. These relays R1 and R2 are connected to a relay drive unit 31, and this relay drive unit 31 is connected to a carry-out control unit 32.

Further, one of the carry-out control units 32 is connected to the carry-out solenoid 33, and the other is connected to the main control unit 34. The main control unit 34 is connected to the product selection button display control unit 35. The carry-out control unit 32 and the main control unit 34 are simultaneously connected to the key input unit 36 and the coin sorting control unit 37.

Further, the vending machine 5 is provided with a photoelectric type automatic blinker 9, and the photoelectric type automatic blinker 9 has an optical sensor 6, a heater 7 and a contact 8 built therein. Then, one terminal of the contact 8 of the photoelectric type automatic blinker 9 is connected to the illumination lamp switch 11. The ON / OFF operation of the illumination lamp switch 11 is configured to turn on / off the illumination lamps 41, 42, 43, 44. Further, when the illumination lamp switch 11 is connected to the AUTO side, the illumination lamps 41, 42, 43, 44 and the contact 8 of the photoelectric automatic blinker 9 are connected in series. Normally, the illumination light switch 11 is set to the AUTO side (the automatic blinker 9 side).

When the place where the automatic vending machine 5 is installed becomes dark, the optical sensor 6 of the automatic blinker 9 detects a change in brightness, and the contact 8 of the automatic blinker 9 is turned on to turn on the illumination lamps 41, 42, 43. , 44 lights up. Next, as an example 1, the main control unit 34, which controls the relays R1 and R2 to turn off the illumination lamps 41, 42, 43, and 44, turns on the ON / OFF time of the relay R1 from the key input unit 36 and the relay R2. By inputting ON / OFF time, the time data is stored and held, and by comparing with the time data in the main control unit 34, a relay operation command is output when the set time is reached.

The carry-out control unit 32 outputs a relay drive signal and operates the relays R 1 and R 2 through the relay drive unit 31. First, when the relay R1 operates, the contact 15 of the relay R1 is turned off and the illumination lights 41 and 42 are turned off. Since these illumination lights 41 and 42 are circuits of the sign panel units 3 and 3 of the vending machine 5, the sign panel units 3 and 3 are turned off first. Next, when the relay R2 is operated, the armature contact 25 is turned off and the illumination lamps 43 and 44 are turned off. Since these illumination lamps 43 and 44 are the circuit of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 of the vending machine 5, the time zone during which the product is not sold (the time based on the time data set by the key input section 36) All illumination lights 41, 42, 43, 44 are extinguished in the band.

This operation will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of the control process of the first example shown in FIG. Normally, the vending machine 5 is in a customer waiting state (step 1A). First, depending on whether or not there is a key input to the key input unit 36 (step 2A), if there is a key input, the process proceeds to step 3A, and if not, the process jumps to step 5A. When there is a key input to the key input unit 36, the turn-off / light-on time of the illumination lamps 41 and 42 of the sign panel units 3 and 3 is set by this key input (step 3A).

Then, the turn-off / lighting time of the illumination lights 43 and 44 of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 is set (step 4A). Then, the main control unit 34 reads the present time (step 5A). Depending on whether or not this time is the turn-off time of the sign panel sections 3 and 3 (step 6A), if it is the turn-off time, proceed to step 7A, and if it is not the turn-off time, jump to step 8A. When it is determined that it is time to turn off the sign panel units 3 and 3, the relay R1 is turned on, and the illumination lamps 41 and 42 of the sign panel units 3 and 3 are turned off (Step 7A).

Next, it is determined whether it is the turn-off time of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 (step 8A). If the turn-off time is reached, the process proceeds to step 9A. If it is not the turn-off time, the process jumps to step 10A. .. When it is determined that it is time to turn off the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2, the relay R2 is turned on to turn off the illumination lamps 43 and 44 of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 (step 9A).

Next, it is determined whether or not it is the lighting time of the sample merchandise section 1 and the merchandise selection button section 2 (step 10A). If it is the lighting time, the process proceeds to step 11A, and if it is not the lighting time. Fly to step 12A. When it is determined that it is the lighting time of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2, the relay R2 is turned off and the illumination lamps 43 and 44 of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 are turned on (step 11A).

Next, it is determined whether or not it is the lighting time of the sign panel units 3 and 3 (step 12A), and if it is the lighting time, the process proceeds to step 13A, and if it is not the lighting time, the process returns to step 2A. When it is determined that it is the lighting time of the sign panel units 3 and 3, the illuminating lights 41 and 42 of the sign panel units 3 and 3 are turned on via the carry-out control unit 32 (step 13A). Then, the customer waiting state is again established (step 1A). In this way, by reading the daily time and determining the turn-off / light-on time, the respective illumination lights 41, 42, 43 of the sample product section 1, the product selection button section 2, and the sign panel sections 3, 3 are read. , 44 stepwise turn-off / light-on control is automatically performed.

Next, as an example 2, the main control unit 34 uses the coin sorting control unit 37 and the product selection button display control unit 35 in order to perform the selling operation. The sales operation is instructed to the carry-out control section 32 by input, and the product is sold by driving the carry-out solenoid 33. However, since the main control section 34 has a timer, this sales information is decided. It is possible to store and store the sales information for each time zone (for example, every 30 minutes or every hour). Then, based on the sales information for each time period, during a time period that is less than or equal to a certain predetermined product sales quantity, the main control unit 34 outputs the operation instruction of the relay R2 to the carry-out control unit 32 to drive the relay. The relay R1 is turned on through the section 31. When the contact 15 of the relay R1 is closed, the illumination lamps 41 and 42 of the sign panel portions 3 and 3 are turned off.

Next, at a time when most of the products are not sold, the operation command of the relay R2 is output from the main control unit 34 to the carry-out control unit 32 in the same manner as described above, and the relay R2 is turned on. By closing the contact 25 of the relay R2, the illumination lamps 43 and 44 of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 are turned off.

This operation will be described in detail with reference to the flow chart showing the control process of the second example in FIG. Normally, the vending machine 5 is in a customer waiting state (step 1B). First, it is determined whether or not there is a deposit (step 2B). If there is a deposit, the process proceeds to step 3B, and if there is no deposit, the process jumps to step 7B. If it is determined that there is a deposit, then it is determined whether or not the product selection button 2 has been pressed (step 3B). If the product selection button 2 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step 4B and the product selection button is pressed. If 2 is not pressed, the process returns to step 2B. When the product selection button 2 is pressed, the carry-out solenoid 33 operates (step 4B).

Next, the current time is read by the main control unit 34 (step 5B). Then, the sales power for each time zone is stored in the main control unit 34 (step 6B). After that, the current time is read again by the main control unit 34 (step 7B).

Next, it is determined whether or not the number of products sold falls below the reference value (step 8B). If the number of products sold falls below the reference value, step 9B Go to step 10B if the number of products sold is not within the standard time. When the number of products sold falls below the reference value, the relay R1 is turned on to turn off the illumination lamps 41 and 42 of the sign panels 3 and 3 (step 9B).

Next, it is determined whether or not the number of products sold is almost zero (step 10B), and if it is zero, the process proceeds to step 11B, and the time for zero is reached. If not, jump to step 12B. When the number of products sold is almost zero, the relay R2 is turned on and the lamps 43 and 44 of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 are turned off (step 11B).

Next, it is judged whether or not the number of products sold is almost zero time zone (step 12B), and when it is not zero time zone, the process proceeds to step 13B, and it is not zero time zone. If not, that is, if the number of sold products is still available, jump to step 14B. When the number of sold products ceases to be almost zero, the relay R2 is turned off and the lamps 43 and 44 of the sample product section 1 and the product selection button section 2 are turned on (step 13B).

Further, it is determined whether or not the number of products sold has fallen below the reference value (step 14B), and if it does not fall below the reference value, the process proceeds to step 15B. When the number of sold products is equal to or larger than the reference value, the process returns to step 2B. When the number of products sold falls below the reference value, the relay R2 is turned off and the illumination lamps 41 and 42 of the sign panel sections 3 and 3 are turned on (step 15B). Then, the vending machine 5 returns to the normal customer waiting state (step 1B). In this way, by reading and determining the time zone of the change in the number of products sold, the respective illumination lights 41, 42, 42 of the sample product section 1, the product selection button section 2, and the sign panel sections 3, 3 are read. The stepwise turn-off / light-on control of 43 and 44 is automatically performed.

Although the vending machine 5 in the above-described embodiment is mainly used for automatically selling cans containing soft drinks such as coffee and juice, the vending machine 5 is described below. Not limited to this, the present invention can be applied to, for example, those used for automatic vending of sweets and the like.

[0027]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform the lighting / extinguishing control stepwise without turning on / off the plurality of lightings provided in the vending machine at one time, and more It is possible to perform highly efficient energy-saving control and reduce missed sales opportunities for some customers. In this way, it is possible to save energy without missing product sales opportunities even during times when the sales volume of products sold by vending machines is low, and it is multifunctional and enables effective sales information. It has the effect that it can be used for energy saving.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of an illumination lamp control device in an automatic vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a control process of a first example.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control process of a second example.

FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of a general vending machine including a lighting control device and the like according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram showing an example of an illumination lamp control device in a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Sample Product Section 2 Product Selection Section 3 Sign Panel Section 5 Vending Machine 6 Optical Sensor 7 Heater 8 Contact 9 Photoelectric Automatic Flasher 11 Lighting Switch R1 Relay 15 Contact R2 Relay 25 Contact 31 Relay Drive Section 32 Export Control Section 33 Carry-out solenoid 34 Main control unit 35 Product selection button display control unit 36 Key input unit 37 Coin sorting control unit 41, 42, 43, 44 Illumination lamp 100 Control circuit

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A vending machine provided with a plurality of illumination lamps for illuminating a sample product section, a product selection button section, a sign panel section, etc., wherein the lighting time and extinguishing time of each of the above-described lighting lamps are stepwise. An illumination lamp control device in a vending machine, which is provided with a control circuit for performing lighting / extinguishing control as necessary.