JPH06231356A - Automatic vending machine incorporating microwave oven - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To re-heat a commodity which is once sold in an automatic vending machine. CONSTITUTION:A commodity detection sensor 11 incorporating a bar code reader is installed at a commodity fetching port 6. When a user places the commodity 2 at the commodity fetching port 6, bar code data displayed on the commodity 2 is read by CPU 7. CPU 7 judges whether the 2 is sold in the automatic vending machine or not based on the data. When it is sold in it, the commodity 2 is transmitted to a microwave oven 5 by transportation conveyors 3 and 4 so as to re-heat it and it is carried out to the commodity fetching port 6. Thus, the user can eat the cooled commodity 2 by heating it again.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic vending machine which has a built-in microwave oven and heats and sells products such as frozen foods. More specifically, the present invention relates to an automatic vending machine which can reheat an already sold product. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vending machine with a built-in microwave oven is known, which heats and sells various frozen foods. However, there is no conventional vending machine of this type that can reheat an item once sold. .

[0003]

However, if the merchandise can be returned to the vending machine and reheated, it will be very convenient for the user who has cooled the merchandise over time. Then, this invention aims at providing the automatic vending machine with a built-in microwave oven which can reheat the product once sold.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a means for determining whether or not a product placed in a product outlet is sold by the user, and a device provided in the product outlet. And a means for transporting the product to the microwave oven, and when the determination means determines that the product placed in the product outlet is the one sold by itself, the transport means transports the product to the microwave oven. A control means for carrying out the product to the product outlet after being reheated for a predetermined time is provided.

[0005]

[Function] If the product is returned to the product outlet of the vending machine, the judging means judges whether or not the product is sold by the vending machine, and if the product is sold by the vending machine, it is taken into the microwave oven by the conveying means, It will be reheated and taken out again to the product outlet. Whether or not the product is sold by the vending machine can be determined by displaying an identification symbol such as a bar code on the product and reading it by the determination means.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram of essential parts showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of its operation. Figure 1
At 2, the product 2 stored in the product storage unit 1 is carried out on the conveyor 3 by a bend motor (not shown) in response to a sales signal. The product 2 is transported by the transport conveyor 3, transferred to the transport conveyor 4, and loaded into the microwave oven 5. The product 2 heated in the microwave oven 5 is again delivered to the conveyor 5, and is carried out to the product outlet 6 and taken out by the user.

The above selling operation is controlled by the CPU 7 through the driver 8. The control program of CPU7 is R
It is stored in the OM 9 and the control data is stored in the RAM 10. Here, a product detection sensor 11 having a bar code reader is installed at the product take-out port 6, and its output is I /
It is adapted to be inputted to the CPU 7 through the O port 12. Now, when the user puts the once sold product 2 in the product outlet 6, the product detection sensor 11 reads the ID code and the reheating time data from the bar code (not shown) displayed on the product 2 and sends it to the CPU 7. The CPU 7 judges this data and performs the reheating operation as shown in FIG.

That is, in FIG. 2, the CPU 7 determines in step S1 whether or not there is a product 2 at the product outlet 6 based on a product detection signal from the product detection sensor 11, and if there is a product, the product 2 is automatically identified in step S2. Determine if it was sold. This determination is I read by the product detection sensor 11.
This is performed by comparing the D code with the product code stored in the RAM 10. Therefore, when it is determined that the product is a product sold by oneself, the reheating time data from the product detection sensor 11 is read in step S3, and then the conveyors 3 and 4 are operated in step S4 to transfer the product 2 to the microwave oven 5. Send in. Then, in step S5, the microwave oven 5 is heated for the reheating time. After heating, step S
At 6 the product 2 is taken out by the conveyors 3 and 4
To carry out. The reheating time may be stored in the RAM 10 and read from the ID code of the product 2.

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention, even if a product that has been sold at a vending machine and cooled for a while is returned to the vending machine, it will be heated again and eat warm products at any time. Therefore, it is possible to increase the sales by making users happy and increasing their purchasing motivation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principal block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vending machine of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Product Storage Section 2 Product 3 Conveyor 4 Conveyor 5 Microwave oven 6 Product outlet 7 CPU 8 Driver 9 ROM 10 RAM 11 Product detection sensor 12 I / O port

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine with a built-in microwave oven which heats a product in a microwave oven and then carries it out to a product outlet for sale, and determines whether or not the product placed at the product outlet is sold by himself. Means, means for transporting the product placed at the product outlet to a microwave oven, and if the product placed at the product outlet is judged to have been sold by the judgment means, this product is A vending machine with a built-in microwave oven, which is provided with a control means for carrying the material to the microwave oven by the carrying means, reheating it for a predetermined time, and then carrying it out to the product outlet.