JPH0793648A - Sales device of article with sales object age limit in automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To sell articles for which sales ages are limited to only allowed customers by operating the sales mechanism of articles only when it proves that the age of a user exceeds the sales limit age by the discrimination information of a card. CONSTITUTION:This sales device is composed of a card reading means 1, a sales control means 2, a sales mechanism 3 and a prescribed card 4. Within an automatic vending machine main body, the articles for which sales object ages are limited are stored, and an article selection button, a coin or paper money sorting device and an article sales mechanism 3 operating by money fed from a coin or paper money feeding port are provided. When it proves that a customer exceeds the sales limit ages by discrimination information, a sales command signal is outputted to the sales mechanism 3. The article sales mechanism 3 where this sales command signal is inputted becomes an operation reception state and a desired article is sold by the feeding of money of prescribed amount and the designation of articles based on an appropriate means.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is an automatic vending system for selling products whose sales target age is legally restricted, such as cigarettes, liquor, videos and magazines for adults only to customers who are allowed to sell them. The present invention relates to a device for selling products with age restrictions for sale in machines.

[0002]

[Prior art and its problems] With conventional vending machines, when selling products that are legally restricted in sales age, such as cigarettes, liquor, or magazines designated for adults, the selling control means is at best. However, it is merely a reluctant time-limitation means to stop selling at a predetermined time.

[0003] Therefore, in a time period when sales are not restricted, anyone can freely purchase this kind of product as long as money is invested, and it is in the same condition as allowing virtually unlimited sales. . In particular, with the recent widespread use of VCRs, people under the age of limitation can easily purchase adult videos with a vending machine, which is unfavorable from an educational point of view.

In view of the above problems of the prior art, the present invention sells a product with a limited sales age in a vending machine that can sell a product with a limited sales age only to permitted customers. The purpose is to provide a device.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has a card recording identification information indicating that they are of the age to be sold, and the identification information when the card is inserted. It is characterized in that it is provided with a reading means for reading and a sales mechanism for making it possible to sell a product with an age-restricted object for sale stored in the vending machine body based on an output signal from the reading means.

In addition, when identification information for identifying whether or not the sales target age is reached is recorded on the card,
Only when the identification information read by the reading means is the information indicating that the sales target age is reached, the sales control signal is output from the sales control means, and the vending machine body is caused by the sales mechanism based on the sales command signal. It is advisable to sell the products with age-restricted items that are stored inside.

Further, the card stores identification information relating to the date of birth of the owner, the identification information is read by the reading means, and the output signal from the reading means is compared with the current date in the sales control means to determine the age of the owner. When the owner's age reaches the sales target age, the sales command signal is output, and the sales mechanism is operated by this sales command signal, and the sales target age limit stored in the vending machine body is restricted. Sell the product.

The identification information is recorded by a bar code printed on a card, read by a bar code reader, or recorded as magnetic information, and the identification information is read by a magnetic information reader. Also, the card is a prepaid card, and the customer's address,
A recording unit for recording personal information such as name and age may be provided, and a reading means for reading the information recorded in the personal information recording unit may be provided in the main body of the vending machine.

[0009]

In the device of the present invention, when the customer inserts the identification card into the card insertion slot of the main body of the vending machine, the identification information recorded on the card is read by the reading means.

When it is determined from the identification information that the customer is over the sales age limit, a sales command signal is output to the sales organization. The merchandise sales mechanism to which the sales command signal is input enters the operation acceptance state, and the desired merchandise is sold by the customer's money insertion and the merchandise designation based on appropriate means. If the card is not inserted, or if the above identification information cannot be read even if the card is inserted, or if the identification information indicates that the person is under the age limit, the sale is rejected and the sales mechanism does not operate.

When the date of birth of the owner is recorded as the identification information, the current date of the clock timer provided in the vending machine is compared with the date of birth, and the sales limit age set in advance is set. Send the sales order to the sales organization only when

When not only the information about the restricted sales age but also other personal information is recorded on the card, the name and price of the purchased product are stored in the host computer each time the card is used, for example, by using a telephone line. By inputting, customer management becomes possible.

[0013]

The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. A vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a card reading unit 1, a vending control unit 2, a vending mechanism 3, and a predetermined card 4 provided in the vending machine body. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a reading unit that constitutes a part of the apparatus.

The card 4 is provided with a magnetic information recording section 41 on the surface thereof, and the information recording section 41 records personal information such as the birth date of the owner, a member number, and a name. The reader 11 arranged in the vending machine body reads the record of the information recording section 41 of the card 4 inserted from the card insertion slot 12.

In the main body of the vending machine, products whose sale target age is restricted are housed, and the products are operated by a product selection button (not shown), a coin or bill sorting device, and money inserted from a coin or bill slot. A known product sales mechanism 3 including a product delivery mechanism for operating the product is provided.

Further, the reader 11 and the merchandise selling mechanism 3
Sales control means 2 is provided between and as shown in FIG. The sale control means 2 calculates the age of the owner of the card by comparing the date read by the reader 11 with the current date of the clock timer containing the information about the date of birth. Then, when the owner's age has reached the age to be sold of the product housed in the vending machine body, a sales instruction signal is output to the product sales mechanism to operate the product sales mechanism 3 in a standby state. And

Therefore, in this apparatus, the card 4 is inserted, the information regarding the date of birth on the information recording portion of the card 4 is read by the reader 11, and the signal is input to the sales control means 2 for calculation. Then, it is determined whether or not the user of this card 4 has reached an age suitable for selling the product. As a result, when it is determined that the person has reached the predetermined age, the signal is sent to the sales mechanism 3 to enter the sales operation standby state. On the other hand, when it is determined by the calculation that the age is not reached, the sales mechanism 3 holds the inoperable state (see FIG. 3). Specifically, the coin insertion slot is provided with a shield plate that always closes the coin insertion slot and opens the coin insertion slot when the above-mentioned sales command signal is input, and waits for product sales by opening and closing the shield plate. Alternatively, a structure such as disabling is adopted.

When the vending machine 3 is in the operation standby state, it is preferable to display the acceptance state on the display section provided on the outer casing of the vending machine body. In this state, when the user inserts a coin, the sales mechanism 3 operates to send the product to the sales outlet.

The reader 11 reads the other personal information of the user recorded on the card 4 and at the same time records the brand and title of the product, and if this is transmitted to the host computer via the transmission circuit, the customer can And product management can be performed at the same time.

The card identification information recording section may be recorded with identification information using another recording means such as a bar code or optical means. As the simplest example of the identification information of the card, a predetermined number or character may be recorded in the recording unit and the card itself may be distributed only to users who have reached the sales limit age of the product. In this case, the reading unit reads the information in this recording unit,
The output signal from this puts the sales mechanism in an operation standby state.

Further, it is confirmed in advance whether or not the sales limit age has been reached, and the former is given a card having a predetermined record in the recording section, while the latter is given another record or any other information in the recording section. Even if a card without a record is distributed so that the information of both can be read by a reader and the sales command signal is output only to the former, it can be carried out in the same manner as the above-mentioned example.

Furthermore, it is also possible to use a prepaid card as the card to be distributed to the user and to read the record of the identification information recording section provided on the surface so as to perform the same operation as the above-mentioned example. In this case, the charge is subtracted each time the card is used, as in the case of a normal prepaid card.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, a product is inserted only when a predetermined card is inserted and it is found from the identification information of the card that the age of the user is over the sales restriction age. Since the sales mechanism of is operated, it is possible to sell products whose sales are restricted by age only to the target customers by vending machines, and it is possible to regulate unlimited sales of this kind of products. At the same time, the store side can carry out the sale safely and efficiently.

Further, if various personal information of the owner is recorded on the card, there is an advantage that customer management becomes easy.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a reading unit of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Reading Means 2 Sales Control Means 3 Sales Organization 4 Cards 41 Identification Information Recording Section

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A card in which identification information indicating that the person is of the age to be sold has been recorded, a reading means for reading the identification information when the card is inserted, and an automatic signal based on an output signal from the reading means. A vending machine for selling age-restricted merchandise in a vending machine equipped with a sales mechanism that enables sale of age-restricted merchandise stored in the vending machine body. 2. A card on which identification information for identifying whether or not the person is over the age of sale is recorded, a reading means for reading the identification information of the card, and the identification information read by the reading means is for the age for sale. If it is information that it has reached, sales control means that outputs a sales command signal and sales that enables sale of age-restricted products stored in the vending machine body based on the sales command signal A vending machine equipped with a mechanism for selling merchandise with an age limit for sale. 3. A card in which identification information relating to the birth date of the owner is recorded, a reading means for reading the identification information, and an output signal from the reading means is compared with the current date of the time timer to indicate the age of the owner. And a sales control means that outputs a sales command signal when the owner's age has reached the sales target age, and with the sales target age limit stored in the vending machine body based on the above sales command signal A vending machine for selling merchandise with an age limit for sale in a vending machine having a selling mechanism that enables merchandise to be sold. 4. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is recorded by a bar code printed on the card, and the identification is read by a bar code reader. Device for selling products with age restrictions for sale in. 5. The identification information is recorded as magnetic information in a magnetic information recording section on the surface of the card, and the identification information is read by a magnetic information reader. Sales system for age-restricted merchandise in vending machines. 6. The vending machine for selling age-restricted products in a vending machine according to claim 1 or 5, wherein the identification card is a prepaid card, and the customer's address, name, and A vending machine provided with a recording unit for recording personal information such as age and usage status, and a reading means for reading the information recorded in the personal information recording unit inside the vending machine body. Device for selling products with age restrictions for sale in.