JPH08235419A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To easily confirm the positions and contents of faults in a coin mechanism and a bill validater by arranging the turning-on/off patterns of plural light emitting elements and a monitor panel for displaying check items for the faults of coin mechanism and bill validater corresponding to these patterns inside the outer door of the automatic vending machine. CONSTITUTION: Concerning a fault sensor system 11 for coin mechanism provided with a sensor 11a for detecting the clogging of inserted coin, sensor 11b for detecting the clogging of coin to be paid out and sensor 11c for detecting the detachment of a change tube, and a fault sensor system 12 for bill validater provided with a sensor 12a for detecting the clogging of paper money, sensor 12b for detecting the full state of a safe and sensor 12c for detecting the detachment of the safe, the check items for these systems are displayed on the monitor panel by the turning-on/off patterns of light emitting diodes L1-L4. The display part, where those light emitting diodes L1-L4 are turned on and off, is arranged inside the outer door of the automatic vending machine. Therefore, the positions and contents of faults can be easily confirmed.

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 for storing merchandise such as canned beverages and bottled beverages and selling the merchandise in response to a request from a purchaser.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An automatic vending machine that cools or heats canned beverages and bottled beverages to a predetermined temperature and sells them, in addition to a cooling machine and a heating machine, a coin processing machine (hereinafter referred to as a coin mech), a banknote processing machine ( (Hereinafter referred to as "Bill Bali"), product unloader, display system equipment,
It is equipped with operation-related equipment, etc., and automatically sells products by controlling these equipment programs.

The internal failure in the above-mentioned vending machine is usually indicated by lighting or blinking the letter "E" on the display section of the operation panel. The reality is that if you do not call it, you will not know. To confirm the specific failure location and details of the failure,
It can be confirmed only by connecting the failure code reader owned by the service person to the control box of the vending machine and comparing the failure code displayed on the reader with the code table.

[0004]

Conventionally, a service person is called every time the letter "E" lights up or blinks on the display of the operation panel. However, depending on the content of the failure, the owner of the vending machine, the clerk, etc. However, there are some that can be treated sufficiently. In particular, failures in coin mechs and bill burrs, such as disconnection of the communication line connector that connects the coin box and bill burrs to the control box, clogging of coins and banknotes, etc., are sufficient even for persons who do not have specialized knowledge if they know the location and details The treatment is possible and there is no need to bother calling a service person.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic vending machine capable of easily confirming a failure location and its content in a coin mech and a bill Bali. is there.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is an automatic vending machine for selling stored products in response to a request from a purchaser, and a plurality of light emitting elements and the light emitting element. The blinking pattern of and the corresponding monitor plate that displays the inspection items for the failure of coin mech and bill burrs, and when the failure is detected by the coin mech and bill bur The light emitting element and the monitor plate are arranged inside the outer door of the vending machine.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the automatic vending machine according to the first aspect, the monitor plate displays inspection items for malfunctions of equipment other than coin mechs and bill burrs, and
It is characterized in that a means for lighting or blinking the light emitting element in a predetermined pattern is provided when a failure is detected in a device other than a coin mech or bill burrs.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, when a failure occurs in the coin mech and bill burrs, the plurality of light emitting elements are lit or blinked in a predetermined pattern according to the failure location and the failure content.
By comparing this with the lighting and blinking pattern displayed on the monitor board, it is possible to confirm the inspection items for the failure of the coin mech and bill burrs.

According to the second aspect of the invention, when a failure occurs in equipment other than the coin mech and bill burrs, the plurality of light emitting elements are lit or blinked in a predetermined pattern. By comparing this with the lighting and blinking pattern displayed on the monitor board, it is possible to confirm inspection items for failures of devices other than coin mechs and bill burrs. Other functions are similar to those of the invention of claim 1.

[0010]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a monitor plate, which is attached to the inside of an outer door of a vending machine, for example, the outer surface of a control box. On the lower left side of the monitor plate 1, four light emitting diodes L1 to L4 provided on the control board side are arranged with their tips exposed. Further, the monitor plate 1 mainly displays inspection items for failure of coin mech and bill burrs and lighting and blinking patterns of the light emitting diodes L1 to L4 corresponding to the respective items.

According to the monitor plate 1 described above, the inspection item for the failure of the coin mech and the bill burr, that is, the failure location and the failure content can be easily confirmed based on the lighting or blinking pattern of the four light emitting diodes L1 to L4. be able to. For example, when only the light emitting diode L1 is lit, it is known that the failure location is "coin mech" and the failure content is "clogged coin", and when only the light emitting diode L1 is blinking, the failure occurs. It can be seen that the location is “Bill Bali” and the failure content is “Paper jam”.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system relating to lighting and blinking of the light emitting diode. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 11 is a coin-mech failure sensor system, 12 is a Bilvari failure sensor system,
Reference numeral 13 denotes a main control unit having a microcomputer configuration, L1 to L
Reference numeral 4 denotes the light emitting diode described above.

The main control unit 13 is a device related to automatic sale of goods, that is, a cooling machine, a heating machine, a coin processing machine, a bill processing machine,
It controls the operation of the product unloader, display system equipment, operation system equipment, etc. according to individual programs. Further, the main control unit 13 lights or blinks the light emitting diodes L1 to L4 in a predetermined pattern according to a program described later.

The coin-mech failure sensor system 11 is provided with a sensor 11a for detecting a jam of inserted coins, a sensor 11b for detecting a jam of coins dispensed, and a sensor 11c for detecting a change of a change tube.
The detection signals a to 11c are fetched into the main control unit 13 via the communication line 14 from the sub control unit 11d having a microcomputer configuration. The sub control unit 11d is also used for a drive system (not shown) of the coin mech.
A control signal for the drive system is sent from the main control unit 13 to the d via the communication line 15.

The bill-barrier failure sensor system 12 includes a sensor 12a for detecting a jam of a bill, a sensor 12b for detecting a full deposit of a safe, a sensor 12c for detecting a slip-out of a safe, and a sensor 12d for detecting whether or not an identification portion is attached (improper installation). The detection signals of these sensors 12a to 12e are fetched by the main control unit 13 from the sub control unit 12e of the microcomputer configuration via the communication line 16. The sub control unit 12
e is also shared by the drive system (not shown) of the building barrier, and the sub-control unit 12d includes the main control unit 13 to the communication line 17
A control signal for the drive system is sent via.

Reference numeral 18 in the figure denotes a communication line for sending a failure detection signal from a device other than CoinMec and Bilbari to the main control unit 13, and reference numeral 19 denotes a device other than CoinMec and Bilbari from the main control unit 13. It is a communication line for sending the control signal of the drive system.

The procedure for determining the failure and turning on and off the light emitting diode in the main controller 13 will be described below with reference to FIGS.
The program flow will be described.

The failure determination in the coin mech is performed by periodically fetching the detection signals of the sensors 11a to 11c from the sub control unit 11d into the main control unit 13 side. As shown in FIG. 3, the disconnection of the connector (disconnection of the communication line connecting the control box and the coin mech) is determined by the presence or absence of the response signal from the coin mech side (step ST1), and the inserted coin is clogged (the coin passage is clogged). Is determined by the detection signal of the sensor 11a (step ST
4), Clogged out coins (clogged change change dispenser)
Is determined by the detection signal of the sensor 11b (step S
T7), the change tube is disconnected (the change cassette tube is removed) is determined by the detection signal of the sensor 11c (step ST10).

As a result of the failure judgment, if the connector is found to be displaced, the light emitting diodes L1, L2 and L3 are turned on (step ST2), and if the coin jam is recognized, the light emitting diode L1 is turned on (step ST5). ,
The light-emitting diode L2 is turned on when the disbursed coin is recognized (step ST8), and the light-emitting diode L3 is turned on when the change tube is dislocated (step ST11). By the way, the light emitting diodes are turned off when the failure is resolved (steps ST3, ST6, ST9, ST12).

Each sensor 1 determines the failure in the building burr.
This is performed by periodically taking in the detection signals 2a to 12d and the like from the sub control unit 12e to the main control unit 13 side. As shown in FIG. 4, the disconnection of the connector (the disconnection of the communication line connecting the control box and the bill Bali) is determined by the presence or absence of the response signal from the bill Bali side (step ST1),
A bill jam (a clogging of a bill passage) is determined by a detection signal of the sensor 12a (step ST4), and a safe full (limit of bill storage in the safe) is determined by a detection signal of the sensor 12b (step ST7), and the safe is removed (step ST7). (Attachment failure of the safe) is determined by the detection signal of the sensor 12c (step ST10), and the identification section is attached (identification section attachment failure).
Is discriminated by the detection signal of the sensor 12d (step ST13).

As a result of the failure determination, if the connector is found to be displaced, the light emitting diodes L1, L2 and L3 are blinked (step ST2), and if the jam is recognized, the light emitting diode L1 is blinked (step ST5). The light emitting diode L2 is blinked when the safe is full (step ST8), the light emitting diode L3 is blinked when the safe is out (step ST11), and the light emitting diode L2 is recognized when the identification unit is attached. , L3
Is blinked (step ST14). By the way, the blinking of each light emitting diode is turned off when the failure is resolved (steps ST3, ST6, ST9, ST12, ST
15).

Although not shown in the drawings, when an abnormality is found in the clock, price, column setting, memory, etc. due to a failure detection signal from a device other than the coin mech and bill burrs, the light emitting diode L4 is turned on, and carried out and selected. button,
When abnormality is found in terminal communication etc., light emitting diode L
4 flashes. In this case, the lighting and blinking of each light emitting diode is also turned off when the failure is resolved.

According to the present embodiment, based on the lighting or blinking pattern of the four light emitting diodes L1 to L4, the display items on the monitor plate 1 are used to check the inspection items for the failure of coin mech and bill burrs, that is, the failure location and the failure content. Since it can be easily confirmed, it eliminates the trouble of calling a serviceman for a simple failure that can be handled even if you do not have specialized knowledge and the trouble of waiting for its arrival, so that the owner of the vending machine or a clerk can take prompt action. It is possible and can contribute to sales promotion.

Further, even if a failure occurs in equipment other than the coin mech and bill burrs, this can be confirmed by being distinguished from the failure of the coin mech and bill burrs. Can be contacted accurately.

It is to be noted that a pattern other than the above may be adopted as the lighting blinking pattern of the light emitting diode, and the light emitting diode may be additionally provided according to the number of inspection items.

[0027]

As described in detail above, according to the first aspect of the invention, the check items for the failure of coin mech and bill burrs are displayed based on the lighting or blinking patterns of the plurality of light emitting elements, that is, the check items. Since the location and details of the failure can be easily confirmed, it eliminates the trouble of calling a service person for a simple failure that can be dealt with without special knowledge and the trouble of waiting for the arrival of the failure, and the owner and the clerk of the vending machine. It is possible to contribute to the promotion of sales by enabling prompt treatment by

According to the second aspect of the present invention, even if a failure occurs in equipment other than the coin mech and bill burrs, it can be confirmed by distinguishing it from the failure of the coin mech and bill burrs, so that careless treatment is prevented. Then, the service person can be contacted accurately. The other effects are the same as those of the invention of claim 1.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of a monitor plate according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system relating to lighting and blinking of a light emitting diode.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for determining a failure related to a coin mech and lighting a light emitting diode.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for determining a failure related to a building burr and blinking a light emitting diode.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Monitor board, L1-L4 ... Light emitting diode, 13 ...
Main control unit.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic vending machine that sells stored products in response to a request from a purchaser, and a plurality of light emitting elements, a blinking pattern of the light emitting elements, and an inspection for a failure of a coin mech and bill burrs corresponding thereto. A monitor board displaying items, and means for lighting or blinking the light emitting element in a predetermined pattern according to the failure location and the failure content when a failure is detected in the coin mech and bill burrs, the light emitting element and the above A vending machine characterized in that a monitor plate is arranged inside the outer door of the vending machine. 2. The monitor plate displays inspection items for failures of devices other than coin mechs and bill burrs, and lights or blinks the light emitting element in a predetermined pattern when a failure is detected in devices other than coin mecks and bill burrs. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising means.