JPS6095692A - Goods replenishing alarm for vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Technical Field to which the Invention Pertains] The present invention relates to a vending machine (hereinafter abbreviated as a vending machine) that sells products (hereinafter abbreviated as products) by a vending machine manager (product replenisher). In order to keep the vending machine always in a state where the product is not sold out (hereinafter referred to as "sold out"), before the product is sold out (hereinafter referred to as "loading"),
This invention relates to a device that issues a replenishment warning so that products can be loaded at an appropriate time. Generally, it is desirable for this type of device to display a message when a suitable number of products remain, depending on the sales situation and the number of products stored.

[Prior art and its problems]

When the remaining number of products is less than this number, the sales ready display lamp (when the purchaser inserts a coin into the vending machine, the product purchaser inserts a coin into the vending machine, the number of coins inserted It is known that a vending machine uses a lamp (on the product selection switch section on the front of the vending machine) to display the products that can be purchased for the given price and then flashes the lamp to alert the administrator. If there is a product shelf (hereinafter also referred to as a shelf) that accommodates only a small number of products, for example, if the number of products stored is 3 and the warning number is fixed to 5, the replenishment warning will always be issued. (hereinafter also referred to as a warning display). Therefore, if the number of warning items is set to one, conversely, on a shelf that accommodates a large number of items, for example, a shelf that accommodates 100 items, a warning will not be displayed until 99 items are sold, so the item on the shelf will be sold out before loading after the warning. There is a strong possibility that it will take a long time for the supplies to be sold out, making the replenishment warning meaningless. As described above, the conventional system in which the number of warnings is fixed has a problem when applied to a vending machine equipped with a vending mechanism for many types of products.

Furthermore, even when selling the same type of product, the number of products sold within a certain period of time will vary depending on factors such as the season and the location of the vending machine. In addition, it is desirable to increase the number of warning bottles as well as the number of warning bottles, and if sales are low, the number of storage bottles and warning bottles at the time of replenishment may be small. The drawback was that it was not possible to set an appropriate number of warnings to match the fluctuations in the number of people accommodated.

[Purpose of the invention]

The present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks and provides a device that displays a replenishment warning that matches the number of stored products at the time of replenishment even in a vending machine equipped with product shelves that have a large difference in the number of products stored on the product shelf at the time of replenishment and storage. The purpose is to

[Key points of the invention]

The key point of the present invention is that each product shelf containing products to be sold,
Input means such as a keyboard for inputting each initial number of stored products as the number of stored products at the time of replenishment of products, and input means such as a keyboard for inputting each initial number of stored products as the number of stored products at the time of replenishment, and multiplying the inputted initial number of stored products by a predetermined ratio, A multiplier that calculates the number of each warning product as the number of remaining products stored on each product shelf at the time of replenishment and storage, and a multiplier that calculates the number of products sold in order from the initial number of products stored each time the product is sold subtracting means for calculating the number of each remaining product as the number of remaining products stored on each product shelf; means such as a memory for storing the number of each warning product and the number of remaining products; Comparing means for comparing the number of remaining products with the number of corresponding warning products and outputting a replenishment warning signal for each product shelf when the number of remaining products is less than the number of corresponding warning products; a display means such as a blinking lamp to indicate to the storage person that the product should be replenished and stored for each product shelf, and a control means such as a microcomputer that inputs and outputs signals to each of the above-mentioned means;
or further, a switch such as a test switch operated by a product storer is provided, and the display means is provided on the outer surface of the vending machine, and the blinking display is displayed only by an operation command of the switch. Alternatively, the above-mentioned display means may display information in a switch section where a user of the vending machine selects a product to purchase, indicating that the product can be purchased with the money inserted into the vending machine. Regardless of the change in the number of customers when the product is restocked on the product shelf, by using either a sellable indicator lamp to indicate that the product is sold out or a sold-out lamp to indicate that the product is sold out. The purpose is to warn the person storing the product of the appropriate time to replenish the product in accordance with the initial storage capacity.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The present invention will be explained below using FIGS. 1 to 4.

Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the device of the present invention, and Figures 2-4.
The figure is a flowchart showing the operation of main parts in the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as CPU) that performs auxiliary control of the entire vending machine including this device;
2 is a memory, and 3 is a coin discrimination operation device that determines the quality and denomination of the coin inserted into the vending machine and sends the denomination signal to the CPU.
I, and also removes, stores, pays out, etc. the coins.

3a is a level conversion circuit that converts the input/output signals of device 3 to the CPU
6 is a sold-out lamp provided in the same way as lamp 5, and lights up in response to a signal from a switch (not shown) that detects when the product is sold out, indicating that the product in question is no longer available for purchase. 7 is an input/output interface circuit which has the role of matching the input/output signals of the product selection switch 4, the available-for-sale indicator lamp 5, the sold-out lamp 6, etc. with the input/output signals of the CPUI. 8 is the output relay, C
A control output signal given to the product carrying out device 11 from the PUI is inputted via the driver 8a to open and close the product carrying out device 11, thereby driving and controlling the product carrying out device 11. A keyboard 9 has the role of inputting various setting values to the CPUI as will be described later, and giving test and other commands using the test switch 9a and the like therein. IO is a digital display device that displays the contents stored in the memory 2, such as the input amount and various setting values, automatically or through commands from the keyboard 9.

Next, the present invention will be explained in detail using FIGS. 2 to 4 while referring to FIG. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts. In FIG. 2, after the power is turned on in step 21 and the loading of products is completed in step 22, the number n of products accommodated on each shelf (not shown) is calculated using the keyboard 9.
and store each accommodation number n in the memory 2. Here, an appropriate ratio K is determined in advance from the number n of products stored on each product shelf of this vending machine, and in step 23 the warning number m is calculated by nXK, and then stored in the memory 2 in step 24. In step 25, the number of accommodating n
is substituted into the remaining number N of products as the initial value of the remaining number N.

These operations are performed before starting the sales operation, and the standby state is entered in step 26.

Next, in FIG. 3, each time a sales operation is performed in step 31, in step 32, the remaining number N on the product shelf is decreased by one. Then, in step 33, the remaining number N is the number of alarms m.
Step 3: Determine the product shelf with the following items and proceed to step 3.
4 sets the warning flag corresponding to the shelf in memory 2 to logic 11.
N, stored in the memory 2, and returns to the standby state in step 35.

Note that the warning flags are all set to "0" in an initial state step not shown.

Next, in FIG. 4, when the test vending switch 9a is operated, the vending machine starts operating in the test mode, and in step 41, the operation of the test vending switch 9a is turned ON.
, OFF, and if it is ON, in step 42, it is determined for all product shelves whether the warning flag corresponding to the shelf is empty or not, and for the shelf with a warning flag, the corresponding one is set in step 43. Flashes the sellable indicator lamp, displays a warning that the product is about to sell out and needs to be replenished, and performs other operations in test mode.
After executing in response to an input command, etc., the system returns to the standby state again in step 44.As mentioned above, a lot of data related to the vending operation of this vending machine is inputted from the keyboard 9, but in the present invention, it is also possible to input the number of products stored on each shelf. Enter n from here. Also, the ratio required to calculate the number of warnings requires CPU1
It is also possible to use values input from this keyboard 9 even if they are preset in the software. CPU
I is the calculation of the number of warnings m as described above.

out, calculate the remaining number N, judge whether the number of warnings is m or not,
The storage number n% 11iF notification number m1 notification flag and the remaining number N are stored in the memory 2. By operating the test sales switch 9a in the keyboard 9, the CPU compares the remaining number N with the warning number m, and sends a signal to the sellable display lamp to indicate whether it should be lit or blinking, thereby displaying a warning.

In the above description, to display a warning, a sold out lamp 6 may be used instead of the sold out indicator lamp 5, which is different from the normal sold out indicator, and may be made to blink.Also, almost the same function can be obtained. can be fulfilled.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above explanation, according to the present invention, the old notification of the remaining number of products is multiplied by a predetermined ratio based on the number of products stored on each product shelf, and the warning number obtained as a result of this calculation is multiplied by a predetermined ratio. Since this is done, even if there is a large difference in the number of products stored on the product shelf, an appropriate replenishment warning can always be issued, and product loading can be performed at an appropriate time. In addition, the number of products accommodated can be entered directly using the numeric keypad on the keyboard, so there is no error.
There is also the advantage that the remaining quantity is accurate and there is no waste in preparing products for loading.

4 are flowcharts showing operations of main parts in the present invention.

Code explanation 1...Microcomputer (CPU), 2.
...Memory, 3...Coin discrimination operation device,
4... Product selection switch, 5... Available for sale indicator lamp, 6... Sold out lamp, 9...
・Keyboard, 9a...Test sales switch, 1
0...Digital display device, 11...Product unloading device, n...Accommodated number, K...Ratio, N...Remaining number, m...Number of warnings.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] l) Long means for inputting each initial number of stored products as the number of stored products at the time of replenishment of products on each product shelf that stores the products to be sold, each time the replenishment is performed; A multiplication means that multiplies the input initial number of stored products by a predetermined ratio and calculates the number of each warning product as the number of remaining stored products on each product shelf at the time when the products should be replenished and stored. a subtraction means that sequentially subtracts the number of sold products of each product from the initial number of stored products each time, and calculates the number of each remaining product as the number of remaining products stored on each product shelf, and the number of each warning product described above. , means for storing the number of each remaining product, and comparing the number of each remaining product with a corresponding number of warning products, and when the number of remaining products is less than the number of corresponding warning products, a replenishment warning signal is issued for each product shelf. a display means for displaying to a product storer that the product should be replenished and stored for each product shelf based on the replenishment warning signal; and control for inputting and outputting signals to each of the above-mentioned means. A product replenishment warning device for a vending machine, comprising: means. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a switch is provided that is operated by a person storing the product, and the display means is provided on the outer surface of the vending machine, and the display means is provided on the outer surface of the vending machine, and the display means is provided only by an operation command of the switch. A product replenishment warning device for a vending machine characterized by displaying the above-mentioned display. In the switch part for selecting the product to purchase, there is a sellable display lamp that indicates that the product can be purchased with money inserted into the vending machine, or a display lamp that indicates that the product is sold out. A product replenishment warning device for a vending machine, characterized in that the lamp is one of the sold-out lamps.