JPS6135597B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a price setting device for a vending machine,
In particular, when setting a price, by actually inserting money into the money sorting mechanism and pressing a select switch for selecting a product for the input amount, in other words, by using the operation method when purchasing a product in general, the product corresponding to the select switch is selected. This invention relates to a price setting device that sets the price of the item to the above-mentioned input amount.
In the following explanation, only coins used in general vending machines will be used as money, but it goes without saying that banknotes may also be used.

Conventionally, when setting prices for vending machines, coins are inserted into a coin sorting and counting mechanism (coin mechanism) that sorts the inserted coins, converts them into pulses corresponding to the type of coin, and counts the amount of money inserted.
For example, a dual inline package type setting switch (hereinafter referred to as a DIP switch)
in the form of a 1-2-4-8 code, i.e. 1,
Prices are set by adding 2, 4, and 8, or by connecting digital switches or pinboards. In this case, the above
Price setting using DIP switches is not familiar to the general public, and digital switches are easy to use, but require a large number of switches depending on the number of prices set, making price setting complicated and requiring a large space for switches. In addition, when a switch malfunctions, it is easy to make a setting error, and if a pinboard is used, the pinboard connection is complicated and there is a risk of connection failure.In addition, there is a problem with the setting price and the shelf position of the corresponding product. It is also necessary to pay sufficient attention to making the correspondence without errors, and the disadvantage is that it is difficult for the general public to set or change prices as described above.

The purpose of the present invention is to enable the general public to set prices easily and without error, and for this purpose, the method is almost the same as the normal operation when purchasing a product, which is familiar to the general public. An object of the present invention is to provide a price setting device for a vending machine that is appropriately configured and arranged so that prices can be set at the same time.

In order to achieve such an objective, the present invention provides the first
As shown in the figure, there is a money sorting mechanism 100 that sorts input coins and outputs a money sorting signal corresponding to the type of input coins, a product selection switch 110 for selecting a product to be sold, and a money sorting mechanism 100 that selects a product to be sold. currency sorting signal and product selection switch 110
A control mechanism 12 that reads the switch output from and controls product sales and price setting operations.
0, a display 130 connected to the control mechanism 120 and displaying the input amount calculated by reading the money sorting signal, a memory circuit 140 connected to the control mechanism 120, and a display 130 connected to the control mechanism 120 to display the input amount calculated by reading the money sorting signal; a storage circuit 140 connected to the control mechanism 120; The control mechanism 120 is equipped with a price setting/sales changeover switch 150 that generates a command to switch to the sales mode, and the control mechanism 120 controls when the price setting/sales changeover switch 150 is changed to the price setting mode and money is inserted into the money sorting mechanism 100. an accumulation means 122 for temporarily accumulating the input amount; a display control means 124 for displaying the input amount on a display;
A specifying means 126 detects activation of the product selection switch 110 and specifies address data on the storage circuit corresponding to the activated switch, and an address on the storage circuit 140 indicated by the address data at the time of the specification, Accumulation means 1 according to the money input
The device is characterized in that it has a writing means 128 for writing the deposited amount accumulated in 22.

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a price setting device according to the present invention, in which reference numeral 1 indicates a coin sorting mechanism (hereinafter referred to as a coin rejector) of the coin sorting and counting mechanism, and the coin rejector 1 A control mechanism 3 whose main part is configured by a microcomputer etc. to determine the input amount based on a pulse corresponding to the type of coin 2 inserted.
The input amount is counted and temporarily stored, and the input amount is displayed on the price display 4 under the control of the control mechanism 3. Although the control mechanism 3 is supposed to count the amount of money inserted, here, the control mechanism 3 includes a counting mechanism of the conventional coin sorting and counting mechanism. Reference numeral 5 indicates a switch for switching the control mechanism 3 to either sales mode or price setting mode.
Reference numeral 6 indicates a product selection switch (select switch) disposed corresponding to each product shelf (column) (not shown) for selecting each product shelf. The product shelf position output selected by 6 is applied to the control mechanism 3. Reference numeral 7 indicates a sales mechanism, and this sales mechanism 7 is for providing the products on the product shelf selected by the select switch 6 to the purchaser in response to a command from the control mechanism 3. Furthermore, code 8
indicates a random access memory such as an IC memory, and this memory 8 indicates set price data from the control mechanism 3 and the position of the product shelf selected by the select switch 6 for the price. The address obtained from the output of the select switch 6 is added, and the set price data is stored in the address. An internal power supply 9 is connected to this random access memory 8 to prevent loss of memory contents in the event of a power outage.
The configuration is such that power is normally supplied to the memory 8 from an external power supply, and power is switched to the internal power supply 9 only in the event of a power outage.

For normal product sales, the changeover switch 5 is switched to the sales mode in advance. When the purchaser inserts a coin 2 into the coin resistor 1, the inserted amount is displayed on the display 4, and then by pressing the select switch 6 for the product desired to purchase, the product shelf position output is supplied to the control mechanism 3. According to the output, the control mechanism 3 controls the sales mechanism 7 to take out the desired product from the desired product shelf and offer it to the purchaser.

When setting prices, for example, by switching the changeover switch 5 to the price setting mode,
Start the processing procedure shown in Figure A and insert coins up to an amount equal to the set price (Step GS
1). The input amount is temporarily stored in the control mechanism 3 (step S3) and integrated and displayed on the display 4 (step S5), so when the desired set price is displayed, stop inserting coins and change to the set price. Select switch 6 for corresponding products
Press (step S7). Based on the switch output from the select switch 6, a predetermined address in the random access memory 8 is specified by the control mechanism 3 (step S9), and at the same time, the address is temporarily stored in the control mechanism 3 by the write control from the control mechanism 3. The accumulated input amount is written into the memory 8 (step S11). That is, the price of the above-mentioned product is stored in the random access memory 8, and the price is thereby set.

If you want to set the same price for multiple items,
By inserting a desired amount of coins 2 into the coin resistor 1 and pressing a plurality of desired select switches 6 in sequence with the amount displayed on the display 4, the price of the corresponding product is stored in memory. They are set sequentially within 8. Here, you can set a higher price by inserting more coins than the displayed amount, and then press the select switch 6 for the corresponding product to set the price for the product with the higher price. can. Please note that the price is set by pressing the select switch 6.
Of course, the price of the product for the select switch 6 that is not pressed is maintained at the previously set price. When finishing the price setting work, the changeover switch 5 is returned to the sales mode to start the processing procedure shown in FIG. S21), and the coins inserted for price setting are returned (step S23).

By appropriately configuring the control mechanism 3, the price may be set by pressing the select switch 6 once after inserting a coin, the display may be turned off, and the inserted coin may be returned. In this case, it is necessary to insert a coin each time the select switch 6 is pressed, and the setting time becomes longer than in the above example, but the advantage is that it reduces the possibility of incorrect settings due to pressing the undesired select switch. Motsu.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily set a price using the same procedure as when purchasing a product, and since the set price is actually displayed on the display, there is less risk of setting errors. Even ordinary people can set prices easily and without error.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the price setting device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the price setting apparatus of the present invention, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are flowcharts showing an example of the price setting processing procedure according to the present invention. 1... Coin resistor, 2... Coin, 3...
〓〓〓〓〓
Control mechanism, 4... Display unit, 5... Changeover switch,
6...Select switch, 7...Sales mechanism, 8...
...Random access memory, 9...Internal power supply. 〓〓〓〓〓

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A money sorting mechanism that sorts input coins and outputs a coin sorting signal corresponding to the type of input coins, and a product selection switch for selecting products to be sold;
a control mechanism that reads the money sorting signal from the money sorting mechanism and the switch output from the product selection switch to control product sales operations and price setting operations; and a control mechanism that is connected to the control mechanism and reads the money sorting signal. a display device for displaying the input amount calculated by the above-described method; a storage circuit connected to the control mechanism;
a sales changeover switch, the control mechanism having storage means for temporarily accumulating the input amount when the price setting/sales changeover switch is switched to the price setting mode and money is input into the money sorting mechanism; display control means for displaying the input amount on the display; designation means for detecting activation of the product selection switch and designating address data on the storage circuit corresponding to the activated switch; 1. A price setting device for a vending machine, comprising: writing means for writing the input amount accumulated in the storage means in accordance with the insertion of money into an address on a storage circuit indicated by the address data at the time of designation. 2. In the device according to claim 1, after switching the price setting/sales switch to the price setting mode, inserting money into the money sorting mechanism and displaying the inserted amount on the display,
A vending machine characterized in that by sequentially energizing a plurality of desired product selection switches, the input amount is sequentially written into addresses corresponding to the energized product selection switches in the memory circuit. pricing device. 3. In the device according to claim 1 or 2, the price setting/sales changeover switch is switched to the price setting mode, money is input into the money sorting mechanism, and the product selection for the product to be priced is performed. After setting the desired price by energizing the switch, inserting money into the money sorting mechanism and adding the input amount, by energizing the product selection switch for other products to be set. A price setting device for a vending machine characterized by setting higher prices in sequence. 4. In the device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the price setting/sales changeover switch is switched to the sales mode after setting the price, thereby removing the money that had been inserted for setting the price. A price setting device for a vending machine, characterized in that a price setting device for a vending machine is configured to set a price. 5. In the device according to claim 1, when the price setting/sales changeover switch is switched to the price setting mode, the product selection switch is energized after putting money into the money sorting mechanism. As a result, the price is set in the memory circuit, the display on the display is turned off, and the input coins are returned.
A price setting device for a vending machine, characterized in that: 6. A vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the memory circuit is constituted by a random access memory that can retain stored contents even in the event of a power outage. pricing device.