JPH02222089A - Selling lamp controller for automatic 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] [Industrial application field]

This invention displays products that can be sold in a vending machine in which a plurality of horizontal product shelves are arranged in multiple stages, and products on each product shelf are carried out to a product takeout port by an elevator mechanism that moves vertically during sales. The present invention relates to a device for controlling lighting of a lamp.

[Conventional technology]

In the above vending machine, a switch is installed at the product outlet to detect when the product has been taken out, and continuous vending (successful sales where products are taken out continuously within the amount of money put in until change is paid out). ), when it is confirmed that the product has been taken out, a lamp (available for sale lamp) that displays the products that can be sold (products whose price is less than the remaining balance and has not been sold out) is turned on in preparation for the next sale. There is. 0rProblem to be Solved by the Invention] In this case, conventionally, when the removal of the product is confirmed, the product has not completely moved to the position where the sold-out detection lever is pressed on the shelf where the product was sold. Therefore, as long as the sold-out detection switch is not activated, it cannot be determined whether the product is sold out or not, so the sell ready lamp is turned on for the entire vending machine until the sold-out detection switch completes the sold-out check. I try not to. However, with this conventional configuration, the next sale cannot be made until the previous sale item has been checked for sold out on the shelf, which lengthens the sales cycle and increases the waiting time for users.
There was a risk that users would move to other vending machines. This invention provides a vending machine's ready-to-sell lamp lighting control device that shortens the sales cycle by shortening the time from the removal of the previous product to the lighting of the ready-to-sell lamp for the next sale in the case of continuous sales. The purpose is to provide

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a plurality of horizontal product shelves arranged in multiple stages and an elevator mechanism that moves vertically between these product shelves. , when money is inserted, a sellable lamp of a sellable product is lit; then, when a product selection pushbutton is pressed, the specified product selection pushbutton is moved from the product shelf to the elevator mechanism to the product takeout port; In a vending machine to be taken out, a storage means for storing the number of products on each product shelf, an input means for setting an initial number of products in this storage means, and a storage device for storing the number of products on each product shelf when the products are transferred from each product shelf to the elevator mechanism. A means for rewriting the number of products in the means, and a sold-out detection switch for that product shelf to check if the product is still sold out when it is confirmed that the product on one of the product shelves has been taken out to the product takeout port during continuous sales. When the product is in stock, a control device is provided which determines whether the product is sold out from the remaining number of products in the storage device and turns on a sellable lamp in preparation for the next sale.

[For use]

If the sold-out detection switch of the product shelf where the product was sold has not completed the sold-out check by the time the product is confirmed to have been removed, whether or not the product is sold out is determined from the remaining number of products stored in the storage means. It makes a guess, and if the number of items remaining is not zero, it lights up a sellable lamp. This compensates for the delay in checking for sold out due to the movement of products within the product shelf, and shortens the time until the sellable lamp lights up.

【Example】

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a horizontal product shelf on which products are placed and stored on a belt conveyor 1a, and a plurality of products are arranged in multiple stages. Further, 2 is an elevator mechanism that moves up and down between the product shelves 1, 3 is a product detection switch that detects the presence of a product on the elevator mechanism 2, and 4 is a shelf position provided according to the level of each product shelf 1. Detection switch 5 is a lower limit position detection switch that detects that the elevator mechanism 2 has reached the lower limit position, 6 is a product take-out port, 7 is a product discharge detection switch that detects that the product has been taken out to the product take-out port 6; 8 is a product selection pushbutton on the front of the vending machine; 9 is a vending lamp provided therewith; 10 is a control unit consisting of a microcomputer; 11 is a memory consisting of RAM; 12 is loading of products onto each product shelf 1. The keyboard serves as an input means for setting the initial number of products in the memory 11 at that time. In such a configuration, when money is inserted into a money slot (not shown), the sellable lamp 9 of the sellable product lights up. Therefore, when the product selection push button 8 is pressed,
The elevator mechanism 2, which was at the top shelf position shown in the figure in the sales standby state, begins to descend and stops when the shelf position detection switch 4 detects that it has reached a predetermined shelf position. Therefore, product shelf 1
The conveyor la operates to drop one product onto the elevator mechanism 2. If this product falls, the product detection switch 3
When detected, the elevator mechanism 2 further descends, and stops when the lower limit position detection switch 5 is activated. Next, the product on the elevator mechanism 2 is transferred onto the product outlet 6 by a push-out mechanism (not shown). In this way, the product was carried out to the product outlet 6. When this is detected by the product carry-out detection switch chia, the sales ready lamp 9 is lit again in preparation for the next sale, and the elevator mechanism 5 also waits at the lower limit position. Now, regarding the lighting operation of the sellable lamp 9,
This will be further explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG. In FIG. 3, prior to the sales operation, it is first determined whether or not it is a continuous sale (step S1), and if it is not a continuous sale, the process moves to an individual sales operation (No in step S1). If it is a continuous sale (YES in step S1), the process moves to a continuous sale operation, but if a certain period of time elapses without detecting product removal, it is determined that there is a failure (NO in step S2 → YES in S4). On the other hand, if it is detected that the product is being carried out (Y in step S2),
ES), a signal is sent from the sold-out detection switch (not shown) of the product shelf 1 where the product was sold.If there is no signal, it is determined that the sold-out check is in progress (Y in step S3).
ES), check the remaining number of the product in memory (
Step S5). If the number remaining is zero, it is assumed that the product is sold out (YES-37 in step S5), and if the number remaining is not zero, it is presumed that the product is available (No-+36 in step S5). Next, the sold-out status of each product shelf 1 is checked from the signals of the sold-out detection switches of other product shelves 1 (step S8).
, the sellable lamps 9 of the sellable products are turned on, including the result of the previous remaining quantity confirmation (step S9). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not to sell based on the presence or absence of a signal from the product selection pushbutton 8 (step 5IO), and if it is a sale, the process returns to step SL (
Step SIO YES). In addition, if it is not a sale, it is determined whether the sold-out check on the product shelf 1 of the previous sale has been completed (NO in step S10 → 5ll), and if the sold-out check has been completed, the number of products in the memory 1 is set to 1. It is rewritten to the subtracted value (step 512), and if the sold-out check has not been completed, the process returns to step SIO (step SIO).
ll No). As described above, in the illustrated configuration, when the removal of a product is detected and the product shelf 1 on which the product was sold is being checked to see if it is sold out, the presence or absence of the product is inferred from the number of remaining products in the memory 11. , proceeds with lighting the sellable lamp 9 for the next sale. As a result, the sales ready lamp 9 can be lit even during a sell-out check, and the sales cycle can be shortened accordingly.

【Effect of the invention】

According to this invention, by lighting the sales ready lamp without waiting for the sold-out detection switch to complete the sold-out check, the sales cycle during continuous sales is shortened, and the user is prevented from moving to another vending machine. A decrease in sales opportunities can be avoided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing its operation. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...Product shelf, 2...Elevator mechanism, 6...Product outlet, 7...Product removal detection switch, 8...Product selection push button, 9...Sellable lamp, 10.・・・
Control unit, 11... memory, 12... keyboard. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) Equipped with a plurality of horizontal product shelves arranged in multiple stages and an elevator mechanism that moves vertically between these product shelves, when money is inserted, a sellable lamp of a sellable product is lit, Next, in a vending machine that, when a product selection pushbutton is pressed, moves the specified product selection pushbutton from the product shelf to the elevator mechanism and carries it out to the product takeout port, a storage means for storing the number of products on each product shelf; , input means for setting the initial number of products in the storage means, means for rewriting the number of products in the storage means when the product is transferred from each product shelf to the elevator mechanism, and input means for setting the number of products in the storage means when the product is transferred from each product shelf to the elevator mechanism; At the time when it is confirmed that the product on the shelf has been carried out to the product takeout port, if the sold-out detection switch of the product shelf is still checking for sold-out, it is determined whether or not the product is sold out from the remaining number of products in the storage means. 1. A vending machine lamp lighting control device, comprising a control means for determining and lighting a vending lamp in preparation for the next sale.