JPH0652190A - Article lending system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an article lending system to manage automatically the lending and the return of an article. CONSTITUTION:An article lending machine 11 having an article storing part 13 provided with a sensor to detect the carrying-out of the article to be lent and an article returning part 16 provided with the sensor to detect the return of the article is arranged at every lending place, and a computer 12 which is connected to the article lending machine 11 and is provided with a monitoring means for the kind of the lent article, the state of the return, and a lending charge is installed at the center, and the lent article is managed by the computer 12 at the center.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for renting an article at a hotel or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when renting an article at a hotel or the like,
Items were rented at a specific lending station and returned to the lending station after use. And the rental fee was paid when renting or returning the goods.

[0003]

However, depending on the item, if the item is rented directly through a person, some items are inconvenient (for example, toys for adults), which reduces the user's willingness to rent the item. there were. Of course, vending machines that directly sell products using electronic devices are widely known, but once the products have been sold, they have not been returned. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article lending system that automatically manages the lending and returning of articles.

[0004]

A method according to the above-mentioned object.
The article lending system described above places an article lending device having an article storage unit having a sensor for detecting the carry-out of the article to be rented and an article return section having a sensor for detecting the return of the rented article at each lending location. The central computer is connected to the lending device and is provided with a monitoring means for monitoring the type of the lent item, the return status and the rent fee, and the central computer manages the lent item. Is configured. Further, the article lending system according to claim 2, which is in line with the above object, comprises an article storage unit including a sensor for detecting delivery of an article to be rented out, and an article returning unit including a sensor for detecting return of the rented article. Arranging an article lending device having at each lending place, connected to the lending device at the center, and providing a container for the lent item and a display panel for detecting and displaying the return status of the lent item by the sensor, It is configured to manage articles. Here, although it is preferable to incorporate the article storage section and the article return section in one device, the present invention is applicable even when they are separately arranged.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an article lending system, comprising: an article storage unit provided with a sensor for detecting delivery of an article to be rented.
Since an article lending device having an article returning section equipped with a sensor for detecting the return of the rented article is arranged at each lending place, when the article is carried out from the article storage section, the sensor works and the central part is provided. When the borrowed item is returned to the computer, the sensor further operates and notifies the central computer, so the central computer recognizes the lending status and the returning status of the item and manages the item. The fee can be calculated.
The article lending system according to claim 2, wherein each article lending device has an article storage unit including a sensor for detecting the carry-out of the article to be rented, and an article return unit including a sensor for detecting the return of the rented article. Since it is placed in a place, when you carry out an item from the item storage section,
The sensor works and sends a signal to the central display panel. As a result, it is possible to monitor the rental status of the articles on the central display panel.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide an understanding of the present invention.
1 is a perspective view of an article lending system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a lending / returning management box used in the system, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart of the system. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of an article lending system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an article lending system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a lending / returning management box 11 which is an example of an article lending device arranged in each room of a hotel or the like. , A computer 12 arranged in a lobby of a hotel or the like and connected to the lending / returning management box 11.

The lending / returning management box 11 is an example of an article storage unit, and includes first to third storage boxes 13 each formed of a semi-cylindrical container, and a semi-cylindrical rotary lid that covers the storage box 13, respectively. 14, a lid opening / closing sensor 15 that detects the opening / closing of the rotary lid 14 provided on the side of each storage box 13, and a first to third return device that is made up of a cylindrical container and into which an article to be rented is put. Box 16 and return management sensor 17 provided on the bottom of each of the first to third return boxes 16
And a box body 18 for housing these and an opening / closing lid 19 thereof. The lid opening / closing sensor 15 is a proximity switch,
Any one of a photoelectric reflection type sensor, a magnetic sensor, and a limit switch may be used, and when they are operated once, an open signal is stored in an internal memory composed of a semiconductor or a relay, and the open signal can be sent to the computer 12. It has become. In addition, the return management sensor 17
Uses a proximity switch, photoelectric reflection type sensor, magnetic sensor, limit switch, gravity sensor, etc., so that when the article is taken out from the return box 16 again, the sensor is activated (in a non-sensing state) It is constantly monitoring. In some cases, a television camera may be used as the sensor for the above articles, or a barcode may be provided on the article and read by a barcode reader.

The outputs of the lid opening / closing sensor 15 and the return management sensor 17 are connected to the computer 12 through a line. On the other hand, the computer 12 includes a display 20, a printer 21, and a keyboard 22 for input. The computer 12 has a CPU, a RAM, and an RO as in a normal computer.
M, and an interface for input / output.

Programs for performing these processes are stored in the ROM. This will be described below with reference to the flow shown in FIG. First, the first storage box 13
Whether or not the rotary lid 14 has been opened is detected by the lid opening / closing sensor 15 (step 100), and if it is open, the room number and storage box number are stored in the memory of the computer 12 (step 101). Then, the first rotary lid 1
4 is not opened and after writing to the memory is finished, it is detected whether or not the rotary lid 14 of the second storage box 13 is opened (step 102), and if it is opened, it is stored in the memory. (Step 103) If it is not opened and after the recording in the memory is completed, it is detected whether or not the rotary lid 14 of the third storage box 13 is opened (Step 10).
4) If it is open, it is stored in the memory (step 105). Through the above steps, it is detected whether or not the article is taken out from each storage box 13. Here, in this embodiment, the carrying-out of the article is detected by the rotation of the rotary lid 14, but it is also possible to directly detect whether the article is taken out by using a photoelectric sensor, a camera, a weight sensor or the like. .

Next, it is detected whether or not the checkout of the room is completed (step 106), which may be performed by keyboard input. And if you have not checked out, repeat the process steps,
When checking out, return management is performed to determine whether the first to third articles in the first to third storage boxes have been returned to the first to third return boxes 16, respectively. Confirm with the sensor 17 (steps 107 to 109). Then, the rental fee is settled and the unreturned portion is displayed based on the rental status and the return status (step 110).

In the above embodiment, the storage box 13 and the return box 16 are separate boxes, but they may be the same box. In this case, it can be easily carried out by determining that the article has been rented by opening the box and taking out the article, and by returning the article by putting the article in the box again. Furthermore, in the case of an article that becomes dirty due to use, the return box 16
When the storage box and the return box are also used, it is preferable to dispose a removable inner container in each of them and to replace the inner container each time. Further, in this embodiment, although only one lending / returning management box 11 is shown,
These are provided in each room and are connected to the central computer 12 to manage the whole.

The article lending system 25 according to the second embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 4 will be described below.
The lending / returning management box 11 used in the embodiment of the present invention is used, and the output is provided on the display panel 26 with the indicator lamps 27 and 2.
Monitor by 8. Then, the display lamps 27, 2
No. 8 classifies rental and return for each room by different colors so that the manager can immediately see the situation.

[0014]

As is apparent from the above description, the article lending system according to claims 1 and 2 can manage not only the article lending but also the return thereof.
It has become possible to automate the article lending system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an article lending system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a lending / returning management box used in the system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the system.

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of an article lending system according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 article lending system 11 lending / returning management box 12 computer 13 storage box (storing section) 14 rotating lid 15 lid opening / closing sensor 16 return box 17 return management sensor 18 box body 19 opening / closing lid 20 display 21 printer 22 keyboard 25 article lending system 26 Indicator 27 Indicator lamp 28 Indicator lamp

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An article lending device having an article storage unit provided with a sensor for detecting the delivery of an article to be rented and an article delivery unit provided with a sensor for detecting the return of the rented article, arranged at each lending location. , Centrally connected to the lender,
An article lending system, comprising: a computer provided with a means for monitoring the type of the lent article, the return status, and the rent fee, and the central computer manages the rented article. 2. An article lending device having an article storage unit provided with a sensor for detecting delivery of an article to be rented out, and an article delivery unit provided with a sensor for detecting return of the rented article, arranged at each lending location. , Centrally connected to the lender,
An article lending system, characterized in that a container for the lent article and a display panel for detecting the return status of the rented article are displayed by the sensor to manage the article.