JPH07242302A - Empty can collection device and collection method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Collect empty cans so that the operator pays the price only when empty cans of the product sold by the vending machine of the operator are returned. [Structure] Vending machine 1 having valuable media delivery device 9
And an empty can collecting machine 21 having a valuable medium identifying machine 26.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for collecting empty containers for products contained in containers to be sold in a vending machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a product to be sold by a vending machine, for example, canned drinks have a high ratio because they have many advantages in terms of distribution and use by users, but the number of canned vending machines installed increases. At the same time, the disposal of empty cans has become an extremely serious social problem. In other words, empty cans discarded by users regardless of location are polluted with garbage, and if many of the empty cans can be reused as resources, the discarded cans cost a great deal of money. For the purpose of eliminating the pollution of garbage caused by such empty cans and reusing them,
Various empty can collection machines have been developed. In the empty can collecting machine, in order to motivate users to collect empty cans,
It is possible to issue coupons or pay out cash when you insert an empty can. In the case of a relatively closed area such as a school, selling the product, for example, 10 yen higher, and paying 10 yen when returning an empty can reduces the cost burden on the operator and raises the collection rate. be able to. However, if an empty can of a product sold by a vending machine other than the vending machine owned by the operator is collected and paid out, the operator's burden becomes heavy. In order to solve this point, a method of putting an identification mark on a product sold by one's own vending machine can be considered, but it is practically difficult.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide an empty can collecting device and a collecting method so that the operator can pay the price only when the operator collects the product sold by his / her own vending machine. Especially.

[0004]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the recovery apparatus of the present invention comprises an automatic vending machine having a valuable medium material dispensing device and an empty can collecting machine having a valuable medium identifying machine. .

Further, in the recovery method of the present invention, the value is paid out by selling the merchandise in the automatic vending machine together with the sale of the merchandise and inserting the empty can of the merchandise and the valued merchandise in the empty can collecting machine. So that

[0006] Here, the valuable media item refers to a private issue that has a value equivalent to cash and can be exchanged, and is composed of, for example, a token or a card. The empty cans are not limited to so-called empty cans, but like the cans, they mean containers that are difficult to dispose as garbage and can be reused as resources, such as empty bottles.

[0007]

In the present invention, when a product is sold by an automatic vending machine, a valuable medium unique to the automatic vending machine is dispensed, and the empty can is returned only when the two conditions of the empty can of the product and the valuable medium are met. Will be paid for.

[0008]

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

FIG. 1a is an internal system diagram of the vending machine 1.
Is a coin slot, 3 is a coin discriminator, 4 is a product selection button, 5 is a vending machine main control unit, 6 is a product unloading mechanism, and 7 is a product unloading port.
By inserting a coin from the coin insertion slot 2 and operating one of the product selection buttons 4, the vending machine main control unit 5 issues a carry-out command to the product carry-out mechanism 6, and the product can 8 takes out the product can 7. Be delivered to. 9 is a valuable medium delivery device, 1
Reference numeral 0 denotes a valuable medium material payout exit, which issues a valuable media material payout command from the vending machine main control unit 5 when a product is carried out, and a valuable media material 11, for example, a token, is paid out to the valuable media material payout exit 10.

FIG. 1b is an internal system diagram of the empty can collecting machine 21, in which 22 is an empty can input port, 23 is an empty can detector, 24 is an empty can collecting container, 25 is a valuable medium material input port, and 26 is a valuable medium material identifying machine. 27 is an empty can collecting machine control unit, 28 is a cash payout mechanism, and 29 is a cash payout exit. Now, when an empty can is loaded from the empty can input port 22, an empty can detection signal is sent from the empty can detector 23 to the empty can collecting machine control unit 27. On the other hand, when a valuable medium, for example, a token is inserted from the valuable medium input port 25, the valuable medium identifying device 26 operates, and if the token is true, a valuable medium detection signal is sent to the empty can collecting machine control unit 27. Based on the empty can detection signal and the valuable medium detection signal, the empty can collecting machine control unit 27 causes the cash dispensing mechanism 2
8, the cash 30 is paid out to the cash payout exit 29, and the empty can 31 is collected in the empty can collecting container 24 by the empty can collecting command from the empty can collecting machine control unit 27. When it is determined that the inserted token is for failure, the token is returned to the return port 32, and the empty can is also returned to the return port 33. At this time, in order to increase the collection rate of empty cans, regardless of the authenticity of the inserted tokens, unfilled empty cans are unconditionally collected, only the tokens are returned, and the user is notified accordingly. May be.

[0011]

According to the present invention, when a product is sold by an automatic vending machine, at the same time, a valuable medium object unique to the automatic vending machine is paid out, and an empty can of the commercial item and the valuable medium object are aligned. Since the payment for the return of empty cans is paid only by putting it in the collection machine, the operator of the vending machine only has to pay for the empty cans of the products sold by his / her own vending machine, and the self-payment for collection is Since none of the users can receive a considerable price for the return of empty cans, they will cooperate in the collection of empty cans, provide advantages to both the operator of the vending machine and users, and solve the social problem of empty cans. It also helps to do this.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1A is an internal system diagram of an automatic vending machine of the present invention, and b is an internal system diagram of an empty can collecting machine of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Vending Machine 5 Vending Machine Main Control Unit 9 Valuable Media Discharge Device 10 Valuable Media Discharge Exit 11 Valuable Media Material 21 Empty Can Collection Machine 22 Empty Can Insertion Port 23 Empty Can Detector 24 Valuable Container Recovery Container 25 Valuable Media Material Input Port 26 Valuable media identification machine 27 Empty can collecting machine control unit 28 Cash dispensing mechanism 29 Cash outlet 30 Cash 31 Empty can

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A device for collecting empty cans, comprising an automatic vending machine having a device for paying out valuable media and an empty can collecting machine having a device for identifying valuable media. 2. The vending machine dispenses the valuable medium with the sale of the product, and the empty can collecting machine throws in the empty can of the product and the dispensed valuable medium so that the price is paid out. How to collect empty cans.