JP7577348B2 - Vending machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vending machine.

While there is a growing trend towards cashless payment methods for vending machines, the need for cash payment systems in Japan remains high, and the abolition of cash payment systems is not yet upon us. Compared to cash payment systems that can be used on a standalone basis, cashless payment systems that are configured using a network are considered to have vulnerabilities in terms of crisis management.

For the above reasons, it is expected that cash payment systems and cashless payment systems will coexist in vending machines for the time being. A vending machine configuration that allows you to select between a cash payment system and a cashless payment system is known, such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP 2021-92961 A).

JP 2021-92961 A (Claim 8, Claim 11, etc.)

The vending machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 allows product purchasers to choose between cash payment and multiple graphic code payments as a cashless payment, and employs a configuration in which cash payment is forcibly selected when cash is inserted into the vending machine. In such a configuration, sufficient change must be prepared for the vending machine, which poses issues such as cumbersome cash management and the risk of cash theft. Another issue is that the need to prepare change places restrictions on the products that can be sold in the vending machine.

The present invention is therefore intended to solve the above problems, and has the following objectives: to provide a vending machine that can be used with both cash payment systems and cashless payment systems, that does not require the preparation of large amounts of change, that can prevent the hassle of cash management and theft of cash, and that can ease restrictions on the products that can be sold in the vending machine.

As a result of intensive research by the inventors to solve the above problems, the inventors came up with the following configuration. That is, the present invention is a vending machine comprising a main body unit containing multiple types of products, a product display unit that displays a product selection display including samples and images of the products, an information display unit that displays information regarding the time of product purchase, a cash payment unit, a cashless payment unit, a product selection means that selects the product desired to be purchased from the product selection display, and an operation control unit, the operation control unit calculating the purchase amount of the product selected by the product selection means, and when the purchase amount exceeds a preset upper limit amount, disabling the cash payment unit and enabling only the cashless payment unit.

This eliminates the need to prepare large amounts of change, reduces the hassle of managing cash and prevents theft of cash, and also relaxes restrictions on the products that can be sold in vending machines.

It is also preferable that the operation control unit executes a process of visually distinguishably displaying, on the product display unit, the product selection display element corresponding to the product that can be paid for in cash, the product selection display element corresponding to the product that can be paid for in cashless payment, and the product selection display element corresponding to the product that can be paid for in cash and cashless payment.

This allows the buyer to easily check the payment method for the product.

It is also preferable that the device further comprises a network connection unit that can be connected to a network, and that an operation terminal that can be connected to the network can execute at least one of the following: changing the unit price of the product, changing the upper limit amount, checking the number of products contained, and checking the total amount of cash contained in the cash container of the cash settlement unit.

This allows vending machines to be controlled remotely, reducing the need for maintenance.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the operation control unit executes a process to cause the information display unit to display a guide display for cash payment when cash is inserted into the cash payment unit before the product desired to be purchased is selected by the product selection means, executes a process to cause the information display unit to display a guide display for cash payment that encourages the user to select cash payment or cashless payment when the product selection means selects the product that can be paid for in cash and cashless payment, and executes a process to cause the information display unit to display a guide display for cashless payment when the product selection means selects the product that can be paid for in cashless payment.

This means that even if multiple payment methods coexist, there is no risk of the buyer becoming confused about which payment method to use.

It is also preferable that the operation control unit executes a process to cause the product selection display unit to display the product selection display corresponding to the product that can be purchased within the total amount of cash inserted into the cash settlement unit in a manner that is distinguishable from the product selection display corresponding to other products.

This allows buyers to see what products are currently available for purchase.

In addition, it is preferable that the operation control unit executes a process to return the difference between the total amount of cash inserted into the cash settlement unit and the upper limit amount when the total amount of cash exceeds the upper limit amount.

This ensures that more cash than necessary is not put into the cash settlement section.

It is also preferable that the main body further includes a bulk purchase selection means, and the operation control unit calculates the purchase amount for the multiple products selected by the product selection means after the bulk purchase selection means is operated.

This will improve convenience when buying in bulk.

The vending machine configuration of the present invention eliminates the need to prepare large amounts of change, making it possible to prevent the hassle of cash management and the risk of cash theft, and also alleviating restrictions on the products that can be sold in vending machines.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vending system using a vending machine and an operation terminal in this embodiment. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an operation control unit of the vending machine in the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an operation terminal according to the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing an example of a procedure for purchasing a product from a vending machine in the present embodiment.

The vending system 500 in this embodiment will be explained below with reference to the drawings.

First Embodiment
1 shows a schematic configuration of a vending system 500 according to this embodiment. The vending system 500 according to this embodiment has a vending machine 100 and an operation terminal 200 that can be connected to a network 300.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a vending machine 100 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the vending machine 100 in this embodiment includes a main body 10, a cash payment unit 20, a cashless payment unit 30, a network connection unit 40, and an operation control unit 50. The main body 10 is provided with a plurality of storage compartments 11 in which a plurality of types of products 1 are stored, a display unit 12, a product selection means 13 such as a product selection button for selecting the product 1 desired to be purchased, a bulk purchase selection means 14 such as a bulk purchase button, a product removal opening 15, and a change slot 28.

In this embodiment, the storage 11 stores multiple types of products 1 stacked vertically for each product 1, but the storage form of the products 1 is not limited to this form. Also, by arranging a temperature adjustment means (not shown) around the storage 11, the temperature can be adjusted according to the product 1. Also, each storage 11 is provided with a counter 17 that can grasp the number of products 1 stored, and the number of products 1 calculated by the counter 17 is transmitted to the operation control unit 50 at least each time the payment for the purchase amount is completed when purchasing the product 1. The frequency with which the counter 17 transmits the number of products 1 stored in each storage 11 to the operation control unit 50 is not limited to the transmission frequency in this embodiment.

The display unit 12 in this embodiment has a product display unit 12A that displays a product sample 2 as an example of a product selection display body when purchasing the product 1, and an information display unit 12B that displays information for the purchaser, but the display unit 12 is not limited to this form. The product display unit 12A can appropriately adopt a known configuration such as a display space for the product sample 2 where the physical product sample 2 can be confirmed from the outside of the main body unit 10, or a monitor that displays an image of the product 1 as an example of a product selection display body. In addition, the product display unit 12A in this embodiment can also display in a visually identifiable state such as a color or image according to the payment method (for example, cash payment, cashless payment, or cash payment and cashless payment) of the product 1 corresponding to the product sample 2. By adopting such a configuration of the product display unit 12A, it is advantageous in that the purchaser can check the payment method corresponding to the product 1 by the product selection display body (the product sample 2 or the image of the product 1) when selecting the product 1.

In addition, the information display unit 12B displays the total amount of cash inserted through the cash insertion unit 21 of the cash payment unit 20, the payment method corresponding to the product 1 selected by the product selection means 13, the purchase price of the product 1, the upper limit for cash payment, etc. In addition to the information for the purchaser of the product 1 as described above, the information display unit 12B can also display additional information such as product messages and the latest news for an unspecified number of people in the vicinity of the vending machine 100 via the operation terminal 200 and the network 300.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the product selection means 13 for selecting the product 1 that the purchaser wishes to purchase is configured with buttons arranged on the front of the main body 10 in a state corresponding to the physical product sample 2, but is not limited to this form. It is also possible to adopt a form in which buttons with images corresponding to the product 1 are displayed on the product display section 12A or the information display section 12B.

The cash settlement unit 20 includes a cash insertion unit 21, a cash insertion amount calculation means 22, a change calculation means 23, a first product dispensing means 24, a change dispensing means 26, a cash storage unit 27, and a change slot 28. The cash insertion unit 21 has a coin insertion unit 21A and a bill insertion unit 21B, and cash inserted into the cash insertion unit 21 is stored in a temporary storage unit (not shown). An example of such a temporary storage unit is the physical escrow function of a coin mechanism or bill validator. The cash insertion amount calculation means 22 calculates the total cash amount, which is the sum of the coins and bills inserted from the coin insertion unit 21A and the bill insertion unit 21B. The change calculation means 23 calculates the difference between the total cash amount and the purchase price of product 1 as the change amount.

The first product dispensing means 24 dispenses the purchased product 1 from the storage 11 to the product outlet 15 when the total cash amount is equal to or greater than the purchase price of the product 1 (when cash payment is completed). The change dispensing means 26 dispenses cash equivalent to the change amount from the cash storage section 27 to the change outlet 28. The cash storage section 27 is a place where the cash in the temporary storage section is stored by type, such as coins and bills, after the purchase price of the product 1 has been paid. In this embodiment, the cash input amount calculation means 22, the change calculation means 23, the first product dispensing means 24, and the change dispensing means 26 are configured as part of the operation control section 50, but a form in which they are arranged independently of the operation control section 50 can also be adopted.

The cashless payment unit 30 has a payment code display means 32, a payment code scanner 34, and a second product dispensing means 36. The payment code display means 32 displays a payment code corresponding to at least one cashless payment provider with which the vending machine 100 is affiliated, and can be exemplified by a small monitor. In this embodiment, the payment code is displayed on the payment code display means 32, but the payment code can also be displayed on the information display unit 12B. The payment code scanner 34 reads the payment code of the cashless payment provider displayed on the mobile terminal of the purchaser. The second product dispensing means 36 dispenses the product 1 from the storage 11 to the product outlet 15 when it is confirmed that the purchase price of the product 1 selected by the purchaser has been paid using the payment code displayed on the payment code display means 32. In this embodiment, the second product dispensing means 36 is configured as a part of the operation control unit 50, but can also be arranged independently of the operation control unit 50.

The network connection unit 40 is for connecting to a network 300 such as the Internet, and may employ known configurations such as wireless communication devices such as wireless receivers that comply with wireless LAN, short-range wireless communication standards, and mobile phone lines. The vending machine 100 equipped with the network connection unit 40 can perform various operations via the network 300 using the operation terminal 200 owned by the manager of the vending machine 100. Specifically, it is possible to operate (change) the setting condition data SJD of the vending machine 100 stored in the memory unit 56 of the operation control unit 50, and to confirm (download to the operation terminal memory unit 230) the sales data HBD of the vending machine 100. Examples of the setting condition data SJD of the vending machine 100 include payment method data for product 1, sales unit price data for product 1, and upper limit amount data for cash payment. Examples of the sales data HBD include sales quantity data for product 1, storage number data for product 1 in the storage unit 11, and total cash amount data in the cash storage unit 27.

3 is a schematic diagram of the operation control unit 50 of the vending machine 100 in this embodiment. The operation control unit 50 is for controlling the operation of the main body unit 10, the cash payment unit 20, the cashless payment unit 30, and the network connection unit 40 in the vending machine 100, and is composed of a calculation unit 52, an operation control program 54, and a storage unit 56. The calculation unit 52 in this embodiment also functions as a part of the cash payment unit 20 and the cashless payment unit 30. The calculation unit 52, which operates based on the operation control program 54, executes a process of reading out the payment method data set for the product 1 selected by the purchaser from the storage unit 56. The calculation unit 52 then executes a process of displaying on the information display unit 12B a display that prompts the purchaser to select cash payment or cashless payment according to the payment method data for the selected product 1 stored in the storage unit 56. When the purchaser taps a selection button (not shown) displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 executes a process of displaying on the information display unit 12B a guide display for the payment (cash payment or cashless payment) selected by the purchaser.

The calculation unit 52 proceeds with the payment process by the cash payment unit 20 or the cashless payment unit 30 in accordance with the purchaser's operation of an instruction button (not shown) displayed on the information display unit 12B. After the payment of the purchase amount of the product 1 is completed by the cash payment unit 20 or the cashless payment unit 30, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to have the first product dispensing means 24 or the second product dispensing means 36 provide the product 1 to the product removal opening 15. In addition, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to have the change dispensing means 26 dispense change to the change opening 28 as necessary.

When the purchaser operates the bulk purchase selection means 14 to be enabled before selecting the product 1, the calculation unit 52 executes a process of calculating the purchase amount of the multiple products 1 selected by the purchaser based on the operation control program 54. The calculation unit 52 causes the information display unit 12B to display the calculated purchase amount of the multiple products 1 at any time. The calculation unit 52 checks whether the calculated purchase amount of the multiple products 1 exceeds the upper limit amount data of the set condition data SJD pre-stored in the memory unit 56. If the purchase amount exceeds the amount of the upper limit amount data, the calculation unit 52 executes a process of disabling the cash payment unit 20 for the purchaser and enabling only the cashless payment unit 30, even if the product 1 is set to be able to be paid in cash.

Then, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B that the purchase of the selected multiple products 1 can only be made by cashless payment. In this case, if coins and/or bills are stored in the temporary storage unit, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to forcibly return the coins and/or bills stored in the temporary storage unit. Such a configuration with a temporary storage unit eliminates the need to return the amount of the inserted bills in coins, which is convenient for both the purchaser and for preparing change in the vending machine 100.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the operation terminal 200 in this embodiment. As shown in Figure 4, the operation terminal 200 in this embodiment is equipped with an operation terminal monitor 210, an operation terminal network connection unit 220, an operation terminal storage unit 230, and an operation terminal control unit 240. An example of such an operation terminal 200 is a so-called tablet terminal. The operation terminal monitor 210 can display image data and character data, and can display a keyboard as an input unit in the operation terminal 200. The operator of the vending machine 100 can input operation commands for the vending machine 100 from the keyboard displayed on the operation terminal monitor 210, and transmit the operation commands to the vending machine 100 via the operation terminal network connection unit 220 and the network 300.

Examples of operation commands include a set condition data operation command that operates the set condition data SJD and a sales data request command that requests sales data HBD. The set condition data operation command sets and changes the payment method data for each product 1, sets and changes the unit sales price data for product 1, sets and changes the upper limit amount data for cash payments, etc. The sales data request command requests sales quantity data for product 1 in the vending machine 100, requests storage quantity data for product 1 in the storage unit 11, requests total cash amount data in the cash storage unit 27, etc. The set condition data operation command and sales data request command are merely examples and are not limited to the specific contents described above.

Because the vending machine 100 in the vending system 500 can be operated in this way via the operation terminal 200 and the network 300, the operator can advantageously significantly reduce the labor required for maintenance and management of the vending system 500.

Second Embodiment
In the vending machine 100 and the vending system 500 of this embodiment, the same components as those of the vending machine 100 and the vending system 500 of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted here. In this embodiment, when the purchaser inserts cash into the cash insert unit 21 before selecting the product 1 by the product selection means 13, the calculation unit 52 executes a process of displaying a guide display for cash payment on the information display unit 12B. In addition, the calculation unit 52 may execute a process of visually distinguishing between the product sample 2 corresponding to the product 1 that can be purchased within the total amount of cash inserted into the cash insert unit 21 and the product sample 2 corresponding to the product 1 that cannot be purchased within the total amount of cash inserted into the cash insert unit 21. In addition, when the total amount of cash inserted into the cash insert unit 21 exceeds the upper limit amount that can be paid in cash, the calculation unit 52 may execute a process of stopping the insertion of cash from the cash insert unit 21 and returning the difference between the total amount of cash and the upper limit amount that can be paid in cash from the change slot 28.

After that, if the payment method data corresponding to the product 1 selected by the purchaser using the product selection means 13 is set to not allow cash payment, the calculation unit 52 executes the following process. That is, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B a message indicating that the selected product 1 can be purchased only by cashless payment and prompting the purchaser to select whether to deselect the product 1 or to make a cashless payment.

When the purchaser selects to deselect product 1 from the selections displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to deselect the selected state of product 1 that was selected after inserting cash. When the purchaser selects to pay cashlessly from the selections displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B a display prompting the purchaser to select whether to add product 1 to the selection or to pay the purchase amount of product 1 cashlessly. Subsequent operations of the vending machine 100 can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

In addition, if the purchaser does not insert cash into the cash insertion unit 21 and uses the product selection means 13 to select a product 1 that can be paid for in cash or cashless, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B a display prompting the purchaser to select whether to pay for the selected product 1 in cash or to pay cashless. If the purchaser selects cash payment from among the selections displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B a display prompting the purchaser to select whether to add the selection of product 1 or to pay the purchase amount of product 1 in cash. On the other hand, if the purchaser selects cashless payment from among the selections displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B a display prompting the purchaser to select whether to add the selection of product 1 or to pay cashless for the purchase amount of product 1. The subsequent operation of the vending machine 100 can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

Furthermore, if the purchaser selects a product 1 that can be paid for cashlessly using the product selection means 13 without inserting cash into the cash insertion unit 21, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B a message indicating that the selected product 1 can be purchased only by cashless payment and prompting the purchaser to select whether to deselect the product 1 or to pay cashlessly. If the purchaser selects to deselect the product 1 from the selections displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to cancel the selection state of the selected product 1. If the purchaser selects to pay cashlessly from the selections displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to display on the information display unit 12B a message prompting the purchaser to select whether to add the product 1 or to pay the purchase amount of the product 1 cashlessly. Subsequent operations of the vending machine 100 can be performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

In the second embodiment, a purchaser who prefers to pay in cash can purchase product 1 using the same procedure as the conventional purchasing procedure. Furthermore, if the product 1 desired to be purchased is set to a payment method that the purchaser does not intend, the selected product 1 can be deselected, preventing the risk of the purchaser being unable to pay the purchase amount for product 1.

(Procedure for Purchasing Product 1 via Vending Machine 100)
5 is a flow diagram showing an example of a procedure for purchasing a product in the vending machine 100 in this embodiment. The procedure for purchasing the product 1 in the vending machine 100 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The purchaser operates the product selection means 13 to select product 1 available in the vending machine 100 (S-1). When product 1 is selected by the product selection means 13, the calculation unit 52 causes the information display unit 12B to display a confirmation message asking whether to proceed to payment (S-2, J-1). The purchaser selects and taps either the payment button or the purchase continuation button displayed on the information display unit 12B. When the purchaser taps the purchase continuation button (No in J-1), it becomes possible to add product 1 again using the product selection means 13. Each time product 1 is added by the product selection means 13, the calculation unit 52 causes the information display unit 12B to display a confirmation message asking whether to proceed to payment (S-2, J-1). This loop continues from then on. When the purchaser taps the payment button (Yes in J-1), the calculation unit 52 calculates the purchase price of product 1 (S-4).

After the purchase amount of the product 1 is calculated, the calculation unit 52 judges whether the purchase amount exceeds the upper limit of the cash payment amount stored in advance in the storage unit 56 (J-2). If the purchase amount exceeds the upper limit of the cash payment amount (Yes in J-2), the calculation unit 52 causes the information display unit 12B to display a message to proceed to cashless payment, guides the purchaser to the cashless payment (S-5), and then causes the purchaser to pay the purchase amount (S-8). On the other hand, if the purchase amount is equal to or less than the upper limit of the cash payment amount (No in J-2), the calculation unit 52 causes the information display unit 12B to display a message requesting the purchaser to select cash payment or cashless payment (S-6). After that, when the purchaser selects the desired payment method from the payment methods displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 guides the purchaser to the payment method selected by the purchaser by the information display unit 12B (S-7), and causes the purchaser to pay the purchase amount of the product 1 using the selected payment method (S-8).

When the calculation unit 52 confirms that the purchaser has completed payment of the purchase price for product 1 (Yes in J-3), it uses the first product dispensing means 24 or the second product dispensing means 36 to dispense product 1 to the product outlet 15 (S-9). The calculation unit 52 then determines whether or not there is change (J-4), and if there is no change (No in J-4), the product purchase procedure ends (END). If there is change (Yes in J-4), the change dispensing means 26 dispenses the change to the change outlet 28 (S-10), and the product purchase procedure ends (END).

When the calculation unit 52 confirms that the payment of the purchase amount of the product 1 by the purchaser could not be completed (No in J-3), the calculation unit 52 causes the information display unit 12B to display a confirmation display for whether or not to cancel the product purchase (S-11). When the purchaser taps the cancel purchase button displayed on the information display unit 12B (Yes in J-5), the calculation unit 52 ends the product purchase procedure (END). On the other hand, when the purchaser taps the continue purchase button displayed on the information display unit 12B (No in J-5), the calculation unit 52 causes the purchaser to change the payment method using the payment method button displayed on the information display unit 12B (S-12) and executes payment using the changed payment method (S-8). Then, the flow from (S-8) onwards is executed. Note that when changing the payment method (S-12), the calculation unit 52 may cause the information display unit 12B to display a cashless payment type change button that requests a change in the type of cashless payment (cashless payment provider) at the same time as the payment method button.

The vending machine 100 and vending system 500 using the same according to the present invention eliminate the need to prepare large amounts of change, making it possible to prevent the hassle of managing cash and theft of cash. In addition, it is now possible to sell products 1 that could not previously be sold in the vending machine 100 due to constraints such as the need to prepare change, making it possible to alleviate sales constraints on the product 1 in the vending machine 100. It is also advantageous in that it increases the freedom to set the selling price of the product 1.

The vending machine 100 and the vending system 500 using the same according to the present invention have been described in detail above based on the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the above embodiments, so-called code payment is exemplified as the payment method for the purchase amount of the product 1 that can be paid cashlessly, but cashless payment is not limited to code payment. Cashless payment using so-called electronic money can also be adopted. Note that when payment using electronic money is adopted, a payment communication unit (not shown) capable of communicating with an IC card or mobile terminal held by the purchaser is disposed in the main body unit 10.

In addition, the display unit 12 in the above embodiment is exemplified as being configured with a product display unit 12A and an information display unit 12B, but is not limited to this configuration. When displaying a product sample 2 as an image on the product display unit 12A, the product display unit 12A also serves as a monitor, so it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the display unit 12 is configured with a single monitor, eliminating the distinction between the product display unit 12A and the information display unit 12B.

In the above embodiment, the bulk purchase selection means 14 disposed on the main body 10 is operated to purchase the products 1 of the vending machine 100 in bulk, but the bulk purchase selection means 14 may be omitted. In a vending machine 100 that does not have the bulk purchase selection means 14, the basic setting is that bulk purchases are not possible, but it may be possible to set it to allow bulk purchases. In this case, when product 1 is selected by the product selection means 13, the calculation unit 52 displays a payment start button on the information display unit 12B, and when the purchaser selects additional product 1 by the product selection means 13 without selecting the payment start button, the calculation unit 52 executes a process to switch to bulk purchase mode. In addition, when the purchaser activates the payment start button displayed on the information display unit 12B, the calculation unit 52 may start the payment process for the purchase amount of product 1.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the cash insertion section 21 is configured by the coin insertion section 21A and the banknote insertion section 21B, but the cash insertion section 21 may be configured by only one of the coin insertion section 21A or the banknote insertion section 21B.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a configuration having a network connection unit 40 is exemplified, but the configuration of the network connection unit 40 can be omitted. If the configuration of the network connection unit 40 is not provided, remote operation by the operation terminal 200 will not be possible. In this case, an operation control panel (not shown) is provided in the main body unit 10, and the operator can input setting condition data operation commands and sales data request commands to the vending machine 100 by operating the operation control panel. Note that the sales data HBD can be output to a data receiving terminal (not shown) by connecting the data receiving terminal (not shown) to a data output unit (not shown) provided in the main body unit 10.

In addition, in the above embodiment, a tablet terminal is used as the operation terminal 200, but the operation terminal 200 may be a management server that manages the vending system 500.

In addition to the modifications described above, it is also possible to adopt a form that appropriately combines the modifications described in the embodiments.

1: Product, 2: Product sample, 10: Main body, 11: Storage, 12: Display, 12A: Product display, 12B: Information display,
13: Product selection means, 14: Bulk purchase selection means, 15: Product take-out port, 17: Counter, 20: Cash settlement section, 21: Cash insertion section, 21A: Coin insertion section, 21B: Bill insertion section,
22: cash input amount calculation means, 23: change calculation means, 24: first product dispensing means,
26: change dispensing means, 27: cash storage section, 28: change slot 30: cashless payment section 32: payment code display means, 34: payment code scanner, 36: second product dispensing means 40: network connection section 50: operation control section 52: calculation section, 54: operation control program, 56: memory section 100: vending machine 200: operation terminal 210: operation terminal monitor, 220: operation terminal network connection section,
230: Operation terminal storage unit, 240: Operation terminal control unit 300: Network 500: Vending system

Claims (7)

A main body portion in which a plurality of types of products are accommodated;
a product display unit that displays a product selection display including samples and images of the products;
an information display unit that displays information regarding the purchase of a product;
A cash settlement department;
Cashless payment department,
a product selection means for selecting the product that the user wishes to purchase from the product selection display;
An operation control unit;
The operation control unit is
A vending machine characterized in that a purchase amount of the product selected by the product selection means is calculated, and when the purchase amount exceeds a preset upper limit amount, the cash payment unit is disabled and only the cashless payment unit is enabled. The operation control unit is
The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a process is executed to visually distinguishably display the product selection display element corresponding to the product that can be paid for in cash, the product selection display element corresponding to the product that can be paid for in cashless payment, and the product selection display element corresponding to the product that can be paid for in cash and the product that can be paid for in cashless payment on the product display unit. Further comprising a network connection unit that can be connected to a network,
The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the following can be executed by an operation terminal connectable to the network: changing the unit price of the product, changing the upper limit amount, confirming the number of the product contained, and confirming the total amount of cash contained in the cash storage section of the cash settlement section. The operation control unit is
When cash is inserted into the cash settlement section before the product desired to be purchased is selected by the product selection means, a process is executed to display a guidance display for cash settlement on the information display section;
When the product selection means selects a product that can be paid for in cash or cashless payment, the information display unit is caused to display a guidance display prompting the user to select cash payment or cashless payment;
The vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the product that can be paid for cashlessly is selected by the product selection means, a process is executed to display a guide display for the cashless payment on the information display unit. The operation control unit is
3. The vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a process for displaying on the product display unit the product selection display elements corresponding to the products that can be purchased within the total amount of cash inserted into the cash settlement unit in a manner that makes them distinguishable from the product selection display elements corresponding to other products. The operation control unit is
3. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein when the total amount of cash inserted into the cash settlement section exceeds the upper limit amount, a process is executed to return the difference between the total amount of cash and the upper limit amount. The main body further includes a bulk purchase selection means,
3. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the operation control unit calculates the purchase amount for the plurality of products selected by the product selection unit after the bulk purchase selection unit is operated.

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