JPS6156839B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a control device for a vending machine.

[Prior Art] In a vending machine in which a product discharging mechanism is provided in each of a plurality of serpentine aisles for storing products, and products are sold while selecting the aisle, depending on the specifications of the vending machine, for example, There are various types, such as a 6-selection machine using 6 passages and a 12-selection machine using 12 passages, and in recent years, any number up to 16 selections has been selected.

On the other hand, in order to provide versatility, this type of vending machine control device is designed for, for example, 12 selections, and correspondingly 12 output relay circuits are provided. For this purpose, a number of relays are used according to the number of selections in the vending machine, and when the nth relay operates, the solenoid or motor or other discharge device in the nth passage operates. Products in the aisles are being removed.

On the other hand, in this type of vending machine, for example, there is one that performs so-called inventory operation, in which the products stored in the vending machine are automatically discharged continuously for purposes such as inventory taking. For this purpose, as shown in FIG. 1, an automatic ejection button 3 is connected to the CPU 1. When the automatic discharge button 3 is turned on, the relays provided corresponding to each aisle are turned on one after another, and the products are discharged one by one in the order of the aisles, and this operation is repeated to perform the inventory operation. In addition, in FIG. 1, 4 is a price setting switch.

On the other hand, since the control device is designed for, for example, 12 selections as mentioned above, conventionally the control device is designed for 12 selections.
As shown in the figure, an on/off type selection switch 2 is provided so that it is possible to select, for example, whether the selection number is 1/2, 6, or 12.

However, as shown in Figure 1, with the conventional device,
If the number of selections is 12, then 1/12 of these 12
Since only 6 of 2 can be selected, for example, if the vending machine has 9 selection, if you set selection switch 2 to 6 selection, the products in the 7th to 9th aisles cannot be ejected when automatically discharging. , and if set to 12 selection, 10
The relays corresponding to the passages after the th will operate in vain, and the inventory operation will be delayed accordingly.

To eliminate this type of drawback, traditional equipment requires
The drawback is that it requires modification or modification, either by changing the circuit of the control device or by changing the program.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] This invention has been made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks.The invention stores prices for each product aisle in a register having a certain number of storage stages, and stores the stored contents. In addition to detecting the stage where the price is 0, in inventory operation, by skipping control over the relay corresponding to the stage whose price is not stored and omitting its operation, various changes can be made without modifying the device or changing the program. To provide a vending machine capable of efficiently performing an inventory operation of a vending machine with a selection number.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention includes an ejection device that is provided corresponding to a plurality of product storage passages of a vending machine, and that ejects the products stored in each aisle, and a relay that separately controls each ejection device. , a control device that has a plurality of output terminals corresponding to each relay, and when an inventory signal is applied, generates a signal that sequentially transitions to the output terminal to sequentially drive the relays, and a control device that sequentially drives the relays according to the inventory signal. In a vending machine configured to eject products by sequentially controlling relays and driving corresponding ejecting devices, the control device has a memory stage corresponding to the plurality of output terminals and is stored in an aisle. a price register in which the price of the product is written; a means for determining the presence or absence of an inventory signal; a means for reading the contents of the price register when an inventory signal is received; The present invention is characterized in that it is equipped with a detection means for detecting whether a price has been written, and a skip control means for skipping the control order so that no output is generated at an output terminal corresponding to a stage in which no price is written.

[Operation] According to the present invention, the price of the product is written in the price register corresponding to the aisle in which the product is stored, and the price is not written in the register for aisles without the product. When an inventory signal is detected by a signal from the inventory signal determining means, the reading means reads out the contents of the price register, and the detecting means detects a stage in which no price is written among the stages of the price register. The skip control means skips the control sequence to the ejection device so that no signal is generated at the output terminal corresponding to that stage.

[Effects of the Invention] The present invention provides a price register having storage stages corresponding to the number of selections, and reads the stage in which no amount information is written in the price register, thereby corresponding to subsequent stages. Since relay control is omitted, you can set the selection number for vending machines with any number of selections (number of aisles) without changing the circuit or program during inventory operation, and remove unnecessary relays. Omitting the operation of
Inventory operation time can be reduced.

Furthermore, since the selection number signal is not judged by an external circuit, no external circuit is required, and since there is no such circuit, it is effective in terms of cost and space.

Since it determines the 0 setting when setting prices, it can be used commonly in programs.

As a result, operability and reliability are improved by eliminating the need for extra operations.

[Example] An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In Figure 2, 10 is the CPU, and this CPU1
0 is equipped with output terminals O ₁ to O ₁₆ that output product ejection commands, and each output terminal is equipped with a relay X ₁ that drives a product ejection device, such as a solenoid, for each product storage passage in the vending machine. or X ₁₆
is connected.

Further, a push button 17 for automatic ejection (inventory) is connected to the CPU 10.

The CPU 10 has a price register 11 that stores the unit price of the product stored in each product storage aisle, and each stage 11-1 to 11-16 of this price register 11 stores the unit price set by the price setting switch 12. It's starting to be remembered.

Further, the CPU 10 is provided with a 16-stage order storage register 13 for storing the order in which the products are to be discharged. Then, when the pushbutton switch 17 is turned on, the output terminal corresponding to the stage n where "1" in the order storage register 13 is stored is turned on.
After a signal is generated to turn on relay Xn and one product is discharged from that passage, the "1" signal advances one stage in the order storage register 13. On the other hand, when a stage for which a price is not set is detected in the price register 11, the signal "1" of the order register 13 is returned to the first stage, thereby corresponding to a product storage aisle for which a price is not set. The control routine is skipped and the operation of the relay corresponding to that path is omitted.

In addition, the CPU 10 receives a signal from the coin sensor 15 and detects an inserted coin and controls the change discharging mechanism 1.
It is equipped with the known functions necessary for vending machines, such as the function to control the drive of the vending machine.

The control device configured as described above may be used, for example, in a vending machine having nine product storage passages (so-called nine
When using a selection machine), operate the price setting switch 12 corresponding to each product storage aisle,
The unit prices of the products in the corresponding aisles are set in the first stage 11-1 to the ninth stage 11-9 of the price register 11. Stage 10 to 16
Stages 11-10 to 11-6 are 0.

When performing an inventory operation, it is assumed that, for example, the first stage of the order storage register 13 is set to "1". Now push button switch 17
When turned on, the amount is written in the first stage of the price register 11, so the output terminal O ₁
A signal is generated to turn _on relay
The pieces are ejected. And “1” in the order register 13
The signal advances by one step to the second stage, and if the pushbutton switch 17 is still on at this point, a signal is generated at the output terminal O ₂ , turning on the relay X ₂ and switching the second path. One product is discharged from. The above operation continues until the ninth pass, and the "1" signal is transferred to the tenth stage of the sequence storage register 13. At this time, if the pushbutton switch 17 is still on, the price register 1
When the content of the tenth stage 11-10 of 1 is detected to be 0, the "1" signal of the order register 13 is transferred to the first stage, producing a signal at the output terminal O ₁ and the relay X ₁ is turned on, and the product is discharged from the first aisle again. The above-mentioned operation is repeated until the pushbutton switch 17 is turned off, and the first to ninth relays _X1 to _X9 are turned on in sequence, and the tenth to sixteenth relays are turned on.
X ₁₀ to X ₁₆ are inactive.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a conventional vending machine control device, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to claims. 10...CPU, 11...Price register, 12
...Price setting register, 13...Order memory register, O ₁ , O ₂ , ......, O ₁₆ ... Output terminal, X ₁ ,
X ₂ , ......, X ₁₆ ...Relay.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A discharging device that is provided corresponding to multiple product storage aisles of a vending machine and discharges the products stored in each aisle, a relay that controls each discharge device separately, and multiple outputs that correspond to each relay. and a control device that, when an inventory signal is applied, generates a signal that sequentially transitions to the output terminal to sequentially drive the relays, and a corresponding discharge device that controls the relays in order for each passage in response to the inventory signal. In a vending machine that discharges products by driving the controller, the control device has a storage stage corresponding to the plurality of output terminals, and a price storage stage in which the price of the product stored in the aisle is written. a register, means for determining the presence or absence of an inventory signal, and means for reading the contents of the price register when an inventory signal is received;
A detection means for detecting whether or not a price is written in the price register, and a skip control means for skipping the control order so that no output is generated at an output terminal corresponding to a stage in which no price is written. A control device for a vending machine characterized by: