JPS6238755B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vending machine that can accurately perform self-diagnosis even when there are many elements to be diagnosed.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing a main part of a display circuit for self-diagnosis in a conventional vending machine. This display circuit includes switches SW1 and SW2 that detect the operation of each element, and display lamps L2 and
This is a series circuit consisting of L3 connected. For example, if the switch SW1 is used for detecting sold-out products and the switch SW2 is used for detecting running out of change, the internal status of the vending machine can be indicated by the respective display lamps L2 and L3. Furthermore, with a configuration similar to this, it is possible to display diagnostic results as to whether or not other elements inside the vending machine are operating normally. Although such conventional devices can effectively diagnose continuous failures, they may not be able to deal with temporary failures, and when there are many elements to be diagnosed, the display The disadvantage was that a correspondingly large number of lamps were required.

In order to eliminate such drawbacks, it is an object of the present invention to sequentially energize the elements to be diagnosed, diagnose the operating status of each element, and display the diagnosis location using an existing counting display. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that has a diagnostic function that can perform the following tasks.

A vending machine according to the present invention includes means for supplying a diagnostic mode signal, means for sequentially energizing a plurality of elements in the vending machine to be diagnosed by the diagnostic mode signal, and activating the elements by the energizing means. A means for generating a response signal indicating whether or not the device is in use, and a means for counting and displaying the input amount, cooling temperature, heating temperature, or waiting time in the normal use mode, and determining the state of the element based on the response signal in the diagnostic mode. and means for displaying.

The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. This vending machine includes a control circuit 11, an amount display 12, bend relays X1 to X3, or gates G1 to G4, and a product delivery solenoid S1.
~S3. The control circuit 11 can use a microprocessor, for example, counts the amount of currency inserted and supplies the information to the OR gate G4. The amount display 12 receives information from the OR gate G4 and includes a display drive circuit and a display device for required digits in order to display the information. The control circuit 11 also includes OR gates G1 to G
3, drive bend relays X1 to X3,
Controls product selection and delivery. The bend relays X1 to X3 are illustrated as three relays in FIG. 2, but in reality they consist of a large number of relays, each with solenoids S1 to S3 for sending out products.
It has normally open contacts X1a to X3a that energize the relay, and normally closed contacts X1b to X3b for diagnosing the relay. The above-mentioned solenoids S1 to S3 are connected to the normally open contact X1
a to X3a each constitute a series circuit, and when relays X1 to X3 operate, solenoids S1 to S3 operate in response. In this embodiment, relays X1 to X3 will be described as elements to be diagnosed. This is relay X1~X3
However, as mentioned above, the solenoids S1 to S3 are electrically coupled to the solenoids S1 to S3 that ultimately transport the products, and the solenoids S1 to S3 are further mechanically coupled to a mechanism (not shown) that selects and delivers the products. This is because relays X1 to X3 play an important role in achieving the functions of the vending machine. However, it is clear from the following description that the elements to be diagnosed are not limited to these relays, but can also be applied to other elements, for example mechanical elements.

In FIG. 2, the diagnostic circuit for bend relays X1 to X3 includes a diagnostic mode signal supply circuit 21, an energizing circuit 22 for bend relays X1 to X3, a response signal generation circuit 23, and a display drive circuit 24, and a diagnostic mode signal The supply circuit 21 has a switch SW and an inverter I1, and by closing the switch SW, the relay energizing circuit 22 and the display drive circuit 24 are
Provides diagnostic mode signal. Relay energizing circuit 22
are shift register 13, flip-flop 17
and an OR gate G5, and in order to energize the bend relays X1 to X3 similarly to the control circuit 11, the output signal of the register 13 is sent to the OR gates G1 to G5.
Supply to G3. Here, shift register 13
When the vending machine is in the normal use mode, the reset terminal R receives the reset signal "1" through the above-mentioned inverter I1, but when the vending machine is in the diagnostic mode, the reset signal "1" is no longer supplied. Reset is canceled. flipflop 1
7 receives a set signal from the display drive circuit 24 and a reset signal from the OR gate G5. The gate G5 receives a response signal from the response signal generation circuit 23 in response to the activation of the relays X1 to X3;
A manual reset signal MR is supplied to the flip-flop 17. This flip-flop 17 is
The state changes using the output signal of the display drive circuit 24 as the set signal S, and the flip-flop output signal Q
becomes a control pulse for the shift register 13. The output signal of each digit of the shift register 13 passes through OR gates G1 to G3 and energizes bend relays X1 to X3. The display drive circuit 24 includes an inverter I
2, I3, AND gates G6, G7 and resistor R
It has a time constant circuit consisting of a capacitor C and a capacitor C. In this display drive circuit 24, an inverter I2 inverts the output signal of the response signal generation circuit 23 and supplies it to an AND gate G6. This gate G6 receives a high level signal "1" from the diagnostic mode signal supply circuit 21 in the diagnostic mode,
Passes the output signal of inverter I2. A time constant circuit consisting of an inverter I3, a gate G7, a resistor R, and a capacitor C is a one-shot circuit 18.
and output a short pulse width output signal to AND gate G7 according to the output signal of AND gate G6.
Output from. As described above, the output signal of the AND gate G7 becomes the set signal S of the flip-flop 17, and is also supplied to the amount display 12 via the AND gate G4, and becomes a display drive signal for displaying diagnostic information. . The response signal generation circuit 23 connects the normally closed contacts X1b to X1 of the relays X1 to X3.
It can be constructed from a series circuit of X3b and photocoupler 14. In this signal generation circuit 23, when the relays X1 to X3 are not activated, their normally closed contacts X1b to X3b are closed, so the photocoupler 14 is activated and a low level Although the signal "0" is supplied, if at least one of the relays X1 to X3 is activated, no current flows to the light emitting diode of the photocoupler 14, and the relay energizing circuit 22 and display drive circuit 2
4, a high level signal "1" is supplied.

Next, the operation of the diagnostic circuit configured as described above will be explained with reference to the time charts shown in FIGS. 3A to 3G. Now, to perform the diagnosis, switch
When the SW is closed and "1" is input from the power supply +V to the inverter I1 as shown in FIG. 3A, the inverter I1 inverts this, so the reset signal of the shift register 13 becomes "0". At this time,
Since relay contacts X1b to X3b are all closed, the output signal from photocoupler 14 is “0”.
Therefore, the flip-flop 17 is also connected to the set terminal S.
If there is an input "1" in the input field, the state is set. Further, when the switch SW is closed, the AND gate G6 of the display drive circuit 24 is connected to the inverter I
2 to “1”, and the diagnostic mode signal supply circuit 2
1 to "1", respectively, are received as inputs, and an output signal "1" is provided to the one-shot circuit 18, as shown in FIG. 3B. In one shot circuit 18, AND gate G7 receives two inputs in the following manner. That is, the first input receives the output signal "1" of the gate G6 as it is, while the second input receives it through the inverter I3 and the time constant circuits C and R. Therefore, although the inverter I3 inverts the output signal of the gate G6,
A signal delayed in time by the time constant of the resistor R and capacitor C becomes the second input. Therefore, due to this delay, the second input signal first becomes a signal "1" and then becomes a "0", so that the output signal of the gate G7 has a time constant CR as shown in FIG. 3C. The pulse has a pulse width of . This pulse signal is supplied to the flip-flop 17 as a set signal S, and is also supplied to the amount display 12 via the gate G4 and used as a driving signal therefor. Then, the display 12 displays the number "1", meaning that the first relay X1 will be diagnosed from now on.

By the way, the flip-flop 17 has a gate G
Since the output signal "1" of the shift register 7 becomes the set signal, its internal state changes and the output Q becomes "1" as shown in FIG.
3 as a control pulse. Therefore, the first terminal of the shift register 13 becomes "1",
This output signal sends the relay X through gate G1.
1 is energized.

Now, assuming that relay X1 is operating normally, its normally open contact X1a is closed and its normally closed contact X1b is closed.
opens (see Figure 3E). Therefore, the photocoupler 14 is turned off and the flip-flop 17 is reset by its output signal "1", so the signal at the first terminal of the shift register 13 becomes "0".
Relay X1 is deenergized and its contacts X1b are closed.
In this way, diagnosis of the next relay "2" is displayed, and the shift register 13 outputs an energizing signal for the relay X2 to the second terminal. Here, if the relay X2 is malfunctioning or broken, the output signal of the response signal generation circuit 23 remains "0" because there is no change in the contacts X2a and X2b even if the relay X2 is energized. Therefore, the gate G7 of the display driving circuit 24 does not output the next pulse, and therefore the relay energizing circuit 2
2 remains energized relay X2, display 1
2 continues to display the number "2". (See Figure 3 F. However, the dotted line indicates normal operation.) However, in the case of a temporary failure, the diagnosis of the next relay do. Also, relay
If it is desired to move on to the diagnosis of the next relay X3 without stopping here even if relay X2 is found to be in failure, this can be done by supplying a manual reset signal MR to the gate G5. The falling edge of the operating waveform shown by the second dashed line in FIG. 3D indicates this manual reset.
Note that instead of the manual reset signal MR supplied to the OR gate G5, a timer may be used to automatically supply the reset signal when a certain period of time has elapsed after failure detection.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, a diagnostic circuit is provided in parallel with the control circuit that energizes elements such as bend relays used in the normal mode, and furthermore, the diagnostic circuit is provided in parallel with the control circuit that energizes elements such as the bend relay used in the normal mode. The system is configured so that the diagnostic results can be displayed on the counting display, and has the following significant practical effects.

When an element such as a bend relay breaks down and an abnormal condition occurs, for example, the product does not come out, when the switch SW is set to diagnostic mode, the elements are energized one after another under almost the same conditions as in normal use. By automatically maintaining the display that corresponds to the abnormal location, it is possible to find faults extremely easily.
Maintenance inspections can be performed quickly and accurately.

Further, even if there are many elements to be diagnosed, the diagnosis location can be displayed using a count display such as an amount, so there is no need to provide a display for each element.

Furthermore, even in the case of a temporary failure, the energization of the element to be diagnosed is only temporarily stopped, and the next element can be immediately diagnosed once the element starts operating normally.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram showing the main parts of a conventional vending machine display circuit, Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and Figs. 3 A to G are parts of the circuit shown in Fig. 2. This is a time chart. 21...Diagnostic mode signal supply circuit, 22...Bend relay energizing circuit, 23...Response signal generation circuit, 24...Display drive circuit, 12...Count display.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A control circuit for discharging the desired product according to input amount and product selection input, a diagnostic mode signal supply circuit for generating a diagnostic mode signal, and a flip-flop set by the diagnostic mode signal from the diagnostic mode signal supply circuit. and a shift register that inputs the output of the flip-flop and outputs a signal for sequentially energizing a plurality of elements to be diagnosed of the vending machine according to the input signal, and a shift register of the energizing circuit. a response signal generation circuit that outputs a signal from the photocoupler generated by the normal operation of each of the elements in response to the output signal from the register as a reset signal for the flip-flop of the activation circuit; A diagnostic mode signal from the signal supply circuit counts and displays each of the elements on the display, and when each element malfunctions, the display displays by ANDing the signal from the response signal generating circuit and the diagnostic mode signal. A vending machine characterized by comprising a display drive circuit that holds the display.