JP2002208059A - Automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic vending machine for allowing a customer to instantaneously find out a selection button related with merchandise which the customer wants to purchase from among a plurality of pieces of selection merchandise. SOLUTION: This automatic vending machine is provided with a plurality of selection buttons for selecting merchandise and a plurality of major growing buttons for designating the merchandise by group units, which are respectively equipped with a display means. Then, the display means of the selection buttons are controlled according to the selection of the major grouping buttons.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a vending machine,
Particularly, the present invention relates to a means for allowing a customer to quickly select a desired product for purchase even when the number of products for sale is large.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, products such as food and drink have been actively sold using vending machines, and customers have become able to easily purchase desired products 24 hours a day. In addition, vending machines are also used as ticket vending machines for selling tickets at stations and for selling vouchers at cafeterias, and the chances of using vending machines in our social life are expected to increase further in the future.

[0005] FIG. 5 is a front view schematically showing the appearance when a conventional vending machine is used as a food ticket vending machine. The vending machine 50 (tablet vending machine) shown in this example has a coin slot 51.
And a plurality of selection buttons 52 corresponding to the number of sales columns (sales menus) for selecting a product, and an article take-out port 53 for taking out a meal ticket.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the appearance of each of the selection buttons 52. The selection button 52 shown in this example is composed of an illustration display section 52a for displaying product information such as the name, illustration (photograph), and price of a product for sale, and a switch section 52b for issuing a signal for product selection.

Hereinafter, the use of the vending machine 50 shown in FIG. 5 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the customer inputs a price from the coin insertion slot 51, determines the product to be purchased by referring to the product information displayed on the illustration display section 52a of each selection button 52, and determines a switch section of the selection button 52 on which this product is displayed. Press 52b with your finger. Then, the meal ticket relating to the selected product is discharged to the article take-out port 52, and the customer receives it.

[0006]

However, the above-mentioned conventional vending machines have the following problems. In other words, products sold like a ticket vending machine
If there are too many (menus), the number of corresponding selection buttons also increases, which makes it difficult for customers to find the selection buttons of the products they want to purchase, and it is frustrating, for example, In such a case as described above, the number of customers flooded at a specific time, the turnover rate of the customers deteriorates, which is a business problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem relating to the conventional vending machine, and is an automatic vending machine that allows a customer to immediately find a selection button related to a product desired to be purchased from a large number of products for sale. The purpose is to provide vending machines.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vending machine, comprising: a plurality of selection buttons for selecting a product; And a plurality of large classification buttons for designating the commodity in group units, and the display means of the selection buttons is controlled according to the selection of the large classification button. The invention according to claim 2 of the vending machine according to the present invention is the vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the commodity information is displayed in advance on the display means of the selection button, and corresponds to the selection of the large classification button. The display means of the selection button having product information is made to emit light. The invention according to claim 3 of the vending machine according to the present invention is the vending machine according to claim 1, wherein information on a corresponding product is displayed on the display means of the selection button according to the selection of the large classification button. I tried to make it. The invention according to claim 4 of the vending machine according to the present invention is the vending machine according to claim 3, wherein information on a corresponding middle-class product according to the selection of the large-class button is transmitted to the large-class button. The information on the final product is displayed on the display means of the selection button based on the selection from the middle category, once displayed on the display means.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a schematic external front view showing an embodiment when a vending machine according to the present invention is used as a meal vending machine. The vending machine 10 shown in this example has a coin slot 11 and a plurality of selection buttons 12 according to the number of sales columns (sales menu) for selecting products.
And an article take-out port 13 for taking out a meal ticket, and a plurality of large classification buttons 14 for specifying the products in groups.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the appearance of the selection buttons 12 and the large classification buttons 14. The selection button 12 and the large classification button 14 shown in this example are the name of the product for sale,
It comprises a liquid crystal display unit (display means) 21 for displaying product information such as photos and prices, and a switch unit 22 for issuing a product selection signal.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram for explaining the operation of the vending machine according to the present invention. As shown in this figure, the vending machine according to the present invention has
A control unit 31 that displays predetermined product information on a liquid crystal display unit 21 of each of the 12 and the large classification buttons 14 and processes a product selection signal from each switch unit 22, and converts the product information into image data or character data. An image storage unit 32 for storing and supplying these data to the control unit 31; and a control unit 31 which senses a person around the vending machine for power saving of the liquid crystal display unit 21 and notifies it as a notification signal.
And a sensor 33 for notifying the user.

An operation example of the vending machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. First, when there is no customer around the vending machine 10, since the sensor 33 does not detect the customer and does not output a notification signal, the control unit 31
Turns off each liquid crystal display unit 21 to save power.

When the customer approaches the vending machine 10, the sensor 33 senses this and outputs a notification signal to the control unit 31.
The control unit 31 controls the liquid crystal display unit based on the notification signal.
At the same time as turning ON, image data or character data relating to predetermined product information is read from the image storage unit 32 and displayed on each liquid crystal display unit 21.

Next, the customer is caused to select a desired product group from the large classification button 14. This major classification button 14
For example, classifications such as “Chinese food”, “Japanese food”, and “Western food” are made. When the customer presses the switch unit 22 of any of the large classification buttons 14, the control unit 31 causes the liquid crystal display unit 21 of the selection button 12 corresponding to this selection group to emit light. Accordingly, the number of the selection buttons 12 to be selected is limited to the desired product group, so that the customer can immediately find the desired product.

At this time, "Today's recommended menu"
Select button 12 that corresponds to the product you want to promote especially
If the emission color of the liquid crystal display unit 21 included in is controlled so as to be distinguished from the others, an advertising effect can also be expected.

In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the selection buttons 12 corresponding to the number of sales columns (the number of sales menus) are arranged. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, selection buttons may be prepared only for products corresponding to each product group specified by the large classification button 14.

FIG. 4 is a schematic external front view for explaining a second embodiment of the vending machine according to the present invention. The configuration of the vending machine 10 shown in this example is the same as that of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 except that the number of selection buttons 12 is greatly reduced. Each major classification button 14 and selection button 12
Are the same as those shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, respectively.

The vending machine shown in this example operates as follows. That is, when the customer presses any of the large classification buttons 14, the control unit 31 causes the liquid crystal display unit 21 of each selection button to display only the information of the related product group. Therefore, only the selection buttons to be selected by the customer are limited to the desired product group, so that the customer can immediately find the desired product.

When the major classification button 14 is pressed,
The large category button 12 once displays product information relating to middle-class product groups, for example, "bowl", "noodles", and "set meals". After the customer further selects this, only the relevant product is displayed on the LCD. By displaying it on the display unit 21,
The number of select buttons 12 that the customer should select can be further reduced,
It is possible to quickly find a desired product to be purchased, and it is also possible to reduce the number of liquid crystal display units attached to the selection buttons, which is effective in reducing manufacturing costs.

[0019]

As described above, the present invention comprises a large classification button and a selection button each having a liquid crystal display unit, and the display of the liquid crystal display unit of the selection button is controlled by selecting the large classification button. Therefore, the present invention is very effective in realizing a vending machine capable of immediately specifying a desired product for purchase even when the number of products for sale is large.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic external front view showing a first embodiment of a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external front view showing a configuration example of a large classification button and a selection button used in a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram for explaining the operation of the vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic external front view showing a second embodiment of a vending machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view showing an example of the configuration of a conventional vending machine.

FIG. 6 is an external front view showing a configuration example of a selection button used in a conventional vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ・ ・ Vending machine 11 ・ ・ Coin slot 12 ・ ・ Selection button 13 ・ ・ Item removal port 14 ・ ・ Large classification button 21 ・ ・ LCD display unit (display means) 22 ・ ・ Switch unit 31 ・ ・ Control unit 32 ..Image storage devices 33.Sensors

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of selection buttons each having display means for selecting a product, and a plurality of large classification buttons for designating the product in a group unit, and in response to the selection of the large classification button. A vending machine for controlling display means of the selection button. 2. The display device of the selection button displays product information in advance, and the display device of the selection button having the product information corresponding to the selection of the large classification button is caused to emit light. The vending machine according to claim 1. 3. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein information on a corresponding product is displayed on a display of the selection button in accordance with the selection of the large classification button. 4. According to the selection of the large classification button, information relating to the commodity of the corresponding middle classification is once displayed on the display means of the large classification button, and based on the selection from the middle classification, the final commodity is displayed. 4. The related information is displayed on display means of the selection button.
The vending machine described.