JP7142692B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine that sells beverages in containers such as cans and PET bottles as commodities.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, vending machines equipped with serpentine product racks are known as products for selling beverages in containers such as cans and PET bottles. In this serpentine-type product rack, a plurality of arc-shaped segments are laid between a pair of base side plates that stand facing each other in the left and right direction, thereby forming a serpentine shape that extends vertically. Commodity columns each having a defined commodity storage passage are provided so as to be lined up in the front-rear direction. Each product column is provided with a dispensing mechanism for dispensing the lowest product on the lower side of the product storage passage.

In such a serpentine-type product rack, products placed in a sideways position fall while rolling along a meandering product storage passage along the segment and are piled up in a row on the dispensing mechanism. Stored in the product column. When merchandise is to be sold, the payout mechanism is driven in response to a payout command to drop and pay out the lowest-ranked merchandise (see Patent Document 1, for example).

JP-A-2005-92767

By the way, in the vending machine proposed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the location of the product input slot on the serpentine product rack and the installation of a chute for guiding the product delivered by the dispensing mechanism to the product outlet. It has the characteristic that the extension length of the product storage passage of each product column differs depending on factors such as location.

Therefore, the number of products that can be stored in each product column is different. Moreover, in the above vending machine, product selection buttons for selecting products to be sold are assigned to product columns, and the number of product columns is less than the number of product selection buttons.

In this way, the number of products that can be stored in each product column is different, and the number of product columns is less than the number of product selection buttons. In addition to the number of items that can be stored in the product column, it is necessary to match the product selection buttons while replenishing products while keeping in mind the shape of the replenishment product such as the product height, which makes the product replenishment work complicated. rice field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine capable of facilitating product replenishment work when replacing products.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a vending machine according to the present invention includes a plurality of product columns on product shelves arranged in a plurality of levels in the vertical direction, and products are stored in storage passages of the product columns. In the vending machine for vending, the commodity columns store the commodities in a sideways position in a row in a manner that gradually inclines downward from the front to the rear. The number of available products is the same and is associated with product selection means for selecting products to be sold, and the storage passage is merged with the storage passage of another product column and can be connected to the other product column, The product containing the product column number for the product management number at the time of sale, which indicates the minimum management unit combining the product code assigned to the product stored in the product column before sale and the cold or hot state at the time of product sale. A storage unit for storing product management data linked to management content, and a sales control unit for controlling sales of the product based on the product management data, wherein the number of product columns on the lower shelf of the product shelf is controlled. By making it variable, the minimum number of the total number of the product columns is characterized by being larger than the total number of the product selection means.

Further, according to the present invention, the vending machine described above comprises an input/output unit for inputting/outputting the product management data, and a setting control unit for controlling setting changes of the product management data.

Further, in the vending machine according to the present invention, the setting control unit collectively receives all product management data including a portion to be changed in setting, stores it in the storage unit as reserved product management data, and when replenishing products, The reserved product management data including confirmation information indicating the difference between the product management data and the reserved product management data is displayed on the input/output unit, and the reserved product management data is changed to the current one by confirmation processing for the confirmation information. It is characterized in that it is saved as product management data.

Further, the vending machine of the present invention is provided with a sold-out switch for detecting sold-out of the products in each product column, and the sales control unit controls a plurality of products in which products having the same product management number at the time of sale are stored. A sales priority is set in advance for columns, and an active column for dispensing products having the same product management number at the time of sale is selected from the plurality of product columns according to the sales priority, and products are being delivered during product replenishment. If the remaining number, which is the difference between the number of fully stored items in the operating column and the number of items sold before item replenishment, is 0, or if the sold-out switch of the operating column indicates that the item is sold out, the item is given the next order of sales priority. It is characterized by comprising a permutation sales processing unit that selects a column as the active column and performs commodity delivery processing.

Further, according to the present invention, in the vending machine described above, the input/output unit is a handheld terminal that can be operated from outside the vending machine.

Further, according to the present invention, in the vending machine described above, the product selection means are installed corresponding to product samples on the front door constituting the front surface, and the product samples are provided in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction. It is characterized by being displayed standing side by side on the stage.

According to the present invention, the commodity columns store the commodities in a sideways position in a row in such a manner that the commodities are gradually inclined downward from the front to the rear. and associated with merchandise selection means for selecting merchandise to be sold, and since the storage passage is merged with the storage passage of another merchandise column and can be connected to the other merchandise column, merchandise replacement is performed. In this case, the operator can replenish the product without being aware of the number of products that can be stored in the product column, and can also replenish the product in response to changes in the shape of the replenishment product such as the height of the product. can be done. In addition, the product column number is added to the product management number at the time of sale, which indicates the minimum management unit combining the product code assigned in advance to the product stored in the product column before sale and the cold/hot state at the time of product sale. and a sales control unit for controlling product sales based on the product management data. Since the minimum number of the total number of merchandise columns is larger than the total number of merchandise selection means, merchandise can be replenished to an arbitrary merchandise column according to the number of stocks of merchandise in each merchandise column. Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to facilitate the product replenishment work when performing product replacement.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a vending machine that is an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view showing the internal structure of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a characteristic control system of the vending machine shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view showing the internal structure of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the front. FIG. 6-1 is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth product shelf of the product storage on the left side. FIG. 6-2 is an explanatory view showing the sixth product shelf of the product storage on the left side. FIG. 6-3 is an explanatory view showing the sixth product shelf of the product storage on the left side. FIG. 6-4 is an explanatory view showing the sixth product shelf of the product storage on the left side. FIG. 7-1 is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth product shelf in the central product storage. FIG. 7-2 is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth product shelf in the central product storage. FIG. 7-3 is an explanatory view showing the sixth product shelf in the central product storage. FIG. 7-4 is an explanatory diagram showing the sixth product shelf in the central product storage. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the management relationship centered on the minimum management unit that combines the product code of the product and the cold/hot state of the product. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of reserved product management data centered on SKU numbers. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing division and connection of product columns. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of reserved product management data centered on SKU numbers. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state during confirmation processing of the reserved product management data by the remote control. FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing a confirmation processing procedure of reserved product management data by the setting control unit. FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing a sequence sales processing procedure by the sequence sales processing unit. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a specific example of the permutation sales process.

Preferred embodiments of a vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the configuration of a vending machine that is an embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 respectively show the internal structure of the vending machine shown in FIG. 1, wherein FIG. 2 is a perspective view and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view. FIG. 4 is a block diagram schematically showing a characteristic control system of the vending machine shown in FIG.

The vending machine 1 exemplified here sells beverages in containers such as cans and PET bottles as commodities, and has a front door 12 on the front surface of a main body cabinet 10 for storing commodities. The front door 12 is supported by the main body cabinet 10 via one side edge, and can open and close the front opening of the main body cabinet 10 . An exhibition room 2 is provided on the front door 12 .

The exhibition room 2 is for displaying a plurality of product samples D therein, and has a rectangular shape with an open front. In this exhibition room 2, a plurality of stages 5 (four stages in the example of FIG. 1) are provided in the vertical direction, and each stage 5 has a plurality of product samples D (42 in total in the example of FIG. 1). are placed side by side.

The front opening of the exhibition room 2 is covered with a transparent resin panel 4 to prevent foreign matter from entering from the outside, while allowing the inside to be seen through the resin panel 4 . Also, the resin panel 4 is provided with product selection buttons (product selection means) 7 corresponding to the product samples D, respectively. That is, four product selection button groups 6 are arranged in the vertical direction so as to correspond to the stage 5 .

A coin slot 21, a banknote slot 22, a return lever 23, a pop-up handle 24, a display unit 25, and a non-contact card reader/writer 26 are arranged on the right side of the exhibition room 2 in the front door 12. A coin return port 27 and a commodity outlet 28 are arranged on the lower side of the . The display unit 25 displays various kinds of information regarding product purchases such as inserted money. The non-contact card reader/writer 26 reads or writes electronic money card information. The commodity outlet 28 is an opening for the user to take out the purchased commodity. Reference numeral 3 in FIG. 1 denotes an advertisement placement section provided inside the exhibition room 2 .

Inside the main body cabinet 10, a plurality (three in the illustrated example) of commodity storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c are provided in a laterally arranged manner. These product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c are provided so as to face the front opening of the main body cabinet 10, and have a heat-insulating structure in which the products are stored while being maintained at a desired temperature.

The front openings of these product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c are opened and closed by a heat insulating door 13 which is swingably provided on one side edge of the main body cabinet 10. As shown in FIG. The heat-insulating door 13 is divided into upper and lower parts, and the lower door 13b has product outlets 14 corresponding to the respective product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c, and product outlets 14 for opening and closing the product outlets 14. An unloading door 15 is provided.

A product storage rack 40, an evaporator 50, an internal fan 52, and a cold storage material 54 are provided in the product storages 11a, 11b, and 11c. As shown in FIG. 5, the product storage rack 40 is configured by providing a plurality of (for example, ten) product shelves 41 in multiple stages in the vertical direction. These product shelves 41 have shelf plates 41a that gradually incline downward from the front to the rear, and product columns 42 are provided on the upper surfaces of the shelf plates 41a. One product column 42 may be provided on the upper surface of the shelf board 41a, or a plurality of product columns may be provided on the upper surface of the shelf board 41a. When a plurality of product columns 42 are provided on the upper surface of the shelf plate 41a, the product columns 42 are arranged side by side by erecting shelf guides 41b on the upper surface of the shelf plate 41a.

Such a product column 42 has a storage passage 42a extending in the front-rear direction. It is called a slant column. Such a product column 42 has the same extension length of the storage passage 42a as the extension length of the storage passage 42a of the other product columns 42, and the same number of products as the other product columns 42 that can be stored.

In the commodity column 42, a dispensing mechanism 44 is provided at the rear end of the storage passage 42a. When the dispensing mechanism 44 is driven by the driving force of a motor (not shown) that is provided separately or shared with the other dispensing mechanisms 44, the product located at the rearmost position among the products stored in the storage passage 42a is driven. (hereinafter also referred to as the last product) is delivered to the drop path 45 on the rear side of the product storage rack 40. - 特許庁

The product delivered to the drop passage 45 by the delivery mechanism 44 rolls on the chute 47 which is gradually inclined downward as it goes forward from the lower end of the drop channel 45, and passes through the product delivery port 14 to the product delivery port 28. led to. Reference numeral 46 in FIG. 3 denotes a brake plate provided at the rear end of each product shelf 41. As shown in FIG. The brake plate 46 drops the product falling down the drop passage 45 while braking it.

The evaporator 50 is installed in the area below the chute 47 in the commodity storages 11a, 11b, and 11c. This evaporator 50 is a refrigerant that circulates with a refrigerator 51 (see FIG. 4) installed in a machine room 16 that is inside the main body cabinet 10 and is a chamber on the lower side of the product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c. It constitutes a circuit. The evaporator 50 performs heat exchange between the low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant passing through its own refrigerant flow path and the ambient air. It is for cooling.

A plurality of internal fans 52 (two for the refrigerant in FIG. 3) are provided, and have a lower fan 52a and an upper fan 52b. The lower fan 52 a is installed on the front side of the evaporator 50 . The upper fan 52b is installed at the upper end of the drop passage 45. As shown in FIG. By driving the lower fan 52a and the upper fan 52b, the internal air of the commodity storages 11a, 11b, and 11c is circulated as indicated by the dashed arrows in FIG. That is, the air cooled by the evaporator 50 passes through the drop passage 45 from below, and the air that has passed through the drop passage 45 passes forward through the upper parts of the product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c. It then passes downwards and reaches the evaporator 50 again. By circulating the internal air of the product storage boxes 11a, 11b, and 11c in this way, the products stored in the product columns 42 are cooled.

The cold storage material 54 is installed above the commodity storages 11a, 11b, 11c, that is, in front of the upper fan 52b. The cold storage material 54 is configured by enclosing a cold storage agent such as water or a gelling agent in a container. The cold storage material 54 is cooled by the evaporator 50 by driving the internal fan 52, and is cooled by the air that has passed through the drop passage 45 to store cold. In the present embodiment, the cold storage material 54 is installed in front of the upper fan 52b, but the place where the cold storage material 54 is installed is not particularly limited. It is sufficient if it can be cooled well.

By the way, in the vending machine 1 of the present embodiment, as numbered in FIG. , which is greater than the total number of product selection buttons 7 (42).

In the product storage racks 40 of the product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c, the upper five product shelves 41 from the top to the fifth have a fixed number of product columns 42, but the number of product columns 42 is fixed. The number of product columns 42 is variable in the lower five product shelves 41 from the first to the bottom. The product shelf 41 on the lower five stages in which the number of product columns 42 is variable will be described.

First, the product shelf 41 on the lower five stages of the left product storage (hereinafter also referred to as the left storage) 11a and the product shelf 41 on the lower five stages of the product storage on the right (hereinafter also referred to as the right storage) 11c. will be explained. The right warehouse 11c has the same configuration as the left warehouse 11a, and the five product shelves 41 on the lower side of the left and right warehouses 11a and 11c have variable numbers of product columns 42 on each product shelf 41. Therefore, in the following description, the product shelf 41 on the sixth level of the left warehouse 11a will be described as a representative example, and the product shelves 41 on the seventh to bottom stages of the left warehouse 11a and the right warehouse 11c will be described. Omit.

In the sixth product shelf 41 of the left warehouse 11a, as shown in FIG. 6-1, three shelf guides 41b are erected on the shelf board 41a at equal intervals to form four product columns ( In FIG. 5, product columns 42 with column numbers 6, 11, 21, and 26 are arranged in a horizontal manner. In this case, each product column 42 can store products with a maximum height of L1 (for example, about 104 mm) in a sideways posture. The dispensing mechanism 44 of each product column 42 can be driven individually.

As shown in FIG. 6-2, by erecting the center shelf guide 41b and the rightmost shelf guide 41b close to each other in such a manner that the space between them is reduced, the rightmost product column (column number 26) The storage passage 42a of the second product column from the right (the product column with the column number of No. 21) 42 can be merged with the storage passage 42a of the product column 42 (the product column with the column number of No. 21), and these product columns 42 can be connected to each other. . Thus, on the product shelf 41, three product columns 42 are arranged side by side. In this case, in the product column 42 on the leftmost side (the product column with the column number 6), the product whose maximum height dimension is L1 can be stored in a sideways position. In the product column (the product column with the column number of 11) 42, it is possible to store products with a maximum height of L3 (for example, about 166 mm) in a sideways posture. In addition, in the connected product column 42 on the right side, it is possible to store products whose maximum height dimension is L3 in a sideways posture. Then, the rightmost dispensing mechanism 44 (the dispensing mechanism for the product column 42 with the column number 26) and the second dispensing mechanism from the right (the dispensing mechanism for the product column 42 with the column number 21) are synchronized. adjusted to drive

As shown in FIG. 6-3, while the leftmost shelf guide 41b is in contact with the left side plate, the rightmost shelf guide 41b is erected so that the space between it and the central shelf guide 41b is close to that of the central shelf guide 41b. The storage passage 42a of the product column 42 on the left (the product column with the column number 6) and the storage passage 42a of the product column 42 second from the left (the product column with the column number 11) are merged to store these products. The columns 42 can be connected together. Also, the storage passage 42a of the rightmost product column (the product column whose column number is 26) and the storage passage 42a of the product column 42 second from the right (the product column whose column number is 21) are merged. These product columns 42 can be connected to each other. As a result, two product columns 42 are arranged side by side on the product shelf 41 . In this case, in the connected product column 42 on the left side, it is possible to store products whose maximum height dimension is L4 (for example, about 225 mm) in a sideways position, and in the connected product column 42 on the right side, It is possible to store a product whose maximum height is L2 (for example, about 137 mm) in a lying position. The leftmost dispensing mechanism 44 (the dispensing mechanism for the product column 42 with the column number 6) and the second dispensing mechanism from the left (the dispensing mechanism for the product column 42 with the column number 11) are synchronized. The rightmost dispensing mechanism (dispensing mechanism for product column 42 with column number 26) and the second dispensing mechanism from the right (dispensing mechanism for product column 42 with column number 21) are adjusted to be driven by ) 44 are adjusted to drive synchronously.

As shown in FIG. 6-4, while the leftmost shelf guide 41b is brought into contact with the left side plate, the rightmost shelf guide 41b is erected so as to be in contact with the center shelf guide 41b. The storage passage 42a of the column (the product column whose column number is 6) and the storage passage 42a of the product column 42 second from the left (the product column whose column number is 11) are merged and these product columns 42 are combined. can be concatenated. Also, the storage passage 42a of the rightmost product column (the product column whose column number is 26) and the storage passage 42a of the product column 42 second from the right (the product column whose column number is 21) are merged. These product columns 42 can be connected to each other. As a result, two product columns 42 are arranged side by side on the product shelf 41 . In this case, in each of the connected product columns 42, it is possible to store products whose maximum height dimension is L4 in a sideways posture. The leftmost dispensing mechanism 44 (the dispensing mechanism for the product column 42 with the column number 6) and the second dispensing mechanism from the left (the dispensing mechanism for the product column 42 with the column number 11) are synchronized. The rightmost dispensing mechanism (dispensing mechanism for product column 42 with column number 26) and the second dispensing mechanism from the right (dispensing mechanism for product column 42 with column number 21) are adjusted to be driven by ) 44 are adjusted to drive synchronously.

Next, the product shelves 41 on the lower five stages of the central product storage (hereinafter also referred to as middle storage) 11b will be described. In the lower five product shelves 41, the number of product columns 42 can be varied on each product shelf 41. Therefore, the sixth product shelf 41 will be described below as a representative example, and the seventh to seventh product shelves will be described. Description of the lowermost product shelf 41 is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 7-1, in the sixth product shelf 41 of the middle warehouse 11b, two product columns ( Commodity columns 42 having column numbers 36 and 41 in FIG. 5 are arranged side by side. In this case, in each product column 42, it is possible to store products whose maximum height dimension is L1 in a lying posture. The dispensing mechanism 44 of each product column 42 can be driven individually.

As shown in FIG. 7-2, the shelf guide 41b is slid to the left and erected so that the storage passage 42a of the left product column (the product column with column number 36) 42 and the right product column ( By merging the storage passage 42a of the product column 42 with the column number 41, the product columns 42 can be connected to each other. Thus, one product column 42 is provided on the product shelf 41 . In this case, in the product column 42, products whose maximum height dimension is L2 can be stored in a sideways posture. The left payout mechanism 44 and the right payout mechanism 44 are adjusted to be driven synchronously.

As shown in FIG. 7-3, by further sliding the shelf guide 41b to the left and erecting it, the storage passage 42a of the left product column 42 and the storage passage 42a of the right product column 42 are merged. These product columns 42 can be connected to each other. Thus, one product column 42 is provided on the product shelf 41 . In this case, in the product column 42, it is possible to store products whose maximum height dimension is L3 in a lying posture. The left payout mechanism 44 and the right payout mechanism 44 are adjusted to be driven synchronously.

As shown in FIG. 7-4, the storage passage 42a of the left product column 42 and the storage passage 42a of the right product column 42 are merged by erecting the shelf guide 41b so as to be in contact with the left side plate. These product columns 42 can be connected to each other. Thus, one product column 42 is provided on the product shelf 41 . In this case, in the product column 42, it is possible to store products whose maximum height dimension is L4 in a lying posture. The left payout mechanism 44 and the right payout mechanism 44 are adjusted to be driven synchronously.

As shown in FIGS. 6-1 to 7-4, each of the five product shelves 41 on the lower side of the left and right warehouses 11a and 11c can have a maximum of four product columns 42 and a minimum of two columns. There may be four product columns 42; A maximum of two product columns 42 and a minimum of one product column 42 can be provided on each of the five product shelves 41 on the lower side of the central warehouse 11b.

Therefore, the maximum total number of product columns 42 is 75, and the minimum number is 50, as described above. That is, in the vending machine 1 of the present embodiment, the minimum total number of product columns 42 provided on the product storage racks 40 of the product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c is greater than the total number of product selection buttons 7. big.

As shown in FIG. 4, the vending machine 1 includes a refrigerator 51, a heater 53, a dispensing mechanism 44, an internal fan 52, a sold-out switch 48, a product selection button group 6 consisting of a product selection button 7, a display unit 25, A contactless card reader/writer 26 , an external communication processing unit 55 , a door switch SW, a storage unit 56 , a remote control 57 , a coin mechanism 58 and a bill validator 59 are connected to the controller 60 .

The refrigerator 51 constitutes a refrigerant circuit together with the evaporator 50 described above. have. The heaters 53 are installed in the product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c other than the right compartment 11c, that is, the left compartment 11a and the middle compartment 11b. The heater 53 is a heating means that is energized when driven and heats the surrounding air. A sold-out switch 48 is installed in each product column 42 to detect sold-out in the installed product column 42 .

The external communication processing unit 55 performs processing for connecting to an external network (not shown) and short-range wireless communication connection processing such as WiFi (registered trademark). The door switch SW detects whether the front door 12 is opened or closed by operating the pop-up handle 24 . The storage unit 56 stores and saves various kinds of information. Although the details will be described later, the storage unit 56 stores currently set product management data D1 and reserved product management data D2 for which a setting change is reserved. A remote controller 57 is an input/output unit connected to the controller 60 by wire. The remote controller 57 is used to confirm the merchandise management data D1 and to change the settings based on the reserved merchandise management data D2. The merchandise management data D1 and the reserved merchandise management data D2 are input via the external communication processing unit 55. FIG. Therefore, the merchandise management data D1 and the reserved merchandise management data D2 are collectively input through a network or short-range wireless communication connection. The coin mechanism 58 is a coin handling device, and performs deposit processing of coins inserted through the coin slot 21 . This coin mechanism 58 delivers coins to the coin return port 27 when there is change, and returns coins deposited through the coin input port 21 when the return lever 23 is operated. It is to be delivered to the port 27 . The bill validator 59 is a banknote processing device, and performs processing such as depositing banknotes inserted through the banknote insertion slot 22 .

The controller 60 has a control section 61 , a sales control section 62 and a setting control section 63 . The control unit 61 performs overall control over each connected unit. The sales control unit 62 performs a series of sales control from product selection to product delivery, and has a sequence sales processing unit 62a, which will be described later.

The setting control unit 63 collectively receives all the product management data including the portion to be changed in setting, stores it in the storage unit 56 as the reserved product management data D2, and stores the product management data D1 and the reserved product management data D2 at the time of product replenishment. The reserved product management data D2 including the confirmation information indicating the difference from the current product is displayed on the remote controller 57, and the reserved product management data D2 is saved as the current product management data D1 by the confirmation process for the confirmation information. That is, the commodity management data D1 is the commodity management data currently in operation for the vending machine 1, and the reserved commodity management data D2 is the commodity management data set in advance and waiting for setting change, and is confirmed by the remote controller 57 described above. Through processing, it becomes the product management data D1 currently in operation.

As shown in FIG. 8, the merchandise management data D1 and the reserved merchandise management data D2 set by the setting control unit 63 include the merchandise code assigned to the merchandise in advance before sale and the cold/heat category at the time of merchandise sale (cold/warm). Product management details such as product column, product selection button, product price, sales, and other setting items are linked to the product management number at the time of sale that indicates the minimum management unit (SKU: Stock Keeping Unit) combined with the status). managed by

Here, the product code before sale is a normal product code, and even products of the same type are assigned different product codes depending on the volume and packaging. For example, different product codes are attached to the same 370 ml coffee beverage when it is packaged in a can and when it is packaged in a PET bottle. Also, different product codes are attached to the 185 ml product and the 370 ml product even for the same canned coffee beverage. These product codes, which are managed by the minimum management unit (SKU), are used in the distribution process before sales and assigned in advance before sales. Therefore, the SKU number indicating the conventional product code is the pre-sale SKU number. On the other hand, in the vending machine 1, there are cases where products with the same pre-sale SKU number are sold with different cold conditions. For example, the same brand of 185 ml canned coffee with the same pre-sale SKU number may be placed in different product columns 42 and sold as hot cans or cold cans. In this case, the same 185 ml canned coffee has a different expiration date depending on the cold state, so it is necessary to treat it as a different product in terms of product management. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the product management number at the time of sale (hereinafter referred to as "SKU number"), which is a combination of the product code before sale and the cold state at the time of product sale, is managed as the minimum product management unit. The cold state is, for example, the product temperature setting of the product to be sold is 55°C or 4°C, but it may be a normal temperature state of 20°C.

For example, the reserved product management data D2 is managed by associating the product column 42, the product selection button 7, the product price, etc. with the SKU number, which is the product management number at the time of sale, as shown in FIG. The SKU number is, for example, the minimum management unit number indicating the combination of the product code "000001" and the cold state "COLD", and is expressed as "000001-C". "COLD" is to set the product temperature of the product to be sold to 4°C. When "HOT" is set, the product temperature setting is set to 55°C, which is expressed as "H". The product with this SKU number "000001-C" has the same product "000001-C" in the three product columns 42 with the numbers "1", "2", and "3" in the product column 42 (hereinafter also referred to as column numbers). ” is stored. The number indicating the arrangement position of the product selection button 7 of the product with the SKU number "000001-C" is "37". Also, the price of the product with this SKU number "000001-C" is set to "130" yen.

The order sales processing unit 62a presets sales priority for a plurality of product columns 42 storing products with the same SKU number, and selects the same SKU number from among the plurality of product columns 42 according to the sales priority. Select the operating column that delivers the product, and the remaining number, which is the difference between the number of full storage in the operating column during product delivery and the number of products sold before product replenishment, is 0, or the sold-out switch of the operating column When 48 indicates that the product is sold out, the product column 42 having the next sales priority is selected as the active column, and product delivery processing is performed. As a result, the first-in, first-out of products can be reliably performed. Incidentally, the preset sales priority may be automatically initially set so that a value with a small column number has a high sales priority. For example, the plurality of product columns 42 containing products with the same SKU number are column numbers "1", "2", and "3" for SKU number "000001-C". Similarly, column numbers '12', '13' and '14' for SKU number '000009-C'.

In the vending machine 1 having the configuration as described above, a case of creating the reserved product management data D2 will be described. For example, when the administrator presses a division/connection button (not shown) provided on the remote controller 57, the column division/connection setting screen shown in the upper part of FIG. 10 is displayed in a predetermined display area (not shown). On this column division/connection setting screen, the arrangement state of the product columns 42 as viewed from the front of all the product storage racks 40 is displayed. The display area EA in which the product column 42 can be divided and connected is emphasized by changing the character color and background color, blinking, and the like. The administrator can divide and connect the product columns 42 by operating the highlighted display area EA. In the display area EA, adjacent cells are product columns 42 that can be divided and connected. For example, each time the administrator clicks on a cell forming the display area EA, the division and concatenation processes are repeated. For example, when the product column 42 with the column number "6" is clicked, "-" is displayed, and the product column 42 with the column number "6" and the product column 42 with the column number "11" are connected. When the product columns 42 are connected, the number of the product column 42 with the smaller column number is displayed with "-". Then, when the product column 42 is linked, as shown in FIG. 11, a large column number is set in the reserved product management data D2. For example, in FIG. 11, two SKU numbers "000008-C" are set to the same column number "11". Similarly, when the product column 42 with the column number "21" is clicked, "-" is displayed, and the product column 42 with the column number "21" and the product column 42 with the column number "26" are connected. be. Then, as shown in FIG. 11, two SKU numbers "000018-C" are set to the same column number "26" in the reserved product management data D2.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the remote controller 57 is in the process of confirming the reserved product management data D2. As shown in FIG. 12, in the display area E1 of the remote controller 57, the reserved product management data D2 is displayed in order of SKU number. In FIG. 10, the relationship between the SKU number and the product column 42 is shown. That is, it is shown that the product with the SKU number "000008-C" is contained in the product column 42 with the column number "11". Here, "*" is confirmation information and indicates that there is a difference between the product management data D1 and the reserved product management data D2. Here, confirmation processing of the confirmation information is performed by pressing the confirmation button B1. When the confirmation process is performed, the relationship between the next SKU number and the product column 42 is shown. Even when "*" is not displayed, the relationship between the next SKU number and the product column 42 is displayed by pressing the confirmation button B1. When viewing the relationship between the SKU number and the product selection button 7, by pressing a direction key (right direction key) (not shown), the information on the product selection button 7 on the right side shown in FIG. displayed corresponding to That is, the product selection button 7 with the SKU number "000008-C" and the number "39" and the product selection button 7 with the number "26" are displayed. Merchandise prices and the like can also be displayed in the same manner.

In the display area E2, an error is displayed when confirmation processing has not been performed for all of the confirmation information indicating the difference between the merchandise management data D1 and the reserved merchandise management data D2. That is, while the error is being displayed, there is unconfirmation of the confirmation information indicating the difference between the merchandise management data D1 and the reserved merchandise management data D2.

Here, a confirmation processing procedure of the reserved product management data D2 by the setting control unit 63 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, in this state, it is premised that the currently operating product management data D1 and the preset reserved product management data D2 are stored in the storage unit 56 in advance.

As shown in FIG. 13, the setting control unit 63 first determines whether or not there is a difference (setting change) between the product management data D1 and the reserved product management data D2 (step S101). If there is no setting change (step S101, No), this process is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a setting change (step S101, Yes), an error is displayed in the display area E2 (step S102). After that, "*", which is confirmation information indicating the setting change, is displayed (step S103). Further, it is determined whether or not the confirmation button B1 has been pressed (step S104).

If the confirmation button B1 has not been pressed (step S104, No), the process returns to step S102 to continue displaying the error. On the other hand, if the confirmation button B1 is pressed (step S104, Yes), the displayed setting change is executed (step S105). After that, it is determined whether or not all confirmation processes have been completed (step S106). If all confirmation processes have not been completed (step S106, No), the process returns to step S102 to continue displaying the error. On the other hand, if all confirmation processes have been completed (step S106, Yes), the error display is turned off (step S107), and this process ends.

Next, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 14, the permutation sales processing by the permutation sales processing unit 62a will be described. As shown in FIG. 14, the permutation sales processing unit 62a determines whether or not there is a sales instruction (step S201). If there is no sales instruction (step S201, No), this determination process is repeated, and if there is a sales instruction (step S201, Yes), sales are performed from the current operating column (step S202). It should be noted that the initially set operation column is set to the column with the highest sales priority. After this sale, the number of remaining columns in the current operating column is updated (step S203). Specifically, the number of remaining active columns is updated by subtracting 1 from the current remaining number of columns.

After that, it is determined whether or not the number of remaining active columns is 0 (step S204). If the remaining number of operating columns is not 0 (step S204, No), it is further determined whether or not the operating columns are sold out based on the result of the sold-out switch 48 (step S205). If the remaining number is 0 (step S204, Yes) or if the active column is sold out (step S205, Yes), all the product columns 42 in the product column group having the same SKU number are sold out. It is determined whether or not there is (step S206). If the active column is not sold out (step S205, No), this process is terminated, and if all the product columns 42 in the product column group are sold out (step S206, Yes), this process is terminated. , performs a sell-out process, that is, a process of lighting up the product selection button 7 or a separately provided sell-out button (step S210), and then terminates this process.

On the other hand, if all the product columns 42 in the product column group with the same SKU number are not sold out (step S206, No), the product column 42 with the next sales priority is set as the active column (step S207). ). After that, it is determined whether or not this active column is sold out (step S208). If the active column is sold out (step S208, Yes), the process returns to step S207, and the product column 42 having the next sales priority is set as the active column. On the other hand, if the working column is not sold out (step S208, No), the remaining number of working columns is set to the full storage number (step S209), and this process is terminated. Note that the above-described processing is repeatedly performed.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the permutation sales process. As shown in FIG. 15, there are three product columns 42 having the same SKU number. 1”, “2”, and “3” are set in advance. FIG. 15(a) shows the storage state of the product columns 42 with the column numbers "22", "23", and "24" after the first product replenishment. In FIG. 15(a), the product at the time of the first replenishment is shown as product "a". In FIG. 15(a), the product column 42 with the column number "22" having the sales priority "1" is set as the active column, and the product is dispensed from this product column 42. In FIG.

After that, as shown in FIG. 15(b), all the five products from the product column 42 with the column number "22" are paid out, and the remaining number becomes 0, so the column with the sales priority "2". The product column 42 with number "23" is set to the active column.

Then, at the stage when one product has been dispensed from the product column 42 with the column number "23", when the product is replenished for the second time, as shown in FIG. Each item column 42 of "23" is replenished with five and one item "b" respectively. At this stage, since the number of remaining active columns is 4, the product "a" of the product column 42 with the column number "23" is continuously paid out, but four products "a" corresponding to the remaining number of 4 are dispensed. When the goods are paid out, the remaining number becomes 0, so the goods column 42 with the sales priority of "3" and the column number of "24" is set as the active column. Then, as shown in FIG. 15(d), the product "a" is dispensed from the product column 42 with the column number "24".

After that, when three products "a" have been dispensed from the product column 42 with the column number "24", when the product is replenished for the third time, the column number changes to " Each item column 42 of "23" and "24" is replenished with four and three items "c", respectively. After that, from the state shown in FIG. 15(e), two commodities "a" corresponding to the number 2 remaining in the moving column are dispensed. As a result, the first-in commodity "a" replenished at the time of the first replenishment is all dispensed, and the last-in commodity "b" and "c" are not dispensed until then. After that, when two products "a" are dispensed from the product column 42 with the column number "24", the remaining number becomes 0, and the product column 42 with the column number "22" having the highest sales priority becomes the active column. is set to After that, even if new items are replenished, the next first-in item, such as item 'c', will not be first-out until all the first-in items, such as item 'b', have been dispensed. In this way, the first-in, first-out of products can be reliably performed.

In the permutation sales process, the three product columns 42 contain products having the same SKU number, but in the conventional alternating sales method, all three product columns are replenished with products. However, in this embodiment, the number of product columns 42 to be replenished can be reduced. For example, in FIG. 15(c), two product columns 42 may be replenished, and in FIG. 15(e), two product columns 42 may be replenished. Storage can be reduced.

As described above, according to the vending machine 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the product columns 42 have the same number of products that can be stored, are associated with the product selection buttons 7, and are associated with the product selection buttons 7. Since the passage 42a is merged with the storage passage 42a of another product column 42 and includes a passage that can be connected to the other product column 42, when replacing the product, the operator can determine the number of products that can be stored in the product column 42. The product can be replenished without being conscious of it, and the product can be replenished in response to changes in the shape of the replenished product such as the height of the product. Moreover, since the minimum total number of product columns 42 is greater than the total number of product selection buttons 7, any product column 42 can be replenished with products according to the number of products in each product column 42 in stock. Therefore, it is possible to facilitate product replenishment work when performing product replacement.

In particular, since the minimum total number of the product columns 42 is greater than the total number of the product selection buttons 7, the distribution of the product columns 42 can be changed according to the sales of products, and the number of products in stock can be optimized. Sales can be improved.

According to the vending machine 1, the storage unit 56 stores the SKU number indicating the minimum management unit combining the pre-sale product code given to the product in advance and the cold/hot state at the time of product sale. The product management data D1 linked with the product management contents including the column number is stored, and the sales control unit 62 controls product sales based on the product management data D1 input/output through the remote control 57, and performs setting control. Since the unit 63 controls the setting change of the commodity management data D1, especially when replenishing the commodity, if the SKU number is designated by the remote controller 57, the number of the commodity column 42 corresponding to this SKU number can be easily found. A plurality of commodity columns 42 having the same SKU number can be immediately recognized and replenished collectively for each replenishment commodity, so that commodity replenishment can be performed quickly and easily, and erroneous input can be suppressed. .

According to the vending machine 1, the setting control unit 63 collectively receives all product management data including the part to be changed in setting, stores it in the storage unit 56 as the reserved product management data D2, and when replenishing products, The reserved product management data D2 including confirmation information indicating the difference between the management data D1 and the reserved product management data D2 is displayed on the remote controller 57, and the reserved product management data D2 is set as the current product management data D1 by confirmation processing for the confirmation information. Since it is stored, the settings of the reserved product management data D2 can be changed by a simple process of checking the reserved product management data D2 displayed on the remote controller 57 and confirming the confirmation information indicating the setting change part. can. Moreover, since the product management data D1 and the reserved product management data D2 are managed mainly by SKU number, the worker who replenishes the product by replacing the product can store the product in the product column 42 centering on the product at hand. As long as the product is replenished, the time required for product replenishment can be shortened. In particular, since both the setting change time and the product replenishment time are shortened, the total time required for the worker to replenish the product can be greatly reduced. Moreover, the product management data D1 and the reserved product management data D2 can be stored in the storage unit 56 by the administrator of the vending machine 1, which facilitates management by the administrator. The manager may set the reserved product management data D2 to an arbitrary time via, for example, a network or short-range wireless communication. Furthermore, since the setting of the reserved product management data D2 by the manager and the confirmation processing of the reserved product management data D2 by the operator are separated, the time required for the operator to replace the products in the vending machine 1 can be greatly shortened. The period during which the machine 1 cannot be sold can be greatly shortened. Furthermore, the vending machine 1 may be placed in a harsh outdoor environment. The burden on people is greatly reduced.

In this embodiment, the remote controller 57 is used to confirm and change the settings of the reserved product management data D2. The data D2 may be confirmed and the setting may be changed. The manager also uses the handheld terminal to reserve and store the reserved product management data D2 stored in advance in the handheld terminal from the outside of the vending machine 1 in the storage unit 56 without opening the front door 12. can be

According to the vending machine 1, since the cold storage material 54 is provided above the product storage racks 40 in the product storage compartments 11a, 11b, and 11c, when the refrigerator 51 and the internal fan 52 are stopped, Also, the product stored in the product storage rack 40 can be cooled by the air cooled by the cold storage material 54, and the power consumption can be reduced.

The product storage rack 40 is a serpentine rack, that is, a rack that uses a product storage passage between vertically meandering passage segments and discharges the products stored in the product storage passage one by one from a lower carrying-out mechanism. Since the arranged product shelves 41 are provided, the number of columns can be increased compared to the serpentine rack, and a wider variety of products can be sold. For this reason, for example, in the vending machine 1 of the same size, the product storage rack 40 has more product columns 42 than the serpentine rack, and is suitable for selling a wide variety of products. In addition, since the product columns 42 store the products in a line in the front-rear direction in a sideways posture, when the products are replenished in the product storage rack 40, the product can be stored in the vertically meandering product passage. As described above, no sound is generated when the product is dropped when the product is replenished from the product insertion port 43, contributing to noise reduction when the product is replenished.

Each configuration illustrated in the above embodiment is a functional schematic, and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the form of dispersion/integration of each device and component is not limited to the illustrated one, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed/integrated in arbitrary units according to various usage conditions. can be configured

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Vending machine, 2... Exhibition room, 5... Stage, 6... Product selection button group, 7... Product selection button, 10... Main body cabinet, 12... Front door, 40... Product storage rack, 41... Product shelf, 42 ... Commodity column 42a ... Storage passage 44 ... Dispensing mechanism 48 ... Sell-out switch 50 ... Evaporator 52 ... Internal fan 54 ... Cold storage material 56 ... Storage section 60 ... Controller 61 ... Control section 62... Sales control unit, 62a... Order sales processing unit, 63... Setting control unit, D... Product sample.

Claims (4)

A vending machine that includes a plurality of product columns on product shelves that are arranged in a plurality of levels in the vertical direction, and stores products in storage passages of the product columns for sale,
The commodity columns store the commodities in a sideways position in a row in such a manner that the commodities are gradually inclined downward from the front to the rear. and the storage passage can be merged with the storage passage of another product column and connected to the other product column,
The product column number is included for the product management number at the time of sale, which indicates the minimum management unit combining the product code assigned in advance to the product stored in the product column before sale and the cold/hot state at the time of product sale. a storage unit that stores product management data linked to product management content;
a sales control unit that controls sales of the merchandise based on the merchandise management data;
By making the number of product columns on the lower tier of the product shelf variable, the minimum total number of product columns is greater than the total number of product selection means ,
an input/output unit that performs input/output processing of the product management data;
a setting control unit for controlling setting changes of the product management data;
with
The setting control unit collectively receives all the product management data including the portion to be changed in setting, stores it in the storage unit as reserved product management data, and stores the product management data and the reserved product management data when replenishing products. The reserved product management data containing confirmation information indicating the difference between the two is displayed on the input/output unit, and the reserved product management data is saved as the current product management data by confirmation processing for the confirmation information. vending machine. Equipped with a sold-out switch that detects sold-out products in each product column,
The sales control unit presets a sales priority order for a plurality of commodity columns storing commodities having the same sales commodity management number, and selects the same sales item from the plurality of commodity columns according to the sales priority order. When selecting the active column to dispense the product of the product management number, the remaining number, which is the difference between the number of full storage in the active column during product delivery at the time of product replenishment and the number of products sold before product replenishment, is 0, or the above-mentioned active 4. A sequence sales processing unit for selecting a product column having the next highest sales priority as the active column and performing product delivery processing when the sold-out switch of the column is sold out. 1. The vending machine according to 1. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1 , wherein said input/output unit is a handheld terminal and can be operated from outside the vending machine. The product selection means is installed corresponding to each product sample on the front door constituting the front surface,
4. The vending machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the product samples are displayed standing side by side on a stage provided in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction.

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