JPH0877429A - Vending control method for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To eliminate the discharge of commodity whose quality deterioration is predicted by detecting a stock period exceeding a prescribed period and making the automatic vending machine switch itself to a sellout process. CONSTITUTION: In a 1st storage area 7, the number (a) of days is written as a stock upper-limit period. When commodities are charged in an article payoff device group 5 and the operation is started, 0 is set as the number (b) of elapsing days in a 2nd storage area 8. A control part 1 reads the current time out of a timer part 6, adds '1' to the contents of the number (b) of the elapsing days in the 2nd storage area 8 at zero hours, and compares the contents of the 1st storage area 7 with the contents of the 2nd storage area 8. Thus, '1' is added to the contents of the 2nd storage area 8 at every zero hours and when it is decided that b=a, it is decided that the commodities in stock expire, so that the sellout process is performed even if commodities are left in the article payout device.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sales control method for an automatic vending machine that handles food and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional vending machine, the products that have not been sold and remain can be sold at any time. Therefore, products whose expiration date has passed may be sold.

[0003]

Therefore, the operator himself visually confirms the expiration date of the products stocked in the vending machine and implements quality control to replace the products, thereby reducing the quality of the sold products. It is preventing.

In addition, the operator of the vending machine went bankrupt,
It is said that if the vending machine is left unmanaged due to being unmanageable and a general user who does not notice such a situation uses the vending machine, the expiration date of the product will be paid out. Suffered damage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sales control method which can reliably prevent the delivery of expired products.

[0006]

The vending machine sales control method of the present invention is sold out when it is detected that the stock period has exceeded the specified period, or that the scheduled patrol period has been exceeded. It is characterized by switching to processing.

[0007]

According to this structure, a product whose quality is expected to be deteriorated is automatically sold out and not paid out without an operator.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vending machine sales control method of the present invention will be described below with reference to specific embodiments.

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 1 is connected to a depositing device 2, a product selection button group 3, a sold-out lamp group 4, a product dispensing device group 5, and a clock unit 6.

In the normal sale process, the sale determination is performed according to the amount of money received from the deposit device 2, and it is detected that the column in the product delivery device group 5 determined to be available is selected,
The product delivery device group 5 is operated so as to deliver the products in the selected column. In addition, when the product stocked in the product delivery device group 5 is out of stock, the operation of the product delivery device group 5 for the sold-out column concerned is not accepted and the corresponding column of the sold-out lamp group 4 is stopped. The sold-out lamp is continuously turned on to notify.

In the first storage area 7 of the control unit 1, the number of days: a is written as the stock upper limit period. When the product is charged into the product dispensing device group 5 and the operation is started,
In the second storage area 8 of the control unit 1, "0" is set as the elapsed days: b.

In # 1, the control unit 1 receives the current time from the clock unit 6:
T is read, and in # 2, it is determined whether the time read in # 1 is "midnight". If it is determined in # 2 that it is "midnight", the content of the number of days elapsed: b in the second storage area 8 is set to "+1" in # 3, and #
4, the contents of the first storage area 7 and the second storage area 8
Content is compared.

When it is determined in # 2 that it is not "midnight", # 3 is skipped and # 4 is executed. If it is determined that "b ≠ a" in # 4, #
In step 5, the above-mentioned normal sale process is executed and the process returns to step # 1.

In this way, the contents of the second storage area 8 are "+1" at # 3 each time "midnight" is reached.
If it is determined that "b = a" in # 4, it is determined that the stock product has expired, and the corresponding column is sold out in # 6 even if the product remains in the product dispensing device.

In # 7, only the sold-out lamp of the column forcibly sold out in # 6 is displayed in a blinking manner to be displayed separately from the column sold out in the normal selling process in # 5. In this way, when the stock product expires, the vending machine executes # 6 to prevent the expired product from being sold, so that the situation where the expired product is dispensed can be avoided.

Further, since there is a blinking sold-out lamp in the sold-out lamp group 4, the operator who recognizes that the sold-out processing is performed due to expiration in # 6, the operator selects one of the commodity selection button groups. When the product selection button of the column corresponding to the blinking sold-out lamp of is operated, the operation of the product selection button is detected in # 8, and the remaining number of products in the corresponding column is displayed on the customer service side of the vending machine in # 9. It is displayed in the provided input amount display window,
The operator can check the remaining number of expired products without opening the front door of the vending machine and looking inside the store.

Further, when there is a blinking sold-out lamp in the sold-out lamp group 4, the operator who recognizes that the sold-out processing is performed due to the expiration at # 6, inputs an ejection instruction, At # 10, the control unit 1 recognizes it, and at # 6, the control unit 1 instructs the product dispensing device group 5 to discharge all the remaining products in the columns that are sold out.

FIG. 3 shows a specific example of the # 6 sold-out process, in which a heater for warming the inside of the goods delivery device group 5, a refrigerator for cooling the inside, and a product display shelf are shown. We have achieved power saving by turning off fluorescent lights to illuminate.

In the above embodiment, the stock upper limit period: a
And the number of elapsed days: b are compared to detect the expiration, but the difference between the filling date of the product and the current date is compared with the stock upper limit period, and the expiration is detected by detecting that the difference exceeds the stock upper limit period. You can also

In addition, when the operator sets the scheduled traveling time for visiting the vending machine next time in the stock upper limit period: a, and if the operator has not visited even after the scheduled traveling time, compulsory even if there are products left By selling out, it helps to improve the reliability of the payout products.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, when it is detected that the stock period exceeds the specified period or the scheduled traveling period is exceeded, the vending machine itself performs the sold-out processing. Because of the switching, the products whose quality is expected to be deteriorated are automatically sold out and not paid out without the intervention of an operator, which helps maintain the quality of the paid products.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a specific example of a vending machine sales control method according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Control Section 3 Product Selection Button Group 4 Sold Out Lamp Group 5 Product Dispensing Device Group 6 Clock Section 7 First Storage Area 8 Second Storage Area

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A sales control method for an automatic vending machine, which detects that a stock period has exceeded a specified period and switches to a sold-out process. 2. Detecting that the scheduled traveling time has been exceeded,
Sales control method for vending machines that switches to sold-out processing. 3. A vending machine sales control method, which compares a difference between a product filling date and a current date with a stock upper limit period, detects that the difference exceeds the stock upper limit period, and switches to a sold-out process. 4. When it is detected that the difference between the product filling date and the current date exceeds the stock upper limit period and the process is switched to the sold-out process, the sold-out lamp is made to blink and the column of the sale is normally stopped The method for controlling sales of an automatic vending machine according to claim 3, wherein the method is displayed separately from the sold-out item. 5. When the difference between the filling date of the product and the current date exceeds the stock upper limit period and the process is switched to the sold-out process, the operation of the product selection button of the corresponding column is detected and the corresponding column is detected. The method for controlling sales of an automatic vending machine according to claim 3, wherein the target number of items is displayed.