Automatic Vending Machine

• US 20080135374A1
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Yujin Co. Ltd. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Yujin Co. Ltd. (TOMY Company Limited)
• Inventors: Atsuta, Junichi, Fukumoto, Tomochika
• Application Number:
  US11/793,215
• Publication Number:
  US 20080135374A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/350
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/16 wherein the use of two or more coins or an equivalent single coin is optional for each transaction; wherein the use of two or more coins or an alternative equivalent combination of coins is optional for each transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

An automatic vending machine in which a discharge merchandise holding member is operated by operation power by a handle after a coin is inserted and a piece of merchandise is discharged by an operation of the discharge merchandise holding member, the machine includes: a discharge merchandise detecting section to detect the piece of merchandise to be discharged and to output an detection signal thereof; a display section capable of displaying a total number of the discharged merchandise since a predetermined time in a manner viewable from an outside; and a processing apparatus to determine the total number of the discharged merchandise on the basis of the signal of the detection outputted by the discharge merchandise detecting section and to make the display section display the total number of the discharged merchandise at a preset occasion.

Claims

1. An automatic vending machine in which a discharge merchandise holding member is operated by operation power by a handle after a coin is inserted and a piece of merchandise is discharged by an operation of the discharge merchandise holding member, the machine comprising:

a display section to perform a predetermined display at a preset occasion in a manner viewable from an outside.

2. An automatic vending machine in which a discharge merchandise holding member is operated by operation power by a handle after a coin is inserted and a piece of merchandise is discharged by an operation of the discharge merchandise holding member, the machine comprising:

a discharge merchandise detecting section to detect the piece of merchandise to be discharged and to output a detection signal thereof;

a display section capable of displaying a total number of the discharged merchandise since a predetermined time in a manner viewable from an outside; and

a processing apparatus to determine the total number of the discharged merchandise on the basis of the signal of the detection outputted by the discharge merchandise detecting section and to make the display section display the total number of the discharged merchandise at a preset occasion.

3. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 2, comprising:

a reader provided in a main body to perform communication with an external RFID,

wherein when the external RFID is brought close, the reader detects the RFID while the processing apparatus makes the display section display for a predetermined period of time the total number of the discharged merchandise on the basis of a detection signal.

4. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 2,

wherein the discharge merchandise detecting section is a discharge merchandise detecting apparatus to detect whether there is any merchandise to be discharged next and to output a detection signal thereof, and

the machine further comprises a coin insertion prevention section to prevent insertion of a coin, and

when there is no merchandise to be discharged next on the basis of the detection signal outputted by the discharge merchandise detecting apparatus, the processing apparatus controls the coin insertion preventing section to prevent insertion of a coin.

5. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a coin detecting section to detect whether the machine is full of inserted coins and to output a detection signal thereof; and

a coin insertion preventing section to prevent insertion of a coin,

wherein when the machine is full on the basis of the detection signal outputted by the coin detecting section, the processing apparatus controls the coin insertion preventing section to prevent insertion of a coin thereafter.

6. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a coin detecting section to detect whether the machine is full of coins and to output a detection signal thereof,

wherein when the machine is full of coins on the basis of the detection signal outputted by the coin detecting section, the processing apparatus controls the coin insertion preventing section to prevent insertion of a coin thereafter.

7. The automatic vending machine as claimed in any one of claim 4,

wherein the processing apparatus makes the display section display a sold out display in conjunction with prevention of insertion of a coin by the coin insertion preventing section.

8. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 3,

wherein the discharge merchandise detecting section is a discharge merchandise detecting apparatus to detect whether there is any merchandise to be discharged next and to output a detection signal thereof, and

the machine further comprises a coin insertion prevention section to prevent insertion of a coin, and

when there is no merchandise to be discharged next on the basis of the detection signal outputted by the discharge merchandise detecting apparatus, the processing apparatus controls the coin insertion preventing section to prevent insertion of a coin.

9. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 3, further comprising:

a coin detecting section to detect whether the machine is full of inserted coins and to output a detection signal thereof; and

a coin insertion preventing section to prevent insertion of a coin,

wherein when the machine is full on the basis of the detection signal outputted by the coin detecting section, the processing apparatus controls the coin insertion preventing section to prevent insertion of a coin thereafter.

10. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 5,

wherein the processing apparatus makes the display section display a sold out display in conjunction with prevention of insertion of a coin by the coin insertion preventing section.

11. The automatic vending machine as claimed in claim 6,

wherein the processing apparatus makes the display section display a sold out display in conjunction with prevention of insertion of a coin by the coin insertion preventing section.