Vending machine

• US 5,147,021 A
• Filed: 12/05/1990
• Issued: 09/15/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nippon Conlux Co., Ltd. (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Conlux Co., Ltd. (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Ishida, Takeshi, Maruyama, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartuska, F. J.
• Application Number:
  US07/622,377
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 194/205, 194/210, 194/212, 194/213, 194/217, 194/218, 235/381
• US Class Current: 194/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3437 the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

Money amount data and necessary discrimination data are recorded on a card and a card reader can read and write data on this card. A discarding circuit discards a money amount which is less than a money amount digit of a minimum denomination coin which can be handled from the money amount data read from the card. Money amount data left after discarding is added to a money amount of deposited coins and result of the addition is compared with a vend price for judgement as to whether vending is possible or not. Vend control of an article is made on the basis of this judgement. Discount is made from a predetermined vend price of the vended article. The vend price after the discount is subtracted from the money amount data read from the card by the card reader and the balance is caused to be written in the card by the card reader.

Claims

1. A vending machine including judging means for judging whether vending is possible or not on the basis of comparison of an amount of deposited money with a vend price, and being adapted for processing money amount data using a minimum money amount digit of a minimum denomination coin or bill handleable by the machine, said vending machine comprising:

card reading and writing means for receiving a card on which money amount data including data of a money amount less than the minimum money amount digit and necessary discrimination data are recorded and reading the data from the card and writing money amount data on the card;

memory means for storing said money amount data including data of a money amount less than the minimum money amount digit that has been read by said card reading and writing means;

discarding means for discarding a money amount less than the minimim money amount digit from said money amount data read by said card reading and writing means;

means for adding money amount data left after discarding by said discarding means to the amount of deposited money and for applying the result of the addition as total deposited amount to said judging means;

discount means for effecting a predetermined discount from a predetermined vend price of a vended article for a discount amount or at a discount rate that can be set for said money amount less than the minimum money amount digit; and

control means for substracting a vend price after said discount from the money amount data that has been read from the card by said card reading and writing means and stored in said memory means, and for causing the balance to be written in the card by said card reading and writing means.

2. A vending machine as defined in claim 1 wherein an amount of discount by said discounting means includes the money amount less than the money amount digit of the minimum denomination.