EP0071275A2 - Article vending machine, particularly for cigarettes - Google Patents

Abstract

The cigarette vending machine has, in a housing, shafts for receiving packs in stack form and a mechanical extraction device which is assigned to each shaft and which, after being released, can be transferred out of an initial position into an extraction position. In the housing there is a computer circuit arrangement with a special mains-independent supply battery for the reception, storage and reproduction of specific data relating to the packs, especially the shaft-related extraction quantities. The signal transmitter for each shaft is a switch arrangement which can be actuated by a permanent magnet and which, during each transfer of the extraction device into the extraction position, is closed as a result of the change in the magnetic flux effect brought about thereby. Each switch arrangement of an extraction device is assigned a coding stage for generating a signal specific to the particular shaft. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a vending machine, in particular a cigarette vending machine, with shafts provided in a housing for stacking packs of goods and with a mechanical removal device assigned to each shaft, which can be transferred from a starting position into a removal position after it has been unlocked.

A large number of vending machines are purely mechanical and do not have any electrically controllable actuation and switching parts, since this would require a network connection to the existing voltage network.

However, there is a need to obtain information about specific data of the goods packages from such vending machines.

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating a vending machine of the type mentioned which, in a simple and functionally reliable manner and using existing parts of conventional vending machines, should enable a network-independent and energy-saving storage of specific data of the goods packs. The control measures to be initiated by the removal device of a shaft are to be carried out by robust elements.

The object is achieved according to the invention in that a computer circuit arrangement with its own mains-independent supply battery for receiving, storing and reproducing specific data of the goods packs, in particular the shaft-related removal quantities, is provided in the machine housing in that a switch arrangement which can be actuated by a permanent magnet is provided as a signal generator for each shaft is provided, which is closed at each transfer of the removal device into the removal position by changing the magnetic flux effect, and that each switch arrangement of a removal device or a shaft is assigned a coding stage for generating a shaft-specific signal.

Advantageously, a low-power computer circuit arrangement with its own battery is provided in each vending machine. As a signal generator for each shaft a switch arrangement is available which can be actuated without contact due to the magnetic flux effect of a permanent magnet. When the removal device is transferred from the initial position into the removal position and vice versa, the magnetic flux effect is controlled accordingly by the removal device, such that the switch arrangement is open when the removal device is in the initial position. As a result, a particularly robust switch arrangement has been created which is independent of the environmental conditions, such as moisture and aggressive components of the surrounding atmosphere. The mechanical contacts, which are susceptible to interference due to contamination, are not present in the switch arrangement according to the invention. Furthermore, there is the advantage that this switch arrangement does not require a power supply, as is required, for example, with inductive scanners or with optoelectronic scanners or with magnetic card readers.

According to a further embodiment, the switch arrangement has at least one reed contact which is fixedly arranged together with the permanent magnet housing, a magnetically conductive shielding part of the removal device being moved between the reed contact and the permanent magnet in the starting position of each removal device, preferably a drawer the transfer of the removal device into the removal position is moved away. The permanent magnet and the respective reed contact are advantageously arranged fixed to the housing.

According to a further embodiment, the reed contact is provided on the underside of a part already present in the machine housing, the permanent magnet being a is one-sided and twice strongly magnetized strip-shaped magnetic element, is fastened on a tongue-shaped sheet metal which, in the starting position of each drawer, passes through an opening provided on the end face, and the end region of the drawer located between the permanent magnet and reed contact serves as a magnetic shielding part or shielding aperture. The reed contacts are expediently arranged on a magnetically non-conductive intermediate piece which has a predetermined thickness and which enables a sheet metal part which receives the reed contact and intermediate piece. Advantageously, the magnetic element is thus arranged on an already existing sheet metal tongue, above which the housing plate is located, on the side facing the magnetic element, the reed contacts are fastened. The end region of the drawer is used in a particularly advantageous manner as a shield. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, two reed contacts arranged one behind the other in the direction of thrust are provided, which are oriented transversely to the direction of movement of the drawer, the shielding part or the shielding shield shielding both reed contacts in the initial position of the drawer, the front ends of the drawers facing first reed contacts have a control connection to an input stage of a central unit (microprocessor) of the computer circuit which is permanently connected to the supply battery, the other circuit parts of the computer circuit being connected to the supply battery when the first reed contacts are actuated via the input stage, and wherein the second reed contacts have a control connection to the data input of the computer circuit via a coding matrix and coding circuit. This results in a particularly power-saving circuit arrangement. The first reed contacts of the drawers ensure that the circuit parts which are otherwise separate from the battery are connected to the battery when the drawers are actuated. No later than When the drawer is closed, these circuit parts are separated from the battery again. The microprocessor is thus switched from its static to its dynamic phase, thereby reducing energy consumption to a minimum.

Advantageously, the first reed contacts are arranged such that they can be released within the longitudinal movement play of the still locked drawers, the second reed contacts being so far removed from the first reed contacts that the second reed contacts within the longitudinal movement play Drawers remain shielded. This prevents switching measures from being initiated within the longitudinal play of the drawers which would lead to incorrect storage values without removing packaging units.

In the case of a first reed contact arranged in the edge region of the shielding part of the drawer in the rest position, its minimum distance from the respective second, assigned reed contact is equal to the maximum length of play of the drawer plus a correction quantity, the value of which depends on the design of the shielding part and the distance between the reed -Contact or shielding part and magnetic tape as well as the magnetic field strength.

According to another embodiment, the first and second reed contacts are arranged so that they remain unaffected within the longitudinal movement of each drawer.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the computer circuit has a delay circuit which, at the end of the delay time, has a stop pulse to the input stage conducts, by means of which the circuit parts which can be switched off are separated from the supply battery or are switched to an inoperative standby state.

According to another embodiment, the delay effect is formed by the processor-related control processes of the computer circuit. This provides the advantage that the switchable circuit parts are switched off during the opening movement of the unlocked drawer. This in turn has the advantage that if the drawer is accidentally not closed (pulled-out position), the circuit parts that can be switched off are disconnected from the battery, and thus power consumption is kept low.

According to a further embodiment, the computer circuit has a time-storage operating state, the actuation time of which is stored when a second reed contact is actuated, and the time of the further actuation phase is stored when the first and second reed contacts are actuated again. This has the advantage that the refilling person can determine exactly when e.g. the last packaging unit was removed from the shaft. This results in particularly advantageous information about the location-specific need situation.

According to a further embodiment, a data input and data output connection and a call control line lead from the computer circuit to a housing-side connection point via which the memory data are queried by means of an external data transfer device and the memory in after the input of the queried memory data the computer circuit and, if the memory data already queried match, are reset with the memory data queried again.

Further advantageous configurations result from the further subclaims.

• Fig. 1 und 1a einen modifizierten herkömmlichen Zigaretten- automat mit einem Datenprüfgerät;
• Fig. 2 einen Schnitt durch eine Schachtschublade;
• Fig. 3 einen Schnitt durch die Schublade gemäß Fig. 2;
• Fig. 4 und 5 die ersten und zweiten Reed-Kontakte der Schubladen;
• Fig. 6 eine schematische Funktionsblock-Übersicht des Mikrocomputers und
• Fig. 7 ein weiteres Blockdiagramm des Mikrocomputers.

The invention is described below with reference to an exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7. Show it:

• 1 and 1a a modified conventional automatic cigarette machine with a data testing device;
• 2 shows a section through a shaft drawer;
• 3 shows a section through the drawer according to FIG. 2;
• 4 and 5 the first and second reed contacts of the drawers;
• Fig. 6 is a schematic functional block overview of the microcomputer and
• 7 shows a further block diagram of the microcomputer.

1, 1 denotes a cigarette machine which has ten drawers F1, F2, F3, F4, F5, F6, F7, F8, F9 and F10. Each of these drawers F1 to F10 is assigned to a cigarette holder. 2 with a data test device is referred to, which contains a magnetic tape and which is provided with display fields 4 and 5. A connecting line is designated 7 and a connector 8. The connector 8 is inserted into a socket, not shown, of the automatic cigarette machine 1. The connection socket is expediently located in the housing and is protected against contamination and damage. The display field 4 shows e.g. the respective shaft, while e.g. the display field 5 indicates the number of used and thus refillable cigarette packs. In addition, the time of removal of the last package is made visible. All specific data are transferred to the magnetic tape after connecting line 7.

2, 9 denotes a drawer, which is provided with a handle part 10. At the opposite end of the drawer, a front shoulder 11 is provided, which is provided with an opening 12. The opening 12 is penetrated by a guide plate 13. This sheet is part of a rear wall 14. A further sheet 15 is also attached to the rear wall 14. A first reed contact 16, which is provided in the end region or edge region of the drawer end, is located below the sheet 15 at a predetermined safety distance. A second reed contact 17 is located at a predetermined distance a from the first reed contact 16. The longitudinal axes of the two reed contacts 16 and 17 run transversely to the direction of thrust a of the drawer 9. Below the two reed contacts 16 and 17 is a strip-shaped permanent magnet element 18 arranged on the guide plate 13. The end region 19 of the drawer 9 is in the starting position of the drawer 9 between the reed contacts 16, 17 and the magnetic element 18. The magnetic flux lines of the magnetic element 18 are forcibly deflected via the magnetically conductive end region 19 of the drawer 9 (magnetic yoke) . As a result, the bsiden reed contacts 16 and 17 are shielded with the consequent effect that no magnetic force acts on them. They are therefore in the open state. With b the maximum longitudinal movement play of the drawer 9 is designated. In the locked state, the drawer 9 can be moved within this distance b.

In FIG. 3, the parts corresponding to the parts according to FIG. 2 are provided with the same reference symbols. The reed contacts 16 and 17 are embedded in a plastic housing 20. The magnetic element 18 is magnetized transversely to the direction of thrust A of the drawer 9. From Fig. 3 it can be seen that the Magnetic element 18 has a north pole on the left and a south pole on the right. The central area of the magnetic element is magnetically neutral. The underside of the magnetic element has a yoke 21.

4, the first reed contacts 16 of the individual drawers F1 to F10 are designated 511, S12, S13, S14, S15, S16, S17, S18, S19 and S110. All switches S11 to S110 are connected in parallel.

5, the second reed contacts 17 of the individual drawers are labeled S21, S22, S23, S24, S25, S26, S27, S28, S29 and S210. These switches S21 to S210 form a 1- out of 10 code. With the help of a diode matrix consisting of diodes 22 to 37, the 1 out of 10 code at outputs A, B, C and D a so-called BCD code is generated.

The connection points of the first reed contacts 16 to 17 or S11 to S110 are, for the sake of simplicity, with SG1 and the connections. Terminals A to D of the second reed contacts 17 and S21 to S210 denoted SG2 for the sake of simplicity. The direction of the signal flow is also indicated by the arrow.

6, 38 denotes a microcomputer, to which the voltage U of a battery is applied. The battery is permanently connected to a part 39 of the microcomputer 38. The circuit part 39 comprises the so-called central unit, also called a microprocessor, with the so-called control unit and arithmetic unit, as well as a read-write memory RAM. Through the

Central unit 39 can be influenced via a control connection, a switching stage 40, by means of which the supply voltage U can be connected to the other circuit parts 41 of the microcomputer. The input and output modules, memory for the user program (ROM) and additional logic come into question as such circuit parts. 42 is a delay circuit. On the one hand, it can be provided as a separate delay circuit. On the other hand, the delay circuit 42 is representative and characteristic of the delay paths generated in the microcomputer until a program has completely run.

When one of the first reed contacts is actuated or closed, control potential is passed to the central unit 39 via the control line 43. The result is that the circuit stage 40 is closed and the other circuit parts 41 are also connected to the battery voltage. The microcomputer is now ready for recording and working. When one of the drawer is actuated, a control signal is fed to the input SG2 in the BCD code and passed on via the control connection 44. This signal is processed and stored in the microcomputer. After a predetermined or computer-related delay time T, the switching stage 40 is switched off and thus the battery voltage is switched off from the other circuit parts 41.

7, the microcomputer 38 is connected to a battery 45. The microcomputer constructed in C-MOS technology has a microprocessor 46 which is connected directly to the battery 45 (switchless). The same applies to a read-write memory (RAM) 47. The system oscillator of the microprocessor 46 has a capacitor 48 and a resistor 49. Both parts are time-determining. A time reference oscillator has a quartz 50, capacitors 51 and 52 and a resistor 53. This oscillator determines the working frequency of the microcomputer. 54 designates a read / write control generator for the read / write memory 47. It writes or reads the data into the memory 47. The data flow connection between read-write memory and microprocessor is designated 55. A switching stage 56 is provided for decoding the row storage locations and a switching stage 57 is provided for decoding the column storage locations. The corresponding signal connections are designated 58, 59 and 60, 61.

62 with a setting switch is designated by which the time generator of a clock is set. The corresponding circuit unit is designated 63. The individual. The number of memory locations assigned to slots of the cigarette vending machine are symbolically indicated by 64, while the memory locations of the assigned time are indicated by 65.

The control line SG1 is connected to the standby input of the microcomputer, while the control lines SG2 are connected to a converter stage 66. In the converter stage, the signals processed in the BCD code are converted into a HEX code. The signals coded in this way are then fed into the microprocessor via the parallel data inputs. The actual write and read signal flow takes place via arrows 60, 61 and 55.

A data transfer device 2 to be connected to the automatic cigarette machine 1 according to FIGS. 1 and 1a mediates via the

Input 67 to the microcomputer 46 the command for reading out the stored data via the data output 68. This data is taken over (stored) from the tape of the data testing device. The data transfer device then inputs the data just read out via the data input 69. This process serves as a control. Furthermore, it is hereby achieved that all memories are only erased when there is equality between the data taken over and the data read again. The condition of the supply batteries is also checked.

The memory data is used to determine when and how many cigarette packs have been removed from each shaft, with the corresponding coding providing an exact shaft allocation. By storing the time of the cigarette packet taken from a shaft in each case, it is determined in what period of time cigarette packs were removed after the last filling of the cigarette machine. This is particularly important when a shaft is completely empty.

Claims (14)

1. Vending machine, in particular cigarette machine, with shafts provided in a housing for stacking goods packs and with a mechanical removal device assigned to each shaft, which can be transferred from a starting position into a removal position after being unlocked, characterized in that in the machine housing A computer circuit arrangement with its own mains-independent supply battery for receiving, storing and reproducing specific data of the goods packs, in particular the shaft-related removal quantities, is provided that a switch arrangement which can be actuated by a permanent magnet is provided as a signal generator for each shaft and which is used for each transfer of the Removal device in the removal position by the change caused thereby the magnetic flux effect is closed, and that each switch arrangement of a removal device is assigned a coding stage for generating a shaft-specific signal. 2. Vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the switch arrangement has at least one reed contact, which is fixedly arranged together with the permanent magnet housing, and that in the starting position of each removal device, preferably a drawer, a magnetically conductive shielding part of the removal Device between the reed contact and permanent magnet is moved, which is moved away in the removal position when transferring the removal device. 3. Vending machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the reed contact is provided on the underside of a part already present in the machine housing, that the permanent magnet, which is a one-sided and double-magnetized strip-shaped magnetic element, is attached to a tongue-shaped plate, that in the starting position of each drawer passes through an opening provided on the end face, and that the end region of the drawer located between the permanent magnet and reed contact serves as a magnetic shielding part or diaphragm. 4. Vending machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the reed contact is connected via a magnetically non-conductive intermediate piece of a given thickness with a sheet metal part of the machine housing. 5. Vending machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that two reed contacts arranged one behind the other in the direction of thrust are provided, which are oriented transversely to the drawer movement direction, that the shielding part or the shielding panel in the drawer starting position both reed contacts shields that the front of the drawers facing the first reed contacts (16) have a control connection to an input stage of a central unit permanently connected to the supply battery (microprocessor) of the computer circuit, that when the first reed contacts (16) are actuated by means of the input stage remaining circuit parts of the computer circuit are connected to the supply battery or switched to be effective, and that the second reed contacts have a control connection to the data input of the computer circuit via a coding matrix and coding circuit. 6. Vending machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the first reed contacts (16) are arranged so that they can be released within the longitudinal movement of the still locked drawers, and that the second reed contacts (17) from the first reed Contacts are removed so far that the second reed contacts remain shielded within the longitudinal movement of the drawers. 7. Vending machine according to claim 6, characterized in that when the first reed contact (16) arranged in the edge region of the shielding part of the drawer in the rest position, its minimum distance (a) from the second reed contact is equal to the maximum drawer longitudinal movement clearance (b) plus a correction variable, the value of which depends on the design of the shielding part, on the distance between the reed contact or shielding part and the magnetic element, and on the magnetic field strength. 8. Vending machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the first reed contacts and the second reed contacts are arranged so that they remain shielded when the drawers are moved within the game (b). 9. Vending machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the computer circuit has a delay circuit which conducts a stop pulse to the input stage at the end of the delay time, through which the circuit parts which can be switched off are separated from the supply battery. 10. Vending machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the delay effect of the computer circuit is formed by the processor-related control processes and that a stop pulse is passed to the input stage at the end of the delay time. 11. Vending machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the computer circuit has a time-storage operating state, and that when a second reed contact is actuated, its actuation time is stored, and that when the first and second reed contacts are actuated again the time of the further actuation phase is saved. 12. Vending machine according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the computer circuit a data input and data output connection and a polling control line lead to a housing-side connection point via which the memory data is queried by means of an external data transfer device and the memory after re-entry the queried memory data in the computer circuit and if the already queried memory data with the again queried memory data are reset. 13. Vending machine according to claim 12, characterized in that a check of the operating data and / or the operating states of the computer circuit, in particular the battery voltage, is carried out by means of the data transfer device after taking over the memory information of the computer circuit. 14. Vending machine according to one of claims 1, 5 to 13, characterized in that in the case of drawers formed from magnetically non-conductive material and holding and guiding parts of the vending machine instead of shielding parts, reed contacts are provided which are in the starting position of the drawers by means of the magnetic flux the permanent magnets attached to them are held in the open position and are closed when the drawers are moved into the extended position due to the canceled magnetic flux effect.

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