JP3021465B2 - vending machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vending machine.

(Prior art) Conventionally, illuminated switch devices such as vending machines include:
The device itself has a light source such as a neon light bulb or a light emitting diode inside the device body, and when coins are inserted from the insertion slot of a vending machine etc., these light sources are turned on and sold out displayed on the display board, Characters or figures (including symbols) such as discontinued, on sale, and currency exchange are raised on the surface plate, and if it is on sale, press this surface plate to sell the target product or exchange money Are well known.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In the above-described conventional illuminated switch device, since a certain distance must be provided between the light source and the display panel,
In addition to limiting the overall thickness of the device, there is a thin layer of dark red color used to prevent the internal structure from being visible from outside through the surface plate. There was a problem that it was limited to dark red.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to improve the mounting workability of an illuminated switch device, to make the illuminated switch device extremely thin, and to be able to display various colors in various colors. To provide a vending machine.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a plurality of product sample rows in which a plurality of product samples are horizontally arranged at a predetermined arrangement pitch over a plurality of stages; It has a plurality of illuminated switch devices corresponding to the product samples, and has a plurality of illuminated switch units respectively provided near the lower part of the plurality of product sample rows, and is selected from the plurality of illuminated switch devices. In a vending machine that also sells a product specified by operating one illuminated switch device, the illuminated switch unit includes a plurality of openings provided at the same pitch as the arrangement pitch of the plurality of product samples. A frame having, a plurality of liquid crystal cells provided in the plurality of openings, and in a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in response to application of a voltage, provided in the plurality of openings, A plurality of transparent switching means that is laminated with serial liquid crystal cell, provided on the front or rear portion of the plurality of liquid crystal cells,
A plurality of display plates made of a light-transmitting material representing a display pattern such as "sale" or "sold out" by characters or figures; a light source for emitting light from behind the plurality of liquid crystal cells; Control means for setting the plurality of liquid crystal cells in a transmissive state in response to the application of a voltage to the plurality of liquid crystal cells based on the display pattern, and displaying a display pattern such as "sale" or "sold out" to the outside through the plurality of openings. A vending machine characterized by comprising:

(Embodiment) The drawings show an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the present invention is provided below a product sample display window 2 provided on a door 1a of a vending machine 1 in correspondence with each displayed product sample. Are provided with a plurality of illuminated switch devices 3, 3,. 2 to 3 show a part of the illuminated switch devices 3, 3,..., 4 is a light source composed of, for example, a fluorescent lamp for illuminating a sample of a displayed product.
Is a mounting plate, and 6 is a control panel. The device main body 7 of the illuminated switch device is provided in a plurality of recesses 8a in a lateral direction on a horizontally long mounting plate 8 made of a transparent material, and a display plate 9 made of a light-transmitting material, a liquid crystal cell 10 , Transparent sheet switch 11,
In addition, a transparent glass polarizer 13 to which a transparent glass scattering prevention film 12 is adhered is stored in a stacked manner, and is held by a mounting plate 14 from above.

In the embodiment, the display panel 9 and the liquid crystal cell 10 are incorporated in the plurality of recesses 8a, 8a provided in the mounting plate 8 in the embodiment, but each display means is an independent mounting plate. May be configured to be incorporated one by one.

The mounting metal plate 5 and the control panel 6 are provided with oblong through holes 5a and 6a, respectively, which are substantially matched to the size of the display panel. On the display panel 9, characters 9a such as a character being sold or an arrow indicating that the character is being sold and a character 9b of a sold-out character are displayed without the light. Only the graphic 9a and the character 9b emit light. It is designed to be transmitted.

Here, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which figures and characters are displayed on the display plate 9 in a form that does not transmit light, and light is transmitted to other portions.

When the display panel 9 is interposed between the light source 4 and the liquid crystal cell 10, that is, at the rear portion, there is an advantage that the display panel 9 is not visible from the outside because the liquid crystal cell 10 is black-masked when no voltage is applied without inserting a coin. However, even if the display plate 9 is disposed in front of the liquid crystal cell 10, a colored plate (not shown) is superimposed on the surface of the display plate 9 to provide the display plate 9 in a normal state (when coins are not inserted). 9 can be made invisible from the outside.

When the display plate 9 is interposed between the light source 4 and the liquid crystal cell 10, color display of various colors can be easily performed by changing the color of the display plate 9.

As shown in FIG. 4, the liquid crystal cell 10 has a transparent electrode substrate 1
8 and 19 are provided, and one transparent electrode substrate 18 is divided into two electrode substrates 18a and 18b. Transparent electrode substrate 1
The molecules 8 and 19 are further provided with molecular alignment films 18c and 19a on their opposing surfaces, and the nematic liquid crystal 20 is sealed in a small gap surrounded by the yoke members 18d and 19b.
The nematic liquid crystal 20 has a twist (TN) arrangement in which the major axis of liquid crystal molecules is continuously twisted by 90 ° between the molecular alignment films 18c and 19a in the embodiment, and no voltage is applied between the parallel polarizers. In some cases, light is blocked, and light is transmitted when voltage is applied.

Next, as for the transparent switch means, the touch switch in the above embodiment is a touch switch, but as shown in FIG. Is provided so that it can be automatically returned by the
Conductive sheets 33, 33 attached to the tip of 30, and mounting board
ON / OFF mechanically between the conductive sheets 34, 34 provided in 32
May be performed.

If circumstances permit, a tact switch or a diaphragm switch that is turned on and off via the surface plate may be used.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the vending machine of the present invention, since the plurality of illuminated switch devices are integrated by the frame, the mounting workability of the illuminated switch device is improved. I can do it.

In addition, since the illuminated switch device does not have a light source, this is coupled with the thin liquid crystal cell, and the entire illuminated switch device can be made thinner.
The internal volume of the vending machine can be increased accordingly.

In addition, when a fluorescent lamp for product sample illumination is used as a light source, a special light source as an illuminated switch device is not required, so that the device can be manufactured at a correspondingly low cost.

Furthermore, when the display panel is disposed between the light source and the liquid crystal cell, the liquid crystal cell is normally a black mask on the entire surface and does not allow light from outside to pass therethrough, so that the display panel can be variously colored. Color display with various colors.

Further, when the liquid crystal cell is divided into two, it is possible to display on sale and sold out on one display panel.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is a perspective view of a vending machine embodying the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view of an illuminated switch device, and FIG. 3 is an illuminated switch device. FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view showing a liquid crystal cell part, and FIG. 5 is a plan sectional view showing another embodiment of the transparent switch means. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vending machine, 1a ... Door 2 ... Product sample display window 4, ... Light source 7 ... Device body, 8 ... Mounting plate 9 ... Display plate, 10 ... Liquid crystal cell 11 ... Transparent sheet Switch 12 ... Film, 13 ... Polarizer 16, 17 ... Glass substrate 18a, 18b ... Electrode substrate 20 ... Nematic liquid crystal 30 ... Surface plate 31, 31 ... Spring 32 ... Mounting substrate 33, 33 ... … Conductive sheet 34, 43 …… conductive sheet

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-132392 (JP, A) JP-A-59-100992 (JP, A) JP-A-60-124840 (JP, U) JP-A-56-53269 (JP) , U) Japanese Utility Model 63-1280 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 63-130874 (JP, U) Japanese Utility Model 56-46507 (JP, Y2)

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of product sample rows in which a plurality of product samples are horizontally arranged at a predetermined arrangement pitch over a plurality of stages, and a plurality of illuminated switch devices corresponding to the plurality of product samples, A plurality of illuminated switch units provided in the vicinity of the lower part of the plurality of product sample rows, respectively, for selling a product designated by operating one illuminated switch device selected from the plurality of illuminated switch devices In the vending machine, the illuminated switch unit comprises: a frame having a plurality of openings provided at the same pitch as the arrangement pitch of the plurality of product samples; and a voltage provided at the plurality of openings. A plurality of liquid crystal cells that are in a transmissive state and a non-transmissive state in response to the application of a plurality of liquid crystal cells; a plurality of transparent switch means provided in the plurality of openings and stacked with the liquid crystal cell; A plurality of display plates made of a light-transmitting material provided at the front or rear of the plurality of liquid crystal cells and displaying a display pattern such as "sale" or "sold out" by characters or figures; and the plurality of liquid crystal cells A light source that irradiates light from behind, and the plurality of liquid crystal cells are made to be in a transmission state in response to application of a voltage to the plurality of liquid crystal cells based on the insertion of cash, and are “sold” to the outside through the plurality of openings. , A control means for displaying a display pattern such as "out of stock". 2. A vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said light source is a fluorescent lamp for illuminating said plurality of product samples. 3. The display panel has a first area indicating "on sale" and a second area indicating "sold out", and the liquid crystal cell corresponds to the first area. The first area and the second area corresponding to the second area, wherein the control unit applies a voltage to each of the first and second areas to generate the first area or 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal cell in the second area is set in a transparent state, and "sale" or "sold out" is displayed outside through the opening. 4. The frame has a structure in which the plurality of liquid crystal cells, the plurality of transparent switch means, and the plurality of display panels are assembled into the plurality of openings and screwed to a front plate. The vending machine according to claim 1.