Vending machine

Abstract

The invention provides a vending machine, which realizes improvement of discount attraction. A vending machine (1) is provided with a plurality of product selection buttons (20) which are provided in correspondence with channels for accommodating products and which have various display functions including the price display of the products in the corresponding channels. The vending machine is provided with a control part (30) which is used for discharging and selling goods from a goods channel corresponding to a goods selection button by operating any goods selection button, and is used for controlling the goods selection button when the goods in any goods channel is set as a discount object. The control unit causes the corresponding product selection button to display a discount including a statement of the discount. Preferably, under the condition that the commodity in any commodity channel is set as a discount object, the control part enables the corresponding commodity selection button to perform discount display according to a preset discount display mode.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an automatic vending machine. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, in vending machines that sell beverages in containers such as plastic bottles and cans, there is a known vending machine that sells any product at a discount price during a specified discount period in order to promote sales. In such a vending machine, when the specified discount period is in effect, the corresponding product selection button is configured to display the discounted price (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-157175 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] In addition, in the vending machine proposed in the above-mentioned patent document 1, the corresponding product selection button displays the discounted price during the specified discount period. Therefore, there is the following problem: for users such as purchasers, it is insufficient to fully recognize whether the price displayed on each product selection button (including the discounted price) corresponds to the discounted price, and the discount is not attractive enough.

[0008] In view of the above-mentioned actual situation, an object of the present invention is to provide an automatic vending machine capable of improving the attractiveness of discounts.

[0009] Solutions for solving problems

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the vending machine involved in the present invention has multiple product selection units, which are arranged corresponding to aisles for accommodating products and have various display functions including price display of products in corresponding aisles. The vending machine is operated by any product selection unit to discharge products from the aisle corresponding to the product selection unit for sale. The vending machine is characterized in that it has a control unit, and when the products in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to display a discount including a discount statement.

[0011] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned automatic vending machine, when commodities in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit causes the corresponding commodity selection unit to perform the discount display according to a preset discount display mode.

[0012] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned vending machine, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to display the discount according to a pre-set discount display mode based on the remaining quantity or discount amount of the goods that are the discount objects.

[0013] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned vending machine, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to display the discount according to a pre-set discount display mode based on the length of the remaining discount period of the goods that are the discount objects.

[0014] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned vending machine, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit returns the change including the currency of the discount amount on the condition that currency with a pre-discount price, i.e., a price higher than the usual price, is inserted and the corresponding product selection unit is operated to discharge the goods from the aisle.

[0015] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned automatic vending machine, the control unit causes any commodity selection unit to display a cash refund when refunding change including the currency of the discount amount.

[0016] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned vending machine, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects when cashless settlement is made, the control unit makes the operated product selection unit display the discount on the condition that any corresponding product selection unit is operated.

[0017] In addition, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned vending machine, the control unit under normal circumstances causes all product selection units to perform lighting displays that light up in sequence in a specified pattern, and on the other hand, when products in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit limits the lighting display on the corresponding product selection unit and causes the corresponding product selection unit to perform the discount display.

[0018] Effects of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to display the discount including the discount statement, thereby achieving the following effect: it is possible to clearly indicate to the user that the sale is at a discount, thereby achieving an improvement in the attractiveness of the discount. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a front view showing the external appearance structure of the automatic vending machine as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a block diagram schematically showing a characteristic control system of the automatic vending machine as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the key device shown.

[0023] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1 and Figure 2 The front view of the item selection button is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 : is a front view showing the first discount display mode.

[0025] Figure 6 (a) and (b) are front views showing the second discount display mode.

[0026] Figure 7 (a) and (b) are front views showing the third discount display mode.

[0027] Figure 8 (a) and (b) are front views showing the fourth discount display mode.

[0028] Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 2 Flowchart showing the processing contents of the commodity selection button display control processing executed by the display control processing unit of the control unit shown.

[0029] Fig.10 It is shown Figure 2 A flowchart showing the processing contents of a discount display control process executed by the control unit shown.

[0030] Fig.11 It is shown Fig.10 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of discount display in the discount display control process shown.

[0031] Fig.12 It is shown Fig.10 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a discount amount display in the discount display control process shown.

[0032] Fig.13 It is shown Fig.10 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a cash refund display in the discount display control process shown.

[0033] Fig.14 It is shown Figure 2 A flowchart showing the processing contents of another discount display control process executed by the control unit shown.

[0034] Fig.15 (a) and (b) show Fig.14 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of discount display in the discount display control process shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the automatic vending machine according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 and Figure 2 The following are respectively about the automatic vending machine which is an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a front view showing the appearance structure, Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a characteristic control system.

[0037] The vending machine 1 illustrated here is used to sell beverages in containers such as plastic bottles and cans in a cooled, heated or room temperature state, and is configured to include a main cabinet 2 .

[0038] The main cabinet 2 is formed by combining a plurality of steel plates and is formed into a box-shaped heat-insulating structure having an opening on the front surface. The main cabinet 2 is provided with an outer door 3 so as to open and close the opening.

[0039] Although not explicitly shown in the figure, a plurality of commodity storage racks are provided inside the main cabinet 2, and aisles are set on these commodity storage racks. An aisle is a storage unit for storing commodities of the same type, and one or more commodity storage racks are provided according to the commodities sold. A discharge mechanism 4 for discharging commodities stored in each commodity storage rack is provided on the commodity storage rack. The discharge mechanism 4 is provided for each aisle.

[0040] Such an automatic vending machine 1 is configured to include a money processing unit 5 , a payment processing unit 6 , a remote controller 7 , a commodity selection button (commodity selection unit) 20 , and a control unit 30 .

[0041] The currency processing unit 5 is composed of a coin mechanism and a banknote validator. The currency processing unit 5 determines whether the currency inserted through the coin insertion port 8 and the banknote insertion port 9 provided on the outer door 3 is a regular currency, receives the regular currency inside and outputs it to the control unit 30, and returns the currency when the regular currency cannot be determined or when the return lever 10 provided on the outer door 3 is operated after the insertion operation.

[0042] Furthermore, the money processing unit 5 discharges banknotes from the banknote input port 9 when returning banknotes, and discharges coins from the coin return port 11 provided in the outer door 3 when returning coins.

[0043] When a predetermined recording medium such as a card is placed in the communication area of ​​the reader / writer unit 12 provided in the outer door 3, the settlement processing unit 6 performs settlement processing with the recording medium.

[0044] The remote controller 7 is an input unit for setting and confirming various settings related to the sale of goods, such as the setting of the aisles of the product storage rack, the correspondence between the aisles and the product selection buttons 20, and the setting of the sales price. When the remote controller 7 is input, it provides its output signal to the control unit 30. The remote controller 7 is operated by the manager of the vending machine 1, who is called a fixed route salesperson (routeman), and can be operated only when the locked outer door 3 is unlocked and opened.

[0045] like Figure 3 As shown, the commodity selection button 20 is configured such that a portion of the button 20 is exposed in the housing 20a and can be pressed, thereby forming a key device 20b. The key device 20b is provided on the front surface of the transparent plate 14 constituting the display window 13 of the outer door 3 in correspondence with the display shelf 15, and the commodity selection button 20 is provided in correspondence with the commodity sample 16 displayed on the display shelf 15.

[0046] Such a commodity selection button 20 includes a switch 21 and a light emitting element 22. When the commodity selection button 20 is pressed, the switch 21 is turned on and a selection signal is output to the control unit 30.

[0047] The light emitting element 22 is composed of, for example, a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs). These light emitting elements 22 emit light forward by lighting, such as Figure 4 As shown, these light emitting elements 22 are arranged to form a price display unit 23 composed of 7 segments (hereinafter, also referred to as 7 segments) capable of displaying arbitrary 4-digit numbers (for example, 0 to 9) and letters, a phrase display unit 24 of "￥", "hot", "cold", "normal temperature", "recommended!", "prepared", and "discount", and a saleable display unit 25 in the upper area of ​​the 7 segments. Thus, the plurality of product selection buttons 20 are provided corresponding to the aisles for storing products, and have various display functions including the price display unit 23 of the products of the corresponding aisles.

[0048] The saleable display unit 25 is configured to display a color such as blue when the corresponding product is cold, orange when the corresponding product is hot, and purple when the corresponding product is at room temperature.

[0049] The control unit 30 is connected to the dispensing mechanism 4, the currency processing unit 5, the settlement processing unit 6, the remote control 7 and the product selection button 20 in a manner that allows communication. The control unit 30 uniformly controls the operation of each part of the vending machine 1 according to the program and data stored in the storage unit 31 that is also connected in a manner that allows communication. The control unit 30 has a display control processing unit 30a.

[0050] When the products in any aisle are determined to be sold at a discounted price during a predetermined time (for example, between 14:00 and 16:00), the display control processing unit 30a performs a product selection button display control process described later.

[0051] A plurality of (four in this embodiment) discount display modes (a first discount display mode, a second discount display mode, a third discount display mode, and a fourth discount display mode) are stored in the discount display mode storage area 31a of the storage unit 31. These discount display modes are described below.

[0052] In addition, in the following, for the sake of convenience, the products are uniformly set to be cold, the pre-discount price of the products, that is, the normal price, is set to "130 yen", the discount amount is set to "30 yen", and the discounted price is set to "100 yen" for explanation.

[0053] Regarding the first discount display mode, such as Figure 5 As shown, the saleable display section 25 is set to blue, and the words "￥", "cold", and "discount" are always lit in the word display section 24, and the discounted price ("100") is always lit in the price display section.

[0054] Regarding the second discount display mode, such as Figure 6 As shown in (a) and (b), the saleable display section 25 is set to blue, and the sentences "￥" and "cold" are always lit in the sentence display section 24, and the discounted price ("100") is always lit in the price display section 23, and the sentence "discount" in the sentence display section 24 is flashed (for example, lit for 3 seconds and turned off for 1 second).

[0055] Regarding the third discount display mode, such as Figure 7 As shown in (a) and (b), the saleable display unit 25 is set to blue, and the words "￥" and "cold" in the sentence display unit 24 are always lit, and the discounted price ("100") in the price display unit 23 and the word "discount" in the sentence display unit 24 are flashed and lit (for example, lit for 3 seconds and turned off for 1 second).

[0056] Regarding the fourth discount display mode, Figure 8As shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 1 , the saleable display unit 25 is set to blue, and the words "￥" and "cold" are always lit in the wording display unit 24, and the discounted price ("100") and the discount amount ("30") are switched and lit in the price display unit 23, and the word "discount" is flashed in the wording display unit 24. Specifically, Figure 8 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the saleable display unit 25 is set to blue, and the words "￥" and "cold" are lit for example for 3 seconds in the wording display unit 24, and the discounted price ("100") is lit for example for 3 seconds in the price display unit 23. Then, as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown in (b), the saleable display section 25 is set to blue, and the sentences "￥", "cold", and "discount" in the sentence display section 24 are lit up for one second, and the discount amount ("30") in the price display section 23 is lit up for one second, and this display is repeated.

[0057] Fig. 9 It is shown Figure 2 1 is a flowchart of the processing contents of the commodity selection button display control processing executed by the display control processing unit 30a of the control unit 30 shown in FIG.

[0058] If the Fig. 9 As shown, the display control processing unit 30a of the control unit 30 determines whether the current time has passed the discount sale start time (for example, 14:00) (step S101). If the current time has not passed the discount sale start time (step S101: No), the display control processing unit 30a repeats the determination process.

[0059] When the current time has passed the discount sale start time (step S101: "Yes"), the display control processing unit 30a causes the corresponding product selection button 20 (the product selection button 20 corresponding to the aisle accommodating the products that are subject to discount) to display the discount according to a predetermined discount display mode (any one of the first discount display mode, the second discount display mode, the third discount display mode, and the fourth discount display mode) (step S102).

[0060] The control unit 30 that has displayed a discount in this way drives the discharge mechanism 4 of the corresponding aisle to discharge the goods when the money processing unit 5 processes money with a discount price (100 yen) or more and the corresponding product selection button 20 is pressed to output a selection signal from the switch 21, and allows the goods to be taken out through the product removal outlet 17 provided in the outer door 3.

[0061] The display control processing unit 30a that has performed the above-mentioned discount display determines whether the current time has passed the discount sale end time (for example, 16:00) (step S103). If the current time has not passed the discount sale end time (step S103: No), the display control processing unit 30a repeats the determination process.

[0062] If the current time has passed the discount sale end time (step S103: Yes), the display control processing unit 30a cancels the discount display of the corresponding product selection button 20 (step S104), and then returns the process to end the current processing.

[0063] In this way, according to the vending machine 1 which is an embodiment of the present invention, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit 30 causes the corresponding product selection button 20 to display the discount including the discount statement according to the pre-set discount display mode. Therefore, it can be clearly shown to the user that the sale is at a discount, thereby realizing the improvement of the discount attractiveness.

[0064] In addition, the control unit 30 (display control processing unit 30a) may perform the following discount display control processing during the discount sale time (14:00 to 16:00).

[0065] Fig.10 It is shown Figure 2 The flowchart of the discount display control process executed by the control unit 30 is shown.

[0066] If the Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , the display control processing unit 30a of the control unit 30 causes the corresponding product selection button 20 (the product selection button 20 corresponding to the aisle containing the products to be discounted) to be displayed as shown in FIG. Fig.11 A discount display is performed as shown (step S201), in which the saleable display section 25 is set to blue, and the sentences "￥", "cold", and "discount" are always lit in the sentence display section 24, and the normal price ("130") is always lit in the price display section 23.

[0067] The control unit 30 that performs such a discount display waits for the money processing unit 5 to process money due to the insertion of money of a normal price or more from the coin insertion port 8 or the banknote insertion port 9, and for the product selection to be performed by pressing the corresponding product selection button 20 (steps S202 and S203).

[0068] Then, when currency processing of a normal price (130 yen) or above is performed through the currency processing unit 5, and the corresponding product selection button 20 is pressed and a selection signal is output from the switch 21, thereby selecting a product (step S202: "Yes", step S203: "Yes"), the control unit 30 drives the discharge mechanism 4 of the corresponding aisle to discharge the product (step S204).

[0069] The control unit 30 that discharges the product in this way is as follows. Fig.12 As shown in FIG. 1 , the commodity selection button 20 that has been pressed displays the discount amount, and as shown in FIG. Fig.13 The cash refund display (step S205) is performed as shown, and the change including the currency of the discount amount is returned (step S206), wherein Fig.12 In the discount amount display shown, the saleable display section 25 is set to blue, and the words "￥", "cold", and "discount" are always lit in the word display section 24, and the discount amount ("30") is always lit in the price display section 23. Fig.13 In the cash refund display shown, "CASH" and "BACK" are displayed on the price display sections 23 of the other commodity selection buttons 20 adjacent to each other.

[0070] The control unit 30 that has returned the change in this manner cancels the discount amount display and the cash return display (step S207), and then returns the procedure to end the current processing.

[0071] According to such an automatic vending machine 1, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit 30 displays the discount amount on the corresponding product selection button 20 and displays the cash refund on any product selection button 20, and refunds the change including the currency of the discount amount, under the condition that the currency of the pre-discount price, i.e., the normal price or more, is inserted and the corresponding product selection button 20 is pressed, so that the goods are discharged from the aisle. Therefore, it can be clearly shown to the user that the sale is carried out at a discount, thereby achieving an improvement in the discount attractiveness. In addition, the refund is made in a manner that the discount amount (30 yen) is included in the change, thereby giving the user a sense of value for money.

[0072] When commodities in any aisle are eligible for discounts during cashless payment, the control unit 30 (display control processing unit 30a) may perform the following discount display control processing during the discount sales time (14:00-16:00).

[0073] Fig.14 It is shown Figure 2A flowchart showing the processing contents of another discount display control process executed by the control unit 30 shown.

[0074] If the Fig.14 As shown, the display control processing unit 30a of the control unit 30 causes all the product selection buttons 20 including the corresponding product selection buttons 20 (the product selection buttons 20 corresponding to the aisles containing the products that are subject to discounts during cashless settlement) to be normally displayed (step S301). In this normal display, the saleable display unit 25 is set to blue, and the sentences "￥" and "Cold" are always lit in the sentence display unit 24, and the normal price ("130") is always lit in the price display unit 23.

[0075] The control unit 30 that performs such a normal display determines whether a product selection is performed by pressing the corresponding product selection button 20 (step S302). If the corresponding product selection button 20 is not pressed (step S302: No), the control unit 30 repeats the determination process.

[0076] When the corresponding commodity selection button 20 is pressed and the switch 21 outputs a selection signal and the commodity is selected (step S302: Yes), the control unit 30 causes the pressed commodity selection button 20 to be turned on. Fig.15 A discount display is performed as shown in (a) and (b) (step S303), in which the saleable display unit 25 is set to blue, and the sentences "￥" and "cold" are always lit in the sentence display unit 24, and the discounted price ("100") of the price display unit 23 and the sentence "discount" of the sentence display unit 24 are switched to light with the sentence "CArd (card)" of the price display unit 23.

[0077] To explain in more detail, the control unit 30 performs a discount display, in which, for example, Fig.15 As shown in (a) of FIG. 1 , the available-for-sale display unit 25 is set to blue, and the words "￥", "cold", and "discount" are lit for example for 1 second in the wording display unit 24, and the discounted price ("100") is lit for example for 1 second in the price display unit 23. Then, as shown in FIG. Fig.15 As shown in (b), the saleable display section 25 is set to blue, and the words "￥", "cold" in the word display section 24 are lit up for, for example, 1 second, and the display of "CArd" in the price display section 23 is lit up for, for example, 1 second, and this display is repeated.

[0078] The control unit 30 that has displayed the discount in this way waits for the settlement process by the settlement processing unit 6 (step S304). When the settlement process is performed by the settlement processing unit 6 (step S304: Yes), the control unit 30 drives the discharge mechanism 4 of the corresponding aisle to discharge the goods (step S305).

[0079] After discharging the products in this manner, the control unit 30 performs a normal display (step S306 ), and then returns the procedure to terminate the current processing.

[0080] According to such a vending machine 1, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects during cashless settlement, the control unit 30, based on the condition that any corresponding product selection button 20 is operated, causes the operated product selection button 20 to display the discount including a discount statement. Therefore, it can be clearly shown to the user that the sale is made at a discount, thereby achieving an improvement in the attractiveness of the discount.

[0081] As mentioned above, although the preferred embodiment of the present invention was described, the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made.

[0082] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the product selection button 20 is described as an example of the product selection unit. However, in the present invention, it is not limited to the product selection button 20 that is pressed. For example, a product selection area displayed on a touch panel and selected by touch operation may also be the product selection unit.

[0083] In the above-mentioned embodiment, in the product selection button display control process, it is set to perform discount display according to any one of the first discount display mode, the second discount display mode, the third discount display mode, and the fourth discount display mode. However, in the present invention, as long as the discount display including the discount statement is performed, the display content is not particularly limited.

[0084] In particular, in the present invention, a discount display may be performed as follows. That is, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit may display the discount according to the remaining quantity of the goods as discount objects. In other words, when the remaining quantity of the goods is, for example, more than 6, the discount display may be performed according to the first discount display mode, and when the remaining quantity of the goods is, for example, less than 5, the discount display may be performed according to the second discount display mode.

[0085] In addition, when the product in any aisle is set as a discount object, the control unit may display the discount according to the size of the discount amount of the product that is the discount object. In other words, when the discount amount is less than 50 yen, the discount display may be performed according to the first discount display mode, and when the discount amount is more than 50 yen, the discount display may be performed according to the second discount display mode.

[0086] Furthermore, it is also possible that, when the goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit displays the discount according to the length of the remaining period of the discount period of the goods that are discount objects. That is, it is also possible that, when the remaining period (remaining time) of the discount period (discount time) is more than 1 hour, the discount is displayed according to the first discount display mode, for example, and when the remaining period (remaining time) is less than 1 hour, the discount is displayed according to the second discount display mode, for example.

[0087] These methods can also make it clear to users that sales are being made at a discount, thereby improving the attractiveness of the discount.

[0088] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the saleable display unit 25 is set to display any one of blue, orange, and purple according to the temperature state of the corresponding commodity, but it may also be as follows. That is, the control unit 30 may also make the saleable display units 25 of all commodity selection buttons 20 light up in sequence in a predetermined pattern under normal conditions, and when the commodity of any aisle is set as a discount object, the control unit 30 limits the lighting display of the corresponding commodity selection button 20 and makes the corresponding commodity selection button 20 display the discount.

[0089] This also makes it possible to clearly indicate to users that sales are being conducted at a discount, thereby improving the attractiveness of the discount.

[0090] Although not particularly mentioned in the above-mentioned embodiment, the phrase “Recommended!” may be appropriately displayed in the phrase display unit 24 when displaying a discount.

[0091] In the above-mentioned embodiment, the commodity selection button 20 that is pressed displays the discount amount, and the other commodity selection buttons 20 that are adjacent to each other display cash refund. However, in the present invention, cash refund display may be performed on the corresponding commodity selection button 20, and another commodity selection button 20 may alternately display the words "CASH" and "BACK". In addition, in the present invention, as long as it can be determined that cash refund is made, words other than the words "CASH" and "BACK" may be displayed. Furthermore, in the present invention, cash refund display may not be performed.

[0092] Description of Reference Numerals

[0093] 1: vending machine; 2: main cabinet; 3: outer door; 4: dispensing mechanism; 5: currency processing unit; 6: settlement processing unit; 7: remote control; 8: coin input port; 9: banknote input port; 10: return lever; 11: coin return port; 12: reader / writer unit; 13: display window; 14: transparent plate; 15: display rack; 16: product sample; 17: product take-out port; 20: product selection button; 20a: housing; 20b: key device; 21: switch; 22: light-emitting element; 23: price display unit; 24: statement display unit; 25: saleable display unit; 30: control unit; 30a: display control processing unit; 31: storage unit; 31a: discount display mode storage area.

Claims

1. An automatic vending machine, comprising a plurality of commodity selection sections, the plurality of commodity selection sections being arranged corresponding to aisles for storing commodities and having various display functions including displaying prices of commodities in corresponding aisles, the automatic vending machine being operated by the commodity selection sections to discharge commodities from the aisles corresponding to the commodity selection sections for sale, the automatic vending machine being characterized in that: A control unit is provided, and when a product in any aisle is set as a discount target, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to perform a discount display including a discount message.

2. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When products in any aisle are targeted for discount, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to display the discount in accordance with a preset discount display mode.

3. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When products in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to display the discount in accordance with a pre-set discount display mode based on the remaining quantity or discount amount of the products that are the discount objects.

4. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When products in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit causes the corresponding product selection unit to display the discount in accordance with a preset discount display mode based on the length of the remaining discount period of the discount object products.

5. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When goods in any aisle are set as discount objects, the control unit returns the change including the currency of the discount amount, on the condition that currency with a pre-discount price, i.e., a price higher than the normal price, is inserted and the corresponding product selection unit is operated to discharge the goods from the aisle.

6. The vending machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The control unit causes the commodity selection unit to display a cash refund when refunding the change including the currency of the discount amount.

7. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: When commodities in any aisle are eligible for discounts at the time of cashless payment, the control unit causes the operated commodity selection unit to display the discount, conditional on the corresponding commodity selection unit being operated.

8. The vending machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: Under normal circumstances, the control unit causes all product selection sections to perform lighting displays that light up in sequence in a specified pattern. On the other hand, when products in any aisle are designated as discount items, the control unit limits the lighting displays on the corresponding product selection sections and causes the corresponding product selection sections to perform the discount display.

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