Dispenser for providing sanitary product

Abstract

To provide a dispenser for a providing sanitary product devised to enable workers to efficiently perform work relating to operation checks and work relating to replenishing sanitary products.SOLUTION: A dispenser for providing a sanitary product includes a storage unit for storing sanitary products, a stock sensor for detecting an amount of the sanitary products stored in the storage unit, a discharge tray for placing a sanitary product to be discharged from the storage unit to the outside of the dispenser for providing the sanitary product, a moving mechanism for moving the discharge tray between a standby position for receiving the sanitary product from the storage unit and a discharge position for discharging the sanitary product to the outside of the dispenser for providing the sanitary product, a discharge tray sensor for detecting the discharge tray, a discharge sensor for detecting the sanitary product to be discharged from the discharge tray at the discharge position to the outside of the dispenser for providing the sanitary product, and a display unit for displaying a detection result of the stock sensor, a detection result of the discharge tray sensor, and a detection result of the discharge sensor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dispenser for providing sanitary products, which is installed in a toilet, for example, and provides sanitary products such as sanitary products and pocket tissues. [Background technology]

[0002] As women advance into society, their lifestyles have changed dramatically, and this has resulted in some problems. One of these problems is related to menstruation, a physical phenomenon unique to women.

[0003] During menstruation, women use sanitary products such as napkins and tampons to prevent menstrual blood from leaking, and therefore, women generally carry these sanitary products with them when their menstrual period approaches.

[0004] The amount of menstrual blood varies from day to day, but leaving sanitary products with blood on them for a long time can cause bacteria to grow, and can lead to stuffiness and odor. Therefore, during your period, you should usually change your sanitary products every two to three hours.

[0005] For example, some restaurants and hotels have sanitary products in baskets next to the sinks in the women's restrooms for female customers whose period comes earlier than expected and who do not have any sanitary products with them. Those who wish to use the products can take them out of the basket and use them as they wish.

[0006] While this is ideal, people can take advantage of the fact that they can take them out freely, and even if they don't need them, they can take them home. In the extreme, someone who isn't on their period could take them all away. This is an unfortunate act that ruins the kindness of the establishment (for example, a restaurant or hotel) that left them there, and it could have the ironic result of people actually wanting to use them but not being able to.

[0007] Furthermore, some people hesitate to use sanitary products when they are simply placed in a basket, as anyone can touch them. For example, in a situation where a pathogenic virus is spreading, it can be very unsettling to touch something that you don't know who has touched it before.

[0008] Meanwhile, as a means of providing sanitary products to women who need them while dispelling such anxieties, dispensers containing sanitary products are used, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 7.

[0009] In fact, some companies have installed such dispensers in the stalls of women's restrooms as part of their employee benefits, so that female employees who have their period come earlier than expected and do not have any sanitary products with them can freely use them.

[0010] In this type of dispenser, the sanitary products are stored inside and are dispensed one by one when the products are taken out, so the sanitary products are not touched by an unspecified number of people, and therefore users can use the sanitary products with peace of mind without feeling any discomfort. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 7064096 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 7075553 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent No. 7163519 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent No. 7174878 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent No. 7174884 [Patent Document 6] Japanese Patent No. 7192154 [Patent Document 7] Japanese Patent No. 7290371 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] However, due to the limited size of toilet stalls, dispensers cannot be made very large and can only accommodate around 50 sanitary products inside. Therefore, each dispenser needs to be replenished with sanitary products to prevent stock from running out.

[0013] For this reason, workers regularly visit each dispenser to replenish them with sanitary products. At the same time, the workers also check that the dispenser is working properly, and if there is a malfunction, they correct the malfunction by adjusting, repairing, or replacing parts, and also check that the dispenser is working properly.

[0014] Currently, the number of dispensers installed is increasing day by day. As a result, the number of dispensers each worker is responsible for is also increasing, increasing the burden on workers. Therefore, there is a demand for a dispenser that allows workers to quickly and efficiently perform tasks such as replenishing sanitary products and checking the operation of the dispensers.

[0015] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a sanitary product dispenser that is designed to enable workers to efficiently perform tasks related to checking operation and replenishing sanitary products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention takes the following measures.

[0017] That is, a first aspect of the present invention is a sanitary product dispenser comprising: a storage section for storing sanitary products; an inventory sensor for detecting the amount of sanitary products stored in the storage section; a discharge tray for placing sanitary products to be discharged from the storage section to the outside of the sanitary product dispenser; a moving mechanism for moving the discharge tray between a waiting position for receiving sanitary products from the storage section and a discharge position for discharging the sanitary products to the outside of the sanitary product dispenser; a discharge tray sensor for detecting the discharge tray; a discharge sensor for detecting sanitary products discharged from the discharge tray at the discharge position to the outside of the sanitary product dispenser; and a display section for displaying the detection results by the inventory sensor, the detection results by the discharge tray sensor, and the detection results by the discharge sensor.

[0018] A second aspect of the present invention is a sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, in which the discharge sensor is an optical sensor that, when it detects sanitary products being discharged outside the sanitary product dispenser, blocks light and turns off the sensor output, and when it does not detect any sanitary products being discharged outside the sanitary product dispenser, it does not block light and turns on the sensor output.

[0019] A third aspect of the present invention is the dispenser for providing sanitary products according to the second aspect, wherein the detection result of the discharge sensor is either off or on.

[0020] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, in which the discharge tray sensor consists of a pair of a discharge position discharge tray sensor that detects when the discharge tray is in the discharge position, and a standby position discharge tray sensor that detects when the discharge tray is in the standby position.

[0021] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a sanitary product dispenser of the fourth aspect, in which the discharge tray sensor is an optical sensor, and when a discharge tray is detected, light is blocked and the sensor output is turned off, and when a discharge tray is not detected, the light is not blocked and the sensor output is turned on, and when the discharge tray is in the discharge position, the sensor output of the discharge position discharge tray sensor is turned off and the sensor output of the standby position discharge tray sensor is turned on, and when the discharge tray is in the standby position, the sensor output of the discharge position discharge tray sensor is turned on and the sensor output of the standby position discharge tray sensor is turned off.

[0022] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the dispenser for providing sanitary products according to the fifth aspect, wherein the detection result of the discharge tray sensor is either off or on.

[0023] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a dispenser for providing sanitary products of the first aspect, wherein the storage section stores multiple sanitary products in a stacked state, and the detection result of the inventory sensor is the height to which the multiple sanitary products are stacked, or the storage rate or inventory number of the multiple sanitary products in the storage section.

[0024] An eighth aspect of the present invention is a sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, comprising a first system and a second system, each of which has a storage section, an inventory sensor, a discharge tray, a discharge tray sensor, and a discharge sensor, and a display section which displays the detection results of the inventory sensor, the detection results of the discharge tray sensor, and the detection results of the discharge sensor for each system.

[0025] A ninth aspect of the present invention is the sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, further comprising a human presence sensor, and the display unit further displays the detection result of the human presence sensor.

[0026] A tenth aspect of the present invention is a sanitary product dispenser of the first aspect, wherein the display unit displays the detection results from the inventory sensor, the detection results from the discharge tray sensor, and the detection results from the discharge sensor when the operating mode of the sanitary product dispenser is in test mode, and displays an advertisement when the operating mode is in operation mode.

[0027] An eleventh aspect of the present invention is the dispenser for providing hygiene products according to the tenth aspect, wherein the hygiene products are purchased using funds from advertising fees.

[0028] A twelfth aspect of the present invention is the dispenser for providing sanitary products according to the tenth aspect, further comprising a mode selector switch for switching the operation mode between an operation mode and a test mode.

[0029] A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is the dispenser for providing sanitary products according to the first aspect, wherein the sanitary product is a sanitary napkin. [Effects of the Invention]

[0030] According to the sanitary product dispenser of the present invention, workers can efficiently carry out tasks related to checking operation and replenishing sanitary products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a sanitary product dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention installed in a toilet stall. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the dispenser of FIG. 1 with the front cover open. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 2 with the front cover open, as viewed from the right side. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1 as seen from the rear side. [Figure 5] 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the attachment structure of the discharge tray in the housing of the dispenser of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing an enlarged discharge tray in the housing of the dispenser of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 7] 7A to 7C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the discharge tray in FIG. [Figure 8] 8A to 8C are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the discharge tray in FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a perspective view showing a door of the door unit of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 10] 10 is a partially enlarged front view showing a main part of the door unit of FIG. 2 with the door open. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of detecting whether the door is open or closed by the door unit of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing the layout of inventory sensors in the dispenser housing of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing an example of the electronic circuit configuration of the dispenser of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of the history information table. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sensor output is displayed on the display in the test mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings are schematic or conceptual, and the relationship between the thickness and width of each part, the size ratio between parts, etc., are not necessarily the same as those in reality. Furthermore, even when the same part is shown, the dimensions and ratios may be different depending on the drawing. In this specification and each drawing, elements similar to those described above with reference to the previous drawings are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0033] As shown in Figure 1, a sanitary product dispenser 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter simply referred to as dispenser 10) has a housing 11 in the shape of a substantially rectangular box. Housing 11 has a rear case 12 and a front case 13. Dispenser 10 is attached to the wall 1 of each stall in a women's restroom, for example, as shown in Figure 1. Hereinafter, the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions will be defined when viewing dispenser 10 from a direction perpendicular to wall 1.

[0034] The sanitary products handled by the dispenser 10 include feminine hygiene napkins, tampons, pocket tissues, etc. The dispenser 10 can also handle other sanitary products, such as disposable underwear or disposable diapers that are folded up into small packages. The dispenser 10 may be designed to fit the size of the sanitary products it handles. In this embodiment, the dispenser 10 handles napkins N (FIG. 2), as an example, and the dispenser 10 is designed to be large enough to handle napkins of a certain size similar to napkins N.

[0035] The rear case 12 integrally includes a rear wall 121, a top wall 122, a bottom wall 123, a left side wall 124, and a right side wall 125. The rear wall 121 is a generally rectangular plate and is disposed adjacent to and parallel to the wall 1 of the toilet stall. The top wall 122 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the upper end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The bottom wall 123 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the lower end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The left side wall 124 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the left end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121. The right side wall 125 is a generally rectangular plate and extends forward from the right end of the rear wall 121 perpendicular to the rear wall 121.

[0036] The front case 13 integrally includes a front wall 131, a top wall 132, a bottom wall 133, a left side wall 134, and a right side wall 135. The front wall 131 is a generally rectangular plate having substantially the same shape as the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12, and is disposed parallel to the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. The top wall 132 is a generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the upper end of the front wall 131 toward the rear. The bottom wall 133 is a generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the lower end of the front wall 131 toward the rear. The left side wall 134 is a generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the left end of the front wall 131 toward the rear. The right side wall 135 is a generally rectangular plate and extends perpendicular to the front wall 131 from the right end of the front wall 131 toward the rear.

[0037] As shown in Fig. 2, the housing 11 of the dispenser 10 includes a storage section 21 for storing flat napkins N stacked one on top of the other. The napkins N are packaged in a resin exterior material. The rear case 12 has a substantially rectangular opening 12a on the front side for accessing the storage section 21. The opening 12a is a substantially rectangular opening surrounded by the front end of the top wall 122, the front end of the bottom wall 123, the front end of the left side wall 124, and the front end of the right side wall 125.

[0038] The front case 13 is rotatably connected to the rear case 12 via two hinges 14. The two hinges 14 connect the front end of the bottom wall 123 of the rear case 12, i.e., the lower edge of the opening 12a, to the rear end of the bottom wall 133 of the front case 13.

[0039] The front case 13 closes the opening 12a of the rear case 12 when placed in the closed position shown in Fig. 1, and opens the opening 12a of the rear case 12 when placed in the open position shown in Fig. 2. The top wall 122 of the rear case 12 and the top wall 132 of the front case 13 are provided with locks 15 for locking the front case 13 to the rear case 12 when the front case 13 is placed in the closed position shown in Fig. 1. Locking the front case 13 to the rear case 12 can prevent the napkins N stored in the storage section 21 from being touched or taken out without restriction.

[0040] As shown in Fig. 3, when the front case 13 is in the open position, it is disposed at an acute angle (for example, about 80°) to the rear case 12. Two wires 16 of the same length are stretched between the rear case 12 and the front case 13. The two wires 16 are flexible and linear, and are attached to the left and right sides of the housing 11. Only the right-side wire 16 is shown in Fig. 3, and the wire 16 is not shown in Fig. 2. Fasteners 16a are fixed to both ends of the wire 16.

[0041] Each wire 16 is attached between the rear case 12 and the front case 13 by engaging a fastener 16a at one end with an engaging portion 12b (FIG. 2) provided on a rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 and by engaging a fastener 16a at the other end with an engaging portion 13b (FIG. 2) provided on a front wall 131 of the front case 13. The length of the wire 16 is determined so that when the front case 13 is opened by its own weight and the wire 16 is stretched between the rear case 12 and the front case 13 as shown in FIG. 3, the front wall 131 of the front case 13 forms an acute angle with the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12.

[0042] Fastener 16a of wire 16 is detachable from engagement portion 12b of rear case 12 and engagement portion 13b of front case 13. When fastener 16a of wire 16 is disengaged from rear case 12 or front case 13, front case 13 can be freely rotated to a desired angle relative to rear case 12. Wire 16 is not limited to being made of metal, and may be made of, for example, a resin wire.

[0043] When refilling napkins N into dispenser 10 attached to wall 1, checking operation, or performing maintenance, front case 13 can be opened with wire 16 tensioned (as shown in FIG. 3), thereby keeping front case 13 in the open position even when the working space in front of dispenser 10 is narrow. When front case 13 is placed in the closed position shown in FIG. 1, wire 16 is in a slack state within housing 11.

[0044] By arranging the front case 13 at an acute angle to the rear case 12, compared to when the front case 13 is opened at a right angle to the rear case 12, the front case 13 can be held in the open position even in situations where there is not enough working space in front of the dispenser 10. On the other hand, when assembling the dispenser 10, the front case 13 can be opened wide with the wire 16 detached, improving workability. The wire 16 can be attached after the dispenser 10 is installed on the wall 1.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, three vertical ribs 17C, 17L, and 17R extending vertically, two horizontal ribs 18L and 18R extending horizontally, and six substantially oval bosses 19 (hereinafter, sometimes collectively referred to as protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19) are provided on the outer surface 121b of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. The protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19 are formed by pressing the rear wall 121, which is made of sheet metal. Therefore, the inner surface 121a of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 has a plurality of recesses (not shown) shaped to match the shapes of the protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19. The two horizontal ribs 18L and 18R are bulging portions for receiving the rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30, which will be described later. The boss 19 has a hole through which a screw for fixing the rear case 12 of the dispenser 10 to the wall 1 is inserted.

[0046] Three longitudinal ribs 17C, 17L, and 17R are provided parallel to and spaced apart from each other at the center and both sides of the rear case 12 in the left-right direction. The central longitudinal rib 17C is wider than the left and right longitudinal ribs 17L and 17R. The horizontal rib 18L is disposed between the central longitudinal rib 17C and the left vertical rib 17L near their lower ends, and the horizontal rib 18R is disposed between the central vertical rib 17C and the right vertical rib 17R near their lower ends. There are gaps between the left end of the left horizontal rib 18L and the left vertical rib 17L, between the right end of the horizontal rib 18L and the central vertical rib 17C, between the right end of the right horizontal rib 18R and the right vertical rib 17R, and between the left end of the horizontal rib 18R and the central vertical rib 17C.

[0047] 1, when attaching dispenser 10 to wall 1 of a women's restroom stall, if the seam between panels constituting wall 1 protrudes slightly, protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19 function effectively. In other words, in this case, by fixing rear case 12 to wall 1 by abutting protruding portions 17C, 17L, 17R, 18L, 18R, and 19 protruding from the back surface of rear case 12 against wall 1 at positions away from the seam of wall 1, dispenser 10 can be fixed to wall 1 without rattle.

[0048] 2, the storage section 21 inside the housing 11 is divided into two storage sections 21L and 21R that are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the housing 11. Hereinafter, the left storage section will be denoted by the reference symbol 21L and the right storage section will be denoted by the reference symbol 21R when viewing the dispenser 10 from the front. Since the two storage sections 21L and 21R have substantially the same structure, the left storage section 21L will be mainly described here, and the right storage section 21R will be denoted by the same reference symbol and its description will be omitted.

[0049] The storage section 21L is surrounded by two left and right partition plates 22L and 22R, a bottom plate 24, and a rear plate 26. The top and front sides of the storage section 21L are open. The bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L is provided so as to connect the lower ends of the two partition plates 22L and 22R to the lower end of the rear plate 26. The rear plate 26 is provided so as to connect the rear ends of the two partition plates 22L and 22R to the rear end of the bottom plate 24. The distance between the two partition plates 22L and 22R, i.e., the left-right width of the storage section 21L, is slightly larger than the width of the napkins N stored in the storage section 21L. If the napkins to be handled vary by a larger amount than a certain size similar to napkins N, the distance between the two partition plates 22L and 22R can be adjusted.

[0050] The two partition plates 22L and 22R, the bottom plate 24, and the rear plate 26 of the accommodation section 21L are fixed to the inner surface 121a of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. At this time, the rear plate 26 of the accommodation section 21L contacts the inner surface 121a of the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12, and the rear plate 26 and the rear wall 121 are arranged parallel to each other. The two partition plates 22L and 22R and the bottom plate 24 have a size that allows them to protrude forward from the opening 12a of the rear case 12. In other words, the length of the two partition plates 22L and 22R and the bottom plate 24 in the front-to-rear direction is greater than the thickness of the rear case 12 in the front-to-rear direction (i.e., the protruding height of the top wall 122, bottom wall 123, and side walls 124 and 125 from the rear wall 121). 3 with the front case 13 open, the partition plates 22L and 22R (only the right side is shown in FIG. 3) of the storage section 21L and a portion of the front of the bottom plate 24 protrude forward from the opening 12a of the rear case 12. From another perspective, the two storage sections 21L and 21R are provided across the internal space of the rear case 12 and the internal space of the front case 13, respectively.

[0051] The two partition plates 22L, 22R are each provided at their front ends with locking pieces 23L, 23R to prevent the napkins N from falling forward. The locking pieces 23L, 23R are integral with the partition plates 22L, 22R, respectively, and have a structure in which the front ends of the partition plates 22L, 22R are partially bent at approximately right angles toward each other. The locking pieces 23L, 23R are disposed inside the front case 13 when the front case 13 is in the closed position. The locking pieces 23L, 23R extend approximately parallel to the opening 12a of the rear case 12.

[0052] The vertical length of the locking pieces 23L, 23R is shorter than the vertical length of the partition plates 22L, 22R. Therefore, there is a portion between the lower ends of the locking pieces 23L, 23R and the bottom plate 24 where the locking pieces 23L, 23R are not present, and several napkins N near the lower end in the stacking direction can move forward via this portion. When the front case 13 is placed in the closed position shown in Figure 1, the discharge openings 13L, 13R are located below the lower ends of the locking pieces 23L, 23R.

[0053] On the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L, there is a discharge tray 30 for discharging the multiple napkins N stacked vertically in order from the bottom end in the stacking direction. The napkin N1 at the bottom in the stacking direction rests on the discharge tray 30 in a state of contact with the tray.

[0054] Each of the two storage sections 21L, 21R can store, for example, 20 to 30 stacked napkins N. In order to prevent the napkins N stacked in each storage section 21L, 21R from bulging upward, a weight member 40 is placed on each napkin N at the top end in the stacking direction.

[0055] FIG. 2 shows a state in which no napkins N are stored in the left storage section 21L. Therefore, in FIG. 2, the discharge tray 30 is visible at the bottom of the left storage section 21L. On the other hand, the right storage section 21R shows a state in which six napkins N are stored in a stack, with a weight member 40 placed on the topmost napkin N. Therefore, the discharge tray 30 at the bottom of the right storage section 21R is not visible. The weight member 40 has a weight equivalent to, for example, two or three napkins N.

[0056] Door units 50L and 50R are provided at positions facing the front of the bottom plate 24 of each storage section 21L and 21R, respectively. When the front case 13 is closed, the left and right discharge openings 13L and 13R of the front case 13 face the front of each door unit 50L and 50R, respectively. When the front case 13 is closed, the discharge openings 13L and 13R are located at approximately the same height as the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage sections 21R and 21L.

[0057] That is, when the front case 13 is closed, each door unit 50L, 50R is disposed between the lower end of the storage compartments 21L, 21R and the discharge outlets 13L, 13R of the front case 13. Each door unit 50L, 50R has a door 51 (FIG. 2) that is pushed open by a napkin N. Because the left and right door units 50L, 50R have the same structure, the left door unit 50L will be described here as a representative, and a description of the right door unit 50R will be omitted.

[0058] The dispenser 10 having the above structure moves the discharge tray 30 forward in response to a valid request from the user, and discharges the lowest napkin N1 among the napkins N stored in the storage sections 21R and 21L through the door units 50L and 50R and from the discharge outlets 13L and 13R (Figure 1) of the front case 13.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the discharge tray 30 provided at the bottom of the storage section 21L is a substantially rectangular plate. The discharge tray 30 has a vertical wall 32 protruding toward the upper surface 31 of its rear end 30R. The vertical wall 32 is provided across the entire width of the discharge tray 30 in the left-right direction. The vertical wall 32 has a flat pressing surface 32a extending in the up-down direction on its front surface. The pressing surface 32a is a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30. The height of the pressing surface 32a from the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30 to the upper end of the vertical wall 32 is equal to or less than the thickness of one napkin N, and preferably is approximately 80% to 100% of the thickness of the napkin N. In addition, the vertical wall 32 has a curved surface 32b on its rear surface that bulges rearward from the upper end of the pressing surface 32a.

[0060] The thickness of napkins N varies depending on the manufacturer, etc. The dispenser 10 of this embodiment can make the discharge tray 30 replaceable so that it can handle multiple types of napkins N with different thicknesses. In other words, it is possible to select and use a discharge tray 30 having a vertical wall 32 with a protruding height corresponding to the thickness of the napkin N. Alternatively, the vertical wall 32 may be made removable from the discharge tray 30, and a vertical wall 32 with a height corresponding to the thickness of the napkin N may be selected and attached to the discharge tray 30.

[0061] The discharge tray 30 has a flat lower surface 33 that comes into surface contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L. The upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30 is a cylindrical surface that converges from its rear end toward the front end 30F. The upper surface 31 and lower surface 33 of the discharge tray 30 are connected and converge toward the front end 30F of the discharge tray 30.

[0062] The discharge tray 30 has two racks 34L and 34R and a slide protrusion 35 on its underside 33. The discharge tray 30 includes a vertical wall 32, racks 34L and 34R, and slide protrusion 35, and can be integrally molded from resin. The racks 34L and 34R are spaced apart and parallel to each other on the left and right sides of the underside 33, extending in the front-to-rear direction. The racks 34L and 34R have multiple teeth arranged at a constant pitch in the longitudinal direction. The length of the racks 34L and 34R in the front-to-rear direction is slightly shorter than the overall length of the discharge tray 30. The slide protrusion 35 is a generally oval cylindrical protrusion, located between the two racks 34L and 34R, and extends in the front-to-rear direction. The height of the slide protrusion 35 protruding from the underside 33 is slightly greater than the thickness of the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L.

[0063] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, a movement mechanism 60 for moving the discharge tray 30 back and forth is located below the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L. The movement mechanism 60 has two pinions 62L, 62R (only the left pinion 62L is shown in Figures 7 and 8) that are coaxially fixed and axially spaced from each other on a single rotation shaft 61 extending in the left-right direction, and a stepping motor 64 that rotates the rotation shaft 61 in both forward and reverse directions. As shown in Figure 6, the pinions 62L, 62R are attached so that portions of them protrude into the storage unit 21L through slits 37L, 37R (openings), respectively, that are provided through the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L.

[0064] The bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L, to which the discharge tray 30 is attached, has two slits 37L, 37R for partially receiving the pinions 62L, 62R of the movement mechanism 60 disposed below the bottom plate 24, and a slit 38 for receiving the slide protrusion 35 so that it can slide in the front-rear direction. The three slits 37L, 37R, 38 extend through the bottom plate 24 in the front-rear direction. The slit 38 for receiving the slide protrusion 35 is located between the slits 37L, 37R. The length of the slit 38 is sufficient so as not to interfere with the movement of the discharge tray 30 in the front-rear direction.

[0065] When attaching the discharge tray 30 to the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L, the lower surface 33 of the discharge tray 30 is placed opposite the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L, and the slide protrusion 35 protruding from the lower surface 33 is inserted into the central slit 38 of the bottom plate 24. In this state, the lower surface 33 of the discharge tray 30 comes into contact with the inner surface 24a of the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L. Also, in this state, the pinions 62L, 62R of the movement mechanism 60 mesh with the two racks 34L, 34R protruding from the lower surface 33 of the discharge tray 30, respectively.

[0066] Thereafter, a plate 39 for preventing the discharge tray 30 from slipping out is attached to the slide protrusion 35 of the discharge tray 30 from the outer surface 24b side of the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L. The width of the plate 39 in the left-right direction is greater than the width of the slit 38. Therefore, when the plate 39 is attached to the tip of the slide protrusion 35 in the protruding direction that protrudes toward the outer surface 24b side of the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L through the slit 38, the discharge tray 30 is prevented from slipping out upward, and the discharge tray 30 is attached to the bottom plate 24 of the storage unit 21L in a slidable manner.

[0067] The plate 39 has two pins 39a protruding from its upper surface. The plate 39 has an insertion hole 39b between the two pins 39a along the front-rear direction for inserting the screw 2. The plate 39 also has two protrusions 39F, 39R protruding outward in the longitudinal direction from both ends in the front-rear direction. The protrusions 39F, 39R are detected by limit sensors 75F, 75R (FIG. 13), which will be described later.

[0068] The slide protrusion 35 of the discharge tray 30 has two pin holes 35a that respectively receive the two pins 39a of the plate 39. The slide protrusion 35 has two pin holes 35a along the front-rear direction, and a screw hole 35b for threading the screw 2 between these two pin holes 35a.

[0069] When fixing the plate 39 to the slide protrusion 35, the two pins 39a of the plate 39 are inserted into the two pin holes 35a of the slide protrusion 35, respectively, and the plate 39 is aligned with the slide protrusion 35. Then, the screw 2 is inserted through the insertion hole 39b of the plate 39, which is coaxially overlapping with the screw hole 35b of the slide protrusion 35, and screwed into the screw hole 35b of the slide protrusion 35. In this way, the plate 39 is fastened and fixed to the slide protrusion 35.

[0070] In this state, when the stepping motor 64 is rotated to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R, the racks 34L, 34R meshed with the pinions 62L, 62R move back and forth, and the discharge tray 30 integrally equipped with the racks 34L, 34R moves back and forth. The movement of the discharge tray 30 in the back and forth direction is limited by the engagement of the slide protrusions 35 with the slits 38, and the discharge tray 30 can move between the standby position shown in Figures 6 and 7 and the discharge position shown in Figure 8. The limit sensor 75R detects when the discharge tray 30 is in the standby position, and the limit sensor 75F is a discharge tray sensor that detects when the discharge tray 30 is in the discharge position.

[0071] For example, the discharge tray 30 placed in the standby position shown in Fig. 7 moves forward (to the left in the figure) by rotating the pinions 62L and 62R counterclockwise in Fig. 7. Then, when the limit sensor 75F detects the protrusion 39F at the tip of the slide protrusion 35 of the discharge tray 30, the rotation of the pinions 62L and 62R is stopped, and the discharge tray 30 is stopped at the discharge position shown in Fig. 8.

[0072] On the other hand, the discharge tray 30 placed at the discharge position shown in Fig. 8 moves backward (to the right in the figure) by rotating the pinions 62L, 62R clockwise in Fig. 8. Then, when the limit sensor 75R detects the protrusion 39R at the rear end of the slide protrusion 35 of the discharge tray 30, the rotation of the pinions 62L, 62R is stopped, and the discharge tray 30 is stopped at the standby position shown in Fig. 7.

[0073] 6 and 7, the rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30 is inserted into the escape hole 26a, which is a rectangular opening provided in the rear plate 26 of the storage unit 21L. When the discharge tray 30 is placed in the standby position and its rear end 30R is inserted into the escape hole 26a, the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 30 and the inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26 of the storage unit 21L are arranged substantially flush with each other. In this way, by arranging the pressing surface 32a of the discharge tray 30 placed in the standby position flush with the inner surface 26b of the rear plate 26 of the storage unit 21L, it is possible to prevent napkins N stored in the storage unit 21L from getting caught on the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 30.

[0074] The rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30, which protrudes rearward through the escape hole 26a in the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L, is disposed in a recess on the inner side of the horizontal rib 18L provided in the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12. In other words, the horizontal ribs 18L, 18R of the rear case 12 are disposed at positions facing the escape holes 26a provided in the rear plate 26 of the storage sections 21L, 21R, respectively.

[0075] Furthermore, since the discharge tray 30 has a curved surface 32b on the rear side of the vertical wall 32, even if the vertical wall 32 comes into contact with the rear plate 26 when the discharge tray 30 moves rearward toward the rear standby position and the rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30 enters the escape hole 26a, the curved surface 32b slides against the edge of the escape hole 26a, thereby preventing the discharge tray 30 from getting caught in the escape hole 26a.

[0076] When napkins N are stored in the storage section 21L and the discharge tray 30 is moved forward from the standby position shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 to the discharge position shown in FIG. 8, the rear end of the lowest napkin N1 in the stacking direction, which is resting on the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30, is pushed forward by the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 30. At this time, the second napkin N2 resting on the lowest napkin N1 is positioned above the path of movement of the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32 and remains in place without being moved forward. At this time, the leading edge of the second napkin N2 abuts against the rear end of the case 52 of the door unit 50L, restricting its forward movement. Then, the front end of the napkin N1 pushes against the door 51 of the door unit 50L, opening the door 51. When the discharge tray 30 stops at the discharge position as shown in FIG. 8, the front end of the napkin N1 partially protrudes from the discharge opening 13L of the front case 13.

[0077] A user can pull the napkin N1 out of the storage section 21L by pinching and pulling the tip of the napkin N1 protruding from the discharge opening 13L. At this time, the second napkin N2 stacked on top of the lowest napkin N1 being pulled out by the user is supported from below by the upper end of the vertical wall 32 of the discharge tray 30 and remains behind the door unit 50L. Therefore, even if a user holds the door 51 open using a tool or the like after pulling out the first napkin N1 and tries to illegally pull out the second napkin N2 through the discharge opening 13L, the napkin N2 cannot be accessed.

[0078] After the user pulls out the napkin N1, the door 51 of the door unit 50L closes under its own weight. When the door 51 moves from the open position, the sensor output of the discharge sensor 55 (FIGS. 10 and 13), which will be described later, turns on, causing the pinions 62L and 62R to rotate in the reverse direction, and the discharge tray 30 moves backward toward the standby position. When the discharge tray 30 returns to the standby position, the second napkin N2, which had been supported from below by the vertical wall 32, falls under its own weight and rests on the upper surface 31 of the discharge tray 30. As a result, the rear end of the napkin N2 faces the pressing surface 32a of the vertical wall 32. Thereafter, by performing an operation similar to the operation for discharging the napkin N1 in response to a user's request, the multiple napkins N stored in the storage section 21L can be dispensed one by one through the discharge outlet 13L.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 9, the door 51 of the door unit 50L is formed in a generally rectangular plate shape that is long in the left-right direction. The length of the door 51 is slightly larger than the left-right width of the napkin N, and the width of the door 51 in the short direction is slightly larger than the thickness of the napkin N. In this case, the thickness of the napkin N is assumed to be the thickness of the thickest napkin N available on the market. As shown in Fig. 2, the door unit 50L has a case 52 that is a generally rectangular frame shape that is long in the left-right direction.

[0080] When the front case 13 is in the closed position, the case 52 is in substantial contact with the inner surface 131a of the front wall 131 of the front case 13 so that the front opening 54F surrounds the outside of the discharge port 13L. The door 51 is attached at a position that opens and closes the rear opening 54R of the case 52, and fits with some play inside the case 52. The case 52 is sized to allow napkins N to be inserted through the openings 54R and 54F.

[0081] The door 51 has a rotation shaft 53 extending in the longitudinal direction at a position offset toward one end in the short side direction (the upper end side in the figure). Both ends of the rotation shaft 53 protrude outward in the left and right directions slightly beyond the entire length of the door 51. The case 52 rotatably holds the rotation shaft 53 of the door 51 near the upper end of the rear opening 54R. The door 51 can freely rotate about the rotation shaft 53. In other words, the door 51 is positioned in the closed position shown in FIG. 7 due to its own weight.

[0082] When the door 51 is placed in the closed position shown in Fig. 7, the rectangular opening 54R at the rear of the case 52 is mostly blocked. That is, in this state, the discharge opening 13L of the front case 13 is blocked by the door 51. When the front end of the napkin N in the discharge direction pushes the door 51 forward and rotates the door 51 to the open position shown in Fig. 8, the opening 54R of the case 52 is opened. That is, when the door 51 is pushed forward by the leading end of the napkin N1 as shown in Fig. 8, the door 51 rotates around the rotation shaft 53 toward the open position, and after the napkin N1 is pulled out by the user, the door 51 rotates to the closed position shown in Fig. 7 due to its own weight.

[0083] 10, a discharge sensor 55 for detecting that the door 51 has been rotated to the open position is provided on the case 52 of the door unit 50L. The discharge sensor 55 is fixed to a lower surface 58a of a substantially rectangular holding plate 58 that is disposed above the case 52 at a distance and substantially horizontally by two support posts 57. In other words, the discharge sensor 55 is provided between the case 52 and the holding plate 58. The discharge sensor 55 has a light-emitting portion 55a, a light-receiving portion 55b, and a frame body 55c.

[0084] The door 51, which fits inside the case 52, has a protrusion 56 that is detected by the discharge sensor 55. The protrusion 56 protrudes substantially perpendicularly from the front surface 51a of the door 51. The case 52 has a slit-shaped insertion hole 52a through which the protrusion 56 passes when the door 51 is opened. The insertion hole 52a is located opposite to and between the light-emitting portion 55a and the light-receiving portion 55b of the discharge sensor 55. As shown in FIG. 10 , the protrusion 56 of the door 51 inserted into the insertion hole 52a is positioned between the light-emitting portion 55a and the light-receiving portion 55b.

[0085] The frame 55c of the discharge sensor 55 has a generally U-shaped cross section and holds the light-emitting unit 55a and the light-receiving unit 55b facing each other so that the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 55a can be received by the light-receiving unit 55b. The frame 55c holds the light-emitting unit 55a and the light-receiving unit 55b so that the optical axis of the light emitted from the light-emitting unit 55a and received by the light-receiving unit 55b is parallel to the left-right direction. The discharge sensor 55 is an optical sensor such as a photointerrupter, for example.

[0086] 11, when the door 51 rotates from the closed position indicated by the two-dot chain line to the open position indicated by the solid line, the protrusion 56 blocks the optical axis between the light-emitting element 55a and the light-receiving element 55b of the discharge sensor 55. This turns off the output of the discharge sensor 55, and it is detected that the door 51 has been rotated to the open position. On the other hand, when the door 51 moves from the open position described above toward the closed position indicated by the two-dot chain line, the protrusion 56 no longer blocks the optical axis of the discharge sensor 55, and the sensor output of the discharge sensor 55 turns on, making it possible to detect that the door 51 has been rotated toward the closed position.

[0087] The frame 55c that holds the light receiving portion 55b has a U-shaped cross section, is fixed to the lower surface 58a of the holding plate 58, and is disposed above the case 52, so that external light that can cause noise is hardly undesirably incident on the light receiving portion 55b of the discharge sensor 55. To begin with, the discharge sensor 55 is disposed inside the housing 11 that is covered by the front case 13, and with the front case 13 closed relative to the rear case 12, it is extremely unlikely that external light will be incident on the housing 11.

[0088] The only possibility is that external light may enter the housing 11 through the exhaust ports 13L, 13R of the front case 13, but the case 52 of the door units 50L, 50R arranged behind the exhaust ports 13L, 13R is cylindrical with a length in the front-to-rear direction, and the door 51 is provided at the opening 54R located rearward away from the exhaust ports 13L, 13R, so that even when the door 51 is rotated to the open position, it is difficult for external light to enter the housing 11 through the exhaust ports 13L, 13R.

[0089] 1, dispenser 10 is attached, for example, above a toilet paper roll attached to wall 1 of a toilet stall, and is positioned at eye level of a user sitting on the toilet seat. Therefore, even if the toilet door is open and external light enters the stall, it is unlikely that the external light will be directed diagonally upward through outlets 13L and 13R, and the possibility of external light entering light receiving unit 55b of discharge sensor 55 is extremely low.

[0090] 12, an inventory sensor 27 is attached to the inner surface 122a of the top wall 122 of the rear case 12 above the storage section 21L. The inventory sensor 27 has a light-emitting unit 27a that emits light substantially downward toward the uppermost napkin N in the stacking direction stored in the storage section 21L (or toward the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40), and a light-receiving unit 27b that receives light reflected by the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40 (or the napkin N). The inventory sensor 27 has the light-emitting unit 27a and the light-receiving unit 27b arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

[0091] The inventory sensor 27 detects the time from when light is emitted from the light-emitting unit 27a until it is reflected by the upper surface 42a of the reflector 42 of the weight member 40 and received by the light-receiving unit 27b, and calculates the optical path length of the light based on this time to detect the height position of the weight member 40. This makes it possible to detect the storage rate of napkins N stored in the storage unit 21L with high accuracy. In addition, the inventory quantity can be detected by multiplying the number that can be stored in the storage unit 21L by the storage rate. Even without the weight member 40, the inventory quantity can be detected by detecting light reflected by the surface of the napkin N at the top of the stacking direction.

[0092] By attaching such a reflective inventory sensor 27 above the storage section 21L, it is possible to accurately detect the storage rate or the number of napkins N in stock. Furthermore, by attaching the inventory sensor 27 at this position, it is not necessary to place sensors adjacent to the storage section 21L in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and the size of the dispenser 10 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions can be reduced.

[0093] Furthermore, in the dispenser 10 of this embodiment, the rear plate 26 of the storage section 21L has an escape hole 26a that receives the rear end 30R of the discharge tray 30, and the rear wall 121 of the rear case 12 has horizontal ribs 18L and 18R, so that the size of the housing 11 in the front-to-back direction can be reduced while ensuring sufficient stroke of the discharge tray 30 in the front-to-back direction.

[0094] Furthermore, the dispenser 10 of this embodiment has a space below the bottom plate 24 of the storage section 21L for arranging the moving mechanism 60 that drives the discharge tray 30, so that the dimensions of the housing 11 in the front-rear and left-right directions can be reduced.

[0095] In this way, by making the depth size of the housing 11 as thin as possible, it is possible to secure a sufficient space in the limited toilet, particularly between the user sitting on the toilet seat and the dispenser 10. As a result, the user does not feel particularly oppressed even when using the toilet in which the dispenser 10 is installed.

[0096] Furthermore, in the dispenser 10 of this embodiment, the operating noise of the stepping motor 64 of the moving mechanism 60 is very low, so even when the stepping motor 64 is operating when napkins N are discharged from the dispenser 10, the operating noise is barely audible, so that people in adjacent cubicles will not notice that the dispenser 10 is being used.

[0097] Next, the electronic circuit configuration of the dispenser 10 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0098] The dispenser 10 includes, as electronic circuits, a CPU 70, a recording medium reading unit 72, a communication unit 74, a memory 76, and a storage device 78, all of which are connected to one another by a bus 71.

[0099] The dispenser 10 includes a display 4, which is a display unit, a human presence sensor 6, a user information reading unit 8, an inventory sensor 27, a discharge sensor 55, and limit sensors 75F and 75R, all of which are connected by a bus 71. There are two sets of the inventory sensor 27, the discharge sensor 55, and the limit sensors 75F and 75R, each corresponding to one of the two storage units 21L and 21R, but only one set is shown here for simplicity.

[0100] The memory 76 stores a control program 76a and also has a writable data area 76b.

[0101] The communication unit 74 can communicate with the management server 300, an advertisement server (not shown), and the like via a communication network 100 such as the Internet.

[0102] The control program 76a is a program for controlling the overall operation of the dispenser 10, and may be stored in advance in the memory 76, or may be read from an external recording medium 73 such as a memory card via the recording medium reading unit 72 and stored in the memory 76. The control program 76a cannot be rewritten by user operation. On the other hand, the writable data area 76b is an area for storing rewritable data.

[0103] The CPU 70 is a computer that controls the operation of each part of the circuit in accordance with a control program 76a stored in the memory 76. The CPU 70 corresponds to the "control part" in the claims.

[0104] The storage device 78 is formed of, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and has an image data storage unit 79.

[0105] The image data storage unit 79 stores image data such as advertisements from sponsors and video or still images for explaining how to use the dispenser 10.

[0106] The image data is displayed via the display 4. The image data is displayed for approximately two minutes each time the user enters the toilet stall, and is not displayed for longer than that. This prevents the user from becoming engrossed in staring at the image data displayed on the display 4 and staying in the toilet for too long. The display time of the image data is not limited to two minutes, and may be set to be constantly displayed while the user is in the stall, for example.

[0107] For effective display within two minutes, the length of the image data is set to, for example, about 15 seconds. Also, the types of image data are set to about two types, such as an advertisement and an explanation of how to use the dispenser 10. That is, when image data is displayed on the display 4, two types of image data, each about 15 seconds long, are repeatedly displayed within two minutes.

[0108] When new image data is to be registered in the image data storage unit 79, the external recording medium 73 on which the new image data is recorded is read by the recording medium reading unit 72 and written to the image data storage unit 79. Alternatively, the communication unit 74 may acquire image data from the management server 300, an advertisement server (not shown), or the like via a communication network 100 such as the Internet, and the acquired image data may be written to the image data storage unit 79.

[0109] 1, the display 4, the human presence sensor 6, and the user information reading unit 8 are provided on the front wall 131 of the front case 13. The human presence sensor 6 and the user information reading unit 8 are provided integrally as a sensor unit 7.

[0110] The human presence sensor 6 is realized by, for example, an infrared sensor, and detects a user entering a toilet stall and outputs a detection signal A. The output detection signal A is sent to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0111] In response to the detection signal A being sent to the memory 76, the control program 76a starts displaying the image data stored in the image data storage unit 79 on the display 4. In addition, the control program 76a may use the communication unit 74 to receive image data of an advertisement distributed from an advertisement server (not shown) via the communication network 100, and start displaying the received image data of the advertisement on the display 4.

[0112] In this way, since dispenser 10 can display advertisements from display 4, a business providing napkins N through dispenser 10 can implement a business model in which it continues to provide napkins N free of charge to users by recruiting advertising sponsors, earning advertising revenue by displaying advertisements on display 4, and using a portion of that revenue to purchase napkins N and refilling dispenser 10, repeating this cycle.

[0113] Next, an example of a method for a user to request the dispenser 10 to provide napkins N will be described.

[0114] The method by which a user makes a request C for napkins N to the dispenser 10 is not particularly limited in this specification, but for example, the user can make the request by inputting user information from the user information reading unit 8 (reading method), or by installing a dedicated app AP on a user device 151 such as a smartphone and using this dedicated app AP via the management server 300 (app method).

[0115] First, the method of requesting provision C of napkins N using a reading method will be described below.

[0116] When making a request C for napkins N using the reading method, the user can input user information through the user information reading unit 8 using either the contactless method or the contact method.

[0117] An example of contactless user information input is the application of NFC technology. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is an NFC-compatible receiver, and the user holds an NFC-compatible card 150 (e.g., a transportation card, an identification card such as an employee ID or student ID, a credit card, an IC card such as a cash card) or a user device 151 (e.g., a smartphone) over the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 reads information j (e.g., a card number, a device number, etc.) from the NFC-compatible card 150 or the user device 151. The user information reading unit 8 outputs the read information j as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71. In this way, when NFC technology is applied, it can be used not only with the NFC-compatible card 150 but also with user devices 151 such as smartphones.

[0118] Another example of a contactless method for inputting user information is the application of wireless technologies such as beacons and RFID. When a beacon is used, the user information reading unit 8 functions as a beacon receiver, and the user brings the beacon device 152, which transmits the beacon identification information ID, close to the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 receives the beacon identification information ID and outputs the received beacon identification information ID to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0119] When RFID is used, the user information reading unit 8 is an RFID reader, and the user brings the RFID tag 153 close to the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 receives the RFID identification information id and outputs the received RFID identification information id as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0120] Another example of the contactless method is the use of a QR code (registered trademark) 154. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is a QR code reader, and the user causes the user information reading unit 8 to read the QR code 154 in which predetermined information is embedded. The user information reading unit 8 then acquires predetermined information q from the QR code 154 and outputs this predetermined information q to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0121] Another example of the contactless method is the use of biometric information authentication. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is a biometric authentication device. The biometric authentication device authenticates biometric information r of the user U and outputs the authenticated biometric information r to the memory 76 as user information uj. Examples of the biometric information r include fingerprints, palm shape, retina, iris, face, and vein patterns. For example, when facial authentication information is used as the biometric information r, the user information reading unit 8 is a facial authentication device, and the user U turns his or her face toward the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 then acquires facial feature information and outputs this facial feature information to the memory 76 via the bus 71 as user information uj.

[0122] On the other hand, an example of contact-type user information input is the use of a magnetic card 155. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is a magnetic reader, and the user causes the magnetic card 155 to be read by the user information reading unit 8. Then, the user information reading unit 8 obtains magnetic information p, such as a card number, from the magnetic card 155 and outputs this magnetic information p as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0123] Another example of the contact method is the use of fingerprint information. In this case, the user information reading unit 8 is used as a fingerprint reader, and the user U places his / her finger on the user information reading unit 8. The user information reading unit 8 then reads fingerprint information v and outputs this fingerprint information v as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0124] Another example of the contact method is the use of an NFC-incompatible IC card. In the case of an NFC-incompatible IC card 156, information cannot be read in a contactless manner, so the user information reading unit 8 is configured as an IC card reader, and the user causes the user information reading unit 8 to read card information w, such as a card number, stored on the IC card. The user information reading unit 8 outputs this card information w as user information uj to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0125] When the user information uj is output to the memory 76, the control program 76a recognizes the user information uj as a provision request C.

[0126] Next, a method for requesting provision C of napkins N using an application method will be described below.

[0127] When making a request C for providing napkins N using the application method, the user must first install a dedicated application AP on his / her user device 151 such as a smartphone or tablet.

[0128] The method for installing the dedicated application AP is not particularly limited, but for example, a business that provides napkins N through dispenser 10 may notify the user by attaching a sticker on which information (e.g., a QR code (registered trademark) or a barcode) indicating a site (e.g., management server 300) for downloading the dedicated application AP is printed to housing 11, or by displaying information indicating this site on display 4. Following this notification, the user then accesses the site using his or her user device 151, downloads the dedicated application AP, and installs it.

[0129] After installing the dedicated application AP, the user registers by inputting user information uj from the user device 151 in accordance with the dedicated application AP, and can then request the provision of napkins N. In response to this request, a provision request C is generated in the dedicated application management server 300 based on the user information uj, and the generated provision request C is transmitted via the communication network 100, received by the communication unit 74, and output to the memory 76 via the bus 71.

[0130] The control program 76a determines the validity of these supply requests C. To this end, the control program 76a first outputs the supply requests C together with the dispenser identification information d assigned to the dispenser 10 from the communication unit 74 via the communication network 100 to the management server 300, and stores them.

[0131] In this manner, provision requests C are output from all dispensers 10 together with dispenser identification information d to the management server 300. As described above, the provision request C includes user information uj. Furthermore, as will be described later, when napkins N are correctly provided by the dispenser 10 in response to the provision request C, OK information indicating that the napkins have been provided is transmitted to the management server 300 by the control program 76a via the communication unit 74.

[0132] On the other hand, if the control program 76a determines that the provision request C is invalid, or if the napkin N is not provided due to a malfunction of the dispenser 10, the control program 76a sends NG information indicating non-provision to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74.

[0133] Therefore, as illustrated in Figure 14, the management server 300 can manage a history information table 310 that stores a record R consisting of the time t when the provision request C was sent, user information uj corresponding to the provision request C, dispenser identification information d of the dispenser 10 that sent the request, and a status sa indicating whether the request has been provided or not.

[0134] The control program 76a accesses the management server 300 via the communication unit 74, and determines the validity of the provision request C by referring to the history information table 310 managed by the management server 300.

[0135] The criteria for determining this validity are not limited to, but may be, for example, if a predetermined time (e.g., two hours) or more has passed since the user who made this provision request C was most recently provided with a napkin N, the request is determined to be valid (first determination criterion), and / or if the number of napkins N provided to this user within a predetermined period (e.g., the past month) has not reached a predetermined number, the request is determined to be valid (second determination criterion).

[0136] Regardless of which of these criteria is adopted, the control program 76a refers to the history information table 310 managed in the management server 300 to determine the validity of the supply request C. For example, the record R related to the user information uj associated with the supply request C is extracted from the history information table 310, and the list is narrowed down to records R for which the status sa is "OK." By referring to these narrowed down records R, the control program 76a can determine the most recent time that sanitary napkins N were provided to this user, as well as the number of sanitary napkins N provided over the past month, and therefore determine the validity of the supply request C.

[0137] A specific example in which the control program 76a determines whether the latest provision request C satisfies the first criterion will be described below with reference to Fig. 14. Here, the predetermined time used as the first criterion is set to two hours.

[0138] 14, record R115 is the latest provision request C. Record R115 indicates that the user information uj is "B2346" and the time t at the time of the request is "20230804142341," that is, Aug. 4, 2023, 14:23:41.

[0139] 14, the record in which the user information uj is "B2346" and the status is "OK" is record R107. Therefore, the time when the user who made the request in record R115 most recently received napkin N from the dispenser 10 is the time t recorded in record R107.

[0140] The time t of record R107 is "20230804093529," that is, 9:35:29 AM on August 4, 2023.

[0141] The time t indicated by record R115 is 4 hours, 48 ​​seconds, and 12 seconds after the time t indicated by record R107, which is more than the predetermined time of 2 hours. Therefore, the control program 76a determines that the provision request C of record R115 satisfies the first criterion.

[0142] In addition, since it is believed that the above specific explanation will also make it possible to understand how to determine whether or not the second judgment criterion is met, an explanation using specific examples for determining whether or not the second judgment criterion is met will be omitted.

[0143] If it is determined that the supply request C is valid, the control program 76a outputs a drive command to either the stepping motor 64 of the container 21L or the stepping motor 64 of the container 21R.

[0144] Normally, the control program 76a outputs drive commands alternately to the stepping motor 64 of the right system and the stepping motor 64 of the left system in order to discharge napkins N alternately from the discharge outlet 13R of the right system and the discharge outlet 13L of the left system. That is, if a drive command was output to the stepping motor 64 of the right storage unit 21R in response to the previous provision request C and napkins N were discharged from the discharge outlet 13R, the control program 76a outputs a drive command to the stepping motor 64 of the left storage unit 21L in response to the current provision request C in order to discharge napkins N from the discharge outlet 13L.

[0145] However, if a malfunction such as a discharge blockage occurs in one of the systems, the control program 76a outputs a drive command only to the stepping motor 64 of the system that is operating normally until the malfunction is resolved. This provides redundancy to the dispenser 10, in that even if a malfunction occurs in one system, napkins N can be discharged from the other system that is not malfunctioning, allowing service to continue.

[0146] For example, when a drive command is output to the stepping motor 64 of the left system, the control program 76a drives the left stepping motor 64 to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R of the left moving mechanism 60 in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 7). As a result, the discharge tray 30 disposed in the standby position starts to move forward, i.e., to the discharge position.

[0147] After driving the stepping motor 64, the control program 76a continues to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R in the forward direction until the sensor output of the limit sensor 75F turns off, and at the point in time when the sensor output of the limit sensor 75F turns off, stops the stepping motor 64. Based on the change of the sensor output of the limit sensor 75F from on to off, the control program 76a recognizes that the discharge tray 30 has moved to the discharge position, as shown in FIG.

[0148] In this state, the user can receive the napkin N1 by pinching the tip of the napkin N1 protruding from the discharge outlet 13L and pulling it out. When the napkin N1 is pulled out from the discharge outlet 13L, the door 51 rotates to the closed position due to its own weight, and the sensor output of the discharge sensor 55 changes from off to on. Based on the sensor output of the discharge sensor 55 changing from off to on, the control program 76a recognizes that the napkin N1 has been pulled out from the discharge outlet 13L by the user and thus discharged.

[0149] Thereafter, the control program 76a drives the left stepping motor 64 to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R of the left moving mechanism 60 in the reverse direction (clockwise in FIG. 8). After driving the stepping motor 64, the control program 76a continues to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R in the reverse direction until the sensor output of the limit sensor 75R turns off, and stops the stepping motor 64 at the point in time when the sensor output of the limit sensor 75R turns off.

[0150] Based on the change of the sensor output of the limit sensor 75R from on to off, the control program 76a recognizes that the discharge of the napkin N1 has been completed successfully and that the discharge tray 30 has returned to the standby position, and transmits the dispenser identification information d and OK information from the communication unit 74 to the management server 300 via the communication network 100.

[0151] The management server 300 receives the dispenser identification information d and the OK information, and writes "OK" in the status sa of the latest record R (that is, blank) corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0152] If the napkin N1 is discharged correctly, the operation is as described above.

[0153] Next, a case where the napkin N1 is not discharged correctly will be described.

[0154] For example, if the left stepping motor 64 is driven to rotate the pinions 62L and 62R in the forward direction, and the sensor output of the discharge sensor 55 remains on while the sensor output of the limit sensor 75F turns off, the control program 76a determines that a discharge abnormality has occurred due to a jam of napkin N1 or the like.

[0155] Normally, immediately after driving the stepping motor 64, the leading edge of the napkin N1 pushes the door 51 to rotate to the open position, and the sensor output of the discharge sensor 55 turns off. However, if the sensor output of the limit sensor 75F turns off while the sensor output of the discharge sensor 55 remains on after driving the stepping motor 64, this means that the door 51 has not rotated to the open position even though the discharge tray 30 has moved to the discharge position.

[0156] In such a case, the control program 76a determines that an abnormality in the discharge of the napkin N1 has occurred, stops the driving of the stepping motor 64, and instead discharges the napkin N1 from the other system, and notifies the operator that an abnormality in the discharge has occurred. In response, the operator goes to the corresponding dispenser 10 and takes appropriate recovery measures.

[0157] Alternatively, if the sensor output of the limit sensor 75F turns off while the discharge sensor 55 remains on after driving the stepping motor 64, the control program 76a drives the stepping motor 64 in the reverse direction to rotate the pinions 62L, 62R in the reverse direction and return the discharge tray 30 to the standby position. Then, after the sensor output of the limit sensor 75R turns off, the control program 76a again rotates the pinions 62L, 62R in the forward direction to move the discharge tray 30 toward the discharge position and retry discharging the napkin N1.

[0158] If the napkin N1 is normally discharged from the other system, or if the napkin N1 is normally discharged after a retry, the control program 76a sends the dispenser identification information d and OK information to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74, and in response, the management server 300 writes "OK" in the status sa of the latest record (i.e., blank) corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0159] If the napkin N1 is not discharged normally from the other system, or if the napkin N1 is not discharged normally after a retry, that is, if the napkin N1 cannot be discharged normally from either of the two systems, the control program 76a sends the dispenser identification information d and NG information to the management server 300 via the communication unit 74.

[0160] In response to this, the management server 300 writes "NG" in the status sa of the latest record (that is, blank) corresponding to this dispenser identification information d in the history information table 310.

[0161] Next, inventory management of napkins N in the storage sections 21L and 21R will be described.

[0162] When napkins N are normally discharged from the storage units 21L, 21R, the inventory number of napkins N stored in the storage units 21L, 21R is reduced. The dispenser 10 is equipped with an inventory sensor 27 for determining the inventory number of napkins N in the storage units 21L, 21R. The inventory sensor 27 is provided in each of the storage units 21L, 21R.

[0163] Inventory sensor 27 is an optical sensor having a light-emitting unit 27a and a light-receiving unit 27b. Light emitted from light-emitting unit 27a is reflected by upper surface 42a of reflector 42 of weight member 40 and received by light-receiving unit 27b. Inventory sensor 27 outputs a detection signal M based on the time from when light is emitted from light-emitting unit 27a to when the light is received by light-receiving unit 27b.

[0164] For example, when one napkin N is discharged from storage section 21L and the inventory count decreases by one, weight member 40 moves down by the thickness of napkin N. In this case, the optical path length of the light emitted from light-emitting section 27a, reflected by upper surface 42a of reflector 42 of weight member 40, and received by light-receiving section 27b becomes approximately twice the thickness of napkin N. Control program 76a calculates the change in the optical path length based on detection signal M, and can detect that one napkin N has been discharged.

[0165] The control program 76a can display the thus determined number of napkins N in stock for each storage section 21L, 21R on the display 4. The control program 76a can also notify the management server 300 of the number of napkins N in stock for each storage section 21L, 21R via the communication unit 74.

[0166] In response to this, for example, when there is a dispenser 10 having storage units 21L, 21R with an inventory quantity of less than two or three napkins, the management server 300 can instruct the worker to replenish this dispenser 10 with napkins N. Also, the control program 76a can request the worker via the communication unit 74 to replenish this dispenser 10 with napkins N.

[0167] In response to this, the worker brings refill napkins N to the dispenser 10, unlocks the lock 15 to open the front case 13, and presses the mode selector switch (not shown) provided inside the housing 11. As described above, the refill napkins N can be purchased using a portion of the advertising revenue obtained from advertising sponsors in response to advertisements displayed on the display 4.

[0168] The mode changeover switch is a switch for changing the operation mode of the dispenser 10 between an operation mode and a test mode.

[0169] Until the worker arrives, the dispenser 10 is set to an operation mode for dispensing napkins N, so when the worker presses the mode changeover switch, the operation mode of the dispenser 10 is switched to the test mode.

[0170] The test mode is also used when assembling the dispenser 10 in the factory. During assembly, the dispenser 10 has an "initialized" status (waiting for assembly) in the database of the management server 300, and when it is in this status, the test mode screen is automatically displayed on the display 4 without the need to press the mode selector switch. This eliminates the need to press the mode selector switch every time inspection is performed after assembly.

[0171] Although not shown, assembly of the dispenser 10 is completed by attaching a sticker on the housing 11 on which a QR code recording the serial number of the housing 11 is printed, and after completing the operation check in the test mode, the worker successively scans both the QR code qr displayed on the test mode screen displayed on the display 4 and the QR code (not shown) on the sticker attached to the housing 11, and transmits the scanned results to the management server 300. As a result, the management server 300 associates the serial number of the housing 11 with the identification information of the dispenser 10, and changes the status to "inspection completed."

[0172] The status of the dispenser 10 can be "Installed" in addition to the aforementioned "Initialized" and "Inspection Completed." The status "Installed" is set after the dispenser 10 is installed. When the status is "Inspection Completed" or "Installed," the test mode screen is not automatically displayed on the display 4, and is not displayed unless the mode selector switch is pressed.

[0173] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sensor output is displayed on the display in the test mode.

[0174] In the operation mode, advertisements are displayed on the display 4, but when the operation mode is switched to the test mode, the detection results of each sensor, namely the inventory sensor 27, the discharge sensor 55, and the limit sensors 75F and 75R, are automatically displayed on the display 4 instead of the advertisements, as shown in Fig. 15. Alternatively, the display 4 can be a touch display, and the screen can be switched from advertisements to the detection results by the worker touching the display 4.

[0175] In the detection results shown in FIG. 15, those with an "L" at the end of the symbol indicate the detection results by the sensors belonging to the left system, and those with an "R" at the end of the symbol indicate the detection results by the sensors belonging to the right system.

[0176] That is, 271L indicates the detection result by the inventory sensor 27 belonging to the left system, and 271R indicates the detection result by the inventory sensor 27 belonging to the right system. 551L indicates the detection result by the discharge sensor 55 belonging to the left system, and 551R indicates the detection result by the discharge sensor 55 belonging to the right system. 751FL indicates the detection result by the limit sensor 75F belonging to the left system and detecting that the discharge tray 30 is in the discharge position, and 751FR indicates the detection result by the limit sensor 75R belonging to the right system and detecting that the discharge tray 30 is in the discharge position. 751RL indicates the detection result by the limit sensor 75R belonging to the left system and detecting that the discharge tray 30 is in the standby position, and 751RR indicates the detection result by the limit sensor 75R belonging to the right system and detecting that the discharge tray 30 is in the standby position.

[0177] The information displayed on the display 4 is not limited to these, and may also display, for example, the detection result 601 from the human presence sensor 6, the reception strength 801 from the user information reading unit 8, the dispenser serial number SN, and the QR code qr.

[0178] The worker can grasp the inventory amount of napkins N from the detection results 271L, 271R displayed on the display 4 in this manner. "201 mm" in the detection result 271L illustrated in FIG. 15 indicates the distance from the inventory sensor 27L provided on the upper side of the storage section 21L to the weight member 40, that is, the height of the storage section 21L when no napkins are stacked is 201 (mm). In this example, the storage section 21L has a total height of 201 (mm) so that 20 napkins N can be stored. Therefore, the height of the storage section 21L when no napkins are stacked being 201 (mm) indicates that the storage rate (inventory rate) of napkins N in the storage section 21L is 0 (%), that is, there is no inventory. Therefore, in FIG. 15, "201 mm, 0%" is displayed as the detection result 271L.

[0179] The "98 mm" in the detection result 271R illustrated in FIG. 15 indicates that the distance from the inventory sensor 27R provided above the storage section 21R to the weight member 40, i.e., the height of the storage section 21R at which no napkins are stacked, is 98 mm. This corresponds to a storage rate (stock rate) of napkins N in the storage section 21R of 50%. Therefore, in FIG. 15, the detection result 271R is displayed as "98 mm, 50%."

[0180] Seeing this display, the worker can easily recognize that there are no napkins N in storage section 21L and that half of the stock remains in storage section 21R, and can immediately prepare the required number of napkins for replenishment (20 for storage section 21L and 10 for storage section 21R).Then, the worker replenishes storage sections 21L and 21R with napkins N.

[0181] The detection result 271 may be displayed in different colors depending on the storage rate (stock rate) of napkins N. For example, if the storage rate (stock rate) is 75% or more, it is displayed in blue, if it is 25% or more but less than 75%, it is displayed in yellow, and if it is less than 25%, it is displayed in red.

[0182] By displaying the inventory by color in this way, the worker can instantly and visually grasp the inventory status.

[0183] When the worker has completed the replenishment in this manner, he or she closes the front case 13 and checks the operation of the dispenser 10. The operation check is performed by operating the dispenser 10 and checking that napkins N are normally discharged from the left discharge outlet 13L and the right discharge outlet 13R.

[0184] When napkins N are normally discharged from the discharge outlet 13L of the left system, the detection results of the sensors are as shown in FIG. 15, for example.

[0185] That is, in order to discharge napkin N from discharge outlet 13L of the left system, discharge tray 30 is moved from the standby position to the discharge position by movement mechanism 60 in the left system. Accordingly, limit sensor 75R on the standby position side is no longer shielded from light, so its sensor output turns on, and detection result 751RL displays "ON" indicating on along with the detected voltage of 0.82 (V). Conversely, limit sensor 75F on the discharge position side is shielded from light, so its sensor output turns off, and detection result 751FL displays "OFF" indicating off along with the detected voltage of 1.86 (V). Furthermore, when napkin N is discharged from left discharge outlet 13L, discharge sensor 55 is shielded from light by napkin N, so its sensor output turns off, and detection result 551L displays "OFF" indicating off along with the detected voltage of 2.04 (V).

[0186] On the other hand, in the right system, the discharge tray 30 is in the standby position. Therefore, the limit sensor 75R on the standby position side is shielded from light, so its sensor output is off, and the detection result 751RR displays "OFF" indicating off along with the detected voltage of 2.28 (V). The limit sensor 75F on the discharge position side is not shielded from light, so its sensor output is on, and the detection result 751FR displays "ON" indicating on along with the detected voltage of 0.86 (V). Furthermore, since napkins N are not discharged from the right discharge outlet 13R, the discharge sensor 55 is not shielded from light by napkins N, so its sensor output is on, and the detection result 551R displays "ON" indicating on along with the detected voltage of 1.07 (V).

[0187] The detection results from the sensors when napkins N are normally discharged from the right-side discharge port 13R can be understood by replacing the right side with the left side in the above description, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0188] On the other hand, if the napkins N are not being discharged normally, the worker can use the detection results of the sensors displayed on the display 4 to find out the cause.

[0189] For example, if napkins N are not discharged normally from the discharge outlet 13L of the left system, an operator can estimate the cause based on the detection results from each sensor and perform troubleshooting.

[0190] In both the right and left systems, the discharge tray 30 is in the standby position before the discharge operation. Therefore, the detection result 751RL of the limit sensor 75R on the standby position side indicates "OFF," and the detection result 751FL of the limit sensor 75F on the discharge position side indicates "ON."

[0191] On the other hand, when the discharge operation is started and the moving mechanism 60 operates, the discharge tray 30 moves from the standby position side to the discharge position side, so that the detection result 751RL of the limit sensor 75R on the standby position side indicates "ON" and the detection result 751FL of the limit sensor 75F on the discharge position side switches to indicate "OFF".

[0192] The detection results of these sensors may also be displayed in different colors depending on whether they are on or off, for example, blue for "on" and red for "off." By displaying the detection results of the sensors in different colors depending on whether they are on or off in this way, it becomes possible to easily grasp the ON / OFF switching described above.

[0193] Therefore, if the aforementioned switching between "ON" and "OFF" is not confirmed even though the moving mechanism 60 has been operated, the worker can infer that the moving mechanism 60 is not operating, or that even if it is operating, it is not properly driving the discharge tray 30. Then, by checking the operation of the moving mechanism 60 and making any necessary adjustments, repairs, or part replacements, the worker can ensure that napkins N are properly discharged from both systems.

[0194] The worker also checks the detection result 601 from the motion sensor 6 to see if the motion sensor 6 has correctly detected the distance to the person. The detection result 601 displays the distance to the person detected by the motion sensor 6. The example shown in FIG. 15 shows a state in which the motion sensor 6 correctly displays "6 cm" when the user is 6 cm away from the dispenser 10. If a different distance is displayed as the detection result 601, the worker adjusts, repairs, replaces, or the like the motion sensor 6 so that the correct distance is displayed from the motion sensor 6.

[0195] The worker further checks the reception strength 801 displayed by the user information reading unit 8 on the display 4, and confirms whether the user information reading unit 8 can read the necessary information. The reception strength 801 can be displayed as a numerical value, but can also be displayed as a bar, and the numerical value or bar may be displayed in a different color depending on the magnitude of the strength.

[0196] If the reception strength 801 does not indicate a sufficient value, the worker adjusts the reception state of the user information reader 8.

[0197] In this way, workers can quickly and efficiently carry out necessary adjustments, repairs, replacements, etc. based on the detection results from each sensor displayed on the display 4.

[0198] The worker then presses the display test button 602 displayed at the bottom right of the display 4. This initiates a display test of the display 4, and a moving image showing the single colors red, green, blue, and white is displayed. By viewing this moving image, the worker can detect display defects caused by missing dots.

[0199] Then, after confirming that napkins N have been discharged normally, that the detection results from each sensor are valid, and that the display on display 4 is normal, the worker presses the mode change switch described above or presses test mode end button 600 displayed at the top of display 4 to switch the operation mode to the operating mode and lock the lock unit 15. As a result, the display of the detection results as shown in FIG. 15 disappears from display 4.

[0200] Furthermore, the worker scans the serial number SN of the dispenser 10 and the QR code qr indicating the serial number SN and notifies the management server 300. At this time, the detection results from each sensor can also be notified. With this, the work by the worker is completed.

[0201] On the other hand, the management server 300 recognizes the serial number SN of the notified dispenser 10 and activates this dispenser 10.

[0202] When the operator notifies the management server 300 of the detection results of each sensor, the management server 300 stores the detection results in association with the serial number SN. The stored detection results are used by the management server 300 to manage the dispenser 10.

[0203] The dispenser 10 activated by the management server 300 operates in the operating mode again, and as described above, becomes able to provide the service of providing napkins N to users who desire napkins N.

[0204] As described above, the dispenser 10 according to this embodiment allows the worker to efficiently perform the tasks related to checking the operation and the tasks related to replenishing sanitary products.

[0205] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the embodiments may be implemented in appropriate combinations, in which case the combined effects can be obtained. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by combining selected elements from the disclosed elements. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some elements are deleted from all elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0206] 1. Wall 2 screws 4. Display 6. Human Sensor 7 Sensor Unit 8 User information reading unit 10 Dispenser 11. Housing 12 Rear case 12a opening 12b Engagement part 13 Front case 13b Engagement part 13 Outlet 14 Hinge 15 tablets 16 wires 16a Fastener 17 Protruding parts, vertical ribs 18 Protruding parts, horizontal ribs 19 Protruding parts, bosses 21 Storage unit 22 Partition 23 Locking piece 24 Bottom plate 24a Inside 24b External surface 26 Rear plate 26a Relief hole 26b Inner surface 27 Inventory Sensor 27a Light-emitting part 27b Light receiving section 30 Output tray 30F tip 30R rear end 31 Top side 32 Vertical Wall 32a Pressing surface 32b Curved surface 33 Bottom surface 34 racks 35 Slide protrusion 35a pin hole 35b screw hole 37 Slit 38 Slit 39 Plate 39a pin 39b Insertion hole 39 Protrusion 40 Weight member 42 Reflector 42a Top side 50 Door Unit 51 Doors 51a Front 52 cases 52a Insertion hole 53 Rotating shaft 54 Opening 55 Emission sensor 55a Light-emitting part 55b Light receiving section 55c frame 56 Protrusion 57 Pillar 58 Retaining Plate 58a Bottom side 60 Moving mechanism 61 Rotation axis 62 Pinion 64 Stepping motor 70 CPU 71 Bus 72 Recording medium reading unit 73 External recording media containing new image data 74 Communications Department 75 Ejection tray sensor, limit sensor 76 memory 76a Control Program 76b Writable data area 78 Storage device 79 Image data storage unit 100 Communication Network 121 Back wall 121a Inside 121b External surface 122 Ceiling wall 122a Inner surface 123 Bottom wall 124 Side wall 125 Side wall 131 Front wall 131a Inner surface 132 Ceiling wall 133 Bottom wall 134 Side wall 135 Side wall 135 Side wall 150 compatible cards 151 User Devices 152 Beacon Device 153 tags 154 Code 155 Magnetic Cards 156 cards 271 detection results 300 Management Server 310 History Information Table 551 detection results 600 Test mode exit button 601 detection results 602 Display test button 751 detection results 801 reception strength A sensing signal AP dedicated app C Request for provision d. Dispenser identification information id Identification information j information M detection signal N Napkin p Magnetic information q Prescribed information QR code r Biometric information R record sa status SN Serial Number t time U User uj User Information v Fingerprint information w Card information

Claims

1. A dispenser for providing hygiene products, a storage section for storing sanitary products; an inventory sensor that detects the amount of the sanitary products stored in the storage section; a discharge tray on which the sanitary products are placed when they are discharged from the storage section to the outside of the sanitary product dispenser; a moving mechanism that moves the discharge tray between a standby position for receiving the sanitary products from the storage section and a discharge position for discharging the sanitary products to the outside of the sanitary product dispenser; a discharge tray sensor for detecting the discharge tray; a discharge sensor that detects sanitary products discharged from the discharge tray at the discharge position to the outside of the sanitary product dispenser; The sanitary product dispenser includes a display unit that displays the detection results of the inventory sensor, the detection results of the discharge tray sensor, and the detection results of the discharge sensor.

2. The sanitary product dispenser of claim 1, wherein the discharge sensor is an optical sensor, and when it detects the sanitary product being discharged outside the sanitary product dispenser, it is shielded from light and the sensor output is turned off, and when it does not detect the sanitary product being discharged outside the sanitary product dispenser, it is not shielded from light and the sensor output is turned on.

3. The sanitary product dispenser according to claim 2 , wherein the detection result of the discharge sensor is either off or on.

4. 2. The sanitary product dispenser of claim 1, wherein the discharge tray sensor comprises a pair of a discharge position discharge tray sensor that detects when the discharge tray is in the discharge position, and a standby position discharge tray sensor that detects when the discharge tray is in the standby position.

5. The discharge tray sensor is an optical sensor, and when the discharge tray is detected, the sensor output is turned off due to light blocking, and when the discharge tray is not detected, the sensor output is turned on due to light not blocking. When the discharge tray is at the discharge position, the sensor output of the discharge position discharge tray sensor is turned off and the sensor output of the standby position discharge tray sensor is turned on. The sanitary product dispenser according to claim 4 , wherein when the discharge tray is in the standby position, the sensor output of the discharge position discharge tray sensor is on and the sensor output of the standby position discharge tray sensor is off.

6. The sanitary product dispenser according to claim 5 , wherein the detection result of the discharge tray sensor is either off or on.

7. The storage section stores a plurality of the sanitary products in a stacked state, The sanitary product dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the detection result of the inventory sensor is the height of the stack of the sanitary products, or the storage rate or inventory number of the sanitary products in the storage section.

8. The system includes a first system and a second system, the first system and the second system each include the storage unit, the inventory sensor, the discharge tray, the discharge tray sensor, and the discharge sensor; The sanitary product dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit displays the detection results of the inventory sensor, the detection results of the discharge tray sensor, and the detection results of the discharge sensor for each system.

9. It also has a human presence sensor, The sanitary product dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit further displays a result of detection by the human presence sensor.

10. The sanitary product dispenser of claim 1, wherein the display unit displays the detection results of the inventory sensor, the detection results of the discharge tray sensor, and the detection results of the discharge sensor when the operating mode of the sanitary product dispenser is in test mode, and displays an advertisement when the operating mode is in operation mode.

11. The dispenser for providing hygiene products according to claim 10, wherein the hygiene products are purchased using funds from the advertising fee.

12. 11. The dispenser for providing sanitary products according to claim 10, further comprising a mode switch for switching the operation mode between the operating mode and the test mode.

13. The dispenser for providing hygiene products according to claim 1 , wherein the hygiene product is a sanitary napkin.

Images