Providing device

Abstract

To provide a provision device for facilitating the provision of a smoking device and also a tobacco product 120 to be used together with the smoking device.SOLUTION: A provision device 100 includes: a first storage part 10 for storing a smoking device so as to provide the device to a user and having a charging part 15 for charging the smoking device; a second storage part 40 for storing a tobacco product 120 being a consumable supply to be used together with the smoking device so as to provide the product to the user; first provision mechanisms 50 for providing the smoking device in the first storage part 10 to the user; and second provision mechanisms 60 for providing the tobacco product 120 in the second storage part 40 to the user.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a providing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a dispenser (referred to as a brand designation system) that automatically dispenses desired tobacco products. The tobacco products dispensed by this dispenser are typically consumables used with dedicated smoking devices. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2019 / 131554 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the inventors' research, when a tobacco product is used in combination with a dedicated inhalation device, it is preferable that when the tobacco product is provided, the dedicated inhalation device can also be provided to users who do not own the device.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a dispensing device that can easily dispense both inhalation devices and tobacco products, which are consumables used in conjunction with the inhalation devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to the present invention, a first housing portion that houses a suction device so as to be able to provide the suction device to a user and has a charging portion that charges the suction device; a second storage section that stores tobacco products that are consumables used with the inhalation device so that they can be provided to the user; a first providing mechanism that provides the suction device of the first housing portion to the user; a second provision mechanism that provides the tobacco products in the second storage section to the user; A providing device is provided, comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily provide both an inhalation device and a consumable tobacco product to be used with the inhalation device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the providing device according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the opening and closing door is closed. [Figure 2] Figures 2(a) and 2(b) are schematic diagrams of the provision device according to the embodiment, where Figure 2(a) is a view of the provision device from the left side, and Figure 2(b) is a view of the provision device from the right side. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a providing device according to an embodiment, showing a state in which the opening and closing door is open. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a second container and its surrounding structure of the providing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figures 5(a), 5(b), and 5(c) are schematic diagrams of a suction device in an embodiment, where Figure 5(a) is a front view of the suction device, Figure 5(b) is a bottom view of the suction device, and Figure 5(c) is a perspective view of the terminal of the suction device. [Figure 6] 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams of tobacco products according to an embodiment, where FIG. 6(a) is a perspective view of the tobacco product and FIG. 6(b) is a perspective view of a tobacco stick. [Figure 7] 7(a) and 7(b) are schematic diagrams of the first storage section in the embodiment, where FIG. 7(a) is a front view of the first storage section and FIG. 7(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 7(a). [Figure 8]FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of a second storage section in the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a support arm of the pusher mechanism and its surrounding structure in the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a side view showing a sold-out detection lever of the pusher mechanism and its surrounding structure in the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 11] Figures 11(a) and 11(b) are diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the first providing mechanism in the embodiment, where Figure 11(a) shows the initial state of the first providing mechanism, and Figure 11(b) shows the state in which the pushing member has moved forward from the state shown in Figure 11(a). [Figure 12] 11(a) is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of the operation of the first providing mechanism in the embodiment, and is a side cross-sectional view of the state shown in FIG. [Figure 13] Figures 13(a) and 13(b) are schematic diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the first providing mechanism in the embodiment, where Figure 13(a) is a side cross-sectional view of the state shown in Figure 11(b), and Figure 13(b) is a partially enlarged view of part A shown in Figure 13(a). [Figure 14] 14(a) to 14(h) are schematic diagrams for explaining a series of operations of the second providing mechanism in the embodiment. [Figure 15] 15(a) to 15(f) are schematic diagrams illustrating a series of operations in which tobacco products are dispensed by the second providing mechanism in this embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a providing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] 17(a), 17(b), 17(c), and 17(d) are diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on the display unit in the embodiment. [Figure 18] Figures 18(a) and 18(b) are figures showing examples of screens displayed on the display unit in an embodiment, where Figure 18(a) shows a state in which precautions to take when providing tobacco products are displayed, and Figure 18(b) shows a state in which instructions are displayed when the user has the reading unit read the identification information. [Figure 19]19(a), 19(b), and 19(c) are diagrams showing examples of screens displayed on the display unit when a user specifies a brand of tobacco product in an embodiment. [Figure 20] 20(a), 20(b), 20(c), and 20(d) are examples of screens that are displayed on the display unit when tobacco products cannot be provided in this embodiment. [Figure 21] 21(a), 21(b), and 21(c) are examples of screens displayed by the display unit when a suction device cannot be provided in this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted where appropriate. In the following, the "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction when the providing device 100 is placed in the orientation shown in FIG. 1. More specifically, the providing device 100 is capable of standing on its own when placed on a horizontal mounting surface in the orientation shown in FIG. 1. The "left-right direction" refers to the horizontal direction when the providing device 100 is placed in the orientation shown in FIG. 1. The left-right direction of the providing device 100 may also be referred to as the width direction. The direction perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the left-right direction is referred to as the front-rear direction. The front side in FIG. 1 may also be referred to as the front or front side, and the opposite side as the rear or back side.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1, 3, 16, etc., the provision device 100 of this embodiment includes a first storage unit 10 that stores an inhalation device so that it can be provided to a user and has a charging unit 15 that charges the inhalation device, a second storage unit 40 that stores tobacco products 120, which are consumables used together with the inhalation device, so that they can be provided to a user, a first provision mechanism 50 that provides the inhalation device in the first storage unit 10 to the user, and a second provision mechanism 60 that provides the tobacco products 120 in the second storage unit 40 to the user. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily provide both inhalation devices and tobacco products, which are consumables used together with the inhalation devices. Furthermore, because first housing unit 10 has charging unit 15, the suction device can be charged while it is housed in first housing unit 10. Therefore, a fully charged suction device can be efficiently provided to the user. Here, "provision" means making the inhalation device or tobacco product 120 available for the user to receive.

[0011] More specifically, in the case of this embodiment, as an example, the provision device 100 is used to rent inhalation devices and provide tobacco products 120 free of charge for the purpose of sales promotion activities. Generally, providing tobacco products 120 to users in this manner is done manually by dedicated staff, but according to this embodiment, users themselves can perform both the dispensing operation of the inhalation device and the dispensing operation of the tobacco products 120. This makes it possible to reduce the number of personnel required to provide both the inhalation device and the tobacco products 120. In this embodiment, the dispensing operation of the inhalation device, the dispensing operation of the tobacco product 120, and the touch operation on the display unit 97, which will be described later, are performed. The providing device 100 is assumed to be installed, for example, in a facility (store) and used by users visiting the facility. A collection box is also installed in the facility, and used suction devices are returned to the collection box. The returned suction devices are manually stored again in the first storage unit 10 by a store clerk or the like. However, used suction devices may also be returned directly to the first storage unit 10 by the users themselves, for example. In the present invention, the tobacco products 120 may be commercially available products or exclusive samples. In addition, in the present invention, the provision device 100 may be equipped with, for example, a payment processing unit for making payments for inhalation devices or tobacco products 120, and may be used for selling inhalation devices and tobacco products 120.

[0012] In the present invention, the form of the inhalation device is not particularly limited, but in the case of this embodiment, the aerosol inhalator 110 described below (FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b)) corresponds to the inhalation device. The aerosol inhalator 110 can be used to inhale aerosol by attaching a tobacco product 120 (more specifically, a tobacco stick 125 described below) to the aerosol inhalator 110.

[0013] The aerosol inhaler 110 is, for example, a heated tobacco inhaler, and includes an inhaler main body 111, an insertion hole (not shown) into which the tobacco stick 125 is removably inserted and fixed, and a secondary battery (not shown) that serves as the power source for the aerosol inhaler 110. The aerosol inhalator 110 further includes, for example, a terminal 115 (FIG. 5(c)) for charging the secondary battery of the aerosol inhalator 110.

[0014] The aspirator main body 111 is formed, for example, in the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped with rounded corners and having a front face, a back face, a pair of side faces, a top face, and a bottom face. The front face of the aspirator main body 111 is the face facing forward in Fig. 5(a), and the back face of the aspirator main body 111 is the face facing backward in Fig. 5(a). The top face and the bottom face of the aspirator main body 111 are faces facing up and down in Fig. 5(a), and the pair of side faces of the aspirator main body 111 are faces facing left and right in Fig. 5(a). Here, the direction from the front to the back of the aspirator main body 111 is the depth direction (thickness direction), the direction from the top surface to the bottom surface is the top-to-bottom direction, and the direction from one side surface to the other side surface is the width direction. The dimension in the vertical direction of the aspirator main body 111 gradually decreases, for example, from one side surface to the other side surface. Similarly, the thickness dimension of the aspirator main body 111 also gradually decreases, for example, from one side surface to the other side surface. The maximum thickness dimension of the inhaler main body 111 is set to be smaller than the vertical dimension and the horizontal dimension of the inhaler main body 111, for example. As shown in FIG. 5(c), one end of the terminal 115 is a USB terminal 115a that is attached to the inhaler main body 111, and the other end of the terminal 115 is a charging terminal 115b that is connected to the charging section 15 of the first storage section 10. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the bottom surface of the inhaler main body 111 is formed with a terminal insertion portion 112 into which, for example, the USB terminal 115a of the terminal 115 is inserted. With USB terminal 115a inserted into terminal insertion portion 112, charging terminal 115b of terminal 115 can be connected to charging portion 15 of the inhalation device, thereby enabling charging of the secondary battery of aerosol inhalator 110.

[0015] The tobacco product 120 is distributed and provided in such a manner that, for example, multiple tobacco sticks 125 filled with a tobacco ingredient filling including nicotine are contained in the same rectangular package (see FIG. 6(a)). The tobacco stick 125 (see FIG. 6(b)) is formed, for example, in the shape of a round rod having approximately the same diameter as the insertion hole of the aerosol inhalator 110 or a diameter smaller than the insertion hole. In the aerosol inhaler 110, for example, the tobacco stick 125 is a consumable item.

[0016] In the present invention, the aerosol inhaler is not limited to a heated tobacco inhaler, but may also be an aerosol inhaler used with other tobacco products or an inhaler for inhaling aerosols that do not contain nicotine. Examples of other aerosol inhalers include non-combustion flavor inhalers, combustion-side flavor inhalers, non-heated atomization inhalers, and heated atomization inhalers. In addition, in the present invention, the tobacco product 120 is not limited to consumables for the aerosol inhaler 110, but also preferably includes tobacco products containing multiple cigarettes and tobacco products containing other consumables containing nicotine components. Examples of other tobacco products include snuff, pipe tobacco, and related tobacco products such as inhalers used with these other tobacco products. Furthermore, in the present invention, the items provided by the providing device 100 are not limited to the aerosol inhaler 110 and the tobacco product 120, but may also be, for example, an electric razor body and a replacement blade for the electric razor body.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 7(a), the first storage section 10 has, for example, a plurality of storage slots 20 each for storing an inhalation device (in this embodiment, an aerosol inhalator 110). The number of storage slots 20 that the first storage unit 10 has is not limited, but in the present embodiment, for example, there are six. Each storage slot 20 stores one aerosol inhalator 110. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the number of aerosol inhalators 110 that can be stored in the first storage unit 10 is, for example, six. Although the specific structure of the storage slot 20 is not particularly limited, in this embodiment, each storage slot 20 opens horizontally. More specifically, in this embodiment, each storage slot 20 opens forward, and this opening forms an outlet 20b through which the aerosol inhalator 110 is removed from the storage slot 20. Each of the receiving slots 20 is formed to be elongated in the front-rear and up-down directions, for example. Each storage slot 20 is configured, for example, to include a first bottom 26 that supports the aerosol inhaler 110, a pair of left and right first side wall portions 23, a pair of left and right first front wall portions 22, and a first rear wall portion 24. The first bottom portion 26, the pair of first side wall portions 23, the first rear wall portion 24, and the pair of first front wall portions 22 are each formed in a plate shape, for example. In this embodiment, the lumen region 20a of the accommodating slot 20 is the region surrounded by a pair of left and right first side wall portions 23, a first bottom portion 26, and a first rear wall portion 24, i.e., the region above the first bottom portion 26 and located in the space between the opposing left and right first side wall portions 23. The outlet 20b of the storage slot 20 is defined by, for example, the front edges of the pair of left and right first side wall portions 23, the front edge of the first rear wall portion 24, and the front edge of the first bottom portion . The bottom surface 26 a of the receiving slot 20 is formed by the upper surface of the first bottom portion 26 .

[0018] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 11(a) and 12, the aerosol inhalator 110 is accommodated in the accommodation slot 20 in a vertically placed state, with the depth direction of the inhalator main body 111 being the left-right direction and the top-bottom direction of the inhalator main body 111 being the up-down direction. More specifically, when the aerosol inhalator 110 is accommodated in the accommodating slot 20, the top surface of the inhalator main body 111 faces the first top surface 25 of the accommodating slot 20, the bottom surface of the inhalator main body 111 faces the first bottom 26 (bottom surface 26a) of the accommodating slot 20, and the front and back surfaces of the inhalator main body 111 face the corresponding first side wall 23 of the accommodating slot 20. In addition, one of the pair of side surfaces of the inhalator main body 111 is disposed on the outlet 20b side of the accommodating slot 20, and the other side surface faces the first rear wall 24 of the accommodating slot 20.

[0019] Here, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the thickness dimension of the suction device (in this embodiment, the aerosol inhalator 110) increases toward the opening direction of the accommodating slot 20. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the lumen region 20a of the accommodating slot 20 increases toward the opening direction of the accommodating slot 20, corresponding to the outer shape of the suction device (same as above). This allows the suction device to fit snugly into the storage slot 20 when it is stored in the first storage section 10, thereby preventing users from illegally removing the suction device without the need for a dedicated locking mechanism. More specifically, as described above, for example, the opening direction of the storage slot 20 is forward. Therefore, the thickness dimension (left-right width dimension) of the aerosol inhalator 110 increases, for example, toward the front. Similarly, the left-right width dimension of the lumen region 20a of the storage slot 20 increases, for example, toward the front. In addition, in this embodiment, the left-right width dimension of a portion of the lumen region 20a in the front-rear direction is set to, for example, a dimension smaller than the maximum left-right width dimension of the aerosol inhalator 110. Therefore, as shown in Figure 11(a), when the aerosol inhalator 110 is housed in the housing slot 20, portions of the pair of left and right side surfaces of the aerosol inhalator 110 abut against the corresponding first side wall portions 23 of the housing slot 20. This allows the aerosol inhalator 110 to fit more appropriately into the housing slot 20. Furthermore, the left-right width dimension of the rear end (the end opposite the outlet 20b side) of the luminal region 20a is set to be smaller than the left-right dimension of the front end (the end on the outlet 20b side) of the aerosol inhalator 110, while the left-right width dimension of the front end (the end on the outlet 20b side) of the luminal region 20a is set to be larger than the left-right dimension of the rear end (the end on the opposite side from the outlet 20b side) of the aerosol inhalator 110. Therefore, when the aerosol inhalator 110 is housed in the first housing portion 10, it is possible to prevent the aerosol inhalator 110 from being housed with the front and back facing upside down.

[0020] The charging section 15 of the first storage section 10 has, for example, a charging terminal 16 (see Figures 7(a) and 7(b)) that is magnetically attracted to the terminal 115 of the suction device (in this embodiment, the aerosol inhalator 110). According to this configuration, the user can electrically connect terminal 115 to charging terminal 16 with a single touch by magnetically attracting charging terminal 16 to terminal 115. In this embodiment, the charging terminal 16 is disposed, for example, on the bottom surface 26a of the accommodating slot 20. As described above, for example, the aerosol inhalator 110 is accommodated in the accommodating slot 20 so that the bottom surface of the inhalator main body 111 to which the terminal 115 is attached faces the bottom surface 26a of the accommodating slot 20. Therefore, when the aerosol inhalator 110 is accommodated in the accommodating slot 20, the charging terminal 16 is attracted to the charging terminal 115b of the aerosol inhalator 110, whereby the terminal 115 and the charging terminal 16 are electrically connected to each other, and the secondary battery of the aerosol inhalator 110 can be charged. Furthermore, with this configuration, the space occupied by the charging unit 15 in the lumen region 20a can be effectively reduced. In the present invention, both charging terminal 16 and terminal 115 may be magnets, or one of charging terminal 16 and terminal 115 may be a magnet and the other may be a magnetic material. In the present invention, the aerosol inhalator 110 may be charged by, for example, contactless power supply (wireless power supply).

[0021] More specifically, the end of charging terminal 16 that is attached to terminal 115 is formed, for example, in a substantially cylindrical or disc shape, and the tip surface of this end serves as attachment surface 16a that is attached to charging terminal 115b of terminal 115. Meanwhile, the end of charging terminal 16 opposite the side that is attached to terminal 115 is connected, for example, to a cord, and this cord is connected to a power supply source (not shown). 7(a) and 7(b), the first bottom 26 of each accommodating slot 20 is formed with, for example, a first insertion hole 26b that penetrates the first bottom 26 from top to bottom. The outer diameter of the first insertion hole 26b is set to, for example, be slightly larger than the outer diameter of the end of the charging terminal 16 that is attached to the terminal 115. The charging terminal 16 is inserted into the first insertion hole 26b with the attachment surface 16a of the charging terminal 16 facing upward. The attachment surface 16a may be, for example, flush with the bottom surface 26a or slightly below the bottom surface 26a. Furthermore, the accommodation slot 20 has, for example, a holding portion 28 ( FIG. 7( a) ) that holds the charging terminal 16. The holding portion 28 is provided, for example, on the underside of the first bottom portion 26. A second insertion hole 28a is formed in the holding portion 28, and the end of the charging terminal 16 opposite the side that is attracted to the terminal 115 engages with the second insertion hole 28a, whereby the charging terminal 16 is held by the holding portion 28.

[0022] Furthermore, the providing device 100 has, for example, an inhalation device detection sensor 29 (FIG. 7( a )) for each receiving slot 20, which detects the presence or absence of an inhalation device (aerosol inhalator 110) in the receiving slot 20. This makes it possible to easily manage the inventory of the inhalation devices (aerosol inhalators 110) in each storage slot 20. An infrared sensor, for example, can be used as the suction device detection sensor 29. A portion of the suction device detection sensor 29 is disposed, for example, at the rear of the lumen region 20a of the accommodating slot 20, and a second slit portion 24b (FIG. 7(a)) penetrating the first rear wall portion 24 in the vertical direction is formed in the first rear wall portion 24 at a location corresponding to the suction device detection sensor 29. The suction device detection sensor 29 can detect the aerosol inhalator 110 in the accommodating slot 20 via the second slit portion 24b. The detection signal from the suction device detection sensor 29 is input to a provideable suction device determination unit, which will be described later. The provideable suction device determination unit determines whether or not an aerosol inhalator 110 is present in the storage slot 20 based on the detection result from the suction device detection sensor 29.

[0023] The first providing mechanism 50 includes, for example, a pushing member 51 (FIGS. 7(a) and 11(a)) that pushes at least a portion of the inhalation device (in this embodiment, the aerosol inhalator 110) outward from the accommodation slot 20, and a pushing mechanism 56 that moves the pushing member 51 in the horizontal direction. Note that the pushing member 51 and the pushing mechanism 56 are not shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. As shown in Figures 11(a) and 11(b), by moving the pushing member 51 toward the suction device, at least a portion of the suction device (same as above) is pushed out from the storage slot 20 corresponding to the pushing member 51.

[0024] The pushing member 51 is configured to push out the suction device (same as above) in the direction in which the receiving slot 20 is open, for example. As a result, at least a portion of the suction device (same as above) is pushed outward from the removal opening 20b of the accommodating slot 20 by the pushing member 51, so that the user can easily remove the suction device from the accommodating slot 20.

[0025] More specifically, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7(a) and FIG. 11(a), the pushing member 51 is formed in the shape of a rod that is long in the front-rear direction, for example. The pushing mechanism 56 has, for example, a pushing mechanism drive motor 58, and the pushing member 51 can be moved back and forth by driving the pushing mechanism drive motor 58. 7(a), the pushing mechanism 56 is provided, for example, on the rear end side of the pushing member 51, and the pushing member 51 is movable back and forth relative to the pushing mechanism 56. More specifically, the pushing member 51 protrudes forward from the front surface of the pushing mechanism 56, and the amount of protrusion of the pushing member 51 from the pushing mechanism 56 increases or decreases as the pushing member 51 moves. The push-out member 51 moves as the push-out mechanism drive motor 58 is driven. More specifically, when the push-out mechanism drive motor 58 rotates in one direction from the state shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 12, the push-out member 51 moves forward, and the front end of the push-out member 51 abuts against the suction device. When the push-out member 51 then moves further forward, the suction device is pressed forward (in the direction toward opening the accommodating slot 20) by the push-out member 51, and a portion of the suction device is pushed out of the accommodating slot 20 (see FIGS. 11(b) and 13(a)). When the push-out mechanism drive motor 58 rotates in the other direction from this state, the push-out member 51 moves backward, returning to the state shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 12. In this embodiment, as an example, the drive source of the extrusion mechanism 56 is the extrusion mechanism drive motor 58, which is a linear actuator, but the drive source of the extrusion mechanism 56 is not particularly limited, and other actuators may be used as the drive source. 11(a) to 13(b), for convenience, the first providing mechanism 50, the aerosol inhalator 110, and the charging unit 15 are shown in side views.

[0026] In the present invention, the structure of the extrusion member 51 is not limited to the above example, and may be configured, for example, so that a portion of the suction device is extruded from the accommodating slot 20 when the extrusion member 51 swings in the opening direction of the accommodating slot 20.

[0027] 3, the first housing section 10 has a shape that is an upside-down L-shape in side view, and includes a plate-like support frame 17 with a top surface and a front surface. The front surface of the support frame is formed in a vertically long plate shape, and a plurality of housing slots 20 are attached to the front surface side of the support frame 17, for example, in three upper and lower stages, with two housing slots 20 attached side by side on each stage. The first providing mechanism 50 includes, for example, a plurality of pushing members 51 and a plurality of pushing mechanisms 56. One pushing member 51 and one pushing mechanism 56 are arranged for each receiving slot 20. 7(a), each of the pushing members 51 and the pushing mechanisms 56 is attached to the front surface of the support frame 17 and, for example, to the rear of the corresponding accommodating slot 20. More specifically, a gap is formed between the front surface of the support frame 17 and the first rear wall portion 24 of the accommodating slot 20, and the pushing members 51 and the pushing mechanisms 56 are respectively disposed in the gap. Furthermore, a first slit portion 24a penetrating the first rear wall portion 24 from front to rear is formed in a location on the first rear wall portion 24 of the storage slot 20 corresponding to the pusher member 51 of the first providing mechanism 50. The first slit portion 24a extends, for example, from the left edge to the right edge of the first rear wall portion 24 in the left-right direction. In the present embodiment, a portion of the first slit portion 24a is also formed in a portion of one of the pair of left and right first side walls 23 that is arranged on the side of another adjacent storage slot 20. As shown in FIG. 11( a ), in a standby state before the dispensing operation of the suction device is performed on the providing apparatus 100, the front end of the pushing member 51 is located behind the first rear wall portion 24 of the receiving slot 20. 11(b), as the pushing member 51 moves forward, the front end of the pushing member 51 is inserted into the lumen region 20a of the accommodating slot 20 through the first slit portion 24a of the accommodating slot 20. As a result, the front end of the pushing member 51 abuts against the rear side surface of the aerosol inhalator 110, and the aerosol inhalator 110 is pushed out by the front end. After the aerosol inhalator 110 is removed from the storage slot 20, the extrusion member 51 moves in the opposite direction (rearward) from the direction in which it moved when pushing out the aerosol inhalator 110, and returns to the standby state shown in Figure 11(a).

[0028] Here, as shown in Figures 12 and 13(a), when the inhalation device (in this embodiment, the aerosol inhalator 110) is pushed out by the pushing member 51, the inhalation device (same as above) tilts forward, for example, with the charging terminal 16 as a fulcrum. This allows the user to easily remove the suction device from the corresponding receiving slot 20 . Furthermore, since charging terminal 16 is magnetically attracted to terminal 115, the magnetic force can favorably maintain the forward tilted posture of the suction device. In this state, charging terminal 16 and terminal 115 may be in contact with each other or may be spaced apart. 13(a), in this embodiment, when the aerosol inhalator 110 tilts forward, a front corner of the lower end of the aerosol inhalator 110 abuts against the bottom surface 26a of the accommodating slot 20, thereby restricting further forward tilt of the aerosol inhalator 110. In this state, the front end of the lower surface of the charging terminal 115b of the terminal 115 remains in abutment against the front end of the suction surface 16a of the charging terminal 16. In addition, a front corner of the upper end of the aerosol inhalator 110 protrudes outward from the outlet 20b of the accommodating slot 20. Therefore, a user can easily remove the aerosol inhalator 110 by pinching the protruding front corner of the upper end of the aerosol inhalator 110. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the charging terminal 16 is disposed on the bottom surface 26a of the receiving slot 20, forward of the center in the front-to-rear direction of the bottom surface 26a. Similarly, as shown in Fig. 5(b), the terminal 115 of the aerosol inhalator 110 is disposed on the bottom surface of the inhalator main body 111, forward of the center in the width direction (front-to-rear direction) of the bottom surface 26a. 13(a), the distance in the front-to-rear direction between the position of the fulcrum (charging terminal 16) when aerosol inhalator 110 tilts forward and the front corner of the lower end of aerosol inhalator 110 can be made smaller, thereby ensuring a sufficient tilt angle of aerosol inhalator 110. This allows the user to more easily remove aerosol inhalator 110 from storage slot 20. In the present invention, the charging terminal 16 is positioned on the bottom surface 26a of the storage slot 20, rearward of the center of the bottom surface 26a in the front-to-back direction, and the terminal 115 of the aerosol inhalator 110 may be positioned, for example, on the bottom surface of the inhalator main body 111, rearward of the center of the bottom surface 26a in the width direction (front-to-back direction). In this case, the distance in the front-to-rear direction between the position of the fulcrum (charging terminal 16) when aerosol inhalator 110 tilts forward and the front corner of the lower end of aerosol inhalator 110 can be increased, thereby reducing the tilt angle of aerosol inhalator 110. This makes it possible to prevent aerosol inhalator 110 from unintentionally falling out of storage slot 20.

[0029] As shown in Figures 3, 4, 8, 15(a), etc., the second storage section 40 has a storage column 41 that stores tobacco products 120 in a vertically stacked state, for example. Note that Figures 3 and 4 schematically illustrate the shape of the storage column 41. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 6(a), the tobacco product 120 is typically formed in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped having a front surface, a back surface, a pair of side surfaces, and a top surface and a bottom surface. The front surface of the tobacco product 120 is the surface facing downward in Fig. 6(a), and the back surface of the tobacco product 120 is the surface facing upward in Fig. 6(a). The top surface and bottom surface of the tobacco product 120 are surfaces facing the front-to-back direction in Fig. 6(a), and the pair of side surfaces of the tobacco product 120 are surfaces facing the left-to-right direction in Fig. 6(a). If the direction from the front to the back of a tobacco product 120 is defined as the depth direction, and the direction from the top to the bottom as the top-to-bottom direction, then the storage column 41 stores multiple tobacco products 120 stacked vertically, with the depth direction of each tobacco product 120 being the up-down direction and the top-to-bottom direction of each tobacco product 120 being the front-to-back direction (see Figures 15(a) to 15(f), etc.). In this embodiment, multiple tobacco products 120 are stored in the storage column 41 with one row of tobacco products 120 stacked vertically in this manner.

[0030] The number of storage columns 41 included in the second storage section 40 is not limited, but in the present embodiment, for example, there are six. Each storage column 41 stores tobacco products 120 of the same type (brand), and each storage column 41 stores tobacco products 120 of different brands. Therefore, in the present embodiment, for example, six different brands of tobacco products 120 are stored in the second storage section 40. However, there may be multiple storage columns 41 that store tobacco products 120 of the same brand. The specific structure of the storage column 41 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, each storage column 41 is a rectangular box-shaped container. The left-right width dimension of the storage column 41 is set to be slightly larger than the dimension in the direction from one side to the other (width direction) of the tobacco products 120. The front-rear dimension of the storage column 41 is set to be slightly larger than the dimension in the top-bottom direction of the tobacco products 120, for example.

[0031] Each storage column 41 is configured to include, for example, a second top surface 45, a pair of left and right second side walls 43, a second front wall 42, and a second rear wall 44. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the provider 100 has a housing 210 (described in detail below) disposed below the storage column 41. As an example, the storage area for tobacco products 120 is the area surrounded by the pair of left and right second side walls 43, the second front wall 42, the second rear wall 44, and the top surface 210a of the housing 210, i.e., the area above the top surface 210a and located at the distance between the opposing left and right first side walls 23. The tobacco products 120 are placed on the top surface 210a of the housing 210. The second top surface portion 45, the pair of second side wall portions 43, the second front wall portion 42, and the second rear wall portion 44 are each formed in a plate shape, for example. In the front-to-back direction, the second front wall portion 42 and the second rear wall portion 44 are arranged opposite each other, in the left-to-right direction, the pair of second side wall portions 43 are arranged opposite each other, and in the up-down direction, the second top surface portion 45 and the upper surface 210a of the housing 210 are arranged opposite each other. The second front wall 42 is divided into two parts, for example, an upper part 42a arranged on the upper side and a lower part 42b arranged on the lower side. In this embodiment, the upper part 42a of the second front wall 42 is openably and closably connected to the second top surface 45 via, for example, a hinge (not shown). In addition, a grip 48 is attached to the front surface of the upper part 42a of the second front wall 42, for example, to be gripped by a user when opening and closing the upper part 42a. When storing tobacco products 120 in the storage column 41, the upper part 42a can be opened to easily fill the storage column 41 with tobacco products 120.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 15(a) and other figures, the second rear wall portion 44 has a lower end formed with a discharge port 47 through which, for example, the tobacco products 120 at the bottom of the storage column 41 can be dispensed. The outlet 47 penetrates the second rear wall portion 44 from front to rear. The outlet 47 extends laterally from the right edge to the left edge of the lower end portion of the second rear wall portion 44, for example. The height position of the lower edge of the outlet 47 is the same as the height position of the upper surface 210a of the housing 210 (the lower edge of the outlet 47 reaches the upper surface 210a of the housing 210). The height difference between the upper edge of the discharge opening 47 and the upper surface 210a of the housing 210 is set to be, for example, larger than the depth dimension (vertical dimension) of the tobacco products 120, but smaller than twice the depth dimension. This allows only the lowest tobacco products 120 to be selectively discharged from the discharge opening 47 when the tobacco products 120 are pushed out by the pusher 212 of the pusher mechanism 61, which will be described later.

[0033] In this embodiment, the second storage section 40 further includes a dispensing section 30 (FIG. 4) that captures the tobacco products 120 discharged from each storage column 41 and guides them downward. The dispensing unit 30 is formed, for example, in the shape of a rectangular cylinder that is roughly L-shaped in a side view. More specifically, the dispensing unit 30 has, for example, a vertical portion 30a extending vertically and a horizontal portion 30b protruding forward from the lower end of the vertical portion 30a. The vertical portion 30a and the horizontal portion 30b are connected to each other. In this embodiment, an opening on the front end side of the horizontal portion 30b forms an outlet 33 for removing tobacco products 120 dispensed into the dispensing unit 30 to the outside. As shown in Fig. 4, a plurality of openings 31 are formed in the front surface of the vertical portion 30a, penetrating the front surface from front to rear. In this embodiment, three openings 31 are formed in the vertical portion 30a, and the openings 31 are arranged at predetermined intervals (for example, constant intervals) in the up-down direction. Each opening 31 extends laterally from the right edge to the left edge on the front surface of the vertical portion 30a, for example. Each storage column 41 is fixed, for example, to a position on the front surface of the vertical portion 30a corresponding to each opening 31. More specifically, as an example, two storage columns 41 are fixed to positions corresponding to each opening 31, and the two storage columns 41 are arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. In other words, one opening 31 is shared by the two storage columns 41 arranged adjacent to each other in the left-right direction. The internal regions of each storage column 41 and the interior of the vertical portion 30a are in communication with each other via the discharge outlet 47 and the openings 31. The tobacco products 120 discharged from the discharge port 47 are guided into the dispensing section 30 via the opening 31 and are then dispensed to the outside of the second storage section 40 through the take-out opening 33 . In the present invention, for example, the outlet 33 may be provided with an openable door (not shown).

[0034] The second providing mechanism 60 includes, for example, a pusher mechanism 61 (see FIGS. 9 and 10) that pushes the tobacco products 120 at the bottom of the storage column 41 horizontally out of the storage column 41 and discharges them through the outlet 33. With this structure, the pusher mechanism 61 can automatically dispense the tobacco products 120 from the storage column 41, making it easier for the provision device 100 to provide the tobacco products 120. In FIG. 8, the pusher mechanism 61 is schematically shown by a two-dot chain line. In this embodiment, the second providing mechanism 60 includes a plurality of pusher mechanisms 61, one for each storage column 41. In the present invention, the mechanism for ejecting the tobacco products 120 from the storage column 41 is not limited to the pusher mechanism 61 .

[0035] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the pusher mechanism 61 includes, for example, a housing 210 arranged below the storage column 41, an endless timing belt 211 stretched from an upper surface 210a of the housing 210 to the interior thereof, a pulley 215 around which the timing belt 211 is stretched, a pusher 212 attached to the outer peripheral surface of the timing belt 211, and a pusher mechanism drive motor 62 that rotates the pulley 215. The rotation direction of the timing belt 211 is set, for example, in a direction in which the pusher 212 moves back and forth when the pusher 212 is positioned on the upper surface of the timing belt 211. As the timing belt 211 rotates, the pusher 212 presses against the tobacco products 120, thereby pushing the tobacco products 120 out of the storage column 41. 9 and 10 schematically show the internal structure of the pusher mechanism 61. In addition, in Fig. 9 and 10, the housing 210, timing belt 211, and pusher 212 are each indicated by two-dot chain lines. In Fig. 9, the pulley 215 and pusher mechanism drive motor 62 are each indicated by two-dot chain lines.

[0036] The upper surface 210a of the housing 210 is disposed opposite the second top surface portion 45 of the storage column 41 in the up-down direction, for example, and tobacco products 120 are placed on the upper surface 210a. The front-to-back dimension of the upper surface 210a of the housing 210 is set to, for example, a dimension smaller than the front-to-back dimension (dimension in the vertical direction) of the tobacco product 120, and as an example, is set to a dimension approximately 2 / 3 of the front-to-back dimension of the tobacco product 120. The pusher 212 is formed, for example, in a generally T-shape when viewed from the side. The protruding dimension of the pusher 212 is set, for example, to be smaller than the vertical dimension (depth dimension) of the tobacco product 120. Furthermore, the left-right width dimension of the pusher 212 is set, for example, to be smaller than the left-right width dimension (horizontal width dimension) of the tobacco product 120. When the pulley 215 is driven to rotate by the pusher mechanism drive motor 62, the timing belt 211 rotates. More specifically, as an example, the pulley 215 rotates in one direction around its axis (clockwise in FIG. 9 in this embodiment) with the center of the pulley 215 as the rotation axis. As the pulley 215 rotates, the timing belt 211 also rotates in one direction around its axis (same as above). When the pusher 212 is located on the upper surface of the timing belt 211, the pusher 212 moves from front to rear as the timing belt 211 rotates. As a result, the tobacco products 120 are pressed by the pusher 212, move from front to rear along the upper surface 210a of the housing 210, and are pushed out from the discharge opening 47 into the dispensing unit 30. Furthermore, when the pusher 212 is located on the lower surface of the timing belt 211 (when it is located below the pulley 215), the pusher 212 moves from rear to front as the timing belt 211 rotates. The pusher mechanism drive motor 62, which rotates the pulley 215, then stops operating upon receiving the signal indicating that the tobacco products 120 have been dispensed, which also causes the pusher 212 to stop moving.

[0037] Furthermore, a bifurcated support arm 214 that protrudes from the upper surface 210a of the housing 210 and is tiltable backward is provided at the rear end of the housing 210. The tip of this support arm 214 (the end opposite the housing 210) is bent slightly upward, which prevents tobacco products 120 from unintentionally falling out of the discharge opening 47 when the support arm 214 is kept horizontal. The support arm 214 is engaged with a rotating cam mechanism 219 that is connected to a pulley 215 around which a timing belt 211 is stretched, and is tiltable backward in conjunction with the movement of the pusher 212. 9 and 10, the support arm 214 selectively engages with the first cam follower 219a and the second cam follower 219b of the rotating cam mechanism 219 to control its rearward tilting motion. The support arm 214 supports from below the lowest tobacco product 120 that is pushed about halfway out of the storage column 41 by the pusher 212, and tilts rearward as the pusher 212 pushes out the tobacco product 120, thereby allowing the tobacco product 120 to fall into the dispensing unit 30 while gradually tilting backward. The support arm 214 maintains a horizontal position by, for example, engaging the engagement pin 214a with the inner surface of the first cam follower 219a. When the engagement pin 214a disengages from the first cam follower 219a, the horizontal position is released and the support arm 214 tilts backward due to the weight of the tobacco products 120 supported on its upper surface. Thereafter, the support arm 214 is maintained in the backward tilted position by engaging the operating end 214b provided at its base with the second cam follower 219b.

[0038] Furthermore, on the upper surface 210a of the housing 210, there are provided rod-shaped lifters 216 (see FIG. 9) that are fitted into a pair of grooves (not shown) that are located on both the left and right sides of the upper surface 210a and extend in the front-rear direction. The front end of the lifter 216 is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction along the pair of grooves, and is configured so that the rear end of the lifter 216 can be displaced up and down in conjunction with the front-rear movement of the front end. 9, the lifter 216 has a long groove 216a that engages with a drive pin 214c provided on the support arm 214, and when the support arm 214 tilts backward to a predetermined angle, the lifter 216 is pressed by the drive pin 214c to lift its rear end. In other words, the lifter 216 is driven to move up and down in response to the backward tilting movement of the support arm 214, and ultimately in conjunction with the movement of the pusher 212. In FIG. 9, components other than the support arm 214, the rotary cam mechanism 219, and the lifter 216 are shown by two-dot chain lines or are omitted as appropriate.

[0039] The lifter 216 is driven when the pusher 212 has finished pushing out the tobacco products 120 and is retracted into the housing 210, causing its rear end to rise and support from below the tobacco products 120 (tobacco products 120 in the second or higher tier from the bottom) that have been stacked vertically on top of the lowest tobacco product 120 pushed out by the pusher 212. The lifter 216 allows the tobacco products 120 to be maintained in a good vertical stack state.

[0040] Furthermore, the dispensing device 100 includes an inventory detection sensor 218 that detects whether or not there is an inventory of tobacco products 120 in the storage column 41, for example. This allows for easy inventory management of the tobacco products 120 in the storage column 41 . The detection signal from the stock detection sensor 218 is input to a tobacco product stock determination unit (FIG. 16) described below. Based on the detection result from the stock detection sensor 218, the tobacco product stock determination unit determines whether or not there are any remaining tobacco products 120 in the second container 40. In this embodiment, as an example, the inventory detection sensor 218 is a reed switch.

[0041] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 10 , a bow-shaped sold-out detection lever 217 is provided on the top surface 210a of the housing 210. The sold-out detection lever 217 is biased upward and is provided so as to be able to protrude upward from the top surface 210a of the housing 210. The sold-out detection lever 217 is configured to be pushed into the housing 210 by the weight of the tobacco products 120 placed on the housing 210. When the sold-out detection lever 217 is pushed into the housing 210, the magnetic body provided on the sold-out detection lever 217 is positioned near the inventory detection sensor 218. When the inventory detection sensor 218 detects the magnetic body, the presence of tobacco products 120 on the housing 210 is detected. Here, the sold-out detection lever 217 is provided, for example, by engaging with the outer periphery of the rotating cam mechanism 219, and its up and down movement is restricted according to the rotational position (rotational angle) of the rotating cam mechanism 219. The rotating cam mechanism 219 restricts the upward protrusion of the sold-out detection lever 217 throughout the period in which the lifter 216 is being raised. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous detection by the inventory detection sensor 218. In FIG. 10, components other than the sold-out detection lever 217, the rotating cam mechanism 219, and the stock detection sensor 218 are shown by two-dot chain lines or are omitted as appropriate.

[0042] The providing device 100 may also have, for example, a tobacco product discharge detection sensor (not shown) that detects whether or not a tobacco product 120 has been discharged from the discharge outlet 47 of the storage column 41. The detection signal from the tobacco product discharge detection sensor is input to a control unit 81 (FIG. 16) described below. The control unit 81 determines whether or not a tobacco product 120 has been discharged from the discharge outlet 47 of the storage column 41 based on the detection result from the tobacco product discharge detection sensor.

[0043] 14(a) to 14(h), an example of a series of operations of the pusher mechanism 61 will be described. Note that, in Figures 14(a) to 14(h), the internal structure of the pusher mechanism 61 is shown schematically. As shown in Figure 14(a), in a standby state before a dispensing operation of a tobacco product 120 is performed, the pusher 212 is located at the front end of the housing 210, the engagement pin 214a of the support arm 214 is engaged with the first cam follower 219a, and the support arm 214 is maintained in a horizontal position. Note that Figure 14(a) shows a state in which the sold-out detection lever 217 protrudes above the top surface 210a of the housing 210, but when tobacco products 120 are placed on the housing 210, the weight of the tobacco products 120 presses the sold-out detection lever 217 downward, causing the lever to be pushed into the housing 210. When a tobacco product 120 is dispensed, the pusher 212 protrudes from the upper surface 210a of the housing 210 as shown in Figure 14(b), and moves from front to rear as shown in Figure 14(c). At this time, the engagement pin 214a of the support arm 214 remains engaged with the first cam follower 219a, so the horizontal position of the support arm 214 is maintained. In addition, the sold-out detection lever 217 is pushed downward by the rotating cam mechanism 219, so the sold-out detection lever 217 is forcibly pushed down into the housing 210. Next, when the pusher 212 reaches the push-out completion position as shown in Figure 14(d), the engagement pin 214a of the support arm 214 disengages from the first cam follower 219a, causing the support arm 214 to tilt backward as shown in Figure 14(e) due to its own weight or, if a tobacco product 120 is present, due to the weight of the tobacco product 120. Next, as the pusher 212 further moves, the second cam follower 219b pushes the operating end 214b of the support arm 214, causing the support arm 214 to tilt further backward as shown in FIG. 14(f). The further backward tilt of the support arm 214 lifts the lifter 216. Then, as shown in FIG. 14(g), the restriction on the displacement of the sold-out detection lever 217 is released just before the operating end 214b disengages from the second cam follower 219b. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 14(h), the engagement pin 214a of the support arm 214 again engages with the first cam follower 219a of the rotating cam mechanism 219. This causes the support arm 214 and the lifter 216 to return to the horizontal position shown in FIG. 14(a).

[0044] Next, using Figures 15(a) to 15(f), an example of the operation of the second providing mechanism 60 when tobacco products 120 are discharged from the storage column 41 will be described. Note that Figures 15(a) to 15(f) schematically show the storage column 41 and its internal structure, and the internal structure of the pusher mechanism 61, respectively. First, when a tobacco product 120 is dispensed from the state shown in Figure 15(a), the pusher 212 moves from front to rear, and a portion of the tobacco product 120 at the bottom is pushed out of the outlet 47 and placed on the support arm 214 by being pressed by the pusher 212 (see Figures 15(b) and 15(c)). In this embodiment, as described above, the second rear wall 44 is formed with a discharge port 47, and the discharge port 47 is formed at a position corresponding to the lowest tobacco product 120. As described above, the height difference from the upper surface 210a of the casing 210 to the upper edge of the discharge port 47 is set to, for example, a dimension greater than the depth dimension (vertical dimension) of the tobacco product 120, but smaller than twice the dimension of the depth dimension. Therefore, when the pusher 212 presses the tobacco products 120 as the timing belt 211 rotates, the lowest tobacco product 120 can be selectively discharged to the outside via the discharge port 47. More specifically, when the pusher 212 moves the lowest tobacco product 120 backward, the tobacco products 120 stacked vertically above the lowest tobacco product 120 (the tobacco products 120 second or higher from the bottom) are restricted from moving backward by the second rear wall 44. Next, as shown in Figure 15(d), when the tobacco product 120 on the bottom row is pushed further backward, the support arm 214 tilts backward, causing the tobacco product 120 to tilt backward as well. Then, as shown in Figure 15(e), the tobacco products 120 stacked above the pushed-out tobacco product 120 (the tobacco products 120 on the second row or higher from the bottom) move downward due to gravity, and the tobacco product 120 on the bottom row among them becomes the new tobacco product 120 on the bottom row. In this state, the tobacco products 120 in the storage column 41 are supported in a forward-leaning position by the lifter 216, which has risen as the support arm 214 tilts backward. Furthermore, the pushed-out tobacco product 120 is released from the weight of the tobacco products 120 stacked above it, and slides down the support arm 214 under its own weight to be dispensed into the dispensing unit 30. When there are no tobacco products 120 left on the support arm 214 (when all of the tobacco products 120 have been dispensed into the dispensing unit 30) (see Figure 15(f)), the lifter 216 descends as the rotating cam mechanism 219 rotates, and the support arm 214 returns to a horizontal position. As a result, the tobacco products 120 remaining in the storage column 41 are placed back on the upper surface 210a of the housing 210, as shown in Figure 15(a). By repeating this operation multiple times, all of the tobacco products 120 in the storage column 41 can be efficiently and automatically dispensed. The timing at which the timing belt 211 stops is not limited to this example, and can be set appropriately depending on the outer diameter of the tobacco products 120 and the number of rows of tobacco products 120 in the storage column 41.

[0045] 16, the providing device 100 includes, for example, a control unit 81 that comprehensively controls the operations of each unit of the providing device 100, and a display unit 97 such as a touch panel type liquid crystal display device that can be operated by a user. However, the providing device 100 may further include an operation unit (not shown) that can be operated by a user. The control unit 81 is configured to include a ROM 83 that stores and holds a control program, a CPU 82 that executes control operations in accordance with the control program, and a RAM 84 that functions as a work area for the CPU 82, etc. The control unit 81 controls the operation of the extrusion mechanism drive motor 58, the pusher mechanism drive motor 62, etc. The control unit 81 receives a detection signal of an operation on the display unit 97. The control unit 81 also functions as, for example, a guidance execution unit, an available inhalation device determination unit, a charging state determination unit, and a tobacco product inventory determination unit, which will be described later.

[0046] In this embodiment, the provision device 100 can perform the operation of providing the inhalation device by the first provision mechanism 50 and the operation of providing the tobacco product 120 by the second provision mechanism 60 in response to a common trigger. Therefore, for example, by a user executing a common trigger, it becomes possible to easily provide both an inhalation device and a tobacco product 120 to be used with the inhalation device without the intervention of anyone other than the user. More specifically, in this embodiment, the common trigger is a touch operation on the display unit 97, and by this touch operation, the provision device 100 can selectively perform both or either the provision operation of an inhalation device by the first provision mechanism 50 and the provision operation of a tobacco product 120 by the second provision mechanism 60. Therefore, by touching the display unit 97, the user can select whether to receive both the inhalation device and the tobacco product 120, or whether to receive either the inhalation device or the tobacco product 120. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the user can specify the brand of tobacco product 120 to be provided by touching the display unit 97. More specifically, the control unit 81 operates the pusher mechanism drive motor 62 disposed below the storage column 41 corresponding to the tobacco product 120 of the brand specified via the display unit 97 (or the tobacco product 120 that has been recognized as such), thereby performing a process of dispensing the tobacco product 120 of the specified brand. In addition, the present invention may be configured such that the number of inhalation devices or tobacco products 120 to be provided can be specified by touching the display unit 97, for example.

[0047] Furthermore, the provision device 100 includes, for example, an available inhalation device determination unit that determines whether the inhalation device in the first storage unit 10 can be provided to the user, a tobacco product inventory determination unit that determines whether there are any remaining tobacco products 120 in the second storage unit 40, and a guidance execution unit that provides guidance to the user. The guidance execution unit provides guidance to the user that, if the inhalation device in the first storage unit 10 is available and there are remaining tobacco products 120 in the second storage unit 40, the inhalation device and the tobacco products 120 are available. On the other hand, if the inhalation device in the first storage section 10 cannot be provided and there are remaining tobacco products 120 in the second storage section 40, the guidance execution section provides guidance to the user that only the tobacco products 120 can be provided. Furthermore, the guidance execution unit provides guidance to the user that if the inhalation device in the first storage unit 10 can be provided and there are no tobacco products remaining in the second storage unit 40, only the inhalation device can be provided. Here, "providing guidance" means that only available items are presented on the display unit 97 that accepts touch operations by the user, and unavailable items are not presented from the start. According to this configuration, inhalation devices or tobacco products 120 can be provided as needed, depending on the usage status of the inhalation devices or tobacco products 120, without the intervention of anyone other than the user.

[0048] The available suction device determination unit determines, for example, whether or not there are any aerosol inhalators 110 remaining in the first container 10. As described above, the provision device 100 is equipped with an suction device detection sensor 29 for each storage slot 20, and the provideable suction device determination unit individually determines whether or not there are any aerosol inhalers 110 remaining in each storage slot 20 based on the detection results of the suction device detection sensor 29.

[0049] The providing device 100 further includes a charge state determining unit that determines the charge state of the suction device of the first container 10. If there is no charged suction device in the first housing unit 10, the provideable device determination unit determines that the suction device in the first housing unit 10 cannot be provided. This allows a charged suction device to be provided to the user during the dispensing process of the suction device. More specifically, as an example, the control unit 81 also functions as a timer (not shown) for each storage slot 20. The available inhalation device determination unit individually determines whether the secondary battery of the aerosol inhalator 110 in each storage slot 20 is charged, based on the elapsed time counted by the timer. Such a structure allows the charging state of the suction device to be managed at a lower cost. It should be noted that "charged" here does not necessarily mean that the aerosol inhaler 110 is fully charged, and it may also be determined to be "charged" when the amount of charge exceeds (or is deemed to exceed) the amount of charge required to use the smallest unit included in the tobacco product 120 (e.g., one tobacco stick 125) or a specified quantity. In the present invention, the available suction device determination unit may include, for example, a battery remaining amount determination circuit (battery remaining amount determination unit) that determines the remaining amount of battery power of the secondary battery of the suction device.

[0050] In addition, in this embodiment, each accommodation slot 20 is provided with a charging state indicator 73 that displays and indicates the charging state of the suction device. This allows the user to easily grasp the charging status of each suction device. In the present embodiment, as an example, the charging state notification units 73 are LED lamps, and two charging state notification units 73 are provided for each accommodation slot 20. If the charging status determination unit determines that charging of the aerosol inhalator 110 is complete, the control unit 81, for example, turns on one of the two charging status indicators 73 provided in the corresponding storage slot 20, and if the charging status determination unit determines that charging of the aerosol inhalator 110 is not complete, the control unit 81, for example, turns on the other charging status indicator 73. The two charging state notification units 73 are preferably configured to light up in different colors, for example. In the present invention, for example, one charging status indicator 73 may be provided for each storage slot 20. In this case, the charging status indicator 73 may be configured to light up when charging of the aerosol inhalator 110 stored in the corresponding storage slot 20 is complete and not light up when charging of the aerosol inhalator 110 is not complete, or vice versa. Furthermore, the charging status indicator 73 may be configured to selectively light up in different colors when charging of the aerosol inhalator 110 is complete and when charging of the aerosol inhalator 110 is not complete, for example.

[0051] If the result of the determination by the available inhalation device determination unit is that there is an aerosol inhalator 110 in at least one or more storage slots 20 and that the aerosol inhalator 110 is charged, in response to a touch operation on the display unit 97, the control unit 81 operates the extrusion mechanism 56 corresponding to the storage slot 20 in which the aerosol inhalator 110 is stored, and performs a process to dispense the charged aerosol inhalator 110. In this embodiment, each storage slot 20 is assigned a serial number, and the control unit 81 performs the dispensing process of the aerosol inhalator 110 by giving priority to the storage slot 20 assigned the smallest serial number among the storage slots 20 that contain charged aerosol inhalators 110. On the other hand, if the result of the determination by the available suction device determination unit is that there are no aerosol inhalators 110 remaining in all of the storage slots 20, the guidance execution unit provides guidance to the user, for example, that the aerosol inhalator 110 cannot be provided.

[0052] In the present invention, the control unit 81 may be set, for example, to preferentially perform the dispensing process on the aerosol inhalator 110 with the best charging status among the charged aerosol inhalators 110. In the present invention, the control unit 81 may be set, for example, to preferentially perform the dispensing process on the aerosol inhalator 110 that has been housed in the housing slot 20 for the longest period among the charged aerosol inhalators 110.

[0053] The tobacco product stock determination unit determines whether or not there are any remaining tobacco products 120 in the second container 40 based on, for example, the detection result of the stock detection sensor 218 described above. In this embodiment, as described above, different brands of tobacco products 120 are stored in each storage column 41, and an inventory detection sensor 218 is disposed in each storage column 41. Therefore, the tobacco product inventory determination unit can determine whether each brand of tobacco products 120 is in stock. Therefore, the control unit 81 can, for example, based on the judgment result of the tobacco product inventory judgment unit, cause the guidance execution unit to provide guidance that, among multiple brands of tobacco products 120, only brands of tobacco products 120 that are out of stock cannot be provided.

[0054] Here, the provision device 100 includes, for example, a reading unit 96 that reads the user's identification information. The provision device 100 provides the inhalation device or the tobacco product 120 only to users who are determined to be able to receive the inhalation device or the tobacco product 120 based on the identification information read by the reading unit 96. With this configuration, inhalation devices or tobacco products 120 can be selectively provided to users who meet certain conditions, so that inhalation devices or tobacco products 120 can be effectively provided to the desired user group.

[0055] More specifically, the providing device 100 includes, for example, a communication unit 98 that transmits the identification information read by the reading unit 96 to an external server device 130 (see FIG. 16). When the providing device 100 receives from the server device 130 a notification that the inhalation device or the tobacco product 120 can be provided, the providing device 100 provides the inhalation device or the tobacco product 120 . This allows the target user group to be more effectively targeted for provision of the inhalation device or tobacco product 120. The server device 130 may, for example, perform wired communication with the communication unit 98, or may perform wireless communication.

[0056] In the present embodiment, as an example, the reading unit 96 is a QR code (registered trademark) reader. A user acquires in advance a QR code (same as above) storing the user's identification information using a mobile information terminal (smartphone) (or a PC (personal computer)). Then, when the user holds the mobile information terminal over the reading unit 96 to read the QR code (same as above) displayed on the screen of the mobile information terminal, the user's identification information (e.g., an identification number, etc.) is transmitted to the server device 130 via the communication unit 98 and determined in association with the identification information (e.g., an identification number, etc.) stored in the server device 130. Here, the server device 130 includes a storage unit (not shown) that stores, for example, provision history information, which is history information regarding the provision of tobacco products 120 using the provision device 100. This provision history information is, for example, history information for each user associated with the user's identification information, and includes the date and time when the inhalation device or tobacco product 120 was provided, and the brand of the provided tobacco product 120 (tobacco product 120). The server device 130 is equipped with a determination unit (not shown) that determines whether or not the inhalation device or tobacco product 120 can be provided based on this provision history information. The server device 130 then transmits the determination result by the determination unit to the communication unit 98, and the control unit 81 controls the guidance execution unit (described below) based on the received determination result. More specifically, the determination unit of the server device 130 determines, for example, whether a user who is provided with an inhalation device or tobacco product 120 has already been provided with all available brands of tobacco product 120, and whether the tobacco product 120 has already been provided within a restricted provision period (for example, within two weeks). If the supply restriction period has passed and not all available brands of tobacco products 120 have already been supplied, the determination unit determines that only the tobacco products 120 of the brands that have not yet been supplied can be supplied. This allows the provision of inhalation devices or tobacco products 120 to be restricted based on the provision history information of each user, thereby allowing the provision of inhalation devices or tobacco products 120 to more users. Furthermore, the provision history information collected and stored in the server device 130 can be output to the outside, and by using the provision history information, it is possible to analyze the usage status of the user. Furthermore, for example, an identification number may be registered to each suction device, and the identification number of the suction device provided may be included in the provision history information collected and stored in server device 130. This makes it possible to track which suction device was provided to which user. In the present invention, for example, the control unit 81 may function as a determination unit that determines whether or not the inhalation device or tobacco product 120 can be provided based on the provision history information. In the present invention, the reading unit 96 may be configured to read the user's identification information from, for example, an identification card.

[0057] The provision device 100 also includes, for example, a fixture 70 (see Figures 1 and 2), which includes a first storage section 10, a second storage section 40, a first provision mechanism 50, a second provision mechanism 60, a control section 81, a reading section 96, a display section 97, a communication section 98, a charging status notification section 73, etc. The shape of the fixture 70 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is long in the vertical direction. The fixture 70 includes, for example, a box body 71 and an opening / closing door 72 connected to the box body 71 so as to be openable and closable. More specifically, the box body main body 71 has a pair of side surfaces, a back surface, a top surface, and a bottom surface, and is in a box shape with an open front surface. The opening / closing door 72 is connected to the box body main body 71 via a hinge not shown, and can be opened and closed between a state in which the front side of the box body main body 71 is closed (Figures 1 and 2) and a state in which the front side is open (Figure 3). The fixture 70 also includes, for example, a locking mechanism (not shown) that keeps the front side of the box body main body 71 closed.

[0058] The box body main body 71 accommodates, for example, a first storage section 10, a second storage section 40, a first providing mechanism 50, a second providing mechanism 60, a control section 81, and a communication section 98. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, in the internal region of the box body main body 71, the first storage section 10 and the first provision mechanism 50 are each located, for example, on the left side of the region, and the second storage section 40 and the second provision mechanism 60 are each located, for example, on the right side of the region. Furthermore, the control unit 81 and the communication unit 98 are each disposed, for example, on the lower left side of the internal region of the box body main body 71. More specifically, the communication unit 98 is disposed, for example, behind the support frame 17 and immediately to the left of the dispensing unit 30 of the second storage unit 40. In the present embodiment, an opening 34 (FIG. 4) is formed in the left wall of the horizontal part 30b of the dispensing unit 30, penetrating the left wall from side to side. This ensures good radio wave conditions for the communication unit 98.

[0059] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the opening and closing door 72 is provided with, for example, a reading unit 96, a display unit 97, and a charging state notification unit 73. As shown in FIG. 1, when the opening and closing door 72 covers the front side of the box body 71, the user can perform touch operations on the display unit 97 and communicate with the reading unit 96. Furthermore, the opening and closing door 72 has a first fixture-side outlet 74 formed at a location facing the outlet 20b of each storage slot 20. A user can remove the aerosol inhalator 110 from the storage slot 20 through the outlet 20b and the first fixture-side outlet 74. Similarly, a second fixture-side outlet 75 is formed in the opening / closing door 72 at a location opposite the outlet 33 of the second storage section 40. A user can take out tobacco products 120 dispensed into the dispensing section 30 through the outlet 33 and the second fixture-side outlet 75. 1, for example, a plurality of charging state indicators 73 are provided on the front surface of the opening / closing door 72. More specifically, in the case of the present embodiment, as an example, two charging state indicators 73 are arranged adjacent to each other on the left and right below each accommodation slot 20.

[0060] Next, an example of the operation of the providing device 100 when dispensing the inhalation device or tobacco product 120 will be described with reference to FIGS. 17(a) to 21(c). In the initial state before the user performs a touch operation, if the provideable inhalation device determination unit and the tobacco product inventory determination unit each determine that both the inhalation device and the tobacco product 120 are available, then a screen G1 such as that shown in Fig. 17(a) is displayed on the display unit 97. Similarly, in the initial state, if the provideable inhalation device determination unit and the tobacco product inventory determination unit each determine that only the tobacco product 120 is available, then a screen G2 such as that shown in Fig. 17(b) is displayed on the display unit 97. If it is determined that only the inhalation device is available, then a screen G3 such as that shown in Fig. 17(c) is displayed on the display unit 97. If it is determined that both the inhalation device and the tobacco product 120 are unavailable, then the control unit 81 displays a screen G4 such as that shown in Fig. 17(d) on the display unit 97. As shown in Fig. 17(a), screen G1 displays a message such as "You can rent an inhalation device and try out tobacco sticks." As shown in Fig. 17(b) and Fig. 17(c), screen G2 displays a message such as "There are currently no inhalation devices available for rental," and screen G3 displays a message such as "Tobacco stick trials are currently unavailable." Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 17(d), screen G4 displays a message such as "Preparing." This allows the user to understand the usage status of the inhalation device or the tobacco product 120 before performing a touch operation on the display unit 97.

[0061] When the user performs a touch operation on the display unit 97 while any of the screens G1 to G3 is being displayed, the control unit 81 causes the display unit 97 to display, for example, a screen G5 as shown in FIG. 18(a). 18(a), for example, a notice is displayed on screen G5, and "OK" is displayed to indicate consent to the contents of the notice. When the user performs a touch operation on the part of screen G5 where "Yes" is displayed, for example, screen G6 as shown in FIG. 18(b) is displayed on display unit 97. For example, on screen G6, for a user who already has a QR code (same as above) with identification information stored therein, the QR code (same as above) is displayed on the user's mobile information terminal (smartphone) and guidance is displayed to hold the QR code (same as above) over the reading unit 96. For a user who does not have a dedicated QR code (same as above), guidance is displayed to the user that they need to obtain the QR code (same as above). When the user follows this guidance and holds the QR code (same as above) over the reading unit 96, the reading unit 96 reads the identification information from the QR code (same as above) and determines whether or not the inhalation device or tobacco product 120 can be provided to the user based on the identification information.

[0062] If both the inhalation device and the tobacco product 120 are available, for example, a screen G7 as shown in FIG. 19(a) is displayed on the display unit 97. Screen G7 displays multiple options such as "Try both the inhalation device rental and tobacco sticks," "Only the inhalation device rental," "Only try the tobacco sticks," and "Quit (return to screen G1)." When the user touches the area on screen G7 where it says "Try both an inhalation device rental and tobacco sticks," screen G8 (brand selection screen) such as that shown in Figure 19(b) is displayed on the display unit 97, allowing the user to select the brand of tobacco product 120 to be provided. When the user touches the area on screen G8 where the desired brand is displayed, screen G9 shown in FIG. 19(c) is displayed. On screen G9, for example, a large image of the tobacco product 120 (tobacco product 120) corresponding to the brand information is displayed, along with a confirmation message such as "Are you sure you want this product?". When the user touches the area on screen G9 where "Yes" is displayed, the brand of tobacco product 120 to be provided to the user is confirmed. Then, a dispensing process is performed for both the tobacco product 120 of the specified brand and the aerosol inhaler 110. Similarly, when the user touches the area on screen G7 that displays "Trial tobacco sticks only," screen G8 (brand designation screen) is displayed on the display unit 97, allowing the user to designate a brand of tobacco product 120 and receive the designated brand of tobacco product 120. However, in this case, the dispensing process of the aerosol inhalator 110 is not performed. On the other hand, when the user touches the area on screen G7 where "Inhalation device rental only" is displayed, only the dispensing process for the aerosol inhalator 110 is performed, and the dispensing process for the tobacco product 120 is not performed.

[0063] If only a suction device can be provided, for example, a screen G10 as shown in FIG. 20(a) is displayed on the display unit 97. Screen G10 clearly displays selectable options such as "Rent an inhalation device only" and "Quit (return to screen G1)" as well as non-selectable options such as "Trial tobacco sticks only" and "Trial both rent an inhalation device and tobacco sticks." When the user touches the area on the screen G10 where "Inhalation device rental only" is displayed, the dispensing process for the aerosol inhalator 110 is performed, but the dispensing process for the tobacco product 120 is not performed. Furthermore, when the user touches the area on screen G10 that displays "Try both the inhalation device rental and tobacco sticks" or "Try tobacco sticks only," one of screens G11 shown in Figure 20(b) to screen G13 shown in Figure 20(d) is displayed on the display unit 97. More specifically, if it is determined that only the aerosol inhalator 110 can be provided due to a shortage of tobacco products 120 in stock, for example, a screen G11 is displayed on the display unit 97. If it is determined that only the aerosol inhalator 110 can be provided because the tobacco products 120 have been provided within a certain period of time, for example, a screen G12 is displayed on the display unit 97. Furthermore, if it is determined that only the inhalation device can be provided because all brands of tobacco products 120 have already been provided, for example, a screen G13 as shown in Figure 20(d) is displayed on the display unit 97. Screen G11 displays a message such as "We are unable to offer a trial because we are out of tobacco sticks," while screen G12 displays a message such as "We are unable to offer a trial because it has not been two weeks since your last trial," and screen G13 displays a message such as "We are unable to offer a trial because you have already tried all the types of tobacco sticks in the past."

[0064] If only tobacco products 120 are available, for example, a screen G14 as shown in FIG. 21(a) is displayed on the display unit 97. Screen G14 clearly displays selectable options such as "Try tobacco sticks only" and "Quit (return to screen G1)" as well as non-selectable options such as "Rent an inhalation device only" and "Try both renting an inhalation device and tobacco sticks." When the user touches the area on screen G14 that reads "Trial tobacco sticks only," screen G8 (brand designation screen) is displayed on the display unit 97, allowing the user to designate a brand of tobacco product 120 and receive the designated brand of tobacco product 120. However, in this case, the dispensing process of the inhalation device is not performed. Furthermore, when the user touches the area on screen G14 that displays "Try both inhalation device rental and tobacco sticks" or "Inhalation device rental only," either screen G15 shown in Figure 21(b) or screen G16 shown in Figure 21(c) is displayed on the display unit 97. More specifically, if it is determined that only tobacco products 120 can be provided due to a shortage of inhalation devices, for example, screen G15 is displayed on display unit 97, and if it is determined that only tobacco products 120 can be provided due to a shortage of charged inhalation devices, for example, screen G16 is displayed on display unit 97. Screen G15 displays a message such as "You cannot try out the suction device as it is out of stock," and screen G16 displays a message such as "The suction device is currently charging and cannot be rented."

[0065] In the present invention, for example, even if it is possible to provide an inhalation device, if it is not possible to provide tobacco products 120, the guidance execution unit may be configured to provide guidance to the user that it is not possible to provide both an inhalation device and tobacco products 120. Similarly, in the present invention, for example, even if it is possible to provide tobacco products 120, if it is not possible to provide inhalation devices, the guidance execution unit may be configured to provide guidance to the user that it is not possible to provide both inhalation devices and tobacco products 120.

[0066] Although the embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0067] For example, in the above description, an example has been described in which charging unit 15 has charging terminal 16 that is magnetically attracted to terminal 115 of the suction device, but in the present invention, charging terminal 16 may be a USB terminal that is inserted into terminal insertion portion 112 of suction device main body 111.

[0068] Also, in the above description, an example has been described in which a locking mechanism is not provided in first housing unit 10. However, in the present invention, a locking mechanism may be provided in first housing unit 10. By doing so, for example, even if the thickness dimension of the suction device is approximately constant regardless of the position in the width direction of the suction device, and the lumen region 20a of housing slot 20 is also approximately constant regardless of the position in the front-rear direction in correspondence with the outer shape of the suction device, it is possible to prevent unauthorized removal by a user. In this case, "provided" means that at least the locking mechanism is released and the user is ready to receive the suction device, and the suction device does not necessarily have to be ejected from the storage slot 20. The locking mechanism is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include fixing in the vertical or horizontal direction by a pressing member, an electromagnetic lock, a locking door, a locking shutter, and the like. Preferably, the locking mechanism is configured to be unlocked only when the user follows the correct procedure. Alternatively, the unlocked locking mechanism may be configured to be relocked after a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the tobacco product 120 was dispensed, or after a sensor detects that the tobacco product 120 has been removed. Similarly, the second storage section 40 may also be provided with a locking mechanism having the above-described structure.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above description, an example has been described in which the first storage unit 10 and the first providing mechanism 50, and the second storage unit 40 and the second providing mechanism 60 are housed in a common fixture 70, but in the present invention, the first storage unit 10 and the first providing mechanism 50, and the second storage unit 40 and the second providing mechanism 60 may be housed in different fixtures 70. In this case as well, it is preferable that the providing device 100 is configured to be able to perform the operation of providing the inhalation device by the first providing mechanism 50 and the operation of providing the tobacco product 120 by the second providing mechanism 60 in response to a common trigger.

[0070] It should be noted that the various components of the present invention do not necessarily have to be independent entities, and it is permissible for one component to be a part of another component, or for part of one component to overlap with part of another component, etc.

[0071] The present embodiment encompasses the following technical ideas. (1) a first housing unit that houses the suction device so that it can be provided to a user and has a charging unit that charges the suction device; a second storage section that stores tobacco products to be used with the inhalation device so that the tobacco products can be provided to the user; a first providing mechanism that provides the suction device of the first housing portion to the user; a second provision mechanism that provides the tobacco products in the second storage section to the user; A providing device comprising: (2) The provision device described in (1) is capable of performing the provision operation of the inhalation device by the first provision mechanism and the provision operation of the tobacco product by the second provision mechanism in response to a common trigger. (3) The first housing portion has a plurality of housing slots each housing the suction device, The provision device according to (1) or (2), wherein the first provision mechanism has an extrusion member that extrudes at least a portion of the suction device outward from the storage slot. (4) The storage slot is open horizontally, and the extrusion member is configured to push the suction device in the direction in which the storage slot is open. (5) The thickness of the suction device increases in the direction of opening of the receiving slot, The delivery device according to (4), wherein the lumen area of ​​the storage slot increases in the opening direction of the storage slot in correspondence with the outer shape of the suction device. (6) The provision device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the charging unit has a charging terminal that is magnetically attracted to the terminal of the suction device. (7) The charging unit has a charging terminal that is magnetically attracted to a terminal of the suction device, The charging terminal is disposed on a bottom surface of the receiving slot, The providing device according to (4) or (5), wherein when the suction device is pushed out by the pushing member, the suction device tilts forward with the charging terminal as a fulcrum. (8) The second storage section has a storage column that stores the tobacco products in a vertically stacked state, The second provision mechanism is a provision device described in any one of (1) to (7), which includes a pusher mechanism that pushes the tobacco product at the bottom of the storage column horizontally out of the storage column and discharges it to the outlet. (9) The provision device according to (8), further comprising an inventory detection sensor for detecting whether or not the tobacco products are in stock in the storage column. (10) A reading unit for reading the user's identification information. A provision device described in any one of (1) to (9), which provides the inhalation device or the tobacco product only to the user who is determined to be able to be provided with the inhalation device or the tobacco product based on the identification information read by the reading unit. (11) A communication unit that transmits the identification information read by the reading unit to an external server device, The provision device according to (10), which provides the inhalation device or the tobacco product when receiving from the server device a notification that the inhalation device or the tobacco product is available. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 10 First storage section 15 Live parts 16 Charging terminal 17 Support Frame 20 storage slots 20a Luminal area 20b Outlet 22 Pair of first front wall portions 23 Pair of first side wall portions 24 1st rear wall section 24a First slit section 24b Second slit section 25 1st top section 26 1st bottom part 26a Bottom 26b First insertion hole 28 Holding part 28a Second insertion hole 29 Suction device detection sensor 30 Payout section 30a Vertical section 30b horizontal part 31 Opening 33 Outlet 40 Second storage section 40a Plate-shaped member 41 Containment Column 42 2nd front wall section 42a Upper part 42b Lower part 43 Pair of second side wall portions 44 Second rear wall section 45 Second top section 47 Outlet 48 Handle 50 1st Providing Mechanism 51 Extrusion member 56 Extrusion mechanism 58 Extrusion mechanism drive motor 60 Second provision mechanism 61 Pusher mechanism 62 Pusher mechanism drive motor 70 Fixtures 71 Main body 72 Door section 73 Light-emitting part 74 Fixture side first exit 75 Fixture side second exit 81 Control Unit 82 CPU 83 ROM 84 RAM 96 Reading unit 97 Display section 98 Communications Department 100 Providing equipment 110 Aerosol inhalers (suction devices) 111 Suction device body 112 Terminal insertion part 115 terminals 115a USB terminal 115b Charging terminal 120 Tobacco Products 125 tobacco sticks 130 Server device 210 cabinet 211 Timing belt 212 Pusher 214 Support Arm 214a Engagement pin 214b Operating end 214c Drive pin 215 Pulley 216 Lifter 217 Sold-out detection lever 218 Stock detection sensor 219 Rotating Cam Mechanism 219a First Kamholor 219b The Second Kamholor

Claims

1. a first housing unit that houses the suction device so that the suction device can be provided to a user and has a charging unit that charges the suction device; a second storage section that stores tobacco products that are consumables used with the inhalation device so that they can be provided to the user; a first providing mechanism that provides the suction device of the first housing portion to the user; a second provision mechanism for providing the tobacco product in the second storage section to the user; Equipped with the first housing portion has a plurality of housing slots each housing the suction device; the first providing mechanism has a pushing member that pushes at least a portion of the suction device outward from the receiving slot; The receiving slot is open in a horizontal direction, and the pushing member pushes the suction device in a direction in which the receiving slot is open, the charging unit has a charging terminal that is magnetically attracted to a terminal of the suction device, The charging terminal is disposed on a bottom surface of the receiving slot, When the upper portion of the suction device is pushed by the pushing member, the suction device tilts forward with the charging terminal as a fulcrum, and the upper end portion is pushed outward.

2. The provision device according to claim 1 , wherein the first provision mechanism is capable of providing the suction device and the second provision mechanism is capable of providing the tobacco product in response to a common trigger.

3. The thickness of the suction device increases in a direction toward the opening of the receiving slot, 10. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein the lumen area of ​​the receiving slot increases in a direction toward the opening of the receiving slot to correspond to the outer shape of the suction device.

4. the second storage section has a storage column that stores the tobacco products in a vertically stacked state, The provision device according to claim 1 , wherein the second provision mechanism includes a pusher mechanism that pushes the tobacco product at the bottom of the storage column horizontally out of the storage column and discharges it through the outlet.

5. The dispenser according to claim 4 , further comprising an inventory detection sensor for detecting whether or not the tobacco products are in stock in the storage column.

6. a reading unit that reads the user's identification information; A provision device described in any one of claims 1 to 5, which provides the inhalation device or the tobacco product only to the user who is determined to be able to be provided with the inhalation device or the tobacco product based on the identification information read by the reading unit.

7. a communication unit that transmits the identification information read by the reading unit to an external server device, The provision device according to claim 6 , wherein the provision device provides the inhalation device or the tobacco product when receiving from the server device a notification that the inhalation device or the tobacco product is available for provision.

Images