The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 07, 1982
Filed:
Oct. 10, 1980
Osamu Sugimoto, Sakado, JP;
Masaki Akagawa, Sakado, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Coinco, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
In the malfunction indication device for a vending machine according to this invention, a malfunction occurrence indicator is provided at a prominent place on the outside of the vending machine. This indicator indicates occurrence of malfunction immediately upon detection of the malfunction by a malfunction detector to give warning to a purchaser. Simultaneously, a code representing a detected malfunctioning point is stored in a memory circuit. By manipulation of an indication control switch by an operator, the code representing the malfunctioning point is read from this memory circuit and indicated by a malfunction code indicator. As the malfunction occurrence indicator and the malfunction code indicator, a money amount indicator already provided in the vending machine for indicating an amount of deposited coins or a balance thereof is advantageously utilized. For enabling the money amount indicator to function as the malfunction occurrence indicator, present contents of indication of the money amount indicator are intermittently indicated by an intermittent driving of the indicator when the malfunction has been detected. For enabling the money amount indicator to function as the malfunction code indicator, the code representing the malfunctioning point is indicated by the money amount indicator only when the indication control switch is manipulated.