Abstract: In order to perform overheating protection of a controller for water-heating heaters 3A and 3B for in-vehicle heating, an energization circuit for a heater 3 (3A, 3B) includes IGBTs 11 and 12 as switching devices that are disposed therein to be in series with the heater 3, and a first temperature sensor (first thermistor) 21 which measures temperature of these IGBTs 11, 12. A comparator 25 is provided to transmit a signal when the temperature of the IGBTs 11, 12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature. Then, the IGBTs 11, 12 can be forcibly turned OFF via the IGBT driver 13 in response to a signal from the comparator 25 without a microprocessor 14 intervening therebetween.

Abstract: Heating device includes: heater (2) with heating portion (6) generating heat by energization; housing (4) contains the heating portion and forms passage (18) for a heating medium between the housing and the heating portion; temperature detection means (26) detects, in the passage, temperature (T) inside the housing due to heat of the heating medium and the heating portion; and energization controlling means (40) for turning energization of the heater on/off depending on the temperature detected inside the housing. Energization of the heater is turned off to put the heater in an energization standby state if temperature detected inside the housing is equal to or greater than a first specified threshold (TS1), and is turned off to put the heater in an energization complete stop state if the temperature detected inside the housing in the energization standby state is equal to or greater than a second specified threshold (TS2).

Abstract: Heating device includes: heater (2) with heating portion (6) generating heat by energization; housing (4) contains the heating portion and forms passage (18) for a heating medium between the housing and the heating portion; temperature detection means (26) detects, in the passage, temperature (T) inside the housing due to heat of the heating medium and the heating portion; and energization controlling means (40) for turning energization of the heater on/off depending on the temperature detected inside the housing. Energization of the heater is turned off to put the heater in an energization standby state if temperature detected inside the housing is equal to or greater than a first specified threshold (TS1), and is turned off to put the heater in an energization complete stop state if the temperature detected inside the housing in the energization standby state is equal to or greater than a second specified threshold (TS2).

Abstract: In order to perform overheating protection of a controller for water-heating heaters 3A and 38 for in-vehicle heating, an energization circuit for a heater 3 (3A, 38) includes IGBTs 11 and 12 as switching devices that are disposed therein to be in series with the heater 3, and a first temperature sensor (first thermistor) 21 which measures temperature of these IGBTs 11,12. A comparator 25 is provided to transmit a signal when the temperature of the IGBTs 11,12 is equal to or greater than a predetermined temperature. Then, the IGBTs 1112 can be forcibly turned OFF via the IGBT driver 13 in response to a signal from the comparator 25 without a microprocessor 14 intervening therebetween.

Abstract: In a control system for an automatic vending machine with a controlled device, a terminal control unit controls the controlled device in accordance with a control program. A main control unit is connected to the terminal control unit through a transmission path and controls the terminal control unit through communication with the terminal control unit. The main control unit is provided with a transfer arrangement for transferring a new control program to the terminal control unit through the transmission path. The terminal control unit is provided with a memory and a rewriting arrangement connected to the memory. The memory is for memorizing the first-mentioned control program as a memorized control program. The rewriting arrangement is for rewriting the memorized control program into the new control program at need.

Abstract: When a coin(s) is inserted and an article selection button is further pressed, article carrying-out processing is started, and an article carrying-out device performs a carrying-out operation. An article is dropped and received in a receiving section by this carrying-out operation. When the article is received in the receiving section, the article collides with the receiving section, and vibrations are generated. The vibrations are detected by a vibration detection unit, and it is judged that the article is received in the receiving section. In the series of article carrying-out operations, when unexpected vibrations are applied to the receiving section after the article carrying-out processing is started, since a microcomputer excludes the vibrations, only vibrations at the time of receiving the article can be detected accurately.

Abstract: To provide a commodity price setting method and a commodity price setting system in an automatic vending machine, which can reduce wrong setting of a commodity price and with which an operator can easily set and confirm a commodity price. Since a numerical value of a commodity price is formed by multiplying a minimum currency value in an inputting apparatus and this numerical value is inputted in a storage device, a set value can always be a multiple of a minimum currency value with a minimum unit of the set value as the minimum currency value. Therefore, a fraction less than the minimum currency value that cannot be used in the automatic vending machine is never set as a commodity price, and confusion and wrong operation such as a customer trying to insert an unusable currency can be surely prevented.

Abstract: When a coin(s) is inserted and an article selection button is further pressed, article carrying-out processing is started, and an article carrying-out device performs a carrying-out operation. An article is dropped and received in a receiving section by this carrying-out operation. When the article is received in the receiving section, the article collides with the receiving section, and vibrations are generated. The vibrations are detected by a vibration detection unit, and it is judged that the article is received in the receiving section. In the series of article carrying-out operations, when unexpected vibrations are applied to the receiving section after the article carrying-out processing is started, since a microcomputer excludes the vibrations, only vibrations at the time of receiving the article can be detected accurately.

Abstract: A rewriting program is transferred from a main control apparatus to a terminal control apparatus and the terminal control apparatus executes the rewriting program. The rewriting program receives a new control program from the main control apparatus and rewrites a control program with a received new control program. This makes it possible to easily and reliably rewrite the control program even if a specification of the control program is changed.

Abstract: A rewriting program is transferred from a main control apparatus to a terminal control apparatus and the terminal control apparatus executes the rewriting program. The rewriting program receives a new control program from the main control apparatus and rewrites a control program with a received new control program. This makes it possible to easily and reliably rewrite the control program even if a specification of the control program is changed.

Abstract: To provide a commodity price setting method and a commodity price setting system in an automatic vending machine, which can reduce wrong setting of a commodity price and with which an operator can easily set and confirm a commodity price. Since a numerical value of a commodity price is formed by multiplying a minimum currency value in an inputting apparatus and this numerical value is inputted in a storage device, a set value can always be a multiple of a minimum currency value with a minimum unit of the set value as the minimum currency value. Therefore, a fraction less than the minimum currency value that cannot be used in the automatic vending machine is never set as a commodity price, and confusion and wrong operation such as a customer trying to insert an unusable currency can be surely prevented.