Abstract: To accurately determine whether predetermined events related to moving of product have been completed. An automatic vending machine 1 includes: a product discharging device 5 that discharges a product loaded thereon forward; a bucket moving device 7 that moves a bucket 6 having received the product P discharged from the product discharging device 5; and a control unit 8. The automatic vending machine 1 includes an imaging unit 10 that captures an image containing an image of a placement surface 6a on which the received product P is loaded in the bucket 6. The control unit 8 includes a completion determining unit 83 that determines based on a result of comparison between data of two images captured by the imaging unit at respective timings before and after a predetermined event among a plurality of events related to movement of product, whether the predetermined event has been completed.

Abstract: Provided is an automatic column setting device for an article vending machine. The device is for an article vending machine 1 including a column in an article storing shelf 13, to store articles arranged in a front-rear direction, and a dispensing mechanism 55 removably installed for the column in the shelf 13, to sequentially dispense the stored articles, the mechanism 55 is arbitrarily installable at a plurality of preset right and left positions in the shelf 13, and the automatic column setting device includes a motor presence/absence information preparing section 81 that detects an installation position of motor 61 in accordance with a connected state of motor 61, and a pattern extracting section 82 that determines a type and an installation position of the mechanism 55 in the shelf 13 based on presence/absence information of motor 61 that is detected by the motor presence/absence information preparing section 81.

Abstract: Provided is an automatic column setting device for an article vending machine. The device is for an article vending machine 1 including a column in an article storing shelf 13, to store articles arranged in a front-rear direction, and a dispensing mechanism 55 removably installed for the column in the shelf 13, to sequentially dispense the stored articles, the mechanism 55 is arbitrarily installable at a plurality of preset right and left positions in the shelf 13, and the automatic column setting device includes a motor presence/absence information preparing section 81 that detects an installation position of motor 61 in accordance with a connected state of motor 61, and a pattern extracting section 82 that determines a type and an installation position of the mechanism 55 in the shelf 13 based on presence/absence information of motor 61 that is detected by the motor presence/absence information preparing section 81.

Abstract: There is disclosed a showcase cooling device which is capable of cooling all of a plurality of showcases with no difficulty, while suppressing a power consumption of a compressor. A showcase cooling device 1 distributes and supplies a refrigerant discharged from a compressor to evaporators disposed in a plurality of showcases 3A to 3H, and comprises chamber inside temperature sensors which detect chamber inside temperatures of the showcases 3A to 3H, respectively, and control means for controlling an operation of the compressor, and this control means controls the operation of the compressor on the basis of the chamber inside temperature of the showcase that is hardest to cool among the respective showcases 3A to 3H.