Nagoya City Science Museum

Purpose of Exhibition

Vending machine is very convenient, with which you can purchase goods at any time. There are approximately 500 million machines in Japan, and it is one of the most familiar machines.
In this exhibition, a real machine has been reformed and exhibited to demonstrate how drinks are distributed.

Additional Knowledge

[A Mechanism to Determine the Amount of Money]
The amount is determined by measuring the size and weight of the coin using a magnet.

[Storing cans]
Have you ever seen a person in charge of the bottling company opening the door of the vending machine and refilling cans? The products (cans) are placed in a curl-shaped rack.
This is to receive as much product as possible in a small space. The bottom of the rack is supported by a pedal so cans don't fall.

[Carrying the Cans to the Outlet]
When you push a button to select a product, the command is sent to the control box, a solenoid works, which removes the pedal and causes the cans to fall out one at a time. The fallen cans are carried out to the outlet by a belt conveyer So that the machine exhibited here can be easily used by any person, the selection button has been placed in a low position, and the product outlet in a high position.

[Apparatus for Warming and Cooling]
Cold drinks in summer and warm drinks in winter sell well. There is an apparatus for both warming and cooling.
Some vending machines include heat pumps, or can produce cold, like air conditioning units equipped in homes.

CooperationFuji Electric Retail Systems Co., Ltd.
Mie Fuji Co., Ltd.
Article by Koichi Mabuchi, curator