At the end of 1992, the number of installed vending machines and automated service machines reached 5.47 million in Japan. The rate of diffusion is a unit to 22 citizens, the highest in the world far exceeding a unit to 40 citizens in USA, a senior nation concerning the vending machines. The latest requirements of vending machines mostly for renewal demand are (1) measures for environmental protection, (2) sales increase and new locations, and (3) improved operational efficiency. This paper describes recent Fuji vending machines meeting these needs and refers to their future prospects.

Can vending machines are mostly demanded for renewal because of difficulties in securing new locations. Most part of their maintenance cost is electric charges for coolers, heaters, and fluorescent lamps. Further, there are increasing shortages of lobor for goods supply and maintenance. Under the circumstances, Fuji Electric has developed "S series" renewed in the machine proper, door, and control. In the series, we pursued "easy handling and energy saving" and materialized simple design, space saving, energy saving, labor saving, and standardization.

Can vending machines mostly installed outdoors have come to public notice with the increase of installed units, and demand for thin construction has increased to get rid of installations projecting on the road.
To meet these market needs, Fuji Electric has developed a new series of can vending machines with a depth of 500 mm or less equipped with a swing hatch compensating for the thin type in supply work. This paper describes the features and main construction of the new series.

Vending machines have become effective sales means indispensable to their users, namely drink manufactures and operators. On the other hand, environment around vending machines is becoming severer year after year causing many problems.
This paper describes measures taken to solve the problems of vending machines:
(1)Electronics application to cooling and heating control,
(2)Energy-saving control, and
(3)POS with vending machines.

Frozen food has come into wide use recently with the recognition of improved taste and the diffusion of microwave ovens.
Under the circumstances, cook shortage and other factors gave rise to demand for vending machines which can serve warm gourmet dishes unmannedly at any time instead of restaurants.
Fuji Electric has developed an automatic vending system that can rapidly thaw and heat frozen food after receiving coins first in the trade. This paper describes its main features, construction, and control.

As consumers' palate became more delicate and oriented toward genuine taste, cup combination vending machines capable of vending regular coffee have become popular. On the basis of market needs, Fuji Electric has developed a new coffee brewer mechanism that can extract genuine, tasty coffee in a short time and completed a cup combination vending machine incorporating it. This paper describes the features, specification, and construction mainly of the coffee brewer.

Fuji Electric has developed indoor-use Interior-series vending machines under a design concept of "Harmony and Character." The main features are (1) the design fully covering the four groups of cup, can, paper-pack, and cigarette vending machines and (2) the design based on symmetric construction (gate-type symmetrical form) so that it can be easily applied to any interior and represent the sensation that it is in the high grade. In 1992, this series was selected as an "Article of good design" and awarded a prize for "Office and shop" category.

Utilizing the technology of regular coffee extraction for cup combination vending machines, Fuji Electric has developed a new wagon type coffee server.
This paper describes (1)the background and points of development, (2)features, (3)specifications, and (4)structure of the coffee server.

Coin and bill mechanisms were developed for the purpose of installation in vending machines; now there is much demand for types compatible with other machines than vending machines.
Fuji Electric has developed "Coinmech, type FH" with increased capacity for change, multipurpose "compact coin sorter FREA series" and "bill validator BVII series" compatible with vending machines and game houses.
This paper gives an outline of these developments.

Competition among supermarkets are becoming severer. To realize everyday low prices in selling goods, equipment for stores needs to have low integrated cost including initial running and maintenance and improved reliability. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to improve perishables freshness preserving characteristics, easy purchase, easy selection, exhibitiveness, and attractive presentation of goods and to complete a system to manage refrigerators and other equipment totally.

There has been demand for freshness preservation, exhibitiveness, and labor saving in the supermarket trade in recent years. Fuji Electric has developed "Excellent V2 type open refrigerated cabinets" with the concept of "New Gentleness Standard." Main features are as follows: (1)All the types are equipped with microcomputerized controller as a standard to realize delicate freshness management in response to a load condition and a location environment.
(2)A non-defrost-shock cabinet using fuzzy control was developed first in the trade to reduce defrosting heat shocks.

The convenience store sales of box lunches and daily dishes have rapidly increased recently. As open refrigerated cabinets for convenience stores, Fuji Electric has developed a series of nine types of thin multiple-deck open refrigerated cabinets improved in space saving, exhibitiveness, presentation effect, and cooling performance. Main features are
(1)Presentation was made attractive by adopting suitable shelf spacing for small goods items and glass shelves that allow seeing through from above.
(2)Handling was made easier by concentrating the evaporator and the fan at the bottom.

Taking up three card application systems: an office building card system, a ski resort gate system, and a social card system, this paper describes an outline of each system, individual functions and components. It refers particularly to a parking lot management system among the office building card system, to the development points and features of the ski resort gate system, and to the IC card terminal and its application of the social card system.

A hotel vendor system consists of guest room refrigerators and the front desk machine. At the front desk, sales data are automatically calculated, followed by sales slip issue and sales account. Ample optional functions are offered to meet market requirements.
This paper describes an outline of the system and the specification and features of NV series improved by a full model change and the front desk machine.