Automatic vending machine with discount function

Claim 1

An automatic vending machine with a discount function, said automatic vending machine being provided with continuous sale control means for subtracting a regular sales price from a total amount of money deposited in the automatic vending machine every time a product is sold and for continuously dispensing a selected product so long as an outstanding balance is larger than the regular sales price, comprising: a first determining means for determining whether or not money is depositied in the vending machine; a second determining means for determining whether or not the outstanding balance is decreased to zero; single sale operation memory means responsive to results of determinations effected by said first and second determining means for storing single sale operations until the outstanding balance is decreased to zero; a third determining means for determining whether or not said single sale operation memory means stores the single sale operations; means for counting the number of products sold while it is determined by said third determining means that said single sale operation memory means stores single sale operations; reference number detecting means for determining whether or not a count of said counting means reaches a predetermined reference number and for generating an output when the predetermined reference number has been reached; and product sales price output means for supplying a price output to said continuous sale control means, said price output being changed from a first output indicative of the regular sales price of a product to a second output indicative of a discount price which is obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount from the regular sales price while the output is being generated from said reference number detecting means.