EP0590646B1 - Automatic terminal for drinks - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a fully automatic drinks terminal for the automatic dispensing of cases of drinks. The drinks terminal has a delivery terminal (1) for pallets loaded with cases of drinks, and at least one high-shelf vehicle (2), a high shelf (3), a separating device (4), at least one sales store (5), at least one customer case vehicle (6) and at least one drinks-dispensing station (8) provided with a customer control desk (7). <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a beverage terminal for the automatic dispensing of beverage crates.

The points of sale for beverage crates known from the prior art are essentially designed in the form of so-called self-service markets, in which the customer has to transport beverage crates to a cash register within a market in order to transport them to the customer vehicle after the payment process. The empties are returned in a similar manner, these are usually handed in separately at a cash register. The disadvantage here is that the entire purchase process is complex and cumbersome for the customer and that such a beverage market requires a large amount of space, since there must also be sufficient traffic routes for the customer. Furthermore, a high level of personnel expenditure is required to refill the beverage crates, to carry out the payment process and to look after the customers.

Another disadvantage of known self-service markets is that they are subject to the closing times, so that the customer can only make his purchases during a few hours of the day.

DE-PS 33 01 905 relates to a self-cashing vending machine, in which individual bottles, which have been placed on inclined full goods stores, can optionally be supplied to a goods dispenser via a cross conveyor. In addition to the goods issue, an empties receipt is provided, by means of which empties can be applied to inclined empties storage tracks using the cross conveyor. This vending machine is able to dispense or pick up individual beverage bottles, which can also be arranged in containers.

A fully automatic operating sequence is not provided, nor is it possible to use this construction to handle larger units, for example beverage crates, or even to unload them from pallets or to stack them again on pallets.

The magazine article "Transport, conveyor and storage technology, 1984, number 4, pages 9 to 12" describes a distribution center for books, in which incoming pallets are used in a high-bay warehouse. The pallets are either distributed from the high-bay warehouse in the company or packed in partial quantities and transferred to an interim storage facility. This is followed by a picking warehouse, in which individual books are temporarily stored for subsequent packaging and picking. The entire storage system is computer controlled.

The invention has for its object to provide a beverage terminal for the automatic dispensing of beverage crates, which can offer a variety of beverages to the customer with reliable and fast operation in fully automatic mode of operation without any personnel.

According to the invention the object is achieved by the features of the main claim, the subclaims show further advantageous embodiments of the invention.

The beverage terminal according to the invention is characterized by a number of considerable advantages. The main advantage is that the beverage terminal works entirely without any personnel, so that the operating costs can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, only a very small amount of space is required, since no traffic routes to be traveled by the customers are required. The fully automatic control results in very short access times, so that the customer can receive the desired beverage crates much faster. Since the entire process of the beverage terminal is fully automated, the entire processing, refilling and storage can also be optimized.

The beverage terminal according to the invention is a completely new technical system, which previously had no model. This results in particular from the high weight of the beverage crates, the sensitivity to breakage of the bottles and the problem of suitable handling of the beverage crates. Admittedly, a wide variety of component parts are already known in the field of storage technology, but, as the quoted citations show, these have never been combined in a functional overall system. In addition to the requirements for the storage and control technology, there are further problems with a beverage terminal, which were solved according to the invention for the first time. So buyer behavior has to be considered. Longer waiting times are ruled out for the buyer, who is not willing to wait for minutes for the goods to be delivered. Accordingly, the beverage terminal must be designed so that there are very short access times. Furthermore, the customer is not willing to switch to other products if the desired product is not available. For this reason, a beverage terminal must have sufficient stock, which can be refilled automatically so that customer delivery is ensured even at peak times is. Another problem arises from the return of empties. Since this is imperative for environmental reasons, the beverage terminal must include two complete storage areas, namely a warehouse for full beverage containers and an empties warehouse. Both must be linked in such a way that a reliable operational process results.

The customer console is preferably provided with a card reader for cashless payment processing, so that the customer can use his EC card to process the purchase. A high degree of operational security is guaranteed by the secret number to be entered. Since such EC cards are still not issued to young people, it is also ensured that no young people or children can buy alcoholic beverages. In order to enable customers to return empties without any problems, the customer console is preferably assigned an empties acceptance point. This is connected to an empties store, which can be followed by a palletizing device in order to stack the empties boxes on pallets and to be able to transport them automatically.

In order to automate the entire delivery process, it can be advantageous if a reading device is provided in the area of the delivery terminal for determining the palletized beverage crates delivered. It is therefore possible to supply the beverage terminal by truck with full pallets, each of which is loaded with the same beverage crate. The truck driver unloads a full pallet, for example using a forklift, and drives it to the delivery terminal. There, the type of beverage is determined using a barcode reader. If problems arise here, the driver can also identify the type of beverage by hand using a hand scanner. From the delivery terminal, the loaded pallet becomes chaotic Storage system parked in the high-bay warehouse. Similarly, an empty pallet or a pallet loaded with empty containers can be removed from the high-bay warehouse or handed over to the delivery terminal so that the driver can transport the empty containers or empty pallet away.

The delivery process described can be carried out at differently designed delivery terminals. So it is possible to equip the delivery terminal with a freight elevator, so that several operating levels of the beverage terminal can be used.

Controlled by a central processing unit, the delivery terminal can also be operated in such a way that, without returning empty pallets or empty pallets, it is only possible to fill them with full or empty pallets, for example to start the beverage terminal. Individual, selectable pallets can also be discharged, for example empties pallets, full goods pallets or empty pallets, for example in order to empty the beverage terminal or to remove certain beverage pallets, for example when the expiry date has been reached.

In order to be able to monitor the delivery process or the process of removing empties pallets, it can be advantageous if a delivery note printer is provided in the area of the delivery terminal, which automatically issues the driver with a delivery note.

The separating device provided between the high-bay warehouse and the sales warehouse advantageously comprises a depalletizing device and at least one separating vehicle which removes individual beverage crates from the depalletizing device and transfers them to the sales warehouse.

The sales warehouse is preferably designed so that it comprises a plurality of inclined roller conveyors on which the individual beverage crates are automatically transported due to their own weight.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the individual beverage crates in the separating device are fed via forcibly driven conveyor tracks to a sales store which comprises a plurality of carousel stores designed as high-bay stores with, for example, ten floors. The carousel bearings are always driven. This proves to be particularly favorable in terms of energy consumption, since starting and braking operations are avoided. Stationary loading and unloading stations are assigned to the carousel warehouse. The carousel high-rise warehouse is loaded according to a chaotic storage system; the individual loading and unloading stations have a height-adjustable carriage for this purpose, which can be moved vertically to insert or remove a beverage crate from the carousel warehouse. The respective connection is made via the previously mentioned, positively driven conveyor tracks, for example belt conveyors, roller conveyors or the like. These are linked to each other via switches or interfaces. All of these devices can be controlled automatically via the control unit to be described.

The customer box vehicle can be designed to accommodate a number of beverage crates in order to reduce the travel distances required.

Fig. 1

in schematischer Darstellung eine Draufsicht auf die Ausgestaltung eines erfindungsgemäßen Getränketerminales,

Fig. 2

eine vereinfachte stirnseitige Ansicht des Verkaufslagers,

Fig. 3

eine Seitenansicht des Verkaufslagers,

Fig. 4

ein Flußdiagramm, welches den Ablauf der Bedienungsvorgänge des Kunden an einer Kundenkonsole wiedergibt,

Fig. 5

eine Ansicht einer Kundenkonsole, und

Fig. 6

eine schematische Darstellung, in Draufsicht, einer weiteren Ausführungsform eines erfindungsgemäßen Getränketerminals.

The invention is described below using an exemplary embodiment in conjunction with the drawing. It shows:

Fig. 1

a schematic representation of a top view of the design of a beverage terminal according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a simplified front view of the sales warehouse,

Fig. 3

a side view of the sales warehouse,

Fig. 4

a flowchart which shows the sequence of operations of the customer at a customer console,

Fig. 5

a view of a customer console, and

Fig. 6

is a schematic representation, in plan view, of a further embodiment of a beverage terminal according to the invention.

In the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

Fig. 1 shows a top view of the structure of an embodiment of a beverage terminal according to the invention. This comprises a delivery terminal 1, which can be arranged on another level, for example. For this reason, an elevator 15 is shown in FIG. 1, with which pallets can be conveyed to and removed from a truck. The delivery terminal 1 comprises two mutually parallel runways 16, 17, one runway for the delivery of pallets, the other runway for the delivery of pallets to a delivery vehicle, not shown. Both runways 16 and 17 can be approached by a high rack vehicle, which can be moved on rails 18 within a high rack 3.

The high rack 3 is connected to a separating device 4 and a palletizing device 11. The separating device 4 comprises a depalletizer, which grips the beverage crates placed on the pallets and places them on a conveyor belt 19. In the same way, the palletizing device removes 11 empty crates from a conveyor belt 20 and stacks them on empty pallets. The palletizing device 11 can also be provided with a strapping device in order to tie the empty containers, so that safe transport is ensured.

A separating vehicle 12, which is movable on a rail 21, is designed such that it can take up one or more beverage crates from the conveyor belt 19 and, by vertical and horizontal movement, can be placed on a roller conveyor 13 of a sales store 5. In the same way, the separating vehicle 12 can remove empties beverage crates from an empties store 10 and place them on the conveyor belt 20 of the palletizer 11.

2 and 3 each show the front view of the sales store 5. FIG. 2 shows that a plurality of roller conveyors 13 are provided parallel to each other, on each of which the individually illustrated beverage crates 22 are placed . As shown in Fig. 3, the roller conveyors 13 are inclined at a slight angle, so that the beverage crates automatically roll to the front end of the store 5 (left side according to Fig. 1).

At the front left end of the store 5 rails 23 are provided, on which customer box vehicles 6 can be moved. To accelerate the sales process, several such customer box vehicles 6 are provided. With the help of these vehicles, individual beverage crates can be removed from the sales warehouse 5, the customer crate vehicle 6 is designed so that it can carry several beverage crates at the same time. These can subsequently be placed on a delivery roller conveyor 24 which is connected to a beverage delivery point 8. In addition to the beverage dispensing point 8, an empties receiving point 9 is provided, to which an empties runway 25 is assigned. With the aid of these, empty containers can be fed to a distributor 26, which is designed in the form of a vehicle or in a similar form and places the empty drink boxes sorted according to the type of box onto the mutually parallel tracks of the empty container 10.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, two customer consoles 7 are provided, each of which is assigned a beverage dispensing point 8 and an empties receiving point 9. The sales warehouse 5 is symmetrical in order to achieve fast access times.

In order to ensure smooth functioning of the beverage terminal in the event of a malfunction, for example when a certain type of beverage is not available in one half of the sales warehouse 5, a bypass buffer track 14 is provided, which serves to open beverage crates from the customer box vehicles 6 on a sales side to hand over the other sales side.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, the high-bay warehouse comprises, for example, 72 storage spaces for pallets, which can optionally be empty or loaded with empties or full goods. The sales warehouse has 160 storage lanes for single boxes, each storage lane contains 35 boxes of one type. The mirror-image structure of the sales warehouse 5 results in 87 memory tracks for each customer console.

5 shows a view of the part of the customer console 7. First, this has a key switch 27 in order to to be able to perform manual functions by the operating personnel. Fig. 5 shows neither the input for an EC card nor the issue of a cash card to settle the returned empties. Function keys 28 are provided on the operator console, for example for entering the EC secret number and for selecting the operating modes. The customer is first asked on a display 29 whether he would like to deliver empties, as shown in FIG. 4. If he affirms this, the empties are entered into the empties acceptance point 9 and checked there automatically. It is determined whether the empties crates are acceptable, and the filling status with empty bottles is also determined. If necessary, the unacceptable empties will be returned to the customer. The value of the empties can be charged immediately for a subsequent purchase, it is also possible to issue the customer with an empties value card, on which the DM amount to be credited or paid out is stored. If the customer selects the "Beverage order" operating mode, he can order the desired type of beverage using beverage selection buttons 30. If the customer has a cash value card, he can also enter it for clearing. After the desired beverage crates have been removed from the sales warehouse 5 and fed to the beverage distribution point 8, the required amount of money is automatically debited from the EC card, and the customer receives a receipt printed out by a printer (not shown). From this description it follows that the entire functional sequence takes place automatically and that no cash transfer takes place. This increases operational reliability. The risk of robberies or break-ins is eliminated as there is no cash.

The exemplary embodiment equipped with the carousel elevated bearings is described below in connection with FIG. 6, the same parts again being provided with the same reference numbers. As shown in Fig. 6, the Loading of the delivery terminal by motor vehicles, which can enter the building through a gate 35. The pallets are unloaded or loaded via unloading or loading devices 36, with the aid of which the high rack 3, which is provided with a high rack vehicle 2, can be loaded or unloaded. The pallets are fed to a separating device 4 (depalletizer), which transfers the individual beverage crates to a conveying device 33, which roller conveyors, belt conveyors or the like. May include, which are coupled to each other via switches 34. The individual beverage crates are fed to the loading stations 31 via the conveying device 33 in order to transfer them into the individual carousel stores 37 in the manner already described. These are designed as high-bay warehouses with a stack height of ten floors, for example. The loading stations 31 are arranged in a stationary manner. At the other end of the carousel store, unloading stations 32 are provided in order to remove individual beverage crates that pass by from the carousel store and transfer them to conveyor devices 33. These are also designed as positively driven roller conveyors, conveyor belts, etc. The beverage crates can be assigned to the beverage dispensing points 8 via the conveyor devices 33.

As an alternative to the continuously rotating carousel warehouse, a conventional high-bay warehouse can also be used.

The positively driven conveyors 33 and the use of a carousel store 37 ensure that the individual beverage crates are transported in a targeted manner. Malfunctions caused by jammed, fixed or otherwise disturbed beverage crates are completely eliminated.

The empties receiving points 9 are connected via conveyors 33 (positively driven roller conveyors, belt conveyors etc.) to an empties store 10 comprising several lanes. This feeds the empty beverage crates to the palletizing device 11, with the aid of which palletizing and subsequent storage in the high-bay warehouse 3 is possible. A transfer device 38 is provided at the head region of the empties store 10 in order to transfer the individual, different empties boxes onto a path of the empties store 10.

The individual functional sequences of the beverage terminals are monitored by means of a central computer unit. the filling status of the high-bay warehouse and the sales warehouse is determined so that repeat orders can be made in good time. All of this is done automatically, as is the path-optimized control of all vehicles in order to achieve the shortest possible access time. It goes without saying that emergency functions are provided, for example in order to empty the beverage terminal or in order to be able to influence or bridge individual functional casseroles in a targeted manner.

Claims (20)

1. A drinks terminal for automatically dispensing drinks boxes, having:

   a delivery terminal (1) for the delivery of pallets charged with drinks boxes,

   a high shelf unit (3),

   at least one high shelf unit vehicle (2), which serves to stock the pallets in the high shelf unit (3),

   a separating device (4) for separating the drinks boxes, at least one sales store (5), in which the individual drinks boxes are stored,

   at least one drinks dispensing point (8) provided with a customer console,

   at least one customer transporter (6) for removing the boxes from the sales store (5) and for transferring the boxes to the drinks dispensing point (8),

   an empties acceptance point (9) associated with the customer console (7),

   an empties store (10) which can be charged by means of the customer transporter (6), and

   a palleting device (11) disposed after the empties store (10), which is operationally connected to the high shelf unit vehicle (2).
2. A drinks terminal according to Claim 1,
   characterised in that in the region of the delivery terminal (1) a reading device is provided for determining the delivered, palleted drinks boxes.
3. A drinks terminal according to Claim 2,
   characterised by a delivery note printer associated with the delivery terminal (1).
4. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 3,
   characterised in that the separating device (4) comprises a pallet-removing device.
5. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that the separating device (4) comprises at least one separating vehicle (12) or a transporter (33).
6. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 5,
   characterised in that the sales store (5) has inclined roller conveyors (13).
7. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 5,
   characterised in that the sales store (5) comprises a carousel storage area (37).
8. A drinks terminal according to Claim 7,
   characterised in that the carousel storage area (37) is provided with a continuous drive.
9. A drinks terminal according to Claim 7 or 8,
   characterised in that the carousel storage area (37) is constructed in the form of a high shelf storage area.
10. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 7 to 9,
    characterised in that several carousel storage areas (37) parallel to one another are provided.
11. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 7 to 10,
    characterised in that a stationary loading station (31) and a stationary unloading station (32) are associated with each carousel storage area (37).
12. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 7 to 11,
    characterised in that the customer transporter (6) and the transporter (33) between the separating device (4) and the sales store (5) are constructed in the form of conveyer belts provided with a drive.
13. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 12,
    characterised in that the customer transporter (6) is constructed to receive several drinks boxes.
14. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 3,
    characterised in that the customer console (7) is provided with a card reader for the cashless payment transaction.
15. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 14,
    characterised in that the customer console (7) is provided with a bankcard-printing-reading device.
16. A drinks terminal according to Claim 16,
    characterised in that in each case several customer consoles (7) and in each case sales stores (5) equipped with at least one customer transporter (6) are provided.
17. A drinks terminal according to Claim 16,
    characterised in that the customer transporter (6) are constructed in each case to drive up to all drink dispensing points (8), empties acceptance points (9), sales stores (5) and empties store (10).
18. A drinks terminal according to Claim 17,
    characterised in that in the region of the roadway of the customer box vehicles (6) at least one bypass buffer track (14) is provided.
19. A drinks terminal according to one of Claims 1 to 18,
    characterised by a central processing unit.
20. A drinks terminal according to Claim 19,
    characterised in that the central processing unit is equipped with the following functions: recognition of the delivered/discharged pallets with respect to type and/or filling of the drinks boxes, control of the filling of the high shelf unit (3) with pallets, recognition of the pallet charging state, control of the charging state of the sales store (5), empties identification and determination of the filling state of empty drinks boxes, control of the empties store (10) and automatic control of the vehicles and conveyors (6, 12) 33) respectively.

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