JP2002063642A - Heating controller for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress the quality deterioration of a content article in heating. SOLUTION: When the temperature of external air is higher than a set reference temperature, in the case of heating operation, a preset article temperature is changed to a temperature lower for a prescribed temperature, the power consumption of a heating means 9 (the electrification rate of a heater, for example), is reduced and an article temperature is lowered a little not to trouble vending so that the quality deterioration of the content article in heating can be suppressed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a heating control device for a vending machine which sells a product by cooling or heating the product stored in the product storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a general vending machine of the related art, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-46861, when a door is opened so as to save energy from the problem of energy saving. Is to stop the internal fan motor to suppress heat exchange between the outside air and the internal chamber, to control the rotational speed of the internal fan motor for zone cooling and zone heating, and to use a small fan motor with less input. Is being adopted.

[0003]

However, in the above configuration, even if the temperature is high (for example, 20 degrees or more) from spring to summer, the temperature of the product in the storage room set to be heated is set to about 57 degrees. Is being controlled. In general, the higher the temperature, the lower the number of hot items sold,
The merchandise will remain in a heated standby state for many days.

[0004] Vending machines are generally considered to be sold in one to two weeks, since the quality of the contents deteriorates when the high temperature condition continues for a long time. From spring to summer, the number of sold products that have been heated tends to decrease as the temperature rises. In this case, there has been a problem in that the quality of content products that have been heated for a long time is deteriorated.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a heating control device for a vending machine which suppresses deterioration of the quality of contents in heating when heated.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an automatic vending machine for heating and selling a product to be heated and sold to a set product temperature by a heating means. In the heating control device of the machine, when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection means is higher than a predetermined temperature, the product set temperature is set to a temperature lower than the standard product set temperature stored in the set temperature storage means by a predetermined temperature. When the outside air temperature is higher than a predetermined temperature, the heater is heated to a temperature lower than the standard product set temperature by a predetermined temperature and sold, so that the power consumption of the heating means (heater of the heater) is changed. By lowering the power supply rate) and lowering the product temperature slightly so as not to hinder the sale, there is an effect that it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the quality of the contents during heating.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect of the present invention, a sales number per unit time detecting means for detecting the number of sales per unit time of a product to be heated and sold is provided, and The changing means is for changing the sales number per unit time detected by the sales number detection means per unit time to a temperature lower than a standard product set temperature by a predetermined temperature only when the sales number per unit time is smaller than a prescribed sales number, If the outside air temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature and the number of units sold per unit time is less than the specified number of units sold, the unit is heated to a temperature lower than the standard product set temperature by a predetermined temperature, and sold. By lowering the power supply rate of the heater) and lowering the product temperature slightly so as not to hinder the sale, there is an effect that it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the quality of the content product during heating.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a vending machine heating control apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a vending machine heating control apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the control device.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a product temperature detecting means for controlling the operation of a cooling device or a heating device based on the temperature of a storage room. For example, a thermistor is provided at the front of the product storage device. Reference numeral 2 denotes an outside air temperature detecting means provided at a lower portion of the main door for detecting an outside air temperature. Reference numeral 3 denotes an outside air reference temperature storage unit, and reference numeral 4 denotes a comparison determination unit that compares the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detection unit 2 with the temperature stored in the outside air reference temperature storage unit 3.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a set temperature storing means for storing a set product temperature. Reference numeral 6 denotes a set temperature changing unit that can change the product set temperature. Reference numeral 7 denotes a comparison determination unit that compares the product temperature detected by the product temperature detection unit 1 with the product set temperature. Reference numeral 8 denotes an arithmetic control unit comprising an outside air reference temperature storage means 3, a comparison and judgment means 4, a set temperature storage means 5, a set temperature change means 6 and a comparison and judgment means 7, which are connected to the commodity temperature detection means 1 and the outside air temperature detection means 2. Have been. 9 is a heating means for heating the product, which is connected to the arithmetic and control unit 8.

The operation of the heating control device for a vending machine configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The current outside air temperature A is detected by the outside air temperature detecting means 2.
Is read (S1). Comparing the outside air reference temperature B and the outside air temperature A preset in the outside air reference temperature storage means 3
Is compared (S2). If the outside air temperature A is higher than the outside air reference temperature B, the set temperature preset in the set temperature storage means 5 is changed to a predetermined lower temperature by the set temperature change means 6 (S3).

The current product temperature C from the product temperature detecting means 1
Is read (S4). The set temperature D determined by the set temperature change means 6 and the product temperature C are compared and judged by the comparison judgment means 7 (S5). If the product temperature C is lower than the set temperature D, the heater 9 is energized (S6).

For example, normally, when the temperature of the commodity temperature detecting means 1 is 55 degrees, the heating means 9 operates, and when the temperature of the goods temperature detecting means 1 is 60 degrees, the heating means 9 stops operating. Assuming that the outside air reference temperature B is 20 degrees, when the outside air temperature is 20 degrees or more, the commodity setting temperature is changed to a predetermined lower temperature, and the heating means 9 operates when the temperature of the commodity temperature detecting means 1 is 50 degrees. And heating means 9 at 55 degrees
Stops working.

Generally, when the outside air temperature is low (for example, 5
Degrees), heated beverages require temperatures of 55 to 57 degrees, but in the warmer months of spring to summer when the outside air temperature is 20 degrees or higher, about 50 degrees Even drinks can fully satisfy customers.

As described above, the heating control device for a vending machine according to the present embodiment, when the outside air temperature is higher than a preset reference temperature, sets the preset product set temperature to the predetermined temperature in the heating operation. By changing the temperature to a lower temperature, lowering the power consumption of the heating means (for example, the duty ratio of the heater), and lowering the product temperature slightly so as not to hinder the sale, thereby suppressing the deterioration of the quality of the contents during heating. can do. In addition, by reducing the power consumption of the heating means (for example, the duty ratio of the heater), there is also an effect of reducing the power consumption of the vending machine, which also saves energy.

Embodiment 2 Next, a heating control device for a vending machine according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. For simplicity, a detailed description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a vending machine heating control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a main part operation of the vending machine heating control device of the same embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 10 denotes a sales control unit which controls a product sales operation and outputs a sales signal every time a product is carried out.
Is timer means for counting the current time. 12
Reference numeral denotes a sales number per unit time detecting means for reading a sales signal per unit time by a sales signal from the sales control unit 10 and the timer means 11. Reference numeral 13 denotes a prescribed sales quantity storage unit for storing a prescribed prescribed sales quantity. Numeral 14 denotes comparison determining means for comparing and determining the number of sales per unit time detected by the number of sales per unit time detecting means 12 and the specified number of sales stored in the specified sales number storage means 13.

Reference numeral 6a is a set temperature changing means for changing the set product temperature. Reference numeral 7a denotes a comparison judging means for judging and comparing the commodity temperature detected by the commodity temperature detecting means 1 with the commodity set temperature. Reference numeral 8a denotes an outside air reference temperature storage unit 3, a comparison determination unit 4, a set temperature storage unit 5, a set temperature change unit 6a, a comparison determination unit 7a, a sales number detection unit 12 per unit time, a prescribed sales number storage unit 13, a comparison determination. Means 14
The arithmetic and control unit is connected to the commodity temperature detecting means 1, the outside air temperature detecting means 2, the sales control section 10, and the timer means 11. Reference numeral 9 denotes a heating unit for heating the product, which is connected to the arithmetic and control unit 8a.

The operation of the heating control device for a vending machine configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

The current outside air temperature A is obtained from the outside air temperature detecting means 2.
Is read (S1). Comparing the outside air temperature A with the outside air temperature A preset in the outside air temperature storage means 3
Is compared (S2).

If the outside air temperature A is higher than the outside air reference temperature E, the number of sales from the sales control unit 10 and the timer means 11
The number of sales per unit time F calculated from is read by the number of sales per unit time detection means 12 (S3). The number of sales F per unit time is compared with the specified sales number G preset in the specified sales number storage means 13 by the comparison determination means 14 and determined (S4).

If the number of sales per unit time is smaller than the prescribed number of sales, in the case of heating operation, the set temperature storage means 5
Is changed to a lower temperature by a predetermined temperature (S5). The current product temperature C is read from the product temperature detecting means 1 (S6). The set temperature D and the product temperature C are compared and determined by the comparison determining means 7a (S7). Product temperature C
Is lower than the set temperature D, the heater 9 (for example, a heater) is energized (S8).

For example, the heating means 9 normally operates when the temperature of the commodity temperature detecting means 1 is 55 degrees, and stops when the temperature of the commodity temperature detecting means 1 is 60 degrees. Assuming that the outside air reference temperature B is 20 ° C., when the outside air temperature is 20 ° C. or more, the number of units sold per unit time is equal to the specified number of units sold (for example, 2 units / 24 per column).
If it is less than (time), the product set temperature is changed to a predetermined lower temperature, the heating means 9 is operated when the temperature of the product temperature detecting means 1 is 50 degrees, and the heating means 9 is stopped at 55 degrees. I do.

Generally, when the outside air temperature is low (for example, 5
Degrees), heated beverages require temperatures of 55 to 57 degrees, but in the warmer months from spring to summer when the outside air temperature is 20 degrees or higher, about 50 degrees Even drinks can fully satisfy customers. In addition, since the number of products sold is small, even if the product temperature is slightly lowered, the product can be reliably sold at a stable product temperature.

As described above, the heating control device for a vending machine according to the present embodiment can be used for heating when the outside air temperature is higher than a preset reference temperature and the number of units sold per unit time is smaller than the specified number of units sold. In the case of operation, the preset product set temperature is changed to a predetermined lower temperature, the power consumption of the heating means 9 (for example, the duty ratio of the heater) is reduced, and the product temperature is lowered slightly so as not to hinder the sales. Thereby, the quality deterioration of the contents product at the time of heating can be suppressed. In addition, by reducing the power consumption of the heating means 9 (for example, the duty ratio of the heater), there is also an effect of reducing the power consumption of the vending machine, thereby saving energy.

[0029]

As described above, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention relates to a heating control device for a vending machine for selling by heating a product to be heated and sold to a set temperature by a heating means. When the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means is higher than a predetermined temperature, a setting temperature changing means for changing the product setting temperature to a temperature lower than a standard product setting temperature stored in the setting temperature storage means by a predetermined temperature. With the provision, when the outside air temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the quality of the contents in heating. In addition, the power consumption of the heating means (heater energization rate) is reduced, which also has the effect of reducing the power consumption of the vending machine, thereby saving energy.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sales number per unit time detecting means for detecting a sales number per unit time of a product to be sold by heating, and the set temperature is set. The changing means changes the outside air temperature to a temperature lower than the standard product set temperature by a predetermined temperature only when the number of sales per unit time detected by the number of sales per unit time detecting means is smaller than a prescribed sales number. When the temperature is higher than the predetermined temperature and the number of units sold per unit time is smaller than the specified number of units sold, it is possible to suppress the deterioration of the quality of the contents during heating. In addition, the power consumption of the heating means (heater energization rate) is reduced, which also has the effect of reducing the power consumption of the vending machine, thereby saving energy.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a heating control device for a vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the heating control device of the vending machine according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a second embodiment of a heating control device for a vending machine according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the heating control device of the vending machine according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Outside air temperature detection means 5 Set temperature storage means 6, 6a Set temperature change means 9 Heating means 12 Sales quantity detection means per unit time

Claims (2)

[Claims] In a heating control device of a vending machine for selling by heating a product to be heated and sold to a product set temperature by a heating means, an outside air temperature detected by an outside air temperature detecting means is higher than a predetermined temperature. In this case, there is provided a heating control device for a vending machine, further comprising a set temperature changing means for changing the set product temperature to a temperature lower than the standard product set temperature stored in the set temperature storage means by a predetermined temperature. 2. A sales per unit time detecting means for detecting a sales number per unit time of a product to be sold by heating, wherein the set temperature changing means is a unit time detected by the sales per unit time detecting means. 2. The heating control device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the temperature is changed to a temperature lower than a standard product set temperature by a predetermined temperature only when the number of sales per unit is less than a prescribed sales number.