JP2002230637A - Automatic beverage vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic beverage vending machine capable of appropriately grasping the exchange timing of a bag in box by successively and appropriately detecting the residual quantity of undiluted syrup solution in the bag in box. SOLUTION: This automatic beverage vending machine is provided with the bag in box storing the undiluted syrup solution in the machine body of the automatic vending machine and can prepare syrup beverage by injecting the undiluted syrup solution in the bag in box through a liquid feed tube. This vending machine is provided with a weight sensor detecting the weight of the bag in box, a control part calculating the residual quantity of the undiluted syrup solution in the bag in box based on the detecting signal of the weight sensor, and a display part displaying the residual quantity of the undiluted syrup solution calculated by the control part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage vending machine capable of diluting a syrup stock solution with dilution water to prepare and sell a syrup beverage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a beverage vending machine for cooking and selling various beverages, a cup holding unit for holding a cup and a predetermined number of cup holding units are provided in a box-shaped body having an open front. A transport device that circulates to a position, a cup supply device that supplies cups of various sizes to the cup holding unit, a raw material supply device that supplies various powder and liquid raw materials in the cup, and a dissolving and dilution device in the cup A hot water supply device for supplying hot water or water, an ice particle supply device for supplying ice particles into the cup, a stirring device for stirring contents in the cup, and the like are provided.

[0003] In a vending machine capable of selling syrup beverages, a back-in box having a package structure is provided in the body of the machine as a container containing a syrup undiluted solution.

[0004] This back-in-box is a syrup manufacturing plant, in which a flexible plastic bag is filled with a syrup stock solution and sealed, and this bag is stored in a cardboard box and packaged. .

A back-in box having such a package structure is shipped from a factory, and the shipped back-in box having a package structure is stored in the vending machine as it is.

[0006] Several kinds of back-in boxes having different contents of syrup stock are stored in the body of the vending machine. Each of the back-in boxes housed in the body is connected to a liquid feed tube having a pump in the middle.

When a syrup beverage is sold, a pump of a liquid sending tube connected to a back-in box corresponding to the selected syrup type is driven, and by this drive, the syrup stock solution in the back-in box is sold through the liquid sending tube. A predetermined amount is supplied into the cup of the mouth, and carbonated water or cold water for dilution is supplied into the cup, and ice particles are supplied as desired. Is cooked. Then, the syrup beverage is provided to the user of the vending machine.

[0008] The syrup beverage is preferably at a low temperature in order to obtain a refreshing sensation at the time of drinking. For this reason, the middle of the liquid sending tube led out of the back-in box is immersed in a cooling water tank, and the syrup beverage is placed in the cup at the sales outlet. The syrup stock solution is supplied at the lowest possible temperature. In addition, a heat insulating material is wound around a part of the liquid sending tube led out from the cooling water tank in order to suppress a temperature rise of the syrup stock solution during the liquid sending.

[0009] Each of the liquid supply tubes derived from the plurality of back-in boxes is adjacent to each other from the viewpoint of reducing the piping space and eliminating the uneconomical effect of winding the heat insulating material around the individual tubes. They are bundled together. Then, a portion derived from the cooling water tank is integrally covered with a heat insulating material.

[0010] Usually, since the liquid supply tube for dilution water also needs to be kept at a low temperature, it is bundled together with the liquid supply tube for syrup and covered with a heat insulating material.

[0011]

As the syrup beverage is sold, the stock syrup in the back-in box gradually decreases, and when the remaining amount reaches the sold-out level, the back-in box is replaced with a new one.

However, in the back-in-box, the syrup stock solution is sealed in the bag in order to avoid mixing of germs and dust, and the bag is stored in a cardboard box. Unable to determine, for this reason, conventionally, assuming the amount of use for a single cooking, calculating how many times the initial full amount in the back-in-box corresponds to cooking, counting the number of times, and counting the number of times of back-in-box The remaining amount of the syrup stock solution is displayed.

[0013] However, the amount of the syrup stock solution used for each cooking varies, and the initial filling amount in the back-in box also varies. However, in the method of calculating the remaining amount by the number of times the estimated used amount is subtracted from the initial full amount in the back-in box, a relatively large error occurs, and it is difficult to accurately grasp the replacement time of the back-in box. Becomes

The present invention has been made in view of such a point, and an object of the present invention is to sequentially and accurately detect the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution in the back-in box to determine the time for replacing the back-in box. It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage vending machine which can be properly grasped.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is provided in a vending machine.
In a beverage vending machine capable of cooking a syrup beverage by providing a back-in box containing a syrup undiluted solution and injecting the syrup undiluted solution in the back-in-box into a cup through a feed tube, the back-in-box A weight sensor for detecting the weight, a control unit for calculating the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution in the back-in box based on the detection signal of the weight sensor, and a display unit for displaying the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution calculated by the control unit Are provided.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a back-in box containing a syrup stock solution is provided in a vending machine, and the syrup stock solution in the back-in box is injected into a cup through a feed tube. In a beverage vending machine capable of cooking a syrup beverage, a plurality of back-in boxes containing the same syrup stock solution are provided in the vending machine, and the syrup stock solution in these back-in boxes is guided into a cup. A switching valve is provided in the middle of the flow path, a weight sensor for detecting the weight of each back-in box is provided, and the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution in the back-in box is calculated based on the detection signal of these weight sensors, When the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution in one back-in box reaches the sold-out level, the switching valve is switched to switch to the other back-in box. A control unit for opening a flow path for guiding the syrup stock solution in the in-box into the cup is provided, and a display unit for displaying the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution in the back-in box calculated by the control unit is provided. Features.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the external appearance of the vending machine, FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal configuration of the vending machine, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the vending machine,
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an arrangement relationship of each member in the body of the vending machine.

The body 1 of the vending machine has a box shape with an open front, and an opening / closing door 3 is rotatably mounted on one side edge of the body 1 via a hinge 2 for example. The opening of the front of the body 1 is opened and closed by the opening and closing door 3.

On the front face of the opening / closing door 3, an insertion slot 4 for inserting coins for purchase, an insertion slot 5 for inserting bills, a return slot 6 for returning the change, and a plurality of types for selecting the type and contents of the beverage to be purchased. , A sales outlet 8 for taking out a purchased cup-containing beverage, a transparent cover door 9 for opening and closing the sales outlet 8, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a column 10 extending substantially vertically extends from the ceiling to the bottom plate of the body 1 at a portion located closer to the center from the right side of the body 1 as shown in FIGS. It is erected across. And this pillar 1
A bend stage 11 is attached to a substantially middle part above and below zero. The bend stage 11 is mounted on the left side of the column 10, and the sales outlet 8 is disposed at the front end of the bend stage 11 in a state where the opening and closing door 3 is closed.

Inside the fuselage 1, a plurality of canisters 12 are provided side by side in the upper part on the left side of the column 10 as a boundary. Various powder materials such as coffee, cocoa, tea, sugar, and cream are stored in each canister 12, respectively.

Further, in the space below the front side of each canister 12, there is provided a cup holding unit 13 and a transfer device 14 for cyclically transferring the cup holding unit 13 to each position in a horizontal XY direction area. ing.

A cup supply device 36 is attached to the upper portion of the column 10 via a hinge 35, and a number of cups of various sizes are stored in the cup supply device 36. The cup supply device 36 is supported so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis with the hinge 35 as a fulcrum. With this rotation operation, the cup supply device 36 is located in front of each canister 12 in the body 1 and is connected to the transfer device 14. The cup supply device 36 can be displaced from the stored state arranged in the upper space portion to the drawn state in which the cup supply device 36 is drawn out to the front side of the body 1 and arranged. In addition, a plurality of canisters 37 are attached to the back of the cup supply device 36, and the powder material is stored in these canisters 37.

Below the transfer device 14, a drain pan 38 is provided horizontally, and a cooling water tank 39 is provided below the drain pan 38. In the cooling water tank 39, as shown in FIGS. 40 are stored. A plurality of, for example, two back-in boxes 41a and 41b are provided in parallel in a space on the side of the cooling water tank 39 as a container containing a syrup stock solution.

A carbon dioxide gas cylinder 42 is provided at an open portion on the front surface of the body 1, and an ice maker 45 for producing ice particles and a hot water tank 46 for boiling hot water are provided at an upper rear portion inside the body 1. I have. Furthermore, the support column 1 in the fuselage 1
A regular coffee production device 48 is provided in a space on the right side of the boundary of 0.

This regular coffee production apparatus 48
Is composed of a pair of canisters 49, a coffee mill 50 disposed below the canisters 49, and a brewer 51 disposed below the coffee mills 50. Each of the canisters 49 accommodates different types of coffee beans. Have been. Then, based on a predetermined signal, the coffee beans in one of the canisters 49 are supplied into the coffee mill 50 via the chute 52, and the coffee mill 50 grinds the coffee beans into ground powder. Is supplied into the brewer 51.

Further, hot water is supplied into the brewer 51 from the hot water tank 46, and the ground water is brewed into coffee liquid by the hot water, and the coffee liquid is extracted through a paper filter 53.

The paper filter 53 is wound in a roll shape, and is used by being drawn out by a necessary length sequentially, and the used portion is sequentially discarded in a bucket 54 disposed below the brewer 51. It is supposed to be.

The bend stage 11 attached to the column 10 has a box shape with open front and rear surfaces as shown in FIG.
Is formed with a notch 59 corresponding to the cup stage 32 in the cup holding unit 13.

When the cup holding unit 13 is transferred to the bend position on the back of the bend stage 11 by the transfer device 14, the cup stage 32 of the cup holding unit 13 enters the notch 59 and matches. The cup above the cup stage 32 is arranged inside the bend stage 11.

A stirrer 60 is attached to the column 10 so as to be located above the bend stage 11. This stirring device 60 has a case 61 with an open lower end.
And a first motor 62 provided in the case 61.
An endless belt 63 that rotates by being driven by the first motor 62, a second motor 64 that moves up and down in conjunction with the endless belt 63, and a vertical motor that is attached to the second motor 64. Long impeller shaft 6
5 and an impeller 66 integrally provided at the lower end of the impeller shaft 65. The case 61 is attached to the side surface of the support 10 via a plurality of screws 67.

At the lower end of the case 61, a nozzle mounting plate 69 is provided.
And an ice hopper 70 are attached. A supply port 71 is formed on a side surface of the ice hopper 70, and a hose 72 led out from the ice maker 45 is connected to the supply port 71.

The lower end of the ice hopper 70 protrudes inward from the upper surface of the bend stage 11, and when a cup is placed in the bend stage 11, the opening of the cup is aligned with the lower end of the ice hopper 70. They are opposed to each other. When the impeller shaft 65 of the stirring device 60 is lowered integrally with the second motor 64, the impeller 66 at the lower end passes through the inside of the ice hopper 70 and is placed in the cup disposed on the bend stage 11. The impeller 66 enters the second motor 64
And the contents in the cup are agitated by this rotation.

A nozzle 73 for hot water, a nozzle 74 for cold water, a nozzle 75 for carbonated water, and nozzles 76a and 76b for syrup are mounted on the nozzle mounting plate 69, respectively.

The nozzles 73, 74, 75, 76a,
The tip of 76 b projects obliquely toward the inside of the bend stage 11, and is supported such that its direction is directed to the opening of the cup in the bend stage 11.

Each of the back-in boxes 41 a and 41 b provided in the machine body 1 is placed on a weighing table 80. As shown in FIG. 6, the weighing table 80 includes a base 81, a weighing table 82 is provided on the base 81, and a weight sensor 83 is attached to a lower surface of the base 81. The weighing table 82 has a rear end attached to the base 81 via a pin 84, and is supported so that the weighing table 82 can rotate up and down around the pin 84.

A transmission body 85 is provided below the base 81. The transmission body 85 is attached to the base 81 via pins 86 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction. The pin 86
An upright portion 85a that rises upward is integrally formed at one end of the transmission body 85 with the boundary therebetween, and this upright portion 85a is formed through an opening 81a formed in the base 81.
Projecting upward from below, comes into contact with the lower surface of the weighing table 82, and the other end of the transmission body 85 extends to the opposite side of the upright portion 85a as a pressing portion 85b.
Are in contact with the actuator 83a of the weight sensor 83 attached to the lower surface of the base 81 in opposition.

The weighing table 82 is supported so that its front end faces obliquely downward, and the back-in box 41a is placed on the weighing table 82. When the back-in box 41a is placed on the weighing table 82, the weighing table 8
2 is urged counterclockwise about the pin 84, and the transmission body 85 is urged counterclockwise about the pin 86, respectively.
This urging force is transmitted to the weight sensor 83, and the weight of the back-in box 41a is detected. And the weight sensor 83
Is sent to the control unit 87.

The weight value of the tare of the back-in boxes 41a and 41b (the weight value of the container excluding the syrup stock solution) is input to the control unit 87 in advance, and the back-in boxes 41a and 41b detected by the weight sensor 83 are input. The remaining weight of the syrup stock solution is calculated by subtracting the weight of the tare from the data of the weight of the syrup, and the remaining value of the syrup stock solution is displayed on the display section 88 on the front surface of the opening and closing door 3. I have.

The other back-in box 41b provided in parallel with the back-in box 41a is also mounted on a weighing table 80 having the same structure as the weighing table 80, and its weight is measured by a weight sensor. 83,
The control unit 876 controls the control unit 876 to display the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution on the display unit 88 on the front surface of the door 3 based on the detection signal.

A discharge port 90 is provided on the front end face of each of the back-in boxes 41a and 41b, and liquid supply tubes 92a and 92b are detachably connected to the discharge port 90 via a connector 91. These liquid feeding tubes 92a, 92
The ends on the tip side of b are connected to syrup nozzles 76a and 76b of the bend stage 11, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 4, pumps 93a and 93b are provided in the middle of each of the liquid feeding tubes 92a and 92b, and between the pumps 93a and 93b and the syrup nozzles 76a and 76b. Some sections are immersed in the cooling water tank 39.

Water is supplied from a water source 96 to a carbonator 40 provided in the cooling water tank 39, and carbon dioxide is supplied from a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 42, whereby carbonated water is generated in the carbonator 40.

The carbonator 40 is connected to a carbonated water nozzle 74 of the bend stage 11 via a liquid feeding tube 97. Part of the section of the liquid sending tube 97 is immersed in the cooling water tank 39, and a valve 98 is provided in the middle of the liquid sending tube 97.

The water source 96 is directly connected to the cold water nozzle 75 of the bend stage 11 via the liquid feeding tube 100. A part of the liquid feeding tube 100 is immersed in the cooling water tank 39, and a valve 101 is provided in the middle of the liquid feeding tube 100.

Each of the liquid feeding tubes 92a, 92b, 9
As shown in FIG. 7, the portions derived from the cooling water tank 39 at 7, 100 are bundled together so as to be adjacent to each other, and the outer periphery thereof is covered with a heat insulating material 103.

Then, a syrup solution sending tube 92a,
Reference numeral 92b denotes a two-layer structure including an inner layer 104 and an outer layer 105. The inner layer 104 is formed of a resin material having a gas barrier property capable of blocking gas, such as EVAL (trade name) manufactured by Kuraray or Barex (trade name) manufactured by Mitsui Chemicals, and the outer layer 105 is inexpensive and has excellent flexibility. It is formed of a resin material such as ordinary vinyl acetate or vinyl chloride having

The inner layer 104 is formed with a small thickness in terms of cost and flexibility, and the outer layer 105 is formed with a relatively large thickness in terms of strength.

The liquid sending tubes 97 and 100 for carbonated water and cold water are made of a resin material such as ordinary vinyl acetate or vinyl chloride which is inexpensive and has good flexibility. Further, the heat insulating material 105 is formed of a resin material having excellent heat insulating properties and flexibility.

Next, the operation of the beverage vending machine will be described.

When the beverage is on standby for sale, the cup holding unit 13 is arranged at the bend position on the back of the bend stage 11, as shown in FIGS.

When the user of the vending machine selects and operates the selection button 7 corresponding to the desired beverage, the cup holding unit 13 is transferred to the cup receiving position below the cup supply device 36 via the transfer device 14. ,
In this position, a cup of a predetermined size is supplied to the cup holding unit 13 from the cup supply device 36,
This cup is supported on the cup stage 32, and both upper sides thereof are sandwiched and held by the pair of hand arms 31.

Here, when, for example, hot coffee is selected as the beverage, the cup holding unit 13 is transported to a position below the canister 12 in which the powdered coffee material is stored, and at this position, the cup is placed in the cup. Powdered coffee ingredients are supplied. Thereafter, the cup holding unit 13 is transported to the bend position on the back of the bend stage 11, the cup stage 32 of the cup holding unit 13 is fitted into the cutout 59 of the bend stage 11, and the cup is inserted into the bend stage 11. To place.

Next, a predetermined amount of hot water is injected from the hot water tank 46 through the hot water nozzle 73 into the cup arranged on the bend stage 11, and subsequently, the first motor 62 of the stirring device 60 is driven. The impeller shaft 65 is lowered, and the impeller 66 at the lower end thereof enters the cup, and the impeller 66 is rotated by the drive of the second motor 64, and the contents in the cup are agitated by this rotation, so that hot coffee is cooked. After that, the impeller shaft 65 rises and returns to the initial position.

When iced coffee is selected as a beverage, a coffee powder material is supplied into the cup, and after the cup is conveyed to the bend position and placed in the bend stage 11, the cup is first placed in the cup. A small amount of hot water necessary for dissolving the powder raw material is injected from the hot water tank 46 through the hot water nozzle 73. Subsequently, the impeller shaft 65 of the stirrer 60 descends, and the impeller 66 at the lower end enters the cup, and the rotation of the impeller 66 stirs the contents in the cup.

Further, during the stirring, cold water from the water source 96 is injected into the cup through the cold water nozzle 75, and ice particles are thrown from the ice maker 45 through the ice hopper 70. And these contents are impeller 66
The ice coffee is cooked by this stirring, and thereafter, the impeller shaft 65 rises and returns to the initial position.

When a carbonated syrup beverage is selected as the beverage, for example, after the cup holding unit 13 holds the cup in the cup receiving position, the cup holding unit 13 returns to the bend position together with the cup, and the cup holding unit 13 returns to the bend position. Are arranged in the bend stage 11.

Thereafter, for example, a pump 93a of the back-in box 41a is operated, and by the operation of the pump 93a, the syrup stock solution filled in the back-in box 41a is supplied from the liquid sending hose 92a to the syrup nozzle 7a.
6a, a predetermined amount is injected into the cup, and carbonated water for dilution is further injected from the carbonator 40 from the liquid supply tube 97 through the carbonated water nozzle 74, and these are stirred by the stirrer 60 to form a carbonated syrup. The beverage is cooked.

When a syrup drink that does not contain carbonic acid is selected, cold water is injected into the cup from the water source 96 through the liquid sending tube 100 and the cold water nozzle 75 in place of carbonated water. The syrup beverage without carbonation is cooked by stirring.

When another type of syrup beverage is selected, the undiluted syrup solution contained in the other back-in box 41b is poured into the cup in the same process and the carbonated water for dilution is used. Or chilled water is poured and stirred to cook the syrup beverage.

In any syrup beverage,
When ice is selected, the ice machine 4
5 to an appropriate amount of ice particles are introduced.

After the various beverages are cooked in the cup in this way, the user of the vending machine opens the cover door 9 and inserts his hand into the sales outlet 8 to take out the cup.

When the regular coffee is selected, after the cup holding unit 13 holds the cup in the cup receiving position, the cup holding unit 13 returns to the bend position, and the cup is placed in the bend stage 11; In addition, regular coffee is extracted by the brewer 51, and the regular coffee is poured into the cup of the bend stage 11.

Each of the liquid feeding tubes 92a, 92b, 97, 1
00 are bundled together so as to be adjacent to each other in order to reduce the piping space. However, the syrup liquid supply tubes 92a and 92b have an inner layer 104 having a gas barrier property. Tube 92
a, 92b, the odor of the syrup stock solution does not diffuse to the outside.
The odor of the syrup stock solution passing through the insides a and 92b does not move to the other liquid sending tubes 92a, 92b, 97 and 100 adjacent thereto.

The syrup liquid supply tubes 92a,
92b may be a case where these are individually piped, and in this case, even when the syrup liquid sending tubes 92a and 92b pass through, for example, the off-flavor generating portion in the body 1 of the vending machine. The unpleasant odor is the liquid sending tube
a, 92b can be prevented from being transferred to the syrup stock solution.

The liquid supply tubes 92a and 92b have a two-layer structure of an inner layer 104 and an outer layer 105,
It is also possible to use a three-layer structure or a multi-layer structure of more layers, or a single-layer structure made of a resin material having gas barrier properties.

The syrup stock solution in each of the back-in boxes 41a and 41b gradually decreases as the syrup beverage is cooked. The weight of the back-in boxes 41a and 41b decreases in accordance with the decrease in the syrup stock solution, and the decrease in the weight is sequentially detected by the weight sensor 83, and a signal is sent to the control unit 87.

In the control section 87, the back-in box 41 previously input from the weight data of the back-in boxes 41a and 42b detected by the weight sensor 83 is used.
A process of calculating the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution by subtracting the weight of the tare of a and 41b is performed, and the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution is displayed on the display unit 88 on the front surface of the door 3.

As a display method, for example, the back-in boxes 41a and 41a detected by the weight sensor 83 are used.
A method in which the value obtained by subtracting the weight of the tare from the data of the weight of 2b is displayed as it is, or the back-in box 41
back-in box 41 detected by the weight sensor 83 when the initial syrup stock solution is full in the a and 41b.
The value obtained by subtracting the weight of the tare from the data of the weights a and 42b is defined as 100%, and the remaining amount is displayed in percentage based on this value.

Then, the back-in boxes 41a and 41b
When the remaining amount of the undiluted syrup has reached a predetermined sold-out level, this is notified to the display unit 88 by means such as blinking of a lamp. Based on this, the vending machine administrator has sold out the back-in box 41.
a, 41b to new back-in boxes 41a, 41b
Replace with

As described above, in the present embodiment, the weight of the back-in boxes 41a and 41b is detected by the weight sensor 83 to calculate the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution. Unlike the method of calculating the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution by assuming the usage amount, the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution can be properly calculated without error, and the replacement time of the back-in boxes 41a and 41b can be accurately grasped.

When a particular syrup beverage is sold at a particularly high frequency, it is preferable to previously store a plurality of back-in boxes containing the specific syrup stock solution in the machine body.

FIG. 8 shows two back-in boxes 41A and 41B containing the same syrup stock solution which is frequently sold.
Is stored in the body 1.

The discharge ports 90 of the back-in boxes 41A and 41B are connected to one end of liquid feed tubes 92A and 92B via a connector 91, respectively, and the other end of the liquid feed tubes 41A and 41B is connected to a switching valve 107. It is connected to the. A liquid sending tube 92C is drawn out from the switching valve 107, and a syrup stock solution is injected into the cup through the liquid sending tube 92C. The remaining amount of the syrup stock solution is calculated based on the signal detected by the weight sensor 83 of each of the weighing tables 80, and the switching valve 1
07 is provided.

The switching valve 107 is in a state of opening the flow path corresponding to one of the two back-in boxes 41A and 41B and closing the flow path corresponding to the other. When the syrup beverage is sold, the syrup stock solution in one back-in box 41A is injected into the cup from the liquid supply tube 92A through the switching valve 107 and the liquid supply tube 92C.

The weight value of the tare of the back-in boxes 41A and 41B is input to the control unit 108 in advance, and the back-in box 41 detected by the weight sensor 83 is input.
A process of calculating the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution by subtracting the weight of the tare from the data of the weight of A is performed, and the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution is displayed on the display unit 88 on the front surface of the door 3.

When the syrup raw material in one of the back-in boxes 41A decreases to the sold-out level due to the repetition of the sales of the syrup beverage, the weight of the weighing table 80 supporting the one back-in box 41A is reduced. The signal is detected by the sensor 83, and the signal is sent to the control unit 108. Based on this signal, the flow path of the switching valve 107 is automatically switched under the control of the control unit 108. The syrup raw material in the back-in box 41B is transferred to the liquid sending tube 92.
B is injected into the cup through the switching valve 107 and the liquid feeding tube 92C.

Thus, one back-in-box 4
Even if the syrup stock solution in 1A reaches the sold-out level, the sales of the syrup beverage can be continuously and efficiently continued using the other back-in box 41B continuously without the need to replace the back-in box 41A at that time. be able to.

When the weight of the other back-in box 41B is detected by the weight sensor 83, the control unit 10
8, a process of calculating the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution by subtracting the weight of the tare from the weight data of the back-in box 41B is performed, and the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution is displayed on the display unit 88 on the front surface of the opening and closing door 3. Is displayed.

When the remaining amount of the undiluted syrup in the other back-in box 41B reaches a predetermined sold-out level, this is notified to the display unit 88 via the control unit 108 by means such as blinking of a lamp. This makes it possible to properly grasp the time to replace the back-in boxes 41A and 41B.

[0081]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the weight of the back-in box is detected by the weight sensor to calculate the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution, a method of calculating the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution by assuming the use amount of one cooking as in the conventional method On the other hand, the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution can be properly calculated without errors, and the time to replace the back-in box can be accurately grasped.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, even if the syrup raw material in one of the plurality of back-in boxes stored in the body of the vending machine reaches the sold-out level,
The sales of the syrup beverage can be continuously continued using the other one of the back-in boxes without requiring the replacement of the back-in box at that time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the appearance of a vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the internal structure of the vending machine.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the vending machine.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing an arrangement relationship of each member in the body of the vending machine.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a bend stage and a stirring device in the vending machine.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a weighing table of a back-in-box in the vending machine.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a bundle portion of a liquid feeding tube in the vending machine.

FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram showing an example in which two back-in boxes containing the same syrup stock solution are used.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Body 8 ... Sales outlet 11 ... Bend stage 41a, 41b ... Back-in box 80 ... Weighing table 81 ... Base 82 ... Weighing table 83 ... Weight sensor 85 ... Transmission body 87 ... Control unit 88 ... Display unit 92a, 92b … Liquid supply tube

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Makoto Ako 180 Furuichi-cho, Maebashi-shi, Gunma F-term in Toshiba Equipment Co., Ltd. (reference) 3E044 AA01 BA01 BA02 CA01 CA02 CC03 CC04 CC09 EA08 EA20 EB01 EB05 FB03 FB17 3E047 AA01 AA02 BA01 BA02 BA03 BA04 CA06 CC03 DA02 DA03 DA07 DA08 DB08 DC04 EA08 EA10 EB01 EB03 ED02 ED03 FA01 FA04 FA07 GA01 GA04 GA08

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine is provided with a back-in box containing a syrup stock, and the syrup stock in the back-in box is poured into a cup through a feeding tube to cook a syrup beverage. In a possible beverage vending machine, a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the back-in box, a control unit for calculating the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution in the back-in box based on a detection signal of the weight sensor, and the control unit A display unit for displaying the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution calculated by the vending machine. 2. A vending machine is provided with a back-in box containing a syrup undiluted solution, and the syrup undiluted solution in the back-in box is injected into a cup through a liquid feeding tube to cook a syrup beverage. In a possible beverage vending machine, the vending machine is provided with a plurality of back-in boxes containing the same syrup stock solution, and a switching valve is provided in the middle of a flow path for guiding the syrup stock solution in these back-in boxes into the cup. Is provided, a weight sensor for detecting the weight of each back-in box is provided, and the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution in the back-in box is calculated based on the detection signals of these weight sensors, and When the remaining amount of the syrup stock solution reaches the sold-out level, the switching valve is switched to switch the syrup in the other back-in box. A beverage automatic apparatus, comprising: a control unit for opening a flow path for guiding the undiluted solution into the cup; and a display unit for displaying the remaining amount of the syrup undiluted solution in the back-in box calculated by the control unit. Vending machine.