JP2002352316A - Cup capping device for cup type automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve reliability by performing improvement to receive and hold a cap delivered from a cap storing container and delivered to a shutter type cap mounting mechanism at a fixed position by suppressing attitude disorder of the cap and to surely attach the cap to the upper surface of a cup containing drink from that position. SOLUTION: In this shutter type cap mounting mechanism 3 arranged at a capping spot on a cup carrying route, a cylindrical guide column 3e for receiving the cap 5 delivered to a shutter mechanism from the cap storing container 1 at a horizontal attitude and holding the cap 5 at a center position of an upper surface of the shutter is additionally equipped on an upper surface side of a double-hinged type shutter mechanism combining a pair of flat left and right slide type shutter plates 3a, and the cap 5 delivered from the cap storing container 1 is surely adhered to the upper surface of the cup 6 by being regulated to a stable attitude by the guide column 3e for the cup 6 containing drink which is mounted on a cup carrying mechanism 4 and reaches the capping spot on the carrying route.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is applied to a cup-type vending machine which sells beverages such as syrup beverages and coffee prepared in the machine in a cup, and provides the customer with a cap over the beverage-containing cup. The present invention relates to a cup capping device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a cup-type vending machine described above, a cup supply mechanism, a raw material canister for various beverages, hot water /
Equipped with cold water tank, ice machine, and cup transport mechanism,
In the process of loading the cup dispensed from the cup supply mechanism at the time of selling the beverage into the cup transport mechanism and transporting it inside the machine, the raw material, hot water / cold water are put into the cup in order, agitated, the beverage is cooked, and the cup with the beverage is sold. 2. Description of the Related Art There is known a cup mixing type in which the liquid is delivered to an outlet.

On the other hand, for such a cup-type beverage vending machine, in order to prevent a customer from spilling a beverage when carrying a beverage-containing cup taken out of a product outlet, a cap storage in the machine is provided. A cup capping device that stores a dish-shaped cap (lid) in the container and attaches the cap dispensed from the cap storage to the upper surface of the beverage cup on the cup transport route in accordance with the selling operation As a known capping device, a shutter-type cap mounting mechanism is arranged at a capping point on a cup transport route, and a cap dispensed from a cap storage in accordance with a selling operation is delivered to the cap mounting mechanism and temporarily held. Wait for the beverage cup to arrive, open the shutter of the capping attachment mechanism, and close the cap. Plunge over those to depositing is, Japanese Patent Application of the same Applicant as the present invention 2001-
No. 18217 has been previously proposed.

Next, the configuration and operation of the cup capping apparatus proposed above will be described with reference to FIGS. First, FIG.
, 1 is a cap storage, 2 is a cap shooter, 3 is a shutter-type cap mounting mechanism disposed at a cap point on a cup transport route, and 4 is a cup transport mechanism. Is supplied to the cap mounting mechanism 3 via the shooter 2 and temporarily stored there. Then, when the beverage-containing cup 6 mounted on the cup transport mechanism 4 reaches the capping point, the shutter mechanism of the cap mounting mechanism 3 is opened, and the cap 5 temporarily held here is removed from the cup 6.
Drop it on the top and attach it. When the capping is completed, the cup transport mechanism 4 moves again and sends out the beverage-containing cup 6 covered with the cap 5 to the product outlet.

[0005] Here, the cap storage case 1 stores a large number of caps 5 in a stack, and cuts out the caps 2 one by one from the cap drop ring 1a and discharges them downward based on a dispensing instruction. As shown in FIG. 4, the cap mounting mechanism 3 has a pair of sliding shutter plates 3a arranged on the left and right sides, and the shutter plates 3a.
Guide rail 3b for supporting the shutter and shutter opening / closing mechanism 3c
And the shutter plate 3a is a guide rail 3
The guide is supported so as to be slidable in the opening and closing directions along the line b. Further, the shutter opening / closing mechanism 3c includes a shutter plate 3a.
, Two racks 3c-1 arranged in parallel with each other, a pinion 3c-2 meshing with each rack 3c-1, and a drive motor 3c
By driving the drive motor 3c-3 forward and backward, the shutter plates 3a synchronously slide in opposite directions via the rack / pinion to open and close. On the upper surface side of the shutter plate 3a, a mortar-shaped cap receiving portion (concave portion) 3d having a bottom cut out in an arc shape as shown in FIG. The cap receiving portion 3d catches and holds the cap 5 that has slipped down from the cap shooter 2, and slides the mortar-shaped slope when the shutter plate 3a is opened right and left. And drop it directly below.

With the above arrangement, when the vending machine is on standby for sale, the shutter plate 3a of the cap mounting mechanism 3 is closed at the position shown in the figure. At the time of selling beverages, the cap 5 is dispensed from the cap storage 1 in parallel with the selling operation, and the shutter plate 3a of the cap mounting mechanism 3 passes through the cap shooter 2.
To be received and held in the cap receiving portion 3d, and temporarily stored here. Subsequently, when the cup 6 containing the beverage cooked in the machine is placed on the cup transport mechanism 4 as shown in FIG. 3 and reaches the capping point on the cap transport route, the cup transport mechanism 4 temporarily stops at this position, and until now. The shutter is opened by sliding the closed shutter plate 3a left and right. As a result, the cap 5, which is straddled between the left and right shutter plates 3 a, passes through between the shutter plates and falls, and lands on the upper surface of the beverage-containing cup 6 located below and on standby. Next, the shutter plate 3
is closed, the cup hand 4a of the cup transport mechanism 4 is opened, and the cup receiving base 4b is moved upward, so that the cap 5 placed on the upper surface of the cup 6 is pressed against the back surface of the shutter plate 3a so that the upper edge of the cup 6 Let it fit. Thereafter, after returning the cup receiving table 4b of the cup transport mechanism 4 to the original height, the cup hand 4a is closed to hold the cup 6, and in this state, the cup 6 is transported to the position of the product outlet of the cup transport mechanism 4. A series of selling operations ends.

[0007]

However, the cap mounting mechanism proposed above has the following problems in operation and function. That is, in the structure of the cap mounting mechanism 3 shown in FIG. 4, the cap 5 that has slipped down from the cap shooter 2 does not fit well in the mortar-shaped cap receiving portion 3d formed on the upper surface of the shutter plate 3a and tilts. When the shutter plate 3a is opened in a subsequent step, the cap 5 does not land correctly on the cup 6 when the receiving posture is disturbed.

Therefore, in order to solve the above problem, the surface of the shutter plate 3a is subjected to Teflon (registered trademark) processing to make it slippery. Alternatively, attempts have been made to vibrate the shutter plate 3a by a vibration motor or the like, and to move the cap 5 received by the shutter plate 3a to the center of the cap receiving portion 4d. It is difficult to always receive and hold the shutter plate 3a at the center position in a stable posture, and further improvement measures are needed to increase reliability for practical use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and it is capable of skillfully restraining the posture of a cap supplied from a cap storage and supplied to a shutter-type cap mounting mechanism to receive and hold the cap at a fixed position on a shutter plate. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cup capping device for a cup-type vending machine, which is improved so that a shutter can be opened from here and a cap can be securely attached to an upper surface of a beverage-containing cup.

[0010]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a cap dispensed from a cap storage is cup-conveyed on a cup conveying route from a beverage cooking section in the machine to a product outlet. A cup capping device of a cup-type vending machine that is attached to the top surface of a beverage cup mounted on the mechanism. A shutter-type cap mounting mechanism is arranged at the capping point on the cup transport route, and the cap is set according to the selling operation. The cap delivered from the storage is delivered to the cap mounting mechanism for temporary holding, and the cap is dropped onto the cup by opening the shutter of the capping mounting mechanism after the arrival of the beverage-containing cup, so that the cap is attached. In the above, the cap mounting mechanism is formed by combining a pair of left and right sliding shutter plates that are flat. An opening type shutter mechanism, and a cylindrical type arranged to face the upper surface side of the shutter mechanism, receive the cap discharged from the cap storage toward the shutter mechanism in a horizontal position, and position and hold the cap at the center position of the upper surface of the shutter. And a guide column.

Further, in connection with the above-mentioned guide column, the present invention can be constituted by the following embodiments. (1) A cap shooter is arranged in cooperation between the guide column and the cap storage, and the cap discharged from the cap storage is transferred to the guide column via the cap shooter. ).

(2) A restricting member for restricting the receiving posture of the cap supplied to the guide column via the cap shooter is provided at the upper entrance side of the guide column. According to the above configuration, the cap dispensed from the cap storage enters the cylindrical guide column corresponding to the outer diameter of the cap and is received in the central position on the shutter plate disposed below being regulated in the horizontal posture. Will be retained. Therefore, even if the shutter plate slides to the open position in the next step, the cap is restrained by the peripheral wall of the guide column and slips through the shutter plate without being displaced from the fixed position, and stands by below the shutter plate. Landing on the top of the beverage cup. Thus, in a subsequent step, when the cup receiving table of the cup transport mechanism is raised to press the cap placed on the upper surface of the cup against the back surface of the shutter plate, the cap fits on the upper surface of the cup and is securely attached.

[0013]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
A description will be given based on (a) and (b) and the embodiment shown in FIG.
In the drawings of the embodiment, members corresponding to those in FIGS. 3 and 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. That is, in the cap mounting mechanism 3 of the illustrated embodiment, a cylindrical guide column 3e is additionally provided for the double-opening shutter mechanism in which a pair of left and right sliding shutters 3a are combined, facing the upper surface of the shutter plate 3a. And a cap shooter 2 between the guide column 3 e and the cap storage 1.
To work together. In the illustrated embodiment, a regulating plate 3f is provided on the upper entrance side of the guide column 3e.

The shutter plate 3a is a flat plate having a flat upper surface, and has a pair of leg pieces 3a-1 projecting downward from the lower surface in the structure of the illustrated embodiment. The guide column 3e is a cylindrical body having an inner diameter substantially corresponding to the outer diameter of the cap 5, and the shutter plates 3
The center position is aligned with the abutting surface of a, and a gap g smaller than the height of the cap 5 is set between the abutment surface and the upper surface of the shutter plate 3a. Furthermore, the regulating plate 3f projects obliquely upward from the periphery of the column facing the cap shooter 2 toward the cap shooter 2 from the peripheral edge opposite to the cap shooter 2.

Next, the operation of the capping apparatus having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 (a) to 2 (d). First, in a vending machine standby state, the shutter plate 3 of the cap mounting mechanism 3 is closed.
a is held in a closed state. Here, when the beverage is sold, the cap 5 discharged from the cap storage 1 shown in FIG. 1 slides on the inclined surface of the cap shooter 2 as shown in FIG. Then, it falls into the guide column 3e of the cap mounting mechanism 3, and while being restrained by the guide column 3e, it is placed on the center of the upper surface of the shutter plate 3a as shown in FIG. In this case, by providing the above-mentioned regulating plate 3f on the entrance side of the guide column 3e, the cap 5 sliding down the cap shooter 2 is guided by the regulating plate 3f and securely enters the guide column 3e. In addition, the cap 5 is received and held in a horizontal posture without standing or turning over.

Subsequently, when the beverage-containing cup 6 cooked in the machine reaches the capping point on the cap transport route upon being placed on the cup transport mechanism 4 as shown in FIG.
After the cup transport mechanism 4 is temporarily stopped at this position, the shutter plate 3a is slid left and right to open the shutter, and the guide column 3e spans the left and right shutter plates 3a.
The cap 5 held in a fixed position by FIG.
As shown in (c), it slips through between the shutter plates 3a and falls,
The user lands on the upper surface of the cup so as to cover the beverage-containing cup 8 which is located below the standby position.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 2 (d), after opening the cup hand 4a of the cup transport mechanism 4 on which the beverage-containing cup 6 is mounted, the cup holder 4b is raised while the shutter plate 3a is simultaneously opened. When the slide operation is performed to the closed position, the cap 5 is positioned at the center position of the upper surface of the cup 6 in the form of being sandwiched between the leg pieces 3a-1 moving from the left and right on the way,
The cap 5 placed on the upper surface of the cup 6 is pressed against the lower surface of the shutter plate 3a by the subsequent rise of the cup receiving base 4b, and is pressed and attached to the cup 6.

Thereafter, the cup receiver 4b of the cup transport mechanism 4 is lowered to return the cup 6 to its original position, and then the cup hand 4a is closed to hold the cup 6 from the left and right. 4 is moved and the cup 6 is sent out to the product outlet. In the illustrated embodiment, the cap storage 1
Is set at a position deviated from the cup transport route, and the cap 5 is supplied to the cap mounting mechanism 3 via the cup shooter 2. However, the cap storage case 1 may be disposed immediately above the cap mounting mechanism 3. If possible, restricting plate 3f of cup shooter 2 and cap mounting mechanism 3
Can be omitted.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, a double-opening type in which a pair of left and right sliding shutter plates which are flat plates is combined with a shutter type cap mounting mechanism arranged at a capping point on a cup transport route. The upper surface of the shutter mechanism is provided with a cylindrical guide column for receiving the cap dispensed from the cap storage toward the shutter mechanism in a horizontal position and holding the cap at the center position of the upper surface of the shutter. The cap dispensed from the storage is restricted to a horizontal position and received and held at the fixed position of the shutter-type cap mounting mechanism. From here, the shutter mechanism can be opened and landed on the upper surface of the beverage-containing cup to securely adhere. This eliminates the problems of the conventional capping device and improves the reliability of the capping operation.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a capping device according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a configuration layout diagram, and (b) is a detailed configuration diagram of a cap mounting mechanism in FIG.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a capping step of attaching a cap to a cup, and (a) to (d) are explanatory views of the operation of each step.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional capping device.

FIG. 4 is a detailed structural view of a cap mounting mechanism in FIG. 3;

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 cap storage 2 cap shooter 3 cap mounting mechanism 3 a shutter plate 3 e guide column 3 f regulating plate 4 cup transport mechanism 5 cap 6 beverage cup

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cup type in which a cap dispensed from a cap storage is attached to an upper surface of a drink cup mounted on a cup transport mechanism on a cup transport route leading from a beverage cooking section in the machine to a product outlet. A cup capping device of a vending machine, in which a shutter-type cap mounting mechanism is arranged at a capping point on a cup transport route, and a cap dispensed from a cap storage is transferred to the cap mounting mechanism according to a vending operation and temporarily held. In addition, the shutter of the capping attachment mechanism is opened after the arrival of the beverage-containing cup, and the cap is dropped on the cup to be attached to the cup. A double-opening shutter mechanism combining plates,
A cylindrical guide column that is disposed facing the upper surface of the shutter mechanism, receives the cap discharged from the cap storage toward the shutter mechanism in a horizontal position, and holds the cap at the center of the upper surface of the shutter. Characteristic cup-capping device for cup-type vending machines. 2. The cup capping device according to claim 1, wherein a cap shooter is arranged in cooperation with the guide column and the cap storage, and the cap discharged from the cap storage is passed through the cap shooter via the guide column. A cup capping device for a cup-type vending machine, wherein the cup capping device is delivered to a customer. 3. The cup capping device according to claim 2, wherein a restricting member for restricting the receiving posture of the cap supplied to the guide column via the cap shooter is provided on the upper entrance side of the guide column. Cup capping device for cup-type vending machines.