JP2003157471A - Cup mixing type vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vending machine capable of offering an ensured service without any malfunction and preparing a high quality drink. SOLUTION: This cup mixing type vending machine 1 is provided with a canister 2 storing a powder material, a powder supplying device supplying the powder material inside the canister 2 to a cup 7, and a liquid supplying device (a pump 9) supplying a liquid material to the cup 7. In this cup mixing type vending machine 1, a drink is prepared by mixing the powder material and the liquid material together inside the cup 7. The cup mixing type vending machine 1 is also provided with a first measurement device 3 measuring the weight of the canister 2 storing the powder material.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup-mixing type vending machine for producing a beverage by mixing a powder raw material and a liquid raw material and providing the beverage in a cup.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in a vending machine which manufactures a beverage by mixing a powder raw material and a liquid raw material and supplies the beverage in a cup, after supplying the powder raw material from a powder raw material container called a canister to a mixing container, Liquid raw material is supplied to this mixing container, and the powder raw material and liquid raw material are mixed, and then the mixing ball type that supplies the mixed beverage to the cup, and the raw material is directly supplied to the cup to be sold and produced inside the cup. There is a cup mixing type (CMS).

Since the cup mixing type supplies raw materials and the like into the cups to be sold, unlike the mixing ball type, the beverage of the previous user is not mixed, and it is said that the cup mixing type is very excellent in terms of quality. ing.

However, in most of such cup mixing type vending machines, conventionally, the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister is not measured. Therefore, if the powder raw material in the canister does not remain sufficiently, the beverage is produced without the powder raw material being supplied in the cup, or the beverage is produced while the prescribed powder raw material is insufficient,
Are on sale.

Further, conventionally, as a method for measuring the remaining amount of powder raw material, an optical sensor or the like is provided at a predetermined position in the canister, and when the powder raw material is exhausted at this sensor position, the powder raw material is in a shortage state. There is a way to determine that
In this method, the particles of the powder raw material are so small that sticking occurs immediately, and despite the fact that the powder raw material has disappeared, frequent malfunctions such as determining that it still exists,
Nowadays it is almost never used. Therefore, a means for surely knowing the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister is desired.

Furthermore, the weight of the powdered raw material and the liquid raw material has a great influence on the quality, but is only roughly measured by the current vending machines. For example,
As a method of setting the supply amount of the powder raw material, there is a method of setting the rotation time of the auger installed in the canister and setting the amount supplied from the canister to the cup within the set time as the supply amount.

[0007]

From the above-mentioned prior art,
The inventor of the present application, as a result of earnest research,
That is, it has been found that the problem that the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister is not measured can be solved by measuring the weight of the canister. Regarding the latter problem, that is, the problem that the weights of the powder raw material and the liquid raw material are roughly measured, the measuring device developed by the present inventor (Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-170962 “Measuring device and the measuring device See "Automatic cooking machine and robot hand")
Can be solved by using.

However, only when the canister is equipped with a measuring device for measurement, the canister must be equipped with a measuring device having sufficient durability and a relatively wide measuring range. Since it is difficult to measure such a small amount as described above, there is a problem that accurate measurement cannot be performed.

The weight of the powder raw material supplied to the cup can be accurately measured only when the cup is equipped with a measuring device for measurement, but when the remaining amount in the canister is measured, the amount of the powder raw material used is measured. Since there is a need to accumulate, there is a possibility that an error will occur. In addition, since there is a difference in the initial amount of powdered raw material put into the canister, it is necessary to see a margin in the reference amount of how much to use before stopping sales as a result of accumulating the amount used. There is a problem that the powder raw material cannot be used up sufficiently.

Further, when the quality of the supply is judged based on the amount of the powder raw material actually supplied to the cup, the judgment cannot be made until after the raw material has been put into the cup, so that there is a sufficient remaining amount in advance. There is also the problem of not knowing whether or not. From these things, this application aims at providing the vending machine which can provide a reliable service without malfunction and can manufacture a high quality drink.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a cup mixing type vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a canister for storing powder raw materials and a powder raw material in the canister. In a cup mixing type vending machine that includes a powder supply device that supplies a cup and a liquid supply device that supplies a liquid raw material to the cup, and that provides the beverage by mixing the powder raw material and the liquid raw material in the cup It is characterized in that it comprises a first weighing device for measuring the weight of the canister in which the powder raw material is stored, and is configured to measure the remaining amount of the powder raw material.

According to this structure, first, the powder material is supplied to the cup while being measured by the first measuring device 3 by the powder supply device. Next, the liquid supply device supplies the liquid raw material to the cup. Then, the powder raw material and the liquid raw material are mixed in the cup to provide this beverage. At this time, the remaining amount of the powder raw material stored in the canister is measured by the first measuring device. Thereby, the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister can be measured by the actual measurement value.

The invention according to claim 2 of the present invention is
The cup mixing type vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator showing the remaining amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device.

According to this structure, the remaining amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device is displayed as a level on the indicator. Therefore, at a glance, the accurate remaining amount of the powder raw material can be known.

The invention according to claim 3 of the present invention is
In the cup mixing type vending machine according to claim 1 or 2, when at least the remaining amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device is equal to or less than a predetermined value, at least the sale of the beverage using the powder raw material is performed. It is characterized by having a sales management means for stopping.

According to this structure, when the residual amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device is equal to or less than the predetermined value, the sales management means stops the sale of at least the beverage using the powder raw material. Is characterized by. This allows
It is possible to prevent the quality of the beverage from being impaired due to the powder raw material running out in the canister.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the cup mixing type vending machine according to any one of the first to third aspects, the cup and the raw materials supplied into the cup are provided. A second supporting device for supporting the cup, and a second supporting member for supporting the first supporting member via a first elastic member. And a base that supports the second support member via a second elastic member, and the first elastic member and the second elastic member have different elastic moduli and are connected to the first support member. The movable electrode plate and the fixed electrode plate fixed to the base form a capacitor, and the capacitance of the capacitor is detected to measure the total weight of the cup and the raw material supplied into the cup. Specially configured To.

According to this structure, the movable electrode plate connected to the first supporting member and the fixed electrode plate fixed to the base form a capacitor, and the capacitance of the capacitor is detected. The total weight of the cup and the raw materials supplied in the cup is measured. On this occasion,
Since the first elastic member and the second elastic member have different elastic moduli, the capacitance of the capacitor changes sensitively when the load applied to the first support member is small and insensitive when the load is large. As a result, it is possible to accurately supply both the powder raw material with a small weight and the liquid raw material with a large weight to the cup,
You can also check the remaining amount in the canister. As a result, it is possible to provide a vending machine that can provide a reliable service without malfunction and can manufacture a high-quality beverage.

[0019]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The vending machine 1 of this embodiment is characterized in that the first weighing device 3 is used to measure the remaining amount of the powder raw material stored in the canister 2.

First, the configuration of the cup mixing type vending machine 1 (hereinafter, simply referred to as "vending machine 1") of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The vending machine 1 uses the powder raw material accumulated in the canister 2 in a cup 7
Is supplied to the cup 7 by the pump 9, and the two raw materials are stirred by the stirrer 10 to produce a beverage, which is provided to the user.

The canister 2 stores powder raw materials for beverages.
It is a container for storing, and is configured to supply the powder raw material from the supply port 2A by rotating the auger 5A installed in the lower part of the container. Then, the canister 2 is installed on the weighing plate 42 of the first weighing device 3 for electrically measuring the weight, and the powder in the canister 2 is controlled by being controlled by the first control circuit unit 13A (see FIG. 2). The remaining amount of the raw material is constantly measured, and the remaining amount is displayed on the indicator display unit 50 installed on the front surface of the canister 2. The auger 5A is also controlled by the control device 13 and is configured to supply an appropriate amount of powder raw material while observing the weight change of the canister 2 by the first weighing device 3. Details of the first weighing device 3, the indicator display unit 50, and the control device 13 will be described later.

Since the vending machine 1 normally provides a plurality of types of beverages, a plurality of canisters 2 are provided side by side according to the type of beverage. Further, the canister 2 and the auger 5A correspond to the powder supply device in the claims. A raw material temporary storage device 4 is provided below the supply port 2A. Although not shown, the raw material temporary holding device 4
Is supported by a support different from the canister 2, so that the weight of the powder raw material that has entered the raw material temporary holding device 4 is not included in the weight measured by the first weighing device 3. Has become.

The cup 7 is a beverage providing container which also serves as a mixing container for mixing the powder raw material and the liquid raw material. The cup 7 is a cup server 11 that stores a plurality of cups 7.
Dropped on the cup base 6. Cup base 6
It is movably supported in the vertical and horizontal directions by a transporting means including a transport rail (not shown). Since the powder raw material supplied to the cup 7 is different depending on the type of beverage to be produced, the cup base 6 is provided below the raw material temporary holding device 4 to which the powder raw material is supplied, and the liquid raw material from the pump 9. It is controlled so that the cup 7 can be moved below the supplied nozzle 9A.

The pump 9 is constructed so as to pump up the liquid raw material from a liquid raw material tank (not shown) and supply it to the cup 7. The liquid raw material supplied depends on the beverage,
There are no particular restrictions on water, hot water, carbonated water, alcoholic beverages, alcohol, vinegar, oil, etc. When different types of liquid raw materials are used, separate pumps 9 and nozzles 9A are provided for each liquid raw material to prevent mixing of taste. It can also be provided. The pump 9 corresponds to the liquid supply device in the claims.

Next, the first weighing device 3 having the features of the present invention described in claim 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of the first weighing device 3. (Structure of the first weighing device 3) As shown in FIG.
The first weighing device 3 includes a first capacitance sensor unit 41 that forms a capacitor whose capacitance changes according to a change in a load received from the outside, a first control circuit unit 13A including an electric circuit, and the like. CPU (C that also functions as setting means
internal Processing Unit) 13
It is configured to include C and.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first capacitance sensor unit 41 supports the weighing plate 42 attached to the lower portion of the canister 2 and a plurality of springs 43B so as to support the weighing plate 42 so that it can move in the vertical direction. Canister base plate 44
have. In the first capacitance sensor section 41, a movable electrode plate 42A fixed to the lower surface of the weighing plate 42 and a fixed electrode plate 44A fixed to the canister base plate 44 form a capacitor using air as a dielectric. .

The canister base plate 44 is provided with columns 43A standing upright at four corners, and the columns 43A guide the weighing plate 42 so as to be slidable up and down. Coil-shaped springs 43B are fitted on the columns 43A, respectively, and the weighing plate 42 receives the weight of the canister 2 by the springs 43B.
I support you.

In the present embodiment, the spring constant (elastic modulus) of the spring 43B is set so that the weight of the entire canister can be measured. The characteristics of the first weighing device 3 are
The weight of the canister 2 changes, that is, the load applied to the weighing plate 42 changes, and the weighing plate 42 and the canister base plate 4 change.
When the distance between the two electrodes changes, both electrode plates 42A, 44A
The capacitance of the formed capacitor changes non-linearly based on the distance between the electrodes. This is both electrode plates 42
This is because the capacitance of the capacitor is inversely proportional to the distance between the electrodes when the areas of A and 44A are constant. Therefore, in the first weighing device 3, the capacitance of the capacitor is converted as the oscillation frequency to convert the relationship between the weight and the oscillation frequency into a characteristic having linearity.

Next, the first control circuit section 1 of the first weighing device 3
3A will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the first control circuit unit 13A includes a first mass calculation unit 45 that converts the capacitance data measured by the first capacitance sensor unit 41 into remaining amount data, the temperature of the atmosphere, and the like. Calibration circuit 45B for reducing the effect of changes in humidity, humidity, etc. on the measurement results
It is configured to include.

The first control circuit section 13A controls the auger drive section 5 as a section for controlling an external device based on the weight calculated by the first mass calculation section 45.
6. Sales management unit 47 for notifying the sales stop display unit 49 and controlling the sales stop button, and indicator display unit 50
And an indicator control unit 48 for controlling the display of the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister.

The first mass computing unit 45 uses the weight-frequency characteristic having linearity as the capacitance data indicating the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister 2 measured by the first capacitance sensor unit 41. Convert it to the remaining amount data. This data conversion will be described later in detail in the second embodiment. The converted remaining amount data of the canister 2 is recorded in the first mass calculation unit 45. The auger drive control unit 46 receives the remaining amount data of the canister 2 calculated by the first mass calculating unit 45, and calculates the difference from the remaining amount data recorded in the first mass calculating unit 45 at the previous supply. , The supply data of the powder raw material supplied to the cup 7 is obtained, and this supply data is compared with the set value of the supply amount of the powder raw material to the cup 7 corresponding to each beverage set in advance in the CPU 13C. When the supply data reaches the set value, the auger drive unit 5 is notified that the supply of the powder raw material is stopped, and the supply of the powder raw material is stopped.

The sales management unit 47 uses the remaining amount data of the canister 2 calculated by the first mass calculation unit 45 and C in advance.
Compare with the minimum remaining amount of each powder raw material recorded in PU13C, and if the weight data is less than the minimum residual amount, stop selling the beverage for the raw material with insufficient remaining amount,
The sales stop display unit 49 is notified. Sales stop display section 49
In response to a command from the sales management unit 47, the sales stop button corresponding to each drink or the raw material such as milk or sugar is illuminated to notify the user of the stop of sales, and the button is disabled to manufacture the drink. It is structured so that it will not be sold. The sales management unit 47 here corresponds to the sales management unit described in the claims.

The indicator control unit 48 receives the remaining amount data of the canister 2 calculated by the first mass calculation unit 45 and notifies the indicator display unit 50 of it. The indicator display unit 50 is configured to display an indicator showing the remaining amount of the powder raw material in response to a command from the indicator control unit 48. Indicator display section 50 here
Corresponds to the indicator showing the remaining amount described in the claims.

(Explanation of the Operation of the First Embodiment) The data processing carried out by using the first weighing device 3 will be specifically described below by taking the case of manufacturing cafe au lait as an example. First, according to the user's selection, the cup server 11 shown in FIG.
Will be dropped. When the cup 7 is placed on the cup base 6, the transporting means moves the cup 7 below the raw material temporary holding device 4 connected to the canister 2 in which the coffee powder raw material (powder) is stored.

In this state, the auger 5A is driven to supply the coffee powder into the cup 7 while measuring the weight of the canister with the first weighing device 3. At this time, the first weighing device 3 uses the capacitance data obtained by measuring the weight in the canister 2 measured by the first capacitance sensor unit 41 to calculate the first mass calculation unit 45 in the first control circuit unit 13A. Is converted into the remaining amount data by the first control circuit unit 13A from the converted remaining amount data.
The supply data of the powder raw material supplied into the cup 7 is calculated by the auger drive control unit 46 inside.

The auger drive control unit 46 takes in a set value which defines the supply amount of coffee powder recorded in the CPU 13C and compares the set value with the supply data measured by the first weighing device 3. When the supply data is smaller than the set value, it is determined that the supply amount of coffee powder is less than the required amount, and the auger drive control unit 46 outputs a drive command for the auger 5A to the auger drive unit 5 (see FIG. 2). . On the other hand, if the set value and the supply data match, the auger drive control unit 46 outputs a stop command for the auger 5A to the auger drive unit 5.

In this way, when the required amount of coffee powder has been supplied to the cup 7, the conveying means is driven to convey the cup 7 to the next material supply position. For example, in the case of café au lait containing sugar, the conveying means sequentially conveys to the lower part of the canister 2 in which the milk powder is stored and the raw material temporary storage device 4 connected to the canister 2 in which the sugar powder is stored. .

At this time, the supply of each raw material from the canister 2 to the raw material temporary holding device 4 may be performed after the cup 7 is conveyed below the raw material temporary holding device 4 of the powder raw material canister 2 in the next step. At the same time as measuring the coffee powder and supplying it to the cup 7, the raw materials such as milk powder and sugar powder are measured by the first weighing device 3 provided in each canister as in the case of the coffee powder. The material is temporarily supplied to the material temporary holding device 4 attached to the supply port 2A. After the transport means transports the cup 7 below the raw material temporary holding device 4 of each raw material canister 2, the opening / closing port attached to the supply port of the raw material temporary holding device 4 opens, and each raw material is transferred to the cup 7. Supplied.

For example, in the next step of supplying milk powder, after supplying the required amount of coffee powder to the cup 7, the conveying means is driven to temporarily hold the raw material attached to the canister 2 in which the milk powder is stored. It is conveyed to the lower side of the device 4. When the cup 7 is conveyed, the opening / closing port attached to the supply port in the raw material temporary storage device 4 in which the measured milk powder is stored is opened, and the milk powder is supplied to the cup 7. Sugar powder is supplied as well.

Further, in the step of injecting the liquid raw material, for example, hot water, the conveying means uses the cup 7 and the nozzle 9A of the pump 9.
Transport to the bottom position of. When the amount of water injected from the pump 9 into the cup 7 reaches the set value, the water injection from the pump 9 is stopped. Then, after the coffee powder, the milk powder, the sugar and the hot water are stirred by the stirrer 10, the sugar-containing cafe au lait produced in the cup 7 is provided to the user.

When the powder raw material is supplied, the first measuring device 3 uses the capacitance data obtained by measuring the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister 2 measured by the first capacitance sensor section 41. , The first mass calculation unit 45 in the first control circuit unit 13A
Record the value converted into the remaining amount data with. Then, the indicator control unit 48 outputs the recorded remaining amount data to the indicator display unit 50, and the remaining amount data received by the indicator display unit 50 is displayed.

Further, the first weighing device 3 includes a sales management unit 4
In step 7, a set value which pre-records the minimum remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister 2 stored in the CPU 13C is fetched, and this set value is compared with the remaining amount data measured by the first weighing device 3. If the set value and remaining amount data match,
The sales management unit 47 outputs a sales stop command to the sales stop display unit 49, and the sales stop display unit 49 lights the sales stop button to stop the supply of the beverage designated by the user.

In this case, the indicator display section 50
Although the above is described as being attached to the front side surface of the canister 2, it is also possible to attach the indicator display unit 50 for each canister 2 to the front surface of the internal door of the vending machine. Further, the indicator display section 50 can be digitally displayed by using a numeral indicating the remaining amount, in addition to the display method shown in FIG. It is also possible to display the minimum remaining amount set for each canister 2.

As described above, by measuring the weight of the canister with the first measuring device, it is possible to supply the powder raw material while measuring the supply amount, so that the non-uniform supply due to the sticking of the raw material can be detected, and the raw material can be detected. Since a plurality of powder raw materials are temporarily stored and supplied to the temporary storage device while being simultaneously measured, it is possible to supply the powder raw material quickly and accurately. Further, since the beverage with the insufficient amount of the raw material is stopped to be sold, it is possible to prevent from accidentally selling the beverage with the insufficient amount of the raw material. Further, by displaying the indicator, the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the plurality of canisters can be grasped at once, and the management of the powder raw material becomes easy. Therefore, the cup mixing type vending machine 1 provided with the first weighing device 3 can quickly and surely provide the beverage selected by the user.

(Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of the second weighing device 6, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the second weighing device 6. FIG. 6 is a front view of the second capacitance sensor unit 12 at the time of weighing. 7, 8 and 9 are graphs showing the characteristics of the weighing device. The same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The cup mixing type vending machine 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the second weighing device 6 in addition to the first embodiment, so that the supply amount of the powder raw material to the cup 7 and the mass of the powder raw material in the canister are improved. It is characterized by accurate measurement.

(Structure of Second Metering Device 6) As shown in FIG. 4, the second metering device 6 includes a second capacitance sensor section which forms a capacitor whose capacitance changes according to a change in the load received from the outside. 12, a second control circuit unit 13B including an electric circuit and the like, and a CPU that also functions as a setting unit.
(Central Processing Unit)
13C is included.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second capacitance sensor section 12 includes a weighing plate 14 on which the cup 7 is placed, and a movable plate 16 which supports the weighing plate 14 so as to be vertically movable by a spring 15A. A base plate 17 that supports the movable plate 16 by a spring 15B so as to be vertically movable. In the second capacitance sensor section 12, a movable electrode plate 18 fixed to the weighing pan 14 and a fixed electrode plate 19 fixed to the base 17 form a capacitor using air as a dielectric. The weighing pan 14 and the movable plate 16 correspond to the first support member and the second support member in the claims, respectively.
Further, the spring 15A and the spring 15B correspond to the first elastic member and the second elastic member described in the claims, respectively.

The weighing pan 14 is a plate-shaped member having through holes 20 at its four corners. The movable electrode plate 18 and the stopper 14A are fixed to the lower surface of the weighing pan 14 with a fixing screw (not shown). The movable electrode plate 18 has a flat plate 18A having a predetermined area and a leg portion 18B for fixing the flat plate 18A at a predetermined distance from the weighing dish 14.
The stopper 14A is used when controlling the descending amount of the weighing pan 14. The distance between the lower end of the stopper 14A and the movable plate 16 is the distance at which the weighing pan 14 can descend.

The movable plate 16 has a bottom portion 22 on which a supporting column 21 is erected at a position corresponding to a drilling position at a position of the through hole 20 of the weighing dish 14, and both ends of the lower portion 22 are flanged via side walls 23. 24, and has a concave shape as a whole when viewed from the front. The movable plate 16 is divided into two in order to make the weighing dish 14 movable in the vertical direction by inserting the column 21 into which the coiled spring 15A is fitted, into the through hole 20 of the weighing dish 14, The flange 24 is formed with a through hole 26 for inserting the pillar 25 standing from the base 17.

The base 17 is provided with columns 25 standing upright at positions corresponding to the positions where the through holes 26 of the movable plate 16 are drilled.
A spacer 27 is provided between the five. In addition, a coil-shaped spring 15B is fitted onto the column 25, and the column 25 is inserted into the through hole 26 to support the movable plate 16 in a vertically movable manner. Here, the fixed electrode plate 19
Is a flat plate portion 19A having a predetermined area, and a flat plate portion 19A.
And arm portions 19B extending from both ends thereof. The arm portion 19B is fixed to the spacer 27 described above with a fixing screw (not shown).

In the present embodiment, the spring constant (elastic modulus) of the spring 15B is set sufficiently larger than the spring constant of the spring 15A. Therefore, cup 7
6 is small, that is, when the weighing pan 14 receives a small load from the cup 7, the spring 15B behaves as a rigid body and only the spring 15A contracts, as shown by the white arrow, as shown in FIG. 6 (a). Only the weighing pan 14 descends. On the other hand, when the weight of the cup 7 is sufficiently large, that is, when the weight received from the cup 7 by the weighing pan 14 is sufficiently large, the spring 15A behaves as a rigid body in a contracted state as shown in FIG. 6 (b). Only the spring 15B contracts, and the weighing pan 14 and the movable plate 16 descend as shown by the black arrow.

For example, when the spring constant of the spring 15B is 10 times that of the spring 15A and the maximum displacement of the distance from the movable electrode plate 18 to the fixed electrode plate 19 is set to 5 mm, the weight of the cup 7 and the distance between the electrodes are The relationship is shown in FIG. According to FIG. 7, the characteristics of the second weighing device 6 are:
In the region where the weight is small, according to the straight line L1 showing the relationship between the distance between the electrodes due to the spring 15A having a small spring constant and the weight of the cup 7, in the region where the weight of the cup 7 is 0.15 kg or more, the spring constant of the spring 15B It can be seen that it follows a straight line L2 indicating the relationship between the distance between the electrodes and the weight of the cup 7.

When the weighing device is constructed from only one spring constant as in the prior art, the measurement is performed according to the electrode distance-weight characteristic of either the straight line L1 or the straight line L2. If only the straight line L1 is followed, an enormous length of spring is required to measure the weight of nearly 1 kg. On the other hand, when only the straight line L2 is followed, the weight of less than 0.1 Kg cannot be accurately measured. On the other hand, according to the second weighing device 6 of the present embodiment, it can be understood that a wide range can be accurately performed.

Here, the weight of the cup 7 changes, that is,
When the load applied to the weighing pan 14 changes and the distance between the movable electrode plate 18 and the fixed electrode plate 19 changes, both electrode plates 1
The capacitance of the capacitor formed by 8 and 19 changes as shown in FIG. This is because both electrode plates 18, 19
This is because the capacitance of the capacitor is inversely proportional to the distance between the electrodes when the area is constant.

Further, in this embodiment, the change in the capacitance of the capacitor is measured as the change in frequency. This is because when the change in the capacitance of the capacitor is acquired with time as a parameter, the data obtained is highly non-linear.
This is because if measurement is performed in a non-linear region, it is necessary to perform logarithmic conversion, linear approximation, etc., and thus complicated circuits and processing are required. In addition, there is a problem that sufficient decomposition ability cannot be obtained in a region having high linearity. On the other hand, when the change in capacitance is measured using the change in oscillation frequency as a parameter, the relationship between weight and change in oscillation frequency is shown in FIG.
As shown in the weight-frequency characteristic of, the linear characteristic including the straight line L3 based on the spring 15A and the straight line L4 based on the spring 15B is obtained. According to FIG. 9, it can be seen that the high resolution is achieved even in the region where the weight is small.

Next, the second control circuit section 1 of the second weighing device 6
3B will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, the second control circuit unit 13B includes a second mass calculation unit 31 that converts a change in the capacitance of the second capacitance sensor unit 12 into a weight change, the temperature of the atmosphere, the humidity, and the like. The calibration circuit unit 32 is configured to reduce the influence of the change in the measurement result.

The second mass computing section 31 has an oscillation frequency circuit 33 in which the capacitor of the second capacitance sensor section 12 is incorporated as a circuit constant. Therefore, the oscillation frequency circuit 33 outputs a pulse signal of a predetermined frequency to the amplifier circuit 34 according to the capacitance of the capacitor. The amplifier circuit 34 amplifies the pulse width of the acquired pulse signal according to the timing generated by the timing circuit 35. The pulse signal whose pulse width has been amplified is output to the counting circuit 36.
Is input to the latch circuit 37. Counting circuit 36
Uses the clock generated by the clock circuit 38 as a unit time, and counts the amplified pulse width using the frequency as a parameter. On the other hand, the latch circuit 37 is the count circuit 3
6 is also used to hold the counted value as data, detect the end of the pulse width, hold the count data, and generate a pulse for setting initial data in the count circuit 36.

The pulse width counted by the count circuit 36 is fetched and held in the latch circuit 37.
The count value of the pulse width held in the latch circuit 37 is
In the comparison circuit 39, which is a comparison means, it is used for comparison with the set value recorded in the CPU 13C. here,
The set value recorded in the CPU 13C is a data of the weight set for each type of beverage and each stage of supply of raw materials and the like.

The comparison circuit 39 compares the count value held in the latch circuit 37 with the set value input from the CPU 13C, and sends the comparison result to the gate circuit 40. The gate circuit 40 compares the comparison result with the auger drive unit 5 of the auger 5A.
Or output to a display (not shown) or the like. In addition, the calibration circuit unit 32 receives an instruction from the CPU 13C, performs calibration in accordance with the timing generated by the timing circuit 35 in the second mass calculation unit 31, and counts the result as initial data. Output to the circuit 36. For example, when the frequency of the oscillation frequency circuit 33 is 16
15kHz due to environmental influences, etc.
If z, the calibration circuit 32
Calibrates the reference frequency when the frequency is counted by the counting circuit 36. The timing at which the calibration circuit unit 32 performs the calibration is, instead of receiving an instruction from the CPU 13C,
It is also possible to set the timing at which the user operates the push button for instructing the start of beverage production.

(Explanation of Operation of Second Embodiment) Regarding the data processing performed by using the first weighing device 3 and the second weighing device 6, taking a case of manufacturing coffee as an example,
This will be specifically described below. First, according to the user's selection, the cup 7 is dropped from the cup server 11 shown in FIG. 3 onto the weighing pan 14 of the second weighing device 6. At this time, in the second weighing device 6, the distance between the electrodes of the movable electrode plate 18 and the fixed electrode plate 19 shown in FIG. 4 increases due to the weight of the cup 7, and the capacitance changes. Due to the change in the electrostatic capacitance, the oscillation frequency circuit 33 of the second control circuit unit 12, for example, the value obtained by counting the pulse width in the counting circuit 36 is 1190.
If it is 0, the latch circuit 37 holds the pulse signal of 10 kHz and the count value 11900.

When the cup 7 is placed on the second weighing device 6, the transport means temporarily holds the cup 7 together with the second weighing device 6, which is connected to the canister 2 containing the coffee powder raw material (powder). It is moved below the device 4. In this state, the auger 5 inserted in the canister 2 shown in FIG.
A is driven to supply coffee powder into the cup 7, and the total amount of the cup 7 and the coffee powder is, for example, 3
At 5 g, the frequency of the pulse signal generated at the oscillation frequency 33 of the second control circuit unit 13B of the second weighing device 6 becomes 20 KHz from FIGS. 4 and 9. When the value obtained by counting the pulse width of the pulse signal at this time by the count circuit 36 is 5950, this count value 5950 is also held in the latch circuit 37.

The comparison circuit 39 takes in the set value of the coffee powder weight recorded in the CPU 13C (value converted into the count value of the frequency) and compares the set value with the count value. When the count value is smaller than the set value, it is determined that the supply amount of coffee powder is less than the required amount, and the auger 5A is used.
Drive command of the auger drive unit 5 via the gate circuit 40.
(See FIG. 3). On the other hand, if the set value and the count value match, a stop command for the auger 5A is output to the auger drive unit 5. At this time, similarly to the first embodiment, the first weighing device 3 supplies the coffee powder while measuring the remaining amount of the coffee powder in the canister 2. At this time, the first weighing device 3 takes in a set value which is recorded in advance in the CPU 13C by the sales management unit 47 and defines the minimum remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister 2, and the set value and the first weighing device 3 Compare with the remaining amount data measured in. When the set value and the remaining amount data match, the sales management unit 47 outputs a sales stop command to the sales stop display unit 49, the sales stop display unit 49 lights up the sales stop button, and stops providing the beverage specified by the user. To do.

In this way, when the required amount of coffee powder has been supplied to the cup 7, the carrying means of FIG. 3 is driven to carry the cup 7 to the next feed position of the raw material or the like. For example, when the next step is the injection of water (warm water), the transport means transports the cup 7 to the lower end position of the nozzle 9A of the pump 9. At this position, water is poured into the cup 7,
It is assumed that the weight of the cup 7 is 110 g, for example. The frequency of the pulse signal corresponding to this weight is 60 kHz from FIG.
If z is a value obtained by counting the pulse width counted by the count circuit 36 by the counter circuit 36, the count value 1983 is held in the latch circuit 37.

Then, the comparison circuit 39 compares the count value 1983 with the set value of water content (value converted into frequency count value) acquired from the CPU 13C. If the count value is smaller than the set value, it means that the amount of water injected from the pump 9 into the cup 7 is less than the set value, and therefore the pump 9 continues to inject water. And
When the count value and the set value match, it is considered that the amount of water injected from the pump 9 into the cup 7 has reached the set value, and the water injection from the pump 9 is stopped. Then, the cup 7 is provided to the user after the powder of coffee and the hot water are stirred by the stirrer 10.

When producing drinks such as orange juice in this vending machine 1, syrup is supplied instead of coffee powder. As for the supply amount of syrup, the measurement result of the second weighing device 6 is fed back to the opening / closing time of the nozzle connected to the syrup canister 2. In the case of a drink made of carbonated water, carbonated water is injected instead of water. When the vending machine 1 has a mill, the measurement result of the second weighing device 6 is fed back to the amount of water injected into the siphon when extracting coffee from coffee beans ground by the mill.

The first weighing device 3 and the second weighing device 6
It is desirable that the calibration circuit of the control circuit unit calibrates each time the beverage is manufactured. In this way, the springs 1 having different spring constants are attached to the second weighing device.
By using 5A and spring 15B, 1g to 10
It becomes possible to measure with high accuracy in a wide area exceeding 0 g. In particular, like the beverage vending machine 1,
It is suitable when it is necessary to precisely control the supply amount of a small amount of raw material in order to produce a high-quality beverage. Further, by feeding back the measurement result of the second weighing device 6 to the rotation amount of the auger 5A, the driving time of the pump 9 and the like, it becomes possible to supply the raw material and the like with high accuracy.

Therefore, the vending machine 1 provided with the first weighing device 3 and the second weighing device 6 can surely provide the beverage which suits the taste of the user. The means used to control the supply amount of the raw material based on the measurement results of the first weighing device 3 and the second weighing device 6 are as follows.
In addition to the auger, known techniques such as opening and closing a shutter can be used. More specifically, the vending machine 1
Can be confirmed by measuring the supply amount (use amount) of each raw material as the actual weight change of the cup 7 for each supply because the second measuring device is provided. It is possible to reliably and quickly detect clogging of the opening and lack of raw materials. Therefore, it is possible to always improve the quality of beverages produced. By measuring the time required for the weight of the cup 7 to reach the set value, it is possible to detect the occurrence of an abnormality or prevent it from occurring.

[0068]

As described in detail above, the present invention has the following remarkable effects. According to the first aspect of the present invention, the powder raw material and the liquid raw material are produced in the cup, and when the beverage is produced, the remaining amount of the powder raw material stored in the canister is Measured with one weighing device. Thereby, the remaining amount of the powder raw material in the canister can be measured by the actual measurement value.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the remaining amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device is displayed as a level on the indicator. Therefore, at a glance, the accurate remaining amount of the powder raw material can be known.

Furthermore, according to the third aspect of the present invention, at least the powder raw material is used when the residual amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device is less than the predetermined value by the sales management means. Beverage sales are suspended. As a result, it is possible to prevent the quality of the beverage from being deteriorated due to the powder raw material running out in the canister.

According to the invention of claim 4 of the present invention, the measuring device for measuring the load by the change in the capacitance due to the contraction of the first elastic member and the second elastic member having different elastic moduli is provided. Moreover, by having a weighing device that measures the load of the canister that stores the raw material, highly accurate measurement is possible in a wide range. Also, the remaining amount in the canister can be grasped. Therefore, a reliable service with few malfunctions can be provided, and a high-quality beverage can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cup mixing type vending machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a first weighing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of a cup mixing type vending machine according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a second weighing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a second weighing device.

FIG. 6A is a front view of the capacitance sensor unit of the second weighing device, and FIG. 6B is a front view of the capacitance sensor unit during measurement of the second weighing device.

FIG. 7 is a graph showing characteristics of distance between electrodes-weight in the second weighing device.

FIG. 8 is a graph showing a weight-capacitance characteristic in the second weighing device.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing weight-frequency characteristics measured by a second weighing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 cup mixing type vending machine 2 canister 3 First weighing device 4 Raw material temporary holding device 5 auger drive 6 Second weighing device (cup base) 7 cups 8 Transport means 9 pumps 10 stirrer 11 cup server 13 Control device 14 weighing dish

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A canister for storing a powder raw material, a powder supply device for supplying the powder raw material in the canister to a cup, and a liquid supply device for supplying a liquid raw material to the cup. In a cup mixing type vending machine that mixes raw materials with each other in a cup to provide a beverage, the remaining amount of the powder raw material is measured by providing a first weighing device for measuring the weight of the canister in which the powder raw material is stored. A cup-mixing type vending machine characterized by being configured. 2. The cup mixing type vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising an indicator showing the remaining amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device. 3. The cup mixing type vending machine according to claim 1, wherein at least the powder raw material is used when the residual amount of the powder raw material measured by the first weighing device is not more than a predetermined value. A cup-mixing type vending machine having a sales management means for stopping the sale of beverages. 4. The cup mixing type vending machine according to claim 1, further comprising a second weighing device for measuring the total weight of the cup and the raw materials supplied into the cup. And a second support member that supports the cup, a second support member that supports the first support member via a first elastic member, and a second elasticity of the second support member. A first elastic member and a second elastic member having different elastic moduli, and a movable electrode plate connected to the first supporting member and fixed to the base. A cup mixing formula characterized in that a total weight of the cup and the raw material supplied in the cup is measured by forming a capacitor with a fixed electrode plate and detecting the capacitance of the capacitor. Vending .