JP2022124413A - Controller, control program, and cooking system - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce energy consumption and cook an object to be cooked (a cooked object) efficiently.SOLUTION: A controller includes: a predetermined event detection section which detects a predetermined event associated with an occurrence of an order related to a cooked object which can be cooked by a medium in a container part; a medium state control unit which controls a heat energy supply section and a medium supply section to control a state of the medium in the container part and switches the state of the medium in the container part between a first state, in which the cooked object placed into the container part can be cooked by the medium, and a second state, in which a heat energy supply amount supplied by the heat energy supply section to the medium in the container part per unit time is smaller than that in the first state. The medium state control unit switches the state of the medium in the container part from the second state to the first state when the predetermined even detection section detects the predetermined event in a situation that the state of the medium in the container part is in the second state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present disclosure relates to control devices, control programs, and cooking systems.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a heating cooker that includes a heating portion that heats a cooking container containing hot water and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the cooking container.

JP 2018-063082 A

However, with the above-described conventional techniques, it is difficult to efficiently cook a cooking target while suppressing energy consumption.

Accordingly, in one aspect, an object of the present disclosure is to efficiently cook an object to be cooked while suppressing energy consumption.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control device that controls a thermal energy supply unit that supplies thermal energy to a medium in a container and a medium supply unit that supplies fresh medium into the container, comprising: a predetermined event detection unit that detects a predetermined event related to the generation of an order for a cooking object that can be cooked by the medium in the container; A medium state control unit for controlling a state of a medium, wherein the state of the medium in the container is set to a first state in which the object to be cooked put into the container can be cooked with the medium, and the first state. a medium state control unit that switches between a second state in which the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time is smaller than and when the predetermined event is detected by the predetermined event detection unit under the condition that the state of the medium in the container is the second state, the state of the medium in the container is changed from the second state to the state of the medium in the container. A controller is provided for switching to the first state.

In the above aspect, the predetermined event is at least one of an event of detecting a visitor, an event of opening and closing a store door, an event of accepting an order with a ticket machine, and an event of receiving a predetermined input from a store staff. may contain one.

In the above aspect, the medium is water, and the medium state control section sets the relationship between the amount of water flowing into the container section and the power consumption of the thermal energy supply section to the first relationship, The second state may be formed by forming the first state and making the relationship a second relationship.

In the above aspect, in the first state, the medium is in a boiling state while the object to be cooked put into the container is being cooked, and in the second state, the object to be cooked is being cooked. The medium may be in a boiling state when not in use.

In the above aspect, the object to be cooked is noodles, the thermal energy supply unit is incorporated in a noodle boiling machine having a heat retention mode for keeping the medium at a predetermined temperature, and the medium state control unit controls the boiled noodles. The second state may be formed in such a manner that the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time is greater than when the machine is in the heat retention mode.

In the above aspect, the thermal energy supply unit can switch between an ON state in which thermal energy is supplied to the medium to the maximum extent and an OFF state in which thermal energy is not supplied to the medium, and the medium state control unit The amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time may be controlled by switching between the ON state and the OFF state.

In the above aspect, a robot control unit for controlling a robot is further provided, and the robot control unit causes the robot to place the cooking object in the container under the condition that the state of the medium in the container is the first state. can be put in.

In the above aspect, the predetermined event may be an action of the robot to be executed before boiling the soba noodles or issuance of a command for the action by the robot control unit.

In the above aspect, the medium state control unit is triggered by the issuance of a predetermined operation of the robot or a command for that operation by the robot control unit, or by the lapse of a predetermined time from the operation or the command. , the state of the medium in the container may be switched from the first state to the second state.

In the above aspect, the medium state control section may switch between the first state and the second state without using a measurement result of the temperature of the medium by a temperature sensor.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a control program for controlling a thermal energy supply unit that supplies thermal energy to a medium in a container and a medium supply unit that supplies fresh medium into the container, comprising: a predetermined event detection process for detecting a predetermined event related to the generation of an order for a cooking object that can be cooked with the medium in the container; A medium state control process for controlling a state of a medium, wherein the state of the medium in the container is changed to a first state in which the object to be cooked placed in the container can be cooked with the medium, and the first state. causing a computer to execute medium state control processing for switching between a second state in which the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time is smaller than the second state, and the medium state The control processing changes the state of the medium in the container to the second state when the predetermined event is detected by the predetermined event detection processing under the condition that the state of the medium in the container is in the second state. A control program is provided for switching from a state to the first state.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cooking system for a kitchen, comprising a thermal energy supply for supplying thermal energy to a medium within a container, and a medium supply for supplying fresh said medium within said container. a medium state control program, a robot, and a robot control program, wherein the medium state control program detects a predetermined event associated with the generation of an order for a cooking object cookable by the medium in the container portion. event detection processing; and medium state control processing for controlling the state of the medium in the container by controlling the thermal energy supply unit and the medium supply unit, wherein the state of the medium in the container is controlled by the a first state in which the object to be cooked placed in the container can be cooked by the medium; and an amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container per unit time, which is higher than in the first state. and a medium state control process for switching between a second state and a second state, wherein the medium state control process performs the predetermined event under the condition that the state of the medium in the container is the second state. When the predetermined event is detected by the detection process, the state of the medium in the container is switched from the second state to the first state, and the robot control program switches the state of the medium in the container to the first state. the medium state control processing for switching the state of the medium in the container portion from the second state to the first state when the predetermined event is detected by the predetermined event detection processing in a second state; To provide a cooking system that causes the robot to put the object to be cooked into the container part after being executed.

In one aspect, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to efficiently cook an object to be cooked while suppressing energy consumption.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the control apparatus for cooking systems. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a method of controlling the amount of thermal energy supplied and the amount of water supplied via a thermal energy supply section and a medium supply section; Fig. 2 shows a kitchen with multiple sections; 5 is a perspective view showing rails 511 arranged in the first section; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a support base for rails 511. FIG. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the installation of the third section; It is a top view which shows a kitchen. It is a perspective view which shows the main body of a robot. It is a perspective view which shows the hand for robots. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the hand main body from which the plate member is removed; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an engagement state between a hand main body and a tray; It is a perspective view which shows a single-item state of a tray. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a tray holding a strainer. 3 is a perspective view showing a robot hand 30; FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the container which puts buckwheat noodles. It is a perspective view which shows a partition. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the medium state control unit in the first embodiment; 4 is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of thermal energy supplied by a thermal energy supply unit and the amount of tap water supplied by a medium supply unit; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration in which control by the medium state control unit is executed independently of the motion of the robot; 9 is a flow chart showing the operation of a medium state control unit in the second embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a thermal energy supply unit is built into a boiling noodle machine having a heat retention mode;

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cooking system 200. As shown in FIG. Cooking system 200 includes control device 1 . Note that the control device 1 may be realized by one or more computers. In this case, one or more computers may comprise a server computer.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 1 of this embodiment includes a processing device 11 that controls the operations of the robots 21A and 21B as work devices, and an image processing device 11 that processes an image captured by a camera 74a that captures an image of the kitchen 150. A device 12, a main control unit 13, a storage unit 14 that stores a program that defines processing in the processing device 11 and data necessary for control in the processing device 11, a program that defines processing in the main control unit 13, and a main control and a storage unit 15 that stores data necessary for control in the unit 13 . The functions of the control device 1 described below can be realized by the processing device 11 and/or the main control portion 13 executing one or more programs stored in the storage portion 14 and/or the storage portion 15 . Note that the storage unit 14 and the storage unit 15 may be realized by a common storage device. Further, the image processing device 12 is, for example, a single GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), but may be realized by a processing device (a processing device including a GPU) different from the processing device 11 .

The main control unit 13 is also connected to a display unit 16 that displays the operating state of the control device 1 and the like, an operation reception unit 17 that receives operations by a worker or the like, and an alarm output unit 18 . The main control section 13 may output advice and warnings to the user (operator) via the display section 16 and the warning output section 18 .

The processing device 11 also controls the engagement strengthening means 56 . The engagement strengthening means 56 is, for example, an electromagnet, but may be a negative pressure generating device or the like that generates an attractive force (negative pressure), or a combination thereof.

The processing device 11 also controls the engagement strengthening means 56 based on the information from the signal generator 41 . The signal generator 41 may be, for example, a proximity sensor, a pressure sensor, an image sensor, or the like.

The processor 11 is also connected to a plurality of sensors 74 located in the kitchen 150 . The multiple sensors 74 include a camera 74a (image sensor) and other various sensors 74b, and have the function of detecting the state of the kitchen 150. FIG. Note that two or more cameras 74a may be provided.

In this embodiment, the processing device 11 functions as a predetermined event detection unit that detects a predetermined event related to the generation of an order for a cooking target.

As shown in FIG. 1 , a medium state control section 80 is connected to the processing device 11 . A thermal energy supply unit 81 and a medium supply unit 82 are connected to the medium state control unit 80 . The medium state control unit 80 controls the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit 81 and the amount of water (tap water) supplied as a medium by the medium supply unit 82, based on a command from the processing device 11. . As will be described later, tap water is supplied to the sink S (FIGS. 2 and 6) of the subsection 521 via the medium supply unit 82, and heat is applied to the water (hot water) in the sink S via the thermal energy supply unit 81. Energy supply is controlled.

FIG. 1A is a diagram showing an example of a method of controlling the amount of thermal energy supplied and the amount of water supplied via the thermal energy supply unit 81 and the medium supply unit 82. FIG.

In the example of FIG. 1A, the medium supply unit 82 includes a constant current valve 82a and an electromagnetic valve 82b. The constant current valve 82a and the solenoid valve 82b are arranged in series along the tap water supply path, and the amount of tap water supplied is determined according to the time the solenoid valve 82b is open. The current to the solenoid of solenoid valve 82b is controlled by medium state control section 80 via switch 82c. By controlling the open/close duty ratio of the switch 82c with the medium state control unit 80, the amount of fresh tap water supplied to the sink S of the subsection 521 can be adjusted.

Moreover, in the example of FIG. 1A, the thermal energy supply unit 81 includes a heater H that generates thermal energy. The current to the heater H is controlled by the medium state control section 80 via the switch 81c. When the switch 81c is turned on, the heat energy supplied from the heater H to the water (hot water) in the sink S is maximized. The heat energy supplied becomes zero. By controlling the open/close duty ratio of the switch 81c by the medium state control unit 80, the amount of thermal energy supplied to the water (hot water) in the sink S of the subsection 521 can be adjusted.

FIG. 1A shows an example in which thermal energy is supplied by electric power as the thermal energy supply unit 81, but the energy source is not limited to electric power and is arbitrary. For example, thermal energy may be supplied by burning a gas.

The main control unit 13 and the processing device 11 work together to sequentially execute processes necessary for cooking.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2 onwards, the kitchen 150 suitable for the functioning of the cooking system 200 will be described in detail. In the following, the cooking of buckwheat is mainly explained as an example, but the object of cooking may be noodles other than buckwheat (for example, udon, ramen, pasta), or any ingredients other than noodles (some cooking). It may be ingredients that require

FIG. 2 shows a kitchen 150 with multiple sections. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of sections includes first section 51, second section 52, third section 53 and fourth section . Note that the number of sections is arbitrary and additional sections may be added.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing rails 511 arranged in the first section 51. As shown in FIG. In the first section 51, rails 511 define a plurality of lanes 511A, 511B, 511C. A tray 60 (hereinafter simply referred to as "tray 60") holding one or more "strainers" is placed on one of the lanes 511A, 511B, 511C, and extends toward the Y1 side in the Y direction. be transported. Note that this transportation may be realized manually by an operator, or may be realized by a robot or a drive mechanism other than the robots 21A and 21B. Note that the rail 511 may be inclined so that the Y1 side faces downward. In this case, the tray 60 can be moved to the Y direction Y1 side by the action of gravity.

For example, when the tray 60 holding the "strainer" is positioned on the Y-direction Y1 side of the lanes 511A, 511B, and 511C of the first section 51, the preparation for cooking is started.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the support base 512 of the rail 511. As shown in FIG. The support base 512 can detachably support the rail 511 . This facilitates maintenance of the rail 511 .

As shown in FIG. 2, the second section 52 has subsections 521 and 522 . Subsection 521 is assigned the steps for boiling buckwheat. The subsection 522 functions as a stand for temporarily placing the tray 60 thereon. Although the configuration of the subsection 522 is arbitrary, for example, a rail 511 or a similar structure arranged in the first section 51 is arranged, and a structure similar to that of the first section 51 for placing the tray 60 is provided. lanes may be configured.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the equipment of the third section 53. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, the third section 53 has subsections 531,532. The tasks assigned to the subsections 531 and 532 are arbitrary, such as draining and sliming. The buckwheat boiled in subsection 521 can be post-processed in subsection 531 and then subsection 532 . For example, in the subsection 531, the task of removing the sliminess from the buckwheat noodles can be mainly performed, and further, in the subsection 532, the task of soaking (cooling) the buckwheat noodles with water can be performed. In this case, the water temperature in subsection 532 is required to be as low as possible, while the water temperature in subsection 531 does not have to be extremely low. For this reason, low-temperature cold water may be supplied to subsection 532 only. In this case, the water level in the subsection 531 is set lower than the water level in the subsection 532 so that the water that exceeds the water level of the subsection 532 and overflows from the subsection 532 is naturally supplied to the subsection 531. good too. Thereby, the cold water supplied to the subsection 532 can be effectively used also in the subsection 531 . Also, it is not necessary to directly supply water to the subsection 531 .

In this embodiment, a robot 21A is arranged in the third section 53, as shown in FIG. That is, the proximal end 21a of the robot 21A is attached to the wall body W (see FIG. 5) of the equipment that constitutes the third section 53. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a top view showing the kitchen 150. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, a robot 21B is arranged in the fourth section 54 in this embodiment. That is, the proximal end 21a of the robot 21B is attached to the wall W1 (see FIG. 6) of the equipment that constitutes the fourth section 54. As shown in FIG. As a result, the robot 21B can easily perform an operation described later. It should be noted that the robot 21B may be placed at other locations, such as the second section 52 .

As described above, the second section 52 is assigned the task of boiling the buckwheat noodles, and the subsection 521 is provided with the sink S (FIGS. 2 and 6) for storing hot water. The sink S functions as a container for storing water (hot water) as a medium. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, in the lower part of the sink S, the thermal energy supply unit 81 for heating the water (hot water) in the sink S and the above heat energy supplying unit 81 for supplying water (tap water) to the sink S are provided. A media supply 82 is provided. Note that the thermal energy supply unit 81 and the medium supply unit 82 can be provided at arbitrary positions. For example, the medium supply unit 82 may be provided above the sink S. Also, the thermal energy supply unit 81 or the medium supply unit 82 may be provided separately from the sink S.

The fourth section 54 shown in FIG. 2 functions as a table on which a container 90 (banju) for buckwheat is placed.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the bodies of the robot 21A and the robot 21B. In addition, in FIG. 7, the robot 21A and the robot 21B are shown without the robot hand 40 and the like attached (the same applies to FIG. 2).

The robots 21A and 21B are articulated robots having a plurality of rotary joints, and are attached to the wall body W at the proximal end 21a. As the robots 21A and 21B, robots having linear joints as well as rotary joints can be used. The robots 21A and 21B are provided with actuators (not shown) for driving each joint, and these actuators are connected to the processor 11 and controlled. In this embodiment, a robot hand 40 is attached to the tip 21b of the robot 21A. A robot hand 30 is attached to the tip 21b of the robot 21B.

In this embodiment, the robots 21A and 21B are articulated robots and can be retracted toward the walls W and W1, so that, for example, work space above the subsections 531 and 532 can be effectively secured. In this case, for example, the operator can work while standing near the area shown in FIG. However, in variants the robots 21A and/or 21B may be other forms of robots, such as two-axis robots.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the hand main body 42 of the robot hand 40. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the hand main body 42 with the members forming the upper surface 420 removed. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing an engagement state between the hand main body 42 and the tray 60. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a single tray 60, and FIG. 11A is a perspective view showing a tray 60 in which a colander is inserted. In FIG. 8, the X direction and the Y direction are defined as two directions perpendicular to each other with reference to the upper surface 420 of the hand main body 42 . The Z direction is also defined in FIGS. 10, 11 and 11A. The Z direction is a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the tray portion 61 of the tray 60. Hereinafter, the Z direction Z1 side will be referred to as the "upper side", and the Z direction Z2 side will be referred to as the "lower side". terminology (eg, top surface, bottom surface, etc.) may be used.

The robot hand 40 is formed in a shape suitable for picking up the tray 60 and placing it at a predetermined position (first section 51, subsection 522, etc.). The robot hand 40 has a hand main body 42 that engages with the tray 60 .

The hand body portion 42 has an upper surface 420 that comes into surface contact with the lower surfaces of the pair of supported portions 62 of the tray 60 when engaged. In FIG. 8, the upper surface 420 is supported by a plate member 400 having an attachment surface 400A attached to the tip 21b of the robot 21A. Top surface 420 bears the gravity of tray 60 . That is, the hand main body 42 picks up the supported portion 62 of the tray 60 in a scooping manner. As a result, even if the engagement strengthening means 56 does not function due to an abnormality in the power source or the like while the tray 60 is being lifted via the hand main body 42, the hand main body 42 and the tray 60 will not function properly. Engagement can be maintained (that is, tray 60 can be prevented from falling).

A pin 421 is provided on the hand main body 42 . The pin 421 is provided, for example, so as to protrude upward from the upper surface 420 . Although the number of pins 421 is arbitrary, two pins 421 are provided in FIG. The pins 421 are inserted into corresponding holes 621 in the tray 60 to perform a positioning function when the hand main body 42 is engaged with the tray 60 . In a modified example, a pin (for example, a downward pin) may be formed on the tray 60 side, and a corresponding hole may be formed on the hand body portion 42 side.

The pin 421 may have any cross-sectional shape, but is preferably circular in cross-section and tapered to a point. As a result, even if there is a slight deviation between the tray 60 and the hand body portion 42 immediately before engagement, the mutual engagement state can be realized while correcting the deviation.

The hand main body 42 is provided with an engagement reinforcing means 56 (schematically shown in FIG. 8). Engagement enhancement means 56 are preferably provided between pins 421 in the Y direction. A hole 561 for the engagement reinforcing means 56 may be formed in the upper surface 420 . Thereby, the degree of engagement between the hand body portion 42 and the tray 60 can be effectively increased. Although the number of engagement strengthening means 56 is arbitrary, two are provided in FIG. In this embodiment, the engagement reinforcing means 56 is an electromagnet, and the supported portion 62 is made of a magnetic material. As a result, when the electromagnet is turned on, the degree of engagement between the hand main body 42 and the tray 60 increases. As a result, it is possible to increase the possibility of maintaining the engagement between the hand body 42 and the tray 60 even when a large vibration or the like occurs due to a disturbance or the like.

The hand main body 42 is provided with a signal generator 41 (schematically shown in FIG. 9). The signal generator 41 is provided in a region of the upper surface 420 that is in surface contact with the lower surface of the supported portion 62 of the tray 60 . A hole (not shown) for the signal generator 41 may be formed in the upper surface 420 . The signal generating section 41 detects the proximity state of the supported section 62 to the hand body section 42 . In this embodiment, the signal generator 41 generates a predetermined value indicating the proximity state when the distance in the Z direction between the upper surface 420 of the hand main body 42 and the lower surface of the supported portion 62 of the tray 60 becomes equal to or less than a threshold. generate a signal. The signal generator 41 may be, for example, a proximity sensor. The sensors may be provided in pairs corresponding to the supported portions 62 , or may be provided corresponding to only one of the supported portions 62 .

The hand main body 42 preferably has a mounting space 450 below the upper surface 420 as shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 9 shows the robot hand 40 with the member forming the upper surface 420 removed. In the mounting space 450, the lower portion of the pin 421, the engagement reinforcing means 56, the signal generating section 41, wiring, and the like may be arranged.

In this embodiment, the state in which the tray 60 is engaged with the hand main body 42 is the first engaged state (see FIG. 10). At this time, the engagement reinforcing means 56 does not function or is weak. In addition, when the engagement reinforcing means 56 is an electromagnet, the term "weak" means that the current (or magnetic force) when realizing the second engagement state is set to 100, and is significantly smaller than 100. , for example, 50 or less, preferably 10 or less. Then, when the engagement strengthening means 56 functions, a second engagement state in which the degree of engagement between the hand main body 42 and the tray 60 is high may be realized. The transition (switching) from the first engagement state to the second engagement state is realized by the processing device 11 . Specifically, as described above, when the signal generator 41 is a proximity sensor, the proximity sensor generates a predetermined signal when the first engagement state of the tray 60 with respect to the hand main body 42 is detected. Occur. The processing device 11 realizes the transition (switching) from the first engagement state to the second engagement state using the generation of the predetermined signal as a trigger. It should be noted that the signal generator 41 is preferably configured so as not to generate the predetermined signal in the engaged state where it is not positioned via the pin 421 . That is, preferably, the signal generator 41 generates the predetermined signal only when it detects the engaged state in which it is positioned via the pin 421 .

In the first engaged state and the second engaged state, the positional relationship between the robot hand 40 and the tray 60 is the same, and both are shown in FIG.

Note that the transition (switching) from the first engagement state to the second engagement state may be realized in a state in which the gravity of the tray 60 is acting on the upper surface 420 of the hand body portion 42 . In this case, the signal generator 41 may be a sensor or the like that detects the action state of such gravity.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the tray 60 includes a tray portion 61 , a pair of supported portions 62 , and leg portions 63 connecting the tray portion 61 and the supported portions 62 .

The tray part 61 has a through-hole 610 into which a "cooking utensil" is inserted. Although the number of through-holes 610 is arbitrary, three are provided in FIG. A “colander” inserted into the through hole 610 is supported by the rim around the through hole 610 . In FIG. 11A, a portion of a "sieve" strainer 65 inserted into a through hole 610 is shown. In practice, a "colander" can be inserted into each of the three through-holes 610 .

The supported portion 62 is a portion that engages with the hand body portion 42 as described above. The supported portion 62 forms a lower surface that is in surface contact with the upper surface 420 of the hand body portion 42 . The supported portion 62 has a hole 621 into which the pin 421 of the hand body portion 42 is inserted (inserted).

The leg portion 63 supports the supported portion 62 so as to be positioned above the tray portion 61 . The legs 63 are provided in pairs corresponding to the supported portions 62 , and their upper ends are connected to the edges of the corresponding supported portions 62 . Further, the leg portion 63 is fixed to the upper surface of the tray portion 61 at its lower end portion. By providing such a leg portion 63 , the supported portion 62 is supported upward with respect to the tray portion 61 so that the portion forming the upper surface 420 of the hand body portion 42 can be positioned below the supported portion 62 . can.

In addition, in this embodiment, the leg portion 63 is provided at an intermediate position between the adjacent through holes 610 when viewed from above. Furthermore, each of the pair of supported portions 62 corresponds to each of the pair of leg portions 63, and the area of the supported portion 62 when viewed from above is suppressed. For this reason, a large working space can be secured above the "strainer" inserted into the through-hole 610 as a working space for the robot 21B, and buckwheat can be easily put into the "strainer". That is, since the leg portion 63 and the supported portion 62 are positioned away from above the "bowl" inserted into the through-hole 610, they do not become an obstacle when the buckwheat is added, and the through-hole Buckwheat can be put into a “strainer” inserted in 610 . For example, of the three aligned through-holes 610 , the central through-hole 610 has a “tilt” inserted between the pair of supported portions 62 and the pair of leg portions 63 . , Soba noodles can be easily added.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the robot hand 30. As shown in FIG.

The robot hand 30 is configured in a form suitable for gripping buckwheat noodles before boiling and releasing the gripped buckwheat noodles at a predetermined position.

As shown in FIG. 12, the robot hand 30 includes a fixed portion 31 fixed to the tip 21b of the robot 21B, and a movable portion 32 and a movable portion 32 slidably attached to the fixed portion 31 in the direction of an arrow 35, respectively. a portion 33; The movable portion 32 is provided with four claws 32a to 32d, and the movable portion 33 is provided with four claws 33a to 33d. The movable part 32 and the movable part 33 simultaneously move in opposite directions along arrows 35 under the control of the processing device 11 . The robot hand 30 can repeatedly switch between a closed state in which the distance between the movable parts 32 and 33 is the shortest and an open state in which the distance is the longest. The claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d are arranged along the direction A (the direction orthogonal to the arrow 35) shown in FIG. 12, respectively.

Each of the claws 32a to 32d has a base portion 321 extending linearly from the movable portion 32 (in FIG. 12, only the claw 32a is shown), and a distal end portion 322 formed by bending the base portion 321 (in FIG. 12, only the claw 32a is shown). ) and Similarly, each of the claws 33a to 33d has a base portion 331 extending linearly from the movable portion 33 (in FIG. 12, only the claw 33a is shown) and a tip portion 332 formed by bending the base portion 331 (in FIG. 12, (shown only on claw 33a). In the example of FIG. 12, base 321 and base 331 extend parallel to each other.

The claws 32a and 33a, the claws 32b and 33b, the claws 32c and 33c, and the claws 32d and 33d form pairs, respectively, and the tip portions 322 and tip portions 332 of the paired claws are attached to each other. It extends in a direction approaching toward the tip.

When the robot hand 30 is in the closed state, the tips of the claws 32a to 32d approach the tips of the claws 33a to 33d, respectively, so that the buckwheat noodles before boiling are sandwiched between the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d. and can be held. At this time, since the tips 332 and the tips 322 of the paired claws extend in a direction approaching each other, the bases 321 and 331 cover both sides of the buckwheat so that the buckwheat is sandwiched, and at the same time, the tips 322 and tip 332 support buckwheat from below. Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the buckwheat noodles from falling.

When the robot hand 30 transitions from the closed state to the open state, the buckwheat noodles sandwiched and held between the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d slide down between the tips 322 and 332 due to their own weight. It is released from the robot hand 30 by dropping.

13 is a perspective view showing a container 90 for buckwheat noodles, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a partition 92. As shown in FIG.

The container 90 is composed of a bottomed container body 91 and a partition 92 that partitions the inside of the container body 91 . The rectangular interior of container body 91 is partitioned in a matrix by partitions 92 having a plurality of vertical walls such as vertical wall 92A and vertical wall 92B. For example, area 95 in FIG. 14 indicates one of the areas partitioned by partition 92 . A bundle of buckwheat noodles is placed in each area partitioned by the partition 92 .

Note that the shape of the partitions is arbitrary, and for example, the intervals between the partitions may be changed so that regions of a plurality of sizes are formed. This makes it possible to accommodate different amounts of soba noodles, such as large servings and small servings.

Each of the areas partitioned by the partitions 92 is filled with a predetermined amount of unboiled buckwheat noodles, for example, an amount for one person. By previously setting buckwheat noodles before boiling in the area partitioned by the partition 92, the robot hand 30 can surely grasp the whole amount of buckwheat put in the area. That is, when the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 in the open state are inserted into the region and the robot hand 30 is shifted to the closed state, the buckwheat noodles put in the region are pushed into the claw 32a. . With the robot hand 30, it is possible to grasp a cooking target such as buckwheat noodles that may be scattered in batches.

When the robot hand 30 is moved to a predetermined position and the robot hand 30 is shifted to the open state, the buckwheat noodles are released at that position.

As shown in FIG. 14, a pair of vertical walls 92C forming the partition 92 are formed with engagement holes 93 as engagement portions with which the claws 32a to 32d and claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 can be engaged. ing. The pitch of the engagement holes 93 in the A direction shown in FIG. 14 matches the pitch of the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d in the A direction shown in FIG. The engagement holes 93 constitute pairs corresponding to the pairs of claws of the robot hand 30 . Five engaging claws 94 for engaging the partitions 92 with the container body 91 are formed on the vertical wall 92C.

12 and 14, the claws 32a to 32d and claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 in the open state are inserted downward into predetermined positions in the container body 91, and the robot hand 30 is opened. to the closed state, the claws 32 a to 32 d and the claws 33 a to 33 d are inserted into the engaging holes 93 . At this time, each pair of pawls engages each pair of engagement holes 93 . When the robot hand 30 is lifted from this state, the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d engage with the partition 92 via the engagement claw 94 together with the partition 92 in a state of being engaged with the engagement hole 93. The container body 91, that is, the entire container 90 is lifted. After that, the robot hand 30 is moved to place the container 90 at a predetermined position, and the robot hand 30 is shifted to the open state. In this manner, the container 90 can be moved into place.

In this way, the partition 92 is formed with the engagement holes 93 with which the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d of the robot hand 30 can be engaged. It not only grabs and conveys the buckwheat noodles before boiling, but also exhibits the function of grasping and conveying the container 90.例文帳に追加For example, robot 21B can move empty container 90 from fourth section 54 to fifth section 55 (FIG. 2) via robot hand 30 . If containers 90 containing buckwheat noodles are stacked in the fourth section 54 in advance, the empty containers 90 are placed on the floor of the fifth section 55, for example, by the robot 21B in order from the top. It becomes possible to move on a table or a trolley.

Next, an operation example when boiling buckwheat noodles in this embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, the tray 60 prepared in the first section 51 holds an empty "colander" (Fig. 11A). The robot 21A picks up the tray 60 on the first section 51 via the robot hand 40, conveys it to the second section 52 (moves it in the air), and places the tray 60 on the subsection 522 in the second section 52. to be placed.

On the other hand, the robot 21B grabs the unboiled buckwheat noodles put in the container 90 on the fourth section 54 by the robot hand 30 . As described above, here, by shifting the robot hand 30 from the open state to the closed state, buckwheat noodles before boiling are removed from one of the areas partitioned by the partition 92 with the claws 32a to 32d and the claws 33a to 33d. It can be grabbed by 33d.

Next, the robot 21B uses the robot hand 30 to convey the unboiled buckwheat to the second section 52 (move it in the air), move it to the subsection 522 in the second section 52, and insert it into the tray 60. In addition, put the unboiled soba into the corresponding “tebo (colander)”. As described above, when the buckwheat is added, the buckwheat is moved into or above the corresponding "tebo (strainer)". Next, by shifting the robot hand 30 from the closed state to the open state, the gripped soba noodles can be dropped, and the buckwheat noodles can be thrown into the corresponding "strainer".

At this time, as described above, the leg portions 63 of the tray 60 are provided at intermediate positions between the adjacent through-holes 610 when viewed from above, and the pair of supported portions 62 are positioned between the pair of leg portions 63, respectively. They are provided corresponding to each (Fig. 11). For this reason, a work space for the robot 21B is secured above each of the "strainers" inserted into the three through holes 610, and the leg portion 63 and the supported portion 62 are placed in the robot hand 30 and the transported portion. Do not interfere with soba noodles. Therefore, buckwheat can be easily thrown into the “strainer” inserted into the through hole 610 . Buckwheat noodles can be thrown from between a pair of legs 63 into the "stringer" inserted into the central through-hole 610 among the three through-holes 610 arranged side by side.

By repeating a series of operations such as transporting the buckwheat in the container 90 on the fourth section 54 by the robot hand 30 and throwing it into the corresponding "strainer" three times, Buckwheat can be put into all three “tebo (colanders)” inserted in the tray 60 . It should be noted that the series of operations up to the introduction of buckwheat noodles can be appropriately changed based on the captured image of the camera 74a. For example, if one or two "strainers" are inserted into the tray 60, the series of operations can be repeated the number of times corresponding to the number of "strainers". Further, the operation may be changed according to the state of the buckwheat noodles contained in the container 90, for example, the number of regions containing buckwheat noodles.

After the robot 21B withdraws the robot hand 30 from the second section 52, the robot 21A picks up the tray 60 on the subsection 522 via the robot hand 40 and places it on the subsection 521 of the second section 52. The whole tray 60 is immersed in the prepared hot water. This allows the boiling operation to be performed. Once the boiling work is started, the robot 21A may temporarily disengage from the tray 60 . In this case, it is also possible to perform other operations until the boiling operation is completed.

Next, when a predetermined time has passed after the start of the boiling work, the robot 21A picks up the tray 60 in the second section 52 and performs post-processing in the third section 53 . That is, the robot 21A first soaks the tray 60 in the cold water accumulated in the subsection 531 to remove the sliminess of the buckwheat noodles. At this time, the robot 21A may move the tray 60 to improve work efficiency. Also, galley 150 may be configured to inject cold water upon detection of tray 60 in subsection 531 .

Next, the robot 21A carries the tray 60 onto the subsection 532 and performs draining work. At this time, draining may be effectively realized by tilting the tray 60 and vibrating it up and down. After completing the draining work, the robot 21A conveys the tray 60 to the first section 51 and places the tray 60 on the rails 511 on the first section 51 . Note that, at this time, the lane to be placed may be specified. In this way, a series of cooking operations are realized.

Next, the operation of the medium state control section 80 will be described.

The medium state control unit 80 controls the heat energy supply unit 81 and the medium supply unit 82 to change the state of the water (hot water) in the sink S between the boiling mode (first state) and the standby mode (second state). to switch between.

FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing the operation of the medium state control section 80. As shown in FIG.

In step S1 of FIG. 15, the medium state control unit 80 sets the state of water (hot water) in the sink S to the standby mode (second state). The second state is a state in which the water (hot water) in the sink S continues to boil weakly when buckwheat noodles are not put in the sink S. In the second state, the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit 81 is reduced more than in the boiling mode (first state) in which buckwheat can be boiled. Also, in the second state, the amount of tap water supplied by the medium supply unit 82 is reduced more than in the first state. If buckwheat is put into the sink S in the second state, the buckwheat causes the temperature of the water (hot water) in the sink S to drop, and the buckwheat cannot be properly boiled. However, by providing the standby mode (second state), it is possible to effectively suppress the amount of thermal energy supplied and the amount of tap water used compared to the case where the boiling mode (first state) is always continued. be able to.

15A is a diagram showing the relationship between the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit 81 and the amount of tap water supplied by the medium supply unit 82. FIG.

In FIG. 15A, the vertical direction indicates the amount of tap water supplied per hour, and the area A1 indicates the amount of thermal energy supplied per hour.

In FIG. 15A, area A1 is an area where the temperature of the water (hot water) in the sink S decreases over time because the amount of heat energy supplied is insufficient for the amount of tap water supplied. Area A2 is an area where the water level of water (hot water) in the sink S decreases over time due to evaporation due to an insufficient supply of tap water. Also, the width indicated by the arrow 85 corresponds to the amount of water (hot water) in the sink S that flows out due to buckwheat noodles thrown into the sink S. The width indicated by the arrow 86 corresponds to the heat energy lost by the buckwheat thrown into the sink S.

Areas A1 and A2 are areas not suitable for boiling buckwheat. Furthermore, considering the decrease in water (hot water) in the sink S due to the addition of buckwheat and the consumption of thermal energy, region A3 is applicable to the state where buckwheat can be boiled (first state). That is, in the boiling mode corresponding to the first state, the area A3 is selected. Region A3 corresponds to a region in which the relationship between the amount of tap water supplied and the power consumption of the thermal energy supply unit 81 is the first relationship in which the water level and temperature do not decrease even when the maximum number of buckwheat noodles that can be cooked simultaneously is added. . Note that the regions A1 to A3 can be obtained based on experiments or calculations. For example, the region A3 may be adapted so that the boiling state can be maintained even when a predetermined number of balls of buckwheat are boiled. The predetermined number of balls may be equal to or greater than the maximum number of buckwheat noodles (number of balls) that can be boiled at the same time. Here, the region A3 is specified by calculating in advance the water level and thermal energy consumption that will decrease when the maximum number of buckwheat noodles that can be boiled at the same time is added.
In area A3, if the amount of tap water supplied to the sink S is large, the amount of heat energy required will increase, but the overflow of hot water will quickly remove gluten and the like from the buckwheat. Further, if the amount of heat energy supplied is increased with respect to a constant amount of tap water supplied into the sink S, the boiling of the water (hot water) in the sink S is strengthened, and the action of boiling the buckwheat noodles is strengthened. Therefore, the amount of tap water supplied to the sink S in the boiling mode and the amount of heat energy supplied to the water (hot water) in the sink S may be determined according to the conditions required for boiling the buckwheat. good.

For example, in the boiling mode (first state), an area A31 in which the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit 81 is maximized can be selected from among the areas A3. By selecting the area A31, the amount of tap water supplied is higher than the amount of tap water required to maintain the hot water level. It is possible to maintain the state that the hot water inside overflows, and to circulate hot water with little sliminess. Note that in FIG. 15A, the amount of water (hot water) circulating increases toward the upper portion of the region A31, and the boiling of the water (hot water) becomes stronger toward the lower portion of the region A31.

The combination of the tap water supply amount and the thermal energy supply amount selected in the boiling mode (first state) selects conditions suitable for boiling buckwheat throughout the year (without being affected by differences in climate, etc.). can do. For example, it is possible to select a combination that allows the buckwheat to be boiled even when the room temperature of the kitchen 150 and the tap water temperature are the lowest. Also, the combination of the tap water supply amount and the thermal energy supply amount in the boiling mode (first state) may be changed according to the room temperature of the kitchen 150 and the tap water temperature.

On the other hand, in the standby mode (second state), a state is selected in which the water (hot water) in the sink S continues to boil weakly when buckwheat noodles are not put into the sink S. In the second state, the water (hot water) in the sink S is kept weak and continues to boil, so it is possible to start boiling buckwheat immediately after shifting to the first state. If area A1 or area A2 is selected in the standby mode (second state), boiling cannot be continued while the amount of water (hot water) in the sink S is maintained. It cannot be applied to two states. Therefore, in the standby mode corresponding to the second state, for example, the area A4 shown in FIG. 15A is selected. In region A4, the relationship between the supply amount of tap water and the power consumption of the thermal energy supply unit 81 is such that the water level and temperature do not decrease even when buckwheat is not supplied, and the supply amount of tap water is higher than in the first relationship. and the second relationship of low power consumption. In the standby mode corresponding to the second state, the amount of supply of tap water is suppressed using the area adjacent to area A2, such as area 4, thereby minimizing the necessary amount of thermal energy supply. . In the standby mode (second state), the combination of tap water supply amount and heat energy supply amount should be selected so that the water (hot water) in the sink S continues to boil weakly throughout the year. , and that the room temperature of the kitchen 150 and the temperature of the tap water should be considered, as in the boiling mode (first state). For example, area A4 may preferably be matched with power consumption within 35% to 65% and water inflow within 20% to 40% of area A31, more preferably , the power consumption is within the range of 40% to 60% and the water supply inflow is within the range of 25% to 35% for the area A31.

In addition, even in the standby mode (second state), the amount of supply of tap water is not only maintained by simply maintaining the level of hot water in the sink S, but the supply amount of tap water is set so as to overflow. is more preferred. As a result, it is possible to circulate hot water with sliminess even during the standby mode, and even if the water level of the hot water temporarily drops even during the standby mode due to the provision of sobayu, the cook can It is possible to return the water level automatically without any operation.

A state in which the water level of hot water in the sink S rises or overflows corresponds to the region above the line L2 in FIG. 15A. Therefore, for example, the area selected as area A4 is preferably above line L2. If a point on line L2 (combination of water charge supply amount and heat energy supply amount) is selected, the water level of hot water in sink S will be constant in calculation, and in the standby mode (second state) , the overflow of hot water in the sink S cannot be continued. Note that in the standby mode (second state), the state in which only the temperature can be maintained without causing the hot water in the sink S to overflow corresponds, in principle, to the intersection point P between the line L1 and the line L2 in FIG. 15A. . However, in the standby mode (second state), in order to allow hot water in the sink S to overflow and weak boiling to continue, for example, it is desirable to select an area A4 that is somewhat distant from the lines L1 and L2.

Lines L1 to L4 in FIG. 15A are lines obtained under specific conditions, and move depending on the room temperature of the kitchen 150 and the temperature of the tap water. For example, if the temperature of tap water drops, the lines L1 and L3 will shift to the right. Therefore, the area selected in the standby mode (second state) is desirably an area away from the lines L1 and L2 to some extent in the direction of the area A3, as shown in the area A4, for example. The selected area may be an area that includes part of area A3.

On the other hand, when the room temperature of the kitchen 150 and the temperature of the tap water are detected in real time, the position of the intersection point P and the like at that time can be grasped. Therefore, by performing control to change the supply amount of tap water or the amount of heat energy supply according to the detection result, it is possible to always continue to select the area close to the intersection point P, and as a result, further, Energy consumption can be suppressed efficiently.

Next, in step S<b>2 of FIG. 15 , the medium state control unit 80 determines whether or not a predetermined event has been detected in the processing device 11 based on the notification from the processing device 11 .

In this embodiment, the predetermined event is an event related to the generation of an order for soba noodles, and is an event indicating that the process of boiling the soba noodles should be started or that there is a high probability that the process will be started.

Any event can be adopted as the predetermined event, but in the present embodiment, the predetermined event may be an action performed before boiling the soba noodles by the robot 21A or the robot 21B or an instruction for the action. can. In the operation example of boiling buckwheat noodles in the present embodiment described above, the robot 21B throws the unboiled buckwheat noodles in the container 90 into the “tebo (strainer)” inserted in the tray 60. A specific action included in the series of actions, or issuance of a command for that action may be included in the predetermined event. For example, in this series of actions, an action of throwing unboiled buckwheat into a "strainer" by the robot 21B or issuing a command for this action can be set as a predetermined event. The predetermined event is desirably an event that occurs before the start of the step of boiling the soba. As a result, the state of the water (hot water) in the sink S shifts to the first state before the buckwheat boiling process is started, so that the buckwheat can be started to be boiled under appropriate conditions. The occurrence of a predetermined event is notified from the processing device 11 to the medium state control section 80 and reflected in the operation of the medium state control section 80 .

Also, as the predetermined event, at least one of an event of detecting a visitor, an event of opening and closing a store door, an event of accepting an order with a ticket machine, and an event of receiving a predetermined input from a store staff can be used. . An event for detecting a visitor may be detected, for example, by analyzing an image of the inside of the store captured by a camera.

These events include notification of the opening and closing of the store door, notification of the arrival of a customer at a predetermined location in the store, notification of an order for soba noodles from a ticket machine, Notification that an order has been placed, notification that an order for soba noodles has been received from a terminal possessed by a store staff, notification that a staff member or cook who has received an order for soba noodles has performed a prescribed operation, photographed by a camera This includes notification of the analysis results of the captured image. These notifications are given to the medium state control section 80 based on the event detection signal (FIG. 1) input to the processing device 11, and are reflected in the operation of the medium state control section 80. FIG. The event detection signal is, for example, when the door of the store is opened or closed, when a visitor arrives at a predetermined position in the store, when soba noodles are ordered by the ticket machine, or when the soba noodles are ordered by the terminal provided on the table of the store. When an order for soba noodles is received from a terminal possessed by a store staff, or when the staff who received the order for soba noodles or the person in charge of cooking performs a predetermined operation, the analysis result of the image captured by the camera indicates a visitor. These signals are respectively given to the processing unit 11 at times.

If the determination in step S2 is affirmative, the medium state control section 80 advances the process to step S3, and if the determination is negative, the medium state control section 80 advances the process to step S1.

Next, in step S3, the medium state control unit 80 sets the state of the water (hot water) in the sink S to the boiling mode (first state).

In the present embodiment, the robot 21A and the robot 21B are used to cook the buckwheat noodles, so the processing device 11 can grasp the number of buckwheat noodles that are put into the water (hot water) in the sink S at the same time. . Therefore, the combination of tap water supply amount and thermal energy supply amount in the boiling mode (first state) may be changed according to the quantity of buckwheat noodles put into the water (hot water) in the sink S. For example, when a large amount of buckwheat noodles are added at the same time, the amount of tap water supply and the amount of thermal energy supply may be increased. In this case, the processing device 11 notifies the medium state control unit 80 of the amount of buckwheat noodles, and the medium state control unit 80 adjusts the supply amount of tap water and heat energy so as to correspond to the notified amount. You have to control the amount.

Next, in step S4, the medium state control unit 80 determines whether or not the process of boiling all the soba noodles in the received order has been completed based on a notification from the processing device 11. If the determination is affirmative, The process proceeds to step S2, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S3.

The method of determination in step S4 is arbitrary, but the medium state control unit 80 is triggered by the issuance of the motion of the robot 21A and the robot 21B or a command for the motion by the processing device 11, or is given from the motion or the command. Triggered by the passage of time, the process can proceed to step S2. In this case, the medium state control unit 80 can shift the process to step S2 using the operation of the robot 21A or the robot 21B after the buckwheat boiling process is completed or the issuance of a command for the operation as a trigger. For example, triggered by the issuance of an instruction for post-processing in the third section 53 from the processing device 11, or based on the instruction, the robot 21A moves into the second section 52 (sink S of subsection 521). Triggered by the fact that a certain tray 60 has been picked up, the determination in step S4 may be affirmative. Further, the determination in step S4 may be affirmative on the condition that a predetermined time has elapsed since the robot 21A dipped the last tray 60 in the sink S of the subsection 521 and the buckwheat boiling process was started. The determination of the medium state control unit 80 in step S4 is established in cooperation with the processing device 11. FIG.

Thus, in this embodiment, it is possible to appropriately switch the state of the water (hot water) in the sink S between the boiling mode (first state) and the standby mode (second state). Therefore, it is possible to efficiently boil buckwheat while suppressing energy consumption. Also, the amount of tap water used can be reduced.

As described above, in this embodiment, the state of the water (hot water) in both the boiling mode (first state) and the standby mode (second state) is maintained in a boiling state, and the water temperature is approximately 100°C. Therefore, it is difficult to control switching between the boiling mode (first state) and the standby mode (second state) based on the temperature of the water (hot water). On the other hand, in this embodiment, the boiling mode (first state) and the standby mode (second state) are defined by the combination of tap water supply amount and thermal energy supply amount. Therefore, it is possible to accurately control the state of the water (hot water) in the boiling mode (first state) and the standby mode (second state).

In addition, in this embodiment, the operation of the medium state control unit 80 can be realized without using the temperature sensor that can be built into the noodle boiling machine 70, so the measurement accuracy of the temperature sensor that can be built into the noodle boiling machine 70 is good. Highly reliable operation can be achieved even when the However, in a modified example, a temperature sensor that can be built into the noodle boiling machine 70 or a separately prepared temperature sensor can be used as an auxiliary.

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the medium state control unit 80 controls the robots 21A and 21B by means of the processor 11. However, the control by the medium state control unit 80 is executed independently of the motions of the robots. can be

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a configuration in which control by the medium state control unit 80 is executed independently of the motion of the robot. In the example of FIG. 16, the event detection signal is directly input to the medium state control section 80 . In this embodiment, the medium state control section 80 functions as a predetermined event detection section.

FIG. 17 is a flow chart showing the operation of the medium state control section 80 in this embodiment.

In step S11 of FIG. 17, the medium state control unit 80 sets the state of water (hot water) in the sink S to the standby mode (second state).

Next, at step S12 in FIG. 17, the medium state control unit 80 determines whether or not an event detection signal has been input, that is, whether or not a predetermined event has been detected.

The predetermined event is arbitrary, but the predetermined event is at least one of an event of detecting a visitor, an event of opening and closing the store door, an event of accepting an order with a ticket machine, and an event of receiving a predetermined input from a store staff. or can be used. An event for detecting a visitor may be detected, for example, by analyzing an image of the inside of the store captured by a camera.

These events include notification of the opening and closing of the store door, notification of the arrival of a customer at a predetermined location in the store, notification of an order for soba noodles from a ticket machine, Notification that an order has been placed, notification that an order for soba noodles has been received by a terminal possessed by a store staff, notification that a staff member or cook who has received an order for soba noodles has performed a prescribed operation, etc. be These notifications are given to the medium state control section 80 as an event detection signal (FIG. 16) and reflected in the operation of the medium state control section 80. FIG. The event detection signal is, for example, when the door of the store is opened or closed, when a visitor arrives at a predetermined position in the store, when soba noodles are ordered by the ticket machine, or when the soba noodles are ordered by the terminal provided on the table of the store. When an order for soba noodles is received from a terminal possessed by a store staff, or when the staff who received the order for soba noodles or the person in charge of cooking performs a predetermined operation, the analysis result of the image captured by the camera indicates a visitor. These signals are respectively given to the medium state control unit 80 at times.

If the determination in step S12 is affirmative, the medium state control section 80 advances the process to step S13, and if the determination is negative, the medium state control section 80 advances the process to step S11.

Next, in step S13, the medium state control unit 80 sets the state of the water (hot water) in the sink S to the boiling mode (first state).

Next, in step S14, the medium state control unit 80 determines whether or not the boiling process for all the soba noodles in the received order has been completed. If so, the process proceeds to step S13.

In step S14, determination can be made based on a predetermined operation by the person in charge of cooking. For example, when a “colander” containing buckwheat is pulled up from the sink S, or the “colander” pulled up from the sink S is immersed in the cold water accumulated in the subsection 531 to remove the sliminess of the buckwheat. When the food is removed, the person in charge of cooking may perform a predetermined operation, such as a button operation, and the determination in step S14 may be affirmative when the operation is performed. Further, the determination in step S14 may be affirmative when a predetermined time (the buckwheat boiling time) has elapsed since a predetermined operation performed by the person in charge of cooking immediately before starting to boil the soba noodles in the sink S. Further, the determination in step S14 may be affirmative when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since a predetermined operation performed by the person in charge of cooking after starting to boil the soba noodles in the sink S.

As described above, in the second embodiment, even when the person in charge of cooking boils buckwheat noodles without using a robot, the state of the water (hot water) in the sink S is changed to the boiling mode (first state) and the standby mode (second state). 2 states) can be appropriately switched. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently boil buckwheat while suppressing energy consumption. Also, the amount of tap water used can be reduced.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which the thermal energy supply unit 81 is built in a boiling noodle machine 70 having a heat retention mode.

In this example, when the operation of the noodle boiling machine 70 is set to the heat retention mode, the thermal energy supply unit 81 supplies heat energy per unit time corresponding to the heat retention mode to water (hot water) in the noodle boiling machine 70. .

On the other hand, when the operation of the boiled noodle machine 70 is set to the standby mode (second state) according to the control of the medium state control unit 80, the amount of water in the boiled noodle machine 70 per unit time is higher than that in the heat retention mode. The amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit 81 to (hot water) increases. As a result, in the standby mode (second state), the water (hot water) in the noodle boiling machine 70 can be maintained in a weakly boiling state. When the operation of the boiled noodle machine 70 is set to the boiling mode (first state), the amount of water (hot water) in the boiled noodle machine 70 per unit time is greater than in the standby mode (first state). The amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit 81 increases.

The medium supply unit 82 controls the amount of tap water supplied to the noodle boiling machine 70 (supply amount per unit time).

Thus, by incorporating the heat energy supply unit 81 into the noodle boiling machine 70 having the heat retention mode, the state of the water (hot water) in the noodle boiling machine 70 can be switched between the first state and the second state. It becomes possible. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently cook the cooking target while suppressing energy consumption. Also, the amount of tap water used can be reduced.

Although each embodiment has been described in detail above, it is not limited to a specific embodiment, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope described in the claims. It is also possible to combine all or more of the constituent elements of the above-described embodiments.

11 processing device 21A robot 21B robot 30 robot hand 40 robot hand 60 tray 74a camera 74b sensor 80 medium state control unit 81 thermal energy supply unit 82 medium supply unit 90 container 91 container body 92 partition H heater

Claims (13)

A control device for controlling a thermal energy supply unit for supplying thermal energy to a medium in a container and a medium supply unit for supplying fresh medium into the container,
A medium state control unit for controlling the state of the medium in the container by controlling the thermal energy supply unit and the medium supply unit, the medium state control unit controlling the state of the medium in the container when the medium is introduced into the container. a first state in which the object to be cooked can be cooked with the medium; and an amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time, and the medium supply unit. and a medium state control unit for switching between a second state in which both the supply amount of the medium supplied by the and the medium supply amount are small. a predetermined event detection unit that detects a predetermined event related to the generation of an order for a cooking target that can be cooked by the medium in the container;
The medium state control unit determines the state of the medium in the container when the predetermined event is detected by the predetermined event detection unit under the condition that the state of the medium in the container is the second state. 2. A control device according to claim 1, for switching from said second state to said first state. The predetermined event includes at least one of an event of detecting a visitor, an event of opening and closing a store door, an event of accepting an order with a ticket machine, and an event of receiving a predetermined input from a store staff. Item 3. The control device according to item 2. further comprising a robot control unit for controlling the robot,
The robot control unit causes the robot to put the object to be cooked into the container under the condition that the medium in the container is in the first state. an action of the robot to be executed before boiling or the issuance of a command for the action;
The medium state control unit switches the state of the medium in the container unit from the second state to the first state after the predetermined event is detected and before the robot is caused to put the object to be cooked. 3. A control device according to claim 2. The medium state control unit is triggered by the issuance of a predetermined operation of the robot or a command for the operation by the robot control unit, or by the lapse of a predetermined time from the operation or the command, and the container is 5. The control device according to claim 4, wherein the state of the medium in the unit is switched from the first state to the second state. The medium state control unit
The supply amount of the thermal energy and the supply amount of the medium in the first state are such that the temperature of the medium is lowered when the maximum number of the objects to be cooked that can be cooked simultaneously is put into the container. controlling the thermal energy supply amount and the medium supply amount so that the amount of the medium does not decrease and the amount of the medium is not reduced;
The amount of thermal energy supplied and the amount of medium supplied in the second state are such that when the object to be cooked is not placed in the container, the temperature of the medium does not drop, and the medium does not drop. The amount of thermal energy supplied and the amount of medium supplied that do not decrease the amount of The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which controls the energy supply amount and the medium supply amount. the medium is water,
The medium state control unit establishes the first state by setting the relationship between the amount of water flowing into the container unit and the power consumption of the thermal energy supply unit to the first relationship, and sets the relationship to the second state. A control device as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein a relationship forms the second state. In the first state, the medium is in a boiling state while the object to be cooked put into the container is being cooked,
A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein in the second state the medium is in a boiling state when the object to be cooked is not being cooked. The object to be cooked is noodles,
The thermal energy supply unit is incorporated in a boiling noodle machine having a heat retention mode for keeping the medium at a predetermined temperature,
The medium state control unit controls the second medium state control unit so that the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time is greater than when the boiled noodle machine is in the heat retention mode. A control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, forming two states. The thermal energy supply unit is capable of switching between an ON state in which thermal energy is supplied to the medium to the maximum extent and an OFF state in which thermal energy is not supplied to the medium,
2. The medium state control unit controls the amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time by switching between the ON state and the OFF state. 10. The control device according to any one of 9. 11. The medium state control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the medium state control unit switches between the first state and the second state without using a measurement result of the temperature of the medium by a temperature sensor. controller. A control program for controlling a thermal energy supply unit that supplies thermal energy to a medium in a container and a medium supply unit that supplies fresh medium into the container,
A medium state control process for controlling the state of the medium in the container by controlling the thermal energy supply unit and the medium supply unit, wherein the state of the medium in the container is controlled by the state of the medium in the container. a first state in which the object to be cooked can be cooked with the medium; and an amount of thermal energy supplied by the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time, and the medium supply unit. A control program that causes a computer to execute a medium state control process for switching between a second state in which both the supply amount of the medium supplied by and the medium supply amount are small. 1. A cooking system for a kitchen, comprising a thermal energy supply for supplying thermal energy to a medium in a container and a medium supply for supplying fresh medium into the container, comprising:
a media state control program; a robot;
a robot control program;
The media state control program includes:
a predetermined event detection process for detecting a predetermined event related to the generation of an order for a cooking object that can be cooked by the medium in the container;
A medium state control process for controlling the state of the medium in the container by controlling the thermal energy supply unit and the medium supply unit, wherein the state of the medium in the container is controlled by the state of the medium in the container. a first state in which the object to be cooked can be cooked with the medium; and a second state in which the amount of thermal energy supplied from the thermal energy supply unit to the medium in the container unit per unit time is smaller than that in the first state. causes the computer to execute a media state control process for switching between
The medium state control process controls the state of the medium in the container when the predetermined event is detected by the predetermined event detection process under the condition that the medium in the container is in the second state. switching from the second state to the first state;
The robot control program changes the state of the medium in the container to the state of the medium in the container when the predetermined event is detected by the predetermined event detection process under the condition that the state of the medium in the container is the second state. A cooking system that causes the robot to put the object to be cooked into the container after the medium state control process for switching from the second state to the first state is executed.

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