JP2880419B2 - Food supply equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a food and drink supply device for supplying food by discharging food and drink filled in a container, and more particularly to detecting a predetermined amount of remaining amount in a mounted container. The present invention relates to a food and drink supply device to be displayed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, food and drink supply apparatuses used for providing favorite drinking water and the like are provided with food and drinks filled in containers in addition to those in the form of canned juice.
In many cases, it is provided by being poured out of the container according to demand. In particular, the latter is widely used because it can be provided in simple containers and can be reduced in cost, such as coffee, juus, and shakes provided in fast food restaurants. By the way, the food and drink supply device of the type that pours out the one filled in such a container is different from the one that is packed in a can in advance and sold,
Each time a certain amount of dispensing is required.
Therefore, what should be noted in the food / drink supply device of the pour type is to always pour a fixed amount. In particular, when the amount of food and drink in the container is low, it cannot be provided as a proper one unless the last one reaches a predetermined amount. This can happen not only when provided by vending machines but also when used in fast food stores, etc. It is a matter that is particularly noted because it significantly impairs

[0003] Therefore, in the food and drink supply apparatus, in order to solve such a problem before the problem occurs, when the remaining amount of food and drink in the container becomes less than a certain amount, a sale stop display or replacement of the container is required. The display is emitted. Specifically, a weight detection method or a light detection method is employed. That is, in the weight detection device, a weight sensor is attached to constantly detect the weight of the container, and when the weight falls below a certain amount, the detection signal is sent to a predetermined display device, and sales for replacement or replacement are Turn on the display. On the other hand, in the light detection method,
An optical sensor is provided in the middle of the pipe from the container to the spout to detect the presence or absence of food flowing through the pipe, and when the light quantity is detected when there is no food, the detection signal is displayed on a predetermined display. To turn on the display for discontinuation or replacement.

[0004]

However, the food and drink supply device provided with the detection device for detecting the remaining amount of food and drink has the following disadvantages. That is, when the installation position of the container installed in the food and drink supply device deviates from a predetermined reference position, the remaining amount detected by the weight sensor changes each time. In addition, as a storage form of the container containing food and drink in the food and drink supply device, a vinyl or plastic container into which food or drink is directly placed is further transported in a cardboard box, and is carried in a cardboard box at the time of installation. There is. In such a case, the reference weight is not constant, for example, the weight of the cardboard becomes excessive due to moisture in some cases, and sometimes the weight of the cardboard becomes lighter than usual in a dry state. Would.

[0005] In addition, the amount of food in the container is reduced, and the remaining amount is likely to vary due to the influence of the change in stress generated at the joint between the container and the supply device. Furthermore, the ability to detect the remaining amount is deteriorated in accordance with the frequency of use of the contact switches, and the detection accuracy is reduced, causing variations. Therefore, if the detection result is not stable as described above, even if the food in the container falls below a predetermined amount of the food to be poured at one time, or even if there is no food in the container, the sales are stopped. May not be displayed.

Further, as described above, in the weight detecting device,
In addition to the variation in the detection result, the accuracy of the replacement is basically low, so that it is necessary to notify the replacement time with a certain amount of remaining food and drink in the container. At this time, the food and drink remaining in the container to be disposed of is wasteful because it is also disposed of, and becomes a target of disposal. On the other hand, when an optical sensor is used, it is necessary in principle to transmit light to a detection location, and there are many cases where detection cannot be performed depending on the material of the container or tube. That is, in the food and drink supply device, depending on the food and drink to be provided, since they dislike receiving normal light,
This is because some are formed by a translucent container or the like.

[0007] Therefore, the food and beverage supply apparatus of the present invention makes it possible to make the remaining amount of food and beverage as infinitesimal as possible and to perform stable high-precision detection in order to use the food and beverage in the container to the end without waste. It is an object to provide a food and drink supply device.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided a food and drink supply apparatus which is capable of replacing a container filled with food and drink, and which is provided with a predetermined container from a spout connected through a tube connected to the container. Providing food and drink by pouring food and drink inside the container and discharging the food into an external container, wherein a capacitance type proximity switch for detecting the presence or absence of food and drink flowing in the tube; Display means for displaying a state in which the food or drink in the container has disappeared by a capacitance type proximity switch. Further, the food and drink supply device of the present invention is a rotating body that is provided next to the tube and rotates from the upper side to the lower side along the tube, and a feeding unit that presses against the tube by a predetermined rotation distance. It is desirable to have. Further, the food and drink supply device of the present invention is a container in which a tube for discharging filled food is connected, and a storage portion for storing the container and a spout of the tube are arranged at predetermined positions. It is desirable to have a substrate on which a conduit to be formed is formed.

[0009]

The food supply apparatus of the present invention, when the food in the container runs out, installs a new container filled with food and drink, and communicates with the newly installed container via a tube. The food and drink is provided by pouring out the food and drink in a predetermined container from the spout and then discharging the food into an external container. When the food is detected and the food or drink runs out, the display means displays according to the detection signal. Therefore,
The electrostatic capacitance type proximity switch can perform stable high-accuracy detection, and can be used while minimizing waste of food and drink in the container. Further, the food and beverage supply device of the present invention is characterized in that when the feeding means provided adjacent to the tube rotates from the upper side to the lower side along the tube, the feeding means is pressed against the tube by a predetermined rotation distance so that the food and drink is supplied. Send things out. Further, the food and drink supply device of the present invention, when pouring out the food and drink filled in the container through a tube connected to the container, from the storage unit for storing the container to the spout of the tube By arranging the tube in the conduit arranged at the predetermined position, food can be provided in a clean state by easy installation.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, a food and drink supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the entire food supply device 1 with the front door 2 opened. In the present embodiment, a case is described in which orange juice is prepared by diluting a concentrated stock solution with water. The food and drink supply device 1 is roughly divided into a container storage unit 3 and a food or drink (in the present embodiment, a concentrated undiluted solution of orange juice, hereinafter referred to as “undiluted solution”) in a container 6 stored in the container storage unit 3. ) And a water supply unit 5 for receiving the undiluted solution. In the present embodiment, the food and drink supply apparatus 1 shown has one set of the container 6 and the food pouring part 4, but of course it has two sets or three or more sets. You may. The container storage section 3 has a partitioned internal space for storing the container 6, and has an insertion hole (not shown) through which a tube is passed, formed on a lower surface thereof. Here, the container 6 accommodated in the container accommodating portion 3 has various forms such as a plastic container, a vinyl container, and a paper container, and all of them are filled in the container downward. A tube 7 for discharging the undiluted solution is connected.

Next, the food and drink pouring section 4 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the food and beverage discharging section 4.
The food and beverage discharging section 4 is fixed to a substrate 8 to which a tube 7 from a container 6 is attached. Specifically, 3
A roller pump 10 provided with a plurality of rollers 9 at equal intervals via a spring 11 is formed at the upper center. The roller pump 10 is rotatable around a roller pump shaft 13 and is configured to be driven by a drive motor (not shown). In addition, the tube guide 12 provided alongside the roller pump 10 is curved along the outer periphery of the roller pump 10. The tube guide 12 is mounted so as to be rotatable about a tube guide shaft 13. But tube guide 1
A tube guide stopper 14 is provided so that the roller 2 does not rotate too much and approach the roller pump 8 too much. Thus, the tube guide 12 is screwed to the position shown in the figure by the tube guide lock 15.

At a position downstream of the tube guide 12 and the roller pump 10, a pinch guide 16 and a pinch valve (not shown) for closing and opening the tube 7 near the spout of the tube 7 by crushing the tube 7 are provided. Is provided. In the food and beverage discharging section 4 formed in this way, the conduit in which the tube 7 is arranged is determined as shown in the figure. The diluting water supply nozzles 17 provided near both sides of the spout of the tube 7 are rotatably inserted into a nozzle receiver 17a attached to the substrate 8, and the diluting water is discharged by the rotating operation. The direction can be changed. The dilution water supply nozzle 17 is fitted to a water distribution pipe (connected to a water supply or the like) in a device for supplying dilution water. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the water supply section 5 has a container 6 below the tube 7 and the dilution water supply nozzle 17.
A lever 18 is provided for supporting the discharge of the stock solution therein. The lever 18 is a plate-shaped member fixed at the upper portion and provided such that the lower end portion is inclined forward.

As shown in FIG. 2, a remaining amount detecting sensor 20 which is a feature of the food and drink supply device 1 of the present embodiment is provided on the food and drink discharging section 4.
2. Adjustment knobs 33, 3 for adjusting the detection sensitivity described later
4 and a changeover switch 35 for switching the adjustment. The remaining amount detection sensor 20 is fixedly mounted on the food and drink discharging section 4 so that the detection surface 21a faces the tube 7 connected to the container 6. It should be noted that a capacitance type proximity switch is employed as the remaining amount detection sensor 20 of the present embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cross section of the remaining amount detection sensor 20. The remaining amount detecting sensor 20 has a convex portion of the case 21 as a detecting surface 21a, and an electrode 22 is fitted inside the convex portion. A printed circuit board 24 is connected to the electrode 22 via a connection line 23. The printed circuit board 24 is provided with a sensitivity detection potentiometer 27 for adjusting the detection sensitivity by changing the contact position. The sensitivity detection potentiometer 27 is connected to adjustment knobs 33 and 34 for adjusting the sensitivity, and is capable of adjusting the value of the capacitance produced by the target food or drink.

On the other hand, the case 2 on which the detection surface 21a is formed
An outlet 26 of the cable 25 is formed on the other end side of the cable 1. The cable 25 pulled out from the outlet 26 is connected to a display 30 mounted on a surface of the main body of the food and beverage supply device 1 at an easily visible position. By the way, in the remaining amount detection sensor 20, a resin (not shown) is filled in the inside of the case 21 in order to secure vibration resistance, shock resistance and water resistance. Incidentally, a circuit as shown in FIG. 4 is connected to the printed circuit board 24 and configured. That is, an oscillation circuit 41 is connected to the electrode 22, which forms a part of the electrode. The oscillation circuit 41 is connected to a detection circuit 42 for detecting an oscillation signal from the oscillation circuit 41, and furthermore, a voltage switch circuit. 43 and an output circuit 44 are connected in order.

The configuration of the food and drink supply apparatus according to the present embodiment has been described above. Next, the operation of the apparatus will be described. First, before driving the food / drink supply device 1, the container 6 containing the undiluted solution is mounted in the container storage unit 3. Then, the tube 7 connected to the container 6 is disposed on a predetermined path of the food and drink discharging section 4. Specifically, the tube guide 12 is opened, and the tube 7 is applied to an insertion hole (not shown) formed when the tube guide 12 comes into contact with the tube guide stopper 14. Then, the tube 7 is arranged along the circumference of the roller pump 10, and the tip is dropped downward so as to contact a pinch valve (not shown) on the back of the pinch guide 16. After the arrangement of the tubes 7 is determined in this way, the tube guide 12 is rotated counterclockwise so as to cover the tubes 7. Then, the tube 7 is pressed against the roller 9 by the tube guide 12. However, at this time, the rotation of the tube guide 12 is restricted by the tube guide stopper 14, and an excessive load on the tube 7 is prevented. And it is fixed by the tube guide lock 15 in that position.

Next, after the attachment of the container 6 and the tube 7 is completed as described above, the power supply switch 32 is turned on to start the food and beverage supply device 1. And adjustment knob 3
The capacitance corresponding to the undiluted solution in the container 6 mounted by 3, 34 is adjusted. This completes the preparation for providing food and drink. Then, when the user holds the cup 36 and presses it against the lever 18, a pouring command is issued, and the food / drink pouring section 4 is driven as follows, and orange juice is created and provided in the cup 36. Each roller 9 acts in the radial direction of the roller pump 8 by a spring 11. for that reason,
When the tube 7 is disposed in the food and drink discharging section 4, a closed portion 7 a of the tube 7 is compressed between the two rollers 9 by the rollers 9 and the tube guide 12. FIG.
Thus, two closed portions 7a are formed.

When a beverage supply command is issued, the roller pump 10 is rotated by a predetermined angle (120 °) in the direction of arrow A in FIG. When the roller pump 10 rotates 120 ° in the direction of the arrow A, only the amount of the undiluted solution filled between the two closed portions 7a is discharged downward so as to be squeezed out. At this time, the undiluted solution from the container 6 flows between the closed portions 7a to which the undiluted solution has been sent out, and is closed again by the next roller 9. Therefore, the amount of the undiluted solution discharged in one rotation is only the amount existing between the closed portions 7a. A pinch guide 16 is provided at a position downstream of a position between the tube guide 12 of the tube 7 and the roller pump 10, and a pinch valve (not shown) and a drive mechanism thereof are provided on the back side of the pinch guide 16. I have. In order to maintain the cleanliness of the tube 7, when there is no beverage supply command, the pinch valve presses the tube 7 against the back of the pinch guide 16 to hermetically close the tube 7, thereby preventing the beverage in the tube 7 from contacting the outside air. The roller pump 10 is opened simultaneously with the rotation of the roller pump 10.

As described above, when the undiluted solution is discharged from the outlet at the lower end of the tube 7, diluting water for diluting the undiluted solution is simultaneously discharged from the dilution water supply nozzle 17. The dilution water supply nozzle 17 is rotatably inserted into a nozzle receiver 17a attached to the substrate 8, and the rotation direction of the dilution water can be changed. Here, the supply source of the dilution water may be one supplied from a water supply such as a water supply, or one storing mineral water or the like in the food and beverage supply device 1 and supplying it.

In this manner, an appropriate amount of the stock solution in the container 6 is poured out, and an appropriate orange juice is provided by the dilution water from the dilution water supply nozzle 17. In such a case, the remaining amount detection sensor 20 detects the presence or absence of the undiluted solution flowing in the tube 7 at the upper position of the food and drink pouring section 4. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a detection state by the remaining amount detection sensor 20. The remaining amount detection sensor 20 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (a), the object is subjected to electrostatic induction due to the presence of the undiluted solution in the electric field, that is, the tube 7, so that polarization occurs.
That is, a negative charge different from the positively charged electrode 22 appears on the side closer to the electrode 22 of the undiluted solution, and a positive charge appears on the opposite side. Then, the positive charge on the electrode 22 side increases due to the induction of the negative charge generated in the stock solution. Therefore, an increase in the electric charge results in an increase in the capacitance of the electrode 22.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the undiluted solution in the container 6 is exhausted and the final surface M passes the position of the tube 7 in which the remaining amount detection sensor 20 is installed, the capacitance of the electrode 22 sharply increases. Will be reduced. In accordance with such a change in the capacitance of the electrode 22, the oscillation circuit 41 configured so that the capacitance becomes one element of the oscillation condition, as shown in FIG.
In the case shown in (b), that is, when the capacitance is significantly reduced, a signal indicating that there is no stock solution is oscillated. Then, the oscillation signal from the oscillation circuit 41 is detected by the detection circuit 42, converted into a switching signal by the voltage switch circuit 43, the output circuit 44 is driven, and the display 30 is turned on. So the user can
You can know the replacement.

By the way, the relative dielectric constant indicates the degree of polarization of the electric charge in an object due to electrostatic induction. If the relative dielectric constant is set to 1 with respect to a vacuum case, the liquid is relatively large, including about 80 of water. On the other hand, in many cases, the solid is 10 or less. From this, it can be said that an apparatus containing a large amount of water, such as the food and drink supply apparatus of the present embodiment, is easily detected. Therefore, the capacitance is determined by the relative dielectric constant of the object flowing in the tube 7. Further, the sensitivity detection potentiometer 27 adjusts the sensitivity to be increased by the tube 7 which does not originally need to be detected, so that the sensitivity is properly adjusted. Specifically, the wave is adjusted by adjusting the adjustment knobs 33 and 34 as described above.

Although the embodiment of the food and drink supply apparatus according to the present invention has been described above, the following effects can be obtained. In the present embodiment, since the remaining amount detecting sensor 20 detects the presence or absence of the food or drink flowing in the tube 7 by detecting the capacitance, the detection result is stable and the remaining amount is detected without variation. Further, since the presence or absence of food or drink is directly detected, highly accurate detection can be performed. Further, if the tube is made of a nonmetal, the remaining amount can be detected without being restricted by the material and the color.

Further, since the detection position can be freely changed and the detection result is also highly accurate, the remaining amount of food and drink is minimized and waste is reduced, so that the supply unit price of food and drink is reduced. Can be reduced. In addition, since the tube 7 is connected to the container 6 and the tube 7 may be disposed in the food and drink discharging section 4, the handling is easy, and the tube is discharged through another pipe. It is excellent in hygiene because it does not occur. Further, since the undiluted solution is sent out by pressing the roller 9 against the tube 7, there is no inconvenience that the undiluted solution is poured out to a predetermined amount or more. Furthermore, since the non-contact detection is performed without touching the target container or the like, the life of the detector is semi-permanent.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a cylindrical capacitance type proximity switch is used as the remaining amount detector, but it may be a flat type. Further, for example, the mounting position of the remaining amount detector is not limited to the position in the above embodiment, but may be any position as long as at least one injection amount is left. Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the tube is pressed by two rollers in one pouring, but may be pressed by one roller. Furthermore, although the case of orange juice has been described in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this as long as it is poured out of the container. For example, yogurt or soft cream may be used.

[0026]

As described above, the present invention relates to a food supply apparatus in which food is provided by pouring food or drink filled in a container. The proximity switch is used for detection, and the detection signal is used to display the absence of food on the display device, so the food in the container can be used to the end without waste, and stable high-precision detection can be performed. It has become possible to provide a food and drink supply device that can be used.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an entire food and beverage supply apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a food dispensing unit of the food supply apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a cross section of a remaining amount detection sensor of the food and beverage supply apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a circuit configured on a printed board of the remaining amount detection sensor.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a detection state by a remaining amount detection sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 food and drink supply device 4 food and drink discharge section 6 container 7 tube 9 roller 10 roller pump 11 spring 12 tube guide 20 remaining amount detection sensor 22 electrode 24 printed circuit board 27 sensitivity detection potentiometer 30 display 33 adjustment knob 34 adjustment knob

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-191598 (JP, A) JP-A-6-183493 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B67D 1/08

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A container filled with food and drink can be replaced, and food and drink in a predetermined container is poured out from a spout connected through a tube connected to the container, and is poured into an external container. In the food supply device in which the provision of food is performed by performing, a capacitance type proximity switch for detecting the presence or absence of food flowing in the tube; and the capacitance type proximity switch as one element of an oscillation condition. ,
When the food or drink runs out, a oscillating signal is output.
A circuit vibration, a detection circuit for detecting the oscillation signal signal, when said detection circuit detects the oscillation signal, and display means for displaying a state where the food has run out of the container DOO
In addition, even if the tube is opaque, the food supply apparatus detects the presence or absence of food flowing in the tube.