JP3192828B2 - Cup vending machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup-type vending machine in which raw materials and hot water or water are put into a cup, and the mixture is stirred by a stirrer to cook a beverage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a cup-type vending machine of this type, generally, after the beverage is cooked by a stirrer, the impeller of the stirrer is periodically washed to remove the deposits. Cleaning of this impeller is necessary for hygiene management,
In the case where different kinds of beverages, for example, coffee and tea, are subsequently sold, it is also necessary to avoid a situation in which the flavor of the previously sold beverage remains and the taste of the subsequently sold beverage is deteriorated due to the remaining fragrance.

[0003] As such a cup-type vending machine, for example, one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-1000059 is known. In this cup-type vending machine, the introduction of hot water into the cup is divided into a plurality of times, and after the first introduction of hot water, the impeller of the stirring device is inserted into the cup and stirred, and then the impeller is placed in the cup. Slightly above the drinking water level, apply hot water to the rotating impeller, and slowly raise the impeller so that it does not touch the beverage in the cup. At the same time, the impeller is cleaned.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in this cup-type vending machine, after the raw materials and a part of the hot water for beverage preparation are agitated by the impeller of the agitator, the remainder of the hot water is slightly floated from the beverage in the cup. In the case of a powder raw material or the like which tends to stick to the impeller, the amount of hot water used for cleaning and the cleaning time tend to be insufficient, so that the impeller cannot be sufficiently cleaned. In addition, the operation of pouring hot water into the impeller while raising it little by little so as not to touch the beverage in the cup is required, so the amount and timing of hot water injection and the timing of pulling up the impeller Must be appropriately matched, and there is also a problem that setting is troublesome.

[0005] Further, in the above-mentioned cup-type vending machine, near the end of hot water pouring, hot water is poured into a rotating impeller near the upper edge of the cup. It is easy to fly around and pollutes the surroundings,
There is also a disadvantage that it is not preferable in terms of hygiene.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an impeller of a stirrer used for cooking beverages with a simple structure and for scattering washing water around. It is an object of the present invention to provide a cup-type vending machine which can be surely washed without any problem.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cup storage unit for storing a sales cup, and a transfer device for receiving a sales cup from the cup storage unit and transferring the cup along a transfer path. And a raw material supply device for supplying raw materials to a sales cup conveyed by the conveyance device,
A diluent tank for supplying a diluent to a sales cup, a stirrer for stirring a raw material and a diluent supplied to the sales cup with an impeller to cook a beverage, and a conveying device, a diluent tank and a stirrer. In a cup-type vending machine having a control unit for controlling operation, a cleaning cup is arranged on a transport path, and at a predetermined timing other than cooking of a beverage, the control unit causes the transport device to remove the cleaning cup. The diluent is supplied from the diluent tank to the cleaning cup, and is controlled so that the impeller of the agitator is inserted into the diluent in the cleaning cup for cleaning.

[0008]

According to the vending machine having the above-described structure, the transport device receives and transports the cleaning cup from the diluent tank to the cleaning cup at a predetermined timing other than the cooking of the beverage under the control of the controller. The diluting liquid is supplied, and the cleaning is performed by inserting the impeller of the stirring device into the diluting liquid in the cleaning cup. As described above, the diluent is supplied into the dedicated washing cup and the impeller of the stirring device is inserted into the diluent in the washing cup for washing in a process separate from the cooking of the beverage. The amount of diluent used and the washing time can be sufficiently secured. Further, since the impeller is inserted into the cleaning cup and cleaning can be performed at this position, even if the impeller rotates, the diluent does not splash around during cleaning. Further, in order to perform the above-described cleaning, the cleaning cup is arranged on the transport path of the conventional transport device, and the control content of the control unit, for example, the control program only needs to be changed. Cleaning can be performed only by adding a simple configuration.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a cup-type vending machine to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. This vending machine is different from a conventional one that cooks (mixes) a beverage in a vending machine, and conveys a cooked beverage in a cup that has been cooked in the vending machine to a vending machine and provides it to a product purchaser. It is of the form. Further, in this vending machine, the stirring device for cooking the beverage is washed using a dedicated washing cup. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a cooking device and a cleaning device for hot instant coffee of the vending machine. As shown in the figure, this vending machine has a cooking device 1 for cooking products.
And a lifting device 2 for lifting up the cooked product in a cup to a sales outlet, and a cleaning device 3 for cleaning the stirring device of the cooking device 1.

[0010] As shown in the figure, a cooking device 1 includes a conveyor 4 for transporting the sales cup C _D, sales cup C _D
A cup dispenser (cup storage unit) 5 for storing
Sales cup C _D, cream is a powder raw material, the canister 6, 7, 8 of the instant coffee and sugar as the raw material supply device for supplying each sales cup C
A hot water tank (dilution tank) 9 for supplying water to the _D, stirring a powder material and hot water are C _D supplied to the sales cup (cooked)
And a stirrer 10.

The conveying device 4 includes a left-right moving mechanism 21 for conveying the selling cup _CD in the left-right direction, a guide rail 22 extending in front of and parallel to the left-right moving mechanism 21, a left-right moving mechanism 21, and the guide rail 22. provided to pass between, the longitudinal moving mechanism 23 for transporting the sales cup C _D in the longitudinal direction, and the cup holding mechanism 24 mounted on the anteroposterior moving mechanism, the right and left moving mechanism 21, the anteroposterior moving mechanism 23
And control device 2 for controlling the operation of cup gripping mechanism 24
5 (see FIG. 2). Cup C _D for beverage, in a state of being gripped by the cup holding mechanism 24, while being conveyed in the longitudinal direction by the longitudinal movement mechanism 23,
It is guided by the guide rail 22 and is conveyed in the left-right direction by the left-right moving mechanism 21.

The left-right moving mechanism 21 includes a support frame 26 extending linearly in the left-right direction, a drive pulley (not shown) and a driven pulley 27 rotatably supported on the left and right ends of the support frame 26, respectively. An endless transport belt 28 stretched between the two pulleys and a transport motor 29 with an encoder capable of rotating the drive pulley in a forward / reverse direction (see FIG. 2).
See). A forward / backward moving mechanism 23 is fixed to a predetermined portion of the transport belt 28, and the roller 30 attached to the forward / backward moving mechanism 23 is driven by a transport motor 29 operating and the transport belt 28 running.
Rolled by being guided by the upper surfaces of the support frame 26 and the guide rail 22, the front-rear moving mechanism 23 is
It moves to the left and right along with.

Similarly, the front-rear movement mechanism 23 includes a support frame 31 linearly extending in the front-rear direction, and a support frame 31.
, A drive pulley 32 and a driven pulley 33 rotatably supported at both front and rear ends, an endless transport belt 34 stretched between the pulleys 32, 33, and a drive pulley 3.
And a transport motor 35 with an encoder that can rotate forward and backward. The cup gripping mechanism 24 is fixed to a predetermined portion of the transport belt 34, and the transport motor 35 operates to move the transport belt 34, so that the roller 36 attached to the cup gripping mechanism 24 is moved to the support frame 26. Rolled guided by the upper surface of
The cup gripping mechanism 24 moves forward and backward.

As shown in detail in FIG. 3, the cup gripping mechanism 24 has a box-shaped case main body 37, and a pair of gripping arms 38 projecting from the upper front of the case main body 37. Each gripping arm 38, 38 is
The cam and link mechanism (shown in FIG. 3) are rotatably mounted in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. not) through the gripping position for gripping it so as to get caught in the upper edge of the drinking cup C _D (FIG. 3
And the solid line position), is opened and closed between a release position for releasing the cup C _D drinking (the broken line position).

The control unit 25 constitutes a control unit of the vending machine, and is composed of a microcomputer or the like. As shown in FIG. 35 and a gripping motor 39 of the cup gripping mechanism 24 are connected. In addition, the control device 25 is connected to a stirrer motor 58 and a stirrer elevating motor 59 of the stirrer 10 described later, and an elevating motor 63 of the elevating device 2 described later. The control device 5 controls each of the motors 29, 35, 39, 5 based on the stored control program (not shown) according to the sales command.
By controlling the operation timing, rotation direction, number of rotations, and the like of 8, 59, and 63, the operations of the left and right moving mechanism 21, the front and rear moving mechanism 23, the cup gripping mechanism 24, the stirring device 10, and the elevating device 2 are controlled.

The cup dispenser 5, a number of sales cup C _D made of paper, which stocking, the lower, transfer mechanism that transfers the conveying apparatus 4 for sale cup C _D (not shown) Have. Cup dispenser 5
Is provided above the center of the left end of the transport device 4,
The position immediately below the cup dispenser 5 is the home position of the cup gripping mechanism 24 of the transport device 4. When there is a vending command, sold cup C _D is the delivery mechanism is withdrawn from the cup dispenser 5 one by one, is dropped between the gripping arms 38, 38 of the cup holding mechanism 24.

The cream canister 6, the coffee canister 7, and the sugar canister 8 are for storing cream, instant coffee, and sugar, which are powder raw materials, respectively, and are provided above and below the transport device 4 side by side. A supply mechanism 41 protrudes below each of the canisters 6, 7, and 8, and a powder shooter 42 is provided below the supply mechanism 41. The powder materials in the canisters 6, 7, 8 are weighed by a predetermined amount by each supply mechanism 41,
Cup C _D for sale conveyed by the conveyance device 4
Is supplied through a powder shooter 42.

The hot water tank 9 has a heater (not shown) inside.
Includes a, which supplies hot water to the sales cup C _D,
It is provided beside the canisters 6, 7, 8. A hot water valve 43 composed of an electromagnetic valve and a supply nozzle 44 connected to the hot water valve 43 are attached to a hot water supply port of the hot water tank 9.
Hot water of the hot water tank 9, by opening the hot water valve 43, through the supply nozzle 44, a predetermined amount of sales cup C _D, are supplied. The tip of the supply nozzle 44 is connected to a cup C _D for sale.
The impeller 48, which will be described later, of the stirrer 10 inserted into the air conditioner, faces hot water directly.

The stirrer 10 includes canister 6,7,8 and is provided between the hot water tank 9, agitator 45 for mixing and stirring the powder material and hot water supplied to the sales cup C _D
And an elevating mechanism 46 that moves the stirrer 45 up and down. The stirrer 45 has a built-in stirring motor 5.
8 (see FIG. 2), an impeller 48 is attached to the tip of a rotating shaft 47, and the entire agitator 45 is
6 is moved up and down by belt drive by a stirrer elevating motor 59 (see FIG. 2) built in.

The lifting device 2 is mounted inside a main door (not shown) of the vending machine, and when the main door is closed, as shown in FIG. Located in. The elevating device 2 includes an apparatus main body 61 and a cup pedestal 62 that is attached to the apparatus main body 61 so as to be able to move up and down. The cup pedestal is driven by an elevating motor 63 (see FIG. 2) built in the apparatus main body 61. 62 moves up and down.

Meanwhile, the cleaning apparatus 3, the conveying device 4 and the hot water tank 9 of said structure, a cleaning cup mount 51 for mounting the cleaning cup C _R, a drainage unit 52 for draining the washing water It is constituted by.

The cleaning cup C _R is used exclusively for cleaning the impeller 48 of the stirring device 10.
For example, it is made of plastic so that it can be reused. The cleaning cup C _R has the same shape and size as the sales cup C _D and has a drain hole 53 formed at the bottom.

The cleaning cup mounting table 51 is provided above the front left end of the transfer device 4 and is provided with the cup gripping mechanism 24.
Between the gripping arms 38 of the cleaning cup mounting table 51.
By sandwiching the cleaning cup C _R placed on the cleaning cup C _R is adapted to be delivered into a cup holding mechanism 24. The transferred cleaning cup C _R is transferred by the transport device 4 in the same manner as in the case of the sales cup C _D.
The hot water is conveyed to immediately below the stirring device 10, where hot water is supplied from the hot water tank 9, and the impeller 4 of the stirring device 10
The impeller 48 is cleaned by the insertion and rotation of 8.

The drainage section 52 is composed of a drainage tray 54 for collecting and draining hot water after washing, and a drainage bucket 55 arranged below the drainage tray 54 and receiving drainage. The drain tray 54 is disposed between the support frame 26 and the right half of the guide rail 22 so as to extend from the canisters 6, 7, 8 to the hot water tank 9, and receives hot water after washing is completed. , 8 can also receive powdered raw material spilled during supply. The drain tray 54 is provided with a drain port 56 and a drain pipe 57 connected to the drain port 56.
I am facing. The drain tray 54 is periodically cleaned by a separately provided cleaning nozzle (not shown).

Next, a series of operations from the preparation of the beverage to the cleaning of the impeller 48 of the stirring device 10 of the vending machine having the above-described structure will be described in detail. These operations are performed by the control device 25 by the motors 29, 35, 39, 58,
This is done by controlling the operation of 59, 63.
When there is a vending command, first, from the cup dispenser 5, is dropped sold cup C _D to the cup holding mechanism 24 in the home position, sold cup C _D is in a state of being gripped by the cup holding mechanism 24 , Left and right shift mechanism movement 2
1 and by the front-rear movement mechanism 23, it is transported to the position of the cream canister 6. Here, the sales cup C _D
Is supplied with the cream from the cream canister 6, and then, while being conveyed rightward, the coffee canister 7
After receiving the supply of instant coffee from the sugar canister 8 and the supply of sugar from the sugar canister 8, it is transported to the position of the stirring device 10. Here, hot water tank 9 in sales for the cup C _D
The hot water is supplied from the hot water and the impeller 48 of the stirring device 10 is inserted around the hot water, and the stirrer 45 is operated to stir the above-mentioned powdery raw materials and the hot water. Is completed.

Sales Cup C Filled with Cooked Beverages
_D is transported by the transport device 4 to the position of the elevating device 2 at the left front, while being held by the cup gripping mechanism 24, and temporarily stops here. Then, the elevating device 2 is activated, the cup cradle 62 thereof, selling cup C _D held by the cup holding mechanism 24 receives and to lift from the lower side. Here, the elevating device 2 temporarily stops and enters a standby state. Next, the gripping arm 38 of the cup gripping mechanism 24 opens to the release position, and
3, the cup gripping mechanism 24 is retracted, and the left and right moving mechanism 21 is further activated to move the cup gripping mechanism 24 to the home position. On the other hand, the cup gripping mechanism 2
After the retreat of 4, the cup receiving table 62 of the elevating device 2 ascends, and lifts the selling cup _CD to a predetermined height to face the sales outlet. Purchaser of goods, and take out the sales for the cup C _D from the sales outlet, cup cradle 62 is lowered,
The lifting device 2 returns to the original position.

Next, the front / rear moving mechanism 23 is operated to move the cup gripping mechanism 24 forward from the home position to the position of the cleaning cup mounting table 51, and the cleaning is performed between the gripping arms 38, 38 which are open to the release position. so insert the use cup C _R, then close the gripper arms 38 and 38 to the gripping position, sandwiching and gripping the cleaning cups C _R therebetween. Next, the cleaning cup _CR is moved to the left and right moving mechanism 2.
It is transported to the position of the stirrer 10 by the 1 and the front and rear moving mechanism 23. Here, the impeller 48 of the stirring device 10 is inserted into the washing cup C _{R up} to the vicinity of the bottom thereof, hot water is supplied from the hot water tank 9 and the stirrer 45 is operated, so that the inside of the washing cup C _R is As the impeller 48 rotates in hot water, the impeller 48 is washed. Is supplied to the cleaning cup C _R yu, after staying in the cleaning cup C _R, wastewater is gradually discharged from the drain hole 53 receiving tray 54
And is discharged to the lower drain bucket 55 through the drain port 56 and the drain pipe 57 together with the powdery raw material spilled from the canisters 6, 7, and 8.

After the washing is completed, the stirrer 45 is stopped, the impeller 48 is pulled up, the stirrer 10 returns to its original state, and the cup gripping mechanism 24 is moved by the left and right moving mechanism 21 and the front and rear moving mechanism 23. the moves to the position of the cleaning cup mount 51, wherein after returning a cleaning cup C _R open in the release position to the cleaning cup mount 51,
Move to home position.

[0029] As described above, in this embodiment, a separate process from the cooking beverage in Sales cups C _D, to supply hot water into the washing cup C _R dedicated, in the washing cup C _R The impeller 48 of the stirring device 10 is rotated in hot water to
8, the impeller 48 can be sufficiently washed without running out of hot water for washing or washing time.
Moreover, by inserting the impeller 48 to the bottom near the washing in the cup C _R, it is possible to wash the impeller 48 in this position, even if the rotation of the impeller 48 during the cleaning, that hot water is scattered around Absent. Further, on the movement path of the cup gripping mechanism 24,
The cleaning cups C _R simply placing the cleaning cup was placed table 5
3 with placing, receiving cleaning cup C _R from the cleaning cup mount 53, to perform a series of operations of conveying and cleaning, since it is only necessary to change the 25 control program of the control device, originally The impeller 48 can be reliably washed only by adding a simple configuration using the above-described device.

Further, as in this embodiment, the cleaning cup C _R
Hot water supplied by forming drain holes 53 in
Staying in the cleaning cup C _R, while gradually drained dirty water, it is possible to add water, with less hot water, efficiently and reliably can be cleaned impeller 48. Furthermore, the drainage hole 5 in the cleaning cup C _R Thus
3, the washing water can be drained naturally, and the drain holes 53 are formed.
As compared to the case without the cleaning cup C _R is not necessary to tilt the cup holding mechanism 24 holding the, with never complicate the device structure, the bottom of the cleaning cup C _R with less fouling Cleaning cup C
_R can also be made favorable in terms of hygiene.

In the above-described embodiment, the impeller is washed for each cooking after the beverage is cooked. However, this is performed after the beverage has been cooked a predetermined number of times or when the beverage is cooked. It may be performed every predetermined time at a timing other than cooking, and furthermore, if the vending machine sells a plurality of types of beverages, washing is performed only after a specific beverage, for example, after selling black tea which tends to have a fragrance remaining. You may do so. Further, in the embodiment, a dedicated washing cup separate from the selling cup is used for washing. However, the washing cup can be shared with the selling cup and can be disposable.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, the impeller of the stirrer used for cooking beverages can be reliably washed with a simple structure and without scattering washing water around. And the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cooking device and a cleaning device of a vending machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of a cooking device and a cleaning device.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a cup gripping mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 cooking apparatus 2 cleaning device 4 transport device 5 cup dispenser 6 cream canister 7 coffee canister 8 sugar canister 9 hot water tank 10 stirrer 24 cup holding mechanism 25 controller 48 impeller 51 mounting the cleaning cup table C _D sold cup C _R Cleaning cup

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A cup storage unit for storing a sales cup, a transfer device for receiving a sales cup from the cup storage unit and transferring the cup along a transfer path, and a sales cup transferred by the transfer device. A raw material supply device for supplying a raw material, a diluent tank for supplying a diluent to the sales cup, and a stirrer for cooking a beverage by stirring the raw material and the diluent supplied to the sales cup with an impeller. ,
In a cup-type vending machine including a control unit that controls operations of the transport device, a diluent tank, and a stirring device, a cleaning cup is disposed on the transport path, and the control unit is configured to perform other than cooking of a beverage. At a predetermined timing, the transport device receives and transports the cleaning cup, supplies the diluent from the diluent tank to the cleaning cup, and supplies the diluent in the diluent in the cleaning cup with the stirring device. A cup-type vending machine wherein the impeller is controlled to be inserted and washed.