JPH01274713A - Device for calculating bill for eating and drinking - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable sure calculation for a total bill and the like, of eating and drinking without losing a space for customers, by judging an outside diameter sizes of a containers in order to calculate the bill, as empty containers are set in a recovery mechanism one after another and is conveyed forcibly to a recovery part, every time eating and drinking are made. CONSTITUTION:After eating and drinking are done, empty containers 8 thrown by container-throw-mouth 51 are set in a recovery mechanism 5 and a roller 53 is pressed at a position where outer diameter sizes of fixed positions on outer circumferences of empty containers 8. When empty containers 8 are conveyed to an inner side by rotary operation of a roller 53, the roller 53 make a rocking motion by an amount in proportion to the outer diameter size of each empty container 8. According to this rocking motion a rocking tip 69 also rocks and an optical passageway between light-emitting element 70 and light-receiving element 71 is cut off. Thus, signal of detecting roller's rocking position is output, as a signal for judging the outer diameter size. A calculation circuit 74 compares an actual signal for judging the outer diameter size with a signal from a price-setting circuit and an appropriate price signal is output to at an output circuit 76. In the output circuit 76 price numerical values are added together and individual bill or total bill is indicated on a bill indication part 6.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] <Industrial Application Field> The present invention enables customers and providers to collect total food and drink items while collecting containers one after another without counting empty containers after eating and drinking at the customer seats or stacking them for weighing. The present invention relates to a food and drink cost calculation device for calculating and displaying food and drink costs so that people can know the food and drink costs.

<Prior art and its problems> As this type of price calculation device, the present inventor has proposed a patent application filed in 1983-
No. 237,618 has been proposed, but it has drawbacks such as requiring a space for placing a weighing platform on the dining table and for stacking containers.

Furthermore, there is a drawback that if the weighing platform is touched carelessly or the container is replaced, a malfunction may occur and the price may be calculated.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems.The present invention has been made to solve the problems of the conventional methods.It is possible to collect the total amount of food and drink without any malfunction by simply tapping the collection mechanism of the empty containers each time you eat or drink. To provide a food and beverage bill calculation device that can display the amount of food and drink and does not damage space for customers such as the food and beverage table surface.

<Means for Solving the Problems> For this reason, the present invention provides a container having an outer diameter dimension at a specific position that differs depending on the unit price of food and drink, a collection mechanism for collecting empty containers after eating and drinking, and a collection mechanism for collecting empty containers after eating and drinking. A determination mechanism that is incorporated into the mechanism and determines the outer diameter of the container while transporting the container, a pricing circuit that sets the unit price of food and drink for each outer diameter, and an outer diameter determination signal and a Compare with the signal,
an output device having an arithmetic circuit for outputting the unit price per container and an output circuit for displaying the unit price signals from the arithmetic circuit individually or the total amount; The determination mechanism includes a roller, an elastic member that urges the roller to come into pressure contact with the outer circumferential surface of the container that has been positioned and set by a positioning section provided in the collection mechanism, and means that rotationally drives the roller in the container conveyance direction. It is comprised of means for supporting the roller so that it can swing as the container is transported, and means for detecting each swinging position of the roller according to the outer diameter of the container.

<Function> When the empty container after eating and drinking is put into the recovery mechanism, the empty container is positioned and set, and the roller is pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the empty container. Empty containers are conveyed by rotationally driving rollers. At this time, the rollers swing by an amount corresponding to the outer diameter of the empty container, the swinging position is detected, and the swinging position detection signal is transmitted according to the outer diameter. It is output as a judgment signal.

Therefore, the arithmetic circuit compares the signal with the signal from the price setting circuit, outputs a unit price signal per container, and displays the unit price signal individually or in total by the output circuit.

<Example> Next, the present invention will be explained in more detail according to an example shown in the drawings.

Figure 1 shows the calculation of the food and drink price applied in the case where a transport conveyor for providing food and drink configured in an endless manner is arranged along a counter, and sushi is placed on the transport conveyor and sold. Equipment is shown.

2 is a transfer conveyor that rotates endlessly using a talent chain system, and a sushi container, such as a plate 8, is placed on the top surface of the conveyor so that it can be circulated. 2 is a support frame for supporting the transfer conveyor l; 3 is a food and drink counter for customers connected to the support frame 2; and 4 is a customer chair. Reference numeral 51 denotes a container input port which constitutes a part of the collection mechanism, and is opened in the front wall 21 of the support frame 2, through which a customer can insert an empty container 8 by sliding it in the direction of the arrow from the top surface of the counter 3 after eating or drinking. It is set up like this. Reference numeral 6 denotes a price display section using a night crystal display or other electronic display device, and is arranged at a place easily visible to customers, for example, adjacent to the container input port 51 as shown in the figure.

FIG. 2 shows the collection mechanism 5.

Reference numeral 55 denotes a collection conveyor disposed inside the input port 51, which has the same structure as the above-mentioned transfer conveyor 1, and is installed along the eating and drinking counter 3, and collects the empties input from each input port 51. It is provided so that the container 8 can be placed thereon and transferred to any collection location.

The collection mechanism 5 is provided with a determination mechanism 52 that determines the outer diameter dimension of a specific position of the empty container 8 while transporting the empty container 8.

This determination mechanism 52 will be explained based on FIGS. 3 and 4.

This determination mechanism 52 includes a roller 53, a spring 54 as an elastic member that urges the roller 53 to come into pressure contact with the outer peripheral surface of the empty container 8 that is positioned and set by a positioning section provided in the collection mechanism 5, and a roller 53. means for rotationally driving the rollers 53 in the direction of conveying the empty containers 8; means for rotationally driving the rollers 53 in the direction of conveying the empty containers 8; and supporting the rollers 53 so as to be swingable as the empty containers 8 are conveyed. and a means for detecting each swing position of the roller 53 according to the outer diameter dimension of the empty container 8.

Here, a frame body 5 consisting of an upper frame 55A and a lower frame 55B
5 is provided corresponding to each container input port 51. The lower frame 55B has a U-shaped cross section with an open upper surface, and flange portions 55a extending horizontally outward from the upper edges of both ends are fastened to the lower surface of the upper frame 55A by screws 56.

The frame 55 having such a configuration is arranged inside the support frame 2 so that the rectangular cylindrical part 55C as the positioning part constituted by the upper frame 55A and the lower frame 55B is arranged inside the container input port 51. be done.

The roller 53 and a unit 57 of rotational driving means for the roller 53 are fixedly attached to the bottom surface of the lower frame 55B. The main body 57A of the unit 57 is formed into a rectangular cylinder shape with both ends open, and is equipped with a motor 58 as the rotational driving means and a gearbox 59 containing a gear for changing the rotational speed of the motor 58. .

Incidentally, the motor 58 and the gear box 59 are connected by four rotors 0.

A rotary drive shaft 59A protruding upward from the gearbox 59
A roller 53 disposed inside the rectangular cylindrical portion 55C is connected to the tip thereof.

The roller 53 is made of an elastic material such as rubber, and has a conical shape that narrows from the top to the bottom.

The connection body between the motor 58 and the gearbox 59 in the unit 57 is connected to the container input port 51 which is eccentric to the rotation center axis of the roller 53 set at the back side of the container input port 51.
The unit body 57A is rotatably supported by the unit main body 57A via a bearing device serving as the swing support means, about a rotation center axis set on the front side of the unit body 57A. That is, the lower bearing 6 of the bearing device
1A is a screw stud 61b fixed to the lower surface of the bearing portion 61a.
into the lower wall of the unit body 57A, and tighten the nut 61c.
It can be attached by fastening with. On the other hand, the upper bearing (not shown) of the bearing device is similarly attached to the earthen wall of the unit main body 57A. A bracket 6 fixed to the lower surface of the morph 58 is attached to the lower bearing 61A.
A support shaft 62A fixed to the gear box 59 is supported on the upper side bearing, and a support shaft 72 fixed to a plate 64 connected to the upper surface of the gear box 59 via a four-piece rod 63 is supported on the upper side bearing.

The rotary drive shaft 59A to which the roller 53 is connected is connected to the unit main body 57A and the earth wall and the lower frame 5 so that it can swing in accordance with the swing of the connected body between the motor 58 and the gearbox 59.
They are supported through guide holes 65 formed in each of the holes 5B.

The spring 54 is a frame member 66 fixed to the lower surface of the upper wall of the unit main body 57A extending to the left in the figure.
The Ron lower tip attached to the gearbox 5
Among the rods 63 connecting the rods 6 to 9 and the plate 64, the rod 6 is located on the back side of the container input port 51 and on the left side in the figure.
The three are interposed and connected. In addition, the bracket 6 of the rod 67
A threaded portion 67a is provided at the attachment end to the bracket 66, and this threaded portion 67a is screwed into the bracket 66 and is tightened and fixed by a nut 68. Therefore, this threaded portion 6
By adjusting the screw fitting position of 7a, the spring force of the spring 54 can be adjusted.

The roller swing position detection means is fixed to the plate 64 so as to extend in a curved manner from the back side of the container input port 51 to the entrance side, and swings integrally with the connecting body between the motor 58 and the gear box 59. It consists of a piece 68, a plurality of light-emitting elements 70 as a plurality of light-emitting parts, each of which constitutes an optical path that can be blocked by the tip of the swinging piece 68, and a plurality of light-receiving elements 71 as a plurality of light-receiving parts facing the light-emitting element 70, It is configured to output a roller swing position detection signal in accordance with the blocked optical path. Note that the light emitting element 70 and the light receiving element 71 are attached to the upper frame 5.
The upper and lower mounting pieces 55b are respectively attached to opposing mounting pieces 55b integrally formed at the ends of the 5A.

Here, the empty container 8 is formed into a conical circumferential surface whose outer circumferential surface narrows from the top to the bottom. In this case, this device is configured to determine the outer diameter dimension at a specific position of the empty container 8, and the empty container 8 is formed so as to have an outer diameter dimension at a specific location that differs depending on the unit price of the food and drink, as described above. There is a need to. Therefore, in this embodiment, the portion of the outer circumferential surface of the empty container 8 that the roller 53 comes into contact with is set as a specific position, and the outer diameter size is made different for each prepared container depending on the unit price of the food and drink.

Next, the operation of the determination mechanism having such a configuration will be explained.

When the empty container 8 after eating and drinking is put into the container input port 51, the empty container 8 is positioned and set in the rectangular cylindrical part 55c, and the roller 53 is a part that defines the outer diameter dimension of a specific position on the outer circumferential surface of the empty container 8. is pressed against. The empty container 8 is conveyed to the back side of the container input port 51 by the rotation of the roller 53. At this time, the roller 53 moves the mold 5 according to the outer diameter of the empty container 8 (Figs. 5A and 5B). ). That is, as the roller 53 is pushed as the empty container 8 is transported, the connected body of the gear box 59 and the motor 58 swings about the swing fulcrum against the spring force of the spring 54. As the connecting body swings, the swinging piece 69 also swings, and the tip of the swinging piece 69 allows the light emitting element 70 and the light receiving element 7 to be connected to each other.
The optical path between 1 and 1 is blocked.

In this case, since the amount of rocking depends on the outer diameter of the empty container 8, the optical path that is blocked changes depending on the outer diameter.

Therefore, a roller swing position detection signal as an outer diameter size determination signal is output from a combination of outputs from each light receiving element 71. Note that a detailed explanation will be given later.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of an electric circuit for calculating the price based on the roller swing position detection signal.

That is, 73 is a sensor circuit for detecting the swinging position of the roller, which calculates digital signals such as 'IJ and '2J based on the outer diameter dimension of the empty container 8 (according to the combination of outputs from each light receiving element 71). Output to circuit 72.

That is, the light receiving element 71 outputs an H signal when the light from the light emitting element 70 is input, and outputs an L signal when the light is interrupted, and the roller oscillates according to the H and L patterns of the output signals of the light receiving element 71. The moving position, that is, the outer diameter dimension of the empty container 8 can be determined.

Reference numeral 75 denotes a price setting circuit, which is provided so that a different unit price can be set for each outer diameter of the empty container 8. For example, for two types of outer diameter dimensions, the price of the first outer diameter dimension is 5.
00 yen and the second outer diameter dimension is 700 yen, the respective outer diameter dimension judgment signals and price signals are paired and rl: 500.
, r2 near 00. + signals are alternately output as pulses to the arithmetic circuit 74. The arithmetic circuit 74 compares the actual outer diameter size judgment signal with the signal from the price setting circuit, and when it is detected that the two signals match, it outputs the corresponding price signal to the output circuit 76. Output.

It should be noted that after − times output has been made, a new sensor circuit 73 is
Redundant comparison and output will not be performed until another signal is input.

The output circuit 76 adds the price values input from the arithmetic circuit 74 individually or in the order of input, and displays the individual price or total price on the price display section 6, and also has a recording circuit for a floppy disk or the like. It's good as well.

If this recording circuit is provided, the total amount of the total price, that is, the sales total, can be taken out from a floppy disk or the like at a later date, which is convenient because there is no need to calculate the sales total.

In addition, in order to output and display the price, a switch circuit is provided in the output circuit 76, and the unit price of food and drink for each individual container is displayed on the price display section under normal conditions, and a switch 741 placed at the audience seat is turned on. It may also be provided to display the total cost of food and drinks.

Further, the price display section 6 may be installed not only on the audience seat side but also on the inside of the support frame 2 or at the payment settlement station so that it can be visually recognized by the food and beverage provider.

In the above embodiment, the outer diameter dimension on the outer peripheral surface of the empty container 8 is determined, but the diameter of the thread end 8A of the empty container 8 may be determined as shown in FIG.

In this way, the empty container 8 only needs to be prepared with a different diameter of the thread end 8A, so the size of the empty container 8 can be kept constant, and the empty container 8 will not wobble within the rectangular cylindrical portion 55c. The outer diameter dimension can be determined accurately without any problems.

According to this embodiment, by simply putting the empty container into the collection slot 51 each time they eat or drink, both the customer and the food and beverage provider can know the total amount spent so far, and the customer Customers can eat and drink with peace of mind, and sellers can efficiently calculate payments for a large number of customers at the cash register.

In addition, since there is no need for stacking empty containers on the customer's seats or placing measuring devices on the table surface for calculating the price, it does not interfere with eating and drinking.
can be efficiently recovered.

Furthermore, since no measuring means is used, there is no risk of calculation due to malfunction.

In particular, according to this embodiment, simply by setting the empty container 8 in the container input port 51 regardless of the orientation of the outer periphery, the empty container 8 can be forcibly conveyed to the collection conveyor 55 and the price can be calculated. Since the outer diameter of the container is determined, the price can be calculated more reliably than when calculating the price by pushing the container through the eater's mortar with the outer periphery in a specific position, and eliminates the possibility of intentional erroneous operation by the eater. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a situation where calculation is impossible.

<Effects of the Invention> As explained above, according to the present invention, by simply setting the empty containers into the collection mechanism one after another each time you eat or drink, you can forcibly transport the containers to the collection unit and remove the containers for calculating the price. It is possible to determine the outer diameter dimension, and it is possible to reliably calculate the total amount of food and drink, etc., without causing malfunctions or inability to calculate the price due to intentional manipulation by the person eating and drinking. It has the advantages of not wasting space and is excellent in recovering empty containers.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the arrangement of the collection mechanism and display section;
The figure is a sectional view taken along the line I-I in Figure 1, showing the collection mechanism and the reading mechanism, Figure 3 is a sectional view showing the configuration of the determination mechanism, and Figure 4 is taken along the ■-■ arrow in Figure 3. Cross-sectional view, FIG. 5(a),
-) are sectional views explaining the operation of the determination mechanism, FIG. 6 is a block section showing an example of an electric circuit, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the container. 5... Collection mechanism 6... Price display section 8... Empty container 51... Container input port 52... Judgment mechanism 53... ...Roller 54 ...Spring 55 ...Frame 55c ...Cylinder part 57 ...Unit 58 ...Motor 59 ...・Gear box 61A... Bearing 65... Guide hole 70... Light emitting element 71... Light receiving element

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A container having an outer diameter dimension at a specific position that differs depending on the unit price of the food and drink, a collection mechanism for collecting the empty container after eating and drinking, and a container outer diameter that is incorporated into the collection mechanism while transporting the container. A determination mechanism that determines the dimensions, a price setting circuit that sets the unit price of food and drink by outer diameter dimension, and a comparison between the outer diameter dimension determination signal and the signal from the price setting circuit to calculate the unit price per container. The outer diameter size determination mechanism includes a calculation circuit for outputting, and an output device having an output circuit for displaying unit price signals from the calculation circuit individually or in total. an elastic member that urges the roller to come into pressure contact with the outer circumferential surface of a container that is positioned and set by a positioning section provided in the collection mechanism; a means for rotationally driving the roller in a container conveyance direction; A food and drink price calculation device comprising: means for swingably supporting the container; and means for detecting each swing position of the roller according to the outer diameter of the container. (2) The food and drink price calculation device according to claim 1, wherein the collection mechanism has a container input port, and an outer diameter size determination mechanism is disposed in the container input port. (3) The food and drink price calculation device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the output device is installed at the audience seats and at the payment office. (4) The roller swing position detecting means includes a swinging piece that swings together with the roller, a plurality of light emitting units each forming an optical path that can be blocked by the tip of the swinging piece, and a plurality of light emitting units facing the light emitting unit. A light receiving section, and configured to output a roller swing position detection signal from a combination of outputs from each light receiving section.
The food and drink price calculation device described in .