JPH02148395A - Ice discharging quantity controller for automatic vending machine for copped commodity - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To always discharge a fixed quantity of ice by correcting the opening time of an ice discharging port in accordance with a detecting result of the quantity of ice in an ice reservoir. CONSTITUTION:When the quantity of ice in an ice reservoir 2 is detected by means of an ice quantity sensor 4, a CPU 7 reads out a correction factor set in a RAM 9 and corrects and controls the opening time of an ice discharging port 2a with an ice discharging solenoid 3 which controls the discharging quantity of an ice based on the detected result. Therefore, a fixed quantity of ice can be discharged always to paper cups.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a water discharge control device for a cup vending machine that controls the supply of ice to a cup in a cup vending machine with a built-in ice making device.

[Conventional technology]

In a vending machine with a built-in ice maker, granular ice made by the ice maker is fed into an ice storage tank and stored.
When selling drinks, the ice outlet of the ice storage tank is opened for a predetermined period of time,
A certain amount of ice is supplied to the cup on the bend stage.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, when the amount of ice in the ice storage tank decreases to a certain extent, the amount of ice discharged per unit time tends to decrease due to uneven distribution of ice within the ice storage tank. Therefore, as sales progress, even if the ice outlet of the ice storage tank is opened for a predetermined period of time, only one drink will be consumed.
There was a problem that the amount of ice per cup gradually decreased. This invention addresses such problems and aims to provide a water discharge control device for a cup vending machine that can always discharge a constant amount of water regardless of the amount of ice in the ice storage tank. It is.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of the present invention. That is, in order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an ice storage tank that stores granular ice sent from an ice maker and discharges an amount of ice according to the opening time when a water discharge port is opened, and a beverage vender. In a cup vending machine, the cup vending machine is equipped with an ice discharge control means that occasionally opens a water discharge port of the ice storage tank for a predetermined period of time,
ice amount detection means for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage tank; and correction means for correcting the time during which the ice discharge control means opens the water discharge port of the ice storage tank based on the amount of ice detected by the ice amount detection means. shall be established.

[For use]

By detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage tank with the ice amount detection means and correcting it with the correction means so that the opening time of the water outlet is lengthened as the amount of ice decreases, the amount of water discharged due to the decrease in the amount of ice can be reduced. Supplement.

【Example】

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail based on the drawings. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an ice maker with two augers, 2 is an ice storage tank, and 3 is an ice storage tank 2.
A water discharge solenoid opens and closes the water discharge port 2a, 4 is an ice amount sensor as an ice amount detection means for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage tank 2, 5 is an ice supply pipe, and 6 is placed on a bending stage (not shown). 7 is a CPU of a microcomputer constituting a control unit; 8 is a ROM that stores a control program for the CPU 7; 9 is a RAM that stores calculation data;
0 is an I10 boat that serves as an interface between the CPU 7, the ice maker 1, the water discharge solenoid 3, and the ice amount sensor 4. Tap water supplied from the water supply port 1a of the ice maker 1 is frozen by the refrigerator 1b and becomes ice in the ice maker IC. This ice is scraped off into granules by an auger (not shown) rotating within the ice making cylinder IC, and is sent into the ice storage tank 2. A stirrer 11 directly connected to the auger is provided in the ice storage tank 2, and by stirring with this stirrer 11,
This prevents ice from sticking to each other. The ice maker 1 has an ice storage tank 2
It stops when the amount of ice inside reaches the upper limit, and starts operating when it decreases to the lower limit. The amount of ice in the ice storage tank 2 is detected by an ice amount sensor 4, which is an ice amount detection plate 12 that moves up and down in contact with the top surface of the ice.
and a differential transformer 13 that converts the displacement of the ice amount detection plate 12 into an electrical quantity. The differential transformer 13 includes a primary coil 13a, secondary coils 13b and 13c, and a movable core 1.
3d, and the movable core 13d is connected to the ice amount detection plate 12 by a rod 13e. The output of the differential transformer 13 is zero when the ice storage tank 2 is full, and when the ice amount detection plate 12 is lowered, it outputs a signal proportional to this. Various other means can be used to detect the amount of ice; for example, the operating time of the ice maker is converted into the amount of ice made and stored in the memory, and a certain amount is stored in the memory each time ice is dispensed for sale. The current amount of ice may be determined by subtraction. Now, in such a configuration, when a coin is inserted into the cup vending machine and a product is selected, the CPU 7 causes a cup discharging mechanism (not shown) to carry out the cup 6, and then operates the water discharge solenoid 3 to move the cup 6 to the gate 14. pull up,
The water outlet 2a is opened for a predetermined period of time. When the water outlet 2a opens, the ice being stirred by the stirrer 11 is transferred to the water outlet 2a.
a and is poured into a cup 6 through an ice supply pipe 5. The reference time for opening the water outlet 2a is stored in the RAM 9, but as the amount of ice in the ice storage tank 2 decreases (and the amount of water discharged per unit time tends to decrease), the amount of ice stored A correction coefficient is separately set in RAMQ to correct the reference time accordingly.
corrects the reference time based on the output of the ice amount sensor 4, and controls the water discharge solenoid 3 using the corrected opening time. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the correction coefficients set in the RAM 9. In FIG. 4, the horizontal axis is the output of the ice amount sensor 4, that is, the current amount of ice in the ice storage tank 2 (■), and the vertical axis is the correction coefficient (Z). ■ of the ice storage amount is the upper limit (full), ■
2 indicates the lower limit, and ■3 indicates a sold-out state. As already mentioned, the ice maker 1 stops operating when the amount of ice reaches the upper limit, and resumes operation when the amount reaches the lower limit. Furthermore, when the item is sold out, a sold out lamp (not shown) lights up and the selling operation is stopped. As shown in FIG. 4, the correction coefficient (Z) is set to 1 when the amount of ice is at its upper limit, and gradually increases to a maximum of 2 as the amount of stored ice decreases. The water discharge time correction operation is as shown in FIG. That is, in FIG. 3, cpu i is the reference time (xo)
is read out from RAM 9 at step S1), then l
When the ice storage amount (V) is read from the ice amount sensor 4 through 1010 (step S2), the correction coefficient (Z) shown in FIG. 4 set in the RAM 9 is calculated from this (step S3).
A correction time (x=xoXZ) is calculated from these Xo and Z (step S4). Water is discharged at the time of sale according to the corrected time (X).

【Effect of the invention】

According to this invention, by correcting the water discharge time according to the amount of ice stored in the ice storage tank, the decrease in the amount of water discharged due to the decrease in the amount of ice in the ice storage tank is compensated for, and the amount of ice is always maintained at an appropriate level. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the water discharge time correction operation of the embodiment of FIG. 2, and FIG. The figure is a diagram showing the relationship between the ice storage fi (V) and the correction coefficient (Z) in the correction operation of FIG. 3. ■...Ice maker, 2...Ice storage tank, 2a...Water discharge port, 3...Water discharge solenoid, 4...Ice amount sensor, 6
...cup, 7...cpu, s...ROM, 9.
...RAM. Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 2 V) V2 V Vlr
Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1) An ice storage tank that stores granular ice sent from an ice maker and discharges an amount of ice according to the opening time when the ice discharge port is opened; and an ice storage tank that opens the ice discharge port of the ice storage tank for a predetermined time when selling drinks. In a cup vending machine, the cup vending machine is equipped with an ice amount detection means for detecting the amount of ice in the ice storage tank, and an ice amount detection means for detecting the amount of ice detected by the ice amount detection means. An ice discharge control device for a cup vending machine, comprising a correction means for correcting the time for opening an ice discharge port of an ice storage tank.