JPH02214997A - Automatic vending machine controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a commodity, which is not sufficiently heated nor cooled, from being sold by increasing the output of a heating device and/or cooling device during a fast heating time and/or fast cooling time calculated form the number of supplementation. CONSTITUTION:When the commodity is supplemented for heating, the number of the supplementation is counted by a supplemented number counter 3, and the time for fast heating is calculated based on the number of the supplementation by an arithmetic means 1a. On the other hand, in a heating device 16, the heating capacity is increased by an output increasing means 18, and the supplemented commodity is heated during the calculated time. When the commodity to be cooled is supplemented, it is fast cooled by a cooling device 15, whose output is increased, in the same way. Thus the supplemented commodity can be heated or cooled in a short time, and the commodity, which is not sufficiently heated nor cooled, is prevented from being sold.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a control device for a vending machine equipped with a device for cooling and heating products.

[Prior Art] In conventional vending machines, if the temperature in the column for storing cooled cold products and the column for storing warmed hot products exceeds a predetermined set temperature, a cooling compressor or a heating machine is activated. This temperature control is independent of the sales control.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] Therefore, for example, when a hot product column is replenished with a product, the heater is energized and heating starts when a drop in the temperature of the column due to the replenishment of the product is detected. Ru. For this reason, it takes time for the replenished products to be heated to the specified temperature, and if sales are stopped during that time, the sales will be within the sales range. There was a drawback that if it were sold, customers would be dissatisfied.

The present invention has been made in order to eliminate the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a control device for a vending machine that performs rapid heating and/or cooling when replenishing merchandise.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A control device for a vending machine according to the present invention is a control device for a vending machine having a heating device for warming products and/or a cooling device for cooling products. , a replenishment number counter for counting products replenished for heating and/or products replenished for cooling; a calculation means for calculating a rapid heating time and/or a rapid cooling time from the count by the replenishment number counter; output increasing means for increasing the output of the heating device and/or the cooling device; the heating device and/or the cooling device is operated by the output increasing means during the rapid heating time and/or rapid cooling time calculated by the calculating means; It is characterized by increasing output.

[Function] For example, when products are replenished for heating, the number of replenishments is counted by a replenishment number counter, and based on the number of replenishments, the time for rapid heating is calculated by the calculation means. on the other hand,
The heating capacity of the heating device is increased by the output increasing means, and the refilled product is heated by this heating device during the calculated time. When replenishing products for cooling, they are quickly cooled using a cooling device with increased output, as described above.

[Embodiment] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the control device of the present invention.

■ is the main control unit that centrally controls the vending machine;
is a door switch that detects the opening and closing of the front door of a vending machine. Reference numeral 3 denotes a replenishment number counter that counts the number of replenishments for hot and cold products, and 4 a timer that measures the operating time of the cooling device and heating device. Furthermore, the main control section i includes a calculation section 1a that calculates a rapid heating time and a rapid cooling time from the number of replenished products.

11 is a terminal control unit that controls cooling and heating;
2. In multiple product columns, hot/
This is an H/C switch for switching between cold and cold.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a temperature setting device for setting set temperatures for the hot product column and the cold beverage column. 1
4 is a temperature sensor that detects the hot and cold column temperatures. 15 is a cooling device for cooling the product, and 16 is a heating device for heating the product.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a frequency conversion device for varying the power frequency of the cooling device 15, which increases the frequency of the commercial power source to 100 Hz during rapid cooling operation. Reference numeral 18 denotes a phase control device for controlling the power of the heating device 16 by phase control.The heating device 16 has a rated power of, for example, IKW, but during normal heating, the power output is approximately 600W due to the phase control device 18. The phase is controlled as follows.

The operation of the apparatus having the above configuration will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, step 5l-83 shows the control of the main control section 1, and steps Sll to S22 show the control of the terminal control section 11. When there is no replenishment of products, the process does not proceed from step S1 and the terminal control unit 11 performs individual temperature control.

In step Sll, it is determined whether or not there is a rapid heating command from the main control unit l, but in this case, since there is no rapid heating command, the process advances to step S12 to check whether the hot column has been heated to an appropriate temperature. If it is determined whether or not the temperature is maintained at an appropriate temperature, the process proceeds to step S13, and if the heating device 16 is on, it is turned off.On the other hand, if the heating device 16 is below the appropriate temperature, the process proceeds from step S12 to step S14, and the heating device 16 is turned off. If 16 is off, turn it on. At this time, the heating device 16 is rated I by the phase control of the phase control device 18.
The KW is controlled to about 600W.

In the next step S17, it is determined whether or not there is a rapid cooling command. In this case, since there is no rapid cooling command, step S17 is performed.
17, the process proceeds to step SI8, where it is determined whether the cold column has been cooled to an appropriate temperature. If the cooling device 15 is cooled to the appropriate temperature, the process advances to step S19, and if the cooling device 15 is on, it is turned off.On the other hand, if the temperature is outside the appropriate temperature, the process proceeds from step S]8 to step S20, and the cooling device 15 is turned off. If so, it will be turned on. At this time, the cooling device 15 is driven at a commercial power supply frequency of 60 Hz. Thereafter, the process returns to step Sll, and the above-described flow is executed until a command for rapid heating or rapid cooling is issued.

Now, suppose that the products are replenished as the products are sold, the process proceeds from step S1 to step S2, and the calculation unit 1a calculates the rapid heating time or rapid cooling time depending on the number of replenished products for each hot or cold product. calculated,
The calculated time is set in the timer 4. As a result, a rapid heating command or a rapid cooling command is sent from the main control unit to the terminal control unit 11 during the calculated time.

Assuming that a rapid heating command is output due to replenishment of pot products, the process proceeds from step Sll to step S15,
The phase control in the phase control device 18 is canceled and the heating device I6 is turned on in step SI6. As a result, the heating device 16 reaches the rated IKW, and rapid heating of the hot column is carried out.

Thereafter, when the timer 4 counts up and there is no rapid heating command, the process proceeds from step SL1 to step 812. At this time, if the pot column has been heated to the appropriate temperature, the heating device 16 is turned off in step SI3. However, if the appropriate temperature has not been reached, step S14
The heating device 16 becomes 600W by phase control,
Normal heating operation will occur.

If a cooling command is output due to the replenishment of cold products, the process proceeds from step SI7 to step S21, where the frequency converter 17 increases the power frequency of the cooling device 15 from 601-I z to approximately 100 Hz. As a result, the compressor rotation speed of the cooling device 15 increases and the cooling capacity increases, so that the cold column is rapidly cooled.

When the rapid cooling for a predetermined period of time is completed, the process proceeds from step SI7 to step S18, and at this time, if the cooling device 15 has been cooled to a predetermined appropriate temperature, the cooling device 15 is turned off in step S19, but if the appropriate temperature has not been reached, then the cooling device 15 is turned off. In step 820, the cooling device 15 is driven by a 60 Hz power source and returns to normal cooling operation.

In the above embodiment, a phase control device was used as the output increasing means to make the output variable. However, in the case of rapid heating, means such as switching a series-connected heating device to a parallel connection or adding another heating device may be used. May be used.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention calculates the rapid heating time and/or the rapid cooling time according to the number of replenished products, and controls the output of the heating device and/or cooling device during this determined time. Since the temperature is increased and rapid heating and/or cooling is performed, replenished products can be heated or cooled in a short time, and products that have not been sufficiently warmed or cooled will not be sold.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a control device for a vending machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control device of FIG. 1 - Main control unit, 1a... calculation unit, 2 - door switch, 3 - refill counter, 4 timer, 11 terminal control unit, I3 temperature setting device, 14 - temperature detector, 15 - cooling device, 16 - heating Device, 17 ・Frequency conversion device, I
8. Phase control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A control device for a vending machine that has a heating device for warming products and/or a cooling device for cooling products, where the products are refilled for heating and/or the products are refilled for cooling. a replenishment number counter for counting the replenishment number counter; a calculation means for calculating the rapid heating time and/or the rapid cooling time from the count by the replenishment number counter; and an output increasing means for increasing the output of the heating device and/or the cooling device. A control device for a vending machine, comprising: increasing the output of a heating device and/or a cooling device using an output increasing means during the rapid heating time and/or rapid cooling time calculated by the calculating means.