JPH0281297A - Cup type drink automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent mischief that drugs are applied to a drink nozzle or the like by shielding the drink nozzle from the outside at the time of drink supply as well as cup taking-out. CONSTITUTION:After a drink is completely supplied from a drink nozzle 16 to a cup 9 carried out to and placed on a cup saucer 10 in a vending hole 4, a control means controls a shielding means 12 so that it shields the drink nozzle 16 from the outside. The control means unlocks a door lock mechanism of an open/close door 3 arranged in a cup taking-out hole 5 and enables a customer to open the door 3 with the drink nozzle 16 shielded from the outside and permits taking-out of the cup 9 through the cup taking-out hole 5. Thus, the drink nozzle 16 is prevented from being tampered with at the time of taking out the cup.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a cup-type beverage vending machine that supplies beverage from a beverage nozzle to a cup carried out to a cup holder at a vending outlet and sells the beverage.

(b) Conventional technology Conventionally, cup-type beverage vending machines were developed in 1983-126.
As disclosed in Publication No. 385, except at the end of the vending operation when the cup is sent from the cup mechanism to the bending stage based on the vending signal and the beverage is supplied from the beverage nozzle to the cup, the door locking mechanism A well-known technique is to lock the product take-out door disposed at the product take-out port of the bend stage in the closed position to prevent external tampering with the beverage nozzle during sales standby and sales operation.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, in the cup-type beverage vending machine disclosed in the above-mentioned publication, when taking out the cup from the product outlet, the beverage nozzle can be directly touched from the outside. Therefore, there is a problem that since the beverage nozzle cannot be always shielded from the outside, there is a risk that tampering, such as applying drugs to the beverage nozzle, may be carried out.

In order to solve the above problem, the present invention unlocks the door locking mechanism only when the shielding means shields the beverage nozzle from the outside after the supply of beverage from the beverage nozzle to the cup is completed, and the opening/closing door can be opened. To provide a cup-type beverage vending machine that can always shield a beverage nozzle from the outside by allowing a cup to be taken out from a cup outlet.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems.Based on a sales signal, a cup is carried out to a cup holder in a sales outlet, and a beverage is poured into the cup from a beverage nozzle. In a cup-type beverage vending machine equipped with a door locking mechanism capable of dispensing supplies and locking an opening/closing door disposed at a cup outlet of a vending outlet in a closed position, a shielding means operates to shield a beverage nozzle from the outside. and a control means for controlling the shielding means to shield the beverage nozzle from the outside after the beverage supply is completed, and controlling the door locking mechanism to be in a locked state when the beverage nozzle is not shielded from the outside by the shielding means. By doing so, the above problem is solved.

(*) Function According to the cup-type beverage vending machine of the present invention, after the supply of beverage from the beverage nozzle to the cup carried out and placed on the cup holder in the vending spout is completed, the control means is controlled by the shielding means from the outside. After controlling the beverage nozzle to be shielded, the control means further controls the door locking mechanism of the opening/closing door disposed at the cup outlet to be in an unlocked state, and opens/closes the beverage nozzle while shielding it from the outside. To prevent tampering with a beverage nozzle when taking out a cup by opening the door and allowing the cup to be taken out from the cup taking out port.

(f) Embodiment To explain the present invention in detail according to the drawings, FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the main structure of a cup-type beverage vending machine as an embodiment, and FIGS. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part of the cup-type beverage vending machine, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cup-type beverage vending machine. Note that the door locking mechanism is not shown in FIG. 4 for convenience.

To explain the symbols and configurations of FIGS. 2 to 5, (
1) is the main body of the cup-type beverage vending machine, and the front customer area (2) has a cup outlet (5) that is opened and closed by an opening/closing door (3) and communicates with the vending machine (4), and a vending ready lamp ( A product selection switch (not shown) (6) and a coin slot (7) are provided.

In addition, inside the sales outlet (4), there is a cup holder (9) on which a cup (9) that can be dropped and removed from the cup delivery device (8) is placed.
10) is provided.

(11) is a door switch, which is activated by the closing operation of the opening/closing door (3).

(12) is a shielding means, which meshes with a gear motor (13) that can rotate in both forward and reverse directions and a second
It consists of a shielding plate (15) provided with a rack part (14) that is slidable in the direction of the arrow A or the direction of the arrow B in the figure.

(16) is a beverage nozzle, and the cup holder (10)
The cup (9) placed on the cup (9) is supplied with a beverage delivered from a beverage storage (not shown).

(17) is a door lock mechanism that can lock the opening/closing door (3) in the open position, and can be fitted into and removed from the fitting hole (19) provided in the protrusion (18) of the opening/closing door (3). Fitting piece (20)
and a solenoid (21) that operates the fitting piece (20).
It consists of

The above is an explanation of the symbols and structures in FIGS. 2 to 5.

Next, to explain the block diagram shown in FIG. 1, the sales control section (22) as a control means determines the amount of coins inserted based on the input coin signal input from the coin processing device (23) connected to the coin input slot (7). At the same time, the sales price set in advance for each type of beverage is compared with the input amount to determine the types of beverages that can be sold. The sales control department (2)
2) is a product selection switch (6) corresponding to the drinks that can be sold.
) lights up the ready-to-sell lamp (not shown).

In addition, the product selection device (24) consisting of the product selection switches (6)...(6) is activated when the customer selects and operates the product selection switch (6)...(6) on which the sellable lamp is lit. , outputs a product selection device to the sales control section (22).

The sales control unit that inputs the product selection signal (22)
outputs a shielding release signal to the shielding means 12).

In addition, the gear motor (13) of the shielding means (12) that receives the shielding release signal rotates in the normal direction, allowing the shielding plate (15) to move in the direction marked A in Fig. 2, and separating it from the upper part of the sales opening 4). .

Next, the sales control unit (22) outputs a cup carry-out signal to the cup carry-out device (8), and the cup carry-out device (8), which has received the cup carry-out signal, transfers the cup (9) to the cup holder (10). to be carried out.

Furthermore, the sales control unit (22) outputs a beverage supply signal for each selected product selection switch (6) to the beverage supply unit (25), and outputs a beverage supply signal to the beverage supply unit (25) to which the beverage supply signal has been input.
5> supplies a fixed amount of beverage corresponding to the product selection switch (6>) to the cup (9) via the beverage nozzle (16).

After the supply of the beverage from the beverage supply section (25) to the cup (9) is completed, the vending control section (22) controls the shielding means (1).
2), and the gear motor' (13) of the shielding means <12> into which the shielding signal is input rotates in reverse, moves the shielding plate (15) in the direction of arrow B, and moves the shielding plate (15) in the direction of arrow B. Cover the top and shield the beverage nozzle (16) from the outside.

After the shielding means (12) has completely shielded the beverage nozzle (16) from the outside, the vending control unit (22) controls the door locking mechanism (
The door locking mechanism (17) outputs a lock release signal to the solenoid (17), and the door lock mechanism (17) inputs the lock release signal.
1) to move the fitting piece (20) in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 2 and remove it from the fitting hole (19). As a result, the opening/closing door (3) becomes openable, and the customer opens the opening/closing door (3), takes out the cup (9) that has been filled with beverage from the cup outlet (5), and then ) close the door.

The door switch (11) is activated by the closing of the opening/closing unit 5 (3) and outputs an activation signal to the sales control unit (22), and the sales control unit (22), which receives this activation signal, activates an internal timer. When the timer section (22a) is activated and the set time of the timer is completed, a lock activation signal is sent to the door lock mechanism (17), and the door lock mechanism (17), which has received the lock activation signal, activates the solenoid (21). The fitting piece (20) is moved in the direction of arrow D in Fig. 2 and fitted into the fitting hole (19).As a result, the opening/closing door (3> becomes unable to be opened).

The above is an explanation of the block diagram shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of the cup-type beverage vending machine as an example will be explained using the flowchart shown in FIG.

Each step of the flowchart shown in FIG. 6 will be explained below.

Step Sl is a sales standby state, and in this state, the opening/closing door (3) is in the closed position and locked by the door lock mechanism (17), that is, the fitting piece (17) is fitted into the fitting hole (19). The shielding plate (15) of the shielding means (12) is also located at the position shown in Figure 2, covering the upper part of the outlet (4) and shielding the beverage nozzle (16) from the outside. The process moves to step S.

In step S, the customer inserts the coin into the coin slot (7).
As a result, the coin processing device (23) outputs an input coin signal for each coin to the sales control section (22), and proceeds to step S.

In step S, the sales control section (22) performs step S,
The inserted amount is calculated based on the inserted coin signal inputted from the coin processing device (23). The calculated input amount is compared with the sales price for each type of product stored in advance in the sales control section (22), and the products that can be sold are determined. Then, a sellable lamp (not shown) provided on the product selection switch (6) corresponding to the product that can be sold is turned on to display the product that can be sold to the customer, and the process moves to step S4.

In step S, the customer selects the product selection switch (6).
It is determined whether or not the selection operation has been performed, and the product selection switch (
If it is determined that the product selection device (6) has been selected, the product selection device (2)
4) Each product selection switch (6) is installed in the sales control section (22).
The product selection signal for each item is input, and the process moves to step S.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that the product selection switch (6>) is not operated for selection, the process remains in step S4.

In step S6, the sales control unit (22)
Based on the product selection signal at , a shielding release signal is output to the shielding means (12). The gear motor (13) of the shielding means (12) that receives the shielding release signal rotates normally, and the shielding plate (
15) in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2 to separate the shielding plate (15) from the upper part of the sales outlet (4) and proceed to step S.

In step S, the sales control unit (22) outputs a cup carry-out signal to the cup carry-out mechanism (8), and the cup carry-out mechanism (8), which has input the cup carry-out signal, receives the cup pedestal (
10), and move on to step S.

In step S, the sales control section (22) controls the beverage supply section (
25) outputs a beverage supply signal for supplying the beverage corresponding to the product selection switch (6) selected in step S4, and the beverage supply unit (25>) to which the beverage supply signal is input is supplied with the beverage corresponding to the product selection switch (6) selected in step S4. starts supplying the beverage corresponding to the selected product selection switch (6) through the beverage nozzle (16) to the cup (9) placed on the cup holder (10);
Proceed to step S.

In step S, it is determined whether or not a predetermined amount of beverage has been supplied from the beverage supply unit (25) to the cup (9) placed on the cup holder (10), and a predetermined amount is supplied to the cup (9). If it is determined that the beverage has been supplied, the sales control section (22) outputs a beverage supply stop signal to the beverage supply section (25), completes the supply of the beverage, and moves on to step S. On the other hand, step S
If it is determined in step S that the predetermined amount of beverage is not supplied to the cup (9), the process remains in step S.

In step S, the sales control section (22) performs step S1.
Based on the completion of the supply of beverages, a shielding operation signal is output to the shielding means (12), and the gear motor (13) of the shielding means (12) into which the shielding operation signal is input reverses the direction of the shielding plate (1).
5) Slide in the direction of arrow B in Fig. 2,
As shown in FIG. 2, a shielding plate (15) covers the top of the sales outlet (4) to shield the beverage nozzle (16) from the outside, and step S3. Move to.

Step S. Then, the sales control section (22) performs step S.
Based on the completion of the shielding operation of the shielding plate (15) at , a lock release signal is output to the door lock mechanism (17).The door lock mechanism (17) inputting the lock release signal operates the solenoid (21). By making the fitting piece (20)
is moved in the direction of arrow C, the fitting piece (20) is removed from the fitting hole (19>), the opening/closing door (3> is made openable, and the process moves to step Sll).

In step S11, the opening/closing door (3) is opened and then the opening/closing door (3) is closed to determine whether the door switch (11) has been activated. The door switch (11) outputs an activation signal to the sales control unit (22), and the sales control unit (22) receives the activation signal.
) starts the operation of the timer part (22a), and step Sl! Move to. On the other hand, if it is determined in step Sll that the door switch (11) does not operate, step S11
Stay in.

In step S11, it is determined whether or not the timer time of the timer part (22a) started in step SII has been completed, and if it is determined that the timer time has been completed, the process moves to step SI3. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that the timer time has not completed, step S
l! Stay in.

In step S13, it is determined by the door switch (11) whether the opening/closing door <3) is in the closed position, and the opening/closing door (3) is
If it is determined that is in the closed position, the process moves to step S14. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that the opening/closing door (3) is not in the closed position, the process returns to step S II.

In step S L4, the sales control unit (22) outputs a lock activation signal to the door lock mechanism (17), and the door lock mechanism (17), which has received the lock activation signal, misoperates the solenoid (21) and locks the solenoid (21). Move the mating piece (20) in the direction of arrow D in Fig. 2, fit it into the fitting hole (19), make the opening/closing door (3) unable to open, and return to step S, which is in the sales standby state. .

The above is an explanation of each step of the flowchart shown in FIG. In addition, in step sho, the opening/closing door 5 (3) is unlocked to enable the door to be opened, allowing the cup (9) to be taken out from the cup outlet (5).
When the door is closed, the door is not locked, but the door is locked after determining in step SL* and step SI3 that the opening/closing door (3) has been closed for the timer period set by the timer part (22a). The operation is performed when the customer accidentally opens/closes the door ((9) without taking out the cup (9)).
3) This is to deal with the case where the door is opened or closed. That is, it is assumed that the cup (9) has been taken out from the cup outlet (5) only when the opening/closing door (3) remains closed for the timer period set in the timer part (22a).

Further, in order to detect the removal of a cup, a cup sensor or the like may be provided to detect the presence or absence of a cup on the cup holder, and the door may be locked after confirming the removal of the cup.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the cup-type beverage vending machine of the present invention, by shielding the beverage nozzle from the outside, not only when it is in a standby state but also when supplying beverages and when taking out a cup, sales to the beverage nozzle are always carried out. Since contact from the outside of the mouth can be prevented, tampering such as applying drugs to the beverage nozzle can be prevented, and this is useful for improving the safety of cup-type beverage vending machines.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the main parts of a cup-type beverage vending machine as an example, FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the main parts of the cup-type beverage vending machine, and FIG. 4 is the same. FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a main part of the cup-type beverage vending machine, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cup-type beverage vending machine, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart explaining the operation of the cup-type beverage vending machine. (3)...Opening/closing door, (4)...Sales outlet, (5)
...Cup outlet, (9)...Cup, (1
0)...Cup holder, (12)...Shielding means, (
16)... Beverage nozzle, (17)... Door lock mechanism, (22)... Sales control section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Based on the sales signal, the cup is carried out to the cup holder in the sales outlet, and beverage is supplied to this cup from the beverage nozzle, and the opening/closing door provided at the cup outlet of the sales outlet can be locked in the closed position. A cup-type beverage vending machine equipped with a door locking mechanism includes a shielding means operable to shield the beverage nozzle from the outside, and a shielding means that controls the shielding means to shield the beverage nozzle from the outside after the beverage supply is completed, and the beverage nozzle is 1. A cup-type beverage vending machine characterized by comprising a control means for controlling a door locking mechanism to be in a locked state when not shielded from the outside by a shielding means.