JPH0340190A - Detector for sold-out of granular raw material in automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To dispense with electric equipments at a raw material container side and to perform the whole washing of a raw material container by comparing reference rotating speed with detected rotating speed per unit time of a rotation detecting means, and judging the exhaustion of a raw material when a specific state is set. CONSTITUTION:A slit plate 12 is mounted on the output shaft 4 of a motor 3, and a slit is formed at the outer peripheral part of the plate, and a sensor 13 to count the slit is fixed in the neighborhood of the slit, and the detected number of slits is counted with a counter 14. The count value Cs per unit time of the counter 14 is compared with a reference preset value Co with a comparator 15. At this time, it is judged that the raw material is exhausted when a state of Co<Cs is detected, then, a display 16 is lit. In such a way, it is possible to form the raw material container 1 so as to be wholly washed without providing the electric equipments at the raw material bath side.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a sold-out detection device for granular raw materials that detects the sold-out state of granular raw materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In a vending machine that dissolves granular raw material in hot water and dispenses it into a cup, a dispensing device for granular raw material is constructed as shown in FIG. The granular raw material is put into a raw material tank 1, and a screw 2 for cutting out the raw material is provided at the bottom of the raw material tank 1. The base end of the screw 2 passes through the raw material tank 1 and is pulled out to the outside, and at its tip there is an engaging body 6 having an engaging protrusion 5 that engages with the output shaft 4 of the motor 3.
is installed. The raw material tank 1 is detachably set on a pedestal 7 formed inside the main body of the vending machine, and is positioned by engaging with claws 8.9 provided on the top surface of the pedestal 7. Therefore, when cleaning the raw material tank 1, the raw material tank 1 can be removed from the pedestal 7 by pulling the raw material tank 1 towards you (in the direction of arrow A) as shown by the imaginary line. Note that the motor 3 is fixed to the side of the pedestal 7. At the time of raw material discharging, the motor 3 is energized to rotate the screw 2, and the granular raw material is transferred and discharged by the screw 2 toward the dispensing-dlo.

In such a vending machine, a pair of electrodes is provided at a predetermined level of the raw material tank 1, and "sold out" of the powdered raw material is detected from a change in the capacitance between the electrodes.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional configuration, a lead-out cord 11 must be provided in the raw material tank 1 in order to connect the electrode pair to an external circuit. Since the pull-out cord 11 must be attached and detached at the same time, this is troublesome and, at present, the structure is not suitable for washing the raw material tank 1 as a whole.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sold-out detection device for granular raw material having a structure suitable for washing the raw material tank 1.

Means for Solving the Problems The sold-out detection device for powdered or granular raw material of the present invention is a vending machine configured to cut and dispense powdered or granular raw material from a raw material tank with a screw. A rotation detection means is provided to detect, and a reference rotation number No. set based on the rotation number per unit time during normal raw material dispensing is compared with the detected rotation number N8 per unit time of the rotation detection means, The present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a comparator that determines that the raw material is out when a state of "No<NS'" is detected.

Furthermore, when the raw material tank is configured to be detachable, the rotation speed detection means detects the slit plate attached to the output shaft of the motor that rotationally drives the screw, and the slit of the slit plate attached to the fixed side and passing through. It is preferable to include a sensor and a counter that counts the detected value of the sensor.

According to this configuration, when the screw is scraping out the granular raw material, the comparator detects the state of llNo≧Ns, and it is determined that the raw material is not exhausted.

When the raw material runs out, a state of "N o < N s°9" occurs, and the comparator detects this state and determines that the raw material has run out.

If the rotation speed detection means is configured so that a sensor detects the slit in the slit plate attached to the output shaft of the motor, and the detected value of the sensor is counted by a counter, electrical equipment must be installed on the side of the raw material tank. It can be configured by providing electrical equipment only on the fixed side without installing it.

Example Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIG.

Components that have the same effect as in FIG. 2 showing the conventional example will be described with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a sold-out detection device for granular raw material according to the present invention. A slit plate 12 is attached to the output shaft 4 of the motor 3. The slit plate 12 is disk-shaped, and has an appropriate number n of slits formed on its outer periphery. A sensor 13 is fixed near the slit plate 12 to count the number of slits formed in the slit plate 12. The number of slits detected by the sensor 13 is counted by a counter 14. counter 14
The count value Cs of 5- per unit time is compared with a reference set value C6 by a comparator 15. Here, if n=10 slits are formed in the slit plate 12, the count value CS is equal to 10 times the number of rotations of the screw 2 per unit time. The standard setting value C6 is "'", where No is the number of revolutions per unit time of the screw 2 when the screw 2 is scraping out powdered raw material and a normal load is applied to the motor 3.
n”No”=“IO・No” is set.

Because of this configuration, in the normal operating state when the screening knee 2 is scraping out the powder raw material, the comparator 15 is
When o≧C%l is detected, the display 16 is in the off state.

When there is no powder or granular raw material (and the screw 2 becomes idle),
The rotational speed of the screw 2 increases, the comparator 15 detects "C8", and the indicator 16 turns on. Therefore, by confirming that the indicator 1G is turned on, it is possible to indicate that the powder raw material is out of raw material.

In this embodiment, a rotation detecting means 17 for detecting the rotation speed of the screw 2 is provided with a slit plate 12 attached to the output shaft 4 of a motor 3 that rotationally drives the screw 2;
Since it is composed of a sensor 13 that is attached to the fixed side and detects the slit of the slit plate 12 passing through, and a counter 14 that counts the detected value of the sensor 13, the raw material #l11
It is possible to detect the raw material shortage without installing any electrical equipment on the side, and the raw material tank 1 can also be removed and washed completely.

In the above embodiment, the case of “n=: 1011” was explained as an example, but in the case of “N n ” 1”, “C5=
N”Co=No, and in the comparator 15, “No<Ns
``'', it is determined that the raw material is out.

In each of the above embodiments, the number of slits in the slit plate 12 attached to the output shaft 4 of the motor 3 is counted.
The same thing can be done by detecting the passage of.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, a rotation detection means is provided for detecting the rotation speed of the screw that cuts out the granular raw material from the raw material tank, and the rotation speed is determined based on the rotation speed per unit time during normal raw material discharging. Compare the set reference rotation speed No. with the rotation speed Ns detected per unit time by the rotation detection means,
“We have installed a comparator that determines that the raw material is out when the state of No<Ns is detected, so there is no need to install electrical equipment on the raw material tank side. It is possible to determine whether the raw material is out of stock, and the raw material tank can be detached and washed completely.

Further, the rotation speed detection means includes a slit plate attached to the output shaft of a motor that rotationally drives the screw, a sensor attached to the stationary side to detect the slit of the slit plate passing through, and a detection value of the sensor is counted. When configured with a counter, the detection resolution can be expected to improve by increasing the number of slits in the slit plate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway front view showing the configuration of an embodiment of a granular raw material cutting device and a sold-out detection device of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a partially cutaway view of a conventional granular material raw material cutting device. It is a front view. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Raw material tank, 2... Screw, 3... Motor, 4... Output shaft, 12... Slit plate, 13...
Sensor, 14... Counter, 15... Comparator, 16
...Indicator, No..Reference rotation speed, NS..Screw rotation speed.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a vending machine configured to cut and dispense granular raw material from a raw material tank with a screw, a rotation detecting means for detecting the rotation speed of the screw is provided, and a normal raw material dispensing machine is provided. By comparing the reference rotation speed N_o set based on the rotation speed per unit time of the time and the detected rotation speed N_s per unit time of the rotation detecting means, "N_o
A powder/granular raw material sold-out detection device equipped with a comparator that determines that the raw material is out when the state of <N_s" is detected. 2. A rotation speed detection means is attached to the output shaft of a motor that rotationally drives the screw. 2. The sold-out detection device for granular raw material according to claim 1, comprising a slit plate, a sensor attached to a fixed side to detect the slit of the slit plate passing through, and a counter to count the detected value of the sensor.