JPH0417557B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a commercially available liquid milk product in a cup with a flange, in which liquid milk to be added to a beverage such as coffee is divided into cup containers. The present invention relates to a method for controlling the operation of a dispensing device for cupped products that is incorporated into a fresh brew coffee vending machine or the like and dispenses the liquid milk products one by one to a product dispensing port in accordance with coffee vending operations.

[Conventional technology]

Diversity in the preferences of vending machine users these days,
Due to the trend toward higher quality coffee, there has recently been a growing demand for liquid milk to be used as an additive for coffee sold in the coffee vending machines mentioned above, and in response to this demand, liquid milk products in cups are stored on board. In addition, a product dispensing device that dispenses coffee items one by one in accordance with the sales operation of coffee is being developed.

By the way, the above-mentioned liquid milk products in cups that are currently on the market have a weight of 6 to 6.
It is a small and lightweight item of about 8gr, and its shape is the 4th.
As shown in FIG. 5, the product cup 1 has a lid on its upper surface with a large-diameter flange portion 1b projecting from the cup body 1a to the outer periphery, and a portion of the lid has a protrusion that serves as a spout. It is made as a small circular container of a special shape with a portion 1c formed therein. Furthermore, this container is made of thin plastic and is easily deformed by a slight external force. The size ratio of the cup container 1 is the length of the lid surface,
Assuming that the horizontal dimensions are A and B, and the height of the cup is C,
The relationship is A>B>C.

When storing a large number of such products in irregularly shaped brimmed cups in a product storage case installed on board the aircraft and controlling their dispensing, the products are arranged one by one and placed in the case like a product storage shelf in a normal vending machine. If the device is housed inside the device, the entire device will be large and complicated, and loading the product will be time-consuming. Therefore, from the standpoint of product management services, it is desirable to have a configuration that can store a large amount of products in bulk and control their removal one by one based on instructions.

From this point of view, as a dispensing device for products in brimmed cups of this kind, a product input port and a product exit port are opened at the top and bottom, and the case width between the side walls is regulated to a dimension corresponding to the cup height dimension C of the product. For a box-shaped product storage case configured as shown in FIG. Equipped with a mechanism, a large number of products are stored in this storage case in a horizontal position, and by driving the conveyor belt mechanism in response to a product delivery command, the products lined up on the conveyor belt are sequentially transferred to the product delivery path. A product dispensing device has been proposed which has a mechanism for dispensing products by sending the products to a product delivery port through the product transfer port.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the product dispensing device that employs the above-mentioned conveyor belt mechanism, there is no guarantee that the products will be aligned on the conveyor belt, especially when the products are being filled.
In other words, the products are loaded all at once from the product input slot, but due to the way the products are loaded, such as the loading position being concentrated in one place, the products may be stored unevenly, and in addition, the products may become tangled with each other. If this continues, the containers will not be arranged uniformly on the conveyor belt, and the accommodation state will vary. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the product will always be on standby on the conveyor belt in or near the product delivery path, and as a result, there is a problem in that the delivery time varies and the product is not delivered immediately even if a bend command is issued.

Therefore, this invention is aimed at a product dispensing device employing the above-mentioned conveyor belt mechanism, and is capable of immediately and reliably dispensing products in brimmed cups stored in a product storage case one by one based on a bend command. The object of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling the operation of a dispensing device.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a product that is placed in a cup container having a lid with a brim on the top surface, and the brim is set such that the height dimension of the cup container is smaller than the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the top surface of the container. This is a dispensing device that stores a large number of products in a cup at once and discharges each product based on a product dispensing command.It has a product input port and a product discharge port at the top and bottom.
A box-shaped product storage case is constructed in which the width of the passage in the case between the side walls is regulated to the height of the cup container of the product, and a bend guide provided on the side of the case and the bend guide. A conveyor belt mechanism is provided, which is disposed facing each other in the case, leaving a product carry-out passage leading to the product carry-out port in between, and the conveyor belt mechanism is driven and operated based on a product delivery command to transport the product through the product carry-out passage. In the device for discharging the product from the product delivery port, a slit into which the collar of the product can fit is formed between each of the belts constituting the bend guide and the conveyor belt and the side wall of the case, and the product is delivered from the product delivery port. A product detection switch is installed in the middle of the aisle, and the products in the front row lined up on the conveyor belt mechanism are sent into the carryout aisle by belt conveyance while the products are waiting to be delivered.When the product detection switch detects the product and operates, the product is transported. The belt mechanism is temporarily stopped, the product is held at this position, and then the conveyor belt mechanism is restarted by a bend command, and the product is controlled to fall and be carried out toward the product exit. be.

[Effect]

According to the above means, the first row of products lined up on the conveyor belt mechanism is conveyed by belt conveyance in the product delivery standby state into the carry-out passage, and the conveyor belt mechanism is temporarily stopped when the product detection switch detects the product and operates. The product is then held in this position, and then the conveyor belt mechanism is restarted by a bend command, and the product is controlled so that it falls and is carried out toward the product exit. It becomes possible to immediately and reliably deliver the stored products one by one via the conveyor belt based on a bend command.

〔Example〕

1 and 2 are block diagrams of the entire product dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 shows its operation control circuit diagram. First, in FIGS. Place the top lid 3 on the product inlet of
It is a box-shaped product storage case equipped with a product carry-out port 4 at the bottom end, and inside the case there are bend guides indicated by numerals 5 and 6 at both left and right ends, and opposite bend guides 5 and 6 on the lower surface. At the bottom of the case, a conveyor belt mechanism 7 is installed facing each other, and between the left and right end portions of the conveyor belt mechanism 7 and the facing surfaces of the bend guides 5 and 6, there are provided symbols 8 and 9, respectively. There are two product delivery passages on the left and right. Note that the conveyor belt mechanism 7 includes pulleys 10 and 1.
1, a tension pulley 12, and an endless conveyor belt 13 stretched between these pulleys, and each time a bend command is given as described later, the conveyor belt 13 is rotated alternately as shown by arrows P and Q via a bend motor 14. It is operated in forward and reverse rotation. In addition, the bend guides 5 and 6 are provided with a product guide roller 15 and a product detection switch 16, respectively, so as to face the conveyor belt mechanism 7 and face the middle of the product delivery paths 8 and 9.
17 etc. are installed, and the product carrying out passage 8,
A shutter 18 and fallen product detection switches 19 and 20 are installed in the product dropping passageway leading from the exit side of case 9 to product delivery port 4, and furthermore, the top cover 3 of case 2 is equipped with a switch 19, 20, etc. A reset switch 21 is installed to cancel the activated sell-out signal. On the other hand, the product storage case 2 is
As clearly shown in the figure, the width W of the passage in the case between the front and rear walls is set to be slightly wider than the height C of the product 1 shown in FIG. 5, corresponding to the height C of the product 1 shown in FIG. Furthermore, slits d into which the collar portion 1b of the product 1 can fit are formed between the bend guides 5, 6 and the case side wall, and between the conveyor belt 13 and the case side wall.

Next, FIG. 3 shows the operation control circuit. Note that in FIG. 3, the same reference numerals as in FIG. 1 indicate the same members. Further, in the figure, 22 is a bend switch to which a product delivery command is given, 23 is a sold-out indicator lamp, and 24
is a timer for detecting sold out of the product, 25-2
7 is each auxiliary relay, 28 is bend motor 1
4, and the illustration shows the product storage case in an empty state before the product is loaded and the device in a stopped state.

Next, the operation control operation of the product dispensing device will be explained based on the operation control circuit diagrams shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. First, when the power is turned on in the state shown in FIG. 3, there is no product in the case 2, so the timer contact _T1 is turned on due to the time limit operation of the timer 24, and the lamp 23 lights up, indicating that there is no product in the case 2. is displayed, and the auxiliary relay 27 operates to turn off the relay contact X ₄₁ and stop the bend motor 14. In this state, when the top cover 3 of the product storage case 2 is opened to replenish products, the reset switch 21 operates, resets the timer 24, cancels the display of the sold-out indicator lamp 23, and contacts X of the auxiliary relay 27. ₄₁ turns on and bend motor 1
4 is started in normal rotation to start driving the conveyor belt mechanism 7 in the direction of arrow P in FIG. When products are put into the case all at once in this state, the products 1 are stacked and stored on the belt 13 of the conveyor belt mechanism 7 in a horizontal position, restricted by the passage width W in the product storage case 2. For the stored products located at the left and right ends of the case, the collar 1b fits into the slit d between the bend guides 5, 6 and the case side wall, so the peripheral edge of the collar does not get stuck against the wall surface. Furthermore, since the flange portion 1b of the product lined up at the lowest position fits into the slit d between the conveyor belt 13 and the side wall of the case, the cup body 1a of the product 1 comes into contact with the belt surface of the conveyor belt 13. In addition, since the conveyor belt mechanism 7 has already started driving during this product storage process, the products that reach the belt 13 and are lined up there move toward the carry-out passage 8.
The products in the front row are conveyed by a belt and pushed into the carry-out passage 8 between the bend guide 5 on the left side. In this process, when the product 1 in the front row reaches the product detection switch 16 installed in the middle of the carry-out passage 8 and operates the switch, the switch contact is turned off, and therefore the relay contact of the auxiliary relay 25 is turned off.
_X11 is turned off and the bend motor 14 is temporarily stopped. As a result, the product 1 is sandwiched between the bend guide 5 and the conveyor belt mechanism 7 midway in the carry-out passage 8, and is held at that position. When the replenishment of the products is completed and the top cover 3 of the case is closed, the reset switch 21 is turned on and preparations for dispensing the products are completed. Note that in this state, relay contact _X11 of auxiliary relay 25 is off, so timer 2
4 does not start the timed operation. Here, when a bend command for product delivery is given to the bend switch 22, the bend motor 14 is restarted through the contacts of the bend switch 22, and until now the product detection switch 16
The product that was being pushed is fed by the belt, slips through the product delivery path 8 between the bend guide 5 and the belt 13, falls in the drop path as shown by the arrow, slides on the shooter 17, and exits the product delivery port 4. It will be carried out. Further, when the dropped product detection switch 19 is turned on during this falling product, the relay 28 is turned on by this signal and switches its contacts X _3a and X _3b . This causes the bend motor 14 to rotate in the reverse direction and drive the conveyor belt mechanism 7 in the Q direction in FIG. Then, the product 1 on the belt is sent in the direction of arrow Q in the opposite direction to the previous one, and when the product lined up in the front row enters the product unloading passage 9 on the right bend guide 6 side and activates the product detection switch 17, the previous product is removed. Similar to the operation, the bend motor 14 is stopped and the product 1 is held at that position. Here again bend switch 22
When a product delivery command is given to , the conveyor belt mechanism 7 is driven again in the direction of the arrow Q, and one product is delivered through the product delivery path 9 on the right side. In this way, each time a delivery command is given, one product is delivered alternately through the left and right product delivery passages 8, 9. In addition, when the product delivery progresses and the product stock in the case runs out and the product is sold out, even if the bend motor 14 rotates in the standby state, the conveyor belt mechanism 7 will simply feed the product 1 idly and the product 1 will not be sent to the delivery path 8 or 9. Product detection switches 16 and 17 do not operate. Meanwhile, timer 2
4 is energized via relay contact X ₄₂ from the end of each dispensing operation to start a timed operation. Therefore, the product 1 is detected by the product detection switch 16 within the time limit preset by the timer.
If the position does not reach 17, the timer operates and turns on the contact _T1 , and the sold out indicator lamp 23 is turned on.
At the same time, the contact X ₄₁ of the auxiliary relay 27 is turned off to forcibly stop the operation of the bend motor 14. Note that when the top cover 3 of the product storage case 2 is opened to replenish products from this sold-out state, the reset switch 21 is automatically operated and the circuit is reset.
When the sold out display is canceled, the bend motor 14
will start operating again. In this way, it is possible to achieve operational control such that the products stored in the product storage case in bulk are immediately and reliably dispensed one by one based on the dispensing command, and a sold-out display is displayed when there are no more products in the case. Become. The product storage case described above is cooled as a whole when installed in a vending machine, thereby refrigerating products such as liquid milk and maintaining the quality thereof.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a product detection switch is provided in the middle of the product delivery passage, and the products in the front row lined up on the delivery device mechanism are sent into the delivery passage by belt conveyance in the product delivery standby state.
When the product detection switch detects the product and operates, the conveyor belt mechanism is temporarily stopped and the product is held in this position, and then the conveyor belt mechanism is restarted by a bend command and the product is transferred to the product exit. By controlling the operation so that the products are dropped and delivered in a direction, it is possible to immediately and reliably deliver products in brimmed cups that are stored in a product storage case to each individual product via a conveyor belt based on a bend command. .

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the overall mechanism of the product dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the arrow in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an operational control of the device shown in FIG. 1. The circuit diagram, FIG. 4, and FIG. 5 are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing the shape of a product containing an irregularly shaped rimmed cup. In the figure, 1...Product, 1a...Cup body, 1b...Brim portion, 4...Product delivery port, 5, 6...Bend guide, 7...Transport belt mechanism, 8, 9...Product delivery path , 13... Conveyor belt, 16, 17... Product detection switch, W... Passage width in the case, C... Product cup height, d... Slit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Bulk storage of a large number of products in cup containers with a brim on the top surface, the height of which is smaller than the vertical and horizontal dimensions of the top surface of the container, It is a dispensing device that discharges one product based on a product dispensing command, and has a product input port and a product discharge port at the top and bottom, and the width of the passage inside the case between the side walls is the height dimension of the cup container for the product. For a box-shaped product storage case configured to comply with the above regulations, a bend guide provided on the side of the case and a product exit passageway leading to the product exit port are left between the bend guide and the product exit port, and the bend guide faces the inside of the case. The bend guide and the conveyor belt mechanism are arranged so that the product is delivered from the product exit via the product delivery path by driving and operating the transport belt mechanism based on a product delivery command, wherein the bend guide and the transport A slit into which the collar of the product can fit is formed between each of the belts constituting the belt and the side wall of the case, and a product detection switch is provided in the middle of the product delivery path, so that the belt can be transported while waiting for product delivery. The products in the front row lined up on the conveyor belt mechanism are sent into the carry-out passage, and when the product detection switch detects the products and operates, the conveyor belt mechanism is temporarily stopped and the products are held at this position, and from there. A method for controlling the operation of a device for dispensing products in cups, characterized in that the conveyor belt mechanism is restarted in response to a bend command, and the operation is controlled so that the products fall and are carried out toward a product delivery port.