JPH0477991A - Processing method for cup receiving fault of automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the deterioration of sales by returning a cup to a cup reception position after shifted from the cup reception position when a cup handling device does not detect the cup within prescribed time after detecting a cup drop-out command and instructing the drop-out of the cup to a cup dispenser. CONSTITUTION:When a cup handling device 1 does not detect a cup 6 within prescribed time after detecting the cup drop-out command indicating the drop-out of the cup 6, the device 1 is returned to the cup reception position after shifted from the cup reception position at that time, and indicates the cup drop-out to a cup dispenser 5 again. Therefore, the sales processing can be continued when the drop-out of the cup 6 is performed again and the cup 6 is normally held by the device 1. Thus, the sales deterioration accompanied by the cup reception fault is reduced compared with the one performing the sellout processing immediately.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention is directed to a cup handling device that moves below a cup dispenser to hold a cup dispensed from the cup dispenser, and to hold a cup dispensed from the cup dispenser while the cup is being moved to a target position or while the cup is being moved. This relates to a type of vending machine that dispenses beverages by pouring them into the cup.

BACKGROUND ART An example of a vending machine employing this type of type is a cup-mixing type beverage vending machine as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. This consists of the following items installed in the interior A of the vending machine.

The cup handling device 1 includes an X table 2 arranged in the depth direction of the inside A, an X table 3 arranged perpendicular to the X table 2 and movable in the depth direction with respect to the X table 2, Attached to table 3
It is composed of a robot hand 4 that is movable in the width direction of the chamber interior A with respect to the table 3. This robot hand 4
moves to a position below the cup dispenser 5 and receives the cup 6 dispensed from the cup dispenser 5,
Next, each raw material tank 8a~ arranged along the back plate 7 of the inside A
As it passes under 8d as shown by the broken line in Figure 3, raw materials necessary for cooking are dispensed, and hot water is vigorously injected from the hot water supply pipe 9 at the back right of the chamber A for cup mixing. The cup 6 containing the beverage that has been mixed and cooked is transported to the cup station 10 and sent from the robot hand 4 to the cup station I.
It is handed over to O. The user can open the door 12 of the product outlet 11 and take out the beverage cup 6 from the cup station IO.

As mentioned above, when the robot hand 4 receives the cup 6 from the cup dispenser 5, it moves to a position below the cup dispenser 5 as shown in FIG. 5 to prevent the cup 6 from falling from the cup dispenser 5. In the waiting state, if a dispensing abnormality occurs such as the cup 6 being placed on the robot hand 4, conventionally, the cup sensor 13 detects the cup 6 after a specified time from the time when the cup dispensing command is issued. If not, it is configured to execute a sold-out process.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In this method for dealing with defective cup receptions, sales will decline because subsequent sales will be discontinued even if only - times of defective cup receptions have occurred.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a method for handling defective cup receipts that can reduce the decline in sales.

Means for Solving the Problems The cup receiving failure processing method of the present invention holds a cup dispensed from a cup dispenser with a cup handling device that moves below the cup dispenser;
In a vending machine that fills and dispenses beverages during or after moving a cup to a target position, the cup is dispensed within a specified time after detecting a cup dispensing command that instructs the cup dispenser to dispense the cup. If the handling device does not detect a cup, the cup handling device is moved from the current cup receiving position and then returned to the cup receiving position to instruct the cup dispenser to dispense the cup again.

Effect: According to this configuration, even if a cup reception failure occurs,
Since the cup dispensing is automatically re-executed, if the cup is successfully received in this re-execution, there is no need to execute the sold-out process, and the normal sales operation state can be continued.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, a specific example of the method for handling defective cup reception according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. In addition,
Components having the same functions as those in FIGS. 3 to 5 will be described with the same reference numerals.

The cup dispenser 5 and the cup handling device 1 are operated by a control section 14. The control unit 14
It is configured as shown in the figure. When the cup dispensing command 15 from the outside is detected in step (a-1), steps (a-2) and (a-3) are executed to release the cup 6.
will be disbursed. Specifically, step (a-2)
Now, the X-axis motor 16 that drives the X-table 2 of the cup handling device 1 and the Y-axis motor 17 that drives the X-table 3 are operated to move the robot/X throat 4 to a position below the dispensing position of the cup dispenser 5. When the robot hand 4 arrives, it instructs the cup dispenser 5 to dispense the cup 6 in step (a-3).

In step (a-4), in step [a-3] cup 6
The output of the cup sensor 13 of the cup handling device 1 is checked after a specified period of time after the dispensing of the cup 6 is executed, and if the cup 6 is normally received by the robot hand 4, the routine shown in FIG. 2 is skipped. The cup handling device [1] moves the cup 6 held by the robot hand 4 to the next process.

If the cup sensor 13 does not detect the cup 6 in step (a-4), the steps (a-5) to (a-8) are performed without immediately executing the sold-out process in step (a-9).
is executed.

In step (a-5), the X-axis motor 16 and Y-axis motor 17 are operated so that the robot hand 4 moves to the standby position, and then in step [a-1i), step [a-2
] In the same manner as above, move the robot hand 4 to a position below the dispensing position of the cup dispenser 5. In step (a-7), the cup dispenser 5 is instructed to dispense the cup 6 in the same manner as in step (a-3).In step (a-83), in the same manner as in step (a-4), the cup dispenser 5 is instructed to dispense the cup 6. ), check the output of the cup sensor I3 after a specified time after dispensing the cup 6,
If the cup 6 is normally received by the robot hand 4, the routine shown in FIG. 2 is skipped and the cup handling device 1 moves the cup 6 held by the robot hand 4 to the next process. let

If the cup sensor 13 does not detect the cup 6 in step (a-8), the sold-out process in step (a-9) is executed.

If the cup 6 is not held normally by the robot hand 4 in this way, steps (a-5) to [a-8]
Since the defective cup receiving process is executed, if the cup 6 dispensed in step (a-3) is defective and has landed on the robot hand 4, step [a-5] is executed. By moving the robot hand 4 from the cup dispensing position to another standby position, the cup 6 that has been placed on the robot hand 4 can be dropped in the forward direction, and the robot hand 4 can be moved again to step (a-
Step 8) to move the cup to the original dispensing position and step (
By executing step a-7), it can be expected that the cup 6 will be normally held by the robot hand 4, and the number of times the sold-out process of step (a-9) is executed can be reduced.

In the above embodiment, the cup reception failure processing in steps (a-5) to (a-8) is executed once, and step [a-8] is executed once.
-8], if the receiving state was not normal, step (a-9) was immediately executed;
] If the receiving state is not normal in step (a-5) to step (a-8), the cup reception failure processing similar to steps (a-5) to (a-8) may be repeatedly executed, and the cup reception failure processing may be repeated. The number of times can be set to any number of times.

In the above embodiment, the position to which the robot hand 4 is moved in step [a-5] is set as the standby position, but this standby position is defined as the position where the controller 14 detects the cup dispensing command 15 in step (a-1). This means the stop position before operating the cup handling device 1 in step (a-2), and the position to which the robot hand 4 is moved in step (a-5) is not the standby position but step (a-2). The position may be any position that has been moved from the cup dispensing position.

In the above embodiment, the opening degree of the robot hand 4 that receives the cup 6 from the cup dispenser 5 is not changed, but if the opening degree of the robot hand 4 is to be changed at the time of receiving the cup, the control unit! 4 operates not only the X-axis motor I6 and the Y-axis motor 17 but also the opening drive motor I8 of the robot hand 4 in steps [a-2] and (a-8).

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, if the cup handling device does not detect a cup within a specified time after detecting a cup dispensing command that instructs the cup dispenser to dispense a cup, the cup handling device The configuration is configured to move the cup from the original cup receiving position and then return it to the cup receiving position to instruct the cup dispenser to dispense the cup again. If the cup is held at the same time, the sales process can be continued, and the decrease in sales due to defective cup reception can be reduced compared to the conventional case where the sold-out process is immediately executed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a specific embodiment of the cup receiving failure processing method of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a cup dispensing system, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the control section of the cup dispensing system. FIGS. 3 and 4 are a horizontal sectional view and a front view with the front door open of the cup-type beverage vending machine to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the cup delivery state. It is. 1... Cup handling device, 4... Robot hand, 5... Cup dispenser, 6... Cup,
13...Cup sensor, 14...Control unit, 15...
・Cup dispensing command.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cup handling device that moves below the cup dispenser holds the cup dispensed from the cup dispenser, and dispenses the beverage by filling the cup during or after moving the cup to the target position. In the vending machine, if the cup handling device does not detect a cup within a specified time after detecting a cup dispensing command that instructs the cup dispenser to dispense a cup, the cup handling device is moved from the cup receiving position at that time. A method for handling defective cup reception in which the cup is returned to the cup receiving position and the cup dispenser is instructed to dispense the cup again.