JPH06101064B2 - Out-of-stock detection system for Madra feeder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention is incorporated into a cup-type beverage vending machine that sells soft drinks in a cup and sells the beverage, and the beverage is delivered to a product outlet for each beverage sales operation. The present invention relates to a sold-out detection method for a madra supply device that automatically supplies a madra that doubles as a beverage stirring rod and a straw into a cup.

[Conventional technology]

As a mudra supply device described in the above, for a hopper type madra accommodating section that stores a large number of mudras in a horizontal posture and collectively accommodates them, a rotary madra receiving section is provided at the outlet of the madra accommodating section, and the rotation operation is in progress Then, a configuration in which the madras are slid out one by one from the madra storage part and carried out downward has been already proposed by the same applicant as Japanese Patent Application No. 62-279678, and the implementation thereof is being advanced. Has been.

Further, as a sold-out detection method of the Madra supply device, similarly to the sold-out detection method of a product which has been already adopted in a conventional vending machine, the remaining number of the Madra stored in the Madra storage unit is the weight. Studies are under way to detect and obtain a sold-out detection signal.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

By the way, it has been found that the Madra sold-out detection method based on the weight detection method is difficult to put into practical use in the following points.
That is, the weight of one mudra is about 0.4 g, which is extremely light. Therefore, it is almost impossible to operate a normal micro switch by the weight detection method described above, and accurate sell-out detection is performed. I can't come.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the mudra itself is lightweight, but utilizes the property that the rigidity in the diametrical direction is relatively large, and based on this, one mudra from the mudra storage section is used. To provide a sold-out detection method for a madra supply device that makes it possible to accurately determine the sold-out of the madra by using a normal micro switch by skillfully utilizing the rotary madra receiving part that receives and carries out each one. With the goal.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

In order to solve such a problem, in the sold-out detection method according to the present invention, the madras that are slid out and are received one by one from the hopper-type madra accommodating portion in the course of the rotation operation are moved downward. The rotary madras receiving part to be dropped and carried out, and the madras sold out opposite to the rotary madra receiving part at the standby position set midway between the madras receiving position and the madras unloading position on the circumference of the rotary madras receiving part. A detection switch lever, and the presence or absence of the madras received and held in the receiving groove of the rotary madra receiving portion is detected at the standby position by the lever of the madra sold-out detection switch for each sales operation, and It is characterized in that the sold-out determination of the madras is performed based on the switch signal of the switch.

[Action]

In the above description, first, the madra receiving part is provided with a receiving groove for receiving one madra along its longitudinal direction in a columnar body which is rotationally operated in a facing position so as to block the outlet of the hopper type madra containing part. In the process of rotating the cylinder 360 degrees, the madras received one by one from the upper madra storage part are slid out and dropped down and carried out. On the other hand, a concentric circumferential groove is formed on the axis of the cylindrical body of the madra receiving part, and the sold-out detection is made at the standby position set midway between the madra receiving position and the unloading position on the periphery of the madra receiving part. The detection lever of the switch is arranged so as to be fitted in the circumferential groove and slide on the circumferential surface of the cylindrical body.

Here, when the madra is received and held in the receiving groove when the madra receiving part reaches the standby position after passing through the madra receiving position, the madra will break in between the detection lever of the sold-out detection switch. The detection lever swings to operate the switch. In this case, since the mudra has a relatively high rigidity in the diametrical direction, the detection lever can be reliably pushed. On the other hand, when the mudra is not received and held in the receiving groove at the standby position, the detection lever does not swing and the switch does not operate.

Thus, the presence or absence of the mudra is detected at the standby position of the mudra receiving section for each selling operation, and the control section makes a determination based on the switch signal, so that the sold out can be accurately detected before the next selling operation.

〔Example〕

1 and 2 are configuration diagrams of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3, and FIG.
The figure is an explanatory view of the Madra sold-out detection operation.

First, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a hopper-type madra accommodating portion in which a large number of madras 2 are stacked and accommodated in a horizontal posture, and a madra receiving portion 3 is installed facing an outlet opening at a lower end thereof. There is. This madra receiving part 3 has a cylindrical body 3a arranged so as to close the outlet of the madra accommodating part 1, and a receiving groove 3b for receiving one madra along the longitudinal direction is provided on the circumference thereof. The drive motor 4 is rotated in the direction of arrow P. Further, a guide jute 5 is installed below the mudra receiving portion 3. The guide jute 5 changes the laterally oriented madras 2 that have been dropped and carried out through the madras receiving portion 3 into a vertically oriented orientation and supplies the madras 2 to the cup 7 standing by at the stage 6 from above.

With such a structure, when the madler receiving portion 3 is rotated 360 degrees during the selling operation, when the receiving groove 3a coincides with the outlet of the madra receiving portion 1 during the rotating operation, one madra 2 enters the receiving groove 3b. Accepted and held by. When the rotation progresses from here, the mudra 2 received in the receiving groove 3b is taken out from the madra accommodating portion 1 in a slidable manner, and when the rotation further advances by 180 degrees so that the receiving groove 3a faces downward, the inside of the receiving groove 3b The mudra 2 received and held by the vehicle falls by its own weight from the receiving groove toward the guide shooter 5. Further, the mudra 2 that has fallen onto the guide shooter 5 is supplied to the cup 7 after being attitude-controlled from a horizontal attitude to a vertical attitude. And the empty receiving groove
When the 3b again reaches the exit position of the madra housing unit 1, one madra 2 is delivered to the receiving groove 3b.

On the other hand, regarding the above-mentioned Madra supply device, the Madra receiver 3
On the circumference of the madra receiving part 3 at a predetermined angle (for example, 45 degrees) from the madra receiving position facing the outlet of the madra storing part 1.
The standby position is set at a position advanced in the rotation direction (arrow P), and at this standby position, the detection lever 8a of the sold-out detection switch 8 which is a micro switch is provided on the peripheral surface of the mudra receiving portion 3 so as to face it. ing. Here, the detection lever 8a is
As clearly shown in FIG. 2, it fits into the circumferential groove 3c provided concentrically with the cylindrical body on the axis of the mudra receiving part 3, and lightly abuts against the cylindrical body 3a and slides on the inner circumferential surface of the groove. Is held to.

Further, returning to FIG. 1, 9 is a control unit of the Madra supply device, which gives an operation command to the drive motor 4 by a sales command and also takes in a signal from the sold-out detection switch 8 to make a sold-out determination, Outputs a sold-out signal when it is determined to be off.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the operation of detecting the sold-out of the madras according to the above configuration will be described.

First, the basic operation of the madra receiving section 3 starts from the standby position A shown in FIG. 3 for each sales operation, and makes one rotation.
It is controlled so as to return to the standby position A again via the and stop. Here, when the madra receiving section 3 reaches the standby position A, the madra 2 received from the madra accommodating section 1 by the madra receiving device C at the preceding stage as shown in FIG.
If it is held in 3b, the Madra 2 will break between the detection levers 8a and the detection lever 8a of the sold-out detection switch 8 that has been in contact with the peripheral surface of the Madra receiving section 3 until now. , The detection lever 8a swings in the direction of the arrow and the switch 8
To turn on. In this case, since the rigidity of the mudra 2 in the diameter direction is relatively large, the detection lever 8a is surely pushed to the side. On the other hand, the control unit 9 (FIG. 1) determines from the operation signal of the sold-out detection switch 8 that there is a mudra, and when the next sales command is given, the drive motor 4 is started. As a result, the mudra receiving portion 3 rotates, and the mudra 2 received in the receiving groove at the mudra carrying-out position B in the course of rotation is dropped and carried out toward the guide shooter 5 (FIG. 1).

On the other hand, when the mudra receiving portion 3 reaches the standby position A as shown in FIG. 4 and the mudra is not received and held in the receiving groove 3b, the tip of the detection lever 8a of the sold-out detection switch 8 is The switch 8 does not swing while being in contact with the circumferential surface of the circumferential groove 3c, and thus the switch 8 remains off. As a result, the control unit 9 determines that there is no mudra and outputs a sold-out signal to the outside.

As described above, it is possible to accurately detect the presence or absence of the madras 2 from the signal of the sold-out detection switch 8 obtained at the standby position of the madras receiving portion 3, and based on this, the next sales operation when the madras are present. The madras are taken out with, and when there are no madras, the sell-out signal is output and the sale is stopped prior to the next selling operation. This makes it possible to avoid a mistake in supplying the madras at the time of sale.

Although the probability of occurrence is extremely low, due to the bridge of the Madra 2 housed in the Madra housing unit 1, etc., the Madra receiving unit 3 receives the Madra When reaching the position A, the madras 2 may not be delivered from the madras housing 1 to the receiving groove 3b of the madras receiving portion 3. However, even if such bridging occurs, it is found through actual machine tests that when the madra receiving part 3 is rotated again, the madra bridge collapses due to the shock applied at that time and the normal accommodation state is restored again. ing.

Therefore, by executing the following program at the time of detecting the sold-out, it is possible to improve the reliability by eliminating the false recognition of the Madra sold-out detection due to the bridge and the like. That is, when it is determined that there is no mudra at the standby position as shown in FIG. 4, the sold-out signal is not immediately output, and the madra carry-out mechanism 3 is emptied and rotated again a predetermined number of times (several times), The presence / absence of a mudra is detected every time the robot reaches the standby position during its rotation. Here, if the bridge of the Madra is the cause, the bridge collapses in the middle of the repeated rotation operation in most cases, and the Madra is discharged from the accommodation section to the Madra receiving section, so that the normal sales operation is restored. become. On the other hand, if the mudra is not detected even after the repeated rotation operation, in this case, the mudra storage section is determined to be empty, and the sold-out signal is output.

〔The invention's effect〕

 The sold-out detection method of the present invention has the following effects.

That is, since the detection lever of the sold-out detection switch is pressed to the standby position set on the circumference of the Madra receiving section that receives and takes out the Madra one by one from the Madra containing section, the Madra is detected. While adopting a normal micro switch, it is possible to accurately detect the presence or absence of a mudra before each sales operation, and correctly determine whether or not the mudra is in a sold-out state based on the switch signal. In addition, this makes it possible to avoid a mistake in supplying the mudra during the beverage selling operation and prevent a sales trouble.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a structural layout view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partial front view of a madra receiving portion in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are sales corresponding to states with and without madras, respectively. It is an operation explanatory view of a disconnection detection. In the figure, 1: Madra storage part, 2: Madra, 3: Madra receiving part, 3b: Receiving groove, 4: Drive motor, 7: Cup, 8: Sold-out detection switch, 8
a: Detection lever, 9: Control part, A: Standby position, B: Madra carrying-out position, C: Madra receiving position, P: Direction of rotation of the mudra receiving part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A sold-out detection system for a madra supply device that supplies madras into a cup taken out to a product outlet in connection with a beverage selling operation of an automatic vending machine. The rotary type madler receiving part that receives the slurries that have been picked up one by one in the receiving groove and slides out the madras, and the madra receiving position and the madra unloading position on the circumference of the rotary type madler receiving part. A lever for a madra sold-out detection switch, which is arranged to face the rotary madra receiver at the standby position set in the middle, and whether or not there is a madra received and held in the receiving groove of the rotary madra receiver. Madra supply characterized by detecting the Madra sold-out detection switch lever at the standby position for each sale operation and determining whether the Madra sold out based on the switch signal of the switch Sold-out detection method of location.