JPH06195561A - Control system of cup type beverage automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make route operations for raw material supply and disposal of waste water efficient. CONSTITUTION:Sensors 4, 7, and 8 which detect the rest levels of raw materials in raw material containers 2 and 5 of the cup type automatic vending machine 1 and the water filling level of waste water in a waste water bucket 6 in stages or continuously are installed in those containers and bucket, an information terminal 13 which sends their signals to the center device 12 of a control center through a telephone line is installed, and the control center is provided with the center device 12 consisting of a personal computer which processes the sent signals and displays results on a display 12a. Consequently, the rest levels of raw materials of respective automatic vending machines 1 can be grasped before being sold out, so a route man can efficiently be sent.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cup-type beverage vending machine for injecting a beverage into a cup for sale, and more specifically, the working efficiency of a rootman who performs operations such as replenishing raw materials and discarding wastewater in the machine. Management system to improve efficiency).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, cup-type beverage vending machines are
Each time it is sold, coffee and soft drinks are prepared onboard and supplied in a cup, but the beverage ingredients are stored in the ingredient container in the form of powder or syrup, and each beverage is prepared one by one. It is designed to be taken out. The above-mentioned raw material container is provided with a raw material sensor for detecting that the residual amount level of the raw material has dropped below a certain value, and when a detection signal is sent from this raw material sensor, the corresponding beverage is sold out and the selling operation is performed. Be stopped.

On the other hand, a drainage bucket is installed in the lower part of the vending machine, draining water when washing mixing balls for melting raw materials with hot water and piping for guiding a beverage to a cup, an ice making machine installed in the machine, Water drops, etc. dropped from the hot water tank are stored. When this drain bucket is full, water will flow around the vending machine. Therefore, the drain bucket is provided with a float switch for detecting full water, and when this switch operates, sales of all beverages are stopped as a sold-out treatment.

The above-mentioned replenishment of raw materials into the raw material container and disposal of the waste water in the drain bucket are carried out by a route man who sequentially makes a patrol inspection of a large number of vending machines. While a situation will occur and you will miss a sales opportunity until the next patrol, on the other hand, vending machines that are not selling well may be too early to patrol. However, the conventional patrol inspection is inefficient because the sales are uncertain and it is performed at an appropriate time, and it is inevitable that the sold-out items will be left unattended and unnecessary patrols will occur.

[0005] In particular, recently, while the number of types of beverage ingredients has increased due to diversified tastes, patrols tend to be delayed due to traffic congestion in the urban area and chronic shortage of manpower, and route efficiency is improved. Has become important. Therefore, the present invention accurately grasps the necessity of replenishing raw materials and draining waste water in each vending machine, appropriately dispatching a small number of routemen, and effectively preventing the sold-out occurrence and wasteful patrol. It is an object of the present invention to provide a management system for a beverage drink vending machine.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a cup type beverage vending machine with a raw material sensor for detecting the remaining amount level of a beverage raw material in a raw material container in a plurality of steps or continuously. And a terminal device that transmits the signal from the raw material sensor to the outside by wire or wirelessly, and the center that manages the vending machine receives the signal transmitted from the terminal device and receives the remaining amount. A center device that displays the level shall be installed.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cup type beverage vending machine with a drainage sensor for detecting the level of drainage accumulated in a drainage bucket in a plurality of steps or continuously, and this drainage sensor. A center device that installs a terminal device that transmits a signal from the device to the outside in a wired or wireless manner and that receives the signal transmitted from the terminal device and displays the drainage level at a center that manages the vending machine. Shall be installed.

[0008]

[Function] A sensor for a raw material container or a drain bucket in a conventional cup-type beverage vending machine does not send a signal unless the remaining amount of raw material or the drainage in the drain bucket reaches the sell-out occurrence level. No, and the signal can only be confirmed by visiting the vending machine. Therefore, in the present invention, a sensor for detecting the residual amount level of the raw material and the drainage level in the drainage bucket is provided in a plurality of steps or continuously, and the signal is transmitted to the center device upon request and displayed on the center device. It can be so. As a result, before the raw materials and wastewater actually reach the sold-out generation level, it is possible to grasp the remaining amount and the full water status while staying at the center, and dispatch root man at an appropriate time without waste to prevent the sold-out occurrence. Can be prevented.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. First, FIG. 1 shows a system configuration of a wired management system. In the figure, for example, in the coffee raw material container 2 in the cup type beverage vending machine 1,
Four raw material sensors 4 are installed at equal intervals in the vertical direction so as to detect the remaining amount level of the coffee beans 3 stored therein in four stages. The raw material sensor 4 in this example is of a piezoelectric type and generates an ON / OFF signal depending on the presence or absence of the coffee beans 3. Here, the lowest raw material sensor 4 detects sold-out, and turns on when the remaining amount decreases to the sold-out level. Also,
The uppermost raw material sensor 4 detects fullness, and turns off when the coffee beans 3 are fully replenished.

A raw material sensor 7 and a drainage sensor 8 are installed in the syrup raw material container 5 and the drainage bucket 6 in the vending machine 1, respectively. The raw material sensor 7 generates a continuous voltage signal based on the resistance change according to the level of the syrup (stock solution of soft drink). The wastewater sensor 8 also has the same principle as the raw material sensor 7, and generates a continuous voltage signal according to the level of the wastewater 10. Each sensor 4, 7,
The signal of No. 8 is input to the control unit 11 which controls the vending machine, and the control unit 11 sells when the lowest raw material sensor 4 is turned off and the signal level from the raw material sensor 7 or the drainage sensor 8 becomes less than the specified value. Controls to cut off,
These signals are also transmitted via the telephone line to the center device 12 of the center that manages the vending machine 1 together with the vending machine ID.

That is, in the vending machine 1, an information terminal 13 for calling and transmitting the signals of the sensors 4, 7, and 8 through the control unit 11 in response to a request from the center unit 12, a network control function and a modem function. Terminal line control device 14 having
Is installed, and these are installed in the center device 13 via a telephone line.
It is connected to the center line control device 15 on the side. The center device 12 is composed of a personal computer, and the signal transmitted from each vending machine 1 is processed by the personal computer, displayed graphically on the display 12a, and printed out if necessary.

FIG. 2 shows a display example on the display 12a. Regarding the remaining amount level of the coffee beans 3 by the raw material sensor 4, the four pilot lamp images 16 are lit according to the level. ing. Each lamp image 16 corresponds from the left end to the right end from the bottom to the top of the raw material sensor 4, and is completely turned off when it is full, but all is turned on when it is sold out.
When it is lit up to the second, it means that the time for replenishing raw materials has arrived. On the other hand, the remaining amount level of the syrup raw material 9 by the raw material sensor 7 is expanded and contracted by the continuously changing bar graph image 17. Bar graph image 17
If the tip of the mark is at level 10 on the right end of the figure, it indicates fullness, and if it is reduced to level 1 or lower on the left end, it indicates that it is sold out. The full level of the drainage 10 by the drainage sensor 8 is also displayed in the bar graph image 18 in the same manner. In this case, if the tip of the bar graph image 18 reaches the rightmost level 10, it indicates that the bar graph image 18 is full (sold out).

FIG. 3 shows the system configuration of a wireless management system. In the figure, a wireless modem 19 is installed in the vending machine 1 together with the information terminal 13, and a wireless modem 21 is installed in the center device 12 via a transmission controller 20.
Are connected. A specific low power radio can be used as the radio wave. The wireless modems 19 and 21 are modulation / demodulation devices for wirelessly transmitting and receiving signals from the information terminal 13. The transmission controller 20 performs communication control with each vending machine 1, conversion of a protocol with the center device 12, and the like. Raw material sensors 4 and 7 and drainage sensor 6
The detection of the sold-out occurrence level and the display of the received signal on the center device 12 are the same as those of the wired system.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, the vending machine is provided with a sensor for detecting the remaining amount level of the raw material and the drainage level in the drainage bucket in a plurality of steps or continuously and the signal thereof is provided. Is transmitted in response to a request from the center so that it can be displayed on the center device, it is possible to accurately predict the occurrence of sold-out, and it is possible to prevent a sales opportunity from being left in the sold-out state. In addition, the route man can be dispatched only to the required vending machines at the required time, so that the route efficiency is improved and the labor shortage is solved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention in a wired system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a display screen in the center device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention of a wireless system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Cup-type beverage vending machine 2 Coffee raw material container 4 Raw material sensor 5 Syrup raw material container 6 Drainage bucket 7 Raw material sensor 8 Drainage sensor 12 Center device 13 Vending machine information terminal 14 Terminal line control device 15 Center line control device 19 Vending machine Wireless modem 20 Transmission controller 21 Center wireless modem

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A cup type beverage vending machine, a raw material sensor for detecting the remaining amount level of the beverage raw material in the raw material container in a plurality of steps or continuously, and a signal from the raw material sensor is transmitted to the outside by wire or wirelessly. And a terminal device that controls the vending machine, and a center device that receives the signal transmitted from the terminal device and displays the remaining amount level is installed in a center that manages the vending machine. Beverage vending machine management system. 2. A cup-type beverage vending machine, a drainage sensor for detecting the level of drainage accumulated in a drainage bucket in multiple stages or continuously, and a signal from this drainage sensor is transmitted to the outside by wire or wirelessly. While installing the terminal device,
A management system for a cup-type beverage vending machine, wherein a center device that receives the signal transmitted from the terminal device and displays the drainage level is installed in a center that manages the vending machine.