JPH0719305B2 - Raw material agitation control device for beverage vending machines - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention provides a beverage completed by stirring a powdered raw material as a raw material component of a beverage (such as coffee) and hot water (or cold water) in a stirring container. , A raw material agitation control device in an automatic vending machine (also abbreviated as a vending machine) for sale.

[Conventional technology]

As a control device of this type, conventionally, the powdered raw material and hot water (or cold water) are carried out at a time according to the set amount of one cup for sale, and they are stirred in a stirring container to make a cup for sale as a finished beverage. It is known that the ink is discharged to.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, recently, the size of a cup for sale has been increased, and the amount of beverage for one cup (one) (hereinafter referred to as the amount of beverage sold for convenience)
There is a market demand to increase the amount of the beverage, and in this case, in the conventional vending machine, since the sold beverage amount exceeds the capacity of the stirring container, it is necessary to replace the stirring container with a large one. There is a problem that the remodeling is too expensive.

This invention eliminates the above-mentioned problems, and even when the amount of the sold beverage (the amount of the beverage for one cup for sale) exceeds the capacity of the stirring container, the stirring container is not replaced with a large one. An object of the present invention is to provide a raw material agitation control device for a vending machine, which is capable of agitating raw materials.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

This invention is based on the selection of a drink (coffee etc.) as a product, and after carrying out the raw material (powder raw material etc.) and hot water (cold water) of the beverage from respective carrying-out means (raw material motor, hot water valve etc.), Mix and stir via stirring means (stirring container, stirring motor, etc.), and sell container (cup, etc.)
In a beverage vending machine that is poured into and sold for sale, whether the amount of the beverage sold in the sales container (hereinafter referred to as the sales beverage amount) is larger than the capacity of the stirring means (the capacity of the stirring container, etc.) based on the product selection. Means for determining whether or not (setting device, arithmetic unit, etc.) and, when it is determined that the device is large, for each of a plurality of predetermined amounts obtained by dividing the sold beverage amount into a capacity smaller than the capacity of the stirring means. , The raw material and hot water (cold water) corresponding to the quantity are carried out through the respective carrying-out means, and then mixed and stirred through the stirring means and poured into the sales container, which is repeated for all the quantity of the beverage. Means (calculator, setter, memory, output controller,
Timer) and the like.

[Action]

According to the above means, when starting to carry out the powdered raw material as the beverage raw material component and the hot water (or cold water), for example, the total amount for one cup for sale is obtained by the set value of hot water (or cold water), and this amount is stirred. When the capacity of the container is exceeded, the carry-out amount (time) of the powdered raw material and hot water (or cold water) should be divided into several batches to be carried out, and the powdered raw material and hot water (or cold water) should be taken out once. A large amount of the beverage raw material is carried out while the total amount after mixing does not exceed the allowable capacity of the stirring container.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 (A) is a block diagram showing the configuration of the entire system as one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (B) is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the main parts of FIG. 1 (A), and FIG. It is a flow chart explaining an operation | movement of a principal part similarly. In each figure, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

In FIG. 1 (A), 1 is a container for powder raw material 1a, 5 is a raw material motor for discharging the raw material 1a in this container, 2a is a powder raw material
Reference numeral 2 is a hot water tank for melting 1a, 2 is a hot water tank, and 4 is a hot water valve for discharging hot water 2a. Reference numeral 3 denotes a stirring container for receiving the discharged powder raw material 1a and hot water 2a, mixing and stirring by a stirring motor 6, and pouring the mixture into a cup 7 serving as a beverage sales container for sale. Numeral 10 is a setting device for setting the respective carry-out times T1 and T2 of hot water and powdered raw material corresponding to the above-mentioned sold drink amount (the amount of one cup (one) of beverage in cup 7), and the stirring time T3, etc. ing. A memory 9 temporarily stores various data associated with the calculation of the calculator 8. A computing unit 8 inputs a start signal S based on a customer's selection of a product (beverage) and performs various computation processes for carrying out a beverage. Reference numeral 12 is an output controller, which is based on the calculation result of the calculator 8
5, the stirring motor 6, the timer 11, etc. are controlled. The timer 11 starts timing by the output signal 12a from the output controller 12, and gives a time-up signal 11a to the arithmetic unit 8 after the elapse of the timer set time T4.

Further, in FIG. 1B, each of (1) to (5) is performed based on the start signal S. Calculation of the calculator 8,
The timing of each operation of the hot water valve 4, the raw material motor 5, the stirring motor 6, and the timer 11 is shown. In this example, 1 cup of hot water
2a and the powder raw material 1a are divided into three equal parts and carried out.

Next, in FIG. 2, steps 101 to 110 show an operation procedure of the arithmetic unit 8, and steps 201 to 205 show an operation procedure executed by the output controller 12 based on the step 108.

Next, referring to FIG. 1 (B), based on FIG.
The operation of FIG. When the customer selects a product (beverage) and a start signal S designating the beverage is output from a means (not shown) (step 101), the calculator 8 causes the setting device 10 to operate.
It is set in advance. The various set times of the beverage are read (step 102), and the total amount of the beverage is calculated from the hot water unloading set time T1 therein by a predetermined calculation method (step 103). Next, this total amount is compared with the allowable capacity of the stirring container 3 (step 104), and if the former is smaller than the latter, the carry-out frequency x for one cup is set to 1 as in the conventional case (step 106). ), Otherwise, the total amount of the beverage for one cup is adjusted so that the amount of the beverage formed by the carried-out amount of hot water and the powder raw material per one time (referred to as the amount) is smaller than the allowable capacity of the stirring container 3. Divide into x equal parts. That is, the number of times the beverage is carried out per cup is set to x times (step 105).

Therefore, the operating time of the hot water valve 4 is equally divided into x (that is, the hot water unloading set time T1 is equally divided into x), and similarly, the operating time of the raw material motor 5 (that is, the powder raw material unloading set time T2 is equally divided into x), Similarly, the operating time of the agitation motor 6 (that is, the agitation setting time T3 divided into x equal parts, this time is approximately equal to the divided operating time T1 / x of the hot water valve 4) and the carry-out frequency x are stored in the memory 9. (Step 107).

Next, in step 107, the output times T1 / x, T2 / x and the stirring operation time T3 / x per time stored in the memory 9 are output to the controller 1
2 is notified and the operation of the hot water valve 4, the raw material motor 5, and the stirring motor 6 is started (step 108). The timing of the arithmetic operation of the arithmetic unit 8 is as shown in FIG. 1 (B), (1), time t1.
~ T2.

As a result, the output controller 12 creates a time chart of the operation of each controlled object 4, 5, 6 (steps 201, 202), and based on this time chart, the operating time T1 / x, respectively for each controlled object 4, 5, 6. The drive signals of T2 / x and T3 / x are output and driven (step 203). When the output of the drive signal is completed (step 204), the signal 12a is issued to start the timer 11 (step 205). The timings of the above operation of the hot water valve 4, the raw material motor 5, and the stirring motor 6 are shown in FIG. 1 (B), (2)-
(4) is shown from time t2 to time t3.

As a result, the timer 11 starts counting time, and after the timer setting time T4, the time-up signal 11a is issued to the calculator 8 (FIGS. 1 (B), (5), time t4). Is determined in step 109, and it is determined in step 110 whether or not x times have been carried out. Step if not completed here
Returning to 108, the above operation is repeated (FIG. 1 (B), time t
4 to t5), the beverage unloading operation for one cup is completed at the end of unloading x times (FIG. 1 (B), time t5). First
Figures (B) and (2) to (5) show that the beverage unloading operation for one cup is completed by the unloading operation x times = 3 times.

The carry-out frequency x can be set so as to minimize the sales time for one cup (time until the completion of one drink). Further, in the above examples, the case where the raw material unloading time per time is divided equally is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, after repeating the raw material unloading up to the limit allowed for the stirring container, the final It is also possible to carry out the remaining amount and finish carrying out the raw material for one cup.

Next, in the above explanation, the total amount of the beverage for one cup was determined from the total amount of the corresponding hot water (hence the hot water unloading set time T1), but if the total amount of the corresponding powder raw material is large, The total amount of the beverage may be obtained, or the total amount of the beverage is specified in advance for each selection type, so it is designated whether to carry out the delivery separately for each selection type of the beverage or only once. The data may be provided and set in the setter 10.

The powder raw material is not limited to powder and may be, for example, a concentrated liquid or a plastic substance.

〔The invention's effect〕

As is clear from the above description, according to the present invention, in a beverage vending machine that mixes and stirs powdered raw material with hot water (or cold water) for sale, the amount of beverage for one cup (one) of the stirring container is equal to that of the stirring container. Determine if it is larger than the allowable capacity, and if it is larger, carry out in multiple batches so that the amount of beverage that can be made by the powder material and the amount of hot water carried out at one time fits within the allowable capacity of the stirring container. Therefore, the amount of beverage per cup can be increased by changing the program of the agitation control device without changing the agitation container to a large size, and the cost of modifying the vending machine can be significantly reduced. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 (A) is a block diagram showing the configuration of the entire system as one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 (B) is a time chart for explaining the operation of the main parts of FIG. 1 (A), and FIG. Is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the main part. 1a ... powder raw material, 2a ... hot water, 3 ... stirring container, 4 ... hot water valve, 5 ...
Raw material motor, 6 ... Stirring motor, 7 ... Cup, 8 ... Computing unit, 9 ... Memory, 10 ... Setting device, 11 ... Timer, 12 ... Output controller, T1 ... Hot water discharge setting time, T2 ... Powder raw material discharge setting time , T3 ... Stirring set time, T4 ... Timer set time, x ... Outgoing frequency.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Based on the selection of a beverage as a product, the raw material of the beverage and hot water (cold water) are carried out from the respective carrying-out means, and then mixed and stirred through the stirring means and poured into a sales container for sale. In the beverage vending machine to be served, a means for determining whether or not the amount of the beverage sold in the sales container (hereinafter referred to as the sold beverage amount) is larger than the capacity of the stirring means based on the product selection, and the means are large. When it is determined that the raw material and hot water (cold water) corresponding to the quantity is divided into a plurality of volumes that are smaller than the capacity of the stirring means by dividing the amount of the sold beverage into a predetermined amount through the respective unloading means. Means for repeating the operation of, after carrying out, mixing and stirring through a stirring means and pouring into a sales container for all of the amount of the beverage concerned, a raw material stirring control device for a beverage vending machine, Place