JPH07282349A - Raw material supplying device for cup type beverage automatic vending machine and raw material sell-out detection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a raw material supplying device of a cup type automatic beverage vending machine capable of accurately detecting the sell-out of a raw material without malfunction by setting a raw material sold-out detecting sensor on an optimum position where misdetection hardly occurs, by matching the installation position thereof with the sort and state of the raw material. CONSTITUTION:In this raw material supplying device, a screw feeder 2 combined with an agitation wheel 5 on a bottom part side base 1b of a hopper type material box 1 for storing coffee beans 6 being a raw material of beverage, edjecting coffee beans stored in the box 1 by a fixed quantity based upon a vending command are incorporated and also a pressure sensitive raw material sell-out detecting sensor 7 fixed onto the wall of the box 1 is provided. The sensor 7 is fixed onto the vertical wall part of a cylindrical case 1a arranged on the upper part of the wheel 5 in an inclined posture with an inclination angle theta through a fitting base 8 and a screw 9. A pent-roof-like running plate 10 is provided on the upper part of the sensor 7 thereby preventing coffee beans charged into the box 1 from colliding with the pressure sensitive face of the sensor 7.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a raw material supply device for a cup type beverage vending machine, and a raw material sold-out detection method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a cup-type beverage vending machine mentioned above,
2. Description of the Related Art There are known automatic vending machines for beverages made of coffee beans such as regular coffee, instant coffee, tea, and powdered beverages, or leaf tea. In such a cup-type beverage vending machine, a raw material supply device with a screw feeder called a canister that stores the raw material is installed in the machine, and a powder raw material stored in a raw material box is quantitatively carried out based on a sales instruction to manufacture a beverage. ， I try to sell it.

Here, the structure of a conventional raw material supply device for selling regular coffee is shown in FIG. 6 as an example.
Shown in (a) and (b). In the figure, 1 is a cylindrical case 1a.
And a hopper-shaped raw material box constituted by vertically stacking bases 1b whose inner cross-sectional area is gradually narrowed downward.
Reference numeral 2 is a screw feeder incorporated in the base 1b of the raw material box 1, 3 is a mouthpiece provided at the exit end of the screw feeder 2, 4 is a drive motor for the screw feeder 2, and 5 is a gear that meshes with the tooth row of the screw feeder 2 Wheels 5a are stirring claws protruding from the stirring wheel 5 to the left and right, and 6 is coffee beans contained in the raw material box 1.

With the above structure, when the drive motor 4 is started based on the sales command, the screw feeder 2 rotates to carry out the coffee beans 6 in a fixed amount. Further, when the screw feeder 2 rotates, the screw feeder 2 follows the rotation of the screw feeder 2 and the stirring wheel 5
Rotates to stir the coffee beans 6 stored in the raw material box and smoothly feed the coffee beans 6 into the screw feeder 2. The coffee beans carried out from the raw material supply device are ground in a coffee mill and then sent to a coffee extractor, where hot water is added to extract the coffee, and then the coffee beans are supplied to a cup waiting at the bend stage for sale. .

In order to detect the sold-out of the raw material in the raw material supply device, the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 is mounted on the inclined wall surface of the base 1b provided on the bottom side of the raw material box 1 as shown in the figure. Are equipped with. This raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 is a pressure-sensitive semiconductor pressure sensor known as a piezoelectric type pressure sensor, and its pressure-sensitive surface (diaphragm) is installed toward the inside of the raw material box to detect the pressure applied from the raw material side. It is converted into an electric signal and the presence or absence of the raw material is detected. That is, the coffee beans 6 stored in the raw material box 1 are detected by the sensor 7
If it remains above the installation level, the coffee beans 6 are pressed against the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor 7, and the sensor determines that the raw material exists from the pressure. On the other hand, if the coffee beans 6 decrease below the installation level of the sensor 7 due to the progress of beverage sales, the pressure of the coffee beans that has been exerted on the pressure-sensitive surface until now disappears, so the sensor 7 judges that there is no raw material and sells the raw material. Output a detection signal.

Although the raw material supply device for coffee beans has been described with reference to FIG. 6, the raw material supply device containing the powder raw material and the leaf tea has the same structure.

[0007]

By the way, in the above-mentioned conventional raw material supply apparatus, the raw material sales apparatus often malfunctions especially in the function of detecting the raw material sold-out, and the raw material sales apparatus does not sell enough raw material. May output a cutoff signal. Then, when the inventors investigated the cause of such malfunction, it became clear that the raw material sold-out detection sensor malfunctions due to the following reasons. That is, when the coffee beans 6 are collectively stored in the raw material box 1, and the coffee beans are carried out in small portions through the screw feeder 2, the coffee beans move downward in the raw material box as the raw material is carried out. However, in the process of the movement, coffee beans may be bridged with each other and a void may occur locally. In this case, if the hollow occurs at the place where the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 is installed, the pressure does not act on the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor, so the sensor determines that there is no raw material and outputs a sold-out signal.

[0008] Moreover, as a result of an experiment, we examined the occurrence of cavities associated with such coffee bean bridges.
It has been observed that coffee beans are generated at a high probability near the base side of the raw material box 1, particularly near the inclined surface on the side where coffee beans flow into the screw feeder 2 due to rotation of the stirring wheel 5. It is estimated that when the coffee beans move toward the part where the cross-section shrinks in the raw material box, the movement of the coffee part is locally stopped at the part and the bridge is likely to be generated due to the pressure from the surrounding area. To be done. In addition, the occurrence of local cavities due to the bridge of the raw material differs depending on the type and properties of the raw material, but even in the case of the powder raw material and leaf tea, the tendency is that the local cavities are formed at the same location as coffee beans. It occurs with a higher probability than in places.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to make an optimum detection in which an erroneous detection is unlikely to occur according to the installation position of a raw material sold-out detection sensor according to the type and property of the raw material. (EN) A raw material supply device for a cup-type vending machine, which is set in a place and can accurately detect raw material sold-out without malfunction, and a raw material sold-out detection method.

[0010]

The above object can be achieved by the present invention by constructing a raw material supply apparatus as follows. (1) Regarding the raw material supply device for storing coffee beans,
For the hopper type raw material box, the raw material sold-out detection sensor is mounted on the vertical wall above the stirring wheel.

(2) In the raw material supply device for storing the powder raw material, the raw material sold-out detection sensor is made to face the vicinity of the peripheral surface of the stirring wheel with respect to the hopper type raw material box, and the upstream vertical wall portion thereof is provided. Install. (3) Regarding the raw material supply device for storing leaf tea,
For the hopper type raw material box, the sensor is mounted on the vertical wall facing the stirring claws on the side of the stirring wheel.

Further, in the above-mentioned raw material supply device, it is preferable that the raw material sold-out detection sensor is implemented by adding the following additional requirements. That is, in the configuration of the above item (1), an eaves-shaped deflecting plate is provided above the installation position of the raw material sold-out detection sensor to prevent coffee beans thrown into the raw material box from directly hitting the sensor.

In the above paragraphs (1) to (3), the raw material sold-out detection sensor has a posture such that the sensor projects obliquely downward into the raw material box at an inclination angle of 10 to 15 ° with respect to the vertical wall portion of the raw material box. Install on. In the above item (5), the raw material sold-out detection sensor is attached to the vertical wall portion of the raw material box via a mounting pedestal configured by setting the installation surface of the sensor at a predetermined inclination angle in advance.

On the other hand, in the raw material sold-out detection method of the present invention which is performed on the raw material supply device of the above items (1) to (3), the raw material sold-out detection sensor continuously outputs a signal of no raw material for each beverage selling operation. It is determined that the raw material is sold out under the condition that the signals are output and the sum of the signals exceeds a preset threshold value. In the sold-out detection method described above, the sold-out determination threshold value may be set based on the energization cumulative time of the drive motor of the screw feeder that operates every beverage selling operation.

[0015]

In the above configuration, according to the configuration of the item (1), the cross section of the passage in the box is uniform near the vertical wall of the raw material box in which the raw material sold-out detection sensor is installed, and the raw material box is accompanied by the raw material unloading. The coffee beans housed inside do not stay near the sensor mounting part. Therefore, there is no possibility that a local cavity due to the coffee bean bridge will occur in this part,
This prevents malfunction of the raw material sold-out detection sensor. Further, in this case, by providing the deflecting plate above the sensor as in (4), when the coffee beans are put into the raw material box, the coffee beans directly collide with the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor and the You can prevent troubles such as damage.

Also in the configurations of (2) and (3), the raw material does not remain near the installation position of the raw material sold-out detection sensor as in the above. In addition, in the configuration of (2), the stirring is performed. As the wheel rotates, the powder raw material moves toward the location where the sensor is installed, and in the configuration of (3), the stirring claws protruding from the side surface of the stirring wheel stir the leaf tees moving around the sensor. As a result, the pressure due to the powder raw material or the leaf tea raw material is easily applied to the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor, and high detection sensitivity is obtained.

Further, with the above-mentioned structure, the raw material sold-out detection sensor should be installed in such a posture that the sensor projects obliquely downward into the raw material box at an inclination angle of 10 to 15 ° with respect to the vertical wall of the raw material box. As a result, the pressure of various raw materials that move downward in the raw material box toward the screw feeder makes it easier to pressurize the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor, so that high detection sensitivity can be obtained. Further, in this case, by mounting the raw material sold-out detection sensor on the vertical wall portion of the raw material box via the mounting base configured by setting the installation surface of the sensor at a predetermined inclination angle in advance, Can be easily installed and the installation angle can be set easily.

On the other hand, in the structure in which the raw material sold-out detection sensor is installed at the above-mentioned position, even when the sensor outputs the sold-out signal for the first time, a considerable amount of raw material is provided in the box space below the sensor mounting level. Remains. Therefore, the raw material sold-out detection sensor first outputs the signal in the raw material, then continuously outputs the signal of no raw material for each subsequent beverage sales operation, and the sum of the signals is set to a preset threshold value ( If it is determined that the raw material is sold out when the raw material box is almost empty, it can be accurately determined when the raw material box is almost empty. Even if the raw material remains, even if the sensor intermittently outputs a signal of no raw material during the sales operation due to the occurrence of a local cavity, it will not be mistaken for the raw material sold out.

On the other hand, the amount of the raw material carried out from the raw material supply device is proportional to the rotation speed of the screw feeder. Therefore, if the energizing time of the drive motor of the screw feeder operating for each beverage selling operation is integrated, the raw material is based on this. Can be calculated. Therefore, by monitoring the energization time of the drive motor of the screw feeder that operates for each beverage selling operation, and setting the above-mentioned sold-out determination threshold value based on the energized cumulative time, it is possible to accurately determine the sold-out ingredient. .

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings of each embodiment, the same members as those in FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals. Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a raw material supply device using coffee beans as a raw material, and its basic structure is the same as that of FIG.
The raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 as a pressure-sensitive element is mounted on the hopper-shaped raw material box 1 via a mounting base 8 and a decorative screw 9 inside the vertical wall portion of the cylindrical case 1 stacked on top of the base 1b. Have been installed. Here, in the mounting base 8, the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor 7 has an inclination angle θ of about 15 with respect to the vertical surface.
It is shaped so as to project obliquely downward into the raw material box with an inclination angle of °. In addition, the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7
Is provided with an eaves-like deflecting plate 10 that projects into the raw material box so as to cover the upper side of the. The deflector plate 10 serves to prevent the coffee beans 6 introduced from above when the coffee beans are replenished in an empty raw material box from directly hitting the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor 7 and damaging the diaphragm of the sensor. .

As described above, by installing the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 on the vertical wall portion of the cylindrical case 1a located above the stirring wheel 5, coffee near the mounting position of the sensor 7 is accompanied by raw material discharge. The presence of coffee beans can be detected with high sensitivity by preventing the stagnation of the beans 6 and hence the malfunction of the sensor 7 due to the bridge and cavity of the coffee beans, and by setting the inclination angle θ described above.

Embodiment 2 FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a raw material supply device using a powder raw material 11 such as instant coffee as a raw material. Inside the raw material box 1, the stirring wheel 5 shown in FIG.
Above the above, two sets of stirring wheels (same structure as the stirring wheel 5) 12 and 13 that mesh with the stirring wheel 5 are additionally provided to stir the powder raw material 11 accommodated in the raw material box 1. In contrast to such a configuration, the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 as a pressure sensitive element has a stirring wheel 11 as shown in the figure.
Is attached to the vertical wall portion of the cylindrical case 1a via the mounting base 8 and the decorative screw 9 similarly to the first embodiment. In this case, the inclination angle θ formed by the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor 7 and the vertical surface is set to about 10 °.

With such a structure, when the screw feeder 2 rotates, the powder raw material 11 which receives the conveying force of the stirring wheel 13 which rotates in the arrow direction following the rotation of the screw feeder 2 is indicated by an arrow P from the upper side of the stirring wheel 13. As described above, the powder material 11 flows so as to be drawn toward the screw feeder 2, and the powder raw material 11 pressurizes the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor 7 during this movement process. Therefore, the detection sensitivity of the sensor 7 is increased, and local cavities are not generated in the layer of the powder raw material 11 in the vicinity of the installation of the sensor, whereby the false detection of the sold-out raw material can be reliably prevented.

Example 3: FIG. 3 shows a leaf tea 1 such as black tea.
4 is an example of a raw material supply device using 4 as a raw material. In this embodiment, the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 faces the agitating claw 5a protruding to the side surface of the agitating wheel 5 incorporated in the base 1b of the raw material box 1 and is mounted on the vertical wall portion of the base 1b in the first embodiment. , 2 and the mounting base 8 and the decorative screw 9 in the same manner as in FIG.

According to this configuration, the stirring claw 5a of the stirring wheel 5 that rotates during the selling operation forcibly stirs the leaf tee 14 contained in the raw material box while passing near the installation surface of the sensor 7, and this stirring force causes the stirring. The pressure of the leaf tee 14 is easily applied to the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor 7, and the raw material detection sensitivity of the sensor is improved. In addition, the peripheral portion where the sensor 7 is installed does not constantly receive the stirring force of the stirring wheel 5 so that no local cavity is formed in the layer of the leaf tee 14, and thus false detection of the sold-out raw material can be prevented.

Next, the raw material sold-out detection method of the present invention by the raw material supply apparatus described in the first, second, and third embodiments will be described.
First, in the flow chart of the raw material sold-out detection method shown in FIG. 4, when the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7 outputs the first sold-out signal, the number n of times the sold-out signal continuously occurs for each subsequent sales operation is determined. Counting and comparing with a preset threshold N, the number of consecutive sold-outs n is the threshold N
It is judged that the raw material is sold out under the condition of n> N which exceeds the condition. And
Based on this sold-out determination output, the sold-out display of the beverage corresponding to the raw material is displayed and the sale of the beverage is stopped. On the other hand, if the sensor 7 detects "there is raw material" during the sales operation before the above-described continuous sold-out number n reaches the threshold value N, it is determined that the sold-out signal up to that time is due to an erroneous detection. By resetting the count, it is possible to reliably prevent erroneous recognition of the raw material sold-out determination due to the raw material bridge or the like.

FIG. 5 is a concrete example of the configuration for implementing the above-mentioned raw material sold-out detection method. In the figure, reference numeral 15 is a control for energizing the drive motor 4 of the screw feeder 2 for a predetermined time based on a sales command. A switch, 16 is a current transformer for detecting a current, which is provided in the power supply circuit of the drive motor 4, 17 is a sold-out determination unit, which is a sold-out signal of the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7,
In addition, the output signal of the current sensor 16 is taken in and the sold-out determination of the raw material is performed according to the method shown in FIG.

That is, the carry-out amount of the raw material (coffee beans 6) discharged from the raw material box 1 through the screw feeder 2 is proportional to the rotation speed of the screw feeder 2, that is, the energization time of the drive motor 4. Therefore, from the time the sold-out signal is first output from the raw material sold-out detection sensor 7, the energizing time of the drive motor 4 is counted under the condition that the sold-out signal is continuously output for each subsequent sale. The total time is integrated, and the sold-out judgment is output when the total time exceeds a preset threshold value. In order to detect the presence / absence of the raw material by the sensor 7 in a stable manner, it is preferable to read the signal of the sensor 7 for each selling operation in a stationary state of the raw material about 2 seconds after the end of the raw material carrying-out operation.

[0029]

As described above, the raw material supply device of the present invention has the following effects. (1) By setting the installation position of the raw material sold-out detection sensor with respect to the raw material box to the optimum position according to the type and properties of the raw material such as coffee beans, powdered raw material, and leaf tea,
The presence or absence of the raw material can be accurately detected by avoiding the malfunction of the sensor due to the stagnation of the raw material or the bridge.

(2) With respect to the raw material supply device for coffee beans, an eaves-shaped deflecting plate is installed above the raw material sold-out detection sensor to replenish the coffee beans in the raw material box from the empty state. At this time, it is possible to safely protect the sensor from breaking when the coffee beans hit the pressure-sensitive surface of the sensor. (3) The raw material sold-out detection sensor is mounted in such a posture that the sensor projects obliquely downward into the raw material box at an inclination angle of 10 to 15 ° with respect to the vertical wall of the raw material box, so that the sensor detects the pressure of the raw material. This makes it easier to receive and high detection sensitivity can be obtained. Also, in this case, by mounting the sensor on the vertical wall of the raw material box through the mounting pedestal that is configured with the inclination angle set in advance, the mounting angle of the sensor to the raw material box can be adjusted. Easy to do without.

(4) Further, the raw material sold-out detection sensor continuously outputs a signal indicating that there is no raw material for each beverage selling operation, and the raw material sold-out is sold under the condition that the sum of the signals exceeds a preset threshold value. By adopting the raw material sold-out detection method, it is possible to prevent misidentification of the sold-out determination and accurately determine the raw material sold-out. Also, in this case, by setting the sold-out judgment threshold value based on the energization time of the drive motor of the screw feeder that operates for each beverage sales operation, the influence of variations in the amount of material carried out in each sales operation is suppressed. Sold out can be accurately determined.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration cross-sectional view showing a mounting position of a raw material supply device and a raw material sold-out detection sensor according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional configuration diagram showing the mounting positions of a raw material supply device and a raw material sold-out detection sensor according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration cross-sectional view showing a mounting position of a raw material supply device and a raw material sold-out detection sensor according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flowchart of a raw material sold-out detection method according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a specific configuration diagram for implementing the raw material sold-out detection method of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a configuration cross-sectional view showing a mounting position of a conventional raw material supply device and a raw material sold-out detection sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Raw material box 1a Cylindrical case 1b Base 2 Screw feeder 4 Drive motor 5,12,13 Stirring wheel 5a Stirring claw 6 Coffee beans 7 Raw material sold-out detection sensor 8 Sensor mounting base 9 Cosmetic screw 10 Baffle plate 11 Powder raw material 14 Leaf tee 16 Current transformer for current detection 17 Sold-out determination unit

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A screw feeder combined with a stirring wheel is incorporated into the base of a hopper-shaped raw material box that contains coffee beans that are the raw materials for beverages, and the coffee beans stored in the raw material boxes are delivered in quantitative quantities based on a sales order. A raw material supply device for a cup-type beverage vending machine, wherein a pressure-sensitive raw material sold-out detection sensor is mounted on the wall of the raw material box, wherein the sensor is mounted on a vertical wall portion above a stirring wheel. Raw material supply device for cup-type beverage vending machines. 2. The raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an eaves-shaped escape plate above the location where the raw material sold-out detection sensor is installed to prevent coffee beans thrown into the raw material box from directly hitting the sensor. A material supply device for a cup-type beverage vending machine. 3. A screw feeder combined with a stirring wheel is incorporated in the bottom side base of a hopper type raw material box for storing powder raw material which is a raw material for beverages, and the powder raw material contained in the raw material box is quantitatively measured in accordance with a sales instruction. In the raw material supply device of the cup-type beverage vending machine to be carried out, in the one equipped with a pressure-sensitive raw material sold-out detection sensor on the wall of the raw material box,
A raw material supply device for a cup type beverage vending machine, characterized in that the sensor is opposed to the vicinity of the peripheral surface of a stirring wheel and is attached to a vertical wall portion on the upstream side thereof. 4. A screw feeder combined with a stirring wheel is installed in the bottom side base of a hopper type raw material box for storing leaf tea, which is a raw material for beverages, and the leaf tea stored in the raw material box is delivered in a fixed amount based on a sales instruction. A raw material supply device for a cup-type beverage vending machine, in which a pressure-sensitive raw material sold-out detection sensor is provided on the wall of the raw material box, a vertical wall facing the stirring claw provided on the side surface of the stirring wheel. A raw material supply device for a cup-type beverage vending machine, which is attached to the part. 5. The raw material supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 3 and 4, wherein the raw material sold-out detection sensor is a raw material sensor with an inclination angle of 10 to 15 ° with respect to a vertical wall portion of the raw material box. A raw material supply device for a cup-type beverage vending machine, which is mounted so as to project obliquely downward into the box. 6. The raw material supply apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the raw material sold-out detection sensor is mounted on a vertical wall portion of the raw material box via an attachment pedestal configured by setting the installation surface of the sensor at a predetermined inclination angle in advance. A raw material supply device for a cup-type beverage vending machine, characterized in that 7. A raw material sold-out detection sensor continuously outputs a signal indicating that there is no raw material for each beverage selling operation, and judges that the raw material is sold out under the condition that the sum of the signals exceeds a preset threshold value. The raw material sold-out detection method for a raw material supply device of a cup type beverage vending machine according to any one of claims 1, 3 and 4, wherein. 8. The raw material sold-out detection method according to claim 7, wherein the sold-out determination threshold value is set based on the energization time of the drive motor of the screw feeder that operates each time the beverage is sold. The raw material sold-out detection method of the raw material supply device of the cup type beverage vending machine.