JPH09315492A - Liquid feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make it possible to accurately detect the residual quantity without influence to the using circumstance and the characteristics or the like of the liquid, by detecting the revolution number of a roller pump which delivers the liquid from a compressed tube to the outside container by the revolution and notify the condition beforehand when the integrated revolution has reached a stipulated revolution number. SOLUTION: In a control circuit like a beverage feeder diluting a condensed raw liquid with water to produce juice, drive pulses generated in an oscillation circuit 46 are supplied to a pulse motor 41 to extrude the raw liquid in the tube by the revolution of the roller in the roller pump. A divided circuit 49 generates signals at every bundle of the pulse number necessary for rotating by a specified angle for the extruding the liquid from the upper side to the lower side. The signals are counted by a pulse count circuit 50 to count the rotary angle and the revolution of the roller pump. When it has reached a specified revolution number, it is displayed on an indicator 42 by an indication circuit 52 to notify beforehand that the beverage will be sold out soon.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a liquid supply device for pouring out liquid such as food and drink filled in a container, and more particularly to a liquid supply device for detecting and displaying the remaining amount in a mounted container. It is a thing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a food and drink supply device used for providing palatable drinking water or the like has a container filled with liquid food and drink in addition to a can juice type device. However, there are many things that are poured out from the container into paper cups or the like and provided according to demand. Especially for the latter, since it can be provided in a paper cup or the like that is easy to handle and does not need to be recovered, such as coffee or juice, or a shake provided in a fast food store, it is possible to reduce the cost. The use is active. by the way,
The food / drink supply device of the type for pouring out what is filled in such a container is different from the one which is packed in a can in advance and sold, and a constant amount of pouring out is required each time. . In this type of food and drink supply device, for example, a predetermined amount of undiluted solution is supplied to a cup and supplemented with diluting water such as water to complete juice, but if the amount of undiluted solution varies, the same taste is provided. Because you can't.

Therefore, what must be noted in the pouring type food and drink supply device is to constantly pour out a fixed amount of the stock solution. In particular, when the stock solution in the container is running low, the last one may not reach a predetermined amount, and there is a risk that proper food and drink cannot be provided. This can occur not only when it is provided by a vending machine, but also when it is used at a fast food restaurant or the like. This is because even if the operator is careful, a slight difference cannot be recognized. And, providing such an incomplete product will damage the credibility of the store, which is a matter that requires special attention. On the other hand, it is also attempted to reduce the time loss due to container replacement as much as possible by displaying an indication when the remaining amount in the container is below a certain amount and urging the operator to prepare to replace the container. There is.

Therefore, in the food and drink supply device, when the remaining amount of food and drink in the container becomes a certain amount or less, a sale stop warning display or a container replacement caution display is issued. Therefore, a weight detection method, a light detection method, or a capacitance detection method has been conventionally used for the remaining amount detection. The weight detection device is equipped with a weight sensor to detect the weight of the entire container at all times, and when the weight falls below a certain amount, the detection signal is sent to a predetermined display machine to display a display for discontinuation or replacement. Light up. In addition, the light detection method, by providing a transmission optical sensor in the middle of the pipe from the container to the spout, to detect the presence or absence of food and drink flowing through the pipe, to detect the amount of light when there is no food and drink. At times, the detection signal is sent to a predetermined display device to turn on the sale stop warning display.

Further, in the electrostatic capacitance detection system, an electrostatic capacitance type sensor is provided with an electrode so as to contact an output tube connected to a container, and receives electrostatic induction due to the presence of an undiluted solution in the tube. And receives the signal from the polarized electrode. According to this method, when the output tube is filled with the stock solution, a negative charge appears in the stock solution. Therefore, the positive charge of the electrode that receives the induction of the negative charge increases, and the capacitance of the electrode increases. On the other hand, when the final surface of the undiluted solution passes through the position of the tube where the electrode of the capacitance type sensor is installed due to the decrease of undiluted solution in the container, the electrostatic capacitance of the electrode drops sharply, so the positive charge of the electrode Will decrease and the capacitance of the electrode will decrease. Therefore, this capacitance is detected, and the sale stop warning display is turned on.

[0006]

However, in the liquid supply device provided with the detection device for detecting the remaining amount of the liquid such as food and drink, the following inconveniences occur. (1) For example, when the installation position of the container installed in the food and drink supply device deviates from a predetermined reference position, the remaining amount sensed by the weight sensor is different each time, and the remaining amount cannot be accurately detected. there were. In addition, a container containing food and drink is usually a vinyl or plastic container into which food and drink is directly put, and is further carried in a cardboard, and when it is attached to the liquid supply device, it is inserted in the cardboard as it is. In this case, the corrugated cardboard contains excess water during the rainy season and becomes too heavy in the winter, and the corrugated cardboard becomes lighter than usual in the winter season. It has been difficult to detect accurately.

As described above, in the weight detecting device,
In addition to variations in the detection results, since the accuracy is basically low, it is necessary to notify the replacement time with a certain amount of remaining food and drink in the container. At this time, the food and drink remaining in the container to be disposed of is also wasted because it is similarly disposed of, and becomes a target of disposal. This is a waste of resources and has been a cause of increased costs.

(2) On the other hand, in the case of using a transmission type optical sensor, it is necessary to transmit light at the detection point in principle,
There is a problem that detection is not possible depending on the material of the container or tube. That is, in the food and drink supply device, since the food and drink to be provided do not normally receive light, it is often contained in a non-transparent container such as black and is often conveyed by a non-transparent tube such as a black tube. Is.

(3) When a capacitance type sensor is used, the undiluted solution to be poured out is detected by receiving a signal from an electrode which is polarized by electrostatic induction due to the presence of the undiluted solution in the tube. There was a problem that the detection depends on the type. That is, since the tube is filled with the undiluted solution and the positive charge is increased by the induction of the electric charge of the opposite polarity to the undiluted solution, the electrostatic capacity of the electrode increases, so that the electrostatic capacity is small. Accurate detection becomes difficult.

In order to solve such a problem, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid supply device capable of accurately detecting the remaining amount of liquid without being affected by the environment or the properties of the liquid.

[0011]

The liquid supply apparatus of the present invention has the following structure. (1) A roller equipped with an output tube, in which a liquid-filled container is attachable / detachable, and a roller pump that is in pressure contact with the output tube is rotated to discharge the liquid in the output tube into an external container. A liquid supply device having a pump, comprising: (a) a rotation speed detection means for detecting the rotation speed of a roller pump; (b) a liquid capacity storage means for preliminarily storing a liquid capacity in a container; and (c) a rotation speed. Based on the number of revolutions detected by the detection means and the liquid volume in the container stored in the liquid volume storage means, a notice means for issuing a notice warning when the remaining amount of the liquid in the container becomes a predetermined amount or less. Have

(2) In the liquid supply apparatus described in (1), the drive source for rotating the roller pump is a pulse motor, and the rotation speed detection means integrates the number of pulses to the pulse motor. Is used to detect the number of rotations of the roller pump. (3) In the liquid supply device described in (1), the rotation speed detection means is a magnetic sensor that detects a magnet attached to a predetermined portion of the roller.

(4) In any one of the liquid supply devices described in (1) to (3), the notifying means determines the remaining amount of liquid in the container based on the thickness of the output tube. It is characterized by calculating. (5) In the liquid supply device described in (4), the advance notification means knows the thickness of the output tube from a barcode attached to the container.

The liquid supply apparatus having the above structure operates as follows. A clerk or the like of the fast food restaurant sets the container at a predetermined position in the liquid supply device and also sets the output tube at a predetermined position of the roller pump. And
The roller pump pressed against the output tube rotates and the liquid in the output tube is poured out. The tube has a uniform inner diameter, and the amount of liquid squeezed out by the roller pump is always uniform. Therefore, it is possible to constantly supply a liquid that is a fixed amount of stock solution. The liquid supply device makes a beverage by diluting a fixed amount of stock solution with water or carbonated water. Since the amount of the undiluted solution is always constant, it is possible to provide the drink according to the standard.

Here, the rotation speed detecting means detects the rotation speed of the roller pump. For example, when the roller pump is driven by a pulse motor, the number of pulses supplied to the pulse motor and the number of rotations of the roller have a linear relationship. Therefore, by counting the number of pulses supplied to the pulse motor, The number of rotations of the roller can be counted. Also, the number of rotations of the roller pump can be detected by attaching a magnet to a predetermined portion of the roller pump and counting the number of times the magnet is detected by the magnetic sensor. In this case, if two or more magnets are attached to the outer circumference of the roller pump for detection, the rotational speed of the roller pump can be grasped to the decimal point.

On the other hand, the volume of the liquid contained in the container is predetermined and is input and stored in the liquid volume storage means. This input may be set by a person using a switch or the like, or the liquid supply device may read a barcode attached to the container. Further, the inner diameter of the tube may differ depending on the type of liquid. When the inner diameter of the tube is different, the amount of liquid extracted by the rotation of the roller pump changes.
Therefore, the inner diameter of the tube is known by detecting the outer diameter of the tube, and the amount of liquid consumption per rotation speed of the roller pump is calculated based on this. The inner diameter of the tube can be read from the barcode attached to the container.

By counting the number of rotations of the roller pump, it is possible to calculate the liquid consumption amount, and when the value approaches the liquid volume stored in the liquid volume storage means, the advance warning lamp is turned on. Give advance warning. With this, the store clerk can pay attention to the amount of liquid to be extracted, and when the last liquid is supplied, he / she can notice the decrease in the amount of liquid and discard it. Further, the next container can be previously transported from the warehouse or the like to the vicinity of the liquid supply apparatus to prepare for replacement.

[0018]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Next, an embodiment of a liquid supply apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of the food and drink supply device 1 with the front door 2 opened. In this embodiment, the concentrated stock solution is diluted with water to produce orange juice. The food and drink supply device 1 is roughly divided into a container storage part 3 arranged at an upper part, and food and drink in a container 6 stored in the container storage part 3 (in the present embodiment, a concentrated stock solution of orange juice). , Hereinafter referred to as "stock solution")
It is composed of a food / drinks pouring part 4 for pouring out a predetermined amount and a water supply part 5 for receiving the poured undiluted solution. In the present embodiment, the food / drink supply device 1 in which the container 6 and the food / drink extraction part 4 are set as one set is shown, but of course, two sets or three or more sets may be provided. Good.

The container accommodating portion 3 has a partitioned internal space for accommodating the container 6, and a bottom surface thereof has an insertion hole (not shown) for inserting a tube. Here, the container 6 stored in the container storage portion 3
There are various forms such as a plastic container, a vinyl container and a paper container. In each case, a tube 7 which is an output tube for discharging the stock solution filled in the container is connected downward. It is set up.

Next, the food and drink dispenser 4 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the food / drinks pouring part 4. The food-drinking part 4 is provided on a substrate 8 to which a tube 7 from a container 6 is attached. In particular,
A roller pump 10 having three rollers 9 provided on the outer periphery thereof at equal intervals via a torsion spring 11 is formed in the upper center part. The roller 9 has a role of pressing the tube 7 and squeezing out the stock solution inside. Roller pump 10
Is rotatably held around the roller pump shaft 13 and is driven by a pulse motor 41 which is a drive motor. Further, the tube guide 12 provided along with the roller pump 10 is curved along the outer circumference of the roller pump 10. The tube guide 12 is attached so as to be rotatable around the tube guide shaft 19. However, in order to prevent the tube guide 12 from rotating too much and coming too close to the roller pump 10, the tube guide stopper 1
4 are provided. In this way, the tube guide 12
Is screwed to the position shown by the tube guide lock 15.

At a position downstream of the tube guide 12 and the roller pump 10, there are provided a pinch guide 16 and a pinch valve (not shown) for crushing and closing the tube 7 in the vicinity of the spout of the tube 7 for sealing and opening. Has been. In the food / drink extraction part 4 formed in this way, the conduit in which the tube 7 is arranged is determined as shown in the figure. The dilution water supply nozzles 17 provided on both sides of the tube 7 in the vicinity of the spout are rotatably fitted in the nozzle receiver 17a attached to the substrate 8, and the dilution water is discharged by the rotation operation. It is designed so that it can change direction. The dilution water supply nozzle 17 is connected to a water distribution pipe (connected to a water supply or the like) in the device that supplies the dilution water.

Further, in the water supply section 5, as shown in FIG. 1, a container 6 is provided below the tube 7 and the dilution water supply nozzle 17.
A bracket 18 for supporting the pouring of the stock solution therein is provided. The bracket 18 is a plate-like member that is fixed at the upper portion and is provided so that the lower tip portion inclines toward you. By the way, as shown in FIG. 2, a power switch 21 and an adjusting knob 22 for the purpose of adjusting the discharge amount of syrup are provided on the food and drink outlet 4.

Next, the remaining amount detection, which is a feature of the present invention, will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the advance warning device 43. The advance warning device 43 is composed of a pulse motor driver circuit 44 for driving the pulse motor 41, a sold-out advance detection circuit 45 that is an advance means, and a control circuit 55 that controls the dispenser body.
Further, the pulse motor 41 is connected to the pulse motor driver circuit 44, and the sold-out advance notice detection circuit 45 has an L
An indicator 42 such as an ED lamp or a buzzer is connected. In addition, the pulse motor driver circuit 44 includes an oscillator circuit 4
6, a signal distribution circuit 47, an output circuit 48 and a frequency dividing circuit 49 are provided. Also, the sold-out notification circuit 4
5, a pulse count circuit 50, an output control circuit 51,
A display circuit 52, a backup battery 53, and a reset switch 54 are provided.

Next, the operation of the above circuit will be described with reference to detection of the remaining amount of the container 6. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow from the replacement of the container 6 to the detection of the remaining amount and the next replacement of the container 6. In this flowchart, not only the operation of the circuit but also external work and the like are included. First, before driving the food / drink supply device 1, the container 6 containing the undiluted solution is mounted in the container storage part 3, and the tube 7 connected to the container 6 is mounted in a predetermined path of the food / drink extraction part 4. Yes (S1). Specifically, the tube guide 12 is opened, and the tube 7 is applied to an insertion hole portion (not shown) formed when the tube guide 12 contacts the tube guide stopper 14. Then, the tube 7 is attached along the circumference of the roller pump 10, and further, the tip is hung downward so as to abut against a pinch valve (not shown) on the back of the pinch guide 16. After the arrangement of the tubes 7 is determined in this way, the tube guide 12 is rotated counterclockwise so as to cover the tubes 7. Then, the tube 7 is pressed against the roller 9 by the tube guide 12. However, at this time, rotation of the tube guide 12 is restricted by the tube guide stopper 14, and an excessive load on the tube 7 is prevented. Then, the tube guide lock 15 fixes the position.

When the food and drink supply device 1 confirms that the container 6 is set (S2, YES), the sales lamp is turned on (S3). Thereby, the store clerk sells the beverage using the food and drink supply device 1 (S4). Hold the cup 25 and press it against the bracket 18 to press the pouring command button.
Thereby, the food / drink extraction part 4 is driven as follows,
Orange juice is prepared and provided in the cup 36. Each of the rollers 9, 9, 9 is actuated by a spring 11 in the radial direction of the roller pump 8. Therefore, when the tube 7 is arranged in the food and drink outlet 4, a closed portion 7a of the tube 7 which is compressed by the two rollers 9 and 9 and the tube guide 12 is formed.

When there is a beverage supply command, the pulse pump 41 causes the roller pump 10 to rotate in the direction of arrow A in FIG. When the roller pump 10 rotates 120 ° in the direction of arrow A, the two closed points 7
It is sent downward so that only the amount of the stock solution filled in a is squeezed out. At this time, the undiluted solution from the container 6 flows between the closed portions 7a to which the undiluted solution has been sent out, and is closed again by the next rollers 9, 9. Therefore, the amount of the undiluted solution poured out by one rotation is the amount existing between the closed portions 7a.

A pinch guide 16 is provided at a position downstream of the position where the tube guide 12 of the tube 7 is sandwiched by the roller pump 10, and a pinch valve (not shown) and its driving mechanism are provided on the back side of the pinch guide 16. It is provided. In order to keep the tube 7 clean, when there is no drink supply command, the pinch valve presses the tube 7 against the back surface of the pinch guide 16 to seal it and prevent the drink in the tube 7 from contacting the outside air. The roller pump 10 is opened at the same time as the rotation.

When the stock solution is poured out from the spout at the lower end of the tube 7, the dilution water for diluting the stock solution is also poured from the dilution water supply nozzle 17. Dilution water supply nozzle 17
Is rotatably inserted into a nozzle receiver 17a attached to the substrate 8, and the diluting water discharge direction can be changed by the rotating operation. The diluting water may be supplied from a water supply such as a water supply, or mineral water may be stored in the food / drink supply device 1 and supplied.

The operation of the circuit shown in FIG. 3 will be described. The drive pulse generated by the oscillation circuit 46 is supplied to the pulse motor 41 via the signal distribution circuit 47 and the output circuit 48 to rotate the roller pump 10. The raw liquid in the tube 7 is pressed and extracted by the roller 9. At this time, the roller 9 continuously squeezes the tube 7, so that a fixed amount of the stock solution can always be accurately supplied.
Here, since the dilution rate differs depending on the beverage, a certain amount of the stock solution squeezed by the roller 9 differs depending on the type of stock solution. As shown in FIG. 5, by having a plurality of types of tubes 7, a thick tube 7 is used for a stock solution to supply a large fixed amount, and a stock solution to supply a small fixed amount is
A thin tube 7 is used.

On the other hand, the pulse generated by the oscillator circuit 46 is
The frequency dividing circuit 49 divides the number of pulses required for the roller pump 10 to rotate by a predetermined angle. That is, the frequency dividing circuit 49 generates a signal for each bundle of pulses required to rotate one roller 9 of the roller pump 10 by a predetermined angle corresponding to the amount of squeezing the tube 7 from the top to the bottom. The pulse counting circuit 50 counts the signal to count the rotation angle and the rotation number of the roller pump 10. The tube 7 has a plurality of inner diameters as shown in FIG. 5, but the stock amount of the stock solution in the container 6 is the same. Therefore, if the type of the tube 7 is known, it is known in advance how many times the roller pump 10 should rotate to remove the stock solution in the container 6. In the present embodiment, the specified number of revolutions is set before it completely disappears and four or five times before. To set the specified number of revolutions, set values corresponding to various stock solutions are stored in advance, and the first method is to switch the setting each time depending on the stock solution installed. Secondly, the thickness of the tube is detected by a sensor, etc. and automatically set. Alternatively, a third method may be employed, in which a barcode is provided on the container containing the stock solution and the barcode is read to automatically set the barcode. In the present embodiment, the second
Method is adopted, and the thickness of the tube 7 is measured by a photoelectric switch (not shown).

When the specified number of revolutions is reached (S5, YES),
The display circuit 52 lights the display 42 (S6). The determination of S5 is made by the output control circuit 51. When the indicator 42 lights up, the clerk prepares the next container 6 and continues the sale while paying attention to the amount of the stock solution. Then, when it is determined that the undiluted solution has not reached a certain amount, it is replaced with the next container 6 (S
7). At the same time, the rotation speed accumulated by the reset switch 54 is reset (S8). As a result, the display 42 is turned off (S9). The backup battery 53 is
This is the backup power supply when the power is turned off.

As described above, according to the food and drink supply device 1 of the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the roller pump is detected by the number of pulses supplied to the pulse motor 41, and (b) the liquid volume in the container 6 is detected. The display 42 which issues a warning when the number of pulses reaches the specified number of revolutions from the specified number of revolutions
Therefore, the remaining amount can be accurately detected without being affected by the physical properties of the undiluted solution or the environment. Further, in particular, since different types of stock solutions are discriminated by the thickness of the tube 7 and the prescribed rotation speeds corresponding to the stock solutions are determined, accurate remaining amount detection is possible regardless of the food or drink provided.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The feature of the second embodiment is only that the rotational speed of the roller pump 10 is detected by detecting the magnet attached to the roller pump 10. Therefore, only that point will be described and the other description will be omitted. . 1 or 2
As shown in, the detection sensor 31 for detecting the remaining amount
Are arranged so as to overlap the roller pump 10.
Specifically, when the supply of the food and drink supply device 1 is stopped, there are closed portions 7a and 7a of the tube 7 which are compressed by the two rollers 9 and 9 and the tube guide 12, but at the closed portions 7a and 7a. Are arranged so as to overlap with other unrelated rollers 9. The detection sensor 31 is a magnetic sensor, and magnets are attached to the rollers 9, 9, 9, respectively.

By detecting this magnet, the number of times the roller pump 10 has squeezed out the tube 7 is counted, the extracted amount is obtained, and the remaining amount of the stock solution remaining in the container 6 can be detected. According to the second embodiment, since the number of times the roller pump 10 actually operates is counted, the remaining amount warning can be issued more accurately.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, although the detection sensor 31 is configured to detect the rollers 9, 9, 9, the detection may be performed by directly attaching a magnet to the roller pump 10 for detection. Further, the detection sensor 31 may be not only a magnetic sensor but also an optical sensor or the like. Further, the remaining amount of the undiluted solution may be displayed by an indicator by finely setting the pulse count number. Further, for example, although the LED is used as the display means, other optical means such as a lamp may be used. Further, even if the outer diameter of the tube 7 is not detected, a barcode may be attached to the container 6 and the outer diameter of the tube 7 used thereafter may be known.

[0036]

As described above, the present invention detects the number of rotations when the liquid is poured into the external container from the tube which is rotated and pressed by the roller pump, and when the accumulated number of rotations reaches the specified number of rotations. Since the advance warning is given, it has become possible to provide a liquid supply device capable of accurately detecting the remaining amount of liquid without being affected by the usage environment or the properties of the liquid. Further, according to the present invention, the detection means is performed by counting the number of pulses supplied to the pulse motor, or by a magnetic sensor for detecting a magnet attached to a predetermined position of the roller pump. It has become possible to provide a liquid supply device capable of accurately detecting the remaining amount of liquid without being affected by the nature of the above. Further, according to the present invention, since the specified rotation speed is changed based on the thickness of the tube connected to the container with the counting means, it is possible to provide a liquid supply device capable of accurately detecting the remaining amount of various liquids. It has become possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a food and drink supply device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a pouring portion of the food and drink supply device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a detection circuit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a notice method.

FIG. 5 is a data diagram showing types of tubes 7.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Food / drink supply device 4 Food / drink spout part 6 Container 7 Tube 9 Roller 10 Roller pump 31 Detection sensor 41 Pulse motor 42 Indicator 49 Frequency divider circuit 50 Pulse count circuit 51 Output control circuit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A container having an output tube, which is filled with a liquid, is attachable / detachable, and a liquid in the output tube is poured into an external container by rotating a roller that is pressed against the output tube. In a liquid supply device having a roller pump, a rotation speed detection unit that detects the rotation speed of the roller pump, a liquid capacity storage unit that stores the liquid capacity in the container in advance, and a rotation speed that is detected by the rotation speed detection unit. And a notice means for issuing a notice warning when the remaining amount of the liquid in the container is equal to or less than a predetermined amount based on the liquid volume in the container stored in the liquid volume storage means. Liquid supply device. 2. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive source that rotates the roller pump is a pulse motor, and the rotation speed detection unit integrates the number of pulses to the pulse motor. A liquid supply device, wherein the number of rotations of the roller pump is detected. 3. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation speed detection unit is a magnetic sensor that detects a magnet attached to a predetermined position of the roller pump. . 4. The liquid supply device according to claim 1, wherein the notice means is based on a thickness of the output tube.
A liquid supply device, characterized in that the remaining amount of liquid in the container is calculated. 5. The liquid supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the advance notification unit knows the thickness of the output tube from a barcode attached to the container.