JPH09319941A - Abnormality detecting device for automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable setting up a reference value for the detection of an abnormal current in various kinds of motors and vending mechanisms, without requiring labor. SOLUTION: The abnormality detecting device is provided with a motor current detector 3 for detecting the current of a column motor 2 for driving a commodity vending mechanism, a normal current storing part 11 for entering and storing a normal motor current from the detector 3 and an operation current storing part 12 for entering a motor current, generated at the time of vending a commodity from the detector 3 and storing the current in its inside. When the rate of a current value stored in the storing part 12 to a current value stored in a storing part 11 becomes a prescribed value or more and the state is continued for 9 prescribed time, the motor 2 is stopped and an alarm lamp 6 is turned on.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an abnormality detecting device for an automatic vending machine having a motor for carrying out a product.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an automatic vending machine that sells paper-packed beverages, there is an automatic vending machine that alternately discharges the same product from a pair of product storage columns arranged in parallel. 3A and 3B are diagrams of a merchandise carrying-out mechanism of the vending machine, FIG. 3A is a side view thereof, and FIG. 3B is a bottom view thereof. In FIG. 3, 20 is a cam plate, 21 and 22 are flappers, 23 and 24 are spindles of the flappers 21 and 22,
25 is a drive shaft, 26 is a stopper, and C1 to Cn are products such as paper pack beverages.

The flappers 21 and 22 are pivotable up and down about the support shafts 23 and 24 so as to be opened and closed, and the opening and closing operations thereof are performed by the cam plate 20. Cam plate 20
Is rotated by the drive shaft 25 and a column motor (not shown) provided on the upper end thereof. FIG. 3 shows the cam plate 20.
Is rotated to hold one flapper 22 in a closed state by supporting it from below, and the other flapper 21 is in a state in which it is opened downward with no support. So flapper 2
Since 1 is open, the product C1 at the bottom of the right product storage column falls and is carried to the product outlet by the product carry-out conveyor (not shown) below the product C1. But,
The product C ₃ on it is held while being pressed against the wall surface of the product storage column by the stopper 26 and does not drop. Also, the product C stored in the left product storage column
2 to Cm are supported by the flapper 22 which is closed and held in the product storage column.

In this state, when the next command to sell the product is issued, the column motor starts operating, and the drive shaft 25 and the cam plate 20 start to rotate so as to make a half rotation. Then, when the cam plate 20 rotates to a position separated from the left flapper 22, the flapper 22 opens downward due to its own weight and the product C2
Falls. At that time, the stopper 26 also rotates and the product C2
Hold the item on top of. On the other hand, in the right side product storage column, the stopper 26 is disengaged, but the flapper 21 is lifted to the horizontal position by the rotating cam plate 20, and the product is held as it is.

The products in the left and right product storage columns are alternately carried out by repeating such an operation, and the flapper 21 or 2 opened downward during the operation.
When 2 is lifted up, it may be caught and locked by a product that has fallen down. When that happens,
Since the cam plate 20 does not move, the column motor that drives the drive shaft 25 becomes overloaded and overcurrent flows, resulting in overheating. Further, since the column motor is driven with high torque, there is a possibility that the mechanical parts such as the cam plate 20 and the flapper 21 or 22 may be deformed.

Therefore, conventionally, the current of the column motor is constantly detected, and when the current exceeds the reference value, the motor is stopped and an alarm lamp notifies the occurrence of an abnormality.

[0007]

However, since the operating current of the motor differs depending on the type of motor and the sales mechanism, the above-mentioned conventional technique has a reference value for determining whether or not it is an abnormal current. Has a problem that it is necessary to set each one depending on the type of the motor and the difference in the sales mechanism, which is troublesome. In addition, even if the same model, the motor current varies to some extent for each vending machine, but the conventional technology cannot cope with such variation.

The present invention solves such a problem and makes it possible to set a reference value for detecting an abnormal current for various types of motors and sales mechanisms without any trouble.
The problem is to set an optimum reference value for each vending machine.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an abnormality detecting device for a vending machine according to the present invention comprises a current detecting means for detecting a current of a motor for operating a merchandise selling mechanism, and a motor current in a normal state. A normal current storage means for loading and storing the current from the current detector, and an operating current storage means for loading and storing the motor current at the time of sale of the product from the current detector at any time. The abnormality is detected based on that the ratio of the current value stored in the operating current storage means to the existing current value exceeds a predetermined value.

A first abnormal signal is output when the ratio of the current value stored in the operating current storage means to the current value stored in the normal current storage means exceeds a first predetermined value. However, the second abnormal signal is output when the second predetermined value which is larger than the first predetermined value is exceeded. Further, an abnormality is generated on the condition that the ratio of the current value stored in the operating current storage means to the current value stored in the normal current storage means is equal to or more than a predetermined value for a predetermined time or more. I tried to detect it.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the control device. The control device 1 has a CPU (central processing unit), by which a column motor 2 for operating the cam plate 20 (FIG. 3), a product transport mechanism (not shown) including a product unloading conveyor, etc. ) Is controlled to drive the conveyance motor 4 and the like. The carrier switch 5 is provided so as to face a cam (not shown) attached to the upper portion of the drive shaft 25 (FIG. 3), and detects the rotational position of the drive shaft 25 every 90 degrees.

The motor current detector 3 is provided in the power supply circuit of the column motor 2 and detects the motor current. The normal current storage unit 11 fetches and stores the normal motor current from the motor current detector 3. The operating current storage unit 12 takes in the motor current at the time of sale from the motor current detector 3 as needed and stores it. The operation time counting unit 13 starts clocking when the ratio of the current value stored in the operation current storage unit 12 to the current value stored in the normal current storage unit 11 becomes a predetermined value or more. When the measured time reaches a predetermined value, the control device 1 notifies the alarm lamp 6 of the occurrence of an abnormality. At that time, the administrator of the vending machine can know the content of the abnormality by pressing a predetermined key (not shown) and displaying the failure code on the display (same). It is to be noted that the operation time counting unit 13 notifies the occurrence of an abnormality after counting a predetermined time after the ratio of the current values becomes equal to or more than a predetermined value, when the motor is started or the product is locked for a moment. This is to prevent a malfunction due to an excessive current flowing when a situation occurs.

Next, the operation of this abnormality detecting device will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the abnormality detection process. Step 1 ... Determine whether or not there is a sale. Step 2 ... If there is, it is determined whether or not it is a test sale for detecting a normal current.

Step 3 ... If it is a test sale, the current value flowing in the column motor 2 at that time is detected by the motor current detector 3. Step 4 ... The detected current value I _N is stored in the normal current storage unit 11 as a reference current value in a normal state.

Step 5 ... If the test sale is not made in Step 2, the motor current detector 3 detects the current value flowing in the column motor 2 at that time. Step 6 ... The detected current value I _C is used as the operating current storage unit 1.
Store it in 2. Step 7 ... Calculate the ratio of the current value I _{C to} the current value I _N. Step 8: The ratio of the current value I _{C to} the current value I _N is 1
It is determined whether it is larger than a predetermined value K which is larger than the predetermined value K.

Step 9 ... If it is larger than the predetermined value K,
The operation time counting unit 13 counts the operation time of the column motor 2. Step 10 ... It is determined whether or not the operation time counted by the operation time counting section 13 is equal to or longer than a predetermined time. Step 11: When the time exceeds a predetermined time, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the device, the column motor 2 is stopped, and the alarm lamp 6 is turned on to notify that a failure has occurred.

In the above embodiment, when the ratio of the current value I _C to the current value I _N becomes larger than the predetermined value K and it continues for a certain period of time, the abnormality occurrence is displayed immediately. If another predetermined value smaller than the predetermined value K for judgment is provided and the predetermined value is exceeded for a certain period of time,
A notice display of an abnormality may be displayed. By doing so, before the column motor 2 is completely locked,
It becomes possible to predict it.

[0018]

As described above, according to the abnormality detecting device of the vending machine of the present invention, the abnormality is detected on the basis of the current value actually measured in the normal state. The vending machine can automatically set the reference value even if the selling mechanism changes or even if the vending machines of the same model have variations in motor current.

The first predetermined value and the second value larger than the first predetermined value
If a predetermined value of is set and the abnormality detection signal is output by the first predetermined value before the abnormality detection signal is output by the second predetermined value, it can be predicted before the motor is completely locked. It becomes possible to do. Furthermore, if an abnormal current is detected on condition that the excess current continues for a predetermined time or longer, false detection due to the excess current that flows when the motor is started or when the product is locked for a moment is prevented. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a control device.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of abnormality detection processing.

[Fig. 3] Product delivery mechanism of vending machines

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Control Device 2 Column Motor 3 Motor Current Detector 4 Conveyor Motor 5 Carrier Switch 11 Normal Current Storage 12 Operating Current Storage 13 Operating Time Counting 20 Cam Plates 21, 22 Flapper 23, 24 Spindle 25 Drive Shaft 26 Stopper

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A current detecting means for detecting a current of a motor for operating a merchandise selling mechanism, a normal current storing means for fetching and storing a normal-time motor current from the current detector, and a motor current at the time of selling a commodity. An operating current storage means for fetching and storing the current from the current detector at any time, and a ratio of a current value stored in the operating current storage means to a current value stored in the normal current storage means is a predetermined value or more. An abnormality detection device for vending machines, which is characterized by detecting an abnormality based on the fact that it has become 2. A first abnormal signal is output when the ratio of the current value stored in the operating current storage means to the current value stored in the normal current storage means exceeds a first predetermined value. 2. The abnormality detecting device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detecting device outputs a second abnormality signal when a second predetermined value which is larger than the first predetermined value is exceeded. 3. The condition that the ratio of the current value stored in the operating current storage means to the current value stored in the normal current storage means is equal to or greater than a predetermined value has continued for a predetermined time or more. The abnormality detecting device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality detecting device detects the abnormality.