JPS6233636B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a cup beverage vending machine that can sell both cold beverages and hot beverages.

(b) Prior Art As this type of vending machine, there is a technology disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 7999/1983. This system efficiently arranges separate circulation systems for hot beverages and cold beverages within a single cup vending machine so that both beverages can be sold at all times.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, the above-mentioned prior art is not designed to sell one beverage while the other is being sold. Therefore, customers who wanted to purchase both had to invest money separately for each drink and purchase one drink at a time.

In view of the above, the present invention provides a cup beverage vending machine that can sell cold beverages and hot beverages almost simultaneously.

(d) Means for Solving the Problems To explain the structure of the present invention with reference to drawings of embodiments, as long as the remaining amount after subtracting the price of the sold product from the input amount is still over the selling price of the product, the product cannot be sold again. A coin mechanism 4 for outputting a signal is provided, and a cold side selection circuit section 6' and a hot side selection circuit section 7' are provided corresponding to the cold beverage sales mechanism section 6 and the hot beverage sales mechanism section 7, respectively. Each selection circuit section 6', 7' is connected to the coin mechanism 4.
The connection is made so that the product selection operation can be performed using the sales signal from. Further, a cold side bending stage 10 and a hot side bending stage 10 are provided facing each of the vending mechanism sections 6 and 7, and a cup dispenser 9 that can selectively dispense the corresponding cups is provided on the bending stages 10 and 10. The cup dispensing operation of the cup dispenser 9 and the beverage dispensing operation of the vending mechanisms 6 and 7 are controlled by the vending control circuit 301, which controls the selection circuits 6' and 7'. These are driven in response to product selection operations. Bend stages 10 and 10 are provided with cup detection devices 107 and 207, and relays RY ₂ and RY ₄ that are energized while the detection devices are detecting a cup, and these relays, which are signal control devices, are provided. The normally closed contacts RY ₂ ′ and RY ₄ ′ of RY ₂ and RY ₄ are respectively inserted into the sales signal transmission path between the coin mechanism 4 and each of the selection circuits 6 ′ and 7 ′.

(E) Effect When a sales signal generated by inserting a coin into the coin mechanism is input to the product selection circuit section, product selection operation becomes possible, and when the product selection button for cold drinks or hot drinks is pressed, the respective products are selected. The cup corresponding to the selection button is dropped from the cup storage device onto the bending stage section in the vending spout, and then a predetermined beverage is poured into the cup. However, when the selling price of this product is subtracted from the input amount and the remaining amount is still greater than the selling price of the product, the sales signal is output again, and the product selection operation becomes possible. However, relay RY ₂ or
Sales signal is not input due to activation of RY ₄ . Therefore, if you desire both hot and cold products, you can sell them at the same time by successively selecting them.

(f) Example An example of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. In the embodiment of the present invention, a postmix type cup beverage vending machine is used for convenience of explanation. In addition, Figure 1 shows the mechanical part of these cup beverage vending machines in the second part.
The figures each show an electrical circuit. First, in Figure 1,
1 is the main body of a postmix type beverage vending machine, 2
1 is a front door that closes off the front of the beverage vending machine, and the front door 2 includes a sales control circuit 3 that controls a cold beverage sales mechanism 6 and a hot beverage sales mechanism 7, respectively, which will be described later. A press-type product selection button (not shown) corresponding to the above, a generally known coin mechanism 4 (also referred to as a coin processing device), and dispensing from the above-mentioned beverage vending mechanism sections to corresponding cups (not shown), respectively. A vending spout 5 and the like necessary for taking out the drink are provided respectively. Reference numeral 6 denotes the above-mentioned cold beverage sales mechanism section, which includes a syrup tank filled with syrup such as cola, and a container necessary for diluting the syrup to a predetermined concentration with carbonated water. A carbonator tanker for producing carbonated water, a carbon dioxide gas cylinder for pressurizing the carbonator tanker and the syrup tanker, and a process for dispensing the pressurized syrup liquid and carbonated water from a beverage dispensing valve consisting of a solenoid valve, etc. The syrup liquid circuit (not shown) and the carbonated water liquid circuit (not shown) are partially submerged in water and heated to 3°C by heat exchange with an evaporator that is part of the cooling unit (not shown). It consists of a cooling water tank (E) that cools the front and back. Further, F is an ice maker that supplies ice into a cup (not shown) when ice is required for a cold beverage dispensed at the request of a customer.

Reference numeral 7 denotes the other hot beverage sales mechanism section described above, which is a raw material container a filled with raw materials such as coffee, sugar, and powdered milk.
It consists of a hot water tank b, which is essential for hot beverages, hot water in the hot water tank b, and raw materials in the raw material tank a, such as a mixing bowl c, which is essential when mixing with coffee. Reference numeral 8 denotes a cistern that stores a predetermined amount of tap water in an open state to the atmosphere, which is led to the carbonator tank and the hot water tank b via a pump (not shown). Reference numerals 9 and 10 refer to a cup storage device called a cup dispenser that stores cups for cold beverages and hot beverages, respectively, and a cup storage device for cold beverages that is dropped from the cup storage device 9 in response to a customer's product selection operation. The bending stage section receives a cup (not shown) and a hot beverage cup (not shown), respectively. Furthermore, when the aforementioned front door 2 is closed, the bending stage section 10 has a shape in which the sales outlet 5 disposed on the front door 2 faces the front surface of the bending stage section 10. 11
When a customer or the like takes out a cup (not shown) into which a cold beverage called cola or hot beverage coffee has been poured from the outlet 5, the bending stage section 1
This is a waste liquid container made of a polybucket or the like for storing a predetermined amount of liquid that has fallen into the waste liquid via a waste liquid pipe. Approximately 10 volumes of waste liquid can be stored in these waste liquid containers 11, but when the waste liquid rises to a predetermined position, a float ball (not shown) that detects the level of the waste liquid is operated to remove the liquid from the cup. The configuration is such that the power supply to the beverage vending machine is turned off and sales are stopped.

Next, the electric circuit diagram shown in FIG. 2 will be described. First, when a customer or the like inserts coins into a coin slot (not shown) provided in the front door 2 for the purpose of purchasing multiple cold beverages or hot beverages, 101 accepts these coins and stores them within the accepted coin range. When there are products to be sold (cold beverages and hot beverages), the respective beverage sales mechanism sections 6 and 7 are operated in parallel.
A coin mechanism for multi-sales that continues to send sales signals to product selection circuit units 6' and 7' corresponding to the product selection circuits 6' and 7'.
RY ₂ ' is a signal control device for prohibiting the sale of cold drinks. When relay RY ₂ is energized, it switches the movable piece from the NC contact to the NO contact and prohibits the transmission of the sales signal to the product selection circuit section 6'. It is a relay contact. Therefore, normally the movable piece holds the NC contact, but if the movable piece is on the NO contact side, it is assumed that another cold drink is currently on sale and no other cold drink can be selected. Reference numeral 102 denotes a push-type cold beverage product selection button arranged on the front door 2 corresponding to each product such as cola in the cold beverage sales mechanism section 6. Reference numeral 103 denotes a cold beverage selection relay that is energized by a product selection signal generated when the product selection button 102 is pressed. Reference numeral 104 denotes a cold beverage sales ready lamp that is turned on via relay contact RY ₂ ' when a cold beverage sales signal is output from the coin mechanism 101. _RY1 ' is a full-cycle relay contact on the cold beverage side, which is controlled by a cold beverage full-cycle relay _RY1, which will be described later, which is energized until one cup of cold beverage such as cola is dispensed. Reference numeral 105 denotes a selection signal application line that applies the current on the AC line R side as the product selection signal to the sales control circuit section, which will be described later, via a movable piece that is switched when the cold beverage selection relay 103 is energized. Reference numeral 106 denotes a cold beverage identification signal transmission line which is normally at L level (standby state) for convenience and becomes H level when the beverage selection relay 103 is energized.

RY ₄ ' is a signal control device for prohibiting the sale of hot beverages, and when relay RY ₄ is energized, it switches the movable piece from the NC contact to the NO contact and transmits the sales signal to the product selection circuit section 7'. This is a prohibited relay contact. Similar to the product selection button 102 for cold beverages, 202 is also a push-type product selection button for hot beverages, which is disposed on the front door 2. Further, 203 is a hot beverage selection relay that is energized when the hot beverage product selection button is pressed. 204 is a ready-to-sell lamp on the hot beverage side. RY ₃ ' 1 cup of hot beverage such as coffee
This is a full-cycle relay contact for hot beverages that is energized by full-cycle relay RY ₃ for hot beverages, which will be described later, until the end of dispensing. Reference numeral 205 denotes a hot-side selection signal application line that applies the hot-side selection signal to a sales control circuit section to be described later through a movable piece that is switched when the hot beverage selection relay 203 is energized. 206 is also normal (standby state) for convenience.
This is a hot beverage identification signal transmission line that applies an L level signal to a sales control circuit section to be described later when the beverage selection relay 203 on the hot side is energized when the hot beverage selection relay 203 is in an H level state opposite to that on the cold beverage side.

Reference numeral 301 denotes the aforementioned sales control circuit section, and the sales control circuit section includes a cold beverage control circuit which operates when signals are applied from the selection signal application lines 105 and 205 for both cold and hot beverages and the beverage identification signal transmission line. A timer circuit (not shown) for controlling the dispensing time of both the vending mechanism section 6 and the hot beverage vending mechanism section 7 into cups (not shown), etc., respectively.
, full cycle relays RY ₁ and RY ₃ for both cold and hot beverages corresponding to the sales mechanism sections 6 and 7 for both beverages, and cold and hot relays.
A relay drive circuit (not shown) that controls the excitation operation time of RY ₂ and RY _4, respectively, and the cold and hot beverage identification signal transmission line 10.
A discriminating circuit (not shown) for determining from which beverage vending mechanism section 6 or 7 the signal applied from 6, 206 is applied, and also enables simultaneous sale of cold beverages and hot beverages to the coin mechanism 101. However, if money is invested for a high-priced product, the lamps 104 and 204 for both high- and low-priced products (cold drinks and hot drinks) will be lit, so customers, etc. is the product selection button 102 corresponding to both products,
In order to prevent both products from being sold when buttons 202 are pressed at the same time as a prank or the like, the system is equipped with a priority processing circuit (not shown) for pressing the product selection buttons to prevent both products from being sold.

RY ₁ and RY ₃ are the aforementioned full cycle relays for both cold and hot beverages, and appropriate signals are applied to both full cycle relays RY ₁ and RY ₃ from a relay drive circuit (not shown) in the sales control circuit 301. Beverage full cycle relay contacts RY ₁ ′ on the cold or hot side, respectively, when
_RY3 ' is energized (the movable piece is switched to the NO contact side) to form a self-holding circuit via the movable pieces N and N' of the beverage selection relays 103 and 203 on the cold or hot side, respectively. The cold or hot beverage full cycle relay contact RY ₁ ' until one cup of beverage has been dispensed.
It is configured to hold RY ₃ ′.

Relays RY ₂ and RY ₄ are connected to the sales control circuit section 30.
When a product selection signal is applied from the beverage selection relay 103, 203 on the cold or hot side to 1, the relay drive signal is output from the sales control circuit section 301, or when the product is sold, the cold or hot side cup (Fig. Which cup detection signal is output from the cold or hot side cup detection device 107, 207, which consists of a light-emitting element such as a phototransistor and a light-receiving element, which are provided on the wall that constitutes the sales outlet where the cup (not shown) is placed? corresponds to
It is energized when applied via the OR circuits 108 and 208. Then, due to the energization, the relay contact RY ₂ ′,
By switching the movable piece of RY ₄ ' from the NC contact to the NO contact side, the relay drive signal output from the sales control circuit section 301 or the cup detection device 1
The sale of cold or hot beverages is prohibited until both of the cup detection signals outputted from 07 and 207 disappear. For example, if a cold or hot drink is being sold, but another product of the same type is sold, there may be inconveniences such as the next cup falling on top of the cup currently being poured. This is to prevent this from occurring. Reference numeral 302 denotes a product price selection relay, and the price selection relay has an A contact point corresponding to the cold beverage price and a B contact point corresponding to the hot beverage price. When the button 103 is pressed, the movable piece on the cold beverage side that is excited and pressed by the control signal of the sales control circuit section 301 is activated.
The coin mechanism 101 is turned to the NO side to apply the sales price of the cold beverage to the coin mechanism 101 described above via the price subtraction line 303.
subtract from the counting memory contents stored by
When the balance is still sufficient to sell cold or hot beverages, or both cold and hot beverages, the coin mechanism 101 further sends a sales signal to the sales mechanisms 6 and 7 for cold, hot, or both beverages. The configuration is such that the signals continue to be output to the corresponding product selection circuit sections 6' and 7'.

Next, the simultaneous sale of cold beverages and hot beverages by the cup beverage vending machine according to the present invention will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 2 above. In addition, the selling prices of cold drinks and hot drinks are 50 yen/cup for cold drinks and 50 yen/cup for hot products.
Stated as 60 yen/cup. First, when a customer inserts a coin of 200 yen into the coin slot of the cup beverage vending machine 1 which is on standby for sale, for the purpose of purchasing a cold beverage such as cola and a hot beverage such as coffee, the front of the vending machine 1 is activated. A coin mechanism 101 attached to the door 2 sends a sales signal to both cold and hot product selection circuits 6',
7' in parallel, the cold and hot beverage sale ready lamps 104 and 204 are lit, respectively. At this stage, if the product selection buttons 102 and 202 corresponding to cold and hot are pressed sequentially from the cold side or the hot side, for example, if the button is pressed from the cold side, the selection relay 103 for cold beverages on the cold side will be energized. Since each movable piece in the cold beverage selection relay 103 is switched, the sales control circuit section 3
01 through the selection signal line 105 and the cold beverage identification signal transmission line 106, respectively, from a cold side selection signal and a signal for partially switching the circuit function in the sales control circuit section 301 to a cold beverage control, for example, an L level signal. A cold identification signal that switches to an H level signal will be applied. Therefore, the sales control circuit section 301 outputs a control signal to the cup storage device 9 to cause the cup storage device 9 to drop one cold beverage cup onto the bending stage section 10 in the sales opening. Furthermore, the sales control circuit unit 301 outputs relay drive signals to the cold side beverage full cycle relay RY ₁ and relay RY ₂ , respectively, so that the beverage full cycle relay RY ₁ and the relay
When RY ₂ is energized, the movable piece on the corresponding beverage full cycle relay contact RY ₁ ′ side and the movable piece on the relay contact RY ₂ ′ side are switched, and in the case of the cold beverage full cycle relay side, the bend stage section mentioned above switches. Power line R until a predetermined amount of cold beverage such as cola is dispensed into a cup (not shown) that has fallen into No. 10.
→Cold Beverage Full Cycle Relay Contact RY ₁ ′→
A self-holding circuit is formed from the N contact of the cold beverage selection relay 103 to the power line R'. On the side of the beverage sales prohibition relay, a signal (for relay Since the drive signal or cup detection signal is still applied, the next cold beverage cannot be sold. Furthermore, on the coin mechanism 101 side, a selection signal is sent from the selection signal line 105 to the sales control circuit section 301.
The coin mechanism 101 performs a subtraction operation of 50 yen from the 200 yen counted and stored by the subtraction signal applied through the A contact of the product price selection relay 302 and the price subtraction line 303. After that, a sales signal for the remaining 150 yen is applied to both cold and hot product selection circuits 6' and 7', but at this point relay RY ₂ is still operating on the cold beverage side. The cold side beverage sale ready lamp 104 is turned off and cannot be sold. On the other hand, if the customer presses the product selection button 102 on the cold beverage side and then substantially continuously presses the product selection button 202 on the hot beverage side, even if the customer presses the product selection button 202 on the hot beverage side, the hot beverage selection button corresponding to the cold beverage side described above will be selected. The control function for hot beverages in the cycle relay 203 and sales control circuit section 301, and the full cycle relay for hot beverages RY ₃
, relay RY ₄ , etc. perform almost the same control function operations to dispense hot beverages such as coffee into a cup (not shown) that falls onto the hot side bend stage section, thereby dispensing both beverages. Finish the sales operation.
At this time, the count memory in the coin mechanism 101 is in a state where 60 yen of the hot beverage sales price has been further subtracted, so the count memory becomes 90 yen and the product selection corresponding to the above-mentioned cold drink and hot drink is performed. The sales signal is again applied to the circuit sections 6' and 7'. Therefore, if the customer wants to purchase more cold or hot beverages, he/she can purchase the desired product by repeating the above-mentioned product purchasing operation again, but if the customer does not wish to purchase the desired product, the customer can purchase the desired product by clicking the return button provided at the front door 2. When a button (not shown) is operated, the coin mechanism 101 returns the stored 90 yen to a return slot (not shown) as change.

(G) Effects of the Invention According to the cup beverage vending machine of the present invention, there is no need to own a cold beverage vending machine and a hot beverage vending machine, and furthermore, customers etc. can easily purchase cold beverages and hot beverages. There is an advantage in that the purchase time is approximately a minute compared to the time required to purchase from a conventional vending machine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cup beverage vending machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an electric circuit diagram of the cup beverage vending machine. 1 is the main body of the cup beverage vending machine, 3 is a vending control circuit, 4 is a coin mechanism, 6 is a cold beverage vending mechanism, 7 is a hot beverage vending mechanism, and 6' and 7' are cold and hot beverage vending machines, respectively. 9 is a cup storage device, 10 is a bending stage in the sales outlet, 102 and 202 are product selection buttons, 107 and 207 are cup detection devices, and RY ₂ and RY ₄ are signal control devices. relay,
301 is a sales control circuit section.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Corresponds to the coin mechanism that outputs the sales signal again if the remaining amount after subtracting the price of the selling product from the input amount is still above the selling price of the product, and the cold beverage sales mechanism section and the hot beverage sales mechanism section respectively. and a cold side selection circuit section and a hot side selection circuit section, which enable product selection operation when the sales signal is applied, and a cold beverage sales mechanism section and a hot beverage sales mechanism section, respectively. a cold side bend stage and a hot side bend stage, a cup dispenser that stores a cold beverage cup and a hot beverage cup and selectively delivers both cups to the corresponding bend stage, and the selection circuit. a vending control circuit unit that controls the cup dispensing operation of the cup dispenser in response to a product selection operation on the vending unit, and controls beverage dispensing of the cold beverage vending mechanism unit or the hot beverage vending mechanism unit;
A cup detection device provided on each of the bend stages, and a signal control device that prohibits input of a sales signal to the selection circuit corresponding to the bend stage while the cup detection device is detecting a cup. Cup beverage vending machine equipped with