KR20230162500A - Automatic vending machine for taking out beverage cups - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic vending device capable of discharging beverage cups. More specifically, the automatic vending device is capable of automatically distributing beverage cups to the outside to provide beverages to orderers, and when beverages are not picked up for more than a predetermined period of time, the automatic vending device This relates to an automatic vending device that can serve drinks after storing them internally for a certain period of time.

Description

Automatic vending machine for taking out beverage cups}

The present invention relates to an automatic vending device capable of discharging beverage cups. More specifically, the automatic vending device is capable of automatically distributing beverage cups to the outside to provide beverages to orderers, and when beverages are not picked up for more than a predetermined period of time, the automatic vending device This relates to an automatic vending device that can serve drinks after storing them internally for a certain period of time.

A beverage vending machine is a device that allows users to easily order and receive various beverages such as coffee, citron tea, and cocoa without having to go to a convenience store or market. These automatic beverage vending devices can be installed in a variety of locations without being greatly restricted by sales hours or installation location.

In the beverage pickup method of a conventional beverage vending machine, when the manufacturing of the beverage is completed, the beverage cup is placed on the cup holder of the beverage discharge unit, and then the beverage is discharged into the beverage cup placed on the cup holder, and the orderer opens the outlet door. The beverage cup was picked up by opening and taking out the cup.

However, in this method, if the orderer does not pick up the drink, the newly ordered drink cup is discharged on top of the drink cup that was not picked up, making it impossible to drink both the unpicked drink and the newly ordered drink. This poses hygiene problems, such as spilling drinks. Additionally, beverages that are not picked up must be discarded, which can lead to economic loss.

In addition, the conventional method has a complicated operating mechanism, so there is a high probability of failure, and the use of control-related parts and expensive actuators increases manufacturing and maintenance costs.

Meanwhile, technology related to beverage dispensing devices for vending machines is published in Patent Publication No. 10-1998-0010902.

The present invention was devised to solve the problems of the prior art as described above, in which a series of beverage discharging processes are automatically carried out by mechanical operation, and in addition, the beverage automatically discharged to the beverage dispensing unit is not picked up for a predetermined period of time. In this case, the purpose is to provide an automatic vending device that can store the delivered beverage in the waiting area inside the main body for a certain period of time until it is received by the orderer.

In order to achieve the above object, an automatic vending device including a beverage dispensing unit capable of automatically discharging beverage cups according to the present invention includes a door portion that moves in the vertical direction to open and close the opening, and a door portion that moves in the horizontal direction to allow the beverage cup to pass through the opening. A beverage discharge unit comprising a discharge unit for discharging the beverage; and a control unit that controls the door of the door unit to be opened by moving vertically, moving the dispensing unit horizontally forward, and dispensing the beverage cup through the opening.

The automatic vending device according to the present invention includes a beverage dispensing unit capable of automatically discharging beverage cups, and can provide beverages to orderers by automatically discharging beverage cups to the outside of the automatic vending device, and can also provide beverages to orderers if beverages are not picked up for more than a predetermined time. If not, it relates to an automatic vending device that can be provided after being stored for a certain period of time inside the automatic vending device.

This automatic vending machine of the present invention does not operate in a manner in which the orderer opens the outlet door and takes out the cup as in the prior art, but operates automatically through mechanical operation. This method improves the discharge speed of the beverage, which has the effect of quickly providing the beverage to the orderer. Since the discharge of the beverage is implemented by a mechanical mechanism structure, manufacturing and maintenance costs are greatly reduced.

In particular, the automatic vending device of the present invention allows the beverage cup delivered to the beverage dispensing unit to be kept warm or refrigerated in the waiting area inside the main body until the beverage cup is not picked up for a predetermined period of time until it is received by the orderer. After ordering a drink, it could be received within a certain period of time. Accordingly, economic losses and hygiene problems that occurred due to beverages not being picked up can be resolved. In particular, if the beverage is not picked up, foreign substances such as dust or bugs may enter the beverage, but if the beverage is stored in the waiting area, this problem can be solved and the beverage can be stored in a clean internal space. In addition, the drink can be served in a warm or refrigerated state until the orderer receives the drink, preventing the taste and aroma of the drink from deteriorating.

In addition, beverages stored in the queue can be discarded after a certain period of time, and for discarded beverages, orderers can select a processing method such as partial or full refund or credit through the client terminal. Accordingly, customers can receive appropriate compensation for the beverage even if they do not pick up the beverage within a certain period of time, which can increase customer trust, which can lead to an increase in purchase rates. Additionally, the space load due to beverage storage can be reduced.

In addition, the automatic vending device of the present invention may be equipped with an internal camera on one side of the beverage dispensing unit, and through this, the automatic vending device of the present invention completes the preparation of the beverage through the display unit and the client terminal and discharges the beverage into the cup. You can check directly. In the conventional automatic vending machine, the process of discharging the beverage is not clearly displayed, so unexpected accidents may occur due to the user inserting his or her hand into the beverage dispensing portion while the beverage is being discharged. However, in the present invention, the beverage is discharged. By displaying the situation, it is possible to solve various problems such as putting a hand in the beverage manufacturing process and causing harm due to hot beverage spilling on the user's body, or the hygiene of the discharge part of the vending machine becoming dirty and deteriorating the completeness of the beverage. It was made possible.

Figure 1 shows the configuration of an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 shows the configuration of the beverage dispensing unit of the automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 shows a front perspective view and a rear perspective view of the beverage discharge portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 shows a method of discharging beverages from the beverage discharge unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 shows the beverage dispensing section and waiting section of the automatic vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. However, some components that are unrelated to the gist of the invention will be omitted or compressed, but the omitted components are not necessarily components that are unnecessary in the present invention, and may be used in combination by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. You can.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the automatic vending machine for beverages (1) of the present invention includes a product selection unit (20), a product manufacturing unit (30), a display unit (40), and a beverage dispensing unit (10). , a standby unit 50, and a control unit 60, and wireless communication is possible through the client terminal 3.

First, the product selection unit 20, as shown in FIG. 2, is used to receive an order for a drink from an orderer, and is implemented as, for example, a touch screen. The product selection unit 20 is installed in front of the main body of the vending machine 1 and transmits beverage order information entered by the orderer to the control unit 60.

Specifically, a beverage menu for sale is displayed on the touch screen of the product selection unit 20. Accordingly, the orderer can select a desired menu from among the beverage menus in the displayed product selection unit 20 and place an order.

The product selection unit 20 can perform an order and simultaneously perform a payment function using a credit card, check card, mobile payment service, etc. When order and payment are completed, the product selection unit 20 transmits beverage order information (orderer information, menu information, price information, payment information, order number, current status information, etc.) to the control unit.

The beverage order information transmitted to the control unit may be transmitted to the client terminal 3 and displayed to the orderer.

The client terminal 3 is implemented as a device such as a tablet PC, smartphone, or PDA, and a beverage ordering application can be installed to enable wireless communication with the product selection unit 20.

This client terminal 3 receives the beverage order information (orderer information, menu information, price information, payment information, order number, current status information, etc.) selected in the product selection unit 20 and processes payment for the ordered beverage. It can be performed, and beverage order information can be displayed in the form of a pop-up message, etc.

For example, in the client terminal (3), '000's drink is being prepared.', '000's drink is being prepared as the 0th menu.', 'All drinks are ready.' Please pick up your drink.’, ‘000’s drink was not picked up and is being stored. Please pick up by 01:48 PM. Afterwards, the beverage will be discarded.', '000's beverage was discarded because it was not picked up for more than 0 minutes.', 'Do you want to issue a refund for the discarded beverage?' Information such as such may be displayed.

The product manufacturing unit 30 produces a product by discharging and mixing each raw material of the beverage selected in the product selection unit 10 in a preset amount according to the product manufacturing control signal from the control unit 20.

The product manufacturing unit 30 is provided inside the vending machine 1 and may include various devices such as a bubbler, ice maker, ice crusher, coffee blender, and sensor.

For example, when the user selects the Iced Mojito Mint Americano menu through the product selection unit 10, the product manufacturing unit 30 operates the coffee blender to extract the raw coffee solution, and 6 pumps of mojito mint syrup are added. Afterwards, the ice from the ice maker is crushed in an ice crusher and mixed with the extracted coffee and syrup to produce a beverage.

When a user's input signal is generated, the display unit 40 displays a beverage information providing screen according to the display control signal from the control unit 60, and when it enters a standby state without a user's input signal, it displays an advertisement screen.

The advertising screen may include, for example, a local advertisement located close to the vending machine 1, a product promotional video, a video for providing information, etc. Through this, the automatic vending device 1 of the present invention can be used as an advertising medium through the display unit.

The beverage information provision screen includes basic characteristic information about the beverage menu (e.g., beverage name, image of the beverage, characteristic information such as the taste and aroma of the beverage, main ingredients of the beverage, manufacturing ratio, etc.), or It may include a screen of the manufacturing process, or raw material information for the selected beverage (e.g., country of origin information, manufacturing date, producer information, nutritional information, weight information, expiration date, etc.), and such beverage information is provided. The screen may include product images and videos.

The beverage discharge unit 10 automatically discharges the cup containing the beverage to the outside of the automatic vending machine 1 through the opening 230 of the door 200 in accordance with the product discharge control signal from the control unit 20 to the orderer. to provide.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the beverage dispensing unit 10 includes a door unit 200, a first driving unit 300, a discharging unit 400, a second driving unit 500, and a first driving unit 500. to fourth position detection sensors 610, 620, 630, 640, and an internal camera (not shown).

Referring to Figure 4, the door unit 200 is installed in the opening 230 formed in the front of the beverage discharge unit to open and close the opening 230.

The door unit 200 includes a door guide 210 and a door 220 to open and close the opening 230.

Specifically, when the door unit 200 is controlled so that the orderer can pick up a cup containing a beverage, the door 220 is moved vertically downward to open the opening 230, and there is no need for the beverage to be taken out under normal circumstances. In this case, the door 220 is moved vertically upward to close the opening 230.

The door guide 210 is arranged side by side with the opening 230 in between, and a guide groove 211 is formed on the inside.

The door 220 is slidably coupled to the guide groove 211, and the door 220 reciprocates in the vertical direction by driving the first driving unit 300.

The first drive unit 300 reciprocates the door unit 200 in the vertical direction according to a control signal from the controller to open or close the opening 230, and includes a first drive motor 310. It is composed by:

The operation of the first driving unit 300 is controlled by the control unit 60. Specifically, when the first drive motor 310 of the first drive unit 300 is driven by the control unit 60, the rotational force of the first drive motor 310 is transmitted to the door 220 of the door unit 200. Can be moved in the vertical direction along the door guide 210.

The first drive motor 310 is preferably configured as a stepping motor, but is not limited thereto.

The delivery unit 400 is driven by the second driving unit 500 and includes a tray 410 and a cup holder 420.

The cup holder 420 protrudes from the upper part of the tray 410 and has a concave groove 421 for placing a cup containing a beverage.

The tray 410 is slidably moved according to the driving of the second driving unit 500 to move the beverage cup to the outside of the beverage discharge unit 10 through the opening 230 or to return it to its original position.

A detection sensor 430 is provided on one side of the cup holder 420 to detect a cup containing a beverage. For example, the detection sensor 430 may use a fiber sensor that is excellent at detecting objects even in narrow places, or it may use a load cell that detects the weight of a cup containing a beverage, but is not limited to this.

When the tray 410 on which the beverage cup is placed is taken out of the beverage discharge unit 10 through the opening 230, the detection sensor 430 detects the presence or absence of the beverage cup and determines whether the orderer has picked up the beverage cup. You can.

As a result of detecting the presence or absence of a beverage cup by the detection sensor 430, if there is no beverage cup, it is determined that the orderer has picked up the beverage cup, and the beverage discharge unit 10 operates in reverse order to remove the beverage cup from the tray. Bring in (410).

Meanwhile, as a result of detecting the presence or absence of a beverage cup by the detection sensor 430, if there is a beverage cup, a voice or other notification sound is transmitted through an external speaker to guide the orderer to pick up the beverage cup.

The second driving unit 500 includes a second driving motor 510, and its operation is controlled by the control unit 60. When the second drive motor 510 of the second drive unit 500 is driven by the control unit 60, the delivery unit 400 may be moved horizontally forward or backward. Accordingly, the beverage cup placed on the carrying unit 400 can be taken out or brought in to the outside.

The second drive motor 510 is preferably configured as a stepping motor, but is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, the beverage dispensing unit 10 of the vending machine 1 is configured to include first to fourth position detection sensors 610, 620, 630, and 640, and the first to fourth position detection sensors 610 , 620, 630, and 640 detect the start and stop positions of the carrying unit 400 and the start and stop positions of the door 220.

Specifically, the first position sensor 610 detects the initial position of the carrying out unit 400, and the second position sensor 620 is spaced a certain distance away from the first position sensor 610. It is installed to detect the stopping position of the carrying out unit 400.

The roles of the first position sensor 610 and the second position sensor 620 may change depending on the direction of movement of the carrying unit 400.

Therefore, the movement of the carrying out part 400 can be detected by the first position detection sensor 610 and the second positioning sensor 620, and the forward and backward movement of the carrying out part 400 can be detected.

In addition, the third position sensor 630 detects the initial position of the door 220 on the inside front of the beverage discharge unit 10, and the fourth position sensor 640 is a third position sensor ( It is installed at a certain distance from 630 and detects the stopping position of the door 220. The roles of the third position sensor 630 and the fourth position sensor 640 may change depending on the opening and closing of the door 220.

Therefore, the movement of the door 220 can be detected by the third position sensor 630 and the fourth position sensor 640 to detect the opening and closing of the door 220.

The first to fourth position sensors 610 and 620 may be implemented as photo sensors, for example.

Meanwhile, an internal camera (not shown) may be installed in the beverage dispensing unit 10 to capture the operation of the beverage dispensing unit 10. Accordingly, the internal camera (not shown) can capture the process of discharging the manufactured beverage into the cup, and the captured image can be displayed through the display unit 40 of the vending machine 1 or the client terminal 3. there is. The orderer can check the discharging process of the beverage being discharged into the cup, and can also pick up the beverage after confirming that all the beverage has been discharged.

In the conventional automatic vending machine, the process of discharging the beverage into the cup cannot be known, so unexpected accidents may occur due to the user inserting his or her hand into the beverage dispensing unit 10 while the beverage is being discharged. However, the present invention The automatic vending machine allows the process of discharging the beverage into the cup to be displayed through the display unit 40 or the client terminal 3, so that the orderer can insert his or her hand into the beverage dispensing unit 10 while the beverage is being discharged to obtain hot water. It can solve problems such as drinks spilling on the user's body and causing harm.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 6, a waiting portion 50 is provided on one side of the vending machine 1. The waiting unit 50 can store the beverage delivered to the beverage discharge unit 10 if the orderer does not pick it up for more than a predetermined period of time.

The waiting section 50 is configured to include an orthogonal robot 53, a queue 51, a disposal box 52, and a disposal device 54.

The orthogonal robot 53 is a device that has a structure that allows it to move in orthogonal vertical and horizontal directions, and includes a gripping means 531 for holding a beverage, a lifting and lowering operation means 532, and a reciprocating movement means 533. It is configured to include, and is characterized in that it is controlled by the control unit 60.

Accordingly, the orthogonal robot 53 can be operated to move back and forth between the cup holder 420 of the unloading unit 400 and the queue 51, and can also dispose of the beverage cups in the queue 51 at the disposal device 54. It can be operated to move to .

Specifically, the Cartesian robot 53 moves up and down while holding the beverage cup on the cup holder 420 of the discharging unit 400, moves to the queue 51, and then moves down to move the beverage cup into the queue 51. ) can be moved and stored, and the beverage cup in the queue 51 can be lifted and lowered while held, then lowered to the disposal device 54, and then released, so that the beverage cup can be disposed of in the waste bin. Let it happen.

The queue 51 is a storage space that allows the brought-in beverages to be stored inside the vending machine 1 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 2 hours).

The drinks in the queue 51 can be controlled to be moved to the cup holder 420 of the beverage dispensing unit by the Cartesian robot 53 when there is a request from the orderer within a predetermined period.

At this time, the beverage stored in the queue 51 can be taken out only when the beverage information and the orderer information match each other.

Additionally, the queue 51 can be controlled to store the beverage in refrigerated or warm mode to maintain optimal conditions until it is delivered to the orderer, depending on the type of coffee beverage ordered.

The disposal box 52 disposes the beverage in the queue 51 inside the vending machine 1 when the storage period of the beverage stored in the queue 51 exceeds a predetermined period (for example, 2 hours). As a disposal space for processing, a disposal device 54 is provided on one upper side of the disposal box 52, and beverage cups can be disposed of through the disposal device 54.

Meanwhile, the control unit 60 may transmit control signals for controlling the product selection unit 20, product manufacturing unit 30, display unit 40, beverage dispensing unit 10, and waiting unit 50. .

The control unit 60 performs control so that the orderer can pick up the drink selected by the product selection unit 20 or the client terminal 3, and also displays a beverage information provision screen and an advertising screen to the orderer. Control can be performed to do so.

Specifically, when the orderer transmits information on the beverage menu selected through the product selection unit 20 or the client terminal 3 to the control unit 60, the control unit 60 sends a product manufacturing control signal for the beverage menu. It is transmitted to the product manufacturing department (30). Accordingly, the product manufacturing unit 30 produces a product by discharging and mixing a preset amount of each raw material for the selected beverage menu. Afterwards, when all the beverages are discharged, the control unit 60 transmits a beverage discharge control signal to the beverage dispensing unit 10 to perform control so that the beverage can be discharged through the opening so that the user can pick up the finished beverage.

Specifically, the discharge of the beverage is performed by driving the first driving unit 300 and the second driving unit 500 in the control unit 60 to operate the door 220 of the beverage dispensing unit 10 as shown in FIG. 5(a). After being lowered in the vertical direction, the discharge unit 400 on which the beverage cup is placed is moved forward in the horizontal direction so as to pass through the opening 230 of the beverage discharge unit 10, as shown in Figure 5(b), to discharge the beverage.

When a beverage is discharged from the beverage dispensing unit 10, the detection sensor 430 detects the presence or absence of a beverage cup and determines whether the orderer has picked up the beverage cup.

As a result of detecting the presence or absence of a beverage cup by the detection sensor 430, if there is no beverage cup, it is determined that the orderer has picked up the beverage cup, and the beverage discharge unit 10 operates in reverse order to remove the beverage cup from the tray. Bring in (410).

Meanwhile, as a result of detecting the presence or absence of a beverage cup by the detection sensor 430, if there is a beverage cup, a voice or other notification sound is transmitted through an external speaker to guide the orderer to pick up the beverage cup.

After the beverage is discharged from the beverage dispensing unit 10, if the orderer does not take the beverage for a predetermined period of time (for example, 1 minute), the control unit 60 operates the first drive unit 300 and the second drive unit ( By controlling 500), the discharge unit 400 on which the discharged beverage is placed is moved backward in the horizontal direction to bring in the beverage. Afterwards, the control unit 60 controls the Cartesian robot 53 to pick up the brought in beverage and move it to the queue 51.

At this time, when the beverage is moved to the queue 51, it is controlled so that a beverage storage notification of the beverage is transmitted to the corresponding client terminal 3 or product selection unit 20 corresponding to the order information. For example, the beverage storage notification may be in the form of "000's beverage is being stored. The beverage can be picked up until 1:18 p.m."

Accordingly, the orderer can select the pick-up request menu through the client terminal 3 or the product selection unit 20 within a predetermined period and take out the stored beverage for pickup.

When the orderer selects the pick-up request menu of the client terminal 3 or the product selection unit 20 to pick up a beverage, the orthogonal robot 53 of the automatic vending device 1 waits in the queue ( The beverage in question 51) is moved to the cup holder 420 of the beverage discharge unit 100. Thereafter, the first driving unit 300 and the second driving unit 500 can be driven to discharge the beverage through the opening 230. When the beverage is delivered, a notification of completion of delivery of the coffee beverage is sent to the corresponding client terminal (3).

If the orderer does not perform a pickup request for the orderer's drink within a predetermined period (for example, 2 hours), the drink in the queue 51 may be disposed of in the waste box 52, and the discarded drink You can select a processing method through the client terminal (3).

Methods for processing the discarded beverage include processing the discarded beverage so that it can be remanufactured and picked up later, or processing a portion or all of the beverage to be refunded or credited to the orderer.

At this time, the reason for discarding the beverage is not only that the size of the queue 51 is limited, but also that the taste of the produced beverage deteriorates after a predetermined period of time. In the case of iced drinks containing ice, the ice may melt and the drink may become diluted differently from the original taste, and in the case of warm drinks, it may cool down or the cream, etc. may melt and lose its original taste and aroma. Also, in the case of cappuccino or cafe latte, which contains milk foam that reacts sensitively to temperature, the abundant milk foam can easily disappear.

Additionally, in order to prevent this, the queue 51 can be controlled to store in refrigerated or warm mode depending on the type of coffee beverage ordered, and thus can be controlled to maintain the optimal condition until the beverage is delivered to the orderer.

In addition, the control unit 60 displays an advertisement screen in a standby state where there is no user input signal, and when a user input signal is generated, the control unit 60 generates a display control signal and displays a beverage information providing screen on the display unit 40. At this time, the beverage information provision screen may be provided with an image of an internal camera (not shown) installed to capture the operation of the beverage discharge unit 10, and thus the orderer can check the process of discharging the finished beverage into the cup. You can.

The automatic vending device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above can order drinks through the following process.

First, the orderer selects a beverage menu and makes payment through the product selection unit 20 of the automatic vending machine 1 or the client terminal 3. Accordingly, the control unit 60 sends a product manufacturing control signal to the product manufacturing unit 30 to perform manufacturing for the beverage menu selected by the product selection unit 20. The product manufacturing unit 30 produces a product by discharging and mixing each raw material of the beverage at a preset amount in accordance with the product manufacturing control signal.

During this process, the current status information of various beverages may be displayed on the screen of the client terminal 3. For example, in the client terminal (3), '000's drink is being prepared.', '000's drink is being prepared as the 0th menu.', 'All drinks are ready.' Please pick up your drink.’, ‘000’s drink was not picked up and is being stored. Please pick up by 01:48 PM. Afterwards, the beverage will be discarded.', '000's beverage was discarded because it was not picked up for more than 0 minutes.', 'Do you want to issue a refund for the discarded beverage?' Information such as such may be displayed.

Meanwhile, while a beverage is being manufactured, a beverage information providing screen including the manufacturing process, country of origin, etc. may be displayed on the display unit 40 of the automatic vending device 1.

When the preparation of the beverage is completed, the prepared beverage is discharged into the cup seated on the cup holder 420. At this time, the process of discharging the beverage can be filmed by the internal camera 100 and transmitted to the display unit 40 of the vending machine 1 or the client terminal 3.

The control unit 60 transmits a beverage discharge control signal to the beverage dispensing unit 10 so that the user can pick up the beverage cup.

Specifically, the dispensing of the beverage is controlled by the control unit 60 so that the first driving unit 300 and the second driving unit 500 are driven. First, when the first drive motor 310 is operated by the first drive unit 300, the door 220 of the beverage discharge unit 10 is lowered in the vertical direction so that the opening 230 of the beverage discharge unit 10 is opened. It is open.

Next, the second driving unit 500 is operated by the control unit 60, and the delivery unit 400 moves forward by operating the second driving motor 510 of the second driving unit 500, opening the opening 230. The tray 410 on which the beverage cup is placed is carried out.

Afterwards, the detection sensor 430 detects the presence or absence of a beverage cup and determines whether the orderer has picked up the beverage cup.

As a result of detecting the presence or absence of a beverage cup by the detection sensor 430, if there is no beverage cup, it is determined that the orderer has picked up the beverage cup, and the beverage discharge unit 10 operates in reverse order to remove the beverage cup from the tray. Bring in (410).

Meanwhile, as a result of detecting the presence or absence of a beverage cup by the detection sensor 430, if there is a beverage cup, a voice or other notification sound is transmitted through an external speaker to guide the orderer to pick up the beverage cup.

At this time, if the beverage cup is not taken for a predetermined time (eg, 1 minute) after the beverage cup is taken out, the control unit 60 operates the second driving unit 500.

After the discharging unit 400, which had been advanced, moves backwards and returns to its original position, the door 220 rises vertically by the operation of the first driving unit 300 to open the opening 230 of the beverage discharging unit 10. is closed.

The control unit 60 controls the Cartesian robot 53 to move the beverage cup 5 to the queue 51.

The orthogonal robot 53 is operated to lift and lower the beverage in the vertical direction at the position of the cup holder 420 of the discharge unit 400 while holding the cup accommodated in the cup holder 420 by the gripping means 531. After the cup is raised and lowered, the cup is moved horizontally from the discharge unit 400 and moved to the queue 51.

The beverage cups moved to the queue 51 are stored in the queue 51 inside the vending machine 1 for a predetermined period of time (for example, 2 hours).

At this time, when the beverage is moved to the queue 51, a beverage waiting notification of the beverage may be transmitted to the corresponding client terminal 3 or product selection unit 20 corresponding to the order information. For example, the beverage waiting notification may be in the form of "000's beverage is being stored. The beverage can be picked up until 1:18 PM."

Accordingly, the orderer can select the pickup request menu through the client terminal 3 or the product selection unit 20 within a predetermined period and pick up the beverage stored in the queue 51. When the orderer selects the pickup request menu of the client terminal 3 or the product selection unit 20 to pick up a beverage, the control unit 60 checks whether the orderer information matches, and if the orderer information matches, the beverage can be taken out. there is.

The orthogonal robot 53 is operated to lift and lower the beverage in the vertical direction at the position of the cup holder 420 of the discharge unit 400 while holding the cup accommodated in the cup holder 420 by the gripping means 531. After the cup is raised and lowered, the cup is moved horizontally from the discharge unit 400 and moved to the queue 51.

When dispensing a beverage, the orthogonal robot 53 of the vending machine 1 grasps the corresponding beverage cup placed in the queue 51, lifts and lowers the beverage cup in the vertical direction, and then moves the beverage cup from the queue 51 to the dispensing unit ( After moving horizontally to 400, it is accommodated in the cup holder 420 of the carrying out part 400.

Thereafter, the control unit 60 drives the first driving unit 300 and the second driving unit 500 to open the door, and advances the dispensing unit 400 on which the beverage cup is placed to discharge the beverage. When the beverage is delivered, a notification of completion of delivery of the beverage may be transmitted to the corresponding client terminal 3.

If the orderer does not request pickup of the beverage within a predetermined period (for example, 2 hours), the beverage in the queue 51 may be disposed of in the waste bin 52.

As above, a disposal method can be selected for the discarded beverage through the client terminal (3).

As a method of processing the discarded beverage, the beverage can be manufactured and picked up again when the orderer requests it again, or a partial/all refund/credit can be provided to the orderer.

Through the above steps, a beverage can be selected by the orderer in the automatic vending machine 1, the beverage can be produced, and the beverage can be picked up by the orderer.

As described in detail above, the automatic vending device according to the present invention includes a beverage dispensing unit capable of automatically discharging beverage cups, and can provide beverages to orderers by automatically discharging beverage cups to the outside of the automatic vending device. This relates to an automatic vending device that can provide drinks after being stored for a certain period of time inside the automatic vending device if the beverage is not picked up for more than a certain period of time.

This automatic vending machine of the present invention does not operate in a manner in which the orderer opens the outlet door and takes out the cup as in the prior art, but operates automatically through mechanical operation. This method improves the discharge speed of the beverage, which has the effect of quickly providing the beverage to the orderer. Since the discharge of the beverage is implemented by a mechanical mechanism structure, manufacturing and maintenance costs are greatly reduced.

In particular, the automatic vending device of the present invention allows the beverage cup delivered to the beverage dispensing unit to be kept warm or refrigerated in the waiting area inside the main body until the beverage cup is not picked up for a predetermined period of time until it is received by the orderer. After ordering a drink, it could be received within a certain period of time. Accordingly, economic losses and hygiene problems that occurred due to beverages not being picked up can be solved. In particular, if the beverage is not picked up, foreign substances such as dust or bugs may enter the beverage, but if the beverage is stored in the waiting area, this problem can be solved and the beverage can be stored in a clean internal space. In addition, the drink can be served in a warm or refrigerated state until the orderer receives the drink, preventing the taste and aroma of the drink from deteriorating.

In addition, beverages stored in the queue can be discarded after a certain period of time, and for discarded beverages, orderers can select a processing method such as partial or full refund or credit through the client terminal. Accordingly, customers can receive appropriate compensation for the beverage even if they do not pick up the beverage within a certain period of time, which can increase customer trust, which can lead to an increase in purchase rate. Additionally, the space load due to beverage storage can be reduced.

In addition, the automatic vending device of the present invention may be equipped with an internal camera on one side of the beverage dispensing unit, and through this, the automatic vending device of the present invention completes the preparation of the beverage through the display unit and the client terminal and discharges the beverage into the cup. You can check directly. In the conventional automatic vending machine, the process of discharging the beverage is not clearly displayed, so unexpected accidents may occur due to the user inserting his or her hand into the beverage dispensing portion while the beverage is being discharged. However, in the present invention, the beverage is discharged. By displaying the situation, it is possible to solve various problems such as putting a hand in the beverage manufacturing process and causing harm due to hot beverage spilling on the user's body, or the hygiene of the discharge part of the vending machine becoming dirty and deteriorating the completeness of the beverage. It was made possible.

The preferred embodiments of the present invention described above have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications, changes, and additions within the spirit and scope of the present invention, and such modifications and changes will be possible. and additions should be regarded as falling within the scope of the patent claims of the present invention.

1: Vending machine
3: Client terminal
5: Drink cup
10: Beverage discharge unit
20: Product selection section
30: Product Manufacturing Department
40: Display unit
50: Atmosphere
51: Queue
52: Discarded
53: Cartesian robot
54: Disposal equipment
60: control unit
100: Internal camera
120: opening
200: Door part
210: Door guide
211: Guide Home
220: door
300: first driving unit
310: first driving motor
400: Carrying out department
410: tray
420: Cup stand
421: Home Department
430: Detection sensor
500: second driving unit
510: Second driving motor
531: Gripping means
532: Elevating operation means
533: Round-trip transportation
610: First position detection sensor
620: Second position detection sensor
630: Third position detection sensor
640: Fourth position detection sensor

Claims (5)

A beverage discharge unit comprising a door unit that moves in the vertical direction to open and close the opening, and a discharge unit that moves in the horizontal direction to take out or bring in the beverage cup through the opening; and
When the production of the beverage is completed, the control unit controls to open the door by vertically moving the door, move the discharge unit horizontally forward, and discharge the beverage cup through the opening.
An automatic vending device capable of automatically dispensing beverage cups, including:
According to claim 1,
The control unit,
After a predetermined time has elapsed after the beverage cup is taken out,
After moving the discharge unit rearward to load the beverage cup,
An automatic vending device capable of automatically discharging beverage cups, characterized in that the brought in beverage cups are stored in a queue within the automatic vending device.
According to clause 2,
The control unit,
If the beverage cup stored in the above queue exceeds the specified time,
An automatic vending machine capable of automatically disposing of beverage cups, characterized in that the beverage cups in the queue are disposed of by moving them to a disposal box within the automatic vending machine.
According to claim 1,
The control unit,
When a beverage cup is brought in through the opening after a predetermined time,
An automatic vending device capable of automatically dispensing beverage cups, characterized in that it can transmit a beverage storage notification message to a client terminal.
According to clause 2,
The control unit,
If the beverage cup stored in the above queue exceeds the specified time,
An automatic vending device capable of automatically discharging beverage cups, characterized in that it can transmit a disposal notification message or a disposal method selection message to a client terminal.

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