JP2000298766A - Controller for cup-used vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically designate a container by setting beverage data by using a memory card, even if corresponding relations between materials to material containers are made different for each vending machine. SOLUTION: A main control part 1 is provided with a memory 2 and a card connector 3, with which a memory card 4 which stores beverage data including materials to be used for each merchandise number can be connected. Beverage data, corresponding to merchandise selection buttons, are held in the memory 2, and the preparation of merchandise is operated based on the beverage data. The correspondence table of the material container numbers to the material numbers is set in the memory 2, and the beverage data made to correspond to the merchandise selection button held in the memory 2 are rewritten with the beverage data of the specific merchandise number read from the memory card 4. Also, the material container number of the materials included in the beverage data is confirmed by referring to the correspondence table.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a control device for a cup-type vending machine which prepares a beverage by mixing a plurality of raw materials such as powdery raw materials and syrup, and puts the beverage in a cup.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a cup-type vending machine, various carbonated beverages such as cola, various juices, syrups and powders such as coffee, and water, carbon dioxide gas, sugar, cream, ice, etc. are mixed and then mixed with paper. Sold in cups made of plastic.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the inside of a cup-type vending machine. In FIG. 6, reference numerals 21 to 24 denote raw material containers and 25 to 25, respectively.
28 is a raw material auger motor as a raw material discharging means from the raw material container, 29 is an addition guide, 30 is a stirring container, 31 is a whipper motor as a stirring means in the stirring container, 32 is a hot water tank, 33 is a hot water electromagnetic valve, and 34 is a cup. A container, 35 is a cup drop motor, 36 is a paper cup, and 37 is a cup table.

[0004] Powdered raw materials such as coffee, sugar, cream and the like are separately placed in raw material containers 21 to 24,
Raw material auger motor 2 for raw material container containing necessary raw materials
5 to 28 are operated, the necessary amount of the raw material is discharged to the addition guide 29, and the raw material is put into the stirring container 30. In addition, hot water is stored in a hot water tank 32, and at the time of sale, a hot water electromagnetic valve 33 is opened and a required amount of hot water is poured into a stirring vessel.

On the other hand, a large number of paper cups 36 are stored in a cup container 34, and at the time of sale, a cup drop motor 35 is operated to place the paper cups 36 on a cup table 37.
Take out on top. Then, after putting the raw material and the hot water into the stirring container 30, the whipper motor 31 is operated to stir the inside of the stirring container 30, and then the drink is put into the paper cup 36 for sale.

[0006] Raw materials to be used and their blending ratios are set in advance in the memory of the vending machine for each beverage as beverage data, and the raw materials are blended based on the data at the time of sale.

In such a cup type vending machine,
If the type of beverage to be sold is changed, or if the type of beverage is not changed, but the taste is to be changed, it is necessary to reset the beverage data in the memory. The work is performed by operating the input device 6 inside the vending machine as shown in FIG.
The input device 6 includes a data display 7 and a keyboard 8, while displaying necessary items on the data display 7.
The setting is performed by operating the keyboard 8.

When a large number of vending machines of the same model are installed and their beverage data is set, it is troublesome to repeat the same setting operation for each vending machine. Accordingly, the present applicant has previously used a storage medium such as a memory card, and stored therein the product names, raw materials used, and the mixing ratio of raw materials for each product number of all products. We proposed a cup-type vending machine that allows beverage data to be set in the vending machine by inserting it into the vending machine (Japanese Patent Application No. Hei 10-66175).
issue). By doing so, it is possible to efficiently set the beverage data in many vending machines of the same model.

[0009]

In each vending machine, which of the raw material containers 21, 22,... , Is not fixed. Therefore, even when beverage data is set using a memory card as described above, there is a problem that it is necessary to set which ingredient container each ingredient is in.

The present invention solves such a problem, and even if the correspondence between the raw materials and the raw material containers is different for each vending machine, if the beverage data is set using the memory card, the beverage data is automatically set. The purpose is to allow the user to specify the container.

[0011]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control device for a cup-type vending machine, wherein a memory for storing setting data and a beverage for each product number are stored. A control device for a cup-type vending machine, comprising a card connector to which a memory card can be connected, holding beverage data in the memory corresponding to a product selection button, and dispensing products based on the beverage data. In the memory, a correspondence table between the raw material container number and the raw material number is set in the memory, and the memory stores the beverage data of the specific product number read from the memory card inserted into the card connector. The beverage data associated with the product selection button is rewritten, and the ingredient container number of the ingredient contained in the beverage data is confirmed by referring to the correspondence table. Characterized by being adapted to. In this way, even if the correspondence between the ingredients and the ingredient containers is different for each vending machine, the container can be automatically designated by setting the beverage data using the memory card.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a control device for a cup-type vending machine, wherein when rewriting beverage data corresponding to the product selection button, a product selection button, a return lever, and a function key on the front of the vending machine. Is operated to designate a product selection button and a product. In this way, the setting operation can be performed while confirming the actual arrangement of the cups from the front.

Further, in the control device for a cup-type vending machine according to a third aspect, when setting a correspondence table between the raw material container numbers and the raw material numbers, the controller inputs the product numbers in correspondence with the raw material container numbers. In this manner, the material number corresponding to the input product number is read from the memory card and written in the correspondence table.
In this way, the setting operator can set the container number-raw material number correspondence table only by having the correspondence table between the product number and the product name.

[0014]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a cup-type vending machine of the present invention. The main control unit 1 integrally controls a terminal control unit that controls each unit of the vending machine, such as an input control unit 5, a customer service control unit 9, a sales control unit 12, a coin processing control unit 14, and the like. The main control unit 1 has a memory 2 for storing various setting data, and is provided with a card connector 3 to which a memory card 4 can be connected.

The input control unit 5 is connected to an input device 6 having a data display 7 and a keyboard 8. By operating the keyboard 8 while displaying necessary items on the data display 7, various types of data are displayed. Is set. The customer control unit 9 is connected to a product selection button 10 provided on the front of the vending machine and an amount indicator 11, notifies the main control unit 1 of which product selection button 10 has been pressed, and The amount of money inserted into a coin insertion slot (not shown) is displayed on the amount indicator 11.

The sales control unit 12 mixes various beverages based on a command from the main control unit 1 and then sells them in a cup. The function key 13 is for increasing or decreasing the amount of sugar or cream. Coin processing control unit 14
Identifies the coin inserted into the coin insertion slot, and notifies the main control unit 1 of the result. When the return lever 15 is operated, the inserted coin is returned.

As shown in FIG. 4, the memory 2 of the main control unit 1 includes, as shown in FIG. 3, raw materials used in association with the respective product selection buttons 10 and beverage data indicating their mixing ratios and the like. Further, a container number-raw material number correspondence table is stored.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the memory card 4 has the product number of the beverage sold by the cup-type vending machine,
Beverage data such as a product name, a price, an amount sold at one time, raw materials used, and a blending amount thereof are stored for each beverage. These beverage data are written in the memory card 4 in advance using a personal computer or the like. The memory card 4 is inserted into the card connector 3.

In the main control unit 1, a selection key (see FIG. 5) of the keyboard 8 is pressed, whereby a menu is displayed on the data display 7, and a selection button and a product number setting mode are selected from the menu. Then, a beverage setting mode, which is a mode for setting beverage data corresponding to the selection button, is entered.

The setting operation can be performed using the keyboard 8 while looking at the data display 7 of the input device 6. However, a product selection button 10 provided on the front of the vending machine, a price display 11, a function key 1
3 and the return lever 15 or the like. By doing so, the setting operation can be performed while confirming the actual cup arrangement from the front.

After the selection mode of the selection button and the product number is selected by the keyboard 8 of the input device 6, the product selection button 10 to be set is first pressed. As a result, the sale enable lamp of the pressed button blinks, and the item number of the item that has been set on the button until now is displayed on the amount indicator 11.
Displayed with the first digit blinking. In this state, when the increase button of the function key 13 is pressed, the number of blinking digits increases by one, and when the decrease button is pressed, the number of blinking digits decreases by one.

When the input of the first digit is completed, the return lever 15 is turned. As a result, the amount indicator 11
The blinking digit of the product number displayed in moves to the next digit. The digit is also input in the same manner as described above, and moved to the next digit. When the input of the product number is completed by repeating such an operation, the product selection button 10 is pressed again. As a result, the blinking available lamp changes from blinking to lit, and the display of the amount indicator 11 also turns on all digits.

Then, the beverage data of the product number is read from the memory card 4 inserted in the card connector 3, and the beverage stored in a predetermined area of the memory 2 in the form as shown in FIG. Of the data, the beverage data of the button number of the product selection button 10 pressed by the above setting operation is rewritten. When the rewriting of the beverage data of the corresponding button number is completed in this way, the setting of the product selection button is completed.

On the other hand, the setting of the container number-raw material number correspondence table is performed as follows. First, a selection key (see FIG. 5) of the keyboard 8 is pressed, whereby a menu is displayed on the data display 7, and when the setting mode of the container number-raw material number correspondence table is selected from the menu, the main control unit is activated. 1 enters a container number-raw material number correspondence table setting mode.

Then, the data display 7 of the input device 6
When the setting screen is displayed, it can be set by setting the raw material number of the raw material to be put in the container at the position of the container number of the raw material container to be set. However, in this case, the setting cannot be made unless the correspondence table between the material names and the material numbers is at hand. Then, when the setting screen is displayed, enter the product number in the position of the container number of the raw material container you want to set,
It may be settable. That is, the main control unit 1
When a product number is input, the main ingredient of the corresponding product number is read with reference to the beverage data set in the memory 2 and written as the ingredient number in the container number-material number correspondence table in FIG.

In this case, the setting operator only has the correspondence table between the product number and the product name, and only needs the container number-
You can set the raw material number correspondence table.

[0027]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following effects. That is, the control device of the cup-type vending machine according to claim 1 sets a correspondence table between the raw material container number and the raw material number in the memory, and uses the beverage data of the specific product number read from the memory card. While rewriting the beverage data corresponding to the product selection button held in the memory,
The raw material container number of the raw material included in the beverage data is confirmed by referring to the correspondence table. As a result, even if the correspondence between the raw materials and the raw material containers is different for each vending machine, if the beverage data is set using the memory card, the containers can be automatically specified.

The control device for a cup-type vending machine according to the second aspect of the present invention, when rewriting beverage data corresponding to the product selection button, uses the product selection button, return lever and function key on the front of the vending machine. By operating, a product selection button and a product are designated. As a result, the setting operation can be performed while confirming the actual arrangement of the cups from the front.

Further, the control device for the cup-type vending machine according to the third aspect of the present invention is configured such that, when setting the correspondence table between the raw material container numbers and the raw material numbers, the merchandise numbers are input in correspondence with the raw material container numbers. Then, the material number corresponding to the input product number is read from the memory card and written in the correspondence table. As a result, the configuration worker
The container number-raw material number correspondence table can be set just by having the correspondence table between the product number and the product name.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a control block diagram of a cup-type vending machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing stored contents of a memory card.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of beverage data set in a vending machine.

FIG. 4 is a container number-raw material number correspondence table set in a vending machine.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an input device of the cup-type vending machine.

FIG. 6 is an internal schematic view of a cup-type vending machine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Main control part 2 ... Memory 3 ... Card connector 4 ... Memory card 6 ... Input device 7 ... Data display 10 ... Product selection button 11 ... Amount display 13 ... Function key 15 ... Return lever

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A memory for storing setting data, and a card connector to which a memory card storing beverage data for each product number can be connected, wherein the memory holds beverage data in correspondence with a product selection button. A controller for a cup-type vending machine that mixes products based on the beverage data, wherein a correspondence table between raw material container numbers and raw material numbers is set in the memory, and the card connector While rewriting the beverage data corresponding to the product selection button held in the memory with the beverage data of the specific product number read from the inserted memory card, the raw material container number of the raw material included in the beverage data, A control device for a cup-type vending machine, wherein a check is made with reference to a correspondence table. 2. When rewriting beverage data corresponding to the product selection button, the user selects a product selection button and a product by operating a product selection button, a return lever, and a function key on the front of the vending machine. The control device for a cup-type vending machine according to claim 1, wherein: 3. When setting a correspondence table between the raw material container numbers and the raw material numbers, a product number is input in correspondence with the raw material container numbers, and the raw material numbers corresponding to the input product numbers are stored in the memory. 3. The control device for a cup-type vending machine according to claim 1, wherein said control table is read from a card and written into said correspondence table.