JPH0340192A - Ice discharge device in automatic vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vending machine of the type in which ice is stored in an ice storage tank.

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine for cold drinks, ice is made and dispensed as shown in FIG. An ice storage tank 2 is provided at the top of the ice maker 1, and the ice maker I includes an icing tube 4 around which a refrigerant tube 3 is wound, and a screw 5 for scraping up ice adhering to the inner wall of the icing tube 4. , and a compression member 6 attached to the upper open end of the freezing tube 4.

The ice scraped up by the screw 5 is compressed by the compression member 6 and pushed out from the passage 7 into the ice storage tank 2, and becomes cube-shaped ice pieces 8. 9 is a stirring blade provided in the ice storage tank 2, and a shaft 1 extending from the upper end of the screw 5 to the ice storage tank 2
0 and rotates together with the screw 5 using the drive motor 11 of the screw 5 as a power source. 12 is a dispensing gate provided in the ice storage tank 2; 13 is a water supply port; 14
is a drain.

The operation of the ice maker 1 is as follows. Second limit switch 15.
16. As the amount of ice storage increases,
When the first limit switch 15 detects that the detection plate 17, which is movable up and down at the top of the storage tank 2, is pushed up by the accumulated ice pieces 8 and has reached the upper limit position, the ice maker 1 is activated.
When the ice cubes 8 are removed and the amount of stored ice decreases, the detection plate 17 lowers, and when the second limit switch 16 detects that it has reached the lower limit position, the ice maker l
operation is turned on.

To dispense the ice pieces 8, when the dispensing control unit 18 detects the ice dispensing instruction signal 19, it rotates the drive motor 11 and opens the dispensing gate 12 for a specified time.
It is configured to stir the ice pieces 8 in the storage tank 2 with a stirring R9 and release them from the payout game 12 when it is open.

The ice storage amount determination section 20 is composed of an ice storage amount calculation section 2I, a memory 22, a comparison section 23, and the like. Ice storage amount calculation unit 2
1 includes an ice dispensing instruction signal 19, an operating signal 24 of the ice maker 1, and a first. Second limit switch 15.1 [
i is being input, and during the period until the first limit switch 15 detects the detection plate +7, the ice making machine 1 The amount obtained by multiplying the ice making capacity and the operating time is
The ice storage amount +1Y%, which is output from the ice storage amount calculation unit 21 as the ice storage amount "'Ys" from time to time, and is output when the first limit switch 15 detects the detection plate 17, is updated to the predetermined upper limit storage amount. Ru. The ice storage amount calculation unit 21 calculates the ice storage amount +1 'y S every time it detects the ice dispensing instruction signal 19.
This is corrected by subtracting the required payout amount "y" per payout from 11. The second limit switch 1B is the detection plate 1
7 is detected, the output ice storage amount + 1Ys is updated to the predetermined lower limit storage amount.Ice storage amount calculation unit 2I
The occasional ice storage amount YS determined by
If "YS<YL" is detected, it is determined that the ice is out of water, and the ice storage amount determining section 20 sends an ice dispensing instruction signal 19 to the dispensing control section 18.
Instructs not to perform the payout operation even if it is detected.

Further, conventionally, when a power outage occurs, the memory 22 is cleared immediately after the power is restored, or the memory 22 is cleared only when the power outage time is longer than a specified time.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In such a conventional configuration, when a power outage occurs or the power outage exceeds a specified time, the memory 22 is filled up even though there are enough ice pieces 8 left in the ice storage tank 2. Because the contents are cleared, the comparator 23 determines that the ice is out immediately after the power is restored, and ice removal cannot be performed until the first limit switch 15 detects the detection plate 17 after the power is restored. cannot sell cold product beverages. For this reason, there is a problem in that when a power outage occurs, sales efficiency is greatly reduced.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an ice dispensing device that calculates the amount of ice stored when the power is restored and can shorten the period during which ice cannot be dispensed compared to the conventional method.

Means for Solving the Problems The ice kernel output amount control device of the present invention stores the amount of ice stored in a storage tank in a memory, detects that the amount of ice stored in this memory has decreased to a specified value, −5= It is configured to stop dispensing ice from the ice storage tank when it is determined that the water has run out, and also includes a clock unit that measures the time during a power outage, and a clock unit that measures the time t1 immediately before the power outage stored in the memory. Ice storage amount Y. Based on the set value
It is characterized by the provision of an ice storage amount correction section that updates the ice storage amount.

Effect: According to this configuration, the ice storage amount correction unit corrects the ice storage amount immediately after the power outage, which is written in the memory, based on the time until power restoration and the amount of ice melted per unit time. The amount of ice stored is predicted and it is determined whether the ice can be removed based on the predicted amount of ice stored.

Example Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIG.

Components having the same functions as those in FIG. 2 showing the conventional example will be described with the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows an ice dispensing device of the present invention. The ice storage amount determination unit 20 includes a power outage/power restoration detection unit 25 that detects the occurrence of a power outage and power restoration, and a power outage/power restoration detection unit 25 that starts timing when the power outage/power restoration detection unit 25 detects a power outage and detects power restoration. The clock section 26 outputs the time measurement content (power outage time) t when detected, and the content Y of the memory 22 immediately before the power outage occurs.

and the power outage time t and the set value of ice melting amount per unit time
Based on this, an ice storage amount correction unit 27 is provided which predicts the ice storage amount Y at the time of power restoration by calculating “Y2Y.−(tax)”. The output of the electricity detection section 25 and the expected ice storage amount Y calculated by the ice storage amount correction section 27 are input.

Until a power outage occurs, the ice storage amount calculation unit 21 occasionally outputs the ice storage amount Ys and stores it in the memory 22, as in the conventional example shown in FIG.
is updated, and when power restoration is detected from the power outage/power restoration detection unit 25, the contents of the memory 22 are rewritten to the expected ice storage amount Y calculated by the ice storage amount correction unit 27.

Therefore, immediately after the power is restored, the comparison unit 23 calculates the estimated ice storage amount Y.
If the power outage time t is within the period in which the relationship of "Yo - (t@x) >YL" is established, the water is checked immediately after the power is restored. Even when the control unit I8 detects the ice dispensing instruction signal 19, the necessary amount of ice pieces 8 can be immediately dispensed, and sales efficiency can be improved.

Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, a clock unit measures the time during a power outage, and the time of the clock unit is t1, the amount of ice storage Y immediately before the power outage stored in the memory. Based on the set value
Since we have installed an ice storage amount correction section that updates the ice storage amount (tax), the ice storage amount correction section corrects the ice storage amount immediately before the power outage based on the time until power restoration and the amount of ice melted per unit time, and updates the ice storage amount at the time of power restoration. It is possible to predict the amount of ice stored, and it is determined whether or not ice can be removed based on the predicted amount of ice stored.
Depending on the amount of ice stored just before a power outage, even if the power outage lasts for a long time, if an ice removal instruction is detected immediately after power is restored, stored ice can be immediately removed, making sales more efficient when a power outage occurs than before. It can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the ice dispensing device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional ice dispensing device. 1...Ice maker, 2...Ice storage tank, 8...Ice pieces, 9.
... Stirring blade, 11... Drive motor, 12... Dispensing gate, 18... Dispensing control section, 20... Ice storage amount determination section, 22... Memory, Y... Expected ice storage amount ,
YS... ice storage amount, YL... lower limit amount [specified amount], t.
...Power outage time, X...Amount of ice melt per unit time.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. The amount of ice stored in the storage tank is stored in memory, and when the amount of stored ice stored in this memory is detected to have decreased to a specified value, it is determined that the ice has run out and the removal of ice from the ice storage tank is stopped. and a clock unit that measures the time during the power outage, and the time of the clock unit is set as t, the ice storage amount Y_o immediately before the power outage stored in the memory, and the amount of ice melted per unit time during the power outage. Based on the setting value X,
When power restoration is detected, the contents of the memory are changed from Y_o to Y=Y_
An ice dispensing device equipped with an ice storage amount correction section that updates the amount to o-(t x).