JPH04165489A - Hot cooked food vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the sale of a food in an unheated state by making the number of replenishing input to a storing means when the stock number of the heated and cooked food becomes zero, and turn on a sellout lamp until a heating end signal is inputted from an output means. CONSTITUTION:When several food is remaining in a column 12, and food in an unheated state is supplementary added to that column, the number of supplemented food is stored in the memory, and a timer part starts measuring the heating time from when the supplemented number of the food is inputted to the memory. Next, when all the heated food in the column is sold out, a CPU turns on a sell-out lamp 16. The heating finish signal is outputted when a prescribed heating time is counted by the timer, the CPU turns off the sell-out lamp 16, and the food can be sold. Thus, the sale of the food in the unheated state can be prevented.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention is capable of selling cooked food such as a bento box at a predetermined temperature by keeping it warm inside the main body of a vending machine. The present invention relates to a heated and cooked food vending machine.

[Prior Art] Examples of the structure of a vending machine having the above configuration are as follows.

Inside the main body of the vending machine, there are multiple columns for storing food. Additionally, a steam generator is provided inside the main body to heat and keep the food stored inside the main body warm. Furthermore, the main body itself has an insulating structure to keep the internal temperature warm.

As a result, the food stored in each column is kept warm at about 70° C. by the high-temperature steam generated from the steam generator, and the food sold is always warm.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the vending machine having the above configuration, when some of the food items stored in the column are sold and the stock becomes low, the column may be replenished with additional food items midway through the sale. be.

In this case, if the food was sold immediately after being added to the column, the food would not have been warmed by the high-temperature steam and would be sold cold.

[Object of the Invention] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine in which the food is not sold in a cold state even when the food is added to the column midway through the vending machine.

[Means for Solving the Problem] The heated cooked food vending machine according to claim 1 of the present invention keeps heated cooked food such as bento at a predetermined temperature inside the main body of the vending machine. Accordingly, in a heated cooked food vending machine that sells the food in a warm state, there are multiple columns for storing food, an out-of-stock lamp provided for each column, and the number of heated cooked foods in stock for each column. a first storage means for storing the replenishment number of food items for each column; a second storage means for storing the replenishment number of food items for each column; and a first measuring stage for measuring a predetermined heating time from the time when the replenishment number of food items is stored in the second storage means. and output means for outputting a heating end signal when the measuring means counts the heating time, and from when the number of heated and cooked foods stored in the first storage means becomes zero,
The apparatus comprises a control means for lighting the sold-out lamp until the number of replenishment items is input into the second storage means and a heating end signal is input from the output means.

In the heated cooked food vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention, in the invention according to claim 1, the heating time is increased each time the number of replenishing foods stored in the second storage means increases. It is equipped with a measuring means.

[Function] In the vending machine having the above configuration, the operating state will be explained when there is still some food left in the column and cold food is replenished into the column in this state.

The number of foods replenished is stored in the second storage means. Further, the measuring means measures the heating time from the time when the number of replenishing foods is input into the second storage means.

Then, when all the hot food items in the column have been sold, the control means turns on the sold-out lamp.

When the measuring means counts a predetermined heating time, the output means outputs a heating end signal.

In this case, the control means turns off the sold-out lamp so that the food can be sold.

This prevents food from being sold while it is still warm.

In the heated and cooked food vending machine according to claim 2 of the present invention, the heating time is increased by one measurement each time the number of replenishing foods stored in the second storage means increases.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the block diagram of FIG.

Reference numeral IO designates a vending machine for selling boxed lunches, which represents an embodiment of the present invention. The inside of the main body of this vending machine 10 has a heat insulating structure.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a column for storing boxed lunches, and a plurality of boxed lunches can be stored inside the column 12. Twenty columns 12 are thrown, and each column is provided with column numbers 1 to 20, respectively.

Reference numeral 14 is a selection button provided on the front side of the vending machine 10, and is provided one-to-one with the column 12. The purchaser then presses this selection button 14 to purchase the desired lunch box.

Reference numeral 1B is a sold-out lamp, which lights up when the bento cannot be sold.

Reference numeral 18 denotes a sellable lamp, which lights up when the selection button 14 is pressed if the lunch box in that column 12 is available for sale.

Reference numeral 20 is a coin mech.

Reference numeral 22 is a bill bar.

Reference numeral 24 denotes a steam generator, which is provided inside the main body of the vending machine 10. This steam generator 24 generates high-temperature steam to heat and keep the lunch boxes stored in the column 2 warm.This high-temperature steam keeps the lunch boxes inside the column 12 warm at about 70 degrees. At the same time, it also serves to heat the newly replenished cold lunch box inside the column 12 to about 70°C.

Reference numeral 26 is a microcomputer, which includes a CPU inside.

An I10 port, memory and part of a timer are provided. A selection button 14, a sold-out lamp 16, a sellable lamp 18, a coin mech 20, and a bill validator 22 are connected to the microcomputer 26, respectively. Furthermore, column 12
Because it is heated to a high temperature, it is difficult to install an electrical switch inside it, so the column 12 and the microcomputer 26
There is no electrical connection.

Reference numeral 28 is an operation box for the microcomputer 26, and the microcomputer is operated by operating a numeric keypad provided on the operation box 28.

In the vending machine IO with the above configuration, the sold out lamp 16
The control state in which the light is turned on will be explained based on the microcomputer 26.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the steps for lighting the sold-out lamp 16, and is composed of four steps. The first row of each step shows the status in the column, i.e. how many bentos there are, and whether the bentos are heated or not yet heated, and the second row shows the state in which they are ready for sale. The number of lunch boxes is shown, the third row shows the number of refilled lunch boxes, and the fourth row is the 0N1 sold out lamp.
It shows the state of 0FF, and the fifth row shows the condition for moving to the next step.

In step 1, one heated lunch box is stored inside the column 2. In this case, the microcomputer 26 remembers that there is one bento that can be sold, the number of refilled bentos is 0, and the sold-out lamp 16 is turned off.
It is in a state of

If the boxed lunch is replenished in the column 12 in the state of step 1, the process proceeds to step 2.

In step 2, there is one heated lunch box and four unheated lunch boxes in the column 12.

In other words, four unheated lunch boxes have been replenished.

In this case, the number of lunch boxes that can be sold is 1 heated lunch box.
Furthermore, four lunch boxes are inputted to the microcomputer 2B as the number of lunch boxes to be refilled. Since there is one bento that can be sold, the sold-out lamp 16 is turned off. If the heated lunch box is sold in the state of step 2, step 3
Proceed to.

Further, when the number of refilling lunch boxes is inputted into the operation box 28 as 4, a part of the timer in the microcomputer 28 is activated and starts counting the heating time.

In step 3, the state in the column 12 is such that there are no heated lunch boxes at all, and there are four lunch boxes that have not been heated. In this state, the number of lunch boxes that can be sold is 0.
Also, since the number of lunch boxes to be refilled is 0, the sold-out lamp 16 is in the ON state. In this state, the timer part of the microcomputer 2B is still counting the heating time. When the heating time of a part of the timer of the microcomputer 2B has finished counting up in the state of step 3, it is assumed that the lunch box has been heated, and the process proceeds to step 4.

In step 4, the column 12 is in a state where four heated lunch boxes are stored. The number of lunch boxes that can be sold in this state is four, and the number of lunch boxes to be refilled is O. Therefore, the sold-out lamp 16 changes from ON to OFF.

As described above, in the vending machine 10 having the above configuration, if there is no heated bento in the column 12, the sold-out lamp 1B flashes even if there is a bento in the column 12 that has not yet been heated. This makes it impossible to sell. Therefore, the purchaser can always purchase a warm lunch box.

Note that the heating time may be set to be longer as the number of lunch boxes refilled in the column 12 increases.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the above, in the hot cooked food vending machine of the present invention, the food sold from the vending machine is always warm, and the food that has just been refilled is sold cold. That's not true.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vending machine showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a state in which a sold-out lamp of a microcomputer is turned on. [Explanation of symbols] 〕0...Vending machine 12...Column code 4...Selection button]6...Sold out lamp]8...Sale Possible lamp 20... Coin mech 22... Bill burr 24... Steam generator 26... Microcomputer 28... Operation box

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A heated heated vending machine for cooked food such as a bento box that sells cooked food in a warm state by keeping the food warm at a predetermined temperature inside the main body of the vending machine. , a plurality of columns for storing foods, a sold-out lamp provided for each column, a first storage means for storing the number of cooked foods in stock for each column, and a first storage means for storing the number of replenishable foods for each column. a second storage means; a measurement means for measuring a predetermined heating time from the time when the number of replenishing foods is stored in the second storage means; and an output means for outputting a heating end signal when the measurement means has counted the heating time. , from when the number of heated and cooked foods in stock stored in the first storage means becomes zero, the number of replenishment items is inputted into the second storage means,
A heated and cooked food vending machine comprising: a control means for lighting a sold-out lamp until a heating end signal is input from the output means. 2. The automatic heated cooked food heating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a measuring means configured to measure the heating time longer each time the number of replenishing foods stored in the second storage means increases. vending machine.