JPH0530224Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to a cup supply device for a vending machine that sells products by pouring them into cups and detects when the cups are sold out.

[Conventional technology]

Figures 3 and 4 show the cup supply mechanism in a cup-type vending machine.

The cup mechanism 1 stores a plurality of cups 3 in cup storage tubes A to F provided on a turret 2. Among these, a position indicated by the symbol A is a cup delivery position, and the cup at the delivery position is are held below the bottom of the turret.

Then, at the time of sale, the cups are allowed to fall one by one downward from the bottom cup at the carry-out position.

In the cup mechanism 1, since the cup ejection position is located at the position of the cup storage cylinder A shown in Fig. 4, it is assumed that a cup detection section is provided at this position to detect the presence or absence of a cup, and 4 and 5 are respectively cup detection points. This is a switch, and will be explained in detail using FIGS. 5 and 6.

A method for detecting the presence or absence of a cup is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

Detection switches 4 and 5 using two micro-switches constitute a cup detection section, of which detection switch 4 is a switch that detects whether a cup is in the cup storage cylinder when the turret rotates. Switch 5 is a sell-out switch that detects when all cup storage cylinders in turret 2 are empty of cups.

When the cup is full, the detection switch 4 is turned on via the actuator 4a as shown in FIG. 5, and the product is sold. When the product (cup) is sold and the state shown in Figure 6 occurs, the detection switch 4 is activated.
The turret 2 is turned OFF, and the cup in the next cup storage tube B is dropped onto the detection switch 4 as shown in FIG. 3, and the detection switch 4 is turned ON again, making it ready for sale. Assuming that the above operation is repeated and the storage cylinder containing the last cup is rotated, and the state shown in Figure 6 is reached, turret 2 will rotate, but no cups will be added, so the number of cups will decrease with each sale. Finally, the vending machine turns off the vending switch 5 to stop selling.

[The problem that the idea aims to solve]

As mentioned above, in the Rikoku with two switches 4 and 5, if one switch serves as both a sell-off switch and a detection switch, it will detect when even one cup storage cylinder without a cup reaches the detection part. This is because the cup must be sold out immediately, so even if there are other cups left, it becomes impossible to sell them.

Such a cup feeding device was developed, for example, in the 1970s.
-Disclosed in Publication No. 15179.

In this way, in conventional vending machine cup supply devices, in order to ensure that cups are not sold out while there are still available cups in the cup supply device, a cup detection switch is required to properly supply cups. This method requires two switches, a sell-off switch and a sell-out switch, and has drawbacks such as the cost of the two switches, the installation time required for the two switches, and the complicated adjustment of the switches.

This idea was developed in a cup-type vending machine.
Reduces the number of cup detection switches, lowers costs,
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a cup supply device that can shorten working time, eliminate the trouble of adjusting switches, and also enable sales without leaving any cups in the cup mechanism and control sold-out operation. do.

[Means to solve the problem]

The cup feeding device for a vending machine of this invention has a plurality of cup storage tubes, as shown in FIG.
and a turret-type cup mechanism having a mechanism for separating and transporting cups one by one from a cup storage cylinder and a plurality of cups held below the cup storage cylinder at the time of sale; A cup detection switch is provided at a position corresponding to the lowest position of the cup, detects the presence or absence of a cup at that position, and outputs a signal, and each time it receives a signal indicating that there is no cup from the cup detection switch, Even if the cup supply means rotates the turret one frame at a time, and the cup supply means rotates the turret when a no-cup signal is received from the cup detection switch,
If the no-cup signal of the cup detection switch is not released, a predetermined number corresponding to the number of cups held below the cup storage tube or 0 is set, and each time a sales signal is received, the set number is increased by 1. A calculation means that performs subtraction or addition and sends out a sold-out signal when the result becomes 0 or a predetermined number; This is achieved by comprising a control means that causes the vending machine to be in a sold-out state upon receiving the signal.

[Effect]

In the above configuration, the cup in the cup storage tube is removed, the output of the detection switch is turned OFF,
When a no-cup signal is output, the turret is rotated, and when there is a cup in the next cup storage tube, the cup is placed in the unloading position and the detection switch is turned on again.
When a cup is found, the cup is taken out from the cup storage tube.

Thereafter, even if the turret rotates, if the cup detection switch remains OFF (no cup), the calculation means subtracts (or adds) 1 from the set value each time a sale is made. When the content of the calculation means reaches 0 (or a predetermined number), a sold-out signal is output, and the vending machine is placed in a sold-out state.

In this way, a single detection switch controls the rotation and sale of the cartridges.

〔Example〕

In FIG. 1, the cup detection switch 10 is
For example, a normal micro switch is used, and is installed in the cup mechanism 1 shown in FIGS. When a predetermined number of cups or more are filled, the actuator of the detection switch 10 comes into contact with the stored cup, and the cup detection switch 10 is turned ON.
When the actuator is no longer in contact with the cup, the cup detection switch 10 is turned OFF.
becomes.

This cup detection switch 10 is provided at a position corresponding to the lowest position of the cup storage cylinder at the cup delivery position of the turret type cup mechanism, and a plurality of cups are held below it. In this embodiment, since the number of cup storage tubes is six, A to F, it is optimal to set the number of cup storage tubes - 1 to five, but this number is not particularly limited.

The CPU 11 is a control device using, for example, a microcomputer, and is connected to the cup detection switch 10.
Detects whether it is ON or OFF. A product selection switch 12 is also connected to the CPU 11, and a sales request signal sent from the product selection switch 12 is read. Furthermore, in the counter 11a in the CPU 11,
A value equal to the number of cups held below the position where the cup detection switch is provided is set.

The CPU 11 receives a signal from the product selection switch 12 and performs the necessary controls for selling a predetermined product, and also performs cup supply control as shown in the flowchart of FIG.

In addition, in FIG. 1, 13 is RAM, 14 is
An amplifier amplifies the output of the CPU 11, 15 is a relay, and 16 is a cup-drop motor.

When the cup drop motor 16 is activated, one cup is removed from the cup mechanism.

To briefly explain this cup supply control, when selling beverages, the bottom cup at the cup delivery position is taken out, and when an OFF signal (no cup) is received from the detection switch 10, the turret is rotated.
When there is a cup in the next cup storage tube, the detection switch is turned on and the cup in that cup storage tube is taken out. Thereafter, when the cup detection switch is turned OFF and the cup detection switch is not turned ON even if the turret is rotated, the counter 11a of the CPU 11 subtracts 1 from the preset data every time a sale is made, and the counter 11a is
When the content of becomes zero, a sold-out signal is output.

The operation will be explained below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the above configuration, at the beginning of sales, a plurality of cups are loaded into each of the cup storage cylinders A, B, C, D, E, and F of the turret 2 of the cup mechanism 1 by the operation of the staff member. As a result, the cup detection switch 10 located at the position of the cup storage tube A (unloading position) is turned on.

Also, at this point, the number of cups held below the position where the detection switch 10 is provided is set in advance in the counter 11a of the CPU 11.
In this embodiment, for example, five are set, and the following explanation will be based on these five.

After this, the product becomes ready to be sold (step S1), and when the product is sold, first one cup is taken out from the cup storage tube A (step S1).
S2).

There are multiple cups (for example, 6 or more) below the cup storage cylinder A, and the cup detection switch 10 is
While it is ON, cups are removed from the cup storage tube A every time there is a sale (steps S1 to
S3).

Next, when the number of cups in the cup storage cylinder A decreases and the cup detection switch 10 is turned off (step S3), the CPU 11 drives the turret drive motor (not shown) to move the turret 2 when selling. Rotate one frame and insert the next cup storage tube B.
Move it to the original position of the cup storage tube A (step S4). Then, when there is a cup in cup storage cylinder B and the cup detection switch is turned on again,
From the next sale, cups can be taken out from cup storage tube B (steps S1 to S5).

Repeat this operation for cup storage cylinders A to F, and even if the turret 2 is rotated, the detection switch 1 will not be activated.
When 0 is no longer ON, counter 11 of CPU 11
A predetermined number 5 is set in a (step S6).

After that, when there is a sale (step S8), the turret 2 is rotated one frame (step S9), and if the cup detection switch remains OFF (step
S10), subtracts 1 from the counter value in the counter 11a, determines whether the counter value is 0 (step S11), and if it is not 0, steps S7~
Repeat the operation of S11, and if the count value is 0
If so (step S11, branch YES), it is assumed that the cup has completely run out, the vending machine is sold out, and sales are stopped (step S12).

In this way, one cup detection switch
If the turret is rotated each time it is turned OFF, but the cup detection switch remains OFF, it will subtract from the predetermined number until it reaches 0, and when it reaches 0, it will output a sold-out signal.

It goes without saying that the counter 11a may be one that is initially set to 0 and counts up each time a sales signal is applied.

[Effect of idea]

As detailed above, according to this invention, by simply providing one cup detection switch, it is possible to sell without leaving any cups in the cup mechanism, and to perform sell-out control. The number of parts can be reduced, the cost of parts can be reduced, the number of assembly steps can be reduced, and the causes of failure can also be reduced.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the circuit shown in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a side view showing an example of the cup mechanism, and Fig. 4 is a A plan view showing an example of the turret used in the cup mechanism shown in the figure, Figs. 5 and 6 are side views showing the operation of the cup detection switch and sell-off switch of the conventional cup mechanism, and Fig. 7 is a complaint response diagram. be. 1... Cup mechanism, 2... Turret, 3...
Cup, 10... Cup detection switch, 11...
CPU, 12...Product selection switch.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A turret-type cup that has a plurality of cup storage tubes and has a mechanism for separating and carrying out cups one by one from the cup storage tube and the plurality of cups held below the cup storage tube at the time of sale. a cup detection mechanism, which is provided at a position corresponding to the lowest position of the cup storage cylinder at the cup delivery position of the cup mechanism of the turret, and which detects the presence or absence of a cup at the position and outputs a signal. a switch; cup supply means for rotating the turret by one frame each time a no-cup signal is received from the cup detection switch; If the no-cup signal of the cup detection switch is not released even if the switch is rotated, a predetermined number corresponding to the number of cups held below the cup storage cylinder or 0 is set, and each time a sales signal is received, a calculation means for subtracting or adding 1 to the set number and sending out a sell-out signal when the result becomes 0 or a predetermined number; 1. A cup supply device for a vending machine, comprising: a control means for placing the vending machine in a sold-out state upon receiving a sold-out signal from the calculation means;