JPH0594584A - Cooling / heating control device for vending machines - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Conventionally, in a vending machine that stores or cools or heats a product in a refrigerator for sale, the temperature inside the refrigerator is detected by a temperature sensor such as a thermostat or thermistor, and The refrigerator or heater that cools or heats the inside of the refrigerator is controlled to be turned on and off to keep the temperature constant, but when the thermostat or heater becomes abnormal, the refrigerator or heater remains on or off, and the temperature We will prevent this because we sell defective products. [Structure] The cooling / heating energization abnormality detecting means 1A detects whether or not the ON time or the OFF time of the refrigerator 6 or the heater 7 once exceeds the previously stored limit time, respectively. The cooling / heating device time control means 1B controls the refrigerator 6 or the heater 7 to a predetermined O level.
Control is performed by time control in which N hours and a predetermined OFF time are alternately repeated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises a device for cooling or heating the inside of a store for storing goods, and a cooling / heating device for a vending machine (also abbreviated as a vending machine) for controlling the inside of the store at a predetermined temperature. The present invention relates to a cooling / heating control device for a vending machine, which does not sell a product having a defective temperature even when there is an abnormality in a sensor that detects the temperature inside the refrigerator.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of vending machine, a thermostat, a thermistor or the like is used to detect the temperature inside the refrigerator,
The refrigerator (also abbreviated as MC) that cools the inside of the refrigerator and the heater that also heats the inside of the refrigerator are turned on and off.

[0003]

However, the conventional vending machine described above has a thermostat for detecting the temperature inside the refrigerator,
Even if the thermistor malfunctions and becomes abnormal, this abnormality cannot be detected and the power supply to the MC and heater is kept ON or OFF, so it is impossible to control the temperature inside the refrigerator normally and the product is too cold and icy. Products that were hot and undrinkable were sold, or products that were not cold or products that were not warm were sold. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cooling / heating control device for a vending machine that can solve this problem.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a cooling / heating control device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a cooling / heating means (MC6, which cools or heats the inside of a warehouse for storing products.
A heater 7 or the like), a means (ON / OFF control) for controlling the cooling / heating means (thermistor 4, control unit 1, relay unit 5 or the like) so that the temperature in the refrigerator becomes a predetermined temperature. A means for detecting that the cooling / heating means is turned on or off once for a predetermined time corresponding to each of the two times (cooling / heating current abnormality detecting means 1A, etc.), and based on this detection And a time control means (cooling / heating apparatus time control means 1B or the like) for controlling the cooling / heating means so that at least the ratio of the on-time to the off-time becomes a predetermined value.
Also

According to a second aspect of the cooling / heating control device of the first aspect, in the cooling / heating control device of the first aspect, the on-time and the off-time controlled by the time control means are set to predetermined values.

[0006]

[Function] Detects the energization time (ON time, OFF time) to the relay that turns on or off the MC or the heater, and
N hours or OFF times are predetermined respectively,
When the ON time or the OFF time has elapsed, it is determined that the thermostat, thermistor, etc. is abnormal, and the MC and the heater are controlled by alternately repeating a predetermined ON time and OFF time. In this way, when it is determined that the thermostat, thermistor, or the like is abnormal, the internal temperature control is controlled by time instead of temperature control.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vending machine control circuit as an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a control unit including a CPU, 2 is a storage unit belonging to the control unit 1, 3 is a timer unit, 4 is a thermistor as a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature in the refrigerator, and 6 is a refrigerator. A refrigerator (MC) for operating, a heater 7 for heating the inside of the refrigerator, 5 individually turning on the MC 6 and the heater 7,
It is a relay unit for turning off. 1A and 1B are a cooling / heating energization abnormality detecting means and a cooling / heating device time control means as means for sharing a part of the function of the control unit 1.

The control unit 1 detects the temperature inside the chamber by the thermistor 4, and if the temperature is a temperature at which the MC 6 or the heater 7 should be energized, the relay corresponding to the MC 6 or the heater 7 in the relay unit 5 is turned on, and the MC 6 or The heater 7 or the like is operated to cool or heat the inside of the refrigerator. In addition, in the storage unit 2, MC6
And the maximum time during which the heater 7 is normally turned on, the maximum time during which the heater 7 is normally turned off are stored, and a predetermined on-time per cycle for time control of the MC and the heater is also set when an abnormality occurs. A predetermined OFF time is stored.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation of the main part of the control unit 1 of FIG. Next, FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIG. In the following, the symbols S01 to S33 indicate the steps in FIG. First, in step S01, the thermistor 4
The temperature inside the refrigerator is detected via the controller, and is temporarily stored in the storage unit 2. Then, in step S02, it is checked whether the current control mode is time control or temperature control. Here, in the case of temperature control, the process proceeds to step S03, and it is checked whether the temperature detected in step S01 is a temperature at which the MC 6 or the heater 7 is energized. Then, the MC 6 or the heater 7 is energized via the relay unit 5. Then, in step S05, it is checked whether or not the energization time has exceeded the maximum ON time, and if it is OK (not exceeded), the process returns to step S01. When the energization time is abnormal (that is, exceeds the maximum ON time) in step S05, the process proceeds to step S06, the MC 6 or the heater 7 is turned off, the time control mode is switched to in step S07, and the process returns to step S01.

When it is determined in step S03 that the MC and heater are not at the energized temperature, the power to the MC and heater is turned off in step S31 and the process goes to step S32. The OFF time exceeds the maximum OFF time. Check if there is no, and if it is OK (not exceeded),
Return to step S01. If the OFF time is abnormal in step S32 (that is, exceeds the maximum OFF time), the MC and the heater are energized in step S33, and then the time control mode is switched to in step S07 and the process returns to step S01.

The following is a description of the core control of the present invention, that is, the time control mode that is switched when it is determined that the temperature control mode is abnormal. In the case of the time control mode, it is first checked in step S11 whether or not the present time is the ON time of the operation cycle. If it is the ON time, the MC and the heater are energized in step S12, and the process returns to step S01. .. If it is not the ON time in step S11, it is checked in step S13 whether or not the current operation cycle is the OFF time. If it is the OFF time, the power supply to the MC and the heater is turned off in step S14. Step S0
Returning to step 1, the process returns to step 01 even when it is not the OFF time in step S13. Note that steps S05 and S3 in FIG.
The procedure of 2 corresponds to the function of the cooling / heating energization abnormality detecting means 1A of FIG. 1, and steps S11 to S14 in FIG. 2 also correspond to the function of the cooling / heating device time control means of FIG.

In the above embodiment, the predetermined ON time and the predetermined OFF time are alternately repeated in the time control, but generally, the ratio of the ON time and the OFF time is kept at a predetermined value. Good.

[0013]

According to the present invention, when the thermistor or the thermostat as a sensor for detecting the temperature in the refrigerator fails or the input circuit thereof fails, the temperature sensor controls the MC and the heater. Since the temperature control that keeps the temperature constant is switched to the time control in which a predetermined ON time and a predetermined OFF time are alternately repeated, a product with a poor temperature, that is, a product that is too cold and icy, or a product that is too hot to drink. Or, it is possible to obtain the effect of not selling products that are not cold or have not been heated. Also, this control can be performed without additional circuitry to conventional devices.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vending machine control circuit as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of a main part of a control unit shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Control Part 1A Cooling / Heating Energization Abnormality Detection Means 1B Cooling / Heating Device Time Control Means 2 Storage Part 3 Timer Part 4 Temperature Sensor (Thermistor) 5 Relay Part 6 Refrigerator (MC) 7 Heater

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vending machine provided with a cooling / heating means for cooling or heating the inside of a warehouse for storing goods, and a means for controlling on / off of the cooling / heating means so that the temperature inside the warehouse becomes a predetermined temperature. In the above, at least one means for detecting that the one on-time or off-time of the cooling / heating means exceeds a predetermined time corresponding to each of the two times, and at least the cooling / heating means based on this detection A cooling / heating control device for a vending machine, comprising: a time control means for controlling the ratio of the on time and the off time to a predetermined value. 2. A cooling / heating control device for a vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the on-time and off-time controlled by the time control means are set to predetermined values, respectively. apparatus.