JP2009175851A - Raw material supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a raw material supply device capable of uniformly supplying raw materials. <P>SOLUTION: This raw material supply device is provided with: a mill device 21 for conveying beverage raw materials such as coffee powder, tea leaves, and sugar; a measurement unit 22 by which crushing raw materials C1 conveyed from the mill device 21 is accepted, and to which the prescribed amounts of beverage raw materials are conveyed; and a control means for measuring a reference time since the mill device 21 starts driving until the quantity of beverage raw materials in the measurement unit 22 reaches a set reference quantity, and for determining a driving time for conveyance of the mill device 21 based on the reference time. Thus, it is possible to achieve the conveyance quantity of the crushing raw materials 1C to a desired value since the driving time (driving time for conveyance) of the mill device is determined based on a time (reference time) obtained by actually conveying the crushing raw materials 1C. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a raw material supply apparatus that conveys beverage raw materials such as coffee powder, tea leaves, and sugar.

  Conventionally, this kind of raw material supply apparatus, in particular, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known as a raw material supply apparatus mounted on a vending machine.

  When selling coffee beverages with this vending machine, coffee beans are filled into a measuring device, and the amount of coffee beans is measured in advance with this measuring device, and then the coffee beans are supplied to the mill device. The mill device grinds the coffee beans and conveys the ground material (beverage material) to the coffee extraction device. And a coffee drink is extracted with a coffee extraction apparatus, and is sold to a customer.

  However, in the conventional raw material supply apparatus, since the raw material supply amount is measured at the bean raw material stage, there is a problem that the pulverized raw material cannot be carried out in a uniform amount due to variations in the size of the bean raw material ( JP 2002-186558 A).

On the other hand, there are known raw material supply apparatuses that do not have such problems, that is, raw material supply apparatuses that directly measure and carry out pulverized raw materials (Japanese Utility Model Publication Nos. 58-10180 and 58-11131). Yes.
JP 2002-186558 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 58-10180 Japanese Utility Model Publication No.58-113181

  However, in the raw material supply apparatus of the type that directly measures the pulverized raw material, since the pulverized raw material is measured by a predetermined fixed conveyance time, the raw material conveyance amount per unit time is changed due to the influence of moisture and the like. At times, there was a problem that it was not possible to cope with this change in measurement. Moreover, this raw material supply apparatus conveys a fixed amount of raw material by a fixed conveyance time, and has a problem that the conveyance amount itself cannot be arbitrarily changed.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a raw material supply apparatus capable of increasing / decreasing the driving time for conveyance in response to a change in the external environment such as moisture. Moreover, 2nd invention is providing the drink extraction apparatus which can manufacture a uniform drink by using this raw material supply apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1, a transport apparatus that transports beverage ingredients such as coffee powder, tea leaves, sugar, and the like, and a predetermined amount of beverage raw material transported from the transport apparatus is received. Measuring the standard time from the start of driving the transport device and the beverage material in the scale until the beverage raw material reaches the set reference amount, and for transporting the transport device based on the reference time And a control means for determining the driving time.

  According to the invention of claim 1, since the drive time of the transport device (drive time for transport) is determined based on the time (reference time) obtained by actually transporting the beverage ingredients, the transport amount of the beverage ingredients is Becomes the desired value.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, there is provided an operation command means for a raw material supply operation and an increase command means for instructing a material feed more than a set reference amount, and the control means is controlled by the operation command means. Each time an operation signal is input, the conveyance drive time is determined and the beverage ingredients in the measuring device are controlled to be carried out. When an increase signal is input from the increase command means, a predetermined ratio of the transfer drive time The extended time is determined, and the conveying device is driven again over the extended time to control to discharge the beverage ingredients in the meter.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the conveying device is driven by the operation command means. Further, when the increase signal is output from the increase command means in addition to the operation signal of the operation command means, the increase carry-out operation is performed after the raw material carry-out operation. That is, when an increase signal is output from the increase command means, after the beverage material of the set reference amount is carried out from the measuring instrument, the conveying device and the measuring instrument are again set over the extended time calculated by the control means. Driven and the increased amount of the beverage ingredient is carried out for the extended time. As a result, even if the weighing instrument can only store the beverage ingredients only for the set reference amount, the increased amount can be carried out because the conveying device and the measuring instrument can be driven again and the ingredients can be carried out in a plurality of times. Operation can be performed without any problem.

  The invention of claim 3 comprises the switch that can select at least two raw material carry-out amount levels including the operation command means for performing the raw material supply operation and the switch that can select the smallest raw material carry-out amount in claim 1. An unloading amount setting switch, and a raw material detector for detecting whether or not the beverage raw material in the measuring device has reached the set reference amount by setting the set reference amount to the smallest raw material unloading amount. Each time an operation signal is input from the command means, the conveyance drive time is determined based on the detection signal of the raw material detector, and the beverage raw material in the measuring device is controlled to be carried out. When a switch other than the quantity switch is selected, an extension time of a predetermined ratio of the drive time for transfer is determined, and the transfer device is driven again over the extended time to transfer the transfer material in the measuring instrument. Cormorant control.

  According to the invention of claim 3, when the switch corresponding to the smallest material carry-out amount is selected among the carry-out amount setting switches, the material detector is turned on when the inside of the measuring device becomes the smallest material carry-out amount. To do. When the raw material detector is turned on, the conveying device is stopped and the least beverage raw material in the measuring device is carried out. On the other hand, among the carry-out amount setting switches, a switch other than the switch with the smallest raw material carry-out amount is selected, that is, when a material carry-out amount larger than the set reference amount is requested, the extended time calculated by the control means is used. The conveying device and the measuring device are driven again, and the beverage ingredients are carried out for the extended time.

  The invention of claim 4 is an unloading amount setting switch comprising a switch capable of selecting at least two or more material unloading amount levels including a switch capable of selecting the largest amount of unloading material in the material supply apparatus of claim 1; It is equipped with a raw material detector that detects whether or not the beverage raw material in the measuring device reaches the set reference amount by setting the set reference amount as the largest raw material carry-out amount, and the transport drive time is selected by the carry-out amount setting switch The conveyance device is driven and controlled by changing the time corresponding to the raw material carry-out amount.

  According to the invention of claim 4, when the switch corresponding to the largest amount of raw material carry-out is selected from among the carry-out amount setting switches, the raw material detector is turned on when the raw material carry-out amount becomes the largest in the measuring instrument. To do. When the raw material detector is turned on, the conveying device is stopped, and the largest amount of beverage raw material in the measuring device is carried out. On the other hand, a switch other than the switch with the largest amount of raw material carry-out is selected from among the carry-out amount setting switches. The device is driven. Beverage ingredients are conveyed into the measuring device by driving the conveying device, and the conveying device is stopped before being turned on by the material detector, and then the beverage ingredients in the measuring device are carried out.

  In the raw material supply apparatus according to claim 4, the average time may be calculated based on a plurality of already measured reference times, and the average time may be used as the driving time for conveyance (claim 5). The reference time calculated in the supply operation may be set as the current transport drive time. In the raw material supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the raw material carry-out amount can be set to a desired amount by varying the set reference amount (claim 7). Further, the measuring instrument may be either a volume measuring type or a mass measuring type (claims 8 and 9). Furthermore, this raw material supply apparatus is effective in a beverage extraction apparatus (claim 10).

  According to the present invention, since the driving time of the transport device is determined based on the time obtained by actually transporting the beverage ingredients, a desired amount of beverage ingredients can be obtained even when the external environment such as humidity changes. it can.

  FIGS. 1 to 11 show a first embodiment of a raw material supply apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is an internal structural diagram of a cup-type beverage vending machine, and FIGS. FIG. 9 is a side view, FIG. 8 is a drive control block diagram of the raw material supply apparatus, FIG. 9 is a flow chart for setting the drive time for unloading, FIG. 10 is a flow chart for carrying out the crushed raw material, and FIG.

  The internal structure of a vending machine equipped with the raw material supply apparatus according to this embodiment, that is, a cup-type beverage vending machine will be described with reference to FIG.

  This vending machine 1 crushes and crushes the raw material storage part 10 which stores raw materials, such as coffee beans and sugar, and the raw material conveyed from the raw material storage part 10 (specifically, coffee beans storage unit 11 described later). The raw material supply device 20 that measures and carries out the raw material (beverage raw material), the beverage extraction device 30 that receives the crushed raw material carried out from the raw material supply device 20 and extracts the beverage, and the raw material storage unit 10 and the beverage extraction device 30 The water supply part 40 which supplies hot water etc., and the drink provision part 60 which throws in an extracted drink, sugar, etc. into the cup 50 and provides as a cup drink are provided.

  Here, the raw material storage unit 10 includes a coffee beans container 11 for storing coffee beans, a coffee powder container 12 for storing ground coffee raw materials, a cream container 13 for storing cream, and a chocolate container 14 for storing chocolate. And a sugar container 15 for storing liquid sugar or the like, and various raw materials corresponding to coffee drinks are mounted. Moreover, the drink extraction apparatus 30 is a well-known thing, mixes a coffee raw material and hot water, and manufactures a coffee drink. Furthermore, the water supply part 40 supplies the water of the reserve tank 41 to the boiler 43 with the pump 42, and the hot water produced | generated with the boiler 43 is supplied to the mixing apparatus 16 by the side of the beverage extraction device 30, the cream container 13 and the chocolate container 14 Supply. Furthermore, the beverage providing unit 60 is provided with the cup 50. First, the cup 50 is unloaded from the cup supply device 70 and then moved to the beverage providing unit 60 by the cup transport device 80. It is installed in the providing unit 60. Sugar or cream is added to the cup 50 installed in the beverage providing unit 60 according to the coffee beverage or the taste produced by the beverage extraction device 30 and provided to the purchaser of the coffee beverage.

  The configuration as described above is the same as that of the conventional vending machine, and the feature of the vending machine according to the present embodiment is the configuration and drive control of the raw material supply apparatus 20. First, the structure of the raw material supply apparatus 20 will be described mainly with reference to FIGS.

  The raw material supply device 20 includes a mill device 21 that pulverizes the coffee beans conveyed from the coffee bean container 11 and a measuring device 22 that measures the pulverized raw material conveyed from the mill device 21.

  The mill device 21 has a well-known structure. To briefly describe the structure, the inlet side of the mill device 21 is installed on the raw material carry-out side of the coffee bean container 11 (the lower end of the coffee bean container 11 in FIG. 1). The outlet side of the mill device 21 is connected to the inlet of the measuring device 22. The mill device 21 has a crushing blade 21a and a mill motor 21b. The grinding blade 21a is rotated by driving the mill motor 21b, whereby the grinding blade 21a grinds the coffee beans in the mill device 21, and further conveys the ground raw material (beverage raw material) C1 into the measuring device 22. . Therefore, the mill device 21 also functions as a transport device that transports beverage ingredients.

  The measuring instrument 22 includes a raw material storage box 22a for storing raw materials, a partition plate 22b for partitioning the inside of the raw material storage box 22a, an adjustment plate 22c for setting the raw material storage amount of the raw material storage box 22a, a partition plate 22b and an adjustment plate 22c. Detecting whether or not the raw material carry-out solenoid 22d to be rotated, the return spring 22f connected to the solenoid 22d via the connecting member 22e, and the pulverized raw material C1 have reached the set reference amount V1 (shown in FIG. 4). And a raw material detector 22g having a microswitch configuration.

  Below the partition plate 22b of the measuring instrument 22, as shown in FIG. 2, there is a material storage space 22h having a substantially sectoral cross section into which the pulverized material C1 is carried. The raw material storage space 22h is opened to the outlet side of the mill device 21 so that the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed from the mill device 21.

  The partition plate 22b is installed in the raw material storage box 22a. As the amount of raw material transported to the raw material storage space 22h increases, the partition plate 22b is pushed up by the pulverized raw material C1, as shown in FIG. Is rotated upward.

  The adjustment plate 22c rotates in conjunction with the partition plate 22b, and the interval between the adjustment plate 22c and the material detector 22g is set to W1, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, and the partition plate 22b is set by this interval W1. The amount of rotation upward is set.

  The solenoid 22d is connected to the adjusting plate 22c via the connecting member 22e. When the solenoid 22d is energized, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, the adjusting plate 22c and the adjusting plate 22c are resisted against the elastic force of the return spring 22f. The partition plate 22b rotates downward, and the crushed raw material C1 in the raw material storage space 22h is dropped and carried out toward the beverage extraction device 30. On the other hand, when the energization to the solenoid 22d is finished, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 6, the adjusting plate 22c and the partition plate 22b are rotated upward by the elastic force of the return spring 22f, and the crushed raw material C1 The conveyance of is completed. The raw material detector 22g detects whether or not the adjustment plate 22c has rotated a predetermined angle. When the adjusting plate 22c rotates beyond the interval W1, the raw material detector 22g is turned on, and it is detected that the pulverized raw material C1 has reached the set reference amount V1.

  The raw material supply apparatus 20 configured as described above has a drive control circuit shown in FIG. That is, the raw material supply apparatus 20 is driven and controlled by a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer) 23. The timer 23a of the microcomputer 23 measures the drive time of the mill device 21, specifically, the drive time of the mill motor 21b, and measures the drive time of the measuring device 22, specifically, the drive time of the solenoid 22d. The memory 23b of the microcomputer 23 stores the driving time measured by the timer 23a. The CPU 23c of the microcomputer 23 drives the mill motor 21b and the solenoid 22d as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 based on signals input from the product switch 24 (operation command means), the raw material detector 22g, the increase switch 25a and the decrease switch 25b. It comes to control.

  The product switch 24 is an activation switch that is pressed when purchasing a coffee beverage, the increase switch 25a is a switch that is pressed when darkening the coffee beverage, and the decrease switch 25b is a switch that is pressed when thinning the coffee beverage. Further, the raw material detector 22g is installed (not shown) so as to be turned on in a short time from the start of driving of the mill motor 21b (start of conveyance of the pulverized raw material C1), and corresponds to the raw material carry-out amount with the smallest conveyance drive time Ts of the mill motor 21b. It has become time.

  Here, when the reduction switch 25b and the product switch 24 are turned on, the drive time of the mill motor 21b is set to the transport drive time Ts, and when only the product switch 24 is turned on, the drive time of the mill motor 21b is transported drive time Ts. When the additional drive time TsC is set and the increase switch 25a and the product switch 24 are turned on, the drive time of the mill motor 21b is longer than the drive time TsC in addition to the transport drive time TsC. Is set.

  FIG. 9 shows the carry-out drive time setting control related to the mill device 21. First, in a standby state in which the solenoid 22d is off, as shown in FIG. 2, the partition plate 22b and the adjustment plate 22c are urged upward by the elastic force of the return spring 22f. The microcomputer 23 monitors whether or not the product switch 24 is turned on. When the product switch 24 is turned on, the microcomputer 23 drives the mill device 21 and the timer 23a starts measuring the drive time of the mill device 21. (S1, S2, S3). As shown in FIG. 3, the mill device 21 drives the ground coffee material C1 of coffee beans into the raw material storage space 22h. As the carry-in amount of the pulverized raw material C1 increases, the partition plate 22b is pushed up as shown in FIG. 4, and accordingly, the adjustment plate 22c also rotates upward, and the adjustment plate 22c approaches the raw material detector 22g. Go. When the adjustment plate 22c presses the raw material detector 22g and the raw material detector 22g is turned on, the mill device 21 stops and the timer 23a finishes measuring the driving time of the mill device 21 (S4, S5). S6). And the continuation time (reference | standard time) from the time measurement start of timer 23a to the time measurement end is memorize | stored in the memory 23b as drive time Ts for carrying out of the mill apparatus 21 (S7).

  FIG. 10 shows the raw material carry-out control of the measuring instrument 22. That is, for example, when the raw material detector 22g detects the adjustment plate 22c in step S4 described above, the solenoid 22d is energized for a predetermined time Ta (S11, S12). Thereby, as shown in FIG. 5, the partition plate 22b and the adjusting plate 22c rotate downward by the elastic force of the return spring 22f, and this state continues for a predetermined time Ta. As a result, the pulverized raw material C1 stored in the raw material storage space 22h is carried out. Thereafter, the solenoid 22d is stopped (S13). As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the partition plate 22b and the adjustment plate 22c are rotated upward by the elastic force of the return spring 22f, and stored in the raw material storage box 22a. Here, when the process of step S11-S13 was the 1st time, step S11-S13 are repeated again. And when this process becomes the 2nd time, a raw material carrying-out process is complete | finished (S14). The crushed raw material 1C (FIG. 6) that could not be carried out by one raw material carrying-out operation is carried out without being left over by the second raw material carrying-out step (FIG. 7). Note that the downward rotation of the partition plate 22b and the adjustment plate 22c stops at a predetermined angle and vibrates due to the elastic force of the return spring 22f at the time of the stop. It is carried out.

  The raw material carry-out control by each switch 24, 25a, 25b which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG. First, the above-described transfer drive time measurement control and raw material carry-out control are similarly applied to this embodiment (S21, S22), and the smallest amount of crushed raw material 1C is carried out. Here, it is determined whether the increase switch 25a is on (S23) or the decrease switch 25b is on (S24). Here, when the increase switch 25a is on, TsB is calculated by multiplying the unloading drive time Ts stored in the memory 23b by B% (for example, 20%) (S25). That is, the mill device 21 is driven again over the driving time TsB, and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring instrument 22 (S26, S27, S28, S29). When this conveyance operation is completed, the material carry-out control shown in FIG. 10 is performed again (S30). Thereby, the largest amount of raw material is additionally conveyed.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that only the product switch 24 is turned on, TsC is calculated by multiplying the unloading drive time Ts stored in the memory 23b by C% (for example, 10%) (S31). That is, the mill device 21 is driven again over the drive time TsC, and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring instrument 22 (S32, S33, S34, S35). When this conveyance operation is completed, the material carry-out control shown in FIG. 10 is performed again (S36). Thereby, the additional conveyance of the grinding | pulverization raw material C1 is performed.

  Further, when it is determined that the weight reduction switch 25b is turned on, the mill device 21 and the solenoid 22d are not driven again, and are terminated by the first material unloading.

  According to this embodiment, since the measuring device 22 measures the pulverized raw material C1, the raw material can be accurately measured as compared with the case of measuring with the bean raw material.

  Also, the unloading drive time Ts of the mill device 21 is determined each time depending on the time from the start of driving of the mill device 21 until the inside of the measuring instrument 22 reaches the set reference amount, and the unloading drive time Ts is the atmosphere (especially humidity). ) And the like, and therefore when adding the pulverized raw material C1 (when only the product switch 24 is on and when the increase switch 25a is on), it is added. The amount is an appropriate value.

  Furthermore, when a thick beverage is produced by increasing the amount of raw material, it is carried out in two portions, so even if the raw material storage space 22h of the measuring device 22 is of a type that cannot be automatically changed, the increase control can be performed without any problem. It can be performed.

  FIG. 12 shows a second embodiment of the raw material supply apparatus according to the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the carry-out drive time Ts of the mill device 21 is controlled every time the raw material supply operation is performed. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the reference time of the mill device 21 is measured a plurality of times, an average value of the measured reference times is calculated, and this average value is set as the unloading drive time Ts1. Yes. Hereinafter, the setting process of the unloading drive time Ts1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, it is monitored whether or not the product switch 24 is turned on. When the product switch 24 is turned on, the mill device 21 is driven, and the timer 23a starts measuring the drive time of the mill device 21 (S41, S42). , S43). When the adjustment plate 22c presses the raw material detector 22g and the raw material detector 22g is turned on, the mill device 21 stops and the timer 23a finishes measuring the driving time of the mill device 21 (S44, S45, S46). The above steps S41 to S46 are the same as steps S1 to S6 which are steps for setting the reference time Ts according to the first embodiment.

  The feature point of this embodiment is after step S46. That is, after step S46, the driving time (reference time) of the mill device 21 is temporarily stored in the memory 23b (S47), and further, it is determined whether or not the number of times N of driving time has reached the set number of times Ns. (S48). Here, when the number of measurements N is equal to or greater than the set number of measurements Ns, an average value is calculated based on the measured mill drive time (reference time Ts), and this average value is set as the unloading drive time Ts1. (S49). Thereafter, the material conveyance control shown in FIG. 11 is performed based on the unloading drive time Ts1.

  In this way, since the conveyance drive time of the mill device 21 is determined based on the average value of the plurality of reference times Ts, the raw material supply amount does not vary greatly. Other configurations and operations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

  13 and 14 show a third embodiment of the raw material supply apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 13 is a drive control block diagram of the raw material supply apparatus, and FIG. 14 is a pulverized raw material conveyance control flowchart. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the second embodiment, the set reference amount is set to the smallest raw material carry-out amount. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the set reference amount is set to the largest raw material carry-out amount. That is, the product switch 24 is an activation switch that is pressed when purchasing a coffee beverage, the increase switch 25a is a switch that is pressed when darkening the coffee beverage, and the weight reduction switch 25b is a switch that is pressed when thinning the coffee beverage. . Further, the raw material detector 22g is installed (not shown) so as to be turned on for a long time from the start of driving of the mill motor 21b (start of conveyance of the pulverized raw material C1), and corresponds to the raw material carry-out amount with the shortest conveyance drive time Ts of the mill motor 21b It has become time.

  Here, when the increase switch 25a and the product switch 24 are turned on, the drive time of the mill motor 21b is set to the transport drive time Ts1, and when only the product switch 24 is turned on, the drive is, for example, -10% from the carry-out drive time Ts1. When the reduction switch 25b and the product switch 24 are turned on at the time Ts3, the driving time Ts2 is set to, for example, -20% of the carry-out driving time Ts1.

  The raw material carry-out control by each switch 24, 25a, 25b which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated with reference to FIG. First, the transfer drive time measurement control already described in the second embodiment is applied in this embodiment (S51). That is, the conveyance drive time Ts2 is calculated from the average value of the reference times and stands by. Here, it is monitored whether the product switch 24, the increase switch 25a, and the decrease switch 25b are turned on (S52, 53, 54).

  Here, when it is determined that the product switch 24 and the weight reduction switch 25b are on, the drive time Ts2 stored in the memory 23b is set (S55). Then, the mill motor 21b is driven over the unloading drive time Ts2 (S56, S57, S58, S59), and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring device 22. When it is determined that only the product switch 24 is on, the transport drive time Ts3 stored in the memory 23b is set (S60). Then, the mill motor 21b is driven over the driving time Ts3 (S61, S62, S63, S64), and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring device 22. When it is determined that the product switch 24 and the increase switch 25a are turned on, the product is driven with the transport drive time Ts2, and the maximum amount of the pulverized raw material C1 is transported to the measuring device 22. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10, the pulverized raw material C1 is unloaded from the measuring instrument 22 (S65).

  According to the present embodiment, since the magnitude relationship between the carry-out drive times Ts2 to Ts4 is Ts2> Ts3> Ts4, by selecting the switches 24, 25a and 25b, the pulverized raw material C1 is carried out in three kinds of raw materials. Can be carried out in quantity.

  15 and 16 show a fourth embodiment of the raw material supply apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 15 is a drive control block diagram of the raw material supply apparatus, and FIG. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the raw material supply apparatus according to the first embodiment and the third embodiment, the carry-out amount of the pulverized raw material C1 is changed by the increase switch and the decrease switch. On the other hand, the raw material supply apparatus according to the present embodiment has a carry-out amount setting switch 26 that changes the carry amount of the pulverized raw material C1 instead of these switches.

  First, an embodiment based on the least transport material will be described below.

  The carry-out amount setting switch 26 according to the present embodiment includes a first carry-out level switch 26a, a second carry-out level switch 26b, and a third carry-out level switch 26c.

  The first unloading level switch 26a is a switch for selecting the smallest material unloading amount. Here, the raw material detector 22g is installed to turn on in a short time from the start of driving of the mill motor 21b (start of conveyance of the pulverized raw material C1) (not shown), and the time corresponding to the raw material carry-out amount with the shortest driving time of the mill motor 21b. It has become. The second unloading level switch 26b is a switch that is selected when a larger amount than the smallest amount of unloading material is conveyed, and the third unloading level switch 26c is more than the unloading amount of the material of the second unloading level switch 26b. This switch is selected when carrying a large amount.

  The raw material supply apparatus according to this embodiment is driven and controlled by a microcomputer 27 equipped with a timer 27a, a memory 27b, and a CPU 27c. The timer 27a measures the drive time of the mill motor 21b and measures the drive time of the solenoid 22d. The memory 27b stores the drive time measured by the timer 27a. The CPU 27c controls the driving of the mill motor 21b and the solenoid 22d as shown in FIG. 16 based on signals input from the product switch 24 (operation command means), the raw material detector 22g, and the carry-out amount setting switch 26.

  Raw material carry-out control by the carry-out amount setting switch 26 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the conveyance drive time measurement control and the raw material carry-out control already described in the first embodiment are similarly applied in this embodiment (S71, S72), but the first carry-out amount of the measuring instrument 22 is the largest. The amount is small. Thereafter, it is determined which one of the first carry-out level switch 26a to the third carry-out level switch 26c is on (S73, S74, S75).

  Here, when it is determined that the third carry-out level switch 26c is turned on, TsC is calculated by multiplying the carry-out drive time Ts stored in the memory 27b by C% (for example, 20%) (S76). ). That is, the mill device 21 is driven again over the drive time TsC, and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring instrument 22 (S77, S78, S79, S80). When this conveyance operation is completed, the material carry-out control shown in FIG. 11 is performed again (S81). Thereby, most raw materials are conveyed.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the second carry-out level switch 26b is on, TsB is calculated by multiplying the carry-out drive time Ts stored in the memory 27b by B% (for example, 10%) (S82). . That is, the mill device 21 is driven again over the drive time TsB, and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring instrument 22 (S83, S84, S85, S46). When this conveyance operation is completed, the material carry-out control shown in FIG. 11 is performed again (S87). Thereby, raw material conveyance is performed by the 2nd conveyance amount.

  Further, when it is determined that the first carry-out level switch 26a is on, the mill device 21 and the solenoid 22d are not driven. It has been completed by the first raw material carry-out.

  As described above, the raw material carry-out control according to the present embodiment carries out the pulverized raw material C1 based on the smallest carry-out amount.

  17 and 18 show a fifth embodiment of a raw material supply apparatus according to the present invention. The same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the fourth embodiment, the set reference amount is set to the smallest raw material carry-out amount. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the set reference amount is set to the largest raw material carry-out amount.

  The raw material supply apparatus according to this embodiment has a carry-out amount setting switch 28. The carry-out amount setting switch 28 includes a first carry-out level switch 28a, a second carry-out level switch 28b, and a third carry-out level switch 28c.

  The first carry-out level switch 28a is a switch for selecting the largest raw material carry-out amount. Here, the raw material detector 22g is installed so as to be turned on when a relatively long time has elapsed from the start of driving of the mill motor 21b (start of conveyance of the pulverized raw material C1) (not shown), and the raw material unloading with the longest driving time of the mill motor 21b is performed. It is time corresponding to the amount. The second carry-out level switch 28b is a switch that is selected when carrying a smaller amount than the largest amount of raw material carried, and has a mill drive time (Ts3) that is shorter than the reference time. The third unloading level switch 28c is a switch that is selected when the material is transported by a smaller amount than the unloading amount of the second unloading level switch 28b, and has a mill driving time (Ts4) that is shorter than the mill driving time Ts3. ing.

  The raw material supply apparatus according to this embodiment is driven and controlled by a microcomputer 29 equipped with a timer 29a, a memory 29b, and a CPU 29c. The timer 29a measures the drive time of the mill motor 21b and measures the drive time of the solenoid 22d. The memory 29b stores the driving time measured by the timer 29a. The CPU 29c controls driving of the mill motor 21b and the solenoid 22d as shown in FIG. 17 based on signals input from the product switch 24 (operation command means), the raw material detector 22g, and the carry-out amount setting switch 28.

  Raw material carry-out control by the carry-out amount setting switch 28 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the transfer drive time measurement control already described in the third embodiment is applied in this embodiment (S91). That is, the conveyance drive time Ts2 is calculated from the average value of the reference times and stands by. Here, it is monitored whether or not the product switch 24 is turned on (S92). When the product switch 24 is turned on, it is determined which of the first carry-out level switch 28a to the third carry-out level switch 28c is turned on (S93, S94, S95).

  Here, when it is determined that the first carry-out level switch 28a is on, the conveyance drive time Ts2 stored in the memory 29b is set (S96). Then, the mill motor 21b is driven over the unloading drive time Ts2 (S97, S98, S99, S100), and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring device 22. When it is determined that the second carry-out level switch 28b is on, the conveyance drive time Ts3 stored in the memory 29b is set (S101). Then, the mill motor 21b is driven over the unloading drive time Ts3 (S102, S103, S104, S105), and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring device 22. When it is determined that the third carry-out level switch 28c is on, the conveyance drive time Ts4 stored in the memory 29b is set (S106). Then, the mill motor 21b is driven for the unloading drive time Ts4 (S107, S108, S109, S110), and the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed to the measuring device 22. The pulverized raw material C1 stored in the measuring instrument 22 by the operation as described above is carried out by the raw material carry-out control shown in FIG. 10 (S111).

  According to this embodiment, since the magnitude relationship between the carry-out drive times Ts2 to Ts4 is Ts2> Ts3> Ts4, the first carry-out level switch 28a, the second carry-out level switch 28b, and the third carry-out level switch 28c are selected. By doing so, the pulverized raw material C1 is carried out in three kinds of raw material carry-out amounts.

  19 to 22 show a sixth embodiment of the raw material supply apparatus according to this embodiment. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In each of the above embodiments, the interval between the adjustment plate 22c and the raw material detector 22g is set to W1, and the amount of rotation upward of the partition plate 22b is set by this interval W1. On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 19 to 22, the adjustment plate 22c is rotated in the vertical direction, and the interval between the adjustment plate 22c and the material detector 22g can be arbitrarily changed. ing. Here, as shown in FIG. 19, the interval between the adjusting plate 22c and the material detector 22g is set to W2. The width of the interval W2 is wider than the width of the interval W1, and accordingly, the time until the material detector 22g detects the adjustment plate 22c becomes longer. As a result, when the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed from the mill device 21 to the measuring instrument 22, as shown in FIG. 20, the pulverized raw material C1 that is larger than the set reference amount V1 is conveyed and is discharged from the measuring instrument 22. The carry-out amount of C1 increases.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21, the interval between the adjusting plate 22c and the material detector 22g can be set to W3. The width of the interval W3 is narrower than the width of the interval W1, and accordingly, the time until the raw material detector 22g detects the adjustment plate 22c is shortened. Thus, when the pulverized raw material C1 is conveyed from the mill device 21 to the measuring instrument 22, as shown in FIG. 22, the pulverized raw material C1 that is less than the set reference amount V1 is conveyed and is discharged from the measuring instrument 22. The amount of unloading is reduced.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the set reference amount can be arbitrarily changed by changing the intervals W1, W2, and W3 between the adjusting plate 22c and the raw material detector 22g. In addition, the raw material carry-out amount can be adjusted.

  FIGS. 23 to 29 show a seventh embodiment of the raw material supply apparatus according to the present embodiment. FIGS. 23 to 26 are side views showing a coffee raw material carry-out process, and FIG. 27 is a drive control block of the raw material supply apparatus. FIG. 28 is a flowchart for setting the drive time for unloading, and FIG. 29 is a flowchart for unloading the coffee raw material. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  In the above embodiment, a solenoid is used as the raw material carry-out mechanism. In contrast, the present embodiment uses the raw material carry-out motor 100. The raw material carry-out motor 100 is reversibly driven to be connected to the partition plate 22b and the adjustment plate 22c. Here, as shown in FIG. 26, when the partition plate 22b and the adjustment plate 22c are rotated downward (forward rotation), the crushed raw material C1 in the raw material storage space 22h is dropped and carried out toward the beverage extraction device 30. It is supposed to be. The timer 101a of the microcomputer 101 measures the driving time of the raw material carry-out motor 100 as well as the driving time of the mill motor 22d, and these driving times are stored in the memory 101b (FIG. 27).

  FIG. 28 shows the carry-out drive time setting control related to the mill device 21. First, it is monitored whether or not the product switch 24 is turned on. When the product switch 24 is turned on, the mill device 21 is driven, and the timer 101a starts measuring the drive time of the mill device 21 (S121, S122). , S123). As shown in FIG. 24, the mill device 21 is driven to carry the ground coffee material C1 into the raw material storage space 22f. As the carry-in amount of the pulverized raw material C1 increases, the partition plate 22b is pushed up as shown in FIG. 25. With this, the adjustment plate 22c also rotates upward, and the adjustment plate 22c approaches the raw material detector 22g. Go. When the adjustment plate 22c presses the raw material detector 22g and the raw material detector 22g is turned on, the mill device 21 stops and the timer 23a finishes measuring the drive time of the mill device 21 (S124, S125, S126). And the continuation time from the time measurement start of the timer 23a to the time measurement end is memorize | stored in the memory 23b as the drive time Ts for carrying out of the mill apparatus 21 (S127).

  FIG. 29 shows the raw material carry-out control of the measuring instrument 22. That is, when the raw material detector 22g detects the adjustment plate 22c in step S124 described above, the raw material carry-out motor 100 is driven over the motor forward rotation time Tw (S131, S132, S133). Thereby, as shown in FIG. 26, the adjustment plate 22 c and the partition plate 22 b rotate downward, and the crushed raw material C <b> 1 is dropped and carried out toward the beverage extraction device 30. Here, the raw material carry-out motor 100 stops for a predetermined time (motor stop time Tc) (S134), and the crushed raw material C1 accommodated in the measuring device 22 is completely carried out. When the motor stop time Tc ends, the raw material carry-out motor 100 is driven over the motor reverse rotation time Tc (S135, S136, S137). As a result, as shown in FIG. 23, the adjustment plate 22c and the partition plate 22b return to their original positions and enter a standby state.

  In the present embodiment, the pulverized raw material 1C conveyed into the measuring instrument 22 is carried out by the raw material carry-out motor 100, and the solenoid is not used as in the first to fifth embodiments. It is possible to perform all the controls described in the second to fifth embodiments as well as the increase control in the first embodiment.

  Moreover, although the measuring instrument 22 according to each of the above embodiments sets the set reference amounts V1, V2, and V3 based on the volume measurement of the pulverized raw material C1 stored in the raw material storage space 22h, the set reference amount based on the mass measurement. It may be a measuring instrument (not shown) for setting

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the pulverized raw material C1 obtained by pulverizing the coffee beans has been described as a beverage raw material. However, instant coffee, powdered cream, granular sugar, and tea leaves can be transported. It can be applied to any beverage ingredient.

  Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the average value of the drive time (reference time) of the mill motor 21b is obtained and used as the carry-out drive time. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the reference time measured in the previous raw material carry-out operation may be replaced and set as the current carry-out drive time as the carry-out drive time.

Internal structure diagram of cup-type beverage vending machine The side view which shows the standby state of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 1st Embodiment The side view which shows the raw material carrying-in state of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 1st Embodiment The side view which shows the state which reached the setting reference amount V1 of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The side view which shows the 1st raw material carrying-out state of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The side view which shows the return operation of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 1st Embodiment The side view which shows the 2nd raw material carrying-out state of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. Drive control block diagram of the raw material supply apparatus according to the first embodiment Flow chart for setting the drive time for unloading according to the first embodiment Flow chart for carrying out pulverized raw material according to the first embodiment Increase / decrease flow chart of pulverized raw material according to the first embodiment Flowchart showing calculation control of unloading drive time according to the second embodiment. Drive control block diagram of raw material supply apparatus according to third embodiment Flow chart for discharging pulverized raw material according to the third embodiment Drive control block diagram of raw material supply apparatus according to fourth embodiment Flow chart for discharging crushed raw materials according to the fourth embodiment Drive control block diagram of raw material supply apparatus according to fifth embodiment Flow chart for discharging pulverized raw material according to the fifth embodiment The side view which shows the state where the space | interval of the adjustment plate and raw material detector which concerns on 6th Embodiment is W2. Side view showing set reference amount V2 at interval W2 according to the sixth embodiment. The side view which shows the state whose space | interval of the adjustment plate and raw material detector which concerns on 6th Embodiment is W3 Side view showing the set reference amount V3 at the interval W3 according to the sixth embodiment. Side view showing the standby state of the raw material unloading process according to the seventh embodiment The side view which shows the raw material carrying-in state of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 7th Embodiment The side view which shows the state which reached the setting reference amount V1 of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 7th Embodiment The side view which shows the raw material carrying-out state of the raw material carrying-out process which concerns on 7th Embodiment Drive control block diagram of raw material supply apparatus according to seventh embodiment Unloading drive time setting flowchart according to the seventh embodiment Flow chart for carrying out pulverized raw material according to the seventh embodiment

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vending machine, 20 ... Raw material supply apparatus, 21 ... Mill apparatus, 22 ... Metering device, 22d ... Solenoid, 22g ... Raw material detector, 23, 27, 29, 101 ... Microcomputer, 24 ... Product switch, 26, 28 ... unloading amount setting switch, 100 ... raw material conveying motor, C1 ... pulverized raw material, V1, V2, V3 ... set reference amount.

Claims (10)

A transport device for transporting beverage ingredients such as coffee powder, tea leaves and sugar;
A measuring instrument for receiving a beverage ingredient conveyed from the conveying device and carrying out a predetermined amount of the beverage ingredient;
Control means for measuring a reference time from when the transport device starts to drive until the beverage ingredient in the meter reaches a set reference amount, and for determining the transport drive time of the transport device based on the reference time And a raw material supply device. An operation command means for raw material supply operation and an increase command means for commanding more material conveyance than the set reference amount,
The control means determines that the transport drive time is determined each time an operation signal is input from the operation command means and carries out the beverage ingredients in the measuring device, and an increase signal is input from the increase command means. When it is determined, an extension time of a predetermined ratio of the driving time for transport is determined, and the transport device is driven again over the extended time so as to carry out the beverage ingredients in the meter. The raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1. Operation command means for performing raw material supply operation;
An unloading amount setting switch capable of selecting at least two raw material unloading levels including a switch capable of selecting the smallest unloading amount;
A raw material detector configured to detect whether or not the beverage raw material in the measuring instrument has reached the set reference amount by setting the set reference amount to the smallest raw material carry-out amount;
The control means controls the carry-out driving time based on the detection signal of the ingredient detector each time an operation signal is input from the operation instruction means, and controls the beverage ingredient in the measuring instrument to be carried out, When a switch other than the switch with the smallest raw material carry-out amount is selected from among the carry-out amount setting switches, an extension time of a predetermined ratio of the transfer drive time is determined, and the transfer device is turned on again over the extended time. The raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the raw material supply device is controlled to be driven to carry out the conveyance raw material in the measuring instrument. An unloading amount setting switch capable of selecting at least two raw material unloading levels including a switch capable of selecting the largest unloading amount;
A raw material detector configured to detect the beverage raw material amount in the measuring instrument by setting the set reference amount as the largest raw material carry-out amount;
2. The raw material supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the driving time for conveyance to a time corresponding to the raw material carry-out amount selected by the carry-out amount setting switch, and controls the conveyance device. . The raw material according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control means calculates an average time from a plurality of the reference times and controls the average time as the transport drive time. Feeding device. 5. The raw material supply apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the control unit controls the reference time measured at the time of the previous raw material supply operation to be the current driving time for conveyance. The raw material supply apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the set reference amount of the measuring instrument is changeable. The raw material supply device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the raw material detector detects the raw material based on a volumetric measurement of a beverage raw material. The raw material supply device according to any one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the raw material detector detects based on a mass measurement of a beverage raw material.   A beverage extraction device that extracts a beverage using the raw material supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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