JPH06215240A - Automatic vending machine with electromagnetic induction heater - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electromagnetic induction system for carrying a canned product such as coffee stored in a machine at low temperature, room temperature or preheated from a product storage section to a product outlet. The present invention relates to a vending machine with an electromagnetic induction heating device, which is heated to a selling temperature in a short time through a product heating device and is sold as a hot product.

In the following figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts. The vending machine is also abbreviated as a vending machine.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art An induction heating type product heating device is provided in the vicinity of a product outlet so that when a hot product is selected at the time of sale, a can product carried out from a product storage section in the machine is induction heated. Has already been known, and a product heating device having a structure as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 has been proposed by the present applicant.

Next, the commodity heating device will be described with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 1 is a product heating device, and 2 is a can product loaded in the product heating device 1. Here, the commodity heating device 1 is configured by combining a pedestal 11 and an induction heating coil 12, and the pedestal 11 is a semicircular gutter-shaped body with an open upper surface, and is made of non-magnetic material such as synthetic resin, The induction heating coil 12 made of a non-conductive material is a saddle-shaped air-core coil mounted on the center of the lower surface of the pedestal 11, and is connected to a high frequency power source (not shown). In addition, the canned product 2 is a can 21 made of a tin can, an aluminum can, or the like, in which the content drink 22 is contained. With this configuration, when the can product 2 is placed on the pedestal 11 in an inverted posture and a high-frequency current is passed through the induction heating coil 12 in this state, magnetic lines of force φ are generated in the peripheral region of the coil as shown in FIG. The magnetic lines of force φ pass through the pedestal 11 made of a non-magnetic material, and the central axis (longitudinal direction) of the can body 21 with respect to the can product 2.
Interlink in the direction orthogonal to. If the can product 2 is a tin can, since tin (a soft steel plate plated with tin) is a magnetic material, the magnetic force line φ is as shown in the figure.
Concentrate through the inside along the wall of 1. As a result, an electromotive force is induced inside the can body 21, and an eddy current of a small loop flows as indicated by the symbol i, and Joule heat is generated by this eddy current, and at the same time, hysteresis due to linkage with the magnetic field line φ is generated. Heating due to loss is also added,
The heat generated here is transferred from the can wall of the can body 21 to the beverage 22 inside the can for heating. If the product can is a non-magnetic material such as an aluminum can, the interlinkage distribution of the lines of magnetic force φ with the can body will change slightly, and heating due to hysteresis loss will disappear, but a small loop vortex similar to the above An electric current flows and is heated by the Joule heat. Next, the operation of the product heating device will be described with reference to the vending machine selling operation. In FIG. 7, 3 is a vending machine cabinet, 4 is a product storage section housed in the machine, 5 is a cooler for cooling the inside of the machine, 6 is a product outlet opening at the front door of the cabinet,
Reference numeral 7 denotes a product discharge shooter, which is the product heating device 1 described above.
Is installed at the bottom of the product outlet 7.
Here, in the stand-by state for sale, the canned products 2 stored in the product storage unit 4 are kept cool by the cooler 5. On the other hand, when the can product 2 is unloaded from the product storage unit 4 according to the sales instruction, the can product 2 rolls over the carry-out shooter 7 toward the product take-out port 6 in the inverted posture to receive the product heating device 1. It falls on the table 11 and is received and held. In this case, if the hot product is not selected, the customer can directly take out the cold can product 2 from the pedestal 11 through the product outlet 6. When a hot product is selected, a high-frequency current is supplied to the induction heating coil 12 of the product heating device 1 for a predetermined time by a command from a controller (not shown) according to the selection. As a result, as described above with reference to FIG.
Is directly induction heated. Then, when the heating is completed, the customer is notified by a signature of the end of heating. As a result, the customer can take out the product 6
The hotter canned product 2 can be taken out. As described above, the above-described product heating device can receive and hold the canned product carried out from the product storage unit in the inverted posture and perform induction heating on the way of the carrying-out route without requiring a special handling mechanism. In addition, it is convenient to handle canned goods in the machine, because it is easy to take out the goods after heating.

[0005]

However, in the vending machine having the above-described electromagnetic induction type product heating device, the can is caused by (1) defective can product, (2) scratched can product, (3) overheating, etc. Internal beverages and the like may leak from the product, and when such a product is sold, not only troubles with customers occur, but also the image of the product and the vending machine are damaged, and the sales of the product are deteriorated.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine with an electromagnetic induction heating device that can solve this problem.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an automatic vending machine according to claim 1 has a can product (2 or the like) provided with an electromagnetic induction heating device (a cradle 11A, an induction heating coil 12 or the like). In an automatic vending machine that is heated and sold via a means, a means for detecting a leak of a beverage of the heated can product and a means for refunding at least the amount of the can product based on the leak detection (coin mechanism) 16, the control unit 10, etc.).

According to the automatic vending machine of claim 2, claim 1
5. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the beverage leak detection means is provided with two electrodes (18, etc.) provided at predetermined intervals so that the leaked beverage dips between them. A beverage leak should be detected based on a change in electric resistance between the two.

[0009]

[Function] A sensor for detecting the leakage of the beverage inside the can product is added. When a beverage leak is detected, the sale of the can product is stopped and the deposited money is refunded.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part including an electromagnetic induction type product heating device as an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 11A is a new pedestal when the canned product 2 is heated, and FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the pedestal 11A.
Is a cross-sectional view in the same arrangement as FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is FIG. 2A.
It is the figure seen from the X direction. As can be seen from FIG. 2, the cradle 1
1A is configured as a trough or boat-shaped container surrounded by a barrel surface 31 formed of a part of a cylinder and an end surface 32 as a semicircular plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder.
A liquid reservoir 17 is provided at the lower end of the. Two electrodes 18 for liquid detection are provided in the liquid reservoir 17.

Returning to FIG. 1, the induction heating coil 12 is provided at a substantially central portion of the body surface 31 of the pedestal 11A. Further, 13 is a can transporting mechanism provided to carry out the product from above, and 14 is a motor for rotating the pedestal 11A in the direction of arrow B about a shaft 15 perpendicular to the paper surface. FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control circuit of the device of FIG. 10 in FIG.
Is a control unit that is the main control unit of this control circuit, and 19 is a power source for the electrodes 18 in the liquid reservoir 17 of the cradle 11A. The space between the electrodes 18 is immersed in the beverage liquid leaking from the can product 2. As a result, the electric resistance between the electrodes 18 decreases, and as a result, the voltage of the power supply 19 is input to the control unit 10 and the beverage leak is detected.

Reference numeral 16 is a coin mechanism for supplying identification information of coins to the control unit 10 and receiving and receiving coins in response to a command from the control unit 10. Reference numeral 20 is an induction heating coil in response to a command from the control unit 10. It is an inverter power supply dedicated to a coil that excites 12 at a high frequency. FIG. 4 shows the control unit 1 of FIG.
In the flowchart for explaining the operation of the main part of No. 0, S1 to S14 show the steps. Next, referring to FIG. 1 to FIG.
The operation of will be described.

The control unit 10 determines that there is a deposit available for sale of a product through the coin mechanism 10 (S1, branch Y), and subsequently determines that a product is selected through a product selection switch (not shown). Then, (S2, branch Y), the can transport mechanism 13 is operated, and the can product 2 is loaded into the cradle 11A from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 (S3). Next, the control unit 10 activates a heating timer (software) (not shown) (S4), turns on the coil-dedicated power supply 20 to energize the induction heating coil 12, and induction-heats the can product 2 on the pedestal 11A. Start (S5). At this time, if it is determined that the heating timer has elapsed for 10 seconds without detecting a beverage leak (S6, branch N →
(S7, branch Y), the coil-dedicated power supply 20 is turned off to stop heating (S8), and the heating timer is stopped (S9). Then, the pedestal 11A is rotated in the direction B about the shaft 15 via the motor 14 to carry out the can product 2 to the product outlet 6 (S).
10).

On the other hand, when a beverage leak is detected through the electrode 18 in the step S6 (branch Y) before the end of heating, the coil dedicated power source 20 is turned off to stop heating (S11),
Moreover, the heating timer is stopped (S12), and the deposit amount is returned through the coin mechanism 16 (S1).
3) The subsequent sales are stopped until the beverage leakage recovery processing is performed (S14).

[0015]

According to the present invention, in a vending machine for induction-heating canned beverages for sale, a means for detecting a beverage leak at the time of heating is provided, and when a leak is detected, the deposit amount at that time is refunded, Since the subsequent sale is stopped, it is possible to prevent the leaked canned beverage from being sold, and prevent the image of the vending machine from being deteriorated. In addition, the deposited money is refunded, so that the interests of customers can be protected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a main part as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a detailed configuration diagram of the cradle shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the control circuit of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the control unit in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional electromagnetic induction type product heating device.

6 is an explanatory view of the heating operation of FIG.

[Fig. 7] Internal layout of a vending machine incorporating an electromagnetic induction type product heating device

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 can product 6 product outlet 10 control unit 11A cradle 12 induction heating coil 13 can transport mechanism 14 motor 15 center shaft 16 coin mechanism 17 liquid reservoir 18 electrode 19 electrode power supply 20 coil dedicated power supply 31 body surface 32 end face

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An automatic vending machine for heating a canned product through an electromagnetic induction heating device for sale, and means for detecting a leak of a beverage of the heated canned product, and at least the device based on the leak detection. Vending machine with an electromagnetic induction heating device, which is provided with a means for refunding the amount of money for the can product. 2. The vending machine according to claim 1, wherein the beverage leak detecting means includes two electrodes provided at a predetermined distance so as to dip the leaked beverage between the electrodes. A vending machine with an electromagnetic induction heating device, characterized in that a beverage leak is detected from a change in electric resistance between the electrodes based on the beverage.