JP7535698B2 - Dispenser - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dispenser.

Conventionally, there is known a dispenser that includes a discharge unit that discharges a supply such as a beverage or food, and a transceiver unit that reads information recorded on a recording medium such as an electronic tag using radio waves, electromagnetic waves, etc., and supplies the supply to a specified container in which the recording medium is provided. In this dispenser, the transceiver unit reads the information recorded on the recording medium of the specified container, and based on the information, the supply is discharged from the discharge unit and the supply is supplied to the container (for example, see Patent Document 1).
In such a dispenser, the transceiver is provided at a position where it can read the recording medium of a container placed at a predetermined position.

JP 2010-67185 A

However, in conventional dispensers, the transmitter/receiver unit had to be placed in a position where it could read the information recorded in the electronic tag, and depending on the location of the transmitter/receiver unit, there was a risk that the maintainability of the dispenser would be reduced.
The present invention provides a dispenser that can improve maintainability.

The present invention is a dispenser that supplies a predetermined supply to a container in which a communication-capable recording medium is provided, and includes a transceiver unit that transmits and receives information to and from the recording medium, a reflecting unit that reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the transceiver unit or the recording medium to enable communication between the transceiver unit and the recording medium, an installation unit in which the container is installed, a shielding unit that blocks communication between the recording medium, which is positioned away from the installation unit, and the transceiver unit, and a tray that is provided below the installation unit and receives the supply that has flowed out of the container, wherein the reflecting unit is provided below the tray, and the tray is provided with a covering unit that covers the reflecting unit by having a bottom of the tray protrude upward, and an inclined surface is provided on the upper surface of the covering unit .
The present invention is a dispenser that supplies a predetermined supply to a container having a communication-capable recording medium at the bottom, comprising: an installation section on which the container is installed; a transceiver section that transmits and receives information to and from the recording medium; a reflecting section that is arranged below the installation section and reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the transceiver section or the recording medium to enable communication between the transceiver section and the recording medium; and a tray that is arranged below the installation section and receives the supply that has flowed out of the container, wherein the reflecting section is arranged below the tray, and the tray is provided with a covering section that covers the reflecting section by protruding the bottom of the tray upward, and an inclined surface is provided on the upper surface of the covering section.

The present invention can improve maintainability.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention; Exploded perspective view of the dispenser Vertical cross-sectional view of the beverage supply nozzle and the tray unit FIG. 4A is a perspective view seen from above, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view seen from below. FIG. 5(A) is a top view, FIG. 5(B) is a bottom view, and FIG. 5(C) is a rear view. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage supply system. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing a modified example of the dispenser. FIG. 11 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of a beverage supply nozzle and a tray unit according to a modified

The first invention is a dispenser that supplies a predetermined supply to a container in which a communicable recording medium is provided, and includes a transmitting/receiving unit that transmits and receives information to and from the recording medium, and a reflecting unit that reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the transmitting/receiving unit or the recording medium, thereby enabling communication between the transmitting/receiving unit and the recording medium.

This makes it possible to allow communication between the transmitting/receiving unit and the recording medium without arranging the recording medium and the transmitting/receiving unit opposite each other.
This allows the transmitter/receiver to be located in a place where it can be easily protected, improving the ease of maintenance of the dispenser.

The second invention includes an installation section in which the container is installed, and a shielding section that blocks communication between the recording medium, which is located at a position away from the installation section, and the transmitting/receiving section.

According to this, electric waves or electromagnetic waves radiated from the transmitting/receiving unit are blocked by the shielding unit, and the upper surface side of the installation unit can be shielded from the electric waves or electromagnetic waves.
Therefore, the dispenser can prevent the transmitting/receiving unit from reading information from a recording medium of a container placed at a position other than the predetermined position.

The third invention is a dispenser that supplies a predetermined supply to a container with a communicable recording medium at the bottom, and includes an installation section in which the container is installed, a transmitting/receiving section that transmits and receives information to and from the recording medium, and a reflecting section that is disposed below the installation section and reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the transmitting/receiving section or the recording medium, thereby enabling communication between the transmitting/receiving section and the recording medium.

According to this, the container can be placed on the installation portion of the dispenser without specifying the circumferential position of the container. Therefore, the user U can place the container on the dispenser without checking the circumferential arrangement of the container.
Furthermore, the location of the transmitting/receiving unit is not limited to below the installation unit, but may be any location.
This allows the transmitter/receiver to be located in a place where it can be easily protected, improving the ease of maintenance of the dispenser.

The fourth invention includes a tray that is provided below the installation section and receives the supply that has flowed out of the container, the reflecting section is provided below the tray, and the tray is provided with a covering section that covers the reflecting section by having the bottom of the tray protrude upward, and an inclined surface is provided on the upper surface of the covering section.

With this, liquid such as a beverage dripped onto the top surface of the covering portion flows toward the bottom of the tray according to the inclination of the inclined surface. This prevents liquid such as a beverage from accumulating between the recording medium and the transceiver, preventing the transceiver from reading the recording medium.

The fifth invention includes a main body having a mechanism for supplying the supplies, the transmitter/receiver is provided on the main body, and the tray is provided so as to be detachable from the main body.

This makes it easy to discard beverages and other items stored in the tray and clean the tray. This makes it easy to clean the tray while protecting the transmitting and receiving unit.

In the sixth aspect, the transmitting/receiving unit reads information recorded on the recording medium or writes information to the recording medium.

According to this, the dispenser transmits and receives information to and from the recording medium via the reading device 40. Therefore, the dispenser can supply a supply to a container based on the information on the recording medium, and can update the information recorded on the recording medium in accordance with the operation of the dispenser.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a dispenser 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the following description, the up-down direction of each part of the dispenser 1 refers to the up-down direction in a state in which the dispenser 1 is installed on an installation surface.
The dispenser 1 of this embodiment is a so-called beverage dispenser installed in stores such as convenience stores, restaurants, or drink bars, and specifically, is a device that extracts coffee beverages or the like and pours them into a predetermined container such as a cup. The dispenser 1 of this embodiment uses a beverage container 70 as a dedicated container for pouring the beverage.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dispenser 1 includes a device main body 2 and a tray unit 10 .
The device main body 2 is a box-shaped housing that houses various mechanisms for supplying beverages inside. The device main body 2 of this embodiment houses various extraction mechanisms for extracting coffee beverages, etc., such as a drive motor, mill, filter, cylinder, hot water tank, etc., various supply mechanisms for supplying the extracted coffee beverages, etc., such as a pump, supply piping, etc., and a control device 11 (FIG. 5) that controls these extraction mechanisms and supply mechanisms and communicates with an external server, etc.
These brewing and supplying mechanisms are substantially the same as coffee beverage brewing and supplying mechanisms known as beverage dispensers.

A beverage supply nozzle 3 is provided approximately in the center of the front panel 5 that constitutes the front (front face) of the device body 2. The beverage supply nozzle 3 is a nozzle that functions as a beverage discharge section that discharges the beverage extracted inside the device body 2, and the beverage supply nozzle 3 is connected to a supply pipe of a supply mechanism contained inside the device body 2. A discharge port 4 is formed at the lower end of the beverage supply nozzle 3. In the dispenser 1, the extracted beverage is discharged downward through the discharge port 4 of the beverage supply nozzle 3 along the vertical direction of the device body 2.

A display panel 6 is provided on the front surface of the device main body 2, above the beverage supply nozzle 3. This display panel 6 functions as a display unit that displays information regarding the state of the dispenser 1, menus that the dispenser 1 can provide, information read from the beverage container 70, and the like.
The display panel 6 may be a touch panel. In this case, the display panel 6 may be configured to allow a touch operation for discharging the extracted beverage from the beverage supply nozzle 3.
Further, for example, a communication terminal capable of communicating with the dispenser 1 may be used instead of the display panel 6. In this case, the display panel 6 is omitted, and the dispenser 1 is operated via the communication terminal.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser 1. As shown in FIG.
2, a reading device 40 is provided on the front surface of the device body 2 below the beverage supply nozzle 3. The reading device 40 is disposed in the approximate center of the front surface of the device body 2 in the width direction, similar to the beverage supply nozzle 3.
The reading device 40 is a device equipped with a non-contact reading mechanism that reads information recorded on a recording medium that records predetermined information, such as an electronic tag such as an NFC tag or an RFID tag, or an IC tag. The reading device 40 performs short-distance wireless communication with the recording medium in accordance with a predetermined standard, and reads information from the recording medium. The reading device 40 transmits the read information to the control device 11 housed inside the device main body 2.
The reading device 40 may have a function of writing information onto various recording media, that is, the reading device 40 functions as a transmitting/receiving unit.

A processor 44 (FIG. 3) including a CPU, an MPU, etc. is housed inside the reading device 40. The processor 44 functions as a control unit that performs various controls of the reading device 40.
The reading device 40 is provided with a device antenna 42, which is a planar antenna formed in a plane along one of the upper surfaces. The device antenna 42 emits radio waves or electromagnetic waves for communication (for reading information). Note that the device antenna 42 is not limited to a planar antenna, and may be a coil.
The reading device 40 is housed inside the device body 2. More specifically, the device antenna 42 is disposed along the rear surface of the front panel 5.
The reading device 40 is electrically connected to the control device 11 by wire or wirelessly.

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of the beverage supply nozzle 3 of the dispenser 1 and the tray unit 10. As shown in FIG.
1 and 3, the tray unit 10 is detachably attached to the front of the device body 2 and is disposed so as to be located below the beverage supply nozzle 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the tray unit 10 includes a drip tray 20 formed in a roughly tank shape and a flat mounting plate 30 covering the upper surface of the drip tray 20, and is formed so as to form a box as a whole.
In this embodiment, both the drip tray 20 and the mounting plate 30 are made of resin.

The mounting plate 30 is a flat member whose longitudinal dimension is approximately the same as the width dimension of the front surface of the device body 2, and which covers the entire upper surface of the drip tray 20. A drainage hole 32 is provided approximately in the center of the mounting plate 30, and a mesh-like draining portion 34 is provided around the drainage hole 32.
When the tray unit 10 is attached to the front surface of the device body 2, the draining portion 34 is located directly below the beverage supply nozzle 3. In this embodiment, the drain hole 32 is located directly below the discharge port 4.
In this embodiment, when a beverage is poured from the dispenser 1, the beverage container 70 is placed on the upper surface of the draining section 34. That is, the draining section 34 functions as a mounting section on which the beverage container 70 into which the beverage is poured from the dispenser 1 is mounted.

4A and 4B are perspective views of the drip tray 20, where FIG. 4A is a perspective view seen from above, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view seen from below.
5A, 5B, and 5C are diagrams showing the configuration of the drip tray 20, in which Fig. 5A is a top view, Fig. 5B is a bottom view, and Fig. 5C is a rear view. In Figs. 4 and 5, the areas where the metal foil 55 is provided are hatched for ease of explanation.
The drip tray 20 is a member for receiving and storing the beverage that flows out of the beverage container 70 or the beverage that splashes out when the beverage is poured from the dispenser 1 into the beverage container 70. The drip tray 20 is formed in a tank shape with a storage space V1 provided therein and an open top.

Like the mounting plate 30, the drip tray 20 is formed so that its longitudinal dimension is approximately the same as the width dimension of the front surface of the device body 2. The drip tray 20 is attached to the device body 2 so that one side wall 21 formed along the longitudinal direction of the drip tray 20 contacts the lower end of the front surface of the device body 2.

The drip tray 20 is provided with a covering portion 24 formed by protruding the bottom portion 23 toward the storage space V1 at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction so as to rise by a predetermined height dimension.
The covering portion 24 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and one end of the covering portion 24 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the side wall 21, and the other end is positioned in a position close to the side wall 22 arranged opposite the side wall 21.

The bottom 23 protrudes upward to form the covering portion 24, and an internal space V2 is formed below the covering portion 24. This internal space V2 is a rectangular space that is covered at the top by the covering portion 24 and is open at the bottom.

In detail, the internal space V2 is surrounded by a ceiling surface 51, a pair of inner side surfaces 52, and an inclined surface 53.
The ceiling surface 51 is a surface that covers the upper part of the internal space V2, faces the mounting plate 30, and is substantially parallel to the mounting plate 30.
The pair of inner surfaces 52 are side surfaces located in the longitudinal direction of the drip tray 20 .

The inclined surface 53 is a surface provided at a position close to the side wall 22, and the inclined surface 53 is inclined at a predetermined angle so that it approaches the side wall 21 as it moves from top to bottom. As a result, the inclined surface 53 faces the ceiling surface 51 and the side wall 21.

An opening 50 having approximately the same shape as the cross section of the internal space V2 is provided in the side wall 21. One longitudinal end of the covering portion 24 is connected to this opening 50. As a result, one longitudinal end of the internal space V2 communicates with the opening 50. Therefore, the internal space V2 communicates with the outside of the device main body 2 side via the opening 50.
Moreover, the opening 50 faces an inclined surface 53 .

As described above, the tray unit 10 is detachably attached to the main body 2 of the apparatus so that one side wall 21 formed along the longitudinal direction of the drip tray 20 contacts the lower end of the front surface of the main body 2 of the apparatus.
When the tray unit 10 is attached to the front surface of the device body 2, the opening 50 is disposed opposite the device antenna 42 of the reading device 40 across the front panel 5. That is, the device antenna 42 is disposed opposite the inclined surface 53.
In this embodiment, the device antenna 42 and the opening 50 are formed to have substantially the same external shape.

Metal foil 55 is provided on the upper surfaces of the ceiling surface 51, the pair of inner surfaces 52, and the inclined surface 53. Metal foil 55 is a thin metal material that can reflect radio waves or electromagnetic waves, such as aluminum tape. However, this is not limited to this, and the upper surfaces of the ceiling surface 51, the pair of inner surfaces 52, and the inclined surface 53 may be provided with, for example, a thin metal plate or metal paint.

A shielding opening 56 is provided on the ceiling surface 51 at a location facing the inclined surface 53. The shielding opening 56 is a location on the ceiling surface 51 where the metal foil 55 is not provided, and is formed in a rectangular shape in this embodiment.
This shielding opening 56 is located directly below the draining section 34 and the beverage supply nozzle 3 when the tray unit 10 is attached to the front surface of the device body 2 .
In this embodiment, the portion of the ceiling surface 51 where the shielding opening 56 is provided is recessed upward.

A plurality of inclined surfaces 28 are provided on the upper surface of the covering portion 24 above the inclined surface 53, the inclined surfaces 28 being inclined from the top 27 toward each corner of the drip tray 20. The inclined surfaces 28 are inclined downward from the top 27 along the vertical direction of the drip tray 20 (the depth direction of the storage space V1). The top 27 is located approximately above the shielding portion opening 56.
The covering portion 24 is formed to have a height dimension such that the top portion 27 does not come into contact with the mounting plate 30 within the storage space V1.
It is preferable that the top portion 27 and the upper surface of the covering portion 24 consisting of the pair of inclined surfaces 28 are subjected to a water-repellent coating or water-repellent treatment.

The bottom surface of the drip tray 20, i.e., the entire lower surface of the bottom portion 23, is covered with a shielding sheet 57 made of a thin metal material. This shielding sheet 57 covers the internal space V2 from below.
When the tray unit 10 is attached to the front surface of the device main body 2, the shielding sheet 57 comes into contact with the placement surface on which the device main body 2 is placed.
In addition, when the mounting surface on which the device body 2 is placed is made of a metal material, the shielding sheet 57 does not need to be provided.

The beverage container 70 is a specific container into which the beverage is poured from the dispenser 1, and this beverage container 70 is, for example, a tumbler, a portable mug, a water bottle, a disposable cup, a pot, etc. In this embodiment, the beverage container 70 is configured as a so-called tumbler, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4.

As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, an information tag 72 is provided on the bottom of the beverage container 70. This information tag 72 is a recording medium that records specific information, such as an electronic tag such as an NFC tag or an RFID tag, or an IC tag. In this embodiment, this information tag 72 forms the bottom surface of the beverage container 70.

The information tag 72 is equipped with a planar antenna 76. This planar antenna 76 is formed in a flat plate shape and functions as a communication unit that receives or emits radio waves, electromagnetic waves, etc. This planar antenna 76 is positioned so as to be parallel to the bottom surface of the beverage container 70.

The size of the top surface of this planar antenna 76 is smaller than the size of the bottom surface. Note that the information tag 72 may include a communication unit other than the planar antenna 76, for example a coil.

In this embodiment, the beverage container 70 has a serial number corresponding to the information tag 72 printed on, for example, the periphery. Note that this is not limited to a serial number, and may be, for example, a two-dimensional code.

The beverage container 70 of the present embodiment is a tumbler made of resin. However, the beverage container 70 is not limited to this, and may be made of various materials such as paper, ceramic, glass, metal, etc.
When the beverage container 70 is made of metal, the information tag 72 is desirably attached to the bottom of the beverage container 70 by a rubber material or the like, spaced apart from the metal surface of the beverage container 70 by about several millimeters (mm). Alternatively, a metal-compatible tag may be used for the information tag 72.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the beverage supply system 101.
Next, a beverage supply system 101 will be described as an example of a system in which the dispenser 1 of this embodiment is used.
The beverage supply system 101 of this embodiment is a system that can appropriately provide a beverage to a user U. As shown in Fig. 6, the beverage supply system 101 includes a dispenser 1, a server 60, a beverage container 70, and an information terminal 80. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which one dispenser 1, one server 60, etc. are provided, but this is not limiting, and each of the devices provided in the beverage supply system 101 may be provided in multiple units.

As described above, the dispenser 1 includes the control device 11. The control device 11 includes a computer having a processor such as a CPU or an MPU, and a memory device such as a ROM or a RAM. The control device 11 also includes a main body communication unit 7, a device control unit 8, and an overall control unit 9.
The main body communication section 7 functions as a communication section for receiving control signals from the outside, such as various communication lines, or for outputting information to the outside.
The device control unit 8 controls the driving of various device mechanisms, such as the extraction mechanism and the supply mechanism, housed in the device main body 2.
The overall control unit 9 acquires information read by the reading device 40, outputs various control signals, controls communications by the main body communication unit 7, controls the display of the display panel 6, controls the device control unit 8, and so on.

The server 60 stores a database for identifying the beverage container 70 , and transmits and receives information related to the database to and from the dispenser 1 and the information terminal 80 via a communication network 90 .
The server 60 may be provided integrally with the dispenser 1 .

The information terminal 80 is a mobile terminal carried by the user U that is capable of communicating with the server 60 to send and receive predetermined information, and the information terminal 80 is, for example, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet, etc. In the information terminal 80, a predetermined application program related to the beverage supply system 101 is executable.
The communication network 90 connects each device included in the beverage supply system 101, such as the dispenser 1, the server 60, and the information terminal 80, so that they can communicate data with each other. The communication network 90 is a communication line including a dedicated line, a public line network, a mobile wireless communication network, a LAN (Local Area Network) line, etc., and may include devices such as a router and a wireless communication access point. The connection between each device included in the beverage supply system 101 and the communication network 90 may be wireless or wired.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described.
In the beverage supply system 101 of this embodiment, first, the user U prepares a beverage container 70 and accesses the server 60 by operating a specific application program executed on the information terminal 80. The user U then registers information about the user U together with the serial number printed on the beverage container 70. Next, the user U operates the application program to order a desired beverage from the menu. The order details are transmitted to the server 60 and stored in the server 60.

After that, the user U sets the beverage container 70 in the dispenser 1 at the location where the dispenser 1 is installed. Specifically, the beverage container 70 is placed on the draining section 34 of the mounting plate 30. At this time, the draining section 34 functions as a mark that makes it easy for the user U to position the beverage container 70 directly below the outlet 4 of the beverage supply nozzle 3.
As a result, the beverage container 70 is positioned below the outlet 4 of the beverage supply nozzle 3 .

When the beverage container 70 is placed on the draining section 34 , the planar antenna 76 of the information tag 72 is disposed substantially parallel to the placement plate 30 .
As described above, the ceiling surface 51 faces the mounting plate 30 and is substantially parallel to the mounting plate 30, and the inclined surface 53 faces the ceiling surface 51. In other words, when the beverage container 70 is placed on the draining section 34, the planar antenna 76 of the information tag 72 is disposed facing the inclined surface 53.

The inclined surface 53 faces the device antenna 42 of the reader 40 through the opening 50 .
Furthermore, the inclined surface 53 is provided with a metal foil 55 capable of reflecting electric or electromagnetic waves.
As a result, radio waves or electromagnetic waves radiated from the device antenna 42 are reflected by the inclined surface 53 and pass through the shielding opening 56 toward the planar antenna 76, which can then receive them.

Similarly, radio waves or electromagnetic waves radiated from the planar antenna 76 pass through the shielding opening 56 and are reflected by the inclined surface 53 , traveling toward the device antenna 42 and can be received by the device antenna 42 .
In this way, the inclined surface 53 functions as a reflecting section that reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the reading device 40 or the information tag 72 and enables communication between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72 .

Therefore, when the beverage container 70 is placed on the upper surface of the placement plate 30, the reading device 40 housed in the device main body 2 communicates with the information tag 72 via the inclined surface 53 and reads the information recorded on the information tag 72. The read information is acquired by the overall control unit 9 and transmitted to the server 60 via the main body communication unit 7.
The server 60 links the information to the serial number from the database and transmits the order details corresponding to the serial number to the dispenser 1 .

The order details received by the main body communication unit 7 are acquired by the overall control unit 9, which then displays the order details on the display panel 6. The user U checks the order details on the display panel 6, and if the order details are the same as those ordered through the information terminal 80, the device control unit 8 drives the extraction mechanism and the supply mechanism, which causes the beverage to be dispensed from the outlet 4 of the beverage supply nozzle 3 and poured into the beverage container 70.
In addition, in this control flow, automatic payment for beverage sales may be implemented.

In this case, communication between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72 is established, so the beverage container 70 is securely placed below the beverage supply nozzle 3. Therefore, the dispensed beverage is reliably poured into the beverage container 70, without soiling the tray unit 10 or its surroundings.

In this way, in the beverage supply system 101, a user U can easily receive a beverage by simply placing a beverage container 70 on the dispenser 1 without having to perform various operations related to ordering or payment within the store.
That is, in the beverage supply system 101, the user U can instruct the dispenser 1 to supply a beverage without touching it.

When a beverage is poured from the dispenser 1 into the beverage container 70, the beverage discharged from the outlet 4 of the beverage supply nozzle 3 may flow out of the beverage container 70. The flowing beverage flows into the storage space V1 of the drip tray 20 via the drain hole 32 and the draining portion 34.
As described above, the inclined surface 53 is contained in the internal space V2 below the drip tray 20. The reading device 40 reads the information of the information tag 72 by short-range wireless communication via the inclined surface 53. Therefore, if a liquid such as a beverage is present between the information tag 72 and the inclined surface 53, and between the reading device 40 and the inclined surface 53, the electric or electromagnetic waves of the short-range wireless communication between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72 may be attenuated by the liquid, and the reading device 40 may not be able to obtain the specified information.

In this embodiment, the covering portion 24 that covers the inclined surface 53 has an upper surface formed in a so-called pyramid shape with a plurality of inclined surfaces 28 connected at the apex 27 .
As a result, liquid such as a beverage that has flowed onto the upper surface of the covering portion 24 flows down the inclined surface 28 to the bottom 23 of the drip tray 20. This prevents liquid such as a beverage from accumulating between the information tag 72 and the inclined surface 53, and between the reading device 40 and the inclined surface 53. This also prevents the reading device 40 from being prevented from reading the information on the information tag 72.

In this embodiment, the liquids such as beverages that may be present between the information tag 72 and the reading device 40 include, in addition to the beverage itself, liquids (mainly rinsing liquids) used to clean the various parts of the dispenser 1, particularly the beverage supply nozzle 3, and the like, and rinsing water remaining after removing and cleaning the drip tray 20, etc.

As described above, the reading device 40 is housed in the front surface of the device body 2 and reads information from the information tag 72 by short-range wireless communication via the inclined surface 53 .
The reading device 40 emits radio waves or electromagnetic waves for communication (for reading information) from the device antenna 42 forward of the device body 2. These radio waves or electromagnetic waves are propagated forward while diffusing from the device antenna 42, which is the radiation point. Therefore, even if the beverage container 70 is placed in a position that is not below the outlet 4 of the beverage supply nozzle 3, there is a risk that it may be read.

In this embodiment, the device antenna 42 faces an opening 50 having a substantially identical external shape. The opening 50 is an opening through which radio waves or electromagnetic waves radiated from the device antenna 42 can pass, and the opening 50 transmits radio waves or electromagnetic waves of an intensity that allows the reading device 40 to read information on the information tag 72 from the device antenna 42 side to the inclined surface 53 side.
The electric waves or electromagnetic waves radiated from the device antenna 42 enter the internal space V2 through the opening 50.
Further, the internal space V2 inside the opening 50 is surrounded by a ceiling surface 51, a pair of inner side surfaces 52, an inclined surface 53, and a shielding sheet 57.
Metal foil 55 capable of reflecting electric waves or electromagnetic waves is provided on ceiling surface 51, pair of inner surfaces 52, and inclined surface 53, and shielding sheet 57 is a member capable of reflecting electric waves or electromagnetic waves.
As a result, of the radio waves or electromagnetic waves radiated from the device antenna 42, those coming from the inclined surface 53 are shielded by the metal foil 55 and the shielding sheet 57 provided on each surface and are kept in the internal space V2. That is, the metal foil 55 and the shielding sheet 57 provided on the ceiling surface 51, the pair of inner surfaces 52, and the inclined surface 53 function as a shielding section that shields radio waves or electromagnetic waves.

When the electric wave or electromagnetic wave radiated from the device antenna 42 passes through the internal space V2 and reaches the inclined surface 53, it is reflected by the inclined surface 53.
As described above, the shielding opening 56 is provided on the ceiling surface 51 at a position facing the inclined surface 53. This shielding opening 56 is not provided with metal foil 55 and functions as an opening through which radio waves or electromagnetic waves can pass. In other words, the shielding opening 56 transmits radio waves or electromagnetic waves of an intensity that allows the reader 40 to read the information on the information tag 72 from the inclined surface 53 side to the planar antenna 76 side.
As a result, the electric waves or electromagnetic waves reflected by the inclined surface 53 pass through the shielding opening 56 and head upward.

As described above, the planar antenna 76 of the beverage container 70 placed on the draining section 34 is disposed above the shielding section opening 56. This allows the radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted by the reading device 40 to be transmitted to the information tag 72. In other words, the internal space V2 functions as a transmission path capable of transmitting radio waves or electromagnetic waves.
Therefore, the reading device 40 can read the information of the information tag 72 by short-range wireless communication. That is, the reading device 40 can read the information of the information tag 72 when the bottom surface of the beverage container 70, more specifically, the planar antenna 76 of the information tag 72 is placed on the draining section 34.

This allows the reading device 40 to read the information on the information tag 72 only when the beverage container 70 is placed directly under the beverage supply nozzle 3 .
This prevents the dispenser 1 from dispensing a beverage when the beverage container 70 is disposed at a position other than directly below the beverage supply nozzle 3. In other words, the dispenser 1 can more reliably pour the beverage into the beverage container 70.
When transmitting information from the information tag 72 to the reader 40, the electric waves or electromagnetic waves radiated from the planar antenna 76 travel along the above-mentioned transmission path in the opposite direction.

As described above, the radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the device antenna 42 are confined to the internal space V2. This prevents the information on the information tag 72 from being read by the reading device 40 when the beverage container 70 is positioned in front of the drip tray 20 and the tray unit 10.

As described above, the reading device 40 of this embodiment and the information tag 72 communicate with each other via the inclined surface 53 .
As a result, as long as the device antenna 42 and the planar antenna 76 are each positioned opposite the inclined surface 53, communication can be achieved between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72 even if the device antenna 42 and the planar antenna 76 are not positioned opposite each other but are positioned at a position having a predetermined angle.
Therefore, in the dispenser 1, the drip tray 20, which requires more frequent maintenance, can be avoided, and the reading device 40 can be provided in the device body 2. This makes it easier to maintain the drip tray 20, and also protects the reading device 40.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the dispenser 1 is a dispenser that supplies a beverage to a beverage container 70 equipped with a communicable information tag 72, and is configured to include a reading device 40 that transmits and receives information to and from the information tag 72, and an inclined surface 53 that reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the reading device 40 or the information tag 72 to enable communication between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72.

According to this, as long as the device antenna 42 and the planar antenna 76 are each positioned opposite the inclined surface 53, communication can be established between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72 without the device antenna 42 and the planar antenna 76 being positioned opposite each other.
Therefore, the reading device 40 is provided in the device body 2, which makes it easy to clean the drip tray 20 and protects the reading device 40, thereby improving the maintainability of the dispenser 1.

In addition, according to this embodiment, the configuration includes a draining section 34 on which a beverage container 70 is placed, a metal foil 55 that shields communication between an information tag 72 arranged in a position away from the draining section 34 and the reading device 40, and a shielding sheet 57.
According to this, the metal foil 55 and the shielding sheet 57 block radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the reading device 40, and the upper surface side of the mounting plate 30 can be shielded from the radio waves or electromagnetic waves.
Therefore, the dispenser 1 can prevent the reading device 40 from reading the information on the information tag 72 of a beverage container 70 placed in a position other than the specified position.

According to this embodiment, the dispenser 1 is a dispenser that dispenses beverages into beverage containers 70 that have communicable information tags 72 at the bottom. The dispenser 1 includes a draining section 34 on which the beverage containers 70 are placed, and a reading device 40 that transmits and receives information to and from the information tag 72. The dispenser 1 is configured to include an inclined surface 53 that is disposed below the draining section 34 and reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the reading device 40 or the information tag 72 to allow communication between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72.

According to this, the beverage container 70 can be placed on the placement plate 30 of the dispenser 1 without specifying the circumferential position of the beverage container 70. Therefore, the user U can place the beverage container 70 on the dispenser 1 without checking the circumferential arrangement of the beverage container 70 (the orientation of the side surface of the beverage container 70).
Furthermore, in the dispenser 1, the reading device 40 can be provided at any position, not limited to the bottom of the beverage container 70.
Therefore, in the dispenser 1, the reading device 40 can be placed in a position away from the drip tray 20 in which liquid such as beverages that absorb radio waves or electromagnetic waves is stored, while still enabling transmission and reception of information between the reading device 40 and the information tag 72.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the metal foil 55 is configured to have the opening 50 that is capable of transmitting electric waves or electromagnetic waves at a location between the reading device 40 and the inclined surface 53 .
According to this, when the beverage container 70 is placed at a predetermined position, the dispenser 1 can read the information of the information tag 72 through short-range wireless communication.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the dispenser 1 is provided below the draining section 34 and includes a drip tray 20 for receiving beverage that has spilled out of the beverage container 70. The inclined surface 53 is provided below the drip tray 20. The drip tray 20 is provided with a covering section 24 that covers the inclined surface 53 by having the bottom of the drip tray 20 protrude upward, and the covering section 24 has an inclined surface on its upper surface.
With this, liquid such as a beverage dripped onto the upper surface of the covering portion 24 flows toward the bottom 23 of the drip tray 20 according to the inclination of the inclined surface 28. This prevents the liquid such as a beverage from accumulating between the information tag 72 and the reading device 40, thereby preventing the reading device 40 from reading the information tag 72.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the device is provided with a device main body 2 having a mechanism for supplying beverages, the reading device 40 is provided in the device main body 2, and the drip tray 20 is configured to be detachable from the device main body 2.
This makes it easy to discard the beverage or the like stored in the drip tray 20 and to clean the drip tray 20. Therefore, the drip tray 20 can be easily maintained while protecting the reading device 40.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the reading device 40 is configured to read information recorded on the information tag 72 provided on the beverage container 70 .
According to this, the dispenser 1 can obtain information on the information tag 72 attached to the beverage container 70 via the reading device 40. Therefore, the dispenser 1 can dispense a beverage based on the information on the information tag 72.

Next, a modification of this embodiment will be described.
Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the dispenser 1 according to a modified example of the present embodiment. Fig. 8 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the periphery of the beverage supply nozzle 3 and the tray unit 100 in the modified example. In Figs. 7 and 8, the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as in Fig. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted.
The dispenser 1 of this embodiment may include a tray unit 100 as shown in FIG. 7, instead of the above-mentioned tray unit 10.
The tray unit 100 includes a mounting plate 30 , a drip tray 120 , a shielding sheet 57 , and a shielding member 150 .

Like drip tray 20, drip tray 120 is a member for receiving and storing beverage that flows out of a container or splashes out when beverage is poured into the container from dispenser 1. As described above, drip tray 120 is formed in a tank shape with a storage space V3 provided therein and an open top.
Like drip tray 20, drip tray 120 is formed so that the length dimension in the longitudinal direction is approximately the same as the width dimension of the front surface of device body 2. Drip tray 120 is attached to device body 2 so that one side wall 121 formed along the longitudinal direction of drip tray 120 contacts the lower end of the front surface of device body 2.

The drip tray 120 is provided with a covering portion 124 formed by protruding the bottom portion 123 toward the storage space V1 at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction so as to rise by a predetermined height dimension.
The covering portion 124 is formed in an approximately rectangular shape when viewed in a plane, and one end of the covering portion 124 in the longitudinal direction is connected to the side wall 121, and the other end is positioned in a position close to the side wall 122 arranged opposite the side wall 121.

The upper surface of the covering portion 124 is provided with a pair of inclined surfaces 128 inclined toward the bottom portion 123 on both sides along the longitudinal direction of the drip tray 120 from a top portion 127 located approximately in the center of the longitudinal direction of the drip tray 120 and provided over the entire longitudinal direction. The inclined surfaces 128 are inclined downward from the top portion 127 along the vertical direction of the drip tray 20 (depth direction of the storage space V1). These inclined surfaces 128 are formed over the entire longitudinal direction of the covering portion 124.
That is, the upper surface of the covering portion 124 is formed in a so-called gable roof shape with a pair of inclined surfaces 128 connected at a peak 127 .

As shown in FIG. 8, the bottom 123 protrudes upward to form the covering portion 124, and a storage space V4 is formed below the covering portion 124. The upper part of this storage space V4 is covered by the covering portion 124, and the lower part is open.

The accommodation space V4 accommodates a reflective member 155. The reflective member 155 is formed by bending a flat metal member.
The reflecting member 155 is provided with a reflecting portion 153. The reflecting portion 153 is a flat plate portion disposed in the storage space V4 at a position close to the side wall 122. The reflecting portion 153 is inclined at a predetermined angle so as to approach the side wall 121 from above toward below. As a result, the reflecting portion 153 faces the mounting plate 30 and the side wall 21.

The shielding member 150 is formed by bending a metal plate, and is a member that covers the entire upper surface of the mounting plate 30, as well as the side wall 122 of the drip tray 120 and a pair of side walls 129 positioned in the longitudinal direction.
The shielding member 150 has a flat upper plate portion 152 that covers the upper surface of the mounting plate 30, and a flat peripheral plate portion 154 that covers the side wall 122 of the drip tray 20 and a pair of side walls 129 positioned in the longitudinal direction.

A shielding opening 156 is provided approximately in the center of the upper plate portion 152 .
The shielding portion opening 156 is located directly below the beverage supply nozzle 3. In this embodiment, the center of the shielding portion opening 156 is located directly below the discharge port 4. Therefore, when the shielding member 150 covers the mounting plate 30, the upper surface of the draining portion 34 is exposed from the shielding portion opening 156.
The shielding portion opening 156 is located above the reflecting portion 153 .

The shielding opening 156 in this embodiment is formed in a substantially circular shape with a predetermined inner diameter when viewed from above. The inner diameter of the shielding opening 156 is dimensioned so that the size of the shielding opening 156 is larger than or substantially the same as the bottom surface of the beverage container 70. Therefore, when the beverage container 70 is poured from the dispenser 1, the bottom of the beverage container 70 is inserted into the shielding opening 156, and the beverage container 70 is placed on the draining section 34 of the placement plate 30.

An opening 157 is provided across the front surface of the shielding member 150 at a location facing the front panel 5 .
In addition, the portion of the shielding member 150 that corresponds to the bottom surface of the drip tray 120 is open all the way to the front.

A reading device 140 is provided on the front surface of the device body 2 below the beverage supply nozzle 3. This reading device 140 is disposed in approximately the center of the front surface of the device body 2 in the width direction, similar to the beverage supply nozzle 3.
The reading device 140 has substantially the same configuration as the reading device 40. A processor 144 is housed inside the reading device 140, and a device antenna 142, which is a planar antenna formed in a plane along one of the upper surfaces, is provided. The device antenna 142 is disposed at a position facing the reflecting portion 153. The height dimension of the device antenna 142 in this modified example is substantially the same as the height dimension of the opening 157 of the shielding member 150.

When a beverage is poured from the dispenser 1 into the beverage container 70, the beverage container 70 is placed on the upper surface of the draining portion 34. At this time, the bottom of the beverage container 70 is inserted into the inside of the shielding portion opening 156.
The radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the reader 40 pass through the opening 157 and are transmitted from the reader 40 side to the inside of the shielding member 150. Of these, the radio waves or electromagnetic waves incident on the reflecting section 153 are reflected, and a part of them travels toward the drain section 34 facing the reflecting section 153. Since the shielding section opening 156 is located above the reflecting section 153, the radio waves or electromagnetic waves reflected by the reflecting section 153 pass through the shielding section opening 156 and reach the planar antenna 76.
As a result, the electric or electromagnetic waves emitted by the reader 40 are transmitted to the information tag 72 .

The above-described embodiment is an example of one aspect of the present invention, and can be modified and applied as desired without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the metal foil 55 is provided on the inner surface of the covering portion 24 , but this is not limited thereto, and the metal foil 55 may be provided on the outer surface of the covering portion 24 .
Furthermore, for example, the covering portion 24 may be formed by insert molding in which the metal foil 55 is sandwiched inside.
Furthermore, for example, a gel-like liquid may be sealed inside each side surface of the covering portion 24. In this case, the metal foil 55 may not be provided.

Similarly, in the tray unit 100, the shielding member 150 may be provided so as to contact each inner surface of the drip tray 120 or the bottom surface of the mounting plate 30. Also, in the tray unit 100, a metal plate may be insert molded on each surface of the drip tray 120 or inside the mounting plate 30.

For example, in the above embodiment, the beverage container 70 is placed on the placement plate 30, but this is not limited thereto, and the beverage container 70 may be placed on another type of placement portion, for example, held in a socket provided in the device main body 2.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the upper surface of the covering portion 24 or the covering portion 124 is formed in a so-called pyramid shape or a so-called gable roof shape. However, this is not limited to this, and the upper surface of the covering portion 24 or the covering portion 124 may be formed in any shape as long as it has an inclined surface shape that allows liquid to flow to the bottom portion 23 or the bottom portion 123.

For example, in the above embodiment, the information tag 72 is provided on the bottom of the beverage container 70, but this is not limiting and it may be provided on the side.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the placement plate 30 is provided with drainage holes 32 and draining section 34, but this is not limited thereto. As long as liquid such as beverages that flow onto the top surface of the placement plate 30 can move to the drip tray 20, the placement plate 30 may be formed into any shape.

For example, the internal spaces V2 and V4 may be filled with the same or a different resin material as the drip trays 20 and 120.

In the above-described embodiment, the shielding opening 56, 156 is a single through hole, but this is not limiting, and for example, multiple openings may be provided close together. In this case, it is preferable that the multiple openings are formed in a slit shape that allows radio waves, which are plane waves, or electromagnetic waves to easily pass through.

In this way, when the shielding member 150 has multiple shielding openings 156 arranged close together, or when the shielding openings 156 are arranged smaller than the bottom or outer diameter of the beverage container 70, thereby allowing the shielding member 150 to support or hold the beverage container 70, the placement plate 30 may be omitted from the tray unit 100.

For example, in the above embodiment, the dispenser 1 is a device that dispenses coffee beverages, but it is not limited to this, and may be a device that dispenses beverages such as juice, ice cream, shaved ice, sherbet, shakes, mineral water, or similar foods. In this case, the mechanism housed in the device body 2 will be appropriate for the beverage or food to be dispensed.

For example, the dispenser 1 may also be provided with a physical button, such as a button for dispensing a beverage, that, when pressed by the user U, transmits various signals to the control device 11 and causes the dispenser 1 to perform an operation corresponding to the signal.

As described above, the dispenser according to the present invention is equipped with a reading device that reads information recorded on a recording medium, and can be suitably used as a dispenser that supplies a specified supply to a container provided with a recording medium on which specified information is recorded.

1 Dispenser 2 Device body (main body)
11 Control device 20, 120 Drip tray (tray)
24, 124 Covering portion 27, 127 Top portion 28, 128 Inclined surface 30 Placement plate 34 Draining portion (installation portion)
40, 140 Reading device (transmitter/receiver)
42, 142 Device antenna 44 Processor 50157 Opening (aperture)
51 Ceiling surface (shielding part)
52 Inner surface (shielding part)
53 Slanted surface (reflecting part, shielding part)
55 Metal foil (shielding part, reflective part)
56, 156 Shielding part opening (opening)
57 Shielding sheet (shielding part)
70 Beverage containers (containers)
72 Information tag (recording medium)
76 Planar antenna 101 Beverage supply system 140 Device 150 Shielding member (shielding portion)
153 Reflecting portion 155 Reflecting member V1, V3 Storage space V2, V4 Storage space

Claims (3)

A dispenser that supplies a predetermined supply to a container having a communication-enabled recording medium,
A transmitting/receiving unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from the recording medium;
a reflecting unit that reflects radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the transmitting/receiving unit or the recording medium to allow communication between the transmitting/receiving unit and the recording medium ;
A mounting section in which the container is mounted;
a shielding unit that shields communication between the recording medium, which is disposed at a position away from the installation unit, and the transmitting/receiving unit;
a tray provided below the installation portion and receiving the supply that has flowed out of the container;
Equipped with
The reflecting portion is provided below the tray,
The tray is provided with a covering portion that covers the reflecting portion by protruding upward from a bottom portion of the tray,
The upper surface of the covering portion is provided with an inclined surface.
A dispenser comprising: A dispenser that supplies a predetermined supply to a container having a communication-capable recording medium at a bottom thereof,
A mounting section in which the container is mounted;
A transmitting/receiving unit for transmitting and receiving information to and from the recording medium;
a reflecting section disposed below the installation section and configured to reflect radio waves or electromagnetic waves emitted from the transmitting/receiving section or the recording medium, thereby allowing communication between the transmitting/receiving section and the recording medium;
a tray provided below the installation portion and receiving the supply that has flowed out of the container;
Equipped with
The reflecting portion is provided below the tray,
The tray is provided with a covering portion that covers the reflecting portion by protruding upward from a bottom portion of the tray,
The upper surface of the covering portion is provided with an inclined surface.
A dispenser comprising: a body having a mechanism for supplying the supply;
The transmitting/receiving unit is provided in the main body,
The dispenser according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the tray is detachably provided on the main body.

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