JP7790189B2 - Rice milling equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to rice milling equipment that mills rice by paying a fee.

Rice milling equipment is known that has a guest room door at the front of the building for users to enter and exit the guest room, which can be opened and closed manually by the user (Patent Document 1).

In addition, there is known a rice milling facility in which the guest room entrance is an automatic door and an entrance fee slot using a coin slot, card reader, or the like is provided near the guest room entrance to open the door. This prevents the guest room entrance door from opening unless the entrance fee is paid at the entrance fee slot, thereby preventing unnecessary visitors and preventing vandalism and theft (Patent Document 2).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-113708 JP 2009-50832 A

In particular, in the case of automatic doors that can open and close automatically when an entrance fee is paid, as in Patent Document 2, third parties cannot enter, which has the effect of preventing vandalism and theft.

However, when a user tries to use the rice milling equipment, if a third party performs the same operation, the door will open, causing discomfort to the user. Furthermore, when entering the building, the user must carry a bag of brown rice containing 10 kg or more of brown rice in both hands, then put the bag on the ground to open the entrance door, pick up the bag again, and then enter the guest room, which involves lifting and lowering heavy luggage, which is a significant burden and a hassle.

The objective of this invention is to prevent the door from being accidentally opened or closed by a third party, and also to make it easier for a person to enter or exit a passenger compartment while holding a bag of brown rice or similar item in both hands.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention is a rice milling equipment configured such that a building (1) is divided into a machine room (3) and a guest room (4) by a partition wall (2), and an entrance door (20) that opens and closes automatically is provided at the entrance to the guest room (4), and an entrance door open switch (31) is activated by operating a switch button (32) to output an entrance door open signal, and when the switch button (32) is operated from outside the building (1), it slides to the guest room (4) side and retreats.
This rice milling equipment is configured to output a command signal to close the entrance and exit doors after the fee is deposited.
The second invention is a rice milling equipment having a structure in which a building (1) is divided into a machine room (3) and a guest room (4) by a partition wall (2), and an entrance door (20) that opens and closes automatically is provided at the entrance to the guest room (4), and an entrance door open switch (31) is activated by operating a switch button (32) to output an entrance door open signal, and when the switch button (32) is operated from outside the building (1), it slides to the guest room (4) side and retreats.
This rice milling equipment is configured so that after the fee is paid, a command signal to close the entrance/exit door is output by selecting the degree of polishing selection switch (12).
The third invention is a rice milling equipment having a structure in which a building (1) is divided into a machine room (3) and a guest room (4) by a partition wall (2), and an entrance door (20) that opens and closes automatically is provided at the entrance to the guest room (4), and an entrance door open switch (31) is activated by operating a switch button (32) to output an entrance door open signal, and when the switch button (32) is operated from outside the building (1), it slides to the guest room (4) side and retreats.
The rice milling equipment is configured such that a human detection sensor (25) is provided in the passenger compartment (4), and if the human detection sensor (25) does not detect a person for a predetermined time after the entrance door (20) is opened, it outputs a command signal to close the entrance door, and the switch button (32) returns to a state in which it protrudes outside the building (1).
The first invention related to the present invention is a rice milling facility in which a building 1 is divided into a machine room 3 and a guest room 4 by a partition wall 2, and an entrance/exit door 20 that opens and closes automatically is provided at the entrance/exit of the guest room 4, and is configured so that operation of a switch button 32 activates an entrance/exit open switch 31 and outputs an entrance/exit door open signal, and when the switch button 32 is operated from outside the building 1, it slides toward the guest room 4 and retreats.

A second aspect of the present invention is the first aspect of the present invention , wherein a command signal to close the entrance/exit door is output after a fare is inserted.

A third invention related to the present invention is the first invention related to the present invention , in which after the fee is inserted, a command signal to close the entrance/exit door is output by operating the degree of polishing selection switch 12.

A fourth invention related to the present invention is any one of the first to third inventions related to the present invention , in which a human detection sensor 25 is provided in the passenger compartment 4, and if the human detection sensor 25 does not detect a person for a predetermined period of time after the entrance/exit door 20 is opened, it outputs an entrance/exit door close command signal, and the switch button 32 returns to its protruding state outside the building 1.

According to the present invention, when a user brings a bag of brown rice into an unmanned guest room 4, the operation surface of switch button 32, which protrudes outside building 1, is operated to open entrance door 20, allowing the user to enter guest room 4, but the operation surface of switch button 32 from outside building 1 is retracted at that time, making it impossible to operate from outside building 1. Therefore, the user in guest room 4 can use the rice milling equipment without being disturbed by others.
According to a first invention related to the present invention , when a user brings a bag of brown rice into an unmanned guest room 4, the operation surface of switch button 32, which protrudes outside building 1, is operated to open entrance door 20, allowing the user to enter guest room 4, but the operation surface of switch button 32 from outside building 1 is retracted at that time, making it impossible to operate from outside building 1. Therefore, users in guest room 4 can use the rice milling equipment without being disturbed by others.

According to the second or third invention related to the present invention , in addition to the effect of the first invention related to the present invention , a command signal to close the entrance/exit door is output after the payment is inserted or by selecting the degree of polishing selection switch 12, so that the entrance/exit door 20 is closed safely even when the user is not in a position where he or she would be caught between the entrance/exit door 20.

The fourth invention related to the present invention has the effect of any one of the first to third inventions related to the present invention , and in addition, it can prevent the entrance door 20 from being open when there is no one in the passenger compartment 4, thereby preventing unexpected accidents and theft.

Front view of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the inside of a rice milling facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a front view of a guest room of a rice milling facility according to an embodiment of the present invention. Operation process diagram of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention (A) and (B) are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the switch button of the rice milling equipment according to the embodiment of the present invention. (A) and (B) are cross-sectional views showing the cylindrical boss body configuration of the rice milling equipment according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of a human detection sensor in the rice milling equipment according to the embodiment of the present invention; Control block diagram of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention Flowchart diagram of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention (A) A perspective view of another example of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention, (B) A side view illustrating the operation of the rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention. Flowchart diagram of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention

The following describes a fee-based rice milling system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, with reference to Figures 1 to 7, we will specifically explain the configuration and operation of rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 2, the rice milling facility is constructed with a building 1 separated in the front-to-back direction by a partition wall 2 into a machine room 3 and a guest room 4.

The rice milling equipment is equipped with an input hopper 5 that stores brown rice brought by users, a rotary valve 6 that discharges the brown rice from the input hopper 5, a first elevator 7 that receives the discharged brown rice and lifts it up, a stone remover 8 that sorts and separates stones mixed in with the brown rice, a second elevator 9 that lifts the brown rice sorted by the stone remover 8, a rice mill 10 that mills the brown rice to produce white rice, and a white rice tank 11 that stores the white rice.

The feeding hopper 5 and white rice tank 11 are located facing the passenger compartment 4, while the first elevator 7, stone remover 8, second elevator 9, and rice polisher 10 are located on the machine room 3 side. The feeding hopper 5 is located on one side of the passenger compartment 4, left or right, and the white rice tank 11 is located on the other side of the passenger compartment 4. Between the feeding hopper 5 and the white rice tank 11 is a control panel 15 on whose surface is located a whiteness setting switch (whiteness selection switch) 12 for setting the whiteness, a fee slot 13 for inserting fees, a change return slot 14, and other devices. An opening/closing shutter 16 is located in front of the feeding hopper 5 to close and open the feeding opening of the feeding hopper 5.

Left and right sliding doors (entrance doors) 20 are provided at the entrances and exits of guest rooms 4 in building 1. The two entrance doors 20 are double sliding doors, and the left and right doors 20L, 20R are automatically operable independently from a fully open state to a fully closed state by electric motors 21L, 21R, full-open detection limit sensors 22L, 22R, and full-close detection limit sensors 23L, 23R. Open command signals or close command signals for electric motors 21L, 21R are transmitted as follows to control the opening and closing of the left and right entrance doors 20L, 20R.

The opening and closing operation of the left door 20L of the entrance doors 20 will be explained below. As a premise, a switch (entrance/exit opening switch) 31 is provided at a low position on the outside of the passenger compartment of the entrance/exit door 20L. As shown in Figure 6, the entrance/exit opening switch 31 is located in two places, on the outside and inside the passenger compartment 4, as switches 31a and 31b, and is configured to switch ON when the switch arm of the entrance/exit opening switch 31 comes into contact with the switch pressing portions 32a and 32b provided on the switch button 32.

Either switch 31a or switch 31b is ON, and they are set up so that they cannot be ON simultaneously. Based on the ON signal from either switch, control unit C issues an open signal for opening and closing door 20L and outputs an open command signal to electric motor 21L. Note that even if the ON input to switch 31a or 31b continues, the output of the open command signal to electric motor 21L is stopped upon detection by the full-open detection limit sensor 22L.

As shown in Figures 1 and 5, the switch button 32 is mounted on the outside of the support pillar 27L of the building 1 adjacent to the opening end of the access door 20L. It is mounted so that it can slide back and forth within the cylindrical boss body 33 shown in Figures 5 and 6. When one end is pressed from the outside of the opening/closing door 20, it slides back and the other end protrudes toward the passenger compartment 4 (Figures 5(A) and 6(A)). Conversely, when the end on the passenger compartment 4 side is pressed, it slides back and the outer end protrudes (Figures 5(B) and 6(B)). In this embodiment, the height and size are set so that this operation can be performed with the toes.

Furthermore, the switch button 32 is biased to one side by a spring 34 wound around it. In this embodiment, it is biased toward the outside of the building 1. The cylindrical boss body 33 is provided with an electromagnetic solenoid 35 that acts on the switch button 32 and maintains the switch button 32 in a state where it protrudes toward the passenger compartment 4 (Figure 6(B)) against the spring 34.

In addition, a human detection sensor 25 is provided in an appropriate location within the passenger compartment 4, for example, on the front side of the control panel 15. The human detection sensor 25 is an ultrasonic or infrared type, and is configured to emit light over a wide range, up, down, left, and right, as shown in Figure 7, so that it can detect the presence or absence of a passenger in the passenger compartment 4.

Next, the configuration and operation of the rice milling equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail, primarily with reference to Figures 8 to 11.

The opening and closing control of the entrance door 20 will be explained based on the flowchart in Figure 9. When a user approaches the left entrance door 20L and presses the end operating surface of the switch button 32 with their toe, the entrance open switch 31a is turned ON (S101), an open command signal is output (S102), the electric motor 21L rotates forward, and the entrance door 20L opens (S103). In S102, the electromagnetic solenoid 35 is turned ON, and the switch button 32 is held in the pressed operating position. Then, when a user enters the passenger compartment 4 through the open entrance on the side of the entrance door 20L, the human detection sensor 25 is turned ON, detecting the presence of a person in the passenger compartment 4 (S104). In this guest room 4, the user inserts the usage fee into the fee slot 13 and then operates the degree of polishing setting switch 12 to set the degree of polishing (S105, S106). This outputs a command signal to close the entrance/exit door, driving the electric motor 21L in reverse and closing the entrance/exit door 20L (S107, S108). At the same time, a rice polishing operation start signal is output, driving the drive motors of the elevators 7 and 9, the stone removal machine 8, and the rice polisher 10, and starting the rice polishing operation (S109, S110).

During this rice milling operation, the electromagnetic solenoid 35 remains ON and excited, and the switch button 32 maintains a state in which its outer end is inserted into the cylindrical boss body 33. During this time, the switch button 32 cannot be operated from outside the building, and the entrance door 20L cannot be opened. This prevents unauthorized access by strangers.

During the rice milling operation, it is determined whether the entrance/exit open switch 31b is ON (S111). The entrance/exit open switch 31b is turned ON when an operator opens the opening/closing door 20 to exit the building by pressing the switch button 32 protruding toward the passenger compartment 4 from the passenger compartment 4 side. In other words, the switch button 32 slides against the excitation of the electromagnetic solenoid 35, turning the entrance/exit open switch 31b ON. In this case, the process proceeds to S113 (described below), allowing the opening/closing door 20L to open.

If S111 determines that the entrance/exit open switch 31b is not ON and the rice milling operation ends (S112), the electromagnetic solenoid 35 is demagnetized by the rice milling operation end signal (S113), and the switch button 32, which is now protruding inside the passenger compartment 4 due to the action of the spring 34, slides toward the outside of the building, turning on the exit open switch 31b (S114). As a result, an open command signal is output to the left entrance/exit door 20L, driving the electric motor 21L in the forward direction and opening the entrance/exit door 20L (S115-S116). Note that demagnetization of the electromagnetic solenoid 35 keeps the switch button 32 protruding outside the building due to the spring 34, resetting the state so that the next user will not be affected when opening or closing the entrance/exit door.

If the human detection sensor 25 does not turn ON in S104 above and a predetermined time has elapsed, a close command signal is output to demagnetize the electromagnetic solenoid 35, drive the electric motor 21L in reverse, and close the access door 20L (S117-S119). This is the case when it is presumed that a small animal or bird other than a user has come into contact with the switch button 32, and it is possible to prevent the access door 20 from being accidentally opened. An alarm may also be output in response to the access door close command signal in S118.

In the above embodiment, when a user brings a bag of brown rice into an unmanned guest room 4, the operating surface of switch button 32 protrudes outside building 1, allowing the user to operate it. When switch button 32 is operated, door 20 opens, allowing the user to enter guest room 4. However, at that time, the operating surface of switch button 32 from outside building 1 retracts into cylindrical boss body 33, and switch button 32 protrudes toward guest room 4, preventing operation from outside building 1. Therefore, users in guest room 4 can use the rice milling equipment without being disturbed by others.

Since the switch button 32 is located at a low position on the outside of the passenger compartment of the entrance doors 20L, 20R, the entrance opening switches 31a, 31b can be turned on by operating the foot, allowing users to easily enter the passenger compartment 4 even when carrying a brown rice storage bag in both hands. In addition, the entrance door 20 can be prevented from opening by detecting people passing in front of the rice milling equipment.

In the above embodiment, an electromagnetic solenoid 35 is installed on the cylindrical boss body 33 through which the switch button 32 passes, and is configured to maintain the position of the switch button 32 biased by the spring 34 or return it to its original position by the biasing force of the spring 34. This allows the opening and closing door 20 to open automatically when the rice milling operation is completed, eliminating the need to operate the switch button 32 from the passenger compartment 4. However, it is also possible to eliminate the spring 34 and electromagnetic solenoid 35 and configure the switch to operate simply by sliding the switch button 32 with the toe from inside or outside the building 1.

In addition, in the above embodiment, after the payment is inserted, the entrance/exit door close command signal is output by operating the degree of refinement selection switch 12, so the entrance/exit door 20 is closed safely even if the user is not in a position where they would be caught between the entrance/exit door 20.

The same effect can be achieved by configuring the machine to output a command signal to close the entrance/exit door after the fare is inserted.

Furthermore, if the human detection sensor 25 does not detect a person for a predetermined period of time after the entrance door 20 is opened, a door close command signal is output to close the entrance door 20. At the same time, the switch button 32 is demagnetized by the electromagnetic solenoid 35, and the action of the spring 34 returns it to its protruding state outside the building 1. This prevents the entrance door 20 from being left open when there is no one in the guest room 4, preventing unexpected accidents and theft.

Next, we will explain the configuration that, instead of using the switch button 32, detects the approach of a user's feet and controls the opening and closing of the entrance door 20. As a premise, as shown in Figure 10, entrance opening and closing detection sensors 24L, 24R are provided at a low position outside the passenger compartment of the entrance doors 20L, 20R. The entrance opening and closing detection sensors 24L, 24R are in the form of capacitance proximity sensors, and are configured to switch ON when they detect the approach of a user's feet, for example.

In the flowchart of Figure 11, when a user approaches the left-side entrance door 20L and places their feet near the entrance opening/closing detection sensor 24L, turning it on (S201), an open command signal is output (S202), the electric motor 21L rotates forward, and the entrance door 20L opens (S203). Then, when the user enters the passenger compartment 4 through the open entrance door 20L side, the human detection sensor 25 turns on, detecting the presence of a person in the passenger compartment 4. In this state, if the user inserts the usage fee into the fare slot 13, a close command signal is output, the electric motor 21L rotates in the reverse direction, and the entrance door 20L closes (S204-S207).

Next, when the degree of polishing is set by operating the degree of polishing setting switch 12, a rice polishing operation start signal is output, and the drive motors of the elevators 7, 9, stone remover 8, and rice polisher 10 are driven to start the rice polishing operation (S208-S210). During this rice polishing operation, the entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R are restricted from being turned on (S211). In other words, during this time, the left and right entrance doors 20 cannot be opened together. Therefore, even if someone approaches the entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L or 24R and attempts to turn the sensors on, this is restricted, preventing unauthorized access.

Next, regarding the control related to the exit opening/closing detection sensors 26L, 26R provided inside the passenger compartment 4, when the exit opening/closing detection sensor 26L detects the approach of a user's feet in the passenger compartment 4, an open command signal is output to the left entrance/exit door 20L, causing the electric motor 21L to rotate forward and opening the entrance/exit door 20L. Similarly, the exit opening/closing detection sensor 26R opens the entrance/exit door 20R. Therefore, after the rice milling operation is completed, when an exit opening/closing detection sensor, for example the right exit opening/closing detection sensor 26R, detects the approach of a user's feet, an open command signal is output to the right entrance/exit door 20R, causing the electric motor 21R to rotate forward and opening the right entrance/exit door 20R closest to the white rice tank 11 (S212-S215). When the entrance door open signal is output, the ON restriction on the entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R is released (S216), and the entrance door is reset so that it will not be affected when the next user opens or closes it.

If a user attempts to leave the guest room 4 during rice milling operation in S212, the exit opening/closing detection sensor, for example, the left exit opening/closing detection sensor 26L, detects the user's approach (S217), and an open command signal is output to the left entrance/exit door 20L, causing the electric motor 21L to rotate forward and opening the left entrance/exit door 20L closest to the input hopper 5 (S218, S219). Note that after a predetermined time (e.g., 30 seconds) in S219, a close command signal is output and the entrance/exit door 20L is closed. However, the entrance/exit door open output in S218 is configured to release the ON restriction on the entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R (S220). Therefore, even if the entrance/exit door 20L is closed while the user is outside the guest room 4, the entrance/exit door 20L can be opened by turning on the entrance opening/closing detection sensor 24L (S221-S223). After a predetermined time has elapsed, the entrance door 20L closes (S223), after which control returns to S210.

If the human detection sensor 25 does not turn ON in S204 above and a predetermined time has elapsed, a close command signal is output, the electric motor 21L rotates in the reverse direction, and the entrance door 20L closes (S224-S226). This is the case when it is assumed that a small animal or bird other than a user has reacted to the entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R, and it is possible to prevent the entrance door 20 from being accidentally opened. An alarm may also be output in response to the entrance door close command signal in S225.

Entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R are mounted at a low position on the outside of the passenger compartment of entrance/exit doors 20L, 20R, so that the approach of a foot can turn on these entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R, allowing a user to easily enter passenger compartment 4 even when holding a bag of brown rice in both hands. Similarly, exit opening/closing detection sensors 26L, 26R are mounted at a low position, so that the approach of a foot can turn on these exit opening/closing detection sensors 26L, 26R, allowing a user to easily exit passenger compartment 4 even when holding a bag of polished rice in both hands.

The entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R are installed on the outside of the support pillars 27L, 27R of the building 1 adjacent to the starting end of the opening operation of the entrance doors 20L, 20R. Therefore, users can easily enter through the entrance doors 20L, 20R, which open immediately when the entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R detect the approach of a foot.

The entrance doors 20 are configured as two double sliding doors, with entrance opening/closing detection sensors 24L, 24R and exit opening/closing detection sensors 26L, 26R positioned to correspond to the left and right entrance doors 20L, 20R, respectively, so that the left and right entrance doors 20L, 20R can be opened and closed from either the outside or the passenger compartment 4.

It is advisable to install at least the entrance opening/closing detection sensor 24 on the support pillar 27 (support pillar 27L in the illustrated example) facing the brown rice feeding hopper 5. When the entrance/exit door 20L opens to enter the guest room 4, the feeding hopper 5 is right in front of the user, making it easy to enter. On the other hand, by installing the exit opening/closing detection sensor 26 on the support pillar 27 (support pillar 27R in the illustrated example) facing the white rice tank 11, a user who has bagged polished rice in the white rice tank 11 can quickly approach the exit opening/closing detection sensor 26 even while holding the bag, making it easier to exit the guest room 4.

1 Building 2 Partition wall 3 Machine room 4 Guest room 5 Brown rice feeding hopper 11 White rice tank 20 Door (entrance and exit door)
25 Human detection sensor 31 Entrance/exit open switch 31a Entrance/exit open switch 31b Entrance/exit open switch 32 Switch button

Claims (3)

The rice milling equipment has a structure in which a building (1) is divided into a machine room (3) and a guest room (4) by a partition wall (2), and an entrance door (20) that opens and closes automatically is provided at the entrance to the guest room (4), and is configured so that an entrance door open switch (31) is activated by operating a switch button (32) to output an entrance door open signal, and the switch button (32) is configured so that when operated from outside the building (1), it slides to the guest room (4) side and retreats.
This rice milling equipment is configured to output a command signal to close the entrance/exit door after payment is made. The rice milling equipment has a structure in which a building (1) is divided into a machine room (3) and a guest room (4) by a partition wall (2), and an entrance door (20) that opens and closes automatically is provided at the entrance to the guest room (4), and is configured so that an entrance door open switch (31) is activated by operating a switch button (32) to output an entrance door open signal, and the switch button (32) is configured so that when operated from outside the building (1), it slides to the guest room (4) side and retreats.
After the fee is paid, the rice milling equipment is configured to output a command signal to close the entrance/exit door by selecting the degree of polishing selection switch (12). The rice milling equipment has a structure in which a building (1) is divided into a machine room (3) and a guest room (4) by a partition wall (2), and an entrance door (20) that opens and closes automatically is provided at the entrance to the guest room (4), and is configured so that an entrance door open switch (31) is activated by operating a switch button (32) to output an entrance door open signal, and the switch button (32) is configured so that when operated from outside the building (1), it slides to the guest room (4) side and retreats.
A human detection sensor (25) is provided in the passenger compartment (4), and if the human detection sensor (25) does not detect a human for a predetermined time after the entrance door (20) is opened, it outputs a command signal to close the entrance door, and the switch button (32) returns to a state where it protrudes outside the building (1).