JPS5812626B2 - Refrigerator central control device - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a centralized control device for refrigerators.

A central refrigerator management device is a refrigerator installed in each guest room of accommodation facilities such as hotels and inns so that guests can freely take out refrigerated contents such as beer and juice as needed. This allows for centralized management, and allows guests to automatically bill for the consumption of the contents of the refrigerator in addition to the accommodation fee when they check out, preventing omissions in billing, and checking the amount of consumption of the contents of the refrigerator. This has the effect of eliminating the need for confirmation.

In such a central control device for a refrigerator, there is a limit to the number of contents that can be stored in the refrigerator, and the memory of the central control device generally has a storage capacity that corresponds to the storage limit.

However, some guests consume more than the storage limit, and in such cases it is necessary to replenish the contents.

On the other hand, the contents can be retrieved again by replenishing them, but the storage capacity of the memory becomes full and the maximum number of memories remains, or it returns to 0 and becomes inaccurate. It is not possible to memorize consumption quantities.

Of course, if the storage capacity of the memory is increased, this inconvenience can be solved, but it is uneconomical to increase the storage capacity for situations that occur only rarely.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and
A detailed description will be given below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the apparatus of the present invention,
Reference numeral 1 denotes a refrigerator group consisting of a plurality of refrigerators 2, 2... installed in each guest room, and each refrigerator 2, 2... of the refrigerator group 1.
is electrically connected to the central control unit 4 via the communication line 3.

The central management device 4 includes a control section 5, an operation section 6 consisting of operation keys, and a printer 7 for printing out the contents of a memory provided in the control section 5.

Figure 2 shows an example of the refrigerator 2 installed in each guest room. In the figure, 11 is the outer door of the refrigerator 2, which is normally closed.
It is pivoted so that it can be opened as shown in the figure only when necessary.

12, 12... are take-out windows for taking out contents that require refrigeration such as beer, juice, etc. These windows 12, 12...
Each time the contents are opened and the contents are removed, transmission line 3 is sent to the central control unit
A signal is transmitted through the central control unit 4 to store in the memory of the central management unit 4 what has been taken out of the refrigerator of which guest room.

Reference numeral 13 denotes a replenishment door that opens when replenishing contents such as beer and juice, and is provided with a locking mechanism that can only be opened in response to a command from the central management device 4.

14, 14... is a viewing window provided in this replenishment door 13,
It is possible to know the storage status of the contents, that is, the remaining amount of the contents.

In addition, a locking mechanism is also attached to the take-out windows 12, 12... for the contents, and the take-out windows 12, 12...
The lock mechanism of... is always in the unlocked state, and the lock mechanism of the take-out windows 12, 12... is engaged only when the lock mechanism of the replenishment door 13 is unlocked by a command from the central management device. becomes.

The specific structure of these locking mechanisms is shown in Figure 3A and 3B.

In the figure, numerals 12, 12, . . . are windows for taking out contents, and a lockper 20 is arranged parallel to these windows 12, 12.

Lock pieces 21, 21, . . . corresponding to the respective windows 12, 12, . As shown in FIG. When the electromagnetic solenoid 23 connected to the
2, the lock piece 21 comes into contact with this take-out window 12.
, 12, . . .

Also, a retaining pawl 24 that locks the replenishment door 13 is integrally formed on this lockper 20, and this engaging pawl 24 is normally engaged with the replenishment door 13 as shown in FIG. 3A. When the replenishment door 13 is locked and the electromagnetic solenoid 23 is operated based on a command from the central control device 5, the engagement claw 24 and the replenishment door 13 are disengaged as shown in the opening in FIG. It is configured to unlock the replenishment door 13.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, the central management device 4 described in FIG.
Explain the details.

The main component of the control unit 5 of the central management device 4 is a memory 30 that stores information from the refrigerator group 1. This memory 30 has an address area corresponding to the guest room in which the refrigerator 2 is installed, and each area has a beer storage area. , the status of taking out contents such as juice, etc. can be stored individually.

The operation unit 6 has a designation key 31 for designating a specific refrigerator in the refrigerator group 1, and the contents of the address area of the memory 30 that stores the removal status of the contents of the refrigerator designated by the designation key 31. It consists of a print key 32 used when printing with the printer 7, and a lock key 33 that operates each lock mechanism explained in FIG.

The address signal obtained when the specified key 31 is operated is applied to the memory 30 and also applied to the first AND gate 34, and the lock signal from the lock key 33 is applied to the specified key 31 via the first AND gate 34. It is applied to the designated refrigerator and also to the OR gate 35.

The print signal from the print key 32 is also applied to an OR gate 35, and the logic output of this OR gate 35 is applied to a second AND gate 36.

This second AND gate 36 operates to send information obtained from the memory 30 to the printer 7.

Therefore, under normal conditions, the refrigerators installed in each guest room 2, 2,
As shown in Fig. 3A, each locking mechanism does not lock the contents removal window 12, 12..., and the refill door 13 remains locked, so guests can freely use the lock mechanism. The contents such as beer and juice can be taken out by opening the takeout windows 12, 12, . . .

Therefore, in response to the removal of the contents, a signal is written in the memory 30 of the central management unit 4 via the transmission line 3, and the removal status of the contents is stored in the memory 30 for each room.

Further, at this time, the locking mechanism for the replenishment door 13 is in a locked state, so the guest cannot open the replenishment door 13 without permission and take out the contents illegally.

Next, the operation will be explained.

The refrigerator 2 in the guest room immediately before check-in is fully loaded with contents, and the corresponding address area in the memory 30 is in a cleared state.

In this state, for example, a guest checks in to room 32,
When you take out the contents such as beer or juice from the takeout windows 12, 12, etc. of the refrigerator 2 and eat or drink, the taking out status is transmitted from the refrigerator 2 to room 32 in the memory 30 via the transmission path 3 and the control unit 5. It is transmitted to the corresponding address area, and the number of withdrawals is stored for each item such as beer, juice, etc.

When the contents are further taken out from the refrigerator 2 in room 32 and, for example, there is no more beer, and there is a need to replenish the contents, first specify the refrigerator 2 in room 32 to be refilled using the designation key 31. After that, the lock key 33 is operated.

As a result, a lock signal is supplied to the refrigerator 2 designated by the designated key 31, the electromagnetic solenoid 23 is activated, and the refill door 13 is unlocked as shown in the opening in FIG. , 12... are locked.

In any state, the replenishment door 13 is opened to replenish contents such as beer and juice.

At the same time, a lock signal generated when the lock key 33 is operated is passed through the OR gate 35 to the second AND gate 36.
, the contents of the address area of the memory 30 corresponding to the refrigerator specified by the designation key 31 are derived to the printer 7 and printed out, and after the printout, the contents of the address area of the memory 30 are cleared. .

When replenishment is completed and the lock key 33 is further operated,
The lock signal from the lock key 33 is no longer output, and the refill doors 13, 13, etc. of the refrigerator 2 in room 32 are locked, and the take-out window 12,
12... is unlocked.

Furthermore, by operating the designation key 31, the designation of the refrigerator 2 in room 32 is canceled.

Thereafter, when the contents are removed from the refrigerator 2 in room 32, the removal status is stored in the memory 30 again in the same manner as described above.

When it is time for the guest in room 32 to check out, the designated key 31 is operated to input a code signal corresponding to room 32, and then the print key 32 is operated.

Through this operation, the printer 7 prints out the removal status after replenishing the contents, and calculates the consumption amount of the contents by combining it with the information printed out by operating the lock key 33 when replenishing the contents. will be charged.

Since the device of the present invention has the above-described configuration, the situation when the contents are taken out from the refrigerator installed in each guest room is stored in the memory of the central management device, and by reading the contents of this memory, The amount consumed for the contents is automatically and quickly calculated, and there is no need to keep guests waiting at check-out, improving service quality.

It also saves the trouble of checking the consumption of the contents of the refrigerator, which greatly contributes to labor savings.

In addition, the printer prints out the contents of the memory at the time the refill door of the refrigerator is opened and the contents are refilled.
Even if the amount of consumption exceeds the storage capacity of the memory, an accurate amount of consumption commensurate with the amount of consumption can be calculated by adding up what has been printed out in advance and the contents of the memory.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining the outline of the device of the present invention,
Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a refrigerator used in the device, Fig. 3 is a front view of main parts showing an example of a locking mechanism used in the device, and Fig. 4 is a block diagram of main parts of the device. Te, 2
1 is a refrigerator, 4 is a central control unit, 5 is a control object, 6 is an operation unit, 7 is a printer, 12 is a take-out group, 13 is a replenishment door, 2
1 is a lock piece, 23 is an electromagnetic solenoid, 24 is an engaging claw,
30 is a memory, 31 is a designated key, 32 is a print key,
33 indicates a lock key.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A refrigerator is installed in each guest room of a hotel, inn, etc., and the central control device for the refrigerator centrally manages the status of taking out the contents stored in the refrigerator at the front desk, checkout counter, etc. It consists of two refrigerators, and a central control device installed at the front counter etc. and electrically connected to each of the refrigerators to centrally manage each of the refrigerators. A window and a replenishment door for replenishing the contents are provided, and the central management unit includes a control unit whose main component is a memory that stores addresses for each of the refrigerators, and a control unit that stores addresses for each of the refrigerators. It has an operation unit consisting of a designation key for designating a refrigerator and a lock key for operating the locking mechanism of the refrigerator designated by the designation key, and a printer for printing out the contents of the memory. When refilling, use the specified key to specify the refrigerator whose contents need to be refilled, operate the lock key to unlock the refill door of the specified refrigerator, and at the same time press the specified key. This centralized control device for a refrigerator is characterized in that after printing out the contents of the memory addressed corresponding to a specified refrigerator using the printer, the contents of the printed memory are cleared.