Intelligent vending refrigerator with automatic lifting goods channel and control method thereof

Abstract

The application provides a smart vending refrigerator with an automatic lifting goods channel and a control method thereof, and belongs to the field of refrigeration freezers. The smart vending refrigerator can solve the problems of difficulty in taking goods from the bottom and visual obstruction of goods in the corner of the existing horizontal glass door smart vending refrigerator. The smart vending refrigerator comprises a carrier tray unit, a gravity data acquisition unit, an automatic lifting unit and a control unit. The carrier tray unit comprises a tray side wall and a tray bottom plate, and the tray side wall is fixed to the bottom of a box body. The gravity data acquisition unit is fixed to the bottom of the tray bottom plate, and a mounting bottom plate is fixed below the gravity data acquisition unit. The automatic lifting unit is integrally fixed to the side wall of the box body and connected with the mounting bottom plate. The control unit is used for receiving gravity data and sending a control signal to the automatic lifting unit to drive the mounting bottom plate to ascend by a corresponding distance, so that goods are always kept on the uppermost layer of the carrier basket. The application has the characteristics of reasonable structure design and convenient use.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of refrigeration and freezer technology, and particularly relates to an intelligent vending freezer with an automatic lifting channel and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing demand for commercial glass-door refrigerated display cases both domestically and internationally, and the continuous improvement of people's living standards, consumers are no longer satisfied with simple freezers and are demanding higher levels of intelligence and automation. Currently, existing smart vending freezers mostly feature simple display and interactive functions, and achieve voice interaction through the Internet of Things, or visual interaction by increasing the display area; structural automation is relatively limited. Furthermore, current horizontal glass-door smart vending freezers all use a fixed "grid" structure for their product aisles, making it difficult to retrieve items from the bottom and posing a risk of obstructed views for items in corners.

[0003] Therefore, the key to solving the above problems lies in providing a new type of intelligent refrigerated vending machine that ensures the bottom layer of goods in the basket is not obstructed and is easily accessible to customers. It should also allow items to be moved to the upper layers for convenient customer access. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This invention addresses the technical problems of existing horizontal glass-door smart vending refrigerators, such as difficulty in retrieving bottom items and potential obstruction of view for corner items. It proposes a smart vending refrigerator with an automatic lifting channel and its control method. This smart vending refrigerator adds an automatic lifting device near the carrying basket (channel). The device automatically moves the tray base and mounting base up and down as needed. Data collected by a gravity sensor located below the channel is fed back to the control module, which then issues commands to raise and lower the tray base and mounting base as required, ensuring that bottom items can be moved to the upper level for easy customer access.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0006] A smart vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting conveyor includes a cabinet, a door, and a door handle, and also includes:

[0007] A cargo pallet unit includes a pallet sidewall and a pallet bottom plate. The pallet sidewall is fixed to the bottom of the box body. The pallet bottom plate has an initial state located at the bottom of the pallet sidewall and a movable state that can move up and down within the pallet sidewall. The pallet sidewall and the pallet bottom plate together form a cargo basket for storing goods.

[0008] A gravity data acquisition unit is fixed to the bottom of the pallet base plate to measure the gravity data before and after the goods are picked up. A mounting base plate is fixed below the gravity data acquisition unit.

[0009] An automatic lifting unit is fixed to the side wall of the housing and connected to the mounting base plate.

[0010] The control unit is connected to the gravity data acquisition unit and the automatic lifting unit. The control unit is used to receive gravity data transmitted from the gravity data acquisition unit and send control signals to the automatic lifting unit to drive the mounting base plate and pallet base plate to rise a corresponding distance, so that the goods are always kept on the upper layer of the cargo basket.

[0011] In one embodiment, the pallet sidewall is provided with a plurality of elongated holes, and the bottom of the pallet sidewall is fixed to the bottom of the box body by screws.

[0012] In one embodiment, the gravity data acquisition unit is a gravity sensor, which is fixed to the bottom of the tray base plate by screws.

[0013] In one embodiment, a vertical opening is provided on the side wall of the tray, and the automatic lifting unit is placed vertically in the vertical opening. Multiple fixing blocks are provided on the automatic lifting unit. The automatic lifting unit is fixed to the side wall of the box body by passing screws through the threaded holes on the fixing blocks.

[0014] In one embodiment, the automatic lifting unit further includes:

[0015] A stepper motor with a laminated coupling installed on its output shaft end;

[0016] A drive shaft assembly, which is connected to the other end of the laminated coupling, the drive shaft assembly including a drive shaft housing and a drive shaft installed inside the drive shaft housing;

[0017] A driven shaft assembly is disposed opposite to the driving shaft assembly. The driven shaft assembly includes a driven shaft housing and a driven shaft installed inside the driven shaft housing.

[0018] A steel wire, which is enclosed around the outside of the drive shaft and the driven shaft;

[0019] An enclosed slide is fixed to the steel wire, and the enclosed slide is connected to the mounting base plate by screws.

[0020] The stepper motor starts to rotate after receiving the control signal from the control unit, driving the steel wire to move around the drive shaft and the driven shaft, so that the enclosed slide moves in a straight line along the movement direction of the steel wire, thereby driving the mounting base plate and the tray base plate to rise a corresponding distance.

[0021] In one embodiment, the automatic lifting unit further includes a photoelectric module mounted on the driven shaft housing. When the emitted beam of the photoelectric module is unobstructed, the control module sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit, causing the mounting base plate and the pallet base plate to rise a corresponding distance until the goods in the cargo basket obstruct the beam of light. The photoelectric module is a photoelectric sensor.

[0022] In one embodiment, the output shaft of the stepper motor is mounted on the laminated coupling using an M4 set screw, and the output shaft of the stepper motor is a D-type shaft; the enclosed slide is connected to the steel wire by screws; and anti-collision strips are provided at the beginning and end points of the enclosed slide.

[0023] In one embodiment, a camera installed inside the container is also included. When the gravity data transmitted by the gravity data acquisition unit is incorrect or abnormal, the camera captures an image inside the container within 3 seconds after the door is closed, determines the number of missing goods, and transmits the image data to the control module.

[0024] The present invention also provides a control method for an intelligent vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel as described in any of the above embodiments, comprising the following steps:

[0025] When the smart vending refrigerated cabinet is powered on, the bottom plate of the tray is located below the side wall of the tray. Merchants can place the goods to be sold into different baskets as needed until the baskets are full. At this time, the gravity sensor collects the gravity data in each basket and records it as the initial data.

[0026] Customers scan a code to open the door and select the desired goods. After closing the door, the gravity sensor collects the gravity data in the basket again and compares it with the initial data. Based on the weight difference and the weight of a single item entered before loading, the quantity to be taken is determined and transmitted to the control module.

[0027] The control module sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit. The stepper motor receives the control signal and rotates at a corresponding angle. The enclosed slide table drives the mounting base plate and the pallet base plate to rise a corresponding distance to ensure that the goods to be sold are always kept on the upper layer of the cargo basket.

[0028] Once all the goods are sold out and the warehouse worker begins loading, the pallet bottom returns to its initial position at the bottom of the pallet side wall.

[0029] In one embodiment, when the gravity data of the automatic lifting unit is incorrect or abnormal, the camera captures an image inside the box within 3 seconds after the door closes, determines the number of missing goods, and transmits the data to the control module.

[0030] When the goods to be sold are not located at the top of the basket, the beam emitted by the photoelectric module is unobstructed. The control module sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit, which raises the mounting base and pallet base a certain distance until the goods in the basket block the beam.

[0031] Compared with the prior art, the advantages and positive effects of the present invention are as follows:

[0032] 1. This invention proposes an intelligent vending refrigerator with an automatic lifting channel. The intelligent vending refrigerator adds an automatic lifting device near the storage basket (channel). The device controls the tray bottom and mounting base to move up and down automatically as needed. The data collected by the gravity sensor located below the channel is fed back to the control module. The control module then issues commands to control the lifting of the tray bottom and mounting base as needed, ensuring that the bottom layer of goods can be raised to the top layer for easy access by customers. This not only effectively solves the problem of difficulty in accessing bottom items, but also solves the problems of items in the corners of the storage basket being blocked and thus not being visible to customers, and the products expiring over time.

[0033] 2. This invention proposes an intelligent vending refrigerator with an automatic lifting channel. By setting up a gravity data acquisition unit, an internal camera, and a photoelectric module, it can ensure that the goods are always kept on the upper layer of the storage basket when the gravity sensor data is abnormal, thus ensuring the normal use of the intelligent vending refrigerator. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the tray sidewall provided by the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the pallet base plate and the mounting base plate provided by the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the tray base plate and the gravity sensor provided by the present invention.

[0037] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the automatic lifting unit provided by the present invention;

[0038] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the stacked coupling provided by the present invention;

[0039] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the enclosed slide provided by the present invention;

[0040] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the intelligent vending refrigerated display case's cargo channel provided by this invention;

[0041] Figure 8The flowchart shows the control method for the intelligent vending refrigerated display case provided by this invention.

[0042] The meanings of the various reference numerals in the above figures are as follows:

[0043] 1. Pallet sidewall; 2. Pallet bottom plate; 3. Mounting base plate; 4. Gravity sensor; 5. Automatic lifting unit; 6. Long slot; 7. Vertical opening; 8. Fixed mounting block; 9. Photoelectric sensor; 10. Box body;

[0044] 51. Stepper motor; 52. Laminated coupling; 53. Drive shaft assembly; 54. Driven shaft assembly; 55. Steel wire; 56. Enclosed slide. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be described and illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments provided by this invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0046] Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are merely some examples or embodiments of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can apply the present invention to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without any inventive effort. Furthermore, it is understood that although the efforts made in this development process may be complex and lengthy, for those skilled in the art related to the content disclosed in this invention, modifications to design, manufacturing, or production based on the technical content disclosed in this invention are merely conventional technical means and should not be construed as insufficient disclosure of the present invention.

[0047] In this invention, the reference to "embodiment" means that a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearance of this phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it a mutually exclusive, independent, or alternative embodiment. It will be explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described in this invention may be combined with other embodiments without conflict.

[0048] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this invention shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "a," "an," "an," "the," and similar words used in this invention do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms "comprising," "including," "having," and any variations thereof used in this invention are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms "connected," "linked," and similar words used in this invention are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "A plurality" in this invention refers to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, "A and / or B" can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects have an "or" relationship. The terms "first," "second," etc., used in this invention are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects.

[0049] This invention provides an intelligent vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel, and includes... Figure 1-8 The following are schematic diagrams illustrating the structure of a pallet sidewall, the connection between the pallet bottom plate and the mounting base plate, the connection between the pallet bottom plate and the gravity sensor, the automatic lifting unit, the stacked coupling, the enclosed slide, the intelligent vending refrigerated display case's cargo channel, and the control method flowchart for the intelligent vending refrigerated display case, according to embodiments of the present invention. (Reference) Figure 1-8As shown, the intelligent vending refrigerator includes at least: a cabinet, a door, and a door handle; it also includes: a pallet unit, a gravity data acquisition unit, an automatic lifting unit, and a control unit; the pallet unit includes a pallet sidewall 1 and a pallet bottom plate 2. The pallet sidewall 1 is fixed to the bottom of the cabinet, and the pallet bottom plate 2 has an initial state located at the bottom of the pallet sidewall 1 and a movable state that can move up and down within the pallet sidewall 1. The pallet sidewall 1 and the pallet bottom plate 2 together form a storage basket for storing goods (it can be understood that several storage baskets are provided in the intelligent vending refrigerator). The basket is fixed to the bottom of the pallet base 2 to measure the gravity data before and after the goods are picked up. The mounting base 3 is fixed below the gravity data acquisition unit. The automatic lifting unit is fixed to the side wall of the box body 10 and connected to the mounting base 3. The control unit is connected to the gravity data acquisition unit and the automatic lifting unit 5. The control unit is used to receive the gravity data transmitted from the gravity data acquisition unit and send control signals to the automatic lifting unit 5 to drive the mounting base 3 and the pallet base 2 to rise a corresponding distance, so that the goods are always kept on the upper layer of the carrying basket.

[0050] Among them, reference Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The side wall 1 of the tray is provided with several elongated holes 6 to ensure that the cold air can enter smoothly. The bottom of the side wall 1 of the tray is fixed to the bottom of the cabinet 10 with screws. The gravity data acquisition unit is a gravity sensor 4, which is fixed to the bottom of the tray bottom plate 2 with screws.

[0051] Among them, reference Figure 1 and Figure 7 A vertical opening 7 is provided on the side wall 1 of the tray, and the automatic lifting unit 5 is placed vertically in the vertical opening 7. Multiple fixing blocks 8 are provided on the automatic lifting unit 5. By passing screws through the threaded holes on the fixing blocks 8, the automatic lifting unit 5 is fixed to the side wall inside the box 10.

[0052] Among them, reference Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 6The automatic lifting unit 5 further includes: a stepper motor 51, a drive shaft assembly 53, a driven shaft assembly 54, a steel wire 55, and a closed slide 56; wherein, the output shaft end of the stepper motor 51 is equipped with a laminated coupling 52; the drive shaft assembly 53 is connected to the other end of the laminated coupling 52, and the drive shaft assembly 53 includes a drive shaft housing and a drive shaft installed inside the drive shaft housing; the driven shaft assembly 54 is disposed opposite to the drive shaft assembly 53, and the driven shaft assembly 54 includes a driven shaft housing and a driven shaft installed inside the driven shaft housing; A steel wire strip 55 is enclosed around the outside of the drive shaft and the driven shaft; a closed slide 56 is fixed on the steel wire strip 55, and the closed slide 56 is connected to the mounting base plate 3 by screws. The closed slide 56 can effectively prevent dust from entering and effectively improve its service life; furthermore, after receiving the control signal from the control unit, the stepper motor 51 starts to rotate, driving the steel wire strip 55 to move around the drive shaft and the driven shaft, so that the closed slide 56 moves in a straight line along the movement direction of the steel wire strip 55, thereby driving the mounting base plate 3 and the tray base plate 2 to rise a corresponding distance.

[0053] Furthermore, the output shaft of the stepper motor 51 is mounted on a laminated coupling 52 using an M4 set screw. The stepper motor 51 is a "57 stepper motor", and its output shaft is a D-type shaft. The enclosed slide 56 is connected to the steel wire strip 55 by screws. The start and end points of the enclosed slide 56 are equipped with anti-collision strips (not shown in the figure) to prevent collisions between components and thus avoid abnormal noise. In addition, referring to the figure, the steel wire strip 55 has a sliding nut groove on its side. The nut groove has a "T"-shaped structure and contains an M4 nut, which can move freely for easy installation.

[0054] Further reference Figure 4 The automatic lifting unit 5 also includes a photoelectric module installed on the driven shaft housing. When the emitted beam of the photoelectric module is unobstructed, the control module sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit 5, causing the mounting base plate 3 and the pallet base plate 2 to rise a corresponding distance until the goods in the carrying basket block the beam of light. The photoelectric module is specifically a photoelectric sensor 9.

[0055] The smart vending freezer also includes a camera (not shown in the figure) installed inside the cabinet 10. When the gravity data transmitted by the gravity data acquisition unit is incorrect or abnormal, the camera captures the image inside the cabinet 10 within 3 seconds after the door is closed, determines the number of missing goods, and transmits the image data to the control module.

[0056] This invention also provides a control method for an intelligent vending refrigerated display case with automatic lifting channels, as described in any of the above embodiments. Figure 8 The flowchart of the control method specifically includes the following steps:

[0057] S1. When the smart vending freezer is powered on, the tray bottom plate 2 is located at the bottom of the tray side wall 1. Merchants place the goods to be sold into different baskets as needed until the baskets are full. At this time, the gravity sensor collects the gravity data in each basket and records it as the initial data.

[0058] S2. Customers scan the code to open the door and select the desired goods. After closing the door, the gravity sensor collects the gravity data in the basket again. By comparing and analyzing the data with the initial data, the quantity to be taken is determined based on the weight difference and the weight of a single item entered before loading. The data is then transmitted to the control module.

[0059] S3. The control module sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit 5. The stepper motor receives the control signal and rotates at the corresponding angle. The enclosed slide 56 drives the mounting base plate 3 and the pallet base plate 2 to rise a corresponding distance to ensure that the goods to be sold are always kept on the upper layer of the cargo basket.

[0060] S4. After all the goods are sold out and the clerk starts loading the goods, the pallet bottom plate 2 returns to the initial position at the bottom of the pallet side wall 1.

[0061] When the gravity data of the automatic lifting unit 5 is incorrect or abnormal, the camera captures the image inside the box within 3 seconds after the door closes, determines the number of missing goods, and transmits the data to the control module.

[0062] When the goods to be sold are not located at the top of the basket, the beam emitted by the photoelectric module is unobstructed. The control module sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit 5, which drives the mounting base plate 3 and the pallet base plate 2 to rise a corresponding distance until the goods in the basket block the beam.

[0063] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0064] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementations of the present invention, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention patent. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these all fall within the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of this invention patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A smart vending refrigerator with automatic lifting goods channel, comprising a cabinet, a door body and a door handle, characterized in that, Also includes: A cargo pallet unit includes a pallet sidewall and a pallet bottom plate. The pallet sidewall is fixed to the bottom of the box body. The pallet bottom plate has an initial state located at the bottom of the pallet sidewall and a movable state that can move up and down within the pallet sidewall. The pallet sidewall and the pallet bottom plate together form a cargo basket for storing goods. A gravity data acquisition unit is fixed to the bottom of the pallet base plate to measure the gravity data before and after the goods are picked up. A mounting base plate is fixed below the gravity data acquisition unit. An automatic lifting unit is fixed to the side wall of the housing and connected to the mounting base plate. The control unit is connected to the gravity data acquisition unit and the automatic lifting unit. The control unit is used to receive gravity data transmitted from the gravity data acquisition unit and send control signals to the automatic lifting unit to drive the mounting base plate and pallet base plate to rise a corresponding distance, so that the goods are always kept on the upper layer of the cargo basket. A vertical opening is provided on the side wall of the tray, and the automatic lifting unit is placed vertically in the vertical opening. The automatic lifting unit is provided with multiple fixing blocks. By passing screws through the threaded holes on the fixing blocks, the automatic lifting unit is fixed to the side wall of the box. The automatic lifting unit further includes: A stepper motor with a laminated coupling installed on its output shaft end; A drive shaft assembly, which is connected to the other end of the laminated coupling, the drive shaft assembly including a drive shaft housing and a drive shaft installed inside the drive shaft housing; A driven shaft assembly is disposed opposite to the driving shaft assembly. The driven shaft assembly includes a driven shaft housing and a driven shaft installed inside the driven shaft housing. A steel wire, which is enclosed around the outside of the drive shaft and the driven shaft; An enclosed slide is fixed to the steel wire, and the enclosed slide is connected to the mounting base plate by screws. The stepper motor starts to rotate after receiving the control signal from the control unit, driving the steel wire to move around the drive shaft and the driven shaft, so that the enclosed slide moves in a straight line along the movement direction of the steel wire, thereby driving the mounting base plate and the tray base plate to rise a corresponding distance.

2. The intelligent vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pallet sidewall has several elongated holes, and the bottom of the pallet sidewall is fixed to the bottom of the box body by screws.

3. The intelligent vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel according to claim 2, characterized in that, The gravity data acquisition unit is a gravity sensor, which is fixed to the bottom of the tray base plate with screws.

4. The intelligent vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel according to claim 3, characterized in that, The automatic lifting unit also includes a photoelectric module installed on the driven shaft housing. When the emitted beam of the photoelectric module is unobstructed, the control unit sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit, causing the mounting base plate and pallet base plate to rise a corresponding distance until the goods in the cargo basket block the beam of light. The photoelectric module is a photoelectric sensor.

5. A smart vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel according to claim 4, characterized in that, The output shaft of the stepper motor is mounted on the laminated coupling using an M4 set screw, and the output shaft of the stepper motor is a D-type shaft; the enclosed slide is connected to the steel wire by screws; the start and end points of the enclosed slide are provided with anti-collision strips.

6. The intelligent vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes a camera installed inside the container. When the gravity data transmitted by the gravity data acquisition unit is incorrect, the camera captures an image inside the container within 3 seconds after the door is closed, determines the quantity of missing goods, and transmits the image data to the control unit.

7. A control method for an intelligent vending refrigerated display case with an automatic lifting channel as described in claim 6, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: When the smart vending refrigerated cabinet is powered on, the bottom plate of the tray is located at the bottom of the side wall of the tray. Merchants can place the goods to be sold into different baskets as needed until the baskets are full. At this time, the gravity sensor collects the gravity data in each basket and records it as the initial data. Customers scan the code to open the door and select the desired goods. After closing the door, the gravity sensor collects the gravity data in the basket again and compares it with the initial data. Based on the weight difference and the weight of a single item entered before loading, the quantity to be taken is determined and transmitted to the control unit. The control unit sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit, the stepper motor receives the control signal and rotates at a corresponding angle, and the enclosed slide table drives the mounting base plate and the pallet base plate to rise a corresponding distance to ensure that the goods to be sold are always kept on the upper layer of the cargo basket. Once all the goods are sold out and the warehouse worker begins loading, the pallet bottom returns to its initial position at the bottom of the pallet side wall.

8. The control method for an intelligent vending refrigerated display case according to claim 7, characterized in that, When the gravity data from the gravity data acquisition unit is incorrect, the camera captures an image of the inside of the box within 3 seconds after the door is closed, determines the quantity of missing goods, and transmits the data to the control unit. When the goods to be sold are not located at the top of the basket, the beam emitted by the photoelectric module is unobstructed. The control unit sends a control signal to the automatic lifting unit, which raises the mounting base and pallet base a certain distance until the goods in the basket block the beam.

Images