Beverage capsule storing and taking device and vending machine

Abstract

The invention discloses a beverage capsule storing and taking device and a vending machine. The beverage capsule storing and taking device comprises a beverage capsule storing mechanism, a grabbing mechanism, a moving mechanism for driving the grabbing mechanism to move, an image collecting mechanism, a controller and a vibration disc feeding mechanism. And the controller is electrically or wirelessly connected with the grabbing mechanism, the movement mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the beverage capsule storage mechanism and the vibration disc feeding mechanism. According to the beverage capsule storing and taking device, by arranging the vibration disc feeding machine, when beverage capsules need to be supplemented, all the beverage capsules need to be placed on the vibration disc feeding mechanism, and the vibration disc feeding mechanism enables the beverage capsules to be arranged in order and conveyed to the range where the grabbing mechanism can grab the beverage capsules. Through the implementation mode, when a large amount of beverage capsules need to be supplemented, the time for a maintainer to place the beverage capsules can be greatly saved, the supplementing efficiency is improved, and the maintenance cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of automatic vending machines, and more particularly to a beverage capsule storage and retrieval device and an automatic vending machine. Background Art

[0002] As one of the main ways for consumers to buy beverage capsules, beverage capsule vending machines have also developed with the development of the capsule beverage industry. For beverage capsule vending machines, relevant innovation entities have developed various new beverage capsule vending machines. For example, Chinese patents 202490000029.7 and 202480002003.0 disclose a beverage capsule vending machine, which improves the storage and retrieval device of beverage capsules. By cleverly designing the composition and structure of the beverage capsule storage mechanism and adopting the image acquisition mechanism, the beverage capsules can be stored in a disordered manner and the target beverage capsules can be accurately captured. When storing or replenishing beverage capsules, the beverage capsule vending machine does not need to classify and place the same type of beverage capsules together. Although the beverage capsule vending machine realizes the disordered storage of beverage capsules, when placing beverage capsules, it is still necessary to place the beverage capsules one by one on the corresponding position of the turntable. In the case where a large number of beverage capsules need to be replenished, it still takes a certain amount of time. Summary of the invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a beverage capsule storage and retrieval device which is convenient for replenishing a large number of beverage capsules.

[0004] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0005] A beverage capsule storage and retrieval device comprises a beverage capsule storage mechanism, a gripping mechanism, a motion mechanism driving the gripping mechanism to move, an image acquisition mechanism, a controller and a vibration plate feeding mechanism; the controller is electrically or wirelessly connected to the gripping mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the beverage capsule storage mechanism and the vibration plate feeding mechanism respectively; the vibration plate feeding mechanism is used to arrange the beverage capsules in order and convey them to a range that the gripping mechanism can grip.

[0006] The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present application is provided with the vibration tray feeder. When a large number of beverage capsules need to be replenished, the beverage capsules only need to be placed on the vibration tray feeder mechanism. The vibration tray feeder mechanism arranges the beverage capsules in order and conveys them to a range that can be grasped by the gripping mechanism. The gripping mechanism grips the beverage capsules and places them on the beverage capsule storage mechanism.

[0007] As one embodiment, the vibrating plate feeding mechanism includes a vibrating plate and a feeding track; the output end of the vibrating plate is connected to the input end of the feeding track, and the output end of the feeding track is arranged within the range that the gripping mechanism can grip. In this embodiment, the output end of the vibrating plate outputs orderly arranged beverage capsules, and pushes the beverage capsules to the range that the gripping mechanism can grip via the feeding track.

[0008] According to the shape characteristics of the beverage capsule, the feeding track can be provided with a structure adapted to the shape of the beverage capsule. As one embodiment, the feeding track is two parallel tracks for supporting the brim of the beverage capsule; the two parallel tracks are connected at the output end to fix the beverage capsule delivered to the output end.

[0009] Optionally, the vibration plate includes a vibration chassis and a hopper arranged above the vibration chassis; a spiral channel that spirally ascends is provided in the hopper, and a guiding component is provided in the spiral channel.

[0010] The guide component is used to adjust the posture of the beverage capsule and screen out beverage capsules whose posture does not meet the requirements. As one embodiment, the guide component is a guide rail arranged along the inner wall of the spiral channel. The guide rail extends from low to high along the direction of movement of the beverage capsule. When the beverage capsule moves to the guide rail, the guide rail gradually contacts the brim of the beverage capsule during the movement, and finally the beverage capsule tilts to one side under the force of the guide rail and the moving direction, completing the adjustment of the posture of the beverage capsule. The beverage capsule that cannot complete the posture adjustment eventually falls back to the bottom of the hopper.

[0011] Optionally, the vibration plate feeding mechanism further includes a sensor, and the sensor is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller to control the vibration plate to start or stop working.

[0012] In one embodiment, the sensor is a photoelectric sensor, which is arranged at the output end of the feeding track. When the photoelectric sensor detects that there is a beverage capsule waiting to be picked up at the output end of the feeding track, the photoelectric sensor feeds back a signal to the controller, and the controller temporarily starts the vibration plate; when the beverage capsule is picked up, if the photoelectric sensor does not detect a beverage capsule at the output end of the feeding track, the signal is fed back to the controller, and the controller starts the vibration plate again, and the vibration plate works until the next beverage capsule is pushed to the output end of the feeding track.

[0013] Optionally, the vibration plate feeding mechanism is arranged below or on one side of the beverage capsule storage mechanism.

[0014] Optionally, the beverage capsule storage mechanism includes a bracket and a plurality of storage units distributed up and down; each of the storage units includes a support plate, a turntable, and a motor driving the turntable to rotate; at least a portion of the support plate is connected to the bracket to fix the support plate; the support plate is used to support the motor and / or the turntable; and a plurality of placement portions for placing beverage capsules are provided on the periphery and inner side of the turntable.

[0015] Optionally, the turntables of each storage unit are distributed up and down, and the axial center lines of each turntable are in the same direction; multiple turntables are provided with notches, and the notches extend from the outer edge of the turntable to the inner side. The size of the notches allows the grabbing mechanism to pass through when moving, so as to facilitate grabbing of the beverage capsule on an adjacent turntable corresponding to the notch.

[0016] The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device, by cleverly designing the composition and structure of the beverage capsule storage mechanism and adopting the image acquisition mechanism, does not require manual input of the position information of the beverage capsule in advance, and realizes disordered storage of beverage capsules and accurate grasping of target beverage capsules. It is further explained that by setting the notch of the turntable and the independent rotation of each turntable, the controller controls the notch of each turntable to rotate to the position corresponding to the grasping mechanism according to the movement of the grasping mechanism, forming a moving channel for the grasping mechanism to grasp any beverage capsule on the turntable, including the outer periphery and the inner side.

[0017] Specifically, when storing or replenishing beverage capsules in the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device, there is no need to classify and place beverage capsules of the same type together. After storing the beverage capsules, the image acquisition mechanism collects information about the beverage capsules and feeds it back to the controller, and the database of the controller records the information of the turntables where different beverage capsules are located. When it is necessary to grab a beverage capsule, the controller controls the grabbing mechanism to move to the turntable where the target beverage capsule is located, and controls the turntable to rotate so that the target beverage capsule rotates close to the grabbing mechanism, and then the grabbing mechanism grabs the target beverage capsule. Finally, the grabbing mechanism moves and places the beverage capsule at the target location.

[0018] When the beverage capsule to be grabbed is located on the inner side of the turntable, the controller controls the rotation of the adjacent turntable where the target beverage capsule is located, so that the notch of the adjacent turntable rotates to the position corresponding to the grabbing mechanism, and the grabbing mechanism moves to the notch, and at the same time controls the rotation of the turntable where the target beverage capsule is located, so that the target beverage capsule rotates to the bottom or top of the grabbing mechanism, and then the grabbing mechanism grabs the target beverage capsule. In this way, the beverage capsule located on the inner side of the turntable is grabbed, and the realization of such a function can effectively utilize the space of the turntable and improve the storage space utilization rate. Especially for a turntable with a larger area, when multiple groups of placement parts can be arranged from the periphery to the inside (one circle of placement parts is a group), the improvement of storage space utilization rate is more obvious.

[0019] Since disorderly storage of beverage capsules can be achieved, beverage capsules can be placed arbitrarily on the placement part of the turntable, which overcomes the problem of needing to allocate a specific storage position for each type of beverage capsule, and fully utilizes the storage position of the turntable to improve the utilization rate. According to actual conditions, the types of beverage capsules can be dynamically and significantly increased, or the storage amount of a certain type of beverage capsule can be significantly increased by reducing the types of beverage capsules or keeping the types unchanged, and dozens or even hundreds of different types of beverage capsules can be stored.

[0020] In addition, each storage unit is independent of each other, and a storage unit can be temporarily suspended according to actual conditions, which is convenient for maintenance. And the storage units are arranged along the upper and lower sides, and when the storage capacity of the beverage capsule storage mechanism needs to be expanded, it is only necessary to add a turntable upwards, which increases the storage capacity without increasing the floor space.

[0021] When the height intervals between the turntables are relatively close and the beverage capsule grasped by the grasping mechanism is larger than the grasping mechanism, the size of the gap can be further increased. Furthermore, the size of the gap of the present invention is such that the grasping mechanism, the part of the motion mechanism connected to the grasping mechanism, and the beverage capsule grasped by the grasping mechanism can pass through when moving.

[0022] The number of the turntables provided with the notch of the present invention is multiple, and all the turntables may be provided with the notch, or when the beverage capsule is placed on the upper surface of the turntable, the other turntables located above the turntable at the bottom layer are provided with the notch; when the beverage capsule is placed on the lower surface of the turntable, the other turntables located below the turntable at the top layer are provided with the notch. When the notches of the turntables rotate to the same direction as the turntables, the notches of all the turntables form a channel for the gripping mechanism to move up and down.

[0023] The motion mechanism of the present invention may be one of a six-axis robotic arm, a three-axis robotic arm, a two-axis robotic arm, and a linear drive robotic arm.

[0024] Preferably, the motion mechanism of the present invention is a two-axis robotic arm. The present invention provides the notch on the turntable to form a channel for the gripping mechanism to pass through, which makes it possible to use a two-axis robotic arm, and can achieve efficient and stable gripping of beverage capsules without using a three-axis robotic arm. At the same time, the use of a two-axis robotic arm can save more space.

[0025] Optionally, the motion mechanism is a two-axis robotic arm, which includes a Z-axis moving component and an X or Y-axis moving component arranged on the Z-axis moving component, and the grasping mechanism is arranged on the X or Y-axis moving component so that the grasping mechanism can move to the turntable along the Z-axis direction and the X or Y-axis direction.

[0026] The image acquisition mechanism of the present invention can be installed on the bracket or the motion mechanism. Further, the image acquisition mechanism is arranged on the X-axis or Y-axis moving component.

[0027] The image acquisition mechanism of the present invention is a sensor or camera for collecting the appearance, QR code or barcode information of the beverage capsule. Preferably, the image acquisition mechanism of the present invention is a camera for observing the situation at the beverage capsule storage mechanism. The camera can not only collect the image information of the beverage capsule, but also observe the situation at the beverage capsule storage mechanism, and can be particularly used to monitor the rotation of the turntable, such as the rotation position. The camera is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller. By storing and running the existing image recognition algorithm and database through the camera and the controller, the type of beverage capsule can be automatically identified and recorded in the database of the controller, realizing intelligent inventory management and product type identification. It reduces manual intervention and improves operational efficiency and management accuracy. Preferably, the camera is a high-definition wide-angle camera.

[0028] The gripping mechanism of the present invention is a mechanical gripper, an electric suction cup or a combination of the two. Preferably, the gripping mechanism is an electric suction cup, which realizes the adsorption and release actions through electric control. This gripping method is particularly suitable for beverage capsules. The suction cup of the electric suction cup is circular in shape.

[0029] The controller of the present invention is electrically connected to the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the beverage capsule storage mechanism and the vibration plate feeding mechanism to control the coordinated operation of the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the beverage capsule storage mechanism and the vibration plate feeding mechanism.

[0030] The controller of the present invention can be a PLC controller. The controller of the present invention includes a central processing unit and a storage module; the central processing unit is connected to the storage module; the storage module stores a program code including but not limited to a database program code for recording beverage capsule information, an image recognition algorithm program code, and a control program code for controlling the actions of the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the beverage capsule storage mechanism, and the vibration plate feeding mechanism. The central processing unit can control the operation of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device by running the program code.

[0031] The controller of the present invention can control the rotation of the turntable so that the notch is aligned with the direction of the grabbing mechanism. The image acquisition mechanism can be combined with image recognition to assist in positioning. The image acquisition mechanism feeds back the collected information to the controller, and the controller determines whether the notch is rotated to the preset position through a recognition algorithm.

[0032] In order to better locate the notch. Optionally, the storage unit of the present invention also includes a rotational position sensing unit for detecting the rotational position of the turntable, and the rotational position sensing unit is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller. The rotational position sensing unit can detect the rotational position of the turntable, for example, the rotational position of the notch, so as to more conveniently and accurately align the notch with the direction of the grabbing mechanism. As one embodiment, the rotational position sensing unit includes a rotational position sensor and at least one accessory adapted to the rotational position sensor; the rotational position sensor is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller. The rotational position sensor is arranged on the bracket or the support plate, and the accessory is arranged on the turntable. One of the accessories is used to feedback that the notch is aligned with the direction of the grabbing mechanism. When the notch of the turntable rotates to align with the direction of the grabbing mechanism, the rotational position sensor senses the accessory. The induction includes but is not limited to electrical induction, optical induction, magnetic induction, and mechanical induction.

[0033] In another aspect, the present invention provides an automatic vending machine, which comprises the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device.

[0034] Furthermore, the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device further comprises a transmission mechanism. The housing of the vending machine is provided with a pickup port; the transmission mechanism transmits the beverage capsules grabbed by the grabbing mechanism to the pickup port.

[0035] Optionally, the transmission mechanism is a slide rail; one end of the slide rail is used to receive the beverage capsule grabbed by the gripping mechanism, and the other end of the slide rail is located below one end of the slide rail and opposite to the pickup port, so as to use gravity to slide the beverage capsule to the pickup port. When the beverage capsule falls from the gripping mechanism to the slide rail, the slide rail contacts the edge or side wall of the capsule cover of the beverage capsule, thereby preventing the beverage capsule from rolling over and being deformed or damaged when sliding down.

[0036] The beverage capsule storage mechanism, the grabbing mechanism, the moving mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the controller, the vibration plate feeder and the transmission mechanism of the present invention are all arranged in the shell of the automatic vending machine.

[0037] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0038] The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present application is provided with the vibration tray feeder. When the beverage capsules need to be replenished, the beverage capsules only need to be placed on the vibration tray feeder mechanism. The vibration tray feeder mechanism arranges the beverage capsules in an orderly manner and conveys them to the range that the grabbing mechanism can grab. Through the above-mentioned implementation, when a large amount of replenishment is required, the maintenance personnel can greatly save time for placing beverage capsules, improve replenishment efficiency, and reduce maintenance costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device described in Example 1.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the storage unit described in Example 1.

[0041] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the storage rotation unit described in Example 1; wherein, for ease of understanding, the dotted line portion is used to indicate the gap of the storage rotation unit.

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structures of the motion mechanism, gripping mechanism and image acquisition mechanism described in Example 1.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the vibrating plate feeding mechanism described in Example 3.

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the storage unit described in Example 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific implementation modes.

[0046] If there are terms such as "first" and "second", they are only used for descriptive purposes, mainly to distinguish different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and are not used to indicate or imply the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0047] Example 1

[0048] like Figure 1As shown, a beverage capsule storage and retrieval device includes a beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, a gripping mechanism 200, a motion mechanism 300 for driving the gripping mechanism 200 to move to the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, an image acquisition mechanism 400 for acquiring image information of beverage capsules, a controller 500 and a vibration plate feeding mechanism 600; the controller 500 is electrically or wirelessly connected to the gripping mechanism 200, the motion mechanism 300, the image acquisition mechanism 400, the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100 and the vibration plate feeding mechanism 600 respectively.

[0049] like Figure 2 As shown, the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100 includes a bracket 110 and a plurality of storage units 120 distributed up and down; each storage unit 120 includes a support plate 121, a turntable 122, and a motor 123 for driving the turntable 122 to rotate; the support plate 121 is detachably connected to the bracket 110.

[0050] The motor 123 is mounted on the support plate 121. The turntable 122 is mounted on the motor, and the motor 123 is connected to the axis of the turntable 122 to drive the turntable 122 to rotate around the axis. The turntables 122 of each storage unit 120 are distributed up and down, and the axis lines of each turntable 122 are in the same direction and on the same straight line.

[0051] like Figure 3 As shown, a plurality of rotating disks 122 are provided with notches 1221. In this embodiment, all rotating disks 122 are provided with notches 1221. The notches 1221 extend from the outer periphery to the inner side of the rotating disk 122. The size of the notches 1221 is such that the gripping mechanism 200 can pass through when moving, and the beverage capsule on the adjacent rotating disk 122 corresponding to the notch 1221 can be easily gripped. The area of ​​the notches 1221 can be further increased. The size of the notches 1221 is such that the gripping mechanism 200, a part of the motion mechanism 300 connected to the gripping mechanism 200, and the beverage capsule gripped by the gripping mechanism 200 can pass through when moving.

[0052] The turntable 122 is provided with a plurality of placement portions 1222 for placing beverage capsules; the placement portions 1222 are distributed on the periphery and / or the inner side of the turntable 122. The inner side of the turntable 122 refers to the portion of the turntable 122 close to the axis; on the contrary, the outer side refers to the portion of the turntable 122 far from the axis.

[0053] The placement portion 1222 is one or more of a shelf, an opening, and a groove provided on the turntable 122. In this embodiment, the notch 1221 of the turntable 122 is in a fan-like shape, and the placement portion 1222 is an opening directly opened on the turntable 122. In this embodiment, each turntable 122 has 15 openings, and each opening can store a beverage capsule of one style. The entire storage space can store 15×M, where M is the number of turntables 122. In this embodiment, the number of turntables 122 that can be placed is at least 5.

[0054] like Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the motion mechanism 300 is a two-axis robot. The two-axis robot is arranged beside the turntable 122. The two-axis robot provides two degrees of freedom of movement, up and down and left and right. The moving directions of the Z-axis moving component and the X or Y-axis moving component are defined by the three-dimensional space coordinate axis. Among them, the Z-axis direction refers to movement in the up and down direction, corresponding to the turntable 122 distributed up and down, so that the grasping mechanism 200 can move to the turntable 122 at the uppermost and lowermost layers. The X or Y-axis direction refers to movement in the lateral direction, so that the grasping mechanism 200 can move to the inner side of the turntable 122.

[0055] In this embodiment, the two-axis robot arm includes a Z-axis moving component 310 and a Y-axis moving component 320 arranged on the Z-axis moving component 310. The grasping mechanism 200 is arranged on the Y-axis moving component 320 so that the grasping mechanism 200 can move to the turntable 122 along the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0056] The Z-axis moving assembly 310 includes a base 311, a Z-axis screw 312 disposed on the base, a Z-axis slide 313 disposed on the Z-axis screw, and a Z-axis screw motor 314 for driving the Z-axis screw to move the Z-axis slide. The base can be disposed independently or on the bracket 110 of the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100.

[0057] The Y-axis moving assembly 320 includes a Y-axis screw rod 321 disposed on the Z-axis slide, a Y-axis slide 322 disposed on the Y-axis screw rod, and a Y-axis screw rod motor 323 that drives the Y-axis screw rod to move the Y-axis slide.

[0058] The gripping mechanism 200 can be a mechanical gripper, an electric suction cup, or a combination of the two. In this embodiment, the gripping mechanism 200 is an electric suction cup, which realizes the adsorption and release actions through electric control. The gripping mechanism 200 is arranged on the Y-axis slide.

[0059] The image acquisition mechanism 400 is a sensor or camera for collecting the appearance, QR code or barcode information of the beverage capsule. In this embodiment, the image acquisition mechanism 400 is a camera facing the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100 for observing the situation of the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100.

[0060] The camera can not only collect image information of beverage capsules, but also observe the situation at the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, and can be particularly used to monitor the rotation of the turntable 122, such as the rotation position. The camera is electrically connected or wirelessly connected to the controller 500. The camera is set on the Y-axis slide and can move with the gripping mechanism 200. A single camera can identify and cover the entire beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, which can reduce the number of cameras required for setting and improve the success rate of gripping. The image recognition algorithm and database stored and run by the camera and the controller 500 can automatically identify the type of beverage capsule and record it in the database of the controller 500, realizing intelligent inventory management and product type recognition. It reduces manual intervention and improves operational efficiency and management accuracy. The beverage capsule attribute information collected by the camera includes the shape and pattern color of the beverage capsule. Furthermore, the beverage capsule attribute information collected by the camera may also include the name of the beverage capsule, the name of the manufacturer, and the size (capacity or weight).

[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, the vibration plate feeding mechanism 600 is arranged below or on one side of the beverage capsule storage mechanism. The vibration plate feeding mechanism 600 includes a vibration plate 610 and a feeding track 620. The output end of the vibration plate 610 is connected to the input end 621 of the feeding track 620, and the output end 622 of the feeding track 620 is arranged within the range that the gripping mechanism 200 can grip.

[0062] Specifically, the vibration plate 610 includes a vibration base 611, a hopper 612 disposed above the vibration base 611, and a spiral channel 630 that spirally ascends is disposed in the hopper 612. The feeding track 620 is two parallel tracks for supporting the brim of the beverage capsule, and the two parallel tracks are connected at the output end 622 of the feeding track 620 to fix the beverage capsule delivered to the output end 622 of the feeding track.

[0063] The spiral channel 630 is provided with a guide component 640, which is used to adjust the posture of the beverage capsule and screen out beverage capsules whose posture does not meet the requirements. As one embodiment, the guide component 640 is a guide rail arranged along the inner wall of the spiral channel 630. The guide rail 640 extends from low to high along the direction of movement of the beverage capsule. When the beverage capsule moves to the guide rail, the guide rail gradually contacts the brim of the beverage capsule during the movement, and finally the beverage capsule tilts to one side under the action of the guide rail and the moving direction, completing the adjustment of the beverage capsule posture. The beverage capsule that cannot complete the posture adjustment eventually falls back to the bottom of the hopper.

[0064] The controller 500 is electrically or wirelessly connected to the grabbing mechanism 200, the motion mechanism 300, the image acquisition mechanism 400, the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, and the vibration plate feeding mechanism 600 to control the grabbing mechanism 200, the motion mechanism 300, the image acquisition mechanism 400, the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, and the vibration plate feeding mechanism 600 to work in coordination. The controller 500 includes a central processing unit and a storage module; the central processing unit is connected to the storage module; the storage module stores a database program code for recording beverage capsule information, an image recognition algorithm program code, and a control program code for controlling the actions of the grabbing mechanism 200, the motion mechanism 300, the image acquisition mechanism 400, the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, and the vibration plate feeding mechanism 600. The central processing unit can control the operation of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device by running the above program code.

[0065] The controller 500 can control the notch 1221 of the rotating disk 122 to align with the direction of the gripping mechanism 200, and the camera can be combined with image recognition to assist in positioning. Specifically, the camera feeds back the collected image information to the controller 500, and the controller 500 determines whether the notch 1221 is rotated to the preset position through the image recognition algorithm.

[0066] The working operation of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of this embodiment is described as follows:

[0067] Beverage capsule storage: The information of the beverage capsule is preset in the controller 500 or the controller 500 is connected to a cloud server that records the beverage capsule information. When working for the first time, the identification information of the beverage capsule to be stored, such as text, image feature information, and quantity information, is stored in the memory of the controller 500 or the cloud server. If there is a new type of beverage capsule to be stored, the new beverage capsule identification information is added to the controller 500 or the cloud server. Placing beverage capsules: Place all beverage capsules that need to be put on the shelf in the hopper 612 of the vibrating plate feeding mechanism 600, start the vibrating plate to arrange the beverage capsules in order, and transport them one by one to the output end of the feeding track 620 in an orderly manner. The controller 500 controls the motion mechanism 300 to drive the grabbing mechanism 200 to move to the output end 622 of the feeding track 620. The camera collects image information of the beverage capsules at the output end 622 of the feeding track 620, and feeds the information back to the controller 500. The image recognition algorithm is used to identify the type of beverage capsule to be grabbed according to the beverage capsule information preset in the database. The grabbing mechanism 200 grabs and transfers the beverage capsule to the placement part 1222 on the turntable 122. The controller 500 records the beverage type and the position information of the beverage capsule. The position information of the beverage capsule can be the turntable 122 (the turntable is numbered in advance) or the displacement value of the motion mechanism 300 (for example, the displacement value of the Z axis). Repeat the above actions until the turntable 122 is full of beverage capsules, and stop the vibration plate. If new beverage capsules are needed later, the above steps are also taken.

[0068] Beverage capsule grabbing: When a certain type of beverage capsule needs to be taken out, the controller 500 finds the turntable 122 where the target beverage capsule is located according to the beverage capsule information recorded in the database, and the controller 500 controls the motion mechanism 300 to drive the grabbing mechanism 200 to move to the turntable 122 where the target beverage capsule is located; when more than one turntable 122 stores the target beverage capsule, the turntable 122 closer to the grabbing mechanism 200 can be selected or a designated turntable 122 can be selected according to a preset priority order; the controller 500 simultaneously controls the rotation of the turntable 122 and the movement of the grabbing mechanism 200, specifically, controls the target turntable 122 to rotate. 122 rotates the target beverage capsule to face the direction where the grabbing mechanism 200 is located, and at the same time controls the turntable 122 adjacent to the target beverage capsule to rotate, so that the notch 1221 of the adjacent turntable 122 faces the direction where the grabbing mechanism 200 is located, leaving space for the grabbing mechanism 200 to move, and the controller 500 controls the motion mechanism 300 to drive the grabbing mechanism 200 to move above the target beverage capsule to grab the target beverage capsule; after grabbing the target beverage capsule, the controller 500 controls the grabbing mechanism 200 to move to the slide rail, puts down the target beverage capsule, and uses gravity to slide the beverage capsule to the pickup port.

[0069] Example 2

[0070] Different from the first embodiment, in the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present embodiment, the vibration plate feeding mechanism 600 further includes a sensor, which is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller to control the vibration plate to work or pause. The sensor is a photoelectric sensor, which is arranged at the output end 622 of the feeding track 620. When the photoelectric sensor detects that there is a beverage capsule waiting to be grabbed at the output end of the feeding track 620, the photoelectric sensor feeds back a signal to the controller, and the controller temporarily stops the vibration plate 610 from working; when the beverage capsule is grabbed, if the photoelectric sensor does not detect a beverage capsule at the output end of the feeding track, the signal is fed back to the controller, and the controller 500 starts the vibration plate 610 again, and the vibration plate 610 works until the next beverage capsule is pushed to the output end 622 of the feeding track 620.

[0071] The other structures and connection relationships of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device described in this embodiment are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0072] Example 3

[0073] like Figure 6 As shown, different from the first embodiment, in order to better position the notch 1221, in the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present embodiment, the storage unit 120 further includes a rotation position sensor unit 124 for detecting the rotation position of the turntable 122, and the rotation position sensor unit is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller 500. The rotation position sensor unit can detect the rotation position of the turntable 122, for example, the rotation position of the notch 1221, so as to more conveniently and accurately align the notch 1221 with the direction of the grabbing mechanism 200.

[0074] In this embodiment, the rotation position sensing unit 124 includes a rotation position sensor 1241 and at least one accessory 1242 adapted to the rotation position sensor; the rotation position sensor 1241 and the accessory 1242 may work in one of electrical induction, magnetic induction, optical induction, and mechanical induction. The rotation position sensor 1241 is electrically connected or wirelessly connected to the controller 500. The rotation position sensor 1241 is disposed on the bracket, and the accessory 1242 is disposed on the turntable 122. One of the accessories 1242 is used to feedback whether the notch 1221 is aligned with the direction of the gripping mechanism 200. When the notch 1221 of the turntable 122 needs to be rotated to the direction aligned with the gripping mechanism 200, the rotation position sensor 1241 senses the accessory 1242, and the rotation position sensor 1241 feedbacks to the controller 500 to stop rotating the turntable 122.

[0075] The other structures and connection relationships of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device described in this embodiment are the same as or similar to those in the first embodiment.

[0076] Example 4

[0077] An automatic vending machine includes any beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of embodiments 1 to 3, a human-machine interaction system for consumers to select products, and a payment system; the human-machine interaction system is respectively connected to the payment system and the controller. The human-machine interaction system and the payment system can be set with reference to the existing technology.

[0078] The housing of the vending machine is provided with a pickup port; the transmission mechanism transmits the beverage capsules grasped by the gripping mechanism to the pickup port. The transmission mechanism transmits the beverage capsules grasped by the gripping mechanism to the pickup port. The transmission mechanism may be a slide rail or a slideway; the present embodiment adopts a slide rail, one end of which is used to receive the beverage capsules grasped by the gripping mechanism, and the other end of which is located below one end of the slide rail and opposite to the pickup port, so as to utilize gravity to slide the beverage capsules to the pickup port. A slot for receiving the beverage capsules is provided at the pickup port. The other end of the slide rail is located above the slot, so as to slide the beverage capsules to the slot.

[0079] When a consumer buys a beverage capsule, he selects the type of beverage capsule through the human-computer interaction system. After selecting and confirming and paying, the human-computer interaction system feeds back the required beverage capsule information to the controller. The controller of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device controls other components of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device (grabbing mechanism, motion mechanism, image acquisition mechanism) to take out the target beverage capsule to the pickup port.

[0080] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present invention are merely examples for clearly illustrating the present invention, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or modifications can be made based on the above description. It is not necessary and impossible to list all the embodiments here. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A beverage capsule storage and retrieval device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a beverage capsule storage mechanism, a gripping mechanism, a motion mechanism for driving the gripping mechanism to move, an image acquisition mechanism, a controller and a vibration plate feeding mechanism; the controller is respectively electrically or wirelessly connected to the gripping mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the beverage capsule storage mechanism and the vibration plate feeding mechanism; the vibration plate feeding mechanism is used to arrange the beverage capsules in order and convey them to a range that the gripping mechanism can grip.

2. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vibration plate feeding mechanism comprises a vibration plate and a feeding track; the output end of the vibration plate is connected to the input end of the feeding track, and the output end of the feeding track is arranged within the range that the grasping mechanism can grasp.

3. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The vibration plate comprises a vibration bottom plate and a hopper arranged above the vibration bottom plate; a spiral channel which rises in a spiral is arranged in the hopper, and a guiding component is arranged in the spiral channel.

4. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The vibration plate feeding mechanism also includes a sensor, and the sensor is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller.

5. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensor is a photoelectric sensor, and the photoelectric sensor is arranged at the output end of the feeding track.

6. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The beverage capsule storage mechanism includes a bracket and a plurality of storage units distributed up and down; each of the storage units includes a support plate, a turntable, and a motor driving the turntable to rotate; at least a portion of the support plate is connected to the bracket to fix the support plate; the support plate is used to support the motor and / or the turntable; and a plurality of placement portions for placing beverage capsules are provided on the periphery and inner side of the turntable.

7. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating disks of each storage unit are distributed vertically, and the axis directions of the rotating disks are the same; a plurality of the rotating disks are provided with notches, and the notches extend from the outer edges of the rotating disks to the inner sides, and the size of the notches is such that the grasping mechanism can pass through when moving, so as to grasp the beverage capsule on an adjacent rotating disk corresponding to the notch. The storage unit further includes a rotation position sensor unit for detecting the rotation position of the rotating disk, and the rotation position sensor unit is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller.

8. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image acquisition mechanism is installed on the grasping mechanism or the motion mechanism; the image acquisition mechanism is a camera or a sensor.

9. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The motion mechanism is a two-axis robotic arm, which includes a Z-axis moving component and an X or Y-axis moving component arranged on the Z-axis moving component. The grasping mechanism is arranged on the X or Y-axis moving component so that the grasping mechanism can move to the turntable along the Z-axis direction and the X or Y-axis direction.

10. A vending machine, characterized in that: The beverage capsule storage and access device comprises the beverage capsule storage and access device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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