An automatic cup loading device

Abstract

This invention provides an automatic cup-feeding device, belonging to the field of automation equipment technology. The device includes a circular combined cup holder assembly, a guide wheel system, a bottom drive wheel, a linear module, a cup-lifting lever, a base, and a control system. The cup holder assembly consists of a ring-shaped chassis and multiple cup holders distributed circumferentially around it. Each cup holder includes an outer ring and an inner ring, forming a rigid ring structure through upper and lower connecting mechanisms. The guide wheel system radially and axially constrains the motion freedom of the cup holder assembly; the bottom drive wheel drives the cup holder assembly to rotate, achieving cup-holder switching. The linear module has a position feedback function, driving the cup-lifting lever to precisely raise and lower, completing the cup-feeding action. The control system manages the cups in each cup holder through a cup holder configuration information table, and uses the position signal from the linear module to calculate the remaining number of cups in real time, enabling mixed storage of multiple cup sizes, intelligent switching on demand, and digital inventory management, significantly improving cup capacity and automation level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automation equipment technology, and in particular to an automatic cup-feeding device. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the new-style tea beverage industry, the demand for automated cup dispensing in automated tea beverage equipment is becoming increasingly urgent. In automated tea beverage equipment, the storage, switching, and automatic dispensing of cups are among the key aspects of overall machine efficiency.

[0003] Currently, the main automatic cup dispensing devices on the market have the following structures and functions:

[0004] (1) Single-row straight-line cup holder (traditional cup dropper): This type uses a vertically arranged single-row cup holder, where cups slide out by gravity. A single cup holder can typically hold 60-70 cups. Although the capacity of a single cup holder is comparable to that of a single cup holder in this invention, the traditional cup holder is bulky (usually 600-800mm in height), and only 1-2 cup holders can be installed in the entire device, with a total cup storage capacity of only 60-140 cups. In addition, traditional cup holders are all of a single size, making it impossible to mix and store cups of different sizes.

[0005] (2) Simple turntable structure: A horizontal turntable is used to carry the cups. Multiple cup positions are set on the turntable, and the cup positions are switched by driving the turntable to rotate through a stepper motor. This type of structure can usually only accommodate a single cup position, resulting in low space utilization and a lack of effective cup and container status detection and automatic switching mechanism.

[0006] (3) Vibrating plate cup feeding device: It uses the principle of vibration to separate and output the randomly stacked cups one by one, but it has defects such as high noise, easy deformation of cups, and poor adaptability to cup shape.

[0007] (4) Multi-row straight combination: Multiple straight cups are combined side by side. Although the total capacity is increased, the overall volume is huge, the structure is complex, and the switching mechanism occupies a lot of space.

[0008] A comprehensive analysis of existing technologies reveals the following key technical deficiencies that urgently need to be addressed:

[0009] First, the total capacity of the cup holders is limited. Traditional single-row cup dispensers can hold 60-70 cups per cylinder, but they are large in size and few in number (usually 1-2 cylinders), with a total capacity of only 60-140 cups. The limited space of the equipment makes it impossible to accommodate a sufficient number of cups or cups of various sizes simultaneously, requiring frequent manual refills, which severely impacts the level of automation and continuous operation capability.

[0010] Second, the space utilization rate is low; the cup and bucket layout is unreasonable, the corner areas in the circular or square space are not fully utilized, and the inner circle space is idle. Summary of the Invention

[0011] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic cup-feeding device to solve the technical problems mentioned in the background art.

[0012] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0013] An automatic cup-dispensing device includes:

[0014] A cup holder device has a circular modular structure, comprising a ring-shaped base and multiple cup holders distributed circumferentially along the ring-shaped base. The cup holders are used to stack and store cups. A central support column is provided at the center of the cup holder device.

[0015] The guide wheel system includes side guide wheels mounted on the side of the central support column to limit the radial displacement of the cup bucket device, and longitudinal guide wheels mounted on the bottom or top of the central support column to limit the axial movement of the cup bucket device.

[0016] A bottom drive wheel is located at the bottom of the cup container device and is used to drive the cup container device to rotate around its central axis to switch cup containers;

[0017] The linear module, arranged vertically, has a position signal feedback function and is used to output precise linear lifting and lowering motion;

[0018] The cup lifting lever is installed on the slider of the linear module and moves up and down with the slider. The front end of the lever extends into the bottom of the cup container to lift the cup.

[0019] The base is used to support the linear module and the bottom drive wheel;

[0020] The system is electrically connected to the linear module and the bottom drive wheel, and is used to control the rotation switching of the cup barrel and the lifting and lowering of the lever to push the cup.

[0021] Based on the above technical solutions, the present invention also provides the following optional technical solutions:

[0022] In one alternative embodiment: the cup container includes an outer ring cup container distributed along the outer periphery of the annular base and an inner ring cup container distributed along the inner side of the annular base. An upper connecting mechanism and a lower connecting mechanism are provided between the outer ring cup container and the inner ring cup container, so that the outer ring cup container and the inner ring cup container form a rigid annular integral component.

[0023] In one alternative: the cup holder is provided with a replaceable inner liner, the inner diameter of which matches the outer diameter of the cup to be stored, and different sizes of cups correspond to inner liners with different inner diameters.

[0024] In one alternative: the inner wall of the cup container is provided with a plurality of elastic clamping pieces along the circumference, the elastic clamping pieces protruding inward to form a cup guiding and clamping structure, which can adapt to cups of different diameters through elastic deformation.

[0025] In one alternative: the inner wall of the cup is provided with multiple sets of longitudinal limiting ribs, and the radial position of the limiting ribs is adjustable by an adjustment mechanism.

[0026] In one alternative: the control system stores a cup container configuration information table, which records the cup specifications, container capacity, number of cups dispensed, number of cups remaining, and current status of each cup container. The control system searches for a cup container that meets the dispensing command requirements based on the configuration information table and controls the switching between them.

[0027] In one alternative: the control system calculates the remaining number of cups in the current cup container in real time using the position feedback signal from the linear module.

[0028] Remaining cup count = (cup empty stop height - current position height) / stacking gap, rounded down;

[0029] The cup empty stop height is the highest position of the lever when the cup barrel is completely empty, and the stacking distance is the vertical distance between adjacent cups.

[0030] In one alternative: the control system maintains a cup-bucket switching position memory table, which records the number of cups pushed out, the module position height, the number of remaining cups, and the status of each cup-bucket. When switching cup-buckets, the system writes the current cup-bucket position record into the memory table, reads the module position height of the target cup-bucket, and moves the linear module to the corresponding position to continue pushing cups.

[0031] In one alternative: it further includes a cup outlet sensor disposed at the cup outlet position, the cup outlet sensor being electrically connected to the control system and used to detect the state of the cup passing through the cup outlet;

[0032] The control system makes a triple determination based on the position signal of the linear module, the motor load signal, and the trigger signal of the cup dispensing sensor. When all three signals indicate that the cup pushing action is successful, the cup pushing action is determined to be successful and the cup dispensing count is updated.

[0033] A control method for an automatic cup-feeding device, applied to the automatic cup-feeding device, includes the following steps:

[0034] Cup and container configuration steps: Establish a cup and container configuration information table in the control system to record the cup specifications, cup and container capacity, number of cups dispensed, number of cups remaining, and current status of each cup and container;

[0035] Dispensing instruction parsing steps: Receive dispensing instruction, parse the target cup specifications and dispensing quantity;

[0036] Target cup container search steps: Scan the cup container configuration information table to find the target cup container whose cup specifications match the target specifications, whose current status is normal, and whose remaining cup count is greater than zero;

[0037] Rotation switching step: Control the bottom drive wheel to drive the cup container to rotate, and switch the target cup container to the working position;

[0038] The cup-pushing and cup-loading process is as follows: Based on the cup specifications of the target cup container, the corresponding cup-pushing stroke parameters are retrieved, and the linear module is controlled to drive the cup-lifting lever to rise, pushing the cup to the cup outlet according to the cup-pushing stroke parameters;

[0039] Counting update steps: After confirming successful cup pushing, update the number of cups dispensed and the number of cups remaining in the target cup bucket;

[0040] Status determination steps: Determine the remaining number of cups in the target cup container. If the remaining number of cups is zero, mark the cup container as empty and find the next cup container of the same specification to switch to.

[0041] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0042] The present invention provides a device for... Attached Figure Description

[0043] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0044] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the automatic cup-feeding device in this invention.

[0045] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cup and bucket device in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged structural diagram at point A in the middle.

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the guide wheel system structure in this invention.

[0048] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the linear module structure in this invention.

[0049] Reference numerals in the attached drawings: base 100, cup container device 200, central support column 300, annular base 210, cup container 220, outer ring cup container 221, inner ring cup container 222, guide wheel system 400, side guide wheel 410, longitudinal guide wheel 420, linear module 500, cup lifting lever 600, upper connecting mechanism 700, lower connecting mechanism 800. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0051] The left, right, up, and down positions of the various components shown in the attached diagram are just one arrangement method; the specific positions should be set according to specific needs.

[0052] In one embodiment, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, an automatic cup-feeding device includes a cup holder device 200, a guide wheel system 400, a central support column 300, a bottom drive wheel, a linear module 500, a cup-lifting lever 600, a base 100, and a control system.

[0053] The cup holder device 200 is a ring-shaped modular structure, comprising a ring-shaped base 210 and multiple cup holders 220 distributed circumferentially along the ring-shaped base 210, consisting of an outer ring cup holder 221 and an inner ring cup holder 222. Twelve outer ring cup holders 221 are evenly distributed along the outer circumference of the ring-shaped base 210; six inner ring cup holders 222 are located inside the ring-shaped base 210. Both the outer ring cup holders 221 and the inner ring cup holders 222 are vertically arranged, and cups are stacked within each cup holder 220. The height of each cup holder 220 is 700 mm, the stacking spacing of the cups is 10 mm, and each cup holder 220 can hold approximately 70 cups.

[0054] An upper connecting mechanism 700 and a lower connecting mechanism 800 are provided between the outer ring cup container 221 and the inner ring cup container 222. The upper connecting mechanism 700 is an annular connecting plate that connects the inner and outer ring cup containers into a whole at the top; the lower connecting mechanism 800 is an integral extension of the annular base 130. The upper connecting mechanism 700 and the lower connecting mechanism 800 work together to make the outer ring cup container 221 and the inner ring cup container 222 form a rigid annular integral component.

[0055] The guide wheel system 400 includes side guide wheels 410 and longitudinal guide wheels 420. The side guide wheels 410 are mounted on the inner side of the cup-and-bucket assembly, arranged circumferentially, and contact the outer side of the central support column 300, thus limiting the radial offset of the cup-and-bucket assembly 200. The longitudinal guide wheels 420 are mounted at the bottom of the cup-and-bucket assembly 200, distributed circumferentially, and contact the bottom surface of the central support column 300, thus limiting the axial movement of the cup-and-bucket assembly 200. The side guide wheels and longitudinal guide wheels work together to constrain the degrees of freedom of the cup-and-bucket assembly in both radial and axial dimensions, allowing it to retain only the rotational degree of freedom about the central axis.

[0056] A bottom drive wheel is mounted on the bottom of the cup holder 200, providing driving torque for the rotation of the cup holder 220. In this embodiment, the bottom drive wheel adopts a friction drive method, with its surface covered with polyurethane material, driving the cup holder chassis to rotate through friction. The drive motor is a stepper motor, and precise rotational position control is achieved through an encoder.

[0057] The linear module 500 is mounted on the base 100 and arranged vertically. In this embodiment, the linear module 500 adopts a ball screw drive method, is driven by a servo motor, and is equipped with a magnetic encoder to realize position feedback, with a positioning accuracy of ±0.01mm. The linear module 500 has positioning signal feedback functions for upper limit position signal, lower limit position signal, cup empty stop position signal, and positioning signals for each intermediate position.

[0058] The cup-lifting lever 600 is mounted on the slider of the linear module 500 and moves up and down with the slider. When the cup-lifting lever 600 descends to the lowest position (interference-free position), the cup holder 220 can rotate freely. When the cup-lifting lever 600 ascends to the highest cup-pushing position, it pushes the cup out of the cup holder 200. The front end of the cup-lifting lever 600 extends into the bottom of the cup holder 200, lifting the bottommost cup in the cup holder 200 during the ascent and pushing it upwards from the cup holder 200 to the cup-retrieving position.

[0059] The base 100 is a vertically oriented frame structure, mounted on one side of the equipment frame. The linear module 500 is fixedly mounted on the base 100, and the bottom drive wheels and their drive motors are also mounted in corresponding positions on the base 100. The base 100 is integrated with the equipment frame, serving as a component of the equipment.

[0060] The base 100 is typically a vertically mounted plate or frame structure, installed on one side of the equipment frame. The linear module 500 is fixedly mounted on the base 100, and the bottom drive wheel and its drive motor are also installed at corresponding positions on the base 100.

[0061] The central support column 300 is typically located at the center of the cup container 200 or on the other side, providing central or auxiliary support for the cup container 200. The central support column 300 can be a separate bracket independent of the base 100, or it can be fixedly connected to the base 100 via a connector.

[0062] The automatic cup dispenser operates as follows:

[0063] After the equipment is powered on, the control system performs zero-position calibration: it drives the bottom drive wheel to slowly rotate the cup container 200 to find the zero-position mark on the annular chassis 210. Once found, it resets the encoder pulse count to zero, which serves as the reference point for the angular position of all cup containers 220. Then, it reads the configuration information table of the cup containers 220, checks the status of each cup container 220, and resets the cup lifting lever 600 to the downward stop position.

[0064] When the control system receives a dispensing command (e.g., "1 medium cup"), it scans the configuration information table of cup holder 220 to find a cup holder with the specification "medium" and the status "normal". Assuming that cup holder 220 No. 3 on the outer ring (T03, medium cup, 50 cups remaining) is found, and the rotation angle from the current position to T03 is the smallest, T03 is selected as the target cup holder 220.

[0065] After confirming that the cup-lifting lever 600 is in the downward stop position, the control system calculates the shortest rotation path between the current angle and the T03 angle, and controls the bottom drive wheel to rotate along the shortest path. The encoder provides real-time feedback on the rotation position, and after the position sensor is triggered, it confirms that the cup container 220 is in position and locks the drive wheel position.

[0066] The control system reads that the cup specification of T03 is "medium cup" and retrieves the corresponding cup-pushing stroke parameters: the first cup's pushing stroke is approximately 110mm, and the pushing speed curve is a medium speed curve. The linear module 500 drives the cup-lifting lever 600 to rise from the downward stop position, pushing the cup to the cup-retrieving port according to the preset pushing stroke and speed curve. After the position signal and load signal confirm successful cup pushing, the number of cups dispensed from T03 is updated from 0 to 1, and the number of remaining cups is updated from 50 to 49. The data is written to the non-volatile memory and reported to the host computer. The linear module 500 drives the cup-lifting lever 600 back from the cup-retrieving position to the downward stop position.

[0067] T03 has 49 cups remaining (49 > 0), waiting for the next instruction. This cycle continues until the remaining cup count for T03 drops to 0.

[0068] When the remaining number of cups in T03 drops to 0, the control system marks T03 as "empty," searches for the next cup container of the same size with cups, and automatically switches to it. If cup container #5 on the outer ring (T05, medium cup, 70 cups remaining) is found, the system automatically switches to T05 to continue dispensing cups. If all medium cup containers 220 are empty, the system returns a "medium cup shortage" status code to the host computer and sends a notification to replenish cups.

[0069] The control system supports setting multiple levels of cup replenishment warning thresholds, which can be flexibly configured by maintenance personnel according to the frequency of equipment use and the convenience of cup replenishment.

[0070] Level 1 Warning (Yellow Warning): When the number of cups remaining in a cup container drops below 10, the system will display a yellow warning mark on the operation interface, indicating that cups will need to be replenished soon.

[0071] Level 2 Warning (Orange Warning): When the total number of cups remaining for a certain specification drops below 30, the system will push a cup replenishment reminder to the operation and maintenance management system, and it is recommended to arrange a cup replenishment plan.

[0072] Level 3 warning (red alarm): When cup container 220 is empty or there are no available cup containers for a certain size, the system will issue an audible and visual alarm and can automatically suspend the cup dispensing service for that size or prompt the customer to select another size.

[0073] Configurable thresholds: The above warning thresholds can be remotely configured and adjusted through the human-machine interface or the host computer management system to adapt to the operational needs of different scenarios.

[0074] The nesting arrangement of the cups within the cup holder 220 is a key factor determining the capacity of the cup holder 220. Based on analysis of actual photographs, the cups (paper or plastic) suitable for this device are stacked vertically in a positive stacking manner: the rims face upwards, adjacent cups are tightly nested together by the tapered shape of their walls, with the bottom of the upper cup inserted into the rim of the lower cup. In the normal nesting state, the distance between the flanges of the rims of adjacent cups (i.e., the nesting distance) is approximately 8-12 mm, with a typical value of 10 mm. This distance is determined by the taper angle and wall thickness of the cups; cups of different sizes (large / medium / small) have similar nesting distances.

[0075] Each cup holder 220 can independently store cups of different sizes, and different cup holders can store cups of different sizes. The control system automatically switches between them as needed based on the dispensing command. This design allows the same device to accommodate cups of various sizes, such as large, medium, and small, without the need for a separate cup feeding mechanism for each size.

[0076] The physical adaptation methods for multi-size cups include, but are not limited to, the following:

[0077] Replaceable inner liner solution: Each cup holder 220 can be fitted with an independent inner liner. The outer diameter of the inner liner matches the inner diameter of the cup holder 220, and the inner diameter matches the outer diameter of the cup to be stored. When it is necessary to change the cup size, only the corresponding inner liner needs to be replaced. Different cup sizes correspond to inner liners with different inner diameters. The inner liner can adopt a quick-release structure (such as side-opening, snap-on, etc.) for quick replacement.

[0078] Elastic clamping plate solution: Multiple elastic clamping plates (such as spring steel plates, rubber springs, etc.) are arranged circumferentially on the inner wall of the cup holder 220. The elastic clamping plates protrude inward to form a cup guiding and clamping structure. When cups of different diameters are inserted into the cup holder 220, the elastic clamping plates automatically adapt to the outer diameter of the cup, generating a corresponding elastic deformation clamping force, thereby adapting to various cups within a certain diameter range. This solution requires no replacement of any parts and achieves multi-specification compatibility through elastic self-adaptation.

[0079] Adjustable limiting rib design: Multiple sets of longitudinal limiting ribs are set on the inner wall of the cup holder 220. The radial position of the limiting ribs can be adjusted by an adjustment mechanism (such as an eccentric adjusting screw, a slider-type adjustment mechanism, etc.), thereby changing the effective inner diameter of the cup holder 220 to adapt to cups of different sizes. Adjustment does not require disassembling the cup holder 220 and can be done using a special tool or manually.

[0080] Combined inner diameter adaptation solution: Combining two or more of the above solutions, for example, the elastic clamping plate is responsible for automatically adapting to small diameter differences, and the replaceable inner liner is responsible for large specification switching, thereby achieving a flexible and reliable adaptation effect.

[0081] Each cup container 220 is designed as an independent modular component, including the cup container body, inner liner (if applicable), and specification identification RFID tag. The cup container 220 is connected to the annular chassis 210 using a quick-release connection structure (such as snap-fit ​​connection, quick screw installation, etc.), allowing for individual disassembly, installation, and replacement.

[0082] When a cup container 220 is damaged or needs to be replaced, maintenance personnel do not need to disassemble the entire device. They only need to remove the corresponding cup container 220 and install a new one. After the new cup container 220 is installed, the system automatically reads the cup container ID and specification information via an RFID reader, eliminating the need for manual input of configuration parameters and achieving plug-and-play functionality.

[0083] For scenarios requiring adaptation to cups of different diameters, maintenance personnel can replace the inner liner inside the cup holder 220. For example, to change a cup holder 220 that stores medium-sized cups (500ml) to store small cups (360ml), simply remove the inner liner for the medium-sized cup and install the inner liner for the small cup; the cup holder itself does not need to be replaced. The inner liner uses a side-opening quick-release structure, allowing replacement without disassembling the cup holder.

[0084] For scenarios requiring extra-large cup capacity, a three-ring concentric structure can be adopted: In addition to the existing outer ring (12 cup containers, 220 cups each) and inner ring (6 cup containers, 220 cups each), a middle ring (8 cup containers, 220 cups each) is added, for a total of 26 cup containers, 220 cups each. The cup containers are configured with a height of 900mm for high capacity (85-90 cups per container), resulting in a total cup storage capacity of 2,210-2,340 cups, suitable for high-traffic, extended-duty unattended scenarios.

[0085] The connecting mechanism between the three ring cup barrels 220 adopts a spoke-type connection structure. Radial spokes from the center outward connect the inner ring, middle ring, and outer ring cup barrels 220 into a whole at the top and bottom, ensuring structural rigidity during rotation.

[0086] The bottom drive wheel adopts a direct drive method, using a DD motor directly connected to the center of the ring chassis for drive, eliminating the gaps and elastic deformation in the intermediate transmission links, and meeting the higher requirements of large-diameter cup and barrel devices for drive torque and precision.

[0087] The control system expands the cup-and-bucket configuration information table for the three-ring structure, adding a "ring" field (inner ring / middle ring / outer ring), and correspondingly expands the angle position mapping table.

[0088] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing the invention and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

Claims

1. An automatic cup-feeding device, characterized in that, include: A cup holder device has a circular modular structure, comprising a ring-shaped base and multiple cup holders distributed circumferentially along the ring-shaped base. The cup holders are used to stack and store cups. A central support column is provided at the center of the cup holder device. The guide wheel system includes side guide wheels mounted on the side of the central support column to limit the radial displacement of the cup bucket device, and longitudinal guide wheels mounted on the bottom or top of the central support column to limit the axial movement of the cup bucket device. A bottom drive wheel is located at the bottom of the cup container device and is used to drive the cup container device to rotate around its central axis to switch cup containers; The linear module, arranged vertically, has a position signal feedback function and is used to output precise linear lifting and lowering motion; The cup lifting lever is installed on the slider of the linear module and moves up and down with the slider. The front end of the lever extends into the bottom of the cup container to lift the cup. The base is used to support the linear module and the bottom drive wheel; The system is electrically connected to the linear module and the bottom drive wheel, and is used to control the rotation switching of the cup barrel and the lifting and lowering of the lever to push the cup.

2. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cup container includes an outer ring cup container distributed along the outer periphery of the annular base and an inner ring cup container distributed along the inner side of the annular base. An upper connecting mechanism and a lower connecting mechanism are provided between the outer ring cup container and the inner ring cup container, so that the outer ring cup container and the inner ring cup container form a rigid annular integral component.

3. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The cup holder is equipped with a replaceable inner liner, the inner diameter of which matches the outer diameter of the cup to be stored. Different sizes of cups correspond to inner liners with different inner diameters.

4. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the cup container is provided with multiple elastic clamping pieces along the circumference. The elastic clamping pieces protrude inward to form a cup guiding and clamping structure, which can adapt to cups of different diameters through elastic deformation.

5. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the cup is provided with multiple sets of longitudinal limiting ribs, and the radial position of the limiting ribs can be adjusted by an adjustment mechanism.

6. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system stores a cup container configuration information table, which records the cup specifications, container capacity, number of cups dispensed, number of cups remaining, and current status of each cup container. The control system searches for a cup container that meets the dispensing command requirements based on the configuration information table and controls the switching between them.

7. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system calculates the number of cups remaining in the cup container in real time using the position feedback signal from the linear module. Remaining cup count = (cup empty stop height - current position height) / stacking gap, rounded down; The cup empty stop height is the highest position of the lever when the cup barrel is completely empty, and the stacking distance is the vertical distance between adjacent cups.

8. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control system maintains a cup-bucket switching position memory table. The memory table records the number of cups pushed out, the module position height, the number of remaining cups, and the status of each cup-bucket. When switching cup-buckets, the system writes the current cup-bucket position record into the memory table, reads the module position height of the target cup-bucket, and moves the linear module to the corresponding position to continue pushing cups.

9. The automatic cup-feeding device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes a cup-dispensing sensor located at the cup-dispensing spout. The cup-dispensing sensor is electrically connected to the control system and is used to detect the state of the cup passing through the cup-dispensing spout. The control system makes a triple judgment based on the position signal of the linear module, the motor load signal, and the trigger signal of the cup-dispensing sensor. When all three signals indicate that the cup-dispensing action is successful, the cup-dispensing action is determined to be successful and the cup-dispensing count is updated.

10. A control method for an automatic cup-feeding device, applied to the automatic cup-feeding device as described in any one of claims 1-9, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: Cup and container configuration steps: Establish a cup and container configuration information table in the control system to record the cup specifications, cup and container capacity, number of cups dispensed, number of cups remaining, and current status of each cup and container; Dispensing instruction parsing steps: Receive dispensing instruction, parse the target cup specifications and dispensing quantity; Target cup container search steps: Scan the cup container configuration information table to find the target cup container whose cup specifications match the target specifications, whose current status is normal, and whose remaining cup count is greater than zero; Rotation switching step: Control the bottom drive wheel to drive the cup container to rotate, and switch the target cup container to the working position; The cup-pushing and cup-loading process is as follows: Based on the cup specifications of the target cup container, the corresponding cup-pushing stroke parameters are retrieved, and the linear module is controlled to drive the cup-lifting lever to rise, pushing the cup to the cup outlet according to the cup-pushing stroke parameters; Counting update steps: After confirming successful cup pushing, update the number of cups dispensed and the number of cups remaining in the target cup bucket; Status determination steps: Determine the remaining number of cups in the target cup container. If the remaining number of cups is zero, mark the cup container as empty and find the next cup container of the same specification to switch to.

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