A milk tea shop automatic cup dispensing and marking device and a working method thereof

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of automatic cup dispensing and marking device for milk tea shop and its working method, belong to the technical field of catering service automation equipment. Including the storage cavity below counter, the rotating cup disc driven by servo motor is equipped in storage cavity, at least six groups of lifting cup holder that can step up on its circumferential array, for classified storage different specifications milk tea cup;Counter top is equipped with fixed circular cup outlet, below corresponding spiral cup dispensing turntable, can automatically separate and transport stacked cup;Marking mechanism can adopt movable structure rotating around rotating cup disc or fixed structure arranged with interval from cup dispensing station. Its working method is through time sequence scheduling, so that the first order is marked first, then cup dispensing, subsequent order realizes marking and cup dispensing synchronization parallel, while supporting multiple cup type automatic matching and intelligent cup reminding. The application replaces traditional manual labeling, eliminates serial operation waiting time, greatly shortens cup dispensing cycle, effectively reduces operating cost, and improves store automation operation level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated equipment technology for catering services, and in particular to an automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops and its working method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the new-style tea beverage industry, the daily order volume of milk tea shops continues to climb, and the efficiency of serving cups has become a core factor restricting the operational capacity of stores. Currently, the vast majority of milk tea shops still use the traditional thermal paper labeling method to mark order information, which requires a dedicated thermal label printer and relies on staff to manually affix labels to the milk tea cups. This method not only consumes a large amount of consumables such as thermal paper and ribbon, increasing the operating costs of stores, but also easily leads to problems such as crooked labels, missing labels, and incorrect labels. Especially during peak order periods, manual labeling consumes a lot of manpower, resulting in slower cup serving speed and longer customer waiting times.

[0003] While some automatic cup-dispensing devices exist in the current technology, most only achieve automatic cup conveying and do not effectively integrate with marking functions. The few devices that integrate laser marking generally use a fixed marking station design, requiring the cup holder to rotate to the marking station for marking before rotating to the dispensing station for cup dispensing. Marking and dispensing are sequential operations, resulting in significant waiting time and failing to fully utilize the equipment's operating efficiency. Furthermore, most existing devices do not categorize and manage milk tea cups of different sizes, making it difficult to meet the actual needs of stores using multiple cup sizes such as medium, large, and extra-large, resulting in poor versatility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops and its working method, so as to solve the problems in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: The present invention provides an automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops, including a storage cavity disposed under the counter, wherein the storage cavity is provided with a cup holder assembly for storing milk tea cups; The cup holder assembly includes a rotating cup tray and a first drive mechanism. The first drive mechanism includes a servo motor and a matching encoder, which is used to drive the rotating cup tray to rotate quantitatively and stop precisely around a vertical axis. At least six sets of vertically arranged lifting cup holders are fixedly connected in a circular array on the upper surface of the rotating cup tray. The bearing surface of each set of lifting cup holders is used to store a stack of milk tea cups upside down. Each set of lifting cup holders has a step-by-step upward lifting function, which can transport the top layer of milk tea cups it carries to the top one by one. A circular cup-dispensing opening is provided on the counter surface. The circular cup-dispensing opening vertically connects the storage cavity to the outside of the counter, and the central axis of the circular cup-dispensing opening falls on the rotation path of the rotating cup tray. This allows the rotating cup tray to be controlled by the first drive mechanism to rotate any set of lifting cup racks to a cup-dispensing position that is coaxially aligned with the circular cup-dispensing opening. A cup-dispensing component is provided directly below the circular cup-dispensing opening. The cup-dispensing component is used to receive the topmost milk tea cup raised by the lifting cup rack and push the milk tea cup upward through the circular cup-dispensing opening to deliver it to the counter surface. A marking mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the storage cavity or around the rotating cup tray. The marking mechanism can mark the order information on a designated area on the outer side of the topmost milk tea cup on the lifting cup rack that has been rotated to the marking station. The marking station and the cup dispensing station are arranged alternately along the rotation path of the rotating cup tray. Alternatively, the marking mechanism can be a movable marking mechanism that can rotate around the circumference of the rotating cup tray and can move to the front of any set of lifting cup racks to perform marking, so that the marking action of the marking mechanism is synchronized with the cup dispensing action of the cup dispensing component.

[0006] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the storage cavity can be opened through a double cabinet door, and a cup and plate sliding rack is provided inside, facing the opening direction, and the rotating cup and plate can slide smoothly on the cup and plate sliding rack via a handle and a connecting slide.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the lifting cup holder includes a lifting platform, a frustum cup seat, a longitudinal guide column, and a lifting drive component. The frustum cup seat is centrally fixed on the lifting platform, the longitudinal guide column is vertically mounted on the rotating cup tray and slides through the lifting platform, and the lifting drive component is used to make the lifting platform slide along the longitudinal guide column.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the lifting drive includes an electric push rod, a fulcrum limiting platform, and a telescopic rod rotatably hinged to the bottom of the lifting platform. The telescopic rod is hinged to the fulcrum limiting platform, and the proximal end of the telescopic rod is hinged to the output end of the electric push rod. The output end of the electric push rod is configured to operate along the longitudinal direction to push the lifting platform to slide longitudinally.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the lifting drive includes at least one pair of constant force springs and a damping buffer. The constant force springs are fixed to the top height of the longitudinal guide column by a mounting rod, and the movable end of the constant force springs is connected to the lifting platform to provide a stable lifting force. The damping buffer is used to control the lifting speed of the constant force springs.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cup dispensing assembly includes a cup dispensing turntable, which consists of a vertically arranged rotating shaft, a spiral slide that spirals upward around the rotating shaft, and a rotating shaft motor that drives the rotating shaft to rotate. The spiral slide is divided into a spiral cup-dividing section with a short pitch at the bottom of the rotating shaft and a spiral cup-lifting section with a gradually increasing pitch at the top of the rotating shaft. The cup dispensing turntable is arranged in two or four sets with the central axis of the lifting cup rack corresponding to the cup dispensing station as the center of symmetry. The cup dispensing turntable is fixed in a position that avoids the rotation path of the lifting cup rack when it rotates with the rotating cup tray. The spiral cup dispensing part of all cup dispensing turntables is precisely embedded in the gap between the mouths of the two milk tea cups on the uppermost layer of the lifting cup rack.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cup dispensing turntable is provided with an adjustable fixing structure, the adjustable fixing structure including a connecting rod, a fixing box, a sliding seat and a fixing seat assembled on the top of the storage cavity, the fixing box being used to assemble a rotating shaft and a rotating shaft motor, the connecting rod being used to suspend the fixing box under the sliding seat, the sliding seat and the fixing seat being slidably engaged and lockable by bolts.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the marking mechanism is a laser marking mechanism or an inkjet marking mechanism; and when the marking mechanism is a movable marking mechanism that can rotate around the circumference of the rotating cup and plate, the top of the storage cavity is provided with an annular movable toothed track coaxial with the rotating cup and plate. The marking mechanism includes a marking device body and a fixed bracket. The marking device body is mounted on a circular moving toothed rail in an orientation toward the center of the circle by the fixed bracket and can be driven by a toothed rail motor.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the cup holder assembly in the storage cavity is provided in two sets, for storing hot cups and cold cups respectively.

[0014] The present invention also provides a method for operating the above-mentioned automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops, which includes the following steps: S1: System initialization. The controller assigns unique numbers 1 to 6 to the 6 groups of lifting cup holders arranged in a circular array on the rotating cup tray. It configures and stores the milk tea cup specifications corresponding to each group of lifting cup holders, including medium, large, and extra-large cups. It records the remaining number of milk tea cups, current spatial angle position, corresponding specifications, and operating status of each group of lifting cup holders in real time. At the same time, it establishes the rotation angle coordinate system of the rotating cup tray and the annular moving toothed track moving angle coordinate system of the moving laser marking mechanism through the encoder of the servo motor. It calibrates the reference angle value corresponding to the unique fixed cup dispensing station and presets the marking operation time to be equal to the cup dispensing operation time. S2: The controller receives the order queue pushed by the online order system and processes each order in the order of receipt. For the first order to be processed, it parses and extracts the order number, beverage flavor, specifications, remarks and other content to be marked, and generates the corresponding laser marking data. First, based on the beverage specification information obtained from the parsing, it filters out all available lifting cup racks that store the corresponding milk tea cups and have a remaining quantity greater than 0. Then, within the range of available lifting cup racks, it selects the first target lifting cup rack according to the principle of "nearest priority, remaining quantity priority". S3: The controller sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism, and the servo motor drives the rotating cup tray to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, precisely rotating the first target lifting cup holder to the front of the standby position of the mobile laser marking mechanism and then stopping; the controller sends a marking command to the mobile laser marking mechanism to perform laser marking on the designated area on the outside of the top inverted milk tea cup on the first target lifting cup holder, and after the marking is completed, the laser marking mechanism remains in place and ready to go; S4: The controller sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism, which drives the rotating cup tray to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, and then stops after precisely rotating the first target lifting cup rack that has been marked to the reference angle position corresponding to the fixed cup dispensing station. S5: The controller determines whether the current order is the last order in the order queue. If it is not the last order, two independent control commands are sent simultaneously: the first command is sent to the cup dispensing component to start the cup dispensing operation. The cup dispensing component pushes the milk tea cup on the current target lifting cup rack upwards through the circular dispensing port and delivers it out. The cup dispensing operation continues for a preset duration. The second command is sent to the mobile laser marking mechanism to drive it to move along the circular moving toothed track to the front of the target lifting cup rack corresponding to the next order. While the cup dispensing operation is in progress, the designated area on the outside of the topmost inverted milk tea cup on the next target lifting cup rack is laser-marked. The marking operation duration is exactly the same as the cup dispensing operation duration, so that the marking and cup dispensing sequences are completely overlapped. If it is the last order, only a dispensing command is sent to the dispensing component to start the dispensing operation, and no further labeling operation is performed; S6: When the current order is not the last order and the cup dispensing and marking operations are completed simultaneously, the controller immediately sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism to drive the rotating cup tray to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, so that the next target lifting cup rack that has completed marking is precisely rotated to the reference angle position corresponding to the fixed cup dispensing station and then stops; at the same time, the controller updates the next order to the current order and returns to step S5 to continue execution; S7: After each cup dispensing operation is completed, the controller updates the number of remaining milk tea cups in the corresponding target lifting cup rack. If the remaining number of cups in a certain group of lifting cup racks is lower than the preset threshold, a cup replenishment reminder for the corresponding specification will be issued, and subsequent orders of the same specification will be automatically assigned to other available lifting cup racks.

[0015] Compared with existing technologies, one or more of the above technical solutions have the following beneficial effects: This invention achieves fully synchronous and parallel operation of marking and dispensing by coordinating a mobile laser marking mechanism with a fixed dispensing station. This eliminates the waiting time of traditional serial operations and significantly improves the dispensing efficiency of stores. Using laser marking instead of traditional thermal paper labeling saves on the cost of consumables such as thermal paper and ribbon, while also avoiding errors and waste caused by manual labeling, thus reducing the operating costs of stores.

[0016] This invention supports the classification and configuration of multiple sets of lifting cup holders for different cup types, and can automatically match the corresponding cup holder according to order specifications, meeting the needs of stores using multiple cup types simultaneously. The laser marking creates clear, wear-resistant, and non-shedding marks, effectively solving the problems of traditional labels being easy to fall off and blur, thus improving the accuracy and durability of order information.

[0017] Furthermore, this device is integrated into the storage compartment beneath the cashier counter, saving counter space and featuring a compact structure that fits the existing layout of most milk tea shops. Through intelligent scheduling by the controller, it enables automated order processing, automatic cup holder switching, and alarms for equipment malfunctions, further reducing the workload for staff and improving the level of automation in store operations. Attached Figure Description

[0018] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0019] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams showing the working state of the automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the working state of the automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is the third schematic diagram of the working state of the automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating cup and saucer structure in Example 1.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting cup holder in Example 1.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the installation state of the lifting cup holder in Example 2.

[0025] Figure 7This is a schematic diagram of the lifting cup holder in Example 2.

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 6 A magnified view of the cup-ejector assembly at point A in the middle.

[0027] Figure 9 This is an exploded view of the cup-dispensing component in this invention.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the working state of the mobile marking mechanism in this invention.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the movable marking mechanism in this invention.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a flowchart of the automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to the present invention.

[0031] In the picture: 100. Storage compartment; 110. Cabinet door; 200, cup holder assembly; 210, rotating cup tray; 211, rotating spindle; 220, first drive mechanism; 221, servo motor; 230, cup tray sliding bracket; 240, connecting slide; 241, push-pull handle. 300. Lifting cup holder; 310. Lifting platform; 320. Round cup holder; 330. Longitudinal guide column; 340. Lifting drive component; 341. Electric push rod; 342. Pivot limit platform; 343. Telescopic push rod; 344. Constant force spring; 345. Damping buffer; 346. Mounting rod; 347. Electromagnetic lock. 400. Cup dispensing assembly; 410. Circular cup dispensing spout; 420. Cup dispensing turntable; 421. Rotating shaft; 422. Spiral slide; 423. Rotating shaft motor; 4221. Short-pitch spiral cup dispensing section; 4222. Gradually increasing pitch spiral cup lifting section; 430. Adjustable fixing structure; 431. Connecting rod; 432. Fixing box; 433. Sliding seat; 434. Fixing seat. 500, Marking mechanism; 510, Laser marking machine body; 520, Fixed bracket; 530, Traveling gear; 540, Gear motor. 600. Circular moving gear; 900, milk tea cup; L, the gap between the cup rim and the opening. Detailed Implementation

[0032] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0033] In this application, the terms "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," "rear," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "middle," "vertical," "horizontal," "lateral," and "longitudinal" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. These terms are primarily for the purpose of better describing this application and its embodiments, and are not intended to limit the indicated device, element, or component to having a specific orientation, or to be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0034] Furthermore, in addition to indicating location or positional relationship, some of the aforementioned terms may also have other meanings. For example, the term "above" may also be used in some cases to indicate a certain dependency or connection relationship. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0035] Furthermore, the terms "installation," "setup," "equipped with," "connection," "linking," and "socketing" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral structure; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, or an internal connection between two devices, components, or parts. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0036] Example 1

[0037] Combination Figures 1-12 As shown, this embodiment provides an automatic cup dispensing and marking device for milk tea shops, including a closed storage cavity 100 located below the counter of the milk tea shop. The storage cavity 100 is provided with a cup holder assembly 200 for storing milk tea cups 900. The front side of the storage cavity 100 is provided with a double-opening cabinet door 110, which facilitates the maintenance of the internal equipment and the replenishment of milk tea cups 900.

[0038] Specific combination Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the cup holder assembly 200 includes a rotating cup tray 210 and a first drive mechanism 220. A cup tray sliding bracket 230 extending towards the opening direction is fixedly installed inside the storage cavity 100. The rotating cup tray 210 is slidably mounted on the cup tray sliding bracket 230 via a connecting slide 240 at the bottom. A push-pull handle 241 is fixed to the front end of the connecting slide 240, allowing staff to pull the rotating cup tray 210 out of the storage cavity 100 for easy cup replenishment. The connecting slide 240 serves only as a load-bearing structure, supporting the overall weight of the rotating cup tray 210 and its associated components to ensure the stability of the rotating cup tray 210 during sliding.

[0039] refer to Figure 3 As shown, a rotating main shaft 211 is directly and fixedly connected to the bottom center of the rotating cup and saucer 210. The rotating main shaft 211 is rotatably mounted on the bottom of the rotating cup and saucer 210 via a bearing seat. The first drive mechanism 220 includes a servo motor 221 and a matching encoder. The servo motor 221 is also directly fixed to the bottom of the rotating cup and saucer 210. Its output shaft is connected to the rotating main shaft 211 via a synchronous pulley set, which can drive the rotating cup and saucer 210 to rotate quantitatively and stop precisely around the vertical axis, with the rotation angle error controlled within ±0.5°.

[0040] Combination Figures 5-8 As shown, the storage cavity 100 of this embodiment can hold two sets of rotating cup trays 210, which are used to store ice cups (plastic cups) and hot cups (paper cups). The upper surface of each set of rotating cup trays 210 is fixedly connected in a circumferential array to six sets of vertically arranged lifting cup racks 300. These six sets of lifting cup racks 300 can be configured to store different sizes of milk tea cups 900 according to the store's needs; for example, the first two sets store medium cups, the middle two sets store large cups, and the last two sets store extra-large cups. Each set of lifting cup racks 300 includes a lifting platform 310, a frustum cup holder 320, two longitudinal guide pillars 330, and a lifting drive component 340. The frustum cup holder 320 is centrally fixed to the upper surface of the lifting platform 310, and its conical surface matches the inner conical surface of the bottom of the milk tea cup 900, enabling precise positioning of the inverted milk tea cup 900 and preventing the cup from shifting during rotation and lifting. Two longitudinal guide columns 330 are vertically fixed on the rotating cup tray 210 and pass through the guide holes on both sides of the lifting platform 310 to provide stable guidance for the up and down movement of the lifting platform 310. Each set of lifting cup racks 300 has the function of stepping upward, which can transport the top milk tea cups 900 it carries to the top one by one.

[0041] In this embodiment, the lifting drive component 340 adopts a lever structure driven by an electric push rod 341, specifically including an electric push rod 341, a fulcrum limiting platform 342, and a telescopic lever 343 rotatably hinged to the bottom of the lifting platform 310. The fulcrum limiting platform 342 is fixed to the upper surface of the rotating cup tray 210, and the middle part of the telescopic lever 343 is hinged to the top of the fulcrum limiting platform 342, forming a force-saving lever structure. The proximal end of the telescopic lever 343 is hinged to the output end of the electric push rod 341, and the electric push rod 341 is vertically fixed on the rotating cup tray 210, with its output end moving up and down longitudinally. When the output end of the electric push rod 341 retracts downward, the lever amplification effect of the telescopic lever 343 drives the lifting platform 310 to advance upward along the longitudinal guide post 330 by a distance corresponding to the height of the cup, thereby smoothly conveying the topmost milk tea cup 900 upward.

[0042] A circular cup dispensing opening 410 is provided on the countertop. The circular cup dispensing opening 410 vertically connects the storage cavity 100 to the outside of the counter, and its central axis falls on the rotation path of the rotating cup tray 210. This allows the rotating cup tray 210 to be controlled by the servo motor 221 to rotate any set of lifting cup racks 300 to a cup dispensing position coaxially aligned with the circular cup dispensing opening 410. A cup dispensing assembly 400 is correspondingly provided directly below the circular cup dispensing opening 410. In this embodiment, the cup dispensing assembly 400 adopts a spiral cup dispensing turntable structure.

[0043] Specifically, the cup dispensing turntable 420 includes a vertically arranged rotating shaft 421, a spiral slide 422 spirally rising around the rotating shaft 421, and a rotating shaft motor 423 that drives the rotating shaft 421 to rotate. The spiral slide 422 is divided into two sections along the axial direction: the lower section is a short-pitch spiral cup separating part 4221 located at the bottom of the rotating shaft 421, whose pitch can be equal to the thickness of the cup opening of the milk tea cup 900, so that it can fit precisely into the gap L between the cup openings of the top two cups of a stack of milk tea cups 900, achieving precise separation of individual cups; the upper section is a gradually increasing pitch spiral cup lifting part 4222 located at the top of the rotating shaft 421, whose pitch gradually increases from bottom to top, so as to smoothly transport the separated individual milk tea cups 900 upwards, avoiding collisions or tipping of the cups during the rising process.

[0044] Two sets of cup-dispensing turntables 420 are provided, symmetrically arranged with the central axis of the lifting cup rack 300 corresponding to the cup-dispensing station as the center of symmetry. Both sets of cup-dispensing turntables 420 are suspended from the top of the storage cavity 100 by an adjustable fixing structure 430. The adjustable fixing structure 430 includes a connecting rod 431, a fixing box 432, a sliding seat 433, and a fixing seat 434 fixed to the top of the storage cavity 100. The fixing box 432 is used to accommodate the upper end of the rotating shaft 421 and the rotating shaft motor 423. The upper end of the connecting rod 431 is fixed to the bottom of the sliding seat 433, and the lower end is fixed to the top of the fixing box 432. The sliding seat 433 slides in conjunction with the transverse sliding groove on the fixing seat 434 and can be fixed in position by locking bolts, thereby adjusting the distance between the two sets of cup-dispensing turntables 420 to accommodate milk tea cups 900 of different diameters.

[0045] A marking mechanism 500 is provided on the inner wall of the storage cavity 100 or around the rotating cup tray 210. The marking mechanism 500 can mark the order information on a designated area on the outer side of the top milk tea cup 900 on the lifting cup rack 300 that has been rotated to the marking station. Specifically, the marking can be done by laser marking or inkjet marking. The order information can include the order number, beverage flavor, specifications, remarks and other content that needs to be marked.

[0046] In this embodiment, the marking mechanism 500 is a movable laser marking mechanism that can rotate around the circumference of the rotating cup tray 210. A ring-shaped moving gear 600 coaxial with the rotating cup tray 210 is fixedly installed on the top of the storage cavity 100. The marking mechanism 500 includes a laser marking device body 510 and a fixed bracket 520, and can be driven by a gear motor. A traveling gear 530 and a gear motor 540 are mounted on the upper end of the fixed bracket 520. The traveling gear 530 meshes with the ring-shaped moving gear 600, and the gear motor 540 drives the traveling gear 530 to rotate, thereby causing the fixed bracket 520 to move in a circle along the ring-shaped moving gear 600. The laser marking device body 510 is fixed to the lower end of the fixed bracket 520 with its orientation towards the center of the rotating cup tray 210. Its marking focal length is adjustable, enabling clear laser marking of a designated area on the outer side of the topmost milk tea cup 900 on any set of lifting cup holders 300.

[0047] The working method of this embodiment is performed according to the following steps: S1: System initialization. The controller assigns unique numbers 1 to 6 to the 6 groups of lifting cup holders 300 arranged in a circular array on the rotating cup tray 210. It configures and stores the milk tea cup 900 specification type corresponding to each group of lifting cup holders 300. The specification type includes medium, large and extra-large cups. It records the remaining number of milk tea cups 900, current spatial angle position, corresponding specification and operating status of each group of lifting cup holders 300 in real time. At the same time, the encoder of the servo motor 221 establishes the rotation angle coordinate system of the rotating cup tray 210 and the movement angle coordinate system of the annular moving toothed rail 600 of the marking mechanism, calibrates the reference angle value corresponding to the cup dispensing station, and presets the marking operation time to be equal to the cup dispensing operation time. S2: The controller receives the order queue pushed by the online order system and processes each order in the order of receipt. For the first order to be processed, it parses and extracts the order number, beverage flavor, specifications, remarks and other content to be marked, and generates the corresponding laser marking data. First, based on the beverage specification information obtained from the parsing, it filters out all available lifting cup racks 300 that store 900 milk tea cups of the corresponding specifications and have a remaining quantity greater than 0. Then, within the range of available lifting cup racks 300, it selects the first target lifting cup rack 300 according to the principle of "nearest priority, remaining quantity priority". S3: The controller sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism 220, and the servo motor 221 drives the rotating cup tray 210 to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, so as to precisely rotate the first target lifting cup holder 300 to the front of the standby position of the marking mechanism 500 and then stop; the controller sends a marking command to the marking mechanism 500 to perform laser marking on the designated area on the outer side of the top inverted milk tea cup 900 on the first target lifting cup holder 300. After the marking is completed, the marking mechanism 500 remains in the original position and waits. S4: The controller sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism 220, which drives the rotating cup tray 210 to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, and then stops the first target lifting cup rack 300 that has completed the marking and stops at the reference angle position corresponding to the fixed cup dispensing station. S5: The controller determines whether the current order is the last order in the order queue. If it is not the last order, two independent control commands are sent simultaneously: the first command is sent to the cup dispensing component 400 to start the cup dispensing operation. The cup dispensing component 400 pushes the milk tea cup 900 on the current target lifting cup holder 300 upward through the circular cup dispensing port 410 and delivers it out. The cup dispensing operation continues for a preset duration. The second command is sent to the marking mechanism 500 to drive it to move along the annular moving toothed rail 600 to the front of the target lifting cup holder 300 corresponding to the next order. While the cup dispensing operation is in progress, laser marking is performed on the designated area on the outer side of the topmost inverted milk tea cup 900 on the next target lifting cup holder 300. The marking operation duration is exactly the same as the cup dispensing operation duration, so that the marking and cup dispensing sequences are completely overlapped. If it is the last order, only a dispensing command is sent to the dispensing component to start the dispensing operation, and no further labeling operation is performed; S6: When the current order is not the last order and the cup dispensing and marking operations are completed simultaneously, the controller immediately sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism 220, driving the rotating cup tray 210 to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, precisely rotating the next target lifting cup rack 300 that has completed marking to the reference angle position corresponding to the fixed cup dispensing station and then stopping; at the same time, the controller updates the next order to the current order and returns to step S5 to continue execution; S7: After each cup dispensing operation is completed, the controller updates the remaining number of milk tea cups 900 in the corresponding target lifting cup rack 300. If the remaining number of cups in a certain group of lifting cup racks 300 is lower than the preset threshold, a cup replenishment reminder for the corresponding specification will be issued, and subsequent orders of the same specification will be automatically assigned to other available lifting cup racks 300.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] like Figure 7 As shown, the overall structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of embodiment 1. The main difference lies in the structure of the lifting drive component 340 and the setting method of the marking mechanism 500. All other unmentioned structures are consistent with those of embodiment 1.

[0050] In this embodiment, the lifting drive component 340 adopts a constant force spring drive structure, specifically including a pair of constant force springs 344 and a damping buffer 345. A mounting rod 346 is fixedly connected between the top ends of the two longitudinal guide pillars 330. The two constant force springs 344 are respectively fixed to both ends of the mounting rod 346, with their movable ends connected downwards to both sides of the lifting platform 310. The tension of the constant force springs 344 is precisely calibrated to balance the total weight of the lifting platform 310 and the stack of milk tea cups, providing a continuous and stable upward lifting force for the lifting platform 310. The damping buffer 345 is vertically fixed to the rotating cup tray 210, with the top end of its piston rod connected to the bottom of the lifting platform 310. This damping buffer is used to control the lifting speed of the constant force springs 344, preventing the lifting platform 310 from rising too quickly and causing the milk tea cups to tip over or become misaligned.

[0051] When the milk tea cup 900 needs to be raised, the controller controls the electromagnetic lock 347 to release the lifting platform 310. The constant force spring 344 pulls the lifting platform 310 upward along the longitudinal guide post 330. The damping buffer 345 causes the lifting platform 310 to rise at a constant speed for a distance corresponding to the height of the cup. Then, the electromagnetic lock 347 locks the lifting platform 310 again, completing one lifting action. This structure requires no motor drive, resulting in lower energy consumption, lower operating noise, and a simpler structure with fewer parts, leading to lower maintenance costs.

[0052] In this embodiment, the marking mechanism 500 is fixed in position, with the marking station and the cup dispensing station positioned opposite each other along the rotation path of the rotating cup tray 210. The laser marking device body 510 is fixed to the inner wall of the storage cavity 100 by a bracket.

[0053] The working method of this embodiment differs from that of Embodiment 1. The specific steps are as follows: After system initialization, the controller assigns numbers to the six sets of lifting cup holders and configures the cup type, establishes an angular coordinate system for the rotating cup tray, and marks the reference angle values ​​corresponding to the marking station and the cup dispensing station. The controller receives the order queue, parses the information of the first order, filters and selects the target lifting cup holder 300. The controller drives the rotating cup tray 210 to rotate, precisely rotating the target lifting cup holder 300 to the marking station, and starts the laser marking machine for marking.

[0054] After marking is completed, the rotating cup tray 210 continues to rotate, moving the target lifting cup holder 300 to the cup dispensing station and activating the cup dispensing component to dispense the cup. Simultaneously, the controller parses the next order information, selects the next target lifting cup holder 300, and after dispensing, drives the rotating cup tray 210 to rotate it to the marking station for marking. This marking and dispensing cycle is repeated until the order queue is completed. This working method features a simpler fixed marking mechanism structure and lower manufacturing costs, making it suitable for small and medium-sized milk tea shops.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops, comprising a storage cavity disposed under the counter, wherein the storage cavity is provided with a cup holder assembly for storing milk tea cups, characterized in that: The cup holder assembly includes a rotating cup tray and a first drive mechanism. The first drive mechanism includes a servo motor and a matching encoder, which is used to drive the rotating cup tray to rotate quantitatively and stop precisely around a vertical axis. At least six sets of vertically arranged lifting cup holders are fixedly connected in a circular array on the upper surface of the rotating cup tray. The bearing surface of each set of lifting cup holders is used to store a stack of milk tea cups upside down. Each set of lifting cup holders has a step-by-step upward lifting function, which can transport the top layer of milk tea cups it carries to the top one by one. A circular cup-dispensing opening is provided on the counter surface. The circular cup-dispensing opening vertically connects the storage cavity to the outside of the counter, and the central axis of the circular cup-dispensing opening falls on the rotation path of the rotating cup tray. This allows the rotating cup tray to be controlled by the first drive mechanism to rotate any set of lifting cup racks to a cup-dispensing position that is coaxially aligned with the circular cup-dispensing opening. A cup-dispensing component is provided directly below the circular cup-dispensing opening. The cup-dispensing component is used to receive the topmost milk tea cup raised by the lifting cup rack and push the milk tea cup upward through the circular cup-dispensing opening to deliver it to the counter surface. A marking mechanism is provided on the inner wall of the storage cavity or around the rotating cup tray. The marking mechanism can mark the order information on a designated area on the outer side of the topmost milk tea cup on the lifting cup rack that has been rotated to the marking station. The marking station and the cup dispensing station are arranged alternately along the rotation path of the rotating cup tray. Alternatively, the marking mechanism can be a movable marking mechanism that can rotate around the circumference of the rotating cup tray and can move to the front of any set of lifting cup racks to perform marking, so that the marking action of the marking mechanism is synchronized with the cup dispensing action of the cup dispensing component.

2. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage compartment can be opened through a double-door cabinet, and inside is a sliding cup and plate rack facing the opening direction. The rotating cup and plate can slide smoothly on the sliding cup and plate rack via a handle and a connecting slide.

3. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lifting cup holder includes a lifting platform, a frustum cup base, a longitudinal guide column, and a lifting drive component. The frustum cup base is centrally fixed on the lifting platform, the longitudinal guide column is vertically mounted on the rotating cup tray and slides through the lifting platform, and the lifting drive component is used to make the lifting platform slide along the longitudinal guide column.

4. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lifting drive includes an electric push rod, a fulcrum limiting platform, and a telescopic push rod that is rotatably hinged to the bottom of the lifting platform. The telescopic push rod is hinged to the fulcrum limiting platform, and the proximal end of the telescopic push rod is hinged to the output end of the electric push rod. The output end of the electric push rod is configured to work along the longitudinal direction to push the lifting platform to slide longitudinally.

5. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lifting drive includes at least one pair of constant force springs and a damping buffer. The constant force spring is fixed to the top of the longitudinal guide column by a mounting rod, and the movable end of the constant force spring is connected to the lifting platform to provide a stable lifting force. The damping buffer is used to control the lifting speed of the constant force spring.

6. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cup dispensing assembly includes a cup dispensing turntable, which consists of a vertically arranged rotating shaft, a spiral slide that spirals upward around the rotating shaft, and a rotating shaft motor that drives the rotating shaft to rotate. The spiral slide is divided into a spiral cup-dividing section with a short pitch at the bottom of the rotating shaft and a spiral cup-lifting section with a gradually increasing pitch at the top of the rotating shaft. The cup dispensing turntable is arranged in two or four sets with the central axis of the lifting cup rack corresponding to the cup dispensing station as the center of symmetry. The cup dispensing turntable is fixed in a position that avoids the rotation path of the lifting cup rack when it rotates with the rotating cup tray. The spiral cup dispensing part of all cup dispensing turntables is precisely embedded in the gap between the mouths of the two milk tea cups on the uppermost layer of the lifting cup rack.

7. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cup dispensing turntable is equipped with an adjustable fixing structure, which includes a connecting rod, a fixing box, a sliding seat, and a fixing seat mounted on the top of the storage cavity. The fixing box is used to assemble the rotating shaft and the rotating shaft motor. The connecting rod is used to suspend the fixing box under the sliding seat. The sliding seat and the fixing seat are slidably engaged and can be locked by bolts.

8. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 1, characterized in that, The marking mechanism is a laser marking mechanism or an inkjet marking mechanism; and when the marking mechanism is a movable marking mechanism that can rotate around the circumference of the rotating cup and plate, the top of the storage cavity is provided with an annular movable toothed track coaxial with the rotating cup and plate. The marking mechanism includes a marking device body and a fixed bracket. The marking device body is mounted on a circular moving toothed rail in an orientation toward the center of the circle by the fixed bracket and can be driven by a toothed rail motor.

9. The automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for milk tea shops according to claim 1, characterized in that, The storage cavity has two sets of cup holders, one for storing hot cups and the other for storing cold cups.

10. A method for operating an automatic cup dispensing and labeling device for a milk tea shop, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1: System initialization. The controller assigns unique numbers 1 to 6 to the 6 groups of lifting cup holders arranged in a circular array on the rotating cup tray. It configures and stores the milk tea cup specifications corresponding to each group of lifting cup holders, including medium, large, and extra-large cups. It records the remaining number of milk tea cups, current spatial angle position, corresponding specifications, and operating status of each group of lifting cup holders in real time. At the same time, it establishes the rotation angle coordinate system of the rotating cup tray and the annular moving toothed track moving angle coordinate system of the moving laser marking mechanism through the encoder of the servo motor. It calibrates the reference angle value corresponding to the unique fixed cup dispensing station and presets the marking operation time to be equal to the cup dispensing operation time. S2: The controller receives the order queue pushed by the online order system and processes each order in the order of receipt. For the first order to be processed, it parses and extracts the order number, beverage flavor, specifications, remarks and other content to be marked, and generates the corresponding laser marking data. First, based on the beverage specification information obtained from the parsing, it filters out all available lifting cup racks that store the corresponding milk tea cups and have a remaining quantity greater than 0. Then, within the range of available lifting cup racks, it selects the first target lifting cup rack according to the principle of "nearest priority, remaining quantity priority". S3: The controller sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism, and the servo motor drives the rotating cup tray to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, precisely rotating the first target lifting cup holder to the front of the standby position of the mobile laser marking mechanism and then stopping; the controller sends a marking command to the mobile laser marking mechanism to perform laser marking on the designated area on the outside of the top inverted milk tea cup on the first target lifting cup holder, and after the marking is completed, the laser marking mechanism remains in place and ready to go; S4: The controller sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism, which drives the rotating cup tray to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, and then stops after precisely rotating the first target lifting cup rack that has been marked to the reference angle position corresponding to the fixed cup dispensing station. S5: The controller determines whether the current order is the last order in the order queue. If it is not the last order, two independent control commands are sent simultaneously: the first command is sent to the cup dispensing component to start the cup dispensing operation. The cup dispensing component pushes the milk tea cup on the current target lifting cup rack upwards through the circular dispensing port and delivers it out. The cup dispensing operation continues for a preset duration. The second command is sent to the mobile laser marking mechanism to drive it to move along the circular moving toothed track to the front of the target lifting cup rack corresponding to the next order. While the cup dispensing operation is in progress, the designated area on the outside of the topmost inverted milk tea cup on the next target lifting cup rack is laser-marked. The marking operation duration is exactly the same as the cup dispensing operation duration, so that the marking and cup dispensing sequences are completely overlapped. If it is the last order, only a dispensing command is sent to the dispensing component to start the dispensing operation, and no further labeling operation is performed; S6: When the current order is not the last order and the cup dispensing and marking operations are completed simultaneously, the controller immediately sends a rotation command to the first drive mechanism to drive the rotating cup tray to rotate intermittently and quantitatively, so that the next target lifting cup rack that has completed marking is precisely rotated to the reference angle position corresponding to the fixed cup dispensing station and then stops; at the same time, the controller updates the next order to the current order and returns to step S5 to continue execution; S7: After each cup dispensing operation is completed, the controller updates the number of remaining milk tea cups in the corresponding target lifting cup rack. If the remaining number of cups in a certain group of lifting cup racks is lower than the preset threshold, a cup replenishment reminder for the corresponding specification will be issued, and subsequent orders of the same specification will be automatically assigned to other available lifting cup racks.

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