Ingesta transport device

Abstract

To provide an ingesta transport device in which a cover can be installed between a transport path and a customer seat, without complicating a configuration of the device in a part branched from the transport path to a branch lane.SOLUTION: There is provided an ingesta transport device comprising: a conveyor which forms a transport path for transporting ingesta along customer seats in a restaurant; a branch lane forming a branch path branched from the transport path on the customer seats; a route changing device which is protruded from a side on the transport path, and can arrange a route changing member for guiding the ingesta transported by the conveyor from the transport path to the branch lane on the transport path and retreat the route changing member from the transport path, where the route changing device comprises: a drive part which inserts a slide member into a part between the route changing member and the transport path, by slide movement by the motor along the transport direction of the transport path; and a linkage mechanism which makes the route changing member in linkage with the slide member so that the route changing member is arranged on the transport path or retreated from the transport path.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a food and drink conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, food and drink have been provided in restaurants using conveying devices (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6791545 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When food and drink are transported along the conveying path of a conveying device installed along the seating, there is a possibility that customers sitting in the seats may come into contact with the food and drink during transport. As a countermeasure to this, a cover can be installed between the seats and the conveying path. Such a cover needs an opening to pass the food and drink on the conveying path to the seating side. For this reason, a movable cover that can be opened and closed is provided for the opening.

[0005] However, for example, if the conveyor is equipped with a mechanism that automatically guides food and drink from the conveyor path to a branch lane located at the customer seating area, the portion where the conveyor path branches off to the branch lane must be equipped with both the guiding mechanism and a movable cover, which complicates the device configuration at the portion where the conveyor path branches off to the branch lane.

[0006] Therefore, the present application discloses a food and beverage conveying device that can install a cover between customer seats and the conveying path without complicating the device configuration at the part where the conveying path branches off into the branch lane. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a drive unit is provided in the section between the conveying path and a path-changing member that guides food and beverages transported by the conveyor from the conveying path to a branch lane, and the path is inserted by sliding a slide member using a motor along the conveying direction of the conveying path, and a linkage mechanism is provided that links the path-changing member to the slide member.

[0008] In detail, the present invention is a food and beverage transport device comprising a conveyor that forms a transport path for transporting food and beverages along customer seats in a restaurant; a branch lane that forms a branch path that branches off from the transport path at the customer seats; and a path changing device which is a member that protrudes from the side onto the transport path and can move a path changing member that guides food and beverages transported by the conveyor from the transport path to the branch lane into and out of the transport path, the path changing device having a drive unit that uses a motor to slide a slide member along the transport direction of the transport path to insert it into the portion between the path changing member and the transport path, and an interlocking mechanism that interlocks the path changing member with the slide member so that the path changing member can be moved into and out of the transport path.

[0009] In such a food and beverage conveying device, the path changing member is inserted and removed from the conveying path by sliding the slide member with a motor, so that, for example, by simply attaching a cover to the slide member, it is possible to realize both a mechanism for guiding food and beverages from the conveying path to the branch lane and a movable cover. Therefore, in such a food and beverage conveying device, the device configuration at the part where the conveying path branches into the branch lane is not complicated, and the conveying path can be easily separated from the seating area. A cover can be placed between the

[0010] The interlocking mechanism may have an elastic member that biases the path-changing member toward the conveying path, and the path-changing member that is biased toward the conveying path by the elastic member may be retracted from the conveying path by inserting the slide member into the portion between the path-changing member and the conveying path by sliding movement. With such a food and beverage conveying device, the path-changing member is interlocked by the repulsive force of the elastic member, so that it is possible to install a cover between the customer seats and the conveying path without complicating the device configuration.

[0011] The interlocking mechanism may have a rack-and-pinion mechanism, and the pinion that moves the path-changing member may be rotated by the rack when a sliding member provided with a rack is slid. In such a food and beverage conveying device, the path-changing member is interlocked via a rack-and-pinion mechanism, so that a cover can be installed between the customer seats and the conveying path without complicating the device configuration.

[0012] In addition, the interlocking mechanism may be such that predetermined members provided on the path-changing member and the sliding member respectively have a property of repelling each other by magnetic force, and when the sliding member slides to a predetermined position, the predetermined members face each other, so that the path-changing member is moved by the magnetic force between the predetermined members. With such a food and beverage conveying device, since the path-changing member is interlocked via magnetic force, it is possible to install a cover between the customer seats and the conveying path without complicating the device configuration.

[0013] In addition, the food and beverage conveying device may further include a fixed cover that covers the conveying path from the customer seating side, and the sliding member may include a movable cover for opening and closing the opening of the fixed cover. With such a food and beverage conveying device, it is possible to minimize the possibility that customers in the customer seats will touch the food and beverage on the conveying path.

[0014] In addition, the path changing member may be a rod-shaped body and may be rotatable about a rotation axis at one end of the rod-shaped body. With such a food and beverage conveying device, it is possible to smoothly guide the food and beverage on the conveying path to the branch lane.

[0015] In addition, the drive unit may rotate the path changer about the rotation axis by bringing the slide member into contact with the path changer, thereby moving the path changer away from the conveyance path. With such a food and beverage conveying device, it is possible to simplify the device configuration as much as possible at the portion where the conveyance path branches into the branch lane. Effect of the Invention

[0016] With the above-described food and beverage conveying device, a cover can be installed between the customer seats and the conveying path without complicating the device configuration at the point where the conveying path branches off into the branch lane. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an ordered food and drink conveying device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the customer seats and the vicinity thereof of the ordered food and drink conveying device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a control flow diagram that is executed when a transport start operation is performed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the movement of the tray and the path changing members during transportation. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a first diagram showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the branch lane. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a second enlarged view of the area near the branch lane. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of a course changing device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the lane changing device. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the course changing device according to the first modified example. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the course changing device according to the second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. The embodiment described below is one aspect of the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The embodiment and modified examples described below are suitable for restaurants that serve various foods and drinks, such as sushi, beverages, rice bowls such as soba and udon, fried chicken, tempura, and grilled meat.

[0019] <Outline of device configuration> FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an ordered food and drink conveying device 10 according to an embodiment. The ordered food and drink conveying device 10 is a device that conveys plates 1 of food and drink prepared in response to an order from a restaurant kitchen 2 to customer seats 3, and forms a conveying path that passes beside each customer seat 3 where customers eat and drink, as shown in FIG. 1. The ordered food and drink conveying device 10 includes a main belt conveyor 20 that forms a conveying path from the restaurant kitchen 2 side to the customer seats 3, and a sub-belt conveyor 30 that is extended to the kitchen 2 side of the main belt conveyor 20 and extends the conveying path. In this embodiment, the main belt conveyor 20 is formed in a straight line, but a plurality of main belt conveyors 20 may be combined to form a conveying path in which the main belt conveyor 20 has a corner portion. In addition, the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 is not limited to one having one main belt conveyor 20 and one sub-belt conveyor 30, and may include a plurality of main belt conveyors 20 and sub-belt conveyors 30.

[0020] 2 is an enlarged view of the area around customer seats 3 of ordered food and drink conveying device 10. A branch lane 40 that branches off from the conveying path formed by main belt conveyor 20 and forms a downward sloping path is provided beside the conveying path formed by main belt conveyor 20. Ordered food and drink conveying device 10 receives orders via ordering terminals or the like installed at customer seats 3, and conveys food and drink prepared in kitchen 2.

[0021] The branch lane 40 is a lane onto which the plate 1 of food or drink that has been diverted from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20 by the path changing device 50 is transferred, and is disposed along the conveying path formed by the main belt conveyor 20. The branch lane 40 is formed by a group of rotatable conveying rollers. The branch lane 40 branches off to the side from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20, and further forms a downwardly sloping path along the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20. Therefore, when the plate 1 conveyed by the main belt conveyor 20 is diverted by the path changing device 50 that projects a path changing member 51 onto the conveying path formed by the main belt conveyor 20, the plate 1 transferred onto the branch lane 40 rolls on the rollers of the branch lane 40 by its own weight, and the plate 1 moves toward the terminal side of the branch lane 40.

[0022] As can be seen from FIG. 2, the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 is provided with a fixed cover 21 and a movable cover 22 that cover the conveying path formed by the main belt conveyor 20 from the customer seats 3 side. The fixed cover 21 is a non-movable cover, and is provided at a portion other than the portion where the path branches from the main belt conveyor 20 to the branch lane 40 so as to extend along the conveying path formed by the main belt conveyor 20. The movable cover 22 is a movable cover, and is provided in a form that covers the opening portion of the fixed cover 21 provided at the portion where the path branches from the main belt conveyor 20 to the branch lane 40. The movable cover 22 opens and closes the opening portion of the fixed cover 21 in conjunction with the path changing device 50. The fixed cover 21 and the movable cover 22 may be covers made of a non-transparent material or may be covers made of a transparent material. In addition, the fixed cover 21 and the movable cover 22 may be decorated with various kinds of printed stickers or the like. Details of the mechanism by which the path changing device 50 links the movable cover 22 will be described later.

[0023] A shelf board on which teacups, condiments, menus, etc. are placed is supported by pillars on the upper side of ordered food and drink conveying device 10, but such pillars and shelf boards may be omitted, or alternatives to the pillars and shelf boards may be installed. Also, in Fig. 2, branch lane 40 is provided on a table for box seats with a rectangular top, but the invention is not limited to being provided on such a table for box seats. Branch lane 40 may also be provided on a table for counter seats, for example.

[0024] The main belt conveyor 20, the sub belt conveyor 30, and the path changing device 50 are controlled by a control device (not shown) based on the operation contents input to the operation panel and the signals from each sensor. The operation of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 realized by the control device will be described below.

[0025] <Overview of operation> When a conveyance start operation is performed on the operation panel, the control device of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 activates the auxiliary belt conveyor 30 and the main belt conveyor 20, and conveys the plate of food and drink 1 on the auxiliary belt conveyor 30 to the customer's seat 3.

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a control flow diagram executed when a conveyance start operation is performed. The control device of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 judges whether or not a table selection operation has been performed on the operation panel (S101). Then, when the control device detects that a table selection operation has been performed in the processing of step S101, it next judges whether or not a conveyance start operation has been performed (S102). Then, when the control device detects that a conveyance start operation has been performed in the processing of step S102, it operates the path change device 50 provided at the branch point to the branch lane 40 installed at the selected table, and puts the path change member 51 onto the main belt conveyor 20 (S103). Then, the control device operates the main belt conveyor 20 and the sub belt conveyor 30 (S104). The control device operates the main belt conveyor 20 at a conveyance speed faster than that of the sub belt conveyor 30.

[0027] After executing the process of step S104, the control device judges whether or not all the plates 1 on the sub conveyor belt 30 have been placed on the main conveyor belt 20 (S105). The control device may judge whether or not all the plates 1 on the sub conveyor belt 30 have been placed on the main conveyor belt 20 based on, for example, the detection result of a sensor installed near the boundary between the sub conveyor belt 30 and the main conveyor belt 20, or based on the elapsed time since the sub conveyor belt 30 was started. If the control device makes a positive judgment in the process of step S105, it stops the sub conveyor belt 30 (S106).

[0028] After executing the process of step S106, the control device judges whether or not the dish 1 is approaching the branch point to the branch lane 40 at the selected table (S107). The control device may judge whether or not the dish 1 is approaching the branch point based on, for example, the detection result of a sensor installed near the branch point, or may judge based on the elapsed time from the start of conveyance that is preset for each branch point position. If the control device makes a positive judgment in the process of step S107, it decelerates the main belt conveyor 20 (S108).

[0029] After executing the process of step S108, the control device judges whether or not all of the plates 1 on the main belt conveyor 20 have moved to the branch lane 40 (S109). The control device may judge whether or not all of the plates 1 on the main belt conveyor 20 have moved to the branch lane 40, for example, based on the detection result of a sensor installed near the branch point, or based on the elapsed time from the start of conveyance that is preset for each branch point position. If the control device makes a positive judgment in the process of step S107, it stops the main belt conveyor 20 and moves the path changing member 51 of the path changing device 50 away from above the main belt conveyor 20. (S110).

[0030] If the control device makes a negative determination in either step S101 or step S102, it omits the processes in step S103 and thereafter, and executes the processes in step S101 and thereafter again.

[0031] FIG. 4 shows the movement of the plate 1 and the path change member 51 during transportation. When a request to start transportation is made, as shown in FIG. 4(A), the path change member 51 near the selected table protrudes onto the main belt conveyor 20, and the main belt conveyor 20 and the sub-belt conveyor 30 are activated. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(B), the plate 1 on the sub-belt conveyor 30 is sent out onto the main belt conveyor 20 one by one. As shown in FIG. 4(C), the plate 1 sent onto the main belt conveyor 20 eventually comes into contact with the path change member 51 and is guided to the branch lane 40 side. When all the plates 1 on the sub-belt conveyor 30 are placed on the main belt conveyor 20, the sub-belt conveyor 30 stops. The plate 1 that entered the branch lane 40 moves on the branch lane 40 and arrives at the end of the branch lane 40 one by one as shown in FIG. 4(D). The path change member 51 also retracts from above the main belt conveyor 20.

[0032] The main operation contents realized by the control device of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 are as described above. In the above-mentioned ordered food and drink conveying device 10, when all the plates 1 on the sub-conveyor belt 30 are placed on the main conveyor belt 20, the sub-conveyor belt 30 stops even while the main conveyor belt 20 is in operation, so that the staff of the kitchen 2 can immediately place the next plate 1 on the sub-conveyor belt 30. Therefore, even if there are many orders for food and drink, the ordered food and drink can be efficiently conveyed to the customer seats 3. Such an effect of the above-mentioned ordered food and drink conveying device 10 is particularly remarkable in a restaurant having a long conveying path formed by the main conveyor belt 20. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10, the plate 1 is conveyed to the branch lane 40 that branches diagonally with respect to the traveling direction of the conveying path formed by the main conveyor belt 20, so that the conveying speed of the main conveyor belt 20 can be made relatively fast, and the plate 1 on which the food and drink is placed can be efficiently conveyed. Furthermore, in the case of the ordered food and beverage conveying device 10 of the above embodiment, the conveying speed of the main belt conveyor 20 decreases when the plate 1 approaches the branch lane 40, so there is little risk of the food and beverage on the plate 1 being tilted due to the impact when the plate 1 comes into contact with the course change member 51.

[0033] <Details of the course change device and movable cover> Fig. 5 is a first enlarged view of the vicinity of the branch lane 40. Fig. 5 illustrates a state in which the movable cover 22 closes the opening of the fixed cover 21. Fig. 6 is a second enlarged view of the vicinity of the branch lane 40. Fig. 6 illustrates a state in which the movable cover 22 opens the opening of the fixed cover 21.

[0034] 5, when the path changing member 51 is retracted from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20, the movable cover 22 closes the opening of the fixed cover 21. Therefore, the plate 1 conveyed by the main belt conveyor 20 is completely covered by the movable cover 22 and the fixed cover 21 from the seating area 3 side. This makes it possible to prevent the food and drink on the plate 1 conveyed by the main belt conveyor 20 from being touched or having droplets adhere to it from the seating area 3 side.

[0035] 6, when the path changing member 51 is protruding onto the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20, the movable cover 22 opens the opening of the fixed cover 21. Therefore, the dish 1 being conveyed by the main belt conveyor 20 is guided to the branch lane 40 side by the path changing member 51 and can enter the branch lane 40 through the opening of the fixed cover 21. As a result, the customers in the seat 3 where the branch lane 40 is installed can see the branch lane 40. It becomes possible to take dish 1 that arrives at step 40.

[0036] 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the path changing device 50. The path changing device 50 is provided with a motor 52, a guide end 53, a screw shaft 54, a guide rail 55, a slide block 56, a cover support 57, and a guide end 58.

[0037] The motor 52 is an electric motor for driving the screw shaft 54 ​​to rotate about its axis. The motor 52 is rotated in the forward or reverse direction by a control device of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10.

[0038] The guide ends 53 and 58 are members that support the screw shaft 54 ​​and the guide rail 55. The guide ends 53 and 58 support the screw shaft 54 ​​and the guide rail 55 so that the screw shaft 54 ​​and the guide rail 55 extend along the conveying direction of the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20. The guide ends 53 and 58 rotatably support the screw shaft 54 ​​via bearings. Therefore, the screw shaft 54 ​​is rotatable around its axis.

[0039] The slide block 56 is a member that can move linearly along the linear track formed by the guide rail 55. The slide block 56 is a so-called linear guide, and balls circulating inside the slide block 56 roll between the guide rail 55 and the slide block 56, thereby allowing the slide block 56 to move smoothly linearly relative to the guide rail 55. The slide block 56 is also screwed into a spiral groove on the outer circumferential surface of the screw shaft 54. Therefore, when the screw shaft 54 ​​is rotated around its axis by the motor 52, the slide block 56 moves linearly along the longitudinal direction of the screw shaft 54.

[0040] The cover support 57 is a member for supporting the movable cover 22. The cover support 57 is fixed to the slide block 56. Therefore, when the motor 52 is actuated, the cover support 57 moves linearly together with the slide block 56 due to the rotational force of the motor 52.

[0041] The rod-shaped course change member 51 is rotatable about a rotation axis at one end of the course change member 51, and the other end (tip) of the course change member 51 is biased by a spring so as to move about the rotation axis toward the main belt conveyor 20. For this reason, the course change device 50 realizes the following operations.

[0042] 8A and 8B are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the course changing device 50. In Fig. 8A, the opening of the fixed cover 21 is shown in a state where the movable cover 22 is closing the opening.

[0043] 8(A), when the movable cover 22 closes the opening of the fixed cover 21, the movable cover 22 is inserted between the main belt conveyor 20 and the path changing member 51. Therefore, the path changing member 51, the tip of which is biased by a spring so as to move toward the main belt conveyor 20, is retracted from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20 by the movable cover 22 and stored therein.

[0044] In this state, when the control device of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 activates the motor 52, the movable cover 22 gradually slides in the direction of opening the opening of the fixed cover 21, as shown in Figure 8(B). Then, when the movable cover 22 starts to move away from the path changing member 51, the tip of the path changing member 51, which is biased by a spring, gradually starts to move toward the main belt conveyor 20, as shown in Figure 8(C).

[0045] The movable cover 22 slides to a position where the opening of the fixed cover 21 is completely opened. When the plate 22 is completely separated from the path-changing member 51, as shown in Fig. 8(D), the tip of the path-changing member 51 faces the main belt conveyor 20, and the path-changing member 51 is protruded onto the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20. As a result, the plate 1 being conveyed by the main belt conveyor 20 is guided from the main belt conveyor 20 to the branch lane 40.

[0046] When all the plates 1 on the main belt conveyor 20 are transferred to the branch lane 40 and the control device of the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 again operates the motor 52 in the reverse direction, the above series of operations are carried out in the reverse order (from FIG. 8(D) to FIG. 8(A)). As a result, the path changing member 51 is retracted from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20 by the movable cover 22 and stored away.

[0047] In the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 according to this embodiment, the mechanism for moving the path-changing member 51 in and out of the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20 in conjunction with the motor 52 is realized by a linear motion mechanism composed of the motor 52, screw shaft 54, etc., as described above. This makes it possible to move the path-changing member 51 and the movable cover 22 with a single motor 52 without complicating the device configuration of the entire ordered food and drink conveying device 10. Furthermore, with the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 according to this embodiment, the mechanism for linking the path-changing member 51 to the movement of the movable cover 22 does not use a power transmission mechanism such as a gear, so the path-changing member 51 can be moved quietly.

[0048] Furthermore, when the path-changing member 51 is moved by a motor directly connected to the rotation shaft of the path-changing member 51, the motor needs to be placed below the rotation shaft of the path-changing member 51. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a certain amount of space in the vertical direction below the path-changing member 51 to place the motor. In this regard, with the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 of this embodiment, the path-changing member 51 can be moved by the motor 52 that rotates the screw shaft 54 ​​about its axis, so there is no need to secure space for the motor below the path-changing member 51. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the installation space for parts near the part where the main belt conveyor 20 branches into the branch lane 40, making it easier to accommodate the design of the tables for the customer seats 3 and the design of the store layout.

[0049] The ordered food and drink conveying device 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. For example, the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 may be a circulating conveying device in which the main belt conveyor 20 uses an endless crescent chain instead of a belt conveyor.

[0050] In addition, the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 may omit the fixed cover 21 and the movable cover 22.

[0051] Furthermore, the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 may be modified as follows.

[0052] 9 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the path changing device 50 according to the first modified example. In this first modified example, a pinion G1 is provided to rotate the path changing member 51, and a rack G2 is disposed below the movable cover 22. Both the pinion G1 and the rack G2 are disposed below the conveying surface and are not visible to customers. The rack G2 is fixed to a slide block 56.

[0053] In this first modified example, when the motor 52 is operated in the state shown in FIG. 9(A) and the slide block 56 slides, the rack G2 starts to mesh with the pinion G1 at a predetermined timing as shown in FIG. 9(B). When the rack G2 meshes with the pinion G1, as shown in FIG. 9(C), 9(D), the path changing member 51 protrudes onto the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20. When the motor 52 operates in the reverse direction, the path changing member 51, which had protruded onto the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20, is withdrawn from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20, and the opening of the fixed cover 21 is closed by the movable cover 22. As shown in FIG. 9(D), the path changing member 51 protrudes onto the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20. When the motor 52 operates in the reverse direction, the path changing member 51, which had protruded onto the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20, is withdrawn from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20, and the opening of the fixed cover 21 is closed by the movable cover 22.

[0054] In this first modified example, as in the above embodiment, the mechanism for moving path-changing member 51 into and out of the conveying path of main belt conveyor 20 is realized by a linear motion mechanism including motor 52, screw shaft 54, etc. Therefore, it is possible to move path-changing member 51 and movable cover 22 with one motor 52 without complicating the device configuration of ordered food and drink conveying device 10 as a whole.

[0055] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the path changing device 50 according to the second modification. In this second modification, a magnet M1 that rotates the path changing member 51 is provided on the path changing member 51, and a magnet M2 is arranged under the movable cover 22. Both the magnets M1 and M2 are arranged below the conveying surface so that they are not visible to customers. The magnetic poles of the magnets M1 and M2 are adjusted so that they repel each other by magnetic force when they face each other. That is, the magnets M1 and M2 are arranged so that their N poles face each other when they face each other, or their S poles face each other when they face each other. The magnet M2 is fixed to the slide block 56.

[0056] In the second modified example, when the motor 52 is operated in the state of FIG. 10(A) and the slide block 56 slides, the magnet M2 starts to face the magnet M1 at a predetermined timing as shown in FIG. 10(B). When the magnet M2 starts to face the magnet M1, the magnet M1 tries to move away from the magnet M2 due to the magnetic force acting between the magnets M1 and M2 as shown in FIG. 10(C), and the path changing member 51 rotates. That is, the power of the motor 52 is indirectly transmitted to the path changing member 51 via the magnets M1 and M2, and the path changing member 51 is linked to the motor 52. Then, as shown in FIG. 10(D), the path changing member 51 is in a state of protruding onto the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20. Also, when the motor 52 is operated in the reverse direction, the magnets M1 and M2 are no longer facing each other, and the repulsive force due to the magnetic force is lost. Then, the path changing member 51 that had been protruding above the main belt conveyor 20 comes into contact with the movable cover 22 and is withdrawn from the conveying path of the main belt conveyor 20.

[0057] In this second modified example, as in the above embodiment, the mechanism for moving path-changing member 51 in and out of the conveying path of main belt conveyor 20 is realized by a linear motion mechanism composed of motor 52, screw shaft 54, etc. Therefore, it is possible to move path-changing member 51 and movable cover 22 with one motor 52 without complicating the device configuration of ordered food and drink conveying device 10 as a whole. Furthermore, in this second modified example, the mechanism for linking path-changing member 51 to the movement of movable cover 22 does not use a power transmission mechanism such as a gear, so path-changing member 51 can be moved quietly.

[0058] In the ordered food and drink conveying device 10 according to the above embodiment, the interlocking mechanism for interlocking the path changing member 51 with the motor 52 can be modified as appropriate, as in the first and second modified examples. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 plate 2··Kitchen 3. Audience seats 10. Ordered food and drink conveying device 20 Main belt conveyor 21 Fixed cover 22 Movable cover 30 Secondary conveyor belt 40··Branch lane 50 ··Route change device 51 ··Curve change parts 52 Motor 53 Guide end 54 Screw shaft 55··Guide rail 56··Slide block 57··Cover support 58 Guide end G1, G2 Pinion M1, M2·Magnet

Claims

1. A conveyor that forms a transport path for transporting food and beverages along the seating of a restaurant; A branch lane that forms a branch path branching from the conveyance path at the seating area; a path changing device that is a member that is protruded from a side onto the transport path and that can move a path changing member that guides the food and drink transported by the conveyor from the transport path to the branch lane into and out of the transport path, The course changing device is a drive unit that slides a slide member by a motor along a conveying direction of the conveying path and inserts the slide member into a portion between the path changing member and the conveying path; and an interlocking mechanism for interlocking the path change member with the slide member so that the path change member is inserted and removed from the transport path. Food and beverage conveying equipment.

2. The interlocking mechanism has an elastic member that biases the path-changing member toward the transport path, and by inserting the slide member into a portion between the path-changing member and the transport path by the sliding movement, the path-changing member that is biased toward the transport path by the elastic member can be retracted from the transport path. The food and drink conveying device according to claim 1.

3. The interlocking mechanism has a rack-and-pinion mechanism, and the pinion that moves the course change member is rotated by the rack by sliding the slide member provided with the rack. The food and drink conveying device according to claim 1.

4. The interlocking mechanism has a property that predetermined members provided on the course change member and the slide member repel each other by magnetic force, and when the slide member slides to a predetermined position, the predetermined members face each other, and the course change member is moved by the magnetic force between the predetermined members. The food and drink conveying device according to claim 1.

5. Further provided with a fixed cover that covers the transport path from the seating side, The slide member includes a movable cover for opening and closing the opening of the fixed cover. A food and drink conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The course change member is a rod-shaped body and is rotatable around a rotation axis at one end of the rod-shaped body. The food and drink conveying device according to claim 1.

7. the drive unit causes the slide member to come into contact with the path change member, thereby rotating the path change member about the rotation shaft, and retracting the path change member from the conveying path. The food and drink conveying device according to claim 6.

Images