Edible oil supply device and edible oil supply method

Abstract

To provide an edible oil supply device and an edible oil supply method capable of supplying edible oil in a constantly fresh state without requiring labor of a store employee.SOLUTION: An oil server 1 that automatically supplies the edible oil into a bottle X comprises: a washing device 6 that washes an oil outflow port 22 by blowing out a washing oil β; a discharge tank 26 into which the washing oil β blown out from the washing device 6 towards the oil outflow port 22 is discharged; controllers 4, 4A, 4B, 4C that control an oil flow control valve 25 and the washing device 6; and a bottle sensor 51 that detects that a bottle X is placed on a placement stand 21. When the controllers 4, 4A, 4B, 4C obtain a placement detection signal output from the bottle sensor 51, an oil amount control signal corresponding to a supply oil amount Vd of the edible oil is output to the oil flow control valve 25. When the placement detection signal is not obtained from the bottle sensor 51, a washing command signal for commanding the washing oil β to be blown out is output to the washing device 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an edible oil supply device and an edible oil supply method for automatically supplying edible oil into a container.

Background Art

[0002] Edible oils such as rapeseed oil, sesame oil, and olive oil are generally sold in retail stores that handle food products such as supermarkets, individually packed in bottles of a specified volume determined by the manufacturer. Therefore, when the volume of the bottle is large, the purchaser may discard the edible oil without being able to use it up.

[0003] In recent years, efforts have been made to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the United Nations Summit on September 25, 2015), hereinafter referred to as "SDGs"). Along with this, in order to ensure a sustainable production and consumption pattern, etc., aiming to prevent the generation of waste, reduce waste, and significantly reduce the generation of waste through the recycling and reuse of products, retail stores that sell edible oil in small portions according to the amount required by purchasers have emerged.

[0004] In such retail stores, the edible oil sold in small portions is stored in a large-capacity storage container (oil server). As an example of the storage container, Patent Document 1 discloses a bottomed cylindrical container body in which an edible oil such as olive oil is stored, a lid for closing and sealing the upper opening of the cylindrical container body, an outlet for the edible oil provided at the lower part of the cylindrical container body, and an air cutoff mechanism for blocking the inflow of air into the inside of the cylindrical container body provided in the cylindrical container body or the lid.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, when selling cooking oil in small portions from the storage container described in Patent Document 1, either a store employee or the purchaser himself / herself has to open the outlet that is exposed to the outside and pour the cooking oil in the cylindrical container body into a small bottle. Therefore, in the small bottle, together with the fresh cooking oil in the cylindrical container body, the oxidized cooking oil adhering to the outlet also flows in. For example, a method of removing the cooking oil adhering to the outlet by a store employee wiping the outlet with a clean cloth or the like can be considered. However, in this case, each time the cooking oil in the cylindrical container body is poured into the small bottle, a cleaning operation of the outlet occurs, which increases the labor of the store employees. Also, due to the nature of viscous cooking oil (oil and fat), it is difficult to completely wipe off the cooking oil adhering to the outlet with a cloth.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a cooking oil supply device and a cooking oil supply method that can supply cooking oil in a fresh state at all times without putting much labor on store employees.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] [1] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an edible oil supply device for automatically supplying edible oil into a container, comprising an oil tank for storing the edible oil, a mounting table on which the container is placed, an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows out into the container placed on the mounting table, an oil outlet pipe connecting the oil tank and the oil outlet for guiding the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet, an oil flow control valve provided in the oil outlet pipe for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet, a cleaning device for spraying cleaning oil, which is the edible oil, to clean the oil outlet, a discharge tank for discharging the cleaning oil sprayed from the cleaning device toward the oil outlet, a controller for controlling the oil flow control valve and the cleaning device, and a container sensor for detecting that the container is placed on the mounting table and outputting a placement detection signal to the controller. The controller outputs an oil quantity control signal corresponding to the supply oil quantity of the edible oil to the oil flow control valve when acquiring the placement detection signal output from the container sensor, and outputs a cleaning command signal for instructing the spraying of the cleaning oil to the cleaning device when not acquiring the placement detection signal from the container sensor.

[0009] [2] Preferably, in the edible oil supply device according to [1], after the controller acquires the placement detection signal and outputs the oil quantity control signal to the oil flow control valve, when the controller no longer acquires the placement detection signal that it had acquired from the container sensor, the controller outputs the cleaning command signal to the cleaning device.

[0010] [3] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply device described in [1], and it has a discharged oil quantity sensor for detecting the quantity of discharged oil stored in the discharge tank, and a notification device for notifying a discount on the discharged oil stored in the discharge tank. The controller acquires the quantity of discharged oil detected by the discharged oil quantity sensor, determines whether the acquired quantity of discharged oil has reached a supplyable oil quantity which is the minimum quantity of oil that can be supplied to the container, and when it is determined that the quantity of discharged oil has reached the supplyable oil quantity, outputs a discount start signal for notifying the start of supply at the discounted price of the discharged oil to the notification device.

[0011] [4] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply device described in [3], and it has a deterioration degree sensor for detecting the deterioration degree of the discharged oil. The controller acquires the deterioration degree detected by the deterioration degree sensor, determines whether the acquired deterioration degree is equal to or higher than a waste oil reference value which is the reference value of the deterioration degree at a predetermined waste oil time point of the discharged oil, and after outputting the discount start signal to the notification device, when it is determined that the quantity of discharged oil is less than the supplyable oil quantity, or when it is determined that the deterioration degree is equal to or higher than the waste oil reference value, outputs a discount stop signal for notifying the stop of supply at the discounted price of the discharged oil to the notification device.

[0012] [5] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply device described in [1], and it has a discharged oil quantity sensor for detecting the quantity of discharged oil stored in the discharge tank. The controller acquires the quantity of discharged oil detected by the discharged oil quantity sensor, determines whether the acquired quantity of discharged oil has reached an upper limit oil quantity set based on the maximum oil quantity that can be stored in the discharge tank, and when it is determined that the quantity of discharged oil has reached the upper limit oil quantity, outputs a notification signal for notifying the replacement of the discharge tank to a management device that manages the edible oil supply device.

[0013] [6] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply device according to [1], which has an input terminal for inputting oil type information related to the type of the edible oil. In the oil tank, a plurality of types of the edible oil are stored in a state where they do not mix with each other. A plurality of the oil outlet pipes and the flow control valves for oil are respectively provided corresponding to a plurality of types of the edible oil. The controller acquires the oil type information input to the input terminal, selects the flow control valve for oil corresponding to the oil type information from among the plurality of flow control valves for oil based on the acquired oil type information, and outputs the oil quantity control signal to the selected flow control valve for oil.

[0014] [7] Further, the present invention uses an edible oil supply device including an oil tank for storing the edible oil, a mounting table on which the container is placed, an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows out into the container placed on the mounting table, an oil outlet pipe connecting the oil tank and the oil outlet for guiding the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet, a flow control valve for oil provided in the oil outlet pipe for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet, a cleaning device for spraying cleaning oil which is the edible oil for cleaning the oil outlet to clean the oil outlet, a discharge tank for discharging the cleaning oil sprayed from the cleaning device toward the oil outlet, a controller for controlling the flow control valve for oil and the cleaning device, and a container sensor for detecting that the container is placed on the mounting table and outputting a placement detection signal to the controller. The controller includes a signal acquisition step of acquiring the placement detection signal output from the container sensor, an edible oil supply step of outputting an oil quantity control signal corresponding to the supply oil quantity of the edible oil to the flow control valve for oil when the placement detection signal is acquired in the signal acquisition step, and a cleaning step of outputting a cleaning command signal for instructing the spraying of the cleaning oil to the cleaning device when the placement detection signal is not acquired in the signal acquisition step.

[0015] [8] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply method described in [7], and in the cleaning step, when the placement detection signal is acquired in the signal acquisition step, and after the oil quantity control signal is output to the oil flow control valve in the edible oil supply step, if the placement detection signal is no longer acquired in the signal acquisition step, the cleaning command signal is output to the cleaning device.

[0016] [9] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply method described in [7], further using a discharged oil quantity sensor for detecting the discharged oil quantity stored in the discharge tank, and a notification device for notifying a discount on the discharged oil stored in the discharge tank, and further including a discharged oil quantity acquisition step in which the controller acquires the discharged oil quantity detected by the discharged oil quantity sensor, a supplyable oil quantity determination step in which the controller determines whether or not the discharged oil quantity acquired in the discharged oil quantity acquisition step has reached a supplyable oil quantity which is the minimum oil quantity that can be supplied to the container, and a discount start step in which the controller outputs a discount start signal for notifying the start of supply at the discounted price of the discharged oil to the notification device when it is determined in the supplyable oil quantity determination step that the discharged oil quantity has reached the supplyable oil quantity.

[0017]

[10] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply method described in [9], further using a degradation degree sensor for detecting the degradation degree of the discharged oil, and the controller has a degradation degree acquisition step of acquiring the degradation degree of the discharged oil detected by the degradation degree sensor, and the controller determines whether the degradation degree acquired in the degradation degree acquisition step is equal to or higher than a waste oil reference value which is the reference value of the degradation degree of the discharged oil at a predetermined waste oil time point; a waste oil determination step; after the discount start signal is output to the notification device in the discount start step, when it is determined in the supplyable oil amount determination step that the discharged oil amount is less than the supplyable oil amount, or when it is determined in the waste oil determination step that the degradation degree is equal to or higher than the waste oil reference value, the controller outputs a discount stop signal for notifying the stop of the supply at the discounted price of the discharged oil to the notification device. It is characterized by further including a discount stop step.

[0018]

[11] Preferably, it is the edible oil supply method described in [7], further using a discharged oil amount sensor for detecting the amount of discharged oil stored in the discharge tank, and the controller has a discharged oil amount acquisition step of acquiring the amount of discharged oil detected by the discharged oil amount sensor, and the controller determines whether the amount of discharged oil acquired in the discharged oil amount acquisition step has reached an upper limit oil amount set based on the maximum oil amount that can be stored in the discharge tank; an upper limit oil amount determination step; when it is determined in the upper limit oil amount determination step that the discharged oil amount has reached the upper limit oil amount, the controller outputs a notification signal for notifying the replacement of the discharge tank to a management device that manages the edible oil supply device. It is characterized by further including a replacement notification step.

[0019]

[12] Preferably, it is the method for supplying edible oil according to [7] above, further using an input terminal for inputting oil type information related to the type of the edible oil, wherein a plurality of types of the edible oil are stored in the oil tank without being mixed with each other, and a plurality of the oil lead-out pipes and the flow control valves for oil are respectively provided corresponding to the plurality of types of the edible oil, and the controller includes an oil type information acquisition step of acquiring the oil type information input to the input terminal, and a selection step of the controller selecting the flow control valve for oil corresponding to the oil type information from among the plurality of flow control valves for oil based on the oil type information acquired in the oil type information acquisition step, and in the edible oil supply step, the controller outputs the oil quantity control signal to the flow control valve for oil selected in the selection step.

Effect of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, edible oil can be always supplied in a fresh state without the trouble of the store employees. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified by the description of the following embodiments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

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Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, in each embodiment of the present invention, as an aspect of an edible oil supply device that automatically supplies the amount of edible oil required by a purchaser into a container, for example, it is installed in each store of a retail store such as a supermarket, and the amount of edible oil required by a customer is filled into an empty bottle and provided to the customer. An oil server will be described.

[0023] <Overall Configuration of Oil Server 1> First, the overall configuration of the oil server 1 according to each embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0024] FIG. 1 is an external view showing an example of the configuration of the oil server 1 according to each embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] In the oil server 1, when an empty bottle X is placed on the mounting table 21, edible oil flows out from the oil outlet 22 disposed above the mounting table 21 and is supplied into the empty bottle X. The supply of the edible oil into the bottle X is performed inside the housing 10.

[0026] Inside the housing 10, temperature and humidity management are thoroughly carried out so that the edible oil is always supplied into the bottle X in a fresh state. Also, since the edible oil starts to oxidize when it comes into contact with air, measures are taken at various locations inside the housing 10 to prevent the edible oil from coming into contact with air as much as possible.

[0027] The housing 10 is formed with a supply area 11 having an opening 110 in the front part. The mounting table 21 is installed at the bottom of this supply area 11. And an oil outlet 22 is provided in the ceiling part of the supply area 11.

[0028] A transparent door 12 provided with a handle 120 is attached to the opening 110 of the supply area 11. Thereby, it is possible to prevent external dust and dirt from entering the supply area 11. Further, since the door 12 is transparent, the purchaser can confirm whether or not the bottle X exists in the supply area 11 without opening the door 12.

[0029] Also, a touch panel 3 as an input / output terminal is attached to the housing 10. The touch panel 3 displays, for example, information related to the operation of the oil server 1, information related to the operating status of the oil server 1, and the selling price (supply price) of the edible oil supplied by the oil server 1 on the display. Also, the customer operates the touch panel 3 to input the required oil volume Vd ( = the supplied oil volume, which is the amount of edible oil supplied by the oil server 1) that is the amount of the edible oil required.

[0030] In addition, in FIG. 1, the touch panel 3 is disposed above the supply area 11 in the front part of the housing 10, but it is not limited to this. As long as it is a place where the customer can easily operate, there is no particular limitation on the placement location, and it may be installed independently of the housing 10.

[0031] The edible oil supplied by the oil server 1 is an edible oil that can be used in ordinary households, such as rapeseed oil, sesame oil, olive oil, etc. This oil server 1 may be configured to supply a predetermined type of edible oil to bottle X, or may be configured to supply a plurality of types of edible oils to bottle X according to the purchaser's wishes. When the oil server 1 has the latter configuration, the customer can freely select a desired type of edible oil from among a plurality of types of edible oils using the touch panel 3.

[0032] Hereinafter, in the first to third embodiments, the case where the oil server 1 supplies a predetermined type of edible oil to bottle X will be taken as an example, and in the fourth embodiment, the case where the oil server 1 supplies a plurality of types of edible oils to bottle X according to the purchaser's wishes will be taken as an example, and each will be described.

[0033] <First Embodiment> The oil server 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5.

[0034] (System Configuration of Oil Server 1) First, the system configuration of the oil server 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the oil server 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0036] The new edible oil α (hereinafter referred to as "new oil α") is stored in the oil tank 23. The oil tank 23 is connected to the oil outlet 22 via the oil lead-out pipe 24, and the new oil α in the oil tank 23 is led to the oil outlet 22 through the oil lead-out pipe 24. An oil flow control valve 25 for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil (new oil α in this embodiment) flowing out from the oil outlet 22 is provided on the oil lead-out pipe 24.

[0037] The oil flow control valve 25 is controlled by the controller 4. Specifically, the oil flow control valve 25 has its valve opening adjusted based on the oil quantity control signal output from the controller 4. Therefore, the new oil α led from the oil tank 23 to the oil outlet 22 through the oil lead-out pipe 24 has its flow rate controlled according to the valve opening of the oil flow control valve 25.

[0038] Also, a bottle sensor 51 as a container sensor for detecting that the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 21 is attached to the mounting table 21. The bottle sensor 51 determines whether the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 21 by measuring, for example, the load applied to the mounting table 21. When the bottle sensor 51 detects that the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 21, it outputs a placement detection signal to the controller 4.

[0039] In this embodiment, the oil server 1 is provided with a cleaning device 6 for cleaning the oil outlet 22. The cleaning device 6 ejects a cleaning oil β, which is edible oil for cleaning the oil outlet 22, toward the oil outlet 22 to wash away the edible oil (new oil α in this embodiment) adhering to the oil outlet 22. For the cleaning oil β, for example, canola oil that is nearly odorless is used.

[0040] The cleaning device 6 is controlled by the controller 4. Specifically, when a cleaning command signal for commanding the ejection of the cleaning oil β is output from the controller 4, the ejection port for ejecting the cleaning oil β of the cleaning device 6 opens. Note that the cleaning device 6 may eject a preset amount (a fixed amount) of the cleaning oil β, or may eject an amount of the cleaning oil β based on the cleaning command signal output from the controller 4.

[0041] The cleaning oil β ejected from the cleaning device 6 is discharged to the discharge tank 26 through the insertion hole formed in the mounting table 21 together with the edible oil adhering to the oil outlet 22. Therefore, in this embodiment, the discharged oil γ stored in the discharge tank 26 is a mixture of the cleaning oil β and the new oil α (the new oil α adhering to the oil outlet 22).

[0042] The controller 4 is directly or indirectly communicably connected to each of the oil flow control valve 25, the touch panel 3, the bottle sensor 51, and the cleaning device 6 via a communication network such as an Internet line, for example.

[0043] When the controller 4 detects that the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 21 by the bottle sensor 51 and the required oil quantity Vd is input to the touch panel 3, the controller 4 generates an oil quantity control signal according to the required oil quantity Vd input to the touch panel 3 and outputs it to the oil flow control valve 25.

[0044] Also, in the present embodiment, when the mounting detection signal is no longer output from the bottle sensor 51, that is, when the bottle X is removed from the mounting table 21, the controller 4 outputs a cleaning command signal to the cleaning device 6.

[0045] When purchasing new oil α, the customer first places the empty bottle X on the mounting table 21 of the oil server 1. Subsequently, the customer operates the touch panel 3 to input the required oil quantity Vd. The oil server 1 pours the new oil α of the required oil quantity Vd from the oil outlet 22 into the bottle X based on the oil quantity control signal output from the controller 4. Then, when the supply of the new oil α into the bottle X is completed, the oil server 1 notifies the customer that the supply of the new oil α into the bottle X is completed, for example, by using voice or an alarm.

[0046] In the present embodiment, subsequently, when the customer takes out the bottle X filled with the new oil α from the supply area 11, the cleaning device 6 ejects the cleaning oil β toward the oil outlet 22 based on the cleaning command signal output from the controller 4.

[0047] (Hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the controller 4) Next, the hardware configuration for realizing the functions of the controller 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 3.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0049] The computer that realizes the functions of the controller 4 includes, as a hardware configuration, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 40A, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 40B, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 40C, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 40D, and an I / F (Interface) 40E. These components are respectively connected via a common bus 40F.

[0050] The CPU 40A is an arithmetic means and controls the overall operation of the controller 4.

[0051] The RAM 40B is a volatile storage medium capable of high-speed reading and writing of information, and is used, for example, as a work area when the CPU 40A processes management information.

[0052] The ROM 40C is a non-volatile read-only storage medium in which programs such as firmware are stored.

[0053] The HDD 40D is a non-volatile storage medium capable of reading and writing information and having a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System), control programs and application programs for executing various information processes described later.

[0054] Note that the HDD 40D can be replaced with, for example, an SSD (Solid State Drive) or the like as long as it can realize the functions of storing and managing information as a non-volatile storage medium, regardless of the type of device.

[0055] The I / F 40E is a connection interface with a communication network, to which the bottle sensor 51, the touch panel 3, the cleaning device 6, and the oil flow control valve 25 are respectively connected.

[0056] The controller 4 having such a hardware configuration is an information processing apparatus that realizes a processing function by an arithmetic function provided in the CPU 40A for a control program stored in the ROM 40C and control programs and application programs loaded from a storage medium such as the HDD 40D into the RAM 40B.

[0057] By executing these information processes, a software control unit including various function modules in the controller 4 is configured. A function block that realizes the functions of the controller 4 is configured by a combination of the software control unit configured in this way and the hardware resources including the above configuration.

[0058] (Functional Configuration of Controller 4) Next, the functional configuration of the controller 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

[0059] FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0060] The controller 4 includes a data acquisition unit 41, a control signal generation unit 42, and a signal output unit 43.

[0061] The data acquisition unit 41 acquires a placement detection signal output from the bottle sensor 51 and a required fuel quantity Vd output from the touch panel 3.

[0062] The control signal generation unit 42 generates an oil quantity control signal according to the required fuel quantity Vd acquired by the data acquisition unit 41.

[0063] When the placement detection signal is acquired by the data acquisition unit 41, the signal output unit 43 outputs the oil quantity control signal generated by the control signal generation unit 42 to the oil flow control valve 25. Then, after the signal output unit 43 outputs the oil quantity control signal to the oil flow control valve 25, when the placement detection signal is no longer acquired by the data acquisition unit 41, the signal output unit 43 outputs a cleaning command signal to the cleaning device 6.

[0064] (Processing executed within the controller 4) Next, the flow of the processing executed within the controller 4 will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0065] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the flow of the processing executed by the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0066] In the controller 4, first, when the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the placement detection signal output from the bottle sensor 51, that is, when the bottle X is placed on the placement table 21 (step S401 / YES; signal acquisition step), subsequently, the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the required oil quantity Vd output from the touch panel 3 (step S402).

[0067] Note that, in the controller 4, when the data acquisition unit 41 does not acquire the placement detection signal from the bottle sensor 51 in step S401, that is, when the bottle X is not placed on the placement table 21 (step S401 / NO), it does not proceed to the next step until the data acquisition unit 41 acquires the placement detection signal output from the bottle sensor 51.

[0068] Next, the control signal generation unit 42 generates an oil quantity control signal according to the required oil quantity Vd acquired in step S402 (step S403).

[0069] Next, the signal output unit 43 outputs the oil quantity control signal generated in step S403 to the oil flow control valve 15 (step S404; edible oil supply step). As a result, edible oil (new oil α) is supplied into the empty bottle X placed on the placement table 21. When the filling of the edible oil into the bottle X is completed, the oil server 1 notifies the customer that the supply of the edible oil into the bottle X is completed, for example, using voice or an alarm.

[0070] Next, when the data acquisition unit 41 stops acquiring the placement detection signal from the bottle sensor 51, that is, when the bottle X is removed from the placement table 21 (step S405 / YES), the signal output unit 43 outputs a cleaning command signal to the cleaning device 6 (step S406), and the processing in the controller 4 ends.

[0071] On the other hand, when the data acquisition unit 41 continues to acquire the placement detection signal from the bottle sensor 51 in step S405 (step S405 / NO), the process returns to step S404.

[0072] As described above, in the oil server 1 according to the present embodiment, after the edible oil is supplied to the bottle X, the edible oil adhering to the oil outlet 22 is automatically cleaned with the cleaning oil β. As a result, the edible oil can be always supplied in a fresh state without the need for the store employees to wipe the outlet with a clean cloth or the like.

[0073] Note that the oil server 1 according to the present embodiment cleans the oil outlet 22 after filling the bottle X with the edible oil. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The controller 4 may output a cleaning command signal to the cleaning device 6 as long as the placement detection signal is not acquired by at least the data acquisition unit 41.

[0074] Therefore, for example, the oil server 1 may clean the oil outlet 22 before filling the bottle X with the edible oil. In this case, the controller 4 outputs a cleaning command signal to the cleaning device 6 triggered by acquiring the required oil volume Vd from the touch panel 3 in a state where the placement detection signal is not acquired from the bottle sensor 51.

[0075] <Second Embodiment> Next, the oil server 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. In the following, the same reference numerals are given to the components common to those described for the oil server 1 according to the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. This also applies to the third and fourth embodiments.

[0076] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the oil server 1 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the controller 4A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the controller 4A according to the second embodiment.

[0077] In the oil server 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, an oil discharge amount sensor 52 for detecting the amount of oil Wd (hereinafter simply referred to as "oil discharge amount Wd") of the discharged oil γ stored in the discharge tank 26 is provided in the discharge tank 26.

[0078] Further, a management terminal 7 as a management device for managing the state of the oil server 1 is communicably connected to the controller 4A. The management terminal 7 is installed, for example, in a maintenance company that performs maintenance on the oil server 1 or a manufacturing company of the oil server 1.

[0079] As shown in FIG. 7, the controller 4A further includes an oil discharge amount determination unit 44 and a storage unit 45 in addition to a data acquisition unit 41A, a control signal generation unit 42, and a signal output unit 43A.

[0080] The data acquisition unit 41A further acquires the oil discharge amount Wd detected by the oil discharge amount sensor 52. Then, the oil discharge amount determination unit 44 determines whether or not the oil discharge amount Wd acquired by the data acquisition unit 41A has reached the upper limit oil amount Wmax.

[0081] Here, the "upper limit oil amount Wmax" is an oil amount set based on the maximum oil amount that can be stored in the discharge tank 26 and is stored in the storage unit 45 in advance. The upper limit oil amount Wmax may be set, for example, to the maximum oil amount that can be stored in the discharge tank 26, or may be set to an oil amount of about 80 to 90% of the maximum oil amount.

[0082] Further, when it is determined in the discharged oil amount determination unit 44 that the discharged oil amount Wd has reached the upper limit oil amount Wmax (Wd ≧ Wmax), the signal output unit 43A outputs a notification signal for notifying the replacement of the discharge tank 26 to the management terminal 7.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 8, the controller 4A according to the present embodiment performs the same processing as the controller 4 according to the first embodiment from step S401 to step S406. Further, after the processing of step S406, the data acquisition unit 41A acquires the discharged oil amount Wd output from the discharged oil amount sensor 52 (step S411; discharged oil amount acquisition step).

[0084] Next, the discharged oil amount determination unit 44 determines whether or not the discharged oil amount Wd acquired in step S411 has reached the upper limit oil amount Wmax (step S412; upper limit oil amount determination step).

[0085] Subsequently, when it is determined in step S412 that the discharged oil amount Wd has reached the upper limit oil amount Wmax (Wd ≧ Wmax) (step S412 / YES), the signal output unit 43A outputs a notification signal to the management terminal 7 (step S413), and the processing in the controller 4A ends.

[0086] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S412 that the discharged oil amount Wd has not reached the upper limit oil amount Wmax (Wd < Wmax) (step S412 / NO), the processing in the controller 4A ends as it is.

[0087] As described above, in the present embodiment, not only can the edible oil be always supplied in a fresh state, but also the management terminal 7 notifies the replacement timing of the discharge tank 26, so that the operator can replace it with a new empty discharge tank 26 before the discharged oil γ overflows in the discharge tank 26, and the hygiene management of the oil server 1 can be thoroughly implemented.

[0088] <Third Embodiment> Next, the oil server 1 according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

[0089] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the oil server 1 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the controller 4B according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing executed by the controller 4B according to the third embodiment.

[0090] In the oil server 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, a degradation degree sensor 53 for detecting the degradation degree D of the discharged oil γ is provided in the discharge tank 26. The degradation degree sensor 53 is a sensor capable of detecting parameters that can be degradation indicators of edible oil, such as the acid value, the amount of polar compounds, color, odor, and viscosity of the discharged oil γ. Further, a mobile terminal 8 owned by a customer is communicably connected to the controller 4B.

[0091] The oil server 1 according to the present embodiment sells the new oil α stored in the oil tank 23 at a fixed price, and also sells the discharged oil γ stored in the discharge tank 26 at a discounted price. Regarding the discounted sale of the discharged oil γ, it is notified to each of the touch panel 3B and the mobile terminal 8. That is, in the present embodiment, the touch panel 3B and the mobile terminal 8 are each an aspect of a notification device for notifying the discount of the discharged oil γ.

[0092] Therefore, in the present embodiment, a customer can purchase the new oil α at a fixed price (hereinafter referred to as "normal purchase"), and can also purchase the discharged oil γ at a discounted price (hereinafter referred to as "discounted purchase"). For example, when purchasing edible oil from the oil server 1, a customer operates the touch panel 3B to select normal purchase or discounted purchase.

[0093] When the oil server 1 supplies the discharged oil γ, the discharged oil γ stored in the discharge tank 26 is pumped up by the pump 27 and guided to the oil outlet 22. The pump 27 is controlled by the controller 4B, and the supply flow rate of the discharged oil γ is adjusted based on the oil quantity control signal output from the controller 4B.

[0094] As shown in FIG. 10, the controller 4B further includes a waste oil determination unit 46 in addition to a data acquisition unit 41B, a control signal generation unit 42, a signal output unit 43B, and a discharged oil amount determination unit 44B, and a storage unit 45B.

[0095] The data acquisition unit 41B further acquires the degree of deterioration D of the discharged oil γ detected by the deterioration degree sensor 53. Then, the waste oil determination unit 46 determines whether or not the degree of deterioration D of the discharged oil γ acquired by the data acquisition unit 41B is equal to or greater than the waste oil reference value Dth.

[0096] Here, the "waste oil reference value Dth" is a reference value of the degree of deterioration at a predetermined waste oil time point of the discharged oil γ, and is indicated by various indexes. For example, when the deterioration degree sensor 53 is a sensor that detects the acid value, the waste oil reference value Dth is set to about 2.5. This waste oil reference value Dth is stored in the storage unit 45B.

[0097] In addition, the data acquisition unit 41B acquires information related to the purchase content of the edible oil input to the touch panel 3B. Specifically, the data acquisition unit 41B acquires information on normal purchase or discounted purchase output from the touch panel 3B.

[0098] In addition, the discharged oil amount determination unit 44B determines whether or not the discharged oil amount Wd acquired by the data acquisition unit 41B has reached the supplyable oil amount Wmin. This "supplyable oil amount Wmin" corresponds to the minimum oil amount that can be supplied to the bottle X and is stored in the storage unit 45B.

[0099] When it is determined in the discharged oil amount determination unit 44B that the discharged oil amount Wd has reached the supplyable oil amount Wmin (Wd ≧ Wmin), the signal output unit 43B outputs a discount start signal for notifying the start of supply (start of sales) at the discounted price of the discharged oil γ to each of the touch panel 3B and the mobile terminal 8.

[0100] Then, when the data acquisition unit 41B acquires information on discounted purchase, the signal output unit 43B outputs an oil amount control signal to the pump 27.

[0101] Further, after the signal output unit 43B outputs the discount start signal to each of the touch panel 3B and the mobile terminal 8, when it is determined in the discharged oil amount determination unit 44B that the discharged oil amount Wd is less than the available oil amount Wmni (Wd < Wmin), or when it is determined in the waste oil determination unit 46 that the deterioration degree D of the discharged oil γ is equal to or greater than the waste oil reference value Dth (D ≧ Dth), since the discharged oil γ cannot be provided to the customer from the viewpoints of the oil amount or quality, a discount stop signal for notifying the suspension of the supply at the discounted price of the discharged oil γ is output to each of the touch panel 3B and the mobile terminal 8.

[0102] As shown in FIG. 11, the controller 4B according to the present embodiment first causes the data acquisition unit 41B to acquire the discharged oil amount Wd detected by the discharged oil amount sensor 52 (step S421; discharged oil amount acquisition step).

[0103] Subsequently, the discharged oil amount determination unit 44B determines whether or not the discharged oil amount Wd acquired in step S421 is equal to or greater than the available oil amount Wmin (step S422; available oil amount determination step).

[0104] If it is determined in step S422 that the discharged oil amount Wd is equal to or greater than the available oil amount Wmin (Wd ≧ Wmin) (step S422 / YES), the signal output unit 43B outputs the discount start signal to each of the touch panel 3B and the mobile terminal 8 (step S423; discount start step).

[0105] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S422 that the discharged oil amount Wd is less than the available oil amount Wmin (Wd < Wmin) (step S422 / NO), the process returns to step S421 and does not proceed until the discharged oil amount Wd becomes equal to or greater than the available oil amount Wmin (Wd ≧ Wmin).

[0106] Subsequently, when the data acquisition unit 41B acquires the information on discounted purchases from the touch panel 3B (step S424 / discount), the controller 4B executes the processes from step S401 to step S403 in the same manner as the controller 4 according to the first embodiment.

[0107] When an oil quantity control signal according to the required fuel quantity Vd is generated in step S403, the signal output unit 43B outputs the oil quantity control signal to the pump 27 (step S404B), and proceeds to the processes of step S405 and step S406.

[0108] After the process of step S406, the data acquisition unit 41B re-acquires the discharged fuel quantity Wd detected by the discharged fuel quantity sensor 52 and acquires the degradation degree D of the discharged oil γ detected by the degradation degree sensor 53 (step S425; discharged fuel quantity acquisition step, degradation degree acquisition step).

[0109] Next, the discharged fuel quantity determination unit 44B determines whether or not the discharged fuel quantity Wd acquired in step S425 is less than the available fuel quantity Wmin, and the waste oil determination unit 46 determines whether or not the degradation degree D of the discharged oil γ acquired in step S425 is equal to or greater than the waste oil reference value Dth (step S426).

[0110] If it is determined in step S426 that the discharged fuel quantity Wd is less than the available fuel quantity Wmin (Wd < Wmin) or the degradation degree D is equal to or greater than the waste oil reference value Dth (D ≧ Dth) (step S426 / YES), the signal output unit 43B outputs a discount suspension signal to each of the touch panel 3B and the mobile terminal 8 (step S427; discount suspension step), and the process in the controller 4B ends.

[0111] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S426 that the discharged fuel quantity Wd is not less than the available fuel quantity Wmin (Wd ≧ Wmin) and the degradation degree D is not equal to or greater than the waste oil reference value Dth (D < Dth) (step S426 / NO), since discounted sales can continue, the process returns to step S424 and the process is repeated.

[0112] Also, when the data acquisition unit 41B acquires information on normal purchase from the touch panel 3B in step S424, the controller 4B executes the processes from step S401 to step S406 and the processes from step S411 to step S413 shown in FIG. 8.

[0113] As described above, in this embodiment, when the discharged oil γ accumulates up to the supplyable oil amount Wmin, by supplying the discharged oil γ at a discounted price, it is possible to utilize the discharged oil γ that has not reached the waste oil reference value Dth without waste.

[0114] <Fourth Embodiment> Next, the oil server 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14.

[0115] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the system configuration of the oil server 1 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a functional block diagram showing the functions of the controller 4C according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the flow of processes executed by the controller 4C according to the fourth embodiment.

[0116] In the oil server 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, the oil tank 23C is divided into a plurality of rooms by a plurality of partitions, and a plurality of types of edible oils (new oils) are stored without mixing with each other.

[0117] The oil tank 23C is divided into four rooms by, for example, three partitions, and the oil server 1 can supply four types of edible oils. Hereinafter, the four types of edible oils will be referred to as "new oil α1", "new oil α2", "new oil α3", and "new oil α4", respectively.

[0118] New oil α1 is guided to the oil outlet 22 by the first oil outlet pipe 24A, new oil α2 is guided to the oil outlet 22 by the second oil outlet pipe 24B, new oil α3 is guided to the oil outlet 22 by the third oil outlet pipe 24C, and new oil α4 is guided to the oil outlet 22 by the fourth oil outlet pipe 24D, respectively.

[0119] Then, the amount of new oil α1 is adjusted by the flow control valve 25A for the first oil, the amount of new oil α2 is adjusted by the flow control valve 25B for the second oil, the amount of new oil α3 is adjusted by the flow control valve 25C for the third oil, and the amount of new oil α4 is adjusted by the flow control valve 25D for the fourth oil, respectively. The flow control valves 25A to 25D for the first to fourth oils are each controlled by the controller 4C.

[0120] In this embodiment, the customer operates the touch panel 3C to select the type (oil type) of edible oil desired to be purchased. That is, the touch panel 3C corresponds to an input terminal for inputting oil type information related to the type of edible oil.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 13, the controller 4C further includes a control valve selection unit 47 in addition to a data acquisition unit 41C, a control signal generation unit 42, and a signal output unit 43C.

[0122] The data acquisition unit 41C further acquires the oil type information input to the touch panel 3C. Then, the control valve selection unit 47 selects a flow control valve for oil corresponding to the oil type information from among the flow control valves 25A to 25D for the first to fourth oils based on the oil type information acquired by the data acquisition unit 41C. The signal output unit 43C outputs an oil amount control signal to the flow control valve for oil selected by the control valve selection unit 47.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 14, when it is determined in step S401 that the bottle X is placed on the mounting table 21 (step S401 / YES), the controller 4C according to this embodiment causes the data acquisition unit 41C to acquire the oil type information and the required oil amount Vd output from the touch panel 3C, respectively (step S431; oil type information acquisition step).

[0124] Subsequently, the control valve selection unit 47 selects one flow control valve for oil corresponding to the oil type information from among the flow control valves 25A to 25D for the first to fourth oils based on the oil type information acquired in step S431 (step S432; selection step).

[0125] Next, the control signal generation unit 42 generates an oil quantity control signal according to the required oil quantity Vd acquired in step S431 (step S403).

[0126] Then, the signal output unit 43C outputs the oil quantity control signal generated in step S403 to one of the oil flow control valves selected in step S432 (step S433), and proceeds to the processes of steps S405 and S406.

[0127] In this way, the oil server 1 can also supply a plurality of types of edible oils. Here, assuming a case where a certain customer purchases new oil α1 and then another customer purchases new oil α3, by cleaning the oil outlet 22 after the supply of new oil α1, it is possible to avoid the mixing of the new oil α1 adhering to the oil outlet 22 into the bottle X of another customer. Even in such a case, the merit of automatically cleaning the oil outlet 22 by the cleaning device 6 is great.

[0128] The above describes each embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes various modifications. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail for easy understanding of the present invention, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Also, a part of the configuration of each embodiment can be replaced with the configuration of another embodiment, and the configuration of another embodiment can also be added to the configuration of each embodiment. Furthermore, for a part of the configuration of each embodiment, addition, deletion, or replacement with other configurations is possible.

[0129] For example, in each of the above embodiments, the bottle X is cited as an example of one aspect of the container to which the edible oil is supplied, but it is not necessarily the bottle X, and there is no particular limitation on the form as long as it is a container capable of storing the edible oil.

[0130] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the oil server 1 installed in each store such as a supermarket has been described as one aspect of the edible oil supply device. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and it may not be limited to the device installed in the store as long as the environment is appropriately managed for hygiene.

[0131] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the touch panels 3, 3B, and 3C capable of touch operation have been cited as one aspect of the input terminal. However, it is not necessarily required to be a terminal capable of touch operation, and there is no particular limitation on the form as long as it is a terminal capable of inputting the required oil quantity, purchase content, oil type information, and the like.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0132] 1: Oil server (edible oil supply device) 3: Touch panel (notification device, input terminal) 4, 4A, 4B, 4C: Controller 6: Cleaning device 7: Management terminal (management device) 8: Mobile terminal (notification device) 21: Mounting table 22: Oil outlet 23, 23C: Oil tank 24, 24A, 24B, 24C, 24D: Oil outlet pipe 25, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D: Oil flow control valve 26: Drain tank 51: Bottle sensor (container sensor) 52: Drainage oil quantity sensor 53: Degradation degree sensor D: Degradation degree Dth: Waste oil reference value Wd: Drainage oil quantity Wmax: Upper limit oil quantity Wmin: Supplyable oil quantity X: Bottle (container) β: Cleaning oil γ: Drainage oil

Claims

1. An edible oil supplying device that automatically supplies edible oil into a container, An oil tank for storing the edible oil; A mounting table on which the container is placed; an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows into the container placed on the placement table; an oil outlet pipe that connects the oil tank and the oil outlet and guides the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet; an oil flow control valve provided in the oil outlet pipe for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet; A cleaning device that sprays cleaning oil, which is edible oil, to clean the oil outlet, and cleans the oil outlet; a discharge tank into which the cleaning oil sprayed from the cleaning device toward the oil outlet is discharged; a controller for controlling the oil flow control valve and the cleaning device; a container sensor that detects that the container is placed on the placement table and outputs a placement detection signal to the controller; Equipped with The controller: When the placement detection signal output from the container sensor is acquired, an oil amount control signal corresponding to the amount of the edible oil supplied is output to the oil flow control valve, When the placement detection signal is not received from the container sensor, a cleaning command signal for commanding the cleaning device to spray the cleaning oil is output to the cleaning device. An edible oil supplying device comprising:

2. The edible oil supplying device according to claim 1, The controller: After acquiring the placement detection signal and outputting the oil amount control signal to the oil flow control valve, when the placement detection signal acquired from the container sensor is no longer acquired, the cleaning command signal is output to the cleaning device. An edible oil supplying device comprising:

3. The edible oil supplying device according to claim 1, a discharge oil amount sensor for detecting the amount of discharged oil stored in the discharge tank; An alarm device that notifies about a discount on the discharged oil stored in the discharge tank; having The controller: The discharged oil amount detected by the discharged oil amount sensor is acquired, determining whether the acquired amount of discharged oil has reached a supplyable amount of oil, which is a minimum amount of oil that can be supplied to the container; When it is determined that the amount of discharged oil has reached the amount of oil that can be supplied, a discount start signal is output to the notification device to notify the start of supply of the discharged oil at a discounted price. An edible oil supplying device comprising:

4. The edible oil supplying device according to claim 3, A deterioration level sensor for detecting the deterioration level of the discharged oil is provided. The controller: Acquire the deterioration level detected by the deterioration level sensor; Determine whether the acquired deterioration degree is equal to or greater than a waste oil reference value, which is a reference value of the deterioration degree at a predetermined time point of waste oil of the discharged oil; After outputting the discount start signal to the notification device, if it is determined that the amount of discharged oil is less than the supplyable amount of oil, or if it is determined that the degree of deterioration is equal to or greater than the waste oil reference value, a discount stop signal is output to the notification device to notify the suspension of supply of the discharged oil at the discount price. An edible oil supplying device comprising:

5. The edible oil supplying device according to claim 1, a discharge oil amount sensor for detecting the amount of discharged oil stored in the discharge tank; The controller: The discharged oil amount detected by the discharged oil amount sensor is acquired, determining whether the acquired discharged oil amount has reached an upper limit oil amount set based on a maximum oil amount that can be stored in the discharge tank; When it is determined that the amount of discharged oil has reached the upper limit of the oil amount, a notification signal for notifying replacement of the discharge tank is output to a management device that manages the cooking oil supply device. An edible oil supplying device comprising:

6. The edible oil supplying device according to claim 1, An input terminal for inputting oil type information relating to the type of the edible oil, The oil tank stores a plurality of types of the edible oil in a state where the oil is not mixed with each other, a plurality of the oil outlet pipes and a plurality of the oil flow control valves are provided corresponding to a plurality of types of the edible oil; The controller: Acquire the oil type information input to the input terminal; Selecting the oil flow control valve corresponding to the oil type information from among the plurality of oil flow control valves based on the acquired oil type information; The oil amount control signal is output to the selected oil flow control valve. An edible oil supplying device comprising:

7. A method for automatically supplying edible oil into a container, comprising: An oil tank for storing the edible oil; A mounting table on which the container is placed; an oil outlet through which the edible oil flows into the container placed on the placement table; an oil outlet pipe that connects the oil tank and the oil outlet and guides the edible oil in the oil tank to the oil outlet; an oil flow control valve provided in the oil outlet pipe for controlling the flow rate of the edible oil flowing out from the oil outlet; A cleaning device that sprays cleaning oil, which is edible oil, to clean the oil outlet, and cleans the oil outlet; a discharge tank into which the cleaning oil sprayed from the cleaning device toward the oil outlet is discharged; a controller for controlling the oil flow control valve and the cleaning device; a container sensor that detects that the container is placed on the placement table and outputs a placement detection signal to the controller; Using an edible oil supplying device equipped with a signal acquiring step in which the controller acquires the placement detection signal output from the container sensor; an edible oil supplying step in which, when the position detection signal is acquired in the signal acquiring step, the controller outputs an oil amount control signal corresponding to the amount of the edible oil to be supplied to the oil flow control valve; a cleaning step in which, when the placement detection signal is not acquired in the signal acquisition step, the controller outputs a cleaning command signal to the cleaning device to command the cleaning oil to be sprayed; Includes A method for supplying edible oil comprising the steps of:

8. 8. The edible oil supply method according to claim 7, In the washing step, The controller outputs the cleaning command signal to the cleaning device when the controller acquires the placement detection signal in the signal acquisition step, and outputs the oil amount control signal to the oil flow control valve in the edible oil supply step, and then the placement detection signal is no longer acquired in the signal acquisition step. A method for supplying edible oil comprising the steps of:

9. 8. The edible oil supply method according to claim 7, a discharge oil amount sensor for detecting the amount of discharged oil stored in the discharge tank; An alarm device that notifies about a discount on the discharged oil stored in the discharge tank; Further using a discharged oil amount acquiring step in which the controller acquires the discharged oil amount detected by the discharged oil amount sensor; A supplyable oil amount determination step in which the controller determines whether the discharged oil amount acquired in the discharged oil amount acquisition step has reached a supplyable oil amount, which is a minimum amount of oil that can be supplied to the container; a discount start step in which the controller outputs a discount start signal to the notification device to notify the start of supply of the discharged oil at a discount price when it is determined in the supplyable oil amount determination step that the discharged oil amount has reached the supplyable oil amount; Also includes A method for supplying edible oil comprising the steps of:

10. 10. The edible oil supply method according to claim 9, Further using a deterioration degree sensor for detecting the deterioration degree of the discharged oil, A deterioration degree acquisition step in which the controller acquires the deterioration degree of the discharged oil detected by the deterioration degree sensor; A waste oil determination step in which the controller determines whether the deterioration degree acquired in the deterioration degree acquisition step is equal to or greater than a waste oil reference value that is a reference value of the deterioration degree at a predetermined waste oil point of time of the discharged oil; a discount stop step in which the controller outputs a discount stop signal to the notification device to notify the suspension of supply of the discharged oil at the discount price when the supplyable oil amount determination step determines that the discharged oil amount is less than the supplyable oil amount after the discount start signal is output to the notification device in the discount start step, or when the waste oil determination step determines that the deterioration degree is equal to or greater than the waste oil reference value; Also includes A method for supplying edible oil comprising the steps of:

11. 8. The edible oil supply method according to claim 7, Further, a discharge oil amount sensor is used to detect the amount of discharged oil stored in the discharge tank, a discharged oil amount acquiring step in which the controller acquires the discharged oil amount detected by the discharged oil amount sensor; an upper limit oil amount determination step in which the controller determines whether or not the discharged oil amount acquired in the discharged oil amount acquisition step has reached an upper limit oil amount set based on a maximum oil amount that can be stored in the discharge tank; a replacement notification step in which the controller outputs a notification signal for notifying a management device that manages the cooking oil supplying device of replacement of the drain tank when it is determined in the upper limit oil amount determination step that the drain oil amount has reached the upper limit oil amount; Also includes A method for supplying edible oil comprising the steps of:

12. 8. The edible oil supply method according to claim 7, Further using an input terminal for inputting oil type information relating to the type of the edible oil, The oil tank stores a plurality of types of the edible oil in a state where the oil is not mixed with each other, a plurality of the oil outlet pipes and a plurality of the oil flow control valves are provided corresponding to a plurality of types of the edible oil; An oil type information acquisition step in which the controller acquires the oil type information input to the input terminal; A selection step in which the controller selects the oil flow rate control valve corresponding to the oil type information from among the plurality of oil flow rate control valves based on the oil type information acquired in the oil type information acquisition step; Further comprising: In the edible oil supplying step, The controller outputs the oil amount control signal to the oil flow control valve selected in the selection step. A method for supplying edible oil comprising the steps of:

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