Rice milling equipment management system

Abstract

To provide a management system of rice milling facilities, which allows a manager to easily grasp working states of one or more maintenance workers who maintain the rice milling facilities.SOLUTION: A management system manages rice milling facilities which each comprise, in each building: a rice milling apparatus; a control unit which controls the rice milling apparatus; and a changeover switch which is switchable between an operable condition where a user can operate the rice milling facility by putting a fee therein and an inoperable condition where the user cannot use the rice milling facility but a manager or a maintenance worker can operate the rice milling facility by manipulation. The management system enables a terminal for management of the manager and the control units to be connected via communication so that time points when the changeover switches are operated can be shown on the terminal for management.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to rice milling equipment that mills rice by paying a fee. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Unmanned rice milling equipment is known that can mill the amount of brown rice brought by a user according to the amount of money inserted into a coin mechanism by the user.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an operation information display system that allows the operation status of each piece of rice milling equipment scattered over a wide area to be confirmed on a manager's management terminal or a user's mobile terminal. The manager who manages the rice milling equipment in the area can grasp the current status of each piece of rice milling equipment through the screen displayed on the management terminal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication 2019-147130 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] A maintenance person other than the manager visits each rice-polishing facility for periodic work such as fee collection and cleaning, or to deal with any abnormalities that may occur in the rice-polishing operation, and switches the facility to a suspended state before carrying out work. However, with the conventional system described in Patent Document 1, there was a problem in that it was difficult for the manager to grasp the work status of the maintenance person.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a management system for rice milling equipment that enables a manager to easily grasp the work status of maintenance personnel who maintain the rice milling equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to Rice milling machine, A control unit for controlling the rice polishing machine; A management system for managing rice milling equipment, the management system being provided in a building with a changeover switch that can be switched between a state in which the rice milling equipment can be operated by a user by inserting a fee and a state in which the rice milling equipment cannot be used by a user and can be operated by an administrator or a maintenance person, A management terminal of an administrator and the control unit can be connected via communication, This object is achieved by a management system for rice milling equipment, characterized in that the time when the change-over switch was operated can be displayed on the management terminal.

[0008] According to the present invention, the time when a change-over switch that can be switched between a state in which the machine can be operated by a user paying a fee and a state in which the machine cannot be used by the user and can be operated by an administrator or maintenance person is operated is displayed on the management terminal. Therefore, the time when the maintenance person operated the change-over switch to start maintenance and the time when the maintenance person operated the change-over switch to end maintenance can both be confirmed on the management terminal, and the administrator can easily grasp the work status of the maintenance person.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, When the changeover switch is operated, a remote control screen is displayed on the management terminal, which enables remote control of the devices equipped in the rice milling equipment.

[0010] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the change-over switch is operated by a maintenance person visiting the rice milling equipment, a remote operation screen for remotely operating the equipment equipped in the rice milling equipment is displayed on the management terminal. This allows the manager to remotely operate (remotely drive) the broken-down equipment and restore it on behalf of the maintenance person, who is not necessarily familiar with the mechanisms of the rice milling equipment, and can quickly begin remote operation.

[0011] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, A human detection sensor is provided to detect people in a guest room and a machine room in the rice milling facility, When the rice milling equipment is in a state in which it can be operated by a user paying the fee, remote operation of the equipment of the rice milling equipment by the management terminal is restricted while a person is detected by the human detection sensor.

[0012] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, remote operation of equipment is restricted while there are people in the guest room or machine room, thereby preventing the unexpected activation of equipment in rice milling equipment such as a rice milling machine when a maintenance worker or user is present, thereby ensuring safety.

[0013] In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, The management terminal is configured to be capable of displaying a condition setting screen for adjusting the control setting values ​​of the devices provided in the rice milling equipment, Even when remote operation is restricted, the control setting values ​​of the device can be adjusted on the condition setting screen.

[0014] According to this preferred embodiment of the present invention, even when remote operation of the device is restricted, it is possible to adjust the control setting values ​​of the device, which is convenient. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a management system for rice milling equipment that enables a manager to easily grasp the work status of maintenance personnel who maintain the rice milling equipment. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice milling installation 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the inside of the rice milling equipment 1 shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing the vicinity of an operation panel provided inside the rice milling equipment 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a remote control screen displayed on the touch panel of the management terminal 20. As shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a maintenance status screen displayed on the touch panel of the management terminal 20. As shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged front view of a portion near the polishing degree selection switch 17. As shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a rice milling installation 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] 2 is a schematic plan view showing the inside of the rice milling equipment 1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic front view showing the vicinity of an operation panel provided inside the rice milling equipment 1. As shown in FIG.

[0020] In this embodiment, each rice milling equipment 1 scattered in the area has the same configuration as each other, and the configuration of the rice milling equipment 1 will be described below.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the rice milling equipment 1 is divided into a passenger compartment 12 and a machine room 13 at the front and back of a building 10, separated by a partition wall 11. The passenger compartment 12 side of the partition wall 11 is equipped with an operation panel 21 and a brown rice feeding gate 28 shown in Figure 3. The machine room 13 is equipped with a hopper 9 that can feed brown rice from the passenger compartment 12 side through an input port that is exposed when the input gate 28 is opened, a rotary valve 26 that delivers the brown rice fed into the hopper 9, an elevator 3 that transports the brown rice delivered by the rotary valve 26, a stone remover 4 that removes stones mixed in with the brown rice transported by the elevator 3, a rice milling machine 5 that mills the brown rice, an elevator 6 that transports the brown rice from which the stones have been removed to the rice milling machine 5, a white rice tank 7 that stores the polished rice, a foreign matter removal device (not shown), and a control unit 14 that controls the entire rice milling equipment 1.

[0022] The operation panel 21 is provided with a coin mechanism 24 into which the fee for polishing the rice is inserted, a degree of polishing selection switch 17 which adjusts the degree of polishing by adjusting the position of the pressure adjustment plate (not shown) of the rice polisher 5, and a changeover switch 18 (see Figure 1).

[0023] The changeover switch 18 is a switch that switches between an "automatic operation" state (in business) in which the rice milling equipment 1 can be operated automatically based on the output signal of the control unit 14 when a fee is inserted into the coin mechanism 24, and a "manual operation" state (out of business) in which the rice milling equipment 1 cannot be used by users and can be operated by an administrator or maintenance person (including remote operation), and is operated by a maintenance person at the start and end of maintenance. The changeover switch 18 is covered by an opening / closing door 25 provided on the operation panel 21, and can only be operated by opening the opening / closing door 25 with a key held by a maintenance person who makes rounds of the rice milling equipment 1. In addition to the changeover switch 18, the opening / closing door 25 contains the control unit 14 and a safe (not shown) for storing the fee inserted into the coin mechanism 24.

[0024] When the fee is inserted into the coin mechanism 24, the insertion gate 28 opens automatically, and the user inserts the brown rice he or she has brought with him or her into the hopper 9 and presses the desired degree of polishing selection switch 17.

[0025] Information from the brown rice presence sensor 29 provided below the hopper 9, the degree of polishing selection switch 17, etc. is input to the control unit 14 of the rice milling equipment 1, and based on this information, drive signals are automatically output to various devices of the rice milling equipment 1. Furthermore, human detection sensors 19 are provided in both the guest room 12 and the machine room 13 of the building 10, and are configured to detect whether or not there is a person in each of the guest room 12 and the machine room 13, and send a detection signal to the control unit 14. Note that a human detection sensor capable of 360° detection may be used, in which case a single human detection sensor can detect the presence or absence of a person in each of the guest room 12 and the machine room 13.

[0026] Meanwhile, a communication unit 15 such as a router that can be connected to the Internet 30 is provided in the building 10, and the control unit 14 can transmit data to the cloud server 40 via the communication unit 15. A manager who manages the rice milling equipment in the region can check the data sent from the control unit 14 on the management terminal 20 via software 27 such as an app or browser. The management system for the rice milling equipment 1 described above is composed of the cloud server 40, the management terminal 20, the control unit 14 of each rice milling equipment 1, the communication unit 15, etc. In this embodiment, the management terminal 20 and the control unit 14 are configured to be connectable by communication via the cloud server 40, but the management terminal 20 and the control unit 14 may be configured to be able to communicate with each other without going through the cloud server 40.

[0027] As an example of information being sent to the management terminal 20, for example, if the rice-milling operation stops due to a malfunction such as rice clogging while a user is milling rice, the user first contacts the telephone number written in the building 10. Then, a maintenance person personally visits the rice-milling equipment 1 and operates the changeover switch 18 to switch from automatic operation to manual operation. Similarly, when a maintenance person visits each piece of rice-milling equipment 1 to perform regular maintenance such as collecting fees and cleaning, he or she first operates the changeover switch 18 to switch from automatic operation to manual operation.

[0028] When the changeover switch 18 is operated, information to that effect and information on the time of operation are sent from the control unit 14 to the cloud server 40, and the following screen is automatically displayed on the management terminal 20. Note that in this embodiment, the management terminal 20 is configured as a tablet terminal equipped with a touch panel, but it may also be configured as a desktop computer or the like.

[0029] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a remote control screen displayed on the touch panel of the management terminal 20. As shown in FIG.

[0030] The remote control screen shown in FIG. 4 is a screen that corresponds to the "remote control screen" and the "condition setting screen" according to the present invention.

[0031] The remote operation screen is provided with a rice polishing pressure adjustment switch 35 for adjusting the rice polishing pressure, an operating hours switch 37 for setting business hours, a rice polishing machine on switch 41 for driving the rice polishing machine 5, a rice polishing machine off switch 42 for turning off the operation of the rice polishing machine, a stone removal machine on switch 43 for driving the stone removal machine 4, a stone removal machine off switch 44 for turning off the operation of the stone removal machine 4, an elevator on switch 45 for driving the elevators 3 and 6, an elevator off switch 46 for turning off the operation of the elevators 3 and 6, an all equipment on switch 47 for driving all equipment provided in the rice polishing equipment 1, an all equipment off switch 48 for turning off the operation of all equipment provided in the rice polishing equipment 1, a screen change switch 38, and a display unit 39 for displaying information related to the operated switch.

[0032] The rice milling pressure adjustment switch 35 is an operating switch for adjusting (changing) the setting value for the position control of the pressure adjustment plate of the rice milling machine 5, which is one of the devices equipped in the rice milling equipment 1, on the remote operation screen, which is the “condition setting screen.”

[0033] Here, the actual degree of polishing after polishing varies slightly depending on the temperature even at the same position of the pressure adjustment plate. Therefore, the manager can access the control unit 14 of the rice polishing equipment 1 by operating the rice polishing pressure adjustment switch 35, and rewrite the set value of the position control according to the temperature to adjust the pressure during polishing. If the set value of the position control of the pressure adjustment plate is changed by remote control during polishing, it may have a negative effect on the finish of the rice at that time. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rewriting (adjustment) of the set value by operating the rice polishing pressure adjustment switch 35 is restricted (rewriting cannot be performed) only during polishing, but it may be configured so that the set value can be rewritten by operating the rice polishing pressure adjustment switch 35 regardless of whether or not polishing is being performed, or it may be configured so that the set value can be rewritten by operating the rice polishing pressure adjustment switch 35 only when the automatic operation is in progress and no person is detected by the human detection sensor 19. In addition, the screen of the management terminal 20 may display information indicating that the rice is being polished or that no one is in the guest room 12, allowing a manager in a remote location to see the detection status of the human detection sensor 19 at a glance and preventing the setting value from being changed from a remote location during polishing.

[0034] The on switches 41, 43, 45, 47 and the off switches 42, 44, 46, 48 are switches for remotely operating the devices equipped in the rice milling equipment 1, and when switched to manual operation, it is recognized that there are no customers and only maintenance personnel are inside the building 10, so these switches 41 to 48 can remotely operate each device regardless of the detection result of the human detection sensor 19. Therefore, instead of a maintenance personnel who is not necessarily familiar with the mechanisms of the rice milling equipment, a manager who is familiar with the rice milling equipment can operate the on switches 41, 43, 45 or 47 or the off switches 42, 44, 46 or 48 corresponding to the broken device in the manual operation state to drive each device and recover from the failure.

[0035] In this way, when the equipment has recovered from the failure and / or regular maintenance has been completed, the maintenance person operates the changeover switch 18 to switch from manual operation to automatic operation and resume operation of the rice milling equipment 1. When the changeover switch 18 is operated, information to that effect and information on the time of operation are transmitted from the control unit 14 to the cloud server 40, as described above.

[0036] On the other hand, in this embodiment, every time the screen changeover switch 38 is operated (by the administrator), the screen is changed between the remote operation screen shown in FIG. 4 and the following maintenance status screen.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a maintenance status screen displayed on the touch panel of the management terminal 20. As shown in FIG.

[0038] The maintenance status screen displays the time of "automatic off" for each rice milling equipment 1, i.e., the time when the change-over switch 18 was operated to switch from automatic operation to manual operation (business suspended), the time of "automatic on", i.e., the time when the change-over switch 18 was operated to switch from manual operation to automatic operation (business resumed), and the screen change-over switch 38 for switching to the remote operation screen shown in Figure 4.

[0039] In this way, the manager can easily understand the work status of the maintenance staff because the manager can confirm and understand the maintenance start time ("automatic off" time), maintenance end time ("automatic on" time), and time required for maintenance at each rice milling equipment 1 scattered throughout the area.

[0040] In addition, the administrator can understand the time required for maintenance from the "Auto Off" time and "Auto On" time shown in Figure 5, which can help improve the efficiency of work such as providing maintenance instructions.

[0041] 4 and 5 can be displayed on the management terminal 20 even during automatic operation, but the system is configured so that the input gate 28, rotary valve 26, and rice polishing machine 5 cannot be remotely operated (remote operation is restricted) on the remote operation screen while someone is in the guest room 12 during automatic operation. In other words, the system is configured so that the input gate 28, rotary valve 26, and rice polishing machine 5 cannot be driven by operating the rice polishing machine on switch 41 and all equipment on switch 47 displayed on the remote operation screen while someone is in the guest room 12 during automatic operation.

[0042] In addition, in the automatic operation state, while there is a person in the machine room 13, the equipment in the machine room 13 such as the elevators 3 and 6, the stone remover 4, the foreign object removal device, and the rice polishing machine 5 cannot be remotely operated (remote operation is restricted) on the remote operation screen. In other words, while there is a person in the machine room 13 in the automatic operation state, the equipment in the machine room 13 such as the elevators 3 and 6, the stone remover 4, the foreign object removal device, and the rice polishing machine 5 cannot be driven by operating the rice polishing machine on switch 41, the stone remover on switch 43, the elevator on switch 45, and the all equipment on switch 47 displayed on the remote operation screen.

[0043] These configurations ensure safety by preventing the various devices equipped in the rice milling equipment 1 from being unexpectedly activated when a maintenance worker or user is present in the guest room 12 or the machine room 13. The input gate 28, rotary valve 26, elevators 3 and 6, stone remover 4, foreign matter removal device, rice milling machine 5, etc. are examples of the devices equipped in the rice milling equipment 1 according to the present invention.

[0044] In addition, if a bran fan for sucking up the bran generated by the rice polishing machine 5 and a bran spiral for transporting the bran are installed in a bran room located separately within the building 10, the bran fan and bran spiral may also be configured to restrict remote operation while in automatic operation mode while someone is present in the machine room 13.

[0045] On the other hand, FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged front view of the vicinity of the polishing degree selection switch 17. As shown in FIG.

[0046] In this embodiment, in addition to inserting cash into the coin mechanism 24 (see Fig. 3), the method of paying the rice milling fee is configured to allow electronic payment such as by card, and as shown in Fig. 6, a reader 23 used for electronic payment and an LCD screen 16 that displays guidance related to the electronic payment are provided above the polishing degree selection switch 17. In this way, the reader 23 that performs the reading operation and the LCD screen 16 that displays the guidance are located close to each other, so that the user can easily make electronic payment.

[0047] The electronic payment system uses a deferred payment method, and electronic payment is made after the usage fee has been determined. For example, in the past, under a fee system where 100 yen was paid for every 10 kg of brown rice, three payments had to be made to polish 30 kg of brown rice, but with the adoption of the deferred payment system, the troublesome payment can be completed in one go, even when polishing a large amount of brown rice.

[0048] The system is also configured to display the remaining balance that the user can use to make an electronic payment on the LCD screen 16, so that the user can prevent a situation in which the user does not have enough money to pay the fee by checking the remaining balance displayed on the LCD screen 16. It is also possible to configure the system so that the user cannot make an electronic payment unless the remaining balance that the user can pay electronically is a certain amount (e.g., more than 1,000 yen). In this case as well, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the user does not have enough money to pay the fee after the rice has been milled.

[0049] In this embodiment, only the last four digits of the remaining balance are displayed on the LCD screen 16, and amounts above a certain amount (amounts in units of 10,000) are not displayed. In the case of a coin-operated rice milling machine, it is sufficient to display the four digits of the amount, so by not displaying the fifth or higher digits counting from the end, crimes can be deterred.

[0050] 2, a large battery 34 is disposed at the rear of the machine room 13 as viewed from the passenger compartment 12, and the rice milling equipment 1 according to this embodiment is configured to charge the battery 34 at night when electricity is cheap, and to mill rice and the like using electricity supplied from the battery 34 during the day when electricity is relatively expensive. By configuring it in this way, electricity costs can be kept low.

[0051] In this embodiment, the rice milling fee is set lower by the amount of the electricity cost reduced by using the battery 34, and compared to the conventional operation at 100 yen per 10 kg of brown rice, the operation is set at 100 yen per 15 kg of brown rice. In this way, the saved electricity cost can be returned to the user, thereby attracting more customers.

[0052] Additionally, a power outlet (not shown) is provided in the guest room 12, and is configured so that electricity flows through the outlet only when the mode is switched to manual operation by operating the changeover switch 18. This allows maintenance personnel to secure power for vacuum cleaners and the like, and also prevents the outlet from being misused (electricity theft) during automatic operation (during business hours).

[0053] In addition, in this embodiment, in the event of a natural disaster such as an earthquake or heavy rain, the rice milling equipment 1 can be remotely operated using the management terminal 20, allowing the rice to be milled free of charge. This allows contributions to be made to the local community.

[0054] According to this embodiment, the time when the change-over switch 18, which can be switched between automatic operation, in which the system can be operated by a user inserting a fee, and manual operation, in which the system cannot be used by the user and can be operated by an administrator or maintenance person, is operated, is displayed on the maintenance status screen of the management terminal 20 (see Figure 5). Therefore, a maintenance person who visits each rice milling equipment 1, including rice milling equipment A to C shown in Figure 5, can confirm on the management terminal 20 the time when the change-over switch 18 was operated to start maintenance, and the time when the maintenance was completed by operating the change-over switch 18, and the manager can easily grasp the work status of the maintenance person.

[0055] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the change-over switch 18 is operated by a maintenance person visiting the rice milling equipment 1, a remote operation screen (see FIG. 4) for remotely operating the equipment equipped in the rice milling equipment 1 is automatically displayed on the management terminal 20. This allows the manager to remotely operate (remotely drive) the broken equipment and restore it on behalf of the maintenance person who is not necessarily familiar with the mechanism of the rice milling equipment 1, and also allows the manager to quickly begin remote operation (as the screen is displayed automatically).

[0056] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the equipment is in automatic operation and there is someone in the passenger compartment 12 or the machine room 13, remote operation of the equipment provided in the rice milling equipment 1 is restricted, so that it is safe to prevent a situation in which the equipment provided in the rice milling equipment 1, such as the rice milling machine 5, is suddenly activated when a maintenance worker or user is present.

[0057] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even when remote operation of the rice polishing machine 5, which is one of the devices equipped in the rice polishing equipment 1, is restricted, that is, when the rice polishing machine 5 is in automatic operation (operating during business hours) and there is someone in the passenger compartment 12 or the machine room 13, it is possible to adjust the control setting value of the rice polishing machine 5 by operating the rice-polishing pressure adjustment switch 35 shown in Fig. 4, except when rice is being polished, which provides good convenience. Note that if the control setting value of the rice polishing machine 5 can be adjusted by operating the rice-polishing pressure adjustment switch 35 regardless of whether rice is being polished or not, convenience can be further improved.

[0058] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and it goes without saying that these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1 Rice milling equipment 3. Elevator 4 Stone remover 5 Rice milling machine 6. Elevators 7. White rice tank 9 Hopper 10 Building 11 Partition Wall 12 Rooms 13 Machine room 14 Control section 15 Communications Department 16 LCD screen 17 Polishing degree selection switch 18 Changeover switch 19 Human detection sensor 20 Management terminal 21 Control panel 23 Reading Machine 24 Coin Mech 25 Opening and closing doors 26 Rotary Valve 27 Soft 28 Input Gate 29 Brown rice presence sensor 30 Internet 32 Processing section 33 Storage section 34 Battery 35 Rice milling pressure adjustment switch 36 Information display section 37 Business Hours Switch 38 Screen change switch 39 Display section 40 Cloud Servers 41 Rice milling machine on switch 42 Rice milling machine off switch 43 Stone removal machine on switch 44 Stone remover off switch 45 Elevator on switch 46 Elevator off switch 47 All equipment on switch 48 All equipment off switch

Claims

1. A rice polishing machine, A control unit that controls devices included in the rice milling equipment, including the rice milling machine; A management system for managing rice milling equipment, the management system being provided in a building with a changeover switch that can be switched between a state in which the rice milling equipment can be operated by a user by inserting a fee and a state in which the rice milling equipment cannot be used by a user and can be operated by an administrator or a maintenance person, The management system is configured to connect a management terminal of an administrator and the control unit by communication, and to allow the management terminal to remotely operate the devices of the rice milling equipment by accepting operations by the administrator, and to display the time when the changeover switch was operated on the management terminal, and A human detection sensor is provided to detect people in a guest room and a machine room in the rice milling facility, A management system for rice milling equipment, characterized in that when the rice milling equipment is in a state where it can be operated by a user inserting a fee, remote operation of equipment equipped in the rice milling equipment by the management terminal is restricted while a person is detected by the human detection sensor.

2. The management terminal is configured to be able to display a condition setting screen for adjusting the control setting values ​​of the devices provided in the rice milling equipment, 2. The management system for rice milling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that the control setting values ​​of the equipment can be adjusted on the condition setting screen even while remote operation is restricted.

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