Beverage capsule storing and taking device and vending machine

Abstract

A beverage capsule storing and taking device and a vending machine. The beverage capsule storing and taking device comprises a beverage capsule storing mechanism, a grabbing mechanism, a moving mechanism, an image acquisition mechanism, a controller, a conveying mechanism, and a housing; the beverage capsule storing mechanism comprises a support frame and a plurality of storing units; each storing unit comprises a supporting plate, a rotating disc, and a motor; a plurality of placing portions for placing beverage capsules are provided in the outer circumference and the inner side of each rotating disc; the rotating discs of the storing units are distributed in an up / down direction, and the axes of the rotating discs are in the same direction; the plurality of rotating discs are provided with notches, and the notches extend from the peripheries of the rotating discs to the inner sides thereof; the housing is provided with a take-out port; and the conveying mechanism conveys to the take-out port a beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism. By means of the cooperation of the beverage capsule storing mechanism and the image acquisition mechanism, disordered storage and taking of beverage capsules can be achieved, and beverage capsules on the inner sides of the rotating discs can be grabbed, making full use of storage space; and the storage capacity can be extended without increasing floor space.

Description

A beverage capsule storage and retrieval device and a vending machine TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of vending machine, more particularly to a beverage capsule storage and retrieval device and a vending machine. BACKGROUND

[0002] The capsule beverage industry is a new industry, and the earliest capsule beverage originated from capsule coffee. In capsule coffee, coffee beans are made into coffee powder, sealed in a space similar to a "small jelly", and inert gas is filled in to effectively prolong the preservation and shelf life of coffee. Compared with traditional coffee, capsule coffee brings consumers a professional experience, and is more convenient, safe and fashionable. Inspired by this, various beverages, such as milk tea, fruit tea, health soup and even traditional Chinese medicine, are made into capsules, and beverage capsules are increasingly favored by consumers.

[0003] The development of the capsule beverage industry has driven the rapid development of the automatic vending market of related industries such as beverage capsules. Beverage capsule vending machines have become one of the main ways for consumers to purchase beverage capsules. However, the existing beverage capsule vending machines sell a limited number of beverage capsules, usually no more than 10, which cannot meet the diversified needs of consumers for beverage capsules. The main reasons for the limited variety of beverage capsules are: 1. The storage space of the vending machine is limited and not easy to expand; 2. In order to manage and replenish products, and accurately take out the beverage capsules needed by consumers, the beverage capsules sold need to be pre-classified inside the limited storage space of the vending machine, and a certain storage space needs to be reserved for each type of beverage capsule, for example, each storage bin can only store the same type of beverage capsule, and each storage bin is independent, making it difficult to effectively utilize some storage space. In addition, some existing beverage capsule vending machines can only simply increase the size of the beverage capsule vending machine to divide more independent storage spaces for placing more types of beverage capsules, and some need to add corresponding delivery channels to the storage space, which increases the floor space occupied by the vending machine, requires a larger space for the beverage capsule vending machine, increases the operating cost, and is not conducive to the popularization and use of the beverage capsule vending machine.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] The utility model provides a beverage capsule storage and retrieval device, beverage capsule storage and retrieval device can realize the disordered access of beverage capsule, can store more kinds of beverage capsule, and the utilization rate of storage space is higher. The beverage capsule storage and retrieval device can be easily expanded upwards, increasing the variety and storage capacity of beverage capsules without increasing the floor space.

[0006] The utility model discloses another purpose is to provide a kind of vending machine.

[0007] To solve the above technical problems, the utility model adopts the technical scheme of:

[0008] A kind of beverage capsule storage device, including beverage capsule storage mechanism, grabbing mechanism, drive the movement mechanism of the grabbing mechanism moves to the beverage capsule storage mechanism, for collecting beverage capsule image information Image acquisition mechanism, controller, transmission mechanism and shell;The controller is electrically connected or wirelessly connected with the grabbing mechanism, movement mechanism, image acquisition mechanism and beverage capsule storage mechanism respectively;

[0009] The beverage capsule storage mechanism includes support, a plurality of storage units distributed along up and down;Each storage unit includes support plate, turntable, motor for driving the rotation of the turntable;At least a portion of the support plate is connected with the support, to fix the support plate;The support plate is used to support the motor and / or the turntable;The periphery and the inside of the turntable are provided with a plurality of placement parts for placing beverage capsules;

[0010] The turntable of each storage unit is distributed along up and down, and the axial direction of each turntable is the same;A plurality of the turntable is provided with a notch, the notch extends from the periphery of the turntable to the inside, and the size of the notch can pass when the grabbing mechanism moves, so as to facilitate grabbing the beverage capsule on the adjacent one turntable corresponding to the notch;

[0011] The shell is provided with a take-out port;The transmission mechanism conveys the beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism to the take-out port.

[0012] The beverage capsule storage device disclosed by the utility model realizes the disordered storage of beverage capsules and accurately grabs target beverage capsules by ingeniously designing the composition and structure of the beverage capsule storage mechanism and adopting the image acquisition mechanism, without manually inputting the position information of beverage capsules in advance. Further, by setting the notch of the turntable and the independent rotation of each turntable, the controller controls the notch of each turntable to rotate to the position corresponding to the grabbing mechanism according to the movement of the grabbing mechanism, forming a moving channel for the grabbing mechanism to take objects, and any beverage capsule on the turntable, including the periphery and the inside, can be grabbed.

[0013] Specifically, when the beverage capsule storage and supplement device is stored or supplemented with beverage capsules, the same kind of beverage capsules does not need to be placed together, and when the beverage capsules are stored, the information of the beverage capsules is collected by the image acquisition mechanism and fed back to the controller, and the database of the controller records the information of the different beverage capsules on the turntable. When the beverage capsules need to be grabbed, the controller controls the grabbing mechanism to move to the turntable where the target beverage capsule is located, and controls the rotation of the turntable to make the target beverage capsule rotate to the position close to the grabbing mechanism, and then the grabbing mechanism grabs the target beverage capsule. Finally, the grabbing mechanism moves to the transmission mechanism to place the grabbed target beverage capsule on the transmission mechanism, and the transmission mechanism transmits the target beverage capsule to the take-out port.

[0014] When the grabbed beverage capsule is located on the inner side of the turntable, the controller controls the adjacent turntable of the turntable where the target beverage capsule is located to rotate, so that the notch of the adjacent turntable rotates to the position corresponding to the grabbing mechanism, and the grabbing mechanism moves to the notch, and the turntable where the target beverage capsule is located is controlled to rotate, so that the target beverage capsule rotates to the position below or above the grabbing mechanism, and then the grabbing mechanism grabs the target beverage capsule. In this way, the grabbing of the beverage capsule located on the inner side of the turntable is realized, and the realization of this function can effectively utilize the space of the turntable and improve the utilization rate of the storage space. Especially for a larger turntable, when a plurality of groups of placement parts (one group of placement parts is one circle) are arranged from the periphery to the inner side, the improvement of the storage space utilization rate is more obvious.

[0015] Because the beverage capsules can be stored in disorder, the beverage capsules can be placed in the placement part of the turntable at will, the problem that a specific storage position needs to be divided for each kind of beverage capsule is overcome, the storage position of the turntable is fully utilized, the utilization rate is improved, the kind of beverage capsule can be dynamically increased by a large margin according to the actual situation, or the storage amount of a certain kind of beverage capsule can be greatly increased under the premise of reducing the kind of beverage capsule or keeping the kind unchanged, and dozens of different kinds of beverage capsules or even up to hundreds of different kinds of beverage capsules can be stored.

[0016] In addition, each storage unit is independent of each other, and can be temporarily suspended according to the actual situation, which is convenient for maintenance. And the layout of the storage units is distributed along the upper and lower directions, when the storage capacity of the beverage capsule storage mechanism needs to be expanded, the turntable can be increased upwards, so that the storage capacity is increased without increasing the floor area.

[0017] When the height interval between the turntables is relatively close and the beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism is larger than the grabbing mechanism, the size of the notch can be further increased. Further, the size of the notch of the utility model can be passed by the movement of the grabbing mechanism, the part connected with the grabbing mechanism, the movement mechanism and the beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism.

[0018] The number of the turntable provided with the notch is multiple, all the turntables can be provided with the notch, or when the beverage capsule is placed on the upper surface of the turntable, the other turntables above the lowermost turntable are provided with the notch; when the beverage capsule is placed on the lower surface of the turntable, the other turntables below the uppermost turntable are provided with the notch. When the notch of each turntable rotates to the same direction, the notches of all the turntables form a channel for the grabbing mechanism to move up and down.

[0019] The motion mechanism can be one of a six-axis mechanical arm, a three-axis mechanical arm, a two-axis mechanical arm and a linear driving mechanical arm.

[0020] Preferably, the motion mechanism is a two-axis mechanical arm. The notch provided on the turntable forms a channel for the grabbing mechanism to pass through, which makes it possible to use a two-axis mechanical arm, and the beverage capsule can be efficiently and stably grabbed without using a three-axis mechanical arm. Meanwhile, the use of a two-axis mechanical arm can save more space.

[0021] The two-axis mechanical arm provides two degrees of freedom of motion in the up-down and left-right directions. Further, the two-axis mechanical arm comprises a Z-axis moving assembly and an X or Y-axis moving assembly arranged on the Z-axis moving assembly, and the grabbing mechanism is arranged on the X or Y-axis moving assembly, so that the grabbing mechanism can move to the turntable (i.e. on the plane) in the Z-axis direction and the X or Y-axis direction.

[0022] The motion mechanism can be one of a six-axis mechanical arm, a three-axis mechanical arm, a two-axis mechanical arm and a linear driving mechanical arm.

[0023] For the installation position of the two-axis mechanical arm, a support or a base can be additionally provided, the Z-axis moving assembly is installed on the support or the base, or is directly installed on the support of the beverage capsule storage mechanism. The Z-axis moving assembly is arranged beside each storage unit.

[0024] The Z-axis moving assembly comprises a base, a Z-axis screw rod arranged on the base, a Z-axis sliding seat arranged on the Z-axis screw rod, and a Z-axis screw rod motor for driving the Z-axis screw rod to move the Z-axis sliding seat. The base can be independently arranged or arranged on the support.

[0025] The X or Y axis moving assembly comprises an X or Y axis screw rod arranged on the Z axis sliding base, an X or Y axis sliding base arranged on the X or Y axis screw rod, and an X or Y axis screw rod motor for driving the X or Y axis screw rod to move the X or Y axis sliding base. In this case, the grabbing mechanism is arranged on the X or Y axis sliding base.

[0026] The image acquisition mechanism can be mounted on the support or the motion mechanism. Further, the image acquisition mechanism is arranged on the X or Y axis moving assembly. Further, the image acquisition mechanism is arranged on the X or Y axis sliding base.

[0027] The image acquisition mechanism is a sensor or a camera for acquiring the appearance, a two-dimensional code or a bar code information of the beverage capsule. Preferably, the image acquisition mechanism is a camera for observing the situation at the beverage capsule storage mechanism. The camera can not only acquire the image information of the beverage capsule, but also observe the situation at the beverage capsule storage mechanism, and can be used to monitor the rotation of the turntable, such as the position of the rotation. The camera is electrically connected or wirelessly connected to the controller. Through the camera and the controller, an image recognition algorithm and a database can be stored and run, so that the type of the beverage capsule can be automatically identified and recorded in the database of the controller, and intelligent inventory management and product type identification are realized. The manual intervention is reduced, and the operation efficiency and the management accuracy are improved. Preferably, the camera is a high-definition wide-angle camera.

[0028] The image acquisition mechanism is mounted on the grabbing mechanism or the two-axis mechanical arm. The single image acquisition mechanism can cover the entire beverage capsule storage mechanism, and the number of image acquisition mechanisms required for setting can be reduced, and the success rate of grabbing can be improved. When the image acquisition mechanism is a camera, the camera can overcome the problem of scanning and identifying the two-dimensional code / bar code of the beverage capsule by the code scanner at a short distance, and does not need to set the two-dimensional code / bar code of each beverage capsule to be stored in advance, and is particularly suitable for the disordered placement and storage of the beverage capsule.

[0029] The attribute information of the beverage capsule collected by the camera includes the shape and pattern color of the beverage capsule, and further includes but is not limited to the name of the beverage capsule, the name of the manufacturer, and the size specification (capacity or weight).

[0030] The axes of the turntable are in the same direction and on the same line. The shape of the notch of the turntable is preferably a fan shape or a fan-like shape.

[0031] The placing parts are distributed on the whole turntable, and specifically, the plurality of placing parts are distributed on the periphery and / or the inner side of the turntable.

[0032] The placing part includes but is not limited to a storage rack or an opening or a groove arranged on the turntable.

[0033] The motor is arranged on the supporting plate, the turntable is arranged on the motor, and the motor is connected with the shaft center position of the turntable to drive the rotation of the turntable.

[0034] The grabbing mechanism is a mechanical gripper, an electric suction cup or a combination of the two.

[0035] The transmission mechanism is a slide rail, one end of the slide rail is used for receiving the beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism, and the other end of the slide rail is located below the one end of the slide rail and opposite to the goods outlet, so as to use gravity to slide the beverage capsule to the goods outlet.

[0036] Further, the goods outlet is provided with a slot for receiving the beverage capsule.

[0037] The beverage capsule storage mechanism, the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism, the controller and the transmission mechanism are arranged in the shell.

[0038] The controller is electrically connected with the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism and the beverage capsule storage mechanism to control the cooperative operation of the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism and the beverage capsule storage mechanism.

[0039] The controller can adopt a PLC controller, and the controller comprises a central processor and a storage module; the central processor is connected with the storage module; the storage module stores database program codes including but not limited to a database program code for recording beverage capsule information, an image recognition algorithm program code, and a control program code for controlling actions of the grabbing mechanism, the moving mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism and the beverage capsule storage mechanism; and the central processor can control the beverage capsule storage and access device to work by running the program codes.

[0040] The controller can control rotation of the rotating disc to align the notch with the direction of the grabbing mechanism; and the image acquisition mechanism can be assisted in positioning in combination with image recognition; the image acquisition mechanism feeds back the collected information to the controller, and the controller determines whether the notch is rotated to the preset position through an identification algorithm.

[0041] In order to better position the notch, further, the storage unit further comprises a rotating position sensing unit for detecting a rotating position of the rotating disc, and the rotating position sensing unit is electrically connected or wirelessly connected with the controller; the rotating position sensing unit can detect the rotating position of the rotating disc, for example, the rotating position of the notch, so as to more conveniently and accurately align the notch with the direction of the grabbing mechanism; as one of the embodiments, the rotating position sensing unit comprises a rotating position sensor and at least one accessory matched with the rotating position sensor; the rotating position sensor is electrically connected or wirelessly connected with the controller; the rotating position sensor is arranged on the support or the support plate, and the accessory is arranged on the rotating disc; one of the accessories is used to feed back that the notch is aligned with the direction of the grabbing mechanism; when the notch of the rotating disc is rotated to align with the direction of the grabbing mechanism, the rotating position sensor senses the accessory; the sensing includes but is not limited to electric sensing, optical sensing, magnetic sensing and mechanical sensing.

[0042] The shape and size of the support plate are not limited as long as the grabbing mechanism can grab the beverage capsule; at least a part of the support plate is detachably connected with the support.

[0043] The beverage capsule storage mechanism can be more conveniently expanded, and the storage unit is added; the support can be modularized; the support has a plurality of support modules which can be stacked on each other; each support module is reserved with a part for mounting the storage unit, so as to conveniently add the storage unit upward and expand the storage space.

[0044] The beverage capsule storage and taking device can be set to rotate all the turntables to the direction where all the notches are opposite to the direction of the grabbing mechanism, and the grabbing mechanism moves to the channel formed by the notches.

[0045] Further, the beverage capsule storage and taking device further comprises a refrigeration mechanism electrically or wirelessly connected with the controller.

[0046] The utility model also provides a kind of management method of beverage capsule storage.

[0047] The management method of beverage capsule storage utilizes the beverage capsule storage and taking device, and includes the following steps: presetting the information of beverage capsule in the controller, or connecting the controller to the cloud server recording the information of beverage capsule; when beverage capsule is stored in the turntable, the controller controls the movement mechanism to drive the image acquisition mechanism to move to each layer of the turntable in turn, the controller controls the rotation of the turntable, the image acquisition mechanism identifies each observed beverage capsule and feeds back the information to the controller, and the controller records the information of the beverage capsule stored in each layer of the turntable. When the image acquisition mechanism is a camera, the camera identifies each observed beverage capsule according to the preset information of beverage capsule through image recognition algorithm and feeds back the information to the controller. In this way, when storing beverage capsule, it can be placed in the placing part of the turntable at will, realizing disordered storage.

[0048] The utility model also provides a kind of taking control method of beverage capsule.

[0049] The taking control method of beverage capsule grabbing utilizes the beverage capsule storage and taking device, and includes the following steps: when it is necessary to find and take out a certain kind of beverage capsule, the controller controls the movement mechanism to drive the image acquisition mechanism to move to each layer of the turntable in turn, the controller controls the rotation of the turntable, the image acquisition mechanism identifies each observed beverage capsule, and when the target beverage capsule is found, the controller stops the rotation of the turntable and controls the movement of the grabbing mechanism to grab the target beverage capsule. After grabbing the target beverage capsule, the controller controls the grabbing mechanism to move to the designated position and put down the target beverage capsule. When the image acquisition mechanism is a camera, the camera identifies each observed beverage capsule according to the preset information of beverage capsule through image recognition algorithm.

[0050] The utility model also provides a kind of control method of beverage capsule storage and taking.

[0051] The control method of the beverage capsule storage and access utilizes the beverage capsule storage and access device, and comprises the following steps:

[0052] The beverage capsule storage: the information of the beverage capsule is preset in the controller or the controller is connected to the cloud server recording the information of the beverage capsule; when the beverage capsule is stored in the turntable, the controller controls the movement mechanism to drive the camera to move to each layer of the turntable, the controller controls the rotation of the turntable and the image information collected by the camera, and according to the information of the beverage capsule preset in the database, the image recognition algorithm is used to identify each observed beverage capsule and feed back the information to the controller, and the controller records or updates the information of the beverage capsule stored in each layer of the turntable;

[0053] The beverage capsule grabbing: when a kind of beverage capsule needs to be taken out, the controller reads the previously recorded information, if there is a corresponding kind of beverage capsule, the turntable where the target beverage capsule is located is found, and the controller controls the movement mechanism to drive the grabbing mechanism to move to the turntable; when more than one turntable stores the target beverage capsule, the turntable closest to the grabbing mechanism or the specified turntable according to the preset priority order can be selected; the controller controls the rotation of the turntable and the movement of the movement mechanism to drive the grabbing mechanism to move to grab the target beverage capsule, and after the target beverage capsule is grabbed, the controller controls the grabbing mechanism to move to the specified position and put down the target beverage capsule.

[0054] The utility model also provides a kind of vending machine, and the vending machine includes the beverage capsule storage and access device of the utility model.Further, the vending machine further includes the man-machine interactive system provided to consumer selection product, payment system;Man-machine interactive system, payment system are respectively connected with the controller.The man-machine interactive system, payment system can be set with reference to prior art.

[0055] Compared with prior art, the utility model has the beneficial effects that:

[0056] 1, the beverage capsule storage and access device of the utility model, by the ingenious design of the composition and structure of the beverage capsule storage mechanism and the adoption of the image acquisition mechanism, without manually inputting the position information of beverage capsule in advance, realize the disordered storage and accurate grabbing target beverage capsule of beverage capsule.

[0057] 2, by setting the notch of the turntable and the independent rotation of each turntable, so that according to the movement of the grabbing mechanism, the controller controls the notch of each turntable to rotate to the position corresponding to the grabbing mechanism, forms the moving channel of taking things for the grabbing mechanism, can grab any beverage capsule including periphery and inside on the turntable.

[0058] 3. The beverage capsules can be placed in the placing part of the rotating disc at will, which overcomes the problem of reserving certain storage positions for each type of beverage capsule, fully utilizes the storage positions, improves the utilization rate, can dynamically greatly increase the types of beverage capsules according to actual conditions, or greatly increase the storage amount of a certain type of beverage capsule under the premise of reducing the types of beverage capsules or keeping the types unchanged, and can store dozens of types of beverage capsules or even up to hundreds of types of beverage capsules.

[0059] 4. Each storage unit is independent of each other, and can be suspended for use according to actual conditions, facilitating maintenance; the storage capacity of the beverage capsule storage mechanism can be expanded, and the floor area will not be increased while the storage capacity is increased. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0060] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic view of the beverage capsule storage and taking device according to Embodiment 1.

[0061] Fig. 2 is a structural schematic view of the storage unit according to Embodiment 1.

[0062] Fig. 3 is a structural schematic view of the storage rotating unit according to Embodiment 1; in order to facilitate understanding, the notch of the storage rotating unit is indicated by a dashed line part.

[0063] Fig. 4 is a structural schematic view of the movement mechanism, the grabbing mechanism and the image acquisition mechanism according to Embodiment 1.

[0064] Fig. 5 is a structural schematic view of the storage unit according to Embodiment 3.

[0065] Fig. 6 is a structural schematic view of the storage unit according to Embodiment 4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0066] The utility model will be further described in combination with specific embodiments.

[0067] If there are terms such as "first", "second", etc., they are only used for description purposes, mainly for distinguishing different devices, elements or components (the specific types and structures may be the same or different), and not for indicating or implying the relative importance and quantity of the indicated devices, elements or components, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance.

[0068] Embodiment 1

[0069] As shown in Fig. 1, a beverage capsule storage and access device comprises a beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, a grabbing mechanism 200, a movement mechanism 300 for driving the grabbing mechanism 200 to move to the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, an image acquisition mechanism 400 for acquiring image information of the beverage capsule, a controller 500, a transmission mechanism 600 and a housing; the controller 500 is electrically connected or wirelessly connected with the grabbing mechanism 200, the movement mechanism 300, the image acquisition mechanism 400 and the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100 respectively. The beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, the grabbing mechanism 200, the movement mechanism 300, the image acquisition mechanism 400, the controller 500 and the transmission mechanism 600 are all arranged in the housing

[0070] As shown in Fig. 2, the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100 comprises a support 110 and a plurality of storage units 120 distributed along the up and down directions; each storage unit 120 comprises a support plate 121, a rotating disc 122 and a motor 123 for driving the rotating disc 122 to rotate; the support plate 121 is detachably connected with the support 110.

[0071] The motor 123 is mounted on the support plate 121. The rotating disc 122 is mounted on the motor, and the motor 123 is connected with the shaft center of the rotating disc 122 to drive the rotating disc 122 to rotate around the shaft center. The rotating discs 122 of the storage units 120 are distributed along the up and down directions, and the shaft center lines of the rotating discs 122 are in the same direction and on the same straight line.

[0072] As shown in Fig. 3, the rotating discs 122 are provided with notches 1221, and in this embodiment, all the rotating discs 122 are provided with notches 1221. The notches 1221 extend from the periphery of the rotating disc 122 to the inside, and the size of the notches 1221 can allow the grabbing mechanism 200 to pass through, which facilitates the grabbing of the beverage capsule on the adjacent rotating disc 122 corresponding to the notch 1221. The area of the notch 1221 can be further increased, and the size of the notch 1221 can allow the grabbing mechanism 200, the part of the movement mechanism 300 connected with the grabbing mechanism 200 and the beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism 200 to pass through.

[0073] The rotating disc 122 is provided with a plurality of placing portions 1222 for placing the beverage capsule; the placing portions 1222 are distributed on the periphery and / or the inside of the rotating disc 122. The inside of the rotating disc 122 refers to the part of the rotating disc 122 close to the shaft center line; on the contrary, the outside refers to the part of the rotating disc 122 away from the shaft center line.

[0074] The placing part 1222 is one or more of a shelf, an opening, and a groove provided on the rotating disc 122. In the embodiment, the shape of the notch 1221 of the rotating disc 122 is fan-shaped, and the placing part 1222 is an opening directly provided on the rotating disc 122. In the embodiment, 15 openings are provided on each rotating disc 122, and each opening can store one type of beverage capsule. The entire storage space can store 15 x M beverage capsules, where M is the number of rotating discs 122. In the embodiment, the number of rotating discs 122 is at least 5.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 4, in the embodiment, the motion mechanism 300 is a two-axis mechanical arm. The two-axis mechanical arm is provided beside the rotating disc 122. The two-axis mechanical arm provides two degrees of freedom of motion in the up-down direction and the left-right direction. The movement direction of the Z-axis movement component and the X-axis or Y-axis movement component is defined by three-dimensional space coordinate axes. The Z-axis direction refers to movement in the up-down direction, corresponding to the rotating disc 122 distributed in the up-down direction, so that the grabbing mechanism 200 can move to the uppermost and lowermost rotating disc 122. The X-axis or Y-axis direction refers to movement in the lateral direction, so that the grabbing mechanism 200 can move to the inner side of the rotating disc 122.

[0076] In the embodiment, the two-axis mechanical arm includes a Z-axis movement component 310, a Y-axis movement component 320 provided on the Z-axis movement component 310, and the grabbing mechanism 200 provided on the Y-axis movement component 320, so that the grabbing mechanism 200 can move to the rotating disc 122 in the Z-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

[0077] The Z-axis movement component 310 includes a base 311, a Z-axis lead screw 312 provided on the base, a Z-axis sliding seat 313 provided on the Z-axis lead screw, and a Z-axis lead screw motor 314 for driving the Z-axis lead screw to move the Z-axis sliding seat. The base can be independently provided or provided on the support 110 of the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100.

[0078] The Y-axis movement component 320 includes a Y-axis lead screw 321 provided on the Z-axis sliding seat, a Y-axis sliding seat 322 provided on the Y-axis lead screw, and a Y-axis lead screw motor 323 for driving the Y-axis lead screw to move the Y-axis sliding seat.

[0079] The grabbing mechanism 200 can be a mechanical gripper, an electric suction cup, or a combination of the two. In the embodiment, the grabbing mechanism 200 is an electric suction cup, which realizes the suction and release actions through electric control. The grabbing mechanism 200 is provided on the Y-axis sliding seat.

[0080] The image acquisition mechanism 400 is a sensor or a camera for acquiring the appearance, two-dimensional code, or bar code information of the beverage capsule. In the embodiment, the image acquisition mechanism 400 is a camera, which is provided at the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100 and used to observe the situation of the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100.

[0081] The camera can not only collect the image information of the beverage capsule, but also observe the situation at the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, and can be particularly used for monitoring the rotation of the rotating disc 122, such as the position of the rotation. The camera is electrically connected or wirelessly connected with the controller 500. The camera is arranged on the Y-axis sliding seat and can move with the grabbing mechanism 200, and a single camera can cover the entire beverage capsule storage mechanism 100, which can not only reduce the number of cameras required, but also improve the success rate of grabbing. Through the image recognition algorithm and the database stored and run by the camera and the controller 500, the type of the beverage capsule can be automatically identified and recorded in the database of the controller 500, realizing intelligent inventory management and product type identification. The manual intervention is reduced, and the operation efficiency and management accuracy are improved. The beverage capsule attribute information collected by the camera includes the shape and pattern color of the beverage capsule. Further, the beverage capsule attribute information collected by the camera can further include the name of the beverage capsule, the name of the manufacturer, and the size specification (capacity or weight).

[0082] The controller 500 is electrically connected or wirelessly connected with the grabbing mechanism 200, the motion mechanism 300, the image collection mechanism 400, and the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100 to control the cooperative operation of the grabbing mechanism 200, the motion mechanism 300, the image collection mechanism 400, and the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100. The controller 500 includes a central processing unit and a storage module. The central processing unit is connected with the storage module. The storage module stores a database program code for recording beverage capsule information, an image recognition algorithm program code, and a control program code for controlling the actions of the grabbing mechanism 200, the motion mechanism 300, the image collection mechanism 400, and the beverage capsule storage mechanism 100. The central processing unit can control the beverage capsule access device to work by running the above-mentioned program codes.

[0083] The controller 500 can control the notch 1221 of the rotating disc 122 to be aligned with the direction where the grabbing mechanism 200 is located, and the camera can be used to assist the positioning in combination with image recognition. Specifically, the camera feeds back the collected image information to the controller 500, and the controller 500 determines whether the notch 1221 is rotated to a preset position through the image recognition algorithm.

[0084] The shell is provided with a take-out port. The transmission mechanism 600 conveys the beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism to the take-out port. The transmission mechanism 600 can be a sliding rail or a slide. In this embodiment, a sliding rail is adopted. One end of the sliding rail is used to receive the beverage capsule grabbed by the grabbing mechanism, and the other end of the sliding rail is located below the one end and opposite to the take-out port, so as to use gravity to slide the beverage capsule to the take-out port. Further, the take-out port is provided with a slot 610 for receiving the beverage capsule. The other end of the sliding rail is located above the slot, so as to slide the beverage capsule to the slot 610.

[0085] The working operation of the beverage capsule storage device of the present embodiment is as follows:

[0086] Beverage capsule storage: The information of the beverage capsule is preset in the controller 500 or the controller 500 is connected to a cloud server recording the information of the beverage capsule. When working for the first time, the identification information of the beverage capsule to be stored, such as text, image feature information, and quantity information, is stored in the memory of the controller 500 or the cloud server. Then, if a new type of beverage capsule is to be stored, the new beverage capsule identification information is supplemented to the controller 500 or the cloud server. After the beverage capsule is stored in the placing part of the turntable 122, the controller 500 controls the movement mechanism 300 to move the camera to each layer of the turntable 122. The controller 500 controls the rotation of the turntable 122 and uses image recognition algorithms to identify each beverage capsule observed according to the beverage capsule information preset in the database based on the image information fed back by the camera. The information is fed back to the controller 500. The controller 500 records or updates the information of the beverage capsule stored in each layer of the turntable 122, such as the storage quantity of the beverage capsule, the position information of the beverage capsule, which can be the number of the turntable 122 (the turntable is numbered in advance) or the displacement value of the movement mechanism 300 (such as the displacement value of the Z-axis).

[0087] Beverage capsule grabbing: When a beverage capsule of a certain type is needed, the controller 500 finds the turntable 122 where the target beverage capsule is located according to the beverage capsule information recorded in the database. The controller 500 controls the movement mechanism 300 to move the grabbing mechanism 200 to the turntable 122 where the target beverage capsule is located. When more than one turntable 122 stores the target beverage capsule, the turntable 122 closest to the grabbing mechanism 200 or the specified turntable 122 according to the preset priority can be selected. The controller 500 controls the rotation of the target turntable 122 and the movement of the grabbing mechanism 200. Specifically, the target turntable 122 is controlled to rotate the target beverage capsule to face the direction where the grabbing mechanism 200 is located. At the same time, the turntable 122 adjacent to the target turntable 122 is also controlled to rotate, so that the gap 1221 of the adjacent turntable 122 faces the direction where the grabbing mechanism 200 is located, leaving a space for the movement of the grabbing mechanism 200. The controller 500 controls the movement mechanism 300 to move the grabbing mechanism 200 above the target beverage capsule to grab the target beverage capsule. After grabbing the target beverage capsule, the controller 500 controls the grabbing mechanism 200 to move to the slide rail and drop the target beverage capsule to use gravity to slide the beverage capsule to the pickup port.

[0088] Embodiment 2

[0089] Different from embodiment 1, the number of the turntable 122 provided with the notch 1221 in the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present embodiment is n-1, wherein n is the total number of the turntables 122 possessed by the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device.

[0090] When the beverage capsule is placed on the upper surface of the turntable 122 and the grabbing mechanism 200 is to grab the beverage capsule from above the turntable 122, the turntable 122 located at the lowermost layer (the first layer, counted from bottom to top) can not be provided with the notch 1221, and the turntables 122 located at the second layer and above are all provided with the notch 1221.

[0091] When the beverage capsule is placed (hanged) on the lower surface of the turntable 122 and the grabbing mechanism 200 is to grab the beverage capsule from below the turntable 122, the turntable 122 located at the uppermost layer (the nth layer, counted from bottom to top) can not be provided with the notch 1221, and the turntables 122 located at the (n-1)th layer and below are all provided with the notch 1221.

[0092] The other structures and connection relationships of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present embodiment are the same as or similar to those of embodiment 1.

[0093] Embodiment 3

[0094] As shown in FIG. 5, different from embodiment 1, in the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present embodiment, two adjacent storage units 120 are grouped into one group, one of the turntables 122 in the same group is provided with the notch 1221, and the other turntable 122 is not provided with the notch 1221. From the perspective of all the turntables 122, the turntables 122 provided with the notch 1221 and the turntables 122 not provided with the notch 1221 are alternately staggered; the turntables 122 not provided with the notch 1221 and the turntables 122 of the adjacent group are left with a space for the movement of the grabbing mechanism 200 and part of the movement mechanism 300.

[0095] The other structures and connection relationships of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present embodiment are the same as or similar to those of embodiment 1.

[0096] Embodiment 4

[0097] As shown in FIG. 6, different from embodiment 1, in order to better position the notch 1221, the storage unit 120 of the beverage capsule storage and retrieval device of the present embodiment further comprises a rotation position sensing unit 124 for detecting the rotation position of the turntable 122, and the rotation position sensing unit is electrically connected or wirelessly connected with the controller 500. The rotation position sensing unit can detect the rotation position of the turntable 122, for example, the rotation position of the notch 1221, so as to more conveniently and accurately align the notch 1221 with the direction of the grabbing mechanism 200.

[0098] In the embodiment, the rotating position sensing unit 124 comprises a rotating position sensor 1241, at least one accessory 1242 adapted to the rotating position sensor; the rotating position sensor 1241 and the accessory 1242 can be in one of the following modes: electric induction, magnetic induction, optical induction, and mechanical induction. The rotating position sensor 1241 is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller 500. The rotating position sensor 1241 is arranged on the bracket, and the accessory 1242 is arranged on the turntable 122. One of the accessories 1242 is used to feedback that the notch 1221 is aligned with the direction of the gripping mechanism 200, when the notch 1221 of the turntable 122 needs to be rotated to align with the direction of the gripping mechanism 200, the rotating position sensor 1241 senses the accessory 1242, and the rotating position sensor 1241 feeds back to the controller 500 to stop rotating the turntable 122.

[0099] The other structures and connection relationships of the beverage capsule storage and access device in the embodiment are the same as or similar to those in Embodiment 1.

[0100] Embodiment 5

[0101] Different from Embodiment 1, in the beverage capsule storage and access device in the embodiment, the beverage capsule storage and access device in the embodiment comprises a plurality of image acquisition mechanisms 400, at least one image acquisition mechanism 400 is arranged at each turntable 122 to identify the beverage capsules and observe the situation of the turntable 122, and the image acquisition mechanism 400 can be installed on the bracket 110 or the support plate 121.

[0102] The other structures and connection relationships of the beverage capsule storage and access device in the embodiment are the same as or similar to those in Embodiment 1.

[0103] Embodiment 6

[0104] Different from Embodiment 1, the beverage capsule storage and access device in the embodiment further comprises a refrigeration mechanism, the refrigeration mechanism can be installed on the top, bottom or side of the beverage capsule storage and access device, and the refrigeration mechanism is electrically or wirelessly connected to the controller. By increasing the refrigeration mechanism, the shelf life of the beverage capsules can be prolonged, or the low-temperature storage requirements of some beverage capsules can be met.

[0105] The other structures and connection relationships of the beverage capsule storage and access device in the embodiment are the same as or similar to those in Embodiment 1.

[0106] Embodiment 7

[0107] An automatic vending machine comprises the beverage capsule storage and access device in any one of Embodiments 1-6, a human-computer interaction system for providing consumers to select products, and a payment system; the human-computer interaction system is connected to the payment system and the controller. The human-computer interaction system and the payment system can be set according to the prior art.

[0108] When the consumer purchases the beverage capsule, the kind of the beverage capsule is selected through the man-machine interaction system, after the selection and payment are determined, the man-machine interaction system feeds back the required beverage capsule information to the controller, and the controller of the beverage capsule storage and taking device controls other components (the grabbing mechanism, the moving mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism) of the beverage capsule storage and taking device to work to take out the target beverage capsule to the taking opening.

[0109] Obviously, the above embodiments of the present application are only examples for clearly illustrating the present application, and are not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application. For those skilled in the art, other different forms of changes or variations can be made on the basis of the above description. Here, all the embodiments are not required to be exhausted. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the claims of the present application.

Claims

1. A drinks capsule access device, characterized in that, The beverage capsule storage mechanism, the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism for driving the grabbing mechanism to move to the beverage capsule storage mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism for acquiring beverage capsule image information, the controller, the transmission mechanism and the shell; the controller is respectively connected with the grabbing mechanism, the motion mechanism, the image acquisition mechanism and the beverage capsule storage mechanism electrically or wirelessly; The beverage capsule storage mechanism includes a support, a plurality of storage units distributed vertically; each storage unit includes a support plate, a turntable, a motor for driving the turntable to rotate; at least a part of the support plate is connected with the support to fix the support plate; the support plate is used to support the motor and / or the turntable; the periphery and the inner side of the turntable are provided with a plurality of placing parts for placing beverage capsules; The turntable of each storage unit is vertically distributed, and the axial lines of each turntable are in the same direction; a plurality of turntables are provided with notches, the notches extend from the periphery to the inner side of the turntable, and the size of the notches can pass through the grabbing mechanism when the grabbing mechanism moves, so as to facilitate grabbing the beverage capsules on the adjacent turntable corresponding to the notches. The shell is provided with a take-out port; the transmission mechanism conveys the beverage capsules grabbed by the grabbing mechanism to the take-out port.

2. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that, The size of the notch can pass through the grabbing mechanism, part of the motion mechanism connected with the grabbing mechanism and the beverage capsules grabbed by the grabbing mechanism when they move.

3. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that, All the turntables are provided with the notches.

4. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that, The image acquisition mechanism is installed on the grabbing mechanism or the motion mechanism.

5. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1 or 4, characterised in that, The image acquisition mechanism is a camera or a sensor.

6. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1 or 4, characterised in that, The motion mechanism is a two-axis mechanical arm, which includes a Z-axis moving assembly, an X-axis or Y-axis moving assembly arranged on the Z-axis moving assembly, and the grabbing mechanism arranged on the X-axis or Y-axis moving assembly, so that the grabbing mechanism can move to the turntable along the Z-axis direction and the X-axis or Y-axis direction.

7. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that, The transmission mechanism is a slide rail; one end of the slide rail is used to receive the beverage capsules grabbed by the grabbing mechanism, and the other end of the slide rail is located below the one end and opposite to the take-out port, so as to use gravity to slide the beverage capsules to the take-out port.

8. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1 or 7, characterised in that, The take-out port is provided with a slot for receiving beverage capsules.

9. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that, The motor is arranged on the support plate, the turntable is installed on the motor, and the motor is connected with the axial position of the turntable to drive the turntable to rotate.

10. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that, The grabbing mechanism is an electric suction cup.

11. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1, characterised in that, The beverage capsule storage and taking device further includes a refrigeration mechanism, which is electrically or wirelessly connected with the controller.

12. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 1 characterised in that, The storage unit further includes a rotation position sensing unit for detecting the rotation position of the turntable, which is electrically or wirelessly connected with the controller.

13. A drinks capsule access arrangement according to claim 12, characterised in that, The rotation position sensing unit includes a rotation position sensor and at least one accessory adapted to the rotation position sensor; the rotation position sensor is electrically or wirelessly connected with the controller; the rotation position sensor is arranged on the support or the support plate, and the accessory is arranged on the turntable.

14. A vending machine characterized by, A beverage capsule access device comprising the beverage capsule according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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