ES1062488U - Device for automotive control of beverages by wireless rfid technology (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Personalized beverage self-service device comprising more than one column (1) drink dispenser with its corresponding spout tap (2), arranged in a single piece of furniture, and connected to a main set of barrels, tanks or containers that supply it the drink, with cooling and pressure system, characterized in that it comprises a solenoid valve (7) and flow meter (8) for the control of the liquid supplied, connected to a system of centrally controlled counters, said control (9) being able to authorize block and/or cut the supply of the liquid or beverage; because each dispenser (2) has a microprocessor (5); because it comprises at least one central control device (9) that receives data from the dispensers (2), processes them and sends commands to them, and displays data on a screen (4) associated therewith; and by the fact of using a wireless technology. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

Beverage self service control device by wireless RFID technology.

Object of the invention

The present Utility Model application has per object a personalized beverage self-service device which applies RFID wireless technology or identification by Radio frequency, which incorporates notable innovations and advantages compared to other known self-service devices.

More specifically, it refers to a self-service beverage device with wireless technology RFID, whose purpose is to achieve a customized device of so that each client is identified by an object identifier that is inserted into a support such as a key ring, a business card or similar, so that you can know the amount served and the balance available to be able to proceed to pay it, either in the prepaid or postpaid

Background of the invention

Currently, the use of beverage dispensing devices, in general beer, in self service regime. These devices are capable of count the amount consumed and allow various ways of payment.

Patent application ES2245154 describes some Self-service beer tables. In them the client has a Assigned assortment column of which he serves himself. Saying device has the ability to count the amount consumed to Be able to make the payment. The measured consumption is that of a supplier determined that it is associated with each client, with which it cannot Serve freely.

The ES2207423 patent is also a device for beer consumption of the type of self-service designed for use in a public place with counter and display of what consumed, similar to document ES2245154.

Utility model 1058023 has basically the characteristics of the previous documents and adds the possibility of using prepaid cards.

Document ES2237219 consists of a device self-service dispenser similar to the previous ones whose feature is coin drive.

However, the devices described have the inconvenience of not allowing the client to use any supplier, which limits your freedom to choose and also the number of beverage dispensers is not optimized, since as is logical, customers are not serving themselves in a way keep going. This leads to a fairly large number being necessary. high of suppliers, one for each table.

Description of the invention

The present invention has been developed with the in order to provide a self-service device that solves the drawbacks mentioned above, also providing other additional advantages that will be apparent from the description which is accompanied below.

Self-service suppliers are grouped into an easily accessible area of the premises, in the form of a column. This column has a light socket, water, cooling system and pressure, as well as a small pressure water shower to moisten or clean the cups or containers. Under each there will be a collection tray and drain of the liquid that leak.

The dispensing device also includes flowmeter and solenoid valve for liquid control supplied, connected to a meter system centrally controlled, authorizing, blocking or cutting off the supply of liquid or drink at the will of the controller.

Advantageously, the self-service device Identify the customer through a support that contains a label wireless that uses Radio Frequency Identification or RFID The label, which can be inserted into the holder, is capable of store data, among others, the name, identifier, observations, group, maximum credit, collection system (prepaid or postpaid) and balance of each client.

This holder or keychain is inserted in a slot located in each dispenser for reading the data it contains. The insertion is not necessary because it is a technology wireless, although its range is limited, about five centimeters, but nonetheless serves so that the keychain is not mislead and so that two clients do not try to use the same supplier simultaneously.

Preferably, each dispenser consists of a microprocessor. All microprocessors communicate with a control device through an Ethernet network.

The control computer is located preferably in the bar of the premises or other suitable place, Receive the microprocessor information from the suppliers, he processes them and sends orders to them, and is able to manage the high, low, edition and consultation of the information of the keychains. The reports generated by the device include the consumption per customer and time period, consumption by type of fluid and time period, and total consumption report by period of time, as well as the possible incidents that have occurred.

Once the identifier is inserted, the authentication device consults its balance and its associated payment system in the database. If the identifier meets the payment conditions, the managing device will give a validation signal and will inform about the maximum amount of fluid that the customer can use, depending on the price of the customer and the available balance. Barrel levels are also controlled to ensure that there is sufficient amount of fluid in the
he.

Advantageously, you can also know the type of fluid that houses each barrel, the level updated in liters and as a percentage of its capacity, the date and time of the Last refill and the liters served so far.

In order to view this information, the Control computer has an associated TFT screen or similar.

In case the supplier does not work, the client will insert and extract the identifier without having dispensed drink between one and another action. If this issue is Produces repeatedly, a fault warning signal will be given to the control to proceed to repair.

On the other hand, if during the dispensing of fluid the user wants to interrupt it, must remove the slot identifier, and thus the authenticating device It will notify the dispensing device of the dosing stop. TO then the quantity management device will be informed served for subsequent billing.

There is also an alarm device that indicates when the barrel reaches its replacement level, and that It consists of a warning on the checkpoint screen. If he barrel does not have enough fluid to serve the amount requested, be it a jar or a tube, the download will not start, in order to prevent the container from being half filled.

According to a preferred embodiment, each dispenser is assigned a TFT or similar screen in which the client of the available balance and of the consumption made, and that can be also used for information of any kind, promotions, contests and the like.

Thanks to these characteristics, we get a device that allows us to identify the customer, optimize the number of suppliers, control the dispensing form centralized, allow collection both prepaid and through  postpaid, control the balance and consumption of each client, as well as the level of each barrel, and get a communication device With customers through screens. Other features and Advantages of the self-service device object of the present invention will be apparent from the description of a preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in the which:

Brief description of the designs

Figure 1.- It is a perspective view of the assortment column

Figure 2.- It is a scheme of the device described control.

Description of a preferred embodiment

As shown in figure 1, the column dispenser (1) has several suppliers (2), each of them with its corresponding drain pan (3) and its screen visualization (4).

In figure 2, it is shown how for each of the suppliers are arranged a microprocessor (5), which obtains the reading sent by the RFID tag reader (6), and the quadrilateral (8), and gives orders to the solenoid valve (7), all to through an electric cable (11). To each of the microprocessors (5) is associated with a screen (4) through the which consumer information, advertising or Similary. All microprocessors (5) communicate with the central control system (9), which directs them, through a network Ethernet (11).

The details, the shapes, the dimensions and others accessory elements, as well as the materials used in the manufacture and assembly of the self-service device of the invention may be conveniently substituted by others that are technically equivalent and do not depart from the essentiality of the invention or the scope defined by the claims that They are included below.

Claims (7)

1. Personalized beverage self-service device comprising more than one column (1) beverage dispenser with its corresponding dispensing tap (2), arranged in a single piece of furniture, and connected to a main set of barrels, tanks or containers that supply it the beverage, with refrigeration and pressure system, characterized in that it comprises an electrovalve (7) and flowmeter (8) for the control of the liquid supplied, connected to a system of centrally controlled meters, said control (9) being able to authorize , block and / or cut off the liquid or beverage supply; because each dispenser (2) has a microprocessor (5); because it comprises at least one central control device (9) that receives data from the suppliers (2), processes them and sends orders to them, and displays data on a screen (4) associated therewith; and by the fact of using a wireless technology. 2. Self-service device according to claim one, characterized in that said wireless technology is radio frequency or RFID identification, which uses wireless tags capable of storing identification, consumption, and balance data. 3. Self-service device according to claim 2, characterized in that each dispenser has a slot where to insert the wireless tag capable of reading its data. 4. Self-service device according to second and third claims, characterized in that it has a fault alert device that provides a warning to the central control system when the label is inserted in the slot and extracted repeatedly without any beverage being dispensed. 5. Self-service device according to claims fifth and sixth, characterized in that each microprocessor (5) is connected to the central control device (9) by means of a local network (11). 6. Self-service device according to claim one, characterized in that it has a minimum level indicator alarm device. 7. Self-service device according to claim one, characterized in that the dispensing columns (1) have display screens (4).