JP4741820B2 - Coin delivery device and coin processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coin delivery device and a coin processing device, and relates to a space-saving coin delivery device and a coin processing device.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, there are coin sending devices that are arranged in a vending machine, a transaction device, an ATM, and the like, and arrange coins that are inserted and stored, and send them one by one. Examples of the coin sending device include a carrying disc type coin sending device that stores coins in a hopper case above a rotating disk (carrying disc). The carrying disk type coin delivery device has a large storage capacity, and a plurality of coins can be supplied at once (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 11-195155 A (page 3-5, FIG. 1)

  However, in the conventional coin sending device as described above, for example, the outer shape of the carrying disk type coin sending device may be relatively large due to the structure.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a space-saving coin sending device and a coin processing device.

In order to achieve the above object, a coin delivery device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a storage portion 30 for storing coins; and is formed in a substantially spiral shape and rotates around a rotation axis 40a. A possible spiral member 40 having an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the coin, and a spiral interval D4 (see FIG. 2 for example) that allows the coin to be taken in is formed, and the coin taken inside is moved by its own weight. A spiral member 40 disposed in the storage portion 30 with the rotation axis 40a inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to be formed; a cylindrical shape that can be stored by aligning coins stacked inside ; disposed below the Jo member 40 and the tubular member 50 introduce coins moved inside the helical member 40; configured with a.

  If comprised in this way, since the spiral part arrange | positioned in an inclination in a storage part and a storage part is provided, the coin which moves below with dead weight can be stirred. Furthermore, since the cylindrical member disposed below the spiral member is provided, the coins can be reliably aligned, and a space-saving coin delivery device can be provided.

Also, as described in claim 2, in the coin delivery device according to claim 1, the driving means for rotating the spiral member 40 so as to rotate in the direction in which the object engaged with the spiral moves upward. 60 may be provided.

  With this configuration, the spiral member is driven to rotate so that the substantially spiral is rotated in the upward direction, so that the coin that tries to move downward by its own weight along the spiral member disposed at an inclination. As a result, the coin can be reliably and efficiently taken into the spiral member and sent out. Note that the rotation in which the substantially spiral is in the upward direction is, for example, rotation that pushes up a coin stored in the storage unit.

Curved also in coin delivery device of claim 1, storage unit 30, which is inclined like the inclined axis of rotation 40a by a curved portion 30c that is formed in a substantially curved shape along the spiral member 4 0 that having a bottom including a part 30c.

With this configuration, storage unit, because it has a curved portion formed in a substantially curved shape along the spiral member can be delivered reliably aligned coins.

Further, as described in claim 4, wherein in the coin delivery device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 1 yo Ri large-half the diameter interval spiral coin helical member, and it may be configured to being less Ri by diameter.

  With this configuration, the coins are not clogged in the substantially spiral gap, and the amount of coins to be taken in is not excessive, and the coins are reliably and efficiently taken into and sent out from the inside of the spiral member. Can do.

Further, as described in claim 3, in the coin sending device according to claim 2, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, the coin feeding device 70 is disposed below the cylindrical member 50 and feeds coins. A sending guide plate 72 in which a semicircular recess 72a through which a coin is allowed to pass is formed so that the center of the semicircle is shifted from the center of the end face of the cylindrical member 50; and the end face of the cylindrical member 50 and the sending guide plate The feeding means 70 includes a feeding plate 71 that is disposed between the feeding guide plate 72 and pushes out one coin placed on the feeding guide plate 72 by a reciprocating motion; May be configured to be driven.

  If comprised in this way, size reduction of a coin delivery apparatus can be achieved by making the drive means which rotationally drives a helical member, and the drive means which drives the feeding part which sends out a coin into common.

  In order to achieve the above object, a coin processing device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention comprises, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the coin sending device 1 according to any one of the first to fifth aspects; It is comprised so that the conveyance part 110 which conveys may be provided.

  If comprised in this way, since the coin delivery apparatus 1 of any one of Claim 1 thru | or 5 is provided, a space-saving coin processing apparatus can be provided.

In order to achieve the above object, a coin delivery device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention comprises, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, a storage portion 30 for storing coins; and is formed in a substantially spiral shape and rotates around a rotation axis 40a. A possible spiral member 40 having an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the coin, and a spiral interval D4 (see FIG. 2 for example) that allows the coin to be taken in is formed, and the coin taken inside is moved by its own weight. A spiral member 40 disposed in the storage portion 30 with the rotation axis 40a inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to be ; a ring-shaped member integrally formed with the spiral member 40 below the spiral member 40; The storage portion 30 is configured to have a bottom portion including a curved surface portion 30c that is formed in a substantially bowl shape so as to follow the spiral member 40 and is inclined in the same manner as the inclination of the rotation axis 40a. Is done.

  If comprised in this way, since the storage part which has the curved surface part formed in the substantially bowl shape along the spiral member, and the spiral member arrange | positioned in inclination in a storage part, a curved surface part guides a coin. And since the spiral member can stir the coin which moves downward with its own weight, a space-saving coin sending device can be provided.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the storage portion that stores coins, the spiral member that is formed in a substantially spiral shape, and that is rotatably arranged in the storage portion with the rotation axis inclined, and the substantially cylindrical shape are formed. And a cylindrical member disposed below the helical member, a space-saving coin delivery device can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. In addition, in each figure, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the mutually same or equivalent member, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

  1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a configuration example of a coin delivery device 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 1A is a front view, and FIG. 1B is a side view as viewed from the motor 60 side. c) is a view looking down a rotation axis of a motor 60 described later in the figure from a direction inclined by 45 degrees with respect to the vertical direction. The coin sending device 1 is provided with the components of the coin sending device 1, and a hopper base 20 that can be attached to a higher-level device (not shown in FIG. 1) of the coin sending device 1 and a storage unit for storing coins. The hopper case 30 is formed in a substantially spiral shape, the spiral member 40 is disposed in the hopper case 30 so that the rotation axis 40a is inclined, and the spiral member 40 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. A cylindrical member 50 is provided below, typically, and obliquely below so that the center line coincides with the rotational axis 40a of the helical member 40. Further, the coin sending device 1 is disposed below the cylindrical member 50 and a motor 60 as driving means for driving the helical member 40 so that the spiral is rotated in the upward direction. A feeding mechanism 70 as a feeding unit is provided.

  Here, the coin is a concept that widely includes money (1, 5, 10, 10, 50, 100, 500), medals, tokens, and the like. The token here is a so-called substitute coin, and includes, for example, a resin-made outer wall in which an IC chip is embedded. In the present embodiment, the case where the coin is a currency (1, 5, 10, 10, 100, 500 yen) will be described.

  In the present embodiment, the coin sending device 1 is built in, for example, a vending machine, a transaction device, an ATM, or the like, and is a host device that performs processing of coins input from a user or paying out stored coins. 5 is a device provided in a coin processing device 100 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later with reference to FIG. Moreover, in this Embodiment, the coin delivery apparatus 1 is comprised so that each part, such as the motor 60, may be controlled by the control part 150, for example. The control unit 150 is provided outside the coin delivery device 1. For example, the control unit 150 is provided in the coin processing device 100 (see FIG. 5), which will be described later with reference to FIG. 5, and also controls the coin processing device 100 (see FIG. 5). In addition, although the case where the coin sending device 1 is controlled by the external control unit 150 will be described here, the coin sending device 1 may be configured to include the control unit 150. In other words, the coin delivery device 1 may incorporate the control unit 150. Here, the coin delivery device 1 is electrically connected to the control unit 150 via a connector (not shown).

  The hopper base 20 is formed by bending a sheet metal or the like into a substantially L shape, and is installed such that the long side of the substantially L shape is horizontal and the short side is vertically upward. The coin sending device 1 is attached so that the surface on the long side is grounded when attached to the host device. An attachment plate 21 formed by bending a sheet metal or the like into a substantially square shape is attached to the short side surface via screws or the like. The attachment plate 21 is attached to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction. The predetermined angle is preferably about 30 to 60 degrees. FIG. 1 shows a case of about 45 degrees. By doing in this way, the coin sending device 1 can discharge the stored coin stably, for example, the load of the coin stored in hopper case 30 acts appropriately.

  A hopper case 30, a motor 60, a mounting guide 22, and the like are mounted on the mounting plate 21 via screws or the like. In other words, the hopper case 30, the mounting guide 22, the motor 60 and the like are attached to the hopper base 20 via the mounting plate 21. The hopper case 30 and the motor 60 are mounted on the surface of the mounting plate 21 opposite to the surface facing the hopper base 20, that is, on the upper surface in the vertical direction (hereinafter simply referred to as “upper side” unless otherwise specified). It has been. The mounting guide 22 is mounted on a surface opposite to the hopper case 30 with the mounting plate 21 interposed therebetween, that is, a surface on the lower side in the vertical direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “lower side” unless otherwise specified). Yes. The mounting guide 22 is bent so that a sheet metal or the like forms a substantially U-shaped convex portion, and is mounted so that the convex portion faces downward (the direction opposite to the lower surface side of the mounting plate 21). . On the lower surface of the mounting plate 21 and the mounting guide 22, there are six guide rollers 23 that rotatably support a spiral member 40 and a cylindrical member 50, which will be described later (in this figure, four are shown in the figure). The remaining two on the depth side are not shown). As the guide roller 23, a rolling bearing, more specifically, a ball bearing or the like is used. Further, a feeding mechanism 70 is attached to the attachment guide 22 via screws or the like. The feeding mechanism 70 is configured to send out coins stored in the hopper case 30 one by one. In this embodiment, as will be described in detail in FIG. It is configured to include. A cylindrical projection 65 is formed on the lower surface of the convex portion of the mounting guide 22 substantially perpendicularly to the lower surface.

  The motor 60 is mounted in the vicinity of the end where the mounting plate 21 on the upper surface of the mounting plate 21 is fixed to the hopper base 20 so that the rotary shaft 61 protrudes from the lower surface of the mounting plate 21. Yes. As the motor 60, a motor having excellent torque, for example, a direct current motor (DC motor) may be used. The motor 60 is electrically connected to a control unit 150 that controls rotation, for example, via a connector (not shown). The motor 60 is supplied with power from the control unit 150 via a connector (not shown) and is controlled by a drive signal output from the control unit 150. Furthermore, a belt 63 and a pulley 62 are attached to the motor 60 to transmit the rotation of the motor 60 to the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 to drive the rotation. In the present embodiment, the motor 60 is also a driving unit that drives a delivery plate 71 described later. By making the drive means of the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 and the drive means of the feeding mechanism 70 the same drive means, the apparatus can be miniaturized. Details will be described with reference to FIG.

  The hopper case 30 stores coins and is disposed on the upper part of the coin delivery device 1. The hopper case 30 is made of a transparent resin. Thereby, the state of the coins stored can be confirmed by visual observation from the outside. The hopper case 30 covers the upper surface of the mounting plate 21 from about one-half to two-thirds from the end opposite to the end where the mounting plate 21 is fixed to the hopper base 20. It is attached. Further, the hopper case 30 has an upper opening 30a in the upper part, and is configured so that coins can be input and supplied in a lump from the upper opening 30a.

  The vicinity of the bottom facing the upper opening 30a of the hopper case 30 has a tapered shape as it goes downward, and the rotation axis 40a is rotatable near the bottom in the hopper case 30 so that the spiral member 40 can rotate. Inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. A cylindrical member 50 is similarly disposed below the spiral member 40 so as to be rotatable. As will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2, the spiral member 40 is formed in a spiral shape having a gap. During the feeding operation of the coin stored in the hopper case 30, This assists the alignment and introduction of coins to the shaped member 50. As will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2, the cylindrical member 50 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and when coins stored in the hopper case 30 are fed out, the coins are aligned and stored inside, and are reliably fed out. Part 70 is introduced. In the present embodiment, as will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2, the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 are integrally formed so that their rotational axes coincide.

  The bottom portion of the hopper case 30 is formed so as to include the inclined portion 30b inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction and the curved surface portion 30c formed in a substantially curved shape so as to follow the mounting plate 21. The curved surface portion 30c is also inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction so as to be line symmetric with the inclined portion 30b. As described above, the predetermined angle is preferably about 30 to 60 degrees, and FIG. 1 shows a case of about 45 degrees. Thus, the bottom of the hopper case 30 is inclined, so that the coin is gradually guided toward the spiral member 40 gradually by its own weight.

  The curved surface portion 30 c is formed in a substantially curved surface shape, typically in a substantially bowl shape, along the spiral member 40. Here, the substantially bowl-like shape is, for example, a half-pipe shape having a semicircular cross-section as shown in FIG. The cross-sectional shape may be a substantially arc shape, a quarter arc shape, or a substantially elliptical shape. The curved surface portion 30c may be formed along the cylindrical member 50.

  In addition, the spiral member 40 typically has a rotation axis 40a substantially similar to the inclination of the curved surface portion 30c with respect to the horizontal direction so that the outer peripheral surface is in contact with the curved surface portion 30c along the curved surface portion 30c. It is arranged at an angle. In the present embodiment, the spiral member 40 is arranged such that the rotation axis 40a is preferably inclined by about 30 to 60 degrees with respect to the horizontal direction. FIG. 1 shows a case of about 45 degrees. If it is 30 degrees or less, the coins are difficult to align in the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50, and if it is 60 degrees or more, the coins stored in the hopper case 30 on the spiral member are moved from the gap between the spiral members 40 to the inside of the spiral. It is difficult to import.

  As described above, when the hopper case 30 includes the curved surface portion 30 c formed in a substantially bowl shape so as to follow the spiral member 40, the coins stored in the hopper case 30 are guided by the curved surface portion 30 c of the hopper case 30. In combination with the rotation of the spiral member 40, which will be described later, the coins stored in a random direction are arranged to stand upright so that their radial directions substantially coincide with the curved surface portion 30c. Thus, the coins can be more reliably aligned in the cylindrical member 50.

  In the present embodiment, the rotation axis 40a is inclined at a right angle to the inclined portion 30b. In other words, the rotation axis 40a intersects the inclined portion 30b substantially perpendicularly. In addition, the spiral member 40 has been described as typically disposed so that the outer peripheral surface is in contact with the curved surface portion 30c. However, the spiral member 40 does not necessarily have to be in complete contact with each other, for example, the thickness of a coin to be processed. It may be vacant as long as the gap is smaller than (for example, about 1.5 mm if the minimum coin is 1 yen coin). This is because if the thickness is smaller than the thickness of the coin to be processed, the coin will not be sandwiched between the spiral member 40 and the curved surface portion 30c.

  Furthermore, ribs 31 and 32 formed in a substantially triangular prism shape are attached to side surfaces 30d and 30e (side surfaces in the depth direction of FIG. 1A) sandwiching the inclined portion 30b and the curved surface portion 30c of the hopper case 30, respectively. It has been. The ribs 31 and 32 are attached to the inner walls of the side surfaces 30d and 30e of the hopper case 30 so as to be substantially parallel to the rotation axis 40a. The ribs 31 and 32 are disposed at a position that is substantially equal to a position where the rotation axis 40a is horizontally projected onto the side surfaces 30d and 30e, or at a position that is slightly away from the curved surface portion 30c. Thereby, when the spiral member 40 rotates at the time of sending out a coin, it can prevent that a coin is pinched | interposed into the clearance gap between the spiral member 40 and the hopper case 30. FIG. The ribs 31 and 32 may be at least in the direction of sandwiching the rotation according to the rotation direction of the spiral member 40, but it is more preferable that the ribs 31 and 32 are on both sides (side surfaces 30d and 30e) as in the present embodiment.

In this embodiment, the hopper case 30 has a size that can accommodate, for example, about 100 coins at the maximum. Further, the width D1 in the depth direction of the hopper case 30 in FIG. 1A (see FIG. 1B), that is, the width of the inclined portion 30b and the width in the radial direction of the curved surface portion 30c accommodate at least the spiral member 40. It suffices if there is a width that can be obtained. As will be described later, the inner diameter of the spiral member 40 is larger than the diameter of the coin to be processed, and is typically larger by about 1 mm to 2 mm. The inner diameter of the spiral member 40 is preferably about 27 mm if the coin to be processed is, for example, a maximum coin of 500 yen coins, or about 24 mm if the coins are 100 yen coins, 10 yen coins and 5 yen coins . Therefore, for example, if the diameter of about 25mm of the coin to be processed, the width D1 in the depth direction may be a about 40 mm (1.5 times of the coin), it can contribute to the miniaturization of the coin dispensing device 1 For example, space saving can be achieved at least as compared with a coin delivery device using a carrying disk. The coin sending device 1 can perform processing even when the number of coins stored in the hopper case 30 is at least one.

  Further, the inclined portion 30b of the hopper case 30 and the mounting plate 21 have holes 33 and 24 (see FIG. 1 (c)) through which the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 are integrally formed. Is formed. Typically, the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 are installed such that the spiral member 40 is on the upper side of the mounting plate 21 (that is, the hopper case 30 side) and the cylindrical member 50 is on the lower side. A feeding mechanism 70 described in detail with reference to FIG. 3 is disposed on the end surface side of the cylindrical member 50 opposite to the end surface connected to the spiral member 40. The coin sending device 1 is configured to allow the coins taken inside the spiral member 40 to pass through the holes 33 and 24 and the cylindrical member 50 and to be introduced into the feeding mechanism 70 by movement due to its own weight.

  Note that the protrusion length D2 of the spiral member 40 in the vertical direction from the mounting plate 21 is preferably the same as the diameter D1 in the direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the curved surface portion 30c. It is better to make it about a length. With this configuration, a space for lifting the coin upward as will be described later by the gap between the upper end of the spiral member 40 and the hopper case 30 generated by the difference between the length D2 and the length D3. In addition, the gap is not too large and coins do not enter too much.

  Further, a full sensor 34 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper opening 30 a of the hopper case 30. The full sensor 34 is a sensor that detects a full state of coins, and includes a light projecting unit 34a that projects light and a light receiving unit 34b that receives light projected from the light projecting unit 34a. The light portion 34 a and the light receiving portion 34 b are attached with the coin storage space of the hopper case 30 interposed therebetween. The full sensor 34 is an optical sensor that detects the presence of the object (coin) when the light projected by the light projecting unit 34a is blocked by the object (coin) and cannot be received by the light receiving unit 34b. It is a sensor. Hereinafter, the case where the full sensor 34 and the photo sensor are used will be described.

  Further, a residual sensor 35 is installed so as to straddle the hopper case 30 and a delivery guide plate 72 of a feeding mechanism 70 described later. The residual sensor 35 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of residual coins. Hereinafter, the residual sensor 35 will be described using a photosensor. The light projecting portion 35 a of the residual sensor 35 is disposed on the lower surface of the delivery guide plate 72, and the light receiving portion 35 b of the residual sensor 35 is disposed on the wall surface of the hopper case 30. More specifically, the light projecting unit 35a and the light receiving unit 35b are configured so that the light projected from the light projecting unit 35a passes through the inside of the cylindrical member 50 and the spiral member 40 and is received by the light receiving unit 35b. Typically, they are attached so that their optical axes substantially coincide with the rotation axis 40a of the spiral member 40. The full sensor 34 and the residual sensor 35 are each configured to output a coin detection result to the control unit 150 that controls, for example, driving of the motor 60. Since the photosensor is a relatively inexpensive sensor, the cost of the coin delivery device 1 can be reduced by using it for the full sensor 34 and the residual sensor 35. The full sensor 34 and the residual sensor 35 may use a metal detector or the like.

  FIG. 2 is a front view for explaining the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 of the coin delivery device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. (B) is a modification in which the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 are formed separately. FIG. 2B is an exploded view on the left side and a combined view on the right side in the drawing.

  The spiral member 40 is formed in a substantially spiral shape having a gap. As described above, the spiral member 40 takes in coins from the gap into the spiral during the feeding operation of the coins stored in the hopper case 30, and arranges and introduces the coins into the cylindrical member 50 described below. In addition, the coins in the hopper case 30 are also stirred.

  Here, the advantage of stirring the coins in the hopper case 30 is that, for example, it is possible to prevent a stacked state of coins, for example, a bridge state, which becomes a problem in feeding out coins. A bridge | bridging state is a lamination | stacking state from which a space | gap opens between each coin, when another coin is mounted on the two coins located in a line at intervals, for example. For example, if this gap is formed in the portion of the residual sensor 35 (see FIG. 1), it is erroneously detected that all coins have been sent out even though coins remain in the hopper case 30. As a result, a problem occurs in the operation of the coin delivery device 1. In addition, examples of the stacked state of coins that may cause a problem include a state in which coins are stacked on one side in the hopper case 30 and stored in a biased manner. In this case, for example, the full sensor 34 (see FIG. 1) is erroneously detected as being full even though coins are not fully stored in the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1). The coins are forcibly discharged from the machine and are typically stored in a safe unit of a higher-level device, for example, a collection safe unit 170 (see FIG. 5) of the coin processing device 100 described later with reference to FIG. May occur. In any case, the spiral member 40 also stirs the coins in the hopper case 30 and smoothes the coin stacking state, thereby preventing the coin stacking state from becoming a problem.

  The direction of the spiral of the spiral member 40 is formed corresponding to the direction of rotation of the spiral member 40. Typically, the spiral of the spiral member 40 is formed such that when the spiral member 40 is rotationally driven by the motor 60 (see FIG. 1), the substantially spiral shape is rotated upward. That is, in the present embodiment, the spiral member 40 is configured to rotate leftward (counterclockwise) when viewed from above, as will be described later with reference to FIG. The direction of the spiral is a left-handed spiral. When the spiral member 40 is configured to rotate clockwise (clockwise) when viewed from above, the spiral direction may be a right-handed spiral. In other words, the direction of the spiral is the same as the direction of rotation of the spiral member 40. In this way, when the spiral of the spiral member 40 is formed so that the substantially spiral shape rotates upward when the spiral member 40 is rotationally driven by the motor 60 (see FIG. 1), the spiral member Coins can be easily taken into the inside of the spiral from the gap 40 or the opening on the upper side (upper opening 30a side).

  In the spiral member 40, the spiral interval D4 (interval in the direction perpendicular to the tangential direction of the spiral) is larger than about one half of the diameter of the coin processed by the coin delivery device 1, and smaller than about the diameter. It is formed as follows. If the spiral distance D4 is larger than the diameter, the amount of coins taken in will increase, and a bridge may be generated due to the next coin being taken in before being aligned. This is because there is a case where the coins are hindered to be taken up while the coins ride on the gap. Moreover, it is preferable to form the spiral intervals D4 so as to be substantially equal at each location, so that the coins can be more effectively aligned with the cylindrical member 50.

  The cross-sectional shape of the spiral of the spiral member 40 is substantially rectangular (strip shape) in the present embodiment, but may be circular or elliptical. When the cross-sectional shape of the spiral of the helical member 40 is substantially rectangular (band-shaped), the cross-sectional area increases, so that the strength is sufficient, it is difficult to break, and the coin delivery device 1 with high durability can be obtained. If the cross-sectional shape of the spiral of the spiral member 40 is circular, it can be formed like a string spring using a wire such as a wire, so that the coin delivery device 1 that is easy to process and inexpensive can be obtained.

  The spiral member 40 is configured to rotate around the rotation axis 40a. The rotation axis 40 a refers to a cylindrical central axis formed by a surface in contact with the outside of the spiral member 40. The inner diameter of the spiral member 40 is slightly larger than the diameter of the coin to be processed. A cylindrical member 50 is disposed below the spiral member 40.

  The cylindrical member 50 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, typically a cylindrical shape. As described above, the cylindrical member 50 is configured to store coins aligned inside and to be introduced into the feeding mechanism 70 (see FIG. 3) during the feeding operation of the coins stored in the hopper case 30. ing. Similar to the spiral member 40, it is configured to rotate. Typically, the rotational axis of the cylindrical member 50 is configured to coincide with the rotational axis 40 a of the spiral member 40. In other words, the center of rotation of the spiral member 40 and the center of rotation of the cylindrical member 50 are both the rotation axis 40a. The inner diameter of the cylindrical member 50 is slightly larger than the diameter of the coin to be processed. Note that the cylindrical member 50 typically only needs to have a cylindrical inner surface, and the outer surface is not limited to this, and may have a rectangular cylindrical shape, for example.

  Here, the lower part of the spiral member 40 is typically a region on the end side opposite to the upper opening 30a (see FIG. 1) side of the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1) of the spiral member 40. This is a broad concept including the lower part of the spiral member 40.

  That is, the helical member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 may be configured such that the cylindrical member 50 is continuously formed at the lower end of the helical member 40 as shown in FIG. As shown in 2 (b), the lower part of the spiral member 40, for example, the lowermost part may be inserted into the tubular member 50. When the cylindrical member 50 is continuously configured at the lower end of the spiral member 40, the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 can be integrally formed, so that the manufacturing efficiency is improved. Attachment to the coin delivery device 1 is also facilitated. When the lower part of the spiral member 40 is configured to be inserted inside the cylindrical member 50, the spiral member 40 stirs the coin when the coin is stored inside the cylindrical member 50. Thus, it is possible to prevent the coin from standing in the cylindrical member 50 (the coin is substantially parallel to the axial direction of the cylindrical member 50). Thereby, coins are not jammed in the cylindrical member 50. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the cylindrical member 50 is described as being integrally formed at the lower end portion of the spiral member 40. The inner diameters of the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 are substantially the same in the case of FIG. 2A, and in the case of FIG. 2B, the inner diameter of the spiral member 40 is inserted. The inner diameter of the member 50 is slightly increased.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2A, three grooves 51, a groove 52, and a groove 53 are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 50 in order from the spiral member 40 side. The above-described guide roller 23 (see FIG. 1) abuts on the grooves 51 and 53 and supports the cylindrical member 50 so that the rotation axis 40a is inclined so that the cylindrical member 50 can rotate. A belt 63 (see FIG. 1) is stretched around the groove 52.

  FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view of the helical member 40, the cylindrical member 50, and the feeding mechanism 70 of the coin delivery device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, for ease of explanation, the rotation axis 40a is shown perpendicular to the horizontal direction. Further, the coin is shown by a two-dot chain line, and the position after the feeding plate 71 of the feeding mechanism 70 is driven to send out the coin is also shown by a two-dot chain line.

  The belt 63 is stretched between the tubular member 50 and a pulley 62 attached to the end of the rotating shaft 61 of the motor 60 (see FIG. 1). The pulley 62 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a groove formed on the outer peripheral surface. The belt 63 (see FIG. 1) is stretched in the groove. The pulley 62 is attached such that a substantially cylindrical axis (not shown) coincides with the rotary shaft 61. A cylindrical protrusion 64 is formed substantially perpendicular to the end surface on the end surface of the pulley 62 opposite to the rotating shaft 61 side. The cylindrical protrusion 64 is formed on the peripheral edge of the pulley 62 (a position shifted from the axis of the pulley 62).

  When the motor 60 (see FIG. 1) is driven, the rotary shaft 61 and the pulley 62 rotate from above, that is, counterclockwise (M1 direction in the figure) as viewed from the motor main body side, and the belt 63 supplies the driving force to the cylindrical member. 50, the cylindrical member 50 is also rotationally driven counterclockwise (in the direction of M2 in the drawing) as viewed from above. As described above, since the spiral member 40 is formed integrally with the cylindrical member 50, the spiral member 40 is similarly rotated together with the cylindrical member 50 in the direction M2 in the drawing. That is, in other words, the motor 60 (see FIG. 1) is configured to rotationally drive the spiral member 40 that is a left-handed spiral so that the substantial spiral rotates upward. Note that the rotation in which the substantially spiral is in the upward direction can also be referred to as rotation in a direction in which an object engaged with the spiral moves upward when the spiral rotates without moving in the axial direction.

  As described above, the feeding mechanism 70 is arranged below the cylindrical member 50 (downstream of coins moving by its own weight) and configured to send out coins aligned in the cylindrical member 50 one by one. The The feeding mechanism 70 includes a delivery plate 71 and a delivery guide plate 72.

  The delivery guide plate 72 is formed in a plate shape, and is configured to temporarily place a coin moving from the cylindrical member 50 by its own weight. Further, the delivery guide plate 72 is cut into a semicircular shape having a slightly larger curvature than the coin to be processed, typically a curvature substantially equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical member 50, and the side that forms the semicircular straight line is further substantially rectangular. It is formed so as to have a recess 72a cut into a shape and a recess 72b cut into a substantially semicircular shape.

  The delivery guide plate 72 is fixedly attached to the attachment guide 22 (see FIG. 1) via screws or the like so as to be substantially parallel to the attachment plate 21 (see FIG. 1). In the delivery guide plate 72, the semicircular center of the recess 72a is, for example, about two-thirds to three-fourths of the diameter of the coin from the center of the end face of the cylindrical member 50 (ie, the rotation axis 40a). It is attached so as to be shifted to the opposite side to the pulley 62 by the amount. The concave portion 72b is formed as a semicircular shape having a larger curvature than the circular locus drawn by the cylindrical protrusion 64 formed on the pulley 62 when the pulley 62 rotates in the M1 direction. The concave portion 72b is formed at a position where the edge of the concave portion 72b abuts on the cylindrical projection 64 and the movement of the cylindrical projection 64 is not restricted with the delivery guide plate 72 attached. When the coin once placed on the delivery guide plate 72 is pushed out and delivered by the delivery plate 71 described below, the coin falls through the recess 72a and is sent out of the coin delivery device 1.

  The delivery plate 71 regulates the delivery of coins in the cylindrical member 50, and is substantially reduced with respect to the spiral member 40 and the rotational axis 40a of the cylindrical member 50 (see FIG. 2) by the motor 60 (see FIG. 1). It is configured to drive coins one by one in an orthogonal direction and in a direction substantially parallel to the direction in which the belt 63 is stretched (M3 direction in the figure). The delivery plate 71 is formed of a sheet metal having a thickness substantially the same as the coin to be processed, and the end face of the tubular member 50 and the delivery guide plate are disposed between the end face of the tubular member 50 and the delivery guide plate 72. 72 so as to be slidable in contact with 72.

  The delivery plate 71 has a slightly larger curvature than the coin to be processed, typically, a concave portion 71a that is cut into a partial circle having a curvature substantially equal to the inner diameter of the cylindrical member 50, and one of the partial circles of the concave portion 71a. The protrusion 71b is formed so as to protrude from the end side in the direction M3 in the drawing, and the protrusion 71c is formed so as to protrude in a direction opposite to the direction in which the protrusion 71b protrudes. The

  A hole 71d is formed in the convex portion 71c. The delivery plate 71 is supported by the pulley 62 so that the screw is inserted into the hole 71d through a washer or the like and is screwed into the cylindrical projection 64 so as to be rotatable about the cylindrical projection 64. The convex portion 71b is formed with slits 71e whose both end portions are substantially semicircular. The slit 71e is formed so that the longitudinal direction is substantially parallel to the M3 direction in the drawing. The delivery plate 71 is supported by the mounting guide 22 (see FIG. 1) by inserting a screw into the slit 71e through a washer or the like and screwing into the cylindrical protrusion 65 described above with reference to FIG. The delivery plate 71 is supported so that the cylindrical projection 65 is in contact with the edge of the slit 71e and is movable in the M3 direction within a range in which movement is restricted.

  Therefore, when the motor 60 (see FIG. 1) is driven and the pulley 62 rotates in the M1 direction, the cylindrical protrusion 64 moves along a circular locus, and the delivery plate 71 uses the cylindrical protrusion 65 as a guide in the M3 direction. Move to. In other words, the pulley 62, the cylindrical protrusion 64, and the delivery plate 71 operate like a crank mechanism that changes the rotational motion of the pulley 62 and the cylindrical projection 64 to the reciprocating motion of the delivery plate 71.

  The recess 71a of the delivery plate 71 is such that the center of the partial circle is the center of the end face of the cylindrical member 50 (that is, the rotation axis) when the delivery plate 71 is at the position on the pulley 62 side (the position indicated by the solid line in the figure). 40a). When the delivery plate 71 is in a position opposite to the pulley 62 (a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure), the delivery plate 71 temporarily restricts the coins that move from within the cylindrical member 50 by its own weight. When the position is on the pulley 62 side (the position indicated by the solid line in the figure), the movement restriction is released. As a result, the coins stored in the cylindrical member 50 are moved by their own weight, and only one piece is placed on the delivery guide plate 72. Furthermore, after the coin is placed on the delivery guide plate 72, the delivery plate 71 is moved to a position opposite to the pulley 62 (a position indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure), thereby placing the placed coin. Is pushed out in contact with the edge of the recess 71a, and is dropped through the recess 72a and sent out of the coin delivery device 1 as described above.

  In the vicinity of the delivery plate 71 and the delivery guide plate 72, a delivery detector (not shown) for detecting the number of coins delivered from the coin delivery device 1 is disposed. As the delivery detector (not shown), for example, a photosensor similar to the full sensor 34 described above may be used. The delivery detector (not shown) is configured to output the coin detection result, the number of delivery, and the like to the control unit 150 (see FIG. 1). The delivery detector (not shown) may be installed at an appropriate position, for example, while confirming the actual product according to the installation location of the coin delivery device 1 in the host device.

  FIG. 4 is a front view for explaining the operation of the coin delivery device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Coins are put into the hopper case 30 in a lump through the upper opening 30a, supplied, and stored. At this time, a part of the coins is stored in the hopper case 30 in a state of being ridden on the spiral member 40. A part of the coins is taken into the spiral member 40 from the gap of the spiral member 40 or the opening at the top of the spiral.

  When the motor 60 is driven by the signal of the control unit 150 (see FIG. 1) and the rotation of the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 is started, the coins taken inside the spiral member 40 are spiral. The coins are aligned by the rotation of the member 40 and are introduced into the cylindrical member 50 while being aligned.

  The coins stored on the spiral member 40 are agitated by the rotation of the spiral member 40, and further inside the spiral member 40 from the gap of the spiral member 40 or the opening at the top of the spiral. It is captured. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when a plurality of coins are stored on the spiral member 40 so as to stand upright (as if standing in the vertical direction), the coins are stored. Is lifted on the outer peripheral surface of the spiral member 40 by the action of the spiral of the spiral member 40 upward due to the rotation of the spiral member 40 and is transported to the upper opening. Captured inside. Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 4B, when a plurality of coins are stored on the spiral member 40 so as to fall on the spiral member 40, the coins are rotated by the rotation of the spiral member 40. Due to the action of the spiral of the spiral member 40 moving upward, the spiral member 40 is transported to a midway gap or upper opening, and is consequently taken into the spiral member 40. In addition to the case shown in the figure, the state of storing coins in the hopper case 30 can be various, but in any case, the stirring of the spiral member 40 and the rotation of the spiral member 40 cause the spiral member 40 to rotate. As a result of the action of the spiral moving upward, the coin is eventually taken into the spiral member 40.

  When the coins are stored on the spiral member 40 in an upright state (standing in the vertical direction) along the side surfaces 30 d and 30 e of the hopper case 30, the spiral members are formed by the ribs 31 and 32. It is possible to prevent the coins from being caught in 40 and to easily place the coins on the spiral member 40.

  The coin introduced into the cylindrical member 50 and falling down along the inner wall of the cylindrical member 50 rotates or vibrates the cylindrical member 50 so that a rotational moment is given to the periphery thereof. It behaves in a self-standing direction (substantially perpendicular to the inner wall of the cylindrical member 50 so that the radial direction substantially matches). To make the coin self-supporting, if the contact friction on the inner surface of the cylindrical member 50 is too small, or if the coin friction is too strong and the contact friction is intermittent, the coin is difficult to stand by itself and slides down the inner peripheral surface as it is. easy. On the other hand, if the contact friction is too large, it may fall on the inner peripheral surface on the upstream side in the cylindrical member 50 and stop rotating in a state where it is stuck on the upper side, so that it does not stand by itself. By using the spiral member 40, the contact friction between the inner surface of the spiral member 40 and the coin can be adjusted by the spiral shape and the rotational speed, and the posture of the coin is forcibly changed to a forward-standing self-supporting posture. It becomes possible. In addition, the coins once self-supported can be slid in the posture as they are by the action of contact friction between the edge of the coin and the spiral portion of the spiral member 40.

  Coins that are taken into the spiral member 40 and slid in a self-supporting state are stored in a stacked state on the tubular member 50. The coins that are introduced, aligned, and temporarily stored in the cylindrical member 50 are sent one by one in accordance with the movement of the feed plate 71 that has started substantially reciprocating movement when the motor 60 is driven. It is placed on 72, pushed out to the delivery plate 71, and sent out of the coin delivery device 1.

  As described above, in the coin sending device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the coins stored in the hopper case 30 are introduced into the feeding mechanism 70 via the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 and sent out. Is done. Therefore, the coin sending device 1 can store a relatively large amount of coins in the hopper case 30, but the width D1 in the depth direction of the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1B) is at least the spiral member 40. The coin delivery device 1 with a small depth can be obtained. That is, the coin delivery device 1 stores at least a relatively large amount of coins in the hopper case 30 as compared with, for example, a conventional coin delivery device that stacks and stores conventional coins in a storage cylinder. Therefore, the coin sending device 1 can be made compact and space-saving compared to a coin sending device using a carrying disk.

  In addition, as described above, the coin delivery device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention can be stirred by the spiral member 40, regardless of the state of coins stacked in the hopper case 30, or Due to the action of the spiral of the spiral member 40 moving upward due to the rotation of the spiral member 40, coins are eventually introduced into the cylindrical member 50 while being taken in and aligned with the spiral member 40, and the feeding mechanism 70 is reliably delivered. And can be sent out of the apparatus. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent coins from standing in the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50. Therefore, it can be set as the coin sending device 1 with high operation efficiency. Moreover, since the coin delivery apparatus 1 can reliably introduce the stored coins into the feeding mechanism 70 by the spiral member 40 and the cylindrical member 50, the coin feeding apparatus 1 can be stably used even with a conventional ready-made feeding mechanism. The effect can be sent out.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the coin processing apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. A coin processing apparatus 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to this figure. In addition, the thick line in a figure shows the flow of a coin.

  The coin processing device 100 includes the above-described coin delivery device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention and a transport unit 110 that transports coins to each part of the coin delivery device 1. In the present embodiment, the transport unit 110 includes a deposit transport unit 110a and a withdrawal transport unit 110b. A plurality of coin delivery devices 1 are provided in the coin processing device 100 as constituting a later-described coin separation unit 105 or circulation change unit 160. The coin processing apparatus 100 is built in, for example, a vending machine. In addition, when the coin processing apparatus 100 is built in the vending machine, for example, the user can put it in a position where a user can throw coins into a loading unit 103 described later from the customer service surface formed on the front face of the vending machine. Is done.

  The coin processing apparatus 100 can normally handle, for example, 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen, which are Japanese yen coins, without causing clogging. Further, the coin processing apparatus 100 will be described as being capable of depositing four denominations of 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen among the above coins. That is, four denominations of 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen are processed as regular coins, and 1 yen and 5 yen coins are processed as reject coins described later.

  The coin processing apparatus 100 includes an input unit 103 into which coins are collectively input from a user, a coin separating unit 105 that stores the coins received by the input unit 103 and separates and transfers the stored coins one by one. Depositing conveyance unit 110a for conveying the received coins, identification unit 120 for identifying coins conveyed by the depositing conveyance unit 110, sorting unit 130 for sorting the coins conveyed by the depositing conveyance unit 110a, and sorting unit 130 The coins sorted by type are stored for each type, the circulation change portion 160 capable of discharging the stored coins, the withdrawal conveyance portion 110b for conveying the coins released from the circulation change portion 160, and the withdrawal conveyance portion 110b. A discharge unit 109 for discharging the conveyed coins and a recovery safe unit 170 for collecting coins stored in the circulation change unit 160 when the circulation change unit 160 is full are included. Constructed. In the present embodiment, the coin separating unit 105 includes one coin sending device 1, and the circulation change unit 160 includes four coin sending devices 1.

Furthermore, the coin processing device 100 includes a control unit 150 that controls the coins to be sent out from the respective coin sending devices 1. The control unit 150 is further configured to control each component of the coin processing apparatus 100.
Hereafter, each said structure and each process are demonstrated in detail.

  First, the deposit process will be described including the configuration. The input unit 103 receives one or a plurality of coins input from the user and supplies them to the coin separation unit 105. The input unit 103 can supply coins to the coin separation unit 105 by discharging the accepted coins. The discharge unit 109 returns reject coins at the time of deposit processing, and delivers (returns) coins transported by the withdrawal transport unit 110b to the user at the time of withdrawal processing.

  The coin separating unit 105 is configured to include the coin sending device 1, and the coin received by the inserting unit 103 is temporarily stored in the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1), and the stored coin is transferred to the feeding mechanism 70 (FIG. 1) and separating them one by one. The coin separating unit 105 is disposed downstream of the inserting unit 103 in the direction in which coins flow. That is, here, the coin separating unit 105 is disposed at a position where the coins released from the inserting unit 103 are supplied to the coin separating unit 105 by gravity.

  The deposit conveyance unit 110 a conveys the coins fed out one by one by the coin separation unit 105 to the distribution unit 130. In the present embodiment, the deposit transport unit 110a uses a belt that transports coins. Moreover, the identification part 120 is arrange | positioned between the coin separation part 105 and the distribution part 130 of the money_receiving | payment conveyance part 110a. The identification part 120 identifies the coin conveyed by the deposit conveyance part 110a. The identifying unit 120 identifies the type of a coin, whether it is a genuine coin, that is, whether it is a genuine coin or a rejected coin. Further, the identification unit 120 outputs the identification result to the control unit 150. Here, the regular coins are coins of four denominations of 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen. Here, coins other than the above-mentioned regular coins are referred to as reject coins. That is, 1 yen and 5 yen are reject coins here.

  As described above, the distribution unit 130 distributes coins conveyed by the deposit conveyance unit 110a. Further, the sorting unit 130 is a coin that is transported by the deposit transport unit 110a and a reject mechanism 131 that sorts reject coins other than regular coins among the coins transported by the deposit transport unit 110a. There is a sorting plate 133 that sorts coins identified as coins by type.

As described above, the sorting plate 133 sorts coins identified as regular coins by type. The sorting plate 133 has a passage through which a positive coin can pass on the upper surface. In addition, the said channel | path is extended in the distribution part 130 whole. Furthermore, it can be slid and conveyed by pressing a coin against the upper surface of the deposit conveyance unit 110a. Further, in the sorting plate 133, a hole slightly larger than the outer diameter of each coin to be distributed is formed in the passage for each type of coin to be distributed. Slightly larger than the outer diameter of the coin means that the holes formed for each type can be sorted by dropping the coins slidably conveyed on the sorting plate 133 from the corresponding holes. is there. These holes are formed in ascending order of the outer diameter of the corresponding coins from the upstream side in the conveyance direction by the deposit conveyance unit 110, in other words, from the identification unit 120 side. That is, here, the identification unit 1
From the 20 side (left side in the figure), holes for 50 yen, 100 yen, 10 yen, and 500 yen are formed in order. By forming the holes corresponding to the respective coins in this order, the positive coins can be surely sorted for each type.

  Here, the distribution unit 130 has been described as including the distribution plate 133 in which holes are formed. However, the distribution unit 130 may be configured to include a plurality of distribution claws similar to the distribution claw 132 included in the reject mechanism 131 described later. . When the distribution plate 133 is used as in the present embodiment, the configuration is simple, but in order to reliably drop the coin, it is necessary to enlarge the hole, and the apparatus tends to be large as a whole. On the other hand, when a distribution claw (not shown) is used, the configuration is complicated, but the apparatus can be downsized.

  In addition, a chute (not shown) is connected to the lower portion of the sorting plate 133 corresponding to each hole. The chute is connected to the circulation change unit 160 and supplies the sorted coins to the circulation change unit 160 for each type. Further, each chute (not shown) has a sensor (not shown) for counting coins. Each sensor detects, for example, the passage of sorted coins for each type, and is configured such that the detection result of each sensor is output to the control unit 150 as needed. The control unit 150 counts coins for each sorted type based on the output from each sensor.

  The coin processing device 100 may include a temporary storage unit (not shown) between the distribution unit 130 and the circulation change unit 160. The temporary holding unit (not shown) temporarily holds the deposited coins distributed for each denomination by the allocating unit 130. For example, after the end of one transaction, the temporarily held coins are placed below the temporary holding unit. It is discharged to the configured circulation change unit 160, and the coins temporarily held during the return operation of the user are returned to the discharge unit 109.

  As described above, the reject mechanism 131 distributes reject coins among the coins transported by the deposit transport unit 110a. The reject mechanism 131 is arranged on the most upstream side in the coin transport direction of the sorting unit 130, that is, on the most discriminating unit 120 side (left side in the drawing) of the sorting unit 130. The reject mechanism 131 has a sorting claw 132 for sorting coins. The sorting claw 132 is configured to be swingable by a driving unit (not shown). The reject mechanism 131 can perform sorting by dropping the coins slid and conveyed on the sorting unit 130 by swinging the sorting claw 132 and switching the transport path to the dropping direction.

  Further, the driving of the rejection mechanism 131, that is, the swinging of the sorting claw 132 is controlled by the control unit 150. In other words, the coin can be dropped by driving the reject mechanism 131 by the control unit 150, that is, by swinging the sorting claw 132.

  A chute (not shown) is connected to the lower portion of the reject mechanism 131. The chute is extended to the vicinity of the upper portion of the dispensing transport unit 110b, and the reject coins distributed by the reject mechanism 131 can be discharged to the dispensing transport unit 110b.

  The circulation change part 160 is provided in the lower part of the distribution part 130. The circulation change section 160 is provided with the above-described coin delivery device 1 for each type of coin. The coin sending device 1 corresponds to the distribution plate 133 from the left side in the figure, the coin sending device for 50 yen, the coin sending device for 100 yen, the coin sending device for 10 yen, the coin sending device for 500 yen. 1d is disposed (hereinafter simply referred to as coin sending device 1 when these are not particularly distinguished). Each coin delivery device 1 is connected to the control unit 150.

  Next, the withdrawal process including the configuration will be described. Each coin sending device 1 of the circulating change section 160 temporarily stores coins of each denomination sent from the sorting section 130 in the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1), and the stored coins are fed into the feeding mechanism 70 (FIG. 1). And then feeding out one sheet at a time. Each coin sending device 1 can discharge coins as change to the user to the dispensing transport unit 110b or discharge the stored coins to the collection safe unit 170 so that the circulating change unit 160 is not full. it can. Typically, the controller 150 forces a coin from the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1) when the full sensor 34 (see FIG. 1) detects that the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1) is full. Each coin delivery device 1 is controlled so as to be discharged and stored in the recovery safe unit 170. The circulation change part 160 can discharge | release the coin thrown in by the user as change by providing each coin sending device 1. FIG. That is, coins can be circulated.

  The withdrawal conveyance unit 110b extends from the lower part of the circulation change unit 160 to the discharge unit 109. The dispensing transport unit 110b includes, for example, a horizontal unit that transports coins in the horizontal direction and a vertical unit that transports coins in the vertical direction. The withdrawal / conveyance unit 110b is configured by a belt that conveys coins by placing them on the horizontal part and holding them in the vertical part.

  Further, the dispensing transport unit 110b transports the coins released from the circulation change unit 160 to the discharge unit 109. In addition, the dispensing transport unit 110 b is configured to transport the reject coins sorted by the reject mechanism 131 of the sorting unit 130 to the discharge unit 109.

  The collection safe unit 170 is configured so that a collection cassette (not shown) can be attached, and is configured so that coins released from the circulation change unit 160 when full can be stored in the collection cassette. Further, the recovery safe unit 170 is configured so as not to be able to directly contact coins stored in the recovery cassette in a state where the recovery cassette is mounted.

  The control unit 150 is configured to control the operation of each unit of the coin processing device 100 by inputting / outputting signals to / from a host device and inputting / outputting various signals in the coin processing device 100. Then, it is comprised integrally with the power supply device. The control unit 150 is a computer such as a personal computer or a microcomputer. In the present embodiment, control unit 150 is a microcomputer. For example, the coin processing apparatus 100 accepts an operation such as purchase of an article by a user. When the user performs an operation such as purchasing an article, the control unit 150 compares the amount of the received coin with the amount necessary for the service input by the user's operation, and is necessary for the change amount, that is, change. The denominations of each coin and the number of each denomination. At this time, if there is a change, the control unit 150 outputs a signal for releasing the necessary coin denomination and the number of coins to the circulation change unit 160 based on the calculation result, and executes a withdrawal process. When no change is required, the control unit sends out an article or a slip.

  Furthermore, although the case where the coin delivery device 1 is controlled by the external common control unit 150 has been described here, as described above, each coin delivery device 1 may be configured to include a control unit individually. Good. In other words, each coin delivery device 1 may have a built-in control unit, or each control unit of the coin delivery device 1 and the control unit of the coin processing device 100 may be configured separately.

  As described above, the coin processing device 100 according to the present embodiment includes the above-described coin delivery device 1 as a device that stores coins of the coin separation unit 105 and the circulation change unit 160, separates and feeds them one by one. It can be set as the coin processing apparatus 100 which can accommodate a comparatively large amount of coins in a space-saving manner. That is, the coin processing device 100 can be downsized and easily designed by using the small coin sending device 1 having a large storage amount and incorporating the coin sending device 1. In addition, the effect of size reduction becomes remarkable, so that there are many denominations of the coin which the coin processing apparatus 100 processes.

  Moreover, the coin processing apparatus 100 can also shorten the conveyance distance of the conveyance part 110 which conveys a coin to the circulation change part 160, or conveys a coin from the circulation change part 160, and can be reduced in size. . Thereby, the coin processing apparatus 100 can shorten the change discharge | release time, for example, and can be set as the coin processing apparatus 100 which does not make a user feel bothersome.

  In addition, as described above, the coin processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is capable of stirring by the spiral member 40 regardless of the state of coins stacked in the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1), or Due to the action of the spiral of the spiral member 40 moving upward due to the rotation of the spiral member 40, coins are eventually introduced into the cylindrical member 50 while being taken in and aligned with the spiral member 40, and the feeding mechanism 70 is reliably delivered. Therefore, the coin processing device 100 can be provided with high operational efficiency.

  In addition, the coin sending device 1 and the coin processing device 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention described above are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope described in the claims. It is.

  In the above description, the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1) has the inclined portion 30b (see FIG. 1) inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction along the mounting plate 21 (see FIG. 1). Although described as what is comprised, it does not have the inclination part 30b, You may comprise so that a coin may be accommodated in cooperation with the attachment board 21. FIG. In this case, the storage unit for storing coins includes a part of the hopper case 30 and the mounting plate 21.

  In the above description, the drive source for rotating the helical member 40 (see FIG. 1) and the cylindrical member 50 (see FIG. 1) and the drive source for driving the feed plate 71 of the feeding mechanism 70 are the same motor 60. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and separate drive sources may be used.

  In the above description, the coin processing device 100 has been described as including the coin sending device 1 described above in both the coin separating unit 105 and the circulating change unit 160, but it may be provided in only one of them, Even in this case, it goes without saying that the coin processing apparatus 100 can be miniaturized.

  In the above description, the helical member 40 (see FIG. 1) and the cylindrical member 50 (see FIG. 1) are described as being integrally formed, and both the helical member 40 and the cylindrical member 50 are rotationally driven. As described above, the cylindrical member 50 may be fixedly installed, and only the spiral member 40 may be rotationally driven.

  Next, a coin delivery device 301 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The coin sending device 301 according to the third embodiment has basically the same configuration as the coin sending device 1 described in the first embodiment, but is shown in the figure. It differs in that it does not include the shaped member 50. The coin delivery device 301 includes a hopper case 30 serving as a storage unit for storing coins, and a spiral member 40 that is formed in a substantially spiral shape and is disposed in the storage unit so that the rotation axis is inclined so as to be rotatable. The hopper case 30 has a curved surface portion 30 c formed in a substantially bowl shape so as to follow the spiral member 40. Furthermore, a motor 60 as a driving means for rotating the spiral member 40 so that the substantially spiral is rotated in the upward direction, and a feeding mechanism as a feeding portion that is disposed below the spiral member 40 and feeds coins. 70. In the following description, overlapping descriptions of components common to the first embodiment, such as the hopper case 30, the spiral member 40, the motor 60, and the feeding mechanism 70, are omitted as much as possible.

  In the present embodiment, the coin delivery device 301 includes a ring-shaped member (not shown) formed in a substantially circular shape instead of the cylindrical member 50. The ring-shaped member (not shown) is integrally formed with the spiral member 40 below the spiral member 40. The ring-shaped member (not shown) is in contact with three guide rollers 23 (one is not shown) on the feeding mechanism 70 side, and is supported by the guide roller 23 so that the rotation axis 40a of the spiral member 40 is inclined. Is done. A belt 63 is stretched around a ring-shaped member (not shown), and the driving force of the motor 60 is transmitted. In addition, three guide rollers 23 (one not shown) on the mounting plate 21 side support the spiral member 40 in a rotatable manner. The spiral member 40 is disposed so as to penetrate the inclined portion 30 b of the hopper case 30 and the mounting plate 21. The delivery plate 71 of the feeding mechanism 70 is disposed so as to be slidably contacted between a ring-shaped member (not shown) and the delivery guide plate 72. Coins stored in the hopper case 30 are introduced into the feeding mechanism 70 while being aligned by the spiral member 40 and the curved surface portion 30 c of the hopper case 30. It should be noted that the spiral of the spiral member 40 may be formed so that the interval becomes narrower as it goes downward. Typically, the spiral of the spiral member 40 is formed so that the interval is narrower at a position below the mounting plate 21 when installed. Thereby, the coin taken into the inside of the spiral member 40 does not come out of the gap of the spiral.

  As described above, in the coin delivery device 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the coins stored in the hopper case 30 are introduced into the feeding mechanism 70 via the spiral member 40 and sent out. Therefore, the coin sending device 1 can store a relatively large amount of coins in the hopper case 30, but the width D1 in the depth direction of the hopper case 30 (see FIG. 1B) is at least the spiral member 40. The coin delivery device 1 with a small depth can be obtained. That is, the coin sending device 1 can store a relatively large amount of coins in the hopper case 30 as compared with, for example, a cylindrical coin sending device, and is more compact than a coin sending device using a carrying disk. Thus, the space-saving coin delivery device 1 can be obtained. Note that the coin delivery device 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention is more compact than the coin delivery device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention because it does not include the cylindrical member 50. A space-saving coin delivery device 301 can be obtained. Needless to say, the coin delivery device 301 according to the third embodiment of the present invention described here may be used in the coin processing device 100 according to the second embodiment.

It is a figure explaining the structural example of the coin delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view explaining the helical member and cylindrical member of a coin sending device concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial exploded perspective view of the helical member of the coin sending device concerning the 1st embodiment of the present invention, a cylindrical member, and a feeding mechanism. It is a front view explaining operation | movement of the coin delivery apparatus which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram explaining schematic structure of the coin processing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 301 Coin delivery device 20 Hopper base 21 Mounting plate 22 Mounting guide 23 Guide roller 30 Hopper case 30a Upper opening 30b Inclined portion 30c Curved portion 30d, 30e Side surfaces 31, 32 Rib 34 Full sensor 35 Residual sensor 40a Rotating axis 40 Spiral member 50 Cylindrical member 60 Motor 61 Rotating shaft 62 Belt 63 Pulley 70 Feeding mechanism 71 Delivery plate 72 Delivery guide plate 100 Coin processing device 103 Input unit 105 Coin separation unit 109 Ejection unit 110 Conveying unit 110a Deposit transfer unit 110b Withdraw transfer unit 120 Identification unit 130 Sorting unit 150 Control unit 160 Circulation change unit 170 Recovery safe unit

Claims (7)

A storage section for storing coins;
A spiral member that is formed in a substantially spiral shape and is rotatable around a rotation axis, the inner diameter is larger than the diameter of the coin, and a spiral interval that allows the coin to be taken in is formed. A spiral member disposed in the storage portion with the rotation axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to move the coin by its own weight ;
The formed coins to be aligned in a stacked state on the inner retractable tubular, and introduced to that tubular member the coin that has moved inside of the helical member is arranged below the spiral member Bei give a;
The accommodating portion has a bottom comprising a curved surface portion which is inclined similarly to the inclination of the axis of rotation A the helical member in along a curved portion formed in a substantially curved shape so;
Coin delivery device. The helical member comprises a drive means for rotating the drive as those meshing with the helical is rotated in a direction to move upward;
The coin sending device according to claim 1. A feeding portion that is disposed below the cylindrical member and that feeds out the coin, and the concave portion that is hollowed out in a semicircular shape through which the coin passes is the center of the semicircular shape being the center of the end surface of the cylindrical member A feeding guide plate formed by shifting from the end surface of the cylindrical member and the sending guide plate, and the one coin placed on the sending guide plate by a reciprocating motion is inserted into the recess. A feeding section having a delivery plate for pushing out;
The drive means drives the delivery plate;
The coin sending device according to claim 2. Wherein the spacing of the spiral of the spiral member 1 good Ri greater half of the diameter of the coin, and small Ri by diameter,
The coin sending device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   The tubular member is configured to be rotatable about a rotational axis that coincides with a rotational axis of the helical member;
  The coin sending device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A coin sending device according to any one of claims 1 to 5;
A transport unit for transporting the coins;
Coin processing device. A storage section for storing coins;
A spiral member that is formed in a substantially spiral shape and is rotatable around a rotation axis, the inner diameter is larger than the diameter of the coin, and a spiral interval that allows the coin to be taken in is formed. A spiral member disposed in the storage portion with the rotation axis inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so as to move the coin by its own weight ;
A ring-shaped member formed integrally with the spiral member below the spiral member ;
The storage portion has a bottom portion including a curved surface portion that is formed in a substantially bowl shape so as to follow the spiral member and is inclined in the same manner as the inclination of the rotation axis ;
Coin delivery device.

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