AU645319B2

AU645319B2 - Coin control device for coin operated devices

Info

Publication number: AU645319B2
Application number: AU77191/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Angel Sanchez Blaya
Original assignee: Alcatel NV
Current assignee: Alcatel Lucent NV
Priority date: 1990-03-09
Filing date: 1991-05-21
Publication date: 1994-01-13
Anticipated expiration: 2011-05-21
Also published as: ES2021228A6; ATE139046T1; EP0447890A2; DK0447890T3; DE69119950T2; AU7719191A; DE69119950D1; EP0447890A3; EP0447890B1

Abstract

The device of the invention is prepared for mounting in paystation telephones and is of the monochannel type through which the coins (5-5'-5''..) slide to be collected one after the other. The device is so designed that, without any need to separate the coins, it is capable of controlling, storing and collecting, at least, two of these, regardless of the type and of the order in which they have been inserted, with no requirement for the use of motors or movable stores and having suppressed the problem of jamming. To achieve this, the device is based on having the coins (5-5'-5''..) retained separately in the monochannel (4) by means of corresponding retractable levers (9-9'-9''..), each of which is associated with its respective energising coil (10-10'-10''..). There are also sensors to detect the presence of coins (12-12'-12''..) inside the monochannel (4) and a sensor to detect the passage of collected coins (15) situated at the outlet of the monochannel device (4) and at the entrance (6) of the collection box. <IMAGE>

Description

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ORIGINAL

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-1969 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED "COIN CONTROL DEVICE FOR COIN OPERATED DEVICES" 005 a The following statemont is a full description of this invontion, including the best mecthod of performing it known to us:- This invention relates to a device for the control, storage and collection of coins, employing a mono-channel through which the coins travel from the point where they are inserted to the point where they are collected or returned.

The device is generally applicable to all types of coin-operated machines, and especially to pay station telephones which clearly require the insertion of coins of any type and/or value for their operation.

Mechanisms are known for the reception and collection of coins, mainly applicable to pay station telephones, in which the coins are handled by being separated from each other. This is achieved by means of a compartmentalised carriage which 10 moves forwards and backwards, the entire process being controlled and driven by commands from a microprocessor.

The telephone instruments that incorporate this known type of mechanism arc very bulky since they have to have guides for the motion of the carriage, drive motors, transmission mechanisms, etc.

In another known arrangement a pay station telephone instrument incorporates a mono-channel arrangement through which the coins travel one after the other, each coin resting on its edge and so retaining the following one in a tangential manner.

In this known arrangement, collection is made in such a way that once the corresponding command is received, a retainer of the first coin is activated, which then 20 leaves the channel and drops into the collection box, while the second coin, which was resting on the first, is fed by gravity into the position that was occupied earlier by the first coin and where it is brought to a stop by the retainer.

Although the mechanism is very simple, it suffers from a serious problem in that it only accepts a predetermined type of coin, ic. with a singic thickness. As a result, the mechanism cannot be used with coins having different thicknesses. The reason for this is that, as the coins are resting against one another on its edge, if there are coins that are less thick over-riding of coins can and, in fact, does occur. This results in a blockage that leaves the pay station telephone out of service until it is cleared by the person in charge.

The device of the present invention provides an arrangement to perform the control, storage and collection of coins, in pay station telephones or in machines that are coin-operated, and to do so without the possibility of jamming, and without any need for movable carriages, drive motors, etc., regardless of the size, thickness or value of the coins.

According to the invention there is provided a coin collection device including: a coin passageway having a downward inclination from its input to its exit and designed to permit coins in a substantially upright orientation to roll or slide down the passageway under the action of a gravity; two or more coin retention positions in the passageway, each retention position being defined by a retractable gate means at the lower end of the retention position, the gate means being spaced apart by a distance sufficient to allow the largest acceptable coin to be retained in each retention position; at each retention position, corresponding coin detection means to detect the presence or absence of a coin in the associated retention position; control means responsive to the detection means, to control the gate means to permit the entry of only one coin at a time to each of the retention positions; the control means causing the gate means of the final retention position to open to permit the coin in the final retention position to be collected when any previous credit is exhausted, S15 whereafter the control means causes each coin, if any, in each preceding °o* retention position to be fed to its following retention position, and wherein each retractable gate means is operated by an electro-magnet coil under the control of the control means.

ePreferably the slipway is mounted in an articulated manner to a shaft around which it can turn, making it possible for the slipway to occupy two positions, one which exits into the mono-channel, constituting the actual coin slipway, and the other for coin return, which corresponds to a tilting and a: retraction of this slipway, permitting the coins at that moment located in the mono-channel to fall directly into a coin return channel.

Preferably, each of the retractable levers can tilt around a shaft and has S an associated restoring spring which, once the energising of the corresponding coil has concluded, produces the re-insertion of the corresponding retractable lever into the mono-channel device.

Preferably, the sensors that detect the presence of coins are located opposite the retention positions of the coins when the coins are being retained by their respective retractable levers.

The sensor that detects the passage of collected coins is situated opposite k1A, the outlet of the mono-channel device and at the entrance to the coin collection box.

By means of this device, based on the concepts stated above, it is possible to provide perfect control over any number of coins inserted in any order, providing the control circuit with complete information on the different coins present at any given moment so that this circuit can decide on possible options depending on how the call is progressing. All this control process is carried out without motors and with no need for sources of power other than from the telephone line itself.

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4 4 On the other hand, since the coins are held in modules individually, there will be no jams produced through the indiscriminate insertion of coins.

Summarising, the device is reliable, efficient, simple and cheap, as well as occupying little space, making it possible to have a compact pay station telephone.

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect an embodiment thereof will now be described in relation to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a cross-section of the device of the invention, including the wall of the mono-channel device through which the coin-retaining levers can be retracted, including also the slipway and, in dashed lines, the coils that act the S 10 retractable levers.

Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the device in which can be seen one of the retractable levers for the retention of the respective coin, as well as the coil associated with this lever and the corresponding sensor for detecting the presence of a coin.

Referring to the drawings, and specifically Figure 1, the device can be seen in an application for a general instrument 1, which could be a pay station telephone in- S strument with coin entrance 2 that will include, logically, its corresponding coin selector, such that the coins rejected have access to a coin return channel 3, while those

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admitted as valid are gravity-fed to a mono-channel module 4 where control, storage 20 and collection of the coins take place. The mono-channel module 4 has a slight slope so that the coins 5, can slide towards the exit of the mono-channel module, which corresponds to the entrance 6 of the collection box.

In the implementation being described, it can be seen that the mono-channel module 4 can store three coins, in such a way that the coin 5 is situated in the lowest part of the mono-channel module or "collection zone", while the coins 5' and 5" are located above it in the two "waiting zones". Depending on the necessary storage capacity and on the size of the instrument in which it is held, the device could have more waiting zones.

The coins 5, 5" move along a slipway 7 located between two walls that define the mono-channel module 4. The slipway 7 is formed from an L-shaped profile that can tilt between two positions, one being the working position and the other for coin-return; such that in 'te first case, which corresponds to that shown in the Figures 1 and 2, the coins 5, 5" rest on the horizontal branch of the profile that forms the slipway 7, while in the coin-return position the slipway 7 tilts in order to allow all the coins to fall into the coin-return channel 3, which occurs when the telephone call being made by the user is over and he wishes to retrieve the coins still held in the mono-channel module 4 and which have not been collected. The tilting action mentioned is produced by a retractable lever 8, linked to the slipway 7 and which is activated by the user when he wishes to recover the coins which have still not been collected.

Projecting perpendicularly from one of the walls of the mono-channel module 4 are a series of retractable levers 9, 9' and equidistant from one another. These levers remain perpendicular to this wall in their "out" position as is shown in Figure S 2. Each one serves to retain one coin and each retractable lever 9, 9" is associated 10 with a coil 10, 10', 10" which, when energised, causes the lever 9, 9" to switch positin and allow the respective coin 5, 5" to pass. Each coil 10, 10', 10" has an associated restoring spring 11, 11', 1 The assembly is completed with an equal number of sensors 12, 12', 12", all of which are connected to a control circuit 13. These sensors 12, 12', 12" are used to detect the presence of the coins 5, in order to transmit the corresponding control signals to the control circuit 13.

When the pay station telephone instrument is in an idle state, the coins that are inserted through the entrance 2 are accepted, reach the mono-channel module 4 and start to roll along the slipway 7 resting against and directed by the inner wall of the 20 two that form the mono-channel module 4.

When the pay station telephone instrument is in the idle state, the coils 10, are unenergised and, consequently, the retractable levers 9, 9" project into the mono-channel module 4.

When the user inserts the first coin 5 this, once validated and accepted, starts to roll along the slipway 7, arriving at the position of the retractable lever 9" where it is stopped. The sensor 12" detects the presence of the coin and transmits the corresponding signal to the control circuit. At the same time the coin-detecting sensors 12' and 12 are informing the control circuit that there are no coins being retained by the retractable levers 9' and 9.

With this information, the control circuit instructs the coil 10" to be energised; this causes the retractable lever 9" to be withdrawn and the coin 5, unimpeded, rolls into the position corresponding to retractable lever where it is stopped. Next, coil is de-energised and the lever 9" returns to its idle position, projecting into the mono-channel module 4, because of the action of the restoring spring 11 The presence of the coin 5 retained by the retractable lever 9' is detected by the coin-detecting sensor 12', which informs the control circuit. At the same time, the sensor 12 is informing the control circuit that there is no coin being retained by the retractable lever 9.

With this information, the control circuit instructs coil 10' to be activated, producing the withdrawal of the retractable lever 9' and coin 5, unimpeded, rolls towards the position of retractable lever 9, where it is stopped. Next, coil 10' is deenergised and the retractable lever 9' returns to its idle position, projecting into the mono-channel module 4, because of the action of the restoring spring 11'.

10 At this stage of the process, the coin 5 is stored in the lowest part of the monochannel module 4, that is, in the collection zone.

If the user inserts a second coin 5' and it is validated and accepted, it starts to roll along the slipway 7, arriving at the position of the retractable lever 9" where it is stopped. The sensor 12" detects the presence of the coin and transmits the correspending signal to the control circuit. At the same time the coin-detecting sensor 12' is informing the control circuit that there are no coins being retained by the retractable lever 9'.

S With this information, the control circuit instructs the coil 10" to be energised; this causes the retractable lever 9" to be withdrawn and the coin unimpeded, rolls 20 into the position corresponding to retractable lever where it is stopped. Next, coil is de-energised and the lever 9" returns to its idle position, projecting into the mono-channel module 4, because of the action of the restoring spring 1 1" this stage of the process, the coin 5 is stored in the collection zone and coin 5' is stored in the first waiting zone.

If, under these circumstances, the user inserts a third coin this, once validated and accepted, would reach the position corresponding to the retractable lever 9", where it would be held up.

All that has been described above would be repeated as many times as there are waiting zones in the instrument, in each case transmitting unmistakable information on each coin to the control circuit, making available at all times an exact map with the location of each coin, such that, with this information, together with that provided by the validating element on the type of coins introduced, the control circuit has all the necessary information in order to progress the call in course.

Once the coins 5, 5' and or all the coins that the device can admit have been stored, the manner in which collection is carried out is as follows: with the first coin in the static position as is shown in Figure 1, if the control circuit decides to collect it, coil 10 is activated; this produces the withdrawal of the retractable lever 9, which tilts backwards on its shaft 14, permitting the coin 5 to move unimpeded to the entrance 6 of the collection box. The coil 10 is then de-energised and, because of the restoring spring 11, the lever 9 in the collection zone returns to its idle position and closes once again the slipway.

The control circuit is sure that the first coin has been collected in two ways.

First, the sensor 12 detects and communicates the situation of no coin being present, which verifies that it has been this coin that has moved. Second, it receives a pulse 10 from the sensor 15, that detects the passage of a coin for collection, arranged at the s exit, which ensures that the coin has moved into the collection box.

To complete the collection process, if the control circuit is receiving information from sensor 12' that there is a coin waiting, it activates the coil 10', causing the retractable lever 9' in the first waiting zone to withdraw, tilting backwards in the same way as the lever 9 had done before, leaving the slipway free; at this moment the second coin 5' is no longer retained and rolls forward to the next point of detention represented by retractable lever 9 pertaining to the collection zone.

This occurrence is recongised by the control circuit, since sensor 12' no longer detects the pesence of the coin which means that it has moved; sensor 12 then 20 signals the presence of a new coin, which indicates that the movement in question has been into the collection position.

Had there been more waiting zones in the device, and had these had coins in so ago: them, the device would repeat all that has been described before, the final result being the displacement of all the coins into the collection position.

Had there been more waiting zones in the device, and had these had coins in them, the device would repeat all that has been described before, the final result being the displacement of all the coins into the collection position.

If it is desired to recover the coins not used, that is, those retained in the monochannel device 4, it is sufficient to act on the slipway 7 causing it to withdraw slightly and permitting all the coins 5, 5' and 5" to fall by gravity into the coin return channel 3. The tilting action of the said slipway 7 takes place around the axis 16 which is clearly shown in Figure 2.

Under such circumstances, the control circuit is aware of what has happened because the sensors 12, 12' and 12" communicate that there are no coins presently retained by the retractable levers 9, 9' and 9".

Claims

1. A coin collection device including: a coin passageway having a downward inclination from its input to its exit and designed to permit coins in a substantially upright orientation to roll or slide down the passageway under the action of a gravity; two or more coin retention positions in the passageway, each retention position being defined by a retractable gate means at the lower end of the retention position, the gate means being spaced apart by a distance sufficient to allow the largest acceptable coin to be retained in each retention position; at each retention position, corresponding coin detection means to detect the presence or absence of a coin in the associated retention position; control means responsive to the detection means, to control the gate means to permit the entry of only one coin at a time to each of the retention positions; the control means causing the gate means of the final retention position to open to permit the coin in the final retention position to be collected when any previous 15 credit is exhausted, whereafter the control means causes each coin, if any, in 0 to each preceding retention position to be fed to its following retention position, and wherein each retractable gate means is operated by an electro-magnet coil under the control of the control means.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the final retention position open onto a collection channel.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 3, wherein the passageway is tiltable in a direction transverse to the passageway under the action of a lever operated by a user of equipment in which the device is incorporated, to cause coins in the passageway to be dislodged from the passageway into a coin return channel.

S4. A device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, including a collection sensor to detect the passage of a coin from the final retention position to the collection channel, the coflection sensor's output being connected to the control means to confirm the coin collection.

5. A coin collection device substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

6. Coin controlled equipment including a device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, the equipment including coin verification means through which coins inserted in the equipment pass, the coin verification means permitting only acceptable coins to enter the device.

7. Equipment as claimed in claim 6, wherein the verification means provides information to the control means to control the collection of the or each coin in the f'nal retention position.

8. Equipment as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein the equipment is a pay-telephone. DATED THIS TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY OF OCTOBER 1993 ALCATEL N.V. se*e 460*6o 00: ftS S Ittf 0lO ABSTRACT This invention relates to devices for the control, storage and collection of coins, incorporated in coin-operated machines, particularly pay-phones. The device is of a mono-channel type through which coins slide to be collected one after another. The device of the present invention is arranged such that without any need to separate the coins, it is capable of controlling, storing and collecting, at least, two of these, regardless of the type and of the order in which they have been inserted, with no requirement for the use of motors or movable stores, and without jamming. 10 This is achieved by having the coins retained separately in a channel by means of corresponding retractable levers each of which is associ- ated with a respective energising coil Sensors are provided to detect the a' presence of coins inside the channel as well as a sensor to detect the passage of collected coins (15) situated at the outlet of the channel and at the en- trance of the collection box. (Figure 1) S 0 O S