EP0875046B1 - Device for selecting objects, particularly coins - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for selecting objects inserted as payment into a product or service dispenser through an insertion slot. The device includes a transport member provided with a recess for receiving one object at a time and conveying the object placed in said recess to a measurement section (ZM) where object compliance testing means are arranged. Said device further includes drive means for continuously and irreversibly moving the transport member along a path such that said recess is continuously moved from a starting position (P1) in which it communicates with said insertion slot to a final stand-by position (P2) via said measurement section (ZM). Said compliance testing means receive transport member movement sampling signals. The device is useful for dispensing services such as tickets for car parking or public transport and the like.

Description

The present invention relates to an object selector device introduced as payment in a distributor of products or services.

The invention finds a particularly advantageous application in the field of service distribution, such as securities parking of vehicles or tickets.

We know for example US Patents 5,392,891 and 5,404,986 a distributor of products or services in exchange for cash payment in which coins are introduced individually through an introduction orifice, generally slit-shaped. The parts thus introduced into the dispenser are received by a selector device consisting mainly of a transport member of circular shape, capable of being driven in rotation around its axis arranged horizontally. In said organ transport is arranged accommodation corresponding substantially to a circular sector, in which the single pieces are received after introduction into the dispenser, said housing having been previously placed in communication with the introduction orifice.

By rotation around its axis, the transport member brings the coin in the housing at a measurement area where various compliance verification operations are carried out, know the determination of the diameter of the part by time measurement passing in front of an optical sensor and metal analysis constituting the part by a magnetic measurement carried out so static, the transport member being stopped in the field of a electromagnetic detector.

Then, from this stop position, the transport member can tilt, either in a first direction of rotation to direct the workpiece money to a pre-collection block if it is recognized conform, either in a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first, towards a part return output, in the case otherwise (see also EP-A-0 609 923).

This selector device known from the prior art presents however the disadvantage of requiring a stop of the movement of the organ transport to analyze the metal of the part present in the accommodation, which leads to a slowdown in the chain parts processing.

Also, the technical problem to be solved by the subject of this invention is to provide a device for selecting objects introduced to payment voucher in a product distributor through an opening of introduction, said device comprising a transport member provided with a housing intended to receive said objects individually and capable of bring an object placed in said housing to a measurement area where means for verifying the conformity of said object are arranged, detector device that would speed up the operations of compliance verification in order to reduce the presence time of objects in the measurement area and therefore decrease the interval of time between two successive introductions of objects into the distributor by user.

The solution to the technical problem consists, according to this invention, in that said selector device also comprises drive means capable of ensuring continuous movement irreversible of said transport member along a path during from which said housing passes from an initial communication position with said introduction orifice in a final waiting position in traversing said measurement area continuously, said means of conformity verification receiving sampling signals of the movement of the transport member.

Thus, as will be seen in detail below, the analysis of the metal constituting a coin for example can be performed without requiring downtime in the measurement area, a consequence of fact that it is possible to establish indicative, specific parameters of the metal used, from a position statement perfectly reproducible of the part in the measurement area, provided by sampling signals.

It is in this sense that the invention provides that said means of compliance verification include means of analysis magnetic material of said objects, capable of expressing said analysis in terms of characteristic values of a curve representative of the magnetic signature of said objects, said objects characteristic values being sampled by means of said sampling signals.

According to an advantageous arrangement of the invention, said means of compliance verification include means of measurement geometric of said objects, able to express said measurements in term of number of steps of sampling signals, regardless of the speed of the transport member. By measures geometric we will hear for example the measurements of diameter and of thickness which are two parameters allowing to check the conformity of coins.

• tentative d'introduction d'un second objet par l'usager pendant les mesures effectuées sur l'objet précédemment introduit,
• fraude volontaire par freinage de l'organe de transport pendant les mesures afin de perturber celles-ci.

The geometric measurements of the selector device of the invention are therefore performed dynamically, as for the diameter measurement described in the aforementioned US patents. Note however that in the known selector device the determination of the diameter being obtained from the measurement of the time of passage of the object in front of an optical sensor, the result depends on the speed of rotation of the transport member. Conversely, in the invention, the measurement is made according to the position of the object to be recognized, this position being known very precisely by sampling the movement of the transport member carried out at training means. The measurement is therefore independent of the speed of said transport member, which avoids having to control this speed very precisely and makes it possible to overcome external disturbances which can be applied to the transport member, such as:

• attempt by the user to introduce a second object during the measurements made on the previously introduced object,
• deliberate fraud by braking of the transport device during the measurements in order to disrupt them.

According to another particularly advantageous characteristic of the invention, it is intended that the path of the housing between the positions initial and final also crosses an object orientation zone between a collection outflow and a refund outflow, consecutive to the measurement area. We thus obtain a continuation of the continuous movement, in the same direction, of the organ transport, to the orientation of the objects following the operations of compliance check previously carried out in the measures, while the US patents mentioned above require, on the one hand, a stop and, on the other hand, a switch between two possible directions of rotation depending on the result of the verification. We will then understand that the invention does not involve stopping, nor reversal of direction in this way further reduces the time between two successive introductions of objects into the distributor.

In the remainder of this brief, we will also understand by collection well the direct collection of the objects in the piggy bank of the distributor that pre-collection with intermediate storage of objects with possibility of return in the event of cancellation of the transaction by the user.

More particularly, said outgoing payments and restitution are arranged in series opposite the continuous movement of the transport member, an object placed in the housing being suitable, under the action of gravity, to cross the collection outlet if the object is recognized as conforming when leaving the measurement area or crossing the return output if the object is recognized as non-compliant at the output of the measurement area, a movable shutter for closing the pre-collection outlet, normally in the open position, being brought into closed position.

Finally, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the measurement area is arranged on the path of the accommodation in such a way that said conformity verification means are implemented during the continuous movement of the transport from the initial communication position of the accommodation, after said accommodation has ceased to communicate with the insertion opening. This arrangement enables the recognition of objects introduced into the selector device the invention without the measurements made by means of compliance checks are affected by the environment exterior, which is particularly important when using optical means sensitive to stray light likely to cross the insertion opening.

The description which will follow with regard to the appended drawings, given as nonlimiting examples, will make it clear how consists of the invention and how it can be realized.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a selector device according to the invention.

Figures 2a to 2e are side views of the selector device of Figure 1 for various positions of the housing of the body transport.

FIG. 3a is a side view of a means of measuring the diameter of an object introduced into the selector device in accordance with the invention.

Figure 3b is a diameter measurement timing diagram provided by means of Figure 3a.

FIG. 4a is a side view of a means for measuring the thickness of an object introduced into the selector device in accordance with the invention.

Figure 4b is a thickness measurement timing diagram provided by means of Figure 4a.

Figure 5a is a side view of a metal analysis means of an object introduced into the selector device according to the invention. Figure 5b is a metal analysis timing diagram provided by the means of Figure 5a.

Figure 6 is a front view of the selector device of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is an alternative embodiment of the transport member Figures 1 to 2e.

The selector device shown in perspective in Figure 1 is intended to equip a distributor of products or service in which objects, such as coins 1, are introduced to payment order through an opening 10 of introduction.

As shown in Figure 1, said dispensing device includes a transport member 100 having been of general shape a wheel, in which is housed a housing 110 intended for receive 1 pieces individually.

The transport wheel 100 is capable of being rotated around its axis 101 by drive means which, in the example of Figure 1, are constituted by a motor 200 current continuous and a transmission mechanism 210 comprising a reducer composed of two straight pinions 211, 212 coupled to a screw 213 without end cooperating with teeth, not shown, arranged at the periphery of the wheel 100. The helix of the worm 213 is at left in order to press the transport wheel 100 on the plane P of reference when it rotates normally in the retrograde direction (direction to improve the measurement of the thickness of the pieces 1 which, as we will see later, is part of the operations of verification of conformity that objects introduced into the selector device.

The motor 200 used is high efficiency to limit the consumption and low inertia to facilitate stopping the wheel 100 of transport with good angular precision.

Under the action of the aforementioned drive means, the wheel 100 of transport is driven by an irreversible continuous rotation movement in the retrograde direction along a path during which the accommodation 110, starting from an initial position P1 shown in FIG. 2a, is brought to a measurement zone ZM where means 301 are arranged, 302, 303 for checking the conformity of the coin 1. Then, after continuously crossing the said measurement zone ZM, the housing 110 reaches, always in the same movement, a final position P2 shown in FIG. 2e which will be explained more far.

As can be seen in FIG. 2a, the housing 110 in its initial position P1 communicates with the orifice 10 for introducing so as to be able to receive the object 1 introduced individually.

As soon as object 1 is recognized as opaque, therefore susceptible to be a coin, by a detector 11 of the optical type, the motor 200 is started so that the wheel 100 transport unit brings part 1 to the measurement area where carried out continuous compliance verification operations which will now be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3a to 5b.

Among the means used to establish the conformity of parts 1 introduced, Figure 3a illustrates a diameter measuring device essentially formed by a couple 302 infrared transmitter / receiver for example. The measurement consists in recording the transmitted flow of the transmitter to the receiver when passing from room 1. As shown in (a) FIG. 3b, the signal supplied by the receiver has a time t2 shutter directly proportional to the diameter of the part 1, but which also depends on the speed of rotation of the wheel 100 of transport. In order to obtain a speed independent result of rotation, the signal (a) from the torque 302 transmitter / detector is close to a sampling signal (b) of the movement of the transport wheel 100. Preferably, said signal sampling will come from the means of training and not from the wheel itself because, given the reduction ratio introduced by the transmission mechanism 210, it would be practically practically impossible to achieve a frequency at the wheel equivalent sampling as high as the engine 200.

To do this, Figure 1 shows that an encoder, such as a wheel encoder 300 with slots 310 and optical fork (not shown), is mounted on the axis 214 of the motor 200. The rotational movement of said wheel 300 is integral with that of motor 200 and therefore also of the rotational movement of the wheel 100. The signal (b) sampling from the engine consists of a series pulses following the passage of a wheel slot in the optical fork. Two consecutive pulses are separated by corresponding constant angular distance, via the transmission mechanism 210, at an angular pitch known from the rotation of the transport wheel 100. To go to the linear step in advance of part 1, we multiply said angular step by the distance of the detection torque 302 to the axis 101 of the wheel 100. It then suffices to count the number n2 of steps of the sampling signal (b) observed during the shutter time t2 to obtain an expression of the diameter in number of steps, regardless of the speed of rotation of the transport wheel 100.

The measurement of the thickness of the part 1, illustrated in FIGS. 4a and 4b, is carried out in a similar manner. Room 1 goes first in front of the 302 transmitter / receiver pair used for measuring the diameter, then in front of a second identical pair 303, placed in bias at an angle of 45 ° for example. The time t3 measured is that between the passage in front of the first couple 302 and the second couple 303. It will be observed that the thicker the piece 1, the more this time is short. The time t3 is then expressed in terms of number n3 of steps sampling lines, which gives Le and therefore e, L being known by construction.

Of course, the sampling signals shown respectively in (b) of figure 3b and in (c) of figure 4b can also be obtained by an encoder, integral with the movement of the 100 transport wheel itself. This device allows to take directly as a measurement reference, the movement of the wheel 100. So the diameter and thickness measurements are made independent of any variations in the speed of rotation of the wheel, induced by the drive system or by disturbances external, such as gear defect, center distance accuracy, quality of the engine, braking of the transport wheel 100. Said encoder is made, for example, by the association of slots (not shown) fitted to the circumference of the wheel and an optical sensor to fork (not shown), like the slotted encoder wheel 300 310 of figure 1.

The analysis of the metal constituting the part 1 is carried out from the next way. As shown in Figures 5a and 5b, part 1 entrained in the housing crosses a magnetic field induced by a first coil 311 of a magnetic cell 301, powered by an alternating signal at level and fixed frequencies. A measurement is made on a second coil 321, called the reception coil, placed opposite the first transmitting coil 311. It is thus possible to appreciate the receiving coil level 321 field disturbance magnetic caused by the passage of part 1, this disturbance being characteristic of the metal of the part. We then obtain a curve sampled over time by means of the coding wheel 300, each sample E1, ....., E8 for example corresponding to a precise position of the part 1 in the magnetic cell 301.

We can see in Figure 5b that in order to better characterize the parts, the transmission frequency F can be changed when the part 1 has crossed half of cell 301, passing for example from F to 4F. This transition appears in Figure 5b between the samples E4 and 45.

From the response curve in Figure 5b, which constitutes somehow a curve representative of the magnetic signature parts, it is possible to express the analysis of the metal in terms of characteristic values taken from this curve.

• type atténuation : il s'agit de repérer l'échantillon pour lequel le signal magnétique a subi un abaissement de x %. Sur la figure 5b, les points E1, E2, E3, d'une part, et E8, E7, E6, d'autre part, sont les échantillons pour lesquels le signal a été atténué de 25, 50 et 75 %, respectivement sur le flanc descendant et le flanc ascendant du signal.
• type ratio : il s'agit de faire le rapport de deux valeurs typiques du signal magnétique. Par exemple sur la figure 5b, on peut faire :
• ratio 1 = Vmini1/Vrepos
• ratio 2 = Vmini2/Vrepos
• ratio 3 = Vmini1/Vmini2
• type signature globale : il s'agit de caractériser l'ensemble de la courbe à l'aide d'une seule valeur, par exemple l'intégrale de toute la courbe (surface sous la courbe).

These characteristic values can be of several types:

• attenuation type: this involves locating the sample for which the magnetic signal has been reduced by x%. In FIG. 5b, the points E1, E2, E3, on the one hand, and E8, E7, E6, on the other hand, are the samples for which the signal has been attenuated by 25, 50 and 75%, respectively on the falling edge and the rising edge of the signal.
• type ratio: it is a question of making the ratio of two typical values of the magnetic signal. For example in Figure 5b, we can do:
• ratio 1 = Vmini1 / Vrepos
• ratio 2 = Vmini2 / Vrepos
• ratio 3 = Vmini1 / Vmini2
• global signature type: this involves characterizing the entire curve using a single value, for example the integral of the entire curve (area under the curve).

The precision and above all the reproducibility of these measurements, including thickness measurement, require that the object whose conformity must be checked always occurs in one position relative to the pairs of optical sensors and to the cell magnetic. Several arrangements can be made for this purpose.

On the one hand, it is provided, as indicated in FIG. 6, that the wheel 100 of transport is in abutment against the reference plane P, which is inclined at an angle α of 10 ° for example, relative to the vertical V. The object placed in the housing is thus maintained by its own weight against said reference plane during at least the crossing of the zone ZM of measurements.

On the other hand, as already mentioned above, the meaning the pitch of the worm 213 is such that, due to friction against the teeth of the wheel 100, the latter is pressed against the plane P of reference.

Finally, it is advantageous for the housing 110 to include edges 111, 112 of contact with the object 1, visible in FIG. 1, having an inclined profile capable of promoting the maintenance of said object against the reference plane P, as can be seen in FIG. 6 for edge 111.

As shown more particularly in FIG. 2c, at the outlet of the measurement zone ZM where object 1 has been recognized as conforming or not compliant, the transport wheel 100 continues its movement of continuous rotation so that the path of the housing 110 passes through also continuously a zone ZO of orientation of the objects between an outlet 401 for collection and an outlet 402 for return, the ZO orientation zone being of course consecutive to the ZM zone of measures.

According to the embodiment presented in FIGS. 2c, 2d and 2e, the collection and return outlets 401 and 402 are arranged in series with regard to the continuous movement of the transport wheel 100. The collection outlet 401 can be closed by a movable flap 400 located on the periphery of the wheel. Said flap 400 is, for example, set moving along a translation parallel to the axis 101 of rotation wheel 100, the flap stroke should be slightly longer to the thickness of the housing 110 formed in the wheel. In the case thin in front of the other dimensions, this race is very reduced and therefore allows very rapid translation between the position open and closed position.

The shutter 400, controlled by an electromagnet not shown, is normally in the open position and is only brought into the closed position that if, on leaving the measurement zone ZM, object 1 is recognized not compliant.

Thus, in the orientation zone ZO, the object 1 is able, under the effect gravity, to cross the collection outlet 401 if said object has been found to be in conformity.

On the other hand, if it has not been recognized as conforming, object 1 cannot cross said collection outlet 401 due to the fact that beforehand the movable flap 400 will have been brought into the closed position. Object 1 is then brought, always in the continuity of the movement of the wheel 100 of transport, towards the exit 402 of restitution, which remains open in permanence. The position of the housing 110 shown in FIG. 2e, corresponding to the communication of said accommodation with the output 402 of restitution, constitutes the final standby position P2. In indeed, in this position P2, the continuous movement of the wheel 100 of transport is interrupted, pending the introduction of a new object in the selector device.

This standby position P2 serves as a reference to the movement of the 100 transport wheel. To do this, we practice a slit (not shown) in the rim of the wheel, which, when it comes in coincidence with an optical fork (not shown), provides a reference signal. This signal, associated with the sampling signals, allows at any time to know the exact position of the wheel 100.

When a metal object is engaged in port 10 introduction, a magnetic presence detector controls the motor 200 so as to bring the housing 110 from the position P2 waiting at the initial position P1 for communication with the orifice 10 introduction to resume the cycle described above.

It will be observed in Figure 2e, that to guard against acts of vandalism, when the housing 110 is in the P2 standby position, the transport wheel 100 completely blocks the orifice 10 for introduction, the latter having a width less than that of the rim of the wheel.

Finally, as shown in Figure 2b, and to avoid external disturbances, the ZM measurement zone is located on the path of the housing 110 in such a way that the means 301, 302, 303 conformity identification cannot be used in passage of object 1 only after the housing 100 has ceased to communicate with the orifice 10 of introduction. This is to avoid especially the influence of stray light on optical measurements.

The housing 110 shown in Figures 1 to 2e has two edges 111, 112 of rectilinear contact. However, there is benefit, as As shown in FIG. 7, that the objects 1, 1 ′, such as pieces of coin, each having a center, the edges 111, 112 have a shape such that the centers of said objects are on the same circle C, concentric of the transport wheel 100, whatever let the diameter and the thickness of the objects 1, 1 '. Preferably, the circle C crosses at least the measurement means 301, 302 geometric objects, diameter and thickness, which allows obtain absolute measurements, independent of the size of the objects. The optical radius of the 302, 303 transmitter / receiver pairs always the same arc on the object, which represents directly the diameter and thickness measurements. The rounded shape of housing 110 removes the dependence between the measures of diameter and thickness.

Claims (16)

1. A selector device for selecting objects (1) inserted by way of payment into a dispenser of goods or services via an insertion orifice (10), said device comprising a transport member (100) provided with a housing (110) designed to receive said objects singly and suitable for bringing an object (1) placed in said housing (110) into a measurement zone (ZM) where means (301, 302, 303) are disposed for verifying conformity of said object (1), characterized in that said selector device also comprises drive means (200, 210) suitable for imparting a non-reversible continuous movement to said transport member (100) along a path during which said housing (110) passes from an initial position (P1) of communication with said insertion orifice (10) to a final or waiting position (P2), while passing through said measurement zone (ZM) in continuous manner, said means (301, 302, 303) for verifying conformity receiving sampling signals sampling the movement of the transport member (100).
2. A selector device according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for verifying conformity comprise means (302, 303) for geometrically measuring said objects, suitable for expressing said measurements in terms of numbers (n2, n3) of steps in the sampling signals, independently of the speed of the transport member (100).
3. A selector device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said means for verifying conformity comprise means (301) for magnetically analyzing the material of said objects (1), suitable for expressing said analysis in terms of characteristic values of a curve representative of the magnetic signature of said objects, said characteristic values being sampled by means of said sampling signals.
4. A selector device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said means for driving the transport member (100) are constituted by a motor (200) and a transmission mechanism (210), said sampling signals being delivered by an encoder (300) constrained to rotate with the shaft (214) of said motor (200).
5. A selector device according to claim 4, characterized in that said coder is a code wheel (300) mounted on the shaft (214) of the drive motor (200).
6. A selector device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said means for driving the transport member (100) are constituted by a transmission mechanism (210), said sampling signals being delivered by an encoder constrained to move with said transport member (100).
7. A selector device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that with said transport member (100) being in the form of a wheel, said transmission mechanism (210) comprises a wormscrew (213) coupled to the shaft (214) of the drive motor (200) and co-operating with teeth formed at the periphery of the wheel (100).
8. A selector device according to claim 7, characterized in that the transport wheel (100) presses against a reference plane (P) that is inclined relative to the vertical (V).
9. A selector device according to claim 8, characterized in that the handedness of the wormscrew (213) is such that because of friction against said teeth, the transport wheel (100) is pressed against said reference plane (P).
10. A selector device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the housing (110) includes at least one edge (111, 112) for contacting said object (1) and having a sloping profile suitable for holding the object (1) against the reference plane (P).
11. A selector device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the path of the housing (110) between said initial and final positions (P1, P2) also passes continuously through a zone (ZO) for accepting or rejecting objects (1) directing them either to an encashment outlet (401) or to a return outlet (402) following after the measurement zone (ZM).
12. A selector device according to claim 11, characterized in that said encashment and return outlets (401, 402) are disposed in series facing the continuous movement of the transport member (100), an object (1) placed in the housing (110) being suitable, under the action of gravity, for passing through the encashment outlet (401) if the object has been recognized as being in conformity on leaving the measurement zone (ZM) or for passing through the return outlet (402) if the object is recognized as not being in conformity on leaving the measurement zone (ZM), a normally-open moving flap (400) for shutting the encashment outlet (401) being brought into a closed position.
13. A selector device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that when the housing (110) is in the final, waiting position (P2), the transport member (100) completely closes the insertion orifice (10).
14. A selector device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the measurement zone (ZM) is disposed on the path of the housing (110) in such a manner that said means (301, 302, 303) for verifying conformity are implemented during the continuous movement of the transport member (100) starting from the housing's initial, communication position (P1), and after said housing (110) has ceased to be in communication with the insertion orifice (10).
15. A selector device according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that each of the objects (1, 1') has a center, said contact edges (111, 112) of the housing (100) being of a shape such that the centers of said objects lie on a common circle (C) concentric with the transport wheel (100).
16. A selector device according to claim 15, characterized in that said circle (C) passes at least through the means (301, 302) for geometrically measuring the objects (1, 1').

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