EP1962248B1

EP1962248B1 - Coin dispenser device

Info

Publication number: EP1962248B1
Application number: EP08101986.1A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fabrizio Alberici
Original assignee: Alberici SpA
Current assignee: Alberici SpA
Priority date: 2007-02-26
Filing date: 2008-02-26
Publication date: 2015-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 2028-02-26
Also published as: EP1962248A2; EP1962248A3; ITBO20070122A1

Description

The present invention refers to a coin dispenser device fit to the outgoing of coins, tokens or similar, from a container.
There are known coin dispenser devices, known as hopper, having a tank for the coins and a chain or disc element for the withdrawal of the single coins from such tank and for the distribution of such coins.
A disadvantage of such known disc devices consists in being subjected to jams caused, sometimes, by the blocking of coins, for instance between a mobile member and a fixed member. Another disadvantage of said known disc devices consists in the fact that such jams require the intervention of specialized worker in order to restore the operation and sometimes they damage the motor and/or transmission members.
A further disadvantage of the known devices consists in the overall dimensions caused by the position and the complexity of the motor and/or transmission members.
Another disadvantage of such known devices consists in the fact that generally they are difficult to fit to the different conditions of employment and to the various type of coins because they may use a single type of disc element.
Documents USRE37662E1 and EP1594095 refer to the field of coin dispenser devices. In particular documents USRE37662E1 refers to a coin dispenser device provided with a rotating disc means rotated by motorized means by means of transmission means and provided with a set of housings for coins, picked from a tank, fit to make each one of said coins match with ejecting means fit to push each one of said coins into an outlet channel. The disc means is provided with crown wheel engaged with an outlet pinion or the transmission means. Each housing of the disc means comprises a pass-through hole having a diameter almost equal or greater than the coins diameter and comprises flat means for sliding fit to allow the sliding of the coins housed in the pass-though holes. The disc means further comprises a set of lateral pass-through slots each one placed laterally to a respective housing having sufficient dimensions for the lateral outgoing of a coin. The means for sliding has marching means protruding from it and sliding in ring-like grooves made in the face of the disc means matching in sliding way the means for sliding, said the matching means have a plurality of protruding teeth each one housed in a respective hole of the means for sliding.
An object of the present invention is to propose a coin dispenser device fit to reduce the risk of jams. Other object is to propose a device fit to restore its own operation also in a type of jam and to reduce the risks of damage in jam case.
Further object is to propose a device with transmission members of reduced complexity and less overall dimensions.
Other object of the invention is to propose a modular device fit to work with little and simple adjustment with various type of disc elements for the satisfaction of several, various and changeable requirements.
The features of the invention are evidenced in the following with particular reference to the attached figures, in which:

figure 1 shows an axonometric, exploded and partial view, from a lateral and a top view, of the coin dispenser device object of the present invention;
figure 2 shows a bottom view of a disc means made by the union of two elements, shown separately in figure 1;
figure 3 shows a lateral view of disc means of figure 2;
figures 4, 5 and 6 show a lateral, bottom and top views of a sliding and matching member made by the union of two elements shown separately in figure 1;
figures 7 and 8 show enlarged views respectively axonometric and lateral of an arm means of figure 1;
figures 9 and 10 show top and lateral views of a first variant of the disc means of figures 2 and 3;
figures 11-13 show respectively top, lateral and axonometric exploded view of a second variant of the disc means of figures 2 and 3;
figure 14 shows a lateral, enlarged and partially sectioned view of the disc means of figure 12.

With reference to the figures 1-8, with 1 is indicated the coin dispenser device, object of present the invention, for a coins dispenser provided with a tank or bulk coins container to distribute in a controlled way through such device.
Such coins tank is made by a hopper, known and not shown, to be jointly fixed to connections 60 of the body 10 of device 1 which makes a side wall thereof.
The coin dispenser device is provided, in correspondence with a wall of the body 10, of a rotating disc means 2, as an example made of synthetic material, activated for rotating by transmission means.
In the operating condition, said wall with the disc means 2, which closes laterally the tank containing the coins, is tilted in respect to the vertical axis of about 10° - 40° and it is divergent towards the top with respect to the inside of the container.
The disc means 2 is provided with of a set of housings 3 for the coins of the tank that are collected in said housings during the rotation of said disc means among the loose coins of the tank.
The rotation of the disc means put the coins of the housings towards the top from the tank until matching with ejecting means 4 fit to push each one of such coins into an outlet channel 5.
The disc means 2 is provided with one crown wheel 6 engaged by an outlet pinion of the transmission means.
Such crown wheel can be fixed in a coaxial way to the disc means and below it and may have lower or almost the same diameter of the disc means.
The invention provides also that the teeth of the crown are of the axial type, realizing a cylindrical crown, or inner or outer radial type.
Preferably, and as shown in figures 1, 2 and 3, the crown wheel 6 has the same diameter of the disc means, it is fixed, or made, in a lower position in respect to the peripheral edge of this latter disc means 2 and has external radial teeth engaged in a pinion, known and not shown, placed at the outlet of the transmission means in correspondence with a housing 61 of the body 10.
Each housing 3 of the disc means 2 comprises a hole 7 passing through the thickness of the disc means.
The diameter of each pass-through hole 7 of the disc means 2 is almost equal or greater than the coins diameter.
The device comprises a means for sliding 8, as an example made of synthetic and/or metallic material, flat and parallel to the disc means that rotates sliding thereon.
The means for sliding 8 supplies the plane fit to allow the sliding of the coins housed in the pass-through holes 7.
Such sliding plane defined by the means for sliding 8 is almost coplanar with the face of the outlet channel 5, along which the coins slide.
The disc means 2 comprises a set of lateral pass-through slots 9 each one placed laterally to a respective housing 3. Each lateral slot has sufficient dimensions for the lateral outlet of a coin.
In the preferred embodiment, shown in the figures, the means for sliding 8 consists in a removable disc-shaped member interposed between the disc means 2 and the body 10 of the device 1.
Alternatively the means for sliding 8 consists in a disc-shaped irremovable portion of the body 10 of the device 1.
The body has a cylindrical flange 62 that surrounds the disc means 2 with the exception of the zones of the entrance of the outlet channel and of the housing 61 for the pinion. Such flange 62 prevents the flowing out of the coins through the lengthened slots except for the passage of such coins into the outlet channel 5.
The means for sliding 8 has matching means 11 protruding from it and sliding in ring-like grooves 12 made in the lower face of the disc means 2, which contacts in a sliding manner, the means for sliding 8.
The matching means 11 have a plurality of protruding teeth 13, each one housed in a respective hole 17 of the means for sliding 8 and sliding in a respective ring-like groove 12. The protruding teeth 13 are almost aligned in the outlet channel 5 direction in order to eject from the housing 3 and to push each coin through the respective lateral slot 9 in such outlet channel 5. The matching means 11 have elastic means in order to allow the teeth 13 to re-enter elastically within the profile of the means for sliding 8 in order to disengage from a coin, in case the coin is blocked therein.
The side of the matching means 11 opposite to the teeth 13 is provided with a set of anti-rotation pins 14 fit to engage in correspondent body 10 holes 15 in order to prevent the rotation of the matching means and of the means for sliding 8.
The disc means 2 may be made integral or preferably, as shown, may comprise a first lower member 18 and a second upper member 19 circularly shaped and mutually faced and fixed.
The first member 18 has a face that matches in a sliding way with the means for sliding 8 and comprises a portion for sliding 22 equipped with a central portion 20 ring-like shaped from which concordantly curved arms 21 come out, regularly spaced and turned towards the outside. The crown wheel 6, that is ring-like shaped, is fixed to the external ends of the curved arms 21 and circumscribes the means for sliding 8. The end portions of the curved arms 21 define the front and back edges of the lateral slots 9 working as a guide for the coins towards such slots.
The second member 19 is fixed to the face of the first member 18 opposite to that one which matches the means for sliding 8 and is coaxial to the first member and to the means for sliding. The second member 19 is equipped with a plurality of respective circular pass-through holes 23, each one defining the inlet opening of the respective pass-through hole 7 of the correspondent housing 3 for the coins.
Each circular pass-through hole 23 of the second member 19 is aligned to a respective space between the two arms 21 adjacent to the first member and cooperating with such space in order to realize the pass-through hole 7 of each housing 3 for the coins.
The second member 19 is equipped with a plurality of tilted planes 24 each one flowing in a respective circular pass-through hole 23 in order to facilitate the incoming of the coins into said hole 23.
The means for sliding 8 and the disc means 2 are at least partially housed in a circular recess 25 of the body 10 delimited by the cylindrical flange 62 and flowing into the outlet channel 5 through one of the interruptions of the flange.
The device 1 further comprises an oscillating arm 50 faced to the inlet opening of the outlet channel 5 for the coins and interposed between this latter and the disc means 2 in order to assist the passage of the coins from the disc means to the channel. An end of the arm 50 is equipped with a transversal pin 51 in a rotating manner engaged in a respective hole 52 made in the body 10 of the device 1.
The side of turned arm 50 towards the coins is slightly concave and the transversal pin is placed so that the arm stretches towards disc means by gravity. In particular transversal pin 51 is almost perpendicular to the plane defined from the coins and the channel 5 in order to realize oscillations of the arm 50 parallels to such plane of the coins. The end of the arm 50 opposite to that one of transversal pin 51 has a small wheel 53 freely rotating around a rotation axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the coins.
The small wheel 53 is truncated cone with apex turned towards the plane defined by the coins that is towards the bottom. The end of arm 50 opposite to that one of the transversal pin 51 has also a bracket means 54 protruding and fit to match with a face of the coins. The face of the bracket means 54 matching with the coins is parallel and aligned to the plane defined by the coins; in other words such face of the bracket means is almost coplanar with the sliding plane of the means for sliding 8 and with the sliding face of the coins of the outlet channel.
The lateral surface of small wheel 53 matching with the edge of the coins and the face of bracket means 54 matching with the coins form slightly acute angles.
The operation provides that the coins inserted into the housings 3 by means of the rotation of the disc, are ejected by the matching means 11 and guided by the mobile ends of the arm 8 until the inlet opening of the outlet channel 5 going towards sensors, counters and/or outlets of the device.
In the first variant of the disc means of figures 9 and 10 the disc means is monolithic, as an example made of metallic material or preferably synthetic resilient material, or having elastic propriety, without pass-through holes and with the housings 3 for the protruding coins from the upper face of the disc means and fixed to a respective elastic means 30 of the disc means 2. Each elastic means 30 is made by a flat portion of the disc means 2, delimited by a pass-through cut 31 whose ends are at a mutual predetermined distance.
The shape and the length of the flat portion, the distance between the ends of the cut, the thickness and the characteristics of the material of the disc means define, approximately, the elasticity of the elastic means 30 and thus allowing the elastic movement of the housings. Each housing 3 comprises a set of teeth 32 almost aligned in the outlet channel direction.
Optionally the front face 33, in respect to the rotation of the disc means 2, of each tooth 32 may b slightly e tilted forming with the support plane of the coin a slightly obtuse angle. Such inclination facilitates, in case of coin jam, the bending of the elastic means and the disengagement of the coin which can fall back into the tank unblocking the device.
The crown wheel 6 is made peripherally in respect to the disc means and has the same mechanical - dimensional characteristics of the correspondent crow of the disc means with housings having pass-through hole 7 in order to realize the inter-changeability of the two types of disc means.
The operation of this variant is not substantially different from the operation previously described but preliminarily requires the disassembly of the device 1 of the disc means with housings 3 having pass-through hole 7 and of means for sliding 8, the assembly in the housing 10 of the disc means 2 with housings 3 fixed to the respective elastic means 30 and the assembly in the connection 65 of a suitable coin ejecting means from the housings, of known and not shown type.
In the second variant of the disc means of figures 11-14, such rotating disc means 2 has the crown wheel 6 peripherally realized and having the same characteristics of the correspondent crown of the disc means with pass-through hole housing 7 in order to realize the inter-changeability of the two types of the disc means.
Each housing 3 of this last disc means comprises a set of protruding teeth 40 whose front face 41, regarding the rotation of disc means 2, is made by a metallic insert 42 fixed to the disc means 2.
The invention provides that such type of teeth with metallic insert may be adopted also in the first variant of figures 9 and 10.
The metallic inserts 42 of the teeth of each housing 3 may be realized in a single body through cutting and bending in a metallic slab or, and preferably, such metallic inserts 42 of the teeth of anyone of the housings 3 of the disc means 2 may be realized in a single body by cutting and bending a metallic slab 43 annulus shaped.
As shown in the figures 9-12, the annulus shaped metallic slab 43 is fixed in the lower part of the disc means 2 by means of the engagement of the metallic inserts 42 in respective pass-through holes 44 of the disc means 2. The disc means 2 laterally have in correspondence to each respective hole 44 a protrusion 45 fit to match with the correspondent metallic inset 42 so reinforcing it.
Optionally the invention provides, for any disc means 2 with teeth 13, 32, 40 housings 3, which the front face 41, in respect to the rotation of the disc means 2, of each tooth 13, 32, 40 forms with the laying plane of a correspondent coin, a slightly acute angle A for allowing the stable positioning of such coin matching the tooth 13, 32, 40.
The operation of this variant does not differ substantially from the operation of the embodiment of figures 1-6 but it requires the same preliminary operations for the operation of first variant of figures 9 and 10.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a coin dispenser device fit to reduce the risk of jams. Other advantage is to provide a device fit to restore its operation also in a type of jam and to reduce the risks of damage in jam case.
Further object is to provide a device with transmission members of reduced complexity and less overall dimensions. Other advantage of the invention is to provide a modular device fit to work with little and simple adjustment with various type of disc elements for the satisfaction of several, various and changeable requirements.

Claims

Coin dispenser device provided with a rotating disc means (2), activated for rotating by motorized means by means of transmission means, provided with a set of housings (3) for coins, picked from a tank, fit to make each one of said coins match with ejecting means (4) fit to push each one of said coins into an outlet channel (5), the disc means (2) is provided with a crown wheel (6) engaged with an outlet pinion of the transmission means, each housing (3) of the disc means (2) comprises a pass-through hole (7) having a diameter almost equal or greater than the coins diameter and comprises a flat means for sliding (8) fit to allow the sliding of the coins housed in the pass-though holes (7), the disc means (2) further comprises a set of lateral pass-through slots (9) each one placed laterally to a respective housing (3) having sufficient dimensions for the lateral outgoing of a coin; the means for sliding (8) has matching means (11) protruding from it and sliding in ring-like grooves (12) made in the face of the disc means (2) matching in a sliding way the means for sliding (8), said the matching means (11) have a plurality of protruding teeth (13) each one housed in a respective hole (17) of the means for sliding (8); said device (1) being characterized in that the matching means (11) has elastic means in order to allow the teeth (13) coming inside within the profile of the means for sliding (8) for disengaging from a jammed coin
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the crown wheel (6) is made in or fixed to the peripheral edge of the disc means (2).
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the means for sliding (8) consists in a disc-shaped member interposed between the disc means (2) and the device (1) body (10).
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the means for sliding (8) consists in a disc-shaped portion of the body (10) of the device (1).
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the side of the matching means (11) opposite to the teeth (13) is provided with a set of anti-rotation pins (14) fit to engage in correspondent holes (15) of the body (10) in order to prevent the rotation of the matching means and of the means for sliding (8).
Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the protruding teeth (13) are almost aligned in the outlet channel (5) direction in order to push each coin through a respective lateral slot (9) into said outlet channel (5).
Device according anyone of the previous claims characterized in that the disc means (2) comprises a first member (18) and a second member (19) circular shaped and mutually faced and fixed.
Device according to claim 7 characterized in that the first member (18) has a face matching, in a sliding manner, with the means for sliding (8).
Device according to claim 8 characterized in that the first member (18) comprises a sliding portion (22) provided with a central portion (20) ring-like shaped from which two arms (21) extend, concordantly curved, having the same space distance, and turned outward.
Device according to claim 9 characterized in that the crown wheel (6) is ring-like and fixed to the curved arms (21) external ends
Device according to claims 3 and 10 characterized in that the means for sliding (8) is inscribed in the crown wheel (6).
Device according to claim 9 characterized in that the end portions of the curved arms (21) define a front and back edges of the lateral slots (9).
Device according to claim 7 characterized in that the second member (19) is fixed to the opposite face in respect to the face which match with the means for sliding (8) of the first member (18) and is coaxial to this latter.
Device according to claims 9 and 13 characterized in that the second member (19) is provided with a plurality of circular pass-through holes (23), each one aligned to a respective space between the two adjacent arms (21) of the first member and cooperating with said space in order to realize the pass-through hole (7) of each housing (3) for the coins.
Device according to claim 14 characterized in that the second member is provided with a plurality of tilted planes (24) each one flowing into a respective circular pass-through hole (23) for facilitating the incoming of the coins into said hole (23).
Device according to claim 3 characterized in that the means for sliding (8) and the disc means are at least partially housed in a circular recess (25) of the body flowing into the outlet channel (5).