EP3654301B1 - Device for separating, testing and dispensing coins - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for separating, checking and forwarding coins with a rotatably mounted carrier plate for transporting coins from a collecting container and a device for forwarding coins guided on the carrier plate to a transfer device.

So-called hoppers are used in payment machines with cash refunds, with up to eight hoppers sometimes being used for one type of coin each. A hopper for several types of coins reduces the installation space and costs of the machines. With the so-called Multi Coin Hopper, coins are filled into a receiving or collecting container in an uncontrolled manner and the coins are separated from the collecting container by means of a device and forwarded to a cash register and / or a payout unit.

For example, from the US 7 628 685 B2 a hopper with a turntable is known which has a plurality of radially arranged coin chambers or coin recesses, with an ejection unit also being provided for removing the coins received in the individual chambers to the outside.

WO 99/48058 A1 discloses hoppers with two juxtaposed rotating disks with coins to be sorted being conveyed on one disk and the other disk having fingers attached to its underside which engage coins of one disk and pull them onto the other disk.

The vending machine industry tries to create handicapped accessible machines, the coin insertion and return of which are close together. To do this, the design of the hoppers must be adjusted upwards for the coins to be paid out.

Starting from the prior art, the present invention is based on the object of creating a device for singling out, checking and forwarding coins, in which coins of different sizes and thicknesses are checked in a fast manner and passed on to a sorting or payout unit also at high speed whereby a variability of the design for one or more hoppers using machines is made available.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by the features of the main claim.

The measures specified in the subclaims make advantageous developments and improvements possible.

According to the invention, the device for singling, checking and forwarding coins is provided with a rotatably mounted carrier plate for conveying coins from a collecting container and a device for forwarding coins guided on the carrier plate to a transfer device, the device for forwarding has a rotatable transport disk which is arranged adjacent to the driver disk and is designed to individually take over the coins guided on the driver disk and to guide them past a sensor unit for determining at least one parameter of the coin. The transfer device has a deflection arrangement which is formed is to guide the coin into different transport routes depending on the at least one parameter.

With the device according to the invention, coins of different types can be conveyed from a collecting container at high speed, measured and guided into different transport routes, preventing the coins from colliding with one another. In this case, the means of the transport disk of the device for forwarding the coins taken over from the driver disk are transported upward to the deflection assembly with respect to the driver disk. B. leads to a payout arrangement, the latter can be arranged in the machine according to the requirements at different payout points.

The transport disk has a base plate and at least one gripping arm which rotate together, and means are also provided for clamping the coin between the base plate and the at least one gripping arm. By means of the gripper arm or the gripper arms, coins can be quickly withdrawn from the drive plate, the clamping means helping to clamp a coin between the base plate and the at least one gripper arm, whereby the coin is securely between the base plate and the gripper arm, which rotate together , is transported further.

In the exemplary embodiment, the transport disk rotates synchronously with the driver disk at a predetermined speed ratio, i.e. the rotary positions of the disks must always remain synchronized, otherwise the gripper arm will not grip in the correct position. According to these conditions, the speeds of the transport disk and the driver disk can be optimally adapted to one another in order to increase the conveying speed.

In one embodiment, the transport disk comprises several gripping arms, and the driving disk has several driving recesses or driving chambers in which the separated coins are received, the number of gripping arms and the number of driving chambers are in a fixed relationship. As a result, the speed of the driver disc and the speed of the transport disc can be further optimized with respect to one another, whereby a collision or overtaking of the coins can be avoided despite the high speed. A transmission ratio of 3: 1 was preferably chosen, which is based on empirical values. However, the drive plate should not turn too fast either. The coins take time to get into the coin chambers. In addition, the coins need time to separate, whereby the separation begins from the nine o'clock position of the drive plate. A drive plate rotating too quickly cannot guarantee this. A drive plate that is not always filled also causes a loss of speed. It is conceivable that other transmission ratios are possible, but these should be selected depending on the diameter of the drive plate.

For clamping the coin, the means have a link segment, which is fixed relative to the at least one circumferential gripping arm, for raising and lowering the at least one gripping arm. By providing such a link segment, a coin can be clamped between the gripper arm and the base plate of the transport disk in a simple and inexpensive manner. The link segment has a flat section and two bevels at the ends of the flat section, whereby the gripping arm is raised in a simple manner at one end of the link section, slides on the flat link segment in a raised position and at the end of the link segment on the incline is lowered again.

The means have at least one slide pin for clamping, which is assigned to the at least one gripping arm and is designed to slide on the link segment. The cooperation between the link segment and the sliding pin provides a simple mechanical solution for raising and lowering the gripper arm. Furthermore, by this measure, a safe and low-friction guidance between the at least one gripping arm and the link segment can be achieved.

Associated with the at least one gripping arm is a spring which is designed and arranged to be compressed when the gripping arm is raised and to relax when it is lowered. Such a spring supports a quick and safe lowering of the gripping arm.

In one embodiment, the at least one gripping arm has a clamping surface in the form of a flat dome for resting on a coin to be transported. consists. This dome is very flat and made of a soft material, e.g. fluorinated rubber with a specified Shore hardness of 80, for example, in order to pick up the coin at points and to adapt to the surface using the spring pressure. This also compensates for deeper embossing depths on the coin. The clamping surface should have sufficient grip to prevent the coin from slipping. In this way, the coin can be securely clamped and transported between the gripper arm and the base.

In a particularly advantageous manner, the transfer device has an ejection lever with a snap arrangement, projections for triggering the snap arrangement and actuating the ejection lever being arranged on the transport disk. By providing the ejection lever with the snap arrangement, the coin is conveyed safely and quickly into the deflection arrangement when the snap arrangement is triggered.

In one embodiment, the sensor unit is arranged in a stationary manner below the base plate of the transport disk and is designed to determine the coin size and at least one material property. This arrangement allows the coin to be differentiated with regard to its type on the way of the coin on the transport disk and processed accordingly in the deflection arrangement. This measure increases the speed of conveyance and recognition of the coin.

In one embodiment, the deflection arrangement has a flap arrangement which can be controlled as a function of the at least one parameter of the coin. Due to the flap arrangement, which can be pivoted into the path of the coin, the Coin can be routed in different ways, such as forwarding to the payout or forwarding to a main cash register or return to the collecting container.

Fig. 1

eine Vorderansicht eines Ausführungsbeispiels der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung nach Figur 1, bei der die Greifarme in getrennter Darstellung gezeigt sind,

Fig. 3

eine vergrößerte Darstellung des Mittenbereichs der im Ausführungsbeispiel nach Figur 1 und Figur 2 verwendeten Transportscheibe,

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Ausschnitts der Mitnehmerscheibe und der Transportscheibe mit angehobenem Greifarm,

Fig. 5

eine perspektivische Ansicht in die Figur 4, bei der der Greifarm eine Münze übernommen hat, und

Fig. 6

eine Draufsicht auf einen Ausschnitt der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung, bei der eine auf der Transportscheibe geführte Münze in die Umlenkeinheit geleitet wird.

An exemplary embodiment is shown in the drawings and is explained in more detail in the following description. It shows

Fig. 1

a front view of an embodiment of the device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the device according to the invention Figure 1 , in which the gripper arms are shown separately,

Fig. 3

an enlarged view of the central area of the embodiment according to Figure 1 and Figure 2 used transport disc,

Fig. 4

a perspective view of a section of the drive plate and the transport plate with the gripping arm raised,

Fig. 5

a perspective view in FIG Figure 4 , where the gripper arm has picked up a coin, and

Fig. 6

a plan view of a section of the device according to the invention, in which a coin guided on the transport disk is guided into the deflection unit.

In Figure 1 is the front view of an embodiment of a device according to the invention for separating, checking and forwarding coins, which is usually referred to as a hopper. The device has a drive plate 2 fastened to a base plate 1, a collecting container (not shown) being arranged above the drive plate 2 to partially cover the same, which is provided with an in Figure 1 shown, designated as funnel 3 baffle is provided. A large number of coins are located in the collecting container and on the funnel 3 during operation different types, but usually one type of coin or currency, for example euro coins. Distributed over its circumferential area, the drive plate 2 is provided with a plurality of drive chambers 4, which are formed by recesses 4 machined into the drive plate 2 from the periphery. The coins received in the collecting container (not shown) can come into contact with the driving plate 2 which is rotatably mounted in the base plate 1 and which is driven to rotate about a central axis via a drive with a gear. With the help of the driving chambers or recesses 4, coins that are randomly and unsorted in the collecting container are carried along in the individual chambers or recesses 4 when the driving disk 2 is rotated and upwards away from the lower area of the collecting container by the rotary movement of the driving disk 2 transported. In the installation position in which the device is installed in a machine, the base plate 1 is arranged obliquely to the vertical at a predetermined angle, so that the coins can be referred to as being transported from the bottom up.

A transport disk 5, which has a base plate 6 and a gripping arm part 7, is arranged above the driver disk 2 and partially below it. The gripper arm part 7 and the base plate 6 are connected to one another in such a way that they rotate together about a central axis. The transport disk 5 or the gripping arm part 7 has three gripping arms 8 which are arranged at equal angular distances from one another. The length of the gripping arms 8 is such that they essentially extend as far as the circumference of the base plate 6 of the transport disk 5.

Like the driver disk 2, the transport disk 5 is also driven to rotate via the drive (not shown). There is a rigid connection between the two disks 2, 5, which in the exemplary embodiment is designed as a toothed wheel connection, a toothed belt connection also being conceivable. The rotary positions of the disks must always remain synchronous, otherwise the gripper arm does not grip in the correct position, whereby the drive disk 2 and the transport disk 5 run synchronously with each other, but at different speeds, ie the rotary positions of the two disks 5, 7 are always synchronous. In the present case has the transport disk 5 is three times the speed of the drive disk 2, that is, the ratio of the speed of the transport disk to that of the drive disk is 3: 1, and the number of gripping arms 8 of the transport disk 5 is three, while the drive disk 2 has nine drive chambers 4.

In addition to the upper region of the transport disk 5, a deflection arrangement designed as a flap part 9 is provided, which guides a supplied coin into different coin channels or chutes or paths. The flap part 9 is controlled by a relay arrangement 10 which has hinged armature magnets.

Finally, also in the upper area of the transport disk 5 between the gripper arm part 7 and the flap part 9, an ejector unit 11 is arranged on a part that is fixed in relation to the transport disk 5 and, as will be described later, a coin with a Ejection movement in the flap part 9 promoted.

Figure 2 Fig. 3 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 1 , in which the gripper arm part 7 is shown explosively separated from the arrangement, and Figure 3 shows an enlarged illustration of the central region of the transport disk 5, which is surrounded by a circle and from which the gripping arm part 7 has been removed.

In the central area of the transport disk 5, a rotatable axle part 12 is arranged, to which the gripping arm part 7 is attached and rotates together with the base plate 6 of the transport disk 5. The axis part 12 of the central region of the transport disk 5 is surrounded by a fixed link part 13 which has a link segment 14. The link segment 14 extends approximately over half the circumference of the axle part and is provided with a lifting slope 15, a flat section 16 and a lowering slope 17 on which the slide arms 8 are guided. The lifting slope 15, the flat section 16 and the lowering slope 17 are preferably covered with a material or consist of a material that has low friction.

In Figure 3 a measuring system having a sensor arrangement is arranged on the right-hand side below the base plate, which is designed to detect various parameters of a coin, such as the size or diameter and the material of the coin. The sensor arrangement can include a coil with a ferrite core.

Furthermore, in Figure 3 more precisely to recognize the ejection unit 11, which has the ejection lever 18, a snap lever 19 and a return spring 20.

As stated, the gripping arm part 7 is firmly connected to the axle part 12. The gripper arm part 7 accordingly Figure 2 has three gripping arms 8 which are held between two holding plates 25. On one of the retaining plates 25, the lower in Figure 2 , projections 21 are provided on the circumference, which serve to trigger the ejector unit 11 or the snap arrangement of the ejector unit 11. Since three gripping arms 8 are provided, three release projections 21 are also provided.

The functioning of the device according to the invention is based on Figures 4 , 5, 6 , which show sections of the device, described in more detail.

During operation, the drive plate 2 rotates and conveys coins from the collecting container, which are guided out of the set of coins by means of the drive-along chambers 4 of the drive plate 2 and into the drive-along chambers 4 accordingly Figure 1 and 2 be transported upwards. In the exemplary embodiment, the drive plate 2 has nine drive chambers 4 and rotates at a predetermined speed. The transport disk 5, on which three gripping arms 8 are provided, rotates synchronously with this, the transport disk 5 rotating at three times the speed of the driver disk 2 in the exemplary embodiment.

The gripping arms 8 each have a spring-loaded slide pin 22 (see Fig. 4 ), which slides on the link segment 14. The respective gripping arm 8 is raised when the associated sliding pin 22 moves over the lifting slope 15, the arm 8 is moved further in the raised state in which the sliding pin 22 slides on the flat section 16, and the lowering slope 17 presses the Slide pin 22 associated spring 26 den Pin 22 downwards, being in the area outside of the link segment 14 without contact with the fixed link part 13. The spring 26 is in the Figures 4 to 6 shown in the relaxed state, since the holding plates 25, which define the gripping arms 8, are not shown.

In Figure 4 a position can be seen in which the gripping arm 8 is just in front of the lowering slope 17 above a coin 23 to be gripped, which is received in the entrainment chamber 4. The gripping arm 8 is provided with a flat dome-shaped contact surface 24 made of a soft material, for example fluororubber, which provides a certain amount of friction between the coin 23 and the contact surface 24 to the effect that the coin 23 is drawn along by the contact surface 24. The soft material of the contact surface adapts to the surface of the coin 23, the embossing depth of which can vary depending on the type of coin.

A few degrees after the in Figure 4 position shown, the gripper arm snaps to the position of the lower drive plate 2. If, as in Figure 4 , a coin 23 is present, the gripping arm 8 presses with its contact surface 24 on the coin 23, and since the transport disk 5 rotates three times faster than the driving disk 2, the gripping arm 8 pulls the coin 23 out of the driving chamber 4 of the driving disk 2. The coin is then located shortly in front of the measuring system (not shown) located under the transport disk 5 and can then be measured with regard to its size and / or its other properties. Since, for example, twelve coins per second can be conveyed by means of the transport disk 5, the steps described are carried out in quick succession.

The withdrawal of the coin from the driving chamber 4 of the driving plate 2 is shown in FIG Figure 5 shown. When a coin 23 is pulled out of the coin recess 4, the measurement of the coin 23 by the sensor arrangement located below the transport disk 5 begins at approximately four o'clock, as seen on the clock face. At two o'clock the coin 23 is measured and a control unit having a processor decides what should happen with this coin 23.

The coin 23 is now transported upwards until it reaches the area of the ejection unit 11 in which the gripping arm is about to reach the lifting slope 15 of the link segment 14 in order to let go of the coin 23. The coin 23 has already been measured and a decision has been made as to where it is to be forwarded. The gripping arm 8 is raised by the lifting bevel 15 and releases the coin 23, whereby the coin rests on the straight part of the ejector lever 18, which is still in its rest position. Then the eject lever 18 is actuated by the projection 21 associated with the gripping arm 8 on the gripping arm part 7 and jumps forward or upward, as in FIG Figure 6 (in the figure the gripping arm 8 is shown "transparent") is shown. The projection 21 runs along the snap lever 19 and triggers the snap device by which the coin 23 is notified of a blow. The return spring 20 then brings the ejector unit 11 back into its starting position.

The deflection arrangement 9 has a flap part which, depending on the measured parameters of the coin and on additional payment conditions, is moved by the relay arrangement 10 into different positions, whereby the inserted coin 23 can be guided in different paths. For example, the coin 23 can be guided to a main cash register via a coin channel in which a light barrier is arranged for acknowledgment. Most of the time, however, the coin 23 should be paid out. Then the first hinged armature magnet receives its signal from the control unit and opens a flap that opens the way for payment. As soon as the coin 23 enters a first light barrier located directly at the flap opening, the flap is reset again after a few milliseconds by means of a compression spring and acknowledged at the exit with another light barrier. Finally, the flap arrangement is also designed in such a way that a coin 23 is attached to a deflection surface 27, which the viewer can see, for example, in Figure 1 is facing, falls back into the collecting container, reaching the funnel 3 and being returned to the plurality of coins in the collecting container.

The signals from the various light barriers are sent to the control unit, not shown, which controls the flap arrangement 9 and the measures for forwarding the coins accordingly.

Claims (10)

1. A device for sorting, checking and forwarding coins, comprising a rotatably mounted carrier disk (2) for feeding coins from a collection container and a device for forwarding coins guided on the carrier disk to a transfer device, wherein the device for forwarding has a rotatable transport disk (5), which is arranged adjacently to the carrier disk (2) and is designed to individually receive the coins guided on the carrier disk (2) and to guide these past a sensor unit for determining at least one parameter of the coin, and wherein the transfer device has a redirection assembly (9), which is designed to channel the coin to different transport paths depending on the at least one parameter of the coin, characterized in that the transport disk (5) has a baseplate (6) and at least one gripper arm (8), which rotate together, and in that means (24, 14, 17) for clamping the coins are provided between the baseplate (6) and the at least one gripper arm (8),

   in that the means for clamping the coins have a guiding segment (14), which is fixed relative to the at least one rotating gripper arm (8), for raising and lowering the at least one gripper arm,

   in that the guiding segment (14) has a planar portion (16) and two chamfers (15, 17),

   in that the means for clamping has at least one gliding pin (22), which is assigned to the at least one gripper arm (8) and is designed to glide on the guiding segment (14), and

   in that the at least one gripper arm (8) is assigned a spring (26), which is designed and arranged to be compressed when the gripper arm (8) is raised, and to relax during lowering.
2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the transport disk (5) rotates synchronously with the carrier disk (2) at a predefined speed ratio.
3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the transport disk (5) has a plurality of gripper arms (8), wherein the speed ratio is dependent on the number of the gripper arms (8).
4. The device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transport disk (5) comprises a plurality of gripper arms (8), and in that the carrier disk (2) has a plurality of carrier recesses (4) for accommodating the coins, wherein the number of the gripper arms (8) and the number of the carrier recesses (4) have a fixed ratio to one another.
5. The device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the at least one gripper arm (8) has a clamping surface (24) for bearing against a coin (23) to be transported.
6. The device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the transfer device has an ejection lever (18) having a snap-action assembly (19, 20), wherein projections (21) are arranged on the transport disk (8) for triggering the snap-action assembly and actuating the ejection lever (18).
7. The device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sensor unit is fixed beneath the base plate (6) of the transport disk (5) and is designed to establish the coin size and at least one material property.
8. The device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the redirection assembly has a flap assembly (9), which is controllable depending on the at least one parameter of the coin.
9. The device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the clamping surface (24) consists of a rubber material, preferably fluororubber, which is designed to adapt to a relief depth of the transported coin.
10. The device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the carrier disk (2) and the transport disk (5) are driveable by a drive so as to rotate, wherein the drive provides a rigid connection between the carrier disk and the transport disk which is preferably a gear connection or a toothed belt connection.

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