GB2026749A - A coin discharge apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A coin discharge apparatus comprises a receiving tray (8) set in a coin discharge port (7) which is provided in the lower portion of a frame (1) of the apparatus, and a detection unit (9) which is provided in said coin discharge port (7) and generates a detection signal for operating discharging levers (4), whereby coins of a requested amount of money are discharged from a plurality of coin storing tubes (2) and enter said receiving tray (8) set in the coin discharge port (7). Said coin storing tubes (2) are provided in the upper portion of the frame (1) of the apparatus and accommodate coins therein, each tube accommodating only one coin denomination. In the apparatus a discharge inhibit circuit (10) is provided for inhibiting a subsequent discharge operation unless said receiving tray (8) for receiving coins to be subsequently discharged has been set in said coin discharge port (7). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Coin discharge apparatus This invention relates to a coin discharge apparatus.

Generally speaking, conventional coin discharge apparatuses are constructed such that setting the apparatus to a desired amount of money by for example, depressing control buttons, operates an arithmetic unit on the basis of the signals which result from the setting procedure.

Coins are then prepared and discharged in a combination that satisfies the set amount of money with the minimum number of coins. When a receiving tray is not correctly set in a coin discharge port coins will not be discharged even if a discharge instruction is given. (It is also possible to discharge coins upon designating their denomination and amount.) However, such conventional coin discharge apparatuses are disadvantageous in that when a second discharge instruction is given after the completion of the first coin counting operation but before the receiving tray has been taken out of the coin discharge port (or, for example, if iwo operators operate the same discharge apparatus with a discharge instruction being given by one operator before the other operator takes out the receiving tray), a second coin discharge operation is performed because the receiving tray is still set in the discharge port. As a result, coins which are discharged for the second time will mix together with the first discharged coins, and thus there is a possibility of erroneous payment of money, or at least a necessity to separate the coins discharged the first time from those discharged the second time, this being very troublesome.

According to the present invention there is provided a coin discharge apparatus comprising a receiving tray for location in a coin discharge port which is provided in the apparatus, a detection unit which is provided in said coin discharge port and generates a detection signal for operating discharging levers, whereby coins of a requested amount of money are discharged from a plurality of coin storing tubes and enter said receiving tray when located in the coin discharge port, said coin storing tubes accommodating coins therein, each tube accommodating only one coin demoniations in which a discharge inhibit circuit is provided for inhibiting a subsequent discharge operation unless said receiving tray for receiving coins to be subsequently discharged has been set in said coin discharge port.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, by way of example, of a preferred embodiment of the invention the description being made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a circuit diagram of the discharge inhibit circuit empioyed in the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, reference numeral 1 indicates the frame of the discharge apparatus. On the frame 1 are demountably erected five coin storing tubes 2,...

for storing different coin denominations (for example, 100 yen, 50 yen, 10 yen, 1 yen), each tube acccmmodating only one denomination, Opposite to the rear sides of the bottom portions of the respective coin storing tubes 2,... are provided discharging levers 4,... which are adapted to penetrate into and withdraw from slits 3 provided in the respective coin storing tubes 2, .. thereby to discharge the coins. The discharging levers 4,... are driven to discharge the coins by a motor 5 which is provided in the frame 1. In front of and below the coin storing tubes 2,... is provided a discharge liUCt 6 for guiding coins A discharged from the coin storing tubes. The discharge duct 6 is provided at its bottom with a coin discharge port 7.In the coin discharge port 7 is provided a detection unit 9 for detecting whether or not a receiving tray 8 is correctly set in position in the coin discharge port 7. This detection unit 9 comprises a light-emitting element 9a, which is provided in one of the opposite side walls of the coin discharge port 7, and a light-receiving element 9b, which is provided in the other side wall. The detection unit 9 is connected to a discharge inhibit circuit 10 which will now be described.Reference numeral 11 indicates an AND gate which is adapted to deliver a signal from the output terminal thereof to the first input terminal of an AND gate 12 upon receiving at its first input terminal a discharge instruction signal a (a pulsed signal which attains a logic "1" level for predetermined periods of time) which instructs the apparatus to perform a counting operation after the amount of money to be paid has been set, and at its second input terminal a detection signal b (a signal at logic "1") delivered by the detection unit 9. The second input terminal of AND gate 12 is supplied with a reset output signal delivered by the reset output terminal a of an SR-type flip-f(op 13 which will be described hereinbelow.The signal delivered by AND gate 12 (this signal being referred to hereinafter as a discharge start signal c) is sent to the discharge apparatus at which time the discharge apparatus starts the discharge operation. The flip-flop 1 3 (hereinafter referred to as F.F 13) is reset when an auto-ciear signal d, which is delivered at the instant the power source is connected, is applied to the reset input terminal R of the F.F 13 through an OR gate 14.When the F.F 13 is reset, a signal at logic "1" is delivered from the reset output terminal Q of F.F 13 to AND gate 1 2. On the other hand, when a discharge operation termination signal e (a signal at logic "1" similar to the discharge instruction signal a), delivered upon termination of the coin discharge operation for coins A, is applied to the set input terminal S of F.F 13, the F.F 13 is set and a set output signal at logic "1" is delivered from the set output terminal Q of the F.F 1 3 to the second input terminal of an AND gate 15.The AND gate 1 5 is adapted to deliver a signal to the reset terminal R of F.F 13 through the OR gate 14 upon receiving at its first input terminal the detection signal b delivered through a NOT gate (inversion circuit) 1 6, and at its second input terminal the set output signal from the set output terminal Q of F.F. 13. Further, an AND gate 17, upon receiving at its first input terminal a signal delivered from the set output terminal Q of F.F. 13 and at its second input terminal the detection signal b, is adapted to deliver a signal to, and hence activate, an indicating lamp 1 8 for indicating that extraction of the receiving tray 8 is possible.An indicating lamp 19, which is adapted to indicate that the receiving tray 8 has not been correctly set in the coin discharge port 7, is connected to the output terminal of the NOT gate 1 6 and will be turned on when the receiving tray 8 is not set in the coin discharge port 7.

The embodiment constructed as described above operates as follows. Different denominations of coins A are stacked beforehand in the coin storing tubes 2 ., ., each tube accommodating only one denomination. Next, upon connecting the power source, the auto-clear signal does to logic "1" for the predetermined period of time and is applied through the OR gate 14 to the reset input terminal R of F.F 13. F.F 13 is now reset so that a logic "1" signal appears at its reset output terminal Q and is applied to AND gate 12. When the receiving tray 8 has not been set in the coin discharge port, the detection signal b is at logic "0" and AND gate 11 is closed.Under these conditions, the detection signal b is inverted to logic "1" by NOT gate 16 and is applied to AND gate 1 5 which remains closed since a set output signal (logic "0") from F.F 1 3 is being applied to one input terminal thereof. The output of NOT gate 16 is delivered to the indicating lamp 19 to turn it on and thus indicate that the receiving tray 8 has not yet been set in the discharge port. When the receiving tray 8 has been properiy set, AND gate 11 opens to await the arrival of the discharge instruction signal a, and the indicating lamp 19 is turned off.Upon arrival of the discharge instruction signal a, both AND gate 11 and AND gate 12 open to directly deliver the discharge instruction signal a in the form of the discharge start signal c to a discharge section (not shown) that is now allowed to perform the coin discharge operation. The coin discharge operation proceeds as follows: When the discharge start signal c is delivered, the motor 5 starts running to drive the discharging levers 4. Coins, which constitute the requested amount of money in a combination of denominations that will minimize the number of coins, pass through the discharge duct 6 owing to the operation of the discharging levers and are receiving in the receiving tray 8.

The discharge operation termination signal e is generated upon the termination of this discharge operation and applied to the set input terminal S of F.F. 13 to set the same. A logic "1" signal appears at the set output terminal Cl of F.F 13 and is coupled to AND gates 1 5 and 17. If the receiving tray 8 has been set, the output of AND gate 17 goes to logic "1" and indicating lamp 1 8 is turned on to instruct the operator to take out the receiving tray 8.In addition, a logic "0" signal appears at the reset output terminal Q of F.F. 13 to close AND gate 1 2. Under these conditions (where the receiving tray 8 has not yet been taken out), the arrival of a subsequent discharge instruction signal a will not result in a discharge operation because AND gate 12 is closed even though AND gate 11 is open. When the receiving tray 8 is taken out, the detection signal b goes to logic "0" to turn off the indicating lamp 18 and, upon passing through NOT gate 1 6, turns on the indicating lamp 1 9 and enters AND gate 1 5.At this time, since F.F 13 has been in the set state, the output of AND gate 1 5 goes to logic "1" and is sent through OR gate 14 to the reset input terminal R of F.F 1 3 to reset F.F 13. The resetting of F.F 1 3 opens AND gate 12.

Indicating lamp 19 is turned off, without indicating lamp 18 being turned on, even if receiving tray 8 is set in the coin discharge port. Thus, the circuitry is restored to the original state (awaiting the discharge instruction signal a).

In the drawing, reference numeral 20 indicates a device for adjusting the tips of the discharging levers 4,.. so that the discharging levers 4,...., can discharge coins A in an accurate manner.

Reference numeral 21 indicates a detection mechanism for detecting quantities of coins A stored in the coin storing tubes 2 ....

While, in the above embodiment, the detection unit 9 is constructed of the light-emitting element 9a and the light-receiving element 9b, the detection unit is not limited to such an arrangement but may alternatively employ various switches such as microswitches and contactless switches. In effect, the detection unit may be of any construction which can detect that the receiving tray 8 is correctly set in the coin discharge port 7 and generate a detection signal to operate the discharge apparatus.

As will be apparent from the above description, there is provided the discharge inhibit circuit which inhibits a subsequent discharge operation unless the coin receiving tray has been reset to receive coins which are to be subsequently discharged. Consequently, in a case where the receiving tray has not been set in the coin discharge port, or where discharge instructions are given in succession under a state where a previousiy set coin receiving tray has not yet been taken out, the discharge inhibit circuit will not issue a coin discharge instruction signal with the result that a subsequent coin discharge operation cannot take place. Hence, there is no possibility that coins of a requested amount of money will be scattered in the coin discharge port nor any possibility that two groups or more of coins of a requested amount of money may be mixed together. Thus, the coin discharge apparatus can be operated in a highly efficient manner.

Claims (3)

1. A coin discharge apparatus comprising a receiving tray for location in a coin discharge port which is provided in the apparatus, a detection unit which is provided in said coin discharge port and generates a detection signal for operating discharging levers, whereby coins of a requested amount of money are discharged from a plurality of coin storing tubes and outer said receiving tray when located in the coin discharge port, said coin storing tubes accommodating coins therein each tube accommodating only one coin denomination; in which a discharge inhibit circuit is provided for inhibiting a subsequent discharge operation unless said receiving tray for receiving coins to be subsequently discharged has been set in said coin discharge port.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said discharge inhibit circuit comprises means for receiving a discharge instruction signal for causing apparatus to perform a counting operation, means for receiving a detection signal issued when the receiving tray is correctly set in position in the coin discharge port, means for receiving a discharge operation termination signal issured when the coin discharge operation has been terminated and means for issuing a discharge start signal to cause apparatus to perform a discharge operation when said discharge instruction signal is present and said detection signal is issued after said discharge operation terminal signal has been issued.

3. A coin discharge apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.