GB2154353A - Coin separator - Google Patents

Abstract

A coin separator for use in a vending machine is arranged between a validator (100) and a coin dispenser (200) and has an accept guide path (2) and a reject guide path (4). The separator is arranged to feed coins of three predetermined denominations to respective ones of three coin tubes. Of the coins in the accept guide path (2), coins of a first denomination are arranged to be fed by way of a path (32) to a coin tube (202). Coins of the other two denominations which differ in size are directed along a guide path (28) in which a port (30) is arranged such that the smaller coins are diverted through the port (30) into a coin tube (201). The larger of the coins in the guide path (28) are directed into a third coin tube (203). The coins fed by way of the path (32) are either of a size between that of those directed along the guide path (28) or are of a size similar to that of one of said coins to ensure reliable separation of the coins in the guide path (28). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Coin separator The present invention relates to a coin separator and to a method of separating coins Throughout this specification the term "coin" is used to refer to both coins used as currency and to tokens.

A vending machine which is capable of giving coins as change will include a coin dispenser for dispensing coins of a predetermined value or values. A coin separator is required to direct coins of the predetermined value or values to the dispenser and to direct other coins to a cash box.

Of course, it is important that the coin separator should reliably direct the coins so that coins of the wrong value are not fed to the dispenser.

According to a first aspect of the present invention a coin separator comprises an accept position, selectively operable means for directing coins in said accept position to a first location, and selectively operable means for directing coins in said accept position to a second location, wherein said second location includes means for diverting coins of predetermined characteristics out of said second location.

In an embodiment, said second location comprises a guide path and said diverting means comprises at least one port in the guide path through which coins smaller in size than said port can pass.

Preferably, the or each port in the guide path defines an inlet for a respective upright coin tube of a coin dispenser.

Similarly, the guide path is arranged to direct coins to a further upright coin tube of a coin dispenser.

In an embodiment, said first location communicates with said accept position by way of first gate means and said second location communicates with said accept position by way of second gate means.

Preferably, each of said gate means is movable by way of a respective solenoid.

In an embodiment, the accept position comprises an accept path.

A reject path is also provided and is arranged to guide coins to a return outlet.

Solenoid controlled gate means are arranged to selectively direct coins to either the accept path or the reject path.

Preferably, the solenoids are energized by control means responsive to signals received from a validator arranged to discriminate acceptable coins and to determine characteristics thereof. The control means may be a microprocessor.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of separating three or more coins of different denominations comprising the steps of directing coins of first predetermined denominations to a first location, and directing coins of other predetermined denominations to a second location, wherein of the coins directed to said second location selected coins are diverted out of said second location.

Preferably, said second location comprises a guide path having one or more ports therein and selected coins are diverted through respective ports.

In an embodiment for separating three or more coins where two of the coins have similar dimensions, one of the similar dimensioned coins is directed to said first location whilst the other of the similar dimensioned coins is directed to said second location.

In a further embodiment for separating three coins having different diameters, the two coins having the smallest and largest diameters are directed to said second location, whilst the remaining coin which has an intermediate diameter is directed to said first location.

An embodiment of the present invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal section through a coin separator of the invention illustrating the accept and reject coin paths, Figure 2 shows a longitudinal section, parallel to that of Figure 1, through the separator taken at right angles to the section of Figure 1 and showing elements of the accept coin path in perspective, Figure 3 shows a further longitudinal section through the separator showing a coin path leading to a coin dispenser, Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section perpendicular to that of Figure 3 showing the coin path in perspective, Figure 5 shows a still further longitudinal section of the separator showing a further coin path, and Figure 6 shows a further perpendicular section illustrating in perspective the elements of the further coin path.

The drawings illustrate a coin separator arranged to separate coins of different denominations and suitably direct them to different locations. It is intended that such a coin separator would be used in a vending machine which is capable of giving coins as change when coins inserted into the vending machine to release goods have a greater value than the price of the goods purchased.

Generally. change is given by way of a coin dispenser and commonly this comprises three upright tubes of different diameters, each of which is arranged to hold a stack of coins of one particular denomination. The separator is arranged to direct coins of the respective denomination to each coin tube, to direct coins of other denominations to a cash box, and to direct any coins rejected by the vend ing machine to a reject outlet.

For clarity, Figures 1, 3 and 5 show three separate parallel longitudinal sections through the separator and in general in each view any features lying below the plane of the paper have been omitted.

Figures 1 and 2 show the accept and reject coin paths of a separator of the invention which is arranged within a vending machine between a validator 100 and a coin dispenser 200.

Thus, the separator has an accept guide path 2 for coins 10 found by the validator 100 to be acceptable, and a reject guide path 4 for coins 10 found by the validator 100 not to be acceptable.

The reject path 4 leads through the separator to a return path 6 through which rejected coins can be directed to a reject outlet of the vending machine. A solenoid controlled gate (not shown) is used to control access to the guide paths 2 and 4 in accordance with the signals output from the validator 1 00. Thus, when the validator signals that a particular coin 10 is not acceptable, the accept path 2 will be closed by the gate and the coin in the validator 100 will be fed into the reject path 4 and hence to the exterior of the machine by way of the return path 6 and the reject outlet (not shownl. Similarly, when the validator 100 indicates that a coin 10 is acceptable the reject path 4 will be closed by the gate such that the accepted coin is fed into the accept path 2.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the top portion of the accept path 2 is defined between a back wall 8 of the separator and a plate 1 2 which forms a housing for a solenoid 14. An intermediate portion of the accept path 2 is defined between a rear panel 1 6 within the separator and a flap 1 8 controlled by the solenoid 1 4. The lower portion of the guide path 2 is defined between a front wall 20 of the separator and the rear panel 16. The accept coin path 2 leads to the inlet 22 of a cash box (not shown).

Normally, the solenoid 1 4 is not energised and the flap 1 8 is in the raised position illustrated in Figure 2 in which it defines the intermediate portion of the accept path 2.

Thus, coins indicated by the validator 100 to be acceptable are fed into the guide path 2 and are guided thereby through the inlet 22 and hence into the cash box.

The separator shown in the drawings is arranged to feed coins of three predetermined denominations to respective ones of three coin tubes in the coin dispenser 200. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the coin paths provided for two of these three coins to the respective tubes of the dispenser 200.

Thus, if the validator 100 indicates that the coin 10 it has just tested is not only acceptable but is also one of the two values to be fed via the paths shown in Figures 3 and 4, the coin is directed to the upper portion of the guide path 2 defined between the plate 1 2 and the rear wall 8. However, the solenoid 14 is energised to move the flap 1 8 to its lowered position which is illustrated in Figure 4.

In this position the flap 1 8 prevents the coin from continuing into the intermediate portion of the guide path 2 and deflects it onto a ramp 24 formed on the back panel 1 6.

The ramp 24 in conjunction with a side panel 26 of the separator is arranged to guide the coin into a guide path 28 supported over the back panel 16. This guide path 28 terminates above the entrance to one guide tube 203 of the dispenser 200. Thus, any coins travelling to the end of the guide path 28 will fall into the tube 203.

As can be seen, a port 30 is formed in the rear wall of the guide path 28. This port 30 is arranged to be large enough to enable the smallest of the two coins travelling into the path 28 to fall through but is too small to allow the passage of the largest of the coins.

Thus, the smallest coins fall through the port 30 and hence into a guide tube 201 of the dispenser which is arranged therebeneath.

To facilitate the passage of the smallest coins through the port 30 it will be seen that the ramp 24 and a ramp 29 forming the bottom of the guide path 28 are arranged such that the coins are tilted back onto the back wall of the guide path 28.

Figures 5 and 6 show a guide path for directing coins of the third predetermined value to the coin dispenser. This comprises a rear guide path 32 defined behind the rear panel 1 6 of the separator by a panel 34. The entrance to the rear guide path 32 is defined by way of a flap 36 movable relative to the rear wall 8 by way of a second solenoid 38.

Thus, if the first solenoid 1 4 remains unenergised such that its flap 1 8 is in the raised position and the second solenoid 38 is energised to move the flap 36 to uncover a port 40 in the rear wall 8, it will be seen that the coin 10 will be directed into the rear path 32.

The coin 10 is then directed by the path 32 into tube 202 of the dispenser.

It will be appreciated from the above that if neither of the solenoids 14 and 38 are energised, acceptable coins will be passed directly to the cash box. If the first solenoid 1 4 is energised to lower the flap 18, the coins will be fed into the guide path 28 and any coins which are small enough will fall through the port 30 into the tube 201, larger coins being fed into the tube 203. When the solenoid 14 remains unenergised but the solenoid 38 is energised the coin will be fed via the rear path 32 into the tube 202 of the coin dispenser.

It is envisaged that control means will be provided for receiving the signals from the validator and for operating the solenoids as necessary. In a preferred embodiment, the control means will include a microprocessor.

Thus, the control means will pass all but the coins of the three predetermined denominations to the cash box. In addition it can be arranged to feed coins of those selected denominations to the cash box if the respective tube of the dispenser is found to be full.

Normally, if the tubes of the dispenser are not full the control means will act to operate the separator to feed coins of the three selected denominations to the dispensing tubes.

In this respect, where of the three selected coins two are substantially identical in size, one of these similar sized coins will be identified by the control means and fed by operation of the solenoid 38 to the tube 202. The remaining two coins will then be dissimilar in size and can be separated by the simple mechanical means of the port 30 in the path 28 and thereby fed to respective ones of the tubes 201 and 203.

In other circumstances, where the three coins are all dissimilar in size, the middle sized one of the three coins will be discriminated by the validator and directed to the tube 202. The difference in size between the two remaining coins, which will be the smallest and largest of the coins, is thus extremely marked and these two coins will be extremely reliably separated by the simple mechanical means of the port 30 in the path 28.

The separator of the invention is not only reliable. It also has the advantage of being simple to construct in that it only has the two movable flaps. In addition, as it only employs two solenoids and as both solenoids are never energised at the same time, very little power is required to operate the separator and this is always an advantage. It is a particular advantage where the control means of the vending machine is a microprocessor as power levels of such control means are generally low.

Furthermore, this separator provides for reliable separation of a three coin set where two of the coins are substantially identical in size.

Simple mechanical systems previously used are unable to separate two identically sized coins.

In the embodiment described and illustrated, the separator is arranged to separate coins of three selected denominations, coins of other denominations being fed to a cash box. Of course, the separator described could alternatively be used to separate the coins of a four coin set.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the coin separator is included in a vending machine and is arranged to feed the separated coins to a coin dispenser. Of course, the coin separator could be used to separate coins in other apparatus and it could also be used simply as a coin sorter.

Claims (14)

1. A coin separator comprising an accept position, selectively operable means for directing coins in said accept position to a first location and selectively operable means for directing coins in said accept position to a second location, wherein said second location includes means for diverting coins of predetermined characteristics out of said second location.

2. A coin separator according to Claim 1, in which said second location comprises a guide path and said diverting means comprises at least one port in the guide path through which coins smaller in size than said port can pass.

3. A coin separator according to Claim 2, in which the or each port in the guide path defines an inlet for a respective upright coin tube of a coin dispenser.

4. A coin separator according to Claim 2 or 3, in which said guide path is arranged to direct coins to a further upright coin tube of a coin dispenser.

5. A coin separator according to any of Claims 1 to 4, in which said first location communicates with said accept position by way of first gate means and said second location communicates with said accept position by way of second gate means.

6. A coin separator according to Claim 5, in which each of said gate means is movable by way of a respective solenoid.

7. A coin separator according to any preceding claim, in which the accept position comprises an accept path, and in which the coin separator further comprises a reject path arranged to guide coins to a return outlet, and solenoid controlled gate means arranged to selectively direct coins to either the accept path or the reject path.

8. A coin separator according to Claims 6 or 7, in which said solenoids are energised by control means responsive to signals received from a validator arranged to discriminate acceptable coins and to determine characteristics therof.

9. A coin separator according to Claim 8, in which said control means is a microprocessor.

10. A method of separating three or more coins of different denominations comprising the steps of directing coins of first predetermined denominations to a first location and directing coins of other predetermined denominations to a second location, wherein of the coins directed to said second location selected coins are diverting out of said second location.

11. A method according to Claim 10, in which said second location comprises a guide path having one or more ports therein and selected coins are diverted through respective ports.

1 2. A method according to Claim 10 or 11, in which where two of the coins have similar dimensions, one of the similar dimensioned coins is directed to said first location whilst the other of the similar dimensioned coins is directed to said second location.

1 3. A method according to Claim 10 or 11, for separating three coins having different diameters, in which the two coins having the smallest and largest diameters are directed to said second location, whilst the remaining coin which has an intermediate diameter is directed to said first location.

14. A coin separator substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.

1 5. A method of separating three or more coins of different denominations substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.