GB2276483A

GB2276483A - A coin receiving and collecting device

Info

Publication number: GB2276483A
Application number: GB9404903A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jesus Echapare Ibarrola
Original assignee: Azkoyen Industrial SA
Current assignee: Azkoyen Industrial SA
Priority date: 1993-03-26
Filing date: 1994-03-14
Publication date: 1994-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-14
Also published as: GB2276483B; IL108975A0; ES1024811U; ES1024811Y; IL108975A; CH690141A5; DE4408254A1; GB9404903D0

Abstract

A coin receiving and collecting device includes a coin selector which defines an internal channel (1) Fig. 2 along which the coins (2) Fig. 1 travel and along the path of which are arranged sensors (5) for detecting the value and validity thereof, and a chamber (6) which externally abuts one of the walls of the channel (1), beyond the position of the sensors (5), and in which is coaxially housed a rotating wheel (7) driven by an electric motor, the wheel (7) and the chamber (6) defining independent compartments distributed around its circumference, each one large enough to house a coin of the maximum size which the selector can admit. A coin (2a) passing along channel (1) Fig. 2, may pass directly to a return channel or be deflected by a selectively operable gate (11) into a pocket of wheel (7) which then rotates. In the next position the coin may be permitted to fall from the wheel into the return channel by operation of gate 12 or may be carried further by the wheel to fall into a collection channel. <IMAGE>

Description

A COIN RECEIVING AND COLLECTING DEVICE The present invention relates to a coin receiving and collecting device which can be applied to all machines that are operated by inserting coins and in which the collection thereof may be carried out whilst the machine is in operation.

The machines of the type indicated are usually provided with a coin receiving mechanism from which the coins are accepted one by one whilst the machine is in operation. This system causes a certain delay in the collecting operations and furthermore usually complicates the selection mechanism, since they must be provided with means able to receive coins of different values.

The object of the present invention is a coin receiving and collecting device constituted in such a way that it can store at least two coins, said coins having previously passed through the selector and having been accepted by it as valid, and where the operator has the opportunity to recover these coins before the operation of collecting is carried out.

A device in accordance with the invention includes a coin selector of the traditional kind which defines an internal channel along which the coins travel and along the path of which are arranged sensors for detecting the entrance, validity and value of the coins. According to the invention, this device also comprises a chamber which externally abuts one of the walls of the channel, downstream of the sensors, and in which is coaxially housed a rotating wheel driven by means of an electric motor and which, together with the wall of the chamber, defines independent compartments distributed around its circumference, each one being large enough to house a coin of the maximum size admissible by the selector.

The chamber is provided with an opening that connects it to said channel, acting as a coin receiving opening and being large enough to receive the coins accepted by the selector. Furthermore, the chamber is provided with at least one opening that connects it to the return channel as well as an exit opening that leads to the collecting area, said openings being situated consecutively in the direction of rotation of the wheel in positions which are adjacent to the various compartments when said wheel is at rest.

The passage of the coins through the openings that lead to the selector and return channels is controlled by means of gates activated by electromagnets, whilst the exit opening that leads to the collecting area is permanently open.

The chamber is further provided with a detector for detecting the presence of a coin in the compartment which is adjacent to the opening connecting said chamber to the coin travel channel of the selector. Furthermore, the chamber includes a positional sensor which detects the position of the wheel compartments at all times.

The characteristics of the device of the invention are described below in greater detail together with the help of the accompanying drawings which show by way of a non-limiting example one practical embodiment thereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a lateral elevation of a device according to the invention.

Figure 2 is an upper view of the device as seen along direction A of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a simplified and partialy exploded perspective view of the device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows schematically the activating mechanism of the recovery gate.

Figures 5, 7 and 9 are sections taken along the line A-A of Figure 3 with the gate that connects the channel to the cylindrical chamber in the closed and open positions.

Figures 6, 8 and 10 are sections taken along the line B-B of Figure 3 with the recovery gate of the cylindrical chamber in different positions.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent a coin receiving and collecting device which includes a channel 1 with an inclined bottom along which the coins 2 introduced through the corresponding upper slot run. The bottom 3 of the channel 1 has a certain gradient to help the coins to move along it by rolling. Furthermore, the walls of the channel are inclined such that the coins 2a, Figure 2, always roll leaning against one of the walls.

Along the channel 1 is arranged a coin entrance detector 4 as well as size sensors 5 which may of the optical or electromagnetic type or a combination of the two.

So far the constitution of the device corresponds to that of a traditional selector.

According to the present invention, the device further includes a chamber 6 which externally abuts one of the walls of the channel 1, beyond the position occupied by the senors 5. Preferably, this chamber abuts the wall that is opposite the wall against which the coins then lean as they travel along the channel.

The chamber 6 is preferably cylindrical in shape and inside it is housed a coaxially positioned rotating wheel which includes partitions that define independent compartments distributed around its circumference, each one large enough to receive a coin of the maximum size acceptable by the selector.

In the example described, the wheel 7 defines three equal chambers.

As can best be seen in Figure 2, the chamber 6 is cylindrical in shape and open at one of its ends, said end abutting the wall of the channel. Formed in this wall of the channel are two openings connecting it to the chamber 6, one opening 8 leading from the channel 1 along which the coins entering from the selector run, and another opening which leads to the recovery channel, coplanar with the channel 1. The cylindrical wall of the chamber 6 is further provided with a lower opening 10 which leads to the collecting area.

The three openings mentioned above are situated consecutively in the direction of rotation of the wheel in positions adjacent to those of the various compartments when said wheel 7 is at rest, as shown in Figure 1.

The channel 1 of the selector along which the coins travel is fitted with a diverting gate 11, Figures 2, 5, 7 and 9, activated by means of an electromagnet and which, when activated, causes the coins 2a to be diverted through the opening 8 into the compartment of the cylindrical chamber 6 adjacent to this opening.

The opening 9 is controlled by a recovery gate 12, Figures 2, 6, 8 and 10, which is also activated by means of an electromagnet.

The chamber 6 is provided with a coin detector 12, Figure 1, adjacent to the chamber and facing the entrance opening 8. The chamber 6 is also provided with a sensor 13 which provides information about the position of the wheel 7 at all times.

The wheel 7 is turned by means of a mechanism that includes an electric motor 14, Figure 2, which drives the axis 15 of said wheel via a worm 16 and worm wheel 17. Figures 2, 5, 7 and 9 show the electromagnet 18 which activates the deviating gate 11 and Figure 2 shows the electromagnet 19 which activates the recovery gate 12.

Figure 4 represents a mechanism for activating the recovery gate 12 by means of the electromagnet 19. This mechanism consists of two levers 20 and 21 which pivot on each other at one of their ends, the free end of the lever 21 pivoting on the gate 12 and the lever 20 pivoting about a fixed point 22. The activating arm 24 of the electromagnet 19 is connected at the common pivot point 23 of the two levers.

With this mechanism, when the levers 20 and 21 are aligned, shown in the Figure by the solid lines, the gate 12 closes the opening 9, its accidental opening being prevented by the fact that said levers are aligned. When the arm 24 is pulled in the direction of the arrow, the levers 20 and 21 take up the angular position shown by the broken lines and the gate opens to assume the position represented by the dotted lines, a small pulling effort being required by the arm 24 in order move from the closed to the open position.

With this arrangement, when coins are inserted into the selector, if the first of these coins is judged by the sensors 5 as valid, the deviating gate 11 is activated such that the coin 2a passes through the opening 8 to occupy the position 2b inside the first receiving compartment, as shown in Figure 1.

The entrance of a coin causes the detector 12 to activate the motor 14 which turns the wheel 7 through 0 120 such that the coin 2b moves to the position 2c, Figure 1, facing the recovery opening 9. A new chamber now faces the entrance opening 8 ready to receive a second coin such that the chambers facing the recovery opening 9 and entrance opening 8 are both occupied by coins.

If the mechanism of the machine requests that the coins be collected, the motor 14 is activated 0 again, turning the wheel 7 through 120 such that the coin 2c takes up the position 2d shown in Figure 1, passing through the opening 10 to the collecting area. This rotation brings a new chamber into position opposite the entrance opening 8 ready to receive a new coin.

With the arrangement described it is possible to always have two coins inside the device ready to be collected by the machine as it requests them during its operation.

If a coin is introduced whilst the compartments facing the entrance opening 8 and recovery opening 9 are both occupied, the deviation gate 11 is not activated and the coin runs along the channel 1 until it reaches the recovery channel which leads directly outside the machine, as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The same occurs if the coin introduced is invalid; the gates 11 and 12 are not activated, Figures 5 and 6, and the coin 2a runs along the channel 1 until it reaches the recovery exit.

The coins which occupy the compartments of the chamber 6 which face entrance opening 8 and recovery opening 9 can also be recovered by the operator; first of all the gate 11, Figures 2, 7 and 8, directs the valid coin into the corresponding compartment of the cylindrical chamber 6; then the wheel 7 rotates until the coin faces the opening 9, at which point the gate 12 is opened, Figure 8, such that the coin runs towards the recovery channel. If there are coins occupying both of the compartments facing the openings 8 and 9, the coin facing the opening 9 is recovered first and the wheel is then turned through 1200 until the next coin also faces the recovery opening 9, from where is leaves in the same way as described above.

Finally, if the entrance of valid coins causes the gate 11 to be activated, said coin moving into the chamber 6, and the apparatus in which the device is fitted starts to operate and requests the collection of coins, the wheel 7 is made to rotate, maintaining the gate 12 inactivated, until the coin is in the position 2d, Figure 1, from where said coin is collected as shown in Figures 9 and 10.

Figures 5 and 6 show schematically the positions of the gates 11 and 12 when a coin is rejected.

Figures 7 and 8 show the positions of the same gates during the recovery of coins. Figures 9 and 10 represent the positions of the gates when the coins are being collected by means of the corresponding rotation of the wheel 7.

In short, each time the motor 14 is activated it causes the wheel to rotate through 1200, advancing the compartments and the coins housed therein by one position.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A coin receiving and collecting device which includes a coin selector that defines an internal channel along which the coins travel and along the path of which are arranged sensors for detecting the entrance, validity and value of the coins, wherein the device comprises a chamber which externally abuts one of the walls of the channel, beyond the position of the sensors, and in which is coaxially housed a rotating wheel driven by means of an electric motor, said wheel defining independent compartments distributed around its circumference, each one large enough to house a coin of the maximum size admissible by the selector; said chamber being provided with an opening that connects it to said channel, large enough to receive the coins accepted by the selector, at least one opening connecting it to a return channel and one exit opening leading to the collecting area, said openings being situated consecutively in the direction of rotation of the wheel in positions which are adjacent to the various compartments when said wheel is at rest; and in that the passage of the coins through the openings that lead to the selector and return channels is controlled by means of gates activated by electromagnets.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said chamber is cylindrical in shape and open at one of its ends by which it abuts and is fixed to the external surface of the wall of the selector channel which is opposite the wall against which the coins lean as they travel along the channel.

3. A device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the gate that controls the passage of coins from the coin travel channel to said chamber consists of a deviating gate situated in the wall opposite the one which contains the opening connecting the channel to the chamber.

4. A device according to any of claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein said chamber is provided with a coin detector adjacent to the chamber which faces the opening connecting said chamber to the travel channel of the selector.

5. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the device further comprises a positional sensor which detects the position of the wheel compartments at all times.

6. A device according to claims 1 and 5, wherein the axis of the wheel is linked to the drive motor via a worm and gearwheel mechanism.

7. A device according to any preceding claim, wherein the wheel defines three compartments, each of which can be positioned adjacent to one of said openings of the chamber, said compartments advancing by one position each time the drive motor is activated by the coin detector or the control and operational circuits of the machine.

8. A coin receiving and collecting device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.