GB2459448A

GB2459448A - Anti-theft structure of a coin acceptor

Info

Publication number: GB2459448A
Application number: GB0807247A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tien-Yuan Chien; Hung-Yi Chang
Original assignee: International Currency Technologies Corp
Current assignee: International Currency Technologies Corp
Priority date: 2008-04-21
Filing date: 2008-04-21
Publication date: 2009-10-28
Anticipated expiration: 2028-04-21
Also published as: GB2459448B; GB0807247D0

Abstract

An anti-theft structure of a coin acceptor is disclosed having a sliding way 111 disposed at the bottom side of a coin passage 11, a coin-return passage 112 extending from the front side of the sliding way 111, a gate 22, and a solenoid valve 21 controllable to move the gate 22 between a first position where the gate 22 is extended out of the sliding way 111 for allowing the inserted coin/token to pass through a slot 223 on the gate 22 and a second position where the gate 22 is received in the sliding way 111 for enabling the inserted coin/token to pass to the coin-return passage 112. The gate has an anti-theft flange 225 upwardly extending from the rear side thereof for blocking the coin-return passage 112 to prevent a user from stealing the coin/token with a spring strip or tool when the gate 22 is moved out of the sliding way 111.

Description

ANTI-THEFT STRUCTURE OF A COIN ACCEPTOR

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention:

The present invention relates to a coin acceptor and more specifically, to the anti-theft structure of a coin acceptor that prohibits an evil person from stealing an inserted coin/token for repeat use.

2. Description of the Related Art:

Coin acceptors are found in vending and gaming machines and amusements kiosks. These coin acceptors commonly have a coin validator for the authenticity and value of coins/tokens. The validation accuracy of coin acceptors has a great concern with the supplier's business and consumers' rights as well as the financial order of the society. Conventional coin validators commonly use induction coil device to validate the type and denomination of an inserted coin/token. An induction coil device for this purpose comprises a first coil that transmits a magnetic field and a second coil that receives a magnetic field. As the coin passes between the coils, the coin alters the magnetic field, and the variation is measured. Differences in size, shape or metal content produce different signatures that determine type and denomination. The inductance error of a conventional induction coil device is about 5-iO%. Further, a conventional induction coil device may break or affected by temperature, causing an error.

Further, an evil person may use a fishing technique to cheat the coin acceptor of an automatic vending machine or gaming machine. By means of fastening a fishing line or cord member to a hole on a coin/token and inserting the coin/token into a coin acceptor and then pulling back the coin/token after examination of the coin/token by the validator of the coin acceptor, the evil person can use the coin/token to cheat the machine repeatedly. The evil person may also insert a spring strip or tool into the coin-return passage of a coin acceptor to steal an inserted and validated coin/token from the coin acceptor for repeat use.

The installation of a vending machine, gaming machine or amusements kiosk costs a lot. If a vending/gaming machine or amusements kiosk supplier cannot prohibit stealing, the profit in the business will be reduced, or the supplier may be unable to get profit from the business.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a coin acceptor that eliminates the aforesaid problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been accomplished to provide an anti-theft structure of a coin acceptor that eliminates the aforesaid problems. According to one aspect of the present invention, the anti-theft structure comprises a body and a solenoid module. The body comprises a coin passage, a sliding way disposed at the bottom side of the coin passage, a coin-return passage extending from the front side of the sliding way, a microprocessor, and an induction coil module mounted in the coin passage at one side and electrically connected to the microprocessor. The induction coil module is controllable by the microprocessor to validate a coin/token. The solenoid module is mounted in the body, comprising a gate and a solenoid valve controllable by the microprocessor to move the gate in and out of the sliding way. The -10 gate has a slot and an anti-theft flange upwardly extendig_fr the rear side thereof. When the gate is moved out of the sliding way, the inserted coin/token can fall to the slot of the gate, and at the same time, the anti-theft flange blocks the coin-return passage to prohibit a user from stealing an inserted coin/token with a spring strip or tool.

According to another aspect of the present invention, the gate has an anti-pulling safety groove disposed adjacent to the anti-theft flange for receiving a fishing line for anti-fishing protection, and a beveled guide edge disposed at one side of the anti-pulling safety groove for guiding a fishing line into the anti-pulling safety groove.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a coin acceptor according * to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the coin acceptor shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a part of the present invention, showing the structure of the solenoid module and the relationship between the solenoid module and the sliding way of the body.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the gate shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a circuit block diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a schematic drawing of the present invention before insertion of a coin/token into the coin slot.

FIG. 7 corresponds to FIG. 6, showing a coin/token inserted and moved to the slot of the gate.

FIG. 8 is a schematic drawing of the present invention, showing a coin return action.

DFIAILED DESCRIPTION OF TIlE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 15, a coin acceptor in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a body 1, a solenoid module 2 and a face panel 3.

The body 1 comprises a coin passage 11 extending obliquely downwards from the front side and then turned vertically downward, a sliding way 111 downwardly extending from the coin passage 11, a coin-return passage 112 obliquely downwardly extending from the front side of the sliding way 111 to the front side of the body 1, a stepped stop portion 113 connected between the sliding way 111 and the coin-return passage 112, a receiving chamber 114 disposed in communication with the bottom side of the coin passage 11 at one side opposite to the sliding way 111, and an anti-theft hook 115 pivotally mounted in the top side of the coin passage 11. The body 1 further has installed therein a circuit assembly mounted therein. The circuit assembly, as shown in FIG. 5, is comprised of a microprocessor 12, an induction coil module 13, which comprises a first inductor coil 131 and a second inductor coil 132, a sensor module 14, which comprises an anti-fishing sensor 141, a coin-output sensor 142 and a coin-return sensor 143, an oscillator 15, a power module 16, and an indicator light device 17.

The induction coil module 13 is mounted in the coin passage 11.

The anti-fishing sensor 141 is provided below the second inductor coil 132 in the coin passage 11. The coin-output sensor 142 and the coin-return sensor 143 are respectively mounted in the bottom side of the coin passage 11 and an inner side of the coin-return passage 112.

The solenoid module 2 is electrically connected to the microprocessor 12 of the circuit assembly inside the body 1, comprised of a solenoid valve 21 and a gate 22. The solenoid valve 21 has a valve stem 211 movable by a solenoid armature thereof (not shown). The gate 22 comprises a base 221. The base 221 has a

S

coupling hole 222 located on one lateral sidewall thereof and coupled to the valve stem 211 of the solenoid valve 21, a slot 223 vertically cut through the top and bottom sides thereof for the passing of a coin/token 4, an oblique baffle 224 protruded from the other lateral sidewall thereof and connected to the coin-return passage 112, an anti-theft flange 225 upwardly extending from the rear end thereof and abutted against one side of the coin-return passage 112, and an anti-pulling safety groove 226. The slot 223 has two beveled top guide edges 2231 bilaterally disposed at the top side for guiding in a coin/token 4. The anti-theft flange 225 has a beveled top guide edge 2251. The anti-pulling safety groove 226 has a beveled guide edge 2261 disposed at one side remote from the anti-theft flange 225 and connected to the slot 223.

The face panel 3 is affixed to the front side of the body 1, having a coin slot 31 connected to the coin passage 11 of the body 1 for the insertion of a coil/token 4, a coin-return slot 32 spaced below the coin slot 31 and connected to the coin-return passage 112, and a coin-return button 33 disposed between the coin slot 31 and the coin-return slot 32.

During installation of the coin acceptor, the solenoid valve 21 and the gate 22 of the solenoid module 2 are set at the two opposite lateral sides of the sliding way 111 and the valve stem 211 of the solenoid valve 21 is inserted through the sliding way 111 and connected to the coupling hole 222 of the gate 22, keeping the slot 223 and the anti-theft flange 225 of the gate 22 in the sliding way 111 and the oblique baffle 224 of the gate 22 in the coin passage 11.

Thereafter, the face panel 3 is affixed to the front side of the body 1, S keeping the coin slot 31 and the coin-return slot 32 respectively connected to the coin passage 11 and the coin-return passage 112.

Referring to FIGS. 6-8 and FIGS. 2 and 5 again, when a coin/token 4 is inserted into the coin slot 31, it is rolling or sliding along the coin passage 11 to bias the anti-theft hook 115 downwards and then keeps rolling or sliding forwards. When the coin/token 4 passed the anti-theft hook 115, the anti-theft hook 115 is returned to its initial position. When the coin/token 4 is moving along the coin passage 11 through the induction coil module 13, the induction coil module 13 validates the authenticity and value of the coin/token 4. If the coin/token 4 is validated to be a counterfeit, the counterfeit coin/token 4 is guided along the oblique baffle 224 and the coin-return passage 112 to the coin-return slot 32 of the face panel 3. If the coin/token 4 is validated to be genuine, the solenoid valve 21 is started to move the gate 22, thereby shifting the slot 223 into the inside of the coin passage 11 for enabling the coin/token 4 to fall through the slot 223.

When a coin/token 4 entered the coin passage 11 of the body 1, the induction coil module 13 validates the authenticity and value of the coin/token 4. At this time, the first inductor coil 131 and the second inductor coil 132 detect the weight, thickness and diameter of the coin/token 4 and compare the data with a predetermined reference data, thereby validating the authenticity and value of the coin/token 4. If the coin/token 4 is validated to be genuine, the coin/token 4 falls through the slot 223, and at the same time the coin-output sensor 142 of the sensor module 14 is induced to output a coin-output signal to the microprocessor 12. If the coin/token 4 is validated to be a counterfeit, the counterfeit coin/token 4 will be stopped by the oblique baffle 224 and guided by the oblique baffle 224 through the coin-return passage 112 toward the coin-return slot 32 of the face panel 3. When the counterfeit coin/token 4 is moving through the coin-return passage 112 toward the coin-return slot 32 of the face panel 3, the coin-return sensor 143 is induced to output a coin-return signal to the microprocessor 12. Subject to the coin-output signal or the coin-return signal, the microprocessor 12 determines whether the coin/token 4 moves correctly or not, and then runs a corresponding processing.

As stated above, the slot 223 has two beveled top guide edges 2231 bilaterally disposed at the top side, arid the anti-theft flange 225 has a beveled top guide edge 2251. When a coin/token 4 is determined to be genuine and running downwards along the coin passage 11, the beveled top guide edges 2231 and 2251 guide the coin/token 4 smoothly into the slot 223 of the gate 22, avoiding falling of the coin/token 4 to the coin-return passage 112 or sticking of the coin/token 4 to the gate 22.

Further, when an evil person fastened a fishing line or cord member to a hole on a coin/token 4 and inserted the coin/token 4 into the coin acceptor and then pulled back the coin/token 4 after the coin/token 4 passed through the induction coil module 13, the coin-output sensor 142 of the sensor module 14 gives no signal to the microprocessor 12. If the microprocessor 12 receives no signal from the coin-output sensor 142 of the sensor module 14 within a predetermined period of time after validation of the coin/token 4 by the induction coil module 13, the microprocessor 12 starts the anti-fishing sensor 141. At this time, the anti-fishing sensor 141 detects a signal indicative of the binding of the coin/token 4 with a cord member and provides the signal to the microprocessor 12, preventing cheating.

After the coin/token 4 passed through the slot 223 of the gate 22, the gate 22 is shifted to the position where the slot 223 is disposed inside the sliding way 111. However, because the gate 22 is movably supported on a spring member (not shown) and can easily be shifted out of the sliding way 111, pulling the cord member to retrieve the coin/token 4 may cause the gate 22 to be moved horizontally out of the sliding way 111 for allowing the coin/token 4 to be pulled backward. The design of the anti-pulling safety groove 226 prevents this problem. If the evil person pulls back the cord member to retrieve the coin/token 4 after the S coin/token 4 passed through the slot 223 of the gate 22, the cord member that is fastened to the coin/token 4 will be guided by the beveled guide edge 2261 into the anti-pulling safety groove 226, and the pulling force from the evil person will be applied to the oblique baffle 224 in vertical direction, i.e., the gate 22 will not be moved horizontally out of the sliding way liland the coin/token 4 will not be pulled back.

Further, when an evil person inserts a spring strip through the coin-return slot 32 into the coin-return passage 112 of the body 1 to the space at the top side of the coin-output sensor 142 of the sensor module 14, trying to push the coin/token 4 toward the coin-return slot 32 for a repeat use after the coin/token 4 has induced the coin-output sensor 142. The design of the anti-theft flange 225 of the gate 22 prevents this problem. As described early, the anti-theft flange 225 of the gate 22 is abutted against one side of the coin-return passage 112. After the coin/token 4 has been validated to be genuine, the solenoid valve 21 is operated to move the gate 22. At this time, the anti-theft flange 225 isolates the slot 223 from the coin-return passage 112, and therefore an evil person * cannot insert a spring strip through the coin-return pass 112 into the top side of the slot 223 of the gate 22, i.e. the invention prohibits an evil person from using a spring strip or tool means to steal an inserted coin/token 4 from the coin acceptor for a repeat use.

When a coin/token 4 is validated to be a counterfeit, the oblique baffle 224 is kept in communication with the coin-return passage 112, enabling the counterfeit to be guided by the oblique baffle 224 through the coin-return passage 112 to the coin-return slot 32 of the face panel 3.

When no coin/token is inserted into the coin acceptor, the gate 22 of the solenoid module 2 is received in the sliding way 111, and the oblique baffle 224 is kept in the coin passage 11 of the body 1 in communication with the coin-return passage 112. When the coin acceptor failed due to power failure or any other reasons and a user inserted a coin/token 4 into the coin acceptor, the coin/token 4 will be guided by the oblique baffle 224 through the coin-return passage 112 to the coin-return slot 32 of the face panel 3, preventing collection of the coin/token 4 by error and protecting users' rights.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 5 and 6 again, the microprocessor 12 is electrically connected with the induction coil module 13, the sensor module 14, the solenoid valve 21, the oscillator 15, the * power module 16 and the indicator light device 17. The oscillator is adapted for making an oscillating induction to the inductance value of the coin/token 4, enhancing the validation accuracy. The power module 16 provides the body 1 with the necessary working voltage. When the microprocessor 12 receives a signal from the induction coil module 13, the sensor module 14 or the solenoid oscillator 15, or an error occurred during initialization or operation of the system, the indicator light device 17 gives a corresponding visual indication.

When a coin/token 4 is jammed in the coin passage 11 or when a user wishing to return an inserted coin/token 4, the user can press the coin-return button 33 to drive the solenoid valve 21 in moving the gate 22, allowing the coin/token 4 to be guided by the oblique baffle 224 through the coin-return passage 112 to the coin-return slot 32 of the face panel 3.

Therefore, the invention has the sliding way 111 arranged at the bottom side of the coin passage 11 in the body 1 in communication with the coin-return passage 112 and the solenoid valve 21 and the gate 22 of the solenoid module 2 be set at the two opposite lateral sides of the sliding way 111. When a coin/token 4 is validated to be genuine, the solenoid valve 21 is started to move the gate 22, allowing the genuine coin/slot 4 to pass through the slot 223 of the gate 22, and at this time the anti-theft flange 225 of the gate 22 isolate the slot 223 from the coin-return passage 112, preventing an evil person from using a tool to steal the inserted coin/slot 4.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.

Claims

What the invention claimed is: 1. An anti-theft structure of a coin acceptor, comprising: a body, said body comprising a coin passage, a sliding way disposed at a bottom side of said coin passage, a coin-return passage extending from a front side of said sliding way, a microprocessor, and an induction coil module mounted in said coin passage at one side and electrically connected to said microprocessor and controllable by said microprocessor to validate a coin/token; and a solenoid module mounted in said body, said solenoid module comprising a gate movable in and out of said sliding way and a solenoid valve controllable by said microprocessor to move said gate in and out of said sliding way, said gate having a slot for the passing of a genuine coin/token when said gate is moved out of said sliding way and an anti-theft flange upwardly extending from a rear side thereof for blocking said coin-return passage when said gate is moved out of said sliding way.
2. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body comprises a stepped stop portion disposed between said sliding way and said coin-return passage for supporting said gate of said solenoid module in position.
3. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gate comprises an oblique baffle protruded from one lateral sidewall thereof opposite to said solenoid valve and adapted for guiding a coin/token out of said coin passage to said coin-return passage when said gate is moved into said sliding way.
4. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gate comprises a coupling hole disposed at one lateral sidewall thereof, and said solenoid valve comprises a valve stem inserted through said sliding way and connected to said coupling hole of said gate.
5. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein gate comprises a plurality of beveled top guide edges respectively disposed at two opposite sides of said slot of said gate and a top side of said anti-theft flange for guiding a coin/token from said coin passage into said slot of said gate.
6. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body further comprises an anti-theft hook pivotally mounted in a top side of said coin passage for prohibiting reverse movement of a coin/token.
7. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said microprocessor has a sensor module electrically connected thereto and adapted for detecting movement of a coin/token out of said coin passage through said gate.
8. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 7, wherein said microprocessor has electrically connected thereto an oscillator, a power module and an indicator light device.
9. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body has a face panel fixedly fastened to a front side thereof, said face panel comprising a coin slot in communication with said coin passage, a coin-return slot in communication with said coin-return passage, and a coin-return button for coin return control.
10. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coin passage extends obliquely backwards from a front side of said body to a predetermined distance and then turned vertically downward.
11. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein said gate comprises an oblique baffle protruded from one lateral sidewall thereof opposite to said solenoid valve and adapted for guiding a coin/token out of said coin passage to said coin-return passage when said gate is moved into said sliding way, and an anti-pulling safety groove disposed adjacent to said anti-theft flange and extending from said slot of said gate toward said oblique ha ff1 e.
12. The anti-theft structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein said anti-pulling safety groove has a beveled guide edge disposed at one side thereof remote from said anti-theft flange and connected to said slot of said gate.