JP2001266232A - Method and device for processing coin - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method and a device for coin processing which can temporarily hold thrown-in coins and operate normally even when coins are held when the power source is turned on. SOLUTION: When the power source is turned on, a safe passage lever 28 is switched over to the side of a safe passage 8 side to move exclosure pins 31a and 31b, thereby guiding coins in an exclosure passage 4 to a safe.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coin processing method and apparatus, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for temporarily storing a plurality of coins.
The present invention relates to a coin processing method and apparatus for returning coins inserted when a return operation is performed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A vending machine is usually provided with a coin processing device for receiving coins and paying out change.

A conventional coin processing device determines the authenticity and denomination of the inserted coin, and if the coin is a genuine coin, stores the coin in a coin tube corresponding to the denomination and pays the change. In such a case, a coin equivalent to a change amount was paid out from a coin tube. In the case of such a configuration, when the coin once inserted is returned for some reason, the coin of the inserted amount is paid out from the coin tube as in the case of the change payment. Therefore, the returned coins were of the same kind but not the same as the inserted coins.

[0004] For this reason, crimes have frequently occurred in which counterfeit money is put into a vending machine and genuine money is obtained by performing a return operation. This kind of crime can be dealt with by strictly determining the authenticity of the input coin, but by making the judgment strict, even a genuine coin with scratches and dirt will be judged as a false coin, The use of vending machines was inconvenient.

Under such a background, in order to prevent the use of counterfeit coins and achieve both convenience, a temporary holding mechanism (escrow mechanism) for temporarily holding inserted coins (escrow) is provided. When a return operation is performed, a coin processing device that returns the actual coins that have been inserted is also used.

[0006]

As described above, recently, coin processing apparatuses provided with an escrow mechanism have been used. In a coin processing device equipped with an escrow mechanism, if power is cut off due to a power failure or the like, the temporarily held coins may be left as they are, which may hinder operation when the power is turned on again. .

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coin processing method and apparatus which can temporarily hold inserted coins and can operate normally even when coins are temporarily held when power is turned on. I do.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention according to claim 1 discriminates the authenticity and denomination of a coin inserted, and discriminates the discriminated coin of at least one denomination. It has a temporary holding mechanism that temporarily holds the coins, stores the required number of coins among the coins temporarily stored in the temporary holding mechanism according to the storage instruction, and returns the coins temporarily stored in the temporary holding mechanism as it is according to the return instruction. In the above coin processing method, when a predetermined event occurs, a release operation of releasing the coin temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism is executed at least once.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the event is an initialization process including power-on, and during the initialization process, the event is temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism by the release operation. The collected coins are guided to a safe for collecting coins.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the event is an inventory operation, and coins temporarily stored in the temporary storage mechanism by the release operation during the inventory operation are dispensed coins. Is guided to a coin tube that accommodates the coin.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the coins temporarily stored in the temporary holding mechanism are:
It is characterized in that the sheet is released one by one by the releasing operation.

A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the first aspect of the present invention, the releasing operation is performed irrespective of the presence or absence of a held coin.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the authenticity and denomination of the inserted coin are identified, and the identified at least one coin is identified.
A temporary holding mechanism for temporarily holding coins of two denominations, storing the required number of coins among the coins temporarily stored in the temporary holding mechanism according to the storing instruction, and temporarily storing the coins in the temporary storing mechanism according to the return instruction. In the coin processing device for returning the coins as they are, coin releasing means for releasing the coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism, and when a predetermined event occurs, temporarily storing the coins in the temporary holding mechanism by the coin releasing means. Control means for executing the released operation of the reserved coin at least once.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a first coin guiding means for guiding the coin released by the coin releasing means to a coin collection safe, and the control means. Detects the execution of the initialization processing including power-on as the occurrence of the predetermined event, and guides the coin released by the coin releasing means and the coin released by the releasing operation to the safe by the first guiding means. It is characterized by doing.

The invention according to claim 8 is the invention according to claim 6, further comprising a second coin guiding means for guiding the coin released by the coin releasing means to a coin tube for accommodating coins to be dispensed, The control means detects an inventory operation as the occurrence of the predetermined event, and guides the coin released by the coin releasing means and the coin released by the releasing operation to the coin tube by the second guiding means. And

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the sixth aspect, the control means releases the coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism by the coin releasing means one by one. .

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the sixth aspect of the present invention, the control means sets the maximum number of coins that can be temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism regardless of the presence or absence of coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism. It is characterized in that the number releasing operation is repeatedly performed by the coin releasing means.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in the invention of the sixth aspect, the control means performs a predetermined number of releasing operations regardless of the presence or absence of coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism. The coin releasing means is repeatedly performed.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a coin processing method and apparatus according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 are views for explaining a schematic configuration of a coin processing apparatus according to the present invention.
The front is shown, and FIG. 2 is a side view.

The coin processing apparatus 100 includes an input unit 1 serving as a receiving port for inserted coins, an identification unit 2 for identifying authenticity and denomination of inserted coins, a coin passage 3 for rolling or dropping coins, An escrow passage 4 for temporarily storing (escrowing) coins of a predetermined denomination, a coin tube 5 (5a to 5e) for storing coins by denomination, a payout unit 6 for paying out coins in the coin tube 5, and a coin inserted. Is provided with a return passage 7 leading to a return opening (not shown), and a safe passage 8 leading to inserted coins into a safe (not shown).

The coin processing apparatus 100 is provided with various sensors for detecting the state of coins and the like. These sensors are, for example, a path sensor 1 that detects the passage of a coin.
1. an overflow sensor 12 (12a to 12e) for detecting that the coins in the coin tube 5 are full;
The empty sensor 13 (13a to 13e) detects that the coin in the coin tube 5 is empty.

The coin processing apparatus 100 includes a true / false distribution lever 21, a denomination distribution lever 22, a safe passage lever 23, a denomination distribution lever 24 for guiding coins to a predetermined position.
25, 26, return passage lever 27, safe passage lever 28
Escrow pin 31 for escrowing coins
a and 31b are provided. These components are driven by actuators such as solenoids. The actuators may correspond to the components on a one-to-one basis, or a single actuator may operate a plurality of levers or the like.

Here, the flow of coins in the coin processing apparatus 100 will be described. The coin 50 inserted into the insertion unit 1 of the coin processing apparatus 100 is first identified by the identification unit 2 into true / false and denomination. The coins determined to be counterfeit by the discriminating unit 2 are moved by the operation of the true / false distribution lever to the coin processing device 100.
Is returned to a return passage 7 (see FIG. 2) in front of the vehicle and returned from a return port (not shown).

On the other hand, a coin determined as a genuine coin by the discriminating unit 2 is guided to one of the coin tubes 5a to 5e for each denomination, but the coin tube 5 (any of the coin tubes 5b to 5e excluding 5a). Is full,
The coin is denominated sorting lever 22 and safe passage lever 23
Is guided to the safe passage 8 (see FIG. 2) on the back of the coin processing device 100 and stored in a safe (not shown).

If the coin tube is not full,
If the inserted coin is a denomination to be guided to the coin tube 5a, the denomination sorting lever 22 and the denomination sorting lever 2
4, the coin is guided to the escrow passage 4 in the front of the coin processing device 100, and the escrow pin 31a
Is temporarily stored in the escrow passage 4.

Further, the inserted coin is a coin tube 5
If the denomination was led to b, denomination sorting lever 2
2. With the denomination sorting lever 24 and the denomination sorting lever 25,
If the denomination is guided to the coin tube 5b and guided to the coin tube 5c, the denomination is distributed to the coin tube 5c by the denomination distribution lever 22, the denomination distribution lever 24, and the denomination distribution lever 25. If the inserted coin is a denomination to be guided to the coin tube 5d, it is guided to the coin tube 5d by the denomination sorting lever 22, the safe passage lever 23, and the denomination sorting lever 26, and the coin tube 5e.
If the denomination is led to the denomination sort lever 22,
The safe passage lever 23 and the denomination sorting lever 26 guide the coin to the coin tube 5e.

The coins 50 temporarily stored in the escrow passage 4 by the escrow pin 31a, for example, the coins 50a, 50b, 50c, are issued by a cash collection command from a vending machine (not shown) due to the purchase of goods. , The escrow pins 31a and 31b are alternately operated to be released one by one and fall. At this time, the return passage lever 27 and the safe passage lever 28 are operated to guide the escrow pins 31a and 31b to the coin tube 5a. However, when the coin tube 5a is full, the safe aisle lever 28 operates in the opposite direction, and the coin 5
0 is guided to the safe passage 8 on the back of the coin processing device 100 and stored in a safe (not shown).

When the coin 50 is temporarily held in the escrow passage 4 and a refund command is issued from a vending machine (not shown) by a refund operation or the like, the escrow pins 31a and 31b are alternately operated. 50 coins one by one
Is released, and the coin is guided to the return passage 7 on the front of the coin processing device 100 by the operation of the return passage lever 27, and is returned from the return opening (not shown).

As shown in the block diagram of FIG. 3, these processes are performed by the control unit 10 by the identification unit 2 and the path sensor 1.
1. Based on the detection results of the overflow sensors 12a to 12e and the empty sensors 13a to 13e, a true / false distribution lever 21, a denomination distribution lever 22, a safe passage lever 2
3. It is realized by operating the escrow pins 31a, 31b for escrowing coins, together with the denomination sorting levers 24, 25, 26, the return passage lever 27, and the safe passage lever 28.

Next, a case where the power of the coin processing apparatus 100 is cut off due to a power failure or the like will be described.

When the power of the coin processing apparatus 100 is shut off, the true / false sorting lever 21 is fixed in a direction to guide the inserted coin toward the return passage 7. Therefore, even if coins are inserted while the power is shut off, the coins are returned to the return path 7.
Will be returned from the return port (not shown)
There is no problem at all.

However, the escrow pins 31a, 31
Since b operates alternately, if the power is cut off while the coins are temporarily stored in the escrow passage 4, at least one of the escrow pins 31a and 31b is fixed in a state where the coins are temporarily stored. However, the coins remain in the escrow passage 4.

Therefore, the coin processing apparatus 100 cannot expect a normal operation thereafter unless the coins that may remain in the escrow passage 4 are moved to any one when the power is turned on.

Then, a process of moving coins which may be left in the escrow passage 4 is performed. The destination from the escrow passage 4 is determined by the operation of the return passage lever 27 and the safe passage lever 28. A return port (not shown) through the coin tube 5a and the return path 7 and a safe (not shown) through the safe path 8 are candidates.

However, leading the remaining coins to the return slot is
There is a possibility that the coin may be illegally exploited and cannot be realized, and leading to the coin tube 5a is difficult to realize in view of the fact that the coin is not necessarily a genuine coin. is there.

Therefore, coins that may remain in the escrow passage 4 are guided to a safe (not shown) when the power is turned on.

Here, the operation of the coin processing apparatus 100 when the power is turned on will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of operation when the coin processing device 100 is powered on.

When the power is turned on, the coin processing apparatus 100 first switches the true / false distributing lever 21 to the return passage 7 side, and guides newly inserted coins to the return opening (step 101). . However, the true / false distribution lever 21 is
When the power supply is cut off, this operation is a confirmation operation because it stops at the position where the inserted coin is guided to the return passage 7.

Next, the safe passage lever 28 is switched to the safe passage 8 side (step 102), and the escrow pin 31a,
31b is operated to release one coin (although not always) in the escrow passage 4 (step 103), and the number of operations is counted (step 10).
4).

The operation of releasing the coins in the escrow passage 4 is repeated by the maximum number of coins (including the set maximum number of coins) that can be temporarily stored in the escrow passage 4 (NO in step 105), and this repetition is repeated. When the processing is completed (YES in step 105), the coin processing device 100
Return to normal operation.

By the way, as described above, the coin processing device 1
When the power of 00 is turned on, coins that may have remained in the escrow passage 4 are guided to a safe (not shown). However, coins may remain in the escrow passage 4 for some reason when performing inventory operations. It may have remained. In this case, even if the remaining coins are counterfeit coins, the operator can visually recognize the coins. Therefore, it is desirable to guide the remaining coins to the coin tube 5a instead of the safe, and then to perform the payout operation. become.

Therefore, in the coin processing apparatus 100, during the inventory operation, the remaining coins are removed from the coin tube 5a.
Lead to.

Here, the operation of the coin processing apparatus 100 during the inventory operation will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
5 is a flowchart showing a flow of the operation of the coin processing apparatus 100 during an inventory operation.

Upon receiving an inventory instruction, the coin processing apparatus 100 first switches the true / false distribution lever 21 to the return passage 7 side, and guides newly inserted coins to the return opening (step 201).

Next, the safe passage lever 28 is switched to the safe passage 8 side (step 202), and the escrow pin 31a,
31b is operated to release only one coin (although not always) in the escrow passage 4 (step 203), and the number of operations is counted (step 20).
4).

The operation of releasing the coins in the escrow passage 4 is repeatedly performed for the maximum number of coins that can be temporarily held in the escrow passage 4 (NO in step 205), and when this repetition processing is completed (YES in step 205). , The coin processing device 100 includes a coin tube 5 (5a to 5a).
The coins in e) are ejected (step 206), and this is repeated while the inventory instruction is continued (step 2).
When the inventory instruction is stopped (YES in step 07) (NO in step 207), the inventory operation ends.

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, the coins in the escrow passage are guided to the safe when the power is turned on, so that there is a possibility that the coins may remain in the escrow passage. Certain coins can be exempt from fraudulent exploitation and from being paid out as change,
The disadvantage of the user can be prevented.

Further, by guiding the coins in the escrow passage to the coin tube during the inventory operation, the efficiency of the inventory operation can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram (1) illustrating a schematic configuration of a coin processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram (2) illustrating a schematic configuration of a coin processing apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a control configuration of the coin processing device.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of the operation of the coin processing apparatus 100 when the power is turned on.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of the operation of the coin processing apparatus 100 during an inventory operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 insertion unit 2 identification unit 3 coin passage 4 escrow passage 5, 5 a to 5 e coin tube 6 payout unit 7 return passage 8 safe passage 10 control unit 11 path sensor 12 a to 12 e overflow sensor 13 a to 13 e empty sensor 21 true / false distribution lever 22 , 24, 25, 26 Denomination sorting lever 23, 28 Safe passage lever 27 Return passage lever 31a, 31b Escrow pin 50, 50a to 50c Coin 100 Coin processing device

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Kenji Koyama 2-2-2 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo F-term in Japan Conlux (reference) 3E001 AA05 BA01 CA07 DA08 DA11 FA11 FA59 3E044 AA01 BA01 CC04 DA01 DA02 DB02 DB15 DD02 DD03 DD06 FA02 FA04 FA08

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A temporary holding mechanism for identifying the authenticity and denomination of a coin inserted and for temporarily storing coins of at least one of the identified denominations, and temporarily storing the coins of the identified coin type in the temporary holding mechanism according to a storage instruction. In a coin processing method for storing a required number of coins among the held coins and returning the coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism in accordance with a return instruction, when a predetermined event occurs, the temporary holding mechanism A coin releasing process for releasing coins temporarily stored in the coin at least once. 2. The event is an initialization process including a power-on operation. In the initialization process, coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism by the release operation are guided to a coin collection safe. The coin processing method according to claim 1, wherein 3. The event according to claim 1, wherein the event is an inventory operation, and the coin temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism by the releasing operation is guided to a coin tube for accommodating coins to be paid out at the time of the inventory operation. 1
The coin processing method described in the above. 4. The coin processing method according to claim 1, wherein the coins temporarily stored in the temporary holding mechanism are released one by one by the releasing operation. 5. The coin processing method according to claim 1, wherein the releasing operation is performed irrespective of the presence or absence of a reserved coin. 6. A temporary holding mechanism for identifying authenticity and denomination of the inserted coin and temporarily storing coins of the identified at least one denomination, and temporarily storing the coins of at least one of the identified denominations in accordance with a storage instruction. In a coin processing device that accommodates a required number of coins among the held coins and returns the coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism as it is by a return instruction, the coins temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism are released. A coin releasing means, and a control means for causing the temporary holding mechanism to release the temporarily held coin by the coin releasing means at least once when a predetermined event occurs. Processing equipment. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: first coin guiding means for guiding coins released by said coin releasing means to a coin collection safe, wherein said control means executes an initialization process including power-on. 7. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the coin is released by the coin releasing means and the coin released by the releasing operation is guided to the safe by the first guiding means upon detecting that a predetermined event has occurred. . 8. The apparatus further comprises a second coin guiding means for guiding the coin released by the coin releasing means to a coin tube for accommodating coins to be paid out, wherein the control means sets an inventory operation as the occurrence of the predetermined event. 7. The coin guiding device according to claim 6, wherein the coin is released by the coin releasing means and the coin released by the releasing operation is guided to the coin tube by the second guiding means.
The coin processing device according to claim 1. 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the control means releases the coins temporarily stored in the temporary holding mechanism by the coin releasing means one by one.
The coin processing device according to claim 1. 10. The control unit controls the coin releasing unit to repeatedly perform a maximum number of releasing operations that can be temporarily held in the temporary holding mechanism, regardless of the presence or absence of coins temporarily stored in the temporary holding mechanism. The coin processing device according to claim 6, wherein: 11. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the coin releasing unit to repeatedly perform a predetermined number of releasing operations regardless of the presence or absence of coins temporarily stored in the temporary storing mechanism. Item 7. The coin processing device according to Item 6.