JP2003016501A - Coin storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a coin storage device with which a coin container is easily removed and exchanged and coins can be replenished in a short time. SOLUTION: This coin storage device 1 comprises the coin container 2 having storage grooves 5 for aligning coins M in tandem and a housing 50 for storing the coin container 2 in a freely extractable way, etc. In the case the coin container 2 is stored in the housing 50, the coins M in the housing grooves 5 are energized to the front to be aligned with the coins M in close contact with one another in such a manner that an engaging pawl 63 energized by a coil spring 62 is allowed to abut on the rear face of an abutting member.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coin storage device capable of storing coins in advance according to denomination and paying out coins such as change.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Cash registers and POS at retail stores
(point of sales) terminals, ATMs (automatic t
In an eller machine) device, a vending machine, or the like, the labor of an operator, the processing time, and the customer service can be reduced by providing an automatic change function for promptly paying out the change at the time of payment settlement.

As an example of a conventional change device, when a plurality of coins enter a slot at one time, an optical sensor detects the insertion of coins, separates the stacked coins one by one, and conveys them. After sorting, the number of coins is counted and stored in a denomination-type stacker, and when the denomination and denomination of change are indicated by the host device, a predetermined number of coins are taken out from the relevant denomination-type stacker and ejected from the outlet There is a device (for example, utility model registration No. 2509366). Such a device is classified into a recycling system in which the inserted coins are sorted by denomination and reused as change.

On the other hand, there is a pay-out exclusive system in which coins are stored in a denomination-type stacker in advance, automatic change-out is performed, and when a denomination shortage occurs, the operator replenishes each time. This system does not require a coin transporting mechanism, a sorting mechanism, a foreign matter preventing mechanism, etc., so that it is easy to reduce the size and cost of the device. Especially when the customer is 1
In the case of a sales form in which it is rare to pay in yen, and bills are paid out in many cases, a payout-only system is also practical.

As prior art related to the pay-out exclusive system, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 7-283317 and 8-27301.
7, JP-A-9-153160, JP-A-9-2127.
09 and so on.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems to be Solved by the Invention
In No. 7, a drawer is attached to a box-shaped main body, and a coin storage cassette is placed inside the drawer. Therefore, when the coin storage cassette is replaced, it is difficult to take out the coin storage cassette unless the inside of the drawer is exposed.
Further, since it is a two-step operation of a) a drawer moving operation and b) a cassette taking out operation, it becomes a complicated work.

Further, as a mechanism for closely aligning coins, one end of a coil spring is fixed to a main body side pin, the other end is fixed to a slide member on the cassette side, and the coil spring is bent by a front pin. Therefore, when the cassette is removed, it is connected to the main body by the coil spring, which makes it difficult to replenish coins. Further, even when the cassette is replaced with another replenished cassette, it is indispensable to remove and attach the coil spring, which is a complicated work.

An object of the present invention is to provide a coin storage device which allows easy removal and replacement of a coin container and can replenish coins in a short time.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a coin container having a storage groove for vertically arranging coins and a housing for storing the coin container so that the coin container can be drawn out freely. In the coin storing device, a biasing member for biasing is provided in the housing, and the biasing force of the biasing member is applied to the coins aligned in the storage groove when the coin container is stored.

According to the present invention, the urging member is provided in the housing, and when the coin container is stored, the urging force of the urging member is applied to the coins aligned in the storage groove so that the coins are closely arranged. It

Further, when the coin container is taken out from the housing, the biasing member and the coin container are easily separated,
Coins can be removed and replaced easily. In addition, the coin container can be reduced in size and weight.

Further, since the coin container itself is retractably stored in the housing, the operator's hand can be moved only laterally, which simplifies the replacement work of the coin container.

Further, according to the present invention, a contact member for contacting coins aligned in the storage groove is movably provided on the coin container, and an engaging member urged by the urging member is movably provided inside the housing. When the coin container is stored, the engaging member and the abutting member engage with each other.

According to the present invention, the contact member for contacting the coin is movably provided on the coin container, and the engaging member urged by the urging member is movably provided in the housing to store the coin container. When the engaging member and the abutting member are engaged with each other at some time, the urging force of the urging member can be surely transmitted by the contact between the members, and the urging force can be surely blocked by the separation of the members.

Further, by setting the frictional load associated with the movement of the abutting member to a certain degree high, it is possible to prevent the coins in the storage groove from collapsing and disturbing the alignment when the coin container is transported.

Further, according to the present invention, a pusher member for individually pushing out coins aligned in the storage groove is provided in the coin container, and a drive cam for driving the pusher member is provided in the housing, so that the coin container is stored. , The pusher member and the drive cam are engaged with each other.

According to the present invention, when a mechanism for dispensing coins aligned in the storage groove is provided one by one, the pusher member is provided in the coin container, and the drive cam for driving the pusher member is provided in the housing. This eliminates the need to install a drive source, a power supply cable, etc. in the coin container, reduces the size and weight of the coin container, and facilitates the handling of the coin container. Further, due to the cost reduction of the coin container, many spares of the coin container can be prepared, so that the coin refilling work becomes simple.

Further, by adopting a mechanism in which the pusher member is driven by the drive cam, a contact / separation mechanism for transmitting the driving force can be easily realized.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that the coin container has a first storage groove formed integrally with the container body, and a second storage groove detachable from the container body.

According to the present invention, the container is provided with a second accommodating groove which can be freely attached and detached, and denominations of low replenishment frequency such as 5 yen coins, 50 yen coins and 500 yen coins are accommodated in the first accommodating groove. However, denominations that are frequently replenished, such as 1-yen coins and 10-yen coins, are stored in the second storage groove so that
When refilling 0-yen coins, all that is required is to attach / detach and replace the second storage groove. As a result, the exchange container handled by the operator can be reduced in size and weight, and the coin refilling work can be simplified.

[0021]

1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view and FIG. 2 is a plan view. Figure 3
3A is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

The coin storage device 1 comprises a box-shaped housing 50 having an opening 51 at the front and a coin container 2 in the shape of a tray.
Etc. The coin container 2 is retractably stored in the housing 50 through the opening 51.

Guide plates 42 and rollers 43 are attached to both side surfaces of the coin container 2 in the same manner as the drawer and support mechanism for desks and furniture. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a similar guide plate 92 and rollers 93 are attached to the inner wall surface of the housing 50, and one of the rollers rolls while contacting the other guide plate, whereby the coin container 2 moves in the front-back direction. You can move smoothly. Further, the housing 50 is provided with a stopper that comes into contact with the coin container 2 before the coin container 2 is completely pulled out, and prevents the coin container 2 from falling. Furthermore, by pulling up the front side of the coin container 2 while slightly lifting it, the engagement with the stopper is released, and the coin container 2 can be completely separated from the housing 50. Coin container 2 housing 5
When inserting the coin container 0, the coin container 2 can be stored while avoiding the stopper by slightly raising the front and inserting the coin container 2 in an inclined state.

A coil spring 52 for urging the coin container 2 forward is attached to the inner rear portion of the housing 50. A hook 41 is provided on the rear surface of the coin container 2, and when the coin container 2 is stored in the housing 50, the coin container 2 is brought into a predetermined storage position by engaging with a hook lever 53 provided in the housing 50. Positioned. The hook lever 53 is swingably displaceable by the plunger 54, and when the engagement of the hook lever 53 and the hook 41 is released by energization of the plunger 54, the coin container 2 is pushed forward by the urging force of the coil spring 52. Be done.

On the upper surface of the coin container 2, a plurality of storage grooves 5 for arranging a large number of coins M in a column are formed along the front-rear direction. For example, 1 yen, 5 yen, 1 distributed in Japan
When storing six types of coins of 0 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen by denomination, six storage grooves 5 are provided. Some of the storage grooves 5 are formed integrally with the coin container 2, while the rest of the storage grooves 5 are formed in the partial container 3 that is detachable from the coin container 2. Storage groove 5 for partial container 3
In some cases, by storing denominations that are frequently replenished, such as 1-yen coins and 10-yen coins, it may be sufficient to attach / detach and replace the partial container 3, which makes coin replenishment work easier.

The storage groove 5 is formed, for example, in a semicircular groove, a trapezoidal groove, a rectangular groove, or the like, and has a cross section capable of stably supporting the outer periphery of the target coin at at least two points. At the bottom of the storage groove 5, an elongated slit 5a is formed along the longitudinal direction. When the coin container 2 is stored in the housing 50, the engaging claw 63 provided on the housing 50 passes through the slit 5a. The engaging claw 63 is movably attached to the guide rod 61 extending in the front-rear direction. A coil spring 62 having a long stroke is attached to the guide rod 61, and a rear portion of the coil spring 62 serves as a fixed end, and a front portion of the coil spring 62 serves as a free end to bias the engaging claw 63 forward. To do.

A contact member 6 for contacting the rearmost portion of the coin row is movably provided in the storage groove 5. When the coin container 2 is stored in the housing 50, the engaging claw 63 biased by the coil spring 62 abuts the rear surface of the abutting member 6, whereby the coin M in the storage groove 5 is biased forward, Coins M are closely aligned and aligned.

A discharging section 10 for discharging coins M one by one is provided in front of the storage groove 5, and the coins M in the front row are positioned in contact with the inner wall of the discharging section 10. Discharge unit 1
0 is provided with a coin pushing-up mechanism that pushes up the coins M individually, and a stopper member 7 that suppresses the double-sheet feeding.
Is installed above the discharge unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 3 (b), a reflection type optical sensor 68 is provided on the bottom surface slightly rearward of the discharging portion 10 so that the number of coins M stored in the storage groove 5 decreases and the engaging claws are engaged. It detects that 63 is displaced forward, and outputs the near end signal of the coin M.

At the front of the coin container 2, a trough-shaped tray 4 inclined toward the bottom of the center is formed, and the coins M discharged from the discharging section 10 are collected at the bottom of the center. It should be noted that an opening may be formed in the tray 4 and the discharged coins may be supplied to a coin processing machine separately installed in the lower stage.

Between the adjacent guide rods 61 in the housing 50, a mechanism for transmitting the driving force to the pushing-up mechanism of the discharging portion 10 is provided. The driving force transmission mechanism includes a motor 71 capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions, a worm gear 72 attached to the output shaft of the motor 71, a worm wheel 73 that meshes with the worm gear 72 to convert the rotation axis into a right angle, and a worm wheel. A drive rod 74 that rotates integrally with the drive rod 73, a drive cam 75 fixed in front of the drive rod 74, and the like. The driving force transmission mechanism is arranged between the storage groove 5 and the storage groove 5 so as not to interfere with the insertion and removal of the coin container 2.
We are trying to make the entire device thinner.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a coin pushing-up mechanism.
4A is a partial front view showing a standby state, FIG. 4B is a partial side view showing a standby state, FIG. 4C is a partial front view showing a pushing up state, and FIG. 4D is a pushing up state. It is a partial side view showing. FIG. 4 (e) is a partial front view showing another example of the coin lifting mechanism.

In front of the storage groove 5, a contact wall 21 for positioning the coins M in the front row is provided. The abutment wall 21 has a stepped portion that is one step higher than the bottom of the storage groove 5 and an inclined portion that extends from the stepped portion to the vicinity of the upper surface of the coin container 2, and has an arc shape, a U shape, and a V shape when viewed from the front. It is formed in a valley shape such as a letter shape.
FIG. 4A shows an arc-shaped contact wall 21 and FIG. 4E shows a V-shaped contact wall 21.
For example: An inclined surface 22 inclined toward the tray 4 is formed in front of the step portion. A guide hole 23 extending in the vertical direction is formed below the contact wall 21 and guides the vertical displacement of the pusher 13.

The coin pushing-up mechanism has a pusher 13 that pushes out only the coins in the front row of the coins M aligned in the storage groove 5 individually, a drive cam 75 provided on the housing 50 side, and a pusher 13 at one end. And a pin member, and the other end of the lever member 11 contacts the drive cam 75.

The lever member 11 is pivotally supported about a shaft 11a fixed to the coin container 2 so as to be angularly displaceable. Axis 11a
A coil spring 12 is attached to the coil spring 12, and one end of the coil spring 12 is engaged with the pusher 13 to urge the pusher 13 downward.

The drive cam 75 is rotatably driven by a motor 71 provided on the housing 50 side, and engages with the lever member 11 when the coin container 2 is stored in the housing 50, so that the swing displacement of the lever member 11 is prevented. It will be possible.

The pusher 13 is displaced in the vertical direction by the swinging displacement of the lever member 11, and the contact surface of the pusher 13 is in a standby state below the bottom of the storage groove 5, and the contact surface of the pusher 13 is in the storage groove 5. Abutting wall 21 protruding from the bottom of
There is a push-up state in which the push-up state is displaced in the vicinity of the step.

Next, the operation will be described. When the operator inserts the coin container 2 into the housing 50 after replenishing the storage groove 5 of the coin container 2 with the coin M, the abutting member 6 causes the engaging claw 63 to engage.
, The coins M in the storage groove 5 are biased forward and aligned without any gap. When the coin container 2 is further pushed, the coin container 2 engages with the hook lever 53 and is positioned, and at the same time, the drive cam 75 and the lever member 11 engage with each other.

When the change payment command is received from the external host, the microprocessor in the device determines the change denomination and the number of changes, and drives the motor 71 corresponding to the denomination-type storage groove 5 in the normal direction. Then, the coin push-up mechanism shifts from the standby state to the push-up state, and as shown in FIG. 4, the lever member 11 is angularly displaced by the rotation of the drive cam 75, and the pusher 13 pushes up only the frontmost row of coins. At that time, since the second coin from the front may also rise due to the friction of the coin, the stopper member 7 blocks the feeding of two coins.

The pushed-up coin gradually reduces the contact area with the contact wall 21, and a forward tilting moment is generated by the urging force from the contact member 6, and finally the coin surpasses the contact wall 21 and tilts. It falls on the surface 22 and reaches the tray 4.

When the motor 71 is driven to rotate further, the drive cam 75 rotates and the pusher 13 is displaced downward by the urging force of the ill spring 12 and returns to the standby state. Then, the second coin from the front moves to the front row by the urging force from the contact member 6.

In this way, with one round trip of the pusher 13,
Only one coin M in the storage groove 5 is discharged. When a plurality of the same denominations are discharged, the pusher 13 is continuously reciprocated.

When the coin M in the storage groove 5 decreases as the change payment is continued and the near end is detected by the optical sensor 68, the microprocessor in the apparatus notifies the operator through an external host or a warning lamp. The operator operates the plunger 54 through a switch operation in the apparatus or an external host to unlock the coin container 2 and further removes the coin container 2 from the housing 50.
At that time, the coin container 2 taken out is replenished with coins of a deficient denomination or replaced with a separately prepared replenished coin container 2. At this time, only the partial container 3 may be taken out or replaced with the replenished partial container 3.

Further, when the coin container 2 or the partial container 3 is carried, the coin M in the storage groove 5 can be prevented from falling by setting the frictional load accompanying the movement of the contact member 6 to a certain degree high.

[0045]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, when the coin container is stored in the housing, the biasing member acts and the coins are closely arranged. Further, when the coin container is taken out from the housing, the biasing member and the coin container are easily separated, so that the coin container can be easily removed and replaced, and the coin container can be made smaller and lighter.

Further, the contact member for contacting the coin is movably provided in the coin container, and the engaging member urged by the urging member is movably provided in the housing, so that the urging force can be transmitted and blocked. Definitely done.

By providing the pusher member in the coin container and the drive cam for driving the pusher member in the housing, the coin container can be made smaller and lighter, and the coin container can be easily handled. .

Further, by providing the second storage groove which is detachable with respect to the container body, the replenishment work of denominations which are frequently replenished such as 1-yen coins and 10-yen coins becomes simpler.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

3 (a) is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 (b) is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a coin lifting mechanism, FIG. 4 (a) is a partial front view showing a standby state, FIG. 4 (b) is a partial side view showing a standby state, and FIG. 4 (c) is a pushing up state. 4D is a partial front view showing a push-up state, and FIG.
(E) is a partial front view showing another example of the coin pushing-up mechanism.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 coin storage device 2 coin containers 3 partial containers 4 saucer 5 storage groove 5a slit 7 Stopper member 10 Discharge part 11 Lever member 13 pushers 21 abutment wall 22 Inclined surface 23 Guide hole 41 hook 50 housing 51 opening 52 coil spring 53 Hook lever 61 Guide rod 62 coil spring 63 Engaging claw 71 motor 74 Drive rod 75 Drive cam

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A urging member for urging along a withdrawal direction, comprising: a coin container having storage grooves for vertically arranging coins; and a housing for retractably storing the coin container. Is provided in the housing, and the biasing force of the biasing member is applied to the coins aligned in the storage groove when the coin container is stored. 2. An abutting member for abutting coins aligned in the storage groove is movably provided on the coin container, and an engaging member urged by the urging member is movably provided in the housing. The coin storage device according to claim 1, wherein the engaging member and the abutting member engage with each other when the coin is stored. 3. A pusher member for individually pushing out coins aligned in the storage groove is provided in the coin container, and a drive cam for driving the pusher member is provided in the housing, and the pusher member is stored when the coin container is stored. The coin storage device according to claim 1, wherein the drive cam and the drive cam are engaged with each other. 4. The coin container according to claim 1, wherein the coin container has a first storage groove formed integrally with the container body, and a second storage groove detachable from the container body. Storage device.