JP2012256243A - Coin processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the influence of generation of coin powder 30 on the authenticity determination and denomination discrimination of coins 24 by recognition sensors 25a, 25b to prevent wrong determination in a coin processor which is provided with a conveying disk 16 having a rotating shaft 18, receiving the coins 24, and rotationally conveying the coins 24 on a conveying guide bottom 15, and recognition sensors 25a, 25b on a conveying track of the coins 24, and performs the authenticity determination and denomination discrimination of the coins 24 on the basis of the detection result of the recognition sensors 25a, 25b.SOLUTION: The conveying guide bottom 15 side of the conveying disk 16 or the conveying guide bottom 15, or both of them are provided so that a distance between the underside of the conveying disk 16 and the conveying guide bottom 15 becomes wider or narrower as closing to the rotating shaft 18 side of the conveying disk 16, or a groove 15a (15b) is further provided on the side where the distance is widened, or a speed control part 31 is provided which changes a rotational speed of the conveying disk 16.

Description

  The present invention relates to a coin processing apparatus that identifies and counts coins and performs deposit and withdrawal transactions.

  In general, in a coin processing device that identifies and counts coins and performs deposit / withdrawal transactions, various recognition sensors such as a photo sensor and a magnetic sensor are used to determine the authenticity of the coins and to identify the denomination.

  For example, at the time of depositing, the material of the coin is detected by the output of the magnetic flux detection type magnetic sensor, and the outer diameter and shape (hole) of the coin are detected by the output of the line sensor. Based on the results of these two detections, the coins are carefully identified based on the detection results, and when dispensing, the material of the coins is detected by the output of the magnetic sensor and only the outer diameter of the coins is detected by the output of the line sensor. There is a technique for identifying coins (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  When the metal passes near the magnetic sensor, the output decreases, and the amount of decrease varies depending on the material and shape of the metal. Using these characteristics, authenticity determination and denomination identification of various coins having different shapes such as material, diameter, and thickness are performed.

JP-A-7-160922

  However, when transferring coins, coin powder is generated due to friction between the coin and the transport path, etc., and when this accumulates, the magnetic sensor reacts because the coin powder is metal, and wrong denomination identification, In some cases, the correct coin was determined to be an abnormal coin.

  The present invention adopts the following configuration in order to solve the above-described problems. That is, a transport disk that has a rotating shaft and receives a coin and rotates and conveys it on the bottom surface of the transport guide, and a recognition sensor in the vicinity of the coin transport locus, and based on the output of the recognition sensor, the authenticity determination of the coin and the gold In the coin processing apparatus for performing seed identification, the conveyance guide bottom surface side of the conveyance disk, the conveyance guide bottom surface, or both are inclined in the radial direction.

  According to the coin processing apparatus of the present invention, since it is configured as described above, the coin powder is collected around the rotation axis of the transport disk or in the vicinity of the outer periphery, the influence of the coin powder on the recognition sensor is minimized, and the authenticity of the coin is determined. Judgment and denomination identification can be performed correctly.

It is principal part structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the coin processing apparatus of Example 1. FIG. It is principal part structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the coin processing apparatus of Example 1. FIG. It is an enlarged view of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of Example 1. It is principal part structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the coin processing apparatus of Example 2. FIG. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 1. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 2. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 3. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 4. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 5. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 6. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 7. It is a structure and operation | movement explanatory drawing of the conveyance disk unit of the coin processing apparatus of the modification 8.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Elements common to the drawings are given the same reference numerals.

  In the following description, the configuration and operation of the feeding unit that feeds out the inserted coins and the transport disk unit that rotates and transports the coins according to the present invention will be described in detail. In the following description, a coin processing device that handles coins will be described as an example, but a coin processing device that handles coins or the like may be used.

(Constitution)
FIG. 1 is a top view showing the configuration of a feeding unit 1 and a transport disk unit 13 which are the main components of the coin processing apparatus of Embodiment 1, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line XX, and FIG. 3 is a transport disk. FIG. 2 is a YY cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 showing an enlarged view of a unit 13.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a coin feeding unit 1 is provided on the left side of the drawing, and a rotating disk 3 that is fixed to a rotating shaft 4 and rotates horizontally is disposed below the coin slot 2 as shown in FIG. The rotating disk 3 is rotated by a feeding motor 5 through a gear 6 as indicated by an arrow B in FIG.

  On the outer periphery of the rotating disk 3, a disk guide member 7 having a height that can secure a space that can accommodate about 100 coins 24 is provided. The rotary disk 3 and the disk guide member 7 are provided with a gap enough to prevent one coin from being sandwiched. A part of the disk guide member 7 is provided with a discharge port 8 through which only one coin 24 can pass with the rotating disk 3 as a bottom surface.

  A coin roller 9 that sandwiches and conveys the coin 24 is provided in the coin passage 9 that follows the discharge port 8, and the coin 24 is conveyed as indicated by an arrow C by being rotated through the gear 12 by the conveyance motor 11. The coin passage 9 is provided with a feeding detection sensor 28a for detecting the feeding of the coin 24.

  A conveyance disk unit 13 is arranged on the conveyance downstream side (right side in the figure) of the coin passage 9, and this conveyance disk unit 13 has a circular shape in which an opening 21 is provided in a portion following the coin passage 9. The periphery is constituted by the outer peripheral wall surface 14 and the horizontal conveyance guide bottom surface 15.

  The conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is set slightly lower than the bottom surface of the coin when the coin 24 is held by the conveyance roller 10, and when it is determined that the coin is not a genuine coin, the foreign material drop chute 26 is opened and dropped by a solenoid or the like. A true coin drop chute 27 is provided for dropping coins determined to be true coins. Also, recognition sensors 25a and 25b such as magnetic sensors for detecting the material and size of the coins 24 when they are taken in and rotated and conveyed are arranged on the rotation conveyance path below the conveyance guide bottom surface 15. Yes.

  On the inner side of the outer peripheral wall surface 14, a disc-shaped transport disk 16 that rotates horizontally as indicated by an arrow D on the transport guide bottom surface 15 is provided.

  On the outer peripheral side of the transport disk 16, a plurality of coin receiving portions 17 made up of U-shaped notches for holding the coins 24 one by one are provided at equal intervals. The coin receiving unit 17 is provided with a receiving detection sensor 28 b for detecting that the coin 24 has been taken into the coin receiving unit 17.

  The transport disk 16 is fixed to the rotary shaft 18 and rotated as indicated by an arrow D by the transport disk rotating motor 19 via the gear 20 to rotate and transport the coin 24 that has entered the coin receiving portion 17 along the outer peripheral wall surface 14. . A coin width adjusting guide 29 for bringing the coins 24 to be rotated and conveyed to the rotating shaft 18 side of the conveying disk 16 is provided outside the conveying disk 16.

  In order to detect the position of the coin receiving portion 17, the conveyance disk 16 is provided with a position detection sensor 22 and a position detection slit 23 having circumferentially spaced slits.

  Furthermore, in the coin processing apparatus of the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower surface of the transport disk 16 is not a horizontal surface, and the lower side of the transport disk 16 and the transport guide bottom surface 15 toward the rotating shaft 18 side. The distance between the lower side of the conveying disk 16 and the bottom surface of the conveying guide 15 is narrower toward the outer peripheral wall surface 14 side.

(Operation)
With the above configuration, the coin processing apparatus of the first embodiment operates as follows. This operation will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown by the arrow A in FIG. 2, when the coins 24 are collectively input into the coin insertion slot 2, they are accumulated on the rotary disk 3 provided below the coin insertion slot 2.

  The rotating disk 3 is rotated as indicated by an arrow B by driving the feeding motor 5, and the coins 24 are pushed outward by centrifugal force, and one by one from the discharge port 8 of the disk guide member 7 to the coin passage 9 as indicated by the arrow C. Extruded.

  The pushed coins 24 stay as they are when the transport roller 10 is not rotating, and are bitten and transported as indicated by an arrow C when the transport motor 11 is driven and the transport roller 10 rotates.

  On the other hand, the transport disk 16 of the transport disk unit 13 is rotated in the direction of the arrow D by the drive of the transport disk rotation motor 19 when the feed detection sensor 28a is turned on by the coin 24 fed by the transport roller 10, and the position detection slit Based on the output of the position detection sensor 22 by 23, the coin receiving portion 17 is temporarily stopped at a position facing the coin passage 9, stopped for a predetermined time, and then rotated again. By repeating this operation, the conveying disk 16 is rotated in the direction of arrow D.

  While the transport disk 16 is stopped, the coin 24 is received in the coin receiving portion 17, rotated again and transported, and while being moved closer to the rotating shaft 18 side of the transport disk 16 by the coin width adjusting guide 29, Passes the recognition sensors 25a and 25b. Based on the outputs of the recognition sensors 25a and 25b at this time, the authenticity determination and denomination identification of the coin 24 are performed.

  As a result of true / false determination and denomination identification, the foreign substance drop chute 26 is opened and dropped by a solenoid (not shown) other than the true coin, and in the case of a true coin, the foreign substance drop chute 26 is kept closed and passed. It is dropped on the coin drop chute 27.

  As described above, the coin 24 transported by the transport roller 10 is received by the coin receiving portion 17 of the transport disk 16 and is rotationally transported along the outer peripheral wall surface 14 and the coin squeezing guide 29. At this time, Since 24 is conveyed while contacting the outer peripheral wall surface 14, the coin width adjusting guide 29 and the conveyance guide bottom surface 15, friction is generated, and coin powder 30 is generated little by little.

  The conveyance disk 16 of the coin processing apparatus of the first embodiment is such that the lower side of the conveyance disk 16 is not a horizontal plane, the gap between the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is narrower toward the outer peripheral side, and the gap between the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is wider toward the inner circumferential side. Therefore, the air flow between the lower side of the conveying disk 16 and the conveying guide bottom surface 15 is faster toward the outer peripheral side and slower toward the rotating shaft 18 side.

  As a result, the coin powder 30 generated as described above gathers in the direction in which the air flow is slower, that is, in the direction of the rotation shaft 18, and the coin powder 30 accumulates around the rotation shaft 18 with the slowest air flow. .

  Accordingly, the coin powder 30 does not stay in the vicinity of the recognition sensors 25a and 25b, and the coin powder 30 does not pass in the vicinity of the recognition sensors 25a and 25b. 24 authenticity determination and denomination identification can be performed correctly.

(Effect of Example 1)
As described above, according to the coin processing apparatus of the first embodiment, since the transport guide bottom surface side of the transport disk is made closer to the rotary shaft side, the distance between the transport disk lower side and the transport guide bottom surface is increased. It is possible to collect the dust near the rotation axis of the conveying disk, minimize the influence of the coin powder on the recognition sensor, and correctly perform the authenticity determination of the coin and the denomination identification.

  In addition, since the coin powder is accumulated near the rotation axis of the transport disk, a new mechanism and jig for collecting the coin powder are not required, and there is a derivative effect that cleaning and removal are facilitated.

(Constitution)
FIG. 4 is a main part configuration diagram of the coin processing device of the second embodiment. As shown in the figure, in the coin processing apparatus of the second embodiment, in addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, a speed control unit 31 that can change the rotation speed of the transport disk 16 is connected to the transport disk rotation motor 19. The configuration is as follows.

  The speed control unit 31 instructs the transport disk rotation motor 19 to rotate at a normal speed when the coin 24 is rotated and conveyed, and instructs the conveyor disk rotation motor 19 to rotate at a higher speed than the normal speed when the coin 24 is not rotated and conveyed. Has a function to issue. Since other configurations are the same as the configuration of the coin processing apparatus of the first embodiment, the detailed description of the same configurations is omitted for the sake of brevity.

(Operation)
With the above configuration, the coin processing apparatus of the second embodiment operates as follows. That is, since the operation other than the accumulation operation of the coin powder 30 is the same as the operation of the first embodiment, the description of the same operation is omitted for the sake of simplicity.

  First, in the time zone when the coin 24 is not transported, such as after the end of the coin processing operation, the rotation of the transport disk rotation motor 19 is rotated at a speed higher than the normal speed according to an instruction from the speed control unit 31.

  In this way, by using the time zone during which the coins 24 are not being transported, the transport disk 16 is rotated at a high speed, whereby the difference in the air flow speed between the outer peripheral side and the inner peripheral side of the transport disk 16 is the normal speed. And the accumulation degree of the coin powder 30 in the vicinity of the rotating shaft 18 becomes higher.

(Effect of Example 2)
As described above, according to the coin processing apparatus of the second embodiment, the speed control unit that changes the rotation speed of the transport disk is provided so that the time zone during which no coin is transported can be rotated at high speed. In addition to the effect of 1, the accumulation degree of coin powder can be further improved.

<Modification>
In the above description of the coin processing apparatus of the first embodiment, the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 has been described as a flat surface. However, as shown in Modification 1 in FIG. You may make it accumulate | store the coin powder 30 gathered in the rotating shaft 18 vicinity by rotation of 16 in the groove | channel 15a. In this way, the coin powder 30 can be reliably accumulated in the groove 15a, the coin powder 30 near the recognition sensors 25a and 25b can be further reduced, and the authenticity of the coins by the recognition sensors 25a and 25b can be reduced. The influence on determination and denomination identification can be further reduced.

  In the description of the coin processing apparatus of the above embodiment, the gap between the lower side of the transport disk 16 and the transport guide bottom surface 15 is wider toward the rotating shaft 18 side, and the lower side of the transport disk 16 and the transport guide bottom surface 15 are closer to the outer peripheral wall surface 14 side. Although the interval has been described as being narrowed, as in the second modification of FIG. 6, the gap between the lower side of the transport disk 16 and the lower surface of the transport guide bottom 15 is narrower on the rotating shaft 18 side, and the lower side of the transport disk 16 is closer to the outer peripheral wall surface 14 side. And the distance between the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 may be increased. In this case, since the air flow on the outer peripheral wall surface 14 side is slower than the vicinity of the rotary shaft 18, the coin powder 30 is accumulated on the outer peripheral wall surface 14 side, and the coin powder 30 is not accumulated near the recognition sensors 25a and 25b. The influence on the authenticity determination of coins and denomination identification by the sensors 25a and 25b can be reduced. In this case, since the coin powder 30 accumulated on the outer peripheral wall surface 14 side may come into contact with the coin squeeze guide 29, the coin squeeze guide 29 is provided at a position away from the conveyance guide bottom surface 15. Good.

  Further, as in the third modification shown in FIG. 7, the shape of the conveying disk 16 is the same as in the second modification, and a groove 15b is provided on the outer peripheral wall surface 14, and the coin powder 30 is accumulated in the groove 15b. May be. In this way, the coin powder 30 can be reliably accumulated in the groove 15b, and the coin powder 30 is not accumulated in the vicinity of the recognition sensors 25a and 25b. The impact on species identification can be further reduced.

  Further, instead of inclining the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 side of the conveyance disk 16 in the radial direction as in the above-described modification of the coin processing device, the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is rotated as in Modification 4 shown in FIG. The distance between the lower surface of the transport disk 16 and the transport guide bottom surface 15 may be increased by inclining downward toward the shaft 18 side. By doing in this way, like the said Example 1, the flow of the air between the conveyance disk 16 lower side and the conveyance guide bottom face 15 becomes quick as an outer peripheral side, and becomes slow as the rotating shaft 18 side, As a result, The generated coin powder 30 gathers in the direction in which the air flow is slower, that is, in the direction of the rotation shaft 18, and the coin powder 30 can be accumulated around the rotation shaft 18 in which the air flow is the slowest.

  Further, the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is inclined downward toward the rotation shaft 18 as in the modification 4 of FIG. 8, and a groove 15a is formed in the vicinity of the rotation shaft 18 as in the modification 5 of FIG. You may make it provide. If it does in this way, like the modification 1 of FIG. 5, the coin powder 30 can be reliably integrated | stacked on the groove | channel 15a, the coin powder 30 to the recognition sensors 25a and 25b vicinity can be reduced further, and recognition. The influence on the authenticity determination of coins and denomination identification by the sensors 25a and 25b can be further reduced.

  Further, instead of tilting the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 downward as the rotation shaft 18 side as in the fourth modification of FIG. 8, the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is changed to the outer peripheral wall surface as in the sixth modification of FIG. The distance between the lower surface of the transport disk 16 and the transport guide bottom surface 15 may be increased by inclining downward toward the 14th side. By doing in this way, the flow of the air between the lower side of the conveyance disk 16 and the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is slower toward the outer peripheral side and faster toward the rotating shaft 18 side, as in the second modification of FIG. As a result, the generated coin powder 30 can be accumulated in the direction in which the air flow is slower, that is, in the direction of the outer peripheral wall surface 14.

  Further, the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is inclined downward toward the outer peripheral wall surface 14 as in the sixth modification of FIG. 10, and a groove 15b is provided in the vicinity of the outer peripheral wall surface 14 as in the seventh modification in FIG. You may do it. If it does in this way, like the modification 3 of the said FIG. 7, the coin powder 30 can be reliably accumulate | stored in the groove | channel 15b, the coin powder 30 to the recognition sensors 25a and 25b vicinity can be reduced further, The influence on the authenticity determination of coins and denomination identification by the recognition sensors 25a and 25b can be further reduced.

  Further, as described above, the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 side of the conveyance disk 16 or the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is not inclined in the radial direction, but the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 side of the conveyance disk 16 as in Modification 8 of FIG. Further, both the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 may be inclined in the radial direction. In this way, the difference in the air flow between the rotating shaft 18 side and the outer peripheral wall surface 14 side is further increased, and the coin powder 30 can be accumulated more efficiently. Although not shown, in this case as well, the grooves 15a and 15b are preferably provided on the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 on the side where the gap between the conveyance disk 16 and the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 is widened.

  Further, in the above description of the coin processing apparatus of the second embodiment, the speed control unit 31 that changes the rotation speed of the transport disk 16 is provided in the shape of the transport disk 16 of the first embodiment. In the configurations of the first to eighth modifications, a speed control unit 31 that changes the rotation speed of the transport disk 16 may be provided so that the time zone during which the coin 24 is not being transported can be rotated at high speed.

  In the above description of the coin processing apparatus of the embodiment and the modified example, the example in which the lower side of the conveyance disk 16 and the conveyance guide bottom surface 15 are inclined linearly is shown. It is good also as the shape which made it incline by combining a general inclination or a straight line and a curve.

  In addition, as the operation and effect of the above embodiment, only the operation and effect that the influence of the coin sensors 30 on the detection of the magnetic sensors of the recognition sensors 25a and 25b has been described. By accumulating in the vicinity of the shaft 18 or in the vicinity of the outer peripheral wall surface 14, there is also an action / effect of improving the detection accuracy of a photosensor such as the acceptance detection sensor 28 b.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be widely used in a coin processing apparatus that identifies and counts coins and performs deposit / withdrawal transactions.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coin delivery unit 7 Disc guide member 8 Release port 9 Coin passage 10 Conveyance roller 11 Conveyance motor 13 Conveyance disk unit 14 Outer peripheral wall surface 16 Conveyance disk 17 Coin receiving part 18 Rotating shaft 19 Conveyance disk rotation motor 21 Opening part 24 Coins 25a, 25b Recognition sensor 26 Foreign substance drop chute 27 Specified coin drop chute 28a Feeding detection sensor 28b Receiving detection sensor 29 Coin width adjusting guide 31 Coin guide part

Claims (5)

A transport disk that has a rotating shaft and receives coins and rotates and transports them on the bottom surface of the transport guide, and a recognition sensor in the vicinity of the transport path of the coins. A coin processing device for performing
A coin processing apparatus, wherein the conveyance guide bottom surface side of the conveyance disk, the conveyance guide bottom surface, or both are inclined in a radial direction.   2. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inclination is such that a distance between the lower side of the conveyance disk and the bottom surface of the conveyance guide is increased or decreased toward the rotating shaft.   3. The coin processing device according to claim 2, wherein the bottom surface of the transport guide is provided with a groove on a side where a distance between the bottom side of the transport disk and the bottom surface of the transport guide is widened.   The coin processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a speed controller that changes a rotation speed of the transport disk.   The coin processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recognition sensor is a magnetic sensor.

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