JP2013250777A - Disk-like body feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable the expectation of stable ground action.SOLUTION: In a disk-like body feeding device including a container part 2 capable of freely housing many disk-like bodies, a device body 3 for feeding out disk-like bodies housed in the container part 2 by one at a time, and a ground part 4 for releasing electric charge from the disk-like bodies housed in the container part 2, the container part 2 and the device body 3 are connected detachably by a connection mechanism 5, the ground part 4 is configured by providing a first ground part 4A attached to the container part 2 and a second ground part 4B attached to the device body 3 in a contactable manner, and an energization mechanism S for causing energization force to act in the direction of strengthening contact force between the first ground part 4A and the second ground part 4B is provided.

Description

  The present invention relates to a disk-like body feeding device that feeds a disk-like body such as coins that are currency or substitute money (medals, tokens, etc.) used in gaming facilities one by one. Charge is received from a container part that can accommodate a disk-shaped body, a device main body that feeds the disk-shaped body accommodated in the container part one by one, and the disk-shaped body accommodated in the container part. The present invention relates to a disk-like body feeding device provided with a grounding part for escape.

Conventionally, in this kind of disk-shaped body feeding device, the disk-shaped body remaining in the container portion is continuously removed from the container body as the disk-shaped body in the container portion is continuously fed from the device main body. In the process, a large amount of static electricity is generated due to friction between the disk-shaped body and the inner peripheral surface of the container. Since static electricity has a risk of adversely affecting the signal line of the device as electrical noise, it is necessary to provide a grounding part to remove the static electricity.
As a conventional disk-shaped body feeding device, the container part is configured to be detachable on the apparatus main body by a coupling mechanism, and as the ground part, a first ground part made of a metal plate fixed to the container part, and its There is a configuration in which a second ground portion made of a metal plate fixed to the apparatus main body is provided in a state corresponding to the first ground portion (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
The first ground part is exposed to the inner peripheral surface of the container part and is bent so as to wrap around the exposed plate part along the lower surface of the container part. The second grounding portion is configured to include a receiving plate portion fixed at a position where the surrounding plate portion comes into contact with the container body attached to the apparatus main body, and the receiving plate portion is The ground side can be grounded.
Therefore, when the container portion is attached to the apparatus main body, the wraparound plate portion of the first ground portion comes into surface contact with the receiving plate portion of the second ground portion, and a series of conductive paths is formed.

JP-A-2005-316895 (paragraph numbers [0024] to [0027])

According to the conventional disk-shaped body feeding device described above, the container body is attached to the apparatus main body so that the first ground part is in surface contact with the second ground part. The positional relationship between the container portion, the first ground portion, and the second ground portion is maintained normally, and the ground portion functions by ensuring that the first ground portion and the second ground portion are in contact with each other. Will do.
Therefore, high dimensional accuracy and mounting accuracy are required for each of the apparatus main body, the container portion, the coupling mechanism thereof, and the first ground portion and the second ground portion.
If any of the dimensional accuracy is low or the mounting posture is not correct, there is a risk of poor contact between the first ground part and the second ground part. As a result, it is difficult to expect a stable grounding action. .
In addition, in this type of device, there is a high possibility that vibration will occur with the feeding operation of the disk-shaped body, and this vibration may cause loosening in any part. Even if the accuracy and the mounting accuracy are high, the looseness may cause a contact failure between the first ground portion and the second ground portion.
That is, according to the conventional disk-shaped body feeding device, there is a problem that it is difficult to expect a stable grounding action in any case.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a disk-shaped body feeding device that can solve the above problems and can expect a stable grounding action.

  A first characteristic configuration of the present invention includes: a container portion that can accommodate a large number of disk-shaped bodies; a device main body that feeds the disk-shaped bodies accommodated in the container portion one by one; and the container portion A disk-shaped body feeding device provided with a ground portion for releasing electric charges from the disk-shaped body accommodated in the container, wherein the container section and the apparatus main body are detachably coupled by a coupling mechanism. The grounding portion is configured to freely contact a first grounding portion attached to the container portion and a second grounding portion attached to the apparatus main body. 2 There is an urging mechanism for applying an urging force in a direction to increase the contact force with the earth portion.

According to the first characteristic configuration of the present invention, since the container part and the apparatus main body are detachably connected by the connection mechanism, the apparatus main body and the container part can be easily attached and detached, and good handling is possible. In addition to ensuring the stability, the urging force of the urging mechanism enhances the abutting force between the first ground part and the second ground part, and can ensure good conduction performance, so a stable grounding action can be expected. It becomes like this.
That is, since the first ground portion and the second ground portion are kept in contact with each other even if the relative positional relationship is slightly changed in the connected state of the container portion and the apparatus main body. Even if high dimensional accuracy and mounting accuracy are not ensured in the device main body, the container portion, the connecting mechanism thereof, the first ground portion, the second ground portion, etc., a stable grounding action is achieved. I can expect. As a result, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost of the device while ensuring the grounding action.
This effect is also effective when, for example, vibrations occur in the device. Even if some part of the device is loosened, the biasing mechanism causes the first grounding portion and the second grounding to be performed. It is possible to maintain a stable grounding action while ensuring the conduction performance with the part.

  According to a second characteristic configuration of the present invention, a contact portion between the first ground portion and the second ground portion includes a plurality of conductive paths.

  According to the second characteristic configuration of the present invention, since the contact between the first ground portion and the second ground portion is ensured at a plurality of locations, the device is vibrated or a large impact is applied. Even if one of the conductive paths is interrupted for any reason, the probability that the grounding function can be maintained as long as the remaining conductive paths are conductive, and the conductive performance can be maintained as a whole grounding part. Will improve.

  According to a third characteristic configuration of the present invention, the connection mechanism includes a lock portion capable of maintaining a connection state between the container portion and the apparatus main body, and the biasing mechanism has a biasing force. The container portion and the apparatus main body are provided so as to act in the connection release direction in accordance with the unlocking of the lock portion.

According to the third characteristic configuration of the present invention, the lock unit can reliably maintain the connection state between the container unit and the apparatus main body, while the lock unit is unlocked. In the state, the urging mechanism responsible for increasing the abutting force between the first ground portion and the second ground portion can exert the urging force in a direction to release the connection between the container portion and the apparatus main body.
Therefore, for example, when the lock part is released, the container part and the apparatus main body are automatically separated slightly to prevent sticking between them, or the container part and the apparatus main body can be removed with a smaller force. (Light) and easy to do.
Further, as described above, since both the application of the contact force at the ground part and the application of the connection release force between the container part and the apparatus main body are combined by the urging mechanism, the number of parts is reduced. It is possible to reduce the cost and reduce the cost of the apparatus.

  According to a fourth characteristic configuration of the present invention, the urging mechanism includes a coil spring attached to one of the first ground part and the second ground part in a conductive state, and the coil One ground part to which the spring is attached is provided with a core part to which the coil spring is externally fitted, and the other end of the core part is connected to the other end of the core part when the container part is connected to the apparatus main body. A guiding recess for guiding the ground portion to the tip of the coil spring is formed.

According to the fourth characteristic configuration of the present invention, the coil spring is supported from the inner peripheral portion by the core portion provided in one ground portion, and the posture of the coil spring as the biasing mechanism can be stabilized. At the same time, the other earthing portion can be guided to the tip of the coil spring by the guide recess at the tip of the core, thereby ensuring reliable conduction between the two.
Therefore, the coil spring serves both as a function as an urging mechanism and as a function of forming one conductive path between one ground part and the other ground part.
Incidentally, as the conductive path at the contact portion, both a conductive path passing through the coil spring and a conductive path extending between the induction concave portion of one ground portion and the other ground portion are secured.

Exploded perspective view of coin feeding device Side view sectional view of coin feeding device Plan view sectional view of the main part of the device body Side view sectional drawing of the coin feeding apparatus which shows the connection state of a connection mechanism Exploded perspective view of grounding part Side view sectional drawing of the coin feeding apparatus which shows the connection cancellation | release state of a connection mechanism

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
1 and 2 show a coin feeding device K which is an embodiment of the disk-shaped body feeding device of the present invention.
The coin feeding device K is a coin-shaped currency or a disk-shaped body (hereinafter simply referred to as a coin) 1 such as a substitute currency (medals, tokens, etc.) used in a gaming facility (see FIG. 2) one by one. It is configured so that the number of sheets can be measured while being fed out, and can be used alone, or can be used by being incorporated into a game machine such as a slot machine or other equipment.

The coin feeding device K is accommodated in the hopper-shaped container part 2 that can accommodate a large number of coins 1, the apparatus main body 3 that delivers the coins 1 stored in the container part 2 one by one, and the container part 2. And an earth portion 4 for releasing electric charge from the coin 1.
The container part 2 is installed on the apparatus main body 3, and both of them are detachably connected by a connecting mechanism 5.
In the embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the coupling mechanism 5 includes a hinge portion 6 that pivotally supports the container portion 2 and the apparatus main body 3 along the perspective direction, and a hinge portion. 6 is provided with a lock portion 7 capable of maintaining a state in which the container portion 2 and the apparatus main body 3 are brought close to each other and maintained together.

  The ground portion 4 is configured by providing a metal first ground portion 4A attached to the container portion 2 and a metal second ground portion 4B attached to the apparatus main body 3 so as to be in contact with each other. In addition, the electric charge passing through the first ground portion 4A and the second ground portion 4B can be discharged from the lower end portion of the ground portion 4 to a metal installation stand or the like not shown in the drawing.

  Hereinafter, each part of the coin feeding device K will be described in detail.

The container part 2 is formed of a synthetic resin, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a mortar-shaped bottom part 2A and a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall part 2B that rises over the entire circumference of the outer peripheral edge part of the bottom part 2A Are integrally provided.
A circular hole 8 is formed in a substantially central portion of the bottom 2A. The hole 8 is formed in accordance with the dimensions of a feeding disk 10 (described later) of the apparatus main body 3. It is arranged to face.
Accordingly, the coins 1 accommodated in the container part 2 are guided to the hole 8 along the inclined surface of the mortar-shaped bottom part 2A, taken into the feeding disk 10 and fed out one by one.
A part of the bottom portion 2A is provided with a first ground portion 4A penetrating vertically, and an upper end plate portion 9 of the first ground portion 4A is disposed in a state along the surface of the bottom portion 2A. . Therefore, the charge accumulated in the coin 1 in the container portion 2 can be removed from the upper end plate portion 9 through the ground portion 4.

Further, a bearing portion 6b of the hinge portion 6 including a hinge shaft 6a and a bearing portion 6b is provided on one side portion of the bottom portion 2A. The bearing portions 6b are provided at two locations with a gap in the longitudinal direction of the side, and are configured to be detachable along the radial direction with respect to the hinge shaft 6a formed on the apparatus main body 3.
In addition, one lock claw 7a of the lock portion 7 including a pair of lock claws 7a and 7b is provided on the other side portion of the bottom portion 2A opposite to the one side portion. The lock claw 7a is provided at two positions with a gap in the longitudinal direction of the side, and the container portion 2 is separated from the apparatus main body 3 by engaging with the other lock claw 7b formed on the apparatus main body 3. It can be locked so that it does not occur (see FIG. 4).

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the apparatus main body 3 includes a rectangular cylindrical peripheral wall portion 3 </ b> A and a feeding mechanism portion 3 </ b> B attached in a state of closing the upper opening of the peripheral wall portion 3 </ b> A.
The feeding mechanism portion 3B is formed in a rectangular shape, and the feeding disc 10 is provided at the center of the feeding mechanism portion 3B so as to be rotatable around the longitudinal axis, and the feeding mechanism portion is extended from the feeding disc 10. A coin payout passage 11 is provided toward one side of 3B.
The feeding disk 10 is provided with a plurality of coin-inserting recesses 10a at intervals in the circumferential direction. The coin 1 is inserted into the coin-inserting recess 10a, and the coins 10 are rotated by rotation of the feeding disk 10. It is transferred to the feeding passage 11.
The feeding mechanism portion 3B is configured so that the coins 1 reaching the coin feeding path 11 can be fed out of the apparatus one by one through the coin feeding path 11. Moreover, it is comprised so that the payout number of the coin 1 can be counted.

Further, a hinge shaft 6a of the hinge portion 6 is provided on one side portion of the feeding mechanism portion 3B. The hinge shaft 6 a is provided at a position corresponding to the pair of bearing portions 6 b provided in the container portion 2.
Further, the other lock claw 7b of the lock portion 7 is provided on the other side portion facing the one side portion of the feeding mechanism portion 3B. The other lock claw 7 b is provided at a position corresponding to the pair of lock claws 7 a provided in the container portion 2.
However, the other lock claw 7b is configured to be slidable into an engagement ready state and an engagement state with the one lock claw 7a, and urges the other lock claw 7b in a direction in which the engagement is deepened. A spring H is also provided.
Accordingly, the bearing portion 6b of the container portion 2 is engaged with the hinge shaft 6a of the apparatus body 3, and the container portion 2 is swung downward around the hinge shaft 6a, so that the lock claw 7b of the device body 3 is moved. When the lock claw 7a of the container portion 2 is pushed down, the lock claw 7a gets over the lock claw 7b on which the urging force is applied, and the engagement preparation state is changed to the engagement state, and both can be locked.
Moreover, by returning the lock claw 7b to the side opposite to the urging force of the spring, an engagement preparation state is established, and both can be unlocked.

As described above, the ground portion 4 is constituted by two members, the first ground portion 4A and the second ground portion 4B.
As shown in FIG. 5, the first ground portion 4 </ b> A is integrally provided with an upper end plate portion 9 at the upper end portion, a band plate-like embedded portion 12 that extends downward, and a terminal portion 13 that is positioned at the lower end portion. It is configured.
As described above, the upper end plate portion 9 is disposed flush with the upper surface of the bottom portion 2A.
The embedded portion 12 includes a vertical portion 12a and a bent portion 12b that bends laterally at the lower end thereof, and a screw member 14 that fixes the first ground portion 4A to the container portion 2 is provided in the bent portion 12b. A screw insertion hole 12c that can be freely inserted is provided.
The terminal portion 13 is a portion that becomes a contact portion J with the second ground portion 4B (see FIG. 4), and has a spring property that is bent and formed into a substantially “V” cross-sectional shape extending downward from the bent portion 12b. It consists of a strip plate part.
The first ground portion 4A covers the cap member 15 made of synthetic resin from below the bottom portion 2A (see FIG. 5), and the screw member 14 is used with only the terminal portion 13 visible below. It is fixed to the lower surface of the container part 2.

The second ground portion 4B is arranged at the upper end portion and has a terminal portion (an example of a core portion) 16 provided with a substantially “V” -shaped cutout portion (an example of a guide recess) 16a that can receive the terminal portion 13; A bent portion 17 bent in the lateral direction at the lower end thereof, an inscribed portion 18 extending downward from the bent portion 17 and inscribed in the peripheral wall portion 3A, and bent downward from the lower end portion of the inscribed portion 18 And a grounding portion 19 that comes into contact with each other.
The second ground portion 4B is fixed by a screw member 20 in a state where the inscribed portion 18 is aligned with the peripheral wall portion 3A of the apparatus main body 3, and the first terminal portion 16 is formed in the feeding mechanism portion 3B. The window portion 21 is located (see FIG. 1).

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a metal coil spring 22 is externally fitted to the strip-shaped terminal portion 16. The width dimension of the terminal portion 16 is set to be approximately the same as the inner diameter dimension of the coil spring 22. Further, the base end portion of the terminal portion 16 is formed with notches 16b at both side edges of the strip, and the reduced diameter portion of the lower end of the coil spring 22 is fitted into the notches 16b. The coil spring 22 is dimensioned so that the upper end portion is located above the lower end of the notch portion 16a of the terminal portion 16 with the lower end portion fitted in the notch 16b.
Accordingly, the terminal portion 13 of the first ground portion 4A enters the cutout portion 16a of the second ground portion 4B along with the mounting operation of the container portion 2 with respect to the apparatus main body 3, and at that time, the lower edge portion of the terminal portion 13 Is in contact with two points on the upper end portion of the coil spring 22, and the plate surface portion of the terminal portion 13 is in contact with two points on the inner peripheral portion of the notch portion 16a.
That is, the upper end portion of the coil spring 22 also functions as a terminal portion. In the contact portion J between the first ground portion 4A and the second ground portion 4B, the terminal portion 13 passes through the upper end portion of the coil spring 22. The first conductive path that conducts below the second ground portion 4B and the second conductive path that conducts below the second ground portion 4B from the terminal portion 13 through the inner peripheral portion of the notch portion 16a. There is one.

In the first conductive path, as the “V” -shaped terminal portion 13 enters the cutout portion 16a, it is elastically deformed so that the crossing angle of the bent portion becomes smaller. As a result, the contact force to the notch 16a is increased. The terminal portion 13 to which the spring property is imparted corresponds to the biasing mechanism S according to the present invention.
On the other hand, in the second conductive path, as the terminal portion 13 enters the notch portion 16a, the coil spring 22 is pressed by the terminal portion 13 and elastically deforms in the contraction direction. The contact force to the terminal portion 13 is increased. Therefore, the coil spring 22 also corresponds to the biasing mechanism S.

  Further, since these urging mechanisms S are provided so that an urging force acts on the coupling mechanism 5 between the apparatus main body 3 and the container unit 2 in the coupling release direction, the unlocking operation of the lock unit 7 is performed. As shown in FIG. 6, the container portion 2 is slightly separated from the apparatus main body 3 automatically and becomes easy to remove, thereby improving the handleability.

  According to the coin feeding device K of the present embodiment, the container portion 2 can be easily attached to and detached from the device main body 3, and the first ground portion 4A and the second ground portion 4B can be attached by the attachment operation of both. Can abut against each other and realize a stable grounding action economically. In addition, the grounding action can be stably maintained even when the apparatus is subjected to vibration.

[Another embodiment]
Other embodiments will be described below.

<1> The disk-shaped body feeding device is not limited to the coin feeding device described in the previous embodiment, but a wide range of disk-shaped bodies (coins as currency or substitute money used in gaming facilities ( Including medals and tokens)).
Further, the detailed configuration of the container unit 2, the apparatus main body 3, and the ground unit 4 is not limited to the previous embodiment.
<2> The first ground part 4A and the second ground part 4B are not limited to the configuration described in the previous embodiment, and the shape and the like can be changed according to the specifications of the container part 2 and the apparatus main body 3. It is.
For example, the both contact portions J are not limited to those provided with the two conductive paths described in the previous embodiment. For example, the two contact parts J may be provided with three or more conductive paths. Also good.
<3> The urging means S is not limited to the one provided with both the coil spring 22 and the terminal portion 13 described in the previous embodiment. For example, the urging means S may be configured to include either one. Good. In addition to the coil spring and the leaf spring, the detailed configuration may generate an urging force by an elastic restoring force, a cylinder mechanism, or the like.
Further, the urging means S is not limited to the configuration that is incorporated in the ground portion 4 between the installed portions J, but is incorporated in the base end portion, the intermediate portion, or the like of the ground portion 4 or provided in other portions. There may be. Furthermore, you may equip any one of the container part 2 and the apparatus main body 3, or both.
<4> The connection mechanism 5 is not limited to the configuration of the hinge part 6 and the lock part 7 described in the previous embodiment, and a known mechanism can be appropriately employed.

  In addition, as mentioned above, although the code | symbol was written in order to make contrast with drawing convenient, this invention is not limited to the structure of an accompanying drawing by this entry. In addition, it goes without saying that the present invention can be carried out in various modes without departing from the gist of the present invention.

1 Disc-shaped body (hereinafter simply referred to as coin)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Container part 3 Apparatus main body 4 Grounding part 4A 1st earthing part 4B 2nd earthing part 5 Connection mechanism 7 Locking part 16 Terminal part (an example of core part)
16a Notch (an example of a guide recess)
22 Coil spring (equivalent to urging mechanism)
J Contact part S Biasing mechanism

Claims (4)

A container part that can accommodate a large number of disk-shaped bodies, a device main body that feeds the disk-shaped bodies accommodated in the container part one by one, and the disk-shaped bodies accommodated in the container part A disk-like body feeding device having an earth part for releasing electric charge from
The container part and the apparatus main body are detachably connected by a connection mechanism,
The ground portion is configured by abutting a first ground portion attached to the container portion and a second ground portion attached to the apparatus main body. The first ground portion and the second ground portion A disk-like body feeding device provided with an urging mechanism for applying an urging force in a direction in which a contact force with an earthing portion is increased.   2. The disk-shaped body feeding device according to claim 1, wherein a contact portion between the first ground portion and the second ground portion includes a plurality of conductive paths. The connection mechanism includes a lock portion that can freely maintain a connection state between the container portion and the apparatus main body,
3. The circle according to claim 1, wherein the urging mechanism is provided such that the urging force acts on the container part and the apparatus main body in a connection releasing direction in accordance with unlocking of the lock part. Plate-like body feeding device.   The biasing mechanism includes a coil spring that is attached to one of the first ground part and the second ground part in a conductive state, and the one ground part to which the coil spring is attached is provided. Is provided with a core part for externally fitting the coil spring, and the other earth part is connected to the tip of the coil spring at the tip of the core part in connection with the connection operation of the container part and the apparatus main body. The disk-shaped body feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a guiding recess for guiding is formed.

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