JP3547671B2 - Coin discrimination device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coin discriminating apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as this type of discriminating device, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-44770 is known. This device irradiates a long slit light in the thickness direction of the coin on the outer peripheral surface of the coin and obtains its reflected light, thereby being a type of unevenness formed on the side surface of the coin, for example, a 500 yen coin. Or a striped groove along the thickness direction of a 500 won coin (hereinafter referred to as “giza”).
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, the design of coins is diverse, and there is a possibility that a coin that forms an inclined serrated on the outer peripheral surface of the coin that is inclined with respect to the axial direction will be employed in the future. However, the conventional discriminating apparatus has a problem that such a tilted jagged line cannot be efficiently detected with a simple apparatus configuration.
[0004]
An object of the present invention is to provide a coin discriminating apparatus capable of efficiently discriminating the presence or absence of inclined burrs with a simple apparatus configuration.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the coin discriminating apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is a predetermined inclination inclined obliquely with respect to the axial direction formed on the outer peripheral surface of the coin conveyed in the radial direction in the coin conveyance path. A light emitting means for irradiating light toward an outer peripheral surface of a coin conveyed in the coin conveyance path, and a regular reflection direction of the light emitted from the light emitting means in the inclined jagged edge and arranged light receiving means, and have a determining means for determining the presence or absence of the inclined Giza based on the light reception level of the light receiving means, said light emitting means, the outer periphery of the coin being conveyed by said coin conveyance path Light is irradiated toward the surface from a direction parallel to the front and back surfaces of the coin, and the light receiving means is arranged with a position shifted in the axial direction of the coin with respect to the coin conveyed in the coin conveyance path. It is characterized by.
[0006]
Thus, when the light emitting means irradiates light toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin conveyed on the coin conveyance path, the irradiation light is emitted depending on whether or not the predetermined inclined jaggedness is formed on the coin. The light receiving level of the light receiving means arranged in the regular reflection direction in the inclined serrations changes. Then, the determining means determines the presence or absence of the inclined jaggedness based on the light receiving level of the light receiving means. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently determine the presence / absence of a predetermined inclined jaggedness with a simple device configuration.
The light emitting means emits light from the direction parallel to the front and back surfaces of the coin toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin conveyed by the coin conveying path, and the light receiving means applies the light to the coin conveyed by the coin conveying path. Since the positions are shifted in the axial direction of the coin, the space required for the arrangement of the light emitting means and the light receiving means can be minimized.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
First, a coin discriminating apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.
The coin discriminating apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is formed obliquely at a predetermined angle with respect to the axial direction, which is formed on the outer peripheral surface in the radial direction of the coin C conveyed in the coin conveyance path 2 that conveys the coin C in the radial direction. As shown in FIG. 1, it is arranged outside the coin conveyance path 2 for moving the coin C in the radial direction, and determines whether or not there is a predetermined inclined groove (inclination groove) G. A light source (light emitting means) 3 that irradiates light toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin C conveyed on the path 2, and light reception that is arranged in a regular reflection direction of the light emitted from the light source 3 at a predetermined tilted ridge G. And a sensor (light receiving means) 4.
[0009]
The coin transport path 2 includes coin transport means (not illustrated) that sandwiches the coin C in the axial direction, that is, the thickness direction by a belt (not illustrated) or the like and transports the coin C while preventing its rotation. It can be moved linearly along one direction.
[0010]
The light source 3 is disposed on the horizontal side of the center position in the axial direction (thickness direction) of the coin C transported in the coin transport path 2 and is lateral to the coin C in the axial direction (parallel to the front and back surfaces of the coin). Direction), light is irradiated along the optical axis L orthogonal to the axial direction of the coin C. The light source 3 is, for example, an LED.
[0011]
The light receiving sensor 4 is configured so that the light emitted from the light source 3 is regularly reflected by a predetermined inclined jagged G, that is, the light incident on the predetermined inclined jagged G at an optical axis L with an incident angle θ1. The reflection angle θ2 is equal to the incident angle θ1 and is arranged in a direction in which the light is reflected from the inclined serrated G. As a result, the light receiving sensor 4 is arranged with its position shifted in the axial direction of the coin C with respect to the coin C transported in the coin transport path 2. However, due to the above-described arrangement of the light source 3, the amount of deviation of the light receiving sensor 4 from the coin C is minimized. The light receiving sensor 4 is, for example, a photodiode, and outputs a light receiving signal having an amplitude corresponding to the amount of reflected light received.
[0012]
The coin discriminating device 1 has a discriminating device (discriminating means) (not shown) that discriminates the presence or absence of the inclined jagged G of the coin C based on the light receiving level of the light receiving sensor 4.
That is, when the light source 3 irradiates light toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin C transported by the coin transport path 2, if the predetermined inclined jagged G is formed on the coin C, the light is favorably inclined by the inclined jagged G. If the light receiving sensor 4 is reflected in the direction of the light receiving sensor 4 (regular reflection direction) and the light receiving level of the light receiving sensor 4 is increased, and the predetermined inclined jagged G is not formed on the coin C (there is no jagged or If the angle is different, the light is diffusely reflected by the coin C or reflected in a direction other than the light receiving sensor 4, and the light receiving level of the light receiving sensor 4 is lowered. The discriminating device uses this to discriminate the presence or absence of the inclined jagged G of the coin C, and when the light receiving level (for example, peak value) of the light receiving sensor 4 with respect to one detected coin C exceeds a predetermined threshold value. Is determined that the one detected coin C is a true coin with a predetermined inclined jagged G, and when the light receiving level of the light receiving sensor 4 with respect to the one detected coin C is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold value, It is determined that the one detected coin C is a fake coin without a predetermined inclined jagged G.
[0013]
According to the coin discriminating apparatus 1 described above, when the light source 3 irradiates light toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin C transported in the coin transport path 2, a predetermined inclined jagged G is formed on the coin C. The light receiving level of the light receiving sensor 4 arranged in the regular reflection direction in the inclined gusset G of the irradiated light varies depending on whether the light is formed or not formed. Then, the discriminating device discriminates the presence / absence of the inclined jagged G based on the light receiving level of the light receiving sensor 4. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently determine the presence / absence of the predetermined inclined jagged G with a simple device configuration.
[0014]
In addition, since the light source 3 is irradiated with light from the direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the coin C conveyed by the coin conveying path 2, the deviation of the light receiving sensor 4 from the coin in the coin axial direction is minimized. Can do. Therefore, the space required for the arrangement of the light source 3 and the light receiving sensor 4 can be minimized.
[0015]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the coin discriminating device of the first aspect of the present invention, when the light emitting means irradiates light toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin transported in the coin transport path, the coin has a predetermined inclination. The light receiving level of the light receiving means arranged in the specular reflection direction in the inclined jagged light changes depending on whether the jagged is formed or not formed. Then, the determining means determines the presence or absence of the inclined jaggedness based on the light receiving level of the light receiving means. Therefore, it is possible to efficiently determine the presence / absence of a predetermined inclined jaggedness with a simple device configuration.
[0016]
The light emitting means emits light from the direction parallel to the front and back surfaces of the coin toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin conveyed by the coin conveying path, and the light receiving means applies the light to the coin conveyed by the coin conveying path. Since the positions are shifted in the axial direction of the coin, the space required for the arrangement of the light emitting means and the light receiving means can be minimized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a configuration of a coin discriminating apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
C coin 1 coin discriminator 2 coin transport path 3 light source (light emitting means)
4 Light receiving sensor (light receiving means)

Claims (1)

A coin discriminating device for discriminating the presence or absence of a predetermined inclined serration inclined obliquely with respect to an axial direction formed on an outer peripheral surface of a coin conveyed in a radial direction on a coin conveying path,
A light emitting means for irradiating light toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin conveyed in the coin conveying path;
A light receiving means disposed in the regular reflection direction of the inclined ridges of the light emitted from the light emitting means;
And have a determining means for determining the presence or absence of the inclined Giza based on the light reception level of the light receiving means,
The light emitting means irradiates light from a direction parallel to the front and back surfaces of the coin toward the outer peripheral surface of the coin conveyed in the coin conveyance path,
The said light-receiving means is a coin discriminating apparatus arranged by shifting the position with respect to the coin conveyed by the said coin conveyance path in the axial direction of this coin.

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