JP3562882B2 - Lock prevention mechanism in coin and medal dispensers - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a lock prevention mechanism in a coin and medal payout machine.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As coin and medal payout machines, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-110689, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 2-19882, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 55-48634, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 63-36040, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 7-78278, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. -129803 and the like have already been proposed, but a coin or medal is paid out by rotating a coin ejection disk inside a cylindrical coin guide connected to a hopper. Are all the same.
[0003]
FIG. 3 schematically shows the peripheral structure of a cylindrical coin guide and a disc with reference to an example of a coin and medal payout machine disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-129803. FIG. 3A is a view of the disc 1 of the coin and medal dispenser as viewed from above along the rotation center axis, and FIG. 3B is a plane including the rotation center axis of the disc 1. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the entire periphery of the disc 1 and the coin guide 2 by cutting the coin guide 2 and the hopper 3.
[0004]
As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the coin and medal payout machine has a hopper 3 for storing coins or medals, and the lower part thereof is reduced in diameter and connected to a cylindrical coin guide 2. . At the lower position inside the coin guide 2, a coin discharging disc 1 for capturing coins or medals 5 to be paid out from the lower layer of the hopper 3 and transporting the coins or coins one by one to a coin payout slot is provided. As shown in FIG. 3A, the disc 1 is provided with a plurality of coin capture holes 4 having an inner diameter comparable to the outer diameter of a coin or a medal 5 to be paid out.
[0005]
In short, the coins or medals 5 in the lower part of the hopper 3 are agitated by the rotation of the disc 1 to change the posture of the coins or medals 5 in various ways, and the coins or medals 5 fitted so as to be inscribed in the coin capturing holes 4 are removed. A coin transport projection that is guided to an annular gap 6 formed between the lower surface of the disk 1 and the upper surface of a substrate (not shown) and protrudes toward the lower surface of the disk 1 between adjacent coin catching holes 4. The coin or the medal 5 in the gap 6 is revolved by 8 or the like, and the outer periphery of the coin or the medal 5 is pressed laterally against the contact piece 7 fixed at a predetermined position in the gap 6. As a result, the coin or the medal 5 is ejected in the direction A shown in FIG. 3A by the wedge effect generated by the pressing action between the contact piece 7 and the coin transporting projection 8 and is drilled at the corresponding position shown in FIG. Coins and medals from the slit Outside the dispenser is configured such that discharge coins or medals 5 one by one.
[0006]
Of course, there is a slight difference between the coins and the medal dispensing machine with respect to the transport processing from the time when the coin or the medal 5 is taken into the effect capturing hole 4 of the disk 1 to the time when the coin or the medal is paid out. Regardless of the configuration of the medal dispensing machine, the disk 1 required for stirring and capturing coins or medals 5 is an essential component.
[0007]
From the viewpoint of capturing coins or medals 5, it is ideal that the surface of the coins or medals 5 is always agitated in the lower layer of the hopper 3 while keeping the surface of the coins or medals 5 layered in parallel with the disk 1. Also, various agitation means have been proposed, including a non-rotating body-shaped agitation rod, a spiral agitation rod, and the like, which are mounted upright on the disk 1, but any of them is not necessarily sufficient agitation. 3A and 3B, for example, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, a large number of coins or medals 5 in a posture orthogonal to the surface of the disc 1 are superimposed. There may be a case where the coin is inserted into the coin catching hole 4 of the disc 1.
[0008]
In order to enhance the effect of capturing coins or medals 5, the coin capturing holes 4 are usually formed in the outer peripheral portion of the disk 1. Therefore, when such a situation occurs, the coin capturing holes 4 are fitted into the coin capturing holes 4. The outer periphery of the stuck coin or the medal 5 interferes with the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2, and thus there is a problem that the rotation operation of the disc 1 is hindered and an overload is applied to a motor serving as a driving source. Further, in the worst case, there may be a lock phenomenon such that the rotation of the disk 1 is completely stopped.
[0009]
Further, the coin or the medal 5 fitted in the coin catching hole 4 in a posture perpendicular to the surface of the disc 1 does not easily fall out of the coin catching hole 4 even if the disc 1 rotates. Due to the stirring effect, a larger number of coins or medals 5 are aligned and fitted between the groups of coins or medals 5 that have been lumped and fitted into the coin capturing holes 4 and the coins on the disc 1 Alternatively, since all of the medals 5 rotate integrally with the disc 1, the sliding resistance between the disc 1 and the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2 further increases, and the overload of the motor and the locking phenomenon occur. Tend to increase.
[0010]
If the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2 is damaged such as a scratch or a dent due to the occurrence of the sliding friction or the occurrence of the locking phenomenon, the coin or the medal 5 is less likely to bite the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2. It becomes intense, and an environment in which the locking phenomenon easily occurs is formed.
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned disadvantages of the related art, and to provide a case where a coin or a medal that is rotated integrally with a disc by being fitted into a coin catching hole occurs. In addition, a lock prevention mechanism in coin and medal dispensers that can avoid overload of the motor serving as the drive source of the disk and the locking phenomenon of the disk and prevent occurrence of careless scratches and dents can be prevented. To provide.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has achieved the above object by a configuration in which a rotatable cylindrical body is attached to both the coin guide and the disc along the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide.
[0013]
In a state where the coin or the medal is normally agitated, that is, in a state where the coin or the medal does not bite into the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, the cylindrical body holds the current position and moves with respect to the coin guide. Stationary, only disk spins. In this case, the cylindrical body substantially acts as the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide. When a coin or a medal bites into the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder, the cylinder rotates integrally with the disc due to friction between the coin or the medal and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder. The rotation of the cylinder with the coin or the medal on the disk together with the disk prevents the disk from being locked and the disk drive source from being overloaded.
[0014]
Further, by forming the cylindrical body from a material that is harder than the material of coins or medals to be paid out, scratches and dents on the peripheral surface of the cylindrical body are prevented.
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a view showing a main part of an embodiment of a coin and medal payout machine to which the lock prevention mechanism of the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1 (b), the coin guide 2 and the hopper 3 are cut along a plane including the rotation center axis of the disc 1, and the disc 1 and the coin guide 2 are cut off. Are shown as a whole. The configuration of the disc 1, the coin guide 2, the hopper 3, the contact piece 7 and the like is exactly the same as that of the conventional coin and medal dispensing machine as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). Detailed description is omitted.
[0016]
The inclined plate 9 provided in the hopper 3 prevents the supply coins and medals to be thrown into the hopper 3 from dropping onto the disk 1 and damaging the disk 1. This is a member for reducing a weight acting on the disk 1 by supporting a part of the load of coins and medals stored in the hopper 3 in a large amount. This is a unique component common to the coin and medal dispensing machines disclosed in 129803.
[0017]
The coin and medal payout machine of the present embodiment is different from the conventional machine in that a cylindrical body 10 rotatable with respect to both the coin guide 2 and the disc 1 along the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical coin guide 2. Is provided.
[0018]
FIG. 2A is a sectional side view showing only the peripheral portion of the cylindrical body 10 by cutting the coin guide 2 and the cylindrical body 10 on a plane including the rotation center axis of the disk 1. As shown in FIG. 2A, a flange portion 11 is integrally formed at a lower end portion of the cylindrical coin guide 2, and is mounted on a substrate (not shown) through a mounting hole 12 formed in the flange portion 11. The coin guide 2 is integrally attached with a bolt or the like. Of course, the mounting holes 12 are provided at a plurality of positions along the circumferential direction of the flange portion 11.
[0019]
Further, the hopper 3 is pivotally supported on the substrate by a stay 13 fixed to the bottom surface 14 so as to be swingable, and protrudes from the bottom surface 14 in a normal position as shown in FIG. The load is exclusively supported by the upper end surface (see the arrow B portion) of the coin guide 2 into which the provided cylindrical engaging portion 15 protrudes and the stay 13, and the engaging portion 15 fixes the upper end portion of the cylindrical body 10. It is designed not to hold down strongly.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 2A, the cylindrical body 10 has an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the small diameter portion 2a of the coin guide 2, and the coin is formed by an annular flange 10a integrally formed on the upper end of the cylindrical body 10. The guide 2 is prevented from falling off from the small diameter portion 2a. As described above, the engaging portion 15 of the hopper 3 does not strongly press the annular flange 10a, and the cylindrical body 10 is rotatable with respect to the coin guide 2. As shown in FIG. 2A, the lower end of the small-diameter portion 2a of the coin guide 2 and the lower end of the cylindrical body 10 substantially coincide with each other in the up-down direction, and the large-diameter portion of the coin guide 2 formed thereunder. The above-mentioned disk 1 is mounted so as to be inscribed in the peripheral portion 2b (see FIG. 1B).
[0021]
In FIG. 2A, the cylindrical body 10 is cut out from a stainless steel rod material by lathing or the like with priority given to the dimensions and the shape accuracy. Since it does not significantly affect the shape, a cylindrical body 10 formed by sheet metal pressing as shown in FIG. 2B may be used for mass production. The differences between the cylindrical body 10 shown in FIG. 2A and the cylindrical body 10 shown in FIG. 2B are mainly the maximum outer diameter of the annular flange 10a and the sharpness of the outer corner portion. Neither difference affects the actual effect.
[0022]
Of course, it is possible to manufacture the cylindrical body 10 using a steel material other than stainless steel, a non-ferrous metal, a synthetic resin, or the like, but it is possible to prevent scratches or dents caused by a coin or a medal sliding on the inner peripheral surface. To do so, it is necessary to form the cylindrical body 10 with a material that is harder than coins and medals to be paid out.
[0023]
Although the cylindrical body 10 is rotatably mounted on the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2, it does not itself have a rotation driving means, so that coins and medals 5 are paid out and the coins are mounted on the disc 1. As long as the coins and the medals 5 are normally stirred, the stationary state is maintained with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2 and only the disk 1 rotates. Of course, even if coins and medals 5 are paid out and agitated normally, a part of the coins and medals 5 on the disc 1 always slides on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10 and moves. However, as long as the coin or the medal 5 does not bite the cylinder 10, the cylinder 10 keeps its rotational position at that time and stands still with the coin guide 2. Since the hardness of the cylinder 10 is higher than the hardness of the coin or the medal 5 to be paid out, the cylinder 10 is not damaged by rubbing against the coin or the medal 5.
[0024]
On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a large number of coins or medals 5 in a posture perpendicular to the surface of the disc 1 are superimposed and fitted into the coin capturing hole 4 of the disc 1. In such a case, the outer periphery of the coin or the medal 5 fitted in the coin catching hole 4 simultaneously interferes with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10. A strong frictional resistance acts between the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10, causing a slip between the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10. It comes to rotate.
[0025]
In the conventional configuration as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), a large number of coins or medals 5 riding on the disk 1 are directly in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2 fixed on the substrate. , A strong frictional resistance between the outer peripheral portion of the coin or the medal 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2 causes an overload on the motor serving as the driving means of the disc 1 or the rotation of the disc 1 itself. Is locked, but in this embodiment, the cylindrical body 10 is limited only when a strong frictional resistance acts between the cylindrical body 10 fitted inside the coin guide 2 and the coin or the medal 5. Is configured to rotate integrally with the disk 1, so that an overload of the drive source and a locking phenomenon of the disk 1 can be easily avoided.
[0026]
Of course, if the overload of the drive source and the locking phenomenon of the disk 1 are simply avoided, the disk 1 and the coins or medals 5 on the disk 1 remain in the state shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b). There is a possibility that the cylindrical body 10 and the cylindrical body 10 rotate as they are forever, and the idle operation in which the payout is not performed is repeated. Since a phenomenon occurs in which the coin 5 collides with many other coins or medals 5 located in the lower part of the hopper 3, the coins or medals 5 aligned on the disc 1 are broken down by the interaction and normal payout is restored. There is still the possibility of being done.
[0027]
In such a situation, when the normal dispensing is not performed, a predetermined number of times of idling of the disk 1 may be detected and the driving source such as a motor may be stopped. In the conventional configuration shown in b), if the disk 1 is locked, the idling of the disk 1 is not detected, and there is a danger that the overloaded motor continues to be driven for a long time. On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment, even when the coins or coins 5 on the disk 1 are aligned and strongly interfere with the cylindrical body 10 and the normal payout cannot be performed, the rotation of the disk 1 itself does not occur. Since it is easily permitted, the idling of the disc 1 a predetermined number of times can be detected, and thereafter, the drive of the motor or the like can be stopped immediately. Moreover, no overload occurs during the driving of the motor until the predetermined number of rotations is detected.
[0028]
In some cases, instead of detecting the idling of the disk 1 a predetermined number of times, a timer measures a predetermined time to stop a driving source such as a motor. In the conventional configuration as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the locking phenomenon of the disk 1 itself cannot be avoided. Therefore, even if the dispensing becomes impossible due to the locking, the timer operates. During this time, the motor or the like is operated in an overloaded state, but in the present embodiment, the lock itself of the disk 1 is released, so that even if the payout stop processing by the timer is performed, There is no overload.
[0029]
As another means for preventing the coin or the medal 5 from biting the coin guide 2, it is also conceivable that the cylindrical body 10 and the disk 1 are integrally formed and the cylindrical body 10 is constantly rotated together with the disk 1. Then, coins or medals 5 riding on the disc 1 so as to be orthogonal to the surface of the disc 1 are turned over by sliding contact resistance with the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10 and changed to a posture that can be easily captured. The effect of agitation, such as causing the mixture, cannot be expected. Therefore, the most preferable embodiment is to rotate the cylinder 10 integrally with the disk 1 only when strong frictional resistance acts between the coin or the medal 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylinder 10 as described above. When the frictional resistance between the coin or the medal 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10 is not so large, only the disk 1 is rotated while the cylindrical body 10 is stopped. A force that overcomes the frictional resistance between the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10 and the coin or the medal 5 to stop the cylindrical body 10, that is, acts between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide 2. The static force to be applied can be arbitrarily set by adjusting the fit between the coin guide 2 and the cylindrical body 10 and the like.
[0030]
1 and 2, the inner diameter of the cylindrical body 10 is smaller than the outer diameter of the disk 1 and the lower end of the cylindrical body 10 is close enough to slide on the upper surface of the disk 1. It is also possible to arrange the disc 1 in such a manner that the inner diameter of the disc 10 is made substantially equal to the outer diameter of the disc 1 and is fitted inside the cylindrical body 10. However, it is necessary to push out coins or medals 5 which have fallen on the upper surface of the substrate from the coin catching hole 4 of the disc 1 through the gap 6 below the disc 1 and eject the coins or coins (the contact described in the section of the prior art). The ejection operation due to the interaction between the piece 7 and the coin transport projection 8), and a gap having a thickness comparable to the gap 6 is also left between the lower end of the cylindrical body 10 and the upper surface of the substrate, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. It is necessary not to close the slit on the outer peripheral portion of the coin guide 2 which is bored in correspondence with the position A as viewed.
[0031]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the cylindrical body 10 is formed of a material having a higher hardness than the coin or the medal 5 to be paid out has been described, but the bite between the coin or the medal 5 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 10 is described. If the sticking or frictional resistance exceeds a certain limit, the cylindrical body 10 automatically starts rotating together with the disk 1 to prevent the occurrence of galling, so that special consideration is given to damage to the cylindrical body 10 itself. In particular, in the case of press working or the like, priority is given to the ductility, malleability and economy of the material, and this may be made of a material having a relatively low hardness.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
The lock prevention mechanism of the present invention attaches a rotatable cylindrical body to both the coin guide and the disk along the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide, and a coin or medal riding on the disk and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body. The cylindrical body is rotated integrally with the disk only when a certain degree of friction or bite occurs between the disk and the disk. Even when a large number of coins or medals are rotated integrally with the disk, it is possible to avoid a disk locking phenomenon and prevent an overload of a motor serving as a driving source. . In addition, since the cylindrical body rotates integrally with the disk, the problem of coins or medals shaving the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body and causing scratches, dents, and the like is also eliminated. This solves a vicious cycle in which coins and medals tend to bite into the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical body.
[0033]
Further, since the cylindrical body is formed of a material having a higher hardness than a coin or a medal to be paid out, the cylindrical body itself is not damaged.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main part of a coin and medal payout machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing a periphery of a cylindrical body of the coin and medal payout machine of the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing main parts common to a conventional coin and medal payout machine.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Disc 2 Coin guide 2a Small diameter part 2b Large diameter inner peripheral part 3 Hopper 4 Coin catching hole 5 Coin or medal 6 Gap 7 Contact piece 8 Coin transport projection 9 Inclined plate 10 Cylindrical body 10a Annular flange 11 Flange part 12 Mounting hole 13 Stay 14 Bottom surface of hopper 15 Engagement part

Claims (2)

In a coin and medal dispensing machine in which a coin or a medal is dispensed by rotating a disc for coin ejection inside a cylindrical coin guide connected to a hopper for storing coins or medals,
A lock preventing mechanism in a coin and medal dispensing machine, wherein a rotatable cylindrical body is attached to both the coin guide and the disc along the inner peripheral surface of the coin guide. The lock prevention mechanism in a coin and medal dispensing machine according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical body is formed of a harder material than a coin or a medal to be paid out.

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