JP3615540B2 - Coin dispenser - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coin dispensing device.

  Conventionally, a plurality of coin storage units divided by denomination are arranged in parallel, and coins such as 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, 500 yen are stored in these coin storage parts, There is a coin payout device that pays out coins in a coin storage portion to a coin payout exit by a belt when there is change according to a command from a POS (Point Of Sales) terminal or ECR (Electronic Cash Register).

  In such a coin dispensing device, as shown in an example in FIG. 7, a coin storage unit 101 is provided that stores the coins C that have been sorted and dropped according to denomination by a coin sorting unit (not shown). ing. In order to pay out the coins C in the coin storage unit 101 to a coin payout exit (not shown), a conveyance belt 102 extending from the bottom surface of the coin storage unit 101 to the coin payout exit is provided. Then, the coins C placed on the transport belt 102 in a state parallel to the transport belt 102 are transported by the transport belt 102 and dispensed.

  However, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, an upright coin C is sandwiched between a coin C placed on the conveyor belt 102 in a state parallel to the conveyor belt 102 and a side surface 101 a of the coin storage unit 101. As a result, there is a problem that these coins C are sandwiched between both side surfaces 101a of the coin storage unit 101 and the coins C are clogged.

  Also, the coin dispensing device is modularized with a banknote depositing / dispensing device, a money drawer, etc., and combined with one of them according to the user's store operation, and the upper surfaces thereof are in a flush state. In some cases, a POS terminal or an ECR is mounted and used. In such modularization, a coin dispensing device is used in which the width of the device is set to be substantially the same as the width of the POS terminal or ECR and the POS terminal or ECR is mounted on the upper surface in order to improve usability. In this case, when this coin dispensing device is installed side by side with other modules, their horizontal width becomes larger than the horizontal width of the POS terminal or ECR, and the usability becomes worse.

  An object of the present invention is to prevent clogging of coins in a coin storage unit.

  Another object of the present invention is to reduce the lateral width of the coin dispensing device.

  The invention according to claim 1 is the coin dispensing apparatus in which the coins stored in the denomination storing unit for each denomination are transported on the transport surface along the coin dispensing transport path and are dispensed. The thickness of the coin is stored in the diameter of the coin stored in the coin storage unit, and the width of the storage surface of the storage unit in the direction orthogonal to the coin dispensing and transporting direction is wider than the diameter of the coin stored in the coin storage unit. It was formed narrower than the added width.

  Therefore, if the width in the direction perpendicular to the coin dispensing direction is the horizontal width, only one coin in the horizontal state is stored in the horizontal width direction of the transfer surface portion of the coin storage portion, and in this state, the transfer surface portion Since coins are not sandwiched in the width direction, clogging of coins stored in the transport surface portion of the coin storage portion is prevented. In addition, the overall width of the apparatus can be reduced as compared with a conventional coin dispensing apparatus in which the overall width of the apparatus is set to be substantially the same as that of POS or ECR.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the coin dispensing device according to the first aspect, the width of the coin storage portion is defined by both side surfaces of the coin storage portion which are vertical surfaces.

  Therefore, if the width in the direction orthogonal to the coin payout / conveying direction is the horizontal width, only one coin in the horizontal state is stored in the horizontal width direction of the coin storage portion, and in this state, the coin is stored in the coin storage portion. Since it is not pinched by both side surfaces, clogging of coins stored in the coin storage portion is prevented. In addition, the overall width of the apparatus can be reduced as compared with a conventional coin dispensing apparatus in which the overall width of the apparatus is set to be substantially the same as that of POS or ECR.

3. The coin dispensing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a coin slot for inserting the coin, and sorting the coins by denomination in a process of transporting the coin inserted into the coin slot. Then, a coin sorting unit that drops into the coin storage unit may be provided.

The invention according to claim 4 is a coin insertion slot for inserting the coin, means for conveying the coin inserted into the coin insertion slot along the coin conveyance path, and conveyed through the coin conveyance path. Means for transporting the coins to a coin sorting position along a coin sorting transport path, a coin storage section having an upper opening partitioned for each denomination by a plurality of vertical and parallel partition plates, and located at the coin sorting position A coin sorting unit for dropping the conveyed coins into the coin storing unit for each denomination from a sorting hole of a denomination whose hole width dimension sequentially increases along the coin sorting and conveying path, and the coin storing unit Means for transporting the coins stored on the transport surface along the coin payout transport path and transporting them in the coin payout transport direction for each denomination, and between the opposing partition plates of the coin storage portion In the coin storage part corresponding to the interval Than paid to the width plus the diameter to the thickness of the coin of the coin to be broadly accommodated in the coin storing portion than the diameter of the coin is formed narrow.

  According to the invention of claim 1, in the coin dispensing apparatus configured to convey and dispense the coins stored in the denomination in the coin storing unit for each denomination along the coin dispensing transport path on the transport surface. The width of the coin storage part in the direction orthogonal to the coin dispensing and conveying direction of the transfer surface part is wider than the diameter of the coin stored in the coin storage part and the thickness of the coin is stored in the coin storage part. If the width in the direction perpendicular to the coin dispensing and transporting direction is defined as the horizontal width, only one coin in the horizontal state is stored in the horizontal width direction of the transfer surface portion of the coin storage unit. And in this state, since coins are not pinched by the width direction of the coin storage part of a conveyance surface part, clogging of the coin stored in the conveyance surface part of a coin storage part can be prevented. Further, the overall width of the apparatus can be reduced as compared with the conventional coin dispensing apparatus in which the overall width of the apparatus is set to be substantially the same as the width of the POS or ECR.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the coin dispensing device according to the first aspect, the width of the coin storage portion is defined by both side surfaces of the coin storage portion which is a vertical surface, whereby a coin dispensing transport is performed. When the width in the direction perpendicular to the direction is the horizontal width, only one coin in a horizontal state is stored in the horizontal width direction of the coin storage unit, and in this state, the coin is sandwiched between both side surfaces of the coin storage unit. Therefore, clogging of coins stored in the coin storage unit can be prevented. Further, the overall width of the apparatus can be reduced as compared with the conventional coin dispensing apparatus in which the overall width of the apparatus is set to be substantially the same as the horizontal width of the POS or ECR.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the coin dispensing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, in the process of transporting the coins inserted into the coin insertion slot, including a coin insertion slot for inserting the coins. By having a coin sorting unit that sorts the coins into denominations and drops them into the coin storage unit, it is possible to prevent clogging of coins that have been selected and dropped by the coin sorting unit and stored in the coin storage unit.

According to invention of Claim 4 , the coin insertion slot for throwing in the said coin, the means to convey the said coin thrown into the said coin insertion slot along a coin conveyance path | route, and conveying the said coin conveyance path | route Means for transporting the coins to a coin sorting position along a coin sorting transport path, a coin storage section having an upper opening partitioned by a plurality of vertical and parallel partition plates for each denomination, and the coin sorting position A coin sorting unit that drops the coins that are transported along the coin sorting and conveying path into a coin storage unit for each denomination from a denomination sorting hole whose hole width dimension sequentially increases. Means for transporting the coins stored in the storage part along the coin payout transport path on the transport surface and transporting the coins in the coin payout transport direction for each denomination, and the opposing partitions of the coin storage part The coin collection corresponding to the spacing between the plates The width in the direction perpendicular to the coin dispensing direction is formed by making the diameter of the coin stored in the coin storage section wider than the diameter of the coin stored in the section, and narrower than the width of the coin. Is a horizontal width, only one coin in a horizontal state is stored in the horizontal width direction of the conveyance surface portion of the coin storage portion, and in this state, a coin is sandwiched in the width direction of the coin storage portion of the conveyance surface portion. Therefore, clogging of coins stored in the transport surface portion of the coin storage portion can be prevented. Further, the overall width of the apparatus can be reduced as compared with the conventional coin dispensing apparatus in which the overall width of the apparatus is set to be substantially the same as the horizontal width of the POS or ECR.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The present embodiment is an application example to a coin dispensing device that is used by being connected to a POS terminal (not shown). Here, FIG. 1 is an external perspective view schematically showing the coin dispensing device 1, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal structure of the coin dispensing device 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an upper opening coin insertion slot 3 is provided in front of the right side of the main body case 2 for coins C (see FIG. 3). The coin insertion slot 3 is provided with a plurality of sets of insertion sensors 4 for photoelectrically detecting the presence or absence of the coin C. An insertion roller 5 is provided at one end of the coin insertion slot 3, and an insertion portion 6 is formed by the insertion roller 5 and the coin insertion slot 3. The input roller 5 is disposed to face the gap between which the coins C for one sheet pass immediately above the conveyance belt 7 that conveys the coins C in a row. The rotation direction of the insertion roller 5 is determined so that coins C other than the lowermost coin C are returned to the coin insertion slot 3 when the coins C overlap on the conveyor belt 7. Here, the transport belt 7 forms a coin transport path 8 from the start end to the end of the transport belt 7.

  At the end portion of the conveyor belt 7, a conveyor belt 10 that converts the coin conveyance direction to a right angle and presses the coin C against the bottom plate 9 and conveys it to the coin sorting position is provided. The bottom plate 9 and the conveyor belt 10 form a coin sorting and conveying path 11. A reference surface 12 is provided on one side edge of the coin sorting and conveying path 11. Specifically, the reference surface 12 is provided at one side edge of the coin sorting / conveying path 11 which is downstream in the coin dispensing / conveying direction (described later) with respect to the sorting hole 14 of the coin sorting unit 13 described later. The reference surface 12 guides the side surface of the coin C conveyed through the coin sorting and conveying path 11 and conveys the coin C necessary for correctly dropping the corresponding coin C from the sorting hole 14 of the coin sorting unit 13 described later. It is a coin guide surface for obtaining the standard. And the conveyance belt 10 conveys the coin C in the state which made the side surface of the coin C contact | abut to the reference plane 12.

  Next, the bottom plate 9 is formed with a sorting hole 14 for each denomination whose hole width dimension is sequentially increased along the conveying belt 10, that is, along the coin sorting and conveying path 11. A coin sorting section 13 is formed that sorts the coins that are located and conveyed. Six sorting holes 14 are provided from the right in FIG. 2 so as to correspond to respective denominations of 1 yen, 50 yen, 5 yen, 100 yen, 10 yen, and 500 yen. In the present embodiment, the sorting holes 14 adjacent to each other in the coin sorting and conveying direction are continuously formed to form one hole in appearance. When the coin C is transported and reaches the sorting hole 14 having a predetermined outer diameter, the coin sorting unit 13 drops the coin storing unit 15 described later for each denomination. At that time, the coin sorting unit 13 supports the reference surface 12 side of the coin C by the bottom plate 9 to drop the side opposite to the reference surface 12 earlier than the reference surface 12 side of the coin C. Each sorting hole 14 is provided with a counting sensor 16 for each denomination, and the number of coins C is counted for each denomination.

  FIG. 3 is a longitudinal side view showing the coin storage unit 15 and the transport unit built in the coin dispensing apparatus 1, and FIG. 4 is a plan view thereof. The coin dispensing device 1 is provided with a coin storage portion 15 having an upper opening that is communicated with each of the sorting holes 14 and partitioned for each denomination by a plurality of vertical and parallel partition plates 17. The lateral width W of each of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f partitioned by the partition plate 17 of the coin storage portion 15, that is, the width between both side surfaces 17a formed by the partition plate 17 is the same as that of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f. The diameter of the coin C stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f is set wider than the diameter of the coin C to be stored and smaller than the width obtained by adding the thickness of the coin.

  A conveyor belt 18 that is connected to a motor (not shown) and is driven around a drive roller 19 and a driven roller 20 is provided at the bottom of each of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f. The transport belt 18 is an endless belt, and is inclined so as to form a transport surface 18a that increases in height toward the downstream side in the coin dispensing and transport direction, and the coin C on the transport surface 18a. Is transported in the coin payout transport direction. The coin payout / conveying direction is set in a direction orthogonal to the width W direction of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f. And the conveyance surface 18a of the conveyance belt 18 forms the bottom face of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f and the coin dispensing conveyance path 21. Here, since the width W of the bottom surface portion of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f, that is, the conveyance surface 18a portion is determined by the both side surfaces 17a as described above, the coin C stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f. The diameter of the coin C stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f is set to be narrower than the width obtained by adding the thickness of the coin. In addition, a conveyance unit is formed by the conveyance belt 18, the driving roller 19, and the driven roller 20.

  And in the exit part of coin storage parts 15a-15f, the separation roller 22 which isolate | separates the coin C for every sheet is arrange | positioned at the space | interval which can pass one coin C with respect to the conveyance belt 18, And it is arrange | positioned so that the exit part of all the money types may be crossed for every money type.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing the coin sorting unit 13, the coin storage unit 15, and the tilt guide 23 built in the coin dispensing apparatus 1. An inclined guide 23 that guides the coin C falling from the sorting hole 14 is provided in a portion where the coin sorting unit 13 communicates with the sorting hole 14 in the coin storing unit 15a to 15f, that is, in the vicinity of the entrance of the coin storing unit 15a to 15f. It has been. These inclined guides 23 are inclined downward toward the end farther from the end closer to the reference surface 12 of the sorting hole 14 of the coin sorting section 13 and parallel to the transport surface 18a of the transport belt 18. Is set to And this inclination guide 23 makes the coin C which is sorted and falls by the sorting hole 14 of the coin sorting part 13 fall diagonally downward.

  Furthermore, a coin standby unit 24 is provided for each denomination at the exit of the coin storage unit 15 to align and wait for a predetermined number of coins C in a line.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, at the upper part of the vicinity of the leading end of each conveyor belt 18, the operation control is performed so that the coin C is temporarily stopped for each denomination and the necessary number of coins C are sent out. A shutter 25 is provided. These coin shutters 25 are configured such that one end holds the leading coin C on the conveyor belt 18 but is driven by a shutter solenoid 26 connected to the other end so that a specified number of coins C are paid out. Yes. Further, immediately after each coin shutter 25, a payout sensor 27, which is an optical sensor for counting the number of coins C paid out for each denomination, is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a housing-like coin payout outlet 28 having an open top surface is disposed at the coin payout position where the coin C is dropped by denomination by the transport belt 18. Further, a display 29 and various operation units 30 are provided on the back side of the coin payout outlet 28 of the main body case 2.

  In such a configuration, when a coin C is inserted into the coin insertion slot 3, the insertion sensor 4 detects the coin C, and the insertion roller 5 and the conveyor belts 7 and 10 are driven by this detection signal. The coins C inserted into the coin insertion slot 3 are separated and conveyed one by one between the insertion roller 5 and the conveyance belt 7. The coin C is redirected from the transport belt 7 to the transport belt 10 and transported, and the coin sorting unit 13 performs sorting for each denomination. That is, the coin C falls from the sorting hole 14 according to the denomination and is stored in the coin storage units 15a to 15f in denominations. Then, the number of coins C falling from the sorting hole 14 is counted by the counting sensor 16.

  Further, when there is no coin C in the coin standby unit 24, the operation is controlled so that the transport belt 18 is driven and a predetermined number of coins C are always present in the coin standby unit 24.

  Next, the tightening process is performed at the POS terminal, and when the coin C is issued from the POS terminal, the conveyor belt 18 is driven and the coin shutter 25 is driven by the shutter solenoid 26 for each denomination. The required number of coins C is sent out. The coin C sent out in this way is paid out to the coin payout exit 28.

  Next, the movement when the coin C falls from the sorting hole 14 according to the denomination and is stored in the coin storage units 15a to 15f in denominations will be described in detail. As for the coin C, the side opposite to the reference surface 12 relative to the reference surface 12 side, that is, the upstream side in the coin dispensing and transporting direction first falls from the sorting hole 14 and slides down the inclined guide 23. Thereby, the coin C falls toward the upstream of the coin payout / conveying direction of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f.

  At this time, on the reference surface 12 of the inclination guide 23 and the horizontal component direction of the inclination from the upper side to the lower side of the coin C which has fallen from the sorting hole 14 on the side opposite to the reference surface 12 first than the reference surface 12 side and inclined. Since the horizontal component direction of the inclination from the near end to the far end (in other words, the horizontal component direction of the inclination downward from the sorting hole 14 of the inclination guide 23) is the same, the coin C is inclined. It is possible to prevent the coin C from bouncing when it hits the guide 23, and the coin C can be reliably slid on the inclined guide 23.

  And the coin C is brought close to a horizontal state by the inclination guide 23 and falls.

  Further, since the horizontal component direction inclined downward from the sorting hole 14 of the inclined guide 23 is opposite to the horizontal component direction from the upstream side to the downstream side in the coin dispensing and conveying direction of the conveying surface 18a, the coin C is conveyed. It falls in a state parallel to or close to the surface 18a.

  Further, since the inclined guide 23 is parallel to the transport surface 18a, the coin C more reliably falls in a state parallel to or close to the transport surface 18a. Therefore, the coin C is securely stored in a state parallel to the bottom surfaces of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f, that is, the transport surface 18a. Thereby, it is prevented that the coin C is stored in an upright state with respect to the bottom surfaces of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f.

  Here, in the coin dispensing device 1 of the present embodiment, the lateral width W of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f is wider than the diameter of the coin C stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f. Since the diameter of the coin C to be stored is set to be narrower than the width obtained by adding the thickness of the coin, as shown in an example in FIG. 6, coins in the horizontal width W direction of the coin storage portions 15 a to 15 f Only one coin C in a state parallel to the bottom surfaces of the storage portions 15a to 15f is stored. In this state, there is a gap Y between the coin C and the side surface 17a of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f, and since this gap Y is narrower than the thickness of the coin, the upright coin C cannot enter the gap Y. Therefore, the coin C in a state parallel to the bottom surfaces of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f is not sandwiched. Thereby, clogging of the coin C accommodated in the coin storage parts 15a-15f can be prevented. And as above-mentioned, in this Embodiment, since the coin C after falling is reliably accommodated in the state parallel to the bottom face of the coin accommodating part 15a-15f, it accommodates in the coin accommodating part 15a-15f. It is possible to reliably prevent clogged coins C from being jammed.

  And the coin C is conveyed downstream in the coin delivery / conveyance direction of the coin storage parts 15a-15f, after falling in the coin delivery / conveyance direction upstream of the coin storage parts 15a-15f. Thereby, the coin C can be efficiently stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f.

  Moreover, since the inclination guide 23 is provided only in the vicinity of the entrances of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f and is parallel to the transport surface 18a of the transport belt 18, the tilt guide 23 is, for example, the bottom surface of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f. The amount of coins stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f can be increased as compared with the case where they are extended to the vicinity, and the lower end of the inclined guide 23 is closer to the transport surface 18a than the state parallel to the transport surface 18a, for example. Compared with the case where the inclined guide 23 is provided to be inclined, the amount of coins stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f can be increased.

  The coin dispensing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment stores the coin storage portions 15a to 15f in which the width W of the coin storage portions 15a to 15f is wider than the diameter of the coin C stored in the coin storage portions 15a to 15f. Compared to a conventional coin dispensing device in which the width of the entire device is set to be substantially the same as the width of POS or ECR, by setting the width of the coin C to be smaller than the width of the coin C plus the thickness of the coin. The overall width of the apparatus can be reduced.

1 is an external perspective view schematically showing a coin dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view which shows the internal structure of a coin dispensing device. It is a vertical side view which shows the coin storage part and conveyance part which are incorporated in a coin dispensing device. FIG. It is a perspective view which expands and shows the coin selection part, coin storage part, and inclination guide which are built in a coin dispensing device. It is a vertical front view which shows the storage state of the coin in a coin storage part. It is a vertical side view which shows the conventional coin dispensing apparatus. It is a vertical front view which shows the state with which the coin in the coin storage part was jammed.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Coin dispensing apparatus 11 Coin sorting conveyance path 12 Reference surface 13 Coin sorting part 14 Sorting holes 15a-15f Coin storage part 17a Side surface 18a Conveying surface 21 Coin dispensing conveyance path 23 Inclination guide C Coin W Width (width)

Claims (4)

In the coin dispensing device configured to convey and dispense the coins stored in the coin storing unit for each denomination by denomination along the coin dispensing transport path on the transport surface,
The width of the coin storage part in the direction orthogonal to the coin dispensing and conveying direction of the transfer surface part is wider than the diameter of the coin stored in the coin storage part and the thickness of the coin is stored in the coin storage part. A coin dispensing device characterized in that it is formed narrower than the added width.   The coin dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the width of the coin storage unit is defined by both side surfaces of the coin storage unit which are vertical surfaces. It has a coin slot for inserting the coins, and has a coin sorting part for sorting the coins into denominations and dropping them into the coin storage part in the process of transporting the coins thrown into the coin slot. The coin dispensing device according to claim 1 or 2. A coin slot for inserting the coin,
Means for transporting the coins inserted into the coin slot along a coin transport path;
Means for transporting the coins transported along the coin transport path to a coin sorting position along the coin sorting transport path;
A coin storage section having an upper opening partitioned by a plurality of vertical and parallel partition plates for each denomination;
A coin sorting unit that is located at the coin sorting position and that drops the conveyed coins into the coin storage unit for each denomination from a denomination sorting hole whose hole width dimension is sequentially increased along the coin sorting and conveying path. When,
Means for transporting the coins stored in the coin storage part along the coin payout transport path on the transport surface and transporting the coins in the coin payout transport direction for each denomination;
With
The thickness of the coin is added to the diameter of the coin stored in the coin storage section wider than the diameter of the coin stored in the coin storage section corresponding to the interval between the opposing partition plates of the coin storage section. hardness貨払out device you characterized in that it is formed narrower than the width.

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