JP3767770B2 - Coin delivery device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a coin sending device used in, for example, an automatic change dispensing device suitable for connection to a POS terminal or an ECR.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, an automatic change dispensing device is used to collect coins in a state where various denominations are mixed together from an insertion slot, and check whether these coins are genuine or not and classify them for each coin. The coins are stored in a coin storage unit, and a designated coin and the number of coins are paid out.
[0003]
Here, FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of a conventional automatic change dispensing device 100. The conventional automatic change dispensing device 100 shown in FIG. 5 will be described along the flow of coins. First, coins that are batch-inserted from a coin slot 101 provided on the right front side of the automatic change dispenser 100 are transported by the slot belt 102 and are fed one by one by the slot roller 103 during the transport. Rows are conveyed. The coins transported in one row are transferred from the slot belt 102 to the transport belt 104, and are subjected to an outer diameter check by the outer diameter check unit 105 in the transport process by the transport belt 104. As a result, when the coin in the middle of conveyance is not a genuine coin, or when the coin storage unit to be described later is full, the coin is rejected by the reject / overflow unit 106. The coins rejected by the reject / overflow unit 106 are stored in a reject / overflow coin storage unit 107 provided below the reject / overflow unit 106.
[0004]
The coins that have passed through the reject / overflow unit 106 are transferred to the conveyor belt 108, and the direction of travel is converted to a right angle by the direction converter 110 in the process of being transferred to the subsequent conveyor belt 109. As described above, the coin is conveyed in a predetermined direction by the coin conveyance unit 111 configured by the insertion port belt 102, the insertion port roller 103, and the conveyance belts 104, 108, and 109. The coins whose direction of travel has been changed are guided to a coin sorting unit 113 having sorting holes 112 for each denomination whose hole width dimension is sequentially increased along the transport belt 109. There are six sorting holes 112 each having a size corresponding to the diameter of each denomination of 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen. Accordingly, coins sequentially fall from the sorting holes 112 determined for each denomination.
[0005]
Next, a coin storage portion 115 partitioned by a partition plate 114 for each denomination is provided at a position where the coin falls from the sorting hole 112, and a payout conveyance is performed on the bottom surface portion of each denomination of the coin storage portion 115. A conveyor belt 116 is rotatably provided, and the coins stored in the coin storage portion 115 are transported toward the outlet. However, since the coins dropped into the coin storage unit 115 from the sorting hole 112 are stacked and transported as they are in the vicinity of the dropping position, it is necessary to separate and transport the stacked coins one by one. For this reason, when the transport belt 116 is driven, the coins stored in the coin storage unit 115 are transported via the separation roller 117 during the transport process.
[0006]
The coins separated one by one by the separation roller 117 continue to be conveyed by the conveying belt 116 as they are, and reach a coin standby unit 121 in which a predetermined number of coins are always arranged in a line for each denomination and wait. The coin standby unit 121 performs operation control so that a predetermined number of coins are temporarily stopped to stand by and a required number of coins are sent out in accordance with a command from the POS terminal or ECR. That is, the coins stored in the coin storage unit 115 are paid out to a predetermined coin payout position by the coin payout unit 122 having the conveyor belt 116 as a main component. Coins paid out to the coin payout position are collected at a coin payout outlet 123 in the upper opening. Therefore, the cashier can grab the coins that are paid out collectively to the coin payout outlet 123 and deliver them to the customer as change.
[0007]
Here, the separation / conveying operation of the coins C stacked on the conveying belt 116 by the separation roller 117 will be described with reference to the schematic side view shown in FIG. 6 and the schematic plan view shown in FIG. On the inner peripheral surface side of the conveyor belt 116, a flat belt guide plate 120 that receives the lower surface on the inner peripheral surface side together with a pair of driving roller 118 and driven roller 119 is disposed, and ascends as a whole. It is arranged. The conveyor belt 116 and the separation roller 117 are disposed with a passage interval G through which only one coin C can pass. Further, the conveyance belt 116 and the separation roller 117 are configured to be rotationally driven in the same direction. That is, the separation roller 117 is rotationally driven by the same drive source (motor) so that the opposed peripheral surface moves in the opposite direction with respect to the rotation of the transport belt 116 in the coin transport direction.
[0008]
Thereby, when a certain coin in the stacked coins C is swallowed by the transport belt 116 and the separation roller 117, the coin is pushed back to the upstream side in the transport direction by the frictional force with the separation roller 117. Therefore, the other coins under the coin are sequentially sent out by passing through the passage interval G between the conveyor belt 116 and the separation roller 117 in response to the conveying force in the coin conveying direction by the conveyor belt 116. .
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the coins C on the conveyor belt 116 are originally stacked in an irregular state, the coins C may not be normally separated depending on the overlapping state of the coins C in the separation part. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when there is a coin C3 that overlaps on a certain coin C1, C2 and is going to enter between the separation roller 117 and the conveyor belt 116 in a slightly forward tilted posture, the upstream side of this coin C3 Since there are other coins C1 and C2, the coin C1 cannot be returned by the return force caused by the rotation of the separation roller 117, and at the same time, the overlapping state of these coins C3, C1 and C2 cannot be eliminated. It becomes a cause. In particular, in the situation shown in FIG. 6, the conveying force of the conveying belt 116 on the other upstream coins C1, C2, etc. shows a wedge action on the forwardly inclined coin C3, and the tip of the coin C3 Since the force F in the belt press-contact direction acts, the force in the feeding direction with respect to the coin C3 increases, and it becomes more difficult for the separation roller 117 to push back the coin C3. As a result, a large load is applied to the drive system of the separation roller 117.
[0010]
Therefore, the present invention reliably eliminates the overlapping state of the coins by the return force of the separating roller even if the overlapping coins enter between the conveying belt and the separating roller. It is an object of the present invention to provide a coin sending device that can stably carry.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
According to the first aspect of the present invention, a conveyor belt that is rotationally driven in the coin conveyance direction and a passage interval corresponding to one coin on the conveyor belt are disposed, and the conveyor belt is rotated in the coin conveyance direction. And a separation roller that is rotationally driven so that the opposing circumferential surface moves in the opposite direction, and a coin delivery device that conveys the coins stacked on the conveyor belt one by one while separating the coins one by one on the inner peripheral side of the conveyor belt A convex interval forming portion arranged in the coin conveyance direction that forms a passing interval at a portion facing the separation roller, and a belt escape portion that can form an interval greater than the passing interval by sandwiching the interval forming portion. A belt guide member.
[0012]
Therefore, when the coins stacked on the conveyor belt enter in an overlapped state between the conveyor belt and the separation roller, the conveyor belt deforms in the escape direction according to the belt escape portion even if a force in the belt pressing direction is generated. As a result, an interval greater than the passing interval is formed, so that the force in the feeding direction does not increase for coins. At this time, the passing interval between the conveying belt and the separation roller is maintained by a convex interval forming portion along the coin conveying direction, and two or more coins do not pass, and the separating roller As a result, the contact area of the coin to be returned to the conveyor belt is reduced to about the width of the interval forming portion, and the force in the feeding direction is also reduced. According to such a situation, the overlapping state of coins can be eliminated by the return force of the separation roller, and the sheets can be reliably separated and conveyed one by one.
[0013]
In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the conveyor belt of the coin delivery device according to the first aspect is a divided belt divided into two in the width direction, and the belt guide member has a gap forming portion positioned between the divided belts. Therefore, the split belt can be easily deformed in the flank direction at the belt flank portion, and the interval forming portion having no conveyance force forms a direct passage interval, so that the coins to be returned by the separation roller can be conveyed. Since the contact area with the belt (divided belt) is reduced and the force in the feeding direction is reduced, the belt is easily returned by the separation roller.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a coin delivery device, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view thereof, and FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view mainly showing a conveyor belt and the like. The coin delivery device according to the present embodiment is also applied to the separation and conveyance unit between the coin storage unit 115 and the coin standby unit 121 in the automatic change dispensing device 100 as shown in FIG. Assume that the device 100 is used.
[0015]
First, the coin delivery device according to the present embodiment is configured based on the conveyance belt 1 and the separation roller 2 disposed between the coin storage unit 115 and the coin standby unit 121. The conveyor belt 1 is composed of divided belts 1a and 1b divided into two in the width direction. A flat belt guide plate (belt guide member) 5 is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the conveyor belt 1 together with a pair of driving roller 3 and driven roller 4 to receive the lower surface on the inner peripheral surface in a flat shape. As shown in FIG. 4, the coins are arranged so as to be inclined upward toward the coin standby unit 121 side. The conveyor belt 1 and the separation roller 2 are disposed with a passage interval G through which only one coin C can pass. Further, the transport belt 1 and the separation roller 2 are configured to be rotationally driven in the same direction. That is, the separation roller 2 is rotationally driven by the same drive source (motor) so that the opposing peripheral surface moves in the opposite direction with respect to the rotation of the transport belt 1 in the coin transport direction.
[0016]
Here, in the belt guide plate 5 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, a convex interval forming portion 5a that forms a predetermined passing interval G at a portion facing the separation roller 2 is conveyed by coins. It is formed along the direction, and is configured such that the interval forming portion 5a itself directly forms the passage interval G between the separation belts 2a by being positioned between the divided belts 1a and 1b and exposed to the outside. . The space | interval formation part 5a is located in the position within a coin passage width. The belt guide plate 5 is formed with flat portions 5b and 5c that receive the inner peripheral surfaces of the respective divided belts 1a and 1b on both the left and right sides with the interval forming portion 5a interposed therebetween. In the vicinity of the portion facing the separation roller 2 with respect to the flat portions 5b and 5c, belt escape portions 5d and 5e recessed downward are formed.
[0017]
In such a configuration, when a certain coin in the coins C stacked on the conveyor belt 1 is swallowed by the conveyor belt 1 and the separation roller 2, the coin is caused by frictional force with the separation roller 2. Pushed back upstream in the transport direction. Therefore, the other coins under the coin are sequentially sent out by passing the passing distance G between the conveyor belt 1 and the separation roller 2 by receiving the conveying force in the coin conveying direction by the conveyor belt 1. .
[0018]
By the way, since the coins C on the conveyor belt 1 are originally stacked in an irregular state, there are various situations in which the coins C overlap at the separation portion. It is conveyed while being stacked in a zigzag shape in the direction. For example, let us consider a case where there is a coin C3 that is going to enter between the separation roller 2 and the conveyor belt 1 in a slightly forward tilted posture while being superimposed on a certain coin C1, C2 as shown in FIG. In this case, there are other coins C1, C2 upstream of the coin C3, and the conveying force of the conveying belt 1 on these coins C1, C2, etc. shows a wedge action on the coin C3 in the forward leaning posture. The force in the belt pressure direction acts on the tip of the coin C3. However, in this example, in the illustrated example, the belt guide plate 5 is formed with a belt escape portion 5d, and the portion of the portion subjected to the force in the belt pressure contact direction by the front end portion of the coin C3 lowered to the left front. The split belt 1a is deformed toward the belt escape portion 5d. Thereby, the force in the feeding direction against the coin C3 does not increase. At this time, since at least one side near the center of the coin C3 is conveyed while being supported on the interval forming portion 5a and the sinking is suppressed, the split belt 1a is deformed more than necessary as the coin C3 passes. There is nothing wrong. This is because even when the coin C3 is mainly conveyed on the divided belt 1b side, the divided belt 1a is deformed to the belt escape portion 5e side under the same situation, and the force in the feeding direction against the coin C3 does not increase. . In particular, in the present embodiment, since the conveyor belt 1 is divided and formed as the divided belts 1a and 1b, the belt is easily deformed in the escape direction at the belt escape portions 5d and 5e. According to such a situation, C3 can be reliably returned by the return force of the separation roller 2, and the overlapping state of coins can be eliminated. For example, the coin C1 after the coin C3 is returned and separated. Can be conveyed downstream. At this time, the passing interval G between the conveying belt 1 and the separation roller 2 is maintained by a convex interval forming portion 5a along the coin conveying direction, and a part of the coin C1 is always on the interval forming portion 5a. Therefore, two or more coins do not pass through the belt escape portion 5d or 5e at a time. As a result, a large load is not applied to the drive system of the separation roller 2.
[0019]
Further, according to the present embodiment, since the gap forming portion 5a that is located between the split belts 1a and 1b and has no conveying force is provided, the coin C3 to be returned by the separation roller 2 is the central portion (the gap forming portion 5a). Even if the situation as shown in FIG. 1 is caused by being transported above, the distance forming portion 5a itself that contacts the tip of the coin C3 does not have a transport force, and therefore the force in the feeding direction is reduced. According to such a situation, the overlapping state of coins can be eliminated by the return force of the separation roller 2.
[0020]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The same parts as those shown in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is also omitted. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view mainly showing a conveyance belt and the like. In the present embodiment, the conveyor belt 1 is a single belt. Further, with respect to the belt guide plate 6, an interval forming portion 6 a that regulates the passing interval G between the conveyance belt 1 and the separation roller 2 is formed at the same height as the flat portion 6 b, and in the vicinity of a portion facing the separation roller 2. In this case, belt relief portions 6c and 6d are formed in which both sides of the gap forming portion 6a are recessed downward.
[0021]
Also in the case of this embodiment, the same effect as in the case of the first embodiment can be obtained. In particular, in comparison with the conventional example, the object can be achieved only by changing the belt guide plate 120 to the belt guide plate 6.
[0022]
In these embodiments, the belt escape portions 5d, 5e, 6c, and 6d are formed by recesses, but may be formed by notches, for example.
[0023]
【The invention's effect】
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the convex interval forming portion that is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the conveyor belt and that forms a passing interval at a portion facing the separation roller, along the coin conveying direction, and the interval. Since it includes a belt guide member having a belt escape portion that can form an interval greater than the passing interval with the formation portion interposed therebetween, even if coins in an overlapped state enter between the conveyance belt and the separation roller, The overlapping state of the coins can be reliably eliminated by the return force of the separation roller, and the separation and conveyance of each sheet can be performed stably.
[0024]
In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the split belt can be easily deformed in the escape direction at the belt escape portion, and the interval forming portion having no conveying force forms the passage interval. Since the force in the feeding direction of the coin to be returned can be reduced, the coin can be easily returned by the separation roller.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view thereof.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view.
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of an automatic change dispensing device showing a conventional example.
FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing a portion of the coin delivery device.
FIG. 7 is a schematic plan view thereof.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveyance belt 1a, 1b Dividing belt 2 Separating roller 5 Belt guide member 5a Space | interval formation part 5d, 5e Belt escape part 6 Belt guide member 6a Space | interval formation part 6c, 6d Belt escape part

Claims (2)

A conveyor belt that is rotationally driven in the coin conveyance direction, and a passage interval corresponding to one coin on the conveyance belt is disposed, and the opposing circumferential surface is opposite to the rotation of the conveyance belt in the coin conveyance direction. A coin feeding device that includes a separation roller that is rotationally driven to move, and conveys the coins stacked on the conveyor belt while separating the coins one by one;
A convex interval forming portion that is disposed on the inner peripheral side of the conveying belt and forms a passing interval at a portion facing the separation roller, and a spacing that is larger than the passing interval with the interval forming portion interposed therebetween. A coin delivery device comprising a belt guide member having a belt relief portion capable of forming a belt. The coin feeding device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying belt is a divided belt divided into two in the width direction, and the belt guide member has a space forming portion located between the divided belts.

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