JP5341860B2 - Coin slot and coin deposit / withdrawal device - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a coin slot and a coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a device that handles deposit / withdrawal of coins, such as a POS terminal for self-checkout, incorporates a change machine (coin deposit / withdrawal device) that deposits and withdraws coins at the time of payment. In this coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus, coin clogging does not occur due to the overlap of two or more coins in the path of conveyance from the coin insertion slot to the coin selector for selecting coin denominations and genuine coins. In the path, slits are provided for passing coins one by one.

  By the way, the coin selector needs time of, for example, about 0.5 seconds to select coins. Therefore, when another coin is inserted during sorting by the coin selector, the coin is discharged from the coin outlet as a coin that cannot be sorted.

  However, in the conventional coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus described above, coins are inserted into the coin selector at the time interval when the coins are inserted one by one. For this reason, when coins are inserted one by one continuously without leaving a time interval, there are many opportunities to be ejected from the coin outlet as unselectable coins. The unsortable coins discharged from the coin discharge port must be re-inserted from the coin input port, and this re-input operation is troublesome.

In order to solve the above-described problem, the coin slot of the embodiment includes a first slit, a coin slope, a stop member, and a second slit. The first slit passes coins one by one. The coin slope has a first inclined surface on which coins that have passed through the first slit slide down, and a second inclined surface that is steeper than the first inclined surface. The stop member stops the coin from sliding down when the radius of the coin sliding down along the first inclined surface protrudes from the second inclined surface, and changes the coin sliding direction to the direction along the second inclined surface. The second slit passes coins that slide down along the second inclined surface one by one. A coin makes the sliding direction the direction along the 2nd inclined surface with dead weight. The inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to the first inclined surface is set so that the gap formed between the coin and the first inclined surface is determined when the sliding direction of the coin is changed along the second inclined surface by the stop member. The angle is smaller than the thickness.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a POS terminal for self-checkout. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the vicinity of the coin tray of the coin depositing and dispensing device. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the coin slipping in the sliding portion. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the coin depositing / dispensing device below the coin selector insertion unit.

  Details of the coin slot according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The coin slot according to the present embodiment is used in a device that handles coin deposits and withdrawals such as a POS terminal for self-checkout. In the following description, the case where it is used for a POS terminal for self-checkout is illustrated.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of a POS terminal 100 for self-checkout. As shown in FIG. 1, the main body 2 of the POS terminal 100 includes a coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 for handling coin deposit / withdrawal, a display 3 having a touch panel, a code symbol such as a barcode or a two-dimensional code attached to a product. Is provided with a scanner 4 and a hand scanner 5.

  The coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 is provided on the upper right side of the main body 2 so that the customer can easily operate with the right hand. Specifically, a coin tray 13 for receiving deposit of coins C from a customer, a coin tray 14 for receiving change, etc. for a customer to receive change, etc., on which a change discharged from a coin outlet 15 is placed, a withdrawal of change, etc. A coin discharge port 15 or the like for performing the above is provided on the upper right side of the main body 2.

  The display 3 is a liquid crystal display, a guidance screen for informing the customer how to operate the POS terminal 100, an input screen for entering product information of products without a code symbol, a scanner 4 or a hand scanner. A product registration screen for displaying the product information read in 5, a total amount of products, a deposit amount, a change amount, etc. are displayed, and a payment screen for selecting a payment method is displayed.

  The scanner 4 optically reads a code symbol by a customer holding the code symbol attached to a product. For large items such as cardboard boxes and long items, it is difficult to hold the code symbol attached to the product over the scanner 4, so that the customer can read the code symbol using the hand scanner 5. It is.

  Further, on the right side of the main body 2, a product placement table 6 is provided for placing an unsettled product in a basket, and on the left side of the main unit 2, a product placement table 7 is provided for placing a settled product. There is provided a bag hook 8 for hanging a bag for putting a product already settled, and a temporary placing table 9 for temporarily placing the settled product before putting it in the bag. The product placement tables 6 and 7 are provided with a measuring instrument, and have a function of confirming that the weight of the product is the same before and after settlement.

  In addition, the POS terminal 100 is provided with a card / bill deposit / withdrawal port 10 for receiving a customer's point card or credit card, depositing a bill for billing or receiving a fishing bill, and a receipt. A receipt issuing port 11 for issuing is provided.

  Here, the coin slot in the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a view showing an overview of the vicinity of the coin tray 13 of the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the coin insertion slot in the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 1 is sorted according to denomination by the coin C placed on the coin tray 13 by the customer passing through the sliding part 110 and passing through the coin selector inserting part 120. The mechanism until it reaches the coin selector 60 (see FIG. 5) for doing this is shown.

  On the upper surface of the coin tray 13, a tray slope 101 having an inclined surface toward the first slit 103 which is an entrance of the sliding portion 110 is provided. The tray slope 101 guides the placed coin C to the first slit 103 along the inclined surface. In the vicinity of the first slit 103 of the tray slope 101, a dust drop portion 102 is provided for dropping dust on the tray slope 101, such as dust attached to the coin C, from a porous gap. Specifically, a lattice-shaped dust drop unit 102 that is finer than the thickness of the coin C is provided. In the coin tray 13, the dust drop unit 102 prevents dust from entering the first slit 103.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a dust discharge unit 130 is provided below the dust drop unit 102. The dust on the saucer slope 101 moves along the inclined surface of the saucer slope 101 and falls to the dust discharge part 130 by the dust drop part 102 on the way to the first slit 103. In the dust discharge unit 130, a slope 131 that guides the dust to the dust discharge port 132 is provided immediately below the dust drop unit 102. Therefore, the dust that has fallen on the slope 131 of the dust discharge unit 130 is discharged to the outside through the dust discharge port 132.

  The first slit 103 has a width that allows one coin C to pass through. The first slit 103 is wider than the thickness of one coin C, and is narrower than the thickness of two coins C stacked. Pass one by one. In more detail, the width | variety of the 1st slit 103 is formed in the width | variety through which the widest coin C passes among the coins C of all the denominations. Further, the gap between the first slits 103 is wider than the thickness of the thickest denomination coin C, and the gap is narrower than the thickness of the two thinnest coins C stacked. Therefore, the coins C of any denomination pass through the first slit 103 one by one.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first slit 103 is a gap generated when the cover 104 for covering the sliding portion 110 where the coin C passing through the first slit 103 slides down is closed. This is a gap between the edge of the cover 104 and the tray slope 101 when the cover 104 is closed. As shown in FIG. 3, the cover 104 is supported by the rotation support portion 105 on the side opposite to the edge that generates the first slit 103, and the edge side that generates the first slit 103 is lifted upward. It can be opened and closed freely. The cover 104 is supported by the cover support portion 106 in the closed state, and is held with the gap described above. Thus, in the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 1, the cover 104 can be freely opened and closed, thereby facilitating access to the sliding portion 110 and facilitating maintenance of the sliding portion 110 (for example, handling of a coin jam).

  The sliding portion 110 covered with the cover 104 is configured to include a coin slope 111, an inner wall 114, and a second slit 115. The coin slope 111 has a first inclined surface 112 on which the coin C that has passed through the first slit 103 first slides down, and a second inclined surface 113 that is steeper than the first inclined surface 112. The inner wall 114 is at the end where the first inclined surface 112 is extended, and when a part of the coin C sliding down along the first inclined surface 112 protrudes into the second inclined surface 113, the coin C hits and the coin C slides down. It is a stop member for once stopping. In addition, in this embodiment, although the structure which stops the coin C with the inner wall 114 which forms the sliding part 110 is illustrated, the member which stops the coin C may be comprised by suspending to the cover 104 grade | etc.,. It goes without saying. The second slit 115 is formed in the same size as the first slit 103 between the inner wall 114 and the guide wall 121 in the coin selector insertion portion 120, and the coin slides along the second inclined surface 113. C is passed one by one and discharged to the coin selector insertion unit 120.

  FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the sliding of the coin C in the sliding portion 110. As shown in FIG. 4, first, the coin C that has passed through the first slit 103 slides down along the first inclined surface 112. The coin C sliding down along the first inclined surface 112 protrudes from the point where the inclination angle changes to the second inclined surface 113 steeply inclined following the first inclined surface 112, and then the first inclined surface 112. It hits the inner wall 114 at the extended end. Due to the contact with the inner wall 114, the coin C is stopped from sliding down.

  The distance H from the point where the inclination angle changes to the inner wall 114 is equal to or greater than the radius of the coin C, and more specifically, equal to or greater than the coin C having the largest radius among the coins C of all denominations. Moreover, it is below the diameter of the coin C with the smallest diameter among the coins C of all denominations. The coins C of all denominations indicate the types of coins in a currency unit (for example, yen, dollar, etc.) allowed by the coin depositing and dispensing apparatus 1. If a plurality of currency units are acceptable, the type of coins within the permitted currency units. Therefore, the coin C that has stopped sliding due to the contact with the inner wall 114 falls into the second inclined surface 113 due to its own weight, and the sliding direction changes from the direction along the first inclined surface 112 to the second inclined surface 113. In the direction along.

  In addition, when the coin C passes the 1st slit 103 continuously without leaving a time interval, the coin C which slid down following the rear part of the coin C which bumped against the inner wall 114 hits, and the coin C which slid down continuously is Stop temporarily. The coin C that has stopped once starts sliding down along the first inclined surface 112 and then hits the inner wall 114 after the coin C hitting the inner wall 114 slides down along the second inclined surface 113.

  Here, the angle K, which is the inclination angle of the second inclined surface 113 with respect to the first inclined surface 112, is a stage where the sliding direction of the coin C stopped by the inner wall 114 is changed to a direction along the second inclined surface 113. It is designed as an angle at which the gap generated between C and the first inclined surface 112 is made smaller than the thickness of the coin C. By design, the position where the plane on which the coin C hits the inner wall 114 and the second inclined surface 113 intersect is the leading position in the sliding direction of the coin C. More specifically, the angle K is the same as that of the rear part of the coin C when the coin C having the largest radius among the coins C of all denominations changes the angle by the angle K after hitting the inner wall 114. The gap formed between the inclined surface 112 and the inclined surface 112 is set to an angle that is smaller than the thickness of the thinnest coin C among all the denomination coins C. Therefore, the angle K is designed according to the distance H, the radius of the coin C having the largest radius, and the thickness of the thinnest coin C. By designing the angle K in this way, the coin C that slides down the first inclined surface 112 does not enter the gap between the rear portion of the coin C that hits the inner wall 114 and the first inclined surface 112.

  The coin C having the sliding direction in the direction along the second inclined surface 113 starts to slide down as it is, and is discharged to the coin selector insertion unit 120 through the second slit 115. The coin selector insertion unit 120 includes guide walls 121 and 122 such as a slope or an upright wall for guiding the coin C that has passed through the second slit 115, and the second is connected to the coin selector 60 directly below the coin selector insertion unit 120. The coin C that has passed through the slit 115 is inserted.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 1 below the coin selector inserting unit 120. As shown in FIG. 5, the coin depositing / dispensing apparatus 1 receives a coin C inserted from a coin selector insertion unit 120 and supplies the received coin C to the coin selector 60, and a coin type (denomination). ), And a coin selector 60 that discharges the coin C from the discharge slit 61 for each denomination, and a coin that inputs the coin C of each denomination discharged from each discharge slit 61 into the coin storage 80 of each denomination. As a coin discharge mechanism that conveys the manifold 70, the coin storage 80 that stores the coins C for each denomination (80a, 80b, 80c), and the coin C withdrawn from the coin storage 80 to the coin discharge port 15. A coin guide 90 is mainly provided. The coin feeder 50 mainly includes a base body 52 to which a hopper 54 is attached, and a feeder base 53 that supports the base body 52. The hopper 54 has a substantially hemispherical shape, and supplies the coin C inserted from the coin selector insertion unit 120 to the coin selector 60 without spilling outside.

  As described above, the coin slot of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1 is configured to include the first slit 103, the coin slope 111, the inner wall 114 as a stop member, and the second slit 115. The first slit 103 passes the coins C one by one. The coin slope 111 includes a first inclined surface 112 on which the coin C that has passed through the first slit 103 slides down, and a second inclined surface 113 that is steeper than the first inclined surface 112. The inner wall 114 stops sliding of the coin C when a part of the coin C sliding along the first inclined surface 112 protrudes to the second inclined surface 113, and the sliding direction of the coin C follows the second inclined surface 113. Make the direction. The second slit 115 allows the coins C sliding down along the second inclined surface 113 to pass one by one.

  Therefore, at the coin slot of the coin deposit / withdrawal apparatus 1, the coin C that has passed through the first slit 103 is discharged from the second slit 115 to the coin selector slot 120 to the first per coin. A time for changing the sliding direction from the direction along the inclined surface 112 to the direction along the second inclined surface 113 is added. For this reason, even when each coin C is inserted from the coin tray 13 without a time interval, the above-described predetermined time (for example, about 0.5 seconds) is added to each coin C. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the coin selector 60 from being inserted without leaving a time interval, and to reduce the chance of being discharged from the coin discharge port 15 as a coin that cannot be selected.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... POS terminal, 1 ... Coin depositing / withdrawing apparatus, 2 ... Main body, 3 ... Display, 4 ... Scanner, 5 ... Hand scanner, 6 ... Product placement table, 7 ... Product placement table, 8 ... Bag hook, 9 ... Temporary Place: 10: Card / banknote deposit / withdrawal port, 11: Receipt issue port, 13: Coin tray, 14: Coin tray, 15 ... Coin discharge port, 50: Coin feeder, 52 ... Base, 53 ... Feeder plate, 54 ... Hopper, 60 ... Coin selector, 61 ... Discharge slit, 70 ... Coin manifold, 80 ... Coin storage, 90 ... Coin guide, 101 ... Dish slope, 102 ... Dust drop part, 103 ... First slit, 104 ... Cover DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS, 105 ... Rotation support part, 106 ... Cover support part, 110 ... Sliding part, 111 ... Coin slope, 112 ... 1st inclined surface, 113 ... 2nd inclined surface, 114 ... Inner wall, 115 Second slit, 120 ... coin selector feeding section, 121 ... guide wall, 122 ... guide wall, 130 ... dust discharge portion, 131 ... slope, 132 ... waste outlet, C ... coins, H ... distance, K ... angle

Utility registration 3040692

Claims (6)

A first slit for passing coins one by one;
A coin slope having a first inclined surface on which coins passing through the first slit slide down, and a steeper second inclined surface following the first inclined surface;
Stopping the coin from sliding down when the radius of the coin sliding down along the first inclined surface protrudes into the second inclined surface, and stopping the coin from sliding down along the second inclined surface Members,
A second slit for passing coins sliding along the second inclined surface one by one;
Equipped with a,
The coin has the sliding direction in the direction along the second inclined surface by its own weight,
The inclination angle of the second inclined surface with respect to the first inclined surface is set between the coin and the first inclined surface when the sliding direction of the coin is changed to the direction along the second inclined surface by the stop member. The coin slot is characterized in that the gap formed at the angle is smaller than the thickness of the coin. The stop member is a wall forming the second slit;
Coin slot according to claim 1, wherein the. A coin tray in which a slope for guiding the placed coin to the first slit is formed;
A part of the slope formed on the coin tray is provided with a dust dropping part for dropping garbage from a porous gap,
The coin slot according to claim 2 characterized by things. A cover member that covers the coin slope so as to be freely opened and closed;
The coin slot according to any one of claims 1 to 3 characterized by these. The first slit is a gap formed in a state where the cover member covers the coin slope;
The coin slot according to claim 4 characterized by things. A coin slot according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
A coin selector that sorts the coins discharged from the coin slot for each denomination;
A coin storage for storing the coins sorted by denomination,
A coin discharge mechanism for discharging the stored coins to a coin discharge port;
A coin depositing and dispensing apparatus comprising:

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