JPH03257696A - Coin conveyer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To convey an object loaded on the surface of an elastically deformable member while applying thrust from contact pressure caused by the dead weight of the object to be conveyed to the object by driving an oscillation source by a power supply means and oscillating the surface of the member while getting contact between the oscillation source and the member. CONSTITUTION:A bottom board 2 is composed of an elastic body such as copper alloy or the like for example, and the intrinsic oscillation number is set to a value so as to be resonated to the oscillation number of an oscillstion source 4. The oscillation source 4 is composed of plural piezoelectric elements oscillation source 4 is composed of plural piezoelectric elements to be oscillated so as to deform the bottom board 2 in a thickness direction by supplying an alternative current, and is arranged while inverting mutual deforming directions along a direction to convey a coin C (connected while alternately inverting phases to the power source). Thus, by driving the oscillation source 4, the deformation of the bottom board 2 is continuously generated and with this deformation, the thrust is operated onto the object C to be conveyed so that the object can be conveyed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a conveying device for sorting coins while conveying them in an aligned state, and particularly relates to a drive device applied to a mechanism that sends out coins in an aligned state in a predetermined direction.

[Conventional technology]

In devices such as coin sorting machines and coin sorting and packaging machines, a rotating disk is used as a mechanism for feeding a large number of coins into a sorting passage in a line. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-26118, 1-18
Publication No. 479, Publication No. 1-29666, Publication No. 1963-
It is used in the coin processing device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 66740. In addition, in the above-mentioned coin processing device, in order to convey the coins from the rotary disk through the sorting passage, a conveyor belt is used that runs while sandwiching the coins between it and the bottom plate that constitutes the sorting passage.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The rotating disk or the conveyor belt is driven by an induction motor, a DC motor, or the like, and these motors generally have low torque and high rotation speed. Therefore, a reduction gear is required to drive the rotating disk and conveyor belt at the desired speed and to obtain the necessary torque, and these mechanisms occupy a large space inside the device, making the device difficult to operate. There is a problem in that the existence of these mechanisms becomes a constraint on device design because they become large or occupy a large space inside the aircraft. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to effectively utilize space inside the machine or downsize the device by downsizing the drive sources such as rotating disks and conveyor belts used in coin handling machines and the like. This is the purpose.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application includes: an elastically deformable member having a surface on which an object is placed and facing in the direction in which the object is to be transported; A vibration source that vibrates to slightly deform a member in the thickness direction; and a power source that drives the vibration source so as to move the deformation position of the member along the direction in which the object to be transported is to be transported. It is. The invention according to claim 2 of the present application is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the member is connected along the tangential direction to a coin supply means for loading coins and feeding them in the tangential direction while rotating,
Moreover, it is configured to form a straight line having a width dimension through which a coin can pass. The invention according to claim 3 of the present application is the invention according to claim 1, wherein the member has a planar portion on which a coin is placed, and the power supply means sequentially moves the member along the circumferential direction. The vibration source is configured to be driven to cause deformation. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, a plurality of the members are arranged concentrically, and the vibration source is separately provided for each member. The invention according to claim 5 of the present application includes: a rotating body having a planar portion on which coins are placed; an annular elastic member provided on the lower surface of the rotating body with the same axis and in contact with the rotating body; a vibration source that vibrates the elastic member to minutely deform it in the thickness direction; a power source that drives the vibration source to sequentially deform the elastic member in the rotational direction of the rotating body; and a biasing means for biasing the vibration source in a direction approaching the vibration source.

[Effect]

According to the configuration of the invention described in claim 1, the member is continuously deformed by driving the vibration source, and this deformation causes a thrust to act on the conveyed object. According to the configuration of the second aspect of the invention, a thrust force in the same direction can be applied to the coins sent out in the tangential direction from the coin supply means. With the configuration of the invention as set forth in claim 3, it is possible to apply a thrust force in the tangential direction to the coin on the member. According to the configuration of the invention described in claim 4, each member can be driven by a separate vibration source to apply an arbitrary thrust to the transported object. According to the configuration of the invention according to claim 5, the thrust generated in the elastic member acts on the rotating body to rotate the rotating body, and the contact pressure between the rotating body, the elastic member, and the vibration source is reduced. The force is maintained by biasing means.

【Example】

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 show a first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a coin passage. Reference numeral 1 is a sorting passageway through which coins are conveyed in columns. This sorting passage 1 includes a bottom plate 2 that supports the lower surface of the coin C;
Guide members 3 are provided on both sides of the bottom plate 2 and guide the coin C linearly by contacting the side surfaces of the coin C, and guide members 3 are provided on the lower surface of the bottom plate 2 and apply vibrations in a predetermined mode to the bottom plate 2. It is composed of a vibration source 4. The bottom plate 2 is made of an elastic body (an object that reversibly distorts due to stress in a predetermined range) such as a copper alloy, and its natural frequency resonates with the frequency of the vibration source 4. is set to the value obtained. The vibration source 4 is composed of a plurality of piezoelectric transducers that vibrate to deform the bottom plate 2 in the thickness direction (in the vertical direction in FIGS. 1 and 2) when an alternating current is supplied thereto. , are arranged along the direction in which the coin C is to be conveyed, with their deformation directions being opposite to each other (alternately connected to the power source in opposite phases). Further, the plurality of vibration sources 4 are driven to deform the bottom plate 3 in a distribution as shown in FIG. 3. Furthermore, regarding the power supply device (shown in the diagram) as a power supply means, even if it drives one vibration source or drives multiple vibration sources at the same or different frequencies. good. That is, in FIG. 3, + indicates deformation in the direction of protruding from the surface of the bottom plate 2, and - indicates deformation in the direction of retraction.
By vibrating the vibration source 4 alternately between the deformed state of such a pattern and the deformed state of a pattern with the opposite sign, the surface of the bottom plate 2 that resonates with this vibration will be in the shape of the arrow A or mouth in FIG. The coins C on the bottom plate 2 are conveyed by bending the coins C sequentially in a wave-like manner that advances in the direction. The bottom plate 2, the vibration source 4, and the coin C itself constitute a so-called ultrasonic motor. Note that the operating principle of the ultrasonic motor is well known, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-244284, so a detailed explanation thereof will be omitted. Further, the bottom plate 2 and the vibration source 4 may be in contact with each other simply by the weight of the bottom plate 2, or may be fixed together by adhesive or mechanical means, but it is not necessary to fix both together. This enables more reliable vibration transmission and more efficient operation. In the coin passage 1 configured as described above, the bottom plate 2
As described above, the product of the weight P of the coin C and the coefficient of dynamic friction μ (μ・P
) acts on the coin C, allowing the coin C to move in one direction. With this method, it is possible to transport the coin C without any object coming into contact with it other than its underside, so contact and non-contact sensors can be used to measure the dimensions and physical properties of the coin C. It can be easily placed at any required location along the sorting path. It is also effective to provide a vertically movable roller 6 above the coin passage 1 and press the coin C against the bottom plate 2 by the weight of this roller 6, as shown by chain lines in FIGS. 1 and 2. . That is, by increasing the contact pressure between the coin C and the bottom plate 2 by the roller 6, the thrust acting on the coin C can be increased and its movement can be made more reliable. Furthermore, instead of the roller 6, the coin C may be pressed against the bottom plate 2 by, for example, a plate spring-like member. Further, the guide members 3 are supported so that their mutual spacing can be adjusted, and by adjusting this spacing, it is possible to selectively introduce only coins with a predetermined outer diameter or less into the coin passage 1. . Next, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a rotating disk. The symbol lO is a frame, and this frame 10 includes:
A recess 11 having a circular planar shape is provided. A cone 12 made of an elastic material such as rubber is provided at the center of the recess 11, and the cone 12 is fitted into a hole in the center of the recess 11 and fixed. The recess 11 includes an annular bottom plate (rotating disk) 13 having an outer diameter approximately equal to the inner diameter of the recess 11 and an inner diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the cone 12, and a bottom plate 13 that is the same as the bottom plate 13 as a whole. A vibration source 14 having a planar shape is provided. Further, a cylindrical wall portion 15 is provided around the recess 11 to prevent coins C from leaving the area on the bottom plate 13.
The movement of people is now regulated. The vibration source 14 is composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements arranged in the circumferential direction, for example, as shown by the chain lines in FIG. By alternately supplying currents of opposite phases so as to deform the coin C, a thrust force in the circumferential direction is applied to the coin C on the bottom plate 13. Further, a portion of the wall portion 15 is cut out. Due to the existence of this notch, it is possible to send out the coin C, which is given a thrust in the circumferential direction on the bottom plate 13, in the tangential direction, and from the notch part to the tangential direction of the bottom plate 13. A coin passage I having the same structure as that of the first embodiment is connected to the coin passage I. That is, in this second embodiment, the upper surface of the bottom plate 13 is elastically deformed continuously in a wave-like manner in the circumferential direction, thereby applying a thrust force in the circumferential direction to the coin C on the bottom plate 13,
The coin C ejected in the tangential direction by this movement in the circumferential direction is received in the coin passage 1, and furthermore, in this coin passage, by vibrating the bottom plate 2 in the same way, the coin C on the bottom plate 13 is received. can be sent in single file to coin passage 1. Also, a cone 1 provided in the center of the bottom plate 13
2 pushes out the coin C that comes into contact with it to a portion of a relatively large radius on the bottom plate 13, and maintains the moving speed of the coin C in the circumferential direction above a certain level. Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. In this embodiment P1, the bottom plate I3 of the second embodiment and the vibration [14 that drives it] are transmitted to a plurality of units a, b in the radial direction.
, c. and bottom plate 1
3 and each unit y) of the vibration source 14 between a, b, and c,
A slight gap (a small gap (and a gap larger than these amplitudes) in the radial direction is provided to prevent mutual vibrations from interfering with each other.In the case of the embodiment, each unit a
. A cushioning material 20 made of a viscoelastic material such as butyl rubber is inserted between b and c, but each unit is simply
, b, and c may be provided to prevent interference between each unit. In addition, if a gap is provided between each unit as described above, the dust on the bottom plate 13 will prevent the coin C from moving from the inner circumferential side 22 I-c to the outer circumferential side unit a. This prevents the dust from becoming a nuisance that obstructs the transmission of vibration waves at the contact surface between the coin C and the bottom plate 13 formed by each unit a, b, and c, since the dust falls into the respective gaps when It turns out. Furthermore, it is desirable that among these units, at least unit b has a structure that allows it to be easily removed from the recess 11, thereby facilitating the removal of dust that has entered the gaps between the units a, b, and c. In this embodiment, each unit a, b. By driving the driving sources 14 of coins C at different frequencies, the coins C on the bottom plate 13 are moved to their placement position (bottom plate 13
It can be efficiently sent out regardless of its radial position. In other words, the centrifugal force acting on a rotating object is mr, where m is the mass, r is the radius of rotation, and ω is the angular velocity.
ω2 Therefore, it is inevitable that the centrifugal force acting on the coin C existing inside the bottom plate 13 becomes small. At the same time, by setting the frequency of the drive current of the unit located inside each 44# higher than that of the outside unit, a uniform centrifugal force is applied to the coin C regardless of whether it is inside or outside. I can do it. Furthermore, FIGS. 8 and 9 show a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 10 denotes a frame, and a rotary disk 21 is rotatably supported in a recess 11 of the frame 10 around a shaft 21a, and the shaft 21a is supported by a radial bearing 22 and a thrust bearing 23. . Further, the recess 11 is further provided with a recessed annular groove 24, and in this annular groove 24, a vibration source 25 having the same planar shape as this groove and an elastic vibration source placed on this vibration source 25 are provided. Material 26 is stored there. The elastic member 26 has a convex cross section as shown in FIG. 9, and is brought into contact with the lower surface of the rotating disk 21 via the convex portion 27. Further, a slider 28 is attached to a portion of the lower surface of the rotating disk 21 that slides with the convex portion 27 . This slider 28 has excellent wear resistance,
In addition, it is required to have a low coefficient of friction, and the optimum material can be selected from, for example, engineering plastics, plastics, and ceramics. Furthermore, the rotary disk 21 is rotated by vibrations transmitted from the vibration source 25, and in order to ensure the transmission of this vibration, the following considerations are made in supporting the rotary disk 21. . The shaft 21a of the rotating disk 21 passes through the bottom of the frame 10, and a nut 29 is screwed into its lower end. A spring washer 30 is interposed between this nut 29 and the frame 10, and by screwing the nut 29, the spring washer 30 is more elastically deformed, and the convex shape of the vibration source 25 to the elastic member 26 is The contact pressure between the portion 27, the slider 28, and the rotating disk 21 is set to an appropriate value (vibration can be reliably transmitted and sufficient thrust can be generated, and the convex portion 27
pressure such that the frictional resistance between the thrust force and the slider 28 is smaller than the thrust force.

【Effect of the invention】

As is clear from the above description, according to the coin conveying device of the present invention, a vibration source is driven by the power supply means, and an elastically deformable member is brought into contact with the vibration source to vibrate its surface. The object placed on the surface can be transported by applying a thrust from the contact pressure due to the object's own weight. In addition, if the above-mentioned coin conveying device is connected in the tangential direction of the rotating disk to form a linear conveying path having a width dimension that allows the coins to pass through, the coins sent out in the tangential direction from the rotating disk can be transferred to the rotating disk. without touching any object other than the bottom surface.
Since the coins are transported on the transport path, the upper part of the coin transport device can be opened. In addition, in a coin conveying device that has a planar portion on which a coin is placed by the elastic member and vibrates so as to sequentially deform the elastic member along the circumferential direction, It is possible to apply a thrust of , and the centrifugal force generated along with the thrust can move it toward the outer circumferential side and send it out in the tangential direction. Further, in a coin conveying device in which a plurality of the elastic members are arranged concentrically and the vibration sources are separately provided for each of the elastic members, each vibration source vibrates the elastic member at a different frequency, and the coins are On the other hand, different thrusts can be applied to each elastic member. That is, for example, by increasing the thrust of the elastic member on the inner circumference side and equalizing the centrifugal force in the tangential direction generated on the coin regardless of the placement position such as the outer circumference or the inner circumference side, the inner circumference side It is possible to prevent the transport of coins placed on the outer circumferential side from being delayed compared to the outer peripheral side. In addition, in a coin conveying device in which a rotating disk is placed in contact with an elastic member, the elastic member directly applies thrust to the rotating disk, so that the coins placed on the rotating disk are conveyed in the circumferential direction. , can be sent out in the tangential direction by the centrifugal force generated by its rotation. Furthermore, in the above-mentioned coin conveying device, the vibration from the vibration source driven by the power source is directly transmitted to the coin or the rotating disk by the elastic member to provide a thrust, so when an electric motor is used as the driving source, High torque and quick response performance can be obtained without the need for a reduction mechanism or braking mechanism. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the size of the coin conveying device or to effectively utilize the space within the body in which the device is installed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a deformation pattern of the bottom plate, and FIG. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, where FIG. 4 is a plan view and FIG. 5 is a plan view.
The figure is an arrow view along the v-■ line in Figure 4, Figures 6 and 7.
The drawings show a third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a plan view, FIG. 7 is a view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 6, and FIGS. 8 and 9 are views of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is shown, and FIG. 8 is a plan view, and FIG. 9 is a view taken along the line ff-IX in FIG. 8. 1... Sorting passage, 2... Bottom plate, 3...
...Guide member, 4...Vibration source, 6...
...roller (biasing means), 1 ... recess, 12.
・White: Cone, 13---Bottom plate, 1: Vibration source,
I5...Wall portion, 21...Rotating disk, 1a...
...Axis, 25...Vibration source, 26...Elastic material, 7...Convex portion, 28...Slider,
29...nut, 30...spring washer (biasing means), C...coin.

Claims (5)

[Claims] (1) An elastically deformable member that has a surface on which the object to be transported is placed and faces in the direction in which it is to be transported, and vibration that vibrates the member to slightly deform it in the thickness direction. A coin conveying device comprising: a vibration source; and a power source for driving the vibration source so as to move the deformation position of the member along the direction in which the object is to be conveyed. (2) The member is connected along the tangential direction to a coin supply means that carries coins and rotates them while feeding them in the tangential direction, and has a linear shape having a width dimension that allows the coin to pass through. The coin conveying device according to claim 1. (3) The member has a planar portion on which a coin is placed, and the power source drives the vibration source to sequentially deform the member along a circumferential direction. Item 1. The coin conveying device according to item 1. (4) The coin conveying device according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the members are arranged concentrically, and the vibration source is separately provided for each member. (5) a rotating body having a planar portion on which coins are placed;
an annular elastic member that is provided on the lower surface of the rotating body with the same axis line and contacts the rotating body; a vibration source that vibrates the elastic member to slightly deform the elastic member in the thickness direction; A coin conveying device comprising: power supply means for driving the vibration source to sequentially deform the body in a rotational direction; and urging means for urging the rotating body in a direction toward the vibration source.