JPH07113990B2 - Coin processing equipment for vending machines - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coin processing device for a vending machine equipped with a coin sorter for discriminating the appropriateness of input coins.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine, after a coin sorter discriminates the authenticity of coins, proper coins are led to a coin pipe and stored therein. When the coins are returned, the coins are stored. It is designed to use coins. And, in this type of coin storage device, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-1
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 28182, a switching piece that is swung by coins accumulated up to the storage limit in the pipe is provided at the upper opening of the coin pipe. Generally, the coins introduced into this pipe are configured so as to be guided to the safe deposit box.

[0003]

However, it has become necessary to grasp the number of coins stored in the coin pipe in order to manage the vending machine or from the function of the vending machine. However, since the conventional coin processing device knows the number of coins stored in the coin pipe of the coin based on the appropriateness of the coin sorting device, the coins guided to the safe deposit box are counted after sorting, and the coins are correctly stored. Not only was it impossible to determine the number of coins, but it was even impossible to detect this when coins were replenished directly into the coin pipe. Therefore, the present invention provides a coin processing device that can reliably detect when a coin is introduced into a coin pipe.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a coin processor of a vending machine equipped with a coin sorter for discriminating the appropriateness of input coins. , A coin pipe for storing coins passing through the receiving passage as coins for paying out, and a safe deposit box for receiving coins passing through the receiving passage when the coin pipe is full. At the end of the receiving passage, one surface serves as a guide surface for the coin pipe and the other surface serves as a guide surface for the deposit box, and the input coins exceeding the storage capacity of the coin pipe are A switching piece that guides the input coin to the deposit box when introduced into a coin pipe, and a hard piece provided opposite to a guide surface of the switching piece to the coin pipe so that coins can be replenished to the coin pipe from the outside. A replenishment port and a detection device arranged below the coin replenishment port for detecting coins introduced into the coin pipe by the action of the switching piece and coins replenished from the coin replenishment port. .

[0005]

When a coin is inserted into the vending machine, the coin sorter discriminates whether the coin is proper and guides the coin to the receiving passage. The coin passing through the receiving passage is usually passed through the guide surface side of the switching piece toward the coin pipe, guided to the coin pipe, and stored as a coin for payout. Then, this coin is detected by the detection device when being guided to the coin pipe. Further, the coin replenished from the coin replenishing port is also guided by the detecting device because the coin passes through the guide surface side of the switching piece to the coin pipe and is guided to the coin pipe. When the coin pipe is full, it is guided to the safe by passing through the guide surface side to the safe by the action of the switching piece. The coin at this time is not detected by the detection device.

[0006]

FIG. 2 shows a coin processing device of a vending machine. The coin processing device 30 has coin pipes 7 corresponding to three types of coins. 2 is coin slot 1
A rail 17 in which coins roll in a coin passage communicating with
including. A coin selector 3 applies a magnetic field to the coin passing through the coin passage 2 and detects a change in the magnetic field depending on the material, material thickness and diameter of the coin.

A coin gate 5 receives or returns coins introduced from the coin passage 2, and normally projects from the substrate 16 to connect the coin passage 2 and the return passage 18 to each other. Further, a sorting gate 6 is arranged below the true coin gate 5, and a receiving passage 24 connected to the coin pipe 7 is provided.
Alternatively, it is distributed to the collecting path 19 connected to the collecting safe.

Above the coin storage pipe 7, there are three substrates 1
The coins, which are divided into front and rear by 4, 15, and 16 and are guided to the receiving passage 24 by the sorting gate 6, are the substrates 15 and 1 first.
While rolling on the rail 13 while being held by 6, a selection window portion 8 is provided above the coin pipes 7 of the substrate 16. The sorting window portion 8 is a recess having a height and a width that are substantially equal to the outer diameter of coins stored in the corresponding coin pipe 7. A gap 12 is formed between the lower end of the substrate 15 and the rail 13, and the upper surface of the rail 13 is inclined forward, that is, toward the coin pipe 7. As a result, the coins rolling on the rail 13
When the size of the recess reaches the selection window 8 larger than its outer diameter, this coin slides on the upper surface of the rail 13 because the support by the substrate 16 is removed, and the coin passes through the gap 12 and the selection window 8
Will be introduced into the coin pipe 7 corresponding to. Therefore, the board 15 and the rail 13 between them are the receiving passage 24, but the board 14 and the partition wall 25 on which the rail 13 is formed serve as the receiving passage 24 with the selection window 8 as a boundary. .

At the end of the receiving passage 24, a switching piece 21 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is rotatably provided between the coin pipe 7 and the sorting window portion 8. The upper portion of the shaft supporting portion 21A of the switching piece 21 is a switching portion 21B and the lower portion is a regulating portion 21C, and normally the switching portion 21B is positioned corresponding to an intermediate portion between the coin pipe 7 and the chute 22. Then, when the coin A is introduced from the selection window portion 8, the coin A is guided into the coin pipe 7 by the switching piece 21. However, when the coins stored in the coin pipe 7 are full, the regulating portion 21C of the switching piece 21 extended into the coin pipe 7 by the stored coin B.
Is pushed to the outside of the coin pipe 7, the switching portion 21B closes the coin pipe 7, and the coin A is used as a surplus coin to shoot the chute 2.
At 2 I will guide you to the collecting path 19.

Reference numeral 9 is a detection device for detecting coins introduced into the coin pipe 7, and is composed of, for example, a proximity switch.
Reference numeral 10 is a coin replenishing port formed in the substrate 14 and is a proximity switch 9
The coin pipe 7 can be replenished directly by inserting the coin into the coin replenishing port 10 provided above the coin replenishing port 10.

In the above structure, when a replenishment coin is inserted into each coin pipe 7 from each coin replenishment port 10, the detection device 9 produces an output when the replenishment coin is detected, and an arithmetic storage device (not shown) is provided for each coin pipe 7 The number of coins replenished for each can be added and counted. When a coin is inserted through the coin slot 1 into the coin mech 30 that is in a coin receiving standby state, the coin sorter 3 determines whether the coin is appropriate. When the coin is proper, the coin sorter 3 outputs a predetermined denomination signal according to the denomination, and energizes the true coin gate 5 to accept the coin. Although the sorting gate 6 has no direct relation to the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, even if the input coin is appropriate, the coin is transferred to the coin pipe 7 for some reason. If the coin cannot be stored, the coin is not detected by any of the detection devices 9 by urging the sorting gate 6, and the coin collecting path 1 is not detected.
It can be introduced into the safe deposit box through 9. Therefore, the coins guided to the safe are not stored as coins in the coin pipe 7, and are not added in the arithmetic storage device.

The received coin is guided to the side of the coin pipe 7 and rolls on the rail 13 while being held by the substrates 15 and 16. When the coin reaches the sorting window portion 8 corresponding to its outer diameter, the coin is removed from the rail 13. It drops and is introduced into the corresponding coin pipe 7. When the detection device 9 detects this coin, it produces an output, and the arithmetic storage device counts the increment to the coin pipe 7 to detect the number of stored coins. However, when the stored coins in the coin pipe 7 are full, the coins are guided to the chute 22 by the action of the switching piece 21, but the coins in this case are not detected by the detection device 9, so that the above-mentioned calculation memory is used. It is not added by the device.

When the coins stored in the coin pipe 7 are dispensed by the coin dispensing device 20 by the operation of the vending machine, the arithmetic storage device performs the subtraction operation based on the coin dispensing signal generated at that time, and the coin pipe concerned. The decrement of the stored coins of 7 is subtracted.

[0014]

According to the coin processing apparatus of the present invention, all the coins introduced into the coin pipe are detected, so that the number of coins stored in the pipe can always be accurately grasped.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration above a coin pipe in a coin processing device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the switching piece.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view from the front of the coin processing device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 7 Coin pipe 9 Detector 10 Coin replenishing port 21 Switching piece 24 Receiving passage

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a coin processing device of a vending machine equipped with a coin sorter for discriminating the appropriateness of input coins, a receiving passage through which coins determined to be proper by sorting pass, and a receiving passage passing through the receiving passage. A coin pipe for storing coins as coins for paying out, a safe deposit box for receiving coins passing through the receiving passage when the coin pipe is full, and a coin having one surface at the end of the receiving passage. The guide surface to the pipe and the other surface is a guide surface to the deposit box, and when an input coin exceeding the storage capacity of the coin pipe is introduced into the coin pipe, the input coin is transferred to the deposit box. A switching piece for guiding, a coin replenishing port provided opposite to a guide surface of the switching piece for guiding the coin pipe so that coins can be replenished from the outside, and a switching piece for guiding the coin to the coin pipe. A coin processing device for a vending machine, comprising: a detecting device arranged below the coin replenishing port so as to detect a coin to be inserted and a coin replenished from the coin replenishing port.