JPH0765214A - Detecting device for paid coil in change hopper - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the detecting device for paid coins in the change hopper which securely detects whether or not the coins are paid by falling the coins while controlling the payment attitude of the coins into a constant state as to a change paying device equipped with a pipe type hopper. CONSTITUTION:The pipe type change hopper 10 contains coins in a laminated state and is equipped with a base part 12 for coin mounting which is arranged horizontally right below the lower opening of the change hopper 10 so as to support the bottom part of the coins 11 in the change hopper and a slider 13 which moves to and away from the base part 12 and push out the coins 11 on the base to a payment port 15, one by one; and an optical sensor 18 which detects the passage of coins 11 is arranged in the payment port 15 and a fall attitude control means 16 which controls the coins 11 into a nearly vertical falling attitude is arranged between the base part 12 for coin mounting and the payment port 15.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a pipe type change hopper, and more particularly to a detection device for detecting that a change coin has been dispensed from the change hopper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a mechanism for paying out coins for change in vending machines, money changers, etc., there is a payout device equipped with a pipe type change hopper as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b). The device is a pipe type change hopper 1 in which coins 2 are stored in a stacked state as shown in the partial sectional front view of FIG.
And a coin mounting base 3 arranged at a predetermined interval immediately below the lower opening of the change hopper 1, and a slider 4 arranged on the base 3 to advance and retract toward the lowest coin on the base. It has a slider drive unit 5 and a payout opening 6 that is in communication with the lower opening of the change hopper 1 for dropping coins pushed out by the slider. (b) is a partial plan view showing the base 3
The lowermost coin 2 placed on the top is pushed toward the payout opening 6 side by pressing the end surface of the slider with a wall thickness slightly smaller than the wall thickness of the coin, and the circular arc portion 3a at the tip of the base 3 is pushed. To the discharge port 6 by free fall.

However, in the conventional dispensing device, the coin at the lowermost part pushed out by the slider and dropped is in a free fall state, and the dropping posture is not constant.
For this reason, it is very difficult to detect whether or not the coin has been reliably dispensed, even if a sensor for detecting the fall of the coin is provided at the dispensing port. As a result, the coins cannot be reliably counted and confirmed, which is a problem in terms of reliability and operation. For example, specifically, if the coin falls with the detection light from the optical sensor consisting of the light receiving element and the light emitting element arranged opposite to each other, with the coin surface always orthogonal, the detection of the presence or absence of the coin becomes reliable. However, in the free fall, the detection light frequently radiates the end face of the coin, and thus the detection accuracy is poor. In particular, when a coin falls in a horizontal posture, only the thickness of the coin can be detected, so that the detected pulse width becomes short and a miscount may occur. Further, even if the coin falls in a vertical posture, the detection light does not hit the surface, and if the coin mainly hits the end face, a miscount is likely to occur.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and in a change dispensing device having a pipe hopper,
An object of the present invention is to provide a detection device for coins to be dispensed in a change hopper, in which the presence / absence of coins is reliably detected by dropping coins while regulating the coin payout posture to a certain state.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a pipe type change hopper in which coins are stored in a laminated state.
A coin placing base horizontally arranged immediately below the lower opening of the change hopper for supporting the lowermost part of the coin in the change hopper, and one coin on the base that moves back and forth with respect to the base. In the change hopper provided with the slider that pushes out to the dispensing opening one by one, an optical sensor for detecting passage of coins is arranged in the dispensing opening, and the coin falls between the coin placing base and the dispensing opening. It is characterized in that a fall posture regulating means is arranged for regulating the diaper almost vertically.

[0006]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. 1 (a) and 1 (b) are a cross-sectional view and a partial configuration explanatory view showing a main configuration of a dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The dispensing device includes a pipe type change hopper 10 and a change. A coin placing base 12 horizontally arranged just below the lower opening of the change hopper 10 for supporting the lowermost portion of the coins 11 stored in the hopper 10 in a stacked state.
A slider 13 which is located in a guide space 12a formed in the central portion of the base 12 and which moves forward and backward in the direction of the arrow to push out the lowest coin striking coin placed on the upper surface of the base to the dispensing port, A drive source 14 (a motor, a solenoid, etc.) for advancing and retracting the slider 13, a drop posture regulating means 16 interposed between the base 12 and the dispensing port 15 for regulating the fall posture of the coin pushed out by the slider, and a dispensing port. It is composed of a payout coin detecting duct 17 that is continuously provided at a position directly above 15, and a payout detecting optical sensor including a light receiving element 18a and a light emitting element 18b that are arranged to face the inner wall of the payout opening 15.

The falling posture regulating means 16 is a substantially inverted L-shaped guide plate arranged in front of the base 12 (to the left of the drawing). The guide plate 16 has a horizontal seating portion 16a at its upper end and The seating portion 16a has a drop guide portion 16b in which the front end portion is bent obliquely downward and extended to the dispensing port 15. Arrangement positions of the seating portion 16a and the fall guide portion 16b,
The area and shape are such that, after the rear end of the coin 11 in the horizontal posture pushed out by the slider 13 from above the base 12 once drops onto the upper surface of the seat 16a, the weight of the tip of the coin causes the coin to fall from the tip. Then, it is configured to rotate after a lapse of time as shown in the drawing and be allowed to pass through the sensor unit while being restricted to the vertical posture. Even if the posture of the coin immediately before entering the detection duct 17 is inclined to the left or right, the inner wall of the payout duct 17 is gradually narrowed, and the payout port 15 has both elements 18a on both sides of the coin. ，
Since the coin is configured not to be accepted except in the vertical position facing the 18b, the detection light from the optical sensor can always irradiate the surface of the coin almost vertically, and always secures stable detection accuracy. be able to.

In this embodiment, since the seat 16a is horizontal, it is difficult to reliably drop the coin unless its width is set to about 1/3 of the diameter of the coin. The posture is not limited to horizontal. That is, FIG.
Is a second embodiment of the present invention, and the same parts as those of the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and their duplicate description will be omitted.
The seating portion 16a of the falling posture regulating means 16 is tilted, and the area of the seating portion is sufficiently widened so that the coin pushed out from the base portion is securely seated on the seating portion 16a and then rotated in the arrow direction. It is configured to fall into the duct 17 in a substantially vertical posture after being dropped from the seating surface. By setting the width of the seat portion to be slightly smaller than ½ of the diameter of the coin, the momentum when the coin rotates can be reduced and the coin can be dropped in a substantially vertical posture. In other words, if the seat width is narrowed and the seat part is tilted at the same time, the momentum when the coin rotates becomes too strong and it becomes difficult to drop the coin in a vertical posture, but the seat width is widened. If it is tilted while doing so, such a problem disappears.
In each of the above embodiments, the guide space 12a is provided in the center of the base 12 and the slider is supported in the space so that the slider can move forward and backward. However, instead of this structure, the slider and the base shown in FIG. You may employ the structure of.

[0009]

As described above, according to the present invention, the coin dispensed from the pipe type change hopper is configured to be corrected to a vertical posture in the process of dropping to the dispensing port, and the coin is passed when the optical sensor is passed. Since the surface of the is almost orthogonal to the detection light, it is possible to reliably detect whether or not the coins to be dispensed as change have been discharged to the dispensing port, which enhances reliability and solves operational problems. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A and 1B are a cross-sectional view and a partial configuration explanatory view showing a configuration of a main part of a dispensing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a structural explanatory view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

3A and 3B are a configuration explanatory view and a partial plan view of a conventional dispensing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Change Hopper, 11 Coins, 12 Coin Placement Base, 12a Guide Space, 13 Slider, 14 Drive Source, 15 Discharge Port, 16 Falling Position Controlling Means, 17
Coin detection duct, 18a light receiving element, 18b light emitting element,

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pipe-type change hopper in which coins are stored in a stacked state, and coins horizontally arranged directly below a lower opening of the change hopper for supporting the lowermost part of the coin in the change hopper. In a change hopper equipped with a mounting base and a slider that moves back and forth with respect to the base and pushes out coins on the base one by one to a dispensing port, an optical sensor for detecting passage of coins is arranged at the dispensing port. ,
A detecting device for a dispensed coin in a change hopper, characterized in that a drop posture regulating means for regulating the fall posture of the coin in a substantially vertical direction is arranged between the coin placing base and the dispensing port.