JPH09330447A - Disk body diameter measuring instrument - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To minimize and to simplify a structure by providing an arm member which is longitudinal, is pivoted freely almost at its center and freely comes into contact with a disk body that moves with its front brim part along a reference plate and an encoder which detects a moving amount of a bottom end part of the arm member. SOLUTION: As a disk body 33 passes, an arm which is an actuator works along a peripheral brim of the body 33 and a light sensor means 25 simultaneously detects reciprocation of a slit plate 24. From a waveform generated at this time, the pass of the summit of the body 33 becomes clear and the number of edges of the waveform simultaneously becomes also clear. That is, from a wide pulse of the waveform, the pass of the summit of the body 33 is ascertained, the number of the edges becomes clear by counting numbers from edge to edge, and a moving amount of the plate 24 can be measured. Because the moving amount of the plate 24 depends on a diameter of the body 33, the diameter of the body 33 can be measured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for measuring a diameter of a disc body such as a disc-shaped coin which is currency, or a disc-shaped medal used for a game or the like. The present invention is specifically used for measuring the diameter of a disc body used in fields in which coins need to be sorted, such as vending machines including ticket vending machines and change machines used in the retail industry. Regarding the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method for measuring the diameter of a disc body such as a coin, 1), a pot core, which utilizes the influence of the coin on an oscillating magnetic field, is used, and the arrangement of these is devised. , A method of judging the diameter of the coin from the obtained data, 2), a method of detecting the passage of the disc body by using light, and judging the diameter thereof, 3), an arm in the diameter direction of the disc body. There was a method of measuring the diameter by moving the, and the amount of movement. For example, as an apparatus for moving an arm in the diameter direction of a disk body and measuring the diameter by the amount of movement, specifically, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-4510.
There is one disclosed in No. 4. This disclosed device
A measuring piece is brought into contact with the peripheral edge of the coin moving along the reference plane, and the movement of the measuring piece is converted into a change in resistance value via a gear device.
It discriminates and measures the diameter of coins that have moved.

[0003]

The present invention was developed for the purpose of providing a small-diameter, simple-structure diameter measuring device that does not require the above-described gear device or the like. Specifically, the present invention is provided in a vending machine, a change dispenser, and the like, a coin sorting unit, etc., where the installation space is not enough, or when the coin is dropped by its own weight, It was developed for the purpose of providing a diameter measuring device that can be used even when the distance cannot be maintained.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides an arm member which is at least elongated and is rotatably pivoted at a substantially central portion, and a tip end portion of which can be brought into contact with a disc body which moves along a reference plane. And a disc body diameter measuring device including an encoder for detecting the amount of movement of the base end of the arm member. Further, the present invention is a diameter measuring device comprising a signal processing means for processing a signal from the encoder to measure a diameter of the disc body. Further, the present invention is the diameter measuring device, wherein the encoder is a slit plate and a light sensor means. In addition, the present invention is the diameter measuring device characterized in that the light sensor means comprises two light sensors. Further, the present invention is the diameter measuring device, wherein the tip portion is a small roller.

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a main part of an embodiment according to the present invention,
FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a main part of FIG. 1, (A) of FIG. 1 shows a plan view of the first embodiment, and (B) shows a plan view of the second embodiment. Is shown. FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining the operation of FIGS. 1 and 2. Reference numeral 11 in FIG. 1 is a part of a large substrate, and a shallow and long passage 12 is formed in the center of the substrate 11. The passage 12 is formed so that disc bodies 33, 34 of various sizes can pass slidably. A diagonally long chain line 13 in the center of FIG. 1 indicates an endless belt. The belt 13 is a well-known large rubber ring-shaped member, and both ends thereof have pulley shafts 14 and 15 respectively.
The entire belt 13 is stretched obliquely on the passage 12 as shown in the drawing.

One pulley shaft 14 is connected to the motor 10
It is driven to rotate by. Therefore, when the belt 13 is driven through the pulley shaft 14, the passage 12
On the other hand, since the belt 13 travels diagonally, the disc body 3
3 and 34 are always the side walls 1 of the passage 12 serving as the reference surface.
6 is slid from right to left in FIG. Further, chain lines 17 and 18 are roller shafts that are appropriately arranged, respectively.
Is for pressing the belt 13 against the passage 12, in other words, for pressing the belt 13 against the disc bodies 33, 34. As a means for moving the disc bodies 33, 34 along the side wall 16 serving as the reference surface, for example, although not shown, the passage 12 itself is a flat belt, and Of course, the upper edge side may be slightly lifted, the belt may be inclined, and the weight of the disc bodies 33 and 34 may contact the side wall 16.

The upper part 20 of FIG. 1 is a long arm, and this arm 20 is located near the center by a pivot 21.
It is rotatably attached to the substrate 11. Although the pivot 21 is arranged near the side wall 19 on the opposite side of the passage 16 that is not the reference, it is needless to say that the pivot 21 may be arranged near the side wall 16 serving as the reference surface. The entire arm 20 is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1 by the elastic force of the spiral spring 22, and a small roller 23 is provided below the left end of the arm 20. It is rotatably provided and can come into contact with the moving disk bodies 33 and 34. In addition, at the right end of the arm 20, a small rectangular slit plate 24, which constitutes an encoder described later, is formed.

As described above, in FIG.
When the upper side of the substrate 11 is slightly lifted and the substrate 11 is tilted, the spring 2 is caused by the weight of the roller 23.
Needless to say, the entire arm 20 always rotates in the counterclockwise direction in the figure even if there is not two. FIG.
Reference numeral 25 on the right is a light sensor means, which is arranged on the substrate 11 near the slit plate 24 and constitutes an encoder described later. Further, 26 near the pivot 21 in the upper part of FIG. 1 is a stopper for restricting the rotation of the arm 20.
In other words, the arm 20 is normally regulated by the spring 22 and the stopper 26 to the solid line position shown in the figure. It is needless to say that when the diameter of the roller 23 is increased, the roller 23 comes into contact with the side wall 16 of the passage 12 and the stopper 26 becomes unnecessary.

The slit plate 24 and the light sensor means 25 shown in FIG. 1 constitute an encoder as described above. That is, the encoder is configured as shown in an enlarged scale in FIG. A first embodiment of the encoder is shown in FIG. 2A, in which the light receiving and emitting elements are opposed to each other, and the plates in which the slits are arranged at regular intervals are moved therebetween. That is, in the first embodiment, as shown in the drawing, two rows of the slits S having the pitch P are arranged on the slit plate 24, and the rows of the slits S are formed so that ¼ of the pitch P is displaced. ing.

Slit plate 2 in which slits S are arranged in two rows
4, the light sensors 25A and 25B are
The slit plates 24 are arranged in the same row in the vertical direction, and the slit plate 24 is shown in FIG.
Moving to the left of the light sensor 25A, 25B
The waveforms 31 and 32 of FIG.
(A) of FIG. In this case, it goes without saying that the light emitting element is the sun, a fluorescent lamp, a lamp, or the like. Further, when the moving direction of the slit plate 25 is changed, that is, when the slit plate 24 is moved to the right in the figure, the phase relationship between the waveform 31 of the sensor 25A and the waveform 32 of the sensor 25B is reversed. , Of course. As described above, even if the slits S are not formed in two rows, as shown in the second embodiment of FIG. 2B, the light sensors 25A and 25B are arranged, and the distance between them is set to the pitch P. When the distance is ¼, the same waveforms 31 and 32 are obtained.

[0011]

[Embodiment] The present embodiment having the above-described configuration is a motor 1
When 0 is driven, the oblique belt 13 is rotated with respect to the passage 12 through the pulley shafts 14 and 15, and the like.
The disc bodies 33 and 34 slide in the passage 12 to the left along the side wall 16 serving as the reference surface. When the peripheral edge of the first moving disk member 33 contacts the roller 23 as shown by the chain line in FIG. 1, the arm 20 rotates slightly in the clockwise direction in FIG. 1 against the spring 22. The slit plate 24 moves downward in the drawing and crosses the light sensor means 25. Further, when the disc body 33 is moved to the left by the belt 13, the roller 23 now rides over the peripheral edge of the disc body 33, and the arm 20 moves toward the spring 22.
1 returns counterclockwise in FIG. 1, the slit plate 24 moves upward, and crosses the light sensor means 25 again.

Thus, as the disc body 33 passes, the arm 20, which is an actuator, operates along the peripheral edge of the disc body 33, and at the same time, the light sensor means 25
The reciprocating movement of the slit plate 24 will be detected. Waveforms 35 and 36 at this time are shown in FIG.
From these waveforms 35 and 36, the passage of the apex of the disc body 33 can be seen, and at the same time, the number of edges of the waveforms 35 and 36 can be seen. That is, in the case of FIG. 3B, the apex passage D of the disc body 33 is found from the wide pulse of the waveform 36,
By counting the numbers of the edges 1 to 11 from the waveforms 35 and 36 up to the apex passage D, it is found that the number of edges is 11, and the movement amount of the slit plate 24 can be measured.

The amount of movement of the slit plate 24 depends on the disk body 3
Since it depends on the diameter of 3, as a result,
The diameter of the disc body 33 can be measured. The advantage of the measurement by this encoder is that the number of edges of the slit S up to the apex passage D of the disk body 33 is counted, and after that, the edge due to the return of the slit plate 24 by the spring 22 is counted. Since the number is not counted, the electrical processing of the waveforms 35 and 36 is digital processing, and there is no influence of noise such as the influence of external temperature. Therefore, the measurement result is very stable. Become. Furthermore, if a large number of slits S are formed with high precision, it is of course possible to obtain highly accurate resolution, and the arm 20
It goes without saying that the magnification of the amount of movement of the slit plate 24 can be changed depending on the length of. In the same manner as described above, the slit plate 24 reciprocates the light sensor means 25 in the vertical direction in FIG. 1 again by the moving second disc body 34.

At this time, the slit plate 24 moves slightly larger in proportion to the size of the disc body 34, that is, the size of the diameter of the disc body 34. In the above description, the light sensor means 25 is the two sensors 2
It has been equipped with 5A and 25B, but sensor 25A
Needless to say, it may be one. In this case, the sensor 25A obtains the waveform 35 in FIG. 3B, for example. By counting the number of 6 pulses of this waveform 35, although the accuracy decreases, the disc 33
It will be possible to measure the diameter of. Further, it goes without saying that a contactless switch such as a magnetic sensor or a proximity switch may be used instead of the light sensor means 25. The slit plate 24 has a plurality of slits S opened. Instead of the openings, a black line is formed.
Of course, reflected light may be used.

[0015]

According to the present invention as described above, since the movement amount of the arm member can be obtained by a digital electric signal only by adding the arm member and the encoder, which has a simple structure, the movement is possible. The diameter of the disc body can be easily
In addition to the effect of being able to accurately and accurately measure, further, if the number of sensors forming the encoder is two,
The large effect that the measurement can be performed with high precision can be obtained, and in addition, since the configuration to be added is simple, the whole device can be made compact and simple, which is a great advantage.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a main part of an embodiment according to the present invention.

2 is an enlarged plan view showing a main part of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 1A shows a plan view of a first embodiment, and FIG. 2B shows a plan view of a second embodiment. Is shown.

3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of FIG. 1 and FIG.
It is a time chart.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Motor, 11: Substrate, 12: Passage, 13: Belt, 16: Side wall (reference surface), 20: Arm, 21: Axis, 22: Spring, 23: Roller, 24: Slit plate (part of encoder) ), 25: light sensor means (a part of encoder), 26: stopper, 33, 34: disc body.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An arm member which is at least long and is rotatably pivoted substantially at the center thereof, and a tip portion of which can come into contact with a disk body which moves along a reference plane, and a base end of the arm member. An apparatus for measuring the diameter of a disk, comprising: an encoder for detecting the amount of movement of the part. 2. The diameter measuring device according to claim 1, further comprising signal processing means for processing a signal from the encoder to measure a diameter of the disc body. 3. The diameter measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the encoder is a slit plate and a light sensor means. 4. The diameter measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the light sensor means comprises two light sensors. 5. The diameter measuring device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the tip portion is a small roller.