JPS584391B2 - Koukasenbetsu Tsumiagesouchi - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a coin processing device for a vending machine.

This kind of coin processing device is loaded with various coronation coins,
Determine the denomination and authenticity of the coin, reject fake coins and coins with incorrect denominations, identify and total the amount of valid coins, and ensure that valid coins with a value equal to or greater than the price of the product being sold are inserted. Then, a sales signal is issued, and the amount exceeding the price of the selected product is released as change.

Coins inserted into a vending machine equipped with such a device are
The coins enter the device and move according to the laws of gravity along a series of coin trajectories that form a curved coin path.

Sensors placed along the coin path then measure physical properties of the coin, such as conductivity, diameter, acceleration, velocity, etc., or features determined by a combination of these properties.

The circuit associated with the sensor 1 then determines whether the coin is a genuine coin of the correct denomination.

If the coin is not a genuine coin of the correct denomination, the coin will be rejected.

The coin determined to be valid moves under the influence of gravity on another trajectory passing through one or more selection windows that gradually increase in height in the coin transfer direction.

Each of the selection windows communicates via a chute with a coin tube assigned to a specific coin unit.

The height of the selection window corresponds to the diameter of the appropriate coin.

A coin that falls through any one of the selection windows is guided straight down along the associated chute and then horizontally across the associated coin tube opening.

The coin tube is sized to store a sufficient stack of coins to meet anticipated change needs.

If the coin tube is full, the corresponding unit of coins fed from the coordinating chute will slide across the top coin in the tube, bypass the tube, and fill all units for periodic collection. A separate or overflow chute is entered leading to a locked coin box where received coins are stored.

Coins larger than any of the selection windows will follow the action of gravity and proceed along the trajectory and enter the chute leading to the coin box.

If the value of the accepted coin is greater than or equal to the price of the desired item,
The circuit calculates the surplus amount and activates the change release mechanism at the bottom of the coin tube to release the correct change.

Coins can sometimes become jammed at the top of a full coin tube if the peripheral leading edge of the coin coming from the associated chute interlocks with the peripheral edge or embossed pattern of the topmost coin in the coin tube.

One possible solution to this problem is to increase the velocity of the coins coming out of the chute by increasing the slope of the chute.

However, this method results in a large number of coins passing over the tube opening even when the tube is not full.

In the present invention, a coin of a certain diameter enters through an inlet provided at the upper end of a vertical chute, and the edge of the moving coin crosses the opening upper end of the coin tube for the first time at the lower end of the chute, and The inner edge of the upper end of the coin tube opposite to the lower end is
The chute guides coins from the inlet into the coin tube so that they are exposed when the coin tube is not full, and are covered by the topmost coin in the tube when it is full. a front convex wall and a rear concave wall for sliding the edge of the coin tube so that its edge first crosses the top end of the coin tube; To provide a coin stacking device configured to exhibit a height difference over the entire width of a rear concave wall so as to give a transfer action to coins that slide down a chute without contacting the coins.

The transfer action minimizes the interference effect between the edge of the moving coin and the top coin in the tube, and prevents the front end of the incoming coin from interlocking with the top coin in the tube, but these results are not achieved. There is no need to increase the speed of the moving coins.

As used herein, the term "coin" includes any coin-like object that can be used in a vending machine, such as genuine coins, medals, counterfeit coins, metal pieces, watches, etc. Although the coin movement is described as a rotational movement for convenience of explanation, it also includes a translational movement unless otherwise specified.

The present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiments.

Coins inserted into the coin input slot of a vending machine (not shown) advance to the hopper 103, fall from the hopper onto the track 111, and
It rolls downward between the front plate 101 and the back plate 102 along the track.

Where trajectory 111 ends, the coin falls onto pad 115, which dissipates most of the coin's kinetic energy and reduces its pound.

The coin rolls over the top surface of pad 115 into track 113 and as it travels further down track 113 it is identified by a device including one or more sensors 130, 131 and 132.

By the time the coin reaches the end of the track 113, its suitability is determined, and if it is determined to be proper, its denomination is further identified.

The coin that has reached the end of the track 113 moves to the second pad 117 which is perpendicular to the tenon due to the moment.

Second pad 117, like pads 115 and 125, dissipates most of the kinetic energy of the coin, causing it to fall almost vertically toward sorting gate 124.

If the coin is determined to be valid, the gate 124 is retracted into the back plate 102 so that the coin can fall through the gate 124 and onto the pad 125.

If the coin is determined to be invalid, gate 124 intercepts the coin and diverts it to trajectory 116 .

The coin rolls down track 116 and enters removal chute 146 at location 108.

The rejection chute 146 discharges the rejected coins into the coin return slot of the vending machine.

As described above, coins determined to be appropriate pass through the retracted sorting gate 124 and fall onto the pad 125 located behind the separator plate 104 in FIG.

Like pads 115 and 117, pad 125 dissipates most of the coin's kinetic energy, reducing the coin's bounce.

These pads are published in Japanese Patent Publication No. 95 of 1972.
It may also be an energy absorbing device such as that disclosed in the '896 patent.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a pad 125 made of a relatively hard plastic such as glass-filled Noryl is attached to a pad 151 made of a relatively soft rubber such as neorene. is attached to an L-shaped bracket 152 made of Delrin (trade name).3 Bracket 152 is coupled to the outer surface of the separator plate 104 via a second relatively soft rubber pad (not shown) made of neoprene. be.

The legs of the bracket opening 52 associated with the pads 125 and 151 are connected to the wide through hole 15 of the separating plate 104 so that the upper part of the energy absorbing device is not restricted by the plate 104.
It goes through 4.

In addition, the guide plate 105 (FIG. 2) is provided with a notch (not shown) that faces the through hole 154, so that the pad 125 is not restricted by contact with the guide plate 105, and the separation plate 10
4 and the guide plate 105.

To improve the abrasion resistance of the pad 125, it may be filled with glass.

The elements of the energy absorbing device may be held together by a suitable adhesive.

In this case, the energy absorbing device is constituted by a block of hard material such as aluminum oxide, as disclosed in the specification of patent application No. 2 (UK Application No. 54318/73) filed simultaneously with the present case. It's okay.

In either case, the pad dampens the bouncing of the moving stiff by absorbing or dissipating the kinetic energy of the moving stiff.

After falling onto the pad 125, coins determined to be appropriate roll down onto the track 121 between the separation plate 104 and the guide plate 105.

Trajectory 121 passes through sorting or separation windows 128 and 129.

The separator plate 10 is arranged such that coins passing through the window fall from the appropriate window into an associated separator chute 134 or 135.
4 and guide plate 105 are inclined toward windows 128 and 129.

Note that the heights of the windows 128 and 129 are made to increase gradually.

That is, the height from track 121 to the top of window 128, measured perpendicular to the track, is equal to the diameter of a U.S. dime plus a small gap, and window 129 is similarly measured.
Let the height of the gap be equal to the diameter of a 5-cent coin.

Therefore, a dime rolling on track 121 is
However, larger 5 cent coins pass through the window 128 and roll as they are, and fall from the window 129.

A suitable coin (for example, a 25 cent coin) larger than a 5 cent coin does not fall from any window and rolls downward on the track 121 as it is.

Such coins reach the end of the track 121, enter the large coin chute 144 running parallel to and behind the removal chute 146 in FIG. 1, and fall into the coin track 140.

This large coin rolls downwardly on a track 140 located behind the separator plate 104 in FIG. 1 to its end where it falls into a chute 142 leading to the coin box of the vending machine.

to ensure that all coins of the correct diameter fall through the window.
As is clear from FIG. 2, the base frame 133 of the window 128 is formed low, and the differential frame 133 is tapered upward so that there is almost no surface perpendicular to the coin track 121 below the window. forming a single edge or fulcrum 149;
The coins are allowed to rotate around this and fall into the coin chute 134.

Separator plate 104 also includes a laypack slot 1 that is small enough to increase the angle of all coins from the vertical by α and to allow them to pass through either one of windows 128 and 129.
Contains 57.

Therefore, the top of the laypack slot 157 is located the same distance from the track 121 as the top of the large window 129.

Coins that are too large to enter either separation window will roll down track 121 without entering layback slot 157.

Coins falling through either window 128 or 129 are drawn downwardly along the associated coin shoe N34, 135 towards the entrance of the associated coin tube 136,137.

If the coin tube is full, the coins will simply fall across the mouth of the coin tube and into the coin track 140.

and track 140 as in the case of an acceptable coin of such large dimensions that it cannot pass through either window 128 or 129.
from there to the chute 142.

If the coin tube is not full, coins fall into the coin tube and are stored there until they are stacked and used as change.

When the coin tube is full, the coin chute is installed in order to prevent the front edge of the top edge of the topmost coin in the coin tube or the front edge of the coin arriving at the embossed pattern from rubbing against the top of the full coin tube. The guide surface is warped as described below.

As the coin moves along this curved guide surface, the incoming coin is caused to slide (sliding motion) as it falls through the chute.
plus transfer (rotational movement around an axis perpendicular to the face of the coin)
is given.

If the incoming coin not only simply slides but also rolls over the top coin in the tube to some extent, the incoming coin can overcome the peripheral edge and raised pattern of the top coin by this rotation, It is possible to almost prevent the leading edge of an incoming coin from being caught by the topmost coin in the tube.

In the illustrated embodiment, the guide surface of the coin chute is warped by an insert 170 attached to the chute cover 147 and forming the rear wall (first side wall) of the coin chute, as shown in FIG. Transfers are starting to occur.

This insert 170 is curved as shown in FIGS. 3-6.

Its thickness varies approximately linearly across its width from 0 mm at upstream edge 171 to 4.7 mm at downstream edge 172.

More precisely, the contour of the surface of the rear wall forms a portion of a cone with a substantially horizontal axis.

That is, the contour of this rear wall taken in a vertical plane varies across its width such that the contour of its downstream edge 172 differs from that of its upstream edge 1.
The radius of curvature is smaller than the contour line of 71.

As a result, the contour line length measured across the rear wall is 172 mm at the downstream edge.
The upstream 171 is larger than the above.

Therefore, rotation is imparted to the coin as it slides along the rear wall.

The bow gradually disappears at the inlet end of the insert 170 near one of the windows 128, 129, and the outlet end of the insert 170 is at the third
As shown, it is curved to surround the top of the coin tube 136.

As the coin falls through window 128 into chute 134, block 145 converts the coin's falling motion into a sliding motion so that it slides over insert 170.

The upper surface of block 145 slopes downwardly as shown in FIG.

In practice, this block 145 is not mounted perpendicularly to the track 121, but at an angle of approximately 85° from the direction of movement of the coin descending the track.

The block 145 is approximately parallel to the inner wall surface of the insert 170 to form a chute 134, which serves to direct coins toward the curved insert 170 and prevent coins from randomly rolling into the chute, which can easily cause jams. There is.

When the coin reaches the insert 170, it slides downward, but the contour of the inner wall surface of the insert gradually changes the direction of the coin's movement toward the horizontal direction.

At the same time, the curvature of the insert 170 provides rotation in addition to sliding motion of the coin.

The coin exhibits both sliding and rolling motion as it moves down the chute until it reaches the outlet of the chute, which corresponds to the top of the coin tube 136.

The displacement provided by the bowed chute insert 170 causes the coin to fall across the top coin in the coin tube 136 and into the coin track 140.

The trajectory of the coin as it moves from the coin chute to the coin tube is tenon-horizontal.

Particularly in the case of small and lightweight coins such as dimes, the chute 134 is necessary to dampen the vibrations of the coin and accurately guide the coin to the lip 158 of the mouth 159 of the coin tube 136.
It is desirable that the gap be relatively small.

That is, with this configuration, the possibility that coins will jump over the coin tube 136 even though it is not in a full state is extremely reduced.

Preferably, the lip 158 is straight and horizontal across the entire width of the chute 134.

The transition to the circular coin tube 136 takes place below the lip 158.

The surface 161 of the block 145 extending above the mouth 159 is
It is tenon-parallel to the trajectory of the coin in this part of the vending machine so that a coin that hits the lip 158 always falls into the coin tube 136.

The embodiment described above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and it goes without saying that various embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial rear view of an apparatus incorporating the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a full coin tube. FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the device shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 4 is a side view of the coin chute lining of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 16-6 in FIG. 4. 101... Front plate, 102... Back plate, 103... Hopper, 104... Separation plate, 105... Guide plate, 113 ,116,12
1,140...orbital, 115,117,12
5,151...Pad, 124...Gate, 128,129...Window, 130,131
, 132... Sensor, 134, 135, 14
2,144... Coin chute, 133...
...Base frame, 136,137...Coin tube, 14
5...Block, 146...Elimination shoot, 147...Shoot cover, 152...
... Bracket, 157 ... Layback slot, 15B ... Lip of mouth 159, 17
0... Insertion body.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A chute (for example, 13
A first side wall (e.g. 170) of the coin stacking tube (e.g. 136, 137) converts the initial motion of the coin into movement across the upper open end of the coin stacking tube (e.g. 136, 137) such that the upper inlet of the chute formed by a sorting window (e.g. 128, 129) slightly larger than the coin diameter and through which the coin falls into the chute, which converts the falling movement of the coin into a sliding movement within the chute. in a coin stacking device having a second side wall (e.g. 145) formed relative to the first side wall to convert the first side wall into a coin stack; and the contour of the downstream edge of the first sidewall is of a smaller radius of curvature than the contour of the upstream edge so that the coin is A stacking device characterized in that a rotational motion component about a vertical axis is imparted to the coins.