JPS6121748Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a mechanism for preventing unauthorized coin insertion in a coin handling device, which prevents theft troubles in which products or change are illegally taken out by inserting a hanging coin into a vending machine. .

As shown in FIG. 1, the vending machine has a product takeout port 4 and a coin slot 5 that are connected to the product shelf 1 and are opened in the front door 3 of a main body case 2 that has a product shelf 1 built therein.
Furthermore, a coin handling device consisting of a coin shooter 6, a coin mechanism 7, a coin box 8, etc. is installed in the machine in communication with the coin slot 5. A coin 9 is inserted into the slot 5 as shown by arrow A, and when the coin mechanism detects this, a sales signal is given to the delivery mechanism of the product shelf 1, and the product is delivered to the product removal port 4 as shown by arrow B. , change is paid out at the same time. On the other hand, the coin mechanism 7 includes a resistor 10 as shown in FIG.
It is configured to include a coin counting section 11. As is well known, this coin counting section uses a counting mechanism such as a micro switch method, a photo switch method, a proximity switch method, etc., and each time an inserted coin passes through the counter section 11 as shown by arrow A', the number of coins is counted. counts and sends a signal. By the way, recently, as shown in Fig. 3, an extremely thin hanging string 12 is tied to the coin 9, and as shown in Fig. 4, the tip of the string 12 is grasped outside the machine and the coin 9 is inserted up and down in the direction of arrow C. There are frequent theft complaints where the same coin is passed through the coin counter 11 over and over again by reciprocating operations, and the coin counter 11 is operated illegally to take out merchandise and change.

As a countermeasure against the theft complaints mentioned above, a cutting blade for thread cutting is installed in the middle of the coin passage, and when a thread-hanging coin is lowered to the coin counter and then attempted to be pulled up, the hanging thread is cut into the thread blade. An unauthorized manipulation prevention method has been proposed in which the connection is disconnected when the connection is made. However, because the weight of the coin is light, sufficient tension is not applied to the hanging thread, and in reality, the thread not only slips on the cutting blade and is difficult to cut, but also becomes unable to cut the thread if the cutting blade becomes clogged. There were other difficulties. Also, even if the thread is cut, the coins will fall freely, so one coin will fall into the coin counter 1.
1 twice, the coin mechanism may detect an incorrect number of coins and carry out an operation of carrying out more products than specified or dispensing change.

In consideration of these points, the present invention has a simple structure that more reliably prevents unauthorized insertion of string-hanging coins, and also prevents coins with broken strings from falling, thereby preventing malfunctions of the coin mechanism. The purpose of this invention is to obtain a novel mechanism for preventing unauthorized coin insertion operations, and the structure and operation of the present invention will be explained in detail below based on the illustrated embodiments.

In FIGS. 5a and 5b, the coin shooter 6, which is interposed between the coin slot and the coin mechanism, is moved forward and downward when seen from the coin slot so that it protrudes in the coin sliding and falling direction A' according to the present invention. A closely wound coil spring 13 curved in a U-shape is installed so as to protrude from the inclined coin sliding surface side of the coin shooter into the coin passage over almost the entire width of the coin passage. That is, the hook portions at both ends of the coil spring 13 are connected to the coin shooter 6.
It is mounted via mounting bolts 14 between the left and right spring mounting seats 6a.
Further, 15 is a coin guide plate that covers the upper surface of the coil spring 13 and is fastened together with a bolt 14.
A triangular wave-shaped cut groove 15a is cut into the front edge in the width direction of the coin passage. The cutting depth of this cutting groove 15a is the groove 1 when viewed from above.
It is determined that the coil spring 13 is sufficiently exposed within 5a. As shown in FIG. 6a, the coil spring 13 is made of, for example, a stainless steel coil spring that is tightly wound linearly in the free state.
When the coin is attached to the coin shooter 6, the coin is bent so that it protrudes downward in the downward direction A' as shown in FIG. 6b, and the coin is bent into a U-shape. In the tightly wound coil spring 13 curved in this manner, each turn remains in close contact with each other on the inner diameter side, but a gap g is created between each turn on the outer diameter side. Moreover, this gap g is narrowed in a wedge shape toward the inner diameter side.

In the above configuration, the coin 9 inserted through the coin insertion slot 5 slides on the upper surface of the coin guide 15, falls downward over the coil spring 13, and enters the coin mechanism. The long coin 9 is prevented from being caught by the coil spring 13 and surely slides down inside the coin shooter. By the way, when a coin with a hanging string 12 tied to it is inserted, the string 12 enters the cut groove 15a of the coin guide plate 15 as shown in FIG. 7, and the coil spring 1 shown in FIG. 6b is inserted.
It will bite into the gap g in 3. If you try to pull up the coin 9 by pulling the string 12 from this state, the string will dig deep into the wedge-shaped gap of the coil spring 13. Moreover, since the above-mentioned gap is continuous in a spiral shape along the turns of the coil, the thread 12 is straddled between two adjacent gaps g ₁ and g ₂ in a straddling style as shown in Fig. 8. As a result, the force with which the coil spring 13 pinches the thread 12 increases. As a result, the thread is no longer 12
If you pull it too hard, the thread 12 will break. In this case, if the edges of the cut grooves of the guide plate 15 are sharpened to serve as cutting edges, the thread can be cut more easily. Furthermore, the string attached to the coin 9 is held as it is by the coil spring 13, and the coin does not fall. This also applies when you release your hand without cutting the thread. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the mechanism from detecting an incorrect number of coins.

Note that the shape of the coil spring 13 may be any shape other than round, such as square.

As described above, according to the present invention, the coil springs are skillfully arranged so that even if an attempt is made to pull up a string-hanging coin inserted from the coin slot, the hanging string is held up by the curved coil spring. The thread will become stuck in the wedge-shaped gap between the turns, making it impossible to pull it up. Also, the thread that is caught in the coil spring will maintain its state, preventing the coin from falling, and preventing the coin mechanism from miscounting the number of coins. Detection can be prevented. The coin guide plate is also effective in preventing the coil spring from being deformed by the tasseled string when the thread-hanging coin is pulled back, thereby increasing the fraud prevention effect. Furthermore, the structure is extremely simple and can be implemented at low cost, making it possible to provide a mechanism for preventing unauthorized coin insertion operations with great practical effects.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 is a side view of the vending machine, Figure 2 is a block diagram of the coin mechanism in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a string-hanging coin used for unauthorized insertion, and Figure 4 is a line-hanging coin used for unauthorized insertion. Illustration of illegal ivy input operation,
Figures 5a and 5b show an embodiment of the present invention, where a is a front view, b is a partially cutaway side view, and Figures 6a and b are a portion showing the free state and curved state of the coil spring, respectively. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the coil spring, and FIG. 8 is a sectional view of the coil spring showing the state in which the hanging line is bitten. 5: Coin slot, 6: Coin shooter, 7:
Coin mechanism, 9: Coin, 11: Coil counter, 12: Hanging string, 13: Coil spring, 14:
Mounting bolt, g: wedge-shaped gap formed between turns of coin spring, A: coin insertion direction,
A': Direction of coin sliding and falling, C: Direction of incorrect operation of hanging string.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A coin guide plate having a triangular wave-shaped cut groove at its tip, and a tightly wound coil spring that is curved and attached in contact with the lower surface of the cut groove portion of the coin guide plate are connected to a coin slot and a coin mechanism. A thread hanging in a coin handling device, characterized in that the coin shooter is arranged so as to be inclined downward so that its tip protrudes from the coin sliding surface of the coin shooter interposed therebetween into the coin passageway over almost the entire width of the coin passageway. Mechanism to prevent unauthorized coin insertion.