Coin processing device

Abstract

The present invention provides a coin processing device (100) comprising: a separation unit (110) for receiving coins or game coins and sending out the coins or game coins one by one at intervals; and a sorting unit (120) which, while receiving the coins or the game coins one by one from the separating unit and moving the coins or the game coins along an arc, determines the type of the coins or the game coins, and guides the coins or the game coins to the path for each type.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology of a coin handling device for receiving coins or game tokens and sorting them by type. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a device for receiving coins or game tokens and sorting them by type. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-147425 (Patent Document 1) discloses a coin handling device. According to Patent Document 1, the coin handling device includes: a coin receiving unit; an identification unit for identifying coins; a guiding unit having a lower abutting surface capable of abutting against the circumferential surface of a coin in an upright state from below; a supporting unit having an upright abutting surface capable of abutting against either the front or the back of a coin in an upright state, at least one coin passage hole being formed in the upright abutting surface and supporting the coin in an upright state; an annular conveyor belt capable of cooperating with the upright abutting surface to clamp the coin; a rotation driving unit for rotating the conveyor belt; a baffle capable of opening and closing at least a part of the opening surface of the coin passage hole; and a baffle driving unit for opening and closing the baffle. Prior Art Documents Patent Documents

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-147425 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a coin handling device capable of sorting coins or game tokens by type with a more compact mechanism. Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coin handling device including: a separating unit for receiving coins or game tokens and sending them out at intervals one by one; and a sorting unit for receiving coins or game tokens one by one from the separating unit, moving the coins or game tokens along an arc, determining the types of the coins or game tokens, and guiding them to paths for each type. Effects of the Invention

[0006] As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a coin handling device capable of sorting coins or game tokens by type with a more compact mechanism. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] Figure 1 It is a schematic view showing the whole coin handling device 100 of the first embodiment. Figure 2 It is a side sectional view showing the whole structure of the coin handling device 100 of the first embodiment. Figure 3 It is a top view of the coin recognition and sorting unit of the coin handling device 100 showing the first embodiment. Figure 4 It is an overall front sectional view of the coin handling device 100 showing the flow of coins when coins are inserted in the first embodiment. Figure 5 It is an overall side sectional view of the coin handling device 100 showing the flow of coins when coins are inserted in the first embodiment. Figure 6 It is an overall front sectional view of the coin handling device 100 showing the flow of coins when coins are ejected in the first embodiment. Figure 7 It is an overall side sectional view of the coin handling device 100 showing the flow of coins when coins are ejected in the first embodiment. Figure 8 It is an upper perspective view of the coin recognition and sorting unit of the first embodiment. Figure 9 It is an upper perspective view of the coin recognition and sorting unit with the conveying and rotating body of the first embodiment removed. Figure 10 It is an upper perspective view of the coin insertion part and the separation part of the first embodiment. Figure 11 It is an upper perspective view of the separation part of the first embodiment. Figure 12 It is an upper perspective view of the coin recognition and sorting unit for showing the scraper of the first embodiment. Figure 13 It is a side sectional view of the separation part for showing the scraper of the first embodiment. Figure 14 It is a top view of the handover area from the separation part to the sorting part of the first embodiment. Figure 15 It is an upper perspective view of the discharge part that discharges to the rejection path in the sorting part of the first embodiment. Figure 16 It is an upper perspective view of the discharging operation that discharges to the rejection path in the sorting part of the first embodiment. Figure 17 It is an upper perspective view of the discharging operation that discharges coins to various conveying paths in the sorting part of the first embodiment. Figure 18 It is a top view of the coin recognition and sorting unit of the first embodiment. Figure 19 It is a perspective view of the transmission mechanism that transmits driving force to the separation part and the sorting part of the first embodiment. Figure 20It is a first perspective view of a driving force transmission mechanism in a state where the separation part of the first embodiment is blocked. Figure 21 It is a second perspective view of a driving force transmission mechanism in a state where the separation part of the first embodiment is blocked. Figure 22 It is a bottom perspective view showing the structure of the middle gear of the first embodiment. Figure 23 It is a side view showing the structure of the lower gear of the first embodiment. Figure 24 It is a side view showing the transmission mechanism between the middle gear, the lower gear and the separation drive shaft of the first embodiment. Figure 25 It is a top perspective view showing the structure of the guide pin of the first embodiment. Detailed Embodiment

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, no detailed description thereof will be given. <First Embodiment> <Overall Structure of Coin Handling Device 100>

[0009] First, the overall structure of the coin handling device 100 of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 It is an external view of the coin handling device 100 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 1 , the coin handling device 100 is composed of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 101, a coin insertion port 102 is provided at the upper part, and a coin discharge port 103 is provided at the lower part.

[0010] Figure 2 It is a side cross-sectional view showing the overall internal structure of the coin handling device 100 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 2 , the coin handling device 100 is provided with a coin recognition and sorting unit 105 for sorting and sending out coins by type at the upper part, a coin payout unit 150 for accumulating and paying out coins by type in the middle part, and a control unit 190 at the lower part. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the coin payout unit 150 is composed of an upper payout unit 151 of four denominations and a lower payout unit 152 of four denominations. A microcomputer 191 for controlling each part of the coin handling device 100, other communication interfaces, etc. are arranged in the control unit 190. The microcomputer 191 includes, for example, a CPU, various memories, etc.

[0011] Figure 3 It is a top view of the coin recognition and sorting unit 105 of the present embodiment. Refer to Figure 3, the multiple coins inserted are sent one by one in sequence to the sorting unit 120 by the separating unit 110. The sorting unit 120 identifies the type of each coin and sends it to the rejection conveying path 1510 formed outside the sorting unit, or to the first conveying path 1511 formed outside the sorting unit, or to the second conveying path 1512 formed inside the sorting unit, or to the third conveying path 1513 formed outside the sorting unit, or to the fourth conveying path 1514 formed inside the sorting unit, or to the fifth conveying path 1515 formed outside the sorting unit, or to the sixth conveying path 1516 formed inside the sorting unit, or to the seventh conveying path 1517 formed outside the sorting unit, or to the eighth conveying path 1518 formed inside the sorting unit, or to the overflow conveying path 1519 formed outside the sorting unit.

[0012] Figure 4 is a front sectional view showing the overall internal structure of the coin handling device 100 of the present embodiment, particularly showing the flow direction when sorting and storing the inserted coins. Figure 5 is a side sectional view showing the overall internal structure of the coin handling device 100 of the present embodiment, particularly showing the flow direction when sorting and storing the inserted coins. Refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the coins sent to the rejection conveying path 1510 move downward at the right end when viewed from the front and at the front end when viewed from the side, and are rejected from the coin discharge port 103. The coins sent to the overflow conveying path 1519 move downward at the left end when viewed from the front and at the front end when viewed from the side, and are sent to a container disposed below the coin handling device 100. The coins sent to the first conveying path 1511, the third conveying path 1513, the fifth conveying path 1515, and the seventh conveying path 1517 outside the sorting unit 120 are accumulated in the specified storage portions of the upper payout portion 151 according to the denominations. The coins sent to the second conveying path 1512, the fourth conveying path 1514, the sixth conveying path 1516, and the eighth conveying path 1518 inside the sorting unit 120 are accumulated in the specified storage portions of the lower payout portion 152 according to the denominations.

[0013] Figure 6 is a front sectional view showing the overall internal structure of the coin handling device 100 of the present embodiment, particularly showing the flow direction when coin discharging or recycling the coins to a recovery box (BOX) not shown. Figure 7 is a side sectional view showing the overall internal structure of the coin handling device 100 of the present embodiment, particularly showing the flow direction when coin discharging or recycling the coins. Refer to Figure 6 and Figure 7, the coins accumulated via the first path, the third path, the fifth path, and the seventh path from the outside of the sorting unit 120 are sent forward by the upper payout unit 151 according to an instruction from the control unit 190, then descend, and are discharged from the discharge port 103, or are sent to the recycling box from the recycling port 104. The coins accumulated via the second path, the fourth path, the sixth path, and the eighth path from the lower side of the sorting unit 120 are sent forward by the lower payout unit 152 according to an instruction from the control unit 190, then descend, and are discharged from the discharge port 103, or are sent to the recycling box from the recycling port 104. <Structure of the coin identification and sorting unit 105>

[0014] Next, the structure of the coin identification and sorting unit 105 at the upper part of the coin processing device 100 will be described. Refer to Figure 8 and Figure 9 , the coin identification and sorting unit 105 mainly includes a separation unit 110 and a sorting unit 120. The separation unit 110 is disposed on the front side, that is, the front part, of the coin processing device 100, and is used to send the coins successively thrown from the coin insertion port 102 to the sorting unit 120 one by one. The sorting unit 120 is disposed on the back side, that is, the rear part, of the coin processing device 100, and is used to determine the types of the coins sent from the separation unit 110 and send them to the corresponding conveying paths according to the types.

[0015] First, the mechanism before the coin insertion and separation unit 110 will be briefly described. Refer to Figure 10 , a detection sensor 116 is provided directly below the coin insertion port 102 to notify the microcomputer 191 of the control unit 190 of the coin insertion. A path switching baffle 117 and a solenoid 141 for opening and closing the baffle 117 are provided downstream of the detection sensor 116. When the microcomputer 191 can receive coins, it controls the solenoid 141 to switch the baffle 117 so that the inserted coins flow to the separation unit 110. On the other hand, when the microcomputer 191 cannot receive coins, it controls the solenoid 141 to switch the baffle 117 so that the inserted coins flow through the refund pipe 142 to the coin discharge port 103. <Structure of the separation unit 110>

[0016] Next, the separation unit 110 will be described. Return to Figure 8 and Figure 9, a circular base 111 and a cylindrical side wall 112 are provided in the separation unit 110. An intake turntable 113 is disposed on the upper surface of the base 111. A plurality of holes 113X into which coins are inserted are formed in the intake turntable 113. In the present embodiment, three holes 113X are formed. That is, one hole 113X is formed every 120° around the drive shaft. The intake turntable 113 is driven by a motor described later, whereby the coins inserted into the holes 113X are pushed out one by one from the discharge port 112X at the rear of the side wall 112 to the outside and fed into the sorting unit 120. More specifically, as the holes 113X of the intake turntable 113 move, the coins rotate in the clockwise direction when viewed from above, and when they come into contact with the guide pins 114, 114, 114, they are pushed backward along the arrangement of the guide pins 114, 114, 114, that is, to the outside of the side wall 112.

[0017] Here, a mechanism for sending out coins from the separation unit 110 one by one to the sorting unit 120 will be described. That is, for the coin processing device 100 of the present embodiment, the following mechanism is prepared: even when the conveyance of coins starts by the intake turntable 113 in a state where a plurality of coins are overlapped in one hole 113X, only one coin is output from the discharge port 112X of the concave portion of the separation unit 110 from one hole 113X.

[0018] More specifically, as described above, when one coin inserted into the hole 113X comes into contact with the guide pins 114, 114, 114, it is pushed by the intake turntable 113 and output from the discharge port 112X of the side wall 112 along the arrangement of the guide pins 114, 114, 114. However, as Figure 11 shown, when a plurality of coins are accommodated in the hole 113X in an overlapping state, the plurality of coins may be discharged from the discharge port 112X at the same time.

[0019] Therefore, as Figure 12 and Figure 13 shown, in the present embodiment, a scraper 115 for leaving the upper coin inside the side wall 112 is installed at the discharge port 112X of the side wall 112. The scraper 115 is configured to be able to lift in the clockwise direction when viewed from the side with the upper part as an axis. The scraper 115 is biased by a biasing member 118 in the direction of closing downward. In a state where the scraper 115 is closed downward, a gap of about 1 mm to 1.5 mm is formed between the lower end portion of the scraper 115 and the base 111.

[0020] In addition, in the present embodiment, the height of the portions of the guide pins 114, 114, 114 that protrude upward from the surface of the base 111 is set to be lower than the thinnest coin targeted by the device. For example, it is about 1 mm or the like. Thus, even if two relatively thin coins enter the holes 113X of the pick-up turntable 113 overlappingly, the lower coin C1 will be pushed by the guide pins 114, 114, 114 and discharged from the gap below the scraper 115 to the outside of the side wall 112, that is, to the sorting unit 120.

[0021] Moreover, even if the lower coin C1 is relatively thick, the coin C1 will be pushed upward along the guide pins 114, 114, 114 while being pushed by the pick-up turntable 113, and discharged from the discharge port 112X to the outside of the side wall 112, that is, to the sorting unit 120.

[0022] On the other hand, the upper coin C2 will not collide with the guide pins 114, but will be pushed by the scraper 115 and thus be pushed toward the inside of the side wall 112.

[0023] In this way, in the present embodiment, even when the coins are sent in a state of being overlapped by two, only the upper coin C2 is blocked by the scraper 115 and advances above the guide pins 114. Therefore, only the lower coin C1 is sent to the sorting unit 120. <Structure of the sorting unit 120>

[0024] Next, the sorting unit 120 will be described. Refer to Figure 8 、 Figure 9 、 Figure 14 , a circular base 121 and a side wall 122 provided on the outer periphery of the base 121 are provided in the sorting unit 120. A conveying rotating body 123 is disposed above the base 121. A plurality of conveying pins 123X, 123X,... for pushing the coins forward while pushing them from the rear are formed on the conveying rotating body 123. In the present embodiment, five conveying pins 123X, 123X,... are formed. That is, the conveying pins 123X, 123X,... are installed one every 72° around the axis of the conveying rotating body 123. The conveying rotating body 123 is driven by a drive motor 106, so that the coins slide one by one in a counterclockwise direction in the top view in the passage between the side wall 122 and the conveying guide 131. That is, in the present embodiment, the sorting unit 120 can convey up to five coins at the same time, or send them out to the conveying path.

[0025] More specifically, the front end portion of the side wall 122 of the sorting unit 120, that is, the wall surface on the separation unit 110 side, is opened to form a coin receiving port 122X. The coin received from the coin receiving port 122X is pushed by the conveying pin 123X and advances in the right direction between the side wall 122 and the conveying guide 131. That is, when viewed from above, the coin advances counterclockwise around the circular base 121.

[0026] The identification unit 130 uses a magnetic sensor 132 or the like to determine the authenticity of the coin sent by the conveying pin 123X or identify the type of the coin. The identification unit 130 sends the judgment result and the identification result to the microcomputer 191 of the control unit 190. In the present embodiment, the memory of the microcomputer 191 stores the positions of the conveying path or the storage box for each type of coin. The microcomputer 191 conveys the coin to the rejection path or conveys it to the corresponding conveying path and storage place according to the type based on the judgment result and the identification result.

[0027] More specifically, when the microcomputer 191 identifies through the identification unit 130 that the coin is a coin to be rejected, as Figure 15 shown, the sorting gate 1262 for the rejection path is opened, and the coin is sent out to the rejection conveying path 1510.

[0028] More specifically, as Figure 15 and Figure 16 (A) shows, for a certain coin, when the identification unit 130 determines that the coin is a coin to be rejected, the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the coin through the timing sensor 1261. When the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the coin, it controls the solenoid 1263 for the sorting gate 1262 to lower the sorting gate 1262. As a result, a part of the side wall 122 is opened.

[0029] Then, as Figure 15 and Figure 16 (B) shows, the microcomputer 191 lowers the switching roller 1264 for rejection from the floating state to the base surface. Thus, the coin pushed by the conveying pin 123X is pushed by the switching roller 1264 and pushed outwards. As a result, the coin flows down to the rejection conveying path 1250.

[0030] Moreover, in the present embodiment, at a position downstream of the sorting gate 1262 for rejection, as Figure 17 (A) shows, a sorting gate 1272 for sending the first type of coin to the conveying path 1511 outside the sorting unit 120 and a sorting baffle 1275 for sending the second type of coin to the conveying path 1512 below the sorting unit 120 are provided.

[0031] When the microcomputer 191 determines that the coin is a coin of the first type or the second type through the identification unit 130, it detects the passage of the coin through the timing sensor 1271. When the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the coin of the first type, as Figure 17 (B) namely Figure 17 shown in the lower right figure of, it controls the solenoid 1273 for the sorting gate 1272 to lower the sorting gate 1272. Thereby, a part of the side wall 122 is opened.

[0032] In addition, as Figure 17 (B) shows, the microcomputer 191 lowers the switching roller 1274 for the coin of the first type from the floating state to the base surface. Thereby, the coin pushed by the conveying pin 123X is pushed by the switching roller 1274 and pushed outwards. As a result, the coin flows down to the conveying path 1511 for the first type.

[0033] On the other hand, when the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the coin of the second type, as Figure 17 (C) namely Figure 17 shown in the upper right figure of, it controls the solenoid 1276 for the sorting baffle 1275 to lift the sorting baffle 1275. Thereby, the lower part of the sorting baffle 1275 is opened. Thereby, the coin of the second type pushed by the conveying pin 123X passes under the sorting baffle 1275 and flows down to the conveying path 1512 for the second type provided below the sorting unit 120.

[0034] In the present embodiment, at a position downstream of the sorting gate 1272 for the first type, there are provided a sorting gate 1272 for the conveying path for sending out coins of the third type to the outside of the sorting unit 120, and a sorting baffle 1275 for the conveying path for sending out coins of the fourth type to the lower side of the sorting unit 120, which are the same as Figure 17 (A).

[0035] More specifically, when the microcomputer 191 determines that the coin is a coin of the third type or the fourth type through the identification unit 130, it detects the passage of the coin through the timing sensor 1271. When the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the coin of the third type, as Figure 17 (B) shows, it controls the solenoid 1273 for the sorting gate 1272 to lower the sorting gate 1272. Thereby, a part of the side wall 122 is opened.

[0036] In addition, as Figure 17 (B) shows, the microcomputer 191 lowers the switching roller 1274 for the coin of the third type from above to the base. Thereby, the coin pushed by the conveying pin 123X is pushed by the switching roller 1274 and pushed outwards. As a result, the coin flows down to the conveying path 1513 for the third type.

[0037] On the other hand, when the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the fourth type of coin, as Figure 17 (C) shows, it controls the solenoid 1276 for the sorting baffle 1275 to lift the sorting baffle 1275. As a result, the lower part of the sorting baffle 1275 is opened. Thus, the fourth type of coin pushed by the conveying pin 123X passes under the sorting baffle 1275 and flows down to the conveying path 1514 for the fourth type provided below the sorting unit 120.

[0038] In the present embodiment, at a position downstream of the sorting gate 1272 for the third type, there are provided a sorting gate 1272 for the conveying path for sending out the fifth type of coin to the outside of the sorting unit 120 and a sorting baffle 1275 for the conveying path for sending out the sixth type of coin to the lower side of the sorting unit 120, which are the same as Figure 17 (A).

[0039] When the microcomputer 191 determines through the identification unit 130 that the coin is the fifth or sixth type of coin, it detects the passage of the coin through the timing sensor 1271. When the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the fifth type of coin, as Figure 17 (B) shows, it controls the solenoid 1273 for the sorting gate 1272 to lower the sorting gate 1272. As a result, a part of the side wall 122 is opened.

[0040] In addition, as Figure 17 (B) shows, the microcomputer 191 lowers the switching roller 1274 for the fifth type of coin from above to the base. Thus, the coin pushed by the conveying pin 123X is pushed by the switching roller 1274 and pushed outwards. As a result, the coin flows down to the conveying path 1515 for the fifth type.

[0041] On the other hand, when the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the sixth type of coin, as Figure 17 (C) shows, it controls the solenoid 1276 for the sorting baffle 1275 to lift the sorting baffle 1275. As a result, the lower part of the sorting baffle 1275 is opened. Thus, the sixth type of coin pushed by the conveying pin 123X passes under the sorting baffle 1275 and flows down to the conveying path 1516 for the sixth type provided below the sorting unit 120.

[0042] In the present embodiment, at a position downstream of the sorting gate 1272 for the fifth type, there are provided a sorting gate 1272 for the conveying path for sending out the fifth type of coin to the outside of the sorting unit 120 and a sorting baffle 1275 for the conveying path for sending out the sixth type of coin to the lower side of the sorting unit 120, which are the same as Figure 17(A) The sorting gate 1272 of the conveying path for sending out coins of the seventh type to the outside of the sorting unit 120, and the sorting baffle 1275 of the conveying path for sending out coins of the eighth type to the lower side of the sorting unit 120.

[0043] When the microcomputer 191 determines that the coin is a coin of the seventh type or the eighth type through the identification unit 130, it detects the passage of the coin through the timing sensor 1271. When the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the coin of the seventh type, as Figure 17 (B) shown, it controls the solenoid 1273 for the sorting gate 1272 to lower the sorting gate 1272. As a result, a part of the side wall 122 is opened.

[0044] In addition, as Figure 17 (B) shown, the microcomputer 191 lowers the switching roller 1274 for the third type of coin from above to the base. As a result, the coin pushed by the conveying pin 123X is pushed by the switching roller 1274 and pushed outwards. As a result, the coin flows down to the conveying path 1517 for the seventh type.

[0045] On the other hand, when the microcomputer 191 detects the passage of the coin of the eighth type, as Figure 17 (C) shown, it controls the solenoid 1276 for the sorting baffle 1275 to lift the sorting baffle 1275. As a result, the lower part of the sorting baffle 1275 is opened. As a result, the coin of the eighth type pushed by the conveying pin 123X passes through the lower part of the sorting baffle 1275 and flows down to the conveying path 1518 for the eighth type provided below the sorting unit 120.

[0046] As described above, the coin processing device 100 of the present embodiment conveys four types of coins to the outside of the circular sorting unit and four types of coins to the lower side, so that it can sort a variety of coins more compactly than before.

[0047] It should be noted that in the present embodiment, when the coin storage box in the coin payout unit 150 is full, the microcomputer 191 keeps all the sorting gates 1272 and sorting baffles 1275 closed, as Figure 3 shown, so that the coins that roughly go around the sorting unit 120 fall into the overflow conveying path 1519. <Driving mechanisms of the separating unit 110 and the sorting unit 120>

[0048] Next, the driving mechanisms of the separating unit 110 and the sorting unit 120 will be described. As Figure 18 and Figure 19As shown, the driving force of the drive motor 106 is transmitted to the separation drive shaft 1131 of the intake turntable 113 of the separation unit 110 via a plurality of gear sets 107, i.e., the gear reduction unit. In the present embodiment, between the gear set 107 and the separation drive shaft 1131, the driving force of the drive motor 106 is also provided to the conveying rotating body. More specifically, via the common shaft 1081 of the middle gear 108M disposed at the end of the gear set 107, the upper pulley 108T and the belt 1239 having the same axis, the driving force of the drive motor 106 is also transmitted to the sorting drive shaft 1231 of the conveying rotating body 123.

[0049] That is, in the present embodiment, the intake turntable 113 of the separation unit 110 and the conveying rotating body 123 of the sorting unit 120 are driven simultaneously using the driving force of one drive motor 106.

[0050] In particular, in the present embodiment, the timing of sending out the coins by the rotation of the intake turntable 113 of the separation unit 110 is correlated with the timing when the conveying pins 123X of the conveying rotating body 123 of the sorting unit 120 start to convey the coins. As described above, the intake turntable 113 of the separation unit 110 has three holes 113X, 113X, 113X, and the conveying rotating body 123 of the sorting unit 120 has five conveying pins 123X, 123X, 123X, 123X, 123X. Therefore, the number of teeth of the middle gear 108M and the lower gear 108B of the common shaft 1081, the diameter of the upper pulley 108T, the number of teeth of the gear 1135 of the separation drive shaft 1131, the diameter of the pulley of the sorting drive shaft 1231, etc. are designed such that the conveying rotating body 123 of the sorting unit 120 rotates 72° during the rotation of the intake turntable 113 of the separation unit 110 by 120°.

[0051] In this way, in the coin processing device 100 of the present embodiment, the coins inserted from the coin insertion port 102 are separated one by one by the separation unit 110 and sent to the sorting unit 120. The three holes 113X, 113X, 113X of the intake turntable 113 and the five conveying pins 123X, 123X, 123X, 123X, 123X of the conveying rotating body 123 of the sorting unit 120 are synchronized with each other, and are structured to transfer the coins at the same timing all the time. Then, the coins sent to the sorting unit 120 are determined for authenticity, denomination, etc. in the identification unit 130, and are conveyed to each conveying path based on the result. <Jam Release Mechanism>

[0052] Next, a mechanism for recovery in the case where the intake turntable 113 of the separation unit 110 stops, for example, in the case of coin jamming, will be described. In the present embodiment, as Figure 20As shown, when the take-in turntable 113 stops, for a certain period, with the state of transmission to the separation drive shaft 1131 released, the common shaft 1081 and the sorting unit 120 continue to drive.

[0053] More specifically, in the present embodiment, when the separation unit 110 is blocked, as Figure 21 shown, the driving force of the drive motor 106 is transmitted to the middle gear 108M, the upper pulley 108T, and the sorting unit 120, but the transmission of the driving force to the lower gear 108B and the separation drive shaft 1131 is cut off.

[0054] More specifically, referring to Figure 19 and Figure 21 , a middle gear 108M for receiving the driving force from the gear set 107 is provided in the middle of the common shaft 1081. An upper pulley 108T is provided at the upper part of the common shaft 1081. A lower gear 108B is provided at the lower part of the common shaft 1081. The lower gear 108B is urged upward by a pressing spring 109.

[0055] In the present embodiment, as Figure 22 shown, the middle gear 108M is composed of a gear portion 108MA that rotates integrally with the common shaft 1081 and a clutch portion 108MB having a convex portion 108X formed on its lower surface. As long as the two rotate integrally, the two components can be fixedly assembled or integrally formed. An inclined portion 108XA that contacts or slides with an inclined portion 108YA of the lower gear 108B described later, and an upright portion 108XB for abutting against an upright portion 108YB of the lower gear 108B described later are formed on the convex portion 108X.

[0056] As Figure 23 shown, the lower gear 108B has a groove portion 108Y formed on its upper surface that can accommodate the convex portion 108X of the middle gear 108M. An inclined portion 108YA that opposes the inclined portion 108XA of the convex portion 108X and an upright portion 108YB that opposes the upright portion 108XB are formed in a part of the groove portion 108Y. The lower gear 108B is pivotally supported on the common shaft 1081 so as to be able to rotate idly, and is configured to be engaged with the clutch portion 108MB of the middle gear 108M by the pressing spring 109.

[0057] And, usually, due to the acting force of the pressing spring 109, the convex portion 108X of the middle gear 108M enters the groove portion 108Y of the lower gear 108B. In a state where the inclined portion 108XA of the middle gear 108M abuts against the inclined portion 108YA of the lower gear 108B, the driving force transmitted to the middle gear 108M is transmitted to the lower gear 108B. As a result, the separation drive shaft 1131 is driven via the separation gear 1135.

[0058] However, when the sorting unit 120, the coin loading turntable 113, and the separation drive shaft 1131 stop, for example, when a coin gets stuck in the coin loading turntable 113, as Figure 24 shown, it is configured such that the inclined portion 108XA of the convex portion 108X of the clutch portion 108MB of the middle gear 108M pushes the inclined portion 108YA of the lower gear 108B, thereby pushing the lower gear 108B downward against the force of the compression spring 109. That is, the convex portion 108X of the middle gear 108M passes over the inclined portion 108YA of the lower gear 108B.

[0059] After passing over, the convex portion 108X of the middle gear 108M moves without resistance inside the groove portion 108Y of the lower gear 108B. That is, during the period before the convex portion 108X reaches the inclined portion 108YA again, the middle gear 108M and the common shaft 1081 can idle relative to the lower gear 108B. That is, in the state where the separation unit 110 stops, the common shaft 1081, the upper pulley 108T, and the sorting unit 120 are in a driven state.

[0060] More specifically, in the present embodiment, as described above, the coin loading turntable 113 and the conveying rotating body 123 are configured to transfer coins one by one synchronously. Therefore, in the present embodiment, a step clutch gear composed of the lower gear 108B and the middle gear 108M is provided on the common shaft 1081 which is a branch of the separation unit 110 and the sorting unit 120. Thus, when a load above a certain level is applied due to the stop of the coin loading turntable 113, this step clutch automatically disengages, and in the state where the drive to the coin loading turntable 113 is cut off, only the conveying rotating body 123 can be driven.

[0061] Here, as Figure 19 shown, in the present embodiment, a separation sensor 1133 and a sorting sensor 1233 are provided. The separation sensor 1133 is used to detect the rotation of the separation drive shaft 1131 which is the drive shaft of the coin loading turntable 113, and the sorting sensor 1233 is used to detect the rotation of the sorting drive shaft 1231 which is the drive shaft of the conveying rotating body 123. Thus, the microcomputer 191 of the present embodiment can detect whether the coin loading turntable 113 is rotating forward, stopped, or rotating backward via the separation sensor 1133. In addition, the microcomputer 191 can detect whether the conveying rotating body 123 is rotating forward, stopped, or rotating backward via the sorting sensor 1233.

[0062] Also, in the present embodiment, the microcomputer 191 is programmed such that when it is detected via the sorting sensor 1233 that the sorting unit 120 has rotated a predetermined amount or for a predetermined time since the separation unit 110 was detected via the separation sensor 1133 to have stopped, it is determined that all sorting of the coins within the sorting unit 120 has been processed, and the reverse rotation of the drive motor 106 is performed to carry out the reverse rotation operation of the separation unit 110 and the sorting unit 120.

[0063] For example, after the microcomputer 191 detects via the separation sensor 1133 that the separation drive shaft 1131 has stopped, when it is confirmed via the sorting sensor 1233 that the sorting drive shaft 1231 has rotated a predetermined angle, such as 300°, the drive motor 106 is rotated in the reverse direction.

[0064] That is, in the present embodiment, the number of teeth of the various gears of the common shaft 1081, the diameter of the upper pulley 108T, the diameter of the pulley of the sorting drive shaft 1231, etc. are designed such that during the period before the convex portion 108X of the middle gear 108M reaches the inclined portion 108YA again after passing over the inclined portion 108YA, the sorting drive shaft 1231 can rotate at least a predetermined angle, such as 300°.

[0065] It should be noted that when the drive motor 106 rotates in the reverse direction, due to the acting force of the pressing spring 109, the convex portion 108X of the middle gear 108M enters the groove portion 108Y of the lower gear 108B. After the middle gear 108M rotates in the reverse direction by a predetermined amount, in a state where the upright portion 108XB of the middle gear 108M abuts against the upright portion 108YB of the lower gear 108B, the driving force transmitted to the middle gear 108M is transmitted to the lower gear 108B. As a result, the separation drive shaft 1131 and the sorting drive shaft 1231 are driven in the reverse direction together via the separation gear 1135.

[0066] After that, the microcomputer 191 is programmed such that when it is detected via the separation sensor 1133 that the separation drive shaft 1131 has rotated a predetermined angle, such as 360°, etc., the drive motor 106 is rotated in the forward direction again. Even when rotating in the forward direction, due to the acting force of the pressing spring 109, the convex portion 108X of the middle gear 108M enters the groove portion 108Y of the lower gear 108B. After the middle gear 108M rotates by a predetermined amount, in a state where the inclined portion 108XA of the middle gear 108M abuts against the inclined portion 108YA of the lower gear 108B, the driving force transmitted to the middle gear 108M is transmitted to the lower gear 108B. As a result, the separation drive shaft 1131 and the sorting drive shaft 1231 are driven in the forward direction together via the separation gear 1135.

[0067] It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, the guide pins 114, 114, 114 are disposed at a position downstream of the discharge port 112X. More specifically, as Figure 25 shown, the guide pins 114, 114, 114 are disposed on the downstream side of the guide member 114X. And, inclined portions 114Y, 114Y, 114Y are formed at positions on the guide member 114X that are downstream of the guide pins 114, 114, 114. Further, the guide member 114X is pivotally supported by the upstream end of its base portion 114Z so as to be rotatable and configured to be movable in the vertical direction, and is biased upward by a push spring 1149.

[0068] Thus, when a coin stream flowing into the hole 113X arrives, the coin collides with the vertical side surfaces of the guide pins 114, 114, 114 and is guided to the discharge port 112X.

[0069] It should be noted that the coin intake turntable 113 is held in a state of floating to a position slightly higher than the protruding amount of the guide pin 114.

[0070] And, as described above, when the coin intake turntable 113 rotates in the reverse direction, the coin, the coin intake turntable 113 come into contact with the inclined portions 114Y, 114Y, 114Y, and the guide member 114X is pushed downward, so that it can rotate in the reverse direction smoothly. <Second Embodiment>

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, four types of coins are sent out to the outside of the sorting unit 120 via four sorting gates 1272, and four types of coin conveying paths are provided below the sorting unit 120 via four sorting baffles 1275. However, the number of gates and the number of outer conveying paths are not limited, and the number of baffles and the number of lower conveying paths are not limited either.

[0072] In addition, it is possible to provide only one or more gates and provide a conveying path only on the outside of the sorting unit 120, or to provide only one or more baffles and provide a conveying path only below the sorting unit 120. <Third Embodiment>

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the coin intake turntable 113 of the separating unit 110 and the conveying rotating body 123 of the sorting unit 120 are driven or rotated in the reverse direction by one drive motor 106. However, the coin intake turntable 113 of the separating unit 110 and the conveying rotating body 123 of the sorting unit 120 may also be driven by separate motors. Moreover, the microcomputer 191 can drive these motors or rotate them in the reverse direction based on the detection results of the separation sensor 1133 and the sorting sensor 1233.

[0074] In the present embodiment, when a coin is jammed in the separating unit 110, the microcomputer 191 can rotate only the sorting unit 120 forward while rotating only the separating unit 110 backward or forward. <Fourth Embodiment>

[0075] In the above embodiment, the coin processing device 100 processes coins, but the object to be sorted is not limited to coins with monetary value. It can also be game coins used in games, etc. It can also identify the types of other circular metals, or sort them, or determine their authenticity. <Summary>

[0076] In the above embodiment, a coin processing device is provided, which includes: a separating unit for receiving coins or game coins and sending them out one by one at intervals; and a sorting unit for receiving coins or game coins one by one from the separating unit, moving the coins or game coins along an arc, judging the types of the coins or game coins, and guiding them to the paths of each type.

[0077] Preferably, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the sorting unit guides the coins or game coins of the first type to the first path formed on the outer side of the arc, and guides the coins or game coins of the second type to the second path formed below the inner side of the arc.

[0078] Preferably, based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, the sorting unit guides the coins or game coins of the third type to the third path formed on the outer side of the arc, and guides the coins or game coins of the fourth type to the fourth path formed below the inner side of the arc.

[0079] Preferably, the sorting device includes a plurality of conveying members that move along the arc. Each of the plurality of conveying members propels a coin or a game coin. The interval at which the separating unit sends out a plurality of coins or game coins is configured to be the same as the interval of the plurality of conveying members.

[0080] Preferably, the coin processing device further includes a common motor for driving the rotating member of the separating unit and the conveying member of the sorting unit.

[0081] It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are exemplary in all aspects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is represented by the claims, rather than by the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims. Description of Reference Numerals

[0082] 100: Coin processing device 101: Housing 102: Coin insertion port 103: Coin discharge port 104: Recovery port 105: Coin recognition and sorting unit 106: Driving motor 107: Gear set 108M: Middle gear 108MA: Gear part 108MB: Clutch part 108X: Protrusion 108XA: Inclined part 108XB: Upright part 108B: Lower gear 108Y: Groove part 108YA: Inclined part 108YB: Upright part 108T: Upper pulley 109: Pushing spring 110: Separation part 111: Base 112: Side wall 112X: Discharge port 113: Loading turntable 113X: Coin holding hole 114: Guide pin 114X: Guide component 114Y: Inclined part 114Z: Guide base 115: Scraper 116: Detection sensor 117: Passage switching baffle 118: Biasing component 120: Sorting part 121: Base 122: Side wall 122X: Coin receiving port 123: Conveyor rotating body 123X: Conveyor pin 130: Recognition part 131: Conveyor guide 132: Magnetic sensor 141: Solenoid 142: Return pipe 150: Coin payout part 151: Upper payout part 152: Lower payout part 190: Control part 191: Microcomputer 1081: Common shaft 1131: Separation drive shaft 1133: Separation sensor 1135: Separation gear 1149: Pushing spring 1231: Sorting drive shaft 1233: Sorting sensor 1239: Belt 1250: Conveyor path 1261: Timing sensor 1262: Sorting gate 1263: Solenoid 1264: Switching roller 1271: Timing sensor 1272: Sorting gate 1273: Solenoid 1274: Switching roller 1275: Sorting baffle 1276: Solenoid 1510: Reject conveyor path 1511: First conveyor path 1512: Second conveyor path 1513: Third conveyor path 1514: Fourth conveyor path 1515: Fifth conveyor path 1516: Sixth conveyor path 1517: Seventh conveyor path 1518: Eighth conveyor path 1519: Overflow conveyor path C1: Coin C2: Coin

Claims

1. A coin handling device, characterized in that, comprising: a separating unit for receiving coins or tokens and sending out the coins or tokens one by one at intervals; and a sorting unit that receives the coins or tokens one by one from the separating unit, moves the coins or tokens along an arc, determines the types of the coins or tokens, and guides the coins or tokens to paths for each type.

2. The coin handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that, the sorting unit guides the coins or tokens of the first type to a first path formed outside the arc, and guides the coins or tokens of the second type to a second path formed below the inside of the arc based on the recognition result of the recognition unit.

3. The coin handling device according to claim 2, characterized in that, the sorting unit guides the coins or tokens of the third type to a third path formed outside the arc, and guides the coins or tokens of the fourth type to a fourth path formed below the inside of the arc based on the recognition result of the recognition unit.

4. The coin handling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, the sorting device includes a plurality of conveying members that move along the arc, each of the plurality of conveying members propels one coin or token, the intervals at which the separating unit sends out a plurality of coins or tokens and the intervals of the plurality of conveying members are configured to be the same.

5. The coin handling device according to claim 4, characterized in that, the coin handling device further includes a common motor that drives the rotating member of the separating unit and the conveying members of the sorting unit.

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