Coin processing device

Abstract

To reduce coin jam from a feeding port to a coin batch feeding unit.SOLUTION: A coin processing device includes: a feeding unit to which a coin is fed in an approximately horizontal state; a guide passage that makes the coin fed to the feeding unit slide down in the approximately horizontal state; a guide unit that is provided downstream of the guide passage and guides the coin sliding down from the guide passage to a dropping destination; and a take-in unit that is provided downstream of the guide unit and takes in the coin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] A coin processing device such as a vending machine or a ticket vending machine identifies each coin inserted into an insertion slot and stores the inserted coins according to the identified denomination. Such a coin processing device is provided with, for example, a coin identification mechanism that identifies the inserted coin, and a coin batch insertion unit that ejects multiple different coins inserted from the insertion slot one by one into the coin identification mechanism.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 discloses an inclined disk-type coin bulk insertion unit that uses a claw on a rotating disk to engage and separate coins inserted from an insertion port one by one. According to the coin bulk insertion unit disclosed in Patent Document 1, the coin processing device can eject multiple coins inserted at once into the coin mechanism one by one. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2000-298749 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the coin processing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, coins are inserted into a coin batch insertion unit using an insertion tray. However, when inserting coins using the insertion tray, there is a problem that the coins get clogged and get stuck in the insertion tray depending on the relationship between the size of the opening of the insertion port and the number of coins inserted.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved coin processing device that is capable of reducing coin jamming between the coin input port and the coin batch input unit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, a coin dispenser includes an insertion section into which coins are inserted in a substantially horizontal state, a guide path through which the coins inserted into the insertion section slide down while maintaining the substantially horizontal state, a guide section provided downstream of the guide path for guiding a destination of the coins that fall from the guide path, and a take-in section provided downstream of the guide section for taking in the coins. A coin processing device is provided, comprising:

[0008] The take-in section may take in the coins dropping from the guide path through an opening provided in the guide section.

[0009] The coin processing device may further include a front door that is openable and closable on the front side of the housing of the coin processing device, the front door having the insertion section on the front side and the guide path on the rear side, and the guide path may be arranged so that when the front door is in a closed state, the position of the end of the guide path is aligned with the position of the opening of the guide section.

[0010] The coin dispenser may further include a sensor unit that detects the passage of the coin through the guide unit, and the coin dispenser may start to dispense the coin based on the detection by the sensor unit.

[0011] The taxiway may be a ramp.

[0012] The input portion may be provided in a trapezoidal dish shape. Effect of the Invention

[0013] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce coin jamming between the coin insertion port and the coin batch insertion unit. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an overall outline of a coin processing device to which the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration from the insertion section to the take-in section when the front door of a coin processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is in a closed state. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration from the insertion section to the take-in section when the front door of a coin processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is in an open state. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0016] <1. Coin processing device> First, the schematic configuration of a coin processing device to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining the overall outline of a coin processing device to which the present invention is applied. In the following, the upward, downward, leftward, and rightward directions are defined based on a state in which the coin processing device is faced directly from the front. Also, the front direction of the coin processing device is defined as the front direction, and the direction opposite to the front direction is defined as the rearward direction.

[0017] 1, the coin processing device includes an insertion port 200, a coin batch insertion unit 100, and a coin sorter 300. By separating the coin batch insertion unit 100 and the coin sorter 300, the coin processing device can improve the ease of maintenance of each of the coin batch insertion unit 100 and the coin sorter 300, as well as the ease of maintenance work.

[0018] The insertion slot 200 is an acceptance port for coins C inserted into the coin processing device. For example, a plurality of coins C of different denominations are inserted into the insertion slot 200. The coins C inserted into the insertion slot 200 are guided to the coin batch insertion unit 100.

[0019] The coin lump-in unit 100 is a mechanism that takes in a plurality of coins C of different denominations guided from an inlet 200, and ejects the taken in coins C one by one to the coin sorter 300.

[0020] The coin sorter 300 is a mechanism that identifies the denomination and authenticity of each coin C discharged one by one from the coin bulk insertion unit 100, and counts the number of coins C identified as genuine for each denomination. The coins C counted by the coin sorter 300 are stored, for example, in a temporary holding section or a coin recovery box (not shown) provided downstream of the coin sorter 300.

[0021] <2. Configuration example> The coin processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention aims to reduce clogging of coins C by smoothly guiding coins C from the insertion slot 200 to the coin batch insertion unit 100. The coin processing device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration from the insertion unit 210 to the take-up unit 110 when the front door 400 of the coin processing device according to this embodiment is in a closed state. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration from the insertion unit 210 to the take-up unit 110 when the front door 400 of the coin processing device according to this embodiment is in an open state.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 2, the coin processing device of this embodiment includes an insertion section 210 including the above-mentioned insertion port 200, a guide path 130, a sensor section 140, a guide section 120, an intake section 110 including the above-mentioned lump-sum coin insertion unit 100, and a foreign object removal unit 150.

[0023] The insertion unit 210 is provided in a dish shape with a large opening on the top surface to receive a plurality of coins C inserted at once, and an insertion port 200 for the coins C is provided inside the dish shape. Specifically, the insertion unit 210 is provided in a dish shape with a bottom surface that is inclined in one direction so that the inserted coins C can smoothly slide down by inertial force, and the insertion port 200 that takes the coins C into the coin processing device is provided at the bottom of the inclined bottom surface.

[0024] Furthermore, the dish-like shape of the insertion unit 210 may be a trapezoid when viewed from above in a plan view, with the upper base (i.e., a side shorter than the opposing lower base) being on the side of the insertion port 200 that takes in the coin C into the coin processing device. With this, the insertion unit 210 can take the coin C, which has been inserted into the dish-like shape and then slid down the bottom surface of the dish-like shape, into the coin processing device from the insertion port 200 in a substantially horizontal state.

[0025] Here, the coin C in a substantially horizontal state refers to a state in which the main surface of the plate-shaped coin C is substantially parallel to the ground. On the other hand, the coin C in a substantially vertical state, which is the opposite of the substantially horizontal state, refers to a state in which the main surface of the plate-shaped coin C is substantially perpendicular to the ground. The boundary between the substantially horizontal state and the substantially vertical state may be a state in which the main surface of the disk-shaped coin C is at an angle of 45° to the ground.

[0026] The induction path 130 is a slope that allows the coin C taken in from the insertion port 200 of the insertion unit 210 to slide down while remaining in a substantially horizontal state. Specifically, the induction path 130 may be a slope having a slope that is substantially continuous with the slope of the dish-shaped bottom surface of the insertion unit 210. Moreover, a box-shaped cover 131 that covers the sliding surface of the induction path 130 on which the coin C slides down may be further provided on the induction path 130. In this manner, the induction path 130 can prevent the sliding coin C from jumping out of the induction path 130 by the cover 131.

[0027] Guide unit 120 is a mechanism provided downstream of induction path 130 and guides the destination of coin C that falls from induction path 130. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, guide unit 120 has an opening H of a size that allows coin C in a substantially horizontal state to fall at a position aligned with the end of the slope of induction path 130. Guide unit 120 can guide coin C to take-in unit 110 by causing coin C that has slid down from induction path 130 to fall into opening H. Coin C that has fallen from opening H is taken up by take-in unit 110 at the drop destination.

[0028] In the coin processing device according to this embodiment, the insertion unit 210 and the guide path 130 can be provided as a substantially continuous inclined path, and therefore it is possible to more smoothly guide the inserted coin C to the opening H of the guide unit 120. Furthermore, the coin processing device according to this embodiment can guide the coin C from the insertion unit 210 to the guide unit 120 while keeping it in a substantially horizontal state, and drop it from the opening H of the guide unit 120. Therefore, the coin processing device according to this embodiment can more smoothly guide the coin C from the insertion unit 210 to the take-in unit 110, and therefore it is possible to further reduce clogging of the coin C.

[0029] The sensor unit 140 is a sensor that detects the coin C dropping from the opening H of the guide unit 120. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the sensor unit 140 is an optical sensor or a magnetic sensor provided on both sides of the opening H of the guide unit 120. The sensors provided on both sides of the opening H of the guide unit 120 can detect the passage of the coin C by detecting an optical change (e.g., blocking of light) or a magnetic change (e.g., fluctuation in a magnetic field) caused by the coin C dropping through the opening H. The sensors provided on both sides of the opening H of the guide unit 120 can detect the coin C dropping from the opening H from the side by being provided on both sides of the opening H in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the coin C.

[0030] The take-in section 110 includes an inclined disk-type coin lump-in unit 100 that takes in coins C guided by a guide section 120. The take-in section 110 can take in coins C that have dropped from an opening H of the guide section 120 by starting rotation of the inclined disk based on detection of the passage of coins C by a sensor section 140. Furthermore, the take-in section 110 that has taken in coins C can discharge the taken-in coins C one by one to a coin sorter 300 at a downstream stage.

[0031] The foreign object removal unit 150 is a mechanism for removing foreign objects other than coins C that have entered through the opening H of the guide section 120, and is provided below the guide section 120 and the take-in section 110. Specifically, the foreign object removal unit 150 rises up to the upper surface of the guide section 120 where the opening H is provided, thereby being able to remove foreign objects that have entered inside through the opening H of the guide section 120.

[0032] Here, the guide path 130 may be attached to the front door 400 side of the coin processing device. The front door 400 is an openable and closable door provided on the front of the housing of the coin processing device. The front door 400 is normally locked, but is unlocked, for example, by a worker performing maintenance on the coin processing device. By opening the front door 400, the worker performing maintenance on the coin processing device can inspect, operate, repair, and replace each component inside the coin processing device. By attaching the guide path 130 to the front door 400 side, the guide path 130 is separated from the guide unit 120 when the front door 400 is in the open state.

[0033] For example, the guide path 130 may be attached to the front door 400 at a height that does not interfere with the upper surface on which the opening H of the guide unit 120 is provided when the front door 400 is closed. This makes it possible for the coin processing device to prevent interference between the guide unit 120 and the guide path 130 due to opening and closing of the front door 400. In addition, when removing a foreign object from the opening H, the foreign object removal unit 150 rises up to the upper surface on which the opening H of the guide unit 120 is provided. Therefore, by attaching the guide path 130 to the front door 400 at a height that does not interfere with the upper surface on which the opening H of the guide unit 120 is provided, it is possible to avoid interference with the foreign object removal unit 150.

[0034] Furthermore, when the guide path 130 is attached to the front door 400 side, a clearance for misalignment caused by opening and closing of the front door 400 can be formed in the gap between the guide path 130 and the guide unit 120. Therefore, the coin processing device can further reduce the influence of misalignment between the mechanism on the front door 400 side and the mechanism inside the coin processing device that may occur when the front door 400 is opened and closed.

[0035] The coin processing device according to this embodiment is capable of collectively inserting a plurality of coins C in a substantially horizontal state into the insertion unit 210, and is also capable of smoothly guiding the inserted coins C from the insertion unit 210 to the take-up unit 110. Therefore, the coin processing device according to this embodiment can further reduce clogging of the coins C between the insertion unit 210 and the take-up unit 110.

[0036] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 100 Coin batch input unit 110 Intake section 120 Guide part 130 Taxiway 140 Sensor section 150 Foreign object removal unit 200 Inlet 210 Input section 300 Coin sorter 400 Front door C coin H opening

Claims

1. An insertion section into which coins are inserted in a substantially horizontal position; a guide path through which the coin inserted into the insertion portion slides down while remaining in the substantially horizontal state; A guide section is provided downstream of the guide path and guides the coins falling from the guide path to a destination. A take-in unit is provided downstream of the guide unit and takes in the coins. A coin processing device comprising:

2. The coin processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the take-in unit takes in the coins dropping from the guide path through an opening provided in the guide unit.

3. The coin processing device further includes a front door that is openable and closable on a front surface of the housing of the coin processing device. The front door has the insertion section provided on the front side and the guideway provided on the rear side, The coin processing device according to claim 2 , wherein the guide path is provided such that a terminal position of the guide path matches a position of the opening of the guide portion when the front door is in a closed state.

4. A sensor unit that detects the passage of the coin through the guide unit is further provided. The coin processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the coin take-in unit starts taking in the coins based on detection by the sensor unit.

5. The coin processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the guide path is a ramp.

6. The coin processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the insertion portion is provided in a trapezoidal dish shape.

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