Coin insertion prevention structure

Abstract

The present invention provides a coin insertion prevention structure that can prevent the continuous insertion of coins into the coin slot. [Solution] The continuous coin insertion prevention structure 10 of the present disclosure comprises a chute 20 and a pair of pendulum members 30, each of which integrally has a coin receiving portion 34, a coin insertion restricting portion 35, a weight portion 36, and a flywheel 33, and is rotatable from an initial position to a predetermined position, the coin insertion restricting portion 35 in the initial position is positioned to allow coins to pass downward from between the coin insertion restricting portions 35, and the coin receiving portion 34 in the initial position is positioned to receive coins that have passed between the coin insertion restricting portions 35 from below, and when the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate from the initial position to the other side, the coin receiving portions 34 move apart from each other to allow coins to pass downward from between the coin receiving portions 34, and the coin insertion restricting portions 35 move closer to each other to restrict coins to pass downward from between the coin insertion restricting portions 35.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a structure for preventing continuous coin insertion from a coin insertion slot.

Background Art

[0002] Generally, in a money processing apparatus equipped with a coin sorter, the coin insertion slot is installed outside the housing, and a coin passage connecting the coin insertion slot and the coin sorter installed inside the housing is arranged toward the coin sorter.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coin sorting device. This coin sorting device includes a coin diameter check cradle and a limit lever. This cradle has front and rear engagement pieces protruding substantially at right angles from a plate-shaped body, and the plate-shaped body is pivotally attached to one side plate of the coin sorting passage by a pivot pin so as to be rotatable. The front and rear engagement pieces project into the coin sorting passage through arc-shaped groove holes provided in the side plate. The cradle is balanced such that when a coin catches on the front and rear engagement pieces and rides on the cradle, the cradle rotates forward about the pivot pin. The limit lever has a engaging piece and a limit stopper piece at the upper end of a vertical lever arm and is pivotally attached to the side plate. The engaging piece of the limit lever projects into the coin sorting passage above the front engagement piece of the cradle and engages with the front outer peripheral edge of the coin that has ridden on the cradle. The limit stopper piece of the limit lever engages with the front part of the limit lever to prevent the cradle from rotating forward when the coin is larger than the regular diameter.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] Incidentally, in the case of vending machines and other devices equipped with coin sorters, the coin slot is usually located on the front of the casing, but in some cases, the coin slot is located on the top of the casing.

[0006] When the coin slot is located on the front of the machine, it takes time for coins to reach the coin sorter from the slot due to the need to change the orientation of coins inserted horizontally to vertical, as well as frictional resistance generated during horizontal movement. As a result, even when coins are inserted continuously into the slot, they tend not to stick together.

[0007] On the other hand, when the coin slot is located on the top of the machine, unlike when coins are inserted horizontally, coins that fall vertically will fall under their own weight with less frictional resistance, and will reach the coin sorter more quickly. Therefore, if coins are inserted continuously into the coin slot, the subsequent coins may catch up in the chute or at the entrance to the coin sorter, potentially causing a coin jam. If a coin jam occurs, it may be necessary to operate the return lever or call an attendant, which could disrupt smooth payment processing.

[0008] In the coin sorting device cradle described in Patent Document 1, coins smaller than a predetermined size pass through the front and rear engaging pieces of the cradle and fall, making it difficult to prevent continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot.

[0009] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a coin insertion prevention structure that can prevent the continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a coin continuous insertion prevention structure for preventing the continuous insertion of coins from a coin slot located on the top surface of a housing, comprising: a chute that partitions a coin passage extending downward from the coin slot inside; and a pair of pendulum members arranged on both sides of the width direction intersecting the vertical direction of the chute, and rotatably supported in the chute about a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to both the vertical and width directions, wherein the pair of pendulum members include a coin receiving portion and a coin throwing portion. The pendulum member integrally comprises a coin insertion restriction section, a first weight section provided to rotate the pendulum member toward one side in the rotational direction, and a second weight section for increasing the overall mass of the pendulum member. It is rotatable from an initial position on one side to a predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction, and the coin insertion restriction sections of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extend upward from the rotation axis side, allowing coins inserted from the coin slot to pass downward between the coin insertion restriction sections. The pendulum members are positioned such that the coin receiving portion of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extends inward in the width direction from the rotation axis side, and is positioned to receive coins that have passed between the coin insertion restricting portions from below. The weight of the first weight portion is set to allow the pendulum member to rotate to the other side due to the weight of the coin when the coin strikes the coin receiving portion from above in the initial position. The second weight portion is positioned such that the pendulum member does not lose balance, with the rotation axis as the center. The pair of pendulum members are arranged to be balanced, and when a coin strikes the coin receiving portion from above in the initial position and the weight of the coin causes the pair of pendulum members to rotate to the other side against the weight of the first weight portion, the coin receiving portions of the pair of pendulum members move apart from each other, allowing the coin to pass downward from between the coin receiving portions, and the coin insertion restricting portions of the pair of pendulum members move closer to each other, restricting the passage of the coin inserted from the coin slot downward from between the coin insertion restricting portions.

[0011] A second aspect of the present invention is a coin insertion prevention structure according to the first aspect, wherein the second weight portion is a flywheel provided around the rotation axis.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is a continuous coin insertion prevention structure according to the first or second aspect, wherein the height position for arranging the pair of pendulum members relative to the coin slot is set to a height position such that at least a portion of the coin is exposed upward from the coin slot when the coin insertion restrictor restricts the downward passage of the coin inserted from the coin slot. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a coin insertion prevention structure that can prevent the continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram illustrating a housing to which a continuous coin insertion prevention structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, where (A) shows the view from the front, (B) shows the view from the side, and (C) shows the view from above. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 1(A). [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 1(B). [Figure 4] This is a plan view of the pendulum component. [Figure 5] This is a view of the pendulum component from the direction of the white arrow in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This diagram illustrates the movement of a pair of pendulum members, where (A) shows the initial position, (B) shows the state after the previous coin has been inserted, and (C) shows the state in which the insertion of the next coin is restricted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] In each diagram, the X direction represents the vertical direction, the Y direction represents the depth direction, and the Z direction represents the width direction. The vertical direction is the vertical direction when the casing is installed, and the direction indicated by arrow X is upward. The depth direction is the direction corresponding to the thickness of the coin when inserted into the coin slot, and the direction indicated by arrow Y is the front side. The width direction is the direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) both the vertical and depth directions, and the direction indicated by arrow Z is the inside of the width direction. The inside of the width direction means the direction toward the center of the width direction, and the outside of the width direction means the direction away from the center of the width direction. The depth direction is sometimes referred to as the front-to-back direction, in which case the front side of the depth direction is the front and the back side is the rear. The width direction is sometimes referred to as the left-to-right direction, and the left-to-right direction means the left-to-right direction when the casing is viewed from the front side. The dashed line CL indicates the axis of rotation (axis) of the pendulum member. Furthermore, in the following explanation, "radial direction" refers to the radial direction centered on the axis of rotation of the pendulum member.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a housing to which a continuous coin insertion prevention structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, where (A) is a view from the front, (B) is a view from the side, and (C) is a view from above. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 1(A). Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 1(B). Figure 4 is a plan view of the pendulum member. Figure 5 is a view of the pendulum member taken from the direction of the white arrow in Figure 4. Note that in Figure 1, for clarity, the side plates of the housing are shown with dashed lines, and the inside of the housing is shown with solid lines.

[0018] (Structure to prevent continuous coin insertion) As shown in FIG. 1, the coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a structure for preventing continuous insertion of coins inserted from a coin insertion port 2 (see FIG. 1(C)) disposed on the top surface 1a of a housing 1. In this housing 1, the coins inserted from the coin insertion port 2 are sorted by type by a coin sorter 3 disposed below the coin insertion port 2. The coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 prevents coin jams in the chute 20 and at the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorter 3 by preventing continuous insertion of coins. The housing 1 is not particularly limited as long as it has a coin insertion port 2 on the top surface 1a, and examples thereof include a paid copying machine installed in a convenience store or the like.

[0019] (Housing) As shown in FIG. 1(C), a coin insertion port 2 is provided on the upper surface (top surface 1a) of the top plate 1T of the housing 1. The coin insertion port 2 of the present embodiment is provided horizontally in the width direction such that the Y direction (depth direction) is the thickness direction of the coin and the Z direction (width direction) is the diameter direction of the coin. As shown in FIGS. 1(A) and (B), the coin sorter 3 is disposed inside the housing 1. The coin inlet 3a of the coin sorter 3 is disposed at a position spaced below the top plate 1T of the housing 1. The coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 according to the present embodiment is provided between the coin insertion port 2 of the housing 1 and the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorter 3.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 includes a chute 20 that partitions a coin passage 21 inside, and a pair of pendulum members 30 rotatably supported by the chute 20.

[0021] (Chute) As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the chute 20 is a vertically extending member that internally partitions the coin passage 21, which is the passage through which coins inserted from the coin slot 2 pass. It is positioned between the top plate 1T of the housing 1 and the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorting machine 3. The coin passage 21 extends downward from the coin slot 2. The cross-sectional shape of the chute 20 perpendicular to the vertical direction is elongated horizontally, with a longer width and a shorter depth. The upper end of the chute 20 is fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 1T. The opening at the upper end of the chute 20 is formed to be at least larger than the coin slot 2 and communicates with the coin slot 2. The opening at the lower end of the chute 20 is located above the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorting machine 3 and faces the coin inlet 3a. Coins inserted from the coin slot 2 and passing downward through the coin passage 21 of the chute 20 fall into the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorting machine 3.

[0022] (A pair of pendulum members) As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned on both sides of the chute 20 in the width direction. The pair of pendulum members 30 are rotatably supported on the chute 20 around a rotation axis CL that extends in the depth direction (a direction perpendicular to both the vertical and width directions). The pair of pendulum members 30 are rotatable independently of each other.

[0023] Each pair of pendulum members 30 has a shaft portion 31 extending in the depth direction with respect to the rotation axis CL, a Y-shaped main body portion 32 integrally provided on the shaft portion 31, and a circular flywheel (second weight portion) 33 integrally provided on the shaft portion 31. The main body portion 32 is provided with a coin receiving portion 34 (described later), a coin insertion restricting portion 35, and a weight portion (first weight portion) 36 provided to rotate the pendulum member 30 toward one side in the rotation direction. In other words, each pair of pendulum members 30 integrally has the coin receiving portion 34, the coin insertion restricting portion 35, the weight portion 36, and the flywheel 33. Since the pair of pendulum members 30 are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides of the chute 20 and have substantially the same configuration, the following description will focus on one pendulum member 30, and the description of the other pendulum member 30 will be omitted.

[0024] The pair of pendulum members 30 are rotatable from an initial position on one side in the direction of rotation (the position of the pendulum member 30 shown in Figure 3) to a predetermined position on the other side in the direction of rotation (not shown). "One side in the direction of rotation" is the direction of rotation in which the outer side in the width direction of the pair of pendulum members 30 is directed downward. Specifically, in Figure 3, the left pendulum member 30 is directed counterclockwise, and in Figure 3, the right pendulum member 30 is directed clockwise. "The other side in the direction of rotation" is the opposite direction to "one side," and is the direction of rotation in which the outer side in the width direction of the pair of pendulum members 30 is directed upward.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the initial position of the pendulum member 30 is a position where rotation of the pendulum member 30 to one side in the rotational direction is restricted, and in this embodiment, it is a position where a part of the main body 32 (the coin insertion restricting part 35, described later) contacts the inner surface of the chute 20. The predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction is a position where rotation of the pendulum member 30 to the other side in the rotational direction is restricted, and in this embodiment, it is a position where a part of the main body 32 (the coin receiving part 34, described later) contacts the inner surface of the chute 20. In this embodiment, the predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction is the position where the pendulum member 30 is further rotated to the other side from the state shown in Figure 6(C), and the coin receiving part 34, described later, contacts the inner surface of the chute 20. In the following description, the predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction will be referred to as the "maximum rotation position".

[0026] (Shaft section) As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the shaft portion 31 of the pendulum member 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the depth direction in this embodiment and is rotatably supported in the chute 20 about the rotation axis CL. The method of rotatably providing the shaft portion 31 of the pendulum member 30 in the chute 20 is not particularly limited, but for example, in this embodiment, the shaft portion 31 is rotatably supported in the chute 20 by passing it through front and rear openings (not shown) provided in both walls of the chute 20 in the depth direction. That is, the shaft portion 31 includes a region that is positioned within the coin passage 21.

[0027] (Main body) As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the main body 32 is formed in a plate shape that intersects the axial direction of the shaft 31 and is integrally provided in the region of the shaft 31 located within the chute 20. The main body 32 is formed in a Y shape having a coin receiving portion 34, a coin insertion restricting portion 35, and a weight portion 36 that extend radially outward from the shaft 31 side in three different directions. The coin receiving portion 34 and the coin insertion restricting portion 35 extend radially outward from the shaft 31 side on the opposite side from the weight portion 36, and they move further apart from each other as they move radially outward. The coin receiving portion 34 and the coin insertion restricting portion 35 are provided symmetrically with respect to the extension direction of the weight portion 36 (up and down direction in Figure 4).

[0028] (First weight section) The weight portion (first weight portion) 36 of the main body portion 32 extends linearly outward in the radial direction from the shaft portion 31 side. As shown in Figure 3, in the pendulum member 30 in its initial position, the weight portion 36 extends downward outward in the radial direction from the shaft portion 31 side, in a direction that is inclined with respect to both the vertical and width directions. In this embodiment, the weight portion 36 is inserted through the side opening 22 provided in the chute 20 from the inside to the outside in the width direction, and the tip of the weight portion 36 is located outside the chute 20. The weight portion 36 has a weight 36a at its tip (outer end in the radial direction). That is, the weight portion 36 is provided to rotate the pendulum member 30 toward one side in the rotation direction. In this embodiment, the weight 36a functions as a weight by being formed thicker in the depth direction than other areas of the weight portion 36, but is not limited to this, and for example, a member with a higher specific gravity than other areas of the weight portion 36 may be fixed as the weight 36a. The vertical length of the side opening 22 of the chute 20 is set to a length that allows rotation (tilting of the weight portion 36) of the pendulum member 30 between its initial position and its maximum rotation position.

[0029] The weight of the weight 36a of the weight section 36 is set to allow the pendulum member 30 to rotate to the other side due to the weight of the coin when the coin strikes the coin receiving section 34 from above in the initial position shown in Figure 3 (described later). In this embodiment, the weight of the weight 36a of the weight section 36 is set to allow the pendulum member 30 to rotate to the other side due to the weight of the lightest coin (for example, a 1-yen coin). Furthermore, the weight of the weight 36a of the weight section 36 is set to allow the pendulum member 30 at the maximum rotation position to naturally return to the initial position. In other words, the weight balance provided by the weight section 36 is set to allow the passage of the lightest coin and to allow the pendulum member 30 to naturally return to the initial position.

[0030] (Coin insertion control section) The coin insertion restricting section 35 of the main body 32 is located inside the chute 20 (coin passage 21) and is a part that contacts the continuously inserted coins from below to restrict the continuous insertion of coins. As shown in Figure 3, the coin insertion restricting section 35 extends upward from the shaft 31 side of the pendulum member 30 in the initial position. The distance between the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in the initial position (the distance between them in the width direction) is set to be greater than the diameter of the largest coin (for example, a 500 yen coin). That is, the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in the initial position extend upward from the rotation axis CL side and are positioned to allow coins inserted from the coin slot 2 to pass downward between the coin insertion restricting sections 35. Also, the distance between the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in the maximum rotation position is set to be smaller than the diameter of the smallest coin (for example, a 1 yen coin). In other words, the coin insertion restricting section 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the maximum rotation position will block the coin passage 21 to the extent that it restricts the passage of coins.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the coin insertion restricting portion 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial position abuts against the inner surface located above the side opening 22 of the chute 20, restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to one side back to the initial position. However, the method of restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to one side back to the initial position is not limited to this; for example, it may be restricted by the weight portion 36 abutting against the lower edge of the side opening 22 of the chute 20.

[0032] (Coin receiving section) The coin receiving portion 34 of the main body 32 is located inside the chute 20 (coin passage 21) and is the part that receives coins from below as they pass between the coin insertion restricting portions 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30, thereby rotating the pendulum members 30. As shown in Figure 3, the coin receiving portion 34 extends inward in the width direction from the shaft portion 31 side of the pendulum member 30 in its initial position. The distance between the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial position (the distance between them in the width direction) is set to be smaller than the diameter of the smallest coin (for example, a 1 yen coin) and to a distance where they do not come into contact with each other. That is, the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial position extend inward in the width direction from the rotation axis CL side and are positioned to receive coins from below as they pass between the coin insertion restricting portions 35. Furthermore, the distance between the coin-receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the maximum rotation position is set to be greater than the diameter of the largest coin (for example, a 500 yen coin). In other words, coins caught by the coin-receiving portions 34 fall downward from between the coin-receiving portions 34 as the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate from the initial position to the maximum rotation position.

[0033] In this embodiment, the coin-receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the maximum rotation position abut against the inner surface located below the side opening 22 of the chute 20, restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to the other side up to the position of the coin-receiving portions 34. However, the method of restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to the other side up to the maximum rotation position is not limited to this, and for example, it may be restricted by the weight portion 36 abutting against the upper edge of the side opening 22 of the chute 20.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, the edge 37 of the main body 32 opposite to the weight portion 36, which is formed by the edges of the coin receiving portion 34 and the coin insertion restricting portion 35, is formed in an arc shape. The edge 37 of the main body 32 opens upward inward in the width direction in its initial position. This allows coins that have passed outside the width direction of the coin passage 21 between the coin insertion restricting portions 35 to be smoothly guided to the tip side of the coin receiving portion 34 (towards the center in the width direction of the coin passage 21).

[0035] (2nd weight section) The second weight section (flywheel 33 in this embodiment) is a part that increases the overall mass of the pendulum member 30 and applies an inertial force in the rotational direction to the main body 32 due to that mass. The second weight section is provided so as to be balanced around the rotation axis CL so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member 30 (weight balance by the weight section 36). Note that being balanced around the rotation axis CL means that the balance of the second weight section alone is balanced with respect to the rotation axis CL which extends in the vertical direction.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the second weight portion of this embodiment is a flywheel 33 provided around the rotation axis CL and is formed in a disc shape. The flywheel 33 is integrally provided in the region of the shaft portion 31 outside the chute 20 (for example, the rear end outside the chute 20) (see Figure 2). The center of gravity of the flywheel 33 is set to coincide with the axis of the rotation axis CL. In this way, the flywheel 33 is provided so as to be balanced around the rotation axis CL so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member 30. In this embodiment, the tip of the coin receiving portion 34 of the main body portion 32, the tip of the coin insertion restricting portion 35, and the tip of the weight portion 36 are located radially outside the outer edge of the flywheel 33. Note that the shape of the flywheel 33 is not limited to a disc shape, but any shape that can ensure the function of a flywheel is acceptable, for example, it may be a polygonal plate shape, or a shape in which a plurality of arm-shaped members extend radially outward from the rotation axis CL.

[0037] In this embodiment, a flywheel 33 is used as the second weight section, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a member with a relatively high specific gravity may be fixed to the main body 32 so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member 30 (weight balance by the weight section 36). Specifically, when the Y-shaped main body 32 is viewed from the axial direction of the rotation axis CL (as shown in Figure 4), a member that functions as a weight (for example, a member with a high specific gravity) may be fixed to the coin receiving section 34, the coin insertion restricting section 35, and the weight section 36 at positions where the distance from the rotation axis CL is the same and the central angle at the rotation axis CL is 120 degrees.

[0038] The mass of the second weight section (flywheel 33 in this embodiment) is set such that, after the first coin is inserted, the interval between inserting the next coin reaches a desired minimum insertion interval (minimum time interval), the pendulum member 30 maintains a state in which it can restrict the continuous insertion of the next coin, and after the minimum insertion interval has elapsed, the pendulum member 30 becomes a state in which it can allow the insertion of the next coin.

[0039] (Pendulum position) The height position for positioning the pair of pendulum members 30 relative to the coin slot 2 is set such that, with the coin insertion restricting unit 35 restricting the downward passage of coins inserted from the coin slot 2, at least a portion of the coins are exposed upward from the coin slot 2 (see Figure 6(C)). Specifically, the height position for positioning the pair of pendulum members 30 relative to the coin slot 2 is set such that, with the pair of pendulum members 30 at their maximum rotation position restricting the continuous insertion of coins of the smallest diameter (e.g., 1-yen coins), at least a portion of the said coins are exposed upward from the coin slot 2.

[0040] (Movement of the pendulum component) Next, we will explain the movement of the pendulum members. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of a pair of pendulum members, where (A) shows the initial position, (B) shows the state after the previous coin has been inserted, and (C) shows the state in which the insertion of the next coin is restricted.

[0041] Before a coin is inserted, as shown in Figure 3, the pair of pendulum members 30 are in their initial position due to the weight of the weight section 36.

[0042] When a coin X1 is inserted, as shown in Figure 6(A), the coin X1 passes downward between the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial positions. Having passed downward between the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial positions, the coin X1 comes into contact with the coin receiving section 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial positions from above.

[0043] When the coin X1 strikes the coin receiving portion 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 from above in their initial position, the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate from their initial position to the other side due to the weight of the coin X1, against the weight of the weight portion 36, as shown in Figure 6(B). As the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate from their initial position to the other side, the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 move apart from each other outward in the width direction.

[0044] As shown in Figure 6(C), when the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 are further spaced apart outward in the width direction, they allow the passage of a coin X1 downward from between the coin receiving portions 34. At the same time, as shown in Figure 6(C), the coin insertion restricting portions 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 move closer together inward in the width direction, restricting the passage of the next coin X2 inserted from the coin slot 2 downward from between the coin insertion restricting portions 35.

[0045] Furthermore, after the coin X1 passes downward between the coin receiving sections 34, the pair of pendulum members 30 will rotate to one side and attempt to return to their initial position due to the weight of the weight section 36 (weight balance). At this time, after the coin X1 passes downward between the coin receiving sections 34 and until the minimum insertion interval has elapsed, the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned in a rotational position that restricts the continuous insertion of the next coin X2 due to the function (inertia) of the second weight section (flywheel 33 in this embodiment). Then, after the coin X1 has passed downward between the coin receiving sections 34 and the minimum insertion interval has elapsed, the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned in a rotational position that allows the insertion of the next coin.

[0046] In the coin insertion prevention structure 10 configured as described above, when a coin comes into contact with the coin receiving portion 34 in its initial position and rotates to the other side, the pair of pendulum members 30 move apart from each other, allowing the coin to pass downward, while the coin insertion restricting portions 35 move closer together, restricting the passage of coins inserted from the coin slot 2 downward between the coin insertion restricting portions 35. As a result, coins inserted earlier can be guided to the coin sorting machine 3, and the passage of coins inserted later below the coin insertion restricting portions 35 can be restricted.

[0047] Furthermore, the pair of pendulum members 30 are equipped with a second weight section (flywheel 33 in this embodiment) that is balanced around the rotation axis CL so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum members 30, in order to increase the overall mass of the pendulum members 30. Therefore, unlike when the rotation of the pendulum members 30 is controlled by the weight section 36 alone, it is possible to prevent continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot 2 while keeping the weight of the weight section 36 (weight of weight 36a) light. For example, in order to accommodate (allow the passage of) the lightest coin (e.g., a 1 yen coin), it is necessary to minimize the weight of the weight section 36. However, if the second weight section is not provided, minimizing the weight of the weight section 36 would make the pendulum members themselves too light, so after the coins have passed, the pendulum members would return to their initial position too quickly, and even if the coin insertion interval is shorter than the desired minimum insertion interval, it may not be possible to prevent continuous insertion of coins. In the coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 configured as described above, since it is equipped with a second weight section, the mass of the pendulum member 30 itself can be increased by the mass of the second weight section without affecting the weight balance of the weight section 36. As a result, if the interval between coin insertions is shorter than the minimum insertion interval, continuous coin insertion can be prevented, and if the interval is longer than the minimum insertion interval, new coins can be inserted.

[0048] Thus, according to this embodiment, a coin insertion prevention structure 10 is available that can prevent the continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot 2.

[0049] Furthermore, by providing a flywheel 33 as a second weight section, the mass of the pendulum member 30 itself can be easily increased without affecting the weight balance provided by the weight section 36.

[0050] Furthermore, the height position at which the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned relative to the coin slot 2 is set such that, when the coin insertion restrictor 35 restricts the downward passage of coins, at least a portion of the coin is exposed upward from the coin slot 2. Therefore, when a coin is restricted from being inserted, the user can easily remove the coin from the coin slot 2. This makes it possible to easily resolve coin jams caused by coins whose insertion is restricted by the coin insertion restrictor 35 without having to operate the return lever or call an attendant.

[0051] Furthermore, since the pair of pendulum members 30 are symmetrically arranged on both sides in the width direction of the chute 20, unlike when they are arranged on only one side, it becomes possible to handle the mixed insertion of multiple types of coins (six denominations in Japan).

[0052] In this embodiment, the main body 32 is Y-shaped, having a coin receiving section 34, a coin insertion restricting section 35, and a weight section 36. However, the shape of the main body 32 is not limited to Y-shape. For example, it may be a crescent-shaped main body with a part of the outer edge of a circular shape cut out in an arc shape. In this case, the protruding part on one side of the cut-out portion of the crescent-shaped main body may function as the coin receiving section, the protruding part on the other side may function as the coin insertion restricting section, and the weight section may be provided on the opposite side.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the weight portion 36 is exposed to the outside from the chute 20, but it is not limited to this, and may be placed inside the chute 20 (coin passage 21).

[0054] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and can naturally be modified as appropriate without departing from the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, and operational techniques made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are of course included in the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 1: Cabinet 1a: Top surface 2: Coin slot 10: Structure to prevent continuous coin insertion 20: Shoot 21: Coin aisle 30: A pair of pendulum members 33: Flywheel (second weight section) 34: Coin receiving section 35: Coin insertion control unit 36: Weight Section (First Weight Section)

Claims

1. A coin insertion prevention structure that prevents the continuous insertion of coins into a coin slot located on the top surface of the casing, A chute that partitions the coin passage extending downward from the coin slot, The system comprises a pair of pendulum members positioned on both sides of the chute in the width direction intersecting the vertical direction, and rotatably supported by the chute around a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to both the vertical and width directions, The pair of pendulum members each integrally comprises a coin receiving portion, a coin insertion restricting portion, a first weight portion provided to rotate the pendulum member toward one side in the rotational direction, and a second weight portion for increasing the overall mass of the pendulum member, and is rotatable from an initial position on one side to a predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction. The coin insertion restricting portion of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extends upward from the rotation axis side and is positioned to allow coins inserted from the coin slot to pass downward between the coin insertion restricting portions. The coin receiving portion of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extends inward in the width direction from the rotation axis side and is positioned to receive coins that have passed between the coin insertion restricting portions from below. The weight of the first weight portion is set to a weight that allows the pendulum member to rotate to the other side due to the weight of the coin when the coin strikes the coin receiving portion from above in the initial position. The second weight portion is provided so as to balance around the rotation axis without disrupting the balance of the pendulum member. When a coin strikes the coin receiving portion of the pair of pendulum members from above in the initial position, and the weight of the coin causes the pendulum members to rotate against the weight of the first weight portion, the coin receiving portions of the pair of pendulum members move apart from each other, allowing the coin to pass downward between the coin receiving portions, and the coin insertion restricting portions of the pair of pendulum members move closer together, restricting the passage of the coin inserted from the coin slot downward between the coin insertion restricting portions. A coin insertion prevention structure characterized by the following features.

2. The second weight portion is a flywheel provided around the rotation axis. The coin insertion prevention structure according to feature 1.

3. The height position for positioning the pair of pendulum members relative to the coin slot is set such that, while the coin insertion restrictor restricts the downward passage of coins inserted from the coin slot, at least a portion of the coins are exposed upward from the coin slot. The coin continuous insertion prevention structure according to claim 1 or 2.

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