Ticket vending machine

Abstract

The objective is to provide a ticket vending machine that efficiently arranges the coin sorter, coin passage, and printer, thereby securing sufficient space within the casing for other auxiliary equipment. [Solution] A ticket vending machine comprising a coin sorter for sorting coins by type, a coin passage for dispensing coins, and a printer for printing tickets, wherein the coin sorter, the coin passage, and the printer are arranged vertically in this order, and the coin passage is positioned such that its side panels cover the printer, and the majority of the printer cannot be exposed unless the coin passage is lifted and removed, but even if the front door pivotally supported by the housing is opened, the coin sorter obstructs the opening, preventing the coin passage from being lifted upwards.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ticket vending machine.

Background Art

[0002] As a ticket vending machine having a function of issuing tickets for products, services, etc., there is one that limits the types of currencies that can be used to only coins or coins and low-denomination banknotes. In such a ticket vending machine, in order to handle banknotes or high-denomination banknotes as well, a ticket vending machine expansion device that is coupled to the ticket vending machine main body as an option device and expands the function so that banknotes or high-denomination banknotes can also be used may be provided (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It seems there is a missing number in the ID sequence. Please check and correct if necessary.Figure 8 shows a conventional ticket vending machine 100P that limits the types of currency that can be used to coins. However, Figure 8 is drawn to show the inside of the casing by not depicting the rotatable front door located on the front. The conventional ticket vending machine 100P is equipped with a coin sorter 3P located approximately in the center of the casing 1P, and a coin passage 4P that guides the coins discharged from the coin sorter 3P as change to the dispensing opening. In addition, the conventional ticket vending machine 100P is equipped with a printer 5P loaded with printing roll paper 5P1 above the dispensing opening, and the tickets printed from the printer are issued in a location close to the dispensing opening from which the coins are dispensed, so that the ticket dispensing opening (tray) and the change dispensing opening (tray) can be used together. Being able to take out tickets and change from one place at the same time is convenient for customers. In Figure 8, 3P3 is an auxiliary change dispenser that holds 10-yen and 100-yen coins to compensate for the possibility that the coin sorting machine 3P alone may not be able to provide enough change. 4P2 is an overflow coin storage box that stores coins that overflow, in case the number of coins inserted exceeds the capacity of the coin sorting machine 3P.

[0005] Incidentally, it goes without saying that it would be more convenient if the banknote sorter and banknote dispenser could be centrally located within a single enclosure. However, as shown in Figure 8, in the conventional ticket vending machine 100P, the coin sorter 3P, auxiliary change dispenser 3P3, coin passage 4P, overflow coin storage box 4P2, and payout opening are arranged within almost the entire left and right area of ​​the enclosure 1P, making it impossible to secure space for the banknote sorter and other devices. This is why the aforementioned ticket vending machine expansion device was adopted. On the other hand, in order to arrange the banknote sorter and other devices within the same enclosure, it is conceivable to arrange the existing internal components vertically to secure space for other devices such as the banknote sorter. In this way, the feature of being able to use the ticket dispensing opening (tray) and the change dispensing opening (tray) for both purposes can also be maintained.

[0006] On the other hand, another problem arises. In the conventional ticket vending machine 100P, the space above the printer 5P is open, so necessary maintenance such as replacing the print roll paper 5P1 can be performed without any problems. However, if, for example, the coin sorter and printer are placed one above the other, and the coins are routed to avoid the printer's location, and the ticket dispensing area (tray) and change dispensing area (tray) are to be used interchangeably, the coin passage shown in Figure 8 must be placed towards the back of the casing, making the depth dimension impractical, and since the coin sorter is located above, printer maintenance work also becomes difficult.

[0007] This invention was made against this backdrop, and aims to provide a ticket vending machine that efficiently arranges a coin sorter, coin passage, and printer, while securing effective space within the casing for other auxiliary devices. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the ticket vending machine according to the present invention is a ticket vending machine equipped with a coin sorter for sorting coins by type, a coin passage for dispensing coins, and a printer for printing tickets inside the housing, wherein the coin sorter, the coin passage and the printer are arranged vertically in this order, and the coin passage is arranged such that its side panels cover the printer, and the majority of the printer area cannot be exposed unless the coin passage is lifted and removed, however, even if the front door pivotally supported on the housing is opened, the coin sorter obstructs the coin passage, making it impossible to lift it upwards.

[0009] This configuration allows the coin sorter, coin passage, and printer to be arranged vertically, while the areas for the coin passage and printer partially overlap. This reduces the depth and height of the components, and allows the ticket and change dispensing trays to be combined. On the other hand, there is ample space in the width direction within the enclosure, making it easy to place other auxiliary devices. As for printer maintenance, if the coin sorter is made movable or detachable, this can be done by removing the coin passage.

[0010] In a first aspect of the present invention, the coin sorter is rotatable and can be rotated to be positioned at the back of the housing during maintenance, and is configured so that the coin passage can be lifted upward and removed when rotated. This configuration makes it easy to perform maintenance on the printer.

[0011] In a second aspect of the present invention, assuming that the coin sorter is rotatable, the housing has a middle rail located on the back of the front door and positioned at a height that fits within the upper and lower parts of the coin sorter, the middle rail having a shelf portion and a recess provided continuously with the shelf portion on its back, the coin sorter having a contact portion that protrudes at a predetermined height on the front and contacts the upper surface of the shelf portion when rotated, and the contact portion is configured to enter the recess during normal use. This configuration prevents rattling of the coin sorter in the rotational direction downward. It is preferable to configure the contact portion with a roller, as this can make the contact during rotation smoother.

[0012] In a third aspect of the present invention, assuming that the coin sorter is rotatable, the coin sorter has a protrusion on the upper front surface, and the housing has a forward-moving and forward-biased support for the protrusion at a position opposite the protrusion, and when the front door is closed, the support for the protrusion is pushed backward by the back surface of the front door and moves backward to sandwich the protrusion. This configuration prevents rattling in the rotational direction of the coin sorter from above. Furthermore, if the protrusion is made of a roller, it is preferable that the lateral displacement between the support for the protrusion and the coin sorter be smoothly resolved when the support moves backward.

[0013] In a fourth aspect of the present invention, the coin passage integrally includes an overflow coin storage box for storing overflowing coins. This configuration allows the overflow coin storage box to be positioned while keeping the depth and width dimensions low. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, the ticket vending machine allows for the efficient arrangement of a coin sorter, coin passage, and printer while keeping the size of the casing down, thereby securing effective space for arranging other auxiliary devices within the casing, and also provides a ticket vending machine that serves as both a ticket dispensing outlet (tray) and a change dispensing outlet (tray). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention with the front door open. [Figure 2] This figure shows the external appearance of a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view. [Figure 3] The diagram shows a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention with the front door removed, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view. [Figure 4]The diagram shows a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the front door removed and the middle rail omitted, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view. [Figure 5] This is a front view of a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the front door removed and the middle rail omitted, and showing the coin sorter rotated to the rear of the casing. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view illustrating the steps prior to maintenance work on a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention (without depicting the front door and middle rail), where (a) shows the machine in normal use, (b) shows the coin sorter rotated to the rear of the casing, and (c) shows the machine with the coin passage removed (however, the banknote sorter is not depicted). [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the coin slot in a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This is a front view of a conventional ticket vending machine, showing it with the front door removed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the following drawings are created for illustrative purposes and may intentionally omit components that are not necessary for the explanation in order to make them easier to understand. Also, components may be intentionally enlarged or reduced in size for illustrative purposes and are not drawings that show an accurate scale. In the following description, the same reference numerals in different figures indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate. The embodiments of the present invention include, but are not limited to, those shown.

[0017] (Regarding the overall configuration of the ticket vending machine) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention with its front door opened. FIG. 2 is a view showing the appearance of the ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view. FIG. 3 is a view showing the state of the ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention with its front door removed, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view.

[0018] The ticket vending machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a front door 2 with a locking mechanism, and inside the right side of the housing 1, there are provided a coin sorter 3 for sorting coin types, a coin passage 4 for dispensing coins, and a printer 5. The coin sorter 3, the coin passage 4, and the printer 5 are arranged vertically in this order. Also, in the center inside the housing 1, a banknote sorter 6 is provided, and on the left side inside the housing 1, a banknote dispenser 7 is provided. Further, on the right side surface of the housing 1, a card payment terminal 8 is provided.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 2(a), the ticket vending machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention has an area of an operation display unit 22 on its front door 2 for selectively displaying products and services (hereinafter referred to as products, etc.) that can be purchased or used by users. The operation display unit 22 has no direct relation to the present invention, and its specific configuration is not limited. For example, a large display device with a touch panel function for displaying various information such as images and characters representing products, prices, etc., push button images, deposit information, etc. can be used, and clear still images, videos, etc. can also be displayed on the display device. In particular, in a ticket vending machine in a restaurant, since it is important to appeal to customers about product information, the desire to purchase can be improved by using an effect with beautiful images and videos of products or by displaying detailed products, etc. in characters on a large screen. Of course, it may also be an old - type operation display unit in which a plurality of so - called mechanical keys composed of labels (or samples) representing products, etc. and push buttons with corresponding lamps are arranged.

[0020] Furthermore, in the ticket vending machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, a coin insertion section 21, a change dispensing section 23, a keyhole section 24, a ticket outlet 25, a banknote insertion section 26, and a change dispensing section 27 are arranged on its front door 2. Thus, the ticket vending machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention can accept not only coins but also banknotes. Because the change dispensing section 23 and the ticket outlet 25 are located close together, the ticket dispensing opening (tray) and the change dispensing opening (tray) are used together, allowing customers to conveniently take out both tickets and change at the same time.

[0021] The front door 2 can be opened and closed for maintenance of the ticket vending machine 100, and for replenishing the printing roll paper 51 used for change and ticket printing. The front door 2 is equipped with a locking function that normally keeps it locked, and the lock state of the front door 2 can be released by inserting a key (not shown) into the keyhole 24 and performing the unlocking operation. As shown in Figure 3, and as can be seen when the front door 2 is opened, the housing 1 has a central rail 11 connecting the left and right ends at a position in front of the coin sorter 3 at approximately the center height.

[0022] (Regarding each component of a ticket vending machine) The coin sorting machine 3 sorts the inserted coins and processes them for accounting. It consists of three parts: an acceptor, a cassette tube, and a payout section, and is also called a coin mechanism. While a detailed explanation is omitted, the acceptor identifies the type of coin inserted, the cassette tube feeds the sorted coins into the storage section, and the payout section dispenses the stored coins as change.

[0023] The coin passage 4 has a change passage section 41 that receives the change dispensed from the payout section of the coin sorting machine 3 and guides it to the change dispensing section 23. The coin passage 4 is positioned so that its side plates cover the printer 5. Although the area where the coin passage 4 is located and the area where the printer 5 is located partially overlap, the change passage section 41 extends downward around the printer 5, so that the change can be sent to the change dispensing section 23 without any problems. In addition, in this embodiment, the coin passage 4 also has an overflow coin storage box 42 that stores coins that have been inserted from the coin input section 21 but have overflowed because they could not be stored in the storage section. In other words, the coin passage in this embodiment is equipped with an overflow coin storage box 42 in addition to the change passage section 41. This will be described later.

[0024] The printer 5 prints the ticket surface using the printing medium supplied from the printing roll paper 51, and then issues the ticket by cutting it off with an appropriate cutting means. As shown in Figure 2, the ticket output slot 25 is located near the change dispensing unit 23, specifically directly below the change dispensing unit 23, so that the change and ticket are dispensed into the same outlet (tray). This is convenient for customers as they can take out their ticket and change from one place at the same time.

[0025] In the embodiment of the present invention, the ticket vending machine 100 has an overlapping configuration of the coin passage 4 and the printer 5, which allows the depth and height dimensions to be reduced, and enables the coin sorter 3, coin passage 4, and printer 5 to be arranged vertically. Furthermore, the ticket dispensing opening (tray) and the change dispensing opening (tray) can be used together. On the other hand, there is ample space in the width direction within the housing, making it easy to arrange other auxiliary devices. This embodiment is a ticket vending machine that can handle not only coins but also banknotes by including a banknote sorter 6 and a banknote dispenser 7.

[0026] The banknote sorting machine 6 sorts the inserted banknotes and processes them for accounting. Specifically, it identifies the denomination of the banknotes and determines their authenticity, and is also called a bill validator. The banknote sorting machine 6 only stores the inserted banknotes in a dedicated storage section and does not have the function of dispensing change as change bills, unlike a coin sorting machine. Therefore, the ticket vending machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a banknote dispensing machine 7 separately from the banknote sorting machine 6. The banknote dispensing machine 7 dispenses low-denomination banknotes stored in the storage section as change bills.

[0027] The card payment terminal 8 provided on the right side of the ticket vending machine 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention enables electronic payment using credit cards, electronic money, etc., and has a display unit and a card reader / writer.

[0028] Thus, the ticket vending machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is a highly functional device that efficiently arranges its internal components and can handle both banknote and card payments within a single housing. However, a portion of the printer 5, particularly the upper space where the print roll paper 51 is set, is covered by the coin passage 4, as shown in Figure 3. In this state, it is not possible to access the printer 5 to replace or replenish the print roll paper. Therefore, the ticket vending machine 100 according to this embodiment of the present invention employs an advantageous configuration suitable for maintenance. This will be explained below.

[0029] (Regarding configurations suitable for maintenance) Figure 4 shows a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the front door removed and the middle rail omitted, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view. Figure 5 is a front view of a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the front door removed and the middle rail omitted, showing the coin sorter rotated to the rear of the casing.

[0030] As shown in Figures 4(a) and 5, the coin sorter 3 is pivotally supported at the rear and is rotatable horizontally. Therefore, during maintenance, the coin sorter 3 can be rotated to the rear of the housing 1, and the coin passage 4 can be lifted upwards and removed. In addition, an auxiliary change dispenser 33 is connected to the coin sorter 3 on the rear side in Figure 4(a) or on the right side in Figure 5. The auxiliary change dispenser 33 holds 10 yen coins and 100 yen coins to address shortages of change.

[0031] Incidentally, as shown in Figure 3, the housing 1 is provided with a central rail 11 connecting both the left and right ends at a position in front of the coin sorter 3, near the center height, and at a height that fits within the vertical space of the coin sorter 3. The central rail 11 has a shelf portion 111 and a recess 112 that is continuously provided on the shelf portion 111 on its back side. Figure 4 does not depict the central rail 11, but the shelf portion 111 and the recess 112 are actually attached to the back of the central rail 11. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 4, the coin sorter 3 has a roller 31 as a contact portion that protrudes at a predetermined height on its front. The roller 31 is rotatable about an axis in the front-rear direction of the coin sorter 3. As the coin sorter 3 is rotated from a state where it is located at the back of the housing 1 for maintenance to a state where it is located on the right side of the housing 1 for normal use, the roller 31 rides up onto the shelf portion 111, rolls on the shelf portion 111, and eventually fits into the recess 112. When the roller 31 is fitted into the recess 112, rattling in the rotational direction of the coin sorter 3 can be prevented from below. Furthermore, while the contact portion is preferably made of a roller, it may also be made of a simple curved surface if it is made of a material with low surface friction and is slippery. Moreover, instead of a contact portion, rattling may be suppressed by a magnetic catch.

[0032] Furthermore, the coin sorter 3 also has a roller 32 as a protruding part on the upper front. The roller 32 is rotatable around the vertical axis of the coin sorter 3. On the other hand, the housing 1 has a roller receiving part (receiving part for the protruding part) that is movable back and forth and normally biased forward, located opposite the roller 32. When the front door 2 is closed, the roller receiving part (receiving part for the protruding part), which is biased forward, is pushed backward by the back of the front door 2 and moves backward, clamping the roller 32. When the roller 32 is clamped in the roller receiving part (receiving part for the protruding part), rattling in the rotational direction of the coin sorter 3 can be prevented from above. The upper protruding part may also be made of a shape other than a roller, or a magnetic catch may be used.

[0033] As shown in Figure 4, the coin passage 4 is positioned to cover the print roll paper 51 loaded in the printer 5. Therefore, the print roll paper 51 cannot be accessed without lifting and removing the coin passage 4. In the state shown in Figure 4(a), the coin sorter 3 is in the way, so the coin passage 4 cannot be lifted upwards. However, the ticket vending machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is rotatable horizontally and is configured to be positioned at the back of the housing 1. That is, in the state shown in Figure 5, the coin sorter 3 is not in the way, and the coin passage 4 can be lifted and removed. In Figure 5, the depth of the coin passage 4 does not reach the position of the coin sorter 3, and as can be seen by comparing it with Figure 3, there is sufficient space between the middle rail 11 and the coin passage 4, so there is no problem in lifting the coin passage 4. Once the coin passage 4 is removed, the print roll paper 51 is exposed, making it easy to perform maintenance such as replacement. The following describes the procedure for removing the coin slot during maintenance.

[0034] (Regarding the procedure for removing the coin slot before performing maintenance work) Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating the pre-maintenance process for a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention (without depicting the front door and middle rail), where (a) shows the machine in normal use, (b) shows the coin sorter rotated to the rear of the casing, and (c) shows the machine with the coin passage removed. However, the banknote sorter is intentionally omitted from Figure (c).

[0035] In the configuration shown in Figure 6(a), the coin sorter 3, coin passage 4, and printer 5 are arranged vertically, with the coin passage 4 covering most of the printer 5. The roller 31, which protrudes from a predetermined height on the front of the coin sorter 3, is fitted into a recess 112 provided on the back of the middle rail 11, thereby preventing rattling in the rotational direction of the coin sorter 3.

[0036] If a certain amount of force is applied to the coin sorter 3 in the leftward direction, the roller 31 will escape from the recess 112, and the coin sorter 3 will begin to rotate horizontally, eventually coming into position towards the back of the casing, as shown in Figure 6(b). Comparing Figure 6(b) with Figure 6(a), it can be seen that the coin passage 4 is lifted upward.

[0037] As shown in Figure 6(c), by pulling the lifted coin passage 4 straight forward and removing it, the entire area of ​​the printer 5, including the portion containing the loaded print roll paper 51, will be exposed, making it possible to perform necessary maintenance work.

[0038] As described above, the ticket vending machine 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention has an overlapping configuration of the coin passage 4 and the printer 5, which allows the coin sorter 3, coin passage 4, and printer 5 to be arranged vertically while keeping the depth and height dimensions down, and is also configured to adequately accommodate necessary maintenance work. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the function for storing overflowing coins is also devised to be efficiently arranged. This will be explained below.

[0039] (German configuration of coin passages) Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the coin passage in a ticket vending machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The coin passage 4 is an integral assembly of the change passage section 41 and the overflow coin storage box 42. Integral means that they may be constructed as a single unit, or multiple parts constructed as separate components may be assembled together, and that they are not considered as separate components, as in the conventional example shown in Figure 8.

[0040] The change passage section 41 receives the change dispensed from the payout section of the coin sorting machine 3 and guides it to the change dispensing section 23. As shown in Figure 7, the change passage section 41 is configured to receive the change on the right and guide it forward. In this way, the change passage section 41 extends forward or downward, wrapping around the printer 5, and can send the change to the change dispensing section 23 without any problems.

[0041] The overflow coin storage box 42 serves to store coins that have been inserted from the coin input section 21 but have overflowed because they could not be accommodated in the storage section. As shown in Figure 7, the overflow coin storage box 42 is located in the upper left section. In this way, the change passage section 41 wraps around not only the printer 5 but also the overflow coin storage box 42. In the conventional example shown in Figure 8, there was no banknote sorting machine or the like, and there was ample space inside the enclosure, so it was possible to have a luxurious arrangement where the change passage and the overflow coin storage box were placed side by side. However, in this embodiment, ingenuity has been taken to efficiently create space for necessary equipment such as a banknote sorting machine.

[0042] <Note> The fact that the change passage section 41 is shaped to wrap around a certain object does not mean that the object is limited to a printer; other objects can also be placed below the coin sorter and coin passage, and, as with the embodiment described earlier, space can be created for placing other devices. For example, in the embodiment described earlier, the object could be a card reader / writer or Bluetooth®, which were provided on the side of the housing 1. For reference, the inventions conceivable in this way are listed below. (Note 1) A ticket vending machine comprising a coin sorter for sorting coins by type, a coin passage for dispensing coins, and a first device inside the casing, wherein the coin sorter, the coin passage, and the first device are arranged vertically in this order, and the coin passage is arranged such that its side panels cover the first device, and the majority of the area of ​​the first device cannot be exposed unless the coin passage is lifted and removed, however, even if the front door pivotally supported on the casing is opened, the coin sorter obstructs the way, preventing the coin passage from being lifted upward, and a second device different from the coin sorter, the coin passage, and the first device is arranged in a separate area where the coin sorter, the coin passage, and the first device are arranged vertically. (Note 2) The ticket vending machine as described in (Appendix 1), characterized in that the first device is a card reader / writer or a wireless communication device. (Note 3) The coin sorting machine is rotatable and can be rotated to be positioned at the back of the casing during maintenance, and is configured such that the coin passage can be lifted upward and removed when the machine is rotated, as described in Appendix 1.

[0043] Although the ticket vending machines according to embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. For example, if the capacity of the coin sorting machine 3 is sufficiently large, it is not necessarily required to provide an auxiliary change dispenser or an overflow coin storage box, and these can be omitted. Furthermore, the coin sorting machine may be configured not to be rotatable, but rather to be able to be pulled forward and then moved upward, or to be detachable. In this configuration, it becomes impossible to provide a central support, so the strength of the casing itself needs to be increased, but even with such a configuration, maintenance work can be adequately handled. Furthermore, as explained in the appendix, the configuration of placing another device below the coin sorter and the coin passage below it can be considered an invention that takes advantage of the characteristics of the coin passage, and the technical matters disclosed in this specification can be understood as a technical idea within such a broad concept. However, placing the printer below the coin passage is more useful because it can serve as both a ticket dispensing outlet (tray) and a change dispensing outlet (tray). [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1…Cabinet 11...Middle rail 111...shelf 112…recess 2… Front door 21... Coin slot 22...Operation display section 23... Change dispensing section 24... Keyhole 25... Ticket Dispenser 26... Banknote insertion section 27...Ticket dispensing section 3. Coin sorting machine (coin mechanism) 31... Laura (contact area) 32... Roller (protruding part) 33... Auxiliary change dispenser 4... Coin passage 41... Change-making aisle 42... Overflow Coin Storage Box 5… Printer 51... Printing roll paper 6. Bill Validator (Banknote sorting machine) 7...Banknote dispensing machine 8…Card payment terminal 100... Ticket vending machine

Claims

1. A ticket vending machine equipped with a coin sorter for sorting coins by type, a coin passage for dispensing coins, and a printer for printing tickets inside the casing, The coin sorter, the coin passage, and the printer are arranged vertically in this order, and The coin passage is arranged such that its side panels cover the printer. Although the printer is configured such that most of its area cannot be exposed unless the coin passage is lifted and removed, even when the front door pivotally supported by the housing is opened, the coin sorter obstructs the way, preventing the coin passage from being lifted upwards. A ticket vending machine characterized by the following features.

2. The coin sorting machine is rotatable and can be rotated to position it towards the back of the casing during maintenance. Furthermore, when rotated, the coin passage can be lifted upwards and removed. The ticket vending machine according to feature 1.

3. The housing has a middle rail located on the back of the front door and positioned at a height that fits within the upper and lower parts of the coin sorting machine. The aforementioned middle rail has a shelf section and a recess provided continuously with the shelf section on its back side. The coin sorting machine has a contact portion that protrudes from a predetermined height on the front and contacts the upper surface of the shelf when it rotates. The contact portion is configured to enter the recess during normal use. The ticket vending machine according to feature 2.

4. The aforementioned coin sorting machine has a protrusion on the upper front, The housing has a receiving portion for the protruding portion that is movable back and forth and biased forward, located opposite the protruding portion. When the front door is closed, the receiving portion for the protruding part is pushed backward by the back of the front door and is configured to clamp the protruding part. The ticket vending machine according to feature 3.

5. The contact portion is a roller that can rotate about the front-to-back direction of the coin sorting machine. The ticket vending machine according to feature 3.

6. The aforementioned protrusion is a roller that can rotate around the vertical axis of the coin sorting machine. The ticket vending machine according to feature 4.

7. The aforementioned coin passage includes an integrated overflow coin storage box for storing overflowing coins. The ticket vending machine according to feature 1.

Images