Coin processing device
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NEC MAGNUS COMM
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-05
Smart Images
Figure 2026126557000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device, and more particularly to a reflux-type coin processing device that stores deposited coins by denomination and has a function of paying out change as needed.
Background Art
[0002] This type of coin processing device is widely used in convenience stores, supermarkets, gas stations, etc. After discriminating the denomination of the coins inserted into the coin inlet, the coin processing device distributes and stores them in the hopper section. Also, by discharging the specified amount from the hopper section by a host device, coins can be paid out as change.
[0003] Regarding coin processing devices, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a coin sorting and classifying machine that supplies multi-denomination mixed coins onto a rotating disk, takes them out one by one using the centrifugal force of the rotating disk, sends them out with a feed belt, and classifies the coins on a classification path where classification holes for dropping the coins are arranged in the order of small-diameter holes to large-diameter holes. In this coin sorting and classifying machine, an inclined feed belt is provided so that the coins are pressed against a guide plate arranged on one side in the width direction of the classification path. The coins are sent while being pressed against one guide plate and fall into and accumulate in one of the classification holes that match the diameter of the coins.
[0004] Also, Patent Document 2 describes a coin processing machine that secures the length of the coin passage while maintaining miniaturization by bending the coin passage to improve the discrimination accuracy of coins. The coin passage is provided with a first straight portion, a first bending portion, a second straight portion, a second bending portion, and a third straight portion in this order, and a material detection sensor is provided in the first straight portion. An image detection section and a first reject hole are provided in the second straight portion, and a second reject hole is provided in the first bending portion. In the third straight portion, sorting holes for sorting and dropping the conveyed coins by denomination are provided, and the sorting holes are arranged so as to drop the coins in ascending order of the coin diameter.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-250792 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-185095 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]
[0006] Conventional coin processing devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 arrange sorting holes for each denomination in order of increasing coin diameter, requiring the sorting holes to be arranged in the order of 1 yen, 50 yen, 5 yen, 100 yen, 10 yen, and 500 yen. However, because the diameter difference between 100 yen and 5 yen coins is small, 100 yen coins sometimes fall into the sorting holes for 5 yen coins, leading to frequent missorting. Furthermore, arranging the sorting holes in order of increasing coin diameter imposes layout constraints when sorting and storing coins by denomination.
[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to provide a coin processing device that can prevent missorting of coins and alleviate layout constraints when organizing and storing coins by denomination. [Means for solving the problem]
[0008] To solve the above problems, the coin processing device according to the present invention comprises a coin discrimination unit that determines the authenticity and denomination of inserted coins, and a sorting and transporting unit that transports coins received from the coin discrimination unit and sorts them by denomination, wherein the sorting and transporting unit includes a coin transport path and a plurality of coin sorting holes for each denomination provided on the coin transport path, and the plurality of coin sorting holes for each denomination include a first coin hole for collecting the first coin and a hole having a larger diameter than the first coin The coin sorting system includes a second coin slot for collecting a second coin and a third coin slot for collecting a third coin having a larger diameter than the second coin, wherein the plurality of coin sorting slots for different denominations are arranged in order of increasing coin diameter toward the downstream of the coin transport path, with the exception of the third coin slot, and the third coin slot is located downstream of the first coin transport path from the first coin slot and upstream of the second coin slot.
[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent missorting of coins caused by small differences in coin diameters. Furthermore, since the coin sorting holes are not arranged in order of increasing coin diameter, the layout constraints of the coin storage section can be relaxed, and a visually easy-to-understand layout can be achieved.
[0010] In the present invention, the sorting and conveying unit preferably includes an electromagnetic drive component provided near the third coin hole, the opening size of the third coin hole being smaller than the opening size of the second coin hole, and the electromagnetic drive component being driven at the timing when the third coin passes through the third coin hole to forcibly drop the third coin into the third coin hole. This prevents the second coin from falling into the third coin hole while ensuring that the third coin falls into the third coin hole, thereby preventing missorting of the second and third coins.
[0011] The coin processing device according to the present invention further comprises a coin storage unit for storing coins sorted by denomination by the sorting and conveying unit, wherein the coin storage unit includes a plurality of hopper units for each denomination, and preferably the hopper units corresponding to odd-numbered coin sorting holes counted from the upstream side of the coin conveying path constitute a first row of hopper units arranged in the coin conveying direction, and the hopper units corresponding to even-numbered coin sorting holes counted from the upstream side of the coin conveying path constitute a second row of hopper units arranged in the coin conveying direction. In this case, it is preferable that the first row of hopper units is located closer to the sorting and conveying unit than the second row of hopper units. This configuration makes it possible to alleviate layout constraints on the hopper units for each denomination that store the sorted coins. Furthermore, since the hopper units can be arranged in two separate systems, a visually easy-to-understand layout can be achieved, and maintenance work such as replenishing change in the hoppers becomes easier.
[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the capacity of each hopper section constituting the second hopper row differs from the capacity of each hopper section constituting the first hopper row. This allows coins of denominations with high circulation volumes and coins of denominations with low circulation volumes to be sorted into separate hopper rows, and convenience can be improved by increasing the capacity of the hopper section for coins of high circulation volumes.
[0013] In the present invention, the plurality of coin sorting holes for each denomination include holes for 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen, wherein the first coin, the second coin, and the third coin are 50 yen, 5 yen, and 100 yen coins, respectively, and the first coin hole, the second coin hole, and the third coin hole are 50 yen, 5 yen, and 100 yen holes, respectively, and the 1 yen hole, the 50 yen hole, the 5 yen hole, and the 500 yen hole are arranged in this order toward the downstream of the coin transport path, and preferably the 100 yen hole is located between the 50 yen hole and the 5 yen hole. This configuration prevents 5-yen coins from falling into the 100-yen slot while ensuring that 100-yen coins fall into the 100-yen slot, thus preventing mis-sorting of 5-yen and 100-yen coins. Furthermore, the sorting slots for 1-yen coins and 5-yen coins can be arranged alternately, and the hopper sections for 1-yen coins and 5-yen coins can be separated. Therefore, a visually easy-to-understand layout can be achieved, improving maintenance work such as replenishing change in the hopper. [Effects of the Invention]
[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a coin processing device that prevents missorting of coins and alleviates layout constraints when organizing and storing coins by denomination. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0015] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic external perspective view of a coin processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the coin processing device from the rear side. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the coin processing device. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is an external perspective view of the deposit separation section and the coin discrimination section. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of the distribution and conveying section. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the forced dropping operation of a 100-yen coin. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic plan sectional view of the coin storage section. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
[0016] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the drawings used in the following description may sometimes emphasize the main parts for the sake of easy understanding of the features of the present invention, and the dimensional ratios of each component are not necessarily the same as the actual ones.
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic external perspective view of a coin processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic external perspective view of the coin processing apparatus 1 from the back side, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the coin processing apparatus 1.
[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the coin processing apparatus 1 includes a deposit separation unit 10 that accepts a plurality of inserted coins one by one while separating them, a coin discrimination unit 20 that discriminates the authenticity and denomination of the coins delivered from the deposit separation unit 10, a sorting and conveying unit 30 that sorts the coins delivered from the coin discrimination unit 20 by denomination while conveying them, a coin storage unit 40 that stores the coins sorted by denomination by the sorting and conveying unit 30 according to the denomination, a payout conveying unit 50 that discharges the coins released from the coin storage unit 40 outside the apparatus, and a control unit (not shown) that controls each unit. The deposit separation unit 10, the coin discrimination unit 20, and the sorting and conveying unit 30 are provided on the upper surface (top plate surface) of the apparatus housing 60, and the coin storage unit 40 and the payout conveying unit 50 are provided inside the apparatus housing 60.
[0019] FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the deposit separation unit 10 and the coin discrimination unit 20.
[0020] As shown in Figure 4, the deposit separation unit 10 includes a coin receiving port 11 that can simultaneously accept multiple coins of different denominations, a conveyor belt 12 that transports the coins inserted into the coin receiving port 11, and a separation roller 13 that rotates in the opposite direction to the conveyor belt 12 to separate overlapping coins.
[0021] The coin discrimination unit 20 includes a coin transport path 21 (second coin transport path) extending in the X direction (second direction), a transport belt 22 (second transport belt) for sliding and transporting coins on the coin transport path 21, a guide wall 23 (second guide wall) provided on one side in the width direction of the coin transport path 21 (in this case, the left side when facing the coin transport direction), a sensor unit 24 for detecting characteristics of the coin such as material and diameter, and a reject hole 25 provided downstream of the sensor unit 24 in the coin transport path 21.
[0022] The coin transport path 21 is formed by the top surface of the metal device housing 60, and the path surface is a smooth metal surface. In particular, the path surface of the coin transport path 21 is not a horizontal plane, but forms a gently sloping surface toward the coin transport direction (X direction). This inclination of the path surface of the coin transport path 21 makes it easier to shift the transported coins to one side in the width direction of the coin transport path 21. By shifting the coins to one side, the accuracy of coin identification by the sensor unit 24 can be improved. Furthermore, the accuracy of collection when driving an electromagnetic drive component (not shown) to drop coins that are not to be processed into the reject hole 25 and collect them can be improved.
[0023] The inclination angle θ1 of the road surface of the coin transport path 21 is preferably 5 to 20 degrees, and particularly preferably 10 to 15 degrees (see Figure 2). If the inclination angle θ1 is too small, the effect of pushing the coins closer together will not be obtained, and if the inclination angle θ1 is too large, the resistance when transporting the coins will increase, resulting in poor transport efficiency.
[0024] The conveyor belt 22 is a flat belt stretched between a first pulley 26a, which is provided at the starting end of the coin conveying path 21, and a second pulley 26b, which is provided at the ending end of the coin conveying path 21. The conveyor belt 22 uses its high frictional force to slide and convey coins on the coin conveying path 21. The conveyor belt 22 is connected to the conveyor belt 32 of the distribution conveying section 30 via the second pulley 26b and is rotationally driven together with the conveyor belt 32.
[0025] The direction in which the conveyor belt 22 extends is not strictly parallel to the X direction, but is slightly tilted to the left in the direction of coin transport. In other words, it is positioned so that as it moves downstream of the coin transport path 21, it gets closer to the left end of the coin transport path 21. This allows coins being transported in the X direction to be directed towards the left end of the coin transport path 21, and the coins can be transported while in contact with the guide wall 23.
[0026] The guide wall 23 is a component that defines the left end of the coin transport path 21. The direction in which the guide wall 23 extends is not strictly parallel to the X direction, but is slightly tilted to the left in the direction of coin transport. That is, it is positioned so that it becomes further to the left as it moves downstream along the coin transport path 21. This allows coins being transported in the X direction to be directed toward the left end of the coin transport path 21, and the coins can be transported while in contact with the guide wall 23.
[0027] Figure 5 is a schematic plan view of the distribution and conveying unit 30.
[0028] As shown in Figure 5, the sorting and conveying unit 30 comprises a coin transport path 31 (first coin transport path) extending in the Y direction, a conveying belt 32 (first conveying belt) for sliding and conveying coins on the coin transport path 31, a guide wall 33 (first guide wall) provided on one side in the width direction of the coin transport path 31 (here, the left side when facing the coin transport direction), and a plurality of sorting holes 34a to 34f for different denominations provided in the coin transport path 31.
[0029] The coin transport path 31, like the coin transport path 21, is formed by the top surface of the metal device housing 60, and its surface is a smooth metal surface. The coin transport path 21 occupies a portion of the top surface, while the coin transport path 31 occupies another portion of the top surface. Therefore, the surfaces of the coin transport path 21 and the coin transport path 31 are on the same plane and form the same inclined surface. Here, the extension direction of the coin transport path 31 is the Y direction, which is perpendicular to the X direction, so the surface of the coin transport path 31 forms a downward inclined surface from the right end to the left end in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the coin transport direction (Y direction). This inclination of the surface of the coin transport path 31 makes it easier to push the coins being transported toward the left end of the coin transport path 31. By shifting the coins to one side, the positioning of the coins relative to the sorting holes 34a to 34f becomes more precise, thus improving the accuracy of coin retrieval when dropping the coins into the sorting holes 34a to 34f according to their denomination.
[0030] Since the surface of the coin transport path 31 is on the same plane as the surface of the coin transport path 21, the inclination angle of the surface of the coin transport path 31 is the same as the inclination angle θ1 of the surface of the coin transport path 21. That is, the inclination angle (θ1) of the surface of the coin transport path 21 is preferably 5 to 20 degrees, and 13 degrees is particularly preferred. If the inclination angle θ1 is too small, the effect of shifting the coins to one side will not be obtained, and if the inclination angle θ1 is too large, the resistance when transporting the coins will increase, resulting in poor transport efficiency.
[0031] The conveyor belt 32 is a round belt stretched between a second pulley 26b located at the end of the coin conveyor path 21, a third pulley 36a located at the beginning of the coin conveyor path 31, and a fourth pulley 36b located at the end of the coin conveyor path 31. The third pulley 36a is an intermediate pulley used to change the direction of travel of the conveyor belt 32 by 90 degrees from the X direction to the Y direction. The fourth pulley 36b is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) such as a stepping motor and is rotationally driven according to instructions from the control unit.
[0032] As shown in Figure 2, auxiliary rollers 38 are provided at predetermined intervals along the conveyor belt 32. The auxiliary rollers 38 maintain tension on the conveyor belt 32, prevent the conveyor belt 32 from lifting, and enhance the conveying force of the coins. Preferably, the auxiliary rollers 38 are positioned above the sorting holes 34a to 34f for each coin denomination. This makes it possible to enhance the conveying force of the coins along the entire length of the coin conveying path 31.
[0033] The conveyor belt 32 is arranged in an L-shape in plan view and consists of a first straight section 32a extending in the Y direction, a bent section 32b, and a second straight section 32c extending in the X direction. The second straight section 32c of the conveyor belt 32 overlaps with the end of the conveyor belt 22 on the coin discrimination section 20 side. This ensures reliable transfer of coins from the coin discrimination section 20 to the sorting conveyor section 30.
[0034] In this example, the extension direction of the first straight section 32a of the conveyor belt 32 is parallel to the Y direction, but it may be slightly tilted to the left in the direction of coin transport. That is, it may be arranged so that as it moves downstream of the coin transport path 31, it approaches the left end of the coin transport path 31. This allows coins being transported in the Y direction to be shifted to the left side (-X direction) of the coin transport path 31, and the coins can be transported while in contact with the guide wall 33.
[0035] The guide wall 33 is a member that defines the left end of the coin transport path 31. The direction in which the guide wall 33 extends is not parallel to the Y direction, but is slightly inclined to the right in the direction of coin transport. Since the surface of the coin transport path 31 forms a downward sloping surface toward the guide wall 33, the coins can be sufficiently shifted to one side by inclining the guide wall 33.
[0036] The inclination angle θ4 of the guide wall 33 with respect to the Y direction is preferably 0.2 to 0.5 degrees, and particularly preferably 0.3 to 0.4 degrees. If the inclination angle θ4 of the guide wall 33 is too small, the effect of shifting the coins to one side will not be obtained, and if the inclination angle θ4 is too large, the resistance when transporting the coins will increase, resulting in poor transport efficiency.
[0037] The sorting holes 34a to 34f are arranged in order of increasing coin diameter, with the exception of the 100-yen hole 34d. From upstream to downstream, the holes are 34a for 1-yen, 34b for 50-yen, 34d for 100-yen, 34c for 5-yen, 34e for 10-yen, and 34f for 500-yen. Although the diameter of a 100-yen coin is larger than that of a 5-yen coin, the 100-yen hole 34d is located upstream of the 5-yen hole 34c.
[0038] Except for the 100-yen coin slot 34d, the opening size (opening width) of each slot is set so that the target coin (and coins with a smaller diameter) will fall in, but coins with a larger diameter will not. The diameter of a 100-yen coin is larger than that of a 5-yen coin, but the opening size of the 100-yen coin slot 34d is smaller than that of the 5-yen coin slot 34c. Therefore, it is not possible to naturally drop a 100-yen coin into the 100-yen coin slot 34d, let alone a 5-yen coin. As will be explained in more detail later, the 100-yen coin is forcibly dropped into the 100-yen coin slot 34d using an electromagnetic drive component (solenoid), so it can fall in without any problems even with an opening size smaller than that of the 5-yen coin slot 34c.
[0039] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating the forced drop operation of a 100-yen coin.
[0040] As shown in Figure 6, the opening size (opening width) of the 100 yen hole 34d is the same as that of a 100 yen coin C 100 It is smaller than the diameter of the 100 yen coin, and even smaller than the diameter of a 5 yen coin. Therefore, unless forced fall control is performed, the 100 yen coin will simply slide along the conveyor belt 32 and pass over the 100 yen coin hole 34d.
[0041] An electromagnetic drive component 37 is provided near the 100-yen coin slot 34d. The electromagnetic drive component 37 moves the arm 37a forward and backward according to instructions from the control unit. When the arm 37a is in the retracted position, the 100-yen coin is transported in the Y direction while in contact with the guide wall 33. However, when the arm 37a is in the protruding position, the tip of the arm 37a overlaps with a part of the 100-yen coin slot 34d, so the 100-yen coin cannot move in the Y direction while in contact with the guide wall 33, and instead moves in the Y direction while bypassing the arm 37a.
[0042] In this embodiment, a 100 yen coin C 100 Just before the 100 yen coin C passes through the 100 yen slot 34d, the electromagnetic drive component 37 is driven to make the arm protrude toward the 100 yen slot 34d (see Figure 6(b)). 100 yen coin C 100 The timing at which the coin passes through the 100-yen slot 34d can be determined using the coin denomination determination result by the coin discrimination unit 20 and the passage sensors 39 (see Figure 2) installed at appropriate locations in the coin transport paths 21 and 31.
[0043] When the arm 37a of the electromagnetic drive component 37 is extended, a 100 yen coin C 100 In this case, only one peripheral edge in the width direction is supported by the transport surface, while the opposite peripheral edge is above the 100-yen coin hole 34d and is therefore not supported by the transport surface (see Figure 6(c)). Therefore, the 100-yen coin C 100 It falls into the 100-yen slot 34d (see Figure 6(c)).
[0044] When coins other than 100 yen coins (especially 5 yen, 10 yen, and 500 yen coins) pass through the 100 yen slot 34d, the electromagnetic drive component 37 is not driven based on the coin discrimination result of the coin discrimination unit 20, so the coin can pass over the 100 yen slot 34d.
[0045] Figure 7 is a roughly plan cross-sectional view of the coin storage section 40.
[0046] As shown in Figure 7, the coin storage section 40 is equipped with multiple hopper sections 41a to 41f, each for a different denomination. The sorting holes 34a to 34f for each denomination are connected to the corresponding hopper sections 41a to 41f via the corresponding ducts 43a to 43f. Therefore, a coin that falls into one of the sorting holes 34a to 34f is sent to the corresponding hopper section 41a to 41f through the corresponding duct 43a to 43f. In this way, by dropping coins into one of the sorting holes 34a to 34f for each denomination, the coins can be sorted and stored according to their denomination.
[0047] The six hopper sections 41a to 41f are laid out in a 3x2 arrangement. Closer to the sorting and conveying section 30, the 1-yen hopper section 41a, the 100-yen hopper section 41d, and the 10-yen hopper section 41e are provided in this order, forming the first hopper row 42A. They are arranged in this order facing the coin conveying direction. Further away from the sorting and conveying section 30, the 50-yen hopper section 41b, the 5-yen hopper section 41c, and the 500-yen hopper section 41f are provided in this order, forming the second hopper row 42B. The first hopper row 42A corresponds to the odd-numbered coin sorting holes 34a, 34d, and 34e, counting from the upstream side of the coin conveying path 31, while the second hopper row 42B corresponds to the even-numbered coin sorting holes 34b, 34c, and 34f, counting from the upstream side of the coin conveying path 31.
[0048] Since the first hopper row 42A is located almost directly below the sorting and conveying unit 30, coins that fall into sorting holes 34a, 34d, and 34e are sent to the corresponding hopper sections 41a, 41d, and 41e, respectively, through ducts 43a, 43d, and 43e that extend almost directly downwards. In contrast, since the second hopper row 42B is located far from the sorting and conveying unit 30, coins that fall into sorting holes 34b, 34c, and 34f are sent to the corresponding hopper sections 41b, 41c, and 41f, respectively, through ducts 43b, 43c, and 43f that extend diagonally downwards (in the X direction).
[0049] It is preferable that the capacity of each hopper in the first hopper row 42A is greater than the capacity of each hopper in the second hopper row 42B. Since the circulation volume of Series 1 coins is greater and the frequency of use is higher than that of the subsidiary Series 5 coins, the capacity of Series 1 coins can be increased by increasing the capacity of each hopper in the first hopper row 42A.
[0050] In the above configuration, when multiple coins are inserted into the coin receiving port 11 at once, they are sent one by one to the coin discrimination unit 20. As the coins pass through the coin transport path 21, their denomination is determined, and any coins that cannot be determined are dropped into the reject hole 25. As described above, the coins flowing through the coin transport path 21 are affected not only by the transport force of the transport belt 22 but also by gravity due to the inclined surface, so they are always transported while being pushed to the left end in the transport direction, and the coins are transported while in contact with the guide wall 23. Therefore, the accuracy of coin denomination identification and rejection can be improved.
[0051] Coins whose denomination has been identified by the coin identification unit 20 are sent to the coin storage unit 40. As described above, coins flowing along the coin transport path 31 are affected not only by the transport force of the transport belt 32 but also by gravity due to the inclined surface, so they are always shifted to the left side in the transport direction and transported while in contact with the guide wall 33. Therefore, the accuracy of sorting coins by denomination can be improved.
[0052] Coins that fall into one of the denomination sorting holes 34a to 34f are sent to the corresponding denomination hopper section via the corresponding duct. The denomination sorting holes 34a to 34f are arranged in the order of 1 yen hole 34a, 50 yen hole 34b, 100 yen hole 34d, 5 yen hole 34c, 10 yen hole 34e, and 500 yen hole 34f, from upstream to downstream in the coin transport direction, not in order of coin diameter.
[0053] If the sorting holes 34a to 34f for each denomination are arranged in the order of the diameters of the coins, the order will be 1 yen hole 34a, 50 yen hole 34b, 5 yen hole 34c, 100 yen hole 34d, 10 yen hole 34e, and 500 yen hole 34f. If these hopper sections are to be arranged alternately in 3x2 rows, the 1 yen hopper section, the 5 yen hopper section, and the 10 yen hopper section will be placed in the first hopper row 42A, and the 50 yen hopper section, the 100 yen hopper section, and the 500 yen hopper section will be placed in the second hopper row 42B.
[0054] On the other hand, as in this embodiment, if the sorting holes 34a to 34f for each denomination are not arranged in the exact order of coin diameters, but rather the positions of the 5-yen hole 34c and the 100-yen hole 34d are swapped, the sorting holes for 1-yen coins and 5-yen coins will be arranged alternately. Therefore, if these hopper sections are to be arranged alternately in a 3x2 grid, the 1-yen hopper section, the 100-yen hopper section, and the 10-yen hopper section will be placed in the first hopper row 42A, and the 50-yen hopper section, the 5-yen hopper section, and the 500-yen hopper section will be placed in the second hopper row 42B. In other words, the 1-yen coin hopper section and the 5-yen coin hopper section can be divided and arranged on the left and right sides, resulting in a visually easy-to-understand layout, which makes maintenance work, such as replenishing change in the hoppers, easier.
[0055] If the 100-yen slot 34d is simply positioned upstream of the 5-yen slot 34c without changing the opening size, 5-yen coins will fall into the 100-yen slot 34d, making it impossible to properly sort the 5-yen coins. However, in this embodiment, the opening size of the 100-yen slot 34d is made smaller than that of the 5-yen slot 34c so that 5-yen coins do not fall through, and an electromagnetic drive component 37 is used to force 100-yen coins into the 100-yen slot 34d, thereby ensuring that 5-yen coins and 100-yen coins fall reliably into their respective sorting slots.
[0056] Because the difference in diameter between a 5-yen coin and a 100-yen coin is very small, if the sorting holes are arranged in order of increasing diameter and the coins are sorted by gravity, a 100-yen coin may fall into the hole for the 5-yen coin, making it easy for 100-yen coins to be missorted. However, in this embodiment, 100-yen coins are dropped and sorted before 5-yen coins based on the denomination determination result by the coin discrimination unit 20, thus preventing the missorting of 100-yen coins.
[0057] As described above, the coin processing device 1 according to this embodiment comprises a coin discrimination unit 20 that discriminates the authenticity and denomination of inserted coins, and a sorting and transporting unit 30 that transports the coins received from the coin discrimination unit 20 and sorts them by denomination. The sorting and transporting unit 30 includes a coin transport path 31 and a plurality of coin sorting holes 34a to 34f for each denomination provided on the coin transport path 31. The plurality of coin sorting holes 34a to 34f for each denomination include a 50-yen hole 34b (first coin hole) for collecting 50-yen coins (first coins) and a 5-yen hole 34c (second coin hole) for collecting 5-yen coins (second coins) which have a larger diameter than 50-yen coins. The system includes a 50-yen slot 34b and a 100-yen slot 34d (third coin slot) for collecting 100-yen coins (third coins) which have a larger diameter than 5-yen coins. The multiple coin sorting slots 34a to 34f for different denominations are arranged in order of increasing coin diameter, with the exception of the 100-yen slot 34d, downstream of the coin transport path 31. The 100-yen slot 34d is located downstream of the 50-yen slot 34b and upstream of the 5-yen slot 34c, thus preventing incorrect sorting of coins and easing layout constraints on the hopper sections for each denomination that receive the sorted coins.
[0058] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention, and these modifications are also included within the scope of the present invention.
[0059] For example, although the above embodiment targets Japanese yen coins, it can also be applied to coin processing equipment that processes coins other than Japanese yen. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0060] 1. Coin processing device 10. Deposit Separation Section 11 Coin slot 12 Conveyor belt 13 Separation roller 20 Coin discrimination section 21 Coin transport path 22 Conveyor belt 23 Guide Wall 24 Recovery Unit 25 Reject holes 26a First pulley 26b Second pulley 30 Distribution and Conveying Unit 31 Coin transport path 32 Conveyor belt 32a 1st straight section 32b Bend part 32c 2nd straight section 33 Guide Wall 34a Coin sorting hole (hole for 1 yen coin) 34b Coin sorting hole (hole for 50 yen coins) 34c Coin sorting hole (hole for 5 yen coins) 34d Coin sorting hole (hole for 100 yen coins) 34e Coin sorting hole (hole for 10 yen coins) 34f Coin sorting hole (hole for 500 yen coins) 36a Third pulley 36b Fourth pulley 37 Electromagnetic drive components 37a Arm 38 Auxiliary rollers 39 Passage Sensor 40 Coin storage compartment 41a Hopper section (Hopper section for 1 yen coins) 41b Hopper section (Hopper section for 50 yen coins) 41c Hopper section (Hopper section for 5 yen coins) 41d Hopper section (Hopper section for 100 yen coins) 41e Hopper section (Hopper section for 10 yen coins) 41f Hopper section (Hopper section for 500 yen coins) 42A First hopper row 42B Second hopper row 43a~43f Duct 50 Withdrawal and Transport Department 60 Device housing
Claims
1. It comprises a coin discrimination unit that determines the authenticity and denomination of the inserted coins, and a sorting and transporting unit that transports the coins received from the coin discrimination unit and sorts them by denomination. The aforementioned distribution and transport unit is Coin transport path and The coin transport path includes a plurality of coin sorting holes for different denominations, The aforementioned multiple coin sorting holes for different denominations are, A slot for collecting the first coin, A hole for collecting a second coin having a larger diameter than the first coin, It includes a third coin slot for collecting a third coin having a larger diameter than the second coin, The aforementioned multiple coin sorting holes for different denominations, with the exception of the third coin hole, are arranged in order of increasing coin diameter toward the downstream side of the coin transport path. The coin processing device is characterized in that the third coin slot is located downstream of the coin transport path from the first coin slot and upstream of the coin transport path from the second coin slot.
2. The aforementioned sorting and conveying unit includes an electromagnetic drive component provided near the third coin hole, The opening size of the third coin hole is smaller than the opening size of the second coin hole. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic drive component is driven at the timing when the third coin passes through the hole for the third coin to force the third coin to fall into the hole for the third coin.
3. The system further includes a coin storage unit that stores the coins sorted by denomination by the aforementioned sorting and transporting unit, according to that denomination. The coin storage section includes multiple hopper sections for different denominations. The hopper sections corresponding to the odd-numbered coin sorting holes, counted from the upstream side of the aforementioned coin transport path, constitute a first row of hoppers arranged in the coin transport direction. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the hopper section corresponding to the even-numbered coin sorting hole, counted from the upstream side of the coin transport path, constitutes a second row of hoppers arranged in the direction of coin transport.
4. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first hopper row is located closer to the sorting and conveying section than the second hopper row.
5. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the capacity of each hopper section constituting the second hopper row is different from the capacity of each hopper section constituting the first hopper row.
6. The aforementioned coin sorting holes for multiple denominations include holes for 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 500 yen. The first coin, the second coin, and the third coin are a 50 yen coin, a 5 yen coin, and a 100 yen coin, respectively. The first coin slot, the second coin slot, and the third coin slot are the 50 yen slot, the 5 yen slot, and the 100 yen slot, respectively. The aforementioned 1-yen hole, 50-yen hole, 5-yen hole, 10-yen hole, and 500-yen hole are arranged in this order toward the downstream of the coin transport path. The coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the 100-yen slot is located between the 50-yen slot and the 5-yen slot.