Coin storage

Abstract

To make assembly work easy.SOLUTION: A coin storage includes: a storage section 50 that is composed of a plurality of storage units 34 unitized for each denomination installed side by side, in which the storage units 34 are composed of a carry-out belt 53 stretched endlessly with respect to a unit body 40, stores in a state in which coins are stacked on the carry-out belt 53, and carries out the coins when the carry-out belt 53 is displaced; a payout section 60 that is composed of a payout belt 63 stretched endlessly on a downstream side in a carry-out direction of the carry-out belt 53 in the unit body 40 and pays out the coins stored in the storage section 50 one by one when the payout belt 63 is displaced according to a withdrawal command; and a transfer section 70 that is composed of a transfer belt 73 stretched endlessly on a downstream side in a payout direction of the payout belt 63 in the unit body 40 and transfers a predetermined number of coins to a withdrawal transport section 14 on the downstream side while determining the authenticity of the coins paid out by displacement of the payout belt 63.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin storage vault, and more particularly to a coin storage vault that is applied to, for example, a change dispenser. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a coin storage unit applied to a change machine is known that includes a storage section, a dispensing section, and a feeding section.

[0003] The storage sections are provided in the storage body in a manner that allows adjacent partitions to be arranged according to denomination. These storage sections store coins that have been deposited, identified as genuine, and sorted according to denomination, and store the coins in a stacked state on an endlessly stretched discharge belt.

[0004] The dispensing units are installed corresponding to the storage units and are composed of a dispensing belt that is endlessly stretched downstream of the discharge belt of the corresponding storage unit in the discharge direction. These dispensing units are driven in response to a dispensing command, and when driven, dispense the coins stored in the corresponding storage unit one by one. Since the corresponding storage unit is provided in the storage cabinet main body in a manner adjacent to the storage unit of the other denomination as described above, the dispensing units are ultimately configured as a unit with the dispensing units of the other denomination.

[0005] The pay-out unit is composed of an endless pay-out belt, and as the pay-out belt is displaced, it determines the authenticity of the coins discharged by the corresponding dispensing unit while paying out a predetermined number of coins to the downstream dispensing transport unit. This pay-out unit is configured integrally with pay-out units of other denominations, and is attached to the storage unit body so as to be installed downstream of the corresponding dispensing unit (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-185509 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the above-mentioned coin storage vault, the discharge belts that constitute each storage section and the payout belts that constitute each payout section are attached to the storage vault main body, and the payout sections that are integrated with the payout sections of other denominations are attached to the storage vault main body so that they are located downstream of the corresponding payout sections, which causes the following problems.

[0008] In other words, when attaching the discharge belt and payout belt to the storage body, high dimensional accuracy is required according to the thickness, etc. of the coins to be treated, and when attaching the payout section integrated with other payout sections to the storage body, high dimensional accuracy is required for the gap between the payout belt and payout belt that make up the payout section according to the thickness, etc. of the coins to be treated. Therefore, when placing each belt on the storage body, it is necessary to adjust the gap, etc. for each coin, which could result in assembly work, etc. becoming complicated.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a coin storage vault that can be easily assembled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the coin storage vault of the present invention stores coins that are deposited, identified as genuine coins, and sorted by denomination, and when a dispensing command is given, dispenses a predetermined number of coins of that type. The coin storage vault is configured with a plurality of storage units, each unitized by denomination, arranged in parallel, and each storage unit is configured with a discharge belt that is endlessly stretched relative to a unit body, and stores the coins in a stacked state on the discharge belt, and dispenses the coins when the discharge belt is displaced. the unit body is configured with a storage section which stores coins stored in the storage section, a payout section which is endlessly stretched on the downstream side of the payout belt in the payout direction when the payout belt is displaced in response to the dispensing command, and a payout section which is endlessly stretched on the downstream side of the payout belt in the payout direction when the payout belt is displaced in response to the dispensing command, and a payout section which is endlessly stretched on the downstream side of the payout belt in the payout direction when the payout belt is displaced, and which pays out a predetermined number of coins to a downstream dispensing transport section while determining the authenticity of the coins paid out by the displacement of the payout belt.

[0011] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned coin storage vault, it is provided with a common transmission rod that passes through an axial hole formed in a drive pulley that displaces the discharge belt in the multiple storage units, and a drive source that rotates the drive pulley by rotating the transmission rod around its central axis. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, the storage units, which are unitized for each denomination, are composed of an output belt that is stretched endlessly around the unit body, and store coins in a stacked state on the output belt, and are equipped with a storage section that outputs coins when the output belt is displaced, a payout section that is composed of a payout belt that is stretched endlessly in the unit body downstream of the output belt in the payout direction, and pays out coins stored in the storage section one by one when the payout belt is displaced in response to a withdrawal command, and a payout section that is composed of a pay-out belt that is stretched endlessly in the unit body downstream of the pay-out belt in the pay-out direction, and pays out a predetermined number of coins to the downstream pay-out transport section while determining the authenticity of the coins paid out by the displacement of the pay-out belt.Therefore, it is only necessary to arrange each belt etc. in the unit body with dimensions according to the coins to be stored, and a coin storage vault can be constructed simply by arranging such storage units side by side, which has the effect of making assembly work easier. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the configuration of a coin processing device to which a coin storage vault according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of a coin processing device to which a coin storage box according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an internal configuration of the coin processing device shown in FIGS. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the coin storage vault shown in FIG. 3, that is, the coin storage vault according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of one storage unit shown in FIG. 4, that is, a storage unit for storing 100-yen coins. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of one storage unit shown in FIG. 4, that is, a storage unit for storing 100-yen coins. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the configuration of one storage unit shown in FIG. 4, that is, a storage unit for storing 100-yen coins. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the two storage units shown in FIG. 4, that is, a storage unit for storing 100 yen coins and a storage unit for storing 10 yen coins. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the left delivery pulley shown in FIGS. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the left delivery pulley shown in FIGS. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a sectional front view showing a schematic operation of the storage unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a sectional front view showing a schematic operation of the storage unit. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a sectional left side view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a plan view showing a main part of the storage unit shown in FIGS. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a coin storage vault according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0015] 1 and 2 respectively show the configuration of a coin processing device to which a coin storage vault according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied, with Fig. 1 being a plan view and Fig. 2 being a front view. The coin processing device 1 illustrated here is applied as an automatic change dispenser connected to a POS register device in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store, and includes a device main body 2.

[0016] The device body 2 is a roughly rectangular casing, and includes an insertion slot 3, an operation display unit 4, a withdrawal slot 7, and a return slot 8. The insertion slot 3 is provided on the right side of the front end top surface of the device body 2, and is an opening for receiving inserted coins into the device body 2. This insertion slot 3 functions as a temporary holding unit that temporarily holds deposits from users such as customers.

[0017] The operation display unit 4 is provided on the left side of the top front surface of the device body 2, and has a display unit 5 and an operation unit 6. The display unit 5 displays various information, and the operation unit 6 is an input means composed of, for example, a numeric keypad and the like, for inputting various operations.

[0018] The dispensing port 7 is provided on the left side of the front of the device body 2. This dispensing port 7 is an opening for dispensing coins stored inside the device body 2, and dispensing coins into a dispensing tray 9 attached to the device body 2. The return port 8 is provided on the right side of the front of the device body 2. This return port 8 is an opening for returning coins.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the coin processing device 1 shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The internal configuration of the coin processing device 1 will be explained by function using Fig. 3. A coin transport mechanism 10 and a control unit 20 are provided inside the device main body 2. This coin transport mechanism 10 has a deposit transport section 11, a temporary holding section 12, a coin sorting section 13, a coin storage vault 30, a withdrawal transport section 14, and a switching gate group 15.

[0020] The deposit transport unit 11 transports coins inserted through the coin slot 3 and detected by an insertion detection sensor (not shown), and is provided with a coin validation unit 16. The coin validation unit 16 validates the authenticity and denomination of the coins and sends the results to the control unit 20.

[0021] The temporary storage unit 12 temporarily stores coins that have been determined to be genuine by the coin validation unit 16. The coin sorting unit 13 sorts the coins that have been stored in the temporary storage unit 12 and then transported, by denomination.

[0022] The coin storage vault 30 stores the coins sorted by the coin sorting unit 13. The configuration of the coin storage vault 30 will be described later. The coin storage vault 30 has a function of feeding out the stored coins in response to commands given from the control unit 20.

[0023] The dispensing transport unit 14 transports forward the coins dispensed from the coin storage vault 30. In other words, the dispensing transport unit 14 transports the coins dispensed from the coin storage vault 30 forward toward the dispensing chute 17 that communicates with the dispensing port 7.

[0024] The switching gate group 15 includes a first switching gate 15a, a second switching gate 15b, and a third switching gate 15c. The first switching gate 15a is provided downstream in the transport direction of the deposit transport unit 11. The first switching gate 15a can be selectively switched between a state in which the coins transported by the deposit transport unit 11 are transported to the temporary holding unit 12 and a state in which the coins are transported to the withdrawal port 7.

[0025] The second switching gate 15b is provided downstream in the transport direction of the temporary storage unit 12. This second switching gate 15b is capable of selectively switching between a state in which the coins stored in the temporary storage unit 12 are sent to the coin sorting unit 13 and a state in which the coins are sent to the return port 8. The second switching gate 15b is normally in a state in which the coins stored in the temporary storage unit 12 are sent to the coin sorting unit 13.

[0026] The third switching gate 15c is provided downstream in the conveying direction of the dispensing conveying section 14. This third switching gate 15c is capable of selectively switching between a conveying state in which the coins conveyed by the dispensing conveying section 14 are conveyed to the dispensing port 7 via the dispensing chute 17, and a circulating state in which the coins are conveyed to the temporary storage section 12. Such third switching gate 15c is normally in the conveying state.

[0027] In other words, the third switching gate 15c, together with the second switching gate 15b, constitutes a switching section, and is capable of alternatively switching between a first state in which the coins transported by the withdrawal transport section 14 are transported to the withdrawal port 7, and a second state in which the coins transported by the withdrawal transport section 14 are transported to the coin sorting section 13.

[0028] The control unit 20 is electrically connected to the display unit 5, operation unit 6, coin transport mechanism 10, and coin validation unit 16, and is also electrically connected to a higher-level device (not shown) such as a POS register. When a command is given through the operation unit 6, or when a detection signal is given from the coin validation unit 16, or when various commands are given from the higher-level device, the control unit 20 comprehensively controls the operation of the coin transport mechanism 10 based on programs and data stored in a memory unit (not shown).

[0029] An outline of the operation of such a coin processing device 1 will be described. A coin inserted into the insertion slot 3 receives a deposit permission command from a higher-level device, is detected by an insertion detection sensor, and is then transported by the deposit transport section 11, where its authenticity and denomination are determined by the coin validation section 16. If the transported coin is determined to be a genuine coin, it is stored in the temporary storage section 12. On the other hand, if the transported coin is determined to be an incorrect coin, it is transported to the dispensing slot 7 via the first switching gate 15a and returned to the dispensing tray 9. If a return command is received from the higher-level device, the coin stored in the temporary storage section 12 is returned to the return slot 8 via the second switching gate 15b.

[0030] The coins stored in the temporary storage unit 12 are transported to the coin sorting unit 13, where they are sorted by denomination (1 yen coin, 50 yen coin, 5 yen coin, 100 yen coin, 10 yen coin, 500 yen coin) as they are transported backward. The coins sorted by the coin sorting unit 13 are stored in the coin storage vault 30 according to their denomination.

[0031] When a withdrawal command is given from a higher-level device, coins of the denomination corresponding to the withdrawal command are dispensed from the coin storage vault 30 and transported forward by the withdrawal transport section 14, and then dispensed from the withdrawal port 7 to the outside of the device main body 2 via the third switching gate 15c.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the coin storage vault 30 shown in FIG. 3, that is, the coin storage vault 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] The coin storage vault 30 illustrated here is placed on a storage base member 31 and is sandwiched between a pair of front and rear storage support members 32, 33, with multiple storage units 34 arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction. The storage units 34 are for storing the target coins, and each has the same dimensions in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions. These storage units 34 store, from the front to the back, 1 yen coins, 50 yen coins, 5 yen coins, 100 yen coins, 10 yen coins, and 500 yen coins.

[0034] Figures 5 to 7 each show the configuration of one storage unit 34 shown in Figure 4, i.e., the storage unit 34 for storing 100 yen coins, with Figures 5 and 6 being exploded perspective views and Figure 7 being a vertical cross-sectional view. Note that, although the storage unit 34 for storing 100 yen coins will be described here as an example, the storage units 34 for storing other coins have approximately the same configuration.

[0035] 5 to 7, the storage unit 34 includes a resin unit body 40 that is a housing having an opening on the top surface. The unit body 40 is configured by joining a front body wall portion 41 and a rear body wall portion 42 that form a front-rear pair.

[0036] A plurality of front fitting protrusions 41a are formed at predetermined positions on the front surface of the front body wall 41, and a plurality of rear fitting recesses 42a are formed at predetermined positions on the rear surface of the rear body wall 42. The front fitting protrusions 41a can relatively enter and be fitted into the rear fitting recesses 42a formed in the rear body wall 42 (hereinafter also referred to as the other rear body wall 42), which is a component of the unit body 40 (hereinafter also referred to as the other unit body 40) constituting the other storage unit 34. On the other hand, the rear fitting recesses 42a can be fitted into the front fitting protrusions 41a by allowing the front fitting protrusions 41a formed in the front body wall 41 (hereinafter also referred to as the other front body wall 41), which is another component of the other unit body 40, to enter relatively into the front fitting protrusions 41a.

[0037] This allows the storage unit 34 to be connected to other storage units 34 by engaging the front mating protrusions 41a and rear mating recesses 42a of each other, and as shown in Figure 4, the coin storage vault 30 is formed by connecting from the front in the following order: storage unit 34 for storing 1 yen coins, storage unit 34 for storing 50 yen coins, storage unit 34 for storing 5 yen coins, storage unit 34 for storing 100 yen coins (hereinafter also referred to as the 100 yen coin storage unit) 34, storage unit 34 for storing 10 yen coins (hereinafter also referred to as the 10 yen coin storage unit), and storage unit 34 for storing 500 yen coins.

[0038] Such a storage unit 34 includes a storage section 50, a dispensing section 60, and a feeding section 70 between a front main body wall section 41 and a rear main body wall section 42, as shown in FIGS.

[0039] The storage section 50 is configured with an endless output belt 53 stretched between a pair of left and right output pulleys 51, 52. These output pulleys 51, 52 are both provided on the unit body 40 in a manner that allows them to rotate about their own central axes, and the left output pulley 51 is disposed higher than the right output pulley 52. ​​As a result, the output belt 53 is gradually inclined upward as it goes leftward.

[0040] A shaft hole 51a having an inner surface with two flat surfaces is formed in the central shaft portion of the left discharge pulley 51. This shaft hole 51a is exposed to the outside through through holes 41b, 42b formed in the unit body 40 (the front body wall portion 41 and the rear body wall portion 42).

[0041] A transmission rod 54 having an outer surface that fits the inner surface of the shaft hole 51a penetrates such a shaft hole 51a as shown in Fig. 8. As shown in Fig. 8, this transmission rod 54 is an elongated member that penetrates not only the shaft holes 51a of the 100-yen coin storage unit 34 and the 10-yen coin storage unit 34 connected to the rear side thereof, but also the shaft holes 51a of all the storage units 34 arranged side by side in the front-rear direction.

[0042] An ejection motor (see FIG. 4) 55, which is a drive source, is mechanically connected to the front end of the transmission rod 54 via a transmission gear or the like. The ejection motor 55 rotates forward and backward in response to commands given from the control unit 20. When driven forward, the ejection motor 55 rotates the transmission rod 54 around its central axis counterclockwise as viewed from the front, that is, rotates the left ejection pulley 51 of each storage unit 34 counterclockwise as viewed from the front.

[0043] As a result of the left output pulley 51 rotating counterclockwise as viewed from the front in this manner, the portion of the output belt 53 extending between the upper pulleys is displaced leftward while the portion extending between the lower pulleys is displaced rightward, and the right output pulley 52 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front in response to the displacement of the output belt 53. In other words, the left output pulley 51 is the driving pulley and the right output pulley 52 is the driven pulley, with the left side being the downstream side in the output direction.

[0044] On the other hand, when the ejection motor 55 is driven in reverse rotation, it rotates the transmission rod 54 around its central axis clockwise when viewed from the front, i.e., it rotates the left ejection pulley 51 in each storage unit 34 clockwise when viewed from the front.

[0045] Such a storage section 50 stores coins sorted by the coin sorting section 13 in a stacked state in the upper inter-pulley extension portion of the discharge pulleys 51, 52, and discharges the stored coins to the left by driving the discharge motor 55.

[0046] The discharging section 60 is configured to include a discharging belt 63 that is endlessly stretched between a pair of left and right discharging pulleys 61, 62 on the downstream side in the discharging direction of the discharge belt 53. These discharging pulleys 61, 62 are both provided on the unit body 40 in a manner that allows them to rotate around their own central axes.

[0047] The right-side discharge pulley 62 is disposed lower and to the left of the left-side conveyor pulley 51, and the left-side discharge pulley 61 is disposed higher than the right-side discharge pulley 62. As a result, the discharge belt 63 is gradually inclined upward as it moves leftward, and the angle of inclination is greater than the angle of inclination of the conveyor belt 53. The length of the discharge belt 63 in the front-to-rear direction, which is its width dimension, is smaller than the width dimension of the conveyor belt 53, and countless protrusions 63a are formed on its surface.

[0048] The left-side payout pulley 61 is linked to a payout motor 65, which is a drive source, via a linking means 64. The payout motor 65 is installed in the unit body 40 and is driven in response to a command given from the control unit 20. When driven, the payout motor 65 rotates the left-side payout pulley 61 counterclockwise as viewed from the front. As the left-side payout pulley 61 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front, the upper part of the payout belt 63 is displaced leftward while the lower part of the payout belt 63 is displaced rightward, and the right-side payout pulley 62 also rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front in response to the displacement of the payout belt 63. In other words, the left-side payout pulley 61 is a driving pulley, the right-side payout pulley 62 is a driven pulley, and the left side is the downstream side in the payout direction.

[0049] The payout section 60 is configured to include, in addition to the payout belt 63, a reverse roller 66 and a guide member 67. The reverse roller 66 is installed facing the upper inter-pulley extending portion of the payout belt 63. The reverse roller 66 is disposed in the unit body 40 so as to be rotatable about its own central axis, and the distance between the reverse roller 66 and the upper inter-pulley extending portion is slightly larger than the thickness of the coins paid out by the payout belt 63.

[0050] The guide member 67 is installed in the unit body 40 by being sandwiched between the front body wall portion 41 and the rear body wall portion 42. The guide member 67 has an operating surface 67a at the lower end portion disposed downstream in the dispensing direction from the reverse roller 66, and faces the portion of the dispensing belt 63 extending between the upper pulleys.

[0051] Such guide member 67 is coin-specific, with its size determined according to the target coin of storage unit 34, and is specific to 100 yen coins in the example shown in Figures 5 to 7 etc. Guide member 67 has a gap dimension between action surface 67a and the upper inter-pulley extending portion of payout belt 63 adjusted to approximately the thickness of the target coin (100 yen coin in the illustrated example).

[0052] When the dispensing motor 65 is driven, the dispensing unit 60 dispenses the coins stored in the storage unit 50 and discharged by the discharge belt 53 one by one.

[0053] The payout section 70 is configured to include a payout belt 73 that is endlessly stretched between a pair of left and right payout pulleys 71, 72 on the downstream side in the payout direction of the payout belt 63. These payout pulleys 71, 72 are both provided on the unit body 40 in a manner that allows them to rotate around their own central axes. In particular, the left payout pulley 71 is provided to be rotatable around its own central axis by passing through a support hole 42c provided in the unit body 40 (rear body wall portion 42) with its front and rear end portions open.

[0054] The right-side payout pulley 72 is located to the right and above the left-side payout pulley 61, and the left-side payout pulley 71 is located above the right-side payout pulley 72. As a result, the payout belt 73 is gradually inclined upward as it moves to the left, with an angle of inclination greater than that of the carry-out belt 53 and smaller than that of the payout belt 63. The length of the payout belt 73 in the front-to-rear direction, which is the width dimension, is smaller than that of the payout belt 63, and the lower extending portion between the pulleys faces the guide surface 43 provided on the unit body 40, thereby forming the coin payout path 43a.

[0055] 9 and 10, the left-side payout pulley 71 is an elongated member whose longitudinal direction is the front-to-rear direction, and the payout belt 73 is in contact with the expanded diameter portion 71a. This left-side payout pulley 71 has a cross-shaped protrusion 71b formed at its rear end portion, and a cross-shaped recess 71c that can fit into the cross-shaped protrusion 71b formed at its front end portion.

[0056] Such a left-side payout pulley 71 is engaged and connected to another left-side payout pulley 71 rotatably provided on another unit body 40. Of these left-side payout pulleys 71, the left-side payout pulley 71 located in the rearmost storage unit 34 that stores 500-yen coins is mechanically connected to a payout motor 75 (see FIG. 4) that is a drive source via a transmission gear or the like. The payout motor 75 is driven in response to a command given from the control unit 20, and when driven, rotates the left-side payout pulley 71 of each storage unit 34 clockwise as viewed from the front.

[0057] As a result of the left payout pulley 71 rotating clockwise as viewed from the front in this manner, the portion of the payout belt 73 extending between the lower pulleys is displaced leftward while the portion extending between the upper pulleys is displaced rightward, and the right payout pulley 72 also rotates clockwise as viewed from the front in response to the displacement of the payout belt 73. In other words, the left payout pulley 71 is the driving pulley and the right payout pulley 72 is the driven pulley, with the left side being the downstream side in the payout direction.

[0058] The payout unit 70 includes a payout detection unit 76 in addition to the payout belt 73. The payout detection unit 76 is installed under the guide surface 43 that forms the payout path 43a, and is configured with a sensor that detects the authenticity and number of coins passing through the payout path 43a. The payout detection unit 76 outputs the detection result to the control unit 20.

[0059] Such a payout section 70 determines whether the coins dispensed by the displacement of the payout belt 63 are genuine or counterfeit, and pays out a predetermined number of coins to the downstream dispensing transport section 14. As a result, the storage unit 34 has a storage section 50, a payout section 60, and a payout section 70, and is configured as a unit for each denomination.

[0060] In the coin storage vault 30 having the above-described configuration, when a withdrawal command is given from a higher-level device, the control unit 20 drives the discharge motor 55 in the forward direction and the pay-out motor 75, and further drives the dispensing motor 65 of the storage unit 34 that stores coins of the corresponding denomination.

[0061] By driving the discharge motor 55 in the forward direction in this manner, the transmission rod 54 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front, which causes the left discharge pulley 51 in all of the storage units 34 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from the front. By rotating the left discharge pulley 51 in this manner, the portion of the discharge belt 53 extending between the upper pulleys is displaced leftward, while the portion extending between the lower pulleys is displaced rightward.

[0062] Furthermore, as the pay-out motor 75 is driven, the left pay-out pulley 71 in all of the storage units 34 rotates clockwise as viewed from the front. As the left pay-out pulley 71 rotates in this manner, the portion of the pay-out belt 73 extending between the lower pulleys is displaced leftward, while the portion extending between the upper pulleys is displaced rightward.

[0063] In the storage unit 34 that does not store coins of the corresponding denomination, the payout motor 65 is not driven as shown in Fig. 11. Therefore, the coins stored in the storage section 50 are discharged to the left by the displacement of the discharge belt 53, but the coins remain in the storage section 50 because the payout belt 63 does not displace.

[0064] Meanwhile, in the storage unit 34 that stores coins of the corresponding denomination, the payout motor 65 is driven as shown in Fig. 12. As the payout motor 65 is driven in this manner, the left payout pulley 61 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front. As the left payout pulley 61 rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front in this manner, the payout belt 63 has a portion extending between the upper pulleys displaced leftward, while a portion extending between the lower pulleys displaced rightward.

[0065] As a result, the coins discharged to the left by the discharge belt 53 are sent to the left as the payout belt 63 is displaced, but along the way, the reverse roller 66 prevents the coins from overlapping each other in the upper portion of the payout belt 63 extending between the pulleys, and the guide member 67 causes the coins to be dispensed one by one placed on the upper portion of the payout belt 63 extending between the pulleys.

[0066] Coins dispensed one by one from dispensing unit 60 in this way pass through pay-out path 43a due to the displacement of pay-out belt 73, and are dispensed to dispensing transport unit 14. The genuineness and number of coins passing through such pay-out path 43a are detected by pay-out detection unit 76, and when pay-out detection unit 76 detects that a predetermined number of coins have been dispensed, control unit 20 issues a command to carry-out motor 55 and pay-out motor 75 to stop driving, and also issues a command to pay-out motor 65, which is currently being driven, to stop driving.

[0067] This enables the coin storage vault 30 to feed a predetermined number of coins to the dispensing transport section 14 in response to the dispensing command.

[0068] As described above, according to the coin storage vault 30 of the embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit 34 has the storage section 50, the dispensing section 60, and the feeding section 70, and is configured as a unit for each denomination, so that it can be configured with only the storage units 34 of the denominations required according to the operation of the coin processing device 1 to be applied. In other words, when the coin processing device 1 does not handle a specific denomination, such as 1 yen coins, it is possible to prevent the formation of dead space by removing the storage units 34 of the specific denomination, and further, when it is desired to increase the number of storage units of a specific denomination, such as 10 yen coins, it is possible to achieve this by increasing the number of storage units 34 of the specific denomination. This allows for flexible operation and improves storage efficiency.

[0069] According to the above coin storage vault 30, the storage units 34, which are unitized for each denomination, are composed of a discharge belt 53 stretched endlessly around the unit body 40, and are equipped with a storage section 50 that stores coins in a stacked state on the discharge belt 53, a dispensing section 60 that is composed of a payout belt 63 stretched endlessly on the downstream side of the payout belt 53 in the unit body 40 in the payout direction, and dispensing coins stored in the storage section 50 one by one when the payout belt 63 is displaced in response to a withdrawal command, and a payout section 70 that is composed of a feed-out belt 73 stretched endlessly on the downstream side of the payout belt 63 in the unit body 40 in the payout direction, and is equipped with a feed-out belt 73 that is stretched endlessly on the downstream side of the payout belt 63 in the unit body 40, and is equipped with a feed-out conveying section 14 on the downstream side while determining the authenticity of the coins dispensed by the displacement of the payout belt 63.Therefore, it is sufficient to arrange each belt 53 etc. in the unit body 40 with dimensions according to the coins to be stored. The coin storage vault 30 can be constructed simply by arranging such storage units 34 side by side, making the assembly work easier.

[0070] According to the coin storage vault 30, the transmission rod 54 passes through the shaft holes 51a of the left discharge pulleys 51 of all the storage units 34 arranged side by side in the front-rear direction, and rotates around its own central axis by the drive of the discharge motor 55 to rotate the left discharge pulley 51, so that the drive source can be shared, and the increase in manufacturing costs can be suppressed by reducing the number of parts. Moreover, since the transmission rod 54 passes through the left discharge pulleys 51 without connecting them to each other, the driving force of the discharge motor 55 can be efficiently transmitted to each discharge pulley 51, and the discharge belt 53 can be displaced well even in the storage section 50 where coins are stored in a stacked state.

[0071] According to the coin storage vault 30, the left payout pulley 71 constituting each storage unit 34 is connected to the left payout pulley 71 in the other storage units 34, so that the left payout pulleys 71 in all storage units 34 can be rotated by driving the payout motor 75 to displace the payout belt 73. This allows the drive source to be shared, and the number of parts can be reduced to prevent an increase in manufacturing costs.

[0072] In the coin storage 30, the unit body 40 is configured as follows.

[0073] 13, the unit body 40 has a curved portion 44 formed above the right discharge pulley 52. ​​This curved portion 44 constitutes the right end portion of the storage section 50, and has a stepped wall 44a formed downward. The stepped wall 44a formed in the center portion of the curved portion 44 in the front-to-rear direction has a lower end close to the discharge belt 53, and the gap between the curved portion 44 and the discharge belt 53 is smaller than the thickness of a coin.

[0074] In response to this, a conventional coin dispenser is known in which a number of ribs are provided in the area constituting the right end portion of the storage section so as to be close to the discharge belt. However, if the ribs are deformed due to wear or the like, there is a risk that coins may get caught between the ribs or between the ribs and the discharge belt, which is not preferable.

[0075] In this regard, since the curved portion has a stepped wall 44a, there is no risk of deformation due to wear or the like, and coins can be prevented from getting between the curved portion 44 and the discharge belt 53.

[0076] As shown in FIG. 14, a base portion 45 on which the upper inter-pulley extending portion of the output belt 53 of the unit body 40 is placed is provided with a plurality of elongated ribs 45a (two in the illustrated example) extending in the left-right direction.

[0077] Such long rib 45a has the following dimensions: As shown in Fig. 15, the distance between the rear long rib 45a and the rear end portion of the discharge belt 53 is L1, the distance between the rear long rib 45a and the front long rib 45a is L2, and the distance between the front long rib 45a and the front end portion of the discharge belt 53 is L3, and these L1 to L3 are all smaller than the outer diameter of the coins stacked on the discharge belt 53.

[0078] As a result, coins placed on the upper inter-pulley extension portion of the discharge belt 53 are positioned in the upper area of ​​one of the long ribs 45a, which suppresses deformation such as wear caused by sliding contact with the base portion 45 when the discharge belt 53 is displaced, thereby improving durability.

[0079] 16 and 17, in the unit body 40, a storage section corresponding portion 421 on the rear body wall 42, which is on the rear side of the storage section 50, is formed to protrude upward more than a storage section corresponding portion 411 on the front body wall 41, which is on the front side of the storage section 50. As a result, the storage section corresponding portion 421 of the rear body wall 42 can face the front surface of the storage section corresponding portion 421 of the rear body wall 42 of another unit body 40, which is on the rear side of the unit body 40, as shown in FIG. 15, and defines the front-rear dimension of the storage section corresponding portion 421 and the storage section 50.

[0080] Two long convex portions 421a are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the storage section corresponding portion 421 of the rear main body wall 42 in a manner parallel to the upper inter-pulley extending portion of the discharge belt 53. The distance between these two long convex portions 421a is smaller than the outer diameter of the coin with the smallest outer diameter (for example, a 1 yen coin).

[0081] In this manner, by forming the long convex portion 421a on the front and rear surfaces of the storage section corresponding portion 421 of the rear main body wall portion 42, coins stored in a stacked state in the storage section 50 can be prevented from sticking to the front or rear surface of the storage section corresponding portion 421 due to surface tension, etc., when they come into contact with the front or rear surface of the storage section corresponding portion 421 in an upright position.

[0082] Moreover, the front-to-rear dimension of the storage section 50 can be determined by the front and rear surfaces of the storage section corresponding portion 421 of the rear main body wall 42, and the volume of the storage section 50 can be increased.

[0083] 18 and 19, in the unit body 40, a front portion 461 and a rear portion 462 of the upper inter-pulley extending portion of the dispensing belt 63 constituting the dispensing section 60 are configured to have a larger diameter than the front-to-rear dimension of the discharge belt 53, and the front-to-rear dimension gradually becomes smaller toward the downstream side in the dispensing direction, as shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19. The front portion 461 and the rear portion 462 form approximately the same plane as the upper inter-pulley extending portion.

[0084] In contrast, in the past, there was known a coin dispenser in which the front and rear portions are inclined gradually upward as they move away from the payout belt. In this case, even if the payout belt is displaced, the coins leaning against the inclined portions continue to rotate and cannot be dispensed, resulting in the risk of the coins becoming stuck.

[0085] In this regard, in the unit body 40, the front portion 461 and the rear portion 462 have a larger diameter than the front-to-rear dimension of the discharge belt 53, so that the coins discharged from the discharge belt 53 can be smoothly received. Moreover, the front portion 461 and the rear portion 462 are configured so that the front-to-rear dimension gradually decreases toward the downstream side in the dispensing direction, and form approximately the same plane as the upper inter-pulley extending portion of the dispensing belt 63. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 20, the coins can be dispensed toward the feeding section 70 without being leaned against and rotating.

[0086] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and various modifications can be made.

[0087] In the above-described embodiment, the unit bodies 40 are connected to each other to arrange the storage units 34 side by side, but in the present invention, the unit bodies may be engaged with each other using engaging means to arrange the storage units side by side. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS 1...coin processing device, 10...coin transport mechanism, 11...deposit transport section, 12...temporary holding section, 13...coin sorting section, 14...withdrawal transport section, 15...switching gate group, 16...coin validation section, 20...control section, 30...coin storage vault, 34...storage unit, 40...unit main body, 41...front main body wall section, 42...rear main body wall section, 50...storage section, 51, 52...discharge pulley, 53...discharge belt, 54...transmission rod, 55...discharge motor, 60...payout section, 61, 62...payout pulley, 63...payout belt, 65...payout motor, 66...reverse roller, 67...guide member, 70...feed-out section, 71, 72...feed-out pulley, 73...feed-out belt, 75...feed-out motor, 76...feed-out detection section.

Claims

1. A coin storage facility that stores coins that are deposited, identified as genuine, and sorted by denomination, and that dispenses a predetermined number of coins when a dispensing command is given, A plurality of storage units, each divided into a unit for each denomination, are arranged side by side. The storage unit includes: a storage section which is constituted by a conveying belt stretched endlessly between a pair of conveying pulleys on the left and right sides of the unit body, which stores the coins in a stacked state on the conveying belt and conveys the coins when the conveying belt is displaced; a payout section that is configured by a payout belt that is endlessly stretched on the downstream side of the payout belt in the payout direction in the unit body, and pays out the coins stored in the storage section one by one when the payout belt is displaced in response to the dispensing command; a payout section which is configured with a payout belt stretched endlessly on the downstream side of the payout belt in the payout direction in the unit main body and pays out a predetermined number of coins to a dispensing transport section on the downstream side while determining whether the coins paid out by the displacement of the payout belt are genuine or counterfeit; Equipped with A coin storage vault characterized in that a storage section corresponding portion on the rear body wall portion that constitutes the unit body, which is rear of the storage section, is capable of facing the front surface of the storage section corresponding portion of the rear body wall portion of another unit body that is rearward of the unit body, and two long convex portions are formed on the front and rear surfaces of the storage section corresponding portion of the rear body wall portion in a manner that is parallel to the upper pulley-extending portion of the discharge belt.

2. a common transmission rod passing through an axial hole formed in a drive pulley for displacing the discharge belt in each of the storage units; a drive source that rotates the drive pulley by rotating the transmission rod about a central axis of the transmission rod; The coin storage vault according to claim 1, further comprising:

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