Coin handling device

Abstract

To prevent occurrence of coin jam due to accumulation of dust.SOLUTION: Provided is a coin processing device 10 that identifies the authenticity and denomination of a coin deposited through a money deposit port 12 by a coin checking part 21a, stores coins identified by the coin checking part 21a as specie in a plurality of storage boxes 24 per denomination, and causes a coin delivered from any of the storage boxes 24 by a money payment instruction to be discharged to a money payment tray 16 through a money payment port 14. A conveyance guidance surface 44a that constitutes a conveyance path that conveys coins deposited through the money deposit port 12 toward the coin checking part 21a one by one in an overturned attitude, and makes a slide contact with a part of an outer peripheral surface of the coin has an edge part 44b by formation of a notch groove 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device, and more particularly to an improvement of a coin processing device applied as a change dispenser.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a coin processing device applied as a change dispenser identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited by being inserted into a deposit slot at a coin inspection unit, and distributes the coins identified as genuine coins at the coin inspection unit to each denomination at a sorting unit, and stores the sorted coins in storage bins provided for each denomination.

[0003] When a withdrawal instruction, which is a change payout request, is given from an external device or the like, this coin processing device ejects coins corresponding to the requested amount from the corresponding storage bin, conveys them to the withdrawal slot by a withdrawal conveyance unit, and pays them out (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the coin processing device proposed in Patent Document 1 above, in order to identify the authenticity and denomination of coins at the coin inspection unit, it is necessary to lay each coin down horizontally one by one and also regulate its position. Therefore, a narrow portion having a width slightly larger than the maximum outer diameter of the coin is required in the conveyance path from the deposit slot to the coin inspection unit.

[0006] However, it is common for dust to adhere to the coins deposited through the deposit slot, and there is a risk that such dust will accumulate in the conveyance path. If dust accumulates in the conveyance path in this way, coin jams may occur where the coins get stuck, especially in narrow sections.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a coin processing apparatus that can suppress the occurrence of coin jams caused by the accumulation of dust.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a coin processing apparatus according to the present invention identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a deposit slot at a coin inspection unit, and stores the coins identified as genuine coins at the coin inspection unit in a plurality of storage bins for each denomination, while paying out the coins fed out from an arbitrary storage bin according to a payout instruction from a payout slot to a payout tray. A conveyance path that conveys the coins deposited through the deposit slot one by one in a lying-down posture toward the coin inspection unit is configured, and a conveyance guide surface that is in sliding contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the coin is characterized by having an edge portion formed by a notch groove.

[0009] Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above coin processing apparatus, the conveyance guide surface is curved in an arc shape.

[0010] Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above coin processing apparatus, there is provided a deposit conveyance belt that is stretched endlessly in a manner that a part thereof faces the deposit slot, and conveys coins in a manner that a part of the outer peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the conveyance guide surface by being displaced along its extending direction, and a brush member that removes dust adhering to the surface of the deposit conveyance belt due to the displacement of the deposit conveyance belt.

[0011] Further, the present invention is characterized in that, in the above coin processing apparatus, there is provided a dust guide portion that guides the dust removed by the brush member to the payout tray.

Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, a conveyance path is configured to convey coins deposited through a coin insertion slot one by one in a lying-down posture toward a coin inspection unit, and the conveyance guide surface that is in sliding contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the coin has an edge portion formed by a notch groove. Thus, dust adhered to the coin can be removed at the edge portion and can be dropped downward through the notch groove. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of coin jamming due to the accumulation of dust.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

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Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments of the coin processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail.

[0015] <General Configuration of Coin Processing Apparatus> FIGS. 1 and 2 show the external configurations of coin processing apparatuses which are embodiments of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view and FIG. 2 is a front view. The coin processing apparatus 10 illustrated here is applied, for example, as an automatic change dispenser connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) register device (upper device 1) in a store such as a supermarket or a convenience store, and includes a device main body 11.

[0016] The device main body 11 is a housing having a substantially rectangular shape, and includes a coin insertion slot 12, an operation display unit 13, a coin ejection slot 14, and a return slot 15. The coin insertion slot 12 is provided on the upper right side of the front end surface of the device main body 11, and is an opening for receiving the inserted coins into the device main body 11. This coin insertion slot 12 functions, for example, as a temporary holding unit for temporarily holding the deposit from users such as customers.

[0017] The operation display unit 13 is provided on the upper left side of the front end surface of the device main body 11, and has a display unit 13a and an operation unit 13b. The display unit 13a displays various information, and the operation unit 13b is an input means configured with, for example, a numeric keypad or the like to perform various operation inputs.

[0018] The coin payout opening 14 is provided on the left side of the front surface of the apparatus main body 11. This coin payout opening 14 is an opening for paying out the coins stored inside the apparatus main body 11, and pays out the coins to a coin payout tray 16 attached to the apparatus main body 11. The return opening 15 is provided on the right side of the front surface of the apparatus main body 11. This return opening 15 is an opening for returning coins.

[0019] In addition, the coin processing apparatus 10 is arranged such that the front surface of the apparatus main body 11 faces the user side, which is the customer of the store, and functions as a self-checkout where the user (customer) reads a barcode or the like of a product and conducts the exchange of money, or as a semi-self-checkout where the user only conducts the exchange of money.

[0020] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the internal configuration of the coin processing apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the characteristic control system of the coin processing apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Using these FIGS. 3 and 4, the internal configuration of the coin processing apparatus 10 will be described by function.

[0021] Inside the apparatus main body 11, a coin conveyance mechanism 20 is provided. This coin conveyance mechanism 20 has a coin input conveyance unit 21, a temporary storage unit 22, a sorting unit 23, a storage 24, a coin payout conveyance unit 25, and a switching gate group 26.

[0022] The coin input conveyance unit 21 conveys the coins that are inserted from the coin input opening 12 and detected by an insertion detection sensor 17 provided in the vicinity of the coin input opening 12. A coin inspection unit 21a is provided in this coin input conveyance unit 21. The coin inspection unit 21a discriminates the authenticity and denomination of the coins.

[0023] The temporary storage unit 22 temporarily stores the coins discriminated as genuine coins by the coin inspection unit 21a. The sorting unit 23 sorts the coins conveyed after being stored in the temporary storage unit 22 for each denomination.

[0024] The storage bins 24 are provided for each coin type and store the coins sorted by the sorting unit 23. More specifically, as the storage bins 24, six bins are provided, namely, a 1-yen storage bin 24a, a 50-yen storage bin 24b, a 5-yen storage bin 24c, a 100-yen storage bin 24d, a 10-yen storage bin 24e, and a 500-yen storage bin 24f, from the front side.

[0025] The coin payout conveyor 25 conveys the coins fed out from the storage bins 24 forward. That is, the coin payout conveyor 25 conveys the coins fed out from the storage bins 24 forward toward a coin payout chute 27 communicating with the coin payout opening 14.

[0026] The switching gate group 26 includes a first switching gate 26a, a second switching gate 26b, and a third switching gate 26c. The first switching gate 26a is provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the coin intake conveyor 21. This first switching gate 26a can be alternatively switched between a state of conveying the coins conveyed by the coin intake conveyor 21 to the temporary storage section 22 and a state of conveying the coins to the coin payout opening 14.

[0027] The second switching gate 26b is provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the temporary storage section 22. This second switching gate 26b can be alternatively switched between a state of sending out the coins retained in the temporary storage section 22 to the sorting unit 23 and a state of sending out the coins to the return opening 15. In its normal state, such second switching gate 26b is in a state of sending out the coins retained in the temporary storage section 22 to the sorting unit 23.

[0028] The third switching gate 26c is provided on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the coin payout conveyor 25. This third switching gate 26c can be alternatively switched between a conveyance state of conveying the coins conveyed by the coin payout conveyor 25 to the coin payout opening 14 via the coin payout chute 27 and a circulation state of conveying the coins to the temporary storage section 22. In its normal state, such third switching gate 26c is in the conveyance state.

[0029] In addition to the above configuration, the coin processing device 10 includes a counting sensor 28 and a control unit 30. The counting sensor 28 is provided in the conveyance path from the distributing unit 23 to each storage unit 24. Such a counting sensor 28 detects the number of coins distributed from the distributing unit 23 to the corresponding storage unit 24, and sends the detection result to the control unit 30 as a counting signal.

[0030] The control unit 30 is electrically connected to the display unit 13a, the operation unit 13b, the coin conveyance mechanism 20, the coin inspection unit 21a, and the counting sensor 28, and is also electrically connected to a host device 1 such as a POS register device. When a command is given through the operation unit 13b, or when a detection signal is given from the coin inspection unit 21a, or when various commands are given from the host device 1, the control unit 30 performs display control of the display unit 13a and drive control of the coin conveyance mechanism 20 based on the programs and data stored in the storage unit 31.

[0031] Note that the control unit 30 may be realized by causing a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) to execute a program, that is, by software, or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0032] <Overview operation of the coin processing device 10> The coin processing device 10 having the above configuration operates as follows. First, the deposit operation will be described. When a deposit permission command is given from the host device 1, after the coins inserted into the deposit slot 12 are detected by the insertion detection sensor 17, they are conveyed by the deposit conveyance unit 21, and the coin inspection unit 21a identifies the authenticity and denomination. If the coin is genuine, it is temporarily held in the temporary holding unit 22. On the other hand, if the coin is not genuine, it is conveyed to the payout slot 14 via the first switching gate 26a and returned to the payout tray 16. Note that when there is a return instruction from the host device 1, the coins held in the temporary holding unit 22 are returned to the return port 15 via the second switching gate 26b.

[0033] The coins held in the temporary storage unit 22 are transported to the sorting unit 23, and while being transported rearward by the sorting unit 23, they are sorted by denomination. The coins sorted by the sorting unit 23 are stored in the storage bins 24 according to their denominations, and then the depositing operation is terminated by sending a deposit completion notification to the upper device 1.

[0034] Next, the dispensing operation will be described. When a dispensing command is given from the upper device 1, coins of the denomination corresponding to the dispensing command are taken out from an arbitrary storage bin 24 and fed out to the dispensing conveyor 25. They are fed out from the corresponding storage bin 24 to the dispensing conveyor 25. The coins fed out to the dispensing conveyor 25 are transported forward by the dispensing conveyor 25, and are dispensed to the outside of the apparatus main body 11 from the dispensing outlet 14 via the dispensing chute 27 through the third switching gate 26c in the transport state. After thus dispensing predetermined coins to the outside, the dispensing operation is terminated by sending a dispensing completion notification to the upper device 1.

[0035] Furthermore, the inspection operation will be described. The inspection operation is an operation of measuring the number of coins stored in each storage bin 24. When an inspection command is given from the upper device 1 or when an inspection command is given from the operation unit 13b, coins are taken out from the storage bin 24 and fed out to the dispensing conveyor 25, and are transported forward by the dispensing conveyor 25 and temporarily stored in the temporary storage unit 22. Then, the coins stored in the temporary storage unit 22 are transported to the sorting unit 23, sorted by denomination by the sorting unit 23, and then stored in a predetermined storage bin 24 while detecting the number of each denomination with the counting sensor 28. Thereby, the number of coins in each storage bin 24 can be measured.

[0036] <Insertion detection sensor 17> The above insertion detection sensor 17 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the insertion detection sensor 17 is composed of two sets of optical sensors 17a and 17b. These two sets of optical sensors 17a and 17b each have a light emitting element 171 and a light receiving element 172, and these light emitting elements 171 and light receiving elements 172 are arranged on a common substrate 173.

[0037] The light emitting elements 171 of the respective optical sensors 17a and 17b emit light to a prism 18 installed at a facing portion of the rear-side coin insertion port component 121 through a hole 122 formed in the front-side coin insertion port component 121F of the pair of front and rear coin insertion port components 121 that constitute the coin insertion port 12. The light receiving elements 172 of the respective optical sensors 17a and 17b receive light that passes through the hole 122 of the front-side coin insertion port component 121F while being reflected by the opposed prisms 18.

[0038] That is, in the insertion detection sensor 17, coin insertion can be detected at a total of four portions: a light passage portion 174 of the light emitted from the light emitting element 171 toward the corresponding prism 18, and a light passage portion 175 of the light from the prism 18 toward the light receiving element 172.

[0039] Therefore, compared with the case where the light emitting element 171 and the light receiving element 172 are arranged to face each other, the number of the optical sensors 17a and 17b can be reduced, and it becomes possible to detect coins more than the number of the optical sensors 17a and 17b. Thus, while reducing the manufacturing cost by reducing the number of parts, it is possible to improve the accuracy of coin insertion detection.

[0040] <Coin checking unit 21a> The coin checking unit 21a will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the coin checking unit 21a includes a coin checking upper unit 211 and a coin checking lower unit 212, and the authenticity and denomination of the coin are identified by the coin passing between the coin checking upper unit 211 and the coin checking lower unit 212 one by one in a lying-down posture.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 8, the hinge shafts 213 pass through the respective hinge shaft holes 211a and 212a of these coin checking upper unit 211 and coin checking lower unit 212, and as shown in FIG. 9, the closing positioning rib 211b formed on the coin checking upper unit 211 enters the closing positioning hole 212b formed on the coin checking lower unit 212, so that they are connected in a state where the separation distance therebetween is properly maintained.

[0042] In the coin inspection unit 21a, since a part (upper part) of the closing positioning rib 211b is planar and a part (upper edge part) of the closing positioning hole 212b is planar, the appearance can be easily confirmed, and the management of optimizing the separation distance between the upper coin inspection unit 211 and the lower coin inspection unit 212 can be easily performed.

[0043] <Deposit conveying unit 21> The deposit conveying unit 21 will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, the deposit conveying unit 21 includes a deposit conveying belt 40, a reverse roller 42, a conveying guide part 44, and a brush member 46.

[0044] The deposit conveying belt 40 is endlessly stretched between pulleys 41a and 41b that are rotatably installed in a left-right pair between a pair of front and rear deposit inlet components 121, and a part of the upward extending part 40a between the pulleys 41a and 41b is exposed through the deposit inlet 12. Here, among the left and right pair of pulleys 41a and 41b, the left pulley 41a is a driving pulley that rotates around its central axis by the drive of a motor (not shown).

[0045] Thereby, when the left pulley 41a rotates around its central axis by the drive of the motor, the deposit conveying belt 40 is displaced along its extending direction in such a manner that the upward extending part 40a moves leftward.

[0046] The reverse roller 42 is installed above the deposit conveying belt 40 so as to be rotatable around its central axis between the deposit inlet components 121. The reverse roller 42 is linked to the same motor as the left pulley 41a and rotates around its central axis when the driving force of the motor is transmitted.

[0047] That is, the reverse roller 42 rotates around its central axis when the deposit conveying belt 40 is displaced along its extending direction. By rotating around its central axis, the reverse roller 42 places coins one by one in a lying-down posture on the upward extending part 40a on its left side.

[0048] The inside of the conveyance path 44 is formed in the front deposit inlet component 121F. This inside of the conveyance path 44 is formed in a manner that protrudes rearward at a portion that is on the left side of the reverse roller 42 and slightly above the upward extending portion 40a of the deposit conveyance belt 40.

[0049] The conveyance path inner surface 44a, which is the rear end surface of such a conveyance path inside 44, forms an arcuate curved surface that gradually curves rearward as it goes leftward. This conveyance path inner surface 44a is in sliding contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the coins placed one by one in a lying-down posture due to the displacement of the deposit conveyance belt 40, and constitutes a narrow conveyance path for conveying the coins deposited from the deposit inlet 12 one by one in a lying-down posture toward the coin inspection portion 21a. That is, a part of the deposit conveyance belt 40 is stretched in an endless manner facing the deposit inlet 12, and conveys the coins in a manner that a part of the outer peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the conveyance path inner surface 44a by displacing along its extending direction.

[0050] And in such a conveyance path inside 44, a plurality of cutout grooves 45 are formed on the conveyance path inner surface 44a, thereby forming a plurality of edge portions. That is, the conveyance path inner surface 44a has an edge portion 44b due to the formation of the cutout grooves 45.

[0051] The brush member 46 is installed between a pair of front and rear deposit inlet components 121 as shown in FIG. 11. This brush member 46 is configured by implanting bristles 462, which are the tip portions, into a brush body 461, which is the base portion, and is installed such that the tip portion of the bristles 462 is in contact with the entire width of the surface of the deposit conveyance belt 40, which is below the left side of the left pulley 41a. That is, when the deposit conveyance belt 40 is displaced, the tip portion of the bristles 462 is in sliding contact with the surface of the deposit conveyance belt 40. An inclined guide surface 461a that gradually inclines downward as it goes forward is formed at the tip portion of the brush body 461, and the front end portion, which is the extending end portion of the inclined guide surface 461a, faces the upper portion of the guide recess 123 formed in the front deposit inlet component 121F.

[0052] The lower part of the guide recess 123 faces the dust guide 124. The dust guide 124 is formed between a pair of front and rear deposit inlet components 121 and extends to the payout tray 16.

[0053] According to such a coin processing device 10, a conveyance path is configured to convey the coins deposited from the deposit inlet 12 one by one in a laterally laid posture toward the coin inspection unit 21a. The conveyance guide surface 44a that is in sliding contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the coin has an edge portion 44b formed by the formation of the notch groove 45. Therefore, the dust adhering to the coin can be removed by the edge portion 44b and can be dropped onto the surface of the lower deposit conveyance belt 40 through the notch groove 45. Thereby, the occurrence of coin jams due to the accumulation of dust can be suppressed.

[0054] Particularly, since the conveyance guide surface 44a is curved in an arc shape, even if the conveyance guide surface 44a forms a narrow conveyance path, it can conform to the outer shape of the coin, and a sufficient width dimension can be ensured.

[0055] According to the coin processing device 10, since the tip portion of the brush 462 of the brush member 46 contacts the surface of the deposit conveyance belt 40, the dust adhering to the surface of the deposit conveyance belt 40 due to the displacement of the deposit conveyance belt 40 can be removed.

[0056] The dust thus removed is guided to the guide recess 123 while falling along the inclined guide surface 461a of the brush member 46 as shown in FIG. 12. The dust guided to the guide recess 123 falls from the lower part of the guide recess 123 to the dust guide 124.

[0057] And since the dust guide 124 extends to the payout tray 16, as shown in FIG. 13, the fallen dust, that is, the dust removed by the brush member 46, can be guided to the payout tray 16, and thereby the dust can be discharged to the outside of the apparatus main body 11.

[0058] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been explained, but the present invention is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made.

[0059] In the above-described embodiment, the conveyance guide surface 44a is curved in an arc shape, but in the present invention, the conveyance guide surface may be formed in a flat shape.

[0060] In the above-described embodiment, the deposit conveyance belt 40 is displaced in one direction, but in the present invention, the motor can rotate forward and backward and the deposit conveyance belt may be displaceable not only in one direction but also in the other direction, and dust may be removed by the brush member by displacing the deposit conveyance belt in the other direction.

[0061] Each configuration illustrated in the above-described embodiment is schematic in function, and it is not necessarily physically configured as illustrated. That is, the form of dispersion and integration of each device and component is not limited to that illustrated, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically dispersed and integrated in any unit according to various usage situations and the like.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0062] 1... upper device, 10... coin processing device, 11... device main body, 12... deposit port, 121... deposit port component, 123... guide recess, 124... dust guide part, 13... operation display part, 14... withdrawal port, 15... return port, 16... withdrawal tray, 17... insertion detection sensor, 20... coin conveyance mechanism, 21... deposit conveyance part, 21a... coin inspection part, 22... temporary storage part, 23... distribution part, 24... storage, 25... withdrawal conveyance part, 26... switching gate group, 27... withdrawal chute, 28... counting sensor, 30... control part, 31... storage part, 40... deposit conveyance belt, 40a... upper extending part, 41a, 41b... pulleys, 42... reverse roller, 44... conveyance guide part, 44a... conveyance guide surface, 44b... edge part, 45... notch groove, 46... brush member, 461... brush body, 462... brush.

Claims

1. A coin processing apparatus that identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a deposit slot at a coin inspection unit, stores the coins identified as genuine at the coin inspection unit in a plurality of storage bins for each denomination, and dispenses the coins fed out from an arbitrary storage bin to a dispensing tray through a dispensing port, comprising: a conveyance path that conveys the coins deposited from the deposit slot one by one in a lying-down posture toward the coin inspection unit, and a conveyance guide surface that is in sliding contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the coin has an edge portion formed by a notch groove and is curved in an arc shape. The coin processing apparatus is characterized by this.

2. A coin processing apparatus that identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a deposit slot at a coin inspection unit, stores the coins identified as genuine at the coin inspection unit in a plurality of storage bins for each denomination, and dispenses the coins fed out from an arbitrary storage bin to a dispensing tray through a dispensing port, comprising: a conveyance path that conveys the coins deposited from the deposit slot one by one in a lying-down posture toward the coin inspection unit, and a conveyance guide surface that is in sliding contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the coin has an edge portion formed by a notch groove, a deposit conveyance belt that is stretched in an endless manner with a part facing the deposit slot and conveys the coins in such a manner that a part of the outer peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the conveyance guide surface by being displaced along its extending direction, and a brush member that removes dust adhered to the surface of the deposit conveyance belt due to the displacement of the deposit conveyance belt. The coin processing apparatus is characterized by including these.

3. a deposit conveyance belt that is stretched in an endless manner with a part facing the deposit slot and conveys the coins in such a manner that a part of the outer peripheral surface is in sliding contact with the conveyance guide surface by being displaced along its extending direction, and a brush member that removes dust adhered to the surface of the deposit conveyance belt due to the displacement of the deposit conveyance belt. The coin processing apparatus according to Claim 1, characterized by including these.

4. The coin processing apparatus according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterized by including a dust guide portion that guides the dust removed by the brush member to the dispensing tray.

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