Rotating medal dispenser

Abstract

To allow medals to be guided one by one through the rotation of a rotating drum and ejected from a medal ejection port.SOLUTION: A rotary medal ejection machine includes: a hollow rotating drum 3 pivotally supporting a side face freely rotatably; a medal input port 12 formed in the rotating drum 3; a medal ejection port 13 formed on a peripheral surface 11 of the rotating drum 3; and a medal drop unit 14 provided inside the rotary drum 3 for guiding medals one by one to the medal ejection port 13 by rotation of the rotary drum 3. The medal drop unit 14 has a medal collection unit 21, a medal receiving port unit 22, a medal transfer unit 23, and a medal drop port unit 24. The medal drop port unit 24 is formed smaller than a diameter of a medal. The medal ejection port 13 is provided with a direction-changing unit 25 around the medal drop port unit 24 that uses the rotation of the rotating drum 3 to direct a leading edge of the medal toward the medal ejection port 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a rotary medal dispenser. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a rotary lottery machine that rotates a rotary drum that contains a large number of balls inside, thereby dispensing the balls one by one from the rotary drum (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-115747 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The rotary lottery machine described above is designed to dispense balls, and therefore cannot dispense anything other than balls, and its applications are limited.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of such problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In response to the above problems, the present invention provides: a hollow rotary drum whose side is rotatably supported by a shaft; A medal insertion port formed in the rotary drum; a medal discharge port formed on the circumferential surface of the rotating drum; a medal dropping section that is provided inside the rotating drum and that guides medals one by one to the medal discharge port by rotation of the rotating drum; 、 With the medal ejection port facing downwards, The medal drop section is a medal collecting section that narrows downward and collects medals in the rotary drum and directs them downward; a medal receiving port portion that receives the medals collected by the medal collecting portion one by one; a medal transfer section that guides one medal that has entered the medal receiving port section to above the medal discharge port; a medal drop port section that drops the medals sent to above the medal discharge port by the medal transfer section from the medal discharge port, The medal drop opening is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the medal, The medal discharge port is provided with a direction changer around the medal drop port, which uses the rotation of the rotating drum to direct the leading edge of the medal toward the medal discharge port. It features a rotating medal dispenser. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, with the above-described configuration, it is possible to guide medals one by one by the rotation of the rotary drum and discharge them from the medal discharge port. That is, with the medal discharge outlet facing downward, the medal drop section has a medal collecting section that narrows at the bottom and collects the medals in the rotating drum and directs them downward, a medal receiving port section that receives the medals collected by the medal collecting section one by one, a medal transfer section that guides each medal that enters the medal receiving port section to above the medal discharge outlet, and a medal drop port section that drops a medal sent to above the medal discharge outlet by the medal transfer section from the medal discharge outlet. The medal discharge outlet is equipped with a direction changer around the medal drop port section, and the direction changer uses the rotation of the rotating drum to direct the leading edge of the medal toward the medal discharge outlet. Therefore, the medal drop port section, which is formed smaller than the diameter of the medal, prevents the medal from being dropped before the direction change, but becomes able to drop the medal after the direction change. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall perspective view showing the appearance of a rotary medal discharge machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the rotating drum of FIG. 1. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2(a) is a left side view of a second guide member installed inside the rotating drum, and FIG. 2(b) is a bottom view of a first guide member installed inside the rotating drum. [Figure 3] This is a diagram of the operation of the rotating drum, with the medal ejection port facing almost directly downwards in the standard position. [Figure 4] This is an operational diagram following FIG. 3, showing the state in which the rotating drum has rotated 1 / 8 of a turn in the rotation direction from the reference position. [Figure 5] This is an operational diagram following FIG. 4, showing the state in which the rotating drum has rotated 3 / 8 of a turn in the rotation direction from the reference position. [Figure 6] This is an operational diagram following FIG. 5, showing the state in which the rotating drum has made a 4 / 8 rotation (half rotation) in the rotation direction from the reference position. [Figure 7] This is an operational diagram following FIG. 6, showing the state in which the rotating drum has made 5 / 8 rotation in the rotation direction from the reference position. [Figure 8] This is an operational diagram following FIG. 7, showing the state in which the rotating drum has rotated 6 / 8 of a turn in the rotation direction from the reference position. [Figure 9]This is an operational diagram following Figure 7, showing the state in which the rotating drum has made 7 / 8 rotation in the rotation direction from the reference position and the medal has been discharged. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is an overall perspective view of the rotary medal discharger in the state shown in FIG. 9. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 10 are used to explain this embodiment. [Example]

[0010] <Configuration> The configuration of this embodiment will now be described.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the rotary medal dispenser 1 of this embodiment has a stand 2, a rotary drum 3 rotatably attached to the stand 2, and a handle 4 for manually rotating the rotary drum 3.

[0012] Here, rotary medal dispenser 1 is a device or plaything that dispenses medals 5 (Figure 10) by rotation. Stand 2 is a support part that supports rotating drum 3 so that it can rotate in a vertical position. Stand 2 has a support surface 6 that supports rotary medal dispenser 1 on a flat surface such as a floor or a stand, and a pair of support arms 8 that rise from support surface 6 and support both side surfaces 7 of rotating drum 3.

[0013] The support surface 6 of the stand 2 has a tray on the front side that receives the medals 5 discharged from the rotating drum 3. The support arms 8 of the stand 2 have bearings at their upper ends that rotatably support a horizontal rotation shaft 9 that passes through the center of the rotating drum 3. The handle 4 is installed on the outside of the upper part of one of the support arms 8, and is attached to the rotation shaft 9 so as to rotate integrally therewith.

[0014] In addition to the basic configuration described above, this embodiment may also have the following configuration.

[0015] (1) [About the Rotary Medal Dispenser 1] As shown in FIG. 2A, the rotary medal dispenser 1 includes: a hollow rotary drum 3 whose side surface 7 is rotatably supported; A medal insertion port 12 formed in the rotary drum 3; A medal discharge port 13 formed on the circumferential surface 11 of the rotating drum 3; The machine is provided with a medal dropping section 14 that is provided inside the rotary drum 3 and guides the medals 5 one by one to the medal discharge port 13 as the rotary drum 3 rotates.

[0016] Here, the rotating drum 3 is a vertical rotating container with left and right side surfaces 7 and a peripheral surface 11 that surrounds the left and right side surfaces 7. The horizontal direction perpendicular to the left and right side surfaces 7 is the width direction 15 of the rotating drum 3. The horizontal direction perpendicular to both the width direction 15 and the up-down direction 16 is the front-to-back direction 17 of the rotary medal discharger 1. In this case, the side in the front-to-back direction 17 where the receiving tray is provided is the front side. The direction in which the peripheral surface 11 surrounds the left and right side surfaces 7 is the circumferential direction of the rotating drum 3. The medal drop section 14 functions correctly when the rotating drum 3 is rotated to one side in the circumferential direction.

[0017] The side shape of the rotating drum 3 may be circular or a regular polygon. In this embodiment, the side shape of the rotating drum 3 is a regular octagon. In this case, the rotating drum 3 having a regular octagonal side shape has eight sides 18a to 18h and eight corners 19a to 19h on the peripheral surface 11. Each of the eight sides 18a to 18h is larger than the medal 5 and has the same shape and size. Each of the eight corners 19a to 19h has the same angle.

[0018] In this embodiment, the rotating drum 3 is split in half vertically along the direction of the surface parallel to the side surface 7 at approximately the middle of the width direction 15. Therefore, the rotating drum 3 is made up of one half by combining the half drum pieces. The medal throwing section 14 is also split in half like the drum pieces. As a result, by combining the drum pieces, the medal throwing section 14 also becomes one. Note that the rotating drum 3 is not limited to being split in half. Furthermore, in a half-shaped rotating drum 3, the split position is optional. In this embodiment, the rotating drum 3 is split at approximately the middle of the width direction 15.

[0019] The medal insertion slot 12 is an opening for inserting medals 5 into the rotating drum 3. The medal insertion slot 12 may be formed on the side surface 7 of the rotating drum 3 or on the circumferential surface 11 of the rotating drum 3. The medal insertion slot 12 may have, for example, an openable / closable lid. In this embodiment, the medal insertion slot 12 is, for example, a slit formed on the circumferential surface 11 and extending in the width direction 15 of the rotating drum 3. The width and spacing of the slits in the medal insertion slot 12 are approximately the same as or slightly larger than the diameter and thickness of the medals 5. By forming the medal insertion slot 12 as a slit, a lid for the medal insertion slot 12 is not required. The medal insertion slot 12 can be formed on any one of the sides 18a to 18h. In this embodiment, the medal insertion slot 12 is formed on the side 18f. The circumferential position of the medal insertion slot 12 changes as the rotating drum 3 rotates.

[0020] The medal discharge outlet 13 is an opening through which medals 5 are discharged from inside the rotating drum 3. The medal discharge outlet 13 is, for example, a substantially rectangular opening with length and width dimensions larger than the diameter of the medal 5. The medal discharge outlet 13 is formed on sides 18a to 18h that are different from the medal insertion slot 12. In this embodiment, the medal discharge outlet 13 is formed on side 18a, which is substantially opposite the medal insertion slot 12. The circumferential position of the medal discharge outlet 13, together with the medal insertion slot 12, changes as the rotating drum 3 rotates. Note that the shape and size of the medal discharge outlet 13 are not limited to those described above.

[0021] The inside of the rotating drum 3 is hollow. A large number of medals 5 can be stored inside the rotating drum 3.

[0022] The medal throwing section 14 is an internal structure of the rotating drum 3 that has the function of guiding the medals 5 one by one to the medal discharge port 13. The medal throwing section 14 is preferably formed integrally with the rotating drum 3, but it can also be formed separately from the rotating drum 3 and attached to it. In this embodiment, the medal throwing section 14 is formed integrally with the rotating drum 3 by a rib that stands perpendicular to the inside of the side surface 7 of the rotating drum 3. The circumferential position of the medal throwing section 14 changes together with the medal discharge port 13 as the rotating drum 3 rotates.

[0023] Hereinafter, the medal throwing portion 14 will be described assuming its shape in the state shown in FIG. 2A.

[0024] (2) [Regarding the functional structure of medal drop section 14] With the medal outlet 13 facing downwards, Medal drop zone 14 is a medal collecting section 21 that narrows downward and collects the medals 5 in the rotating drum 3 and directs them downward; a medal receiving port portion 22 that receives the medals 5 collected by the medal collecting portion 21 one by one; a medal transfer section (23) that guides one medal (5) that has entered the medal receiving port (22) to above the medal discharge port (13); The machine has a medal drop port part 24 for dropping the medal 5 sent above the medal discharge port 13 by the medal transfer part 23 from the medal discharge port 13. In this case, it is preferable that the medal drop opening portion 24 is formed smaller than the diameter of the medal 5. The medal discharge port 13 may be provided with a direction change section 25 around the medal drop port section 24 that uses the rotation of the rotating drum 3 to direct the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 toward the medal discharge port 13.

[0025] Here, the state in which the medal discharge outlet 13 faces downward refers to a state in which, for example, a corner 19a (hereinafter referred to as a first corner 19a as needed) located on the downstream side of an edge 18a (hereinafter referred to as a first edge 18a as needed) forming the medal discharge outlet 13 in Fig. 2A faces directly downward. The upstream side and downstream side will be described later.

[0026] The medal collection section 21 is a portion of the medal dropping section 14 that has a wider horizontal dimension at the top and a narrower horizontal dimension at the bottom. The upper horizontal dimension of the medal collection section 21 need only be sufficiently larger than the diameter of the medal 5, but in this embodiment it is larger than the radius of the rotating drum 3 and is approximately the same as or slightly wider than the diameter of two medals 5. The lower horizontal dimension is approximately the same as or slightly wider than the diameter of the medal 5. The medal collection section 21 is preferably provided below the medal dropping slot 12.

[0027] The medal receiving port section 22 is the portion that serves as the exit of the medal collecting section 21 and the entrance of the medal transporting section 23, and the horizontal dimension of the lower side of the medal collecting section 21 is the same as the horizontal dimension of the medal receiving port section 22.

[0028] The medal transfer section 23 is a passage that extends horizontally and allows the medals 5 to pass through one by one. The medal transfer section 23 is approximately the same as the diameter of two medals 5 or slightly longer than that.

[0029] The medal drop port 24 is the exit of the medal transfer section 23. The medals 5 that leave the medal transfer section 23 are discharged through the medal discharge port 13. The medal drop port 24 is made smaller in diameter than the medals 5 in order to regulate the timing of medal 5 drop so that medals 5 that have reached the medal drop port 24 are not simply dropped from the medal drop port 24 without permission.

[0030] The medal 5 is a circular plate-like body having a required diameter and thickness. It is best for the medal 5 to be circular, but depending on the situation, it can also be a regular polygon. The leading edge 5a is the edge of the medal 5 that has entered the medal transfer section 23, facing the medal drop opening section 24. In contrast, the edge of the medal 5 that has entered the medal transfer section 23, facing the medal receiving opening section 22, is the trailing edge 5b. Note that even if the medal 5 is redirected at the direction change section 25, for example, the names of the leading edge 5a and the trailing edge 5b remain unchanged.

[0031] The diameter of the medal 5 is, for example, the distance between the leading edge 5a and the trailing edge 5b. The diameter refers to the diameter of a dedicated medal 5 used in the rotary medal dispenser 1 of this embodiment, and the rotary medal dispenser 1 uses medals 5 of the same diameter. The medal drop section 14 can be configured to fit the medal 5 you want to use by adjusting the dimensional relationships of each part. In addition, the medal 5 has two surfaces, 5c and 5d, on the front and back, and various designs such as numbers, letters, and patterns can be applied to the two surfaces 5c and 5d. The thickness of the medal 5 is the distance between the two surfaces 5c and 5d.

[0032] The direction changing section 25 is a section that changes the direction of the medal 5 that has reached the medal drop port section 24 from the direction along the medal transfer section 23 so that the leading edge 5a faces the medal discharge port 13. Because the medal drop port section 24 is smaller in diameter than the medal 5, the medal 5 cannot come out of the medal drop port section 24 just by reaching the medal drop port section 24. Then, by having the direction of the medal 5 changed by the direction changing section 25, the medal 5 is able to come out of the medal drop port section 24 and be discharged from the medal discharge port 13.

[0033] (3) [About the configuration of medal drop unit 14] With the medal outlet 13 facing downwards, Medal drop zone 14 is The rotary drum 3 has a passage gap 31 through which one medal 5 can pass in a horizontal position, and is provided with a first guide member 34 and a second guide member 35 at the top and bottom which divide the inside of the rotary drum 3 into a space 33 on the medal discharge port 13 side and a space 32 on the opposite side to the medal discharge port 13. With the rotation direction 36 of the rotary drum 3 as a reference, The first guide member 34 located on the lower side extends from the downstream side of the medal discharge port 13 toward the upstream side, but does not reach the upstream side, thereby forming a medal drop port portion 24 on the upstream side. The second guide member 35 located on the upper side extends from the upstream side of the medal discharge port 13 toward the downstream side, but does not reach the downstream side, thereby forming a medal receiving port portion 22 on the downstream side.

[0034] Here, the horizontal state refers to a state in which the line passing through the center of the medal 5 and extending in the width direction 15 of the rotating drum 3 (the width direction line of the medal 5) is horizontal, and the medal 5 appears rod-shaped when viewed from the side. Therefore, even if the leading edge 5a or the trailing edge 5b of the medal 5 tilts up or down, the medal can be said to remain in the horizontal state as long as the width direction line is horizontal.

[0035] The passing gap 31 is the height of the medal transfer section 23. The height of the medal transfer section 23 is preferably formed to be higher than the thickness of one medal 5 and lower than the thickness of two medals.

[0036] The space 33 on the side of the medal discharge port 13 is the portion of the internal space of the rotating drum 3 that is below the medal throwing portion 14. The lower space 32 does not need to be very large as long as it can ensure the function of the medal throwing portion 14 to drop medals 5.

[0037] The space 32 on the opposite side is the portion of the internal space of the rotating drum 3 on the side of the medal insertion port 12, which is above the medal drop-in portion 14. The upper space 33 serves as a storage portion for the medals 5 and also as a portion for agitating the medals 5.

[0038] The medal throwing portion 14 serves as a partition member that separates the internal space of the rotating drum 3 into upper and lower portions. The position at which the medal throwing portion 14 separates the internal space of the rotating drum 3 into upper and lower portions is at least below the center of the rotating drum 3 (the position of the rotation axis 9). Specifically, the partition position is preferably in the range from the lower position to the upper position of sides 18b and 18g or in the vicinity thereof. In this embodiment, the partition position is near the lower position of sides 18b and 18g (the line connecting corners 19b and 19h).

[0039] The first guide member 34 is a part of the medal throwing section 14 and guides one surface 5c (one side or bottom surface) of the medal 5. The second guide member 35 is another part of the medal throwing section 14 and guides the other surface 5d (opposite side or top surface) of the medal 5.

[0040] The rotation direction 36 can be either direction, but it is preferable that the lower part of the rotating drum 3 moves away from the tray and the upper part of the rotating drum 3 moves toward the tray. In this embodiment, the rotation direction 36 is counterclockwise in the figure. Note that when the rotating drum 3 is viewed from the opposite side, the rotation direction 36 is clockwise. If the rotation direction 36 is counterclockwise, at the lower part of the rotating drum 3, the left side is the upstream side of the rotation direction 36 and the right side is the downstream side of the rotation direction 36. Conversely, at the upper part of the rotating drum 3, the right side is the upstream side of the rotation direction 36 and the left side is the downstream side of the rotation direction 36.

[0041] In the vertical half of the rotating drum 3 on the right side of the figure, the medal discharge outlet 13 rises, and in the vertical half of the rotating drum 3 on the left side of the figure, the medal discharge outlet 13 falls. Furthermore, in the lower half of the rotating drum 3, the medal discharge outlet 13 faces downward, and in the upper half of the rotating drum 3, the medal discharge outlet 13 faces upward. Therefore, if the range through which the medal discharge outlet 13 passes is divided into four regions by a line in the front-to-back direction 17 and a line in the up-to-down direction 16 that pass through the rotation axis 9, the lower right is a downward-ascending region 37A, the upper right is an upward-ascending region 37B, the upper left is an upward-ascending region 37C, and the lower left is a downward-ascending region 37D.

[0042] (4) [Regarding the first guide member 34 (FIG. 2B(b)] The first guide member 34 is In this order, from the downstream side to the upstream side in the rotation direction 36 of the rotary drum 3, a downwardly sloping guide slope 41 that forms a medal collecting section 21 for collecting medals 5 and a medal receiving opening section 22; a rising portion 42 that forms the medal receiving opening portion 22 and the passage gap 31; It may also have a medal guide surface 43 that forms a medal transfer section 23 that guides the medal 5 up to above the medal discharge port 13.

[0043] Here, the first guide member 34 is connected to the downstream sides 18f-18h, etc., with its downstream end (base end) abutting against the sides 18f-18h, etc., that are further downstream than the first side 18a that forms the medal ejection opening 13. Any of the downstream sides 18f-18h may be used, but in this embodiment, it is side 18g. Note that when the base end of the first guide member 34 is connected to side 18f, the base end of the first guide member 34 is positioned lower than the medal insertion opening 12.

[0044] The first guide member 34 extends from the base end toward the vicinity of the upstream corner 19b of the first side 18a (hereinafter referred to as the second corner 19b as necessary). At this time, the first guide member 34 extends to a position above the medal discharge opening 13 so that the upstream end (tip 34a) does not go beyond the upstream edge 13a of the medal discharge opening 13.

[0045] The guide slope 41 is a relatively steep slope that slopes downward at an angle of about 25 to 45 degrees from the horizontal. The rising portion 42 extends almost straight down from the lower end of the guide slope 41, with a step amount of about one to two (less than) the thickness of a token 5. The rising portion 42 may be slightly inclined.

[0046] The medal guide surface 43 extends linearly from the lower end of the rising portion 42 to the position of the tip 34a described above, thereby forming the medal drop port 24 upstream of the tip 34a. The medal guide surface 43 may be approximately horizontal. The medal guide surface 43 may also have a gentle downward or upward slope of approximately 2 to 3 degrees or less. In this embodiment, the medal guide surface 43 is approximately horizontal in the state shown in Figure 2A.

[0047] The curved boundary portions between the guide slope 41, the rising portion 42, and the medal guide surface 43 are not limited to being angular, but may be rounded.

[0048] (5) [Regarding the second guide member 35 (FIG. 2B(a)] The second guide member 35 is In order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction 36 of the rotary drum 3, at least a rising portion 51 that forms the passage gap 31; It is installed parallel to the tip 34a of the first guide member 34, a medal transfer section (23) that guides the medal (5) up to above the medal discharge port (13), and a first parallel section (52) that forms a direction change section (25) that directs the leading edge (5a) of the medal (5) toward the medal discharge port (13); a first inclined portion 53 with an upward gradient that forms the direction change portion 25; The medal collecting section 21 for collecting medals 5 and the medal receiving opening section 22 may be formed by a downwardly sloping second guide slope section 54 .

[0049] Here, the second guide member 35 is connected to the sides 18a, 18b near the second corner 19b with its upstream end (base end) abutting against the sides 18a, 18b near the second corner 19b. Either side 18a, 18b near the second corner 19b may be used, but in this embodiment, it is side 18a. The second guide member 35 as a whole extends from the base end toward the downstream side to a position where the tip end 35a exceeds the medal discharge opening 13 and is almost above the first corner 19a.

[0050] The rising portion 51 rises to a height of at least one and at most two (less than) the thickness of a medal 5 relative to the tip 34a of the first guide member 34, thereby forming a passage gap 31 between the tip 34a of the first guide member 34 and the rising portion 51.

[0051] The first parallel portion 52 is located above the medal drop port portion 24 to cover the medal drop port portion 24, and extends to a position not reaching the tip 34a of the first guide member 34 to form the medal transfer portion 23. The first parallel portion 52 has a length approximately equal to the radius of the medal 5.

[0052] The first inclined portion 53 has a length equal to or greater than the radius of the medal 5 and extends to a position that is approximately the same height as the guide slope 41 of the first guide member 34 or slightly higher or lower, and together with the first parallel portion 52, forms the direction change portion 25. The first inclined portion 53 is formed to be slightly longer than the first parallel portion 52.

[0053] The second guide slope portion 54 has an inclination opposite to that of the guide slope 41 of the first guide member 34, and together with the guide slope 41 forms the medal collection portion 21 and the medal receiving opening portion 22. The lower end portion of the second guide slope portion 54 becomes the tip portion 35a of the second guide member 35.

[0054] The curved boundary portions between the rising portion 51, the first parallel portion 52, the first inclined portion 53, and the second guide inclined surface portion 54 are not limited to being angular, and may be rounded.

[0055] (5a) Furthermore, the second guide member 35 is a second parallel portion 55 extending from the lower end of the second guide slope portion 54 on an extension line of the first parallel portion 52 toward the upstream side in parallel with the medal guide surface 43; The second parallel portion 55 may have a second inclined portion 56 extending parallel to the first inclined portion 53 from the upstream end thereof and abutting against the second guide inclined portion 54 to be integrally connected thereto.

[0056] Here, the second parallel portion 55 extends to a position not reaching the first parallel portion 52, and forms an opening portion 57 between itself and the first parallel portion 52, and together with the first parallel portion 52 forms the medal transfer portion 23. The opening portion 57 has a length approximately equal to the radius of the medal 5. The opening portion 57 is sized so that the rear end edge 5b of the medal 5 that has been redirected at the direction redirection portion 25 can pass through the opening portion 57 to the upper side.

[0057] The second inclined portion 56, together with the first inclined portion 53 and the second guide slope portion 54, forms a medal storage recess 58 that stores the portion of the medal 5 on the side of the rear end edge 5b that has been redirected at the direction change portion 25 through the opening portion 57.

[0058] The curved boundary portions between the second guide slope portion 54, the second parallel portion 55, and the second inclined portion 56 are not limited to being angular, but may be rounded.

[0059] (5b) The upstream edge 13a of the medal discharge port 13 becomes a first locking portion 61 that locks and holds the periphery of the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 when the medal 5 changes direction at the direction changing portion 25. Additionally, the bent boundary portion between the first parallel portion 52 and the first inclined portion 53 serves as a first fulcrum 62 that supports the vicinity of the center of the opposite surface (surface 5d) of the medal 5 and changes the direction of the medal 5.

[0060] Here, the upstream edge 13a of the medal discharge port 13 is smaller than the side 18a and is formed in the central part of the side 18a, so that it protrudes upstream of the side 18a and becomes the first engagement portion 61.

[0061] The first fulcrum 62 is formed at a position slightly upstream of the tip 34a of the first guide member 34. A gap (direction change gap) large enough to allow the medal 5 to change direction is formed between the first fulcrum 62 and the tip 34a of the first guide member 34. The medal 5 is changed direction by the direction change section 25 in the upward rising region 37B between Figures 5 and 6.

[0062] 4, when the rotating drum 3 rotates and the medal discharge port 13 is in the downward rising region 37A, the upstream edge 13a is at the lowest position in the medal discharge port 13. Therefore, the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 moves downward due to its own weight and hits the rising portion 51, where it is locked by the first locking portion 61. This prevents the medal 5 from being accidentally discharged from the medal discharge port 13.

[0063] 5 and 6, when the rotating drum 3 further rotates and enters the upward rising region 37B, the direction of the medal 5 is changed by changing the vertical positional relationship so that the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 becomes higher and the trailing edge 5b becomes lower. At this time, the medal 5 rests on the first fulcrum 62, is supported from below by the first fulcrum 62, and tilts around the first fulcrum 62. At this time, the trailing edge 5b of the medal 5 passes through the bent boundary between the first parallel portion 52 and the first inclined portion 53 and enters the medal storage recess 58.

[0064] (5c) Furthermore, the second inclined portion 56 becomes a second locking portion 63 that locks and holds the rear end edge 5b of the medal 5, The tip 34a of the first guide member 34 may be configured to serve as a second fulcrum 64 that supports the center of one side (side 5c) of the medal 5 after it changes direction at the direction change section 25 and before it is dropped from the medal drop port section 24.

[0065] Here, the second fulcrum 64 locks one side (face 5c) of the medal 5, for example, in the upward-downward region 37C between Figures 7 and 8. When the rotating drum 3 rotates and the medal discharge port 13 is in the upward-downward region 37C, the medal 5 has its rear end edge 5b facing downward, and the rear end edge 5b moves downward due to its own weight and hits the second guide slope portion 54, thereby being locked by the second locking portion 63. In this way, the second locking portion 63 locks one side (face 5c) of the medal 5 and prevents the medal 5 from shifting sideways or sliding within the medal storage recess 58, making it possible to stand the medal 5 upright without it lying on the upstream side.

[0066] As the medal 5 stands upright, it becomes easier for the medal 5 to tilt downstream, and the support position near the center shifts from the first fulcrum 62 to the second fulcrum 64. As a result, the trailing edge 5b tends to tilt downstream around the second fulcrum 64, so the medal 5 assumes a position that makes it easier for it to be discharged from the medal discharge opening 13. At this time, the trailing edge 5b of the medal 5 is slightly exposed to the outside of the rotating drum 3 from the medal discharge opening 13. Furthermore, the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 gradually slides upward along the second guide slope 54.

[0067] (6) As shown in FIG. 2B(b), the first guide member 34 may have a stepped portion 71 at the tip 34a to facilitate the ejection of the medal 5.

[0068] Here, the tip 34a of the first guide member 34 may be linear and extend in the width direction 15 of the rotating drum 3. However, it is preferable that the tip 34a of the first guide member 34 be, for example, in a bent line shape to form a stepped portion 71.

[0069] The stepped portion 71 is formed by forming a protruding portion 71a and a retracted portion 71b at the tip 34a of the first guide member 34.

[0070] The stepped portion 71 can be obtained, for example, by lengthening the medal guide surface 43 of the rib of one of the first guide members 34 formed on two half-split drum pieces, and shortening the medal guide surface 43 of the rib of the other first guide member 34. The longer rib then becomes the protruding portion 71a, and the shorter rib becomes the retracting portion 71b. With ribs of different lengths like this, the stepped portion 71 can be easily formed at the tip 34a of the first guide member 34.

[0071] As described above, the protruding portion 71a extends to a downstream position just short of the curved boundary portion (first fulcrum 62) between the first parallel portion 52 and the first inclined portion 53. The retracted portion 71b extends to an upstream position that is approximately the same as or slightly beyond the curved boundary portion between the second parallel portion 55 and the second inclined portion 56.

[0072] The medal 5 falls toward the short rib, tilting its widthwise line and tilting the medal 5 so that the side of the retraction section 71b is lower than the horizontal state. That is, the retraction section 71b tilts the medal 5 to the left and right when it is dropped from the medal drop opening 24.

[0073] This allows the face 5d of the medal 5 to be seen from the side. When the width direction line of the medal 5 tilts left or right in this way, the support state by the second fulcrum 64 becomes unstable, making it easier for the medal to be dropped from the medal drop opening 24. Therefore, the step portion 71 serves as a discharge promotion portion for the medal 5 that accelerates the drop timing. In other words, the first guide member 34 has a discharge promotion portion at the tip 34a.

[0074] The stepped portion 71 allows the medal 5 to be ejected early, allowing it to fall smoothly into the front tray. If the stepped portion 71 were not present, the medal 5 would continue to be supported in a relatively stable state until the end by the linear leading end 34a (second fulcrum 64) extending in the width direction 15 of the rotating drum 3, and the timing at which the medal is dropped from the medal drop opening 24 would be delayed. As a result, the medal 5 would be more likely to fall to a position almost directly below the rotating drum 3, which could make it difficult to remove.

[0075] (6a) Furthermore, a curved tilt guide portion 72 may be formed on the projecting portion 71a of the tip 34a of the first guide member 34 at a corner portion on the side of the retracted portion 71b of the tip 34a of the first guide member 34. The tilt guide portion 72 has the function of guiding the tilt of the faces 5c and 5d of the medal 5 relative to the width direction 15 of the rotating drum 3. A larger curved shape for the tilt guide portion 72 is preferable in order to smoothly guide the tilt of the faces 5c and 5d of the medal 5. In this embodiment, the tilt guide portion 72 is, for example, an arc shape with a radius approximately half the width of the rib on the projecting portion 71a side. Note that the retracted portion 71b remains linear and extends in the width direction 15 of the rotating drum 3.

[0076] (7) Summary The structure of the above-mentioned medal dropping section 14 can be summarized as follows.

[0077] The medal collecting section 21 is formed by the guide slope 41 and the second guide slope section 54. The medal receiving port section 22 is formed by the rising section 42 and the tip section 35a. The medal transporting section 23 is formed between the medal guide surface 43 and the second parallel section 55 and the first parallel section 52. The medal dropping port section 24 is formed between the tip section 34a of the medal guide surface 43 and the rising section 51.

[0078] The direction changing section 25 is mainly formed by a first parallel section 52 and a first inclined section 53. A first fulcrum 62 is provided between the first parallel section 52 and the first inclined section 53. The direction changing section 25 is provided with a first locking section 61 and a second locking section 63. The second locking section 63 is formed inside a medal storage recess 58 having an opening section 57.

[0079] When a medal 5 is dropped from the medal drop opening 24, a second fulcrum 64 is used. The second fulcrum 64 is the tip 34a of the first guide member 34. The second fulcrum 64 is a stepped portion 71 having a protruding portion 71a and a retracting portion 71b. A tilting guide portion 72 is formed in the protruding portion 71a.

[0080] <Operation> The operation of this embodiment will now be described.

[0081] As shown in Figure 3, the rotary medal discharger 1 is preferably started with the rotating drum 3 facing the first corner 19a downward and the medal insertion slot 12 upward. In this state, medals 5 are inserted through the medal insertion slot 12, and multiple medals 5 are stored inside the rotating drum 3. The medals 5 inserted through the medal insertion slot 12 fall onto the medal insertion portion 14.

[0082] The medals 5 inserted into the rotating drum 3 are collected in the medal collection section 21 below the medal insertion slot 12. The medals 5 collected in the medal collection section 21 are guided downward by the medal collection section 21, which narrows downward, and their positions in the front-to-rear direction 17 are gradually adjusted as they converge into the medal receiving opening 22. The lowest medal 5 then enters the medal receiving opening 22 and is placed on the medal guide surface 43 of the first guide member 34. The medal receiving opening 22 is sized to accommodate only one medal 5.

[0083] Next, the rotating drum 3 is slowly rotated in the direction of rotation 36 using the handle 4 .

[0084] At this time, the remaining medals 5 that did not enter medal receiving port 22 are accumulated in the lower part of space 32, and are displaced relative to sides 18a to 18h of rotating drum 3 within space 32 by rotating drum 3, and are stirred. After rotating drum 3 makes its revolution, the remaining medals 5 are again collected in medal collecting section 21, and the medals other than those that entered medal receiving port 22 repeat the above process.

[0085] On the other hand, the medals 5 that enter the medal receiving port 22 directly or after going around are discharged from the medal discharge port 13 in the following manner.

[0086] First, as shown in Figure 4, when the rotating drum 3 rotates about 1 / 8 of a turn, the first guide member 34 and second guide member 35 of the medal dropping section 14 simultaneously tilt so that the downstream side is higher. Then, the medal 5 on the medal guide surface 43 moves downward along the medal guide surface 43 due to its own weight and hits the rising section 51. At this time, one surface (surface 5c) of the medal 5 faces the medal dropping opening section 24 and the medal discharge opening 13.

[0087] The leading edge 5a of the medal 5 is locked and held by the first locking portion 61 (the upstream edge 13a of the medal discharge port 13). In addition, the portion of the medal 5 near the center is supported from below by the leading edge 34a of the first guide member 34. This prevents the medal 5 from being discharged freely from the medal drop port 24 and the medal discharge port 13.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, when the rotating drum 3 rotates about 3 / 8 of the way, the first guide member 34 and the second guide member 35 of the medal dropping section 14 move upward and tilt until they reach a reverse gradient. At this time, the medal 5 moves away from the medal guide surface 43 of the first guide member 34 due to its own weight and rests on the first fulcrum 62 (the curved boundary between the first parallel section 52 and the first inclined section 53). As a result, the medal 5 is balanced and supported like a seesaw by the first fulcrum 62 near the center of the opposite surface (surface 5d). Furthermore, the trailing edge 5b of the medal 5 passes through the opening 57 (the curved boundary between the second parallel section 55 and the second inclined section 56) and enters slightly inside the medal storage recess 58.

[0089] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, when the rotating drum 3 rotates about 4 / 8 (half a turn), the first guide member 34 and the second guide member 35 of the medal dropping section 14 move further upward, becoming upside down compared to Figure 3, and the medal discharge port 13 also faces upward. While still supported by the first fulcrum 62, the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 tilts upward and the trailing edge 5b tilts downward, changing direction.

[0090] At this time, the medal 5 slides slightly downward on the first fulcrum 62 due to its own weight, and approximately half of the rear edge 5b enters the inside of the medal storage recess 58, with the rear edge 5b hitting the second guide slope 54. The rear edge 5b of the medal 5 is then locked by the second locking portion 63 (second inclined portion 56), and is held so that it does not lie down any further. Also, the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 is released from the state locked by the first locking portion 61.

[0091] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, when the rotating drum 3 rotates about 5 / 8 of the way, the first guide member 34 and the second guide member 35 of the medal throwing section 14 move downward from their upside-down state so that the downstream side tilts downward. The medal discharge port 13 also moves downward.

[0092] Then, due to its own weight, the medal 5 separates from the first fulcrum 62 and rises up to contact the second fulcrum 64. As a result, the medal 5 is supported near the center of one side (side 5c) by the second fulcrum 64. At this time, most of the medal 5's own weight is still supported by the second locking portion 63.

[0093] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, when the rotating drum 3 rotates about 6 / 8, the first guide member 34 and the second guide member 35 of the medal dropping section 14 move downward, the inclination increases, and the medal dropping section 14 as a whole becomes almost vertical.

[0094] As a result, the weight balance of the medal 5 changes, and more of its own weight is exerted from the second locking portion 63 toward the second fulcrum 64. The leading edge 5a of the medal 5 moves away from the first locking portion 61, and is oriented approximately perpendicular to the side 18a that forms the medal discharge opening 13, and is positioned approximately in the middle of the medal discharge opening 13. At this time, the leading edge 5a of the medal 5 protrudes slightly from the medal discharge opening 13.

[0095] Furthermore, since the second fulcrum 64 has a step portion 71 at approximately half of the tip 34a of the first guide member 34, the step portion 71 causes the surfaces 5c and 5d of the medal 5 to tilt (left and right) due to the retraction portion 71b, placing the medal 5 in a relatively unstable state in which it is likely to fall downward. The surfaces 5c and 5d of the medal 5 tilt so that the side of the retraction portion 71b is lower.

[0096] At this time, by providing a curved tilt guide portion 72 at the tip 34a of the first guide member 34, the tilt of the surfaces 5c and 5d of the medal 5 changes gradually and smoothly in accordance with the tilt guide portion 72. This prevents the surfaces 5c and 5d of the medal 5 from tilting suddenly, which could cause the medal 5 to be dropped inadvertently due to a shock.

[0097] 9, when the rotating drum 3 rotates about 7 / 8 of the way, the first guide member 34 and the second guide member 35 of the medal throwing section 14 move downward from the vertical position described above, and the inclination increases, resulting in an inclined state in which the downstream side is positioned at the bottom. The medal ejection port 13 also faces downward.

[0098] Then, because the position of the tip 34a of the first guide member 34 is lowered, the tip edge 5a of the medal 5 faces diagonally downward, and furthermore, the stepped portion 71 tilts the faces 5c and 5d of the medal 5, creating an unstable state, so the medal 5 falls downward from the medal drop port 24 under its own weight. The medal 5 that falls downward is discharged from the rotating drum 3 through the medal discharge port 13. The medal 5 discharged from the rotating drum 3 falls on a tray provided on the support surface portion 6 of the stand 2 in a position near the front where it is easy to see and pick up.

[0099] By repeating the above process, the medals 5 can be taken out of the rotating drum 3 in order, as shown in FIG.

[0100] <Effects> According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0101] (Effect 1) In the rotary medal discharge machine 1, the hollow rotating drum 3, which is pivotally supported at the side surface 7, rotates vertically. Medals 5 are inserted into the rotating drum 3 through the medal insertion port 12. The medals 5 accumulated inside the rotating drum 3 are then guided one by one to the medal discharge port 13 as the rotating drum 3 rotates, and are discharged one by one from the medal discharge port 13 formed on the peripheral surface 11.

[0102] At this time, the rotary medal discharge machine 1 has a medal throwing section 14 inside the rotary drum 3, and the medal throwing section 14 uses the rotation of the rotary drum 3 to guide the medals 5 one by one to the medal discharge port 13. This allows the medals 5 to be discharged from the medal discharge port 13 one by one.

[0103] Because the medals 5 have two flat surfaces, front and back, various designs such as numbers, letters, and patterns can be applied to the flat surfaces. This allows the rotary medal dispenser 1 to be used in a variety of ways. For example, by using medals 5 with numbers applied to their surfaces, the rotary medal dispenser 1 can become a number generator that generates random numbers and can be used for games such as bingo and sugoroku. Furthermore, by using medals 5 with letters or designs applied to their surfaces, the rotary medal dispenser 1 can be used as a device that dispenses cards for fortune telling or omikuji.

[0104] (Effect 2) In the rotary medal discharge machine 1, the medal dropping unit 14 can collect medals 5 in the rotating drum 3 and direct them downwards using the medal collecting unit 21, which narrows at the bottom. The medal dropping unit 14 can receive medals 5 collected in the medal collecting unit 21 one by one from below using the medal receiving port 22. The medal dropping unit 14 can guide each medal 5 that has entered the medal receiving port 22 to above the medal discharge outlet 13 using the rotation of the rotating drum 3 using the medal transfer unit 23. The medal dropping unit 14 can drop a single medal 5 that has been sent to above the medal discharge outlet 13 by the medal transfer unit 23 into the medal discharge outlet 13 using the medal dropping port 24.

[0105] Furthermore, by providing the direction changing section 25, the medal dropping section 14 can change the direction of the medal 5 sent to above the medal discharge outlet 13 by the medal transfer section 23, using the rotation of the rotating drum 3, so that the leading edge 5a faces the medal discharge outlet 13. Therefore, the medal dropping outlet 24, which is formed smaller than the diameter of the medal 5, does not allow the medal 5 to be dropped before the direction change, but allows the medal 5 to be dropped after the direction change.

[0106] (Effect 3) In the rotary medal discharger 1, the medal throwing section 14 may be configured to include a first guide member 34 and a second guide member 35, one above the other. This allows the medal throwing section 14 to be configured simply with just two guide members, one above the other. The first guide member 34 and the second guide member 35 can then send medals 5 stored in the space 32 on the opposite side of the medal discharge outlet 13 to the space 33 on the medal discharge outlet 13 side through a passage gap 31 formed between them, through which a single medal 5 can pass in a horizontal position.

[0107] In this case, by extending the first guide member 34 from the downstream side of the medal discharge port 13 toward the upstream side, but not to the extent that it reaches the upstream side, a medal drop port section 24 is formed on the upstream side of the passing gap 31. Also, by extending the second guide member 35 from the upstream side of the medal discharge port 13 toward the downstream side, but not to the extent that it reaches the downstream side, a medal receiving port section 22 is formed on the downstream side of the passing gap 31. Therefore, the first guide member 34 and the second guide member 35 form a medal dropping section 14 that reliably guides medals 5 to the medal discharge port 13 through the medal receiving port section 22, the passing gap 31, and the medal drop port section 24.

[0108] (Effect 4) In the rotary medal discharger 1, the first guide member 34 may have, in this order from downstream to upstream in the rotation direction 36 of the rotating drum 3, a guide slope 41, a rising portion 42, and a medal guide surface 43. This allows the first guide member 34 to form the medal collecting section 21, the medal receiving opening section 22, the passage gap 31, and the medal transport section 23.

[0109] (Effect 5) In the rotary medal discharger 1, the second guide member 35 may have, in this order from upstream to downstream in the rotation direction 36 of the rotating drum 3, at least a rising portion 51, a first parallel portion 52, a first inclined portion 53, and a second guide inclined surface portion 54. This allows the second guide member 35 to be formed with the passage gap 31, the medal transfer portion 23, the direction change portion 25, the medal collection portion 21, and the medal receiving opening portion 22.

[0110] (Effect 6) In the rotary medal dispenser 1, the first guide member 34 may have a stepped portion 71 at the tip 34a. This allows the stepped portion 71 to provide the tip 34a of the first guide member 34 with a discharge promotion portion that discharges medals 5 quickly.

[0111] The embodiments and examples of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments or examples, and design changes that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are included in the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1: Rotating medal dispenser 3: Rotating drum 5: Medal 5a: Tip edge 7: Side 13: Medal outlet 14: Medal drop area 21: Medal collection section 22: Medal receiving section 23: Medal transfer section 24: Medal drop opening 25: Direction change section 31: Passage gap 32: Opposite space 33: Space 34: First guide member 35: Second guide member 36: Rotation direction 41: Guide slope 42: Standing part 43: Medal guide surface 51: Standing part 52: First parallel part 53: First inclined part 54: Second guide slope portion 71: Step portion

Claims

1. a hollow rotary drum whose side is rotatably supported by a shaft; A medal insertion port formed in the rotary drum; a medal discharge port formed on the circumferential surface of the rotating drum; a medal dropping section that is provided inside the rotating drum and that guides medals one by one to the medal discharge port as the rotating drum rotates; With the medal ejection port facing downwards, The medal drop section is a medal collecting section that narrows downward and collects medals in the rotary drum and directs them downward; a medal receiving port portion that receives the medals collected by the medal collecting portion one by one; a medal transfer section that guides one medal that has entered the medal receiving port section to above the medal discharge port; a medal drop port section that drops the medals sent to above the medal discharge port by the medal transfer section from the medal discharge port, The medal drop opening is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the medal, A rotary medal discharge machine characterized in that the medal discharge outlet is provided with a direction changing section around the medal drop port section that uses the rotation of the rotating drum to direct the leading edge of the medal toward the medal discharge outlet.

2. The rotary medal discharger according to claim 1, With the medal ejection port facing downwards, The medal drop section is a first guide member and a second guide member are provided on the top and bottom of the rotating drum, each of which has a passage gap through which one medal can pass in a horizontal position, and which divide the interior of the rotating drum into a space on the medal discharge port side and a space on the opposite side of the medal discharge port; With the rotation direction of the rotary drum as a reference, The first guide member located on the lower side extends from the downstream side of the medal discharge port toward the upstream side, but does not reach the upstream side, thereby forming a medal drop port portion on the upstream side, A rotary medal discharge machine characterized in that the second guide member located on the upper side extends from the upstream side of the medal discharge outlet toward the downstream side, but does not reach the downstream side, thereby forming a medal receiving port portion on the downstream side.

3. A hollow rotary drum whose side is rotatably supported by a shaft; A medal insertion port formed in the rotary drum; a medal discharge port formed on the circumferential surface of the rotating drum; a medal dropping section that is provided inside the rotating drum and that guides medals one by one to the medal discharge port as the rotating drum rotates; With the medal ejection port facing downwards, The medal drop section is a first guide member and a second guide member are provided on the top and bottom of the rotating drum, each of which has a passage gap through which one medal can pass in a horizontal position, and which divide the interior of the rotating drum into a space on the medal discharge port side and a space on the opposite side of the medal discharge port; With the rotation direction of the rotary drum as a reference, The first guide member located on the lower side extends from the downstream side of the medal discharge port toward the upstream side, but does not reach the upstream side, thereby forming a medal drop port portion on the upstream side, A rotary medal discharge machine characterized in that the second guide member located on the upper side extends from the upstream side of the medal discharge outlet toward the downstream side, but does not reach the downstream side, thereby forming a medal receiving port portion on the downstream side.

4. A rotary medal ejection machine according to claim 2 or claim 3, The first guide member is In this order from the downstream side to the upstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary drum, a downwardly sloping guide slope that forms a medal collecting section that collects the medals and the medal receiving opening; a rising portion that forms the medal receiving port portion and the passing gap; a medal guide surface that forms a medal transport section that guides the medals up to above the medal discharge port.

5. The rotary medal discharger according to any one of claims 2 to 4, The second guide member is In this order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the rotation direction of the rotary drum, at least a rising portion that forms the passage gap; a medal transfer section that is installed parallel to the tip of the first guide member and that guides the medal up to above the medal discharge outlet, and a first parallel section that forms a direction change section that directs the leading edge of the medal toward the medal discharge outlet; a first inclined portion with an upward gradient that forms the direction change portion; A rotary medal discharger comprising: a medal collecting section for collecting medals; and a second guide slope section with a downward slope that forms the medal receiving opening.

6. The rotary medal discharger according to any one of claims 2 to 5, A rotary medal discharger characterized in that the first guide member has a stepped portion at its tip that promotes medal discharge.

Images