Continuous coin insertion prevention structure

Abstract

Provided is a continuous coin insertion prevention structure capable of preventing the continuous insertion of coins from a coin insertion port.　A continuous coin insertion prevention structure 10 according to the present disclosure comprises a chute 20 and a pair of pendulum members 30. Each among the pair of pendulum members 30 is rotatable from an initial position to a prescribed position and integrally includes a coin reception part 34, a coin insertion regulation part 35, a weight part 36, and a flywheel 33. The coin insertion regulation parts 35 at the initial positions are disposed at positions that allow a coin to pass downward from between the coin insertion regulation parts 35. The coin reception parts 34 at the initial positions are disposed at positions where the coin, that has passed between the coin insertion regulation parts 35, can be received from below. When the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate to the other side from the initial positions, the coin reception parts 34 are separated from each other, allowing a coin to pass downward from between the coin reception parts 34, and the coin insertion regulation parts 35 approach each other to regulate passage of a coin downward from between the coin insertion regulation parts 35.

Description

Structure for preventing continuous coin insertion

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a structure for preventing continuous coin insertion from a coin insertion slot.

[0002] Generally, in a money processing device equipped with a coin sorter, the coin insertion slot is installed outside the housing, and a coin passage connecting the coin insertion slot and the coin sorter is arranged inside the housing toward the coin sorter installed inside the housing.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a coin sorting device. This coin sorting device includes a coin diameter check cradle and a limit lever. This cradle has front and rear engaging pieces projecting substantially at right angles from a plate-like main body, and the plate-like main body is pivotally attached to one side plate of the coin sorting passage by a pivot pin so as to be rotatable. The front and rear engaging pieces project into the coin sorting passage through arc-shaped groove holes provided in the side plate. The cradle is balanced such that when a coin engages with the front and rear engaging pieces and rides on the cradle, the cradle is rotated forward about the pivot pin. The limit lever has an engaging piece and a limit stopper piece at the upper end of a vertical lever arm and is pivotally attached to the side plate. The engaging piece of the limit lever projects into the coin sorting passage above the front engaging piece of the cradle and engages with the front outer peripheral edge of the coin riding on the cradle. The limit stopper piece of the limit lever engages with the front portion of the limit lever to prevent the cradle from rotating forward when the coin is larger than the regular diameter.

[0004] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 1-21401

[0005] By the way, in the housing of an automatic vending machine or the like equipped with a coin sorter, many have a coin insertion slot installed on the front side of the housing, but there are also cases where the coin insertion slot is installed on the top surface of the housing.

[0006] When the coin insertion slot is arranged on the front of the housing, it takes time for the coin to reach the coin sorter from the coin insertion slot due to changing the posture of the coin inserted in a substantially horizontal direction to vertical or the frictional resistance generated during horizontal movement. Therefore, even if coins are continuously inserted from the coin insertion slot, the coins tend not to be connected to each other.

[0007] On the other hand, when the coin slot is located on the top of the machine, unlike when coins are inserted horizontally, coins that fall vertically will fall under their own weight with less frictional resistance, and will reach the coin sorter more quickly. Therefore, if coins are inserted continuously into the coin slot, the subsequent coins may catch up in the chute or at the entrance to the coin sorter, potentially causing a coin jam. If a coin jam occurs, it may be necessary to operate the return lever or call an attendant, which could disrupt smooth payment processing.

[0008] In the coin sorting device cradle described in Patent Document 1, coins smaller than a predetermined size pass through the front and rear engaging pieces of the cradle and fall, making it difficult to prevent continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot.

[0009] Therefore, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a coin insertion prevention structure that can prevent the continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot.

[0010] To solve the above problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a coin continuous insertion prevention structure for preventing the continuous insertion of coins from a coin slot located on the top surface of a housing, comprising: a chute that partitions a coin passage extending downward from the coin slot inside; and a pair of pendulum members arranged on both sides of the width direction intersecting the vertical direction of the chute, and rotatably supported in the chute about a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the width direction, wherein the pair of pendulum members include a coin receiving portion and a coin throwing portion. The pendulum member integrally comprises a coin insertion restriction section, a first weight section provided to rotate the pendulum member toward one side in the rotational direction, and a second weight section for increasing the overall mass of the pendulum member. It is rotatable from an initial position on one side to a predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction, and the coin insertion restriction sections of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extend upward from the rotation axis side, allowing coins inserted from the coin slot to pass downward between the coin insertion restriction sections. The pendulum members are positioned such that the coin receiving portion of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extends inward in the width direction from the rotation axis side, and is positioned to receive coins that have passed between the coin insertion restricting portions from below. The weight of the first weight portion is set to allow the pendulum member to rotate to the other side due to the weight of the coin when the coin strikes the coin receiving portion from above in the initial position. The second weight portion is positioned such that the balance of the pendulum member is not disrupted, and is centered on the rotation axis. The pair of pendulum members are arranged to be balanced, and when a coin strikes the coin receiving portion from above in the initial position and the weight of the coin causes the pair of pendulum members to rotate to the other side against the weight of the first weight portion, the coin receiving portions of the pair of pendulum members move apart from each other, allowing the coin to pass downward from between the coin receiving portions, and the coin insertion restricting portions of the pair of pendulum members move closer to each other, restricting the passage of the coin inserted from the coin slot downward from between the coin insertion restricting portions.

[0011] A second aspect of the present invention is a coin insertion prevention structure according to the first aspect, wherein the second weight portion is a flywheel provided around the rotation axis.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is a continuous coin insertion prevention structure according to the first or second aspect, wherein the height position for arranging the pair of pendulum members relative to the coin slot is set to a height position such that at least a portion of the coin is exposed upward from the coin slot when the coin insertion restrictor restricts the downward passage of the coin inserted from the coin slot.

[0013] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a coin insertion prevention structure that can prevent the continuous insertion of coins from the coin slot.

[0014] This is a schematic diagram of a housing to which a continuous coin insertion prevention structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, where (A) is a view from the front, (B) is a view from the side, and (C) is a view from above. This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 1(A). This is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 1(B). This is a plan view of the pendulum member. This is a view of the pendulum member taken along the line of the white arrow in Figure 4. This is an explanatory diagram of the movement of a pair of pendulum members, where (A) is in the initial position, (B) is in the state after the previous coin has been inserted, and (C) is in the state where the insertion of the next coin is restricted.

[0015] One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0016] In each diagram, the X direction represents the vertical direction, the Y direction represents the depth direction, and the Z direction represents the width direction. The vertical direction is the vertical direction when the casing is installed, and the direction indicated by arrow X is upward. The depth direction is the direction corresponding to the thickness of the coin when inserted into the coin slot, and the direction indicated by arrow Y is the front side. The width direction is the direction that intersects (is perpendicular to) both the vertical and depth directions, and the direction indicated by arrow Z is the inside of the width direction. The inside of the width direction means the direction toward the center of the width direction, and the outside of the width direction means the direction away from the center of the width direction. The depth direction is sometimes referred to as the front-to-back direction, in which case the front side of the depth direction is the front and the back side is the rear. The width direction is sometimes referred to as the left-to-right direction, and the left-to-right direction means the left-to-right direction when the casing is viewed from the front side. The dashed line CL indicates the axis of rotation (axis) of the pendulum member. Furthermore, in the following explanation, "radial direction" refers to the radial direction centered on the axis of rotation of the pendulum member.

[0017] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a housing to which a continuous coin insertion prevention structure according to one embodiment of the present invention is applied, where (A) is a view from the front, (B) is a view from the side, and (C) is a view from above. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II in Figure 1(A). Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III in Figure 1(B). Figure 4 is a plan view of the pendulum member. Figure 5 is a view of the pendulum member taken in the direction of the white arrow in Figure 4. Note that in Figure 1, for clarity, the side plates of the housing are shown with dashed lines, and the inside of the housing is shown with solid lines.

[0018] (Continuous Coin Insertion Prevention Structure) As shown in Figure 1, the continuous coin insertion prevention structure 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention is a structure for preventing the continuous insertion of coins from a coin slot 2 (see Figure 1(C)) located on the top surface 1a of the housing 1. In this housing 1, coins inserted from the coin slot 2 are sorted by type by a coin sorter 3 located below the coin slot 2. The continuous coin insertion prevention structure 10 prevents coin jams in the chute 20 and at the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorter 3 by preventing the continuous insertion of coins. The housing 1 is not particularly limited as long as it has a coin slot 2 on its top surface 1a, but examples include paid photocopiers installed in convenience stores, etc.

[0019] (Housing) As shown in Figure 1(C), a coin slot 2 is provided on the upper surface (top surface 1a) of the top plate 1T of the housing 1. In this embodiment, the coin slot 2 is provided horizontally in the width direction such that the Y direction (depth direction) is the thickness direction of the coin and the Z direction (width direction) is the diameter direction of the coin. As shown in Figures 1(A) and (B), the coin sorter 3 is arranged inside the housing 1. The coin inlet 3a of the coin sorter 3 is located at a position lower and spaced apart from the top plate 1T of the housing 1. The continuous coin insertion prevention structure 10 according to this embodiment is provided between the coin slot 2 of the housing 1 and the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorter 3.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the continuous coin insertion prevention structure 10 comprises a chute 20 that partitions the coin passage 21 internally, and a pair of pendulum members 30 that are rotatably supported by the chute 20.

[0021] (Chute) As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the chute 20 is a vertically extending member that internally partitions the coin passage 21, which is a passage through which coins inserted from the coin slot 2 pass. It is positioned between the top plate 1T of the housing 1 and the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorting machine 3. The coin passage 21 extends downward from the coin slot 2. The cross-sectional shape of the chute 20 perpendicular to the vertical direction is elongated in the width direction and short in the depth direction, making it horizontally elongated from left to right. The upper end of the chute 20 is fixed to the lower surface of the top plate 1T. The opening at the upper end of the chute 20 is formed to be at least larger than the coin slot 2 and communicates with the coin slot 2. The opening at the lower end of the chute 20 is located above the coin inlet 3a of the coin sorting machine 3 and faces the coin inlet 3a. Coins inserted through the coin slot 2 and passing downwards through the coin passage 21 of the chute 20 fall into the coin entrance 3a of the coin sorting machine 3.

[0022] (Pair of pendulum members) As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the pair of pendulum members 30 are arranged on both sides of the chute 20 in the width direction. The pair of pendulum members 30 are rotatably supported on the chute 20 about a rotation axis CL that extends in the depth direction (a direction perpendicular to both the vertical and width directions). The pair of pendulum members 30 are rotatable independently of each other.

[0023] Each pair of pendulum members 30 has a shaft portion 31 extending in the depth direction with respect to the rotation axis CL, a Y-shaped main body portion 32 integrally provided on the shaft portion 31, and a circular flywheel (second weight portion) 33 integrally provided on the shaft portion 31. The main body portion 32 is provided with a coin receiving portion 34 (described later), a coin insertion restricting portion 35, and a weight portion (first weight portion) 36 provided to rotate the pendulum member 30 toward one side in the rotation direction. In other words, each pair of pendulum members 30 integrally has the coin receiving portion 34, the coin insertion restricting portion 35, the weight portion 36, and the flywheel 33. Since the pair of pendulum members 30 are arranged symmetrically on the left and right sides of the chute 20 and have substantially the same configuration, the following description will focus on one pendulum member 30, and the description of the other pendulum member 30 will be omitted.

[0024] The pair of pendulum members 30 are rotatable from an initial position on one side in the direction of rotation (the position of the pendulum member 30 shown in Figure 3) to a predetermined position on the other side in the direction of rotation (not shown). "One side in the direction of rotation" is the direction of rotation in which the outer side in the width direction of the pair of pendulum members 30 is directed downward. Specifically, for the left pendulum member 30 in Figure 3, this is the counterclockwise direction of rotation, and for the right pendulum member 30 in Figure 3, this is the clockwise direction of rotation. "The other side in the direction of rotation" is the opposite direction to "one side," and is the direction of rotation in which the outer side in the width direction of the pair of pendulum members 30 is directed upward.

[0025] As shown in Figure 3, the initial position of the pendulum member 30 is a position where rotation of the pendulum member 30 to one side in the rotational direction is restricted, and in this embodiment, it is a position where a part of the main body 32 (the coin insertion restricting part 35, described later) contacts the inner surface of the chute 20. The predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction is a position where rotation of the pendulum member 30 to the other side in the rotational direction is restricted, and in this embodiment, it is a position where a part of the main body 32 (the coin receiving part 34, described later) contacts the inner surface of the chute 20. In this embodiment, the predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction is the position where the pendulum member 30 is further rotated to the other side from the state shown in Figure 6(C), and the coin receiving part 34, described later, contacts the inner surface of the chute 20. In the following description, the predetermined position on the other side in the rotational direction will be referred to as the "maximum rotation position".

[0026] (Shaft) As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the shaft portion 31 of the pendulum member 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape extending in the depth direction in this embodiment and is rotatably supported in the chute 20 with respect to the rotation axis CL. The method of rotatably providing the shaft portion 31 of the pendulum member 30 in the chute 20 is not particularly limited, but for example, in this embodiment, the shaft portion 31 is rotatably supported in the chute 20 by passing it through front and rear openings (not shown) provided in both walls of the chute 20 in the depth direction. That is, the shaft portion 31 includes a region that is positioned within the coin passage 21.

[0027] (Main body) As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the main body 32 is formed in a plate shape that intersects the axial direction of the shaft 31 and is integrally provided in the region of the shaft 31 located inside the chute 20. The main body 32 is formed in a Y shape having a coin receiving portion 34, a coin insertion restricting portion 35, and a weight portion 36 that extend radially outward from the shaft 31 side in three different directions. The coin receiving portion 34 and the coin insertion restricting portion 35 extend radially outward from the shaft 31 side on the opposite side from the weight portion 36, and they move further apart from each other as they move radially outward. The coin receiving portion 34 and the coin insertion restricting portion 35 are provided symmetrically with respect to the extension direction of the weight portion 36 (up and down direction in Figure 4).

[0028] (First Weight Section) The weight section (first weight section) 36 of the main body section 32 extends linearly outward in the radial direction from the shaft section 31 side. As shown in Figure 3, in the pendulum member 30 at its initial position, the weight section 36 extends downward outward in the radial direction from the shaft section 31 side, in a direction that is inclined with respect to both the vertical and width directions. In this embodiment, the weight section 36 is inserted through the side opening 22 provided in the chute 20 from the inside to the outside in the width direction, and the tip of the weight section 36 is located outside the chute 20. The weight section 36 has a weight 36a at its tip (outer end in the radial direction). That is, the weight section 36 is provided to rotate the pendulum member 30 toward one side in the rotation direction. In this embodiment, the weight 36a functions as a weight by being formed thicker in the depth direction than other areas of the weight portion 36, but it is not limited to this, and for example, a member with a higher specific gravity than other areas of the weight portion 36 may be fixed as the weight 36a. The vertical length of the side opening 22 of the chute 20 is set to a length that allows rotation (tilting of the weight portion 36) between the initial position and the maximum rotation position of the pendulum member 30.

[0029] The weight of the weight 36a of the weight section 36 is set to allow the pendulum member 30 to rotate to the other side due to the weight of the coin when the coin strikes the coin receiving section 34 from above in the initial position shown in Figure 3 (described later). In this embodiment, the weight of the weight 36a of the weight section 36 is set to allow the pendulum member 30 to rotate to the other side due to the weight of the lightest coin (for example, a 1-yen coin). Furthermore, the weight of the weight 36a of the weight section 36 is set to allow the pendulum member 30 at the maximum rotation position to naturally return to the initial position. In other words, the weight balance provided by the weight section 36 is set to allow the passage of the lightest coin and to allow the pendulum member 30 to naturally return to the initial position.

[0030] (Coin insertion restriction section) The coin insertion restriction section 35 of the main body 32 is located inside the chute 20 (coin passage 21) and is a part that contacts the continuously inserted coins from below to restrict the continuous insertion of coins. As shown in Figure 3, the coin insertion restriction section 35 extends upward from the shaft 31 side of the pendulum member 30 in the initial position. The distance between the coin insertion restriction sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in the initial position (the distance between them in the width direction) is set to be greater than the diameter of the largest coin (for example, a 500 yen coin). That is, the coin insertion restriction sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in the initial position extend upward from the rotation axis CL side and are positioned to allow coins inserted from the coin slot 2 to pass downward from between the coin insertion restriction sections 35. Furthermore, the distance between the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the maximum rotation position is set to be smaller than the diameter of the smallest coin (for example, a 1-yen coin). In other words, the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the maximum rotation position will block the coin passage 21 to the extent that it restricts the passage of coins.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the coin insertion restricting portion 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial position abuts against the inner surface located above the side opening 22 of the chute 20, restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to one side back to the initial position. However, the method of restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to one side back to the initial position is not limited to this; for example, it may be restricted by the weight portion 36 abutting against the lower edge of the side opening 22 of the chute 20.

[0032] (Coin Receiving Section) The coin receiving section 34 of the main body 32 is located inside the chute 20 (coin passage 21) and is the part that receives coins that have passed between the coin insertion restricting sections 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 from below, thereby rotating the pendulum members 30. As shown in Figure 3, the coin receiving section 34 extends inward in the width direction from the shaft 31 side of the pendulum member 30 in its initial position. The distance between the coin receiving sections 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial position (the distance between them in the width direction) is set to be smaller than the diameter of the smallest coin (for example, a 1 yen coin) and to a distance where they do not come into contact with each other. That is, the coin receiving sections 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 in their initial position extend inward in the width direction from the rotation axis CL side and are positioned to receive coins that have passed between the coin insertion restricting sections 35 from below. Furthermore, the distance between the coin-receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the maximum rotation position is set to be greater than the diameter of the largest coin (for example, a 500 yen coin). In other words, coins caught by the coin-receiving portions 34 fall downward from between the coin-receiving portions 34 as the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate from the initial position to the maximum rotation position.

[0033] In this embodiment, the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the maximum rotation position abut against the inner surface located below the side opening 22 of the chute 20, restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to the other side up to the position of the coin receiving portions 34. However, the method of restricting the rotation of the pendulum members 30 to the other side up to the maximum rotation position is not limited to this, and for example, it may be restricted by the weight portion 36 abutting against the upper edge of the side opening 22 of the chute 20.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, the edge 37 of the main body 32 opposite to the weight portion 36, which is formed by the edges of the coin receiving portion 34 and the coin insertion restricting portion 35, is formed in an arc shape. The edge 37 of the main body 32 opens upward toward the inside in the width direction in its initial position. This allows coins that have passed outside the width direction of the coin passage 21 between the coin insertion restricting portions 35 to be smoothly guided toward the tip side of the coin receiving portion 34 (towards the center in the width direction of the coin passage 21).

[0035] (Second Weight Section) The second weight section (flywheel 33 in this embodiment) is a part that increases the overall mass of the pendulum member 30 and applies an inertial force in the rotational direction to the main body 32 by that mass. The second weight section is provided so as to be balanced around the rotation axis CL so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member 30 (weight balance by the weight section 36). Note that being balanced around the rotation axis CL means that the balance of the second weight section alone is balanced with respect to the rotation axis CL which extends in the vertical direction.

[0036] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the second weight portion of this embodiment is a flywheel 33 provided around the rotation axis CL, and is formed in a disc shape. The flywheel 33 is integrally provided in the region of the shaft portion 31 outside the chute 20 (for example, the rear end outside the chute 20) (see Figure 2). The center of gravity of the flywheel 33 is set to coincide with the axis of the rotation axis CL. In this way, the flywheel 33 is provided so as to be balanced around the rotation axis CL so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member 30. In this embodiment, the tip of the coin receiving portion 34 of the main body portion 32, the tip of the coin insertion restricting portion 35, and the tip of the weight portion 36 are located radially outside the outer edge of the flywheel 33. Note that the shape of the flywheel 33 is not limited to a disc shape, but any shape that can ensure the function of a flywheel is acceptable, for example, it may be a polygonal plate shape, or a shape in which a plurality of arm-shaped members extend radially outward from the rotation axis CL.

[0037] In this embodiment, a flywheel 33 is used as the second weight section, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a member with a relatively high specific gravity may be fixed to the main body 32 so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member 30 (weight balance by the weight section 36). Specifically, when the Y-shaped main body 32 is viewed from the axial direction of the rotation axis CL (as shown in Figure 4), a member that functions as a weight (for example, a member with a high specific gravity) may be fixed to the coin receiving section 34, the coin insertion restricting section 35, and the weight section 36 at positions where the distance from the rotation axis CL is the same and the central angle on the rotation axis CL is 120 degrees.

[0038] The mass of the second weight section (flywheel 33 in this embodiment) is set such that, after the first coin is inserted, the interval between inserting the next coin reaches a desired minimum insertion interval (minimum time interval), the pendulum member 30 maintains a state in which it can restrict the continuous insertion of the next coin, and after the minimum insertion interval has elapsed, the pendulum member 30 becomes a state in which it can allow the insertion of the next coin.

[0039] (Pendulum Position) The height position for positioning the pair of pendulum members 30 relative to the coin slot 2 is set such that, with the coin insertion restricting unit 35 restricting the downward passage of coins inserted from the coin slot 2, at least a portion of the coins are exposed upward from the coin slot 2 (see Figure 6(C)). Specifically, the height position for positioning the pair of pendulum members 30 relative to the coin slot 2 is set such that, with the pair of pendulum members 30 at their maximum rotation position restricting the continuous insertion of coins of the smallest diameter (for example, 1 yen coins), at least a portion of the coins are exposed upward from the coin slot 2.

[0040] (Movement of the pendulum members) Next, the movement of the pendulum members will be explained. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the movement of a pair of pendulum members, where (A) shows the initial position, (B) shows the state after the previous coin has been inserted, and (C) shows the state in which the insertion of the next coin is restricted.

[0041] Before the coin is inserted, as shown in FIG. 3, the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned at the initial position by the weight of the weight portion 36.

[0042] When the coin X1 is inserted, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the coin X1 passes downward between the coin insertion restricting portions 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the initial position. The coin X1 that has passed downward between the coin insertion restricting portions 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the initial position abuts against the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the initial position from above.

[0043] When the coin X1 abuts against the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 at the initial position from above, as shown in FIG. 6(B), the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate to the other side from the initial position against the weight of the weight portion 36 by the weight of the coin X1. When the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate to the other side from the initial position, the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 move away from each other to the outside in the width direction.

[0044] When the coin receiving portions 34 of the pair of pendulum members 30 move further away from each other to the outside in the width direction, as shown in FIG. 6(C), it allows the coin X1 to pass downward between the coin receiving portions 34. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 6(C), the coin insertion restricting portions 35 of the pair of pendulum members 30 approach each other to the inside in the width direction, restricting the downward passage of the next inserted coin X2 from between the coin insertion restricting portions 35 of the coin insertion port 2.

[0045] After the coin X1 passes downward between the coin receiving portions 34, the pair of pendulum members 30 try to rotate to one side and return to the initial position by the weight (weight balance) of the weight portion 36. At this time, after the coin X1 passes downward between the coin receiving portions 34, until the minimum insertion interval elapses, the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned at a rotational position where the continuous insertion of the next coin X2 can be restricted by the function (inertia) of the second weight portion (flywheel 33 in this embodiment). When the minimum insertion interval elapses after the coin X1 passes downward between the coin receiving portions 34, the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned at a rotational position that allows the insertion of the next coin.

[0046] In the coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 configured as described above, when a coin abuts against the coin receiving portion 34 at the initial position and the pair of pendulum members 30 rotate to the other side, the coin receiving portions 34 move apart from each other to allow the coin to pass downward, and the coin insertion restricting portions 35 approach each other to restrict the downward passage of the coin inserted from the coin insertion port 2 between the coin insertion restricting portions 35. Therefore, the previously inserted coin can be guided to the coin sorter 3, and the downward passage of the subsequently inserted coin can be restricted below the coin insertion restricting portion 35.

[0047] Further, the pair of pendulum members 30 are provided with a second weight portion (flywheel 33 in the present embodiment) that is balanced about the rotation axis CL so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member 30 in order to increase the mass of the entire pendulum member 30. Therefore, unlike the case where the rotation of the pendulum member 30 is controlled only by the weight portion 36, it is possible to prevent continuous insertion of coins from the coin insertion port 2 while suppressing the weight (weight of the weight 36a) of the weight portion 36 to be lightweight. For example, in order to correspond to (allow passage of) the lightest coin (e.g., 1 yen coin), it is necessary to minimize the weight of the weight portion 36. However, if the second weight portion is not provided, when the weight of the weight portion 36 is minimized, the pendulum member itself becomes too light, so after allowing the coin to pass, the pendulum member returns to the initial position early, and even if the coin insertion interval is shorter than the desired minimum insertion interval, there is a possibility that continuous insertion of coins cannot be prevented. In the coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 configured as described above, since it includes the second weight portion, the mass of the pendulum member 30 itself can be increased by the mass of the second weight portion without affecting the weight balance by the weight portion 36. As a result, when the coin insertion interval is shorter than the above-mentioned minimum insertion interval, continuous insertion of coins can be prevented, and when it is longer than the above-mentioned minimum insertion interval, insertion of a new coin can be allowed.

[0048] Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a coin continuous insertion prevention structure 10 that can prevent continuous insertion of coins from the coin insertion port 2.

[0049] Furthermore, by providing a flywheel 33 as a second weight section, the mass of the pendulum member 30 itself can be easily increased without affecting the weight balance provided by the weight section 36.

[0050] Furthermore, the height position at which the pair of pendulum members 30 are positioned relative to the coin slot 2 is set such that, when the coin insertion restrictor 35 restricts the downward passage of coins, at least a portion of the coin is exposed upward from the coin slot 2. Therefore, when coin insertion is restricted, the user can easily remove the coin from the coin slot 2. This makes it possible to easily resolve coin jams caused by coins whose insertion is restricted by the coin insertion restrictor 35 without having to operate the return lever or call an attendant.

[0051] Furthermore, since the pair of pendulum members 30 are symmetrically arranged on both sides in the width direction of the chute 20, unlike when they are arranged on only one side, it becomes possible to handle the mixed insertion of multiple types of coins (six denominations in Japan).

[0052] In this embodiment, the main body 32 is Y-shaped, having a coin receiving section 34, a coin insertion restricting section 35, and a weight section 36. However, the shape of the main body 32 is not limited to Y-shape. For example, it may be a crescent-shaped main body with a part of the outer edge of a circular shape cut out in an arc shape. In this case, the protruding part on one side of the cut-out portion of the crescent-shaped main body may function as the coin receiving section, the protruding part on the other side may function as the coin insertion restricting section, and the weight section may be provided on the opposite side.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the weight portion 36 is exposed to the outside from the chute 20, but it is not limited to this, and may be placed inside the chute 20 (coin passage 21).

[0054] Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the contents of the above embodiments, and can naturally be modified as appropriate without departing from the present invention. In other words, all other embodiments, examples, and operational techniques made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments are of course included in the scope of the present invention.

[0055] 1: Housing 1a: Top surface 2: Coin slot 10: Continuous coin insertion prevention structure 20: Chute 21: Coin passage 30: Pair of pendulum members 33: Flywheel (second weight section) 34: Coin receiving section 35: Coin insertion restriction section 36: Weight section (first weight section)

Claims

1. A coin insertion prevention structure for preventing the continuous insertion of coins into a coin slot located on the top surface of a housing, comprising: a chute that partitions a coin passage extending downward from the coin slot; and a pair of pendulum members arranged on both sides of the width direction intersecting the vertical direction of the chute, and rotatably supported by the chute around a rotation axis extending in a direction perpendicular to both the vertical and width directions, wherein each pair of pendulum members integrally comprises a coin receiving portion, a coin insertion restricting portion, a first weight portion provided to rotate the pendulum member toward one side in the rotation direction, and a second weight portion for increasing the overall mass of the pendulum member, and is rotatable from an initial position on one side to a predetermined position on the other side in the rotation direction. The coin insertion restricting portion of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extends upward from the rotation axis side and is positioned to allow coins inserted from the coin slot to pass downward between the coin insertion restricting portions; the coin receiving portion of the pair of pendulum members in the initial position extends inward in the width direction from the rotation axis side and is positioned to receive coins that have passed between the coin insertion restricting portions from below; the weight of the first weight portion is set to allow the pendulum member to rotate to the other side by the weight of the coin when the coin strikes the coin receiving portion from above in the initial position; the second weight portion is provided so as to balance around the rotation axis so as not to disrupt the balance of the pendulum member. The coin insertion prevention structure is characterized in that, when a coin strikes the coin receiving portion of the pair of pendulum members from above in the initial position and the weight of the coin causes the pendulum members to rotate to the other side against the weight of the first weight portion, the coin receiving portions of the pair of pendulum members move apart from each other, allowing the coin to pass downward from between the coin receiving portions, and the coin insertion restricting portions of the pair of pendulum members move closer together, restricting the passage of a coin inserted from the coin slot downward from between the coin insertion restricting portions.

2. The coin continuous insertion prevention structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the second weight portion is a flywheel provided around the rotation axis.

3. The coin insertion prevention structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the height position for positioning the pair of pendulum members relative to the coin slot is set at a height position such that at least a portion of the coin is exposed upward from the coin slot when the coin insertion restrictor restricts the downward passage of the coin inserted from the coin slot.

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