Coin Counting Apparatus Adjustable Guiding Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coin counting apparatuses are unable to accurately count coins of different sizes due to fixed-length sliding grooves, leading to jamming issues when the slide distance of the positioning bolt is insufficient or excessive.
Innovation Solution
The coin counting apparatus includes a rotating unit with a turntable and motor, a receiving unit with adjustable guiding and sliding grooves, and a track unit with a counter, allowing for adjustable movement of the positioning bolt to accommodate coins of varying diameters through a movable adjusting plate and resilient member, ensuring proper alignment and passage into the counting passageway.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed-length sliding groove is used, then the structure is simple, but the apparatus cannot accommodate coins of different sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The sliding groove is made adjustable through a movable adjusting plate that can be positioned at different locations along the groove. This dynamic adjustment allows the effective length of the sliding groove to be changed according to the size of coins being counted, enabling the apparatus to adapt to different coin diameters while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The position of the adjusting plate along the sliding groove can be changed to modify the slide distance of the positioning bolt. By changing this parameter, the apparatus can accommodate coins of different sizes without requiring a completely different structure, thus improving versatility while controlling complexity.
2Reliability
If the slide distance of the positioning bolt is insufficient, then the structure is compact, but coins get jammed between guiding arms and positioning bolt
Solution Approach 1:
The resilient member (spring) provides a restoring force that acts as a feedback mechanism. When the positioning bolt slides and compresses the spring, the spring stores energy and then restores, ensuring the bolt moves far enough to release the coin reliably. This feedback mechanism prevents jamming by ensuring sufficient slide distance while maintaining smooth operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The resilient member is pre-positioned to provide cushioning during the sliding motion of the positioning bolt. This beforehand cushioning ensures that the bolt has enough travel distance to clear the coin from between the guiding arms, preventing jamming before it can occur while keeping the structure compact.
3Reliability
If the slide distance of the positioning bolt is excessive, then coins can pass freely, but the guiding arms carry coins past the passageway entrance before the spring can restore
Solution Approach 1:
The adjusting plate makes the sliding groove length dynamically adjustable rather than fixed. This allows the groove length to be optimized for different coin sizes, ensuring the positioning bolt slides the exact distance needed - not too short to cause jamming, not too long to allow coins to pass the entrance prematurely.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the position of the adjusting plate, the effective length of the sliding groove is adjusted as a variable parameter. This parameter change allows the system to achieve reliable coin passage for different coin diameters without requiring an excessively long fixed groove, thus controlling device complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enables the successful counting of coins of different sizes by adjusting the range of movement of the positioning bolt, preventing jamming and ensuring accurate counting by utilizing the restoring force of the resilient member to guide coins into the passageway.
Implementation Method 1
the spring 128 is driven by the positioning bolt 127 to have a restoring force that can move back the positioning bolt 127 and consequently urge the coin 2 to enter the passageway 141
Data Source
AI summary
A coin counting apparatus includes a mounting unit with a base plate, and a guiding unit connected to the mounting unit. The guiding unit includes a guiding member connected to the base plate, a cover member cooperating with the base plate to define a guiding space, an adjusting plate connected to the base plate, a positioning bolt connected to a pivotable swing arm and slidable in a guidance sliding groove of the cover member and a base sliding groove of the base plate, and two fastener members fastening the adjusting plate to the base plate. The adjusting plate is movable relative to the base plate to cover a portion of the base sliding groove so that a range of the sliding movement of the positioning bolt is adjustable.