Coin Hopper Presser for Variable Thickness Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional coin hoppers face issues with dispensing coins of different thicknesses, leading to stress concentration on spring members, quick wear, and a coin stuck problem due to difficulty in controlling the gap between the lever and the rotating disk.
Innovation Solution
A coin hopper design featuring a coin-dispensing unit with a rotating disk, power drive, sensor module, and a coin-delivering presser with an elastic member and a float that adjusts the gap between the float and the rotating disk, ensuring smooth delivery of coins of varying thicknesses without overpressure or damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a lever and spring member are used to push coins out of the rotating disk, then coins can be dispensed, but the spring member wears and fails quickly due to stress concentration from coins of different sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the coin-contact function from the lever-spring assembly and transfers it to a dedicated coin-delivering presser with a pressing surface. This separates the pressing function from the coin-delivery function, allowing the spring member to operate without direct stress concentration from varying coin sizes, thereby improving durability while maintaining dispensing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The coin-delivering presser acts as an intermediary between the rotating disk and the coin outlet. It includes a pressing surface that contacts coins and a delivering surface that guides them out, mediating the interaction to prevent direct stress on the spring member while ensuring smooth coin delivery
2Adaptability or versatility
If the gap between the lever and rotating disk is fixed, then the structure is simple, but coins of different thicknesses cannot be delivered smoothly and stacking occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the gap between the coin-delivering presser and the rotating disk adjustable rather than fixed. The presser can be positioned at different heights to accommodate coins of varying thicknesses, allowing smooth delivery without stacking while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure through a straightforward adjustment mechanism
3Extent of automation
If a motor rotates the rotating disk to dispense coins, then coins are delivered automatically, but coins may be delivered in a stack causing stuck coins
Solution Approach 1:
The coin-delivering presser serves as an intermediary that receives coins from the rotating disk and individually guides them to the outlet. The pressing surface contacts each coin to prevent stacking, while the delivering surface ensures smooth, controlled ejection, thereby maintaining automatic operation while improving delivery accuracy and preventing stuck coins
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
The design allows for individual and smooth dispensing of coins of different thicknesses, preventing stuck coins and reducing wear on the elastic member, as the adjustable gap and spot contact minimize friction and pressure.
Implementation Method 1
an elastic member and a float rotatably supported on the elastic member for pressing on one coin in the rotating disk
Implementation Method 2
the friction force thus produced between the float and the coin is sufficient to move the coin toward the coin outlet
Data Source
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AI summary
A coin hopper includes a coin-dispensing unit including a hopper defining a coin outlet, a rotating disk, a power drive, a sensor module and a circuit module for dispensing coins having different thicknesses, and a coin-delivering presser mounted in the hopper and including an elastic member and a float rotatably supported on the elastic member for pressing on one thick coin or thin coin in the rotating disk, enabling the coins to be individually and smoothly delivered to the coin outlet for dispensing and avoiding a coin stuck problem.