Lottery Ticket Dispensing Unit with Shuttle Separator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing lottery ticket dispensing systems often fail to reliably separate tickets along perforation lines, leading to unsellable or improperly verified tickets, which can be costly and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A lottery ticket dispensing unit with a separation module featuring a drive roller, idler roller, and a bi-directional shuttle mechanism that moves along a linear path to accurately separate tickets using a shuttle head with an inclined edge to engage and burst the perforation line, ensuring precise ticket separation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a simple separation mechanism is used, then device complexity is reduced, but ticket separation reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a dynamic shuttle mechanism that moves horizontally along a track to actively engage and separate tickets along the perforation line, rather than using a static separation element. This dynamic approach allows precise positioning and controlled engagement with the perforation line, significantly improving separation reliability while maintaining reasonable device complexity through the use of a guided linear motion system.
2Device complexity
If manual separation is used, then device complexity is reduced, but productivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates an automated sensor detection and shuttle activation mechanism that operates without manual intervention. The sensor automatically detects when a ticket is properly positioned, triggers the shuttle to move and separate the ticket along the perforation line, and controls the drive roller to eject the separated ticket. This self-service automation maintains relatively simple device complexity while dramatically improving dispensing productivity and speed.
3Reliability
If separation force is increased to ensure clean separation, then separation effectiveness is improved, but ticket damage risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a shuttle head with a specifically designed inclined leading edge that changes the mechanical interaction parameters during separation. As the shuttle moves horizontally along the perforation line, the inclined edge gradually engages the perforation holes, allowing the separation force to be distributed over a longer distance and time period. This parameter change enables effective separation while reducing peak forces that could cause ticket damage.
Data Source
AI summary
A lottery ticket dispensing unit includes at least one ticket compartment and a separation module that has a drive roller and an opposed idler roller, with a motor geared to the drive roller. An automatic separator device is provided, wherein the drive roller conveys a leading lottery ticket to a separation position such that a line between the leading ticket and an adjacent ticket is presented to the separator device. The separator device includes a shuttle that travels in a linear path along the line, the shuttle having a head that engages and separates the leading ticket from the adjacent ticket along the line. A bi-directional drive mechanism moves the shuttle back and forth along the linear path.