Rotating Coin Sorting Head Reducing Friction Wear
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Solution Overview
Problem
Disc-type coin sorters face issues with wear due to friction between the sorting head and moving coins, leading to inefficiencies in sorting and potential jamming.
Innovation Solution
A coin processing system with a rotatable disc and a stationary sorting head, featuring a diverter pin and reject slot design that maintains coin alignment and control, reducing wear and improving sorting efficiency by guiding coins through a series of exit slots based on diameter, and incorporating a re-gauging area to align coins for accurate sorting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If coins are guided by the sorting head through friction contact, then coins are sorted by diameter, but portions of the sorting head and pad become worn due to friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the sorting head rotatable, transforming it from a stationary component to a dynamic one. This allows the sorting head to rotate in the same direction as the resilient pad, reducing relative motion and friction between the sorting head and coins. The rotational movement enables continuous operation without the sorting head becoming worn from static friction contact.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of the conventional design where the resilient pad rotates beneath a stationary sorting head, this patent inverts the relationship by making the sorting head rotatable. The sorting head now rotates along with the resilient pad's motion, changing the friction dynamics from sliding friction to rolling friction, thereby reducing wear on the sorting head surfaces.
2Productivity
If the sorting head is stationary while the resilient pad rotates, then coins are pressed against the sorting head for sorting, but friction between the stationary sorting head and moving coins causes wear
Solution Approach 1:
The sorting head is transformed from a stationary component to a rotatable one that moves in sync with the resilient pad. This dynamic adjustment maintains continuous contact for efficient sorting while reducing relative friction through coordinated rotation, thereby preserving component durability during high-productivity operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful sliding friction between the stationary sorting head and moving coins into beneficial rolling friction by making the sorting head rotatable. The friction that previously caused wear is transformed into a rolling contact that maintains sorting efficiency while significantly reducing wear on the sorting head and pad surfaces.
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 system effectively sorts coins by diameter with reduced wear and increased efficiency, maintaining coin alignment and control throughout the sorting process, enhancing the reliability and longevity of the sorting mechanism.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient pad (disposed on a rotating disc) that rotates beneath a stationary sorting head... The rotating, resilient pad presses coins upward against the sorting head as the pad rotates
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, a coin processing system for processing a plurality of coins, comprises a rotatable disc having a resilient pad coupled thereto for imparting motion to the plurality of coins, the resilient pad being generally circular and having an outer periphery edge, a center, and an upper surface. The system further comprises a stationary sorting head having a lower surface generally parallel to and spaced slightly away from the resilient pad, the lower surface forming a coin path for directing the movement of each of the coins past a coin re-gauging area. The re-gauging area comprises a gauging block, a lower surface, and an elevated surface. The rotation of the pad drives radial outward edges of the coins into contact with the gauging block. The elevated surface is positioned radially inward of a portion of the lower surface and the gauging block is positioned radially outward of the portion of the lower surface. When the coins contact the gauging block the coins are pressed by the pad upward toward the sorting head such that the radially inner edges of the coins are pressed into the elevated surface and a portion of the coins contacts a portion of the lower surface whereby the coins contact the gauging block in a radial outward downward tilted manner. The gauging block has a gauging wall having an upstream end and a downstream end, the downstream end of the gauging wall being positioned radially closer to the center of the pad than the upstream end of the gauging wall. The rotation of the pad drives the coins downstream along a gauging wall of the gauging block whereby the outer edges of the coins becomes radially aligned and wherein the coins are driven along the gauging wall in a radial outward downward tilted manner with the radially inward, lower edges of the coins being above the upper surface of the pad.