JPH0325252Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an advance payment control device for a merchandise vending machine that discharges merchandise when a predetermined number of coins have been inserted.

[Conventional technology]

Automatic or manual product vending machines have a coin sorter that identifies the type of coin inserted and the authenticity of the coin, as well as a coin sorter that determines whether the amount of coins inserted has reached the price of the product being sold. Accordingly, advance control devices are used to control the operation of the mechanism for ejecting the goods. The automatic type electrically detects the coin type, authenticity, and amount of coins inserted, and also operates the product ejecting mechanism using a motor or solenoid, making it extremely easy to operate. It is simplified to Also,
With the above-mentioned manual type, the product ejecting mechanism is operated manually, which makes the operation somewhat troublesome, but since it does not require a power source, there are no maintenance costs and it has the advantage of being able to be installed in places where there is no power source. There is.

Among the above-mentioned product vending machines, the advance payment control device is particularly suitable for the manual type, and the coins sorted through the coin sorter are accumulated and held in a column in a coin storage cylinder, and the coins are stored in a column for a fixed amount. In some cases, when it is detected that the product discharge mechanism has been reached, an operating lever for operating the product ejection mechanism can be operated. A conventional advance payment control device that performs this function consists of a coin storage tube fixed to the main body of the vending machine, a movable plate that is rotatably attached to the coin storage tube and has a stopper pin implanted therein. It is equipped with When the movable plate is in the closed position, a stopper pin implanted in the movable plate at a depth corresponding to the product price penetrates one wall surface of the storage tube and protrudes into the coin storage tube. I'm starting to do that. The coin storage tube is only slightly wider than the thickness and diameter of the coins to prevent coins from overlapping each other, so that the lowest coin in the coin storage tube comes into contact with the stopper pin. If a predetermined number of coins are further arranged in a column above it, the topmost coin will also always be in a fixed position.

Thereafter, when the coin sensor lever rotates in conjunction with the operation of the product ejection lever, if the coin sensor lever engages with the coin at the fixed position and the rotation is blocked, the product ejection lever Subsequent operations are permitted, the product is ejected, the movable plate rotates, and the stopper pin is retracted from the coin storage tube, so that the fixed amount of money held in the coin storage tube is removed. Coins fall from the bottom of the storage tube into the cash box and are collected.

By the way, in the front coin control device having a coin storage tube as described above, when dropping a coin from the coin storage tube, the movable plate is simply rotated to retract the stopper pin from the coin storage tube. The coins are sequentially dropped through the coin storage tube, which is slightly wider than the thickness of the coin, while rubbing against the wall surface of the coin storage tube. Therefore, if the number of coins increases, it may take a long time to collect the coins, or the coins may become jammed in the coin storage cylinder. If the control lever is returned to its initial position during this time, it may malfunction. This results in an inviting result. Furthermore, if a slightly bent coin is inserted into the coin storage tube, such a coin may become stuck in the coin storage tube while falling, which may cause a malfunction.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

The present invention was made to solve the problems of the conventional technology as described above, and provides a pre-deposit control device that enables the coins accumulated and held in the coin storage tube to be collected reliably and in a short time. The purpose is to provide.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention constructs a coin storage tube that stores coins of an amount corresponding to the selling price of the product. In addition to using two movable plates, the base plate or one of the movable plates is formed with a protrusion between the two to secure a space for vertically arranging coins, and the other movable plate is used to hold the coins to be vertically aligned. A stopper for receiving a coin is installed at the bottom of the base plate, and by moving the movable plate to the closed position, the stopper is projected into the space through the opening of the base plate to store the coin. When the coin is to be dropped, the two movable plates are opened all at once and the stopper is pulled out from the opening in the base plate, allowing the coin to be ejected in a short time.

[Configuration of Example]

In FIG. 6 showing the external appearance of a manual product vending machine using the present invention, a coin slot 2 is formed on the front of a case 1, into which a predetermined number of coins are inserted prior to purchasing a product. Below the coin slot 2, a product takeout operation knob 3 and a coin return operation knob 4 are provided so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. After inserting a coin, if the product take-out knob 3 is pushed down along the slot 1a, only the bottom one of the plurality of products stacked in the product storage cylinder 5 will pass through the chute 6 and enter the product take-out port 7. be discharged. When the user wishes to cancel the purchase of a product after inserting a coin, the coin return knob 4 is pushed down, and the inserted coin is returned to the coin return tray 8. On the top of case 1,
A lid 9 for replenishing products is provided so as to be openable and closable.

In FIG. 1 showing the internal structure of the product vending machine shown in FIG. 6, coins inserted from the coin slot 2 are inspected for type and authenticity by a well-known coin sorter 11, and genuine coins are passed to the slot 2. The coins are fed into the coin storage tube 12 through the coin storage tube 12, and the other coins are fed into the coin return tube 13 through the socket 23. The coins sent to the coin return tube 13 are transferred to the coin return tray 8 along a predetermined path (not shown).
will be returned to.

As shown exploded in FIG. 2, the coin storage tube 12 has a base plate 15 fixed to the case 1.
and a retainer plate 18 to which a chute plate 20 and a chute guide plate 21 are fixedly attached to the shafts 14 and 19, respectively, with the base plate 15 in between, via shaft attachment pieces 16 and 17 formed by bending the base plate 15.
It is composed of. Above the base plate 15, there are a guide piece 24 for forming a receptacle 22 for receiving regular coins sorted by the coin sorter 11, and a guide piece 25 for forming a receptacle 23 for receiving other coins. is fixed.

An arcuate slot 26 is formed below the mounting position of the guide piece 24 on the base plate 15, and a pin 28 embedded in a coin sensor lever to be described later is passed through the slot 26. moreover,
The base plate 15 has an opening 31 through which a stop pin 30 attached to the shoot plate 20 passes.
and a rectangular opening 33 through which the protruding piece 32 forming the side wall of the shoot guide plate 21 passes.

The chute plate 20 and the retaining plate 18, which are rotatably attached to the base plate 15, have their respective springs 3
4 and 35, the base plate 15 is urged against the base plate 15. Shoot plate 20
Screw holes 36 are formed in a row in the vertical direction approximately in the center. The arrangement pitch of the screw holes 36 matches the outer diameter of a regular coin.
Of these screw holes 36, the stop pins 30 are screwed into only those at a height corresponding to the selling price of the product. Furthermore, this chute plate 20 also has a rectangular opening 3 with a screw hole 36 therebetween for receiving the projection piece 32 of the chute guide plate 21.
7 are arranged. Furthermore, a release piece 38 that projects laterally is provided below the chute plate 20.

The shoot guide plate 21 fixed to the holding plate 18 by spot welding, for example, has a protruding piece 32 protruding in a comb-like shape on its side wall, and receives a stop pin 30 protruding through an opening 31 of the base plate 15. An opening 40 is formed. Further, the upper edge 41 of the shoot guide plate 21 is
It has a shape that matches an arcuate slot 26 formed in the base plate 15, and a stopper 42 that protrudes upward is provided continuously thereto.
Note that a release piece 43 provided below the holding plate 18
faces the release piece 38 of the chute plate 20.

The coin storage tube 12 configured as described above is
Normally, as shown in FIG. 3, the shoot plate 20 and the holding plate 18 are pressed against the base plate 15 by springs 34 and 35, and the shoot plate 20 is brought into close contact with one side of the base plate 15. The shoot guide plate 21 has a trough portion 32' of a comb-shaped protrusion 32.
(see FIG. 2) is positioned in contact with the other surface of the base plate 15. As a result, base plate 1
5 and the shoot guide plate 21, a space 45 having a width of, for example, about 2 to 3 mm is formed depending on the height of the valley portion 32'. The width of the space 45 is set so that two coins do not overlap, and the length is set slightly larger than the diameter of the coin. Therefore, within this space 45, coins are dropped one by one. Further, the protruding piece 32 penetrates the base plate 15 and reaches the chute plate 20,
A stop pin 30 fixed to the shoot plate 20 also passes through the base plate 15 and reaches the shoot guide plate 21 side.

As shown in FIG. 1, a pin 28 inserted into the slot 26 of the coin storage tube 12 is implanted at the tip of a coin sensor lever 50 rotatably attached to a shaft 47. An interlocking lever 52 in which a guide groove 54 is further formed is pivotally attached to the shaft 47, and the coin sensor lever 50 and the spring 53
are connected via. A pin 57 that is fixed to a product ejection lever 56 that is rotatable about a shaft 55 is engaged with the guide groove 54 . Then, when the product ejection operation knob 3 is pushed down, the product ejection lever 56 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft 55, and the pin 57 and guide groove 54
By engaging with the shaft 4, the interlocking lever 52 is further moved
7 in the clockwise direction.

When the interlocking lever 52 is rotated clockwise, the coin sensor lever 5 is rotated via the spring 53.
0 is also rotated clockwise. A locking piece 60 is provided protruding from one edge of the coin sensor lever 50. When the coin sensor lever 50 rotates with the rotation of the interlocking lever 52 and the pin 28 comes into contact with the stopper 42 of the chute guide plate 21 and stops, the locking piece 60 is attached to the product ejection lever 56. It is brought into the movement path of the formed protrusion 61, thereby preventing the product ejection lever 56 from rotating.

On the other hand, when a predetermined number of coins are accumulated and held in the coin storage tube 12, the topmost coin 10a is inserted into the slot 26 as shown in FIG.
protrude from Therefore, while the coin sensor lever 50 is rotating as described above,
Since the pin 28 comes into contact with the edge of the coin 10a, rotation of the coin sensor lever 50 is stopped. In this case, since the locking piece 60 does not reach the moving path of the protruding piece 61 of the product ejection lever 56, the product ejection lever 56 can continue to rotate.

A sector gear 56 is provided at the other end of the product ejection lever 56.
a is formed, and when the product ejection lever 56 continues to rotate, the gear 64 is rotated via the interlocking gear 63. A feed pawl 67 is attached to this gear 64 via a shaft 66, and meshes with a pawl wheel 68 coaxial with the gear 64. Therefore, gear 6
4 is rotated counterclockwise, the ratchet wheel 68 is also rotated counterclockwise. A rotating plate 70 is fixed to a rotating shaft 69 that is fixed to the ratchet wheel 68. Three extrusion plates 70a are attached to the outer periphery of the rotary plate 70 at equal intervals.
0a is a notch 5 formed at the bottom of the product storage tube 5
a, and open the product 72 at the bottom through the opening 5b.
and push it out to chute 6. Note that when the product ejection lever 56 is returned by the spring 58, the ratchet wheel 6
In order to prevent 8 from being reversed, a check pawl 73 is provided.
is provided.

Further, the product ejection lever 56 is provided with a reciprocating movement regulating mechanism (not shown), and after the sector gear 56a of the product ejection lever 56 is engaged with the interlocking gear 63 by pressing down the product ejection operation knob 3, the product ejection lever 56 The product discharge lever 56 is designed so that it cannot be returned until it has been operated to its final position, and furthermore, it cannot be pushed down during the return process of the product discharge lever 56.

A wedge plate 75 is further fixed to the product ejection lever 56. When the product ejection lever 56 is rotated close to its end, the wedge member 75 releases the release pieces 3 of each of the chute plate 20 and the holding plate 18.
8 and 43, and pushes open the chute plate 20 and the holding plate 18 against their respective springs 34 and 35. When the coin storage tube 12 is opened in this manner, the coins stored therein are dropped and collected by a cash box (not shown) installed below the coin storage tube 12.

A distribution plate 77 rotatable around a shaft 76 is provided at the bottom of the coin storage tube 12. A pin 78 is installed in the sorting plate 77, and a return lever 8 has a coin return operation knob 4 fixed to the tip.
0 arm 81 is engaged with the pin 78. Therefore, the coin return operation knob 4 is pushed down, and the return lever 80 is moved against the spring 82 to the shaft 83.
When the distribution plate 77 is rotated counterclockwise around , the distribution plate 77 is rotated counterclockwise to switch the coin falling path. The return lever 80 also has a wedge plate 85.
is fixed, and after the return lever 80 rotates and the distribution plate 77 rotates, it enters between the respective release pieces 38 and 43 of the chute plate 20 and the holding plate 21 and pushes them open. It's becoming like that.

[Effect of the embodiment]

If a coin is inserted into the coin storage tube 12 in the initial state shown in FIG. sent to. A stop pin 30 is attached to the third screw hole 36 from the top of the chute plate 20, and this protrudes into the space 45 through the opening 31 of the base plate 15. As shown in FIG. 5, the stop pins 30 are used as stoppers and are sequentially arranged in tandem thereon. When three coins are inserted, the edge of the third coin 10a is exposed above the slot 26. In this example, the coin is a 100 yen coin, and the price of the product for sale is set at 300 yen, so the stop pin 30 is fixed in the third screw hole 29 from the top. For example, if you want to buy 200 yen, just replace the stop pin 30 with the second screw hole 29 from the top.

After inserting three coins and reaching the state shown in Figure 5, press down on the product removal operation knob 3.
As the product discharge lever 56 rotates counterclockwise, the coin sensor lever 50 rotates clockwise. During this rotation, pin 28
comes into contact with the edge of the coin 10a located at the top of the coin storage tube 12. Therefore, the coin sensor lever 50 is stopped at that position, and the product ejection lever 56 is further rotated while the spring 53 is loaded. Then, the rotary plate 70 rotates counterclockwise via the sector gear 56a, interlocking gear 64, etc. provided on the other end side of the product ejection lever 56, and one product at the bottom of the product storage tube 5 is ejected. .

Note that the pin 29 planted in the base plate 15
supports the coin 10a so that it does not escape to the side when the pin 28 comes into contact with the coin 10a. Furthermore, if a surplus coin is inserted after the specified number of coins have been inserted, as shown by the broken line arrow x in FIG. The coin is deflected, passes between the notch 13a formed above the coin return tube 13, and the notch 25a formed at the lower edge of the guide piece 25, and is dropped into the coin return tube 13. Further, if the coin is inserted after the pin 28 is moved slightly within the slot 26 by rotating the product ejection lever a little, for example, the coin will not be caught between the pins 28 and 29, and the coin will not be caught between the pins 28 and 29. Notch 1
3a and 25a and fall into the coin return cylinder 13.

Immediately before the product 72 is ejected as described above, the wedge plate 75 fixed to the product ejection lever 56
However, the release piece 38 of the chute plate 20 and the retaining plate 18,
43, and opens the chute plate 20 and the chute guide plate 21 by its wide portion. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the stop pin 30 that had been protruding into the space 45 is retracted from the coin storage tube, and the space 45 in the coin storage tube 12 is also expanded, so that coins are accumulated and held therein. The coins that were in the box fall all at once and are collected in the cash box. In this way, the chute plate 2
By opening the stop pin 30 and the shoot guide plate 21 relative to the base plate 15, not only can the stop pin 30 be pulled out from the space 45, but also the stop pin 30 can be pulled out from the space 45.
Since the coin falling passage formed between the coin coin 5 and the shoot guide plate 21 is widened, even if some deformed coins are stored, the coins can be surely dropped. Moreover, since the coins fall along a path that roughly follows the fixed base plate 15, they can be easily collected into the cash box. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4, even when the shoot plate 20 and the shoot guide plate 21 are in an open state, the projecting piece 32 of the shoot guide plate 21 does not come off from the opening 33 of the base plate 15. The falling path of coins is regulated to some extent, making it easier to collect coins. After that, when the pressure on the product removal operation knob 3 is released, the spring 5
7, the product ejection lever 56 returns to the position shown in FIG. be returned.

If the product ejection operation knob 3 is pressed down before the specified number of coins have been inserted, the coin sensor lever 50 also rotates via the product ejection lever 56 and the interlocking lever 52; The chute guide plate 21 is rotated to a position where it abuts against the stopper 42. In this rotational position, the coin sensor lever 50
A locking piece 60 provided on the product ejection lever 56
comes into the moving path of the protruding piece 61. As a result,
The rotation of the product ejection lever 56 is controlled by the sector gear 56a.
is blocked at a rotational position before it meshes with the interlocking gear 63. As a result, the ejection of the product is prohibited, and the coins that have been inserted so far are also stored in the coin storage tube 12 without being collected.

Thereafter, when the product removal operation knob 3 is pressed down after additional coins have been inserted up to the specified number, the same operation as described above continues and the product is ejected. Furthermore, if the user wishes to cancel the purchase of a product after inserting several coins, the coin return operation knob 4 may be pressed down instead of the product takeout operation knob 3. As a result, after the sorting plate 77 rotates clockwise and switches the coin ejection path from the collection path to the return path,
Since the coin storage tube 12 is opened by the wedge plate 85, the coins stored there are transferred to the sorting plate 7.
7. The coins are returned to the coin return tray 8 via the return path.

In the embodiments described above, instead of the wedge plate 75 or 85 for opening the chute plate 20 and the chute guide plate 21, a cam rotated in conjunction with the product ejection lever 56 is used. Plate 20 and chute guide plate 21
or open the projecting piece 32 to the base plate 15.
An opening 33 for receiving this projecting piece may be provided on the shoot guide plate 21 side. moreover,
A book is sent to an automatic product vending machine that optically and electrically detects that a specified number of coins have been inserted into the coin storage tube 12, and automatically operates the product ejection mechanism and coin storage tube 12 based on this detection signal. It is also possible to apply the idea.

[Effect of idea]

As described above, according to the coin control device of the present invention, a protrusion is formed on one of the fixed base plate or the two movable plates to form a space between which the coins are arranged in tandem. At the same time, a stopper is provided on the other movable plate, and by opening the two movable plates relative to the pace plate, the coins are allowed to fall. Therefore, by pulling out the stopper, the holding of the lower ends of the vertically arranged coins is released, and the coins are further spread in the thickness direction to widen the width of the falling path, making it possible to quickly collect and refund coins. Moreover, it can be made reliable, and even coins that are slightly deformed in the thickness direction can be dropped. Further, since the falling path of the coin is almost along the fixed base plate, there is an advantage that it is easier to guide the coin to the subsequent collection path or return path.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of a manual product vending machine using the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the coin storage tube used in the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the coin storage tube in a closed state. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the coin storage tube in an opened state. Figure 5 shows
It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a state in which coins are stored in the coin storage tube. FIG. 6 is an external view of a manual product vending machine using the present invention. 12...Coin storage tube, 15...Base plate, 1
8... Holding plate, 20... Shoot plate, 21... Shoot guide plate, 30... Stop pin, 36...
...Screw hole, 50...Coin sensor lever, 52...
...Interlocking lever, 56...Product ejection lever, 70...
...rotating plate, 75...wedge plate, 77...distributing plate,
80...Return lever.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] A coin storage tube that stores inserted coins in tandem is provided, and when a coin sensor detects that the coins have been stored to a certain position above the coin storage tube. In the advance payment control device in which the product ejecting mechanism is activated, the coin storage tube is provided with a fixed base plate extending in the vertical direction of the coins, and on both sides sandwiching the base plate, and the coin storage tubes are provided on both sides of the fixed base plate extending in the vertical direction of the coins. two movable plates that are rotatable about an axis along the direction between a closed position close to the base plate and an open position separated from the base plate, and fixed to one of the base plate or the movable plate; a protruding piece that forms a space between them for arranging coins in tandem; and a protruding piece that is planted on the other movable plate, projects through an opening formed in the base plate to the one movable plate, and is inserted into the space. It consists of a stopper that receives the lowest coin of the coins arranged in a column, and rotates the two movable plates from the closed position to the open position in conjunction with the operation of the product ejecting mechanism, and the stopper is moved to the opening of the base plate. 1. An advance payment control device, characterized in that the coins arranged in a row in the space are caused to fall by being pulled out from the space.