JPH049656Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the idea] [Industrial application field]

This invention relates to a device that allows inserted coins to roll and fall along a passageway, and in the process determines and sorts the coins' authenticity and type. , and a passageway that allows the coin sensor to accurately judge coins.

[Conventional technology]

Regarding the conventional coin sorting device, Figures 9 and 10
This will be explained with reference to the figures. FIG. 9 is a front view of the coin sorting device 40. Coins inserted from the input port 37 fall while rolling on the guide rail 34, are sorted by a gate (not shown), and are stored in respective coin storage tubes. be done. Incidentally, at a predetermined location on the guide rail 34, the coin sensor 5 indicated by a broken line determines the authenticity and type, and the gate operates based on the determination signal.
In addition, at the front stage of the guide rail 34, rough sorting is performed for large-diameter coins, small-diameter coins, particularly thick or thin coins, and other foreign objects as abnormal coins that are forged, altered, or deformed. Furthermore, since a plurality of coins may continuously roll or fall in close proximity to each other, which may hinder sorting, measures are taken to separate the coins at appropriate intervals to prevent this from happening. Explanation of these will be omitted as it deviates from the main topic. FIG. 10 is an enlarged side sectional view of the periphery of the coin passage 33 including the guide rail 34, taken along the line B-B in FIG. 9. The passage 33 is formed as an opposing space between a first board 31 and a second board 32, which are arranged in parallel in accordance with the thickness of the coin, and the guide rail 34 is located at the bottom of the passage 33. The first substrate 31 and the second substrate 32 are slightly inclined with respect to the vertical plane, and the inner wall surface 31a of the first substrate 31 on the lower side
A coin sensor 5 is provided adjacent to. In other words, when a coin rolls and falls on the guide rail 34 while in contact with the inner wall surface 31a and passes in front of the coin sensor 5, a detected value corresponding to the outer diameter, thickness, material, etc. of the coin is obtained. The detected value is comprehensively taken into account to determine the authenticity and denomination. The reason why the first substrate 31 is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical plane is to maintain a constant positional relationship between the coin sensor 5 and the coin passing in front of it.

[Problem that the invention attempts to solve]

As described above, in the conventional technology, the surface of the first substrate 31 that comes into contact with one side of the coin is flat, which has the advantage of being easy to manufacture, but the contact area between the two is large. Therefore, there are the following problems. first,
If a coin wet with water is inserted, the coin sticks to the inner wall surface 31a of the first substrate 31 and stops due to the surface tension of the water. This is a coin jam and a serious problem before sorting. Next, the inner wall surface 31a is easily soiled, which directly causes clogging and trouble, and indirectly, because the dirt is removed, the maintenance period is shortened. Furthermore, even if the coins do not become jammed due to the above-mentioned causes, the falling speed fluctuates, increasing the possibility of misjudgment. The purpose of this invention is to solve the problems of the conventional technology, to prevent water-wet coins from sticking to the inner wall surface of the passageway, to prevent the coins from getting dirty, and to prevent coins from becoming dirty when they pass in front of the coin sensor. To provide a coin sorting device equipped with a passage always at a constant distance and attitude from the coins.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, this invention has the following configuration. (1) In a device that rolls and drops inserted coins along a passageway, and in the process determines and sorts the coins' authenticity and type, (2) The inner wall surface of the passageway is aligned with the vertical plane. (3) On the lower side of this inner wall surface, a coin sensor is installed close to the outside, and inside it, a coin sensor is installed that protrudes at the same height and is approximately parallel to the movement trajectory of the center of the coin. At least three mountain range-like convex portions are provided. Furthermore, at least three mountain range-shaped convex portions may be installed so as to be in contact with each other at the center of the coin, near the bottom end of the coin, and near the top end of the coin.

[Effect]

Since the structure is as described above, the operation of this invention is as follows. (1) Since the inner wall surface of the passage is inclined with respect to the vertical plane, one side of the coin falls toward the lower inner wall surface and comes into contact with it. It is a narrow area portion of the apex of at least three mountain range-like convex portions. Almost like a line contact. (3) Moreover, since the heights of these mountain range-like protrusions are the same, there is a plane that commonly touches the apex, and the position and attitude of the coin are kept constant by this plane. According to the embodiment, (4) Since the three mountain-shaped convex portions contact each other at the center of the coin, near the bottom end of the coin, and near the top end of the coin, first, the coin is moved at a distance approximately close to its diameter. The position is determined at two points. Therefore, even if the coin is held, stable positioning can be achieved against the coin's swinging around the axis in the direction of movement. (5) Next, by the convex part passing through the center of the coin,
Any oscillation of the coin around its diameter perpendicular to the direction of movement is effectively prevented, and the coin's attitude remains constant as it falls along the path.

【Example】

An embodiment of this invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of this invention, FIG. 2 is a side sectional view, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of this side sectional view. In FIG. 1, the input port 7 of the coin sorting device 10
The coins thrown in from the coins fall while rolling on the guide rail 4, are sorted by a gate (not shown), and are stored in respective coin storage tubes. Four thin strips are arranged parallel to each other above the guide rail 4, and these are the convex portions 1 of the main part of this invention.
1, 12, 13, 14. This convex portion 11-1
4 will be described in more detail later. Further, a coin sensor 5 indicated by a broken line is installed at a predetermined location on the guide rail 4, and the coin sensor 5 determines the authenticity and type of the coin, and the gate is operated based on the determination signal. In addition, in the front stage of the guide rail 4, large diameter coins, small diameter coins, especially thick coins, which are forged, altered or deformed as abnormal coins,
or rough mechanical sorting of thin coins and other foreign objects. Furthermore, since a plurality of coins may continuously roll or fall close to each other, which may hinder sorting, the coins are separated at appropriate intervals to prevent this from happening. Illustrations or explanations of these will be omitted since they would be off topic. In FIG. 2 (A-A sectional view in FIG. 1), the passage 3 is formed as a space where a first substrate 1 and a second substrate 2 are opposed to each other and are arranged in parallel according to the thickness of the coin. The guide rail 4 corresponds to the bottom surface. The first substrate 31 and the second substrate 32 are slightly inclined with respect to the vertical plane, and the first substrate 1 on the lower side
Convex portions 11 to 14 are provided on the inner wall surface 1a of the passageway 3 so as to protrude inside the passageway 3. These convex parts 11 to 14
are protrusions of the same height that extend in the shape of a mountain range and are arranged approximately parallel to the locus of movement of the center of the coin. Further, a coin sensor 5 is provided outwardly adjacent to the inner wall surface 1a. This coin sensor 5 consists of a coil and is an inductance type sensor. In other words, when the coin rolls and falls on the guide rail 4 with one side of the coin in contact with the apexes of the convex parts 11 to 14 on the inner wall surface 1a and passes in front of the coin sensor 5, the outer diameter of the coin Detection values corresponding to thickness, material, etc. are obtained, and these detection values are comprehensively taken into consideration.
Authenticity and denomination are determined. The reason why the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are slightly inclined with respect to the vertical plane is that gravity makes one side of the coin always come into contact with the apex of the convex parts 11 to 14, so that the coin sensor This is to keep the position and attitude of the coin passing in front of the coin 5 constant. That is,
This is to keep the positional relationship between the coin and the coin sensor 5 constant. This is directly related to detection accuracy. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side sectional view of passageway 3 including coin sensor 5. FIG. In this figure, the inner wall surface 1a of the first substrate 1 has convex portions 11 to 14 having a rectangular cross section and the same height.
is provided. A coin sensor 5 is fitted into the opposite surface of the first substrate 1. The surface of the guide rail 4 corresponds to the bottom surface of the passage 3. The height of each convex portion 11 to 14 from the surface of the guide rail 4 is an important factor that determines the stability of the posture of the rolling and falling coin 9 (indicated by a two-dot chain line). This will be described in detail in the next explanation of the operation. Next, with reference to FIG. 4, a description will be given of how the protrusions are arranged and their effects in order to properly position a particular coin with respect to the coin sensor. In addition, FIG. 4 shows an explanatory view of the operation when the three convex portions on the inner wall surface of the passage are properly arranged, and FIG. 4A is an enlarged side sectional view of the main part, and FIG. 4B is an enlarged front view of the main part. . In FIG. 4a, in order to position the coin 9 so that one side thereof maintains a predetermined distance G from the front surface of the coin sensor 5, the convex portion T1 must be in contact with the coin 9 near its upper end, center, and lower end. , T2, and T3. In other words, the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end of the coin 9 come into contact with the convex portions T1 and T3, so that movement around the axis perpendicular to the page is restrained, and then,
The convex portion T2 that contacts the center of the coin 9 prevents the coin 9 from moving around the diameter included in the plane of the paper, that is, from swinging. Supplementing the above with reference to Figure 4b,
The coin 9 rolls along the guide rail 4 in the direction of the arrow,
When falling, the vicinity of the upper end, the center O, and the vicinity of the lower end of the coin 9 are supported and positioned at the center line positions of the protrusions T1, T2, and T3, which are indicated by dashed lines P, Q, and R. Therefore, in order to restrain movement around the axis Q, it is effective to make the distance L between the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end of the coin 9 as large as possible with the center O in between. Further, in order to effectively prevent movement (oscillation) around the diameter perpendicular to the axis Q, the axis Q needs to pass through the center of the coin 9. In other words, the distance of the axis Q from the top surface of the guide rail 4 is preferably set to D/2 (D: diameter of the coin 9). Regarding a particular coin 9 as described above,
The method of arranging the convex portions will be supplementarily explained from another perspective based on the following inappropriate example. That is, the sixth
The figure shows a case in which only two protrusions T11 and T12 are provided, and in this case, when the coin 9 rolls or falls, movement around the diameter included in the paper surface, that is, swinging remains. In addition, FIG. 7 shows the convex portion T12,
With an interval of T12, the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end of the coin 9 are in contact with the inner wall surface 1a and the convex portion T12, and the coin 9
One side of the coin sensor 5 is inclined with respect to the front of the coin sensor 5, and proper detection cannot be performed. The above explanation was about how to appropriately arrange the protrusions for one particular type of coin. However, in reality, four types of coins - 500, 100, 50, and 10 yen coins - are currently in circulation in Japan as targets for coin sorting devices. A method for properly arranging the convex portions at this time will be described. The diameter of each of the above coins is 26.5mm,
They are 22.6mm, 21mm, and 23.5mm. Strictly speaking, in order to satisfy the above conditions for all these coins, 3 x 4 types = 12 protrusions are required. However, in reality, there are some parts that overlap, so by integrating them, it is possible to reduce the number of convex parts. The method of this aggregation is now a matter of design. FIG. 5 shows the case where the arrangement of the convex portions is determined based on the 500 yen coin with the largest diameter and the 50 yen coin with the smallest diameter among the four types of coins mentioned above. In addition, FIG. 5 shows an explanatory diagram of the operation when the four convex portions are properly arranged on the inner wall surface of the passage, and FIG. 5A is an enlarged side sectional view of the main part, and FIG. . In FIG. 5a, 9A (indicated by a two-dot chain line) indicates a 500 yen coin, and 9D (indicated by a broken line) indicates a 50 yen coin.
Referring to the case of FIG. 4, for coin 9A,
Convex portions 11, 13, and 14 (corresponding to the vicinity of the upper end, the vicinity of the center, and the vicinity of the lower end, respectively) can be determined. Next, the protrusion 1 is similarly applied to the coin 9D.
2, 13, 14, (corresponding to the same positions as above)
can be determined. In other words, the convex portions 13 and 14
are shared near the lower ends and at the center of both coins 9A and 9D, and convex portions 11 and 12 are used for coins 9A and 9D, respectively.
It was designed for use near the upper end of D. In Fig. 4b, the center O1 of the coin 9A and the center O1 of the coin 9B
The heights from the top surface of the guide rail 4 with respect to the center O4 are D1/2 and D4/2, respectively, and the position H3 of the convex portion 13 (see Fig. 5a) is the average of these heights. It's a great thing. In addition, L1, L4
are the distances between the vicinity of the upper end and the vicinity of the lower end of the coins 9A and 9D, respectively. Although not specifically shown, the coin 9 described above
If convex portions are provided corresponding to the centers O1 and O4 of A and 9D, a total of five convex portions will be required. Similarly, in another embodiment, two other types of coins, 100 yen,
Considering the size of a 10 yen coin, six convex portions are arranged together. As described above, these belong to the area of design, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. By the way, it is necessary to accurately determine the position and orientation of the passing coin with respect to the front surface (reference surface) of the coin sensor, since the main part of the coin sensor is an inductance (coil).
This is based on the reason that this value changes depending on the posture. Next, the configuration of the coin sensor and the determining section will be explained with reference to the block circuit diagram of FIG. This configuration is
Roughly speaking, it consists of an AC bridge circuit, a differential amplifier, and a comparator. 25 is the inductance (coil) of the coin sensor
With the coin to be detected in front of the coin, it is possible to detect
Each takes a specific value. For example, if there are three types of coins, the inductance 25 and the adjacent fixed resistor (not marked) share the same side,
Three sets of bridge circuits 21, 2 are constructed by connecting three types of opposite sides in parallel, each consisting of a variable inductance, a variable resistance, and a fixed resistance (all of which are not labeled).
2 and 23 are formed. Note that 24 is a power source, which is a sine wave oscillator with a stable frequency. In each of the AC bridge circuits 21, 22, and 23, the values of the variable resistance and variable inductance are adjusted in advance so that an equilibrium condition is established when each coin is in front of the inductance 25. Therefore, a given coin has an inductance of 25
When in front of, each U-X, U-Y, U-Z
The voltage between them is zero or within a certain tolerance, and conversely, when a coin different from the predetermined coin comes in front of them, a certain voltage is generated. This voltage is applied to the differential amplifier 26 corresponding to each AC bridge circuit.
X, 26Y, and 26Z, and the output thereof is sent to comparators 27X, 27Y, and 26Z, and compared with the reference value E _p . Therefore, if there is an AC bridge circuit,
For example, if 21 is balanced, the output of the corresponding comparator 27X turns ON, indicating that the corresponding coin has passed. Then, the output is sent to a subsequent CPU (not shown) to output a predetermined judgment signal or processing signal.

[Effect of the idea]

As mentioned above, in this device, since the inner wall surface of the passage is inclined with respect to the vertical plane, one side of the coin falls toward the lower inner wall surface and comes into contact with it, but in reality, the coin One side of the ridges comes into contact with a narrow area of the vertices of at least three mountain-like convex parts, so to speak, it is close to a line contact, and since the heights of these mountain-like convex parts are the same, this vertex There is a plane in common contact with the coins, and the position and orientation of the coins are kept constant by this plane;
Further, according to the embodiment, since the three mountain range-like convex portions contact each other at the center of the coin, near the bottom end of the coin, and near the top end of the coin, first, the coin is placed at two points at a distance approximately close to its diameter. is positioned at
Therefore, the coin can be held in a stable position against rocking around the axis in the direction of movement, and the convex part passing through the center of the coin allows the coin to be held at right angles to the direction of movement. Any oscillation of the coin around its diameter is effectively prevented, and the coin's attitude remains constant as it falls along the path. Therefore, this invention has the following superior effects compared to the conventional one. (1) Since the contact area between the coin and the inner wall of the passage is small, the frictional resistance between the two is reduced, and even when a wet coin is inserted, the coin is prevented from sticking to the inner wall, and the coin is Smooth rolling and falling along the aisle is guaranteed. (2) Since the contact area on the inner wall side is small, even if dirt adheres to it, it will easily come off when it comes into contact with coins, ensuring smooth rolling and falling of coins, and simplifying maintenance work to remove dirt. and the maintenance period may be extended. (3) Since a stable posture is determined when rolling and falling along the passage, the direction and distance are kept constant when passing in front of the coin sensor.
Therefore, accurate detection and further judgment can be made. (4) Due to the formation of the convex portion, the shape of the inner wall surface of the passage becomes somewhat complicated, but if it is molded with plastic, it is easy to manufacture and does not take up any extra space.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of this invention, Fig. 2 is a side sectional view, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the main part of this side sectional view, and Fig. 4 shows three parts on the inner wall of the passage. An explanatory diagram of the effect when the convex portion is properly arranged is shown,
Figure a shows an enlarged side sectional view of the main part, Figure b shows an enlarged front view of the main part, and Fig. 5 shows an explanatory view of the operation in another case in which four convex parts are properly arranged on the inner wall surface of the passage. Figure a is an enlarged side sectional view of the main part, Figure b is an enlarged front view of the main part, Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the effect in one case where the convex part arrangement on the inner wall of the passage is inappropriate, and Figure 7 is the inner wall of the passage. Fig. 8 is a block circuit diagram showing the configuration of the coin sensor and determination section, Fig. 9 is a front view of the conventional example, and Fig. 10 is the conventional example. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side sectional view of the coin passage. Description of symbols, 1...first substrate, 1a...inner wall surface,
2... Second board, 3... Passage, 4... Guide rail, 5... Coin sensor, 9, 9A, 9D... Coin, 10... Coin sorting device, 11-14... Convex portion.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] 1. In a device that rolls and drops coins inserted along a passage, and in the process determines and sorts the authenticity and type of the coins, the inner wall surface of the passage is vertical. A coin sensor is installed close to the outside of the lower inner wall surface, which is inclined with respect to the inner wall surface, and a coin sensor is installed inside the inner wall surface at the same height so as to be approximately parallel to the locus of movement of the center of the coin. A coin sorting device comprising at least three mountain range-shaped convex portions formed in parallel. 2. The device according to claim 1 of the utility model registration claim, characterized in that at least three mountain-shaped convex portions are installed so as to be in contact with each other at the center of the coin, near the bottom end of the coin, and near the top end of the coin. Coin sorting device. 3 Utility Model Registration The coin sorting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the coin sensor is of an inductance type.