JP2646783B2 - Coin lifter drive of coin sorting device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a coin sorting apparatus provided with a coin lifter for lifting a coin paid out from a coin payout port to a coin return port located at an upper position. For more information,
The present invention relates to a drive control device for such a coin lifter.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art In a vending machine or the like, a coin sorting device capable of sorting input coins and storing the coins for each denomination is provided for discriminating whether coins are inserted or not and paying out change. In such a coin sorting apparatus, a coin passage is formed in the apparatus so that the inserted coin is moved by its own weight. Therefore, the coin slot is necessarily set at the highest position of the apparatus, and the position of the coin return port is set at the lowest position.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

In a vending machine or the like that incorporates a coin sorting device of this configuration, there is a height difference between a coin insertion slot and a coin return slot, and both of them are set at the same height position that is convenient for a product purchaser. Can not do. Therefore, the applicant uses a coin lifter that forcibly lifts the coins paid out from the coin payout unit of the coin sorting device to the upper position, thereby setting the coin return port to be the same as the coin insertion port. It proposes a configuration that can be set at the height position.

Here, in order to drive such a coin lifter, it is conceivable to use various signals used in the control system of the coin sorting device. However, the signals used in the control system of the coin sorting device differ from device to device, and even if the signals carry the same information, their generation timing may be different. Therefore, when the drive control system of the coin lifter is configured to be suitable for a specific device, there is a problem that the versatility of the coin lifter is reduced. In particular, the return mechanism of the inserted fake coins may be different in each device, and when the fake coins are discharged, the coin lifter may not be able to be activated at an appropriate timing in each device.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to realize a highly versatile coin lifter driving device.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to solve the above problems, in the coin sorting device of the present invention, on the coin moving path from the coin insertion slot to the coin lifter, a detecting means for detecting at least the passage of a fake coin is arranged, The coin lifter is activated based on the output of the detecting means. The location of the detection means may be in the vicinity of a coin slot, in a slag chute, or in a coin passage in front of a coin lifter.

[Action]

In the present invention, a fake coin that is inserted from the coin insertion slot by the detecting means and moves in the coin sorting device is detected by the detecting means. When the counterfeit coin is detected, the drive control unit activates the coin lifter. Therefore, even when the type of the coin sorting device is different, the activation of the coin lifter is performed based on the output of the detection means, so that the activation of the coin lifter is always performed at an appropriate time, and particularly, the returning operation of the counterfeit coin is properly performed. It is performed.

〔Example〕

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a coin sorting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. The device 1 includes a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped device main body 2 and a coin lifter 3 attached to one side surface of the main body. A coin inlet 1a is open on the upper surface of the apparatus main body, and a coin chute 4 for coin insertion is disposed directly above the coin inlet 1a. Is installed. On the other hand, a return coin chute 6 having a shape narrowed downward is installed at the lower end side of the apparatus main body, and the lower end of the chute 6 communicates with the lower end side of the coin lifter 3. On the upper end side of the coin lifter 3, a coin return port 7 is provided at substantially the same height as the coin insertion port 5.

Inside the device main body 2, from the upper side, a check section 21 for discriminating the authenticity and denomination of a coin inserted from the coin insertion slot 5, and based on a check result by the check section 21. A coin sorting unit 22 for sorting input coins for each denomination and a coin storage unit 23 for storing the sorted coins for each denomination are incorporated in a portion of the coin storage unit 23 adjacent to the coin lifter 3. Is provided with a slag chute 24 through which coins determined to be counterfeit by the check section 21 pass downward. At the lower end of the coin storage section 23, a coin payout section 25 for selectively paying out the coins stored in the coin storage section 22 downward is provided, and the coin opened at the lower end of the payout section 25 is provided. The payout port 25a is located immediately above the upper end opening 6a of the return coin chute 6 described above. Further, the lower end opening of the slag chute 24 faces the coin payout port 25a, and coins falling through the slag chute 24 are also returned from the coin payout port 25a. Be paid to the side. Here, the slack shoot
At the lower end of 24, a slag sensor 26 for detecting a coin passing therethrough is provided.

In the coin lifter 3, a coin transport belt 34 is stretched between a driving roll 32 and a driven roll 33 disposed at a lower end and an upper end in a vertically extending cylindrical case 31 thereof. The driving force is transmitted to the driving roller 32 at the lower end from a driving motor 36 side via a speed reduction mechanism 35 including a belt and a pulley. As shown in the figure, a protrusion 34a that can be engaged with coins is formed on the surface of the conveyor belt 34.

In the apparatus 1 having this configuration, the coin CN inserted from the coin insertion port 5 enters the apparatus main body 2 through the chute 4 and its authenticity and denomination are determined. If it is a genuine coin, it is stored in a coin cylinder of the corresponding denomination in the coin storage unit 23 by the coin sorting unit 22, and if it is a fake coin,
The coin is distributed to the slag chute 24 by the coin distribution section 22. Coins that have fallen through the slag chute 24 or coins that have been paid out from the coin storage unit 23 via the coin payout unit 25 fall into the return coin chute 6 from the coin payout port 25a, and pass through the chute. Rolling,
It moves to the lower end of the coin lifter 3. The coins reaching the lower end are conveyed upward by the conveyor belt 34 moved by the drive roll, and returned outside from the coin return port 7 arranged at the upper end position.

FIG. 2 shows an outline of a drive control system of the apparatus of this embodiment. In the figure, reference numeral 41 denotes a control circuit, which controls each driven portion by executing a control program stored in advance based on various input command signals and detection signals. For example, when a change payout command signal is input, the coin payout unit
A change payout signal 25S is output to 25, and a coin payout operation corresponding to the required change amount is performed. Further, it receives a sensor output 26S from the slag sensor 26, and controls the activation of the drive motor 36 based on this. Here, 42 is a timer used for controlling the drive time of the drive motor 36.

Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3, the start-up control of the conveyor belt constituting the coin lifter will be described. First, in steps ST1 and ST2, it is determined whether or not the change payout signal 25S is output and whether or not a coin has passed through the slag chute 24 by the slag sensor 26. If any one of the determinations is affirmative, the drive motor 36 is turned on in step ST3, and the transport roll 32
Starts rotating, and the movement of the transport belt 34 is started.
Thereafter, counting of time by the timer 42 is started. After the time T required for the paid-out coin or the coin dropped from the slag chute to be conveyed to the coin return port 7 by the conveyor belt 34 has been counted by the timer 42 (step ST5), Step S
At T6, the drive motor 36 is turned off, and the transport belt stops.

As described above, in the apparatus of the present example, the coin lifter 3 is activated based on the output 26S of the slag sensor 26 installed on the slag chute 24 and the change payout signal 25S. Therefore, the coin lifter can be activated at an appropriate timing both when returning the counterfeit coin and when returning the change.

Next, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show the above-mentioned modified example. First, in the example shown in FIG. 4, a coin sensor for detecting the inserted coin is provided at the opening at the lower end of the inserted coin chute 4.
51 is provided, and when a coin is detected by the coin sensor 51, the coin lifter 3 is activated. On the other hand, in the example of FIG. 5, a coin sensor 51 is similarly arranged at the lower end of the returned coin chute 6, and when the passage of the coin is detected by this sensor, the coin lifter 3 is activated. It is made to let.
It is possible to suitably start the coin lifter based on the output of the coin sensor arranged at the coin moving position shown in these examples.

Next, FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The configuration of the device main body 62 of the device 61 of this embodiment is the same as that of the example shown in FIG. 1, but the structure of the coin lifter 63 and the mounting position of the slug sensor 64 used to activate the coin lifter Are different. That is, in the present example, the slag sensor 64 is provided outside the device main body 62 below the lower end opening of the slag chute 24.
In the coin lifter 63, one endless conveyor belt 65 is arranged so as to have an L shape, and coins dropped from the coin outlet 25a at the lower end of the apparatus main body 62 are fed to the L-shaped conveyor belt 6.
5 falls on the horizontal portion 65H and is conveyed by the horizontal portion 65H toward the vertical portion 65V of the belt, and thereafter is conveyed by the vertical portion 65V to the upper coin return port 7 side.

1, the coin lifter 63 is activated when a coin passing through the slag chute 24 is detected by the slag sensor 64 and when a change dispensing signal is output, similarly to the example of FIG. It has become. According to this example, the same effect as that of the example shown in FIG. 1 can be obtained. Further, according to the configuration of the device of the present example, the slag sensor is provided outside the lower end of the device main body, so that there is an advantage that the attachment of such a sensor is easy.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, in the coin lifter driving device of the present invention, a sensor for detecting at least a counterfeit coin is disposed at a position on the movement path of the inserted coin, and the coin lifter is activated based on the output. ing. Therefore,
According to the present invention, the coin lifter can always be started at an appropriate time based on the output of the sensor, and in particular, it is possible to appropriately perform the operation of returning a fake coin.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 is an overall perspective view showing a coin sorting apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing a control system of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a coin of the apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an overall perspective view showing a modification of FIG. 1, FIG. 5 is an overall perspective view showing still another modification of FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is the present invention. It is the whole perspective view which shows the coin sorter which concerns on another Example of this. [Description of Signs] 1 ... Coin sorting device, 2 ... Device main unit, 3 ... Coin lifter, 4 ... Coin chute, 5 ... Coin slot, 6 ... Return coin chute, 7 ... Coin Return port, 23s… Change payout signal, 24… Slag chute, 25a… Coin payout port, 26 …… Slag sensor, 26s… Coin detection signal, 32… Drive roll, 34… Transport belt, 36… ... Drive motor, 42 ... Timer, 51 ... Coin sensor, 63 ... Coin lifter, 64 ... Slag sensor, 65 ... Conveyer belt.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A coin slot, a check means for discriminating the authenticity and denomination of a coin inserted from the coin slot, and a coin inserted for each denomination based on a check result by the check means. The coin storage means for sorting and storing, the slag chute into which coins determined to be counterfeit by the check means are inserted, and the coins paid out from the coin storage means and the slag chute are paid out. An outlet for fake money,
A coin return port disposed above the payout port, a coin lifter that lifts up coins paid out from the payout port toward the coin return port, and a coin return port from the coin insertion port to the coin lifter. Detection means arranged on the coin movement path of at least to detect the passage of the fake coin,
And a drive control means for activating the coin lifter based on at least the detection output of the detection means.