JP6474249B2 - Coin throwing device and vending machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a coin insertion device that is suitably used for vending machines such as automatic ticket vending machines and automatic drink vending machines, automatic management apparatuses installed in parking lots and bicycle parking lots, and the like. The present invention also relates to vending machines such as automatic ticket vending machines and automatic drink vending machines.

  The coin input device is a device used when a user inputs coins into a vending machine, an automatic management device for a parking lot, or the like. Conventionally, a device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known as this coin input device. In this conventional coin insertion device, coins inserted from a coin insertion port pass over a plurality of ribs, and then sent to a processing device such as a coin checker.

  A space is formed between the plurality of ribs, and when liquid enters from the coin slot, the liquid falls from the space between the ribs and is discharged to the outside by the tube. This prevents liquid from entering the processing apparatus.

  Moreover, the apparatus disclosed by patent document 2 is known as a conventional coin insertion device. In this conventional apparatus, a grid is installed on the coin passage which is a coin, and the coin is allowed to pass through the grid and proceed to the downstream side, but the liquid is dropped from the grid to the downstream side. Prevents progress.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-075882 Japanese Patent No. 2999742

  In the conventional coin insertion device including the conventional device disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the conventional device disclosed in Patent Document 2, for example, as shown in FIG. It was often configured using. The coin K moves in a coin passage T that is a space surrounded by the passage member 101. The drainage structure attached to the coin passage T is realized by providing a plurality of slit-like openings 102 on the bottom surface of the passage member 101. When liquid (for example, water) enters the coin passage T, the liquid falls from the slit-shaped opening 102 and does not reach the outlet side of the passage member 101. However, in this conventional coin passage T, liquid accumulates at the corner S inside the passage member 101, and this liquid enters the outlet side device without draining from the slit-shaped opening 102. There was a risk of it.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems in the conventional apparatus, and further improves the liquid discharging capability in the coin inserting apparatus having a configuration in which a hole for discharging liquid is provided on the bottom surface of the coin passage. An object of the present invention is to provide a coin input device that can be made to operate.

A coin insertion device according to the present invention has a coin insertion port provided on a customer service surface facing a user, and a coin passage structure connected to the coin insertion port, and the coin passage structure is a coin passage. A side surface passage member that forms a side surface of the coin passage, and a bottom surface passage member that forms a bottom surface of the coin passage. The bottom surface passage member includes a bottom surface portion that forms the bottom surface of the coin passage, and the bottom surface portion. The bottom surface passage member is a gate-shaped member in cross section, and the flat portion at the center of the gate shape is the bottom surface portion. The side surface portions on both sides of the bottom surface portion are the mounting portions, and the bottom surface portion of the bottom surface passage member is provided with a drain hole for allowing liquid to pass therethrough but not allowing coins to pass therethrough. The mounting part on the member By fitting, characterized in that the gap for the passage of liquid is formed between the side passage member and the front Symbol mounting portion.

  According to the coin insertion device of the present invention, the bottom surface of the coin passage is formed by the upper surface (that is, the bottom surface portion) of the bottom surface passage member, and a gap is formed at the side portion (that is, the peripheral portion) of the bottom surface of the coin passage. Since this gap can effectively suck the liquid existing on the bottom surface of the coin passage, the liquid discharging ability is remarkably improved. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the liquid that has entered from the coin slot from entering the internal device.

  In the coin insertion device according to the present invention, the width of the gap formed between the side passage member and the attachment portion of the bottom passage member can be made smaller than the thickness of the coin. In the coin insertion device according to the present invention, an R portion (that is, a curved portion) smaller than the thickness of the coin is formed in a portion where the central flat portion and the side surface portion of the bottom surface passage member are continuous. be able to.

  Next, the vending machine according to the present invention includes a customer service surface provided on a housing and facing a user, and a coin input device provided on the customer service surface. It is a coin throwing-in apparatus of the structure described in above. According to this vending machine, the effect that can be achieved by the coin insertion device of the present invention can be similarly achieved.

  According to the coin insertion device and the vending machine of the present invention, the bottom surface of the coin passage is formed by the upper surface (that is, the bottom surface portion) of the bottom surface passage member, and a gap is formed in the side portion (that is, the peripheral portion) of the bottom surface of the coin passage. Is done. Since this gap can effectively suck the liquid existing on the bottom surface of the coin passage, the liquid discharging ability is remarkably improved. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the liquid that has entered from the coin slot from entering the internal device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a figure which shows the external appearance of one Embodiment of the vending machine based on this invention, (a) is a front view, (b) is a left view, (c) is a right view. It is a front view which shows the state which opened the door of the vending machine of FIG. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of the drainage structure of a door back surface, and the apparatus in a housing body when the door of FIG. 2 is closed. It is a figure which expands and shows the part shown by the arrow A of FIG. It is sectional drawing according to the EE line of FIG. It is a figure which shows the side structure of a coin insertion device according to the BB line of Fig.1 (a). (A) is sectional drawing according to CC line of FIG. 6, (b) is sectional drawing according to DD line of FIG. 7 (a), (c) is FIG. 7 (a). It is a perspective view which shows the main components of the structure. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the drainage structure of the conventional coin insertion device.

  Hereinafter, a coin insertion device and a vending machine according to the present invention will be described based on embodiments. Of course, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. In addition, in the drawings attached to the present specification, components may be shown in different ratios from actual ones in order to show characteristic parts in an easy-to-understand manner.

  FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an embodiment of a vending machine according to the present invention. (A) is a front view, (b) is a left side view, and (c) is a right side view. The vending machine 1 has a housing 2. The housing 2 has a door 3 and a main body 4. The housing 2 is installed on the installation surface G by legs 6 provided at the bottom of the main body 4. The area above the surface of the door 3 is the customer service surface 5. The customer service surface 5 is a surface where users face each other. Reference numeral 7 denotes an alarm lamp.

  The customer service surface 5 includes a plurality of push buttons 8 arranged in a 4 × 6 matrix, a bill insertion port 9 as a valuable material processing port, a coin tray 10 as a valuable material processing port, and a valuable material processing port. A coin insertion slot 11 and a ticket dispensing slot 12 as a valuable resource processing slot. Each of the bill insertion slot 9 and the coin tray 10 has a shape curved to the back side, and is in a state of entering the back side direction of the door 3 (that is, the direction toward the main body 4).

  Near the front edge of the bottom surface of the coin tray 10 (that is, the edge connected to the customer service surface 5), a plurality (three in this embodiment) of circular openings 13 are arranged in a straight line at intervals. ing. These openings 13 are openings for dropping a liquid (for example, water) contained in the coin tray 10 to the lower side of the coin tray 10.

  The push button 8 is an input device for a user to give an instruction to the vending machine 1. The bill insertion slot 9 is a portion for a user to insert a bill. The coin tray 10 is a part where the vending machine 1 pays out coins of change. The coin slot 11 is a part for the user to insert coins. The ticket payout port 12 is a portion where the vending machine 1 pays out valuables such as tickets.

  The door 3 is rotatably attached to the main body 4 at the left corner when viewed from the front. Thereby, the door 3 can be rotationally moved centering on the axis line X0 which penetrates the corner | angular part of the housing | casing 2 to an up-down direction. Normally, the door 3 is fixed in a locked state (that is, an immovable state) by the lock device 15 with the main body 4 closed (the state shown in FIG. 1A). By releasing the locking device 15, the door 3 can be rotated about the axis X0. The door 3 can be opened from the main body 4 by rotating the door 3 about the axis X0.

  FIG. 2 shows a state in which the door 3 is opened from the main body 4. A bill processing device 18 is provided at the center inside the main body 4. A first coin processing device 19 is provided on the right side inside the main body 4. A reserve change device 20 as a second coin processing device is provided in the center of the left side inside the main body 4. A printing device 21 as an article processing device is provided at the lower left side inside the main body 4. A control unit 22 and a staff operation unit 23 are provided on the upper portion of the main body 4.

(Bill processing equipment)
A bill receiving unit cover 17 is provided on the front surface of the bill processing apparatus 18. And the banknote receiving part cover 17 is covered with the banknote insertion unit 26. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged main part of the front surface of the banknote handling apparatus 18. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line EE of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the banknote receiving unit cover 17 is integral with the outer case of the banknote processing device 18, and projects to the front of the banknote processing device 18 (to the left in FIG. 5). In FIG. 5, the bill receiving unit cover 17 and the bill processing device 18 show only the external shape without showing the cross-sectional structure in order to make the drawing easy to see.

  An upper passage member 14 is provided in the upper part of the inside of the bill receiving part cover 17. A lower passage member 16 is provided at a position below the upper passage member 14 at an interval. The lower surface of the upper passage member 14 is a curved surface that is convex downward. The lower passage member 16 is set in an inclined state in which the front side, that is, the door 3 side is lowered. The front end on the door 3 side and the rear end on the banknote handling apparatus 18 side of the space sandwiched between the upper passage member 14 and the lower passage member 16 are both open. Bills are conveyed as shown by arrows F through these openings. This conveyance is performed by a conveyance means such as a conveyance roller, but the illustration of the conveyance means is omitted in FIGS. 4 and 5.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the banknote insertion unit 26 covering the banknote receiving unit cover 17 includes a banknote insertion guide 27 for guiding the progress of banknotes, and an attachment member to which the banknote insertion guide 27 is fixed by welding or the like. 29 and a liquid recovery box 28 fixed to the mounting member 29 with screws or the like. The attachment member 29 is fixed to the front surface of the banknote processing apparatus 18 with screws or the like, so that the banknote insertion unit 26 is attached to the banknote processing apparatus 18 in a state of covering the banknote receiving unit cover 17. When the banknote insertion unit 26 is attached to the banknote processing device 18, it is desirable that the rear end of the banknote insertion guide 27 and the front end of the banknote receiving unit cover 17 are joined together in a liquid-tight manner. In practice, however, such joining is difficult, and a gap J is often formed between the rear end of the banknote insertion guide 27 and the front end of the banknote receiving portion cover 17.

  A packing (that is, a liquid seal member) 30 is disposed between the liquid recovery box 28 and the banknote processing device 18. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 4, the packing 30 is formed in a rectangular frame shape with the upper side removed. That is, the packing 30 is formed in a U shape in which the corner portion of the lower side is in a substantially right angle state. When the attachment member 29 is fixed to the banknote handling apparatus 18 with screws or the like, the packing 30 is crushed and elastically deformed by the liquid recovery box 28 and the banknote handling apparatus 18. By the action of the squeezed packing 30, even if a liquid such as water enters from the banknote insertion port 9 of the customer service surface 5, the liquid enters the inside of the banknote processing device 18 from the outside of the banknote insertion unit 26. Can be prevented.

  The liquid recovery box 28 is formed in a box shape having an open top. The bill insertion guide 27 is formed in a U-shaped cross-section with the upper part opened. A bill is inserted into the portion sandwiched between both side surfaces of the bill insertion guide 27 as indicated by an arrow F. And both side surfaces of the bill insertion guide 27 guide the bill.

  The bottom surface of the liquid recovery box 28 has an inclination in which the front (left side in FIG. 5) is lowered. A slit-like opening 33 is provided at the front corner of the bottom surface. The slit-shaped opening 33 extends in the direction penetrating the paper surface of FIG. 5, that is, the left-right direction of FIG. The liquid recovery box 28 recovers the liquid (for example, water) that has entered from the banknote insertion guide 27 and prevents the liquid from entering the banknote processing device 18. The recovered liquid is discharged to the outside through a slit-shaped opening 33 provided on the bottom surface.

  The bill insertion unit 26 constitutes a part on the main body side of the first liquid passage 40a. The first liquid passage 40a will be described in detail later.

  In FIG. 2, the banknote processing apparatus 18 takes in a banknote through the banknote insertion guide 27, and conveys the taken-in banknote as shown by the arrow F of FIG. And a predetermined process is performed with respect to the banknote during conveyance and after conveyance. Examples of the predetermined process include a process of determining the type of banknote, calculating the total amount of banknotes taken in, and storing banknotes by type.

(First coin processing device)
The first coin processing device 19 takes in coins inserted from the coin insertion slot 11 of FIG. 1 through the coin receiving slot 34, and executes predetermined processing on the received coins. Examples of the predetermined process include a process of determining the type of coins, calculating the total amount of coins taken in, and storing coins by type. The stored coins are used as change as needed, and discharged from the coin discharge port 32 to the coin tray 10 of FIG.

(Second coin processing device)
In FIG. 2, the second coin processing device 20 is a reserve change device. The spare change device 20 pays out change coins in place of the first coin processing device when the first coin processing device runs out of change. The preliminary change device 20 is not always used. Reference numeral 35 denotes a confirmation window for confirming a coin inside the preliminary change device 20.

  The preliminary change device 20 has a coin discharge port 36. Coins discharged from the coin discharge port 36 of the preliminary change device 20 are transferred via a coin conveyance path 47 and a chute 46 provided on the back surface of the door 3 with the door 3 closing the front opening of the main body 4. It is discharged to the tray 10. The preliminary change device 20 is a detachable cassette type, and has a structure in which a lid on the upper portion of the cassette is opened and a clerk or the like replenishes coins. Coins to be replenished to the preliminary change device 20 are 10-yen coins and 100-yen coins. In this embodiment, 10-yen coins are replenished. The 10-yen coin and the 100-yen coin are normally discharged to the coin tray 10 without being affected even if a liquid such as water remains on the chute 46.

(Article processing device, control unit, clerk operation unit)
The article processing apparatus 21 is an apparatus that sends out an article based on inserted or inserted money (that is, banknote, coin). In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 21 is applied as the article processing apparatus. The printing device 21 is a device that issues a ticket or the like.

  The control unit 22 controls operations of the various devices described above. The control unit 22 is configured by a computer. The clerk operation unit 23 is a part where the clerk performs various operations when performing maintenance work on the vending machine 1.

(Back of door)
In FIG. 2, a rectangular opening 41 is provided substantially at the center of the back surface of the door 3. The opening 41 is provided on the inner side wall of the bill insertion slot 9 (see FIG. 1A). A liquid recovery container 42 a is provided at a position below the opening 41 and spaced from the opening 41. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the liquid recovery container 42a is a long cylindrical container having a quadrangular cross section and an open top. The liquid recovery container 42a is fixed so as to be inclined so that one side in the longitudinal direction is lowered. A hole is formed in the bottom surface of the lower end of the liquid recovery container 42a, and one end of the liquid recovery container 42a is connected to the flexible tube 43a. The combination of the liquid recovery container 42a and the tube 43a constitutes a part of the first liquid passage 40a on the door 3 side. The first liquid passage 40a will be described in detail later.

(Coin tray)
The coin tray 10 shown in FIG. 1A enters the back side of the customer service surface 5. The portion of the coin tray 10 that has entered the back side of the customer service surface 5 faces the back side of the door 3 in FIG. A chute 46 is connected to the diagonally upper portion of the coin tray 10 at the portion of the door 3 that protrudes from the back side. This chute 46 is a component for sliding down coins. A coin transport path 47 is connected to the upper end of the chute 46. The coin conveyance path 47 is also fixed to the back surface of the door 3. The lower end of the tube 43 a is connected to an appropriate place on the chute 46.

  In FIG. 2, a liquid recovery container 42 b is provided at a position below the coin tray 10. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the liquid recovery container 42b is a long cylindrical container having a rectangular cross section and an open top. The liquid recovery container 42b is fixed so as to be inclined so that one side in the longitudinal direction is lowered. A hole is formed in the bottom surface of the lower end of the liquid recovery container 42b, and a flexible tube 43b is connected to the hole. A second liquid passage 40b is configured by the combination of the liquid recovery container 42b and the tube 43b.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper open portion of the liquid recovery container 42 b is disposed directly below the hole-shaped opening 13 provided on the bottom surface of the coin tray 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the tube 43 b connected to the liquid recovery container 42 b extends downward and its lower end opening projects from the bottom side portion of the door 3 to the outside. The combination of the bottom opening 13 of the coin tray 10, the liquid recovery container 42b and the tube 43b constitutes a second liquid passage 40b. The second liquid passage 40b discharges the liquid (for example, water) contained in the coin tray 10 to the outside of the housing 2 through the opening 13, the liquid recovery container 42b, and the tube 43b.

(First liquid passage)
The door 3 in FIG. 2 can be rotated about the axis X0 to close the front opening of the main body 4 as shown in FIG. This closed state is a state during normal use. FIG. 3 shows a positional relationship between a member provided on the back surface side of the door 3 and a device provided inside the main body 4 when the door 3 is closed. In FIG. 3, the door 3 indicated by a chain line is drawn larger than the main body 4, but this is a convenient expression for easily showing the door 3. Actually, the front portion of the door 3 and the main body 4 is the same size. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the portion indicated by the arrow A in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the door 3 is set to the closed state, the paper insertion guide 27 of the banknote insertion unit 26 of the banknote processing apparatus 18 of FIG. 2 passes through the opening 41 at the center of the door 3. Moreover, the liquid recovery container 42a and the tube 43a enter the lower position of the banknote insertion unit 26 of the banknote processing apparatus 18 of FIG. 2, and the state shown in FIGS. In this state, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper open part of the liquid recovery container 42a is disposed immediately below the slit-shaped opening 33 of the liquid recovery box 28 of the banknote insertion unit 26 of the banknote processing device 18. In this state, the liquid recovery box 28, the slit-shaped opening 33, the liquid recovery container 42a, and the tube 43a constitute the first liquid passage 40a.

  The first liquid passage 40a is configured to remove the liquid (for example, water) that has entered the banknote insertion guide 27 (see FIG. 5) in the banknote insertion slot 9 (see FIG. 1) as indicated by a broken arrow H. 28, through the slit-shaped opening 33, the liquid recovery container 42a, and the tube 43a, and is discharged into the chute 46 of the coin conveyance path 47. The liquid discharged into the chute 46 flows into the coin tray 10, falls from the opening 13, is collected in the liquid collection container 42b of the second liquid passage 40b, and further below the door 3 in FIG. 2 by the tube 43b. Is discharged.

  Note that the liquid that has entered the banknote insertion guide 27 once travels onto the lower passage member 16 of the banknote receiving unit cover 17 and travels toward the banknote processing device 18. However, since the lower passage member 16 is inclined so as to descend toward the door 3, the liquid once placed on the lower passage member 16 returns to the door 3 side according to the inclination and enters the banknote processing device 18. There is nothing. The liquid that has returned to the door 3 side falls from the gap J between the bill insertion guide 27 and the bill receiving portion cover 17, passes through the opening 33 of the liquid recovery box 28, the liquid recovery container 42 a, and the tube 43 a to convey the coins. Is sent into the chute 46 for use.

(Coin insertion device)
In FIG. 1A, a coin insertion slot 11 is provided on the right side of the bill insertion slot 9. FIG. 6 shows the structure of the coin insertion device including the coin insertion slot 11 according to the BB line of FIG. 1 (a) and the BB line of FIG. In FIG. 6, the coin insertion device 48 includes a coin insertion port 11, a shutter block 49, and an insertion port chute 50 as a coin passage structure. These members are integrated into one member.

  As shown in FIG. 3, when the main body 4 is closed by the door 3 of the casing 2 of the vending machine 1, the tip of the insertion port chute 50 of the coin insertion device 48 is connected to the coin receiving port 34 of the first coin processing device 19. Set at the opposite position. In this state, when a coin K is inserted into the coin slot 11 in FIG. 6, the coin K passes through the inside of the shutter block 49 and the slot chute 50 and then passes through the coin receiving slot 34 to the coin processing device 19. Enter.

  FIG. 7A shows a cross-sectional structure of the assembly of the coin slot 11, the shutter block 49, and the slot chute 50 according to the line CC in FIG. In FIG. 7A, a partition plate 53 is provided in a fixed state inside the shutter block 49. The partition plate 53 prevents the coin K from falling.

  FIG. 7B shows a longitudinal sectional structure of the inlet chute 50 according to the line DD in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7B, the insertion port chute 50 includes a side surface passage member 54a that forms one side surface of the coin passage T, and a side surface passage member 54b that forms the other side surface of the coin passage T. ing. One side passage member 54a also forms a ceiling surface of the coin passage T by bending.

  One side passage member 54a and the other side passage member 54b are fastened by a screw 55 to form an integral structure with a portal-shaped cross section. A coin passage T is formed by fitting a bottom passage member 56, which is also a portal tubular member, into the portal tubular member. The upper surface of the bottom surface passage member 56 forms the bottom surface of the coin passage T. In the present embodiment, the attachment portions 56 a and 56 b of the bottom surface passage member 56 are fixed to the side surface passage members 54 a and 54 b by screws 60. An appropriate fastening method other than screw fastening can be applied as necessary.

  A plurality (9 in the embodiment) of slit-like openings 57 as drainage holes are formed in parallel with each other on the upper surface (that is, the bottom surface portion) 52 of the bottom passage member 56. As a result, the coin passage T has a plurality of slit-like openings 57 as drainage holes on its bottom surface. For this reason, when a liquid (for example, water) enters from the coin inlet 11, the liquid falls downward from the slit-shaped opening 57 at the inlet chute 50. As a result, the liquid is prevented from entering the first coin processing device 19.

  In FIG. 6, a liquid recovery box 58 is provided from the side to the bottom of the inlet chute 50. A slit-like opening 59 extending in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6 is provided at the lower end of the liquid recovery box 58. A liquid recovery container 42 c is provided below the opening 59. The liquid recovery container 42c is a cylindrical container that is rectangular in cross section, open at the top, and long in the direction perpendicular to the plane of FIG. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the liquid recovery container 42c is fixed so as to be inclined so that one side in the longitudinal direction is lowered. A hole is formed in the bottom surface of the lower end of the liquid recovery container 42c, and a flexible tube 43c is connected to the hole.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the tube 43 c connected to the liquid recovery container 42 c extends downward, and its lower end opening protrudes from the bottom side portion of the door 3 to the outside. The combination of the slit-like opening 57 on the bottom surface of the inlet chute 50, the liquid recovery container 42c, and the tube 43c constitutes a third liquid passage 40c. The third liquid passage 40c discharges the liquid (for example, water) that has entered the coin slot 11 to the outside of the housing 2 through the slit-shaped opening 59, the liquid recovery container 42c, and the tube 43c.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a coin passage that has been widely used conventionally is formed by a passage member 101 having a rectangular cross section and a cylindrical shape. The coin K moves in a coin passage T that is a space surrounded by the passage member 101. The drainage structure attached to the coin passage T is realized by providing a plurality of slit-like openings 102 on the bottom surface of the passage member 101. When liquid (for example, water) enters the coin passage T, the liquid falls from the slit-shaped opening 102 and does not reach the outlet side of the passage member 101. However, in this conventional coin passage T, liquid accumulates at the corner S inside the passage member 101, and this liquid enters the outlet side device without draining from the slit-shaped opening 102. There was a risk of it.

  On the other hand, in the coin insertion device 48 of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6, as shown in FIG. 7B, the open end of the gate-shaped passage member formed by the side passage members 54a and 54b. A coin passage T was formed by fitting a gate-shaped bottom passage member 56 into the portion. For this reason, the corner portion S on the bottom surface side of the coin passage T is not in a closed state, but between the side surface passage member 54a and the attachment portion 56a of the bottom surface passage member 56, and between the side surface passage member 54b and the attachment portion 56b of the bottom surface passage member 56. An appropriate gap is formed between the two.

  These gaps preferably induce a capillary action on the liquid present inside the coin passage T. Capillary phenomenon is a phenomenon in which liquid permeates through a narrow space such as a gap regardless of gravity or the positional relationship of up, down, left and right. When liquid enters the inside of the coin passage T, the liquid is sucked by the gap by the action of the capillary action and effectively drained.

  As described above, the bottom surface passage member 56 is a gate-shaped member in cross section, the flat portion at the center of the gate shape is the bottom surface portion of the coin passage T, and the side surface portions on both sides of the bottom surface portion are attached. Portions 56a and 56b. These attachment portions 56a and 56b are portions attached to the side passage members 54a and 54b.

  The width of the gap formed between the side surface passage members 54a and 54b and the mounting portions 56a and 56b of the bottom surface passage member 56 is selected to be a suitable value for inducing capillary action. This width is preferably smaller than the thickness of the coin K. This is because if the thickness is larger than the thickness of the coin K, the progress of the coin K in the coin passage T may be hindered.

  Further, an R portion (a corner portion) formed in a portion (that is, a corner portion) where the flat portion at the center of the bottom surface passage member 56 (that is, the portion that becomes the bottom surface of the coin passage T) and the side surface portions (that is, the attachment portions) 56a and 56b are continuous. That is, the dimension (for example, radius) of the curved portion is preferably smaller than the thickness of the coin K. This is because if the dimension of the R portion is larger than the thickness of the coin K, the progression of the coin K in the coin passage T may be hindered.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims.

  For example, in the above embodiment, the coin dispenser 48 is provided in the vending machine 1, but the coin dispenser 48 is an apparatus other than the vending machine 1, for example, an automatic drink vending machine, an automatic management apparatus in a parking lot or a bicycle parking lot. Etc.

  In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, the push button 8 is used as the input device. Instead of this, a touch panel provided on a display screen of a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display device may be used as the input device.

  1. Vending machines; 2. housing; Door, 4. 4. body, 5. Customer service Legs, 7. Alarm lamp, 8. 8. push button; 10. bill input port (valuable material processing port), 10. Coin tray (valuable material processing port), 11. Coin insertion port (valuable material processing port), 12. Ticket payout port (valuable material processing port) 14. Opening of coin tray, 15. upper passage member; Locking device, 16. 16. lower passage member, Banknote receiving part cover, 18. Bill processing apparatus, 19. First coin processing device, 20. 20. Preliminary change device (second coin processing device); Printing apparatus (article processing apparatus), 22. Control unit, 23. Clerk operation section, 26. Bill insertion unit, 27. Bill insertion guide, 28. Liquid recovery box, 29. Attachment member, 30. Packing, 32. Coin outlet, 33. Slit-like opening, 34. Coin receiving port, 35. Coin confirmation window, 36. Coin supply port, 40a. First fluid passage, 40b. Second fluid passage, 40c. Third fluid passage, 41. Openings 42a, 42b, 42c. Liquid recovery container, 43a, 43b, 43c. Flexible tube, 46. Shoot 47. Coin transfer path, 48. Coin insertion device, 49. Shutter block, 50. Insertion port chute (coin passage structure), 52. Top surface (bottom surface portion), 53. Partition plate, 54a. Side passage member, 54b. Side passage member, 55. Screw, 56. Bottom passage members 56a, 56b. Mounting part, 57. 58. slit-shaped opening (drainage hole) Liquid recovery box, 59. Slit-like opening; Installation surface; Coins, S. Corner, T. Coin passage, X0. Axis,

Claims (4)

A coin slot provided on the customer-facing side facing the user,
A coin passage structure connected to the coin slot,
The coin passage structure is
A side passage member forming a side surface of the coin passage;
A bottom passage member that forms a bottom surface of the coin passage,
The bottom passage member is
A bottom surface portion forming a bottom surface of the coin passage;
A mounting portion that is continuous with the bottom surface portion and coupled to the side surface passage member;
The bottom passage member is a gate-shaped member in cross section, the flat portion at the center of the portal shape is the bottom portion, and the side portions on both sides of the bottom portion are the attachment portions ,
The bottom portion of the bottom passage member is provided with a drain hole for allowing liquid to pass but not allowing coins to pass through,
Wherein by fitting the mounting portion side passage member, coin insertion device, characterized in that a gap for the passage of liquid is formed between the side passage member and the front Symbol mounting portion. The side passage member and the bottom passage member according to claim 1 Symbol placement of the coin throwing device the width of the gap to be formed is characterized in that less than the thickness of the coin between the mounting portion of the. Coin insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the R portion is formed smaller than the thickness of the coins on the flat portion and the side portion and the portion is continuous in the center of the bottom passage member. The customer service provided on the housing and facing the user,
A coin input device provided on the customer service surface,
The vending machine, wherein the coin insertion device is the coin insertion device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .

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