JPS6135595B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a group control type coin processing device when a plurality of vending machines are installed in parallel.

For example, if multiple vending machines are installed side by side at a station, the coins inserted into these machines will be
A group management method is sometimes adopted in which processing is carried out in one place.

When group management is performed in this way, it is necessary to distinguish between coins before the deadline and after the deadline in order to accurately count coins when replenishing change and closing (totaling) sales proceeds.

When the above-mentioned deadline operation is carried out by suspending the sale of fully automatic ticket vending machines, it is possible to distinguish between the coins mentioned above, but if there are customers who request tickets, they will be able to purchase tickets until the suspension of sales is lifted. This causes the inconvenience of not being able to do so.

For this reason, it is necessary to perform the ticket vending machine one by one or leave the ticket vending machines that will continue selling.However, in the closing business, coins for change supply are also collected and loaded with new coins after the deadline, so the above-mentioned ticket vending machine is If a ticket vending machine that continues to run requests replenishment of change coins, this ticket vending machine will be supplied with coins after the deadline.
This method has the disadvantage that coins from before and after the deadline are mixed together, making it impossible to perform accurate counting.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a group control type coin processing device that can replenish change without mixing in coins after the deadline even if there is a request for change supply during the above-mentioned deadline operation.

According to this invention, the coins collected before the deadline from each vending machine during the deadline operation are collected in a collective storage device, and the coins after the deadline are loaded into the coin supply device provided above the coins, and the coins collected from each vending machine during the deadline operation are loaded into the coin replenishing device provided above the coins. When a vending machine that is continuing sales and requests change replenishment before the deadline processing, the coins before the deadline are replenished from the aforementioned bulk storage device, and when the vending machine requests change replenishment after the deadline processing, the aforementioned coins are supplied. Coins after the deadline can be supplied from the supply device, and even if coins are replenished during deadline work, coins from before and after the deadline will not be mixed up, and accurate tally can be made. Furthermore, since the coins supplied from the coin replenishing device are sorted by the sorting plate in the sorting chute, it is possible to prevent the coins supplied to the transporting device after the deadline from being mixed with the coins before the deadline in the bulk storage device. Reliable prevention and reliable aggregation.

An embodiment of the present invention having such characteristics will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

The drawing shows an automatic ticket vending machine V in a station service, and a plurality of automatic ticket vending machines Vn are installed in parallel.

Each automatic ticket vending machine V includes a coin validator 1 that verifies coins inserted by a customer, a change hopper 2 that stores change and releases change coins when necessary, and a ticket issuing machine 3 that issues a ticket. It is provided with a collection chute 4 that discharges the coins that have passed through the coin validator 1 and the coins discharged from the change hopper 2 at the time of collection downward.

The coin validator 1 mentioned above is for example 5 yen, 10 yen, 5 yen,
Each 100 yen coin is distinguished from a counterfeit coin, the counterfeit coin is returned to the customer service side, and each genuine coin is discharged downward from the collection chute 4 according to denomination.

Therefore, although not shown in the drawings, the collection chute 4 is divided into coins of each denomination.

The change hopper 2 described above, for example, stores 10 yen coins as change, and releases them to the customer service side when dispensing them as change. It is equipped with a switching shutter (not shown) for collection.

Additionally, it is equipped with a collection completion detector (not shown) that detects when collection has been completed and a change shortage detector (not shown) that detects when there is a shortage of change when discharging change.

The collection chute 4 described above has a volume for temporarily storing collected coins, and is provided with a storage shutter (not shown) on the lower surface for storing the collected coins.

At the bottom of the collection chute 4 of each ticket vending machine V, there is a first collection conveyor 5 along with a second collection conveyor 6.
These conveyors 5 and 6 are formed by belt conveyors, and are provided for each denomination of coins to convey the coins to be collected to the circulation section 7.

In the above-mentioned circulation section 7, coins other than 10 yen coins that are not used as change are sequentially collected into the collection box 8 for each denomination via an appropriate chute (not shown). are stored in the bulk storage device 9.

The above-mentioned bulk storage device 9 has a supply belt 10 on the bottom surface.
The supply belt 10 supplies change coins to the swash plate 11 by rotating in the normal direction, and collects stored coins into the collection box 8 by rotating in the reverse direction.

A conveying device for conveying coins is provided next to the swash plate 11 to supply change coins to the change hopper 2, and this conveying device includes, for example,
〓〓〓〓〓
It is provided with an elevator 12 for transporting change coins upward, and a distributor 13 for receiving change coins from the elevator 12 and distributing them to each change hopper 2. That is, the lower part of the aforementioned swash plate 11 communicates with an elevator 12, which conveys change coins to a distributor 13 above.

The distributor 13 moves on a rail 14 provided on the top surface of each automatic ticket vending machine V, and supplies the set amount of coins to the change hopper 2 to the automatic ticket vending machine that has requested replenishment of change coins.

It should be noted that the bucket 15 of the elevator 12 can receive coins from the bulk storage device 9 only when it is located at the bottom, and the distributor 13 is controlled to supply coins with priority given to the order in which coins have been requested. omitted.

A coin supply device 16 is provided at the top of the bulk storage device 9, and when the supply belt 17 on the bottom side is rotated in the normal direction, coins are distributed into a sorting chute 18.
supplied to

A supply box 19 is attached to the top surface of the coin supply device 16, and the coins in this box 19 are sequentially transferred to the coin supply device 1.
6.

The aforementioned distribution chute 18 includes a direct passage 20 that directly supplies coins to the elevator 12 and an indirect passage 21 that supplies coins to the bulk storage device 9, and these passages 20 and 21 are distributed by a distribution plate 22. .

When the coin supply device 16 described above directly supplies coins to the elevator 12, it is set only when the bucket 15 is located at the lower part.

And coin supply device 16 and bulk storage device 9
Each is equipped with an empty detector (not shown) that detects when the coins are empty after being supplied with all the stored coins.

In the figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a chute for the distributor, and when coins in the distributor 13 are collected, they are sent to the coin replenishing device 16 via this chute 23.

FIG. 2 shows the control circuit of the coin processing device.

Each automatic ticket vending machine V has a change shortage detector PH ₁ , a collection completion detector PH ₂ that detects the completion of collection of change,
Collection switch SW ₁ for commanding change collection;
A shutter drive circuit 24 that switches and drives the collection switching shutter of the change hopper 2, and a shutter drive circuit 2 that drives and closes the collection shutter of the collection chute 4.
5, flip-flop FF ₁ , FF ₂ , and gate
A ₁ and A ₂ are provided, and the AND gate A ₁ of each ticket vending machine V is connected to the OR gate OR ₁ , and the AND gate A ₂ is connected to the OR gate OR ₂ .

Normally, when each automatic ticket vending machine V runs out of change coins, an output is generated from the change shortage detector PH ₁ , and this output controls the forward rotation of the bulk storage device 9 via the AND gate A ₁ and the OR gate OR ₁ to replenish coins. do.

When there is a shortage of coins stored in the bulk storage device 9, the coins are replenished from the coin supply device 16 located above.

Therefore, the distribution plate 22 normally leaves the indirect passage 21 side open.

For example, when performing deadline work such as a day's business deadline or an intermediate deadline at the time of staff change, the deadline switch SW ₂ is operated.

The flip-flop _FF3 is set by this switch signal, and the set output controls the batch storage device 9 in reverse through the AND gate _A5 .

Therefore, the coins stored in the bulk storage device 9 are collected in the collection box 8.

At the same time, the aforementioned set output is a flip-flop
In order to set FF ₄ , this set output controls the forward rotation of the coin supply device 16 via the OR gate OR ₃ , and the coins stored in this device 16 and the coins in the supply box 19 are transferred via the collective storage device 9. It is collected in a collection box 8.

When there are no more coins stored in the coin replenishing device 16, the empty detector _PH3 detects this and produces an output, which resets the flip-flop _FF4 .

Therefore, normal rotation control of the coin supply device 16 is stopped.

Since flip-flop _FF5 is also set by the reset output of flip-flop _FF4 , the distribution plate 22 is switched by the set output to directly open the passage 20.

When all the coins in the coin supply device 16 are collected, the supply box 19 is replaced with a new supply box 19, and the coins after the deadline are stored in the coin supply device 16.

Therefore, at this point, the coins stored in the coin supply device 16 are the coins after the deadline, and the coins stored in the bulk storage device 9 and each change hopper 2 are the same.
is the coin before the deadline.

Next, the coins stored in the change hopper 2 of each automatic ticket vending machine V are collected.

This collection work will be done one by one, or only a few will be left for sale.

For example, if a collection operation is to be performed from automatic ticket vending machine _V1 , a message to the effect that sales will be discontinued is displayed on the customer service side of this ticket vending machine _V1 . And recovery switch SW ₁
operate.

Flip-flop FF ₁ is set by this switch signal, and shutter drive circuit 2 is set by this set output.
4 Switch the collection switching shutter of the change hopper 2 to the collection side and collect the coins in the hopper 2 Shute 4
The waste is then flowed down onto a collection conveyor 6 and collected into a bulk storage device 9.

When the collection completion detector PH ₂ detects the completion of collection of change coins in the change hopper 2, it generates an output, and even with this output, the flip-flop FF ₁ is reset, so the shutter drive circuit 24 is turned OFF, and the change hopper 2 collects the change coins. is returned to a working state where it can be released to the customer service side.

It should be noted that at the time when the collection completion detector _PH2 is outputting, the lack of change detector _PH1 has already generated an output, but while the flip-flop _FF1 is generating the set output, this set output is prohibited.

The collection completion detector PH ₂ is configured with a suitable delay circuit so that the last coin in the change hopper 2 flows down from the hopper 2 and is outputted after passing through the collection chute 4.

Since the output of the recovery completion detector _PH2 mentioned above simultaneously sets the flip-flop _FF2 , the shutter drive circuit 25 closes the shutter of the recovery chute with this set output.

Therefore, coins inserted by customers will not be collected until the shutter is opened.

When the change coins in the change hopper 2 are collected in this way, the change hopper 2 naturally generates a change shortage signal from the detector PH ₁ , which is output by the reset of the flip-flop FF ₁ and the AND gate A _2. opens the gate.

Therefore, this output controls the coin replenishing device 16 in normal rotation via the OR gate OR ₂ , AND gate A ₄ , and OR gate OR ₃ , and directly connects the passage 20, elevator 12, and distributor 13 to the change hopper 2 of the ticket vending machine V ₁ . Coins after the coin supply device 16 is closed are supplied through the coin supply device 16.

As described above, when the automatic ticket vending machine V ₁ receives change coins after the deadline, the ticket vending machine V ₁ becomes ready for sales, and therefore the display of sales suspension on the customer service side is removed.

However, the shutter of collection chute 4 is all ticket vending machine V.
Since the ticket vending machine V is closed until the collection is completed, coins inserted into the operating ticket vending machine V after the deadline are stored in the collection chute 4.

Furthermore, when the above-mentioned automatic ticket vending machine V ₁ is in the process of collecting coins, when other uncollected ticket vending machines V ₂ to Vn request replenishment of change coins, that is, when an output is generated from another AND gate A ₁ . Since the AND gate A ₅ is prohibited by the output from the OR gate OR ₁ , the batch storage device 9 is controlled to rotate normally, and the coins stored in the batch storage device 9 before the deadline are replenished.

The above-mentioned collection operation is sequentially performed on all ticket vending machines V, and when this collection operation is completed, the coins in the bulk storage device 9 are also completely collected into the collection box 8 and become empty, and the empty detector PH ₄ detects this. Detects and outputs a signal.

The AND gate _A3 opens the gate according to the output of the empty detector _PH4 and the set output of the flip-flop _FF2 of each ticket vending machine V and outputs a collection completion signal C.

As a result, all the collection boxes 8... are replaced with new collection boxes 8... and coins before the deadline are taken out.

Furthermore, the above-mentioned collection completion signal C is transmitted to each automatic ticket vending machine V.
To reset each flip-flop FF ₂ of
Each shutter circuit 25 is turned off, the shutter of the collection chute 4 is opened, and the operation of collecting the inserted coins after the deadline is started.

At the same time, the above-mentioned collection completion signal C resets the flip-flops FF ₃ and FF ₅ , so that the reverse control of the bulk storage device 9 is stopped and the distribution plate 22 is switched to open the indirect passage 21.

Then, the gate of the AND gate _A6 is opened by the reset output of the flip-flop _FF5 , and the coin replenishing device 16 is controlled to rotate in the normal direction via the OR gate _OR3 . It is supplied from the supply device 16.

〓〓〓〓〓
When coins are supplied to the bulk storage device 9 in this manner, the deadline service is completed, and a new coin replenishment operation is performed after the deadline.

In addition, when the deadline operation is performed as described above, only the coins before the deadline are collected in the collection box 8, and each change hopper 2 is replenished with only the coins after the deadline, and the coins before and after the deadline are collected. It will not be mixed in during collection work.

FIG. 3 shows another example of the circulation section 7. In this embodiment, a dedicated elevator 12 is provided for replenishing coins after the deadline during collection work, and when the distribution chute 18 directly opens the passage 20. Dedicated elevator 1 mentioned above
2' is provided so that coins can be replenished after the deadline.

In addition, as shown in the above-mentioned figure 3, two elevators 1
2, 12', as shown in Figure 4,
Distributors 13, 13' corresponding to the respective elevators 12, 12' are provided, and the change hopper 2 needs to form a chute 26 with a wide receiving range so that replenishment can be received from any of the dispensers 13, 13'. be.

Further, when the elevator 12 and the distributor 13 are configured as one unit, it is necessary to control the coin replenishment signal due to lack of change output from each automatic ticket vending machine V so that a plurality of automatic ticket vending machines V do not output the same at the same time.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a scanning circuit, in which a pulse oscillator OSC outputs a continuous pulse signal, and this pulse signal is input to a ring counter CO via an AND gate _A7 .

The above-mentioned ring counter CO is set to a step value corresponding to the fully automatic ticket vending machine Vn, and the output terminal of each value is connected to the corresponding AND gate A _o-1 ~ An-n, and these AND gates are The corresponding change shortage detectors PHV ₁ to PHVn are connected.

The output sides of the above-mentioned AND gates A _o-1 to An-n are collected into an OR gate OR ₄ , and this OR gate OR ₄ is connected to inhibit the above-mentioned AND gate A ₇ .

For this purpose, when one of the change shortage detectors PHV ₁ to PHVn outputs a signal, the corresponding AND gate
An opens the gate and the signal is or gate
and gate A ₇ is prohibited through OR ₄ , so
The ring counter CO stops incrementing, and as a result, only the signal of the one detector PHV whose gate is open among the AND gates A _o-1 to An-n is output.

Furthermore, even if signals are output from a plurality of detectors PHV at the same time, the output of the signals is controlled one by one by scanning of the ring counter CO.

Note that instead of the scanning circuit described above, a priority determining circuit may be used that outputs signals one by one in the order in which the signals are output. The control device in this invention is similar to the deadline switch in the above embodiment.
Although it corresponds to SW ₂ , flip-flops FF ₃ , FF ₄ , FF ₅ , AND gates A ₄ , A ₅ , A ₆ , and OR gate OR ₃ , the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the rear side of a plurality of automatic ticket vending machines arranged side by side, FIG. 2 is a control circuit block diagram, and FIGS. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing another embodiment of the circulation section, FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view of a distributor portion of another embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a scanning circuit diagram. V... Automatic ticket vending machine, 2... Change hopper, 4...
...Recovery chute, 5, 6...Recovery conveyor, 8...
...Recovery box, 9...Bulk storage device, 12...Elevator, 13...Distributor, 16...Coin supply device, 1
8...Distribution shoot. 〓〓〓〓〓

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A change hopper that stores change coins and releases the change coins when necessary; and a change hopper that guides the inserted coins and the coins released from the change hopper at the deadline in a recovery direction, and feeds them into a deadline recovery machine. A plurality of vending machines equipped with a collection chute with a shutter function that stores collected coins until the deadline for collection of all vending machines is completed are installed in parallel, and each collection chute of these multiple vending machines is installed in parallel. A collection conveyor for collecting and transporting coins is installed along the conveyor, and a bulk storage device for storing coins that can be used as change is provided at the end of the conveyance of the collection conveyor, and this bulk storage device needs to be replenished with change coins. A transport device that replenishes and transports coins is connected to the change hopper of the vending machine, and a collection box that can collect all coins is connected to the bulk storage device, and the delivery of coins from the bulk storage device is controlled by the collection box. In the group management type coin processing device which can be switched between the side and the transport device side, a coin supply device for replenishing change coins is provided above the bulk storage device, and the coin supply device is provided between the bulk storage device and the transportation device. It is connected via a sorting chute, and within this sorting chute, there is a sorting plate that distributes and drives the supply of coins to the bulk storage device and the transport device, and the coins are collected during the deadline operation of each vending machine. In the vending machine that has already been collected, after the coin supply device runs out of coins before the deadline, the sorting plate is switched to the conveyance device side, and the coins after the deadline of the coin supply device are transferred through the conveyance device. Then, in order to replenish the change hopper, the coin replenishing device and the sorting plate are driven and controlled, and if there is a request for replenishment of change coins from an uncollected vending machine, the coins before the deadline of the bulk storage device are transferred via the transport device. A group management type coin processing device is provided with a control device that drives and controls a bulk storage device and a sorting plate in order to replenish the change hopper. 2. The conveying device is composed of two sets, and the change hopper of each of the vending machines is configured to receive change coins from the two sets of conveying devices, and one of the two sets of conveying devices is configured to receive the change coins. The group management type coin processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the replenishing devices is configured to transport coins, and the other device is configured to transport coins from the bulk storage device.