JPH0366711B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting coins, and more particularly to a coin sorting apparatus for sorting coins with high precision based on uneven patterns on the front or back surfaces of coins. be.

[Conventional technology]

Recently, various types of vending machines, coin lockers, etc., including soft drinks, food, and tickets, have become widespread, and coins have become available for shopping and other purposes. Additionally, departments that handle large amounts of cash, such as financial institutions and large stores, have begun to use equipment that automates coin counting and sorting to increase labor-saving effects. Furthermore, in the future, banknotes will be used in equipment that customers directly operate, such as automatic teller machines, deposit machines, and automated teller machines (payment and deposit), as well as processing equipment that performs various cash counting operations behind the counter. At the same time, it seems likely that there will be a need to process coins simultaneously. In this way, the demand for automatic coin processing is increasing, but
In reality, fraudulent use of counterfeit and foreign coins is occurring frequently, and we are struggling to find countermeasures. Conventionally, as these countermeasures, for example,
Coins are sorted by checking their outer diameter, thickness, and weight, and by simply determining their material.
In addition, the authenticity of the coin is determined by detecting the presence or absence of irregularities or holes on the surface of the coin along the diameter direction of the coin. Note that this type of device is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 51-42595 and 53-83796.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Methods for sorting coins by outer diameter or thickness may not be able to be sorted if tape is wrapped around the outer circumference of the coin or the coins are crushed; If metal pieces are glued together or glued together, sorting becomes impossible. In addition, the means for sorting coins by material only checks the presence or absence of magnetic properties of the material, so there is a drawback that it is impossible to distinguish genuine coins from materials of the same type or similar type.

Since each of these sorting means alone has low reliability of sorting, efforts are being made to combine these means to increase the reliability of sorting. The drawback of these conventional sorting means is that they attempt to sort coins only based on their macroscopic information. In addition, depending on the type of coin, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of irregularities or holes on the surface of the coin along the diameter direction of the coin, and to determine the authenticity of the coin. It is difficult to distinguish between domestic and foreign coins and counterfeited coins with a high degree of precision, as some have similar uneven patterns. In order to increase the accuracy of sorting these coins, a large number of signals corresponding to the uneven pattern along the diameter of each type of genuine coin, which is the standard for sorting, is required, and multiple uneven pattern detectors are required in the diametrical direction. , the sorting mechanism becomes very complicated.

An object of the present invention is to realize coin sorting with high precision for a wide variety of coins.

[Means for solving problems]

The above purpose is to allow the center of the surface of the coin and the detection center of the detection means for detecting the uneven pattern on the front or back surface of the coin to move relative to each other in an eccentric state. This is achieved by detecting the unevenness of the coin's unique pattern formed on the back surface in an arcuate direction on the front or back surface of the coin.

[Effect]

Each type of coin has a unique pattern on its front and back surfaces, and the uniqueness is particularly noticeable in the direction of the arc. The detection means detects the uneven pattern on the front or back side of the coin in the arc direction of the coin, compares the detection signal in the arc direction with a reference signal determined in advance for the genuine coin, and determines whether these signals match or do not match. Then, the coins are sorted.

[Embodiments of the invention]

Hereinafter, in the coin sorting of the present invention, an example will be described in which the pattern detection means is fixedly disposed on the coin guide means and the coin runs while rotating on the guide means. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating this embodiment.

The coin 1 travels through the coin guide means 3 while rotating. A detection means 2 for detecting an uneven pattern on the surface of the coin 1 is attached to the coin guide means 3 at a position offset from the center of the surface of the coin 1.

The coin guide means 3 is devised, for example, so that the coin 1 rolls in an upright position, and the detection means 2 uses, for example, a magnetic sensor that can detect the distance to an approaching metal object in a non-contact state.

FIG. 2 shows an uneven pattern detection means 2 on the surface of a coin,
This figure shows the state of the trajectory in which the surface of a coin 1 that rotates and passes in front of the fixed detection means 2 is scanned. When the distance from the contact surface of the coin 1 and the coin guide means 3 to the detection means 2 is H, the above-mentioned locus becomes an arc shape like the locus 4 shown by the dashed line. Furthermore, if the height of the detection means 2 is made a little lower and the distance is set to H', the trajectory of the surface of the coin 1 scanned by the detection means 2 becomes 4'.

The unevenness signal of the pattern on the surface of the coin 1 detected when scanning the trajectories 4 and 4' thus obtained is a pattern signal unique to that coin.

FIG. 3 shows a reference trajectory 4 that the detection means 2 scans on the surface of the coin 1, and B in the figure represents the first detection point of the coin 1 when the coin 1 passes in front of the detection means 2. . The coin 1 actually rotates through the coin guide means 3, but at this time, the arcuate trajectory of the surface of the coin 1 scanned by the detection means (not shown) starts from point B and ends at one point. This results in a trajectory 4 as shown by the chain line.

The position B where the rotating coin 1 first approaches the detection means is not necessarily constant, and the coin 1
It can take any position on the circumference of .

On the other hand, since there is a certain limit to the resolution with which the detection means can detect the pattern on the surface of the coin, the above-mentioned trajectory becomes a trajectory with a certain width. Furthermore, if the point B is shifted little by little on the circumference of the coin, multiple arcuate scanning trajectories will cover the entire pattern detection range on the surface of the coin, as shown in Figure 4. You will be able to do this.

Therefore, the coin reference pattern signals corresponding to multiple arcuate trajectories as shown in FIG. On the other hand, by comparing the presence or absence of a match with a plurality of pre-stored reference pattern signals, it becomes possible to accurately select the authenticity and denomination of the coin.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the coin guide means 3 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a view taken along the line -' in FIG. The coin guide means 3 includes a bottom part 5 made of a member having a relatively large coefficient of friction, with which the outer circumferential surface of the coin 1 comes into contact, and a side wall 6 with which the side surface of the coin 1 comes into contact and has a coefficient of friction smaller than that of the bottom part 5. This and the detection means 2 are held in an oblique upright position, and the bottom part 5 is
The coin 1 is arranged to be inclined at an arbitrary angle that allows rotational movement due to its own weight.

As a result, the coin 1 does not easily slip at the point of contact with the bottom surface portion 5, which serves as a travel guide surface, so that the coin 1 rotates and travels falling. At this time, the detecting means 2 attached to the side wall 6 detects the uneven pattern of the coin 1 rotating and running on the front surface thereof.

FIG. 7 shows another example of the coin guide means 3 in FIG. 1, which is intended to forcibly rotate the coin 1 at a constant speed. That is, the bottom part 5 is made of a member with a relatively large coefficient of friction, and the conveying means 7 is connected to the bottom part 5 with an interval smaller than the size of the coin 1 above the bottom part 5.
is placed opposite to. The conveying means 7 is comprised of, for example, an elastic conveying belt 8, a driving pulley and a driven pulley for running the conveying belt 8 at a constant speed. Further, side wall guides 9 are provided on the sides to prevent the coins 1 from falling.

The coin 1 sent from the upstream conveyance path is supported at the upper part by the conveyor belt 8, by the bottom part 5 at the lower part, and laterally by the side wall guide 8. Then, the conveyor belt 8
When the coin 1 travels at a constant speed, the coin 1 is rolled by the conveyor belt 8 with the point of contact with the member 5 as the center of rotation. At this time, the detection means 2 attached to the side wall 9 detects the uneven pattern on the surface of the coin in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG.

In the example of FIG. 7, a case has been described in which the coin 1 is in an upright position, but it goes without saying that the coin can be rotated and run in a horizontal position using a similar configuration.

In this way, the coins supplied from the coin supplying means are passed through the detection means while the coin guide means rotates, and at this time the detection means detects the uneven pattern on the front or back surface of the coin. Passing the coin leads to the ejecting operation of the coin, and the uneven pattern on the surface of the coin can be detected in a compact, high-speed, and low-cost manner without requiring any complicated mechanisms such as a coin rotation mechanism or a coin ejection mechanism.

In the above, coin sorting has been described using one surface pattern detection means, taking the pattern signal represented by trajectory 4 in FIG. 2 as an example, but in FIG. FIG. 9 schematically shows an embodiment in which three detection means are arranged in the rolling direction of the coin 1.

In FIG. 8, there are two detection means (2a, 2
b) When arranged at a certain interval, the detection means 2
From the detection means 2a, a surface pattern signal corresponding to the scanning trajectory a' can be obtained, as shown in FIG. 10, and from the detection means 2a, a signal corresponding to the traveling trajectory b' can be obtained. In this case, the reference pattern signal corresponding to the trajectory of a', b' is the fourth
As is clear from the example in the figure, it is included in the reference pattern signal group. Therefore, if it is determined whether the two pattern signals a' and b' both match the reference pattern signal, it will be easier to compare coins when identifying coins based on one detection signal. The authenticity and denomination can be discriminated with higher reliability.

FIG. 9 shows an example in which three detection means 2a, 2b, 2c are arranged at appropriate distances. In this case, by optimizing the distance between the detection means, the detection means 2a, 2b,
Reference pattern signals corresponding to the scanning trajectories a', b', and c' of 2c can be obtained. By doing so, authenticity and denomination can be sorted out with even higher reliability.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to perform coin sorting with high precision for a wide variety of coins.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the coin sorting device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the relationship between the mounting position of the coin pattern detection means in FIG. 1 and the scanning locus of the detection means on the coin. Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams showing the locus scanned by the detection means on the surface of the coin, and Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the coin guiding means in Figure 1.
6 is a view taken along the line -' in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 is a view showing another example of the coin guide means in FIG. 5, and FIGS. 8 and 9 show the detection means in the rolling direction of the coin. to 2
FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrams schematically showing examples in which one and three coins are arranged, and FIGS. 10 and 11 are diagrams showing scanning trajectories on the coin surface in FIGS. 8 and 9. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Coin, 2... Detection means, 3... Coin guide means, 4, 4'... Locus of detection means, 5... Bottom part, 6... Side wall, 7... Transport means, 8... Transport belt.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A detecting means detects the uneven pattern on the surface of the coin supplied from the coin supplying side, and a detection signal from the detecting means is compared with a reference signal obtained in advance for a genuine coin. A coin sorting device for sorting coins includes a coin guiding means for rotating and traveling the coins supplied from a coin supply side, and the coin guiding means is for rotating and traveling the coins in an upright position. The detecting device is composed of a guide portion made of a member having a large coefficient of friction with which the outer circumferential surface of the coin comes into contact, and a side portion made of a member with a friction coefficient smaller than the friction coefficient of the guide portion with which the side surface of the coin comes into contact. The means is disposed on the side of the coin guiding means so as to face the surface of the rotating coin and to enable the detection means to detect the scanning trajectory of the surface of the coin within the surface of the coin. Characteristic coin sorting device. 2 The uneven pattern on the surface of the coins supplied from the coin supply side is detected by the detection means, and the detection signal from the detection means is compared with a reference signal obtained in advance for genuine coins to sort the coins. The coin sorting device has a coin guiding means for rotating and traveling the coins supplied from the coin supply side, and this coin guiding means has a bottom surface made of a member with a large friction coefficient that contacts the outer peripheral surface of the rotating coin. a coin transporting part for forcibly rotating and transporting the coin by contacting the outer peripheral surface of the coin; and a side wall part made of a member with which the side surface of the coin contacts and whose coefficient of friction is smaller than the coefficient of friction of the bottom part. The detection means comprises:
The coin guide means is disposed on a side wall portion of the coin guiding means so as to face the surface of the rotating coin so that the detection scanning locus of the surface of the coin by the detection means can be obtained within the surface of the coin. Coin sorting device.