Patent Application
20090321217
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bill acceptor for use in an automatic vending machine and more specifically, to an improved structure of bill acceptor that has a gate control unit therein for blocking the bill/license insertion slot to protect the internal parts against outside dust and to avoid interference of outside light with bill/license recognition operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Following fast development of technology, our mode of living has been changed, and everything requires efficiency, time saving and quickness. In consequence, different automatic vending machines are used everywhere to sell different products without serviceman. These automatic vending machines are highly invited for the advantage of saving much labor and bringing convenience to people. Nowadays, Q-shops are seen in many places to provide different services to consumers. A Q-shop has the advantages of scientific intelligence, quick service and quick finish of payment. A Q-shop may provide automatic vending machines for vending drinks, cigarettes, tickets, ice creams, memorial coins, key rings or even hamburgers and noodles. Further, many virtual shops are established to make online shopping, allowing shoppers to shop across millions of products.
However, regular vending machines do not limit the sales to any person of any age. Therefore, regular vending machines commonly sell popular goods such as fruit juice beverages, carbonated beverages, food, etc. These vending machines cannot sell age-controlled merchandises such as cigarettes or alcohol drinks, or other controlled merchandises such as drugs, strong acid/alkaline detergent, or other hazardous items. To prohibit young children from buying age-controlled merchandises or unqualified people from buying controlled items, a vending machine for vending age-controlled or controlled merchandises must be equipped with a license recognition device to recognize the age and identity of the trader. Following the development of printing technology, evil persons may utilize high tech to make counterfeit bills and money laundering by means of purchasing commodities from automatic vending machines.
Further, an automatic vending machine may have a stop plate pivotally provided at the bill insertion slot to protect the internal parts against outside dust, but the stop plate not only is fragile but also cannot block external light. However, the arrangement of the stop plate is still not satisfactory in function because of the following drawbacks:
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an automatic vending machine with a bill/license acceptor that eliminates the aforesaid problems.
The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a bill acceptor for automatic vending machine, which improves bill/license verification accuracy and well protects the bill/license recognition device against external dust and interference of outside light.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the bill acceptor comprises a housing, which comprises an insertion slot for the insertion of a bill and a license selectively and a passage extending inwardly from the insertion slot to a bill box that is attached to the housing, a transmission mechanism mounted inside the housing and adapted for delivering each inserted bill/license from the insertion slot to a predetermined location in the passage for recognition and returning the license to the insertion slot after recognition and delivering each recognized bill to the bill box, a gate control unit, which comprises a gate controllable to open the insertion slot for the insertion of a bill/license through the bill insertion slot into the passage and to close the insertion slot after the insertion of a bill/license pass through the bill insertion slot into the passage and an solenoid valve controllable to move the gate between a close position to close the insertion slot and an open position to open the insertion slot, and a detection module, which comprises a first media sensor disposed at a front side relative to the gate and adapted for detecting the insertion of a bill/license into the insertion slot and the solenoid valve is activated to open the gate upon insertion of a bill/license and a second media sensor disposed at a rear side relative to the gate and adapted for detecting the delivery of an inserted bill transmitted from the insertion slot into the passage by the transmission mechanism and the solenoid valve is deactivated to close the gate after the delivery of an inserted bill/license to the passage. The gate protects the internal parts of the bill acceptor against outside dust, and blocks outside light from entering the passage during recognition of the inserted bill or license by the bill acceptor.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the bill acceptor further comprises a transmission mechanism, which is comprised of a motor, a plurality of bill-transfer rollers and transmission belts for moving each inserted bill/license, and a recognition unit, which comprises a sampling module for picking up an image of an inserted license and verifying the authenticity of the license and data of date of birth carrying on the license and an optical identification module adapted for identifying the authenticity and value of an inserted bill.
Referring to
The housing 1 houses the transmission mechanism 2, the recognition unit 3, the bill box 4, the gate control unit 5 and the detection module 6, having an insertion slot 11, an inside hole 111 (shown in
The transmission mechanism 2 is mounted around the passage 12, comprising a motor 21, a set of bill-transfer rollers 22, transmission belts 23, an encoder wheel 211, an optical sensor 212, and a bill-pressing device 24. The encoder wheel 211 and the optical sensor 212 are adapted for counting the revolving speed of the bill-transfer rollers 22. The motor 21 is controlled to drive the bill-transfer rollers 22 and the transmission belts 23, transferring each inserted bill 7. The bill-pressing device 24 is adapted for moving each inserted bill 7 out of the passage 12 into the bill box 4.
The recognition unit 3 is provided at top and bottom sides of the passage 12, comprising a sampling module 31 and an optical identification module 32. The sampling module 31 is adapted for reading and identifying anti-counterfeit characteristics and character data of a license 8 inserted into the insertion slot 11. The optical identification module 32 comprises a plurality of light emitting devices 321, a plurality of optical sensors 322 respectively axially aimed at the light emitting devices 321, and lenses 323 respectively set between the light emitting devices 321 and the optical sensors 322.
The bill box 4 is mounted to the housing 1 corresponding to the rear end of the passage 12 and opposing the bill-pressing device 24, having a bill-bearing board 41 and spring members 42 that supports the bill-bearing board 41. The spring members 42 impart a pressure to the bill-bearing board 41 in direction toward the passage 12 and the bill-pressing device 24. The bill-bearing board 41 is adapted for receiving each bill 7 that is moved out of the passage 12 by the bill-pressing device 24.
The gate control unit 5 comprises a gate 51 and a solenoid valve 52. The solenoid valve 52 comprises a driving rod 521, and a power line 522 electrically connected to power supply. The gate 51 is mounted in the inside hole 111 and movable to close/open the passage 12, comprising a link 511, an axle 512 connected with the distal end of the link 511, a coupling portion 513 upwardly extending from the periphery of the axle 512 and coupled to the driving rod 521 of the solenoid valve 52, a probe 514 upwardly extending from the periphery of the axle 512, and a plurality of upright pins 516. The gate control unit 5 further comprises a displacement sensor 515 (shown in
The detection module 6 comprises a top circuit board 65 disposed at the top side relative to the insertion slot 11 and the passage 12 and electrically connected with the power line 522 of the solenoid valve 52, a bottom circuit board 66 disposed at the bottom side relative to the insertion slot 11 and the passage 12 and electrically connected with the power line 522 of the solenoid valve 52, a first media sensor 61 installed in the top circuit board 65 corresponding to the insertion slot 11 and adapted for transmitting a signal, a first signal receiver 62 installed in the bottom circuit board 66 corresponding to the insertion slot 11 and adapted for receiving the signal from the first media sensor 61, a second media sensor 63 installed in the top circuit board 65 corresponding to the passage 12 and adapted for transmitting a signal, a second signal receiver 64 installed in the bottom circuit board 66 corresponding to the passage 12 and adapted for receiving the signal from the second media sensor 63. The first media sensor 61 and the first signal receiver 62 are disposed at a front side relative to the gate 51, the second media sensor 63 and the second signal receiver 64 are disposed at a back side relative to the gate 51, and the signals transmitted from the first media sensor 61 and the second sensor 62 are used to control the solenoid valve 52 open or close.
The aforesaid sampling module 31 comprises an image sensor adapted to pick up the image of the anti-counterfeit characteristics of a license 8 that is inserted through the insertion slot 11 into the passage 12. The image sensor can be a charge coupled device (CCD), complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor or any suitable type image sensor. The anti-counterfeit characteristics include watermarking, steel stamp, invisible barcode, laser label, and etc.
Referring to
When one bill 7 entered the passage 12, the second signal receiver 64 receives the signal from the second media sensor 63 again, causing the top circuit board 65 and the bottom circuit board 66 to stop the solenoid valve 52. At this time, the spring force of the spring members 5161 forces the gate 51 downwards through the inside hole 111 into the insertion slot 11 to block the insertion slot 11, prohibiting the insertion of any external body. Further, the gate 51 is made out of an opaque material. When the gate 51 is closed, it protects the passage 12 against outside dust and blocks outside light from passing through the insertion slot 11 into the passage 12, allowing the optical recognition unit 3 to recognize the bill 7 or license 8 accurately, preventing a recognition error.
As stated above, the bill acceptor comprises an insertion slot 11 in the front side of the housing 1 thereof for the insertion of a bill 7 or license 8, a gate control unit 5 controllable to open the insertion slot 11 for the insertion of a bill 7 or license 8 and to close the insertion slot 11 after the insertion of a bill 7 or license 8. When the gate control unit 5 closes the insertion slot 11 after the insertion of a bill 7 or license 8, it blocks outside light from passing through the insertion slot 11 into the inside of the bill acceptor, preventing interference of external light with the operation of a sampling module 31 and an optical identification module 32 inside the bill acceptor and protecting the internal devices against outside dust.
Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.
