This invention relates to a coin mechanism which has particular but not exclusive application to vending machines.
It is well known that multi-denomination coin acceptors are used in vending machines to authenticate coins of different denominations, so as to direct acceptable coins to an accept path and non-acceptable coins to a non-accept path for return to the user. A sorter may be used to sort the accepted coins according to their denomination, so as to feed them to individual hoppers that can be used to dispense change to a purchaser. For example, when the purchaser presents one or more coins to the acceptor and the item to be purchased is of a lesser monetary value, one or more of the hoppers may be instructed to pay out change of a monetary value corresponding to the difference between the purchase price and the monetary sum for the or each coin presented by the purchaser.
There are types of hoppers for providing a coin payout. For example, our EP 0080842A discloses a hopper suitable for use with an individual denomination of coin that utilises a selectively drivable endless conveyer to elevate coins from a coin receiving portion of the conveyor along an ascending portion to an exit on the ascending portion of the conveyor for payout.
Coin hoppers are also known that comprise an inclined circular disc that includes radially disposed holes to receive coins from a container for payout. Upon rotation of a disc, coins fall into the holes and are dispensed individually. Reference is directed to our EP-A-026602.
According to the invention in a first aspect, there is provided a coin mechanism comprising an endless loop conveyor whose path includes a coin receiving portion, an ascending portion that ascends from the coin receiving portion, a descending portion that descends to the coin receiving portion and an overarching portion that extends from the ascending portion to the descending portion, a coin supply configured to supply coins individually onto the conveyor in the coin receiving portion to be conveyed along the ascending portion to the overarching portion, a guide on the underside of the overarching portion to retain the coins on the conveyor, and a coin exit to permit coins to leave the conveyor at a location thereon beyond the ascending portion.
The location of the exit may be on the underside of the overarching portion. Thus, the location of the exit is not restricted to the ascending portion of the conveyer.
In another aspect, the invention provides a coin mechanism comprising an endless loop conveyor whose path includes a coin receiving portion, an ascending portion that ascends from the coin receiving portion, a coin supply configured to supply coins individually onto the conveyor in the coin receiving portion to be conveyed along the ascending portion, and a coin exit to permit coins to leave the conveyor from a location above the coin receiving portion wherein the conveyor includes a plurality of upstanding members to define receptacles to receive individual coins to be conveyed from the coin receiving portion to the exit, the upstanding members being configured so that the receptacles can receive coins of different diameters with their peripheries disposed inwardly of both longitudinal side edges of the conveyor.
The upstanding members may be configured so that the receptacles can receive coins of different diameters with their centres aligned in the direction of travel of the conveyer. The conveyor may comprise a plurality of segments with an individual one of the receptacles on each of the segments.
The upstanding members may be configured to provide only two points of contact with the side edge of a coin aligned with one of its major faces on the conveyor. In one example, the upstanding members comprise a pair of upstanding pips each for engaging the side edge of a coin on the conveyor. Alternatively, the upstanding members may comprise a pair of converging ledges each for engaging the side edge of a coin on the conveyor. These ledges or pips need not be disposed symmetrically on the conveyor.
Thus, the conveyor may be used to process coins of different denominations.
In a further aspect of the invention there is provided a coin mechanism comprising a coin acceptor having a coin inlet to receive a coin and authentication circuitry configured to determine the coin's authenticity, an accept path and a non-accept path, the acceptor being configured to direct the coin to the accept path if determined by the authentication circuitry to be acceptable or to the non-accept path if not accepted, a reject path for rejected coins, a recycle path configured to return non-accepted coins from the non-accept path to the inlet of the acceptor for re-authentication, and a recycle gate operable to direct non-accepted coins selectively to the recycle path for re-authentication by the acceptor, or to the reject path.
Thus, if a coin is rejected, it can be re-presented for authentication by the acceptor.
A controller may be provided to control operation of the recycle gate to control the number of times that a non-accepted coin is returned via the recycle path to be authenticated by the acceptor before being directed to the reject path.
The invention also includes a coin mechanism comprising: a coin entry point to receive coins; a coin exit point; a coin acceptor having an inlet for coins to be tested, a sensor and processing arrangement configured determine the acceptability of coins under test that enter the inlet, an coin accept path for acceptable coins and a non-accept path for non-acceptable coins; a first coin conveyor that runs along first coin feed path from a coin receiving portion to deliver coins in succession to the inlet of the coin acceptor; a coin entry path extending from the coin entry point to the coin receiving portion of the first conveyor; and a second coin conveyor that runs along a second coin feed path from a coin receiving portion that receives coins from the non-accept path of the acceptor to the coin, to deliver coins to the coin exit point.
A drive motor configuration may be provided to drive the first conveyor at a faster rate when no coins are exiting the first conveyor into the inlet of the acceptor, than when coins are exiting the conveyor into the inlet.
The first conveyor may include a plurality of conveyor segments each configured to convey a single coin from said coin receiving portion of the first path to the inlet of the acceptor.
The second conveyor may include a plurality of segments each configured to convey a plurality of coins from the coin receiving portion of the second conveyor to be delivered to the coin exit point.
A coin return path may be included for returning coins from the coin entry point to the coin exit point without passage along the first coin feed path, together with a coin diverter device for diverting coins to pass along the coin return path when said first conveyor is not operational.
Sensors may be provided for sensing the passage of coins through the mechanism, and a processor responsive to the timing of the passage of a coin past the sensors can be used to detect a coin jam. A jam release motor operable by the processor can then release the coin from the mechanism in the event of a detected coin jam.
The coin acceptor may include a coin rundown path defined between a main body of the acceptor and a door, in which case the jam release motor can be configured to open the door in the event of a coin jam on the rundown path and release the coin from the acceptor.
The invention also includes an improved arrangement to eject coins from a conveyor segment when more than one coin becomes lodges in the coin receptacle. According to the invention there is provided a conveyor for a coin mechanism including at least one conveyor segment, side walls between which in use said conveyor segment moves longitudinally, a coin ejection outlet in one of said side walls, a coin receptacle on the segment to receive a coin, the receptacle including upstanding members disposed asymmetrically of the longitudinal centreline of the segment such at when two coins are received in coin receptacle one of them is ejected through the coin ejection outlet upon movement of the receptacle past the outlet, and the other of them remains in the receptacle.
The upstanding members include a pair of upstanding, converging ledges each for engaging the side edge of a coin lying with one of its major faces on the segment, with the converging ledges being asymmetrical and converging at a joining point to one side of the longitudinal centreline of the conveyor.
In order that the invention may be more fully understood an embodiment thereof will now be described by way of illustrative example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The coin mechanism illustrated in
The functionality of the coin mechanism is illustrated in broad outline in
In practice, the user may deposit a plurality of coins in the coin entry receptacle 2 contemporaneously, which may arrive at the coin feed path from the outlet 4 either together or rapidly one after the other. As explained in more detail later, the conveyor moving along path 6 is configured to separate these bunched coins into an ordered, single file row along the conveyor such that each coin is spaced from the preceding coin, with one of its major surfaces lying on the conveyor. As explained in more detail later, the conveyor carries the coins in succession upwardly to the coin inlet 7 of the coin acceptor 5, where the coins fall in an orderly succession into the acceptor to be authenticated, so that each coin in the succession can be reliably tested by the acceptor 5.
One example of a multi-denomination coin acceptor is described in EP-A-1560168. The acceptor 5 includes a coin rundown path 8 along which coins under test from the first coin feed path 6 run edgewise through a sensing station S that includes sensors S1, S2, S3, which may comprise inductive and/or optical sensors to determine conductive/optical characteristics of a coin under test. As well known in the art, the signals developed by the coin in the sensors S1, S2, S3 are compared using an internal microprocessor with stored values corresponding to acceptable coins of various denominations. If the coin under test is determined to be acceptable, a solenoid operated gate 9 is opened to allow the coin to pass along a coin accept path 10 to a sorter 11 to be sorted according to denomination. A credit sensor S4 may be used to check that the accepted coin has passed into the accept path to permit credit corresponding to the accepted coin to be attributed to it. If the coin is not authenticated as a true coin of one of the denominations under test, it is passed along a non-accept path 12 towards a solenoid operated recycle gate 13 which is operated under the control of a controller 14. The non-accepted coin can be directed by the recycle gate 13 either to a reject path 15 or to a recycle path 16.
When the coin is directed to the reject path 15 it is returned to the user. To this end, a second coin feed path 17 is provided, defined by a second endless loop conveyor to be described in more detail hereafter, having a path of travel partially shown in dotted outline in
Alternatively, the recycle gate 13 may direct the non-acceptable coin to the coin recycle path 16, to be fed to the first coin feed path 6 and returned to the inlet 7 of the acceptor 5, so as to make a second attempt to authenticate the coin under test. Non-acceptable coins may pass more than once along the recycle path 16 and the first coin feed path under the control of controller 14, which operates the recycle gate 13.
The acceptor 5 provides electrical signals on line 20 indicating the acceptability of individual coins under test. This data is fed to the controller 14, which permits the controller to control operation of the recycle gate 13 for coins indicated to be non-acceptable by the acceptor 5. The data on line 20 also indicates the denomination of acceptable coins tested in the acceptor 5.
Coins deemed to be true coins of acceptable denominations are fed to the sorter 11 on accept path 10 and are sorted according to their individual denominations. The sorting may be carried out on the basis of different sizes of coins of different denominations but the sorter may also include electrical gates operated as a function of the data fed thereto on line 20. The sorted coins are by the sorter 11 along a separate sorter exit paths 21-1 . . . 21-6 to individual rotary hoppers 22-1 . . . 22-6 such each hopper receives true coins of an individual denomination. The individual hoppers may comprise devices as described in detail in our EP-A-0266021. The hoppers 22 are operable under the control of controller 14 to pay out a predetermined number of coins of individual denominations to provide change to purchaser when required. Coins paid out as change are fed along the second coin feed path 17 into the chute 18 to be delivered to the coin exit point 19.
In use, the controller 14 receives data on input line 23 corresponding to the value of an intended purchase. The purchaser then inserts one or more coins 1 into the coin entry point 2 which are fed onto the first coin feed path 6 and are authenticated by the acceptor 5. Non-acceptable coins are passed to the non-accept path 12 and the non-acceptability of the coin is signalled on signal line 20 to the controller 14. On a first occurrence of non-acceptability, the controller 14 may operate the recycle gate 13 to direct the non-acceptable coin along the recycle path 16 to be fed along the first coin feed path 6 to re-inserted into the inlet 7 of the acceptor 5. If, upon the second authentication attempt, the coin is still determined to be non-acceptable, the controller 14 may then operate the recycle gate 13 to direct the coin to the reject path 15, so as to be returned to the purchaser at the coin exit point 19, via the second coin feed path. It will be appreciated that a non-acceptable coin may pass along the recycle path 16 to the first coin feed path 6 for recycling through the acceptor 5 one or several times depending on the routine performed by the controller 14.
However, if the coin is deemed acceptable by the acceptor 5, it is passed along the coin accept path 10 to sorter 11. Data corresponding to the denomination of the acceptable coin is fed on line 20 to the controller 14 to permit the controller to calculate whether change is required. Data corresponding to the coin denomination is also fed to the sorter 11, if the sorter includes one or more solenoid operated gates, to direct the coin to the appropriate sorter exit path 21-1 . . . 21-6 depending on its denomination.
In the event that change needs to be given, the controller 14 instructs one or more of the coin hoppers 22-1 . . . 22-6 to dispense one or more coins into the second coin feed path 17, for return to the coin exit point 19, thereby delivering the change to the user. Thus the controller 14 compares the total value of the coins offered by the purchaser that were found acceptable by the acceptor 5, with the purchase price indicated on line 23, computes the difference, and instructs the hoppers 22 to pay out one or more coins of the different denominations held in the hoppers into the second coin feed path 17, to provide change of a value corresponding to the difference.
The driving of the endless conveyors that extend along the first and second coin feed paths 6, 17 is performed by electric motors 24A, 24B controlled individually by the controller 14. The motors 24A, 24B are actuated by the controller 14 in response to an input thereto on line 23, indicating that a transaction is being initiated. The motors 24A, 24B are controlled by the controller 14 to run for a predetermined time following no activity sensed by the controller from the line 23.
Thus, in use, the conveyor acts as a coin singulator whereby only an individual coin lies with one of its major surfaces on the conveyor to be supported at only two points on its circumference by the upstanding members 28-1, 28-2.
The other, rear face of the conveyor is provided with teeth 30 for engaging with a driven pinion for driving the conveyor. As shown in
As illustrated in
The conveyor extends from the coin receiving portion 25-1 to an inclined, ascending portion 25-2 along which coins are lifted in the direction of arrow B. Referring again to
When the controller 14 operates the solenoid 40, the flap 36 is rotated to the position shown in
The conveyor 26 that provides the second coin path 17 is of a similar construction to the conveyor 25, with a coin receiving portion 26-1 illustrated in
An alternative design of receptacle on segment 27 is illustrated in
The apparatus is configured to prevent items being spuriously inserted into the coin entry point 2 and causing a jam. For example, children may insert items into the coin entry point 2, which either may jam in the coin rundown path 8 of the coin acceptor 5 or may pass onto the conveyor 25 on the first coin feed path 6, when stationary, and jam the conveyor.
The controller 14 operates the motor 50 so that the flap 48 is only moved to the second, coin accept position when the apparatus is operative, for example when the controller 14 receives an input signal on line 23 indicating that a purchasing transaction is being initiated. At other times, the flap 48 is maintained in the first position so that unwanted items inserted into the coin entry point are returned through the coin return chute 45 directly to the coin exit point 19 without entering the coin acceptor 5.
The apparatus is also configured to release a coin passing through the acceptor 5 in the event of a coin becoming jammed on the coin rundown path 8 or other sensed conditions that may lead to a coin jam. As shown particularly in
The door is normally held in a closed position as shown in solid outline in
The door opening lever 58 is operated by a rotary cam 59 mounted on shaft 60 driven by a cam motor 61 under the control of the controller 14. In order to detect a jam, the controller 14 performs a routine that determines the timing for the coin being detected by some or all of the sensors S1, S2, S3 and/or S4 and S5. When a coin passes correctly through the acceptor, the time taken for a coin to pass from one sensor to another will fall within a normal timing range. The controller 14 determines if the timing moves outside of this normal timing range since this signifies a jam, and if a jam is thereby detected, the controller 14 actuates the cam motor 61 to open the door 53 and release the coin into release path G.
It will be appreciated that this jam release approach need not only be used for the coin path through the coin acceptor 5 but could be used on other parts of the paths that coins follow through the device, wherein parts of the paths may be provided with motor operated doors, flaps or the like which allow coins which may be jammed or giving rise to a potential jam, to be ejected from the coin path and returned to the exit point 19. The doors, flaps or the like may be opened selectively when sensors along the coin path indicate the a coin is not moving along the path with the usually expected timing past the sensors.
As explained above, when a handful of coins are placed in the cup shaped coin entry point 2 to make a purchase, they slide down the coin entry chute 3 onto the first coin feed path, where they become lodged in individual segments of the conveyor 25 so as to be fed one-by-one in succession to the inlet 7 of the acceptor 5. Assuming that the coins are accepted, change may then be dispensed by the hoppers 22 in order to complete the purchasing transaction. The change is conveyed by the conveyor 26 along the second coin feed path 17 to the coin exit point to be retrieved by the purchaser. The use of the conveyors 25, 26 introduces a delay into the delivery of change to the purchaser after they have inserted coins into the coin entry point 2 to make the purchase.
In order to reduce this delay, at start-up, the conveyor 25 is driven at high speed by the motor 23, at a rate that can be faster than the rate at which coins can be discriminated and accepted by the acceptor 5 e.g. twice the acceptance speed. An initialisation sensor S5 is disposed adjacent the conveyor 25 at the coin inlet 7 of the acceptor 5. When coins are inserted by the purchaser, the conveyor 25 initially contains no coins but as they are fed along the path 6 towards the inlet 7, the first coin will reach the initialisation sensor S5, which will signal to the controller 14 that coins are about to enter the acceptor. The controller 14 then instructs the motor 23 to run at a slower rate, so that the successive following coins on the conveyor are fed into the acceptor at a rate at which the acceptor can reliably accept true coins and reject frauds.
If under certain circumstances, coins are fed along the path 6 so that some of the conveyor segments 25 are empty of coins, the output of sensor S5 can be utilised by the controller 14 to speed up the conveyor 25 during the gaps in the coin feed into the inlet 7.
Also, the configuration of the conveyor 26 on the second coin feed path 17 can be modified in order to speed up the delivery of change to the coin exit point 19. As described above the segments of conveyor 26 are configured to convey single coins in a similar manner to the conveyor 25. However, for the second coin feed path 17, the segments of the conveyor 26 can be configured to convey multiple coins, in which case the protrusions 28 shown in
Another modified version of the conveyor is shown in
Another modified conveyor segment is illustrated in
In
As the conveyor moves in the direction of arrow B, a reaction force occurs between the coin 1A and the long arm 44-1′ of the chevron and a similar reaction force occurs between the second coin 1B and the short arm 44-2′ of the chevron. These reaction forces act in direction that tends to urge the coins towards the meeting point 63 of the arms of the chevron 44′. However, due to the difference between the relatively large angle α and small angle β subtended by the chevron arms 44-1′, 44-2′ when these reaction forces are resolved in a direction 65 transverse to the direction of travel B of the conveyor, the force acting on the coin 1A is greater than that acting on coin 1B in the direction 65, so that there is a net resultant force which urges both coins in the transverse direction 65 towards the side wall 32a.
As the conveyor moves to the position shown in
The entire apparatus shown in
Many modifications and variations of the described examples of the invention are possible within the scope of the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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0717312.3 | Sep 2007 | GB | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP2008/061415 | 8/29/2008 | WO | 00 | 3/4/2010 |