Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6398637
-
Patent Number
6,398,637
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, June 6, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 4, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Walsh; Donald P.
- Beauchaine; Mark J
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 453 57
- 453 29
- 453 35
- 453 49
- 221 241
- 221 254
- 221 258
- 221 277
- 221 280
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A device is provided in which the coin size can be simply changed, even if the paid out coin type is changed. The dispensing efficiency of the coins is maintained at a good level, even if the device is operated at high speed. The coin dispensing device includes a tank for storing coins in loose condition and a freely rotatable disk is provided at the bottom in the tank and has an open hole for receiving coins. An adjustment device is arranged on the underside of this disk means for forming the open hole into an adjustment coin size hole. A guide element is arranged on the upper surface of the disk for guiding several coins in the open hole.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a coin dispensing equipment storing and issuing a plurality of small disk like coins and more particularly, this invention concerns a high-speed dispensing device storing coins in loose condition for releasing coins one by one at high speed. Further, this invention concerns coin dispensing equipment which can be changed in response to the type of coin, that is to say, in proportion to the coin size. The terminology “coin” used in this specification, of course includes coins which are currency as well as other small disk bodies such as medals and tokens for games. The coin dispensing apparatus of the invention is particularly used in coin changers and game machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Until now, various types of devices for paying out the coin are known. For example, a coin dispensing equipment is shown in Japanese Patent Application 2-152852 by this applicant. This Japanese Patent Application 2-152852 is published as Japanese Patent Publication 6-44305. The Japanese Patent Application 2-152852 has become U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,094. These publications disclose coin dispensing equipment, which is summarily shown in
FIGS. 4A and 4B
.
The structure shown in
FIG. 4
, is summarily explained below, with an explanation of the operation of this equipment.
An electric motor (not shown) in this coin dispensing device is driven such that a center rotating shaft
112
is rotated. When rotating shaft
112
, a disk
102
is rotated in an almost standing condition and at the clockwise direction. The disk
102
is a deep plate and is rotated near the base within a large generally pot-shaped tank
101
. By this rotation of disk
102
, the coins on or in contact with this disk
102
are agitated by an agitation action. The agitation action is generated by protrusions
106
which are formed inside the surrounding wall
104
of this disk
102
. Thus, the coins in disk
102
go into coin receiving holes
105
which are opened at the base of this disk
102
.
Most of the coins which went into these receiving holes
105
slide on and move on the surface of support-plate
111
by the disk
102
. The lowest coins which are slid and moved will be forced out to a coin exit
123
. The lowest coin is moved by slender feed nails (not shown) which are formed on the underside of disk
102
. The lowest moved coin is guided and sent out to exit
123
by guide plate
115
and a flange surrounding wall
122
. The guide plate
115
is formed almost with an oval shape at the surface center of large square support-plate
111
.
A flange surrounding wall
122
is formed in a ring shape in order to install a tank
101
on support-plate
111
. The coin which is sent out to exit
123
is dispensed from this exit
123
. The coin is released from exit
123
by fixation roller
124
and mobile roller
126
with a spring (not shown).
As described above, the conventional coin dispensing equipment included an apparatus for sending out or issuing coins of identical type. Therefore, there was a problem that the conventional coin dispensing equipment could not be simply converted into other size coins.
Further, when the conventional coin dispensing equipment was operated at high speed, problems resulted in that the coin dispensing efficiency became poor. In other words, when the conventional coin dispensing equipment was operated at high speed, the resulting coin pickup efficiency was poor.
SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of this invention is to provide a device in which the coin size can be simply changed, even if the paid coin type is changed.
A further object of this invention is to provide a device in which the dispensing efficiency of coin is good, even if operated at high speed. The purpose of improving the coin pickup efficiency at high speed operation is to be obtained by a simple construction or arrangement.
According to the invention a coin dispensing apparatus is provided comprising a tank for storing coins in a loose condition and a freely rotatable disk provided at the bottom in the tank. The disk has an open hole for coins to fall therethrough. An adjustment means or adjustment device is arranged on the underside of this disk for forming the open hole into an adjustment coin size hole. A guide or a guide means is arranged on the upper surface of the disk for guiding several coins in the open hole.
The guide means may be advantageously a guide element of a sea star shape or starfish shape of a given thickness.
The coin dispensing equipment of the invention may be provided with the guide having a plane or surface to which the coin contacts, which is sloped.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the drawings:
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional end view in which the front of an embodiment or coin dispensing equipment according to this invention;
FIG. 2
is a generally enlarged section view showing the apparatus
FIG. 1
from the side;
FIG. 3
is a generally exploded perspective view in which the practical example of
FIG. 1
is decomposed and shown;
FIG. 4A
is a perspective view of a prior art device; and
FIG. 4B
is a side cross-sectional view of the prior art device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to the drawings in particular, reference numeral
11
which is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 3
designates a mount base of the coin dispensing apparatus. This mount base
11
is a rectangular board with three edges bent downward forming legs of a three point support. On upper right and left surfaces of mount base
11
leg frames
12
are provided with an almost right angled triangle.
A handle
13
is provided for portability installed on one of leg frames
12
. A large square base board
15
is installed on the pair of leg frames
12
in a tilted position. At suitable portions of base board
15
, several openings are provided. Elongate holes
16
are provided to allow dust or the like to fall through. These several long holes
16
open at the downward division of base board
15
(see FIG.
3
). And, on the lower edge portion of base board
15
, a slender stationary plate
2
F is provided for fixing large tank
17
. On the upper edge of base board
15
, a slender support plate
2
S is provided for retaining tank
17
by hook. Support plate
2
S is arranged to be slideable in going up and down and to be fixable.
The tank
17
for coin accommodation is a resin molded article with a large angle pot-shape. The lower portion of tank
17
is formed in a cylinder
14
and is installed at the almost center of base board
15
. In the inside of the cylinder
14
, which is the bottom portion of tank
17
, a disk
5
is arranged to freely rotate.
The disk
5
is formed with a deep plate shape, as shown in
FIG. 3
, namely along the whole surrounding edge of disk
5
a standing wall
5
W is formed. Over the whole peripheral part of disk
5
open holes
5
H, each for receiving a coin and to form a coin chute are formed at regular-intervals, respectively. This disk
5
is rotated clockwise, as shown in
FIG. 1
, by a central driving shaft
6
. The stepped driving shaft
6
is rotated by an electric motor
6
E, with gear device
6
G for deceleration (see FIG.
2
).
On the upper surface of disk
5
, guide body
3
is provided. The guide body
3
is a sea star or star shaped element with a ring shaped central opening. The guide body
3
is installed as shown in FIG.
3
. Guide body
3
has a thickness defining faces in the rotation direction. These faces are formed in slope planes
3
S. These planes on guide body
3
contact coins upon rotation and are formed in slope planes
3
S. Guide body
3
of generally ring shape is installed on disk
5
with screws
2
extending through holes
3
H (refer to FIG.
1
). On the underside of disk
5
, adjustment board
7
of generally gear shape is installed (refer to FIG.
3
). Adjustment board
7
is freely rotatably mounted at the center about stage division
6
S of driving shaft
6
(refer to FIG.
2
). Adjustment board
7
is installed on disk
5
by screws
2
and several screw holes
7
H. The tip of screws
2
respectively slide-freely and penetrate into hole
3
H of guide body
3
. The tip of screws
2
move-freely and penetrate into slender hole
5
S of disk
5
. By tightening the tips of these screws
2
into screw hole
7
H of adjustment board
7
, the whole construction is fixed. That is to say, by several screws
2
, guide body
3
and disk
5
and adjustment board
7
are fixed together.
With open hole
5
H and tooth division
7
T of adjustment board
7
, adjustment hole
1
, which is responded to the size of coin C is formed (refer to FIG.
1
). Each tip
7
P which is at slender and curved tooth divisions
7
T of adjustment board
7
is properly bent a little in the downward direction. Therefor, coin C is surely removed by tip
7
P. On underside center of adjustment board
7
, a disk like spacer
21
is placed (refer to FIG.
3
). Spacer
21
is properly changed in proportion to the thickness of coin C. It is of course preferable that a plurality of spacers
21
are used.
Between spacer
21
and base board
15
, an elliptical slide board
22
is placed (refer to FIG.
3
). Slide board
22
is an element for smoothing the rotation of disk
5
, and a plurality of slide boards
22
may be used. Slide board
22
and spacer
21
and adjustment board
7
are freely rotatably mounted on stage division
6
S of driving shaft
6
(refer to FIG.
2
). Disk
5
is mounted on driving shaft
6
, via center hole
5
C. A part of center hole
5
C is formed in a straight line, so that disk
5
is rotated by driving shaft
6
.
It was noted before that guide body
3
with sea star or star shaped and ring shape was installed on the upper surface of disk
5
. That is to say, by screws
2
, the guide body
3
and disk
5
and adjustment board
7
are fixed together. Therefore, driving shaft
6
will be located at the center of ring-shaped guide body
3
. On this driving shaft
6
, cap
31
is placed. Then, with this cap
31
, bolt
32
is screwed and fixed at driving shaft
6
. Bolt
32
is screwed into driving shaft
6
and cap
31
is pressed and fixed on disk
5
.
By cutting a lower edge part of cylinder
14
, the exit (not shown) for coins is formed. Also, a coin discharge path which communicates to the exit is formed on the base board
15
. On base board
15
near coin emission path
9
, guide board
23
for coins is placed. Therefore, it is of course provided that the upper surface of spacer
21
is a little higher than the upper surface of guide board
23
. Guides board
23
is a rectangular steel plate which is bent such as in an even L shape. Then, the base end part of guide board
23
is freely transferably mounted on the underside of base board
15
with bolts. The tip end part of guide board
23
is tilted a little and projects from the surface of base board
15
with a hole. A spring (not shown) is covered on the aforesaid bolt. Therefore, this spring presses the guide board
23
at the underside of base board
15
. When disk
5
is rotated positively (refer to FIG.
1
), guide board
23
guides the coin to the direction of emission path
9
at the standing plane. Also, when disk
5
is reversed, the coin can get over guide board
23
by the function of the slope and spring. Electric motor
6
E is fixed by screws (not shown) with the mount board
6
P and rod
6
R.
With the above-mentioned embodiment, coins C of identical type are stored in tank
17
at bulk condition and electric motor
6
E is driven. When electric motor
6
E is driven, disk
5
is rotated, as shown in FIG.
1
. When disk
5
is rotated, coins C will be guided in open holes
5
H by guide body
3
(refers to FIG.
2
). In other words, when disk
5
is rotated, several coins C are always piled up at the position of open holes
5
H, by guide body
3
. In the position of open holes
5
H, several coins C are always stored, and the coin dispensing is not broken off such as described later. Therefore, even if the coin is paid or fed at high speed, the paid out coin stream is not broken off, since a plurality of coins C are at the position of open holes
5
H.
Although guide body
3
is formed like a sea star shape in this practical example, it is of course also good to form it with a windmill shape for example. When the number of open holes
5
H is three, it is of course possible to use a Y-shaped guide body. Further, it is of course possible for each small ring guide body to be individually installed on each open hole
5
H.
Thus, when coin C is smaller than adjustment hole
1
which is formed by tooth division
7
T and edge of hole
5
H, coin C rides on the upper surface of base board
15
. The coin C which so rides on the upper surface of base board
15
is then slid and moved by tooth division
7
T of adjustment board
7
fixed on the rotated disk
5
. The adjustment board
7
acts as a scraper for coin C. The sliding and moving coin C is guided by cylinder
14
of tank
17
. Guided coin C is sent out from the opened exit (not shown) of cylinder to emission path
9
. Of course coins larger than the adjustment hole
1
are not sent out to emission path
9
. Even if a large coin is mixed in fixed size coins, this large coin is not discharged from this apparatus. Coin C which is sent out to emission path
9
operates counting roller
25
, resisting the spring (not shown).
The transfer for this counting roller
25
is detected by a sensor (not shown). Hereupon, in this practical example, a case in which the size of coin is changed is described.
When small coins are chosen, tooth divisions
7
T of adjustment board
7
are moved a little in the counterclockwise direction, in FIG.
1
. By loosening four screws
2
, adjustment board
7
is rotated a little in the counterclockwise direction, and then the board
7
is fixed by screws
2
on disk
5
again.
In the practical example, though disk
5
is tilted, it is of course acceptable for disk
5
to be leveled. In other words, this practical example is a type of devices which releases the coin in the standing condition almost. Therefore, this invention can be of course applied to a type of equipment which releases the coin in a level condition. Although disk
5
in the drawing has standing wall
5
W, it is of course acceptable that there may be no standing wall
5
W. In addition, it is of course possible for disk
5
to be formed such as a thick disk. In this case, guide body
3
will be formed integrally on disk
5
. Also, it is of course possible that the size of open hole
5
H is determined by considering the largest size of applied coins.
Although adjustment board
7
in this practical example is formed like a generally gear type, it is of course possible to form board
7
as a circular saw type element. For example, when the number of open holes
5
H is three, a triangle shaped adjustment board may be used.
It is also possible that each adjustment board of tooth division
7
T only is individually installed on each open hole
5
H.
As described above, by the use of a simple construction, according to the invention, one coin dispensing apparatus can be simply applied to various coin sizes. The equipment sends out coins of identical type one by one and is able to be simply converted for coins of other sizes. Further, this invention adds a simple guide body which superimposes several coins on the upper surface of disk for coin dispensing. Several coins will be always piled up at the position of open hole awaiting a coin falling. Therefore, according to this invention, even if the coins are paid out at high speed, several coins are in the open hole, and therefore the coin dispensing will be not broken off.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
Claims
- 1. A coin dispensing apparatus comprising:a tank for storing coins in a loose condition; a freely rotatable disk provided at the bottom in the tank, the disk having an open hole for coins falling therethrough; an adjustment device arranged on an underside of said disk for forming said open hole into an adjustment coin size hole; and a guide arranged on an upper surface of said disk for guiding several coins into the open hole.
- 2. A coin dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide has a sea star shape with a predefined thickness.
- 3. A coin dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said guide has a coin contact plane with a sloped surface.
- 4. A coin dispensing apparatus, comprising:a tank for storing coins in a loose condition; a freely rotatable disk provided at the bottom in the tank, the disk having an open hole for coins falling therethrough; adjustment means arranged on an underside of said disk for forming said open hole into an adjusted coin size hole; and guide means arranged on an upper surface of said disk for guiding several coins into the open hole.
- 5. A coin dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said guide means is a guide element having a starfish shape with a predefined thickness.
- 6. A coin dispensing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said guide has a coin contact plane with a sloped surface.
- 7. A coin dispensing apparatus, comprising:a tank for storing coins in a loose condition; a freely rotatable disk provided at the bottom in the tank, the disk having an open hole for coins falling therethrough; an adjustment device with and adjustment element arranged on an underside of said disk for forming said open hole into an adjusted coin size hole; and a guide element arranged on an upper surface of said disk for guiding several coins into the open hole.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
11-215696 |
Jun 1999 |
JP |
|
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0959437 |
Nov 1999 |
EP |