Twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6349811
  • Patent Number
    6,349,811
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, June 28, 2000
    24 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, February 26, 2002
    23 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Examiners
    • Bidwell; James R.
    Agents
    • Rosenberg, Klein & Lee
Abstract
A twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device incorporates two separate projecting actuator shafts about which two swinging members rotate. The swinging members are actuated by two swing type electromagnetic valves which save power and operate more precisely than conventional devices. The swinging members are each fitted with an arcuate slot in which a guide pin of a coin-path defining gate board travels. The gate boards are pivotally mounted at incoming ends of first and second coin releasing ways and, when rotated via the swinging members, define a coin path to be one of the first or second coin releasing ways. Due to the introduction of a separate projecting actuator shaft for each swinging member, wear on each shaft is reduced over a simple shaft shared by both swinging members which thereby prolongs the usable life of the device.
Description




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




1. Field of the Invention




The present invention relates to a twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device.




2. Description of the Prior Art





FIG. 6

shows a conventional coin receiving device of a public phone, vending machine, etc. In such coin receiving device, two gate boards


33


,


34


are respectively pivotally mounted at incoming ends of two coin exits


31


,


32


for closing the coin exits


31


,


32


at normal time. A pivot shaft


35


is disposed on outer side of the coin receiving device and two swinging members


36


,


37


are pivotally connected with the pivot shaft


35


. The two swinging members


36


,


37


are operated respectively by the stems


381


,


391


of two cylinder-type electromagnetic valves


38


,


39


to swing up and down. The gate boards


33


,


34


are coupled with and driven by the swinging members


38


,


39


to deflect and selectively open one of the coin exits


31


,


32


, permitting an inserted coin to drop out therefrom.




According to the above arrangement, the two swinging members


38


,


39


are pivotally connected with the same pivot shaft


35


and leant against each other. Under such circumstance, no matter which swinging member


36


or


37


is drivingly swung by the electromagnetic valve


38


or


39


, the pivot shaft


35


will be worn and the other swinging member


36


or


37


will be also worn. Therefore, after a period of use, the pivot shaft


35


and the two swinging members


36


,


37


will be quickly worn out. This will lead to shaking of the swinging members in operation. Also, the excessively large gap will result in inaccurate operation and thus the two gate boards


33


,


34


can be hardly driven. Therefore, the using life of the device will be shortened.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device including: an identifying device including a base board section and a guide board section resiliently pivotally mounted on one side of the base board section, the base board section and the guide board section defining therebetween a coin slide way, an identifying member being mounted on at least one side of the identifying device for identifying whether a coin sliding through the coin slide way is a true one or a fake one; and a receiving device installed at a bottom end of the identifying device. The receiving device is formed with an internal guide way for accepting the coin dropping from the identifying device. A bottom end of the guide way is communicated with both a first and a second coin releasing ways. Two projecting pivot shafts are radially disposed on outer side of the receiving device. Two swinging members are respectively pivotally mounted on the pivot shafts. The swinging members are respectively operated and swung by two swinging type electromagnetic valves so as to drivingly rotate two gate boards pivotally mounted at incoming ends of the first and second coin releasing ways and thus open or close the first and second coin releasing ways, whereby the coin can be guided to drop out from the first or second coin releasing way.




The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is a perspective view of the present invention;





FIG. 2

is a perspective view showing the structure of the receiving device of the present invention;





FIG. 3

is a plane view of the present invention;





FIG. 4

is a view according to

FIG. 3

, showing that the first coin releasing way of the present invention is opened;





FIG. 5

is a view according to

FIG. 3

, showing that the second coin releasing way of the present invention is opened; and





FIG. 6

is a view showing a conventional coin-Identifying/receiving device.











DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS




Please refer to

FIGS. 1

to


5


. The twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device of the present invention includes: an identifying device


1


formed with an internal coin slide way


10


, an identifying member


13


being mounted on outer side of the identifying device


1


for identifying whether the coin sliding through the coin slide way


10


is a true one or a fake one; and a receiving device


2


installed at the bottom end of the identifying device


1


. The receiving device


2


has an internal guide way


211


for accepting the coin C dropping from the identifying device


1


. The bottom end of the guide way


211


are communicated with both a first and a second coin releasing ways


212


,


213


. Two projecting shafts


214


,


215


are radially disposed on one side of the receiving device


2


. Two swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


are respectively pivotally mounted on the projecting shafts


214


,


215


. The swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


are operated and swung by two swinging type electromagnetic valves


24




a


,


24




b


so as to drivingly rotate two gate boards


22




a


,


22




b


pivotally mounted at incoming ends of the first and second coin releasing ways


212


,


213


and thus open or close the coin releasing ways


212


,


213


. Accordingly, the coin C can be guided to drop out from the first or second coin releasing way


212


,


213


.




The identifying device


1


includes a base board section


11


and a guide board section


12


resiliently pivotally mounted on one side of the base board section


11


. The base board section


11


and the guide board section


12


define therebetween a coin slide way


10


. An identifying member


13


(such as an oscillator circuit) is mounted on outer side of the identifying device


1


corresponding to the coin slide way


10


so as to identify whether the coin C sliding through the coin slide way


10


is a true one or a fake one.




The receiving device


2


includes a frame body


21


mounted at the bottom end of the identifying device


1


. The top section of the frame body


21


is formed with an inner guide way


211


for accepting the coin C dropping from the identifying device


1


. The bottom end of the guide way


211


are communicated with both a first and a second coin releasing ways


212


,


213


. Two projecting shafts


214


,


215


are radially disposed on outer side of the frame body


21


. The top ends of two gate boards


22




a


,


22




b


via two pivot shafts


221




a


,


221




b


are respectively pivotally mounted at the top sections of the first and second coin releasing ways


212


,


213


. Two guide pins


222




a


,


222




b


respectively transversely project from two sides of the gate boards


22




a


,


22




b


near top ends thereof. The guide pins


222




a


,


222




b


are respectively slidably positioned in two guide slots


216




a


,


216




b


formed on two lateral walls of the frame body


21


for deflecting the gate boards to open or close the first and second coin releasing ways


212


,


213


. The first ends of the two swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


are respectively pivotally mounted on the projecting shafts


214


,


215


of the frame body


21


. The swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


are respectively formed with two linking slots


213




a


,


231




b


. The guide pins


222




a


,


222




b


of the gate boards


22




a


,


22




b


are respectively slidably fitted in the linking slots


213




a


,


213




b


. Two swinging type electromagnetic valves


24




a


,


24




b


are respectively fixedly mounted on two sides of the frame body


21


. Each electromagnetic valve


24




a


,


24




b


has a rocking arm


241




a


,


241




b


slidably positioned in a slide way


232




a


,


232




b


of the swinging member


23




a


,


23




b


for operating and driving the swinging member


23




a


,


23




b


to swing up and down, whereby the linking slots


231




a


,


231




b


of the swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


drivingly rotate the gate boards


22




a


,


22




b


pivotally mounted at the incoming ends of the first and second coin releasing ways


212


,


213


so as to open or close the same. Under such circumstance, the coin C is guided to drop out from the first or second coin releasing way


212


or


213


.




In use of the above coin identifying/receiving device of the present invention, when the identifying device


1


identifies an inserted coin C to be fake or true, the rocking arm


241




a


of one of the swinging type electromagnetic valve


24




a


is triggered to drive the swinging member


23




a


pivotally mounted on a first side A of the frame body


21


to swing upward. At this time, the gate board


22




a


pivotally mounted at the first coin releasing way


212


is deflected downward as shown in

FIG. 4

to open the first coin releasing way


212


, permitting the coin C to drop out therefrom for collection. However, in the case that the coin C is identified to be fake, the appliance (such as a public phone) will not accumulate the value of the coin inserted by a user, that is, the fake coin will be taken in without being rejected to the user. In the case of a true coin C, the appliance will accumulate the value of the coin and after the coin C totally drops out, the rocking arm of the swinging type electromagnetic valve


24




a


will drive the swinging member


23




a


on the first side A of the frame body


21


to swing downward. At this time, the gate board


22




a


pivotally mounted at the first coin releasing way


212


is deflected upward as shown in

FIG. 3

to re-close the first coin releasing way


212


. On the other hand, in the case that after inserting the coin C, the user regrets inserting the coin and desires the coin to be rejected, the user can press a rejection button (not shown). At this time, the rocking arm


241




b


of the other swinging type electromagnetic valve


24




b


is triggered to drive the swinging member


23




b


pivotally mounted on a second side B of the frame body


21


to swing upward. At this time, the gate board


22




b


pivotally mounted at the second coin releasing way


213


is deflected downward as shown in

FIG. 5

to open the second coin releasing way


213


, permitting the coin C to drop out therefrom to return to the user. The above application type can be modified in accordance with the using state of different appliances without limitation.




In the twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device of the present invention, the two swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


for driving the two gate boards


22




a


,


22




b


are respectively pivotally mounted on two different projecting shafts


214


,


215


. Therefore, when swinging, the swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


will not abrade each other. In addition, the number of times and of friction of the projecting shafts


214


,


215


is reduced. Therefore, the using life of the device is prolonged.




The twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device of the present invention has the following advantages:




1. The two swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


are respectively pivotally mounted on two different projecting shafts


214


,


215


so that the friction between the respective components is reduced and the using life of the device is prolonged.




2. The two swinging members


23




a


,


23




b


are respectively driven by two swinging type electromagnetic valves


24




a


,


24




b


which save power and more precisely operate than the conventional device.




The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiments can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.



Claims
  • 1. A twin-shaft swinging type coin-identifying/receiving device comprising:an identifying device including a base board section and a guide board section resiliently pivotally mounted on one side of the base board section, the base board section and the guide board section defining therebetween a coin slide way, an identifying member being mounted on an outer side of the identifying device for identifying whether a coin sliding through the coin slide way is a true one or a fake one; and, a receiving device installed at a bottom end of the identifying device, the receiving device including: a frame body mounted at the bottom end of the identifying device, a top section of the frame body being formed with an internal guide way for accepting a coin dropped through the identifying device, a bottom end of the guide way being communicated with both a first and second coin releasing way, two projecting shafts being laterally disposed on an outer side of the frame body; two gate boards, top ends of the gate boards being respectively pivotally mounted at top section of the first and second coin releasing ways via two pivot shafts; two guide pins respectively transversely projecting from ywo sides of the gate boards near top ends thereof, the guide pins being respectively slideable positioned in two guide slots formed on two lateral walls of the frame body for deflecting the gate boards to open or close the first and second coin releasing ways; two swinging members, first ends of the two swinging members being respectively pivotally mounted on the projecting shafts of the outer side of the frame body, the swinging members being respectively formed with two linking slots, the guide pins of the gate boards being respectively slidably fitted in the linking slots; and two swinging type electromagnetic valve fixedly mounted on the outer side of the frame body, each electromagnetic valve having a rocking arm slidably positioned in a slide way of the swinging member for operating and driving the swinging member to swing up and down, whereby the linking slots of the swinging members driving rotate the gate boards pivotally mounted at the incoming ends of the first and second coin releasing ways so as to open or close the same.
  • 2. Coin-receiving device comprising:(a) a frame body, a top section of the frame body being formed with an inner guide way for guiding coins inward, a bottom end of the guide way being communicated with both a first and a second coin releasing ways, two projecting shafts being radially disposed on outer side of the frame body; (b) two gate boards, top ends of the two gate boards via two pivot shafts being respectively pivotally mounted at the top sections of the first and second coin releasing ways, two guide pins respectively transversely projecting from two sides of the gate boards near top ends thereof, the guide pins being respectively slidably positioned in two guide slots formed on two lateral walls of the frame body for deflecting the gate boards to open or close the first and second coin releasing ways; (c) two swinging members, first ends of the two swinging members being respectively pivotally mounted on the projecting shafts of the frame body, the swinging members being respectively formed with two linking slots, the guide pins of the gate boards being respectively slidably fitted in the linking slots; and (d) two swinging type electromagnetic valves respectively fixedly mounted on two sides of the frame body, each electromagnetic valve having a rocking arm slidably positioned in a slide way of the swinging member for operating and driving the swinging member to swing up and down, whereby the linking slots of the swinging members drivingly rotate the gate boards pivotally mounted at the incoming ends of the first and second coin releasing ways so as to open or close the same.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Number Name Date Kind
4630624 Turner Dec 1986 A
4782937 Chen et al. Nov 1988 A
5040658 Levasseur Aug 1991 A
5167314 Levasseur Dec 1992 A
5279404 Bruner et al. Jan 1994 A
5407051 Wohlrab Apr 1995 A
5494146 Kurosawa et al. Feb 1996 A
5496212 Meyer-Weingartner et al. Mar 1996 A
6182811 Wei Feb 2001 B1