Coin processing apparatus and coin depositing/dispensing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10540837-B2
Application number	US-201815911846-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2018
Priority date	Mar 6, 2017
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A coin processing apparatus eliminates quickly and surely a coin congestion in the cases where (a) a Tawara state and/or a Keirin phenomenon of coins is/are generated on a conveying surface, (b) additional coins are overlapped or stacked on existing coins having a Tawara state or a Keirin phenomenon, and (c) additional coins are placed on the conveying surface on the upstream side of the existing coins. A conveying belt has a protrusion on its conveying surface. A reversing roller is provided opposite to the conveying surface. Screw-like members with spiral projections on their outer surfaces are respectively provided at two sides of the conveying surface. Coins placed on the conveying surface in their standing state are moved backward due to engagement with the screw-like members to topple down naturally toward the conveying surface during conveyance and then, moved forward due to engagement with the protrusion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A coin processing apparatus comprising:
(a) a coin conveying section for conveying coins, which are put therein through a coin inlet, in a desired attitude after separating the coins from each other;
(b) a coin congestion suppressing section for suppressing a congestion of the coins that is generated during conveyance by the coin conveying section;
wherein the coin conveying section comprises:
a conveying belt for conveying coins that are put in the coin conveying section through the coin inlet in a predetermined conveying direction by placing the coins on a conveying surface of the belt, wherein a coin pusher is formed on the conveying surface in such a way as to be engageable with coins that are placed on the conveying surface in their lying state or their approximately lying state, thereby pushing the coins in the conveying direction by the coin pusher;
a motor for moving the belt in the conveying direction; and
a reversing roller disposed at a predetermined position on the conveying surface so as to be opposite to the conveying surface to thereby form an introducing port between the reversing roller and the conveying surface; wherein the introducing port serves to allow coins that are placed on the conveying surface in a desired state to selectively pass through the port, and the reversing roller is rotated to move coins that are placed on the conveying surface toward an opposite side to the introducing port when the coins are contacted with the reversing roller;
and wherein the coin congestion suppressing section comprises one or more coin moving members for moving coins placed on the conveying surface toward the opposite side to the introducing port by engaging the coins with the one or more coin moving members, the one or more coin moving members being disposed on at least one side of the conveying belt, wherein:
the one or more coin moving members is disposed on one side of the conveying belt to be extended along the conveying direction and is formed by one or more screw-like members each having a spiral projection on its outer surface;
the one or more screw-like members is rotatively driven around its axis; and
coins placed on the conveying surface in their standing or approximately standing state are engaged with the spiral projection to be moved toward the opposite side to the introducing port due to rotation of the one or more screw-like members; and

(c) one or more covers disposed outside the one or more coin moving members; and
wherein, when coins that are placed on the conveying surface in their standing state or their approximately standing state are engaged with the one or more coin moving members, the coins are moved by the one or more coin moving members toward the opposite side to the introducing port so as to topple down toward the conveying surface during movement, and wherein:
the one or more covers has protrusions arranged at predetermined intervals;
the spiral projection has apertures formed for the corresponding protrusions; and
the one or more screw-like members are rotated in such a way that the protrusions pass through the corresponding apertures.

2. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more coin passage preventing members disposed adjacent to the one or more coin moving members at a higher or a lower position than the one or more coin moving members, wherein a gap is formed between the one or more coin passage preventing members and the one or more coin moving members;
wherein the one or more coin moving members has an operating part for moving coins that are placed on the conveying surface by engaging the operating part with the coins; and
the one or more coin passage preventing members has a function of preventing coins that are placed on the conveying surface from going out of the conveying surface through the gap while allowing the operating part to pass through the gap.

3. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising one or more flexible coin passage preventing members disposed adjacent to the one or more screw-like members at a higher or lower position or positions than the one or more coin moving members, wherein a gap is formed between the one or more coin passage preventing members and the one or more coin moving members;
wherein the one or more coin passage preventing members has a function of preventing coins that are placed on the conveying surface from going out of the conveying surface through the gap while allowing the spiral projection to pass through the gap.

4. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a pitch of the spiral projection is set to be larger than a maximum coin diameter that can be handled by the coin processing apparatus.

5. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein rotation of the conveying belt and rotation of the one or more screw-like members is realized by a single driving source.

6. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a coin receiving chamber formed on the conveying surface at a position below the coin inlet;
wherein the coin receiving chamber comprises inner side walls that are respectively formed on two sides of the belt so as to extend in the conveying direction and that are curved so as to join to each other at their rear ends; and
when coins are moved in their standing or approximately standing state on the conveying surface toward the opposite side to the introducing port by the one or more coin moving members while being in contact with at least one of the inner walls, the coins will topple down naturally toward the conveying surface during movement thereof toward the rear ends of the inner side walls.

7. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying surface is inclined in such a way as to be raised gradually as approaching the introducing port from the opposite side to the said port in the conveying direction.

8. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more coin moving members is formed to be rotatively driven by a predetermined rotation shaft; and
wherein when the rotation shaft is rotated in a predetermined direction, the one or more coin moving members is rotated in response to rotation of the rotation shaft, and when the rotation shaft is rotated in an opposite direction to the predetermined direction, the rotation shaft is idled so as not to rotate the one or more coin moving members.

9. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more coin moving members is configured to be rotated integrally with a rotation shaft that penetrates inside of the one or more coin moving members using a one-way clutch that connects the one or more coin moving members to the rotation shaft;
wherein the one or more coin moving members is rotated along with the rotation shaft only when the rotation shaft is rotated in a predetermined direction.

10. A coin depositing/dispensing machine comprising the coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 as a coin introducing section.

11. A coin processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a direction of the spiral projection is determined in such a way that a coin which is engaged with any position of the projection is moved in an opposite direction to the conveying direction of the conveying belt based on a relation with a rotation direction of the one or more coin moving members.

Assignees

• Asahi Seiko Co Ltd

Inventors

• Abe Hiroshi
• Umeda Masayoshi

Classifications

• G07D9/008 Primary

  Feeding coins from bulk · CPC title

• G07D2205/00

  Coin testing devices · CPC title

• G07D5/00

  Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of coins, e.g. for segregating coins which are unacceptable or alien to a currency · CPC title

• G07D9/06 Primary

  Devices for stacking or otherwise arranging coins on a support, e.g. apertured plate for use in counting coins · CPC title