Check-actuated control mechanisms – Including noncontacting – relatively movable parts connected...
Patent
1980-11-26
1983-11-08
Bartuska, F. J.
Check-actuated control mechanisms
Including noncontacting, relatively movable parts connected...
350287, G07D 900
Patent
active
044137184
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for detecting the presence of objects and is especially concerned with detecting the presence of a coin in a vertical or near vertical coin passageway.
In coin-operated machines it is sometimes necessary to detect the presence of a coin in a vertical or near vertical coin passageway. For example, in a coin testing device it may be necessary to detect the presence of a coin that has been inserted into and is falling down a vertical entry passageway in order to provide a single which sets the coin testing circuitry in readiness for the arrival of the coin at a coin testing station. It is also sometimes necessary to detect when a coin which has been tested and found to be acceptable has passed an entry gate leading to a coin acceptance passageway in order that the gate may then be closed and the acceptance signal may be passed to a totaliser which accumulates the values of coins accepted.
One known arrangement for detecting the passage of a coin along a coin passageway consists of a light source in one wall of the coin passageway and a light detector on the opposite wall positioned so that a beam of light from the source normally crosses the passageway and falls on the light sensor. The passage of a coin causes temporary interruption of the beam of light and thus is detected by a temporary change in the output of the sensor.
For the coin machine manufacturer making mechanisms for testing different sets of coins to meet the requirements of customers throughout the world, it is desirable, so far as possible, to use one size of part for all coin sets. Coins vary considerably in size. For example, the Dutch 10 cents coin has a diameter of 15 mm. whereas the Danish 5 Krone has a diameter of 33 mm. Therefore in a mechanism which is designed for universal application the coin passageways must be large enough to allow the 33 mm. Danish 5 Krone coin to pass with clearance. However, detecting the passage of a 15 mm. Dutch 10 cent coin dowwn a vertical passageway which is large enought to pass the 5 Krone coin using the known arrangement of light source and sensor is unreliable because the coin can pass by the side of the light beam without interrupting the light beam and thus be undetected.
The present invention can be used to detect the presence of the coin in a coin passageway and thus overcome this problem.
According to the present invention in a first embodiment there is provided apparatus for detecting the presence of coins comprising a passageway along which the coins can pass, the passageway having an oblong cross section and being defined by two generally parallel closely-spaced walls, a light source and a light detector being located in or adjacent one of the walls of the passageway, the light source and light detector being spaced from one another across the width of the passageway and from the sides of the passageway, first and second reflecting means being located in or adjacent the other said wall of the passageway opposite the light source and light detector, respectively, so that the first reflecting means reflects a light beam crossing the passageway from the light source towards the second reflecting means and the second reflecting means reflects the beam reflected by the first reflecting means across the coin passageway towards the light detector, the spacing of the beams crossing the passageway from each other and from the sides of the passageway all being less than the size of the smallest object which the apparatus is intended to detect.
The present invention can also be used to detect the presence of a jammed coin in a coin storage tube. In a second embodiment apparatus according to the present invention comprises a light source and a light detector located in or adjacent a first circumferential location of the round coin tube. First and second reflecting means are located in or adjacent a second circumferential location of the coin tube diametrically opposed to the first circumferential location. The light source and light detector are at
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Bartuska F. J.
Mars Inc.
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