Bill validator

Details Bill validator Bill validator

2001-04-13

2003-07-08

Matecki, Kathy (Department: 3652)

Check-actuated control mechanisms

Control mechanism actuated by check, other than coin , which...

By pliant currency

Reexamination Certificate

active

06588570

ABSTRACT:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application Number 2000-113578, filed Apr. 14, 2000, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bill validator for use in a vending machine or the like and, in particular, to an optical detecting section of the bill validator.
For example, a related bill validator has a structure illustrated in FIG.
1
. In the bill validator
100
, a paper currency bill or bank note
101
is inserted through a bill inlet
102
and sent to an insertion detecting section
105
comprising a light emitting element
103
and a light receiving element
104
and arranged behind the bill inlet
102
. The light emitting element
103
is energized by an emission power supply
106
and emits a light beam towards the light receiving element
104
. The light receiving element
104
receives the light beam after it is attenuated in luminous energy through the bill
101
. Thus, the insertion of the bill
101
is detected by the light receiving element
104
as the attenuation in luminous energy. When the insertion of the bill
101
is detected, a controller
107
delivers a forward operation signal to a reversible driver
109
to rotate a transfer motor
108
in a forward direction so that the bill
101
is transferred inward, i.e., in a bill accepting direction by a transfer belt
110
. When a forward end of the bill
101
reaches a magnetic head
111
and an optical validating sensor
114
comprising a light emitting element
112
and a light receiving element
113
, detection signals are produced by the magnetic head
111
and the light receiving element
113
of the optical validating sensor
114
. The detection signals are supplied to an amplifier circuit
115
to be amplified into amplified detection signals. The amplifier circuit
115
delivers the amplified detection signals to an A/D converter
116
. The A/D converter
116
converts the amplified detection signals into digital detection signals and supplies the digital detection signals to a validating unit
117
. The validating unit
117
starts acquisition of bill data given by the digital detection signals. The acquisition of the bill data is continuously carried out until a rear end of the bill
101
is transferred to a position right under the light receiving element
117
of the optical validating sensor
114
. After the acquisition of the bill data is completed, the validating unit
117
judges whether the bill
101
is valid or invalid. In addition, the validating unit
117
calculates an average of luminous energy transmitted through the bill
101
and received by the light receiving element
113
. If the average of luminous energy is smaller than a predetermined reference level, the validating unit
117
judges “overlapped”, i.e., the state in which two bills being overlapped are inserted.
If the validating unit
117
judges “invalid” or “overlapped”, the controller
107
delivers a reverse operation signal to the reversible driver
109
to rotate the transfer motor
108
in a reverse direction so that the bill
101
is transferred outward, i.e., in a bill dispensing direction by the transfer belt
110
. The transfer motor
108
continues the reverse rotation until the bill
101
escapes from the insertion detecting section
105
or until a time out occurs.
If the validating unit
117
judges “valid”, the controller
107
delivers a valid bill signal to an external apparatus (not shown) and waits a storage request signal or a return request signal from the external apparatus.
The above-mentioned bill validator
100
is disadvantageous in the following respects. As described above, if the validating unit
117
judges “invalid” or “overlapped”, the controller
107
delivers the reverse operation signal to the reversible driver
109
to rotate the transfer motor
108
in the reverse direction so that the bill
101
is transferred by the transfer belt
110
in the bill dispensing direction. However, since the judgment of “overlapped” is made at a later stage after the rear end of the bill
101
reaches the optical validating sensor
114
, the bill
101
tends to be jammed in a transfer path. The transfer motor
108
continues the reverse rotation until the bill
101
escapes from the insertion detecting section
105
or until the time out occurs. If the bill
101
is removed from the bill validator
100
at a later time instant, the transfer motor
108
is excessively rotated. In this state, the bill
101
may be returned to a position beyond a clamping force between the transfer belt
110
and the guide roller
118
to be released and fallen out from the bill validator
100
.
Upon judgment of “overlapped”, use is made of the reference level which is preliminarily determined at an appropriate value in an initial condition of the bill validator
100
. If the optical validating sensor
114
as an optical section is deteriorated, comparison with the predetermined reference level becomes difficult. This inhibits a proper operation of the bill validator
100
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a bill validator capable of reliably judging “overlapped” in an early stage to prevent a bill from jamming and from being released and fallen out from the bill validator if the bill is transferred in a dispensing direction.
It is another object of this invention to provide a bill validator capable of readily updating a reference level for use in judgment of “overlapped” to an optimum value.
According to this invention, there is provided a bill validator comprising a bill inlet through which a bill is inserted, a transfer path arranged behind the inlet and connected to the inlet, a transferring mechanism for transferring the bill in the transfer path, a validating unit for validating the bill on a predetermined validating position of the transfer path, and an optical detecting section comprising a light emitting portion for emitting a light beam, a transmission light guide having a light input portion supplied with the flight beam from the light emitting portion and a light output portion for outputting the light beam inputted through the light input portion, and a light receiving portion for receiving the light beam from the light output portion, the light input and the light output portions of the transmission light guide being faced to the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion, respectively, with a first position of the transfer path interposed between the light input portion of the transmission light guide and the light emitting portion and with a second position of the transfer path interposed between the light output portion of the transmission light guide and the light receiving portion, the second position of the transfer path being different from the first position of the transfer path.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5430664 (1995-07-01), Cargill et al.
patent: 5465821 (1995-11-01), Akioka
patent: 5485907 (1996-01-01), Chang
patent: 5547061 (1996-08-01), Itako et al.
patent: 5758759 (1998-06-01), Negishi
patent: 6012565 (2000-01-01), Mazur
patent: 6269995 (2001-08-01), Rich et al.
patent: 6382618 (2002-05-01), Takada

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