Coin handling – Assorter
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-20
2004-08-31
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Coin handling
Assorter
C209S003100, C209S659000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06783452
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a coin sorting apparatus for sorting coins of mixed denominations, and a coin receiving system provided with such a coin sorting apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
Generally, a conventional coin sorting apparatus included in a coin receiving system is provided with a single coin sorting unit that sorts coins of mixed denominations sequentially by denomination.
The coin sorting unit of the conventional coin sorting apparatus, in general, conveys coins successively in a horizontal direction along a coin passage, sorts the coins by diameter, and drops coins of different denominations through sorting holes of sizes respectively corresponding to denominations. Generally, a coin feed unit for feeding coins one by one into the coin passage is so constructed as to push coins one by one from a rotating feed disk through a thickness-limiting plate into the coin passage.
This conventional coin sorting apparatus has the following problems. The numbers of diameter and thickness classes of coins to be sorted increase when the denominations of coins to be sorted increases and, in some cases, it is difficult for the conventional coin sorting apparatus to sort coins of a large number of mixed denominations by a single coin sorting unit. Even if the coin sorting apparatus could sort those coins, only limited sorting methods are feasible by the coin sorting unit.
As regards Euro coins, in particular, there are Euro coins of eight denominations and the countries associated with Euro coins are in the process of currency unification for unifying their traditional currency systems into the common Euro currency system. Thus both the coins of the currency systems of those countries and Euro coins are used. The foregoing problem in the conventional coin sorting apparatus becomes more serious when those coins of such a large variety of denominations must be sorted.
FIG. 45
shows the lower surface
401
b
of a stationary disk
401
included in a prior art rotary disk type coin sorting apparatus disclosed in JP-A-
63-250793
(1988) in a schematic plan view. The coin sorting apparatus is provided with a rotary disk, not shown, disposed under the lower surface
401
b
of the stationary disk
401
, having a resilient upper surface and capable of rotation. The stationary disk
401
is provided with a central coin-feed opening
401
a
. Coins C fed into the coin-feed opening
401
a
slide along the lower surface
401
b
of the stationary disk
401
as the rotary disk rotates.
The stationary disk
401
guides and sorts the coins C by diameter as the coins C slide along the lower surface
401
b
thereof. More specifically, a coin guide passage
410
is formed in the lower surface
401
b
of the stationary disk
401
so as to face the coin-feed opening
401
a
. The coin guide passage
410
has a coin guide section
411
for guiding coins C fed into the coin-feed opening
401
a
, and a land
413
for separating superposed coins C.
A coin arranging part
402
is formed contiguously with the coin guide passage
410
. Coins C are moved radalaly outward by centrifugal force acting thereon and their edges engage the outer edge
404
of the coin arranging part
402
, whereby the coins C are arranged sequentially. As the rotary disk rotates, the coins C thus arranged by the coin arranging part
402
are held resiliently between the lower surface
401
b
of the stationary disk
401
and the resilient upper surface of the rotary disk and are moved along and inside a geometric circular guide line
406
.
FIG. 45
shows an arrangement for sorting coins of three denominations, i.e., large coins C
1
having a big diameter, medium coins C
2
having a medium diameter and small coins C
3
having a small diameter, by way of example. A small coin guide groove
415
a
, a medium coin guide groove
415
b
and a large coin guide groove
415
c
are arranged in that order along the guide line
406
from the upstream side downward. The guide grooves
415
a
,
415
b
and
415
c
selectively guide only small coins C
3
, medium coins C
2
and large coins C
1
, respectively, so as to eject respective coins outside the stationary disk
401
.
More concretely, the small coin guide groove
415
a
permits only small coins C
3
among coins moving along the guide line
406
to enter therein, guides small coins C
3
outward by the radial inner edge
416
a
so that small coins C
3
are ejected from the stationary disk
401
, and does not permit large coins C
1
and middle coins C
2
to enter therein. The medium coin guide groove
415
b
permits only medium coins C
2
to enter therein, guides medium coins C
2
outward by the radial inner edge
416
b
so that medium coins C
2
are ejected from the stationary disk
401
, and does not permit large coins C
1
to enter therein. The large coin guide groove
415
c
permits large coins C
1
passed by the guide grooves
415
a
and
415
b
to enter therein and guides large coins C
1
outward by the radial inner edge
416
c
so that small coins C
3
are ejected from the stationary disk
401
.
This prior art coin sorting apparatus has the following problems. Since coins C are arranged in succession along the guide line
406
by the coin arranging part
402
by the agency of centrifugal force acting on coins C, the rotary disk needs to be at a comparatively high rotating speed. Consequently, the degree of freedom for determining the rotating speed of the rotary disk, i.e., sorting speed, is reduced.
When the coin sorting apparatus is jammed with coins, it is advantageous if the sorting process can be continued by rotating the rotary disk in the normal direction after temporarily reversing the rotary disk. However, coins which have been moved outside the guide line
406
by the respective radial inner edges
416
a
to
416
c
of the coin guide grooves
415
a
to
415
c
cannot be moved back to their initial positions inside the guide line
406
even if the rotary disk is reversed. Thus, the coin sorting apparatus is unable to resume its sorting operation normally even if the rotary disk is rotated in the normal direction after temporarily reversing the rotary disk.
There have been proposed coin sorting apparatuses, including the foregoing prior art coin sorting apparatus, which sort coins sliding along the lower surface of a stationary disk by diameter. In those prior art coin sorting apparatus, coins held between a resilient member attached to the upper surface of a rotary disk and a stationary disk are moved in the rotating direction of the rotary disk. Coins moved in the rotating direction of the rotary disk slide relative to the lower surface of the stationary member, are sorted by diameter, and sorted coins are ejected outside from the stationary disk. Thus the coins are moved spirally along the lower surface of the stationary disk.
Those coin sorting apparatuses have the following problems. The surface of the resilient member is coated with a synthetic rubber having a comparatively low corrosion resistance, such as butyl rubber. The resilient member is abraded comparatively rapidly and the coin conveying ability of the resilient member is reduced in a comparatively short time, so that it is difficult for the coin sorting apparatuses to maintain ability to carry out a reliable coin sorting operation for a long period of time.
The surface of the resilient member is flat and smooth and has an isotropic coin holding ability. Therefore, a force exerted on coins by the resilient member to restrain coins from radial movement increases excessively if the moving ability of the resilient member to move coins in the rotating direction of the rotary disk is increased. Such contradictory conditions are a serious obstacle to the enhancement of the reliability of the coin sorting operation.
A prior art coin sorting apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2557278 shown in
FIGS. 46 and 47
has a guide structure
513
for guiding coins C, defining a substantially horizontal passage, and a conveyor belt
514
for conveying coins C along the guide structure
513
. A coin feed unit
9
i
Hino Yushi
Hoshino Daisuke
Tochio Masaharu
Beauchaine Mark J.
Glory Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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