Coin handling – Deliverer – Delivery of a distinct number of plural coins from a single...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-28
2001-02-27
Bartuska, F. J. (Department: 3652)
Coin handling
Deliverer
Delivery of a distinct number of plural coins from a single...
C453S041000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193597
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coin discharging apparatus provided in a vending machine or coin exchanger for automatically discharging coins responding to a coin discharge command signal from a controller, and more particularly, to an improved coin discharging apparatus capable of enhancing operational reliability while improving productivity by simplifying a coin discharging apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a coin discharging apparatus is provided in an interior of a vending machine or coin exchanger, wherein coins are kept inside and a predetermined amount of coins are automatically discharged responding to the command signal from a controller when the change is to be paid to a customer or bill is to exchanged to coins.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional coin discharging apparatus includes a base plate
110
. As shown in the
FIG. 2
, the base plate
110
is a rectangular plate having two longer edges than an other two edges and provided with a coin discharging chute
112
extending downwardly from the bottom of the base plate
110
.
A stand
113
is formed on a top surface of the base plate
110
by molding it in a body with the base plate
110
. The stand
113
approximately rectangular shaped, and has a size covering half of the length of the base plate
110
, and is provided with an opening
111
communicated with said discharging chute
112
for discharging coins. A guide recess
113
a
is extended from a portion of the opening
111
to a shorter edge than other two edges of the stand
113
opposing to the opening
111
.
Four supports
114
are formed in a body as the base plate
110
by molding and are protrude from the top surface of the base plate
110
for providing a space for a guide screw
147
to move. Two supports
114
are positioned at two corners of the base plate
110
opposing to the stand
113
and each of other 2 supports
114
is positioned respectively at near the longer edges of the base plate
110
. Each support
114
has a threaded recess for receiving a screw.
A supporting plate
131
is positioned on the four supports
114
and fixed by inserting screws
175
into the threaded recess. An elongate guide slot
131
a
is provided at the predetermined position of the supporting plate
131
for guiding and limiting the movement of the guide screw
147
.
A bracket
132
is placed on the supporting plate
131
and fixed on the supporting plate
131
by screwing the screws
175
via supporting plate
131
into the four supports
114
. The shape bracket
132
is an approximate U-shaped curved steel plate, and there is a hole on a convex top surface of the bracket
132
for accommodating an output shaft
133
a
of a motor
133
. Two wings protrude from two side walls of the bracket
132
for supporting the bracket
132
and for fixing the bracket
132
by screws
175
.
A motor
133
is disposed and supported on the convex top surface of the bracket
132
for providing rotating torque.
A cam
134
is connected to the output shaft
133
a
of a motor
133
by inserting the output shaft
133
a
into its central axial opening and fixing it with a screw. Under this connection, the cam
134
is rotatable in accordance with the rotation of the output shaft
133
a
of a motor
133
.
A pin
135
is force fit into a through hole of the cam
134
via sleeve
136
for enhancing the engagement of pin
135
with the through hole of the cam
134
. The sleeve
136
extends downwardly towards a slider body
141
and a guide hole
142
is formed on the slider body
141
for providing a contacting wall pushable by the sleeve
136
. A head of the guide screw
147
is supported by the top surface of the slider body
141
and a body of the guide screw
147
passes through the slider body
141
into the elongate guide slot
131
a.
Thus, when the output shaft
133
a
of the motor
133
rotates, the sleeve l
36
rotate in accordance with the rotation of the cam
134
, and the rotating sleeve l
36
pushes the wall of guide hole
142
, so the slider body
141
moves back and forth. At that time, the guide screw
147
is guided and limited by the elongate guide slot
131
a,
so a length and track of the reciprocating slider body
141
are also guided and limited.
Slider
146
is T-shaped shape and has a stem portion extending from the edge of the slider body
141
opposing to the stand
113
towards the opening
111
of the stand
113
and a head portion crossing the edge of the slider body
141
and protruding from the edge of the slider body
141
. There is a spring hole
144
on each protruded portion of the head portion respectively, for being hooked by a end of coil spring
148
.
A switch actuating protrusion
145
is provided on the head portion of the slider
146
for actuating a coin counter switch
127
. A cover plate
121
is disposed on the stand
113
for covering a top surface of the stand
113
. The cover plate
121
has a pair of wings
121
b
extended from both longer edges of the cover plate
121
and each end of the coil springs
148
is hooked by each of recesses
121
c
of the wings
121
b.
The cover plate
121
has a hole
121
a
formed for receiving a first pipe
122
for discharging coins. A second pipe
123
is connected to pipe
122
. Each
122
,
123
is for holding coins.
Threads are provided on a wall of the cover plate
121
forming hole
121
a
and these threads of the cover plate
121
engage with threads of the lower potion of the first pipe
122
. The first pipe
122
has a slot
122
a
for receiving absence sensing switch
125
. Threads are is provided on an inner wall of an upper portion of the first pipe
122
and the second pipe
123
is also provided with threads at its lower portion, so the first pipe
122
is coupled to the second pipe
123
by engaging these two threaded portions. A nut
123
a
is disposed for covering a coupled portion between the first pipe
122
and the second pipe
123
.
A bracket
124
is fixed on the cover plate
121
for supporting the absence sensing switch
125
. The absence sensing switch
125
has a switch arm
125
a
and a switch contact
125
b.
The switch arm
125
a
and the switch contactor
125
b
are inserted into the first pipe
122
through the slot
122
a
so that they may sense an insufficiency of coins. When there are coins more than, such as three coins, enough to exchange or pay the change in the first pipe, the coin push the switch arm
125
a
to contact with the switch contactor
125
b,
so a switch ON or OFF signal can be generated and outputted from the absence sensing switch
125
.
A bracket
126
is fixed on the cover plate
121
by screws for supporting the coin counter switch
127
. Screws
173
the bracket
126
on the cover plate
121
and screws
174
the coin counter switch
127
on the bracket
126
.
The coin counter switch
127
includes a switch arm
127
a
and a switch contactor
127
b.
When the slider
146
slides forth along the guide recess
113
a
for pushing a coin, the switch actuating protrusion
145
pushes the switch arm
127
a
to contact with the switch contactor
127
b.
This operation can be easily understood by referring to the
FIGS. 4A
,
4
B. That is,
FIGS. 4A
shows a state where in the slider
146
slides forth along the guide recess
113
a
for pushing a coin, and the switch actuating protrusion
145
pushes the switch arm
127
a
to contact with the switch contactor
127
b.
FIG. 4B
shows a state wherein the slider
146
slides back along the guide recess
113
a,
the switch actuating protrusion
145
releases, and the switch arm
127
a
separates from the switch contactor
127
b.
If the switch arm
127
a
contacts with the switch contactor
127
b,
the coin counter switch
127
counts a discharge of a coin and generates/outputs a signal representing a discharge of a coin.
The operation of the above mentioned conventional coin discharging apparatus will be explained with reference to
FIGS. 3A
,
3
B as follows.
As shown in
FIG. 3B
, when the slider
146
moves back, a
Bartuska F. J.
Birch & Stewart Kolasch & Birch, LLP
LG Industrial Systems Co. Ltd.
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