Coin handling – Deliverer – Delivery of a single coin
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-08
2002-03-05
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Coin handling
Deliverer
Delivery of a single coin
Reexamination Certificate
active
06352472
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an improvement in a coin dispensing apparatus and more particularly to a coin ejection guiding mechanism of a compact configuration for efficiently directing coins that are dispensed at high speed from a coin supply hopper.
2. Description of Related Art
A large number of different coin dispensing apparatus have been proposed to address the requirements of vending machines, gaming machines, arcade machines, change dispensing machines, etc. When a significant number of coins, tokens, medallions, or other dispensed coin-like objects are ejected from a storage hopper within the dispensing apparatus, there has been a constant desire to increase the speed of dispensing of the coins in a safe and efficient manner. Referring for example to
FIGS. 3 and 4
, a prior art coin dispenser such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,122,094 is disclosed. A coin supply hopper
1
is mounted on a base plate
11
which is positioned at about 60° to a horizontal surface by the supporting frame
10
. A coin feeding rotary disc
2
is rotatably supported on the inclined base plate
11
within the coin supply hopper
1
through a central rotary shaft
12
.
The coin feeding rotary disc
2
has a disc body
3
with a circumferential wall
4
to provide a pan like shape. The disc body
3
is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced coin receiving through holes
5
which can, for example, hold five coins in each hole. The inner surface
4
b
of the wall
4
carries a plurality of coin agitating protrusions
6
at positions between the coin receiving holes. The coin agitating protrusions
6
are inwardly inclined from the top end
4
a
to the lower end of the circumferential wall
4
. The coin supply hopper
1
has a cylindrical lower portion
22
which is fixed to the inclined base plate
11
around the coin feeding rotary disc
2
and is further provided with a coin outlet
23
open at the downstream side of a coin outlet guide portion
17
for an elliptical coin guide plate
15
. A circular stage
14
has a thickness slightly larger than the thickness of a coin to be dispensed. The coin feeding rotary disc
2
is rotatably supported on the circular stage
14
whereby one coin will drop from a coin receiving through hole on the coin supporting surface of the base plate
11
between the coin feeding arms
13
. The guiding elliptical plate
15
is positioned around the circular stage
14
and a large diameter end portion has a central hole
16
. The large diameter end portion and the small diameter end portion have a pin
18
and a pin
19
, respectively, projecting from the surface of the guide plate
15
on the side of the inclined base plate
11
. The inclined base plate
11
is provided with a plurality of pin holes
20
a
,
20
b
. . . ,
21
a
,
21
b
which are spaced apart to receive the pins
18
and
19
, respectively. Thus, the elliptical coin guide plate
15
can be selectively set to change the position of the guide portion
17
in correspondence to a diameter of a coin to be treated between a small coin guide position defined by the pin holes
20
a
and
21
a
, respectively and a large coin guide position defined by the pin holes
20
b
and
21
b
, respectively.
At the upstream side of the coin outlet
23
, a fixed guide roller
24
is rotatably supported on a roller shaft
25
fixed to the base plate
11
and at the downstream side of the coin outlet
23
, a movable guide roller
26
is rotatably supported on a roller shaft
27
secured to a rockable actuator
28
of an outlet sensor. The outlet sensor actuator
28
is pivotally secured to a bracket
29
by a pivot pin
30
fixed to the base plate
11
. The roller shaft
27
of the moveable guide roller
26
is extended through an arched groove
31
formed in the base plate
11
. A coin counting sensor
32
is secured to the bracket
27
so that it is operated by the actuator
28
which is pushed against a spring force through the moveable guide roller
26
by a coin passing through coin outlet
23
.
An occasional problem occurs in releasing coins into the oblique upper part of the structure shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
in that such equipment cannot be compactly designed to meet all the requirements in coin dispensing equipment where space must be conserved. In other words, when a coin dispensing hopper, such as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, is installed into a coin dispensing apparatus, sufficient space must be provided to accommodate the functional arrangement of its constituent parts.
Another example of prior art is found in the Japanese Laid Open Application No. 7-112054 which attempts to provide a coin directing mechanism that would prevent conflict between succeeding coins that are ejected.
The prior art is still seeking improvements in the ejection of coins from coin dispensing apparatus to meet the demands of compact designs for modern usage.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a coin ejection guide assembly that can be mounted in a coin dispensing apparatus for the high speed dispensing of a coin from a plurality of stored coins, for example, in a storage hopper. A coin is removed from the storage hopper and individually directed along a passageway to a coin ejection or exit opening. The coin ejection guide assembly is mounted adjacent the exit opening of the coin dispensing apparatus and can include a movable member for contacting the exiting coin. A spring member can bias the movable member against passage of the coin with the movable member being a rotatable roller with a shaft journaled within an elongated camming opening. A relatively fixed contact member is positioned opposite the movable member and can be a rotatable roller that is positioned at a predetermined distance for insuring that the ejected coin is pushed against the movable member as it passes between the contact member and the movable member. A guide unit is located downstream of a movable member for contacting the ejected coin and changing its direction of movement from its initial contact against the movable member. Additionally, the spring energy that is stored when the movable member is pushed against the spring member can thereafter be applied as an injection force by further contact of the movable member with a rear edge of the coin so that it is propelled through the exit opening in the changed direction. The guide unit can further include a guide roller that is positioned at the end of a sloping guide rail to provide further control and direction to the ejected coin.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4518001 (1985-05-01), Branham
patent: 5122094 (1992-06-01), Abe
patent: 5810655 (1998-09-01), Suzukawa et al.
patent: 5924919 (1999-07-01), Hirano
patent: 6021884 (2000-02-01), Tsuchida
patent: 6039643 (2000-03-01), Kurosawa et al.
patent: 6059651 (2000-05-01), Abe et al.
patent: 6261170 (2001-07-01), Bell et al.
patent: 7-112054 (1995-07-01), None
patent: 9319908 (1997-12-01), None
Inozuka Takashi
Tsuchida Tamotsu
Asahi Seiko Co. Ltd.
Beauchaine Mark J
Price and Gess
Walsh Donald P.
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