Coin handling – Deliverer – Delivery of a single coin
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-30
2001-10-16
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3652)
Coin handling
Deliverer
Delivery of a single coin
C453S050000, C453S051000, C453S052000, C453S053000, C221S132000, C221S091000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302777
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pocket sized coin holders.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Coin holders and dispensers are conventionally known in several forms. In one common form, as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,893 to Mangigan, issued Dec. 7, 1993, the dispenser has a crescent shaped ledge at the top of each chamber, opposite an ejection opening, to retain the coins. Each chamber contains a plate-like follower over a compression spring which urges a stack of coins upwards against the ledge. The follower and the stack of coins will easily tilt when pressured by a user's finger. A portion of the topmost coin is exposed and may be slid out by the user.
In one prior art device, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,321 to Benson, issued Jun. 25, 1991, the chamber also includes a lip which retains the topmost coin from sliding out. The coin stack must be tilted such that the outer edge of the topmost coin passes over the lip, at which point the coin may be slid out from the chamber.
These and other prior art devices compromise their design as a result of two conflicting design goals: the coin holder must securely retain the coins and prevent unintentional ejection while allowing easy and convenient removal of coins when desired. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved coin holder which achieves both goals of security and convenience.
Also, lower denomination bills are being replaced by coins in many countries. Canada now issues one and two dollar coins and as result has six different coins in mass circulation. In order of increasing size, they are the 10 cent piece, the penny, the 5 cent piece, the 25 cent piece, the dollar coin and the two dollar coin. As well, the United States will soon be using a one dollar coin in place of the one dollar bill. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a coin holder which is compact enough to comfortably carry in a pocket or purse while being able to carry many different coin sizes securely.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a coin holder. In one aspect of the invention, the invention comprises a coin holding apparatus comprising:
(a) a disk shaped casing comprising an upper wall, a lower wall and a peripheral wall, wherein said casing defines at least one internal coin well for receiving a substantially circular coin of a certain diameter and thickness, said coin well having an opening which:
i. opens through a gap in the peripheral wall wherein the width of said gap is larger than the diameter of the coin and the height of said gap is larger than the thickness of the coin; and
ii. opens through the upper wall such that an outer portion of the coin well is open through the opening and an inner portion of the coin well is covered by the casing;
(b) a band which encircles and rotationally engages the casing peripheral wall and which comprises at least one projection along a portion of the band wherein said band is rotatable between a closed position where the at least one projection blocks the peripheral surface gap of the at least one opening thereby blocking lateral removal of a coin from the coin well and an open position where the at least one projection does not block the peripheral surface gap; and
(c) a retaining disk which is positioned within the at least one coin well and which is moveable vertically within the coin well; and
(d) biasing means for urging the disk towards the upper wall of the casing.
In one embodiment, the coin well has two coin openings wherein the first opening opens through the upper wall and the second opening opens through the lower wall and the apparatus further comprises a second retaining disk which is positioned within the at least one coin well and which is moveable vertically within the coin well and biasing means for urging the first disk towards the upper surface and the second disk towards the lower surface. Preferably, there are at least two, and preferably three, coin wells of different sizes to accommodate coins of different diameters, where each coin well has a first and second opening.
In one embodiment, the casing comprises an upper wall casing half and a lower wall casing half which mate together. In a preferred embodiment, the two casing halves are bonded together. More preferably, the two casing halves are held together by at least one pair of interlocking pins, one of which is inserted through the upper casing wall and one of which is inserted through the lower casing wall.
In another aspect of the invention, the invention comprises a coin holding apparatus comprising:
(a) a circular casing having a top side and a bottom side and internal walls defining three coin wells, each coin well having a first opening through the top side and a second opening through the bottom side, wherein each opening is sized to permit a coin to be slid into and out of the coin well laterally but not vertically;
(b) a first disc and a second disc each disposed in each coin well and each moveable vertically within each coin well;
(c) biasing means for spreading each first and second disc pair apart within each coin well;
(d) a band which rotationally engages the circumference of the casing, wherein said band defines six projections, each projection corresponding to an opening, and wherein said band is moveable between a closed position where each projection blocks its corresponding opening to prevent lateral movement of a coin positioned within the coin well and an open position where the projection does not block its corresponding opening.
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Bennett Jones LLP
Ellis Christopher P.
Shapiro Jeffrey A.
Unitylab Inc.
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