Check-actuated control mechanisms – With means responsive to malfunction
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-15
2003-07-29
Lillis, Eileen D. (Department: 3652)
Check-actuated control mechanisms
With means responsive to malfunction
Reexamination Certificate
active
06598725
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an improved coinslide or similar check operated device for tokens, coins or currency. The device mechanically locks to prevent retraction of the slide or operator after the operator has been forced, making it impossible to break the coinslide and then operate the associated appliance one or more times without authorization.
2. Prior Art
Vending applications typically require the customer to submit a predetermined amount of currency to make a sale. Often a particular number of specific coins or tokens are required, such as specific denominations of coins. Alternatively the device may accept alternatives and it may give back change. In a familiar vending machine type, a specific number of coins of specific denominations are placed by the customer in a coin acceptor apparatus that is wholly or partly mechanical. The coin acceptor is provided as a part of a vending machine or is appended to the vending machine in a way that is accessible to the customer for operation, accessible to a management or maintenance person who periodically removes collected coins, and is coupled to activate the vending machine when a sale is made. The parts used by the customer are as accessible as possible and the coin collection and the activation particulars are necessarily protected and secure.
The customer submits the required currency by placing coins in marked receptacles, and attempts to operate the vending machine. Typically, the successful operation of the coin acceptor moves a mechanical part and/or causes an electrical contact closure and/or generates a signal to activate the vending machine to vend a product or service, and at the same time removes the currency to a protected collection point. The collection point can be in the acceptor or in the vending machine. The acceptor and the receptacle used for collection preferably are suitably secured by stoutly constructed structural parts, locks and other such features. The coin acceptor is intended reliably to detect when the correct currency (e.g., a complement of several coins) has been tendered and to operate the vending device to vend the desired products or services only when a correct payment has been made. The acceptor also is intended to accumulate and to protect the currency tendered in successive vending transactions. However the effort and expense devoted to security are advantageously reasonably comparable to the amount at stake. That amount might be considered as the value of one vending operation, or the value of the total usage of the vending machine between service stops, etc.
In the case of a coin acceptor, the acceptor activates electrical switch contacts or a mechanical latch or toggle or other triggering event when the correct coins or tokens are submitted, and fails to activate or trigger in other situations. Coins of a given denomination can be counted. Coins have distinct dimensions (diameter, thickness and possibly shape or edge configuration) to identify their denominations. Coins may also be distinct as to their material, density, weight, color and/or other detectable aspects. Size, weight, density, ferromagnetic character, appearance and other characteristics can be sensed and used individually or in combinations distinguish among coins or tokens.
Coin acceptors and similar devices might be more or less sophisticated. It is possible automatically to make any number of physical measurements to discriminate among coins of different denominations and/or to distinguish between coins and slugs or coins of different countries. However, time consuming, expensive and inconvenient techniques may not be justified in given circumstances. The amount of each vending operation may be relatively small. Machines may be attended and watched or otherwise subjected to alternative security.
As a practical matter, coins can be effectively discriminated by their size. The most convenient and effective vending mechanism is often the well-known coinslide. A coinslide is typically a coin-size-responsive check-freed mechanism that is wholly mechanical (requires no electric power) and either permits a control in the form of a slide plate to be moved manually in a guide track or prevents such movement. When moved, the sliding plate (“the slide”) or another part responsive to it, operates a control device and effects the vending operation. The slider can be moved when the correct coins are in place and not otherwise.
In a typical coin acceptor, a receptacle is provided with predetermined dimensions complementary to the expected coin size for each denomination. The receptacle may carry the coin along a constricted path as a slide is moved. The receptacle dimensions and the boundaries of the path both are specific to the expected size of the coin, and prevent “wrong” coins from advancing along the path with the slide to a detection point, or prevent a movable part of the device from being displaced as needed to operate the vending machine. In a coinslide arrangement for vending a washer or dryer cycle in a laundromat, or perhaps to release the balls to vend a game of pool, anywhere from two to seven coins might be called for, typically quarters, dimes and nickels.
Laundromat machines such as clothes washers and dryers are advantageously controlled using coinslides. Correct coins are needed to move a slide part of the coin acceptor to the end of its path, where an electrical or mechanical switch is located. The make-or-break contact action of the switch commences operation of the laundry device, which proceeds for one cycle of operation. The coins in the coinslide are removed and the slide is retracted such that a next vending operation requires a new complement of coins. Contact surfaces and toggling switches or other parts prevent the coinslide from being reciprocated only a short distance at the end of its stroke, which might operate the switch repeatedly. Also, there are techniques such as toggling mechanisms and the like that delay the coin drop or cause activation of the machine to await the operational point at which the coins have been collected. Some of these techniques can be defeated by breaking the mechanisms that keep the coinslide from being retracted into the starting position. This can be done in some mechanisms by using a crow bar, tire iron or other lever to pry at the end of the slide using a point on the casing as a fulcrum.
The typical laundromat coinslide is mounted on a coin collection box and protrudes from a point on the casing of a washer or dryer in an orientation where the coinslide is horizontal. Coin acceptors with similar coinslide structures also are used in devices other than laundry machines, such as games and in particular pay-to-play pool tables wherein balls dropping into the pockets are collected in a receptacle and a fee is paid to release the balls to commence a new game. The present invention is applicable to these vending situations and also to any other situation that is similarly operated by coins and a movable part such as a slide.
Coin slides as described can require one or two coins such as quarters, laid flat on the slide bar that is movable into a housing. For larger vending values, coin slides are known in which the coins are carried on edge. Coin receiving receptacles in coinslides have been made replaceable in a given slide to facilitate changing the amount to be charged for a vending operation. Exemplary coins slides are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,350,240; 4,401,202; 4,499,983; 4,515,262; 4,802,566; 4,828,096; 5,074,396; and 5,220,988, owned by the assignee of the present invention. Other examples can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,155,438; 4,502,584; 5,303,808; and 5,311,975. All these patents are hereby incorporated for their specific coinslide structures.
In a typical arrangement, several coins of the same or different denominations are placed on edge in close fitting coin receptacles. This is inherently selective because a larger diameter or thicker coin cannot fit into a receptacle tha
Duane Morris LLP
Equipment Systems & Devices, Inc.
Kwon Michael J.
Lillis Eileen D.
LandOfFree
Coinslide with mechanical latch that prevents retraction... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Coinslide with mechanical latch that prevents retraction..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Coinslide with mechanical latch that prevents retraction... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3069063