Detector unit for coin blockage in a coin dispenser

Details Detector unit for coin blockage in a coin dispenser Detector unit for coin blockage in a coin dispenser

2001-12-12

2004-02-24

Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)

Coin handling

Deliverer

Delivery of a distinct number of plural coins from a single...

C453S049000, C194S200000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06695689

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to coin dispensers for dispensing stored coins, and more particularly to an improved detector unit assembly for detecting the blockage of coins being dispensed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Coin dispensing apparatus that can be mounted in various types of machines to dispense change and/or winnings in a gaming machine are well known. An example of a hopper type coin dispensing apparatus is seen U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,433. A storage hopper can store coins in bulk, and a rotary disk member can agitate the stored coins and selectively engage individual coins and rotate them to a coin dispensing passageway. Such coin dispensers can be installed within a gaming machine
100
disclosed in
FIG. 28
, having a coin hopper
101
, with a disk charge exit
102
. Referring to
FIG. 29
, a support frame
111
extends vertically upward from a base
110
. The base
110
can be mounted within the gaming machine. A hopper support base
112
is fixed to the frame
111
, at an angle of 60° to the horizontal. A motor
113
can be attached to the rear surface of the hopper base
112
. A rotation disk
114
, which can be driven by the motor
113
through a reduction gear, is mounted for rotation on a surface of the hopper base
112
. The rotating disk includes a coin supporting surface
116
, which extends annularly about the rim of the rotating disk
114
. A ledge or tier
115
is provided on the rotating disk
114
, while pins
117
are spaced at predetermined positions or intervals to be able to engage and separate individual coins on the coin load plane
116
for further support on the tier
115
.
A cylindrical hopper ring
118
is fixed on the hopper base
112
, and in turn, supports a coin bowl
119
that can be fixed to the hopper ring
118
. The coin bowl has a coin opening
120
on an upper side wall. A coin separating receiving knife edge
121
is fixed on the hopper base
112
and is located near the tier
115
.
A coin counter
130
includes a shaft
131
fixed to the hopper base
112
and a lever
132
which pivots around the shaft
131
. A count roller
133
is provided at the end of the lever
132
, while a count sensor will sense the movement of the lever
132
to provide a count of the coins being dispensed. A guide plate
134
can cover the base of the knife member
121
. A spring (not shown) can bias the lever
132
in a counter-clockwise direction. A stopper that is located on the hopper base
112
can be utilized to maintain the lever in a desired position. The coin passageway
135
includes the hopper base
112
, the guide plate
134
, and the upper surface of the knife member
121
to thereby provide a coin passageway
135
, with a coin exit
136
at the end of the passageway.
When a customer activates the gaming machine shown in
FIG. 28
by inserting a coin within the entrance slot
103
, game play is initiated. The coin can be dispensed into the coin bowl
119
through a duct (not disclosed). If the customer wins, the game machine, through a control device, such as a microprocessor based computer system, can output a signal to discharge a fixed number of coins. Upon such an occasion, the motor
113
of the coin hopper will rotate it, so that the rotating disk
114
(shown in
FIG. 29
) will rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. The coins will be agitated in the coin bowl
119
and individual coins can engage the pins
117
. The coins will be supported by the tier
115
as they are transported upward by the rotating disk
114
. When the coins come into contact with the knife member
121
, the coin will be released or redirected to the rotating disk
114
into the coin passageway
135
. The pin
117
will push the coin into the coin passageway
135
. A roller will contact the coin as it enters the coin passageway, and will in turn, move the lever
130
in a clockwise direction to provide an activation of a count sensor unit. The count sensor unit will output a signal every time a coin comes into contact with a roller
133
. When the count sensor becomes a predetermined number, the motor
113
will stop its rotation and thereby stop the discharge of the coins.
If a person attempts to insert a hand, or other object into the coin exit
102
during the discharging of the coins, the coin exit
136
can be blocked and the motor
113
will stop automatically, resulting either from a detection of a change in the electric current, from the resistance, or, for example, if the coin counter
130
does not output a signal. An unscrupulous person can contend that they had won the predetermined number of coins, but that the machine jammed and that they were cheated out of the dispensing of the coins.
Since there is a large number of coin dispensing hoppers already installed in gaming machines, there is a desire to not only address this problem in a relatively efficient and inexpensive manner, but also to provide a device that could be retrofitted on existing coin dispensing apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an improved coin dispensing mechanism and coin detecting unit which can efficiently determine a blockage or obstruction of coins being dispensed from the coin dispensing machine.
A coin passageway can have an upper undulating or irregular configuration to provide one or more compartments, or elevations, along the coin passageway to enable a coin to be moved apart from the support surface of the passageway, when a preceding coin is stopped in the passageway. A detector unit can be mounted adjacent or within, for example, a first compartment, or expansion of the coin passageway to operatively determine the location of a coin moved apart from the support surface and into the first compartment, to thereby generate a detection signal, indicating a blockage of the coin passageway. A deflector unit can be activated to deflect succeeding coins from being introduced into the passageway and to cause them to be returned to the storage hopper, when a blockage of the coin passageway occurs. Additionally, a second compartment, or elevation, in the passageway can receive a second succeeding coin that is moved apart from the support surface.
A counter unit is positioned between the detector unit and the deflector unit to provide an accurate count of coins even during a blockage of the coin passageway.
Various configurations of the coin passageway can be provided, along with various configurations of the detector member that can operatively detect a location of a coin forced upward into the first compartment above the support surface of the coin passageway.


REFERENCES:
patent: 821624 (1906-02-01), Weinreb et al.
patent: 3942544 (1976-03-01), Breitenstein et al.
patent: 4589433 (1986-05-01), Abe
patent: 5647469 (1997-07-01), Yamagishi et al.
patent: 5810655 (1998-09-01), Suzukawa et al.
patent: 5924919 (1999-07-01), Hirano
patent: 6059651 (2000-05-01), Abe et al.
patent: 6086472 (2000-07-01), Furukawa
patent: 6261170 (2001-07-01), Bell et al.
patent: WO-90/02389 (1990-03-01), None

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