Check-actuated control mechanisms – Control mechanism actuated by check – other than coin – which... – Having means to test physical characteristic of check
Patent
1993-05-24
1995-08-01
Bartuska, F. J.
Check-actuated control mechanisms
Control mechanism actuated by check, other than coin , which...
Having means to test physical characteristic of check
209524, 209538, G07F 706, B07C 5342
Patent
active
054373581
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a device for checking the marking of a cup for the purposes of cup acceptance in cup return automats.
Cup return automats should provide an incentive for used cups, especially drinking cups, to be collected and passed on to an organized waste disposal facility and if desired waste recycling. Accordingly, the new cups are dispensed in return for a deposit, which is refunded by cup return automats on insertion of the used cup. In order to prevent misuse, the cup is provided with a suitable marking. The acceptance of the used cup by the cup return automat, or at least the return of deposit, only then takes place when the cup is actually one with the right marking and the marking is recognized as correct by the cup return automat. In order that such a disposal system can be implemented in practice, the device used in the cup return automat to check the cup marking and for cup acceptance must not only work reliably by also have as simple and inexpensive a construction as possible, so that the installation of such automats is within one's means and justifiable in cost terms.--The invention is based on the object of providing a device of the kind initially referred to fulfilling these requirements.
The device according to the invention meeting this object is characterized by a guide cylinder receiving the cup, with upper and lower open ends and a window provided in the sidewall of the guide cylinder, further by at least one reflective light beam detector arranged outside the guide cylinder close to the window, with a detection region directed into the interior space of the guide cylinder, further by a signal processing circuit connected electrically to the light beam detector and which evaluates the marking located on the cup and detected by the light beam detector, and by a catch member and a positioning member, which are both arranged in axial projection diametrically opposite the window and in the direction of the axis of the guide cylinder below the window, with the positioning member lying between the window and the catch member, and which are both movable by their own controllable drive members into and/or out of the interior space of the guide cylinder, whereby, in its state positioned in the interior space, the catch member forms a stop for the cup rim preventing the cup falling through the guide cylinder, and the positioning member applies the cup held on the catch member with the cup wall against the margin of the window.
The advantages obtained with the invention consist firstly in the use of reflective light beam detectors with associated signal processing circuits, which are available inexpensively in the trade for testing the markings on marking carriers, provided however that the marking carrier can be approached closely to the reflective light beam detector. In the framework of the invention, this requirement is met with the aid of the catch member and the positioning member, through which the cup in the guide cylinder is tilted in the direction against the window and is applied with its sidewall carrying the marking against the margin of the window, which brings the marking very close to the reflective light beam detector, so that a reliable marking test is possible. A further advantage arises in that the guide cylinder in conjunction with the catch member only make acceptance of the cup possible with the cup has a position and orientation determined by the guide cylinder and catch member, in which the further handling of the cup, especially stacking the cups in space-saving cup columns, is facilitated. A particularly advantageous embodiment in this respect is characterized in that the reflective light beam detector and the catch member are so spaced from one another in the axial direction of the guide cylinder that, with a cup held on the catch member, the cup marking is only at the height of the reflective light beam detector when the cup is located in the guide cylinder with the mouth of the cup directed downwards, and in that a stacking shaft is provided below the gu
REFERENCES:
patent: 4245731 (1981-01-01), Herbst et al.
patent: 4248389 (1981-02-01), Thompson et al.
patent: 4284334 (1981-02-01), Hanley et al.
patent: 4316533 (1982-02-01), Hughes et al.
patent: 4919274 (1990-04-01), Hammond
patent: 4953682 (1990-09-01), Helbawi
Patent abstracts of Japan, vol. 1, No. 58 (E-24) Jun. 6, 1977 & JP, A, 52 0 498 (Kishiro Sanso) Jan. 5, 1977.
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