Check-actuated control mechanisms – With means responsive to malfunction
Utility Patent
1997-06-27
2001-01-02
Bartuska, F. J. (Department: 3652)
Check-actuated control mechanisms
With means responsive to malfunction
C194S317000, C453S057000
Utility Patent
active
06168001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A number of devices employ singulators, transport devices, sensors and/or diverters (STSD devices) for handling, identifying and/or discriminating coins or other small discrete objects. Examples include coin counting or handling devices, such as those described in U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/255,539, 08/237,486, and 08/431,070, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Other examples include vending machines, gaming devices such as slot machines, bus or subway coin or token “fare boxes,” and the like.
Many previous coin STSD devices were configured for use in devices which receive only one coin at a time, such as a typical vending machine which receives a single coin at a time through a coin slot. These devices typically present an easier sensing environment because there is a lower expectation for coin throughput, an avoidance of the deposit of foreign material, an avoidance of small inter-coin spacing (or coin overlap), and because the slot naturally defines maximum coin diameter and thickness. STSD devices that might be operable for a one-at-a-time coin environment may not be satisfactory for an environment in which a mass or plurality of coins can be received all at once in a single location (such as a tray for receiving a mass of coins, poured into the tray from, e.g., a coin jar). Accordingly it would be useful to provide coin handling components, and, particularly STSD devices, that, (although they might be successfully employed in a one-coin-at-a-time environment), can function satisfactorily in a device which receives a mass of coins.
In many situations, the reliability and accuracy of the coin sorting, identification and counting processes is very important and thus the process of removing non-coin matter before the coins are transported to sorting, identification and/or counting sensors is important. In many previous devices, coins are either inserted into a machine singularly, or in the case of large commercial sorting machines, by trained personnel. It has been difficult to successfully provide devices for handling mass-input coins for use by the general public, i.e. persons without special training or skills (such as machines located in a retail location, for receiving a mass of coins from a shopper, and outputting a voucher, credit, electronic funds transfer, or the like, for an amount related to the value of the coins. This is at least partially because it has been found that such untrained users are likely to empty their personal containers, such as old cans or bottles, directly into the hopper without first inspecting the coins. Thus lint, tokens, liquids and various other objects will often accompany the coins into the machine. The presence of non-coin matter is believed to be especially troublesome in the context of self-service, stand-alone, unmonitored and/or unattended devices, e.g. devices for counting/sorting coins for use by the general public or other non-trained persons. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide self service coin processing machinery which can process coins, received in a mass, and which are accompanied by non-coin matter.
It is believed that, to be successful, such devices must have relatively low fabrication and maintenance costs. Many previous coin handling devices attempted to avoid certain costs by using gravitational forces, e.g. for transporting coins past one or more sensors. While gravity-feed maybe suitable for some applications or in some parts of a machine, this approach can be undesirably affected by coin condition and/or the presence of non-coin objects or materials (which are particularly common in self-service, untrained-user applications), and which may lead to jams and/or inaccuracies in coin discrimination or counting. Accordingly, it would be useful to provide a coin-handling device which has relatively low fabrication and maintenance costs, while reducing or eliminating inaccuracies or jamming.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a coin-handling device which, rather than being gravity-fed, provides positive positioning and/or transport of coins, e.g. past a sensor. In one embodiment a single hopper structure achieves singulation, transport, sensing and diversion, preferably all performed on or adjacent a single rotating disk. The disk defines one or more pockets which receive coins from a mass of coins in an adjacent bowl. The disk and, optionally, adjacent fingers and ledges, are configured to position, at most, one coin in each pocket, thus achieving singulation, as the disk rotates. Rotation of the disk carries the pockets past at least one sensor, thus achieving transport and sensing functions, without the need for relying on gravitational forces to achieve such transport and sensing. In this way, the position and velocity of a coin, as it moves past the sensor, is known (within a tolerance) which permits the coin counting/discrimination hardware or software to be less complex, and, typically, more accurate, compared to many gravity-fed systems.
In one embodiment, a ramp can be selectively lowered to divert coins (or other objects) from pockets, thus achieving the diversion function. Preferably the device is configured such that unrecognized objects remain in the pockets to travel past the diverter (and are preferably delivered to a reject or customer-return chute), while recognized, valued coins (or other objects) are removed from pockets as they rotate to the diverter. Such an active acceptance device is believed to result in increased accuracy (compared to, e.g., an approach in which unrecognized or unaccepted coins or other objects are diverted in order to separate them from accepted coins).
Accordingly, in one embodiment, the functions of singulation, transport, sensing and diversion occur adjacent a single disk, such as in or adjacent to a hopper device. The reduction in part-count and complexity that this approach permits is believed to contribute to lower fabrication and maintenance costs, while permitting construction of a device that has high accuracy, particularly for self-service, untrained-user, mass-input applications.
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Bartuska F. J.
Coinstar Inc.
Sheridan & Ross P.C.
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