Abstract:
An apparatus for supporting objects to identify is manufacturable at low cost and is capable of providing correct images of the objects.  
     The apparatus has belts ( 19, 21 ) to transport the objects (M) through a photographing section ( 13 ). The apparatus also has strings ( 27, 29 ) stretched across the photographing section in the object transporting direction. Each of the objects transported by the belts to the photographing section is supported between the belts and the strings and is photographed from the string side.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to an apparatus for supporting objects such as coins, medals, and tokens that are transported, photographed, identified, and sorted.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    An example of an apparatus for supporting objects to identify is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-11629 shown in FIG. 8. The apparatus of FIG. 8 has a hardened glass  101  and a belt  103 .  
           [0005]    The belt  103  is driven to transport a coin  105  along the hardened glass  101 . A light source  107  emits light, which is reflected by the coin  105  and is received by a line sensor  109  that converts the received light into an electric signal. The electric signal is used to provide an image of the coin  105 .  
           [0006]    This related art has a problem that dust easily accumulates on and adheres to the hardened glass  101 , to prevent the apparatus from obtaining a clear image of the coin  105 .  
           [0007]    The hardened glass  101  is expensive to increase the manufacturing cost of the apparatus.  
           [0008]    The hardened glass  101  needs an intricate fitting structure, and therefore, the apparatus needs time and labor when repairing, replacing, and maintaining the same.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0009]    An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for supporting objects to identify, manufacturable at low cost, capable of providing a correct image of each object, and easy to maintain.  
           [0010]    In order to accomplish the object, a first aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for supporting objects to identify, having a belt configured to transport the objects through a photographing section and a linear material stretched across the photographing section in the object transporting direction. Each of the objects transported by the belt to the photographing section is supported between the belt and the linear material and is photographed from the linear material side.  
           [0011]    A second aspect of the present invention provides the apparatus of the first aspect with a frame configured to be detachably attached to the photographing section and having a photographing window across which the linear material is stretched, upstream and downstream guides arranged at upstream and downstream sides of the photographing window, respectively, configured to support the linear material, a slide face formed at least on the upstream guide and facing the belt, and a recess formed in the slide face, configured to receive the linear material. Each of the objects transported by the belt to the photographing section is slid and guided along the slide face on the upstream side of the photographing window toward the linear material and belt that therebetween support and transport the object.  
           [0012]    With the apparatus of any one of the first and second aspects, a third aspect of the present invention handles objects that are flat and have disk shapes of different diameters and employs a plurality of the belts and linear materials arranged in parallel with one another, the linear materials being distanced from one another to support and transport the objects of different diameters between the belts and the linear materials.  
           [0013]    According to the first aspect, the belt transports objects through the photographing section. The linear material is stretched across the photographing section in the object transporting direction. Each of the objects transported by the belt to the photographing section is supported between the belt and the linear material and is photographed from the linear material side. The photographed image of the object substantially entirely shows the object because the linear material on the object is linear and thin, and therefore, the photographed image is properly usable to identify and sort the object. The first aspect can correctly pick up an image of an object that is stably supported between the linear material and the belt. The structure of supporting an object between the linear material and the belt is manufacturable at low cost. The linear material hardly collects dust, and therefore, a correct image of an object can be taken and the object can correctly be identified according to the image.  
           [0014]    In addition to the effects of the first aspect, the second aspect employs the frame detachably attached to the photographing section and having the photographing window across which the linear material is stretched. The frame is detachable for easy maintenance, and therefore, the linear material is easy to replace. The second aspect further employs the upstream and downstream guides arranged at upstream and downstream sides of the photographing window, respectively, to support the linear material. At least the upstream guide has a slide face facing the belt. The slide face has a recess to receive the linear material. Each of the objects transported by the belt to the photographing section is slid and guided along the slide face on the upstream side of the photographing window toward the linear material and belt that therebetween support and transport the object. At this time, the object is smoothly shifted to the linear material and belt without an edge of the object hitting or damaging the linear material. This improves the durability of the linear material.  
           [0015]    In addition to the effects of the first and second aspects, the third aspect handles objects that are flat and have disk shapes of different diameters. The third aspect employs a plurality of the belts and linear materials arranged in parallel with one another. The third aspect properly separates the linear materials from one another so that the objects having different diameters are supported and transported between the belts and the linear materials. Namely, the belts and linear materials according to the third aspect can therebetween support each of the objects having different diameters, photograph the object stably supported, and provide a correct image of the object. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a plan view roughly showing an apparatus for supporting objects to identify according to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus serving as a sorter to identify and sort tokens;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is a partly broken enlarged view partly showing a transport path and a photographing section in the apparatus of FIG. 1;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view partly showing the transport path and photographing section of FIG. 2;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a frame with linear materials in the apparatus of FIG. 1;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the frame with linear materials of FIG. 4;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 6 is a right side view showing the frame with linear materials of FIG. 4;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view showing the linear material in the frame of FIG. 4; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an apparatus for supporting objects to identify according to a related art. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    [0024]FIG. 1 is a plan view roughly showing an apparatus for supporting objects to identify according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the apparatus serves as a sorter to identify and sort tokens that are used, for example, when playing game machines in a game arcade. In FIG. 1, the apparatus  1  has a base  3 , a turntable  5 , a side wall  7  formed along the periphery of the turntable  5 , and an opening  9  formed at a part of the side wall  7 .  
         [0025]    The opening  9  is connected to a transport path  11  having belts to be explained later. In the middle of the transport path  11 , there is a photographing section  13  where a frame  31  is arranged. The downstream side of the transport path  11  is divided into a collecting path  15  and a rejecting path  17 . Objects to be identified and sorted by the apparatus  1  are transported along the transport path  11 . The objects are, for example, flat and disk-like objects and serve as, for example, tokens used in a game arcade. The collecting path  15  passes objects identified as regular, and the rejecting path  17  passes objects identified as irregular.  
         [0026]    The photographing section  13  has an image-pickup device such as a CCD camera to photograph an object M transported to the photographing section  13  and provide an image of the object M. On the upstream side of the photographing section  13 , there is a sensor (not shown) to detect the object M, and a predetermined time after the detection of the object M, the photographing section  13  activates the CCD camera to pick up an image of the object M.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIGS. 2 and 3 show the details of the transport path  11  and photographing section  13 , in which FIG. 2 is a partly broken enlarged view and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view each partly showing the transport path  11  and photographing section  13 .  
         [0028]    The transport path  11  consists of a plurality of belts, for example, two belts  19  and  21  that run in parallel with each other along the transport path  11  and are driven from the upstream side toward the downstream side of the transport path  11  as indicated with an arrow mark A in FIG. 2. The belts  19  and  21  are made of, for example, rubber or resin and transport objects along the transport path  11  and pass the objects through the photographing section  13 .  
         [0029]    The photographing section  13  has a plurality of linear materials, for example, two strings  27  and  29 . The strings  27  and  29  are arranged in parallel with each other, are stretched in the object transporting direction, and are faced to the belts  19  and  21 .  
         [0030]    The strings  27  and  29  are linear materials made of, for example, nylon. In this embodiment, they are made from a fishing line.  
         [0031]    The strings  27  and  29  are distanced from each other. The string  29  is stretched substantially along the center line of the belt  21  to face the belt  21 , and the string  27  is transversally biased from the belt  19 . With this arrangement, the belts  19  and  21  and the strings  27  and  29  can therebetween support and transport an object having an optional diameter, e.g., an object M having a large diameter or an object M 1  having a small diameter. The large and small objects M and M 1  are restricted in their transversal movements by guides  23  and  25  when they are transported along the transport path  11 , so that each object can be positioned within a window  33  of the frame  31 . Irrespective of the position of the small object M 1  whether it is on one or the other side of the window  33 , the strings  27  and  29  surely come over and support the object M 1 .  
         [0032]    The strings  27  and  29  are fitted to the frame  31  across the window  33 . The window  33  serves as a photographing window when photographing an object (M, M 1 ) at the photographing section  13  with, for example, a CCD camera arranged above the frame  31 .  
         [0033]    The frame  31  is detachably attached to the base  3  in the photographing section  13 . The frame  31  has long holes  35  on each side of the transport path  11 . Bolts  37  are passed through the long holes  35  and are fastened to the base  3  to fix the frame  31  to the base  3 . With the long holes  35 , the position of the frame  31  is finely adjustable in the photographing section  13 .  
         [0034]    An object (M, M 1 ) is transported on the belts  19  and  21  to the photographing section  13 . At the photographing section  13 , the object is supported between the strings  27  and  29  and the belts  19  and  21  and is photographed from the string side.  
         [0035]    The details of the frame  31  and strings  27  and  29  will be explained with reference to FIGS.  4  to  7  in which FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the frame  31  and strings  27  and  29 , FIG. 5 is a bottom view showing the same, FIG. 6 is a right side view showing the same, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view showing the same.  
         [0036]    In FIGS.  3  to  6 , the bottom of the frame  31  is provided with guides  39  and  41  on the upstream and downstream sides of the window  33 , respectively, to support the strings  27  and  29 .  
         [0037]    The guides  39  and  41  are each quadrate and protrude toward the belts  19  and  21 . The guides  39  and  41  have slide faces  43  and  45 , respectively. The slide faces  43  and  45  are flat and are substantially parallel to the belts  19  and  21 . Each of the slide faces  43  and  45  is provided with recesses  47 . FIG. 7 shows the string  27  received in the recess  47  of the slide face  43 . The surface of the string  27  does not protrude out of the slide face  43  and is substantially flush with the slide face  43 . The same configuration is applied to the string  27  in the recess  47  of the slide face  45  and the string  29  in the recesses  47  of the slide faces  43  and  45 .  
         [0038]    From the upstream side of the window  33 , an object (M, M 1 ) is transported to the window  33 , and at there, is supported between the strings  27  and  29  and the belts  19  and  21 . On the downstream side of the window  33 , the object is shifted to the guide face  45  from between the strings  27  and  29  and the belts  19  and  21 .  
         [0039]    On the upstream side of the guide  39 , the frame  31  has through holes  49   a  and  49   b.  On the downstream side of the guide  41 , the frame  31  has through holes  51   a  and  51   b.  On the upstream side of the through holes  49   a  and  49   b,  the frame  31  has threaded holes  53  into which bolts  55 ,  57 , and  59  are screwed from the top surface side of the frame  31 .  
         [0040]    The bolts  55 ,  57 , and  59  have lock nuts  61 , respectively, to fix ends  63  and  65  of the strings  27  and  29 .  
         [0041]    According to the embodiment, the strings  27  and  29  are made from a fishing line. The fishing line is wound around the bolt  59  at the end  63 , is hooked around the bolt  57 , is passed through the through hole  49   a  to the bottom face of the frame  31 , is extended through the recess  47  of the slide face  43 , and is stretched across the window  33  to form the string  27 .  
         [0042]    Thereafter, the fishing line is extended in the recess  47  of the slide face  45 , is passed through the through hole  51   a,  and is pulled out of the top surface of the frame  31 . Further, the fishing line is passed through the through hole  51   b,  is extended in the recess  47  of the slide face  45 , and is stretched across the window  33  to form the line material  29 .  
         [0043]    Thereafter, the fishing line is passed through the recess  47  of the slide face  43  and the through hole  49   b  and is pulled out of the top surface of the frame  31 . Then, the fishing line is hooked around the bolt  57 , is wound around the bolt  55 , and is fixed at the end  65  with the lock nut  61  of the bolt  55 .  
         [0044]    In this way, the strings  27  and  29  can easily be arranged on the frame  31 .  
         [0045]    Operation of the apparatus  1  according to the embodiment will be explained. In FIG. 1, the turntable  5  is turned, and objects M move toward the periphery of the turntable  5  due to centrifugal force. The objects M are pressed against the side wall  7 , are moved along the side wall  7 , and are shifted onto the transport path  11  through the opening  9 .  
         [0046]    In the transport path  11 , the objects M are transported on the belts  19  and  21  in the direction of the arrow mark A. At this time, the guides  23  and  25  restrict the transversal movements of the objects M. Each of the objects M transported to the photographing section  13  is supported between the strings  27  and  29  and the belts  19  and  21 .  
         [0047]    When one object M is transported to the strings  27  and  29  and the belts  23  and  25 , the object M is guided by the slide face  43  of the guide  39  as shown in FIG. 3, and then, the object M is smoothly supported between the strings  27  and  29  and the belts  19  and  21 . The slide face  43  guides the object M so that a corner  67  of the object M may not directly hit or damage the strings  27  and  29 . This arrangement improves the durability of the strings  27  and  29 .  
         [0048]    Thereafter, the object M enters the window  33  and is photographed. At this time, the object M is stably supported between the belts  19  and  21  and the strings  27  and  29 , and therefore, the image-pickup device such as a CCD camera can correctly photograph the object M from the string side. The strings  27  and  29  are made from, for example, a fishing line, and therefore, are sufficiently thin to provide a clear whole image of the object M. With this image, the object M can correctly be identified and sorted.  
         [0049]    Thereafter, the object M is transported to the downstream side of the window  33  and is shifted to the slide face  45  of the guide  41  from between the strings  27  and  29  and the belts  19  and  21 . When the object M leaves the strings  27  and  29 , the guide  41  prevents the corner  67  of the object M from twisting the strings  27  and  29 , thereby improving the durability of the strings  27  and  29 .  
         [0050]    The object M is identified and sorted according to the image taken from the object M. If the object M is determined to be genuine, it is sent to the collecting path  15 , and if it is determined to be not genuine, to the rejecting path  17 .  
         [0051]    For the sake of replacement of the strings  27  and  29 , a plurality of frames  31  each provided with strings  27  and  29  may be prepared in advance. Then, the frame  31  with the strings  27  and  29  may easily be replaced with another. This realizes easy maintenance of the strings  27  and  29 .  
         [0052]    Further, the strings  27  and  29  can easily be removed from and fixed to the frame  31  by loosening and fastening the lock nuts  61 . This also realizes easy maintenance of the strings  27  and  29 .  
         [0053]    The present invention is achievable in many other forms. For example, the two belts  19  and  21  may be replaced with a single belt. The strings  27  and  29  may directly be attached to and stretched along the base  3 . The strings  27  and  29  may be made of any linear material. The objects to be identified and sorted according to the present invention may be tokens used in game arcades, coins, medals, and the like. The objects to be identified and sorted according to the present invention may be flat and may have circular shapes or any other shapes.