Abstract:
The size of a coin hopper on the whole is reduced, particularly providing fewer coin holes for discharging and accepting a coin. A container or coin hopper head generally of a cylindrical form stores a plurality of coins in a bulk condition. A disk is freely rotatably arranged within the bottom of this head, for releasing said coins. The disk has a one coin passage opening for accepting and releasing said coins.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]    This is a Divisional of application Ser. No. 09/982,706 filed Oct. 18, 2001, and the entire disclosure of this prior application is considered to be part of the disclosure of the accompanying application and is hereby incorporated by reference therein. 
     
    
     
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    This invention relates generally to coin hopper equipment for storing a plurality of coins in a loose condition, and for sending out or issuing coins one by one. The invention relates more particularly to a coin hopper that is used for vending machines including token and medal and machines as well as coin currency based machines and money changers with a very small coin hopper which is suitable for change equipment in changers used in retail stores, gamming establishments and so on. The term “coin” in this specification is used to refer to coins which are currency as well as small disk medals and tokens used in games.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    A small coin hopper equipment is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 10-333332 by this applicant. The Japanese Patent Application 10-333332 is laid-open in public as Japanese Patent Disclosure 2000-132723. FIG. 10 shows a perspective view which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 10-333332. FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the coin hopper of FIG. 10 with the upper part thereof removed. This small coin hopper has an electric motor  15 . Motor  15  has a driving shaft with a projecting end located directed downwardly. The small coin hopper has a primary gear (not shown) which is fixed on the projecting end of the driving shaft. The coin hopper also has a head  45  for storing a plurality of coins and a disk  41  within the bottom of head  45 , for releasing the coins one by one. In addition, the coin hopper has a second gear  25  for rotating the disk  41 . Further, the coin hopper has gears  17  and  23  forming a gear train for coupling the second gear  25  and said primary gear, and so on.  
           [0004]    In the conventional coin hopper as described above, a level base board  31  was used for miniaturizing the overall construction. The hopper used an electric motor placed at the corner of base board  3   1 . The gear train is placed under the base board  31 . However, in the prior configuration there was a limit to the degree of miniaturization of the overall coin hopper.  
         SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    It is an object of the invention to further miniaturize a coin hopper and particularly to decrease the size of the coin hopper as a whole.  
           [0006]    It is a further object of the invention to possibly decrease the number of open holes for accepting and discharging coins.  
           [0007]    According to the invention a coin hopper is provided with at least: a head or container of a generally cylindrical form, for storing a plurality of coins in a bulk condition. A disk is disposed freely rotatably arranged within the bottom of this head, for releasing the coins. An opening or open hole is provided in the disk, for accepting and releasing said coins. The open hole has two opening passages formed around or adjacent to the rotation axis of the disk.  
           [0008]    The two open holes are closed with respect to each other. Particularly, the two open holes have wall defining side surfaces separating the two open holes from each other.  
           [0009]    The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    In the drawings:  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1 is a perspective view which summarily shows an embodiment according to this invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the embodiment according to FIG. 1;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the embodiment according to FIG. 1 further exploded as compared with the showing of FIG. 2;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4A is a plan view of a disk arrangement of the embodiment according to FIG. 1;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 4B is a sectional view of the disk arrangement of the embodiment according to FIG. 1;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view which of the disk arrangement of FIG. 4;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a drive arrangement of an embodiment according to the invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the drive arrangement of FIG. 6 with an upper part removed;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a part of the drive arrangement with a further part removed;  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 9 is a perspective exploded view showing the embodiment of FIG. 3 further;  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a known coin hopper;  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 11 is a summary perspective view of the coin hopper shown in FIG. 10 after removing the upper part thereof; and  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 12 is a plan view showing another embodiment according to the invention. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0024]    Referring to the drawings in particular, a small coin hopper which is a practical example according to this invention is shown in FIG. 1. As a whole, the small coin hopper has a cube like shape. The small coin hopper has a container or head  11  of a large angle cylindrical form. The container or head  11  is for storing a plurality of coins in a loose condition. The container or head  11  is made of synthetic resin molded to provide the shape. The container or head  11  has an upper edge  12  formed at a level. The entire bottom surface  13  of the container or head  11  is formed extending obliquely relative to the level of the upper edge  12  and is round in shape (see FIG. 2).  
         [0025]    The container or head  11  has a slope plane  15  formed above the inside of whole bottom opening surface  13 . When this container  11  is removed, a synthetic resin molded base  21  shaped as a tilted trapezoidal is exposed as shown in FIG. 2. This hollow base  21  has a prismatic shape. The hollow base  21  has an upper surface formed in an extensive oblique base plane  22 . At the center of the base plane  22 , a large circular indent surface  23  is formed, as shown on FIG. 3. The indent surface  23  partially delimits a large metallic ring surface  26 . The ring surface  26  forms a sliding surface for the coins.  
         [0026]    An exit  20  for the coins is formed at a part of base plane  22  which is surrounding this ring  26 . This is an interruption of the indent surface  23 . A guide pin  27  for releasing the coin is placed near the coin exit  20 . The guide pin  27  is positioned to project at the inside margin of ring  26  for a spring (not shown). A part of the base plane  22  which forms the coin exit  20  is formed by means of metallic adjustment board  29 . This triangular adjustment board  29  is fixed by a screw and can be changed, when the coin size/type is changed. An appropriate adjustment board  29  may be replaced with an new appropriate adjustment board  29  to change the size/type of the coin. At the central portion of indent surface  23 , a hole  25  is provided. The hole receives penetrating rotating shaft  36  shown in FIG. 5.  
         [0027]    At the center of FIG. 3 a disk  31  is shown for dispensing the coins within head  11  one by one. The disk  31  is provided to rotate freely. The disk  31  includes a metallic thick disk, for example. To each side (right and left in FIG. 5) of the rotation axis  30  of disk  31 , open holes  32  are respectively formed. Each open hole  32  has opening surfaces which taper. Thus, each coin falls into each open hole  32  evenly and is prepared for the coin issuance. The entire upper surface of disk  31  is formed for as a sloping surface, provided in the embodiment shown as slightly concave.  
         [0028]    On the underside of disk  31  two projection divisions  33  are formed for issuing the coin (see FIG. 5). Each projection division  33  is formed so that it may act appropriately corresponding to each open hole  32 , respectively. Further, on projection division  33 , arc grooves  34  are provided for passing through the guide pin  27  (see FIG. 2). A small circular and metallic axial plate  35 , which is shown at the lower part on FIG. 5, is fit into ring  26  and rotated-freely.  
         [0029]    A short and metallic rotating shaft  36 , which is shown at the most-lower part in FIG.  5 , is fixed into the center hole of axial plate  35 , by means of staking, etc. The axial plate  35  is fixed on the underside of disk  31  by screws (not shown) via existing screw holes  39  shown in FIG. 5. A small hemispherical protrusion  37  is provided on the upper surface of disk  31  for stirring the coins. The protrusion  37  is fixed on disk  31 , for example, by a screw portion (not shown).  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 6 is a perspective view which summarily shows a drive connection or drive arrangement of an embodiment according to the invention. The disk  31  that is freely rotatable installed on base  21  as shown in FIG. 9. The rotating shaft  36  of disk  31  is freely rotatable and penetrates into the hole  25  at the center of indent surface  23  on base  21 . On the tip of rotating shaft  36  which is penetrated into hole  25 , a helical gear  51  is disposed and fixed. Further, at the tip of rotating shaft  36  that penetrates through helical gear  51 , a bearing  52  with summarized Y-shape is disposed.  
         [0031]    Each of three support tips  53  of bearing  52  is fixed on the back or lower surface of base plane  22 . The bearing  52  freely rotatable retains the rotating shaft  36 . More particularly, each of the support tips  53  of the bearing  52  is fixed by means of screw holes  55  (see FIG. 3) of ring  26  and screws (not shown).  
         [0032]    An assembly with a rectangular base, which is shown at the lower part of FIGS.  9 , is provided with a bottom base  61 . This bottom base  61  has a base plate portion  62  and a standing portion  63  provided for connection. These portions  62  and  63  are synthetic resin molded products. The bottom base  61  is fixed by screws (not shown) in order to close the bottom opening of base  21  (see FIG. 9).  
         [0033]    A shaft gear  60 , which engages with a helical gear  51 , extends up at the edge part of base plate portion  62  and is mounted freely rotatable as seen in FIG. 7. At the corner of base plate portion  62  between this shaft gear  60  and standing portion  63 , a stepped spur gear  65  is freely rotatably arranged. In addition, a stepped gear  66  is arranged extending in a level manner and freely rotatable, nearly at the center of base plate portion  62 . The small gear under stepped spur gear  65  and the large gear under stepped gear  66  are engaged together as shown in FIG. 8. Near the stepped gear  66  at the center of base plate portion  62 , a spur gear  67  is disposed and freely rotatably arranged.  
         [0034]    The spur gear  67  engages with the small gear on stepped gear  66 . A part of the stepped spur gear  65  which is arranged on the corner of base plate portion  62  protrudes therefrom as shown in FIG. 6. That is, a part of stepped spur gear  65  protrudes at the bottom corner portion of the coin hopper.  
         [0035]    This embodiment described above is used, as shown on FIG. 6, for example, with a small drive gear  72  fixed at the lower part of a long drive axis  71 . The small drive gear  72  engages the stepped spur gear  65  and the small drive gear  72  rotates the stepped spur gear  65 .  
         [0036]    When stepped the spur gear  65  is rotated, shaft gear  60  is rotated by intervening with stepped gear  66  and spur gear  67  as shown in FIG. 8. When shaft gear  60  is rotated, helical gear  51  is rotated (see FIG. 7). When helical gear  51  is rotated, disk  31  is rotated (see FIG. 9). As disk  31  rotates, the coins (not shown) with in the open holes  32  are discharged to the exit  20  (see FIG. 2). That is, the coins which fell into open holes  32  are pushed to the direction of exit  20 , by means of projection part  33 . The coin which is pushed by projection part  33  of disk  31  is discharged from exit  20 , by means of guide pin  27 .  
         [0037]    As two open holes  32  are provided in the practical example, one hole is filled with a coin while the coin remains in the other hole. Only one open hole  32  may be formed in disk  31 .  
         [0038]    As an example of this another embodiment of the invention is provided with the structure as discussed above wherein as disk  31  as shown in FIG. 12 is used. The disk  31  of FIG. 12 has only one open hole  32 . This single opening  32  in disk  31  is formed extending beyond the rotation axes  30  of disk  31 . The open hole  32  has a taper at the opening edge so that the coins may fall evenly (not shown). The projection division  33  is formed for issuing the coins, at the underside of disk  31 . A hollow groove  34  is formed at the projection division  33 , for passing the guide pin  27 . The circular, small and metallic axial plate  35  is freely rotatable fit into the ring  26 . The short and metallic rotating shaft  36  is fixed into the center hole of axial plate  35 , by means of staking and so on. The axial plate  35  is fixed on the underside of disk  31  by screws (not shown) using existing screw holes  39 .  
         [0039]    Still, the small hemispherical protrusion  37  on the upper surface of disk  31  is for stirring the coins. The protrusion  37  is fixed on the disk  31 , for example, by a screw connection (not shown). Also, though two open holes  32  were made in the practical example, it is of course possible for three and more open holes  32  to be formed. In this case, though the illustration was omitted, three and more open holes  32  may be formed to be at regular intervals around the rotation axis  30  of disk  31 . Also, disk  31  is manufactured from metallic thick plate in the practical example. The disk  31  may be made of worked sheet metal or the like. The disk  31  may be made from a synthetic resin molded product and the abrasion position may be covered with a metallic thin plate. Though gears of the practical example are made as synthetic resin molded products, it is of course possible to make the gears from a metallic thin sheet.  
         [0040]    As described above, this invention provides the ability to decrease the number of open holes for coin acceptance of the disk for coin emission. The effect of this is a simplified structure for a coin hopper and a miniaturization of the dimensions of the coin hopper. The invention presents the advantage that the size of the whole coin hopper can be very much reduced.  
         [0041]    While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.