Patent Publication Number: US-6656034-B2

Title: Coin handling device with folding escalator

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to coin handling devices and, more particularly, to a coin handling device with a folding escalator. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     At the end of a gaming session on a coin-out gaming machine, a player presses a “cashout” or “collect” button and collects a number of coins corresponding to the number of credits remaining on the machine&#39;s credit meter. The gaming machine contains a coin handling device filled with coins. The coin handling device delivers the appropriate number of coins to a coin outlet and dispenses the coins into a coin tray or bin via the coin outlet. The coin handling device includes at least a coin hopper. 
     If, however, the coin tray is located above the hopper as in many slant-top gaming machines, the coin handling device may also include a coin escalator extending upwardly from the hopper to the coin outlet. The hopper may be mounted to the floor of the machine cabinet, while the coin tray is approximately adjacent to a button panel at a height well above the floor of the machine cabinet. The escalator successively receives coins from the hopper and conveys them upwardly in a single file to the coin outlet. It is sometimes necessary to remove the coin handling device from the cabinet for servicing or replacement. Because the escalator extends upwardly from the hopper, however, the cabinet may not provide sufficient clearance for removal and later installation of the coin handling device without tilting the device awkwardly as it is removed/installed or somehow disconnecting the escalator from the hopper prior to removal/installation. A need therefore exists for a coin handling device with escalator that facilitates removal of the device from the gaming machine cabinet and installation of the device into the cabinet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A coin handling device comprises a hopper and an escalator for receiving coins from the hopper. The escalator is connected to the hopper and extends upwardly from the hopper. At least a portion of the escalator is downwardly foldable toward the hopper to reduce an overall height of the coin handling device. The reduced height facilitates removal of the coin handling device from a gaming machine cabinet and installation of the device into the cabinet in the event the cabinet provides minimal clearance. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing and other advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings. 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coin handling device with folding escalator embodying the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a side view of the coin handling device with the folding escalator in an unfolded position. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the coin handling device with the folding escalator in a folded position. 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a pivot area of the folding escalator. 
     FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken generally along line  5 — 5  in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken generally along line  6 — 6  in FIG.  4 . 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged front view of the pivot area of the folding escalator when outfitted with an optional spring-loaded arm. 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged front view of the optional spring-loaded arm. 
    
    
     While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments have been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not intended to be limited to the particular forms disclosed. Rather, the invention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. 
     DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS 
     Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3  depict a coin handling device  10  comprising a coin hopper  12  and a coin escalator  14  for receiving coins from the hopper  12 . The escalator  14  successively receives coins from the hopper  12  and conveys them upwardly in a single file to a coin outlet of a gaming machine that houses the coin handling device  10 . The coins are dispensed into a coin tray or bin via the coin outlet. The escalator  14  is connected to the hopper  12  and extends upwardly from the hopper  12 . A substantial upper portion  16  of the escalator  14  is downwardly foldable toward the hopper  12  to reduce an overall height of the coin handling device  10 . During normal use of the coin handling device  10 , the escalator portion  16  is disposed in a generally vertical position as shown in FIG. 2 so that the coin handling device  10  has an overall height H 1 . When, however, the coin handling device  10  must be removed from a gaming machine cabinet for servicing or replacement or installed into the cabinet, the escalator portion  16  is folded downward from the generally vertical position to a generally horizontal position shown FIG. 3 so that the overall height of the coin handling device  10  is reduced to H 2 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the upper escalator portion  16  is connected to a remaining lower portion  18  of the escalator  14  by an inboard pivot  20  and an outboard latching mechanism  22 . The inboard pivot  20  preferably includes a pin and a bearing. The outboard latching mechanism  22  preferably includes a spring-loaded latch pin  22   a  and associated aperture  22   b . The latch pin  22   a  is mounted to the lower escalator portion  18 , while the aperture  22   b  is formed in the upper escalator portion. During normal use of the coin handling device  10 , the spring-loaded latch pin  22   a  engages with the aperture  22   b  to hold the escalator portion  16  in the vertical position. When, however, the coin handling device  10  must be removed from the cabinet for servicing or replacement, the latch pin  22   a  is released from the aperture  22   b  to allow the escalator portion  16  to be folded or pivoted about the inboard pivot  20  from the vertical position to the horizontal position. The escalator portion  16  is folded in an imaginary plane occupied by the escalator  14 , the inboard pivot  20 , and the outboard latching mechanism  22 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the coin handling device  10  preferably includes a retention mechanism  24  for retaining any coins in the escalator portion  16  while it is folded. The retention mechanism  24  preferably includes a spring-loaded arm  24   a , a pin  24   b , a torsion spring  24   c , and a curved slot  24   d . The pin  24   b  is mounted to an end of the arm  24   a  and is movable through the curved slot  24   d  formed in the escalator portion  16 . The arm  24   a  is biased in a clockwise direction by the torsion spring  24   c . The retention mechanism  24  is always active—during normal use of the coin handling device  10  and while the escalator portion  16  is folded. As coins are conveyed upwardly through the escalator  14  and pass through the junction between the upper escalator portion  16  and the lower escalator portion  18 , each coin pushes against the pin  24   b  and thereby forces the arm  24   a  and attached pin  24   b  to move counterclockwise against the bias of the torsion spring  24   c . Once the coin passes through the junction, the arm  24   a  and attached pin  24   b  return clockwise to the home position, where the pin  24   b  now stops the coin from falling downward back through the junction. In an alternative embodiment, the retention mechanism  24  may be designed to be activated by the release of the latching mechanism  22  and deactivated by the latching of the latching mechanism  22 , such that it is only active while the escalator portion  16  is folded. 
     As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, another coin retention mechanism  30  is preferably disposed at the exit end of the escalator portion  16 . The retention mechanism  30  includes a spring-loaded arm biased toward the illustrated position. The spring-loaded arm controls coins as they exit from the escalator portion  16  and, at the same time, prevents any coins in the escalator portion  16  from falling out via its exit end. As a coin exits from the escalator portion  16 , the coin pushes past the spring-loaded arm which, in turn, triggers a coin counter  28 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the coin handling device  10  includes a continuity mechanism  26  for sensing whether or not the escalator portion  16  is folded. The continuity mechanism  26  may be an electrical, magnetic, proximity, or other type of sensor known in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the continuity mechanism  26  is an electrical sensor formed by a conductive spring  26   a  and a pair of insulated electrical wires  26   b  and  26   c . The conductive spring  26   a  is mounted to the upper escalator portion  16 . The wires  26   b  and  26   c  terminate in respective conductive contacts mounted within an insulating plate  26   d . The insulating plate  26   d  is mounted to the lower escalator portion  18 . When the escalator portion  16  is not folded (i.e., vertical) toward the hopper  12  as in FIG. 2, the conductive spring  26   a  creates an electrical path between the wires  26   b  and  26   c . When the escalator portion  16  is folded (i.e., horizontal) toward the hopper  12  as in FIG. 3, the electrical path between the wires  26   b  and  26   c  is broken because the conductive spring  26   b  no longer bridges the conductive contacts at the upper ends of the wires  26   b  and  26   c.    
     The continuity mechanism  26  may be used to selectively disable the coin counter  28  (see FIG. 2) coupled to the mechanism. When the continuity mechanism  26  indicates that the escalator portion  16  is not folded toward the hopper  12  as in FIG. 2, the coin counter  28  counts any detected coins exiting from the coin escalator  14 . However, when the continuity mechanism  26  indicates that the escalator portion  16  is folded toward the hopper  12  as in FIG. 3, the coin counter  28  is preferably disabled so that the counter does not inadvertently detect and count any coins that may shift in the escalator  14  during the folding process. By disabling the coin counter  28  during the folding process, the counter will not receive any superfluous signals from its coin sensor. In addition to disabling the coin counter  28 , the hopper  12  is preferably disabled while the escalator portion  16  is folded toward the hopper  12 . 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to one or more particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that many changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Each of these embodiments and obvious variations thereof is contemplated as falling within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.