Patent Publication Number: US-2005118942-A1

Title: Coin/token dispenser

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
      The present invention relates to coin/token dispensers incorporated in automatic vending machines, fair adjusting machines and soon, for on-demand dispensing of coins or tokens (hereinafter simply called coins) from stacks of coins of a variety of kinds.  
     BACKGROUND ART  
      Conventionally, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,797,476, 5,853,322, and 5,830,055, a coin dispenser of this kind has a main body including a detachable coin stacker which holds stacks of coins of different kinds. The coin stacker holds the coins in an array of tall and upright holders each holding a stack of coins of one kind. Each holder has a bottom end formed with a dispensing port from which the coins can be dispensed one by one.  
      The dispenser main body also includes a dispensing mechanism disposed near the dispensing port of the coin stacker for operation under “Dispense change” commands from a computer or other arithmetic operator. The dispenser main body further includes a shoot. The coins pushed out by the dispensing mechanism are guided by the shoot to a cup-shaped coin sump which is provided e.g. on a side of the dispenser main body.  
      According to the U.S. Patent Publication No. 5,830,055, the dispensing mechanism which operates on “Dispense change” commands is on the back side of the coin stacker when the coin stacker is mounted. The dispensing mechanism includes an actuator provided by an electromagnetic solenoid. The electromagnetic solenoid incorporates a linearly-moving plunger which moves in two horizontal directions, i.e. a forward pushing-out direction and a rearward direction. When the electromagnetic solenoid is activated to move the plunger in the forward pushing-out direction, the plunger pushes a coin at the bottom of a corresponding stack of the coins, in the forward direction, out of the dispensing port of the coin stacker. The shoot, which is slanted, right ahead and below the coin stacker, guides the discharged coin into a cup-shaped coin sump out of the dispenser main body.  
      In the above dispenser, in order for the plunger to be able to push out a coin as well as for the plunger front end to come back to behind the next coin to be pushed out of the stack, the plunger has to have a traveling stroke (traveling distance) in the push-and-retract (traveling) directions which is larger than the largest of diameters of the coins. Unavoidably therefore, there is a need for an electromagnetic solenoid capable of giving a traveling stroke large enough in the push-and-retract (traveling) directions. The electromagnetic solenoid must be placed near the bottom of the upright coin stacker, and in line with the coin discharging direction (perpendicularly to the coin stacking direction), sacrificing a long space. This layout ends up with a large dimension in the depth of the dispenser main body, specifically in the depth of a lower portion than where the coin stacker is mounted. (In other words, the dimension is inconveniently large in a direction perpendicular to the array of coin holders in the coin stacker and perpendicular to the coin stacking direction, i.e. in the direction where the coins are dispensed.)  
      When placing such a coin dispenser on a counter space, there is a problem that the coin dispenser limits the use of greater counter space.  
     OBJECT OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention was made in order to solve the above problem, and it is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a compact coin dispenser for effective use of counter space.  
      Another object is to provide a long pushing stroke for the coins, through the use of a short-stroke electromagnetic solenoid.  
      Still another object is to improve on positioning accuracy of a pusher which dispenses coins one by one at a lower end of the coin holder.  
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION  
      A first aspect to accomplish the above-mentioned objects provides a coin/token dispenser including: a main case having a front surface; a coin stacker detachably mounted to the front surface for holding a stack of coins; and a dispensing mechanism incorporated in the main case for dispensing the coins from a lower end of the coin stacker out of the dispenser through a shoot. The dispensing mechanism includes an actuator disposed on a back side of a support plate of the main case which supports a back surface of the coin stacker. The actuator moves in up-and-down directions along the support plate, moving a pusher generally along a lower base portion of the coin stacker, and causing the pusher to push one of the coins out of the lower base portion of the coin stacker. The actuator is provided by an electromagnetic solenoid. The electromagnetic solenoid includes a plunger moving generally in up-and-down directions along the support plate.  
      A second aspect provides the dispenser, wherein the dispensing mechanism includes the pusher and a link connecting to the plunger of the electromagnetic solenoid. The pusher is movable back and forth along a guide formed in the support plate, and the link has an intermediate portion pivotably supported by a horizontal shaft.  
      A third aspect provides the dispenser, wherein the dispensing mechanism further includes an urger for urging the plunger in a protruding direction. The lower base portion of the coin stacker has a passage for the pusher to travel through, and a regulator regulating a vertical position of the pusher. Further, the urger urges the pusher onto the regulator. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a dispenser according to the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a front view thereof, with partial cutout;  
       FIG. 3 ( a ) is a sectional view taken in lines IIIa-IIIa in  FIG. 2 ;  
       FIG. 3 ( b ) is a sectional view showing a primary portion of a coin stacker positioning support;  
       FIG. 4  is a front view of the coin stacker;  
       FIG. 5  is a rear view of the coin stacker;  
       FIG. 6  is a side view, with partial cutout, of the coin stacker standing separately;  
       FIG. 7  is a sectional view showing a primary portion of a dispensing mechanism;  
       FIG. 8 ( a ) is a view taken in lines VIIIa-VIIIa in  FIG. 7 ;  
       FIG. 8 ( b ) is a view taken in lines VIIIb-VIIIb in  FIG. 8 ( a ); and  
       FIG. 8 ( c ) is a view taken in lines VIIIc-VIIIc in  FIG. 8 ( a ).  
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION  
      Next, with reference to  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 8 , description will be made for a preferred embodiment of the coin dispenser according to the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 1 , a coin dispenser  1  includes a coin stacker  2  capable of holding stacks of coins  10  by the kind, and a main case  3  which has a front face for detachable mounting of the coin stacker  2  and incorporates a dispensing mechanism  4 . The main case  3  has a front lower portion, near which there is provided a shoot  5  (See  FIG. 2 ) for discharging the coins  10  dispensed from a lower base of the coin stacker  2  by the dispensing mechanism, out of the dispenser. The main case  3  has a side surface formed with a discharge port  6  communicating with a lower end of the shoot  5 . The discharge port  6  communicates with a dish-like coin sump  7  which is detachable or fixed.  
      First, the coin stacker  2  will be described. As shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6 , the coin stacker  2  includes a metal or plastic column array  13  fixed with e.g. screws to a frame  9  which is formed by a pair of left and right side plates  18  made of metal, an upper rear plate  19  and a metal base member  12  having a shape of L as viewed from a side. The column array  13  includes a plurality of standing holder columns  14  each being generally tubular and capable of holding a column of coins of one kind stacked up horizontally. Each of the holder columns  14  has a front face formed with a longitudinal opening  14   a.    
      The opening  14   a  in each holder column  14  has a width W 1  (See  FIG. 8 ( a )) which is smaller than the diameter of the coins to be held inside. Each holder column  14  has an upper end opening from which the coins  10  can be filled. Further, each holder column  14  has a lower end, which is fixed and supported by a front-facing support  15  of the lower end of the base member  12 , to support the lower surface of the coin  10  stacked in the holder columns  14 . Each holder column  14  has a lower end formed with a pair of left and right dispensing grooves  16 ,  16  (See  FIG. 8 ( b )) which provide an opening of: a diameter D 1  which is slightly larger than a diameter D 0  of the coins  10  held inside; and a height t 0  which can be passed by only a coin  10   a  i.e. the lowest one of the stacked coins  10  held on the front-facing support  15 , to be pushed through in the forward direction. Thus, the opening between the pair of dispensing grooves  16 ,  16  serves as an exit for the single coin  10   a  which is the lowest one of the horizontal stack of the coins  10 .  
      In the present embodiment, the coins  10  to be dispensed are Euro coins (currency unit: Euro) according to the EC monetary union. The coins include eight kinds, namely, 0.01 Euro coin (16.25 mm diameter, 1.70 mm thickness), 0.02 Euro coin (18.75 mm diameter, 1.70 mm thickness), 0.05 Euro coin (21.25 mm diameter, 1.66 mm thickness), 0.10 Euro coin (19.75 mm diameter, 1.91 mm thickness), 0.20 Euro coin (22.25 mm diameter, 2.11 mm thickness), 0.50 Euro coin (24.25 mm diameter, 2.39 mm thickness), 1.00 Euro coin (23.25 mm diameter, 2.34 mm thickness), and 2.00 Euro coin (25.75 mm diameter, 2.20 mm thickness). For a reference, currency coins in Japan include 6 kinds, namely 1 yen, 50 yen, 5 yen, 100 yen, 10 yen and 500 yen in the increasing order of diameter. Thus, for the Japanese coins, the column array  13  will include six holder columns  14 .  
      A passage  17  is formed at the front-facing support  15  and the lower base of the base member  12 , extending in line with a diameter of the coins  10  so that a pusher  20  to be described later can move back and forth (See  FIG. 8 ( a ) and  FIG. 8 ( b )). The upper rear plate  19  of the frame  9  has an upper end provided with a metal lid  21  to cover an upper portion of the column array  13 , serving as a movable lid to the upper front face and the upper end openings (from which coins are filled) of all holder columns  14 . The lid  21  can be opened and closed on a hinge  22 , and is secured by a pair of hooks  23 , each urged by a coil spring  25  in a direction of engagement with a pin  24  provided on the left and right sides of the frame  9  (See  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 3 ( a )). The lid  21  has an upper surface provided with a handle  26  so that the coin stacker  2  can be easily carried (See  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 ).  
      The coin stacker  2  allows easy refilling of the coins  10  since the holder columns  14  can be tilted back. Specifically, along a general center line which halves the column array  13  into left and right sides, there is formed a vertical sheath groove  27  opening on the rear surface of the coin stacker  2 . The sheath groove  27  is fitted by a platy support  29  which has an upper end formed with a long hole  30 . The long hole  30  is fitted by a pivot pin  28 , making the platy support  29  pivotable. When pivoted out, the platy support  29  has its lower end coming out of the coin stacker  2 , with a lower surface of the platy support  29  making contact with the table for example. The platy-support  29  has a slanted upper front surface  29   a,  which makes contact to a bottom surface of the sheath groove  27 , to prevent the pivoting angle from becoming greater. Thus, as shown in  FIG. 6 , the front surface of the coin stacker  2  is tilted rearward. When the platy support  29  is raised so that the pivot pin  28  comes in the lower end of the long hole  30 , the platy support  29  can be moved back in parallel to the sheath groove  27 . In this state, the lower end of the platy support  29  makes contact with an inside surface of the base member  12 , and the platy support  29  will not come out.  
      The main case  3  has a front face provided with a support plate  32  which is tilted-back so its upper portion is farther away from the front. The support plate  32  has a lower portion extended to a forwardly bent portion  32   a  and then to a front wall plate  38  which goes downward. Between this wall plate  38  and a front cover member  39 , there is fixed a slider  5   a  which is a plate of metal providing the shoot  5  for the coins  10  to be discharged (See  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ( a )). The forwardly bent portion  32   a  has an upper surface, with a left and a right sides each provided with a conical positioner  37  (See  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 ( b )). Correspondingly, the coin stacker  2  has a lower surface, with a left and a right ends each formed with a fitting hole  50 . When a base  37   a  of each positioner  37  is contacted by the lower surface of the base member  12 , the coin stacker  2  is at a predetermined position laterally and vertically.  
      When the coin stacker  2  is mounted on the front face of the main case  3 , an upper projection  29   b  of the platy support  29  fits into a vertical groove (not illustrated) in a support plate  32  of the main case  3 . In addition, when a locking bolt  34  of a lock  33  is turned horizontally on the upper surface of the main case  3 , thereby moving a tip of the locking bolt  34  to engage with a hole  35  in the projection  29   b,  the coin stacker  2  is integrated with the main case  3 , and becomes non-removable (See  FIG. 3 ( a )). The locking and unlocking operation is made with a key  36 .  
      Next, the dispensing mechanism  4  in the main case  3  will be described. Between the support plate  32  of the main case  3  and a detachable rear cover  40 , and behind each of the holder columns  14 , there is disposed an electromagnetic solenoid  41  serving as an actuator in the dispensing mechanism  4 , a link  42  connected with the electromagnetic solenoid  41 , and the pusher  20  connected with the link  42  (See  FIG. 2 ). The electromagnetic solenoid  41  is fixed to a back surface of the support plate  32  with screws for example, so that a plunger  43  of the electromagnetic solenoid  41  will travel up and down along the support plate  32 . The link  42  includes a link member  44  which generally has a shape of an inverted L as viewed from a side, with an intermediate portion pivotably supported by a horizontal shaft  45  for pivotal movement in a vertical plane. Therefore, according to the embodiment, the horizontal shaft  45  which is held horizontally behind the support plate  32  supports the same number of the link members  44  as of the holder columns  14 , each spaced by a predetermined distance from another.  
      The plunger  43  stays popped out of the electromagnetic solenoid  41  when electric signal (drive signal) is turned OFF. Each plunger  43  has an end to which a shorter arm of the link member  44  is pivotably connected with a pin  46 . The longer arm of the link member  44  also has an end which is pivotably connected to a base of the pusher  20  with a pin  47 . As shown in  FIG. 8 ( a ) through  FIG. 8 ( c ), the pusher  20  has a shape of an inverted U as viewed from a side, with its upper plate portion  20   a  being formed with a long longitudinal guide slit  49 , and laid in the direction in which the coins  10  are to be pushed. The pusher  20  has a front end facing forward, through a guide hole  54  which serves as a guide in the support plate  32 , and through the passage  17  in the base member  12  of the coin stacker  2 .  
      The pin  47  which connects the pusher  20  and the link member  44  is surrounded by a coil spring  51  serving as an urger. The coil spring  51  has an end engaged with a lower side of the pusher  20 , while-another end of the coil spring  51  is engaged with a rear side of the link member  44 . Thus, the pusher  20  is urged so that its front end portion makes contact with an upper surface of the guide hole  54  in the support plate  32  (See  FIG. 7 ). With the contact of the front end upper surface of the pusher  20  with the upper surface of the guide hole  54 , the urge causes the base end side of the pusher  20  to be urged upward. This urge causes the link member  44  to pivot counterclockwise as in  FIG. 7 , causing the tip of the plunger  43  to be pushed out. The guide hole  54  has an upper center portion integrally formed with a downward protruding guide projection  53 . The downward protruding guide projection  53  fits in the guide slit  49  in the upper surface plate portion  20   a  of the pusher  20 . It should be noted here that dimensional relationship between the height of the guide hole  54  and the projecting length of the downward protruding guide projection  53  is such that the lower end of the downward protruding guide projection  53  is not supported by the upper surface plate portion  20   a  yet the dimensions allow insertion of the front end of the pusher  20 .  
      At the base of the base member  12  in the coin stacker  2  where the base meets the passage  17 , there is formed a cutout or a regulating groove  52  (See  FIG. 8 ( b )) which makes contact with the upper surface of the upper surface plate portion  20   a  of the pusher  20 , thereby regulating the vertical position of the pusher  20  so that its front end is within a thickness of the coin  10  to be pushed out.  
      In other words, when manufacturing, it is simply necessary that a height dimension t 2  from the upper surface of the front-facing support  15  in the base member  12  to an upper end plane  52   a  of the regulating groove  52  be made slightly lower than the thickness t 1  which is the thickness of a single coin  10  to be held in the holder columns  14 , in order to make sure that the upper surface plate portion  20   a  of the pusher  20  is always pressed downward by the upper end surface of the regulating groove  52  when the lower surface of the base member  12  in the coin stacker  2  is contacted to the base  37   a  (i.e. when the coin stacker is mounted), and further to make sure that the portion of the upper surface plate portion  20   a  including the front end of the pusher  20  is at the back of a single coin  10   a  residing on the front-facing support  15  of the base member  12  at the bottom of the stack, within the thickness range of the coin  10 . This arrangement only requires that the front end side of the pusher  20  be upwardly urged by the coil spring  51  serving as the urger, and that the regulating groove  52  be given an accurate height dimension, in order to ensure that only the lowest one  10   a  of the stacked coins on the front-facing support  15  will be pushed by the pusher  20 . This arrangement allows for a certain misalignment in the height and lateral positioning at the time of assembling the base member  12  to the column array  13  while ensuring that in no case two or more of the coins  10  will be pushed at a time.  
      Additionally, at a slightly higher position than the regulating groove  52  (at a height representing a stack of five to ten of the coins  10 ), a through holes  55   a,    55   b  are provided which allow viewing through the support plate  32  and the back surface of the holder columns  14  in the column array  13 . Together with this, reflective photo sensors  57  each including a light source and a light receiver are provided on a substrate  56  fixed to the back surface of the support plate  32 . When the photo sensor  57  throws light and receives the light reflected by the stack of the coins  10  in each of the holder columns  14 , the dispenser determines that there is enough stacks of the coins  10  for use as changes. On the other hand, when the thrown light passes through the above of the stack of coins  10  (i.e. when the sensor light receiver does not sense the reflection), the dispenser determines that there is a high possibility for an insufficient number of coins to be dispensed as changes. These determinations can be made by a controller whether it is an electronic substrate  58  which operates the electromagnetic solenoids incorporated in the main case  3  or a microcomputer incorporated in a casher  60  externally connected to the dispenser. A warning may be issued to a cash operator, or the controller may stop dispensing operation. Further, additionally, according to the present embodiment, the coin dispenser  1  according to the present invention is connected to a handy-type calculator  61  which accepts key entries of e.g. items sold, number of the items, and the amount of money received, then displays and/or prints out the items, numbers, subtotals, a total sales and changes and so on, and then operates the coin dispenser  1  to dispense a given amount of change consisting of a predetermined combination of the coins. The calculator  61  may be placed in a pocket  62  provided on an outer side of the main case  3 .  
      When dispensing a change, upon reception of a command to dispense a change (coins  10 ), which specifies the number of coins to be dispensed for each kind, the electromagnetic solenoid(s)  41  corresponding to the specified holder column(s)  14  are turned ON and OFF the times equal to the number of the coins to be dispensed. When the electromagnetic solenoids are turned OFF, each plunger  43  comes lower by its own weight plus the urge from the coil spring  51 , while the pusher  20  is held retracted, with its front end facing the back of the lowest coins  10   a  of the stack (See  FIG. 7 , illustration in solid lines).  
      When the electromagnetic solenoid  41  is turned ON, the plunger  43  is pulled up against the urge from the coil spring  51 , the link member  44  rotates counterclockwise as in  FIG. 7  by a predetermined degree, and the pusher  20  travels forward through the passage  17  in the front-facing support  15  (See  FIG. 7 , illustration in long dashed double-short dashed lines). During this movement, due to the pivotal action of the link member  44 , the front end of the pusher  20  comes lower and tilted as the pusher  20  proceeds along the passage  17 . A momentary action of the plunger  43  is expanded by the long arm of the link member  44 , and translated into a quick forward travel (pushing action), in a long back-and-forth stroke. Thus, in an early part of the forward stroke, the pusher is released from the weight of the stacked coins  10 , pushes the lowest coin  10   a  out of the stack, causing only the single coin  10   a  to go through the dispensing grooves  16  of the column array  13  and to drop into the shoot  5 , so that the pushed coins  10  are collected in the coin sump  7 .  
      It should be noted here that according to the embodiment shown in the drawings, the electromagnetic solenoids  41  are placed on the back side of the support plate  32  so that the plungers  43  are facing downward. Alternatively, placement may be made below the support plate  32  in the main case  3  so that the plungers  43  are facing upward.  
      Advantages of the present invention include compactness of the dispenser. As has been described, the actuator or the electromagnetic solenoid  41  is disposed on the back side of the support of 2 so that the plunger  43  travels in up and down directions. Compared to a case where a long actuator which covers all the travel distance by the plunger  43  are placed in parallel to the direction of pushing the coins  10 , i.e. to the back-and-forth directions of the main case  3 , the depth dimension of the main case  3  can be smaller, and the dispenser can be more compact. Further, the conversion of up-and-down actions of the plunger  43  into back-and-forth actions of the pusher  20  only requires a simple mechanism, and by selecting an appropriate length for the arms of the link member  44  in the dispensing mechanism  4 , it is very easy to make the travel distance of the pusher  20  much greater than that of the plunger  43 . These enable to use a smaller electromagnetic solenoid  41 , which leads to simultaneous reduction in size and manufacturing cost.  
      Furthermore, since the dispensing mechanism  4  is provided with an urger (coil spring  51 ) which urges the plunger  43  in the pushing direction, the electromagnetic solenoid  41  should only retract the plunger when energized, i.e. the plunger  43  may not be forced out when the solenoid is turned OFF. This also enables reduction in manufacturing cost.  
      According to the present invention, the simple arrangement that the front end side of the pusher  20  is upwardly urged by the coil spring  51  serving as the urger and that the regulating groove  52  is made to an accurate height dimension makes easy an assembling operation of the pusher  20  while ensuring that only a single one of the coins  10  will be dispensed in the pushing action by the pusher  20 . Another advantage is that the downward protruding guide projection  53  serving as a guide in the base portion of the base member  12 , the guide slit  49  in the pusher  20  and the coil spring  51  serving as an urger which urges the front end side of the pusher  20  upwardly make sure the linear travel of the pusher  20 .