EP1435594A1 - Portable coin dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

The coin distributor is a cylindrical box (1) with multiple pockets (7-14) distributed round the periphery and with the largest in the center. The diameter of each pocket corresponds to a particular coin. Each pocket has a piston (7a-14a) with a spring beneath. Lateral guides (7b,7c) limit axial movement of the top coin. The pockets are in order of increasing diameter to aid recognition.

Description

The present invention relates to portable devices to hold and return coins accessible to the user for financial transactions of details.

The invention relates more particularly to a dispenser portable coin holder, containing a plurality of batteries coins, the coins being identical in each stack coins, and the user having access to the first coin from each stack of coins.

Retail financial transactions require the handling of different coins, which must be associated to make a certain amount. When we put the pieces of loose change in a pocket or in a wallet, you must sort the pieces and then assemble them appropriately in order to make the necessary amount. The difficulty is then sort the pieces, which requires recognizing them. The people with reduced vision have great difficulty to perform this operation, and must recognize the parts to the touch which requires learning and does not exclude risk of errors.

We already know displays of pieces that traders use by categorizing the coins according to piles arranged horizontally side by side one after the other. Such a device is convenient but is not portable, and in particular cannot be returned and handled in all sense without risk of dropping the parts.

The invention provides a portable dispenser for parts of change, which can be manipulated and turned in any direction, and allowing the user to have access to the coins in a recognizable predefined order, so that the user can take coins whose value he knows by their location without having to read the inscriptions they carry or to recognize by touch.

The invention aims to further facilitate the recognition of parts, so that parts are distributed quickly and the risk of errors is minimized.

The invention also aims to provide such a dispenser portable particularly simple and can be expensive while remaining convenient to use and pleasant to the eye.

• un boítier ayant une pluralité d'alvéoles ouvertes sur la face supérieure du boítier et conformées chacune pour recevoir une pile de pièces de monnaie, chaque alvéole ayant un piston sollicité par un ressort pour pousser axialement les pièces vers l'extérieur perpendiculairement à la face supérieure du boítier, des guides latéraux limitant le déplacement axial de la pièce supérieure de pile tout en autorisant son glissement transversal pour son prélèvement,
• le boítier présente, en regardant sa face supérieure, un contour en spirale ayant un rayon régulièrement croissant et se refermant par un décrochement,
• les alvéoles comprennent des alvéoles périphériques et une alvéole centrale, les alvéoles périphériques étant régulièrement réparties en périphérie du distributeur et rangées en fonction de leurs diamètres croissants depuis la zone de rayon minimal occupée par la première alvéole jusqu'à la zone de rayon maximal occupée par la septième alvéole, l'alvéole centrale ayant un diamètre encore supérieur.

To achieve these and other aims, the invention provides a portable coin dispenser, comprising:

• a housing having a plurality of open cells on the upper face of the housing and each shaped to receive a stack of coins, each cell having a piston biased by a spring to axially push the coins outward perpendicularly to the upper face of the housing, lateral guides limiting the axial displacement of the upper stack part while allowing its transverse sliding for its removal,
• looking at its upper face, the housing has a spiral outline having a regularly increasing radius and closing by a recess,
• the cells comprise peripheral cells and a central cell, the peripheral cells being regularly distributed around the periphery of the dispenser and arranged according to their increasing diameters from the zone of minimum radius occupied by the first cell to the zone of maximum radius occupied by the seventh alveolus, the central alveolus having an even greater diameter.

In this way, the pieces can be arranged in the ascending order of their values, which facilitates considerably their recognition, while minimizing the size from the distributor.

Preferably, the successive peripheral cells are substantially adjacent to each other and adjacent to the peripheral side wall of the housing. This further reduces the dispenser size.

To adapt to the usual distribution of parts currency, the peripheral cells can advantageously be at number of seven.

According to one embodiment, the cells each have a diameter suitable for receiving and guiding a stack of pieces of Euro currency. For example, the distributor includes a first cell for euro cents, a second cell for two euro cent coins, a third cell for five euro cents coins, a fourth cell for dimes, a fifth cell for twenty euro cent coins, a sixth cell for fifty euro cent coins, a seventh cell for one Euro coins, and the central cell for two coins Euros.

Each cell has a depth chosen so as to receive an appropriate number of pieces, for example at least five stacked pieces.

In practice, the housing can be formed from the assembly a base, a cover, pistons and springs, the base forming a lower bearing surface and comprising the walls side of the cells, the cover forming the side wall peripheral and the upper face of the housing and comprising upper lights forming the outlet openings of the cells with the guides, the pistons being adapted to slide in the respective side walls of the cells, the springs being compression springs engaged between the respective piston and the bottom of the cell.

The springs can advantageously be springs asymmetrical helical, ensuring a good pushing force distributed to effectively push the stack of coins whatever the number of pieces in the stack.

The cover can advantageously be simply snapped onto base, so assembly does not require no special tools.

According to an improved embodiment, the surface lower support is integral with a flexible receiving structure of banknotes.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective de trois-quarts dessus d'un distributeur portable de pièces de monnaie selon un mode de réalisation de la présente invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de face du distributeur de pièces de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 3 est une vue de dessus, illustrant la face supérieure du distributeur de pièces de monnaie de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 4 illustre la vue de dessous du distributeur de pièces de monnaie de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 5 est une vue partielle en coupe illustrant un détail de réalisation du distributeur de pièces de monnaie de la figure 1 ;
• la figure 6 est une coupe du distributeur de pièces de monnaie de la figure 3 selon la ligne A-A ; et
• la figure 7 est une vue schématique d'un ressort asymétrique.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will emerge from the following description of particular embodiments, given in relation to the attached figures, among which:

• Figure 1 is a three-quarter perspective view from above of a portable coin dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention;
• Figure 2 is a front view of the coin dispenser of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a top view illustrating the upper face of the coin dispenser of Figure 1;
• Figure 4 illustrates the bottom view of the coin dispenser of Figure 1;
• Figure 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating a detail of the coin dispenser of Figure 1;
• Figure 6 is a sectional view of the coin dispenser of Figure 3 along line AA; and
• Figure 7 is a schematic view of an asymmetric spring.

In the embodiment illustrated in the figures the portable dispenser for coins according to the invention includes a housing 1 limited by an upper wall 2, by a peripheral side wall 3 and by a bottom 4. The housing presents, looking at its upper face or upper wall 2, a spiral contour 5 having a regularly increasing radius and closing by a recess 6, as can be seen better on the Figures 3 and 4.

The housing 1 comprises a plurality of open cells on the upper face 2 of the housing. We thus distinguish in the embodiment of the figures, a first cell 7, a second cell 8, a third cell 9, a fourth cell 10, a fifth cell 11, a sixth cell 12, a seventh cell 13, and an eighth cell 14. The first seven cells 7 to 13 are peripheral cells, regularly distributed in periphery of the dispenser and arranged according to their increasing diameters from the minimum radius area occupied by the first cell 7 to the maximum radius area occupied by the seventh socket 13, the eighth socket 14 being a socket central and having a diameter even greater than that of the seventh socket 13.

As seen in Figures 1 and 3, the cells successive 7 to 13 peripherals are substantially adjacent the to each other and are adjacent to the periphery of the housing.

The cells 7 to 14 each have an appropriate diameter to receive and guide a stack of Euro coins. Thus, the first cell 7 is adapted to receive the parts of one euro cent, the second cell 8 is suitable for receive the two centimes Euro coins, the third cell 9 is suitable for receiving five euro cents coins, the fourth cell 10 is adapted to receive the pieces of ten cents, the fifth cell 11 is adapted to receive twenty euro cents coins, the sixth cell 12 is suitable for receiving fifty euro cents coins, the seventh socket 13 is adapted to receive the parts of a Euro, and the eighth cell 14 is adapted to receive the two Euro coins.

Each cell 7 to 14 has a depth chosen so as to receive at least five stacked coins.

By the spiral shape of the contour 5, we see that the cells 7 to 13 can be positioned in order according to of their increasing diameters. It follows that the pieces of coins are also arranged in ascending order of their values, which greatly facilitates their recognition and distribution by a user with little knowledge or on sight deficient. It also facilitates the speed of choice of rooms.

Each cell 7 to 14 comprises a piston 7a-14a (Figure 1) respective biased by a spring to push axially the parts outwards perpendicular to the upper face 2 of the housing 1. Lateral guides limit the axial displacement of the upper stack part while allowing its transverse sliding. So if we consider for example the cell 7 in Figures 1 and 2, the upper opening of the cell 7 comprises lateral guides 7b and 7c constituted by the ends of an upper annular rib, which comes in partial covering of the upper orifice of the cell 7 and prohibits the lifting of the part beyond the guides 7b and 7c, while still allowing the part to slide radially outward as shown by arrow 7d. To collect a part, the user thus slides it radially up to escape the lateral guides 7b and 7c.

The central cell 14 has an upper end raised above the upper ends of the alveoli peripherals 7-13, so as to allow lateral sliding 14d out of the room.

In the embodiments illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, the housing 1 is formed from the assembly of a base 1a, a cover 1b, of pistons such as pistons 9a, 13a and 14a corresponding to the respective cells 9, 13 and 14, and springs respective such as the 9th, 13th and 14th springs.

The base forms a lower support surface formed by the bottom 4, and includes the cylindrical side walls of the alveoli such as walls 15 and 16.

The cover 1b forms the upper face 2 and the wall lateral side 3 of the housing 1, and includes lights upper forming the outlet openings of the cells such that the cells 9, 13 and 14 as well as the lateral guides such as the respective guides 9c, 13c and 14c. The pistons 9a, 13a and 14a are adapted to slide in the respective side walls 15 or 16 of cells 9, 13 and 14. The springs such as the springs 9e, 13th and 14th are compression springs engaged between the piston respective 9a, 13a or 14a and the bottom 4 of the cell.

In Figure 6, the springs are springs helical, whose turns have a constant diameter.

Preferably, as illustrated in FIG. 7, one can use in each cell such as cell 7 a spring helical 7th asymmetrical, which has the advantage of ensuring relatively constant push of the corresponding stack of coins whatever the number of pieces in the stack. The asymmetric spring 7e includes an upper section 71e more large diameter which engages on piston 7a, and a section lower 72e of smaller diameter which engages on the bottom 4.

As seen in Figure 6, the upper end springs, such as the 14h end of the 14th spring, to be fitted in a lower housing 14i of the piston 14a, while the lower end of the springs such as the end 14j of the 14e spring engages around a 14k centering protuberance. The springs are thus maintained in a centered position.

The cover 1b is snapped onto the base 1a. Through example, the cover 1b includes peripheral lights such that the peripheral lights 9f and 13f (figure 6), in which engage an elastic hook tab 9g or 13g of the base 1a, to ensure the snap-fastening.

Preferably, as illustrated in the figures, provision is made a peripheral light per peripheral alveolus, and one thus distinguishes in FIG. 3 the peripheral lights 7f, 8f, 9f, 10f, 11f, 12f and 13f to which legs correspond respective latching of the base la.

Peripheral lights 7f-13f allow to distinguish the number of parts present in each cell 7-13.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, we complete latching of the cover 1b on the base 1a by providing a hook 21a of the base 1a which engages in a housing 21b of the cover 1b.

According to an advantageous embodiment, the surface lower support constituted by the bottom 4 can be integral a flexible structure for receiving banknotes. Through example, the flexible structure can be formed of two or three shutters folded over each other, between which you can hire bank notes.

The flaps can be retained in the closed position by a repositionable adhesive surface or, preferably, by surfaces with multiple hooks and multiple loops of the known type under the brand VELCRO.

During use, each cell receives a category stacked parts, which are engaged one by one in the cell. The last piece engaged is visible through the upper hole of exit from the socket, and is blocked under the guides correspondents. User can extract this top piece by sliding it radially outward, and the part next takes place under the guides.

The present invention is not limited to the modes of which have been explicitly described, but it includes the various variants and generalizations contained in the field of the claims below.

Claims (10)

Portable coin dispenser, characterized in that : it comprises a housing (1) having a plurality of cells (7-14) open on the upper face of the housing and each shaped to receive a stack of coins, each cell (7-14) having a piston (7a- 14a) biased by a spring (9th, 13th, 14th) to axially push the parts outward perpendicularly to the upper face (2) of the housing (1), lateral guides (7b, 7c, 9c, 13c, 14c) limiting the axial displacement of the upper stack part while allowing its transverse sliding, the housing (1) has, by looking at its upper face (2), a spiral contour (5) having a regularly increasing radius and closing by a recess (6), the cells (7-14) include peripheral cells (7-13) and a central cell (14), the peripheral cells (7-13) being regularly distributed around the periphery of the dispenser and arranged according to their increasing diameters from the area of minimum radius occupied by the first cell (7) up to the zone of maximum radius occupied by the seventh cell (13), the central cell (14) having an even greater diameter. Distributor according to claim 1, characterized in that the successive peripheral cells (7-13) are substantially adjacent to each other and to the peripheral side wall (3) of the housing (1). Distributor according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the peripheral cells (7-13) are seven in number. Distributor according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cells (7-14) each have a diameter suitable for receiving and guiding a stack of Euro coins. Distributor according to claim 4, characterized in that it comprises: a first cell (7) for the euro pennies, a second cell (8) for two euro cent coins, a third cell (9) for five-euro coins, a fourth cell (10) for the dimes of Euro cents, a fifth cell (11) for twenty euro cent coins, a sixth cell (12) for fifty euro cent coins, a seventh cell (13) for one Euro coins, and the central cell (14) for two-euro coins. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each cell (7-14) has a depth chosen so as to receive at least five stacked pieces. Distributor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the housing (1) is formed by the assembly of a base (la) and a cover (1b), of pistons (7a-14a) and springs (9th, 13th, 14th), the base (la) forming a lower bearing surface (4) and comprising the side walls (15, 16) of the cells, the cover (1b) forming the upper face (2 ) and the peripheral side wall (3) of the housing (1) and comprising upper openings forming the outlet openings of the cells with the guides (9c, 13c, 14c), the pistons (7a-14a) being adapted to slide in the respective side walls (15, 16) of the cells (7-14), the springs (9e, 13e, 14e) being compression springs engaged between the respective piston (7a-14a) and the bottom (4) of the cell . Distributor according to claim 7, characterized in that the springs are asymmetrical helical springs. Dispenser according to one of claims 6, 7 or 8, characterized in that the cover (1b) is snapped onto the base (la). Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the lower bearing surface (4) is integral with a flexible structure for receiving banknotes.

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