GB2253932A - Coin detector device - Google Patents

Abstract

A coin detector device, comprising a first detector unit 4 and a second detector unit 3, 6 mounted at the same lateral side of a coin track 21 and respectively provided for detecting the mass portion and the size of a coin passing through said coin track 21. The units send respective signals to central processing unit (Figures 4 and 6) for instruction processing. The first unit comprises a frequency transmitting coil, a frequency receiving coil and an iron dust core (41-43, Figure 3), while the second unit comprises an oscillator coil and an iron-dust core, (31, 6, Figure 5). When a coin passes, a signal is sent by receiving coil to an amplifier and then to a phase comparator (207, Figure 4). Oscillator coil sends a signal to frequency conversion oscillator (302, Figure 6). Each unit is mounted on a mounting hole 23, 24 of a division board which is attached to a fixed board, the boards defining therebetween the track 21. <IMAGE>

Description

COIN DETECTOR DEVICE The present invention relates to a coin detector device which comprises two detector units mounted in a coin track at same lateral side and respectively provided for detecting the mass portion and the size of an object which passes through said coin track, permitting respective detecting result to be sent to a respective central processing unit for instruction processing.

Coin detector is a device for detecting the object inserted in a coin track through a coin slot.

According to conventional method, a coin may be identified according to the range of voltage dropping or through photo detection. A coin detector of either method has to be mounted at two opposite sides of a coin track which complicates the arrangement of electric wiring. The present invention has been accomplished to eliminate this problem. According to the present invention, a coin detector device can be mounted in a coin track at one lateral side so that the electric wiring can be simplified.

The present invention is to provide a coin detector device which comprises two detector units mounted in a coin track at same lateral side respectively provided for detecting the mass portion and the size of the object passing therethrough. The first detector unit comprises an oscillatory circuit to provide a frequency to a frequency transmitter for transmitting through a transmitter coil, a receiver coil to detect the presence of an object passing therethrough and send a corresponding signal to an amplifier for amplification and to a phase comparator for comparison and then to a central processing unit for instruction processing. The second detector unit comprises an oscillator coil, a frequency conversion oscillator and an amplifier for detecting the size of the object passing therethrough and then sent to a central processing unit for instruction processing.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the annexed drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a structural dismantled view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional assembly view thereof; Fig. 3 illustrates the first detector unit of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a circuit block diagram of the first detector unit; Fig. 5 illustrates the second detector unit of the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 6 is a circuit block diagram of the second detector unit.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, coin 1 is inserted from a coin slot 21 on a fixed board 2 and dropped through a track 21 to a coin collector.

Because the present invention is related to a structure of coin detector, only the coin track structure is outlined in the annexed drawings.

The division board 22 which is attached to the fixed board 2 with the coin slot 21 defined therebetween has two mounting holes 23 and 24 respectively disposed at suitable locations in communication with the coin track, wherein the first mounting hole 23 is provided for mounting a receiver coil 4 for detecting the mass portion of the object passing therethrough; the second mounting hole 24 is provided for mounting a circuit board 3 which comprises an oscillator coil, and an iron-dust core 6. There is also provided a cover board 5 attached to the division board 22 by a screw 51, which is fastened through a hole 52 which is made on the cover board 5 into an internally screw-threaded tubular post 25 which extends from the division board 22, to firmly retain the receiver coil 4 in the first mounting hole 23, the circuit board 3 and the iron-dust core 6 in the second mounting hole 24.

Referring to Fig. 3, the receiver coil 4, i.e. the first detector unit is generally comprised of a frequency transmitter coil 41, a frequency receiver coil 42 and an iron-dust core 43.

Fig. 4 illustrates the circuit block diagram of the first detector unit. When the oscillatory circuit 201 is oscillated, it drives the frequency transmitter 202 to transmit a frequency to the receiver coil 204 (numbered at 42 in Fig. 3) through the transmitter coil 203 (which is numbered at 41 in Fig.

3). When a coin passes, the signal is detected by the receiver coil 204 and sent through the amplifier 206 for amplification and then to the phase comparator 207 for comparison. The result after comparison process is further sent to the central processing unit 208 for instruction processing.

Referring to Fig. 5, the oscillator coil 31 and the iron-dust core 6 form the second detector unit. Referring to Fig. 6, therein illustrated is the circuit block diagram of the second detector unit. When a coin 1 passes through the coin track 21, the oscillator coil 301 (numbered at 31 in Fig. 5) detects the size of said coin and then sends a corresponding signal to the frequency conversion oscillator 302 from which an output signal is further sent to an amplifier 303 for amplification and then to a central processing unit 304 for instruction processing.

Claims (6)

CLAIMS:

1. A coin detector device, comprising: a first detector unit for detecting the mass portion of the object passing therethrough, comprising an oscillatory circuit to provide a frequency to a frequency transmitter for transmitting through a transmitter coil, a receiver coil to detect the presence of an object passing therethrough and send a corresponding signal to an amplifier for amplification and to a phase comparator for comparison and then to a central processing unit for instruction processing; and a second detector unit for detecting the size of the object passing therethrough, comprising an oscillator coil to detect the presence of an object passing therethrough and then send a corresponding signal to a frequency conversion oscillator for frequency conversion, an amplifier to amplify the converted frequency signal received from said frequency conversion oscillator and then send the amplified signal to a central processing unit for instruction processing.

2. A coin detector device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first detector unit is mounted on a mounting hole on a division board, which is attached to a fixed board and defines therebetween a coin track for detecting the mass portion of an object passing through said coin track, and said second detector unit is mounted on another mounting hole on said division board for detecting the size of said object.

3. A coin testing device comprising means defining a track for a coin to be tested, and a plurality of detector units responsive to respective different properties of a coin on the track, the detector units having at least the coin responsive portions thereof located on the same side of the track.

4. A coin testing device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the coin responsive portions of the units comprise cooperatively mounted transmitter and receiver coils and an oscillator coil.

5. A coin testing device as claimed in claim 3 or 4 wherein the detector units are responsive respectively to the mass and the size of a coin.

6. A coin testing or detector device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1-6 of the accompanying drawings.