JPS5913797B2 - Coin sorting processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to an electronic coin sorting device used in vending machines, etc., and provides a device that can detect a customer's designation for returning an input amount without using mechanical contacts. It is.

FIG. 1 shows a conventional coin sorting and processing device, which is composed of a pair of side walls 1 and 2 that can be opened and closed, and when closed, forms a coin input slot T and a coin passage 3 that communicates with the side walls. Ru.

The diameter and plate thickness of the coins rolling on the coin rail 8 and passing through the coin passage 3 are measured by coin sorting sensors 4 and 9 disposed on the side wall 1, and the suitability of the coin is determined based on the measurement results. Ru. A coin gate 10 serving as a sorting means is provided at the end of the coin rail 8 and normally protrudes from the side wall 1 to communicate the coin passage 3 with the return passage 11. Therefore, if a coin passing through the coin passage 3 is a counterfeit coin, the coin gate 10 is maintained in the protruding state 5 and the coin is returned through the return passage 11. If the coin is a genuine coin, the coin gate 10 exits, and the coin is introduced into a genuine coin passage 12 and stored in predetermined coin storage tubes 13, 14, and 15 depending on the coin type. Attention to purchasing products at vending machines has changed 1
0 When a customer wishes to return the inserted coin, he or she operates a return lever (not shown) provided on the front panel. When the wiper 17 rotates about the shaft 18, the protrusion 1519 pushes away the pin 20, and the side wall 2 rotates about the shaft 21, opening the coin passage 3. The open state shown in the figure is a state in which the side wall 2 is manually rotated to the maximum extent and is only slightly opened when the foam return lever 16 is operated. And the operation of the return lever 16 is 0.
When the return operation detection switch 22 detects that the wiper IT rotates due to the motion, the coin sorting device enters the input amount return state and operates the change dispensing device based on the amount stored in the input amount storage section (not shown). It is configured to be driven to pay out the input amount. 5. Return lever 16 like this
This is because the opening of the coin passage 3 and the rotation of the wiper IT by the operation of are also applied to the removal of inserted coins that are clogged in the coin passage 3. In the above configuration, the return operation detection switch 22 is a 30 mechanical contact and is easily damaged and has problems in terms of reliability.

Therefore, the present invention provides a device that can generate an input amount return signal without contact by detecting the opening of the coin passage using a coin sorting sensor and detecting the operation of the return lever.

It is desirable that such a coin sorting sensor respond sensitively to changes in coin path width. An embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 below, and in this example, a coin sorting sensor is described in which a set of oscillation coils are arranged facing each other across a coin passage.

In Fig. 2, the coin 23 rolling in the coin passage 3 rarely rolls completely along the inclined side wall 1, and may roll in a state floating above the side wall 1 due to the impact when the coin is inserted. There are many. Therefore, coin sorting sensors 4 each consisting of a pair of oscillation coils facing each other are arranged on the side walls 1 and 2, respectively, and a third
In the figure, by connecting the coils 24 and 25 in series, the above-mentioned floating can be corrected.D Accurate plate thickness can be measured. That is, each coin sorting sensor 4 measures the distance to the coin surface by changing the inductance of the coils 24 and 25 in a high-frequency magnetic field, and for example, the coin 23 approaches the coil 25 by the distance from the coil 24. However, when they are connected in series, the inductance changes of both are added, so they cancel each other out, and correction for floating is performed. Next, depending on the polarity of the coils 24 and 25 of the coin sorting sensor 4 connected in series, the series inductance L changes according to the connection direction according to the formula (L=L1+L2±2M), that is, the mutual inductance 2M is added. Whether it is added or subtracted depends on the polarity of these two coils 24 and 25.
At this time, when the purpose is to sort coins, reverse phase connection is more effective against dimensional errors in the coin passage 3. Therefore, the total inductance L of the coils 24 and 25 is due to the fact that both coils approach each other when the coin passage 3 is closed.
L=L1+L2-2M). When a coin passes between the coils 24 and 25 in this state, it is shielded by the coin 23, so the influence of mutual inductance disappears;
The total inductance L decreases according to the thickness of the coin 23 because the decrease due to the passage of the coin 23 exceeds the decrease. Further, when the coin passage 3 is opened and the coils 24 and 25 are separated, the influence of mutual inductance disappears and the coin 2
3 is absent, LlL2 remains unchanged and the total inductance increases. Therefore, when the control circuit is connected in reverse phase in series and the total inductance of the coils 24 and 25 decreases, the insertion of the coin 23 is detected and the suitability of the coin 23 is determined based on the change in inductance.

Further, when the total inductance increases and reaches a predetermined value, the control circuit detects the opening of the coin passage 3 and detects the designation of returning the inserted amount. In this example, coil 2 connected in series
The capacitor 26 connected in parallel with 4 and 25 is configured to oscillate at a predetermined resonance frequency in the standby state, and when the inductance changes due to coin insertion or opening of the coin passage, the oscillation frequency also changes. The inductance change is detected by measuring the oscillation frequency with the frequency detection circuit 5.

The frequency detection circuit 5 measures the frequency by counting the output waveform of the oscillation circuit 27 at a period of 1 ms, and its specific configuration is shown in FIG. 1m on one side of AND gate 28
A counter 29 is set each time the reference signal rises. Therefore, when the reference signal is input, the oscillation circuit 2
7 is introduced into the counter 29, the frequency is detected by sequentially counting the peaks of the output, and the frequency is detected by register 30.
The count contents of the counter 29 are written in at the falling edge of the reference signal. Therefore, the contents of the counter 29 during a certain reference signal generation period are stored in the register 30 when the reference signal falls at D, and are stored and held in the counter 29 during the counting period by the next reference signal. The determination device 31 that determines whether a coin is genuine or false performs the determination based on the maximum value of the frequency change.
FIG. 5 shows a specific configuration. The comparison circuit 32 compares the number contents A of the register 30 and the number contents B of the register 33 included in the frequency detection circuit 5, and outputs the a signal if A>B, and the b signal if A<B. When the a signal occurs, the contents of the register 32 are changed to the AND gate 34.
. . 34) is transferred to register 33. Such a comparison and transfer operation is performed by the counter 29 during a certain reference signal generation period.
This is performed based on the value detected in the previous reference signal generation period, which is placed in the register 30 during the same period in which the counting operation is performed. As the coin 23 approaches the coin sorting sensor 4, the frequency of the oscillation circuit 27 increases sequentially, so the comparator circuit 32 generates a signal a every time the comparison operation is performed, and the register 33 is rewritten with the latest counted value by the counter 29. Then, when the coin approaches the closest, the count value of the counter 29 is stored as the maximum value in the register 33, and then when the coin separates from the coin sorting sensor 4, it is counted by the counter 29 and placed in the register 30. The value is less than this maximum value and the comparison circuit 32 produces the b signal as a maximum detection. Therefore, the value set in the register 33 is introduced into the comparison/judgment circuit 36 by the conduction of the AND gates 35 . . . 35 without being rewritten. The storage device 37 stores the first oscillation frequency that the oscillation circuit 27 shifts when genuine coins are inserted.
It is stored as a reference value, and the comparison/judgment circuit 36
The maximum frequency information from the D gates 35...35 is compared with this first reference value, and if they match, it is determined that the currency is genuine. The detection device 38 detects the opening of the coin passage 3 by detecting that the frequency measured by the frequency detection circuit 5 drops to a predetermined value. Therefore, the oscillation frequency detected by the frequency detection circuit 5 when the coin passage 3 is opened is preset in the storage device 37 as a second reference value, and the detection device 38 is set in advance as the second reference value. 5, each time the frequency is measured at a period of 1 ms, this measured value is compared with the second reference value, and when the measured value is less than the second reference value, it is assumed that the coin passage 3 is open and the inserted amount return signal ES is sent. It is now output. In this way, the detection device 38 may be configured as a comparison circuit that compares the measured value and the second reference value, and does not need to detect the maximum change value as the determination device 31 does. Yes, in this example, the control circuit was constructed by separately providing a device for determining whether the coin is genuine or not and a device for determining whether to specify return of the deposited amount, but the frequency detected by the frequency detection circuit is increasing or decreasing. By detecting , it is possible to create a control circuit that uses a single determination device to selectively use both of the above determinations.

According to the present invention described in detail above, there is no need for a special switch in the coin sorting and processing device to detect the designation for returning the input amount, thereby reducing costs.

Moreover, since the coin sorting sensor is used to detect the input amount return designation, there is no contact, and the reliability is high, and the input amount return signal can be reliably generated in response to the customer's input amount return designation operation.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 shows a general coin sorting processing device, Fig. 2 is a main part configuration diagram according to the present invention, Fig. 3 is an electric circuit diagram indicated by a block, and Fig. 4 is a specific configuration diagram of a frequency detection circuit. , FIG. 5 shows a specific configuration diagram of the determination device. 1, 2... Side wall, 3... Coin passage, 4... Coin sorting sensor 5... Detection device, Dan... Control circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Consists of a pair of opposing side walls that can be opened and closed and form a coin passage when closed, and a pair of oscillation coils that are attached to the side walls facing each other and are connected in series to each other to induce an oscillating magnetic field. When the interaction value between the coin sorting sensor and the oscillation coil reaches a first predetermined value, it is determined that a genuine coin has passed through the coin passage, and when the interaction value reaches a second predetermined value, the pair of side walls A coin sorting processing device comprising a control circuit for determining whether the coin has been released.