AU606985B2

AU606985B2 - A coin-insertion device

Info

Publication number: AU606985B2
Application number: AU20931/88A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Gerhard Frick
Original assignee: Alcatel NV
Current assignee: Alcatel Lucent NV
Priority date: 1987-08-25
Filing date: 1988-08-16
Publication date: 1991-02-21
Anticipated expiration: 2008-08-16
Also published as: AU2093188A; DE3728306A1

Description

-I I ~ILIIII Ill DV DV Ai 6 69 This ocumet contains the amendentsinac~urer Section 49 and is correct for priing.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-1969 C tI C tC

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COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR THE INVENTION ENTITLED "A COIN-INSERTION DEVICE" The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us:-

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PEU o.o B- PI. CI.. BY iO E ""Signature of Applicant To: The Commissioner of Patents t -Tt.

A known coin-insertion device comprises a movable coin gate which is formed by a flap pivoted about a horizontal axis and traversed by a rearwardly inclined coin slot. The flap is mounted in a housing chamber in such a manner that, when the flap is swung out, the coin slot is open at the top outside the chamber and closed at the bottom by a chamber wall, while when the flap is swung in, the top of the coin slot is inaccessible inside the chamber, while the bottom is flush with a discharge slot in the chamber wall.

It is the object of the invention to provide a differ- i ent coin-insertion device which also safely prevents access i C to the apparatus through the coin slot, but allows a user to c c withdraw an inserted coin as long as the flap containing the t coin has not yet been swung in. To achieve this object there is disclosed a coin-insertion device comprising a mov- 6 d4 able coin gate in the form of a flap which is hinged on a horizontal shaft and has a rearwardly inclined coin slot, S, the device being located in a housing chamber in such a manner that in an outer limit position of the flap, the coin S| slot is open only at the top and in front of the housing, while in an inner limit position, the coin slot is open only at the bottom and is inaccessible in the housing, and 0 wherein the flap is U-shaped, the free ends of the two legs of the U being mounted on a shaft, the depth of the head of 9 the flap, which head is formed by the transverse portion of the flap and contains the coin slot, is smaller than the diameter of the smallest acceptable coin, and wherein in the outer limit position of the flap, the bottom side of the coin slot is directly above a support for the coin. *A Signature of Declarant To: The Commissioner of Patents.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of this invention is shown.

Fig. 1 is a side view, sectioned longitudinally, of a coin-insertion device with a movable flap, in the swung-out position; 4 Fig. 2 is a side view, sectioned longitudinally, of the arrangement of Fig. 1 with the flap halfway swung in; Fig. 3 is a side view, sectioned longitudinally, of the arrangement of Fig. 1 with the flap swung in completely, and Fig. 4 is a part section of the arrangement taken along

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line IV-IV of Fig. 3.

The coin-insertion device shown in Figs. 1 to )4 oper- C C ates in accordance with the principle of a lock, the coin slot is open either only outside in order to receive a coin, or only inside in order to pass on the coin to the testing and collection units of the apparatus. The coin-insertion device comprises a housing 1 which C C C is mounted on the front plate 2 of a self-collecting apparatus and in which a flap 3 is present. This flap is Ushaped, the free ends of the two parallel legs 7 being C rotatably mounted on a shaft 5 in the lower portion of the housing 1. The transverse portion, or head 6 of the flap 3 contains a coin slot 4, which is included inwardly. The head 6 is so designed that the centre of gravity is in front of the legs 7 and the shaft 5, so that the flap 3 tends to swing out of the housing 1, under the influence of gravity, the upper portion of the coin slot 4 thus becoming accessi- 1 ble (Fig. The depth of the head is considerably smaller than the diameter of the smallest acceptable coin.

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i: a -rjirpixL1*-jirU*~ 1-I I*i ;i.Lr.ri i-i: i i i r~-LUic~i?41 The outwardly directed portion of the head 6 traverses an opening 8 in the housing 1 and the front plate 2, said opening being only slightly larger than the head. The top side and the bottom side of the head 6 are curved in accordance with the swivelling radius. From the bottom side of the head 6, pins 11 project at the outer edge of the coin slot 4 into the space between the upright ribs 12. The ribs 12 project from a ramp 10 which, in the lower portion of the housing 1, interconnects the sidewalls 13 of the housing.

Additionally, a bridge portion 14 which extends down to the ramp 10 and interconnects the two legs 7 is located at the bottom side of the head 6.

At its rear, the head 6 is provided with a transverse slot 15 which is arranged opposite a rib 16 projecting from C C the rear wall 21 of the housing 1. When the flap 3 is swung C C in, the rib 16 engages the slot 15 (Fig. Additionally, S, a lip 17 is provided on the top side of the head 6. When the flap is swung, the lip 17 moves along the cover plate 22 of the housing chamber, thus limiting the outward swivelling motion at a stop 19 of the housing 1 when the flap 3 is swung out. The inward swivelling motion is limited by a lip 9 which, in the present embodiment, is formed integrally on the lower edge of the outside of the head 6 and strikes against the front plate 2 (Fig. 3).

Projecting inwardly from the two sidewalls 13 of the housing 1 are ribs 18 which are arranged directly below the head 6 and which are curved in aocordance with the swivelling radius of the head. The ribs 16, 18 mentioned above and the lip 17 prevent any objects from penetrating into the coin slot.

The function of the coin insertion device is the following: A coin M is inserted into the coin slot 4 of the flap 3, as shown in Fig. 1. The coin then assumes an upright position on the ribs 12 of the ramp 10. In this position, the coin can readily be withdrawn again, if necessary.

When the flap 3 is moved in the direction of arrow the pins 11 push the coin M down from the ribs 12, so that it falls on the ramp 10 (Fig. The coin can no longer Uj be withdrawn. When the flap 3 is swung in further, the coin slot 4 inside the housing 1 is no longer accessible from outside (Fig. The bridge portion 14 of the flap 3 has left the ramp 10. Thus, the coin M, which is pushed over the ramp 10 by the pins 11, falls out of the coin slot 4 and is guided into the apparatus.

The flap 3 can also be swung out of the housing i by means of a spring.

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Claims

1. A coin-insertion device comprising a movable coin gate in the form of a flap which is hinged on a horizontal shaft and has a rearwardly inclined coin slot, the flap be- ing located in a housing chamber in such a manner that in an outer limit position of the flap, the coin slot is open only at the top and in front of the housing, while in an inner limit position, the coin slot is open only at the bottom and ;c rc is inaccessible in the housing chamber, and wherein the flap r c t c is U-shaped, the free ends of the two legs of the U being g mounted on the horizontal shaft, the depth of the head of the flap, which head is formed by the transverse portion of ci the flap and contains the coin slot, is smaller than the di- ameter of the smallest acceptable coin, and wherein in the outer limit position of the flap, the bottom side of the coin slot is directly above a support for the coin.

C C S2. A coin-insertion device as claimed in claim 1, ""cr wherein both the top side and the bottom side of the head of C C C the flap are curved in accordance with their respective radii from the shaft. 0 4 ,O

3. A coin-insertion device as claimed in any one of the preceding claim, wherein the support for the coin is formed by first ribs which project from a lower ramp of the housing chamber.

4. A coin-insertion device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the dimensions of the first ribs are so chosen that when the flap is swung in, the bottom side of the coin slot is free before the top side enters the front housing.

A coin-insertion device as claimed in claim 3 or i claim 4, wherein a bridge portion extending to the ramp and i rl~ I- P- .il; i ii *rt~ connecting the legs of the flap is formed integrally on the bottom side of the head.

6. A coin-insertion device as claimed in claim wherein the ramp and the bridge portion are arranged in such a manner that when the flap is being swung in, the bridge portion leaves the ramp only after the top side of the coin slot has entered the housing chamber.

7. A coin-insertion device as claimed in any one of J claims 3 to 6, wherein pins project from the bottom side of the head of the flap near the front edge of the coin slot into the space between the first ribs of the ramp.|

8. A coin-insertion device as claimed in claim 7, wherein the top side of the head of the flap is provided with a lip which slides along a current cover plate of the housing and strikes against a stop of the housing chamber when the flap is swung out.

9. A coin-insertion device as claimed in any one of the preceding claim, wherein the rear side of the head is pro- vided with a transverse slot which is engaged by a second u rib projecting from the rear wall of the housing chamber when the flap is being swung in. A coin-insertion device as claimed in any one of the preceding claim, wherein directly below the head of the flap, each of the two sidewalls of the housing chamber has an inwardly directed third rib which is curved in accordance with the its radius fro the horizontal shaft.

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11. A coin-insertion device as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. DATED THIS SIXTEENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER, 1990 ALCATEL N.V.