EP0636264B1 - Vorrichtung zum sortieren von münzen und dergleichen - Google Patents

Vorrichtung zum sortieren von münzen und dergleichen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0636264B1
EP0636264B1 EP93907887A EP93907887A EP0636264B1 EP 0636264 B1 EP0636264 B1 EP 0636264B1 EP 93907887 A EP93907887 A EP 93907887A EP 93907887 A EP93907887 A EP 93907887A EP 0636264 B1 EP0636264 B1 EP 0636264B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
support
coin
coins
drive belt
track
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93907887A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0636264A1 (de
Inventor
Terho Vihavainen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Datalab Oy
Original Assignee
Datalab Oy
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Datalab Oy filed Critical Datalab Oy
Publication of EP0636264A1 publication Critical patent/EP0636264A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0636264B1 publication Critical patent/EP0636264B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07D—HANDLING OF COINS OR VALUABLE PAPERS, e.g. TESTING, SORTING BY DENOMINATIONS, COUNTING, DISPENSING, CHANGING OR DEPOSITING
    • G07D3/00—Sorting a mixed bulk of coins into denominations
    • G07D3/14—Apparatus driven under control of coin-sensing elements

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a device for sorting coins or the like, which device comprises a body, a feeder, a coin track having a first support, along which the coins can roll supported on their peripheral part, and a second support comprising a drive belt, one side surface of the coin facing the second support when rolling and being supported on the first support and the drive belt being arranged to support the coin when the coin rolls along the coin track, and coin ejecting means, whereby the feeder is intended for feeding the coins on the coin track and the ejecting means are intended for guiding the coins off the coin track to a collecting place desired.
  • the invention also relates to a track according to the preamble of claim 12.
  • One known device comprises an inclined track, along which the coins can roll by gravity.
  • the coins are removed from the track by means of deflecting knives, which guide coins of different values into separate outlets.
  • the track is not very quick-operated (about 600 coins per minute at the most), because it does not include means for accelerating the speed of the coin movement on the track.
  • a drawback of said inclined track is also that it needs relatively much space in height direction, due to which the device will have a considerable total height.
  • a second known device comprises a track provided with a chain arranged to pull coins in the horizontal plane to places from where they are removed by means of solenoid-controlled pins into outlets, each coin value having a separate outlet.
  • the chain comprises transverse pins at equal distances, which pins push the coins forward.
  • the coins are being positioned between the pins in such a way that the order follows the pattern: pin, coin, pin, coin, etc. Only one coin can be positioned between two pins. Thanks to the fact that the track is horizontal, the need for space in height direction is less than in the previous device; however, a problem is that a lifting apparatus capable of feeding coins in a synchronized manner to the areas between the chain pins must be used as a coin feeder.
  • Such a lifting apparatus is relatively complicated and feeding coins into the recesses of the lifting apparatus does not succeed each time, due to which the areas between the chain pins are not always filled with coins.
  • the maximum speed of the device is not in practice very high (about 400 to 500 coins per minute).
  • a third known device comprises a horizontal feeder drum and a horizontal track, on which coins propagate by sliding and in the horizontal plane.
  • the sliding movement is produced by a belt positioned above the coins, which belt is pressed against the coins.
  • the track comprises elongated apertures of different widths in the plane of the track, so that coins of different diameters can fall through the different apertures.
  • the smallest coin falls through the aperture closest to the feeder drum, which aperture is the smallest one of the apertures of the coin track, and the biggest coin is removed through the aperture situated farthest away from the feeder drum.
  • a drawback of this device is that it is not capable of separating coins with a small difference in diameter due to the structure of said apertures: for efficient separation, a difference in diameter of at least about 0,4 mm is required in practice.
  • the device must be stopped in order to take away the foreign coin from the standard or "correct” coins and to prevent it from being mixed with the "correct” coins of approximately indentical diameter. (A foreign coin falls through the first aperture of the coin track that has a sufficient diameter.) Due to the above, this known device is not so quick in practice as its theoretical speed gives to understand. Moreover, it takes time for the coins to fall of themselves through said apertures, because of which the theoretical speed of the device cannot be very high either.
  • German Offenlegungsschrift 2 513 240 is known a device for coins, comprising two drive belts for displacing the coins on the coin track.
  • This known device is not capable of conveying coins of different sizes at the same speed, due to which jams are caused on the coin track.
  • the object of the present invention is to eliminate the most substantial drawbacks associated with the devices according to the prior art.
  • the device according to the invention is mainly characterized in that the drive belt is arranged to support the coin along only a part of its one peripheral edge in a substantially spotlike manner and that the second support comprises a planar support arranged close to the first support for supporting the coin simultaneously at one diametrally opposite place of the peripheral edge or at several such places, whereby the plane of the drive belt facing the coin forms an acute angle ⁇ with respect to the planar support.
  • the angle ⁇ is preferably 2 to 5° and the drive belt forms an angle of 0 to 70°, preferably 10 to 45°, with respect to the vertical axis, because these values allow a very high speed for the coins without the coins overlapping each other on the coin track. These values also allow that coins of different sizes move on the coin track in a controlled manner without any significant sway and without the distance between two sequential coins being changed.
  • the preferred embodiments of the device according to the invention are set forth in claims 2 to 11. In its broadest terms, the invention is defined in claim 12.
  • the invention is based on the idea of conveying coins by rolling on a track by means of a drive belt in such a way that the drive belt grips the edge of a coin irrespective of the size of the coin, by means of which edge the rolling movement is transmitted to the coin, whereby the supporting action of the coin and the geometry of the drive belt are arranged such that one and the same drive belt can pull coins of different sizes simultaneously.
  • the coin track according to the invention can preferably be provided with means, such as solenoid-controlled ejecting pins, which shoot out the coins very quickly at right places of the path.
  • the coin track is suitable for being connected to different types of known feeding devices.
  • the device of Figure 1 comprises a body 1, a feeder drum 2 supported on the body, into which drum coins 3 to be sorted and counted are poured, and a coin track, which is generally indicated by the reference numeral 4.
  • the reference numeral 5 indicates a sensing unit, by means of which a coin is sensed.
  • the sensing unit 5 comprises an optical and/or inductive sensor sending signals to solenoids 6 to 10, with which are connected ejecting pins 11, 12 and 13 striking the coins into correct outlets 14 to 18 in such a way that coins of a certain value always come into the same outlet.
  • the sensing units discover a foreign coin, this is allowed to pass forward to the end of the coin track, from where it is allowed to fall into a common collecting receptacle (not shown) for foreign coins.
  • a common collecting receptacle not shown
  • one solenoidal ejecting pin is arranged to push all foreign coins into separate outlets.
  • the operation of the solenoids 6 to 10 of the device can be controlled as follows. When it is not possible any longer to feed coins through an outlet for a certain type of coins, for instance number 14, because the collecting receptacle under the outlet 14 is full and must be emptied, the coin type in question is guided into another receptacle by activating another solenoid, to which is connected an empty receptacle.
  • the numeral 19 indicates a belt, by means of which the coins are conveyed on the track 4.
  • Figure 2 shows the coin track from the end. Unsubstantial parts have been deleted from the figure to make it more understandable. From the figure is seen that the track 4 comprises a first support, a lower support 20, along which coins 3a, 3b can roll supported on their peripheral part, and a second support, a side support 21, which faces inner surfaces 22a, 22b of the coins when the coins roll.
  • the side support 21 comprises a drive belt 19 and a low-friction support strip 23 below the belt.
  • the support strip 23 can preferably be made of polytetrafluorethylene plastic (PTFE), the friction coefficient of which against other materials is very low, or of some other plastic or material, the friction coefficient of which is low against the surface of the coins.
  • PTFE polytetrafluorethylene plastic
  • Said supporting action has been provided by positioning the surface of the drive belt 19 facing the coin 3a, 3b at an angle ⁇ of about 3° with respect to the support strip 23. Consequently, the coins 3a, 3b are supported on the side support 21 only by means of two points of the peripheral edge.
  • the position of the drive belt 19 with respect to the support strip 23 is such that the lowest edge 26 of the drive belt is at a distance of the plane 22a, 22b of the coin 3a, 3b facing the drive belt irrespective of the diameter of the coin.
  • the angle ⁇ may preferably vary between 2 to 5°.
  • said angle can be as small as about 1°, but a drawback of a too small angle is that the spotlike contact points of the coins are changed into range-like contacts, which are associated with different friction forces for coins of different diameters, and then the coins are not conveyed on the track in a controlled manner any longer, but jams are caused when the coins roll.
  • the angle ⁇ cannot be very big either, because a too big angle causes an overlapping of coins of different sizes fed on the coin track (small coins go into the space between big coins and the side support), which disturbs the propagation of the coins to the extent that a successful separation of coins at ejecting points is not possible.
  • the biggest value of the angle ⁇ is in practice about 20°.
  • the distance between the lower edge 26 of the drive belt and the lower support 20 is about 15 mm and the width of the drive belt about 10 to 20 mm.
  • the width of the support strip 23 is preferably 5 to 10 mm. A very small width can cause an unstable sway of the coin at that stage when the coin comes to the beginning of the coin track 4; if the width is too big, the upper edge of the support strip 23 touches the lower edge 26 of the drive belt 19.
  • Figure 2 shows that the surface of the drive belt 19 is entirely vertical. Differing from the figure, it is fully possible to incline the arrangement shown in Figure 2 in such a way that the drive belt forms an angle with respect to the vertical axis.
  • the inclination can be 0 to 70°.
  • a big angle makes it also difficult to shoot off the coin, because the coin must then be shot in a strange direction in such a way that a force component is directed also upwards. It has been noticed that the coins will be very evenly conveyed and are very easily removable from the track when the inclination of the drive belt is 10 to 45°.
  • the planar support (support strip) 23 can be thought to support the coin from below by means of several points situated at the peripheral edge and close to the places 25a and 25b; then the supporting action takes place by means of a small sector of the annular periphery and the friction between the support strip and the coin shall be very small.
  • the support 23 can naturally be made in one piece with the support 20. It is conceivable that the track according to the invention is used for conveying round planar bodies other than coins.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)
  • Testing Of Coins (AREA)
  • Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
  • Structure Of Belt Conveyors (AREA)
  • Medicines Containing Material From Animals Or Micro-Organisms (AREA)
  • Fats And Perfumes (AREA)

Claims (12)

  1. Vorrichtung zum Sortieren von Münzen oder dergleichen, mit einem Grundkörper (1), einem Zuführapparat (2), einer Münz-Gleitbahn (4) mit einem ersten Träger (20), entlang dessen die Münzen (3), gestützt auf deren Umfang, rollen können und einem zweiten Träger (21), der einen Treibriemen (19) umfaßt, wobei eine Seitenoberfläche der Münze gegenüber von dem zweiten Träger liegt, wenn die Münzen rollen und von dem ersten Träger gestützt werden und der Treibriemen so angeordnet ist, daß er die Münze unterstützt, wenn die Münze entlang der Münz-Gleitbahn rollt, und mit einem Münz-Auswurf-Mittel (6 bis 18), wobei der Zuführapparat dazu bestimmt ist, die Münzen auf der Münz-Gleitbahn vorzubewegen und das Auswurf-Mittel dazu bestimmt ist, die Münzen aus der Münz-Gleitbahn zu dem gewünschten Sammelort zu lenken, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Treibriemen (19) so angeordnet wird, um die Münze (3a, 3b) nur entlang einem Teil (24a, 24b) ihrer Umfangskante in einer im wesentlichen punktuellen Art und Weise zu stützen und daß der zweite Träger (21) einen planaren Träger (23) umfaßt, der nahe bei dem ersten Träger (20) angeordnet ist, um die Münze simultan an einem diametral gegenüberliegendem Ort (25a, 25b) der Umfangskante oder an mehreren solcher Stellen zu stützen, wodurch die Ebene des Treibriemens (19) gegenüber der Münze einen spitzen Winkel α hinsichtlich dem planaren Träger bildet.
  2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Winkel α 1 bis 20° beträgt.
  3. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Winkel α 2 bis 5° beträgt.
  4. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der planare Träger (23) angeordnet ist, um den genannten diametral entgegengesetzten Teil (25a, 25b) der Münze in einer im wesentlichen punktuellen Art und Weise zu stützen.
  5. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der planare Träger (23) eine reibungsarme Oberfläche umfaßt.
  6. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 5, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der planare Träger aus einem Band besteht, das aus PFTE-Plastik hergestellt ist.
  7. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der planare Träger aus einem Treibriemen besteht, der so angeordnet ist, daß er sich in der entgegengesetzten Richtung gegenüber dem erstgenanntem Treibriemen bewegt.
  8. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 5 oder 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Breite des planaren Trägers (23) ungefähr 5 bis 10 mm beträgt.
  9. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß sich der Rand (26) des Treibriemens (19), der gegenüber dem ersten Träger (20) liegt, in einem Abstand von ungefähr 15 mm von dem ersten Träger entfernt befindet.
  10. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß die Breite des Treibriemens (19) 10 bis 20 mm. beträgt.
  11. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Treibriemen (19) hinsichtlich der senkrechten Achse einen Winkel in der Größe von 10 bis 45° bildet.
  12. Gleitbahn zum Befördern von Münzen mittels einer rollenden Bewegung, mit einem ersten Träger (20), entlang dessen die Münzen (3), gestützt auf deren Umfang, rollen können und einem zweiten Träger (21), der einen Treibriemen (19) umfaßt, wobei eine Seitenoberfläche der Münze gegenüber von dem zweiten Träger liegt, wenn die Münzen rollen und von dem ersten Träger gestützt werden, wobei der Treibriemen so angeordnet ist, daß er die Münze unterstützt, wenn die Münze entlang der Münz-Gleitbahn rollt, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Treibriemen (19) so angeordnet wird, daß die Münze (3a, 3b) nur entlang eines Teils (24a, 24b) ihrer Umfangskante in einer im wesentlichen punktuellen Art und Weise gestützt wird und daß der zweite Träger (21) einen planaren Träger (23) umfaßt, der nahe bei dem ersten Träger (20) angeordnet ist, um die Münze simultan an einem diametral gegenüberliegendem Ort (25a, 25b) der Umfangskante oder an mehreren solchen Stellen zu stützen, wodurch die Ebene des Treibriemens (19) gegenüber der Münze einen spitzen Winkel α hinsichtlich dem planaren Träger bildet.
EP93907887A 1992-04-16 1993-04-06 Vorrichtung zum sortieren von münzen und dergleichen Expired - Lifetime EP0636264B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FI921726A FI90151C (fi) 1992-04-16 1992-04-16 Anordning foer sortering av mynt och dylika
FI921726 1992-04-16
PCT/FI1993/000146 WO1993021607A1 (en) 1992-04-16 1993-04-06 A device for sorting coins and the like

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0636264A1 EP0636264A1 (de) 1995-02-01
EP0636264B1 true EP0636264B1 (de) 1997-07-16

Family

ID=8535138

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93907887A Expired - Lifetime EP0636264B1 (de) 1992-04-16 1993-04-06 Vorrichtung zum sortieren von münzen und dergleichen

Country Status (8)

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EP (1) EP0636264B1 (de)
AT (1) ATE155598T1 (de)
AU (1) AU3892393A (de)
DE (1) DE69312284T2 (de)
DK (1) DK0636264T3 (de)
ES (1) ES2106332T3 (de)
FI (1) FI90151C (de)
WO (1) WO1993021607A1 (de)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
ES2158803B1 (es) * 1999-09-23 2002-03-01 Iberselex S A Maquina clasificadora de monedas.-

Family Cites Families (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2513240A1 (de) * 1975-03-25 1976-10-14 Reis Standardwerk Fuehrungsvorrichtung fuer muenzsortier- und muenzzaehlmaschinen
JPH07104964B2 (ja) * 1988-09-06 1995-11-13 ローレルバンクマシン株式会社 硬貨処理機の硬貨導入装置
JP2518724B2 (ja) * 1990-07-16 1996-07-31 ローレルバンクマシン株式会社 硬貨選別装置

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DK0636264T3 (da) 1997-09-15
DE69312284T2 (de) 1997-10-30
ATE155598T1 (de) 1997-08-15
FI921726A0 (fi) 1992-04-16
DE69312284D1 (de) 1997-08-21
ES2106332T3 (es) 1997-11-01
AU3892393A (en) 1993-11-18
FI90151B (fi) 1993-09-15
EP0636264A1 (de) 1995-02-01
WO1993021607A1 (en) 1993-10-28
FI90151C (fi) 1993-12-27

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