AU653162B2 - Improvements to coin control systems for automatic machines - Google Patents

Description

OPI DATE 04102192 SOLIc AOJP DATE 12/03/92 APPLN. ID 80504 1 91 1 PCT NUMBER PCT/ES91/00042 PERACION (51) Clasificaci6n Internacional de Patentes 5 (11) Ni~mero de publicaci6n internacional: WO 92/01 271 G07F 5/24 Al (43) Fecha dc, publicaci6n internacional: 23 de enero de 1992 (23.01.92) (21) Solicitud internacional: PCT/ES91/00042 (81) Estados designados: AT (Patente europea), AU, BE (Patente europea), CH (Patente europea), DE, DE (Patente eu- (22) Fecha de presentaci6n internacional: ropea), DK (Patente europea), ES (Patente europea), FR de julio de 1991 (10.07.9 1) (Patente europea), GB, GB (Patente europen), GR (Patente europea), IT (Patente europea), LU (Patente europea), NL (Patente europe), SE (Patente europ US.

Datos relativos a la prioridad: P 90C 1908 12 de juio de 1990 ES (12.07.90) Publicada Con infonne de bi~squeda iniernacional.

Antes de la expiracidn deiplazo previsto para la ,nodifca- (71) Solicitante (para- lodos los Estados designados salvo US): ci6n de las reivindicaciones, serhi pubicada nuevamente si AZKOYEN INDUSTRIAL, S.A. [ES/ES]; Avenida San se reciben tales rnodificaciones.

Silvestre, E-31350 Peralta (ES).

(72) Inventor; e Inventor/solicitante (s6lo US) :ECHAPARE IBARROLA, w a Jesus [ES/ES]; Pedro I, 23 E-Pamplona (ES).

(74)Mandatario: HERRENO ANTOLIN, Julio; Herrero &6 Asociaiios, SL., AlcalA, 21, E-28014 Madrid (ES).

(54) Title: IMPROVEMENTS TO COIN CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATIC MACHINES (54) Titulo: MEJORAS INTRODUCIDAS EN SISTEMAS DE CONTROL DE MONEDAS PARA MAQUINAS AUTOMA-

TICAS

(57) Abstract32 5 4 The improvements comprise the integration of the whole control system within a prismatic-rectangular vertically elongate casing wherein the electronic coin selector (2) is provided in the top part, and immediately under said selector a sorter whose channels are controlled by electromagnets said sorting device being assisted by a display (9) and a group of push-buttons (10) and in the bottom part of the casing, under the sorting device there is provided a series of storage tubes (11) corresponding to respective return mechanisms, a uoit (12) for the temporary storage of coins, as well as at least one groove (14) in one of the side walls of the case which groove allows to provide for the optional coupling of an external return device (13) and which, through a guide sup-8 plies the coins to the return passage.

(57) R;ssujen Consiste en establecer todo el sistema de control en el seno de una carcasa prism~tico-rectangular, atlargada verticalmente, de manera que en ha misma se establece superiormente el selector e~ectr~nico de monedas immediatamente por debajo de 61 un clasif icador cuyas can~izaciones esifin controladas por electroimanes, clasificador asistido por un display y uin, grupo de pulsadores mientras que en Ia nona inferior de la carcasa, por debajo del clasificador se establecan una serie de tubas de almacenaje 1 (11) correspondientes a respectivis mecanismos devolvedores, un m6dulo (12) de almace- 1 naje temporal de inonedas, asi como al menos una ranura (14) en una de las paredes laterates de la carcasa, que permite el acoplamiento opcional de un devolvedor exterior (13) y que, a trav6s de una guia (15) suministra las monedas al conducto de devolucibn, IMPROVEMENTS TO COIN CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATIC MACHINES FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to coin control systems for automatic machines, that is, machines capable of supplying a product or service after the introduction therein of a coin or collection of coins, and particularly relates to improvements affecting both the coin validation systems and the systems for storing the coins and paying out prizes or returns.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In automatic machines of the type mentioned hereinbefore, such as for example games machines, tobacco or drinks dispensing machines, etc., a series of mechanisms are desirable such as a selector for detecting the passage of each coin, verifying the validity or invalidity thereof, and, as the case may be, valuating same, a classifier to separate coins of different values, channelling same towards different receptacles, several storage boxes for coins of different values, designed to supply V. the said coins again towards the outside, generally for returns 20 or "change", and means for returning to the user the coins introduced when the machine is unable to supply the desired product, etc.

At present, all of such elements constitute a separate arrangement wherein the said elements, though functionally interrelated, are totally independent from a physical point of view, each being located in the most appropriate area of the machine and being suitably mounted therein, this implying an ,.-.extremely complex assembly, which furthermore varies from one

I"

2 type of machine to another, thereby complicating matters even further.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to alleviate these problems, in such a way that the coin control system constitutes a compact device wherein the different elements comprising same can be assembled separately before final assembly of the whole system in any machine, the said elements adopting a rational distribution in order to achieve a compact volume, easy to install within any machine, and with optimum characteristics from a functional point of view.

According to the invention, there is provided a coin control system for an automatic dispensing machine, the system comprising a vertically elongated generally rectangular frame a .o box, a coin selector located and mounted at an upper section of the frame box, the frame box having an upper surface provided ooo S. with a slot for the introduction of coins which pass to the coin selector, the upper surface of the frame box also having a selectively operable button for return of rejected coins, the .o.

:20 frame box having a middle section located directly below the 9* coin selector and in which there is located a classifier for classifying and deviating coins passing through the coin selector, said classifier opening into a lower duct which is operative to channel coins selectively into a collecting container or into any one of a series of upright tubes located in a lower section of the frame box, the upright tubes having associated therewith respective coin return mechanisms for returning coins from the tubes, a module for temporary storage of coins which is located and mounted in the lower section of the frame box and operative to temporarily store coins introduced by the user when the associated automatic machine is unable to dispense the desired product or service prior to subsequent return of such coins, the frame box having a side wall provided with coupling means for enabling mounting of an external return mechanism, an aperture provided in the side wall of said frame box and located so that an external return mechanism mounted by the coupling means to the side wall of the frame box can discharge coins through the aperture into said frame box, said frame box providing a guiding ramp along which coins passing through the aperture travel towards a coin return :eeo duct for returning coins to the user, the system further including a cover for said frame box, the cover providing openings for visual observation of an alphanumeric display mounted by the frame box and operable to show messages to the oo0 S user, the cover further providing openings for enabling user :1.

access to operating buttons for operating the system, the cover further providing vertical slots for visual observation of the a..

20 contents of the upright tubes.

The system in use may have an external return mechanism mounted by the coupling means to the side wall of the frame box, the external return mechanism having coin storage means for storing coins of a denomination not expacted to be inserted by the user into the system but which are to be dispensed in change to the user.

The module for temporary storage of coins is preferably -also arranged to receive and temporarily store coins introduced by the user which are not recognised or accepted by the coin selector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In order to complete the description being made, and to assist better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings has been added to the present specification, as an integral part thereof, where the following has been shown in an illustrative and non-limiting manner: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a coin control system for automatic machines made in accordance with the present invention, and .ii Figure 2 shows another perspective view of the preceding figure, from a different angle.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION In the figures, it can be observed how the coin control system in accordance with the said improvements is assembled S" within a frame box which has a vertically elongated rectangular shape, which in the example of the preferred embodiment shown in the figures is represented without the cover 20 which accesses the mechanisms thereof. In the upper surface of the frame there is provided an electronic coin selector of any conventional type, but being preferably an electronic selector, the mouth whereof for access of the coins projects through a window operatively made on the upper surface of tIhe frame box, as does the button for returning reject coins, there being further provided on such surface a guide for cable for electrical connection of the system.

The selector designed to receive, select and validate the coins, identifying each of them, discharges onto a classifier provided within the frame immediately below same, the purpose of the classifier being obviously to deviate the coins through different channels depending on the value of same, and preferably by means of the activation of electromagnets, an alphanumeric LCD display being related to this classifier, which display is capable of showing messages and allows the performance of certain functions, the said display being visible through a window operatively made in the cover of the frame box, not shown in the figures, at the same time as the buttons (10) for performing the said functions likewise emerge through respective openings in the cover.

The classifier unloads onto a series of tubes (11) for storing the coins, corresponding to respective returns, each of which, and as is conventional, is provided with an engine, a gear box, an eccentric, an axle, and a gate, with respective supports for the coin storage tube, which tube is divided into various sections, such that whilst the lower section contains a card of emptying photodiodes, the upper section contains a card of filling photodiodes, though such elements have not been shown in the figures given that, as has been said, they are conventional and can be substituted by return mechanisms of any other type.

5 The repeatedly mentioned cover is provided, in correspondence with tubes (11) of the return mechanispts, with vertical slots which allow visual and directj eent-r of the number of coins present therein.

In this lower area of the frame box there is established a module (12) for temporary storage of coins which, as has already been said, allows the return of the coins introduced by the user in the event that the machine should be unable to supply the desired product or service.

The said module (12) provides the advantage that it renders greater autonomy for change in the system, given that if any person introduces a coin which does not usually enter the return tubes and the machine is lacking the desired product, or, in other words, purchase of such product cannot take place, in a machine lacking this module the coins would pass into the collecting tin or box, and the user would thus be unable to recover the coins, and this does not occur with module (12), since same stores temporarily and specifically the coins which have just been introduced by the user.

In accordance with the improvements being described, it is likewise possible to provide external auxiliary return mechanisms fitted externally to the side walls of the frame box and being coupled to slots (14) in the said walls through which the coins are channelled towards a coin duct which guides same to the return channel. Obviously, such external return mechanisms given their location, cannot receive coins from selector of the system, and are provided for cases in which the need to return a certain coin is foreseen to be much more frequent than the introduction of such coin into the machine by the user.

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Obviously, the system likewise includes the necessarypalewhich controls all the elements and accounts of sales and coins collected, to subsequently download such information onto a printer or computer.

It is not considered necessary to extend the present description any further for an expert in the art to understand the scope of the invention and the advantages derived therefrom.

The materials, shape, size and arrangement of the elements may vary, provided such variation does not imply a modification in the essentiality of the invention.

The terms used to described the present specfication should be taken to have a wide and non limiting meaning.

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