Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
1
A COIN HANDLING APPARATUS WITH MEANS FOR DEFLECTING NON
SEPARATED VALID COINS
Technical Field
The present invention relates to coin handling, and
more particularly to a coin handling apparatus of the
type that has a plurality of coin separating stations for
active separation of coins off a circular transport path
in response to at least one coin characteristic detected
by a coin sensor.
Background Art
A coin sorter that employs active sorting technology
is an example of an apparatus according to the above.
Active sorting means that each coin separating station
has a controllable movable member, which in response to
control signals may be switched between an active posi-
tion, in which the controllable member interferes with
the transport path and will cause a valid coin to be
separated off the transport path, and an inactivated
position, in which the controllable member is retracted
from the transport path and will admit the coin to con-
tinue along the transport path past the coin separating
station. Commonly, the coin separating stations are
implemented as electromagnetic solenoids with movable
cores, to which the controllable members are pivotally
coupled. Which coin separating station to activate for a
certain coin is determined by a coin sensor and a cont-
roller, which will detect physical characteristics such
as conductivity, permeability, thickness and/or diameter
of the coin and in response generate control signals
having appropriate voltage or current levels and supply
these control signals to the coin separating stations in
a timely manner so as to cause activation of the correct
station at the correct time (i.e., just before the coin
reaches the station in question), without inadvertently
separating off any other adjacent coin than the intended
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
2
one. A coin handling apparatus that uses such active coin
separating technology provides great advantages in terms
of flexibility and accuracy. For instance, the controller
of the apparatus may conveniently be reprogrammed if the
apparatus is to be used with another set of coin types
(such as a foreign currency, or if the government issues
a new type of coin). The apparatus also allows automatic
switches between stations/coin bags, when a first bag
which is assigned a certain coin denomination or mix of
denominations becomes full. Conveniently, the controller
of the apparatus may start using another station/coin bag
to collect coins of the denomination in question, while
the full coin bag may be substituted with an empty one
without interrupting the operation of the apparatus.
However, active coin separating technology requires
high-precision components and advanced mechanical and
electrical design so as to accomplish the active coin
separation with sufficient accuracy and reliability. One
problem that occurs during real-life operation is that a
small fraction of the processed coins are not actually
separated off at the appropriate coin separating station,
even though they have been identified as valid coins, but
instead continue along the transport path past all
stations. In the prior art, such non-separated valid
coins have been handled by the provision of recirculation
means for automatically returning the coins to the trans-
port path and giving them a new opportunity to be separa-
ted off at the correct station.
WO 99/33030 discloses a coin sorter with active coin
separating technology, where recirculation of any non-
separated valid coins is handled by simply letting the
coins continue into a new lap around the transport path,
so that they again will pass the coin sensor and, ultima-
tely, the coin separating stations. So long as the
accuracy of the apparatus is such that only very few
coins will actually need recirculation, the approach
given in WO 99/33030 is satisfactory. However, as said
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
3
before, this may require high-precision, advanced com-
ponents which in turn may pose a cost penalty.
WO 97/07485 discloses an active coin sorting device
8 with a circular transport path and a feedback rail 38
positioned with one end connected to the circular trans-
port path after the last coin separating station 32, 33,
46, 47 and another end disposed adjacently to a coin
lifting device or hopper 3, which feeds coins to the coin
sorting device 8. Hence, recirculation of non-separated
valid coins is accomplished by way of the feedback rail
3, which will cause such coins to be returned to the coin
sorting device 8 via the hopper 3.
WO 01/48705 discloses a coin sorter 2 with active
coin separating technology similar to the one described
in WO 99/33030. Here, however, recirculation is taken
care of by way of an accessory device in the form of an
inclined conveyor belt 4, which is also used as a mecha-
nism for feeding coins to the coin sorter. Thus, in this
sense the arrangement is similar to the solution shown in
WO 97/07485.
While all coin handling apparatuses that are shown
in the prior art referred to above represent well func-
tioning active coin separating technology, the present
inventors have nevertheless realized that an alternative
solution to the problem of handling non-separated valid
coin can be reached with a less complicated design than
in the prior art.
Summary of the Invention
An objective of the present invention is thus to
provide an alternative solution to the problem of
handling non-separated valid coins in a coin handling
apparatus that uses active coin separating technology.
Particularly, an objective is to provide a solution which
requires uncomplicated and inexpensive means for handling
non-separated valid coins.
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
4
Generally, the above objectives are achieved by a
coin handling apparatus according to claim 1.
One aspect of the invention is a coin handling appa-
ratus comprising a plurality of coin separating stations
and a coin sensor positioned along a circular transport
path defining a coin transport direction, each coin sepa-
rating station comprising a controllable member for sepa-
rating coins individually off said circular transport
path in response to at least one coin characteristic
detected by said coin sensor, wherein said coin separa-
ting stations include at least one station assigned for
separation of valid coins, as indicated by said at least
one coin characteristic. The coin handling apparatus
further comprises a deflector located at said circular
transport path and adapted to deflect any non-separated
valid coins, that have passed all of said at least one
station assigned for separation of valid coins without
actually having been separated off said circular trans-
port path, to an exterior end position which is access-
ible to a user of said coin handling apparatus.
Advantageously, the deflector has a stationary
location at said circular transport path, and the
exterior end position is selected so that any of said
non-separated valid coins are prevented from being re-
circulated to a beginning of the transport path. This has
the benefit of eliminating the need for automatic recir-
culation means. Instead, recirculation of coins that have
been deflected by said deflector will require a step of
manual intervention, by having the user manually retur-
ning the coins, or some of them, to the circular trans-
port path, potentially after manual inspection. Thus, the
problem of non-separated valid coins will be solved with
a inexpensive mechanical design with fewer components
than in the prior art. Moreover, the elimination of auto-
matic recirculation means may allow a more compact appa-
ratus design, and will also allow the apparatus to
operate quicker particularly at start and stop of coin
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
processing, thanks to the eliminated recirculation path
compared to the prior art.
In one embodiment, the apparatus has a receptacle at
said exterior end position, said receptacle being adapted
5 to receive said non-separated valid coins deflected by
said deflector. Such a receptacle will safely receive
such non-separated valid coins and facilitate manual
inspection and/or intervention for returning the coins to
the circular transport path. Thus, the receptacle is
advantageously provided at a front side of an apparatus
housing of the apparatus.
The apparatus may further have a coin reject station
adapted for separation of invalid coins, as indicated by
said at least one coin characteristic detected by said
coin sensor. In such a case, the receptacle may be
adapted to receive also such invalid coins, thereby
allowing a further reduction in the number of required
components. Alternatively, two different receptacles may
be used for non-separated valid coins and for rejected
invalid coins.
In one embodiment, the coin reject station is
represented by said deflector. In another embodiment it
is one of said plurality of coin separating stations.
In one embodiment a detector is positioned to detect
the arrival or presence of non-separated valid coins in
said receptacle. An indicator may be connected to said
detector and be adapted to indicate the arrival or pre-
sence of non-separated valid coins in said receptacle.
This will be beneficial to the user, who will promptly be
alerted of such arrival or presence. Advantageously, such
an indicator is located at said front side, adjacently to
the receptacle.
Advantageously, the receptacle may furthermore be
adapted to receive also coins that have inadvertently
fallen off said circular transport path at a position
other than said coin separating stations, said deflector
and said coin reject station.
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
6
In one embodiment, each coin separating station may
comprise a solenoid having a movable core, to which the
controllable member is pivotally coupled and which is
adapted to assume first and second positions depending on
said at least one coin characteristic detected by said
coin sensor, wherein, in said first position of said
core, the controllable member is adapted to separate a
valid coin off said circular transport path at said coin
separating station and wherein, in said second position
of said core, the controllable member is adapted to admit
a valid coin to continue along said circular transport
path past said coin separating station.
As referred to herein, the term "coin" includes
coins that form part of a monetary system for a parti-
cular currency, as well as similar objects such as non-
monetary coins, markers and tokens.
Other objectives, features and advantages of the
present invention will appear from the following detailed
disclosure, from the attached dependent claims as well as
from the drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
An exemplifying embodiment of a coin handling
apparatus according to the invention will now be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings, in which:
fig 1 is a perspective view of the coin handling
apparatus in its normal operating position, where the
apparatus housing is closed,
fig 2 is a perspective view of the coin handling
apparatus of fig 1, with a front part of the apparatus
housing withdrawn like a drawer from a rear part of the
apparatus housing, wherein an internal coin processing
device is revealed,
fig 3 is a plan view of the rear part of the
apparatus housing and the coin processing device of fig
2,
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
7
fig 4 is a perspective and partly sectional view of
the coin handling apparatus, illustrating portions of the
coin processing device, wherein input of coins to the
coin processing device is prevented by a coin input
trapdoor assuming a closed position,
fig 5 is a view corresponding to the one shown in
fig 4, however with the coin input trapdoor in an open
position which permits reception of coins in the coin
processing device,
fig 6a is a view similar to the one shown in fig 4,
and
fig 6b is an enlarged perspective sectional view of
one area in the coin processing device.
Detailed Disclosure of an Exemplifying Embodiment
The coin handling apparatus 1 has an apparatus
housing or cabinet 2, which comprises a withdrawable
front part 20 and a rear part 10, the latter of which
also comprises a base 40 for a coin processing device
100. The front part 20 of the apparatus housing 2 is
slidably supported by rails 41 (only one of which is
shown in fig 2) and may thus be withdrawn by a user from
the rear part 10 in a convenient manner so as to provide
access to the coin processing device 100 and other inter-
nal components of the coin handling apparatus 1, for in
stance when a malfunction is to be remedied by the user.
The rear part 10 of the apparatus housing 2 has a
top side 13, lateral sides 11 as well as a back side 12.
The top side 13 has a display 9, which advantageously may
be removably attached to the apparatus housing 2, thereby
allowing the user to instead place the display at a posi-
tion external to the coin handling apparatus 1. The back
side 12 has a plurality of terminals and connectors 14-
19, one of which may be a display port for connecting the
display 9 to the electronic control circuitry of the coin
handling apparatus 1 (a controller 130 included in said
electronic control circuit being shown in the drawings).
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
8
The connectors and terminals 14-19 also include a mains
power connection as well as a computer communication
interface. The computer communication interface may be a
serial interface such as RS232 or USB, a network inter-
s face such as Ethernet Twisted Pair (RJ45), or a wireless
interface such as Bluetooth. By means of the computer
communication interface, the coin handling apparatus 1
may be connected to an external local or remote computer
so as to report a result of a completed coin processing
transaction to the computer. The computer communication
interface may also be used for reporting operational data
such as error rates, coin denomination statistics, etc,
to the computer. Additionally, the computer communication
interface may be used for downloading software and/or
settings data to the electronic control circuitry of the
coin processing apparatus 1.
The front part 20 of the apparatus housing 2 has a
top side 23, lateral sides 21 and a front side 22. A coin
intake 24 or coin input region is formed in the top side
23. At the bottom of the coin intake 24 a conveyor belt
is provided for transporting received coins c1 (fig 4)
to the interior of the coin handling apparatus 1 through
a coin input opening 26. A coin input trapdoor 27 is
provided at the coin input opening 26 and is hinged to an
25 actuator 28, by means of which the coin input trapdoor 27
may assume a first, closed position, which is shown in
fig 4 and in which the received coins c1 are prevented
from entering the interior of the coin handling apparatus
1, and a second, open position, which is shown in fig 5
and which permits the received coins c1 to enter the
interior of the coin handling apparatus 1. In more
detail, as seen in fig 4 and 5, an angled end portion of
the coin input trapdoor 27 will abut against the conveyor
belt 25 at one of its drive pulleys 29 in the closed
position. In the open position, the actuator 28 will
pivot the coin input trapdoor 27 and its angled end away
from the conveyor belt 25, as seen in fig 5. In this
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
9
position, the received coins c1 will pass the coin input
opening 26, exit the conveyor belt 25 after having passed
the drive pulley 29 and fall down through a coin input
channel 104 so as to ultimately land on a rotary disc
106, which is part of the coin processing device 100.
Referring back to fig 1, the front side 22 of the
front part 21 of the apparatus housing 2 has an LED error
indicator 3, a start/stop button 4, a reset button 5, and
buttons 6, 7 for selecting between first and second coin
bags, in which coins that have been processed by the coin
processing device 100 will ultimately be collected
through output ducts 32, 34. The coin bags are not shown
in fig 1, but their attachments are indicated at 31 and
33. In other embodiments, the coin bag buttons 6, 7 may
be replaced by visual indicators, which will indicate to
the user of the coin handling apparatus 1 which one of
the coin bags that is currently used for collecting
processed coins, or by combined buttons and indicators. A
coin reject indicator 8 is provided adjacently to a
receptacle 30 for rejected coins. The reject receptacle
is located at an exterior position which is conveni-
ently accessible to the user, and the reject receptacle
may further advantageously be removable from the coin
handling apparatus 1 so as to facilitate further handling
25 of the coins that have been collected in the reject
receptacle 30. The reset button 5 may also be used for
commanding transmission of the results of a completed
coin processing transaction to an external computer
through aforesaid computer communication interface, or
30 for storing the results in an internal memory in the coin
handling apparatus 1.
The structure and operation of the coin processing
device 100 is generally very similar to that of the coin
handling apparatus which is described in aforesaid
WO 99/33030, which is fully incorporated herein by
reference. Therefore, a lengthy description in greater
detail of all the components is not given here; never-
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
theless, a sufficiently enabling disclosure is given in
the following. The coin processing device 100 has a
circular coin processing arrangement, which includes two
coin separating stations 113, 114 (fig 3) arranged along
5 a circular coin transport path 111. The coin transport
direction is clockwise in fig 3. The number of coin
separating stations is considerably less in the exempli-
fying embodiment of the present invention (i.e., two)
than in the embodiment illustrated in aforesaid WO
10 99/33030 (i.e., ten), the reason being that whereas the
apparatus shown in WO 99/33030 is a coin sorter for
sorting a plurality of coin denominations, the exempli-
fying embodiment of the present invention is a coin value
counter, which does not act to physically separate dif-
ferent coin denominations into different coin receptacles
but merely to identify different coin denominations and
calculate an accumulated value for the processed coins.
Having two coin separating stations 113, 114 even for a
value counting-only coin handling apparatus allows the
apparatus to switch between two coin bags when one of the
bags has become full of coins, thereby prolonging the
operational time between substitution of full coin bags
with empty ones. It is to be observed and emphasized that
the exact number of coin separating stations is not an
essential feature of the present invention.
To accomplish the transport of received coins along
the circular transport path 111, the coin processing
device 100 has a coin feeding mechanism which comprises a
rotary coin feeder 107, which is mounted at its center on
an axle 105. An electric motor 103 is coupled to the
rotary coin feeder 107 through a drive belt (not shown in
the drawings) so as to cause the coin feeder 107 to
rotate when the motor 103 is driven. An upper cover 101
protects the coin feeder 107 and the other components of
the coin processing device 100 and is secured in position
by a lock 102 which is screwed on to the axle 105. By
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
11
unscrewing the lock 102, the cover 101 may be removed
from the coin processing device 100.
When coins c1 have been received through the coin
input channel 104 in the manner described previously,
they are received on the surface of the rotary disc 106,
as indicated at c2 in fig 3. Upon rotation of the coin
feeder 107 by way of the electric motor 103, a resilient
rim 111 which is mounted to the lower surface of the
feeder 107 comes in frictional engagement with the rotary
disc 106, and consequently also the rotary disc 106 will
be caused to rotate. As a consequence, the coins on the
surface of the rotary disc 106 will be accelerated by
centripetal force in a radial direction outwardly and
reach a reference edge 108, as seen at c3 in fig 3. The
coins will then follow the reference edge 108 and arrive
at an end portion 109 of the reference edge 108. In
contrast to the preceding portions of the reference edge
108, there is provided an opening between the end portion
109 and the surface of the rotary disc 106, this opening
being large enough so as to admit the coins c3 to slip
beneath the end portion 109 and arrive at a position c4.
Here, a deflector knife 110 will push the coins under the
resilient rim 111, as seen as c5, out to a position c6 in
which only a peripheral edge portion of the coins is
engaged between the resilient rim 111 and the rotary disc
106. The position referred to as cfaii-off is not a normal
situation, but it will be referred to in more detail
later.
The coins are then transported past a coin sensor or
discriminator 112, as seen at c~ in fig 3, where at least
one physical characteristic is determined for each coin
c7. Such characteristics may be conductivity, permeabi-
lity, thickness and/or diameter of the coin c7. Coin
reference data is stored in a memory associated with the
controller 130 and serves as a lookup-table that matches
different values or value ranges for said coin character-
ristic(s) to different coin denominations or types. The
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
12
coin characteristics) obtained by the sensor 112 for
coin c7 will be compared to the coin reference data by
the controller 130, and in case of a match the denomina-
tion of the coin c7 will be given by said coin reference
data, provided that the coin c2 is a valid coin, as
defined by the reference data. Hence, the controller 130
will add the value associated with the denomination of
coin c7 to an accumulated value of all previous coins
that have been processed in the current coin processing
transaction. The controller 130 will also generate
control signals to the appropriate coin separating
station 113, 114 so as to actuate a controllable member
or deflector 115, 116 thereof, when the coin has traveled
along the circular transport path (position c$) to a
position c9 near the appropriate coin separating station
113. In the illustrated embodiment, the coin separating
stations 113, 114 comprise electromagnetic solenoids,
each having a movable core to which the controllable
member 115/ 116 is pivotally coupled.
In fig 3, the first coin separating station 113 is
illustrated with its controllable member 115 in its
activated position, where the deflector interferes with
the resilient rim 111 and will force the coin out of
engagement with the resilient rim 111, wherein the coin
will fall down into a chute 117 and further down the duct
32 into the coin bag attached to the coin bag attachment
31. Furthermore, the second coin separating station 114
is illustrated in fig 3 with its controllable member 116
in its inactivated position, retracted from the resilient
rim 111 and thus not causing any passing coin to be
pushed off the circular transport path and resilient rim
111.
If, in response to the characteristics) determined
by the sensor 112, the controller 130 decides that a
certain coin is not a valid coin, it is handled as a
reject coin by the coin processing device 100. In case of
a reject coin, both coin separating stations 113, 114
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
13
will remain inactivated when the coin passes them,
wherein the coin will arrive at a position cll where it
hits a deflector 119 in the form of a knife-shaped metal
plate. As seen in figs 3 and 6a/b, the deflector 119 is
mounted at a position after the last coin separating
station 114 along the circular transport path 111, with
one end close enough to the perimeter of the coin feeder
107/rotary disc 106 so as to deflect the coin cll from the
circular transport path into a reject channel 120. After
having fallen through the reject channel 120, the coin cii
will be received and collected in the reject receptacle
30. Thus, in contrast to prior-art active, circular coin
processing devices, the illustrated embodiment uses a
stationary mechanical deflector 119 to deflect reject
coins instead of one of the controllable coin separating
stations. In addition to this, the deflector 119 of the
illustrated embodiment also serves a purpose for
deflecting any valid coin, which has been positively
identified by the coin sensor 112 and the controller 130
as a valid coin and thus should have been separated by
any of the coin separating stations 113, 114 but in fact
has not been separated and arrives at position cll after
the last coin separating station 114. The reason for this
may be a mismatch in timing of the control signals from
the controller 130 to the coin separating stations 113,
114, so that the controllable member 115, 116 is
activated a bit too late and the valid coin will "escape"
the controllable member. Another situation is when the
coin bag of the currently used coin separating station
113, 114 has become full and a switch is to be done to
the coin bag of the other coin separating station 114,
113. When this happens, the coin input trapdoor 27 is
preferably closed so as to prevent further coins c1 from
entering the coin processing device 100 until the switch
to the new coin bag has been completed, but nevertheless
there may still be coins c2-ce in the coin processing
device 100 that have not yet passed the coin separating
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
14
stations 113, 114. Thus, these stations are kept inactive
by the controller during the switch of coin bags, wherein
such valid but non-separated coins will be deflected by
the deflector 119 at cll into the reject receptacle 30.
The coin input trapdoor 27 is automatically closed
by the controller 130 and the actuator 28, and the
operation of the belt 25 is suspended, in the following
situations:
When an error condition has been detected in the
coin processing device 100, such as a coin jam.
When a calibration of the sensor 112 is to be
performed. To allow optimum coin discriminating accuracy,
certain parameters related to aforesaid coin reference
data are regularly updated by obtaining "no-coin" or idle
measurement values by the coin sensor 112 when no coin is
present along the transport path. Thanks the provision of
the deflector 119 in combination with the coin input
trapdoor 27, a no-coin situation may be quickly reached
also during an ongoing coin processing transaction. When
the calibration is to be performed, the coin input trap-
door 27 is closed, and coins yet to be processed will
remain in the coin input region 24, whereas existing
coins within the coin processing device will be rapidly
processed by the stations 113, 144 or deflector 119.
In addition to the above, the coin input trapdoor 27
is also kept closed at start-up of the apparatus so as to
allow it to reach a correct operating temperature, etc.
The reject receptacle 30 is used in the illustrated
embodiment also for a third category of coins, referred
to as "fall-off" coins. Such a fall-off coin is illustra-
ted at Cgall-off In fig 3. A fall-off coin is a coin that
for some reason loses engagement with the resilient rim
111 prior to the intended destination (coin separating
station 113, 114, deflector 119). One example why this
may happen is shown in fig 3; two adjacent coins c4 and c5
do not leave enough space for the coin cfaii-off to engage
with the resilient rim 111. Instead, this coin will be
CA 02548756 2006-05-30
WO 2005/055157 PCT/SE2004/001743
pushed out of contact with the resilient rim 111 by the
knife 110 and coin c4, c5 into the channel 120 and reject
receptacle 30.
The invention has been described above with refe-
5 rence to an exemplifying embodiment. However, as is
readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art, other
embodiments than the one disclosed above are equally
possible within the scope of the invention as defined by
the appended patent claims. For instance, the number of
10 coin separating stations may be considerably more than
two, wherein such an embodiment may be a real coin
sorting apparatus rather than a coin value counting appa-
ratus. The design and operation of the coin separating
stations may be different than in the illustrated embodi-
15 ment. Rather than using electromechanical solenoids, the
coin separating stations may operate pneumatically or
hydraulically under electrical or optical control.
Furthermore, the design of the deflector 119 may be
varied so long as it satisfies the functional require-
ments set out above.
