Coin receiving and dispensing apparatus

Abstract

A coins receiving and dispensing apparatus suitable for food shops or restaurants allows precise transfer and reception of various coins without error and confirmation of the balance of the coin. When coins received from customers are inserted into this apparatus, the coins are immediately sorted by a sorting mechanism with respect to the denominations of the currency and stored at the respective storage portions. When the coins are paid out as change, the coin feeder operates based on a dispensing command signal produced corresponding to the differences between the sold amount inputted in the register and the received amount from the customers to feed the coins of the wanted denomination in the necessary number.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A coin receiving and dispensing apparatus comprising: 
       a plurality of storage portions for storing respective coins;  
       sorting means for sorting coins inserted from the outside of the apparatus with respect to denominations of the currency of the coins and respectively feeding the sorted coins to said corresponding storage portions;  
       feeding means for feeding coins out of said storage portions to a user in response to a dispensing command; and  
       said sorting means comprising a gauge having a coin guide portion extending over said storage portions, said coin guide portion being formed with a plurality of openings respectively having sizes slightly larger than the diameter of a corresponding coin of a particular denomination among the various coins of different denominations, so that each opening is sized to accept a coin of a different denomination, at positions corresponding to said respective storage portions, and comprising conveying means for conveying the coins that are disposed on said gauge along the coin guide portion, wherein said coin guide portion is substantially ring-shaped with an upper side and a bottom side and is formed with a receiving face, for receiving a major face of the coins, formed with said openings, which are arranged along a circumferential direction, and tapered so that the diameter of said coin guide portion decreases gradually toward the bottom side, for receiving the major face of the coins, and an edge receiving portion in continuation with a lower end of the receiving face for receiving the edge of the coins.  
     
     
       2. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said respective openings are placed in the order from the smallest to the largest of the sizes thereof. 
     
     
       3. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said gauge is made of steel plate material. 
     
     
       4. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said storage portions include detecting means for detecting insertion of the coins to said storage portions and delivery of the coins from said storage portions. 
     
     
       5. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said feeding means includes: a base plate for slidably supporting the coins; a rotation plate disposed so as to face said base plate; rotatably attached to the base plate, and formed with guide holds for guiding the coins onto the base plate; a wall member surrounding said rotation plate, formed with an outlet through which the coins can pass; a pushing member arranged between said base plate and said rotation plate so as to be movable between a pushing position at which the coins are pushed toward said outlet and an isolation position isolated from the pushing position; and pushing member moving means for moving said pushing member to said pushing position and said isolation position based on the rotation of said rotation plate. 
     
     
       6. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising carrying means for conveying the coins, fed out of said storage portions by said feeding means, toward an outlet. 
     
     
       7. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said carrying means includes a belt extending among coin fed positions, to which said feeding means feeds the coins to said outlet, and being capable of supporting and carrying the coins, and belt drive means for driving said belt. 
     
     
       8. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said conveying means includes a conveyance member arranged so as to be movable along said coin guide portion for conveying the coins while in contact with the coins, and conveyance member drive means for driving said conveyance member. 
     
     
       9. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein said conveyance member is formed with a rolling body rolling on said coin guide portion. 
     
     
       10. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 8 , wherein a plurality of conveyance members are provided across the entire length of said coin guide portion and with substantially the same intervals therebetween. 
     
     
       11. A coin receiving and dispensing apparatus comprising: 
       a plurality of storage portions for storing respective coins;  
       sorting means for sorting coins inserted from the outside of the apparatus with respect to denominations of the currency of the coins and respectively feeding the sorted coins to said corresponding storage portions;  
       feeding means for feeding coins out of said storage portions to a user in response to a dispensing command;  
       said sorting means comprising a gauge having a coin guide portion extending over said storage portions, said coin guide portion being formed with a plurality of openings respectively having sizes slightly larger than the diameter of a corresponding coin of a particular denomination among the various coins of different denominations, so that each opening is sized to accept a coin of a different denomination, at positions corresponding to said respective storage portions, and comprising conveying means for conveying the coins that are disposed on said gauge along the coin guide portion, wherein said coin guide portion is substantially ring,shaped with an upper side and a bottom side and is formed with a receiving face, for receiving a major face of the coins, formed with said openings, which are arranged along a circumferential direction, and tapered so that the diameter of said coin guide portion decreases gradually toward the bottom side, for receiving the major face of the coins, and an edge receiving portion in continuation with a lower end of the receiving face for receiving the edge of the coins; and  
       coin dispensing means for receiving coins inserted from the outside of the apparatus and sequentially dispensing the coins onto said gauge.  
     
     
       12. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein said coin dispensing means includes: a base plate for slidably supporting the coins; a rotation plate disposed so as face to said base plate, rotatably attached to the base plate, and formed with guide holes for guiding the coins onto the base plate; a wall member surrounding said rotation plate, formed with an outlet through which the coins can pass; a pushing member arranged between said base plate and said rotation plate so as to be movable between a pushing position at which the coins are pushed toward said outlet and an insolation position isolated from the pushing positions; and pushing member moving means for moving said pushing member to said pushing position and said isolation position based on the rotation of said rotation plate. 
     
     
       13. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein: said conveying means includes a conveyance member arranged so as to be movable along said coin guide portion for conveying the coins while in contact with the coins, and conveyance member drive means for driving said conveyance member; said conveyance member drive means includes drive force generating means and drive force transmission means for transmitting the drive force generated by said drive force generating means to said conveyance member; and said coin dispensing means operates by the drive force given from said drive force generating means. 
     
     
       14. The coin receiving and dispensing apparatus as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein said conveying means includes a rotation member rotatably provided coaxially with said coin guide portion, formed with said conveyance member, and driven by the drive force generated by said drive force generating means and wherein a rotation plate of said coin dispensing means and said rotation member of said conveying means are rotatively driven in a synchronized manner with a predetermined rotation number ratio. 
     
     
       15. A coin receiving and dispensing apparatus comprising: 
       a plurality of storage portions for storing respective coins;  
       sorting means for sorting coins inserted from the outside of the apparatus with respect to denominations of the currency of the coins and respectively feeding the sorted coins to said corresponding storage portions;  
       feeding means for feeding coins out of said storage portions to a user in response to a dispensing command; and  
       said sorting means comprising a gauge having a coin guide portion extending over said storage portions, said coin guide portion being formed with a plurality of openings respectively having sizes slightly larger than the diameter of a corresponding coin of a particular denomination among the various coins of different denominations, so that each opening is sized to accept a coin of a different denomination, at positions corresponding to said respective storage portions, and comprising conveying means for conveying the coins that are disposed on said gauge along the coin guide portion,  
       further comprising carrying means for conveying the coins, fed out of said storage portions by said feeding means, toward an outlet, wherein said carrying means includes a belt extending among coin fed positions, to which said feeding means feeds the coins to said outlet, and being capable of supporting and carrying the coins, and belt drive means for driving said belt.  
     
     
       16. A coin receiving and dispensing apparatus comprising: 
       a plurality of storage portions for storing respective coins;  
       sorting means for sorting coins inserted from the outside of the apparatus with respect to denominations of the currency of the coins and respectively feeding the sorted coins to said corresponding storage portions;  
       feeding means for feeding coins out of said storage portions to a user in response to a dispensing command; and  
       said sorting means comprising a gauge having a coin guide portion extending over said storage portions, said coin guide portion being formed with a plurality of openings respectively having sizes slightly larger than the diameter of a corresponding coin of a particular denomination among the various coins of different denominations, so that each opening is sized to accept a coin of a different denomination, at positions corresponding to said respective storage portions, and comprising conveying means for conveying the coins that are disposed on said gauge along the coin guide portion,  
       wherein said feeding means includes: a base plate for slidably supporting the coins; a rotation plate disposed so as to face said base plate, rotatably attached to the base plate, and formed with guide holes for guiding the coins onto the base plate; a wall member surrounding said rotation plate, formed with an outlet through which the coins can pass; a pushing member arranged between said base plate and said rotation plate so as to be movable between a pushing position at which the coins are pushed toward said outlet and an isolation position isolated from the pushing position; and pushing member moving means for moving said pushing member to said pushing position and said isolation position based on the rotation of said rotation plate.  
     
     
       17. A coin receiving and dispensing apparatus comprising: 
       a plurality of storage portions for storing respective coins;  
       sorting means for sorting coins inserted from the outside of the apparatus with respect to denominations of the currency of the coins and respectively feeding the sorted coins to said corresponding storage portions;  
       feeding means for feeding coins out of said storage portions to a user in response to a dispensing command;  
       said sorting means comprising a gauge having a coin guide portion extending over said storage portions, said coin guide portion being formed with a plurality of openings respectively having sizes slightly larger than the diameter of a corresponding coin of a particular denomination among the various coins of different denominations, so that each opening is sized to accept a coin of a different denomination, at positions corresponding to said respective storage portions, and comprising conveying means for conveying the coins that are disposed on said gauge along the coin guide portion; and  
       coin dispensing means for receiving coins inserted from the outside of the apparatus and sequentially dispensing the coins onto said gauge, wherein said coin dispensing means includes: a base plate for slidably supporting the coins; a rotation plate disposed so as to face said base plate, rotatably attached to the base plate, and formed with guide holes for guiding the coins onto the base plate; a wall member surrounding said rotation plate, formed with an outlet through which the coins can pass; a pushing member arranged between said base plate and said rotation plate so as to be movable between a pushing position at which the coins are pushed toward said outlet and an isolation position isolated from the pushing position; and pushing member moving means for moving said pushing member to said pushing position and said isolation position based on the rotation of said rotation plate.  
     
     
       18. A coin receiving and dispensing apparatus having a common delivery means for delivering coins to an outlet comprising: 
       
         a case having a base plate;  
       
       
         a plurality of storage portions for storing respective coins;  
       
       
         sorting means for sorting coins inserted in the apparatus and respectively feeding the sorted coins to said corresponding storage portions;  
       
         said sorting means comprising a gauge having a coin guide portion extending over said storage portions, said coin guide portion being formed with a plurality of openings of increasing size so as to sort the coins according to the diameters thereof, each opening corresponding to a respective storage portion, wherein said coin guide portion is substantially ring - shaped with an upper side and a bottom side and is formed with a receiving face, for receiving a major face of the coins, formed with said openings, which are arranged along a circumferential direction, and tapered so that the diameter of said coin guide portion decreases gradually toward the bottom side, for receiving the major face of the coins, and an edge receiving portion in continuation with a lower end of the receiving face for receiving the edge of the coins;    
       
         feeding means for feeding coins out of said storage portions to a user in response to a dispensing command;  
       
       
         conveying means for conveying coins along the coin guide portion; and  
       
         wherein said storage portions are adapted to store respective coins in a loose condition, and are disposed in a substantially planar arrangement around said common delivery means fixedly positioned with respect to said base plate for delivering thus - fed coins to an outlet.   
     
     
       19. A coin receiving and dispensing apparatus comprising: 
       
         a case having a base plate;  
       
       
         a plurality of storage mechanisms for storing and dispensing respective coins, each storage mechanism comprising a storage hopper that is adapted to store respective coins in a loose condition and a coin dispensing mechanism that is disposed below said storage hopper and is operative to feed the loose coins from the corresponding storage hopper to a respective output in response to a dispensing command;  
       
         sorting means for sorting coins inserted in the apparatus and respectively feeding the sorted coins to said corresponding storage mechanisms, said sorting means comprising a gauge having a coin guide portion extending over said storage mechanisms, said coin guide portion being formed with a plurality of openings of increasing size so as to sort the coins according to the diameters thereof, each opening corresponding to a respective storage mechanism, wherein said coin guide portion is substantially ring - shaped with an upper side and a bottom side and is formed with a receiving face, for receiving a major face of the coins, formed with said openings, which are arranged along a circumferential direction, and tapered so that the diameter of said coin guide portion decreases gradually toward the bottom side, for receiving the major face of the coins, and an edge receiving portion in continuation with a lower end of the receiving face of receiving the edge of the coins;    
       
         conveying means for conveying coins along said coin guide portion; and  
       
         delivering means fixedly disposed with respect to said base plate to receive the coins output by said dispensing mechanisms for delivery thus - fed coins to an outlet;    
       
         wherein said storage mechanisms are disposed in a substantially planar arrangement around said delivery means.