OBJECT THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention regards a coin or a token selector, the kind that is used in
any machine which is able to provide a product, a good or a service, after having
introduced the coins needed to pay the price. The selector has been slightly improved,
concretely in order to obtain a larger autonomy from the point of view of programming
and other applications that can be executed.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As we know, coin selectors are usually able to detect the legal validity of the different
types of coins, that is, coins that have different values. For this purpose, selectors
have different electromagnetic tools that are able to accomplish the convenient validation
processes.
[0003] These coin selectors have to be conveniently programmed so as to generate the convenient
signs for each type of coin. Sometimes programming must be executed on selectors that
are already working, right in the moment of the incorporation of new type of coins,
or the substitution of other coins, etc...
[0004] Up to the date, programming control and other operations performed by the selector,
are being accomplished thanks to a control dispositive that incorporates a LED type
display and a series of accesories, among them the unavoidable keyboard which is used
to introduce the commands. The common point is that this control group forms a dispositive
foreign to the so called selector that is situated in its own grid linked to the selector
through the necessary buses or connecting wires and through the appropiate connectors.
The coin selector and the control dispositive will be situated in different and appropiate
places of the machine's core.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The coin selector proposed by the invention solves this problem in a highly satisfactory
way. Starting at the classic structuring proper to any conventional and appropiate
coin selector, it focusses its features on the fact that it integrates the control
unit in the core of its own grid. The grid is also provided in one of its sides, preferably
in one of its bigger sides, with four windows, one of which bears the alphanumeric
display. An acceptation switch is situated in another window, and a couple of switches
for forward/backward sliding.
[0006] According to this structuring, control is accomplished through a menu that offers
a series of options that can be explored thanks to the forward/backward switches.
The desired option is selected through the acceptation switch, acceptation that will
lead us later to a sub-menu from which we can enter new options in a similar way,
and so on. At the end we will obtain the specific desired function, being internal
or external to the selector performance, checking control parameters such as tension,
stock, etc.
[0007] For specific functions that involve the need of assuring a right operation (for example
erasure), it has been established that the user had to be forced to operate the combination
of, at least, two of the switches at the same time.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] To complement the description and to help improving the comprehension of the features
of the invention, we enclose to the descriptive recollection, as one of its elements,
just one sheet of plans where, with an illustrative but not limitative intention,
we have represented a view in perspective of a coin selector build according to the
improvements treated in the present invention. There, we can underline the new features
of the invention, in contrast with the conventional structure of that selector drawn
with a discontinuous line.
PREFERRED EXECUTION OF THE INVENTION
[0009] According to those drawings we can observe that the coin selector that we propose
includes a grid (1), no matter the configuration used, bearing inside the so called
selecting mechanisms, no matter the type, but with the special particularity consisting
in the location of the control unit in the core of that grid, without influencing
its size or its shape. This unit could be conventional and would be useful to control
the programming and any other type of operation usually executed with this type of
machines.
[0010] As a complement, and according to the essenciality of the invention, a large window
(2) will be situated in the grid (1) of the coin selector, where an alphanumeric display
will be placed (3). In our example of execution presented in the drawing, and according
to the usual needs in those kind of selectors, the display comprehends eight screen
modes. Another window (4) is also situated in the grid (1), where the switch is (6).
This is the acceptance switch related to the control system and to another two windows
(5) and (5'), where a couple of switches (7) and (7') are located. Those are forward
and backward switches useful for the operator to move from one menu to another during
the programming process.
[0011] According to this structure, and as we said before, the alphanumeric display (3)
will offer a menu to the operator. The operator will be able to run over it thanks
to the forward and backward switches (7) and (7'), until one of the options is selected.
The option will be operative thanks to the acceptation switch (6) which transforms
the selected option into a sub-menu that will offer again a new series of possible
options in the same way. This process can be repeated as many times as it is needed
until the desired level is reached and becomes a precise and planned order (two switches
have to be pressed to execute orders that bear with a risk of error).
[0012] We obtain, as we can see from the present description, a coin selector that has a
size and a configuration similar to the one of any other appropiate conventional coin
selector. Programming tools, up to the date foreign to the selector itself, are incorporated,
simplifiying, as a consequence, the machine strucutre to which the latest is related,
and making easier its installation in the core of the machine.
[0013] We do not consider necessary to extend this description so as anyone experienced
in this subject could understand the reach of this invention and the advantages coming
from it.
[0014] The materials, shape, size and location of the elements will be susceptible of any
variation, as long as this fact does not imply an alteration of the essence of the
invention.
[0015] The terms used in this statement should be interpretated in an broad and not limited
sense.
1st: Improved coin selector, type used in automatic or semiautomatic machines able to
provide a product, a good or a service in exchange of introducing inside coins or
tokens with a defined value. Those selector types that comprehend a range of validation
tools for several kinds of coins, have in the core of their own grid (1), as an essential
feature, the selector control unit. It has been planned that this grid should have
windows (2), (4), (5), (5') in one of its sides, preferably four windows, one (2)
where an alphanumeric display is situated (3), another (4)' where an acceptance switch
(6) is placed, and the other two (5-5') where a couple of forward/backward switches
(7-7') will be situated so as to have access to the options of the menus, using the
acceptation switch (6) to enter it, and having later access to several sub-menus.