A coin handling apparatus

Abstract

 This invention relates to coin selector mechanisms having in a consecutive arrangement three protection zones, two of them being optical and one of them being and electro­magnetic zone intermediate the two optical zones, the optical zones taking the form of phototransistor type sensors while the electromagnetic zone, which is preferably the central zone, is embodied by at least one and preferably two wind­ings which are interconnected and positioned opposite one another on either side of the coin path so that the fields produced by the coils intercept the coin path, the coils being connected to an oscilattor having two outputs, one output being connected to a microprocessor and the other output being connected to a rectifier connected to an analog-to-digital converter which outputs to the micro­processor.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin hand­ling apparatus and more particularly to a coin handling apparatus for use with a coin-operated machine.

[0002] Coin-operated machines such as automatic vend­ing machines, amusement-with-prizes machines and so on, each have a coin handling mechanism, which may be adapt­ed to accept coins of various differing values. A typical coin-handling mechanism comprises means for determining the value of the coin introduced and means for determining whether or not the coin is genuine. These detection means are usually constituted by mechan­ical devices which make predetermined checks on the basis of the weight and/or dimensions of acceptable coins. Some prior proposed coin handling devices are inefficient since they cannot detect counterfeit coins made of metals or alloys different from that of the genuine coins if the counterfeit coins have the same weight and dimensions as the genuine coins.

[0003] It has been proposed, in prior coin handling mechanisms, to utilise a photo transistor sensor to detect a particular characteristic of the coin, such as coin diameter.

[0004] According to this invention there is provided a coin handling mechanism, said coin handling mechanism comprising means defining a path to be followed by a coin means defining at least two check zones spaced apart a predetermined distance along the said path, at least one of said zones being constituted by a photo­electric sensor arrangement wherein the coin handling apparatus includes an electro-magnetic measurement zone adapted to measure electro-magnetic properties of the coin and in that the coin handling device includes means to determine the acceleration and/or speed of the coin between at least two of said check zones.

[0005] Check zones are constituted by light emitters and photo-transistor sensor zones are constituted by light emittors and photo-transistors acting as sensors.

[0006] Conveniently said check zones are adapted to measure directly the diameter and/or width of the coin

[0007] Preferably the electro magnetic check zone comprises at least one pair of coils (6) disposed on opposite sides of the coin path (2), each coil having an electro-magnetic field which intercepts the coin path, there being an oscillator to excite the arrangement and means (8) to determine the electro-magnetic properties of a coin passing through the electro-magnetic fields of the coils.

[0008] Advantageously each coil is directly connected to one output of an oscillator the oscillator having a further output which is connected to a micro processor the micro processor being adapted to produce the signals supplied to it to determine the characteristics of the variations experienced by the oscillator during the passage of a coin through the said electro-magnetic measurement zone.

[0009] Preferably the output of the oscillator that is connected to the micro processor is connected to the micro processor through a rectifier and an analogue-to-­digital convertor

[0010] Conveniently a further output of the oscillator is fed to the micro processor as a clock in­put.

[0011] Preferably the micro processor comprises the means to determine the acceleration and/or speed of the coin between the check zones.

[0012] Advantageously determined values relating to the coin are compared with corresponding values stored in a memory. A coin rejection arrangement may be activated if no valid comparison can be effected, but if a comparison is effected the coin is accepted and a sig­nal is generated to activate the machine associated with the coin handling apparatus.

[0013] In order that the invention may be more readily understood, and so that further features thereof may be appreciated, the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of the invention.

[0014] Referring the drawing a coin handling mechanism in accordance with the invention is adapted to receive a coin 1 and to direct the coin along a pre­determined path 2. The predetermined path is not hori­zontal and is thus inclined downwardly or is vertical, so that the coin passes along the path under the in­fluence of gravity. The coin will, of course, move along the path with a velocity and an acceleration d etermined by the mass of the coin.

[0015] Disposed at two spaced positions along the path are optical checking zones 3, 4. The checking zones 3,4 are spaced a predetermined distance apart. Each check­ing zone 3,4 is constituted by a photo-diode light emitter and a photo-transistor light receiver. The zones may be adapted specifically to determine the diameter or thickness of the coin.

[0016] Between these zones 3 and 4 there is a further measuring zone 5 which is an electro-magnetic measuring zone. The electro-magnetic measuring zone is provided with a pair of coils 6 which are electrically inter­connected and which are located on opposite sides of the path 2 followed by the coin 1. The coils are so located that the electro-magnetic field of each coil intercepts the coin path.

[0017] The coils 6 are directly energised by an oscillator 7. An output of the oscillator 7 is connected to a micro processor 8 to provide a clock in­put signal for the micro processor and a further output of the oscillator 7 is passed through a rectifier 9 and an analogue-to-digital convertor 10 to the micro processor 8. To preclude any possible oscillator drift an automatic compensator 11 is provided connected be­tween the rectifier 9 and a control terminal of the oscillator 7 to minimise a risk of any long term variation of the amplitude or frequency of the oscillator.

[0018] The optical checking zones 3 and 4 are also connected to the micro processor 8. The micro processor 8 is associated with a memory 12 and is provided with output terminals 13 and control input terminals 14.

[0019] In operation of the described device a coin 1 is inserted into the coin handling device and falls, under the influence of gravity, following the path 2. The coin enters and leaves the zone 3. The moment that the leading edge of the coin intercepts the beam of light between the photo-diode and the photo-transistor is effectively recorded in the micro processor 8, as is the instant that the light beam is re-established as the trailing edge of the coin leaves the zone 1.

[0020] As the coin enters the measuring zone 6 the coin influences the inductance of the coils, thus altering the operating conditions of the oscillator 7. This alteration becomes manifest in the form of a variation in the oscillator amplitude and frequency. This variation in amplitude and frequency is fed, via the rectifier 9 and the analogue-to-digital convertor 10 to the micro processor 8. The coin then passes through the zone 4 where again the instant of interception of the light beam between the photo-diode and the photo­transistor is recorded, and again the instant of re­establishment of the light beam is recorded at the micro processor 8.

[0021] From the information received by the micro processor it is possible for the micro processor to determine to speed and/or acceleration of the coin, and to determine its electrical characteristics. If the zones 3 and 4 measure the diameter and width of the coin, such information can also be fed to the micro processor.

[0022] The micro processor is programmed to compare data determined from the received signals with corres­ponding sets of data stored in memory 12, corresponding to the data generated by a valid coin of an acceptable denomination or value. If a comparison is effected, the coin is effectively identified as a valid coin of a predetermined value. If a comparison is not effected, the coin is effectively identified as an invalid coin, either being a coin of a denomination not acceptable to the coin handling apparatus, or being a counterfeit. The micro processor may, in such a situation, provide an output signal through an output 13 to operate a coin-­rejecting mechanism.

Claims

1. A coin handling mechanism, said coin handling mechanism comprising means defining a path (2) to be followed by a coin (1) means defining at least two check zones (3, 4) spaced apart a predetermined distance along the said path, at least one of said zones being con­stituted by a photo-electric sensor arrangement (3) characterised in that the coin handling apparatus in­cludes an electro-magnetic measurement zone (5) adapted to measure electro-magnetic properties of the coin (1) and in that the coin handling device includes means (8) to determine the acceleration and/or speed of the coin (1) between at least two of said check zones, (3, 4).

2. A coin handling mechanism according to claim 1 wherein said two check zones (3, 4) are constituted by light emitters and photo-transistor sensor zones (3,4) are constituted by light emittors and photo-transistors acting as sensors.

3. A coin handling arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein said check zones (3, 4) are adapted to measure directly the diameter and/or width of the coin (1).

4. A coin handling apparatus according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein the electro magnetic check zone comprises at least one pair of coils (6) disposed on opposite sides of the coin path (2), each coil having an electro-magnetic field which intercepts the coin path, there being an oscillator to excite the arrangement and means (8) to determine the electro-­magnetic properties of a coin passing through the electro-magnetic fields of the coils.

5. A coin handling arrangement according to claim 4 wherein each coil (6) is directly connected to one output of an oscillator (7), the oscillator having a further output which is connected to a micro processor (8), the micro processor being adapted to produce the signals supplied to it to determine the characteristics of the variations experienced by the oscillator during the passage of a coin through the said electro-magnetic measurement zone.

6. A coin handling arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the output of the oscillator (7) that is connected to the micro processor (8) is connected to the micro processor through a rectifier (9) and an analogue-­to-digital convertor (10).

7. A coin handling arrangment according to claim 6 wherein a further output of the oscillator (7) is fed to the micro processor as a clock input.

8. A coin handling arrangement according to any one of claims 5, 6 and 7 wherein the micro processor comprises the means to determine the acceleration and/or speed of the coin between the check zones.

9. A coin handling arrangement according to any one of the preceeding claims wherein determined values relating to the coin are compared with corresponding values stored in a memory (12).

Drawing