Device for facilitating manual passage of small loose objects, in particular money in coin form

Abstract

 The device (1) for facilitating manual passage of small loose objects is usable in particular for money in coin form. It comprises a collection element (2) elastically rotatable about an axis (10) and provided with at least one appendix (11) positioned below said axis (10). The money in coin form is placed in the collection element (2). The receiving hand acts with its finger tips on the appendix (11) to automatically incline the element (2) and transfer the money into the cupped part of the hand.

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a device for facilitating manual passage of small loose objects, in particular money in coin form.

[0002] Manual passage, or passage from hand to hand, of small loose objects between two or more persons is often problematical because of the ease with which said small objects can escape from their grasp by the fingers.

[0003] This results in a loss of time and also very often the loss of the object or objects, which not only escape from this grasp but also from view because of their small size.

[0004] Devices such as those mentioned in the classifying part of claim 1 are currently known and used to overcome such drawbacks, particularly for transferring money in coin form.

[0005] The collection element is arranged to receive and to at least momentarily retain by gravity the money deposited by the offering hand. Its passage into the receiving hand is achieved by sliding the money along the said substantially horizontal surface to beyond said open side associated with it.

[0006] However its recovery is satisfactorily achieved, ie easily and without hindrance, only if operating with two hands.

[0007] The fingers of one hand gather the objects from the horizontal surface and draw them beyond the open side so that said objects can fall by gravity into the cavity of the underlying second hand.

[0008] This hand is then closed to securely seize the objects.

[0009] In the by no means rare case in which one of the two hands is not available, for example because it is engaged with the object which has just been acquired, rapid take-up is difficult as it has to be achieved with only the free hand.

[0010] The position which said hand or rather the relative fingers assume is not the optimum because the objects gathered by the four fingers can only be gripped by using the thumb, this being the only part of a hand which is able to act against the fingers. It is therefore easy (particularly in the case of a large number of objects) for some of them to escape from the necessary grip.

[0011] Hence the problem of easy and comfortable manual passage of small loose objects does not appear to be as yet adequately solved, other than by picking them up individually, with obvious time wastage .

[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide a solution to this drawback.

[0013] This object is attained by a device as claimed in claim 1. In this device the small loose objects are placed in the collection element by the offerer.

[0014] The hand intended to receive the small objects is moved outstretched towards the device to act on the appendix. As the collection element is hinged it inclines towards the interior of the concavity of the hand, into which the small objects flow when they pass beyond the open side.

[0015] The invention is illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the figures of the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view; and

Figure 3 is an elevational view.

[0016] With reference to said figures the device of the invention, indicated overall by 1, comprises a collection element 2 and a pedestal or base 3.

[0017] The collection element 2 comprises a horizontal surface 4, two open sides 5 and two flanged or closed sides 6.

[0018] The flanged or closed sides 6 are provided with two pins 7 cooperating with respective female portions 8 to form hinges 9 with the same axis of rotation 10.

[0019] The collection element 1 is also provided with at least one appendix 11, two in the illustrated example, positioned below said open sides 5.

[0020] Preferably the appendices 11 are slightly concave with their bottom positioned beyond the edge of the open sides 5.

[0021] Elastic means 12 can be interposed between the collection element 2 and the base 3 to stiffen the action of the hinges 9. This characteristic is useful for maintaining the collection element substantially horizontal even when a relatively large quantity of objects are deposited on it; in addition, these elastic means automatically return the collection element 2 to its initial position after the objects have been taken. The elastic means may be replaced by a re-balancing counter-weight operationally associated with said collection element 2 preferably centrally on its lower side.

[0022] The base 3 comprises two parallel arms 13 supporting the female portions 8. The arms 13 can be formed of flexible material to enable the hinges 9 to be mounted by deforming the female elements 8.

[0023] If the female elements are closed, differently from that illustrated in the figures this mounting is still possible by bending the arms 13 outwards from the base 3.

[0024] The height of the arms 13 is such as to enable the collection element 2 to be sufficiently inclined or swivelled (by rotation about the axis 10) to enable the objects contained in the element 2 to slide towards one of the open sides 5.

[0025] The base 3 could form an integral part of an item of furniture on which the object transfer takes place.

[0026] During use, the objects are placed on the collection element 2, which remains substantially horizontal as it is stabilized either by its own mass or by the elastic means 12. The receiving hand, in a cupped state, is made to approach the device and the finger tips are pressed on an appendix 11. The collection element 2 inclines and the contained pieces fall into the cupped part of the hand automatically by gravity. Using just one hand it is therefore possible to instantaneously withdraw the pieces from the collection element without danger of their accidental falling, as they are deposited directly into the cupped part of the hand. In an alternative embodiment the device can comprise just one hinge positioned in the centre of the underside of the collection element 2.

[0027] In this case the elastic means 12 can consist of a helical spring positioned in a preloaded state between the base 3 and the collection element 2 and embracing said hinge such that this latter is housed within its turns.

[0028] This embodiment can be structurally simpler and therefore of lesser cost.

Claims

1. A device (1) for facilitating manual passage of small loose objects, in particular money in coin form, of the type comprising a collection element (2) having at least one open side (5) associated with a substantially horizontal surface (4), said collection element (2) being arranged to receive and retain by gravity said objects, the manual passage of which is facilitated by their sliding along said substantially horizontally surface (4) and beyond the open side (5),characterised in that said collection element (2) is hinged and therefore rotatable about an axis (10) parallel to said horizontal surface (4) and is provided with at least one appendix (11) at a lower level than said open side (5) and than the hinging axis (10).

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the collection element (2) is elastically hinged.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the collection element (2) is hinged on two opposing sides (6) to a pair of vertical arms (13) projecting from a base (3).

4. A device as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that elastic means (12) with their axis perpendicular to the hinging axis (10) are interposed between said base (3) and said collection element (2).

5. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising two appendices (11) positioned on the opposing open sides (5).

6. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the collection element (2) is concave.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that said at least one appendix (11) projects beyond the edge of said at least one open side (5).

8. A device as claimed in claim 7, characterised in that said appendix (11) is concave.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1, characterised by comprising only one hinge, positioned centrally on the lower side of the collection element and contained within the turns of a preloaded helical spring interposed between the collection element (2) and the base (3).

Drawing