Coin collection cart for parking meters

• US 20020134645A1
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: City of Vancouver, Cypress Solutions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: City of Vancouver and Cypress Solutions Incorporated
• Inventors: Larsen, Bruce, Alexander, Dennis, Murnaghan, Matthew, Somerville, Gil
• Granted Patent: US 6,719,121 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/351
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/00 Counting coins in combination with coin-sorting G07D3/16; Handling of coins not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/06 Coin boxes

Abstract

A coin collecting cart for collecting coins from parking meters. A plurality of bins are used, each bin being limited to a certain quantity of coins which quantity of coins is electronically sensed. When the first of the bins is full of coins, the coins pass to the second of the bins and so on. When the bins are full, they are individually removable from the cart and mountable within a frame located remotely from the cart. The bins are unloaded by manually rotating the frame together with the bin about an axis.

Claims

1. A coin cart for parking meter collection comprising a coin receiving receptacle and at least two collection bins for receiving coins from said coin receiving receptacle, each of said collection bins holding a predetermined quantity of coins, each of said collection bins having an opening which is open during said coin receiving and which is closed following removal of said collection bin from said coin cart.

2. A coin cart as in claim 1 and further comprising a coin receiving receptacle on said coin cart, said coin receiving receptacle being rotatable by a cannister inserted within said coin receiving receptacle, said coin receiving receptacle and said cannister each having an opening, said opening in said cannister allowing access to said opening in said receptacle during said rotation of said cannister within said receptacle, said receptacle having a locking mechanism allowing rotation of said receptacle during insertion and rotation of said cannister and not allowing rotation of said receptacle when said cannister is not present within said receptacle.

3. A coin cart as in claim 2 and further comprising a coin holder for holding coins collected during parking meter coin collection, said coin holder having an opening to allow coins to be collected by said holder through said opening and a sensor for sensing a predetermined quantity of said coins within said coin holder.

4. A coin cart as in claim 3 and further comprising a coin collection receiving device for receiving coins collected from a parking meter, said coin collection receiving device comprising a coin chute to allow said coins to be transferred from said coin receiver to at least two receiving bins, said coin chute being operable to allow said coins to be transferred from one of said receiving bins to a second of said receiving bins upon a predetermined quantity of said coins being sensed within said first one of said receiving bins.

5. A coin cart as in claim 4 and further comprising an unloading device for said parking meter coin cart, said unloading device including a frame operable to receive a coin holder, said frame being rotatable to allow said coin holder to be rotated from an upright to an inverted position.

6. A coin cart for parking meter collection comprising a coin receiving receptacle and at least two collection bins for receiving coins from said coin receiving receptacle, each of said collection bins holding a predetermined quantity of coins, each of said collection bins having an opening which is open during said coin receiving and which is closed following removal of said collection bin from said coin cart.

7. A coin receiving receptacle fixed on a coin cart, said coin receiving receptacle being rotatable by a cannister inserted within said coin receiving receptacle, said coin receiving receptacle and said cannister each having an opening, said opening in said cannister allowing access to said opening in said receptacle during said rotation of said cannister within said receptacle, said receptacle having a locking mechanism allowing rotation of said receptacle during insertion and rotation of said cannister and not allowing rotation of said receptacle when said cannister is not present within said receptacle.

8. A coin holder for holding coins collected during parking meter coin collection, said coin holder having an opening to allow coins to be collected by said holder through said opening and a sensor for sensing a predetermined quantity of said coins within said coin holder.

9. A coin collection receiving device for receiving coins collected from a parking meter, said coin collection receiving device comprising a coin chute to allow said coins to be transferred from a coin receiver to at least two receiving bins, said coin chute being operable to allow said coins to be transferred from one of said receiving bins to a second of said receiving bins upon a predetermined quantity of said coins being sensed within said first one of said receiving bins.

10. An unloading device for a parking meter coin collection cart, said unloading device including a frame operable to receive a coin holder, said frame being rotatable to allow said coin holder to be rotated from an upright to an inverted position.