Foreign object removal system for a coin processing device

• US 20060054457A1
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Published: 03/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Blake, John R., Long, Arthur J., Mobley, JohnMark, Cooper, Gary W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,438,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 194/347
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/128 Rotary devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/16 in combination with coin-counting
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 5/00 Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of coins, e.g. for segregating coins which are unacceptable or alien to a currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/008 Feeding coins from bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/041 with means, other than for testing currency, for dealing with inserted foreign matter, e.g. "stuffing", "stringing" or "salting"

Abstract

A coin processing system includes a coin input area for receiving coins from a user, and a coin processing module for receiving and counting the coins from the coin input area. The coin processing module includes a coin hopper, a coin processing area, and a foreign object removal system. The coin hopper receives the coins from the coin input area. The coin processing area receives and counts the coins from the coin hopper. The foreign object removal system is located at least partially within the coin hopper, and removes a foreign object from the coin hopper subsequent to receiving the foreign object from the coin input area.

Claims

1. A coin processing system, comprising:

a coin input area for receiving coins from a user; and

a coin processing module for receiving and counting the coins from

said coin input area, said coin processing module including

a coin hopper for receiving the coins from said coin input area,

a coin processing area for receiving and counting the coins from said coin hopper, and

a foreign object removal system being located at least partially within said coin hopper for removing a foreign object within said coin hopper, said foreign object being removed subsequent to receiving said foreign object from said coin input area.

2. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the coin processing system is a coin-redemption-type coin-processing system.

3. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the coin input area comprises a gravity feed coin input tray.

4. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein said coin input area is a coin tray having holes for allowing said coins to fall through to said coin hopper.

5. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein said coin processing module further includes a rotatable disk having a resilient pad for imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper, said object removal system including a blade mounted to said rotatable disk for removing said foreign object from said coin hopper.

6. The coin processing system of claim 5, wherein said blade is adapted to rotate in an opposite direction to a sorting direction of the rotatable disk and to provide velocity to said foreign object.

7. The coin processing system of claim 5, wherein said blade includes a first state and a second state, said first state having said blade rotate in an opposite direction to said rotatable disk, said second state having said blade in a fixed position with respect to said rotatable disk when said rotatable disk is rotated in a reversed direction, said blade imparting velocity to objects that slip on said rotatable disk when said blade is in said second state.

8. The coin processing system of claim 5, wherein said blade is made at least in part from an elastomer material.

9. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein said coin processing module further includes a rotatable disk having a resilient pad for imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper, said pad including a protrusion for lifting said foreign object from said pad.

10. The coin processing system of claim 9, wherein said protrusion includes a channel cut located in an underneath surface of said rotatable disk.

11. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein said foreign object removal system includes a ramp for allowing said foreign object to exit said coin hopper.

12. The coin processing system of claim 11, wherein said ramp includes a first section that intersects a wall of said coin hopper at a start point of said first section, said first section having an upward slope for hindering the movement of a coin beyond an end point of said first section.

13. The coin processing system of claim 12, wherein said ramp includes a second section having a start point that connects to said end point of said first section, said second section having a downward slope for allowing said foreign object to move to a foreign object collecting tray.

14. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein said foreign object removal system includes a finger for agitating and lifting said foreign object in said coin hopper.

15. The coin processing system of claim 14, wherein said finger is located near a wall of said coin hopper and extends therefrom above a rotatable disk of said coin processing module, said finger having a tapered end.

16. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein said coin processing area includes a rotatable disk having a resilient pad for imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper, said rotatable disk having a timing and a speed controlled through software.

17. The coin processing system of claim 16, wherein said rotatable disk has an interim stage for dislodging trapped coins, said rotatable disk having a slower speed and spinning in a reverse direction during said interim stage than in a sorting stage of said rotatable disk.

18. The coin processing system of claim 16, wherein said timing and said speed are controlled to define a post-sort period to insure that all good coins have been sorted.

19. A coin processing system, comprising:

a coin input area for receiving a plurality of coins from a user;

a coin hopper for receiving said plurality of coins from said coin input area;

a rotatable disk including a resilient pad for imparting motion to the plurality of coins in said coin hopper;

a sorting head having a lower surface generally parallel to and spaced slightly from said resilient upper surface of said disk, said lower surface of said sorting head forming a plurality of channels for sorting and discharging coins of different denominations; and

a debris removal system for removing debris from said coin hopper.

20. The coin processing system of claim 19, wherein said plurality of channels includes at least one of a reversing channel and a debris channel, said reversing channel trapping a foreign object when said coins are being sorted, said debris channel diverting said foreign object to a debris reservoir when said coins are being sorted.

21. The coin processing system of claim 20, wherein said debris channel accepts said foreign object only if said foreign object has at least one dimension that is smaller than a diameter of the smallest of said coins.

22. The coin processing system of claim 20, wherein said debris channel is the first exit, among said plurality of channels, for a foreign object.

23. A method for removing foreign objects in a coin processing system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of coins in a coin input area of a coin processing system;

receiving the coins from said coin input area in a coin hopper of a coin processing module;

counting the coins from said coin hopper in a coin processing area of said coin processing module; and

removing a foreign object from said coin hopper subsequent to receiving said foreign object from said coin input area.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising collecting ferric foreign objects provided with said plurality of coins in said coin input area.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising allowing said coins to fall through holes of said coin input area to said coin hopper.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising using bumps between said holes of said coin input area to cause said coins to tumble with minimal coin agitation from a coin pourer.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper via a rotatable disk having a resilient pad; and

rotating a blade in a reverse direction for removing said foreign object from said coin hopper, said reverse direction being an opposite direction to a sorting direction of said rotatable disk.

28. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

imparting motion to said coins in said coin hopper via a rotatable disk having a resilient pad; and

lifting said foreign object from said pad via a protrusion included in said pad.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising allowing said foreign object to exit said coin hopper via a ramp of said foreign object removal.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising preventing the movement of a coin beyond a predetermined location of said ramp.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising collecting said foreign object in a foreign object collecting tray.

32. The method of claim 23, further comprising agitating said foreign object via a finger of a foreign object removal system.

33. The method of claim 23, further comprising trapping said foreign object in a reversing channel when said coins are being processed, said reversing channel being one of a plurality of channels included in a sorting head of said coin processing module.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising rotating said rotatable disk in a reverse direction for moving said foreign object back to said hopper.

35. The method of claim 23, further comprising diverting said foreign object to a debris reservoir via a debris channel when said coins are being processed, said debris channel being one of a plurality of channels included in a sorting head of said coin processing module.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising accepting said foreign object in said debris channel only if said foreign object has at least one dimension that is smaller than a diameter of the smallest of said coins.

37. A method for removing debris in a coin processing system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of coins in a coin hopper of a coin processing module, said plurality of coins being received from a coin input area of a coin processing system;

imparting motion to the coins in said coin hopper using a rotatable disk of said coin processing module;

sorting the coins according to coin denomination using a plurality of channels; and

removing debris from said coin hopper after said receiving step.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising controlling said rotatable disk via software.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said controlling step includes providing a post-sort period to insure that all good coins have been sorted, said post-sort period including reversing a sorting direction of said rotatable disk to remove said foreign object from said coin hopper.

40. The coin processing system of claim 37, further comprising trapping a foreign object in a reversing channel of said plurality of channels when the coins are being sorted.

41. The coin processing system of claim 37, further comprising diverting a foreign object in a debris channel of said plurality of channels when the coins are being sorted.