Coin analyzer sensor configuration and system
First Claim
1. A coin detecting sensor comprising a body having spaced apart sides defining an air gap in said body, said air gap being configured to position a coin in said air gap, means for generating a magnetic flux from one of said sides to the other one of said sides through said air gap and a return path in said body for conducting said magnetic flux to said one of said sides from said another one of said sides wherein said body terminates in facing surfaces defining said air gap, and wherein said facing surfaces converge outwardly from a central portion of said body to provide a uniform magnetic circuit reluctance at all portions of said air gap.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A coin analyzer system includes a coin detecting sensor having a body defined by a magnetic core with spaced apart sides to define there-between an air gap that is large enough to position any size coin which may be deposited. A coil that is magnetically coupled to the core generates a uniform magnetic flux through the air gap from one side to the other so that the positioning of the coin in the air gap is not critical. A return path is provided in the core for returning the magnetic flux to the one side from the other side and thereby completing the magnetic circuit. The arms surrounding the coin sensing region define facing surfaces which converge outwardly from the bite portion in order to produce a uniform magnetic circuit reluctance for all portions of the facing surfaces. The core may be divided into two core portions separated by a secondary air gap in the return path with a pair of coils provided, one magnetically coupled with each of the core portions. One coil may serve as a transmitting coil and the other as a receiving coil. Various detection circuits are disclosed for connection with the sensor coils in order to determine the denomination of the test coin.
82 Citations
33 Claims
- 1. A coin detecting sensor comprising a body having spaced apart sides defining an air gap in said body, said air gap being configured to position a coin in said air gap, means for generating a magnetic flux from one of said sides to the other one of said sides through said air gap and a return path in said body for conducting said magnetic flux to said one of said sides from said another one of said sides wherein said body terminates in facing surfaces defining said air gap, and wherein said facing surfaces converge outwardly from a central portion of said body to provide a uniform magnetic circuit reluctance at all portions of said air gap.
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5. A coin detecting sensor comprising:
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a generally C-shaped core of ferro-magnetic material including a bight portion and a pair of spaced apart arms extending in a same direction from said bight portion, defining a coin sensing region between said arms; a coin chute passing through said coin sensing region; and at least one coil magnetically coupled with said core in order to generate a magnetic flux in said core and produce a uniform flux density between said arms in said air gap extending across said coin chute substantially completely when said coil is excited with electrical energy to thereby allow a coin to be detected irrespective of the position or velocity of the coin in the coin chute. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A coin detecting sensor comprising:
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a generally C-shaped core of ferro-magnetic material including a bight portion and a pair of spaced apart arms extending in a same direction from said bight portion, defining a coin sensing region between said arms, wherein said core is divided into two core portions divided by a secondary air gap; and at least one coil magnetically coupled with said core in order to generate a magnetic flux in said core and across said coin sensing region and said secondary air gap when said coil is excited with electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 15, 16)
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14. A coin detecting sensor comprising:
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a generally C-shaped core of ferro-magnetic material including a bight portion and a pair of spaced apart arms extending in a same direction from said bight portion, defining a coin sensing region between said arms, wherein said arms define facing surfaces and wherein said facing surfaces converge outwardly from said bight portion to define a multiplicity of facing surface portions that are separated by distances predetermined to provide a uniform magnetic circuit reluctance through all said facing surface portions; and at least one coil magnetically coupled with said core in order to generate a magnetic flux in said core and across said coin sensing region when said coil is excited with electrical energy.
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17. A coin detecting system adapted to detecting whether a coin passing through a coin passageway is a particular one of a plurality of denominations comprising:
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a sensor unit including a body having spaced apart sides defining an air gap in said body, a coin passageway having a width larger than the diameter of the largest coin of the particular denominations to be detected defined in said air gap, means for generating a magnetic flux from one of said sides to the other of said sides through said air gap and a return path in said body for said magnetic flux to said one of said sides from said other one of said sides wherein a uniform flux density extends across said width of said coin passageway substantially completely to thereby allow the identify of any coin of the particular denominations to be detected irrespective of the position of the coin in the coin passageway; and a detection circuit responsive to said magnetic flux when a coin is in said air gap and adapted to determining if said coin is of a particular type of coin. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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21. A coin detecting system comprising:
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a sensor unit including a body having spaced apart sides defining an air gap in said body said air gap being configured to position a coin in said air gap, means for generating a magnetic flux from one of said sides to the other of said sides through said air gap and a return path in said body for said magnetic flux to said one of said sides from said other one of said sides; and a detection circuit responsive to said magnetic flux when a coin is in said air gap and adapted to determining if said coin is of a particular type of coin, wherein said detection circuit includes an oscillator having an induction device magnetically coupled with said body such that a coin in said air gap disturbs said oscillator and feedback means for restoring said oscillator to a quiescent condition, said detection circuit further including means for monitoring said feedback means. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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24. A coin detection system adapted to determine whether a coin passing through a coin chute is a particular one of a plurality of denominations comprising:
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a coin sensor unit including an induction device and means for passing a test coin through a magnetic field produced by said induction device when said induction device is electrically excited; an oscillator circuit including said induction device, said oscillator circuit adapted to oscillating at a quiescent condition with no coin in said magnetic field and thereby generating an output signal having a nominal frequency and a nominal amplitude; a feedback circuit responsive to said output signal and adapted to producing a feedback signal that is applied to said oscillator circuit to return said output signal to said quiescent condition in response to a test coin passing through said magnetic field causing said output signal to deviate from said quiescent condition; and a detection circuit that is responsive to said feedback signal in order to determine that a test coin is of a particular denomination. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A coin detection system comprising:
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a coin sensor unit including an induction device and means for positioning a test coin in a magnetic field produced by said induction device when said induction device is electrically excited; an oscillator circuit including said induction device, said oscillator circuit adapted to oscillating at a quiescent condition with no coin in said magnetic field and thereby generating an output signal having a nominal frequency and a nominal amplitude; a feedback circuit responsive to said output signal and adapted to producing a feedback signal that is applied to said oscillator circuit to return said output signal to said quiescent condition in response to a test coin causing said output signal to deviate from said quiescent condition; and a detection circuit that is responsive to said feedback signal in order to identify whether a test coin is of a particular type of coin, wherein said detection circuit responds to an amplitude and a frequency of said feedback signal.
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- 29. A coin detecting sensor adapted to detect whether a coin passing through a coin passageway is a particular one of a plurality of denominations having a range of diameters, comprising a body having spaced apart sides defining an air gap in said body, a coin passageway having a width larger than the diameter of the largest coin of the particular denominations to be detected defined in said air gap, a magnetic flux generator for generating a magnetic flux from one of said sides to the other one of said sides through said air gap and a return path in said body for conducting said magnetic flux to said one of said sides from said another one of said sides, wherein a uniform flux density extends across said width of said coin passageway substantially completely to thereby allow any of said plurality of denominations to be detected irrespective of position of the coin in the coin passageway.
Specification