Insertion device for coins

• US 8,381,893 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walter Hanke Mechanische Werkstätten GmbH & Co. KG.
• Original Assignee: Walter Hanke Mechanische Werkstätten GmbH & Co. KG.
• Inventors: Trenner, Christian, Fresenborg, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US12/919,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20110130084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• Field of Search: 194321-323, 194345-349, 194232-236, 194249-258, 194/288, 194/289, 194/292, 194295-299, 194308-315, 453/6, 453/10, 453/12, 453/49, 453/57
• US Class Current: 194/347
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/02 Coin slots
• 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

The invention proposes an insertion device for coins for transferring said coins to a coin tester or to a coin-operated machine, having an insertion slot and having a coin outlet, between which is arranged a rotatable drum having a receiving region for receiving a coin, wherein in a receiving position, the receiving region is accessible to a coin which can be inserted through the insertion slot, and the insertion slot can be closed off by means of rotation of the drum. The drum having the receiving region is covered by a flap which can be opened in a controlled fashion in an ejection position for ejecting foreign material.

Claims

1. An insertion device for transferring coins into a coin tester or a coin-operated machine, the insertion device comprising:

an insertion slot;

a coin outlet;

a rotatable drum which is disposed between the insertion slot and the coin outlet, the rotatable drum including a receiving region for receiving a coin;

at least one sensor configured to detect whether a coin approaches the insertion slot and to provide a coin detection indication; and

at least one additional sensor configured to detect whether a coin or an other object is contained in the received region of the drum;

wherein in a non-receiving position of the insertion device the insertion slot is closed by the drum to resist placement of the coin into the insertion slot,

wherein the insertion device is configured to receive the coin detection indication and upon reception of the coin detection indication to rotate the drum to a receiving position in which the receiving region of the drum is positioned to receive the coin through the insertion slot and into a receiving region,

wherein the insertion device is configured to again close the insertion slot by rotation of the rotatable drum into an output position, allowing a coin contained in the receiving region to roll out of the drum, and

wherein, in case the additional sensor detects an object remaining in the drum after the output position is reached, the insertion device is configured to rotate the drum to an ejection position and controllably open a flap that covers the drum to discharge a foreign material while the drum is in the ejection position.

2. The insertion device according to claim 1 comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit is connected to a motor to actuate the rotatable drum, the control unit configured to control an insertion and transfer process of the coin.

3. The insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the flap is in operational connection with an opening mechanism for a forced control.

4. The insertion device according to claim 3, wherein the opening mechanism has at least one curved path provided on the rotatable drum and a lever arrangement cooperating with the flap.

5. The insertion device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit includes a circuit to control the motor to rotate the drum to open the flap at least once and to close the flap at least once.

6. The insertion device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit is operable to control the motor and the rotatable drum to open the flap as a function of at least one of the motor current and a sensor signal which indicates at least one of locking of the rotatable drum and the presence of foreign objects.

7. The insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the ejection position is situated between the receiving position and a coin output position in which the coin is transferred via the coin outlet.

8. The insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the flap can be moved into a closed position by a return spring.

9. The insertion device according to claim 1, wherein a sensor of the at least one sensor is disposed in the region of the insertion slot and wherein the insertion device is configured to receive the coin detection indication and rotate between an inoperative position in which the insertion slot is closed and the receiving position.

10. The insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is configured to at least one of detect the position of the rotatable drum and detect at least one of a coin and another object.

11. The insertion device according to claim 10, wherein the at least one sensor is configured as one of a light barrier and a Hall sensor arrangement.

12. The insertion device according to claim 11, wherein the light barrier is disposed in the region of the receiving position and the output position.

13. The insertion device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor is to detect a position of the flap.

14. An insertion device for transferring coins into a coin tester or a coin-operated machine, the insertion device comprising:

an insertion slot;

a coin outlet; and

a rotatable drum which is disposed between the insertion slot and the coin outlet, the rotatable drum including a receiving region for receiving a coin; and

at least one sensor configured to detect a coin in the insertion slot and to provide a coin detection indication;

an additional sensor configured to detect a foreign material in the insertion slot and to provide a foreign material indication,

wherein in a non-receiving position of the insertion device the insertion slot is closed by the drum to resist placement of the coin into the insertion slot,

wherein the insertion device is configured to receive the coin detection indication and upon reception of the coin detection indication to rotate the drum to a receiving position in which the receiving region of the drum is positioned to receive the coin through the insertion slot and into a receiving region,

wherein the insertion device is configured to again close the insertion slot-by rotation of the rotatable drum, and

wherein the insertion device is configured to receive the foreign material indication and to rotate the drum to an ejection position and controllably open a flap that covers the drum to discharge the foreign material while the drum is in the ejection position.

15. The insertion device according to claim 14, comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit is connected to a motor to actuate the rotatable drum, the control unit configured to control an insertion and transfer process of the coin.

16. The insertion device according to claim 14, wherein the flap is in operational connection with an opening mechanism for a forced control.

17. The insertion device according to claim 16, wherein the opening mechanism has at least one curved path provided on the rotatable drum and a lever arrangement cooperating with the flap.

18. The insertion device according to claim 15, wherein the control unit includes a circuit to control the motor to rotate the drum to open the flap at least once and to close the flap at least once.

19. The insertion device according to claim 15, wherein the control unit is operable to control the motor and the rotatable drum to open the flap as a function of at least one of the motor current and a sensor signal which indicates at least one of locking of the rotatable drum and the presence of foreign objects.

20. The insertion device according to claim 14, wherein the ejection position is situated between the receiving position and a coin output position in which the coin is transferred via the coin outlet.