Coin input apparatuses and associated methods and systems

• US 9,235,945 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2014
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Outerwall Inc.
• Inventors: Martin, Douglas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BEAUCHAINE, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US14/177,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20150228140A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 453/3, 453/57, 453/6, 453/49, 194/200
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/14 Inlet or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/00 Sorting a mixed bulk of coins into denominations
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/128 Rotary devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 3/16 in combination with coin-counting
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/008 Feeding coins from bulk

Abstract

Automatic coin input apparatuses for use with consumer coin counting machines and/or other coin processing machines are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a coin bowl structure includes a rotatable disk configured to support a plurality of randomly oriented coins deposited thereon. In operation, rotation of the disk in a first direction can automatically drive a first portion of the coins deposited thereon out of the bowl structure through a first coin passage, and rotation of the disk in a second direction opposite to the first direction can automatically drive a second portion of the coins deposited thereon out of the bowl structure through a second coin passage different than the first coin passage.

Claims

1. An automatic coin input apparatus for use with a coin counting and/or sorting machine, the automatic coin input apparatus comprising:

a rotatable disk configured to support a plurality of randomly oriented coins deposited thereon;

a coin outlet opening positioned proximate the rotatable disk;

a coin deflector disposed adjacent to the coin outlet opening;

a first coin passage positioned proximate the rotatable disk, wherein the first coin passage extends through the coin outlet opening adjacent to a first side of the deflector; and

a second coin passage positioned proximate the rotatable disk, wherein the second coin passage extends through the coin outlet opening adjacent to a second side of the deflector opposite the first side, wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a first direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the first coin passage in a non-singulated manner, and wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a second direction opposite to the first direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the second coin passage in a non-singulated manner.

2. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1 wherein the coin deflector is vertically disposed at least approximately in the middle of the coin outlet opening.

3. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sidewall extending around at least a portion of the rotatable disk proximate an outer edge portion thereof, wherein the coin outlet opening is formed in the sidewall.

4. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sidewall extending around at least a portion of the rotatable disk proximate an outer edge portion thereof, wherein the coin outlet opening is formed in the sidewall, and wherein the coin deflector extends vertically across the opening.

5. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sidewall extending around at least a portion of the rotatable disk proximate an outer edge portion thereof, wherein the coin outlet opening is formed in the sidewall, and wherein the coin deflector is a cylindrical member that extends vertically across the opening.

6. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a motor operably coupled to the rotatable disk;

a sensor operably positioned proximate the coin outlet opening; and

a controller operably connected to the motor and the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller in response to detecting a coin jam proximate the coin outlet opening, and wherein the controller is configured to reverse the motor and rotate the disk in the opposite direction in response to the signal.

7. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a sidewall extending around at least a portion of the rotatable disk proximate an outer edge portion thereof; and

a support surface fixedly disposed proximate the sidewall, wherein the support surface slidably supports the outer edge portion of the rotatable disk during rotation of the rotatable disk.

8. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in the first direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the first coin passage but not the second coin passage, and wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in the second direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the second coin passage but not the first coin passage.

9. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a motor operably coupled to the rotatable disk; and

a controller operably connected to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to automatically rotate the disk in the first direction, stop or pause, and then rotate the disk in the second direction in response to signals from the controller.

10. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a motor operably coupled to the rotatable disk;

a sensor operably positioned relative to the coin counting and/or sorting machine; and

a controller operably connected to the motor and the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller in response to detecting a jam associated with the coin counting and/or sorting machine, and wherein the controller is configured to stop the motor from rotating the disk in response to the signal.

11. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a motor operably coupled to the rotatable disk;

a sensor operably positioned relative to the coin counting and/or sorting machine; and

a controller operably connected to the motor and the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller in response to detecting that at least a portion of the coin counting and/or sorting machine is operating at full capacity, and wherein the controller is configured to stop the motor from rotating the disk in response to the signal.

12. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a movable gate operably positionable to selectively block the passage of coins through the first and second coin passages.

13. An automatic coin input apparatus for use with a coin counting and/or sorting machine, the automatic coin input apparatus comprising:

a rotatable disk configured to support a plurality of randomly oriented coins deposited thereon;

a coin outlet opening positioned proximate the rotatable disk;

a coin deflector disposed adjacent to the coin outlet opening;

a first coin passage positioned proximate the rotatable disk, wherein the first coin passage extends through the coin outlet opening adjacent to a first side of the deflector;

a second coin passage positioned proximate the rotatable disk, wherein the second coin passage extends through the coin outlet opening adjacent to a second side of the deflector opposite the first side, wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a first direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the first coin passage, and wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a second direction opposite to the first direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the second coin passage; and

a movable gate operably positionable across at least a portion of the coin outlet opening to selectively block the passage of coins through the opening, wherein the coin deflector is positioned between the movable gate and the rotatable disk.

14. An automatic coin input apparatus for use with a coin counting and/or sorting machine, the automatic coin input apparatus comprising:

a rotatable disk configured to support a plurality of randomly oriented coins deposited thereon;

a coin outlet opening positioned proximate the rotatable disk;

a coin deflector disposed adjacent to the coin outlet opening;

a first coin passage positioned proximate the rotatable disk, wherein the first coin passage extends through the coin outlet opening adjacent to a first side of the deflector;

a second coin passage positioned proximate the rotatable disk, wherein the second coin passage extends through the coin outlet opening adjacent to a second side of the deflector opposite the first side, wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a first direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the first coin passage, and wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a second direction opposite to the first direction automatically drives coins deposited thereon outwardly through the second coin passage; and

a header member having a first surface portion and a second surface portion extending across an upper portion of the coin outlet opening, wherein the first surface portion faces the rotatable disk and the second surface portion faces the rotatable disk, and wherein the second surface portion is positioned below the first surface portion and offset outwardly therefrom to define a step therebetween.

15. The automatic coin input apparatus of claim 14 wherein the first and second surface portions are generally cylindrical surface portions.

16. A coin input tray for use with a consumer-operated kiosk, the coin input tray comprising:

a rotatable disk configured to rotate in a fixed plane and support a plurality of randomly oriented coins deposited thereon;

a sidewall extending upwardly around at least a portion of the rotatable disk to at least partially define a coin bowl;

a support surface fixedly disposed proximate a lower portion of the sidewall, wherein the rotatable disk is configured to slidably contact the support surface during rotation thereof;

a coin outlet opening disposed proximate the rotatable disk and adjacent the sidewall; and

a coin deflector disposed adjacent to the coin outlet opening, wherein a first coin passage extends between the coin deflector and a left boundary of the coin outlet opening, and wherein a second coin passage extends between the coin deflector and a right boundary of the coin outlet opening, wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a first direction automatically drives a first portion of the coins from the coin bowl and into the coin outlet opening through the first coin passage in a non-singulated manner, and wherein rotation of the rotatable disk in a second direction opposite to the first direction drives a second portion of the coins from the coin bowl and into the coin outlet opening through the second coin passage in a non-singulated manner.

17. The coin input tray of claim 16 wherein the support surface is annular in shape.

18. The coin input tray of claim 16, further comprising:

a movable gate positioned proximate the coin outlet opening;

means for selectively moving the movable gate between a first position closing off the coin outlet opening and a second position spaced apart from the opening; and

means for rotating the rotatable disk in the first direction and the second direction.

19. The coin input tray of claim 16 wherein the first and second coin passages are formed in the sidewall.

20. The coin input tray of claim 16, further comprising:

a motor operably coupled to the rotatable disk; and

a controller operably connected to the motor, wherein the motor is configured to automatically rotate the disk in the first direction, stop or pause, and then rotate the disk in the second direction in response to signals from the controller.

21. The coin input tray of claim 16, further comprising:

a motor operably coupled to the rotatable disk;

a sensor operably positioned proximate at least one of the first and second coin passages; and

a controller operably connected to the motor and the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller in response to detecting a coin jam proximate the at least one coin passage, and wherein the controller is configured to reverse the motor and rotate the disk in the opposite direction in response to the signal.