Coin redemption machine having gravity feed coin input tray and foreign object detection system

• US 8,607,957 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2011
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• 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., Mennie, Douglas U., Collura, Samuel F., Lykowski, John S., Long, Arthur J.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US12/984,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20110098845A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,078 Days
• Field of Search: 194344-347, 194/351, 453/6, 453/10, 453/12, 453/13, 453 33- 35, 453/49, 453/57, 232 7- 16
• US Class Current: 194/344
• 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

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a coin processing system includes a coin input area that receives coins from a user, a coin processing module that counts the received coins, and a foreign object detection system that detects a foreign object within the coin processing module subsequent to counting substantially all the received coins.

Claims

1. A self-service coin processing system comprising:

a stationary gravity-feed coin input area configured to receive a plurality of coins from a user, the input area including a downwardly sloping surface configured to direct received coins, under the force of gravity, towards an aperture disposed in the gravity-feed coin input area;

a coin processing module configured to receive coins from the aperture of the gravity-feed coin input area, the coin processing module being configured to determine the amount of received coins; and

a hood disposed over the aperture in the gravity-feed coin input area, the hood being spaced from the downwardly sloping surface of the gravity-feed coin input area a distance sufficient to allow the passage of coins between the hood and the surface and sufficient to inhibit the user from passing a hand through the aperture, the distance the hood is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface when disposed over the aperture being about 1¼

inch or less.

2. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the hood is coupled to the gravity-feed coin input area, the hood being upwardly rotatable from a first position, whereat the hood is disposed over the aperture and spaced the distance from the downwardly sloping surface of the gravity-feed coin input area, to a second position, whereat the hood is distal from the downwardly sloping surface thereby exposing the aperture such that the user can pass the hand into the aperture.

3. The coin processing system of claim 2, further comprising a switch configured to detect the position of the hood.

4. The coin processing system of claim 3, wherein operation of the coin processing module is suspended in response to the switch detecting that the hood is in the second position.

5. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the distance the hood is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface when disposed over the aperture is about ¼

inch to about 1¼

inch.

6. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the hood has a top surface opposing a bottom surface, the top surface being downwardly sloped to direct coins deposited thereon towards the gravity-feed coin input area while the hood is disposed over and spaced from the aperture.

7. The coin processing system of claim 1, further comprising at least one magnet attached to the hood, the at least one magnet being configured to attract ferric foreign objects received with the plurality of coins.

8. The coin processing system of claim 7, wherein the at least one magnet is positioned within the hood to pull ferric foreign objects against a top surface of the hood while the hood is disposed over and spaced from the aperture.

9. The coin processing system of claim 7, wherein the at least one magnet is positioned within the hood to pull ferric foreign objects against a bottom surface of the hood while the hood is disposed over and spaced from the aperture.

10. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the downwardly sloping surface of the gravity-feed coin input area is bowl-shaped.

11. The coin processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer surface opposite the downwardly sloping surface of the gravity-feed coin input area; and

at least one magnet disposed along the outer surface, the at least one magnet being configured to pull ferric foreign objects received with the coins against the downwardly sloping surface.

12. The coin processing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a foreign object detection system comprising a microphone adapted to generate a sound level signal indicative of the amount of sound in the coin processing module;

a memory storing master ambient sound level data for the coin processing module; and

a controller operatively coupled to the microphone and the memory, the controller being operable to compare the sound level signal generated by the microphone to the stored master ambient sound level data,

wherein the foreign object detection system is configured to detect, based on the comparison, a foreign object within the coin processing module.

13. The coin processing system of claim 12, wherein the controller is further operable to generate a foreign object detection signal in response to the comparison indicating a foreign object is within the coin processing module.

14. The coin processing system of claim 12, wherein the foreign object detection system further comprises a vacuum system with an inlet disposed in the coin processing module, the vacuum system being configured to selectively remove foreign objects from the coin processing module.

15. The coin processing system of claim 1, wherein the coin processing module comprises:

a rotatable disk with a resilient pad configured to impart motion to coins received on the resilient pad; and

a sorting head having a lower surface generally parallel to and spaced from the resilient pad of the rotatable disk, the lower surface of the sorting head forming a plurality of coin exit channels configured to sort and discharge coins of different denominations.

16. The coin processing system of claim 15, further comprising a diverting structure coupled to the sorting head, the diverting structure being movable between a first position, whereat the diverting structure is generally flush with the lower surface of the sorting head, and a second position, whereat the diverting structure extends downward from the lower surface of the sorting head to impact and direct at least one of coins and non-coin objects towards a center of the pad.

17. A method of receiving coins in a stationary coin input area of a self-service coin processing system having a coin processing module, the stationary coin input area including a downwardly sloping surface and an aperture disposed proximate a bottom of the downwardly sloping surface, the method comprising:

diverting coins away from the aperture, under the force of gravity, with a hood disposed over the aperture and spaced from the downwardly sloping surface of the stationary coin input area a distance sufficient to allow the passage of coins between the hood and the surface and sufficient to inhibit the user from passing a hand through the aperture, the distance the hood is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface when disposed over the aperture being about 1¼

inch or less;

receiving coins diverted by the hood with the downwardly sloping surface;

directing coins received by the downwardly sloping surface, under the force of gravity, toward the aperture; and

discharging coins from the coin input area through the aperture and into the coin processing module.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the distance the hood is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface when disposed over the aperture is about ¾

inch to about 1¼

inches.

19. The method claim 17, wherein the hood is hinged to the coin input area, the method further comprising permitting a user to access the aperture with the hand by rotating the hood away from the aperture.

20. The method of claims 19, wherein the hood is rotatable from a first position, whereat the hood extends across the aperture and is spaced the distance from the downwardly sloping surface of the coin input area, to a second position, whereat the hood is distal from the downwardly sloping surface and exposing the aperture such that the user can pass the hand into the aperture.

21. A coin processing machine comprising:

a housing;

a coin processing module at least partially disposed within the housing, the coin processing module being configured to authenticate or count, or both, a mixed batch of coins;

a stationary gravity-feed coin input tray rigidly attached to the housing, the stationary gravity-feed coin input tray being configured to receive the batch of coins from a user, the coin input tray including a downwardly sloping surface configured to direct the received coins, under the force of gravity, towards an aperture disposed in the coin input tray and into the coin processing module through the aperture; and

a hood rotatably attached to the housing to move from a closed position, whereat the hood extends over the aperture in the gravity-feed coin input tray, to an open position, whereat the hood exposes the aperture, wherein the hood, when in the closed position, is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface of the gravity-feed coin input tray a distance sufficient to allow the passage of coins between the hood and the surface and sufficient to inhibit the user from passing a hand through the aperture, the distance the hood is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface when disposed over the aperture being about 1¼

inch or less.

22. The coin processing machine of claim 21, wherein the hood, when in the closed position, is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface of the gravity-feed coin input tray a distance of about 1/2 inch to about 1 inch.

23. The coin processing machine of claim 21, wherein the hood, when in the open position, is spaced from the coin input tray and the aperture a distance sufficient to allow the user to place the hand into the coin processing module through the aperture.

24. The coin processing machine of claim 21, wherein the hood, when in the closed position, extends across the aperture and over a portion of the gravity-feed coin input tray.

25. The coin processing machine of claim 21, wherein the hood has opposing top and bottom surfaces, the top surface being rounded and downwardly sloped to direct coins deposited thereon onto the gravity-feed coin input tray.

26. The coin processing machine of claim 21, wherein the stationary gravity-feed coin input tray has a bowl-like shape.

27. The coin processing machine of claim 21, further comprising a position detection system configured to detect whether the hood is in the open position or the closed position.

28. The coin processing machine of claim 27, wherein the coin processing module is disabled in response to the position detection system detecting the hood being in the open position.

29. The coin processing machine of claim 21, wherein the hood includes one or more magnets configured to separate metallic foreign objects received with the batch of coins.

30. The coin processing machine of claim 21, further comprising:

a microphone adapted to generate a signal indicative of a sound level in the coin processing module;

a memory storing master ambient sound level data for the coin processing module; and

a controller operatively coupled to the microphone and the memory, the controller being operable to compare the sound level signal generated by the microphone to the master ambient sound level data stored in the memory, and generate a signal, based on the comparison, indicative of a foreign object being detected within the coin processing module.