Automatic coin aligning apparatus and method Number:7,419,042 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent An automatic coin aligning apparatus including a coin storing unit, a chute section, and a dispensing control unit. The chute section is disposed above the coin storing unit and has an upper portion and a lower portion. The chute section upper portion extends to receive coins from a plurality of coin hoppers, the chute section lower portion extends to a coin storing section. The coin storing unit includes a plurality of coin storing sections. Each coin storing section can receive a predetermined quantity of coins from a coin hopper. Each coin hopper can store a bulk quantity of coins of a predetermined denomination and dispense coins in a one by one manner. The dispensing control unit controls the coin dispensing quantity of the plurality of coin hoppers.<H apparatus, Automatic, Automatic, coin, , 7419042.html, Patent, pto, 7419042

Title: Automatic coin aligning apparatus and method

Abstract: An automatic coin aligning apparatus including a coin storing unit, a chute section, and a dispensing control unit. The chute section is disposed above the coin storing unit and has an upper portion and a lower portion. The chute section upper portion extends to receive coins from a plurality of coin hoppers, the chute section lower portion extends to a coin storing section. The coin storing unit includes a plurality of coin storing sections. Each coin storing section can receive a predetermined quantity of coins from a coin hopper. Each coin hopper can store a bulk quantity of coins of a predetermined denomination and dispense coins in a one by one manner. The dispensing control unit controls the coin dispensing quantity of the plurality of coin hoppers.

Patent Number: 7,419,042 Issued on 09/02/2008 to Enomoto, et al.

Inventors: Enomoto; Minoru (Iwatsuki, JP), Kawauchi; Shigeo (Iwatsuki, JP)
Assignee: Asahi Seiko Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)

Appl. No.: 10/966,601

Filed: October 15, 2004

Foreign Application Priority Data


Oct 21, 2003 [JP]			2003-361184
Mar 26, 2004 [JP]			2004-092103

Current U.S. Class: 194/350

Current International Class: G07F 1/04 (20060101); G07F 9/10 (20060101)

Field of Search: 194/350 193/15 221/130,131

References Cited [Referenced By]

U.S. Patent Documents


423589	March 1890	Besly
944198	December 1909	Maw
1419437	June 1922	Angers
1423589	July 1922	Wood
2306155	December 1942	Carlton
2423589	July 1947	Ericson
3423589	January 1969	Bardwell et al.
3590833	July 1971	Walton
3650085	March 1972	Bay
4195751	April 1980	Smith
4275751	June 1981	Bergman
4326620	April 1982	Felix et al.
4346798	August 1982	Agey, III
4423589	January 1984	Hardin et al.
4541444	September 1985	Okada
5017176	May 1991	Swierczek
5172829	December 1992	Dellicker, Jr.
5423589	June 1995	Pank
5562536	October 1996	Uchida et al.
5667096	September 1997	Wu
5695395	December 1997	Ota et al.
5813510	September 1998	Rademacher
6068158	May 2000	Chabout
6082578	July 2000	Miyoshi et al.
6165063	December 2000	Perkitny
6165064	December 2000	Aurelius et al.
6193599	February 2001	Kurosawa et al.
6249574	June 2001	Taylor et al.
6423589	July 2002	Park et al.
6726056	April 2004	Yuyama et al.
6983836	January 2006	Adams et al.
6991530	January 2006	Hino et al.
7018286	March 2006	Blake et al.
2004/0231955	November 2004	Carter

Primary Examiner: Mackey; Patrick
Assistant Examiner: Beauchaine; Mark

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic coin aligning apparatus, comprising: an array of coin hoppers including at least a first line of coin hoppers and a second line of coin hoppers, each coin hopper for storing a bulk quantity of coins of a predetermined denomination and dispensing coins in a one by one manner; a coin sorting unit operatively connected to each coin hopper to dispense coins individually through a coin dispensing slot, the dispensing slots of the first line of coin hoppers face the dispensing slots of the second line of coin hoppers; an upper chute section having upper chutes connected to each of the dispensing slots to enable a gravity release of dispensed coins, the upper chutes in a perpendicular arrangement and standing side-by-side; a first buffering unit attached to each upper chute section for absorbing kinetic force of the dispensed coin from the dispensing slot for slowing of the dispensed coin, the first buffering unit includes a first buffering body which is plate shaped and extends across a guiding passageway and configured to swing on a first shaft when struck by the dispensed coin to absorb the kinetic force and slightly slants in an idle state under the force of gravity; a lower chute section having lower chutes connected to each upper chute for receiving the dispensed coin as the dispensed coin further descends by gravity, the lower chute section dispensed at an angle of between about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees as measured from a horizontal point of reference, and slants side-by-side, and the width of a lower end of the lower chute section being narrower than the width of an upper end; a second buffering unit attached under the first buffering unit to guide the dispensed coin to slide along the lower chute section and to prevent rolling of the dispensed coin on its edge wherein the dispensed coin is controlled in its further descent, the second buffering unit includes a second buffering body which is plate shaped and is configured to swing on a second shaft when struck by the dispensed coin to absorb a kinetic force, and a coin turning body for causing the dispensed coin to turn over upon striking the coin turning body, the second buffering body slightly slants in a normal condition under the force of gravity; and a removable coin storing unit having a plurality of coin storing sections, each coin storing section for receiving a predetermined quantity of coins from one of the array of coin hoppers.

2. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein ends of the coin sorting units include a rotary disk.

3. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the coin hoppers of the first line are offset from the coin hoppers of the second line.

4. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 3 wherein the upper chute sections of the first line are offset from the upper chute section of the second line.

5. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the removable coin storing unit is held by moving holders which releasably grasp the coin storing unit.

6. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein each coin hopper includes a slanting base and a guiding passageway extending perpendicularly from the dispensing slot and disposed parallel to the slanting base, the guiding passageway having a lower portion disposed over the upper chute section.

7. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 wherein a dispensing control unit for controlling the coin dispensing quantity of the array of coin hoppers.

8. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 further including a coin turning plate.

9. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 1 having a unitary cover member to cover each of the array of coin hoppers.

10. A method of dispensing and aligning coins for storage comprising: providing an array of coin hoppers including at least a first line of coin hoppers and a second line of coin hoppers, each coin hopper for storing a bulk quantity of coins of a predetermined denomination and dispensing coins in a one by one manner; and a coin sorting unit operatively connected to each coin hopper to dispense coins individually through a coin dispensing slot, the dispensing slots of the first line of coin hoppers face the dispensing slots of the second line of coin hoppers; arranging an upper chute section having an upper chute connected to each of the dispensing slots to enable a gravity release of a dispensed coin in a central location between the coin hoppers; buffering with a first buffering unit attached to each upper chute for absorbing kinetic force of the dispensed coin from the dispensing slot for slowing of the dispensed coin, the first buffering unit including a first buffering body which is plate shaped and extends across a guiding passageway and configured to swing on a first shaft when struck by the dispensed coin to absorb the kinetic force; arranging a lower chute section having a lower chute connected to each upper chute section for receiving the dispensed coin as the dispensed coin further descends by gravity; guiding the dispensed coin with a second buffering unit to guide the dispensed coin to slide along the lower chute section and to prevent rolling of the dispensed coin on its edge whereby the dispensed coin is controlled in its further descent, the second buffering unit including a second buffering body which is plate shaped and is configured to swing on a second shaft when struck by the dispensed coin to absorb a kinetic force, and a coin turning body for causing the dispensed coin to turn over upon striking the coin turning body; and storing the dispensed coin in a removable coin storing unit having a plurality of coin storing sections, each coin storing section for receiving a predetermined quantity of coins from one of the array of coin hoppers.

11. An automatic coin dispensing apparatus, comprising: an array of coin hoppers including at least a first line of coin hoppers and a second line of coin hoppers, each coin hopper for storing a bulk quantity of coins of a predetermined denomination and dispensing coins in a one by one manner; a coin sorting unit operatively connected to each coin hopper to dispense coins individually through a coin dispensing slot, the dispensing slots of the first line of coin hoppers face the dispensing slots of the second line of coin hoppers; an upper chute section having an upper chute connected to each of the dispensing slots to enable a gravity release of a dispensed coin in a central location between the coin hoppers; a first buffering means, attached to each upper chute, for absorbing kinetic force of the dispensed coin from the dispensing slot; a lower chute section having a lower chute connected to each upper chute for receiving the dispensed coin as the dispensed coin further descends by gravity; a second buffering means for absorbing kinetic force and guiding the dispensed coin to slide along the lower chute section and to prevent rolling of the dispensed coin wherein the dispense coin is controlled in its further descent; and a removable coin storing unit having a plurality of coin storing sections, each coin storing section for receiving a predetermined quantity of coins from one of the array of coin hoppers.

12. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein ends of the coin sorting units include a rotary disk.

13. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the coin hoppers of the first line are offset from the coin hoppers of the second line.

14. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the upper chute section of the first line is offset from the upper chute section of the second line.

15. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the lower chute section is dispensed at an angle of between about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees as measured from a horizontal point of reference.

16. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the removable coin storing unit is held by moving holders which releasably grasp the coin storing unit.

17. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein each coin hopper includes a slanting base and a guiding passageway extending perpendicularly from the dispensing slot and disposed parallel to the slanting base, the guiding passageway having a lower portion disposed over the upper chute section.

18. The automatic coin dispensing apparatus of claim 11, wherein a dispensing control unit for controlling the coin dispensing quantity of the array of coin hoppers.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is based on application number 2003-361184 filed in Japan, dated Oct. 21, 2003, and application number 2004-092103 filed in Japan, dated Mar. 26, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention is related to a coin guiding apparatus and more particularly to an automatic coin aligning apparatus for guiding coins from a plurality of coin hoppers into a coin storing unit having a plurality of coin storing sections.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

In reference to FIG. 26, a traditional coin storing unit 10 can used with a change dispensing apparatus such as that shown in patent document WO 03/015038A. Coins are dispensed from coin hoppers and accumulated in a predetermined quantity according to their denominations. The coin storing unit 10 includes a coin storing body 16 and cover 20. The coin storing body 16 includes a plurality of storing sections 14, each having a diameter that is slightly larger than the diameter of the desired stored coin. Each storing section 14 extends perpendicularly and has an opening 12 in the longitudinal direction. The cover 20 is detachable from the coin storing body 16 and encloses both the side openings 12 and the upper openings 18 of the storing sections 14.

There is a front side opening in the coin storing unit 10 between the lowermost end 22 of the cover 20 and the bottom 24 of the coin storing body 16. There is a back side opening in the coin storing unit 10 within which a pushing member can be inserted and moved in a reciprocating manner so that the lowest coin in the storing section 14 can be pushed out. In this manner, a predetermined quantity of a predetermined denomination can be dispensed.

According to the prior art, in order to supply a quantity of coins to the storing sections 14, a cumbersome process is required. First, a stack of coins of a certain denomination is wrapped up within a sheet of paper in a columnar form. Second, the wrapped column of coins is inserted into an upper opening 18 of the storing section 14 corresponding to the particular denomination of the stacked coins. Third, the wrapping sheet is removed from the stacked coins. Such an operation takes time, energy, and is inefficient. Further, it is also wasteful of paper.

In another solution, a mixture of various denominations of coins is supplied to a tray. The mixture of coins is then separated by a rotating disk in a one by one manner, after which the separated coins are stored in the appropriate cylindrical storing section such as in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,751 granted to Bergman, especially FIGS. 1-4 and pages 6-8. In the prior art, the denominations are intermixed so that a denomination separating unit is required, resulting in a less compact apparatus. Another solution relies on a one by one sorting process (either electrical or mechanical) that can slow down the supplying of coins to the proper storing sections.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, as defined in the claims, overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing an automatic coin aligning apparatus where predetermined denominations can be accumulated at predetermined quantities without the use of paper wrappers, more quickly and efficiently. Secondly, the present invention achieves this result in a more compact apparatus. Third, the present invention teaches a novel auxiliary cover for a coin storing unit.

The present invention, in one embodiment, teaches an automatic coin aligning apparatus including a coin storing unit, a chute section, and a dispensing control unit. The chute section is disposed above the coin storing unit and has an upper section and a lower section. The chute section upper section extends to receive coins from a plurality of coin hoppers, the chute section lower portion extends to a coin storing section. The coin storing unit includes a plurality of coin storing sections. Each coin storing section can receive a predetermined quantity of coins from a coin hopper. Each coin hopper can store a bulk quantity of coins of a predetermined denomination and dispense coins in a one by one manner. The dispensing control unit controls the coin dispensing quantity of the plurality of coin hoppers.

According to another embodiment, the plurality of coin hoppers each include a dispensing slot and are disposed in one of two lines. The coin hopper dispensing slots of the coin hoppers in the first line facing the coin hopper dispensing slots of the coin hoppers in the second line. According to another embodiment, the plurality of coin hoppers include a rotating disk for dispensing coins in a one by one manner. The rotating disk includes at least one through hole. Each through hole can receive and move a single coin. The rotating disk through holes are located at evenly spaced intervals around the rotating disk when more than one through hole is present.

According to another embodiment, the chute section includes a buffering unit for dissipating a portion of the kinetic energy carried by a dispensed coin. According to another embodiment, the chute section is disposed on an angle to slant from between about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees as measured from the horizontal plane. According to another embodiment, the dispensing control unit includes a plurality of setting sections for setting a predetermined dispensing quantity for each of the plurality of coin hoppers, a coin hopper counting section within each coin hopper for counting coins dispensed from the coin hopper, and a coin hopper stopping section within each coin hopper for stopping the dispensing of coins from the coin hopper once the dispensing quantity equals the predetermined dispensing quantity.

According to another embodiment, the automatic coin aligning apparatus includes a holding section for releasably holding the coin storing unit at a predetermined position disposed below the chute section. According to another embodiment, the holding section is operable via a selecting attaching unit to be located at either a supplying position or a standby position. The supplying position is a position below the chute section, while the standby position is adjacent to the chute section. The selecting attaching unit is attached to a portion of an enclosure containing a portion of the automatic coin aligning apparatus.

According to another embodiment, each coin hopper includes a slanting base, a rotating disk, a dispensing slot for dispensing a coin, and a guiding passageway. The dispensing slot is disposed above the slanting base, while the guiding passageway extends perpendicularly from the dispensing slot and is parallel to the slanting base. The guiding passageway has a lower portion disposed over the chute section upper portion. According to another embodiment, a buffering unit is disposed opposite the dispensing slot and adjacent to the guiding passageway. The buffering unit is pivotable so as to extend in a downward direction.

According to another embodiment, an auxiliary cover for an automatic coin aligning apparatus includes a coin storing unit, a lower cover member, and an upper cover member. The coin storing unit has a plurality of coin storing sections arranged in parallel. The lower cover member encloses a lower opening of the coin storing unit. The upper cover member is located above the upper end of the coin storing unit and is detachable from the coin storing unit. According to another embodiment, the upper cover includes a resinous material. More generally, the upper cover is made of resin.

According to another embodiment, an auxiliary cover for an automatic coin dispensing and aligning apparatus includes a coin storing unit, and a cover for enclosing a lower opening of the coin storing unit. The coin storing unit has a plurality of coin storing sections arranged in parallel. The auxiliary cover extends to the upper end of the coin storing section to cover the sides of a chute section lower portion. The cover is removable from the coin storing section.

According to another embodiment, a method of automatically aligning coins in a coin dispenser includes the steps of dispensing a coin from a coin hopper into a guiding channel, buffering the dispensed coin with a first buffer unit within the guiding channel to dissipate a portion of the kinetic energy of the dispensed coin, sliding the dispensed coin received from the guiding channel along a chute section, and accumulating the sliding coin from the chute section into a coin storing section. The method can further include buffering the dispensed coin with a second buffer unit within the chute section to further dissipate a portion of the kinetic energy of the dispensed coin.

According to another embodiment, a coin aligning apparatus includes an array of coin hoppers, a coin storing unit having a plurality of coin storing sections, a chute section located below the array of coin hoppers and above the coin storing unit, and a dispensing control unit for controlling the coin dispensing quantity of the array of coin hoppers. The chute section is divided into a plurality of chute channels where each chute channel has an upper portion and a lower portion.

Each chute channel upper portion extends upward to receive coins dispensed from a predetermined coin hopper, and each chute channel lower portion extends downward to a predetermined coin storing section, so that a coin received by a chute channel upper portion is conducted to travel to the chute channel lower portion and into the predetermined coin storing section.

A first buffering unit within a chute channel in the chute section dissipates kinetic energy from the dispensed coin when the dispensed coin strikes the first buffering unit. The first buffering unit can include a first buffering body that extends across the chute channel where the first buffering body is operable to pivot in a swinging motion in the direction of the coin travel through the chute channel. A dispensed coin imparts kinetic energy to the first buffering body when the dispensed coin strikes the first buffering unit.

According to an embodiment, each coin hopper includes a slanting base at a first angle, a rotating disk for dispensing coins in a one by one manner, a dispensing slot for dispensing the coins, a guiding passageway that extends perpendicularly from the dispensing slot and located parallel to the slanting base, and a second buffering unit opposite the dispensing slot and adjacent to the guiding passageway. The guiding passageway has a lower portion disposed over the chute section upper portion. The second buffering unit is pivotable and extends in a downward direction.

The second buffering unit dissipates kinetic energy from the dispensed coin when the dispensed coin strikes the second buffering unit. The dispensing slot is located above the slanting base so that the dispensed coin is ejected in a slightly upward manner at an angle. The second buffering unit includes a second buffering body that extends across the guiding passageway. The second buffering body is operable to pivot in a swinging motion in the direction of the coin travel through the guiding passageway. A dispensed coin imparts kinetic energy to the second buffering body when the dispensed coin strikes the second buffering unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an automatic coin aligning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the front side coin hoppers and the rear side coin hoppers detached from the automatic coin aligning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top planar view of an automatic coin aligning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front planar view in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along the A-A line as shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along the B-B line as shown in FIG. 3 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view along the C-C line as shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the auxiliary cover in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the rotating disk for use in a coin hopper in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a control unit and a coin hopper controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing the operation of a dispensing processing unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram showing the operation of a coin hopper processing unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an automatic coin aligning apparatus in a standby condition in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the condition where the upper lid is opened and the storing section is moved to the supplying position in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a front planar view of the automatic coin aligning apparatus shown in the supplying condition in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a top planar view of the automatic coin aligning apparatus with the upper lid removed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 17 is a top planar view showing the chute section of the automatic coin aligning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A as shown in FIG. 15 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view at the centerline of a rotating disk of a coin hopper in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of the auxiliary cover of the storing unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 21 is an exploded perspective view of a selecting attaching unit for the front side of an automatic coin aligning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of a selecting attaching unit from the rear side for an automatic coin aligning apparatus in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a control unit and a coin hopper controller in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is a flow diagram showing the operation of a dispensing processing unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a flow diagram showing the operation of a coin hopper processing unit in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 26 is a perspective view showing a conventional coin storing body cover for sliding onto a conventional coin storing body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the intention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.

In reference to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the automatic coin aligning apparatus 100 is shown and explained. A coin aligning apparatus 100 includes a coin hopper section 104, a chute section 106, and a coin storing section 108. The chute section 106 is located beneath the coin hopper section 104 and guides the dispensed coins. The coin storing unit 108 is located below the chute unit 106 and receives the coins that have slid down the chute section. These units are located within a box-like enclosure 102 containing the automatic coin aligning apparatus. The coin storing unit 108 is located relatively close to the opening 110 on a side wall of the enclosure 102 to facilitate easy access to and allowing for removal and replacement of the coin storing unit 108.

The coin hopper section 104 includes at least four coin hoppers 112 which correspond to at least four different coin denominations. These coin hoppers 112 are located in the coin hopper section 104 and each one stores the coins in bulk according to their denomination and dispenses the coins in a one by one manner. The four different denominations can be United States minted coins in 25-cent, 10-cent, 5-cent, and 1-cent denominations, but coins of other origin and denominations may also be used.

An embodiment of the automatic coin aligning apparatus 100 includes eight coin hoppers 112A-H so that each denomination has at least one coin hopper 112. For example, coin hoppers 112A and 112H correspond to 25-cent denomination coins, coin hoppers 112D and 112E correspond to 10-cent denomination coins, coin hopper 112G corresponds to 5-cent denomination coins, and coin hoppers 112B, 112C, and 112F correspond to 1-cent denomination coins. All eight coin hoppers 112 include a rectangular bowl 114 for storing the particular coins in bulk, a rotating disk 118 rotated by an electric motor 116 located at the bottom of the bowl 114, and a coin sensor 120 located at a dispensing slot. Alternatively, a coin hopper 112 not including a rotating disk 118 may be used.

A suitable coin hopper 112 is described by U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,536 to Uchida et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,599 to Kurosawa et al. The rotating disks 118 described in the above mentioned patents include four or more through holes. In this case, the coins may be dispensed too quickly which can prevent the proper accumulation of coins above the rotating disk 118. To address this issue, one or more through hole covers 124 can be attached to the rotating disk 118, as shown in FIG. 9. Each through hole cover 124 can be attached to the rotating disk 118 by one or more screws 126. The through hole cover 124 reduces the number of available through holes 122 allowing coins in the coin hopper 112 to accumulate properly, be dispensed more slowly, and permits the dispensed coins to be aligned by a less complex apparatus.

The storing section 108 can have at least two denominations determined by a statistical analysis indicating which two or more denominations are most highly used. For more complete coverage, eight coin hoppers (112A-112H) are included for dispensing four different denominations, as shown in FIG. 1. These eight coin hoppers 112 are aligned in an array format along two parallel lines identified as the front row 124F having four coin hoppers 112A-112D and a back row 124B having four coin hoppers 112E-112H. FIGS. 5 and 6 show the dispensing slots for the coin hoppers of each row face each other and are offset from each other in a staggered formation so that each of the eight coin hoppers can dispense coins simultaneously without interference. Specifically, the front dispensing slots 126F of the front row 124F face the back dispensing slots 126B of the back row 124B so that the eight coin hoppers dispense coins into the upper chute section 140.

In the front row 124F, 25-cent coins are stored in and dispensed by coin hopper 112A, 1-cent coins are stored in and dispensed by coin hoppers 112B-112C, and 10-cent coins are stored in and dispensed by coin hopper 112D. In the back row 124B, 25-cent coins are stored in and dispensed by coin hopper 112H, 5-cent coins are stored in and dispensed by coin hopper 112G, 1-cent coins are stored in and dispensed by coin hopper 112F, and 10-cent coins are stored in and dispensed by coin hopper 112E. A plurality of the appropriate denomination coins can be stored in bulk within the coin hoppers 112.

A top board 102T covers the top face of the box-like enclosure 102. A first lid 127 within the top board 102T covers the coin receiving sections for the coin hoppers 112A-112D in the front row 124F. A second lid 128 within the top board 102T covers the coin receiving sections for the coin hoppers 112A-112D in the back row 124B. The coin hoppers 112A-112D of the front row 124F can be affixed to a first base 130 located in the upper section of the box-like enclosure 102 and oriented horizontally in a level manner. Similarly, the coin hoppers 112E-112H of the back row 124B can be fixed to a second base 132 located in the upper section of the box-like enclosure 102 and oriented horizontally in a level manner. The second base 132 is mounted on an upper section of a base 196.

In reference to FIG. 6, the chute section 106 is shown and explained. The chute section 106 is located under the dispensing slots 126F and 126B of the coin hoppers 112. The chute section 106 includes a buffering unit 136 and a sliding section 138 for receiving the coins dispensed by the coin hoppers 112 and guiding the received coins as they slide down by gravity along a chute plate 148 in a lower chute section 142 of the chute section 106. The chute section 106 includes upper chute sections 140 and a lower chute sections 142. The upper chute sections 140 have a funnel-shaped cross-section and are located between the front row 124F and the back row 124B for ease of maintenance. The upper chute sections 140 together form the upper chute unit 144.

Buffering units 136 dissipate a portion of the kinetic energy carried by the coins as they are dispensed by the coin hoppers 112. The sliding section 138 guides the dispensed coins from the buffering unit 136. Buffering units 136 are located at different positions for the coin hoppers 112A-112D of the front row 124F and coin hoppers 112E-112H of the back row 124B.

A handle 146 is gate-like in shape and is attached at the upper chute unit 144. When the handle 146 is lifted up, the upper chute unit 144 can be removed. The upper chute sections 140 include a first slanting section 150 which slants from the front row 124F to the rear row 124B, a second slanting section 152 which slants from the rear row 124B to the front row 124F, and a falling slot 154 which is located between the lower end sections of the slanting sections (150, 152). A front wall 156 extends upwards and perpendicularly from an upper end of the first slanting section 150. A rear wall 158 extends upwards and perpendicularly from an upper end of the second slanting section 152. In this manner, the front wall 156 and the rear wall 158 are located approximately parallel at a predetermined distance. This predetermined distance is slightly more narrow than the separation between the front row 124F and the rear row 124B.

In reference to FIG. 3, separating walls 160 are affixed at the first slanting sections 150 and second slanting sections 152 and are located at a predetermined distance which are put down across from the dispensing slots 126F or 126B of the coin hoppers 112. Specifically, the upper chute sections 140A-140H are located corresponding to each coin hopper 112A-112H respectively.

In reference to FIGS. 2 and 6, coin through holes 157 have an elongated, rectangular shape for receiving dispensed coins from corresponding coin hoppers 112. The front wall 156 can include four coin through holes 157 arranged to receive coins dispensed from coin hoppers 112A-112D. Similarly, the rear wall 158 can include four coin through holes 157 arranged to receive coins dispensed from coin hoppers 112E-112H. The lower chute section 142 includes the chute plate 148 which slants downwards and includes a plurality of guiding grooves (162A-162H) and may be denoted as chute channels 162. The upper end section of the lower chute section 142 is located under the upper chute section 140 while the lower end section of the lower chute section 142 is located under the front row 124F. The chute channels 162 are formed by the lower separating walls 160 which are attached to extend perpendicularly from the chute plate 148 at a predetermined distance.

The chute plate 148 can slant at an angle of between about 20 degrees to about 40 degrees as measured from the horizontal, but preferably slants at about 25 degrees. When the slanting angle is greater than 40 degrees, the sliding speed of the coins on the chute plate 148 can be too fast and the dispensed coins may not be properly accumulated. Conversely, when the slanting less than about 20 degrees the sliding speed of the coins on the chute plate 148 can be too slow, and some coins may stop sliding on the chute plate 148. The upper end of the guiding grooves 162 are positioned to correspond with the upper chute 140 in order to receive coins from the associated coin hopper 112. The lower portions of the chute channels 162 are located over corresponding storing sections 14 in the storing unit 108.

In reference to FIG. 6, the upper portions of the guiding grooves 162 are located under the falling slots 154 of the corresponding upper chutes and are the same size as the falling slots 154. In reference to FIG. 4, the guiding grooves 162 are located with their corresponding upper chutes 140 and are symmetric about a center point in a fan-fold manner.

In reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the buffering units 136 are shown and explained. The buffering units 136 reduce or absorb the force of a dispensed coin to facilitate the proper sliding of the coins along the chute section 106 and collecting of the dispensed coins in the appropriate storing section 14 in the coin storage section 108. The buffering units 136 are divided into a two structures depending on whether the particular buffering unit 136 is associated with a coin hopper 112A-112D on the front row 124F or a coin hopper 112E-112H on the back row 124B.

In reference to FIG. 6, the buffering units 136 associated with coin hoppers 112A-112D are shown and explained. Using the buffering unit 136 associated with the coin hopper 112C as an example, the upper end of a first buffering body 166 is plate-like in shape and extends across the chute channel 162C to cross the direction of the coin travel through the chute channel 162C. This first buffering body 166 can pivot at a first shaft 164 that is attached at the upper end section of the lower separating wall 160 describing a swinging motion along the longitudinal direction of the coin travel through the chute channel 162C. The first shaft 164 is horizontal and crosses the dispensing direction of the coins from the coin hopper 112C at a right angle. In the standby position, the first buffering body 166 rests at an angle with the lower section of the first buffering body 166 away from the chute plate 148. The chute plate 148 can be slightly thinner than the thickness of a coin. A dispensed coin imparts kinetic energy to the first buffering body 166 when the dispensed coin strikes the first buffering unit 136. The kinetic energy imparted to the first buffering body 166 is dissipated in friction during the subsequent swinging motion.

A coin turning body 168 is plate-like in shape and can be located at a guiding groove 162C in relation to the first buffering body 166, for example. The coin turning body 168 is slanted at about 70 degrees from horizontal. When the edge of a dispensed coin from coin hopper 112C strikes the coin turning body 168 at an obtuse angle, the coin turns over and strikes the first buffering body 166. The force (kinetic energy) of the dispensed coin is reduced by striking the first buffering body 166 and the coin is guided towards the chute plate 148 by the lower end of the first buffering body 166. In this manner, the dispensed coin slides down the chute plate 148 in contact with the plane, and rolling of the coin on an edge down the chute plate 148 can be avoided.

In reference to FIG. 5, the buffering units 136 associated with coin hoppers 112E-112H are shown and explained. Second buffering units 170 have a similar structure as the first buffering body 166 and are located at the upper chute sections 140E-140H and in proximity to the back row 124B. The upper end of the second buffering body 174 is plate-like in shape and extends across the upper chute 140F. The second buffering body 174 can pivot on a second shaft 172 that is attached at the upper end section of the upper separating wall 160.

The second shaft 172 is positioned horizontally and crosses the dispensing direction of the coins from the coin hopper 112F at a right angle. A second buffering body 174 slightly slants in a standby condition. The lower end section of the second buffering body 174 and the second slanting section 152 are located in close proximity, as shown in FIG. 5. The edge of a coin that is dispensed from a coin hopper on the rear row 124B, such as from coin hopper 112F for example, strikes the second buffering body 174 at approximately a right angle. The energy of the dispensed coin is somewhat dissipated by the collision with the second buffering body 174 and the dispensed coin is directed towards the second slanting section 152 by the lower end of the second buffering body 174. The dispensed coin slides down on the second slanting section 152 in contact with the plane. Following this, the dispensed coin slides down on the chute plate 148 also in contact with the plane. In this manner, rolling of the dispensed coin is avoided.

Motion of the dispensed coin from coin hoppers 112A-112D from the front row 124F is explained in reference to FIG. 6. The dispensed coins are dispensed from dispensing slots 126F and pass through elongated holes 157 into the upper chute unit 144. The dispensed coins travel in a parabolic arc in a downward direction as they are dispensed due to the effect of a constant gravitational force. In this manner, the edge of a dispensed coin collides with the coin turning body 168 at an obtuse angle causing the coin to flip end over end so that the obverse of the coin turns to the reverse and the reverse has contact with the chute plate 148.

When the dispensed coin collides with the first buffering body 166, the falling energy is somewhat absorbed and the dispensed coin is guided by the lower ends of the first buffering body 166. In this manner, the dispensed coins from the front row 124F maintain contact with the planar surface of the chute plate 148 and rolling is minimized while the dispensed coins slide down under the force of gravity. The sliding coins collide with the concave sections 190 of the upper cover 192 at an acute angle.

The energy of the sliding coins is somewhat absorbed due to the flexibility of the somewhat resilient resinous material causing the dispensed coins to fall in a level manner into the associated coin storing section 14. The falling coin then comes to rest in a level manner at the bottom portion of the storing section 14. If the storing section already contains a quantity of dispensed coins, the newly dispensed coin comes to rest upon the level stack of dispensed coins. As a result, the dispensed coins are reliably stacked in a level manner and coins falling edgewise down the storing section 14, or coming to rest in a vertical manner, are avoided.

Similarly, motion of the dispensed coin from coin hoppers 112E-112H from the back row 124B is explained in reference to FIG. 5. The dispensed coins are dispensed from dispensing slots 126B and pass through elongated holes 157 into the upper chute unit 144. The dispensed coins collide with the second buffering body 174 at an acute angle. As a result, the second buffering body 174 is pivoted in the clockwise direction and the kinetic energy of the dispensed coin is somewhat absorbed.

A coin that has collided with the second buffering body 174 is turned downwards since the angle of incidence is acute. As a result, the reverse surface of the dispensed coin has contact with the second slanting section 152 since the coin is guided towards the second slanting section 152 by the lower end of the second buffering body 174. In this manner, the dispensed coins from the back row 124F slide down and have planar contact with the chute plate 148 as they are guided by the lower side walls 160 towards the coin storing section 14. Once the dispensed coin reaches the coin storing section, it falls in a level manner to be accumulated as discussed above.

In reference to FIGS. 7 and 8, the coin storing unit 108 is shown and explained. The coin storing unit 108 includes a storing unit body 16, a first auxiliary cover 182 and an upper cover 192. The storing unit body 16 includes a plurality of storing sections 14 for accumulating dispensed coin according to their denominations. The first auxiliary cover 182 is a plate-like member having left and right ends that can be inserted into sliding grooves 184 of the storing unit body 16. The storing unit body 16 itself, without the sliding grooves 184, is known in the art, and is combined in a novel way with the new elements as a part of the embodiment. The first auxiliary cover 182 encloses the side openings 12 without enclosing the lower opening 186.

An upper cover 192 includes a front side wall 188 which is positioned on the same side as the side openings 12 and extends upwards above the storing unit body 16 and includes a plurality of concave sections 190 that are aligned with each of the plurality of storing sections 14. The upper cover 192 can be composed of an inexpensive resin material.

In reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the lower portion of the coin storing unit 108 is positioned between a lower cover 194 and a rear wall 202. The lower cover 194 is fixed at an upward facing concave section 200 of a position controller 198 and affixed to the base 196. In this manner, the coin storing unit 108 position is determined and the lower opening 186 is enclosed by the lower cover 194.

A rear wall of the storing unit body 16 is adjacent to an elongated lower supporter 206 that is affixed to a perpendicular wall 204 on the base 196 in order to determine the position of the lower section of the storing unit body 16. A middle section of the storing unit body 16 is held on the left and right side by moving holders 208 and 210 respectively, as shown in FIG. 7. The moving holders 208 and 210 have the same construction and are located symmetrically facing each other to releasably grasp the coin storing unit 108 positioned between them. This described structure comprises a holding section so that the coin storing unit 108 is held at a predetermined position.

In reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, a middle supporter 214 is rectangular in shape and is affixed near the midpoint of the perpendicular wall 204. The middle supporter 214 has contact with a rear wall of the storing unit body 16. The moving holder 208 pivots on a shaft 216 that extends upwards at the side of the middle supporter 214. A hook 218 is located at the end of the moving holder 208 and holds the storing unit body 16 left side from a frontal position. A leaf spring 222 is attached to a portion of the moving holder 208 in order to urge the moving holder in a counter clockwise direction. The moving holder 208 has a stopper 224 for contacting a left side of the middle supporter 214 in order to stop the rotation urged by the leaf spring 222.

The coin storing unit 108 is preferably mounted by moving the coin storing unit 108 perpendicularly towards the middle supporter 214 with the coin storing unit 108 tilted slightly so that the lower section of the coin storing body 16 is positioned between the lower cover 194 and the lower supporter 206 at the upward facing concave section 200. From this position, the coin storing unit 108 is rotated to an upright position so that the back portion of the coin storing body 16, on the side away from the side opening 12, is positioned against the middle supporter 214. During this maneuver, a left rear corner of the coin storing body 16 has contact with a slanting surface 226 of the left moving holder 208 which pivots the left moving holder 208 in a clockwise direction.

Similarly, a right rear corner of the coin storing body 16 has contact with a slanting surface 226 of the right moving holder 210 which pivots the right moving holder 210 in a counter clockwise direction. As the coin storing body 16 continues this movement, the hook 218 of the left moving holder 208 and a corresponding hook on the right moving holder 210 approach engagement with the front wall of the coin storing body covered by the first auxiliary cover 182. Once the back portion of the coin storing body 16 contacts the middle supporter 214 the hooks of the left and right moving holders (208, 210) are pivoted towards each other in order to grasp the coin storing unit 108 in the proper position.

In this manner, the upper portions of the plurality of storing sections 14 are located in a position under the lower sections of the guiding grooves 162A-162H. The upper openings 18 of the storing sections 14 are located adjacent to a lower section 205 of the chute plate 148, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. When the coin storing unit 108 is disposed in the supplying position 228 the moving holders (208, 210) are urged to rotate towards each other and may be assisted by the hand of a user so that the hooks 218 are positioned around the frontal portion of the coin storing unit 108.

In reference to FIGS. 10-12, a dispensing control unit 230 for controlling the dispensing of coins from the plurality of coin hoppers 112A-112H is shown and explained. The dispensing control unit 230 controls each of the plurality of coin hoppers 112A-112H in order to dispense from each of the coin hoppers 112 a predetermined quantity of coins based on predetermined settings, transient conditions, and the actuation of various user controls. The quantity of coins dispensed by each of the plurality of coin hoppers 112 can be different. Alternatively, for some or all of the coin hoppers 112, the number of dispensed coins can be equal.

The dispensing control unit 230 includes a plurality of setting units 232A-232H, an

automatic reset button 234, a dispensing button 238, a user display 240, and a dispensing processing unit 242. Each setting unit 232 determines the dispensing quantity of its associated coin hopper 112 with reference 232A identifying the "No. 1 hopper dispensing quantity setting circuit", and reference 232H identifying the "No. 8 hopper dispensing quantity setting circuit" so that the setting units 232A-232H correspond with hopper numbers 1-8 respectively. The automatic reset button 234 and the dispensing button 238 can be switches that are selectively activated by a user. The user display 240 can indicate to a user the status of the automatic coin aligning apparatus showing either a normal condition or an abnormal or error condition exists. This display can include colors, text, and graphics to communicate the current status to a user.

The dispensing processing unit 242 can receive signals from the setting units 232A-232H, the automatic resetting button 234, the dispensing button 238, and the keyboard 244, and output signals to the coin hopper control units 236A-236H and the display unit 240. The keyboard unit 244 may be continuously connected to the dispensing processing unit 242 or may be temporarily connected for use during maintenance or when loading new programming information, for example. The dispensing processing unit 242 includes a Microprocessor Unit (MPU) 250 such as a programmable microprocessor, a Read Only Memory (ROM) 246, and a Random Access Memory (RAM) 248.

The MPU 250 executes a program stored in the ROM 246 and can read and write intermediate data to the RAM 248. Each of the coin hopper dispensing quantity setting circuits 232 can be implemented as one or more memory locations so that a dispensing quantity is determined by examining the contents of one or more predetermined memory locations. Alternatively, the coin hopper processing unit 242 can be implemented with a logic circuit or an execution unit for executing a program in a file format instead of a programmable processor.

Each coin hopper 112 includes a coin hopper control unit 236 for receiving control signals from the dispensing processing unit 242 and operating the coin hopper 112 in order to dispense the required quantity of coins. Each coin hopper control unit 236 includes a sensor unit 120 for detecting a coin dispensed by the coin hopper 112 and outputting a coin detection signal CU. Each coin hopper control unit 236 includes a coin hopper processing unit 252 having a Microprocessor Unit (MPU) 254 such as a programmable microprocessor, a Read Only Memory (ROM) 256, and a Random Access Memory (RAM) 258. It is understood that the ROM 246 and ROM 256 can include a programmable ROM (PROM), an Ultra-Violet PROM (UVPROM), an Electrically Erasable PROM (EEPROM), or other configurable memory unit that is designed to be read from during normal, in-circuit operations but may be altered under certain special conditions. The MPU 254 executes a program stored in the ROM 256 and can read and write intermediate data to the RAM 258.

Alternatively, the coin hopper processing unit 252 can be implemented with a logic circuit or an execution unit for executing a program in a file format instead of a programmable processor. The coin hopper processing unit 252 asserts a control signal to a driving circuit 260 that will send a motor control signal to a motor unit 116 and a brake control signal to a braking circuit 262. The motor control signal activates or deactivates the motor unit 116 that operates the rotating disk 118. The brake control signal activates or deactivates the braking circuit 262 to more precisely control the rotation of the rotating disk 118.

Each coin hopper processing unit 252 receives control signals from the dispensing processing unit 242 and the coin hopper sensor unit 120 associated with the particular coin hopper 112 where the coin hopper processing unit 252 resides. Each coin hopper control unit 236 also returns status information to the dispensing processing unit 242 indicating whether or not the required number of coins have been properly dispensed or to indicate an error condition. An error condition can include dispensing an improper amount of coins, or not resetting from an error condition, for example.

Actuating the automatic reset button 2