GB1456531A - Vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

1456531 Coin freed vending machine NIPPON COINCO CO Ltd 16 Jan 1974 [17 Jan 1973 13 Feb 1973 24 July 1973 (2) 27 July 1973 22 Aug 1973 (2) 23 Aug 1973] 02136/74 Heading G4V In a vending machine which acecpts small denomination (e.g. 10 and 50 yen) coins and large denomination (e.g. 100 yen) coins and which maintains a reserve of the small denomination coins for dispensing as change or for returning cash to the customer if a purchase is not made, an inserted large denomination coin is temporarily retained by a mechanism and subsequently either directed to a cash box if a purchase is made, appropriate change then being dispensed in the least number of small denomination coins, or returned to the customer if a purchase is not made, small denomination coins, equal in number and denomination to any small denomination coins inserted, then being directed to the customer from the reserve. Operation of first embodiment.-Switches S 1 , S 2 , S 3 are closed upon sensing of 100, 50 and 10 yen coins respectively. Groups of 10, 5 or 1 pulses respectively are then generated at PC and fed to counter AS, which then holds a number indicative of the total cash inserted. This number is compared at CM with a number generated at SS and representing a set vend price. Upon detecting that the cash inserted at least equals the set vend price and as long as switch S 6 is in the position shown (indicating that more than a minimum number of 10 yen coins are in the 10 yen part of the reserve), a vend signal is transmitted at VE and a solenoid CA is energized to direct any further inserted coins back to the customer. If S 6 indicates a shortage of 10 yen coins, the vend signal is still transmitted if the cash inserted equals the vend price, i.e. no change required; if change is required and there is a shortage of 10 yen coins, the machine moves to a "return coins" mode. When the customer depresses a purchase button (not shown) and as long as the vend signal has been transmitted, an article of the set vend price is delivered by means (not shown) and a vend switch S 4 is simultaneously actuated to apply a signal from RR to condition the counter AS for subtraction. Any inserted large denomination coin will have been temporarily retained by two levers PL 1 , PL 2 (Fig. 10) controlled by solenoids E 1 , E 2 . In the vending cycle, RR now energizes E 2 to direct the retained coin to a cash box. The set vend price is now subtracted from counter AS via subtract pulse transmitter SP. If the count is thereby reduced to zero (no change required), a generator RG transmits a pulse to reset the machine components and the cycle is complete. If, on the other hand, a count (to be paid as change) remains in AS, this count is applied to FD, which determines whether the count exceeds or is equal to 50 yen and, if it is and if S 7 indicates that there are 50 yen coins in the 50 yen coin reserve, causes a 50 yen coin to be dispensed. The 50 yen is subtracted from the count in AS, the reduced count (<50) then being applied to FD, which switches the change dispenser from the 50 yen to the 10 yen payout mode. For each 10 yen dispensed, 10 yen is subtracted from AS. When the AS count reaches Zero, the reset signal is generated to complete the cycle. If, instead of depressing the purchase button, the customer depresses a return button after inserting coins, return switch S 5 is operated, the vend signal is interrupted, solenoid E 1 (instead of E 2 ) is energized to return any temporarily retained large denomination coin to the customer, a corresponding subtraction is made at counter AS, and a memory FM (which holds the number of 50 yen coins inserted) determines how the remaining amount is to be paid out, ensuring that the coinage returned is the same as that which had been inserted. The logic circuit is described in more detail, Figs. 2-4 (not shown). Second embodiment, Figs. 5-7 (not shown).- A plurality of vend price generators SS for generating the price of one article, two articles ... n articles respectively are provided. There are a corresponding number of subtract pulse transmitters SP, comparators CM and vend signal transmitters VE. On inserting an amount of money, all the vend signal transmitters corresponding to prices less than or equal to this amount are energized. The customer depresses a button corresponding to the number of articles required and a corresponding delivery motor is energized. Otherwise, the second embodiment is similar to the first. Preventing erroneous counts in AS.-A circuit, Fig. 8 (not shown), prevents false counts by transient surges when the power is first turned on, prevents operation if any switch S 1 -S 3 produces an output before a coin could have been inserted, prevents operation if the counter AS does not initially hold zero, positively maintains the counter at zero until a switch S 1 -S 3 is operated, and positively maintains the counter at zero when the count has been reduced to zero at the end of a customer cycle. Miscount prevention, Fig. 9 (not shown).-If two or more switches S 1 -S 3 are operated simultaneously then the resulting signals are acted upon in a predetermined order, a first being fed into the counter AS while the other or rest is or are stored for subsequent count. Mechanical details.-Inserted coins are sorted into their 100, 50 or 10 denominations and directed down corresponding paths l 5 , l 1 , l 3 , respectively, by a device not described in detail. The coin return solenoid CA, Fig. 1, controls a lever 143 (Figs. 11, 12) carrying three arms which, in the coin return mode, extend across paths l 5 , l 1 , l 3 and direct all coins via paths l 7 -l 9 to OUT. In other modes of operation, the 10 and 50 yen coins are led from paths l 3 and l 1 to positions above 10 and 50 yen tubes C 2 and C 1 . The coins enter the tubes if the latter do not contain more than a predetermined number of coins; if the predetermined number is already with a tube, the top coin will be tripping a lever, Fig. 16 (not shown), to divert subsequent coins from the region above the tubes down path l 13 or l 14 to the cash box at F. In all but the return mode, inserted 100 yen coins pass from l 5 to l 6 and l 12 , where they are temporarily retained by the levers PL 1 , PL 2 . Depending upon whether the return solenoid E 1 or the vend solenoid E 2 is energized, the 100 yen coin is subsequently directed either along path l 15 to OUT or along path l 16 to the cashbox. The location of the switches S 1 -S 3 is shown in Fig. 10. Mechanism, Figs. 17-19 (not shown), similar to that described in Specification 1,307,426, for paying out change from the 50 and 10 yen tubes, comprises a pivoted arm located beneath each tube and formed with an aperture which, in the rest position of the arm, receives the bottom coin of the stack in the tube. A cam-controlled linkage is provided for pivoting either arm so that the aperture is located over a correspondingly-sized aperture in a fixed plate, through which the coin is delivered as change.