Coin changer
AssigneeQVEX, Inc.
InventorsJoseph R. McGinty, Steven M. Faes
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A series of staggered, overlapping coin carousels with coin stalls that receive coins, drive motors that operate to rotate the carousels and position the coin stalls so that the coins can be transferred between the carousels, and coin transfer mechanisms with gates that operate to move the coins between the carousels. An electronic controller is programmed to keep track of the positions and values of the coins in the coin stalls, and to determine and operate the appropriate drive motors and transfer gates for transferring coins between the carousels and for returning change.
Claims21
A coin changer apparatus for coins, comprising:
- a) a random access coin storage and dispensing device comprising at least one rotary carousel with a plurality of radially arranged coin stalls formed therein, each coin stall adapted to receive one or more of the coins therein, and at least one drive that engages the carousel so that the carousel rotates when the drive is energized;
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- b) an electronic controller that is electrically connected to the drive.
A coin changer apparatus for coins, comprising:
- a) a random access coin storage and dispensing device comprising a main rotary carousel and one or more storage rotary carousels disposed in a staggered, overlapping arrangement, each carousel having a plurality of radially arranged coin stalls formed therein, each coin stall adapted to receive one or more of the coins therein, a plurality of drives each engaging one of the carousels so that the corresponding carousel rotates when the drive is energized, a plurality of transfer mechanisms each having a gate extending into one of the coin stalls of one of the carousels and adapted to move between a normal position and a transfer position that urges the coin in the coin stall to move, and an actuator coupled directly or indirectly to the gate and electrically connected to the controller;
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- b) an electronic controller that is electrically connected to the drive and that is configured to track the value of the coins stored in each of the coin stalls and to determine which coin stalls are to be emptied in order to return a selected amount of change.
An electronic controller for a coin changer apparatus for coins, comprising:
- a microprocessor and a memory storage device, the microprocessor programmed to receive a signal from a coin validator indicating the value of the coin, store in the memory device the value of the coin and a coin stall position where the coin is located, determine an amount of change to be returned, determine the coin stalls in a main carousel or a storage carousel to be emptied to return the determined change amount, send a signal to a drive of the main carousel and a drive of the storage carousel to rotate the determined coin stalls into alignment and send a signal to a transfer gate actuator to operate a transfer change gate to move the coins to the main carousel when the main carousel does not have the determined coin amount, send a signal to the drive of the main carousel to rotate the determined coin stalls into a return change delivery position, and send a signal to a return change gate actuator to operate a return change gate to empty the determined coin stalls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.