Motion detector and associated system

A repository bank for storing coins, said bank comprising:

• a housing defining an inner chamber;
• said housing having a coin-receiving slot providing communication with said chamber;
• sorter means mounted within the chamber of said housing and in registration with said slot, said sorter means selectively identifying respective coins of different dimensions based upon coin sizes;
• a plurality of coin-receiving chutes provided in said chamber of said housing, each of said plurality of chutes being associated with a particular coin different from the coins with which the remaining chutes are respectively associated, said plurality of chutes being arranged below said sorter means;
• said sorter means being positioned between said slot in said housing and said plurality of coin-receiving chutes and providing selective communication with respective chutes dependent upon coin size;
• a plurality of motion detectors respectively associated with said sorter means and each of the chutes arranged therebelow, each of said motion detectors being mounted between said sorter means and the chute corresponding thereto and comprising:
• flexible non-conductive elongated strip means connected to said sorter means, said flexible non-conductive elongated strip means providing first and second non-conductive fingers extending outwardly from said sorter means in a direction overlying the respective chute corresponding thereto,
• said first finger being disposed above said second finger,
• the surface of said first finger opposed to said second finger having a first contact member of conductive material thereon disposed at least in proximity to the terminal end thereof,
• the surface of said second finger opposed to said first finger having a contact member of conductive material thereon disposed at least in proximity to the terminal end thereof,
• the surface of said second finger opposed to said first finger having a contact member of conductive material thereon in spaced registration with said first contact member, and
• a spacer element on one of the opposing surfaces of said first and second fingers extending outwardly thereof and into engagement with the other of the opposing surfaces of said first and second fingers;
• a respective one of said motion detectors being responsive to the insertion of a coin of a particular diameter in the coin-receiving slot of said housing and the subsequent movement of the coin through said sorter means to produce relative movement between said first and second fingers of the motion detector corresponding to the selective sorting of said sorter means to bring said first and second contact members into engagement as the coin traverses the motion detector and falls into the corresponding chute;
• and
• means responsive to the detection of coin motion by a particular motion detector for registering the value of the coin as inserted into the coin-receiving slot in said housing.

A motion detecting device comprising:

• a flexible non-conductive elongated strip folded at an intermediate location thereon to provide first and second non-conductive fingers connected at one end by an integral fold portion and extending form the integral fold portion free of support and in spaced substantially parallel relation with respect to each other;
• said first finger being disposed above said second finger;
• the surface of said first finger opposed to said second finger having a first contact member of conductive material thereon disposed at least in proximity to the terminal end thereof;
• the surface of said second finger opposed to said first finger having a second contact member of conductive material disposed in spaced registration with said first contact member on the opposed surface of said first finger;
• said first contact member on the surface of said first finger opposed to said second finger being disposed in registration with the terminal end of said second finger;
• said second contact member on the surface of said second finger opposed to said first finger being located at the terminal end of said second finger;
• and
• a spacer element on one of the opposing surfaces of said first and second fingers extending outwardly thereof and into engagement with the other of the opposing surfaces of said first and second fingers, said spacer element being located inwardly of the terminal end of the one of said first and second fingers on which it is disposed but in proximity thereto so as to be relatively remotely located with respect to said integral fold portion in said flexible non-conductive elongated strip;
• said flexible non-conductive elongated strip being responsive to the placement of an object on said first finger thereof at least in proximity to the terminal end of said first finger for depressing said first finger about said spacer element as a fulcrum to produce engagement between said first and second contact members on the opposing surfaces of said first and second fingers and enabling subsequent movement of the object past the flexible non-conductive elongated strip.

A motion detecting device comprising:

• a flexible non-conductive elongated strip folded at an intermediate location thereon to provide first and second non-conductive fingers connected at one end by an integral fold portion and extending from the integral fold portion free of support and in spaced substantially parallel relation with respect to each other;
• said first finger being disposed above said second finger;
• the surface of said first finger opposed to said second finger having a first contact member of conductive material thereon disposed at least in proximity to the terminal end thereof;
• the surface of said second finger opposed to said first finger having a second contact member of conductive material disposed in spaced registration with said first contact member on the opposed surface of said first finger;
• said second finger extending beyond the terminal end of said first finger so as to be of increased length with respect to said first finger;
• a spacer element mounted on the surface of said second finger opposed to said first finger and extending outwardly thereof and into engagement with the opposing surface of said first finger, said spacer element being disposed inwardly of the terminal end of said second finger but in proximity thereto and in registration with the terminal end of said first finger so as to be relatively remotely located with respect to said integral fold portion in said flexible non-conductive elongated strip;
• said second contact member being provided on said spacer element;
• said first contact member on the surface of said first finger opposed to said second finger being located at the terminal end of said first finger in registration with said second contact member on said spacer element;
• and
• said first and second contact member normally being in engagement but being separated from each other in response to the placement of an object on the portion of said second finger extending beyond the terminal end of said first finger in a manner deflecting said second finger in a direction away from said first finger and enabling subsequent movement of the object past the flexible non-conductive elongated strip.