DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE FILLING LEVEL OF COIN TUBES

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for determining the filling level of at least one coin tube that can be filled with coins, comprising at least one optical radiation transmitter that is arranged in a defined position relative to the at least one coin tube in such a way that optical radiation transmitted by the optical radiation transmitter impinges on coins filled into the at least one coin tube and is reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, also comprising at least one optical radiation receiver that is arranged in a defined position relative to the at least one coin tube in such a way that optical radiation, which is transmitted by the at least one optical radiation transmitter and reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, is received by the at least one optical radiation receiver as a measurement signal, and comprising a control and evaluation apparatus which is connected to the at least one optical radiation transmitter and the at least one optical radiation receiver, and which is designed to control the at least one optical radiation transmitter for the transmission of optical radiation and to determine the filling level of the at least one coin tube having coins, based on a time period between the transmission of optical radiation and the receiving of the corresponding measurement signal by the at least one optical receiver.

Claims

1. A device for determining a filling level of at least one coin tube that can be filled with coins, comprising: at least one optical radiation transmitter that is arranged in a defined position relative to the at least one coin tube in such a way that optical radiation transmitted by the at least one optical radiation transmitter impinges on coins filled into the at least one coin tube and is reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, at least one optical radiation receiver that is arranged in a defined position relative to the at least one coin tube in such a way that optical radiation, which is transmitted by the at least one optical radiation transmitter and reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, is received by the at least one optical radiation receiver as a measurement signal, and a control and evaluation apparatus which is connected to the at least one optical radiation transmitter and the at least one optical radiation receiver, and is configured to control the at least one optical radiation transmitter for the transmission of optical radiation and to determine the filling level of the at least one coin tube having coins, based on a time period between the transmission of optical radiation and the reception of a corresponding measurement signal by the at least one optical receiver.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one optical radiation transmitter is at least one laser and the at least one optical radiation receiver is at least one laser detector.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control and evaluation apparatus is configured to control the at least one optical radiation transmitter one or more times for the transmission of optical radiation pulses.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one optical radiation transmitter is arranged relative to the at least one coin tube in such a way that the optical radiation transmitted by the at least one optical radiation transmitter impinges on coins filled into the coin tube substantially in an axial direction of the at least one coin tube, and that the at least one optical radiation receiver is arranged relative to the at least one coin tube in such a way that the optical radiation reflected by the coins filled into the coin tube impinges on the at least one optical radiation receiver substantially in the axial direction of the at least one coin tube.

5. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of optical radiation transmitters and a plurality of optical radiation receivers, wherein a radiation transmitter and radiation receiver pair are each respectively allocated to one of multiple coin tubes, wherein the optical radiation transmitters are each arranged in a defined position relative to the respective coin tube in such a way that optical radiation transmitted by the optical radiation transmitters impinges on coins filled into the respective coin tube and is reflected by coins filled into the respective coin tube, wherein the optical radiation receivers are each arranged in a defined position relative to the respective coin tube in such a way that optical radiation, which is transmitted by the respective optical radiation transmitter and reflected by coins filled into the respective coin tube, is received by the respective optical radiation receiver as a measurement signal, and wherein the control and evaluation apparatus is connected to each radiation transmitter and each radiation receiver, and is configured to control the optical radiation transmitters in each case for the transmission of optical radiation and to determine the filling level of the respective coin tube having coins, based on a time period between the transmission of optical radiation by the respective optical radiation transmitter and the receiving of the corresponding measurement signal by the respective optical receiver.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the control and evaluation apparatus is configured to determine the filling level of a plurality of coin tubes that can be filled with coins, wherein at least one of a joint optical radiation transmitter or a joint optical radiation receiver is provided for one or all of the coin tubes, and wherein at least one of the joint optical radiation transmitter or the joint optical radiation receiver is optically connected to the coin tubes via a fiber optic cable.

7. A coin storage device for storing or counting out coins, comprising: one or more coin tubes that can be filled with coins; at least one optical radiation transmitter that is arranged in a defined position relative to at least one coin tube, of the one or more coin tubes, in such a way that optical radiation transmitted by the optical radiation transmitter impinges on the coins filled into the at least one coin tube and is reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, at least one optical radiation receiver that is arranged in a defined position relative to the at least one coin tube in such a way that optical radiation, which is transmitted by the at least one optical radiation transmitter and reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, is received by the at least one optical radiation receiver as a measurement signal, and a control and evaluation apparatus which is connected to the at least one optical radiation transmitter and the at least one optical radiation receiver, and which is designed to control the at least one optical radiation transmitter for the transmission of optical radiation and to determine a filling level of the at least one coin tube having coins, based on a time period between the transmission of optical radiation and the receiving of the corresponding measurement signal by the at least one optical receiver.

8. The coin storage device according to claim 7, wherein the control and evaluation apparatus is configured to count out coins from the coin tubes, based on filling levels determined with the device for each of the coin tubes in such a way that the filling levels in the coin tubes do not fall below a predefined minimum value in each case.

9. A method for determining a filling level of at least one coin tube that can be filled with coins, the method comprising: transmitting, by at least one optical radiation transmitter, optical radiation that is arranged in a defined position relative to the at least one coin tube to coins filled into the at least one coin tube and is reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, receiving the optical radiation, which is transmitted by the at least one optical radiation transmitter and reflected by coins filled into the at least one coin tube, by at least one optical radiation receiver that is arranged in a defined position relative to the at least one coin tube as a measurement signal, and determining the filling level of the at least one coin tube having coins, based on a time period between the transmission of optical radiation by the at least one optical radiation transmitter and the receiving of a corresponding measurement signal by the at least one optical receiver.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the at least one optical radiation transmitter transmits an optical radiation pulse one or more times.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the optical radiation transmitted by the at least one optical radiation transmitter impinges on coins filled into the coin tube substantially in an axial direction of the at least one coin tube, and that the optical radiation which is reflected by the coins filled into the coin tube impinges on the optical radiation receiver substantially in the axial direction of the at least one coin tube.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of optical radiation transmitters and a plurality of optical radiation receivers are provided, wherein a radiation transmitter and radiation receiver pair are each respectively allocated to one of multiple coin tubes, wherein the optical radiation transmitters are each arranged in a defined position relative to the respective coin tube, and wherein the optical radiation receivers are in each case arranged in a defined position relative to the respective coin tube, wherein optical radiation is in each case transmitted by the optical radiation transmitters, impinges on the coins filled into the respective coin tube and is reflected by coins filled into the respective coin tube, and wherein optical radiation, which is transmitted by the respective optical radiation transmitter and reflected by coins filled into the respective coin tube, is received by the respective optical radiation receiver as a measurement signal, and wherein the filling level of the respective coin tube having coins is determined, based on a time period between the transmission of optical radiation by the respective optical radiation transmitter and the receiving of the corresponding measurement signal by the respective optical receiver.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the filling level of a plurality of coin tubes that can be filled with coins is determined, wherein a joint optical radiation transmitter and/or a joint optical radiation receiver is/are used for one or all of the coin tubes, wherein the joint optical radiation transmitter and/or the joint optical radiation receiver is/are optically connected to the coin tubes by means of a fiber optic cable.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein based on filling levels determined in each case for the coin tubes coins are counted out from the coin tubes in such a way that the filling levels in the coin tubes do not fall below a predefined minimum value in each case.

15. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Embodiment examples of the invention will be explained below with reference to figures, wherein:

[0026] FIG. 1 schematically shows a representation of a device according to the invention in order to explain the measuring principle according to the invention in a sectional view, and

[0027] FIG. 2 schematically shows a coin storage device according to the invention for storing and/or counting out coins in a dismantled condition for illustrative purposes in a partially transparent perspective representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals designate the same objects in the figures. In FIG. 1 a coin tube is shown with reference numeral 10, which can be used for example in a coin storage device for storing and/or counting out coins, as shown in FIG. 2. Multiple coins 12, four in the example shown, are located stacked in the coin tube 10, in particular on the bottom 14 of the coin tube 10. Located above the open end 16 at the top of the coin tube 10 are optical sensors 20 which are retained by a retaining plate 18. The optical sensors 20 have an optical radiation transmitter, in this case a laser, in particular a semiconductor laser such as a VCSEL, and an optical radiation receiver, in this case a suitable laser detector. The optical radiation transmitter and the optical radiation receiver are connected to a control and evaluation apparatus 24 of the device by means of a line 22.

[0029] During operation, the control and evaluation apparatus 24 controls the optical radiation transmitter one or more times for the transmission of an optical radiation pulse. The optical radiation transmitted by the optical radiation transmitter impinges on the top side of the topmost coin 12 filled into the coin tube 10 substantially in the axial direction of the coin tube 10, as illustrated by the arrow 26 in FIG. 1. The top side of the topmost coin 12 reflects the optical radiation so that this, in turn, travels back substantially in the axial direction of the coin tube 10 to the optical radiation receiver, as shown by the arrow 28 in FIG. 1. The measurement signal received by the radiation receiver is routed via the line 22 to the control and evaluation apparatus 24. Based on the time-of-flight of the optical radiation transmitted by the optical radiation transmitter to the top side of the topmost coin 12 and back to the optical radiation receiver, the control and evaluation apparatus 24 establishes the distance of the sensors 20 from the top side of the topmost coin 12 in the coin tube 10. Due to the defined position of the sensors 20 with respect to the coin tube 10 and the known distance from the underside 14 of the coin tube 10, the filling level of the coin tube 10 having coins can be deduced from the distance established by measurement technology if the thickness of the coins 12 filled into the coin tube 10 is known. This is effected in the present case by the control and evaluation apparatus 24.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows a coin storage device according to the invention for storing and counting out coins, in particular a change machine, as used for example in payment machines. The coin storage device shown in FIG. 2 substantially consists of two housing parts which are shown dismantled in FIG. 2 for illustrative purposes. Six coin tubes 10 are arranged upright in a distributed manner in a lower housing part 30 in the example shown. The coin tubes 10 are in each case, for example, configured as shown in FIG. 1 and are filled with different types of coins, wherein only one type of coin is in each case filled into each of the coin tubes 10 in FIG. 2, as shown in FIG. 1 with reference to a coin tube 10.

[0031] A coin checking apparatus is located in a housing upper part 32 of the coin storage device. During operation, the housing upper part 32 is mounted with the underside which is visible on the front side in FIG. 2 onto the top side of the housing lower part 30. A plurality of coin slots, in the present case six coin slots 34, are located on the underside of the housing upper part 32. In the case of the housing upper part 32 mounted on the housing lower part 30 one coin slot 34 is in each case aligned with one of the coin tubes 10. On its top side, the housing upper part 32 has a coin inlet 36 through which coins are supplied to the coin storage device and, in particular, firstly to the coin checking apparatus arranged in the housing upper part 32. The coin checking apparatus examines the supplied coins for genuineness and coin type and routes theseif they are genuinedepending on their type via the coin slots 34 in each case to one of the coin tubes 10. The coin slots 34 therefore form sorting outlets of the coin checking apparatus.

[0032] On the top side of the housing upper part 32 there is, furthermore, a return lever 38 which can, for example, be operated manually, via which, for example in the event of a coin blockage of the coin checking apparatus, supplied coins can be output. In each case adjacent to one of the coin slots 34 there are located respectively sensors 20, as shown in FIG. 1 and explained by way of example with reference to FIG. 1. In particular, each of the sensors 20 in FIG. 2 comprises an optical radiation receiver and an optical radiation transmitter, in particular a laser and a laser detector, as explained by way of example above. If the housing upper part 32 is mounted in accordance with the provisions on the housing lower part 30, the sensors 20 or respectively the radiation transmitters and radiation receivers are in each case aligned to one of the coin tubes 10, as shown in FIG. 1. In particular, the optical beam paths 26, 28 shown in FIG. 1 based on sensors 20 and a coin tube 10 are in each case produced for each of the sensors 20 and coin tubes 10. Each of the sensors 20 or respectively each of the radiation transmitters and radiation receivers of the coin storage device in FIG. 2 is, in this case, connected to the control and evaluation apparatus 24 which is arranged in the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2 inside the housing upper part 32.

[0033] During operation, the control and evaluation apparatus 24 controls the radiation transmitter of the sensors 20 in each case for the transmission of one or more radiation pulses. The measurement signals received accordingly by the respective radiation receivers are in turn forwarded to the control and evaluation apparatus 24, wherein the control and evaluation apparatus 24 uses these, in each case, to establish the distance of the sensors 20 or respectively the radiation transmitters and radiation receivers respectively from the topmost coin filled into the respective coin tube 10 and uses these, in each case, to determine the filling level of the coin tubes 10.

[0034] It is, in this case, possible for example that the control and evaluation apparatus 24 controls all of the radiation transmitters respectively following a filling operation of at least one of the coin tubes 10 for the transmission of a radiation pulse. It is, however, also conceivable that the control and evaluation apparatus 24 only controls the radiation transmitter allocated to the filled coin tube 10 respectively for the transmission of a radiation pulse.