Frame-holder for coin or token validation devices

This invention relates to a frame-holder for removably housing validation devices in coin-operated dispensing machines, amusement or gaming machines and automatic apparatus to cancel payment.

There are currently known several support means and frame holders for the above purpose, constituted by several parts, made of metallic plate material, that are interrelated by a more or less complex assembling operation through screws, pins and slots, engageable with each other, directly opposite to each other, to house and retain a coin validation device body (using positioning pins in its side wall cooperating with some grooves and recesses defined in such support means) in a predetermined position, in such a way that a coin entrance communicates with a slot or path for passage of coins under test and some differentiated exits of the validation device are facing a second acceptance path and a third rejecting path of coins or tokens toward an annexed recess to which the user has direct access. The paths for coins or token circulation are conformed by independent plate parts, that are made integral with those forming two sides of the coins validation device frame-holder or support parts sides by conventional locking means.

The body frame or supporting members must incorporate in addition, integral therewith, a shaft to mount in rotating articulation an elastically loaded lever to feed back the defective coins, the lever being interrelated with a push button for such purpose and protruding from a front panel, on whose back is fixed the frame-holder, and which operates on a hinged element that diverts the jammed coins or tokens toward a rejecting path.

Spanish utility model n° 268.966 and Spanish patent n° 87 00623 relate to the above type of device.

Due to the number of component parts, the manufacture of the support or frame holders is expensive and its interrelation with the panel where it defines the coins entrance slot is also a complicated task, in order to guarantee that the assembly can operate correctly without errors by incidental deformations in some of its parts.

In order to simplify the manufacture of said frame-holders, the invention proposes essentially to construct the assembly with only a single body obtained by an injection molding operation and therefore of a material that can be used through said process, advantageously of plastic material, in which are integrated not only the means forming its own support, but also the path for the entering of the coins, exit path and reject or feeding back path, a supporting shaft to install a lever that must operates a feeding back device to release jammed coins or tokens, and a support for detecting means and illumination of a push-button to operate the lever.

This single body has conformed a first inclined path or channel of rectangular cross section for receiving the inserted coins or tokens, that ends in a slotted path which remains level to one of the side walls of a large prismatic rectangular recess of a width and depth big enough to house the body of any kind of coins validation device (mechanical, electromechanical, etc.) the recess having in the wall close to the slotted path, from this opening and until the opposite side, a large aperture through which extends parallel to the recess back side an appendage from which perpendicularly protrudes a cylindrical stem or shaft. The recess has an opening to facilitate the mounting of the lever to feed back the jammed coins or tokens. The stem has a first thicker part, to support a spring forming a loop and extended in two divergent arms, one of the arms being supported on one of the recess side walls and the second arm latching to one part of the lever.

On the side part of the recess opposite to the coins or tokens entrance path, there are two slotted, co-aligned adjacent openings, having different sizes that communicate with the perpendicular coins acceptance path and with a box or path to feed back the defective coins or tokens.

The recess side edges have close to the smaller sides thereof grooves and notches opposite to each other for positioning and retaining by an elastic element the validation device body inside the prismatic recess. In the grooves of rectangular profile and notches of L-shaped profile, are introduced shafts or pins on the sides of the validation device and one of them forces an elastic element whose end, having an elbowed shaped profile, remains arranged inside one of the rectangular grooves, until the shaft passes a ramp thereon and enters the groove remaining trapped by the elastic element on the side wall.

On one of the sides of the slot for insertion of the coins and flanking the feeding back box opening the single body holder has flanges provided with mounting holes to mount the frame-holder to an assembling panel.

Another characteristic of the invention is the fact that the coins or tokens entrance path has aligned cross holes. These holes though used during the manufacturing process of the path for immobilizing and perfect centering of a slide required in the mold have in addition the function to make possible in a simple way the withdrawal of coins, tokens or other objects that become trapped in the path.

Furthermore, one of the walls forming the coin entrance oblique path is continued above the path and has a protrusion of triangular profile with an offset on one of the wall sides to mount an illumination bushing provided with an anchoring clip.

The single body frame-holder will be advantageously obtained as stated by means of an injection molding operation with the assistance of three slides to form the three paths, two of them parallel and the third one oblique and longer and centered during the process by positioning means that will later on give rise to the mentioned centered holes.

The coins acceptance path also has an arch-shaped cross passageway to facilitate arranging across it a rod interrelated with a microswitch to record the number of coins or tokens accepted. The recess side wall extends beyond the slot preventing access to the rod from the feeding back box, whose wider slot remains virtually level with the recess edge.

The coin acceptance path has furthermore, close to one of its sides, upright grooves, facing each other, for guided insertion and setting of supplementary key members, designed to throttle the coin passageway to adapt it to the physical characteristics of the coins or tokens under test in the validation device. For such purpose a set of said supplementary key members of different dimensions are selectively insertable within the coins acceptance path.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

• Fig 1 is a perspective view of the frame holder of the invention with a detail of one of the supplemental key members designed to reduce the passageway width of the coin acceptance path as positioned prior to its inserting in said path;
• Fig 1a is a fragmentary view of an alternative embodiment of the rejecting path for defective or jammed coins or tokens;
• Fig. 2 is a side elevation view of the supplemental key member shown in Fig. 1 whose width is represented by the reference -a-;
• Fig. 3 is a fragmentary cross section of the coins acceptance path, with supplemental reducing part, of a span different from that on Fig. 2 marked with reference -b-;
• Fig. 4 is a perspective view opposite to that of Fig. 1 of the frame holder of the invention, in a normal mounting position, locked to a door or panel; and
• Fig. 5, is a part rear elevation view on a larger scale, of the frame holder, attached to a panel in accordance with Fig. 4.

With reference to Fig. 1, the frame-holder of the invention is formed by a single body -1- having a large prismatic rectangular recess -40- to house the body of a coin or tokens validation device, not shown, having in one side a first inclined passage or channel -29-, provided with side transversal holes -34-, for inserting coins or tokens, a second passage or channel -30- for receiving valid coins and directing them toward a collection tank and third passage -31- that communicates with a box -32- which is outwardly open or with a vertical passage -32a- (Fig. 1a). The dotted lines and arrows in this figure show the path along which the coins or tokens run through the validation device and the body -1- depending on whether they are accepted or not. The front edges of the sides forming recess (40) sides have chamfers -41- defining a mouth or entrance that provides easy entry of the validation device body and notches -13- and -14- for positioning and locking of the validation device which is provided on its sides with side shafts that will remain housed inside the notches and grooves -13- and -14-, and retained by a metallic plate -42- fastened with a screw -43- to the external wall of the side of recess -40- and provided with a protuberance -43a- (see Fig. 4) that remains inserted in a hole at the side of the recess -40-. The elbowed end of plate -42- is provided with an opening -44- overlapping the entrance of one of the mentioned grooves -14-.

The single-part body -1- has flanges -45- and -46- with holes -47- -48- therein to fasten a panel -2- thereto by screws or bolts inserted through holes -47- and -48- and retained by locknuts -3-.

The single body has further a stem or shaft -26- for mounting a lever -7- to operate the feeding back device of the validation device, the lever being known per se.

In Fig. 1 it can be seen that the passage -30- for accepting coins has in respective major surfaces of said passage -30- elongated grooves -49- facing each other and a rebate -50- . Grooves -49- are for guiding an elongated supplemental key member -51-, of T-shaped cross section. Elongated rib or stem -54- thereon has a width significantly equivalent to that of passageway -30- and side branches or flanges -52-, forming the head of the T have a width, that slidingly fit in grooves -49-. A bead -53- is provided for engaging in rebate -50- when supplemental key member -51- is fully inserted.

In Figs. 2 and 3 are shown two supplemental key members -51- with different lengths -a- and -b- of their elongated ribs -54-

Thus is achieved a larger or smaller opening or throttling of passage -30- by fitting of the different elements -51- in the assembly to vary receiving or acceptance of different diameter coins or tokens.In this way, it is guaranteed that the rod or pin of the microswitch mounted in the platform -55- of the body -1- and inserted through arcuate ports -33- of passage -30- is invariably operated by each passing of a coin through passage -30-.

In Fig. 1 can also be seen the deep groove -56- of curved sides, together to one of the larger sides of passage -33- designed to allow the passage of a lever to block the withdrawal of the coin once it is introduced, such lever being known per se and incorporated in most of the prior art validation devices.

In Figs. 1 and 4, it is observed that the back of the recess-40- has a large opening -57- level on one side with one side of the recess -40- and delimited on the three other sides by a narrow frame -58- in such a way that whatever type of validation device that is located in the frame, its installation and connection are made much easier.

In Fig. 4 and 5 there appears the illumination element comprised of a bushing -6- and bulb -5- that is locked to the frame-holder -1- by means of an elastic jaw -46a- that encloses a protrusion -60- provided with an offset -28-. Lever -7- operates a means to feed back the coins jammed into the validation device. Lever -7- is spring loaded by spring -27- and is retained by screw -25-. The frame-holder -1- is associated with panel -2- and a push button -19-, spring loaded by spring -20- is mounted therein with its stem -24- facing the lever -7-. The push button is mounted in a frame -4- fastened to a second frame -22- which is locked by screws -23- to the panel -2- . However in this case the recess bottom is formed by the large opening -57- level with the recess bottom and delimited at its other three sides by a narrow frame -58-.

In Fig. 4, are shown some hollow protuberances -59- in the back part of the plate -55- designed for mounting the microswitch on plate -55- by lock screws.

The invention, within its scope, can be carried out in other forms of embodiment that differ only in detail from the invention as described by way of example only.