Sanden Corporation

Naoto Satoh

Kazumi Ohsato

This invention is directed to a change returning device employed in a coin mechanism of a vending machine. The change returning device is associated with a lower end of a change stacking tube, and includes a ring-shaped member capable of containing the lowest coin stacked within the tube. A block member is connected to a lower end surface of one peripheral portion the ring-shaped member. The block member is disposed on a sliding plate and engageable therewith. The sliding plate is slidably reciprocatingly disposed on a stationary member. A first sloped surface is formed at a part of an upper end surface of the stationary member and a second sloped surface is formed at a part of an upper end surface of the block member. An inclined vertical groove extends from a lower edge of the first sloped surface. The lower edge of the second sloped surface of the block member projects beyond the upper edge of the first sloped surface of the stationary member when the sliding plate reaches at a first furthermost point together with the block member during reciprocating motion of the sliding plate. The second sloped surface of the block member is generally aligned with the first sloped surface of the stationary member when the sliding plate reaches a second furthermost point together with the block member during reciprocating motion of the sliding plate.

Change returning device of coin mechanism

A coin handling mechanism for vending machines has a coin validation sensor, a coin accepting gate, a plurality of coin distributing gates and a cutter for cutting a string which is suspending a deposited coin. When a coin suspended by a string is deposited in a coin inlet of the mechanism, the string is caught by the coin accepting gate before the coin reaches the coin distributing gates. When the string is then pulled towards the coin inlet in an attempt to remove the coin, the string is cut by the cutter. The coin with the cut string portion attached thereto then falls down in the machine. In this situation the coin distributing gates are automatically oriented to form a coin path communicating with a cash box therebelow. The coin with the cut string thus falls to the cash box, thereby preventing it from being paid or given to a customer.

Coin handling mechanism for vending machine

A coin handling apparatus having a coin discriminating mechanism and a plurality of coin retaining mechanisms wherein at least one of coin outlets is disposed on a side surface of the coin discriminating mechanism. Since the number of coin outlets disposed on the bottom surface of the coin discriminating mechanism is thereby decreased, the width of the coin discriminating mechanism can be decreased. Additionally, the space provided by the decrease of the size can be used as a space for extending an auxiliary coin retaining mechanism, thereby increasing the space in the apparatus for retained change.

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Maebashi, Japan

Naoto Satoh