Mars, Incorporated

Scott B Hudis

Thomas E Shuren

Alfred F Bergeron

Joseph A Simpkins

Craig A Lewis

Benny J Pruden

Howard Wisnik

A validator portion of a bill validator is disclosed comprising two different plastic materials of different colors, fused together. The first plastic material is preferably opaque, or black, and the second plastic material is preferably clear. The clear material is used to provide windows through the validator housings for light to pass from light sources, such as light emitting diodes, to photodetectors, such as phototransistors, and protects the light source and photodetectors from water, dirt and air. Prisms can be provided as well, to provide a detector for foreign matter such as string. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the validator can be formed by a two shot, injection molding process.

Bill validation using light transmitted across bill pathway

A validator portion of a bill validator is disclosed comprising two different plastic materials of different colors, fused together. The first plastic material is preferably opaque, or black, and the second plastic material is preferably clear. The clear material is used to provide windows through the validator housings for light to pass from light sources, such as light emitting diodes, to photodetectors, such as photo-transistors, and protects the light source and photodetectors from water, dirt and air. Prisms can be provided as well, to provide a detector for foreign matter such as string. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the validator can be formed by a two shot, injection molding process.

Validation housing for a bill validator made by a two shot molding

A bill validator comprising a removable magazine having reflective surfaces, such as a prism, which reflects light from a light source, such as a light emitting diode, to a photodetector, such as a phototransistor, is disclosed. The prism can include a recess and the magazine can further comprise a blocker with an arm that can be moved into and out of the recess based on movement of a pressure plate within the magazine, to block light from passing across the recess. This arrangement can be used to determine whether the bill validator can go back into service, whether the magazine has been removed from and reattached to the validator, whether bills have been removed from the magazine, whether the magazine is full and whether a bill is in position for stacking, for example.

Optical sensor for monitoring the status of a bill magazine in a bill

Control apparatus for a line operated telephone is described. This control circuitry is designed to be primarily telephone line powered and to not employ a large capacitor for storing power to sustain the circuitry during open switch intervals in which the telephone line is not powered. Rather, the present circuity includes a telephone line monitoring circuit for sensing a power down condition, a processing means such as a microprocessor with an associated power down program for storing process status at a time just prior to power down and for resetting the processing at the appropriate place upon power up, and low power state monitoring latches for monitoring important events, such as an on hook condition, coin collection and refund operations occurring during an open switch interval. In combination, a low power operation is achieved primarily utilizing a regularly interrupted source, the phone lines, and requiring only small battery to power the low power monitoring state monitoring latches.

Method and apparatus for electronic payphone open switch interval

A motor home/soldout detection scheme which can sense N motors home and/or soldout, using only a two wire interface to each motor. The two wire interface can also be matrixed by row and column to further expand the interfacing ability. By channeling the home signal from the control board through the soldout switch the detection of soldout can be assured.

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West Chester, PA, United States of America

Scott B Hudis