Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Yukio Masho

Hitoshi Kurohata

Tugio Ohigashi

Toru Ueki

Shigeru Kakimi

Satoshi Miyauchi

A coin selection apparatus comprises a plurality of detection coils and an oscillation circuit which detects changes of impedances of the detection coils caused when a coin pass through the detection coils, as a change of a voltage output. The plurality of detection coils include at least two sets of detection coils each including two detection coils opposingly arranged to the coin path. One set of detection coils has its two coils connected in series and in phase and the other set of detection coil has its two coils connected in series and in phase opposition. The two sets of coils are arranged at a spacing along the coin path smaller than a minimum diameter of a coin to be selected and all of the coils are connected in series and connected as a resonance element of the oscillation circuit. Thus, material, thickness and diameter and other appearance characteristic of the coin are detected based on the voltage output of the oscillation circuit. Accordingly, the coin selection apparatus is of simple construction and has a small number of components.

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Hashima, Japan

Yukio Masho