Apparatus for checking coins and reading cards in an article vending machine
First Claim
1. An apparatus for checking coins and reading subscriber cards offered by purchasers in payment for articles to be vended from a vending machine comprising:
- a housing having spaced apart top and bottom wails attached to a pair of spaced apart side wails with a coin slot for inserting one of the coins and a card slot for inserting one of the subscriber cards formed therein, a chute for receiving the coin and the card, formed inside said housing having an upper end in communication with both said coin slot and said card slot and having an open lower end, a first coin channel for receiving the coin from said chute, formed inside said housing and having an open upper end in communication with said open lower end of said chute and having an open lower end, and a card channel formed inside said housing and being in communication with said chute for receiving a portion of the subscriber card inserted into said card slot;
a first switch mounted in said housing adjacent to said first coin channel for generating a first signal upon sensing the coin received from said chute;
a second switch mounted in said housing in said card channel for generating a second signal upon sensing the subscriber card inserted into said card channel through said card slot; and
a control circuit having inputs connected to said first switch and to said second switch and being responsible to said first signal and to said second signal for generating a signal enabling the vending machine to vend the article wherein when an object inserted into one of said coin slot and said card slot becomes stuck in said chute, the other one of said coin slot and said card slot is not blocked for receiving the coins and the subscriber cards respectively.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A coin checker and card reader for use with a vending machine includes a housing having a coin slot and a separate card slot which merge into a chute that communicates with a first coin channel and a card channel. A coin inserted into the coin slot rolls through the chute into the first coin channel and passes sensors which determine whether the coin is accepted or rejected. A door is actuated to direct an accepted coin into a coin retainer through a second coin channel. A rejected coin is directed to a return tray through a third coin channel. A subscriber card with a memory inserted into the card slot is guided into the card channel to actuate a switch to activate a microprocessor for exchanging information with the subscriber card memory and processing a transaction. The microprocessor checks the data being exchanged to prevent loss of data should card be removed before the transaction is completed and to vend an article only after valid data has been exchanged.
56 Citations
7 Claims
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1. An apparatus for checking coins and reading subscriber cards offered by purchasers in payment for articles to be vended from a vending machine comprising:
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a housing having spaced apart top and bottom wails attached to a pair of spaced apart side wails with a coin slot for inserting one of the coins and a card slot for inserting one of the subscriber cards formed therein, a chute for receiving the coin and the card, formed inside said housing having an upper end in communication with both said coin slot and said card slot and having an open lower end, a first coin channel for receiving the coin from said chute, formed inside said housing and having an open upper end in communication with said open lower end of said chute and having an open lower end, and a card channel formed inside said housing and being in communication with said chute for receiving a portion of the subscriber card inserted into said card slot; a first switch mounted in said housing adjacent to said first coin channel for generating a first signal upon sensing the coin received from said chute; a second switch mounted in said housing in said card channel for generating a second signal upon sensing the subscriber card inserted into said card channel through said card slot; and a control circuit having inputs connected to said first switch and to said second switch and being responsible to said first signal and to said second signal for generating a signal enabling the vending machine to vend the article wherein when an object inserted into one of said coin slot and said card slot becomes stuck in said chute, the other one of said coin slot and said card slot is not blocked for receiving the coins and the subscriber cards respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification