Patent ID: 6467604
Filing Date: 2002-10-22
Classification: G07D

Abstract:
A coin validator comprising:a vertical coin path, the coin path: having a width at least as large as the diameter of the largest coin to be validated, being offset in a direction parallel to said width with respect to the vertical center line of the validator, having a coin input at its upper end, having an accept coin output directly under said coin input, and having a reject coin output to one side of the accept coin output in a direction parallel to said width; optical sensing means for coin diameter determination, consisting of: a first optical sensing station for sensing a coin travelling down the coin path; a second optical sensing station, below the first optical sensing station, for sensing a coin travelling down the coin path; a third optical sensing station, below the second optical sensing station, for sensing a coin travelling down the coin path; an inductive sensor, located between the first and second optical sensing stations, for inductively coupling to a major face of a coin traveling down the coin path, wherein the spacing between the first and second optical sensing stations is greater than the spacing between the second and third optical sensing stations and the second and third optical sensing stations comprise light beams, a light beam of the second optical sensing station being directly above a light beam of the third optical sensing station.