Patent ID: 6571931
Filing Date: 2003-06-03
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
A tamper-resistant door for an enclosure such as a vending machine, said door including:a front face having upper and lower halves and comprising: a product delivery port positioned in said lower half of said front face, said product delivery port including an upper wall; a coin slot positioned in said upper half of said front face; a cash box vault positioned adjacent said delivery port for receiving a cash box, said cash box vault including a top having an opening therein; a coin changer positioned above said delivery port, said coin changer having opposed front and back faces, opposed top and bottom faces, and opposed side faces, an inlet for receiving coins, and an outlet for communication with said opening in said cash box vault for depositing change into a cash box in said cash box vault; means for protecting at least three sides of said coin changer; and a coin chute connecting said coin slot with said inlet of said coin changer, said coin chute having an inlet in communication with said coin slot and an outlet in communication with said coin changer, a vertical drop between said inlet and said outlet of said coin chute so that said inlet and said outlet of said coin chute lie in different horizontal planes, a sideways bend between said inlet and said outlet of said coin chute so that said inlet and said outlet of said coin chute lie in different vertical planes, and said coin chute also having drainage means therein for discharging material introduced into said coin slot into a lower area of said door in which it cannot contact said coin changer, and said drainage means and said sideways bend being sized and configured to permit coins inserted into said coin slot to roll freely through said coin chute, and thence down into said inlet of said coin changer.