Patent ID: 7469779

Claim:
A coin mechanism for a vending machine requiring at least one coin before a selected product will be dispensed, comprising: a support member; a channel member movably connected to the support member, wherein the channel member moves relative to the support member between a first and a second position, wherein a portion of said channel member is in contact with a portion of said support member when in the first position and is spaced apart from said portion of said support member when in the second position, wherein the channel member has a contoured channel formed thereon, wherein the channel member is configured to define a coin slot along with the support member when in the first position, wherein the channel member defines a first surface of the slot and wherein the support member defines a second surface of the slot opposite the first surface, the coin slot configured to receive and guide the at least one coin to a desired location, wherein a first actuator opening is formed on the support member and a second actuator opening is formed on said channel member, and wherein said channel member is moved to the second position upon actuation of said coin mechanism; a coin return actuator connected to the support member, the return actuator comprising at least one protrusion protruding through the support member, the protrusion configured to hold the at least one coin at least in part against a wall of the contoured channel when the channel member is in the first position relative to the support member, the protrusion further configured to travel in a third actuator opening formed on the support member to release the at least one coin into a coin return receptacle upon actuation of the coin return actuator; an actuator configured to be actuated by the user, comprising: a contact portion disposed frontward of the support member; at least one support element movably disposed through the support and channel members, the at least one support element having a front portion disposed between the contact portion and the support member, and an actuation member, wherein when actuated said actuation member is configured to protrude through the first actuator opening in the support member into the slot and transmit an actuation force from the user onto the at least one coin to press the at least one coin disposed in the desired location against the channel member to displace the channel member relative to the support member to the second position; and a product support member connected to the channel member, the product support member comprising an edge configured to releasably support the selected product disposed in a product receptacle, the edge configured to not support the selected product upon actuation of the coin mechanism, causing the selected product to be dispensed, the product support member further configured to releasably engage at least one product in the product receptacle disposed above the selected product following the dispensation of the selected product.