Patent ID: 7682230

Claim:
A coin hopper comprising: a rotating disk extending obliquely upward at a predetermined angle; an outer covering unit covering at least a lower outer circumference of the rotating disk; a holding bowl extending from the outer covering unit and configured to hold coins; a circular supporting rack provided in a central region of an upper surface of the rotating disk and projecting for a thickness of substantially one of the coins; a plurality of coin stoppers provided on the upper surface of the rotating disk and extending radially from the supporting rack in a direction circumferential to a periphery of the rotating disk at generally equal intervals, wherein the rotating disk is configured to accept the coins one by one such that a surface of each of the coins contacts a holding surface of the upper surface of the rotating disk between the plurality of coin stoppers, and wherein the rotating disk is further configured to move the coins in one direction such that a periphery of each of the coins is held by the supporting rack; a coin receiver extending from a region of the supporting rack in the circumferential direction of the rotating disk and configured to receive the coins from the plurality of coin stoppers during movement of the coins by the rotating disk; and a dropper provided upstream of the coin receiver and configured to bias the coins toward the supporting rack above the center of the rotating disk and further configured to substantially prevent hitting the plurality of coin stoppers, wherein the dropper includes: a first circumferential pressing portion and a second circumferential pressing portion that are unitarily provided, the first circumferential pressing portion is generally movable in parallel relative to the upper surface of the rotating disk in a space wider than a thickness of a thickest of the coins, and prevents hitting the plurality of coin stoppers, and the second circumferential pressing portion is generally movable in parallel relative to the upper surface of the rotating disk at a distance exceeding the thickness of the thickest coin and greater than the first circumferential pressing portion, and remains in a position opposite to the upper surface even when the first circumferential pressing portion is not positioned opposite the upper surface.