Patent ID: 7946407

Claim:
A value medium processing apparatus for determining authenticity of at least one of a coin and a generally coin-shaped electric value storage medium (IC coin) inserted into a common inlet so as to sort the coins into a received coin and a returned coin, and communicating with the IC coin so as to sort the IC coin into a received IC coin and a returned IC coin, the value medium processing apparatus comprising: a common rolling path on which the IC coin and the coin are configured to roll, the common rolling path extending from the inlet, and comprising a drooping path extending generally perpendicularly downward from the inlet, and an inclined path extending obliquely downward from the drooping path; a coin characteristic detector provided on a side portion of the common rolling path; a coin inlet to a coin path on which the coin rolls, and an IC coin inlet to an IC coin path on which the IC coin rolls, the coin inlet and the IC coin inlet extending from the common rolling path; a medium sorter provided at the coin inlet and the IC coin inlet; a turning path extending from the inclined path so as to turn the coin to a direction opposite to the inclination; the coin path extending from the turning path and obliquely downward in a direction opposite to the inclination at a lower portion of the common rolling path; the medium sorter provided on the turning path; an IC coin reservoir; the IC coin reservoir and the medium sorter include a storage guide member and a return guide member which are integrally and/or independently movable; the storage guide member and the return guide member can be positioned at a standby position contiguous to the coin path or at a reserve position downstream of the common rolling path; the storage guide member and the return guide member construct an IC coin reserve chamber being surrounded by a guide holding wall and the side wall of a recess on a side surface, by the holding storage rail of a lower surface, and by a stopper projection and a guided stay on a side periphery; the IC coin reservoir can be horizontally moved to the reserve position; and the storage guide member and the return guide member can be individually moved at the reserve position; a communicator configured to communicate with the IC coin reserved in the IC coin reservoir; an IC coin sorter; an IC coin storage path and a return path; a return sorter provided adjacent to the medium sorter; a coin return path and a coin storage path; and a controller switching the medium sorter to one of the IC coin path and the coin path, based on one of characteristic information from the coin characteristic detector and information from the communicator.