Patent ID: 7147551

Claim:
An apparatus for detecting a coin in a coin tube of a money changer for an automatic coin machine, comprising a casing in which a plurality of serially arranged tubes are mounted to store coins in a column shape, light barriers associated to the tubes at least in the upper and lower regions with each light barrier having a light-emitting element and a light sensitive receiving element which are superposed on the same side of the coin tube whereas the opposite side of the coin tube has arranged thereon a prism which reflects the received light back to the receiving element, and a control circuit for the money changer into which the output signals of the light receiving elements are entered, characterized in that the casing ( 44 ) has a wall portion ( 12 ) in parallel with the series of the coin tubes ( 54 to 60 ), a printed circuit board ( 14 ) for the control circuit is mounted on the opposite side on the wall portion ( 12 ) and carries the light-emitting elements ( 16 ) and receiving elements ( 18 ) which are directed towards the respective coin tube ( 56 to 60 ) via holes ( 20 , 22 ) in the printed circuit board ( 14 ) and in the wall portion ( 12 ).