Patent ID: 7472780

Claim:
A coin sorting apparatus comprising: a coin sorting member configured to sort coins according to the size of the coins; a guide configured to transfer the coins sorted by the coin sorting member to a predetermined location; a first sensor formed on the guide and configured to count the number of the coins being sorted; a plurality of coin receiving tubes disposed on an end portion of the guide, said tubes being configured to receive the coins transferred from the guide according to the size of the coins; a plurality of receiving containers configured to receive the plurality of coin receiving tubes, each of the plurality of receiving containers being provided at a lower side with a sliding projection and wherein each of the plurality of receiving containers includes a plurality of coin receiving tubes of the same size; a sliding member provided with a plurality of sliding grooves engaged with the sliding projections so that the plurality of receiving containers can be individually inserted and withdrawn; a second sensor including two sensor elements arranged on opposed sides of the sliding member to transmit signals to each other to detect a state variation and configured to detect if the coin receiving tubes are positioned on a first location and a second location for appropriately receiving the coins by sensing a displacement of the receiving container; a microcomputer configured to control the coin sorting apparatus in accordance with signals from the first and second sensor; and wherein when one of the plurality of coin receiving tubes of the same size is positioned to receive the coins, another of the plurality of coin receiving tubes of the same size is positioned to be taken out of the receiving container.