Patent ID: 6896114

Claim:
A coin dispensing apparatus for an automatic vending machine, comprising: an inserting aperture, provided at an upper part of a main body, for receiving coins to be inserted thereinto; a first sorting unit comprising a coin discriminating device for discriminating genuineness of coins inserted into said inserting aperture, said sorting unit sorting said coins discriminated in said coin discriminating device; a holding unit for temporally holding said coins sorted in said first sorting unit after the coins are inserted until goods are dispensed from the automatic vending machine or a user requests return of the coins; a coin repayment unit, provided at a lower part of said main body, for giving change to a customer when goods are sold; a coin storing unit provided under said holding unit for supplying coins to the coin repayment unit; and wherein said coin dispensing apparatus has at least one holding cylinder provided in said holding unit for temporally holding said coins sorted in said first sorting unit, said at least one holding cylinder holding said coins for each coin kind, a wiper provided at a lower part of said at least one holding cylinder for sweeping said coins temporally held in said at least one holding cylinder, a diverting unit provided under said wiper for diverting said coins swept by said wiper to said coin storing unit or said coin repayment unit, and when a coin-returning operation is performed after coins are inserted into said coin dispensing apparatus, the inserted coins being temporally held in said holding cylinder are returned along a path separate from said coin storing unit.