Patent ID: 7516831

Claim:
A game module for a coin-operated item vending machine, said game module comprising: (a) a housing including a lower housing portion and one slot defined in said lower housing portion for permitting discharge of the coin from said housing; and (b) means for enabling removal of a foreign object from within said housing, said removal-enabling means including (i) a guard wall positioned within said housing above said one slot and extending across a path of travel of the coin to said one slot such that said guard wall can stop a foreign object from traveling on a portion of said path of travel from an upstream side to a downstream side of said guard wall and therefrom to said one slot, said guard wall also including another slot having a maximum dimension greater than a maximum dimension of the coin for permitting the coin to pass through said guard wall from said upstream side to said downstream side thereof and therefrom to said one slot, and (ii) at least one opening defined in said housing adjacent one end of said guard wall and said upstream side of said guard wall such that said one opening will permit withdrawal of the foreign object from said housing, said one opening having a maximum dimension less than the maximum dimension of the coin such that the coin cannot be withdrawn from said housing through said one opening.