Patent ID: 7748513

Claim:
A vending machine in which a coin is inserted and a handle operates a discharge merchandise retention member, so as to discharge merchandise, comprising: an opening provided at a front face of a box body and extending upward; a control panel detachably received in the opening, the control panel including the handle and a coin sorting unit, and being movable between a first lower position and a second, upper position; and a coin collection box removably received in the box body to receive coins from the coin sorting unit, said coin collection box having a first end adjacent the opening and a second, opposite end, wherein, when the control panel is in the first, lower position, the first end of the coin collection box is covered with the control panel, but when the control panel is in the second, upper position, the first end of the coin collection box is accessible from, and can be at least partially removed from, the box body; a merchandise filling opening formed in the front face of the box body, in an upper portion of the opening; a cover detachably connected to the box body to be movable between a first position covering the merchandise filling opening on the front face of the box body, and a second position removed from the box body, herein the control panel is prevented from moving into the second, upper position, when the cover is in the first, covering position, but the control panel is allowed to move into the second, upper position, when the cover is in the second, removed position.