Patent ID: 8607957

Claim:
A self-service coin processing system comprising: a stationary gravity-feed coin input area configured to receive a plurality of coins from a user, the input area including a downwardly sloping surface configured to direct received coins, under the force of gravity, towards an aperture disposed in the gravity-feed coin input area; a coin processing module configured to receive coins from the aperture of the gravity-feed coin input area, the coin processing module being configured to determine the amount of received coins; and a hood disposed over the aperture in the gravity-feed coin input area, the hood being spaced from the downwardly sloping surface of the gravity-feed coin input area a distance sufficient to allow the passage of coins between the hood and the surface and sufficient to inhibit the user from passing a hand through the aperture, the distance the hood is spaced from the downwardly sloping surface when disposed over the aperture being about 1¼ inch or less.