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US 9,230,385 B1Granted
Coin acceptor with anti-fraud feature
AssigneeImonex Services, Inc.
InventorsPhilemon L Bruner, Kurt D. Regenbrecht
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for preventing the fraudulent receipt of credit for the goods or services provided by a coin-operated device is disclosed. A coin acceptor with an anti-fraud feature comprises a coin-accept channel comprising a lip to block the introduction of a non-coin object to a coin sensor and a coin-guiding surface to guide a coin downstream the lip to the coin sensor. The coin-accept channel may further comprise a blocking area, a deflection surface, and a protrusion to prevent the upstream movement of a tethered coin-like object, thereby preventing a single tethered coin-like object from receiving multiple credits for the goods or services provided by a coin-operated device.
Claims10
An apparatus for use with a coin-operated device, comprising:
- at least one coin-accept channel and at least one coin sensor adjacent to a downstream portion of said at least one coin accept channel, said at least one coin-accept channel comprising:
- a coin entrance portion, a coin exit portion downstream from said coin entrance portion, and a forward edge extending from said coin entrance portion downstream to said coin exit portion, wherein said forward edge comprises:
- a protrusion comprising an aperture for receiving a tether of a tethered coin-like object received by said coin-accept channel, and a blocking surface downstream from said coin sensor;
- and
- a deflection surface adjacent to said protrusion to guide the tether of said tethered coin-like object to said aperture and to position said tethered coin-like object downstream from said blocking surface, wherein said blocking surface blocks upstream movement to said coin sensor by said tethered coin-like object.
2 more elements
An apparatus for use with a coin-operated device, comprising:
- at least one coin-accept channel and at least one coin sensor adjacent to a downstream portion of said at least one coin accept channel, said at least one coin accept channel comprising:
- a coin entrance portion, a coin exit portion downstream from said coin entrance portion, and a forward edge extending from said coin entrance portion downstream to said coin exit portion, wherein said coin exit portion comprises:
- A blocking area to prevent upstream movement of a tethered coin-like object received by said coin-accept channel subsequent to an eclipse of said coin sensor by said tethered coin-like object, said blocking area comprising a first contact edge traversing said coin-accept channel and a second contact edge adjacent to said first contact edge to block upstream movement of said tethered coin-like object away from said coin sensor;
- wherein said forward edge comprises:
- a protrusion comprising an aperture for receiving a tether of a tethered coin-like object received by said coin-accept channel, and a blocking surface downstream from said coin sensor;
- and
- a deflection surface adjacent to said protrusion to guide said tether of said tethered coin-like object to said aperture to position said tethered coin-like object downstream from said blocking surface, wherein said blocking surface blocks upstream movement to said coin sensor by said tethered coin-like object.
4 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a housing containing a coin-operated device;
- a coin acceptor coupled to the housing to accept coins to operate the coin-operated device, the coin acceptor comprising:
- at least one coin-accept channel and at least one coin sensor adjacent to a downstream portion of said at least one coin accept channel comprising:
- a coin entrance portion, a coin exit portion downstream from said coin entrance portion, and a forward edge extending from said coin entrance portion downstream to said coin exit portion, wherein said coin exit portion comprises:
- a blocking area to prevent upstream movement of a tethered coin-like object received by said coin-accept channel subsequent to an eclipse of said coin sensor by
- said tethered coin-like object, said blocking area comprising a first contact edge traversing said coin-accept channel and a second contact edge adjacent to said first contact edge to block upstream movement of said tethered coin-like object away from said coin sensor;
- and
- wherein said forward edge comprises:
- a protrusion comprising an aperture for receiving a tether of a tethered coin-like object received by said coin-accept channel, and a blocking surface downstream from said coin sensor;
- and
- a deflection surface adjacent to said protrusion to guide said tether of said tethered coin-like object to said aperture to position said tethered coin-like object downstream from said blocking surface, wherein said blocking surface blocks upstream movement to said coin sensor by said tethered coin-like object.
8 more elements
A coin-operated device, comprising:
- a coin acceptor to accept coins to operate the coin-operated device, the coin acceptor comprising:
- at least one coin-accept channel and at least one coin sensor adjacent to a downstream portion of said at least one coin accept channel, said at least one coin accept channel comprising:
- a coin entrance portion, a coin exit portion downstream from said coin entrance portion, and a forward edge extending from said coin entrance portion downstream to said coin exit portion, wherein said coin exit portion comprises:
- a blocking area to prevent upstream movement of a tethered coin-like object received by said coin-accept channel subsequent to an eclipse of said coin sensor by said tethered coin-like object, said blocking area comprising a first contact edge
- traversing said coin-accept channel and a second contact edge adjacent to said first contact edge to block upstream movement of said tethered coin-like object away from said coin sensor;
- wherein said forward edge comprises:
- a protrusion comprising an aperture for receiving a tether of a tethered coin-like object received by said coin-accept channel, an a blocking surface downstream from said coin sensor;
- and
- a deflection surface adjacent to said protrusion to guide said tether of said tethered coin-like object to said aperture to position said tethered coin-like object downstream from said blocking surface, wherein said blocking surface blocks upstream movement to said coin sensor by said tethered coin-like object.
6 more elements
A method of preventing fraudulent receipt of credit for use of a coin-operated device, comprising:
- a) guiding a tethered coin-like object received in a coin acceptor for a coin-operated device to a coin sensor;
- b) detecting an eclipse of said coin sensor by said tethered coin-like object;
- c) blocking upstream movement of said tethered coin-like object once said tethered coin-like object eclipses said coin sensor;
- d) detecting an opening of said coin sensor once said tethered coin-like object travels downstream from said coin sensor;
- e) guiding said tethered coin-like object downstream a protrusion once said tethered coin-like object travels downstream said coin sensor, wherein the protrusion is positioned to capture the tether of said tethered coin-like object and to block upstream movement of said tethered coin-like object to prevent eclipse of the coin sensor by upstream movement.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.