Coin validator for testing the mass of a coin

US5494145A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• National Rejectors, Inc. GmbH · US

Inventors

• Hans-Ulrich Cohrs · Homburg, DE
• Wilfried Meyer · Buxtehude, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 12, 1994
• Grant date: Feb 27, 1996
• Expiry date: Apr 12, 2014

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07D5/04
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A coin validator which discriminates valuable coins includes a coin path along which the coins roll. A leaf spring is fixed at one end and has a spring member which projects into the coin path at the other end when the leaf spring is in a rest position. The leaf spring oscillates when the spring member is struck by a rolling coin. An evaluation circuit produces a timing signal as a function of the elapsed time between the striking of the spring member by the rolling coin and the time when the spring member first approaches the rest position after being struck. A memory stores reference values corresponding to valuable coins and a comparator compares the timing signal to the reference values for discriminating valuable coins.