AU751346B2

AU751346B2 - Cassette for stacking banknote

Info

Publication number: AU751346B2
Application number: AU31349/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Sergey Buchman
Original assignee: Cashcode Co Inc
Current assignee: Cashcode Co Inc
Priority date: 1998-04-24
Filing date: 1999-04-16
Publication date: 2002-08-15
Anticipated expiration: 2019-04-16
Also published as: DE69925724T2; CA2235781A1; ES2242389T3; JP2002512931A; DE69925724D1; CA2235781C; AU3134999A

Description

0-05~r-2000 CA 009900306 'rI'rTPM CAS~ O TACKM EAMU= FIELD OF TUR TNVENIOIN ~ACJGRQ~D F TE IVEFNTION The present invention relates to cassettes for receiv.Ing and stacking of banknotes. In particular, the inlventionl relates to cassettes wit-h improved stacking capability.

Existing cassettes for banknote accepting devices such as currency vajlicators or vending devices, include a mechanism for initially receiving -a banknote in a guide with a movable actuator positioned between the guides for displacing the banknote laterally to add it to a stack of banknlotes adjacent one side of the guides. Typically, this actuator moves the stack of banknotes a sufficient distance for the 3.a-st banicnote to clear the guides. The guides are statio12axy and aligned witha a receiving slot of the cassette. A helical spring bias the bankniote in one direction and the movement of the actuator also causes a corpression of the spring.

2S Cassettes of tbis type require cons iderable interior space for acconuiating m~ovemenlt of the actuator tbrough the stationary guides for stripping 6f the last received bankalOte. Fuxther'ore, the actuator must have sufficient power for displacing the stack of ban~cnotes and the spring when a ban3mnote is added to the stack. In many cases, the maxim=z capacity of the cassette determiines the freqluency that the cassettes have to be removed and large capacity cassettes are nor~mally desired. On the other hand, space is often at a premium and there is a trade-of f b-0tween the size of the cassette and the space that is available. Larger capacity cassettes have also required AMENDED SHEET higher power for the actuator as the size of the stack of banknotes which is displaced is also larger.

Japanese Publication 62290671 discloses a currency stacking arrangement which has improved space efficiency due to a coordinated movement of a guide coupler and a pusher. These components move in opposite directions to strip a received banknote and add it to a stack of banknotes. The arrangement results in movement of the stack of banknotes.

Japanese Publication 57081050 discloses a currency stacking arrangement which uses pivotting guide plates either side of a pusher. The pivotting guide plates pivot in a retreating direction to improve space efficiency and reduce the drive force of the pusher.

The present invention provides a structure which more efficiently makes use of the interior volume of the cassette.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0° A cassette for receiving and storing banknotes 0e*@ o 25 according to the preferred embodiment includes a housing having a slot opening for longitudinally receiving a 000000 S• banknote. The slot opening is associated with a banknote S* receiving arrangement comprising two opposed guides defining a banknote slot positioned on opposite sides of the received banknote and a support member in an initial position located to one side of the received banknote. The cassette includes a storage arrangement to a side of said 0000 guides opposite said support member. The storage arrangement receives therein banknotes displaced from said 000 35 banknote slot opening to form a stack of banknotes in said storage arrangement. A drive arrangement is provided for controlled movement of said support member and said guides, characterized in said drive arrangement when actuated 'rr' characterized in said drive arrangement when actuated 2.

initially causing said support member to move from said initial position through a gap between said guides partially displacing a rce'diVed banknote 'into said storage.

arrangement and into contact with any banknotes stacked in said storage arrangement. The drive arrangement subsequently moves the guides from an initial position towards the initial position of said support member to complete the displacement of a received banknote from said banknote slot and into said storage arrangement. With this arrangement the distance that the stacked banknotes moves is almost negligible and said drive arrangement thereafter returns said guides and said support member to said initial positions.

The drive arrangement according to a preferred embodiment includes a rotary cam which controls movement of both said guides and said support member.

In an aspect of the preferred embodiment, the support member in said initial position closes one side of said guides and acts as a flat support for a received banknote, and a back face of each guide acts as a stop surface retaining banknotes received in said storage arrangement in a stack pressed against said stop surfaces.

S"In yet a further aspect of the preferred S. embodiment, the drive arrangement returns said guides to said initial position while said support member maintains the position of the stacked banknotes whereafter said support 3. member is returned to said initial position.

~In yet a further aspect of the preferred embodiment, said support member maintains the position of any stacked banknotes during movement of said guides.

In a preferred aspect of the preferred embodiment, the storage area includes a spring unit for providing a spring bias urging received banknotes to be .3 maintained in a stack and allow movement of said stack of received banknotes to accommodate a new banknote to said stack when said support member moves through said guides.

According to a further aspect of the preferred embodiment, the stack of received banknotes are pressed by said spring unit against a stop surface of said guides when said guides are positioned to receive a banknote in said slot opening.

In a different aspect of the preferred embodiment, the guides and said support member have a common stop arrangement aligned with said slot opening for defining a banknote receipt position whereby the relationship of said guides and said support member is consistent when said guides and said platform are in said banknote receipt position.

The rotary cam in a preferred aspect of the preferred embodiment, includes two separate cam surfaces which control movement of both said support member and said guides during movement from and return to said initial position.

25 In a further aspect of the preferred embodiment, the rotating member includes a connection member for engaging a drive motor of a banknote validator.

In yet a further aspect of the preferred embodiment the distance the stacked banknotes moves to add a banknote is reduced to approximately the thickness of a Sbanknote.

~In yet a further aspect of the preferred embodiment, the cassette is used in combination with a banknote validator.

4- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a sectional view through the cassette; Figure 2 is a simplified view showing the guides and the support arrangement in an initial position for receipt of a banknote; Figure 3 shows initial movement of the support arrangement through the guides to start to remove a banknote from the guides; Figure 4 shows the relative movement of the support arrangement and the guides freeing the edges of a banknote from the guides; Figure 5 shows the guides returning to the initial position; Figure 6 shows movement of the support .25 arrangement to the initial position such that the support arrangement and the said guides are now positioned for receipt of a banknote; Figure 7 is a side view showing a cam actuator cooperating with a scissor linkage used to control the guides; *S5*

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WO 99/55610 PCT/CA99/00306 Figure 8 is a view of the cam drive arrangement as cooperation with a linkage is used to control the support arrangement; Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 8 with the support arrangement moved to an end position adding the banknote to a stack of banknotes; and Figure 10 is a simplified perspective view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The cassette 2 shown in Figure 1 has a housing 4 with a slot opening 6 for allowing banknotes to enter the cassette. Associated with this slot opening 6 is an idler wheel 8 and a drive wheel 10 which cooperate to engage a banknote and drive it into a banknote slot 12 defined between opposed "U-shaped" guides 26 and 27. Drive wheel and idler wheel 8 are located at the slot opening 6 and drive a received banknote into the guides 26 and 27 without belts.

The cassette to one side of the guides 26 and 27 has a banknote storage area 14 with a stack of banknotes generally shown as 13. A plate 16 is attached to the springs 17 and 18 and generally bias the stack of banknotes 13 against one side of the guide members 26 and 27. A moveable support 30 is located between the opposed guides 26 and 27, and cooperates with the guides to strip a received banknote from the guide members and add it to the stack 13 banknotes.

Movement of the guides 26 and 27 and the support arrangement 30 to cause a banknote to be stripped from the guides is controlled by the rotary cam 20. The rotary cam is secured in the cassette and the cam has two tracks, 5 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO 99/55610 PCT/CA99/00306 one for engaging cam follower 22 for causing movement of the guides and the second track for cam follower 24 attached to the support 30. This cam allows opposite relative movement of the guides and the support for a superior stripping action.

The Figure 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, show the movement imparted to the guides in the support arrangement for stripping of the banknote. In Figure 2, the guides 26 and 27 are aligned with the opening slot and have received the banknote 40. The guides 26 and 27 are oversized for receiving banknotes of differing widths. In this case, the depth of the "U-shaped" guides is sufficient for receiving the largest banknote centered in the slot as well as the smallest width banknote centered in the slot. The movable support 30 in Figure 2 is located to one side of the banknote slot 12 and is positioned intermediary the guides 26 and 27. The guides are in contact with the movable stop 31 controlled by link arm 35. The stop 31 moves to a clear position when link arm 35 pivots, allowing the guides to move past the stop 31.

In Figure 3, the rotary cam has now caused the support arrangement 30 to move towards the stack of banknotes 13. In this position, the support now forms a stop for the stack of banknotes and the received banknotes are now in contact with the stack.

Figure 4 shows how the guides 26 and 27 are moved by the cam 20 in a direction away from the stack of banknotes 13 and the received banknote is stripped from the guides. In this way, both the support 30 and the guides 26 and 27 move relative to one another and reduce the amount of space required to strip a banknote 40 from the guides 26 and 27. Furthermore, there is very little displacement of the stack of banknotes to add a banknote to the stack, such that the energy requirements for the stacking operation is -6 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO 99/55610 PCT/CA99/00306 reduced and essentially constant, regardless of the size of.

the stack of banknotes.

The movement of guides 26 and 27 and the support are controlled by the cam. In the embodiment shown, support 30 moves first and guides 26 and 27 move thereafter. Other arrangements are possible to achieve the relative movement therebetween.

Figure 5 shows how the guides have now been brought back to an initial position and the "U-shaped" stops 37 engage the banknote which has now been stripped from the guides.

Figure 6 shows how the support member 30 is now moved back to the opposite side of the guides in preparation for receiving of a banknote. The banknote slot 12 is now aligned with the slot 6 in the housing and is in a position for receiving a further banknote.

With the arrangement as described in Figures 2 through 6, improved space efficiency is accomplished as the guides move into the space formally occupied essentially by the support 30 and the support 30 moves through the guides to strip a banknote from the guides. The space generally shown as A in Figure 4, is the maximum amount of space required in the cassette for the relative movements of the guides and support member. This space is less than the space required if the support member was designed to only move relative to fixed guides 26 and 27 which would also require a large shift in the stack of banknotes.

Figure 7 shows details of the rotary cam 20. The rotary cam is engageable with a motor drive 50 shown in Figure 1 and causes the cam followers 22 and 24 to impart the desired action to the guides 26 and 27 and the support The motor 50 is part of the device which receives a banknote cassette. Figure 7 shows the scissor-type -7 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO 99/55610 PCT/CA99/00306 arrangement used to move the guides 26 and 27 in the manner described in Figures 2 through 6. The cam follower 22 moves within the cam channel 23 and imparts the desired action to the scissor-type linkage arrangement generally shown as 25. The motor shaft 51 drives the rotary cam.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate the movement of the support member 30 from the banknote receipt position of Figure 8 to the extended position for stripping of a banknote from the guides shown in Figure 9. The support member 30 is spring biased to provide a force maintaining the cam follower 24 in contact with the cam surface 29 at the end of cam member For a better understanding of the working of the components, the guides 26 and 27 are not shown but would be attached to plate 39. Plate 39 to the right hand side of Figure 10 has been cut away to skew the linkage The cam 20 has cam followers 22 and 24 located 1800 apart relative to the cam and as such can surface 25 and cam track 23 have a similar profile. The 1800 phase difference causes the opposite desired movement. With this arrangement, the size of the cam can be kept smaller. The cam also allows considerate flexibility in importing the desired drive action for the linkages and the timing of these actions including accordation of the linkages. The single cam is driven in a single direction by motor 50 and is cost effective, as well as highly reliable.

With this arrangement, movement of the support in one direction and movement of the guides 26 and 27 in the opposite direction provides more efficient use of the space within the cassette and it also serves to reduce the force necessary to effectively strip a banknote from the guide arrangement. As 'can be appreciated in the present structure, the guides move away from the stacked banknotes and thus, the extent that the support member has to move -8 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26) WO 99/55610 PCT/CA99/00306 and displace the stacked banknotes is reduced and the distance that the stacked banknotes moves, is reduced to approximately the thickness of a banknote. In this way, there is more room in the cassette for storing of banknotes as the amount of space for moving the stack to add a banknote is almost negligible.

Figure 10 is a perspective view illustrating the action of the rotary cam controlling support 30 and the guides 26 and 27. Support 30 is shown as a transparent component to illustrate the components therebelow.

Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

9 SUBSTITUTE SHEET (RULE 26)

Claims

1. A cassette for receiving and storing banknotes includes a housing having a slot opening for longitudinally receiving a banknote, said slot opening being associated with a banknote receiving arrangement comprising two opposed guides defining a banknote slot positioned on opposite sides of the received banknote and a support member in an initial position located to one side of the received banknote, said cassette including a storage arrangement to a side of said guides opposite said support member, said storage arrangement receiving therein banknotes displaced from said banknote slot opening to form a stack of banknotes in said storage arrangement, and a drive arrangement for controlled movement of said support member and said guides, characterized in said drive arrangement when actuated initially causing said support member to move from said initial position through a gap between said guides partially displacing a received banknote into said storage arrangement and into contact with any banknotes stacked in said storage arrangement, said drive arrangement subsequently moving said guides from an *initial position towards the initial position of said support member to complete the displacement of a received banknote from said banknote slot and into said storage arrangement whereby the distance that the stacked banknotes moves is almost negligible and said drive arrangement thereafter returning said guides and said support member to said initial positions.

2. A cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive arrangement includes a rotary cam which controls movement of both said guides and said support member. 10

3. A cassette as claimed in claim 2 wherein said support member in said initial position closes one side of said guides and acts as a flat support for a received banknote and a back face of each guide acts as a stop surface retaining banknotes received in said storage arrangement in a stack pressed against said stop surfaces.

4. A cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein said drive arrangement returns said guides to said initial position while said support member maintains the position of the stacked banknotes whereafter said support member is returned to said initial position.

A cassette as claimed in claim 4 wherein said support member maintains the position of any stacked banknotes during movement of said guides.

6. A cassette as claimed in claim 4 wherein said storage area includes a spring unit for providing a spring bias urging received banknotes to be maintained in a stack and allow movement of said stack of received banknotes to accommodate a new banknote to said stack when said support member moves through said guides. 00 00

7. A cassette as claimed in claim 6 wherein said :stack of received banknotes are pressed by said spring unit against a stop surface of said guides when said guides are positioned to receive a banknote in said slot opening. @0 o0 *0o

8. A cassette as claimed in claim 4 wherein said guides and said support member have a common stop arrangement aligned with said slot opening for defining a goesbanknote receipt position whereby the relationship of said guides and said support member is consistent when 11 said guides and said platform are in said banknote receipt position.

9. A cassette as claimed in claim 1 wherein during movement of said guides and said support member to displace a received banknote said support member is moved through said gap between said guides to generally align with a back face of said guides whereafter said guides are moved in an opposite direction a sufficient distance to ensure a banknote received in said slot opening is stripped from said guides.

A cassette as claimed in claim 1 including a stop surface for retaining banknotes in said storage arrangement, said stop surface cooperating with said support member and being displaced to a banknote clear position during movement of said support member and said guides and subsequently returning to engage a stack of received banknotes with the movement of said support member and said guides to a position defining said slot opening.

11. A cassette as claimed in claim 2 wherein rotary cam includes two separate cam surfaces which control 0movement of both said support member and said guides during movement from and return to said initial positions.

12. A cassette as claimed in claim 2 wherein said rotating member includes a connection member for engaging a drive motor of a banknote validator.

13. A cassette as claimed in any of claims 1 through 14 wherein said drive arrangement includes a connection member for engaging a drive motor of a banknote validator. 12

14. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the distance the stacked banknotes moves to add a banknote is reduced to approximately the thickness of a banknote. A cassette as claimed in any preceding claim in combination with a banknote validator. DATED this 21 st day of June 2002 CASHCODE COMPANY INC WATERMARK PATENT TRADE MARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA 0,RLT/RJS/MEH P18415AU00' 00 0 0* 0*S 00 13