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This invention relates to the storage of banknotes or other sheets of value, which are herein referred to simply as banknotes or bills.
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There have been proposed numerous types of banknote stores. Some enable dispensing of banknotes, for example in automatic cash dispensing machines. Others allow the addition of banknotes to the store, for example in vending machines. It is however not very common to have storage means which can both receive and dispense individual banknotes, because the mechanisms used hereto for achieving this have been unreliable, expensive, complicated and/or large, which has meant that the mechanisms have been unsuitable especially for use in vending applications. It would be desirable to solve this problem, and it would also be desirable to have a currency store which can retain currency items received over the course of multiple transactions. so that the items are available for dispensing as change. Furthermore, for compactness and greater flexibility, it would be desirable to have multiple different denominations stored in the same unit, so that space occupied by one denomination could instead be occupied by a different denomination, but nevertheless to be able to dispense therefrom any selected denomination as change.
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EP-A-0,290,731 discloses a banknote store capable of receiving banknotes which are stored in succession on a strip wound on a drum. However, the banknotes cannot be individually dispensed without additionally discharging the other banknotes from the store.
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Aspects of the present invention are set out in the accompanying claims.
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According to a further aspect of the invention, a multi-denominational banknote store comprises first and second drums, with a strip or strips wound on both drums and arranged to support banknotes disposed in succession. The banknotes can be transferred from the first drum to the second by unwinding the strip(s) from the first drum and winding the strip(s) onto the second drum. Means are provided for selectively removing individual banknotes from the strip(s) prior to the individual banknotes reaching the second drum so that one or more banknotes of selected denominations can be discharged from the store without removing the other banknotes.
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Arrangements embodying the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 schematically shows a banknote handling apparatus having a banknote store according to the invention; and
- Figure 2 diagrammatically shows the banknote store of the apparatus of Figure 1.
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Referring to Figure 1, this shows a banknote handling apparatus 2 including a banknote store 4 in accordance with the invention. The apparatus 2 also comprises a banknote validator 6, which receives banknotes at an inlet 8 and tests them to determine their authenticity and denomination. The banknotes are then delivered either to an outlet 10, if they are found to be invalid, or to the store 4.
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A control means 12 receives signals from the validator 6 indicative of the denomination of the received authentic banknotes, and controls the operation of the store 4. The control means 12 also receives from the store 4 signals representing the current state of the store, as will be described in more detail below.
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Referring also to Figure 2, the store 4 comprises a storage section 42 and a routing section 44. Banknotes are conveyed between the storage section 42 and a store inlet/outlet 46 in the routing section 44.
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The storage section 42 comprises two winding arrangements or drums 48 and 50. The drum 48 has wound around it a pair of strips, which extend away from the drum to a roller 52. The strips then separate, with one strip 54 extending around an outside path 56, and the other strip 58 extending along an inside path 60. until the strips are brought together again at a roller 62. The strips then travel together to the drum 50, and are wound around the drum.
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If both drums are rotated in the direction illustrated by arrows A, the strips are unwound from the drum 48 and wound onto the drum 50. The drums can alternatively be rotated in the opposite direction so that the strips are unwound from the drum 50 and wound onto the drum 48.
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As will be explained in more detail, banknotes can be fed between the strips 54 and 58 as they come together at the roller 52 (when the strips are being wound onto the drum 48), or at the roller 62 (when the strips are being wound onto the drum 50). Thus, individual banknotes can be stored in a spiral arrangement on both of the drums 48 and 50, in successive positions between the strips 54 and 58. The bills can also be transferred from one drum to another. Thus, assuming that the strips 54 and 58 are being unwound from the drum 48, any banknotes held thereby will be delivered between a pair of belts 63 and 64, conveyed to a pair of rollers 65 and then between the belt 63 and a further belt 66. The bill then becomes gripped between the strips 54 and 58 as they converge at the roller 62, the bill then being transported to the drum 50. The speed of movement of the strips 54 and 58 is controlled in relation to the speed of the belts 63, 64 and 66 so that the banknote is delivered to the same position with respect to the strips 54 and 58 as it had when located on the drum 48.
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The routing section 44 includes a pair of belts 70, 72 located adjacent the inlet/outlet 46. These can convey banknotes from the inlet/outlet 46 to a switch 76 which diverts the banknotes either to the belt 64, when the switch is in the position shown in solid lines, or to the belt 66, when the switch is in the position shown in broken lines. The belt 64 or 66 conveys the banknote to the belt 63 and then to the roller 52 or 62. The switch 76 is operated so that banknotes are conveyed to the roller 52 if the strips 54, 58 are being wound onto the drum 48, and to the roller 62 if the strips are being wound onto the drum 50. Thus, the banknote, when arriving at the roller 52 or 62, will be gripped between the strips and transported to the appropriate drum.
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There are two further routing switches, 78, 80, which are used for removing individual banknotes from the store as the banknotes are conveyed between the rollers 52 and 62 by the belt 63.
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The switch 78 can be operated when the drums 48, 58 are rotating in the direction shown by arrows A. If the switch 78 is moved from the solid line position to the broken line position, the next banknote to arrive at the switch will be diverted and conveyed by the belt 64 to the belts 70, 72 and thus to the inlet/outlet 46. Conversely, if the drums are rotating in the opposite direction, the switch 80 can removed from the solid line position to the broken line position to divert bills so that they are conveyed by the belt 66 to the belts 70, 72 and thus to the inlet/outlet 46.
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An encoder 90 detects movement of the strips 54, 58. for example by sensing markings or apertures in the strips. The signals from the encoder 90 are sent to the control means 12 so that the control means can keep track of the exact position of the strips. The strips 54, 58 may conveniently be formed of 35mm photographic film. This has apertures which would be suitable for detection by the encoder 90. However, there are many alternative possibilities, for example thin metallic ribbons or polyester films, with or without apertures, and possibly wider than 35 mm film.
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The control means 12 comprises a microprocessor 92 and a memory 94. The memory 94 a includes a plurality of individual memory locations, each of which corresponds to a predetermined position on the strips 54, 58. Each memory location contains a value indicating whether a not a banknote is stored at the corresponding position, and if so the denomination of the banknote. The successive positions on the strips 54, 58 are separated by a fixed pitch. which is slightly greater (e.g. by 30 mm) than the length of the longest banknote to be stored (assuming that not all denominations have the same length). By choosing a pitch such that there is 30-40 mm between banknotes, there is enough time to operate a routing switch 78 or 80 between successive notes.
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The control means 12 can control the times and directions in which the various drums and motors of the store 4 are operated.
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In operation, whenever a banknote is to be delivered to the store 4, the control means 12 records the denomination of the note as determined by the signals from the validator 6. The control means 12 then determines, from the previously-received encoder signals, the current position of the belts 54 and 58, and also determines, from the memory 94, the nearest of the empty memory locations between the belts. The control means 12 then determines the direction in which to rotate the rollers 48, 50 in order to bring the empty storage location to the belt 63. The switch 76 is then moved to the appropriate position depending upon the direction of rotation of the drums 48, 50, and the drums 48, 50 and the various belts are driven in such a manner that the incoming banknote is transported to the roller 52 or 62 such that it arrives at the same time as the empty location between the strips 54, 58.
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When change is dispensed, the control means 12 determines the quantities and denominations of the banknotes to be dispensed, and the current position of the belts 54, 58. The control means 12 can then calculate the appropriate direction or directions in which to move the drums 48, 50 so as to deliver the storage locations containing the appropriate denominations to the rollers 52, 62. The drums 48, 50 and the various belts are then operated to convey the selected banknotes to the roller 52 and/or 62, and the routing switch 78 and/or 80 is/are operated, as the stored bills are moved past, so as selectively to divert the selected bills towards the inlet/outlet 46.
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Various modifications can be made to the embodiment described above. For example, the inlet and outlet of the store 4 may be separate, with banknotes being conveyed to and from the storage section 42 by different paths. In the above-described embodiment. banknotes can be added to or removed from the store 4 irrespective of the direction of rotation of the drums 48, 50. In an alternative embodiment, the arrangement may be such that banknotes may be removed (and/or added to) the store only if the strips 54, 58 are being wound onto a particular one of the drums 48, 50. This would avoid the need for the switch 76 and one of the switches 78, 80.
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In the above embodiment, the control means 12 is arranged to select locations for adding or removing banknotes in dependence upon the current position of the strips 54, 58. This could be modified such that, before each transaction, all the stored banknotes are wound onto a selected first one of the drums 48, 50. Then, as banknotes are inserted, the strips are progressively wound onto the second drum so that the banknotes are added to vacant locations in succession. The arrangement could be such that the banknotes are completely transferred to the second drum before change is dispensed. The dispensing operation could then involve the complete transfer of notes from the second drum to the first drum, with selected banknotes being diverted to the outlet during the transfer operation. This would leave the drums and strips in the correct condition for the next transaction.
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In the above embodiment, any received banknotes are added to the store until it is full. There could be an additional store (not shown) for receiving any further banknotes, this additional store possibly being of a type which does not allow dispensing of banknotes therefrom. In an alternative embodiment, the control means 12 is operable to limit the numbers of at least one denomination which are sent to the store 4, any subsequent notes of this denomination then possibly being sent to the additional store. This would allow more room in the store for other denominations, for example denominations which are more likely to be required for dispensing change. Control techniques of this type are described in GB patent application No. 0006407.1, filed 16 March 2000, incorporated herein by reference. Any other control techniques described in that patent specification can also be used.
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In the arrangement described above, there is no predetermined sequence in which the different denominations are stored on the strips 54, 58. It may alternatively be desired to select a storage location in accordance with denomination. For example, there may be advantages in arranging for successive locations to store a mixture of different denominations. Alternatively, it may be desirable for successive locations to store the same denomination, particularly if that denomination is likely to be required for providing change.
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The control means 12 can be arranged to use any selected one of the techniques described above. Indeed, means may be provided to vary the technique used by the control means 12 to suit the particular requirements of the machine in which the store 4 is located. These requirements may vary from time to time and from place to place.
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Instead of storing the banknotes at a constant pitch, the pitch may be varied to suit the dimensions of the different denominations, so that the storage regions containing smaller banknotes occupy less space. This would allow more banknotes to be stored, at the expense of more complexity in the control means 12.
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Instead of the banknotes being held between separate strips 54, 58, they could be held between windings formed by a single strip.
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Referring again to Figure 1, the apparatus 2 may be provided with an intermediate store or escrow 96 for receiving the banknotes from the validator 6. This may be of a known form, and may be arranged to return all the banknotes to the outlet 10 if the transaction is cancelled, or alternatively, at the end of the transaction, to deliver the banknotes individually to the main store 4. One advantage of such an arrangement is that the escrow store 96 may be capable of receiving notes at a faster rate than the main store 4, so that the operation of the apparatus can be speeded up.