EP1345187B1 - Security cassette for banknotes - Google Patents

Abstract

Safety case (1) for banknotes has a housing (2) with a wall (9) with a receiving compartment (5) in which a card (8), preferably a chip card, can be inserted or removed. The invention also relates to a card for insertion into a case card slot, said card having markings with information about the use and or contents, i.e. the number and type of notes, of the case. Information can be provided in text or ink with a memory chip providing similar or extended information in electronic format.

Description

The invention relates to a security cassette for banknotes with a housing.

Such security cassettes are characterized in that their housing can be opened and closed in order to remove notes located inside the cassette housing or to prevent unwanted access to the bank notes located in the housing. Such cassettes are used, for example, for secure transport of banknotes between individual banks or between banks and retail outlets. Furthermore, they can also serve to receive banknotes, which are deposited in an ATM and / or subsequently to be paid out of such an ATM. The cassette is usually used for this purpose in a holder in the housing of the ATM.

US 6,065,672 describes an example of such a system. A handle is mounted on top of the cassettes to facilitate carrying the cassettes. In addition, the cassette housing is provided with a chip card to store data about the banknotes contained in the cassette. This chip card can be read out or described via an electrical, magnetic or optical contact. In the case that only banknotes of a single denomination are to be stored in a respective cassette, the cassettes preferably have a characteristic of the particular denomination color.

From the WO 99/22345 A1 In addition, a retractable handle for a safety cassette is known.

In DE 6929830 U a suitcase is described which has in a wall a handle unit with a retractable handle part which can be moved into a gripping position in which the gripping part is spaced from the wall so as to be manually gripped and moved to a rest position, in which the grip part bears against the wall and which has three components. A middle of the components and each of the other components are pivotable relative to each other about a respective axis connecting the two components.

Based on this, it is the object of the present invention to provide a security cassette for banknotes, which is easier and more flexible to handle.

This object is achieved by the safety cassette according to claim 1. The other claims describe preferred embodiments.

The invention is based on a safety cassette with a handle unit with a retractable handle part, which can be moved to a gripping position in which the gripping part is spaced from the associated wall surrounding the gripping part in order to be manually gripped and moved to a rest position can be, in which the grip part abuts against the wall, wherein the handle part has two components, which are pivotable relative to each other about an axis which connects the two components.

This facilitates the handling of such cartridges compared to the known systems. The retractable handle fulfills several conditions simultaneously. It has in its extended grip position good ergonomics in both carrying and inserting the cassette e.g. in an ATM, but has a small footprint in the retracted rest position, so that several cassettes stored compact and can be stacked close to each other vertically and / or horizontally.

Another idea of the present invention is to design the cassette so that a handle unit can be releasably attached selectively on two opposite sides of the cassette housing. This makes it possible to replace the cassette by simply replacing the handle part for a loading of an ATM from the front, as well as to make suitable from behind.

In a further development, it is provided that the user can easily identify a banknote cassette individually by being able to attach an associated card interchangeably in or on the cassette.

In contrast to the known system after US 6,065,672 For example, it is possible that a smart card in whose memory data is stored on the banknotes contained in the cassette, not fixed and insoluble installed, but can be easily replaced by the user. This is particularly advantageous, for example, when a customer wants to equip not just one but several cassettes with new chip cards.

Another advantage arises, for example, even when filled in a bank cassettes with banknotes to be transported. Due to the fact that the chip card is not permanently installed in the system according to the invention, but is detachably mounted, the associated data can already be written to the respective chip card, for example. The actual filling process can thus take place much faster, since the smart card with the previously stored current data must be inserted only quickly into the associated receptacle of the cassette, without the cassettes each again individually with a corresponding on-site writing device for writing Data needs to be connected to the memory of the chip. Thus, for example, an operator can be given ready-made banknote bundles, each with a corresponding chip card, which only have to insert the banknotes with the card into an associated cassette.

As exchangeable cards, not only smart cards but also all other data carriers made of paper, cardboard, plastic or the like can be used, which have an identification which reproduces information about the use and / or the content of the associated cassette. This can e.g. also be an inscription on the card.

Another particularly preferred embodiment is that the customer can use exchangeable cards of different colors to identify the cartridges individually and to be able to easily change the identification of a given cassette at any time by exchanging the cards.

While thus the colored cassettes after US 6,065,672 can be used only for identification and thus recording banknotes of a single denomination, it is possible to use the cassettes of the invention, for example, in the case of such an identifier by color choice for other denominations by only the associated color card is replaced.

Preferably, the card will be removable only with the cassette case open. This prevents in a particularly secure manner manipulation and handling errors, so that, intentionally or accidentally, cards can be reversed.

Hereinafter, further embodiments of the present invention will be explained and described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows the FIG. 3 a schematic perspective view of one side 14 of the banknote cassette 1 according to FIG. 1 with a recess 23 into which a handle unit or a storage shelf 27 can be inserted.

The FIG. 1 shows a cassette 1 for receiving banknotes. The cassette 1 can be used, for example, in cash deposit machines to receive banknotes which are entered by the users in a deposit transaction. For this purpose, the cassette comprises in a conventional manner an input opening, introduced by the banknotes individually or bundled and then stored stacked in the interior 3 of the cassette 1 on a height-adjustable base plate. These known components are not shown for the sake of clarity.

The interior 3 of the cassette 1 is surrounded by a housing 2 which is e.g. made of hard plastic or metal. A side wall 10 of the housing 2 can be closed by a door 4. About a locking and unlocking mechanism, not shown, the door 4 can be locked in the closed state to prevent access to the banknotes stacked in the interior 3.

The cassette 1 is characterized inter alia in that it has a receiving compartment 5, in which a card 8 described in more detail below can be inserted and from which the card 8 can be removed again. The approximately cuboid receiving compartment 5 extends inside the front side wall 9 and opens on the upper wall 10 in a receiving opening 6. This opening 6 has a along the receiving compartment 5 extending insertion slot 7, in which the card 8 on both sides guided and can be ejected.

The cassette 1 has a receiving compartment 5, into which a card 8, which is described in more detail below, can be inserted and from which the card 8 can be removed again. The approximately cuboid receiving compartment 5 extends inside the front side wall 9 and opens on the upper wall 10 in a receiving opening 6. This opening 6 has a along the receiving compartment 5 extending insertion slot 7, in which the card 8 on both sides guided and can be ejected.

The wall 9 also has on the front side as a see-through window 11 a recess 11 which extends to the receiving compartment 5 out. This see-through window 11 may optionally be made of a transparent or translucent glass, e.g. be covered from plastic to prevent manipulation of a recorded in the tray 5 card 8. In particular, in the case that the see-through window is not covered by a glass or the like, the area of the see-through window will preferably be smaller than the area of the receiving area and in particular of the cards contained therein in order to prevent removal of the cards.

Particularly preferably, the tray 5 generally has a rear wall 12 opposite the see-through window as part of the cassette side wall 9, so that there is no passage opening in the interior 3 in the area of the receiving compartment 5 so as not to access banknotes stacked in the interior 3 even if the card 8 has been removed to allow.

In order to allow a card 8 contained in the receptacle 5 can only be removed by authorized persons, the receiving opening 6 is integrated in the side wall 10 that they inaccessible covered with the door 4 closed by this and thus the receiving opening 6 only with unlocked and open housing door 4 is accessible from the outside, as in the FIG. 1 is shown.

Such a card 8, e.g. can be made of paper, cardboard or plastic, provides information e.g. on the use and / or the contents of the cassette 1. This marking may, for example, consist of a coloration of the card, which correlates with the contents of the cassette and provides a reliable person with this system reliable information about the contents of the cassette, without this must be opened. The coloration may be e.g. mean that the cassette contains only banknotes of a particular denomination or the cassette is intended for a certain customer or ATM.

Furthermore, the card 8 may also have an inscription, e.g. have such a determination or the cassette contents. Preferably, however, the card 8 will be a chip card in whose memory data on the usage and / or content of the cartridge are or can be stored. In a cash deposit machine, for example, data about the number and / or the value of the banknotes stored in the associated cassette, optionally with further information about associated deposit transactions, are contactlessly written and stored in the memory of the chip card.

As already mentioned above, there is a particular advantage of the exchangeability of the cards is that the cassettes can be equipped in a particularly simple manner individually with interchangeable markings. Each customer can thus at any time put in his own, designed for his special needs cards in these producible as a standard part of cassettes. In addition, these cards can also be easily replaced if he wants to use a different card for a cassette or the cassette is made available to another customer who has other requirements for the card.

FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the handle unit of the cassette 1 after FIG. 1 , The cassette has a handle unit 13 for supporting the cassette. A handle unit is particularly preferred because the flexibility afforded by the features mentioned above and below and ease of use, especially in transport cassettes is of particular advantage.

The in the FIG. 1 not shown handle unit 13 is integrated in one of the above-mentioned or another side wall 14 of the housing 2. It comprises a retractable handle portion 15 comprising two elongate gripping surfaces 16, 17 which are pivotable relative to each other about an axis 18 connecting the two components 16, 17. The grip part 15 is fastened in a depression 19 of the wall 14. For this purpose, the trough 19 has a survey in the form of a rail 20, wherein in the FIG. 2 the left end of the first gripping surface 16 is pivotally fixed to the left end of the rail 20. The right end of the other gripping surface 17 is pivotally fixed on a rail carriage 21, which in turn is slidably mounted in the direction L of the longitudinal axis of the rail 20 on this. The trough 19 has a width in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L, which is greater than the width of the rail 20 and sufficient to be able to grip the handle portion 15 in the trough 19 easily by hand.

FIG. 2 shows the handle unit 13 in a gripping position, in the handle portion of the wall 14 is spaced to be grasped manually. By a slight pressure on the gripping surfaces 16,17, the handle part can be moved by sliding the carriage 21 to the right in a rest position, not shown, in which the two gripping surfaces 16, 17 are aligned with each other and abut against the wall 14. The gripping surfaces are preferably a cross-section in the form of an upside down "U" have, so that they engage around the rail in the rest position tight fitting.

The handle part 15 can thus be sunk in the trough 19. The cassette 1 has a small footprint in this retracted rest position, so that Also several cassettes 1 stored compactly and, for example, can be stacked close to each other vertically and / or horizontally. The particular advantage of the construction with the two pivotally mounted sliding surfaces 16,17 is that the handle part is not pushed into the depth of the interior 3 of the cassette 1 in, but only laterally in the trough 19 must slide.

A further advantageous embodiment shows the FIG. 3 , The cassette 1, for example, a cassette 1 according to the FIG. 1 can be, is designed so that the handle unit can be releasably attached either on two opposite sides 14, 22 of the cassette housing 2. The side walls 14 and 22 each have a recess 23, wherein in the FIG. 3 only that of the wall 14 can be seen. In this recess 23, a complemantär shaped handle unit can be used and releasably secured. The handle unit 13 with grip part 15 and associated bowl part 19 according to the FIG. 2 may be such a removable unit, for example. For releasable attachment, for example depressions 24 may be present in the base of the two recesses 23 or in the lateral boundary wall 30, in which the associated fixing pins of the removable handle unit can releasably engage.

This simple interchangeability of the handle unit makes it possible, for example, to make such a cassette suitable both for a loading of an ATM from the front, as well as from behind by the handle unit is mounted on the side facing the operator to simply insert the cassette into the ATM and be able to pull out of it later.

Preferably, the cassette 1 will further comprise a storage shelf 27, which may also be selectively releasably secured to the two opposite sides 14, 22 of the cassette housing 2. The storage shelf 27 has in each case four corner areas a rubberized spacer pin 29, which serve the cassette 1, e.g. to be able to park safely on this storage shelf 27 during transport.

The storage plate 27 may be formed, for example, so that it can be shaped complementary to the recess 23 and inserted into this. Alternatively, it can also, as in the FIG. 3 is shown, a plate 27, which has approximately the dimensions of the two side walls 14, 22.

For attachment to the housing 2, the storage shelf 27 in this case preferably in addition to two intended for engagement in the recesses 24 mounting pins, which are located on the bottom 31 of the plate 27 and in the FIG. 3 can not be seen, continue to include the formed on the left end, vertically downwardly extending partially elastic side wall 32. On the inside there are also two mounting pins 28, one of which in the FIG. 3 can be seen. These engage in mounting in the corresponding recesses 25 on the left side wall 26 of the cassette housing 2 a. Although not shown in the drawing, the cassette side wall 26 in the area where the Abstellplattenseitenwand 32 is fixed, have a reduced thickness, so that the surface of the cassette housing 2 with attached and fixed storage shelf 27 is substantially flat.

Claims (12)

1. A security cassette (1) for bank notes having a housing (2) with one wall (14) of the cassette (1) having a handle unit (13) with a foldaway grip member (15) which can be moved into a gripping position in which the grip member (15) is spaced from the wall (14) so as to be capable of being manually grasped, and can be moved into a rest position in which the grip member (15) lies against the wall (14), characterized in that the grip member (15) has two components (16; 17) which are adapted to swivel relative to each other around an axle (18) connecting the two components (16; 17), with one of the two components (16, 17) being fixed at one end in swiveling fashion to a rail carriage (21) which is fastened slidably to a rail (20).
2. The cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that the handle unit (13) further comprises an area of the cassette wall (14) having a cavity (19), and the grip member (15) is retracted in the cavity (19) in the rest position such that the grip member (15) does not project from the wall (14).
3. The cassette according to claim 2, characterized in that the cavity (19) has a width that is at least a finger breadth greater than the width of the grip member (15) and/or the cavity (19) is so formed that the depth of the cavity (19) in an area where the grip member (15) is located in the rest position is smaller than the depth of the area of the cavity (19) surrounding the grip member (15) in the rest position.
4. The cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that the two components (16; 17) are oriented flush relative to each other in the rest position and oriented at an angle relative to each other in the gripping position.
5. The cassette according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that the cassette (1) has a handle unit (13) with a grip member (15), and the handle unit (13) can be detachably fastened alternatively to two opposite sides (14; 22) of the housing (2).
6. The cassette according to claim 5, characterized in that the housing (2) has on each of the two opposite sides (14; 22) identical recesses (23) into which the handle unit (13) can be detachably inserted and/or the housing (2) has for each of the two opposite sides (14; 22) identical fastening means (24; 25) for detachably fastening the handle unit (13).
7. The cassette according to claim 6, characterized in that the cassette (1) further has a storage plate (27) which can likewise be detachably inserted alternatively into the recess (23) on the two opposite sides (14; 22) of the housing (2) and/or be detachably fastened with the fastening means (24; 25) alternatively to the two opposite sides (14; 22) of the housing (2).
8. The cassette according to any of the previous claims, characterized in that a wall (9) of the housing (2) has a receiving pocket (5) into which a card (8) can be inserted and from which the card (8) can be removed.
9. The cassette according to claim 8, characterized in that the receiving pocket (5) has a lookthrough window (11) through which the card (8) inserted into the receiving pocket (5) is visible from outside.
10. The cassette according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the housing (2) is adapted to be opened and/or locked, and the receiving pocket (5) is designed so that the card (8) can be removed only when the housing (2) is open and/or unlocked.
11. The cassette according to any of claims 8 to 10, characterized in that the card (8) can be inserted into the receiving pocket (5) and removed therefrom through a receiving opening (6) present in the housing (2).
12. The cassette according to claim 11, characterized in that the housing (2) is adapted to be opened and/or locked, and the receiving opening (6) is accessible from the outside only when the housing (2) is open and/or unlocked.

Images