EP2913801B1 - Money box with adjustable belt support - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a cash box which comprises a receiving area for receiving a stack of banknotes and an opening for the machine supply and / or removal of banknotes to or from the receiving area, which can be closed by a locking unit. Furthermore, the cash box has a bottom unit which delimits the receiving area in the direction of a cassette bottom, this bottom unit comprising at least one belt on which the edges of the notes of value received in the receiving area stand.

Known cash cassettes have a first opening through which notes of value can be fed in and removed automatically, for example when the cash cassette is accommodated in an automated teller machine. The notes of value received in the cash box are arranged in the form of a stack of notes and their edges contact the belts of the base unit, which can be moved in the direction of supply of the notes of value and against the direction of supply of the notes of value, so that the frictional forces between the notes of value and the belts also the notes of value can be moved within the receiving area.

Furthermore, the known cash cassettes have a second opening which can be closed by a cover and via which the notes of value can be fed in and / or removed manually, for example in a cash center. When the notes of value are fed in manually, the problem often arises that individual Notes of value protrude a little from the rest of the stack of notes. When this stack of banknotes is introduced into the receiving area, due to the relatively high friction between the belt and the banknotes, these protruding banknotes are pulled under the other banknotes of the bank of banknotes when the bank of banknotes is pushed over the belt. The notes of value are then not arranged according to plan within the stack of notes, so that problems can arise when the notes of value are paid out automatically.

Such cash boxes are for example from the documents DE 10 2008 018 975 A1 and DE 10 2009 058 519 A1 known.

It is the object of the invention to specify a cash box in which notes of value can be safely fed to a receiving area both by machine and manually.

This object is achieved by a cash box with the features of the claim. Advantageous further developments of the invention are given in the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the cash box has a belt support which is adjustable between a first and a second position, the belt support lifting the belt in the second position relative to the first position in the direction of the receiving area. Thus, when the belt support is adjusted, the belt is also moved between the first and the second position, namely raised in such a way that that it protrudes further into the receiving area of the cash box, so that when the belt support is arranged in the second position, there is greater frictional force between the belt and the notes of value received in the receiving area than when the belt support is arranged in the first position.

This ensures that the frictional forces prevailing between the belts and the notes of value can be adjusted in a simple manner and thus adapted to the respective situation. In particular, in situations in which a large frictional force is necessary, for example when paying in notes of value by machine, the belt supports can be arranged in the second position, so that a large frictional force acts. Conversely, the belt support is arranged in the first position in particular when a low frictional force between the belt and the notes of value is advantageous, for example when the notes of value are fed in manually.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base unit has at least two belts, which are preferably arranged parallel to one another. In this case, in particular, a further belt support is also provided, one belt support being assigned to a belt and serving to lift this belt by moving it from a first to a second position.

By providing several belts, which can be lifted accordingly over their respective belt supports, is A secure storage and a more reliable transport of the bank notes achieved.

In an alternative embodiment, more than two belts can also be provided.

In particular, the straps are arranged symmetrically to a central axis of the cash box. Correspondingly, the belt supports are also preferably arranged correspondingly symmetrically.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if the two belts and / or the two belt supports are each shaped identically, so that as few different components as possible are required and inexpensive mass production is possible.

The belts are preferably guided over deflection elements, e.g. rollers or gears, at least one of these deflection elements being drivable via a drive unit, so that driving the deflection element and also the corresponding belt can be driven, whereby the notes of value received in the receiving area are between the belt and the notes of value can also be moved within the receiving area in the direction of the opening or away from the opening. Thus, a secure deposit and withdrawal of the bank notes is achieved.

The following features described for the one belt and the one belt support can in particular also be implemented for the other belt or the other belt support or the other belts and / or the other belt support or the other belt supports.

The belt support is arranged in the second position during machine feeding of notes of value via the opening, so that there is correspondingly high friction between the notes of value and the belt during machine feeding, so that they can be reliably transported further away from the opening into the receiving area. The cash box preferably has a further opening which can be closed by means of a cover and via which notes of value can be fed in and / or removed manually. During the manual feeding and / or removal of notes of value, the belt support is arranged in the first position in particular via this further opening, so that there is only a lower frictional force between the belt and the notes of value during manual feeding, so that it is prevented that protruding from a pile of notes of value Notes of value are drawn under the other notes of the stack of notes due to the prevailing frictional forces. This ensures that the notes of value are always aligned in the intended position and that they can be safely fed in and removed.

The two openings are in particular arranged on different sides of the cash box. The opening for machine feeding is in particular on one end face and the opening for manual feeding is on the upper side of the Cash box arranged so that the two openings are offset by 90 ° to each other.

In particular, an adjustment unit is provided for moving the belt support from the first to the second position. This adjustment unit can be a drive unit, for example. Alternatively, as described in more detail below, the adjustment can also take place via the locking unit.

The belt support is pretensioned in the first position in particular via an elastic element and is moved from the first to the second position via the adjustment unit against a restoring force of this elastic element. Moving back from the second to the first position then takes place in particular due to the restoring force of the elastic element, so that the adjustment unit only needs to adjust in one direction.

The elastic element can in particular be a spring. Alternatively or additionally, the elastic element can also be the belt itself, which is designed to be elastic and is deformed accordingly when the belt support is raised, i.e. when the belt support is adjusted from the first to the second position and thus exerts a restoring force on the belt support.

Alternatively, the belt support can also be moved back from the second position to the first position by gravity as soon as it is no longer held in the second position by the adjustment unit.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, when the belt support is arranged in the first position, the belt is arranged parallel to the cassette bottom. In particular, that surface of the belt on which the notes of value stand with their edges is arranged parallel to the cassette bottom. If the belt is raised by the belt support, the plane defined by its surface no longer runs parallel to the cassette floor. In particular, the belt is correspondingly curved upwards at the point at which the belt support is arranged.

It is also advantageous if the belt support contacts the belt both in the first and in the second position, which has the advantage that the belt is also guided through the belt support in the first position. In an alternative embodiment, the belt support can also contact the belt only in the second position and can be arranged at a predetermined distance from the belt in the first position.

The belt support is designed in particular in such a way that a frictional force prevailing between it and the belt is as low as possible, so that the belt can be moved easily even when it is raised above the belt support.

The closure unit comprises in particular several elements that are articulated to one another, these elements being shaped in particular in such a way that overall a louvre-shaped construction of the closure unit is achieved so that it is as articulated as possible and can easily be moved from the open to a closed position.

In particular, the closure unit is arranged in a closed position in such a way that it closes the opening, and in an open position in such a way that it does not close the opening. The belt support is then arranged in the second position when the locking unit is arranged in the open position, and then arranged in the first position when the locking unit is arranged in the closed position.

A machine supply or removal of notes of value only takes place when the closure unit is arranged in the open position, that is, whenever the belt support is arranged in the second position. If, on the other hand, the locking unit is arranged in the closed position, then there is no machine feeding or removal of notes of value, so that the belt support does not have to be arranged in the second position, but can be arranged in the first position, so that it is ensured that at a possible supply and / or removal of notes of value via the further opening, the belt support is arranged in the first position and thus the lowest possible frictional force acts.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the closure unit automatically moves the belt support from the first to the second position when it is moved from the closed position to the open position. This means that no separate adjustment unit is necessary for adjusting the belt support, in particular no drive unit, but the adjustment takes place automatically via the locking unit. In particular, only minimal structural changes to the cash box are necessary and the existing box mechanism can be used. In addition, this has the advantage that the adjustment of the belt support cannot be forgotten and it is ensured that the belt support actually always occurs when the locking unit is in the open position, i.e. when notes of value can possibly be fed in and removed by machine is arranged in the second position.

The belt support is moved back from the second to the first position automatically due to the force of gravity of the belt support and / or restoring forces of elastic elements when the closure unit is moved from the open to the closed position and thus no longer holds the belt support in the second position. Alternatively, the belt support can also be moved back from the second to the first position actively via the locking unit.

The locking unit preferably has at least one, preferably at least two projections, via which the belt support is raised into the second position when the locking unit is arranged in the open position is. The projections are in particular ramp-shaped, ie they have beveled side flanks, so that when the locking unit is moved from the closed to the open position, the belt support slowly, in particular continuously, runs onto the ramp-shaped projections and is thus raised. In particular, the belt support likewise has projections which contact the projections of the locking unit when the locking unit is arranged in the open position.

In the embodiment with a plurality of belt supports for a plurality of belts, at least one, preferably two projections, which are preferably likewise designed in the shape of a ramp, are provided in particular for each belt support.

In the open position, the locking unit is preferably at least partially, in particular completely, accommodated in a gap between the bottom unit and the cassette bottom, so that the locking unit can be accommodated in a space-saving manner and there is no contact with the notes of value, so that disruptions are avoided.

The base unit has, in particular, a cover element which delimits the gap from the receiving area. In this base unit, in particular, recesses are provided through which the belt support protrudes at least partially within the gap located under the base unit, so that the contact to the locking unit for adjustment the belt support is possible from the first to the second position.

Further features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description, which explains the invention in more detail on the basis of exemplary embodiments in connection with the accompanying figures.

Figur 1

eine schematische, perspektivische Darstellung einer Geldkassette;

Figur 2

einen Ausschnitt der Geldkassette nach Figur 1;

Figur 3

einen weiteren Ausschnitt der Geldkassette nach Figur 1; und

Figur 4

einen weiteren Ausschnitt der Geldkassette nach Figur 1.

Show it:

Figure 1

a schematic, perspective view of a cash box;

Figure 2

a section of the cash box Figure 1 ;

Figure 3

another section of the cash box Figure 1 ; and

Figure 4

another section of the cash box Figure 1 .

In Figure 1 a schematic, perspective illustration of a cash box 10 is shown. The money cassette 10 has a housing 12 which comprises a cassette base 14 which, when the money cassette is properly aligned, that is to say in particular with the orientation that the cash cassette 10 has when it is received in a device for handling notes of value, for example an ATM, is arranged horizontally.

Furthermore, the cash box 10 has a first opening 18 that can be closed by a closure unit 16 and a second opening 22 that can be closed by a cover 20 Appreciate. The machine supply and / or removal takes place in particular via separating and stacking modules of devices for handling notes of value, for example from ATMs, automatic cash register systems and / or automatic safe cash registers.

The second opening 22, on the other hand, is used for the manual supply of notes of value, as is done, for example, in a cash center. The notes of value are received in the receiving area 24 in the form of a stack of notes and their edges stand on belts 28, 30 of a base unit 26 which delimits the receiving area 24 in the direction of the cassette base 14. The belts 28, 30 are designed as endless belts and are each guided over two deflection elements 32, 34, which can be designed as gear wheels, for example. At least one of these deflection elements 32, 34 can be driven via a drive unit, not shown, so that the belts 28, 30 can also be driven accordingly, so that the notes of value standing with their edges on the belts 28, 30 by moving the belts 28, 30 inside of the receiving area 24 can be transported away from the first opening 18 or towards the first opening 18.

Furthermore, the receiving area 24 is limited by a pressure carriage 36, which biases the notes of value received in the receiving area 24 in the direction of the first opening 18 and thus holds them under the necessary pressure so that the notes of value cannot fall over and can be easily removed and fed.

The closure unit 16 comprises a multiplicity of sub-areas 38 to 46, which are each connected to one another in an articulated manner, so that overall a blind-shaped structure results. In Figure 1 the closure unit 16 is arranged in a closed position in which it closes the first opening 18. The locking unit 16 can be moved from this closed position to an open position in the direction of the arrow P1, the locking unit 16 not closing the first opening 18 in the open position so that notes of value can be fed in and / or removed via it.

The closure unit 16 has at least one in Figure 1 Invisible engagement element, in which a complementary engagement element engages when the cash cassette 10 is inserted into a device for handling notes of value, for example an ATM, whereby the locking unit 16 automatically moves from the closed in the open Position and vice versa when removing the cash box 10 is moved from the open to the closed position, so that no separate drive unit is necessary for this and the opening and closing cannot be forgotten. In particular, this reduces the susceptibility to errors.

The open position of the closure unit 16 is shown in FIG. 3, only a part of the partial areas 38 to 46 being shown here. In particular, only the partial areas 44, 46, or only the frontmost partial area 46, arranged at the front end of the closure unit 16 as seen in the direction of movement P1 are shown.

When adding or removing notes of value by machine via the first opening 18, it is important that there is a sufficiently high frictional force between the belts 28, 30 and the notes of value so that they can be moved reliably in the feeding direction or the removal direction.

When manually feeding notes of value via the second opening 22, on the other hand, a large frictional force is disadvantageous, since notes of value protruding from a stack of notes can be pulled under the other notes of value when being guided over the belts 28, 30, so that they are no longer arranged within the stack and errors can occur when paying out notes of value.

In order to achieve a high frictional force for the machine feeding and a correspondingly reduced frictional force for the manual feeding, the cash box comprises for each belt 28, 30 a belt support 50, 52 assigned to the respective belt 28, 30, which is positioned between one in the Figures 2 and 4th first position shown and in an in Figure 3 second position shown are adjustable.

In the first position, the belt supports 50, 52 are arranged in recesses in a delimiting element 54 of the floor unit 26 and do not contact the belts 28, 30. In the second position, however, the belt supports are raised so far relative to the first position in the direction of the arrow P2 in the direction of the receiving area 24 that they also the belts 28, 30 in the direction of the receiving area 24, i.e. in the direction of the arrow P2 relative to the in the Figures 2 and 4th the position shown. For this purpose, the belt supports 50, 52 contact in particular that side of the belts 28, 30 which is opposite to the side with which the belts 28, 30 contact the notes of value.

By raising the belts 28, 30 into the second position, it is achieved that when the belt supports 50, 52 are arranged in the second position, there is a greater frictional force between the belts 28, 30 and the notes of value received in the receiving area 24 than when the belt supports 50, 52 are arranged in the first position.

When the belt supports 50, 52 are arranged in the first position, the belts 28, 30 extend in particular in FIG a plane which is directed parallel to the delimiting element 54 and parallel to the cassette bottom 14. If, on the other hand, the belt supports 50, 52 are arranged in a second position, the belts 28, 30 curve in the direction of the receiving area 24. The plane defined by those surfaces of the belts 28, 30 that contact the notes of value is no longer parallel to the cassette bottom 14 arranged.

The belt supports 50, 52 are arranged in the second position in particular when a machine supply and / or removal of notes of value takes place via the first opening 18. In contrast, the belt supports 50, 52 are arranged in the first position when a manual supply of notes of value takes place via the second opening 22. It is thus achieved that with machine feeding there is a significantly greater frictional force between the belts 28, 30 and the notes of value than with manual feeding.

The adjustment of the belts 28, 30 from the first to the second position takes place in particular via the locking unit 16. For this purpose, the locking unit 16 has two ramp-shaped projections 56, 58 for each belt support 50, 52, via which the respective belt support 50, 52 can be moved from the first can be raised to the second position. When the locking unit 16 is moved from the closed to the open position, projections 60, 62 of the belt supports 50, 52 run onto beveled areas 64, 66 of the ramp-shaped projections 56, 58, so that the belt supports 50, 52 when the locking unit 16 is opened automatically moved from the first to the second position.

This has the advantage that no separate adjustment unit is required to adjust the belt supports 50, 52, but this takes place automatically via the opening of the closure unit 16, which is absolutely necessary for the machine paying in or paying out notes of value. In addition, it is ensured that the belt supports 50, 52 are always automatically arranged in the second position during the machine supply and / or removal of notes of value.

If the locking unit 16 is moved again from the open to the closed position, the belt supports 50, 52 preferably automatically move back into the first position. This moving back can take place through the force of gravity of the belt supports 50, 52 and / or a restoring force of an elastic element. In particular, the belts 28, 30 themselves exert a restoring force on the belt supports 50, 52 due to their upward curvature, so that the return movement from the second to the first position also takes place automatically when the closure unit 16 is closed.

Thus, there is no need to provide a separate adjustment mechanism for the belt supports 50, 52, so that in particular only very few changes to the cash box mechanism are necessary.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, only one belt support 50, 52 can be provided, which is designed so wide that it lifts both belts 28, 30, when it is moved from the first to the second position.

List of reference symbols

10

Cashbox

12th

casing

14th

Cassette bottom

16

Locking unit

18, 22

opening

20th

lid

24

Recording area

26th

Ground unit

28, 30

belt

32, 34

Deflection element

36

Pressure carriage

38 to 46

Sub-area

50, 52

Strap support

54

Delimitation element

56, 58

head Start

60, 62

head Start

64, 66

Side flank

P1, P2

direction

Claims (14)

1. Cash box

   having an accommodating region (24) for accommodating a stack of notes of value,

   having an opening (18), which can be closed via a closure unit (16) and through which notes of value are mechanically fed to the accommodating region (24) and/or removed from the same, and

   having a base unit (26), which delimits the accommodating region (24) in the direction of a box base (14),

   wherein the base unit (26) comprises at least one belt (28, 30), on which the notes of value accommodated in the accommodating region (24) stand on edge,

   characterized in that at least one belt support (50, 52) is provided, and this belt support can be adjusted between a first position and a second position, and

   in that, in the second position, the belt support (50, 52) raises the belt (28, 30) in the direction (P2) of the accommodating region (24) relative to the first position,

   such that the belt projects further into the accommodating region of the cash box, and therefore, when the belt support is arranged in the second position, a greater level of frictional force prevails between the belt and the notes of value accommodated in the accommodating region than when the belt support is arranged in the first position.
2. Cash box (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the base unit (26) comprises at least two belts (28, 30), and in that each belt (28, 30) is provided with a respective belt support (50, 52) which, in the second position, raises the respective belt (28, 30) in the direction (P2) of the accommodating region (24) relative to the first position.
3. Cash box (10) according to Claim 2, characterized in that the two belts (28, 30) and/or the two belt supports (50, 52) are formed identically.
4. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the belt (28, 30) is guided via deflecting elements (32, 34), in particular rollers, of which at least one is drivable.
5. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when notes of value are being mechanically fed and/or removed via the opening (18), the belt support (50, 52) is arranged in the second position.
6. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cash box (10) has a further opening (22), which can be closed by a cover (20) and through which notes of value are manually fed and/or removed, and in that, when notes of value are being manually fed and/or removed via the further opening (22), the belt support (50, 52) is arranged in the first position.
7. Cash box (10) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the opening (18) and the further opening (20) are arranged on different sides of the cash box (10) which are offset through 90° in relation to one another.
8. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an adjusting unit (16) is provided for the purpose of moving the belt support (50, 52) from the first position into the second position.
9. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the belt support (50, 52) is prestressed in the first position via an elastic element, in particular the belt (28, 30) itself, and can be moved from the first position into the second position counter to a restoring force of the elastic element.
10. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, when the belt support (50, 52) is arranged in the first position, the belt (28, 30) is arranged parallel to the box base (14).
11. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in a closed position, the closure unit (16) closes the opening (18) and, in an open position, it does not close the opening (18), and in that the belt support (50, 52) is arranged in the second position when the closure unit (16) is arranged in the open position and is arranged in the first position when the closure unit (16) is arranged in the closed position.
12. Cash box (10) according to Claim 11, characterized in that, as it moves from the closed position into the open position, the closure unit (16) moves the belt support (50, 52) automatically from the first position into the second position.
13. Cash box (10) according to Claim 12, characterized in that the closure unit (16) has a protrusion (56, 58), preferably two protrusions (56, 58), in particular one or two ramp-form protrusions (56, 58), for the purpose of raising the belt support (50, 52) from the first position into the second position.
14. Cash box (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, in the open position, the closure unit (16) is accommodated at least in part, preferably more or less entirely, in a gap between the base unit (26) and the box base (14).

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