GB2359404A

GB2359404A - Cash storage unit

Info

Publication number: GB2359404A
Application number: GB0003415A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Francis Brooks
Original assignee: Cash Bases Ltd
Current assignee: Cash Bases Ltd
Priority date: 2000-02-15
Filing date: 2000-02-15
Publication date: 2001-08-22
Also published as: GB0003415D0

Abstract

A cash storage unit has a housing 20 and a drawer 30 which is movable between a closed position within the housing and an open position extending from the housing, the drawer having a plurality of compartments 51,52 for storing cash which are configured to move in an upward direction relative to the drawer or the housing when the drawer is in, or is moving towards, its open position. The drawer may move to its open position under the action of a spring, counterbalance or motor 34. The compartments may be lifted by a pivoted L-shaped lifting arm 60 connected to a cable 65, and may be lifted by the opening motion of the drawer. The compartments may be provided on removable inserts.

Description

2359404 Cash Storage Unit The present invention relates to a cash storage

unit for containing coins, bank notes, card transaction slips, coupons, etc. and to a retail check- out system comprising a cash storage unit. The cash storage unit may be a stand-alone unit, or may form a module or a component part of a cash register or check-out system.

Conventional cash registers are known which generally comprise a housing with a keypad and a display, and a cash drawer underneath. The cash drawer generally comprises a tray slidably mounted inside the register. When access to the cash drawer is required, the tray is propelled open towards the operator.

More recently, retail check-out systems have been developed, for example for supermarkets, which are modular in construction and comprise some or all of the following modules: input conveyor, output conveyor, barcode scanner, display(s), weighing scales, card swipe unit, printer and cash storage unit. The check-out will also normally include some form of computer interface, which may be a keyboard or possibly a computer terminal. The card swipe unit may be integral with the computer interface, e.g. as part of the keyboard.

The cash storage unit may comprise a tray for containing the contents of the unit together with a lid which opens on receipt of a command e.g. from the keyboard or check-out microprocessor. Alternatively, the cash storage unit may comprise a drawer and a housing, the drawer moving from a closed position within the housing to an open position in which the contents may be accessed.

When the check-out is in use, the operator will spend the majority of the time facing either the barcode scanner or the keyboard, as the main function of the operator is to record the prices of the goods being purchased. Checkouts are therefore often designed such that the operator faces this price recording station in normal use, with the input conveyor feeding the purchases to the scanner or keyboard from one side. Weighing scales may also be provided directly in front of the operator, e.g. if a verticallymounted barcode scanner is employed.

Due to the amount of equipment already in front of the operator, the cash storage unit is often located in a less than ideal place, for example lower down in front of the operator (possibly due to the depth of the scanner module or weighing scales above), or to one side of the operator. By having the cash storage unit not directly in front of the operator and at a normal working height, the operator is required to stoop, twist or possibly even step sideways to access the drawer. This is undesirable, as it puts physical strain on the operator and also reduces the efficiency of the check-out operation.

The "normal working height" will of course depend on the particular check out configuration. The check-out may be designed to be used by an operator who is either seated or standing, and therefore the working height should be interpreted accordingly. It is generally desirable for the normal working height to be the optimum height for operation of the particular module concerned, in terms of ease of access for the operator (to avoid unnecessary physical movements or strain) and in terms of the overall efficiency of the check-out operation. For example, the optimal working height may be between 85cm and 95cm above the floor, and the maximum operator reach may be 45cm.

In accordance with a first aspect, the present invention provides a cash storage unit comprising a housing and a drawer, the drawer being movable between a closed position in which the drawer is located substantially within the housing and an open position in which the drawer extends from the housing, wherein the drawer includes a plurality of compartments for storing 30 cash which, on the drawer moving from the closed position to the open position, are configured to move in an upward direction relative to the drawer or housing.

In accordance with a second aspect, the present invention provides a cash storage unit comprising a housing and a drawer, the drawer being movable between a closed position in which the drawer is located substantially within the housing and an open position in which the drawer extends from the housing, wherein the drawer includes a plurality of compartments for storing cash which are movable between a lowered position in which the compartments are located substantially within the drawer space and a raised position in which the compartments are lifted relative to the drawer, the arrangement being such that the compartments adopt the raised position when the drawer is in its open position.

The cash storage unit of the invention thus allows the housing to be situated in a relatively low position, e.g. beneath the level of the module(s) forming the price recording station (barcode scanner unit, keyboard, weighing scales), which may be directly in front of the operator at a normal working height. However, the compartments are configured to rise up when the drawer opens, such that they finish in a position which is easier to access by the operator than if the compartments were to remain at drawer height. This allows the housing to be located in space not occupied by other modules, which would be less than ideal with a conventional cash drawer which opens in a single plane. When the drawer is open, the compartments are in a position which allows easier access by the operator, thus reducing physical strain on the operator. Also, by being in a more easily accessible position, the time taken to access the compartments is reduced and therefore the efficiency of the check-out operation is increased. For a busy supermarket check-out, small efficiency savings in one transaction will multiply up and therefore have a larger effect on the throughput of customers in any given trading period.

The drawer space is defined as the space within which an object may be located on the drawer or part thereof, such that the drawer may still open and close. Therefore, it is not necessary for the drawer to be provided with side and rear walls to define a conventional drawer container; indeed, such walls may in fact be superfluous in embodiments of the invention. The compartments should therefore be positioned and sized such that they clear the housing when the drawer moves from the closed position to the open position or vice versa.

Preferably, the final position of the compartments is substantially on a level with the price recording station, which may therefore be at a normal or optimum working height.

In a retail check-out system including the cash storage unit of the invention, the unit may be located directly in front of the operator in use. However, in some situations this may be impractical (e.g. if the operator is seated, and the unit would occupy space provided for the operator's knees), and therefore the unit could be positioned to one side of the operator and configured to open in a direction towards the operator. In this case, the arrangement could be such that when the drawer is in its open position, it occupies a space between the operator's station and the price recording station.

Depending on the particular mechanism employed, the compartments may be configured to move to the raised position only once the drawer has reached its fully open position. Preferably, however, the compartments move to the raised position during at least a portion of the drawer's travel towards its open position. In this way, a smoother operation can be achieved. Also, the opening time of the drawer is minimised and is similar to that of a conventional planar-opening cash drawer.

The compartments may be fixed in position relative to the drawer, and the upward movement of the compartments is relative to the housing. This may be achieved for example by configuring the drawer to open in a non horizontal plane, such that it opens towards the operator at least in part in a vertical direction. Alternatively, the drawer could be configured to be shaped such that vertical movement is incorporated into the drawer's path to the open position. This could be achieved by providing a curved or arcuate drawer (and optionally housing) in which the axis of curvature lies in a substantially horizontal plane. The cash storage unit may then be located beneath the level of the price recording station, the drawer being configured to move to the open position by moving in an upward direction, following its arcuate path.

Of course, in any embodiment where the drawer does not move in a solely horizontal plane, the compartments may need to be appropriately configured to retain the contents in such an embodiment, e.g. by being provided with substantially horizontal bases.

Preferably, however, the compartments are configured to move relative to the drawer.

It is envisaged that the compartments, in addition to moving relative to the drawer in a vertical plane, may also move relative to the drawer in a horizontal plane, e.g. towards the operator. However, the arrangement may be mechanically simpler if the compartments are configured to move only in a vertical plane relative to the drawer.

In preferred embodiments, the drawer is configured to move in a substantially horizontal plane. However, this is not a strict requirement, and the drawer could be configured to move in a non-horizontal plane (e.g.

angled upwards, towards the operator).

In preferred embodiments, it is envisaged that the drawer may be square or rectangular in plan. However, this need not be the case, and the drawer could, for example, be curved, arcuate, or form part of a circle. If the drawer is arcuate, the axis of curvature may be in the vertical or horizontal planes.

In the above embodiment, the axis about which the drawer moves may be substantially vertical, such that the path of movement of the drawer lies in the horizontal plane. Therefore, the drawer may, in its closed position, be located underneath or to one side of the price recording station, and in its open position, extend towards the operator, with the compartments rising relative to the drawer as previously discussed.

The drawer may be configured to move from the closed position to the open position under the action of a spring means or a counterbalance means.

The drawer can then be closed manually by the operator, against the spring force. Alternatively, a motor may be provided to open andlor close the drawer, and also raise andlor lower the compartments.

The cash storage unit may additionally comprise signal receiving means for receiving a signal command to open andlor close the drawer, and optionally to raise andlor lower the compartments. This signal may be provided by the price recording station (e.g. the computer terminal or the keyboard), either automatically or as a result of an operator command. The signal receiving means may, in one embodiment, comprise a release mechanism such as a solenoid which, when activated, allows the drawer to move towards the open position under the action of a spring or counterbalance. Alternatively, the signal receiving means may be connected to the or each motor for propelling the drawer andlor the compartments to their respective open and raised positions.

When a motor is employed, microswitches may be used to stop the motor when the drawer is in the fully closed or fully open positions, or when the compartments are in the fully lowered or fully raised positions.

As mentioned above, the motor may be used to move the drawer to the closed position. In this case, it is preferable to provide force-limiting or cut out means which senses when there is an obstruction to the closure of the drawer, such as the operator's fingers or hand, or such as contents of the compartments not being properly stowed.

Preferably, the compartments are mounted on a carrier means. This may take the form of a compartment support frame slidably mounted on runners attached to the drawer. The compartments may be formed integrally with the carrier means, or may be separable therefrom.

The compartments are preferably provided in the form of an insert which is removable from the drawer, with or without the carrier means, if present.

More than one insert may be provided, such that individual compartments or groups of compartments may be removed independently. The or each insert may be provided with a lid, for example for covering the insert when removed from the drawer, in order to provide increased security and to avoid the accidental loss of the contents. The lid may be provided with a key operated lock for securing it to the insert. The insert andlor lid may be formed from metal or plastics.

The cash storage unit is preferably provided with lifting means for raising the compartments to the raised position. As mentioned above, this lifting means may be a motor. Preferably, however, mechanical means are provided for the lifting means, as this may in practice be more reliable and less prone to failure. There will be a number of different mechanical arrangements suitable for lifting the compartments. For example, the compartments may move to the raised position under the action of a spring means or a counterbalance means.

An arrangement may be provided for raising the compartments whereby the opening motion of the drawer is converted into lifting motion of the compartments. In preferred embodiments of the invention, this is provided by a lifting arm which is in the form of an angled (preferably rightangled) shaft. The shaft is rotatably mounted on the drawer (or at least relative to the drawer) at the point of intersection between the two lifting arm members forming the angled arm. The distal end of one of the arms is slidably connected to the compartment carrier means, and the distal end of the other arm is configured to engage a retaining means. The retaining means is configured to limit the travel of that part of the arm as the arm moves forwards with the drawer. The arrangement is such that on engagement with the retaining means, the arm rotates about the intersection point, which then acts as a fulcrum, raising the distal end of the arm engaging the carrier means, and therefore raising the carrier means.

The retaining means may be any suitable means for limiting the travel of a portion of the lifting means. For example, the retaining means may be a stop or bar provided on the housing, or a spring means attached between the lifting means and the housing. In preferred embodiments, the retaining means comprises a cable connected between the lifting means and the housing.

The cash storage unit or cash drawer, in preferred embodiments, is provided with locking means to lock the drawer in the closed position. This may comprise an electronic lock, a rernotely-operable lock, or a keyoperated lock.

The invention also extends to a cash register comprising a cash storage unit as described above, and also to a retail check-out system comprising such a cash storage unit. As mentioned previously, the retail check-out system may include one or more of the following modules: input conveyor, output conveyor, barcode scanner, display(s), weighing means, card swipe unit, computer terminal, keyboard, printer.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a cash storage unit in accordance with the invention, with the drawer in a closed position; Fig. 2 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a cash storage unit in accordance with the invention, with the drawer in an open position; Fig. 3 shows a side elevation cross-sectional view of a cash storage unit in accordance with the invention, with the drawer in a closed position; Fig. 4 shows a side elevation cross-sectional view of the cash storage unit of Fig. 3 with the drawer in an open position; Fig. 5 shows in perspective view an example of a compartment insert for use in a cash storage unit of the invention; and Fig. 6 shows an alternative embodiment for the lifting arm.

With reference to Fig. 1, the cash storage unit shown generally as 10 comprises a housing 20 having planar sides and a drawer 30, only the front panel of which is visible in this Figure. The drawer may be locked in the closed position by means of a key-operated lock 31. A slot 32 is provided in the front panel of the drawer 30, to allow the insertion of e. g. credit card slips or cheques without the necessity to open the drawer 30.

Fig. 2 shows a slightly different drawer front, but the principles of operation are the same as for the drawer of Fig. 1, as will be described below. In Fig.

2, the drawer 30 is shown in its open position. Also showing are compartment carrier 40 which is mounted to the drawer 30 by means of vertical runners 41, and compartment insert 50 comprising coin storage compartments 51 and note or coupon storage compartments 52. Insert 50 is removable from carrier 40.

Turning to Figs. 3 and 4, the internal components and the operation of the cash storage unit in accordance with the invention will now be described.

Drawer 30 is configured to move between the closed position (Fig. 3) and the open position (Fig. 4) by moving on runners shown schematically as 33. A pair of runners are provided in practice, one being mounted on each side wall of the housing 20. The drawer is propelled from the closed position to the open position by means of a motor 34 and a gearing system 35 which acts on a rack 36 connected to the movable drawer 30. In the preferred embodiment, the motor is employed in both opening and closing the drawer 30, although the drawer may of course be closed manually.

Drawer 30 comprises a base 37 mounted onto the movable part of the runners 33, together with front and rear walls 38 and 39 (Fig. 4). The Figure also shows removable compartment insert 50 having compartments 51 and 52. Carrier 40 is mounted on drawer 30 by means of runners 41 mounted on the front and rear walls 38 and 39. The compartment insert 50 in this 15 figure shows an upper note or coupon storage compartment 52 above a lower note or coupon storage compartment 53 which may be accessed by lifting up upper note storage compartment 52. The upper note storage compartment may be hinged at the rear.

The carrier and compartment insert are moved between the lowered position and the raised position by means of lifting arm 60. Lifting arm 60 comprises two members 61 and 62, which are essentially straight and configured to be at right-angles to one another. Lifting arm 60 is mounted on the drawer at a pivot point 63, and is free to rotate about this point. The distal end of 25 member 61 is mounted on a slider 64 which is attached by two points to the underside of carrier 40. This slider allows horizontal movement of the end of arm 61 relative to the carrier, but not vertical movement relative thereto. The distal end of arm 62 is connected to the housing 20 by means of a cable 65. The point of attachment of cable 65 to the housing 20 can be 30 adjusted to determine when the carrier and compartments begin to raise in the opening sequence of the drawer, and the length of the cable 65 can be controlled to determine the maximum height to which the compartments are raised. By attaching the cable 65 to the lowest possible point in the housing, as shown in Fig. 4, the maximum lifting height of the compartments can be 35 achieved.

The opening sequence of the drawer will now be explained. With reference to Fig. 3, the drawer 30 is in the closed position, with the carrier and compartments wholly within the area swept out by the front panel of the drawer 20 on its travel from the closed to the open positions. Lifting arm 60 is positioned such that member 61 is substantially horizontal and member 62 is substantially vertical. Cable 65 is slack.

On receipt of a command to open, motor 34 begins to operate and propel drawer 30 forward on its runners 33. Compartment insert 50 and carrier 40 will remain in their lower position until such time as cable 65 becomes taut, at which time horizontal movement of the distal end of member 62 of the lifting arm 60 is substantially arrested. Once this point is reached, lifting arm 60 begins to rotate clockwise about fulcrum point 63, causing the distal end of member 61 to raise vertically, lifting carrier 40 and compartment 50 relative to the drawer 30 on runners 41.

In this embodiment, member 61 is longer than member 62 such that the vertical movement of the distal end of member 61 at the slider 64 is amplified compared to that of the distal end of member 62. In one embodiment, member 61 is about 240mm in length and member 62 is about 140mm in length. The drawer travel may be about 21Omm horizontally.

Once the drawer has reached its fully open position, motor 34 will cut off due to the presence of a microswitch (not shown), and compartment insert 50 will therefore be in its fully-raised position, for access of the compartments by the operator.

When it is desired to close the drawer, which may be performed either by the motor 34 acting in reverse, or by the operator manually pushing the drawer towards the closed position, the weight of the carrier 40 and compartment insert 50 (and any contents) acts down through member 61 and counteracts the relaxing tension force in cable 65. Therefore, lifting arm begins to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction, allowing carrier 40 and compartment insert 50 to lower relative to the drawer 30. Once the carrier and insert 50 are in their lowermost position, member 61 will be in a substantially horizontal position, and cable 65 will become slack. Drawer 30 can then continue on its path towards the fully closed position, with insert 50 and carrier 40 being beneath the top of drawer front face, such that they clear the top edge of the housing 20. When the drawer reaches its fullyclosed position, as shown in Fig. 3, the motor (if being employed) will cut off through the action of a second microswitch (not shown).

Fig. 5 shows an example of a compartment insert 50 removed from the carrier 40. The coin storage compartments at the front of the insert have been removed, as has the central note storage compartment. One of the upper note or coupon storage compartments 52 is shown pivoted upwards to allow access to a lower note compartment 53. The insert may be provided with a lid (not shown) for increased security during transportation, and the lid may be lockable. The inserts may also be configured to be stackable, e.g. by providing interlocking projections or relief on the upper and lower surfaces.

Fig. 6 shows an alternative embodiment for lifting arm 60. Instead of a slider mechanism at the distal end of member 61, a pair of rollers 66 are shown mounted at the ends of a bar 67. The rollers act on the underside of carrier 40, and may be spaced so as to distribute the lifting force more evenly on the carrier 40. A further roller 68 is provided at the distal end of member 62, 20 which is intended to engage part of the housing 20 (e.g. a projection depending from the housing top surface) to initiate the lifting of carrier 40 and insert 50, in place of the cable 65. Of course, these are mechanical alternatives to the configuration shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and are interchangeable.

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Claims

Claims:

1. A cash storage unit comprising a housing and a drawer, the drawer being movable between a closed position in which the drawer is located substantially within the housing and an open position in which the drawer extends from the housing, wherein the drawer includes a plurality of compartments for storing cash which, on the drawer moving from the closed position to the open position, are configured to move in an upward direction relative to the drawer or housing.

2. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compartments move to the raised position during at least a portion of the drawees travel towards its open position.

3. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the compartments are fixed in position relative to the drawer, and the upward movement of the compartments is relative to the housing.

4. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the compartments are configured to move relative to the drawer.

5. A cash storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the drawer is configured to move from the closed position to the open position under the action of a spring, a counterbalance or a motor.

6. A cash storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the compartments are mounted on a carrier means.

7. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the carrier means comprises a compartment support frame slidably mounted on runners attached to the drawer.

8. A cash storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cash storage unit is provided with lifting means for raising the compartments to the raised position.

9. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lifting means 1. 1 comprises a spring, a counterbalance or a motor.

10. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the lifting means is adapted to convert the opening motion of the drawer into lifting motion of the compartments.

11. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 8 or 10, wherein the lifting means comprises a lifting arm which is in the form of an angled, preferably right-angled, shaft formed by first and second lifting arm members.

12. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 11, wherein the shaft is rotatably mounted relative to the drawer at the point of intersection between the two lifting arm members.

13. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the distal end of the first lifting arm member is in communication with the compartments and the distal end of the second lifting arm member is configured to engage a retaining means which limits the travel of that part of the lifting arm as the arm moves forwards with the drawer such that, on engagement with the 20 retaining means, the lifting arm rotates about the intersection point, raising the distal end of the first member, and therefore raising the compartments.

14. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 13, wherein the retaining means comprises a cable connected between the lifting means and the housing.

15. A cash storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the compartments are provided in the form of one or more inserts which are removable from the drawer.

16. A cash storage unit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the or each insert is provided with a lid.

17. A cash storage unit comprising a housing and a drawer, the drawer being movable between a closed position in which the drawer is located substantially within the housing and an open position in which the drawer extends from the housing, wherein the drawer includes a plurality of compartments for storing cash which are movable between a lowered position in which the compartments are located substantially within the drawer space and a raised position in which the compartments are lifted relative to the drawer, the arrangement being such that the compartments adopt the raised position when the drawer is in its open position.

18. A cash register comprising a cash storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim.

19. A retail check-out system comprising a cash storage unit as claimed in any preceding claim.

20. A cash storage unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.