GB2406949A

GB2406949A - Automatic teller machine at a public telephone site and having an expandable enclosure

Info

Publication number: GB2406949A
Application number: GB0323705A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Alistair Taverner
Original assignee: Acketts Group Ltd
Current assignee: Cennox Acketts Ltd
Priority date: 2003-10-09
Filing date: 2003-10-09
Publication date: 2005-04-13
Anticipated expiration: 2023-10-09
Also published as: GB0323705D0; GB2406949B; GB2406950A; GB0405444D0; GB2406950B

Abstract

An enclosure 35 for an automated teller machine (A.T.M.) 1 comprises a first wall 11 and a second wall 21 which are each mounted on the A.T.M. 1 by hinges 23, 31. When the walls 11, 21 are fully opened they meet along a common edge 33 to form a secure enclosure 35 in which bank notes can be loaded into the A.T.M. 1. The walls 11,21 are retracted to lie flush with the housing 3 of the A.T.M. 1. By installing the A.T.M. at the site of a public telephone, use can be made of the available paper supply and communication link.

Description

An enclosure for an automated teller machine The present invention relates

to an enclosure for an automated teller machine (A.T.M.) to be used when bank notes are loaded into the A.T.M., and retractable thereafter. The present invention further relates to a method of installing A.T.M.s.

A.T.M.s are typically mounted in the wall of a building, or are free standing within a bank or a shop. The number of A.T.M.s has grown over recent years, fuelled by a consumer demand for convenient access to cash.

Furthermore, the increased popularity of telephone and internet banking have reduced the importance of high street bank branches and led to the closure of many such branches, this in turn has led to a proliferation of A.T.M.s.

There are a number of challenges facing those wishing to install new A.T. M.s. To operate, an A.T.M. requires an electricity supply and a data communications link. Providing these services to the site of an A.T.M. may require significant outlay, greatly increasing the cost of installation. In addition, the investment in providing and installing an A.T.M. is great and it is important to maximise its usage to justify the outlay required. Hence, many A.T.M.s are now sited in retail outlets such as department stores and more recently convenience stores. However, these locations provide access only during shop opening hours.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of planning and installing an A.T.M. to meet the challenges outlined above.

A first aspect of the present invention provides a method of installing an A.T.M. comprising locating a public telephone site having a power supply and communication link and installing the A.T.M. at the site. The A.T.M.

can use the power supply and communication link.

We have realised that public telephones located in open spaces such as a sidewalk or pavement have a power supply, usually providing lighting, and a data communication link - the telephone line and so greatly facilitate the installation of an A.T.M.

Space may be limited at the site, and in a particularly preferred embodiment we replace the public telephone box or kiosk with an A.T.M.

kiosk. So that no loss of public service results, we particularly prefer to provide a public telephone on the A.T.M. kiosk.

A.T.M.s hold large amounts of cash and so they are attractive targets for criminals and therefore security considerations are paramount.

Bank notes are stored in trays in the A.T.M. The compartment is securely locked shut in normal use, and are only accessed when the supply of bank notes is periodically replenished. Access is also provided to allow maintenance of the A.T.M., particularly the note handling mechanism.

When replenishing the supply of bank notes in an A.T.M., it is critical that the operative filling the A.T.M. has secure access to the bank note compartment, to prevent theft of bank notes or attack to the individual filling the A.T.M. This has generally been achieved by installing the A.T. M.

in a building wall and providing rear access within the building, or siting the A.T.M. completely within a building as noted above.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a secure enclosure for an A.T.M. to be used when replenishing the supply of bank notes in the A.T.M.

EP-A- 724 239 and FR-A- 2 721 055 provide an telescoping enclosures which allows access to the rear of the machine. US-A- 5 222 445 provides an enclosure which expands sideways using a bi-fold door. The difficulty with these arrangements is the space taken up by the enclosure, particularly when opened out. When installing an A.T.M. in lace of a telephone kiosk, space around the kiosk is often very limited.

Thus, another aspect of the invention provides an enclosure for an automated teller machine (A.T.M.), the enclosure being expandable to enclose a work space in front of the A.T.M.

By creating the workspace in front of the A.T.M. we make use of the area which is normally available for users of the A.T.M. machine.

The enclosure may comprise a wall which is mounted on for movement between a first position adjacent a front of the A.T.M. to a second position spaced from the A.T.M. Preferably the wall is pivotably mounted to pivot about a vertical axis to one side of the A.T.M. The wall may comprise two panels connected to form an L shape, a first panel adjacent the vertical pivot overlaying a front of the A.T.,M. when in the enclosed position and the second panel laying along one side of the A,.T.M. A second wall is positioned between the second panel and the A.T.M. and is also pivotably mounted to pivot outwards and form the enclosure in front of the A.T.M. It will be appreciated that a panels may also be mounted to slide linearly outwards.

Other aspects and preferred features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying claims.

The invention will be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a free standing A.T.M..

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the A.T.M. of Figure 1 with a first movable wall in its open position.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the A.T.M. of Figure 1 with a second movable wall in a partially open position.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the A.T.M. of Figure 1 with the second movable wall in the fully open position, forming a secure enclosure in which the person replenishing the bank notes can stand.

Figures 5a, b & c are perspective views of an embodiment of the invention, showing an A.T.M. in combination with a public telephone.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the embodiment of figure 5 with the first and second walls in different positions.

Figure 1 shows a free standing A.T.M. 1 which can be installed as a piece of street furniture. To eliminate the need to provide new amenities to the site of the A.T.M., the A.T.M. is located close to or in place of an existing public telephone, which will have electricity and POTS supplies. Such public telephones are commonly located in areas of the public thoroughfare which are frequented by a large number of people which will deter potential thieves and allow easy detection by passers-by in the case of an attempted theft. If an A.T.M. is located in such a public place then individuals looking for an A.T.M. will be able to find one more quickly, which will increase the usage of the A.T.M. and the revenue of the operator of the A.T.M. As a communication link is present, the public telephone facility can be maintained in addition to the A.T.M., and a telephone could be mounted on one of the sides of the A.T.M. kiosk, as shown in Figure 5. Such an arrangement would maximise the usage of the existing amenities which are located at the site and ensure the continued provision of telephone services in public places.

As the A.T.M. kiosk 1 is in the public thoroughfare and is free standing particular attention is required to ensure that anti-theft devices are deployed to resist uprooting the A.T.M. in an attempted robbery, and appropriate devices have been described in our previous patent applications, for example GB-A-2 366 325.

The mechanism for the A.T.M. is housed within an A.T.M. housing 3. User access is provided via an aperture 5 in the A.T.M. housing 3, from which the standard transactions can be performed with aid of a keypad 7 and a visual display unit 9.

Mounted on the enclosure 3 are walls 11, 21 for forming a secure enclosure in front of the A.T.M. When the supply of bank notes in the A.T. M. 1 is replenished, the secure enclosure is formed around the area in front of the A.T.M. In this embodiment, the secure enclosure is formed by rotating two hinged walls 11, 21 which meet at one edge and which can be securely locked together in their open position.

Figure 2 shows the A.T.M. of Figure 1 with a first retractable wall 11 in its open position. The second wall 21 is in a closed position, abutting the side housing wall of the A.T.M. 1. The first wall 11 is comprised of two perpendicular panels 13, 15, joined along a corner 19, and a roof 17. The roof 17 provides structural rigidity to the two panels 13, 15 and acts as a roof of the secure enclosure when the partitions walls 11, 21 are in their fully open position. The first wall 15 is attached along the length of the edge opposing the corner 19 to the housing 3 of the A.T.M. 1 by a robust hinge 23, so that the wall 11 swings out from its closed position shown in Figure 1 to the open position of Figure 2. In the closed position, panel 15 lays against the front of the A.T.M. housing and provides an access port 16 for users to access the A.T.M. In the opened out position of wall 11, the port 16 is closable by internally mounted doors (not shown).

A flange 25 is attached to the second panel 13 along the length of the edge opposite the corner 19. This flange 25 is used to secure the enclosure when the walls 11, 21 are in their open positions, wall 21 being locked against flange 25.

When the first wall 11 is in its fully open position as shown in Figure 2, the opening of the bank note compartment 27 in the front of the A.T.M. is exposed. Hence, when the first wall 11 is in its closed position with panel 15 adjacent the front of the A.T.M. hosing front wall 3a, as shown in Figure 1, extra security is provided for this sensitive area of the A. T.M., and the exact location of the compartment 27 is hidden from view.

When the first wall 11 is in its fully open position as shown in Figure 2, the second wall 21 can be opened, and this is shown in a partially opened position in Figure 3. This wall 21 is connected to the A.T.M. housing 3 by a robust hinge 31 along the length of an edge 37, in a similar manner to hinge 23. In the retracted position, wall 21 lays against the side wall 3b of housing 3.

Figure 4 shows the walls 11, 21 in their fully open position. The walls 11, 21 are locked together along a common edge 33, to form a secure enclosure 35.

To provide extra security while loading bank notes into the bank note compartment 27, the walls 11, 21 are preferably of a strong, rigid material, which is preferably bullet proof.

To load bank notes into the A.T.M. 1 walls 11, 21 are swung outwards and the operative enters the space 35 and locks the walls together. The bank note compartment 27 is opened and bank notes are deposited. This is a relatively quick operation and there is sufficient space in the enclosure for the operative to stand.

To service the note handling mechanism, the bank note compartment 27 must be fully removed from the A.T.M. 1, and this normally takes longer than merely replenishing the supply of bank notes and requires more space.

Therefore the technician performing the maintenance is unable to remain inside the enclosure and the second wall 21 must be kept open. Thus, we provide a secure, lockable compartment 37 above the A.T.M. mechanism in which the bank note trays can be placed after they have been removed from the bank note compartment while maintenance work is performed on the note handling mechanism. The operative stand inside the locked enclosure to remove the bank note trays and place them in the compartment 37. He then opens the enclosure, swinging sidewall 21 back and can slide out the note handling mechanism for sevicing.

Figure 5a is an embodiment of the present invention showing an A.T.M. 41 in combination with a public telephone 43 which is mounted on a side wall 3c of the housing 3.. The telephone 43 and the A.T.M. 41 are located no different sides so that both can be used simultaneously and to provide some privacy to users.

Figure 5b shows this embodiment with the first wall 11 partially opened. In Figure 5c the first wall 11 is fully open and the second wall 21 is partially open. Both of the hinges 23, 31 are clearly visible in this side view.

Figure 6a is a plan view of an A.T.M. kiosk 1 with the first wall 11 fully open, showing the path through which the wall 11 passes as it opens.

Figure 6b is a similar plan view showing the second wall 21 fully open, showing the path through which the wall 21 passes as it opens. Figure 6c is a plan view showing the bank note compartment 27 and its door 45 in their pulled out and open positions respectively.

Various modifications will be apparent to those in the art. For example, wall 21 may be slid linearly outwards. The walls 11, 21 may be fixed into a U-shape, which is slid away from the front of the A.T.M. machine, a doorway being provided in one of the walls. It is desired to include all such modifications as fall within the scope of the accompanying claims.

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A method of installing an automated teller machine (A.T.M.)

comprising locating a public telephone site having a power supply and a communication link and installing the A.T.M. at the site.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, comprising replacing a telephone kiosk with an A.T.M. machine.
3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a public telephone is provided together with the A.T.M. machine.
4. An enclosure for an automated teller machine (A.T.M.), the enclosure being expandable to define a work space enclosure in front of the A.T.M.
5. An enclosure as claimed in claim 4, comprising a wall which is mounted for movement between a first position adjacent a front of the A.T.M. to a second position spaced from the A.T.M.
6. An enclosure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the wall is pivotably mounted to pivot about a vertical axis to one side of the A.T.M.
7. An enclosure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the wall comprises two panels connected to form an L shape, a first panel adjacent the vertical pivot overlaying a front of the A.T.,M. when in the enclosed position and the second panel laying along one side of the A.T.M. when in the closed position.
8. An enclosure as claimed in claim 7, wherein a second wall is positioned between the second panel and the A.T.M.
9. An enclosure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second wall is pivotably mounted to pivot outwards and form the enclosure in front of the A.T.M. with the first wall
10. A retractable enclosure for an automated teller machine (A.T.M.) comprising one or more walls which are rotatably mounted on the A.T.M., wherein the walls are rotatable from a first position, when the A.T.M. is in normal use, to a second position enclosing a space in front of the A.T. M.
11. A retractable enclosure as claimed in claim 10, wherein two walls are provided.
12. A retractable enclosure as claimed in claim 11, wherein a first wall comprises a first panel and a second panel, the first panel wall is rotatably mounted on the A.T.M. by a hinge, and the second wall is attached to the first wall substantially orthogonally, and the second wall is rotatably mounted on the A.T.M. by a hinge, wherein the first panel, the second panel and the second wall each form sides of the secure enclosure and the A.T.M.

forms a fourth side of the secure enclosure.
13. A retractable enclosure as claimed in any one of claims 12 or 13, wherein a roof portion is attached substantially orthogonally to one of the two walls.