TW202211173A - Container assembly, system and method for transporting banknotes, and apparatus for dispensing banknotes - Google Patents

Abstract

A container assembly (32) for the transporting of banknotes is disclosed. The container assembly comprising: a base member (44); a wall member (36) upstanding from the base member (44) to define a tray member having an openable portion along a side of the base member (44); the openable portion provided by a movable wall member (48); and a cover movable (64) from an open configuration to a closed configuration to close a space defined by the base member (44) and wall member (36) of the tray member in which the container is closed. Also disclosed is a system and method for using the container assembly (32).

Description

Apparatus, System and Method for Valuable Token Processing

The present invention relates to an apparatus, system and method for processing value tokens, such as cash. In particular, valuable tokens include, but not limited to, banknotes.

Cash in the form of banknotes is widely used in so-called Automated Teller Machines (ATMs), sometimes referred to as cash machines. ATMs are cash withdrawal machines used by eligible members of the public. For example, an eligible person may be a person holding a bank account identity card, operating an ATM either alone or in partnership with other banking organizations. The bank account identification card is, for example, a debit card or a credit card of a bank. ATMs are easy to use and operate by combining automatic checking of identification cards and entry of personal identity numbers (PINs) to obtain cash.

ATMs need to be replenished with cash from time to time. Furthermore, as part of the auditing process, and/or recovering undispensed (surplus) banknotes (eg, for some reason the portion of the banknotes not picked up from the stack), the ATM withdraws cash. The untraceable nature of cash makes cash handling and distribution vulnerable to what is euphemistically called "loss" as cash passes through the hands of different people and organisations in the processing chain of replenishing and withdrawing cash from ATMs.

ATMs are generally assembled to hold "cassettes" of cash with recorded numbers. The cassette and the ATM machine are interoperable to withdraw the desired number of banknotes from the cassette in response to user input at the ATM user interface. The ATM user interface is the screen and the keyboard. The use of the cassette system facilitates replenishment of cash with a recorded number to the ATM.

The management of the banknote cassettes can be carried out at the "cash handling" facility, where the banknotes are loaded into the cassettes for distribution to ATMs. Due to the physical properties of banknotes, used banknotes can be difficult to handle due to possible creases, and polymer banknotes can be particularly difficult to handle because, for all practical purposes, creases and folds can permanently deform . The process of arranging the banknotes into bundles of suitable size for loading into the box and the loading of the banknotes into the box may be done manually. Manual loading of banknotes may result in inconsistent distribution of banknotes in the box, eg, uneven heights of banknotes in the box. This may be the case even if the loading is done by the same operator, and this inconsistency is exacerbated by different operators. When the cassette is located in the ATM, even slightly protruding banknotes from the main bundle of banknotes may cause inconsistent dispensing of the banknotes in the cassette, or even cause jamming of the ATM.

Several aspects and several embodiments of the present invention are designed with the above-mentioned circumstances in mind.

From a first aspect, a container assembly for conveying several banknotes is proposed. The container assembly includes: a base member; a wall member upstanding from the base member to define a tray member, the tray member having an openable portion along one side of the base member; the openable portion provided by a movable wall member; and A lid, movable from an open configuration to a closed configuration, to close a space defined by the bottom and walls of the tray member when the container is closed.

Such a container assembly allows banknotes to be loaded into the container assembly through an openable portion from a note counting and dispensing machine. Automatic loading of banknotes into the container assembly eliminates or at least reduces the need for personnel to handle banknotes, thereby reducing opportunities for theft and creating a more efficient packing process.

The lid is suitably releasably coupled to the tray member to provide slidable release and removal of the lid from the container assembly. In particular, the cover is releasably coupled to the movable wall and is adapted to maintain the movable wall in a closed position for holding the contents of the container assembly. Generally, the movable wall member includes a coupling member that forms a complementary portion with the cover in a releasably coupled configuration.

The cover is alternatively or additionally releasably coupled to the tray member in a position opposite to the movable wall member. Typically, this location as opposed to the movable wall element includes a coupling element that forms a complementary portion with the cover in a releasable coupling configuration. Coupling the cover to the movable wall member and also coupling to the tray member opposite the movable wall member in a position can help maintain the movable wall member in a closed position. In particular, one or the other of the coupling arrangements may include a resiliently biased material, such as the use of elastic cords, so that the cover can be maintained under tension to be achieved by the cover More reliable and removable closure for container assemblies.

The cover can be made of a transparent material. The cover can be made of polypropylene, for example.

The tray member may be transparent, but of a more rigid structure than the cover material to maintain the structure of the cover when the cover is closed over the tray member. In a particular embodiment, the tray member is made of Correx®.

In one or more embodiments, a height of the wall member relative to the bottom member is sufficient to hold a banknote in the tray member. The container is manufactured by appropriately measuring the dimensions of the banknotes contained in the container, thereby reducing the possibility of movement of the banknotes contained in the container and reducing the possibility of deformation of the banknotes. Previously, whole bundles of banknotes were wrapped in stacks using plastic wrapping material, which is called "bricks". The plastic wrapping material pressed against and surrounded the middle portion of the bricks and caused the banknotes to deform. In one or more embodiments where the banknotes are loaded into the container, no bale needs to be performed and the banknotes are loosely loaded into the container. This means that banknotes can be stacked more neatly in containers than previously bundled banknotes, resulting in more evenly divided ATM boxes and fewer "pick" problems at the ATM, thereby reducing the potential for outages and the risk of Helps with ATM availability.

In one or more embodiments, the movable wall member is pivotally connected to the bottom member, which can help to move the movable wall to a position to provide a chute or chute for guiding the banknotes to the container in or out of the container.

The movable wall element may suitably include a low friction surface on one of the surfaces of the movable wall element to face an interior of the tray element. Thus, when the movable wall is opened and assembled into a chute, banknotes and other container contents can move more smoothly and easily on the chute than if the slide had a higher friction surface.

The movable wall can be configured or selectively assembled to form a chute or chute for engaging an output of an automatic dispenser to guide banknotes from the dispenser into the receptacle, thereby facilitating automated loading container and reduce human involvement.

A container assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the tray member is fitted for receiving a stack of banknotes such that the respective banknotes are supported by the bottom member along a major side edge.

Typically, the base has a form factor to conform to an ATM case for holding several banknotes. This form factor facilitates the loading of banknotes in an ATM case.

More generally, the base member is rectangular; wherein the container component generally has a cuboid configuration, especially a rectangular cuboid configuration.

Compared to conventional dispensing, according to one or more embodiments of the present invention, banknotes can be dispensed more loosely in the container, while retaining air between the banknotes and reducing static electricity. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) can also be used as a surface or as the wall and/or bottom of the container assembly to facilitate the drop of banknotes into the ATM case due to its antistatic properties. One or more embodiments may reduce the use of single use plastics as compared to traditional cinching and bundling of banknotes for ATM box dispensing. Furthermore, the use of single-use plastic suitable for ATMs or suitable banknotes delivered to bank branches and branch cash and then returned to the Cash Centre can be reduced or even eliminated because the banknotes are placed in the same box as Outbound notes. This can mean that banknotes can be processed directly at the cash center, thereby removing a processing step (usually performed by staff in the cash center) from the existing process.

The box dispensing process can be improved by designing one or more containers of different sizes to accommodate the most frequently needed banknotes for box dispensing reservations.

Viewed from a second aspect, an apparatus for dispensing a predetermined number of banknotes is provided, the apparatus comprising: a dispensing section including a sensor for sensing a banknote that has been dispensed from the apparatus, and Start to increase a count value of each sensing event; and a collection part, assembled to support a removable container for conveying several banknotes that have been dispensed from the device, and the collection part supports a movable rack in this removable In addition to the container, it is used to support several banknotes that have been distributed from the distribution part; the equipment is further equipped to: control the movement of the rack supported by the collection part to maintain a descending distance from the distribution part to allow the distributed banknotes The plurality of banknotes form a stack of banknotes, and in response to the count value reaching a predetermined number, the rack is moved to one end of a removable container supported by the collecting portion and away from the dispensing portion. In one embodiment, the apparatus may be further equipped to make the rack moveable from the removable container for positioning the rack at that end of the removable container, ie when the rack is already loading, for example, banknotes into the container when moving to that end of the removable container during the period. In this regard, the designation "end" is not limited to mean being positioned at the extreme end of the removable container, or adjacent to the end wall of the removable container, but may include close enough to the contents of a stack of banknotes, typically The location of the end wall for the contents to rest against the end wall and in the removable container to be supported thereby and located therein. The removal rack system makes it easier to remove the removable container from the device than without removing the rack. In particular, the apparatus can be further equipped to make the rack movable to allow a stack of banknotes to be supported on a closed end of the removable container.

The apparatus for dispensing may be suitably further equipped to control the movement of the racks to maintain the descending distance to assist in the reliable support of the contents of the removable container in the removable container. In particular, the apparatus can be further equipped to control the movement of the racks according to the count value, in order to maintain the descending distance at a distance that allows controllable and reliable stacking of the contents, such as banknotes, in the removable container.

The apparatus for dispensing can be further equipped to accommodate a movable wall of the removable container. This can help support and couple the removable container to the device. In particular, in one or more embodiments, a movable wall may be housed in the device to support the removable device in a position relative to the dispenser. More particularly, a movable wall may be housed in the apparatus to provide a chute configuration for dispensed banknotes from the dispensing section. Such a chute configuration may facilitate loading of removable containers coupled thereto.

The equipment used for dispensing may more suitably include anti-static brushes, for example, the contents of banknotes are passed through the anti-static brushes and the anti-static brushes can reduce the static electricity formed on the contents that have been dispensed, especially when the banknotes pass through the equipment. static electricity on one or more banknotes. The device for dispensing may alternatively or additionally provide airflow to separate the banknotes. In previous systems, static electricity could be redirected to the banknotes as they were bundled together. The contents and banknotes contained in the removable container according to one embodiment can now retain air between them since they are not tightly packed. This in combination with the PTFE strip at the open end of the removable container reduces static electricity and facilitates the emptying of most, if not all, banknotes from the removable container during container emptying. During container emptying, for example, during an ATM box dispensing process.

Viewed from a third aspect, there is provided a system for conveying a number of banknotes, the system comprising: a container assembly as described above, for example; and a device for dispensing as described above.

Viewed from a fourth aspect, a method for conveying several banknotes is provided. The method includes: disposing a banknote container assembly to receive a number of banknotes from a device via a closable end of the container for dispensing a predetermined number of the banknotes; positioning a movable frame on a bottom piece and a wall piece In a defined tray piece, to receive several banknotes from a banknote dispensing section of the device; moving the rack to maintain a descending distance from the device to form a stack of banknotes from the dispensed banknotes; responding to A predetermined number of dispensed banknotes are moved to the end of the container away from the dispensing section; the rack is removed to allow the stack of banknotes to be supported by an end wall of the tray member away from the dispensing section.

The method may suitably further include controlling the movement of the frame according to the count value to maintain the descending distance.

The method may further include closing the closable end of the container assembly.

The method may suitably further include providing a removable cover movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration to close and open a space defined by the bottom and wall elements of the tray member; and closing the cover to close Pallet pieces. In this manner, the contents of the trays can be properly preserved and the container assemblies transferred out of the apparatus for distribution to other workstations.

The method may further include: arranging the container assembly in a banknote box and supporting the container assembly on the removable cover; and removing the removable cover to allow the banknotes in the container assembly to be placed on a bottom surface of the banknote box superior. In one or more embodiments, the banknote cassette may be an ATM cassette. In order to have a better understanding of the above-mentioned and other aspects of the present invention, the following specific examples are given and described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows:

In the United Kingdom and many other countries, it is quite common to supplement ATMs with the use of cassettes for holding banknotes. One reason is that the box can be sealed to "tamperproof" or at least create evidence of any tampering, reducing the likelihood of damage during ATM replenishment and cash collection. Four basic methods of using boxes to distribute cash are presented below. ž Cassette Exchange – Cassettes are divided at the cash center and sent to or sent from the site Distributed at the rear of the ATM, and the remaining cash is bagged ž Cash swap in Vehicle – 3rd crew person (3 ^rd crew person) in the back of the cash in transit (CIT) vehicle for boxing Sub-packaging, and the remainder will be counted in the rear of the vehicle. ž Add cash – the bagged cash will be sent to the ATM and added to the box. There is no balance to return, but staff regularly confirm balances at the site.

The abbreviation "CIT" stands for Cash In Transit, which means the transfer from a cash source to an ATM or from an ATM to a cash source, such as a cash center or a bank.

In all the different approaches, the point of opportunity for cash loss lies in the handling of people. Taking the "box exchange" method as an example, cash may be stolen or otherwise lost during the loading of the box at the point when the box is divided at the cash center. The same may be true when unloading the cassette at the cash center. In order to reduce the chance of cash being stolen or lost, it is necessary to reduce the handling of cash through personnel.

The inventors have identified a loophole in the conventional cash counting and dispensing process in that a bundle of banknotes collected by a person using a band around the bundle of banknotes generally represents the denomination and value of the entire bundle. Therefore, for dishonest persons, wrapping the band around the entire bundle is an opportunity to remove one or more banknotes. Only some lost banknotes are unlikely to be noticed by automated surveillance systems, since such surveillance systems measure large numbers of banknotes, such as weight-based measurement systems, and some lost banknotes are unlikely to be between the measurement systems. The error range causes the measurement system to record the value, so the "lost banknote" alert is unlikely to activate.

In addition, the banknotes need to be loaded into the ATM box so that the banknotes are evenly and neatly distributed for easy transfer from the box in the ATM and reduce the possibility of banknotes jamming in the banknote box/ATM dispensing system.

Apparatus, systems and processes for managing cash distribution and collection are described in UK Patent Published Application No. GB 2529799, the teachings of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, a conventional money counting and dispensing apparatus 1 is depicted. The banknote counting apparatus 1 and under the control of the control circuit 4 , the control circuit 4 is coupled to one or more sensors for detecting banknotes 12 passing through the dispensing chute or the outlet 8 . In this way, the control circuit 4 can determine the number of banknotes dispensed from the device 1 . Conventional banknote counting and dispensing apparatus 1 includes side walls 28 to help preserve banknotes when they have been dispensed from apparatus 1 .

The shelf 24 supports the banknotes 20 in a stack of banknotes extending to the portion 16 behind the banknotes and in which the individual banknotes 12 dispensed from the banknote counting and dispensing device 1 are located. superior. The rack 24 is controlled by the control circuit 4 to move away from the dispensing outlet 8, usually lowering away from the dispensing outlet 8, since the apparatus 1 is generally assembled such that the dispensing outlet is located above the rack 24 and the banknotes 12 are under the influence of gravity Distributed down to form stacks 16-20 of banknotes.

When the required number of banknotes has been dispensed from the device 1, the number of banknotes is typically programmed into the device based on the denomination of the banknotes dispensed and the total value of the dispensed value. For example, a stack of £10 banknotes with a total value of £3000 would include 300 banknotes, and the control circuit 4 would be configured with suitable user interface controls to set the maximum count of the counter circuit to 300. It may be that the banknote counting and banknote dispensing device 1 is automated, so that the user can only input the denomination of banknotes and the total value of a stack, and the control circuit with the processor circuit determines the total number of banknotes to be dispensed, so as to complete the process. Stacks of banknotes of the desired value. In a specific example, the number of banknotes to be stacked is determined and preset (but can be changed) by the code of the software running in the device, so the user does not need to ask to change the number of banknotes.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a container assembly 32 for accommodating banknotes according to an embodiment of the present invention. The container assembly 32 includes a bottom piece 44, an end wall 40, and is pivotally connected to a movable end wall 48 to form a tray-like configuration. Upstanding from the base member 44 are the side walls 36, 36a and 36b. The movable end wall 48 is pivotable to open, thereby forming the open end of the tray-shaped container assembly 32 . In the described embodiment, the movable end wall 48 is pivotally connected to the bottom piece 44 . The movable end wall 48 includes side walls 52a and 52b, which in the embodiment described are assembled to fit into corresponding slots 60a and 60b. The wall portion 56 of the movable end wall 48 may conveniently serve as a chute coupled to the outlet of the note dispensing device to facilitate the feeding of banknotes into the container assembly 32 .

Additionally, the cover 64 is releasably coupled to the end wall 40 and over the container assembly 32 that is movable to extend across the open top. In the embodiment described, the cover 64 is transparent, but may be opaque. Cover 64 comprises a flexible material with a low friction surface, and in the described embodiment, polypropylene.

Figure 3 shows a side view of the container assembly 32 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Container assembly 32 includes side walls 36 , end walls 40 and movable end walls 48 . A lug 68 is provided on the end wall 40 to which the cover 64 is releasably coupled. Cover 64 is shown extending across the top of container assembly 32 and coupled to movable end wall 48 by complementary hook and eye connections 72/76 to close container assembly 32. The cover 64 holds the movable end wall 48 in the closed configuration when coupled to the movable end wall 48 in the closed configuration, as shown in FIG. 3 .

FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of the movable end wall 48 of the container assembly 32 . One of the complementary portions of the hook-and-eye connector 76 is shown disposed on the outer surface of the movable end wall 48 . In the illustrated embodiment, the coupling portion 76 includes the "hook" portion of the hook-and-eye connector 72/76. Figure 5 depicts the end wall 40 and illustrates the embodiment described with two protrusions 68a and 68b. It will be apparent to those of ordinary skill that a single protrusion or more than two protrusions may be used.

One embodiment of the container assembly 32 housed in the adjusted bill counting and dispensing apparatus 82 is shown in FIG. 6 . The container assembly 32 is supported between corresponding side walls 84a and 84b of the apparatus 82, and in the embodiment described, other supporting side walls 90a and 90b are provided to provide further support and to position the container assembly 32 to accommodate the banknotes in it. The positioning of the container assembly 32 is important because the width of the container assembly 32 only accommodates the widest dimension of banknotes to be loaded therein.

Racks 86 are provided in the container assembly 32 for receiving and supporting banknotes dispensed thereon. The rack 86 is configured such that the arm 87 extends from the rack beyond and then beyond the side wall of the container assembly for coupling to the drive mechanism 88 . The drive mechanism 88 controllably moves the shelf 86 toward the rear wall 40 from the initial position of the shelf 86 at the open end of the container assembly 32 .

The banknotes 92 are dispensed through the outlets of the counting and dispensing equipment to form stacks 94 supported by racks 86 . In the illustrated embodiment, the guide block 96 is used in conventional note dispensing and counting equipment employed to guide the note 92 toward the open end of the container assembly 32 so that the note can enter the relatively narrow opening to be formed Stack 94.

Although not shown, the adjusted bill counting and dispensing device 82 includes a control circuit that receives user input or presets the number of bills to be dispensed or the value and denomination of the bills to be dispensed. The banknotes are counted as they are dispensed from the device, and the drive mechanism is controlled to move the carriage 86 downward toward the rear wall 40 according to the number of banknotes that have been dispensed. The control circuit can be configured to move the shelf 86 down to the end wall 40 when the desired number or value of banknotes loaded into the container assembly 32 has been reached. A shelf control override is optionally or additionally provided so that once the desired number or value of banknotes has been dispensed, the operator can disengage the shelf 86 from the drive mechanism and lower the shelf and stack of banknotes 94 to the rear wall 40. A user interface mechanism for overriding the note/value counter in the control circuit and activating the drive mechanism 88 to move the frame 86 to the end wall 40 may be further selected or additionally provided.

A top view of the container assembly 32 filled with banknotes is shown in FIG. 7 . Once the container assembly 32 is filled with the desired number or value of banknotes and the shelf 86 is lowered to the end 40 , the shelf (indicated by arrow 86 ) is removed from the container assembly so that the loaded banknotes 98 rest against the rear wall 40 . Cover 64 is shown above container assembly 32 and is coupled to the outer surface of end wall 40 by protrusions 68a and 68b, and to the movable by the two hook-and-eye coupling arrangements 72/76 End wall 48. The banknote-filled container assembly 32, such as that shown in Figure 7, may be removed by an operator and moved from the banknote counting and dispensing apparatus 82 to another workstation.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of the container assembly 32 to load the banknote cassette according to the present invention. The bottom of the banknote box is marked with reference 100. As will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, the banknote cassettes into which banknotes are loaded are relatively complex machine configurations, and the banknote cassettes are then loaded into ATMs to deliver banknotes to users of the ATM. The precise machine configuration of the banknote cassette is not relevant to the present invention, and only a substantially rectangular container for banknotes is provided in this description, this container having a bottom wall indicated by bottom 100 . Other elements of the banknote cassette are not shown in Figure 8 as they are not relevant to the operation of the present invention.

The banknote-filled container assembly 32 is placed on the bottom 100 of the banknote cassette with the lid 64 contacting the bottom 100 . When positioned, the operator can uncouple the cover 64 from the tab 68 and uncouple the hook-and-eye arrangement 72/76. The operator can then remove cover 64 by pulling movable end wall 48 in the direction of arrow 102 . The side walls of the movable end wall 48 are not shown in order to facilitate a clearer understanding of FIG. 8 .

By pulling the lid member 64 away from the container assembly 32 in the direction of the arrow 102, the banknotes in the container assembly 32 can be dropped onto the base member 100. The operator may have to place their hands or some other holder on the container assembly 32 to keep the lid 64 in place when it is removed. As mentioned earlier, the cover member 64 should be a low friction material, such as a plastic material, such as polypropylene.

The embodiments of the present invention devised by the inventors are designed to allow banknotes to be loaded into the ATM banknote box more uniformly. The photos below illustrate a more even way to dispense banknotes and a more even distribution of banknotes loaded into ATM boxes.

Figure 9 is a photograph of a banknote collection channel for a banknote dispenser, showing a conventional banknote channel in Figure 9(a), and Figure 9(b) illustrating the adjustment and support of the container assembly according to the present invention 32 banknote passage. Figures 11(a) and 11(b) show schematic line drawings of the photographs of Figures 9(a) and 9(b), respectively. Identical features have the same reference numbers and the following description applies to the photographs and their schematic representations. The conventional banknote passage 120 shows a rack 126 supporting a stack of banknotes 122 and an operator operable interface element 124 . An elastic band is attached to the bottom of the collection channel. Elastic straps are used to tie the stack together when the desired quantity or value has been dispensed. Turning now to Figure 9(b), the adjusted banknote collection channel 130 is shown with the container assembly 134 disposed in the adjusted channel 130. Also shown are additional side walls 132 that function to maintain the container assembly 134 in position. The cover 140 is opened. The adjusting frame member 138 is shown as having an arm extending above the side wall of the container assembly 134 to be coupled to the driving member. The drive is actuated to move the rack 138 downward toward the bottom of the container assembly 134 . One side of the adjustment channel of Figure 9(b) has a channel containing the container assembly without any dispensed banknotes, with open end wall 142 shown to provide a "chute" for banknotes into the container assembly way of coupling.

Fig. 10(a) is a photograph using an ATM case loaded with banknotes according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 12(a) is a corresponding schematic line drawing of the photograph shown in Fig. 10(a). A relatively uniform distribution is visible, especially at the height of the banknote. Conversely, when referring to Fig. 10(b) and the corresponding schematic line drawing Fig. 12(b), the height and lateral distribution ratios shown in Fig. 10(a) and Fig. 12(a) can be seen The banknotes in the ATM are also uneven. It should be noted that the ATMs shown in Figures 10(b) and 12(b) are loaded by experienced operators, and even with such experience, banknotes cannot be Embodiments of the inventive container assembly pack uniformly. Therefore, it is possible to load banknotes into the ATM in a uniform manner by an operator with less experience and skill.

As used herein, reference to "one embodiment or an embodiment" means that a particular element, feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrase "in one embodiment or in an embodiment" in several places in the specification are not all referring to the same embodiment.

As used herein, the terms "comprises, comprising, includes or including" or "has or having" or any other variant is intended to include non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a series of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or other elements inherent to the process, method, article, or apparatus . Furthermore, unless expressly stated to the contrary, "or" means an inclusive or and a non-exclusive or. For example, a condition A or B is satisfied by either: A is true (or present) and B is false (or absent), A is false (or absent), and B is true (or exists), and both A and B are true (or exist).

Furthermore, the use of "a (a or an)" is used to describe elements and components of the present invention. This is for convenience only and to provide a general sense of the invention. Unless it is obvious otherwise, this description should be read to include one or at least one, and the singular also includes the plural.

Several modifications within the scope of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing description. For example, the coupling between the lid and the pivoting wall and/or the coupling between the lid and the position of the tray member opposite the movable wall does not have to be a "hook and eye" (Velcro® ) configuration, but may be any other suitable releasable couplable configuration such as a frangible seal, adhesive tape, complementary magnets, and the like. The movable end wall 48 does not have to be pivoted to any part of the container assembly, but can be fully movable. Furthermore, the movable end wall 48 can be pivotally connected to another part of the container assembly, such as one or the other of the ends of the side walls 36a or 36b.

While hook-and-eye connector configurations have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that other releasable coupling configurations may be employed. Although not an optimal situation, coupling arrangements including frangible fasteners may also be utilized that would actually eventually break one of the movable end wall 48 and cover 64 or the other or both. The movable end wall 48 has been described as having sidewalls recessed into the slots of the corresponding sidewalls 36a and 36b, but those skilled in the art will recognize that having such sidewalls is not necessary.

To the extent that the several embodiments of the invention described above may be implemented, at least in part, using a software-controlled programmable processing device, data processing apparatus, or computer system, it will be understood that a programmable device, apparatus, or system is configured to perform the foregoing The method, apparatus, and system are contemplated as being part of the present invention. The software-controlled programmable processing device is, for example, a general purpose processor or a special-purposes processor, a digital signal processor, a microprocessor, or other processing devices. A computer program can be implemented in any suitable form of code, such as source code, object code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, Static code, dynamic code, and the like. Such instructions may be implemented using any suitable high-level, low-level, object-oriented, visual, compiled and/or interpreter programming language, such as C, C++, Java, BASIC, Perl, Matlab, Pascal, Visual BASIC, JAVA, ActiveX, assembly language, machine code, etc. Those of ordinary skill can easily understand that the name "computer" in its most general concept includes, for example, the above-mentioned programmable devices, and data processing equipment and computer systems.

The computer program is suitably stored in a carrier medium in a machine-readable form, for example, a carrier medium may include a memory, a removable or non-removable medium, an erasable or Writable or Rewritable Media, Digital or Analog Media, Hard Disk, Floppy Disk, Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD-ROM), Company Disk Recordable (CD-R), Repeatable Compact Disk Rewriteable (CD-RW), compact disc, magnetic media, magneto-optical media, removable memory cards or discs, digital versatile discs in several forms ( Digital Versatile Disk, DVD) subscriber identity module (subscriber identity module), tape (tape), cassette solid-state memory (cassette solid-state memory). The computer program may be provided from a remote source by means of a communication medium such as an electronic signal, radio frequency carrier or optical carrier. Such carrier media are also contemplated as aspects of the present invention.

The scope of this disclosure includes any novel features or combinations explicitly or implicitly disclosed, and any generalizations disclosed, whether related to the claimed invention or solving any or all of the problems addressed by the invention. The applicant hereby submits that new claims may be made with respect to such features during the prosecution of this application or any further application derived therefrom. In particular, features from the dependent item may be combined with features from the independent item, and features from the individual independent item may be combined in any suitable way and not only as listed in the patent application, with reference to the scope of the appended claims combined in a specific manner within the range. To sum up, although the present invention has been disclosed by the above embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the appended patent application.

1,82: Counting and dispensing equipment 4: Control circuit 8: Distribution outlet 12, 20, 92, 98, 122: banknotes 16: Parts 24: Shelf Pieces 28, 36, 36a, 36b, 52a, 52b, 84a, 84b, 132: Sidewalls 32,134: Container Components 40: End Wall 44: Bottom piece 48: Removable end wall 56: Wall Department 60a, 60b: Slots 64,140: Covers 68, 68a, 68b: Protrusions 72, 76: Hook and eye connectors 86,126,138: Shelves 87: Arm 88: Drive mechanism 90a, 90b: Support side walls 94: stack 96: Guide block 100: Bottom 102: Arrow 120: banknote passage 124: Operator-operable interface elements 130: banknote collection channel 142: Open End Wall

One or more embodiments according to the invention will now be described, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a traditional banknote counting and dispensing equipment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a container assembly with lid opening according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 shows a side view of a container assembly with a lid closed over the container according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic view of an open-end viewing angle of the container assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating a non-openable end view of the container assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the banknote counting and banknote dispensing device supporting the container assembly after several banknotes have been distributed according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 7 shows a top plan view of a container assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, the container assembly has a predetermined number of banknotes disposed therein and the lid is closed above the container; FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of the filled container assembly relative to the bottom of the ATM box to load banknotes into the ATM box according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9(a) is a photograph of a conventional banknote passage for conventional banknote counting and dispensing equipment; Figure 9(b) is a photograph of the banknote passage of the banknote counting and banknote dispensing apparatus for adjusting and supporting the container assembly 32 according to the present invention; Figure 10(a) is a photograph of an ATM case manually filled with banknotes by an experienced operator; Figure 10(b) is an ATM box filled with banknotes by using a container assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11(a) depicts a schematic line drawing representing the photograph in Figure 9(a); Figure 11(b) depicts a schematic line drawing representing the photograph in Figure 9(b); Figure 12(a) depicts a schematic line drawing representing the photograph in Figure 10(a); and Fig. 12(b) shows a schematic line drawing representing the photograph in Fig. 10(b).

32: Container Components

36a, 36b, 52a, 52b: side walls

40: End Wall

44: Bottom piece

48: Removable end wall

56: Wall Department

60a, 60b: Slots

64: Cover

Claims (29)

A container assembly for conveying banknotes, the container assembly comprising: a bottom piece; a wall member upstanding from the base member to define a tray member, the tray member having an openable portion along one side of the base member; the openable portion is provided by a movable wall; and A lid, movable from an open configuration to a closed configuration, to close a space defined by the bottom member of the tray member and the wall member when the container is closed. The container assembly of claim 1, wherein the lid is releasably coupled to the tray member. The container assembly of claim 2, wherein the cover is releasably coupled to the movable wall member adapted to maintain the movable wall member in a closed position for retaining the contents of the container assembly. The container assembly of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the movable wall member includes a coupling member forming a complementary portion of a releasable coupling configuration with the lid. The container assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the lid is releasably coupled to the tray member at a position opposite the movable wall member. 5. The container assembly of claim 5, wherein the location opposite the movable wall member includes a coupling member forming a second complementary portion of a second releasable coupling configuration with the lid. The container assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the lid is transparent. The container assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the tray member is transparent. The container assembly of any preceding claim, wherein a height of the wall member relative to the bottom member is sufficient to hold a banknote in the tray member. The container assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the movable wall member is pivotally connected to the base member. A container assembly as in any preceding claim, wherein the movable wall member includes a low friction surface on a surface of the movable wall member to face an interior of the tray member. The container assembly of any preceding claim, wherein the movable wall member is assembled to form a slide for engagement with an output of an automatic cash dispenser. A container assembly as in any preceding claim, wherein the tray member is assembled for receiving a stack of banknotes such that the respective banknotes are supported by the base member along a major side edge. A container assembly as in any preceding claim, wherein the base has a form factor to conform to a cassette for containing banknotes. The container assembly of claim 14, wherein the base is rectangular; wherein the container assembly generally has a cuboid configuration, particularly a rectangular cuboid configuration. An apparatus for dispensing a predetermined number of banknotes, the apparatus comprising: a dispensing section including a sensor for sensing one of the banknotes dispensed from the device and starting to increment a count value for each sensing event; and a collection portion, fitted to support a removable container for conveying banknotes that have been dispensed from the apparatus, and the collection portion supports a movable rack in a removable container for supporting banknotes from the dispensing some of the banknotes dispensed; The device is further equipped with: Controlling the movement of the rack supported by the collecting portion to maintain a descending distance from the dispensing portion to allow the dispensed banknotes to form a stack of banknotes, and in response to the count value reaching the predetermined number, moving the rack to One end of a removable container supported by the collecting portion is remote from the dispensing portion. The apparatus of claim 16, further configured to make the rack removable from the removable container for positioning the rack at the end of the removable container. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, further equipped to make the rack movable to allow the stack of banknotes to be supported on a closed end of the removable container. The apparatus of any one of claim 16 to claim 18, further equipped to control the movement of the frame to maintain the descending distance. The apparatus of claim 19, further equipped to control the movement of the rack according to the count value to maintain the descending distance. The apparatus of any one of claims 16 to 20, further equipped to accommodate a movable wall of the removable container. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the movable wall is receivable in the apparatus to support the removable apparatus in a position relative to the dispenser. The apparatus of claim 21 or claim 22, wherein the movable wall is receivable in the apparatus to provide a chute configuration for dispensed banknotes from the dispensing section. A system for conveying banknotes, the system comprising: The container assembly of any one of claims 1 to 15; and Apparatus for distribution as claimed in any of claims 16 to 23. A method for conveying banknotes, the method comprising: providing a banknote container assembly to receive banknotes from the apparatus via one of the closeable ends of the container for dispensing a predetermined number of banknotes; positioning a movable rack in a tray member defined by a bottom member and a wall member to receive banknotes from a banknote dispensing section of the apparatus; moving the rack to maintain a descending distance from the device to allow the dispensed banknotes to form a stack; in response to having dispensed the predetermined number of banknotes, moving the rack to an end of the container away from the dispensing portion; and The shelf is removed to allow the stack of banknotes to be supported by an end wall of the tray member remote from the dispenser. The method of claim 25, further comprising controlling the movement of the rack according to the count value to maintain the descending distance. The method of claim 24 or claim 25, further comprising closing the closable end of the container assembly. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing a removable cover movable between an open configuration and a closed configuration to close and open a base member and a wall member defined by the tray member space; and closing the cover to close the tray member. The method of claim 28, further comprising: disposing the container assembly in a banknote box and supporting the container assembly on the removable cover; and The removable cover is removed to allow the banknotes in the container assembly to be placed on a bottom surface of the banknote box.

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