WO1999048064A2

WO1999048064A2 - System for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes

Info

Publication number: WO1999048064A2
Application number: PCT/IT1999/000060
Authority: WO
Inventors: Dario Bisone; Vittorio Ceradelli
Original assignee: Cts Cashpro S.R.L.
Priority date: 1998-03-18
Filing date: 1999-03-12
Publication date: 1999-09-23
Also published as: AU772756B2; WO1999048064A3; EP1066608A2; ITTO980234A1; AU2955999A

Abstract

A system (21) for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes, comprising a deposition store (22) for banknotes (27, 65), a withdrawal device (23) for withdrawing banknotes (27) from the said store, and a deposition device (24) for depositing banknotes (28) in the said store. The system (21) further comprises interface deposition means (36, 37, 39) for interfacing the deposition device (24); and delimiting means (42) for physically delimiting a protected area (43) hereabout the interface deposition means (36, 37, 39). The delimiting means (42) include door means (46) with coded access (47) for limiting the physical access to the protected area (43) only to authorised customers, and the protected area (43) is such to enable the authorised customers to freely operate on the interface deposition means (36, 37, 39).

Description

SYSTEM FOR THE AUTOMATIC WITHDRAWAL AND DEPOSIT OF BANKNOTES

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes. More particularly, the invention relates to a system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes comprising a deposition store for banknotes, a withdrawal device for withdrawing banknotes from the said store, and a deposition device for depositing banknotes in the said store.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The need of a system allowing the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes is much felt by the banks for furnish their customers with these services in the closure times and in sites remote from the banking offices, and for the saving of personnel that it can be performed.

The systems for withdrawing banknotes by means of magnetic cards and codes for personalised access, as in the "Bancomat" systems, are satisfactory for the withdrawal of banknotes, but do not allow automatic depositing operations. These operations can be effected by means of the so-called "continuous cash" systems, in which authorised customers can deposit values in a safe-box of a bank site through input openings provided of locks. The values are deposed in envelopes, which are opened and treated by the banking personnel during the office times.

The deposits of banknotes by means of the "continuous cash" systems leave some uncertainty in the user about the good end of the transaction. Additionally, these systems have the drawback that a delay elapses necessarily between the time of the deposit and that of the accredit in account. Finally, the safe-boxes provided for the deposit are generally located in non-protected areas and the user executes the deposit operations with a certain fear for possible robberies. From European patent application EP-A-0 795 842 a device for automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes is already known. This device is very fast and reliable, but it is provided for a use to the internal of the bank. In fact, devices of this type are used by personnel authorised for the cash and personnel authorised for maintenance and, as occasionally occurs, repair interventions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes, in which the operations of deposit may be effected by selectioned customers, in a relatively protected environment and with guarantees as far as the good end of the transaction it concerned or, in the case in which the transaction has not been completed, with the guarantee of a certain restitution of non-credited banknotes.

This object is achieved by the system for the withdrawal and the deposit of banknotes of the type above specified, which is characterised in that it comprises interface deposition means for interfacing the said deposition device; and delimiting means for physically delimiting a protected area hereabout said interface deposition means, the said delimiting means including door means with coded access for limiting the physical access to said protected area only to authorised customers, and the said protected area being such to enable the authorised customers to freely operate on the said interface deposition means.

The withdrawal operations through magnetic cards generally provide issuing of banknotes of few denominations (two in the Bancomat system), of rather high amounts. On the contrary, in the operations of deposit, mainly of retail trade, the banknotes are of very different denominations, with a high number of small banknotes. For treating the two kinds of operations in accordance with the wishes of the customers, various banknote deposit stores of high capacity, sized according to the various denominations are necessary. Therefore, another object of the invention is to provide a system for the withdrawal and the deposit of banknotes having sufficient capacity for receiving different denominations of banknotes, having costs and dimensions relatively limited. This other object is obtained by the system for the withdrawal and the deposit of banknotes of the above mentioned kind, in which a withdrawal device is provided for treating only given denominations of banknotes, and which is characterised in that it comprises discriminating means for discriminating different denominations of banknotes, and in which a deposition store comprises an acquisition/issuing section and a sole acquisition section. An acquisition/issuing section is associated to the withdrawal device and the deposition device for issuing the said given denominations of banknotes and responds to the discriminating means for acquiring the sole banknotes of the said given denominations, and the sole acquisition section is associated to the deposition device and responds to the discriminating means for acquiring denominations of banknotes different than the given denominations.

For limiting the dimensions of the store, a device with stacking wheels is provided for arranging in stack the deposited banknotes. A problem regarding a device of this type is then that of performing conditions of stacking substantially independent of the quantity of the banknotes existing in the store.

This problem is solved by the system for the withdrawal and deposit of banknotes of the above mentioned type, which is characterised in that it comprises a support member of the said container susceptible of movement in a given direction; servomotor means for moving said support member along the said given direction; and sensing means for sensing banknotes stacked against said support member. The stacking wheels are, in the use, at a given distance with respect to said support member along said given direction, and the servomotor means is servoized to the said sensing means for maintaining constant the distance between said stacking wheels and a last deposited banknote.

The system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes according to the invention results of relatively limited cost and such to satisfy the needs of the customers for that that it concerns the security and the flexibility of the transactions to be performed.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description given purely by way of non-limitative example, with the aid of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Fig. 1 represents a block diagram of the system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes according to the invention;

Fig. 2 represents a schematic view of the physical disposition of the system of figure 1 ;

Fig. 3 represents a schematic partial view of the system of figure 1, in an exploded partial form;

Fig. 4 represents another schematic partial view of the system of figure 1, in an exploded partial form;

Fig. 5 represents a partially sectioned view of some components of the system of the invention; Fig. 6 represents a schematic section of some details of figure 5, in a first work configuration;

Fig. 7 represents the section of figure 6, in a second work configuration;

Fig. 8 represents a schematic plan view of the details of figure 6; and Fig. 9 represents a schematic section of one detail of figure 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In figure 1 the reference numeral 21 generally indicates a system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes according to the invention.

The system 21 includes a deposit store 22, a withdrawal device 23, a deposition device 24 and an electronic control unit 26 for the devices 23 and 24 and for connections with a host computer.

The withdrawal device 23 is designated to withdraw banknotes 27 from the deposit store 22 for being available to the user, and the deposition device 24 is designated to receive banknotes 28 by the user for a deposition in the deposit store 22.

The electronic control unit 26 is provided for controlling the operations of the withdrawal device 23 and the deposition device 24 through specific drivers not described in detail. The unity 26 is on-line connectable with the host computer of a central system for requesting authorisations for the various transactions and, once received, to perform credit or debit operations in account, according to procedures of the same central system.

The withdrawal device 23 comprises, as parts of interface with the user, a console 29 with a coded input 31 for controlling the withdrawal of banknotes, an output opening 32 for the banknotes 27 and a movement mechanism 33. The operations of withdrawal of banknotes are allowed by a magnetic strip card 34 and, after input of a personal code (PIN) in the console 29, the operations are executed with the debiting into account and the issuing of banknotes, according to a procedure of known type, as for example that of the "Bancomat" system.

In an exemplary configuration, the parts of interface with the console

29 and the output opening 32 are located in an open area, or in an area accessible by the users through a door with a lock (not shown) openable with the simple insertion of the card 34 in a card reader associated to the deposition device 23.

The deposition device 24 comprises, as parts of interface with the user, a console 36 with a coded input 37 for the control of the deposit and an accessible section 38 having an input opening 39 for the banknotes 28. The operations of deposit are allowed by a magnetic strip card 41 insertable in a suitable card reader of the console 36 and after input of a personal code through the console 36 according, for example, to a crediting procedure similar to that provided for the withdrawal of banknotes.

According to the invention, the system 21 comprises physical delimiting means, generically indicated with 42 in figure 1, disposed between the parts of interface of the withdrawal device 21 and the parts of interface of the deposition device 24. The delimiting means are such to physically delimit a protected area 43 hereabout the input opening 39 and the console 36 of the deposit device 36.

In particular, the delimiting means 42 (Fig. 2) comprise separating walls 44 and a door 46 with a coded access 47. The user can enter the area

43 through an authorising magnetic card, for example the same card 41 provided for the access to the operations of deposit and, through digitisation of a PIN, if considered suitable.

When the user is in the area 43 and closes the door 46, he may access to the console 36 and the input opening 37 of the deposition device 24, without risks of interference with extraneous.

The bank managers of the system 21 can limit the access to the area 43 to chosen few authorised customers, which really need to depositing money and, for these customers, the authorising card 41 could also authorise withdrawal operations of the withdrawal device 23.

The system 21 (Figs. 3 and 4) comprises a safe-casing 48 lodging the deposit store 22, a part of the movement mechanism 33 of the withdrawal device 23, the deposition device 24 and the electronic control unit 36.

By way of non-limitative example, the safe-casing 48 has a base of around 1000 X 530 mm and a height of around 700 mm and provides a lower body with a tamper-proof section 49 for the access to the deposit store 22 and a section 51 for the access to the electronic control unit 36. The upper part of the safe-casing 48 includes a first section 52 with the console 36 and a second section 53, which may be removed from the casing 48 for the access to the section 38 of the deposition device 24. The removable section 53 outlines the input opening 39 of the accessible section 38 and two output openings 54 and 56, for the return of banknotes 28 which have not completed the depositing procedure.

The accessible section 38 provides a separation un-stacking device 57 (Fig. 5) and a movement mechanism 58 with alignment and/or rotation groups 59 for correctly alining the banknotes 28 to be deposited. The banknotes 28 not separated by the mechanism 58, as a result of "double picking", are directed to the opening 54 for being returned to the user.

The separation device 57 and the movement mechanism 58 are partially accessible through the removable part 53 for the possible extraction of clogged banknotes 28. Also this operation may be achieved, at discretion of the user, in the reserved and protected area 43.

The accessible section 38 also comprises a recognition module 61, which is designated to control the entering banknotes and proceed with the depositing operation only when a banknote has been correctly recognised and its value has been revealed. On the contrary, the not recognised banknotes are directed toward the opening 56 for being returned to the user.

A deposit buffer section 62 for temporarily wrapping banknotes 28 on roll is also provided. The buffer section 62 is adapted to receive the deposited and already recognised banknotes 28 for allowing to the user a last occasion for verifying the deposited amounts. In the case in which the user confirms the operation, the banknotes 28 are moved to the store 22. If the depositing operation is stopped, the banknotes deposited in 62 are moved into the opening 56 for being returned to the user. Advantageously, the deposit store 22 has an acquisition/issuance section 63, a sole deposition section 64 and an input/output opening 66 for the movement mechanism 33 of the withdrawal device 23 and the movement mechanism 58 of the deposition device 24.

The acquisition/issuance section 63 is arranged for acquiring and issuing only banknotes of rather big denomination. In the example of the "Bancomat" procedure, two denominations of banknotes of 50.000 and 100.000 Italian lire are provided. On the contrary, the sole deposition section 64 is arranged for acquiring banknotes of other denominations, non-treatable by the withdrawal device 23. Downwardly of the opening 66 (Fig. 6) a deflector 67 is provided, which is actuated by an electromagnet 68 for directing the deposited banknotes 28 toward the section 63 or the section 64. The control unit 26 (see Fig. 1), after checking the amount of the deposited banknotes, actuates the electromagnet 68 in such a way that the banknotes 27 with the denominations provided for the withdrawal are addressed toward the acquisition/issuance 63 section and the banknotes 65 having different denominations are addressed toward the sole deposition section 64. The acquisition/issuance section 63 comprises one or more drawers

69 (Fig. 5) for wrapping banknotes 27 on ribbon and in which the last deposited banknote is the first one to be withdrawn (LIFO). An example of drawers of this type is described in the European patent application EP-A-0 795 842, to which it can refer for details. In extreme synthesis, each drawer 69 comprises a deposit or storage roll 71 designated to contain banknotes in coils together with a transport belt, which is partially wound on a belt feed roll 72. By means of motors that operate on the rolls 71 and 72 and across a door 73 and banknote transport belts, the drawer 67 may release the banknotes 27 provided for the withdrawal device 23, or receive and save the treatable banknotes received by the deposition device 24.

The sole deposition section 64 comprises a container 74, a couple of stacking wheels 78, 79 and a transport mechanism 81. The container 74 is of a substantially parallelepiped form of lengthened and upwardly extended section, having a back wall 76 (Fig. 6) and two lateral sides 77 and an upper part of access for the banknotes 65. Additionally, the container 74 has a base 82 susceptible of an upright movement with respect to the upper part of access.

The stacking wheels 78, 97 are arranged above the part of access of the container 74 and are provided for stacking the banknotes 65 on the base 82 of the container 74, and the mechanism 81 is designated for moving the banknotes 65 from the deflector 67 in alignment with the opening 66 to the stacking wheels 78 and 79.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention, a servomotor 83 is provided for moving the base 82 along the vertical direction and a sensing member 84 is provided for sensing the banknotes 65 stacked on the base 82. The servomotor 83 is servoized to the sensing member 84 for maintaining constant the distance between the stacking wheels 78, 79 and the upper banknote of the stack.

In particular, the stacking wheels 78 and 79 (Figs. 6, 7 and 8) are keyed on a shaft 86 moved by a motor 87, at a mutual distance which is less than that of the banknotes 65 of smaller width. The sensing member 84 is interposed between the wheels 78 and 79 and comprises a cam 88, a sensing lever 89 and a photoelectric device 91. The cam 88 is crossed by the shaft 86 and is fixed on the frame. The lever 89 is "L" shaped and fulcrumed on a disk 92 keyed on the shaft 86. The device 91 comprises, by his side, a fixed photoelectric couple embracing a peripheral part of the disk 92 for revealing the passage of a window 93 formed in the same disk 92.

The lever 89 carries, on a shorter arm, a cam follower roller 94 and, on a longer arm, a feeding roller 96. The roller 94 is adapted to cooperate with the cam 88 for the action of a spring not indicated in the drawing. Additionally, the extremity of the shorter arm of the lever 89 can obstruct the window 93 of the disk 92, with function of a shutter.

The outline of the cam 88 is designated to normally maintain the roller 96 of the lever 89 in positions such that it does not interfere with the banknotes 65 that are treated by the stacking wheels 78 and 79. However, in correspondence of a given angular sensing sector, the cam 88 ensures that the roller 96 can contact the banknotes 65 eventually disposed below the wheels 78 and 79.

In the use, the rotation of the stacking wheels 78 and 79 causes, for each 360° rotation, the sensing of the banknotes stacked on the base 82. If the sensing roller 96 contact the last banknote, the window 93 becomes open and the consequent indexing of the photoelectric couple causes the activation of the motor 87 for an adequate lowering of the base 82.

When, in the sensing sector, the roller 96 does not touch any banknote 65, it does not occur any activation of the photoelectric couple and the motor 87 remains at rest. In this way, the distance between the wheels 78, 79 and the last banknote of the stack remains substantially constant at an optimised value.

The base 82 of the container 74 is fixed on a bracket 97 engaged in vertical guides 98 and faced to a vertical slit 99 made in the back wall 76. The servomotor 83 comprises a stepping motor 101 connected through gears and belts with a belt 102, which extends for all the height of the drawer 74 and carries a dragging tooth 103 engaged, with capability of extraction, in a recess 104 of the bracket 97 (see Fig. 9). There are also provided a full drawer sensor 106 and an empty drawer sensor 107, actuatable by the dragging tooth when the base 82 is in the lower position and in the upper position, respectively.

The container 74 (Fig. 9) comprises a couple of fins 108 and 109 in the upper part which, in the use, are normally open and a normally non operative locking brake 111 for the positioning of the base 82. Additionally, a front wall 113 is fulcrumed in its lower part among the sides 77 with possibility of opening.

Advantageously, the container 74 is removable from the safe-casing 48. When it is removed, its fins 108 and 109 close the upper part and the brake 111 locks the base at the last achieved position.

In detail, the fins 108 and 109 are connected in proximity of the sides 77 with the upper extremities of two rather lengthened levers 112 and 113, respectively. The levers 112 and 113 are fulcrumed with the lower extremity to a pivot 114 susceptible of sliding in a slot 116 and connected to a spring leverism 117. The leverism 117 maintains closed the fins when the container 74 is removed and it becomes in contrast with fixed parts of the safe-casing 48, which cause the opening of the fins, when the container 74 is inserted in the casing 48. The brake 111 comprises a spring mechanism, which becomes in contrast with the dragging tooth 103, when the container is mounted, and which causes the locking thereof, when the container is removed.

In a phase of initialisation, the sensors 106 and 107 operate for allowing the base 82 to be always located in the lower position and, thereafter, to rise up to the optimal position for receiving the banknotes.

The system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes of the invention is of great utility in the commercial centres of hypermarkets, in which the various trade managers feel the need of a deposit service independent from that of the hypermarket, operational in a very long temporal arc, and assuring a credit account without delays of the deposited values. In the same time, such system offers the banks a continual recharge of banknotes in the withdrawal systems using the magnetic cards, without the necessity of excessive locking up of banknotes. Naturally, the principle of the disclosure remaining the same, the embodiment and the details may be widely varied with respect to that described and illustrated by way of noπ limitative example, without by this, departing from the ambit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A system (21 ) for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes comprising a deposition store (22) for banknotes (27, 65), a withdrawal device (23) for withdrawing banknotes (27) from the said store, and a deposition device (24) for depositing banknotes (28) in the said store, said system (21) being characterised in that it comprises interface deposition means (36, 37, 39) for interfacing the said deposition device (24); and delimiting means (42) for physically delimiting a protected area (43) hereabout said interface deposition means (36, 37, 39), the delimiting means (42) including door means (46) with coded access (47) for limiting the physical access to said protected area (43) only to authorised customers, and the protected area (43) being such to enable the authorised customers to freely operate on said interface deposition means (36, 37, 39).

2. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that said interface deposition means (36, 37, 39) comprise a depositing control console (36) with coded input (37) and an input opening (39) for depositing the banknotes (28) in said deposition device (24).

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising interface withdrawal means (29) for interfacing said withdrawal device (23), characterised in that said delimiting means (42) comprise a separating wall (44) interposed between the interface deposition means (36, 38) of said deposition device (24) and the interface withdrawal means (29) of said withdrawal device (23).

4. A system according to claim 1 or 2 or 3, characterised in that said withdrawal device (23) includes a withdrawal control console (29) with a coded input (31) for the control of said withdrawal device (23) and an output opening (32) for the output of the banknotes (27), said withdrawal control console (29) and said output opening (32) being located in a substantially non protected area.

5. A system according to any of claims from 1 to 4, in which said deposition device (24) comprises a movement mechanism (58) for the movement of banknotes (28) to be deposited, characterised in that said deposition device (24) includes a housing (48) with a removable section (53) allowing a partial access from said protected area (43) for the removal of possible clogged banknotes (28).

6. A system according to any of claims from 1 to 5, characterised in that said deposition store (22) has an acquisition/issuance section (63), of the last in first out (LIFO) type, with an input/output opening (66) for the withdrawal device (23) and the deposition device (24).

7. A system according to claim 5, characterised in that said acquisition/issuance section (63) is of the type providing depositing of banknotes by wounding on a storage roll (71).

8. A system according to any of claims from 1 to 7, characterised in that said deposition store (22) comprises a sole deposition section (64) associated to the sole deposition device (24) for receiving banknotes (65) non treatable by the withdrawal device (23).

9. A system according to claim 8, characterised in that said sole deposition section (64) is of the type providing depositing of banknotes (64) by stacking.

10. A system according to any of claims from 1 to 9, characterised in that said deposition store (22) is lodged in a tamper-proof casing (48) lodged in the said protected area (43).

11. A system for the automatic withdrawal and deposit of banknotes including a deposition store (22) for banknotes, a withdrawal device (23) for withdrawing banknotes (27) from the said store and a deposition device (24) for depositing banknotes (28) in the said store (22) and in which the said withdrawal device is provided for treating only given denominations of banknotes (27), characterised in that it comprises discriminating means (61) for discriminating different denominations of banknotes (28), and in which said deposition store (22) comprises an acquisition/issuing section (63) and a sole acquisition section (64), said acquisition/issuing section (63) is associated to the withdrawal device (23) and the deposition device (24) for issuing the said given denominations of banknotes and responds to said discriminating means for acquiring the sole banknotes (27) of the said given denominations, and said sole acquisition section (64) is associated to the sole deposition device (24) and responds to said discriminating means for acquiring denominations of banknotes (65) different than said given denominations.

12. A system according to claim 11, characterised in that said acquisition/issuing section (63) is of the type wherein the banknotes (27) are wound onto a storage roll (71) on a belt unwound from a belt feed roll (72).

13. A system according to claim 11 or 12, characterised in that said sole acquisition section (64) is of the type with stacking of the banknotes (65) in a removable container (74).

14. A system according to claim 13, characterised in that it comprises stacking wheels (78, 79) for arranging in stack the said not treatable banknotes (65), a base member (82) of said container (74) arranged below the stacking wheels and susceptible of movement in a vertical direction; servomotor means (83) for moving said base member (82) along the said vertical direction; and a sensing member (84) for sensing the banknotes (65) stacked on said base member (82), said servomotor means (83) being servoized to the said sensing member (84) for maintaining constant the distance between the stacking wheels (78, 79) and a last deposited banknote (65).

15. A system according to any of claims from 11 to 14, characterised in that it comprises a withdrawal control console (29) with a coded input (31) and an output opening for the issuing of the banknotes (27) from the said withdrawal device (23), a deposition control console (36) with coded input (37) and an input opening (39) for the said deposition device (24); and coded physical access means (46), which define a protected area (43) for said control console (36) and said input opening (39).

16. A system (21) for the automatic deposition of banknotes comprising a deposition container (74) for banknotes (65) and stacking wheels (78, 79) for arranging in stack the said banknotes (28), characterised in that it comprises a support member (82) of the said container (74) susceptible of movement in a given direction; servomotor means (83) for moving said support member (82) along the said given direction; and sensing means (88) for sensing banknotes (65) stacked against said support member (82), and in which said stacking wheels (78, 79) are, in the use, at a given distance with respect to said support member (82) along said given direction, and said servomotor means (83) is servoized to the said sensing means

(88) for maintaining constant the distance between said stacking wheels and a last deposited banknote (65).

17. A system according to claim 16, characterised in that said direction is, in the use, substantially vertical.

18. A system according to claim 16 or 17, characterised in that said container (74) comprises a slotted wall (76) and in which said support member is sliding in said container and is engageable by a tooth ( 103) positioned by the said servomotor means (83).

19. A system according to the claim 15 or 16 or 17, characterised in that said container (74) is removable and comprises an opening which, in the use, is adjacent to said stacking wheels (78, 79) and in which there are provided closure means ( 108, 109) for automatically closing said container when it is removed from the system (21).