WO2002084609A2

WO2002084609A2 - Method and device for sorting bank notes

Info

Publication number: WO2002084609A2
Application number: PCT/EP2002/003864
Authority: WO
Inventors: August HÄUSLER; Markus Sperl
Original assignee: Giesecke & Devrient Gmbh
Priority date: 2001-04-10
Filing date: 2002-04-08
Publication date: 2002-10-24
Also published as: WO2002084609A3; DE10117822A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and device for sorting banknotes. The banknotes which are to be sorted are placed in a pile in an input compartment, the banknotes contained in the pile are separated so that the individual banknotes can be examined for the presence of a sorting criterion or a combination of sorting criteria; the individual banknotes are respectively allocated to one or more output compartments, according to the presence of the sorting criterion or the combination thereof. As fewer output compartments are provided in comparison with the number of compartments required for sorting said banknotes, at least one group of banknotes corresponding to at least two different sorting criteria or combinations thereof are respectively placed in one of the output compartments after initial sorting and the or each of the groups of banknotes thus formed undergo at least one other sorting step. After a second transfer banknotes corresponding to a sorting criterion or a combination thereof are respectively arranged in a first sorting step in one of the output compartments, whereby banknotes which are not allocated to any of the available output compartments undergo at least one additional sorting step whereupon they are automatically guided to the input compartment.

Description

Method and device for sorting banknotes

The invention relates to methods and a device for sorting banknotes.

Banknote processing machines are used to quickly process stacks of banknotes. The banknotes contained in the stack are separated and transferred to a transport system, which guides the banknotes past a device for evaluating the banknotes and, depending on the result of the evaluation, feeds them to individual output compartments and thus sorts the banknotes according to predetermined sorting criteria. The sorting criteria can be, for example, the type of

Banknotes such as currency and / or denomination. Other sorting criteria can be authenticity, condition (soiling, damage, creases, limpness), etc. Likewise, several sorting criteria can be combined, e.g. B. banknotes of a certain currency and denomination, which are genuine and in good condition.

In principle, the sorting process of the banknotes by means of the banknote processing machine is limited by the number of available output compartments. If, for example, the banknote processing machine has two output compartments, the banknotes can only be sorted according to a sorting criterion or a combination of certain sorting criteria, since in this case all banknotes which meet the sorting criterion or the combination of the specific sorting criteria are fed to one of the output compartments while the others Banknotes that do not meet the sorting criteria or the combination of the specific sorting criteria are fed to the other output bin. Overall, a complex and time-consuming sorting process can result until all banknotes in the stack are sorted according to different sorting criteria or different combinations of sorting criteria. Should For example, DM banknotes are sorted according to their denomination, up to eight sorting processes are necessary (DM 5, DM 10, DM 20, DM 50, DM 100, DM 200, DM 500, DM 1000), since in each of the sorting processes only the bank notes can be sorted out from a denomination. If a combination of sorting criteria is also to be used to differentiate between banknotes with good and bad condition, the number of sorting operations increases to sixteen. The high outlay or the time intensity is further increased by the fact that all banknotes have to be checked again in each of the sorting processes, except for the banknotes which have already been sorted out.

It is therefore based on the present invention to provide methods and an apparatus for sorting banknotes which simplify sorting processes or make them more convenient for an operator if only a few output compartments are available.

This object is solved by the features of claims 1 and 7.

The invention is based on separating banknotes which are placed in a stack in an input compartment, in order to examine the individual banknotes for the presence of a sorting criterion or a combination of sorting criteria, and the individual banknotes in accordance with the presence of the sorting criterion or the combination of Allocate sorting criteria to one of several output bins. Since there are fewer output compartments than are required for sorting the banknotes, after a first consideration in a first sorting process, at least one group of banknotes with at least two different sorting criteria or combinations of search criteria is stored in each of the output compartments and the or each of the Groups of banknotes formed are subjected to at least one further sorting process. After a second consideration, in a first sorting process, banknotes that each fulfill a sorting criterion or a combination of sorting criteria are stored in one of the output compartments, with banknotes that do not meet the sorting criteria or the combination or combinations of search criteria, at least one be subjected to further sorting, for which they are automatically fed to the input compartment.

The advantage of the invention can be seen in particular in that the

Number of sorting operations is reduced, and the total number of checks of the banknotes is thereby reduced. A stack of banknotes with any mixture of banknotes can be assumed.

Further advantages of the present invention result from the following description with reference to figures.

It shows:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a schematic structure of an embodiment of an inventive device for sorting banknotes,

FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of a separating means for separating banknotes from a stack of banknotes, Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of the release agent according to Figure 2, and

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the release agent according to FIG. 2,

In the figures, only the components of the device for sorting banknotes are shown which are of importance in connection with the present invention. Identical components in the figures have the same reference symbols.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a device 1 for sorting banknotes. The device 1 has a housing 5 in which an input compartment 45 with feed rollers 15, a separator 10, a device 20, 25 for checking banknotes, which is formed, for example, by sensors 20 and a control unit 25, and a transport system 30 a drive 35 and output compartments 41, 43, 55 with spiral stackers 40, 42, 44 are arranged.

A stack of banknotes BN inserted into the input compartment 45 is guided by lateral guide elements 46, separated by the separator 10 and transferred to the transport system 30. For this purpose, the banknote to be separated next is brought from the feed rollers 15 into the area of the individualizer 10. The transport system 30 transports the banknotes through the device 20, 25 for evaluating the banknotes or past their sensors 20. The signals from the sensors 20 are evaluated by the control unit 25, which can be formed, for example, by a microprocessor with an associated memory. Depending on the evaluation, the control unit 25 controls the further transport of the banknotes in the transport system 30, so that the banknotes are not shown in detail Turnouts are handed over to the spiral compartment stackers 40, 2, 44, which deposit and stack the banknotes in the output compartments 41, 43, 55.

Do the banknotes BN placed in the input compartment 45 in the stack belong, for example, to a certain currency, eg. B. DM, and they have certain denominations, e.g. B. 10 DM, 20 DM, 50 DM and 100 DM, for example, sorting can be carried out according to the denomination. That is, all 10 DM, 20 DM, 50 DM and 100 DM banknotes contained in the stack must be recognized and transported to different output compartments 41, 43, 55. Since only three output compartments 41, 3, 55 are available in the example shown, it is obvious that such sorting is not readily possible.

Therefore, in a first procedure, it is provided that groups of bank notes with different properties or sorting criteria are formed and stored in one of the available output compartments 41, 43, 55. For example, every 10 DM and 20 DM banknotes are deposited in the first output compartment 41, while every 50 DM and 100 DM banknotes are deposited in the second output compartment 43. The third output tray 55 serves as a so-called rejection tray. All banknotes that have different sorting criteria than the sorting criteria of the formed groups of banknotes that could not be recognized, that are suspect of forgery or that caused problems during processing are stored in the rejection compartment. B. because there was a double deduction, ie more than a single banknote was detected by the separator 10 and transferred to the transport system 30, or because there was a skew, ie the banknote was incorrectly transported in the transport system 30, etc. After the first sorting process, that is when all the banknotes placed in the input compartment 45 in the stack BN have been processed, the banknotes are removed from the output compartments 41 and 43. In a second sorting process, the banknotes of the denominations 10 DM and 20 DM removed from the output compartment 41 are inserted into the input compartment 45 and, analogously to the sorting process described above, into the banknotes of the denomination 10 DM which are stored in the first output compartment 41, and the banknotes of the Denomination 20 DM, which are stored in the second output compartment 43, separated. The banknotes thus separated are removed from the output compartments 41 and 43. In a third sorting process, the banknotes of the denominations 50 DM and 100 DM are separated in the same way. If banknotes have accumulated in the rejection compartment 55 during the sorting processes, they are either re-sorted by hand or inserted again into the input compartment 45 in order to be checked again and sorted into the output compartments 41, 43, 55. The further sorting processes, including those for the rejected banknotes, can be carried out automatically. The further sorting processes can be started automatically, as described below in connection with the second procedure.

The first procedure has the advantage that a pre-sorting (DM 10 and DM 20 banknotes as well as DM 50 and DM 100 banknotes) takes place during the first sorting process. In the subsequent sorting processes, it is then no longer necessary to check all banknotes that have not already been sorted out, which overall reduces the number of checks and the number of sorting processes. In addition, with each subsequent sorting process it is no longer necessary to check the banknotes for all possible denominations or sorting criteria (in the second sorting process only a distinction between 10 DM and 20 DM, in the third sorting process only a distinction between 50 DM and 100 DM). In a second procedure, it is provided that the banknotes of the denomination 10 DM are deposited in the first output compartment 41 in a first sorting process, while the banknotes of the denomination 20 DM are deposited in the second output compartment 43. All other banknotes are stored in the third output compartment 55, wherein the third output compartment 55 or the banknotes located therein can be transferred into the input compartment 45. In this embodiment, the third output compartment 55 is separated from the input compartment 45 by a separating means 50 to 55, the more precise structure and mode of operation of which can be seen in FIGS. 2 to 4. The separating means 50 to 55 also has the task of adjusting the distance between the spiral-stacker 44 and the third output compartment 55 as a function of the amount of banknotes stored in the output compartment 55 such that the banknotes can be stacked safely and without errors by the spiral-compartment stacker 44.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic structure of the separating means 50 to 55 for separating bank notes of a stack BN from bank notes from FIG. 1. FIG. 2a shows a snapshot during the above-mentioned first sorting process, FIG. 2b shows the state after the above-mentioned first sorting process has ended.

FIG. 2a shows a snapshot during the first sorting process, in which 10 DM banknotes are placed in the first output compartment 41 and 20 DM banknotes are placed in the second output compartment 43. Banknotes with other denominations or - as described above - rejection banknotes are stored in the third output compartment 55 as a stack BN1. For this purpose, the bank notes are combed out of the spiral compartment wheel 44 by a guide element 47 and placed on the tray 55 which forms the third output compartment. The banknotes BN 'still to be processed of the first sorting At this point in time, the process is still in the input compartment 45 and is separated by the separating means 50 to 55 from the banknotes in the stack BN1 of the third output compartment 55, so that the end of the first sorting process can be clearly determined, that is to say the time at which everything was originally put into the Input pocket 45 inserted banknotes BN are separated and processed. In the embodiment shown, the separating means 50 to 55 is formed by a rocker arm 50 which is pivotably mounted (see FIG. 1). The tray 55 forming the third output compartment is pivotally connected to the rocker 50 via an axis 51 (see FIG. 1 D2).

FIG. 2b shows the state after the end of the first sorting process, ie all banknotes of the stack BN have been removed from the input compartment 45 by the separator 10. The removal of all banknotes can be checked, for example, by means of a light barrier in the input compartment 45. All banknotes that do not meet the search criterion of the first sorting process (DM 10 or DM 20) and the rejected banknotes are stored on the tray 55 forming the third output compartment as a stack BN1 '. The separating means 50 to 55 has been lowered via the pivotable rocker arm 50 and the pivotable shelf 55 in such a way that the shelf 55 rests on the input compartment 45. As soon as the banknotes sorted into the first and second output compartments 41 and 43 have been removed, the second sorting process can be started. To check whether the banknotes have been removed from the first and second output compartments 41 and 43, light barriers can be provided, for example. If the signal from the light barriers indicates that the banknotes were removed after the first sorting process, the control unit 25 starts the second sorting process. The 50 DM banknotes are placed in the first output compartment 41 and 100 DM banknotes in the second output compartment 43. Rejected banknotes are placed in the third output bin 55. The rejected Its banknotes can be checked again automatically or by hand. In a departure from the example described, more than two sorting processes may be necessary if more sorting criteria have to be taken into account or if more denominations are contained in the stack BN of banknotes.

Overall, the second procedure has the advantages that the sorting of banknotes is made more effective since operators are relieved by the fact that less attention is demanded of them because the entire sorting takes place largely automatically. In addition, experience has shown that the repeated rechecking of the rejected banknotes, which are checked again with each further sorting operation, reduces the rejection rate, since errors such as double deductions, skewing, etc. often do not occur when the banknote check is repeated. This makes the required manual Verification by the operators greatly reduced.

FIG. 3 shows a first embodiment of the separating means 50 to 55. On the rocker 50, the shelf 55 forming the third output compartment is pivotably mounted by means of the axis 51. The shelf 55 has a bottom 56 with recesses 57. The recesses 57 are arranged such that they come to rest on the input compartment 45 in the above-described case of the end of the first sorting process in such a way that they release the feed rollers 15. This makes it possible to feed the banknotes deposited on the deposit 55 again to the separator 10 in order to carry out a second sorting process. For a third or further sorting process, it is not necessary to physically separate the banknotes possibly placed again on the storage 55 from the previously stored banknotes, since the respective first or subsequent sorting processes determine is how many banknotes in total or are still available. In the subsequent sorting processes, it can then be determined by counting the individual banknotes whether the respective sorting process has been completed.

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of the release agent 50 to 55. On the rocker 50, the shelf 55 forming the third output compartment is pivotably mounted by means of the axis 51. The tray 55 is formed by a plurality of strip-shaped elements which are arranged such that they come to rest on the input compartment 45 in the above-described case of the end of the first sorting process in such a way that they do not cover the feed rollers 15. This makes it possible to feed the banknotes stored on the deposit 55 again to the separator 10 in order to carry out a second sorting process. In addition, the rocker 50 has rails or grooves 52, in which the axis 51 or the tray 55 is guided. The axis 51 or the shelf 55 can be displaced in the direction marked V along the rails 52. This makes it possible to move the tray 55 out of the area of the input compartment 45 before the start of the second or another sorting process. The rocker 50 with the tray 55 can then be pivoted such that the tray 55 is located above the stack BN1 'of banknotes. The tray 55 is then moved over the rails 52 so that it is arranged over the stack BN1 'of banknotes. In this way, the banknotes stored in the third output compartment 55 during the second sorting process can be separated from the banknotes of the first sorting process contained in the stack BN1 '. This enables a third and possibly further sorting processes and the separation of rejected banknotes. In a departure from the description above, the separating agent 50 to 55 can be designed differently. For example, the tray 55 can be formed over the entire surface if it can be removed from the area of the input compartment 45 as described above in order to be repositioned above the stack of banknotes. Likewise, instead of the pivotable separating element 50 to 55, only a single separating element can be used, which is placed on the inserted stack BN. If the number of banknotes to be processed in the stack BN is known, a separating means can be dispensed with entirely, since in this case it is possible to count the individual banknotes and to end the first or further sorting operations when the expected number of banknotes occurs or was edited.

A further variant is possible if, as described above, the separating means 50 to 55 is not used to achieve a constant distance between the output compartment or deposit 55 and the spiral compartment stacker 44 during the depositing of banknotes. In this case, instead of the deposit 55, the separator 10 can be moved with the input compartment 45 in order to maintain the distance required for the correct depositing of the banknotes.

It is also obvious that a sort, different from the currency or denominations described in the example, can be based on other currencies or denominations. In addition, further criteria or combinations of criteria such as condition, authenticity, etc. can be used as sorting criteria.

The described device 1 for sorting banknotes can in principle separate, transport and store the banknotes along the short as well as the long side of the banknotes, or a combination thereof, and store them in the output compartments. In addition to the use of three output bins shown in the example, a different number of output bins is possible. As long as there are fewer output compartments than sort criteria or combinations of sort criteria, the present invention can be used advantageously.

In addition to the described bank account processing machine for sorting banknotes, the invention described above can also be used on devices that are used to automatically deposit a larger amount of banknotes. The reduction in the rejection rate described above is particularly advantageous.

Claims

claims

1. A method for sorting banknotes, in which the banknotes are placed in a stack in an input compartment, the banknotes contained in the stack being separated in order to examine the individual banknotes for the presence of a sorting criterion or a combination of sorting criteria and the individual banknotes are each assigned to one of a plurality of output compartments in accordance with the presence of the sorting criterion or the combination of sorting criteria, characterized in that fewer output compartments are available than are required for the sorting of the banknotes, with at least one group of Banknotes with at least two different sorting criteria or combinations of search criteria are each stored in one of the output compartments, and the or each of the groups of banknotes formed is subjected to at least one further sorting process.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the banknotes contained in each group of banknotes in the further sorting process are checked and sorted only on the at least two different sorting criteria or combinations of sorting criteria.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that the or the further sorting operations are carried out automatically when the respective previous sorting operation is completed.

4. A method for sorting banknotes, in which the banknotes are placed in a stack in an input compartment, the banknotes contained in the stack being separated in order to examine the individual banknotes for the presence of a sorting criterion or a combination of sorting criteria and the individual banknotes according to the The presence of the sorting criterion or the combination of sorting criteria are each assigned to one of several output compartments, characterized in that fewer output compartments are available than are required for the sorting of the banknotes, banknotes in a first sorting process, each of which has a sorting criterion or a combination thereof of search criteria are stored in one of the output compartments, and banknotes which do not meet the sort criteria or the combination or combinations of sort criteria are subjected to at least one further sorting process, for which purpose they are automatically fed to the input compartment.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the bank notes in the or the further sorting operations are checked and sorted only on sorting criteria or combinations of sorting criteria that were not already the subject of a previous sorting operation.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the or the further sorting operations are carried out automatically when the respective previous sorting operation is completed.

7. Device for sorting banknotes, with an input compartment (45) for entering a stack (BN) of banknotes, a separator (10), for separating the banknotes contained in the stack (BN), a transport system (30) for transporting the individual banknotes, a device (20) for checking the individual banknotes, a control device (25) for evaluating the checking and controlling the sorting of the banknotes, sorting according to different sorting criteria or combinations of sorting criteria, and a plurality of output compartments (41, 3, 55) into which the banknotes are transported by the transport system (30) under the control of the control device (30) depending on the sorting criteria or combinations of sorting criteria, characterized in that controlled by the control device (30 )

Banknotes which meet a sorting criterion or a combination of sorting criteria are stored in at least one output compartment (41, 43),

- Baknotes (BNl ') which do not meet the sorting criteria or the combination of search criteria are stored in a further output compartment (55),

- After processing all banknotes of the stack (BN) of banknotes, the banknotes (BNl ') stored in the further output compartment (55) are transferred into the input compartment (45), at least one more time and according to at least one further sorting criterion or at least one another combination of sorting criteria.

8. The device according to claim 7, characterized in that the further output compartment (55) from the input compartment (45) is separated by a separating means (50 to 55).

9. The device according to claim 8, characterized in that the separating means (50 to 55) transfers the banknotes (BN1 ') stored in the further output compartment (55) into the input compartment (45) in such a way that the further output compartment (55) filed banknotes (BNl ') from the Vereinzeier (10) can be detected and separated.

10. The device according to claim 9, characterized in that the separating means (50 to 55) is removed from the region of the input compartment (45), after the banknotes (BN1 ') stored in the further output compartment (55) have been transferred into the input compartment (45).

11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the separating means (50 to 55) again separates the further output compartment (55) and the input compartment (45).