WO2003034352A2

WO2003034352A2 - Case for storing valuable documents

Info

Publication number: WO2003034352A2
Application number: PCT/EP2002/011468
Authority: WO
Inventors: August HÄUSLER
Original assignee: Giesecke & Devrient Gmbh
Priority date: 2001-10-17
Filing date: 2002-10-14
Publication date: 2003-04-24
Also published as: DE10151145A1; DE10151145B4; WO2003034352A3

Abstract

The invention concerns a case for storing valuable documents, said case being provided with telescopic elements. For example, at least one of the walls enclosing the storage zone is variable. Said wall may include a part mobile relative to another part of the wall, by varying the dimensions of said wall, such that the dimension of the storage zone is adjustable. Thus, the storage volume of the case is highly variable and adaptable to current needs.

Description

Cassette for holding valuable documents

The invention relates to a cassette for receiving documents of value with a storage area surrounded by several walls for storing the documents of value in a stack.

Cassettes of the type mentioned at the outset are used in banknote sorting and / or checking systems or devices for automatically accepting and dispensing banknotes such as, for example, automatic teller machines, automated teller machines or change machines. Such cassettes usually have a housing with a predetermined shape and size. A disadvantage of these known cassettes is that the documents of value take up a relatively large amount of space when they are loosely stacked in the cassette. Therefore, a relatively large cassette is required for a large number of documents of value to be stacked, which accordingly takes up a lot of space when transported between different processing devices or machines. This problem occurs in particular in the case of banknotes, since these frequently have many creases and folds after a short time due to frequent circulation and relatively rough handling by the users in relation to other documents of value, and are therefore correspondingly voluminous when stacked loosely.

US 3,655,186 shows a device in which the banknotes are pressed by means of a stamp through an opening into a cassette and onto a spring-mounted base plate. As a result, the banknotes are compressed in the storage area, which reduces the space requirement. This cassette has the disadvantage, however, that machine baricnot removal cannot be carried out with simple means. In addition, a relatively large amount of mechanical equipment is required, which is associated with a large blind volume within the cassette. It is extremely difficult to adjust the device to different banknote formats.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative to this prior art. This object is achieved by a cassette and a device for processing value documents in accordance with the independent patent claims. The dependent claims each provide advantageous refinements and developments of the invention.

The present invention thus provides a cassette for holding documents of value, in which elements can be telescopically pulled apart and pushed together. For example, at least one of the walls surrounding the storage area is a variable wall. This wall can have a component that can be moved relative to another component of the wall in question by changing the dimensions of this wall, so as to adjust the size of the storage area. The cassette thus has a telescopic function with which the size of the storage area can be changed to a large extent and adapted to the respective requirements.

As a result, the volume of the storage area can be greatly increased during the stacking or removal process by a value document processing device, so that the value documents lie loosely in the cassette. For transportation, d. H. after the stacking is finished, the cassette is then compressed. It then has small external dimensions and requires only a relatively small amount of space. The documents of value lie tightly compressed in the cassette and are thus fixed in their position. In addition, the storage area - and thus also the outer dimensions of the cassette - can be reduced correspondingly if a cassette contains only fewer documents of value during transport than would be possible with maximum expansion of the storage area.

Such a cassette according to the invention with variable walls can be constructed in various ways.

On the one hand, the cassette can be bounded on the outside by a housing, the variable wall or at least part of the variable walls itself forming part of the housing, so that a relative movement of the Wall components of this variable wall or walls changed the dimensions of the housing.

Likewise, the cassette can be bounded on the outside by a housing, the variable wall or at least a part of the variable walls being at least partially attached to the inside of the housing. In particular, the movable wall components can then be moved relative to the housing such that the storage area extends out of the housing.

In a preferred embodiment, the wall components that can be moved relative to one another can be at least partially telescoped.

A particularly good guidance is achieved in that one of the wall components comprises one or more guide webs and the other wall component has a corresponding number of grooves each designed as a counter profile to a guide web. When the wall components move relative to one another, a guide web is guided telescopically in an associated groove.

The movable components of a plurality of variable walls are preferably connected to one another in such a way that they can be moved together to adjust the size of the storage area. In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the cassette has a plurality of variable walls which are connected to one another and which delimit the storage area all around. The moveable

Wall components of these variable walls are each connected to the corresponding wall components of the adjacent variable walls in such a way that the housing is essentially formed from two housing parts, each formed in the manner of a tube, which can be telescopically pushed apart or pushed together in the stacking direction. A pulling apart of the housing then enables a higher stacking of the documents of value in the storage area. The shape of the pipe cross-section should preferably be designed in accordance with the cross-sectional area of the value documents. Correspondingly, documents of value with a rectangular format, such as banknotes, are four, mutually perpendicular, variable walls, so that the housing parts are designed in the manner of a square tube.

In another embodiment, the cassette has variable walls with folding elements. The dimensions of the wall are changed by pulling apart or folding together individual components of the folding element in relation to one another.

So that the documents of value can be easily inserted and removed individually during automatic stacking and automatic removal, the storage area should always have a height that corresponds exactly to the height of the stack of value documents currently in the storage area, so that the uppermost value document is directly at the height of the and dispensing opening is located. For this purpose, the cassette has a bottom element which delimits the storage area at the bottom, on which the documents of value are stacked and which is mounted in the cassette so as to be adjustable with respect to the stacking direction. Suitable storage ensures that the floor element is moved exactly in the stacking direction and does not tilt.

This base element is preferably resiliently mounted, so that when the cassette is closed by a cover on the open front face of the cassette, the documents of value are pressed against the cover from below and cannot move during transport. Furthermore, when a machine is being stacked or removed, the uppermost banknote is always pressed against the corresponding stacking or removal device of the respective machine, which makes stacking or removal easier.

For the movable mounting of the base element in the cassette, the use of a gear, for example a toothed gear, is appropriate. In one embodiment, the base element is coupled, for example via the gear, a spring and / or a cable or the like, to ^* at least one of the wall components of one of the variable walls such that the base element in the cassette also moves when the wall components of the variable wall move relative to one another becomes.

Preferably, the floor element is coupled to a first wall component and / or second wall component of the variable wall such that when the first wall component moves relative to the second wall component by a certain distance, the floor element is automatically moved along the first wall component to such an extent that the floor element with respect to the the second wall component covers a greater distance, in particular a distance approximately twice as large as the first wall component itself.

In the latter embodiment, the base element can be moved accordingly in such a way that the base element is in a first extreme state near the input and output opening of the cassette when the housing is completely retracted. This is the case with an empty cassette. When the housing is fully expanded, on the other hand, the bottom element is automatically in the other extreme state on the bottom of the cassette which is removed from the opening. This means that the storage area of the cassette then has its maximum size.

In order to compress the documents of value for transport, the floor element is preferably detachably and / or flexibly, for example resiliently, coupled to the wall component of the variable wall. In this case, it is possible that the housing is pushed together again and the floor element is not moved upward again, but remains in a lower position. In this way, the maximum remains through the Au-. Received storage area for the documents of value received. Due to the automatic movement of the base element during a relative movement of the wall components of the variable wall, ie when the housing parts are pulled apart or pushed together, it is possible for a drive device which only acts on the outside of the cassette to adjust the base element in accordance with the change in the housing dimensions.

A device for processing documents of value, which works with such a cassette, on the one hand has a transport device for guiding the documents of value to the cassette or guiding them away from the cassette. On the other hand, such a device has a drive device for initiating a relative movement of mutually movable wall components of the cassette, so as to adjust the size of the storage area of the cassette.

In a particularly preferred exemplary embodiment, the device also has a device for determining the amount of documents of value stacked in the cassette. In addition, the device has a control device in order to control the drive device in a suitable manner so that the size of the storage area of the cassette is adjusted as a function of the determined quantity of the documents of value stacked in the cassette.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings using exemplary embodiments. They represent:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective rear view of a cassette according to the invention in accordance with a first exemplary embodiment in partial extract with a schematic illustration of a manipulator of an automatic bank note processing machine,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the cassette according to FIG. 1 in partial section from the front (without cover and without banknotes), 3 shows a perspective view of the cassette according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in partial section from the front in the fully extended state (without cover, but with banknotes),

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the cassette according to FIGS. 1 to 3 in partial section from the front in a compressed state (with cover and with banknotes),

FIG. 5 shows a perspective illustration of a second exemplary embodiment of a cassette according to the invention in the empty, pushed-together state,

FIG. 6 shows a schematic illustration of the cassette according to FIG. 6 in a state of maximum filling height (content not shown),

7 shows a cassette according to FIGS. 5 and 6 in the pushed-together state with compressed content (content not shown),

FIGS. 8a to 8d are schematic representations of the positions of the essential housing parts of the cassette in the a) empty state, b) filled state with loosely lying bank notes, c) filled state with compressed bank notes in circulation quality and d) filled state with compressed, freshly printed bank notes,

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a cassette according to the invention in accordance with a further exemplary embodiment, part of the side walls not being shown in order to illustrate the interior structure of the cassette,

FIG. 10 shows a view of the cassette according to FIG. 9 from a different angle,

FIGS. 11 to 15 each show a schematic cross-sectional representation of the cassette according to FIGS. 9 and 10 in different operating states for filling and then compressing the filled banknotes. In the exemplary embodiments shown, each is a cassette 1 for banknotes 2. In principle, however, such a cassette can also be used for other documents of value, for example shares, identity cards, etc.

In all of the exemplary embodiments shown in the figures, the cassette 1 each has two housing parts 8a, 8b which can be telescopically pulled apart and pushed together.

A first, lower one of the housing parts 8b (hereinafter also referred to as frame) in each case consists of closed wall components 3b, 4b and forms outer walls of the housing. On their inner side delimiting the storage area, these closed wall components 3b, 4b each have grooves 11 running parallel to the pull-out direction R.

The wall components 3a, 4a of the second upper housing part 8a (also called frames below) each have guide webs 10 which are arranged coaxially to the grooves 11 and which run in the grooves 11 when the housing parts 8a, 8b move relative to one another.

These guide webs 10 are connected to form a cage-like frame on their free, upper front end leading away from the first housing part 8b all the way to an annular cross member 9 which is rectangular in cross section and which is provided on the top with a cover 15.

This cover 15 closes the banknote entry and exit opening 14 of the cassette 1. The detailed design of the cover 15 essentially depends on the definition of the entry and exit interface of the banknote processing system in which the cassette 1 is to be used.

The grooves 11 in the lower housing part 8b are T-shaped in cross section and the guide webs 10 have the corresponding counter profile. The guide webs 10 of the second housing part 8a are in this way in the grooves 11 of the first housing part 8b so that the guide webs 10 together with the sections 12 running between the grooves 11 on the inside of the first housing part 8b form a flat contact surface for the banknotes 2. This exact adaptation of the guide webs and the grooves ensures that no interfering edge adversely affects the work process when removing or stacking banknotes.

In a first exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 1 to 4, the upper housing part 8a essentially consists only of such a cage-like frame. This means that the banknotes are not protected by a stable outer wall in the upper area when the cassette is pulled out. However, elements such as bellows (not shown) or the like are between the guide webs. fitted to prevent stray banknotes from disappearing from the exploded cassette. Such bellows can be manufactured, for example, from plastic using film hinge technology. When the cassette is pulled apart, they are automatically pulled apart between the upper edge of the lower housing part 8b and the lower edge of the cross-member frame 9 running around the top. Initial tests have shown that banknotes 2 do not become tangled in the bellows.

In contrast to this, in the case of the cassette according to the second exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 5 to 7, the upper housing part 8a is provided with an additional, stable outer wall 16, which is spaced from the cross member 9 surrounding the input / output opening at a distance from the inner guide webs 10 again extends downward and in the lower area overlaps the stable outer walls 4b of the lower housing part 8b. In the pushed-together state, this outer wall 16 of the upper housing part 8a consequently forms the outermost wall of the cassette 1.

This second exemplary embodiment of a cassette 1 according to the invention has the advantage that the cassette 1 has stable outer walls all around, even in the pulled-apart state, which protect the bank notes 2 stored inside from unwanted tampering. Therefore, such a cassette 1 can also be left in a very good condition during transport.

A cassette 1 of the first type, on the other hand, is primarily intended so that it can be pulled apart for easy stacking and removal of the banknotes and offers a larger storage area on which the banknotes 2 lie loosely one above the other. For transport, however, the cassette 1 is brought into a collapsed state in which the bank notes 2 are compressed.

Both exemplary embodiments each have a bottom element 6, which can be moved parallel to the stacking direction R, in the form of a closed lifting floor.

This bottom element 6 is integrated into the lower housing part 8b via a gear 7. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, this is a gear 7 made of several interacting gears. The two external gearwheels are guided in two toothed racks 13 which are located in the inner walls of the lower housing part 8b and run parallel to the grooves 11 and are countersunk in the inner wall. Such a gear 7 is located under the bottom element 6 on the two narrow sides of the bottom element 6. These gears 7 ensure that the bottom element 6 does not tilt during the process. This means that the bottom element 6, the frame 8b and the frame 8a are interlinked by combing elements so that jamming of the banknotes 2 is largely impossible.

In the present exemplary embodiments, the base element 6 is driven by spring force. This spring force can be generated, for example, by spamming a roller spring (not shown) when the lower and upper housing parts 8a, 8b are pulled apart. Such a roller spring can act directly on the gear 7 of the base element 6 and can therefore be arranged to save space. When the upper and lower housing parts 8a, 8b are pulled apart, the base element 6 moves faster than the lower housing part 8b, in which the base element 6 is mounted. This is achieved by means of a coil gear with an adapted transmission ratio (not shown). This ensures that, when the cassette is empty, the base element 6 is located at the top of the input / output opening 14 (see FIG. 5). When the housing 8 is completely pulled apart, the base element 6 is in the lowest position (see FIGS. 3 and 6).

When the two housing parts 8a, 8b move together with the lid 15 closed, a stack of banknotes located therein is compressed. The spring-loaded base element 6 presses against the stack of banknotes. This is shown in FIGS. 4 and 7, the compressed banknotes not being shown in FIG. 7 because of the better overview.

Such a coupling between the base element 6 and the housing parts 8a, 8b is advantageous in that the entire movement sequences in the base element 6 can be initiated purely mechanically from the outside by moving the housing parts 8a, 8b to one another by means of a corresponding movement device of the banknote processing system. Neither a motor drive nor an electronic control or regulation is required in the cassette 1 itself.

However, it is also possible within the scope of the invention to separately drive the bottom element 6 on the inside and thus to set it to an arbitrary height regardless of the outer cassette position. Likewise, the base element can also be a base element which, for example, can only be provided by a spring or the like. is pushed upwards and - apart from a suitable guide, which prevents the floor element from tilting - is not correlated with the movement of the cassette parts to one another. Such simple and inexpensive cassettes are particularly useful if the cassettes are only used for the safe transport of the banknotes and the size of the cassette is to be adapted to the respective filling quantity in order to transport them as space-saving as possible. to be able to be. Cassettes according to the exemplary embodiment according to FIGS. 5 to 7 are particularly suitable for this purpose, and they also have stable walls all around, even in the extended state.

In Figures 1 to 4, a moving device of a banknote processing device - called manipulator 17 - is also shown schematically. This is the cassette carrier on the machine side, with which the furcing movements are introduced into the cassette 1. The manipulator 17 is designed in such a way that it relieves the cassette-internal guide elements of the frame 8a and frame 8b due to its precise mechanical guide function. It essentially consists of an upper gripper 18 which grips from behind around the annular cross member 9 of the frame 8a and grips it on the two short sides. This upper gripper 18 is firmly connected to a guide rod 20 running in the pull-out direction. A lower gripper 19 runs on this guide rod 20, which includes the frame 8b and is guided on the guide rod 20 in the manner of a slide.

Such a cassette 1 with automatic compression function is used in a bank note processing device with a suitable manipulator 17 as described in the following example:

First, the cassette 1 is inserted into a bank note processing device. The cassette is then filled. The lid 16 is opened and the cassette 1 is loosely filled with banknotes 2. The lid 16 is then closed in a compression process and the housing 8 is pushed together. The cassette 1 can then be removed from the banknote processing machine and, for example, taken to an automated teller machine. There, the cassette is inserted into the device and the housing is moved apart, the banknotes being decompressed. The removal process then takes place by opening the lid 16 and individually removing the bank notes 2 lying loosely in the storage area 5. The determining variable when actuating the manipulator 17 during filling is the maximum filling quantity when the cassette 11 is closed. In a first approximation, this would correspond to the block length of freshly printed banknotes. However, this value cannot be achieved due to the specific properties of circulation banknotes. It is therefore assumed that with banknote quality that is just suitable for a cassette, the value of the maximum filling quantity is 80 percent of the value of freshly printed banknotes. This is shown schematically in FIGS. 8a to 8d.

FIG. 8a shows the cassette 1 in the empty state with the bottom element 6 moved upwards. FIG. 8b shows the cassette 1 in the fully extended state with the bottom element 6 moved downwards, the entire cassette 1 being filled with loosely lying banknotes 2. FIG. 8c shows the cassette 1 in the fully retracted state with compressed banknotes 2 in circulation quality. Here the bottom element 6 is in the lowest position. In contrast, FIG. 8d shows the same number of compressed banknotes, but these are freshly printed banknotes. As can clearly be seen, the cassette 1 is only partially filled, i. H. only part of the available storage area 5 is required. The previously calculated maximum quantity of circulation banknotes (in cassette-suitable quality) is basically the filling limit. In order to comply with this filling limit, the cassette pull-out is controlled during filling and emptying via a level measurement at the cassette entry and exit area. This control acts on the movement of the manipulator 17. It aborts further filling, even if a larger filling quantity would be possible due to the very good banknote quality.

The telescopic cassette according to the invention is suitable for a very wide variety of applications for transporting documents of value or in a wide variety of processing machines. For a given machine interface, ie a defined input or output area, a cassette family with different frame volumes can be used. For the project planning or selection of a suitable cassette size for a specific purpose, the input quantities include the filling quantity, the size of the cassette and the cassette pull-out stroke. These input variables are in turn dependent on the defined capacity (ie the target filling quantity), the compression factor and the degree of utilization.

The compression factor is defined by the ratio of a “relaxed” banknote stack to a banknote stack block length in the compressed state. This compression factor is essentially influenced by the quality of the banknotes and must be determined by means of a series of experiments sensible use of cassettes is possible at all.

The degree of utilization, on the other hand, is determined by the ratio of the outer dimension of the cassette measured in the stacking direction R when the cassette is closed and the blind length resulting in this measuring direction, which is due to the functional mechanics. With a cassette of e.g. B. 300 mm outer length and a blind length of 30 mm results in a degree of utilization of 90 percent. In contrast, a cassette with an outer length of 400 mm, for example, achieves 92.5 percent. Since the functional mechanism is independent of the cassette length, the blind length always remains constant, so that with longer cassettes a higher degree of utilization is automatically achieved.

A further exemplary embodiment of a cassette 1 according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 9 to 15. The cassette essentially has a construction analogous to that of FIGS. 1 to 4, ie it has an upper housing part 8a (hereinafter also called frame) which can be pulled out of an outer housing part 8b (also called frame below) and which has a frame - Menf-shaped guide webs 10 is formed. In order to provide an inside view of the cassette, only the rear and right side of the housing parts 8a, 8b are shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The cassette according to FIGS. 9 to 15 is distinguished in particular by the mechanical coupling of the floor element 6, which is in the form of a flat lifting floor 6, and the frame 8a. The lifting base 6 is mechanically driven inside the cassette without an electrical coupling being necessary. This makes the cassette 1 much less prone to failure. The movements on the internal mechanics are initiated by a manipulator, not shown, which can be integrated, for example, in a banknote processing device and which can be constructed and act in a manner similar to that according to the first exemplary embodiment.

The internal mechanism of the cassette 1 has a belt drive 21. The belt drive 21 comprises an outer belt 22, which is fastened with the upper end 23 to the upper cross member 9 of the frame 8a and the lower end 24 of which is wound on a spool, the outer belt spool 25, which is on a shaft in the bottom region of the frame 8b is stored. A second belt, the inner belt 26 is effective in the space of the cassette 1 below the lifting floor 6. This inner belt 26 is fastened on the one hand to the underside of the lifting floor 6 and on the other hand in turn wound on a spool, the inner belt spool 27.

Outer and inner belt reel 25, 27 are mounted on a common shaft. The winding directions of the two belts 25, 27 are fixed so that when the one belt is unwound, the other belt winds up and vice versa. The diameters of the winding spools 25, 27 are coordinated with one another in such a way that the cassette outer stroke, ie the distance from the cross member 9 of the frame 8a to the top of the frame 8b, the required cassette inner stroke, ie the distance from the cross member 9 of the frame 8a to the lifting floor 6, guaranteed. When compressing the BN stack, the lifting floor can become 6 do not move freely, which creates an excess inner belt length if the outer stroke = 0. A device 36 for belt length compensation is provided so that uncontrolled belt twists do not occur. This consists in particular of a deflection roller 28 and a compensation roller 29. The compensation roller 29 is mounted on a linear guide 30 and holds the inner belt 26 under tension by means of a spiral spring 31.

A permanent force in the direction of the cassette cover also acts on the lifting floor 6. This force is generated by one or more roller springs 32. Roll springs 32 have proven to be particularly suitable because they have an almost constant torque, which makes it possible to allow a constant force to act over the entire floor stroke 6. The torque of the roller springs 32 is transmitted via a lifting floor gear shaft 33 to the lifting floor gear wheels 34 and the frame racks 35. It should be noted that the gear wheels and racks are shown in simplified form in FIGS. 9 to 15. The sum of the forces of the coil springs 32 and the force of the belt length compensation spring 31 are coordinated with one another in such a way that the length compensation can only be effective if a length compensation e.g. is required when compressing the stack of banknotes entered.

FIGS. 11 to 15 are schematic cross-sectional views, in which the filled, stacked banknotes and the cassette cover have not been shown for the sake of clarity, the method of the mechanical movement of the lifting floor 6 and the housing extension of the frame 8a.

FIG. 11 shows the state in which the lifting floor is at the top and the cassette pull-out = 0 at the start of a filling process, ie the frame 8a is completely accommodated in the frame 8b. For filling, the frame 8a is then pulled out of the frame 8b by the manipulator (not shown). Figure 12 shows the state with the lifting floor 6 in the middle position and with half the cassette pull-out and Figure 13 shows an end position with the lifting floor completely lowered and the frame 8a fully pulled out of the frame 8b, which is necessary in order to fill the cassette with the maximum amount of bank notes.

Subsequent to the operating state according to FIG. 13, the lifting floor 6 is pressed down by compressing the filled baricnot stack, not shown, the excess length of the inner belt webbing 26 then being intercepted by the device 36 for belt length compensation, since it is under tension Coil spring 31 is compressed. This process is illustrated in FIGS. 14 and 15, FIG. 14 illustrating a state with the frame 8a half retracted and FIG. 15 illustrating the maximum compression state with the frame 8a fully retracted.

To empty the filled banknotes, the above-mentioned processes can be carried out in reverse order.

A cassette according to the invention, in which wall elements can be telescopically pulled apart and pushed together, thus allows the size of the storage area of the cassette to be changed to a large extent and to be adapted to the respective requirements.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Cassette for holding documents of value (2), characterized in that the cassette has elements (8a, 8b) which can be telescopically pulled apart and pushed together.

2. Cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that the cassette has at least one variable wall (3, 4) as a telescopically pullable and collapsible element, which comprises a component (3a, 4a) which is relative to another component (3b , 4b) the wall in question (3, 4) can be moved while changing the dimensions of the wall in question.

3. Cassette according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the

Cassette comprises a storage area (5) surrounded by a plurality of walls (3, 4) for storing the documents of value (2) in a stack and at least one of the plurality of walls (3, 4) is one of the variable walls (3, 4) in which one of the components (3a, 4a) can be moved relative to another of the components (3b, 4b) by changing the dimensions of the wall in question to adjust the size of the storage area.

4. Cassette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cassette (1) is limited to the outside by a housing and the variable wall or at least part of the variable walls (4) form part of the housing, so that a relative movement of the wall components of this variable wall or walls (4) to one another changes the dimension of the housing.

Cassette according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cassette (1) is delimited to the outside by a housing and that the variable wall or at least part of the variable walls (3) is at least partially mounted inside the housing.

6. Cassette according to claim 5, characterized in that the movable wall components (3a) are so movable relative to the housing that the storage area (5) extends out of the housing.

7. Cassette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one of the wall components (3a, 4a) comprises one or more guide webs (10) and the other wall component (3b, 4b) one or more, each as a counter profile to a guide web (10 ) formed grooves (11) and with a relative movement of the wall components (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) to each other a guide web

(10) is guided telescopically in an associated groove (11).

8. Cassette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the movable components (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) of a plurality of variable walls (3, 4) are connected to one another in such a way that they together for adjusting the size of the storage area (5) are movable.

9. Cassette according to claim 8, characterized by a plurality of connected, the storage area (5) all around laterally delimiting variable walls (3, 4), the mutually movable wall components (3a, 3b,

4a, 4b) are each connected to the corresponding wall components (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) of an adjacent variable wall (3, 4) such that the housing (8) essentially consists of two housing parts (8a , 8b), which can be telescopically pulled apart or pushed together.

10. Cassette according to claim 9, characterized in that a first of the housing parts (8b) consists of closed wall components (3b, 4b) which form the outer walls of the housing (8) and each have grooves (11) running parallel to the direction of extension on their inside. and that the wall components (3a, 4a) of the second housing part (8a) are each arranged coaxially to the grooves (11) and, in the case of a relative movement of the housing parts (8a, 8b), leave in the grooves (11) have guide webs (10) which are connected to one another all the way around to form a frame at their free end end which faces away from the first housing part (8b), and that the guide webs (10) of the second housing part (8a) are inserted into the grooves (11) in this way of the first housing part (8b) are fitted in that the guide webs (10) together with sections (12) running between the grooves (11) on the inside of the wall components (3b, 4b) of the first housing part (8b) form a flat contact surface for the value - Form documents (2).

11. Cassette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least part of the variable walls comprises at least one folding element.

12. Cassette according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a base element (6) on which the documents of value (2) are stacked in the storage area (5), the base element (6) being adjustably mounted in the cassette (1) with respect to a stacking direction is.

13. Cassette according to claim 12, characterized by a gear (7) for the movable mounting of the base element (6) in the cassette (1).

14. Cassette according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the base element (6) is coupled to at least one wall component (3b, 4b) of one of the variable walls (3, 4) in such a way that with a relative movement of the wall components (3a, 3b , 4a, 4b) of the variable wall (3, 4) to each other, the base element (6) in the cassette (1) is also moved.

15. Cassette according to claim 2 and 14, characterized in that the

Floor element (6) is coupled to the variable wall via a belt drive 21.

16. A cassette according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that the base element is coupled to a first wall component and / or a second wall component of the variable wall that the base element automatically so when a relative movement of the first wall component to the second wall component by a certain distance is moved far along the first wall component that it covers a greater distance with respect to the second wall component than the first wall component.

17. Cassette according to claim 14 to 16, characterized in that the bottom element is detachably and / or flexibly coupled to the wall component of the variable wall.

18. Cassette according to one of claims 12 to 17, characterized by a closable opening (14) arranged opposite the base element (6) in the storage area (5) for the input or removal of documents of value (2).

19. Device for processing documents of value with a transport device for entering or removing documents of value (2) into a storage area (5) of a cassette (1), characterized in that the device for using cassettes (1) according to one of the preceding The device has a drive device (17) for initiating a relative movement of mutually movable wall components (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) in order to adjust the size of the storage area (5) of the cassette (1).

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the device comprises a device for determining the amount of documents of value stacked in the cassette and a control device to the Antoiebseinrichtung for adjusting the size of the storage area of the cassette in dependence on the determined amount of the Control cassette stacked value documents.