WO2011124901A1

WO2011124901A1 - A security container

Info

Publication number: WO2011124901A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/050348
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anthony Westington; Nicholas Tripp
Original assignee: Spinnaker International Limited
Priority date: 2010-04-07
Filing date: 2011-02-23
Publication date: 2011-10-13
Also published as: GB2479370B; GB201005769D0; GB2479370A; GB2479370A9

Abstract

A cassette (10) for storing or transporting valuable media, wherein the cassette (10) is provided with one or more apertures (20), the apertures(20)being positioned so as to permit access to an interior of the cassette (10)by one or more injector needles (46) of a degrading mechanism (36) of a security container (30) when the cassette (10) is installed in the security container (30).

Description

A SECURITY CONTAINER

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a cassette for storing or transporting valuable items such as bank notes, to an adaptor for adapting a security container to accommodate such an ATM cassette and to a security container provided with such an adaptor.

Background to the Invention

In order to facilitate the process of replenishing automated teller machines (ATMs) it is common for cassettes to be used to store bank notes, both in the ATM and in transit to and from ATMs. An empty ATM cassette can simply be removed from the ATM and replaced with a cassette which has been pre-filled with bank notes.

ATM cassettes are an attractive target for thieves, since they may contain 2000 bank notes or more, and are particularly vulnerable to theft during transportation and delivery to an ATM. To deter thieves and discourage attempts at theft ATM cassettes are sometimes provided with spoiling systems which are operative to spoil the notes contained in the ATM cassette, for example by spraying them with an indelible ink or dye or an adhesive, in the event that an attempt at theft or other unauthorised interference with the ATM cassette is detected.

However, the cost of providing ATM cassettes with such spoiling systems can be substantial, and many banks and cash in transit companies choose instead to use more basic security measures which may leave their ATM cassettes vulnerable to theft, particularly during transport between a secure location such as a depot or transit vehicle and an ATM.

Cassettes are also used to store and transport bank notes and other valuable media such as vouchers, cheques, tickets and the like in other situations. For example, so- called "recycling cassettes" can be used in self-checkout tills in supermarkets and other shops to accept cash from customers and to recycle the cash received from customers as change for subsequent customers. Recycling containers are also used in ATMs which are able to receive cash as well as dispense it. Additionally, so-called "deposit cassettes" can be used in supermarkets and other shops for storing and transporting excess cash from tills to a secure cash room. Deposit cassettes are also commonly used in ATMs which are configured only to receive deposits. Like ATM cassettes, these types of cassette can be vulnerable to theft, particularly during transport between secure locations, as for cost reasons they are rarely provided with sophisticated protection or theft deterrent systems.

Summary of Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a cassette for storing or transporting valuable media, wherein the cassette is provided with one or more apertures, the apertures being positioned so as to permit access to an interior of the cassette by one or more injector needles of a degrading mechanism of a security container when the cassette is installed in the security container.

The cassette of the present invention offers a low cost solution to the problem of providing protection for a cassette during transportation from a delivery vehicle to a final destination such as an ATM.

The one or more apertures may be provided in a lid of the cassette.

Additionally or alternatively the one or more apertures may be provided in a base or a side wall of the cassette.

The cassette may comprise a note guide, the note guide having one or more apertures which are aligned with the apertures of the cassette so as to form an access path from an exterior of the cassette to its interior.

The cassette may further comprise guards which form an enclosed channel between the apertures of the note guide and the apertures of the cassette. The cassette may further comprise one or more tamper-evident seals disposed over the one or more apertures.

The one or more tamper-evident seals may be substantially opaque.

According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an adaptor for adapting a security container to accommodate a cassette according to any one of the preceding claims, the adaptor comprising a first retaining member which is arranged to be moveable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which it engages with part of the cassette so as to retain the cassette in a desired position and orientation in the security container.

The adaptor of the second aspect of the invention permits the use of a single security container to store and transport cassettes of different shapes and sizes, with the cassettes being afforded the added security of the spoiling system of the security container.

The retaining member may comprise a first arm which is hingedly mounted so as to be moveable between a raised position and a lowered position.

The first arm may comprise a retaining formation which is shaped to complement the shape of the part of the cassette.

The adaptor may further comprise a second retaining member which is arranged to be moveable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which is engages with part of the cassette so as to retain the cassette in a desired position and orientation in the security container.

The second retaining member may comprise a second arm which is hingedly mounted so as to be moveable between a raised position and a lowered position.

The second arm may comprise a retaining formation which is shaped to complement the shape of the part of the cassette. The adaptor may further comprise a third retaining member which is arranged to be moveable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which is engages with part of the cassette so as to retain the cassette in a desired position and orientation in the security container.

The third retaining member may comprise a third arm which is hingedly mounted so as to be moveable between a raised position and a lowered position.

The third arm may comprise a retaining formation which is shaped to complement the shape of the part of the cassette.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a security container comprising an adaptor according to the second aspect.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, strictly by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an ATM cassette according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a security container in an open condition, in which the security container is provided with an adaptor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a full ATM cassette according to an embodiment of the invention installed in a security container;

Figure 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a full ATM cassette according to an embodiment of the invention installed in a security container, in which a spoiling system of the security container is in an activated condition; Figure 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a full ATM cassette according to an alternative embodiment of the invention installed in a security container, in which a spoiling system of the security container is in an activated condition;

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of the schematic perspective view of Figure 2, showing an adaptor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a security container in an open condition, in which the security container is provided with an adaptor according to an embodiment of the present invention and in which an ATM cassette is installed in the security container;

Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing a security container in an open condition, in which the security container is provided with an adaptor according to an embodiment of the present invention and in which an alternative ATM cassette is installed in the security container; and

Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view showing a security container in an open condition, in which the security container is provided with an adaptor according to an embodiment of the present invention and in which a further alternative ATM cassette is installed in the security container.

Description of the Embodiments

Referring first to Figure 1, an ATM cassette according to an embodiment of the invention is shown generally at 10, and comprises a base 12, side walls 14 and end walls 16. A lid 18 is hingedly attached to one of the end walls 16 to permit access to an interior of the ATM cassette 10 for filling the ATM cassette with bank notes and for emptying the ATM cassette 10.

In this embodiment the lid 18 is provided with a plurality of holes or apertures 20, which permit access to the interior of the ATM cassette 10 by dispensing needles of a spoiling system of a security container in which the ATM cassette 10 may be accommodated. This embodiment of the ATM cassette 10 is particularly suitable for use in conjunction with a security container which is provided with a spoiling system such as that disclosed in the applicant's European patent no. EP1499787B. However, it is to be appreciated the ATM cassette 10 may be used in conjunction with security containers which employ other spoiling systems which use dispensing needles or injectors to dispense a spoiling agent. Equally, it will be appreciated that in certain applications it may be appropriate to provide the holes or apertures 20 in the base 12 of the ATM cassette 10, and/or in one or both of the side walls 14 and/or in one or both of the end walls 16 of the ATM cassette 10 in addition to or instead of providing the holes or apertures 20 in the lid 18 of the ATM cassette.

Figure 2 is a is a schematic perspective view showing a security container in an open condition. In Figure 2 the security container is shown generally at 30, and comprises a base 32 and a lid 34. The lid 34 is hingedly attached to the base 32 to permit access to an interior of the security container 30.

A spoiling system 36 is provided in the base 32 of the security container 30, which spoiling system 36 comprises a plurality of reservoirs containing a fluid spoiling agent such as an indelible dye, ink, adhesive or the like. The spoiling system 36 has a plurality of fluid dispensers of the type described in the applicant's European patent no. EP1499787B, having injectors or needles which are configured to extend outwardly of the base 32 of the security container 30 and to dispense the spoiling agent onto the contents of the security container 30 on activation of the spoiling system 36.

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a full ATM cassette 10 installed in a security container 30. As can be seen from Figure 3, the ATM cassette 10 is installed in the security container 30 in an upside-down orientation, that is to say with its lid 18 facing towards the base 32 and spoiling system 36 of the security container. The ATM cassette 10 is provided with note guides 38 which retain bank notes 40 stored in the ATM cassette 10 in position and guide the bank notes 40 as they are being dispensed from the ATM cassette 10 when it is installed in an ATM. The note guides 38 are provided with holes or apertures 42 which are aligned with the holes or apertures 20 of the ATM cassette 10 so as to form an access path from the exterior of the ATM cassette 10 to its interior.

The spoiling system 36 of the security container has a plurality of fluid dispensers 44 having injectors or needles 46 which, on activation of the spoiling system 36 extend outwardly of the spoiling system 36 towards the ATM cassette 10. When the ATM cassette 10 is installed in the security container 30 the holes or apertures 20 in the ATM cassette 10 are aligned with the fluid dispensers 44 such that on activation of the spoiling system 36 the injectors or needles 46 enter the ATM cassette 10 through the holes or apertures 20, as is shown in Figure 4, from which position the spoiling agent can be dispensed directly onto the bank notes 40 through the injectors or needles 46.

Figure 5 shows an alternative embodiment of the ATM cassette 10 shown in Figures 3 and 4. As this embodiment shares many of the features of the embodiment illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 the same reference numerals have been used in Figure 5 to designate these common features.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 5 guards 48 are provided between the lid 18 of the ATM cassette 10 and the note guides 38. The guards 48 may take the form of hollow tubular members which extend from the underside of the lid 18 of the ATM cassette 10 to the note guides 38, so as to form a channel connecting the holes or apertures 20 of the ATM cassette 10 with the holes or apertures of the note guides 38. The guards 48 assist in guiding the injectors or needles 46 towards the bank notes 40 stored in the ATM cassette 10 on activation of the spoiling system, thus helping to ensure that the spoiling agent is dispensed onto the bank notes 40. Additionally, as the guards 48 form an enclosed channel between the holes or apertures 20 of the ATM cassette 10 and the holes or apertures 42 of the note guides 38, they ensure that the spoiling agent cannot enter the space between the underside of the lid 18 and the underside of the note guides 38.

In some embodiments the ATM cassette 10 is provided with tamper-evident seals which cover the holes or apertures 20. The tamper-evident seals are preferably substantially opaque, such that the contents of the ATM cassette 10 are not visible during normal use and operation of the ATM cassette 10. The seals may be made of a self adhesive paper, vinyl or plastics material which is configured to tear, fray or otherwise deteriorate if an attempt is made to remove them, such that the seals provide a visible indication of any attempt to gain access to the contents of the ATM cassette 10 through the holes or apertures 20. The seals can be penetrated by the injectors or needles 46 of the spoiling system 36 of the security container 30, and thus do not impede the operation of the spoiling system 36 in rendering the contents of the ATM cassette 10 unusable.

The foregoing description and the embodiments illustrated in Figure 1 and Figures 3 to 5 relate to an ATM cassette, but it will be appreciated that the present invention is equally applicable to other types of cassette such as recycling cassettes or deposit cassettes which may be used for storing or transporting cash or other valuable media such as vouchers, cheques, tickets and the like. Thus, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to ATM cassettes.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant art, a large number of different ATM cassettes are available, as well as other types of cassette such as recycling cassettes and deposit cassettes. These different cassettes may have different shapes and dimensions. To permit these cassettes, once appropriately adapted by providing holes or apertures, to be used with a security container of the type described above and illustrated in Figure 2, the applicant has developed an adaptor which can be installed in a security container to ensure that the holes or apertures of different cassettes are correctly aligned when the cassette is installed in the security container to ensure that on activation of the spoiling system the injectors or needles of the spoiling system enter the cassette so as to dispense the spoiling agent onto the bank notes or other valuable media contained therein.

An exemplary embodiment of such an adaptor is shown generally at 60 in Figure 6. In this embodiment the adaptor 60 has a first arm 62 which is positioned towards the rear of the security container 30. The first arm 62 is hingedly mounted so as to be moveable between a raised position in which the arm 62 is inoperative and an operative lowered position. In the illustration of Figure 6 the first arm 62 is in the operative lowered position, such that a body 64 of the first arm lies in a plane which is substantially parallel to a plane of the base 32 of the security container 30. The first arm 62 is provided with retaining formations 66 which are shaped to complement the shape of a rear wall of a cassette such that with the first arm 62 in the operative lowered position the retaining formations 66 can engage with a rear wall of a cassette to retain the cassette in the correct position and orientation for correct operation of the spoiling system 36 of the security container 30.

The adaptor 60 also has second and third arms 68, 70 which are positioned towards inner side walls of the security container 30 and are hingedly mounted so as to be moveable, independently of each other and of the first arm 62, between an inoperative raised position and an operative lowered position. In the illustration of Figure 6 the second and third arms 68, 70 are both in the inoperative raised position, such that bodies 72, 74 of the respective second and third arms 68, 70 lie in planes substantially parallel to planes of the side walls of the security container 30. As can be seen in Figure 6, the second and third arms 68, 70 are mounted forwardly of the first arm 62 such that they can be used to retain shorter cassettes than the first arm 62, as will be explained below.

The second arm 68 is provided with a retaining formation 76 which is shaped to complement the shape of a rear wall of a cassette such that with the second arm 68 in the operative lowered position the retaining formation 76 can engage with a rear wall of a cassette to retain the cassette in the correct position and orientation for correct operation of the spoiling system 36 of the security container. The third arm 70 is provided with a similar retaining formation 78 for the same purpose.

The operation of the adaptor 60 will now be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 9, which show different ATM cassettes installed in a security container and retained by the adaptor 60.

In the situation illustrated in Figure 7, an ATM cassette 10 is shorter than the available space in the base 32 of the security container 30. In order to retain the ATM cassette 10 in the correct position and orientation for correct operation of the spoiling system 36 of the security container both the second and third arms 68, 70 of the adaptor 60 are moved to the lowered position such that their respective retaining formations 76, 78 engage with a rear wall of the ATM cassette 10. Thus, the ATM cassette 10 is retained in the correct position and orientation. As the first arm 62 is not required in this instance it is moved to the raised position.

In the situation illustrated in Figure 8 the ATM cassette 10 is longer that the ATM cassette illustrated in Figure 7, but is still not long enough to take up all of the available space in the base 32 of the security container 30. In order to retain this ATM cassette 10 in the correct position and orientation the first arm 62 is moved to the lowered position such that the retaining formations 64, 66 engage with a rear wall of the ATM cassette 10. Thus, the ATM cassette 10 is retained in the correct position and orientation. As the second and third arms 68, 70 are not required to retain the ATM cassette 10 they are both moved to the raised positions, in which they do not impede insertion or removal of the ATM cassette 10.

In the situation illustrated in Figure 8 the ATM cassette is large enough to occupy all of the available space in the base 32 of the security container 30, and thus the adaptor 60 is not required to retain the ATM cassette 10 in the correct position and orientation. Thus, the first, second and third arms 62, 68, 70 are moved to their raised positions, in which they do not impede insertion or removal of the ATM cassette 10.

The adaptor 60 illustrated in Figures 6 to 9 is merely one example of a suitable adaptor, and it will be appreciated that an adaptor for accommodating different ATM cassettes in the security container 30 may take many different forms. For example, the adaptor may have one or more retaining members or formations which are slideably moveable between two or more positions such that ATM cassettes of different sizes and shapes can be accommodated in a security container.

Claims

1. A cassette for storing or transporting valuable media, wherein the cassette is provided with one or more apertures, the apertures being positioned so as to permit access to an interior of the cassette by one or more injector needles of a degrading mechanism of a security container when the cassette is installed in the security container.

2. A cassette according to claim 1 wherein the one or more apertures are provided in a lid of the cassette.

3. A cassette according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the one or more apertures are provided in a base or a side wall of the cassette.

4. A cassette according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the cassette comprises a note guide, the note guide having one or more apertures which are aligned with the apertures of the cassette so as to form an access path from an exterior of the cassette to its interior.

5. A cassette according to claim 4 further comprising guards which form an enclosed channel between the apertures of the note guide and the apertures of the cassette.

6. A cassette according to any one of the preceding claims further comprising one or more tamper-evident seals disposed over the one or more apertures.

7. A cassette according to claim 6 wherein the one or more tamper-evident seals are substantially opaque.

8. An adaptor for adapting a security container to accommodate a cassette according to any one of the preceding claims, the adaptor comprising a first retaining member which is arranged to be moveable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which it engages with part of the cassette so as to retain the cassette in a desired position and orientation in the security container.

9. An adaptor according to claim 8 wherein the retaining member comprises a first arm which is hingedly mounted so as to be moveable between a raised position and a lowered position.

10. An adaptor according to claim 9 wherein the first arm comprises a retaining formation which is shaped to complement the shape of the part of the cassette.

11. An adaptor according to any one of claims 8 to 10 further comprising a second retaining member which is arranged to be moveable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which is engages with part of the cassette so as to retain the cassette in a desired position and orientation in the security container.

12. An adaptor according to claim 11 wherein the second retaining member comprises a second arm which is hingedly mounted so as to be moveable between a raised position and a lowered position.

13. An adaptor according to claim 11 or 12 wherein the second arm comprises a retaining formation which is shaped to complement the shape of the part of the cassette.

14. An adaptor according to any one of claims 8 to 13 further comprising a third retaining member which is arranged to be moveable between an inoperative position and an operative position in which is engages with part of the cassette so as to retain the cassette in a desired position and orientation in the security container.

15. An adaptor according to claim 14 wherein the third retaining member comprises a third arm which is hingedly mounted so as to be moveable between a raised position and a lowered position.

16. An adaptor according to claim 14 or 15 wherein the third arm comprises a retaining formation which is shaped to complement the shape of the part of the cassette.

17. An adaptor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

18. A cassette substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A security container comprising an adaptor according to any one of claims 8 to 17.