WO2015012759A1

WO2015012759A1 - System for storage and destruction of valuables and method therefore

Info

Publication number: WO2015012759A1
Application number: PCT/SE2014/050900
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kjell Lindskog
Original assignee: Sqs Security Qube System Ab
Priority date: 2013-07-26
Filing date: 2014-07-18
Publication date: 2015-01-29

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system (10) for storage and destruction of valuables comprising at least one control unit (20) and at least one protective cassette (30) arranged for secure storage of valuables (40), wherein the protective cassette (30) comprises at least one destruction device (50) arranged at reception of an activation signal to destruct valuables (40) stored inside the storage space of the protective cassette; wherein the control unit (20) is arranged at a distance d from the protective cassette (30) and is connected to the destruction device (50) of the protective cassette (30) via at least one activation cable (60) which is arranged to provide the activation signal. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for such a system.

Description

SYSTEM FOR STORAGE AND DESTRUCTION OF VALUABLES AND METHOD

THEREFORE

Technical field

The present invention relates to a system for storage and destruction of valuables according to the preamble of the independent claim 1. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for such a system.

Background of the invention

Despite increasing use of bank cards and other electronic payment methods cash in the form of bank-notes still plays an important role in payment transactions in the society of today.

A common way of acquiring bank-notes is by withdrawal at an Automatic Teller Machine (in english Automatic Teller Machine, ATM), i.e., a so called cash dispenser. Thus, the so called cash dispensers constitute an important part in the delivery of bank-notes to the cash circulation in the society.

A very important aspect in the storage of banknotes for withdrawal at cash dispensers is safety. According to the prior art protective cassettes are used for storage and any destruction of banknotes at cash dispensers. These protective cassettes usually comprise, apart from a protective casing, also other safety functions such as alarm, sensors, and so on. With regard to the destruction of the bank-notes it is common to colour the bank-notes inside protective cassettes when these are subject to violence. To this end each protective cassette has a built-in control logic which controls said colouring, but additionally the control logic is responsible for a number of other functions which are related to the safety for the bank-notes in the protective cassette, such as alarm, sensors, etc. as mentioned above.

Short description of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a solution which completely or partly solves the problems and/or drawbacks with known solutions for storage and destruction of valuables.

In particular the invention intends to provide a new system architecture for safe storage and destruction of valuables which results in lower costs and a higher degree of flexibility in comparison with solutions according to the prior art. According to an aspect of the invention the objects above are achieved with a system for storage and destruction of valuables, which system comprises at least one control unit and at least one protective cassette arranged for safe storage of valuables, wherein the protective cassette comprises at least one destruction device arranged, at reception of an activation signal, to destruct valuables stored inside the storage space of the protective cassette; wherein the control unit is arranged at a distance d from the protective cassette and is connected to the destruction device of the protective cassette via at least one activation cable which is arranged to provide the activation signal.

Different embodiments of the system above are defined in the to the system appended independent claims.

Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for such a system according to the invention.

A system according to the present invention provides a solution which reduces the cost for storage and destruction of valuables stored in protective cassettes of the type described in this patent application as a control unit may control a number of protective cassettes simultaneously.

Furthermore, the present new system architecture imply that several protective functions may be added to a lower cost as the protective cassettes share a common control unit. With that even more advanced protective functions and alarm functions may be added to existing protective systems. Furthermore, the protective functions and alarm functions may be tailored for different fields of application which results in large flexibility.

A method according to the present invention provides a solution with which unintentional destruction of valuables in protective cassettes, being part of systems according to the invention, essentially may be decreased.

Further advantages and applications of the system and the method according to the invention will be evident from the following detailed description. Short description of the drawings

The present invention is described with reference to the appended drawings on which:

Fig. 1 shows schematically a system overview of an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 shows schematically a detail (partly in cross section) of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 3 shows schematically (partly in cross section) a control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

For the purpose of achieving said and further objects the present invention relates to a system and a method for such a system. With reference to figures 1 and 2, which show preferred embodiments of the invention, the invention relates to a system 10 comprising one or more protective cassettes 30, which each has a storage space for storage of valuables. Furthermore, each protective cassette comprises at least one destruction device 50 arranged to destruct the valuables positioned in the storage space at reception of an activation signal which is provided by an activation cable 60. Said activation signal may for example be an electrical control signal which activates one or more destruction members for destruction of the valuables, but also other types of activation signals may be used which will be evident from the following description. The term activation signal is to be interpreted in a wide sense in this description. Furthermore, the system comprises a control unit 20 which is arranged at a distance d, (i=l, 2, N, where N is the number of protective cassettes in the system) from the protective cassette and which is connected to the destruction device 50 of the protective cassette for control/activation of the same via the activation cable. This means that the control unit is an external separate unit in relation to the protective cassette which is different from the prior art, in which the control unit is an integrated part of the protective cassette.

The control/activation of the destruction device is done from the control unit via said activation cable which is arranged to provide the activation signal. The distance dj between the control unit and the protective cassette/protective cassettes depends inter alia on the positioning of the control unit in relation to the protective cassette, the size of the protective cassette, and so on. With a system according to the invention a number of advantages are achieved in relation to solutions according to the prior art which have been mentioned above. The system is, however, particularly advantageous only when a control unit controls two of more protective cassettes, i.e., the only control unit is connected to the protective cassettes by means of the respective activation cable, which is clearly shown in figure 1. This is possible as the control unit is not an integrated part of the protective cassette but arranged as an external separate unit arranged at a distance , from the protective cassettes.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the destruction device also comprises one or more colour containers for colouring of the valuables, for what reason the paint containers are placed on the inside of the storage space so that the colour from the colour containers can colour the valuables when these are activated. In order to activate the colour containers a fuse, such as a cordtex fuse, is used in a preferred embodiment of the invention, for what reason the activation cable in this embodiment is an ignition cable comprising the cordtex fuse. In this case the activation signal is the signal which is given when the cordtex fuse is ignited (compare binary value, i.e. not ignited = 0, ignited = 1). Thus, at an alarm the cordtex fuse is ignited which in turn makes the colour containers to burst with colouring of the valuables in the protective cassette as a result.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention the activation cable is connected to the destruction device by means of a first coupling element 81 which is connected to a corresponding second coupling element 82 arranged to receive the first coupling element. Said second coupling element is arranged at the outside of the protective cassette so that the activation cable may be disconnected from the destruction device in a simple way. Preferably, the first coupling element is a quick-coupling element which provides a safe connection, but at the same time a simple disconnection, such as for example a bayonet quick-coupling and similar, which further facilitates a disconnection procedure. The above mentioned embodiment is shown in figure 2 wherein in this case an ignition cable 60 is connected to the protective cassette with a first coupling element 81 which is arranged to be connected with a second corresponding coupling element 82 on the protective cassette. It should also be noted that the protective cassette comprises an internal cable arrangement from the second coupling element to the different parts of the destruction device 50, which in this case are one or many colour containers 70 (only two colour containers are shown in figure 2).

Figure 3 shows a further embodiment of the invention in which the control unit is arranged for alarm activation/deactivation and also comprises one or many of: a control circuit, a current feeding unit, a battery backup, at least one data input, at least one data output, a number of inputs for reception of external alarm signals, a number of outputs for control of external units and a number of outputs for connection of activation cables. The control unit may preferably be arranged on a wall inside a protective cabinet. The control circuit which controls alarm- and activation processes may inter alia consist of a processor unit (CPU) and a thereto connected memory (internal connections in the control unit are not shown in figure 3). The control circuit may communicate with other communication units via one or many data inputs and data outputs with known data interfaces. Thus, different functions in the control unit such as alarm routines, and timers, may easily be updated or exchanged. Furthermore, surveillance logs may be retrieved from the memory of the control circuit for analysis. In the shown case the "data in"-input" and the "data out"-output is made for communication by wire but also wireless communication methods are possible. With wireless connection the communication to and from the control unit may be further facilitated as cable pulling is not necessary in such cases. However, the wireless communication must be secure so that unauthorized persons cannot control the control unit.

Furthermore, the control unit comprises a power supply unit which is connected to the usual power supply network (for example 220 Volt AC). In case the power supply network would fail the present control unit also has a battery backup which supplies the electrical components with current. The battery time may vary depending on use but 2-12 h should probably be suitable. The control unit also comprises a number of inputs for reception of external alarms/signal, a plurality of outputs for control of external units, and a plurality of outputs for connection of activation cables to protective cassettes. External alarms/signals may for example be signals from different sensors (for example gas, heat, liquid, surveillance sensors, accelerometers) or alarms from a central alarm unit. The plurality of outputs may be used to control for example smoke units, sound alarms, sprinklers, and so on.

As is shown in figure 1 the present system comprises according to a further embodiment of the invention a protective cabinet 90 in which an alarm may be activated and which is lockable. The protective cabinet is illustrated with dashed lines in figure 1. Inside the protective cabinet the control unit, the protective cassette and the activation cable are arranged. In this way the security level is raised further. According to this embodiment the system preferably comprises a lock sensor for the door of the protective cabinet and a sensor for indication of whether the door of the protective cabinet is open or not. These sensors (or values from these sensors) are used in the control algorithms of the control unit for control/activation of the destruction devices.

With a system according to the present invention a new system architecture has been provided. This new architecture also implies new routines for placement or removal of valuables from a protective cassette in such a system. After deactivation of the alarm in the control unit the operator opens the lockable door of the protective cassette so that the operator may place or remove valuables in/from the protective cassette, for example at refill of banknotes in a cash dispenser. In these situations unvoluntary activation of the destruction device sometimes occur due to different erroneous alarm signals which for example may depend on aged electronics, blows during handle which lead to the activation of some sensor or other erroneous alarm. Unvoluntary activation means among other things higher costs, destroyed valuables, and so on.

In order to solve the above problems the presenti invention also relates to a method for placement/removal of valuables in/from a protective cassette belonging to a system according to the invention. The method comprises the steps:

- deactivation of the alarm in the control unit 20,

- disconnection of the activation cable 60 from the destruction device 50 before, - placement/removal of valuables in/from the protective cassette 30, and

- connection of the activation cable 60 to the destruction device 50 before,

- activation of an alarm for the control unit 20.

It is thus noted that the order of the method steps is very important in this method. The advantage with the method is that unvoluntary activation of the destruction device is essentially decreased.

For the purpose of facilitating the method the system may preferably have the design in which the activation cable is connected to the destruction device with a first connection element in the form of a quick-coupling element as has been described above.

Finally, it is to be realized that the present invention is not limited to the above described embodiments of the invention but also relates to and comprises all embodiments within scope of the appended independent claims.

Claims

1. System (10) for storage and destruction of valuables comprising at least one control unit (20) and at least one protective cassette (30) arranged for secure storage of valuables (40), wherein the protective cassette (30) comprises at least one destruction device (50) arranged at reception of an activation signal to destruct valuables (40) stored inside the storage space of the protective cassette (30); wherein the system is characterized in that the control unit (20) is arranged at a distance , from the protective cassette (30) and is connected to the destruction device (50) of the protective cassette (30) via at least one activation cable (60) which is arranged to provide the activation signal.

2. System according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises at least two protective cassettes, the respective destructive devices of which are controlled by a single control unit via respective activation cables.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the destruction device is arranged to colour the contents in the protective cassette by means of one or more colour containers (70) arranged on the inside of the protective cassette in the storage space.

4. System according to claim 3, wherein the activation cable is an ignition cable and comprises a fuse which is connected to the colour containers, which fuse activates the colour containers when the fuse is ignited.

5. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the protective cassette is a money cassette for cash dispensers and the valuables are bank notes.

6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the activation cable is connected to the destruction device by means of a first coupling element (81) connected to a corresponding second coupling element (82) arranged on the outside of the protective cassette so that the activation cable can be disconnected from the destruction device.

7. System according to claim 6, wherein the first coupling element (81) is a quick-coupling element.

8. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein an alarm for the control unit is arranged to be activated/deactivated.

9. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the control unit comprises one or more of: a control circuit, a current feeding unit, a battery backup, at least one data input, at least one data output, several inputs for reception of external alarm signals, several outputs for control of external units and several outputs for connection of activation cables.

10. System according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises a protective cabinet (90), for which an alarm may be activated and which is lockable, inside which the control unit, the protective cassette and the activation cable are arranged.

1 1. System according to claim 10, wherein the system further comprises a lock sensor for the cabinet and a sensor for indication of whether the door of the protective cabinet is open or not.

12. System according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is arranged to use the indication when controlling the destruction device.

13. Method for placement/removal of valuables from a protective cassette belonging to a system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the method comprises the steps:

- deactivation of an alarm for the control unit (20),

- disconnection of the activation cable (60) from the destruction device (50) before,

- placement/removal of valuables from the protective cassette (30), and

- connection of the activation cable (60) with the destruction device (50) before,

- activation of the alarm for the control unit (20).