Cash dispenser

• US 20030000957A1
• Filed: 07/17/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrea Carozzi, Dirk Brexel, Gunter Holland-Letz, Hans-Gunther Voss
• Original Assignee: Wincor Nixdorf GmbH & Company (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brexel, Dirk, Holland-Letz, Gunter, Voss, Hans-Gunther, Carozzi, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 6,824,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/129
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/41912 between two belt like members
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1912 Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 29/006 Winding articles into rolls
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/005 Portable strong boxes, e.g. which may be fixed to a wall or the like E05G1/08, E05G1/14 take precedence; devices to prevent theft or loss of bags, trunks, baskets, or the like A45C13/18; coin boxes for coin freed apparatus G07F9/06
• CPC Class Codes: E05G 1/14 with means for masking or destroying the valuables, e.g. in case of theft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/12 Containers for valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/125 Secure containers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/14 Inlet or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/26 Servicing, repairing or coping with irregularities, e.g. power failure or vandalism
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/40 Device architecture, e.g. modular construction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

The invention relates to a cash dispenser that comprises a housing with a receiving chamber for at least one storage unit (62) for bank notes, a withdrawal device (70) that is allocated to the storage unit (62) and serves for withdrawing individual bank notes from the storage unit (62) and a transport device (72) for bank notes. Said transport device is used for transporting the bank notes between the storage unit (62) and a control panel of the cash dispenser. The inventive cash dispenser also comprises a current supply unit and a control device (94) for controlling the functions of the cash dispenser. The at least one storage unit (62) for bank notes, a first bank note conveyor (72) which connects the withdrawal device (70) to a passage slot (74) in a container wall, a drive for the withdrawal device (70) and the first bank note conveyor (72), a first control unit (92) for controlling the functional units enclosed in the container (30) and a security mechanism (85) are arranged in a box-type container (30) that can be closed and locked. Said mechanism can make the bank notes which are situated in the container (30) invalid when said container is manipulated without authorisation. The receiving chamber (14) of the housing (10) pertaining to the cash dispenser is designed for receiving the container (30). The housing (10) comprises a second bank note conveyor (96) for connecting the passage slot (74) of the container (30) to the control panel (22) and a second control unit (94) for controlling the functional units that are linked to the housing. The container (30) has an interface which is connected to the drive and the first control unit (92) in the container (30) and serves for connecting the container to the second control unit (94).

Claims

1. A cash dispenser comprising a housing (10) with a receiving space (14) for at least one bank note storage unit (62), a withdrawal device (70) associated with the storage unit (62) for withdrawing individual bank notes from the storage unit (62), a bank note transport device (72) for transport of the bank notes between the storage unit (62) and a control panel (22) of the cash dispenser, a power supply unit and a control device (94) for controlling the functions of the cash dispenser, characterized in that in a closable and lockable box shaped container (30) within which are arranged at least one bank note storage unit (62), a first bank note conveyor which connects the withdrawal device (70) with a pass-through slot (74) in a wall of the container, a drive for the withdrawal device (70) and for the first bank note conveyor (72), a first control unit (92) for controlling the functional units enclosed in the container (30), and a security mechanism (85), which upon unauthorized manipulation of the container (30) makes invalid the bank notes contained in the container, in that the receiving space (14) of the housing (10) of the cash dispenser is formed to receive the container (30), in that the housing (10) has a second bank note conveyor (96) for connecting the pass-through slot (74) of the container (30) with the control panel (22) as well as a second control unit (94) for controlling the functions of the units connected to the housing (10), and in that the container has an interface connected with the first control unit (92) in the container (30) for connection of the same to the second control unit (94).

2. A cash dispenser according to claim 1, further characterized in that the interface (60) is formed for connecting the functional units contained in the container (30) to the power supply unit of the cash dispenser.

3. A cash dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, further characterized in that the container (30) is provided with wheels (44,46).

4. A cash dispenser according to claim 3, further characterized in that the container (30) is arranged on an undercarriage (40) and is guidable on the undercarriage between a lower transport position and a raised position in which raised position it is insertable into the receiving space (14).

5. A cash dispenser according to claim 4, further characterized that arranged on the undercarriage (40) is a lift mechanism (50) for lifting the container (30).

6. A cash dispenser according to claim 5, further characterized in that the lift mechanism is a gas spring (50).

7. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 6, further characterized in that guide elements (56,58) are provided in the receiving space (14) which are intended to cooperate with complementary elements (59) on the container (30) and/or on the undercarriage (40).

8. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 7, further characterized in that the container (30) has a container body (32) and flap (34) movable relative to the container body, which flap is lockable to the container body (32) by a contact freely activatable lock (38).

9. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 6, further characterized in that the security mechanism (86, 88, 90) is triggerable by remote control.

10. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 9, further characterized in that the security mechanism (86, 88, 90) is contact freely activatable and deactivatable.

11. A cash dispenser according to claim 10, further characterized in that the security mechanism (86, 88, 90) is activatable after the filling of a bank note storage unit (62) in a bank note loading station, remains uninterruptedly activated and is not deactivatable during the transport of the container (32) to, and during its movement into and out of operation with, the cash dispenser, as well as during return transport to the bank note loading station, and can only be deactivated in the bank note loading station.

12. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 9, further characterized in that the security mechanism (86, 88, 90) is activatable and deactivatable by the control unit (94) of the cash dispenser which is associated with the container (30).

13. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 12, further characterized in that the security mechanism (86, 88, 90) contains a location transmitter.

14. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 13, further characterized in that the drives of the bank note conveyors (92, 72) are reversible and that the storage unit (62) is designed to dispense and receive individual bank notes.

15. A cash dispenser according to claim 14, further characterized in that the storage unit (62) has associated with it a device for the ordered input of bank notes into the storage unit.

16. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 15, further characterized in that the storage unit (62) is formed for the receipt of stacks (68) of bank notes, with the withdrawal mechanism being formed as a withdrawal and individualizing device (70).

17. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 15, further characterized in that the storage unit is a winding store having at least one storage band (116), which is windable from a supply roll (118) onto a winding core (114) and vis-a-vis, with the winding core (114) and the supply roll (118) being drivable by a winding drive.

18. A cash dispenser according to claim 17, further characterized in that the winding core (114) has two spools (120) which are axis parallel and spaced from one another with at least one of the spools being coupable with the winding drive, and with the storage band (116) passing around both spools (120) in common over circumferential areas of the spools which face away from one another.

19. A cash dispenser according to claim 18, further characterized in that the two spools (120) are surrounded by an endless band (122) forming a circumferential shell of the winding core (114), onto which endless band the storage band (116) is windable.

20. A cash dispenser according to claim 18 or 19, further characterized in that the storage band (116) has two individual bands (124,126), which as a double layer are wound onto the supply roll (118) and are guided in separate paths to an output opening of the winding store where they form a bank note input/output gap (136), the two individual bands being again guided to one another by deflecting rolls (130,134) and wound as a double layer onto the winding core (114).

21. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 20, further characterized that supplementary to at least the one bank note storage unit (62) for bank notes to be dispensed, there is provided a collection compartment (64) for bank notes to be taken back.

22. A cash dispenser according to claim 21, further characterized in that the storage unit (62) and/or the collection compartment (64) is formed as a drawer pushable into the container (30).

23. A cash dispenser according to claim 22, further characterized in that the drawer is guided on rails (66) of a frame, which frame is surrounded by walls of the container.

24. A cash dispenser according to claim 22 or 23, further characterized in that the bank note containing drawer is adjustable to different bank note widths.

25. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 22 to 24, further characterized in that above each drawer is arranged a bank note coloring or destroying unit (85).

26. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 25, further characterized in that in the path of the second bank note conveyor (96) is provided a collection station (98) for forming a bank note bundle (102) from individual bank notes removed from the at least one storage unit (62).

27. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 26, further characterized in that the second bank note conveyor (96) has a first transport stretch (103) with two belt drives (148,150), between arranged parallel to one another endless belts (152,162) of which belt drives a bank note bundle is gripped and transported, in that each of the belts by a respective drive roll (156,166) is circulated in the same direction as the other, in a drive mechanism (186) for driving the belt drives (148,150), and in that the belt drives (148,150) at least in the direction from the output compartment (28) to the collection compartment (64) are drivable at different speeds.

28. A cash dispenser according to claim 27, further characterized in that the drive mechanism for each belt drive (148,150) has an individually associated motor of which at least one is controllable in regard to its speed.

29. A cash dispenser according to claim 27, further characterized in that both of the belt drive (148,150) are driven by a common motor (186), and in that one of the two belt drives (148,150) in one transport direction is driven by a first drive train (194, 196, 198, 204, 202) and in the other transport direction is driven by a second drive train (194, 196, 198, 200, 180, 212, 210, 208, 206) which is coupable to the motor (186) with a different drive ratio than the first drive train.

30. A cash dispenser according to claim 28, further characterized in that the drive roll (166) of a first belt drive (150) and an intermediate shaft (180) parallel to it are rotatably fixedly coupled with the motor (186) and in that the drive roll (156) of the second belt drive (148) stands in rotational moment transmitting connection with the first drive roll (166) through one one-way coupling (204) and with the intermediate shaft (180) through a second one-way coupling (212) whose effective direction is opposite to that of the first one-way coupling (204).

31. A cash dispenser according to claim 30, further characterized in that the one one-way coupling is a latch-free running one.

32. A cash dispenser according to claim 30, further characterized in that the one one-way coupling is a clamp body-free running one.

33. A cash dispenser according to claim 31 or 32, further characterized in that the second one-way coupling is a slip coupling (212).

34. A cash dispenser according to claim 30, further characterized in that both one-way couplings are loop spring couplings which are controlled by friction couplings with low rotational moment.

35. A cash dispenser according to one of claims 27 to 34, further characterized in that the first transport stretch (103) is coupled with a second transport stretch having two belt drives (174,176), wherein an endless belt (174) of one belt drive is guided over the first drive roll (166) and the endless belt (176) of the second belt drive is guided over a drive roll (178) which is located on the intermediate shaft (180).

36. A cash dispenser according to claim 35, further characterized in that the second transport stretch connects the first transport stretch (103) by way of a deflector (178) with the collecting compartment (64).