CURRENCY BILL PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A currency bill processing device, comprising:
- a housing having a front side in opposing spaced relation to a back side, and a first end in opposing spaced relation to a second end, the front and the back sides being generally orthogonal with respect to the first and the second ends;
an input receptacle positioned proximate the first end of the housing, the input receptacle being configured to receive a stack of bills;
a second output receptacle proximate the second end of the housing and a first output receptacle horizontally offset from the second output receptacle in a direction toward the first end of the housing, the housing being configured to provide access openings in the front side, the access openings being proximate the first and the second output receptacles thereby permitting operator access into the first and the second output receptacles from the front side of the housing;
at least one detector positioned between the input receptacle and the first output receptacle; and
a transport mechanism configured to transport bills from the input receptacle, one at a time, along a transport path originating at the input receptacle proximate the first end of the housing, the transport path extending generally horizontally past the at least one detector toward the second end of the housing, the transport path transitioning generally-vertically upward between the first and the second output receptacles, the transport mechanism being further configured to deliver some of the bills toward the first end into the first output receptacle and some of the bills toward the second end into the second output receptacle.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A currency bill processing system includes a transport mechanism that is configured to transport bills from an input receptacle along a transport path that extends generally horizontally past at least one detector. The transport path transitions generally-vertically upward between a first and a second output receptacle. The transport mechanism is configured to deliver some of the bills toward a first end of the system into the first output receptacle and some of the bills toward a second end of the system into the second output receptacle. The system provides access openings in a front side of the system that are proximate the first and the second output receptacles thereby permitting operator access into the first and the second output receptacles from the front side.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A currency bill processing device, comprising:
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a housing having a front side in opposing spaced relation to a back side, and a first end in opposing spaced relation to a second end, the front and the back sides being generally orthogonal with respect to the first and the second ends; an input receptacle positioned proximate the first end of the housing, the input receptacle being configured to receive a stack of bills; a second output receptacle proximate the second end of the housing and a first output receptacle horizontally offset from the second output receptacle in a direction toward the first end of the housing, the housing being configured to provide access openings in the front side, the access openings being proximate the first and the second output receptacles thereby permitting operator access into the first and the second output receptacles from the front side of the housing; at least one detector positioned between the input receptacle and the first output receptacle; and a transport mechanism configured to transport bills from the input receptacle, one at a time, along a transport path originating at the input receptacle proximate the first end of the housing, the transport path extending generally horizontally past the at least one detector toward the second end of the housing, the transport path transitioning generally-vertically upward between the first and the second output receptacles, the transport mechanism being further configured to deliver some of the bills toward the first end into the first output receptacle and some of the bills toward the second end into the second output receptacle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A currency bill processing device for processing a stack of currency bills, the currency bill processing device comprising:
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an input receptacle configured to receive the stack of currency bills; a first output receptacle and a second output receptacle, each output receptacle having a receiving opening and an access opening associated therewith, the receiving openings being configured to receive bills therethrough, and the access openings being proximate a front side of the currency bill processing device thereby permitting operator access into the first and the second output receptacles from the front side of the currency bill processing device, and the receiving opening of the first output receptacle facing the receiving opening of the second output receptacle such that the first and the second output receptacles are oriented in a back-to-back manner with respect to each other; at least one detector positioned between the input receptacle and the output receptacles; and a transport mechanism configured to transport currency bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle past the at least one detector to one of the output receptacles. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method of transporting bills from a stack of bills in an input receptacle of a currency bill processing device to at least one of a plurality of output receptacles including first and second horizontally-offset output receptacles, the method comprising:
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receiving a stack of bills in the input receptacle of the currency bill processing device; transporting the bills, one at a time, from the input receptacle along a first segment of a transport path past at least one detector, the first segment including a generally-horizontal portion; generating data associated with the bills via the at least one detector; transporting the bills from the first segment along a second segment of the transport path, the second segment extending in a generally horizontal direction beneath the first and the second output receptacles; transporting the bills from the second segment along a third segment of the transport path that extends generally vertically from the second segment between the first and the second output receptacles; delivering some of the bills from third segment into the first output receptacle; and delivering some of the bills from third segment into the second output receptacle, wherein the bills are delivered to one of the plurality of output receptacles based in part on the generated data. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A currency processing system, comprising:
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a currency processing device having a first end and a second opposing end, the currency processing device including; an input receptacle configured to receive a plurality of bills, the input receptacle being positioned proximate to the first end; at least one detector configured to detect characteristic information from the bills and to generate data associated with each bill, the at least one detector being positioned between the first and the second ends of the currency processing device; and a device transport mechanism configured to transport the plurality of bills, one at a time, along a first segment of a transport path, the first segment of the transport path extending from the input receptacle past the at least one detector to a device outlet opening, the device outlet opening being located in the second end of the currency processing device; and a first base module configured to detachably connect to the second end of the currency processing device, the first base module including; a first end and a second opposing end; a top and an opposing bottom; a first base module inlet opening in operative communication with the device outlet opening of the currency processing device such that the first base module inlet opening receives bills transported through the device outlet opening via the device transport mechanism, the first base module inlet opening being located in the first end of the first base module; a first outlet opening of the first base module located in the second end of the first base module; a second outlet opening of the first base module located in the top of the first base module; a first and a second output receptacle configured to receive bills, the first and the second output receptacles being positioned between the first and the second ends and between the top and the bottom of the first base module; and a first base module transport mechanism configured to selectively transport bills received through the first base module inlet opening along a second segment of the transport path, the second segment of the transport path extending from the first base module inlet opening to the first outlet opening of the first base module, the second segment being positioned beneath the first and the second output receptacles, a third segment of the transport path extending generally-vertically upward from the second segment of the transport path between the first and the second output receptacles, the first base module transport mechanism being further configured to selectively deliver some of the bills from the third segment into the first output receptacle, some of the bills from the third segment into the second output receptacle, some of the bills from the second segment to the first outlet opening of the first base module, and some of the bills from the third segment to the second outlet opening of the first base module. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification