Actuated Castellation Plate For a Currency Acceptor

• US 20150379801A1
• Filed: 06/26/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Crane Payment Innovations, Inc. (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Mei Incorporated (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Daniels, Robert, Marks, Chris, Brown, Robert, Sidell, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 9,424,707 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/10 Mechanical details
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/14 Inlet or outlet ports
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/16 Handling of valuable papers within containers G07D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/225 for detecting or indicating tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 2211/00 Paper-money handling devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/043 Cutting or trapping of the flexible member or the attached coin
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency

Abstract

An actuated castellation plate can be arranged across a length of a currency passageway of a currency acceptor assembly and configured in an open state. Pressure from an attempted string fraud, such as pulling in reverse a bill across the castellation plate, can actuate the castellation plate to a closed state, obstructing the currency passageway so that the bait bill cannot be retrieved. Embodiments can include a currency acceptor including a currency passageway, mounting assembly, currency storage assembly having an entrance, the currency passageway being arranged to guide a currency denomination to the entrance of the currency storage assembly, and an actuated castellation plate including an array of teeth coupled to a baseplate including a receptacle and two opposing mounting ends, the castellation plate being configured at the entrance of the cashbox assembly to transfer between an open and closed state. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.

Claims

1. A currency acceptor assembly comprising:

a currency storage assembly configured to receive a banknote from a currency passageway; and

a castellation mounted on the currency storage assembly and configured to bias to an open state and prevent a movement of the banknote from the currency storage assembly to the currency passageway by transitioning from the open state to a closed state.

2. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the castellation further includes an array of teeth coupled to a baseplate, wherein the baseplate includes a receptacle and two opposing mounting ends that are mounted to the currency storage assembly.

3. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a currency validator including an exit coupled to the currency passageway and configured to guide the banknote in a forward direction from the exit of the currency validator toward the entrance of the currency storage assembly, wherein a pusher plate positioned between the currency validator and the currency storage assembly.

4. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, further including a spring mechanism coupled to the currency storage assembly and configured to bias the castellation to the open state.

5. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 4, wherein a receptacle of a baseplate is a first receptacle and the spring mechanism is a first spring mechanism, wherein the baseplate further includes a second receptacle, wherein the first receptacle and second receptacle are positioned on opposing sides of the baseplate, and wherein the currency acceptor assembly further includes a second spring mechanism coupled to the currency storage assembly and the second receptacle of the baseplate, and wherein the second spring mechanism is configured to bias the castellation to the open state.

6. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the castellation is configured to transition from the open state to the closed state in response to moving the banknote from the currency storage assembly towards the currency passageway.

7. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 2, wherein the two opposing mounting ends of the baseplate include a flat-end and a T-end, and wherein the currency storage assembly further includes a flat-groove and a T-groove matching the corresponding flat-end and the T-end, respectively, and is positioned at the entrance of the currency storage assembly.

8. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 7, wherein the flat-groove is a slot and the T-groove has a closed-end and an open-end.

9. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 7, wherein the flat-groove and the T-groove are further arranged off-horizontal.

10. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the castellation is configured to transition from the open state to the closed state when a string-like member coupled to the banknote is pulled from the currency storage assembly towards the currency passageway.

11. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 2, wherein the array of teeth are tree-shaped teeth forming restricted openings therebetween, and wherein at least some of the teeth are adjacent to one another in a direction across the currency passageway, partially overlap one another without contacting one another, and are angled such that any string-like member attached to the banknote will be trapped within a restricted opening to further prevent extraction of the banknote.

22. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a recycler assembly coupled to the currency passageway and configured to recycle one or more previously received banknotes.

23. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pusher plate configured to guide the banknote from the currency passageway into the currency storage assembly.

24. The currency acceptor assembly of claim 1, wherein the castellation mounted is configured to transition from the open state to the closed state by an external pressure.

12. A hook array for use with a bill acceptor comprising:

a plurality of tree-shaped teeth forming restricted openings therebetween and positioned in a currency passageway of the bill acceptor, wherein at least some of the teeth are adjacent one another in a direction across a width of the currency passageway, partially overlap one another without contacting one another, and wherein the teeth are angled to trap a string-like member attached to a banknote within a restricted opening to prevent an extraction of the banknote from a currency storage assembly when the string-like member is pulled away from the currency storage assembly; and

wherein the plurality of tree-shaped teeth are biased towards an open position and are configured to transition from the open position to a closed position to at least partially obstruct an opening from the currency passageway to the currency storage assembly and to prevent the extraction of the banknote from the currency storage assembly.

13. The hook array of claim 12, further includes a baseplate connected to the plurality of tree-shaped teeth.

14. The hook array of claim 13, wherein the baseplate further includes at least one receptacle to receive a spring mechanism.

15. The hook array of claim 13, wherein the baseplate and the teeth are of a unitary construction.

16. The hook array of claim 13, wherein the baseplate further includes a flat end.

17. The hook array of claim 13, wherein the baseplate further includes at least one flange positioned at a flange end.

18. The hook array of claim 17, wherein the at least one flange is a T-shaped end.

19. The hook array of claim 12, wherein a top portion of at least one of the teeth is curved to promote unimpeded travel of a bill in a first direction towards the currency storage assembly.

20. The hook array of claim 12, wherein an inner surface of at least one of the teeth is abrasive to promote movement of the teeth to the closed position thereby obstructing the currency passageway to prevent the banknote bill from moving in a second direction from the currency storage assembly towards the currency passageway.

21. A currency acceptor comprising:

a currency passageway configured to transport a banknote in a direction towards an entrance of a currency storage assembly; and

a castellation configured to bias to an open state and transition between the open state that enables a transport of the banknote from the currency passageway to the currency storage assembly and a closed state preventing a movement of the banknote from the currency storage assembly into the currency passageway.