Note holding and dispensing device with cassette

• US 6,325,242 B1
• Filed: 10/19/1999
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Cash Machine Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Cash Machine Company Limited
• Inventors: Uemizo, Yoshiaki, Izawa, Hikaru, Matsunaga, Kensuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth W.
• Application Number:
  US09/420,383
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 221/197, 221/71, 221/72, 221/198, 221/1, 221/2, 221/7, 221/13, 221/9, 194/205, 194/207, 902/1, 902/7
• US Class Current: 221/197
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/26 using a biometric sensor integrated in the pass
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/13 with internal means for handling valuable papers

Abstract

A note holding and dispensing device is provided which comprises a frame 16; a cassette 18 removably positioned in a cavity 112 of the frame 16; a transfer device 24 which comprises an extraction drive means 120 and a conveyer means 122 provided in the frame 16; and an electronic controller 46 for controlling operation of the extraction drive means 120 and conveyer means 122. The cassette 18 has a chamber 64 for receiving a plurality of notes 66 and an extracting device 232 for discharging the notes 66 from the chamber 64. The extraction drive means 120 operates the extracting device 232 in the cassette 18 to fetch the notes 66 from the cassette 18. The conveyer means 122 transports the notes 66 received from the cassette 18 to an outlet 20 through a passageway 22.

Claims

1. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyer means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyer means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyer means of said transfer device;

said extracting device comprising rollers to which an uppermost one of the notes retained in said chamber is in contact; and

a first driven gear for rotating said rollers, said first driven gear being detachably engaged with a second driven gear of said extraction drive means.

2. The note holding and dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said chamber is formed in said cassette;

the notes in said chamber are supported on a tray of a support so that a compression spring resiliently urges the notes toward said extracting device.

3. The note holding and dispensing device of claim 1, wherein said extracting device comprises fin gears adjacent to said rollers for selecting only the uppermost note supplied by said rollers,

said first driven gear of the extracting device is meshed with the second driven gear positioned at the bottom of said transfer device to rotate said first driven gear by an extraction motor through said second driven gear.

16. The note holding and dispensing device according to any one of claims 1, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 5, wherein said chamber is formed in said cassette;

the notes in said chamber are supported on a tray of a support so that a compression spring resiliently urges the notes toward said extracting device.

17. The note holding and dispensing device according to any one of claims 1, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 5, wherein said extracting device comprises fin gears adjacent to said rollers for selecting only the uppermost note supplied by said rollers,

said first driven gear of the extracting device is meshed with the second driven gear positioned at the bottom of said transfer device to rotate said first driven gear by an extraction motor through said second driven gear.

4. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyer means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyer means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyer means of said transfer device;

said cassette comprising a picker wheel rotatably mounted in said casing opposite to fin gears for preventing extraction of double notes at a leading edge of a pathway guide, said picker wheel being rotatable only in one direction.

5. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyor means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyor means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyor means of said transfer device;

said cassette comprising a storage area, and a diverting device for receiving an unacceptable note from said conveyor means and forwarding the same to said storage area;

said transfer device comprising at least a sensor means provided by said passageway for detecting the unacceptable note moved through said passageway, and a diverting means for diverting the unacceptable note from said passageway to a recovery path for the storage area in the cassette;

whereby upon detection of the unacceptable note by the sensor means, said electronic controller operates said diverting means to guide the note from the passageway to the recovery path;

said sensor means includes an optical sensor for detecting double notes moved through said passageway to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller operates said diverting means to divert the note from the passageway to the recovery path when receives the detection signal of the double notes from the optical sensor.

6. The note holding and dispensing device of claim 5, wherein said optical sensor detects characteristics of the note travelling along the passageway and forwards output signals indicative of the note characteristics to the electronic controller;

said electronic controller comprises a microprocessor for receiving the output signals from the optical sensor to validate the note in comparison of the received output signals with stored signal parameters;

said electronic controller operates said diverting means to divert the note from the passageway to the recovery path when receives the detection signal from the optical sensor indicating that the note is not genuine.

7. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyer means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyer means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyer means of said transfer device;

wherein said transfer device comprises an extraction motor and a transport motor both controlled by said electronic controller;

said extraction motor provides said extraction drive means with a drive force, and said transport motor provides said conveyer means with a drive force when said note is extracted from the chamber of the cassette.

8. The note holding and dispensing device of claim 7, wherein said transfer device comprises an entry detecting sensor for detecting a leading edge of the note extracted from the cassette to the passageway to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller ceases operation of said extraction motor when receives the detection signal from said entry detecting sensor.

9. The note holding and dispensing device of claim 7, wherein said transfer device comprises an outlet sensor for detecting existence of the note which partially extends outward from the passageway through the outlet to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller ceases operation of said transport motor when receives the detection signal from said outlet sensor.

10. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyer means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyer means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyer means of said transfer device;

said cassette comprising a casing;

a lid pivotally mounted on said casing to cover said chamber and a storage area; and

a lock means for securing said cassette to said frame and for securing said lid to said casing.

11. The note holding and dispensing device of claim 10, wherein said lid comprises a delivery slot through which said notes are intermittently delivered from said cassette to the passageway;

and

a recovery slot through which the unacceptable note is retired from the passageway to the storage area.

12. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyer means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyer means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyer means of said transfer device;

said cassette further including a sealing device which comprises a metallic plate movable in parallel relation to a lid between a shut position for covering delivery and recovery slots and a release position for opening said delivery and recovery slots;

a closure spring for resiliently urging said metallic plate toward the shut position; and

an operative member for moving said metallic plate to the release position against elastic force of the closure spring at the same time said cassette is secured to said frame by operation of said lock means.

13. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyer means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyer means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyer means of said transfer device;

wherein a pin of a support is engaged with a latch provided on the bottom of said chamber of the cassette when said notes are filled in said chamber;

said latch is connected with a sliding plate which extends toward a rear surface of a casing;

when said cassette is positioned in said frame, said sliding plate is brought into contact to a protrusion of said frame so that said sliding plate serves to release engagement of the latch and pin, thereby causing the uppermost note to come into contact to rollers.

14. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyer means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyer means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyer means of said transfer device;

wherein said conveyer means comprises a drive roller and a tension roller provided adjacent to said outlet in opposite relation to each other;

when the rear end of said note is sandwiched between said drive and tension rollers after the note passes a post-validation sensor, said electronic controller ceases operation of a transport motor to stop movement of the note.

15. A note holding and dispensing device with a note cassette comprising:

a frame formed with a cavity;

a cassette removably positioned in said cavity of said frame, said cassette having a chamber for receiving a plurality of notes and an extracting device for discharging the notes in the chamber;

a transfer device comprising an extraction drive means and a conveyor means provided in said frame, said extraction drive means operating said extracting device in said cassette to fetch the notes from said cassette, said conveyor means transporting the notes received from said cassette to an outlet through a passageway; and

an electronic controller for controlling operation of said extraction drive means and conveyor means of said transfer device;

said cassette comprising a storage area, and a diverting device for receiving an unacceptable note from said conveyor means and forwarding the same to said storage area;

said transfer device comprising at least a sensor means provided by said passageway for detecting the unacceptable note moved through said passageway, and a diverting means for diverting the unacceptable note from said passageway to a recovery path for the storage area in the cassette;

whereby upon detection of the unacceptable note by the sensor means, said electronic controller operates said diverting means to guide the note from the passageway to the recovery path;

said diverting means comprises a lever rotatably mounted between a discharge position for opening said passageway toward said outlet and a recovery position for opening said passageway toward diverted slot; and

an actuator for moving said lever toward one of said discharge and recovery positions;

said diverting means further comprises a biasing spring for moving said lever toward the other of said discharge and recovery positions.