Note holding and dispensing device with cassette

• US 6,352,175 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 03/05/2002
• 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:
  US09/833,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20010011659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 328 Days
• Field of Search: 221/97, 221/2, 221/7, 221/197, 221/154, 221/151, 271/145, 271/10.08, 271/34, 271/31.1, 90/13, 90/14, 90/17
• 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 (16) formed with a cavity (112);

a cassette (18) removably positioned in said cavity (112) of said frame (16), said cassette (18) having a chamber (64) for receiving a plurality of notes (66) and an extracting device (232) for discharging the notes (66) in the chamber (64);

a transfer device (24) comprising an extraction drive means (120) and a conveyer means (122) provided in said frame (16), said extraction drive means (120) operating said extracting device (232) in said cassette (18) to fetch the notes (66) from said cassette (18), said conveyer means (122) transporting the notes (66) received from said cassette (18) to an outlet (20) through a passageway (22); and

an electronic controller (46) for controlling operation of said extraction drive means (120) and conveyer means (122) of said transfer device (24);

wherein said cassette (18) further comprises an empty detection sensor (282) for detecting reduction of the notes (66) in said chamber (64) to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller (46) operates a warning system when receives the detection signal from the empty detection sensor (282).

2. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said extracting device (232) comprises rollers (258, 260) to which an uppermost one of the notes (66) retained in said chamber (64) is in contact;

and a first driven gear (234) for rotating said rollers (258, 260), said first driven gear (234) being detachably engaged with a second driven gear (148) of said extraction drive means (120).

3. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said chamber (64) is formed in said cassette (18);

the notes (66) in said chamber (64) are supported on a tray (200) of a support (202) so that a compression spring (204) resiliently urges the notes (66) toward said extracting device (232).

4. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said extracting device (232) comprises fin gears (264) adjacent to said rollers (258, 260) for selecting only the uppermost note (66) supplied by said rollers (258, 260),

said first driven gear (234) of the extracting device (232) is meshed with the second driven gear (148) positioned at the bottom of said transfer device (24) to rotate said first driven gear (234) by an extraction motor (124) through said second driven gear (148).

5. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said cassette (18) comprises a picker wheel (262) rotatably mounted in said casing (62) opposite to fin gears (264) for preventing extraction of double notes (66) at a leading edge of a pathway guide (248), said picker wheel (262) being rotatable only in one direction.

6. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said cassette (18) comprises a storage area (68), and a diverting device (230) for receiving an unacceptable note (66) from said conveyer means (122) and forwarding the same to said storage area (68);

said transfer device (24) comprises at least a sensor means (30, 32) provided by said passageway (22) for detecting the unacceptable note (66) moved through said passageway (22), and a diverting means (183) for diverting the unacceptable note (66) from said passageway (22) to a recovery path (48) for the storage area (68) in the cassette (18);

whereby upon detection of the unacceptable note (66) by the sensor means (30, 32), said electronic controller (46) operates said diverting means (183) to guide the note (66) from the passageway (22) to the recovery path (48).

7. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein said diverting means (183) comprises a lever (184) rotatably mounted between a discharge position for opening said passageway (22) toward said outlet (20) and a recovery position for opening said passageway (22) toward diverted slot (44);

and

an actuator (182) for moving said lever (184) toward one of said discharge and recovery positions.

8. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 7, wherein said diverting means (183) further comprises a biasing spring (186) for moving said lever (184) toward the other of said discharge and recovery positions.

9. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 6, wherein said sensor means (30, 32) includes an optical sensor (30, 32) for detecting double notes (66) moved through said passageway (22) to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller (46) operates said diverting means (183) to divert the note (66) from the passageway (22) to the recovery path (48) when receives the detection signal of the double notes (66) from the optical sensor (30, 32).

10. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 9, wherein said optical sensor (30, 32) detects characteristics of the note (66) travelling along the passageway (22) and forwards output signals indicative of the note characteristics to the electronic controller (46);

said electronic controller (46) comprises a microprocessor (50) for receiving the output signals from the optical sensor (30, 32) to validate the note (66) in comparison of the received output signals with stored signal parameters;

said electronic controller (46) operates said diverting means (183) to divert the note (66) from the passageway (22) to the recovery path (48) when receives the detection signal from the optical sensor (30, 32) indicating that the note (66) is not genuine.

11. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said transfer device (24) comprises an extraction motor (124) and a transport motor (150) both controlled by said electronic controller (46);

said extraction motor (124) provides said extraction drive means (120) with a drive force, and said transport motor (150) provides said conveyer means (122) with a drive force when said note (66) is extracted from the chamber (64) of the cassette (18).

12. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 11, wherein said transfer device (24) comprises an entry detecting sensor (198) for detecting a leading edge of the note (66) extracted from the cassette (18) to the passageway (22) to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller (46) ceases operation of said extraction motor (124) when receives the detection signal from said entry detecting sensor (198).

13. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 11, wherein said transfer device (24) comprises an outlet sensor (42) for detecting existence of the note (66) which partially extends outward from the passageway (22) through the outlet (20) to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller (46) ceases operation of said transport motor (150) when receives the detection signal from said outlet sensor (42).

14. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1 wherein said transfer device (24) comprises a post-validation sensor (40) for detecting a leading edge of the note (66) to produce a detection signal;

said electronic controller (46) operates said diverting means (183) to divert the note (66) from the passageway (22) to the recovery path (48) when receives the detection signal from the post-validation sensor (40) and decides that the note (66) is unacceptable in view of the outputs from the sensor means (30, 32).

15. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 14, wherein said electronic controller (46) operates said actuator (182) to rotate said lever (184) to the recovery position when said electronic controller (46) judges that the note (66) is unacceptable in view of said optical sensor (30, 32) and also receives the detection signal from said post-validation sensor (40).

16. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said cassette (18) further comprises a casing (62);

a lid (60) pivotally mounted on said casing (62) to cover said chamber (64) and a storage area (68); and

a lock means (70, 72) for securing said cassette (18) to said frame (16) and for securing said lid (60) to said casing (62).

17. The note holding and dispensing device according to claim 15, wherein said lid (60) comprises a delivery slot (226) through which said notes (66) are intermittently delivered from said cassette (18) to the passageway (22);

and

a recovery slot (218) through which the unacceptable note (66) is retired from the passageway (22) to the storage area (68).

18. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said cassette (18) further comprises a sealing device (270) which has a metallic plate (272) movable in parallel relation to a lid (60) between a shut position for covering delivery and recovery slots (226, 218) and a release position for opening said delivery and recovery slots (226, 218);

a closure spring (274) for resiliently urging said metallic plate (272) toward the shut position; and

an operative member (275) for moving said metallic plate (272) to the release position against elastic force of the closure spring (274) at the same time said cassette (18) is secured to said frame (16) by operation of said lock means (70).

19. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein a pin (203) of a support (202) is engaged with a latch (220) provided on the bottom of said chamber (64) of the cassette (18) when said notes (66) are filled in said chamber (64);

said latch (220) is connected with a sliding plate (222) which extends toward a rear surface of a casing (62);

when said cassette (18) is positioned in said frame (16), said sliding plate (222) is brought into contact to a protrusion (16a) of said frame (16) so that said sliding plate (222) serves to release engagement of the latch (220) and pin (203), thereby causing the uppermost note (66) to come into contact to rollers (258, 260).

20. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said conveyer means (122) comprises a drive roller (190) and a tension roller (192) provided adjacent to said outlet (20) in opposite relation to each other;

when the rear end of said note (66) is sandwiched between said drive and tension rollers (190, 192) after the note (66) passes a post-validation sensor (40), said electronic controller (46) ceases operation of a transport motor (150) to stop movement of the note (66).

21. A note holding and dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said frame (16) further comprises an installation detection switch (114) for detecting said cassette (18) in said cavity (112) to produce a detection signal to said electronic controller (46).