Lockable removable cassette

• US 7,481,308 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Crane Payment Innovations, Inc. (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Mei Incorporated (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Wood, Kenneth B., Nunn, Michael D., Deaville, David C., Thawley, Jeffrey T., Bergeron, Alfred F., Clauser, Robert, Watrous, Stephen R., Crawford, Christopher L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEAUCHAINE, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US10/853,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20040213620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,708 Days
• Field of Search: 194/350, 194/206, 194/344, 194/352, 271/3.01, 271/145, 902/8, 902/9
• US Class Current: 194/350
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 2035/003 Gearings comprising pulleys or toothed members of non-circular shape, e.g. elliptical gears harmonic drives with elliptical wave generators F16H49/001
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/125 Secure containers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/13 with internal means for handling valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/235 for monitoring or indicating operating conditions; for detecting malfunctions
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/40 Device architecture, e.g. modular construction

Abstract

A lockable, removable cassette is described. In an implementation, the cassette includes a plastic shell and a currency access door. The cassette may also include a flexible handle and/or an integrated grip. In addition, the cassette may include at least one of an aperture and a transparent window positioned to reveal the contents of the cassette. In an implementation, the cassette includes a stacking mechanism which may include a drive means having non-circular drive gears.

Claims

1. A document processing system comprising:

a lockable, removable cassette for storing documents;

a document stacker; and

a sensor to detect installation of the lockable, removable cassette and a home position of the document stacker, wherein the sensor includes a light source, a light path and a light receiver, wherein the light path comprises a series of light pipes and a prism in addition to the light pipes.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising a banknote validator, wherein a first pair of the light pipes is mounted in the banknote validator and a second pair of the light pipes is mounted in the removable cassette.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the sensor is arranged such that the light receiver receives a signal from the light source only if the removable cassette is installed and the document stacker is in its home position.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the light path comprises an input port, an interrupt portion and an output port.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the document stacker comprises a pusher plate, and wherein the interrupt portion is connected to the pusher plate.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the light path comprises a prism mounted on the pusher plate.

7. A lockable cassette for storing documents comprising a document stacker and an internal mechanism that is at least partially transparent, wherein the internal mechanism comprises a sensor that includes a light piping path including a series of light pipes, the document stacker comprises a pusher plate, and a transparent part of the internal mechanism is mounted on the pusher plate.

8. The cassette of claim 7 wherein a transparent part of the internal mechanism comprises a prism in the light piping path.

9. An apparatus comprising a lockable, removable cassette for a banknote processor, the cassette comprising an aperture or a transparent window and an internal mechanism that is at least partially transparent to allow visual observation of a document stored in the cassette, wherein the cassette includes a document stacker having a pusher plate, wherein the at least partially transparent internal mechanism is mounted on the pusher plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least partially transparent internal mechanism comprises an aperture plate of the document stacker.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least partially transparent internal mechanism comprises a banknote channel housing of the document stacker.

12. An apparatus comprising a document storage cassette for a banknote processor, the cassette comprising a transparent window and a document storage area,

wherein the cassette contains a stacker mechanism adjacent the document storage area, the stacker mechanism comprising a channel housing and an aperture plate that define a channel to receive a document, the stacker mechanism further comprising a pusher plate to push the document from the channel past the aperture plate and into the document storage area,

wherein the channel housing and the aperture plate are transparent to allow visual observation, via the transparent window, of a document stored in the document storage area of the cassette.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the channel housing and the aperture plate are transparent to allow visual observation, via the transparent window, of a most recent document stored in the document storage area of the cassette even when multiple documents are stored in the cassette.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the cassette comprises a pair of transparent windows on a side of the cassette that is parallel to the stacker mechanism and perpendicular to a direction of movement of the pusher plate, wherein a document stored in the banknote storage area of the cassette is visible through either one of the transparent windows.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the transparent window is disposed in a side of the cassette, and wherein the stacker mechanism is disposed between the side of the cassette with the transparent window and the document storage area.

16. An apparatus comprising a document storage cassette for a banknote processor, the cassette comprising a transparent window and a document storage area,

wherein the cassette contains a stacker mechanism adjacent the document storage area, and wherein portions of the stacker mechanism define a channel to receive a document, the stacker mechanism further comprising a pusher plate to push the document from the channel into the document storage area, and

wherein at least some of the portions of the stacker mechanism defining the channel are transparent to allow visual observation, via the transparent window, of a document stored in the document storage area of the cassette.