Two door electronic safe

• US 7,516,832 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2004
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ellenby Technologies Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ellenby Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Dobbins, Bob M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey; Patrick H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEAUCHAINE, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US10/912,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20050040005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: 194/350, 109/45, 109/49, 109 53- 56, 109/67, 109/68, 312/295, 312/324, 312/321.5
• US Class Current: 194/350
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/12 Containers for valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency

Abstract

A two door electronic safe is described wherein a bill acceptor, as well as other electronic control circuitry, and a banknote canister are partitioned in first and second compartments with access by first and second access doors, respectively, so that a service call can be made to service the bill acceptor or other electronics without having to allow access to the banknote canister thereby facilitating service calls and allowing the separation of the service call function from the cash collection function.

Claims

1. An electronic drop safe comprising:

a bill acceptor for accepting bills; and

a bill canister for storing bills, with both the bill acceptor and the bill canister contained within a housing, whereby;

the bill acceptor is removable through a first access door when the first access door is open; and

the bill canister is removable through a second access door when the second access door is open and is not accessible when the second access door is closed.

2. The electronic drop safe of claim 1 wherein said first access door and said second access door have independent locks.

3. The electronic drop safe of claim 2 wherein said independent locks can be mechanical or electronic.

4. The electronic drop safe of claim 1 whereby the majority of serviceable components are located in a first compartment with access through the first access door and isolated from a second compartment housing the bill canister when the second access door is closed.

5. The electronic drop safe of claim 1 whereby the bill acceptor and the cash canister are mounted so that they may be readily removed without the use of tools.

6. An electronic drop safe comprising:

a bill acceptor for accepting bills, the bill acceptor being removable through a first access door;

a bill canister for storing bills, the bill canister being removable through a second access door,

internal electronics for control or interfacing to internal or external components; and

harnessing to at least interconnect said internal electronics to said bill acceptor, whereby said internal electronics and said harnessing are housed along with the bill acceptor within a first compartment accessible through the first access door, the first compartment being isolated from the bill canister for storing bills when the second access door is closed.

7. The electronic drop safe of claim 6 whereby the majority of serviceable components are located in the first compartment with access through the first access door.

8. The electronic drop safe of claim 6 whereby the serviceable components are mounted so that they may be readily removed, serviced and replaced without the use of tools.

9. An electronic drop safe comprising:

a bill acceptor for accepting bills; and

a bill canister for storing bills wherein;

said bill acceptor is removable through a first access door; and

said bill canister is mounted on guide rails and is removable through a second access door, whereby said bill canister may be slidably removed and replaced without the use of tools.

10. An electronic drop safe comprising:

a bill acceptor for accepting bills mounted in a first compartment within a housing; and

a bill canister for storing bills mounted in a second compartment within the housing,

wherein said bill canister is located behind an access door, whereby said access door has no external openings other than a key access and isolates said bill canister from the bill acceptor when the access door is closed.

11. The electronic drop safe of claim 10 wherein said access door further comprises a reinforcement shelf.

12. The electronic drop safe of claim 10 wherein the bill acceptor is separated from the bill canister along a dividing plate which is a part of a mounting frame.

13. The electronic drop safe of claim 10 wherein said bill canister is mounted on guide rails and is slidably removable through said access door when the access door is open.

14. The electronic drop safe of claim 10 wherein said bill acceptor is mounted on guide rails and is slidably removable through a second access door when the second access door is open.