Bank note discriminating apparatus and bank note drawing means detecting method

• US 6,179,110 B1
• Filed: 03/12/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Japan Cash Machine Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Japan Cash Machine Company Limited
• Inventors: Ohkawa, Katsutoshi, Saito, Yuuki, Suzuki, Yasumasa, Okamoto, Kazuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US09/254,834
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 194/203, 194/351
• US Class Current: 194/203
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/225 for detecting or indicating tampering
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 1/044 Automatic detection of the flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency

Abstract

A bill validator is provided which comprises a rotator with a slit and being rotatably attached to the bill validator, the slit being capable of aligning with a passageway when the rotator is in an initial position; a driving device for rotating the rotator; and a validator control circuit for judging authenticity of the bill by outputs of detective sensors and for controlling the driving device. The validator control circuit produces outputs to operate the driving device and thereby to rotate the rotator so as to wind some pulling string connected to the bill around the rotator after the bill passes the slit of the rotator, and the circuit evaluates the rotation rate of the rotator, and detects the unauthorized pulling string.

Claims

1. A bill validator comprising a case:

a passageway formed in said case to guide a bill;

a conveyor for transporting said bill inserted from an inlet formed at one end of said passageway through said passageway to an outlet formed at the other end of said passageway;

a detective sensor disposed adjacent to said passageway;

a rotator formed with a slit in alignment with said passageway when said rotator is in an initial position;

a driving device for rotating said rotator;

a validator control circuit for receiving outputs from said detective sensor to judge authenticity of the bill and control said driving device so as to rotate said rotator and wind around said rotator a pulling means connected to said bill which has passed said slit of said rotator; and

a lever with a roller resiliently urged toward said rotator for returning said rotator to the initial position.

2. A bill validator of claim 1, further comprising an encoder drivingly connected to said driving device for detecting the rotation rate of said rotator;

and

a cover member attached for surrounding said rotator;

wherein said lever permits to position said rotator in the initial position and to rotate said rotator only in a direction.

3. A bill validator of claim 1, further comprising a shaft for rotatably supporting said lever which has an end for rotatably holding said roller;

a spring for resiliently urging said roller toward an outer surface of said rotator; and

a position sensor for detecting rotation of said lever;

wherein said driving device is drivingly connected with said rotator through an angular gap for relative rotation;

said validator control circuit produces outputs to operate the driving device to rotate said rotator for a certain period of time after the bill passes through the slit of the rotator.

4. A bill validator of claim 2, further comprising a shaft for rotatably supporting said lever which has an end for rotatably holding said roller;

a spring for resiliently urging said roller toward an outer surface of said rotator; and

a position sensor for detecting rotation of said lever;

wherein said driving device is drivingly connected with said rotator through an angular gap for relative rotation;

said validator control circuit produces outputs to operate the driving device to rotate said rotator for a certain period of time after the bill passes through the slit of the rotator.

5. A bill validator of claim 1, wherein said driving device comprises a rotator motor, and a gear drivingly connected with said rotator motor;

said rotator and gear are rotatably mounted on a same shaft with an angular gap for relative rotation of said rotator relative to said gear.

6. The bill validator of claim 5, wherein said gear includes a pair of projections;

and said rotator includes a pair of arcuate notches for receiving said projections.

7. The bill validator of claim 1, wherein said case comprises a front housing which includes said detective sensor and a front passage of said passageway;

and a rear housing positioned in the vicinity of said front housing;

said rear housing including a rear passage of said passageway adjacently to said front passage;

said rotator and said driving device are disposed in one of said front and rear housings.

8. A bill validator of claim 7, wherein said rear housing is detachably attached to said front housing.

9. A bill validator of claim 1, wherein said slit of said rotator is kept uncomfortable from said passageway before the bill is inserted into said inlet.

10. A bill validator of claim 1, wherein an outlet sensor detects existence of said pulling means by rotation of said rotator after the bill is transported through said slit of said rotator and said outlet sensor.

11. A bill validator of claim 10, wherein said validator control circuit produces a warning signal to an alarm device when said outlet sensor detects said pulling means.

12. A method for detecting pulling means of a bill comprising the steps of:

transporting said bill inserted from an inlet along a passageway by a conveyor, picking up outputs produced by a detective sensor attached along said passageway during transportation of said bill and moving said bill through a slit formed in a rotator which is rotatably disposed along said passageway;

judging authenticity of said bill by a validator control circuit and transporting by said conveyor said bill considered genuine to a stacking device for packing;

after said bill passes through said passageway, rotating said rotator from the initial position of said slit in alignment with the passageway by a certain angular range and measuring the comparative rotation rate or time of said rotator by measuring. one of (1) a width of a pulse or (2) a time interval between pulses generated from an encoder connected with a rotator motor for rotating said rotator; and

comparing the comparative rotation rate of time of said rotator with a reference rotation rate or time to detect existence of the pulling means when the comparative rotation rate is slower or the comparative rotation time is no longer.

13. A method of claim 12 further comprising:

measuring pulse width or time interval between pulses generated from said encoder connected with said rotator motor for rotating said rotator by the certain angular range to previously evaluate the unloaded reference rotation rate or time of said rotator before said bill is transported;

storing the previously evaluated reference rotation rate or time of said rotator;

transporting a bill inserted from an inlet along said passageway, validating said bill during the transportation, and then discharging said bill from an outlet of said passageway;

rotating said rotator by the certain angular range and measuring width of pulses and time intervals of pulses generated from said encoder connected with said rotator motor to then evaluate the comparative rotation rate or time for said rotator;

storing the evaluated comparative rotation rate or time of said rotator; and

comparing the reference and comparative rotation rates or times of said rotator to detect existence of the pulling means when the comparative rotation rate is smaller than the reference rotation rate over a certain range or when the comparative rotation time is greater than the reference rotation time over a certain range.

14. A method of claim 12, further comprising detecting existence of said pulling means when the comparative rotation time of said rotator is longer than the unloaded reference rotation time of said rotator over a certain period of time.