EP1004098A1 - Automatic cash deposit/dispensing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an automatic cash deposit/dispensing machine, comprising a housing (10), a deposit/dispensing compartment (24) which is formed in said housing and which can be closed with a shutter (34). Said compartment has a bottom (26) forming a first deposit surface and a back wall (28). A sorting machine is arranged below the first deposit surface to sort and remove the banknotes that are placed on the first deposit surface. An intermediate bottom (56) is arranged substantially parallel thereto and above the first compartment bottom (26). This intermediate bottom can be displaced by a first actuating device (72) between a first position corresponding to the closed position of the shutter (34) and a second position corresponding to the open position of the shutter (34), in which it is located outside the deposit/dispensing compartment (24). The automatic machine also comprises a deposit device (52) to deposit the banknotes to be dispensed on the second intermediate bottom (56) when said bottom is located in its first position, in addition to conveyor belts (40, 20, 46, 50) to convey the banknotes from the sorting device (36) or to the deposit device (52).

Description

 Cash in / out car at

The invention relates to an automatic cash dispenser according to the preamble of claim 1.

In known machines of this type, two separate compartments are provided for the input and output of banknotes. The disadvantage of this solution is the increased space required for the separate compartments in the control panel and the increased technical outlay. So two flaps must be provided with the appropriate adjusting mechanism for opening and closing the flaps. Furthermore, for example, a bundle of money forgotten in the edition must be able to be withdrawn again. This means that an additional withdrawal unit must also be present in the output compartment so that the forgotten banknotes can be drawn in again individually.

No. 4,833,183 has already proposed an automatic cash dispenser with a housing in which an input / output compartment, which can be closed by a flap, is formed with a shelf forming a first storage surface for bank notes and a rear wall. A separating device for separating and removing banknotes lying on the first depositing surface is located below the first depositing surface. Above the shelf and essentially parallel to it is an intermediate shelf, which can be adjusted by means of an actuator between a first position, in which it projects into the input / output compartment and forms a second storage surface for banknotes, and a second position, in which it is located outside the input / output compartment. A depositing device is also provided for depositing banknotes on the shelf or the intermediate shelf. In the banknote delivery mode, the intermediate floor is moved to the upper boundary wall of the input / output compartment, so that the banknotes to be issued are placed on the shelf. It is also possible to recover forgotten banknotes individually. In the banknote input mode, the intermediate floor is moved into its first position lying above the stack of banknotes to be drawn in. Banknotes not accepted by the machine are deposited on the intermediate floor by the depositing device.

In the known automated teller machines, it is not possible to combine banknotes lying on the first storage surface and on the intermediate floor directly into a stack. If a banknote input process is terminated, all the banknotes still on the first storage surface are first drawn in individually and placed on the intermediate floor, where they are combined with any unaccepted banknotes already stored there to form the originally entered stack of banknotes. Only then can the stack of notes be accessed by opening a flap. Long waiting times are essential.

In the case of the known automated teller machines, it is also not provided that banknotes which have not been accepted during a first pass are drawn in again and subjected to a further check.

The invention is based on the object of specifying a cash dispenser with a combined cash dispenser, in which input and output banknotes can be kept separately and banknotes held separately can be combined.

This object is achieved by an automated teller machine with the features specified in claim 1. In the solution according to the invention, the customer sees only one compartment when the flap is open, into which he puts money to be deposited or from which he can withdraw money to be spent. Banknotes to be paid in, which are placed on the shelf by the customer, are removed in a conventional manner after the flap has been closed by the separating device and sent for further processing in the automated teller machine. Banknotes to be issued by the customer, on the other hand, are placed on the intermediate floor with the flap closed until the bundle of banknotes to be issued is complete. The intermediate shelf is then withdrawn from the compartment so that the bundle of banknotes stacked on it falls onto the shelf from which the customer can remove it after opening the flap. If the customer does not remove the bundle of banknotes from the compartment within a reasonable time, the flap is closed again. The banknotes can then be pulled back into the machine using the separating device. In contrast to previously known machines which have separate compartments for the input and output of banknotes, only one separating device is required. Nevertheless, when depositing banknotes there is no danger that the customer will place them on the wrong surface from which they cannot be removed with the separating device.

Banknotes deposited by the customer are subjected to various checks after being removed by the separating device. Unacceptable banknotes will be returned to the customer. In this case, it is expedient if these notes can not only be stored temporarily, but can be issued again immediately after they have passed through the test facilities. Thus, while the bundle of banknotes inserted is gradually reduced, banknotes to be returned can be collected on the intermediate floor, which is at a certain distance from the shelf. The advantage here is that the intermediate floor by means of of another actuator is adjustable perpendicular to the shelf. On the one hand, the intermediate floor can be gradually lowered to match the banknotes placed on it, so that the storage surface for the next banknote to be deposited always remains at the same distance from the depositing device. On the other hand, after the depositing process has been completed, the intermediate shelf can be lowered so that the bundle of banknotes does not fall onto the shelf from too high a height when the intermediate shelf is pulled back.

So that the intermediate floor can carry out the movements described above, it is expedient if it is formed by fingers which are parallel and spaced apart from one another, which penetrate openings formed in the rear wall and are moved into and out of the compartment by means of the first actuator can be. When the fingers are pulled back through the openings in the rear wall, a bundle of banknotes placed on the fingers is stripped off on the rear wall and then falls onto the shelf.

In order to ensure reliable separation and removal of the banknotes to be drawn in on the shelf, a pressure element which is adjustable perpendicularly to the shelf is expediently arranged between the intermediate shelf and the shelf. This presses the banknotes against the shelf and thus also ensures good contact with the withdrawal elements of the separating device. The pressure element can be adjusted according to the decreasing height of the stack of banknotes.

The pressure element is also expediently formed by pressure fingers which are directed parallel to the fingers of the intermediate floor and are adjustable together with these by the first actuator. In an expedient embodiment, which ensures the independent adjustment of the intermediate floor and the pressure element, the fingers forming the intermediate floor and the pressure fingers are each adjustably arranged on a common carrier, which in turn is adjustable by the first actuator.

The separating device is preferably connected via a first transport path to a bank note switch, which is connected via a second, third and fourth transport path to the depositing device, an intermediate store or a safe of the automatic cash dispenser comprising at least one bank note store. This offers the possibility of conveying banknotes which, for example, were found to be unacceptable by a banknote checking device arranged in the path of the first transport path, directly to the depositing device and temporarily storing banknotes which have passed the check until the input process has been properly completed . Only then are the entered banknotes fed to the banknote store in the safe.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, which in connection with the accompanying drawings explains the invention using an exemplary embodiment. Show it:

1 shows a schematic vertical partial section through an automated teller machine according to the invention,

2 shows a schematic, perspective illustration of a support frame for the intermediate floor and the pressure element,

Fig. 3 shows a cross section through a finger of the intermediate floor and a pressure finger and

Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the compartment rear wall. The cash dispenser shown schematically in FIG. 1 has a housing 10 which encloses in its lower section a safe 12 and in its upper section a banknote input / dispenser unit generally designated 14. Banknote storage devices (not shown in more detail), for example schematically indicated storage cassettes 16 and a winding storage device 18, are arranged in the safe 12. The banknote stores 16, 18 are connected to a common transport path 20 which transports the banknotes through an opening 22 in the top surface of the safe 12.

The actual input / output unit for banknotes comprises an input / output compartment, generally designated 24, with a shelf 26 and a rear wall 28. The compartment is accessible from the outside through an opening 30 in the front wall 32 of the housing. The opening 30 can be closed by a flap or door 34 which is adjustable between the closed position shown by solid lines in FIG. 1 and the open position shown by dashed lines.

A separating and extraction device 36 is arranged below the shelf 26 and is known per se and need not be explained in more detail. It serves to individually pull down the banknotes of a bundle of banknotes 38 lying on the shelf 26 and to feed them to a transport path 40 which transports the banknotes past at least one checking device 42 to a switch 44. This switch 44 optionally establishes the connection between all the transport tracks adjacent to it. In addition to the first transport path connecting the safe 12 and the second transport path 40 coming from the separating device 36, these are a third transport path 46 which leads to a winding storage 48 serving as a buffer leads, and a fourth transport path 50, which leads to a depositing device in the form of a stacking wheel 52.

The stacking wheel 52 is arranged at the upper end of the rear wall 28 in such a way that the three individual wheels of the stacking wheel 52 shown in FIG. 4 engage with their radial lamellae in cutouts 54 in the rear wall 28. The stacking wheel 52 serves to deposit the banknotes to be issued, which are fed to it via the transport path 50, on an intermediate floor 56, which will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The intermediate floor 56 is designed like a comb with a cross bar 58 and individual fingers 60 parallel to one another. The cross bar 58 is guided on a frame-shaped support 62 which, viewed from the compartment opening 30, is arranged behind the rear wall 28. The fingers 60 of the intermediate floor 56 penetrate slots 64 which are formed in the rear wall 28 (FIG. 4). The intermediate floor 56 can be adjusted up and down in the direction of the double arrow A in FIGS. The support frame 62 as a whole is also mounted in a manner not shown in such a way that it can be moved back and forth in the direction of the arrow B in FIG illustrated first position and a second position can be adjusted in which they are completely withdrawn from the compartment 24. The adjustment of the support frame 62 and thus of the intermediate floor 56 in the direction of the arrow B can take place, for example, via a belt drive 72 indicated in FIG. Furthermore, a pressure element 74 is arranged on the support frame 62, which, like the intermediate floor 56, is designed like a comb with a cross member 76 and fingers 78. The pressure element 74, like the intermediate floor 56, can be adjusted in the direction of the double arrow A with the aid of an electric motor 80, which meshes via an output pinion 82 with a rack 84 fastened to the cross member 76. The pressure element 74 serves to compress a stack of banknotes 38 lying on the shelf 26 in such a way that the bottom banknote of the stack 38 is always in good frictional engagement with the take-off rollers of the separating device 36.

As FIG. 3 shows, the fingers 60 of the intermediate base 56 are designed in the form of a U-profile which is open at the bottom and into which a pressure finger 78 can be inserted, as is indicated in FIG. 3 by dashed lines.

The device described so far works as follows:

If the compartment 24 is opened by adjusting the flap 34, the customer only sees the shelf 26 and the rear wall 28. To deposit, the customer can place a bundle of banknotes 38 on the shelf 26. If the transaction is started by the customer closing the flap 34, the notes of the bundle 38 are withdrawn individually via the separating device 36 and transferred to the transport track 40. This leads them past the test device 42. "Real" notes that are found to be good are fed via the switch 44 to the buffer store 48. Unaccepted, e.g. Notes that are not “real” are deflected via the switch 44 to the fourth transport path 50, which feeds them to the stacking wheel 52.

With the closing of the flap 34, the fingers 60 of the intermediate floor 56 were adjusted by adjusting the support frame 62 in the tray 24 retracted. Furthermore, the intermediate floor 56 was moved upwards in the vicinity of the stacking wheel 52, so that the bank notes rejected during the check can now be safely deposited on the intermediate floor 56. The notes to be returned are then stacked on the fingers 60, the intermediate base 56 being moved downward as the number of notes increases. At the same time, the bundle 38 inserted is further separated. Furthermore, the pressure fingers 78 are readjusted in accordance with the removal of the bundle 38, so that a pressure which ensures reliable deduction is exerted on the bundle of notes.

If the entire bundle of notes 38 that has been inserted has been separated and all the unaccepted notes have been stored in parallel on the intermediate floor 56, but all the accepted notes have been stored in the intermediate store 48, the unaccepted money can be returned to the customer. For this purpose, the pressure fingers 78 and the fingers 60 of the intermediate base 56 are moved into one another (FIG. 3) and, together with the deposited bundle of money, are moved downward in the direction of the shelf 26. There, the fingers 78 and 60 are withdrawn from the compartment 24 by adjusting the support frame 62, so that the bundle of banknotes lying thereon is stripped off the rear wall 28. Now the flap 34 is opened and the customer can withdraw the unaccepted money at the same place where he deposited the money to be paid in. In the same way, the pure output of bank notes takes place, which were taken from the stores 16 or 18 and fed to the stacking wheel 52 via the transport tracks 20 and 50.

If the customer forgets to withdraw unaccepted money, the flap 34 is closed and the money is separated in the same manner as that described above for the bundle of banknotes 38 inserted above. The recovered banknotes are then stored in a special compartment. It is conceivable that problems with the separation occur when the banknotes are withdrawn or that the customer cancels the transaction, but now rejected banknotes lie on the intermediate floor 56. In this case, the intermediate floor is moved together with the bank notes lying thereon in the direction of the bank note bundle 38 still lying on the shelf 26. The fingers of the intermediate base 56 are then pulled back together with the pressure fingers 78 behind the rear wall 28, so that the rejected banknotes are deposited on the partial bundle still in the compartment. After opening the flap 34, the customer can then take back the entire bundle.

Claims

claims 1. cash dispenser, comprising a housing (10), an input / output compartment (24) formed therein and closable by a flap (34) with a shelf (26) forming a first storage surface and a rear wall (28), a separating device (36) arranged below the first storage surface for separating and pulling off banknotes lying on the first storage surface, an intermediate floor (56) arranged above the shelf (26) and essentially parallel to the latter, which between them by means of a first actuator (72) a first position assigned to the closed position of the flap (34), in which it projects into the input / output compartment (24) and forms a second storage surface for banknotes, and one of the second position associated with the open position of the flap (34) is adjustable, in which it is located outside the input / output compartment (24), a depositing device (52) for depositing banknotes to be issued onto the intermediate floor (56) when the latter ch is in its first position, and transport tracks (40, 20, 46, 50) for transporting banknotes away from the separating device (36) or towards the depositing device (52), characterized in that the intermediate floor (56) can be adjusted perpendicular to the shelf (26) by means of a second actuator (66, 68, 70). 2. Cash dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the intermediate floor (56) is formed by mutually parallel and spaced fingers (60) which pass through openings (64) formed in the rear wall (28) and by means of first actuator (72) can be moved into and out of the compartment (24). 3. Cash in / out machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that between the intermediate floor (56) and the shelf (26) a perpendicular to this adjustable pressure element (74) is arranged. 4. Cash in / out machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the pressure member (74) is formed by pressure fingers (78) which are parallel to the fingers (60) of the intermediate floor (56) and together with these by the first actuator ( 72) are adjustable. 5. Cash dispenser according to claim 4, characterized in that the intermediate floor (56) forming fingers (60) and the pressure fingers (78) are each adjustable on a common support frame (62), which in turn by the first actuator ( 72) is adjustable. 6. Cash in / out machine according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the depositing device comprises a stacking wheel (52). 7. Cash in / dispenser according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a first transport path (40) connects the separating device (36) with a bank note switch (44) via a second, third and fourth transport path (50, 46 , 20) is connected to the depositing device (52), an intermediate store (48) or a safe (12) of the automated teller machine which comprises at least one banknote store (16, 18). 8. Cash in / out machine according to claim 7, characterized in that in the way of the first transport path (40) at least one bank note checking device (42) is arranged.