GB2069039A - Equipment including retractable protective-screens - Google Patents

Abstract

The retractable protective-screen (3) of a through-the-wall automated- teller machine is in the form of a curved metal plate (10) guided at its side-edges, that is driven through a slot (16) in a facia-wall (17) of the machine in both retraction and extension via a single rack-and-pinion coupling (20, 21). The rack (21) is a length of powered-drive belting (22 Fig. 4, not shown) clamped upon a foam-rubber backing (24 Fig. 4, not shown) to the inside of the plate (10) centrally of the two side-edges. Nylon blocks (18) clipped to the four corners of the plate (10) run in two pairs or arcuate channel guide-pieces (11, 13), the blocks (18) to the front of the plate (10) running solely in the guide-pieces (11) respectively of one pair mounted in front of the facia-wall (17), and the blocks (18) to the rear of the plate (10) running solely in the guide-pieces (13) respectively of the other pair mounted to the rear of the wall (17). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Equipment including retractable protectivescreens This invention relates to equipment including retractable protective-screens.

The invention is especially, though not exclusively, concerned with the provision of retractable protective-screens in cash-dispensing or other automated-teller machines. Where the services of such machines are to be available to customers outside normal banking or business hours they are conveniently installed through an external wall of the bank or other building to be accessible from the street or other open environment. More particularly, a facia of the machine, incorporating at least a keyboard for operation by the customer to communicate with the machine, and some form of display device for conveying instructions and other messages to the customer from the machine, will be mounted in the external wall.In such circumstances it is sometimes necessary, or regarded as desirable, to afford parts of the facia especially those including the keyboard and display device, protection against weather conditions (especially extremes of heat and cold) and vandalism. It is to this end that retractable protective-screens have been utilized in cash dispensing and other automated-teller machines, such screen covering the keyboard and display device, and any other item to be protected, on the machine facia until such time as a customer requests use of the machine, whereupon the screen is retracted to reveal the protected items for use by the customer in furthering the transaction to be made. When the transaction is completed the screen is extended once again to afford protection against the environment until the next customer-request for use of the machine is made.

The retractable protective-screen used in a cash-dispenser or other automated-teller machine conventionally takes the form of a curved metal plate that is driven from within the machine in both extension and retraction. The provision of drive to such a curved plate, especially insofar as meeting the need for it to move smoothly through the facia, has proved troublesome. Also it has been the practice to drive the plate via couplings established along both of its side-edges, and this has proved expensive in that it requires the provision of special and costly components for its implementation and does not readily allow for overall commonality of such components as between one model of machine and another.

Furthermore the motor-torque required to drive the plate has been found to be undesirably high.

The above disadvantages experienced with automated-teller machines are applicable to other forms of equipment utilizing retractable protective-screens, and it is one of the objects of the present invention to overcome at least in part, some or all of these disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided equipment which includes a retractable protective-screen in the form of a member having side-edges that are guided for movements of the member in extension and retraction of the screen, and in which the screen-member is driven in at least one of these movements via a coupling that establishes driving engagement with the screen-member at a location of that member spaced inwardly from both side-edges.

The coupling is preferably made centrally of the screen-member and is preferably established between a drive pinion, and a rack carried by the screen-member. The spacing of the coupling inwardly of the side-edges, and in particular locating it centrally of the screen-member, is advantageous in reducing the motor-torque required to drive the screen-member and also reduces the necessity for special components. The use of a rack-and-pinion coupling ensures efficient and precise drive to the screen-member and if in this case a rack of flexible material is adopted this will enable conformity to the curved or other configuration of the screen-member to be very readily achieved; more particularly, the rack may simply comprise a length of powered-drive belting. The rack may be clamped to the screenmember with a backing of resilient material for reducing noise.

The side-edges of the screen-member may be guided by four elements, for example blocks of nyion, that are located adjacent to the four corners respectively of the screen-member and run in guiding channel-pieces. This has advantage in facilitating easy movement of the screen, and is of especial advantage where, as for example in an automated-teller machine, the screen-member is to move in extension and retraction through a slot in a wall of the equipment. In the latter circumstances it can be readily arranged that two of the said elements run in respective channelpieces to the front of the wall and two in respective channel pieces to the rear, throughout the screen movements.Accordingly it is possible by such an arrangement to avoid the necessity for the side-edge guides to breach the wall; this is of especial advantage where the wall is to act as a security barrier and also where the guides are to be supported by different structures to the front and rear of the wall.

The screen-member is preferably driven via the coupling in both extension and retraction, but depending upon the particular application of the screen, it is possible to arrange for it to be driven in only one of these movements, the other movement being executed, for example, manually.

An automated-teller machine incorporating a retractable protective-screen in accordance with the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure lisa sectional side-elevation of the externally-exposed facia and cooperating internal security-sleeve of the automated-teller machine, showing the retractable protective-screen partly broken away; Figure 2 is a view of part of the facia from the rear within the security sleeve of the automatedteller machine, the section of Figure 1 being taken on the line 1-I of Figure 2; Figure 3 is a side elevation of the retractable protective-screen; Figure 4 shows the upper-end portion of the retractable protective-screen of Figure 3 to an enlarged scale; and Figure 5 is a view from the inside of the retractable protective screen.

The automated-teller machine to be described is operable to dispense cash and to perform other banking functions for bank customers after, as well as during normal banking hours. Each customer authorized to use the machine is issued with an individual rectangular plastics card that carries data relating to the customer's account recorded in one or more magnetic-recording tracks on the card, and is informed of a secret, personal-identification number for use with the card. When the customer wishes to use the machine he inserts the card in a card-reception slot that is located to one side of the exposed facia of the machine.

Referring to Figure 1, the facia 1 of the automated-teller machine is mounted in an external wall 2 of the bank building to be accessible from outside at all times, and incorporates a protective screen 3 that covers a recessed part 4 of the facia 1 to protect that part from the weather and general environment external of the bank, as well as from vandalism.

The machine responds to insertion of the customer's card through the card-reception slot (not shown), provided it is inserted with the correct orientation and satisfies a primary test as to its authenticity, by retracting the screen 3.

Retraction of the screen 3 reveals a keyboard 5, the screen 6 of a visual-display unit 7, and a cashdispensing slot 8, all mounted within the recessed part 4 of the facia 1. The customer is next instructed by messages displayed on the screen 6 of the visual-display unit 7 to operate the keys of the keyboard 5 to enter his personal identification number into the machine. The machine checks that appropriate correspondence exists between the entered number and magnetically-recorded data read from the inserted card, and then proceeds by messages on the display-screen 6 to issue to the customer step-by-step instructions and requests for further operation of the keyboard 5 in accordance with the banking function to be performed.

If the requested function involves the dispensing of cash to the customer, this is carried out by a cash dispensing unit (not shown) of the machine which is located behind the recessed part 4 of the facia 1 and which delivers banknotes in accordance with the request, through the cashdispensing slot 8. The dispensing of cash takes place after the customer's card has been returned through, and removed by the customer from, the card-entry slot. Once the delivered banknotes have been removed by the customer from the cash-dispensing slot 8, or the requested banking function has otherwise been completed, the screen 3 is extended to cover once again the keyboard 5, the display-screen 6 and the dispensing slot 8 in the recessed part 4 of the facia 1 ,for their protection.

Referring now also to Figures 2 to 5, the protective screen 3 is in the form of a curved steel plate 10 that runs in two pairs of arcuate guides.

The guides of one pair are formed by curved channel-pieces 11 that are mounted on the opposed side-walls 12 of the recessed part 4 of the facia 1 , whereas the guides of the other pair are formed by similarly-curved channel-pieces 13 that are welded to the opposite side walls 14 of a steel sleeve that extends backwardly from the recessed part 4 of the facia 1 and provides a protective enclosure for the reserves of banknotes from which dispensing is made through the slot 8.

The plate 10 with its side-edges 1 5 guided for movements of the screen in extension and retraction by the channel-pieces 11 and 13, extends through a slot 1 6 in the back-wall 17 of the facia 1. The side-edges 1 5 of the plate 10 are engaged with the respective channel-pieces 11 at the two front corners of the screen 3, and with the respective channel-pieces 13 at the other two, rear corners. More particularly, nylon blocks 1 8 are clipped to the side-edges 1 5 at the four corners of the plate 10 and run in the respective channel-pieces throughout extension and retraction of the screen 3 within the recessed part 4.

The plate 10 is driven through the slot 1 6 in extending and retracting the screen 3, by an electric motor 1 9 that is mounted immediately behind the back-wall 1 7 of the facia 1. Drive from the motor 1 9 is applied to the screen 3 via a pinion 20 that engages with a rack 21 on the plate 10. The rack 21 is mounted centrally of the inside face of the plate 1 0, and extends on this face throughout the whole of the curved length of the plate 10 apart from a small leading portion that remains projecting through the slot 1 6 when the screen 3 is fully retracted.

The rack 21 is provided by a length of nylonreinforced rubber belting 22 cut from a powereddrive belt, so having integrally-formed rounded teeth 23 for engagement by the pinion 20; the pion 20 is in this respect of the kind used in powered-drive belt systems. The belting 22 is clamped to the plate 10 against a foam-rubber backing 24, being held in place by metal clips 25 that are welded to the plate 10 at intervals along both sides of the rack 21. Two metal strips 26 that extend the length of the belting 22 are wedged beneath the clips 25 on the two sides to apply clamping pressure along the length of the belting 22 and retain it firmly in place against its foam backing 24. The foam backing 24 provides the rack 21 with a measure of resilience in compression that allows for larger tolerances of manufacturre of the screen 3, and provides for quieter operation in extension and retraction.

Manufacture of the screen 3 is simplified by the provision of central drive to the plate 10, and also by the use of readily-available belting for provision of the arcuate rack 21; the specific construction described also allows for easy replacement of the rack during maintenance. The use of central drive avoids the complications experienced with earlier proposals for drive to be applied along both sideedges, and also enables a standard mechanism to be used as between screens of different widths required for different models of machine; the torque required of the motor 1 9 is also less than with the earlier proposals, and this enables a cheaper and more-readily available electric motor to be used. Reduction in the torque requirement also arises from the use of the four-corner mounting of the plate 10 in the side-guides.More especially, smoother movement of the screen 3 and less frictional loading is experienced by confining the engagement of the plate 10 with the channel-pieces 11 and 1 3 to the blocks 18 at the corners. With this corner-mounting it is not necessary for the guides on either side of the screen 3 to be continuous from the side-walls 12 of the facia 1 through the back-wall 1 7 onto the side-walls 1 4 of the security sleeve; the two blocks 1 8 to the front of the screen 3 are confined to their own channel-pieces 11 on the walls 12, whereas the two blocks 1 8 to the rear are confined to their own channel-pieces 13 on the walls 14, throughout the full range of movement of the plate 10 in extension and retraction of the screen 3.This significantly eases the tolerances required of manufacture and intercoupling between facia and security sleeve.

The torque required of the motor-drive for screen-retraction can be equalized with that for extension by use of a spring (not-shown) for counter-balancing the plate 10. Such a spring is in this context coupled to the plate 10 to be in tension when the screen 3 is closed so as to assist the motor 1 9 in retraction.

A solenoid-operated latch 27 mounted behind the back-wall 1 7 of the recessed part 4 of the facia 1 engages with the upper, rear-edge of the plate 10 when the screen is extended. The latch 27 blocks retraction of the screen 3 until an electrical signal to withdraw it is received from a control unit (not shown) of the machine. The motor 1 9 is energized at the same time from the control unit to drive the plate 10 and retract the screen 3. Microswitches (not shown) respond to full retraction of the screen to signal this condition to the control unit and interrupt energization of the motor 19. The motor 19 is again powered from the control unit so as to drive the plate 10 in the opposite sense and extend the screen 3, until other microswitches (not shown) signal that it is fully extended.Provision is made to halt extension of the screen 3 in the event that this is obstructed.

In this respect a fingerbar (not shown) is mounted on a bracket 28 on the inside face of the plate 1 0 near the lower, front-edge, and deflection of the bar caused by an obstruction, is signalled to the control unit to bring about the required interruption of power supply to the motor 1 9.

Electrical heaters (not shown) are incorporated in the channel-pieces 11 to ensure freedom of the plate 10 for movement in spite of exposure of the machine facia 1 to low-temperature conditions.

Although the retractable protective-screen of the present invention has been referred to and described above in the context of cash-dispensing and automated-teller machines, the present invention is not limited in its application to this specific context. The screen may also be applied, for example, to depositories such as provided in the outside wall of a bank to receive cash and .other valuables for safe-keeping overnight; in this context the screen covers the entrance-way to a safe or vault for protection, and is retracted to reveal the deposit-receiving mechanism of that entrance-way only while a deposit is being made.

Claims (11)

1. Equipment which includes a retractable protective-screen in the form of a member having side-edges that are guided for movements of the member in extension and retraction of the screen, and in which the screen-member is driven in at least one of these movements via a coupling that establishes driving engagement with the screenmember at a location of that member spaced inwardly from both side-edges.

2. Equipment according to Claim 1 -wherein the coupling is provided by a pinion that engages with a rack carried by the screen-member.

3. Equipment according to Claim 2 wherein the rack extends centrally of the screen-member substantially parallel to the two side-edges.

4. Equipment according to Claim 2 or Claim 3 wherein the rack comprises a length of powereddrive belting.

5. Equipment according to any one of Claims 2 to 4 wherein the rack is clamped to the screenmember with a backing of resilient material.

6. Equipment according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein the side-edges of the screen-member are guided by four elements that are located adjacent to the four corners respectively of the screen-member and run in guiding channel-pieces.

7. Equipment according to Claim 6 wherein the screen-member moves in extension and retraction through a slot in a wall of the equipment, and wherein two of said elements run in respective channel-pieces to the front of the wall and the other two elements run in respective channelpieces to the rear of the wall, throughout extension and retraction of the screen.

8. Equipment according to any one of Claims 1 to 7 characterised in that the screen-member is a curved metal plate.

9. Equipment according to any one of Claims 1 to 8 including a drive-motor, and wherein the drive-motor drives the screen-member via said coupling in both extension and retraction of the screen.

1 0. Equipment according to any one of Claims 1 to 9 in the form of an automated-teller machine, wherein the screen when extended covers a keyboard and visual-display screen of the machine and exposes the keyboard and visual-display screen when retracted.

11. Equipment substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.