EP0811208B1 - Process and device for the safe deposit and distribution of bank notes - Google Patents

Abstract

PCT No. PCT/CH96/00057 Sec. 371 Date Aug. 22, 1997 Sec. 102(e) Date Aug. 22, 1997 PCT Filed Feb. 22, 1996 PCT Pub. No. WO96/26504 PCT Pub. Date Aug. 29, 1996In the apparatus of the invention for loading and dispensing bills, the deposited bills are isolated and directly provisionally stored and tested by means of a deposit path (A, B, C), and the testing result, particularly with respect to the amount, is displayed. Depending on the customer's command and/or test result, the bills are returned after deposit from the intermediate storage (20) to the return path (E, F) that has one embranchment location (24b) only, so that the customer can personally test eventual or supposed inaccuracies in the automatic sum and/or value determination of the deposited bills. The bills can be guided into the end storage container by means of the only embranchment location (24b). A completely undisturbed bill loading system is therefore obtained, wherein the bills can be dispensed in the original order in which they were deposited for reverification by the depositing customer. In this manner, the greatest possible feeling of security is extended to the customer making the deposit.

Description

The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of claim 1 and a device according to the The preamble of claim 3 (see EP-A-0 211 813).

Other devices for the input and output of banknotes are from GB-A 2 149 175, DE-U 93 14 342.7, the EP-A 0 164 717 and GB-A 2 225 662 are known.

In GB-A 2 225 662 z. B. the entered Banknotes isolated and checked for authenticity. The wrong ones or not recognizable are separated from the real notes as well as the real notes turned so that the tops of the notes point in the same direction. Subsequently the real, aligned notes and the incorrect and non-processable notes in separate storage containers collected. These in different containers Collected notes are then again singled out for Input tray sent back. They can be removed there or after value separation in the different stack memories be filed.

Another banknote entry and exit is known from EP-A 0 317 537 -Vending machine known. After entering the grades these sporadically pass through a grade confluence point and are then checked for authenticity in a test unit checked. Real notes run through a first branch as well as a large number of other branch points, which are assigned to the different end stores, into a clipboard and stayed there until the entire Banknote entry is complete.

Wrong and unrecognizable banknotes are used by the first branch point directed to a return path, from by a second branch to the input unit be branched off and there for another check can be entered.

If the entire transaction is canceled by the customer, all banknotes in the buffer are stored on the Note confluence, the first and second branch transported back to the input unit.

When issuing banknotes from the final storage these are past the cache over the junction transported to the test unit and then via the first and now a converted second branching unit in stored in an output trough.

Other non-generic inputs and outputs of banknotes are from DE-A 39 31 571 and EP-A 0 409 809 be-DE-A 39 31 571, the banknotes were individually he entered and via a banknote transport route Buffer transported. On the transportation route all arranged a banknote checking unit. Not Proper banknotes will be sent immediately after checking the input again. As duly found Banknotes pass through the checking unit for temporary storage. These cached banknotes can be made on external request can be returned via the input path. The simple design of this input / output path is only possible because of an automatic separation process, Bundling etc. was waived.

In EP-A 0 409 809 only one is rotatable Intermediate memory described, can be stored in the banknotes are. There is no separation unit. After being rotated by 90 °, the temporarily stored data could be saved Banknotes are given into a final storage and after a further rotation through 90 ° could result in an output over a Stacking wheel, bundling the issued banknotes in an output unit.

The object of the invention is a fail-safe banknote storage system to create with a banknote check where in particular the entered banknotes in their original Input assignment for rechecking by the inputting customers are reusable.

The known banknote transport systems are complex and thus prone to misdirection of the entered banknotes. The customer depositing the notes in particular is thus not sure if the device also counts the same values, which he entered and counted beforehand. He feels only feels comfortable when he is supposed to have an actual or Inconsistency with the device automatically certain input values the banknotes he entered can reclaim again, with input and output path such are simply designed so that he is convinced of the correctness can be.

The banknote transport route before it is finally saved the banknotes are, as described below, with only one single banknote di-, um- and -inlet up for temporary storage and only one more analog Element as opposed to the many, different from the two Elements in the function distinguishing branch points of the known devices so simple, that accidents in which notes in particular are misdirected could be excluded. A complaining Customers can be shown these clear paths and thus the certainty can be given that manipulations on the banknote path excluded are.

Care is taken in a preferred embodiment that the customer with none of the mechanical drive parts can come into contact; on the one hand for injuries exclude and on the other hand to damage the mechanical Exclude drive parts. So z. B. in the delivery trough in front of the fan wheel depositing the banknotes the opening of the flap is pivoted back through the trough rear wall and then closed the wall opening.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Vorrichtung,

Fig. 2

einen Längsschnitt durch die in Figur 1 dargestellte Vorrichtung mit einer vereinfachten, schematischen Darstellung der Banknotentransportwege, -durch-, um- und -einleitung, -zwischenspeicherung und -ausgabe,

Fig. 3

einen Querschnitt durch ein Banknotendurch-, -um- und -einleitelement, mit dem die Banknoten am Zwischenspeicher vorbei sowie aus diesem heraus zum betreffenden Banknotentransportbereich leitbar sind und

Fig. 4

das in Figur 3 dargestellte Element in einer Stellung, in der die Banknoten von der Eingabeeinheit in den Zwischenspeicher leitbar sind.

Examples of the device according to the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to drawings. Further advantages of the invention result from the following description. Show it:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of the device according to the invention,

Fig. 2

2 shows a longitudinal section through the device shown in FIG. 1 with a simplified, schematic representation of the banknote transport routes, through, through and inward introduction, intermediate storage and issuing,

Fig. 3

a cross section through a banknote through, -um- and -Inleitelement, with which the banknotes past the buffer and out of this to the relevant banknote transport area and

Fig. 4

the element shown in Figure 3 in a position in which the banknotes can be routed from the input unit into the buffer.

The device for secure storage and dispensing of banknotes shown in FIG. 1 is designed in such a way that it can be operated by bank customers without the help of bank employees. It is primarily intended so that business people can enter their earnings after the shop closes, determine the amount entered, print out a receipt, save the banknote amount securely and credit the automatically determined amount to the bank customer account. The bank personnel do not have to count the amount entered at a later point in time. If the bank customer has doubts as to the correctness of the amount of banknotes entered by the device, he can have his banknotes entered again, counted and re-entered, or refrain from re-entering. The device also checks the authenticity of the notes. Wrong or non-verifiable notes, combined notes, ... are output in an output trough 4 .

The device shown in FIG. 1 has an upper and a lower part 1 and 3, respectively. The lower part 3 serves for the final storage of the entered banknotes secured against unauthorized removal, from which banknotes can also be issued again. The lower part 3 is surrounded by armored walls for safety reasons and firmly anchored in a room.

The upper part 1 contains the control devices for the transport and checking of the banknotes, output and input troughs 4 and 5 , a keyboard 6 for data input, an input slot 7 for an identification medium of the bank customer (credit card), a screen 9 for the communication between the device and the bank customer and an output unit 11 for documents. The upper part 1 is provided with a front cover 12 which can be opened upwards for service purposes. The front cover 12 can only be opened if the bank employees observe the general safety precautions. The output and input troughs 4 and 5 are each provided with a flap 13 and 14 , respectively.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic longitudinal section through the upper part 1 . In the upper part 1 there are a banknote separating device 15 in the bottom 17 of the input trough 5 , two note checking devices 19a and 19b , an intermediate storage 20 , a pivotable fan wheel 21 in the rear wall 23 of the dispensing trough 4 for the orderly storage of the banknotes to be dispensed in the dispensing trough 4, and a banknote through-, around and introduction element 24a for guiding the banknotes onto the intermediate storage 20 , down again from this and past it, and a further banknote passage, around and introduction element 24b is arranged.

The transport route for the banknotes is divided into seven sections A to G , with not all sections having the same conveying speed for the banknotes. The subareas A, B, C, E and G represent the input route. The subarea F forms the return route.

The conveying speed in the first portion A, which begins with the banknote separating 15 in the input tray 5 is set such that the separation takes place free of errors and that a proper verification and value recognition achievable with the both sides of the transport portion A disposed Notenprüfeinrichtungen 19a and 19b. A thickness measuring device 18 is arranged in front of the two note checking devices 19a and 19b , which determines whether folded banknotes have been entered. For the authenticity check it should be noted that in the device according to the invention the banknotes are checked in the width direction in contrast to the known devices. The note checking devices 19a and 19b are located opposite one another, but are nevertheless offset from one another. This offset arrangement prevents scattered light from one grade checking device from falsifying the measurement results of the other. The transport subarea B adjoining the transport subarea A is designed as a “waiting room” for a banknote that has just been checked. The banknote waiting there is set in motion as soon as an evaluation unit (not shown) sends out a signal for the completed check.

With the two subsequent transport subareas C and D, the banknote is now taken over from the transport subarea B and stored in the intermediate storage 20 designed as a roller storage (storage drum) via the element 24a . For example, the storage drums described in EP-A 0 182 137 can be used as the roll storage device. In the buffer 20 , the banknotes entered into the input trough 5 and checked with the note checking devices 19a and 19b are then successively stored ("wound up") in the separated state. In Figure 2 , the diameter of the empty or full storage drum is indicated by dashed lines.

Depending on the design of the device, illegible or incorrect notes as well as folded notes could also be stored on the buffer memory 20 . Depending on the prevailing legal provisions, the incorrect or unreadable notes are then separated out during the storage process into the lower part via the switch 24b and transported into the output trough 4 with the aid of the fan wheel 21 or stored separately in the lower part. Insofar as the legal provisions permit, the bank customer then receives his notes back in an order that is reciprocal to the input. The same can be done with the folded notes.

In the exemplary embodiment shown here, however, the folded and incorrect notes and notes which are not recognizable by the note checking device 19a , 19b and 18 are passed past the intermediate memory 20 as a result of a corresponding position of the element 24a to the subarea E.

However, since the issuance of counterfeit notes is prohibited in most countries, the device can be designed in such a way that the notes in the lower part 3 can be stored on a separate memory (roll memory), not shown. From this, they can then be issued by bank employees for assignment, with the assignment of the bank customer concerned; here too, storage is carried out in a predetermined order.

In addition to an authenticity check, the note checking devices 19a and 19b additionally record the values of the passing notes and pass the recognized values on to a registration unit (not shown). This registration unit registers the number of grades according to grades and forms a total. These values are displayed on the screen 9 together with an identifier or the address of the bank customer, which is or was read by an identification means (credit card) inserted into the input slot and, if desired, printed out by the output unit 11 . Storage on the roll memories (not shown) in the lower part 3 takes place after a corresponding command input on the keyboard 6 by the bank customer.

If the bank customer now believes that the printed or displayed data does not reflect what he has entered into the input trough 5 in terms of banknotes, he inputs an output command on the keyboard 6 . The banknotes stored in the intermediate storage 20 are now unwound and introduced into the partial area E via the partial area D and the converted element 24a and from there to the output trough 4 via the correspondingly placed element 24b and the partial area F. The transport sections D and E have approximately the same conveying speed, while the transport section F has a higher conveying speed. This higher conveying speed is required in order to insert the conveyed notes into one of the compartments of the rotating fan wheel 21 . The fan wheel 21 is in the position shown in FIG. 2, pivoted out to the right and protruding into the dispensing trough 4 . The closure flap 13 of the dispensing trough 4 is closed and locked. The notes stored in the fan wheel 21 are deposited as an ordered bundle on the bottom of the output trough 4 , which is designed as a flap 25 . If all the notes entered at that time are stored in the output trough 4 , the fan wheel 21 is pivoted back out of the output trough 4 to the left. After swiveling back, a wall opening (not shown) in the rear wall 23 of the trough 4 , through which the fan wheel 21 can be partially swiveled, is closed. After closing, the closure flap 13 of the dispensing trough 4 is unlocked, the bank customer can open it and remove his banknotes. By pivoting away the fan wheel 21 , any possibility of injury to the customer when taking notes is excluded, and damage to the fan wheel 21 cannot be caused by carelessness.

If the bank customer now forgets to take out his notes - the presence of notes in the output trough 4 is preferably determined by a note sensor 27 (several could also be used) - the flap 25 folds down after a predefined time interval, as a result of which the notes fall into a secure, fall from the container 29 not accessible from the outside. If the bank customer later notices his mistake, he can receive these notes from a bank employee after identification. Identification is possible in the device, since every bank customer has to identify himself before inserting transactions into the device by inserting an identification means (e.g. credit card) into the input slot 7 .

If the bank customer agrees with the amount of money automatically determined by the device, he types in his consent via the keyboard 6 , whereupon the element 24b is changed over and the banknotes are then saved separately in the lower part 3 by means of the transport subareas D , E and G according to note values .

In the schematically illustrated transport subareas A to G , several pairs of belts are arranged next to one another. Each pair of tapes has two tapes lying on top of each other, between which the notes can be clamped and transported. The transport sections A to G are arranged in such a way that the belts can be separated from one another for service purposes. The distance between the pairs of bands is now chosen to be so narrow that quartered notes can also be transported by folding. If the quartered banknotes are not temporarily stored and are then transported immediately after the check into the output trough 4 , a larger spacing of the holding straps can be selected on the intermediate memory 20 .

Since the tapes are now pre-tensioned for the correct transport of notes, a separating force occurs when separating two cooperating pair of tapes. In order to prevent the assemblies from snapping away during separation, they are secured with double-acting pawls 31 , one of which is indicated in FIG. 2 . When the latch 31 is opened, the assembly can only be moved until the straps are relaxed. A final loosening and pulling apart is only possible in a second opening process.

The routing of the banknotes for remaining on the input path (the passage), the rerouting from the input path away to the latch 20 toward and initiating the retrieved from the temporary storage banknotes in the input path is Banknotendurch- shown in Figures 3 and 4, - environmentally and -Inletelement 24a made. The element 24a is a circular cylinder rotatable about its longitudinal axis 37 with a drive (not shown). The circular cylinder is traversed by two axially extending longitudinal slots 39a and 39b . The longitudinal slots 39a and 39b cut through the circular cylinder to form three longitudinal cylinder sections 40a , 40b and 40c, which are mechanically held together on the cylinder base and / or head in a manner not shown.

The two longitudinal slots 39a and 39b are brought together at one point in the cylinder jacket to form a curved V's. The ends of the V-legs of the longitudinal slots 39a and 39b have a funnel-shaped cross section in order to ensure a good entry of the banknotes.

In FIG. 3 , the element 24a is in a position in which banknotes coming from the transport section C from the input - indicated by an arrow with the reference number 41 - are guided by the guide rollers 43a and 43b and additionally guided by auxiliary entry elements 44a and 44b are inserted into the longitudinal slot 39a and then leave this on the input path on the transport section E in the direction 45 for final storage or output. The transport section E is guided via funnel-shaped guide plates 46a and 46b and a belt conveyor, only its rollers 47a and 47b being shown. The banknotes are transported from the transport section C directly to the transport section E if the banknotes were judged by the note checking devices 19a and 19b and the thickness measuring device 18 as not conforming to the standard (wrong, illegible, folded, ...).

To temporarily store the banknotes, the element 24a is pivoted in such a way that the funnel-shaped opening of the longitudinal slot 39b , as shown in FIG. 4 , can receive banknotes coming from the transport section C.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the bank notes are transported out of the intermediate store 20 via the transport section D through the longitudinal slot 39b of the element 24a to the transport section E.

Element 24b is designed analogously to element 24a and functions in the same way.

Instead of the screen 9 , a so-called touch screen can be used for communication between the device and bank customers. On the keyboard 6 , however, you will not usually do without, because z. B. the entry of the PIN code on the touch screen is very well visible, while an entry on the keyboard is optically shieldable.

After identification of a bank customer, banknotes can be output from the roll stores arranged in the lower part 3 , preferably used, not shown, using the keyboard 6 by entering the requested value. The output takes place via the transport subregions G and F and the switch 24b via the fan wheel 21 into the output trough 4 . Here, too, the fan wheel 21 is pivoted analogously to the above-described output of the notes from the buffer store 20 .

The device according to the invention must now not only be used for bank customer transactions; it can be used just as well in the bank's internal areas as well as in general in the money-processing area (supermarket, chain stores, postal companies, ...). Customer information can also be output on the screen 9 or the touch screen.

Instead of roller stores in the lower part 3 , containers can also be used.

Claims (10)

1. Process for receiving and dispensing bank notes, in particular bundles of bank notes, in which the bank notes can be sorted, verified, placed in a temporary store and then in a final store, or returned along a return path (F) different from the path by which they were input (A, B, C, E, G), and the verification result is displayed, in particular the value of the notes, characterised in that the bank notes are routed without any branching points to a through-routing, diverting and inward-routing element (24a), depending on the verification result the routing element (24) routes them through or diverts them straight to the temporary store and after temporary storage the very same bank note routing element (24a) feeds them back in, and following on from and depending on the verification result, or after a request that is to be entered by the customer, the bank notes are routed to the final store (G) or onto the return path (F) by means of just one further through-routing, diverting and inward-routing element (24b), the customer then being able to manually inspect the notes for possible or supposed discrepancies in the automatic totalisation and/or valuation of the notes input at the time of their verification.
2. Process according to claim 1, characterised in that the notes are conveyed at varying speeds and in particular are accelerated for returning them, in order to move them individually into a fan wheel (21), from which they are then deposited in bundles into a holding compartment.
3. Machine for implementing the process according to claim 1 or 2, having an inputting and dispensing unit (5, 4) for bank notes, in particular for bundles of bank notes, having an instruction inputting unit (6) for customer instructions, a temporary store (20), a bank note sorting (15) and verification unit (18, 19a, 19b) disposed on a bank note inputting path (A, B, C, E, G) which runs from the inputting unit (5) to the temporary store (20), and a bank note return path (F) which starts from the temporary store (20), characterised by a display unit (9) for displaying, in particular, the value of the verified bank notes, a bank note through-routing, diverting and inward-routing element (24a) which communicates directly with the temporary store (20), arranged in an inputting path (A, B, C, E, G) which as far as this juncture has no branching points, depending on the verification result the bank notes being able to be through-routed or diverted to the temporary store and thence re-routed into the inputting path (A, B, C, E, G) by the routing element (24), and being able to be advanced by just one further bank note through-routing, diverting and inward-routing element (24b), which can either convey the bank notes along a branch path (G) into a final store or along the return path (F) to the dispensing unit (4), depending on the customer's request and/or the verification result.
4. Machine according to claim 3, characterised by note verifying devices (19a, 19b) offset from and opposite to one another on the inputting path (A), and in particular a note thickness verifying device (18) which in preference is disposed ahead of the note verifying devices (19a, 19b).
5. Machine according to claim 3 or 4, characterised by a plurality of conveying zones (A - G) on the inputting and return path respectively for the notes being input and dispensed, which can be propelled at different conveying speeds, notably in order to halt a particular note in the process of being scanned by the note verifying devices (18, 19a, 19b) in a waiting position (B, F) until it has been found to be genuine, or to accelerate the passage of notes that are preferentially to be dispensed, in order to introduce them smoothly into a fan wheel (21) by means of which the notes can then be stacked in a bundle and deposited in a dispensing trough (4) on the dispensing unit.
6. Machine according to any of claims 3 to 5, characterised in that the temporary store (20) is rigidly positioned and is constructed as a roller store (20) with take-up in both directions of rotation, in order to enable notes to be received and re-issued.
7. Machine according to any of claims 3 to 6, characterised by a fan wheel (21) adapted to be swivelled perpendicularly to its rotational axis into a dispensing trough (4) on the dispensing unit, for segregating each one of a plurality of notes and depositing them in a bundle on the floor of the dispensing trough (4).
8. Machine according to claim 7, characterised by the fact that the dispensing trough (4) has a closable rear panel (23) through which the fan wheel (21) can be swivelled at least partially into the dispensing trough (4).
9. Machine according to claim 7 or 8, characterised by the fact that the dispensing trough (4) is closed by an upward-swivelling closure flap (13) which when opened allows the fan wheel (21) to be swivelled out from the dispensing trough (4) and the rear panel (3) of the trough (4) to be closed.
10. Machine according to any of claims 7 to 9, characterised by a holding compartment (29) into which notes that have not been removed after a preset time interval has elapsed, in preference initiated by a sensor (27) disposed in the fluor of the holding compartment, can be introduced from the dispensing trough (4).

Images