Registers – Cash registers
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-25
2004-04-13
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Cash registers
C235S022000, C235S010000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06719196
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a cashdrawer apparatus serving as a POS terminal in a shop or the like.
FIG. 8
is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional cashdrawer apparatus.
A drawer
201
is equipped with rollers
203
provided at a rear end thereof. The rollers
203
are rotatably supported by means of nuts
204
. A boxlike cashdrawer body
4
has an opening or aperture at its front end and has a hollow space therein. The drawer
201
is slidably inserted into or pulled out of the cashdrawer body
4
, being guided by rollers
401
provided at inside walls of the cashdrawer body
4
.
A cash casing
301
is placed in the drawer
201
. A coin casing
302
is detachably assembled in a laterally extending front space of the cash casing
301
. A banknote depressor
306
is swingably supported at a front end of a fixing plate
305
for holding banknotes or the like stored in the cash casing
301
.
A microswitch
1011
performs counting operation in response to open and close operation of the drawer
201
. The microswitch
1011
detects the number of times the drawer is opened or closed. The detected number of times is transmitted from the terminal (i.e., the cashdrawer apparatus) to an operation center (not shown), such as an administration office of a fast food chain, via a cable
107
.
A banknote depressing spring
307
, connected to the fixing plate
305
at its upper end and connected to the central portion of the banknote depressor
306
at its lower end, resiliently depresses the banknotes or the like accommodated in the cash casing
301
. A partition wall
304
separates the inside space of the cash casing
301
into a plurality of subsections each extending in the back-and-forth direction (i.e., a sliding direction of the drawer
201
). Each subsection has a size substantially equivalent to the banknotes stored in this cashdrawer apparatus, so that an operator can sort banknotes according to their kinds. Furthermore, a bottom space beneath the coin casing
302
allows the operator to store additional banknotes.
The microswitch
1011
is fixed via an insulating plate
1013
to a bracket
104
by means of screws
1012
. A solenoid
109
is also fixed to the bracket
104
by means of screws
1010
.
A drawer opening spring
1016
, provided at the behind side of the drawer
201
, resiliently urges the drawer
201
so that the drawer
201
can be smoothly pulled out of the cashdrawer body
4
when the drawer
201
is unlocked. The drawer opening spring
1016
is fixed via a rubber member
1015
to a fixing plate
1014
by means of a screw
1017
.
FIG. 9
shows an opened position of a drawer open-and-close mechanism of the above-described conventional cashdrawer.
To close the drawer
201
, the operator pushes a push plate
209
located at a behind side of the drawer
201
. The push plate
209
shifts in a direction shown by an arrow (i.e., in the left direction). The push plate
209
pushes a swing lever
102
. The swing lever
102
swings about its swing shaft
101
in the counterclockwise direction against a resilient force of a spring
105
. A protrusion
1030
depresses a microswitch lever
1018
to shift a contact of the microswitch
1011
to a closed (i.e., ON) position. In response to each depression of the microswitch lever
1018
, the microswitch
1011
counts the number of times the drawer
201
is opened or closed.
FIG. 10
shows a closed position of the drawer open-and-close mechanism of the above-described conventional cashdrawer. When the drawer
201
is completely closed, the swing lever
102
engages with a solenoid open lever
103
. In this closed position, the protrusion
1030
does not depress the microswitch lever
1018
. Thus, the contact of the microswitch
1011
returns to an opened (i.e., OFF) position.
A key cylinder
205
is provided at an appropriate portion on a decorative panel
202
attached on the front wall of the drawer
201
. When the operator inserts a key in the key cylinder
205
and turns the key to open the drawer
201
from the closed condition shown in
FIG. 10
, a drawer open lever
2011
shifts in a direction shown by an arrow (i.e., in the left direction) and pushes the solenoid open lever
103
. The swing lever
102
is disengaged from the solenoid open lever
103
and swings about the swing shaft
101
in the clockwise direction due to the resilient force of the spring
105
. The swing lever
102
disengages from the push plate
209
. Thus, the drawer
201
can be opened.
According to the above-described conventional cashdrawer apparatus, the swing lever
102
is directly brought into contact with the push plate
209
. When the operator pushes the drawer
201
, the microswitch lever
1018
may be erroneously depressed several times. This will induce chattering of the microswitch
1011
. The chattering phenomenon causes a problem that the count value of the microswitch
1011
does not correctly agree with actual open or close operations of the drawer
201
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing problems, the present invention has an object to provide a banknote holder installable or addable to a conventional cashdrawer apparatus when new kinds of banknodes are issued.
Another object of the present invention is to prevent an operator from being injured by a sharp edge of a banknote depressing spring.
Another object of the present invention is to realize easy insertion of banknotes into a front dead space of a cash casing.
Another object of the present invention is to eliminate the chattering of a microswitch which counts the number of times the drawer is opened or closed.
To accomplish the above and other related objects, the present invention provides a first cashdrawer apparatus comprising a cash casing for storing banknotes, wherein a banknote holder is installed to the cash casing in a cantilever fashion. The banknote holder partitions banknotes stored in the cash casing so that some banknotes can be stored on the banknote holder while other banknotes can be stored beneath the banknote holder. And, the banknote holder depresses the banknotes stacked on the banknote holder.
According to the first cashdrawer apparatus, when new kinds of banknotes are issued, a conventional cashdrawer apparatus can be continuously used by additionally installing the banknote holder of the present invention.
According to the first cashdrawer apparatus, it is preferable that the first cashdrawer apparatus further comprises a banknote depressing spring assembled in the banknote holder for giving a resilient force for depressing the banknotes stacked on the banknote holder. A hook is equipped at one end of the banknote depressing spring. A diameter of the banknote depressing spring is larger than a diameter of a main body of the banknote depressing spring. The hook has a hook end directed upward so as to prevent an operator's finger from being injured by the hook end when the banknotes are stored in or taken out of the cash casing.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a second cashdrawer apparatus comprising a coin casing serving as part of a cash casing. A banknote insertion slit laterally extends as a clearance between the coin casing and the cash casing.
With this arrangement, the operator can easily insert banknotes into a front dead space of the cash casing.
According to the first and second cashdrawer apparatus, it is preferable that a balance weight is provided at a rear side of a cashdrawer body so as to prevent the cashdrawer from leaning forward, and the balance weight is positioned so as not to cause interference with a drawer open-and-close mechanism.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a third cashdrawer apparatus comprising a push plate located at a rear end of a drawer, a swing lever positioned near the push plate and swingable about a swing shaft when the swing lever is pushed by the push plate, and an operation lever engageable with an engaging shaft of the swing lever so as to shift in a predetermined direction during a swing motion of the swing lever. The operation leve
Frech Karl D.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
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