Check-actuated control mechanisms – With additional – disparate means preventing fraudulent... – Means preventing use of tethered check
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-12
2001-01-30
Bartuska, F. J. (Department: 3652)
Check-actuated control mechanisms
With additional, disparate means preventing fraudulent...
Means preventing use of tethered check
C194S351000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06179110
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bill handling device, in particular to a bill validator capable of preventing unauthorized extraction of a bill by a pulling means such as a string or tape connected to the bill conveyed into the bill validator, and the invention is also directed to a method for detecting the pulling means.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For example, Japanese Utility Model Disclosure No. 63-89181 discloses a device for preventing extraction of a bill contained in a bill validator. In such an anti-extraction device, as shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19
, a bill is inserted from an inlet
207
into a space between a pair of side walls
202
and
203
on a frame
201
, and then carried by belts
211
and rollers
212
between protrusions
209
formed on the frame
201
and protrusions
210
formed on a plate
205
. When the bill passes the protrusions
209
and
210
, it is slightly deformed however, whose deformation is limited within a range that does not prevent transportation of the bill. If a wrong attempt is made to outwardly withdraw the bill through the inlet
207
by pulling a string such as a fishing line connected to the bill after the bill passes an outlet
208
, the engagement of the bill with the protrusions
209
and
210
is effective to inhibit extraction of the bill.
Disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Disclosure No. 7-20790 is an anti-extraction device of another type with a stopper which extends into a passageway of a bill validator, but is mounted rotatably away from the passageway in response to a validating signal of the bill validator. This anti-extraction device is very effective to prevent pulling of the bill since the stopper does not rotate away from the passageway unless a genuine bill is transported toward an outlet.
However, the anti-extraction device of
FIGS. 18 and 19
cannot detect any pulling means such as a string or tape connected to the bill. Moreover, it is very difficult to provide the protrusions
209
and
210
of their increased extension length because such long protrusions
209
and
210
would make obstacle to transportation of the bill by belts
211
due to engagement of the bill and the protrusions
209
and
210
. Therefore, the prior art bill validator is inconveniently subject to unauthorized extraction of bills by strongly pulling a fishing line connected to the bill. In addition, there would be a fear that bills may be damaged by the protrusions
209
and
210
during the transportation even if they can perfectly bar extraction of bills. Accordingly, unauthorized extraction of bills cannot be detected even by the anti-extraction device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Disclosure No. 7-20790.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator for detecting a pulling means by rotating a rotator after the bill is moved through the rotator in the bill validator.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator with a rotator rotatably attached to a passageway to wind a pulling means around the rotating rotator to bar unauthorized extraction of a bill.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator capable of preventing unauthorized extraction of a bill.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator with a rotator which can certainly be stopped in position to resist prohibited extraction of a bill.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for and a bill validator with a rotator for detecting a pulling means connected to the bill by rotating the rotator after receiving the bill and measuring rotation rate of the rotator to prevent unauthorized extraction of the bill.
Still further object of the present invention is to provide a bill validator with a rotator and driving device of the rotator which can be prevented from being damaged by inertial force of the rotator motor when the rotator is stopped in position.
A bill validator according to the present invention comprises a case (
2
); a passageway (
3
) formed in the case (
2
) to guide a bill; a conveyer (
6
) for transporting the bill inserted from an inlet (
4
) formed at one end of the passageway (
3
) through the passageway (
3
) to an outlet (
5
) formed at the other end of the passageway (
3
); and a detective sensor (
34
,
35
) disposed adjacent to the passageway (
3
). The bill validator comprises a rotator (
40
) rotatably mounted on the bill validator, the rotator (
40
) being formed with a slit (
41
) in alignment with the passageway (
3
) when the rotator (
40
) is in an initial position; a driving device (
70
) for rotating the rotator (
40
); and a validator control circuit (
50
) for judging authenticity of the bill by outputs from the detective sensor (
34
,
35
). The validator control circuit (
50
) produces outputs to operate the driving device (
70
) to rotate the rotator (
40
) so as to wind around the rotator (
40
) the pulling means connected to the bill which has passed through the slit (
41
) of the rotator (
40
). In the embodiment of the present invention, the slit (
41
) of the rotator (
40
) has a tapered surface (
46
) to guide the bill.
A method for detecting a pulling means of a bill according to the present invention comprises the steps of: transporting the bill inserted from an inlet (
4
) along a passageway (
3
) by a conveyor (
6
), picking up outputs produced by a detective sensor (
34
,
35
) attached along the passageway (
3
) during transportation of the bill, and moving the bill through a slit (
41
) of a rotator (
40
) rotatably disposed on the passageway (
3
); judging authenticity of the bill by a validating means and transporting by the conveyer means (
6
) the bill considered genuine to a stacking device (
80
) for stacking; after the bill passes through the passageway (
3
), rotating the rotator (
40
) from the initial position of the slit (
41
) in alignment with the passageway (
3
) by a certain angular range and measuring comparative rotation rate or time of the rotator (
40
); and comparing the comparative rotation rate or time of the rotator (
40
) with a regular reference rotation rate or time of the rotator (
40
), and detecting existence of the pulling means when the comparative rotation rate is slower or the rotation time is longer than the reference one.
In the embodiment of the present invention, the method may further comprise any one of the steps of rotating the rotator (
40
) to the initial position wherein the slit (
41
) is in alignment with the passageway (
3
) at the moment a bill is inserted into the inlet (
4
); previously storing the regular reference rotation rate or time of the rotator (
40
) rotated by the certain angular range in an unloaded condition without transportation of a bill; positioning the rotator (
40
) in the initial position while preventing rotation of the rotator (
40
) from the initial position in one direction; detecting the initial position of the rotator (
40
) with the slit (
41
) in alignment with the passageway (
3
); measuring width of a pulse generated from an encoder (
77
) connected with a rotator motor (
71
) for rotating the rotator (
40
); and measuring a time interval between pulses generated from the encoder (
77
) connected with the rotator motor (
71
) for rotating the rotator (
40
) to evaluate rotation time of the rotator (
40
).
In the embodiment of the present invention, the method further comprises: measuring pulse width or time interval between pulses generated from the encoder (
77
) connected with the rotator motor (
71
) for rotating the rotator (
40
) by a certain angular range to previously evaluate the unloaded reference rotation rate or time of the rotator (
40
) before the bill is transported; storing the previously measured reference rotation rate or time of the rotator (
40
); transporting a bill inserted from the inlet (
4
) along the passageway (
3
), validating the bill during the transportation, and then discharging the bill from the outlet (
5
) of the passageway (
3
);
Ohkawa Katsutoshi
Okamoto Kazuhiko
Saito Yuuki
Suzuki Yasumasa
Bachman & LaPointe P.C.
Bartuska F. J.
Japan Cash Machine Co. Ltd.
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