Check-actuated control mechanisms – Control mechanism actuated by check – other than coin – which... – By pliant currency
Patent
1997-03-31
1998-11-17
Bartuska, F. J.
Check-actuated control mechanisms
Control mechanism actuated by check, other than coin , which...
By pliant currency
G07F 704
Patent
active
058364358
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a bill handling apparatus such as a vending machine or an automatic exchanger, in particular, to the improvement in the bill handling apparatus wherein a bill validator is attached to a frame of the apparatus and easily removed therefrom for interchange.
BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY
A prior art bill handling apparatus includes a bill validator for validating a bill and a stacker for storing bills considered valid by the bill validator. For example, Japanese Utility Model Disclosure No. 58-117568 published Aug. 11, 1983 discloses a bill validator with which a stacker is integrally incorporated to form a shorter passageway for bill in order to manufacture the apparatus in smaller size. Also, Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-10156 published Feb. 13, 1991 demonstrates a bill apparatus which comprises a casing; a validator disposed within the casing for validating a bill; a stacker for accumulating bills considered genuine by the validator; a L-shaped passageway formed through the validator and stacker; and a pusher for forcing a bill in the passageway into the stacker. In this prior art reference, the stacker is rotatably attached to the case to reduce the depth of the casing for the small sized apparatus.
Provided in prior art bill handling apparatus to validate a bill is a validator which is firmly and incommutably secured to a stacker so that the bill handling apparatus itself should be exchanged when a different kind of bills should be validated or when the validator has broken down.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a bill handling apparatus which includes a validator easily and exchangeably attached thereto.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The bill handling apparatus according to the present invention comprises validator means which is provided with sensor means for validating a bill inserted into the apparatus; stacker means for storing a bill in response to an output from the validator means when the bill is considered genuine by the validator means; a frame for supporting the stacker means; coupling means for detachably supporting the validator means to align a passageway of the validator means with a passageway of the stacker means, the coupling means being provided between the validator means and frame; and connector means for electrically connecting the sensor means in the validator means with validator control means in the frame. The coupling means includes guide means provided in one of the frame and validator; pins provided in the other of the frame and validator in engaged relation to the guide means; a stopper lever rotatably provided in the frame; an abutment formed in the validator for engagement with the stopper lever; and a spring for resiliently urging the stopper lever toward the abutment to keep the engagement between the stopper lever and abutment. A slider is provided in the frame for releasing the validator from the frame by disengagement of said stopper lever from said validator. The coupling means includes guide means provided in the frame; and pins provided in the validator in engaged relation to the guide means. The bill handling apparatus may also comprises power transmission means for drivingly connecting the drive means in the frame with conveyer means in the validator. The power transmission means comprises a drive gear of the drive means rotatably supported on the frame; and a follower gear of the conveyer means rotatably mounted on the validator for engagement with the drive gear so that the drive and follower gears are in a same plane, when the validator is connected with the stacker by the coupling means in the condition that the passageways of the validator and stacker are aligned to each other. The connector means comprises a plug of the validator sensor in the validator means and a jack in the frame, the plug and jack are in a same plane so that the plug can be inserted into the jack.
When the validator means is connected to the stacker means by the coupling means in the condition that the pa
REFERENCES:
patent: 4809967 (1989-03-01), Kondo
patent: 5411249 (1995-05-01), Zouzoulas
Fujita Masanobu
Kanno Noriyuki
Bartuska F. J.
Japan Cash Machine Co. Ltd.
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