Note holding and dispensing device with cassette

Details Note holding and dispensing device with cassette Note holding and dispensing device with cassette

2001-04-11

2002-03-05

Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3651)

Article dispensing

With supply cartridge or container removable from enclosing...

C902S014000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06352175

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to the field of currency handling machines, and in particular to a note hopper for dispensing paper currency, bank notes or cash equivalent scrip.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The advent of wide-spread use of bill acceptors or currency validation units for use with gaming machines and vending machines has greatly increased the convenience to the user by allowing the use of paper bills in various denominations, as opposed to coins, to operate these types of machines. Generally, however, these types of machines only dispense money in the form of coins and they are incapable of dispensing paper currency. Coincidentally, the wide-spread use of automated transaction machines (ATMs) has provided the consuming public with ready access to paper currency from ATMs using a bank card or credit card and upon entry of user appropriate code information. Operationally, however, ATMs are predominantly intended to dispense currency in a single denomination from a secure location and they are thus little more than a note counting and dispensing apparatus.
For certain applications, such as gaming and vending machines having bill validation capabilities, there is a need for a bill or note dispenser which will interact with an electronic controller of the machine, to dispense currency, bills, or other secure notes.
An object of the present invention is to provide a note holding and dispensing device which can discharge notes from a cassette removably attached to a frame.
Another object of the invention is to provide a note holding and dispensing device which can recover unacceptable notes such as double or false notes without the discharging these notes to avoid trouble with users.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a note holding and dispensing device with a cassette which includes an extracting device wherein a frame supports an extraction drive means which drives the extracting device to manufacture the cassette in light weight.
A further object of the invention is to provide a lightweight note holding and dispensing device electrically connectable to a host machine.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a note holding and dispensing device with a cassette lock device for securing a cassette to a frame wherein delivery and recovery slots in the cassette can be opened and closed by operation of the cassette lock device for anti-theft.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A note holding and dispensing device according to the present invention comprises a frame (
16
) formed with a cavity (
112
); a cassette (
18
) removably positioned in the cavity (
112
) of the frame (
16
) for holding a plurality of notes (
66
); a transfer device (
24
) comprising an extraction drive means (
120
) and a conveyer means (
122
) provided in the frame (
16
); and an electronic controller (
46
) for controlling operation of the extraction drive means (
120
) and conveyer means (
122
) of the transfer device (
24
). The cassette (
18
) has a chamber (
64
) for receiving the notes (
66
) and an extracting device (
232
) for discharging the notes (
66
) in the chamber (
64
). The extraction drive means (
120
) operates the extracting device (
232
) in the cassette (
18
) to fetch the notes (
66
) from the cassette (
18
). The conveyer means (
122
) transports the notes (
66
) received from the cassette (
18
) to an outlet (
20
) through a passageway (
22
).
The electronic controller (
46
) generates drive signals to operate the extraction drive means (
120
) and conveyer means (
122
) of the transfer device (
24
) so that the notes (
66
) can be successively dispensed from the removably and exchangeably mounted cassette (
18
) through the passageway (
22
). In this case, the cassette (
18
) can be made in light weight because the extracting device (
232
) can be driven by the extraction drive means (
120
) attached to the frame (
16
). The term “note” herein is used to mean all valuable paper such as bill, paper currency, bank notes, coupons, scrip, or other “secure” paper with an associated cash value.
In an embodiment of the instant invention, the cassette (
18
) comprises a storage area (
68
), and a diverting device (
230
) for receiving an unacceptable note (
66
) from the conveyer means (
122
) and forwarding the same to the storage area (
68
). The transfer device (
24
) comprises at least a sensor means (
30
,
32
) provided by the passageway (
22
) for detecting the unacceptable note (
66
) that is moved through the passageway (
22
), and a diverting means (
183
) for diverting the unacceptable note (
66
) from the passageway (
22
) to a recovery path (
48
) for the storage area (
68
) in the cassette (
18
). Upon detection of the unacceptable note (
66
) by the sensor means (
30
,
32
), the electronic controller (
46
) operates the diverting means (
183
) to guide the note (
66
) from the passageway (
22
) to the recovery path (
48
) in order to recover unacceptable note (
66
) such as double or false notes without discharging these notes to avoid trouble with users.
The sensor means (
30
,
32
) includes an optical sensor (
30
,
32
) for detecting double notes (
66
) moved through the passageway (
22
) to produce a detection signal so that the electronic controller (
46
) operates the diverting means (
183
) to divert the note (
66
) from the passageway (
22
) to the recovery path (
48
) when receives the detection signal of the double notes (
66
) from the optical sensor (
30
,
32
). The optical sensor (
30
,
32
) detects characteristics of the note (
66
) travelling along the passageway (
22
) and forwards output signals indicative of the note characteristics to the electronic controller (
46
). The electronic controller (
46
) comprises a microprocessor (
50
) for receiving the output signals from the optical sensor (
30
,
32
) to validate the note (
66
) in comparison of the received output signals with stored signal parameters. The electronic controller (
46
) operates the diverting means (
183
) to divert the note (
66
) from the passageway (
22
) to the recovery path (
48
) when receives the detection signal from the optical sensor (
30
,
32
) that the note (
66
) is not genuine.
The transfer device (
24
) comprises an extraction motor (
124
) and a transport motor (
150
) both controlled by the electronic controller (
46
) so that the extraction motor (
124
) provides the extraction drive means (
120
) with a drive force, and the transport motor (
150
) provides the conveyer means (
122
) with a drive force when the note (
66
) is extracted from the chamber (
64
) of the cassette (
18
).
The transfer device (
24
) comprises an entry detecting sensor (
198
) for detecting a leading edge of the note (
66
) extracted from the cassette (
18
) to the passageway (
22
) to produce a detection signal so that the electronic controller (
46
) ceases operation of the extraction motor (
124
) when receives the detection signal from the entry detecting sensor (
198
). Also, the transfer device (
24
) comprises an outlet sensor (
42
) for detecting existence of the note (
66
) which partially extends outward from the passageway (
22
) through the outlet (
20
) to produce a detection signal so that the electronic controller (
46
) ceases operation of the transport motor (
150
) when receives the detection signal from the outlet sensor (
42
). Moreover, the transfer device (
24
) comprises a post-validation sensor (
40
) for detecting a leading edge of the note (
66
) to produce a detection signal so that the electronic controller (
46
) operates the diverting means (
183
) to divert the note (
66
) from the passageway (
22
) to the recovery path (
48
) when receives the detection signal from the post-validation sensor (
40
) and decides that the note (
66
) is unacceptable in view of the outputs from the sensor means (
30
,
32
).
The cassette (
18
) comprises a casing (
62
); a lid (
60
) pivotally mounted on the casing (
62
) to cover the chamber (
64
) and storage area (
68
); and a

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