Deposit and collection receptacles – Fare boxes – Collection devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-07
2001-08-28
Dayoan, B. (Department: 3628)
Deposit and collection receptacles
Fare boxes
Collection devices
C232S016000, C379S145000, C379S437000, C379S451000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279823
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to coin operated telephone paystations, and more particularly, to self-locking covers for coin receptacles which collect money inserted into telephone paystations.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Self-locking coin receptacles are used with telephone paystations to facilitate coin collection. Most self-locking coin receptacles of the major telephone paystation manufacturers (e.g., AT&T, Nortel, Lucent, BellSouth, Pacific Bell, U.S. West, Ameritech, Bell Atlantic and GTE) are similar. The basic operation of self-locking coin receptacles is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,566 to McGough, incorporated herein by reference.
A self-locking coin receptacle includes a receptacle and a self-locking aperture cover. The self-locking aperture cover has mounted within it a shutter plate and a shutter control arm that extends externally of the cover to engage a bracket in the vault within the paystation. Sliding the receptacle into the vault of a paystation moves the control arm which opens a shutter covering an aperture within the cover. Coins traveling down a coin track pass through the open aperture to the receptacle. When the receptacle is removed from the paystation, a biasing member moves the shutter plate so it closes the aperture to the receptacle. The cover includes a latching mechanism that blocks movement of the shutter plate so the aperture remains closed and easy access to the contents of the receptacle is thereby denied.
Self-locking receptacles were developed so the receptacle could be removed from a paystation and transported to a safe collection facility rather than having the employee empty the receptacle at the paystation. Accumulation of money from receptacles at multiple paystations results in sums of money that may entice robbery attempts and present risks to the service personnel. The incentive for robbery declines if a thief has to defeat a locking mechanism to access the contents of each receptacle a service person may possess. Also, the self-locking covers help deter employees from taking a portion of the money contained within the receptacles of paystations on a service route.
Attempts have been made to design self-locking coin receptacles that are substantially tamper proof or that indicate whether tampering or tampering efforts have occurred. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,194,775 to Shea, 5,515,030 to Citron, et al. and 4,204,709 to Shea disclose systems that improve the locking engagement between a self-locking cover and its coin receptacle. However, telephone paystation companies have discovered that some self-locking covers can be forced open and the contents of the receptacle accessed without leaving readily noticeable signs of tampering. Thus, service personnel may be able to remove some or all of the contents of a coin receptacle without providing any indication of receptacle tampering.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The limitations of known self-locking covers for coin receptacles are overcome by a self-locking receptacle made in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The present invention provides a system that indicates that an attempt to forcibly open the cover aperture has occurred. The system includes a shutter for selectively blocking an aperture to a self-locking coin receptacle, a shutter control arm coupled to the shutter, and a tamper indicator operatively coupled to the shutter control arm, the tamper indicator responding to a force of a predetermined magnitude to indicate an attempt was made to move the shutter control arm to expose the aperture in the self-locking coin receptacle while the shutter was in a locked position. The tamper indicator facilitates visual inspection of the exterior of a self-locking receptacle to detect a tamper attempt.
The predetermined magnitude of the force to which the tamper indicator responds is selected to be less than the force necessary to defeat the latching mechanism that resists movement of the shutter to expose the coin aperture. The tamper indicator may be a coupler that joins the shutter control arm to the shutter. The coupler may be made of a zinc-aluminum alloy. Alternatively, the coupler may be a weld of material that joins the shutter control arm and shutter and that deforms in response to a force a little less than the predetermined magnitude. In another to embodiment the coupler includes at least one opening defined in the shutter control arm that causes the coupling to deform in response to a force a little less than the predetermined magnitude. The opening may be filled with a frangible material that shatters when a force at the predetermined threshold is applied to the control arm. For example, the material may be a ceramic material or a polymer material.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a self-locking coin receptacle cover for use with a coin receptacle. The cover includes a cover base having an aperture, a shutter plate rotatably mounted to the base, the shutter plate having a shutter control arm, a portion of which is external of the cover base to move a portion of the shutter plate so it selectively blocks the aperture, a latching mechanism for blocking movement of the shutter plate, and a tamper indicator operatively coupled to the shutter control arm, the tamper indicator responding to a force applied to the shutter control arm to indicate an attempt was made to move the shutter control arm to uncover the aperture when the shutter was in a locked position.
The shutter control arm is preferably deformed when a force is applied to the shutter control arm in a direction that opens the aperture and the force approaches the force necessary to cause the shutter plate and a prong in the latching mechanism to slip by one another.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a self-locking coin receptacle cover that cannot be forced open without leaving irreversible signs of tampering. One advantage of the present invention is that it works with the current installed base of paystations and another is that it is cost-efficient to manufacture.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3837566 (1974-09-01), McGough
patent: 3926366 (1975-12-01), Sciortino
patent: 4124774 (1978-11-01), Zarouni
patent: 4124775 (1978-11-01), Zarouni
patent: 4194775 (1980-03-01), Shea
patent: 4204709 (1980-05-01), Shea
patent: 4456165 (1984-06-01), Sciortino
patent: 4529119 (1985-07-01), Granzow et al.
patent: 4659008 (1987-04-01), Howett et al.
patent: 4798316 (1989-01-01), Martin et al.
patent: 4890766 (1990-01-01), Martin et al.
patent: 5012075 (1991-04-01), Hutchinson et al.
patent: 5038908 (1991-08-01), McGough
patent: 5515030 (1996-05-01), Citron et al.
patent: 5802172 (1998-09-01), Ingalsbe et al.
patent: 6047065 (2000-04-01), McGough
Dayoan B.
Miller William L.
Morris Manning & Martin LLP
OTC Telecom Corporation
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