Automated teller machine with an automatically actuatable locking element for locking cash boxes received in receiving compartments in these receiving compartments

Abstract

An automated teller machine (10) has at least one receiving compartment (12 to 18) for receiving a cash box (102). At least one locking element (24, 26) is provided on a wall (20, 22) of the receiving compartment (12 to 18) and is movable between a locked and an unlocked position. The locking element (24, 26) is designed and mounted such that, when a cash box (102) is inserted the locking element (24, 26), the locking element (24, 26) is moved automatically from the unlocked into the locked position by contact with an engagement element (104) of the cash box (102).

Claims

1. An automated teller machine, comprising: at least one receiving compartment (12 to 18) for receiving a cash box (102), the receiving compartment (12 to 18) having a wall (20, 22); at least one locking element (24, 26) having a first leg (28, 30), a second leg (32, 34) and a third leg (36, 38) and being provided on the wall (20, 22) of the receiving compartment (12 to 18) for rotation about an area of intersection of these three legs (28 to 38), the locking element (24, 26) being rotatable between a locked and an unlocked position, the locking element (24, 26) being designed and mounted such that when a cash box (102) is inserted into the receiving compartment (12 to 18), the locking element (24, 26) being moved automatically from the unlocked position into the locked position by means of contact of an engagement element (104) of the cash box (102) with the second leg (32, 34) and being moved from the locked position into the unlocked position by means of contact of the engagement element (104) of the cash box (102) with the third leg (36, 38); and an elastic element (52, 54) having a first end mounted to the wall (20, 22) and a second end mounted to the first leg (28, 30) of the locking element (24, 26) at a position remote from the area of intersection of the three legs (28 to 38), the elastic element (52, 54) biasing the locking element (24, 26) to the locked position when the locking element (24, 26) is in the locked position and biasing the locking element (24, 26) to the unlocked position when the locking element (24, 26) is in the unlocked position.

2. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 1, wherein the locking element (24, 26) is configured such that when a cash box (102) is inserted into the receiving compartment (12 to 18), the engagement element (24, 26) is received in a receiving area (62) between the second leg (32, 34) and the third leg (36, 38) of the locking element (24, 26) with the locking element (24, 26) being in the locked position such that the cash box (102) cannot be removed from the receiving compartment (12 to 18) without moving the locking element (24, 26) from the locked into the unlocked position during the removal.

3. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 2, wherein the first and second ends of the elastic element (52, 54) are on opposite respective sides of the receiving area of the locking element (24, 26).

4. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 1, wherein the elastic element (52, 54) comprises a spring.

5. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 1, further comprising a circular ring segment-shaped guide slot (48, 50) provided in the wall (20, 22), and the first leg (28, 30) of the locking element (24, 26) comprising a projection (44, 46) that is guided in the guide slot (48, 50) and the engagement of the projection (44, 46) in the guide slot (48, 50) guides the locking element (24, 26) during the movement between the locked and the unlocked position.

6. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 5, wherein when the locking element (24, 26) is in the unlocked position, the projection (44, 46) is arranged at a first end (56) of the guide slot (48, 50) and when the locking element (24, 26) is in the locked position, the projection (44, 46) is arranged at a second end (60) of the guide slot (48, 50).

7. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 6, wherein the guide slot (48, 50) further has a peak (58) disposed centrally between the first and second ends (56, 60), the elastic element (52, 54) being arranged such that when the projection (44, 46) is arranged towards the first end (56) with respect to the peak (58) of the guide slot (48, 50) the elastic element (52, 54) moves the locking element (24, 26) into the unlocked position, and when the projection (44, 46) is arranged towards the second end (60) with respect to the peak (58) of the guide slot (48,50), the elastic element (52, 54) moves the locking element (24, 26) into the locked position.

8. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 6, wherein the peak (58) of the guide slot (48, 50) and the mounting point at which the elastic element (48, 50) is mounted to the wall (20, 22) lie on a straight line and that the axis of rotation (40, 42) about which the locking element (24, 26) is rotatable intersects this straight line.

9. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 1, wherein the locking element (24, 26) is Y-shaped.

10. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 1, wherein the wall (20, 22) of the receiving compartment (12 to 18) has a further locking element (24, 26) and the further locking element (24, 26) being designed and mounted such that, when a cash box (102) is inserted into the receiving compartment (12 to 18), the further locking element (24, 26) is moved from the unlocked position into the locked position by means of contact with a further engagement element (104) of the cash box (102).

11. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 10, wherein the two locking elements (24, 26) are formed identically.

12. An arrangement (100), comprising: the automated teller machine (10) of claim 1, and a cash box (102) received in the receiving compartment (12 to 18) of the automated teller machine (10).

13. An automated teller machine, comprising: at least one receiving compartment (12 to 18) for receiving a cash box (102), the receiving compartment (12 to 18) having a wall (20, 22), a circular ring segment-shaped guide slot (48, 50) provided in the wall (20, 22), the guide slot (48, 50) having a first end (56), a second end (60) and a peak (58) centrally between the first and second ends (56, 60); at least one locking element (24, 26) provided on the wall (20, 22) of the receiving compartment (12 to 18), the locking element (24, 26) being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position, the locking element (24, 26) comprising a projection (44, 46) that is guided in the guide slot (48, 50), the projection (44, 46) being at the first end (56) of the guide slot (48, 50) when the locking element (24, 26) is in the unlocked position, and being at the second end (60) of the guide slot (48, 50) when the locking element (24, 26) is in the locked position, the locking element (24, 26) being configured and mounted so that an engagement element (104) of the cash box (102) contacts the locking element (24, 26) when the cash box (102) is inserted into or removed from the receiving compartment (12 to 18) for moving the locking element (24, 26) between the unlocked position and the locked position; and an elastic element (52, 54) having a first end mounted to the wall (20, 22) and a second end mounted to a portion of the locking element (24, 26) in proximity to the projection (44, 46), the elastic element (52, 54) biasing the locking element (24, 26) to the locked position when the locking element (24, 26) is in the locked position and biasing the locking element (24, 26) to the unlocked position when the locking element (24, 26) is in the unlocked position, the peak (58) of the guide slot (48, 50) and a mounting point at which the elastic element (48, 50) is mounted to the wall (20, 22) lie on a straight line and the axis of rotation (40, 42) about which the locking element (24, 26) is rotatable intersecting this straight line.

14. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 13, wherein the locking element (24, 26) comprises a first leg (28, 30), a second leg (32, 34) and a third leg (36, 38), and the locking element (24, 26) is mounted to the wall (20, 22) rotatably about an area of intersection of these three legs (28 to 38).

15. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 14, wherein the projection (44, 46) that is guided in the guide slot (48, 50) is provided at the end of the first leg (28, 30) opposite to the area of intersection, and/or that the elastic element (52, 54) is mounted to the first leg (28, 30) at the end thereof that is opposite to the area of intersection.

16. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 14, wherein the receiving area (62) in which the engagement element (104) of the cash box (102) is received when the cash box (102) is inserted into the receiving compartment (12 to 18) is arranged between the second and the third leg (32 to 38).

17. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 13, wherein the circular ring segment-shaped guide slot (48, 50) has a concave side facing toward the engagement element (104) of the cash box (102) when the engagement element (104) of the cash box (102) is between the second and third legs (32-38) of the locking element (24, 26).

18. The automated teller machine (10) of claim 13, wherein the first and second ends of the elastic element (52, 54) are on opposite respective sides of the areas of the locking element (24, 26) that are contacted by the engagement element (104) of the cash box (102).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic highly simplified illustration of an automated teller machine and three cash boxes.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective illustration of a detail of a receiving compartment of the automated teller machine according to FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective illustration of the receiving compartment according to FIG. 2 and a cash box in a first operating state, and

(4) FIG. 4 shows a schematic illustration of the receiving compartment and the cash box according to FIG. 3 in a second operating state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) In FIG. 1, a schematic highly simplified illustration of an arrangement 100 comprised of an automated teller machine 10 and three cash boxes 102 is shown. The automated teller machine 10 has four receiving compartments 12 to 18, wherein one cash box 102 each is inserted into the receiving compartments 14 to 18 and no cash box is inserted into the receiving compartment 12.

(6) The cash boxes 102 can be removed from the receiving compartments 12 to 18 and inserted therein. For the orderly feeding of notes of value to the cash boxes 102 and the orderly removal of notes of value from the cash boxes 102 it is necessary that these are arranged in predetermined positions within the automated teller machine.

(7) In order to guarantee this predetermined orientation, a locking mechanism described in more detail in connection with FIGS. 2 to 4 is provided in each receiving compartment 12 to 18. This locking mechanism is exemplarily described for the receiving compartment 12. The other receiving compartments 14 to 18 are in particular identically formed and in particular have the same locking mechanism.

(8) In FIG. 2, a schematic perspective illustration of a detail of the receiving compartment 12 is shown. The receiving compartment 12 has a first side wall 20 and a second side wall 22. At the sides of the side walls 20, 22 which face the receiving area in which the cash box 102 is received one locking element 24, 26 each is arranged. The locking elements 24, 26 are designed in a Y-shaped manner and each have a first leg 28, 30, a second leg 32, 34 as well as a third leg 36, 38.

(9) The locking elements 24, 26 each are mounted to the side walls 20, 22 rotatably about an axis of rotation 40, 42, the axis of rotation 40, 42 running through the point of intersection of the center axes of the legs 28 to 38.

(10) At the end of the first leg 28, 30 opposite to the axis of rotation 40, 42, one projection 44, 46 each is provided which is guided in a circular ring segment-shaped guide slot 48, 50 of the respective side wall 20, 22.

(11) Further, a respective first end of a spring 52, 54 is arranged at the projection 44, 46, the respective second end of the respective spring 52, 54 being mounted to the respective side wall 20, 22.

(12) When no cash box 102 is received in the receiving compartment 12, then the locking elements 24, 26 are arranged in an unlocked position shown in FIG. 3. In this unlocked position, the projections 44, 46 are arranged at a first end 56 of the respective guide slot 48, 50.

(13) When, as shown in FIG. 3, a cash box 102 is inserted into the receiving compartment 12 in the direction of the arrow P1, then engagement elements 104, which are designed in the form of small pins, contact the second legs 32, 34 of the respective locking elements 24, 26. By means of the contact between the engagement elements 104 and the second legs 32, 34, the locking elements 24, 26 are moved against the restoring force of the springs 52, 54 from the unlocked position into a locked position shown in FIG. 4. Here, the springs 52, 54 are tensioned further until the projections 44, 46 are arranged at the peaks 58 of the guide slots 48, 50. When the peak 58 is passed, then the spring 52, 54, which is now under maximum tension, pulls the respective locking element 24, 26 into the locked position in which the projections 44, 46 are arranged at the second ends 60 of the guide slots 48, 50 opposite to the first ends 56.

(14) When the locking units 24, 26 are arranged in the locked position, as shown in FIG. 4, then the engagement elements 104 of the cash box 102 are received in the receiving areas 62 arranged between the second legs 32, 34 and the third legs 36, 38 so that the cash box 102 is held in a predetermined position.

(15) When the cash box 102 is removed, it is moved in the direction of the arrow P2 out of the receiving area, wherein the engagement elements 104 contact the third legs 36, 38 of the locking elements 24, 26 and by means of this contact again move the locking elements 24, 26 automatically from the locked position back into the unlocked position.

(16) The above-described locking mechanism has the advantage that the locking and unlocking is automatically performed during insertion and removal of the cash box 102. Further, the locking mechanism has the advantage that it is constructed very simply and cost-efficiently. In addition, by way of the knocking of the projections 44, 46 against the ends 56, 60 of the guide slots 48, 50 characteristic clicking sounds occur by which the operator can hear the locking and the unlocking.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(17) 10 automated teller machine 12 to 18 receiving compartment 20, 22 side wall 24, 26 locking element 28 to 38 leg 40, 42 axis of rotation 44, 46 projection 48, 50 guide slot 52, 54 spring 56, 60 end 58 peak 62 receiving area 100 arrangement 102 cash box 104 engagement element P1, P2 direction