Method for feeding notes of value to an automated teller machine

Abstract

A method for feeding notes of value (20) to a device for handling notes of value includes manually filing a cash cassette (10) with the notes of value (20), and rotating the cash cassette (10) so that the side that was arranged at the bottom during the filling of the cash cassette (10), is arranged at the top. The cash cassette (10) then is inserted into the device for handling notes of value in this rotated orientation.

Claims

1. A method for feeding notes of value to a device for handling notes of value, comprising manually feeding the notes of value to a cash cassette via an opening in the cash cassette during filling; moving a cover of the cash cassette for closing the opening; rotating the cash cassette by 180° into a rotated orientation so that a side that was arranged at the bottom during the filling of the cash cassette is arranged at the top; and inserting the cash cassette into the device for handling notes of value in the rotated orientation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the notes of value are fed from above in a substantially vertical direction during the manual filling.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cash cassette is manually filled in a cash center.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of rotating the cash cassette is carried out in the cash center so that the side that was arranged at the bottom during the filling of the cash cassette is arranged at the top, and the method further comprising transporting the cash cassette to the device for handling notes of value in the rotated orientation.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising transporting the cash cassette from the cash center to the device for handling notes of value in the orientation in which the cash cassette was filled, and rotating the cash cassette on-site at the device before insertion into the device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a separating module of the device for handling notes of value so that the notes of value are removed automatically from the cash cassette via another opening of the cash cassette by the separating module of the device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the notes of value are removed downwards from the cash cassette.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, a feeding direction of the notes of value during the manual filling and a removal direction during the automatic removal of the notes of value have the same direction in the device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein a feeding direction of the notes of value during the manual filling and a removal direction during the automatic removal of the notes of value in the device have opposite directions with respect to the cash cassette.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the opening for the manual filling and the opening for the automatic removal are provided on the same side of the cash cassette.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising holding the notes of value, in the receiving area of the cash cassette via the cover after rotation of the cash cassette.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the notes of value stand on the cover after rotation of the cash cassette.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking, after filling and before closing the cover, to determine whether all of the notes of value have a predetermined orientation and that no L-folded notes of value are present.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising correcting the orientation of any of the notes of value that differ from the predetermined orientation so that all of the notes of value have the predetermined orientation.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a cash cassette of the prior art.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of an inventive cash cassette in a first orientation.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of the cash cassette according to FIG. 2 in a second orientation.

(4) FIG. 4 shows a flow chart of a method for feeding notes of value to a device for handling notes of value.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) In FIG. 2, a schematic illustration of a cash cassette in a first orientation is shown, which the cash cassette 10 assumes in a cash center in particular during the manual filling of the cash cassette 10 with notes of value.

(6) The cash cassette 10 has a first opening 12 for the manual feeding of notes of value, and the first opening 12 is closable by a cover 14. Further, a second opening 16 for the automatic removal of notes of value is provided, and the second opening 16 being closable by a movable shutter 18.

(7) When the cash cassette 10 is filled, at first the cover 14 is opened and thereafter the notes of value 20 are fed to the receiving area of the cash cassette 10 from above in the direction of the arrow P3. Here, the notes of value 20 received in the receiving area stand with one of their edges on a bottom element 22.

(8) If the person filling the cash cassette determines during this filling that L-folded notes of value are at the top of the value note stack, i.e. on the side facing the opening 12 and readily visible by the operator, then the operator corrects these notes of value accordingly so that any L-folding is eliminated.

(9) Thereafter, the cover 14 is closed so that the first opening 12 is likewise closed.

(10) Before the cash cassette 10 is inserted into a device for handling notes of value, such as an automated teller machine, an automatic cash register system or an automatic cash safe, it is rotated by 180° so that the underside 24 is arranged at the top and the upper side 26 is then arranged at the bottom. This rotated orientation is shown in FIG. 3. The cash cassette 10 is inserted in this rotated orientation into the device for handling notes of value. During insertion, the shutter 18 is opened so that the second opening 16 is opened and notes of value can automatically be taken out of the cash cassette 10 by means of a separating module. Here, the notes of value, as in all conventional automated teller machines, are removed downwards in the direction of the arrow P4 so that, in absolute terms, the feeding and the removal of the notes of value take place in the same direction P3, P4. With respect to the cash cassette 10 itself, however, the manual feeding and the automatic removal take place in different directions, as this is indicated by the arrows P4 and P5, P5 showing the original feeding direction P3 when the cash cassette 10 is rotated accordingly.

(11) By turning over the cash cassette before it is inserted into the device for handling notes of value, it is achieved that now the notes of value 20 stand on those edges which were arranged at the top during feeding and thus are visible for the operator. Thus, it cannot happen that L-folded notes of value are present on the side standing on the bottom element. L-folded notes of value may only be present on the upper side in the orientation shown in FIG. 3. This, however, is not critical since problems in the removal of L-folded notes of value usually only occur when this L-folding is present at the bottom so that the adjacent notes of value 20 of the value note stack stand on the folded part.

(12) In addition, in the case of any L-foldings present at the top, the notes of value only have to be guided around this folded edge when removed in downward direction, which much more rarely results in problems than the downward removal in the case of L-folded notes of value present at the bottom, as this would be the case without the rotation of the cash cassette.

(13) Thus, it is achieved that the occurrence of problems due to L-folded notes of value is minimized and the cash cassette 10 can nevertheless be inserted into known automated teller machines and other devices for handling notes of value in which a downward removal takes place.

(14) In FIG. 4, a flow chart of the method, as described briefly above, for feeding notes of value to a device for handling notes of value is shown.

(15) After the method has been started in step S10, the cover is opened in step S12, before then the notes of value are fed to the cash cassette 10 from above in the direction of the arrow P3 in step S14.

(16) After all notes of value 20 to be fed to the cash cassette 10 have been fed, the cover 16 is closed in step S16 and the cash cassette is rotated by 180° in step S18 so that it is upside down. In this case, the received notes of value in particular stand on the cover 14 itself which has a corresponding smooth surface.

(17) Thereafter, the cash cassette 10 is transported in step S20 to the automated teller machine or another device for handling notes of value in which it is to be inserted.

(18) In an alternative method, the steps S18 and S20 can also be interchanged, i.e. the cash cassette 10 can first be transported to the device for handling notes of value and then be rotated accordingly on-site before it is inserted into the device.

(19) In step S22, the cash cassette 10 is inserted into the device for handling notes of value before the method is terminated in step S24.

(20) After all notes of value 20 have been removed from the cash cassette 10 or when a maintenance is due, the cash cassette 10 is again removed from the device for handling notes of value and is transported back into the cash center. Before the cover 14 is again opened and new notes of value 20 are fed or a maintenance is carried out, the cash cassette 10 is again rotated such that the side arranged at the bottom before is now arranged at the top and vice versa.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(21) 10, 100 cash cassette 12, 16, 102, 110 opening 14 cover 18, 112 shutter 20, 106 note of value 22, 108 bottom unit 24 underside 26 upper side 104 receiving area 114 L-folded note of value P1 to P5 direction S10 to S24 method step