DEVICE AND METHOD FOR STORING VALUE DOCUMENTS, IN PARTICULAR BANKNOTES, AND STORAGE DEVICE AND VALUE DOCUMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM

Abstract

An apparatus and a corresponding method involve storing value documents, in particular bank notes, to a storage device and to a value-document processing system. A stacker wheel is arranged to receive value documents and dispense them one after the other. A transport device is arranged to receive the value documents dispensed one after the other by the stacker wheel and to transport them in such a way that the value documents come to lie on top of each other in a shingled manner. A storage device for storing the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner is provided.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. An apparatus for storing value documents, in particular bank notes, having: a stacker wheel which is arranged to receive and successively dispense value documents; a transport device which is arranged to receive the value documents dispensed one after the other by the stacker wheel and to transport them in such a way that the value documents come to lie on top of each other in a shingled manner; and a storage device for storing the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 having a control device, which is arranged to control the transport device and/or the stacker wheel in such a way that the degree of overlap of the value documents coming to lie on top of each another in a shingled manner is adjusted.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control device is arranged to adjust a transport speed at which the value documents are transported by the transport device and/or a dispensing rate at which the value documents are dispensed by the stacker wheel in such a way that a value document received by the transport device is transported by the transport device a specified distance before a subsequent value document is dispensed by the stacker wheel and comes to lie on the value document.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the transport device is arranged to receive at least two value documents dispensed by the stacker wheel, which form a stack, and the transport device has: a first transport element which abuts one side of the stack and moves at a first speed, and a second transport element which abuts a second side of the stack opposite the first side and moves at a second speed which is less than or equal to the first speed.

18. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the transport device is arranged to receive at least two value documents dispensed by the stacker wheel, which form a stack, and to transport the stack along a curved transport way, wherein one or several value documents of the stack following an inner course of the curved transport way travel a shorter transport path than one or several value documents of the stack following an outer course of the curved transport way.

19. The apparatus according to claim 14 having: at least one first supply spool on which a first storage foil is wound; a storage spool; a feeding unit which is arranged to feed the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner, together with the first storage foil, to the storage spool such that the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner are guided in between the first storage foil and the storage spool; and a drive device which is arranged to set the storage spool into rotation so that the first storage foil fed to the storage spool is wound onto the storage spool together with the value documents.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19 having a second supply spool on which a second storage foil is wound, wherein the feeding unit guides the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner in between the first and the second storage foil, and the drive device sets the storage spool into rotation so that the first and the second storage foil fed to the storage spool are wound onto the storage spool together with the value documents lying between the first and the second storage foil.

21. A storage device for storing value documents, in particular bank notes, having: at least one first supply spool on which a first storage foil is wound; a storage spool; and a feeding unit which is arranged to feed value documents to be stored, together with the first storage foil, to the storage spool such that the first storage foil together with the value documents can be wound onto the storage spool.

22. The storage device according to claim 21 having a housing, wherein the housing has an opening through which value documents can be fed to the storage spool for storage or stored value documents can be carried away from the storage spool, and wherein the feeding unit is disposed in the region of the opening such that value documents fed to the storage device dispose themselves between the first storage foil and the storage spool.

23. The storage device according to claim 21 having a second supply spool on which a second storage foil is wound, wherein the feeding unit guides the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner in between the first and the second storage foil, and the drive device sets the storage spool into rotation so that the first and the second storage foil fed to the storage spool are wound onto the storage spool together with the value documents lying between the first and the second storage foil.

24. A value-document processing system for processing, in particular for sorting, counting and/or checking, value documents, in particular bank notes, having an apparatus for storing value documents in accordance with claim 14.

25. The value-document processing system according to claim 24 having a verification apparatus which is arranged for a check of value documents stored in the storage device and has a receiving device which is arranged to receive the storage device and to feed the value documents stored in the storage device to the check in the verification apparatus.

26. A method for storing value documents, in particular bank notes, having the following steps: receiving value documents with a stacker wheel; dispensing the value documents received by the stacker wheel one after the other to a transport device; transporting the value documents dispensed one after the other by the stacker wheel to the transport device by means of the transport device in such a way that the value documents come to lie on top of each other in a shingled manner; disposing the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner between at least a first storage foil and a storage spool; and winding up the value documents lying on top of each other in a shingled manner onto the storage spool by means of the first storage foil.

Description

[0030] Further advantages, features and application possibilities of the present invention will result from the subsequent description in connection with the Figures. There are shown:

[0031] FIG. 1 a first embodiment example of an apparatus for storing value documents;

[0032] FIG. 2 a second embodiment example of an apparatus for storing value documents;

[0033] FIG. 3 an embodiment example of a value-document processing system; and

[0034] FIG. 4 an example of a storage device received in a receiving device.

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment example of an apparatus 1 for storing value documents 2, in particular bank notes, having a stacker wheel 3, a transport device 4, a storage device 5 and a control device 23 for controlling the stacker wheel 3 and the transport device 4.

[0036] The stacker wheel 3 has several stacker pockets 6 distributed over the circumference of the stacker wheel 3, which can receive value documents 2. By the rotation of the stacker wheel 3, the received value documents 2 are pressed out from the stacker pockets 6 by a stripper element 7 and dispensed to the transport device 4. In doing so, the stacker wheel 3 has a dispensing rate which depends on the stacker wheel's 3 rotation speed controlled by the control device 23.

[0037] The value documents 2 dispensed by the stacker wheel 3 are received by the transport device 4. The transport device 4 has a first transport element 8, for example a first transport belt, which is preferably driven by a drive unit (not shown). The control device 23 is preferably arranged to control the drive unit in such a way that the first transport element 8 transports value documents 2 at a first speed.

[0038] The dispensing rate of the stacker wheel 3 and a transport speed of the transport device 4, in particular the first speed of the first transport element 8, are mutually coordinated or controlled by the control unit 23 in such a way that the transport device 4 transports a received value document 2 a specified distance before the stacker wheel 3 dispenses a subsequent value document. Thus, a value document 2 subsequently dispensed by the stacker wheel 3 only partially covers the value document 2 received by the first transport element 8 and already transported further the specified distance, so that the two value documents lie on top of each other with a certain offset in the transport direction. This process is repeated for all further value documents received by the stacker wheel 3, thereby the value documents coming to lie on top of each other in a shingled manner and forming a shingle stream.

[0039] Occasionally, it may happen that a stacker pocket 6 of the stacker wheel 3 receives so-called multiple removals, i.e. a stack of two or more value documents 2 lying on top of each other substantially congruently, instead of a single value document 2, and dispenses them to the transport apparatus 4. In order to also shingle the value documents 2 of these multiple removals, the transport device 4 has a second transport element 10, which is preferably also configured as a transport belt and is arranged to transport value documents 2 at a second speed.

[0040] The second speed of the second transport element 10 is lower than the first speed of the first transport element 8, so that a value document 2 on a first side of the stack lying on the first transport element 8 is transported faster than a value document 2 on a second side of the stack opposite the first side, which is in frictional connection with the second transport element 10. Thus, a speed gradient is formed within the stack, the speed of the transported value documents 2 of the stack decreasing from the first side of the stack toward the second side of the stack.

[0041] When leaving the region between the first and the second transport element 8, 10, in which the value documents 2 have travelled a defined distance, the single value documents 2 of the stack thus come to lie offset, i.e. in a shingled manner, on top of each other.

[0042] Alternatively, the second speed of the second transport element 10 can be equal to the first speed of the first transport element 8. The longer path to be travelled at the outer pathway at the second transport element 10, compared with the shorter path to be travelled on the inner pathway at the first transport element 8, also results in a shingling.

[0043] Alternatively or additionally, an inner guide element 12 and an outer guide element 13 are disposed opposite each other. The inner and the outer guide element 12, 13 is arranged to guide value documents 2, which are transported by the first transport element 8 and/or the second transport element 10, along a specified, in particular curved, shorter inner or longer outer transport way to the storage device 5. This results in a shift between a value document 2 on the first side of the stack and a value document 2 disposed on the second side of the stack. Thus, also multiple removals are reliably shingled.

[0044] The value documents 2 lying on top of each other in a shingled manner, which leave the region between the first and the second transport element 8, 10 and/or the region between the inner and the outer guide element 12, 13, are fed to the storage device 5 through an opening 15 in the housing 16 of the storage device 5.

[0045] The storage device 5 has a first supply spool 19 and a second supply spool 17 in the interior of the housing 16, onto which a first storage foil 20 or a second storage foil 18 is wound or can be wound.

[0046] In the region of the opening 15 of the housing 16 a feeding unit 21 is arranged which has two deflection rollers 9, which deflect the first and the second storage foil 20, 18 in such a way that the incoming value documents 2 lying on top of each other in a shingled manner come to lie between the first and the second storage foil 20, 18 and, together with the first and the second storage foil 20, 18, are deflected in the direction of a storage spool 22.

[0047] The first and the second storage foil 20, 18 with the value documents 2 lying therebetween are wound onto the storage spool 22 upon a corresponding rotation of the storage spool 22 which is effected for example by a drive apparatus (not shown). The arrangement of the value documents 2 in a shingled manner between the first and the second storage foil 20, 18 results in a substantially uniform, in particular round, winding with stored value documents 2.

[0048] Preferably, the control device 23 is arranged to also control the drive apparatus which sets the storage spool 22 into rotation. This allows the transport of value documents 2 by means of the transport device 4 to be coordinated with the reception of the value documents 2 by the storage device 5.

[0049] Alternatively to the above-described storage device 5 with a first storage foil 20 and a second storage foil 18, a storage device with only one storage foil 20 can also be used. The value documents to be stored are then pressed directly against the storage spool 22 and wound up by means of the one storage foil 20.

[0050] Further alternatives to the configuration of the storage device 5 may provide that several adjoining storage foils are used. The adjoining storage foils can pressas described abovethe value documents directly against the storage spool 22 and wind them onto it, or there is respectively provided a second storage foil in order to respectively wind the value documents between the first and the second storage foil of the adjoining storage foils, as described above.

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment example of an apparatus 1 for storing value documents 2, in particular bank notes, having a stacker wheel 3, a transport device 4, a storage device 5 and a control device 23 for controlling the stacker wheel 3 and the transport device 4. For reasons of clarity, the stripper element (see FIG. 1) of the stacker wheel 3 is not shown.

[0052] The transport device 4 here has a first and a second transport element 8, 10, the second transport element 10 being configured as a paddle wheel.

[0053] A stack of value documents 8 lying with a first side against the first transport element 8 is transported at a first speed by the first transport element 8. A value document 2 of a second side of the stack opposite the first side comes into contact with a flexible paddle 11 of the paddle wheel 10 which rotates at a second speed. This creates a speed gradient in the stack of value documents 2, the speed of value documents 2 of the stack decreasing from the first side of the stack toward the second side of the stack, so that the value documents 2 of the stack finally come to lie on top of each other in a shingled manner.

[0054] Otherwise, the above explanations for FIG. 1 apply accordingly to FIG. 2.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment example of a value-document processing system 100 for processing, in particular for counting, sorting and/or checking, value documents 2, having an apparatus 1 for storing value documents 2 and a post-processing apparatus 25 for post-processing, in particular checking, value documents 2, which is indicated only very schematically.

[0056] Value documents 2 to be processed are transported in a first orientation (see surface normal 28 and leading first edge 27) with the aid of a transport device 26 of the value-document processing system 100.

[0057] During the transport by the transport device 26, the value documents 2 pass a sensor apparatus 29 which captures the value documents 2 singly. On the basis of the sensor data generated by the sensor apparatus 29, the value documents are checked, for example with regard to authenticity and state (so-called fitness). Depending on the result of the check, the value documents are transported further and/or output via gates.

[0058] For example, a gate 30 can be controlled such that certain value documents 2, which upon the check are not recognised and/or classified as not authentic and/or unfit, are fed via the gate 30 to the apparatus 1 for storing value documents 2, whereas other value documents 2 pass the gate 30 in the direction indicated by arrow 31 and are fed to further processing and/or output.

[0059] A stacker wheel 3 of the apparatus 1 receives the corresponding value documents 2 at a receiving point 32 in the stacker pockets 6 and dispenses them to a transport device 4. The value documents 2 received by the transport device 4 still have the first orientation, as is apparent from the alignment of the edge 27 and the surface normal 28.

[0060] The value documents 2 come to lie on top of each other in a shingled manner in the transport device 4 and are fed to a storage device 5 in the form of a shingle stream. In this context, the above explanations regarding the FIGS. 1 and 2 apply accordingly.

[0061] Here, the leading edge 27 of the value documents 2 passes first through an opening 15 of a housing 16 of the storage device 5. The surface normal 8 of the value documents 2 disposed between a first and a second storage foil 20, 18 and wound on the storage spool 22 point radially outwards in the case shown. Alternatively, the alignment of the value documents 2 may also be changed, for example by disposing the opening 15 at a different place of the housing 16 of the storage device 5, such that in the stored state the surface normals 28 of the value documents 2 point radially inwards.

[0062] The portably configured storage device 5 together with the stored value documents 2 can be transported to the post-processing apparatus 25, which is preferably spatially separated from the apparatus 1, and can be connected there. By rotating the first and the second supply spools 17, 19, onto which the first and second storage foil 20, 18, respectively, are then wound, the value documents 2 lying between the two storage foils 20, 18 and wound on the storage spool 22 are unwound from the storage spool 22 and released.

[0063] Here, the second edge of the value documents 2 opposite the originally leading first edge 27 exits the opening 15 first. Furthermore, the exiting value documents 2 are reversed with respect to the original orientation, i.e. the surface normal 28 which was originally oriented upwards now faces downwards. While the sensor apparatus 29 in the example shown captures a first side (e.g. the front side) of the value documents, the sensor device 34 of the post-processing apparatus 25 can capture the second side (e.g. the back side) of the value documents 2 opposing the first side.

[0064] FIG. 4 shows a storage device 5 received in a receiving device 35 of the post-processing apparatus 25 in a very schematic front view (FIG. 4A) and side view (FIG. 4B).

[0065] The storage device 5 has a cassette-like housing 16 with a handle 36 with the help of which the storage device 5 can be easily transported and inserted into the receiving device 35.

[0066] The receiving device 35 has a drive apparatus 37 which is coupled to the storage spool and/or the supply spools (see FIGS. 1 to 3) of the storage device 5 when the cassette-like housing 16 is inserted. In this way, for the removal of the value documents stored in the storage device 5, the storage spool or the supply spools can be set into rotation by the drive apparatus 37.

[0067] The post-processing apparatus 25 further has a picking unit 38 arranged to singly pick up single value documents 2 protruding from an opening of the housing 16 of the storage unit 5 and to feed these to the post-processing apparatus 25 for further processing. The picking and further transporting of the single value documents is possible in a particularly simple and reliable way, since the value documents 2 in the storage unit 5 are stored lying on top of each other in a shingled manner and therefore exit from the opening of the housing 16 also in a shingled manner when the storage spool is unwound, as schematically indicated in FIG. 4B.