DEVICE FOR THE OUTPUT OF NOTES OF VALUE WITH AN ADJUSTABLE GUIDE ELEMENT

Abstract

A device for the output of notes of value includes a stacking unit for stacking notes of value to a value note stack, an output compartment for the output of the value note stack to a user of the device, as well as a transport unit with a pushing plate for the transport of the value note stack from the stacking unit to the output compartment. A guide element, which serves for guiding the notes of value during the stacking of the notes of value by the stacking unit, is mounted on the pushing plate.

Claims

1. A device for output of notes of value, comprising: a stacking unit for stacking the notes of value removed from at least one value note receiving unit to a value note stack; an output compartment for the output of the value note stack; a pushing plate movable by a transport unit for transport of the value note stack from the stacking unit to the output compartment; and a guide element for guiding the notes of value during the stacking by the stacking unit; where the guide element is mounted on the pushing plate.

2. The device according to claim 1, where the stacking unit is designed such that it feeds the notes of value to be stacked during a stacking operation against the guide element.

3. The device according to claim 1, where the device further comprises a control unit for controlling the transport unit, and that the control unit controls the transport unit such that the transport unit moves the pushing plate to different predetermined positions dependent on currency, denomination and/or size of the notes of value to be stacked.

4. The device according to claim 3, where the control unit controls the transport unit such that, prior to a stacking operation, the transport unit moves the pushing plate to a position predetermined for the stacking operation dependent on the currency, the denomination and/or the size of the notes of value to be stacked.

5. The device according to claim 3, where the control unit controls the transport unit such that the transport unit varies a position of the pushing plate during a stacking operation dependent on the currency, the denomination and/or the size of the notes of value to be stacked.

6. The device according to claim 3, where for several currencies, denominations, and/or sizes of notes of value and/or for combinations of these parameters, the respective predetermined position in which the pushing plate is to be arranged during the stacking of notes of value of the corresponding currency, denomination and/or sizes or combinations is stored in the control unit in a clearly assigned manner, that the control unit reads out the corresponding position dependent on the currencies, the denominations and/or the sizes of the notes of value to be stacked, and that the control unit controls the transport unit such that it moves the pushing plate into the position.

7. The device according to claim 6, where when the value note stack to be formed includes notes of value of different currencies, denominations and/or sizes, the control unit selects the position of the positions predetermined for the different currencies, denominations and/or sizes for which a distance between the pushing plate and a feeding unit for feeding the notes of value to the stacking unit is largest.

8. The device according to claim 1, where the guide element is articulated to the pushing plate.

9. The device according to claim 1, where the guide element is mounted on the pushing plate such that it is movable between a first position and a second position in which it is rotated relative to the first position relative to the pushing plate by a predetermined angle.

10. The device according to claim 9, where the predetermined angle is between 60 and 100.

11. The device according to claim 9, where the guide element rests against the pushing plate in the second position.

12. The device according to claim 9, where the guide element is arranged in the first position when the pushing plate is arranged in a position in which the pushing plate is arranged during the stacking of the notes of value.

13. The device according to claim 9, where the guide element is biased in the first position.

14. The device according to claim 13, where the device is designed such that the guide element is moved by contact to other elements of the device opposite to the biasing from the first into the second position when the transport unit moves the pushing plate from the stacking unit to the output compartment.

15. The device according to claim 1, where the guide element is shaped in form of a finger.

16. The device according to claim 10, where the predetermined angle is between 80 and 90.

17. The device according to claim 13, where the guide element is biased in the first position by a spring.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 in a schematic, highly simplified, illustration of an automated teller machine.

[0034] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a detail of the head module of the automated teller machine of FIG. 1.

[0035] FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of the head module of the automated teller machine of FIG. 1.

[0036] FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a detail of the automated teller machine of FIG. 1 with a pushing plate arranged in a first position.

[0037] FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the detail of the automated teller machine of FIG. 4, with the pushing plate arranged in a second position.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective illustration of a guide element and a mounting unit for mounting the guide element on the pushing plate, with the guide element arranged in a first position of the automated teller machine of FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the guide element and the mounting element of FIG. 6.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a schematic, perspective illustration of the mounting element and of the guide element of FIGS. 6 and 7 with the guide element arranged in a second position.

[0041] FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a detail of the automated teller machine of FIGS. 1-5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a device, shown as an automated teller machine 10, for the output of notes of value. The automated teller machine includes a head module identified with 12 as well as a safe module identified with 14, where four receiving areas 16, in each of which a cash box 18 is receivable, are provided in the safe module 14. To each receiving area 16 one pull-off and separating module 20 is assigned, by which the notes of value received in the cash boxes 18 can be removed therefrom.

[0043] The removed notes of value are transported by a first transport unit 22 into the head module 12 and to a stacking unit 26, by which they are stacked to a value note stack, where the value note wad formed in this way is then transported by a second transport unit 24 to an output compartment 28, via which the value note wad is output to a user of the automated teller machine 10.

[0044] Further, the automated teller machine 10 has a reject and retract box 30 divided into two receiving areas 32, 34 for receiving rejected and/or not removed notes of value.

[0045] With reference to FIG. 2, the notes of value removed from the cash boxes 18 are transported by belts 36 to 38 guided over rollers to the stacking unit 26. The belts 36 to 40 are guided over rollers 42.

[0046] The notes of value, which are to be transported to the stacking unit 26, are deflected from the transport path by a switch 58 and, as illustrated by the arrow 56, are fed to a stacking area of the stacking unit 26. The notes of value to be fed are guided by a vane wheel 64.

[0047] The stacking unit 26 has a support element 66 on which the notes of value are stacked on top of each other to a value note stack. The support element 66 is arranged pivotably so that the value note stack 68, after the support element 66 has been pivoted upwards, can be transported by the second transport unit 24 to the output compartment.

[0048] The second transport unit 24 has a pushing plate 80 as well as belts 72, 74 guided over rollers 76. During the transport, the pushing plate 80 presses against the value note stack 68 so that it is transported in the direction of the output compartment. In particular, a drive unit 78, such as a motor, is provided for driving the transport unit.

[0049] With reference to FIG. 3, above the stacking unit 26, the second transport unit 24 including the pushing plate 80 is arranged. On the underside of the pushing plate 80, i.e. on the side which faces the stacking unit 26, a guide element 100 is arranged, which is designed in the form of a guide finger.

[0050] The guide element 100 is thus moved together with the pushing plate 80 and can thus be arranged in different positions relative to the stacking unit 26, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0051] The position into which the pushing plate 80 and thus also the guide element 100 is moved during the stacking of notes of value to a stack, i.e. during the stacking operation, is defined dependent on the size of the notes of value to be stacked. The larger the largest note of value to be stacked in a stacking operation, the larger the distance in which the guide element 100 is arranged relative to the feeding side 90 from which the notes of value are fed to the stacking unit 26 is chosen. When feeding the notes of value, these are fed against the guide element 100 so that, by the additional guidance via the guide element 100, an orderly deposit of the notes of value on the support element 66 or on top of one another is accomplished and a shifting of the notes of value both in lateral direction and in feed direction is prevented or at least reduced and thus a properly aligned value note stack is formed.

[0052] By mounting the guide element 100 on the pushing plate 80 it is achieved that for adjusting the guide element 100 neither a manual intervention is required nor an own separate adjusting unit has to be provided, but all can be accomplished by units already provided in the head module 12 anyway. Thus, an aligned value note stack can be obtained independent of the size of the notes of value, which size results dependent on the denomination and/or currency, and this stack can then be transported without any problems to the output compartment and can be output to the user.

[0053] A control unit 79, as best shown in FIG. 2, is provided, by which the second transport unit 24 and thus the pushing plate 80 are controlled. In this control unit 79, for different sizes, currencies and denominations and the resulting combinations, the respective position in which the guide element 80 should be arranged for an optimum guidance for stacking corresponding notes of value is stored. These positions may be calculated in advance and/or determined by experiment.

[0054] Prior to a stacking operation, the control unit 79 selects the assigned position dependent on the currency, denomination, and/or size of the notes of value to be stacked during this stacking operation, and moves the pushing plate 80 into this position.

[0055] As best shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the guide element 100 as well as a mounting unit 102 via which the guide element 100 is mounted on the underside of the pushing plate 80.

[0056] As best shown in FIG. 7, the guide element 100 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 106 so that it is articulated to the pushing plate 80. The guide element 100 is biased by a torsion spring 104 in a first position shown in FIG. 6. As an alternative to a torsion spring 104, also other elastic elements can be used for biasing.

[0057] In the first position, shown in FIG. 6, the guide element 100 is arranged such that it projects from the mounting unit 102 and thus also from the pushing plate 80, at an angle of about 90. Thus, in this first position, the guide element 100 projects into the stacking area, provided that the pushing plate 80 is arranged in the area of the stacking unit 26, and can thus guide the notes of value to be stacked during the stacking operation.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 8, the guide element 100 can be rotated relative to the mounting unit 102 and thus relative to the pushing plate 80 from the first position, shown in FIG. 6, into the second position, shown in FIG. 8, against the restoring force of the torsion spring 104. This is preferred since upon moving the pushing plate 80 from the stacking unit 26 in the direction of the output compartment 28 not as much installation space has to be left free as might be required if the guide element 100 were arranged immovably on the pushing plate 80. The articulation makes it possible that, as shown in FIG. 9, the guide element 100 may be deflected upon contact with other component parts 92 of the automated teller machine 10. Thus, in the illustrated example, no more installation space is required than would be necessary if using a pushing plate 80 without the guide element 100.

[0059] By the biasing by the torsion spring 104 it is further achieved that the guide element 100 automatically reassumes the first position required for stacking when it is no longer in contact with the other components parts 92, which is the case when the pushing plate 80 has been moved back into the area of the stacking unit 26. Thus, for deflecting the guide element 100 during the transport of the notes of value by the pushing plate 80 no extra adjusting units necessarily have to be provided.

[0060] While principles and modes of operation have been explained and illustrated with regard to particular embodiments, it must be understood, however, that this may be practiced otherwise than as specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope.