Abstract:
A cash drawer with an ergonomic design. In an example embodiment, the cash drawer includes a housing having an operator side, and a drawer assembly moveable from a closed position in the housing to an open position. The drawer assembly includes a drawer, a first tray in the drawer for storing bank notes, and a second tray in the first tray for storing coins. The cash drawer additional stores a removable lid with a handle. The lid includes a first side for enclosing the first tray and a second side for enclosing the second tray, thus forming a suitcase for transporting the bank notes and coins.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    This present invention relates to point-of-sale peripherals and more specifically to a cash drawer. 
         [0002]    Conventional cash drawers include a till containing compartments for storing different denominations of bank notes and coins. The till is typically removable. Tills may be removed for counting and reconciliation, for example, during employee shift changes. 
         [0003]    Current cash drawers are not sufficiently ergonomic for all environments. Conventional cash drawer length often requires cashiers to step back when the drawer is fully opened. The bank note compartments are defined by front walls which are square to the bottom surface of the till, making removal of bills difficult. Also, conventional cash drawer tills require a separate lockable lid to be affixed to the tills when removed. 
         [0004]    Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved cash drawer. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, a cash drawer is provided. 
         [0006]    In an example embodiment, the cash drawer includes a housing having an operator side, and a drawer assembly moveable from a closed position in the housing to an open position. The drawer assembly includes a drawer, a first tray in the drawer for storing bank notes, and a second tray in the first tray for storing coins. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The present invention may take form in various components and arrangement of components and in various methods. The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating example embodiments and alternatives and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example cash drawer. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a view of the cash drawer of  FIG. 1  in an open position. 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is another view of the cash drawer of  FIG. 1  in an open position. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  another view of the cash drawer of  FIG. 1  in an open position and with a lid extracted. 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the lid. 
           [0013]      FIGS. 6-11  illustrate assembly of a suitcase from cash drawer components. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    Beginning with  FIGS. 1-3 , an example cash drawer  10  is a peripheral which connects to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal  12 . Cash drawer  10  and POS terminal  12  include communication circuitry, such as Universal Serial Bus (USB) circuitry for communicating with each other over a cable. POS terminal  12  or its display may be positioned on top of cash drawer  10 . 
         [0015]    Cash drawer  10  includes housing  20  and drawer assembly  30 . With reference to  FIG. 1 , cash drawer assembly  30  is illustrated in a closed position within housing  20 . 
         [0016]    Example housing  20  includes generally coplanar top and bottom walls  21  and  22 . Top wall has a slightly arcuate front end  23  and bottom wall has a slightly arcuate front end  24  which is recessed with respect to front end  23 . The rear portions of top and bottom walls  21  and  22  are generally rounded in shape. A generally arcuate wall  25  links top and bottom walls  21  and  22  and extends around housing  20  from a front end  26  on one side to a front end  27  on the opposite side. The example housing  20  is shorter than the housing of a conventional cash drawer. Other example configurations are also envisioned. 
         [0017]    With reference to  FIGS. 2-6 , drawer assembly  30  is in an open position. Drawer assembly  30  retracts from aperture  28  in housing  20 . Drawer assembly  30  includes drawer  40  and till  50 . Drawer  40  includes generally planar side walls  44 , back wall  46 , and bottom wall  48 . Drawer  40  further includes front wall  49  containing media slot  41 , which is substantially flush with front edge  52  of housing  20  when drawer  40  is in a closed position. Example front edge  52  and corresponding front wall  49  may be generally planar or, as illustrated, have a slightly arcuate shape from front end  26  to front end  27 . Front wall  49  is slightly angled towards an operator, as opposed to being vertical, for easier access to bills. 
         [0018]    Till  50  includes a first tray  60  for storing bank notes and a second tray  70  for storing coins. Tray  60  includes generally planar front, rear, side, and bottom outer walls  61 - 65 . Rear and side walls  63 - 64  are arranged generally perpendicular to bottom wall  65  ( FIG. 6 ). Bottom wall  65  is sloped at a downward angle from front wall  61  and couples to bottom wall  65 . Bottom wall  65  may alternatively have an arcuate slope. Regardless, the downward slope of bottom wall  65  puts bank notes closer to an operator to facilitate easier removal of the bank notes, compared to conventional tills, particularly when reaching near the bottom of tray  60 . 
         [0019]    Tray  60  further includes interior walls  67  which define compartments  68  having widths about equal to the widths of bank notes stored within tray  60 . Compartments  68  may be used to separately store different denominations of bank notes. Interior walls  67  also help properly align second tray  70  on first tray  60  ( FIG. 6 ). 
         [0020]    Tray  70  sits above tray  60 , instead of behind tray  60 . This facilitates a shorter drawer  40  than conventional cash drawers. 
         [0021]    Tray  70  includes generally planar front, rear, side, and bottom outer walls  71 - 75 . Side outer walls  73 - 74  include recesses  78 . 
         [0022]    Tray  70  further includes interior walls  76  which define compartments  77  having widths about equal to the widths of compartments  68 , though other widths and numbers of compartments  77  are also envisioned. Compartments  77  may be used to separately store different denominations of coins. Interior walls  76  include recesses  79 . 
         [0023]    Front wall  71  is shorter than rear wall  72 , thus the top edges of outer side walls  73  and  74  and interior walls  76  are upwardly inclined towards rear wall  72 . Front wall  71  is also downwardly sloped away. Front wall  71  may have an arcuate slope. The smaller height and downward slope of front wall  71  result in apertures in the second tray that are inclined towards an operator, thus putting coins closer to the operator to facilitate easier removal of the coins, compared to conventional tills. 
         [0024]    Housing  20  also stores lid  80 . This reduces the chance of losing or misplacing lid  80 . Lid  80  is illustrated in a stored position above drawer  40  on opposite shelves  83  and  84  in housing  20 . 
         [0025]    Lid  80  includes generally planar member  82  and handle  84 . 
         [0026]    Generally planar member  82  has a length and width similar to the length and width of drawer assembly  30 . Generally planar member  82  includes latch members  86  that engage corresponding apertures  90  in tray portion  60  during transport as a suitcase ( FIG. 8 ). Generally planar member  82  further includes latch members  92  ( FIG. 6 ) which engage detents  78  and latch members  94  which engage detents  79  ( FIG. 6 ) during assembly as a suitcase. 
         [0027]    Lid  80  further includes edge member  96  which abuts tray portion  70  during assembly as a suitcase ( FIG. 7 ) and left and right edge members  98  which abut side walls  63  and  64  of tray portion  60  during assembly as a suitcase ( FIG. 9 ). 
         [0028]    Handle  84  attaches to generally planar member  82  with a rivet  87  or other fastener. Rivet  87  is located with a linear slot  88 , which facilitates movement of handle  84  from a retracted position to an extended recessed position for use and back again for storage ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ). Lid  80  may be retracted from housing  20  by pulling on handle  84 . 
         [0029]    With reference to  FIG. 6-11 , assembly of a cash “suitcase” is illustrated. In  FIG. 6 , till  50  is removed from drawer  40  and lid  80  is removed from housing  20 . An operator removes lid using handle  84  and latch members  92 - 94  facing till  50 . Latch members  92 - 94  hold tray portion  60  firmly to reduce warp/gap that may otherwise cause coins to slip out. Lid  80  is stored such that it can directly latch onto tray  70  without being flipped around. 
         [0030]    In  FIG. 7 , lid  80  is attached to tray  70  by inserting latching members  92  into detents  78  and latch members  94  into detents  79 . 
         [0031]    In  FIG. 8 , lid  80  with tray  70  attached is flipped so that handle  84  and tray  70  facing away from tray  60 . Latching members  86  engage corresponding apertures  90  in tray  60 . 
         [0032]    In  FIG. 9 , lid  80  is closed on tray  60 . 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 10 , handle  84  is extended from a retracted position to an extended recessed position for use. 
         [0034]    In  FIG. 11 , the combination of till  50  and lid  80  are positioned to be carried like a suitcase. 
         [0035]    Cash drawer  10  is more ergonomic than conventional cash drawers. Drawer  40  is shorter to no longer require a cashier to step back when the drawer  40  is in an open position. The downward slope of bottom wall  65  puts bank notes closer to an operator to facilitate easier removal of the bank notes. Front wall  49  of drawer assembly  30  is slightly angled towards an operator for easier access to bills. Finally, lid  80  is integrated into housing  20  to avoid misplacing it. Till  50  and lid  80  are easily combined to form a suitcase for ease of transport. 
         [0036]    Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.