Abstract:
A cassette for receiving and storing banknotes advantageously uses a movable guide in combination with a movable actuator which each move toward the other for stripping of a banknote received in the guide and adding the stripped banknote to a stack of banknotes.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to cassettes for receiving and stacking of banknotes. In particular, the invention relates to cassettes with improved stacking capability. 
     Existing cassettes for banknote accepting devices such as currency validators or vending devices, include a mechanism for initially receiving a banknote in a guide with a movable actuator positioned between the guides for displacing the banknote laterally to add it to a stack of banknotes adjacent one side of the guides. Typically, this actuator moves the stack of banknotes a sufficient distance for the best banknote to clear the guides. The guides are stationary and aligned with a receiving slot of the cassette. A helical spring bias the banknote in one direction and the movement of the actuator also causes a compression of the spring. 
     Cassettes of this type require considerable interior space for accommodating movement of the actuator through the stationary guides for stripping of the last received banknote. Furthermore, the actuator must have sufficient power for displacing the stack of banknotes and the spring when a banknote is added to the stack. In many cases, the maximum capacity of the cassette determines the frequency that the cassettes have to be removed and large capacity cassettes are normally desired. On the other hand, space is often at a premium and there is a trade-off between the size of the cassette and the space that is available. Larger capacity cassettes have also required higher power for the actuator as the size of the stack of banknotes which is displaced is also larger. 
     The present invention provides a structure which more efficiently makes use of the interior volume of the cassette. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A cassette for receiving banknotes according to the present invention comprises a housing having a slot for longitudinally receiving banknotes between two opposed guides, such that the guides engage opposite sides of a received banknote. A storage arrangement is located to one side of the guides and an actuator is located at the opposite side of the guides. The actuator cooperates with the guides for engaging a banknote received in the guides and moves the received banknote into the storage arrangement. A drive arrangement is connected to the actuator and the guides for causing the guides and the actuator to move a banknote into the storage arrangement by moving the actuator through the guides in one direction as the guides are moved in the opposite direction past the actuator. 
     According a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive arrangement includes a rotary cam which controls movement of both the guides and the actuator. 
     According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the actuator is a platform member which in a banknote receipt position closes one side of the guides and acts as a flat support for a received banknote. 
     According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the drive arrangement moves the guides in a direction away from the storage arrangement while moving the actuator towards the storage arrangement. 
     According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the storage arrangement includes a spring unit for providing a spring force urging receiving banknotes maintained in a stack against the stop and allowing movement of such stack of received banknotes to accommodate a new banknote to said stack once the actuator moves through such guides. 
     According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the stop for the banknote is defined by the guides and is movable with the guides. 
     The banknote cassette, according to the present invention, comprises a housing defining an enclosure having a slot opening wall thereof through which a banknote can be longitudinally inserted into the cassette. A banknote receiving arrangement is associated with the slot opening and comprises opposed guides in an initial position for engaging the sides of received banknote and a support member in an initial position located between and to one side of said guides. A banknote storage arrangement is located to the side of the guides opposite the initial position of the support member and receives banknotes removed from the guides. A drive arrangement is provided for moving the guides towards the initial position of the support member and for moving of the support member towards the initial position of said guides to remove a received banknote from said guides and to locate the received banknote in the storage area and thereafter return the guides and the support member back to the initial positions. 
     According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the cassette includes a rotating cam member which controls movement of both the support member and the guides during movement from and return to the initial position. 
     According to yet a further aspect of the invention, the guides members and the support member each have their own linkage with a cam follow arrangement attached to said cam member with said linkages maintaining said guides and said support arrangement in a generally parallel relationship during movement of the support member through the guides. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view through the cassette; 
     FIG. 2 is a simplified view showing the guides and the support arrangement in an initial position for receipt of a banknote; 
     FIG. 3 shows initial movement of the support arrangement through the guides to start to remove a banknote from the guides; 
     FIG. 4 shows the relative movement of the support arrangement and the guides freeing the edges of a banknote from the guides; 
     FIG. 5 shows the guides returning to the initial position; 
     FIG. 6 shows movement of the support arrangement to the initial position such that the support arrangement and the guides are now positioned for receipt of a banknote; 
     FIG. 7 is a side view showing a cam actuator cooperating with a scissor linkage used to control the guides; 
     FIG. 8 is a view of the cam drive arrangement as cooperation with a linkage is used to control the support arrangement; 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 with the support arrangement moved to an end position adding the banknote to a stack of banknotes; and 
     FIG. 10 is a simplified perspective view. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The cassette  2  shown in FIG. 1 has a housing  4  with a slot opening  6  for allowing banknotes to enter the cassette. Associated with this slot opening  6  is an idler wheel  8  and a drive wheel  10  which cooperate to engage a banknote and drive it into a banknote slot  12  defined between opposed “U-shaped” guides  26  and  27 . Drive wheel  10  and idler wheel  8  are located at the slot opening  6  and drive a received banknote into the guides  26  and  27  without belts. 
     The cassette to one side of the guides  26  and  27  has a banknote storage area  14  with a stack of banknotes generally shown as  13 . A plate  16  is attached to the springs  17  and  18  and generally bias the stack of banknotes  13  against one side of the guide members  26  and  27 . A moveable support  30  is located between the opposed guides  26  and  27 , and cooperates with the guides to strip a received banknote from the guide members and add it to the stack  13  banknotes. 
     Movement of the guides  26  and  27  and the support arrangement  30  to cause a banknote to be stripped from the guides is controlled by the rotary cam  20  having an axis of rotation. The rotary cam  20  is secured in the cassette and the cam has continuous two tracks, one for engaging cam follower  22  for causing movement of the guides in a direction generally along the axis of rotation and the second t rack for cam follower  24  attached to the support  30  for moving support  30  in a direction generally along the axis of rotation. This cam allows opposite relative movement of the guides and the support for a superior stripping action. 
     The FIGS. 2,  3 ,  4 ,  5  and  6 , show the movement imparted to the guides in the support arrangement for stripping of the banknote. In FIG. 2, the guides  26  and  27  are aligned with the opening slot and have received the banknote  40 . The guides  26  and  27  are oversized for receiving banknotes of differing widths. In this case, the depth of the “U-shaped” guides is sufficient for receiving the largest banknote centered in the slot as well as the smallest width banknote centered in the slot. The movable support  30  in FIG. 2 is located to one side of the banknote slot  12  and is positioned intermediary the guides  26  and  27 . The guides are in contact with the movable stop  31  controlled by link arm  35 . The stop  31  moves to a clear position when link arm  35  pivots, allowing the guides to move past the stop  31 . 
     In FIG. 3, the rotary cam has now caused the support arrangement  30  to move towards the stack of banknotes  13 . In this position, the support now forms a stop for the stack of banknotes and the received banknotes are now in contact with the stack. 
     FIG. 4 shows how the guides  26  and  27  are moved by the cam  20  in a direction away from the stack of banknotes  13  and the received banknote is stripped from the guides. In this way, both the support  30  and the guides  26  and  27  move relative to one another and reduce the amount of space required to strip a banknote  40  from the guides  26  and  27 . Furthermore, there is very little displacement of the stack of banknotes to add a banknote to the stack, such that the energy requirements for the stacking operation is reduced and essentially constant, regardless of the size of the stack of banknotes. As shown, the stacked banknotes, during the addition of a received banknote, undergo little displacement and are generally stationary. 
     The movement of guides  26  and  27  and the support  30  are controlled by the cam. In the embodiment shown, support  30  moves first and guides  26  and  27  move thereafter. Other arrangements are possible to achieve the relative movement therebetween. 
     FIG. 5 shows how the guides have now been brought back to an initial position and the “U-shaped” stops  37  engage the banknote which has now been stripped from the guides. 
     FIG. 6 shows how the support member  30  is now moved back to the opposite side of the guides in preparation for receiving of a banknote. The banknote slot  12  is now aligned with the slot  6  in the housing and is in a position for receiving a further banknote. 
     With the arrangement as described in FIGS. 2 through 6, improved space efficiency is accomplished as the guides move into the space formally occupied essentially by the support  30  and the support  30  moves through the guides to strip a banknote from the guides. The space generally shown as A in FIG. 4, is the maximum amount of space required in the cassette for the relative movements of the guides and support member. This space is less than the space required if the support member was designed to only move relative to fixed guides  26  and  27  which would also require a large shift in the stack of banknotes. 
     FIG. 7 shows details of the rotary cam  20 . The rotary cam is engageable with a motor drive  50  shown in FIG.  1  and causes the cam followers  22  and  24  to impart the desired action to the guides  26  and  27  and the support  30 . The motor  50  is part of the device which receives a banknote cassette. FIG. 7 shows the scissor-type arrangement used to move the guides  26  and  27  in the manner described in FIGS. 2 through 6. The cam follower  22  moves within the cam channel  23  and imparts the desired action to the scissor-type linkage arrangement generally shown as  25 . The motor shaft  51  drives the rotary cam. 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate the movement of the support member  30  from the banknote receipt position of FIG. 8 to the extended position for stripping of a banknote from the guides shown in FIG.  9 . The support member  30  is spring biased to provide a force maintaining the cam follower  24  in contact with the cam surface  29  at the end of cam member  20 . 
     For a better understanding of the working of the components, the guides  26  and  27  are not shown but would be attached to plate  39 . Plate  39  to the right hand side of FIG. 10 has been cut away to show the linkage  25 . 
     The cam  20  has cam followers  22  and  24  located 180° apart relative to the cam and as such cam surface  25  and cam track  23  have a similar profile. The 180° phase difference causes the opposite desired movement. With this arrangement, the size of the cam can be kept smaller. The cam also allows considerate flexibility in importing the desired drive action for the linkages and the timing of these actions including accordation of the linkages. The single cam is driven in a single direction by motor  50  and is cost effective, as well as highly reliable. 
     With this arrangement, movement of the support  30  in one direction and movement of the guides  26  and  27  in the opposite direction provides more efficient use of the space within the cassette and it also serves to reduce the force necessary to effectively strip a banknote from the guide arrangement. As can be appreciated in the present structure, the guides move away from the stacked banknotes and thus, the extent that the support member has to move and displace the stacked banknotes is reduced and the distance that the stacked banknotes moves, is reduced to approximately the thickness of a banknote. In this way, there is more room in the cassette for storing of banknotes as the amount of space for moving the stack to add a banknote is almost negligible. 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating the action of the rotary cam controlling support  30  and the guides  26  and  27 . Support  30  is shown as a transparent component to illustrate the components therebelow. 
     Although various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in detail, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.