Abstract:
The media cassette for a media dispenser includes a cassette body including a storage space in which media are filled. A media discharging opening is provided at a side thereof. A discharging door is movable along one surface of the cassette body and driven by means of a driving source provided at a main body of the media dispenser for opening and closing the media discharging opening. Supporting rods are connected to the door. A locking mechanism for selectively blocking ends of the supporting rods is provide in the cassette body and selectively locks/unlocks the door in accordance with an electrical signal transmitted from the main body of the media dispenser. The door cannot be manually unlocked from outside of the media cassette.

Description:
[0001]     The present application claims, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. P03-101535 filed Dec. 31, 2003, the entire contents of which are herein fully incorporated by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a media cassette for a media dispenser. More particularly, the present invention relates to an open/close device for a media cassette, detachably installed in the media dispenser, wherein a structure for locking a door is included in the media cassette.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic configuration of a related art media dispenser  1 . Referring to this figure, a media cassette  3  is installed at a lower rear end of a media dispenser  1 . The media cassette  3  is filled with media that should be discharged. The media cassette  3  can be detached from the media dispenser  1  to fill media into the media cassette  3 .  
         [0006]     A media pickup part  5  is provided in the media dispenser. The media pickup part  5  separates the media filled in the media cassette  3  sheet by sheet. The media in the media cassette  3  are separated sheet by sheet and discharged to the outside.  
         [0007]     As illustrated in bold lines in  FIG. 1 , the media separated in and discharged from the media cassette  3  by means of the media pickup part  5  are sorted and transferred to a discharging part  11  and a reject box  13  through a feed module  7  and a delivery module  9 . The discharging part  11  supplies the media passed through the media cassette  3  to a user. The reject box  13  collects inferior media or the media supplied in a state where a plurality of media are fed together.  
         [0008]     However, the aforementioned related art has several problems.  
         [0009]     To fill the media cassette  3  with media, the media cassette  3  should be detached from the media dispenser  1  and then again mounted into the media dispenser  1 . Thus, to prevent the media from being stolen while the media cassette  3  is removed, after being detached from the media dispenser, a door of the media cassette  3  should be generally locked using an additional lock.  
         [0010]     However, there is a problem in that an operator obtains the media cassette  3  with its door inadvertently unlocked or a person other than the operator intentionally steals the media from the media cassette  3 .  
         [0011]     In particular, if a structure for locking the door of the media cassette  3  is installed at the outside of the media cassette  3 , there is another problem in that the media may be stolen by picking the lock without having the media cassette  3  broken.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     Accordingly, the present invention is conceived to solve one or more of the problems in the related art. An object of the present invention is to reduce the possibility of having media stolen during carrying a media cassette.  
         [0013]     Another object of the present invention is to allow a structure for locking a door of a discharging opening of a media cassette where the locking structure is invisible from the outside of the media cassette by installing the locking structure within the media cassette.  
         [0014]     A further object of the present invention is to allow a media cassette to be automatically fastened or attached to a media dispenser whenever a door of a discharging opening of the media cassette is opened and the media cassette is mounted in the media dispenser.  
         [0015]     According to the present invention, there is provided an open/close device of a media cassette for a media dispenser, comprising a cassette body including a space in which media are filled and a media discharging opening, at a side thereof, through which the media are discharged. A discharging door is movable along one surface of the cassette body and driven by means of a driving source provided at a main body of the media dispenser for opening and closing the media discharging opening. A supporting rod is connected to the discharging door to extend in a direction in which the discharging door is opened and closed. A locking mechanism selectively supports an end of the supporting rod in the cassette body and selectively locks/unlocks the discharging door, in accordance with an electrical signal transmitted from the main body of the media dispenser.  
         [0016]     Preferably, the direction in which the discharging door is opened and closed is perpendicular to a direction in which the supporting rod is moved, and the discharging door and the supporting rod are connected to each other by a connection chain.  
         [0017]     Preferably, at least two supporting rods, with lengths different from each other, are installed in parallel with each other.  
         [0018]     The locking mechanism may comprise a solenoid installed within the cassette body. A plunger can be moved into and out from the solenoid. A locking plate, which is connected to the plunger, is driven by the solenoid and includes stopper portions for selectively supporting the end of the supporting rod.  
         [0019]     The plunger may be inserted into the solenoid when the solenoid is powered, and the plunger may protrude from the solenoid, by means of an elastic force of an elastic member, when the power is shut off.  
         [0020]     Preferably, a rod guide channel along which the supporting rod is moved, and a stopper guide channel along which the stopper portions of the locking plate are moved, are formed in the cassette body by means of guide ribs to be perpendicular to each other.  
         [0021]     Preferably, the device of the present invention further comprises a door closing mechanism for allowing the discharging door to clearly close the media discharging opening.  
         [0022]     The door closing mechanism may comprise a closing rod connected to an end of the discharging door within the media cassette. An elastic member is connected to the closing rod at one end thereof and to the media cassette at the other end thereof. The elastic member imparts an elastic force in a direction in which the discharging door is closed.  
         [0023]     According to the open/close device of the media cassette for the media dispenser of the present invention, since the structure for locking the door that opens and closes the media discharging opening of the media cassette is installed within the media cassette, it cannot be easily unlocked from the outside. Therefore, the possibility of having the media within the media cassette stolen can be reduced. If the discharging door is opened when the media cassette is mounted to the media dispenser, the media cassette is automatically fastened to the media dispenser. Therefore, there is an advantage in that the media cassette cannot be freely detached from the media dispenser with the discharging door open. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0024]     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0025]      FIG. 1  is a sectional view showing the configuration of a related art media dispenser;  
         [0026]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the external appearance of a media cassette to which an embodiment of an open/close device according to the present invention is applied;  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing the internal configuration of the media cassette, according to the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  is a partial schematic side view showing the discharging door and opening unit of the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is a plan view of the locking mechanism of the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a locking plate according to the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b  are views showing a state where a discharging door is opened; and  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  is a plan view of the locking mechanism, according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0033]     Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of an open/close device of a media cassette for a media dispenser according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
         [0034]     As shown in the figures, an external appearance of a media cassette  20  is defined by a cassette body  22  in which a storage space  23  is formed. Media are supported and filled in a row within the storage space  23 . To this end, a structure for supporting and moving the media is provided in the storage space  23 . The storage space  23  is open toward the cassette body  22 , and the open storage space  23  is opened and closed by a cassette cover  24 . That is, an operation of filling the media in the storage space is performed in a state where the cassette cover  24  is opened.  
         [0035]     A media discharging opening  26  is formed at a side of the cassette body  22 . The media discharging opening  26  is a portion through which media are discharged when the media cassette  20  is mounted to the media dispenser. The media discharging opening  26  is formed at a front end of the cassette body  22 . The media discharging opening  26  is formed to have a width slightly greater than that of the media.  
         [0036]     The media discharging opening  26  is selectively opened and closed by means of a discharging door  28 . In this embodiment, the discharging door  28  is formed to take the shape of a generally rectangular plate. Both ends of the discharging door  28  are guided, along a guide structure formed on the cassette body  22 , to be lifted or lowered in a vertical direction.  
         [0037]     A hook protrusion  29  is formed at a side on a front surface of the discharging door  26 . The hook protrusion  29  is inserted into a protrusion insert portion  64  (see  FIG. 4 ) to be explained later, and receives power used to open and close the discharging door  28 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the hook protrusion  29  is formed with a locking hole  29 ′ on a lower side thereof.  
         [0038]     A connection chain  30  is provided at a lower end of the discharging door  28  to have a predetermined length. The connection chain  30  is composed of a plurality of rectangular plates that are pivotally hinged through pins to one another. The connection chain  30  is a structure for connecting the discharging door  28  and supporting rods  32  and  33 , to be explained later, in such a manner that they move perpendicularly to each other. Therefore, if the discharging door  28  and the supporting rods  32  and  33  can be connected to each other such that they can move perpendicularly to each other, it is not necessary to use the connection chain  30 .  
         [0039]     As shown in  FIG. 5 , the long and short supporting rods  32  and  33  are connected to the connection chain  30  at a side opposite to the discharging door  28 . The long and short supporting rods  32  and  33  are installed on a floor surface of the cassette body  22  to move linearly thereon. The long and short supporting rods  32  and  33  are formed to have different lengths from each other.  
         [0040]     To this end, guide ribs  35  are formed on the floor surface of the cassette body  22 . The guide ribs  35  may be integral with the floor surface, or separately formed and then attached to the floor surface of the cassette body  22 . Rod guide channels  36  within which the long and short supporting rods  32  and  33  can be moved are formed by the guide ribs  35 . The rod guide channels  36  are formed to correspond to the length of each relevant rod  32  or  33 .  
         [0041]     Stopper guide channels  37  along which first and second stopper portions  46  and  47  of a locking plate  45  (see  FIG. 6 ) move are also formed by the guide ribs  35 . The stopper guide channels  37  are formed perpendicular to the rod guide channels  36 . In addition, a plate seating portion  38  for guiding the movement of the locking plate  45  is formed by the guide ribs  35 .  
         [0042]     A solenoid  40  is installed on the floor surface of the cassette body  22  on which the guide ribs  35  are provided. The solenoid  40  is provided with a plunger  41  that can be moved toward and away from the solenoid  40 . The solenoid  40  is powered and operated when the media cassette  20  is mounted to the media dispenser. The plunger  41  of the solenoid  40  is supported on an elastic member (not shown) and protrudes outward from the solenoid when the solenoid is not powered.  
         [0043]     The configuration of the locking plate  45  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The locking plate  45  securely rests on the plate seating portion  38 , and can move vertically within the plate seating portion  38 , as viewed on  FIG. 5 . The first and second stopper portions  46  and  47 , that are seated into the stopper guide channels  37 , are formed at both ends of the locking plate  45 . The first and second stopper portions  46  and  47  are bent perpendicular at both ends of the locking plate  45 . Further, a connection portion  48  is formed adjacent to the first stopper portion  46 . The connection portion  48  is connected to the plunger  41  of the solenoid  40 .  
         [0044]     The first stopper portion  46  is securely seated into the stopper guide channel  37  corresponding to the long supporting rod  32  to selectively block an end of the long supporting rod  32 . Further, the second stopper portion  47  is securely seated into the stopper guide channel  37  corresponding to the short supporting rod  33  to selectively block an end of the short supporting rod  33 .  
         [0045]     As shown in  FIG. 4 , a driving motor  50 , for driving the discharging door  28  in the open and closed directions, is provided at a main body side of the media dispenser. A driving gear  52  is provided at a rotary shaft of the driving motor  50 , and a connection gear  54  is also provided to be engaged with the driving gear  52 . An opening rack unit  60  is provided to be engaged with the connection gear  54 . The opening rack unit  60  is formed with a rack gear  62  engaged with the connection gear  54 . The rack gear  62  is formed at an interval corresponding to an opening/closing stroke of the discharging door  28 . The opening rack unit  60  is moved in a vertical direction as viewed in  FIG. 4 . The movement of the opening rack unit  60  is guided by an additional structure (not shown).  
         [0046]     The opening rack unit  60  is formed with the insert portion  64  into which the hooking protrusion  29  formed on the discharging door  28  is inserted. The hooking protrusion  29  is inserted into the insert portion  64  so as to transmit a driving force from the driving motor  50  to the discharging door  28 .  
         [0047]     Further, a fastening hook  66  in which the hooking protrusion  29  of the discharging door  28  is caught is provided at the main body side of the media dispenser. The fastening hook  66  is provided at a position where it can be automatically inserted into the locking hole  29 ′ of the hooking protrusion  29  when the discharging door  28  is opened.  
         [0048]      FIG. 8  is a plan view showing the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the same elements as those in the previous embodiment are designated with the same reference numerals for the sake of convenience.  
         [0049]     Referring to  FIG. 8 , a structure is provide to automatically bias the discharging door  28  to close the discharging opening  26 . Closing rods  70  are provided such that an end thereof is connected to the discharging door  28 . The closing rods  70  are provided at both sides of the solenoid  40 . Of course, only a single closing rod  70  may be installed at one side of the solenoid  40 , but if desired two closing rods are preferably provided at both ends of the solenoid  40 , as illustrated, so as to ensure operating reliability.  
         [0050]     Each of the closing rods  70  has a tendency to move, by means of a closing spring  72 , in a direction in which the discharging door  28  moves to close the media discharging opening  26 . An end of the closing spring  72  is connected to a distal end of the closing rod  70 , and the other end of the closing spring  72  is connected to one side of the cassette body  22 . A coil spring may be used as the closing spring  72 .  
         [0051]     In this embodiment, first and second bosses  74  and  74 ′ are installed on the cassette body  22  at a predetermined interval. The first boss  74  is formed at a position relatively adjacent to the discharging door  28 , while the second boss  74 ′ is formed at a position far away from the first boss  74 . The bosses  74  and  74 ′ are spaced from each other in a direction in which the closing rods  70  move to close the discharging door  28 .  
         [0052]     An end of the closing spring  72  is connected to the closing rod  70 . The closing spring extends slightly toward the discharging door  28  and then is wound around the first boss  74  to turn around 180 degrees. Finally, the other end of the closing spring  72  is connected to the second boss  74 ′. Therefore, the closing spring  72  operates in such a manner that the closing rod  70  can push the discharging door  28  closed.  
         [0053]     Hereinafter, the operation of the open/close device of the media cassette  20  for the media dispenser according to the present invention will be described in detail. First, as seen from  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the media discharging opening  26  a closed by the discharging door  28  when the media cassette  20  is not mounted into the media dispenser. In the closed state, the discharging door  28  is positioned where its leading end is moved to an uppermost position, and thus, each of the supporting rods  32  and  33  connected to the discharging door by means of the connection chain  30  is in a state where it is fully pulled toward a front end of the cassette body  22 .  
         [0054]     Further, the distal ends of the supporting rods  32  and  33  are blocked by the stopper first and second portions  46  and  47  of the locking plate  45 . That is, the first and second stopper portions  46  and  47  are positioned across the rod guide channels  36  so that the supporting rods  32  and  33  cannot move along the rod guide channels  36  away from the discharging door  28  end of the media cassette  20 .  
         [0055]     When the media cassette  20  is completely mounted into the media dispenser, the hooking protrusion  29  of the discharging door  28  is inserted into the insert portion  64 . Then, electrical power is supplied to the solenoid  40  in the media dispenser, so that the plunger  41  of the solenoid  40  is driven. After the power is supplied to the solenoid  40 , it is immediately shut off.  
         [0056]     When the plunger  41  retracts into the solenoid  40 , the locking plate  45  is moved in a direction designated by an arrow shown in  FIG. 7   b.  Therefore, the first and second stopper portions  46  and  47  of the locking plate  45  do not come across the rod guide channels  36  but are positioned in the stopper guide channels  37 . Accordingly, the first and second stopper portions  46  and  47  no longer block the ends of the supporting rods  32  and  33 , and thus, the supporting rods  32  and  33  are in state where they can freely move along the rod guide channels  36 .  
         [0057]     When the driving motor  50  is driven, in such a state, the driving gear  52  is rotated. The driving force from the driving motor  50  is transferred to the opening rack unit  60  sequentially through the driving gear  52 , the connection gear  54  and the rack gear  62 . Therefore, the opening rack unit  60  is moved downwardly, as shown in  FIG. 7   a,  together with the discharging door  28  with the hooking protrusion  29  inserted into the insert portion  64 .  
         [0058]     When the discharging door  28  is moved downwardly by means of the driving force from the driving motor  50 , the media discharging opening  26  is opened to be in a state where the media in the storage space  23  can be discharged to the outside through the media discharging opening  26 .  
         [0059]     If the discharging door  28  is completely opened, the fastening hook  66  is locked into the locking hole  29 ′ of the hooking protrusion  29 . Accordingly, the fastening hook  66  causes the media cassette  20  to be fastened into the media dispenser.  
         [0060]     When the media cassette  20  is to be detached from the media dispenser, the discharging door  28  is first closed using the driving force from the driving motor  50 . As the discharging door  28  is being closed, the fastening hook  66  is automatically unlocked from the locking hole  29 ′ of the hooking protrusion  29 .  
         [0061]     When the discharging door  28  is closed, the supporting rods  32  and  33  connected to the discharging door  28  by means of the connection chain  30  are moved along the rod guide channels  36  and the ends thereof are then placed at positions past the stopper guide channels  37 . After the supporting rods  32  and  33  pass by the stopper guide channels  37 , the plunger  41  of the solenoid  40 , to which power is already shut off, protrudes automatically due to an elastic force of the elastic member. Therefore, the locking plate  45  is moved causing the first and second stopper portions  46  and  47  to block the ends of the supporting rods  32  and  33 , whereby the discharging door  28  cannot be arbitrarily or inadvertently opened.  
         [0062]     Meanwhile, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 8 , the discharging door  28  always tends to move in a closing direction by means of the elastic force of the closing springs  72 . Therefore, when the discharging door  28  is closed due to the driving force from the driving motor  50 , it can be more firmly closed due to the elastic force of the closing springs  72 . Accordingly, it is even more assured that when the media cassette  20  is detached from the media dispenser, the discharging door  28  will be completely closed.  
         [0063]     Although two supporting rods and closing rods are illustrated in the present invention, there may be more rods. In such a case, more stopper portions on the locking plate should be provided in accordance with the number of the supporting rods.  
         [0064]     According to the present invention as described in detail above, the following advantages can be obtained. Since the structure for locking the discharging door, used to close the media discharging opening of the media cassette, is provided inside the cassette body, it cannot be handled or tampered with from outside. Therefore, there is a reduced possibility of having media stolen, while the media cassette is carried in a state where it is detached from the media dispenser.  
         [0065]     In particular, the discharging door is closed while the media cassette is still in the media dispenser, and the discharging door is prevented from being opened due to the locking plate. Therefore, the user cannot inadvertently carry the media cassette in a state where the discharging door is not closed. By this arrangement, the possibility of having media stolen is greatly reduced.  
         [0066]     Further, when the media cassette is mounted into the media dispenser, the discharging door is opened and the hooking protrusion is simultaneously fastened to the fastening hook. Thus, the media cassette is automatically fastened to the media dispenser. Therefore, the arrangement prevents the media cassette from being detached from the media dispenser in a state where the discharging door is opened.  
         [0067]     Furthermore, there is an advantage in that the operation of closing the media discharging opening by means of the discharging door can be clearly performed while the media cassette is detached from the media dispenser.  
         [0068]     The scope of the present invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments but defined by the appended claims. It will be apparent that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes within the scope of the invention defined by the claims.