Abstract:
A cash drawer for use in mobile POS and other retail environments includes a plurality of coin bins that are positioned uniformly around the geometric center of the cash drawer. This unique arrangement eliminates the need for counterweights to prevent the drawer from tipping when opened. Bins for storing paper currency are disposed laterally outward from the coin bins and are canted outward so that the paper currency lies at an angle relative to the floor of the cash drawer rather than lying flat as in a conventional cash drawer. This enables the width of the drawer also to be reduced significantly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to point-of-sale (POS) equipment and, in particular to cash drawers used for storing coins, currency, checks, receipts and the like involved in a retail sales transaction. 
     Point of Sale (POS) equipment has existed since at least the late 1800s when the first mechanical cash register was introduced. The mechanical cash register was a breakthrough in its day because not only did it correctly add-up the total for individual transactions during the day, it also kept a running tally of the transactions, which to enabled the merchant to reconcile the transactions with the receipts in the cash drawer. In the 1970s, introduction of the barcode scanner and universal product code (UPC) along with the general purpose computer enabled merchants to process transactions more efficiently and more accurately, as well as enabling them to track inventory more accurately. 
     Dedicated POS systems are robust and powerful, however, for many small businesses they are simply too costly and too bulky. Consequently, for many small and even medium-sized businesses, dedicated POS systems are giving way to tablet-based mobile POS systems. In a tablet-based mobile POS system, a tablet computer such as an Apple® iPad® is equipped with a card-swipe device, credit card chip-reading device or similar interface to receive credit card information from the purchaser. When a purchase is made, the customer&#39;s credit card information is received and transmitted to the payment processor where the transaction is approved and the credit card charged. A receipt printer, which may be connected wirelessly or via Ethernet cable to the tablet computer, then prints the receipt for the customer. 
     Despite the convenience of credit card transactions, many consumers still prefer to make purchases with cash or check. Consequently, the need remains for a cash drawer to hold coins, paper currency, checks and the like in a tablet-based mobile POS environment. In a mobile POS environment, however, there is no dedicated cashier&#39;s station. Consequently, the cash drawer is often simply placed on a table, usually with a security cable attached to prevent theft. Prior art cash drawers have always been arranged with the coin bins along the front edge and the currency bins behind. This presents no problem if the cash drawer is permanently installed in a cashier&#39;s station or is integrated into a traditional heavy cash register, but if the cash drawer is simply placed on a table, the heavy coins in front will cause the cash drawer to tip forward when the drawer extends out of the housing. Consequently, some prior art POS cash drawers include heavy counterweights behind the paper currency bins to offset the anticipated weight of the coins in the coin bins, so that the cash drawer does not tip forward when opened. Not only does this solution add unnecessary weight to the cash drawer, it also adds additional volume necessary to accommodate the counterweights. 
     What is needed, and what the prior art does not provide therefore, is a compact cash drawer in which the coin bins and the paper currency bins are arranged in a unique manner so that the drawer is balanced when open and therefore does not require counterweights to prevent the drawer from tipping forward when opened. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention comprises a cash drawer for use in tablet-based mobile POS transactions and other cash transactions. According to an illustrative embodiment, the cash drawer includes a plurality of coin bins that are positioned uniformly around the geometric center of the cash drawer so that at least some of the coin bins are positioned rearward of the centerline of the drawer. This eliminates the need for counterweights, which enables the depth of the cash drawer to be reduced without re-introducing the problem of the drawer tipping when opened. Bins for storing paper currency are disposed laterally outward from the coin bins and are canted outward so that the paper currency lies at an angle relative to the floor of the cash drawer rather than lying flat as in a conventional cash drawer. This enables the width of the drawer also to be reduced significantly. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The present invention will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing figures in which like references designate like elements and, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a cash drawer incorporating features of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a front perspective view of the cash drawer of  FIG. 1  partially cut away to reveal the interior; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the cash drawer of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the cash drawer trays taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of one of the cash drawer trays taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of one of the cash drawer trays shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
         FIG. 7  is a front perspective view of the cash drawer of  FIG. 1  with one of the cash drawer trays removed. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The drawing figures are intended to illustrate the general manner of construction and are not necessarily to scale. In the detailed description and in the drawing figures, specific illustrative examples are shown and herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawing figures and detailed description are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but are merely illustrative and intended to teach one of ordinary skill how to make and/or use the invention claimed herein and for setting forth the best mode for carrying out the invention. 
     With reference to the figures and in particular  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a cash drawer  10  incorporating features of the present invention comprises a housing  12 . Housing  12  may be formed of any suitable material but in the illustrative embodiment, housing  12  comprises a sheet of laser-cut steel formed into a top wall  14 , two lateral walls  16 ,  18  and two lower walls  20 ,  22 . Lateral walls  16 ,  18  may include slots  16   a  and  18   a  to accept a cable security lock such as a Kensington® cable lock. Upper wall  14  includes a cable opening  24 , a pivot opening  26  and mounting holes  28 . A drawer assembly  30  is mounted to housing  12  using a pair of heavy-duty drawer glides  32 ,  34 . Drawer assembly  30  may be made of any suitable material, but in the illustrative embodiment drawer assembly  30  also comprises a sheet of laser-cut steel. 
     Because cash drawer  10  is primarily intended for use in the mobile POS environment, cash drawer  10  is equipped with an electronic drawer kicker  36 , which releases drawer assembly  30  in response to an electronic signal produced by the POS receipt printer, tablet computer or other device. When released by the electronic drawer kicker  36 , drawer assembly  30  is pushed from a closed position as shown in  FIG. 1  into an open position as shown in  FIG. 2 . Cash drawer  10  is also equipped with a mechanical override  40  which may be manipulated by a conventional key to lock or release drawer assembly  30  as required. 
     With additional reference to  FIG. 3 , drawer assembly  30  includes a till that is made up of a plurality of coin bins  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  and currency bins  50 ,  52 ,  54  and  56 . The coin bins  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48  are arranged uniformly around the geometric center  58  of drawer assembly  30 , with coin bin  42  in the left front quadrant, coin bin  44  in the right front quadrant, coin bin  46  in the right rear quadrant and coin bin  48  in the left rear quadrant as defined by the longitudinal centerline  60  and the lateral centerline  62  of drawer assembly  30 . As a result of this unique configuration, the rear walls  64 ,  66  of coin bins  46 ,  48  are immediately adjacent the back wall  68  of drawer assembly  30  and, therefore, heavy coins placed in coin bins  46  and  48  will not cause drawer assembly  30  to become unbalanced and tip forward when open. This eliminates the need for a drawer having a depth dimension greater than dimension “d” of drawer assembly  30  and, importantly, eliminates the need to have counterweights behind the rear wall  68  of drawer assembly  30 . 
     With additional reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in the illustrative embodiment, coin bin  46  has a sidewall  70  that slopes upward toward right side wall  72  of drawer assembly  30 . Similarly, coin bin  48  has a sidewall  74  that slopes upward toward the left side wall  76  of drawer assembly  30 . Coin bin  46  also has a front wall  78  that slopes upwards towards from wall  80  of drawer assembly  30 . Similarly, coin bin  48  has a front wall  82  that slopes upward toward front wall  80  of drawer assembly  30 . The walls  84 ,  86 ,  88 ,  90 ,  92  and  94  of coin bins  42  and  44  are similarly sloped. This unique arrangement of coin bins allows for ambidextrous removal of coins from coins bin  42 ,  44 ,  46 ,  48 . For example, the cashier may remove a coin from coin bin  46  with the right index finger, a coin from coin bin  44  with the right thumb, a coin from coin bin  48  with the left index finger and a coin from coin bin  42  with the left thumb. 
     With particular reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , currency bins  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  are arranged toward the left and right sides of drawer assembly  30  so that currency bins  54 ,  56  are positioned between coin bins  44 ,  46  and right side wall  72 ; and currency bins  50 ,  52  are positioned between coin bins  42 ,  48  and left side wall  76 . Currency bins  50 ,  52 ,  54 ,  56  are arranged in a slanted configuration so that the paper currency is stored on an angle as opposed to the currency laying flat as is common in prior art cash drawers. As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the inside wall  100  of currency bin  52  is substantially parallel to the sidewall  74  of coin bin  48 . The outside wall  102  of currency bin  52  is also substantially parallel to sidewall  74  of currency bin  48 . The walls  104 ,  106  of currency bin  50  are also substantially parallel to sidewall  74  of currency bin  48 . The remaining walls  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114  of currency bins  54 ,  56  are similarly substantially parallel to sidewall  70  of currency bin  46 . This slanted configuration further reduces the width of the drawer assembly  30  by allowing one denomination of currency to be stored underneath a different denomination of currency in a different bin without in any way impairing the ability of the cashier to select the appropriate bills from the appropriate currency bin since the openings to all of the bins both coin and currency lie in a common plane “P.” 
     With additional reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , currency bins  50 ,  52  are optimized for handling United States currency and therefore the length “lb” is approximately 6 inches while the width “wb” is approximately 1½ inch. Coin bins  42 ,  48  are optimized for storing coins within the drawer dimensions and therefore have a length “lc” of approximately 3 inches and a width “wc” of approximately 2½ inches; however the dimensions are scalable to adapt to the currencies of other countries. Although the bins may be integral to the cash drawer assembly  30  in the illustrative embodiment, the bins are preferably fabricated as trays  120 ,  122  which fit inside a corresponding recess in the drawer assembly  30 . Trays  120 ,  122  may be formed of any suitable material but preferably are molded from a plastic such as polyethylene. Because the bins are formed from two subassemblies, as opposed to a single unitary tray, the walls of currency bins  50 ,  52  and the walls of currency bins  54  and  56  can be sloped away from each other without making the part difficult to mold due to incompatible mold draft angles. 
     Although certain illustrative embodiments and methods have been disclosed herein, it will be apparent from the foregoing disclosure to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications of such embodiments and methods may be made without departing from the invention. For example, although the illustrative embodiment depicts a cash drawer for use primarily with mobile POS systems the drawer may be used in connection with any tablet-based or other POS system, or anywhere a cash drawer is necessary or desirable. Similarly, although the illustrative embodiment depicts a cash drawer having an electronic drawer kicker interfaced with the tablet computer, the electronic components may be omitted without departing from the scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the invention should be limited only to the extent required by the appended claims and the rules and principles of applicable law. Additionally, as used herein, references to direction such as “up” or “down” are intend to be exemplary and are not considered as limiting the invention and, unless otherwise specifically defined, the terms “generally,” “substantially,” or “approximately” when used with mathematical concepts or measurements mean within ±10 degrees of angle or within 10 percent of the measurement, whichever is greater, and as used herein, a step of “providing” a structural element recited in a method claim means and includes obtaining, fabricating, purchasing, acquiring or otherwise gaining access to the structural element for performing the steps of the method.