Abstract:
A cash drawer insert is disclosed which includes a paper currency receiving and storage area and a coin receiving and storage area, each of which can be selectively reconfigured to accommodate paper currencies and coins of a wide variety of sizes, shapes, dimension and denominations. Each of these areas is provided with opposed ribbed walls that are adapted to removably receive the ends of divider partitions having locking tabs and locking toggles that secure to such dividers at any desired transverse location. Bill weights having mounting flanges with locking tabs for selective placement along a rearwall of the till as well as a pivotable auxiliary paper currency tray that permits storage of two different paper currencies in a single paper currency compartment are also disclosed.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/956,359, filed Aug. 16, 2007, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by a reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to inserts for cash drawers or tills and, more particularly, to cash drawer inserts or tills which can be selectively configured and reconfigured to accommodate paper currency and bank notes as well as coins and other media having a variety of denominations, sizes, shapes and dimensions. 
         [0003]    Countries throughout the world use paper currency and coins that vary in size and shape with respect to each other and, depending upon the country involved, upon the denomination of such paper currency and coins. While the United States and Canada currently utilize a standard length and width for their respective denominations of paper currency, elsewhere dimensional differences are used to distinguish the various denominations. For example, Euro notes can range from 120 to 153 mm in length and 62 to 82 mm in width, Japanese Yen notes vary from 150 to 160 mm in length while maintaining a standard width of 76 mm and British Pound notes range from 135 to 156 mm in length and 75 to 85 mm in width. Correspondingly, all of these countries have coins which vary in thickness and diameter for each denomination. 
         [0004]    These differences between world paper currencies and coins require that cash drawers or inserts and tills used at points of sale and elsewhere have specialized configurations uniquely associated with the country or location in which they are used. 
         [0005]    Heretofore, cash box inserts or tills often have had fixed paper currency and coin receiving compartments or a limited ability to reconfigure the same to accommodate the different world-wide requirements for efficient handling of paper currency, coins and other media which are to be stored therein and dispensed therefrom. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The disclosed till incorporates repositionable dividers or partitions which can be selectively configured and reconfigured to accommodate and provide uniform or non-uniform paper currency receiving and storage areas that are associated with selectively positionable bill weights alone or with shelf-type Euro style paper currency receiving and storage units. If desired, the paper currency receiving and storage areas can be configured to include only such shelf-type Euro style paper receiving and storage units. 
         [0007]    The disclosed tills also include coin receiving and storage areas which can be used with dividers or partitions that can be selectively positioned in the till itself or in a removable coin tray contained in the till to provide the desired coin compartment configuration. 
         [0008]    An additional feature of the disclosed tills is the use of an auxiliary tray which can be pivotally mounted in a given paper currency compartment to provide that given paper currency compartment with a capability of separately storing and providing access to two different paper currencies in that same compartment. 
         [0009]    Reference is now made to the accompanying detailed description of a preferred and other embodiments of the present invention as shown in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts throughout. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of a till embodying aspects of the present invention prior to the installation of any partitions, coin trays, bill weights or the like; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the till shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view of the till of  FIG. 1  with inserted partitions, bill weights and a removable coin tray; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3A  is a fragmentary elevational view, along the line  3 A- 3 A, partially broken away, showing the mounting bracket for the weight and associated elements for detachably securing the bill weight to the till; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along the line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4A  is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line  4 A- 4 A of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view, partially in section, of the till shown in  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a fragmentary top plan view of an alternate embodiment of the till of this invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a fragmentary top plan view like  FIG. 6  of a further embodiment of the till of this invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view of a till embodying aspects of the present invention having a modified removable coin tray. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a top plan view of another embodiment of a till embodying aspects of the present invention which includes a shelf-type Euro paper currency receiving component in association with two bill weight-equipped paper currency compartments and an eight-compartment coin tray; 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is an exploded sectional view of the till shown in  FIG. 9  taken along the line  10 - 10 ; 
           [0022]      FIG. 10A  is a fragmentary sectional view similar to  FIG. 10  showing a modified coin tray; 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  is a top perspective view of an auxiliary currency tray for use with a till embodying aspects of the present invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  is a side sectional view of the auxiliary paper currency tray shown in  FIG. 11  as mounted in a partially shown sectional view of the till; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12A  is a fragmentary view of the back side of the auxiliary currency tray shown in  FIG. 12  illustrating a buttress for maintaining the auxiliary paper currency tray in a horizontal position when the tray is fully lowered; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a partial sectional view of the auxiliary currency tray shown in  FIG. 12  in an inclined position; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is an exploded fragmentary view of the hinge mechanism associated with the bill weight of the auxiliary paper currency tray; 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  an exploded fragmentary perspective view of the auxiliary paper currency tray shown in  FIGS. 11 and 12 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 16  is a fragmentary top plan view showing a further embodiment of a till featuring aspects of the present invention; 
           [0030]      FIG. 17  is a fragmentary top plan view showing a still further embodiment of a till featuring aspects of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 18  is a sectional view taken along the line  18 - 18  of  FIG. 16 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 19  is a section view taken along the line  19 - 19  of  FIG. 17 ; and, 
           [0033]      FIG. 20  is a fragmentary bottom perspective view showing the locking tab at the forward end the divider partition in the paper currency receiving area and the locking tab in the rearward end of the divider partition in the coin receiving area and associated slots as shown in  FIG. 19 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0034]    Referring to the drawings and with particular reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the reference numeral  30  designates a generally rectangular body or frame for the cash drawer insert or till which includes a rearwall  31 , a pair of sidewalls  32 ,  33  and a generally flat bottomwall  34  that extends forwardly into a curved portion  34   a , terminating in a top edge  36 . A transverse or crosswall  37  extends between sidewalls  32 ,  33 , dividing the till into a paper currency receiving and the storage area  38  and a coin receiving and storage area  39 . 
         [0035]    In the illustrated embodiment, the till body is preferably formed by injection molding from ABS (acrylic-butadience-styrene) resin, however, plastic resins such as polypropylene or polyethylene and others known to those skilled in the art can be employed in the production of these tills. As shown, crosswall  37  is integrally formed with the sidewalls  32 ,  33 , however, it will be appreciated, that the crosswall also could be formed separately and affixed to the interior of sidewalls  32 ,  33  by a suitable bonding technique. 
         [0036]    As shown, rearwall  31  includes a plurality of closely spaced-apart, vertically extending parallel ribs  42  which face a plurality of similarly spaced-apart vertical ribs  43  on the surface of crosswall  37  facing the rearwall. Correspondingly, the opposite side of crosswall  37  includes a plurality of closely spaced-apart vertical ribs  44  which face similarly spaced-apart parallel vertical ribs  46  on the interior surface of the curved portion  34   a  of the till. As will be explained in greater detail below, the spaced-apart ribs  42 ,  43  are aligned to receive the ends of removable partitions in the paper currency receiving and storage area  38  and the vertical ribs  44 ,  46  are similarly aligned to receive the ends of the ends of removable partitions inserted in the coin receiving and storage area  39 . 
         [0037]    As best shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A,  4 ,  5 ,  6  and  7 , the back side of rearwall  31  is also provided with a plurality of vertically extending parallel spaced-apart ribs  47  which overlie a shelf  48  that, in turn, upwardly extends into a wall  49  to define a bill weight attachment channel of  51 . Shelf  48  includes a plurality of slots  52  best shown in  FIG. 2 , which are positioned and sized to receive locking tabs of a bill weight mounting bracket as will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0038]    In the embodiments illustrated in  FIGS. 1-10 , the paper currency receiving and storage area  38  is provided with a series of slots  53  that extend between side panels  32  and  33  which are in alignment with the ribs  42  on rearwall  31  and the ribs of  43  on a crosswall  37  to enable one or more divider panels (described more fully below) to be positioned and securely retained at any desired location within the paper currency storage and receiving section of the till. Correspondingly, a series of slots  54  are provided in the coin receiving area which are sized to receive locking tabs (described more fully hereafter) on partitions which are positioned in the coin receiving and storage area enabling the secure retention of partitions that permit subdividing the coin receiving and storage area in a variety of different configurations as desired. Additional slots  55  in the curved portion  34   a  of bottomwall  34  are also provided for facilitating the secure fixing of coined tray panels as will be discussed more fully below. 
         [0039]    Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , a till  30  having a typical U.S. configuration (i.e. 5 paper currency compartments and 5 coin compartments) is shown. In particular, this illustrated embodiment utilizes a removable coin tray  56  having sidewalls  56   a ,  56   b , curved frontwall  56   c  and backwall  56   d . A series of ribs  56   e  on backwall  56   d  and  56   f  on the back face of curved wall  56   c  are provided for receiving the end portions of dividers  58  which, can be selectively positioned in the tray  56  at any desired location to provide the required number of coin compartments which can be equal or different sizes as desired. 
         [0040]    The paper currency receiving and storage is provided with five bill weights  57  which are centered in compartments for containing various dollar denominations. These separate compartments are defined by the sidewalls  33  and  32  and the divider panels  59 , which is provided with a pair of locking tabs  61  and  62  which are oppositely biased so that they can be snap fitted into a common slot in the series of slots designated by the reference numeral  53 . As shown in  FIG. 4   a , locking tab  61  includes an enlarged head  61   a  and locking tab  62  includes an enlarged head  62   a  which will engage the bottom periphery of the aperture in which they are received to provide the secure retainment of the panel  59  but which can be pressed together to permit withdrawal of the tab  61  for relocation to another slot. 
         [0041]    Correspondingly, panels  58  in the removable coin tray  56  include locking tabs  63  and  64  which are likewise biased in opposite directions so that when they are received in and pass through a common aperture  54   a  in the bottom of the coin tray, they will expand and snuggly engage the peripheral portions of slot  54   a  in much the same fashion as is shown in  FIG. 4   a  with respect to the locking studs  61  and  62 . In this fashion, removable coin tray panels  58  are securely retained in the coin tray. Additional security, however, is obtained by virtue of a downwardly extending and outwardly biased toggle  66  integrally formed with the panel  58  having a hooked end portion  66   a  which is received in the aperture  55   a  in the front wall  56   c  of the tray. 
         [0042]    As shown in  FIGS. 3 ,  3 A and  4 ,  5 , bill weight  57  includes an arm  67  which is pivotally mounted to a mounting bracket  68  by a pivot pin  69 . Arm includes a cam  67   a  that contacts a downwardly inclined resilient finger  70  causing arm  67  to be biased in a downward direction when it is in contact with paper currency in the paper currency compartment in which the bill weight is located. As best shown in  FIGS. 3A ,  4  and  5 , the bill weight is detachably connected to the upper end of rearwall  31  by a mounting bracket  68  which includes an inner support  76  and outer support  77  that tightly fit around the upper edge of rearwall  31 . Bracket  77  includes a pair of legs  78  and  79 , each of which includes an L-shaped terminal portion  78   a  and  79   a  which secure the mounting bracket in the two slots  52   a  and  52   b  in a fashion which permits selective the removal and relocation of bill weight  57  to any other location along the rearwall as desired. 
         [0043]      FIGS. 6 and 7  depict alternate embodiments of the present invention. In particular,  FIG. 6  illustrates an embodiment wherein the coin receiving area  39  the adjacent crosswall ribs  44   a  and  44   b  receive backedge  58   a  of divider  58  and ribs  46   a  and  46   b  on the curved portion of the bottomwall  34  receive the forward edge  58   b  of divider  58 . In all other respects, the embodiment shown in  FIG. 6  is similar to that previously described wherein the coin tray is removable. In  FIG. 7 , the coin tray  56  is removable and corresponds to that previously described in conjunction with  FIGS. 3-5 . In this embodiment, however, it will be noted that the crosswall  37  includes vertical ribs  43  on the side facing the rearwall  31  while the opposite side of the crosswall does not include any ribs. 
         [0044]      FIG. 8  depicts an embodiment of the present invention wherein the removable tray  56  is shown in association with coin dividers  58  similar to those previously described and two fixed integral dividers  80  and  81  which are either formed during the injection molding of the tray or, alternatively, separately formed and secured to the curved wall and crosswall by a suitable bonding technique. 
         [0045]      FIGS. 9-10   a  depict a till construction which is particularly suited for European use. As shown, it includes a Euro style tray  86  with 3 slanted dividers  87   a - c  that provide four aligned slanted note receiving compartments  88   a - d  and two paper currency compartments equipped with bill weights  57  as described above in conjunction with  FIGS. 3-5  and a divider partition  59  as previously described. 
         [0046]    In accordance with European requirements, a removable coin-receiving tray  89  is provided having eight separate coin receiving compartments  91   a - h . Removable tray  89  includes a backwall  89   a  having a series of ribs similar to the ribs  56   a  in the tray described in conjunction with  FIGS. 3-5 . As best shown in  FIG. 10 , the backwall  89   a  extends forwardly into a first curved bottomwall  89   b  which, in turn, extends into a centerwall  89   c  on both sides of which include vertical extending ribs as best shown in  FIG. 9 . Centerwall  89   c  extends forwardly into a curved bottomwall  89   d  that terminates in an upper edge  89   e  which is substantially coextensive in height with the sidewalls of the tray. As best shown in  FIG. 9 , the upper inside surfaces of curved walls  89   c  and  89   d  are each respectively provided with a series of spaced-apart vertical ribs  89   f  and  89   g  which are spaced-apart to receive a divider partitions  91  and  92 . As shown, divider panel  91  is similar in configuration to divider panel  58  and includes an outwardly biased locking toggle  91   a  having a hook for locking engagement with a slot  93 . In the illustrated embodiment, panel  92  has a forward end which does not include such a locking toggle. In this regard, it will be appreciated that both of the coin divider panels depicted in  FIG. 10  can be of the same or different design, e.g. a panel like  91  could be used in the back coin compartment (with provision for an appropriate slot in the wall  89   c  or, alternatively, the panel  92  could be used in place of the panel  91  and, as such, would not require slot  93 . Each of the panels  91  and  92  is provided with locking tabs similar to those shown and described in conjunction with  FIGS. 4 and 5  and, accordingly, such tabs are identified by the same reference numerals  63 ,  64 . These locking tabs are received in the series of slots  94 ,  96  ( FIG. 10 ). These locking tabs are likewise biased in opposite directions so that when they are received and passed through the common aperture associated therewith in the bottom of the coin tray, they will expand and snuggly engage a peripheral portions of the slot in the same fashion as is shown in  FIG. 4   a . If desired, an alternative dual divider  97  as shown in  FIG. 10A  can be provided. 
         [0047]      FIGS. 11-15  depict one embodiment of the auxiliary paper currency tray feature of the present invention. As shown, auxiliary tray  101  includes opposed sidewalls  102 ,  103 , a backwall  104  and a bottomwall  106  that extends forwardly into an integral curved portion at the front thereof having an edge  107  coextensive in height with the top edges of the other walls. Auxiliary tray  101  is supported by a pair of pivot pins  108   a  and  108   b  formed in divider panels  109   a  and  109   b  that are on opposite sides of the paper currency compartment in which the auxiliary tray is located. Pins  108   a  and  108   b  are received in the holes  111   a  and  111   b  in the auxiliary tray. 
         [0048]    As best depicted in  FIG. 12 , tray  101  is maintained in a horizontal position when it is fully lowered leaving a space below the bottom surface of the auxiliary tray and the upper surface of the bottomwall of the till. As best shown in  FIGS. 12 and 12   a , this horizontal positioning of the tray is accomplished by buttress  113  which is sized and positioned to engage the forward surface of backwall  104 . 
         [0049]    Auxiliary tray  101  is provided with a bill weight  116  having a pair of apertured arms  117 ,  118  which connect to a mounting bracket  119 . Bracket  119  includes a pair of pivot pins  120 ,  121  which are received within the apertured arms  117 ,  118 . The bracket  119  also includes a forwardwall  122  and backwall  123  which define a U-shaped slot that is sized to be tightly received on the backwall  104  of the auxiliary tray. As best shown in  FIG. 14 , bill weight  116  is biased in the downward direction by an inclined section  123  on the face  118   a  of element  118  and a cam  124  associated with pivot pin  121 . This arrangement enables the bill weight  116  to freely rotate when it is in an up position and to be downwardly biased when it is in the position shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0050]      FIGS. 16 and 18  depict an embodiment of the present invention which is provided with additional securement means for the divider panels in the paper currency receiving area and the divider panels in the coin receiving area. As shown in  FIG. 16 , a series of additional slots  125  are provided at the forward end of the bottomwall of the paper currency receiving area adjacent to centerwall  37  and a similar series of additional slots  126  are provided in the coin tray  56  adjacent backwall  56   d  thereof. The one of the slots  125  cooperates with an additional locking tab  126  in modified panel  59   a  correspondingly an additional locking tab  127  on modified panel  58   a  cooperates with one of the slots  126  in the base of the coin tray. As illustrated by  FIG. 20 , each of the additional locking tabs  125  and  126  includes a lip which overlaps the peripheral portion of the respective slots  125 ,  126  to provide a snap fit that affords additional securement for the panels  59   a  and  58   a . In this regard, it will be appreciated that these additional locking tabs can be used by themselves or in association with the previously described and shown locking tabs  63 ,  64  and  66 . 
         [0051]    Correspondingly,  FIGS. 17 and 19  depict the use of these additional locking tabs in embodiments which do not incorporate a separate coin tray. In this embodiment, the paper currency divider panel  59   a  is identical to that previously described. Modified panel  58   b  is directly mounted in a coin receiving area tray. As shown in  FIG. 17 , the paper currency receiving area incorporates an additional series of slots  125  like those shown and discussed in conjunction with  FIG. 16  and the bottomwall of the coin receiving area includes a series of slots  128  similar to the slots  126  in the removable tray shown in  FIG. 16 . Locking tabs  126  in panel  59   a  and  127  in panel  158   b  are received in these slots  125  and  128  in the same fashion as was previously described in the FIG.  16 / 18  embodiment. 
         [0052]    Although the present invention has been disclosed and described in its preferred and other forms with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that various modifications and changes may be made to the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.