Abstract:
A note presenter and method is disclosed for dispensing notes at a plurality of dispensing locations that are spaced apart such that two or more persons can be positioned at the dispensing locations at one time. The note presenter is attached to a secure container for receiving the cash at a single exit slot and includes a rotatable mechanism for repositioning the cash in alignment with either one of the two dispensing locations, and a linearly moveable part to withdraw the notes from the exit slot and to extend the notes to either one of the two dispensing locations to two or more persons who can be positioned at the dispensing locations. Several different configurations are disclosed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The benefit of priority based on U.S. Provisional Pat. App. No. 60/786,915 filed Mar. 29, 2006, is claimed herein. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The field of the invention is secure cash dispensers and teller vaults of the type used in financial and retail businesses. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     An example of such a device is commercially offered by the assignee herein under the trade designation of the Benchmark Series® 7 Teller Cash Dispensing System. A description of its internal apparatus is provided in Gunst, U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,606, issued Jul. 22, 2003. Notes are dispensed out of a cash dispensing slot opening upwardly on a top of the machine. 
     Granzow et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,122, issued Jan. 14, 1986, and Placke et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,763, issued Mar. 25, 1986 disclose a teller cash station with the ability to dispense notes to a teller on the right or a teller on the left. There is no forward movement out of the teller cash drawers prior to the movement to the right or the left. 
     Graef, U.S. Pat. Pub. No. US2004/0178568 discloses a cash dispensing cassette for an ATM machine. The cassette does not provide for movement of the notes to the right and left. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention concerns an improvement in a cash dispenser unit for use in customer service areas. In particular, a note presenter is provided so that notes will that are moved out of a secure container and are then moved to dispensing positions to a right side or a left side so as to service customers on opposite sides of a portion of the machine. 
     With the invention, cash is moved out of the cash drawers before moving it to the right or left. The note presenter will receive a bundle of notes from a traditional cash dispensing slot and may be pivoted up to 360° around a pivot point to present notes at a plurality of dispensing locations. Besides pivoting, the note bundle can be advanced axially from the pivot point to present the notes at a dispensing location. Generally, there is an enclosure around a portion of the cash dispensing unit, so that only the cash delivery locations are accessible to the customers. 
     The cash dispenser unit can be accessed on one aide by financial or retail customers. The unit is capable of both unassisted and assisted configurations have different numbers of cash dispensing positions. A teller may have access to the dispensing area from the secure vault portion of the dispenser to clear jams and receive cash not accepted by customers. 
     Other objects and advantages of the invention, besides those discussed above, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the description of the preferred embodiments which follows. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which illustrate examples of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a secure cash dispenser of the prior art; 
         FIG. 2  is a top plan view of a cash dispenser utilizing a note presenter of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the cash dispenser of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the cash dispenser of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7  are perspective detail views of an alternative embodiment of a note presenter of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 8 and 9  are perspective views of alternative embodiments of the note presenter of  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  7 ; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a cash dispensing slot of the prior art; 
         FIGS. 11-14  are perspective detail views of a preferred embodiment of a note presenter of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 15-24  are plan diagrammatic views of various arrangements of the note presenter of  FIGS. 11-14  in different configurations of a secure cash dispenser according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 25  is a perspective view of a cash dispenser showing a housing for the note presenter; 
         FIG. 26  is a perspective view of an installation of the cash dispenser of  FIG. 25  in a counter or island; and 
         FIG. 27  is a view of the cash dispenser of  FIGS. 25 and 26  with parts removed to show the details of the note presenter. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       FIG. 1  shows a device  10  known in the art as a secure cash dispenser which is modified according to the present invention for use in customer self-service areas in a bank, credit union or other financial institution, supermarkets, retail establishments and in the gaming industry or anywhere that substantial amounts of cash are handled. One well known type of secure cash dispenser is used in banks, including drive-in windows, for dispensing currency, predominantly notes, to customers making withdrawals. These secure cash dispensers are sometimes referred to as teller vaults or as teller cash dispensers, depending on the level of security. They provide a sturdy, locked enclosure, like a safe, which is resistant to forcible entries and secure against unauthorized access to the substantial amounts of cash stored therein. 
     An example of such a device is commercially offered by the assignee herein under the trade designation of the Benchmark Series® 7 Teller Cash Dispensing System. A description of its internal apparatus is provided in Gunst, U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,606, issued Jul. 22, 2003. 
     As seen in  FIG. 1 , which is an example of the prior art, a rolling drawer assembly  20  has a plurality of cash drawer compartments  22  for holding denominations of currency in cash drawers such as $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 in the U.S. When the drawers are empty, they can be filled with currency and inserted in the drawer assembly  20 , providing that the door  12  to the apparatus  10  is open and the drawer assembly  20  has been pulled out to its extended position. The drawer assembly  20  can then be rolled into the enclosure  11  and the door  12  can be closed and locked. The cash dispenser  10  can also be adapted to handle Canadian currency, UK currency and euros. Obviously, the invention is also suitable for many other currencies throughout the world. 
     When the door  12  is unlocked and opened as seen in  FIG. 1 , the carriage drawer assembly  20  can be seen. This assembly  20  includes a pair of front wheels  21  on which the assembly  20  is rolled along the floor. A bezel  15 , which is a frame for a dispensing slot, and a currency dispensing mechanism  16  in the slot are positioned at the end of the dispenser near the door  12  and are received in a recess in the top wall of the enclosure  11 . The wheels  21  will assist the pulling forward of the drawer assembly  20  to an extended position and returning the drawer assembly inside the enclosure  11  for dispensing operations. 
     The drawer assembly  20  is mounted on a frame  23  including top members  24  disposed horizontally and two spaced apart front members  25  disposed vertically. The wheels  21  are mounted by an axle  26  to the lower ends of the front members  25 . The front members  25  are braced by cross members  29 . 
     Towards the front of the assembly  20 , in front of the drawers  22 , is an electrical control section  27  which includes a motor and electronics for controlling operation of the apparatus  10  including the currency dispensing mechanism  16 . The control section  27  may include dials (not shown) for setting the denominations of the currency drawers  22 . 
     At the top of the drawer assembly  20 , two slide members  28  are mounted to opposite sides near the spaced apart top members  22 . These slide members  28  are parts of two drawer-type slide assemblies each having a pair of complementary sliding members. Bearings are included in the slide assemblies and disposed between the sliding members  28 . The other sliding members in the assemblies are positioned on the inside of the enclosure body to receive the slide members  28 . Other constructions of secure cash dispenser known in the art or shown in the literature can also be used provided they dispense cash from a slot in an upper wall of the enclosure. 
     The present invention provides several embodiments 31, 50 and 51 of a modular note presenter unit that can be mounted on an existing TCD Series 7™ cash dispenser  30  without compromising the security of the cash dispenser  30 . The presenter units  31 ,  50  and  51  interface to the cash dispenser electronics by sensing the existing exit sensor signal and holding the signal blocked until the banknotes have been presented to the customer. The notes exit the single slot  38  in the cash dispenser  30  and are moved to one of the new, multiple delivery slots, which may include access doors. The presenter units  31 ,  50  and  51  each include their own power source, electronic controls, and software systems independent of the cash dispenser  30 . The presenter units  31 ,  50  and  51  are designed to assemble to the cash dispenser  30  at the point of installation, or as a field retrofit. They are low profile so as fit under a customer counter  40 , if necessary, and are in the range of height of no more than three to four inches in that application. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a schematic of a cash dispenser  30  with a note presenter unit  51  of the present invention as installed in a customer counter  40  for use by two customers, C. The door  32  of the cash dispenser  30  is accessible only to employees behind the counter  40 . A dispense slot  38  and dispensing bezel  61  are disposed towards an opposite end and oriented to face the customers, C. A rotary transport mechanism  52  is provided for accepting bundles of notes and transporting them to customer dispensing locations defined by bezels  59  and  60 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the modular presenter unit  51  being used by two customers, C. There is also a support  62  for the rotary transport mechanism  52  for extension beyond the end of the secure cash dispenser enclosure  30 .  FIG. 4  shows a self-service configuration in which the modular presenter unit  51  is reversed in position relative to the cash dispenser exit slot  38  for use by two customers, C. In  FIG. 4 , the bezel  61  faces the more distant end of the secure cash dispenser  30  and the support  62  is reversed, with note bundles emerging from the slot  38  toward the longer end of the secure cash dispenser  30 . The slot  38  is close to the end with door  34  to the secure enclosure  30 . This self-service configuration is suitable for addition of dispensing locations, such as the triple dispensing configuration shown in  FIG. 21 . 
     In  FIGS. 20-24 , the bezels  56 ,  57 ,  59  and  60  are designed to integrate with common commercial furniture units that might be used in a dispensing location for customers. The bezels  56 ,  57 ,  59  and  60  can be provided by indicator lights to show that the openings are clear or that cash is present for removal. Sound alerts can also be used to signal that cash is present or to confirm that it has been removed. After a timed interval, such as twenty (20) seconds, the notes can be retracted from the bezel slot and returned to an interior portion of the modular cash dispensing unit  51 . Movable security doors with tamper detection can be used in the exit slots defined by the bezels  56 ,  57 ,  59  and  60 . The secure cash dispenser  30  and note presenter  51  can be housed in a kiosk surround that completely encloses the equipment except for the dispensing slots of the note presenter  51 . 
     Other user interface equipment, such as touch screens  39 , keyboards, mice and other input and output devices can be installed in the kiosk or in the customer counter  40  seen in  FIG. 2 , on opposite sides of the cash dispenser  30 , so as to service two customers at once. 
       FIGS. 10-14  are detail views of the prior art slot  38  ( FIG. 10 ) before and after addition of a carriage  49  and a preferred embodiment of a rotary transport mechanism  52  ( FIGS. 11-14 ) for handling the bundle of notes.  FIG. 11  shows the carriage  49  emerging from the slot  38 .  FIG. 12  shows the rotation of the carriage  49  ninety degrees to present the notes horizontally.  FIG. 12  also shows that carriage  49  includes a slide mechanism  49   a  for moving the bundle of notes in a horizontal direction, and fingers  49   b  for holding the notes with tension, until the notes are pulled out of the mechanism by a customer.  FIG. 13  shows a rotary transport mechanism  52  being added to the carriage mechanism  49 . This mechanism  52  has two arms which from a triangle with the carriage  49 .  FIG. 14  shows a schematic of the modular unit  51 , including a support  62 , which may be part of an enclosure for the unit  51  to be added to a secure cash dispenser  30 . The modular presenter unit  51  includes a rotary transport mechanism  52  to move the note bundle  48  to a dispensing opening defined by a bezel  59  at a first location that is one hundred and twenty degrees clockwise from the slot  38 , or to a dispensing opening defined by a bezel  60  at a second location that is two hundred and forty degrees clockwise from the slot  38 . The rotary mechanism  52  can move in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to reach the dispensing locations. Upon reaching the proper angular position, a slide mechanism  49   a  is activated to present a bundle of notes through a respective bezel  59 ,  60  to a customer. The customer will have a timed period to remove the notes by pulling them from the frictional gripping mechanism  49   b.    
       FIGS. 15-19  show five possible configurations for a full service teller operated currency cash vault  30  using a currency presenter  51  of the present invention as described in relation to  FIGS. 2-4  and  10 - 14 . In these configurations, “T” means a teller or operator and “C” means a customer. The dispensing mechanism would be controlled by the teller “T” as opposed to any automatic type of operation used for self-service operations.  FIG. 15  shows a mode of operation where an axis  58  of the rotary transport mechanism  52  is rotated one hundred and eighty degrees)(180° from the cash dispensing slot  38 .  FIG. 16  provides cash dispensing bezels  65 ,  66  defining cash dispensing openings at one hundred and twenty degrees)(120° and two hundred and forty degrees)(240° of rotation of the axis  58  from the slot  38  of the secure cash dispenser enclosure.  FIG. 17  shows a mode of operation, where the bezels  56 ,  57  defining the cash dispensing openings for the two respective customers, C, are disposed at ninety degrees (90°), and two hundred seventy degrees (270°) of clockwise rotation of the axis  58  relative to exit slot  38  of the secure cash dispenser enclosure.  FIG. 18  shows a configuration in which the dispensing locations are relative to tellers, T, and are located at plus forty-five degrees (+45° and minus forty-five degrees (−45°) from the longitudinal axis  58  of the carriage mechanism  52 .  FIG. 19  shows a configuration in which the dispensing locations are relative to tellers, T, and are located at ninety degrees (90° and two hundred and seventy degrees (270°) from a zero-degree position defined by the axis  58  of the carriage mechanism  52 . In this configuration the tellers, T, receive the cash and dispense it manually to customers C through a window or over a counter. In these configurations, the rotary mechanism  52  can move in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to reach the dispensing locations. 
       FIGS. 20-24  show various configurations for dispensing to customers, C, in a self-service operation.  FIG. 20  shows two dispensing positions at ninety degrees (90°) and two hundred and seventy degrees (270°), respectively, of rotation from a zero-degree position defined by the longitudinal axis  58  of the carriage mechanism  52 .  FIG. 21  shows a bezel  63  at a third dispensing position at one hundred and eighty degrees (180°) of rotation from a starting position for the bundle  48 .  FIG. 22  shows three bezels  64 ,  70  and  71  at three dispensing positions at ninety degrees (90°), two hundred twenty-five degrees (225°) and three hundred fifteen degrees (315°) of rotation from a zero-degree position defined by the axis  58  of the carriage mechanism  52 .  FIG. 23  shows bezels  72 - 75  at four dispensing openings sixty degrees (60°), one hundred twenty degrees (120°), two hundred and forty degrees (240°) and three hundred degrees (300°) of clockwise rotation from a zero-degree position defined by rotation of an axis  58  of the carriage mechanism  52  to place the note bundle  48  are the respective.  FIG. 24  shows five dispensing openings  76 - 81  spaced at intervals of sixty angular degrees following a clockwise rotation from a zero-degree position defined by an axis  58  of the carriage mechanism  52 . In these configurations, the rotary mechanism  52  can move in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to reach the dispensing locations. 
     A second embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 5-9 , as a rotary type of cash presenter  50 . A bundle of notes  48  is seen as it exits from the secure cash dispenser  30  through its single slot  38 . The cash presenter first performs a gripping action by which a carriage mechanism  49  releasably grips the bundle of notes on two sides. The cash presenter  50  has an actuator arm  53  for extension and retraction of the carriage mechanism  49 . This arm  53  and the bundle of notes  48  can be moved around a 360-degree circle. Referring next to  FIG. 6 , a bundle of notes can also be rotated ninety degrees around its own longitudinal axis so that the notes are presented horizontally to an operator or to a customer. This would be accomplished by a motor coupled to the carriage mechanism  49  to rotate a portion of the carriage mechanism  49  positioned outside the slot  38 . 
       FIG. 7  shows that the note bundle  48  is moved by a 120-degree rotation of the arm  53  and held in a horizontal position within the secure enclosure  30  before being presented to an operator or to a customer. Next, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the arm  53  is extended to move the note bundle  48  through an opening in a cover  55  attached to the secure cash dispenser  30 . A door (not shown) can be used to close the opening when notes are not being presented. Other openings can be located at positions around a 360-degree circle.  FIG. 9  is an example where the note bundle  48  is moved ninety degrees (90°) or two hundred seventy degrees (270°) to two dispensing locations  56   a ,  57   a  on either side of a secure cash dispenser  30 . In the above examples, if the cash is not removed within a certain time period, the arm will be moved back into the secure enclosure  30  to an error position or to a secure dump container for receiving cash not removed from the machine in a timely fashion. 
     In another embodiment of the present invention, as illustrated in  FIG. 25 , a new note presenter  31  is provided towards an end of an enclosure  32  for a secure cash dispenser  30  that is opposite the end  33  with the door  34 . The internal apparatus of the cash dispenser  30  includes a drawer assembly as described above for the prior art. The currency dispenser  31  includes a currency dispenser housing  35  that extends from the opposite end. On top of the housing are visual displays  36  or advertising facing in opposite directions perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the enclosure  32 . The housing  35  has openings  37  on opposite sides facing in the same direction as the displays  36 , so that a bundle of notes can be dispensed to either a right side or a left side so as to service customers on opposite sides of the cash dispenser  30 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 26 , the secure cash dispenser  30  is mounted in a counter  40  with only the currency dispensing housing  35  extending outside the counter  40 . The cash dispenser enclosure  32  is hidden for the most part within the counter  40 , with the door  34  being accessible from a back side of the counter  40 . There may be a wall or partition (not shown) between the front side and back side of the counter to limit access of customers to the front side of the counter  40 . 
     As seen in  FIG. 27 , with the housing  35  for the currency dispenser  31  removed, a bundle of notes  44  is moved upwardly through the exit slot  38  in the cash dispenser  30 , and held by a finger-gripping mechanism  45 , which is positioned to move forwardly along a pair of substantially horizontal tracks  42  with the aid of a powered belt  43 . A side-to-side sliding mechanism  41  slides laterally relative to the first direction of forward movement to move the bundle of notes either to the right or left to exits  37  in the note presenter housing  35 . 
     There is a forward movement out of the cash dispensing slot prior to the movement to the right or the left or as a result of a rotational movement. This movement is beneficial in clearing the counter  40  in which the cash dispenser  30  is installed and providing service to at least two customers at different locations. 
     This description has been of a multiple slot, cash dispensing unit  31 ,  50 ,  51  that can be provided as an add-on to a single slot secure cash dispenser enclosure. This expands a single dispensing slot to multiple dispensing slots for dispensing currency at varying positions that are convenient to customers around three hundred and sixty degrees of pivoting of a currency transport mechanism. This helps serve more customers in a self-service mode or assisted mode of handling customer financial transactions. 
     This has been a description of the preferred embodiments, but it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that variations may be made in the details of these specific embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the following claims.