Abstract:
A device for the intake and output of paper currencies comprises an arrangement for examining the value and authenticity of the currency, which thereafter is fed to a transport system of a currency stacking bank via a currency storage module, wherein the storage module, which is exchangeable located below the currency stacking bank is constructed as a revolving magazine and comprises a series of roller magazines, whereby the intake and output opening of each of the roller magazines is pivoted by means of an actuator into a d position of the transport system.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No.: 10 2006 060 619, filed Dec. 21, 2006 pursuant to 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a device for depositing and dispensing a paper payment medium and in particular a device for depositing and dispensing paper currency for a machine having a currency validation unit and a storage module. 
     From DE 198 29 458 A1, a device is known for the storage and dispensation of paper currencies such as bank notes and which comprises in addition to a currency stacking till, a storage drum located beneath the currency stacking till in which the bank notes are rolled around in layers separated by at least one foil strip. Incoming bank notes are sent through a conveyor unit to a verification unit and then to the currency stacking till, respectively the storage drum. 
     Furthermore, from the WO 00/52649 a device for the deposit and dispensation of bank notes is known. The bank notes are conveyed to a unit with three roller storages. The unit in which the roller magazines are seated can be pivoted into a position for dispensing the bank notes. 
     The conventional devices that are known for the storage and dispensation of bank notes for the most part are insufficiently compact in their construction. In addition, the bank note storage capacity of such machines is not suitably dimensioned for compactness and efficiency. 
     It would therefore be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved device for intake and dispensation of currencies to obviate prior art shortcomings and to provide a unit that is compact, easy to install and efficient in use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention resolves prior art problems since the device has a compact construction thus permitting that a sufficient amount of the incoming paper currency can be stored in the storage module and that such currency is at any time again available for dispensation in accordance with the determined dispensation schedule. 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a device for depositing and dispensing paper payment medium includes a unit for verification of the value of the payment medium and the authenticity of the incoming payment medium, a payment medium storage till for stacking the accepted payment medium such as bank notes and a storage module for the intake and dispensation of the accepted bank notes, as well as a transport unit for conveying the accepted bank notes from the verification unit to the storage till and/or the storage module and wherein the storage module is constructed as a revolving magazine which includes a plurality of roller magazines, each of which is provided with its own opening for entry and exit of bank notes. Each of the roller magazines is pivotable by means of an actuator into a transfer position to an entry and exit opening of the transport system. 
     In the context of the present invention the terms “paper payment medium”, “bank note”, “currency”, “paper currency” or “bills” are interchangeable terms designating paper or paper like legal tender as payment means. 
     A further advantageous feature of the device according to the present invention is that the bank note transport unit is separated from the bank note verification unit. A transport unit of the bank note stacking unit is able to deliver the bank notes to the bank note storage modules with a storage capacity for bank notes sorted according to three different bank note face values. 
     The device is very compact in its construction and requires few additional transport means other than the transport system which is already part of the device. Construction of the device thus provides high storage efficiency in conjunction with simplicity and cost efficiency. In particular, each individual storage roller magazine has a high storage capacity due to the use of only one foil strip for transporting and securing the paper note. 
     In order to realize both, a secure intake and a secure dispensation of the bank notes, each storage magazine and supply magazine is provided with its own actuating mechanism. These actuating mechanisms are controlled by a common control unit which controls each actuating mechanism according to its individual present function and in turn ensures that the foil strip is under sufficient tension to avoid that the bills can slip from the foil. 
     Furthermore, the afore-described construction ensures that the bills are always available for dispensation. Also, the device includes that a hand crank is provided inside the housing by means of which the storage modules can be individually manually operated for bill dispensation. Of course, the hand crank is located in a secure location inside the housing which is accessible only to authorized personnel. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a longitudinal section view of the device for the deposit and dispensation of paper currency according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is perspective view of the device shown in  FIG. 1  inside a housing. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals. 
     Turning now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a device  1  for the deposit and dispensation of paper currency which includes a paper currency examination unit  2  connected to an attachment plate  3  of a bill stacking unit  4 . The bill stacking unit  4  comprises a transport and stacking system  5 ,  6  which is assigned to a revolving magazine  7 . The revolving magazine  7  includes three bill roller magazines  8 . 
     The bill examination unit  2  comprises its own control and transport unit for transporting the accepted bills to a bill dispensing opening  9  of the bill examination unit  2 . 
     The bill dispensation opening  9  is followed by the transport system  5  which consists of two endless bands  10  in parallel disposition to each other and corresponding press rollers  11 . Perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the transport system  5  is the removable bill stacking till  12 . The bill stacking till  12  is provided with a spring-loaded stacking floor  13 . With one of its ends, the spring  14  is supported at the stacking floor  13  and with the other end supported at a rear wall  15  of bill collecting till  12 . A scissor-type lifting system  17 , which is driven by an electromotor is located at the side opposite the stacking floor  13  and corresponds to an access opening (not shown here) to the bill stacking till  12 . An accessory drive operatively engages the lifting system  17  thereby causing the lifting system  17  to deflect. A press roller  11  is disposed in a pivotable holding device which is fixed in the area central to the stacking floor  13 . An electromagnetic actuator  19  is assigned to the fixed holding device for the press roller  11 . The transport system  5  extends to an entry/exit opening  20  of the revolving magazine  7 . The revolving magazine  7  is attached in formfitting and/or friction fitting manner at the bottom side of the housing in which the bill stacking unit  4  is situated. 
     The revolving magazine  7  which comprises at least one face plate  22  is disposed in a housing  35  and is rotatable about a central longitudinal axis  21 . Disposed at the face plate  22  are three roller magazines  23  each of which consists of a transport band supply spool  24  and a bill collecting spool  25 . A transport band  26  which is coiled about the transport band supply spool  24  is fed to the bill collection spool  25  by means of two deflection rollers  27  that are disposed at the face plate  22 . The transport band supply spool  24  and the bill collection spool  25  each comprise its own accessory drive. Each roller magazine  23  is assigned a bill entry and exit opening  29 . Deflection rollers  27 ,  28 , bearing transport band  26  are disposed in the area of opening  29 . A spring loaded pivotable drag bar  30  is disposed between deflection roller  28  and the bill collection roller  25  and supported by the bill collection spool  25 . The drag bar is  30  is mounted at the face plate  22  in a pivotable manner. 
     The revolving magazine  7  is rotatably disposed at the central longitudinal axis  21 . The face place  22  can be swiveled by 240° by means of a motor drive. A motor drive with a swivel gear  31  is operatively engaged with a crown gear of the face plate  22 . Each of the bill entry/exit opening  29  of each roller magazine  23  can thus be aligned with the input and output opening  20 . At the outer circumference of the face plate  22  there are three spaced apart index notches  32  each of which is correspond to a locking roller  33  with a spring-loaded notch lever  34 . A photoelectric barrier is assigned to the notch lever  34  for recognizing the position of the notch lever  34 . The photoelectric barrier (not shown here) is connected to a control unit. Each of the roller magazines  23  is provided with its own identical control unit. Data exchange among the control units is carried out by a single-strand data line. The three control units of roller magazines  23  are in correspondence with a control unit of the stacking- and transport system  5 ,  6 . 
     The revolving magazine  7  is shown in a perspective view in  FIG. 2 . The housing  35  of revolving magazine  7  shows service openings with corresponding shutters  37 ,  38 . The housing  35  can be separated from the stacking system  6  by opening a lock with a key. Only after removal of the housing  35  from the stacking system  6 , it is possible to open rear shutter  38  and bottom shutter  37 . The rear shutter  38  as well as the floor shutter  37  is pivotably disposed at a side wall  39  of the housing  35 . On the inner side of rear shutter  38  is a bracket  40  to which a hand crank  41  is form-fittingly attached. The side wall  39  of housing  35  has a cover  42  for locking service opening  43 . The axle of the transport band supply spool  24  is located behind the cover  42 . A spur gear of the transport band supply spool  24  gearing is connected to the axle of the transport band supply spool  24 . At its face, the spur gear has recesses, which correspond with a pin that is fastened at the end of the hand crank  41 . The transport band supply spool  24  thus can be manually rotated with the hand crank  41  for winding the transport band up onto the spool  24 . By means of the manual operation of the transport band supply spool  24 , bills that have been rolled into and stored on the bill collection spool  25  can be dispensed through the bill input/output opening  29  located at the side of the bottom shutter  37 . After removal of the hand crank  41  from the service opening  43 , the face plate  22  can be pivoted into a next position which permits to insert the hand crank  41  again in order to actuate the transport band supply spool  24  of another roller magazine  23 . The face plate  22  can also be pivoted by means of a manual access at the side corresponding to the stacking system  6 . 
     The purposeful pivoting of the face plate  22  ensures that the bill intake and dispensation opening  29  of the respective roller magazine  23  corresponds to the bottom shutter  37  and that the bills which are to be dispensed can be purposefully and securely removed from the revolving magazine  23 . 
     Due to its compactness, device  1  for the deposit and dispensation of bank notes can for example be utilized in coin operated entertainment machines. After the entertainment machine is turned on, device  1  operates under the same electric power source as the entertainment machine. 
     A bank note is inserted into a deposit opening after which it first moves through a bank note examination unit  2  where it is authenticated and its face value determined. If the bank note is accepted, it is moved via a transport unit of the bank note deposit opening  9  adjoining the examination unit  2 , to transport system  5 . The transport system  5  moves the bank note to the area of the stacking floor  13 . An actuator  19  for the press roller  11  is put into operation so that the press roller  11  is moved in opposite direction of the stacking floor  13 . By means of an actuator, the scissor-like lifting system  17  is operated such that the bank note is pressed into the bank note stacking till  12 . Thereafter, the actuator of the lifting system  17  is returned to its start position. 
     After a deposited bank note has been verified and accepted it is then transferred to the transport system  5  and transported along a travel path to the entry/exit opening  20 . When reaching the entry/exit opening  20 , a light barrier located in the travel path and connected to the control unit of the stacking system  6  is activated and interrupts the transport of the bank note. The determined face value of the bank note which is located in the transport system  5  is then communicated to the control unit of the revolving magazine  7 . Depending on the face value of the present bank note, the respective roller magazine  23  is pivoted by means of the actuator  31  on the face plate  22 , whereby the bank note intake/output opening  29  of the respective roller magazine  23  will line up with the entry/exit opening  20  of the transport system  5 . The recognition of the line-up position is determined by means of the notch lever  34 , which locks into an index notch  32  by means of a locking roller  33 . Notch lever  34  is assigned a light barrier, which is connected to the control unit of the actuator. After the predetermined line-up position has been reached, the control unit for the roller magazine  23  is activated by the control unit of the bank note stacking unit  4 . The control unit of the roller magazine  23  thus activates the actuator of bank note collection spool  25 . The bank note is then moved by the transport system  5  into the input/output opening  29  to the point until the light barrier of the roller magazine  23  is activated. The control unit of the roller magazine  23  activates the actuators (not shown) of the transport band supply spool  24  and the bank note collection spool  25 , whereby the bank note is now rolled onto the bank note collecting spool  25 . 
     Upon a demand for dispensation of a bank note of a certain face value which is rolled up in the roller magazine  23 , the control unit of the bank note stacking unit  4  examines whether the bank note of the demanded face value is available from the roller magazine  23 , whose input/output opening  29  is still lined up with the entry/exit opening  20 . If the roller magazine  23 , currently lined up with the entry/exit opening  20 , does not have the bank note of the demanded face value, the actuator  31  of the control unit of the bank note stacking unit  4  becomes activated and continues to be activated until the next respective roller magazine  23  has reached the position where the bank note input/output opening  29  of the respective roller magazine  23  has lined up with the entry/exit opening  20 . When the desired locking position is reached, a light barrier is activated by the notch lever  34  thereby stopping the motor followed by the control unit of the bank note stacking unit  4  now activating the control unit of the roller magazine  23  lined up to input entry/exit  20 . The control unit of the roller magazine  23  activates the actuator of transport band supply spool  24  and bank note collecting spool  25 . When the dispensation position has been reached, that is, when the banknote input/output  29  is aligned with the entry/exit opening  20  of the transport system  5 , the control unit of each of the particular roller magazine  23  activates the actuator of each of the transport band supply spool  24  and the bank note collecting spool  25 . The bank note is then transported under rejection of the drag bar  30  to the bank note input/output  29  and then transferred into the transport system  5 . The outgoing bank note is fed to a bank note examining unit  2  and subsequently dispensed from there. 
     Since each incoming bank note is registered by the control unit of stacking unit  4 , the number and the face value of each bank note is known as well as the sequence of the notes, respectively each individual bank note in each roller magazine  23 . This allows bank notes of different face value to be deposited in one roller magazine  23 . When a dispensation is forced from the roller magazine  23  carrying bank notes of different face value, the bank notes which physically precede the note to be dispensed is transferred to the transport system  5  and then moved via the stacking system  6  into the stacking till  12 . 
     While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a device for an entertainment machine, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.