Abstract:
An electronic cash box including a body, a cover and a panel set is provided. The cover is pivotally connected to the body, and provides an open state and a closed state. The panel set includes a keypad module providing an electronic lock function and a lock module providing a mechanical lock function. By operating either the keypad module or the lock module, the open state and closed state can be switched.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a safety box apparatus, and more particularly, to an electronic cash box. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Conventional safety boxes are mostly locked by mechanical means, and can only be opened by a key that is carried by a user at all times. Further, for electronic safety boxes locked by electronic passwords, it is necessary that a user remember a password set by oneself so that a safety box can be opened by pressing number keys. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is an objective of the present invention to provide an electronic cash box, which offers dual functions of electronic password and mechanical locks to optimize utilization flexibilities. 
         [0004]    It is another objective of the present invention to provide an electronic cash box, which covers a keyhole of a mechanical lock when the mechanical lock is not in use to offer both security and esthetic effects. 
         [0005]    To achieve the objectives above, the present invention provides a cash box comprising: a body; a cover, pivotally connected to the body to provide an open state and a closed state; and a panel set, embedded to a side of the body, comprising a keypad module and a lock module. Wherein, by operating either the keypad module or the lock module, the open state and the closed state can be switched. 
         [0006]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, the panel set further comprises an opening for receiving a button comprising an extended section. 
         [0007]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, a pair of almost parallel guiding tracks is further comprised at two sides of the opening The button is restrained to slide along a predetermined direction according to the guiding tracks. 
         [0008]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, an solenoid valve is further comprised. The solenoid valve comprises a blocking section for pushing against the extended section of the button under the closed state. 
         [0009]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, a positioning piece is further comprised for positioning the blocking section. 
         [0010]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, the positioning piece comprises a non-magnetizing material. 
         [0011]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, the button further comprises a projecting section slightly vertically extended outwards from the button. 
         [0012]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, a concealing cover is further comprised for flexibly covering the lock module. 
         [0013]    According to the cash box according to the present invention, a circuit board provided near the keypad module is further comprised, wherein the keypad module and the solenoid valve are electrically connected. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0015]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a cash box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a top view of the cash box in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 3  is a side view of the cash box in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a panel set. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a rear view of a panel set. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a partial enlarged view of a button. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0021]      FIGS. 1 ,  2  and  3  respectively show an elevational view, a top view and a side view of an electronic cash box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the electronic cash box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a hollow body  1 , a cover  2 , a pivot  3 , a panel set  4  and a handle  5 . The cover  2  is pivotally connected to the body  1  via the pivot  3 , so that the cover  2  is allowed to become a closed state or an open state relative to the body  1 . Under a closed state, the cover  2  is closely engaged with the body  1  to prevent a risk of undesired peeping or undesired obtaining a content of the box, and so a shape of the cover  2  is necessarily formed to match a geometric shape of the body  1 . Further, the cover  2  and the body  1 , being rigid and endurable, are generally formed by a strong material such as metal or plastic steel. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 to 3 , the handle  5  is fixed to the cover  2 , and allows grasping of a user so that the user may move or carry the cash box when the cover  2  is closed relative the body  1 . Further, the panel set  4 , embedded to one side of the body  1 , comprises a keypad and a lock for allowing a user to open or close the cash box. The keypad and the lock shall be described below. 
         [0023]      FIGS. 4 and 5  respectively show a front view and a rear view of the panel set  4 . As shown, the panel set  4  comprises a keypad module  40 , a lock module  41 , an solenoid valve  48 , and a button  44 . The key module  40  comprises numeral buttons of  0  to  9 , and symbol keys of “*” and “#”, and is electrically connected to a circuit board  43 . Preferably, the circuit board  43  is provided closely to a rear side of the keypad module  40 , such that the circuit board  43  is facilitated to receive a corresponding electronic signal when a user presses the number keys or symbol keys of the keypad module  40 . The solenoid valve  48  comprises a blocking section  49  extended from one side of the solenoid valve  48 . Further, the solenoid valve  48  is electrically connected to the circuit board  43  and is controlled by circuits on the circuit board  43 . When a password entered by a user is correct, the solenoid valve  48  withdraws the blocking section  49  inwards via controls of the circuits on the circuit board  43 . To coordinate with the blocking section  49 , a positioning piece  52  is provided for positioning Further, to prevent a drawback that the blocking section  49  may fail to restore to its original position when electricity is cut off after magnetization occurring at an electrically connected axis of the blocking section  49  of the solenoid valve  48 , the positioning piece  52  is made of a non-magnetizing material. Preferably, the positioning piece  52  may be made of plastic, or a plastic piece is enclosed around the positioning piece  52  to prevent the issue of position restoring failure of the blocking section  49  caused by magnetization. 
         [0024]    The panel set  4  further comprises an opening  45 , and a pair of guiding tracks  46  (as shown in  FIG. 6 ) in the opening  45  to receive the button  44 , such that the button  44  is slidable according to the restraints of the guiding tracks  46  along a predetermined direction. The button  44  is provided with a projecting section  50  vertically extended outwards therefrom. The projecting section  50  is used for receiving the force pressed by a user. The button  44  further comprises an extended section  47  extended from one side of the button  44  that is near the solenoid valve  48 . When the cash box is under the closed state, the blocking section  49  of the solenoid valve  48  pushes against the extended section  47  of the button  44  such that the button  44  is prohibited from sliding downwards. When a password entered by a user is correct, via controls of the circuits on the circuit board  43 , the solenoid valve  48  withdraws the blocking section  49  inwards to allow the cash box to become the open state. In addition, the button  44  also becomes slidable since the blocking section  49  is withdrawn inwards.  FIG. 6  shows a partial enlarged view of the button  44 . 
         [0025]    Further, with the lock module  41  of the cash box of the present invention, a user may still open the cash box with a key as an alternative solution in the event that a user forgets the password and cannot open the cash box through the keypad module  40 . Since the opening of the cash box with the lock module  41  is rather an alternative solution which may not be utilized most of the time, a concealing cover  42  is provided to cover the lock module  41  for security and esthetic considerations when the lock module  41  is not in use. When a user needs to open the lock module  41 , the concealing cover  42  may be moved by sliding to reveal the keyhole of the lock module  41  to allow a user to insert the key. 
         [0026]    Therefore, the cash box of the present invention provides dual functions of an electronic lock and a mechanical lock to optimize utilization flexibilities. Further, when the mechanical lock is not in use, the keyhole of the mechanical lock is covered to further offer security and esthetic effects. 
         [0027]    While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not to be limited to the above embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.