Patent Publication Number: US-6669050-B2

Title: Paper currency storage cabinet mounting arrangement for a paper currency receiving system used in a ticket vendor or the like

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a paper currency receiving system for use in a ticket vending machine, money exchange machine, or the like and, more particularly to a paper currency storage cabinet mounting arrangement for a paper currency receiving system used in a ticket vendor or the like, which enables the paper currency storage cabinet to be conveniently detachably fastened to the paper currency receiving and verification unit. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A variety of ticket vending machines have been disclosed, and intensively used in parking lots, stations, public facilities for receiving paper currency and vending tickets. A regular ticket vending machine comprises a paper currency receiving and verification unit adapted for receiving and verifying the authenticity of paper currency inserted therein, and a paper currency storage cabinet adapted for receiving verified paper currency transferred from the paper currency receiving and verification unit. FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a paper currency storage cabinet for a paper currency receiving system used in a ticket vending machine. The paper currency storage cabinet comprises a swinging door panel, conical springs fixedly provided on the inside, and a pressure board supported on the conical springs and adapted for holding down paper currency received from the paper currency receiving and verification unit. The paper currency storage cabinet has a plurality of retaining rods symmetrically disposed at two sides and adapted for engaging into respective retaining holes in the paper currency receiving and verification unit. This structure of paper currency storage cabinet is still not satisfactory in function. When installed in the paper currency receiving and verification unit, the paper currency storage cabinet tends to be biased by an external force during transfer of paper currency from the paper currency receiving and verification unit to the paper currency storage cabinet, causing paper currency unable to be smoothly stably transferred to the inside of the paper currency storage cabinet. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has been accomplished to provide a paper currency storage cabinet mounting arrangement, which eliminates the aforesaid problem. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a paper currency storage cabinet mounting arrangement, which positively locks the paper currency storage cabinet and the paper currency receiving and verification unit against vibration after installation of the paper currency storage cabinet in the paper currency receiving and verification unit. According to one aspect of the present invention, the paper currency receiving and verification unit has a hook hole in one end thereof; the paper currency storage-cabinet has spring-supported lock means provided at one end of a swinging door thereof. When the paper currency storage cabinet loaded in the paper currency receiving and verification unit, the spring-supported lock means is automatically forced into position to lock the paper currency receiving and verification unit and the paper currency storage cabinet. According to another aspect of the present invention, the paper currency receiving and verification unit has L-shaped retaining holes symmetrically provided at two sides, and the paper currency storage cabinet has retaining rods symmetrically disposed at two sides and adapted for engaging the L-shaped retaining holes of the paper currency receiving and verification unit. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is an elevational assembly view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the present invention. 
     FIG. 3A is an enlarged view of part A of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of part B of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the prior art design. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3 , a paper currency receiving system is shown comprised of a paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 , and a paper currency storage cabinet  2  fastened to the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 . The paper currency receiving and verification unit  1  detects the authenticity of paper currency inserted therein, and transfers verified paper currency to the paper currency storage cabinet  2 . The paper currency storage cabinet  2  comprises a swinging door panel  21 , and a locking device  22  provided at one end of the swinging door panel  21  for locking the paper currency storage cabinet  2  when installed in the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 . The locking device  22  comprises a sliding locking block  221  adapted for engaging into a lock hole  12  in the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 , and a spring member, for example, a spiral spring  223  adapted for forcing the sliding locking block  221  into the lock hole  12 . The sliding locking block  221  comprises a positioning rod  222  adapted for holding the spring  223 , a stop rod  224  adapted for limiting the moving distance of the sliding locking block  221 , a handle  225  through which the sliding locking block  221  is moved between the locking position and the unlocking position, and a front engagement portion  226  adapted for engaging the lock hole  12 . The front engagement portion  226  has a sloping guide face  2261  adapted for guiding the front engagement portion  226  into the lock hole  12 . The swinging door panel  21  has an opposite end provided with a push plate  211 . The push plate  211  has a hooked portion  212  adapted for hooking in a hook hole  241  of a back cover  24  of the paper currency storage cabinet  2 . Further, compression springs  25  are provided at the inner sidewall of the back cover  24  to support a pressure board  26  for holding down paper currency transferred from the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 again, the paper currency receiving cabinet  2  further comprises a plurality of retaining rods  27  adapted for engaging respective L-shaped retaining holes  11  in two opposite lateral sidewalls of the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 3,  3 A, and  3 B, when separating the paper currency storage cabinet  2  from the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 , move the handle  225  to force the sliding locking block  221  against the spring  223  and to disengage the front engagement portion  226  from the lock hole  12 , and then push the paper currency storage cabinet  2  outwards to disengage the retaining rods  27  from the L-shaped retaining holes  11  while holding the handle  225  is the unlocking position, and therefore the paper currency storage cabinet  2  is separated from the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 . When reloading the paper currency storage cabinet  2  in the paper currency receiving and verification unit  1 , insert the respective retaining rods  27  into the respective L-shaped retaining holes  11 , and the sliding locking block  221  is automatically forced by the spring  223  to engage the front engagement portion  226  into the lock hole  12  when the paper currency storage cabinet  2  set into position in the paper currency receiving and verification cabinet  1 . 
     A prototype of paper currency storage cabinet mounting arrangement has been constructed with the features of the annexed drawings of FIGS.  1 ˜ 3 . The paper currency storage cabinet mounting arrangement functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier. 
     Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.