Patent Publication Number: US-7900764-B2

Title: Latching and securing mechanism for bill presenter of a currency dispensing machine

Description:
TRADEMARKS 
     IBM® is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y., U.S.A. Other names used herein may be registered trademarks, trademarks or product names of International Business Machines Corporation or other companies. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to currency dispensing machines, and particularly to mechanisms for securing components of currency dispensing machines. 
     2. Description of Background 
     Currency dispensing machines include automated banking machines and the like. The currency dispensing machines typically include one or more bill dispensers often located in a housing or cabinet. Often the bill dispenser is disposed on one or more sliding rails which allow for easy insertion of the bill dispenser into the cabinet and is held in place in the cabinet by one or more spring-loaded pins. 
     A bill presenter is a component of currency dispensing machine which guides currency from the currency dispensing machine and presents the currency into a cup for customer retrieval. The bill presenter assembly is mounted in the cabinet and includes a bill presenter gear which is configured and located to mesh with a drive gear on the bill dispenser when the bill dispenser is inserted into the cabinet via the sliding rails. Upon insertion, however, the drive gear and the bill presenter gear are misaligned, preventing the currency dispensing machine from functioning correctly. Further, the bill presenter may become dislodged during insertion of the bill dispenser due to collision between the drive gear and the bill presenter gear. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The shortcomings of the prior art are overcome and additional advantages are provided through the provision of a currency dispensing machine including a cabinet and a bill presenter located therein. The bill presenter includes a presenter having two side plates, at least one drive gear having a plurality of drive teeth, and at least one presenter belt in operable communication with the at least one drive belt for urging currency through the dispenser. The bill presenter is located in a bill presenter housing having a mounting face, two retention plates extending from the mounting face and receivable of the presenter therebetween, and a longitudinally extending retention hook disposed in each side plate of the two side plates. Two retaining pins are each insertable through one retention hook of the two retention hooks and through one retention plate of the two retention plates. Two latch arms are slidably located in the bill presenter, each at one retention plate of the two retention plates, and include a latch hook engageable with one retaining pin of the two retaining pins for preventing longitudinal movement of the presenter relative to the bill presenter housing. 
     The currency dispensing machine includes a bill dispenser slidably disposed in the cabinet and including a plurality of gear teeth engageable with the plurality of drive teeth and at least one locking slot. At least one locking pin is insertable into one locking slot of the at least one locking slot for preventing misalignment of the plurality of gear teeth with the plurality of drive teeth. 
     Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present invention. Other embodiments and aspects of the invention are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed invention. For a better understanding of the invention with advantages and features, refer to the description and to the drawings. 
     TECHNICAL EFFECTS 
     As a result of the summarized invention, technically we have achieved a solution which properly aligns a currency dispenser to a bill presenter in a currency dispensing machine, preventing malfunction of the currency dispensing machine. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an embodiment of a bill presenter assembly; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial view of a currency dispensing machine; 
         FIG. 3  illustrates an embodiment of a latch arm; and 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of a locking tab. 
     
    
    
     The detailed description explains the preferred embodiments of the invention, together with advantages and features, by way of example with reference to the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, it will be seen that in  FIG. 1  there is a perspective view of a bill presenter assembly  10  for a currency dispensing machine. The bill presenter assembly  10  includes a mounting plate  12  for affixing the bill presenter assembly  10  to a cabinet  14 , as best shown in  FIG. 2 . Returning to  FIG. 1 , the mounting plate  12  is affixed to a bill presenter housing  16  by, for example, two mounting screws  18 . A presenter  20  is disposed at least partially within the bill presenter housing  16 . The presenter  20  includes two side plates  22  and at least one drive gear  24  rotably disposed in at least one of the side plates  22 . The at least one drive gear  24  includes a plurality of drive teeth  26  which mesh with gear teeth  28  of a dispenser  30  to drive the presenter  20 . The drive gear  24  is operably connected to at least one presenter belt  32 . Two presenter belts  32  are shown in the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , but it is to be appreciated that other quantities of presenter belts  32  are contemplated within the present scope. The presenter belts  32  are disposed and configured to urge currency from the dispenser  30  through the presenter  20  and into a cup (not shown). 
     The presenter  20  is secured in the bill presenter housing  16  to allow motion of presenter  20  relative to the bill presenter housing  16  to enable the drive teeth  26  to mesh with the gear teeth  28  when the dispenser  30  is installed into the cabinet  14  by, for example sliding the dispenser  30  along one or more installation rails  34  as shown in  FIG.2 . Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the bill presenter housing  16  includes two retention plates  36  disposed substantially parallel to the side plates  22  and are configured to receive the side plates  22  therebetween. It is to be appreciated that the structure at each retention plate  36  is the same, thus for simplicity of explanation only the structure at one of the retention plates  36  will be described herein. Each retention plate  36  includes a retaining hook  38  receivable of a retaining pin  40  which is inserted through the retaining hook  38  and into a retaining hole (not shown). The retaining pin  40  is retained in a longitudinal direction  42  by a bracket  44 . The bracket  44  is rotably secured to the retention plate  36  by a mechanical fastener, for example a bolt  46 . To prevent over rotation of the bracket  44 , the bracket  44  includes a bracket arm  48  which interferes with an anti-rotation tab  50  in the event that the bracket  44  rotates to a limit in the clockwise direction. The bracket  44  is further connected to the bill presenter housing  16  via a spring  52 . The spring  52  is configured to return the bracket  44  to a preferred orientation, vertical in the case of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , when the bracket  44  is rotated. 
     A latch arm  54  is disposed at each retention plate  36 . The latch arm  54  includes a latch arm slot  56  through which the bolt  46  is inserted thus securing the latch arm  54  to the retention plate  36 . In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the latch arm  54  is disposed between a first arm  58  and a second arm  60  of the bracket  44 . The latch arm slot  56  extends in the longitudinal direction  42  so that the latch arm  54  is slidable in the longitudinal direction  42 . The latch arm  54  includes a latch hook  62  which is configured to be receivable of a head  64  of the retaining pin  40 . When the latch arm  54  is moved to a latched position, the latch arm  54  engages the retaining pin  40  preventing motion of the presenter  20  and preventing inadvertent removal of the retaining pin  40  from the side plate  22 . 
     In some embodiments, the latch arm  54  may include an alignment slot  66  which is configured and disposed to be receivable of the anti-rotation tab  50 . Inclusion of the alignment slot  66  prevents rotation of the latch arm  54  so the latch hook  62  is more easily engageable with the retaining pin  40 . Further, the latch may include a latch handle  72  allowing for easier engagement or disengagement of the latch arm  54  by a user. The handle  72  shown in  FIG. 1  extends substantially perpendicular to the latch arm  54 , but other configurations of handles  72  are contemplated within the present scope. 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the latch arm  54  includes a locking tab  68  extending toward the bracket arm  48 . The locking tab  68  is disposed at a bracket edge  70  to prevent rotation of the bracket  44  in a counterclockwise direction when the latch arm  54  is disposed in the engaged position. Thus, when the latch  54  is in the engaged position, the bracket  44  is prevented from rotating in the clockwise direction by the anti-rotation tab  50  and in the counterclockwise direction by the locking tab  68 . 
     In some embodiments, as shown in  FIG. 4 , at least one locking slot  74  is included in the dispenser  30 . Each locking slot  74  is configured and disposed to be receivable of a locking pin  76 , which in some embodiments is spring loaded, disposed in the cabinet  14 . When the dispenser  30  is inserted into the cabinet  14  to a position where the drive teeth  26  are engageable with the gear teeth  28 , each locking slot  74  receives each locking pin  76  and prevents rotation of the dispenser  30  in the cabinet  14 . Utilization of the latch  54  alone or together with the locking slot  74  and locking pin  76  prevents misalignment of dispenser  30  relative to the presenter  20  to ensure proper engagement of the gear teeth  28  with the drive teeth  26 . Proper engagement of the gear teeth  28  to the drive teeth  26  ensures proper function of the currency dispensing machine and reduces downtime and the need for costly service calls to repair malfunctioning currency dispensing machines. 
     While the preferred embodiment to the invention has been described, it will be understood that those skilled in the art, both now and in the future, may make various improvements and enhancements which fall within the scope of the claims which follow. These claims should be construed to maintain the proper protection for the invention first described.