Device for receiving banknotes

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for receiving banknotes, comprising means for feeding and aligning banknotes, wherein said means for feeding and aligning banknotes comprise feeding wheels (3) that rotate in a feeding direction; and an alignment wheel (4) that is oriented obliquely to said feeding direction and rotates in a single direction towards an alignment wall (6). The invention provides a banknote-receiving device that allows the banknotes to be aligned and also to feed in one by one when the user inserts them in a wad.

Description

[0001] DEVICE FOR RECEIVING BANKNOTES

[0002] DESCRIPTION

[0003] Object of the invention

[0004] The present invention relates to a banknote receiving device, which allows receiving several banknotes one on top of the other forming a bundle, for feeding, for example, to a collection machine or ATM.

[0005] Background of the invention

[0006] Ticket machines and ATMs handle both input and output bills. Input bills are inserted by users, for example, to pay for a purchased item or to make a deposit into their account, and output bills are dispensed to the user to provide change at a ticket machine or to provide the money requested at an ATM.

[0007] Therefore, banknotes must be directed to different areas of the machine depending on their authentication, status, etc., and depending on the function the machine is performing at any given time: collection, payment, refund, storage in recyclers, storage in stackers, etc.

[0008] For a user, it's a challenge to have to insert bills one by one, so they often insert several bills together, forming a bundle. This poses the problem that the bills may be misaligned or of different sizes.

[0009] Currently, there are already devices capable of collecting one bill and collecting multiple bills at the same time.

[0010] For example, it's common to align bills by pushing the bills together at the ends on the long side and centering the entire stack. The problem with this system is that if bills of different sizes are inserted, the centering is adjusted to the largest bill, potentially leaving the smaller bills misaligned. This causes many bills to enter crooked and unprocessable.

[0011] There is also a known exfoliation system consisting of two sets of wheels: lower plastic wheels and upper foam wheels. The lower wheels always rotate in the same direction, pulling the bills into the machine.

[0012] However, the upper wheels incorporate a clutch that allows both wheels to rotate inwards when there are no bills inside the mechanism, and when there is a bill inside the mechanism, the upper wheel continues to rotate inwards and the lower wheel stops.

[0013] In this way, the bill is forced inward and the bills on top are retained by the stationary wheel.

[0014] This system exfoliates the banknotes but does not align them. For this reason, a high percentage of banknotes are entered crooked. This generally causes many banknote jams and rejections, as they cannot be identified.

[0015] Description of the invention

[0016] Therefore, an objective of the present invention is to provide a banknote receiving device, which allows banknotes to be aligned and also manages to insert the banknotes one by one when the user places the banknotes in a bundle.

[0017] The banknote receiving device of the invention resolves the aforementioned drawbacks, presenting other advantages that will be described below.

[0018] The banknote receiving device according to the present invention is described in claim 1, and the dependent claims include additional features that are optional.

[0019] In particular, the banknote receiving device comprises banknote feeding and alignment means, comprising:

[0020] - feed wheels that are rotatable in a feed direction; and

[0021] - an alignment wheel that is oriented obliquely with respect to said feed direction and that is rotatable in a single direction towards an alignment wall.

[0022] Furthermore, said means for feeding and aligning banknotes also comprise pressure elements positioned in correspondence with the feed wheels and the alignment wheel, the feed wheels and the alignment wheel being able to be positioned in a position separated from the pressure elements or a position in contact with said pressure elements.

[0023] Preferably, the pressure elements are movable relative to the feed wheels and the alignment wheel.

[0024] Furthermore, the displacement of the pressure elements is preferably carried out by means of a cam that contacts a lever, the rotation of which triggers the movement of an arm of a body attached to the pressure elements.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment, said cam has an ovoid shape.

[0026] Preferably, the feed wheels and / or the alignment wheel have a shape in which only one sector of them performs the banknote-feeding operation.

[0027] The banknote receiving device according to the present invention also preferably comprises banknote separating exfoliation wheels.

[0028] These exfoliation wheels consist of upper and lower wheels, the lower wheels rotating in one direction and the upper wheels rotating in both directions. According to a preferred embodiment, the upper wheels are smooth and the lower wheels have teeth.

[0029] In addition, the upper exfoliation wheels are connected to a clutch.

[0030] Advantageously, the drive of the feed wheels and the alignment wheel is carried out by a single motor, and preferably said motor also drives the movement of the pressure elements and the exfoliation wheels.

[0031] According to a preferred embodiment, said motor comprises an axle, two toothed wheels being located on said axle, one of the toothed wheels being driven when the axle rotates in one direction and the other of the toothed wheels being driven when the axle rotates in the other direction, such that when one of the toothed wheels is driven, the displacement of the pressure elements is caused and when the other of the toothed wheels is driven, the rotation of the feed wheels, the alignment wheel and the exfoliation wheels is caused.

[0032] The banknote receiving device according to the present invention is capable of aligning the banknotes and is also capable of feeding the banknotes one by one when the user places the banknotes in a bundle.

[0033] That is, it allows you to insert the wad of bills without difficulty, align the bill, and peel the bills so you can move them one by one.

[0034] Brief description of the drawings

[0035] For a better understanding of what has been explained, some drawings are attached which, schematically and solely as a non-limiting example, represent a practical case of implementation.

[0036] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the banknote receiving device;

[0037] Figures 2 to 4 are perspective views showing different modes of banknote feeding;

[0038] Figure 5 is a front view of an embodiment of the alignment wheel;

[0039] Figure 6 is a front view of an embodiment of one of the feed wheels;

[0040] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the pressure element lifting system of the banknote receiving device according to the present invention; and

[0041] Figure 8 is a perspective view of the motion transmission system of the banknote receiving device according to the present invention.

[0042] Description of a preferred embodiment

[0043] Figure 1 shows the banknote receiving device according to the present invention, comprising banknote exfoliation means, i.e. means that separate the banknotes from each other.

[0044] The exfoliation means comprise four wheels, two upper wheels 1 and two lower wheels 2. The lower wheels 2 always rotate in the direction of the banknote feed.

[0045] For its part, the upper wheels 1 are mounted on a clutch 10 formed by toothed wheels so that it can work in two ways.

[0046] When there are no banknotes inside the mechanism, the upper wheels 1 rotate in the direction of banknote feed, but when there are one or more banknotes, the upper wheels 1 reverse the rotation, rotating in the opposite direction to the banknote feed.

[0047] In this way, a banknote from the bundle being processed advances in the direction of introduction and the banknotes on top are pushed in the opposite direction and are never caught by wheels 1, 2.

[0048] For example, the lower wheels (2) have teeth, while the upper wheels (1) are smooth. Furthermore, the lower wheels (2) must always have more traction than the upper wheels.

[0049] The banknote receiving device according to the present invention also comprises feeding and alignment means, comprising two feed wheels 3 and one alignment wheel 4, which are located at the bottom of a banknote passage channel. The feed wheels 3 can rotate in a single feed direction.

[0050] Furthermore, pressure elements 5 are located in the upper part of the channel, in correspondence with the feed wheels 3 and the alignment wheel 4. The geometry of the feed wheels 3 and the alignment wheel 4 generates two states, a state where there is contact and another state where there is no contact, as will be explained later.

[0051] As can be seen in Figure 1, the feed wheels 3 are located parallel to the direction of advance of the banknotes, indicated by arrow A, while the alignment wheel is arranged obliquely with respect to said direction of advance or feed direction, so that it pushes the banknote towards an alignment wall 6. This oblique arrangement has the purpose of not nailing the banknote against the upper and lower exfoliation wheels 1, 2.

[0052] As can be seen in figures 5 and 6, the feed wheels 3 and the alignment wheel 4 are not completely round, that is, they have a non-circular geometry, in which only one sector is curved.

[0053] Figures 2 to 4 show three situations of pulling a banknote.

[0054] Figure 2 shows the banknote insertion position, in which none of the three wheels 3 and 4 are in the working position. That is, the wheels 3 and 4 are separated from the pressure elements 5, and the banknote is not divided.

[0055] Figure 3 shows the alignment position, in which the alignment wheel 4 is in contact with a pressure element 5, with the banknote between the alignment wheel 4 and the pressure element 5, such that the banknote is split, moving it against the alignment wall 6 (arrow B). During this situation, the feed wheels 3 are separated from the pressure elements 5 and do not split the banknote.

[0056] Figure 4 shows the feeding position, in which the two feed wheels 3 are in contact with the pressure elements 5. The banknote is divided between the feed wheels 3 and the pressure elements, sending it towards the exfoliation wheels 1 and 2 (arrow C). During this situation, the alignment wheel 4 is separated from the pressure element 5 and does not divide the banknote.

[0057] Furthermore, since the user can insert a single banknote or a bundle of banknotes, this difference in thickness is a problem and to facilitate the insertion of banknotes, the banknote insertion arrangement according to the present invention comprises lifting means to raise the pressure elements 5 and facilitate the insertion of the banknotes.

[0058] These lifting means comprise a cam 7 that raises and lowers the pressure elements 5, which transforms a rotary movement into an alternating rectilinear movement, thus making the pressure elements 5 raise and lower. As can be seen in figure 7, this cam has an ovoid shape in section.

[0059] Furthermore, said lifting means comprise a lever 8 which is in contact with said cam 7 and with an arm 9, said arm 9 being integral with the pressure elements 5 through a body 11.

[0060] In this way, depending on the part of the cam 7 in contact with the lever 8, the pressure elements 5 will be moved by the action of the lever 8 on the arm 9.

[0061] Advantageously, the movement of the entire banknote receiving device according to the present invention is carried out by a single motor 12, represented in Figure 8. Thus, when the motor 12 rotates in one direction only the exfoliation wheels 1, 2, the feed wheels 3 and the alignment wheel 4 move, and when the motor 12 reverses its rotation, only the pressure elements 5 move.

[0062] To achieve this effect, two toothed wheels 13, 14 mounted on an anti-rotating element have been mounted on a shaft 15 of the motor 12, which are oriented in opposite directions, so that when the shaft 15 rotates in one direction, one of the toothed wheels 13 rotates and when the shaft 15 rotates in the opposite direction, the other of the toothed wheels 14 rotates.

[0063] With this assembly, a chain of gears is moved, shown in figure 8, which transmits the movement to wheels 1, 2, 3 and 4 when the motor rotates in one direction and when the direction of rotation of the motor is reversed, the pressure elements 5 move.

[0064] Accordingly, as indicated above, the banknote receiving device according to the present invention is capable of aligning the banknotes and is also capable of feeding the banknotes one by one when the user places the banknotes in a bundle.

[0065] That is, it allows you to insert the wad of bills without difficulty, align the bill, and peel the bills so you can move them one by one.

[0066] Although reference has been made to a specific embodiment of the invention, it is evident to a person skilled in the art that the banknote receiving device described is susceptible to numerous variations and modifications, and that all the details mentioned can be replaced by other technically equivalent ones, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Banknote receiving device, comprising means for feeding and aligning banknotes, characterized in that said means for feeding and aligning banknotes comprise: - feed wheels (3) that are rotatable in a feed direction; and - an alignment wheel (4) which is oriented obliquely with respect to said feed direction and which is rotatable in a single direction towards an alignment wall (6).

2. Banknote receiving device according to claim 1, wherein said banknote feeding and aligning means also comprise pressure elements (5) placed in correspondence with the feed wheels (3) and the alignment wheel (4), the feed wheels (3) and the alignment wheel (4) being able to be placed in a position separated from the pressure elements (5) or a position in contact with said pressure elements (5).

3. Banknote receiving device according to claim 2, wherein the pressure elements (5) are movable relative to the feed wheels (3) and the alignment wheel (4).

4. Banknote receiving device according to claim 3, wherein the displacement of the pressure elements (5) is carried out by means of a cam (7) that contacts a lever (8), the rotation of which actuates the movement of an arm (9) of a body (11) integral with the pressure elements (5).

5. Banknote receiving device according to claim 4, wherein said cam (7) has an ovoid shape.

6. Banknote receiving device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the feed wheels (3) and / or the alignment wheel (4) have a shape in which only a sector thereof is curved.

7. Banknote receiving device according to any one of the preceding claims, which also comprises exfoliation wheels (1, 2) for separating banknotes.

8. Banknote receiving device according to claim 7, wherein said exfoliation wheels are upper wheels (1) and lower wheels (2), the lower wheels (2) being rotatable in one direction and the upper wheels (1) being rotatable in both directions.

9. Banknote receiving device according to claim 8, wherein the upper wheels (1) are smooth.

10. Banknote receiving device according to claim 8, wherein the lower wheels (2) have teeth.

11. Banknote receiving device according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the exfoliation wheels (1, 2) are connected to a clutch (10).

12. Banknote receiving device according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive of the feed wheels (3) and the alignment wheel (4) is carried out by a single motor (12).

13. Banknote receiving device according to claim 12 and any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said motor (12) also drives the movement of the pressure elements (5).

14. Banknote receiving device according to claim 12 and any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein said motor (12) also drives the exfoliation wheels (1, 2).

15. Banknote receiving device according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein said motor (12) comprises a shaft (15), two toothed wheels (13, 14) mounted on an anti-rotating element being located on said shaft (15), one of the toothed wheels (13) being actuated when the shaft (15) rotates in one direction. and the other of the toothed wheels (14) is actuated when the shaft (15) rotates in the other direction, so that when one of the toothed wheels (13) is actuated, the displacement of the pressure elements (5) is caused and when the other of the toothed wheels (14) is actuated, the rotation of the feed wheels (3), the alignment wheel (4) and the exfoliation wheels (1, 2) is caused.

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