Robotic Bill Bundle Handling for Secure Sorting and Case Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Business establishments face challenges in safely and securely handling large volumes of bills or printed records, such as bank notes and gaming tickets, due to risks of theft and human error during processing.
Innovation Solution
An automatic bill handling system utilizing multiple robot arms and conveyance devices to manage bill storage containers, including unlocking, conveying, and sorting bills while maintaining their orientation, and using a case storage mechanism for packing bundles into secure cases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual handling of bills is performed, then operational flexibility is maintained, but safety and security are compromised due to theft risk and human error
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where robot arms autonomously perform bill extraction, conveyance, and storage operations without human intervention. The robot arm automatically grasps bills from storage containers, transports them through the conveyance device, and places them in destination containers, creating a self-contained automated workflow that eliminates manual handling risks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical handling with automated robotic systems. Robot arms with grippers substitute human hands for bill extraction and placement, while automated conveyance devices replace manual transport mechanisms. This mechanical substitution maintains operational precision while eliminating human error and security vulnerabilities associated with manual bill handling.
2Reliability
If automated robot arms are used for bill handling, then safety and security are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm is designed with multi-functionality to perform multiple operations including grasping bills, extracting them from storage containers, conveying them through the system, and placing them in destination containers. This universal design consolidates what could be multiple specialized devices into a single versatile robotic system, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high automation capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functions into integrated components. The robot arm combines extraction, conveyance, and storage operations in one unified system. The conveyance device integrates bill transport with positioning and orientation maintenance. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate devices needed and simplifies the overall system architecture while preserving safety and security benefits.
3Manufacturing precision
If bills are extracted and conveyed maintaining horizontal orientation, then sorting accuracy is improved, but handling time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot arm is designed to maintain horizontal orientation of bills during extraction from storage containers. This preliminary action of correct positioning is performed at the source, ensuring bills are oriented properly before entering the conveyance system. By establishing correct orientation early in the process, subsequent sorting operations are simplified and accelerated, reducing overall handling time while maintaining high sorting accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyance device continuously transports bills while maintaining their horizontal orientation throughout the transport process. This continuous maintenance of proper orientation eliminates the need for intermediate repositioning or correction operations, keeping the useful action of bill conveyance uninterrupted and efficient. The seamless transition from extraction to storage with consistent orientation minimizes handling time while ensuring sorting accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are devices, systems, and methods for automatic handling of bank notes, gambling tickets, bills, or other types of paper notes. The disclosed devices, systems, and methods are directed to, or include, various robot arms, which may be articulated, that are configured to open a bill storage container, remove a bundle of bills, load the bundle on a bill conveying device, and load the bundle of bills in a bill storage case. The systems include one or more control devices to control the operations of the components that move the bill bundle.