Self-service terminal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Self-service terminals, such as checkouts, require cost-effective and flexible designs to accommodate changing operational needs and peripheral device requirements, but existing solutions lack modular expansion capabilities and easy maintenance access.
Innovation Solution
A modular self-service terminal design with a housing that can be expanded and modified on-site, featuring linear insertion guide sections for easy assembly and disassembly, and pivoting mechanisms for simple access to internal components, allowing for flexible peripheral device connections and reduced operational costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the self-service terminal uses a fixed structure with integrated peripheral devices, then the initial setup is simple, but the adaptability to changing operational needs and peripheral device requirements is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into multiple detachable sections (front housing section, rear housing section, side housing sections) that can be separately assembled and disassembled. This segmentation allows the terminal structure to be adapted by adding, removing, or replacing individual sections without affecting the entire system, thereby improving adaptability while maintaining manageable structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing transitions from a static, fixed structure to a dynamic, reconfigurable structure through the introduction of detachable connections and pivotable components. The front housing section can pivot relative to the rear housing section, and peripheral devices can be dynamically added or removed, enabling the system to adapt to changing operational requirements.
2Ease of operation
If the self-service terminal uses a compact design with integrated components, then the space efficiency is improved, but the ease of maintenance and access to internal components deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into detachable sections with standardized connection interfaces (linear insertion guide sections). This allows maintenance personnel to easily access internal components by detaching specific housing sections without disassembling the entire device, improving ease of maintenance while the standardized interfaces keep assembly complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The display and operating device are extracted from a fixed integrated position and made pivotable relative to the housing. This extraction allows the display to be easily accessed, removed, or repositioned for maintenance purposes without affecting the rest of the terminal structure, thereby improving maintenance accessibility.
3Ease of repair
If the self-service terminal uses a modular design with detachable housing sections, then the ease of maintenance and peripheral device replacement is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into standardized detachable sections with matching connection interfaces. This segmentation enables peripheral devices to be easily replaced by detaching and reattaching housing sections, improving ease of repair. The standardized nature of the segmentation keeps the increase in structural complexity minimal and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The linear insertion guide sections and connection interfaces are designed as universal components that can accommodate different peripheral devices and housing configurations. This universality allows the same basic structure to serve multiple functions and support various device arrangements, improving ease of peripheral device replacement without proportionally increasing structural complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the self-service terminal uses a fixed peripheral device configuration, then the initial deployment is straightforward, but the flexibility to add or remove peripheral devices is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The terminal is designed with segmented housing sections that can be independently manufactured and then assembled through simple linear insertion and detaching operations. This segmentation maintains ease of manufacture by allowing modular production while providing the flexibility to add or remove peripheral devices by attaching or detaching the appropriate housing sections.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection system transitions from a permanent fixed configuration to a dynamic reconfigurable system. The linear insertion guide sections enable peripheral devices to be dynamically added or removed without complex assembly procedures, maintaining ease of manufacture through simple connection mechanisms while achieving the desired flexibility.
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 1C
AI summary
A self-service terminal (100) is disclosed, comprising: a housing (102) with a first linear insertion guide section (108) and a second linear insertion guide section (110), which are parallel to each other and thus define a common linear insertion direction (114) and which are arranged at a distance from each other transversely to the linear insertion direction; a display and/or operating device (104) attached to the housing (102) and oriented towards a user of the self-service terminal (100); a processor configured to provide a graphical display and/or operating interface on the display and/or operating device (104) to assist the user in a self-service process at the self-service terminal (100);a fastening element (112) which is designed to be detachably attached to a base (106) and which has a first and a second corresponding linear insertion guide section, such that the housing (102) and the fastening element (112) attached to the base (106) can be assembled along the linear insertion direction (114) via linear insertion in order to detachably fix the housing (102) to the base (106) via the fastening element (112).