Self-Service Terminal Protrusion for Receipt Jam Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
ATMs often experience costly and time-consuming downtime due to receipt paper jams caused by customers blocking the receipt exit aperture with their fingers, requiring frequent technician visits to resolve.
Innovation Solution
A self-service terminal design featuring a protrusion beneath the receipt aperture with a lower surface for the customer's finger and an upper surface to guide the receipt, ensuring sufficient clearance for the receipt to be dispensed without being blocked, and a canopy to prevent debris ingress, allowing the receipt to be retrieved even if the customer's finger is positioned above.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the receipt aperture is made accessible for easy receipt retrieval, then ease of operation is improved, but receipt paper jams occur when customers block the aperture with their fingers
Solution Approach 1:
A protrusion is introduced as an intermediary structure between the receipt aperture and the customer's finger. The protrusion has a lower surface that guides the customer's finger and an upper surface that guides the receipt, ensuring that the receipt exits at a sufficient distance from the aperture even when the finger is positioned on the protrusion. This mediator structure prevents direct blocking of the receipt path while maintaining ease of retrieval.
2Ease of operation
If the receipt aperture is positioned for easy customer access, then ease of operation is improved, but the frequency of technician visits increases due to jams
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusion acts as a mediator that allows easy customer access to the receipt aperture while preventing the harmful action of finger blocking. By providing a designated resting place for the finger on the protrusion's lower surface, the design maintains customer convenience while ensuring the receipt can exit freely along the protrusion's upper surface, thereby preventing jams and reducing technician visits.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusion design enables the system to prevent jams automatically through its geometric structure, without requiring external monitoring or intervention. The shape and positioning of the protrusion self-regulate the interaction between the customer's finger and the receipt exit, making the prevention mechanism inherent in the design rather than requiring additional active control systems.
3Device complexity
If no finger guidance structure is provided, then device complexity is reduced, but receipt jams occur due to unguided finger placement
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire fascia complex, only a localized protrusion structure is added at the critical receipt aperture area. This local modification provides the necessary finger guidance and receipt guidance surfaces without complicating the overall fascia design. The protrusion is a simple geometric addition that addresses the specific problem area while leaving the rest of the device simple.
Data Source
AI summary
A self-service terminal comprises a fascia defining an aperture through which a receipt or other type of media items is dispensible to a customer. The fascia comprises a protrusion located immediately beneath the aperture in a generally central location. The protrusion comprises a lower surface against which a customer's finger may rest and an upper surface for guiding an exiting receipt or other type of media item. The protrusion extends outwardly from the fascia to ensure that even if the customer places a finger on the protrusion, opposing edges of the receipt or other media item exit a sufficient distance from the aperture to allow the receipt or other media item to be visible to and removed by the customer.