Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACRGROUND OE' THE I~3VENTION
The present invention relates to a device for convertiny
a paper money receiving section of a cash drawer or box, or the
like, to one which will receive and permit ready dispensing of
coins from that section.
Many countries such as Canada are converting paper money
to coins, particularly for lesser values of paper money. Thus, for
example, Canada has recently taken out of circulation one dollar
paper bills, and replaced them with one dollar coins.
Cash drawers and cash boxes used in banks and businesses
for holding paper money and coins conventionally .comprise a
plurality of sections formed by upstanding walls on a horizontal
base, the walls defining rectan~ular sections of similar size to
receive different denominations of paper moneyO Thus, for example,
from side-to-side across the cash drawer or box may extend five
such sections, for respectively, twenty dollar, ten dollar~ five
dollar, two dollar and one dollar paper bills. At one end of such
sections may be spring mounted clips to releasably weigh down on
bills placed in such sections, to hold them in place. At the other
end of the sections are often smaller sections, each section for
holding a particular denomination of coinage~ These sections again
have upstanding walls, although the wall intended to be nearest the
person using the box or drawer is concavely curved upwardly away
from the base of the section to facilitate removal of coins from
that section.
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With the demise of the Canadian one dollar paper bill,
cash drawers and boxes which had been previously designed for a
full range of the most frequently used paper currency will now have
one section which is no longer useful for its original purpose, ie.
holding one dollar paper bills. It i9 an object of the present
invention to provide a device which will modify such paper currency
receiving sections to adapt them to readily receive and dispense
colns .
8UMMARY OF ~E INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention there is
provided a device for converting a paper money-receiving section of
a cash drawer or box to one which will receive and permit ready
dispensing of coins, the section having vertical walls
circumscribing a rectangular base. The device comprises a rigid
sheet of material to be fitted within the section on the base. The
sheet is formed from flat material of rectangular shape. The sides
of the sheet fit within the section near the side walls thereof.
A portion of the sheet towards one end is bent to provide a concava
curve in its upper surface in the longitudinal direction at that
end to facilitate drawing of coins from the section. When in
position in the section this curved portion of the sheet abuts a
portion of the corresponding end wall of the section so as to
provide no gap therebetween. The sheet, towards the other end, is
flat to rest on the section base when the device is in position in
the section.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the
curved end of the device terminates in an outwardly extending lip
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located so as to rest on an upper edge of the corresponding end
wall of the section when the device is in position therein. As
well, the device at its flat end terminates in a flat, upwardly
extending portion, this portion to abut against the corresponding
end wall of the section when the device is in position therein.
The device in accordance with the present invention is
both simple and economical to construct and effectively converts a
paper currency-receiving section of a cash drawer or box to one
which readily receives and dispenses coins. In this way, a section
of an existing cash drawer and box, adapted to receive a particular
denomination of paper currency, may by removal of the section's
spring mounted clip and insertion of the device be converted to
receive that denomination in coinage, for example when that
currency denomination changes from paper to coin. Of course, by
removal of the device, a section may be adapted back to its
original, paper-currency receiving function.
BR~EF DBSCRIPl~ION Oli' TH13 DRAWINGS
These and other objects and advantages of the invention
will become apparent upon reading the following detailed
description and upon referring to the drawings in which: -
FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cash drawer having a
section into which a device in accordance with the present
invention has been inserted:
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FIGURE 2 is a side view of the device as illustrated in
FIGURE l; and
FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the device of FIGURE 1.
While the invention will be described in conjunction with
example embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended
to limit the invention to such embodiments. On the contrary, it is
intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents
as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as
defined by the appended claims.
D~TAILED DESCRIP~ION OF THB_DRAWINGS
In the drawings, similar features have been given similar
reference numerals.
Turning to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated a cash drawer
2 having a plurality of paper-currency receiving sections 4 and a
plurality of coin-receiving sections 5. The paper currency-
receiving sections 4 comprise a rectangular base 7, to be
horizontally oriented, circumscribed by vertically upstanding walls
8. Spring mounted Clip5 10 at the rear of each of sections 4 bear
down onto paper curxency (not illustrated) when placed in sections
4, to hold that currency in place within the section.
Coin receiving sections 5, at the other end of paper
currency-receiving sections 4, similarly comprise bases 12
circumscribed by upstanding walls 14. Three of these walls are
again vertical in orientation the fourth of these walls, wall 16,
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however, which is normally positioned nearest the user of the cash
box/ is upwardly concavely (from within) curved as illustrated -to
facilitate removal of coins from that section.
As can be seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, device 20
comprising a rigid sheet of material, such as a thin strip o~
stainlçss steel or plastic, is form~d so that it can be fitted
within one of the sections 4, (after removal of the spring mounted
clip lQ at the rear of the section), on the base 7 of that section
as illustrated in FIGU~E 1. The sheet is formed from flat material
of rectangular shape. The sides 22 of the sheet fit snugly within
the section to abut against the side walls thereof. Portion 24 of
the sheet, is bent upwardly, towards one end (preferably the end
nearest the user of the cash drawer when the device is in
position), to provide an upward concave curve in the upper surface
in the longitudinal direction of the sheet at that end and thereby
facilitate drawing of coins from the section when the device is in
position. Portion 26, extending from curved portion 24 to the
other end of device 20, is flat and is intended to rest on base 7
of section 4. At the extremity of the curved end 24, as can be
seen in FIGU~E 2, an outwardly extendin~ lip 28, when viewed from
the bottom, extends transversely across the end portion of device
20 to receive the upper edge of the corresponding wall 8 of that
section.
At the other end, flat portion 26 at its extremity
terminates in a flat, upwardly extending portion 30, as
illustrated, this portion to abut against the corresponding end
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wall 8 of section 4 ~e.g. FIGURE 1) when the device is in positiontherein. This upwardly extending portion 30 may be bent as
required, so that it bears against the corresponding end wall 30,
to provide a snug fit of device 20 within section 4.
As can be seen in FIGURE 2, securing means such as double
sided adhesive tape 32 may be provided on the lower surface of
devica 20, beneath flat portion 26 and/or in the vicinity of
outwardly extending lip 28, to ensure that device 20 is securely
held within section 4. As can be seen (in phantom) in FIGURE 3, an
appropriate notch (or aperture) 34 may be provided as required in
device 20 to provide clearance for example for screws or other
obstacles which may project upwardly from base 7 and which
otherwise would prevent device 20 from snugly fitting within
section 4.
Device 20, in this way, provides an e~fective and
economical method of converting a section of a cash drawer or box
from one which is adapted specifically to receive and dispense
paper currency, to one which is adapted to receive and dispense
coins. Conversely, by its removal, the section is then converted
from one which is adapted to receive and dispense coins to one
which is adapted to receive and dispense paper currency~ While a
single conversion device 20 has been illustrated in the drawings,
it will be understood that other paper currency receiving sections
of the cash box or drawer may be similarly converted using
additional devices 20.
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Thus it is apparent that there has been provided in
accordance with the invention a converter device for cash drawers
that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth
above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with
specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives,
modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in
the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is
intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and
variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the
~ nventlon .
