Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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APPARATUS FOR ASSESSING THE CONDITION
OF A BANK NOTE
The invention relates to an apparatus for assessing the condition of a
5 bank note.
Background of the Invention
It has been found that the porosity of a bank note increases from new
due to abrasion and other kinds of wear caused by the normal daily handling
10 of the note.
The porosity of a bank note is particularly important if the bank note
is to be used in an ATM which utilizes vacuum techniques to pick a bank
note from a currency cassette within the ATM for dispensing to a customer.
If the porosity of the bank note is such that a suction device used to
15 pick the bank note from a currency cassette is unable to engage the bank
note securely, the ATM will fail. Such a failure will result in an increase in
the downtime of the ATM in which the ATM is unable to dispense cash to
or receive cash from a customer.
20 Objects of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for
assessing the condition of a bank note so as to determine its suitability for
use in an ATM employing suction pick means.
25 Summary of the Invention
According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for
assessing the condition of a bank note, including by pump means for
generating a reduced pressure, a detector for producing an electrical output
indicative of air flow through said detector, suction means connected to
30 said pump means via said detector, means for feeding a bank note from an
entry location along a first feed path into co-operative relationship with
said suction means such that, in operation, said bank note covers, and is
sucked against, said suction means, electronic control means coupled to
said detector and arranged to make a determination of the condition of said
35 bank note based on said electrical output, and second feed means for
feeding said bank note along a second feed path away from said suction
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means subsequent to said bank note having been sucked against said suction
means.
An apparatus in accordance with the invention may form part of a
cash recycling ATM in which the condition of currency notes deposited by
S one customer is assessed in order to determine if the notes are suitable for
storing and subsequent dispensing to another customer. The apparatus can
also be used as part of a screening system for screening bank notes prior to
loading the notes into currency cassettes for use in ATMs.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by
10 way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-
Brief Description of the Drawings
Fig. 1 is a side view of an apparatus in accordance with the present
inventlon;
lS Fig. 2 is a plan view, shown partly in section, of part of the apparatus
of Fig. l;
Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum system of the apparatuswhich enables mass air flow detection;
Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of suction means of the
20 apparatus; and
Fig. S is a block circuit diagram of the apparatus.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment
Figs. 1 to S illustrate an apparatus 2 for assessing the condition of a
25 bank note. The apparatus 2 incorporates a vacuum pump 4, a solenoid
operated valve 6, a detector 8 for producing an electrical output indicative
of air flow through the detector, and pivotally mounted suction means 10.
The elements 4, 6, 8 and 10 are connected together via a vacuum line 12
such that, in operation, reduced pressure can be applied by the pump 4 to
30 the suction means 10 via the detector 8 by energization of the solenoid of
the valve 6.
The detector 8 is a Honeywell AWMSlOlV mass air flow detector,
although other suitable detectors may be utilized.
First feed means 14,16 in the form of rollers 14 and endless belts 16
35 are arranged along with guide means lS, 18 so as to bring a bank note into
co-operative relationship with the suction means 10, when in use. Each
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endless belt 16 passes around associated pulleys 48, as best seen in Fig. 1.
The outer surfaces of the belts 16 respectively extend partly around the
circumferences of associated cylindrical members which form the guide
means 18. The first feed means 14,16 and guide means 15,18 are arranged
5 as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 to feed a bank note from an entry slot 50
along an inward feed path 21 into cooperative engagement with the suction
means 10. A note present detector 30 is positioned near the entry slot 50
for detecting the leading edge of a bank note fed along the feed path 21.
When the condition of the bank note is being assessed, the bank note
10 covers, and is sucked against, the suction means 10. Electronic control
means 20 (Fig. 5) coupled to the detector 8 provide an indication of the
condition of the bank note based on the electrical output of the detector 8.
An outward feed path 23 from the suction means 10 divides into
alternative exit paths 45,46 for acceptable and unacceptable bank notes
15 respectively. Notes are driven along the outward feed path 23 by the belts
16 and additional feed rollers 52 associated with further guide means 54, as
illustrated in Fig. 1. For the sake of clarity the guide means 54 and some of
the rollers 52 are not shown in Fig. 2. A note divert gate 43 is positioned at
the junction of the exit paths 45,46. The gate 43 is operated by the
20 electronic control means 20 via a divert actuator 42 so as to divert
unacceptable banknotes into the exit path 46 for storage in a receptacle 47.
Acceptable bank notes are fed along the other exit path 45 for storage in a
currency cassette (not shown) for later use in an ATM.
The suction means 10 is formed by two substantially rectangular
25 blocks, an end surface 22 of each of which abuts a bank note during the
detection process (Fig. 4). Each of the blocks forming the suction means 10
has an internal bore 24 running from the surface 22 to a shaft 34 on which
the suction means 10 is mounted. The internal bore 24 of each block is
connected to the vacuum means 4,6 via an internal bore 56 in the shaft 34
30 which is connected to the vacuum line 12. It should be understood that the
shaft 34 is connected to the vacuum line 12 in such a manner as to permit
pivotal movement of the shaft 34 relative to the line 12.
Each surface 22 has a resilient coating of plastics material which aids
the production of a vacuum seal between the suction means 10 and a bank
35 note. The end surfaces 22 are curved and have the same radius of curvature
as the guide means 18, which aids the vacuum seal between the suction
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means 10 and the note during rotation of the suction means 10, as will be
discussed further below.
The assessment of a bank note is achieved by the vacuum pump 4
drawing air through the vacuum system from the suction means 10, thus
5 drawing the bank note tightly into contact with the surfaces 22 of the
suction means 10.
The feed means 14,16 and guide means 15,18 are further arranged
such that a bank note is presented to the suction means 10 in a plane
substantially orthogonal to the bores 24 of the suction means 10, whereby
10 the best possible seal is provided between the bank note and the suction
means 10.
As the bank note is porous to some extent, air will be drawn through
the bank note into the vacuum system. The rate of flow of air drawn into
the system is proportional to the porosity of that part of the bank note
15 covering the bores 24 of the suction means 10. The air flow is measured by
the mass air flow detector 8, which provides an analog voltage output
representative of the mass flow of air through the bank note and the
detector 8, and therefore indicative of the porosity of the relevant part of
the bank note. This output is converted into a digital signal in an A/D
20 converter 28 prior to being applied to a comparator 26 which is included in
the electronic control means 20 and which compares this signal with a
predetermined reference signal characteristic of a bank note which is
acceptable for use in an ATM having vacuum pick means. As a result of
this comparison, the electronic control means 20 makes a determination as
25 to the acceptability of the bank note.
As will be explained later, the suction means 10 and the feed means
14,16 are arranged such that the control means 20 can control the
cooperative positioning of the bank note with respect to the suction means
10, whereby the part of said bank note which is sucked against the suction
30 means 10 may be changed. In this way the porosity of the bank note can be
assessed in the areas which correspond to the areas of contact between the
note and an ATM suction device when the note is picked from a bank note
cassette. However, if a bank note has a hole or tear or other cause of
increased porosity in some other area remote from the contact area it may
35 still be suitable for use in an ATM. Such a note, which can be picked by a
vacuum pick device, would not be approved for use if the porosity of the
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entire note was assessed. Consequently, notes which are acceptable for use
in an ATM are not rejected unnecessarily by the present apparatus.
Shortly after a bank note enters the entry slot 50 of the apparatus 2,
the leading edge of the note is detected by the input note present sensor 30.
When it is in its home position, the suction means 10 is positioned as shown
in chain outline in Fig. 1, with the bores 24 extending vertically. After the
bank note has been fed by the feed rollers 14 to a position in which the note
covers the outer ends of the bores 24, the solenoid operated valve 6 is
activated so that the vacuum system causes the bank note to be sucked into
contact with the suction means 10. The electronic control means 20
ascertains the time that elapses between the leading edge of the note being
sensed by the sensor 30 and the activation of the valve 6 by counting pulses
generated by a sensor 32 associated with a timing disc 58 (Fig. 2), the disc
58 being mounted on a drive shaft 60 for a set of the feed rollers 14 of the
input feed means 14,16. The relative position of the bank note with respect
to the suction means 10 when sucked against the suction means 10 can
therefore be altered by altering the time which elapses between the
detection of the leading edge of a bank note and the activation of the valve
6.
The cooperative positioning of the bank note with respect to the
suction means 10 can be set by a user through a user interface 40 (Fig. 5),
the interface 40 determining the number of pulses that are counted by the
electronic control means 20 before activating the valve 6.
In order to improve the speed of operation of the porosity detection
process, the shaft 34 is mounted in bearing means 13 (Fig. 2) so that the
suction means 10 is pivotably movable with respect to the feed means
14,16,52 and the guide means 15,18,54 during the porosity detection
process. The suction means 10 is mounted for pivotal movement through
approximately 90 between its home position shown in chain outline in Fig.
1, in which position a bank note is sucked against the suction means 10, and
a second position shown in solid outline in Fig. 1, in which position the
valve 6 is deactivated so as to enable the bank note to be fed from the
suction means 10 by the belts 16 and the feed rollers 52 along the outward
feed path 23 and into the first or the second exit path 45 or 46, depending
on whether or not the note is acceptable for use in an ATM. It should be
understood that, while the bank note is held by suction in contact with the
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suction means 10, the note is carried between the suction means 10 and the
endless belts 16 from the inward feed path 21 to the outward feed path 23
without any interruption in the feeding movement of the note. Bank notes
can be tested at the rate of approximately 10 notes per second with this
S apparatus.
The shaft 34 on which the suction means 10 is mounted is driven by a
stepper motor 36 through gears 38 (see Fig. 3), pivotal movement of the
suction means 10 being commenced simultaneously with the activation of
the valve 6. The feed means 14,16,52 are driven by a main drive motor 44
10 (Fig. 5) under the control of the electronic control means 20. The drive
mechanisms are so arranged that the peripheral speed of the suction means
10 when rotating from its home position to said second position is
substantially equal to the speed of the endless belts 16 driven by the pulleys
48.
The operation of the apparatus 2 will now be described. When the
input sensor 30 detects the leading edge of a bank note to be assessed, a
signal is sent by the sensor 30 to the control means 20 causing the control
means to commence counting pulses from the timing disc sensor 32. After
a predetermined number of pulses have been counted, the control means 20
activates the solenoid valve 6 thus actively connecting the suction means 10
to the vacuum pump 4 resulting in the bank note being drawn into contact
with, and sucked against, the top surfaces 22 of the suction means 10. The
number of timing pulses to be counted prior to the activation of the valve 6,
and thus the parts of the note whose porosity is to be assessed, has
previously been determined by a user via the user interface 40.
The control means 20 then activates the air flow sensor 8 to produce
an analog voltage signal indicative of the porosity of those parts of the bank
note covering the outer ends of the bores 24. As this assessment of the
bank note is being carried out, the suction means 10 is rotated through
approximately 90 as previously described. Thus, the bank note continues
to be conveyed through the apparatus 2 as the assessment is carried out.
The bank note is guided during rotation of the suction means 10 by the
guide means 18 and the endless belts 16, with the note being held between
the suction means 10 and the belts 16.
When the suction means 10 reaches said second position shown in
solid outline, the solenoid of the valve 6 is deactivated so that the vacuum
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connection between the suction means 10 and the pump 4 is terminated.
The bank note is then conveyed by the feed rollers 52 and the endless belts
16 from the suction means 10 along the outward feed path 23.
The analog voltage signal from the airflow detector 8 is converted
into a digital signal in the A/D converter 28 and forwarded to the electronic
control means 20 for comparison in the comparator 26 with a predetermined
threshold signal characteristic of an acceptable bank note. As a result of
this comparison, the electronic control means 20 makes a determination as
to whether or not the bank note is acceptable for use in an ATM having
vacuum pick means.
If the electronic control means 20 determines that the note is
acceptable then it is fed along the exit path 45 for storage in a currency
cassette. If a determination is made that the note is not acceptable, then the
electronic control means 20 causes the divert actuator 42 to be operated so
as to divert the note into the exit path 46 for storage in the receptacle 47.
While the note is being fed from the suction means 10 to the exit path 45 or
46, the suction means 10 is rotated back to its home position in time to be
brought into cooperative relationship with the next bank note to be
assessed.
Advantageously in this preferred embodiment the positioning of a
bank note relative to the suction means 10 when sucked against the suction
means 10 may be altered. Thus, the suction means 10 can be arranged to
detect the porosity of specific areas of a bank note which may correspond to
the areas of the bank note which an ATM suction device contacts when
picking a bank note from a storage cassette.
Also, in this preferred embodiment the suction means 10 is arranged
to rotate together with the endless belts 16 during the detection of the
porosity of the bank note. In this way the condition of a bank note may be
assessed while the bank note is moving through the apparatus 2, thus
increasing the number of notes which can be assessed by the apparatus 2 in
a given time.
Although the presently preferred embodiment of the invention has
been described, it will be understood that various changes may be made
within the scope of the appended claims.
