Apparatus and method for media manipulation
View Patent ↗In a method and apparatus for storing media items at a storage zone, the apparatus has a storage zone for storing media items, a port region proximate to the storage zone for receiving at least one media item, and at least one media item deformer for deforming each media item that is transported along a transport pathway portion.
1 . An apparatus for storing media items at a storage zone, comprising:
a storage zone for storing media items;
a port region that is proximate to the storage zone for receiving at least one media item; and
a media item deformer for deforming each media item that is transported along a transport pathway portion, the media item deformer comprising a wave contoured contact surface formed by a plurality of laterally spaced, upwardly extending ribs that collectively form an undulating support surface for engagement with each media item, each of the laterally spaced, upwardly extending ribs extending upwardly by at least 5 mm, the media item deformer being rotatable between a retracted configuration away from the transport pathway portion and a protruding configuration extending into the transport pathway portion.
2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the media item deformer is configured to reduce a lateral extent of the media item as the media item moves to a desired location in the storage zone.
3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the media item deformer is configured to move at least one short edge of the media item in a lateral direction.
4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the media item deformer is configured to adjust a shape of the media item into an at least partially curved shape, the at least partially curved shape having an axis of curvature substantially orthogonal to a lateral direction of the media item.
5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the media item deformer is configured to adjust the shape of the media item into an at least partially corrugated shape.
6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the media item deformer comprises at least one support surface for engagement with the media item thereby deforming a shape of the media item.
7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the transport pathway portion is from the port region into the storage zone.
8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the transport pathway portion comprises an interface region through which the media item passes from the transport pathway portion into the storage zone.
9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the media item deformer is located adjacent to the interface region.
10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising at least one set of mover elements to at least partially move the media item along the transport pathway portion.
11 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the media item deformer is located adjacent to a final set of the mover elements before a media item moves to a desired location of the storage zone.
12 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the media item deformer is movable between a retracted configuration and a protruding configuration.
13 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 12 , wherein, in the protruding configuration, the media item deformer extends towards the transport pathway portion, or wherein, in the retracted configuration, the media item deformer extends away from the transport pathway portion.
14 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the storage zone comprises a chamber region in a storage receptacle that is a currency cassette, and wherein each media item comprises a currency note of a specified denomination whereby currency notes of a common denomination are stacked in the currency cassette.
15 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an actuator configured to move the media item deformer between the retracted configuration and the protruding configuration.
16 . A method for receiving media items at a desired location in a storage zone, comprising:
providing at least one media item one-by-one at a port region that is proximate to a storage zone; and
as each media item is transported from the port region to the desired location in the storage zone via a transport pathway portion, deforming the media item via a media item deformer thereby reducing at least a lateral extent of the media item as the media item moves to the desired location; and
wherein the media item deformer comprises a wave contoured contact surface formed by a plurality of laterally spaced, upwardly extending ribs that collectively form an undulating support surface for engagement with the media item, each of the laterally spaced, upwardly extending ribs extending upwardly by at least 5 mm, and wherein the media item deformer is rotatable between a retracted configuration away from the transport pathway portion and a protruding configuration extending into the transport pathway portion.
17 . The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising deforming the media item by temporarily inducing a curved shape in a cross-section of the media item thereby drawing spaced apart edges of the media item together.
18 . The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising deforming the media item by transporting the media item over at least one undulating support surface.
19 . The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising deforming the media item by transporting the media item between opposed sets of offset roller elements.
20 . The method as claimed in claim 16 , further comprising reducing the lateral extent of the media item by inducing at least one curve in a cross-section of a long edge of the media item thereby locating at least one short edge of the media item nearer to a centre of the media item than when the media item is in an unloaded state.