Polymer divert cassette for ATM currency
View Patent ↗A polymer currency cassette for an ATM. The cassette includes a one-piece polymer body attached to a one-piece polymer lid. The lid is arranged with the body to resist entry into the cassette interior. Integral stiffening ribs are provided. The body side walls include integrally formed guide tracks. A one-piece tambour door is securely movable along the guide tracks. The upper edge of each body side wall extends into a gap created between double-walled side walls of the lid when the lid is closed. A tab, which projects outward from an upper edge of a body side wall, extends even further into the closed lid. The tab becomes nested in an aligned slot in the lid when the lid is closed. A nested tab affords further cassette security by providing resistance to lid and body separation.
1. Apparatus including:
a currency cassette,
wherein the cassette is insertable in, adapted for use in, and removable from an automated teller machine (ATM),
wherein the cassette is adapted to hold currency notes,
wherein the cassette includes a unitary one-piece polymer body portion,
wherein the body portion includes body side walls,
wherein each body side wall has a guide track associated therewith,
wherein each guide track comprises at least one guide rail integrally formed with a body side wall,
wherein the cassette includes a unitary one-piece polymer lid portion,
wherein the lid portion is rotatably attached to the body portion,
wherein the cassette includes a polymer door,
wherein the door is adapted to move simultaneously on the guide tracks,
wherein the door includes end tabs,
wherein the end tabs are adapted to guide the door along the guide rails.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the end tabs are adapted to secure the door to the guide tracks.
3. The apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each guide track comprises a first guide rail molded with a body side wall and second guide rail fastened to the same body side wall.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the end tabs are captured between guide rails, wherein the end tabs interlock the door to the guide tracks.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the door includes a flexible tambour section and a rigid section, wherein the tambour section comprises shutter segments.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a polycarbonate material.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the lid includes double-walled side walls, wherein each double-walled side wall includes an inner wall and an adjacent outer wall separated by a gap therebetween, wherein each body side wall is arranged to extend into a respective gap when the lid is closed.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein each gap is bounded by a base affixing the inner and outer walls to each other, wherein at least one base includes at least one base slot, wherein at least one body side wall includes at least one edge tab projecting from a body side wall edge, and wherein the at least one base slot receives therein a respective edge tab when the lid is closed.
9. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a polymer stop plate attached to the body, wherein the lid includes a rear wall, wherein the rear wall includes plural projecting tabs, wherein the projecting tabs extend substantially perpendicular to a face of the rear wall, wherein the stop plate includes plural slots aligned to respectively receive the projecting tabs when the lid is closed.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1 and further comprising a polymer slide, wherein the body includes a floor opening, wherein the slide is movable to cover at least a portion of the floor opening, wherein the door is adapted to interlock with the slide enabling the slide to move together with the door.
11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the door includes projection ramps, wherein the slide includes lip portions, wherein the door is adapted to interlock with the slide via respective engagement of the ramps with the lip portions.
12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the door comprises a flexible tambour section and a rigid section, wherein the rigid section comprises the ramps at an end adjacent the tambour section.
13. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the door includes stop lips, wherein the slide includes fingers, wherein the door is adapted to interlock with the slide via respective engagement of the stop lips with the fingers.
14. The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the door comprises a flexible tambour section and an adjacent rigid section, wherein the rigid section comprises the stop lips at an end opposite the tambour section.
15. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the body includes an floor, wherein the floor includes pegs formed unitary therewith, wherein the pegs project interiorly away from a face of the floor, wherein the pegs are adapted to engage the slide, wherein the pegs limit movement of the slide in a slide closing direction.
16. The apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the pegs limit movement of the door in a door closing direction.
17. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the cassette comprises a divert cassette,
wherein the divert cassette includes a first storage compartment comprising a diverted currency storage area,
wherein the first storage compartment is adapted to receive diverted currency which was deemed unpresentable to an automated banking machine customer,
wherein the divert cassette includes a second storage compartment comprising a retracted currency storage area,
wherein the second storage compartment is adapted to receive retracted currency which was presented to an automated banking machine customer,
wherein the second storage compartment differs from the first storage compartment.
18. The apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the divert cassette includes a compartment separating structure, wherein the compartment separating structure separates the first storage compartment from the second storage compartment.
19. Apparatus including:
an automated teller machine (ATM) currency cassette,
wherein the cassette includes a unitary one-piece polymer body portion,
wherein the body portion includes body side walls,
wherein the body side walls include respective guide portions,
wherein at least one body side wall includes at least one edge tab projecting away from an interior of the body portion,
wherein the cassette includes a polymer door,
wherein the door is adapted to slide on the guide portions,
wherein the door includes end tabs,
wherein the end tabs are adapted to guide the door relative to the guide portions,
wherein the cassette includes a unitary one-piece polymer lid portion,
wherein the lid portion is rotatably attached to the body portion,
wherein the lid portion is rotatable between an open position and a closed position,
wherein the lid portion includes double-walled side walls,
wherein each double-walled side wall includes an inner wall and an adjacent outer wall separated by a gap therebetween,
wherein each gap is sized to receive therein a portion of a body side wall when the lid is closed,
wherein each gap is bounded by a base affixing the inner and outer walls to each other,
wherein at least one base includes at least one base slot,
wherein the at least one base slot is adapted to corresponding receive therein a respective edge tab when the lid is closed.
20. Apparatus including:
an automated teller machine (ATM) currency cassette,
wherein the cassette is adapted to hold currency notes,
wherein the cassette includes a unitary one-piece polymer door portion,
wherein the cassette includes a unitary one-piece polymer lid portion,
wherein the lid portion includes double-walled side walls,
wherein each double-walled side wall includes an inner wall and an adjacent outer wall separated by a lid gap therebetween,
wherein each lid gap is bounded by a base affixing the inner and outer walls to each other,
wherein at least one base has at least one base slot therein,
wherein the cassette includes a unitary one-piece polymer body portion,
wherein the door portion is slidably attached to the body portion,
wherein the lid portion is rotatably attached to the body portion,
wherein the body portion includes body side walls,
wherein the body side walls include respective guides on which the door portion can slide between an door open position and a door closed position,
wherein the body side walls each include a wall edge,
wherein each wall edge extends into a respective lid gap when the lid is in a closed position,
wherein at least one body side wall includes at least one edge tab projecting away from the wall edge,
wherein the at least one edge tab extends into a respective base slot when the lid is in a closed position,
wherein the at least one edge tab extends further into the lid than each wall edge when the lid is in a closed position.