Automated transaction machine
View Patent ↗An ATM apparatus having a bulk sheet acceptor. The sheet acceptor is mounted in movable relation relative to a chest portion of the ATM. Access to an interior of the sheet acceptor for servicing may be made through an access opening. A service cover may be mounted at alternate mounting sites of the sheet acceptor housing in order to close the access opening. The interior of the sheet acceptor may be accessed by pivoting the cover on a set of tabs engaged in corresponding slots, or by selectively lifting the cover away from the tabs. The cover may be replaced by engagement of either a first set of tabs with corresponding first slots, or a second set of tabs with corresponding second slots.
1. An automated banking machine apparatus comprising:
a housing, wherein the housing includes a secure chest portion, wherein the secure chest portion is bounded by a wall having a sheet accepting opening therein, wherein the sheet accepting opening provides access therethrough to an interior area of the chest portion;
a user interface, wherein the user interface is in operatively supported connection with the housing, wherein the user interface includes at least one input device operative to receive identifying inputs associated with machine users, and at least one output device;
a note dispenser, wherein the note dispenser is in operatively supported connection with the housing, and wherein the note dispenser is operative to selectively dispense notes stored in the interior area to users of the machine;
a sheet acceptor, wherein the sheet acceptor is movably mounted within the housing outside the chest portion, wherein in an operative position the sheet acceptor is operative to receive notes input to the machine by users and to pass notes to the sheet accepting opening whereby notes move into the interior area of the chest portion;
wherein the sheet acceptor comprises:
a main housing, wherein the main housing includes a side wall, wherein an access opening extends in the side wall and wherein the access opening is bounded by a first edge and a second edge;
a first mounting site along the first edge of the access opening, and
a second mounting site along the second edge of the access opening;
and
a cover operative to close the access opening, wherein the cover is adapted to be selectively mounted to the side wall at either the first mounting site or the second mounting site, wherein when the cover is mounted at the first mounting site, the cover is operative to swing away from the access opening in a first direction, and wherein when the cover is mounted at the second mounting site, the cover is operative to swing away from the access opening in a second direction generally opposite of the first direction.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cover includes a first end and a second end disposed of the first end, wherein the cover includes a first flange at the first end and a second flange at the second end, wherein when the cover is mounted at the first mounting site and in a closed position, the first flange extends in the main housing and the second flange extends outside the main housing.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein when the cover is mounted at the second mounting site and is in a closed position, the second flange extends in the main housing and the first flange extends outside the main housing.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first mounting site includes a first set of tabs extending into the access opening along the first edge thereof, and wherein the cover includes a first set of corresponding slots therein disposed adjacent the first flange.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the second mounting site includes a second set of tabs extending into the access opening along the second edge thereof, and wherein the cover includes a second set of corresponding slots therein disposed adjacent the second flange.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cover is further adapted to be selectively removable away from the access opening by either disengaging each of the first set of tabs from the first set of slots or disengaging each of the second set of tabs from the second set of slots.
7. The apparatus according to claim 6 and further comprising a sheet transport, wherein the sheet transport is in operatively supported in movably mounted connection with the chest portion and wherein the sheet transport is movable in the sheet accepting opening, wherein the sheet transport is operative to move notes therethrough from the sheet acceptor when the sheet acceptor is in the operative position, and wherein the sheet transport is operative to move sheets generally vertically through the sheet accepting opening, and wherein the sheet transport is movable generally horizontally in the sheet accepting opening.
8. The apparatus according to claim 7 and further comprising a chest door movably mounted in operatively supported connection with the chest portion relative to a chest opening, wherein the chest door is movable between an open chest position and a closed chest position to control access to the interior area of the chest portion, and further comprising a support structure within the interior area of the chest portion, and a container removably mounted in operatively supported connection with the support structure, wherein the container includes a holding area adapted to hold sheets, and wherein the container in an operative position is in operative engagement with the support structure and the holding area receives notes from the sheet transport.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising a moving device operative to move relative to the chest portion, each of the sheet acceptor, the sheet transport and the container.
10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the container includes a container opening to the holding area, and wherein the moving device moves the sheet acceptor, the sheet transport and the container opening in generally fixed relative positions.
11. The apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the container is movable in operative connection with the support structure, wherein the container when moved inwardly relative to the chest opening also moves upwardly into the operative position of the container, and wherein the container in the operative position when moved outwardly relative to the chest opening also moves downwardly.
12. The apparatus according to claim 8 and further comprising an indicating device within the housing, wherein the indicating device is operative to indicate when the container is in at least one position.
13. The apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the indicating device comprises an audio indicator, wherein the audio indicator is operative to provide an audio output when the container is in the operative position.
14. A method comprising:
a) moving a sheet acceptor relative to and in operatively supported connection with a chest portion of a cash dispensing automated banking machine, from an operative position to a service position, wherein the sheet acceptor includes a main housing having an access opening therein;
b) moving a cover to open the access opening by at least one of swinging the cover relative to the main housing and by lifting the cover away from the access opening, wherein the main housing includes a first set of tabs extending in the access opening along a first edge thereof and a second set of tabs extending in the access opening along a second edge thereof, and wherein the cover includes a first flange extending along a first side thereof and a first set of corresponding slots in the cover adjacent the first flange, and wherein the cover includes a second flange extending along a second edge thereof disposed from the first edge, and a second set of corresponding slots in the cover adjacent the second flange;
c) closing the access opening by selectively placing the cover so one of the first or second flanges extends in the main housing and the other one of the first or second flanges extends outside the main housing.
15. The method of 14 wherein in (b) the cover is lifted away from the access opening, and wherein in (c), closing the access opening further includes:
engaging one of the first or second set of tabs in the corresponding set of slots.
16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the chest portion includes a sheet accepting opening in an upper wall thereof, wherein in the operative position of the sheet acceptor the sheet acceptor is operative to pass sheets from the sheet acceptor to the sheet accepting opening,
and further comprising:
(d) moving the sheet acceptor from the service position in operatively supported connection with the housing to the operative position;
(e) responsive to (d), moving a sheet transport extending in the sheet accepting opening relative to the sheet accepting opening and in engagement with the sheet acceptor.
17. The method according to claim 16 wherein in (e) the sheet transport moves generally horizontally, and wherein in the operative position of the sheet acceptor the sheet transport is operative to transport sheets between the sheet acceptor and an interior area of the chest portion.
18. The method according to claim 17 and further comprising:
(f) moving a removable container in supporting connection with a support structure to an operative position, wherein in the operative position of the container the container accepts sheets therein from the sheet transport.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein (e) further includes moving each of the sheet acceptor, the sheet transport and the container, relative to the chest portion, responsive to operation of at least one drive.
20. The method according to claim 18 wherein (f) includes moving the container in operative engagement with the support structure, inwardly and upwardly relative to the chest portion.
21. The method according to claim 18 and further comprising:
(g) generating through operation of the banking machine at least one audible indication when the container moves to the operative position.