Cash box having a storage area for storing notes of value
A cash box has a storage area for storing several notes of value and a counterpressure unit, which delimits the storage area and is movable between first and second positions. The cash box includes a sensor unit with at least one sensor element, the sensor unit emitting a sensor signal that is dependent on the position of the sensor element. The counterpressure unit has a recess for receiving at least a part of the sensor element. The sensor element and the recess are arranged such that the sensor element is only received whenever the counterpressure unit is in the first position and no note of value is present between the sensor element and the recess. The cash box has a control unit which determines on the basis of the sensor signal of the sensor unit and the position of the counterpressure unit whether the cash box is empty.
1. A cash box comprising
a storage area in which several notes of value are storable as a value note stack,
a counterpressure unit which delimits the storage area and is movable in a deposit direction and opposite to the deposit direction between a first position in which the storage area has a minimum volume and a second position in which the storage area has a maximum volume,
a sensor unit with at least one sensor element, at least one optical transmitter, and at least one optical receiver, the sensor unit outputting a sensor signal that is dependent on the position of the sensor element,
said sensor unit further having said optical receiver positioned to confront said optical transmitter and thereby directly receive a light beam emitted by said optical transmitter, said sensor unit configured to transmit a first sensor signal corresponding to a first position of said sensor element and a second sensor signal corresponding to a second position of said sensor element to a control unit,
the counterpressure unit has a recess for receiving at least a part of the sensor element,
wherein the sensor element and the recess are arranged and designed such that the sensor element is only received in the recess whenever the counterpressure unit is in the first position and no note of value is present between the sensor element and the recess,
wherein said sensor element is further arranged such that it is positioned between said optical transmitter and said optical receiver to block said light beam while at least one note of value is present between said sensor element and said recess,
wherein said sensor element is further arranged such that it is not positioned between said optical transmitter and said optical receiver to block said light beam when there are no notes of value present between said sensor element and said recess,
wherein said sensor unit outputs said first sensor signal while at least one note of value is present between said sensor element and said recess and said sensor unit outputs said second sensor signal when no note of value is present between said sensor element and said recess,
said control unit determines on the basis of said sensor signal of said sensor unit and the position of the counterpressure unit whether said cash box is empty,
wherein a drive unit for moving the counterpressure unit is provided, in particular an electric motor, such as a direct current motor or a stepper motor,
wherein the control unit determines with the aid of a step counting of the stepper motor the position of the counterpressure unit.
2. The cash box according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor unit detects a first sensor element position of the sensor element when at least one note of value is present between the sensor element and the counterpressure unit, the note of value contacts the sensor element with its front or back, and wherein the sensor element is moved opposite to the deposit direction by the contact with the note of value.
3. The cash box according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit detects the condition ‘cash box empty’ when the counterpressure unit is in the first position and the sensor element is not in the first sensor element position.
4. The cash box according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit detects the condition ‘cash box not empty’ when the counterpressure unit is in the first position and the sensor element is in the first sensor element position.
5. The cash box according to claim 1 , wherein several notes of value stored in the storage area form a value note stack, wherein in an operating position of the cash box the notes of value of the value note stack are arranged on top of one another such that the lowest note of value rests on the counterpressure unit with its front or back.
6. The cash box according to claim 1 , wherein during the feed of notes of value into the cash box the control unit controls the counterpressure unit or a drive unit of the counterpressure unit based on the sensor signal that the sensor element is in the first sensor element position such that the counterpressure unit is moved in the deposit direction until the sensor element is no longer in the first sensor element position and the sensor unit outputs a corresponding sensor signal that the sensor element is in the first position.
7. The cash box according to claim 1 , wherein a feeding and/or separating unit for feeding and/or removing the notes of value is provided, wherein the notes of value are feedable or removable individually one after the other to or from the storage area with the aid of the feeding and/or separating unit.
8. The cash box according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit determines with the aid of a current measurement of the electric motor the position of the counterpressure unit in which the counterpressure unit bears against a stop.
9. The cash box according to claim 1 , wherein the counterpressure unit is firmly connected with at least one belt, the belt being driven by the drive unit.
10. The cash box according to claim 1 , wherein the recess of the counterpressure unit has a width of 5 mm to 7 mm, and that the sensor element that is received in the recess has a width of 2 mm to 4 mm.
11. A method for storing several notes of value as a value note stack in a storage area of a cash box, comprising:
delimiting the storage area with the aid of a counterpressure unit, wherein the counterpressure unit is movable between a first position in which the storage area has a minimum volume and a second position in which the storage area has a maximum volume, generating, with the aid of a sensor unit with at least one sensor element, at least one optical transmitter, and at least one optical receiver, a sensor signal that is dependent on the position of the sensor element,
receiving the sensor element in a recess of the counterpressure unit when no note of value is present between the counterpressure unit and the sensor element,
wherein said sensor unit outputs a first sensor signal while at least one note of value is present between said sensor element and said recess and said sensor unit outputs a second sensor signal when no note of value is present between said sensor element and said recess,
providing a drive unit for moving the counterpressure unit, consisting of the following group: a direct current electric motor and a stepper motor,
determining, with the aid of a step counting of the stepper motor, the position of the counterpressure unit, and
determining, based on the sensor signal and on the position of the counterpressure unit, whether the cash box is empty.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein a determination of the cash box being empty occurs when the counterpressure unit is in the first position and the sensor element is not in the first sensor element position.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the determination of the cash box being not empty occurs when the counterpressure unit is in the first position and the sensor element is not in the first sensor element position.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
feeding of notes into said cash box;
controlling said counterpressure unit based on the sensor signal that the sensor element is in the first sensor element position, such that the counterpressure unit is moved in the deposit direction until the sensor element is no longer in the first sensor element position, and the sensor unit outputs a corresponding sensor signal that the sensor element is in the first position.
15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining, with the aid of a current measurement of the electric motor, the first position of the counterpressure unit in which the counterpressure unit bears against a stop.