Device for processing valuable documents and method for operating the device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10964150-B2
Application number	US-200913055499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2009
Priority date	Aug 6, 2008
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus ( 1 ) for processing documents of value, in particular bank notes, and a method for operating such an apparatus ( 1 ). The apparatus ( 1 ) includes several processing zones ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13 ), such as for example an input module ( 2 ), an operating module ( 3 ) and an output module ( 4 ). The apparatus ( 1 ) is further set up to detect events in the processing zones ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13 ), which require an intervention of an operator. The processing zones ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13 ) each have at least one cover ( 6 ), which, dependent on such a detected event, is automatically opened without intervention of the operator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for processing documents of value comprising:
several processing zones located on the apparatus and arranged to process documents of value, each of said several processing zones having at least one door moveable between an open and a closed position,
said apparatus comprising sensors arranged to detect events which require an intervention of an operator of the apparatus;
a control unit; and
at least one actuator associated with each door of the several processing zones arranged to open the door under the control of the control unit,
wherein said control unit is arranged
to monitor the sensors and as soon as the respective sensor detects a malfunction to select a correct door out of the several doors of the several processing zones associated with the event detected by the respective sensor; and
to automatically operate the at least one actuator of a respective door upon detection of an event associated with the respective processing zone at which the door is located, so that by the selected correct door opening automatically an operator is led directly to the one processing zone of the several processing zones in which the intervention of the operator is required,
wherein the apparatus is arranged to indicate the automatic opening of the door by one or more acoustic and/or visual signals before the automatic opening of the correct door.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the event is the malfunction whose elimination requires an intervention of the operator, includes at least one of: a malfunction of a strapping device, of a bundling device, of one of the sensors, of a light barrier or a transport malfunction, or the finding of a need for consumables of the apparatus.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the event is a transport malfunction and the transport malfunction is a bank note jam.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the door is closeable automatically.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said door is configured to be closed automatically when a switch is activated by the operator and/or when the apparatus has detected a certain event which was triggered through the intervention of the operator.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising sensors arranged to detect the completely opened and completely closed position of the door.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus can be configured such that the automatic opening of the door is effected only after an opening confirmation by the operator of the apparatus.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one actuator comprises an actuating cylinder connected to the door.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising a valve connected with the actuating cylinder, said valve being arranged to slow down an opening movement of the door or a closing movement of the door by a temporary at least partial closure of the valve.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the several processing zones are different processing zones from one another.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , comprising, in addition to the at least one actuator for each at least one door, at least one gas pressure spring for each at least one door, said at least one gas pressure spring configured to support the opening movement of the door and to hold the door in fully opened position after its opening.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus for processing documents is configured to stop when the correct door is opened, and configured to continue operation when all of the doors are closed.

13. A method for operating an apparatus for processing documents of value, said apparatus having several processing zones each having at least one door moveable between an open and a closed position, said method comprising the steps:
detecting events requiring an intervention of an operator in the processing zones using sensors, wherein said events require an intervention of an operator; and
as soon as a respective sensor detects a malfunction in one of the processing zones, using a control unit to select a correct door out of several doors of the several processing zones associated with the event detected by the respective sensor, and to automatically operate at least one actuator associated with the door of the processing zone upon detection of the event associated with the respective processing zone at which the door is located so that by the selected correct door opening automatically an operator is led directly to the one processing zone of the several processing zones in which the intervention of the operator is required,
wherein the selected correct door opening automatically is indicated by one or more acoustic and/or visual signals before the automatic opening.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the steps of assisting in the opening movement of the respective door using one gas pressure spring per door, and after the opening holding the door in fully opened position by the gas pressure spring.

15. The method according to claim 13 , comprising the step of automatically closing the door by activating a switch and/or when the apparatus has detected an event which was triggered through the intervention of the operator.

16. The method according to claim 13 , including the step of detecting the completely opened and/or the completely closed position of the door.

17. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of temporarily closing a valve connected with the actuator so that a closing movement of the door from an open position or an opening movement of the door from a closed position is slowed down, wherein the actuator is a fluid actuator.

18. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the actuator is a fluid cylinder.

19. An apparatus for processing documents of value comprising:
several processing zones located on the apparatus and arranged to process documents of value, each of said several processing zones having at least one door moveable between an open and a closed position,
said apparatus comprising sensors arranged to detect events which require an intervention of an operator of the apparatus;
a control unit; and
at least one actuator associated with each door of the several processing zones arranged to open the door under the control of the control unit,
wherein said control unit is arranged to monitor the sensors and as soon as the respective sensor detects a malfunction to select a correct door out of the several doors of the several processing zones associated with the event detected by the respective sensor; and
to automatically operate the at least one actuator of a respective door upon detection of an event associated with the respective processing zone at which the door is located, so that by the selected correct door opening automatically an operator is led directly to the one processing zone of the several processing zones in which the intervention of the operator is required, and
wherein the apparatus is arranged to indicate the automatic opening of the door by one or more acoustic and/or visual signals before the automatic opening of the door.

20. A method of notifying an operator of a bank note processing machine with multiple processing zones, said method comprising the following steps:
detecting a first event which requires an intervention by the operator using sensors;
determining a first processing zone of the machine out of the multiple processing

Assignees

• Schmidt Alfred
• Dopfer Peter
• Demmeler Erwin
• Giesecke & Devrient Currency Technology Gmbh

Inventors

• Schmidt Alfred
• Dopfer Peter
• Demmeler Erwin

Classifications

• G07D11/26

  Servicing, repairing or coping with irregularities, e.g. power failure or vandalism · CPC title

• G07D11/10 Primary

  Mechanical details · CPC title

• G07D11/14

  Inlet or outlet ports · CPC title

• G07D11/60

  User-interface arrangements · CPC title

• G07D11/235

  for monitoring or indicating operating conditions; for detecting malfunctions · CPC title