More specifically the invention concerns a bank note managing apparatus which is provided with a bank note box which is in- accessible in operation and which is covered by a cover and is locked prior to being removed from its operating position so that it becomes impossible for an unauthorized person to open the bank note box when it has been removed from its position in the bank note managing apparatus. The bank note box can be un- locked with a key which is securely retained, for example in a safe in the office of the supermarket. The bank note box can to advantage be subdivided into a number of compartments correspon- ding to the number of possible bank note denominations and can be used in cooperation with a cash register.

STATE OF THE ART Bank note handling apparatuses according to the state of the art are complicated and despite this their contents may be easily accessible if the cashier is subjected to a threat or a hold-up. Furthermore, bank note handling apparatuses according to the state of the art are often space consuming and unwieldy to work with. In the conventional case it may also be necessary to handle the bank notes twice if a security box which is used for reducing the volume and the value of bank notes which are retained in the cash box itself is utilized.

The closest prior art is US 5,695,038 which shows a drop safe for receiving and temporarily storing currency from a cash register. An entry device, such as a keypad, allows designated persons, such as cashiers or store managers, to deposit currency in the safe but not the general public. Deposits in the drop safe can be accepted in a number of acceptors that replace each other when a currency-receiving cassette in each individual acceptor is filled with bank notes. The cassettes are periodi- cally removed from the drop safe by an armored-car driver or other authorized service person and replaced with empty cassettes. Bank notes in the cassettes have mixed denominations and there are no individual compartments for one single bank note denomination in each.

As further prior art the following patent specifications may be mentioned: US 4,786,785, FR2618993, US 5,813,510, US 5,427,036 and US 5,615,759, respectively.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The bank note managing apparatus of the invention is small in size and is very easy to work with. Its purpose is to ensure that the cashier has his or her cash flow entirely safe and that the cash flow is not accessible to either the cashier or anyone else during the period when it is located in the bank note managing apparatus or when it is being removed from the bank note managing apparatus and conveyed for example to a safe. In this manner it is possible for instance to avoid keeping bank notes in a cash register overnight. The bank note managing appa- ratus of the invention provides a solution for automatic bank note managing which is utilized without the bank notes being exposed on their way from the bank note managing apparatus to an office or a bank.

It is easy to handle the bank note box in the bank note managing apparatus and said box comprises a secure place to keep bank notes, the total amount of which always can be known in consequence of each deposit and removal of bank notes (and coins) during a workshift being recorded in a computer. The bank note box replaces a traditional cash box whose contents of bank notes normally is exposed in each payment transaction between a customer and a cashier and concerning which each cashier must maintain and be responsible for his or her cash flow results in a workshift.

Contrary to traditional cash registers the bank note managing apparatus in accordance with the invention can be activated by either the customer or the cashier. The apparatus utilizes computer controlled motorized input and output of bank notes. The entire procedure of automatic bank note managing is carried out by the computer of the apparatus which controls all functions but also has the capacity of independently handling the entire need of cash flow routines such as registering and storing and can be upgraded for all possible requirements and needs. The computer can also be utilized for providing informa- tion to the customer on a display concerning the bank note denomination which at the moment is best needed, furthermore for keeping track of denominations for payment and for ensuring that the contents of the bank note box are appropriate prior to the time drawing close to shifting bank note boxes at the respective checkout counters.

The computer is programmed in such manner that with the assistance of a bank note reader for input it ensures that in- flowing functions in the bank note managing apparatus are carried out in secure and reliable manner and that the differ- ence between the amount of purchase which has been keyed in by the cashier and the amount that has been paid is returned in appropriate bank note denominations.

Naturally the cashier also should be able to pay back the customer a desired amount manually by means of a keypad, said amount also being recorded in the computer.

The bank note managing apparatus of the invention comprises an input device with an integrated detector or bank note reader, such as a scanner, and a motor for input and output, respective- ly, of bank notes, a seizing and conveying device, for example a vacuum suction block, whose purpose is to deposit bank notes in compartments in a bank note box corresponding to the bank note denomination and to remove bank notes from compartments in the bank note box corresponding to the bank note denomination, respectively, and a removable cover for the bank note box, said cover being, by means of a lock which is built into the bank note box, automatically locked on the bank note box when the cover is fully slid onto the bank note box. A key that coope- rates with said lock or a corresponding lock actuating device is built into the bank note managing apparatus and can automati- cally be turned by a computer controlled motor for locking the bank note box but cannot be removed from the bank note managing apparatus.

At least two keys are allotted to each bank note managing apparatus. One of these keys is unremovably positioned in the bank note managing apparatus which is mounted in the checkout counter whereas the other one is issued to a responsible person for example in the office or in a bank. The person that works at the checkout counter can remove a bank note box from the bank note managing apparatus by logging out. However, before the bank note box can be removed the relevant person has to slide the cover onto the bank note box in the bank note managing appara- tus. In his or her doing so, two automatic functions are activa- ted for example by means of a microswitch, viz. on the one hand the cover is securely locked onto the bank note box and on the other hand the bank note box is released from the bank note managing apparatus so that it can be turned over to the office.

The responsible person in the office can unlock and remove the cover by means of his or her key which fits into the lock in the respective bank note boxes and can take out the contents of bank notes and thereafter supply the empty bank note box with a small number of bank notes primarily being of smaller denominations (initial amount of money for the next workshift) and thereupon lock the cover. The bank note box will thereby be prepared for being delivered back to the checkout counter with the cover locked on it for the next workshift. The cover will be automa- tically unlocked so that it can be removed when the bank note box is introduced into a predetermined position in the bank note managing apparatus.

In clarification of the above it should be mentioned that in order for each cashier to be responsible for the revenue received during the relevant workshift the cashier logs into a computer which keeps track of the input and output of bank notes during said cashier's workshift. When the cashier logs out at the. end of the workshift the computer knows the exact denomina- tions and the exact number of bank notes that have been supplied to the bank note box and removed from it during the shift. By knowing how many bank notes were in the bank note box initially it is possible to know exactly how many bank notes and which denominations the bank note box contains at the end of the work- shift. Several cashiers can log out and log in, respectively, during the same workshift, which can be done without changing the bank note box as the computer keeps track of the cash flow activities that occur. It is most appropriate to have one or more bank note boxes associated with a specific checkout counter.

Secure managing of the bank notes is enabled and control- ling the cash flow of the workshift is facilitated by each customer, if necessary with the assistance of the cashier, introducing the bank notes that the relevant customer is to pay with into a slit in a detector, for example in the form of a bank note reader, which may be a scanner, which checks the denomination and authenticity of the bank notes. This can be done by checking for example the color of the bank note, its pattern, its size, and its paper structure, respectively. It may be possible to utilize spectral analysis for one or more of these checkups. A report concerning the results can be provided to an analysis program in a computer which also senses when the bank note reaches a predetermined input and output position, respectively, in the bank note reader.

If the authenticity is approved each consecutive bank note is seized by the above-mentioned seizing and conveying device, for example a vacuum suction block, and is conveyed inside of the enclosed casing of the bank note managing apparatus which surrounds the bank note box to a position over a compartment in the bank note box corresponding to the denomination of the bank note. The seizing and conveying device, which here is assumed to be the above-mentioned vacuum suction block, is then lowered into the relevant compartment in the bank note box and there- after carries out a return movement with disconnected vacuum so that the bank note can be restrained in the compartment, for example by the longitudinal edges of the bank note being caught by extending portions of the longitudinal edges of the bank note compartment when a plate supporting all the bank notes in the compartment is urged upwards by a spring located under said plate.

When conversely a bank note with a specific denomination is to be furnished to the customer as return payment the cashier completes the purchase by pressing a specific key in the keypad, whereby a computer initiates output from the corresponding bank note compartment by the vacuum suction block being lowered into the compartment, attaching the uppermost bank note by suction, and lifting it to the position for lateral conveyance, with only one single bank note being drawn out of the compartment whereas the remainder are prevented from this by the above-mentioned extending portions of the longitudinal edges of the bank note compartment. The vacuum suction block is then conveyed to the position for feeding out the bank note through the same slit in the bank note reader through which it was introduced, and the bank note is output through said slit after the bank note reader has checked the authenticity and denomination of the bank note and has established that they are in agreement with the markings provided in the computer and has checked the feed-out position of the bank note. Coins are handled in a conventional coin hand- ling apparatus.

All operations are recorded in the computer, and the person who has logged in and logged out is responsible for all opera- tions that are performed. All operations are recorded with information on the time of day and the date in the computer and it is possible to read out what has occurred exactly as with a cash register slip.

As a safety measure the interior of the bank note box can be provided with one or more ink vials, for example one in each compartment, which break open if an unauthorized person seizes the bank note box, for example when it is being conveyed between the cash register and the supermarket safe, and forces the cover open, with the ink vials coloring the bank notes whereby the latter lose their value.

The ink vials can for example be activated by a chip which is disposed in the bank note box. This activation may be carried out by means of a signal of a specific frequency from a trans- mitter which is positioned in an appropriate place where a thief may be expected to exit the supermarket.

Substantial advantages of the bank note managing apparatus of the invention are that in addition to its operation with com- plete security it operates at high speed and is basically self- handling, whereby the cashier can begin with a new customer without unnecessary delay. Additional important advantages of the bank note managing apparatus of the invention are that it keeps the bank notes entirely secure and can be manufactured at very competitive cost.

The means by which the above is achieved are disclosed in the accompanying claims.

The invention will be described more specifically in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1,2, and 3, respectively, schematically show the principle of feeding a bank note into the bank note managing apparatus of the invention, Figure 4 schematically shows the principle of conveying a bank note to a bank note box, Figures 5A, 5B, and 5C, respectively, show how a lockable cover can be slid onto the bank note box, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the interior of the bank note managing apparatus in accordance with the invention, Figure 7 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 6 but taken from the diagonally opposite direction, Figures 8,9,10,11,12, and 13, respectively, are perspective views of the interior of the bank note managing apparatus viewed from different directions, and Figure 14 is a perspective view of the bank note box with the cover fully slid on.

Figures 1,2, and 3, respectively, schematically show the principle of feeding a bank note into the bank note managing apparatus in accordance with the invention. More specifically, Figure 1 shows a bank note 1 which is slid in a direction 2 by a customer or a cashier in a supermarket. The bank note can appro- priately be slid sidewise but is not limited to this. The front portion of the bank note is shown outside a transverse slit 3 in a bank note reader 8 in which characteristic features of the bank note are read. This is marked out by arrows 5a, 5b, and 5c, respectively. These features may for example be the denomination of the bank note, its color, its pattern, its size, and its paper structure. The designation 6 refers to a drive roller among for example four similar ones and 7 is a press roller among for example four similar ones, with rollers 6 and 7 engaging each other in pairs and cooperating in such manner that only when the whole foremost end of the bank note has moved forward to the point of contact between the drive rollers 6 and the press rollers 7 and the authenticity and denomination of the bank note have been verified by the bank note reader 8 and possible further features have been verified, for example the pattern, size, and paper structure of the bank note, is the bank note fed further to the position illustrated in Figure 2. It should be noted that the bank note must have reached the nip between all of the drive rollers 6 and all of the press rollers 7 with its entire front edge in order for the bank note to be conveyed further. When the bank note has been conveyed far enough to be located below a seizing and conveying device, which here as an example has the form of a vacuum block 9, the latter is lowered and draws up the bank note by suction with an elonga- ted mouthpiece 9a and lifts the bank note to the position shown in Figure 3. The press rollers 7 are mounted in a plate 10a which is connected to a an elongated roller 10 and which is turned up to the position illustrated in Figure 3 concurrently with the vacuum block making the bank note adhere by suction.

Figure 4 schematically illustrates the principle of trans- ferring the bank note to a bank note box 11 consisting of an elongated container which is shown in longitudinal section in said figure. Said container has a bottom 12, end walls 13 and 14 and partitions 17,18,19, and 20, respectively. Compartments F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5, respectively, are formed between the mentioned walls and partitions and the bottom and are closed at the top by bank note supporting plates 22,23,24,25, and 26, respectively, which are slightly larger than a bank note, said bank note supporting plates being urged from below against edges 27,28,29,30,31, and 32, respectively, at the upper parts of the walls of said compartments. Tension springs clamped between the bottom and the respective plates 22,23,24,25, and 26, which are located at the top, are positioned in each one of the compartments F1, F2, F3, F4, and F5, respectively, and are designated 22a, 23a, 24a, 25a, and 26a. Each one of the respec- tive compartments corresponds to one denomination of the bank notes, for example bank notes with the denomination 20 euros in compartment F1, bank notes with the denomination 50 euros in compartment F2, bank notes with the denomination 100 euros in compartment F3, bank notes with the denomination 500 euros in compartment F4, and bank notes with the denomination 1000 euros in compartment F5. If desired, the last-mentioned compartment can be made lower, as fewer 1000 euro bank notes are expected than the number of other bank notes.

As also is shown in the figures mentioned up to now a key 36 is fastened in a key holder 37 and cooperates with a lock 39 in the bank note box 11. The key 36 cannot be removed from the key holder 37 and is only shown schematically so that it may be understood that the locking function is the same as one which would be provided by a key. The key holder 37 is supported by a base plate 38.

The intention is that the bank note box is to have a cover positioned on it when it is pulled out of the bank note managing apparatus and that said cover is to be securely locked at that time by means of lock 39 so that the bank notes will not be accessible from the exterior until the cover is unlocked.

This is more specifically illustrated in figures 5A, 5B, and 5C, respectively. Figure 5A shows the cover 40 slid onto the bank note box to such extent that the cover nearly has reached bank note compartment F4 and is on its way to its locking posi- tion. In Figure 5B cover 40 has reached its locking position and has been locked there by the key 36 having been turned by a motor which starts running under the control of a microswitch 69 which cooperates with a projection 68 on the bank note box. The bank note box with the cover slid onto it is then released and can be pulled out of the bank note managing apparatus by means of a handle 70 as illustrated in Figure 5C so that completely closed and with its contents inaccessible without a key it may be conveyed for example to a safe in the office of the super- market. In Figures 5B and 5C the key 36 has been returned to its initial position in accordance with Figure 5A after it has been turned.

Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the bank note managing apparatus viewed from the side for inputting bank notes with the bank note reader not being visible. The dashed lines in the upper portion of the bank note managing apparatus indicate that it is completely enclosed in a casing, but the upper left-hand and right-hand sides of said casing have been removed in said figure so that the interior will be visible. The interior is comprised of the above-mentioned bank note box which in the illustrated position has been slid into the bank note managing apparatus altogether but without the cover being positioned on the bank note box. This positioning does not occur until the bank note box is to be pulled out of the bank note managing apparatus for being conveyed for example to a safe. The front plate of the casing with a slit 4 for inputting and outputting bank notes and the roller 10 are shown in Figure 6. The vacuum block 9 is also visible and may be displaced upwards and down- wards by riding on a rib 56 which is connected to a sidepiece 41 and which is raised and lowered with the latter.

A flexible tube 44 as shown in Figure 6 has the purpose of ensuring that the vacuum block 9 is subjected to a vacuum and makes it possible for the vacuum block 9 to transverse the en- tire bank note box in the longitudinal direction of the latter.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the bank note managing apparatus corresponding to Figure 6 but taken from the dia- gonally opposite position. It may be seen that the earlier men- tioned sidepiece 41 can move upwards and downwards on two rota- table screws 45 and 46 having the same threading, said screws being driven by a drive belt 47 which will be mentioned more specifically below. Said screws 45 and 46 are mounted in a mounting plate 48. The opening forintroducing the cover which is to be slid onto the bank note box and for permitting with- drawal of the entire enclosed bank note box comprising the cover and the bank note box itself is illustrated at 49.

Figure 8 is another perspective view of the bank note managing apparatus but with the markings showing the exterior of the cover and the front plate with the slit for inputting and outputting bank notes being omitted. Figure 8 shows a bank note 50 of the denomination"100"which just has been input and is on its way under roller 10. A motor 51 illustrated in this figure makes a belt wheel 52 rotate so that the drive belt 47 (compare Figure 7) rotates the screws 45 and 46 when vacuum block 9 has attached the bank note thereto by suction and is to convey it to the proper compartment in the bank note box 11. Figure 8 also shows a drive wheel 53 with associated drive belt 54 which drives roller 10 via a drive wheel 55. The designation 39' refers to the motor for turning the lock key 36 so that the cover is locked onto the bank note box when the cover is fully slid onto the bank note box and the latter is fully positioned in the bank note managing apparatus. When these two require- ments are fulfilled the bank note box with the cover fully and firmly locked to it can be pulled out of the bank note managing apparatus.

Figure 9 is a perspective view corresponding to Figure 8 but in which vacuum block 9 with attached bank note designated "100"has been conveyed upwards on rib 56 along sidepiece 41 by screws 45 and 46 being turned concurrently and in the same direction and the vacuum block is in position to be conveyed over the bank note box 11 and to be lowered into a corresponding bank note compartment. Conveying the vacuum block 9 from the position shown in Figure 9 to the relevant bank note compartment in the bank note box is carried out by a drive belt 42 pulling said vacuum block which is guided in rib 56. Lock 39 and its associated key 36 are also shown in Figure 9 as well as wheels 53 and 55 which also may be seen in Figure 8. The designation 33 in Figure 9 refers to a drive wheel which via a drive belt 34 drives a drive disc 35 which drives the roller 10 mentioned in connection with Figures 1-3 with its rotatable plate lOa and the press rollers 7.

In Figure 10 the vacuum block 9 has stopped over the bank note compartment into which bank notes with the designation "100"are to be lowered so as to supplement bank notes having the same denominations already lying in the compartment and being retained in the latter by the upper edges 30 and 31. As has been indicated above, bank notes with the denomination"500" would normally have been lowered into this compartment, but for the sake of clarity bank notes having the denominations"100" have been utilized.

Figure 11 is a perspective view similar to Figure 10 and shows vacuum block 9 lowered into the bank note compartment for bank notes having the denomination"100". When vacuum block 9 moves upwards again and the vacuum is disconnected, then the bank note which the block has carried will remain in the com- partment as it will be retained there by edges 30 and 31.

Figure 11 also illustrates slit 3 (compare Figures 1-3) through which scanning is carried out by the bank note reader for establishing the denomination and authenticity of the bank notes.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the bank note managing apparatus without its casing and with its cover 40 partially positioned on the bank note box 11 whereas Figure 13 is a per- spective view of the bank note managing apparatus without its casing but with the cover 40 positioned on the bank note box and the latter being pulled out after being released from lock 39 for being carried to a safe or the like by means of handle 70.

In this case the bank note box is fully encased and locked and it cannot be unlocked by anyone other than an authorized person whom for example has a key in the office. Figure 13 also shows the drive mechanism for vacuum block 9 more specifically with the motor 51, drive belt 47, screws 45 and 46, and mounting plate 48 which also are illustrated in earlier figures.

Finally, Figure 14 illustrates the bank note box when it has been conveyed to the office, wherein a key 71 which is main- tained in the office is being prepared to be introduced into the lock so that the contents of the bank note box may be compared to the figures that the cashier has logged in. The projection 68 on the right-hand side of the bank note box cooperates with the earlier mentioned microswitch 69 and comprises an acknowledge- ment device to ensure that the bank note box is completely locked.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment disclosed above. This merely comprises an example of the invention and its mode of utilization.