METHOD FOR HANDLING OF BANKNOTES AND SIMILAR ARTICLES

The present invention relates to a method of handling banknotes and similar articles according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention also relates to a device and to a use.

Because banknotes and similar articles are theft attractive there is a need for means that will thwart attempts to steal such articles. With regard to banknotes, one way is to keep the banknotes in a protective casing that is fitted with an alarm and which includes means that will render the banknotes unusable, for instance by staining the banknotes, when the protective casing is influenced in a manner that initiates triggering of the alarm.

There is thus a desire to enable the banknotes/valuable articles to be stored safely to the greatest possible extent in a shell/casing which is fitted with an alarm and which, preferably, includes a destructive device/staining device and, in this way, minimize the occurrence of what can be called naked or unprotected money/banknotes. Minimization of the occurrence of naked money results in a highly significant reduction in the risk of theft.

One object of the present invention is to provide a method which minimizes the occurrence of so-called naked money (unprotected banknotes). This object is achieved by virtue of the method having the characteristic features in the accompanying claims.

The following benefits are some of the many benefits afforded by the present invention.

The present invention continuously provides protective storage of banknotes in combination with significant logistical benefits. These benefits include a minimized risk of theft, a reduced need of security transportation and a reduction in the need for valuable-item depots in which money is counted and stored. The invention thus reduces the risk of robbery, since re-loading of banknotes or similar transfers normally need not take place. The money/banknotes is/are always protected.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 illustrates schematically and in perspective a security unit;

Figure 2 is an open side view of an exemplifying embodiment of a security unit;

Figure 3 illustrates schematically a docking-based emptying of such a unit of its banknote contents in accordance with the invention;

Figure 4 illustrates schematically docking-based filling of such a unit with banknotes in accordance with the invention.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a value unit 10 which includes a protective shell/protective casing 11 which communicates with an alarm arrangement 12, which, in turn, communicates with a destructive device 13. In the event of an unauthorized person attempting to obtain access to the valuable contents of the unit 10, for instance to the banknotes stored therein by penetrating or manipulating the protective casing 11, the alarm device 12 will activate the destructive device 13 and therewith result in the destruction or staining of the banknotes in the unit 10. The security unit 10 is constructed so that attempts to manipulate the unit 10 by an unauthorized person will result in staining and/or the destruction of the valuable contents of said unit, for instance banknotes stored therein.

The unit 10 includes means 15 for collecting and dispensing valuable articles/banknotes. In the case of the illustrated embodiment, the collecting means/dispensing means 15 comprises a reversible rotational drivable drum 16 and a carrier film arrangement 17 which is adapted to enable, for instance, banknotes to be fed into and out of the unit 10 through a slot 18 in the exterior of said unit, wherein as banknotes are deposited the carrier films 20, 21 will function to transport banknotes between the slot 18 and the drum 16 such that the banknotes will be rolled up on the drum 16 and stored thereon together with a section of respective carrier films. The carrier films 20, 21 also function to convey banknotes from the drum 16 to the slot 18 in the banknote dispensing mode of the arrangement. The infeed and the outfeed of banknotes is determined respectively by the direction in which the drum 16 rotates and also by the movement direction of the carrier films 20, 21. The carrier films 20, 21 are stored on a respective reversible and rotatable storage drum 22, 23, and are guided by a number of deflecting rollers/guide rollers as evident from figure 2.

The unit 10 containing the valuable articles also includes an electronic unit or processor 19 which records/registers the banknote content/valuable article content of the unit 10 and controls/steers the manoeuvring commands in question. The electronic unit/processor 19 can be coupled, for instance, to an electronic unit/processor associated, for example, with a cashpoint, a cashier's office, a teller's desk or some corresponding station and/or to, e.g., an electronic unit/processor of an automatic cash dispenser/automatic telling machine (ATM- machine) or the like and/or to a command centre, control centre, cash centre or the like security management centre. These connections can be made directly or via radio communication or in some corresponding appropriate fashion.

Figure 3 illustrates a stationary or movable unit 10a that shall be emptied of its banknotes/valuable items. Emptying of the banknotes/valuable items is carried out by advancing (arrow K) a movable unit 10b and docking the unit 10b with the aid of a docking means 50 so that the electronic units of respective units 10a and 10b are able to communicate with one another and carry out a form of dialogue with each other at the same time as a positional alignment is ensured. An accepted handshake process results in synchronized drum rotation and therewith the transfer of banknotes from the unit 10a to the unit 10b via the slots 18, in accordance with arrow A. When the transfer of banknotes is concluded, the two units are moved away from their docking mode and the unit 10b is moved to a new target (arrow L) for further filling or emptying of banknotes. It will be understood that the units 1 Oa and 10b containing valuable articles may be caused to communicate with a central security management station/central command station that monitors and maps the flow of money and registers details of the beneficial owner and orders the paths along which the units shall move and their destinations.

It will be understood that the docking-based banknote-transfers/valuable-article transfers described above can be applied even when a number of value units 10 are combined to form a pack of value units.

Figure 4 illustrates filling of banknotes in a stationary or mobile unit 10a or in a unit pack 1OA. The filling is carried out by advancing (arrow M) a mobile unit 10b or a unit pack 1OB and docking the same with the aid of docking means 50 so that the electronic units of the units 10a, 1 Ob/unit packs 1OA, 1OB can communicate with each other and have a form of dialogue with each other so as to obtain the requisite acceptance and co-action at the same time as a

positional alignment is ensured, and at the same time achieving any necessary communication and dialogue, for instance, with a command centre, control centre, supervising centre, cash centre, or the like security management centre. The desired banknote transfer is achieved by synchronized rotation of the drums of the units involved, via the slots 18 as indicated by arrow B, to the unit/unit pack 10a/ 1OA. Upon conclusion of the banknote transfer, docking of the units is broken and the unit 1 Ob/the unit pack 1OB is transported (arrow N) to a new target for further filling with banknotes or emptying of banknotes, and so on.

Registration of the amount of cash concerned, registration of ownership of the cash or valuable articles, logistic decisions, etc. are preferably carried out by a cash centre or the like. It is also possible to delegate at least some of these tasks to relevant value units 10.

The method according to the invention thus enables so-called docking of units 10 or unit packs to be used in a desired region in which there is utilized, for instance, varying flow of banknotes in different user stations for minimizing the need of transporting banknotes to and from external regions. The units 10 thus constantly protect the banknotes and the existence of naked, unprotected banknotes is effectively minimized. The invention thus enables the transport of banknotes to be minimized and optional serial transport solutions to be achieved in extremely safe forms, since the banknotes are constantly protected.

The value units or value unit packs may be supported on wheels in order to facilitate their transportation.

It will be understood that many variations are possible within the framework of the inventive concept.

The construction of the unit 10 can be varied widely. For instance, the above described banknote drum 16 and its peripheral arrangement can be replaced with an alternative banknote handling device that is qualified for receiving and dispensing banknotes.

It should be mentioned that the docking means 50 mentioned above will preferably include means for achieving both the necessary physical alignment of the units and the requisite signal communication to be obtained between the units or the unit packs involved in the docking process.

It will be understood that the docking-based banknote-transfers/valuable item transfers mentioned by way of example above provide extremely good possibilities in minimizing the occurrence of naked money and, at the same time, is minimizing the need for transportation and is increasing the security during the entire money handling chain etc.

The method according to the invention includes at least one docking operation/transfer operation, although it will be understood that an optional number of serial docking operations/transfer operations may be carried out within the framework of the inventive concept.

It will also be understood that the invention is not restricted to the illustrated and described embodiments and that changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the accompanying claims.