A variety of bill or currency validation and stacking techniques are known in the prior art, including the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,628,194 (METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CURRENCY VALIDATION), 4,722,519 (STACKER APPARATUS), 4,765,607 (STACKER APPARATUS), 4,775,824 (MOTOR CONTROL FOR BANKNOTE HANDLING APPARATUS), 5,209,395 (METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A LOCKABLE, REMOVABLE CASSETTE, FOR SECURELY STORING CURRENCY), 5,222,584 (CURRENCY VALIDATOR) AND 5,209,335 (SECURITY ARRANGEMENT FOR USE WITH A LOCKABLE, REMOVABLE CASSETTE), all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated by reference herein.
In applications where security and accountability are of particular concern, such as in the gaming industry and in certain fields of the vending industry, a number of features are particularly desirable. For example, easy front access without the use of tools to clear any currency jams or to clean the unit is desirable to ease service and minimize the downtime of units which may typically be employed in slot machines. Such easy front access is particularly advantageous for slot machines because they are typically arranged side by side and back to back or alternatively are placed side by side with their backs against a wall.
A cash or currency storage cassette should provide tamper evident security so that while a locked cassette may not survive a crowbar, torch, or the like, currency cannot be removed by an unauthorized person without telltale evidence of tampering. The cassette should also be readily lockable and removable, and upon its removal, no access to the currency validation or other electronics should be provided. Similarly, removal of the currency validator should not allow access to any money stored in the lockable removable currency cassette.
When the cassette is removed, the currency validator should not accept currency. Thus, it is highly desirable to be able to sense removal of the currency cassette. In addition, the currency cassette should have as few electronic or electrical components as possible to prevent tampering by persons charged with collecting the currency cassette, and should be robust in its design so as to include no delicate mechanical components which could be readily tampered with or which would necessitate frequent service.
Further, an accurate currency count must be maintained. To this end, each time a piece of currency is pushed into or stored in the currency cassette it must be counted so that any discrepancies between the currency found in the cassette when it is opened by an authorized person, and the currency count maintained by a slot machine with which the cassette is used, may be readily detected.
One existing product employed in slot machines attempts to provide many of the above desirable features. This product, however, includes a gear driven currency transport arrangement which is susceptible to poor gear alignment. The currency transport drive used in its currency cassette also drives its currency pusher arrangement. As a result, a gear which drives the currency cassette transport may not rotate to achieve alignment as readily as desireable. Also, the gear teeth which must mesh are fairly blunt to provide optimal torque consistent with standard gear tooth design principles; however, the bluntness of these teeth is such that the possibility of tooth head against tooth head interference is increased. When such interference occurs, jiggling and manipulation must be resorted to in an attempt to achieve proper meshing and alignment. Alternatively, if one attempts to force the teeth to mesh, damage to the unit may occur.
In an effort to provide tamper evident security, this product provides a lockable removable cassette made out of metal which is riveted or welded. This patent, however, has a relatively complex structure which tends to result in higher cost of manufacture and a higher cost of repair.
Further, this product includes an optical source and sensor to detect stacking of currency in the cassette, and an electronic connecting plug that must be connected to a utility plug in the currency validation portion of the unit. The sensing arrangement reduces the maximum available width of cassette which can fit within a given outer form factor. This limitation prevents widening the cassette adapted to accept U.S. currency, for example, to accept both U.S. currency and a wider currency such as Canadian currency for example.
This product also employs two separately driven currency transports requiring two power supplies. The two separate drives may not be perfectly synchronized resulting in currency buckling or jamming.
A secure product which is easier and less expensive to manufacture, as well as easier to service or repair, is highly desirable.