Document handling apparatus

Abstract

A document handling apparatus ( 10 ) is disclosed. The apparatus ( 10 ) comprises a safe ( 20 ) housing a storage assembly ( 30 ), a note handling module ( 30 ) (40) mounted on top of the safe ( 20 ) and a door cover ( 60 ) which conceals a safe door ( 22 ) providing access to the interior of the safe. The note handling module ( 30 ) (40) has an input module ( 41 ), a NHM transport ( 42 ) for conveying documents, an output module ( 46 ), a document analysis assembly ( 43 ) and a first diverter ( 44 ) controlled by a main control unit. The door cover ( 60 ) further conceals a cassette module ( 50 ) located between the door cover ( 60 ) and the door safe door ( 22 ) and which houses a removable cassette ( 110 ) for storing documents.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A document handling apparatus comprising:
 a safe, housing; a storage assembly; 
 a note handling module (NHM) mounted on top of the safe, the note handling module having an input module, an NHM transport for conveying documents, an output module, a document analysis assembly and a first diverter, controlled by a main control unit; 
 a cassette module structure which is sized to accommodate a removable cassette for storing documents; and 
 a door cover which conceals a safe door providing access to the interior of the safe, wherein the door cover further conceals the cassette module structure which is located between the door cover and the safe door and which houses a removable cassette for storing documents, 
 wherein the NHM transport and the first diverter are configured to dispense documents earlier stored in the storage assembly at least to the cassette. 
 
     
     
       2. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cassette module structure is mounted on the safe door by a secure hinge arrangement. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein further comprising, mounted at the upper part of the cassette module comprises structure, a vertical transport section which in use is associated with a horizontal transport section located in the note handling module, the vertical and horizontal section forming together a skimming transport path. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the output module comprises stacker wheels and in that the horizontal transport section is located underneath the said stacker wheels. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the note handling module comprises a second diverter which when in a first position enables documents to be fed to the output module, and which when in a second position enables documents either earlier stored in the storage assembly or placed in the input module to be dispensed, in use, to the cassette in response respectively to a command entered from a user or to the detection via the document analysis assembly of pre-defined banknotes. 
     
     
       6. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the second diverter is located at a leading edge of the horizontal transport section. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cassette module comprises further comprising, attached to the cassette structure, a paddle drive mechanism arranged, in use, to drive up and down along the length of the cassette a packer plate located inside the cassette and a note stack level control for determining and controlling, in use, the position of the packer plate. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cassette module structure further comprises a lift mechanism which when in a first position enables a cassette to be loaded or unloaded from the cassette module structure, and which when in a second position enables documents to be fed to the cassette. 
     
     
       9. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the cassette module structure comprises a pivotally mounted note guide arranged in such a way that when the cassette is in a pre-defined position, the note guides reach guide reaches into the cassette. 
     
     
       10. An apparatus as claimed in claim  1  3, further comprising a vertical trans ort section wherein the vertical transport section has a trailing edge which is provided with a pair of flapper wheels. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the storage assembly consists of a number of roll storage modules in which documents can be stored. 
     
     
       12. A method of outputting documents in bulk to a removable cassette having a packer plate located inside the cassette and using a document handling apparatus which is controlled by a main control unit (MCU), the method comprising:
 opening a door cover, wherein the door cover conceals a safe door that provides access to the interior of a safe located in the document handling apparatus, and wherein the door cover further conceals a cassette structure which is located between the door cover and the safe door; 
 inserting and locking the cassette within a the cassette module, wherein the document handling comprises a door cover which conceals a safe door providing access to the interior of a safe, and wherein the door cover further conceals the cassette module which is located between the door cover and the safe door structure; 
 controlling an NHM a note handling module transport and, a skimming transport of the apparatus path, a first diverter, and a second diverter in such a way that documents earlier stored in a storage assembly in the safe are dispensed at least to the cassette in response to a command entered from a user and sent to an the MCU, wherein the storage assembly is configured to receive documents from an input module. 
 
     
     
       13. A method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the command entered from a user is either a confirmation command entered in response to the detection that the capacity of a storage module in the storage assembly is reaching its limit or a withdrawal command to dispense the document within the cassette. 
     
     
       14. A method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein upon detection that the cassette is full or has reached a pre-determined value defined by the user, a command to stop dispensing documents to the cassette is sent to the MCU. 
     
     
       15. A document handling apparatus controlled by a main control unit for outputting documents in bulk to a removable cassette having a packer plate located inside the cassette,
 wherein the apparatus is configured to allow the cassette to be inserted and locked within a cassette module, wherein the document handling apparatus comprises a door cover which conceals a safe door providing access to the interior of a safe, and wherein the door cover further conceals the cassette module which is located between the door cover and the safe door, and 
 wherein a NHM a note handling module transport and, a skimming transport of the apparatus path, a first diverter, and a second diverter are configured in such a way that documents earlier stored in a storage assembly in the safe are dispensed at least to the cassette in response to a command entered from a user and sent to the main control unit, wherein the storage assembly is configured to receive documents from an input module. 
 
     
     
       16. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the command entered from a user is either a confirmation command entered in response to the detection that the capacity of a storage module in the storage assembly is reaching its limit or a withdrawal command to dispense the document within the cassette. 
     
     
       17. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the apparatus is configured to detect whether the cassette is full or has reached a pre-determined value defined by the user, and if so detected, to send a command to stop dispensing documents to the cassette is sent to the main control unit. 
     
     
       18. A method of outputting documents in bulk to a removable cassette having a packer plate located inside the cassette and using a document handling apparatus which is controlled by a main control unit, the method comprising:
 opening a door cover, wherein the door cover conceals a safe door that provides access to the interior of a safe located in the document handling apparatus, and wherein the door cover further conceals a cassette structure which is located between the door cover and the safe door; 
 inserting and locking the cassette within a cassette module, wherein the document handling apparatus comprises a door cover which conceals a safe door providing access to the interior of a safe, and wherein the door cover further conceals the cassette module which is located between the door cover and the safe door, structure; 
 controlling an NHM a note handling module transport and, a skimming transport of the apparatus path, a first diverter, and a second diverter such that they are capable of dispensing documents earlier stored in a storage assembly in the safe at least to the cassette in response to a command entered from a user and sent to a main control unit, and
 dispensing documents placed in an input module at least to the cassette in response to detection of pre-defined documents, 
 
 wherein the storage assembly is configured to receive documents from the input module. 
 
     
     
       19. A method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the command entered from a user is either a confirmation command entered in response to the detection that the capacity of a storage module in the safe is reaching its limit or a withdrawal command to dispense the document within the cassette. 
     
     
       20. A method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein upon detection that the cassette is full or has reached a pre-determined value defined by the user, a command to stop dispensing documents to the cassette is sent to the main control unit. 
     
     
       21. An A document handling apparatus controlled by a main control unit for outputting documents in bulk to a removable cassette having a packer plate located inside the cassette,
 wherein the apparatus is configured to allow the cassette to be inserted and locked within a cassette module structure, wherein the document handling apparatus comprises a door cover which conceals a safe door providing access to the interior of a safe, and wherein the door cover further conceals the cassette module structure which is located between the door cover and the safe door, and 
 wherein an NEM a note handling module transport and a skimming transport path of the apparatus, a first diverter and a second diverter are configured in such a way that they are capable of: 
 dispensing documents earlier stored in a storage assembly at least to the cassette in response to a command entered from a user sent to a the main control unit, and 
 dispensing documents placed in an input module at least to the cassette in response to detection of pre-defined documents, 
 wherein the storage assembly is configured to receive documents from the input module. 
 
     
     
       22. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the command entered from a user is either a confirmation command entered in response to the detection that the capacity of a storage module in the safe is reaching its limit or a withdrawal command to dispense one or more of the document documents within the cassette. 
     
     
       23. An apparatus as claimed in  claim 21 , wherein the apparatus is configured to detect whether the cassette is full or has reached a pre-determined value defined by the user, and if so detected, to send a command to stop dispensing documents to the cassette is sent to the main control unit. 
     
     
       24. A document handling apparatus comprising:
 a safe, housing, a storage assembly, 
 a note handling module mounted on top of the safe, the note handling module having an input module, an NHM a note handling module transport for conveying documents, an output module, a document analysis assembly and a first diverter, controlled by a main control unit, 
 a cassette module structure which is sized to accommodate a removable cassette for storing documents, and 
 a door cover which conceals a safe door providing access to the interior of the safe, wherein the door cover further conceals the cassette module structure which is located between the door cover and the safe door and which houses a removable cassette for storing documents, 
 wherein the NHM note handling module transport and the first diverter are capable of dispensing at least one of: i) documents earlier stored in the storage assembly, and ii) documents placed in the input module, at least to the cassette. 
 
     
     
       25. The document handling apparatus of claim 1, wherein the documents are banknotes. 
     
     
       26. The document handling apparatus of claim 15, wherein the documents are banknotes. 
     
     
       27. The document handling apparatus of claim 21, wherein the documents are banknotes. 
     
     
       28. The document handling apparatus of claim 24, wherein the documents are banknotes. 
     
     
       29. The method of claim 15, wherein the documents are banknotes. 
     
     
       30. The method of claim 18, wherein the documents are banknotes. 
     
     
       31. A method of outputting documents in bulk to a removable cassette, using a document handling apparatus which is controlled by a main control unit, the method comprising:
 introducing documents into an input module of a note handling module, or a storage assembly housed in a safe,
 wherein the note handling module is mounted on top of the safe, and additionally has an output module, and a document analysis assembly, and wherein a door cover conceals a safe door that provides access to the interior of the safe, and further conceals the cassette structure which is located between the door cover and the safe door; 
   conveying the documents via a note handling module transport of the note handling module; and   routing the documents, via a first diverter in the note handling module, to a cassette removably located in a cassette structure.