The present invention relates to automated teller machines, and in particular relates to a dispenser shutter assembly for an automated teller machine that includes a mechanism to prevent damage to the dispenser shutter assembly during manual opening of the shutter of the dispenser shutter assembly.
Automated banking machines are well known. A common type of automated banking machine used by consumers is an automated teller machine (“ATM”), colloquially known by terms such as “cash dispenser”, “cash machine” or “hole-in-the-wall”. ATMs enable customers to carry out banking transactions. Common banking transactions that may be carried out with ATMs include the dispensing of cash in the form of paper currency, the receipt of deposits, the transfer of funds between accounts, the payment of bills, account balance inquiries and mobile phone top-up, etc. The types of banking transactions a customer can carry out are determined by capabilities of the particular banking machine and the institution offering the service.
In the United Kingdom there are around seventy thousand ATMs and this number is on the increase. ATM fraud is also on the increase and perpetrators are constantly devising new ways in which to fraudulently extract cash from inside ATMs. One method in which perpetrators attempt to extract cash from an ATM is by using a cash capture device. A cash capture device is inserted by the perpetrator into a cash dispensing slot such that the cash is intercepted by the cash capture device inside the ATM and not dispensed to a user who has requested the cash. The perpetrator then returns to the ATM to remove the cash that is retained inside the ATM. During the removal operation, the perpetrator forces open the shutter of the ATM from the closed position. In some designs of ATM, the forcing open of the shutter damages the shutter operating mechanism so that the ATM is disabled which requires intervention by a service engineer before the ATM can return to service.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a dispenser shutter assembly of an automated teller machine and a method for preventing damage to the dispenser shutter assembly during a manual opening of a shutter.
The dispenser shutter assembly comprises: the shutter; a shutter plate; a pair of cam followers attached to the shutter plate; a cam coupled to the cam followers; a motor configured to rotate the cam in a first rotational direction in a plane of rotation of the cam for inducing the cam to act on the cam followers to cause movement of the shutter plate in a first linear direction to transition the shutter from an open state of the shutter to a closed state of the shutter; and a cam rotation restrictor positioned so as to prevent rotation of the cam beyond an over center position on the cam's rotational axis during said movement of the shutter plate in the first linear direction to transition the shutter to the closed state of the shutter, so that a subsequent manual operating of the shutter plate to open the shutter forces rotation of the cam in a second rotational direction which is opposite the first rotational direction.
The method for preventing damage to the dispenser shutter assembly of an automated teller machine during a manual opening of a shutter comprises; (i) the motor rotating the cam in the first rotational direction in the plane of rotation of the cam which induces the cam to act on the cam followers to cause movement of the shutter plate in the first linear direction to transition the shutter from the open state of the shutter to the closed state of the shutter; and (ii) in response to the manual opening of the shutter from the closed state of the shutter, forcing the cam to rotate in the second rotational direction, said forcing being caused by preventing, by the cam rotation restrictor, the cam from rotating beyond the over center position on the cam's rotational axis.
The present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The present invention prevents the disabling of the automated teller machine (ATM) by the shutter forcing operation, so that fraudulent activity that opens the shutter of the ATM does not result in an unserviceable ATM.
The ATM 100 comprises a housing 150 which comprises a non-secure portion 200 and a secure portion 205.
The non-secure portion 200 comprises a further housing having a public outer fascia 155 which comprises a display 105 for displaying user information to a user, screen selection keys 110 and keypad 115 for inputting data, a DC power supply 210, a card reader 225 for receiving a user bank card or other form of identity via a card receiving aperture 130, a cash dispensing aperture 125 and associated shutter assembly 245 for dispensing cash in the form of paper currency processed and stored in a dispenser area 235 of the ATM 100, a deposit aperture 120 for receiving deposits stored in a depository 230 and communicating with a deposit shutter assembly 240, an envelope dispensing aperture 145 for dispensing from envelope dispenser 250 envelopes for holding cash or check deposits for receiving by the deposit aperture 120, a receipt dispensing aperture 140 for dispensing receipts acknowledging a transaction made by a customer, an interlock PCB 255 coupled to a safe door switch 260, and a printer 220 for printing the receipts.
The non-secure portion 200 also houses a data processing apparatus 215 (which may include a PC core) for communicating with each of the components of the ATM 100 in order to process a requested transaction and to control the mechanical components of the ATM 100 in order to complete a requested and authorized transaction.
Dispenser area 235 further comprises a number of optical sensors 305, 310, 315 for detecting and validating the presence of paper currency in the presenter area 235.
For clarity, the dispenser area 235 referred to herein comprises the presenter unit 355, the dispenser shutter assembly 245 and cash dispenser aperture 125. A person skilled in the art will realize that there are many types of internal configurations of an ATM 100 and the above description is not limiting. Many other configurations are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.
In use a user inserts the user's bank card into the card reader 130 and the display unit 105 requests the user to enter the user's personal identification number. The data processing apparatus 215 validates the personal identification number and the display unit 105 presents the user with a number of financial transaction options. When a request for cash withdrawal is made and approved, the data processing apparatus 215 sends an instruction to the pickup module 265 which causes the pickup module 265 to obtain the requested paper currency from one or more of the currency cassettes 340, 345. As the individual units of paper currency are requested, the units of paper currency are validated and in response, the presenter belts 365 transport the paper currency through the secure housing along a transportation path 330, 335 (following the direction of the arrows) for dispensing to the user through the cash dispenser aperture 125. In one embodiment, when the paper currency is transported along the transportation path, the paper currency passes under various sensors 350, 315, 310 and 305. The sensors perform various functions such as the following functions.
Sensor 350 acknowledges presence of paper currency after the measuring process.
Sensor 315 acknowledges timely arrival of paper currency for dispense.
Sensor 310 acknowledges timing restrictions and initiates a signal for the dispenser shutter to open.
Sensor 305 acknowledges a timing sequence and signals for dispenser shutter to close.
Once the paper currency is transported a predetermined distance from sensor 305, the cash dispenser shutter 245 remains open until the user removes the paper currency from the cash dispenser aperture 125. Once the paper currency is removed by the user, the cash dispenser shutter 245 closes.
Normal operation of shutter assembly 245 will be described with reference to
When ATM control circuitry issues a shutter close command, in response the shutter assembly motor rotates pivot shaft 430 in an anti-clockwise (i.e., counterclockwise) direction. Cam 420 acts on cam follower 440 to move shutter plate 410 in an upward direction in order to close the shutter as viewed in
In various embodiments, with normal operation of shutter assembly 245, operation of the shutter assembly motor is configured to rotate pivot shaft 430 and cam 420 in a first rotational direction for inducing the cam 420 to act on the cam follower 440, 445 to move shutter plate 410 in a first linear direction to transition the shutter from an open state to a closed state, and is further configured to rotate pivot shaft 430 and cam 420 in a second rotational direction for inducing the cam 420 to act on the cam follower 440, 445 to move shutter plate 410 in a second linear direction to transition the shutter from the closed state to the open state, wherein the first and second linear directions are opposite each other, wherein the first and second rotational directions are opposite each other, and wherein the first and second linear directions are in a plane in which the cam 420 is configured to rotate in the first and second rotational directions. Each rotational direction of the first and second rotational directions is a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction.
It will be apparent to the skilled person that when cam 420 moves to position A of
When an attempt is made to open the closed shutter of
Further anti-clockwise motion of cam 420 is restricted by cam followers 440 and 445. Manual forcing of shutter plate 410 to an open position, downwards as viewed in
Shutter assembly 400 comprises similar elements to those described above with reference to the known ATM shutter assembly of
Shutter assembly 400 comprises cam 420 mounted on pivot shaft 430 and rotatable between cam followers 440 and 445. Shutter assembly 400 further comprises a cam rotation restrictor, or stop block 470. Cam rotation restrictor, for example stop block 470, is positioned in the plane of rotation of cam 420 as shown in
In one embodiment, if the cam rotation restrictor 470 is a stop block, the stop block is made of wood (e.g., oak). In other embodiments, the stop block may be made of plastic, rubber, or metal.
Cam rotation restrictor 470 is a device which physically restricts rotation of cam 420 at the extremities of the rotational travel of cam 420. In an embodiment, cam rotation restrictor 470 comprises a stop block as illustrated in
If a manual opening is attempted of the shutter of shutter assembly 400 when in the shutter closed position of
It should be noted that the described embodiment does not prevent fraudulent accessing of the cash dispensing aperture. However, the ATM is not left in an unserviceable state by the fraudulent activity and is able to perform any recovery actions and return to an operational state without need for repair by an engineer. This increases ATM availability and reduces maintenance costs.
As may be seen from the embodiment of
As may be seen from the embodiment of
It will be apparent to the skilled person that other components may need to be changed when compared with the known ATM shutter assembly as described with reference to
It will further be apparent to the skilled person that other modification may be made to the above without departing from the scope of the invention.
The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others or ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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1611909.1 | Jul 2016 | GB | national |