Patent Application
20220316262
Outdoor ATMs are convenient, but they have unique security concerns which indoor ATMs do not. For example, a determined thief may attempt to steal the whole ATM or steal the safe if the safe is successfully separated from the rest of the ATM. The ATM or safe is then transported to a remote location, and the thief attempts to blast the safe open or cut the safe door off. Thieves have become increasingly brazen in their attempts to access the ATMs' safes. Some thieves have even wrapped chains around the ATMs, affixed the other ends of the chains to their vehicles, and dragged the ATMs off.
Once a thief has an ATM or a safe of the ATM at a remote location, the thief attempts to cut or blast the safe door open to access the currency of the safe. Because safes of ATMs need to be able to receive currency for deposits and provide currency for withdrawals, the safe body of the safe typically includes a small opening (slit) through which the currency can be passed. Thieves exploit this opening to drop explosive devices inside the safe and blast it open from the inside out.
Moreover, a typical safe is designed to secure the safe door to the safe body around the perimeter of the safe door (the portion of the safe door that seals when closed to the safe body). Thieves are very aware of this design feature and exploit to their advantage. For example, a thief can use the perimeter of the safe as an edge to saw the door off with a powerful saw and saw blade. A thief may also or use the perimeter as leverage to pry the door off by wedging elements or hydraulic-based devices into a tiny crevasse and popping the door off.
In various embodiments, a safe door apparatus, a safe and system are provided.
According to an aspect, a safe door apparatus is provided. The apparatus comprises a locking apparatus fastened to an inside portion of a safe door for a safe and at least one bolt fastened to the inside portion of the safe door with the locking apparatus. The at least one bolt is adapted to: move with the locking apparatus during locking and unlocking of the safe door; and fasten and unfasten the safe door to a plate affixed to an inside of a safe body for the safe during locking and unlocking by the locking apparatus of the safe door to the safe body.
As will be demonstrated more completely herein and below, a safe door apparatus, a safe, and a system are provided for improving the blast tolerance of the safe and safe door during an explosive event. The safe door apparatus comprises two additional vertical bolts adapted to be integrated with an existing safe locking/unlocking mechanism and pass through apertures in a horizontal plate of the safe body. This provides added rigidity and force resistance to the safe door, such that when the safe door is locked and a thief attempts to drop an explosive into a small media opening of the safe (used by a connected depository or recycler for managing valuable media deposited and withdrawn from the safe), the safe remains intact and the safe door remains closed.
Furthermore, the bolts are entirely contained within the safe door, which provides added protection against thieves attempting to cut or to pry the safe door open around the perimeter of the door and the safe body. Any cutting and prying attempts will fail because the bolts only engage the horizontal plate of the safe body on an inside portion of the safe that is not along the perimeter of the door. A safe door engages and locks by affixing the perimeter of the safe door to the safe body. The safe door apparatus adds an additional engagement and locking mechanism that is not based on and does not engage the safe body along the perimeter of the door. Thieves will be largely unaware of this added layer of protection and will be unable to pry or blast off the safe door such that their cutting techniques will be in vain. Even if the entire perimeter of the safe door is sawed through, the safe door will remain closed with the safe door apparatus presented herein and below.
Safe 120 comprises a cassette infeed module 130 and cassette modules 140. When safe 120 is attached/interfaced to a depository/recycler 110, shown in
System 100 (as shown in
It is to be noted that depository 110 may also be a recycler 110. System 100 may be further integrated into a transaction terminal, such as an Automated Teller Machine (ATM), a Self-Service Terminal (SST), a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal, or a kiosk.
Safe 120 comprises a safe door 121 and a safe body (housing) 122. Inside of safe body 122 three areas are depicted an infeed compartment 122A, a media cassette compartment 122D, and a check compartment 128. Horizontal plate 122B and vertical plate 122B-1 are arranged inside safe body 122 to form compartments 122A, 122D, and 128.
Second vertical bolt 121F is fastened to safe door 121 via a welded steel holding plate 121H. Plate 121H comprises an aperture that allows bolt 121F to move vertically when existing bolt 121C is moved via connection plate 121G, which is fastened to a front middle portion of bolt 121F. Existing bolt 121C is fastened on one end to locking mechanism 121E, such that when locking mechanism 121E is moved to open or close safe 120, connection plate 121G causes bolt 121F to move vertically upward or downward. Shelf 121I comprises at least two apertures through which existing bolt 121C and second vertical bolt 121F are able to pass through shelf 121I during movement caused by lock mechanism 121E.
Arrow “A” in
Vertical movement of both bolts 121A and 121F occur concurrently and are driven by corresponding movement in lock mechanism 121E. Furthermore, the bolts 121A and 121F move in opposite directions from one another. Bolt 121A moves upward to move safe door 121 to a lock condition or state while bolt 121F simultaneously or concurrently moves downward; the movements are in opposite directions when safe door 121 is moved to an unlocked condition or state (bolt 121A moves downward while bolt 121F moves upward. When safe door 121 is locked, both bolts 121A and 121F pass through apertures 122B-1 and extend beyond a top surface of horizontal plate 122 for bolt 121A and extend below a bottom surface of horizontal plate 122 for bolt 121F.
In an embodiment, the safe door apparatus is adapted for safes comprising more than two doors (such as safes with dedicated doors to each internal chamber.
In an embodiment, vertical bolts 121A, 121-1A, 121F, and 121-1-F are approximately 30-millimeter (mm) steel bolts.
In an embodiment, horizontal plates 122B and 122-1-B are additional steel plates that are added under existing steel horizontal plates of the safes 120 and 120-1. Added plates 122B and 122-1-B are approximately 10 mm in thickness, which is added to the existing steel plates having approximately ½ inch in thickness. This provides approximately 22.7 mm (nearly a full inch) in steel thickness providing enhanced rigidity and force resistance.
In an embodiment, the safe door apparatus is integrated into a system 100 comprising an ATM. The ATM comprises a depository 110 or a recycler 110 that deposits and withdraws currency from currency cassettes 140 through a currency infeed module 130 and a small slit in one side of the safe body 122 for the currency to pass through.
The above description is illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of embodiments should therefore be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
In the foregoing description of the embodiments, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting that the claimed embodiments have more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Description of the Embodiments, with each claim standing on its own as a separate exemplary embodiment.
