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(11) | EP 0 123 188 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Automatic passbook front cover turning mechanism |
| (57) Automatic passbook front cover turning mechanism, where the initially closed passbook
is bent and a separator (70; 52) opens the passbook cover by utilizing its greater
elasticity compared with that of the pages, and where subsequently eitherthe passbook
cover orthe opened passbook as the teading part is transported by feed rolls (71,
72; 43, 44), thus effecting a complete opening of the passbook. |
[0002] In a conventional automatic transaction apparatus, when the last line of a passbook is reached in printing the transaction records in the passbook, it is discharged to the customer with a message urging him to request the issuance of a new passbook. Then, the customer requests a teller to issue the new passbook, and to print unregistered transactions, if any. This is inconvenient, because the details of the transaction cannot be known until the new passbook is delivered.
[0003] As an approach to solving this, Japanese published unexamined patent application No. 57-83885 discloses an automatic passbook issuing device, in which new passbooks are stacked in a state that the first printing page of each passbook is opened and, when a new one is to be issued, one of the passbooks is fed to a printing section to be printed with predetermined items on the front cover and then turned over as it is by a turnover mechanism to be printed with the transaction records on the opened page. Therefore, this device requires a large passbook hopper because all of the new passbooks must.be opened and stacked, and an extra load to open the page at stacking them.
[0004] It is therefore the object of the invention to provide for an automatic transaction apparatus a mechanism for automatically turning the front cover, whereby the new passbook is enabled to be stacked in closed state.
[0005] This object of the invention is achieved bv the features specified in the characterizing part of claims 1 and 2. According thereto, only the front cover is rp- leased from the engaging mechanism by repulsive force caused in the passbook by being bent, so that the front cover is turned. Therefore, the new passbook can be issued by the simple procedure of the customer bringing the passbook to the teller counter counter thereon the certification stamp and the registration stamp and so on.
[0006] Embodiments of the invention are depicted in the drawings and will be described in detail below.
[0008] Figure 1 shows an automatic cash dispenser 1 as one example of the devices that can embody the invention. When a customer wants to have cash dispensed, (in accordance with the instruction displayed on the guidance display 2 on the front operating panel,) he first inserts his cash card into the card port 3 and keys in by the keyboard 4 his PIN (personal identification number) and amount to be dispensed. Then, he inserts from the passbook port 5 his passbook being opened on a page to be printed and waits for the dispensing process by a host computer. If the host computer determines that the request from the customer is valid, the dispenser discharges the card from the card port 3, a receipt printed with the transaction records from the receipt port 6, the passbook printed with the transaction records and cash corresponding to the requested amount from the cash port 7 respectively. In this case, the passbook is printed with any previously unrecorded transactions. If it reaches the last print line at the printing of the passbook, that is, if the passbook is used up, it is dispensed to the passbook port 5, and the dispenser 1 takes out a new passbook stacked therein, prints the predetermined items on its cover and the unrecorded transactions on the first printing page and dispenses it to the passbook port 5.
[0009] Figure 2 schematically shows a mechanism performing the above passbook processing operation. The customer inserts the passbook into the passbook port 7, opening the page to be printed with the transaction records. When the sensor 8 detects the insertion of the passbook, the passbook transporting mechanism 9 operates to transport it to the printing mechanism 12 through the magnetic label read/write mechanism 10 and the automatic page reading/print line detecting mechanism 11. In this case, the magnetic label read/write mechanism 10 reads the content of the magnetic label" attached to the passbook (account nunber, page number, and printing line number). The automatic page reading/ print line detecting mechanism 11 recognizes the opened page, and detects the last printed line. If the detection data matches the contents of the magnetic label or the data previously stored in the host computer on the account, printing is performed on the next print line by the printing mechanism 12. However, if the page number does not match this indicates that a wrong page is opened, the passbook is sent to the automatic page turning mechanism 13 to open the correct page, then the printing is made by the printing mechanism 12. When the printing is completed, the passbook is returned to the passbook port 7 by the passbook transporting mechanism 9 and, during the transportation, the content of the magnetic label is updated through the magnetic label read/write mechanism 10. If, in such printing operation for the passbook, it is detected that the last print line in the last page of the passbook has been printed, the passbook is dispensed to the port 5 and, for issuing a new passbook, one of the passbooks in the passbook hopper 14 stacked in closed state is fed to the printing mechanism 12 where its cover is printed with the predetermined items such as the name of the branch office, the account number, or the customer number. Then, it is fed to the automatic cover turning mechanism 15 and its cover is turned thereby. After the first print page is thus opened by such turning of the cover, the passbook is fed to the printing mechanism 12, where unrecorded transactions are printed, and dispensed to the passbook port 5. Because this new passbook is not stamped with the certification stamp of the bank, or the registered stamp of the customer, it may be arranged to instruct the customer by a display or voice that the passbook should be brought to the teller counter. Also, because the customer may misunderstand that the operation is completed at the time when the old passbook is dispensed, it may-be arranged to inform the customer in the same arrangement that the new passbook will be issued, or to dispense the cash card and the cash after dispensing of the new passbook.
[0010] Figures 3A through 3C show an example of the passbook hopper 14 and the passbook feeding-out mechanism. As shown in Figure 3A, the new passbooks are stacked in closed state in the passbook stacking portion 31, with the weight 33 being placed on the passbooks. The bottom plate of the stacking portion 31 is provided with a groove, through which the pawl 34 engages with one end of the lowest passbook, and moves horizontally to feed it out to the passbook transporting mechanism as shown in Figure 3B. Figure 3C shows in detail the passbook feeding-out mechanism mounted on the bottom plate of the stacking portion 31. When the solenoid 35 is energized, the arm 36 is pulled to the position 36'. The biforked end of the arm horizontally moves the pawl 34 by length L through the stud 37 mounted thereon to push the passbook out to the transporting mechanism 9 (Figure 2). Then, the solenoid 35 is energized, the arm 36 is returned to its original nosition bv the spring 38. The pushed-out passbook is cauaht by the transporting mechanism 9 consisting of a conventional belt or roller (detail not shown), and transported to the printing mechanism 12 (Figure 2).
[0011] The printing mechanism 12 may be of any conventional type of the passbook printing mechanism.
[0012] Figures 4A through 4F show the automatic front cover turning mechanism and its operating state. The feed rolls 41 and 43 of the rolls 41 through 46 are caused to press against the rolls 42 and 44 respectively by springs. The roll 45 is supported by the pivot arm 47 and caused to press against the roll 46 when the arm 47 is moved to the position 47' by a solenoid (not shown ) or other means.
[0013] In Figure 4A, the passbook 32 is fed with its back in the lead in the direction indicated by the arrow A through the printing mechanism. After the sensor 48 detects its leading edge, the arm 47 rotates at the time when the passbook 32 advances further by the length 1, so that it is bent by the roll 45 and held between the rolls 45 and 46. The passbook is fed as it is by these feed rolls, and abuts against the stopper plane 50 provided on the guide 49, as shown in Figure 4B. At the moment when the sensor 51 detects the passbook 32, the rotation of the feed rolls 41-46 is stopped and the arm 52 is rotated in the direction of the arrow B (Figure 4B) or in clockwise direction bv a solenoid (not shown) or other means. This arm 52 is formed with the U-shaped groove 53 into which the trailing or loose edge of the passbook 32 enters when the arm rotates. As the arm 52 rotates in the clockwise direction, the passbook 32 with its center being held between the rolls 45 and 46 and being bent by holding its back with the guide 49 releases only its front cover, which is thicker and more resilient than the paper for each page, from the U-shaped groove 53 by its repulsive force against the bending, as shown in Figure 4C. After the arm 52 rotates at such an angle that each page and the back cover of the passbook can be held in the U-shaped groove 53 by its repulsive force against the bending, as shown in Figure 4C, only the front cover can be released. Then the arm 52 is returned to its original position as shown in Figure 4D. Thus, such a condition is attained that only the front cover rests on the arm 52. Then, the feed rolls 41-46 rotate in the opposite direction to move the passbook to the right, and the roll 45 returns to its original position as shown in Figure 4E. Further, the continuous rotation of each roll feeds the passbook 32 to the automatic page turning mechanism in such a state that the front cover is completely opened, as shown in Figure 4F.
[0014] Although there is such a possibility in the page turning operation that not only the front page but also the inner page are turned, it may be designed that the automatic page read mechanism reads the number of the opened page to cause the automatic page turning mechanism to turn the desired page, in this case, the first print page.
[0015] Figures 5A through 5C show another embodiment of the automatic front cover turning mechanism according to this invention. This embodiment applies to a device that is arranged in such a manner that a passbook to be newly issued is fed into the automatic cover turning mechanism from the hopper through thn printing mechanism, then to the automatic page turning mechanism that is mounted over the cover turninq mechanism wherein the passbook is fed in the direction of the arrow C, and fed out in upward direction as shown by the arrow D after the cover is opened.
[0016] This automatic cover turning mechanism comprises the feed roll 60 and the pinch roll 61 for feeding in the passbook, and is provided with the stopper plate to receive the passbook fed by them. Said stopper plate 62 is pivotally (64) mounted to the arm 63 that is pivotally (68) mounted on the machine frame. In addition, the bottom surface of the stopper plate 62 is mounted with the flexible plate 65, whose other end is mounted on the top end of the curved plate 66 fixed on the machine frame.
[0017] As shown in Figure 5A, the arm 63 is rotated in counterclockwise direction around the pin 68 by a solenoid (not shown) or other means, when the leading edge or the back of the passbook fed into by the feed roll 60 and the pinch roll 61 abuts against the stopper plate 62, and stops. At that moment, since the loose edge of the passbook is contacted with and held by the separator rolls 69 mounted coaxially with the pinch roll 61 (see Figure 6A), the passbook is bent together with the flexible plate 65 along the curved plate 66 as the arm 63 rotates as shown in Figure 5B. As the arm 63 further rotates, the loose edge of the passbook is released from the separator roll 69 by the repulsive force of the covers and each page of the passbook, and contacts the separator plate 70. Finally, only the front cover with the highest resilience is released from the separator plate 70, and contacts the feed roll 71 as shown in Figure 5C. The arm 63 stops tn rotate at an angle providing such state, and the pinch roll 72 is moved against the feed roll 71 to hold the front cover therebetween, thereby feeding the passbook out toward the direction of the arrow D.
[0018] Instead of the separator rolls shown in Figure 6A it is possible to use the grooved metal roll 73 as shown in Figure 6B or the grooved plate 74 as shown in Figure 6C. In addition, it is of course possible to eliminate the separator plate 70 by arranging the automatic page read mechanism and the automatic page turning mechanism to open the desired page even if any undesired page was opened together with the front cover.
1. Automatic passbook front cover turning mechanism, characterized in that
the closed passbook (32), with its back as the leading element, is guided through a first pair of feed rolls (43, 44)
behind which a pivotable element (52) to separate the passbook cover from the passbook pages, and
a curved path (49) with a stopper (50) for the passbook back are arranged,
that on its transport to this stopper (50) the passbook is bent by a second pair of feed rolls (45, 46) with a pivotable arm (47) for one of its feed rolls onto the curved path (49),
that part of the passbook which is under bending stress and opposite the passbook back causes the pivotable element (52), after the passbook has left the first pair of feed rolls (43, 44), to execute a pivoting movement away from the curved path
and thus to engage in a U-shaped groove (53) of the pivotable element (52) in such a manner
that when said pivotable element (52) pivots back the passbook cover owing to its elasticity, snaps out of this groove (43), with its bending stress beinq released and that the pivotable element (52), upon continued back-pivoting, adopts a position between the inner side of the passbook cover and the rest of the passbook
and that if the passbook is returned through the second (45, 46) and subsequently through the first (43, 44) pair of feed rolls, with the pivotable arm (47) for the second pair of feed rolls being lifted off the curved path
said passbook is opened by counter-pressure of the pivotable element (52) against the inner side of the passbook cover, while the rest of the passbook is fed through the first pair of feed rolls (43, 44) .
2. Automatic passbook front cover turning meachanism, characterized in that
the closed passbook (67), with its back as the leading part,
is transported through a first pair of feed rolls (60, 61)
into a pivotable passbook receiving frame (63) with a stop for the back of the passbook,
that after the insertion of the passbook into this frame, after the passbook has left the first pair of feed rolls, the frame is pivoted against a curved path (66) so that on this path the passbook is bent in such a manner
that cover and pages of the passbook are successively opened by a continuous (73) or sub-divided (69) separating roller provided on the axis of one of the rolls of the first pair of feed rolls,
and that they are applied to a grooved second separator (70, 74),
with only the passbook cover with its higher elasticity compared to that of the passbook pages being released by the second separator (70, 74) owing to its bending stress,
and being applicable to a second pair of feed rolls (71, 72) whose one roll (72) is pivotable into the area between the second separator and the inner side of the passbook cover, pushing it against the other (71) feed roll,
and that the second pair of feed rolls (71, 72) transports initially only the opened passbook cover, and_subsequently the rest of the opened passbook.