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(11) | EP 1 008 542 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Conveying system, parts for such a conveying system, and method for conveying sheet-like objects |
| (57) A conveying system for sheet-like objects, such as for example banknotes, comprises
at least one conveyance channel and means for generating an air flow in said conveyance
channel. The conveyance channel is of substantially rectangular cross-section. The
opposed inner walls having the larger dimension are provided with means which influence
the air flow generated in the conveyance channel in such a manner near the inner walls
that an air flow directed away from the inner wall in question is generated near each
of said inner walls. |
[0001] The invention relates to a conveying system for sheet-like objects, such as for example banknotes, comprising at least one conveyance channel and means for generating an air flow in said conveyance channel, to parts for said conveying system and to a method for conveying sheet-like objects.
[0002] Conveying systems of this kind are known in various embodiments. With the prior art conveying systems, which are usually indicated by the term pipe transport systems, the sheet-like objects to be conveyed are placed into a so-called cartridge, in which they are conveyed through the conveyance channel. Although the objects can be transported in a reliable manner by such a conveying system, the prior art conveying systems are not very flexible in use. In the case of automated systems, for example, relatively complex installations are needed for placing the sheet-like objects into a cartridge. In the case of non-automated systems, the users must carry out several operations for placing the objects into the cartridge or removing them therefrom, as the case may be.
[0003] The object of the invention is to provide a conveying system of the kind referred to in the introduction, wherein the use of cartridges can be avoided.
[0004] In order to accomplish that objective, the conveying system according to the invention is characterized in that the conveyance channel is of substantially rectangular cross-section, wherein the opposed inner walls having the larger dimension are provided with means which influence the air flow generated in the conveyance channel in such a manner near the inner walls that an air flow directed away from the inner wall in question is generated near each of said inner walls.
[0005] In this manner a conveying system is obtained wherein the objects no longer need to be placed into a cartridge or the like, so that the conveying system is suitable for various uses and, in addition, is user-friendly. The configuration of the inner walls of the conveyance channel prevents the objects from being drawn towards the inner walls, as it were, and sticking to the wall at that location.
[0006] According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said means comprise elements which project from the associated inner wall, means which influence the air flow generated in the conveyance channel in such a manner near the inner walls that an air flow directed away from the inner wall in question is generated near each of said inner walls.
[0007] The invention furthermore provides a conveyance channel, a bend and a reducing piece intended for use in the above-described conveying system according to the invention.
[0008] In an important application of the conveying system according to the invention, the conveyance channel is installed between a cash dispenser and a central vault or the like. In this manner no money, or only a small amount, needs to be present in the cash dispenser, so that it will be no use to crack the dispenser. Moreover, there is no longer a possibility of the cash dispenser getting empty.
[0009] Finally, the invention relates to a method for conveying sheet-like objects through a conveyance channel, wherein an air flow is generated in the conveyance channel. According to the invention, the object is placed directly into a conveyance channel of substantially rectangular cross-section, whose opposed inner walls having the larger dimension are provided with means which influence the air flow generated in the conveyance channel in such a manner near the inner walls that an air flow directed away from the inner wall in question is generated near each of said inner walls.
[0010] The invention will be explained in more detail hereafter with reference to the drawing, which very schematically shows an embodiment of the conveying system according to the invention.
[0011] Fig. 1 is a highly schematic view of an embodiment of the conveying system according to the invention.
[0012] Figs. 2 - 4 show various embodiments of the conveyance channel according to the invention in top plan view of the inner wall, in longitudinal sectional view and in cross-sectional view.
[0013] Figs. 5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of alternative embodiments of the conveyance channel according to the invention.
[0014] Fig. 6 is a schematic plan view of part of an embodiment of a conveyance channel, which can be used in the conveying system according to the invention.
[0015] Fig. 7 schematically shows three views of the reducing piece of the conveyance channel of Fig. 6.
[0016] The drawing shows a conveying system for sheet-like objects, by means of which banknotes, for example, can be conveyed. The conveying system comprises a conveyance channel 1, which is shown in more detail in Fig. 2, having an inlet side or inlet station 2 and an outlet side or outlet station 3. A pump 4 is connected to the outlet side, which pump generates an air flow in the conveyance channel 1 by creating a subatmospheric pressure on the outlet side 3.
[0017] It is possible with the above-described conveying system to place the banknotes to be conveyed directly into the conveyance channel 1, without using additional devices, via an access opening present on the inlet side 2, whereby the transport through the channel takes place in that the banknotes freely float in the air while being carried along by the air flow generated in the conveyance channel 1. When using the above-described conveying system, the banknotes are prevented from being drawn towards the inner walls of conveyance channel 1 and remaining stuck at that location, due to a special configuration of the inner walls of the conveyance channel, as will be explained in more detail hereafter.
[0018] Figs. 2A - 2C show the conveyance channel 1 in top plan view of an inner wall, in longitudinal sectional view and in cross-sectional view. As appears from Fig. 2C, the conveyance channel is of substantially rectangular cross-section, wherein the opposed inner walls 5 having the larger dimension are provided with means which influence the air flow generated in conveyance channel 1 in such a manner near the inner walls that an air flow directed away from the inner wall 5 in question is generated near each of said inner walls. In the embodiment according to Fig. 2, said means are in the form of elements 6 projecting from inner wall 5, which elements are slightly spherical in this embodiment. Said spherical elements 6 disturb the air flow along inner walls 5, so that swirls are produced at the location of the elements, which result in an air flow near the inner walls which is in effect directed away from the respective inner wall. As a result, the banknotes cannot stick to inner wall 5.
[0019] In the embodiment as shown in Fig. 2, elements 6 are arranged in such a pattern that the elements are mutually staggered in successive rows in the longitudinal direction of the conveyance channel 1. In this embodiment, the spacing between elements 6 in longitudinal direction more or less equals the diameter of an element in the plane of inner wall 5. The spacing between elements 6 in transverse direction is such that the elements of the successive rows are partially in line, so that each line extending in longitudinal direction intersects an element of each row.
[0020] In the embodiment of Fig. 2, the elements 6 furthermore project from the associated inner wall 5 to a height of about 2 mm. The height of the channel is about 30 mm in this embodiment. Other heights of projection of the elements 6 from inner wall 5 are also possible. Said height may for example vary from 2 - 10% of the height of the conveyance channel 1. The width of conveyance channel 1 is preferably greater than the greatest width of the sheet-like objects to be conveyed.
[0021] As is shown in Figs. 3A-3C, it is possible to use elements 6 having a smaller diameter, and the elements may be arranged with a smaller spacing between them, independently of their diameter, whilst also the two other opposed inner walls 7 may be formed with the same elements 6 or with differently formed elements. As is shown in Figs. 4A-4C, elements 6 may also have different shapes. According to Fig. 4, the elements are slightly elliptical, seen in top plan view.
[0022] Although elements 6 of the above-described variants of the conveyance channel have a uniformly increasing or decreasing height, seen in the longitudinal direction of the channel, the elements may also be designed to exhibit steeper inclinations on their upstream or their downstream side, if desired.
[0023] With the conveying system as shown in Fig. 1, a detector 8, 9 (schematically indicated) are provided on inlet side 2 and outlet side 3, respectively, which detector is capable of detecting, respectively, the entering and the exiting banknotes. Although the detectors are indicated as separate units in Fig. 1, they may form part of the inlet station 2 and/or the outlet station 3. Detectors 8, 9 are connected to a central control unit 10, so that said central control unit 10 can compare the number of banknotes being fed in with the number of exiting banknotes, and, if there should be any differences, signal failure of the conveying system or possible fraud. If desired, detector 8 and/or 9 can be designed such that also the value of the banknotes is signalled to the control unit 10. This means a further enhancement of the security of the conveying system.
[0024] The conveying system as described above has the advantage that the banknotes can be placed directly in conveyance channel 1. According to an alternative embodiment, the banknotes are folded, in any case on the inlet side 2, by a device disposed at that location, preferably only in the central portion of the width of the banknote. The banknotes are then placed into the conveyance channel in folded condition, with the folding line pointed in the direction of transport. It is also possible to place the banknotes into the conveyance channel with the folding line at the rear. The velocity at which the banknotes are transported is increased considerably by conveying the banknotes in folded condition. Depending on the conveying system, a device for unfolding the banknotes may be disposed on the outlet side 3.
[0025] When folded banknotes are conveyed, the banknotes can be conveyed through the conveyance channel individually or in a nested stack.
[0026] Fig. 5A is another cross-sectional view of an embodiment, wherein the transitions 11 between side walls 5 and 7 are non-square transitions. In the illustrated embodiment, said transitions 11 are in the form of a radius, such that the short side walls are substantially semicircular, seen in sectional view. It is also possible, however, to use other non-square transitions, for example straight transitions which include an angle of for example 45° with both inner walls, as is illustrated in Fig. 5B.
[0027] Fig. 6 is a top plan view of a part of a conveyance channel which can be used in the above-described conveying system. The conveyance channel is of substantially rectangular cross-section, so that each section of the conveyance channel has main surfaces 21 and lateral surfaces 22. When installing the conveying system in a building, it is preferable to realise bends having a small radius or radius of curvature, without impeding the transport of the sheet-like objects through the conveyance channel. To this end, bends 23 whose radius of curvature extends substantially perpendicularly to the main surface 21 of the bend are used in the conveyance channel which is shown in Fig. 6. In the part of the conveyance channel which is shown in Fig. 6, the main surface 21 of a straight channel section 24 includes an angle of about 90° with the main surface of bends 23, wherein a reducing piece 25 is mounted between bends 23 and straight channel section 24, which reducing piece is shown in Fig. 7, together with views of the inlet side 26 and outlet side 27.
[0028] From this figure it appears that in the illustrated embodiment of reducing piece 25, the main surface 24 of the reducing piece 25 twists through an angle of 90° from the inlet side 26 to the outlet side 27. Furthermore it appears from Fig. 7 that the twist of main surface 21 from the inlet side 26 to the outlet side 27 is distributed evenly over the length of reducing piece 25. The use of reducing piece 25 enables the use of bends 23 independently of the position of the main surface 21 of the preceding straight section 24 and/or of the following straight section 28.
[0029] It is noted that instead of including an angle of 90° with each other, the main surfaces 21 may also include an angle deviating from 90° on the inlet side 26 and/or the outlet side 27.
[0030] A reducing piece 25 can also be used between two straight sections 24, 28 of the conveyance channel, for example in order to realise a transition from a straight section whose main surface 21 extends in horizontal direction to a straight section whose main surface 21 extends in vertical direction.
[0031] It is noted that instead of using the above-described bends 23, which describe an arc of 90°, it is also possible to use bends describing a smaller or a larger arc.
[0032] It will be apparent that the use of the above-described conveyance channel makes it considerably easier to install the conveying system in buildings, wherein, independently of the position of a straight section of the conveyance channel and of the direction of the arc to be described, bends having a small radius can be used and a quick transition from a horizontal to a vertical conveyance channel, and conversely, is possible.
[0033] It will furthermore be apparent that the conveying system has the significant advantage that the banknotes can be conveyed through the conveyance channel 1 whilst "floating freely in the air", as it were, without any additional devices being used. The advantage of this is that several banknotes can be conveyed simultaneously through the conveyance channel in a flow of banknotes. The conveying system may be of very simple construction and be used in various fields.
[0034] One advantageous application is for example the use of the conveying system between one or more cash dispensers on the one hand and a central vault or the like on the other hand, wherein the vault and the cash dispensers may even be disposed in different buildings. Only a small amount of money, or none at all, needs to be present in the cash dispenser, as a result of which the risk of the cash dispenser being cracked is considerably reduced. Moreover, situations wherein the cash dispenser must be put out of operation because of the absence of a sufficient amount of banknotes can no longer occur. When the above-described detectors are used, adequate security of the system is ensured.
[0035] The above-described conveying system can be used in varying fields. Advantageous examples include the use of the conveying system in branch banks, retail businesses and the like. The system may for example be used for transporting banknotes from a vault to a counter and vice versa, or from a cash desk to a central money collecting point. The advantage of this kind of uses is that no banknotes, or only a small amount of them, need to be present at the locations where direct contact between staff and clients is possible, at which locations there is hardly any security, if at all. The above-described conveying system is furthermore suitable for carrying out the transport between an inlet station in the outside wall of a building and a vault inside the building, or for carrying out the transport between two buildings.
[0036] Although banknotes are mentioned as the objects to be transported in the above-described embodiment, it will be apparent that also other sheet-like objects, such as securities and the like, can be efficiently transported with the above-described system. Furthermore it is possible to use the conveying system for transporting banknotes or other securities in envelopes.
1. A conveying system for sheet-like objects, such as for example banknotes, comprising
at least one conveyance channel and means for generating an air flow in said conveyance
channel, characterized in that said conveyance channel is of substantially rectangular
cross-section, wherein the opposed inner walls having the larger dimension are provided
with means which influence the air flow generated in the conveyance channel in such
a manner near the inner walls that an air flow directed away from the inner wall in
question is generated near each of said inner walls.
2. A conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the two other inner walls of the
conveyance channel are likewise provided with means which influence the air flow generated
in the conveyance channel in such a manner near the inner walls that an air flow directed
away from the inner wall in question is generated near each of said inner walls.
3. A conveying system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said means comprise elements
projecting from the associated inner wall, which elements are for example spherical
in part, wherein the height to which the elements project from the inner walls having
the larger dimension is 2 - 10% of the height of the conveyance channel, wherein the
elements may be distributed in a random pattern over the associated inner wall, for
example in mutually staggered rows in the longitudinal direction of the conveyance
channel, wherein the elements of opposed inner walls may be disposed at least substantially
directly opposite each other.
4. A conveying system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transitions
between joining inner walls are non-square transitions, for example rounded or bevelled
transitions.
5. A conveying system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the conveyance
channel comprises a number of straight channel sections and a number of bends, wherein
the radius of curvature of one or more bends extends substantially perpendicularly
to the main surface of the bend in question.
6. A conveyance channel according to claim 5, wherein a reducing piece is mounted between
a straight channel section and a bend, the main surface of which reducing piece is
twisted through an angle from the inlet side to the outlet side, and/or wherein a
reducing piece whose main surface is twisted through an angle from the inlet side
to the outlet side is mounted between two straight channels, wherein said angle may
be at least substantially 90°.
7. A conveying system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a device
for folding the sheet-like objects is disposed on the inlet side of the conveyance
channel, which device is capable of placing the folded objects into the conveyance
channel, and wherein a device for unfolding the sheet-like objects may be disposed
on the outlet side of the conveyance channel.
8. A conveying system according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein means for
counting ingoing and outgoing objects are disposed on the inlet side and on the outlet
side, respectively, of the conveyance channel, wherein, in particular for conveying
banknotes, means for detecting the value of the banknotes may be provided on the inlet
side and/or on the outlet side of the conveyance channel.
9. A conveyance channel of substantially rectangular section, wherein the opposed inner
walls having the larger dimension are provided with means which influence the air
flow generated in the conveyance channel in such a manner near the inner walls that
an air flow directed away from the inner wall in question is generated near each of
said inner walls, a bend of substantially rectangular cross-section, whose radius
of curvature extends substantially perpendicularly to the main surface of said bend,
and a reducing piece of substantially rectangular cross-section, whose main surface
is twisted through an angle from the inlet side to the outlet side.
10. A method for conveying sheet-like objects through a conveyance channel, wherein an
air flow is generated in the conveyance channel, characterized in that said object
is placed directly into a conveyance channel of substantially rectangular cross-section,
whose opposed inner walls having the larger dimension are provided with means which
influence the air flow generated in the conveyance channel in such a manner near the
inner walls that an air flow directed away from the inner wall in question is generated
near each of said inner walls.
11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said object is first folded on the inlet side
of the conveyance channel, wherein said object is placed into the conveyance channel
in folded condition.
12. A method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said objects are conveyed through the
conveyance channel in a flow of objects.