Replaceable banknote cassette for an autoteller

Claim 2

A cassette for loading banknotes into a banknote dispenser, said cassette including a door, openable to allow said dispenser access to a stack of banknotes, said door including a primable lock for holding closed said door, said lock, having been primed, being presentable to a key in said dispenser to allow said door to be opened, said lock, upon withdrawal from said key being operable to prevent said door from being opened, and said lock allowing said door to be opened on only one occasion after each instance of priming, said cassette being characterised by said key being a selected one from among a plurality of different keys and by said lock being operable to allow said opening of said door only upon presentation to said selected key.

Claim 3

A cassette according to claim 1 characterized by said primable lock comprising a moveable member, operable to be moved, said lock having been primed, from a door-locking position to a door-opening position and by said lock further comprising a priming member, operable to be placed in a first, priming position in contact with said moveable member prior to and permitting of the opening of said door, operable to be moved to an intermediate position when said door is opened for allowing the subsequent movement of said moveable member from said door-opening to said door-closing position, and operable to be moved into a jamming position in the path of movement of said moveable member, upon re-closure of said door, to prevent the return of said moveable member to said door-opening position.

Claim 4

A cassette according to claim 2 wherein said moveable member comprises a rotating plate, and wherein said door comprises a main plate, said rotating plate being affixed to rotate on said main plate and said door being affixed to slide on a face of said cassette to be opened and closed, said cassette further comprising a lock driving pin on said face of said cassette, where said door-closing and said door-opening positions include respectively said rotating plate being in first and second angular positions relative to said main plate, where said key is operable to release said rotating plate to rotate from said first to second angular positions, and where, as said door is opened, said lock driving pin is operable to engage said rotating plate to move said rotating plate from said first to said second angular position.

Claim 5

A cassette according to claim 3 wherein, upon subsequent re-closure of said door after opening thereof, said rotating plate is urged to return to said first angular position and to remain there until said lock is re-primed and wherein said lock driving pin is then operable to engage said now immovable rotating plate to prevent the opening of said door.

Claim 6

A cassette according to claim 2, wherein said face of said cassette comprises a reset pin and said main plate comprises a a locking pin and a locking block, said locking pin being located in and moveable with said rotating plate and being through-penetrative of said main plate to move in an aperture therein, said reset pin being operable to engage said locking block as said door is closed to move said locking block from a first to a second position, said locking block returning to said first position in the absence of engagement with said reset pin and said locking block, when in said first position when said door is open, engaging said locking pin to prevent the return of said rotating plate from said angular position to said first angular position.

Claim 7

A cassette according to claim 5 wherein said locking block is operable, when in said second position, said door being closed, to engage said locking pin to urge and allow the passage of said rotating plate from said second angular position to said first angular position.

Claim 8

A cassette according to claim 2, wherein said main plate comprises a plurality of main plate key slots, wherein said rotating plate comprises a corresponding plurality of rotating plate key slots, wherein, said rotating plate being in said first angular position, each one of said plurality of rotating plate key slots is in alignment with its corresponding one of said plurality of main plate key slots, wherein said lock comprises a corresponding plurality of sliding pins, each of said plurality of sliding pins being through-penetrative of its corresponding ones of said plurality of main plate key slots and said plurality of rotating plate key slots, and wherein each one of said plurality of rotating plate key slots comprises a key slot notch substantially at ninety degrees thereto for accepting said corresponding sliding pin when it is in alignment therewith, said rotating plate being free to rotate relative to said main plate from said first to said second angular position if and only if each and every one of said plurality of sliding pins is in alignment with its corresponding key slot notch.

Claim 9

A cassette according to claim 7 wherein said key comprises a corresponding plurality of key platforms, each at a selected one from a plurality of heights from the base of said key, the combination of selected heights defining said selected one from among said plurality of different keys, where, upon insertion of said key into said lock, each one of said plurality of key platforms engages its corresponding one from among said plurality of sliding pins and urges it towards and positions it adjacently to said corresponding key slot notlch.

Claim 10

A cassette according to claim 8 wherein said key further comprises a key lip for the resting of said cassette thereon to define the depth of penetration of said key into said lock.

Claim 11

A cassette according to claim 5, wherein said key comprises a cutaway for the entry therein of said locking pin when said rotating plate is in said second rotational position to prevent the withdrawal of said cassette from off said key.

Claim 12

A cassette according to claim 3, wherein said priming member comprises a rotating catch affixed to rotate on said main plate and wherein said rotating plate comprises a catch aperture for the rotation of said rotating catch therein, said rotating catch comprising a spring arm for engaging a spring arm rest face of said catch aperture when said rotating catch is in said first position thereof, and further comprising a blocking member, where, as said rotating plate moves from said first angular position to said second angular position said spring arm is freed from said spring arm rest face and said rotating catch is urged into said intermediate position wherein said blocking member prevents further rotation of said rotating catch by engagement with a blocking member rest face of said catch aperture and where, as said rotating plate moves from said second angular position back to said first angular position, said blocking member is freed from said blocking member rest face to allow the further rotation of said rotating catch for said blocking member to engage a blocking face of said catch aperture to prevent the return of said rotating plate from said first angular position to said second angular position until said lock should once more be re-primed by the return of said spring arm to said spring arm rest face.

Claim 13

A cassette according to claim 11, wherein said rotating catch comprises an indicator flag, co-rotational therewith and visible through an aperture in said door for indicating, by its position, whether said cassette lock is primed or has been used subsequently to priming.

Claim 14

A cassette according to claim 4, wherein said face of said cassette comprises a reset pin and said main plate comprises a locking pin and a locking block, sad locking pin being located in and moveable with said rotating plate and being through-penetrative of said main plate to move in an aperture therein, said reset pin being operable to engage said locking block as said door is closed to move said locking block from a first to a second position, said locking block returning to said first position in the absence of engagement with said reset pin and said locking block, when in said first position when said door is open, engaging said locking pin to prevent the return of said rotating plate from said second angular position to said first angular position.

Claim 15

A cassette according to claim 13, wherein said locking block is operable, when in said second position, said door being closed, to engage said locking pin to urge and allow the passage of said rotating plate from said second angular position to said first angular position.

Claim 16

A cassette according to claim 14, wherein said main plate comprises a plurality of main plate key slots, wherein said rotating plate comprises a corresponding plurality of rotating plate key slots, wherein, said rotating plate being in said first angular position, each one of said plurality of rotating plate key slots is in alignment with its corresponding one of said plurality of main plate key slots, wherein said lock comprises a corresponding plurality of sliding pins, each of said plurality of sliding pins being through-penetrative of its corresponding ones of said plurality of main plate key slots and said plurality of rotating plate key slots, and wherein each one of said plurality of rotating plate key slots comprises a key slot notch substantially at ninety degrees thereto for accepting said corresponding sliding pin when it is in alignment therewith, said rotating plate being free to rotate relative to said main plate from said first to said second angular position if and only if each and every one of said plurality of sliding pins is in alignment with its corresponding key slot notch.

Claim 17

A cassette according to claim 15, wherein said key comprises a corresponding plurality of key platforms, each at a selected one from a plurality of heights from the base of said key, the combination of selected heights defining said selected one from among said plurality of different keys, where, upon insertion of said key into said lock, each one of said plurality of key platforms engages its corresponding one from among said plurality of sliding pins and urges it towards and positions it adjacently to said corresponding key slot notch.

Claim 18

A cassette according to claim 16, wherein said key further comprises a key lip for the resting of said cassette thereon to define the depth of penetration of said key into said lock.

Claim 19

A cassette according to claim 8 wherein said key comprises a cutaway for the entry therein of said locking pin when said rotating plate is in said second rotational position to prevent the withdrawal of said cassette from off said key.

Claim 20

A cassette according to claim 4 wherein said priming member comprises a rotating catch affixed to rotate on said main plate and wherein said rotating plate comprises a catch aperture for the rotation of said rotating catch therein, said rotating catch comprising a spring arm for engaging a spring arm rest face of said catch aperture when said rotating catch is in said first position thereof, and further comprising a blocking member, where, as said rotating plate moves from said first angular position to said second angular position said spring arm is freed from said spring arm rest face and said rotating catch is urged into said intermediate position wherein said blocking member prevents further rotation of said rotating catch by engagement with a blocking member rest face of said catch aperture and where, as said rotating plate moves from said second angular position back to said first angular position, said blocking member is freed from said blocking member rest face to allow the further rotation of said rotating catch for said blocking member to engage a blocking face of said catch aperture to prevent the return of said rotating plate from said first angular position to said second angular position until said lock should once more be re-primed by the return of said spring arm to said spring arm rest face.

Claim 21

A cassette according to claim 19 wherein said rotating catch comprises an indicator flag, co-rotational therewith and visible through an aperture in said door for indicating, by its position, whether said cassette lock is primed or has been used subsequently to priming.