Cassette with cable tension of pressure plate

Abstract

A banknote cassette includes a container having a spring biased pressure plate for maintaining a stack of received banknotes. A cable retraction mechanism exerts the bias force on the pressure plate and allows the displacement of the stack of banknotes when a banknote is added to the stack. Preferably, a helically wound spring cooperates with a cable reel to wind and unwind the cable as necessary and to maintain a tension force in said cable.

1 . A banknote cassette for stacking and storing banknotes comprising a container with a closable lid, a banknote receiving slot in said container for receiving banknotes in an initial receiving arrangement, a stacking mechanism for displacing a received banknote from said initial receiving arrangement and moving the received banknote to a storage section, said storage section including a pressure plate including a bias arrangement providing a bias force urging said pressure plate towards said initial receiving arrangement and movable against said bias force to allow a banknote displaced from said initial receiving arrangement and moved to said storage section to be added to a stack of any previously displaced banknotes provided between said pressure plate and said initial receiving compartment; wherein said bias arrangement includes a cable retraction mechanism having a coil spring connected to a cable reel having a cable wound thereon; said cable retraction mechanism being connected to said pressure plate to unwind said cable from said cable reel and wind said spring as said pressure plate is displaced to accommodate a displaced banknote and to wind said cable onto said cable reel as required to maintain a tension force in said cable to provide said bias force to said pressure plate.  
   
   
       2 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cable retraction arrangement has said coil spring attached to said container and an end of said cable attached to said pressure plate.  
   
   
       3 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 1  said cable retraction arrangement has said coil spring attached to said pressure plate and an end of said cable is attached to said container.  
   
   
       4 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said cable retraction mechanism includes one or more pulleys associated with said cable to change the direction of said cable.  
   
   
       5 . A banknote cassette for stacking and storing banknotes comprising a container with a closable lid, a banknote receiving slot in said container for receiving banknotes in an initial receiving section of said container, a stacking mechanism for displacing a received banknote from said initial receiving section and moving the received banknote to a storage section, said storage section including a pressure plate including a pair of bias arrangements providing a bias force urging said pressure plate towards said initial receiving section and movable against said bias force to allow a banknote displaced from said initial receiving section and moved to said storage section to be added to a stack of any previously displaced banknotes provided between said pressure plate and said initial receiving section; wherein each bias arrangement includes a cable retraction mechanism having a coil spring connected to a cable reel having a cable wound thereon with said cable retraction mechanism being connected to said pressure plate to unwind said cable from said cable reel and wind said coil spring as said pressure plate is displaced to accommodate a displaced banknote and to wind said cable onto said cable reel as required to maintain a tension force in said cable to provide said bias force to said pressure plate.  
   
   
       6 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 5  wherein said pair of bias arrangements are provided on opposite sides of said pressure plate and adjacent a central position in the length of said pressure plate.  
   
   
       7 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 6  wherein each cable retraction mechanism is secured in said initial receiving section and the cable extends into said storage section and is attached to said pressure plate.  
   
   
       8 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 7  wherein each cable retraction mechanism is secured to a sidewall of said container.  
   
   
       9 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 8  wherein each cable retraction mechanism is secured centrally in said receiving section to said sidewall intermediate a length thereof.  
   
   
       10 . A cassette as claimed in  claim 7  wherein said receiving section includes opposed banknote guide members intermediate a housing of and retraction mechanism and said pressure plate; each guide member including a port arrangement adjacent a side wall of the container through which cables of the retracting mechanisms extend.