The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 08, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 10, 1997
Mars Incorporated, McLean, VA (US);
Abstract
A banknote reader for initiating a service operation of a vending machine (6) comprises an installation housing of side plates (1) and a money container (11). An interior (14) between the side plates (1) has devices (15; 16; 18; 19; 21; 22; 24) for aligning, transporting, checking and rejecting banknotes (8) and are arranged as modules at predetermined locations along the transport path of the banknotes (8). The installation housing has exchangeable front parts (2; 3; 24) and has on opposite narrow sides (9; 12) a flap 13, which can be pivoted for maintenance work and contains a built-in control device (25), and a connecting opening (10) to the money container (11), respectively. A minimal design of the banknote reader comprises at least a transport system (15), an entry channel (16) for aligning the banknotes (8), a drive unit (22) of the transport system (15), a checking device (18) for recognising genuine banknotes (8), and the control device (25).