DE20109107U1 - Kit for creating device cabinets for self-service - Google Patents

Description

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MAUCHER, BÖRJES & COLLEAGUES PATENT AND LAW FIRM

Patent Attorney Dipl.-Ing. W. Maucher · Patent and Attorney H. Börjes-Pestalozza

Ernst Reiner GmbH & Co.KG RSKASf. „

Precision mechanics and apparatus construction D-79102 Fre.burg .. Br.

Baumannstrasse 16 Telephone (07 61) 79 174 0

7 812 0 Furtwangen Fax (07 61) 79 174 30

Our file · Always indicate Bftffi

G 01 253 M

3 &agr; May 2001 _Mr/hy

Kit for creating equipment cabinets for self-service

The invention relates to a kit for constructing equipment cabinets for the self-service area of financial institutions such as banks, savings banks or insurance companies or publicly accessible places, whereby in the respective equipment cabinet, externally operable devices such as electric stampers, electric readers, mailboxes, shredders for documents to be destroyed, interrogation devices, etc. are inserted or built into the operating position, with

} In the position of use, vertical side parts, with at least one front door belonging to the respective equipment cabinet, with at least one rear wall and at least one upper closure.

Such equipment cabinets with built-in self-service devices are well known and allow customers of financial institutions to enter, stamp, destroy, etc. receipts, so that large parts of customer service can be automated. The equipment cabinets known to date and the kits from which they are made are relatively expensive because, depending on the type of equipment installed, appropriately adapted equipment cabinets are created. As a rule, these consist of complete 0 housings made of sheet metal or wood, which are made in the required dimensions.

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must be assembled and manufactured with corresponding effort.

The task is therefore to create a kit of the type mentioned above with which the production of equipment cabinets of the same and different dimensions can be rationalized. In particular, a large number of different equipment cabinets for different devices and applications should be able to be produced inexpensively.

The solution to this problem first requires the kit defined at the beginning or the idea of making the parts of the equipment cabinets available as a kit.

Above all, this kit defined at the beginning is characterized in that at least the rear walls and the front doors are provided in at least two different widths for creating equipment cabinets of different widths and that the kit also includes mounts for the equipment that can be attached or are attached inside the respective equipment cabinet. In this way, equipment cabinets of different dimensions can be put together using parts of the kit that are partly identical and partly different in size and can be adapted to different applications or requirements. Accordingly, production costs are lower than for conventionally manufactured equipment cabinets, although equipment cabinets of different widths can be put together, each of which has a characteristic, common appearance or design.

A particularly useful embodiment of the kit according to the invention can consist in the fact that the side panels, rear walls and front doors each have the same height and are included in the kit in at least two different heights. This means that at least two equipment cabinets of different heights can be put together, which in combination with 5 equipment cabinets of different widths already leads to a large number of

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of different options or differently sized equipment cabinets without causing significantly higher manufacturing costs.

The side parts can be designed as load-bearing parts and two side parts belonging to an appliance cabinet can be mirror images of each other. These side parts can then be combined with the different widths of the back walls and front doors to create appliance cabinets of different widths and all of these parts can be available in different lengths so that appliance cabinets of different heights can be created, while still having a similar appearance due to the matching design of the shape of the side parts.

It is particularly useful if the side parts are extruded profiles, particularly made of light metal, and preferably have a vertical longitudinal groove on their rear edge in the use position to grip around the rear wall. The side parts thus have an additional function in that they can also grip and fix the rear wall and at the same time seal it. Manufacturing as an extruded profile makes it particularly easy to produce side parts of different lengths.

' In addition, such extruded profiles can have a high degree of rigidity and yet produce a stable equipment cabinet 5 despite their low weight. This also increases protection against vandalism, which can be further improved by a suitably strong design, particularly of the front doors - if necessary using sheet steel.

0 The side parts can - especially when made from extruded profiles - have at least one, preferably at least two, in particular continuous screw channels on the side facing the interior of the equipment cabinet in the position of use. This enables the attachment of the hinges and/or locking elements of the front door, thus facilitating the creation of the

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Equipment cabinet using the individual parts of the kit according to the invention. The front doors and any panels arranged in the front area can be mounted directly on these longitudinal screw channels.
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A particularly efficient way of manufacturing and adapting to different dimensions, especially with regard to the height of the corresponding equipment cabinets, can be to cut the side parts from an initially overlong extruded profile to the required length.

) The kit includes extra-long side panels or extruded profiles that can be used as side panels. Depending on the required or desired height of the equipment cabinet, the side panels can then be cut off from such extra-long side panels in their final length.

The side parts can have a particularly outwardly curved cross-section and, if necessary, an external longitudinal corrugation. This not only improves a characteristic appearance and increases the recognition effect of even differently sized equipment cabinets made from the kit according to the invention, but also increases the internal volume of such equipment cabinets with an outwardly curved cross-section, so that they have a correspondingly larger capacity. In addition, this improves the rigidity of the side parts and thus the stability of the equipment cabinets.

The upper part can be designed as a table top, if necessary with a receipt compartment, and can be provided in at least two widths 0 that match the different widths of the rear walls and front doors. The upper part of the equipment cabinet can therefore have an additional function if it is not too high, in that it can serve as a writing surface for a user in the self-service area or in some other way as a table top or even as a storage shelf.

The kit can also include floor panels of different widths, the dimensions of which can be matched or adapted to the width of the rear walls and/or front doors and/or upper panels and the side panels. Such floor panels can also stabilize and stiffen the equipment cabinet in the floor area and close it off at the bottom. In addition, such floor panels can close off a suspended cabinet at the bottom, whereby such a suspended equipment cabinet, with its floor panel spaced from the floor, is also particularly easy to access for disabled people in wheelchairs.

An embodiment of the invention with its own significance worthy of protection can consist in the front doors of the kit having device holders or places for attaching devices or device holders for attaching the devices to the front door. In this way, the various devices to be housed in the device cabinet can be held or attached directly to the front door, so that when the door is opened they are automatically moved out of the device cabinet and are easily accessible, for example, for replacement or emptying or repair or the like. In addition, this also improves operation even for wheelchair users, because practically all operating functions are accessible from the front of a device cabinet designed in this way. In combination with a certain ground clearance, this applies to a greater extent for wheelchair users.

The front doors can be provided so that they can be connected to the side parts by means of hinges and/or they can be fastened or mounted on a sliding guide or a deep drawer and, in particular with the connected devices in the position of use, can be pivoted and/or slid away from the opening of the equipment cabinet.

Under the front door there is not only a usual pivoting or

This not only means a hinged single or double door, but also a front panel that can be moved away from the front opening parallel to itself. The kit can include either hinges or deep drawers with sliding guides or both, so that equipment cabinets can be assembled either with hinged doors or with sliding front panels.

The front door and/or front panel can have the openings required for the operation of the devices installed inside in the use position, in particular on the inside, for the insertion of documents or receipts or magnetic cards or banknotes or coins and preferably have attachments on the outside of the front doors or front panels to facilitate insertion in the form of funnel-like parts, insertion slots or the like. The front doors or panels thus have an additional function in terms of operation in that they not only lock the equipment cabinet, but at the same time make the devices installed inside the equipment cabinet and preferably on the inside of the front door or front panel accessible to the user and the objects he or she is to insert.

The kit may include brackets for attaching one or more appliance cabinets to a wall, in particular at a distance 5 from the floor, for example brackets or wall anchors, which, in the position of use, preferably engage the rear wall, possibly passing through it. This means that an appliance cabinet can be hung on a wall or, in addition to being placed on the floor, can also be anchored to a wall in order to make it more difficult to steal such an appliance cabinet.

A further design of the kit can consist in the fact that the devices that can be installed in the equipment cabinet, such as electric stampers, chutes, shredders, collecting containers, scanners, telescopic extensions, readers and the assembly aids for them, for example

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Mounting brackets, fastening screws, hinges, brackets, etc. are part of the kit. This means that a financial institution or a supplier of financial institutions has a kit at their disposal that can meet a wide range of requirements in terms of dimensions and equipment to be accommodated in such equipment cabinets in the self-service area. Above all, it is also possible to set up several equipment cabinets in a rational manner using similar and matching parts, so that the pleasing appearance is repeated in several such equipment cabinets and allows an interior design of the self-service area.

Since the connecting elements for the individual parts of the kit are all located inside the equipment cabinet when in use and the front door and/or front panel can be lockable, the equipment cabinet cannot be opened or dismantled without authorization, at least not with simple tools. All screw connections can be made inside in longitudinal screw channels or using self-tapping screws, which provides additional protection against vandalism.

Despite the wide range of design options, the overall construction is also simple for the top, which can be used as a table top and thus as a writing surface, and turns the equipment cabinet into a standing desk. Five inserts for storing forms or fastening options for advertising media or some kind of user interface for terminals can also be incorporated.

The result is a kit with which equipment cabinets for the self-service area of financial institutions can be manufactured inexpensively and with a largely individual adaptation to different needs and dimensions.

Below are examples of equipment cabinets constructed using the kit according to the invention based on the drawing

described in more detail, whereby these equipment cabinets each contain individual parts of the kit according to the invention. It shows in a partially schematic representation:

Fig.1

a front view,

Fig. 2

a side view,

Fig. 3 is a cross-section along the line A-A in Fig. 1 and

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section along the line B-B in Fig. 2, looking at the inside of the rear wall of an equipment cabinet assembled from a kit according to the invention,

Fig. 5 shows a cross-section corresponding to Fig. 3 of an equipment cabinet that is wider than Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a cross section of an equipment cabinet according to the invention, with only one half

is shown,

Fig. 7 shows a diagram of an equipment cabinet with a front door extending over part of its height, to which a control device is attached on the inside, in the open position,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 of an equipment cabinet, the front door of which extends over the entire height to

0 to an upper panel and on the inside

another device, preferably a shredder with a collecting container, is attached,

Fig.9

a front view and

Fig. 10 is a partially sectioned side view of a modified embodiment of an equipment cabinet, the height of which is so low that it can be anchored to a wall with floor clearance,
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Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of an equipment cabinet according to Fig. 9 and 10 with the front door open and an electric stamper installed on the inside, with a collecting container also arranged inside the equipment cabinet,

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic representation of a further

modified equipment cabinet approximately the same size as the

Equipment cabinet according to Fig. 9 to 11, wherein the front door as a front panel can be moved away from the opening of the equipment cabinet parallel to itself with the help of a deep draw and a scanner or similar device is installed on its inside and can be moved along with this front door or front panel, ·

Fig. 13 shows an embodiment of an equipment cabinet corresponding to Fig. 12 but wider than Fig. 12, in which

' which therefore has a wider front door and a wider

Back wall and also a wider upper end and

5 a wider lower plate with matching

side panels.

In the following description of equipment cabinets assembled from a kit of individual parts, each designated as a whole with 0 1, in partly different

If the machine is partly equipped with different devices due to its dimensions, parts that have the same function are given the same reference numbers, even if these parts differ in their dimensions.
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The equipment cabinets 1 of the various embodiments are each assembled and constructed from a kit of individual parts to be described in more detail below and can be set up in the self-service area of financial institutions and used by customers. In this case, devices that can be operated from the outside and are mentioned below with reference to the figures are installed or built into the respective equipment cabinet 1, but are themselves usually hidden from direct access by customers or other unauthorized persons by a locked front door 2.

The equipment cabinets 1 are composed of vertical side walls 3, the already mentioned front doors 2 - which can also be designed as a front panel 2 - a rear wall 4 and at least one upper end 5, usually also a lower end or base plate 6 and contain, as already mentioned, different and/or several devices that can be operated by a customer.

By comparing Fig. 3 and 5 or 12 and 13 it becomes clear that at least the rear walls 4 and the front doors or panels 2 are provided in at least two different widths B or B' and C or C' for creating equipment cabinets 1 of different widths. Of course, further rear walls 4 and front doors 2 with different widths can also be provided and joined together with the other parts to form equipment cabinets 1 of correspondingly different widths.

The kit from which the equipment cabinets 1 are assembled also includes mounts for the aforementioned equipment that can be attached or are attached inside the respective equipment cabinet 0 1, whereby, for example, in Fig. 7 on the inside of the front door extending over about half the height of the equipment cabinet 1 shown there, a holding plate 22 is shown as a mount, as is in Fig. 11, and a holding bracket 23 is shown in Fig. 8. 5 Angle pieces, brackets and the like can also be used as such

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Brackets are included in the kit. This means that, depending on requirements, different devices can be installed in differently sized equipment cabinets 1.

The side parts 3, rear walls 4 and front doors 2 belonging to such a kit can each have the same height dimensions and belong to the kit in at least two different height dimensions. When comparing Fig. 1 to 4 or 7 or 8 with Fig. 9 to 13, one can clearly see corresponding equipment cabinets 1 of different heights, in which the side parts 3, the rear walls 4 and the front sides each have the same height, but differ in their length and height in these different types of equipment cabinets, which is expressed by the dimensions H 1 and H 2 in the drawing itself.

However, it can be seen that the cross-sections of the equipment cabinets 1 essentially correspond, i.e. the equipment cabinets 1 from the kit according to the invention have an overall similar external appearance.

For the equipment cabinets 1 intended for installation in accordance with the

' Fig. 1 to 8, but also in the other equipment cabinets 1, the side parts 3 are designed as load-bearing parts and two 5 side parts 3 belonging to an equipment cabinet are mirror images of each other. They are extruded profiles made of light metal, so that the equipment cabinets 1, which are assembled from the kit, have a comparatively low weight despite the thickness or strength and resistance of these side parts 3 even against vandalism.

In Fig. 3, 5 and especially 6 it can be seen that these side parts 3 have on their rear edge in the position of use a longitudinal groove 7 which runs vertically in the position of use for 5 gripping the edge of the rear wall connected to this edge.

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4. This results in a tight seal running over the entire height of the equipment cabinet 1, so that devices housed inside the equipment cabinet 1 are protected against contamination.
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The side parts 3 also have continuous screw channels 8 on the side facing the inside of the equipment cabinet 1 in the position of use for connection to other components belonging to the kit at practically any height. This means that connecting means belonging to the kit, such as retaining plates 22 or the like or connecting angles, can be easily arranged inside the equipment cabinet 1 in order to accommodate corresponding devices. Since the side parts are extruded profiles, they can be cut to the required length from an initially overlong extruded profile. The kit can therefore include side parts 3 of a certain length and width or even overlong extruded profiles that can be cut to the correct length as required.

0 It can be seen in Figs. 3, 5 and 6 and also in Figs. 7, 8 and 11 to 13 that the side parts 3 have an outwardly curved cross-section and an external longitudinal corrugation. This stiffens the side parts 3 additionally and also gives them an aesthetically pleasing appearance, which is also advantageously repeated in equipment cabinets 5 1 of different dimensions.

The upper end 5 is designed as a table top for the corresponding height of the equipment cabinet 1, for example the height of a standing desk, and can also be provided in at least two widths corresponding to the different widths of the equipment cabinets 1. It therefore fits the different widths of the rear walls 4 and front doors 2 or front parts.

The kit also includes base plates of 6 different

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Width, the dimensions of which are also matched or adapted to the width of the rear walls 4 and/or front doors 2 and/or upper closures 5 as well as the side parts 3. With such base plates 6, the equipment cabinet 1 can also be stabilized and stiffened at the lower installation area or closed off at the bottom in the case of a floor-free arrangement.

It is particularly evident from Fig. 7, 8 and 11 to 13 that the front doors 2 have device holders, for example the already mentioned retaining plates 22 or, if necessary, also places

) for attaching devices or device holders for securing the devices to the inside of the front doors 2. When the front door 2 is opened, the corresponding devices are also moved out of the equipment cabinet 1 in order to be able to empty them, replace them, repair them or maintain them, for example.

The front doors 2 can be connected to the side parts 3 with hinges 10 or they can be attached to a sliding guide or a deep-drawn section 11 as shown in Fig. 12 and 13 and thus be able to slide parallel to themselves as a front panel. In the first case, the front doors 2 can be swung away from the opening of the equipment cabinet 1 to open.

' in the second case can be pushed away. So that the user can use the devices mounted inside the equipment cabinet 1, and in the embodiments 5 on the inside of the front door 2 or front panel, when the equipment cabinet 1 is closed, the front doors 2 or panels and/or the upper end 5 have the openings 12 required for this operation for inserting documents or receipts or magnetic cards or banknotes 0 or coins. Furthermore, attachments in the form of funnel-like parts, insertion slots or the like can be arranged on the outside of the front doors 2 or front panels to facilitate insertion. The user therefore finds a built-in cabinet 1 with a front side on which he can carry out the required 5 operations on the devices installed inside.

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While in the embodiment according to Fig. 8 the front door 2 extends over the entire height of the equipment cabinet 1, Fig. 1 to 7 show that the kit for the equipment cabinets 1 has a front door 2 for the front that extends over part of the height and below it - if necessary also above it - a cover plate 13 that cannot be opened. Likewise, a panel 14 can be arranged directly under the upper cover 5 in order to stiffen the front well despite the door opening.

According to the embodiment shown in Fig. 10, the kit includes brackets for fastening one or more equipment cabinets 1 to a vertical wall at a distance from the floor, for example brackets or wall anchors 15, which can engage the rear wall 4 in the position of use, passing through it. The rear wall can also be reinforced by stiffening plates 16 according to the embodiments shown.

The devices that can be installed in the equipment cabinet 1 have been mentioned several times. According to the various embodiments, the kit can include electric stampers 21, chutes 23, shredders 26, collecting containers 36, scanners 39 or waste bags 41 or magnetic card readers (not shown in detail), etc., in order to equip the equipment cabinet 1 for the respective self-service needs of customers of financial institutions.

The overall result is a kit whose individual parts allow the construction of equipment cabinets 1 for the self-service area of financial institutions in different dimensions, but with a recognizable appearance, whereby the use of 0 identical parts enables efficient production and assembly.

/Expectations

Claims (15)

1. Kit for constructing equipment cabinets ( 1 ) for the self-service area of financial institutions such as banks, savings banks or insurance companies or publicly accessible places, wherein in the respective equipment cabinet, devices that can be operated from the outside such as electric stampers, electric readers, scanners, letter boxes, shredders for documents to be destroyed, query devices, etc. are inserted or built into the use position, with side parts ( 3 ) that are vertical in the use position, with at least one front door ( 2 ) or panel belonging to the respective equipment cabinet ( 1 ) and/or end panels ( 13 ) and/or panels ( 14 ) supplementing these, with at least one rear wall ( 4 ) and at least one upper closure ( 5 ), characterized in that at least the rear walls ( 4 ) and the front doors ( 2 ) with or without end panels and/or panels are provided in at least two different widths for constructing equipment cabinets ( 1 ) of different widths. 2. Kit according to claim 1, characterized in that side parts ( 3 ), rear walls ( 4 ) and front doors ( 2 ) - with or without end panels and/or covers - have matching height dimensions and belong to the kit in at least two different height dimensions. 3. Kit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the side parts ( 3 ) are designed as load-bearing parts and two side parts ( 3 ) belonging to an equipment cabinet are approximately identical and mirror-image. 4. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the side parts ( 3 ) are extruded profiles, in particular made of light metal, and preferably have on their rear edge in the use position a vertical longitudinal groove ( 7 ) for gripping around the rear wall ( 4 ). 5. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the side parts have at least one, preferably two, in particular continuous screw channels ( 8 ) on the side facing the interior of the equipment cabinet ( 1 ) in the position of use. 6. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the side parts are cut to the required length from an initially overlong extruded profile. 7. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the side parts ( 3 ) have an outwardly curved cross-section and optionally an external corrugation. 8. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the upper end ( 5 ) is designed as a table top, optionally with a receipt compartment, and is provided in at least two widths which match the different widths of the rear walls ( 4 ) and front doors ( 2 ). 9. Construction kit according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it includes floor panels ( 6 ) of different widths, the dimensions of which are matched or adapted to the width of the rear walls ( 4 ) and/or front doors ( 2 ) and/or the upper ends ( 5 ) and the side parts ( 3 ). 10. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the front doors ( 2 ) have device holders ( 22 ) or locations for attaching devices or device holders for fastening the devices on the inside of the front doors ( 2 ). 11. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the front doors ( 2 ) can be connected to the side parts ( 3 ) with hinges ( 10 ) and/or can be fastened or mounted on a sliding guide or a deep-drawn section ( 11 ) and can be pivoted or slid away from the opening of the equipment cabinet ( 1 ) in particular with the connected devices in the position of use. 12. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that front doors ( 2 ) and/or front panels and/or the upper closure ( 5 ) have the openings ( 12 ) required for the operation of the devices installed in the interior, in particular on the inside, in the use position for inserting documents or receipts or magnetic cards or banknotes or coins and preferably on the outside of the front door ( 2 ) or front panel attachments are provided to facilitate the insertion in the form of funnel-like parts, insertion slots or the like. 13. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that it has front doors ( 2 ) or panels extending over part of the height of the equipment cabinets ( 1 ) and end panels ( 13 ) and/or covers ( 14 ) which can be attached above and/or below them. 14. Kit according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the kit includes brackets for fastening one or more equipment cabinets ( 1 ) to a wall, in particular at a distance from the floor, in particular brackets or wall anchors ( 15 ) which, in the position of use, preferably engage the rear wall ( 4 ), possibly penetrating it. 15. Kit according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the devices that can be mounted in the equipment cabinet ( 1 ), such as electric stampers, chutes, shredders, collecting containers, scanners, telescopic extensions, reading devices and the assembly aids therefor, for example holding plates ( 22 ), assembly angles, fastening screws, hinges, brackets, brackets ( 23 ), etc., belong to the kit.