Media cassette with internal lock

A media dispenser for dispensing media comprising:

• a media cassette including:
• a cassette body including a space in which media are filled and a media discharge opening through which the media are discharged;
• a door being driven by an opening unit for opening and closing said media discharge opening, wherein said door includes:
• a guide located on a wall of said cassette body;
• a chain-linked portion sliding along said guide, wherein said chain-linked portion bends around an edge of said cassette body to open said media discharge opening;
• a supporting rod connected to said door to move therewith, said supporting rod being disposed on an interior floor space of the cassette body such that motion of the door causes said supporting rod to move along the interior floor space;
• and
• a locking mechanism for selectively engaging a portion of said supporting rod in said cassette body and selectively locking/unlocking said door in accordance with an electrical signal transmitted from said media dispenser;
• and
• belts or rollers for moving sheets of media from said media cassette to an opening for dispensing to a customer,
• wherein said opening unit opens said door when said media cassette is coupled to said dispenser,
• wherein said opening unit includes a moveable unit having a receiver for engaging a portion of said door to move said door to an open position,
• wherein said locking mechanism is disposed on the interior floor surface of the cassette body such that the locking mechanism cannot be accessed when the door is closed and the media cassette is removed from the media dispenser, the media being placed on the interior floor space, and
• wherein the locking mechanism engages the portion of said supporting rod to lock the door when motion of said supporting rod aligns the locking mechanism and the portion of said supporting rod.