Medium processing device

Abstract

To achieve both stable conveyance of a medium and compactness.SOLUTION: In a change machine 3 of a register changer system 1, in a conveyance part 25 of a paper money deposit / withdrawal part 11, a conveyance guide side fitting part 41A provided on a conveyance guide 41 of an upper conveyance unit 31 and a reinforcing bracket side fitting part 42C provided on a reinforcing bracket 42 are fitted to an idle shaft 47. Therefore, when conveying paper money, etc., the conveyance part 25 receives relatively large force acting on the idle shaft 47 from a lower conveyance part 32 via a conveyance belt 49 and an idle roller pulley 48, distributing the force to the reinforcing bracket 42 and the conveyance guide 41. As the result, the change machine 3 does not need to excessively increase the strength of the reinforcing bracket 42 in the upper conveyance unit 31, and can be configured to a minimum necessary, and as the result, can be mainly miniaturized in a vertical direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a media processing device, and is suitable for use in a cash register change system used by users such as cashiers and customers at the checkout counters of retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in the field of cash register change systems, a combination of a POS register connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) system or the like and a change dispenser that processes the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes (hereinafter also referred to as media) and coins has become widespread. A banknote deposit and withdrawal device that processes banknotes among these change dispensers includes, for example, a deposit and withdrawal section that delivers and receives banknotes to and from a user, a transport section that transports the banknotes, a discrimination section that discriminates the denomination and authenticity of inserted banknotes, a banknote storage vault that stores reusable banknotes by denomination, and a reject vault that stores banknotes that should not be reused.

[0003] Furthermore, there is a banknote deposit and withdrawal device that, for example, when a banknote becomes clogged in the transport path of a transport unit, rotates part of the transport unit around a predetermined rotation axis to connect the transport path to the external space, thereby allowing maintenance work to be performed efficiently (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-34937 A (Fig. 2, etc.) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned banknote deposit and withdrawal device, there is a demand for miniaturization of the entire device. In response to this demand, it is possible to thin the rotating parts of the transport unit, but there is a problem in that it is difficult to simultaneously achieve miniaturization and thinning while ensuring stable transport by ensuring the necessary strength for each part.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a medium processing device that can achieve both stable transport of banknotes and compact size. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, the media processing device of the present invention comprises a transport guide that forms one of the transport surfaces in a transport path along which the media is transported in a transport direction, a reinforcing bracket attached to the transport guide, a roller that rotates around an axis of rotation along the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction to transport the media, and a shaft inserted into the roller, wherein the transport guide has a transport guide side fitting portion that fits with the shaft, and the reinforcing bracket has a reinforcing bracket side fitting portion that fits with the shaft.

[0008] In the present invention, the reinforcing bracket is fitted to the shaft by the reinforcing bracket-side fitting portion of the reinforcing bracket as well as the conveying guide-side fitting portion of the conveying guide. Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the reinforcing bracket is fitted to the shaft only by the reinforcing bracket-side fitting portion, the present invention does not require excessive increase in strength of the reinforcing bracket, and the configuration related to the reinforcing bracket can be made smaller while ensuring the necessary and sufficient strength for each part. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a media processing device that can achieve both stable media transport and compactness. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the external configuration of a cash register change system. [Diagram 2]11 is a schematic right side view showing the internal configuration of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of an upper conveying unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic right side view showing the configuration of the upper conveying unit. [Diagram 5] 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of an upper conveying unit. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a transport guide. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a schematic plan view showing a configuration of a transport guide. [Figure 8] 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a transport guide side fitting portion. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a reinforcing bracket. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a schematic bottom view showing the configuration of a reinforcing bracket. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing the facing posture of the upper conveying unit; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a non-facing posture of the upper conveying unit; [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of an upper conveying unit for comparison. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of an upper conveying unit for comparison. [Figure 15] 13 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of a conveying guide and a reinforcing bracket in a comparative upper conveying unit. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a conveying guide and a reinforcing bracket in a comparative upper conveying unit. FIG. [Figure 17] 13 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a reinforcing bracket in an upper conveying unit for comparison; FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0012] [1. Configuration of the cash register change system] As shown in the schematic external view in Figure 1, the cash register change system 1 is made up of an upper POS register 2 and a lower change machine 3, which are independent devices. This cash register change system 1 is operated by a cashier or a customer (hereinafter also referred to as a user) at a checkout (a so-called cash register) of a retail store such as a supermarket or convenience store, when the customer pays for products that he or she wishes to purchase. In the following explanation, the side facing the user and the opposite side are respectively defined as the front and rear, and further defined as left, right, and up and down as viewed from the user.

[0013] The POS register 2 is entirely controlled by a built-in register control unit 5. A barcode reader (not shown) is also connected to the POS register 2, and the barcode attached to a product is read by this barcode reader to identify the product.

[0014] The display operation unit 6 is configured as a touch panel, with a display unit such as a liquid crystal display and an operation unit such as a touch sensor placed on top of the liquid crystal display. The display operation unit 6 displays the name and price of the recognized product on the liquid crystal display. The display operation unit 6 also displays input keys such as numbers on a part of the display screen, and when a place on the touch sensor corresponding to an input key is pressed, it accepts the input operation corresponding to the input key and sends it to the register control unit 5. In response to this, the register control unit 5 performs various processes such as increasing or decreasing the quantity of the product and correcting the price. The POS register 2 also has a receipt processing unit 7 built in. The receipt processing unit 7 prints the recognized product name, price, etc. on a receipt and discharges it from the receipt discharge port 7A.

[0015] Meanwhile, the change machine 3 has a banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11 provided on the right side and a coin deposit / withdrawal unit 12 provided on the left side inside a change machine housing 4 configured to surround the outer periphery except for the front side, and further has a display operation unit 13 provided at the upper front side of the change machine housing 4. The banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11 as a medium processing device has a banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14, multiple banknote storage vaults 15, and a reject recovery vault 27, etc. This banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11 takes in banknotes deposited by a user from the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 and stores them in the banknote storage vault 15, and also takes out banknotes instructed by the cash register control unit 5 from the banknote storage vault 15 and dispenses them as change from the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 (this will be described in detail later).

[0016] The coin deposit / withdrawal unit 12 has a coin deposit port 16 provided at the top of its front surface, and a reject port 17 and a coin withdrawal port 18 provided below it. This coin deposit / withdrawal unit 12 takes in coins inserted by a user into the coin deposit port 16 and stores them in an internal storage, and also dispenses coins of a denomination and number according to an amount instructed by the cash register control unit 5 from the coin withdrawal port 18 as change.

[0017] The display operation unit 13 is composed of a combination of a predetermined display panel and predetermined operation buttons. The display panel of the display operation unit 13 displays, as the operating status of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11 and the coin deposit / withdrawal unit 12, for example, that there is a shortage of banknotes of a predetermined denomination in the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11, that an abnormality has been detected by a predetermined sensor, and the location of the abnormality, etc. Furthermore, the operation buttons of the display operation unit 13 receive instructions, for example, regarding the transport of banknotes, etc., via pressing operations by a cashier, a maintenance worker, etc.

[0018] A change control unit 21 is provided inside the change machine 3. The change control unit 21 is configured mainly around a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and controls the change machine 3 by reading and executing various programs such as a change dispensing program from a storage unit (not shown) that stores various information, and performs various processes such as deposit transactions and withdrawal transactions.

[0019] The memory unit is composed of a memory unit (not shown) such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and in addition to storing various programs, for example, the history of various transactions and the number of banknotes stored in each banknote storage 15 (i.e., the number of stored banknotes) are stored and successively updated. Therefore, the change control unit 21 can know the number of banknotes stored in each unit, or the presence or absence of banknotes, by reading out various information from this memory unit.

[0020] [2. Configuration of the banknote deposit / withdrawal section] 2, the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11 has a number of sections which perform various processes relating to banknotes (hereinafter also referred to as media), specifically, a deposit / withdrawal unit 24, a transport unit 25, a discrimination unit 26, three banknote storage vaults 15 (15A, 15B and 15C), and a rejected banknote recovery vault 27. Incidentally, each section within the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11 is centrally controlled by a change control unit 21 (FIG. 1) of the change machine 3.

[0021] The deposit / withdrawal unit 24 is a section where banknotes are exchanged with a user, and is located at the upper front part of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11. This deposit / withdrawal unit 24 is formed with a space for storing banknotes, and has a plurality of rotating rollers, a movable stage, a sensor for detecting banknotes, and the like.

[0022] For example, in a deposit process in which banknotes are deposited, when a user inserts banknotes through the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 ( FIG. 1 ), the deposit / withdrawal unit 24 takes in the banknotes, separates them one by one, and delivers them sequentially to the transport unit 25. Also, for example, in a withdrawal process in which banknotes are withdrawn, when banknotes to be withdrawn are transported by the transport unit 25, the deposit / withdrawal unit 24 accumulates the banknotes and causes them to be removed from the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14.

[0023] The conveying section 25 is composed of a conveying guide that guides the banknotes, a belt that transmits driving force to the banknotes, and a number of rollers for running the belt (described in detail later), and forms a conveying path W that roughly runs in the front-to-rear direction, and a number of storage and conveying paths that respectively connect each banknote storage vault 15 to the conveying path W.

[0024] In addition, in the conveying unit 25, a switch is provided at each connection point between the conveying path W and each storage conveying path. In addition to a conveying guide and a plurality of rollers, the switch has a rotatable blade, and by rotating the blade, the moving direction of the banknote is switched. Based on the control of the change control unit 21 (FIG. 1), the conveying unit 25 appropriately rotates each roller, runs the belt, and further appropriately rotates the blade of the switch, thereby being able to convey the banknote along the desired conveying path with the short side of the banknote approximately parallel to the conveying path.

[0025] The validator 26 is located behind the deposit / withdrawal unit 24 on the transport path formed by the transport unit 25, and has rollers and the like for transporting banknotes along the transport path, as well as optical elements, image pickup elements, magnetic detection elements, etc. While moving the banknotes transported along the transport path inside the validator 26, the validator 26 validates the denomination, authenticity, fitness (whether damaged or not), etc. of the banknotes, as well as the transport state, based on the detection results obtained by each element, and notifies the change control unit 21 of the obtained validation results. The change control unit 21 determines the transport path for the banknotes according to the obtained validation results, and appropriately controls the transport unit 25 according to the transport path.

[0026] The reject collection box 27 is provided in the vicinity of the front end of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11, adjacent to and below the deposit / withdrawal unit 24, and is configured to be detachable from the housing of the change machine 3. This reject collection box 27 is configured such that an upper reject collection box 28 and a lower collection box 29 are integrated together.

[0027] The upper rejected box 28 stores banknotes that are determined not to be reused. Specifically, the rejected box 28 stores banknotes that are determined to be abnormal (so-called rejected banknotes), such as banknotes that are determined to be damaged by the discriminating section 26 (so-called damaged bills), banknotes that are determined to be counterfeit, or banknotes that are not determined to be normal during a dispensing operation due to skewing or multiple feeding, etc. The recovery box 29 stores banknotes that have been fed out of the banknote storage box 15 and transported by the transport section 25, for example, when a recovery process is performed to recover a portion of sales proceeds, etc.

[0028] The three banknote storage vaults 15 (15A, 15B, and 15C) are arranged in a line in the front-to-rear direction behind the reject recovery vault 27. Although each banknote storage vault 15 is set to store different denominations of banknotes, they are generally configured in the same way and have storage spaces for accumulating and storing banknotes therein, a stage that moves in the vertical direction, a separation and accumulation unit, etc.

[0029] In this configuration, in the cash register change system 1, the change control unit 21 controls each unit based on the results of bill validation by the validator 26, and performs processes such as depositing, dispensing, and collecting bills.

[0030] [3. Structure of the transport unit] The conveying section 25 is roughly divided into an upper conveying unit 31 located above the conveying path W, a lower conveying unit 32 located below the conveying path W, and a stand 33. Of these, the upper conveying unit 31 is formed as a thin plate or a rectangular parallelepiped in the vertical direction as a whole. As shown in Fig. 3, the upper conveying unit 31 specifically includes a conveying guide 41, a reinforcing bracket 42, a driving shaft 43, two driving rollers 44, a conveying shaft 45, two conveying rollers 46, two idle shafts 47, four idle roller pulleys 48, and two conveying belts 49.

[0031] 3 is a perspective view of the upper conveying unit 31 as a whole. FIG. 4 is a right side view of the upper conveying unit 31 as a whole. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A1-A2 in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the upper conveying unit 31 with the reinforcing bracket 42 omitted. FIG. 7 is a plan view of the upper conveying unit 31 with the reinforcing bracket 42 omitted. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B1-B2 and line C1-C2 in FIG. 5. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the upper conveying unit 31 with the conveying guide 41 omitted. FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the upper conveying unit 31 with the conveying guide 41 omitted.

[0032] 6 and 7, the conveying guide 41 is a molded part made of a specific resin material, and is formed into a thin plate shape in the vertical direction as a whole. The conveying surface 41S, which is the lower surface of the conveying guide 41, constitutes part of the conveying path W, and is generally flat, but is formed with a curved surface that displaces upward or downward as it proceeds in the front-rear direction. In addition, the conveying guide 41 is appropriately formed with holes, recesses, ribs, etc. of various shapes (some are not shown), and ensures the necessary strength while appropriately avoiding interference with each component.

[0033] Furthermore, the transport guide 41 has six transport guide side fittings 41A for fitting with and supporting the idle shaft 47 at six locations spaced apart in the left-right direction (hereinafter also referred to as the width direction) at locations slightly forward and slightly rearward from the center in the front-rear direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, each transport guide side fitting 41A is located near the end of the idle shaft 47 and near both left and right ends of each idle roller pulley 48 in the left-right direction (described in detail later). Each transport guide side fitting 41A is formed in a plate or beam shape having a predetermined thickness in the left-right direction, and further has a round hole, gap, or the like penetrating in the left-right direction.

[0034] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the reinforcing bracket 42 is manufactured by, for example, appropriately cutting and bending a steel plate of a predetermined thickness, and has a flat shape that is thin in the vertical direction as a whole. The reinforcing bracket 42 has a central notch 42N that is largely cut out in a range of about 1 / 3 of the center in the left-right direction, over a range of about 5 / 6 from the rear end in the front-rear direction, that is, over a range that leaves about 1 / 6, which is a part of the front end side. Hereinafter, the part of the reinforcing bracket 42 that is forward of the central notch 42N will be referred to as the front reinforcing part 42F, the part to the left of the central notch 42N will be referred to as the left reinforcing part 42L, and the part to the right of the central notch 42N will be referred to as the right reinforcing part 42R.

[0035] For this reason, as shown in Figures 3 and 9, when the reinforcement bracket 42 is viewed as a whole, with the front reinforcement portion 42F, left reinforcement portion 42L and right reinforcement portion 42R connected to each other, it can be regarded as having a shape similar to the capital letter "C" when viewed from the upper right corner, and as a whole as a capital letter "U" when viewed from the upper front corner.

[0036] The reinforcing bracket 42 has a step formed at the boundary between the left reinforcing part 42L and the right reinforcing part 42R so that the front reinforcing part 42F is slightly lower than the left reinforcing part 42L and the right reinforcing part 42R. A front protective part 51 is attached to the upper side of the front reinforcing part 42F of the reinforcing bracket 42. The front protective part 51 is formed in a thin plate shape in the vertical direction, and its upper surface is formed in a flat shape that is almost continuous with the left reinforcing part 42L. An engagement hole 51H of a predetermined shape is formed near the center of the front protective part 51.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 9 and 10, the reinforcing bracket 42 is provided with two drive shaft support portions 42A that support the drive shaft 43, two conveying shaft support portions 42B that support the conveying shaft 45, and four reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C for fitting into and supporting the idle shaft 47.

[0038] Each drive shaft support portion 42A is provided near the left rear end of the left reinforcement portion 42L and near the right rear end of the right reinforcement portion 42R. This drive shaft support portion 42A is a plate-like member that is thin in the left-right direction and has a round hole that penetrates in the left-right direction. Each conveyor shaft support portion 42B is composed of a plurality of small plate-like members having portions along the front-rear direction that are arranged toward the upper or lower end at multiple positions separated in the left-right direction on the front reinforcement portion 42F.

[0039] The reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C are provided at four locations in total, namely, near the left and right ends of the left reinforcing portion 42L and near the left and right ends of the right reinforcing portion 42R, at positions slightly forward and slightly rearward from the center in the front-rear direction. In other words, the reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C are provided near the outer end in the direction away from the central notch 42N of the reinforcing bracket 42, and near the boundary portion with the central notch 42N on the inner side in the direction toward the central notch 42N, as shown in Fig. 5. Each reinforcing bracket side fitting portion 42C is a thin plate in the left-right direction, and has a round hole penetrating in the left-right direction.

[0040] Also, referring to Figure 5 etc., it can be said that the transport guide side fitting portion 41A of the above-mentioned transport guide 41, when assembled into the transport section 25, is located, in the left-right direction, near the outer end of the reinforcing bracket 42 that is in the direction away from the central cutout 42N, and near the inner end that is in the direction approaching the central cutout 42N.

[0041] The drive shaft 43 (FIG. 3) is formed in a long and thin cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and is located near the rear end of the upper conveying unit 31. The drive shaft 43 is rotatably supported via drive bearings 52 by drive shaft supports 42A provided respectively near the left rear end of the left reinforcing portion 42L and near the right rear end of the right reinforcing portion 42R of the reinforcing bracket 42. Furthermore, the drive shaft 43 is rotatably supported by the lower conveying unit 32 (FIG. 2) near both left and right ends.

[0042] The two drive rollers 44 are both inserted through the drive shaft 43, and are located in the left and right directions near the left and right ends of the central cutout 42N, i.e., at two locations slightly away from the center in the left and right directions to the right and left. The drive rollers 44 are formed in a cylindrical shape with a central axis aligned in the left and right direction, with a larger diameter than the drive shaft 43 and a relatively short length in the left and right directions. The drive roller 44 is fixed to the drive shaft 43 and rotates integrally with the drive shaft 43 relative to the reinforcing bracket 42.

[0043] The conveying shaft 45 is formed in a long and thin cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and is located near the front end of the upper conveying unit 31. The conveying shaft 45 is supported rotatably and slidably in the front-rear direction by a conveying shaft support part 42B formed near the front end of the reinforcing bracket 42. A coil spring 53 is sandwiched between the conveying shaft 45 and the reinforcing bracket 42 at the rear side, and the conveying shaft 45 is biased forward by the coil spring 53.

[0044] The two conveying rollers 46 are both inserted through the conveying shaft 45, and their left-right positions are aligned in the same manner as the driving roller 44. That is, each conveying roller 46 is located at a position corresponding to the vicinity of the left end and the vicinity of the right end in the central cutout 42N. Like the driving roller 44, this conveying roller 46 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, its diameter is larger than that of the conveying shaft 45, and its length in the left-right direction is relatively short. The conveying roller 46 is fixed to the conveying shaft 45, and rotates integrally with the conveying shaft 45 relative to the reinforcing bracket 42.

[0045] The two idle shafts 47 are disposed slightly forward and slightly rearward of the center in the front-rear direction of the upper conveying unit 31, and each is formed in a thin and long cylindrical shape with a central axis aligned in the left-right direction, similar to the conveying shaft 45. As shown in Figures 5 and 8, each idle shaft 47 is fitted into six conveying guide side fitting portions 41A provided at intervals in the left-right direction on the conveying guide 41 and four reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C provided at intervals in the left-right direction on the reinforcing bracket 42, and is supported rotatably.

[0046] Two idle roller pulleys 48 are inserted into each idle shaft 47, and their left-right positions are aligned to be the same as those of the drive roller 44 and the conveying roller 46. That is, each idle roller pulley 48 is located near the left end and the right end in the central cutout 42N.

[0047] The idle roller pulley 48, like the conveying roller 46, is formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, with a diameter larger than that of the idle shaft 47 and smaller than that of the conveying roller 46, and a length in the left-right direction being relatively short. The idle roller pulley 48 is fixed to the idle shaft 47, and rotates integrally with the idle shaft 47 relative to the conveying guide 41 and the reinforcing bracket 42.

[0048] Each conveyor belt 49 is made of a predetermined resin material or the like, and is formed as a flexible endless belt. As shown in Fig. 3 and other figures, the conveyor belt 49 is stretched around the drive roller 44, the two idle roller pulleys 48, and the conveyor roller 46 at two locations slightly to the right and slightly to the left of the center of the upper conveyor unit 31 in the left-right direction, i.e., approximately along the front-rear direction. The upper portion of the conveyor belt 49 is located at approximately the same height as the upper surface portions of the left reinforcing portion 42L and the right reinforcing portion 42R of the reinforcing bracket 42.

[0049] Of these, the conveying roller 46 is biased forward by the coil spring 53 via the conveying shaft 45 as described above. That is, the conveying belt 49 is stretched under a relatively large tension since the conveying roller 46 is biased forward away from the driving roller 44.

[0050] On the other hand, the lower conveying unit 32 (FIG. 2) has a configuration in which a part of it is the upper conveying unit 31 turned upside down, and has, for example, a lower conveying guide 61 that faces the conveying guide 41, and lower rollers 62 that respectively correspond to the drive roller 44 and the conveying roller 46. Hereinafter, the lower conveying guide 61 will also be referred to as the opposing conveying guide.

[0051] The stand 33 (Figure 2) is formed in a plate or rod shape that is long in the front-to-back direction, short in the left-to-right direction, and thin in the up-down direction, and most of it is located within the central cutout portion 42N of the reinforcement bracket 42 in the upper conveying unit 31, i.e., between the left reinforcement portion 42L and the right reinforcement portion 42R.

[0052] The rear end of the stand 33 is located rearward of the drive shaft 43, and is rotatably supported by a picker guide cover 19 located rearward of the transport section 25 within the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 11 (FIG. 2). The front end of the stand 33 is located near the front idle shaft 47, and is provided with a stand engagement section 33A (FIG. 11) having a predetermined shape.

[0053] As described above, the drive shaft 43 of the upper conveying unit 31 is rotatably supported by the lower conveying unit 32. Therefore, in the conveying section 25, the conveying guide 41 and the lower conveying guide 61 face each other in a posture in which the lower surface of the upper conveying unit 31 and the upper surface of the lower conveying unit 32 are close to or in contact with each other, as shown in a schematic perspective view in Fig. 11 in addition to Fig. 2 etc. (hereinafter, this is called the facing posture). At this time, the conveying belt 49 appropriately abuts against the lower rollers 62 etc. of the lower conveying unit 32 due to the action of tension, etc., and holds the banknotes between the lower rollers 62 etc., and can convey the banknotes along the conveying path W with the conveying direction being roughly in the front-rear direction.

[0054] When the upper conveying unit 31 is in this facing position, the conveying section 25 is oriented such that most of the stand 33 is located within the central cutout 42N of the reinforcing bracket 42, and the longitudinal direction of the stand 33 is aligned substantially along the front-rear direction. Incidentally, the upper conveying unit 31 is adapted to be switched by a locking mechanism (not shown) between locking (fixing) its position relative to the lower conveying unit 32 and releasing this lock.

[0055] On the other hand, in a state where the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 11 is pulled forward from inside the change machine housing 4 by a maintenance worker or the like, the transport section 25 can rotate the upper transport unit 31 from the facing position (FIG. 11) by approximately 90 degrees by lifting the transport shaft 45 and the transport roller 46 diagonally upward and rearward after the locking mechanism is released. As a result, as shown in FIG. 12, the transport section 25 takes the upper transport unit 31 to a position where the lower surface of the transport guide 41 does not face the lower transport guide 61 of the lower transport unit 32 and at least a part of the upper transport unit 31 is separated from the lower transport guide 61. Hereinafter, this position is also referred to as the non-facing position.

[0056] At this time, the conveying section 25 is rotated by a maintenance worker or the like so that the front end side of the stand 33 is pulled up in a rear-upward direction, and then the stand engagement portion 33A provided near the front end engages with the engagement hole 51H formed in the front protective portion 51 on the upper conveying unit 31 side, thereby maintaining this non-facing position.

[0057] In this configuration, when the transport section 25 performs a banknote transport process, the upper transport unit 31 is placed in the facing position (FIGS. 2 and 11, etc.), and a driving force is supplied from a predetermined drive motor (not shown) to the drive shaft 43 of the upper transport unit 31 and the rollers of the lower transport unit, etc. In response to this, the upper transport unit 31 rotates the drive roller 44 integrally with the drive shaft 43, and the transport belt 49 runs in response to the rotation of the drive roller 44. In the lower transport unit 32, the lower roller 62, etc. are appropriately rotated.

[0058] This allows the transport section 25 to transport banknotes forward or backward along the transport path W between the lower surface of the transport guide 41 in the upper transport unit 31 and the upper surface of the lower transport guide 61 in the lower transport unit 32.

[0059] [4. Effects, etc.] Here, for comparison with the upper conveying unit 31 of the conveying section 25 according to this embodiment, a comparative upper conveying unit 131 having a different configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17.

[0060] The comparative upper conveying unit 131 is composed of a conveying guide 141, a reinforcing bracket 142, a drive shaft 143, two drive rollers 144, a front intermediate shaft 145, two front intermediate rollers 146, a rear intermediate shaft 147, two rear intermediate rollers 148, and two conveying belts 149, etc.

[0061] As shown in Fig. 15, the conveying guide 141 is configured by combining a rectangular parallelepiped central portion 141C that occupies about 1 / 3 of the central range in the left-right direction with a small rectangular parallelepiped left widening portion 141L and a small rectangular parallelepiped right widening portion 141R that are connected to the front of the central portion 141C, and has a shape like a lying cross as a whole. Like the conveying guide 41 according to this embodiment, the conveying guide 141 is a molded part made of a predetermined resin material, for example, and is formed into a complex shape. In addition, the conveying guide 141 is appropriately provided with portions that rotatably support the front intermediate shaft 145 and the rear intermediate shaft 147, which will be described later.

[0062] 17, the reinforcing bracket 142 is composed of a main reinforcing part 142A that occupies about 1 / 4 of the central range in the left-right direction, and a sub-reinforcing part 142B that mainly constitutes the rear end part. The main reinforcing part 142A and the sub-reinforcing part 142B are both formed, for example, by subjecting a steel plate to processing such as cutting and bending, and are formed so as to be long in the front-rear direction and thin in the up-down direction as a whole.

[0063] Although the main reinforcing portion 142A is generally formed as a thin flat plate in the up-down direction, both left and right end portions are bent upward to form bent portions 142AU, thereby increasing the bending strength in the up-down direction. The sub-reinforcing portion 142B is composed of a central portion 142BC occupying about 1 / 4 to 1 / 5 of the range from the center in the left-right direction, and a left widening portion 142BL and a right widening portion 142BR which respectively extend in the left-right direction from the vicinity of the front end of the central portion 142BC.

[0064] The central portion 142BC is formed as a thin plate in the vertical direction as a whole, and is rectangular in shape extending from the rear end to the center of the upper conveying unit 131 when viewed from above. The front end of the central portion 142BC is formed with a shaft support portion 142E formed by bending both left and right end portions downward. The central portion 142BC is welded to the lower surface side of the main reinforcing portion 142A.

[0065] The left widening portion 142BL is a rectangular shape that is elongated in the front-rear direction, and is connected to the left end of the center portion 142BC near the rear end. The left end of the left widening portion 142BL is provided with a drive shaft support portion 142BLA that is bent downward. The drive shaft support portion 142BLA is a thin plate in the left-right direction, and has a round hole that penetrates in the left-right direction. The right widening portion 142BR is configured symmetrically to the left widening portion 142BL, and the drive shaft support portion 142BRA is provided at its right end.

[0066] The drive shaft 143 (FIGS. 15 and 16), like the drive shaft 43 of this embodiment, is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and is rotatably supported by drive shaft support parts 142BLA and 142BRA via drive bearings 152. The two drive rollers 144 are each formed in a cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and are inserted through the drive shaft 143. The drive rollers 144 are attached to positions slightly outside the left and right ends of the main reinforcing part 142A of the reinforcing bracket 142 in the left-right direction.

[0067] The front intermediate shaft 145 (FIGS. 15 and 16) is formed in a thin and elongated cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and is located slightly forward of the center in the front-rear direction of the comparative upper conveying unit 131. This front intermediate shaft 145 is rotatably supported by the conveying guide 141, and is adapted to abut against the lower end of a bent portion 142AU (FIG. 17) formed in the reinforcing bracket 142.

[0068] The two front intermediate rollers 146 are each formed in a cylindrical shape with a central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and are inserted into the front intermediate shaft 145. Similar to the drive roller 144, the front intermediate rollers 146 are attached to positions slightly outside the left and right ends of the main reinforcing portion 142A of the reinforcing bracket 142 in the left-right direction.

[0069] The rear intermediate shaft 147 (FIGS. 15 and 16) is formed in a thin and elongated cylindrical shape with its central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and is located slightly rearward of the center in the front-rear direction of the comparative upper conveying unit 131 and slightly below the front intermediate shaft 145. This rear intermediate shaft 147 is rotatably supported by the conveying guide 141, and is adapted to abut against the lower end of a shaft support portion 142E (FIG. 17) formed on the reinforcing bracket 142.

[0070] The two rear intermediate rollers 148 are each formed in a cylindrical shape with a central axis aligned in the left-right direction, and are inserted into the rear intermediate shaft 147. Similar to the drive roller 144 and the front intermediate roller 146, the rear intermediate roller 148 is attached to a position slightly outside both left and right ends of the main reinforcing portion 142A of the reinforcing bracket 142 in the left-right direction.

[0071] Each of the conveyor belts 149 (FIGS. 13, 15, and 16) is made of a predetermined resin material or the like, and is formed as a flexible endless belt, similar to the conveyor belt 49 of the present embodiment. The conveyor belt 149 is stretched so as to go around the drive roller 144, the front intermediate roller 146, and the rear intermediate roller 148.

[0072] In this configuration, in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, banknotes are sandwiched between the conveying belt 149 and the lower rollers 162 and the like provided in the lower conveying unit 132 (FIG. 16) located below and conveyed. Therefore, in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, a relatively large force acts in the upward direction from below via the conveying belt 149 on the rear intermediate roller 148 and the rear intermediate shaft 147, as well as the front intermediate roller 146 and the front intermediate shaft 145.

[0073] Therefore, in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, the front intermediate shaft 145 is brought into contact with the bent portion 142AU of the reinforcing bracket 142 (FIG. 17), and the rear intermediate shaft 147 is brought into contact with the shaft support portion 142E, so that this upward force is received by the reinforcing bracket 142. In other words, in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, the upward force is supported by the reinforcing bracket 142 made of a metal material, without being transmitted to the conveying guide 141 made of a resin material. Furthermore, in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, the reinforcing bracket 142 is provided with the bent portion 142AU to ensure strength, and is able to maintain its shape without deformation even when an upward force is applied.

[0074] However, in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, due to the provision of the bent portion 142AU, etc., as shown in FIG. 14, the height H131, which is the length in the up-down direction, is a relatively large value, for example, 55.2 mm.

[0075] In contrast, in the change machine 3 (Figure 1) of the cash register change system 1 according to this embodiment, in the transport section 25 (Figure 2) of the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 11, the transport guide side fitting portion 41A provided on the transport guide 41 of the upper transport unit 31 and the reinforcing bracket side fitting portion 42C provided on the reinforcing bracket 42 are fitted with the idle shaft 47 (Figures 3 to 10).

[0076] In the conveying section 25, when the upper conveying unit 31 is in the facing position (Figure 11) and conveying banknotes, when an upward force acts from the lower conveying unit 32 on the conveying belt 49 of the upper conveying unit 31 and the idle roller pulley 48 abutting against the conveying belt 49, a relatively large force acts upward on the idle shaft 47.

[0077] At this time, in the upper conveying unit 31, the upward force acting on the idle shaft 47 is distributed to the reinforcing bracket 42 and the conveying guide 41, and this force can be received by each of them. In other words, in the upper conveying unit 31, the force is not received only by the reinforcing bracket 142 as in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, but is received by both the reinforcing bracket 42 and the conveying guide 41.

[0078] That is, in the upper conveying unit 31, unlike the comparative upper conveying unit 131, the conveying guide 41 made of a resin material is made to bear part of the force within a range that does not pose a strength problem, and the remaining part of this force is supported by the reinforcing bracket 42.

[0079] For this reason, in the upper conveying unit 31, there is no need to excessively increase the strength of the reinforcing bracket 42, and there is no need to provide a portion shaped like the bent portion 142AU (FIG. 16) in the reinforcing bracket 142, so the vertical length of the reinforcing bracket 42 can be kept relatively short. Specifically, in the upper conveying unit 31, as shown in FIG. 4, the height H31, which is the vertical length, is a relatively small value, such as 22.5 mm.

[0080] As a result, the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 11 incorporating the transport section 25 having the upper transport unit 31, and the change machine 3 having the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 11, can be made smaller, mainly in the vertical direction, compared to when the comparative upper transport unit 131 is used.

[0081] Furthermore, unlike the reinforcing bracket 142 in the comparative upper conveying unit 131, the reinforcing bracket 42 does not need to be integrated by welding or the like by multiple types of members (main reinforcing portion 142A and sub-reinforcing portion 142B), and can be manufactured by appropriately performing processing such as cutting and bending on a single member, that is, one steel plate. Therefore, in the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11, the manufacturing cost of the reinforcing bracket 42 can be significantly reduced compared to the manufacturing cost of the reinforcing bracket 142.

[0082] 5, in the upper conveying unit 31, the conveying guide side fitting portions 41A of the conveying guide 41 are disposed in close proximity to both the left and right sides of each idle roller pulley 48. In the upper conveying unit 31, the reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C are disposed in close proximity to the left outer side of the left idle roller pulley 48 and to the right outer side of the right idle roller pulley 48.

[0083] Therefore, in the upper conveying unit 31, the idle roller pulleys 48, to which a relatively large force is applied via the conveying belt 49, can be supported at relatively close positions in the left-right direction. As a result, in the upper conveying unit 31, the idle shaft 47 is hardly bent and the distance between the lower surface of the conveying guide 41 and the outer circumferential surface of the idle roller pulley 48 can be maintained almost constant. As a result, in the conveying section 25, the distance between the conveying guide 41 of the upper conveying unit 31 and the lower conveying guide 61 of the lower conveying unit 32 can be maintained constant without fluctuating, so that the conveying path W can be maintained at a constant size and banknotes can be conveyed stably.

[0084] Furthermore, in the upper conveying unit 31, a central cutout 42N is formed in the center of the reinforcing bracket 42, and most of the stand 33 is positioned inside the central cutout 42N in the facing position (FIG. 11, etc.). This contributes to a more compact configuration in the conveying section 25, compared to a case in which the central cutout 42N is omitted from the reinforcing bracket 42 and the stand 33 is arranged so as to be stacked on the upper side of the reinforcing bracket 42.

[0085] On the other hand, since the upper conveying unit 31 has the idle shaft 47 engaged with both the conveying guide 41 and the reinforcing bracket 42, when assembled, the idle shaft 47 and the conveying guide 41 can function as parts for increasing the strength of the reinforcing bracket 42.

[0086] Furthermore, the upper conveying unit 31 is adapted to rotate about a drive shaft 43 relative to the lower conveying unit 32 (FIGS. 11 and 12). Therefore, the upper conveying unit 31 can sufficiently improve the efficiency of maintenance work while keeping the device relatively compact.

[0087] According to the above configuration, in the change machine 3 of the cash register change system 1 according to this embodiment, in the transport section 25 of the banknote deposit / withdrawal section 11, the transport guide side fitting portion 41A provided on the transport guide 41 of the upper transport unit 31 and the reinforcing bracket side fitting portion 42C provided on the reinforcing bracket 42 are fitted with the idle shaft 47. Therefore, when transporting banknotes, the transport section 25 receives a relatively large force acting on the idle shaft 47 from the lower transport unit 32 via the transport belt 49 and the idle roller pulley 48 by distributing it to the reinforcing bracket 42 and the transport guide 41. As a result, the change machine 3 does not need to excessively increase the strength of the reinforcing bracket 42 in the upper transport unit 31, and can be configured to the minimum necessary, and as a result, can be made smaller mainly in the vertical direction.

[0088] 5. Other embodiments In the above embodiment, the central cutout 42N is provided over a range of approximately 5 / 6 of the reinforcing bracket 42 from its rear end in the front-rear direction, in a range of approximately 1 / 3 of the center in the left-right direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the central cutout 42N may be provided in various ranges in the left-right direction of the reinforcing bracket 42, and in various ranges in the front-rear direction.

[0089] In the above-described embodiment, a central cutout 42N is provided in the reinforcing bracket 42, and when the upper conveying unit 31 is in the facing position (FIG. 11, etc.), most of the stand 33 is positioned within the central cutout 42N. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the central cutout 42N may be omitted, and the stand 33 may be positioned so as to overlap the upper side of the reinforcing bracket 42. Furthermore, for example, when the upper conveying unit 31 can be maintained in the non-facing position by another part, the stand 33 may be omitted.

[0090] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the transport guide side fitting portion 41A of the transport guide 41 is disposed near both left and right ends of the idle shaft 47 and near both left and right ends of each idle roller pulley 48 in the left-right direction. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the reinforcement bracket side fitting portion 42C of the reinforcement bracket 42 is disposed near both left and right ends of the idle shaft 47, near the end on the left outer side of the left idle roller pulley 48, and near the end on the right outer side of the right idle roller pulley 48. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the transport guide side fitting portion 41A and the reinforcement bracket side fitting portion 42C may be disposed at various positions relative to the idle shaft 47 and the idle roller pulley 48 in the left-right direction.

[0091] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, six transport guide side fitting portions 41A are provided on the transport guide 41, and four reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C are provided on the reinforcing bracket 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, five or less or seven or more transport guide side fitting portions 41A may be provided on one idle shaft 47, and for example, three or less or five or more reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C may be provided. Furthermore, the number of transport guide side fitting portions 41A and reinforcing bracket side fitting portions 42C may be different for each idle shaft 47.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the upper conveying unit 31 is provided with two idle shafts 47. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the upper conveying unit 31 may be provided with one idle shaft 47 or three or more idle shafts 47.

[0093] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the upper conveying unit 31 is configured to be rotatable with respect to the lower conveying unit 32 around the drive shaft 43 in the conveying section 25, and the upper conveying unit 31 is rotated to transition to the facing position (FIG. 11) or the non-facing position (FIG. 12). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various other configurations may be used, such as rotating the upper conveying unit 31 around the conveying shaft 45, or configuring the upper conveying unit 31 to be detachable from the lower conveying unit 32. In this case, by configuring the conveying path W of the conveying section 25 to be temporarily connected to an external space, maintenance work can be easily performed when a banknote becomes clogged in the conveying path W.

[0094] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the upper conveying unit 31 is provided with two conveying belts 49. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, one or three or more conveying belts 49 may be provided. In this case, the numbers and left-right positions of the drive rollers 44, conveying rollers 46, and idle roller pulleys 48 may be appropriately changed according to the number of conveying belts 49.

[0095] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the upper conveying unit 31 is provided with the conveying belt 49. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the conveying belt 49 may be omitted, and the banknotes may be conveyed by directly contacting the driving roller 44, the conveying roller 46, the idle roller pulley 48, etc. with the banknotes. In this case, for example, on the outside of the conveying guide 41 in the left-right direction, a driving force may be transmitted using a well-known belt or gear, etc., to rotate the conveying roller 46 and the idle roller pulley 48, respectively.

[0096] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the idle roller pulley 48 is fixed to the idle shaft 47, and the idle roller pulley 48 and the idle shaft 47 rotate integrally with respect to the transport guide 41 and the reinforcing bracket 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the idle roller pulley 48 may be configured to be freely rotatable with respect to the idle shaft 47, and the idle shaft 47 may be fixed to the transport guide 41 and the reinforcing bracket 42. The point is that the idle roller pulley 48 should be able to rotate about an axis of rotation along the left-right direction. The same applies to the transport shaft 45 and the transport roller 46.

[0097] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned first embodiment, a description has been given of a case in which the present invention is applied to the transport unit 25 of the banknote deposit / withdrawal unit 11 incorporated in the change machine 3 which is a part of the cash register change system 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a portion where banknotes are transported in various devices that handle banknotes, such as an automated teller machine (ATM) or a vending machine.

[0098] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to embodiments in which the above-mentioned embodiments and the other embodiments are combined in part or in whole in any manner. The scope of application of the present invention also extends to embodiments in which a part of the configuration described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or diverted with a part of the configuration of any of the above-mentioned embodiments and other embodiments, or an embodiment in which a part of the extracted configuration is added to any of the embodiments.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the paper money deposit / withdrawal unit 11 as the medium processing device is configured by the transport guide 41 as the transport guide, the reinforcing bracket 42 as the reinforcing bracket, the idle roller pulley 48 as the roller, and the idle shaft 47 as the shaft. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the medium processing device may be configured by a transport guide, a reinforcing bracket, a roller, and a shaft having various other configurations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0100] The present invention can be used, for example, in a cash register change dispenser used at the cash register of a retail store. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1...cash register change system, 3...change machine, 11...banknote deposit / withdrawal section, 15...banknote storage cabinet, 25...conveying section, 31...upper conveying unit, 32...lower conveying unit, 33...stand, 41...conveying guide, 41A...conveying guide side fitting portion, 41S...conveying surface, 42...reinforcing bracket, 42A...drive shaft support portion, 42B...conveying shaft support portion, 42C...reinforcing bracket side fitting portion, 42N...central cutout portion, 43...drive shaft, 44...drive roller, 45...conveying shaft, 46...conveying roller, 47...idle shaft, 48...idle roller pulley, 49...conveying belt, H31...height, W...conveying path.

Claims

1. a transport guide that forms one of the transport surfaces of a transport path along which the medium is transported in a transport direction; A reinforcing bracket attached to the conveying guide; a roller that rotates about a rotation axis along a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction to transport the medium; A shaft is inserted through the roller; Equipped with the transport guide has a transport guide side fitting portion that fits with the shaft, The reinforcing bracket has a reinforcing bracket side fitting portion that fits with the shaft. A media processing device comprising:

2. The reinforcing bracket has a notch formed in the center in the width direction, the notch being cut out over a range from one end to the other end in the conveying direction, except for a portion of the other end. The media processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The transport guide side fitting portion is provided at least in the vicinity of an outer end portion of the reinforcing bracket in a direction away from the notch portion, and in the vicinity of a boundary portion between the reinforcing bracket and the notch portion on an inner side in a direction toward the notch portion, in the width direction. The media processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The reinforcing bracket side fitting portions are provided at least near both ends of the shaft and near at least one end of the roller in the width direction. The media processing device according to claim 2 .

5. The reinforcing bracket side fitting portions are provided near both ends of the roller in the width direction. The media processing device according to claim 4 .

6. A belt having a portion that runs along the conveying path. Further comprising: The rollers contact the medium on the transport path via the belt. The media processing device according to claim 1 .

7. A drive shaft supports a drive roller that transmits driving force to the belt. Further comprising: The transport guide is rotatable about the drive shaft relative to an opposing transport guide that faces the transport path when the medium is transported. The media processing device according to claim 6 .

8. A stand for holding the transport guide in a state where the transport guide is not opposed to the opposing transport guide. The media processing device of claim 7 further comprising:

9. The reinforcing bracket has a notch formed in the center in the width direction, the notch being cut out over a range from one end to the other end in the conveying direction, leaving a portion of the reinforcing bracket. The stand is configured such that at least a portion of the stand is positioned within the notch when the transport guide is opposed to the opposing transport guide. The media processing device according to claim 8 .

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