Coin processing apparatus

Abstract

To reduce the manufacturing cost without increasing the size of the whole device.SOLUTION: The authenticity and denomination of a received coin are identified, and the coin identified as a genuine coin is temporarily stored in a temporary storage container 22, and then sorted by denomination by a sorting part 23, and stored in a storage container 24 of the corresponding denomination. In the coin processing device 10 that causes coins fed out from an arbitrary storage 24 by a dispensing command to be dispensed from the dispensing port 14 after being transported by the dispensing transport unit 25, the temporary storage container 22 includes the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a that transports the temporarily stored coins in one direction when the temporary storage container 22 is in the first driving state and transports the temporarily stored coins in the other direction opposite to the one direction when the temporary storage container 22 is in the second driving state. The coin processor is provided with a control part 30 for turning a temporary holding and carrying mechanism 22a to a first driving state, and for carrying coins to a distribution part 23 when a money reception command is given, and for turning the temporary holding and carrying mechanism 22a to a second driving state, and for carrying the coins to a money output port 14 when a refund command is given.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device, and more particularly to a coin processing device that is used as a change dispenser. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, coin processing devices used as change dispensers identify coins deposited into a deposit port, temporarily store coins identified as genuine in a temporary storage, then sort them by denomination in a sorting unit and store them in storage units provided for each denomination. When a dispensing command, which is a change dispensing request, is given from an external device or the like, this coin processing device feeds coins equivalent to the requested amount from the corresponding storage unit, transports them to the dispensing port by a dispensing transport unit, and dispenses them (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-71662 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned coin processing device, the temporary storage unit is generally configured to transport coins in only one direction, and the transport outlet of the temporary storage unit is structurally separated from the withdrawal port.

[0005] Therefore, when refunding coins that have been temporarily held, the coins are transported in one direction in the temporary holding storehouse, and then a gate or the like is operated to refund the coins through a dedicated cancellation port (refund port).

[0006] It would be possible to reduce manufacturing costs by eliminating such a dedicated cancellation port and reducing the number of parts, but ensuring a transport route from the transport exit of the temporary storage facility to the withdrawal port could result in the entire device becoming larger.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a coin processing device that can reduce manufacturing costs without increasing the size of the entire device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the coin processing device of the present invention is a coin processing device that identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a deposit port, temporarily stores coins identified as genuine coins in a temporary storage container, and then sorts them by denomination in a sorting section and stores them in storage containers of the corresponding denomination, while coins dispensed from any storage container in response to a withdrawal command are transported by a withdrawal transport section and then withdrawn from the withdrawal port, and is characterized in that the temporary storage container is equipped with a temporary storage transport mechanism that transports coins to be temporarily stored in one direction when in a first drive state, and transports coins to be temporarily stored in another direction opposite to the one direction when in a second drive state, and is equipped with a control unit that, when a deposit command is given, causes the temporary storage transport mechanism to enter the first drive state and transports the coins to the sorting section, and when a refund command is given, causes the temporary storage transport mechanism to enter the second drive state and transports the coins to the withdrawal port.

[0009] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned coin processing device, when the withdrawal command is given, the control unit causes the withdrawal transport unit to transport the coin to the temporary storage storehouse, and causes the temporary storage transport mechanism to enter the second drive state to transport the coin to the withdrawal port.

[0010] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned coin processing device, when the control unit causes the temporary holding and transporting mechanism to be in the second driving state, the coin is transported upward by a lift-up unit and then dispensed through the dispensing port.

[0011] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned coin processing device, the temporary holding and transporting mechanism comprises a first transport unit that transports the coins in the one direction when in the first driving state and transports the coins in the other direction when in the second driving state, a second transport unit that is arranged downstream of the first transport unit in the other direction and drives when in the second driving state to transport the coins transported from the first transport unit in the other direction, and a reverse roller that is arranged near the boundary between the first transport unit and the second transport unit and transports the coins transported by the first transport unit to the second transport unit one by one.

[0012] Furthermore, in the coin processing device according to the present invention, the second transport unit, when driven, transports the coins at a speed faster than that of the first transport unit.

[0013] In addition, in the above-mentioned coin processing device, the present invention is characterized in that the first conveying unit is configured by a first conveying belt stretched endlessly around a pair of first conveying pulleys, and the upper extending portion of the first conveying belt between the first conveying pulleys extends in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it moves in the one direction, and a second conveying unit is arranged downstream in the one direction from the first conveying unit and is configured by a second conveying belt stretched endlessly around a pair of second conveying pulleys, and the upper extending portion of the second conveying belt between the second conveying pulleys extends in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it moves in the other direction, and when the first driving state is entered, the upper extending portions of the first conveying belt and the upper extending portions of the second conveying belt drive in a manner that they displace toward the one direction in synchronous with each other, while when the second driving state is entered, the upper extending portions of the first conveying belt and the upper extending portions of the second conveying belt drive in a manner that they displace toward the other direction in synchronous with each other.

[0014] The present invention is also characterized in that, in the above-mentioned coin processing device, the temporary storage cabinet is arranged at the boundary between the upper extending portion of the first conveying belt and the upper extending portion of the second conveying belt, and has a long shaft-shaped portion extending along a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, the temporary storage container includes a temporary storage transport mechanism that transports temporarily stored coins in one direction when in a first drive state and transports temporarily stored coins in the other direction opposite to the one direction when in a second drive state. The control unit, upon receiving a deposit command, causes the temporary storage transport mechanism to be in the first drive state to transport the coins to the sorting unit, while, upon receiving a refund command, causes the temporary storage transport mechanism to be in the second drive state to transport the coins to the withdrawal port. This eliminates the need for a dedicated cancellation port and reduces the number of parts. Furthermore, the transport path from the temporary storage container exit to the withdrawal port can be minimized. This achieves the effect of reducing manufacturing costs without increasing the size of the entire device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the external configuration of a coin processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the external configuration of the coin processing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the coin processing device shown in FIGS. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a characteristic control system of the coin processing device shown in FIGS. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a temporary storage transport mechanism that constitutes the temporary storage box shown in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the transport operation when the temporary holding transport mechanism shown in FIG. 5 is in the first drive state. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the transport operation when the temporary holding transport mechanism shown in FIG. 5 is in the second drive state. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a money handling machine to which a coin handling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a money handling machine to which a coin handling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the coin processing device shown in FIG. 9, that is, the coin processing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of a coin processing device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a characteristic control system of the coin processing device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a temporary storage transport mechanism that constitutes the temporary storage box shown in FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing the transport operation when the temporary holding transport mechanism shown in FIG. 13 is in the first drive state. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing the transport operation when the temporary holding transport mechanism shown in FIG. 13 is in the second drive state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of a coin processing device according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] <First Embodiment> 1 and 2 show the external configuration of a coin processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being a plan view and FIG. 2 being a front view.

[0019] The coin processing device 10 illustrated here is adapted to be used as an automatic change dispenser connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) register device (host device 1a: see Figure 4) in a store such as a supermarket or convenience store, and is equipped with a device main body 11.

[0020] The device main body 11 is a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing, and includes a deposit port 12, an operation and display unit 13, and a withdrawal port 14. The deposit port 12 is provided on the right side of the top front surface of the device main body 11, and is an opening for receiving inserted coins into the device main body 11. The deposit port 12 functions as a temporary holding unit that temporarily holds deposits from users such as customers.

[0021] The operation display unit 13 is provided on the left side of the top front surface of the device body 11, and has a display unit 13a and an operation unit 13b. The display unit 13a displays various information, and the operation unit 13b is an input means, such as a numeric keypad, for inputting various operations.

[0022] The dispensing port 14 is provided on the left side of the front of the device body 11. This dispensing port 14 is an opening for dispensing coins stored inside the device body 11, and dispenses coins into a dispensing tray 15 attached to the device body 11.

[0023] Furthermore, the coin processing device 10 is positioned so that the front of the device body 11 faces the user, who is the customer of the store, and functions as a self-checkout where the user (customer) reads the barcodes of products and hands over money, or as a semi-self-checkout where the user only hands over money.

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the coin processing device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and Figure 4 is a block diagram showing a characteristic control system of the coin processing device 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2. The internal configuration of the coin processing device 10 will be explained by function using Figures 3 and 4.

[0025] A coin transport mechanism 20 is provided inside the device main body 11. This coin transport mechanism 20 has a deposit transport section 21, a temporary storage box 22, a sorting section 23, a storage box 24, a withdrawal transport section 25, and a switching gate 26.

[0026] The deposit transport unit 21 transports coins that are inserted through the deposit port 12 and detected by an insertion detection sensor (not shown), and is provided with a coin validation unit 21a. The coin validation unit 21a identifies the authenticity and denomination of the coins.

[0027] The temporary storage 22 temporarily stores coins that have been identified as genuine by the coin validation unit 21a. The temporary storage 22 extends in the left-right direction and includes a temporary storage transport mechanism 22a.

[0028] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a constituting the temporary storage box 22 shown in Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 5, the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a is configured to include a first transport section 221, a second transport section 222, a reverse roller 223, a shaft section 224, and a shutter section 225.

[0029] The first conveying section 221 includes a first conveying component 2211 and a second conveying component 2212. The first conveying component 2211 is configured by a first conveying belt 2211b stretched endlessly around a pair of left and right first conveying pulleys 2211a. In this first conveying component 2211, an upper extending portion 2211b1 and a lower extending portion 2211b2 of the first conveying belt 2211b between the first conveying pulleys 2211a extend in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it goes to the right (one direction). The first conveying component 2211 places coins on the upper extending portion 2211b1 of the first conveying belt 2211b, and conveys the coins by the rotation of the first conveying pulley 2211a.

[0030] The second conveying component 2212 is disposed adjacent to the first conveying component 221 on the right side (downstream side in one direction) of the first conveying component 221. Such a second conveying component 2212 is configured by a pair of left and right second conveying pulleys 2212a and an endless second conveying belt 2212b stretched across them.

[0031] In this second conveying component 2212, an upper extending portion 2212b1 and a lower extending portion 2212b2 of the second conveying belt 2212b between the second conveying pulleys 2212a extend in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it goes to the left (the other direction).

[0032] The second conveying pulley 2212a on the left side constituting the second conveying component 2212 is disposed at approximately the same height as the first conveying pulley 2211a on the right side constituting the first conveying component 2211. The second conveying component 2212 places coins on the upper extending portion 2212b1 of the second conveying belt 2212b, and conveys the coins by the rotation of the second conveying pulley 2212a.

[0033] Here, the second conveyor pulley 2212a on the right side constituting the second conveyor component 2212 is a drive pulley linked to the first conveyor motor 226a via a linking gear or the like (not shown). The first conveyor motor 226a is a drive source capable of forward and reverse rotation, and when driven in forward rotation, rotates the second conveyor pulley 2212a on the right side clockwise as viewed from the front, while when driven in reverse rotation, rotates the second conveyor pulley 2212a on the right side counterclockwise as viewed from the front.

[0034] In other words, when the first conveyor motor 226a is driven in the forward direction, the second conveyor pulley 2212a on the right side, which is the drive pulley, rotates clockwise as viewed from the front, causing the upper extending portion 2212b1 of the second conveyor belt 2212b to move rightward and the lower extending portion 2212b2 to move leftward, and the left second conveyor pulley 2212a also rotates clockwise as viewed from the front. This left second conveyor pulley 2212a is a driven pulley.

[0035] The second conveying pulley 2212a on the left side is linked to the first conveying pulley 2211a on the right side that constitutes the first conveying component 2211 via linking element 226b so as to be synchronized with the first conveying pulley 2211a on the right side.

[0036] In other words, when the second conveying pulley 2212a on the left side rotates clockwise when viewed from the front, the first conveying pulley 2211a on the right side also rotates clockwise when viewed from the front in synchronization, and when the second conveying pulley 2212a on the left side rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front, the first conveying pulley 2211a on the right side also rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front in synchronization.

[0037] As a result, in the first conveying component 2211, when the first conveying motor 226a is driven in forward rotation, the first conveying pulley 2211a rotates clockwise when viewed from the front, and the upper extending portion 2211b1 of the first conveying belt 2211b is displaced to the right while the lower extending portion 2211b2 of the first conveying belt 2211b is displaced to the left; and when the first conveying motor 226a is driven in reverse rotation, the first conveying pulley 2211a rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front, and the upper extending portion 2211b1 of the first conveying belt 2211b is displaced to the left while the lower extending portion 2211b2 of the first conveying belt 2211b is displaced to the right.

[0038] In other words, in the first conveying section 221, when the first conveying motor 226a is driven in a forward rotation direction, the upper extension portion 2211b1 of the first conveying belt 2211b and the upper extension portion 2212b1 of the second conveying belt 2212b are displaced to the right, thereby conveying coins to the right, while when the first conveying motor 226a is driven in a reverse rotation direction, the upper extension portion 2211b1 of the first conveying belt 2211b and the upper extension portion 2212b1 of the second conveying belt 2212b are displaced to the left, thereby conveying coins to the left.

[0039] The second conveying section 222 is disposed adjacent to the first conveying section 2211 on the left side (downstream side in the other direction) of the first conveying section 2211. The second conveying section 222 is configured by a pair of left and right conveying pulleys 222a and an endless conveying belt 222b stretched across them.

[0040] This second conveying section 222 is arranged in the same straight line as the first conveying component 2211, and the upper extending portion 222b1 and the lower extending portion 222b2 of the conveying belt 222b between the conveying pulleys 222a extend in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it moves toward the right.

[0041] Here, the left-side conveying pulley 222a constituting the second conveying section 222 is a drive pulley linked to the second conveying motor 226c via a linking gear or the like (not shown). The second conveying motor 226c is a drive source, and when driven, rotates the left-side conveying pulley 222a counterclockwise as viewed from the front.

[0042] In other words, when the second conveying motor 226c is driven, the left conveying pulley 222a, which is the driving pulley, rotates counterclockwise as viewed from the front of the second conveying section 222. As a result, the upper extending portion 222b1 of the conveying belt 222b is displaced leftward, while the lower extending portion 222b2 of the conveying belt 222b is displaced rightward, causing the right conveying pulley 222a to also rotate counterclockwise as viewed from the front. This right conveying pulley 222a is a driven pulley. In such a second conveying section 222, the conveying speed is adjusted to be faster than the conveying speed of the first conveying section 221.

[0043] The reverse roller 223 is a cylindrical member extending in the front-to-rear direction, and is arranged above the first conveying pulley 2211a on the left side of the first conveying component 2211, i.e., near the boundary between the first conveying section 221 and the second conveying section 222.

[0044] Although not shown in the figure, this reverse roller 223 is mounted between a pair of front and rear support members so that it can rotate around its own central axis, and the distance (shortest distance) between it and the first conveying pulley 2211a on the left side, i.e., the distance between it and the first conveying belt 2211b wound around the first conveying pulley 2211a on the left side, is large enough to allow one coin of each denomination to pass through.

[0045] Such a reverse roller 223 is connected to the first conveying pulley 2211a on the left side via a connecting gear or the like (not shown), and when the first conveying pulley 2211a on the left side rotates clockwise when viewed from the front, the reverse roller 223 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front, and when the first conveying pulley 2211a on the left side rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the front, the reverse roller 223 rotates clockwise when viewed from the front.

[0046] The shaft portion 224 is a long, cylindrical member whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction. The shaft portion 224 is disposed between the first conveyor pulley 2211a on the right side and the second conveyor pulley 2212a on the left side, at the boundary between the upper extending portion 222b1 of the first conveyor belt 2211b and the upper extending portion 222b1 of the second conveyor belt 2212b. More specifically, the shaft portion 224 is a long, cylindrical member having an outer diameter sufficiently smaller than that of the first conveyor pulley 2211a and the second conveyor pulley 2212a, and extends in a direction (front-rear direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction (left-right direction) of the first conveyor section 221.

[0047] The shutter section 225 is disposed above the second conveying section 222. The shutter section 225 is disposed to be movable in the up-down direction so as to approach and move away from the upper extending portion 222b1 of the conveying belt 222b, and is normally located close to the upper extending portion 222b1.

[0048] The shutter portion 225 prevents coins from entering the upward extending portion 222b1 of the conveyor belt 222b through the gap between the first conveyor pulley 2211a on the left side and the reverse roller 223. Meanwhile, the shutter portion 225 is linked to the solenoid 226d via a linking member (not shown), and when the solenoid 226d is energized, the shutter portion 225 moves upward in a manner to separate from the upward extending portion 222b1 of the conveyor belt 222b. In this way, when the shutter portion 225 moves upward in a manner to separate from the upward extending portion 222b1 of the conveyor belt 222b, it allows coins to be placed on the upward extending portion 222b1 of the conveyor belt 222b.

[0049] The temporary storage conveying mechanism 22a having the above-described configuration can be switched between a first drive state and a second drive state when driven, and when in the first drive state, the first conveying motor 226a rotates forward, the second conveying motor 226c stops driving, and the solenoid 226d is de-energized. This allows coins to be conveyed to the right, and they are conveyed to the sorting unit 23 via the first conveying outlet 227a on the right side.

[0050] On the other hand, in the second drive state, the first conveying motor 226a rotates in the reverse direction, the second conveying motor 226c is driven, and the solenoid 226d is energized. This allows the coins to be conveyed leftward, and the coins are conveyed to the dispensing chute 27 that communicates with the dispensing port 14 via the second conveying outlet 227b on the left side.

[0051] The sorting unit 23 sorts, by denomination, the coins that have been stored in the temporary storage 22 and then transported via the first transport outlet 227a. The storage 24 is provided for each denomination and stores the coins sorted by the sorting unit 23. More specifically, six storage 24 are provided, from the front side: a 1 yen storage 24a, a 50 yen storage 24b, a 5 yen storage 24c, a 100 yen storage 24d, a 10 yen storage 24e, and a 500 yen storage 24f. Each storage 24 has a feeding unit (not shown) that feeds the stored coins to the dispensing transport unit 25, and this feeding unit 241 is provided with a discrimination unit (not shown) that discriminates predetermined discrimination elements, such as the denomination and number of the coins to be fed.

[0052] The dispensing transport unit 25 is disposed on the left side of the storage box 24. This dispensing transport unit 25 transports coins forward to the temporary storage box 22.

[0053] The switching gate 26 is provided downstream in the transport direction of the deposit transport unit 21. This switching gate 26 is capable of selectively switching between a state in which the coins transported by the deposit transport unit 21 are transported to the temporary storage 22 and a state in which the coins are transported to the withdrawal port 14.

[0054] In addition to the above configuration, the coin processing device 10 also includes a counting sensor group 28A and a control unit 30. The counting sensor group 28A is a collection of counting sensors 28. The counting sensors 28 are provided on the conveying path from the sorting unit 23 to each storage cabinet 24, or are provided between the upper extension portion 222b1 and the lower extension portion 222b2 of the conveying belt 222b in the second conveying unit 222. These counting sensors 28 detect the number of coins and send the detection result to the control unit 30 as a counting signal.

[0055] The control unit 30 is connected to the counting sensor 28, the display unit 13a, the operation unit 13b, the coin transport mechanism 20, and the coin validation unit 21a, and is also connected to a higher-level device 1a such as a POS register. When a command is given through the operation unit 13b, or when a detection signal is given from the coin validation unit 21a, or when various commands are given from the higher-level device 1a, the control unit 30 controls the display of the display unit 13a and the drive of the coin transport mechanism 20 in accordance with the programs and data stored in the memory unit 31.

[0056] The control unit 30 may be realized, for example, by having a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a program, i.e., by software, or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0057] The coin processing device 10 configured as described above operates as follows. First, the deposit operation will be described. When a deposit permission command is given from the higher-level device 1a, a coin inserted into the deposit port 12 is detected by the insertion detection sensor, then transported by the deposit transport unit 21, and its authenticity and denomination are identified by the coin validation unit 21a. If the coin is genuine, it is stored in the temporary storage box 22. On the other hand, if the coin is not genuine, it is transported to the withdrawal port 14 via the switching gate 26 and returned to the withdrawal tray 15.

[0058] Thereafter, when a deposit command is received from the higher-level device 1a, the control unit 30 puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a into the first drive state. As a result, in the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a, the first transport motor 226a rotates forward, the second transport motor 226c stops driving, and the solenoid 226d becomes non-energized. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, in the temporary storage box 22, the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a transports coins to the right and transports them to the sorting unit 23 via the first transport outlet 227a on the right side. In this sorting unit 23, the coins are sorted by denomination while being transported backward. The coins sorted by the sorting unit 23 are stored in the storage box 24 according to their denominations, and then the deposit operation is completed by notifying the higher-level device 1a of the completion of the deposit.

[0059] Incidentally, when a refund command is received from the higher-level device 1a while coins are escrowed in the temporary storage 22 as described above, the control unit 30 puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a into the second drive state. As a result, in the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a, the first transport motor 226a is driven to rotate in the reverse direction, the second transport motor 226c is driven, and the solenoid 226d is energized. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the temporary storage 22 transports coins to the left. More specifically, the coins transported to the left by the first transport unit 221 are transported one by one to the second transport unit 222 by the rotation of the reverse roller 223, and then transported to the left by the second transport unit 222. Here, the conveying speed of second conveying section 222 is adjusted to be faster than the conveying speed of first conveying section 221, so first conveying section 221 and second conveying section 222 separate coins one by one and convey the coins one by one via second conveying outlet 227b to dispensing chute 27. The coins conveyed to dispensing chute 27 in this way are dispensed from dispensing port 14 to dispensing tray 15 and refunded.

[0060] In other words, when a deposit command is given, the control unit 30 puts the temporary holding transport mechanism 22a into the first drive state to transport the coins to the sorting unit 23, while when a refund command is given, the control unit 30 puts the temporary holding transport mechanism 22a into the second drive state to transport the coins to the withdrawal port 14.

[0061] Next, the dispensing operation will be described. When a dispensing command is given from the higher-level device 1a, coins of the denomination corresponding to the dispensing command are fed from the corresponding storage 24 to the dispensing transport unit 25. The coins fed to the dispensing transport unit 25 are transported forward by driving the dispensing transport unit 25, and are stored in the temporary storage 22.

[0062] Thereafter, the control unit 30 puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a into the second drive state. As a result, as shown in Fig. 7, the temporary storage 22 transports the coins leftward, transports them one by one to the dispensing chute 27 via the second transport outlet 227b, and dispenses them from the dispensing port 14 to the dispensing tray 15. Thereafter, the control unit 30 pays out the predetermined number of coins to the outside through the dispensing port 14, and then ends the dispensing operation by notifying the higher-level device 1a that dispensing has been completed.

[0063] The reconciliation operation will now be described. The reconciliation operation is an operation for counting the number of coins stored in each storage 24. This reconciliation operation is performed when a reconciliation command is given from the higher-level device 1a or when a reconciliation command is given from the operation unit 13b.

[0064] The control unit 30 drives the payout unit in the target storage unit 24 to pay out coins from the storage unit 24 to the withdrawal transport unit 25, and then has the discrimination unit discriminate the specified discrimination elements before driving the withdrawal transport unit 25 to transport the coins forward and temporarily store them in the temporary storage unit 22.

[0065] Then, the control unit 30 temporarily stores all of the dispensed coins in the temporary storage box 22, then puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a into the first drive state, transports the coins to the right and transports them to the sorting unit 23, where they are sorted by denomination, and stores the coins in the designated storage box 24 while detecting the number of coins of each denomination using the counting sensor 28, and notifies the higher-level device 1a that the inspection has been completed, provided that the inspection operation for the relevant coins has been completed.

[0066] As described above, according to the coin processing device 10 of the first embodiment of the present invention, the temporary storage 22 includes the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a that transports temporarily stored coins to the right when in the first drive state and transports temporarily stored coins to the left when in the second drive state. The control unit 30 switches the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a to the first drive state to transport coins to the sorting unit 23 when a deposit command is given, and switches the temporary storage transport mechanism 22a to the second drive state to transport coins to the withdrawal port 14 when a refund command is given. This eliminates the need for a dedicated cancellation port and reduces the number of parts. Moreover, the transport path from the exit of the temporary storage 22 to the withdrawal port 14 can be minimized. This allows for reduced manufacturing costs without increasing the size of the entire device.

[0067] According to the above coin processing device 10, when the temporary storage conveying mechanism 22a is in the second drive state, the second conveying section 222 has a faster coin conveying speed than the first conveying section 221, so that the second conveying section 222 conveys coins one by one, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the counting sensor 28.

[0068] According to the above coin processing device 10, in the temporary storage 22, an axial portion 224 extending in a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction is arranged at the boundary between the upper extension portion 2211b1 of the first conveying belt 2211b and the upper extension portion 2212b1 of the second conveying belt 2212b, thereby preventing coins from entering between the first conveying component 2211 and the second conveying component 2212 and causing coin jams, etc.

[0069] <Embodiment 2> 8 and 9 are perspective views showing a money handling machine to which a coin handling device according to embodiment 2 of the present invention is applied. The money handling machine 2 shown here is connected to a higher-level device 1b such as a POS (Point Of Sales) register in a store such as a supermarket or convenience store, and includes a device main body 3.

[0070] The device main body 3 is a rectangular housing having a front opening 3a at the front and a top opening (not shown) at the top, and is movable with multiple casters 3d (four in the illustrated example) provided on the bottom 3c.

[0071] The device body 3 has a front opening 3 a that can be opened and closed by a door 4 , and a top opening that can be opened and closed by a top panel 5 .

[0072] The door body 4 includes a front cover 4a and a front door 4b. The front cover 4a is pivotally supported forward of the top opening. When the front cover 4a swings upward, it opens the upper part of the front opening 3a, and when it swings downward, it closes the upper part of the front opening 3a.

[0073] The front door 4b is pivotally supported at the front end portion of the left edge of the device main body 3. When the front door 4b swings forward, it opens the lower portion of the front opening 3a, i.e., the portion that cannot be closed by the front cover 4a, and when it swings backward, it closes the lower portion of the front opening 3a.

[0074] The front door 4b is provided with a locking mechanism 4c, and when this locking mechanism 4c is in a locked state, the front door 4b is kept in a state in which the lower part of the front opening 3a is blocked, while when the locking mechanism 4c is in an unlocked state, the front door 4b becomes able to swing forward.

[0075] Moreover, the front door 4b has a function of pressing a part of the front cover 4a in the closed state, and when the locking mechanism 4c is in the locked state, the front cover 4a is maintained in the closed state.

[0076] The top panel portion 5 is slidable in the front-rear direction, and opens the top opening by sliding it backward, and closes the top opening by sliding it forward.

[0077] The coin handling device 40 is housed inside the device main body 3 together with the banknote handling device 6. The banknote handling device 6 is used to perform operations such as depositing and dispensing banknotes.

[0078] Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of coin processing device 40 shown in Fig. 9, i.e., coin processing device 40 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of coin processing device 40 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention, and Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing a characteristic control system of coin processing device 40 according to embodiment 2 of the present invention. The internal structure of coin processing device 40 will be explained by function using Figs. 10 to 12.

[0079] The coin processing device 40 illustrated here can be pulled out forward from the front opening 3a of the device main body 3 by a pull-out mechanism not shown, and is configured with a coin transport mechanism 50, a counting sensor group 61A, and a control unit 30.

[0080] The coin transport mechanism 50 has a deposit transport section 52 , a temporary storage box 54 , a sorting section 55 , a storage box 56 , a withdrawal transport section 57 , a lift-up section 58 , and a switching gate 59 .

[0081] The deposit transport unit 52 transports coins that are inserted through the deposit port 51 and detected by an insertion detection sensor (not shown). The deposit port 51 is an opening for inserting coins, and is exposed to the outside through a coin deposit opening 4d formed in the front cover 4a. This deposit transport unit 52 is provided with a coin validation unit 52a. The coin validation unit 52a identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins.

[0082] Temporary storage 54 is disposed below deposit transport unit 52 and behind storage unit 56, extending in the left-right direction. Temporary storage 54 is connected to deposit transport unit 52 via first deposit chute 53a, and includes temporary storage transport mechanism 54a.

[0083] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a constituting the temporary storage box 54 shown in Fig. 11. As shown in Fig. 13, the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a is configured to include a first transport section 541, a second transport section 542, a reverse roller 543, a shaft section 544, and a shutter section 545.

[0084] The first conveying section 541 includes a first conveying component 5411 and a second conveying component 5412. The first conveying component 5411 is configured by an endless first conveying belt 5411b stretched across a pair of left and right first conveying pulleys 5411a. In this first conveying component 5411, an upper extending portion 5411b1 and a lower extending portion 5411b2 of the first conveying belt 5411b between the first conveying pulleys 5411a extend in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it extends to the left (one direction). The first conveying component 5411 places coins on the upper extending portion 5411b1 of the first conveying belt 5411b, and conveys the coins by the rotation of the first conveying pulley 5411a.

[0085] The second conveying component 5412 is disposed adjacent to the first conveying component 541 on the left side (downstream side in one direction) of the first conveying component 541. The second conveying component 5412 is configured by a pair of left and right second conveying pulleys 5412a and an endless second conveying belt 5412b stretched across them.

[0086] In this second conveying component 5412, an upper extending portion 5412b1 and a lower extending portion 5412b2 of the second conveying belt 5412b between the second conveying pulleys 5412a extend in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it goes to the right (the other direction).

[0087] The second conveying pulley 5412a on the right side constituting the second conveying component 5412 is disposed at approximately the same height as the first conveying pulley 5411a on the left side constituting the first conveying component 5411. The second conveying component 5412 places coins on the upper extending portion 5412b1 of the second conveying belt 5412b, and conveys the coins by the rotation of the second conveying pulley 5412a.

[0088] Here, the second conveyor pulley 5412a on the left side constituting the second conveyor component 5412 is a drive pulley linked to the first conveyor motor 546a via a linking gear or the like (not shown). The first conveyor motor 546a is a drive source capable of forward and reverse rotation, and when driven in forward rotation, rotates the second conveyor pulley 5412a on the left side clockwise as viewed from the rear, while when driven in reverse rotation, rotates the second conveyor pulley 5412a on the left side counterclockwise as viewed from the rear.

[0089] In other words, when the first conveyor motor 546a is driven in the forward direction, the second conveyor component 5412 rotates clockwise as viewed from behind, causing the upper extending portion 5412b1 of the second conveyor belt 5412b to move leftward and the lower extending portion 5412b2 to move rightward, and the right second conveyor pulley 5412a also rotates clockwise as viewed from behind. This right second conveyor pulley 5412a is a driven pulley.

[0090] The second conveying pulley 5412a on the right side is linked to the first conveying pulley 5411a on the left side, which constitutes the first conveying component 5411, via linking element 546b so as to be synchronized with the first conveying pulley 5411a on the left side.

[0091] In other words, when the second conveying pulley 5412a on the right side rotates clockwise when viewed from behind, the first conveying pulley 5411a on the left side also rotates clockwise when viewed from behind in synchronization, and when the second conveying pulley 5412a on the right side rotates counterclockwise when viewed from behind, the first conveying pulley 5411a on the left side also rotates counterclockwise when viewed from behind in synchronization.

[0092] As a result, in the first conveying component 5411, when the first conveying motor 546a is driven in forward rotation, the first conveying pulley 5411a rotates clockwise when viewed from behind, and the upper extending portion 5411b1 of the first conveying belt 5411b is displaced toward the left while the lower extending portion 5411b2 of the first conveying belt 5411b is displaced toward the right; and when the first conveying motor 546a is driven in reverse rotation, the first conveying pulley 5411a rotates counterclockwise when viewed from behind, and the upper extending portion 5411b1 of the first conveying belt 5411b is displaced toward the right while the lower extending portion 5411b2 of the first conveying belt 5411b is displaced toward the left.

[0093] In other words, in the first conveying section 541, when the first conveying motor 546a is driven in a forward direction, the upper extension portion 5411b1 of the first conveying belt 5411b and the upper extension portion 5412b1 of the second conveying belt 5412b are displaced to the left, thereby conveying coins to the left, while when the first conveying motor 546a is driven in a reverse direction, the upper extension portion 5411b1 of the first conveying belt 5411b and the upper extension portion 5412b1 of the second conveying belt 5412b are displaced to the right, thereby conveying coins to the right.

[0094] The second conveying section 542 is disposed on the right side (downstream side in the other direction) of the first conveying section 5411, adjacent to the first conveying section 5411. The second conveying section 542 is configured by a pair of left and right conveying pulleys 542a and an endless conveying belt 542b stretched across them.

[0095] This second conveying section 542 is arranged in the same straight line as the first conveying component 5411, and the upper extending portion 542b1 and the lower extending portion 542b2 of the conveying belt 542b between the conveying pulleys 542a extend in a manner that gradually slopes downward as they move toward the left.

[0096] Here, the right-side conveying pulley 542a constituting the second conveying section 542 is a drive pulley linked to the second conveying motor 546c via a linking gear or the like (not shown). The second conveying motor 546c is a drive source, and when driven, rotates the right-side conveying pulley 542a counterclockwise when viewed from behind.

[0097] In other words, when the second conveyor motor 546c is driven, the right-side conveyor pulley 542a, which is the drive pulley, rotates counterclockwise as viewed from behind in the second conveyor unit 542. This causes the upper extension portion 542b1 of the conveyor belt 542b to move rightward, while the lower extension portion 542b2 of the conveyor belt 542b moves leftward, causing the left-side conveyor pulley 542a to rotate counterclockwise as viewed from behind. This left-side conveyor pulley 542a is a driven pulley. In this second conveyor unit 542, the conveying speed is adjusted to be faster than the conveying speed of the first conveyor unit 541.

[0098] The reverse roller 543 is a cylindrical member extending in the front-to-rear direction, and is arranged above the first conveying pulley 5411a on the right side of the first conveying component 5411, i.e., near the boundary between the first conveying component 541 and the second conveying component 542.

[0099] Although not shown in the figure, this reverse roller 543 is mounted between a pair of front and rear support members so that it can rotate around its own central axis, and the distance (shortest distance) between it and the first conveying pulley 5411a on the right side, i.e., the distance between it and the first conveying belt 5411b wound around the first conveying pulley 5411a on the right side, is large enough to allow one coin of each denomination to pass through.

[0100] Such a reverse roller 543 is connected to the first conveying pulley 5411a on the right side via a connecting gear or the like (not shown), and when the first conveying pulley 5411a on the right side rotates clockwise when viewed from the rear, the reverse roller 543 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the rear, and when the first conveying pulley 5411a on the right side rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the rear, the reverse roller 543 rotates clockwise when viewed from the rear.

[0101] The shaft portion 544 is a long, cylindrical member whose longitudinal direction is the front-rear direction. The shaft portion 544 is disposed between the first conveyor pulley 5411a on the left side and the second conveyor pulley 5412a on the right side, at the boundary between the upper extending portion 5411b1 of the first conveyor belt 5411b and the upper extending portion 5412b1 of the second conveyor belt 5412b. More specifically, the shaft portion 544 is a long, cylindrical member having an outer diameter sufficiently smaller than that of the first conveyor pulley 5411a and the second conveyor pulley 5412a, and extends in a direction (front-rear direction) perpendicular to the conveying direction (left-right direction) of the first conveyor unit 541.

[0102] The shutter section 545 is disposed above the second conveying section 542. The shutter section 545 is disposed to be movable in the up-down direction so as to approach and move away from the upper extending portion 542b1 of the conveying belt 542b, and is normally located close to the upper extending portion 542b1.

[0103] The shutter portion 545 prevents coins from entering the upper extending portion 542b1 of the conveyor belt 542b through the gap between the first conveyor pulley 5411a on the right side and the reverse roller 543. Meanwhile, the shutter portion 545 is linked to the solenoid 546d via a linking member (not shown), and when the solenoid 546d is energized, the shutter portion 545 moves upward in a manner to separate from the upper extending portion 542b1 of the conveyor belt 542b. In this way, when the shutter portion 545 moves upward in a manner to separate from the upper extending portion 542b1 of the conveyor belt 542b, it allows coins to be placed on the upper extending portion 542b1 of the conveyor belt 542b.

[0104] The temporary storage conveying mechanism 54a having the above-described configuration can be switched between a first drive state and a second drive state when driven, and when in the first drive state, the first conveying motor 546a rotates forward, the second conveying motor 546c stops driving, and the solenoid 546d is de-energized. This allows coins to be conveyed leftward, and they are conveyed to the sorting unit 55 via the first conveying outlet 547a on the left side.

[0105] On the other hand, in the second driving state, the first conveying motor 546a rotates in the reverse direction, the second conveying motor 546c is driven, and the solenoid 546d is energized. This allows the coin to be conveyed to the right, and the coin is conveyed to the lift-up unit 58 via the second conveying outlet 547b on the right side.

[0106] The sorting unit 55 sorts the coins that have been stored in the temporary storage unit 54 and then transported, by denomination. The storage units 56 are provided for each denomination and store the coins sorted by the sorting unit 55. More specifically, six storage units 56 are provided, from the rear side: a 1 yen storage unit 56a, a 50 yen storage unit 56b, a 5 yen storage unit 56c, a 100 yen storage unit 56d, a 10 yen storage unit 56e, and a 500 yen storage unit 56f. Each storage unit 56 has a feeding unit (not shown) that feeds the stored coins to the dispensing transport unit 57, and this feeding unit is provided with a discrimination unit (not shown) that discriminates predetermined discrimination elements, such as the denomination and number of the coins to be dispensed.

[0107] The dispensing transport unit 57 is disposed on the right side of the storage 56. The dispensing transport unit 57 transports coins dispensed from the storage 56 rearward to the temporary storage 54.

[0108] The lift-up section 58 is disposed to the right of the dispensing transport section 57. This lift-up section 58 extends in a manner that gradually slopes upward as it approaches the front, and transports coins from the rear to the front, that is, transports coins upward to be dispensed from the dispensing port 60.

[0109] The dispensing port 60 is an opening provided below the depositing port 51, and is exposed to the outside through a coin dispensing opening 4e formed in the front cover 4a. Coins dispensed from this dispensing port 60 are paid out to a dispensing tray 4f provided in the front cover 4a.

[0110] The switching gate 59 can be switched between a state in which coins transported by the deposit transport unit 52 are transported to the first deposit chute 53a and a state in which the coins are transported to the second deposit chute 53b. The second deposit chute 53b guides the coins from the deposit transport unit 52 to the lift-up unit 58.

[0111] The counting sensor group 61A is a collection of counting sensors 61. The counting sensors 61 are provided on the conveying path from the sorting unit 55 to each storage cabinet 56, or are provided between the upper extending portion 542b1 and the lower extending portion 542b2 of the conveying belt 542b in the second conveying unit 542. These counting sensors 61 detect the number of coins and send the detection result to the control unit 70 as a counting signal.

[0112] The control unit 70 is connected to the coin transport mechanism 50 and the counting sensor group 61A, and is also connected to a higher-level device 1b such as a POS register device.

[0113] This control unit 70 controls the driving of the coin transport mechanism 50 based on the programs and data stored in the memory unit 71 when a detection signal is given from the coin validation unit 52a of the coin transport mechanism 50, or when various commands are given from the higher-level device 1b.

[0114] The control unit 70 may be realized, for example, by having a processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a program, i.e., by software, or by hardware such as an IC (Integrated Circuit), or by a combination of software and hardware.

[0115] The coin processing device 40 having the above-described configuration operates as follows: First, the deposit operation will be described.

[0116] When a deposit permission command is given from the higher-level device 1b, coins inserted into the deposit port 51 are detected by an insertion detection sensor, then transported by the deposit transport unit 52, and their authenticity and denomination are identified by the coin validation unit 52a. If the coin is genuine, it is stored in the temporary storage unit 54 via the first deposit chute 53a. On the other hand, if the coin is not genuine, it is transported to the lift-up unit 58 via the switching gate 59 and the second deposit chute 53b, and then transported by the lift-up unit 58 to the withdrawal port 60 and returned to the withdrawal tray 4f.

[0117] Thereafter, when a deposit command is received from the higher-level device 1b, the control unit 70 puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a into the first drive state. As a result, in the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a, the first transport motor 546a rotates forward, the second transport motor 546c stops driving, and the solenoid 546d becomes non-energized. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14, in the temporary storage box 54, the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a transports coins to the left and transports them to the sorting unit 55 via the first transport outlet 547a. The sorting unit 55 sorts the coins by denomination while transporting them forward. The coins sorted by the sorting unit 55 are stored in the storage box 56 according to their denominations, and then the deposit operation is completed by notifying the higher-level device 1b of the completion of the deposit.

[0118] Incidentally, when a refund command is received from the higher-level device 1b while coins are escrowed in the temporary storage 54 as described above, the control unit 70 puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a into the second drive state. As a result, in the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a, the first transport motor 546a is driven to rotate in the reverse direction, the second transport motor 546c is driven, and the solenoid 546d is energized. As a result, as shown in FIG. 15 , the temporary storage 54 transports coins to the right. More specifically, the coins transported to the right by the first transport unit 541 are transported one by one to the second transport unit 542 by the rotation of the reverse roller 543, and then transported to the right by the second transport unit 542. Here, the conveying speed of second conveying unit 542 is adjusted to be faster than the conveying speed of first conveying unit 541, so first conveying unit 541 and second conveying unit 542 separate coins one by one, and convey the coins one by one via second conveying outlet 547b to lift-up unit 58. The coins conveyed to lift-up unit 58 in this way are conveyed by lift-up unit 58 to dispensing port 60, and dispensed from dispensing port 60 to dispensing tray 4f for refund.

[0119] In other words, when a deposit command is given, the control unit 70 puts the temporary holding transport mechanism 54a into the first drive state to transport the coins to the sorting unit 55, while when a refund command is given, the control unit 70 puts the temporary holding transport mechanism 54a into the second drive state to transport the coins to the withdrawal port 60.

[0120] Next, the dispensing operation will be described. When a dispensing command is given from the higher-level device 1b, coins of the denomination corresponding to the dispensing command are fed from the corresponding storage 56 to the dispensing transport unit 57. The coins fed to the dispensing transport unit 57 are transported rearward by driving the dispensing transport unit 57, and are stored in the temporary storage 54.

[0121] Thereafter, the control unit 70 puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a into the second drive state. As a result, as shown in Fig. 15, the temporary storage 54 transports the coins to the right, transports them one by one to the lift-up unit 58 via the second transport outlet 547b, and dispenses them from the dispensing port 60 to the dispensing tray 4f. Thereafter, the control unit 70 pays out the predetermined number of coins to the outside through the dispensing port 60, and then ends the dispensing operation by notifying the higher-level device 1b of the completion of dispensing.

[0122] The reconciliation operation will now be described. The reconciliation operation is an operation for counting the number of coins stored in each storage 56. This reconciliation operation is performed when a reconciliation command is given from the higher-level device 1b.

[0123] The control unit 70 drives the payout unit in the target storage unit 56 to pay out coins from the storage unit 56 to the withdrawal transport unit 57, and then has the discrimination unit discriminate the specified discrimination elements before driving the withdrawal transport unit 57 to transport the coins backward and temporarily store them in the temporary storage unit 54.

[0124] Then, the control unit 70 temporarily stores all of the dispensed coins in the temporary storage unit 54, then puts the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a into the first drive state, transports the coins to the left and transports them to the sorting unit 55, where they are sorted by denomination, and stores the coins in the designated storage unit 56 while detecting the number of coins of each denomination with the counting sensor 61, and sends a notification of completion of inspection to the higher-level device 1b on the condition that the inspection operation for the relevant coins has been completed.

[0125] As described above, according to the coin processing device 40 of the second embodiment of the present invention, the temporary storage 54 includes a temporary storage transport mechanism 54a that transports temporarily stored coins to the left when the temporary storage 54 is in the first drive state and transports temporarily stored coins to the right when the temporary storage 54 is in the second drive state. The control unit 70 switches the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a to the first drive state to transport coins to the sorting unit 55 when a deposit command is given, and switches the temporary storage transport mechanism 54a to the second drive state to transport coins to the withdrawal port 60 when a refund command is given. This eliminates the need for a dedicated cancellation port, thereby reducing the number of parts. Furthermore, the transport path from the exit of the temporary storage 54 to the withdrawal port 60 can be minimized. This allows for reduced manufacturing costs without increasing the overall size of the device.

[0126] According to the above coin processing device 40, when the temporary storage conveying mechanism 54a is in the second drive state, the second conveying section 542 has a faster coin conveying speed than the first conveying section 541, so that the second conveying section 542 conveys coins one by one, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the counting sensor 61.

[0127] According to the above coin processing device 40, in the temporary storage unit 54, an axis-shaped portion 544 extending in a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction is arranged at the boundary between the upper extension portion 5411b1 of the first conveying belt 5411b and the upper extension portion 5412b1 of the second conveying belt 5412b, thereby preventing coins from entering between the first conveying component 5411 and the second conveying component 5412 and causing coin jams, etc.

[0128] Although the preferred first and second embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and various modifications can be made.

[0129] In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the first transport section 221, 541 constituting the temporary holding transport mechanism 22a, 54a was configured to have a first transport component 2211, 5411 and a second transport component 2212, 5412, but in the present invention, the first transport section does not have to be configured by multiple transport components.

[0130] The configurations illustrated in the above-described first and second embodiments are merely functional schematics and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the distribution and integration of each device and component is not limited to that illustrated, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various usage situations, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1a... upper device, 10... coin processing device, 11... device main body, 12... deposit port, 13... operation display unit, 14... withdrawal port, 15... withdrawal tray, 20... coin transport mechanism, 21... deposit transport unit, 21a... coin validation unit, 22... temporary storage, 22a... temporary storage transport mechanism, 221... first transport unit, 2211... first transport component, 2211a... first transport pulley, 2211b... first transport belt, 2211b1... upper extension portion, 2211b2... lower extension portion, 2212... second transport component, 2212a... second transport pulley, 2212b... second 2 conveyor belt, 2212b1...upper extending portion, 2212b2...lower extending portion, 222...second conveying section, 222a...conveying pulley, 222b...conveying belt, 222b1...upper extending portion, 222b2...lower extending portion, 223...reverse roller, 224...shaft-shaped portion, 225...shutter section, 226a...first conveying motor, 226b...linking element, 226c...second conveying motor, 23...sorting section, 24...storage cabinet, 25...dispensing conveying section, 26...switching gate, 28A...counting sensor group, 30...control section, 31...memory section.

Claims

1. A coin processing device that identifies the authenticity and denomination of coins deposited through a deposit port, temporarily stores coins identified as genuine in a temporary storage, then sorts them by denomination in a sorting unit and stores them in storage units of the corresponding denomination, while transporting coins dispensed from any storage unit in response to a dispensing command in a dispensing transport unit and then dispenses them from the dispensing port, the temporary storage includes a temporary storage transport mechanism that transports the temporarily stored coins in one direction when in a first drive state, and transports the temporarily stored coins in another direction opposite to the one direction when in a second drive state; A coin processing device characterized by having a control unit that, when a deposit command is given, causes the temporary holding and transporting mechanism to be in the first driving state to transport the coin to the sorting unit, and when a refund command is given, causes the temporary holding and transporting mechanism to be in the second driving state to transport the coin to the withdrawal port.

2. The coin processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the withdrawal command is given, the control unit causes the withdrawal transport unit to transport the coin to the temporary storage box, and causes the temporary storage transport mechanism to enter the second drive state to transport the coin to the withdrawal port.

3. The coin processing device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that when the control unit causes the temporary holding transport mechanism to be in the second drive state, the control unit causes the coin to be transported upward by a lift-up unit and then dispensed from the dispensing port.

4. The temporary holding and transport mechanism includes: a first transport unit that transports the coins in the one direction when in the first drive state, and transports the coins in the other direction when in the second drive state; a second transport unit that is disposed downstream of the first transport unit in the other direction and is driven when the second drive state is reached to transport the coins transported from the first transport unit in the other direction; a reverse roller that is disposed near a boundary between the first transport unit and the second transport unit and that transports the coins transported by the first transport unit to the second transport unit one by one; 3. The coin processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. The coin processing device according to claim 4, wherein the second transport unit, when driven, transports the coins at a speed faster than that of the first transport unit.

6. The first transport unit is a first conveying component configured by a first conveying belt stretched endlessly between a pair of first conveying pulleys, and an upper extending portion of the first conveying belt between the first conveying pulleys extending in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it extends in the one direction; a second conveying component arranged downstream in the one direction from the first conveying component, and configured by a second conveying belt stretched endlessly around a pair of second conveying pulleys, and an upper extending portion of the second conveying belt between the second conveying pulleys extends in a manner that gradually slopes downward as it extends in the other direction; Equipped with The coin processing device described in claim 4, characterized in that when the first driving state is entered, the upper extending portion of the first conveyor belt and the upper extending portion of the second conveyor belt are driven in a manner such that they are displaced in the one direction in synchronization with each other, while when the second driving state is entered, the upper extending portion of the first conveyor belt and the upper extending portion of the second conveyor belt are driven in a manner such that they are displaced in the other direction in synchronization with each other.

7. The coin processing device described in claim 6, characterized in that the temporary storage container is arranged at the boundary between the upper extension portion of the first conveyor belt and the upper extension portion of the second conveyor belt, and has a long shaft-shaped portion extending along a direction perpendicular to the coin conveying direction.

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