Medium input device

Abstract

To reduce the time required for inputting a medium.SOLUTION: Provided is a medium input device including: a container part having an opening and configured to store a medium input through the opening; and a cover part having a medium passage port through which the medium passes and provided for the opening. The cover part includes a first member provided along an edge of the opening and a second member having an inclined surface inclined with respect to a horizontal direction. The inclined surface guides the medium to the inside of the container part by means of contact with the medium. The medium passage port is formed by a gap between the inclined surface and the first member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a media input device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a medium insertion device, which is a device into which a medium is inserted, has become known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a medium insertion device. Patent Document 2 discloses another example of a medium insertion device.

[0003] The medium inserting device has a container part in which the medium is stored, and a cover part attached to the opening part of the container part. Generally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, the cover part has a medium inserting port through which one medium can pass. Therefore, the user can insert the media into the container part one by one by passing the media through the medium inserting port one by one. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-76023 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-84446 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, if media are only inserted into the medium insertion device one at a time, it takes a long time to insert the media into the medium insertion device.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved technology that can reduce the time required to insert media. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a media insertion device comprising: a container portion having an opening for accommodating a medium inserted into the opening; and a cover portion having a medium passage port through which the medium passes and provided on the opening, wherein the cover portion comprises a first member provided along the edge of the opening and a second member having an inclined surface inclined relative to the horizontal direction, the inclined surface guides the medium into the interior of the container portion by contacting the medium, and the medium passage port is formed by a gap between the inclined surface and the first member.

[0008] The medium inserting device may include an operating unit that is provided at the bottom of the container unit and that carries the medium out of the container unit by performing a predetermined operation while in contact with the medium.

[0009] The medium loading device may include a fixing member that fixes the second member to the first member.

[0010] The upper surface of the fixing member may have a flat or curved surface that is continuously lower from the center toward the ends.

[0011] The second member may include a frustum-shaped member, and the inclined surface may be a side surface of the frustum-shaped member.

[0012] The frustum shaped member may be a truncated cone.

[0013] The frustum-shaped member may be a square frustum.

[0014] The distance between the inclined surface and the first member may be equal to or greater than the thickness of the medium.

[0015] The separation distance may be 2.5cm or less.

[0016] The separation distance may be less than three times the thickness of the medium.

[0017] The medium may be a coin. Effect of the Invention

[0018] As described above, according to the present invention, a technique is provided that can reduce the time required to insert a medium. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a change machine according to a comparative example. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coin insertion portion 8 according to a comparative example, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Diagram 3] 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cover portion 81 according to a comparative example, and is a top view of the cover portion 81 in FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a change machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the coin insertion portion 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cover portion 41 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a top view of the cover portion 41 in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 413 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fixing member 414A according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is an E-E sectional view of the fixing member 414A in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a top view of a cover portion 41 according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a fixing member 514A according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the fixing member 514A. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cover section 61 according to a third embodiment of the present invention, and is a top view of the cover section 61. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 613 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 623 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 633 according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a change machine according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] 15. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coin insertion portion 7 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in FIG. [Figure 17] 16 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cover section 71 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and is a top view of the cover section 71 in FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 713 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted.

[0021] (0. Overview) First, an overview of an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Here, a media processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device that processes media. For example, the medium is a disk-shaped medium. In the following description, it is mainly assumed that the medium processed by the media processing device is a coin. However, the medium processed by the media processing device may also be a medium other than a coin (for example, a medal, etc.).

[0022] When the media processed by the media processing device is coins, the media processing device is a coin processing device that processes coins. In the following description, it is mainly assumed that the coin processing device is a change machine. For example, a change machine is installed at a cash register of a retail store such as a supermarket or a convenience store. The change machine is operated by a user when a customer is paying for a product that he or she wishes to purchase.

[0023] In the following description, it is mainly assumed that the user is a customer. In other words, it is mainly assumed that the change machine is applied to a self-checkout register where all operations from reading the barcodes attached to the products to making the payment are performed by the customer. However, the change machine may also be applied to a semi-self-checkout register where the operation of reading the barcodes is performed by a store clerk and the operation of making the payment is performed by the customer.

[0024] Alternatively, the user may be a store clerk. That is, the change dispenser may be applied to a lane register in which all operations from reading the barcodes attached to the products to accounting are performed by the store clerk.

[0025] The coin processing device is not limited to a change machine. For example, the coin processing device may be an automated teller machine (ATM) or a teller cash recycler (TCR). In the following, in order to clarify the superiority of the change machine according to the embodiment of the present invention, a change machine according to a comparative example will be described before describing the change machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] (Change machine according to comparative example) 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a change machine according to a comparative example. As shown in FIG. 1, a change machine 9 according to the comparative example includes a housing 20, a main body 90, a reject tray 10, and a dispensing tray 12.

[0027] In the following description, the side of the change machine 9 that the user faces is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side. Furthermore, in the following description, the left side as seen from a user facing the front side is referred to as the left side, and the right side as seen from a user facing the front side is referred to as the right side. Furthermore, in the following description, the top in the vertical direction is referred to as the upper side, and the bottom in the vertical direction is referred to as the lower side.

[0028] The rear portion of the main body 90 is housed inside the housing 20.

[0029] The main body 90 comprises a front upper exterior member 96 located at the upper stage on the front side of the change machine 9. The main body 90 also comprises a coin insertion port 8 (FIG. 2) into which coins are inserted. The coin insertion port 8 comprises a cover portion 81. The cover portion 81 comprises an upper exterior member 811 provided on the upper surface of the front upper exterior member 96, and a coin passing port 812 formed in the upper exterior member 811. FIG. 1 shows one coin C passing through the coin passing port 812.

[0030] In addition, although not shown, the main body 90 also includes a control unit that controls the operation of the change machine 9, a memory unit, a transport unit that transports coins inserted into the coin insertion unit 8 from the coin passing port 812, a recognition unit that recognizes the authenticity and denomination of the coin, and a storage unit that stores the recognized coins by denomination. The control unit controls various processes related to the coins by reading and executing a predetermined program from the memory unit using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0031] The reject tray 10 has an open top and is arranged so that a user can access it from the front. The reject tray 10 stores rejected coins that are recognized by the recognition unit as coins that should not be stored in the storage unit.

[0032] The dispensing tray 12 has an open top and is disposed so that a user can access it from the front. The dispensing tray 12 stores coins of a denomination and number corresponding to the amount of change to be given.

[0033] With this configuration, the change machine 9 can store in the storage section the coins C inserted by the user from the coin passing opening 812 into the coin insertion section 8, and can also dispense coins from the storage section according to the change amount, and discharge the coins dispensed from the storage section as change from the dispensing tray 12. Next, the coin insertion section 8 according to the comparative example will be described in more detail with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0034] (Coin insertion section according to a comparative example) Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the coin insertion portion 8 according to the comparative example, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the coin insertion portion 8 includes a cover portion 81 and a container portion 82. The container portion 82 includes a side portion 821 and an operating portion 823. The top of the container portion 82 is open. In other words, the container portion 82 has an opening 824 at its top.

[0035] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the cover part 81 according to the comparative example, and is a top view of the cover part 81 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the coin passing opening 812 has a rectangular shape when viewed from above, and the length T2 of the coin passing opening 812 in the short direction is greater than the thickness T1 of the coin C. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 2, the length D2 of the coin passing opening 812 in the long direction is greater than the diameter D1 of the coin C. This allows the coin C to pass through the coin passing opening 812.

[0036] The container 82 stores coins inserted into the opening 824. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, a storage space 825 surrounded by a side portion 821 and an operating portion 823 is formed inside the container 82, and a coin C inserted by a user through a coin passing port 812 formed in the upper exterior member 811 is stored in the storage space 825. The storage space 825 has a cylindrical shape. In addition, the coin insertion portion 8 has a sensor (not shown). The sensor detects the presence or absence of a coin in the storage space 825.

[0037] The operating unit 823 is provided at the bottom of the container unit 82, and performs a predetermined operation while in contact with the coin C, thereby transporting the coin C to the outside of the container unit 82. Here, it is assumed that the shape of the operating unit 823 is a disk shape. In such a case, the operation performed by the operating unit 823 may be a rotation operation.

[0038] For example, when the coin insertion unit 8 detects by a sensor that a coin C is present in the storage space 825, it rotates the operating unit 823 in a predetermined payout direction, thereby applying centrifugal force to the coin C in contact with the operating unit 823. As a result, the coin C is transported to the outer periphery of the operating unit 823, separated one by one at the gate 822, and paid out to the transport unit. The coins C paid out to the transport unit are transported by the transport unit toward the recognition unit.

[0039] Since the operating part 823 is provided at the bottom of the container part 82, if a user were able to insert a finger through an opening 824 of the container part 82, the user's finger may come into contact with the operating part 823, and the safety of the user would not be improved. However, the opening 824 is provided with a cover part 81, and the size of the coin passing opening 812 provided in the cover part 81 is such that one coin C can pass through but the user's finger cannot pass through. Therefore, the possibility that the user's finger will come into contact with the operating part 823 is reduced, and the safety of the user may be improved.

[0040] However, in the comparative example, coins are inserted into the coin insertion port 8 only one at a time through the coin passing port 812 provided in the cover portion 81. Therefore, according to the comparative example, it takes a long time to insert coins into the coin insertion port 8.

[0041] Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention, a technique capable of reducing the time required to insert coins is mainly proposed. More specifically, in the embodiment of the present invention, the time required to insert coins is reduced by making it possible to insert multiple coins at once into the coin insertion unit 4 (FIG. 5). By reducing the time required to insert coins, it can be expected that the transaction time will be reduced.

[0042] In the following description, the method of inserting coins one by one is also referred to as the "sequential insertion method." Furthermore, in the following description, the method of inserting multiple coins at once is also referred to as the "lump insertion method."

[0043] The outline of the embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0044] 1. First Embodiment Next, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0045] (1.1. Example of change machine configuration) First, with reference to FIG. 4, a configuration example of a change machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0046] 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the change machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4, the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 20, a main body 31, a reject tray 10, and a dispensing tray 12.

[0047] Comparing the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention with the change machine 9 according to the comparative example, the main body 90 has been changed to a main body 31, but the other configurations are similar. Therefore, in the following description, the main body 31 will be mainly described, and detailed description of the other configurations will be omitted.

[0048] The main body 31 processes coins inserted into the change machine 1. The main body 31 includes a front upper surface exterior member 36 located at the upper stage at the front side of the change machine 1. The main body 31 also includes a coin insertion portion 4 (FIG. 5) into which coins are inserted. The coin insertion portion 4 includes a cover portion 41.

[0049] The cover unit 41 includes an upper surface exterior member 411 provided on the upper surface of the front upper surface exterior member 36. The upper surface exterior member 411 corresponds to an example of a first member. The cover unit 41 also includes a core member 413 which is a member having an inclined surface inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The core member 413 corresponds to an example of a second member. The cover unit 41 also includes a coin passing opening 412, and fixing members 414A to 414C which fix the core member 413 to the upper surface exterior member 411.

[0050] In the following description, the three fixing members 414A to 414C may be referred to as "fixing member 414" without any particular distinction.

[0051] Fig. 4 shows coin C1 passing through coin passing slot 412. Also, in Fig. 4, coin C2 (Fig. 5) is present in a position that is hidden from view by core member 413. In this way, in the first embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to insert multiple coins in a batch insertion method.

[0052] In addition, although not shown, the main body 31 also includes a control unit that controls the operation of the change machine 1, a memory unit, a transport unit that transports coins inserted into the coin insertion unit 4 from the coin passing port 412, a recognition unit that recognizes the authenticity and denomination of the coin, and a storage unit that stores the recognized coins by denomination. The control unit controls various processes related to the coins by reading and executing predetermined programs from the memory unit using a CPU (Central Processing Unit).

[0053] Next, the coin insertion portion 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Figs.

[0054] (Coin slot 4) Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of the coin insertion portion 4 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 5, the coin insertion portion 4 includes a cover portion 41 and a container portion 42. The container portion 42 includes a side portion 421 and an operating portion 423. The top of the container portion 42 is open. In other words, the container portion 42 has an opening 424 at its top.

[0055] The cover part 41 is provided at the opening 424. Furthermore, the core member 413 of the cover part 41 has an inclined surface 4131 that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The inclined surface 4131 guides the coin C1 inserted by the user into the inside of the container part 42 by coming into contact with the coin C1. For example, guiding the coin C1 by the inclined surface 4131 may include the coin C1 colliding with the inclined surface 4131, the coin C1 sliding down the inclined surface 4131, and the like.

[0056] Similarly, the inclined surface 4131 guides the coin C2 inserted by the user into the container portion 42 by coming into contact with the coin C2.

[0057] In the first embodiment of the present invention, coin passing opening 412 is formed by a gap between inclined surface 4131 and upper surface exterior member 411. If a coin comes into contact with any part of inclined surface 4131, the coin is guided by inclined surface 4131 to reach coin passing opening 412. Inclined surface 4131 is formed to be wider than coin passing opening 812 in the comparative example, and multiple coins can come into contact with inclined surface 4131 at the same time. Therefore, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to insert multiple coins in a batch insertion manner.

[0058] 5, the thickness T3 of the coin C2 is shown. Also shown is the separation distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper surface exterior member 411. Here, the coin passing opening 412 is formed so that the separation distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper surface exterior member 411 is equal to or greater than the thickness T3 of the coin C2, thereby allowing the coin C2 to pass through the coin passing opening 412.

[0059] However, if the separation distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper surface exterior member 411 is larger than a certain level, the user's finger may touch the operating unit 423, and the safety of the user is not improved. Therefore, it is preferable that the separation distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper surface exterior member 411 is large enough that the user's finger cannot pass through. This reduces the possibility that the user's finger will touch the operating unit 423, and the safety of the user may be improved.

[0060] In general, in order to prevent accidents caused to users by devices, devices are required to be manufactured with dimensions that prevent parts of the human body from getting caught in gaps in machinery. Specifically, the minimum gaps to prevent parts of the human body from being crushed are specified in a standard (JIS B9711). According to this standard, the minimum gap to prevent a human finger from being crushed is 2.5 cm. Therefore, the separation distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper exterior member 411 may be 2.5 cm or less.

[0061] Generally, the inside diameter of a ring worn on a human finger is at least 1.3 cm. Therefore, the distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper surface exterior member 411 may be 1.3 cm or less. Alternatively, it is considered that a human finger cannot pass through a gap that is less than three times the thickness of a coin. Therefore, the distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper surface exterior member 411 may be less than three times the thickness of a coin.

[0062] The container 42 stores the coins C1 and C2 inserted into the opening 424. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, a storage space 4224 surrounded by the side portion 421 and the operating portion 423 is formed inside the container 42, and the coins C1 and C2 guided by the inclined surface 4131 are stored in the storage space 4224. The storage space 4224 has a cylindrical shape. In addition, the coin insertion portion 4 has a sensor (not shown). The sensor detects the presence or absence of coins in the storage space 4224.

[0063] The operating unit 423 is provided at the bottom of the container unit 42, and performs a predetermined operation while in contact with the coins C1 and C2, thereby transporting the coins C1 and C2 to the outside of the container unit 42. Here, it is assumed that the shape of the operating unit 423 is a disk shape. In such a case, the operation performed by the operating unit 423 may be a rotation operation.

[0064] For example, when the coin insertion unit 4 detects by a sensor that coins C1 and C2 are present in the storage space 4224, it rotates the operation unit 423 in a predetermined payout direction, thereby applying centrifugal force to coins C1 and C2 in contact with the operation unit 423. As a result, coins C1 and C2 are transported to the outer periphery of the operation unit 423, separated one by one at the gate 422, and paid out to the transport unit. Coins C1 and C2 paid out to the transport unit are transported by the transport unit toward the recognition unit.

[0065] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the cover unit 41 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is a top view of the cover unit 41 in Fig. 4. Of the cover unit 41, the top surface exterior member 411 is provided along the edge of the opening 424 (Fig. 5) of the container unit 42. The coin passing opening 412 is formed by a gap between the inclined surface 4131 of the core member 413 and the top surface exterior member 411.

[0066] Fixing members 414A-414C fix core member 413 to top surface exterior member 411 to prevent core member 413 from falling off. For example, one end of fixing member 414A is connected to core member 413, and the other end of fixing member 414A is connected to top surface exterior member 411. In this way, fixing member 414A fixes core member 413 to top surface exterior member 411. Similarly, fixing members 414B and 414C also fix core member 413 to top surface exterior member 411.

[0067] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the number of fixing members 414 is three, but the number of fixing members 414 is not limited to three. Furthermore, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the three fixing members 414 are provided at intervals of 120 degrees with respect to the center of the core member 413, but the positions at which the three fixing members 414 are provided are not limited. For example, the positions at which the three fixing members 414 are provided do not have to be equally spaced.

[0068] Also, the cover part 41 may be formed of a transparent or translucent material. However, since the cover part 41 covers most of the opening 424 of the container part 42, if the cover part 41 is dark in color, the user may not be able to see the container part 42 and may think that it is impossible to insert coins into the container part 42. Therefore, in order to allow the user to see the container part 42 and understand that it is possible to insert coins into the container part 42, it is more preferable that the cover part 41 is formed of a transparent material.

[0069] (Core member 413) Next, a core member 413 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0070] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 413 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 7, the core member 413 is shown. The core member 413 is a truncated cone, and the surface of the core member 413 is composed of an inclined surface 4131, an upper surface 4132, and a bottom surface 4133. The inclined surface 4131 forms a side surface of the truncated cone. The truncated cone is an example of a truncated cone-shaped member.

[0071] As in this example, the core member 413 may include a frustum-shaped member. In this case, the side surface of the frustum-shaped member may function as an inclined surface 4131 that guides the coin. As will be described later, the entire core member 413 may be a frustum-shaped member (a truncated cone in the example shown in FIG. 7), or a portion of the core member 413 may be a frustum-shaped member. In other words, the core member 413 may include at least a portion of a frustum-shaped member.

[0072] (Fixing member 414A) Next, a fixing member 414A according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0073] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fixing member 414A according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and is an E-E cross-sectional view of the fixing member 414A in Fig. 6. Referring to Fig. 8, a cross-sectional view of the fixing member 414A is shown. The fixing member 414A has a central portion 4143, an end portion 4144, and an end portion 4145 on its upper surface.

[0074] The upper surface of the fixing member 414A has a plane 4141 that becomes continuously lower from the center portion 4143 toward the end portion 4144. Here, becoming continuously lower can mean that the height is not constant or does not become higher in any section from the center portion 4143 to the end portion 4144. Similarly, the upper surface of the fixing member 414A has a plane 4142 that becomes continuously lower from the center portion 4143 toward the end portion 4145.

[0075] As a result, even if a coin comes into contact with the plane 4141 or the plane 4142, it is expected that the coin will slide down from the plane 4141 or the plane 4142 into the coin passing slot 412. This can prevent the coin from remaining on the plane 4141 or the plane 4142. Note that while only the configuration of the fixing member 414A is shown in Fig. 8, the fixing members 414B and 414C may also be configured in the same manner as the fixing member 414A.

[0076] An example of the configuration of the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0077] (1.2. Effects) As described above, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the coin passing opening 412 is formed by the gap between the inclined surface 4131 of the core member 413 and the upper surface exterior member 411. If a coin comes into contact with any part of the inclined surface 4131, the coin is guided by the inclined surface 4131 to reach the coin passing opening 412. The inclined surface 4131 is formed wider than the coin passing opening 812 in the comparative example, and multiple coins can come into contact with the inclined surface 4131 at the same time. Therefore, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, unlike the sequential insertion of coins one by one, it is possible to insert multiple coins in a lump insertion manner.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the coin passing opening 412 can be formed so that the separation distance T4 between the inclined surface 4131 and the upper surface exterior member 411 is large enough that a user's finger cannot pass through. This reduces the possibility that a user's finger will touch the operating part 423, and can improve the safety of the user. Examples of the size that a user's finger cannot pass through are as described above.

[0079] The effects achieved by the first embodiment of the present invention have been described above.

[0080] (1.3. Modifications) Next, a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Note that the modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention can also achieve the same effects as those achieved by the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] 9 is a top view of the cover part 41 according to the modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention. As described above, when the color of the cover part 41 is dark, the container part 42 may not be visible to the user, and it may appear that it is impossible to insert coins into the container part 42.

[0082] Therefore, in order to allow the user to understand that it is possible to insert coins into the container portion 42, as shown in Figure 9, an indicator 4136 may be attached to the upper surface 4132 of the core member 413 to display information indicating that it is possible to insert coins.

[0083] Here, the information displayed by the display object 4136 may include information encouraging the insertion of coins. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the information encouraging the insertion of coins is the character string "INSERT COINS". Furthermore, the information displayed by the display object 4136 may include arrows pointing to the coin passing slot 412. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the arrows pointing to the coin passing slot 412 are four arrows. However, the number of arrows is not limited.

[0084] For example, the indicator 4136 may be a sticker that can be attached to the upper surface 4132, or may be an engraving that is directly engraved on the upper surface 4132. Note that, although the case where the cover part 41 is dark in color has been mainly assumed here, even if the cover part 41 is formed of a transparent material, the indicator 4136 that displays information indicating that coins can be inserted may be attached to the upper surface 4132 of the core member 413.

[0085] The above describes the modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] 2. Second embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the second embodiment of the present invention can also achieve the same effects as those achieved by the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] In the change machine according to the second embodiment of the present invention, fixed members 414A to 414C are changed compared to the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Since the fixed members 414A to 414C are similarly changed, the fixed member 514A (FIG. 10) is assumed to have been changed to the fixed member 414A, and the fixed member 514A will be described, and detailed descriptions of the other fixed members and the configuration other than the fixed members will be omitted.

[0088] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a fixing member 514A according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view of the fixing member 514A. More specifically, the cross-sectional view shown in Fig. 10 corresponds to an E-E cross-sectional view after the fixing member 414A is changed to the fixing member 514A in the example shown in Fig. 6. The fixing member 514A has a central portion 5143, an end portion 5144, and an end portion 5145 on its upper surface.

[0089] In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 8, the upper surface of fixing member 414A has flat surface 4141 and flat surface 4142. On the other hand, in the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 10, the upper surface of fixing member 514A has curved surface 5141 that becomes continuously lower from central portion 5143 toward end portion 5144. More specifically, curved surface 5141 is an upwardly convex curved surface. In addition, the upper surface of fixing member 514A has curved surface 5142 that becomes continuously lower from central portion 5143 toward end portion 5145. More specifically, curved surface 5142 is an upwardly convex curved surface.

[0090] As a result, similarly to the case where the upper surface of fixing member 414A has flat surfaces 4141 and 4142, even if a coin comes into contact with curved surface 5141 or 5142, the coin is expected to slide off curved surface 5141 or 5142. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment of the present invention, the second embodiment of the present invention can also prevent coins from remaining on curved surface 5141 or 5142.

[0091] The second embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0092] 3. Third embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the third embodiment of the present invention can also achieve the same effects as those achieved by the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] In the change machine according to the third embodiment of the present invention, compared to the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the cover part 41 is changed to a cover part 61 (FIG. 11). Therefore, the following will describe the cover part 61, and detailed descriptions of the configuration other than the cover part 61 will be omitted.

[0094] 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cover section 61 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and is a top view of the cover section 61. As shown in FIG. 11, the cover section 61 includes an upper surface exterior member 611. The upper surface exterior member 611 functions in the same manner as the upper surface exterior member 411 (FIG. 4) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The cover section 61 also includes a core member 613.

[0095] The core member 613 has inclined surfaces 6131A-6131D that are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. Like the inclined surface 4131 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the inclined surfaces 6131A-6131D guide the coins inserted by the user by coming into contact with the coins. In the third embodiment of the present invention, the coin passing opening 612 is formed by a gap between the inclined surfaces 6131A-6131D and the upper surface exterior member 611. The core member 613 will be further described with reference to FIG. 12.

[0096] Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 613 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 12, the core member 613 is shown. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the core member 413 (Fig. 7) is a truncated cone, but in the third embodiment of the present invention, the core member 613 is a truncated quadrangular pyramid. The surface of the core member 613 is composed of inclined surfaces 6131A to 6131D, a top surface 6132, and a bottom surface 6133. The inclined surfaces 6131A to 6131D form the side surfaces of the truncated quadrangular pyramid. The truncated quadrangular pyramid is an example of a truncated pyramid-shaped member.

[0097] Continuing the explanation by returning to Fig. 11. Similar to the fixing members 414A to 414C in the first embodiment of the present invention, the fixing members 614A to 614D fix the core member 613 to the upper exterior member 611 to prevent the core member 613 from falling off.

[0098] In the third embodiment of the present invention, the number of fixing members 614 is four, but the number of fixing members 614 is not limited to four. Furthermore, in the third embodiment of the present invention, the four fixing members 614 are provided at 90 degree intervals with respect to the center of the core member 613, but the positions at which the four fixing members 614 are provided are not limited. For example, the positions at which the four fixing members 614 are provided do not have to be equally spaced.

[0099] The third embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0100] 4. Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the fourth embodiment of the present invention can also achieve the same effects as those achieved by the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] In the change machine according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention, compared to the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the core member 413 is changed to a core member 623 (FIG. 13). Therefore, the following will describe the core member 623, and detailed descriptions of the configuration other than the core member 623 will be omitted.

[0102] Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 623 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 13, the core member 623 is shown. The core member 623 includes a truncated cone 6231 and a cylinder 6232, and is formed by overlapping the truncated cone 6231 on the cylinder 6232. As in this example, the entire core member 623 does not have to be a truncated cone, and a part of the core member 623 may be a truncated cone.

[0103] The fourth embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0104] 5. Fifth Embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the fifth embodiment of the present invention can also achieve the same effects as those achieved by the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] In the change machine according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention, compared to the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the core member 413 is changed to a core member 633 (FIG. 14). Therefore, the following will describe the core member 633, and detailed descriptions of the configuration other than the core member 633 will be omitted.

[0106] Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 633 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 14, the core member 633 is shown. The core member 633 includes a truncated quadrangular pyramid 6331 and a quadrangular prism 6332, and is formed by superimposing the truncated quadrangular pyramid 6331 on the quadrangular prism 6332. As in this example, the entire core member 633 does not have to be a truncated quadrangular pyramid, and only a portion of the core member 633 may be a truncated quadrangular pyramid.

[0107] The fifth embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0108] 6. Sixth Embodiment Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the sixth embodiment of the present invention can also achieve the same effects as those achieved by the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0109] First, with reference to FIG. 15, a configuration example of a change machine according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0110] 15 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a change machine according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 15, the change machine 2 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 20, a main body 32, a reject tray 10, and a dispensing tray 12.

[0111] Comparing the change machine 2 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention with the change machine 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, the main body 31 has been changed to a main body 32, but the other configurations are similar. Therefore, in the following description, the main body 32 will be mainly described, and detailed description of the other configurations will be omitted.

[0112] The main body unit 32 processes coins inserted into the change machine 2. Like the main body unit 31 in the first embodiment of the present invention, the main body unit 32 includes a front upper surface exterior member 36 located at the upper stage on the front side of the change machine 2. The main body unit 32 also includes a coin insertion unit 7 (FIG. 16) into which coins are inserted. The coin insertion unit 7 includes a cover unit 71.

[0113] The cover unit 71 includes an upper surface exterior member 711 provided on the upper surface of the front upper surface exterior member 36. The upper surface exterior member 711 corresponds to an example of a first member. The cover unit 71 also includes a core member 713 which is a member having an inclined surface that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The core member 713 corresponds to an example of a second member. The cover unit 71 also includes a coin passing opening 712.

[0114] 15 shows coins C1 and C2 in contact with core member 713. In this manner, in the sixth embodiment of the present invention as well, similarly to the first embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to insert a plurality of coins in a lump-in insert manner.

[0115] Next, the coin insertion portion 7 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Figs.

[0116] (Coin slot 7) Fig. 16 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coin insertion unit 7 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line FF in Fig. 15. As shown in Fig. 16, the coin insertion unit 7 includes a cover unit 71 and a container unit 42. The container unit 42 functions in the same manner as the container unit 42 in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0117] The cover portion 71 is provided at the opening 424. Furthermore, of the cover portion 71, the core member 713 has an inclined surface 7131A and an inclined surface 7131B that are inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. The inclined surface 7131A guides the coin C2 inserted by the user into the inside of the container portion 42 upon contact with the coin C2. Similarly, the inclined surface 7131B guides the coin C1 inserted by the user into the inside of the container portion 42 upon contact with the coin C1 inserted by the user.

[0118] In the sixth embodiment of the present invention, the core member 713 is a quadrangular prism. In this way, the core member 713 does not have to be a cone-shaped member, and may be a prism or the like. Examples of the prism may include a triangular prism other than a quadrangular prism. As will be described later, the core member 713 may be directly fixed to the upper surface exterior member 711, and therefore a fixing member for fixing the core member 713 to the upper surface exterior member 711 may not be provided.

[0119] The coin passing opening 712 is formed by a gap between the inclined surface 7131A and the inclined surface 7131B and the upper surface exterior member 711.

[0120] Fig. 17 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cover section 71 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention, and is a top view of the cover section 71 in Fig. 15. Of the cover section 71, an upper surface exterior member 711 is provided along the edge of the opening 424 (Fig. 16) of the container section 42. A coin passing opening 712 is formed by a gap between the upper surface exterior member 711 and inclined surfaces 7131A and 7131B of the core member 713.

[0121] (Core member 713) Next, a core member 713 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0122] Fig. 18 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a core member 713 according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Fig. 18, the core member 713 is shown. The core member 713 is a rectangular prism, and the surface of the core member 713 is composed of an inclined surface 7131A, an inclined surface 7131B, a top surface 7132, a bottom surface 7133, a contact surface 7134A, and a contact surface 7134B. The inclined surface 7131A and the inclined surface 7131B form part of the side surface of the rectangular prism.

[0123] As in this example, the core member 713 may include a pillar. In this case, the side surface of the pillar may function as an inclined surface 7131A and an inclined surface 7131B that guide the coin. Note that the entire core member 713 may be a pillar, or a part of the core member 713 may be a pillar. In other words, the core member 713 may include at least a part of the pillar.

[0124] Furthermore, the contact surface 7134A may be in contact with the upper surface exterior member 711 (FIG. 17) and connected to the upper surface exterior member 711. Similarly, the contact surface 7134B may be in contact with the upper surface exterior member 711 and connected to the upper surface exterior member 711. In such a case, a fixing member for fixing the core member 713 to the upper surface exterior member 711 is not necessary.

[0125] The sixth embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

[0126] (7. Summary) Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to such an example. It is clear that a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention.

[0127] The technology according to the embodiment of the present invention is different from various existing technologies. Specifically, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the inclined surface 4131 of the cover part 41 of the coin insertion part 4 is a side surface of a truncated cone, and the inclined surface 4131 becomes lower from the center to the end. On the other hand, there is an existing technology in which the height of the inclined surface of the cover part of the coin insertion part changes, but the inclined surface generally becomes higher from the center to the end. In this way, the technology according to the embodiment of the present invention and the existing technology are different in the way in which the height of the inclined surface changes. [Explanation of symbols]

[0128] 1, 2 Change machine 20. Cabinet 31, 32 Main body 36 Front upper exterior part 4, 7 Coin slot 41, 61, 71 Cover part 411, 611, 711 Upper exterior parts 412, 612, 712 Coin slot 413, 613, 623, 633, 713 Core material 4131, 6131A~6131D, 7131A, 7131B Slope 414A~414C, 514A, 614A~614D Fixing members 4141, 4142 plane 4143, 5143 central part 4144, 4145, 5144, 4145 End 42 Container section 423 Operating Part 424 Opening 5141, 5142 curved surface 6231 Cone 6331 Square pyramid frustum

Claims

1. A container portion having an opening portion and configured to accommodate a medium introduced into the opening portion; a cover portion provided on the opening portion and having a medium passing port through which the medium passes; Equipped with The cover portion is A first member provided along an edge of the opening; a second member having an inclined surface inclined with respect to a horizontal direction; Equipped with the inclined surface guides the medium into the container by contacting the medium; the medium passage opening is formed by a gap between the inclined surface and the first member. Media input device.

2. The medium input device is an operating unit provided at a bottom of the container unit and configured to carry the medium to the outside of the container unit by performing a predetermined operation while in contact with the medium; The media input device according to claim 1 .

3. The medium input device is a fixing member for fixing the second member to the first member; The media input device according to claim 1 .

4. The upper surface of the fixing member has a flat surface or a curved surface that is continuously lowered from the center to the end portion. The media input device according to claim 3 .

5. the second member includes a frustum-shaped member; The inclined surface is a side surface of the frustum-shaped member. The media input device according to claim 1 .

6. The frustum-shaped member is a truncated cone. The media input device according to claim 5 .

7. The frustum-shaped member is a quadrangular pyramid. The media input device according to claim 5 .

8. a distance between the inclined surface and the first member is equal to or greater than a thickness of the medium; The media input device according to claim 1 .

9. The separation distance is 2.5 cm or less. The media input device according to claim 8.

10. the separation distance is less than three times the thickness of the medium; The media input device according to claim 8.

11. The medium is a coin. The media input device according to claim 1 .

Images