Paper sheet processor and method

Abstract

To provide a paper sheet processor and a method that can efficiently count banknotes even when switchbacks occur.SOLUTION: A money processor 1 includes: a conveyor unit 70 that conveys banknotes B taken in from a banknote deposit port 21; an identification unit 80 that identifies the banknotes B conveyed by the conveyor unit 70; a storage unit 50 that stores the banknotes B according to the identification result of the identification unit 80; a banknote deposit reject port 22, which is the destination for the banknotes B identified by the identification unit 80 as not eligible for storage; and a control unit 90 that controls the conveyor unit 70. When the identification unit 80 identifies at least one of the banknotes B being conveyed as a banknote not eligible for storage, and when the conveyor unit 70 conveys any banknote not eligible for storage for a predetermined distance in a deposit direction D1, the control unit 90 drives the conveyor unit 70 in a reversal direction D2 to perform a switchback process to convey the banknote not eligible for storage being conveyed to a banknote deposit reject port 22 and the banknote eligible for storage being conveyed to the banknote deposit port 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper sheet processing apparatus and method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a paper sheet processing device which, when transporting the denomination of deposited banknotes to a storage section by a transport means, identifies the denomination of the banknotes in two stages, provisionally and finally, and if the provisionally and finally determined denominations match, stores the banknotes in the storage section for the corresponding denomination, and if the provisionally and finally determined denominations do not match, reverses (switches back) the transport means and stores the banknotes in a collection box located upstream from the storage section (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-94665 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the paper sheet processing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the denomination of the following banknote is diagnosed after the preceding banknote has been stored in the storage section or collection box, so there was a problem that if banknotes were frequently switched back to the collection box, the counting time could be prolonged.

[0005] Therefore, even when a switchback occurs, a technical problem arises that must be solved in order to count banknotes efficiently, and an object of the present invention is to solve this problem. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the paper sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a transport unit that transports paper sheets taken in from a deposit port, a recognition unit that identifies the paper sheets transported by the transport unit, a storage unit that stores the paper sheets in accordance with the recognition result of the recognition unit, an evacuation unit to which paper sheets not to be stored, which are paper sheets that the recognition unit has identified as not being able to be stored in the storage unit, are transported, and a control unit that controls the transport unit, and the transport unit is capable of transporting the following paper sheets before the preceding paper sheets are stored in the storage unit, and is also capable of controlling the direction of deposit in which the paper sheets are transported toward the storage unit or the direction of the paper sheets. The conveying direction can be switched to either the deposit port or a reverse direction in which the sheets are conveyed toward the evacuation section, and when the identification section identifies at least one of the sheets being conveyed as a sheet not to be stored and the conveying section conveys any trigger sheet, which is a sheet not to be stored, a predetermined distance in the deposit direction, the control section executes a switchback process in which the conveying section drives the conveying section in the reverse direction to convey the sheet not to be stored being conveyed to the evacuation section, and conveys the sheet to be stored, which is a sheet to be stored being conveyed, to the deposit port.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a paper sheet processing method using a paper sheet processing device including: a transport unit that transports paper sheets taken in from a deposit port; a recognition unit that identifies the paper sheets transported by the transport unit; a storage unit that stores the paper sheets in accordance with the recognition result of the recognition unit; an evacuation unit that is a destination for paper sheets that are not to be stored, i.e., paper sheets that the recognition unit has identified as being unable to be stored in the storage unit; and a control unit that controls the transport unit, wherein the transport unit is capable of transporting subsequent paper sheets before the preceding paper sheets are stored in the storage unit, and is also capable of directing the paper sheets toward the storage unit. a transfer direction that can be switched to either a deposit direction in which the paper sheets are transferred toward the deposit port or the evacuation section, or a reverse direction in which the paper sheets are transferred toward the deposit port or the evacuation section, and when the recognition section has identified at least one of the paper sheets being transferred as a paper sheet not to be stored, and the transfer section has transferred any of the trigger paper sheets that are not to be stored a predetermined distance in the deposit direction, the control section executes a switchback process that drives the transfer section in the reverse direction to transfer the paper sheets not to be stored that are being transferred to the evacuation section, and transfers the paper sheets that the recognition section has identified as being storable, that is, paper sheets to be stored, to the deposit port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The present invention can discharge a plurality of paper sheets that are not to be stored at once, thereby reducing the frequency of switchback processing and enabling efficient counting of paper notes. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a currency handling device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of a currency processing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a currency handling device. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a deposit process and a switchback process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] A currency processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, hereinafter, when referring to the number, numerical value, amount, range, etc. of components, unless otherwise specified or when it is clearly limited to a specific number in principle, the number is not limited to that specific number, and may be more or less than the specific number.

[0011] Furthermore, when referring to the shape or positional relationship of components, etc., it includes things that are substantially similar or approximate to those shapes, etc., unless otherwise specified or when it is clearly considered otherwise in principle.

[0012] In addition, the drawings may exaggerate characteristic parts to make the features easier to understand, and the dimensional proportions of the components may not be the same as in reality. In addition, in cross-sectional views, hatching of some components may be omitted to make the cross-sectional structure of the components easier to understand.

[0013] A currency handling device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the exterior of the currency handling device 1. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the currency handling device 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the currency handling device 1. The currency handling device 1 is placed, for example, around a POS register and is used to deposit sales proceeds, dispense change, etc.

[0014] The currency processing device 1 has a body 2 that is roughly rectangular in shape, and the right side of the page in Figure 1 is the coin processing device 10 that stores deposited coins and dispenses the stored coins as needed, and the left side of the page in Figure 1 is the banknote processing device 20 that stores deposited banknotes and dispenses the stored banknotes as needed.

[0015] The coin processing unit 10 has a coin deposit port 11, into which coins are inserted, provided on the front surface of the machine body 2, and a coin withdrawal port 12, from which stored coins are withdrawn, provided below the coin deposit port 11. The coin withdrawal port 12 also serves as a coin reject port from which rejected coins are dispensed from the machine body 2. The coin processing unit 10 has a known configuration, and therefore a detailed description of the coin processing unit 10 will be omitted.

[0016] The banknote processing unit 20 is provided with a banknote deposit port 21 on the front surface of the machine body 2, into which banknotes are inserted in a stacked state. The banknote deposit port 21 also serves as a banknote withdrawal port for withdrawing banknotes stored in the banknote processing unit 20. The banknote deposit port 21 is provided with a detection sensor (not shown) that detects the presence or absence of banknotes. The banknote processing unit 20 is also provided with a banknote deposit reject port 22 below the banknote deposit port 21 as an evacuation section through which banknotes that cannot be stored in the storage unit 50 (banknotes not to be stored), which will be described later, are fed from within the machine body 2 during deposit processing, and a banknote withdrawal reject port 23 through which banknotes not to be stored are fed from within the machine body 2 during withdrawal processing.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 2, the currency handling apparatus 1 includes a storage unit 50 and a safe 60 each capable of storing banknotes B, and a transport unit 70 that transports banknotes B within the machine body 2.

[0018] The storage unit 50 includes three storage cabinets 51 to 53 arranged in order from the front to the rear of the machine body 2. The storage cabinets 51 to 53 are single-denomination storage stackers that store banknotes B of different denominations. In this embodiment, storage cabinet 51 stores 1,000 yen notes, storage cabinet 52 stores 5,000 yen notes, and storage cabinet 53 stores 10,000 yen notes. The denominations of banknotes B stored in storage cabinets 51 to 53 can be changed as desired, and multiple denominations of banknotes B may be stored in the same stacker, or banknotes B of the same denomination may be stored in multiple stackers. The number of storage cabinets installed in the storage unit 50 is not limited to three, and may be two or less, or four or more.

[0019] The storage cabinets 51 to 53 have the same configuration. Each of the storage cabinets 51 to 53 is formed in a box shape with an opening at the top, and can deliver banknotes B to and from the transport unit 70. The received banknotes B can be stored by being stacked vertically in a horizontal position with the longitudinal direction of the machine body aligned with the left-right direction.

[0020] The safe 60 is provided below the banknote processing unit 20 inside the machine 2. The safe 60 functions as an evacuation unit that can store banknotes that are not to be stored during the deposit process. The safe 60 may be configured to be able to feed banknotes to be deposited by the banknote processing unit 20 to the transport unit 70. If the safe 60 is detachable from the machine 2, it is preferable that a closable shutter is provided at the opening of the safe 60, and that this shutter automatically opens when the safe 60 is attached to the machine 2 and automatically closes when the safe 60 is removed from the machine 2. The number of safes 60 that can be installed can be changed as long as the number required for various processes can be secured.

[0021] The transport unit 70 includes a main transport path 71 connecting the banknote deposit opening 21 and the storage 53, and a feed roller (not shown) that separates banknotes B that have been inserted into the banknote deposit opening 21 in a stack and feeds them one by one to the main transport path 71. The banknotes B are inserted into the banknote deposit opening 21 with their longitudinal direction aligned with the left-right direction of the machine body, and are transported within the machine body 2 while always maintaining this position even after being fed out to the transport unit 70.

[0022] The conveying section 70 also includes a first branch conveying path 72 that branches off from the main conveying path 71 near the storage cabinet 51 and connects to the storage cabinet 51, and a second branch conveying path 73 that branches off from the main conveying path 71 near the storage cabinet 52 and connects to the storage cabinet 52.

[0023] The conveying section 70 also includes a third branch conveying path 74 connecting the main conveying path 71 to the safe 60, a fourth branch conveying path 75 branching off from the third branch conveying path 74 near the banknote deposit reject port 22 and connected to the banknote deposit reject port 22, and a fifth branch conveying path 76 branching off from the third branch conveying path 74 near the banknote withdrawal reject port 23 and connected to the banknote withdrawal reject port 23.

[0024] By opening and closing gates (not shown) provided at the respective branching positions of the transport unit 70, the transport route along which the transport unit 70 transports the banknotes B can be arbitrarily switched.

[0025] Travel sensors 77a to 77g are provided in the transport unit 70. The travel sensors 77a to 77g detect that banknotes B have reached a predetermined detection range. The travel sensors 77a to 77g are, for example, optical sensors or physical sensors.

[0026] Specifically, when travel sensor 77a provided near banknote deposit port 21 detects the arrival of banknote B, it determines that banknote B has been dispensed from or returned to banknote deposit port 21. Furthermore, when travel sensor 77b provided near storage 51 detects the arrival of banknote B, it determines that banknote B has reached the vicinity of storage 51, when travel sensor 77c provided near storage 52 detects the arrival of banknote B, it determines that banknote B has reached the vicinity of storage 52, and when travel sensor 77d provided near storage 53 detects the arrival of banknote B, it determines that banknote B has reached the vicinity of storage 53. Furthermore, when the travel sensor 77e provided near the safe 60 detects the arrival of banknote B, it determines that banknote B has reached the vicinity of the safe 60; when the travel sensor 77f provided near the banknote deposit rejection port 22 detects the arrival of banknote B, it determines that banknote B has reached the vicinity of the banknote deposit rejection port 22; and when the travel sensor 77g provided near the banknote withdrawal rejection port 23 detects the arrival of banknote B, it determines that banknote B has reached the vicinity of the banknote withdrawal rejection port 23.

[0027] Furthermore, the travel sensors 77b to 77d can detect that banknote B has passed through their detection ranges, thereby detecting that banknote B has been stored in storage containers 51 to 53. For example, when the transport unit 70 transports banknote B along the deposit direction B1, and the travel sensor 77b detects the arrival of banknote B and then stops detecting banknote B, the travel sensor 77b considers that banknote B has been stored in storage container 51. Similarly, the travel sensor 77e can detect that banknote B has passed through its detection range, thereby detecting that banknote B has been stored in safe 60.

[0028] The conveying unit 70 is configured such that a conveying roller (not shown) is rotated by the drive of a conveying motor 78, and the conveying direction of banknotes B can be switched between a deposit direction D1 in which the banknotes B are conveyed toward the storage unit 50 and a reverse direction D2 in which the banknotes B are conveyed toward the banknote deposit port 21 or the banknote deposit reject port 22, depending on the rotation direction of the conveying motor 78. An encoder 79 is connected to the conveying motor 78, and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the conveying motor 78. The conveying motor 78 is, for example, a DC brushless motor, an AC motor, or a stepping motor. The conveying speed of the conveying unit 70 may be approximately the same during conveyance in the reverse direction D2 and during conveyance in the deposit direction D1; however, to prevent jams, it is preferable that the conveyance speed during conveyance in the reverse direction D2 be set slower than the conveyance speed during conveyance in the deposit direction D1. Furthermore, when there is no risk of a jam occurring and no recognition process of banknote B is involved, the conveying speed of the conveying section 70 may be set to be faster when conveying in the reverse direction D2 than when conveying in the deposit direction D1.

[0029] The banknote processing unit 20 is equipped with a recognition unit 80 that recognizes banknotes B passing through the main transport path 71. Specifically, when a banknote B passes above the recognition unit 80, the recognition unit 80 recognizes and counts the denomination, authenticity, fitness (presence or absence of folds, cuts, tears, dirt, etc.), and presence or absence of transport abnormalities (presence or absence of skew at a predetermined angle or more, presence or absence of multiple feeds, etc.) of the banknote B. When the recognition unit 80 recognizes a banknote B as a genuine banknote, a proper banknote, and a banknote being transported normally, the recognition unit 80 stores the banknote B in a memory unit 91 (described later) as a banknote to be stored in the storage unit 50, which is a banknote to be stored. When a banknote B is not recognized as a banknote to be stored by the recognition unit 80 and is recognized as unstorable, the recognition unit 80 stores the banknote B in the memory unit 91 as a banknote not to be stored.

[0030] For example, if the denomination of the recognized banknote B is one of three pre-assigned denominations, the recognition unit 80 stores the banknote B in the memory unit 91 as a banknote to be stored. If the denomination of the recognized banknote B is a denomination other than the three pre-assigned denominations, the recognition unit 80 stores the banknote B in the memory unit 91 as a banknote not to be stored. Furthermore, if a specific generation of banknotes is set as the banknote to be fed by the banknote processing unit 20, banknotes of the specific generation are designated as banknotes to be stored, and banknotes of other generations (old notes) are designated as banknotes not to be stored. Furthermore, if the storage vaults 51 to 53 that store the denomination of the banknote B recognized by the recognition unit 80 are full and cannot store the banknote B, the banknote B is stored in the memory unit 91 as a banknote not to be stored.

[0031] The recognition of banknotes B by the recognition unit 80 is not limited to being based on the entire banknote B, but may instead be based on the characteristics of a portion of the banknote B, followed by final recognition based on the characteristics of another portion of the banknote B. This allows the gate switching of the transport unit 70 to be performed early in accordance with the result of the temporary recognition, thereby enabling the banknote processing unit 20 to be made compact. If the result of the temporary recognition differs from the result of the final recognition, the gate switching is performed in accordance with the result of the temporary recognition, and then the transport direction of the transport unit 70 is switched to the reverse direction D2 in accordance with the result of the final recognition, and the banknote B is transported to the banknote deposit reject port 22. The portion of banknote B that forms the basis of temporary recognition may be set to an area ratio of 1 / 2, 1 / 3, or 2 / 3, etc., relative to the entire banknote B. The recognition unit 80 is not limited to a type that performs recognition in two stages, namely, temporary recognition and final recognition, but may also perform recognition only once.

[0032] The operation of the banknote handling unit 20 is controlled by a control unit 90. The control unit 90 controls each of the components that make up the banknote handling unit 20. The control unit 90 is composed of, for example, a CPU, memory, etc. The memory of the control unit 90 includes a storage unit 91 that appropriately updates and records the quantity of banknotes B stored in at least the storage cabinets 51 to 53. The machine 2 is also provided with a display unit 30 such as an LCD screen used to operate the currency handling unit 1, and an input unit 40 through which operation input is made. The machine 2 is also provided with a management unit 3 that controls the operation of the currency handling unit 1 in response to external instructions or input operations via the input unit 40. Note that instead of a configuration in which the management unit 3 controls the entire currency handling unit 1 and the control unit 90 controls the banknote handling unit 20, for example, a configuration in which the entire currency handling unit 1 is controlled by a single control unit may be used.

[0033] Next, the procedure for banknote processing (deposit processing and switchback processing) using the currency handling device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0034] In the deposit process of banknotes B, the banknote processing unit 20 stores the banknotes B inserted into the banknote deposit port 21 in the storage containers 51 to 53 while appropriately performing a switchback process for discharging the banknotes B to the banknote deposit reject port 22.

[0035] Specifically, first, when the control unit 90 receives an input operation to perform a "deposit process" via the input unit 40, the conveyance motor 78 is driven, and the banknote B inserted into the banknote deposit opening 21 is fed from the banknote deposit opening 21 to the main conveyance path 71 and conveyed along the main conveyance path 71 in the deposit direction D1 (step S1). The conveyance unit 70 is configured to be able to convey a subsequent banknote B before the preceding banknote B is conveyed to the storage unit 50, and repeatedly takes in banknotes B in the banknote deposit opening 21 until the travel sensor 77d detects a banknote not to be stored, as will be described later.

[0036] Next, the recognition unit 80 recognizes banknote B (step S2). The recognition result of the recognition unit 80 is stored in the memory unit 91. The control unit 90 also determines the destination of banknote B according to the recognition result of the recognition unit 80. The memory unit 91 stores the recognition result of the recognition unit 80 and the destination of banknote B. The memory unit 91 also stores the current position of banknote B during transport.

[0037] Furthermore, the control unit 90 controls the opening and closing of the gate of the transport unit 70 so that the storage target banknotes are transported in the deposit direction D1 via the main transport path 71 toward the storage containers 51 to 53 corresponding to the denomination, and the non-storage target banknotes are transported in the deposit direction D1 via the main transport path 71 toward the back of the storage containers 51 to 53. The banknotes B transported to the storage containers 51 to 53 corresponding to the denomination are stored in the storage containers 51 to 53. When the travel sensors 77b to 77d detect that the banknotes B have been transported to the storage containers 51 to 53, the control unit 90 increases the number of stored banknotes B in the storage containers 51 to 53 stored in the memory unit 91 by one. Below, an example will be described in which, of three recognized banknotes B located on the deposit direction D1 side of the recognition unit 80 shown in FIG. 2, the two leading banknotes B in the deposit direction D1 are non-storage target banknotes, and the remaining banknote B is a storage target banknote to be stored in the storage container 52. Furthermore, among the non-storage target banknotes, the non-storage target banknote that is the leading banknote in the deposit direction D1 is referred to as a "trigger banknote b."

[0038] Next, if the trigger banknote b does not reach the vicinity of the storage 53, i.e., if the running sensor 77d does not detect the arrival of the trigger banknote b (No in step S3), the control unit 90 determines whether the transportation of all banknotes B on the transport unit 70 has been completed (step S4).

[0039] If the conveyance of all the banknotes B on the conveyance unit 70 has not been completed (No in step S4), the process returns to step S2, and recognition of the banknotes B continues.

[0040] On the other hand, when the transport of all banknotes B on the transport unit 70 has been completed (Yes in step S4), or when the trigger banknote B has reached the vicinity of the storage cabinet 53, i.e., when the travel sensor 77d detects the arrival of the trigger banknote B (Yes in step S3), the control unit 90 stops the transport motor 78 and then determines whether or not it is necessary to reverse the direction in which the banknotes B are being transported (switch back) (step S5).

[0041] If the control unit 90 determines that a switchback is necessary (Yes in step S5), the control unit 90 drives the conveying motor 78 to drive the conveying unit 70 so that the conveying unit 70 conveys (switches back) the banknote B in the inversion direction D2, thereby reversing the direction in which the banknote B is conveyed (step S6).

[0042] The timing of the switchback can be changed arbitrarily, and the farther the transport distance that the trigger banknote b is transported from the recognition unit 80 before the switchback is performed, the more preferable it is, but it is not necessarily limited to when the running sensor 77d detects the trigger banknote b, and it may also be when the running sensor 77b or the running sensor 77c detects the trigger banknote b. Note that the trigger banknote b is not limited to the banknote B that is the leading banknote in the deposit direction D1, but is the banknote not to be stored that is detected earliest by any of the running sensors 77b, 77c, and 77d.

[0043] Furthermore, in order to prevent jamming during conveyance, it is preferable that the switchback be performed at a timing when each banknote B is positioned on a straight portion of the main conveyance path 71.

[0044] The timing of the switchback is not limited to when the travel sensor 77d detects the arrival of the trigger banknote b, but may also be when, for example, the transport distance over which the transport unit 70 has transported the trigger banknote b reaches a predetermined distance (for example, the distance from the recognition unit 80 to the vicinity of the storage 53), as calculated based on the number of pulses in a pulse signal (for example, 4 pulses / mm) output by an encoder 79 that rotates in conjunction with the transport motor 78. Furthermore, in order to prevent jamming during transport from the straight portion of the main transport path 71 to the curved portion leading to the storage 53, the transport distance may be set to a distance equivalent to the straight portion of the main transport path 71 from the recognition unit 80 to just before the storage 53.

[0045] Next, the control unit 90 transports the banknotes B remaining on the main transport path 71 to the banknote deposit port 21 or the banknote deposit reject port 22, depending on the recognition result of the banknotes B stored in the memory unit 91. In other words, if there are banknotes to be stored on the main transport path 71 that should be stored in the storage vault 52, the banknotes to be stored are returned to the banknote deposit port 21 via the main transport path 71. If the travel sensor 77a detects the return of the banknotes to be stored to the banknote deposit port 21, the control unit 90 determines that the banknotes to be stored have been removed from the transport unit 70. In addition, unrecognized banknotes B present on the main transport path 71 are also returned to the banknote deposit port 21 in the same way.

[0046] On the other hand, the two non-storage eligible banknotes present on the main conveyance path 71 are discharged to the banknote deposit reject port 22 via the main conveyance path 71, the third branch conveyance path 74, and the fourth branch conveyance path 75. Then, when the travel sensor 77f detects that the two non-storage eligible banknotes have been stored in the banknote deposit reject port 22, the control unit 90 determines that the non-storage eligible banknotes have been removed from the conveyance unit 70.

[0047] The destination of non-storage eligible banknotes remaining on the main transport path 71 may be set to the safe 60 instead of the banknote deposit reject port 22, or the destination may be switched between the banknote deposit reject port 22 and the safe 60 depending on the recognition result of the non-storage eligible banknote. An example of non-storage eligible banknotes transported to the banknote deposit reject port 22 or the safe 60 will be given below. Banknotes not eligible for storage transported to the banknote deposit reject port 22: Banknotes of unknown denomination, old notes, banknotes with an unspecified front and back, soiled notes (banknotes of known denomination but dirty), damaged notes (banknotes of known denomination but damaged), banknotes of an unspecified denomination - Unacceptable bills delivered to Vault 60: Overflow (such as 1,000 yen bills taken in when storage cabinet 51 is full), bills of non-stacker denominations (bills of denominations other than those assigned to storage cabinets 51 to 53), old bills, soiled bills, damaged bills

[0048] Furthermore, banknotes B that have been identified as banknotes not eligible for storage because their skew angle exceeds a predetermined range may be returned to the banknote deposit slot 21 to eliminate the skewed state, and then may be taken in again.

[0049] Next, the control unit 90 determines whether or not the conveyance (switchback) of all the banknotes B on the conveyance unit 70 has been completed (step S7).

[0050] Specifically, if the switchback of all banknotes B on the conveying section 70 has not been completed, that is, if the running sensor 77a does not detect the return of a banknote to be stored to the banknote deposit port 21, or if the running sensor 77f does not detect the storage of two banknotes not to be stored in the banknote deposit reject port 22 (No in step S7), the switchback of banknotes B continues.

[0051] On the other hand, when the switchback of all banknotes B on the conveying unit 70 is completed, that is, when the running sensor 77a detects the return of a banknote to be stored to the banknote deposit port 21 and the running sensor 77f detects the storage of two banknotes not to be stored in the banknote deposit reject port 22 (Yes in step S7), or when the control unit 90 determines that a switchback is not necessary (No in step S5), the control unit 90 stops the conveying motor 78 and then determines whether or not depositing needs to be resumed (step S8).

[0052] If banknote B is present in the banknote deposit slot 21 (Yes in step S8), the process returns to step S1 and resumes the deposit process for banknote B. On the other hand, if banknote B is not present in the banknote deposit slot 21 (No in step S8), the deposit process for banknote B ends.

[0053] It should be noted that the banknotes B deposited into the currency handling device 1 are not limited to those inserted into the banknote deposit slot 21, but may also be, for example, those stored in the safe 60 and fed out to the transport section 70.

[0054] When banknotes B stored in the safe 60 are replenished to the banknote processing section 20, in the switchback process, banknotes not to be stored remaining in the main transport path 71 are discharged to at least one of the banknote deposit port 21 or the banknote deposit reject port 22. For example, since the number of banknotes stored in the banknote deposit port 21 is greater than the number of banknotes stored in the banknote deposit reject port 22, the banknotes B stored in the safe 60 can be efficiently replenished by transporting the banknotes not to be stored to the banknote deposit port 21. Note that if the number of banknotes stored in the banknote deposit port 21 has reached its upper limit, the banknotes not to be stored may be transported to the banknote deposit reject port 22.

[0055] In this way, the currency handling apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a transport unit 70 that transports banknotes B taken in from the banknote deposit opening 21, a recognition unit 80 that identifies banknotes B transported by the transport unit 70, a storage unit 50 that stores banknotes B in accordance with the recognition result of the recognition unit 80, a banknote deposit reject opening 22 to which banknotes not to be stored that are identified by the recognition unit 80 as not being able to be stored in the storage unit 50 are transported, and a control unit 90 that controls the transport unit 70. The transport unit 70 is capable of transporting a succeeding banknote B before the preceding banknote B is stored in the storage unit 50, and is also capable of transporting a banknote B toward the storage unit 50. The conveying direction can be switched to either direction D1 or a reverse direction D2 in which banknote B is conveyed toward the banknote deposit port 21 or the banknote deposit reject port 22, and when the recognition unit 80 identifies at least one of the banknotes B being conveyed as a banknote not eligible for storage that cannot be stored in the storage unit 50, the control unit 90 is configured to drive the conveying unit 70 in the reverse direction D2 when the conveying unit 70 conveys the trigger banknote b a predetermined distance in the deposit direction D1, thereby executing a switchback process in which the banknote not eligible for storage being conveyed is conveyed toward the banknote deposit reject port 22 and the banknote eligible for storage being conveyed is conveyed toward the banknote deposit port 21.

[0056] According to this configuration, while non-storage eligible banknotes are transported a predetermined distance in the deposit direction D1, the recognition unit 80 identifies the following banknotes, and when the switchback process is executed, non-storage eligible banknotes being transported are transported to the banknote deposit reject port 22, and storage eligible banknotes being transported are transported to the banknote deposit port 21.As a result, in cases where banknotes B are continuously deposited even though the storage unit 50 is full, or where banknotes B of a denomination not eligible for storage in the storage unit 50 are continuously deposited, multiple non-storage eligible banknotes can be discharged all at once to the banknote deposit reject port 22, compared to discharging multiple non-storage eligible banknotes one by one to the banknote deposit reject port 22.This reduces the frequency of switchback processes and enables banknote counting to be performed efficiently.

[0057] The banknote processing method according to this embodiment is a banknote processing method using a currency handling apparatus 1 that includes a transport unit 70 that transports banknotes B taken in from the banknote deposit opening 21, a recognition unit 80 that identifies banknotes B transported by the transport unit 70, a storage unit 50 that stores banknotes B in accordance with the recognition result of the recognition unit 80, a banknote deposit reject opening 22 to which banknotes not to be stored that are identified by the recognition unit 80 as not being able to be stored in the storage unit 50 are transported, and a control unit 90 that controls the transport unit 70, and the transport unit 70 is capable of transporting a succeeding banknote B before the preceding banknote B is stored in the storage unit 50, and is also capable of directing the banknote B toward the storage unit 50. The conveying direction can be switched to either a deposit direction D1 in which banknotes B are conveyed by the recognition unit 80 or a reverse direction D2 in which banknotes B are conveyed toward the banknote deposit port 21 or the banknote deposit reject port 22, and when the recognition unit 80 identifies at least one of the banknotes B being conveyed as a banknote not to be stored that cannot be stored in the storage unit 50, and when the conveying unit 70 conveys the trigger banknote b a predetermined distance in the deposit direction D1, the control unit 90 executes a switchback process to drive the conveying unit 70 in the reverse direction D2 to convey the banknote not to be stored being conveyed to the banknote deposit reject port 22 and convey the banknote to be stored being conveyed to the banknote deposit port 21.

[0058] According to this configuration, while non-storage eligible banknotes are transported a predetermined distance in the deposit direction D1, the recognition unit 80 recognizes the following banknotes, and when the switchback process is executed, non-storage eligible banknotes being transported are transported to the banknote deposit reject port 22, and storage eligible banknotes being transported are transported to the banknote deposit reject port 21.As a result, compared to when non-storage eligible banknotes are immediately discharged to the banknote deposit reject port 22, multiple non-storage eligible banknotes can be discharged all at once to the banknote deposit reject port 22, thereby reducing the frequency of switchback processes and enabling banknote counting to be carried out efficiently.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and it goes without saying that the present invention also covers such modifications.

[0060] For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which, at the start of the switchback process, two banknotes not to be stored may be present on the main conveying path 71 and one banknote to be stored may be present on the main conveying path 71, but the combination and number of banknotes B present on the main conveying path 71 at the start of the switchback process are not limited to this.

[0061] Furthermore, the switchback process is not limited to being performed together with the deposit process, but may also be performed together with a banknote replenishment process or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1: Currency processing equipment 20: banknote processing unit, 21: banknote deposit port, 22: banknote deposit reject port (evacuation section), 23: banknote withdrawal reject port 50: Storage area, 51-53: Storage room 60: Safe (evacuation area) 70: conveying section, 71: main conveying path, 72: first branch conveying path, 73: second branch conveying path, 74: third branch conveying path, 75: fourth branch conveying path, 76: fifth branch conveying path, 77a to 77g: travel sensors, 78: conveying motor, 79: encoder (conveying distance detection section) 80: Identification unit 90: control unit, 91: storage unit B: banknote, b: trigger banknote

Claims

1. A conveying unit that conveys paper sheets received from the deposit port; a recognition unit that recognizes the paper sheets transported by the transport unit; a storage unit that stores the paper sheets according to a recognition result of the recognition unit; an evacuation section to which non-storage target paper sheets, which are the paper sheets that the recognition section has identified as being unable to be stored in the storage section, are transported; A control unit that controls the transport unit; Equipped with the conveying unit is capable of conveying the succeeding paper sheet before the preceding paper sheet is stored in the storage unit, and the conveying direction is switchable between a deposit direction in which the paper sheet is conveyed toward the storage unit or a reverse direction in which the paper sheet is conveyed toward the deposit port or the evacuation unit, The control unit, when the recognition unit identifies at least one of the paper sheets being transported as a paper sheet not to be stored, and when the transport unit transports a trigger paper sheet, which is any of the paper sheets not to be stored, a predetermined distance in the deposit direction, drives the transport unit in the reversing direction to transport the paper sheets not to be stored being transported to the evacuation unit, and performs a switchback process to transport paper sheets to be stored, which are the paper sheets being transported and which the recognition unit has identified as being able to be stored, to the deposit port.

2. the conveying unit includes a travel sensor that detects that the paper sheet has reached the vicinity of the storage unit, 2. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, during the switchback process, when the travel sensor detects that the trigger paper sheet has reached the vicinity of the storage unit, the control unit drives the conveying unit in the inversion direction.

3. the conveying unit includes a conveying distance detection unit capable of detecting a distance conveyed by the paper sheet on the conveying unit, 2. The paper sheet processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, during the switchback process, when the transport distance of the trigger paper sheet detected by the transport distance detection unit reaches a predetermined distance from the recognition unit to the vicinity of the storage unit, the control unit drives the transport unit in the inversion direction.

4. The storage unit includes a plurality of stackers arranged along the deposit direction, The paper sheet processing device according to claim 1, characterized in that, during the switchback process, when the trigger paper sheet is transported near any one of the multiple stackers, the control unit drives the transport unit in the reversal direction to transport all of the paper sheets being transported to the evacuation unit or the deposit port.

5. the evacuation section is a cassette capable of storing the paper sheets, The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit causes the paper sheets not to be stored to be transported to the cassette in the switchback process.

6. The paper sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the cassette is configured to be able to feed the paper sheets stored in the cassette to the transport section.

7. A conveying unit that conveys paper sheets received from the deposit port; a recognition unit that recognizes the paper sheets transported by the transport unit; a storage unit that stores the paper sheets according to a recognition result of the recognition unit; an evacuation section to which non-storage target paper sheets, which are the paper sheets that the recognition section has identified as being unable to be stored in the storage section, are transported; A control unit that controls the transport unit; A paper sheet processing method using a paper sheet processing apparatus comprising: the conveying unit is capable of conveying the succeeding paper sheet before the preceding paper sheet is stored in the storage unit, and the conveying direction is switchable between a deposit direction in which the paper sheet is conveyed toward the storage unit or a reverse direction in which the paper sheet is conveyed toward the deposit port or the evacuation unit, A paper sheet processing method characterized in that, when the identification unit identifies at least one of the paper sheets being transported as a paper sheet not to be stored, and the transport unit transports a trigger paper sheet, which is any of the paper sheets not to be stored, a predetermined distance in the deposit direction, a switchback process is executed by the control unit to drive the transport unit in the reverse direction to transport the paper sheets not to be stored being transported to the evacuation unit, and to transport paper sheets to be stored, which are the paper sheets being transported and which the identification unit has identified as being able to be stored, to the deposit port.

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