Coin processing device and automatic transaction device

Abstract

To stably convey a coin.SOLUTION: A coin processing device 10 includes: a recognition conveyance part 16 that conveys a coin CN along a recognition conveyance part conveyance direction Dd; a pin belt conveyance part 18 having a conveyance belt 48 that runs in a pin belt conveyance part conveyance direction Dp and a conveyance pin 50 fixed to the conveyance belt 48 to come into contact with the coin CN and that conveys the coin CN delivered from the recognition conveyance part 16; and a delivery part 17 in which a groove part 68 is formed which is provided at a position where the recognition conveyance part 16 and the pin belt conveyance part 18 are connected, which has a predetermined width in a conveyance width direction orthogonal to the pin belt conveyance part conveyance direction Dp, and passes the conveyance pin 50 to restrict a moving path of the conveyance pin 50. The groove part 68 is formed so as to have a downstream side end in the recognition conveyance part conveyance direction Dd splayed relative to an upstream side end, so that a width of at least a portion related to the pin belt conveyance part conveyance direction Dp is wider than a width of another portion related to the pin belt conveyance part conveyance direction Dp.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a coin processing device and an automatic transaction device, and is suitably applied to, for example, an automatic teller machine (ATM) which allows a customer to insert bills and coins and performs a desired transaction. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, automated teller machines used in financial institutions, supermarkets, and the like have been widely used to allow customers or store clerks to deposit cash, such as bills and coins, and to dispense cash to customers or store clerks depending on the content of a transaction with a customer.

[0003] Some of these automated teller machines and the like have a coin processing device inside that processes coins, for example. The coin processing device has, for example, a deposit / withdrawal section that receives and delivers coins to and from customers or store clerks, a separation section that accumulates coins and separates and pays out the accumulated coins one by one, a transport section that transports the coins, a recognition section that identifies the denomination and authenticity of the coins, a storage section that stores the coins by denomination, and the like (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-86654 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In such coin processing devices, it is desirable to transport coins stably.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to provide a coin processing device and an automatic transaction device that are capable of transporting coins stably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve this problem, the coin processing device of the present invention is provided with a conveying section which conveys coins along the conveying section conveying direction, a belt which runs in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction, and pins which are fixed to the belt and contact the coins, and which conveys coins handed over from the conveying section, and a delivery section which is provided at the connection point between the conveying section and the pin belt conveying section and has a groove portion which has a predetermined width in the conveying width direction perpendicular to the pin belt conveying section conveying direction and which regulates the movement path of the pin by allowing the pin to pass through, and the groove portion is formed so that the downstream end of the groove portion in the conveying section conveying direction is wider than the upstream end thereof, so that at least a portion of the width in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction is wider than the width of other portions in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction.

[0008] The automatic transaction apparatus of the present invention is provided with an operation unit that accepts operations from a user, and the coin processing apparatus described above.

[0009] When a coin transferred from the conveying section to the delivery section collides with a pin, the present invention moves the pin to a wider part of the groove, thereby removing it from the coin's travel path and allowing the coin to continue traveling. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, when a coin transferred from the transport section to the delivery section collides with a pin, the pin is moved to a wider section in the groove section to move it away from the coin's travel path, allowing the coin to continue traveling, thereby realizing a coin processing device and an automatic transaction device that can transport coins stably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an external configuration of an automated teller machine. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the internal configuration of the coin processing device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the configuration of the pin belt conveying unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the configuration (1) of the transfer section and the pin belt transport section. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 4, showing how coins are transported in the delivery section. FIG. [Figure 6] 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4; FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. 4; and FIG. 5C is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a right side view showing the configuration of the pin belt guide. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a right side view showing the area in which the chamfered portion is formed. [Figure 9] 13 is a right side view showing a state when the coin collides with the transport pin. FIG. [Figure 10] 13 is a right side view showing the state in which the transport pin retracts when a coin collides with the transport pin. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line EE in FIG. 10, illustrating how the transport pins are retracted when a coin collides with the transport pins. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a right side view showing the movement of the coin after it collides with the transport pin. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a right side view showing a state in which a coin collides with a transport pin in the pin belt guide of the comparative example. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a right side view showing the configuration (1) of a pin belt guide according to another embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a right side view showing the configuration (2) of a pin belt guide according to another embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a right side view showing a pin belt guide configuration (3) according to another embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a right side view showing a pin belt guide configuration (4) according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, modes for carrying out the invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] [1. Overall structure of an automated teller machine] As shown in FIG. 1, an automated teller machine 1 is composed mainly of a box-shaped housing 2 and is installed, for example, in financial institutions and various commercial facilities, and carries out cash-related transactions, such as deposit and withdrawal processes, between the machine and users (i.e., customers of financial institutions or commercial facilities).

[0014] The housing 2 has a reception unit 3 provided at the front where a user can easily insert bills or coins and operate the touch panel while facing the reception unit 3. The reception unit 3 is provided with a card slot 4, a coin slot 5, an operation display unit 6, a numeric keypad 7, and a receipt issuing port 8, and is used to directly exchange cash, cards, etc. with the user, as well as to notify the user of transaction-related information and accept operation instructions.

[0015] The card slot 4 is a section where various cards such as cash cards are inserted or ejected. At the rear of the card slot 4, there is provided a card processing section (not shown) that reads account numbers and the like magnetically recorded on various cards. The coin slot 5 is a section where coins to be deposited by users are inserted and where coins to be dispensed to users are ejected. The coin slot 5 is opened or closed by driving a shutter. Incidentally, the reception area 3 is also provided with a banknote slot (not shown) where banknotes to be deposited by users are inserted and where banknotes to be dispensed to the users are ejected.

[0016] The operation display unit 6 is a touch panel that integrates a liquid crystal display panel that displays the operation screen and transaction details during a transaction, and a touch sensor that detects input operations by the user. The numeric keypad 7 is a physical key that accepts input of numbers from "0" to "9", and is used when inputting a PIN number, transaction amount, etc. The receipt issuing port 8 is a section that issues a receipt with transaction details, etc. printed on it when the transaction process is completed.

[0017] In the following, the side of the automated teller machine 1 that a user faces will be referred to as the front side, and the opposite side will be referred to as the rear side, and the left and right sides as seen from a user facing the front side will be referred to as the left side and right side, respectively, and upper and lower sides will be further defined and explained.

[0018] Inside the housing 2, there are provided a main control unit 9 which controls the entire automated teller machine 1, a coin processing device 10 which performs various processes related to coins which are the subject of transactions, and a banknote processing device (not shown) which performs various processes related to banknotes. The main control unit 9 is mainly composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown), and performs various processes such as deposit processing and withdrawal processing by reading and executing predetermined programs from a ROM (Read Only Memory) or flash memory (not shown). The main control unit 9 also has an internal storage unit made up of a RAM (Random Access Memory), a hard disk drive, a flash memory, etc., and stores various information in this storage unit.

[0019] [2. Overall configuration of coin processing device] As shown in the schematic right side view of FIG. 2, the coin processing device 10 has a plurality of parts for performing various processes related to coins built into the coin processing device housing 11. The coins are made of various materials having sufficient strength, such as an alloy of copper and nickel, or aluminum, and are formed into a thin disk shape. Hereinafter, among the coins handled by the coin processing device 10, the coin with the largest diameter is also referred to as the maximum diameter coin, the coin with the smallest diameter is also referred to as the minimum diameter coin, the coin with the thickest thickness is also referred to as the maximum thickness coin, and the coin with the thinnest thickness is also referred to as the minimum thickness coin. In the coin processing device 10 arranged in Japan, the maximum diameter coin and the maximum thickness coin are 500 yen coins, and the minimum diameter coin and the minimum thickness coin are 1 yen coins.

[0020] Inside the coin processing device housing 11, provided relatively on the upper side or near the center are a deposit / withdrawal section 13, a chute section 14, an upper separation section 15, a recognition and transport section 16, a delivery section 17, a pin belt transport section 18, six stacker sections 21, a withdrawal transport section 22, and a temporary holding section 23. Also, inside the coin processing device housing 11, provided relatively on the lower side are a coin control section 12, a replenishment recovery storehouse 24, a first replenishment reject storehouse 25, a second replenishment reject storehouse 26, a reject storehouse 27, a forgotten coin take-in storehouse 28, and a lower separation section 29.

[0021] The coin control unit 12, like the main control unit 9, is configured around a CPU (not shown), and performs various processes related to deposit transactions, withdrawal transactions, etc. by reading and executing predetermined programs from a ROM, flash memory, etc. (not shown), thereby providing overall control of the coin processing device 10. The coin control unit 12 also has an internal memory unit consisting of a RAM, flash memory, etc., and stores various information in this memory unit.

[0022] [2-1. Configuration of the deposit / withdrawal section, chute section and upper separation section] The deposit / withdrawal unit 13 receives and delivers coins to and from a user, thereby allowing the user to deposit or withdraw coins. When a user inserts a coin into the deposit / withdrawal unit 13, the deposit / withdrawal unit 13 delivers the inserted coin to the chute unit 14 and causes the coin to descend inside the chute unit 14 and reach an upper separation unit 15 provided below the chute unit 14. When coins are transported from the pin belt transport unit 18, the deposit / withdrawal unit 13 accumulates the coin and then allows the user to receive it.

[0023] The upper separation section 15 is composed of an accumulation / separation section 15A, which is a portion occupying a relatively large volume on the lower side, and a separation / transport section 15B formed so as to protrude upward from the accumulation / separation section 15A. The upper separation section 15 accumulates coins in the accumulation / separation section 15A, separates the coins one by one, transports them upward by the separation / transport section 15B, and further transports them backward along the transport path to the recognition / transport section 16.

[0024] [2-2. Configuration of the recognition and transport section and the delivery section] The recognition and conveying section 16 is located on the right side of the chute section 14, and as shown in Fig. 4, is mainly composed of a recognition and conveying section conveying guide 37 and a pressure-contact belt 38. Of these, the recognition and conveying section conveying guide 37 is composed of a pressure-contact guide plate 39 and a peripheral side guide plate 40.

[0025] The pressure guide plate 39 is formed in a plate shape that is long in the front-rear direction, short in the up-down direction, and thin in the left-right direction in the recognition and conveyance section 16, and a pressure guide surface 39S is formed on the right side of the pressure guide plate 39. This pressure guide plate 39 abuts against the plate surface of the coin CN by the pressure guide surface 39S.

[0026] A peripheral side guide plate 40 is provided below the pressure guide plate 39. The peripheral side guide plate 40 protrudes to the right from the pressure guide surface 39S, and its upper surface (the surface on the pressure guide surface 39S side) is a peripheral side guide surface 40S that is inclined slightly backward (for example, about 10 degrees) from the horizontal direction, and the peripheral side guide surface 40S abuts against the peripheral side of the coin CN. The rear end of the peripheral side guide plate 40 is connected to a front auxiliary guide plate 44 (described later) in the conveying guide 42 of the pin belt conveying unit 18.

[0027] The recognition conveyance section 16 is connected to the pin belt conveyance section 18 at the delivery section 17 so as to be almost perpendicular to the pin belt conveyance section 18. Therefore, the connection point 41 (FIG. 7) between the circumferential side guide plate 40 and the front auxiliary guide plate 44 of the conveyance guide 42 is bent at almost a right angle. The pressure contact guide surface 39S forms a plane that is almost continuous with the delivery conveyance surface 58S in the delivery conveyance section 54 (FIG. 5). Furthermore, the front auxiliary guide plate 44 (FIG. 7) in the front pin belt conveyance section 18F is formed below the connection point 41 of the circumferential side guide surface 40S of the recognition conveyance section 16, and is not formed above the connection point 41. Therefore, the recognition conveyance section 16 can deliver the coin in a state of being pressed against the pressure contact guide surface 39S to the delivery section 17.

[0028] The pressure contact belt 38 (FIG. 4) is made of a flexible material, and when a driving force is transmitted from a belt motor (not shown) that drives the pin belt conveyor 18, at least a portion of the pressure contact belt 38 runs to the right of the pressure contact guide surface 39S.

[0029] In this configuration, when a coin CN is conveyed by the separation conveying section 15B of the upper separation section 15, the recognition conveying section 16 sandwiches the coin between the pressure belt 38 and the pressure guide surface 39S, and conveys the coin CN along the pressure guide surface 39S in the recognition conveying section conveying direction Dd, which is the conveying section conveying direction that descends backward, while abutting the coin CN against the peripheral side guide surface 40S and sliding on the pressure guide surface 39S as the pressure belt 38 travels. When the coin CN eventually reaches the right side of the imaging section (not shown), the recognition conveying section 16 images the coin CN using the imaging section to generate an image signal, which is supplied to the coin control section 12 (FIG. 2), and conveys the coin CN backward by the continuing travel of the pressure belt 38, and delivers it to the delivery section 17 on the rear side. The coin control section 12 recognizes the denomination, authenticity, or degree of damage of the coin CN based on the obtained image signal, and judges whether the coin CN is usable or not.

[0030] The delivery unit 17 (FIG. 2) is located between the recognition and transport unit 16 on the front side and the pin belt transport unit 18 on the rear side, and advances the coins diagonally downward and rearward using a transport guide. As a result, the delivery unit 17 positions the coins received from the recognition and transport unit 16 on the coin transport path of the pin belt transport unit 18 and delivers them to the pin belt transport unit 18. At this time, the delivery unit 17 delivers the coins one by one. In other words, the delivery unit 17 delivers the coins recognized one by one in the recognition and transport unit 16 to the pin belt transport unit 18 in sequence, while maintaining the state in which they were separated one by one and while maintaining the order in which they were received.

[0031] [2-3. Configuration of pin belt conveyor] As shown in Fig. 3, which is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 2, the pin belt conveying section 18 is disposed so as to surround the front lower portion, lower portion, rear portion, and upper portion of the stacker section 21. For convenience of explanation, the front lower portion, lower portion, rear portion, and upper portion of the pin belt conveying section 18 are hereinafter referred to as the front pin belt conveying section 18F, the lower pin belt conveying section 18D, the rear pin belt conveying section 18B, and the upper pin belt conveying section 18U, respectively. Of these, most of the lower pin belt conveying section 18D is located on the left side of the dispensing conveying section 22 and the temporary holding section 23, as shown in Fig. 2. Moreover, the upper pin belt conveying section 18U is bent obliquely downward toward the front near the front end, and is connected to the deposit / withdrawal section 13 (Fig. 2) as described above.

[0032] The pin belt conveying section 18 is broadly composed of a conveying guide 42 and a pin belt 46. Of these, the conveying guide 42 is composed of a main guide plate 43, a sub-guide plate 44, and a groove portion 45, as shown in FIG. 6(A). Here, as shown in FIG. 6(A), the front pin belt conveying section 18F will be described as an example. Note that FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a portion not including the conveying pin 50 in FIG. 4, but FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view including the conveying pin 50 for convenience of explanation. Also, in FIG. 6, for convenience of explanation, the coin CN is virtually illustrated by a dashed line.

[0033] The main guide plate 43 is formed in the front pin belt conveying section 18F as a plate long in the vertical direction, short in the front-rear direction, and thin in the left-right direction, and the conveying surface 42S, which is the right side surface, is an inclined surface with the upper side slightly tilted to the left. This main guide plate 43 abuts against the plate surface of the coin CN by the conveying surface 42S.

[0034] Auxiliary guide plates 44 are provided on the front and rear sides of the main guide plate 43. The auxiliary guide plate 44 protrudes to the right from the conveying surface 42S, and restricts the movement range of the coin CN in the front-rear direction by the coin peripheral side abutment surface 44S, which is its inner surface (the surface on the conveying surface 42S side). This allows the conveying guide 42 to guide the coin CN in the up-down direction in the front pin belt conveying section 18F.

[0035] Of the pin belt conveying section 18 (FIG. 3), the lower pin belt conveying section 18D and the upper pin belt conveying section 18U guide coins in the front-rear direction. On the other hand, the front pin belt conveying section 18F and the rear pin belt conveying section 18B of the pin belt conveying section 18 guide coins generally in the up-down direction. Incidentally, in the lower pin belt conveying section 18D, the rear pin belt conveying section 18B and the upper pin belt conveying section 18U, the conveying surface 42S of the main guide plate 43 is located on the same plane as the conveying surface 42S in the front pin belt conveying section 18F, and each is an inclined surface with the upper portion tilted to the left.

[0036] The pin belt 46 (Figs. 4 and 5) is composed of a conveyor belt 48 and a plurality of conveyor pin pairs 49. The conveyor belt 48 is formed in a circular shape from a flexible material. Meanwhile, a plurality of pulleys 51 (Fig. 3) are rotatably provided on the coin processing device housing 11 (Fig. 2), mainly near the points where the conveyor guide 42 bends. The conveyor belt 48 is stretched so as to connect each pulley 51 in sequence, and is therefore located slightly to the right of approximately the center in the front-to-rear direction on the conveyor surface 42S (Fig. 6(A)).

[0037] The conveyor belt 48 (FIG. 6(A)) has a rectangular cross section, and its short side is substantially parallel to the conveyor surface 42S of the main guide plate 43. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, conveyor pin pairs 49 are fixed to the conveyor belt 48 at equal intervals along the conveyor direction. Each conveyor pin pair 49 is composed of one push pin 50P located on the upstream side in the conveyor direction and one regulating pin 50R arranged downstream of the push pin 50P in the conveyor direction at a predetermined push pin regulating pin interval. That is, the push pin 50P of the conveyor pin pair 49 on the upstream side in the conveyor direction and the push pin 50P of the conveyor pin pair 49 arranged downstream of the push pin 50P of the conveyor pin pair 49 at a predetermined push pin interval are fixed to the conveyor belt 48 at equal intervals along the conveyor direction.

[0038] The push pin 50P (FIG. 6(A)) is an elongated cylinder whose left end is generally aligned along the normal line of the conveying surface 42S. A plurality of push pins 50P are fixed to the conveying belt 48 along the conveying direction, and adjacent push pins 50P are equally spaced along the conveying direction. The push pins 50P protrude from the conveying belt 48 toward the conveying surface 42S so as to be perpendicular to the conveying surface 42S. The push pins 50P overlap the conveying surface 42S by entering the conveying surface 42S with their left end. The push pins 50P are arranged so that the push pin interval, which is the interval along the conveying direction, is the minimum interval at which the coin CN can be delivered to the pin belt conveying unit 18 at the delivery unit 17, even if the coin CN is continuously conveyed from the recognition and conveying unit 16 at a constant speed. The push pins 50P move the coin CN by pushing the upstream side of the coin CN in the conveying direction toward the downstream side in the conveying direction with their left end close to the conveying surface 42S.

[0039] The regulating pins 50R (FIG. 5) are substantially cylindrical, and a plurality of them are fixed to the conveyor belt 48 along the conveying direction, and the intervals between adjacent regulating pins 50R along the conveying direction are equal. The regulating pins 50R are shorter in length than the pushing pins 50P. The regulating pins 50R are arranged so that the pushing pin-regulating pin interval, which is the interval between the pushing pins 50P in the same conveying pin pair 49 along the conveying direction, is slightly wider than the maximum coin diameter, which is the diameter of the maximum diameter coin. The left end of the regulating pin 50R, which is close to the conveying surface 42S, abuts on the downstream side of the coin CN in the conveying direction, thereby regulating the coin CN pushed by the pushing pin 50P from jumping out downstream in the conveying direction. Hereinafter, the pushing pins 50P and the regulating pins 50R are collectively referred to as conveying pins 50.

[0040] In this manner, the pin belt transport unit 18 regulates and moves the coins CN using a set of transport pin pairs 49 consisting of two types of transport pins 50: a pushing pin 50P and a regulating pin 50R that is shorter in length than the pushing pin 50P.

[0041] A groove 45 is formed in the main guide plate 43 (FIG. 6(A)) at approximately the center in the front-rear direction, where a part of the conveying surface 42S is recessed to the left. This groove 45 is formed along the travel path of the pin belt 46. The groove width (i.e., the length in the front-rear direction) and depth (the length from the conveying surface 42S to the bottom surface) of the groove 45 are appropriately set so as to form a sufficient gap between the conveying pin 50 and the groove 45.

[0042] With this configuration, when a driving force is transmitted from a belt motor (not shown) to one of the pulleys 51, the pin belt conveying unit 18 (FIG. 3) rotates the pulley 51 counterclockwise as viewed from the right side, and accordingly causes the pin belt 46 to run counterclockwise in FIG. 3, i.e., in the direction indicated by the arrow E. Accordingly, the pin belt conveying unit 18 applies a force to the coin CN in the conveying direction by the push pin 50P while the coin CN's face (i.e., left side face) is leaned against the conveying surface 42S of the conveying guide 42, and causes the coin CN to proceed (i.e., convey) along the conveying guide 42. Hereinafter, the method of conveying the coin CN in the pin belt conveying unit 18 is also referred to as pin conveying. Incidentally, the pin belt conveying unit 18 is structured such that the pin belt 46 cannot run in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3.

[0043] When the pin belt transport unit 18 receives a coin CN from the delivery unit 17, it advances the coin CN downward along the front pin belt transport unit 18F, and further advances it backward along the lower pin belt transport unit 18D. Next, the pin belt transport unit 18 advances the coin CN upward along the rear pin belt transport unit 18B, and further advances it forward along the upper pin belt transport unit 18U, and then advances it to the deposit / withdrawal unit 13.

[0044] That is, the pin belt conveying unit 18 conveys the coins CN handed over from the recognition conveying unit 16 (Figure 2) via the delivery unit 17 to the deposit / withdrawal unit 13 along the conveying path W, which is formed in a roughly circular shape, so as to circle around the stacker unit 21.

[0045] In addition to this configuration, the pin belt transport unit 18 is provided with six branching sections. These branching sections are composed of a front auxiliary branching section capable of switching the destination of the coin CN traveling on the pin belt transport unit 18 to the replenishment recovery box 24, a front reject branching section capable of switching to the first replenishment reject box 25 or the second replenishment reject box 26, a temporary storage branching section capable of switching to the temporary storage unit 23, a rear first reject branching section capable of switching to the reject box 27, a rear second reject branching section capable of switching to the forgotten coin take-in box 28, and a rear auxiliary branching section capable of switching to the replenishment recovery box 24 when the replenishment recovery box 24 is attached to the rear side of the coin processing device housing 11.

[0046] Each branching section rotates a branching plate (not shown) based on the control of the coin control section 12 to switch between allowing the coin CN to continue traveling along the pin belt conveying section 18 or branching the coin CN from the pin belt conveying section 18 and traveling to its respective destination.

[0047] Furthermore, the pin belt conveying unit 18 is provided with stacker branching units at six locations above the six stacker units 21. Each stacker branching unit is configured by rotating the front auxiliary branching unit 90 degrees clockwise to match the direction of the conveying path. A guide unit 31 that guides the coin CN to the stacker unit 21 is provided on the left side of the stacker branching unit. Each stacker branching unit switches between continuing to advance the coin CN along the pin belt conveying unit 18 or branching the coin CN from the pin belt conveying unit 18 to advance to each stacker unit 21 by rotating a branching plate based on the control of the coin control unit 12.

[0048] In this way, the pin belt conveying unit 18 conveys the coin CN handed over from the recognition conveying unit 16 via the delivery unit 17 along the conveying path W, and branches the conveying path W of the coin CN appropriately at a branching unit or a stacker branching unit to allow the coin CN to proceed to the replenishment collection storehouse 24, the stacker unit 21, etc., or to the deposit / withdrawal unit 13.

[0049] [2-4. Configuration of the stacker section, dispensing transport section and temporary storage section] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the coin processing device 10 has six stacker units 21 (21A, 21B, 21C, 21D, 21E, and 21F) aligned along the front-rear direction. Each stacker unit 21 is associated with a coin CN of a predetermined denomination. This stacker unit 21 is roughly divided into a stacking unit 32 that occupies most of the stacker unit 21 below the guide unit 31, and a payout unit 34 provided below the stacking unit 32.

[0050] The accumulating unit 32 has a cylindrical accumulating tube 33 that accumulates coins CN in the vertical direction so that the coins CN are stacked one after another with their plate surfaces in a substantially horizontal position. Incidentally, the accumulating unit 32 is provided with three accumulating tubes 33, which can be moved in a horizontal plane. The guide unit 31 guides the coin CN delivered from the stacker branch unit to the vicinity of the upper end of the accumulating tube 33, and places it above other coins CN already accumulated in the accumulating tube 33.

[0051] The payout unit 34 pays out the lowest coin CN among the coins CN accumulated in the accumulation tube 33 near the bottom end of the accumulation tube 33. Specifically, the payout unit 34 constitutes a transport mechanism consisting of a combination of a belt and pulleys from directly below the accumulation tube 33 to the right side, and by running the upper surface of this belt toward the right, the lowest coin CN accumulated in the accumulation tube 33 is transported and paid out to the right.

[0052] Here, the stacker unit 21 is located almost directly above the lower pin belt conveying unit 18D. Also, the right end of the belt of the pay-out unit 34 in the stacker unit 21 is located directly above the dispensing conveying unit 22, that is, to the right of the lower pin belt conveying unit 18D. Therefore, the coins CN paid out from the stacker unit 21 fall into the dispensing conveying unit 22 or the temporary holding unit 23 without falling into the lower pin belt conveying unit 18D.

[0053] The dispensing conveying section 22 is located on the lower right side of the four stacker sections 21 from the rear, that is, the stacker sections 21C to 21F. The dispensing conveying section 22 is shaped like a hollow rectangular parallelepiped with the top and front open, and forms a space inside in which coins can be stored. In addition, pulleys are arranged near the left end and the right end of the bottom of the dispensing conveying section 22, and a belt is stretched around them. That is, the dispensing conveying section 22 has side plates arranged on the left and right, and the upper surface of the belt arranged at the lower part between them forms the bottom surface of the space formed inside. When coins CN drop from the upper stacker section 21, the dispensing conveying section 22 stores them in the internal space and places them on the upper surface of the belt, or accumulates them together with other coins CN already stored. Moreover, the dispensing transport unit 22 rotates the pulley based on the control of the coin control unit 12, thereby moving the upper surface of the belt forward and transporting coins CN placed or accumulated on the belt forward, eventually dropping them into the temporary storage unit 23. At this time, the dispensing transport unit 22 transports multiple coins CN in a short period of time while they are connected together or somewhat bundled together, without separating the coins CN one by one.

[0054] The temporary storage section 23 is a place where the coins CN are temporarily accumulated, and is located in front of the dispensing conveying section 22, that is, on the lower right side of the stacker sections 21A and 21B. The temporary storage section 23 is configured such that the rear end of the dispensing conveying section 22 is lowered and the front end is raised, and further the left and right side plates are triangular, and a space for storing the coins CN is formed inside. The temporary storage section 23 is open at the top, similar to the dispensing conveying section 22. Furthermore, the lower part of the rear side of the temporary storage section 23 is almost closed, but the upper part, that is, the part above the belt of the dispensing conveying section 22, is open. Therefore, the internal space of the temporary storage section 23 is connected to the internal space of the dispensing conveying section 22. Furthermore, the bottom part of the temporary storage section 23 is built with a belt, similar to the bottom part of the dispensing conveying section 22. Therefore, when coins CN are dispensed and dropped from stacker units 21A and 21B, temporary storage unit 23 stores them in the internal space and places them on the belt, or stacks them together with other coins CN. Additionally, temporary storage unit 23 also places or stacks coins CN transported from dispensing transport unit 22 on the belt in the internal space. Therefore, when a coin CN is delivered from pin belt transport unit 18 via the temporary storage branch unit, temporary storage unit 23 also places or stacks this coin CN on the belt in the internal space.

[0055] When the belt is stopped, the temporary storage unit 23 holds the coins CN accumulated in the internal space as they are. On the other hand, when the temporary storage unit 23 causes the upper surface of the belt to run in an upward and forward direction based on the control of the coin control unit 12, the temporary storage unit 23 advances the accumulated coins CN diagonally upward and forward, and eventually pays them out from the front end of the belt and delivers them to the upper separation unit 15. At this time, similar to the dispensing transport unit 22, the temporary storage unit 23 transports multiple coins CN in a short period of time while keeping them connected together or in a state where they are somewhat grouped together, without separating the coins CN one by one.

[0056] [2-5. Configuration of the replenishment and collection storehouse, reject storehouse, etc., and lower separation section] The replenishment and recovery store 24 has an accumulation section therein for accumulating coins CN, a transport mechanism for transporting the coins CN accumulated in the accumulation section, and the like. The replenishment and recovery store 24 accumulates coins CN guided from the pin belt transport section 18, and also feeds the coins CN accumulated inside rearward to deliver them to the lower separation section 29. The first replenishment and reject store 25 has an internal space for accumulating coins CN, and accumulates the coins CN guided from the pin belt transport section 18. The second replenishment and reject store 26 has an internal space for accumulating coins CN, and accumulates the coins CN guided from the pin belt transport section 18. The reject store 27 and the forgotten coin intake store 28 each have an internal space for accumulating coins CN, and accumulate the coins CN that are guided thereto.

[0057] The lower separation unit 29 is disposed at a position adjacent to the rear side of the refill / recovery box 24. This lower separation unit 29 has a similar configuration to the upper separation unit 15, but the mounting direction of the lower separation unit 29 with respect to the coin processing device housing 11 is different from that of the upper separation unit 15. Specifically, the lower separation unit 29 is in a position such that the upper separation unit 15 is rotated 180 degrees when viewed from directly above.

[0058] The lower separation section 29 is composed of an accumulation / separation section 29A and a separation / transport section 29B corresponding to the accumulation / separation section 15A and the separation / transport section 15B, respectively. The accumulation / separation section 29A receives coins CN from the refill / recovery box 24 and accumulates them therein, and also separates the accumulated coins CN one by one and delivers them to the separation / transport section 29B. The separation / transport section 29B transports the coins CN received from the accumulation / separation section 29A in a manner of lifting them upward one by one, and discharges them from the discharge port of the temporary storage section 23 into the internal space.

[0059] [2-6. Composition of the delivery area] As shown in FIG. 5, the delivery section 17 is formed with a delivery conveying section 54, an inclined conveying section 55, and a normal conveying section 56 in this order from top to bottom. The delivery conveying section 54, the inclined conveying section 55, and the normal conveying section 56 form a conveying path for conveying the coin CN by a delivery conveying guide 58, an inclined conveying guide 59, and a normal conveying guide 60, respectively. The delivery conveying guide 58, the inclined conveying guide 59, and the normal conveying guide 60 are configured as a part of the conveying guide 42. On the right side of the delivery conveying guide 58, the inclined conveying guide 59, and the normal conveying guide 60, respectively, a delivery conveying surface 58S, an inclined conveying surface 59S, and a normal conveying surface 60S are formed, which are flat and convey the coin CN while sliding it along the conveying direction, which is approximately downward. The delivery conveying surface 58S, the inclined conveying surface 59S, and the normal conveying surface 60S are configured as a part of the conveying surface 42S. The delivery conveyance surface 58S and the normal conveyance surface 60S are inclined rightward as they move downward.

[0060] Hereinafter, the direction in which the coin CN is transported in the delivery section 17, which inclines to the right as it moves from above to below, is also referred to as the pin belt transport section transport direction Dp (FIG. 4), and the front-rear direction along the width direction of the coin CN, which is perpendicular to the pin belt transport section transport direction Dp, is also referred to as the transport width direction. Also, the direction perpendicular to the pin belt transport section transport direction Dp and the transport width direction, i.e., perpendicular to the normal transport surface 60S and the delivery transport surface 58S, is also referred to as the transport surface separation direction. Furthermore, among the transport surface separation directions, the right side toward which the delivery transport surface 58S and the normal transport surface 60S face, i.e., the direction moving away from the delivery transport surface 58S and the normal transport surface 60S, is also referred to as the transport surface separation direction, and the direction approaching the delivery transport surface 58S and the normal transport surface 60S from the left is also referred to as the transport surface approach direction.

[0061] The normal conveying surface 60S is a part of the pin belt conveying section 18 (FIG. 2), and has a planar shape that inclines to the right as it goes from top to bottom. The normal conveying surface 60S functions as a conveying location where the coin CN is delivered from the delivery section 17 to the downstream side of the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp.

[0062] The delivery conveying surface 58S and the inclined conveying surface 59S function as a delivery point where the coin CN is first delivered when the coin CN is delivered from the recognition conveying section 16 to the pin belt conveying section 18. The delivery conveying surface 58S has a planar shape parallel to the normal conveying surface 60S, and is lower in height than the maximum coin thickness, which is the thickness of the thickest coin, relative to the normal conveying surface 60S, that is, is formed on the conveying surface approaching direction side. Hereinafter, the direction along the conveying surface separation direction is defined as the direction of increasing height. The delivery section 17 delivers the coin CN from the recognition conveying section 16 to the vicinity of the upper end of the delivery conveying surface 58S. The delivery conveying surface 58S does not have a groove portion 45 (FIG. 6(A)) formed therein. This prevents the coin CN from getting caught in the groove portion 45 when the coin CN is transported from the recognition and transport section 16 to the delivery section 17, ensuring that the coin CN is smoothly delivered from the recognition and transport section 16 to the delivery section 17.

[0063] The inclined conveying surface 59S is located between the delivery conveying surface 58S and the normal conveying surface 60S, and has a planar shape inclined with respect to the delivery conveying surface 58S and the normal conveying surface 60S so that the height gradually increases from the delivery conveying surface 58S toward the normal conveying surface 60S. As a result, the inclined conveying surface 59S smoothly connects the delivery conveying surface 58S and the normal conveying surface 60S, which are at different heights, so that the coins CN do not get caught.

[0064] A fall prevention pin 62 protrudes from the delivery conveying surface 58S in the conveying surface separation direction by a length that does not contact the conveying pin pair 49. This fall prevention pin 62 supports the coin CN from below and prevents the coin CN from falling by abutting against the downstream side of the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp of the coin CN delivered from the recognition conveying section 16. Furthermore, when the fall prevention pin 62 abuts against the coin CN that has been pushed by the pushing pin 50P and moved toward the downstream side in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, it retreats forward of the conveying path of the coin CN as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4, thereby allowing the coin CN to move downstream in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp.

[0065] In this configuration, when a coin CN is delivered from the recognition and conveying unit 16 to the delivery and conveying surface 58S, that is, when the coin CN arrives at the delivery location, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the coin CN is supported by the fall prevention pin 62 and stops on the fall prevention pin 62. At this time, since the regulation pin 50R is of a length that does not allow it to come into contact with the coin CN on the delivery and conveying surface 58S, it skips over the coin CN at the delivery location and passes downstream in the pin belt conveying unit conveying direction Dp.

[0066] On the other hand, the pushing pin 50P has a length that allows it to contact the peripheral side surface of the coin CN on the delivery conveying surface 58S, and therefore does not jump over the coin CN at the delivery location, but abuts against the peripheral side surface of the coin CN on the upstream side in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, pushing the coin CN toward the downstream side in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, and pushing the drop prevention pin 62 through the coin CN to move the drop prevention pin 62 away from the conveying path of the coin CN. Next, as the pushing pin 50P pushes the coin CN toward the downstream side in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, the coin CN reaches the inclined conveying surface 59S as shown in FIG. 5(B).

[0067] As the push pin 50P continues to push the coin CN, and the coin CN passes through the inclined conveying surface 59S and enters the normal conveying surface 60S, there is no longer a gap between the regulating pin 50R and the normal conveying surface 60S through which the coin CN can slip through, as shown in Fig. 5(C). Therefore, the delivery unit 17 can use the push pin 50P to push the coin CN conveyed on the normal conveying surface 60S from the upstream side to the downstream side in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, while regulating the movement of the coin CN downstream in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp by the regulating pin 50R.

[0068] [2-7. Pin belt guide configuration] As shown in Figures 4, 5, 6(B), 6(C) and 7, the delivery section 17 is provided with a pin belt guide 64. The pin belt guide 64 is fixed to the pin belt transport section 18, and forms a space in which the coins CN are transported (hereinafter, also referred to as a transport space SC) by a front guide 65 and a rear guide 66. Note that the drop prevention pin 62 and the groove portion 45 are not shown in Figure 7, and the pin belt guide 64 is not shown in Figure 3.

[0069] The front guide 65 as the first guide section is provided on the right side of the delivery / conveyance guide 58, and has a front guide regulating surface 65S1, which is the left side surface on the side of the conveying space SC facing the delivery / conveyance surface 58S in the left-right direction, in the shape of a plane substantially parallel to the delivery / conveyance surface 58S. The front guide 65 has a gap between the front guide regulating surface 65S1 and the delivery / conveyance surface 58S that is equal to or greater than one coin CN but less than two coins CN. The front guide rear end surface 65S2, which is the rear end surface of the front guide 65, faces rearward along the pin belt conveyor conveyance direction Dp in a straight line in the vertical direction, is a plane parallel to the normal to the delivery / conveyance surface 58S, and faces the conveying pin 50 (FIG. 8) passing through the groove 68 in the front-rear direction. The front guide 65 has an opening at its front portion that connects the front side of the front guide 65 with the rear side (the conveying space SC side), and allows coins CN conveyed from the recognition and conveying section 16 toward the conveying space SC to pass through the opening.

[0070] The rear guide 66 as the second guide section is provided on the right side of the delivery / conveyance guide 58 and on the rear side of the front guide 65, and the rear guide regulating surface 66S1, which is the left side surface on the conveying space SC side facing the delivery / conveyance surface 58S in the left-right direction, is a plane shape that is substantially parallel to the delivery / conveyance surface 58S, and is flush with an imaginary plane extending the front guide regulating surface 65S1 rearward. The rear guide 66 has a gap between the rear guide regulating surface 66S1 and the delivery / conveyance surface 58S that is equal to or greater than one coin CN but less than two coins CN. The rear guide front end surface 66S2, which is the front end surface of the rear guide 66, faces forward in the vertical direction along the pin belt conveyor conveyance direction Dp, is a plane parallel to the normal to the delivery / conveyance surface 58S, and faces the conveying pin 50 (FIG. 8) passing through the groove portion 68 in the front-rear direction, but has a chamfered portion 70 described later.

[0071] When the coin CN flutters in the thickness direction, the pin belt guide 64 abuts the front guide regulating surface 65S1 and the rear guide regulating surface 66S1 against the coin CN, thereby regulating the flapping of the coin CN in the thickness direction when the coin CN is passed from the recognition and conveying section 16 to the delivery section 17 and the conveying direction changes from the rearward direction to the downward direction (i.e., the direction is changed).

[0072] In addition, the pin belt guide 64 has a groove shape (hereinafter referred to as groove portion 68) formed between the rear end of the front guide 65 and the front end of the rear guide 66, which is generally aligned with the conveying path of the coin CN along the vertical direction (i.e., the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp). The groove portion 68 has a groove width (i.e., length in the front-rear direction) in a non-chamfered groove portion 68B (described later) set to be approximately 2 mm wider than the diameter of the conveying pin 50, allowing the conveying pin 50 to pass through. The conveying pin 50 protrudes from the right side of the pin belt guide 64 to the left side of the front guide regulating surface 65S1 and the rear guide regulating surface 66S1, i.e., into the conveying space SC, via the groove portion 68. When the pin belt 46 runs and the conveying pin 50 passes through the delivery and conveying section 54 (Figure 5) having a delivery and conveying surface 58S on which no groove portion 45 (Figure 6(A)) is formed, the pin belt guide 64 moves the conveying pin 50 while maintaining it inserted in the groove portion 68, thereby regulating the conveying pin 50 so that it stably follows the same route.

[0073] A chamfered portion 70 is formed on the rear guide front end face 66S2. Hereinafter, a portion of the rear guide front end face 66S2 where the chamfered portion 70 is not formed is also referred to as a non-chamfered portion 71. The non-chamfered portion 71 is a flat surface that extends linearly from the lower end of the rear guide 66 to approximately the center in the vertical direction of the rear guide front end face 66S2 (also referred to as a chamfering start portion 72 as a wide start portion) along the vertical direction that is the movement direction of the pin belt 46 (i.e., the pin belt conveyor conveying direction Dp).

[0074] The chamfered portion 70 is a flat surface that extends linearly from a chamfering start portion 72 of the rear guide front end surface 66S2 to the upper end portion of the rear guide 66, tilting rearward at a predetermined chamfering inclination angle Θ with respect to the non-chamfered portion 71 so as to move away from the conveying pin 50 as it moves upward. The chamfering inclination angle Θ is set to about 20 degrees, which is equal to or less than 45 degrees, for example.

[0075] Therefore, the groove width of the groove 68 is constant from the lower end of the rear guide 66 to the lower end of the chamfered portion 70 (chamfering start portion 72), whereas it gradually widens from the lower end of the chamfered portion 70 to the upper end of the chamfered portion 70 (i.e., the rear guide 66). In other words, the groove width of the groove 68 gradually narrows from the upper end of the chamfered portion 70 (i.e., the rear guide 66) to the lower end of the chamfered portion 70 along the moving direction of the conveying pin 50, and when it reaches the lower end of the chamfered portion 70, it becomes constant up to the lower end of the rear guide 66. Hereinafter, the portion of the groove 68 where the chamfered portion 70 is formed in the vertical direction (the moving direction of the conveying pin 50) is also referred to as the chamfered groove 68A, and the portion of the groove 68 where the non-chamfered portion 71 is formed in the vertical direction is also referred to as the non-chamfered groove 68B.

[0076] Here, as shown in FIG. 8, the diameter (26.5 mm) of the maximum diameter coin CNb is defined as the maximum coin diameter D1, and the diameter of the transport pin 50 is defined as the pin diameter D2. A virtual arc having a radius equal to the sum of the maximum coin diameter D1 and the pin diameter D2 and centered at the connection point 41 is defined as the chamfering range arc Arc. It is preferable that the chamfering portion 70 is formed from the chamfering start portion 72 toward the upper rear direction along the rear guide front end surface 66S2 at least to a point where it intersects with the chamfering range arc Arc. This allows the coin processing device 10 to move the transport pin 50 to the non-chamfering groove portion 68B when the coin CN collides with the transport pin 50 (described later), regardless of whether the coin CN is the maximum diameter coin CNb or a coin CN with a diameter smaller than the maximum diameter coin CNb.

[0077] In this configuration, the pin belt 46 runs in accordance with the timing when the coin CN is detected by a sensor (not shown) provided between the upper separation section 15 and the recognition and conveying section 16, and if the coin CN is conveyed smoothly in the recognition and conveying section 16, the coin CN is handed over from the recognition and conveying section 16 to the delivery section 17 so that the coin CN does not collide with the conveying pin 50.

[0078] On the other hand, for example, if a coin CN has foreign matter attached thereto and is conveyed sluggishly in the recognition and conveyance section 16, and the coin CN is delivered from the recognition and conveyance section 16 to the delivery section 17 at a timing different from the original timing, the coin CN may collide with the conveyance pin 50 as shown in FIG. 9. At this time, the conveyance pin 50 is pushed by the coin CN and bends to the right (the recognition and conveyance section conveyance direction Dd), which is the conveyance direction of the coin CN in the recognition and conveyance section 16, so that the tip of the conveyance pin 50 approaches the chamfered portion 70 in the chamfered groove portion 68A as shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Therefore, the conveyance pin 50 retreats from the traveling path of the coin CN. As a result, the coin processing device 10 causes the balance to be lost by preventing the forces of the coin CN and the conveyance pin 50 from being balanced, and as shown in FIG. 12, the coin CN continues to advance and is placed on the drop prevention pin 62 (not shown).

[0079] At this time, if the transport pin 50 that collides with the coin CN is a push pin 50P, the coin CN advances by being pushed by the push pin 50P. On the other hand, if the transport pin 50 that collides with the coin CN is a regulation pin 50R, the regulation pin 50R moves over the coin CN, and the coin CN advances by being pushed by the push pin 50P next to the regulation pin 50R.

[0080] The above describes the case where the coin CN moves downward ahead of the transporting pin 50 when it collides with the transporting pin 50. However, depending on the timing at which the coin CN collides with the transporting pin 50, the transporting pin 50 may bend and move when the coin CN collides with the transporting pin 50, and may move downward ahead of the coin CN.

[0081] [3. Operation and Effects, etc.] Here, a pin belt guide 1064 of a comparative example shown in FIG. 13 in which the same reference numerals are used for the members corresponding to those in FIG. 7 will be described. The pin belt guide 1064 is different from the pin belt guide 64 in that it has a rear guide 1066 instead of the rear guide 66 and a groove 1068 instead of the groove 68, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. The rear guide 1066 is different from the rear guide 66 in that it has a rear guide front end face 1066S2 instead of the rear guide front end face 66S2, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. The rear guide front end face 1066S2 does not have a chamfered portion 70 compared to the rear guide front end face 66S2, and is formed parallel to the front guide rear end face 65S2 so as to follow the traveling direction of the pin belt 46 from the upper end to the lower end. Therefore, the groove 1068 has the same groove width from the upper end to the lower end.

[0082] In this configuration, when a coin CN is delivered from the recognition and conveying unit 16 to the delivery unit 17 at a timing different from the original timing, the coin CN may collide with the conveying pin 50. At this time, as shown in Fig. 13, the coin CN may pinch the conveying pin 50 between the coin CN and the rear guide front end surface 1066S2, and the forces between the coin CN and the conveying pin 50 may be balanced in a state in which the coin CN obstructs the advancement of the conveying pin 50, causing the conveying pin 50 to become unable to advance and become locked. In this case, the belt motor that advances the pin belt 46 stops, causing an error.

[0083] In response to this, it is also possible to provide a pin belt motor for driving the pin belt 46 (FIG. 4) and a pressure belt motor for driving the pressure belt 38 (FIG. 4) separately, detect the coin CN delivered from the recognition and conveyance unit 16 to the delivery unit 17 with a sensor, and adjust the driving of the pin belt motor and the pressure belt motor in accordance with the detection timing so that the coin CN does not collide with the conveyance pin 50. In this case, however, since the pin belt motor and the pressure belt motor are provided separately, space is required and costs increase, and complicated control is required to adjust the driving of the pin belt motor and the pressure belt motor.

[0084] In response to this, the coin processing device 10 forms a non-chamfered groove portion 68B of a constant width on the downstream side of the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp in the groove portion 68 (Figure 7), and forms a chamfered groove portion 68A that is wider than the non-chamfered groove portion 68B upstream of the non-chamfered groove portion 68B in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp.

[0085] Therefore, when the coin CN collides with the transport pin 50 when the coin CN is delivered from the recognition and transport section 16 to the delivery section 17, the coin processing device 10 can bend the transport pin 50 at the chamfered groove section 68A toward the recognition and transport section transport direction Dd, which is the transport direction of the coin CN in the recognition and transport section 16, and move it away from the coin CN's travel path. This allows the coin processing device 10 to continue moving the coin CN by preventing the forces of the coin CN and the transport pin 50 from being balanced. In this way, the coin processing device 10 can prevent the coin CN and the transport pin 50 from becoming locked and preventing the pin belt 46 from moving, thereby improving reliability.

[0086] In this way, the coin processing device 10 can prevent the coin CN and the conveying pin 50 from becoming locked and preventing the pin belt 46 from moving forward, without having to separately provide a pin belt motor that drives the pin belt 46 and a pressure belt motor that drives the pressure belt 38.

[0087] Here, the recognition and transport unit 16 ensures the quality of the image capture result in the imaging unit (not shown) by running the pressure belt 38 while sandwiching the coin CN between the pressure belt 38 and the pressure guide surface 39S (hereinafter also referred to as pressure transport). However, when the recognition and transport unit 16 performs pressure transport, the possibility of the transport of the coin CN being delayed increases when the coin CN is dirty or has foreign matter attached thereto or is deformed, compared to when the coin CN is transported without being pressed. For this reason, the present invention has a remarkable effect when applied to the transfer unit 17 that transfers the coin CN from, for example, the recognition and transport unit 16 that performs pressure transport to the pin belt transport unit 18 that transports the coin CN with the transport pins 50.

[0088] Also, consider a case in which the front end of the recognition and conveying unit 16 is positioned higher and the coin CN is conveyed in the recognition and conveying unit 16 with a strong downward inclination toward the vertical direction. In this case, the conveying direction of the coin CN in the recognition and conveying unit 16 is closer to the downward direction along the vertical direction than the rear direction approximately along the horizontal direction, and is closer to the traveling direction of the pin belt 46 along the vertical direction. Therefore, even if the coin CN collides with the conveying pin 50, the coin CN is less likely to pinch the conveying pin 50 between the coin CN and the rear guide front end surface 1066S2 (FIG. 13) and impede the progress of the conveying pin 50.

[0089] In contrast, the recognition and conveyance section 16 according to the present embodiment merges with the front pin belt conveyance section 18F so as to be substantially perpendicular to the recognition and conveyance section 16. In this case, the conveyance direction of the coin CN in the recognition and conveyance section 16 (recognition and conveyance section conveyance direction Dd) becomes close to the horizontal direction, which is a direction that intersects perpendicularly with the traveling direction of the pin belt 46 along the vertical direction (pin belt conveyance section conveyance direction Dp). Therefore, when the coin CN collides with the conveyance pin 50, the coin CN is likely to pinch the conveyance pin 50 between the rear guide front end surface 1066S2 (FIG. 13), and the advancement of the conveyance pin 50 is likely to be hindered. Therefore, when the present invention is applied to the transfer section 17 that transfers the coin CN from the recognition and conveyance section 16 to the pin belt conveyance section 18 while conveying the coin CN so as to be substantially perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the coin CN in the pin belt conveyance section 18, a remarkable effect is obtained.

[0090] According to the above configuration, the coin processing device 10 of the automatic teller machine 1 has the recognition and conveyance unit 16 that conveys the coin CN along the recognition and conveyance unit conveyance direction Dd as the conveyance unit conveyance direction, the conveyance belt 48 as a belt that runs in the pin belt conveyance unit conveyance direction Dp, and the conveyance pin 50 as a pin fixed to the conveyance belt 48 and abutting against the coin CN, and the pin belt conveyance unit 18 that conveys the coin CN handed over from the recognition and conveyance unit 16, and the pin belt conveyance unit 19 that is provided at the connection point between the recognition and conveyance unit 16 and the pin belt conveyance unit 18. A transfer section 17 is provided in which a groove portion 68 is formed, which has a predetermined width in the front-to-rear direction, which is the conveying width direction perpendicular to the feed section conveying direction Dp, and which regulates the movement path of the conveying pin 50 by allowing the conveying pin 50 to pass through.The groove portion 68 is formed so that the width of at least a portion in the up-down direction, which is the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, is wider than the width of other portions in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, by widening the rear end, which is the downstream end in the recognition conveying section conveying direction Dd, relative to the front end, which is the upstream end.

[0091] As a result, when a coin CN handed over from the recognition and conveying section 16 to the delivery section 17 collides with the conveying pin 50, the coin processing device 10 moves the conveying pin 50 to a wider section in the groove section 68, thereby removing the coin CN from the coin's travel path and allowing the coin CN to continue moving forward.

[0092] [4. Other embodiments] [4-1. Another embodiment 1] The pin belt guide 164 shown in FIG. 14, in which the same reference numerals are used for the members corresponding to those in FIG. 7 and the rear guide front end surface 66S2 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7) is indicated by a dashed line, is different from the pin belt guide 64 in that it has a rear guide 166 instead of the rear guide 66, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. The rear guide 166 is different from the rear guide 66 in that it has a rear guide front end surface 166S2 instead of the rear guide front end surface 66S2, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. Compared to the rear guide front end surface 66S2, the rear guide front end surface 166S2 has a chamfered portion 170 instead of the chamfered portion 70 and a non-chamfered portion 171 (upper non-chamfered portion 171U and lower non-chamfered portion 171D) instead of the non-chamfered portion 71, and also has a connection portion 74. The lower non-chamfered portion 171D is configured in the same manner as the non-chamfered portion 71 (FIG. 7). The chamfered portion 170 is a plane that extends from the chamfering start portion 72 of the rear guide front end surface 166S2 upward and backward at a chamfering inclination angle Θ similar to that of the chamfered portion 70 (FIG. 7) with respect to the non-chamfered portion 171. The connection portion 74 is a plane that extends forward from the upper end of the chamfered portion 170 along the horizontal direction to the chamfering range arc Arc, which is at the same position as the lower non-chamfered portion 171D in the front-rear direction, and faces downward. The upper non-chamfered portion 171U is a plane that extends in the up-down direction from the front end of the connection portion 74 to the upper end of the rear guide 166. The groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 164 is the same as the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7). On the other hand, the groove width at the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 164 is narrower than the groove width at the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7) and is similar to the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 164. In this way, the pin belt guide 164 does not form a chamfered portion 170 above the chamfering range arc Arc.

[0093] [4-2. Other embodiment 2] The pin belt guide 264 shown in FIG. 15, in which the same reference numerals are used for the members corresponding to those in FIG. 14 and the rear guide front end surface 66S2 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7) is indicated by a dashed line, is different from the pin belt guide 164 in that it has a rear guide 266 instead of the rear guide 166, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. The rear guide 266 is different from the rear guide 166 in that it has a rear guide front end surface 266S2 instead of the rear guide front end surface 166S2, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. Compared to the rear guide front end surface 166S2, the rear guide front end surface 266S2 has a chamfered portion 270 instead of the chamfered portion 170 and an upper non-chamfered portion 271U instead of the upper non-chamfered portion 171U, and the connection portion 74 is omitted. The chamfered portion 270 is a plane extending from the chamfering start portion 72 to the chamfering range arc Arc upward and rearward at a chamfering inclination angle Θ similar to that of the chamfered portion 70 (FIG. 7) with respect to the lower non-chamfered portion 171D. The upper non-chamfered portion 271U is a plane extending in the up-down direction from the upper end of the chamfered portion 270 to the upper end of the rear guide 266. The groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 264 is similar to the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7). On the other hand, the groove width at the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 264 is narrower than the groove width at the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7), but is wider than the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 264.

[0094] [4-3. Other embodiment 3] The pin belt guide 364 shown in FIG. 16, in which the same reference numerals are used for the members corresponding to those in FIG. 15 and the rear guide front end surface 66S2 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7) is indicated by a dashed line, is different from the pin belt guide 264 in that it has a rear guide 366 instead of the rear guide 266, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. The rear guide 366 is different from the rear guide 266 in that it has a rear guide front end surface 366S2 instead of the rear guide front end surface 266S2, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. Compared to the rear guide front end surface 266S2, the rear guide front end surface 366S2 has a chamfered portion 370 instead of the chamfered portion 270, and the lower non-chamfered portion 171D is omitted. The chamfered portion 370 is a plane extending from the lower end of the rear guide 366 to the lower end of the upper non-chamfered portion 271U and inclining rearward at a predetermined chamfer inclination angle Θ with respect to the up-down direction. Therefore, in the pin belt guide 364, the chamfer start portion 72 is located at the lower end of the pin belt guide 364. The groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 364 is the same as the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7). On the other hand, the groove width at the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 364 is narrower than the groove width at the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7), but is wider than the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 364. In addition, the chamfer inclination angle Θ in the pin belt guide 364 is smaller than the chamfer inclination angle Θ in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7).

[0095] [4-4. Other embodiment 4] The pin belt guide 464 shown in Fig. 17, in which the same reference numerals are used for the members corresponding to those in Fig. 7 and the rear guide front end surface 66S2 in the pin belt guide 64 (Fig. 7) is indicated by a dashed line, is different from the pin belt guide 64 in that it has a rear guide 466 instead of the rear guide 66, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. The rear guide 466 is different from the rear guide 66 in that it has a rear guide front end surface 466S2 instead of the rear guide front end surface 66S2, but is otherwise configured in the same manner. The rear guide front end surface 466S2 has a chamfered portion 470 instead of the chamfered portion 70, compared to the rear guide front end surface 66S2. The chamfered portion 470 is a plane extending from the same front-rear position as the rear guide front end surface 66S2 (FIG. 7) at the lower end of the rear guide 466 to the same front-rear position as the rear guide front end surface 66S2 (FIG. 7) at the upper end of the rear guide 466, inclining rearward at a predetermined chamfer inclination angle Θ with respect to the up-down direction as it goes upward. Therefore, the groove width of the groove portion 68 gradually increases from the lower end to the upper end of the chamfered portion 470. Moreover, the groove width at the lower end and the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 464 are the same as the groove width at the lower end and the upper end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7), respectively. Therefore, the chamfer inclination angle Θ in the pin belt guide 464 is smaller than the chamfer inclination angle Θ in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7).

[0096] Thus, in any of the alternative embodiment 1, alternative embodiment 2, alternative embodiment 3, and alternative embodiment 4, the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guides 164, 264, 364, and 464 is the same as the groove width at the lower end of the groove portion 68 in the pin belt guide 64 (FIG. 7). Therefore, the pin belt guides 164, 264, 364, and 464 can regulate the front-rear position of the conveying pin 50 when the conveying pin 50 exits the pin belt guides 164, 264, 364, and 464 to the lower side, which is the downstream side in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction Dp, and can regulate the conveying pin 50 to stably follow the same route.

[0097] [4-5. Other embodiments] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the coin processing device 10 has been described as being configured such that the chamfered portion 70 is disposed upstream of the pin belt transport section transport direction Dp, and the non-chamfered portion 71 is disposed downstream of the pin belt transport section transport direction Dp. The present invention is not limited to this, and the coin processing device 10 may be configured such that the chamfered portion 70 and the non-chamfered portion 71 are inverted upside down, and the chamfered portion 70 is disposed downstream of the pin belt transport section transport direction Dp, and the non-chamfered portion 71 is disposed upstream of the pin belt transport section transport direction Dp.

[0098] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the coin processing device 10 has been described as being configured with flat surfaces in the non-chamfered portion 71 and the chamfered portion 70. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the coin processing device 10 may have at least one of the non-chamfered portion 71 and the chamfered portion 70 having various other surface shapes, such as a curved surface.

[0099] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the pin belt guide 64 having the groove 68 at a position spaced from the conveying surface 42S (FIG. 6(B)) in the conveying surface separation direction. The present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to, for example, a conveying guide 42 having a groove 45. In that case, in the front pin belt conveying section 18F, the side in front of the groove 45 in the conveying guide 42 becomes the first guide section, and the side behind the groove 45 in the conveying guide 42 becomes the second guide section.

[0100] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the delivery unit 17 that delivers the coin CN from the recognition and conveyance unit 16 that performs pressure conveyance to the pin belt conveyance unit 18 that conveys the coin CN by the conveyance pins 50. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to a delivery unit that delivers the coin CN from various other conveyance units to the pin belt conveyance unit 18.

[0101] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to the coin processing device 10 incorporated in the automated teller machine 1 as an automated transaction device. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be applied to various devices that perform coin-related transactions with customers, such as automatic ticket vending machines, cash management devices used by employees of financial institutions and clerks of retail stores to manage cash, change dispensers that dispense change, and the like.

[0102] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment and other embodiments. That is, the scope of application of the present invention extends to an embodiment in which the above-mentioned embodiment and the other embodiments are combined in part or in whole in any manner. The scope of application of the present invention also extends to an embodiment in which a part of the configuration described in any of the above-mentioned embodiment and other embodiments is extracted and replaced or diverted with a part of the configuration of any of the above-mentioned embodiment and other embodiments, or an embodiment in which a part of the extracted configuration is added to any of the embodiments.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case has been described in which the automated teller machine 1 as a cash transaction device is configured by the reception unit 3 as an operation unit, the recognition and transport unit 16 as a transport unit, the pin belt transport unit 18 as a pin belt transport unit, and the delivery unit 17 as a delivery unit. The present invention is not limited to this, and the cash transaction device may be configured by an operation unit, a transport unit, a pin belt transport unit, and a delivery unit having various other configurations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0104] The present invention can be used, for example, in an automated teller machine that processes transactions related to coins between customers or store clerks. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] Reference Signs List 1: Automatic teller machine, 2: Housing, 3: Reception area, 4: Card slot, 5: Coin slot, 6: Operation display, 7: Numeric keypad, 8: Receipt issuing port, 9: Main control unit, 10: Coin processing device, 11: Coin processing device housing, 12: Coin control unit, 13: Deposit / withdrawal unit, 14: Chute unit, 15: Upper separation unit, 15A: Stacking / separation unit, 15B: Separation / transport unit, 16: Recognition / transport unit, 17: Delivery unit, 18: Pin belt transport unit, 18F: Front pin belt transport unit, 18D: Lower pin belt transport unit, 18B: Rear pin belt transport unit, 18U: Upper pin belt conveying section, 21... stacker section, 22... dispensing conveying section, 23... temporary holding section, 24... replenishment recovery section, 25... first replenishment rejects section, 26... second replenishment rejects section, 27... rejects section, 28... forgotten item take-in section, 29... lower separation section, 29A... stacking separation section, 29B... separation conveying section, 31... guide section, 32... stacking section, 33... stacking tube, 34... pay-out section, 37... recognition conveying section conveying guide, 38... pressure-contact belt, 39... pressure-contact guide plate, 39S... pressure-contact guide surface, 40... peripheral side guide plate, 40S... peripheral side guide surface, 41... connection point, 42... conveying guide , 42S... conveying surface, 43... main guide plate, 44... auxiliary guide plate, 44S... coin peripheral side abutment surface, 45... groove portion, 46... pin belt, 48... conveying belt, 49... conveying pin pair, 50P... push pin, 50R... regulating pin, 50... conveying pin, 51... pulley, 54... delivery conveying section, 55... inclined conveying section, 56... normal conveying section, 58... delivery conveying guide, 59... inclined conveying guide, 60... normal conveying guide, 58S... delivery conveying surface, 59S... inclined conveying surface, 60S... normal conveying surface, 62... fall prevention pin, 64, 164, 264, 364, 1064... pin belt guide, 65... front guide, 65S1... front guide regulating surface, 65S2... front guide rear end surface, 66, 166, 266, 366, 1066... ​​rear guide, 66S1... rear guide regulating surface, 66S2, 166S2, 1066S2... rear guide front end surface, 68, 1068... groove, 68A... chamfered groove, 68B... non-chamfered groove, 70, 170, 370... chamfered portion, 71, 171... non-chamfered portion, 171U... upper non-chamfered portion, 171D... lower non-chamfered portion, 72... chamfer start portion, 74... connection portion, SC... conveying space, Θ... chamfer inclination angle,CN: coin, CNb: maximum diameter coin, D1: maximum coin diameter, D2: pin diameter, Arc: chamfering range arc, Dd: recognition conveyor conveying direction, Dp: pin belt conveyor conveying direction.

Claims

1. A conveying unit that conveys coins along a conveying direction of the conveying unit; A pin belt conveying section includes a belt that runs in a conveying direction and a pin that is fixed to the belt and contacts the coin, and conveys the coin delivered from the conveying section; a transfer section provided at a connection between the transfer section and the pin belt transfer section, the transfer section having a groove section having a predetermined width in a transfer width direction perpendicular to the pin belt transfer section transfer direction and allowing the pins to pass through the groove section to regulate the movement path of the pins; having The groove portion is formed such that a downstream end portion in the conveying direction of the conveying section is wider than an upstream end portion thereof, so that at least a portion of the groove portion in the conveying direction of the pin belt conveying section is wider than the other portion of the groove portion in the conveying direction of the pin belt conveying section. Coin processing machine.

2. The groove portion is The pin belt conveying section has a portion wider on the upstream side in the conveying direction than on the downstream side. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

3. The groove portion is The width of the upstream end of the pin belt conveying section in the conveying direction is formed to be wider than that of the downstream end. The coin processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The groove portion is The pin belt conveying section extends from the downstream end toward the upstream side in the conveying direction of the pin belt conveying section with a constant width, and the width increases from the wide start portion to the upstream end in the conveying direction of the pin belt conveying section as it moves toward the upstream side in the conveying direction of the pin belt conveying section. The coin processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The groove portion is a first guide portion located upstream of the groove portion in the conveying direction of the conveying section and a second guide portion located downstream of the groove portion in the conveying direction of the conveying section and facing the first guide portion, the first guide portion has an end portion on the groove side that is linear along the conveying direction of the pin belt conveying portion, The second guide portion has an end portion on the groove side that extends linearly from a lower end portion in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction toward the upstream side along the pin belt conveying section conveying direction, and extends linearly to an upstream end portion in the pin belt conveying section conveying direction while being inclined toward the downstream side in the conveying section conveying direction with respect to the pin belt conveying section conveying direction at the wide start portion. The coin processing device according to claim 4.

6. a pin belt guide provided at a position spaced apart in a thickness direction of the coin from a conveying surface that contacts the plate surface of the coin in the delivery section, the pin belt guide having a regulating surface formed therein for regulating movement of the coin in the thickness direction; having The groove is formed in the pin belt guide. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

7. The conveying unit is The coin is conveyed while the plate surface of the coin is pressed against a predetermined conveying surface by a pressure belt. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

8. The conveying unit and the pin belt conveying unit are driven by the same driving source. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

9. The conveying section is connected to the pin belt conveying section at the transfer section so as to be substantially perpendicular to the pin belt conveying section. The coin processing device according to claim 1 .

10. an operation unit that accepts operations by a user; A coin processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. An automated transaction device having the above configuration.

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