Paper sheet handling device

Abstract

To align stage positions in multiple banknote vaults.SOLUTION: A banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11 includes: a stage 19c supported to be movable upwardly and downwardly and accumulating banknotes BL as paper sheets on its upper surface; compression coil springs 36L and 36R pressed against the lower surface of the stage 19c with a predetermined pressing force to be placed and pressing the stage 19c upwardly; a reel 48; a wire 40c with one end moored to the stage 19c and the other end moored to the reel 48 while being drawn around the stage 19c so that it can be pulled downwardly; a plurality of pulleys 60c around which the wire 40c is wound; and a wire length adjusting mechanism 70 provided to allow the position of at least one pulley 60c3 of the plurality of pulleys 60c to be changed, for changing the position of the pulley 60c3 to change the wire length of the wire 40c from the reel 48 to the stage 19c.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper handling device, and is suitable for use in a cash register change system used at the cash registers of retail stores such as supermarkets and convenience stores. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, in the field of cash register change systems, a combination of a POS register connected to a POS (Point Of Sales) system or the like and a change machine that processes the deposit and withdrawal of banknotes and coins has become widespread. Among these change machines, paper sheet handling devices that process banknotes include a deposit and withdrawal section that delivers and receives banknotes to and from a cashier, a transport section that transports the banknotes, a discrimination section that discriminates the denomination and authenticity of inserted banknotes, a banknote storage vault that stores reusable banknotes by denomination, and a reject vault that stores banknotes that should not be reused.

[0003] One such paper handling device connects the wires wound around multiple reels to the stages of different banknote storage vaults, and drives the multiple reels with the same drive source, thereby operating the stages of the multiple storage vaults simultaneously (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-97708 A (FIG. 22) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In such a paper sheet handling device, depending on the arrangement of each banknote storage vault, the route of the wire from the reel to the stage may become complicated. In such a case, the wire is wound around a pulley provided between the reel and the stage to appropriately change the traveling direction. In such a case, due to the variation in the length of the wire itself during manufacturing and the variation in the dimensions of the pulley, the positional deviation between the stage position of one banknote storage vault and the stage position of the other banknote storage vault may become large, and the positions of the stages may not be aligned with each other.

[0006] If the positions of the stages of the two banknote storage vaults are misaligned, for example, if one banknote storage vault has its stage fully lowered while the other banknote storage vault has its stage still in a position where it can be lowered, the paper sheet handling device will be unable to lower the stage of one banknote storage vault any further, and the one banknote storage vault will not be able to hold the number of banknotes that it should be able to hold. On the other hand, if the positions of the stages of the two banknote storage vaults are misaligned, for example, if one banknote storage vault has its stage fully raised while the other banknote storage vault has its stage still in a position where it can be raised, the paper sheet handling device will be unable to raise the stage of one banknote storage vault any further, and it may not be possible to feed banknotes that should be able to be fed from one banknote storage vault.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and aims to propose a paper sheet handling device that can align the positions of the stages in a plurality of paper money storage containers. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve such problems, the paper sheet handling device of the present invention includes a stage that is supported so that it can move upward and downward and accumulates paper sheets on its upper surface, a biasing section that is pressed against the underside of the stage with a predetermined pressing force and biases the stage upward, a reel, a wire whose one end is engaged with the stage and whose other end is engaged with the reel while being pulled around so that the stage can be pulled downward, a number of pulleys around which the wire is wound, and a wire length adjustment mechanism that allows the position of at least one of the multiple pulleys to be changed and changes the position of the pulley to change the length of the wire from the reel to the stage.

[0009] As a result, the present invention can adjust the length of the wire that moves one stage up and down by the wire length adjustment mechanism so that the height of one stage becomes the same as the height of the other stage. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the length of the wire that moves one stage up and down can be adjusted by the wire length adjustment mechanism so that the height of one stage is the same as the height of the other stage, and a paper sheet handling device that can align the positions of the stages in multiple banknote storage vaults can be realized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external configuration of the cash register change system. [Diagram 2] 2 is a right side view showing the internal configuration of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a right side view showing the configuration (1) of the bill storage vault and the tensioner-integrated reel, with the right wall of the bill storage vault removed. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 3, illustrating the configuration of the banknote storage vault. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration (2) of the bill storage vault and the tensioner-integrated reel. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a tensioner-integrated reel. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a wire and a wire length adjustment mechanism. 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. Configuration of the cash register change system] As shown in the external view in Figure 1, the cash register change system 1 is made up of an upper POS register 2 and a lower change machine 3, which are independent devices. This cash register change system 1 is operated by a cashier at a checkout (a so-called cash register) in a retail store such as a supermarket or convenience store, when a customer pays for products he or she wishes to purchase. In the following explanation, the side facing the cashier and the opposite side are respectively defined as the front and rear, and left and right and top and bottom are further defined as viewed from the cashier.

[0014] The POS register 2 is controlled by the built-in register control unit 5. The POS register 2 is also connected to a barcode reader (not shown), which reads the barcode attached to the product to recognize the product. The display operation unit 6 is, for example, a touch panel, and displays the name and price of the recognized product on a liquid crystal display. The display operation unit 6 also displays input keys for numbers and the like on a part of the display screen, and when a place on the touch panel corresponding to an input key is pressed, the display operation unit 6 accepts the input operation corresponding to the input key and sends it to the register control unit 5. In response, the register control unit 5 performs various processes such as increasing or decreasing the quantity of the product and correcting the price. The POS register 2 is also equipped with a receipt processing unit 7. The receipt processing unit 7 prints the name and price of the recognized product on a receipt, and discharges it from the receipt discharge port 7A.

[0015] On the other hand, the change machine 3 is roughly composed of a banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11 on the right side, a coin deposit / withdrawal device 12 on the left side, and a display / operation unit 13 on the upper front side.

[0016] The banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11 takes in banknotes deposited by a cashier through the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 and stores them in the banknote storage vault 15 (banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b, and 15c) (Figure 2), and also removes banknotes as instructed by the cash register control unit 5 from the banknote storage vault 15 (Figure 2) and dispenses them from the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 as change.

[0017] A coin deposit port 16 is provided at the upper stage on the front surface of the coin deposit and withdrawal device 12, and a reject port 17 and a coin withdrawal port 18 are provided below it. The coin deposit and withdrawal device 12 takes in coins inserted into the coin deposit port 16 by a cashier and stores them in an internal storage, and also dispenses coins of a denomination and number according to an amount instructed by the cash register control unit 5 from the coin withdrawal port 18 as change.

[0018] The display operation unit 13 is composed of a combination of a predetermined display panel and predetermined operation buttons. The display panel of the display operation unit 13 displays the operating status of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 and the coin deposit and withdrawal device 12, for example, displaying a shortage of coins for change in the coin deposit and withdrawal device 12, or an abnormality detected by a predetermined sensor, and the location of the abnormality, etc. The operation buttons of the display operation unit 13 are pressed by a cashier or the like to receive instructions regarding, for example, the transport of coins, etc.

[0019] A change control unit 21 is provided inside the change machine 3. The change control unit 21 is configured mainly with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) not shown, and controls the change machine 3 by reading and executing various programs from a memory such as a flash memory, and performs various processes such as deposit transactions and withdrawal transactions.

[0020] [2. Configuration of the banknote deposit / withdrawal device] As shown in Figure 2, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 has a number of sections built into its housing that perform various processes related to banknotes, and a change control section 21 provides overall control over each section (the deposit and withdrawal section 24, the transport section 26, the validation section 28, the banknote storage vault 15 (banknote storage vaults 15a, 15b and 15c), and the reject collection vault 30).

[0021] The deposit / withdrawal unit 24 is located at the upper front part within the banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11. This deposit / withdrawal unit 24 takes in banknotes deposited through the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 (FIG. 1) by a user (a cashier), separates them one by one and sends them to the transport unit 26, and also stores banknotes to be dispensed to the user in a vertically aligned state and dispenses them from the banknote deposit / withdrawal port 14 as change.

[0022] The transport unit 26 transports rectangular banknotes in the short direction along a transport path by rollers, belts, etc. A blade (not shown) is provided at a branching point of the transport unit 26, and rotates under the control of the change control unit 21 to switch the destination of the banknote.

[0023] The validator 28 is located behind the deposit / withdrawal unit 24. While transporting deposited, withdrawn, and collected banknotes inside the validator 28, the validator 28 recognizes the denomination, authenticity, fitness (whether damaged or not), and transport state of the banknotes using optical elements, magnetic detection elements, etc., and notifies the change control unit 21 of the validation results. In response, the change control unit 21 determines the transport destination of the banknotes based on the obtained validation results.

[0024] The reject collection box 30 is provided behind the deposit / withdrawal unit 24 and below the discrimination unit 28 in the banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11, and has a banknote storage space for accumulating and storing banknotes therein. When the discrimination unit 28 and the change control unit 21 transport a banknote determined not to be reused (i.e., an abnormal banknote determined to be abnormal), such as a banknote discriminated as a damaged banknote (so-called undamaged banknote), a banknote determined as a counterfeit banknote, or a banknote of a denomination that is not returned, such as a 5,000-yen or 2,000-yen banknote, the reject collection box 30 stores the banknote therein when the banknote is transported by the transport unit 26. When a collection process is performed to collect a portion of the proceeds from sales of banknotes stored in the banknote storage box 15, the reject collection box 30 also stores the banknote therein when the banknote is transported by the transport unit 26.

[0025] Behind the rejected bill collection box 30, there are provided bill storage boxes 15a, 15b, and 15c (hereinafter collectively referred to as bill storage boxes 15) in this order from the front side to the rear side. Each bill storage box 15 (bill storage boxes 15a, 15b, and 15c) is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape and has stages 19a, 19b, and 19c (hereinafter collectively referred to as stages 19) for accumulating bills inside. Each bill storage box 15 is preset with a denomination of bills to be stored. When a bill determined by the discriminator 28 and the change controller 21 to be less damaged and reusable is transported by the transporter 26 according to the denomination, the bill storage box 15 accumulates and stores the bill inside. When the bill storage box 15 receives an instruction from the change controller 21 to feed bills, the bill storage box 15 separates the accumulated bills one by one, feeds them, and transfers them to the transporter 26. The banknote storage vaults 15b and 15c are configured similarly to each other. The banknote storage vault 15c is disposed slightly behind and above the banknote storage vault 15b.

[0026] In this configuration, in the cash register change system 1, the change control unit 21 controls each unit based on the results of bill validation by the validator 28, and performs processes such as depositing, dispensing, and collecting bills.

[0027] [3. Configuration of the banknote storage unit] Since the banknote storage vault 15c and the banknote storage vault 15b have the same configuration, the following mainly describes the banknote storage vault 15c, and the description of the banknote storage vault 15b is omitted. For convenience of explanation, the gear 52, the tensioner-integrated reel 45, the wire 40b, the pulleys 60b and 60c, and the wire length adjustment mechanism 70 (described later) are omitted in Fig. 3.

[0028] 3, the banknote storage vault 15c has a banknote storage space 31 for accumulating and storing banknotes formed inside a rectangular parallelepiped storage vault housing 32. The banknote storage vault 15c takes in and stores banknotes BL transported from the transport unit 26 through a feed-out stacking port on the front side, using a storage and pay-out mechanism consisting of various rollers such as a pay-out roller 34 provided at the upper end, and also discharges the stored banknotes BL from the pay-out stacking port and supplies them to the transport unit 26.

[0029] Further, a stage 19c for accumulating a plurality of banknotes BL is provided within the banknote storage vault 15c. The stage 19c is a rectangular flat plate having a size substantially equal to that of the banknotes BL. The banknote storage vault 15c supports the stage 19c by a storage vault housing 32 so that the stage 19c can move up and down.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 4, in the banknote storage vault 15c, a compression coil spring 36L is disposed between the center of the left half of the bottom plate 35D of the storage vault housing 32 and the center of the left half of the lower surface of the stage 19c. In addition, in the banknote storage vault 15c, a compression coil spring 36R is disposed between the center of the right half of the bottom plate 35D and the center of the right half of the lower surface of the stage 19c. These compression coil springs 36L and 36R are formed similarly to each other so that the natural length, spring constant, etc. are appropriately selected to have a predetermined elastic force. The compression coil springs 36L and 36R have their upper ends engaged with the lower surface of the stage 19 and their lower ends engaged with the bottom plate 35D, and are pressed against the lower surface of the stage 19 with a predetermined pressing force. Therefore, the compression coil springs 36L and 36R expand in an attempt to restore their original shape when no external force is applied, thereby raising the stage 19 while maintaining it in a substantially horizontal state within the banknote storage vault 15c. Hereinafter, the compression coil springs 36L and 36R are collectively referred to as the compression coil spring 36.

[0031] Even if the compression coil springs 36L and 36R stretch to restore their original shape, before they return to their natural length, the upper surface of the stage 19 abuts against the lower portion of the peripheral side surface of the pay-out roller 34 (i.e., presses with a predetermined pressing force). In other words, the compression coil springs 36L and 36R constantly urge the stage 19 upward in the banknote storage vault 15c.

[0032] Furthermore, when an external force is applied to the compression coil springs 36L and 36R and they are fully compressed, they lower the stage 19 inside the banknote storage vault 15c, bringing the lower surface of the stage 19 close to the bottom plate 35D. That is, the compression coil springs 36L and 36R can move the stage 19c up and down within a relatively long movement range from a predetermined lower position where the lower surface of the stage 19c is brought close to the bottom plate 35D, to the position where the upper surface of the stage 19c abuts against the lower portion of the circumferential side surface of the pay-out roller 34.

[0033] In addition, in the banknote storage vault 15c, a stage under pulley side support part 38 having a U-shape is arranged in the center of the bottom plate 35D with a pair of arms each having a through hole bored therein facing each other in the left-right direction. At the center of the left and right sides of the stage under pulley 39, a support shaft is provided to protrude in line with an extension line of the pulley central axis of the stage under pulley 39 via a bearing (not shown). The stage under pulley side support part 38 is fixed such that the support shaft of the stage under pulley 39 passes through the through holes of the pair of arms in the left-right direction with the stage under pulley 39 interposed between the pair of arms. As a result, the stage under pulley side support part 38 supports the stage under pulley 39 so as to be rotatable in the clockwise and counterclockwise directions in FIG. 3 around the pulley central axis along the left-right direction.

[0034] Furthermore, the banknote storage vault 15c is provided with a wire 40c for raising and lowering the stage 19c within the banknote storage vault 15c. Here, the stage 19c is biased upward by the compression coil springs 36L and 36R as described above. Therefore, one end of the wire 40c is anchored at a predetermined position in the center of the lower surface so as to balance the pressing forces of the compression coil springs 36L and 36R acting on the stage 19c so as to make the stage 19c horizontal.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the wire 40c is hung from the underside of the stage 19c downward, hung around the under-stage pulley 39, and pulled forward from the under-stage pulley 39. The wire 40c is then wound around pulleys 60c6, 60c5, 60c4, 60c3, 60c2 and 60c1 shown in FIG. 7, and then engaged with the reel 48 (described later) of the tensioner-integrated reel 44.

[0036] [4. Structure of stage drive mechanism] As shown in Fig. 2, a stage driving mechanism 42 is provided in front of the banknote storage vault 15b. As shown in Fig. 5, the stage driving mechanism 42 is composed of tensioner-integrated reels 44 and 45, a reel shaft 46, a gear 52, and a motor 54. For convenience of explanation, Fig. 5 shows the banknote storage vaults 15b and 15c lined up in the front-rear direction at the same height, and omits pulleys 60b and 60c and a wire length adjustment mechanism 70 (described later).

[0037] The tensioner-integrated reels 44 and 45 are supported by a reel shaft 46 so as to be rotatable in a downward rotation direction Ddr, which is the clockwise direction in Fig. 5, and in an upward rotation direction Dur, which is the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 5. A reel 48 (described later) of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 and a stage 19c of the banknote storage vault 15c are connected by a wire 40c. Meanwhile, a reel 50 (described later) of the tensioner-integrated reel 45 and a stage 19b of the banknote storage vault 15b are connected by a wire 40b.

[0038] A single long gear 52 that is rotatably supported meshes with both drive gear 47 (described later) of integrated tensioner reel 44 and drive gear 49 (described later) of integrated tensioner reel 45. Gear 52 is connected to output shaft 54A of motor 54 via a drive transmission gear. Motor 54 as a drive source is provided with a torque that is greater than the elastic force of compression coil springs 36L and 36R.

[0039] The banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 drives the motor 54 to rotate the output shaft 54A, and rotates both the drive gear 47 of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 and the drive gear 49 of the tensioner-integrated reel 45 in the downward rotation direction Ddr or the upward rotation direction Dur. In other words, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 drives one motor 54 to collectively rotate the drive gears 47 and 49 of the two tensioner-integrated reels 44 and 45 and the reels 48 and 50.

[0040] In this configuration, when the motor 54 is driven to rotate the reels 48 and 50 together with the output shaft 54A in the downward rotation direction Ddr, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 winds up the wires 40b and 40c on the reels 48 and 50, respectively. As a result, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 lowers the stages 19b and 19c by pulling (pulling down) the stages 19b and 19c downward by the wires 40b and 40c in the banknote storage vaults 15b and 15c, thereby compressing the compression coil springs 36L and 36R against the upward bias.

[0041] Furthermore, when the motor 54 is driven to rotate the reels 48 and 50 together with the output shaft 54A in the upward rotation direction Dur, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 unwinds the wires 40b and 40c that have been wound around the reels 48 and 50 from the reels 48 and 50. As a result, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 stretches the compression coil springs 36L and 36R according to their elastic force so as to release the downward tension on the stages 19b and 19c by the wires 40b and 40c within the banknote storage vaults 15b and 15c, thereby lifting the stages 19b and 19c by pushing them up with the compression coil springs 36L and 36R.

[0042] Since the above-mentioned tensioner-integrated reel 44 and tensioner-integrated reel 45 have the same configuration, the following description will mainly focus on tensioner-integrated reel 44, and a description of tensioner-integrated reel 45 will be omitted.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 6, the tensioner-integrated reel 44 has a drive gear 47 formed of a spur gear, a reel 48, a torsion spring 56, and a reel shaft 46.

[0044] The drive gear 47 has a shaft hole 47AX formed in the center on the right side surface 47A, which corresponds to the reel shaft 46, and a spring hole 47AY formed at a predetermined position near the shaft hole 47AX, into which one end of the torsion spring 56 is inserted. In addition, the drive gear 47 has a cylindrical projection 47AZ protruding rightward from a predetermined position on the right side surface 47A near the circumferential side surface.

[0045] The reel 48 has a hole (not shown) formed in the center of the left side surface 48A, the hole having a predetermined depth and a predetermined diameter corresponding to the coil portion 56A of the torsion spring 56. The reel 48 also has an axial hole 48AX corresponding to the reel shaft 46 at the center of the bottom of the hole, and a spring hole (not shown) for inserting the other end of the torsion spring 56 at a predetermined position near the axial hole 48AX at the bottom of the hole. The reel 48 also has an arc-shaped protrusion movement groove 48AY formed near the outer periphery of the left side surface 48A along the outer periphery. The width of the protrusion movement groove 48AY of the reel 48 is selected to be approximately equal to the diameter of the protrusion 47AZ of the drive gear 47, and the length is selected to be equal to or less than the stage movement distance, which is the distance that the stage 19c in the bill storage 15c can move in the vertical direction.

[0046] The torsion spring 56 serving as a tensioner is formed so that the number of turns of the coil portion 56A, the spring constant, etc. are appropriately selected so as to have a predetermined elastic force that is sufficiently smaller than the elastic force of the compression coil springs 36L and 36R described above.

[0047] In the reel 48, the coil portion 56A of the torsion spring 56 is inserted into the hole, with the other end of the torsion spring 56 inserted into the spring hole.

[0048] In the drive gear 47, one end of the torsion spring 56 is inserted into the spring hole with the torsion spring 56 compressed to a certain extent, and the protrusion 47AZ is inserted into the protrusion movement groove 48AY of the reel 48.

[0049] In this manner, in the tensioner-integrated reel 44, the drive gear 47 and the reel 48 are assembled with their right side surface 47A and left side surface 48A facing each other with the torsion spring 56 inserted into the hole in the reel 48.

[0050] In addition, the right end of the reel shaft 46 of the integrated tensioner reel 44 is inserted into the shaft hole 47AX from the left side surface side of the drive gear 47, and then inserted into the coil portion 56A of the torsion spring 56 and the shaft hole 48AX of the reel 48. In the integrated tensioner reel 44, the drive gear 47 is fixed to the reel shaft 46, and the reel 48 is supported so as to be rotatable about the reel shaft 46 in the downward rotation direction Ddr and the upward rotation direction Dur.

[0051] However, in the tensioner-integrated reel 44, the protrusion 47AZ of the drive gear 47 is inserted into the protrusion movement groove 48AY of the reel 48. Therefore, in the tensioner-integrated reel 44, the reel 48 rotates relative to the drive gear 47 within a rotation range from a position where one end of the protrusion movement groove 48AY abuts against the protrusion 47AZ to a position where the other end of the protrusion movement groove 48AY abuts against the protrusion 47AZ. Also, the tensioner-integrated reel 44 urges the reel 48 by the torsion spring 56 to rotate in the downward rotation direction Ddr relative to the drive gear 47.

[0052] [5. Wire and pulley configuration] As shown in Fig. 7, the wire 40b wound on the reel 50 of the tensioner-integrated reel 45 is wound around pulleys 60b1, 60b2, and 60b3 in order to appropriately change the direction of travel, and is then engaged with the stage 19b of the banknote storage vault 15b. The pulley 60b3 corresponds to the above-mentioned below-stage pulley 39 in the banknote storage vault 15c. On the other hand, the wire 40c wound on the reel 48 of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 is wound around pulleys 60c1, 60c2, 60c3, 60c4, 60c5, and 60c6 in order to appropriately change the direction of travel, and is then wound around the below-stage pulley 39 of the banknote storage vault 15c before being engaged with the stage 19c. Hereinafter, the pulleys 60b1, 60b2, and 60b3 are collectively referred to as pulleys 60b, and the pulleys 60c1, 60c2, 60c3, 60c4, 60c5, and 60c6 are collectively referred to as pulleys 60c. Note that in Fig. 7, members other than those directly related to the paths of the wires 40b and 40c are omitted.

[0053] In this way, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 utilizes the limited space within the device to place the motor 54 and the tensioner-integrated reels 44 and 45, and the wires 40b and 40c travel from the tensioner-integrated reels 44 and 45 to the banknote storage vaults 15b and 15c, which are located some distance away from the tensioner-integrated reels 44 and 45, while changing the direction of travel of the wires 40b and 40c using pulleys 60b and 60c so as not to interfere with various components within the device, and reach the stages 19b and 19c.

[0054] [6. Wire length adjustment mechanism] The wire length adjustment mechanism 70 is disposed in the path of the wire 40c from the reel 48 of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 to the stage 19c of the banknote storage vault 15c, and is composed of a bracket 72 and a screw 74. The bracket 72 is made of metal, has a plate shape that is long in the vertical direction and thin in the horizontal direction as a whole, and is formed with a screw slide groove 72g and a pulley support part 72p. The screw slide groove 72g as a screw groove is linearly drilled along the vertical direction from the upper end to the vicinity of the lower end of the bracket 72, and connects the right side and the left side of the bracket 72. A screw 74 as a fixing member is slidably inserted into the screw slide groove 72g. Therefore, the bracket 72 can slide in the upward direction (also called the pulley upward direction Du) and the downward direction (also called the pulley downward direction Dd) along the vertical direction while sliding the screw 74 inside the screw slide groove 72g. The pulley support portion 72p is formed below the threaded sliding groove 72g, and the pulley central shaft, which is the rotation shaft of the pulley 60c3, is fitted into the pulley support portion 72p to rotatably support the pulley 60c3.

[0055] The screw 74 is positioned inside the screw slide groove 72g, and the bracket 72 is fixed to the frame inside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 by being fastened.

[0056] In the manufacturing process of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, first, the rotational position of at least one of the drive gear 47 of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 and the drive gear 49 of the tensioner-integrated reel 45 (FIG. 5) is adjusted and fixed to the reel shaft 46, so that the heights of the stages 19b and 19c are made as uniform as possible. Next, in the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, the screw 74 is slid inside the screw sliding groove 72g while the bracket 72 is moved in the vertical direction with the pulley support part 72p of the bracket 72 supporting the pulley 60c3, thereby adjusting the wire length, which is the length by which the wire 40c is routed from the reel 48 to the banknote storage vault 15c. Furthermore, when the heights of stages 19b and 19c of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 are aligned, the bracket 72 is fixed to the frame inside the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 by screwing in the screws 74, and the wire length of the wire 40c is determined.

[0057] Here, in the state shown in Fig. 7, when the bracket 72 is moved in the pulley upward direction Du, the pulley 60c3 also moves in the pulley upward direction Du, the route of the wire 40c changes from the state shown by the solid line to the state shown by the dashed line, and the wire length becomes longer. In this case, the position of the stage 19c moves down. On the other hand, when the bracket 72 is moved in the pulley downward direction Dd, the pulley 60c3 also moves in the pulley downward direction Dd, the route of the wire 40c changes from the state shown by the solid line to the state shown by the dashed line, and the wire length becomes shorter. In this case, the position of the stage 19c moves up.

[0058] In this way, the banknote deposit / withdrawal device 11 can adjust the length of the route of the wire 40c (wire length) by varying the mounting position of one pulley 60c3 among the multiple pulleys 60c that make up the route of the wire 40c using the wire length adjustment mechanism 70, thereby changing the relative position of the pulley 60c3 with respect to the other multiple pulleys 60c.

[0059] [7. Effects, etc.] In the above configuration, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 drives the motor 54 (FIG. 5), which is the same drive source, to rotate the drive gear 47 and reel 48 of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 and the drive gear 49 and reel 50 of the tensioner-integrated reel 45, and move the wires 40c and 40b together at the same timing. Therefore, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 can move the stages 19b and 19c of the multiple banknote storage vaults 15b and 15c respectively with only one motor 54, thereby simplifying the configuration.

[0060] In addition, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 winds the wire 40b wound on the reel 50 of the tensioner-integrated reel 45 around pulleys 60b1, 60b2 and 60b3 in sequence to appropriately change its direction of travel and engages it with the stage 19b of the banknote storage vault 15b, and winds the wire 40c wound on the reel 48 of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 around pulleys 60c1, 60c2, 60c3, 60c4, 60c5 and 60c6 in sequence to appropriately change its direction of travel and engages it with the stage 19c of the banknote storage vault 15c.

[0061] Furthermore, in the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, a wire length adjustment mechanism 70 (FIG. 7) is disposed in the path of the wire 40c from the reel 48 of the tensioner-integrated reel 44 to the stage 19c of the banknote storage vault 15c, and during the manufacture of the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, a bracket 72 supporting the pulley 60c3 is slid up and down to adjust the wire length of the wire 40c so that the height of the stage 19c is the same as the height of the stage 19b, and then the bracket 72 is fixed by a screw 74. Therefore, in the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11, the heights of the stages 19c and 19b can be made uniform regardless of variations in the length of the wire 40c itself during manufacture or variations in the dimensions of the pulley 60c.

[0062] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 is provided with a stage 19c which is supported so as to be movable upward and downward and which accumulates banknotes BL as paper sheets on its upper surface, compression coil springs 36L and 36R which are positioned so as to be pressed against the underside of the stage 19c with a predetermined pressing force and which urge the stage 19c upward, a reel 48, a wire 40c which has one end engaged with the stage 19c and the other end engaged with the reel 48 while being pulled around so as to be able to pull the stage 19c downward, a plurality of pulleys 60c around which the wire 40c is wound, and a wire length adjustment mechanism 70 which is arranged so that the position of at least one pulley 60c3 of the plurality of pulleys 60c is changeable and which changes the length of the wire 40c from the reel 48 to the stage 19c by changing the position of the pulley 60c3.

[0063] This allows the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 to adjust the length of the wire 40c by the wire length adjustment mechanism 70 so that the height of the stage 19c becomes the same as the height of the stage 19b.

[0064] 8. Other embodiments In the above-described embodiment, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 has been described as changing the wire length of the wire 40c by vertically sliding the bracket 72 that rotatably supports the pulley 60c3 in the wire length adjustment mechanism 70 (FIG. 7). The present invention is not limited to this, and the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 may change the position of the pulley 60c3 by, for example, sliding the bracket 72 in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction or rotating the bracket 72 about a rotation axis to change the wire length of the wire 40c.

[0065] In the above-described embodiment, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 has been described as changing the vertical position of the pulley 60c3 in the wire length adjustment mechanism 70 (FIG. 7) by sliding the screw 74 inside the screw slide groove 72g and moving the bracket 72 in the vertical direction. The present invention is not limited to this, and the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 may, for example, slide the pulley central shaft in the vertical direction inside the screw slide groove 72g and fix the position of the pulley 60c3 in a rotatable state.

[0066] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 has been described as being provided with one wire length adjustment mechanism 70 for one pulley 60c3 around which the wire 40c is wound. The present invention is not limited to this, and the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 may be provided with a wire length adjustment mechanism 70 for each of a plurality of pulleys 60c around which the wire 40c is wound, so that as a whole, a plurality of wire length adjustment mechanisms 70 are provided for the pulleys 60c around which the wire 40c is wound.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the paper money deposit and withdrawal device 11 has been described as being provided with one wire length adjustment mechanism 70 on the pulley 60c3 around which the wire 40c is wound. The present invention is not limited to this, and the paper money deposit and withdrawal device 11 may be provided with the wire length adjustment mechanism 70 on the pulley 60b around which the wire 40b is wound instead of the pulley 60c3 around which the wire 40c is wound, or the wire length adjustment mechanism 70 may be provided on both the pulley 60c around which the wire 40c is wound and the pulley 60b around which the wire 40b is wound.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the present invention has been described as being applied to a change dispenser 3 that is connected to a POS register or the like used in checkout counters in supermarkets, convenience stores, etc., to perform deposit and withdrawal processing of banknotes. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may be applied to various devices such as automated teller machines (counter terminals) used in banks, which are terminals used by bank staff.

[0069] 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.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned embodiment, a case has been described in which the banknote deposit and withdrawal device 11 as a paper sheet handling device is configured by the stage 19c as a stage, the compression coil springs 36L and 36R as the urging parts, the reel 48 as a reel, the wire 40c as a wire, the pulley 60c as a plurality of pulleys, and the wire length adjustment mechanism 70 as a wire length adjustment mechanism. The present invention is not limited to this, and the paper sheet handling device may be configured by a stage, urging parts, reels, wires, pulleys, and wire length adjustment mechanisms having various other configurations. [Industrial Applicability]

[0071] The present invention can also be used in various devices having a bill storage that accumulates bills on a stage. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1: cash register change system, 2: POS register, 3: change machine, 5: cash register control unit, 6: display operation unit, 7: receipt processing unit, 7A: receipt discharge port, 11: banknote deposit and withdrawal device, 12: coin deposit and withdrawal device, 13: display operation unit, 14: banknote deposit and withdrawal port, 15: banknote storage unit, 16: coin deposit port, 17: reject port, 18: coin withdrawal port, 19: stage, 21: change control unit, 24: deposit and withdrawal unit, 26: transport unit, 28: discrimination unit, 30: reject collection unit, 31: banknote storage space, 32: storage unit housing, 34: pay-out roller, 35D: bottom plate, 36L: compression coil spring, 36R: compression coil spring, 38: stage lower pulley side support unit, 39: stay lower pulley, 40b, 40c...wire, 42...stage drive mechanism, 44, 45...reel with integrated tensioner, 46...reel shaft, 47, 49...drive gear, 47A...right side, 47AX...shaft hole, 47AY...spring hole, 47AZ...projection, 48, 50...reel, 48A...left side, 48AX...shaft hole, 48AY...projection movement groove, 52...gear, 54...motor, 56...torsion spring, 56A...coil portion, 60b, 60c...pulley, 70...wire length adjustment mechanism, 72...bracket, 72g...screw sliding groove, 72p...pulley support portion, 74...screw, Ddr...downward rotation direction, Dur...upward rotation direction, Du...pulley upward direction, Dd...pulley downward direction.

Claims

1. a stage supported so as to be movable upward and downward and configured to accumulate paper sheets on an upper surface thereof; a biasing portion that is disposed so as to be pressed against the lower surface of the stage with a predetermined pressing force and biases the stage so as to push it upward in the upward direction; Reel and a wire having one end engaged with the stage and the other end engaged with the reel while being pulled around so as to be able to pull the stage in the downward direction; A plurality of pulleys around which the wire is wound; a wire length adjustment mechanism that changes the length of the wire from the reel to the stage by changing the position of at least one of the plurality of pulleys, and A paper handling device having the above structure.

2. A plurality of the stages are provided, and a plurality of the reels are provided corresponding to each of the stages; The wire length adjustment mechanism adjusts the height of one of the stages to match the height of the other stage by changing the wire length of the wire engaged with one of the stages.

2. A paper sheet handling device according to claim 1.

3. The wire length adjustment mechanism includes: A bracket that supports the pulley and is movable; A fixing member for fixing the bracket; 2. The paper sheet handling device according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. The bracket is A screw groove is formed to allow the screw, which is the fixed member, to move inside, and the screw is disposed inside the screw groove and moves relative to the screw to change the position of the pulley.

4. The paper sheet handling device according to claim 3.

5. A plurality of the stages are provided, and a plurality of the reels are provided corresponding to each of the stages; A single drive source for driving the multiple reels 2. The paper sheet handling device according to claim 1, further comprising:

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